#asksfullfosugar

when the troupe are gathering to yorknew they remark that it's the first time in years that all members have been together. they also mention that two of their members have been replaced. i think that when they finally gather on tier 1 after several weeks on the black whale two of their members will have been killed.

which members? well back in yorknew chrollo did not send the following members to infiltrate the underground auction: pakunoda, hisoka, kortopi, phinks and bonolenov. on tier 1 the first three won't be part of the mission for obvious reasons, but once again phinks and bono will be absent bc they are already dead.

at the auction franklin and shizuku are the only ones shown killing people (feitan and uvo torture info out of that poor security guard but that's all offscreen). after reaching tier 1 those two will be killed. symbolically franklin is the voice of reason and helps to settle disputes while shizuku cleans up their messes so their deaths would further destabilize the group. tho if shizuku really does die then i hope togashi will never touch machi bc it'd suck of all the female members were killed.

chrollo will again attempt to get close to the heir of a powerful family who has a future based hatsu (neon/tserri) but will fail either bc he'll be unable to gain tserri's trust and/or bc tserri's nen beasts can sense chrollo's intent and attack him.

the ten dons sent the shadow beasts to prevent the pt from stealing the treasures but ultimately they were killed by uvo. in contrast the guardian spirit beasts will succeed in protecting their princes from the pt (my predictions are basically just the pt taking Ls one after the other lmao)

after kurapika finds out that the pt are on the black whale he will confront chrollo but instead of a deathmatch he will strike a deal. in yorknew kurapika was hired as a bodyguard to protect neon from threats and was collaborating with hisoka against the troupe. now kurapika will strike a deal with the pt to help him guard oito and wobble, in exchange he will help the pt find hisoka.

i've seen the theory that nobunaga will want to fight kurapika since he was the most upset about uvo's death. but it think it's interesting that during the hostage situation nobu was willing to follow kurapika's orders to keep chrollo alive. it was phinks and feitan who were opposed to following kurapika's orders. so when kurapika approaches the pt with his proposal i think nobu will agree to it if it's benefical to the troupe while it's feitan who will protest the most.

chrollo will have a rematch with hisoka. he'll probably have assistance from at least one of the spiders, after all he was only able to beat hisoka the first time with help from shalnark and kortopi. most likely machi since she seems to have the strongest connection to hisoka out of the pt. but before chrollo and machi can land the killing blow illumi will intervene and save hisoka's life.

ok i think that's all i've got for now. thank you so much for your time.

Hi!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! It is entirely possible this arc will mirror Yorshin to an extent, even if I am not sure of the details!

Similarly, I think Kurapika and Chrollo might be forced to form an alliance, even if I don't know how it comes to be. And I agree about wanting something for Hisoka and Illumi, even if I am expecting it to be fucked up :P

In short, I agree with the general idea you have, but I am not sure of the details or if it will mirror Yorshin in such a precise way :)

Hi anon!

I think I disagree, even if I see where you are coming from...

First of all, the simple truth is... Mercury doesn't have that many relationships... as for now his 3 main bonds are Emerald (positive), Cinder (ambivalent) and Tyrian (negative). So, I would not really talk about a pattern here. This boy just needs friends no matter the gender :''')

Secondly, it is true that a part of Mercury's arc is to overcome a toxic mindset that stems from a negative idea of masculinity: "You must be strong", "You need no crutches", "You shouldn't show your feelings", etc. However, toxic masculinity =/= male characters. Jaune and Qrow are examples of masculinity that have outgrown their toxic traits, so for Mercury to develop bonds with them would be positive.

In any case, my reasoning to headcanon their future involvement in Mercury's arc is mostly structural and thematic. Especially when it comes to Qrow, I have argued why it would fit here and here:

Qrow and Mercury are similar. Both were raised to be assassins and their childhoods keep influencing their respective self-images. Deep down both still believe they are destined for destruction.

Tyrian is the character that in different ways embodies this idea for both, so it makes sense for them to overcome him. However, this victory should not be (only) a physical one. Qrow defeating Tyrian as a way to avenge Clover would not work because it would still be Qrow indulging in destruction. Similarly, Mercury killing Tyrian like he killed Marcus would just be the cycle repeating.

However, for Qrow to save a kid just as unlucky as him would be a way to metaphorically save and heal himself. For Mercury to show vulnerability and accept help would truly mean defeat Tyrian, Marcus and break the cycle of abuse.

Of course, things might go in many different ways, but this theory at least works for both characters’ arcs imo. If Qrow is the one that eventually kills Tyrian I think it should not be about Tyrian himself, but rather to save one of Tyrian’s victims and Mercury just happens to be in the perfect position to be saved.

Finally, when it comes to Cinder and Mercury's relationship, I actually like it very much and think it would be very important for both characters. I know this isn't really the focus of your ask, but in general I think people miss when exactly Mercury and Cinder's bond "weakened". It isn't in volume 4 or 5, but in volume 6. Specifically, it is after Salem's outburts here:

Before this outburst, Mercury is just as emotional as Emerald is at discovering Cinder is alive:

Salem: That's right. I want you to understand that failure. I want you to understand why Cinder must be left to toil in her isolation until she redeems herself. Salem walks away from Emerald. Both her and Mercury look up in surprise. Mercury: You mean-- Emerald: She's alive?

After the outburst, Mercury is quick to rationalize his relationship with Cinder as purely utilitaristic:

Mercury: Yeah, Cinder was a pain, but at least she kept us filled in.

And lacking any emotional attachment:

Mercury: Cinder doesn't care about you! She doesn't care about either of us!

Like, here Mercury is right and is trying to open Emerald's eyes. However, he is also convincing himself and putting some distance from Cinder. Notice how Mercury starts wiht Emerald, but then extends the idea to himself, as well. After all, this is what Salem, aka his new abuser is asking of him:

Salem: It's important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, justice, reverence… But, the moment you put your desires before my own… they will be lost to you. This isn't a threat. This is simply the truth. The path to your desires is only found… through me.

Salem's message to Emerald (and so Mercury, as well) is clear. They should prioritize Salem's will over Cinder's. And that is what Mercury starts doing here in order to survive. This process keeps going throughout the time skip between volume 6 and 8. Just look how scared he is here:

And in volume 7 he is hardened himself so much, he barely shows any reaction to Cinder's return. This isn't because he doesn't care or their bond is gone though. It is a very specific reaction to abuse that makes Mercury repress his feelings and always act through a pragmatic frame, which is ironically much more obtuse than if he were just to follow his heart :''')

Anyway, I digressed a little bit, but the point is... I think Mercury's arc is about overcoming toxic masculinity, which is precisely why a bond with a positive male mentor figure may help. Not the only option, but not one I would discard just because...

Hi!

The beauty of humanity and diversity and how stories are intertwined with it?

At its core it is an exploration of the idea of living through trauma, abuse and pain. It is about showing a new beginning is possible and life in itself can be beautiful.

Hello anon!

It depends on what you mean by Yang "being" Alice in Wonderland. Is Alice Yang's main allusion? Nope, that is Goldilock. Are there some easter eggs that link Yang to Alice? Yes, like her birthday being the same as when the Alice in Wonderland novel was released, according to @misstrashchan?

Is Yang Alice in any meaningful and thematic way? Imo no, especially because the upcoming volume is set up to be Alice in Wonderland themed:

As she drifted down, she felt like Alyx falling through the world. Then she heard a tearing sound. She looked up and noticed the constellation of scorch marks in the paper as the wind and gravity began to rip it apart. She concentrated and patched it up with her Semblance, reinforcing the fragile paper, imagining it as a thin, light, durable film that absolutely would not shred and drop her twenty feet to the ground.

Roman Holiday, chapter 7 

However, the main character in focus is not going to be Yang, but Ruby:

"This is the story of as girl"

The whole set up is also made by Oscar (and later Oz), who foils Ruby and not Yang:

Oscar:  I thought the idea of falling through Remnant into a new world was exciting. I never understood why she was so sad when she finally made it back home. But now it makes more sense. Ozpin: She wasn’t the same girl anymore.

Ozpin: I was recently reminded of an old fairy tale. A young girl flees the consequences of a choice, to a magical place. But, having never learned from her initial failure, she only succeeds in spreading it.

This set-up is clearly preparing Oscar/Oz to foil Ruby/(prob) Summer in some way. Hence in the series the Girl Who Fell Through the World is specifically Ruby.

Obviously, in a sense Alyx is RWBY as a whole (plus Jaune and Neo) because they all fell. On an even wider level every character next volume will be Alyx. This is because Alice's story is a metaphorical and fantastical coming of age story. Alice's adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are just Alice coming to terms with herself.

Alice falls into a Rabbit Hole (she goes deeper into herself) and enters a world, which she struggles to understand (a twisted version of the adults' world with all its hypocristy and stupidity). She goes from being too big to being too small because that's how you feel when you grow up. Finally, she has to fight off strange characters, who tell her not to think with her own head (off with her head). In the sequel, she enters a mirror (so herself) and there she has to cross the board to turn herself into a Queen (grow up).

The same thing is gonna happen to the characters in volume 9. In other words, no anon, I don't think Yang is specifically Alice in Wonderland. Ruby will probably be. However, Yang and the others will still be in a minor way. It is also possible they might build a meta play where Ruby is Alyx and Yang is Alice. Not sure what will accomplish, but I am not against it per se :'''). What's sure is that before analyzing RWBY through an Alice in Wonderland lens, I would wait for next volume.

I can't help but think that the scene where Jinx uses the flare Vi gave her is like a last desperate cry for help.

Hello anons,

to the second anon, yes the story frames it that way.

Jinx is contradictive specifically because she wants to be loved, but at the same time self-sabotages her own relationships. This is true for both her relationship with Vi and for that with Silco.

Both never betray her, but she keeps imagining betrayals...

Anyway, the flare is just Jinx expressing her wish to meet Vi again hoping that this meeting would somehow cleanse her whole past... this is why we can see her adoptive brothers calling for Vi together with Jinx...the idea is that sometimes Vi coming back would fix everything and that symbolically the family can still be together... obviously this does not happen.

To the first anon, I quite like it... it is fucked up, but genuine and this is why it works and adds complexity to the characters, Silco specifically.

In general, it is a relationship that works through projection 101... Silco sees a crying child telling him her sister has betrayed her...that same sister who has just appeared in Silco’s eyes as a younger version of Vander...

Something in this crying child simply clicks with Silco and makes him genuinelly interested in caring for Jinx... the problem is that Silco is not a healthy person and the only way he finds to help Jinx is unhealthy...

Jinx does not feel strong enough, so he trains her to be stronger... he praises her for her talents and inspires her to become more lethal with them...

Silco nurtures Jinx’s hate for Piltover and Vi and has Jinx become a killer and spiral in her own violent tendencies.

The twist is that differently from other examples of similar situations... Silco genuinely loves Jinx and really thinks he is helping her...

So yeah, I like this relationship not because it is healthy, but because of its complexity.

Hello!

That is good to hear! It means they are putting more focus on the kind of story they wanna tell rather than on simply making a prequel that ends with all the characters becoming their own champions :)

Anyway, sorry, but it is literally too soon to say.

The plot has barely started to unravel itself and there could be many ways it evolves.

Hello!

I think I had answered a similar question before, but it was ages ago and I can’t find it, so do not worry :D

Moreover, it is always fun to talk about favourite series!

Ok, I am focusing on series I have specifically enjoyed in their anime format. This means that many of my favourite series (see HxH, Monster, BSD, for example) will not appear because I mostly enjoy them in their manga medium, even if I have watched some parts of their animes and I like them.

In no particular order:

1) Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I think it is very original in its premise, its world-building and its structure. However, what truly makes the series shine for me is its themes. I think Madoka is a great example of how you can explore complex themes in a poignant way without making the story too long.

All in all, the series is all about wishes. Selfless wishes, selfish wishes, misguided wishes and repressed wishes. It explores what it means to wish for something and if it is right to feel so strongly over something that it is right to bet your life on it. And the final answer is that it is worth it.

2) Psycho Pass (first season)

It is from the same author of Madoka and it shows, I think. Despite the two series having different premises, I think similarities can be seen in their structures and in some tropes that appear in both series.

Anyway, just like Madoka, Psycho Pass is a series which finds its strength in deconstructing a genre (the dystopian one), in its worldbuilding and in its themes. I especially love the characters. Akane in particular is one of my favourite characters ever and I find her arc very original and powerful.

3) Requiem for the Phantom

It is a perfect tragedy </3

It explores the story of three phantoms, three people whose identity was stolen from them and it shows them reacting in different ways. It also explores the concept of identity and self. It is full od symbolism and artistic shots as well.

Elen and Cal are two great characters and Elen’s arc in particular is just very well done.

4) Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

It is a story I have knowns for a while, but never felt motivated enough to read the manga. So, I have watched the anime and I am glad I did! It is funny and light-hearted, but it has a very powerful plot and very strong characters.

I think that its climax and resolution are a perfect example of how to deal with an ensembled cast. Every major character has their moment both in terms of internal focus and of them being important for the plot. They all contribute in different ways to the resolution of the conflict.

5) Saiki K

I love this funny anime! It just plays with stereotypes in such a cheeky way!

Saiki is absolutely an icon :’’’) and I love Teruhashi! She is a refreshing joke of both the yamato nadeshiko and of the alpha bitch trope! She is just the best and tbh I think her character is crafted in a way that has a lot of potential even for a more serious story-line.

6) Baccano!

I love the characters and the atmosphere in this! I think the authors made a great adaptation and the idea of rearranging different plot-lines, so that you see them developing at the same time fits with the main themes and the overall philosophy of the series.

Also, I actually love stories set on trains, so I am very fond of the Flying Pussyfort plot-line (and I love the Vino twist).

7) Banana Fish

This anime devastated me, despite me knowing how it would have ended since the beginning :’’’) Anyway, it is this adaptation with its care for colors and details, that made me fall in love with the series. I really like the music, the character designs and the atmosphere conveyed by the anime.

I am afraid it is more or less it for my list. I like other animes of course (Anohana and Made in Abyss, for example). Still, I would not call them favourite ones!

Other than anime, I also enjoy other animated series, such as ATLA, The Dragon Prince, Rwby and Tales of Arcadia. They are all faves of mine! I have also enjoyed She-Ra a lot!

Hello anon,

yes, I agree with this take. The whole point of RWBY is that nobody can or should shoulder the weight alone. This is why we have an ensemble cast and why the series prefers to have small character moments all coming together to deliver a final result, rather than one character solving everything.

This is why the climaxes are usually the result of more characters’ actions and talents.