#echoz

"baros that left chests exposed manifested a life of labor, if not hardship."

from Stéphanie Marie R. Coo. Clothing and the colonial culture of appearances in nineteenth century Spanish Philippines (1820-1896). History. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, 2014.

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Why not both? :D

XERXES BREAK

How I feel about this character:

I love Break! Though I will say that I think I love him a little bit less than the rest of the fandom. He's a very cool character, but in my opinion, he's one of the more trope-y ones...if that makes sense. Basically, I'm saying that I've definitely seen very similar characters all over anime/manga. But as with most PandoraHearts characters, he's unusually well-written and extremely well-done overall, so all his moments are super enjoyable!

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Hmm. I used to think about shipping in PandoraHearts more often when I was younger (I first read the manga when I wasn't even a teenager yet). I definitely shipped Reim with Break, and I still think this would be cute. Their dynamic can get very fun and almost tsundere-like at times (lol)!

I used to ship Sharon with Break too, but though I still think their dynamic is cute, I know this makes some people quite uncomfortable. I also know that their relationship was canonically intended to be more familial, and that Break was canonically in love with Sharon's mother, Shelly. So do with that what you will.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Honestly, Reim and Sharon could work for this question too?? They're the characters whose relationships with Break are the most meaningful to me. So yeah, I guess them again.

My unpopular opinion about this character:

I'm not sure I have any super unpopular opinions about Break. Maybe just that I don't find him as interesting as a lot of other characters in the manga? I felt I was sort of able to predict the direction Jun Mochizuki went with his character/story, whereas this wasn't the case with a lot of the others in the main cast.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon:

Oof, this is a tough one too...I just wish there were more scenes expanding Break's relationship with Shelly.

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OZ VESSALIUS

How I feel about this character:

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. MY BABY. MY BOY. Everybody who knows me is aware of this LMAO! Shut up about Oz Vessalius, they say. NO, I say.

In all seriousness, Oz is my favorite character of all time. I love PandoraHearts dearly for more reasons than I can say, but he is really part of what makes the manga for me. His character resonated so powerfully with me when I first read it and continues to do so to this day. He is such a nuanced, emotional, human character. 

I always say PandoraHearts saved my life, but more specifically, Oz saved my life. He was so painfully similar to me when I first read the manga. I was going through a very difficult period of my life. Watching him become somebody who could believe in and accept love from those around him, as well as somebody who could come to love himself, was incredibly inspiring. He became a sort of role model, if you will--though it’s more complicated than that. 

I am happy to say that today, I am more like the Oz at the end of the manga than I am like the Oz at the beginning of the manga. 

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys: when I was a kid, I was a passionate Oz x Gilbert shipper. I know that nowadays, people are extremely uncomfortable with this (and understandably so). Outside of this, I really wouldn’t say I ship Oz romantically with anybody, except for maybe Echo? 

I can’t fully get behind Oz and Echo as a couple for some reason, but if Oz needs to be with somebody, I think it should probably be her. The way they helped each other see themselves as human, the way they developed such an intense and intimate respect for one another...it’s very touching.

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

Oz and Gilbert, probably. Their relationship is insanely dedicated and resilient. Though they are “connected by their darkness,” as Gilbert says, they are a source of hope for one another throughout the manga. I think this is beautiful.

Oz and Alice could also count for one of these. I really don’t like Oz and Alice’s dynamic when seen through a romantic perspective, and I’m only able to truly appreciate their relationship when viewing it as platonic. I will say that due to slightly conflicting feelings about Alice’s character, I would prioritize Oz and Gilbert over her and Oz.

My unpopular opinion with this character:

I’m not sure I have one. I don’t think loving Oz is that uncommon of an opinion, lol. 

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon:

Hmm, I don’t know about this one, either...I think Oz’s story is very nearly perfect. I guess...I wish the manga had more directly addressed the toxic aspects of Oz, Alice, and Gilbert’s relationship?

I’m assuming this is meant to be asking for all the numbers, so!!

1) Who can outdrink the other?

Oz can definitely hold his liquor much better than Echo can. She’d probably get drunk off of one bottle, poor girl.

2) Who says “I love you” more?

This one is really obvious, but it’s Oz again! Echo isn’t very good at giving verbal affection so he makes sure to give enough for the both of them.

3) Who has trouble sleeping alone?

Echo; unfortunately, she has a lot of nightmares that make it hard for her to get a good night’s sleep, so Oz is always there to comfort her.

4) Who swears more?

Oz, 100%. Echo has nothing holding her back from swearing, she just...never does it.

5) Who does more of the housework?

They both pitch in equally. Echo tries to do it all herself since that’s what she’s used to, but Oz always stops to help her out.

6) Who forgets their anniversary?

Oz would probably be dumb enough to slip up once or twice, but then he would never forget again.

7) Who steals the duvet in their sleep?

Oz. Echo doesn’t fight back for it, but in the mornings he profusely apologizes and asks her to at least try to pull it back.

8) Who keeps the other awake at night with their snoring?

Neither of them snore much, but Oz does move around a bit in his sleep, which could be counterproductive for Echo.

9) Who finds stray animals and begs the other to let them keep them?

Oz would probably bring home every stray kitten or puppy he found, but Echo always tells him to bring them to a nearby shelter.

10) Who usually makes dinner?

Oz’s cooking skills are...well, horrible. So, Echo ends up having to make the food for them unless it’s a holiday or special event.

11) Who plays the music out loud?

Oz, especially when he’s doing it to annoy Echo. That usually ends in Echo’s favor, though.

12) Who hogs the bathroom?

Oz, without a doubt. He’s probably more concerned about his features and such than actually using the toilet.

13) Who gives the most compliments?

Again, it’s Oz! Stated earlier, Echo isn’t that great with verbal affection, so Oz makes up for it with double the smooth-talking.

14) Who usually starts/causes arguments between them?

They both get angry at each other moderately, but Echo tends to be a lot more blunt about her concerns.

15) Who isn’t afraid to embarrass the other in public?

Oz. It’s usually with intense amounts of PDA, to which she promptly knocks him over the head.

16) Who gives the other cringeworthy pet names?

Stemming from Eiko, Oz now annoys Echo with many more pet names that she doesn’t like. That being all of them. She’d rather stick with Echo.

17) Who takes care of the other when they get sick?

They’re both good caretakers, but Oz does worry a lot more than Echo does.

18) Who finds it impossible to stay angry at the other for long?

Even when he’s angry, Oz just starts thinking about something else (probably relating to Echo’s cuteness), and suddenly he’s not angry anymore.

19) Who clings to the other for comfort when they’re sad or scared?

Echo, surprisingly! She doesn’t get too scared often, but she does like getting Oz’s nice hugs (even if she won’t say so).

20) Who is more ‘physically passionate’?