#sarl438

Wooo im gettin tired lmao, thanks Liz :D

Overall I think he came out great! I really enjoyed the lil bits of lore they released (the journal cracked me up a few times), and I can appreciate the direction they took on most facets.

The only thing that put me off a bit was the whole overkill lines with Lux. Don’t get me wrong I have no issue with the ship at all, it’s just the way they went about it and made it such an accentuated point of character? Not only that but he kinda comes off as this massive fuckboy with no redeeming qualities in the few interactions they have and I really, really dislike his lines towards Rakan and Xayah.

I could ramble on and on about certain voice lines that are either a) really contradictory to his profession/lore or b) not okay ™, but a lot of them are fantastic too. And note that these issues are with the lines themselves, not the voice acting. I’m quite happy with the voice acting.

Taking a break from Zanka writing! I’ve added a twist to this, and I hope it’s still to your liking, dear. <3 Note: I’ve used the weapons in Okami as a reference for Yuuri. ;)

Viktor accepts the flute of champagne from the waitress, barely registering her flustered tittering. He gives her the usual flick-and-wink, of course; far be it for the Legendary Hero to be dismissive with his fans. But his heart is not in it, not when his protégé is about to begin his final examination to be a full-fledged Pantheon Knight.

Inhaling, he straightens his cuffs with his free hand, eyes trained on the green landscape down below. The training committee has chosen a jungle terrain this year, fraught with wild animals, carnivorous plants, and every venom known to man. One single mistake could result in instant failure.

Assuming another trainee doesn't take out his protégé first.

Viktor wonders if Yakov's nerves were ever as frayed as his.

"Can it be?" drawls a voice, deep and low in his ear. "The great Viktor Nikiforov is… nervous?"

Viktor's mouth curves above the edge of his champagne flute. "Chris," he says as the blond joins him by the windows - giant glass panels that stretch from ceiling to carpeted floor. "You made it."

"Your first trainee," Christophe says, raising his glass. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." He's wearing a jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned just enough to expose the hollow of his throat, soft and enticing. "That, and because your boy looks fabulous in that exotic armor of his."

"Mm, that he does."

There's a sudden crackle, seconds before a face appears, large and pixelated across the top of the windows. As the resolution improves, Viktor recognizes the impish features instantly: Phichit Chulanont, Pantheon Knight and host for this year's examinations. Phichit's bright voice thunders through the rooftop lounge, blasting from speakers at every corner of the room.

"Welcome, one and all, to the final round of the 42nd annual Pantheon Knight Trials. Only the best and the brightest make it to this stage, and boy, have we got some interesting trainees for you today, folks! Before I get down to introducing our main players for this afternoon, why don't I begin with a brief explanation of the rules?"

As Phichit cheerily details the objective of this round--a no-holds-barred fight until three trainees are left standing--Viktor tips his head, downing his champagne with one swing. He's wound up tight, and he isn't sure why. He knows his protégé would make a brilliant knight; he chose to become the man's mentor for that very reason.

There may have been other reasons, but really, the knight thing was the main one.

"Here." Christophe plucks out Viktor's empty champagne flute and replaces it with a filled glass. "Keep 'em coming," he calls to the same waitress, who nods vigorously, face turning a bright shade of red.

"Thanks," Viktor chuckles.

"Hey, whatever it takes," Christophe says, flashing a lopsided grin.

Phichit, meanwhile, moves on to the trainees. As usual, they come from all over the world, from every faith, religion, spiritual belief. It’s as though the Gods themselves wanted to pit their powers against each other, to see how their abilities fared in the frail, destructible bodies of their most avid worshippers. 

The twisted bastards. 

"--and an absolute fan favorite--” Viktor blinks, snapping out of his reverie. “--Yuuuri Pliiisetskyyy!"

The image of a petite blond splashes across the windows, his otherwise delicate features twisted in a scowl. Covered head to toe in heavy armor, his eyes glow an unearthly green as he rests a giant battle axe on his shoulder.

"Don't underestimate Yuri because of his size. Fusing with Perun, the Slavic God of Thunder, this quick-tempered trainee is one electrifying competitor!"

Christophe hums. "That's Yakov's kid, isn't it?"

Viktor doesn't respond; his heart is hammering in his ears.

"Last, but certainly not least, hailing from the mysterious regions of the Far East, we have the ever-surprising, ever-rising…"

His protégé appears on the panels, dressed in his country’s military armor and glowing a bright crimson gold. The camera drone captures him perfectly, and Viktor is struck--again; always--at the way his hair falls across his bandanna, the way his jaw clenches in a hard line, the way his eyes singe Viktor's insides, hot and molten.

"…Yuuuri Kaaatsuki!"

honestly like... i’m excited to see whatever they have to show! i’m not putting my hopes up because i want to be surprised and just like the tv show i trust the yoi staff.

I somehow have a hard time answering this question I dunno why.

It could be that this is my first time buying dvds for an anime so I really don’t have anything to compare it to other than the another version of the same thing that everyone could watch for free.