Viscari

Ghost Story Gotta Work (#gsgw, #gdcg, #choisol)

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun (#tbhk, #aoikane)

Link Click, and To Be Hero X (#tbhx)

Fantasy: Witch Hat Atelier (#wha), Magus of the Library

Genshin (#genshin impact, #outlander twins) and ZZZ (#zzzero)

Miscellaneous series, likely shoujosei, danmei, romfan

I’m generally up to date with everything I post about but I do try to note spoilers! Sometimes I finish things (#my art), sometimes I make myself post unfinished things (#fic drabbles and discards), often times I analyze or make AUs about my current fixations. Thanks for listening to me ramble about my beloveds!

They’re both main characters of a meta story that’s a love letter to a certain genre and we’re moved to another world against their will, which causes them to have extremely high walls and an inability to rely on people. They also have self-esteem issues, are confrontation avoidant, and are oddly convinced they’ll be shunned for who they are.

So one day, in the process of saving the world, Agent Choi gives up his memories of Kim Soleum.

Of course, even if Agent Choi is experienced at losing memories and practiced at hiding it, it becomes obvious to Soleum, esp when Soleum hints at shared secrets that Choi should know, and Choi misses them entirely. To be honest, the hardest part is figuring out why Choi lost his memories.

But once Soleum figures it out, he goes to the Tiger General and offers his memories instead. And so, he forgets about Agent Choi.

And he’s far worse at hiding it, esp since so much of his knowledge depends on DER entries that he’s also forgotten. Once Choi finds out, wouldn’t he go to the Tiger General to make another memory exchange?

His eyes reflecting light makes him look especially delicate and pretty, but I bet that sometimes light will gleam off his eyes and make him look super scary. And then dead eyes Soleum really gives a melancholic, hopeless atmosphere. These character design details…. Seriously the best.

Is this how it feels to wish for your own downfall? Disgusting and macabre creatures, please! Eerie setting and atmospheres! Paneling set up for jump scares!

Better yet, if it has music audio! Or Autoscroll! Animated panels and glitching text! It would all be so fun!!

But I will definitely be unable to sleep peacefully!!

I called it but I think I’m the most impressed wtf. Reinhardt who?? Eun Haje is so cool!!!!

It’s extremely fun because the artist seems to be playing around with traditionally femme and masc traits (in art, particularly manhwa)! Haje’s eyes are higher up on face and have a sharper shape, both of which are traits farrrrrrr more common on guys (in manhwa art). Meanwhile, her chin appears to be slightly rounder and her eyebrows are thinner, which are more common to see on women (in manhwa art). You can compare to the released character teasers to see, or I’ll leave images from the artist’s other adaptations under the cut, since it’s a very strong example of traditional gender appearance in manhwa (and shows the artist is aware/capable of them).

It makes me superrrrrr excited to see the other characters, esp the women!! Jin Nasol must have gorgeous hair, Seonghae I have no clue what fun details will be given to her design… and then of course, the charas that will appear far down the line :>

It seems to focus on the Cute vs Cool spectrum of fashion and how to balance it,, which is fun because a diff manga I’ve read (If You’re Gonna Dress Up, Do it Like This) focuses more on the balance of Formal vs Casual; the latter is more focused on men’s fashion tho, so that makes sense. Fashion is 90% about balancing contrasts (atmosphere, material, silhouette) so it’s super fun seeing diff explanations of it

I love how Nozomi’s styles varies so much, from cute to cool to elegant, always carrying a mix of elements. Plus, it’s always fun when characters do their hair in different ways! And then how Ruka uses her initial set in different ways, mixing and matching the two pieces with a bunch of other pieces in her closet, it’s *such* a fun detail. Sets are always great because they can mix and match!

And I adore how Ruka isn’t made to start over because she was wrong. Instead, we’re given different explanations for why her initial look didn’t work. Then, she’s given alternatives for that look, and she experiments with it, ultimately using it a lot!

And, the detail about how to add fashion or contrast in small, simple ways is lovely. After all, it doesn’t have to be difficult, and even the smallest steps can make you happier/more confident/bring joy/etc. In the manga, Nozomi braids Ruka’s hair to add a bit of cuteness to a 100% cool look. There’s other such minor tricks too: small ribbon clips put in hair, delicate lace accessories like a bracelet or choker, a bow tied around a belt loop of pants, cute socks, etc etc. Such details are part of fashion’s charm, right?

Of course, the fact that Ruka went so extreme at first instead of adding small details is part of her charm, and it shows her inexperience. Fashion does seem daunting, so it’s easier to go to extremes than understand contrast and balance. Ruka and Nozomi are at extreme ends of their fashion journey, and at extreme ends of their willingness to try new things and be ‘wrong. It’ll be fun to see how, through having the other accept them, the two of them learn to express themselves and forgive themselves and love who they are without caring so much about how society perceives them.

Plus, isn’t fashion one of the best vehicles for “a journey of self-expression and confidence”? There’s potential for it to go quite meta, considering ‘fashion’ is often ‘aesthetic’ according to society’s standards. Personally, the point of fashion is to boost my daily self confidence, and give me a burst of joy whenever I see a reflection (as someone who rarely wears makeup due to a skin condition, fashion is the reason I could start looking at mirrors and be happy, instead of immediately looking away). To be honest, even if it’s not ‘fashionable’, if there’s something that gives you joy to see on you, then get it and wear it! Height, weight, skin color, eye color, body type, preferences — society will always impose opinions, but fashion is something that should be catered to you, to make you feel happy and confident.

The shadows both give him a scary or melancholic vibe, and makes him look stressed/haunted/sleep deprived. I wonder if it’d also make him look frazzled/timid, later on?

I also like the red eye highlights! Hoping the adaptation makes full use of the highlight potential. Changing the color of it according to scene/setting, removing the highlight at times, making the highlight way more saturated at other times. Imagine it’s more saturated the more contaminated it is?

(Youngeun’s and Soleum’s waists are at basically the same height)

- rejected his crush, saying something like “I’m scared of horror” with a deadpan expression

- brings donuts to coworkers

- ceremonial dancing

- trying to hide between shelves and under a counter

- trying to hide behind a smaller girl (but their waists are the same width)

- lifts a manhole cover with one hand

- throws a telephone through the glass of a telephone booth

- appears out of someone’s wardrobe, thriller style

- pins someone down and twists their arm behind their back

- carefreely riding a bike with no expression

- flower-adorned mascot

- security team uniform

- wearing cliche disguises, like all black with a face mask or a long coat that hides body shape

- preaches about a pink bunny doll plush

- watches children cartoons and sleeps with the lights on

It’s all this guy

~ spoilers for part 1~

Failed to Abandon the Villain’s main couple are very different (they’re codependent whereas Choisol can’t stop trying to leave each other), but also a bit similar (Valeta is more poker face and seemingly rational but actually kinda crazy, like KSE. Reinhardt smiles a lot and schemes even more, like Choi). It’s fun to think of scenarios…. Should I make an AU? KSE reincarnates into a villainess who’s been brainwashing the male lead, Choi! Or, they’re both transmigrators!

My romfan mind is going crazy right now. Fav romfan couple, paired with my currently active fixation. If it’s side stories, AU where Choi kidnaps Soleum from another world… Ooh, or maybe KSE somehow summons DER!Choi into his world…

Guys guys guys I don’t even have words!! (/pos) I Failed to Abandon the Villain is one of my favorite ever romfans!! The toxic, codependent relationship of the main couple, whose trauma deeply affects both of them in a way such that (they feel like) only the ‘other’ can understand them. A mutual understanding that makes it hard to push away the other even if they hurt you. Of course, I have a personal fondness for toxic romance, but this one I adore because of how well thought out the trauma and its effects are, as well as the main cast that both means well but are really jaded. Plus, the plot itself involves massacre, literally noncon attic wifing (not to the FL), human chimeras, etc etc. it’s definitely ‘horror’. It has a lot of themes and while I’m definitely going to reread the manhwa, I have the impression that the artist adapted the novel and its atmosphere very well!

So! For all these reasons! I’m so excited!! For Gsgw!!! I wouldn’t have connected the two together because they’re completely different genres, but honestly there’s a lot of similar themes! GSGW has tons of characters that ‘aren’t human’ or ‘don’t feel human’, similar to Reinhardt (in fact, both Reinhardt and Braun rein in their more morally careless tendencies in consideration of another person). Both series involves a lot of atmospheric and story horror, along with classic gore. Both series have really interesting characters, with backstories (and trauma) that strongly influence their current selves and stories. Of course, our beloved KSE is a far more morally upright character than the FL Valeta, but GSGW has a lot of themes of “ends vs the means” and “personal morals vs societal morals” (plus how it changes when the society is supernaturals vs humans) and “inner personality vs presented self” and “inherent value vs material/entertainment value”

Again!! I need to reread the manhwa and I will!! But my impression is that artist-nim really understood and appreciated the dark themes of Failed to Abandon the Villain, including all the more subtle nuances of “yes the main couple are traumatized and that’s not a good thing and they’re need to heal to be happy AND toxic romance is fun”, and the artist was able to convey that appreciation in the manhwa adaptation. So! It gives me a lot of hope that the artist will also understand all the themes of the overarching Gsgw story and the individual characters. KSE’s changing personas and how he changes his actions, or the changing trust and dependency on Braun, or how Jaekwan can commit murder despite his seemingly righteous morals, or the way that Ho Yuwon’s past doesn’t change his actions in the present (but it does change perception of the present), or the contrast of Seonghae’s cute and lively energy vs her cold categorization of people into ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or Yongyong’s scary but well meaning pursuit of KSE— I can go on and on and on. All the characters are so nuanced that I’m scared for adaptations and popularity, because I don’t want them to be portrayed wrong, or simplified into a few traits, or be made one dimensional. It’s the same fear I have for stories as dark as Failed to Abandon the Villain.

So, the artist bring the same gives me a lot of relief?? I think they’ll really try their best for the characters, because they probably understand the characters’ good and bad points, and how both points on their own and the combination of them are what makes the characters attractive. Of course I think the artist will learn a lot, both by virtue of the different genres, and because Gsgw really has every type of horror, and each type has a diff atmosphere that will definitely be difficult to translate into art. But they’ll definitely try, and that makes me really excited!!

Idealized gendered traits

Negative gendered traits

Opposing-gender traits (each character has at least one)

Complexity/contradiction of idealized gendered traits (I.e. Sumire saves animals for her ego)

The effect gender has had on them

mental health

their agency/role in the story

goals/desires/ending and how it or conflicts with idealized gender stereotypes (in contrast to what society/stereotype would have wanted)

Idk, I think TBHK goes about normative gender roles and its effects extremely well. For example, Aoi’s and Nene’s affectionate, tactile, almost flirtatious friendship is something that I very rarely see in media, but it’s similar to my female friendships and it is something that is way way more common in female friendships than mixed gender or male gender relationships. Feminine camaraderie is one of the best things. At the same time, Nene sees herself as ‘not good enough’ and thinks she should ‘be more feminine’, while Aoi ends up isolated and exhausted from trying to adhere to standards of femininity. It has negative effects on both of them. They both gain things from it. Their femininity is inseparable from both of their characters. And of course, they’re both far far more than just their gender or how well they fit into gender stereotypes.

Akane has a lot of agency and a ton of his own arcs, but his Entire Life revolves around Aoi. He studies for her sake, exercises for her sake, does extracurriculars for her sake. All his hobbies involve her. All of them.

Aoi has a bunch of hobbies and a decent life-work(study)-sleep schedule. She could live without the cast, and even if she may be lonely at first and dislike people, she could live alone comfortably until she finds people she can trust (I.e. how she didn’t really have friends until Nene. Good people will always appear in life). She has a Life. But her main character arc revolves around Akane.

I saw someone say that this is bad writing (that female charas in TBHK are always tied to the male charas) but on the flip side I actually think Aidairo explores gender, gender stereotypes, the pros and cons of gender, and the effects of gender expectations extremely well. That said, I think the Akane and Aoi arc isn’t even about gender (the focus of the arc, at least. Aoi’s character is pretty intrinsically connected to gender, stereotypes, expectations, and burdens of trying to be ‘perfect’)

the reason her arc revolves around Akane is that Aoi wouldn’t try to come back on her own. The exact reasoning is a bit vague. Maybe she’s a bit suicidal. Maybe she’s tired of trying. Maybe she’s tired of being lonely. Maybe she’s tired of having an image forced on her by other people. Whatever the reason, she’s not exactly fighting to come back. Akane is. Akane would do anything her to come back, and that’s why he’s the center of her arc. Because of his agency and desires, not hers.

TBH, it didn’t have to be Akane. I think the same outcome would have happened if it was Nene, although obviously the method would have been different. The important thing for Aoi was realizing that someone genuinely cares about her and wants her to live (a trait Nene has shown to the audience multiple times but not really to Aoi). It didn’t have to be Akane, but it ended up being Akane because his Entire Life revolves around her. Even if she wanted to forget him to make life easier on her (I headcanon that pre-her-arc, she might’ve gone overseas for uni without telling him), he literally would not allow her. He’s always orbiting her. Because his Entire Life revolves around her.