HTML is a markup language used to tell a web browser how to display content. You might be aware of simple uses of HTML, such as <b>bold</b> and <i>italics</i> but HTML can be used to do so much more! Do you like r/AITA stories? Have you ever been interested in including realistic text messages into your fics? Did you like choose-your-own-adventure books as a kid? HTML can be used for all of that and more!
Join us for HTML Tryhards 2026, where we bully our friends (and you? 👀) into making fanfiction super extra shiny using the power of HTML.
What does HTML have to do with fanfiction?
AO3 is a fanfiction hosting platform that supports the use of HTML, and that's where submissions for this event should be posted. We have a collection for you to post to, but please use the #HTML Tryhard tag on your work as well!
If you post about your submissions on Tumblr, @ this blog or use the tag #htmltryhard2026, and we'll reblog you.
Rules
Submissions must include a significant portion of HTML. We'd prefer the entire work be HTML, but mixed prose and HTML is also acceptable.
Submissions MUST be HTML and not images or screenshots of text logs/tweets/etc.
There is no required minimum word count, but the suggested minimum word count is 500 words.
HTML/CSS guides are accepted (and encouraged!) as submissions.
Submissions should include the #HTML Tryhard tag on AO3.
Submissions should be added to the collection on AO3.
You can start posting submissions February 16th, and the last date of the event is February 22nd, though the collection will still be open after that date if your projects end up running late.
Follow us!
If you don't know how to use HTML but it's something you're interested in, give us a follow! In the days leading up to the event, we'll be sharing works that have utilized HTML, as well as helpful guides. The difficulty of these guides will vary, and we'll post things we hope will be helpful for veterans and beginners alike. We're also on Bluesky!
A look at canonically plausible ships for Reno based on the explicit (chemistry).
Cause this kind of stuff makes me emotionally warm & fuzzy + it's useful as an anchor into canon & their vibes. Thought I'd post it as public, maybe somebody will find it enjoyable or/and useful as well. But the "fav moments" part is a bit unpolished, might tweak it asp or use some of its content in separate posts (likely for KafReno, as I want to post more fluff for them).
EXTRA NOTES BEFORE THE ACTUAL PART
"Canonically plausible based on chemistry" means "with the characters Reno is shown or implied in the manga (also even taking the anime & the side content by Matsumoto into account) to have any close relationship/chemistry with".
Meanwhile, both the explicit (chemistry) & especially the implicit (compatibility) are taken into account here: https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/794144637654859776/ihareno-as-the-ship-in-kn8?source=share. So it includes other canonically plausible ships for Reno (& some other characters): ones based on compatibility & chemistry, not just on chemistry.
KAFKA
• what he means to Reno/what role he plays in Reno's life: his role model, inspiration, his goal, an embodiment (in the heroic part) of who Reno is & strives to become. As stated in ch 101.
• who he is to Reno: his close friend. The only other person outside of Iharu with whom Reno has any close relationship. Likely became close while working at Monster Sweeper Inc, before joining JAKDF; but that period was barely shown (the manga states it's three months between the "Kafka becomes a kaiju" incident & the day they pass their first JAKDF exam).
• their relationship on the daily basis: more of a comedic pair, it seems, with Reno being responsible and composed & Kafka being primarily an emotional goof. They do have purely serious moments though (e.g. ch 129 or during the raid on the 3rd division's base).
• other notes: while Kafka saves & inspires Reno but isn't much about him, Reno is all about him. His entire character is made for Kafka, pretty much all he is, is "save Kafka, protect Kafka, get stronger for Kafka, so he can stay safe & fulfill his dream". He's obsessively loyal to Kafka (w/o the rose glasses effect: he'll tell him off etc, if need be), his biggest supporter. He's also crucial to Kafka's story: saves his life (ch 1) & pushes him (from a safe distance, since they're still kind of strangers) to chase his dream (joining JAKDF).
• side note: my fav moment/s in the manga: this one comes to mind (ch 129):
I find it particularly beautiful, a wrap-up of both of their arcs: Reno's "I'll be waiting for you, I'll get stronger so you can be safe & fulfilled" & Kafka's "I want to be in the 3rd Division & keep the promise I made to my friend".
Also their entire exchange in ch 100. Classic KafReno vibe, except Reno is more confident as an officer, teaching Kafka that same lesson Iharu has taught him in ch 63.
But especially this part of ch 100:
Because it shows how much it means to Reno to be acknowledged by him — his role model, his hero — as a partner. He's not a braindead fanboy, but he does respect & admire Kafka deeply. Also very romance vibe on Reno's side.
It's one of those rare moments in the manga when Reno blushes. Aside from this one (ch 1), where Reno shows care in that deflective way one would when they do care but don't want to suffer cause of vulnerability.
Kafka shares Reno's ambition (to join JAKDF), & Reno notices he looked sad about giving up. So it resonates with him, & he tries to push but at a distance. (And then, after Kafka saves him in that heroic way he used to only read about in shonen mangas (one of his favorites for a reason, presumably: fantasies of heroes coming to save lives, soothing the pain of no one having come to save Reno's family from death), he becomes obsessively loyal & devoted. The layers people have).
The way he gets happy for Kafka when he gets accepted or becomes an officer.
Or when Kafka feels pumped before their first mission.
And this little moment.
Imagine having somebody so devoted to you (but not blindly). Somebody who supports you so ardently & unconditionally (despite his initial "we're rivals from now on"). Both in practice & emotionally. And Kafka does recognize it.
This scene (ch 1) always gets me. Looks even more cheeky in the anime. Domestic/casual interactions that show their daily characters & dynamics. When they're BOTH, in a way, being silly & lighthearted, not just Kafka (Kafka is still the primary goof here, but).
There's also an anime-extra moment (but it's one of those that do follow the manga's characterizations/dynamics, hence I'm even mentioning it) I particularly love: the one from the "Scream" scene (s1 e5 or 6, idr), where they're jogging/whatever & Reno hands him a bottle of water. A domestic, heartwarming moment. The warm smile...
...and the gesture itself. A simple & practical act of love; very much Reno's style (he doesn't speak his feelings (& when he does, he gets flustered, see below), he shows them through actions). (Fun fact: it's one of the scenes the anime includes in Kafka's memories when he's being escorted away in ch 33).
A sort of anime-extra that I also love is the phone call scene from s2e9. Not exclusive to the anime but the anime adds a tiny element — a blush — that could be a romantic element (& it'd be interpreted as such w/ no questions if this was a different-sex relationship) or something else, fits with the manga's portrayal either way.
The whole scene is another one of those "KafReno in a nutshell", with Reno being this caring, somewhat nagging guy who ends up flustered about how much he cares. It's just so good.
Overall, with their chemistry, it's fair to say them not ending up together is a wasted potential (even though this is shonen, so why would one even expect romance. Still, a little wouldn't hurt). Truthfully, it's a more convincing love story potential than any explicit romance I've seen so far (though I don't consume much pop-culture at all). *
* More would acknowledge that if they weren't so hung up on the age gap thing. Or labeling them as father-son / etc; which, though, shouldn't get in the way anyway, as many ship characters with no chemistry at all. Objectivity is hard though; getting stuck in habits, double standards, & self-indulgent/serving interpretations is easy, more or less, depending on our relationship to the topic (including how attached we are to certain interpretations, are we able to look beyond our identification to the people/characters involved & how that identification influences our perception of them & their relationships, etc), how normalized certain views of the topic are in our environment, our personality, how much we've trained more objective takes & were they encouraged, etc.
IHARU
• what he means to Reno/what role he plays in Reno's life: his biggest supporter. Always there for him, cheering him on (ch 101), & the one who can ground Reno (ch 63). Also, essentially the one who made Reno as the No. 6 user — something so important to Reno, as part of his "I need to be as strong as possible, so I can protect Kafka and Iharu and everybody else" — possible (ch 63).
• who he is to Reno: his close friend. The only other person outside of Kafka with whom Reno has any close relationship. Became close before their first mission (see their comfortable interactions in the bathroom in ch 11), despite Iharu's targeted competetiveness.
• their relationship on the daily basis: we don't see them much (Reno is all about Kafka), but from what's implied in canon (e.g. ch 11): they like to compete in a friendly way (though Reno is not nearly as competitive as Iharu. E.g. in ch 34 he doesn't respond to Iharu's "I'm not losing to you" sentiment in any competitive way, instead asking him to keep the fighting to killing kaiju). Also, while not explicitly shown either, based on their respective personalities & the interactions we do see (e.g. in ch 34) Iharu seems to be the "sun" that pulls the fun side of Reno out, warms Reno out of his serious, somewhat stiff tendencies (& in the anime, they've added a scene that expands on that, in s2e1. Here's my little analysis of it: https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/797850093652983808/the-anime-extra-scene-in-s2e1-with-iharu-pulling?source=share).
• other notes: (1) While to Reno, Iharu is a grounding presence that helps him push forward (as acknowledged by Reno in ch 63), to Iharu, Reno is his main rival/inspiration to get stronger (since he started off below Iharu & quickly surpassed him, & others, at an unmatched speed), including being the catalyst to Iharu discovering his flash adapter ability (in ch 62/63). (2) Iharu is pretty much made for Reno (his name refers to spring & Reno was born in spring. Iharu is the one who saves Reno from his No. 6 crashout, breaking his ice in the process).
• side note: my fav moment/s in the manga: they don't get many, but they get a bunch of beautiful ones in Reno's No. 6 trial arc (ch 60-64). It's full of important, powerful moments for both Iharu and Reno respectively, as well as their relationship. E.g. this one (ch 64 / s2e8)...
...shows how much Iharu's support means to Reno; not just because he helped him get No. 6 — & therefore, the pathway to really becoming stronger — but also because he's there for him, supporting him, bringing him back when he's lost himself, helping him break through any wall. Showing Reno he's not alone.
Or this one (ch 63 / s2e7):
Showing how Reno actually sees/experiences Iharu: as this hopeful, comforting presence. Iharu's name refers to spring, spring is a season of hope; Iharu is Reno's spring: his hope, his warmth. And that particular scene captures that perfectly. (I've used the anime frame instead of the manga panel just because the anime draws Iharu a bit softer, so it fits the vibe better here).
The high-five (ch 64 / s2e8) (that for no reason is not a hug *squints at the author questioningly*)...
...where Reno is his happiest in the entire series.
And outside of the No. 6 trial arc, a fragment of the bath scene (ch 11).
Early on into their relationship, showing them in a more domestic, upbeat vibe (aspects of the rest of that scene feel a bit ooc to me. But regardless whether they are or aren't, it is true authors don't always manage to keep everything about their own characters consistent at all times).
There's also an anime-extra scene (again, one of those that do follow the manga's characterizations/dynamics) in s2e1 that I find really well-done in terms of respecting the manga's characterizations and dynamics & meaningful for their relationship, as I've shared here: https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/797850093652983808/the-anime-extra-scene-in-s2e1-with-iharu-pulling?source=share.
And this is not an anime-extra but they did flesh the scene out in the anime (added more frames) (s2e8).
Iharu is so excited & happy their mission — & in that, his efforts to help Reno get the permission to use No. 6 — turned out a success. It's contagious. Almost like he's spilled that joy onto Reno, making Reno really relish the moment (after all, Iharu was the first one to express it, while Reno was sitting there all serious as he tends to). Imagine having such a ball of sunshine in your life. Reno needs him, with his lowkey stiff, serious vibe.
(Looking at all these "side by side" like that makes one notice how inconsistently they draw them. True though that the manga was going for ~5 years, so it makes sense).
OTHER FUN FACTS
• a cool parallel: Kafka is Reno's inspiration/role model, Iharu is Reno's biggest supporter. Reno is Kafka's biggest supporter, and Iharu's inspiration/motivation.
• Iharu & Kafka — the two characters Reno is close with in canon — are the same zodiac sign in western astrology (which might be relevant, as noted here https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/797583152432431104/ihareno-is-one-of-those-ships-that-dont-need-what?source=share. In fact, having looked into how the other characters' western zodiac signs fit them, I'm now convinced the author did indeed choose them intentionally): leo. Reno is a fire sign, too (aries). It's actually kind of funny, because they are 🔥the fire trio🔥 of kn8 (the other characters (I've looked at Hoshina, Haruichi, Aoi, Shinomya, Ashiro) are different elements). Kn8's OT3, in that silly-yet-not-so-silly sense among others. It seems the author has intended for Kafka to be shipped with Shinomya (because: https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/798487678148591616/when-it-comes-to-the-chemistry-between-shinomya?source=share), but ended up selling KafReno better (maybe also intentionally) (e.g. Reno is the one obsessed with Kafka).
• Reno's battles alongside both Iharu (ch 15-17 & ch 63-64) and Kafka (ch 99-102) are actually meaningful to the plot & to Reno himself: filled with character development (those alongside Iharu also with Iharu's character development), relevant to Reno's arc, or deepening Reno's bond with either of the two.
• both Iharu and Kafka have saved Reno's life (and vice versa): Iharu in ch 16, Kafka in ch 1 & 17.
• this is irrelevant in terms of romance, but: both Kafka's and Iharu's (among other characters, e.g. Hoshina) combat styles are close-range, thus complementary to Reno's (long-range). Iharu & Reno also make a parallel to Ogata & Hikari (Iharu is a flash adapter, Reno is a numbers weapon user).
• kn8 has a funny dynamic pattern: Reno is Kafka's biggest supporter, Iharu is Reno's biggest supporter — yet respectively Kafka's & Reno's appreciation towards respectively Reno & Iharu seems humble throughout the series, with a moment or two of a dramatic appreciation to sort of make up for that. Might just be me but it feels a bit sad.
I'll add more if I find more.
EXTRA NOTE/CONCLUSION of sorts
I wrote all that because one, I like Reno BUT two, I'm one of those serious, boring ones who need their understanding to be canon-compliant & don't click with self-indulgent takes. (Been realizing that's a minority. But minority =\= worthless; maybe someone else out there is in that same boat, so, this content is for them :D). E.g. shipping I like to do based on canon (what ships are actually rooted in canonical chemistries & compatibilities), not based on what I like; or rather, if I like a ship that's because it's canon-compliant. And so e.g. if a character has more than one ship potential in canon, I like to explore how that could plausibly play out, could the ships exist in the same continuity or do they seem mutually exclusive.
When it comes to Reno, while emotionally speaking I find both ships I think equally stunning & compelling, rationally speaking (actual realistic potential, looking at their personalities etc) it seems that Iharu might, perhaps, work just a little bit better for Reno — & I've explained why I think that, exactly, (by looking at both (& other) ships from the angle of chemistry & compatibility) here: https://www.tumblr.com/neverstopwoandering/794144637654859776/ihareno-as-the-ship-in-kn8?source=share. So in my impression, it seems most likely to go like this: a deep crush on Kafka, later on joined & maybe overpowered by romantic love towards Iharu. That said, it's just my interpretation; it's not like I've put the data into some computer & calculated the most likely outcome (not even original authors go about things like that anyway). And the last thing I want is to baselessly criticize/etc a ship. So if you disagree with my interpretation, I'm very much happy to explore that (as, again, what motivates me here is canon compliance, not self-indulgence. I'm a weirdo like that).
OT3
They could also work well as a trio (polyamory), as:
both are the closest characters with Reno, of course; so, chemistry is very much high here. Compatibility was discussed in the post linked in the intro. And then as for the Iharu-Kafka part:
compatibility-wise, Iharu & Kafka seem very well-matched: both are e.g. sociable, extraverted, joyful, etc.
chemistry-wise, while Iharu is not among the characters who are the closest with Kafka, they do have a solid chemistry with each other, in other words, they do seem to like each other & vibe with each other quite well (see e.g. the phone call scene in ch 67, or the way Iharu greets Kafka in ch 129).
In fact:
they seem to be the trio of kn8: all three characters have actual solid or even great chemistry with each other, they all like each other.
and obviously, they are the trio for Reno: the two characters Reno has actual chemistry with in canon. Also (though this is irrelevant for the relationship & instead more a storytelling standpoint), Reno's mutual influence with them is profound for their story/development (adding Ashiro to the mix, meanwhile, would work for Kafka & Iharu, but not for Reno).
It seems likely, though, that Iharu would carry the relationship, balancing out the potential mismatch between Reno's responsibility and somewhat stiff tendencies & Kafka's selective emotional immaturity. Because Iharu is both goofy & extraverted, and more emotionally mature than Kafka; a mix of Reno & Kafka, with his own unique vibe (crazy etc).
Kaiju No. 8 isn't exactly high art or absurdly complex as far as shonen goes but I'm so absolutely fascinated by Kafka Hibino and what the story says about dreams, self-sacrifice, and growing up.
Kafka when we meet him is by all accounts a failed shonen hero. He had all the basic tropes built into him: The tragic past and the childhood promise and the indomitable will and everything, but in a world where there exists people simply built different and optimized for combat and destruction, it didn't mean anything and he lagged behind in all his attempts to try and join the defense force against the Kaiju that destroyed everything he loved. Kafka is in his mid 30s where basically every other main character is in their late teens to early 20s, and they're all individually monsters in their own right who have the same type of special powers and narrative gravitas that would have individually made them the shonen protagonist of the series if only one of them existed in this story.
But despite his circumstances, the story opens with him saving Reno, whose so unfathomably grateful because he didn't believe in the concept of heroes until Kafka saved him. In a world where power is the only truth, it was someone powerless who saved him even if it would cost him everything.
Kafka even as a washed up bum is still believing that he can achieve his childhood dreams, and that's what inspires every character he meets.
But where a different story might just run with this, Kaiju No. 8 actively challenges this idea of endless self-sacrifice because of ideals.
The story doesn't reward this behavior, and Kafka gets his ass rightfully kicked all the time because his kindness and drive isn't born out of some innate protagonist goodness: It's born entirely out of self-loathing. No one understands just how powerless Kafka was more than Kafka himself.
Kafka's trauma at losing everything he ever had or knew is what made him perpetually smile, if he could just bury those feelings, if he could just inspire someone else with his words and attitude, then maybe his own life was worth it, maybe he would then and only then have deserved to survive. Maybe then he wouldn't be such an absolute failure who couldn't do anything.
It's why so many characters want to get stronger specifically for Kafka's sake, because they all recognize that even as far as he's come, he's still in an awful self-sacrificial depressive spiral where he can't hide just how much his dreams being dead hurt him. All his 'adult wisdom and advice' for the younger cast rings hollow and bitter to them not only because his life is on the clock, but because he truly can't believe his own words. The characters constantly have to remind him that he shouldn't be doing everything on his own because he's not just someone expendable, he's someone important to them as a person and it genuinely hurts them to see Kafka doing this to himself.
Kafka inspires hope and drive in everyone he meets even if he himself can't see his own value, and he carries a tragic self-sacrificial streak so deeply ingrained that I believe is why the Kaiju bug chose him.
The Kaiju bug made him inherit the regrets of countless warriors because they were just like him, normal people entirely powerless in the fights between gods and monsters, who despite all their efforts still fought and died. It was the manifestation of powerlessness in a world where power rules everything.
All the warriors before him, despite the presentation, were just normal people like him who resented themselves for being powerless, and that grudge persisted well beyond death to continually empower a Kaiju of vengeance against the Kaiju that continued to slaughter powerless people. He's meant to be an avatar of rage, the embodiment of vengeance for the suffering of the countless people who fought and died the Kaiju, cursing their powerlessness because they couldn't protect anything.
But Kafka's response to them?
He doesn't consider them powerless. The countless grudges and regrets of those warriors were akin to unfulfilled dreams still being fought for. He thanks them and says that he'll take it from there because Kafka, by the end of the story, properly understands how cruel being self-sacrificial can be.
Kafka could only be strong by relying on others and letting them help him so he doesn't have to shoulder the weight of the world. He only succeeds when he cedes responsibility, when he matures and grows up in his thinking. He's taking up the torch, but he isn't burning himself alive with it the way those before him did.
Kaiju no. 8 is ultimately, I feel, a story about dreams and the power of childish dreams. The story makes a point to constantly show Kafka as a child because you can't build a future without dreams. Kafka might not be the strongest or the most skilled or the most intelligent, but holding onto his dreams even well into adulthood is what lets him keep moving forward.
Kafka grew up, but he kept his dreams. Even if Kafka's reality as an adult is not something he ever expected, that doesn't mean he betrayed the dreams he once held as a child. You can grow up, even right down to your childish dreams.
It's why the regrets of the countless warriors who fought and died powerless were finally laid to rest, why he's still the heroic Kaiju of the modern day, and it's why the Kaiju bug stays with him, no longer languishing in agony but peacefully sleeping.
He's dreaming again. The reality of growing up couldn't destroy his childish dreams, and he's no longer destroying himself for it.
Happy Patho Fest to everyone! Keeping up with the schedule will be very hard but I'm ready to see all the beautiful things the community will come up with!
I saw in one of your posts(I think it was the Lego and Dano Riddler) where Dano Riddler says he thinks rabbits are creepy.
Do you think he’d be scared of Springtrap or Bonnie from Five Nights at Freddies?
See, Bonnie is a ROBOT bunny, very technical and predictable - they are just Haunted inside like he is. Very quick companions. Springtrap? Corrupt person in a position of power over his victims? You're cooked, Peepaw Afton <3
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