My asoryuu doujinshi is finally out! I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I loved creating it. You can get it as a PDF and for a limited time as a hardcover book (which comes with a free PDF)!
Within the first 24 hours, use the code ‘HORIZON’ for 5% off your order!
This is all way more important than you’d think. Russia is leading a post-truth disinformation campaign designing to obscure what they’re doing (even arguing that Ukraine is invading Russia!) so being as accurate as you can be is already a form of resistance
Here is the introductory post to this series: https://jayce-y.tumblr.com/post/672514508618678272/ive-always-loved-bromances-in-all-types-of-media
In no particular order, these spectacular games will surely make you jump in delight at some of the bromantic interactions. I will avoid major spoiler about the games and the characters. Very minor spoilers may exist.
I believe that gameplay, character growth, story, art & music, and the overall presentation all contribute to the enjoyment of an otp, so all the games listed below will rank high in those categories based on my personal opinions.
Explanation of my ratings:
- story: how engaging was the story and its world. 10 = wow, thought about it for days/weeks/months after I finished playing.
- presentation: how effective was the game at conveying what the creators tried to convey through art, music, style, worldbuilding etc. 10 = really unique and charming, very distinct style that hasn't really been seen before
- gameplay: how fun was the game mechanics. 10 = I loved grinding because it was so fun to just battle, UI was easy to use
asterisk means ship has option to be canon.
1. The World Ends With You
This game is what introduced me to jrpgs and made me a fan of role playing games. I played it back in 2014 on the DS and can safely say it's still one of my favourite games of all time, partially due to its wonderfully unique cast of characters (which gives room for a very unique dynamic between this game's otp) and partially due to the engaging story and really fun gameplay (can't forget the art and music direction too!). Neku, the protagonist, is a spikey-haired, emo, amesiac, & recently deceased kid who finds himself in an afterlife game to win back his life. Throughout the games, he meets Joshua, an absolute menace who will sass you to hell and back and seems keen to push all of Neku's buttons, yet he has a rather relaxed attitude despite the situation, and seems to know much more than he lets on. Eventually they start sassing eachother and I think that's beautiful.
They have such a captivating relationship that I still think about them nowadays, especially now that a sequel has FINALLY come out after nearly a decade. There's a post-game section with an absolutely GOLD bromancy interaction that always makes me laugh. The creators definitely are aware of their audience ;) Story: 10 Presentation: 10 Gameplay: 10 Play on: DS, iOS, Switch
2. Tales of Vesperia (Definitive Edition)
My sister always played the Tales series and I'd always watch, but this is the first entry that I picked up on my own. It's a fantasy game where you travel the world and gather teammates to fight monsters and seek to undo the corruption surrounding a society centered around a magical power source, the blastia. The main character, Yuri Lowell, is a sassy, sword wielding rogue who is not afraid to break the rules to do what he believes is right. His best friend (and childhood friend) is Flynn, a righteous and shining knight who believes that law is justice but always ends up helping Yuri when push comes to shove. Throughout the game, Flynn comes and goes from the party, and their ideologies constantly clash and clash before they are able to come to an understanding (friends to enemies to lovers??) The creators are also aware of their chemistry because they are the only characters to have a dual mystic arte together(mystic artes are the strongest special moves in battle and are the most difficult to trigger).
Also, multiple times throughout the story, Flynn and Yuri are like: "we gotta talk... alone...." And go off into a corner because they see eachother as partners and equals but don't want to burden the rest of the party with these heavier conversations. And finally, there's a small Damon and Pythias scenario so...what more can I say. Story: 8.5 Presentation: 9 Gameplay: 8 Play on: Playstation4, Xbox, Switch, Windows
3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses*
For those not familiar with Fire Emblem, in a nutshell, it's a fantasy/medieval strategy jrpg where you fight off enemy armies to protect your people. The stories are usually not too deep but the gameplay (and dating sim elements) is addicting. I believe this is the first game to allow mlm and wlw couples, and phew some of these pairings are FIRE (their execution could definitely have been fleshed out more but that's for another conversation). My favourite pairing is Sylvain, the lackadaisical lady's man who is actually a surprisingly deep character, and Felix, a no-nonsense, skilled swordsman who is childhood friends with Sylvain. Their characters just work so well with eachother with one being a mess and the other a solid rock, though of course, everyone has their issues. They are only side characters but I definitely recruited them in every route since not only do I love their relationship, they will also clear out a battlefield together. Power couple all the way <3
They will also literally die for eachother I can't even... And not to mention their epilogue scene if you decide to pair them together ToT It basically says that after the war they grow old together and eventually die on the same day TToTT. Story: 8 Presentation: 9 Gameplay: 9.5 Play on: Switch
4. Hades*
This is the third game I've played by indie company Supergiant Games and I am so happy for how far they've come. This game literally topped the charts above a lot of triple A games and shows that love and passion for your game and your fans go a long way. I've never played a rogue-like game before, but I love their twist on the genre. The premise of the game is based on Zagreus, son of Hades, battling his way out of the underworld to find clues about his mother, only to be sent back to the beginning (the central hub where all the characters hang out) every time he dies. He gets the help from his Olympian cousins with powerful boons to increase his odds of getting out. Greek mythology enthusiasts would love this game. It features the most beautiful art to every walk the land, and takes advantage of the number of times you'll die (a LOT) to progress through story and character arcs.
I of course must talk about Zagreus, our very own down-to-earth prince of the underworld and god of blood, and Thanatos, the HOT embodiment of peaceful death (and basically the grim reaper). I was hooked onto their relationship from my first glance at the character desig-- err, I mean, their first interaction. When Thanatos first realizes Zag wants to leave home, he's furious that Zag would leave without even saying goodbye, but still provides his aid despite complaining about how much trouble he's gotta get in if he's discovered. I see through your tsundere act Thanatos. A bedroom scene WILL appear if you decide to romance him and you die enough times for the scene to appear lol. Also just, all the characters in this game are hot in some way. So, plenty of shipping for all preferences haha. Story: 9.5 Presentation: 10 Gameplay: 9.5 Play on: Switch, Windows, Xbox, Playstation 4
5. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Of course I gotta include a visual novel in here. While there's a lot of super wonderful BL visual novels out there, this game's otp had me in shipping hell for months and I'm still not out. Most people know of the Phoenix and Edgeworth ship, and this one is just as high in quality. For people who don't know the ace attorney series, it's like a series of whodunnit detective stories except you are a lawyer who needs to gather evidence so that you can solve the crime during the court trial. The Prosecutor is the "enemy" for most cases and you must defeat their logic by presenting evidence that contradicts what witnesses say. Most of the times, there's so many plot twist that your original hypothesis of what happened is completely different from the truth and you just feel so smart and satisfied everytime your brain cells connect and you present the right evidence to progress the trial. I can't go too deep without massive spoilers but Ryuunosuke (the protagonist) and Kazuma have taken over my life. Kazuma is Ryuu's best friend in university. Kazuma is a smart and outstanding law student and Ryuu is an english student who gets accused of murder at the beginning of the game.
He somehow ends up defending himself with Kazuma as his assistant, teaching him the ways of the courtroom. I love their interactions so much, they support eachother and sass eachother all in the same breath. Kazuma was chosen to go to England for a study abroad program and was literally like: Ryuunosuke, come with me, we'll have so much fun tearing up the streets of London together. And proceeds to come up with the idea of SNEAKING HIM ONBOARD THE BOAT IN A SUITCASE. Like, okay okay I know you can't stand to be apart but isn't this too extra xD The story is SO amazing and the role both of the characters play just elevate their relationship even further. Story: 10 Presentation: 9 Gameplay: 9 Play on: Switch
I've always loved bromances in all types of media, so I thought it would be time to make a comprehensive list of all my favs over the years. I love BL as well, but sometimes I'm in the mood for something with a bit of room for ✨imagination✨. I don't know if you all feel the same, but I almost always find that I am more dedicated to ships that aren't canon? I guess the longing is what fuels my passion. So, I decided to create a three lists of media with amazing bromances/guyxguy romances that do not have a female lead very obviously coming between them. Of course, the media itself has to be outstanding to me, to be on this list, and the bromance is just the cherry on top. An asterisk means the ship is accepted as canon by the creators.
So, I'll be making three posts, first category is video games, second will be manga/anime, and third will be live action dramas/movies. See you in the next posts!
Okay it’s driving me nuts but I can find in this illustration the small animal version of every character except Barok. WHERE IS THE CAT WITH THE TOP HAT. All other characters have one so Barok must have one too, halp.
Stuff about Great Ace Attorney that stood out to me
So I just finished both great ace attorney games and just had to gush about it. Will contain spoilers as I write random thoughts throughout the entire game, including things related to the final case. I’m serious. You will miss out on some pretty epic reveals that are so much better being experienced yourself so please only read once you’ve completed the entire game.
-Ryunosuke’s darting eyes and cute table slams and stuttering his words slowly transitioning to confidence was so smooth throughout the two games.
-When Kazuma did his first table slam I was like: “DAMN SON that’s hot”
- I was jumping in my seat when I realized there was an investigation with Yuujin and Herlock. And the TAP DANCING. Gosh I love this game.
- I found it so hilarious whenever Barok Van Zieks was determined to ignore Ryunosuke, but then Ryunosuke would inadvertently insult him and he’d be forced to speak up to defend himself.
-Enjoyed the english dub, especially on that reunion scene where Kazuma is revealed to be alive.
-Herlock being a dumbass and nearly killing all of them by mistaking a time bomb for an anti-gravity device. My reaction to him was the exact same as Gregon’s. *glare*
- omg when Iris finally calls Herlock “daddy” was the cutest moment ever. Happy for Herlock.
-SHAMSPEARE WAS SO ANNOYING OMG
- they are so fricking lucky that the “SHOLMES” number combination puzzle still worked with the localization for opening Jigoku’s suitcase haha.
- ALL OF KAZUMA’S THEME SONGS. Literally even his prosecutor theme is so great and when you first hear it you’re like, oh shit we’re actually going against him, but then you hear the familiar theme and you carefully look at his actions, you realize he still sees you as his best friend, but his mind is just so overtaken by revenge.
- Also loved the Pursuit theme for this game. Other songs that stood out were Edoch Drebber’s theme and Susato’s theme.
-Kazuma’s...white....skin-tight...outfit... Also I noticed his hair got slightly longer haha.
- I loved how extra all of Barok’s animations were. Speaking of animations, why were Edoch Drebber’s animations so frickin satisfying to watch. Like seriously especially the one with the smirk, I can look at it forever.
- Found it really interesting how different it felt going against the three prosecutors, Auchi, Barok, then Kazuma. With Auchi, it was like, super easy to make him flustered and feel like you’re winning. He was stuck-up and prideful and not willing to admit he was wrong when he so obviously is. With Barok, it felt like going against a metal wall. Like, it wasn’t even that he was stubborn (in fact, if he saw merit in your argument, he’d go along with you), he was just flawless in finding kinks in your arguments and shutting them down professionally and efficiently. With Kazuma, he had the sharpness of Barok but not the professionalism (makes sense as Barok has way more experience) and there was an emotional side to it since he’s your best friend who supported you so much in the first case.
- knowing Kazuma’s true goal now, I wondering if he was serious in case 1-1 when he said “if I fail to defend Ryu then I don’t deserve to go to Britain”. He wouldn’t lie about something like that, so either he was 100% sure he would win (which I'm not sure he would’ve as the lawyer since he faltered during one of Jezaille’s testimonies, and it was Ryu that found the contradiction), or Ryu really meant so much to him that he’d truly meant what he said and would give up on finding the truth about his father due to how disappointed he’d be in himself?
- I was reading about people saying Case 2-4 and 2-5 were Kazuma and Ryu’s “divorce arc” and I was so scared for the angst but once I actually played, I realized that Kazuma’s malice is never directed at Ryu, despite him defending Barok. On the contrary, he wanted Ryu to be at this trial to see it through with him to the end because he knew it was going to be too painful to travel this road by himself. And gosh I loved that speech where Ryu helped Kazuma see that hate was clouding his judgement. Yes Kazuma is so different compared to case 1, but once you understand his mindset for the past ten years, I think the way he acted towards everyone makes sense.
- I also laughed so hard in one of the final scenes, right after the trial with eveyone in the defense antechamber and Susato was like: wait til you see the smile on Barok Van Ziek’s face. And he just suddenly appears with the biggest frown on his face. Then later Susato was like: If Kazuma saw you now he’d have the biggest smile. Then Kazuma suddenly appears with the biggest frown on his face. I don’t know why, maybe it was just how suddenly they appeared that made me laugh.
- so much pain in case 5. I actually cried when Klint Van Zieks was reading out his confession letter. Probably was because of all the build up leading up to it. Genshin, Kazuma, Barok, Klint, Ginny, Gregson, Yuujin... so many people were pushed to their breaking point.
- I found it amusing to see the different art styles of the different artists working on the game through the character profile icons.
- loved the bittersweet, but mostly sweet, ending where they separate but promise to meet again soon.
That’s all for today, might add more if I remember them.
Been reading through some Joshneku fanfic and I gotta say, and there are some recurring tropes/moments that I absolutely adore:
Neku to Josh: *affectionately* Shut up for a second.
Neku to Josh: Stop avoiding me.
Josh to Neku: *finds most inconvenient time possible to poof into existence* You called earlier?
Neku to Josh: I don’t care about your god powers, I just want us to be (boy)friends.
Joshua performing some higher-plane magic to take Neku to a once-in-a-lifetime location for a date, mostly likely traumatizing Neku during the process of getting there.
Joshua trying to recruit Neku as conductor-boyfriend.
Josh to Neku: *barely audible* I’m sorry.
Others to Neku: He’s a top-tier troll and killed you multiple times why do you even like him.
Neku to himself: He’s a top-tier troll and killed me multiple times why do I even like him.
Bonus NEO-exclusive: Haz intentionally/unintentionally third-wheeling and doing god’s work by making Joshua jealous or frustrated.
Im near the end of Tales of Vesperia and why do Flynn and Yuri ALWAYS need to be like: “hey I need to talk to you….alone”. EVERY GODDAMN TIME. Like, why do u aways need to be alone when you talk? Do you need some sweet sweet catching up time that’s not for the eyes of children???
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