my name is andrea! i use she/her pronouns and i'm 23! i mainly use tumblr to talk about anime/manga! i blog mostly my favorite characters/ships and what i'm currently watching! i tend to talk more about kagehina, haikyuu, skip and loafer, shimamitsu, hxh, hakyona, yona of the dawn, and one piece!
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interests!!!
i am really into demon slayer, haikyuu, chainsaw man, yona of the dawn, skip and loafer, my hero academia, hunter x hunter, fruits basket, the apothecary diaries, after school lessons for unripe apples, fullmetal alchemist, shoujo, and many more!!!
falling in love with one piece this year & being able to experience the beauty that is luffy has been one of my highlights. his natural kindness, strength, generosity, and his love for freedom are my favorite things about luffy. my favorite main character ever. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! MY CAPTAIN!! MY JOY BOY!!! MY GOAT!
growing up and getting older and trying to get myself together so i can accomplish my goals but there’s a part of me that misses all the free time i had getting into stories. i miss diving deep into a book, getting lost with an anime, falling in love with characters, and experiencing so many places real & fictional. but i think it makes the moments where i take a moment and get into a new story so much more special. out of all the things i could be doing on my breaks, i choose the one thing that i’ve loved since i was a kid. even as i grow older, there’s always a piece of me that wants nothing more than to discover new stories. i hope i don’t lose that.
my favorite ship EVER! their growth as individuals and as a pair is so beautiful. they are so special and dear to me. i love them so very much!! they make me so happy and fill me with so much joy! both of these characters had something they lacked that the other one made up for. the most perfect halves. whenever i think of soulmates these two always come to mind. MY 9/10 FOREVER!!
genuinely the best one piece episode i've seen. i honestly have no words. the ace flashbacks were so beautifully animated. he looks so full of life and so happy to talk about his adventures and about luffy. ace's scenes with yamato were incredible. ace could make an impact on people he barely knew. in that one day he spent with yamato, he managed to change yamato's view of the world.
CAN YOU CARRY THE LAND OF WANO ON YOUR BACK?
i will never get over that scene of luffy sharing the same dream as roger. young luffy laughing so brightly while roger's strong presence is behind him. just brilliant. compared to other characters in this, luffy didn't have as many scenes, but you could FEEL his presence throughout the episode. his moment with kinenom was BEAUTIFUL. it further emphasized just the kind of person luffy is to people. he's someone you can count on, he's someone who will fight for you, and he's someone who will never give up.
this episode was perfection. the animation was stunning. this episode perfectly captures what wano is about. not only that, but it showed how amazing ace was and how incredible luffy is. i could not stop crying while watching this episode it was truly beautiful.
cinema in every way possible. the shot with oden & the samurai, the party at kaido’s, the straw hats devotion to their captain, how happy they looked to be following the man they believe in, luffy’s big smile. this episode was perfection.
wano is one of the best arcs i have watched & this episode has made me fall even more in love with one piece. such a beautiful episode that highlights the straw hats friendship.
IT GETS BETTER & BETTER!!! luffy being a prisoner & instilling hope was so beautiful. the entire prison arc was just so perfect to me. luffy is the people’s hope!!!!!
zoro this arc feels like the old & the new version of him. although he's much more serious compared to before, i feel like wano is bringing out his caring and fun nature bit by bit. i just can’t get enough of him in these episodes, he’s too cool!! hiyori giving him enma was so crazy to me. i can't wait to see what he does with it!!
HIYORI! i love her so much she’s so sweet & doesn’t take any disrespect! i love her relationship with kawamatsu & seeing her interact with zoro!
EVERYONE IS WORKING SO HARD TO MAKE THEIR MISSION A SUCCESS! i love seeing it slowly come together it’s so satisfying & realistic to see all the effort that comes into this type of thing. i just love wano so much!! it feels so hopefully & like we’re watching a new era unfold. I LOVE IT!!!
i always wanted to write my thoughts about oikawa and i thought it would be perfect to do it in time for his 30th birthday!!!! he's one of my favorite characters ever and is exceptionally well-written. the main idea behind this post is that despite oikawa being skilled, he had to face the realization that there are players who are leagues above him. however, even when oikawa felt lost, he never gave up on his dreams. oikawa tooru was a player in a world full of geniuses and made it to the top of the world despite the challenges.
of course, we have to start with oikawa's ICONIC introduction! "the Great King". before we get into his story, we know he's an incredible player and kageyama's senpai. from the beginning, oikawa is a threat. he is introduced with his fangirls screaming, seeming "superficial," and very confident in himself. compared to the other characters we've seen in haikyuu, at this point, there was no one like him. it was obvious he was a fantastic player. however, we don't see his skills until the game between karasuno and aoba johsai.
it's such a simple phrase, but before every game, without fail, oikawa tells his team that he has faith in them, and in return, his team believes in him. unlike the setters we've met, oikawa is truly one of his own. he is known for his amazing skill and leadership and has been respected and praised; it's apparent that oikawa is leagues above many others. he is also able to bring out the best in his players. with oikawa as your setter, you have someone who will understand your strengths and weaknesses and give you the tosses you need to succeed. however, skill alone isn't enough for oikawa.
"it becomes clear that oikawa, while skilled, is not a natural"
despite being an amazing setter who has the ability to bring out 100% in every teammate, knows the ins and outs of his team, and is incredibly skilled, oikawa is not a genius. compared to ushijima and kageyama, oikawa is not a natural-born prodigy. this is when we are introduced to oikawa's inner conflict. no matter how great he is, the amount of time he spends dedicating himself to his craft, the long nights practicing by himself won't be able to make up for what a "genius" has to offer.
in middle school, oikawa's frustration hit an all-time high. after seeing the difference in skill between himself and ushijima, he is now on the same team as a young kageyama. he sees the difference in skill at every practice, watching kageyama learn a new skill in one day that took oikawa ages. it's clear that oikawa, who was praised for being incredibly skilled, is now face to face with a whole new world far from his reach.
oikawa finally snaps in this scene with young kageyama. all the thoughts and insecurities he has had to deal with, the unbearable fact that there may always be a gap between him and a select few, has been weighing on him for so long.
imagine you are praised for being so skilled, and here comes someone new who is not only catching up to you but has the potential to exceed you?
i think what makes oikawa so interesting is how relatable he can be to many people, including myself. there were times when i was praised for being talented, for getting great grades, and for doing something good, and then someone new came along who did everything I could do but even better. every person faces the frustration of seeing someone grow at a faster rate than you are. it doesn't necessarily come from a malicious place, but the thought of someone taking your spot and performing better than you ever could is painful to accept.
however, iwaizumi reminds oikawa that it isn't just him on the team. there are always six players on that court. oikawa uses this lesson to push forward, deciding that no matter what it takes, he will take his team to the finals.
although oikawa has moments where his insecurities run wild, he is one of the best players in haikyuu. from his killer serves, his incredible fast-paced thinking, his technique, and his ability to bring the best out of every single player. he can do it all.
however, all of this isn't enough against the second game between karasuno.
this conversation oikawa has with his idol, jose blanco, is not only fundamental to oikawa as a character but also a real-life lesson for many of us.
the reason why this conversation is shown at this moment is because kageyama makes a toss that causes karasuno to have their set and game point. while the members of aoba johsai wish they had some of kageyama's skill or some of his "guts," oikawa goes back to what jose blanco tells him.
you can wish you had someone's skill, talent, and smarts, but that idea will only be detrimental to your growth. while oikawa has always made it clear he detests geniuses, not once has he stopped and given up. he continues down this challenging path with his goal in sight with no intentions of ever walking away from volleyball.
accepting that there is more for you to do and that you haven't done everything you can to grow may be difficult for many, but once you make peace with that fact, there is a world of opportunity.
after this flashback, oikawa comes to the conclusion that everyone could have their talent bloom whether it be tomorrow, the day after, or when you're 30, but it won't ever happen if you don't believe in yourself. if you let yourself stay stuck in the idea that "so and so is better than me, i can't do it," you will never fully unlock your potential.
“talent is something you make bloom, instinct is something you polish”
there are many interpretations of this line, but i believe it means that talent will only show if you're willing to allow yourself to grow. the instincts that make you a better player will only happen through your sheer will and dedication.
oikawa has given so much of his time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears to volleyball in hopes of someday going to nationals. unfortunately, his goal never did come true, but this would only be the start of his amazing journey.
"nothing is over yet. not my volleyball career...or my "petty pride." never forget that."
it's one of the most memorable lines of the manga and one of my favorites. ushijima believes oikawa would have succeeded if he never went to aoba johsai, that because of his pride, oikawa never set foot at nationals.
however, none of that is true. oikawa made all the decisions because he believed they were best. he stayed at aoba johsai because he believed in his team. of course, there were many opportunities someone as skilled as oikawa could have taken, but he didn't, and he's more than okay with that
he isn't going to let anyone tell him that the choices he made were wrong. he won't let the realization of never making it to nationals tear him down. not only is oikawa a remarkable player physically, but his mental strength is something else entirely.
although pride is sometimes seen as something negative, oikawa's pride in himself drives him forward. his belief in his team, his dreams, and his own future or what makes him who he is. he isn't someone who will let others' thoughts and feelings sway him. oikawa will do what he believes is best for himself, and if that path is not the one to nationals, he can accept that.
oikawa will never give up on his dream no matter how many obstacles stand in his way. It doesn't matter if it's a team full of geniuses, a difficult teammate to work with, or his own insecurities; oikawa will never give up until he makes his mark on the world.
oikawa tooru in brazil has to be one of my favorite moments in the entire manga.
after not seeing him for so long, we finally see oikawa thriving in brazil with his teammates. now, he is playing for the argentina league as their setter, and all of his efforts to become a pro proved to be worth it.
seeing oikawa in the timeskip full of confidence and succeeding in his career made me so emotional. I relate to him in many ways, and to see someone succeed in such a remarkable way despite the challenges is extremely motivating.
oikawa moved across the world, leaving his friends and family behind in hopes of making his dreams come true. it was more than difficult, having to power through every obstacle with sheer willpower and skill. even though oikawa went through so many hardships, he loved the sport.
volleyball is something oikawa has loved since he was young. spending hours watching his idols play, learning how to play himself, and falling in love with being a setter. volleyball is everything to oikawa.
i think what makes oikawa's journey so impactful is that we see someone who presents himself to be full of confidence have his own insecurities and struggles, but he never let any of that stop him from giving up on volleyball.
seeing him in brazil, happy and thriving makes me so happy. the flashback to him as a kid, smiling and full of amazement, and then cutting back to him as an adult makes me so emotional.
oikawa's last words to hinata in brazil are a testament to his character.
what i love about this panel is that oikawa is telling us that he will beat everyone. he reminds us that we haven't seen the last of him yet.
oikawa tooru has been working for so long with the desire to beat every and anyone. he could have let himself stay with the same ideology he had in middle school, where he would never be able to be equal to a genius, and let that thought destroy him. but oikawa never gave up. he worked hard every day, honing his skills and growing as an individual to have this moment.
it is unbelievable that Oikawa, who was always full of immense talent and determination, is now at an entirely different level.
oikawa tooru may not be a genius, but he made his way to the olympics despite that.
this is the perfect ending for a character like oikawa. someone who, from the beginning, had a strong desire to defeat everyone and now steps onto the court where the world can see him at his best.
although it's never specifically stated who wins, i will always believe that oikawa tooru, took the world by storm and won the olympic gold. the man who wasn't a genius made it to the top of the game.
it makes me so happy to see him work so hard and have it all payoff. not only is the journey to becoming a professional player difficult, but as someone who had a hard time accepting his limitations, oikawa made his way to the world stage.
UPDATE:
there are colored versions of the manga going around, so I just HAD to add this iconic oikawa scene to this post.
reading and watching his journey is such a beautiful experience. oikawa is such a fantastic character who's so authentic and entertaining. he'll always be a character i can relate to and see as motivation.
i hope this was a fun/interesting read!! i always wanted to write something about oikawa so this was very fun for me to do. he's a character i will always love, and i hope this post showed how great of a character he is!
i wrote this for oikawa’s birthday last year and i’m glad i did. kinda lame but i love him so very much & wanted to take the time to write a post dedicated to him. didn’t have time this year so im reblogging this one haha
i will always love first year kagehina. you follow tobio & shoyo become partners in their first year, growing stronger each game all the way to nationals. we understand that tobio has always been an incredible setter, but the human side of the game is something he has trouble understanding. making connections isn't what tobio is able to do at that point. shoyo on the other hand isn't as skilled as everyone else, sure he has a natural speed and jumping power, but compared to the "genius" players in haikyuu, shoyo is farther behind. however, their weaknesses go away once they play together. the two of them make each other stronger. they didn't know each other all that well and even started off on bad terms, but in just a few weeks they had a chemistry no one else could deny. it was like they were created to perfectly make up for what the other lacks. they became not JUST a duo but a match perfectly made.
i have been waiting to get to this arc since i started my one piece journey and so far I AM OBSESSED!!!! it feels like i have been waiting for this moment since wano was first mentioned in thriller park and again punk hazard.
the flashbacks with ace have been so beautiful!!!! from the first episode with him in it i was a crying mess. the parallels between ace and luffy are so perfect in everyway. literally couldn't have asked for anything better. seeing ace again, even in flashback form, is my favorite part of wano so far. ace is my favorite one piece character and being able to learn more about his adventures makes me so happy, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!
luffy has been amazing this arc! keeping ace's dream alive & he's going above and beyond for the people of wano. he's genuinely a kind person. he helps people not because he wants anything out of it or to look like a hero, but because ignoring justice isn't something he can allow. LUFFY IS FOR THE PEOPLE ALWAYS AND FOREVER!
i am loving zoro in wano!!!!! he is SO COOL. somehow he's even more awesome than before. he really fits wano so well. also love seeing law again!!! he's such a cool character and i love getting to see more of him!
the wano lore is so well written, the long history, the time travel, kaido & orochi's dictatorship; all of these things are done so well. i love seeing the story unravel every episode!
i'm excited to see more of the straw hats now that we have them all back in the show. i'm hoping they all reunite soon, i miss seeing then together!! but i also love seeing everyone work on their tasks, slowly getting their plan together!!
OVERALL, I LOVE ACT ONE!!!!! so excited to keep watching and seeing more!
the kagehina parallels saga continues. kghn first starting to count their losses as first years to them being professional players counting their wins in the 1000s is SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME. THEY NEVER FORGOT THEIR RIVALRY FOR A SECOND, IT DIDN’T MATTER THEY WERE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, THEY WERE ALWAYS AIMING TO BE ON THE COURT TOGETHER!!! they always had each other in the back of their minds while on their journeys.
it didn't matter that several years passed by, the connection kagehina shared in high school would go on to get even stronger as adults. they are still the kagehina who counted their wins and losses, still the same kagehina who are INSANELY competitive when it comes to each other, and they ARE THE SAME KAGEHINA WHO ALWAYS PROMISED TO PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER. NO AMOUNT OF TIME WILL CHANGE WHAT THEY HAVE.
since the moment i've started wano and saw ace's impact i have been a MESS!! ace's kind nature gave tama so much hope for the future. he had so many promises and things he wanted to do and one of them was going abck to wano. but even with ace gone, luffy is someone that can carry ace's legacy.
the parallels between ace and luffy are so incredibly beautiful. the flashback to ace saying the same exact thing luffy said was so moving to me. these two brothers are so alike in their desire to help people no matter what. everytime tama sees ace in luffy i start to cry…ace was such a beautiful soul. LUFFY WILL CARRY ON ACE'S DREAM!! LUFFY WILL BE THE ONE TO SAVE WANO!! <3
every new skip and loafer chapter gets better and better. i loved kanechika’s opening monologue in the beginning of the chapter, i thought it was a beautiful introduction to shima’s performance!
shima was incredible. frankenstein is one of my favorite novels ever so seeing shima perform as the monster was just amazing to read. from the moment shima first talks about getting the role, we’ve known he felt deeply connected to the monster’s emotions. the shima before was ashamed and upset with his current self but now, standing on that stage performing freely, he’s starting to become the person he always hoped to be.
so much development & care has been put into shima’s character. the writing is so beautiful and realistic. it feels like each chapter is leading us to shima’s fullest potential. i’m so proud of how far he’s come. shima’s performance has opened up so many doors for him to face the problems he’s been avoiding and i can’t wait to see how he pushes forward!
the ending of the chapter made me so happy!!! shima rushing into mitsumi’s arms is SO SPECIAL!!! we’ve seen their relationship start off slow, eventually dating, breaking up, and now shima accepting his feelings for her. it makes me so emotional to see shima acting how he wants instead of trying to act how others would prefer. i’m never getting over this!! it was the perfect ending to a perfect chapter!!!
it’s the best thing ever when you finally give a series you’ve been planning on watching/reading for the longest time and you fall in love with it. you obsess over the storytelling. you find yourself getting so emotionally attached to the characters. every chapter, every episode has you more invested. you genuinely feel like you had been missing out for so long. it feels like you finally found the one series you’ve been waiting to get into. I LOVE THAT FEELING. it’s embarrassing to admit but i love having a new series that takes over my life. i love connecting so deeply with fiction. it’s such a unique way of experiencing life. i hope to always find new media that will transform my world <3
this is so far the best post-timeskip arc for me. i LOVED IT. sanji’s backstory was so well written yet so heartbreaking. i always love the arcs that are centered on the crew’s relationships or show us a different side of their dynamics (ex, water 7, enies lobby, marineford, etc.)
wci was such an adventure! i always liked sanji’s character, but this arc made me fall in love with him. i’ve seen people talk about sanji vs luffy but i finally got to experience it for myself. i thought it was so heartbreaking, but i also loved how it showed the intensity of the straw hats friendship. sanji did what he thought was best for everyone, and luffy knew sanji would never want to live a life away from the crew. it was just beautiful to see sanji decide for himself that he wants to go back on the sunny and how the straw hats did everything they could to save sanji’s family.
sanji’s kindness was a topic throughout the arc, which i really loved. he was taught that his emotions were a weakness, but his mother & reiju believed it was what made him better than everyone else. it was amazing to see sanji become more confident in himself and his choices as the arc progressed. he had a place to call home and people who loved him. it was an emotional experience for me watching wci especially with sanji’s scenes.
big mom as a villain was incredible. she was genuinely terrifying to me. not to mention how she has several loyal followers who also happen to be her children. it added a new level to their loyalty. i thought big mom was crazy, considering her hunger pains and even eating her adoptive family…but she was also very entertaining! it exposed the true strength of an emperor of the sea!
katakuri vs luffy was AWESOME!!! there were a few times i thought the fight went on too long, but overall, i really enjoyed seeing luffy being challenged in a new way. it wasn’t just strength involved in the fight, but also sensing your opponent’s moves.
overall, i really loved this arc. the fights, the storytelling, the plot, the new characters, all of these things were so enjoyable. it’s made it into my top 6 arcs in one piece! i had so much fun watching and learning more about sanji! i think this arc made sanji so much more incredible because we saw just how awful his childhood was, but despite all that, sanji remained kind and caring. he followed his dreams and became stronger on his own, and even found the straw hats who would do anything for him.
i'm so happy i finally got to watch this arc!! it definitely lived up to the hype!
from the beginning of haikyuu, shoyo’s weaknesses have always been an important point of the story. we understood he was behind most of the players in haikyuu but despite that challenge, HE NEVER GAVE UP.
hinata shoyo had the courage to keep on growing and learning. he never felt embarrassed when he saw his shortcomings, he never became full of envy, and he never thought for a second that he wasn’t good enough.
shoyo kept on working hard. he even made the big decision to move across the world away from everything he knew in order to become a better player. everything he’s done, has been for the purpose of becoming better.
to me, shoyo is the human embodiment of perseverance. no matter what stood in his way, he never thought for a second about giving up. shoyo is such an inspiration for someone like me.
HE WHO WOULD CLIMB THE LADDER MUST BEGIN AT THE BOTTOM!
