a nerd

shorp's personal blog ! sometimes chatter, sometimes art or doodles, idk it depends on the mood !

[shorptastic]

       gosh i should honestly really use this more as a personal blog instead of just, a graphics or doodle blog bc ! ! ! idk i’ve never had a personal before so lets see how this goes iurgjdkfmvc gotta see how active i can keep it or what to even talk about bc it’s a first time so let’s goooooooo

[kimboltart]

AceLaw Week 2023 (inserts excuse here on why I needed to draw them).

[thyphrog]

i saw this and immediately knew what must be done. f in chat for matthew 😔

[fishfingersandscarves]

they had a fight

[yugiohz]

^-^

[shorptastic]

        ok so, for an assignment for uni i had to write about something i’m passionate about in order to learn how to express myself, & of course like the fool i am, i decided to write about why i love kny so much. blow the cut, you’ll find some rambling of mine about things i love about kny, & a whole lot of blabbering in general. it also said to post it somewhere, so imma post it here but ! ! ! anyway, if y’all have some free time to read over an entire essay that is my love letter to kny, feel free to look under the cut <3

        i tried to avoid spoilers so it’s a little messy sometimes but yeah ! enjoy <3

     There are many reasons why I believe the series called Demon Slayer (known as Kimetsu no Yaiba in Japanese), written by the author Koyoharu Gotouge, should be considered a masterpiece. This is through the use of many things: the story itself, the characters and their individual developing personalities, the designs of the characters and the style of the anime adaption, the careful casting of voice actors and the amount of dedication put into following the story as close to the manga as possible… all of those and more are factors that contribute as to why I believe the Demon Slayer series to be a work of passion and diligence.

     I’ve been an avid fan of the series since 2018 when the anime adaption first started coming out. At first, I was wary about starting the series due to the fact that it’d gain a lot of popularity very quickly– therefore making me think it was just another mainstream piece of media until my sister convinced me to watch the series with her. I have been hooked on the series since then, having spent day and night reading the manga the days after I saw the first couple episodes of the anime until I was completely caught up, and continued to read every week as the new chapters came up until the series came to an end.

     First of all, I was completely blown away by the story. Demon Slayer is a shounen story, which is a genre of story that is generally aimed at boys from 13-18 and is rather action-heavy compared to its shoujo story counterpart– a genre that is aimed at girls and is mostly focused on romance and slice of life stories. The story follows the Kamado siblings during Japan’s Taisho era. The older brother, Tanjirou, strives to become a demon slayer after his family was slaughtered by a demon. His only surviving sibling and younger sister, Nezuko, was turned into a demon, making his main focus to find a way to turn her back into a human while doing his best so others don’t have to go through the same tragedy he did.

     Compared to most shounen series that is mostly focused on the main character learning how to be confident and the drawn-out fights between the characters, I found it beautiful that the story decided to focus its story around the bonds between siblings, and the importance of family. Though the motif of ‘bond’ is something that can be easily found in each arc of the story, be it in the first couple of episodes or later on in the series, it’s beautiful how it can be represented in various forms. Be it relationships between siblings, or different type of marriages or parenting styles. All in all, we can see different displays of love or affection in many different and realistic ways, albeit twisted at times. 

     We meet countless characters that are related to each other in one way or another, and we see so many different types of relationships between siblings and other family members. There are siblings with healthy, happy families, and siblings that have absent parents, where the older brother has to mature and grow up faster than necessary in order to become the reliable pillar of affection his younger brother needs him to be. We have siblings that have grown up in the slums and learned how to survive after being shown the worst sides of society, and siblings that care a lot about each other but have grown distant due to their inability to communicate. We have siblings that struggle with inferiority complex, and adoptive siblings that have learned what it means to love someone who was once a stranger like family.

     And that is only talking about the sibling relationships displayed in the series– only shown and not directly talked about, displayed in the interactions between each other and inferred in the way that we know how to relate to.

     In general, the amount of representation, the use of contrast and the details in this series is amazing and dumbfounding. The main character is one of the kindest characters, but knows what it means to be unable to forgive. There’s a character that is afraid of the demons and doesn’t have any kind of confidence in his own skills, but still fights in the front lines beacuse of his desire to protect others.  One of the strongest and most important characters in the story, Uzui Tengen, is in polyamorous relationship that is not toxic, where everyone is happy and in love with each other and what they do. Despite being one of the most physically built characters, his theme revolves around art and beauty, and his love towards his wives. The headmaster of the demon slayers, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, is blind and plagued by an incurable disease that only progresses the more the series goes on for, yet is still one of the most respected characters in the series, and with the way he behaves or the way he speaks, we can see why exactly others honour him so much.

     The main villain of the story is called Kibutsuji Muzan, and the author does a great job demonstrating just how cowardly he actually is without outright saying it. The human-eating demons that work under him were former humans that he personally turned into demons (similar to how vampires reproduce, if given an example). He controls them through fear, because it’s the only way he knows how to control. He prevents them from working together because he’s afraid of them gathering up to fight against him. He forbids them from saying his name and continues to hide in various disguises because he’s afraid of being found by the demon slaying corps. He creates demons, because he’s afraid of dying himself. 

     I find it absolutely beautiful that the demons aren’t just ‘evil‘ enemies, but most of the time they’re just a tragic product of circumstance. While it’s undeniable they have caused atrocities and act naturally evil, we also cannot deny the humanity they once had– that they had no choice but to act this way. Much like how the main character puts it, “To dispel the regrets of those killed, to stop any more victims from appearing, I will relentlessly wield my blade against the demons and that's a fact. But I will not trample on the pains of being a Demon. Nor on those who regret their actions. Because demons were humans... they were humans like me.“ 

     What I find most inspiring is the designs of the characters, and the subtleties of the relations between them that have been sprinkled throughout the story– the foreshadowing is so masterfully made. The design of each character, both human and demon, already tells you everything you need to know of the character, without having to say a single word. It’s the type of design that you brush off as being colorful and interesting, but once you read through the story, you understand exactly why each design choice was taken.

     Take one of the main supporting characters, Rengoku Kyoujurou as a first example. His main fighting style incorporates flames, and one can already assume that by looking at his design. His hair is long and flowing as if it were flames, and has the blonde and red colours to match.. The tip ends of the cape he wears over his shoulders also has a fire-theme, ending in uneven waves. His eyes are both red and yellow as well. We can already see he’s the confident yet reliable type of character simply by the way he stands, chest puffed out in front, arms crossed in front of him and a big, big smile to match. Even the voice actor casting in the anime fits him very well, where most of his lines are said loud (almost too loud) and with enthusiasm– once again representing his cheerful, strong and unwavering personality. All of these things help us assume,  without having to be told anything, that he is somehow very related to fire or flames.

     In the story, we get a moment to glimpse into his ‘inner world’, and have a chance to see how he’s truly feeling inside without being told or explained what we’re looking at. While the fiery and desolate inner world is to be expected of a character that is based on flames, which seems like a desert that has been swallowed by unending flames, it also represents how absolutely exhausted and dried up he is inside. We later learn that he grew up with an abusive and alcoholic father, and has a younger brother that looks up to him– a younger brother he doesn’t want to disappoint. He taught himself how to fight, and taught himself how to continue with his family’s legacy. He’s strong, inspiring, and charismatic, but he’s only human. His bravery is just a front to hide how lonely and unconfident he is in the inside, how at first the degrading words of his father don’t seem to have much of an impact on his motivations and hard work, it doesn’t change the fact that they still hurt and leave a mark.  

      Now take the demons as examples. Demons, as explained earlier, are humans that have been turned into demon. One fact I didn’t mention was that most demons don’t remember who they used to be as humans– this is important for me to point out, because while sometimes their personalities or motivations seem completely different to what they used to be when they were humans, I personally believe their current skills and motivations are very much impacted by their past motivations, albeit a bit corrupted now that they’ve been set on the path of evil. Their demon design represents a lot the struggles they individually endured while they were humans, and after learning about the backstory of the demons, we can easily come to see why the author decided on certain design choices. 

     One of the strongest demons in the series is called Douma. He’s a cult leader, and one of the only demons that willingly decided to become a demon. While his design is self explanatory in the sense that his multi-coloured eyes were the reason he’s been depicted as someone close to ‘god’, I found his skill to be very fascinating. At first, I couldn’t imagine why they’d give someone like him the ability to conjure ice, even going as far as to make ice sculptures of himself to fight. But looking at it more, I realised that it was a direct reflection to his personality. He is specified to have difficulty experiencing different emotions, feeling nothing but emptiness inside him regardless of what good situations he runs into or whatever tragedies he witnesses. The reason he has such a cheery personality is due to the fact that he can’t feel anything at all, so he acts the way he finds most suitable for himself. When realising this, I find the ice motif to be very fitting– he’s cold to the very core. Despite being cheery, he’s but an empty cavern of ice that, while beautiful when sparkling in the light, is still overwhelmingly ruthless and cold.

     That said, the demon I want to talk about the most, is one known as Akaza that we get introduced to pretty early into the story. He is just about the main reason why I admire Gotouges ability to create well-rounded, multi-faceted characters, who the more you learn about, the more you view him from a different perspective. He is first introduced very suddenly, without a single warning of his coming. Despite being the main enemy, and despite the show operating on the narrative that humans and demons cannot get along– due to the amount of oppression and suffering the humans have suffered in the hands of demons, and that demons feed off of humans, see them as inferior and as nothing but fodder for them to grow– one of the very first things that this character does is try to convince a demon slayer to become a demon. This is dumbfounding, especially considering he is the top third most dangerous demon in the entire story, and the direct right hand man to the main villain and original demon. 

     It’s one of the things that initially sparked my interest for this character. Another one would be the skillful use of martial arts, and how his design revolves around his fighting style. While it’s a small detail, I found it absolutely beautiful that he has short nails, compared to other demons that are depicted with long, sharp nails capable of causing deep scratches and ripping bodies to shreds. Martial artists have a tradition to keep their nails short and blunt, so as to not scratch their opponents during a match– it’s such a small attention to detail that normally goes unspotted, but when I noticed it, it really made me love his design even more, because it showed me that the author cared to put proper research and thought into it. The fact that his body has more muscle than other demons also goes to fit with his martial art style. 

     Most of all, I found it most fascinating how he behaves with demons and how he behaves with demon slayers. Despite what should’ve been normal, he despises other demons, and is fascinated by strong demon slayers– so much so that he asks them to become demons so they “can keep fighting for eternity.” It’s somewhat contradicting how he acts so cold towards strongest others his kind, yet is so cheerful towards his enemies, even though he’s trying to turn them into demons solely for their strength. It made me extremely curious to see how he would change should someone accept his offer. Would he still be as excited to fight with them if that were the case? If so, then how is it any different from the other demon he despises so much? Why does he hate weak humans so much compared to the strong? The author doesn’t give us a concrete reason as to why he acts this way, making it so we have to figure out why he acts the way he does based on what we know and our own personal beliefs. There’s other small things to his character design (demon design in specific, in this case!)-- such as the choice colour/design for his eyes, his pink-coloured hair, his style of fighting, the tattooed stripes that go all along his body, the name of his techniques and the way they’re drawn as well– they’re all aspects to his character that I could continue to write about for hours about, but will refrain from doing so in fear of spoiling his story for those that haven’t gotten to that part yet.

     And all of these are merely my own interpretations based on all that we’ve been presented. The author doesn’t describe them as such, but after looking at the subliminal cues, I’ve come to the conclusion that Gotouge gives the readers a chance to draw their own interpretations on each of the characters. To me, such subliminal clues are a result of the time and effort the author has put into coming up with these characters, which fit so seamlessly into the story, compared to other series that just make characters for the sake of filling a role in the story. It also shows in the extra sections of the manga, where the author puts in extra behind-the-scene details of certain parts of the story that couldn’t be fit into the official manga/anime. In some instances, in order to be able to fit the story in the required amount of pages that they have to publish each week, the author had to cut back on some of the backstories they had given the characters (which was the case for Akaza’s human backstory). Gotouge would go on to state that they were sad they didn’t find the space to fit it in, but still felt the need to share smaller details of that backstory. 

     Putting into perspective that Demon Slayer is Gotouges first series after their debut as a mangaka artist, I find it to be outstanding. While there might be some plot holes here and there (plot holes being certain aspects of the story that don’t add up, or don’t get explained even at the very end), they can easily be explained away. For them to create such a complete story, with so much world building set in place and an absolute dedication into the creation of their characters, their individual stories, their designs and the skills they use– I’ve grown a deep admiration for their work. Each character is diverse and complex, showing how much love and attention the author has poured into each aspect of the story.

     This analytical essay might get confusing at times because I don’t want to put in too many spoilers. I’m not sure who will read this or at what point of the story they will be when they come to read this, and I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone. I want for all those who have the desire to take up this series, to be able to get the full experience without having certain parts spoiled for them just because I wanted to share just how much I adored the story and the author themselves. There are still many other topics I want to talk about, such as the stark contrasts between the demons and the humans while simultaneously being so parallel to each other. Or the relations between the characters (which the author has done relation charts about what they think of each other! Which is another little fact that I adore), and the author’s ability to write such a beautiful yet tragic story, and the author’s ability to go through with certain deaths or story aspects (such as a visit to the family of one of the deceased, which not many series do). There’s so much more for me to talk about despite having already written so much just based on personal interpretations, which is something I’m grateful to this series for. To give me the chance to completely immerse myself in the story and the characters, and to be able to talk about these things with others who have watched or read the same series is an irreplaceable skill / experience that I believe can only be done due to the fact that the series Demon Slayer is an absolute masterpiece.

[shorptastic]

I know I haven’t used this blog in so long, & barely anyone is following it but ! ! Daily reminder that if you haven’t yet, you should check out the uni I’m attending over at https://www.dns-tvind.dk/ ! ! 

My team & I are in the middle of preparing for the 4-month bus travel that makes up the biggest highlight of the first year in the program. It’s a tradition that’s been held for years ( as seen by the pics of the teams & their buses above ! ), a tool & experience that helps up understand the Global Reality. Usually, we travel to Africa & back, but with COVID-19 & all other problems going on, we’re right now thinking about traveling through Europe & going to Turkey for a couple months ! ! 

& that’s only the first year ! There’s so much to learn here, so much to experience. The campus is beautiful & the program is open-- we schedule our own weeks based on the things we have to do, but in essence, we take charge of our own learning. I mentioned it a couple posts ago too, but money isn’t a problem either ! You can start in the saving up period, where the uni helps find a job one can do with support of the team you’re going to be with, & that money goes to whatever expenses you might need to make for the entire program ( it includes education fees, food money, housing, etc ! ). 

All I talked about just now are very simple & short explanations of what the entire concept really is, but what I’m trying to get at, is that I hope y’all take a look at this program <3 It’s created with the students best interest in mind, letting us learn in a way that’s more open to change ( since the education changes along with the times, as education always should ), & lets us mold our studies to the reality we live in-- all to help us become teachers that can adapt with the times. Hell, even if you don’t want to become a teacher, there’s so many experiences & practical skills you could learn here, that could help / benefit you for a lifetime. So if you have an extra couple seconds, please check it out <3

[shorptastic]

VIBRATES

the second season of promised neverland is looking so good so far & i’m on the process of watching dr. stone’s second season if i find it / find the time to watch it & JUST GOD

GOD

I JUST REALISED THAT WORLD TRIGGER GOT A NEW SEASON-- OR AT LEAST A TWO EPISODE PREVIEW OF THE SECOND SEASON-- & I AM VERY MUCH LOOKING FOR A TIME TO SEE IT EEEEEEEEEE

i’ve considered making like, anime reviews ( like an overview & personal opinion of a certain anime & stuff ) & i’ve been putting it off for so long, that heck might as well give it a roll bc gosh, i’ve watched so many & read so many manga & maybe someone would be interested in reading something / finding out if it’s worth the read / watch or something idk. something to think about as a side project i guess.

like i keep saying, it’s my first time actually using a personal blog as something ‘ personal ‘ where i can just, speak my mind so imma be experimenting with a lot of things

[shorptastic]

                                       ANNOUNCEMENT ! !

       Are you concerned about the future of our planet and want to make a difference ? Are you looking for a way to make changes to the world, & to meet with people who want to do the same ?

      Looking for a way to study, travel  and be part of an international community ? Or maybe you think education is too ‘ linear ‘ for the changing times, & think it’s time that things are taught differently, in a way that matters & makes sense ?

       We are collecting a new team to become Another kind of teachers . We are not talking about a traditional teacher . This is something else. 

     So it’s time to promote the college i’m currently studying at ! ! or am gonna be studying at in september, at least ishuegrdfmkcvx. the college is DNS Necessary Teacher’s Training Programme, & it’s a college dedicated to training teachers ! ! honestly i’ve only been in the campus for a month now, & from the chats i’ve had with people from other years & from graduates & from my teammates in general, i can already tell it’s gonna be a worth it sort of experience. in their own words, we’re all not looking to be the ‘ traditional ‘ type of teachers, & are learning by experiencing & travelling-- the first year we travel to africa, & in the second year we ( your school year team ) picks a country in europe to live in & work in ! !

      If you don’t have enough money, that’s alright ! you can join the saving up year, & earn the money here yourself ( & in the chance you don’t make enough, the team is here to pay the difference if we can ). if you’re worried you’re too young or too old for the programme, let me just tell you that in the 2021 school team ( the year i’m in ) the ages range from 18 to 27. if you’re worried about previous experiences, just know that this my first time in a college or even getting a job, & we’re all willing to help with anything as a team. all you really need is the drive to be committed to the programme & to the team-- because you are going to be busy almost all day, & it might get tough to deal with sometimes, & you need to know what you’re comfortable with or are not comfortable with doing.

      I was very nervous before coming bc rly, i’m an introverted fool that still doesn’t know what i want out of life even though i’m 21 & should know at this point, & even had a breakdown the first night i got here bc i was in a new place on my own & didn’t know what the fuck i was getting into & was so afraid of disappointing everyone, but god everyone here is super welcoming & understanding about everything. since the month i’ve been here, i’ve made friends that also very much love anime, have found out that sexuality ( or the lack thereof ) is openly discussed & accepted, there’s a D&D group & there’s just, a bunch of creativity everywhere. & yeah, it can be overwhelming sometimes, but there’s always someone in the team who would be willing to spend time with you & to help you out with whatever you may need, because in the end we’re all dealing with the same things. i’ve even gotten along with people from other school years ( that started their studies in 2020 or 2018 ), & honestly you can’t even tell they’re in a different year at times bc everyone is always so kind & open about everything.

     I’m not gonna lie, i’ve only been here a month for the saving up, & so far all of this feels like a real life acnh adventure, where everyone in the team is the mayor. wild comparison but everyone is so welcoming & we all live in the campus & see each other every day, that it really feels like interacting with other villagers & the money we make goes to maintaining the college / the community / our team, so it very much feels like i’m the mayor / mc in anch trying to decorate the island / make it better idK

         LINKS to check out ! !

Quick 3 min video ! ! ! pls watch ! ! !

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK PAGE

INSTAGRAM

NEWSLETTER

       If you have any questions about the programme or what it’s like to study here, pls don’t be afraid to hit me up in DM’s either on here or on disc//ord ( SHORP#8549 ) ! ! i’d be more than happy to answer any questions or share more images / videos bc god, it’d be so cool if one of y’all or someone y’all know would be interested in the programme ! !

[shorptastic]

4 times akaza looked like hakuji

[yvesaffection]

Finally finished! 7.5 hours in procreate!

I hope you enjoy this sweaty boy lol!

I do love me some Gaius ❤️

Whew! Now I’ll go back to writing the next T.O.W.L. Chapter, I swear!

[kdfskdbkjfbkdjfb-deactivated202]

[saphirune]

bday gift for @/hanviito on twitter!! 

[cyakox]

[keycrash]

i haven’t uploaded art in a while, here’s some proof i’m actually working on shit

[shorptastic]

                                              -- don't die, kyoujurou.

[lessonata]

Blood Ties, and Bound To Die.

they say as a pillar, you gotta be everyone else’s shield–

finding reasons to become stronger for someone so you can carry all that sadness, but how can you when you lost the sole reason to keep a tight hold on

that sword? When you’ve got no else but yourself to lean on?