#lb5.5

[cestacruz]

My name is...Musashibou Benkei!

You still persist with this game?

...Stop it.

(no text under cut)

[paragon-arthur]

The symbolism!

Every time the moon is shown in Fate and Nasu, it is about beasts! It is about beasts and people waiting for an opportunity for themselves!

Kintoki is a beast, an oni, who acknowledges that but understands that humanity is a label he wants to be. He is so inhuman in origin that he has no human blood, and yet!

Despite his grumbling he still defends the capital. He still defends the innocent people and he understands that "humanity's role is to defend those who can't defend themselves."

So he grumbles. But he grabs his axe and he stands tall and he fights! Because that is the kind of man Kintoki is!

[ananyx]

[kiwikipedia]

On one hand I hope/know(?) that LB 5.5 is it’s own thing but it would also be fucking funny if it was the Christmas Santa event and the entire time you’re trying to stop Gross Nails McAlter Ego from pulling a Grinch and stealing Christmas

And the Santa Servant is, for some reason, Babbage I guess.

[vivienna-vivid]

I think the shit thing about Tsuna’s newly revealed Snape lore is the sudden twist. It isn’t like Sheherazade where it’s bad from the start (she’s getting better; just as she deserves); Tsuna was pretty solid at first blush. Serious and stoic foil to Kintoki, repressed, only feeling human when he’s demon slaying -- which basically means he isn’t fully human at times. Those are really great foundations!

But then that shit got revealed.

Nothing about Tsuna’s base characteristics get explored. It doesn’t explain why he’s like that, doesn’t expand upon himself; it’s... it’s like a messily-added addition that disregards everything about him.

Why is he only human while acting as a demon slayer? “Idk but hey, did you know he’s in love with Ibaraki’s mother?”

He implies he has oni blood. Care to elaborate? “He only realized he loved her when he found her dead”

This does not answer questions, writers. This only makes us hate you.

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

Finding it kind of interesting that Mandala falls into a very similar structure to Shimousa of introducing threats and then defeating them fairly quickly. It didn’t do that for a while, but its notable on Suzuka + Tawara and Avenger Ushi. 

[paragon-arthur]

Thoughts on LB5.5 CM

LB5.5 spoilers- actual and potential- here, turn away if you don’t want to read.

In that one shot of Kintoki fighting what seems to be a corrupted Ushiwakamaru/Minamoto no Yoshitsune, it is honestly so amazing. And makes perfect thematic sense.

Kintoki is the son of a dragon and a witch- he was never human, not even in the least sense. However, he is human because he chooses to be- he rejects cruelty for cruelty’s sake and lives his life as best as he can, helping the people that he can. 

Ushiwakamaru meanwhile is a human who acts like a non-human. She wants affection, and she wants love and all that normal people do- but she is fundamentally, in a way, not human. She cuts off demon heads, shows inordinate glee in slaughtering enemies and in life was a completely ruthless demon on the battlefield- likely also due to her being raised by the tengu in her formative years. 

It was inevitable these two would clash here, in this Lostbelt when they are on opposite sides. Purely for the fact they are diametric opposites that as enemies could not abide each other.

Kintoki is a demon that chooses to be human; Ushiwakamaru is a human who acts and becomes a demon. Kintoki has no hatred towards anyone, at least up to know, whereas the point of corrupted Ushiwaka in Babylonia was that the Chaos Sea dredged up all her buried hatred and conflicting feelings over her brother that betrayed her, and humanity who rejected her. 

I could not be more excited to see where this all leads, in Hell Mandala.