#rainb0w rambles

[r0bita]

I can't help but wonder if Braig/Xigbar had intentions of using Ienzo/Zexion's body when it came time for him to use another.

In the cutscene where they pass each other in the hallway, Ienzo is the first to notice him and Terra-Nort conversing with eachother, possibly hinting that he had suspicions on them for a while. Making Ienzo a potential threat to Braig's agenda (at least until Ansem was banished).

And then there's the other cutscene where Zigbar has a conversation with Zexion about Xemnas and the two chambers. Why would he bother Zexion on the topic unless he believed he knew something, or if he wanted to pass off that information to him for a reason. Was it bait for a trap, or just testing Zexion's curiosity???

I've often wondered whether there was a reason for why Zexion and had a lot of screen time in KH (aside from maybe being a fan favorite) and I figured it's because there had been some plans for Ienzo that haven't been put out there in front of us yet.

Ienzo was the youngest of the Ansem's apprentices and would've likely become Ansem's heir since he was being raised by him as his own child. If Luxu/Braig had any plans for a potential backup after using his current body, then out of the apprentices present, Ienzo would have been the most convenient choice.

A child raised and beloved by royalty with an immense thirst and capacity for knowledge on the heart and other worlds. Sounds like a perfect candidate for Luxu.

[r0bita]

The line between headcanon and re-imagining can be thin or blurred, but I think we can all agree that we all have our own idea of how many spicy chicken pieces a character can eat before it becomes a life threatening situation or a deliberate act against God.

[r0bita]

I think my favorite thing about Hyakkimaru in the original Dororo manga is that he will confess some of the most deep and depressing things he's experienced (hauntings, lost love, extreme violence) - fully trauma dump to an equally traumatized 5+ year old he just met. Then, in just a couple of pages, he'll say something weird or doing something dorky and endearing, because he's still a socially awkward 14 year old boy (and coping can only do so much).

Plus, people really do be mentally switching on and off like that sometimes and Hyakkimaru is kinda real for that.

[r0bita]

The irony of Atlas in Metropolis is not just the part where he is a human taking arms up against robots in retaliation of Red Duke's regime, but that he is arguably the most optimistic version of himself.

I personally don't think any other version of Atlas has ever genuinely expressed as much hope and positive thinking like that... (If you discount the times his other iterations have displayed self destructive tendencies and maniacal glee when attacking others out of spite...)

Metropolis' Atlas has a hopeful and approachable attitude, even at his most serious and dire. That's a side of Atlas I think a lot of people who watched/read Astro boy would have wished for Atlas if life was more fair to him.

Which makes Metropolis's version of Atlas especially painful to me considering how things work out for him in the movie.

[r0bita]

I often wonder what would've happened if DC Gods and Monsters was allowed to be expanded on...

Like... if Ocean Master and/or Black Manta ended up as the Aquaman. Maybe in a universe where Orm is raised as a Curry (and not abandoned by either parent) or David's piracy ends up giving him hero status because his job keeps his community alive.

Or if Dexstar ended up as a green lantern (or any lantern) and was the leagues official pet/mascot. (Kirk and Hernan begrudgingly adopt him and end up loving him the most, because dads be like that).

Or if one of the Rouges ended up becoming the flash? Or if they all become speedsters and become a full group on their own.

And what of other possible unlikely heroes. Or even sidekick? Imagine...

[r0bita]

I feel like Dororo adaptations are missing out on some possible twists in relation to Hyakkimaru's body that could've worked. In the original manga, Hyakkimaru's addresses his shortcomings with missing things like his nervous system to Dororo. Dororo 2019 sorta went that direction for a little bit, but I was always interested in what more they could do to step it up.

Like-

He doesn't get both arms back because he was actually born with just one.

He discovers after getting his eyesight back that he's color blind and or has astigmatism (like Tahomaru?)

I've made a post about melanin at one point and wondered whether or not he could have been naturally born with albinism or developed some form of sensitivity in the skin with or without the curse being involved.

Or, for every body part he gains back, he has to rest and rehabilitate eveytime in order to build up muscle tone again instead of just growing it back and suddenly being like "aight, let's go to the next one".

And in a way, Hyakkimaru's entire body structure isn't canonically set in stone, so anything possible could be brought up during his quest to reclaim his body. We hear that phrase "Nobody is born whole", but at the same time nobody ever stays whole their entire life, so... yeah...

[r0bita]

Leviamon having some mobility trouble...

[r0bita]

There is something refreshing about the times when Pinoko takes an interest in other characters and other activities besides Dr. Black Jack, because while her infatuation with Black Jack is a huge part of her character it feels like that's the only thing she has going for her which should be false.

This why I love Pinoko's portrayal in the Dezaki OVAs (KARTE 5, ESPECIALLY), over the 2004 anime. It's a good balance of all her traits as a clingy companion, a reliable ally, a comic relief, and an overall cutie that balance outs the severity of the episodic cases Black Jack takes on.

She is a capable right hand to Black Jack and it's super unfair to her character to be only seen as a hopeless romantic side kick and temper-tantrum comic relief for Black Jack. Even the OG manga and 2004 anime kinda pushes this image and sometimes it's not always fun to watch.

Calling her Black Jack's child is also kinda a shakey topic sometimes, because Black Jack IS her guardian, she was (and still kinda is) his patient, and he views her as his kid, despite Pinoko's adamantly in calling herself his wife (which I personally think is cringe and stinks of Freud), IS his assistant, and has gotten through tough situations on her own despite her condition disabling her at times. So it's still very one-sided on both ends, and overall complicated. This isn't an overall negative thing, but an observation on how unique and imperfect their found family relationship is depicted.

Pinoko is (technically) an adult, but not in the same level of maturity or life experience as Black Jack. (A cyborg who was living inside their twin for 18 years isn't exactly gonna have the easiest time to adapt and develop in society compared to most young adults. But this is Manga/Anime, so whatever!) Even at her best, she is still limited in what she can do and isn't always invited to come with him during certain trips because the of level of danger. Plus she has been sheltered and spoiled by Black Jack to the point of enabling her to be childish and entitled at times, as well as infantilizing her which damages her self-esteem and wanting to be seen as a person. But the same time, she also keeps Black Jack's and the reader's spirits up with her presence. Pinoko's personality balances Black Jack's serious and sometimes depressing attitude.

Basically, if there are more Black Jack series in the future, I would appreciate them taking doing right by Pinoko by giving her more agency and maybe some sense of growth, especially if they go for the more "darker side of medicine and serious topics" route.