#wha 97

[fishcannibalism]

this is the worst combo shirahama could have possibly come up with, biggest haters unite

[tiamat-ish]

wha chapter 97 spoilers !!

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ok so this is what's going to happen right... the beef is generational now

[vanilla-phantoms]

The new Witch Hat Atelier chapter has lots of great stuff in it but I wanna appreciate some deft characterization for Utowin, who, all things considered, we don’t really know that well.

It feels to me like he’s taking everything really personally and that says something about his morals and his priorities.

In this panel, it seems like what he’s MOST upset about, isn’t just that what Easthies did was wrong, but that he would be included in the people who would be hurt.

Similarly in this panel, when he and Lulucy can tell that Vinanna and Easthies are keeping secrets from them, he’s less concerned with Knowing The Truth and more concerned with feeling like they don’t trust him. The betrayal comes not from being against keeping secrets in general and more from feeling like he should be part of the inner circle who is in the know.

Maybe this is obvious to people already since it has already been strongly implied he has more loyalty to Easthies than he does to the pact, but this very much paints him as someone whose moral compass revolves around loyalty between people.

Like harm might be okay, but not between the knights, not between him and Easthies, who are supposed to have each others backs

[atwerttheanalyser]

Something is going on with Vinanna, i’m sure of it. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed/commented on this but her eye colour changed significantly from the past and present.

Yes, your eye colour does lighten with age however it is only slightly.

And well, we all know how Shirahama is with eyes: take Tartah and Qifrey for an example. So i wouldn’t be surprised if she had something happen to her or she had an eye condition.

It clearly doesn’t effect her too much considering she’s still allowed to lead the Knights Moralis and be the Wise of Principals though.

Chapter 36: When Beldaruit tells Coco about Qifrey’s origins.

Nor is it a random change in character design. In both past appearances (when Qifrey was a child) the chapters are very spread out and she still had those darker eyes.

Chapter 89: Olruggio and Qifrey looking back when they first met

May I also point out the fact that in CH97, when the rest of her face is shaded out? Her eyes are the only thing that stand out? Instantly drawing attention to them?

Chapter 97: As Vinanna speaks with Luluci

Qifrey has had similar panels but his eye was never highlighted in such a way.

Chapter 3: Qifrey speaking with Alaira

Maybe i’m overthinking it, but i’m welcome to hear suggestions.

[kakashi-fangirl-ita-blog]

Imagine having to tell to the wha fandom on twitter that no, Utowin in Japanese doesn't say "good boy" to Easthies and that the fan translation was biased and wrong

He only says "えらい、えらーい" which is "good, very good"

I sound like a party pooper, but it also makes me kinda mad that people say that the original japanese said something that it didn't actually say, at least know what the actual japanese text say before saying something like this please

And I'm talking as the biggest brainrotted Easwin btch who really wanted it to be "good boy"

[sadmuso1]

happy luluci gets pudding day to those who celebrate

[aquamarinebling]

shoutout annoying kids

[k1ng-snak3]

(Mostly) full commentary on WHA 97 because for some bloody reason when I posted the draft after editing for the first time it didn't save the edit so like half of it disappeared. I will reblog with the rest of my thoughts later bc I think I hif image limit also I mostly just wanted to get my thoughts on the utowin and easthies confrontation out and thats here so

(Disclaimer again, mostly for my own peace of mind, this is just my opinion.)

Damn it really is like master like apprentice huh. Also I think its interesting that attention is drawn to

The structure is built to uphold the pact, yet as with any hierarchichal structure, stepping out of line overrides principles. I feel that it makes sense that a system's priority will always be to uphold its own structure, because without that structure there cannot be the reinforcement of external values (eg. the pact). Also, this is just a fan-translation but 'punishment is only natural' is such a cold line. Big fan of that. A poignant summary of the issues with witch society's justice system.

Vinanna scares me I like her a lot.

Interesting to see the alternative application of the seeing through clothes glasses. I like the question raised about where we draw the line about power and danger. Is the power itself inherently unjust or is intention what makes the crime? I also think there's something powerful about Luluci, the character who the malicious use of the glasses has most personal relevance to, questioning this.

love her not letting herself think herself into a dead end here. Also idk but smth about her feeling unsure and being curled up like this reminds me of her as a child. Also because probably the last time she felt this unsure and helpless was when she was much younger before the knights took her in.

He really be graspin that blanket. Love how much detail Shirahama puts into characters' body language.

Goofy ass (literally) framing

(from here is the parts that didn't upload the first time)

He probably is just holding his shirt closed but the way Easthies is posed up here makes him look genuinely pained. Also I might be remembering wrong but Utowins reaction...tfw when you realize you didn't understand the guy who defended as misunderstood as well as you thought you did. Although I do think that Easthies' his being vulnerable (sort of) in his response, it is very much rejection to Utowin and Utowin's belief in his and Easthies' mutual understanding.

I love the way the emotional dynamic changes through this interaction and how that is shown in the shots.

From the start of the interaction, Utowin is oriented fully facing easthies, and in the page building up to the one above, he has two big shots facing the viewer directly as well. He is being confrontational, but his confrontation is also being vulnerable to easthies. He's evidently distressed on a personal level, also shown in his final question to Easthies.

Conversely, Easthies is faced away from Utowin and the camera in pretty much all of his shots after the conversation gets serious. Additionally, his face is obscured is most of them. In the few panels we can see his expressions, he is very obviously avoiding eye contact with the viewer, and by extension, Utowin, as he deflects the question.

The first time we get eye contact, acknowledgement, reciprocation of vulnerability, from Easthies in this whole exchange comes right after the panel above.

The juxtaposition of the directions they are facing in the panels below makes me sick.

Immediately after Easthies answers Utowin's demands and is honest about his attitude, all but one of Easthies' panels have him directly facing the camera. The one panel (below) that he isn't facing the camera, he's facing Utowin, and Utowin....isnt looking.

Appeal for understanding.

Rejection