Welcome to my DSP alt, where I usually reblog and post stuff mainly The Gray Garden and Wadanohara and The Great Blue Sea related stuff.
Note that I only mention those two specific games, as I have no interest in the rest of DSP content outside them. (ex. Poison Bugs, Seaside Dispatches, Mogeko Castle, etc. The only exception to this is The Sun's Curse.)
Warning: As is with anything related to DSP content, there will be a lot of dark themes such as blood, gore, violence, suicide mentions, deaths, and many more.
More info about the blog under the cut
Tag navigation
#greblogs is for any and all reblogs. Any reblogged content will be tagged with the related games
#greylib comments is mostly my personal comments (asks, opinion on the game, etc.)
#tgg doodles is for art I post regarding The Gray Garden
#tgg hcs is for headcanons I post regarding TGG
#watgbs doodles is for art I post regarding Wadanohara
A lot of what I post are mostly hcs and doodles, however I may write up some drabbles or even full-blown fics once in a full moon.
#watgbs hcs is for headcanons I post regarding WatGBS
Edit: As I am moving my OC lore further away from its DSP AU origins, I'll be putting it in a separate blog altogether.
I genuinely love Funa's work, but I think one of its biggest weaknesses is how the lore is handled.
The worldbuilding is fascinating. You have characters that are memorable. The connections between stories make the universe feel huge and alive.
The problem is that so much important information exists outside the actual stories.
There are characters who are central to the setting, like Satanick, whose role, history, motivations, and relationships are barely understandable if you only read the main works (mind you, you only get to properly know who he is in the watgbs reboot and only in the bonus room). To fully understand them, you're often expected to dig through the wiki, old art, bonus comics, Q&As, streams, Twitter posts, and obscure side material.
I don't think the lore is bad. In fact, I think it's one of Funamusea's greatest strengths. But the way it's distributed is incredibly messy. Sometimes it feels less like following a narrative and more like assembling a puzzle from pieces scattered across the internet over the course of a decade.
Fan design of Warverse!GGT!Etihw. I am debating if I should give them longer hair and more details to their capelet (veil?) but those feel like minor adjustments.
Will do a Wodahs and a proper Kcalb one in the future.
Rambles about both base GGT and this design of Etihw under the cut.
GGT Etihw's Design Reading
Where the base Etihw is shown to be casual in their loose clothes, GGT Etihw takes this to 100 by wearing a full blown jacket instead of a cape. This can also allude to the increased playfulness of GGT Etihw, as base Etihw's mischef only goes as far as teasing. Making fun of Kcalb is one thing, stealing his/her chocolate cake is another level.
The GGT version also gives a more modern interpretation. The jacket amplifies it, but here, Etihw also wears a vest, a collared shirt, a pair of pants with white diamonds at the end, and gray shoes that may or may not be attached to the pants. These feels like a semi-formal modern attire without the religious connections that the original has, indicating that they may not take their role as god very seriously -- maybe even less than base Etihw.
The lack of a cross in their design also may indicate that loss and grief are not a core part of their character, though this may just be because this is an April Fools one-off design, which doesn't put much thought into the lore implications.
The messy, unkept hair is also a nod to their casual, maybe even lazy demeanor. The covering of one eye is also an interesting point, but considering the above, this addition is also a thing to make them "look cool" instead of any particular meaning (I could not find any symbolism that suits them in this context, though it is interesting that a covered/lost eye means that a character is more likely to be 'blindsided' and not thoughtful of their actions).
How do I want to change their design?
Cold, rigid, dangerous
I already talked about the changes of TGG Etihw's Base vs Warverse design, but to quickly recap, the change makes them:
More regal / shows their status and power more
Seem more reserved and traditional
With that out the way, I also want to implement the same themes / changes to GGT Etihw's Warverse design. So, here's a list in no particular order to the changes I made.
The Added Details. This is a given, since the TGG Warverse design also has more complex patterns, which implies a much more complicated life or situation in them.
The Sharpened Stones. Again, another thing I imported from the TGG Warverse design. I didn't surround them with the stones though, instead I wanted to use it as an accessory rather than directly contributing to their 'aura' of godhood, as it did with the TGG Etihws. Instead, I wanted to show it through
The Pose. While TGG Etihw's poses didn't change much in the changes, I want to make GGT Warverse Etihw more imposing that doesn't involve me drawing more unnecessary details. (cough cough THE FLOATING STONES cough cough) As such, I want them to feel more imposing through their demeanor -- the easiest way to communicate that is through the pose. Closed legs, one hand behind their back, and the other is clutching a white rock like a supervillain with their evil magic orb.
The Hair. In TGG, the change in both Etihw and Kcalb's hair length are a big part of their character designs with great significance as well. Cutting hair symbolizes a new beginning, and for Kcalb in particular, long hair for boys in Japan is historically a symbol of rebellion. From this context, I don't really think putting long hair on Warverse GGT Etihw is a good idea. Instead, I just made it neater, further emphasizing their discipline and care for their appearance in the days of war.
The Buttload Amount of Layers. Considering the base GGT design parodies the TGG's level of casualness, I want the Warverse GGT to do the same, but with the amount of formal-ness. A mozzetta on top of a cope (dunno if I want to make it backwards or forwards) with base TGG Etihw's robes underneath, and finally, a dress shirt with decorated cuffs and normal pants and shoes. Their pious attire seem over-the-top while also communicating that they are very reserved, concealing themself underneath layers upon layers of barriers, and they take their status and role as god very, VERY seriously.
The Crucifix Motifs. While I alluded to the concept of grief, loss, and mourning in the base TGG's design, here, I want it to take a different meaning. Instead of the above symbolism (which doesn't hold up well with the Warverse period in general), the crosses here represent sacrifice or execution instead. After all, crucifixion was historically used as capital punishment and torture, leaving them to a prolonged death, which can also be an allegory for war and how the angels are counting the seconds until their death.
The Holes in the Cope. I actually didn't really put much thought other than "It looks cool and a neat reference to base TGG Etihw."
The Above-Ankles Length of the Robe. In both TGG designs, the attire seems to be long enough to cover Etihw's feet, even as to being mentioned bunching up as they walked in the Warverse period. In traditional clerical attire, the robes go down to the feet. However, I elected to choose neither and instead go for a higher end because I forgot about them I want them to have at least some mobility should they truly be fighting in the war as well. It's also a good way to avoid staining their attire from the pools and splatters of blood near their feet.
If you’re a real human person still using the default tumblr avatar, consider changing it.
why should you change it?
When you guys pop up in our notifications, most seasoned tumblr users will suspect you’re a bot and block on sight.
why do we block immediately?
tumblr has a history of bots trying to infiltrate and establish a connection to a valid, existing blog in order to populate google searches. Simply liking or reblogging a post, not just adding a scam link to it, establishes this connection. Tumblr users don’t want this to happen, especially if it’s a scammy p*rn bot. So, we often block on sight.
So now I have to reblog stuff AND change my pfp?
Well, of course that’s up to you! I just want to explain why you may have been already blocked by an artist/blogger you may have discovered recently, and how you can avoid it in the future.
Reblogging does help creators more than likes because your reblogs will show up on the dash of those that may follow you. Plus, reblogging puts that post on your own blog, and in case the original gets deleted or edited by the OP, it’ll be on your blog like that–forever (or until you delete your blog). Nice.
Here are some free icons created by catalyststuff on freepik. Highly recommend their art for a simple replacement!
(Etihw's design is a bit cropped, so pls tap the image for better comparison)
So there's a good amount of changes in Etihw's design from their past one. The easiest ones to notice is the different clothing, hair length, and the rocks that they wear and the ones surrounding them.
What's interesting to note in the attire is that the Warverse one is significantly more detailed in patterns. The dress itself seems to be in a white base instead of a gray one, similarly layered on top with grey, which may indicate that they see themself as more pure, true, or just, as opposed to present Etihw who is well aware of their flaws. They are not innocent, and though they have done a lot to atone for it, it will not erase their dark past, which is why their base is a light gray instead of white.
Funnily enough, the streaks of gray in Warverse is actually the darkest shade of gray in both of their designs. These are present in the top accessories of their cape and where their patterns are in the upper layer of their dress, where the heavy details are. This gives a nod to the fact that they are much more cold and ruthless, apathetic to the carnage they caused, directly or otherwise.
The dress also seems much tighter than the present's loose, square shape. You can see the shape of where their waist, hips, and legs are, with the extremities (hands and legs) ending in frills. Alongside the more detailed patterns, this leaves a more strict, elegant, and formal impression, and it really tells you that they are someone of high status and demands respect. In contrast, the present's wide and maybe even flowy attire makes them seem more casual and open.
The cape on Warverse also has more patterns and seems to be bigger, surrounding their body rather than just settling behind them like the present Etihw. Excluding their hair, this builds up a wide silhouette which implies that they are a secluded, reserved person -- this aligns with the idea that Etihw is largely isolated from the outside world, not really expressing themselves until Kcalb came along.
I don't have much explanation for the long hair, but in the context of DSP being Japanese, long hair is often associated with youth, innocence, and purity in Japan. Historically in Japan, it is also associated with wealth, status (probably where the connection with modesty and grace came from), beauty, and even magical abilities. In the same article I looked up, it also said that "cutting one’s hair signifies a fresh start or a new beginning" and that "there is also a growing trend of women cutting their hair short to challenge traditional gender norms and embrace a more modern and independent identity". Very interesting, considering the Warverse design also reads as much more traditionally feminine.
Lastly, the sharper rocks indicate more danger. While the normal diamond shape feels neutral, the sharper ones feel more threatening because of the, well, more prominent angles and pointy-ness. It brings to mind a spearhead or sharp projectiles that can stab you, adding to her dangerous aura, a cherry on top for their Warverse design.
A big part of their designs, though, is that the Warverse design is absolutely devoid of crucifix patterns, while the present one has one smack dab in the middle and arguably the focus of the design. This may indicate that loss, grief, and mourning are things that are absent in Etihw's war period, yet has become a defining aspect of them in the present.
(Side note: I don't know what the hole in present Etihw's cape is supposed to represent. The closest I can think of is maybe that there will always be a void in some parts of their life, but idk. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to add on.)
(Side note 2: This was supposed to be under my Warverse!GGT!Etihw design, but I feel like it got too long considering I want to add a GGT!Etihw a design analysis as well. Whoops.)
Considering TGG has phones and Kcalb is seen w a laptop in one artwork, would this ever happen. (There were supposed to be more panels in my big beautiful head, but it went away with my panic lmao)
Also everyone welcome Warverse!GGT!Etihw, yaaayyy!!! There's gonna be a ref for their design dw
I decided to have some fun experimentation with all of the PS brushes I’ve downloaded. The works of ハラダミユキ are some of my favorites, so I’m trying to incorporate his style into my own and hopefully improve overall.
Me throwing non-canon traits and situations to my blorbos: YOU are philosophic, YOU are philosiphic, YOU get a major depressive episode, YOU get an existential crisis, YOU-
