Hi hello I'm Volann and I usually draw my ocs so writing an introduction for a blog for everything but the thing I usually do is very weird. To get it out of the way, @volann-art is where I post my art! I'm also @/volann_art on instagram and telegram (this one in russian). I always reblog my fanart here and sometimes other stuff, especially if it's like a several page comic, but mostly this blog is my thoughts on all kinds of media and reblogs. I sometimes reblog art I like even if I have absolutely no idea who the characters in it are or if I'm not a particularly big fan of a ship. I love people who draw ocs, I also love yuri unconditionally (men have to want to kill each other ig), so obviously people who draw yuri of their ocs can have my heart and hand in marriage (I'm aroace though). The only thing I've ever been consistent in is obsessing over my ocs so I have no idea what I'll write about next.
I love talking, if you ever want to talk to me please do!!!! I can speak English obv, russian and Bulgarian. I also studied French at school, forgot most of it, but you can still try your luck.
Oh yeah currently very into gachiakuta but everyone who followed me recently did so after seeing my gachiakuta posts so I think you already know that. I rarely speak about fandoms enough to justify putting them into an intro post, but tma pops up often enough when I talk to people so it'll be an exception. My other random interests include historical fashion and dancing. I'm also currently studying book illustration and design at uni.
We need more women characters who are Male Protagonists. You know. Slightly haggard. She's splashing cold water on her face and gripping the edge of the sink staring in the mirror for a minute. She's coping badly with her deadwife
Ok listen I get that people tagging posts with men is a rule of physics on this hellsite but it's kind of bizarre how badly some of you have failed the assignment on this one. A generic male protagonist archetype who is a man is nothing. That's just the normal cliche I'm talking about subverting. What?
Like if you are For Serious headcanoning your blorbo as a trans woman I am kissing you on the head. But I KNOW most of you are not doing that. Come on. For one dollar name a fictional woman. No being a loser does not make him a woman try again
So I started reading witch hat atelier several years ago, forgot most of it, and am now rereading after watching the anime. So. I just noticed. That Riche and Tezia's hair is shaped like their respective (let's call them) signature spells. Tezia's is like a cloud. Riche's is like her ?ribbons?. Wow I can be so inattentive. Also sorry if I wrote the names wrong, I'm not reading in English so idk
My second (and last) revenge for last year! I still use the artwork that this one is revenge for as my phone wallpaper, it's absolutely gorgeous, so I really wanted this one to be good. Did I plan to have two characters, one of whom has a bodytype I never draw, both in complicated poses, with perspective on everything including the only visible face? And those long ears I never draw as a cherry on top? No, but I saw that I could draw yuri and this was the only good idea/composition that I came up with for these two. Btw the characters belong to @/kesilk on bluesky.
Zanka has to go offscreen every once in a while because Urana needs the time to save up rocks so she can stone him to death the instant he's back on page.
Imagine putting effort into changing your look and styling your hair pretty much every day just for the person that hasn't seen you in years, that you just spoke to once or twice, to see the stupidest looking messed up hair and a giant hole both in front and back of all of your layers. And assume that this is the look you chose. While you're having flashbacks to one of the worst experiences of your life. And then your brother berates you in front of them. What an ending for the worst day ever.
Nooooo people on the internet are being fundamentally wrong about the characters!!! But I don't want to argue with them and I've already written what I think!!! And my friends aren't in the fandom so I can't even complain to them!!! The misery, the horror!!!
Sorry to start with this but I'm going chronologically Do the random background women have to be so beautiful?
It's funny how awkward Rudo gets as soon as he realizes Kyoka is Zanka's older sister. Like when you see your friends' parents lol
"Until he atones for beguiling my dear Zanka, he will experience a living hell" ma'am if you just look at the paneling and placement of these words you'll see that the only one experiencing living hell because of you is your dear Zanka.
Speaking about this, love how the same situation is a comedic moment for Riyo and, as stated in the manga, a living hell for Zanka. Also, after each one Eisha takes on parts of respective patients' mindsets: after healing Riyo she's happy and relieved and positive and after healing Zanka, well, I'll get to it (but it's obvious).
Apparently I didn't take a screenshot for it but yaay parallels with the hellguard chapters with washing head and face after being defeated. Let's all congratulate Zanka on not harming himself until he bleeds this time even though the situation is undeniably more embarassing! This is progress! Also. Thanks for confirming that Zanka's turtleneck is indeed a normal turtleneck, whenever I see the detached sleeves in fanart or fanfic the only thing I can think about is how uncomfortable that would be! Like 1)the sleeves won't stay up 2) thick rough fabrick of the jacket is gonna irritate the skin 3) a part of the underlayers' purpose is to absorb sweat, a sleeveless shirt doesn't absorb shit and all of the sweat is getting onto the garments that are harder to make and to clean, like yeah they do work with literal trash but that's different! I know this doesn't matter but I can't help it because this is the kind of stuff I care about when I do character design!
Back to Eisha – she comes to a conclusion that happens to be the good part of Zanka's mindset, the part that actually makes him strong. Like this is the first time there's an actual reason for her to feel bad about herself and I like her a lot more after this chapter. Also now I wonder if there are any teenagers in this manga with decent screentime who haven't expressed an intent to change/become stronger, I think it's just Jabber lol
Speaking about teenagers who have expressed an intent to become stronger
Riyo dear can you please share with the class what you're thinking I can't read you! It is kinda similar to the panels where she forgives the info broker and says she realized she needs to train harder but idkkkkk
Okay guys hear me out. I keep seeing phrases like "if Zanka wasn't so malnourished" and I think this might be a hot take but. Um. I don't think think he's malnourished tbh I think it's just a stylistic choice because
1. Look at his siblings
I won't actually put in the images bc tumblr always mixes them up if I add them from my phone but. Both of them have quite imposing figures (because, you know, character design and all that). So clearly the two of them were eating well enough, if any family on the ground has enough resources to eat well its the Nijiku family, and I refuse to believe that whoever was responsible decided to only starve Zanka. Like making someone eat so little it affects their health so much is counterproductive to what they were trying to do – raise a physically strong competent fighter.
2. Look at the cleaners
While most of them are skinny, Delmon still exists. I assume he's on the same diet as the rest of the cleaners. And if it wasn't nutritious enough, he wouldn't look like that! I still have to say that I'm pretty sure his body is like that to compliment his character and attitude and create contrast between his physical appearance and his love for gardening and flowers. But character design can say things about both the character and the world around them. Like the fact that the absolute majority of characters in this manga have zero body fat can tell us that this is a setting with very few recourses. Anyway even if we ignore Delmon, Gris doesn't look skinny at all, and he's clearly physically strong to an insane level. He has to be eating well in order to do that, you know? And I don't think that they purposefully restrict some members' access to food, like why would they. And you can't even argue that Zanka's skinniness is the consequence of his childhood like with Riyo, or Rudo, or basically everyone else.
3. Look at Zanka
He threw a big chunk of the ground with just his strength and a stick, do you think a malnourished person could do that???? His fighting style depends on him being physically capable, that's his whole philosophy, but for some reason people act like the only thing malnutrition affects is the physical appearance without any effects on the health of the person. You won't be able to do the stuff he does if you starve yourself! You won't be able to do the stuff he does if your diet is so bad it's impossible for you to gain muscles or fat!
4. Why is he skinny then?
Kei Urana's style is very dynamic. And we live in a society where there are way more examples of dynamic visuals of skinny people. The contrast between thin and thick shapes (in case of most of gachiakuta art, between the bodies and the baggy clothes) helps create the feeling of movement. And Zanka's fights do look absolutely stunning, like all of the fights in this manga.
Of course, you can do it with all bodytypes. So here's another thing (TW fatphobia, sorry for spoiling it). Unfortunately, alternative fashion is mostly associated with skinny people, and fat people have been excluded from fashion overall for a while (which is stupid bc people with any kind of body can look really cool, just had to clarify). Even in gachiakuta, the only fat character wears a suit, and the muscular men's fashion isn't as stylish or interesting as others. Goka and Gris just wear a uniform, Delmon's outfit conveys that he wears practical clothes, the hat associates him with working in the field, but it's in no way stylish, Felix basically just wears a well-fitting coat with a sash. Another thing that is associated with skinniness for no legitimate reason at all? Androgyny. And here's one more thing to consider: do you think Zanka as a character would be as popular if he was built like a brickhouse? Other male characters from Gachiakuta are also popular, sure, but (I think) he was used to announce season two in which he won't even appear that much! Of course there are other reasons, like the fact that his struggles are so relatable that I heard a girl at uni basically quote his view of himself in a random conversation, but you can't deny the fact that his design at least influences people's opinions. That's what character design is supposed to do, after all. I am not blaming Kei Urana personally for fatphobia here, this is a wide societal issue, but you can't deny it's influence on not just her art but character designs all over all kinds of modern media.
So my conclusion is more people should draw buff Zanka I rest my case.
I decided to do this card for artfight after all. I only have 6 characters there this year, but I didn't want to leave just one of them out, sooo Thea and Marlene are together. I also either downloaded it incorrectly or it just was so low quality, but either way I didn't want to scale it up, so drawing in very low quality was another challenge... Anyway if you like historical fashion you might like these... what's a gender-neutral term for guys. Most of them are women so I would use gals but Elie is non-binary, also Vlasa is 15 so not really a woman either but that's not as relevant here- Anyway. Yeah historical fashion, the two on the right have it too, just not in the card bc I wanted Elie to have bangs... Okay that's it here's my artfight profile
