alcorsnightmaresheep
I literally don't post anything, why are you here
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Latest Posts by alcorsnightmaresheep
A modern day AU where Clive is a lonely researcher and Jason works part time at a dumpling soup shop and at an office supply store.
Clive only goes out for three things - food, office supplies, and basic necessities. Somehow he runs into Jason doing all three of these. And somehow, the chef/server who will let Clive rant about his research, coworkers, the university (all while looking very interested), remembers his name and says hi to him every time they see each other.
You have an older brother. He's more charismatic than you, handsomer than you, always surrounded by a big circle of friends. When you follow him in school, all of your teachers know you only as an extension of him. "You're Kaito's brother," they tell you when they hear your surname. They expect you to be him and you just can't measure up. Even when his choices ruin your life, much of your family take his side.
And then one day you die. It's tragic, but at least you don't leave behind a wife or children. At the memorial, how many people there are just a little bit relieved that it's you and not him?
You come back to life in a new world, and make a new start. There's nobody there to overshadow you. You gain confidence, and power, and a big circle of friends. Every time you rank up in power you get handsomer. Every time you rank up in power you look more like your brother, until your face is more his than yours.
Then you come home. The world turns upside down with the revelation of monsters and magic, and now he's the one running to catch up. He gets a job with the magical society you introduced him to. He's helpful and well-liked, but in these circles that only makes him average. His coworkers know him as an extension of you. "You're Jason's brother," they tell him when they meet him. They expect him to have your audacity, your proprensity for miracles.
And then comes the day that you step out of a portal and find him dead.
His funeral is widely attended. You come in secret, because your presence could upset the whole event. His death is tragic, but not world-shaking: in that crowd, how many people there are just a little bit relieved that it's him and not you?
When you rank up high enough, a friend tells you, you'll look just like his twin.
Jason Asano and co :) as of beginning of book 10 at least ! Currently catching up
(yes all three familiars are there! Look closely at shade to find colin)
GREETINGS EVERYONE!!! I've spent the last couple of months working on a full length comic adaption of @goodlucktai's beautiful 'fishbowl' fanfic!!! Below you can read the fruits of my efforts :) Enjoy!
This comic takes place before Dressrosa
CONTINUE >>>
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW
THIS IS A TRUMPET
THIS IS A TROMBONE
THIS IS A TUBA
AND THIS IS A FRENCH HORN
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
Zelda needed an undercover bodyguard and Malon said Link could go if she got to go too. Arent they PRETTY?
some of these were drawn months and months ago and some of these were drawn over the last week as i procrastinate coloring the next chapter of the hero shade comic.
he probably thinks he’s cool (nerd)
Boys and girls of every age 🍂🎃
Azz's Bloodline Magic Theory
what if the Asmodeus Bloodline Magic is future vision related? realized that the only times we see a Future Demon King Iruma is when an Asmodeus is somewhere around
in chapter 61 Azz even says he saw the future, what if he meant it literally? and the one from 177 is his imagination too
while this one from 198 is more blurry and not narrated by Azz, Azz is still in the room(drunk) and hearing Iruma talking about future when we see this
the last time we see Demon King Iruma, the Thirteen's Dinner in 203, Asmodeus Amarillys is among the demons talking when we see the future
additional points that started the whole "what if the Bloodline Magic is future related?" line of thoughts: 1. Amarillys coming home cause of a feeling she had (141) 2. the ability's name starts with み(mi) so maybe "mirai" (future) and 3. we know the ability can be used for combat advantage, and future vision or similar could get you one
The Beginning of the Overarching Plot and Conflict
In a sense, the Harvest Festival feels like the end of an era in the story. Major story beats are resolved, new conflicts and plot points are presented, and there’s a shift in focus. I’d say the most important question in this first part of the series is whether Iruma wants to stay in the underworld, so with that finally answered, the story must evolve to continue. While Iruma is still the focus, other character like the Misfits and some teachers start gaining more independence, having their own storylines. There’s also a slight tonal shift as the plot gearing up mandates a bit more seriousness and creates a sense of urgency. Since I’ve already covered those aspects in previous sections, I now want to take the time to cover some new conflicts and plot points.
The Demon King prophecy already sets up Iruma to be the next demon king, so it’s not as if this is new information, but there is a key difference. A prophecy is something magical and beyond interference, making it seem like Iruma was coincidentally stumbling into its criteria, but this is an event created by a specific person, likely Delkira himself or someone operating on his orders, and we know that Sullivan served him directly.
The purpose is purportedly to find the “least demon-like demon,” but the criteria to find the legendary leaf seems less concerned about that and more concerned with finding a human. All the necessary traits are natural to Iruma as a human, and the final form of the legendary leaf is a cherry tree. It’s as if the person who created the festival wanted to bring humanity into the underworld. Sullivan is a very good grandfather, and I would never diminish that, but he’s definitely hiding things, including his real reason for bringing Iruma into the underworld. When Iruma tries to question the cherry blossoms, Sullivan cuts him off, establishing that line of questioning as off-limits, but also showing that it, and his role in everything, will become relevant later. He’s an increasingly suspicious figure and I genuinely don’t believe that Iruma fitting the prophecy is a coincidence considering both Sullivan’s connection to Delkira, and his own ability to meddle in the demon world.
Delkira’s involvement is proven by his appearance once the legendary leaf blooms, surrounding Iruma almost as if capturing him, perhaps representing Iruma now being in destiny’s clutches. There are a couple ways the line “So, it’s you?” can be interpreted. It could simply be in regard to the one who grew the legendary leaf, but I’m less inclined to believe that considering multiple people were involved in that while Delkira only appeared to Iruma. The other option, and the one I’m in favor of, is that Iruma’s been chosen, and whatever part of Delkira that was released recognized that. Delkira doesn’t show up that often, but he seems to have strong feelings on what the underworld should look like, so there’s a good chance that he purposefully disappeared as part of some greater plot. A plot that now includes Iruma.
Wrapping up this arc, the demons shaping up to be the main antagonists of the series return in a truly bone-chilling fashion. Iruma’s declaration was a powerful moment, but right at the end, those same words take on a sinister meaning, now haunting every subsequent chapter until the other shoe drops. The one thing that Iruma can’t let anyone know without compromising his safety is now in the hands of the enemy. An enemy who isn’t opposed to killing and eating him. Whatever they’re cooking up, it’s clear that this secret is part of their plans and it’s only a matter of time before Iruma gets exposed. However, Iruma’s words “because I’m human” spark the next big theme of the series. I consider everything from the first chapter to the end of the Harvest Festival as sort of part one in terms of story development and themes. Up to this point it’s all about Iruma discovering what he wants, after this he knows, so the focus changes. The next part is concerned with secrets, things not said or seen, and it all centers around the core lie of Iruma’s identity.
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Lied
By now, the elephant in the room has probably grown about three stories, but don’t worry, there was no way I was going to forget Lied when he plays such a crucial role in this arc. A lot of the scenes he’s in covers all the different sections I created like character development, trauma, and undemonlike behavior at the same time, so I decided that instead of trying to break it all apart, I’d just give him his own section where he can fully shine. Every arc and self-contained story in m!ik will focus on Iruma and, usually, one or more additional character(s). Prior to the Harvest Festival, the characters bearing the weight of the story were Iruma (obviously), his adopted family (Sullivan and Opera-san), and his two closest friends (Asmodeus and Clara). Shorter stories would branch out, and many of the Misfits had their chance to shine in specific scenes of larger arcs, but in the Harvest Festival, Lied, someone outside Iruma’s family and the trio, becomes one of the most important characters, second only to Iruma. This is first brought to attention by how the Misfits are positioned in ensemble shots. Like the one above, Lied is placed front and center, drawing the readers’ attention.
When looking back on the purpose of the legendary leaf, a lot the focus is on what it means for Iruma’s future. It’s worth considering since it provides greater insight into the mystery behind Delkira, and therefore the overall plot, but we shouldn’t overlook that half of the challenge was completed by Lied. I’d say that based on this arc; Lied may be the least demonic of the actual demons. That’s not to say he isn’t at all demonic, but his defining characteristic is antithetical to demons. Lied harbors the greatest concentration of any character in the series, and it develops further in the same arc where Iruma masters a weapon unfit for demons because of how much concentration it requires. It’s not just a random trait either; that level of focus is essential to using his bloodline magic, so in order to be a better demon, Lied has to develop undemonlike qualities. Paradoxical sure, but true, nonetheless. So, his concentration is abnormal, but paired with his love of the thrill, Lied’s an absolute monster. Honestly, I have trouble categorizing Lied’s gambling and demonic or undemonic, and at this point I’m thinking it’s a mix of both. Risking his life for fun is undoubtably demonic but pushing forward when the going gets tough is decidedly not.
And that goes into what Lied enjoys. I find it hilarious that the other three afflicted Misfits were forced to confront their life-long traumas and Lied just got turned down by his crush, but that’s part of what makes Lied a likeable character. At the end of the day, he’s just a teenager with normal teenage problems. The rest of the Misfits are too, but a lot of them have these larger-than-life problems and backstories, so Lied balances out the dynamic by reminding everyone that they’re all just teenagers going to school and living life. We also have to revisit his concentration one last time, but now from a different angle. I’ve previously described how it’s impressive that the Misfits were able to overcome failure and frustration since that sort of dedication doesn’t typically come naturally to demons, but it does to Lied. Rather than balking at stress (something demons try to avoid to prevent entering a wicked phase) Lied enjoys being under pressure, making him quite the formidable opponent.
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Undemonlike Demons (The Misfits)
Undoubtably, the Misfits have only gotten stranger compared to their fellow demons under Iruma’s influence, but all of them, for some reason or another, ended up in the Misfit class before meeting him. Personally, I feel that rather than changing them, Iruma’s presence has amplified traits they already had. It’s an interesting contrast to the main villains of the series, who want demonkind to return to their origins, which, in their minds, seems to refer to rampant violence and anarchy. The question, therefore, becomes one of nature. Are these traits typically unassociated with demons actually natural, or will the villains prove to be correct? I guess the answer is obvious considering we know Iruma will be the demon king, but what’s important is how we get to that conclusion.
We’re consistently told that demons only do what’s interesting to them. Balam is confused when Iruma talks about his improvement in studying. Archery isn’t suitable for demons because of the concentration it requires. Basically, demons are fixated on their own best interest, preferring immediate enjoyment and progress over slow and painful development. However, during the Training Arc the Misfits are put through near endless suffering and failure, pushed past the breaking point where most demons would’ve given up. Yet, these kids got a taste for success and used their frustration to power through in order to meet the expectations of their tutors. Many of them discovered the satisfaction of improvement while studying for their exams, and that, along with their life-or-death escapades, seems to have laid the foundation for their immense growth, which is considered abnormal in demon society.
Asmodeus maintains a perfect demonic image most of the time, so it’s hard to find moments when he can be considered undemonlike, but there are certain aspects of his character that we can look toward within this line of thinking. While Azu rarely lets himself be a regular kid, under Iruma’s influence he’s far more emotionally volatile and does things out of simple enjoyment instead of success and is willing to participate in activities he’s uninterested in for his friends. Ranking up is a huge deal in demon society because the higher your rank, the higher your place is. Yet, due to his fixation of Iruma (which at this point is out of pure devotion instead of personal benefit) Azu completely disregards societal norms. His love for Iruma is also what snaps him out of his wicked phase. I want to talk about his wicked phase on its own though (spoiler warning ahead.) Wicked phases are as close as most demons get to a true “return to origins” and therefore serve as an outburst of desire and emotion. It’s not necessarily a representation of their morals or real personality, it’s more of a release. As much as I’d love to wax poetic about the beauty of its destruction, the real undemonlike qualities of Azu’s wicked phase are revealed in the Heartbreaker arc when we learn that fire isn’t his bloodline magic. That means that even when he entered his wicked phase, which is specifically describes as a freedom from inhibitions, he maintained the self-control to keep it under wraps. Using his bloodline ability would give him an edge in combat, but Azu repeatedly forgoes the easier route, choosing to limit his power where every other demon would win at all costs.
Again, Goemon is an absolute sweetheart. He’s dedicated to the people around him and to strangers, helping them at his own detriment, a concept we were told in the Walter Parc arc that demons don’t understand. There’s never any mention as to why he wants 100 allies, so it seems like the point is just to have others in his life. It’s no something he can just stop doing either. Instead, getting involved in other people’s business is part of who he is, making this undemonlike trait a core aspect of his character.
Jazz is the ultimate example of not giving up when things are tough. He literally lost and decided to keep going. Sure, part of it was revenge, but it was also to help his fellow classmates despite not being strictly necessary for him. Allocer is able to use Jazz’s influence to his advantage, and makes significant gains, but ultimately sees no point in winning without him. In the same situation, I’m sure many demons wouldn’t make the same choice.
Additional examples of Misfit students not using all their advantages include Kerori, Goemon, and Agares. Kerori can’t bring herself to use the beasts that she worked with during the festival despite the bump in points it would give her. Goemon and Agares did receive additional points for helping their fellow students, but it’s clear from their reaction that they genuinely didn’t expect it, meaning they acted out of the kindness of their hearts.
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Chapter 123 (Words I Couldn't Say)
It’s rare that I can pinpoint a favorite chapter in a manga, but I’ve poured over this series like a religious scholar for about two years, so I can confidently state that my favorite is chapter 195. Yeah, I know that isn’t the chapter I’m supposed to be talking about, but I’m not going to lie for points. If you search irumeanie on tumblr, a good half of the posts that show up are mine, so there’s really no point in trying to make myself look better. However, I can also state, with equal confidence, that the most important chapter in the series (as of now at 262) is 123, when everything that Iruma had been repressing up to that point can’t be held back any longer and bursts free. I mentioned earlier that the Harvest Festival contains what I believe to be the most emotionally cathartic scene in the series, and this is what I’m talking about. Despite how expressive he is, Iruma really isn’t that open with his feelings. I’ve already discussed how Iruma lacked desire or ambition early on in the series, but there have been other similar incidents such as at Walter Park when it takes several pages for Iruma to understand he’s upset, indicating severe emotional repression. Overcoming this repression is Iruma’s first major step in his overall character arc, which occurs in this chapter (conveniently titled “words I couldn’t say”) meaning that by the end of the Harvest Festival he’s entered a new leg of his journey. And it shows. The Iruma we see post-Harvest Festival is fundamentally different than the one we see before. He voices his desires proudly and is even referred to as having bottomless greed, while retaining his kind nature, which is all possible because of this one chapter.
Orobas has a tricky ability. The initial illusion is bad enough, but the greater the opponent’s trauma is, the higher the likelihood is of having lingering effects in the form of more illusions. Both Jazz and Clara’s experience with Orobas’ illusions only last a few pages and just end with them shaken up. Iruma faces the illusions for almost the entirety of three chapters. After he falls from the shock of seeing his parents and hurting his leg, the illusion shifts, getting closer to his true fear. It starts with Asmodeus and Clara abandoning him for being human, accusing him of lying and basically saying that everything he did was fake. Next, it’s Kalego that appears and tells him that as a human, he doesn’t belong in the underworld. Then finally his grandfather and Opera-san enter, the two demons who originally knew about his identity, who rescued him and gave him the home he never had before. And just like the others, they send him back to his parents too. It’s not just one more illusion. He sees at least four, not counting the horrific monsters that the illusions eventually shift into. What Iruma is facing is 14 years of non-stop trauma with the added fear that the relief he only just got from it will be ripped away from him.
Trapped in his worst nightmare, Iruma is forced to confront the feelings he’s been trying to hide his whole life. He spent his whole childhood alone without any meaningful connections and was fine with it because all he could do was focus on survival. Reading between the lines, what Iruma is saying is that he convinced himself his feelings didn’t matter, and he did this for so long that even when he found a loving home, he subconsciously continued to keep his true emotions buried, hardly recognizing them in himself. But, faced with the prospect of losing everything he’s gained, of returning to that unending isolation, Iruma can’t stop himself from breaking his self-imposed rule.
“I’m lonely.” For all his complexity as a character, Iruma can be broken into just these two words. Everything he’s been repressing and everything that’s driven him thus far in the story is encapsulated by the intense loneliness he lives with, and it’s delivered in the two most heart wrenching panels. No amount of danger is going to make him give into despair, his defense is too well trained, but the threat of losing everything while completely isolated breaks him instantly. He could ignore it when he had nothing to lose, but now there’s so much he wants to hold onto that he can’t handle being alone again. And that brings us back to Iruma’s desire to belong. He voices this desire a few different ways, from embarrassing to grandiose, but the true feelings behind it boils down to what he say in that second panel. The sense of belonging he yearns for stems from his fear of being left behind, tragically demonstrated by the focus pulling out to show his curled form, looking tiny in the large open space. It’s shown that his parents left him alone all the time until they needed him again, so it’s only natural that from the very depths of his soul, Iruma would fear his newfound family and friends no longer wanting him, but he also feels like he shouldn’t voice this fear, which ended up amplifying that aching loneliness.
Ultimately though, this is a hopeful series, and one final illusion of Bachiko reminds Iruma of what he learned during his training. Technically, this panels are from chapter 124, but it’s a continuation of chapter 123, and the positive parts of this series are just as important to cover as the negative. It’s important that Iruma didn’t give into despair. He remembers his training as an archer, and that he can pierce through all his hardships, so he stands up even as he’s still in tears and his leg is killing him, because all he wants is to stay with the people he cares about.
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Trauma (Iruma)
Until this arc it felt like Iruma’s childhood was swept away, only brought up as a joke. To be fair, this is a comedy series, and those jokes are funny, but it felt like the series wouldn’t be living up to its potential without a more serious look at how Iruma’s upbringing affects him. Then, I reached the Harvest Festival, and all my expectations were met and exceeded. This event was finely crafted to perfectly simulate the environment Iruma grew up in, with the vastness of the forest, the need for survival, and the overwhelming isolation, causing his repressed trauma and emotions to gradually rise to the surface as the festival dragged on before finally exploding in what I consider to be the most emotionally cathartic scene in the series.
During Iruma’s training scenes (both in the Training arc itself and flashbacks), the matter of his parents is brought up casually, like it had been previously. While this aspect of his childhood had already been well established, moment like this still serve as important indicators that Iruma still thinks about what he went through. It’s also a reminder that Iruma grew up with parents that only saw him as a useful tool for chores and as a source of income. I also want to draw attention to the number of near-death situations Iruma had been through prior to living in the underworld. That scene occurs when Bachiko has Iruma fire off arrow after arrow at the very least over 100 times, meaning that there were probably hundreds of instances, starting from a very young age, where Iruma almost died. Between arriving in the demon world and starting the Harvest Festival Iruma had only been in legitimate mortal peril maybe three times, which is comparatively like a vacation if you think about it.
Iruma’s survival instincts are also expanded upon. Even living peacefully, Iruma retains his natural instincts to avoid all danger and uses this ability to his advantage, but that same peace prevents us from knowing what his exact mental state was before getting surprise-adopted. The Harvest Festival fixes that by placing him in a similar environment that causes him to unwillingly revert to a purely survival-oriented mindset. This ends up revealing a lot about Iruma, even explaining some of his quirks that seemed more outlandish, such as emotional repression to the point of not recognizing feelings like desire or anger. It also shows that his so-called “overwhelming crisis evasion capability” (heralded as the ultimate defense mechanism) is what his survival mode looks like while operating at its lowest capacity. His peak survival mode is represented by an amorphous black blob whose simplistic design conjures the idea of returning to base instincts. As specifically stated, Iruma has been operating like this for most of his life, relying solely on his base instincts and foregoing everything else, which would account for his lack of understanding even relatively simple emotions.
Now let’s get into the cause of Iruma’s trauma. To date, this is the longest they make an appearance, and even then, it’s only as an illusion, so we still don’t know practically anything about them. However, I would argue that it’s unnecessary to learn about them outside of their impact on Iruma, because this is fundamentally a story about Iruma’s self-discovery and him finally learning how to be human. Since they were the main obstacle to his natural development, their own thoughts are less important to the narrative. While Iruma does later say he’s not afraid of his parents, that ends up feeling more like a comparative statement when taking his immediate reaction upon seeing them into account, as well as how their faces are never shown, giving them a more nightmarish quality even compared to the other illusions. There’s a level of control that they’ve instilled into him that genuinely makes Iruma feel like they could whisk him away from home. Sullivan is easily one of the most powerful demons in the underworld, yet in Iruma’s trauma-addled state, even he isn’t an obstacle to the whims of his parents. This harkens back on Iruma’s inability to say no, born from years of psychological manipulation that can be seen in the question “aren’t you a good kid who always does as he’s asked?” His parents wanted someone who wouldn’t cause trouble and do whatever they wanted, so they taught him that saying no was wrong and that he’d only be praised if he did as they asked. So, while Iruma has gotten more assertive in the underworld, due to the years of damage inflicted by his parents, there’s a legitimate concern that he’d be powerless to go against him.
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Trauma (The Misfits)
Believe it or not, the trauma I’m discussing is not from the training arc, but I’m sure some Underworld therapists will be making money off that in the future. Luckily for the Misfits (and unluckily for fans desperate for any information, anything at all, a single crumb), only four of them get targeted and of those four, only three of them are forced to deal with actual trauma. However, the two non-Iruma cases are rich in character insight, so it’s worth the time to look at them in-depth.
In order to tackle trauma, the character Orobas (not pictured) is introduced. He’s someone who’s envious of the Misfit class, and therefore the perfect target for outside forces to manipulate. His bloodline magic also makes him the perfect candidate to take on the class almost singlehandedly. For various reasons, every misfit ended up in a class for outcasts of the demon world, and that’s not a position you’d typically find yourself in unless you were dealing with something, so trauma was a good weak point to attack. It’s essentially a narrative tool that easily provides an in-universe explanation for why certain traumas are being addressed when needed without coming across and clunky.
For someone who was sadly missing (kidnapped) during the training arc, quite a bit is revealed about Jazz during the Harvest Festival. During Walter Park, we learned that Jazz’s family values skill above all else, to the point where the weaker party is in the wrong no matter the circumstances, which is how his older brother is able to get away with being a living nightmare. In that arc, a lot of what was shown was how Jazz was treated, while this arc highlights the effects that treatment has. Their dynamic could be taken as simple sibling rivalry, but his first expression upon seeing the illusion of his brother speaks volumes, and there’s no getting around the description of Orobas’ ability specifying “greatest fears” paired with images of Jazz dealing with his brother. But just this alone doesn’t truly deepen Jazz’s character. No, it’s what finally gets him to react. He’s able to keep himself relatively calm under the onslaught of his brother’s antics, but as soon as he’s called inferior, he snaps. This harkens back to his family’s focus on skill, confirming the suspicions that Jazz doesn’t have a lot of value in his family, as it’s clearly something of a trigger for him. There’s also the implications of “version of me” to consider. Jazz doesn’t want to be thought of as lesser, but he also doesn’t want to be like his family. He’s shown to be a caregiver, acting as the older brother figure to the rest of the Misfit class out of his desire to be different from his brother. As a reminder, these are all illusions of Jazz’s fears, so that specific word choice comes from his own feelings, indicating a fear of not just being inferior, but also anything like his family.
Clara’s trauma was established early on during her introduction when the only way she could interact with others is if she gave them whatever they wanted in exchange, as if her company is only worth what can be gotten out of it. Since Iruma and Asmodeus are her first friends, it stands to reason that she’s gone her whole life prior to meeting them not forming close bonds with anyone outside her family, so it’s understandable that she’d fear losing that connection. While not much new information is given, this scene does help establish that trauma can be eased by friends and family, but not erased entirely.
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The Harvest Festival
Some may say it’s odd to craft a 58-slide presentation on a series that doesn’t even have an official translation for the language I speak, but even though I rely on our lord and savior Misfits Scans, I can honestly say there’s not another series that brings me so much joy. I would like to clarify that I made this out of my own free will, I’m simply the type of overachiever to answer a fairly easy question with a presentation so long that it needs sections and subsections. Considering its length, I invite anyone reading to skip around. I’ll be covering my overall opinions, the training arc, character development, trauma, chapter 123, undemonlike demons, Lied, and how the arc fits into the overarching story. Hope you enjoy :)
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thinking about grimwalker-y things again, this time in regards to selkidomus scales and boiling water
bonus:
being haunted by a person you’ve never met and never will, someone you’ll never actually be
but you’ve got people who love you, maybe it’s gonna be okay