I made a "freaking out" icon specifically for this post.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
S-sorry, I couldn't hold that back anymore. I've already been crazy from the Hetalia Christmas Event, both on the actual site and the chaos that's been going on with the fans at LJ (I still need my naked men! It's been three days! Never mind, falling asleep in the middle of this post was good for something. XD). Then, during a break from that, I checked my friends page, since I'd been neglecting it somewhat. I was rewarded with the translation for the next D.N.Angel chapter that I'd both been anticipating and fearing. My current state of mind can be summed up in three words:
OH.
MY.
GOD.
I...I'm not sure if the above statement is a good thing or a bad one. Or both. The chapter was a short one (16 pages), but it was just so packed full of so much stuff that it's left my heart pounding and my hands shaky. I'm tempted to curse this series for being able to affect me so deeply, but it's because of that fact that I love it so much.
Because I probably won't be coherent enough otherwise, I'll just do a page-by-page reaction. After that comes more detailed speculations and stuff.
Well. I'll attempt at some decent coherency now. Seriously though, that little chapter makes me feel like laughing and crying and flipping a table in frustration all at once. D.N hasn't made my heart beat like this since the revival chapters back in '08/'09. Anyway...
Satoshi's behavior in this chapter shocked me. Last chapter, he was in so much of a panic about Krad shooting Daisuke/Dark, yet in this chapter he asks Daisuke to turn into Dark? For him? That dialogue, coupled with the fact that he held the gun to his own head after Daisuke refused makes me think that if Daisuke had transformed, Satoshi was prepared to die together with Daisuke/Dark or something like that. I can't find any other reason for him holding the gun up to himself other than when Daisuke refused, he accepted that and was going to switch to Krad at the last second so that they would be the only pair to die.
Satoshi breaks my heart in this chapter, really. He seems so...broken, and it hurts to see him like that. I always knew he'd lose it in front of Daisuke someday, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch. Especially the line "You don't understand me at all."
Satoshi... ;_;
Even though they seem to be worlds apart sometimes, I think the real problem here is that Daisuke understands Satoshi too well. I also think that scares Satoshi.
I'm worried about what Riku's reaction to all this is going to be. Initially, I didn't care for either of the Haradas, but Riku grew on me a lot. A part of me wants her to stay together with Daisuke, even if that means that Satoshi will never get a chance with him in canon. Since SatoDai is like, my biggest OTP ever, that's saying a lot.
...I'm still not going anywhere near Risa though. Character development or not, she's just not the type of character that I'll ever really like.
Also, did I ever mention that Sugisaki-sensei is a master of cliffhangers? It's so frustrating! Though, I might just be having unwanted flashbacks to the end of volume 11. Please, sensei, don't ever put DN on a 3-year hiatus again. TT_TT
Apparently, this chapter is also the end of "Part 1".
...Meaning that everything since the beginning of this manga has been just the first part?! Wow, I might not have to worry about it ending in the near future if that means we'll get another 15 volumes for the second part. I hope, anyway.
I want the raw for this chapter so bad. Chinese scanlations + English translations are nice (and I'm grateful for getting to see this chapter at all), but I wish I could see the original Japanese so I could read the original myself. If there was a way for me to order the Monthly Asuka where I live, I would. It looks like the US is out of luck for that though. *sigh*
Also, apparently D.N.Angel is going on at least a 6-month break in favor of a new series.
...
...........
SUGISAKI-SENSEI, STOP GOING ON HIATUS, DAMMIT! *sobs in a corner*
S-sorry, I couldn't hold that back anymore. I've already been crazy from the Hetalia Christmas Event, both on the actual site and the chaos that's been going on with the fans at LJ (I still need my naked men! It's been three days! Never mind, falling asleep in the middle of this post was good for something. XD). Then, during a break from that, I checked my friends page, since I'd been neglecting it somewhat. I was rewarded with the translation for the next D.N.Angel chapter that I'd both been anticipating and fearing. My current state of mind can be summed up in three words:
OH.
MY.
GOD.
I...I'm not sure if the above statement is a good thing or a bad one. Or both. The chapter was a short one (16 pages), but it was just so packed full of so much stuff that it's left my heart pounding and my hands shaky. I'm tempted to curse this series for being able to affect me so deeply, but it's because of that fact that I love it so much.
Because I probably won't be coherent enough otherwise, I'll just do a page-by-page reaction. After that comes more detailed speculations and stuff.
- Page 1:
Nothing really exciting here, just a title-page type thing. Still, with my nerves, I can't help but (irrationally?) worry that I won't see Daisuke smile like that again for a while.
- Pages 2~4, panel 1 of page 5:
Total panic that's a mix of "Krad is scary", "OMG NO", and "Daisukeeeee! D:" (Dark too of course, but Daisuke was my first concern)
- Page 5:
Noooo--wait, what? He's still alive? What the hell just happened?! Daisuke's ok, but what about Dark? Did that bullet get rid of him or something?
- Page 6~7:
And here we have Daisuke, Purposely addressing Krad as "Hiwatari-kun" to try to reach him. I like it when he does that. And fffff-- Krad saying "You seem to be pleased by this face." before turning back into Satoshi? I know he didn't mean it like that, but the line made me lol. "Suspicious" indeed. XD *brick'd for sleep-deprived fangirl interpretation*
Secondly, Riku's expression. I can't even imagine the shock she must be in right now, poor thing. D:
Also, having flashbacks of when Dark turned into Daisuke to rile up Satoshi in the Toki no Byoushin arc.
- Page 8:
...And NOW I'm having flashbacks of when Daisuke had that weird dream right after the Sage of Sleep arc. This was intensified by Daisuke's choice of words-- "Don’t say it again!! I don’t want to listen!!"
Satoshi's soulless expression in the first panel is going to haunt me, and Daisuke's expression in the last is crushing me.
- Page 9:
I had separate, yet simultaneous reactions for the dialogue and images.
Dialogue: Oh crap, is Krad still in control?! Daisuke, that's dangerous!
Images: Wh-whoa, they're pretty close...//// For a split second, I thought he was going to kiss Daisuke, despite the fact that something like that probably won't happen at this point. Hey, a fangirl can dream. And it would have added to the shock factor.
- Page 10:
The first panel significantly diminished my worry of Satoshi being Krad. That being said, Satoshi's words, being so desperate with such a calm face, and Daisuke's gentle yet firm reply to those words were more impacting on me than if they had been shouting at one another.
My mind was also screaming "Hug him, you idiot!" and...
- Page 11:
Oh--oh my...
H-hug. Hug.
HUG! afdsflajdfl
The page itself was enough to make me squee, but Daisuke's words here, "Hiwatari-kun is Hiwatari-kun" made me want to cry. The thing is, I've always believed that it would be fitting for Daisuke to say something like that, but to see it actually spoken in canon is overwhelming. - Page 12:
This page on the other hand, nearly made my heart stop. At the time, it didn't even register to me that the gun supposedly doesn't work on the Tamers. All I could think of was how badly I wanted someone to stop him, because I didn't want the last words Daisuke heard from Satoshi to be "You don't understand me at all". - Page 13:
THANK YOU, RIKU. - Page 14:
For some reason, Satoshi's eyes in the second panel calmed me down. I can't explain it. Of course, they went back to creepy again at the bottom of the page, but it didn't affect me as badly. - Page 15:
Satoshi's words here worry me. I'm not sure if he's just overreacting and is afraid to lose Daisuke, or if Dark really is the only one who would remain if there was some kind of merge. (He doesn't outright say that's what is going to happen, but I don't think he would have said anything if he didn't think there would be problems.) - Page 16:
My reaction to this page was a mix of "Hiwatari-kun, don't leave!" and "Oh crap. Riku/Daisuke confrontation moment. This won't end well."
Well. I'll attempt at some decent coherency now. Seriously though, that little chapter makes me feel like laughing and crying and flipping a table in frustration all at once. D.N hasn't made my heart beat like this since the revival chapters back in '08/'09. Anyway...
Satoshi's behavior in this chapter shocked me. Last chapter, he was in so much of a panic about Krad shooting Daisuke/Dark, yet in this chapter he asks Daisuke to turn into Dark? For him? That dialogue, coupled with the fact that he held the gun to his own head after Daisuke refused makes me think that if Daisuke had transformed, Satoshi was prepared to die together with Daisuke/Dark or something like that. I can't find any other reason for him holding the gun up to himself other than when Daisuke refused, he accepted that and was going to switch to Krad at the last second so that they would be the only pair to die.
Satoshi breaks my heart in this chapter, really. He seems so...broken, and it hurts to see him like that. I always knew he'd lose it in front of Daisuke someday, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch. Especially the line "You don't understand me at all."
Satoshi... ;_;
Even though they seem to be worlds apart sometimes, I think the real problem here is that Daisuke understands Satoshi too well. I also think that scares Satoshi.
I'm worried about what Riku's reaction to all this is going to be. Initially, I didn't care for either of the Haradas, but Riku grew on me a lot. A part of me wants her to stay together with Daisuke, even if that means that Satoshi will never get a chance with him in canon. Since SatoDai is like, my biggest OTP ever, that's saying a lot.
...I'm still not going anywhere near Risa though. Character development or not, she's just not the type of character that I'll ever really like.
Also, did I ever mention that Sugisaki-sensei is a master of cliffhangers? It's so frustrating! Though, I might just be having unwanted flashbacks to the end of volume 11. Please, sensei, don't ever put DN on a 3-year hiatus again. TT_TT
Apparently, this chapter is also the end of "Part 1".
...Meaning that everything since the beginning of this manga has been just the first part?! Wow, I might not have to worry about it ending in the near future if that means we'll get another 15 volumes for the second part. I hope, anyway.
I want the raw for this chapter so bad. Chinese scanlations + English translations are nice (and I'm grateful for getting to see this chapter at all), but I wish I could see the original Japanese so I could read the original myself. If there was a way for me to order the Monthly Asuka where I live, I would. It looks like the US is out of luck for that though. *sigh*
Also, apparently D.N.Angel is going on at least a 6-month break in favor of a new series.
...
...........
SUGISAKI-SENSEI, STOP GOING ON HIATUS, DAMMIT! *sobs in a corner*