ITP I am conflicted.
Because by all rights, this should have been a chapter that profoundly annoyed me, and yet, somehow I ended up loving it. Could it be that Amano is really just that good? :O
WHO EVEN KNOWS.
1. This... is one of those translations that's really kind of impossible to take seriously. XDDD "GOKUDERA'S DEEP FEELINGS PIERCE THROUGH ZAKURO!!" I AM SO SORRY, DERA, YOU KNOW YOU'RE MY BABY AND THIS IS YOUR BIG MOMENT AND I'M PROUD OF YOU, BUT I JUST CAN'T--!! IT'S... THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CERTAIN JAPANESE PHRASES... IT'S JUST THAT THE TRANSLATION... "DEEP" AND "PIERCE" HAVE CERTAIN CONNOTA... I am a horrible person, okay?!!
2. I am still making slow progress in my acceptance of the back issue, but I do have to give Amano credit for giving a character a realistic injury for once. Every time Gokudera winces, a huge part of me is just like, "OH MAN, DO I EVER FEEL YOUR PAIN." It is crippling and agonizing and in no way should be underestimated. Though of course, Amano would pick now to start giving characters realistic responses to injuries when most of the time they're battling comfortably even when bleeding internally, but there you go.
3. SOB!!!! IT BEGINS. ;_; I REALLY DID THINK... oh, never mind, I'll get to that in a moment.
My baby--! D: But he fights through it anyway because he is fucking hardcore. I am experiencing a weird mix of fierce pride and heartwrenching sympathy, and this feeling occurs so frequently when Gokudera is in the manga that I almost think it should be named after him. I'M FEELING A LITTLE GOKUDERA, YOU GUYS.
4. I'm feeling a LOT Gokudera, you guys. D: D: D:
I really like how he's being strategic in this fight, though. EVEN IF IT'S NOT REALLY WORKING. Trying to use Zakuro's rage against him and so forth; it's just one of those things I love about how Gokudera fights. HEY THERE, MR. GENIUS.
5. HELLLLLLL YES. 8D
THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE TO SEE. Uri you are such a smug little badass. (And since when is he a "she"? Definitely an error there, right?)
6. HA. HA. HA.
FUCKING TAKE THAT, ZAKURO. MR. "I SURE DO LIKE TO TAKE BATHS IN HOT LAVA" FINALLY MET A WEAPON HE WASN'T SO COMFY WITH, HUH? HOW DO YOU LIKE IT WHEN IT'S YOUR ARM BEING RIPPED OFF? Justice, Squalo! We have achieved justice! ;_;
And yes, I am fully aware that this is the last page in this chapter before Dera ceases being triumphant and commences being maimed. I am, in fact, hesitating to click to page 10. Sob... here it comes...
7. :(
Okay, so yeah. Gokudera lost again, even after all that buildup, and after I BELIEVED IN HIM! I was so young, so naive...
But the thing is, I'm honestly not all that pissed about it. Mostly because it really isn't a loss, at least not in any way that actually demeans Gokudera or his abilities. It almost seems like Amano actually went out of her way to show that this time. First Gokudera was injured, so right off the bat he wasn't at full strength. And then he was pitted against one of the strongest enemies we've seen so far, someone so strong that he almost managed to casually kill all of the main characters in one go the last time he came face to face with them (and he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling shark). Then Gokudera managed to pull out a victory over said enemy in spite of said injury. I have pretty much no doubts that the only reason Zakuro is still alive is because Bluebell stepped in to pinch hit at exactly that moment. So basically Gokudera only lost because the fight became two against one, and with his injuries he couldn't manage against both of them.
So yeah, it's technically still a loss, but I honestly can't fault Amano for it this time, because she made it clear that it wasn't due to overconfidence or weakness or stupidity or anything like that. Just plain, simple bad luck. A win still would have been preferable, of course, and I am a little disappointed that he was denied that yet again, but I feel like giving Amano the benefit of the doubt for now and will hence assume that she still needs Zakuro around for some purpose or other (like serving as intro fodder for a certain group of nefarious former villains, let's say).
ANYWAY, back to the happening things.
8. Honestly, I found this much more distressing than the previous page. XD SO MANY THINGS THAT I NEVER WANTED TO SEEEEE. WHAT IS WITH BLUEBELL'S GODDAMN OBSESSION WITH STRIPPING NAKED? And why is there suddenly a box in her chest when there clearly was not before? I suppose you could argue that the convenient magic bubbles were hiding it, but I like my explanation better, because "retcon" is one word and it's simpler to write. (Also, I swear to God Bluebell did not have any noticeable chest to speak of before, either.)
Endless lulz at the mermaid transformation, though. caffeinexsugar, you were totally right. Well, if mermaids count as sea animals. XD (BUT IT WASN'T AN ANEMONE, AT LEAST.)
9. I know people were saying that Stormy Primo looked kind of like Squalo, but I didn't fully get the resemblance myself until I saw this angsty bottom left panel of Gokudera this week. With the narrowness of the panel hiding most of his hair and face, I can finally see it, and holy shit. THEY MUST SERIOUSLY BE RELATED. They share the same hotness genes (not to mention the "abusing Yamamoto" genes).
10. And lastly, we have the other reason I and so many other people are the opposite of annoyed at Amano this week. |D
GOOD TO SEE YOU, XANXUS AND CO (though I personally find the fact that Bel is supporting Gokudera more awkward than shippy. BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE BEL'S ONLY DOING IT TO BE A DICK, orz). Just remember, when you fight Bluey and Zakuro next week, GOKUDERA SOFTENED THEM UP FOR YOU. Remember that when you're off toasting Zakuro with your superior Varia quality rage.