PH 81 and TWEWY: Square Enix Owns my Soul
This manga is full of adorable badasses. I freaking love it. <3
*Spoilers*
To put things into perspective, Jun Mochizuki left us on a cliff-hanger two months ago, with Oscar being extremely conflicted about the Oz-is-actually-a-Chain-and-the-host-of-a-madman thing. Then the mangaka bought some time and wrote a ridiculously cheesy bonus chapter set during the Unbirthday tea party, where we learn that Reim is a superhero (oh, Elliot <3) and everyone and their mom is in love with Gilbert. (Who was apparently too worried about Break's health to mind being manipulated and ridiculed on a daily basis by said man. Thank you for making things worse, Sharon. XD)
I guess I can understand that the author would need a break and to outbalance all the angst with some harmless fluff and sparkles. Now that that's out of the way, let's get back on topic:
So Zai claimed that Jack somehow managed to kill not only his son, but Oscar's wife and unborn kid as well. As in, when Oz was about five years old and the last embers of Jack's soul in his body had already turned to ash. I call: bullshit. Zai is just trying to find more reasons to hate Oz and to lead his brother down the same path. Taking his own daughter hostage to pressurize Oscar into killing Oz was icing on the disgusting cake. Zai is right after Jack on my "people to kill" list.
All this led to this very worrisome scene of Gilbert pointing a gun at Oscar at the end of Retrace 80:
My thoughts back then: "OMG conflict! Gilbert is pointing a gun at his surrogate father, whom he admires more than anyone else, all to protect Oz! Don't kill Oscar, Gilbert, you will never forgive yourself and Oz will never forgive you! D8 You have to make Oscar see the light...!"
Guess how Retrace 81 begins?
Smooth, Mochizuki-sensei. You and your misleading panels, you. I lost count of the number of times I've wanted to crown you Queen of Trolls, but you probably have a tower of laurels on your head by now.
So while we were all worried sick over Oscar's newfound internal conflict, Gilbert was busy noticing that Oz was being a bit too calm for the situation and that, therefore, he must be possessed by Jack. Wait a minute, does that mean Jack was the one making this guilt-ridden expression when the Pandora staff were about to target Oscar?
Excuse me if I have some trouble believing that. Guess the possession wasn't complete and they were basically switching places, with Oz being too shaken to realize it? Speaking of which, I love to hate Jack and his holier than thou attitude. It is such a shame that he's wearing Oz's face, I would love to slap him right now.
The time seems about right to remind the reader of a few problems:
L-Lily, no, don't ask that so casually. ;^; Godamnit, Break actually looks frightened at the prospect of death. He has come such a long way since that time he was willing to take the Baskervilles with him in a suicide attack.... It seems pretty much unavoidable that we're going to witness his death, and I thought I had prepared myself for it, but... Gee, now I am sad in advance.
Second problem: to add insult to injury, here comes the soaked sewer rat to the rescue! I'm loving the irony, and the fact that Lily is so adorably confused and Break is back to his sarcastically formal ways. That's right Break, don't let the situation get to you! (Also, Demios is freakish. O_O)
Uh, nevermind. Vincent didn't come to rescue Break and get Gilbert some well-needed reinforcement, but to vent his frustration by beating the crap out of Break while he is helpless. O-kaaaay, he took this more badly than I thought. Funny that Lily would be so shocked, considering that one earthquake earlier she was boasting about having Break executed.
Break, you rule. ;D
Though I would like to point out that Gilbert didn't ditch Vincent. He suggested that his little brother could go with him to try and save the world, but nooo, Vincent had big plans to make a "heroic" sacrifice so Gil would be happy, and he will settle for nothing less. Or maybe he doesn't want to be the best man at his brother's wedding with a plush rabbit.
Oh hey Doug, nice of you to stop the raging spurned brother. Would you do Break a favour and do something about the bleeding? ...Yeah, didn't think so. Ugh, this page is making me feel depressed all over again. T^T But I'm glad that Sharon and Sheryl are back, even though that sixth sense Sharon is developing in regards to Break being in pain is very cliché and rather annoying.
Oh well, here goes my theory that Sheryl would help rebuild the collapsing chains along with the four other contractors of Black Winged Chains. We didn't even get to see the Owl in action, damn it. DX I will, however, continue to assume her injuries are a mere illusion created by the Dodo, and that she is playing along because she is in league with Duke Barma, until proven otherwise. You won't get me this time, Mochizuki-sensei. >^<
I suppose it would be kind of cool if Sharon ended up contracting the Owl. While we're at it, can Ada contract the Griffon eventually? Please? ()8)
Meanwhile, Zai is being a backstabbing douche as usual and we get more fun facts about labyrinths and hidden passageways everywhere in noble houses. (These architects have way too much time on their hands.) "The Vessalius children," huh? Poor Gilbert, he will never get a lasting surname at this rate. XD Though I don't think he would mind being called that. Unless... they are actually talking about Ada too? o.O Since Zai is here, where is she? Did she go after Oscar to look for her brother? I know she isn't related to Oz, and I don't care. XP
When suddenly, the devoted followers of Jack Vessalius burst into the scene!
Not that I blame them. In fact, their point is entirely valid: it isn't just Jack's testimony they are relying on, there is history to back it up. I am actually glad to see that some of the Pandora staff are reluctant to switch sides this easily, and I feel doubly sorry for them considering what's coming... After all, Glen is well-placed to know what a great manipulator and twister of facts Jack is. And he doesn't like to be reminded of that fact. o_O
You are really freaking me out now, Oswald.
There is no kill like overkill. O^O
The ensuing quake gives Jack the distraction he needs to grab a gun and make a run for it. Thank you Glen, we needed that. X(
Still, it is interesting to note how horrified Lottie is during this scene. Chances are she doesn't like to be reminded of Sablier, either... or of the fact that the Glen she loved is pretty much gone. Some character development for her would be very much appreciated. 8)
Furthermore, this is a very poignant parallel with the way Jack was acting in Retrace 57 when he killed Isla Yura. Poor Oswald doesn't even realize how similar to Jack he has become.
Also: this page is freaking terrifying. D8>
So they are going to Sablier. With a Child of Misfortune. Where there is a Gate to the Abyss. Which can only be opened by the Baskervilles. Are they going to meet the Will of the Abyss?!
Al-righty. Gilbert, Oz, race them there?
Oz! Oz is fighting back! 8D Get him, little bunny!
Of course, in this kind of situation, Jack does what he does best: get the hell away from pissed-off Gilbert and psychologically torture Oscar and Oz with the same horror story he fed Zai. (I guess it could be the truth, but I demand explanations.)
Oh for the love of...!
Stop it already, Jun Mochizuki! Stop making them so slashy! This pairing is wrong in every possible way and then some and I don't want to ship it! But it's such an interesting messed-up love-hate relationship of self-loating and pity between these two and- GAAAAHH DON'T MAKE ME SHIP THEM!!! DX
Thank you Gilbert, you are much better at putting Jack in his place than I could ever be. And don't worry, you will always be the one for Oz. I am so sorry I ever doubted your trust in Oscar.
You are the most adorable thing ever. 8,D
Not that he wouldn't have a valid reason to be wary of Oscar, but it simply isn't in his nature. In a sense, Gilbert never stopped being the little boy who viewed Oscar as the ideal father figure, incapable of ever hating his children, or the ones he viewed as such. It is a very naive and childish way of thinking, but this is exactly what Oscar needs, because everyone hates to disappoint their idealistic foster kids, and ultimately Gilbert is proven right. Thrice over. Ada is getting screen time! 8D
Young lady, you are made of awesome. 8,)
She hardly knew anything about Chains or the Abyss up to that point, her own father just dumped on her all these horrific secrets about Oz being a monster and indirectly responsible for the deaths of her real brother and (supposedly) cousin and aunt, then said father threatened to kill her if her beloved uncle didn't agree to kill Oz, whom she always admired.
And here she is, putting a tough front for her uncle to encourage him, and trusting him to make the right decision. I don't care if you can't fight, Ada: you are the most badass of them all! <3
Awwww.
Uncle Oscar to the rescue! X3
...Why does everyone have to lose body parts when attempting to rescue Oz? O-O; At least the eardrum wasn't touched, so Oscar should be okay.
Epic final scene is epic. *O*
Seeing that affronted look on Jack's face is extremely satisfying. >) Kudos to Oscar Vessalius, who just gained the second place for most badass uncle in media history, next to Iroh from Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Can I tackle-hug all these characters? <3
Ridiculously long ramblings aside, I am still writing Ambidextrous' third chapter, which is about a quarter to completion. I am writing slower than usual because I have yet to get over my newfound obsession with the Nintendo DS game The World Ends With You. And who developed this wonderful time-consuming baby? Why, Square Enix. This is turning into a problem.
*Spoilers*
To put things into perspective, Jun Mochizuki left us on a cliff-hanger two months ago, with Oscar being extremely conflicted about the Oz-is-actually-a-Chain-and-the-host-of-a-madman thing. Then the mangaka bought some time and wrote a ridiculously cheesy bonus chapter set during the Unbirthday tea party, where we learn that Reim is a superhero (oh, Elliot <3) and everyone and their mom is in love with Gilbert. (Who was apparently too worried about Break's health to mind being manipulated and ridiculed on a daily basis by said man. Thank you for making things worse, Sharon. XD)
I guess I can understand that the author would need a break and to outbalance all the angst with some harmless fluff and sparkles. Now that that's out of the way, let's get back on topic:
So Zai claimed that Jack somehow managed to kill not only his son, but Oscar's wife and unborn kid as well. As in, when Oz was about five years old and the last embers of Jack's soul in his body had already turned to ash. I call: bullshit. Zai is just trying to find more reasons to hate Oz and to lead his brother down the same path. Taking his own daughter hostage to pressurize Oscar into killing Oz was icing on the disgusting cake. Zai is right after Jack on my "people to kill" list.
All this led to this very worrisome scene of Gilbert pointing a gun at Oscar at the end of Retrace 80:
My thoughts back then: "OMG conflict! Gilbert is pointing a gun at his surrogate father, whom he admires more than anyone else, all to protect Oz! Don't kill Oscar, Gilbert, you will never forgive yourself and Oz will never forgive you! D8 You have to make Oscar see the light...!"
Guess how Retrace 81 begins?
Smooth, Mochizuki-sensei. You and your misleading panels, you. I lost count of the number of times I've wanted to crown you Queen of Trolls, but you probably have a tower of laurels on your head by now.
So while we were all worried sick over Oscar's newfound internal conflict, Gilbert was busy noticing that Oz was being a bit too calm for the situation and that, therefore, he must be possessed by Jack. Wait a minute, does that mean Jack was the one making this guilt-ridden expression when the Pandora staff were about to target Oscar?
Excuse me if I have some trouble believing that. Guess the possession wasn't complete and they were basically switching places, with Oz being too shaken to realize it? Speaking of which, I love to hate Jack and his holier than thou attitude. It is such a shame that he's wearing Oz's face, I would love to slap him right now.
The time seems about right to remind the reader of a few problems:
L-Lily, no, don't ask that so casually. ;^; Godamnit, Break actually looks frightened at the prospect of death. He has come such a long way since that time he was willing to take the Baskervilles with him in a suicide attack.... It seems pretty much unavoidable that we're going to witness his death, and I thought I had prepared myself for it, but... Gee, now I am sad in advance.
Second problem: to add insult to injury, here comes the soaked sewer rat to the rescue! I'm loving the irony, and the fact that Lily is so adorably confused and Break is back to his sarcastically formal ways. That's right Break, don't let the situation get to you! (Also, Demios is freakish. O_O)
Uh, nevermind. Vincent didn't come to rescue Break and get Gilbert some well-needed reinforcement, but to vent his frustration by beating the crap out of Break while he is helpless. O-kaaaay, he took this more badly than I thought. Funny that Lily would be so shocked, considering that one earthquake earlier she was boasting about having Break executed.
Break, you rule. ;D
Though I would like to point out that Gilbert didn't ditch Vincent. He suggested that his little brother could go with him to try and save the world, but nooo, Vincent had big plans to make a "heroic" sacrifice so Gil would be happy, and he will settle for nothing less. Or maybe he doesn't want to be the best man at his brother's wedding with a plush rabbit.
Oh hey Doug, nice of you to stop the raging spurned brother. Would you do Break a favour and do something about the bleeding? ...Yeah, didn't think so. Ugh, this page is making me feel depressed all over again. T^T But I'm glad that Sharon and Sheryl are back, even though that sixth sense Sharon is developing in regards to Break being in pain is very cliché and rather annoying.
Oh well, here goes my theory that Sheryl would help rebuild the collapsing chains along with the four other contractors of Black Winged Chains. We didn't even get to see the Owl in action, damn it. DX I will, however, continue to assume her injuries are a mere illusion created by the Dodo, and that she is playing along because she is in league with Duke Barma, until proven otherwise. You won't get me this time, Mochizuki-sensei. >^<
I suppose it would be kind of cool if Sharon ended up contracting the Owl. While we're at it, can Ada contract the Griffon eventually? Please? ()8)
Meanwhile, Zai is being a backstabbing douche as usual and we get more fun facts about labyrinths and hidden passageways everywhere in noble houses. (These architects have way too much time on their hands.) "The Vessalius children," huh? Poor Gilbert, he will never get a lasting surname at this rate. XD Though I don't think he would mind being called that. Unless... they are actually talking about Ada too? o.O Since Zai is here, where is she? Did she go after Oscar to look for her brother? I know she isn't related to Oz, and I don't care. XP
When suddenly, the devoted followers of Jack Vessalius burst into the scene!
Not that I blame them. In fact, their point is entirely valid: it isn't just Jack's testimony they are relying on, there is history to back it up. I am actually glad to see that some of the Pandora staff are reluctant to switch sides this easily, and I feel doubly sorry for them considering what's coming... After all, Glen is well-placed to know what a great manipulator and twister of facts Jack is. And he doesn't like to be reminded of that fact. o_O
You are really freaking me out now, Oswald.
There is no kill like overkill. O^O
The ensuing quake gives Jack the distraction he needs to grab a gun and make a run for it. Thank you Glen, we needed that. X(
Still, it is interesting to note how horrified Lottie is during this scene. Chances are she doesn't like to be reminded of Sablier, either... or of the fact that the Glen she loved is pretty much gone. Some character development for her would be very much appreciated. 8)
Furthermore, this is a very poignant parallel with the way Jack was acting in Retrace 57 when he killed Isla Yura. Poor Oswald doesn't even realize how similar to Jack he has become.
Also: this page is freaking terrifying. D8>
So they are going to Sablier. With a Child of Misfortune. Where there is a Gate to the Abyss. Which can only be opened by the Baskervilles. Are they going to meet the Will of the Abyss?!
Al-righty. Gilbert, Oz, race them there?
Oz! Oz is fighting back! 8D Get him, little bunny!
Of course, in this kind of situation, Jack does what he does best: get the hell away from pissed-off Gilbert and psychologically torture Oscar and Oz with the same horror story he fed Zai. (I guess it could be the truth, but I demand explanations.)
Oh for the love of...!
Stop it already, Jun Mochizuki! Stop making them so slashy! This pairing is wrong in every possible way and then some and I don't want to ship it! But it's such an interesting messed-up love-hate relationship of self-loating and pity between these two and- GAAAAHH DON'T MAKE ME SHIP THEM!!! DX
Thank you Gilbert, you are much better at putting Jack in his place than I could ever be. And don't worry, you will always be the one for Oz. I am so sorry I ever doubted your trust in Oscar.
You are the most adorable thing ever. 8,D
Not that he wouldn't have a valid reason to be wary of Oscar, but it simply isn't in his nature. In a sense, Gilbert never stopped being the little boy who viewed Oscar as the ideal father figure, incapable of ever hating his children, or the ones he viewed as such. It is a very naive and childish way of thinking, but this is exactly what Oscar needs, because everyone hates to disappoint their idealistic foster kids, and ultimately Gilbert is proven right. Thrice over. Ada is getting screen time! 8D
Young lady, you are made of awesome. 8,)
She hardly knew anything about Chains or the Abyss up to that point, her own father just dumped on her all these horrific secrets about Oz being a monster and indirectly responsible for the deaths of her real brother and (supposedly) cousin and aunt, then said father threatened to kill her if her beloved uncle didn't agree to kill Oz, whom she always admired.
And here she is, putting a tough front for her uncle to encourage him, and trusting him to make the right decision. I don't care if you can't fight, Ada: you are the most badass of them all! <3
Awwww.
Uncle Oscar to the rescue! X3
...Why does everyone have to lose body parts when attempting to rescue Oz? O-O; At least the eardrum wasn't touched, so Oscar should be okay.
Epic final scene is epic. *O*
Seeing that affronted look on Jack's face is extremely satisfying. >) Kudos to Oscar Vessalius, who just gained the second place for most badass uncle in media history, next to Iroh from Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Can I tackle-hug all these characters? <3
Ridiculously long ramblings aside, I am still writing Ambidextrous' third chapter, which is about a quarter to completion. I am writing slower than usual because I have yet to get over my newfound obsession with the Nintendo DS game The World Ends With You. And who developed this wonderful time-consuming baby? Why, Square Enix. This is turning into a problem.