Om Nom Nom

Om nom nom 🍎🌶🍞🍟🍗🧀

Supernova

I didn't draw an illustration for years due to depression, I am glad to be able to finish this artwork within a month.

I am still trying to overcome my illness, and this is my very first step for this year. Thank you so much for all your support and encouragements, I would like to create more if it is possible. I pray for all of you be blessed with lots of kindness 🙏

You know, we never actually saw Hilmes draw Rukhnabad in Fuujin Ranbu. Not when he took it from Kaykhusraw's sarcophagus, and not when he stole it back from Bodin in Maryam in the last episode. And this dialogue from Episode 1 concerning his ability to wield the sword is original to the anime.

So (years after the anime was left unfinished) here is my theory: Hilmes would have found himself unable to draw Rukhnabad, and that would have been fucking HILARIOUS. He gets to some kind of final confrontation and the thing just won't come out of its scabbard for him? Kaykhusraw says no? The gods of Pars (the Master refers to Rukhnabad as 'a gift from the gods' in this scene) have seen what he did to his country and they don't like it?

Funny how in the manga we've currently got Arslan incapable of drawing the sword, yet in the anime maybe it would have been Hilmes! Shame we'll never know what their plans were. Though given how obsessed Hilmes is with his bloodline and right to the throne, there's no way he wouldn't have tried to draw it as soon as it was in his hands. The fact that he never does so (it even looks like he's about to in Maryam and then he just... doesn't!) feels weird and something about all this seems deliberate. Honestly, a moment where he tries and fails would have been funny enough that maybe I would have forgiven the dubious grasp of how Hilmes would act when holding an object that could prove his legitimacy. Maybe.

Arslan Senki Chapter 132

Received screencaps from @innerchorus , thank you for your service, and without further ado here we go!

Gieve knows. Gieve knows what Tahamenay has done. I don't know why but this is tickling my brain.

Screencap not featured but I believe there's a mistranslation on this page. Yeah that would make sense. Arslan's line, “There is to be more fighting between Parsians” I think should've been “There is to be no more fighting between Parsians” instead.

Wasn't expecting to see Tus wear such an expression but I guess this is the appropriate response for news like this.

Zaravant's reaction was funny, ngl.

Not much in terms of commentary, just interesting how rumors evolve— and makes sense considering how little information people had regarding the duel.

“queen consort” and “his majesty”. There's just something incredibly heartbreaking about how Arslan no longer calls them “mother” and “father”, though I suppose they haven't been much of parents to him in the first place. It's just. It makes it sink in, y'know? They're not his parents. Not even in name. Not anymore.

Walking through the courtyard where Arslan used to receive lessons from Vahriz, now dilapidated... I too can't believe it's been only a year in-universe since then, if even that. How long has it been for us? The manga started in 2013. It's 2024 now. Eleven years for us, even if I did join the fray somewhat late.

Sorry, I'm just getting emotional over here.

BUT THEN.

UNDEAD VAHRIZ.

OHHHHH I DO NOT LIKE THIS AT ALL. THE HEAD DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT GOES WITH THE REST OF THE BODY, ESPECIALLY NOT IN THIS PANEL.

And this panel especially shows the damage on his head. HOW ABOUT I SCREAM, ARAKAWA.

Okay, another mistranslation in the chapter, this time a line from Kishward: “I saw your head displayed at the city gates.” Kishward was not in or near Ecbatana in that time frame, he did not and could not have seen Manuchurh's head. Probably this line was meant to say: “Your head was seen displayed at the city gates.”

In any case though the soldiers get all excited to see a marzban alive (it seems Manuchurh could've possibly been well-respected and beloved? which could mean numerous things for what I have in store for him for Wolfsong...)

Not pictured but y'all. The way Manuchurh is drawn, as well... Freaky as fuck. Looks so creepy and unnatural and I do not like it.

The way he's drawn here (and I've had this thought ever since I saw undead Shapur from the previous chapter) feels like they have no body (just heads + limbs protruding from formless smoke), the posture and stuff just feels really, really unnatural, I wonder what's going on beneath those shrouds. All the undead marzban were shown with bandaged limbs, does it perhaps mean something?

OH OKAY NO THEORY IMMEDIATELY DEBUNKED. Kharlan at least seems to have a solid body from what I can tell— which would mean the unnatural posture and movements a side effect of being puppeted by Team Zahhak rather than having no corporeal body.

...maybe they move uncaring that their own bodies and bones are being harmed, they're dead after all, what is there for them to care about anymore? That would explain the unnatural vibes.

BRUH I'm gonna have nightmares for days.

Zandeh even gets injured because he was too shocked to react in time— but thankfully our Durian Denka comes to the rescue! He held Kharlan off.

And he's rightfully pissed at Team Zahhak for this. High time you realized their evilness, boy. You shouldn't have been so harsh on Saam.

ARSLAN SENKI (2013-?) by arakawa hiromu

So there's something I noticed with a couple marzbans in chapter 132...

At least with Khayr and Manuchurh (and perhaps Shapur, though he's not in 132), their expressions seem unchanged from the ones they seem to have been wearing upon death— as seen when their heads were on display:

Manuchurh

(does his mouth not look like it's slightly ajar here?)

Khayr

It doesn't seem to apply to all marzban, however, as Vahriz's expression changes within his one scene in the chapter and while his teeth were visible way back when his head was on display, that looked way different from this expression which looks like he's actually moving his facial muscles:

Can't say definitely about Garshasp however I find it very inch-resting to see him framed in front of a wall with the Parsian banners like so:

Considering his final sight before death:

Okay he actually seems to also have a different expression from death. Hmmm.