This is just- beautiful. This is more poignant than I could ever imagine. The main characters are all in the cast now; the power of friendship is so strong with this cast that even when no one is actively attempting to invoke the power of friendship or even onscreen it still manages to reach Kendal anyway.
He has a life, but what to do
To fight for good, be just and true?
This moment, his soliloquy onto ya
He’ll see the world, so beautiful
He’ll save the good, defeat the cruel
And such shall be his goal, his Hallelujah
Because while we’ve basically known Kendal’s core motives and character, he hasn’t. Thus, a moment where he learns his own core character traits is a moment of growth, despite us the audience having already understood the realization.
Kendal: … I also wouldn’t say no to a shirt.
Yes! This is what he needed! Deciding to continue going out there and doing good, not because Kendal sees it as his duty, but because he wants to do it. His main mission is the same, but why he’s doing it, and what he’ll do on the way, has changed.
I find that Erin section interesting and uplifting; he may be helping Erin deal with V.D., but thanks to him, he’s going places Vash could only dream of. I haven’t seen this aspect of Kendal’s character before and I’d like to see more of it.
At first I thought it weird Tess wasn’t in here, then I remembered that aside from her name, relation to Erin, and status as a Stormbreaker, he knows next to nothing about her. Makes me curious about how he’d react to her backstory and how it may change his perception of Erin’s family and Asera as a whole.
Well, we got to see a snippet, or perhaps the beginning, of his desire to see the world once before, when he and Alinua were riding through the wind sector of the recently destroyed Storm. “Vash saw some pretty amazing things, but the things I’ve seen for myself are different. Better, I think.” I think he’s now fully processed that, since he can go where Vash couldn’t, he can see so many more things for himself.
Similarly to how you at first found it weird that Tess isn’t in Kendal’s dream, I at first found it weird that Dainix isn’t in his dream. But then, he’s been unconscious, so he doesn’t know that Dainix joined the group, or even that Dainix could come out of his transformation.
Oh, wait… Dainix is in his dream, behind Falst. At first I thought it was Kendal getting his back shredded by Tynan’s claws; similar builds, floofiness, and shirtlessness.
He’s making the hero’s choice, after it was made clear that it was his choice. He’s no longer bound by duty, but will still do the right thing. I love Red’s writing
Well a part of Kendal’s is the only one of the three that I screenshoted, so Kendal’s (I screenshot panels that I think are funny, sweet, really pretty, and the one I screenshoted is the one where Kendal is diving down.
I loved Alinua’s mind-blowing dream from the perspective of Primordial Life! Plus, I just life Primordial Life’s design. Just a bunch of awesome visuals, all around.
One little complication with that; to support other people long-term, you also have to take good care of yourself – else you’ll just end up overworked and incapable of helping anyone. And while I suppose most of the main characters struggle with this to at least some extent, Kendal *especially* doesn’t seem to realise it.
Actually…that reminds me of one of my favourite stories, where that’s a big part of the MC’s character arc.
YES KENDAL MY BOY LET’S GOOO!!! ALL HIS FRIENDS AUHH…
If you want to do all these things Kendal… you need to *live.* And for that you need to take care of yourself, ya big dummy!!
Finally caught up to this comic after like 3 weeks… I really hope Kendal gets a break, this whole time he’s just been having an existential identity crisis poor guy
With so many hanging plots I find this reflexive scene doesn’t seem as powerful as it could be but perhaps I am too finicky. (bow in apology to others honest opinions)
Re: the timing: while I agree the cut back and forth did affect the buildup/flow to this page a smidge, and that opinion is totally understandable, my suspicion is that it’s a tradeoff for a synergy of dramatic timing and weaving of the threads (Dainix and Falst, and Kendal).
I am super SUPER hoping for Kendal waking up and an epic dramatic battle team-up just in the nick of time because that would be AWESOME. But I’m mainly just excited to see where this goes, whatever happens!
I mean when the last page first dropped I was a little annoyed because I was very invested in Crustables VS glort, however my opinion changed once I realized that the only reason for this was because I’d been focused on the boys for so long that I kinda forgot about Kendal’s dream sequence, and that this plot point would age significantly better once I refreshed my memory and the pages were actually out and I could read it all at once. And I was right, because the emotional climax this page represents makes a GREAT transition between fight scenes.
Oh yeah, good point! Reading all at once instead of reading one new page every few days makes a huge difference for me too. (I went back and re-read to reorient myself with the build-up after commenting.)
Look at him, finally starting to figure out this whole “being a person” thing! Remember when he introduced himself to Dainix as a weapon? I like how, even as he’s mostly still on the “help people” track, he also has a personal wish in there in seeing the world. I also like the message that deep–seated altruism and a basic sense for one’s own wishes are NOT mutually exclusive. It’s nice. This is nice. I like it.
Huh. When the other characters appears in the background, I thought they were drawn with their main color, but it looks more like an associated element. Alinua is green for Life, Erin is purple for Void, Dainix is orange for Fire… and Falst is drawn in white like the Light Dragon. Considering the trick he just pulled on the void monster, I bet that’s on purpose.
This part would have such a good soundtrack.
Red posted almost the exact same comment on Tumblr. Great minds
damn it…
I was listening to Made of Water from Thomas Bergersen (Two Steps from Hell) and honestly, it really fits
I decided to listen to it on a whim and cannot help but agree. Perfectly captures the self-realization ball and his growing desire to do something.
I’ve started to get back into Bleach and an instrumental version of Number 1 from that anime would fit nicely.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: no no you’re supposed to do this in a big musical number, start over
Image source: wants
“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere~”
“So what do you want, Kendal? What’s that one concrete goal that motivates all your actions?”
If you wanna protect the boys you better scedaddle out of your coma and come help them real quick!!
Wait! That blue light on the cover—is he getting a power-up out of this??
I could totally see a “I understand myself better now and have attained peace of mind” power up coming from this.
What do you think it may be? My money is on being able to use the fire in the star metal without the self harm aspect.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
This is just- beautiful. This is more poignant than I could ever imagine. The main characters are all in the cast now; the power of friendship is so strong with this cast that even when no one is actively attempting to invoke the power of friendship or even onscreen it still manages to reach Kendal anyway.
background friendship radiation
There he stands, thinks of his nation
Figures out his motivation
He has a life, but what to do
To fight for good, be just and true?
This moment, his soliloquy onto ya
He’ll see the world, so beautiful
He’ll save the good, defeat the cruel
And such shall be his goal, his Hallelujah
How is this both a pivotal character moment and a reaffirmation of Kendal’s core character at the same time ?! This comic never fails to surprise me
Because while we’ve basically known Kendal’s core motives and character, he hasn’t. Thus, a moment where he learns his own core character traits is a moment of growth, despite us the audience having already understood the realization.
well said
oh kendal…darling…
kendal is so pretty in this
Kendal: … I also wouldn’t say no to a shirt.
Yes! This is what he needed! Deciding to continue going out there and doing good, not because Kendal sees it as his duty, but because he wants to do it. His main mission is the same, but why he’s doing it, and what he’ll do on the way, has changed.
I find that Erin section interesting and uplifting; he may be helping Erin deal with V.D., but thanks to him, he’s going places Vash could only dream of. I haven’t seen this aspect of Kendal’s character before and I’d like to see more of it.
At first I thought it weird Tess wasn’t in here, then I remembered that aside from her name, relation to Erin, and status as a Stormbreaker, he knows next to nothing about her. Makes me curious about how he’d react to her backstory and how it may change his perception of Erin’s family and Asera as a whole.
Well, we got to see a snippet, or perhaps the beginning, of his desire to see the world once before, when he and Alinua were riding through the wind sector of the recently destroyed Storm. “Vash saw some pretty amazing things, but the things I’ve seen for myself are different. Better, I think.” I think he’s now fully processed that, since he can go where Vash couldn’t, he can see so many more things for himself.
Similarly to how you at first found it weird that Tess isn’t in Kendal’s dream, I at first found it weird that Dainix isn’t in his dream. But then, he’s been unconscious, so he doesn’t know that Dainix joined the group, or even that Dainix could come out of his transformation.
Oh, wait… Dainix is in his dream, behind Falst. At first I thought it was Kendal getting his back shredded by Tynan’s claws; similar builds, floofiness, and shirtlessness.
The part about seeing pretty sights came up in https://comicaurora.com/aurora/1-5-7/
This page showed an hour late for me fsr
Anyways
Seems like Kendal’s gonna wake up soon! (I hope)
He’s inspired by his friends to live his life thats wonderful
OOoohh, this is nice!
oh he back, and has more free will than ever
He’s making the hero’s choice, after it was made clear that it was his choice. He’s no longer bound by duty, but will still do the right thing. I love Red’s writing
Anonymous Aurora Question #5: Which of the highly symbolical dreams paces (Erin’s, Kendals and Alinuas), has been your favorite visually by now?
Well a part of Kendal’s is the only one of the three that I screenshoted, so Kendal’s (I screenshot panels that I think are funny, sweet, really pretty, and the one I screenshoted is the one where Kendal is diving down.
I loved Alinua’s mind-blowing dream from the perspective of Primordial Life! Plus, I just life Primordial Life’s design. Just a bunch of awesome visuals, all around.
One little complication with that; to support other people long-term, you also have to take good care of yourself – else you’ll just end up overworked and incapable of helping anyone. And while I suppose most of the main characters struggle with this to at least some extent, Kendal *especially* doesn’t seem to realise it.
Actually…that reminds me of one of my favourite stories, where that’s a big part of the MC’s character arc.
… and either get a shirt [or lose the pants]. ^_^
Darn it Red! This page was so beautiful it made me cry AND want to be snarky at the same time – enough so that my head hurts now. I love it!
YES KENDAL MY BOY LET’S GOOO!!! ALL HIS FRIENDS AUHH…
If you want to do all these things Kendal… you need to *live.* And for that you need to take care of yourself, ya big dummy!!
Finally caught up to this comic after like 3 weeks… I really hope Kendal gets a break, this whole time he’s just been having an existential identity crisis poor guy
this fills me with delight 🙂
it turned my : ) into a 🙂 : (
Why frown?
Because their emoticon got yeeted, I’ve gathered. I’ve had something like that happen a bit ago and MAN. Nnnnot fun!
God I’ve missed him
There once was a man born new,
And duty was all he could do.
But in his dark night
He chose the right,
Which made him a hero true.
Ahhh, I love Kendal!
Something I love is that each character Kendal sees is colored by their important accent.
Green.
Black.
Red.
Orange.
Kendal has been thinking so hard about what he wants that he’s been standing there for like three months!
Three months?
My friend, he’s been there since January!
The math did not math correctly :I
HE was standing for so long that you lost your concept of time.
He stood there so long that you lost your concept of time.
kendal has stood there long enough for people to lose their concept of time.
I was listening to “…con lentiud poderosa” while reading this. It fit really well.
With so many hanging plots I find this reflexive scene doesn’t seem as powerful as it could be but perhaps I am too finicky. (bow in apology to others honest opinions)
I can practically hear the swelling orchestra
I adore this page.
Re: the timing: while I agree the cut back and forth did affect the buildup/flow to this page a smidge, and that opinion is totally understandable, my suspicion is that it’s a tradeoff for a synergy of dramatic timing and weaving of the threads (Dainix and Falst, and Kendal).
I am super SUPER hoping for Kendal waking up and an epic dramatic battle team-up just in the nick of time because that would be AWESOME. But I’m mainly just excited to see where this goes, whatever happens!
I mean when the last page first dropped I was a little annoyed because I was very invested in Crustables VS glort, however my opinion changed once I realized that the only reason for this was because I’d been focused on the boys for so long that I kinda forgot about Kendal’s dream sequence, and that this plot point would age significantly better once I refreshed my memory and the pages were actually out and I could read it all at once. And I was right, because the emotional climax this page represents makes a GREAT transition between fight scenes.
Oh yeah, good point! Reading all at once instead of reading one new page every few days makes a huge difference for me too. (I went back and re-read to reorient myself with the build-up after commenting.)
goals
Look at him, finally starting to figure out this whole “being a person” thing! Remember when he introduced himself to Dainix as a weapon? I like how, even as he’s mostly still on the “help people” track, he also has a personal wish in there in seeing the world. I also like the message that deep–seated altruism and a basic sense for one’s own wishes are NOT mutually exclusive. It’s nice. This is nice. I like it.
“I WANT ADVENTURE IN THE GREAT, WIDE SOMEWHERE”
Thenardyr spends a lazy evening thumbing through his D&D books, comes across the entry for ‘Neutral Good,’ and finds a picture of Kendal there.
TL;DR: Heroic monologue
Who wants to voice this and put some cool music over it
Somewhere out there a tall blonde hair plant based gunslinger is smiling with approval.
…THE STAMPEDE.
I get that reference, enjoyed the anime, the insurance ladies are cute.
Luv,
Ari
(Spoilers for chapter 22 page 37)
Huh. When the other characters appears in the background, I thought they were drawn with their main color, but it looks more like an associated element. Alinua is green for Life, Erin is purple for Void, Dainix is orange for Fire… and Falst is drawn in white like the Light Dragon. Considering the trick he just pulled on the void monster, I bet that’s on purpose.
Oh, the tiny faeries did make it into Arc 1!