Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, back with another piece of my PPG AU fan art set in the Edo period of Japan. As promised, here they are. The Celestial Rulers, The Prince and Princess of the Heavens, The Steadfast Lord and his Lovingly Jovial Lady, Boomer-ouji-sama and Bubbles-hime-sama. Joining this lawfully wedded couple are their children, aka my fan-babies, the twins, Bailey and Barley, the middle daughter, Brittany, and the youngest daughter, Birdie. Man, I have been wanting to draw fanart of my most favorite of the RRBxPPG pairings, Boomer/Bubbles or Boomubbles, because of how not only plausible they are as a couple but also for how adorable they are together. Plus, the Blues seem to have the best chemistry, especially where fanon is concerned. While I do find the mixed pairings occurring with the Blues like Blossoomer to be cute, Boomercup to be kind of funny, and Brickubbles and Butchubbles to be sort of endearing in a platonic big guy protects little lady fashion, there is no denying that I really, really love Boomer and Bubbles together. In this AU, I wanted to heighten the feudal fairy tale aspect of this story by having Boomer and Bubbles as the celestial prince and princess as well as respectively being the high-ranking yokai lord and lady. Boomer is an amalgamation of Tsukuyomi the Shinto moon god, the Emperor and the Five Princes from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and Zushonosuke from Tenshu Monogatari or Goddess of the Dark Tower from the anime anthology series, Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales. In Bubbles’ case, she is an amalgamation of Amaterasu the Shinto sun goddess, Princess Kaguya also from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and Tomihime also from Goddess of the Dark Tower. In addition to that, I can see these two being the first of their respective siblings to marry and have children, in spite of the fact that they are the youngest. Eventually, the Reds and the Greens follow suit with a double wedding. Seeing as these two lovebirds are the youngest that means that their older siblings have to be not only their guardians but to also ensure their overall safety, as they maintain the natural balance of the heavens and of the earth. With that said, let’s talk about this couple individually as well as their darling children. Prince Boomer or Boomer-ouji-sama in Japanese, also known as the Lunar Prince, is the noble, peace-loving, kind-hearted, and emphatic male celestial ruler, who appears to be a young man between 25 to 26 years old. With his charming face, dashing features, and overall dignity as a nobleman, he radiates with a positive aura that makes his older brothers, his sisters-in-law, his wife, his children, and every person, deity, and creature cherish and love him. His main abilities are shooting lightning from his hands to his fingertips, levitation, super speed, and heightened combat skills. One should not be fooled by his infectiously sweet nature, as he will fight back using all of his might if ever anyone not only hurts him but also his wife, Bubbles, his sisters-in-law, Blossom and Buttercup, and/or his older brothers, Brick and Butch. Prior to obtaining the title of the Celestial Prince, Boomer was not always the person he was today, especially in his younger years. As the youngest brother, he was always on Brick’s and Butch’s shadows, as he did what they told him to do and were more warlike in everything they did. Boomer always knew deep down that he was not as much of a warrior compared to Brick’s choleric nature and Butch’s brute strength. As a matter of fact, he loathed the destruction his brothers were making not only in the heavens and in the earth, but also towards each other. Every waking day, he had to witness his older brothers tormenting each other over a disagreement and there were times that Brick and Butch almost fatally injured each other with their incessant beatdowns. Finally growing a backbone, Boomer decided that he wanted nothing more to do with their petty animosity and left them for a while to search for inner peace. One day in a quiet forest, as Boomer was becoming one with nature through meditation, he encountered a lovely, young maiden he knew ever since he was a child named Princess Bubbles. He always admired her not only for her beauty with her youthful and petite features, her infectiously radiant smile, and her overall positive aura but also for her kindness, her warmth, and her quickness to forgive. As he saw her combing her long blonde hair near a river, he shyly approached her and greeted her. Bubbles turned around to see Boomer right behind her and she easily recognized him, as she embraced him. To Boomer, his feelings for the young princess grew and he very much knew that he was destined for her. After meeting each other again, Bubbles re-introduced Boomer to her older sisters, Blossom and Buttercup, as the boy who was nice to her and sisters, unlike Brick and Butch. Blossom and Buttercup welcomed him with open arms and finally, Boomer did the nearly unthinkable by asking Bubbles’ hand in marriage. Bubbles was initially shocked, but Boomer assured her that he will be the most faithful husband ever. To prove his fidelity, he has to fulfill laborious tasks in order to marry Bubbles. Full of determination, he set off to travel to India to obtain the stone bowl of Buddha, to Horai Island to obtain the jeweled sprig, to China to obtain the robe of the fire rat, and to other parts of Japan to obtain the jewel from the dragon’s neck and the swallows’ cowrie shell. Despite the fact that the labors were tough, Boomer was able to accomplish each of them, as he gave the items to Bubbles. He also gave her one very special item that neither Heaven nor Earth can have and that was his kiss of…
Japanese Mythology
Hello, once again. Antoni, here, and this is what happens when you are a fan of not only anime like Inuyasha and YuYu Hakusho and cartoons like The Powerpuff Girls but also of Asian folklore. Such as the case of the Four Holy Beasts, known in Japanese as Shishin, Shiju, Shishou or Shirei and in Chinese as Si Shou consisting of the dragon, the tiger, the turtle, and the phoenix. So, when I combined my fascination of the Four Holy Beasts and of Brick, Butch, Blossom, and Buttercup being turned into yokai, an idea for an AU or Alternate Universe retelling was born. From left to right we have Seiryu Brick, Byakko Butch, Genbu Blossom, and Suzaku Buttercup. Yes, I know the color coding is a lot more different for the Holy Beasts like Seiryu is blue, Byakko is white, Genbu is black, and Suzaku reddish-yellow but I decided to focus more on the traits which are appropriate for Brick, Butch, Blossom, and Buttercup, as I will explain when I talk about them individually. It should be no surprise that I am completely fascinated by the supernatural, especially when legends like this are adapted into anime or other creative works. I have encountered the Four Holy Beasts in anime like Yu Yu Hakusho, Inuyasha, and Fushigi Yugi, and each of these adaptations has something special to give to the table. For that, my fascination grew to the point where I was completely invested in knowing more about them. Going into my AU, I envision Brick, Butch, Blossom, and Buttercup in the Edo Period of Japan as the loyal and protective warrior guardians to their respective youngest siblings, who in turn are the Celestial Rulers, Prince Boomer on the guys’ side and Princess Bubbles on the girls’ side. Do not fret, for I will definitely take care of what Boomer-oujisama and Bubbles-himesama are going to look like. Even more so, they are all married, Brick is with Blossom, Butch is with Buttercup, and, obviously, Boomer is with Bubbles. Though, since the four main protagonists of this AU are yokai, they will end up switching partners from time to time like having Brick with Buttercup and Butch with Blossom, and on a more platonic tough love between siblings level Blossom with Buttercup and Brick with Butch. These four will go out of their to not only ensure their rulers’ safety but to also have each others’ backs when it comes to fighting demons or any other mortal who dares to be an intruder to the Celestial Realm. Brick, Butch, Blossom, and Buttercup work together as one team to combine their insurmountable powers for good and to maintain the natural balance of the world. With that said, let’s get on to the characters themselves. Seiryu Brick, also known as the Crimson Dragon, is the undisputed and choleric leader of this quartet of yokai warriors. He rules this group with an iron fist and more often than not has the final say in decision-making. As the overall eldest yokai, appearing to be about 26 years old, he ensures that his teammates not only do what he says but he also makes sure that they are safe from harm. His unparalleled skills in hand-to-hand combat, as well as his expertise in war, have certainly made Brick an ideal leader, as he can pinpoint his opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, thus using those facets to his advantage. Despite being a strong leader to his group, he is extremely prone to anger and runs the risk of being too demanding, especially when failure comes knocking at their door or when someone hurts any of his comrades. He is also prone to having clashes with his teammates from his younger brother, Butch, to his wife, Blossom, to his sister-in-law, Buttercup, when it comes to a disagreement in a plan or when power struggles occur between the four. In spite of some moments of strife, Brick deeply cares for his three comrades and he always has their backs. Brick’s main abilities are pyrokinesis, superstrength, especially when it comes to his lethal Fire Fist which can disintegrate any opponent with the drop of a hat and using his claws, which are sharp enough to slice through steel. Brick is definitely ideal for being a dragon yokai mostly because of his fiery temper, choleric nature, large-and-in-charge, and overall manly personality. I also figure that his personality and mannerisms are akin to a warlord or general who ensures order and will not take no for an answer. He also seems to be the guy who is harsh towards his enemies and rather tender to his friends, even though he does not always show it. In terms of his outfit, I let him have a dragon tattoo on the chest to the shoulder area and I also gave him something that is also akin to a big, strong warlord. His gauntlets and shoulder pads are made of dragon scales, which also serve as his armor. Even more so, his cape is a great addition, as it makes him a proud and noble warrior who leads with not only his fists but with loads of respect. Byakko Butch, also known as the Virescent Tiger, is the muscle of the group. He is also the savage one, as nothing can seem to tame him, unless his older brother, Brick, gives him a knock on the head, his sister-in-law, Blossom, admonishes him or his wife, Buttercup, soothes him in her own special way. As the second oldest in this group, also appearing to be about 26 years old, he also has a duty to share with Brick in ensuring that his comrades stay out of trouble. While Brick is the more analytical one in battle, Butch is the type of guy who just goes head-on without a second thought. His brute strength is what makes him both famous and infamous. Famous because he uses it to save lives and do the general…