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[essayist-unexpectedly]

Pathos within Film: Lighting and Music

There are many elements to films that help to create the mood, the pathos. They set up what a person will be doing and feeling while the movie plays out, film elements can be what make or break a film, to lose or keep an audience's attention. The emotional influence can be seen by comparing two movie genres, such as horror and romance.

The first of the elements that can create an emotional impact within viewers is the lighting of film. The lighting, depending on the tone and the brightness, can make a movie warm or cold, joyful or terrifying.

To start with, is the lighting in horror movies. A good horror movie will more often have good lighting throughout the film. A horror movie will often change the mood of the movie through the tone of the lighting. The warm or cool tinting of the lighting will affect the way the audience feels during the movie, with warm toned yellows and orange lights creating a kind and welcoming feeling, while cool toned blues and even reds often building a more suspenseful mood. A good horror movie can draw a person in by using a warm and kind opening, by bathing the scene in sunshine and showing off a good time, or else it’ll hook in a viewer with it’s haunting tone - a white yellow or a blue that allows shadows to be a little too stark to create comfort. The brightness also matters, especially when it comes to the shadows of a scene. A horror movie will use shadows to create a sense of unease within viewers, to tell them to watch the movie and have fun, but don’t get comfortable. A blinding white or else a dark blue lighting choice can both cause fear within viewers, as they can eliminate all but the darkest shadows, or else they can cover the full screen and encase all that a viewer sees. The lighting of a horror movie is used to draw someone in then deeply unsettle them, they use lighting to bring a false sense of comfort only to rip it away as the tension builds.

Within romance movies, lighting is more strictly warm. They use warm sunshine and romantic candlelight. The lighting within a romance movie is often defined more by the brightness than the colouring, as there isn’t typically a need for the colder tones. So, the brightness is what is used to help show the moods of a scene. The opening will often be lighting that makes a person look bored or lonely - the house where they live alone, their boring office job, or else they may be more blatant about it and a busy restaurant with couples bustling around. The lighting may be a whiter yellow to have some coldness to it, just meant to show dissatisfaction, but the importance is often with how lonely it makes the protagonist look. It can grow warmer and more romantic throughout the movie by using candles and starlight instead of just a normal restaurant or else always a sunny day. A romance movie will keep using brightness more than tone when it comes to the climax of the movie as well, as it’ll often be used to be more dramatic. Romances will deepen the shadows, it will create a sense of sadness through the way they portray each character in the light, be it deepening of the characters faces or a harsh light to match anger. A romance movie will use lighting to subtly show off how deep into the romance the protagonists are, it’ll show what the tone is supposed to be based on what kind of lighting is used.

Music is also brilliantly used by both horror and romance films. The soundtrack of a film is always important, always creating the underlying mood of the scene. The score of a movie will create tension and help influence the viewers feelings throughout the movie.

A horror movie will build up their movies through their scores. The opening number can be either haunting with a terrifying scene or else it can be calm and create a warmer welcome to the audience. The music will often continuously grow more tense, be it by growing louder, slipping into minor scales rather than majors, or else stopping or starting for the first time in a while. The music is dramatic within horror movies, which helps to build up the tension in the dramatic scenes. The way that music is used will create tension within the audience, it’ll tell the viewers when something big is coming up without outright giving away what it is. Music is subtle and quiet, until it can be as loud and chaotic as the rest of a scene is. Music has the ability to enhance the fear that a person will feel when watching a scene, and horror movies will use it to build up what’s coming next. Music within a horror movie is often used for foreshadowing, it builds up and it grows tense and dark as a horror movie will go on. It can be through the tempo, the octave, the chords and chord changes, everything within music can and will create the emotions that the viewers feel. Music is always an amazing way to enhance a scene, to build up intensity, to tear down any safety there may have been. Horror movies use music for the mood shifts that need to happen, and to build up the emotions that are already seen within the scene.

Romantic movies are often the same, they use music to show the build up of the couple. They make sure that their music can reflect the way that the protagonist feels within the movie. It can start out subtle and build up as the romantic tension does, or else it’ll swell up in a meet-cute and be fun as the characters struggle through their feelings. The music will reflect what’s going on within the minds of those who are falling in love, be it upbeat sounding because the characters are getting through their romance in a hopeful light, or a more subtle crescendo due to the protagonists needing to build up to their feelings - and understanding them. The music within a romance movie is often done in major scales to reflect the hopefulness, they can take it slow or fast depending on the scene, but it never changes that there’s a warmth to the music that reflects the warmth the characters feel towards each other. The only time that the score may change is the climax of a movie, when there’s some sort of a dramatic confrontation between characters, which is when it can sometimes go into a minor scale but will still reflect the heartbreak more than actual anger or plain sadness. A romance will always use music in a sweet then heartbreaking way, and it’ll be done with a beautiful score that leaves the audience knowing how the characters feel.

Overall, both lighting and music can be used to influence the pathos of an audience. Film elements are what make up the audience's reaction to the film, therefore making up what the audience will feel throughout it. While they may be different genres, both horrors and romances use these elements beautifully. The genres build up tension and create the tone shifts through their lighting and the music used within the films. All of the elements of film are a great way to influence a person's mood while they watch a film, to make an emotional impact on a person, and both lighting and music are used brilliantly within movies.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Kate Beatons’ Ducks: a Study of Colour

The primary colour palette of Kate Beatons’ Ducks can and should be noted when reading the graphic novel. The use of a monochromatic grey palette says a lot about the time that Beaton spent in the oil sands, both mentally but also career-wise.

A monochromatic scene can say a lot, it says more when it’s the whole book. Monochromatic schemes are a great way to set the mood of a scene, it creates an atmosphere. Scenes done in monochromatic are often done for a strong emotional impact, they’re done to show the intensity of the emotion, be it positive or negative. By setting the entire book in monochrome, Beaton is telling readers that there will be a consistent set of moods throughout the book. Instead of a wide range of emotions, this period of time is coloured one way in her mind - in grey. Monochromatic grey can mean a few different things, with the most apparent meanings within Ducks being depression, boredom, and stability.

The first feeling that grey can give off is depression. Beatons’ time in the oil sands was by no means a good period of time, struggling with the toxic environment of the sands. It was a time defined by taxing work, both physically and mentally. The grey shows that even if there were some interactions that were better or invoked any strong emotions, it didn’t overshadow the overall depression of working in the oil sands. Beaton struggled while working and living in Fort McMurray, and that led her time there to be a somber period of her life. The use of grey shows the dullness of life, the lack of emotion that overpowers the otherwise grim days that she faced while living and working in Fort McMurray. The depression comes out within the plain palette, with grey showcasing the darkness of the times. Grey isn’t commonly used as the primary colour in graphic novels due to its more negative connotations, so to use grey with the absence of any other colours, makes it more impactful. The grey is able to reflect the deep-rooted sadness of Beatons’ time in the oil sands.

The second way that grey is so impactful is the effect of boredom. This is enhanced by the monochromatic usage of grey, but this combination leads to a feeling of boredom within Ducks. The work within the oil sands isn’t necessarily the most interesting, especially for Beaton who was only using the oil sands as a job because she needed it. She wasn’t enjoying the work or lifestyle in Fort McMurray, she was simply working a job that paid her well. Grey is a duller colour, therefore it’s perfect to show off the dullness that she felt with her life in the oil sands. No matter who was around or what there was to do there, it didn't change the way that the days blurred together due to the unsatisfying environment. Grey is perfect for showing boredom due to it having different shades, but not hues. Grey is a static colour, it’s purely white and black, if there’s any other colour it’s no longer pure grey, it takes on a different name. Grey is, inherently, a bit boring because of the lack of any other colour, making it perfect for a boring environment and time.

The final thing that grey can represent is stability. As negative as the time in the oil sands were, they were also stable in terms of work and pay. They needed workers, so the job was stable, and pay was both steady and good. Everything about Fort McMurray was able to provide stability - with the main focus being in the financial sense. The previously mentioned staticness of grey is why it’s great for stability as well, it won’t drastically change. The use of grey is able to show that for as long as she was in the oil sands, Beaton was going to have a steady place to work and a stable lifestyle. It wouldn’t be fun, but there would be a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear, meaning that it was consistent. Within Ducks a lot of the greys are close to the same shade outside of the characters, that includes the locations and the backgrounds, which helps with the stability - the land itself felt completely unchanging besides the seasons because of how plain Fort McMurray was to live in. The monochrome grey shows that in spite of the times changing, Beaton could feel stable within her life, this stability just came with the side effects of boredom and depression due to the toxic environment.

Outside of the usage of grey, the idea of other colours can be explored. If keeping to a simple two colour palette, either blue or red could’ve been great additions. Blue could’ve been a strong second colour to use with it representing sadness, calmness, and, in western cultures, masculinity. Blue and grey compliment each other and would keep the somber mood that is visually presented within Ducks, working together and keeping to the themes that the greys present while also adding in a bit more of visual appeal. Blue could've been subtly shaded in a few scenes, and could’ve had potential in scenes with heavier sexism due to it representing masculinity in western cultures. The shades of blue would also matter, as it could be used to pop out or else it could be blended in with the grey depending on the scene and its use. Red is the other colour that could’ve been used in a two coloured colouring set up. Red is often used to symbolise aggression, danger, and dominance. Red would’ve been another way to show the aggressions within daily life in the oil sands, even with just subtle uses of it. Red doesn’t blend with grey like blue does, so it would pop out a lot more, which could end up working in favour of the story if used properly. Red could’ve been used solely for those moments of intense feeling - such as the scene where Beaton yells at the fox, taking out her frustration. It could be very visually impactful to add in a few bursts of red within certain scenes that call for the strength of red. There is the option of doing full colour, but that could take away from the overall visual impact that exists within Ducks. Adding one colour, either the subtle blue or the bold red, would be more fitting for the book and the story within, creating a more dynamic look whilst also keeping to the consistently somber mood.

Overall, Ducks is a beautiful book. Beaton’s artstyle is simplistic yet detailed, and is enhanced by her use of a pure grey scheme. The monochromatic look enhances the story, with her colour choice reflecting the struggles that she went through during her time in Fort McMurray. While the addition of another colour could have enhanced emotions in a few scenes, the grey in itself shows that the primary mood of the book is unchanging, it’s not a time that is looked back on with any joy or pride of the times, but of a struggling period where Beaton wasn’t happy. Ducks details the very real struggles that women in the oil sands face, and the use of pure grey reflects the harsh conditions.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Chekhov's Gun through Retro Sodas: Be More Chill’s Stupidly Satisfying Ending

Chekhov's Gun, arguably one of the most brilliant principles of literature of all time. The idea that if an element is introduced, it must be used. The principle of no loose ends by the end of the story, nothing feels excessive or missed out on, it all fits perfectly.

Be More Chill (Musical) is one of many pieces of media that uses Chekhov’s gun in order to complete its ending. It uses a short reference - almost a throw away line - from the first act in order to create the resolution within the second act. Satisfying and brilliant - Michael Mell’s love for vintage soda’s is the Chekhov’s Gun of Be More Chill. 

To start is the set up. After all, the point of Chekhov’s Gun is that even a seemingly throwaway line will be important. And Michael’s love for vintage sodas is mentioned just one time within the first act. It is, however, at a vital moment - happening when Jeremy first takes the SQUIP and before anything happens. Michael had only gone to find his vintage sodas - a case of Crystal Pepsi - because of the seemingly lacklustre results the assumed tictac had produced. 

It’s the best time to set up such an important development. It’s memorable, a cute little moment for Michael to show off another way he’s a bit of an oddball, but not the shining moment of the scene. The big moment is, after all, the actual appearance of the SQUIP. Which is what makes it so brilliant. To introduce the antagonist in the same scene as they introduce the only thing that can beat it. Indirectly at that - as it isn’t the exact vintage pop needed to defeat the SQUIP, but it plants the seeds for Michael to come in again at the end. This small throwaway line, a mini moment within a larger scene, is the beginning of a giant recall that will bring the musical to an end.

Because, really, this detail does disappear until the end of the musical once again. It’s first mentioned just before the 6th song of the musical - “The SQUIP Enters”, and doesn’t come back until the song “The Pants Song”. The perfect disappearance, sliding under the attention of folks thanks to the excitement of everything else.

But the detail is Chekhov’s Gun for a reason.

Other than a select few songs, Michael Mell himself proceeds to disappear for the majority of the middle of the musical. He appears in the tail end of “Upgrade” at the end of scene one, as well as having an appearance in the Halloween scene, with his iconic song “Michael in the Bathroom” taking place then. Otherwise, he - and anything about his love for vintage sodas - is mostly missing from the middle of the musical. So while Michael himself is hard to forget, he does become a more background character. Details can start to fade about him, especially small and offhandedly mentioned ones. He doesn’t make his return until he’s found by Mr Heere within “The Pants Song”, and their plan doesn’t come to light until “The Play” - which is when Michael comes in and shows off how Be More Chill uses Chekhov’s Gun.

This is when all hints come together. Jeremy remembers Rich calling for Mountain Dew Red within the Halloween scene. They bring up the fact that it’s a vintage soda. And Michael Mell bursts in - showing that no line was meant as a throwaway joke. It’s the perfect callback, and it’s perfect in terms of how to end the play. After all, Michael has been missing for awhile, he wants to save Jeremy and get rid of the SQUIP - but nobody has been seeing him nor his plans since the SQUIP blocked him out. Now, he’s back and he’s bringing along the very thing that caused him to be away when the SQUIP appeared in the first place.

Chekhov’s Gun is the rule that states anything introduced must be used. Michael Mell’s love for vintage sodas is introduced as a short line, a way to get him out of the scene to make way for the SQUIP to enter. It comes back to be the only thing that gets rid of the SQUIP. They’re opposites, Michael and the SQUIP, it’s clear within every aspect of their characters. The two of them can’t exist in the same space - they need to get rid of each other. Because of them repelling each other like the same ends of a magnet, Be More Chill is able to use Chekhov’s Gun. The show was able to introduce a tiny aspect of Michael’s character, knowing he would be pushed aside soon, and use that to create an ending that satisfies a brilliant literary element.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

It’s a Fine Line, but a Line Nonetheless: the Roles within a Story

The scene opens. The character you’ve been following this whole time opens with the first line. Shouts out to the person they’ve been fighting this whole time - the Antagonist. But what they say, it’s not something heroic. It’s not a good sentiment at all. And when the antagonist responds, gives your typical hero speech, that’s when it hits you. You’ve been following the villain this whole time. You’ve been reading from the view of someone who wants to destroy. All of earlier interactions can be viewed differently now, because suddenly the antagonist isn’t the issue, at least they aren’t the issue who’ll destroy the world. But how did this happen? Isn’t the protagonist the good guy? Isn't the villain supposed to be synonymous with the antagonist?

There’s a fine line between being a villain and an antagonist, just as there is between a hero and the protagonist. After all, spending enough time with a character will make us see things from their perspective, and can justify devious actions by giving them a seemingly good reason. It shows that even though a character may be the lead in the story, that doesn’t mean that they’re the one who we, the audience, should be rooting for. There’s a difference between the roles of villains and heroes and protagonists and antagonists. A villain can be the antagonist, while a hero can play the part of the antagonist - none of those words are synonymous with each other.

To start off is the protagonist, the leading character in any story. The protagonist can be anyone, literally. The protagonist is simply defined as “the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text” in the Oxford Dictionary, or “the principal character in a literary work” by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Neither of these definitions say that the protagonist is automatically the good guy. Looking at books throughout history, there are plenty of examples of the protagonist not being the hero, or even a good guy. Within The Great Gatsby, Nick Carroway is an outsider who is just watching the story happen. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the story follows Dorian Gray - who is arguably the villain of his own story. For the novel The Song of Achilles, Patroclus is the protagonist and a hero, but he isn’t the hero as that role belongs to Achilles. In the musical Dear Evan Hansen, Evan Hansen is the most problematic character in the story, lying for his own goals, even though he is the protagonist. The protagonist can be literally anyone, good or bad, all that they need to qualify as protagonist is for the story to follow them. 

The reason this seems to get confused sometimes is the role of the antagonist. The antagonist is the enemy, the one who goes against the protagonist. But that’s all - and it doesn’t actually make the antagonist the villain. The definition of antagonist is “one that contends with or opposes another” from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and as “a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary” by Oxford Dictionary. This means that while the antagonist may be shoved into a villainous stereotype,  they aren’t necessarily it. The antagonist can be someone who is good, someone who wants good - and even the hero. One example of this would be within Shakespeare’s Macbeth, as characters like Macduff and Banquo are painted as the antagonists to Macbeth becoming king, in spite of them having heroic intentions. In the popular manga and anime Death Note, where L acts as the antagonist who is trying to stop the increasingly villianous Light Yagami as he commits uncountable murders. Drawing again on The Picture of Dorian Gray, the character of Basil, who is the least problematic of the main cast of the novel, wants to help Dorian after seeing how fair he’s spiralled, but ends up killed for his worry and even thought of - for a few moments - as the reason that Dorian spiralled in the first place. An antagonist, while not necessarily the hero, by no means has to be the villain. They simply need to be the one who goes against the protagonist.

This leads to the actual roles of a hero and a villain. A hero is often thought to mirror the protagonist, when really they’re completely separate roles. A hero is defined as “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities” by Oxford Dictionary and “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities; one who shows great courage” in the Merriam-Webster one. The hero is someone to be admired, someone to be praised - not necessarily the person who tells the story. Again with Macbeth, Macduff can be seen as the hero of the story, as he is the one who slays Macbeth in the end. Another hero previously mentioned is Achilles within The Song of Achilles, as he acts as the main hero within the novel (though there are many others in the narrative). While a hero is often the protagonist, they don’t have to be - they simply have to be the character who is genuinely good, who genuinely cares about those they protect. It’s why not every story even has a hero, as many genres of story don’t need a hero.

Finally, is the role of the villain. The definition within Oxford Dictionary is “a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot; the person or thing responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage”, while Merriam-Webster defines a villain as “a character in a story or play who opposes the hero; deliberate scoundrel or criminal; one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty.” While a villain is said to oppose the hero, none of these say that that makes the villain limited to the antagonist. Rather, a villain can still be the protagonist - even if it’s pretty uncommon. The movies Megamind and Despicable Me both introduce Megamind and Gru, who are both villainous protagonists - even if they’re not as villain-like by the end of their respective movies. For the third and final time - The Picture of Dorian Gray is told by Dorian Gray, who can be seen as the villain due to his vast flaws that lead to the destruction of not only himself, but many others..

When it comes down to it - none of these definitions force roles upon a character. A protagonist can be anyone the writer wants, the antagonist can be in the right, the hero will always be the people’s rolemodel, and the villain will always be the person who causes the problem. The only rules with these roles are that the protagonist and antagonist oppose each other, and the hero and villain oppose each other. While that does mean that they’ll often fall into the protagonist and antagonist roles, it doesn’t mean that they must fall into the stereotype. Let the villain gaslight the audience into thinking they’re the good one because they’re the protagonist. Let the hero shine from the perspective of a civilain who watches from the sideline. There are no real boxes in literature, not as far as who can be the protagonist and the antagonist - only what your own mind limits you to. So, no, the hero and the villain won’t necessarily be the protagonist and antagonist. There is a fine, yet distinct, line between these roles. After all - not every story will have a hero and villain, but every story will have a protagonist and antagonist. 

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Identity between Friends: Augustine and Winnie and Blurred Lines

An identity crisis is never fun - especially not when dealing with the societal pressures and self-doubt that come with being a teenager. Within the game Cold Front, identity is explored in its relation to friendships throughout the years and how it can affect a person. Augustine Orlov is the protagonist of the game, and he’s seen to be a character who struggles with who he is. This is due to his friendship with Winnie Bosko, who Augustine feels overshadowed by - in school, in hockey, even in their friend group.  The game is short, but effectively shows how friendships without clear boundaries can lead to an identity crisis.

     The game opens with Augustine and Winnie as children, in a scene that quickly helps to show their personalities when young. As children, Augustine was the brave one. He was the one who was outgoing, social, blunt rather than soft or comforting. He is, in a way, like the sun - something Winnie admired in him. In contrast, Winnie was shown to be shy, nervous after moving - especially about making new friends. He was anxious, wanting to hide away in his room rather than even trying to go out to make new friends. The duo became friends thanks to Augustine’s extraverted nature, as he was able to force his way into Winnie’s room and, consequently, his life. This is what kickstarted their bond, a friendship that would lead to ruin for both involved. 

Then the timeskip is shown, revealing its years since the two first became friends. While there isn’t too much known about them growning up, the adaptability of personality traits between friends is shown. While Augustine was the outgoing one growing up, it’s shown that this had swapped over the years - Winnie gaining confidence and growing socially. However, this evolution of Winnie also caused a change in Augustine. Rather than managing to maintain his popularity, or keep his distinctive traits - Augustine feels like he’s been pushed aside. He’s shown to feel as though all that was his - friends, hockey, and even university - are no longer his. He feels overshadowed, and has become withdrawn because of it.

Identity is what makes a person themself. There are plenty of ways that a person can find their identity - with common links being personality, their extracurriculars, and where they are/have been. Identity isn’t easy to find, which is what makes Augustine so scared. He views himself as someone who’s identity was stolen away from him, as anything that he did, Winnie was quick to follow. Augustine feels that any of his traits that made him popular were adopted by Winnie and led to the blonde’s popularity over his own. It doesn’t help that Winnie truly did follow Augustine’s lead in terms of activities and his wants for university. Augustine felt that Winnie was copying him at every turn, leading to resentment. It also led to Augustine feeling like he was falling behind and becoming a shadow, as he could never outperform Winnie in any aspect of their lives.

This is what leads to the clear need for boundaries. Augustine’s crisis is directly linked to how blurred the lines between him and Winnie became as they grew up. Communication would’ve done wonders for this duo, however teenagers will never be able to claim honest conversations as a strong point for them. But it’s shown in the good ending of the game, that talking would’ve helped solve a lot of issues between Winnie and Augustine. It’s revealed in the good ending that Winnie only followed Augustine because he admired him - he wanted to follow him because Augustine has always been so bright and hopeful. Winnie didn’t see the struggles Augustine was having and he struggled to just pick up on boundaries. It’s quite tragic to think about - how such distress was caused by a simple lack of understanding of what each other needed. Winnie had never purposefully hurt Augustine, but caused so much mental pain because of his following Augustine’s lead.

Truly, it’s not either of their faults that Augustine went through so much pain. It’s hard to find an identity for oneself no matter who you are, and teenagers are a group who especially struggle due to feeling so much pressure. By growing up together, the two were always set up to adopt a few of each other’s traits - and the admiration of Augustine on Winnie’s end definitely meant he would take on the ones he adored, it just also meant that Winnie tried to emulate Augustine on a deeper level. He never meant to steal Augustine’s identity, but the lack of clear boundaries just kept getting blurrier with time. It led to Winnie and Augustine becoming so similar that Augustine wasn’t sure what about him was only him anymore, and caused him to see Winnie as a leach. Identity is hard to discover, and Cold Front shows off the mental anguish that can be caused when two people become so similar, that their identities are intrinsically entwined together.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

One Bad Day: OMORI

It was a normal day, wasn’t it? An exciting day, one that they had been anxiously waiting for. The recital was going to be perfect. They had been practicing for days, weeks, months, working so hard to show off their skills to their friends and family. It was going to be the perfect day. But then they started to argue, then he pushed her. And suddenly- everything was ruined.

A trope that appears in all sorts of media is the ‘one bad day’ trope. The idea that a single day can define who someone will become, be it for the better or worse, is scary. It’s human. To have a day so bad that it can be the final nail in the coffin of how someone’s life will go is something that feels real, is real to some people. And OMORI is a game that uses the ‘one bad day’ trope in a skillful way. It’s not exactly obvious, as not every character appears to have their fate decided by the day Mari died, but it did define the relationships within the group. It also defined some of the traits, the traumas, that those within the group would face. OMORI isn’t overtly ‘one bad day’, it really isn’t, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still play on that trope - after all, the entirety of the game wouldn’t have happened without Mari’s death.

To start, are the effects on the group itself. Mari’s death, the day of the recital, shows that one bad day was what it took to break the deep bonds the friends had. Not completely, and not immediately, but the group still fell apart. A death is awful, and Mari being so young and such a bright person, someone so loved by everyone around her, makes her death a tragedy. Any death within the group would’ve hurt them, but the death of such a vital member almost destroys them. Hero removes himself from the rest of the group in his grief. Kel appears to have done his best to keep moving forward, causing him to move away from the old group and find a new group of friends. Aubrey fell into her anger after watching Kel seemingly move on and after finding the destroyed photo album. Next there’s Basil, who distanced himself from the other’s due to the guilt he felt over his role in Mari’s death. Finally, is Sunny, who fully retreats into himself, unable to face reality at all, and therefore completely isolating himself from everyone who cares for him. A single day set in motion the destruction of a years-old friend group. While the good ending does give some hopeful vibes for the fate of the group, it doesn’t change that the dynamics will never be quite the same - those were destroyed by a single bad day.

But it didn’t only destroy the group dynamics. Rather, it also changed every individual member of the group. It took the group from being mostly carefree, happy, living life as they should at their age to a group of people who lost someone they loved too young. Their grief has changed them all in irreparable ways.

To start is Hero. Hero was shown to be charming, a little shy at times but still social, serious when he had to be, but overall still a typical teenager. He had a simple joy about him, especially when it came to his relationship with Mari - a young love. Hero was like an older brother to the whole group, just like Mari was an older sister. This changed after her death. His immediate state was depression, staying in bed all day, unable to bring himself to get up. He was heartbroken, and there was nothing that anyone could do to help him. He retreated away from the world, almost like Sunny did - but instead of escaping reality through dreams, Hero was refusing to participate in the world that he knew no longer contained Mari. It broke Hero, and even after he started to recover from his depression, he was never able to bounce back. The day Mari died, Hero lost that spark of youth that he still had. Within OMORI’s current time, the player experiences a more mature Hero, one who is serious and has an aura of melancholy around him. While Hero is no longer actively grieving Mari, he still feels the loss of her, that depression is still there over the life with her that he’ll never be able to experience. He’s never going to be who he once was, and it’s all because of the day of the recital.

Kel is the one who some people believe has bounced back, but that isn’t entirely true. As a child, Kel was shown to be reckless, carefree, and unafraid of the world, constantly picking a fight. He was such a kid in a way that’s hard to capture in words. He saw the world as something without faults, something he held a new challenge every day. The day Mari died changes that, even just subtly. He was no longer able to be so carefree, so reckless with how he treated the world. He matured more than anyone else within the group it feels, as he’s no longer as energized as he once was. In the direct aftermath of Mari’s death, Kel was trying to be strong, to be the one that the others could rely on. He was forced to mature not just because of Mari’s death, but also because he was doing his best to take care of Hero, his family, and everyone else he could. This likely led to him coping in a less than healthy way, and it definitely pushed him away from his other friends - especially Aubrey, as he seemed to appear like he was fine. Maybe Kel did take time to grieve properly, but it doesn’t change that even in the modern day of the game, Kel is different. He’s still an amazing friend, he’s got energy, he’s athletic, he can be goofy at times - but he isn’t the kid he once was. He doesn’t bicker with Aubrey the same way he once did, his circle of friends has completely changed, and he holds a more mature energy to him - one that didn’t come over time, but because of the tragic events of one day.

Aubrey is a lot more obvious in terms of how the day of Mari’s death changed her. From a sweet and headstrong girl to a girl full of anger and pain. As a child, Aubrey was a girl who was full of life, who was always running around or hanging around Mari - who was basically an older sister to her. Aubrey was genuinely sweet, she was a girly girl, though she was always quick to anger whenever Kel teased her. While her home life was always implied to be awful, Aubrey appeared to have found an escape by hanging out with the others. Her escape vanished the day of the recital. In the direct aftermath of Mari’s death, there is the possibilty that Aubrey did try to stay friends with both Kel and Basil, as they did her, but it ended up going south. Like the others, Aubrey was shattered after Mari’s death. She was grieving, and trying her best to stick with Kel and Basil, as they were the two who didn’t disappear in their grief. But Kel appearing to move on easily, and her discovering the destroyed album within Basil’s care, drove her down a path of anger. She grew angry, thinking Kel was awful for moving on so quickly, that Basil was cruel for destroying the photo album that held their childhood memories, and that Sunny was cruel for leaving her behind when he retreated into himself. So, she changed, allowing herself to drown in her anger rather than grieving normally or trying to understand the others. The Aubrey met within OMORI is an Aubrey filled with bitterness over the betrayal she felt when she was left behind. The kind, excitable girl disappeared and was replaced with someone who dearly missed the family she was welcomed into.

Then, there’s Basil. Basil had an entirely different experience from the others within the group. The day didn’t destroy him because he saw Mari’s suicide, it destroyed him because he knew the truth of what happened. As a child, Basil was shy and nervous, sweet and a little nerdy. He was so happy to have found a group who he could be himself around, especially a friend like Sunny, who was just as introverted as he was. The day of the recital, the day that Basil witnessed his best friend kill Mari, only enhanced his worst traits due to the trauma. Basil directly after Mari’s death was doing his best to try to stay afloat. He at least tried to visit Sunny, tried to stay friends with Aubrey, and was just doing his best to keep the terrible truth of Mari’s death from coming out. But, as the years went on, Basil became more and more alone - as Sunny stayed in his room, lost in his dreams, Aubrey shunned him for the photo album, and he and Kel grew apart. All of the stresses left behind a boy with abandonment issues, anxiety, and his own mind working against him. Basil grew into a wreck, and while he kept the shy and nervous traits from childhood, his vibes turned from sweet introvert to an anxious wreck on the verge of a panic attack. What he saw on the day Mari died, what he did when Mari died - it destroyed who he once was.

Finally, there’s Sunny, who became a shell of who he once was after Mari’s death. When he was younger, Sunny was shown to be shy, introverted, quiet, and calm. He wasn’t the type to go out and run around, rather he was the quiet kid who was daydreaming all the time. He loved to be around his friends though, even if he never joined in with their more rambunctious activities at times. Mari was his sister, and he adored her. She was at the centre of his universe, and he admired her - that much is clear within all of the memories shown. So, the day that Sunny accidentally killed Mari, broke him. Instead of his usual silent but still somewhat social personality, Sunny completely withdraws from the world. He creates the world within his head, one where everyone is still together, and everything is perfect as the group goes on adventures together. Sunny is completely alone in life, no longer allowing himself the comfort of the friends he loves dearly. Sunny becomes an empty husk of a human being, he only exists as Omori within his dreams. It’s only within the good ending that the possibility of Sunny returning to himself is seen as a possibility, it’s the only chance that Sunny has to reclaim his life - though it feels basically impossible after he’s only existed within his dreams for the past four years. 

The ‘one bad day’ trope is common within media. It’s relevant, because it’s true to real life. It’s human for a single day to be able to define who a person may become - especially when that event is a death that causes so much grief. OMORI shows that a single tragedy can snap bonds that were thought to be solid, that it can change who a person is even if it doesn’t show in obvious ways. Every character is changed, forcibly matured due to the events of a single day - and it’s heartbreaking. The ‘one bad day’ is honest to real life experience, and OMORI wields that truth in a skillful way, showing the changes that different people can go through.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Sports Anime and Queerness: Why are they always so Gay?

Within all anime, queer ships appear. Sometimes it’s just fans picking up on fun character dynamics, other times it’s because of the undertones of the show itself. It’s hard for any show to avoid queer undertones completely, and no piece of media truly escapes lgbtq+ ships and headcanons. Yet, more than any type of show, some of the biggest queer fandoms can come from sports animes.

Why is this though? Why do sports animes attract queer fans and ships so often - maybe even more than other fanbases?

There are different reasons for every person to be attracted to a specific type of anime. That being said - there could be three big reasons why sports anime attract queer audiences and ships specifically.Those are - the focus on internal character development, the dynamics and growth of relationships between characters, and the cast of characters. What may be found is that the character-driven focus of a sports anime attracts a queer audience because of the relatability that may be felt by some people - especially those just discovering themselves. Then, the relationships built up within the teams (and between opponents) is done in a way that can appeal to many ship dynamics. It appeals to the romantic soul that some people have. And then there’s the cast, which is mostly boys due to gendered teams in sports. It’s not that having girls around would stop the gays, but it may give straight people a fighting chance when it comes to sport anime ships. Then, finally, there’s the themes of sports anime - about never giving up, fighting for yourself, as well as being heavy on found family and acceptance of who you are.

The first point is the characters and their internal development. A sport’s anime focuses on a character’s internal development, even when there’s an overarching goal/plot. Haikyu!! focuses on Hinata and Kageyama growing to be better players, Blue Lock has characters developing an “ego”, Kuroko’s Basketball is about Kuroko wanting to grow as a player to help his old friends. The core of a sports anime is in its character development, it’s about a character discovering their strengths and weaknesses, about them learning about themselves. They’re always chasing after a goal, and they’re desperate to do what they love. To connect this to how it attracts queer people - being queer is all about self discovery. A lot of people will be able to see themselves in a character who is learning about themself. So, while sports anime’s protagonists go through a change that helps them improve their athletic abilities, as well as tests their resolve and determination to their goal, a queer person may see themself in that journey. The challenging teams are the daily obstacles a queer person faces - some bigger than others like unaccepting friends and family, everyday homophobia, etc -, the want to win the big tournament is the want to be accepted, and the whole self-improvement/discovery arc that the protagonists go on is a queer person trying to figure out their gender and sexuality. The internal growth of a sports anime protagonist attracts a queer audience because of the relatability, the wanting and longing that so many of the characters show appeals to the queer journey.

The second reason is the relationship building, and how it falls into ship dynamics. There are so many popular ship dynamics - rivals to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, dumbasses in love, chaotic/tired, just so many. Sports anime focus on characters isn’t only internal, but also external, and that means that so many different character dynamics are explored. There are so many instances where rivals end up on the same team, or where they have a deep bond over wanting to while wanting the challenge each other brings. There are also plenty of examples where friends have a growing tension between them, with dynamics from weirdo and normal, to protective and sweetheart. These dynamics always show up in sports anime. Kageyama and Hinata from Haikyu!! are classic rivals forced to work together, Nagi and Reo from Blue Lock are friends with frankly romantic undertones at times - with how Nagi only cares about Reo’s opinions and Reo always taking care of Nagi. Within Kuroko’s Basketball, all of the above ship dynamics exist - Kuroko and the Generation of Miracles can be seen as friends to enemies to lovers, Kuroko and Kagami can be seen as strangers to lovers, etc. The build up of the relationships between teammates and rivals within sports anime is so well developed, and they fall into the classic tropes people love. The characters personalities just make it better, as there can be loud/shy (like Asahi and Nishinoya, Haikyu!!), dumbass/weirdo (Bokuto and Akashi, Haikyu), there’s sun/moon characters (Kise and Kuroko, Kuroko’s Basketball). The characters having such distinct personalities and fun dynamics together make them easy to pair up romantically.

To connect to that point though, is the gender of the casts of different sports anime. The teams are almost always all boys, and occasionally they’ll have a girl as a manager or coach. So, putting that with all the tropes that can be found within sports anime - of course the ships are going to be gay. The casts of characters being mostly one gender will cause characters of the same gender to be shipped together and interpreted romantically. While it’s almost definitely not the intention of all sports anime to have only the one gender present and therefore usable for shipping, it still happens. The romance may not be part of the plot, but the almost all one-gendered casts make it easy picking for queer ships within the material. Maybe if there were more girls within the casts of sports anime, the gay ships would be less prevelant. Sadly for the girls, that isn’t how it’s looking - as sports anime with girls aren’t nearly as popular as the ones with male casts and, again, there are typically about 5 girls in most sports anime - and maybe 2 of them are lucky enough to be important to the story. The fact that boys are usually the focus of sports anime means that boys are the ones who’ll be shipped together, especially with how character driven the stories are.

The final point is the themes of sports anime. Most of them are about a character who never gives up, who always fights to prove themselves. It also comes with a healthy dose of finding those who do accept you and will help/support you no matter what. These are themes that hit home for so many queer people - especially teens, who are commonly the target audience of sports anime. To find your place in the world, no matter how much other people scoff and look down on you, is something that most (if not all) queer people can understand. The teams in sports anime often spend so much time together that they become a found family, just like how queer people flock to other queer people in order to form a safe space for themselves. The idea of having a goal (becoming an athlete) and finding people who support that goal (a team and coach) is relatable, it translates to having a goal (being able to be out and accepted as queer) and finding people who support (friends and family). There are so many people who don’t end up being accepted by their families and friends, so seeing it in an anime is really uplifting. It helps to bring hope that there are spaces for lgbtq+ people in the world, even if you have to search for it first. The theme of struggling towards a goal and finding people who you can rely on is a great theme for queer people, who need that in their lives.

Intentional or not, sports anime always manages to draw in a queer audience and produce gay ships. People are constantly looking to project on different characters, and sports anime make it all too easy with their character driven stories and arcs. The journey protagonists go on can draw in a queer audience due to them being able to project their own experiences onto what the character is struggling through. Shipping is a natural event in every fandom, especially queer shipping, but it’s made even easier thanks to how rich the character dynamics and relationships are in sports anime, as well as the fact that most casts are mostly one gender. The themes help to draw in not ships, but queer people in general - just like the character dynamics do. The way we as people can grow attached to characters and see ourselves in them allows us to also better appreciate the stories of found family and determination that the protagonists go through. So, while everyone can be drawn into a certain type of anime for different reasons, there could be deeper reasons as to why sports anime draw in queer crowd. It’s easy to see yourself within these characters, and even easier to imagine them happily playing sports with their “best friend” while declaring that they want to keep playing their sport together for as long as they can.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Kageyama Replaced You Too?: a look at Sugawara Koushi, Oikawa Tooru, and Pride

Within Haikyuu, there are two characters who appear to mirror each other in a very specific way, leading to one of the best ways to portray how differently pride can make people act from one another. This mirror is within the characters Sugawara Koushi and Oikawa Tooru, thanks to their differing relationships with Kageyama Tobio. The two of them are both third year students who end up getting replaced by the prodigal player, which leads to very different reactions. While Oikawa’s pride leads him to strive to be the best and therefore jealous of Kageyama, Suga’s pride is in helping his younger teammates grow to be the best that they possibly can be. In the end, it leads to extreme differences in their characters, and shows that while Oikawa was the mentor that Kageyama wanted, Suga was the one he needed - even though they had such similar skills and strengths on the court.

Pride is a fickle thing, a tool that can destroy someone, or guide them to the success they crave. While both Suga and Oikawa are led to success later on in their lives, their high school careers can be seen in a very different light. Pride is wielded by Oikawa and Suga in different ways, showing off their opposing goals in life. Oikawa Tooru allows his pride to hurt him, allows it to let jealousy fester within him, lets it lead him to sleeplessness in hopes of becoming the greatest, because his pride focuses on personal success - on wanting to be the best. Sugawara Koushi lets his pride warm him, allows for it to help him help others, lets himself do what he’s good at by helping his team, as his want is for his team to succeed rather than for himself to be the best. Both of their goals are valid, Oikawa’s ambition is admirable, and Suga’s guidance is a rock for his team. It simply leads to different ways that they view their teams, and most importantly - how they act towards with Kageyama. 

Oikawa Tooru is iconic. He’s easily the big antagonist throughout seasons one and two of Haikyuu, as Aoba Josai is Karasuno’s biggest competitor. He’s an inspirational captain, one who knows exactly how to draw out the strengths of his team, and he takes pride in the skills he’s worked so hard on. This is, of course, what becomes the issue when it comes to a tentative mentorship with Kageyama. Really, it can’t be called a mentor-mentee relationship, as it’s purely one-sided with the young prodigy admiring Oikawa. This is because of the hubris that writhes within Oikawa, tainting what had potential to be a beautiful opportunity for growth for the two of them. Sadly, the way that pride is presented within Oikawa is toxic, with him outright resenting what he views as pure talent from Kageyama, and therefore refusing to help nurture the younger boy’s skills. Oikawa is known to bring out the best in his team, his own abilities allow him to always support those he plays with however they need. Yet, he couldn’t do this for Kageyama, he couldn’t reign in his pride and need to be the best to try to help Kageyama grow as well. Oikawa was undoubtedly the mentor that Kageyama wanted, but he couldn’t be the one who the younger boy needed. It’s not that Oikawa had to be the perfect mentor - there’s no such thing, especially when dealing with young teen boys - but he outright rejected Kageyama, was almost driven to violence, because of his pride stirring up jealousy at the other boy’s skills. It shows off that Oikawa could sense Kageyama’s potential, one he could help to bring out like he did with the rest of his team, and therefore he tried to stifle it in the only way he could - by ignoring him.

To oppose Oikawa’s pride in himself, comes Suga. Suga shows many of the same skills as Oikawa does - he’s known to bring out the best in his team (both on and off-court), he’s one of the best analysts for Karasuno, and he helps come up with strategies even though he isn’t the starting setter. Suga is an extremely competent player, but his strength isn’t shown on the court, as his pride has him in a different role. Rather than wanting to be the best, Suga wants to see his team be their best - and that includes Kageyama. Suga doesn’t look at the younger setter as competition, but as an apprentice, someone who needs guidance that he can provide. As much as he may want that starting position, and want to be the setter who gets his team to nationals, he doesn’t need to be the best or be the setter who bulldozes his way through the competition. Suga is fine with being on the sidelines, his pride comes from guiding his team through the competition by helping Kageyama learn how to be the best setter he can possibly be. Suga knows his strengths, and he’s by no means lying down and giving up when Kageyama becomes the primary setter - rather, he’s reassessing the situation. Suga sees that he can be more useful when he’s off to the side, teaching the younger setter how to uplift the rest of the team, how to put emphasis on their skills rather than forcing them to bend to his own orders. At that, Suga isn’t only seen helping out Kageyama - rather he also took pride in helping Hinata learn how to receive before Nishinoya came back to the team. Suga is shown to be the mentor that was needed because his pride comes from helping his team, even if that means he has to take a step back and be a guide rather than the star.

Again, Suga and Oikawa have extremely similar skill sets. They’re analysts who know exactly how to bring out the best in their teams, they’re both brilliant players - and they acknowledge each other as such. The difference between them is their pride - with Oikawa’s being why he’s such a skilled player, while Suga’s is shown to be why he’s a great mentor. This also makes it important to note that neither of these prides - self-focused and team-focused - are negative. Rather, any negativity that one could blame on either of the boy’s pride is caused by another factor. Oikawa is a show of self-focsed pride, he wants to be the best, and it acts in his favour to make everyone else the best when he’s playing with them. That being said, it isn’t outright his pride and ambition that become the issue when it comes to Kageyama - rather it’s the fact that his pride joined up with jealousy. Had Oikawa’s pride been based on a more secure foundation, he likely could’ve been an amazing mentor. Sadly, he was dealing with insecurity at the idea of Kageyama being naturally talented, which led him to grow jealous of the younger boy. His pride made him ambitious, his insecurity made him jealous. Suga’s pride is more team-based, he serves the team because the team is where his pride lies. While some may think that him telling Coach Ukai to use Kageyama as the starting setter was a show of weakness or humility, that isn’t quite right. Suga is shown to be prideful throughout the series, but these moments always come when he’s helping others and watching those he’s mentored succeed. His pride shows in a way that lets him know when he needs to back down, including from the starting position. Him being the secondary setter is done out of pride for having a different way to help out, for finding a better way to be on the team - it’s not a completely selfless or weak decision.

Overall, pride within Haikyuu is shown to be a double-edged sword. Both Oikawa and Suga show off why pride is such a powerful weapon to wield, be it for one’s own ambition, or one’s want to serve those around them better. It’s shown to affect how a person will serve their team, as well as how it’ll affect relationships with those who look up to them. Both Suga and Oikawa are admirable characters, and both of them always have an undeniable drive to succeed - even if it’s shown in opposing ways. The two of them mirror each other in terms of skills, in how they bring out the best in their teams, and they show how pride can guide characters to success in completely different ways.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Sorry - you DON’T think Adam is a creep?: a Study on Why Eve is Romantic

Within the anime Sk8 the Infinity, there is possibly one topic more taboo and controversial than any other. This topic is the accusation of Adam potentially being a pedophile due to viewing Eve as a romantic partner and proceeding to pursue Langa as his Eve. Some people believe that Eve is just meant to be the perfect skateboarding partner, whilst others take a darker route of thinking when watching the show and looking at the subcontext, believing that Adam sees Eve as more than just platonic and instead as romantic. This essay will be diving into reasons why it appears Adam sees Eve as a romantic partner, rather than just a skateboarding partner as there are real reasons for this view - as disturbing as it is. These reasons include the implications of Adam and Eve as chosen nicknames, his strong love motif - especially romantic love imagery, and his actual actions towards Langa, who he believes to be his Eve.

The first point to be discussed is the fact that he calls himself Adam while claiming he’s looking for his Eve. There is no way to get around the biblical allusions that he’s making with these titles, the fandom recognizes this to the point where the ship name between Adam and Langa is Eden - which, by the way, super creepy that they’re a ship. But, the point is, that Adam calling himself Adam and saying he’s looking for his Eve has romantic implications. Adam and Eve were the perfect pair, Eve being quite literally made for Adam, and were together romantically. They were husband and wife, they had children together, they lost their place in Eden together - Adam and Eve hold a deep romantic history. So, for Sk8 the Infinity to have Adam be a character who is looking for his Eve, his perfect partner, it feels like it has deeper implications than just skateboarding. It feels less like Adam wants the ultimate skateboarding partner, but instead the person who can join him in every aspect of his life, someone who he can possess because of their perfect compatibility. Adam chose the moniker of Adam and Eve, and he did so purposefully. While some may view it as him just searching for the perfect partner, these names may hint to a deeper intent - a bigger desire.

The next issue is his strong love motif. To start with, his secondary title is “the Matador of Love”. While Adam is his primary name at S, this secondary name is brought up multiple times, and it just furthers his character being associated with love. He’s out here with anything that could be seen as love themed, and when translated matador means killer. This nickname feels like he could be claiming he’s the killer of love, but specifically that he’s killing two things - other’s love of skateboarding, but also love that sprouts up that would take attention from him. Both of these are seen with how he interacts with Reki the most, as he outright tries to destroy Reki’s relationship with Langa, while also beating out his love of skateboarding through their first match. So, Adam being called the “Matador of Love” has both meaning with the killer theme, but also ties to the references to love that the titles of his moves show to be romantic. The two skateboarding moves that Adam frequently uses are called “Love Hug” and “Full-Swing Kiss”. These names are deliberate, and are shown as romantic in different ways. The first is the “Love Hug”, where he literally grabs and hugs his opponent, dipping them - almost like a dance. The hold of it is reminiscent of the dips done in dances such as the tango, the salsa, ballroom dances, and probably so many more. While dancing is of course able to be platonically, it can also be a very romantic and couple bonding type activity as well, and this move being called the “Love Hug” just makes it feel like it pushes not only his love theme, but also the romantic side of it. The second move is outright called the “Full-Swing Kiss”, and yeah, people kiss their friends and family, but that doesn’t make this move any less sinister sounding when it’s done by Adam. When added to everything else about his love motif appearing romantic, even the name of this move being the “Full-Swing Kiss” should be called out.

The third thing pairs with his name of “the Matador of Love”, which is his costume. Adam wears a very showy and traditional matador look, which is stunning, but the design all lines up with his love theme. For starters, the costume is a beautiful shade of red - the colour associated with not only danger and power, but also romantic love, passion, and desire. Not as innocent sounding with those last three meanings, as while matador costumes traditionally can be red, there were also other colours they could be. To have it red, the colour of romantic love, could be another hint that Adam’s quest for Eve is actually romantic, as he dresses himself in the colour of desire. It doesn’t help that there are numerous hearts on Adam’s costume, with the most prominent being on his mask, his shoes, and potentially on his belt. The belt one isn’t as clear, and maybe it isn’t actually a heart, but it does hold some resemblance of one. The ones on his mask are very clear though, especially when Adam’s face is animated close up, the hearts are just beneath his eyes. The other clear hearts are on the top of his shoes. In a way too deep read into these hearts, one could potentially say that the heart placements are meant to show that he’s searching for his love, his Eve. Eyes for watching out for his love, his feet for always wandering until he finds them. The hearts are also done in red, on top of white and black respectively, making them very much the romance heart vibes. The second big colour within Adam’s costume is gold, which is getting a shoutout because it is a pretty popular colour for wedding rings. While not all wedding rings are gold, they are the most classic metal for them, and paired with the hearts and use of red, the gold does feel notable.

The last part of the love motif is Adam’s skateboard itself. This beautifully sinister skateboard has romance written all over it. The top of the skateboard has the word “love” written on top, as well as a clear heart on the back. It’s done in a shade of pink that looks like amaranth - which is a cool red-pink colour. This just continues Adam’s theme of using colours associated with love, as pink is also a colour used for love. The bottom is where it gets really interesting though, as it’s got numerous hearts on it, all done in the same pink colour, as well as one in the center that has swords through it. Even more convincing that Adam’s whole motif is specifically romantic love is the fact that right under that heart is a banner that reads “may death do us part” - a very traditional wedding vow. Again, Adam and Eve are seen as a romantic couple, they’re also commonly considered to be married as they’re literally made for each other. So, to have a wedding vow on his skateboard really does push the idea that Adam is looking for someone who would be the perfect romantic partner, not just the perfect skateboarding partner.

The final point is Adam himself - his actual actions and words. One of the bigger things that Adam does at one point is give a massive bouquet of red roses to Langa. Red roses are romance as an object, everyone knows that red roses are traditional to gift to a romantic partner. They symbolise romantic love, passion, desire, they’re used on Valentines day and at weddings for people to give to whoever they’re romantically involved with. Adam giving Langa red roses, right before they race, is incredibly blunt as a way to say that he’s interested in love when it comes to Langa - who he considers his Eve at that point. If Adam wanted to convey platonic love, he could’ve used pink roses (symbolising admiration, innocent love, grace, and happiness) or - even better - yellow roses (which outright symbolise friendship, as well as joy). The big bouquet of red roses, paired with the way that Adam seems to view races as a courting ritual, screams that he wants to actually pursue Langa. The second big red flag is their first meeting. Adam didn’t need to get that close to Langa to show him the proper footing, rather - he could have just demonstrated it for him. He could have pointed it out, Adam didn’t have to lean in, and correct it, get so close to the seventeen year old. Adam not outright touching Langa does not make that interaction any less creepy. And, as previously mentioned, Adam appears to think of skating against someone to be a courting ritual of sorts. What gives this away is the time he outright tells Miya that he falls in love with all of his skating partners, and to make it creepier, he claims that Miya was a bud who hadn’t blossomed yet, and that was why Adam had yet to fall for him. That whole interaction with Miya is awful, but has some damning evidence that points to Adam viewing Eve romantically. He claims to fall in love with those he skates with, and he’s searching for his perfect skateboarding partner, Eve. 

Overall, the evidence lines up. While everyone can interpret a character differently, there is weight to the interpretation that Adam views Eve, and therefore Langa, as a love interest. From his chosen moniker of Adam claiming he’s searching for Eve, to his entire love motif in names and his costume, to finally his actions and words. All of it creepily hinting toward Adam searching for a dream romance with his Eve, the perfect skateboarding partner, but also more to him. The way he acts towards Langa is even worse when framed in this way, as it makes Adam someone who’s interested in a seventeen year old boy when he’s well into his twenties. Adam as a character gives off bad vibes in general, and none of this helps his case of innocence. So while yes, people can see a character in different lights, some people will take off the rose-tinted lenses, read deeper into the sub-context, and see Adam as a probable pedophile who is outright pursuing a teenager, and people with this view shouldn’t be hated on just for interpreting a character in a darker way.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Akihiko Kaji: Reliability can be the Problem, Change is the Solution

The stories within Given all show off different aspects to relationships. They can show off the importance of boundaries, steadiness, and overall how reliability is important within relationships. One of the best ways to see these themes are within Akihiko’s relationships with Ugetsu and Haruki respectively. With Ugetsu, all of the worst parts of reliability are shown, he and Akihiko are too toxic for the healthy aspects to show. Hence why Haruki’s relationship with Akihiko is important - as it shows what it means to set up boundaries, to be steady with each other, and overall build a healthy relationship to rely on. The themes of reliability also go hand in hand with change, showing the harm that reliability that refuses change can be, and how change can be a necessary aspect of reliability.

The first relationship Akhiko is really seen in is with Ugetsu. They have a reliable yet unstable relationship, one that shows off all the worst possibilities when one refuses to change for the sake of keeping routine. The reliability comes in with how they always have a steady place to go home, they can rely on each other to eventually return, they know each other’s habits - good and bad. They’ve known each other so long, built this routine, and because of that they were always knewwhat to expect with each other - Akhiko knows that Ugetsu will allow him back in, that Ugetsu will have other men over, and he can rely on Ugetsu to always be distant even if they stay together. Meanwhile, Ugetsu can rely on Akihiko to always return to him, to also have outside relations - although, his were mostly with women - and to always search for affection that Ugetsu can’t bring himself to give. Their routine, their love, they could always rely on it to hurt themselves.

So, Ugetsu and Akihiko highlighted the theme that while reliability in a relationship may feel safe, it can lead to the destruction of one’s own mental health. The two of them have a twisted form of love turned sour, a love that no longer exists, that they rely on to keep routine. They push each other to the brink - both of them having outside relations while still knowing that they have a place with one another at the end of most days. One of the worst parts of their relationship is also how they both know they’re toxic - they know that they’ll never be able to be happy with each other, but Akihiko is in denial while Ugetsu can’t bring himself to fully push Akhiko away. They take comfort in the harm that they cause each other, they don’t enjoy their relationship, but they know it’s something they’ll be able to count on having. Because of this, Akihiko and Ugetsu are reliable, they’re simply reliable in all of the worst ways - which ultimately leads to their relationship's doomed ending.

Of course, then comes Haruki, who ends up being the reason why Akihiko learns he has to change. While it’s typically discouraged to change everything about yourself and how you approach a relationship, that isn’t the case this time because Akihiko needs to learn boundaries and communication. Haruki struggles at first to set boundaries himself, as his crush on Akihiko leads him to blocking out the faults that younger man has. Then, Akihiko assaults Haruki, breaking all trust and allusions of perfection, and creates the breaking point in their relationship - which brings the opportunity for change. Haruki effectively sets boundaries by kicking Akihiko out, then keeping his distance and making it clear that Akihiko fucked up big time. In response, Akihiko can’t push this boundary like he could with Ugetsu, and actively works to fix himself so he can be a better man for Haruki - which is necessary, as he was lucky that Haruki didn’t boot him from his life completely. It’s a reluctant thanks to this unfortunate event that Akihiko can change and grow though, and that Haruki is able to learn that his own boundaries and feelings are more important than his relationship with Akihiko ever could be.

This ends up leading to their own healthiness within reliability. Haruki and Akihiko are the better relationship, even with their rough patch. Akihiko learns that he has to respect boundaries, that he has to evolve and become more independent, and that he can become a stable person both on his own but also in a romantic relationship. Haruki, on the contrary, learns that he is definitely allowed to set boundaries, that his own emotions matter and should be prioritised, and that he deserves a partner who will be stable and good to him. These relationships lead to them then working separately first to better themselves, then together to heal their relationship and try something new. This leads to a whole new type of reliability - these two can rely on each other to help them change for the better and respect each other. Haruki sets boundaries that Akihiko follows, Akihiko goes out of his way to earn forgiveness and Haruki allows him to work for it. They want to be good for each other while also being good to themselves, and therefore they show the theme that sometimes change is people can rely on in order to be healthy for each other.

It’s through Akihiko that Given shows off the importance of reliability in relationships in two extremely different ways. Ugetsu examines a reliability that leads to toxicity, while Haruki shows off that sometimes change is part of what it means to rely on someone. The themes, just like the characters, contrast each other, which in itself shows the importance of their character arcs. Ahikiko was a character trapped within his own unwillingness to change, he was trapped in thinking that he had to stay the same for the sake of his relationships, but what he needed was to change. He had to rely on his own ability to become a better man in the end, because he does deserve better than his relationship with Ugetsu, but he doesn’t deserve Haruki when he first gets out of his relationship. It’s a brilliant way to show off the importance of reliability and how it can go hand in hand with change.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Codependency, My Beloved: Basil and Sunny

Within the game OMORI, different types of relationships are explored - familial, romantic, and platonic. One mostly platonic relationship is Basil and Sunny, but another layer is added onto them with the implications of codependency. While their childhood friendship was sweet and appeared to be built on being the quieter group members, the relationship is twisted on the day that Mari is killed. From then, it becomes twisted, with Basil becoming desperate in the real world and Sunny relying on Basil within his dreams. The two characters seem to develop a sense of dependency on each other - Sunny as well as Basil, even if the younger hides it better.

Before continuing, one must define codependency - which can be tricky with the different definitions out there. Codependency is defined as “excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, typically one who requires support on account of an illness or addiction” by the Oxford Dictionary, as “a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person manifesting low self-esteem and a strong desire for approval has an unhealthy attachment to another person and places the needs of that person before his or her own” by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and finally as “a relationship is when each person involved is mentally, emotionally, physically, and/or spiritually reliant on the other” by the VeryWell Mind website. While all varying, these definitions all seem to agree that codependency is an unhealthy/excessive psychological reliance on another person, often with negative reasons and consequences. This is the more generalised definition that will be used to explore the relationship between Sunny and Basil. 

The place  to start with for Sunny is within his own dreams, both Headspace and Black Space. That being said - within the dreams the player sees Sunny having, the goal is to find the missing Basil. Sunny also shows that Basil, like Mari, is a protected figure outside of Blackspace, he’s unable to adventure and unable to be injured outside of Boss Rush. This could be a sign of needing Basil in a similar way he needs Mari, he needs to protect them, to have them safe at all costs. There’s also the role of Basil within Headspace to consider - specifically how he’s relied on to bring out the truth. Basil plays an integral role when he disappears, as Sunny relies on finding Basil in Black Space to remind him of the truth. While yes, Basil dies and is silenced in Black Space, it still says a lot that he even appears in the darkest parts of Sunny’s mind - and for such a vital reason. To some degree, this could be seen as part of a psychological reliance. Dreams are often conjured by the mind based on desires and fears, thought to be a way for people to cope with day to day situations or life experiences. Sunny could be dealing with his dependency on Basil through his dreams, as they’re also how he’s coping with Mari’s death and losing all he knew. Headspace is by no means a solid sense of proof that Sunny is codependent with Basil, but it could be seen as supporting the idea.

The next reason why they could be interpreted as being codependent is their in-person interactions. Basil is a lot more obvious than Sunny in terms of their possible codependency, as he’s a lot more nervous, and appears to want Sunny’s approval. Basil is also outright disturbed when it comes to Sunny moving away - he’s terrified of being left by him. Basil states that he doesn’t want to be left alone, and it’s specifically Sunny he doesn’t want to be left alone by - not after his grandmother’s death, his parents’ absence, and the breaking of the childhood friend group. Basil is seen as a character with general abandonment issues, but there’s no denying that he thinks that Sunny is his last hope for any connection. To Basil, Sunny is all that he has left by the last night before Sunny moves, and he desperately needs the other boy to be around him, to stay with him. It’s undoubtedly an unhealthy reliance, perhaps even obsession, on Sunny. 

On the flipside, Sunny doesn’t show this as outright as Basil does, but there are a few instances that can come off as being overly protective and needing Basil to live. The most prominent is arguably how Sunny jumps into the water to try to save Basil. While yes, Kel had told Sunny to dive in for Basil, Sunny does it. He’s terrified of water, but is willing to dive in to try to save Basil, someone who he had only reconnected with the day before after four years. This may just be Sunny following orders and being a good friend, but his fear of water isn’t just a fear, but a phobia - more intense and way more difficult to face than a fear is. Maybe this is overanalysis, or maybe there’s a need on Sunny’s behalf to save Basil at risk of himself, after all, this isn’t the only time it happens. The final night of Sunny in Faraway has Basil having a psychotic breakdown that leads to Sunny confronting him and fighting him. Sunny is kept there by his own fear of Something, but that fear stems from what he and Basil did, it connects them, and Sunny can’t bring himself to leave Basil. 

Of course, that leads to the next piece of evidence towards codependency - the day of Mari’s death. There are a lot of things to be said about the day of Mari’s death, but when it comes to the possibility of codependency there are some key aspects to look at. Codependency can be caused by childhood trauma and/or dysfunctional families - meaning that the duo could’ve had a start of a codependent bond that was solidified by the trauma of Sunny killing Mari. Basil’s family life is pretty unknown, but the game itself suggests that his parents are completely absent while he was raised by his grandmother and he lacked friends until Aubrey introduced him to the group. This could explain Basil’s dependent attachment style. Sunny on the other hand appears to have had a decent family with high standards, that splintered after Mari’s death - so his own atttachment to Basil may not have been as strong, but formed because of Basil’s more tame nature compared to the rest of the group. Keeping this as a possibility of their home lives and connection to each other, it would make sense if they were already dependent on each other, and Mari’s death made it evolve into codependency. The event was undoubtedly traumatising, and the cover up would have been just as awful for them to go through - caused by a need to protect as well as shock from the event. Their silence was born out of loyalty and horror at the events, leading them to different types of delusions to protect themselves from the truth. They also rely on the younger versions of each other from when they were younger - needing to believe each other to still be innocent, as seen in Sunny’s dreams and Basil creating Something.

Finally, there’s their deaths to consider. Basil’s suicide happens after he loses his grandmother - the only adult he was close with and the one who raised him, and the night before Sunny was to move. Basil was essentially set up to lose everything that night - as it’s implied that he and Polly weren’t actually that close, so she wouldn’t be a tether to Faraway like both his grandmother and Sunny were. Basil’s suicide is a result of loss, loss of the only people he felt he had left in the world - and in a way, that shows his reliance on even just the idea of Sunny, as he was able to drag himself through life with the promise of Sunny at least being near, even if he was locked away. For Sunny, his suicide is caused by the truth. Sunny’s suicide is caused by the awful guilt of killing Mari and the effects it has on the friend group, as they all fell apart. Stranger and Omori are both kind of the yin and yang to Sunny and his suicide - Omori is the suicidal thoughts, the need to hide and the idea that he can never be forgiven for what happened, while Stranger is the need to live in order to tell the truth and also save Basil from his own turmoil. They represent the war within Sunny’s mind, the want to die and the need to live, and the one who wins depends on the ending the player receives. The death that matters the most in terms of codependency is neutral stabbing, as it shows that given the chance, Sunny would die with Basil. Sunny in the neutral stab ending sees Basil’s dead body then goes home and ends up killing himself that morning, and it’s likely guilt over now not only Mari’s death but also Basil’s that leads him to suicide in that ending. He had lost his sister and his best friend, one who’s blood is directly on his hands and the other who he may think is indirectly his fault. Sunny only had them in his dreams and wouldn’t even have the familiarity of Faraway Town anymore, so his own tethers would have been gone as well, only having a possibly distant mother left.

In the end, it’s hard to determine if Sunny and Basil are actually codependent or not - both because of their limited time together in game, but also because they’re video game characters. While there is some evidence to interpret them as codependent, it’s fully possible to disregard the idea that they were reliant on each other in a psychological manner. It could also potentially just be seen as a one-sided dependency from Basil’s side, as he shows more obvious signs of being dependent and wanting Sunny’s attention and approval than Sunny does on him. But, there is still the possibility that there is a tragic codependent bond between Sunny and Basil, one that can have the devastating effects of their suicides, or the hopeful possibility of the truth coming out. Either way, the bond that the two boys share is a tragedy - running deep enough to end them both.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

The Basil Quartet: The Roles of an (Oopsie) Daisy

The roles of different characters are interesting to look at and pick apart within OMORI. One of the most interesting characters to analyse within the game being Basil. This is thanks to the four different versions of Basil within the game - Headspace Basil, Realworld Basil, Stranger, and Memory Basil. Each version of Basil plays a different role outside of being a dream and a real person, and each role holds incredible importance within OMORI. A sweet gatekeeper, an anxious mess, a mysterious guide, and a hope for the future, there is no doubt that the many faces Basil wears are all vital to the recovery of the truth and the entirety of the plot of OMORI.

The first role that Basil fills comes within Sunny’s headspace. The young, mint-haired version of Basil is portrayed as a sweetheart, one who is simply trying to hang out with his friends and take care of his plants in a world of joy. Unluckily for him, Headspace Basil - who will from now on be referred to as HS!Basil for convenience - is also meant to play the role of the gatekeeper of the truth. It is HS!Basil, who will be the reason the truth is even hinted at in the first place, as he picks up a photo he doesn’t remember taking, one that leads to him disappearing into the Blackspace, where Omori must travel to find him, to bring him back. Him being the gatekeeper of the truth is clear within different clips in headspace - such as his initial disappearance, the cutscene of him on the cliff where his eyes go red and Something appears, as well as the ‘Basil Tape’ where a younger Basil is shown looking horrified - as well as simply how he acts in the real worlds, as the most anxious and fearful when Sunny reappears. The version of Basil met within the Headspace is gone for most of the game, only reappearing in the end which also contributes to his role as the gatekeeper to the truth - after all, as the game continues, the player gets closer to finding HS!Basil and discovering the truth. It is in Black Space when this form of Basil reappears that he tries to tell Omori what has happened, when he tries to remind Sunny of the horrors of the day of the recital. The role of HS!Basil is that of the driving force to some degree - he forces the journey in Head Space to happen, as he has for many cycles, and it is through him that Sunny is triggered into remembering the truth - even if he doesn’t learn it in the Black Space. This Basil is the one who holds the truth and ultimately appears to be the cause of the memory sequence - if he is never lost, he can never remind Sunny of the truth, meaning he wouldn’t be reminded over and over again of what happened. HS!Basil is the keeper of the gate that blocks out the suppressed memories, even if he’s just doing his best to survive and continue being a good friend. He highlights the sweet innocence of an ideal Basil from their childhood, but he is also the one cursed to be lost in order to help Sunny remember the truth.

The second role of Basil is found within real world Basil - this role is essentially just an anxious mess. Now in spite of these two words summing up his entire personality, there is still a lot to say about Basil - and with this being real world Basil, he will simply be Basil. This form of Basil is the most conflicted - hence the title of a mess. He tries to be a protector to Sunny, shown in the past when he hung Mari’s body, as well as how he is trying to protect Sunny when he attacks him during a psychotic break during the final night. Evidently, both of these actions fail in their goal, only harming the group, but most of all him and Sunny mentally and physically. Whenever he tries to do something right, Basil finds himself in a bigger mess of a situation, and because of this he ends up with anxiety worse than a hamsters’. The overarching role of this Basil is to try and fail at being a protector, to try and to fail at being as good as he wanted to be. In the end of the Sunny route, actions around Basil will also help the player to achieve any of the four endings, landing Sunny in a few different types of messes - by going back to sleep and Basil killing himself, the player can end up with Sunny moving and never dealing with the mess that was left behind or in a mess of blood when he stabs himself, if the player saves Basil, Sunny either ends up telling their friends the messy truth or else he can end up as a mess on the pavement. While Headspace Basil is the one who drives Sunny to find the truth, Real World Basil is the reason for the truth to exist, he is the trigger to the entirety of the game because of how he is unable to stop making messes out of misguided attempts to protect.

Stranger is the third role that Basil plays, having the reputation of an elusive guide during the party’s quest to find HS!Basil. Stranger is representative of the darker parts of Basil - a foil to the other version who appears within Headspace thanks to his more jaded and bitter nature. The role of Stranger is to persuade the Dreamer - Sunny - to find the truth, meaning that he’s one of the characters who goes against the protective and oppressive nature of Headspace. He actively works against hiding the truth, the only other character who does this being Spirit Mari, with Daddy Long-Legs mostly just warning against Headspace not necessarily encouraging the finding of the truth. It makes Stranger an anomaly. His appearing in the Blackspace also makes him a little strange though, as he is one of three characters existent there - Omori and HS!Basil being the other two. It’s clear though, that he simply is a wanderer who longs for something that could heal his real world counterpart. Stranger is the pressure, he is the one who is actively pushing at all times for Sunny to wake up from his delusions, he is the one who warns against forgetting, and he is the one who will fight Sunny in the Hikkiomori route because of his lack of action. Stranger is all of the darkness that Sunny fears Basil will have developed in his absence, he is the jaded nature after abandonment, and he is the ominous warning of the tragedy that will become of Basil without Sunny realising the truth and saying something.

Finally, there is Memory Basil, who is the representation of love in the past and hope for the future. This version of Basil is the one who appears within the memory sequence at the of the game as well as the one who hugs Sunny within that sequence. M!Basil helps to show what the past was like - like all others, he also reveals a different side of himself from the present and the dreamworld version. He shows that he wasn’t always so scared and desperate, but wasn’t the most sweet and innocent either - rather, Basil shows that he was a sweetheart, but also cheeky at times, would tease, not just compliment - especially with Sunny. These memories help Sunny to realise that the times the group had together were amazing, that he was lucky to have had the group, and that, even if nothing was perfect - his best friend included, there could still be hope. The imagined sequence of Basil hugging Sunny is in a way based on these memories, he is the idea that the future will be better if the truth comes out. M!Basil shows the flaws and imperfections that made young Basil, the ones that were excluded from Headspace Basil, shoved into Stranger, and the sides that have been lost from current Real World Basil. Sunny can open up not only because of the fight with Omori, but because of his interactions with the memories, and M!Basil in both those past and imagined events bring another sense of hope and reassurance that not everything will be awful, that there can be healing, if the truth is finally told. The role of Memory Basil is to remind of the good that once existed even with flaws and therefore there should be confidence going forward - no matter how terrifying.

Overall, Basil is a very important character within the world of OMORI. He has four different roles, all of which are vital to the progress of the game. The vast personalities are all interesting, but also all create a cohesive character who was driven by love for his friends, who was a cute kid with a snarky side, but grew up to be less than lucky in life. Both in the Headspace and Sunny route with the Real World, Basil is a plot driver, important in every area. He is tragic to think about, with his actions having long lasting effects on everyone, but his counterparts also help Sunny to realise that the two of them will never be able to recover without the truth coming out. 

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Ravenpaw, Tigerclaw, and Undisguised Abuse

Within the Warriors book series, one mentor and apprentice relationship that stands out comes from within the very first book - Into the Wild. This duo is the powerful Tigerclaw and the unfortunate Ravenpaw. While they may not have the same time together that other mentor-apprentice duos have, both of these characters stand out within the first series, and their effect on each other is one of the most interesting to look at. The reason for this fascination with their dynamic doesn’t just stem from Ravenpaw being the only witness of Tigerclaw’s original crime, but from the intricasies of the undisguised abuse that Ravenpaw goes through at the older cat's paws. The dynamic between the two of them is undeniably toxic, and it’s depressing to see how Tigerclaw mistreats Ravenpaw - but what makes it worse is how normal it’s treated within the book. 

The first thing to establish when talking about Ravenpaw’s abuse, is the kinds of abuse that he goes through - which is three different types. Ravenpaw is shown to suffer through verbal, physical, and psychological abuse all at the claws of Tigerclaw. 

The verbal abuse is pretty obvious within every interaction between Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw, with the former always degrading the younger during training. While the clan appears to brush off Tigerclaw’s comments as him being a strict mentor, it’s not true - his comments are overly harsh, and don’t include actual critique or advice most of the time. This actually makes Tigerclaw a pretty terrible mentor, as he doesn’t really train Ravenpaw - a person (or cat) will not properly learn through abuse and not recieving actual help. Not only are there rude comments within training, there’s also Tigerclaw yelling at Ravenpaw and making petty jabs outside of training. One example of this is when he yelled at Ravenpaw after the Gathering where the young told the other apprentices about the battle between Riverclan and Thunderclan at the Sunningrocks. While the reader doesn’t find out exactly what Tigerclaw said to Ravenpaw, it becomes pretty obvious that it was nothing good based on both Tigerclaw yelling to the point that Ravenpaw was cowering in front of him, as well as Ravenpaw rushing back to his nest - not acknowledging Firepaw. Verbal abuse is the most prominent of the abuses that Ravenpaw goes through by Tigerclaw, the insults are endless, there isn’t any real praise ever given - except for once off-page because he caught a crow, and overall Tigerclaw is needlessly verbally aggressive towards Ravenpaw.

Next is physical abuse, which is a little harder to pin down - and it’s a little more implied than shown. One instance of this would be basically Tigerclaw’s opening scene, when he’s nudging at a newly injured Ravenpaw and trying to insist he trains. This not only shows that Tigerclaw was fully willing to risk hurting Ravenpaw more than he already was, but hints towards Tigerclaw being a mentor who doesn’t care about physical wellbeing. The next scene the two interact, Tigerclaw also says something about how a true warrior doesn’t complain about pain, immediately shutting up his timid apprentice - who had barely even spoken about his shoulder aching, not enough for that response from his mentor. The physical abuse point is by no means as fleshed out as either the verbal or emotional abuse is, but it does still seem to be implied at the very least through Tigerclaw’s attitude towards Ravenpaw. He not only seems like but is also implied to be the type of mentor who will push and push until his apprentice is literally stuck in the medicine den - which was the only reason that Ravenpaw was allowed to miss a day of training.

Finally, there’s the emotional/psychological abuse. Psychological abuse, also called emotional abuse, is characterised by the aggressor using words and/or actions to intimidate, control or isolate someone. This can be done through the use of physical and verbal abuse, but also by humiliating and shaming the victim. The physical and verbal abuse have already been gone through, so this section is more about Tigerclaw’s actions towards Ravenpaw when it comes to the mental ways that Tigerclaw messes with Ravenpaw. First and foremost - humiliation is something that Tigerclaw uses plenty of. He doesn’t hide his comments or what he thinks of Ravenpaw at all from anyone, insulting him around other warriors and apprentices - Lionheart, Greypaw, and Firepaw being the most prominent examples, though he does it in camp where anyone can hear. He also paints Ravenpaw to be a coward, and while Ravenpaw isn’t the bravest cat, he isn’t actually much of a coward most of the time - rather he comes off as having anxiety more than being straight up cowardly. So yes, Tigerclaw definitely humiliates Ravenpaw, and it’s bad, greatly affecting Ravenpaw but also the clan’s view of him. Another thing that Tigerclaw does, specifically to isolate Ravenpaw and destroy his reputation, is spread rumours about him. The rumours that Tigerclaw spreads about Ravenpaw being a traitor to Thunderclan and a spy for Shadowclan are very specifically done so that Ravenpaw will be seen as untrustworthy, cowardly, and a threat. He does this so that Ravenpaw can’t tell anyone about what happened at Sunningrocks, but also as another way to try to drive the younger cat away. Tigerclaw does everything he can to silence Ravenpaw and force him into a corner, trapped to the point where he can’t try to confide to anyone within Thunderclan nor can he run away because it’ll make Tigerclaw look like he was right when he called Ravenpaw a traitor. Everything about this mentor-apprentice relationship is abusive and terrible, with the way that it affects the characters involved directly and indirectly being incredibly twisted and interesting to look at.

The first character to address within this dynamic is, of course, Ravenpaw himself. The fact is that Ravenpaw’s abuse was incredibly normalised within Thunderclan, and therefore the effects of the abuse were brushed off as Ravenpaw’s own character flaws by the others. It’s actually incredibly disturbing to read, as it’s not unrealistic to see this happen. The first thing that’s not addressed by most other’s within the series is Ravenpaw’s low self esteem, which affects him a lot. He often downplays his hunting skills, and sometimes it’s because he’s repeating things that Tigerclaw said. Ravenpaw doesn’t really boast about his own accomplishments like other apprentices do at times, he actively shuts down his own pride in himself - as seen in the adder scene. He can kind of take a compliment, like when Graypaw hypes him up for catching a crow - but even then Ravenpaw undermines it by mentioning that the crow was likely old. So, Tigerclaw definitely destroyed any chances at Ravenpaw having a good amount of self worth whilst living in the clan - luckily, he does get more confident when he’s out of Thunderclan and with Barley. Self-worth isn’t the only way that Ravenpaw’s affected of coure, there’s also his anxiety and paranoia. Ravenpaw went from timid and anxious to outright paranoid it appears - Bluestar had actually paired Ravenpaw up with Tigerclaw to try to improve his confidence and courage, which fully backfired. Rather, because of what he witnessed but also Tigerclaw’s brutal training methods, Ravenpaw just appears to have terrible anxiety, and is extremely jumpy for most of the first book. Quite frankly, he stays jumpy whenever Tigerclaw is mentioned even after he escapes Thunderclan - it’s clear that Ravenpaw not only emulates having anxiety, but also PTSD. Ravenpaw has nightmares and flashbacks, he freezes up, is avoidant and jumpy due to fear, he doesn’t have outright panic attacks or anxiety attacks, but gets close a couple of times. Overall, Ravenpaw’s mental state was implied to be already frail - likely from anxiety - when he was a kit, and it just ended up worse due to Tigerclaw’s abuse constantly wearing down on his self-worth and general mental health. The effects of abuse aren’t subtle, Ravenpaw’s but jumpiness and signs of anxiety are just brushed off as his personality - which says a lot about the clan, especially in response to how they treat and view Ravenpaw, none of which is good.

However, the second major player to discuss is Tigerclaw. For Tigerclaw, the abuse wasn’t actually about hurting Ravenpaw specifically, rather it was about the power. Tigerclaw was known as a strict mentor - it’s seen in how his treatment of Ravenpaw is shrugged off, meaning he may have been abusive towards his previous apprentice, Darkstripe. One doesn’t typically obtain a reputation after treating one cat badly, and for them to brush off such clear abuse means this is likely a pattern of behaviour from Tigerclaw. As for his reasoning for the abuse, Tigerclaw is a power centred character, it’s what he appears to crave at all costs, and he takes power over others through his harshness. With Darkstripe - Tigerclaw was able to shape him into a loyal follower, he wanted someone who would stay on his side as a minnion. With Ravenpaw, the purpose ends up being keeping him silent. Assuming that Tigerclaw had already been abusive to Ravenpaw, the abuse was likely done under the guise of trying to toughen Ravenpaw up or something similar - possibly wanting another loyal follower. In the end, as it worsened, the abuse gave Tigerclaw the ability to keep Ravenpaw silent as they both knew that the apprentice was seen as just a paranoid cat anyway. So for Tigerclaw, the abuse was about power - he wanted followers and he wanted his nefarious intentions to stay quiet. The abuse also shows what he’s willing to do for power - he’s brutal and manipulative, able to spin stories to his advantage. These same traits are shown in his attempts to become leader - he attacks Bluestar, and when that fails, he manipulates his way into becoming the leader of Shadowclan and Tigerclan. 

Finally, there’s the effects of Tigerclaw's abuse of Ravenpaw on the whole of Thunderclan. It’s a pretty terrifying situation to look at, as the clan brushing off Tigerclaw as simply being strict and Ravenpaw as always being overly paranoid leads to an apprentice having to run away. While yes, Tigerclaw is charismatic and appears like the perfect warrior, his words alone - his rumours - shouldn’t be enough for the whole clan to turn on a young cat. Yet, that’s exactly what happens, words without real proof or interrogation almost seal Ravenpaw’s fate as a cowardly traitor in the eyes of his clanmates, with the only thing that saves him being faking his own death. Thunderclan as a whole doesn’t handle Ravenpaw well - they don’t try to understand him or see why he’s so scared all the time, rather they brush off everything off as being a fearful nature. Maybe there are some who chalk it up to his first fight traumatizing him and making him even jumpier, but that isn’t seen - rather, they just call him a coward and a traitor, and drive him out of the clan. Thunderclan as a whole acts as the problem when it comes to Ravenpaw, his only allies are Firepaw and Graypaw. This also sets up Tigerclaw to be more bold in his own power grabs, as he knows that power he holds over Thunderclan as a whole. He saw how he was able to spin the story of Redtail’s death, then how he was able to turn the majority of the clan against Ravenpaw, he also knows the power of his position of deputy - they accidentally show that he can get away with anything. Whether they know it or not, Thunderclan is extremely susceptible to manipulation, and Tigerclaw is the perfect cat to take advantage of them as a charismatic and powerful warrior. Thunderclan as a whole are both a villain and a victim in terms of the abusive dynamic between Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw, as they never even try to talk to Ravenpaw or understand him and end up enabling the abuse, but there’s also no doubt that Tigerclaw is in the perfect position to be manipulating them to ignore and turn on Ravenpaw anyway.

In the long run, Ravenpaw’s abuse was a brilliant way to introduce Tigerclaw as the big villain for the first series, and set up different dynamics. Ravenpaw is the unfortunate victim, the scapegoat of the first book because of his knowledge, while Tigerclaw is the masqueraded abuser, acting like he’s perfect when he’s actually awful. The entirety of the abuse was normalised by Thunderclan, and it ended up making them victims to Tigerclaw’s manipulation as well - it set up how he was able to take so much control throughout the series. By being so blatantly abusive to Ravenpaw, Tigerclaw was able to be seen as strict rather than cruel, and Thunderclan held him as a revered warrior and pinned Ravenpaw as being nothing more than a nervous traitor. It’s a depressing reality, as Ravenpaw and Tigerclaw show a true representation of an abusive relationship - as abuse is often overlooked by the community, while only a few close friends will pick up on the issue. The normalised abuse within Thunderclan leaves them vulnerable, giving a villain the power he wanted, and driving out a victim who knew his own lack of power.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Social Commentary!: Miya as a Look at Childhood Fame

Miya Chinen as subtle social commentary, kinda brilliant - right? Using a cold fire as a shield to hide behind, the boy shows the issues within the idea of childhood fame. From the facade, the diet that hopefully won’t lead to a full eating disorder, to the abandonment by friends, pressure from the press, and even a predator within those most influential over his career, the subtext of Miya can say a lot about why child stars of any sort shouldn’t exist as they do in society. There’s an immense sort of pressure that no child can handle and by no means should they have to deal with it. Miya Chinen is social commentary, and he’s important social commentary.

The first point to address here is the two different facades. The two facades can be seen as the public persona and the ‘S’ facade. The first persona shown is the public persona , the one that he uses on the press. It's the sweet and humble kid who’s grateful to be rising in fame and popularity. The public facade is the one that Miya is first really introduced to through the video and interview that Miya does. It seems likely that this is the persona also used at school - it makes sense if he’s just as polite and respectful there as he is when he’s interacting in a professional skate park. It may appear more with teachers, but this persona is even shown with his parents in the brief time they appear. Miya becomes polite, seems so eager to help pick photos for his magazine appearance or whatever it was he had interviewed for. The public persona is Miya’s good kid facade, he uses it to appear like he’s the perfect go-getter. He makes himself innocent and humble, the type of person that the public will be happy to see gaining traction. This persona though conveys the image that child stars have to put up for the people. A child star has to play nice, they have the pressure to be good for the cameras. If they aren’t, any chance at a career can disappear even quicker than it will for an adult. Children have more pressure than adults do, they have to be more grateful and more innocent, teenagers are even worse because that’s the toughest time for a person developmentally. Miya is 13 years old, he is undoubtedly going to have some issues if he drops this persona when in the public eye. Yet, he - like any other child stars - has to keep up this act, he will continue for the sake of his career.

The second facade Miya wears is the S persona. While it’s truer to who he is, it can also be seen as an exaggeration to his personality done for protection. At S, Miya is snappy and cold, arrogant and rude. He gives out insults like they’re second nature, and he’s unafraid of the consequences of his words - after all, he has the skill to back up his words. The way Miya acts at S is the complete opposite to his public persona, an act of rebellion. If he has to be perfect and kind as Miya Chinen, the rising prodigy of the skateboarding world, then he gets to be Miya, the fierce competitor of underground skateboarding. This persona isn’t restricted to S alone, as it does appear while hanging out with the others, but it fades then - giving hints to Miya’s actual personality. The way that Miya acts at S though is a show of how a child star will rebel, especially in their teen years. The way that some will party or get mixed up in unfortunate crowds is represented by Miya appearing at S. It’s an illegal skateboarding club, the opposite of his professional gig, so it’s a great way for him to try to let loose at times. It’s him sneaking out, him showing off a whole new side, and it’s the period of time where child stars sometimes rebel and change who they are.

In reality, it doesn’t seem likely that either of these persona’s are completely true to Miya’s personality. Rather, he seems to be more subdued in arrogance, a little more insecure at times - more with his relationships than skating, and more lighthearted. He knows he’s good at what he does, but he isn’t always so rude about it. He’s still snappy, but it isn’t insults, it’s retorts - insult him, he insults back. He’s also shown to be a little bit manipulative, which even having these two persona’s show he knows how to work a crowd and get the reactions he wants. Miya is most similar to his S persona, but he’s still softer once his walls are broken down. He’s by no means sweet, but he also isn’t so prickly all the time. The truth of Miya’s facades is the truth of fame pressuring young people to be someone who they aren’t. He tries to be perfect and then he uses any emotions he compartmentalised to create his anger. Neither are true, and that’s how it can be for child stars, an uncertainty of how to act outside of themselves.

The next point is the theory behind Miya’s diet being unhealthily restrictive. Now, Miya may not have an eating disorder yet, but plenty of young stars whether they’re athletes or something else do develop eating disorders. Miya’s diet is something that he appears to take seriously, even if it’s played off as a joke. A child can worry about watching their weight, but a diet can be either useful or really counterproductive and push them in the opposite direction - instead of gaining too much weight, they lose too much weight. Miya takes his career seriously, he does appear like he wants to pursue skateboarding even though it’s cost him friendships, as he has passion for the sport. So if eating a hamburger makes him respond instantly thinking he’ll get fat, and if he appears to eat nutrient packets like their real food, then there’s a risk for his future. While fast food isn’t healthy on a regular basis, a cheat day or a single meal won’t ruin a person’s physique. This point is more of a how things could progress kind of point, as Miya probably doesn’t have an eating disorder yet. It’s just interesting in a character who appears to reflect other aspects of childhood fame when eating disorders are a depressing trend seen within stars.

The abandonment that Miya goes through can also be seen as an issue for fame during childhood. Jealousy runs rampant in youthful minds, and Miya’s rapid rise to fame would be the perfect ground for it. The fact that Miya was left by his friends as he started to gain the public eye shows how some people react to the success of a friend. Miya also doesn’t appear to be particularly introverted, meaning that his childhood friends deciding he was too good for them would probably be his reason to avoid making new friends, it would also be a great reason to develop the facades he wears. He would want to avoid being hurt again by pushing people away instead of letting them come close. That’s the purpose of his S persona, push away, while his public persona is the draw in. It’s the way that he was called arrogant and told he thought himself to be better than the others that caused him to decide that he should simply lean into that. Meanwhile, the abandonment taught him that he must have been doing something wrong for his friends to think that, so he was able to adjust how he acted within the eye of the public. It was the fact that he was left behind socially that likely caused Miya to create a facade. His friends leaving him behind wasn’t unrealistic, as they were driven by jealousy when watching Miya suddenly get recognition for his skateboarding. Nothing that they said was right nor okay, but it’s also a reflection of their ages. These are young teenagers who don’t know each other’s challenges, not well. This is seen on even smaller levels in everyday society, so it’ll definitely happen in a situation like Miya’s. Childhood fame can bring a sense of disconnect from a person's peers, it can be subtle in some cases - just a sense of displacement - and larger in others, like bullying. Really, one of the biggest issues that can come with fame is the disconnect, so Miya’s abandonment issues make sense and are rough. A child shouldn’t deal with this.

Next is the press. If Miya thought about facades after abandonment, the need was solidified by the press. Interviews can be brutal, asking questions that can be difficult to answer. A person may feel the need to lie because their answers will be unsatisfactory, and Miya is likely a character who’s learnt how to do this. He can come across as confident, but not arrogant, he has to be kind and well-spoken. The media are vultures who will tear apart a person's reputation the moment it shows signs of weakness. The media creates a person's image and the only way to survive them is to be naturally perfect or else learn to manipulate the stage. Miya would have to either have that perfect soft personality or create it, and given how he acts at S, it seems likely that his public persona was just as crafted based on what the press would want to see. The issue is the pressure here. Miya may not show it all the time, but it is challenging to keep up appearances in a high pressure environment - and his professional skating is definitely a high pressure time. It’s not only interviews that Miya would worry about, but also his actual competitions and the videos. Posture and perfection have to be kept up at all times, both while skating and on the sidelines. He would be watched and therefore he would have to stay professional. This is even seen slightly, as Miya simply has to adjust when other skaters try to sabotage him on camera. Instead of panicking or freaking out, he’s just calm, adjusting and managing to stick a landing. He doesn’t say something loud or rude like he would outside of the public eye, rather he makes a quiet snide remark that the press wouldn’t hear afterwards. Miya reflects how when a child star is under the scrutinising eyes of the press, they have to adjust themselves. They have to make sure they are the bigger person, that they stay calm and keep on the mask they’ve created for themselves. The scene of the press shows Miya doing what needs to be done for the sake of not losing his good reputation, as young stars do in the real world. He is calculated in how he acts because of the way the press can change up their opinions in the blink of an eye - it only takes one slip up for someone’s name to be dragged through the mud.

The final challenge that Miya faces, reflecting childhood fame, is Adam. They have a relationship outside of S, one that doesn’t seem too great. Adam appears to be a sponsor of the professional park that Miya skates in. He pays for repairs and upgrades all while keeping an eye on the skaters - with Miya being the most prominent of the bunch. Adam, as the audience knows, is looking for his Eve, in a way, Miya may have been a candidate for this role. It seems likely that Adam would have been the one to introduce Miya to S, and he also has a way to personally message him, not exactly helping Adam to prove innocent of darker intentions with the 13 year old. In a way, one could say this is reminiscent of the grooming that youthful stars can go through - though that’s not to say older stars don’t as well. There is a certain allegory that goes into Miya and Adam when seeing Miya as a representative of the negativity of childhood fame. The watching, the direct messaging, the relationship outside of professional grounds, all of it leads to a darker picture in subtext. This darker picture actually happens within different fields of fame. Athletics, acting, singing, all of these industries do have issues with sexual abuse - no matter the age of the victim. Adam may not purposefully be this disturbing, but he still is. Maybe his intentions are completely innocent, maybe he isn’t as creepy with Miya as he could be considering they’ve likely known each other awhile. Without their relationship being expanded upon more, all that can be said for sure is that Adam is a sponsor to the park Miya skates for and has contact with Miya outside of this. It’s only the subtext that leads to the darker ideas and hints of what happens to child stars in different industries. The different ways that young teens can be hurt.

Overall, Miya really does appear to be social commentary about childhood fame and how it can affect a young teen. His facades, his relationship with food, the press, and even Adam all hint towards a dark view on how childhood stardom should be viewed. He’s a character who conflicts himself and feels so much pressure because of the role that he’s been put into. Children shouldn’t deal with the kinds of pressure that comes with any sort of fame, no matter the field. Miya comments most specifically on sports, as he is a skateboarder, but really the way the commentary is done can be applied to all fields of fame. It’s quite disturbing commentary, even if a few things are played for jokes - such as the food and the different facades that he is shown to have. It doesn’t change that these can lead to issues for Miya in the future if things stay unaddressed. That being said, this could be a way deeper look into Miya and his fame than is intended, but the subtext of his character definitely leads to a darker commentary of childhood fame.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

The Complexities of a Quartet: Mafuyu, Yuki, Hiiragi, and Shizusumi

Within Given, one of the more interesting and complex groups to look at is the childhood quartet of Mafuyu, Yuki, Hiiragi, and Shizusumi. Each of the relationships within this quartet bring forth differe complex dynamics - especially with the Yuki sized gap between Mafuyu and the rest, as well as the Hiiragi sized bridge that brought along Shizusumi. While all four of them were childhood friends, there’s no denying that some relationships were closer than others within the group. Yet, the four were close, staying together most of their lives until high school, SYH, and Yuki’s suicide - all of which completely shifted the dynamics of the group.

The first thing to discuss is the overall quartet - including the connecting duos within said quartet, though the details of those will come in later. The four of them met as children, likely forming their cute little group around the age five or six years old, with Shizusumi being the last member of the group but clearly joining in kindergarten or (at latest) grade one. Becoming a group at such a young age leads them to setting up stronger relationships, and they do this mostly successfully. As much as they differ in personalities, the whole group is just precious at the beginning. There’s a teasing relationship between Mafuyu and Hiiragi as well as Shizusumi and Yuki, there’s the absolute adoration of Yuki from both Hiiragi, there’s the kind of tag along duo that is Shizusumi and Mafuyu, as well as the early childhood loves of Shizusumi and Hiiragi and Mafuyu and Yuki. In their early childhood, up until high school, the quartet is just wholesome. While there wasn’t a full focus on childhood friendships, the flashes shown do tell the audience that it was a bright time in the group's life, they were happy together even if they had individual struggles.

Then high school comes along, and the quartet accidentally breaks into a trio, with Mafuyu drifting away. There are quite a few factors to this unintentional splitting up - the different high schools, SYH forming, and the struggles of being teenagers with mental health issues. Seperation is the biggest issue here, Yuki, Hiiragi, and Shizusumi all go to the same high school and end up forming a band because Yuki picked up guitar and Hiiragi was more than eager to join, with Shizusumi doing whatever Hiiragi does. Mafuyu ended up going to a different high school, and didn’t end up as part of SYH, meaning he didn’t spend as much time with the group. It leads to a slight alienation, he didn’t know anything about music or bands, he didn’t attend the practices even just to listen in, and he didn’t know how to communicate the loneliness he felt because of new distance. Meanwhile, none of the formed trio actually seemed to notice this distance. Yuki was enchanted by guitar and songwriting, Hiiragi was enchanted by Yuki and the band, and Shizusumi was just in love with Hiiragi. In the end, the groups of SYH were good, they were mostly happy together, and high school didn’t appear to phase them at all. The issue is how Mafuyu drifted, and the rift between him and Yuki, which led to loneliness and communication issues between them. Overall, the trio dynamic is bad for the group, it didn’t work out, and it may have led to the tragedy of Yuki’s death. Had they been able to stay a quartet throughout high school, there wouldn’t have been the same sense of loneliness on Mafuyu’s end, and the communication issues may not have come on as heavily. In a way, this era of the group shows off why a trio within a quartet is a bad idea, while duos in a quartet can work - it’s a matter of one person being completely left out versus two people and two people. 

So as groups, it works out most of the time. The quartet works perfectly for everyone, they were all happy when together. While there were two clearer duos within the group, as well as one connecting duo, it didn’t change the happiness that was felt by the quartet when together. They look back on their childhood memories fondly, they know that the times they had were amazing while they lasted, and they all wish that Yuki had stayed with them longer. It’s the trio dynamic that didn’t work for them, and while it may have been happy in the moment for the living members of SYH, to look back on the period is bittersweet - there are certain warning signs that can be seen now about the rise in tension to the fight and Yuki’s death. For Mafuyu, it’s a time of regrets and bitterness. He hates that he never spoke up, but he’s bitter that he was left behind in the first place. So the quartet was the ideal dynamic for all four of them, but it’s not just the entire group that’s interesting - there’s also the duo dynamics within the group. Each duo has their own interesting and fun dynamic to explore, with some of them having more information on them than others.

Possibly the most unknown dynamic belongs to Shizusumi and Yuki. Shizusumi is the only one of the quartet who truly acknowledges that Yuki was the center of their group. He is also the one who appears more nonchalant about Yuki’s death by the point he appears in the manga - likely being the only one to process his grief normally. Shizusumi, while close with Yuki, was likely the furthest from him. Now that doesn’t mean they weren’t still close - the two were still childhood friends, part of the same group from a young age. However, the third week bonus omake does apparently say that Shizusumi and Yuki had a similar relationship to Hiiragi and Uenoyama - one where they would bicker and call each other names. With this in mind, any panels where Shizusumi is seen as antagonistic towards Yuki, can be explained as him keeping up old habits after his death. This brings a more lighthearted view to their relationship - it feels more likely that Shizusumi is coping and grieving by acting more normal, he’s trying to stay steady. He said at one point to Uenoyama “that “suffering” of yours is alien to me” - while this was in reference to romance, it’s possible that this also extends to grief. His relationship to Yuki isn’t a focus because he worked through his grief differently from Hiiragi and Mafuyu, making him less relevant in terms of story. It leads to Shizusumi and Yuki’s relationship being the least known about, but it feels likely that the two were still good friends, even if they weren’t given the same focus as the other’s with Yuki.

Shizusumi and Mafuyu have a lot more known about them currently, which can lead to a few points being figured out within childhood. These two were, in a way, the drag along friends. Shizusumi was there because of Hiiragi and Mafuyu was there thanks to Yuki, if it hadn’t been for their connecting friends, who knows if these two would’ve actually connected. In childhood, it seems like they were a bit distant, more introverted and quiet than their extraverted counterparts. This didn’t stop a bond from existing though - as Shizusumi and Mafuyu in their teen years are definitely close, and they have a unique sort of bond. These two are honest - or rather, they're blunt in a way that’s different from others. It seems likely that these two figured out in childhood that both of them were the quiet type, therefore not being the types to mince words, especially with each other. Mafuyu is also able to come to Shizusumi when he has an issue, which makes it likely that the two may have been able to rely on each other for advice in the past and built up that no-nonsense type of relationship. It feels likely that they held both a shallow and deep bond, as they weren’t vital to each other, but they were also the ones who they could trust for straightforward advice and talks. This does develop to the point of being a firm friendship within the actual manga, as the reconnection appears to strengthen the bonds of those left from the original quartet. While Shizusumi and Mafuyu may not be the duo that go out to just hang out and have fun, they are the ones who are able to have those serious conversations, thanks to their appreciation for bluntness.

Next, the icons themselves, the childhood friends to lovers gone right, Shizusumi and Hiiragi. From the beginning Shizusumi was pretty in love with Hiiragi, like solidly having a crush since they were children. Hiiragi was definitely the closest to Shizusumi of the entire group, still is, always will be, and it’s really cute - even if he hasn’t necessarily always returned Shizusumi’s romantic feelings. These two were a duo, they were happy and cute, with Shizusumi pining over Hiiragi, while Hiiragi chased after Yuki - be that platonically or romantically. Even with the different types of feelings, this didn’t stop them from being super close - Shizusumi never actually let jealousy get the best of him when it came to his friendship with Hiiragi throughout their younger years. The two have a very classic introvert-extravert friendship, which is always a cute dynamic to see, and they keep it until Shizusumi decides to confess. While Shizusumi never necessarily made his feelings for Hiiragi known while Yuki was alive - mostly due to him thinking Hiiragi was in love with Yuki - the same restraint doesn’t hold after Yuki’s death, which causes some slight tension between them, albeit not for very long. What the confession does though, is force Hiiragi to rethink a lot. He has to go back and figure out his own feelings, because while he may not have loved Yuki romantically, he definitely idolised him - to an unhealthy degree. But Hiiragi either realises or decides to ignore that he had any inkling of romance towards Yuki, instead looking back and deciding that no, it was Shizusumi who made sense for him, who he loved. So while yes, there was slight tension while Hiiragi was forced to confront his own feelings, they undoubtedly came back stronger. These two are together no matter what type, they’ll always have each other’s backs in the hard times and the best times. This is the healthier childhood friends to lovers, they’re better prepared, knowing what they’re getting into with each other. It’s why the confession and their night together comes across so rough, they aren’t going to live in a world of perfection, and it’s clearer for them. Hiiragi may want a fairytale, but he can accept that he won’t get it, and he doesn’t care because he loves Shizusmi. Meanwhile, Shizusumi doesn’t want some fairytale life, but he gets the closest thing to it by being with Hiiragi. It makes them real, and it makes them a good couple, their development together rough and real, no longer the chase and innocence of childhood, but just as filled with love.

Now, onto Hiiragi and Mafuyu, who are somehow one of the most chaotic duos by the end of the manga. As children, there was definitely a Yuki shaped wedge between the two of them. The issue for these two came up because Yuki was their person - the one who they were close to that connected them to the group. Hiiragi and Yuki were the connecting friendship in the whole group, they were the reason it existed in the first place. Mafuyu joined the group because he and Yuki were him and Yuki, they were always together. Hiiragi had also picked up on this dynamic between Yuki and Mafuyu, which may have kept him from approaching, from wanting to intrude, especially because he idolised Yuki and that relationship he had with Mafuyu. But no matter what, this led to them being friends, but not exactly close within their childhood - in spite of the teasing dynamic that they had together. In childhood, they simply were around each other, they were friends, without actually being that close. This changed after Yuki’s death, as they had a chance to grow closer than they were before, and they do - both needing that support from each other. Hiiragi doesn’t want to fail Mafuyu, he’s reaching desperately for his forgiveness, and Mafuyu can accept that he still needs Hiiragi (and Shizusumi) in his life, that he shouldn't be alone. This is what leads Hiiragi to reaching out and Mafuyu to accepting and letting them closer than ever before. These two weren’t all that close in childhood due to their relationships to Yuki accidentally keeping them apart, but they end up growing extremely close after his death, realising that they can rely on each other, support each other through their grief and guilt over Yuki’s death, and come out stronger than before.

Onto Yuki and Hiiragi, who are the extraverted connecting friendship of the young quartet. They weren’t the closest of the group, but they were the ones who brought the entire group together, they were the bright ones, the ones who were loud and bold in personality. These two were best friends, they were a star and his admirer. Hiiragi and Yuki had a good relationship, they did, they also have the interesting dynamic of idol worship. As cute as the friendship is, and as fun it can be for one character to admire another, Hiiragi takes it to the point of idol worship, to the point where he thinks of Yuki as a star on stage while he’s a captivated audience member. It’s not the best way to view someone who should actually be an equal, and it’s slightly curious that these two have this dynamic when they were childhood friends. Hiiragi likely met Yuki at a young enough age for there to have been a reason, that reason just isn’t shown within the story, as the more important thing to remember is that Hiiragi had a slightly skewed view of Yuki due to this halo effect. It also means that Hiiragi appears to brush off any flaws - like when it came to the fight, he likely minimized how bad it actually was in his narrative to try to try to keep his perfected image of Yuki, as well as Yuki and Mafuyu’s relationship. That being said, while the idolisation isn’t necessarily great, Hiiragi and Yuki still had a good friendship. From what’s shown, Yuki never appeared to belittle or take advantage of Hiiragi’s high view of them, which makes sense given that he probably wouldn’t have had a reason to. They were undoubtedly the connecting duo, and they basically created the ultimate quartet, so thank you Hiiragi and Yuki, we really do need extraverts.

Final duo, the owners of the best codependent relationship in the series, Mafuyu and Yuki. These two started out so sweet, so innocent and precious, and so healthy. They checked off all the boxes for the sweet childhood friends to lovers, introvert-extravert, overly expressive/non-expressive ship tropes and dynamics. The issue comes with them growing too close, they blur the lines not only of friends and lovers, but also between being a duo and being one person in some ways. They were considered to be opposites in the ways that mattered, so much so that it appears to a readers view they may have molded themselves around each other, creating their dynamic based on what they thought the other needed them to be, rather than completely having their own personalities. They made themselves compliment one another, likely uncounsioucly, and in doing so took on two extreme opposites that usually need a balance. They didn’t let themselves find this balance within themselves because they found it in each other. They were two halves of one whole, in the worst possible way. It may be because of this though, that Mafuyu and Yuki could be considered for the star-crossed lovers trope. At least according to Hiiragi, Yuki and Mafuyu felt paired up by the universe. In the end though their codependent dynamic of being all the other wasn’t and all the other needed screwed them over. It created a sense of knowing what the other needed and wanted even if they didn’t actutally know, it was just that they thought they were beyond words - and no teenage couple is beyond communication, something Given makes sure to show. Overall, this is probably the most heartshattering of the relationships in Given as it doesn’t have the same type of closure as most of the other ones do, as Yuki’s dead. At least Mafuyu heals, it’s just still not a fun one to think about - childhood friends to lovers gone wrong in one of the worst ways possible.

The final trio that ends up existing is Shizusumi, Hiiragi, and Mafuyu. These three come out stronger than before, they’ve built better bonds than seen in their childhood - though that could be because not enough of their childhood was shown. From what is presented though, there’s definitely a stronger relationship between Mafuyu and the other two, while Hiiragi and Shizusumi have basically just upgraded to a romance. By the end of the story, Hiiragi and Mafuyu do claim each other as little siblings, which seriously does show an improvement between them. Hiiragi and Mafuyu used to have an almost one-sided teasing dynamic, and Hiiragi thought it was Mafuyu not liking him when it was probably just Mafuyu not knowing how to socialise the same way. To see them grow to bond more after Mafuyu’s self-imposed isolation is genuinely beautiful, it shows how death will heavily impact a group, but that doesn’t mean they can’t come stay together and even become stronger. The same thing goes for Shizusumi and Mafuyu, as they also seem to grow possibly more comfortable with each other, can’t be too sure as they weren’t really shown interacting as children - but if anything that could be evidence they’ve definitely grown. Of course, Shizusumi and Hiiragi proved that they’ll always stick together, they can support each other throughout whatever hard times they’re going through, and they’ll be able to move forward just as well. The trio went through an awful, absolutely devastating loss when Yuki committed suicide, but they were able to reconnect and improve how they are as a group of friends. Honestly, this trio is beautiful to think about, it shows great perseverance in the most difficult times and how tragedy can be overcome with support.

Overall, every single dynamic within this quartet is so interesting and important to think about. None of them - Mafuyu, Yuki, Hiiragi, nor Shizusumi - would be who they are if it weren’t for having each other throughout their childhood. They’re a great representation of how a friend group isn’t inherently toxic if they have slightly stronger duos than one perfectly equal quartet. The way that the group is shown to grow and change how they are with each other, especially after Yuki’s death, is again just a really bittersweet way of showing that tragedy happens, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world - not permanently. Everything about these four has complexity and such delicate care put into it, their characters all just flourish because of the different dynamics shown within Given.

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Do you think Ritsuka and Mafuyu are good together? If so, why?

i definitely think that Mafuyu and Uenoyama are good together! there’s a few different reasons, but i adore how they are - i find them to be a good representation of a teen couple. they’re heathy but not perfect, which i really appreciate!

the main reason that I think they're good for each other is their communication issues and the fact that they do learn to work though those issues. sometimes it takes a push from the outside and advice from others, but that's fine, it's normal for people to need outside advice from time to time. again, I think it just makes them more realistic than if they worked through their issues alone all the time.

one scene that really stands out with communication to me is when Uenoyama feels upset that Mafuyu’s been around Akihiko’s more than with him.

the scene shows that they aren’t perfect, as Mafuyu accidentally ignored Uenoyama, and instead of talking about it when it started, Uenoyama let the jealousy and hurt fester inside. it then turns into an argument, mainly because Mafuyu doesn’t realize what he did, and Uenoyama is hurt by the lack of understanding from Mafuyu. the argument leads to Uenoyama trying to leave, but Mafuyu then stops him, he wants to solve this now - it’s uncomfortably familiar of a scene for him, and he knows they need to talk about it now. then they do, and they make up, and they’re good. the scene highlights that they have issues and misunderstandings, but they’re also determined to fix their issues.

the scene shows that Mafuyu knows his own flaws when it comes to communication and understanding others, as well as Uenoyama’s patience in spite of his hotheadedness, his wanting to fix things when he’s hurt because he also gets the importance of it. this is such a big one for them as a couple - it’s their first big problem that they face and work through!

more than the communication is the way they can help each other

Uenoyama is steady, very reliable. while he’s definitely a bit snappy at times, with Mafuyu he’s always able to support him. Uenoyama gets jealous of memories with Yuki that are shared, but he never stops Mafuyu from talking. he’s able to be a reliable presence and to listen to whatever is bothering Mafuyu. there’s a softness in the patience that he has with Mafuyu that nobody else truly brings out in him, and it’s adorable.

Mafuyu is similar, he’s also a great listener. he’s there for Uenoyama as a silent supporter, as well as someone who will listen to whatever Uenoyama needs to say. he’s also bold at times, especially when Uenoyama needs him to be. he’s the one who can initiate big talks - the one in the classroom, the confession scene, and at the end when he wants to stay with music. Mafuyu is able to listen but he also starts those important conversations (even when he doesn’t want to)

the two are reliable for each other, they want to see the other succeed in their life

another thing is straight up their personalities when they’re together

like mentioned before, Uenoyama gets soft when he’s with Mafuyu. not only that, but he also gets flustered, which is adorable. while he’s still able to be his normal brash self, Mafuyu can make him even more awkward than he usually is - in a good way. Uenoyama is happy when he’s with Mafuyu, he likes to be able to support him and to make him happy. he’s no longer the really cool distant kid, as Mafuyu makes him more approachable in ways.

the shift isn’t drastic either - Uenoyama is still very much himself, so the changes aren’t bad. he’s still stubborn and he’s determined to do music no matter what, he’s still pretty confident most of the time, and he doesn’t care about being all nice (especially when teaching Mafuyu guitar)

Mafuyu changes in the opposite way. instead of staying his shy self, he becomes more confident - more teasing and flirty. Mafuyu also comes to be more open, he’s able to understand himself better, which he wouldn’t have done if not for Uenoyama. Mafuyu is shown to grow more open with how he’s actually just sassy, he seems to enjoy the sway he holds at times. it’s a good change for the previously shy and almost robotic boy.

he can still be shy and even despondent, but those traits fade as the series continues. his reconnection to Hiiragi and Shizusumi give him a place to full on embrace his teasing and (loving) bully nature, so to see him also open up with Uenoyama is great. it’s him growing back into himself rather than staying in his shell that he created after Yuki’s death

finally - i think that they balance each other out without overtaking one another

Mafuyu and Uenoyama start off both similar and different in so many ways.

similarities include them preferring to be alone, them having complex relationships with music, and their socially awkward natures. their differences are basically everything else about them.

these similarities are what lead to them connecting in the first place. Uenoyama wanting a nap while Mafuyu just wanted to be alone means that they were able to meet, their relationships with music are what bring them to talking, and their awkwardness leads them to sticking together (as Mafuyu’s persistence basically forces Uenoyama into talking to him and letting him tag along).

them getting together was built on them then learning about each other. Uenoyama and Mafuyu start to balance each other out as well

Uenoyama’s love for music influences Mafuyu’s own hatred to become a deeper love for music. Mafuyu’s newness to music and the learnt appreciation lets Uenoyama once again find his groove when it comes to playing. they take the negatives by showing each other a positive, balancing out their views

another way is personality - Uenoyama learns how to be softer, that he can be flustered and shy even at times (especially with emotions). Mafuyu learns that he can be more open with emotions, but also that he’s able to be mischievous still, not just a quiet background presence. they balance out who they are by showing each other that they can have more than just their brash or quiet sides.

through this balance though, they are still themselves. Uenoyama doesn’t drastically change who he started as, and Mafuyu simply relearns who he was in childhood.

Uenoyama always had the potential for his softer side, he’s just had nobody to access it for. he found a reason to unlock the side that gets so easily flustered and who can be patient when he’s confronted with an issue. he’s not changing who he was, he’s simply maturing - and Mafuyu helped him to do it.

his love of music returning better than ever is also an amazing thing. he was almost in a rut before, so to have someone reignite his passion was a great influence. Mafuyu’s lack of knowledge in the musical world meant that Uenoyama was kind of able to rediscover music in a new way through teaching him about it.

Mafuyu on the other hand relearns who he was. his more mischievous side is shown within his interactions with Hiiragi - both present and during their childhood. so to see him be a bit more teasing with Uenoyama means that he’s able to heal from the hurt that he’s gone through, and is learning how to be himself again. he had locked away emotions and playfulness when Yuki died, but Uenoyama helps him to rediscover what he can be

with music, Mafuyu starts off kind of at odds with it. after all, music drove him and Yuki apart. it’s through Uenoyama that he can love music again, that he remembers the song he would hum and is able to learn go express himself. Mafuyu learning to love music is a healing arc for him, and it helps him to once again feel - helps him escape the consuming numbness that he slid into.

the two are able to balance each other out and bring parts each other out and back. the main things are their personalities and their relationships with music, which are vital parts of the story

overall, i just think that the two compliment each other really well. their personalities, how they can both be amazing listeners, and their resolve to actually work on their issues are all great traits. they aren’t perfect together, which they shouldn’t be - they’re in high school, and even then, no couple is ever perfect. i think they also balance each other out, and want the best for each other!

Uenoyama and Mafuyu are undoubtedly my favourite couple in Given, i think they’re done so well, i just appreciate their struggles and their resolution to work and stay together!

thank you so much for the ask! this took quite awhile for me to write up - oops - but i hope that the answer is good! it’s a little late, so apologies if anything is super repetitive or strangely worded!

(there’s also the fact of the guitar strings being a metaphor for Mafuyu’s heart and Uenoyama fixing them that’s important to their relationship and why they’re good, but i think that’s pretty clear.

the guitar strings show how Mafuyu is, how he’s good or hurt. to have Uenoyama be the one to fix the strings show that Uenoyama is good, that he’s able to help Mafuyu heal. Uenoyama guides Mafuyu along, with the guitar being the physical show of how yeah, Mafuyu may not always be great, but in the worst of times - Uenoyama will be there

i think that the guitar is a great indicator that they’re a good relationship, that they are good for each other - even if they have their ups and downs)

[essayist-unexpectedly]

Kel vs Basil: the Battle of the Besties

Within OMORI, there is reason to debate who Sunny’s best friend is, with this debate taking place between the characters Kel and Basil. Today, the possibility to consider is that a person’s (in this case, Sunny’s) best friend can change throughout the years. Rather than claiming that one was the best friend throughout the entirety of Sunny’s life, there could be a point made in saying that while Kel can be called the best friend of Sunny after he comes out of the house for the first time in 4 years, Basil was his best friend throughout their childhood. 

One of the areas to look at when it comes to Kel and Basil is their respective personalities, and how that compares to Sunny. When young, Kel was seen to be loyal, energetic, goofy, and extremely social. Most of these traits seem to have remained with Kel, with him having possibly calmed down a little bit in terms of energy levels, and being slightly more awkward around Sunny - which like yeah, it’s been 4 years and he hadn’t expected the younger to come outside, so  understandable. In contrast to Kel, Basil has always had a more shy energy, he was quiet and kind, while being just as loyal. Growing older, Basil took on a much more anxious demeanour, also becoming a bit more antisocial after the group split up. Now, personalities do not completely prove nor disprove the characters being best friends, however it can be seen that Sunny may have needed two very different people as he grew up. Young Sunny was quiet, shy, and not too energetic himself. After Mari’s death though, Sunny became a complete recluse, avoiding everyone who he used to know and call his friends. In the three days that Sunny has before moving, it can be seen that he needed Kel’s persistence, his socialness, and his bright energy in order to be convinced to come out of his house for the first time in 4 years - even if it was just meant to be a goodbye. However, the younger Sunny within photo albums seemed to not only be happy with the high energy of Kel and Aubrey, but also more than content with the quieter moments that he had with Basil. When they were young, Basil seemed to better match Sunny’s personality, which may have been what he needed back then, compared to at the 4 years later point.

To reflect a little more on their childhood and Basil being Sunny’s best friend whilst younger, both the photo album and headspace can also be considered. Within the photo album, Basil is seen documenting the lives of the group before Mari’s death. This album holds different pictures and entries about what the group used to do when they were younger, with basically all of the entries being candids - photos taken of day to day life without any real set up. Within these photos, it appears like - while, yes, the whole group was all together - there were possibly some duos that were more likely than others. These duo’s being Mari and Hero, then Kel and Aubrey, and finally Basil and Sunny. Now these duo’s are not set in stone of course, as everyone cared for each other and doted over Sunny, the thing is how it appears and what can be gathered. This also translates to Headspace to some degree, with Hero and Mari’s embarrassed-flirty dynamic, the bickering between Kel and Aubrey, then the peace that comes with Omori and Basil. These dynamics are able to change, and again it is clear that everyone adores everyone, but it’s still interesting that these dynamics are not limited to Basil’s viewpoint, but also Sunny’s. After all, Sunny created the headspace, meaning that it reflects his views on the group in childhood. Not only within the colourful headspace is this seen, but also when player’s go through the final memory sequence of Sunny and the group. The memories show how close Basil and Sunny appeared, as while the others had more general dialogue, Basil’s was always aimed directly at Sunny, telling him something, sharing something with him. All of these little hints of the past cannot confirm anything too much, as it’s just glimpses of the past, but it does feel fairly telling of a closer friendship between Basil and Sunny within the group. Also, Basil still refers to Sunny as his best friend in the fight with him in the Sunny route, showing that Basil definitely viewed him as a best friend, and it just seems likely that Sunny thought the same within their childhood.

However, this then leads to the present day - four years after Sunny shut himself away within his room, avoiding everyone. Those four years are basically a complete mystery, all the players know is that everyone has changed and Sunny has been locked away within his own head. At the point the game picks up in, Sunny is about to move and Kel is the one who manages to get him to leave his room - as he had been persistent in asking about Sunny and hoping to see him before he moved. A couple of things that seem implied within OMORI about these four years, is that both Basil and Kel had been persistent in seeing or at least trying to see Sunny after Mari’s death. It seems implied that Basil did succeed in visiting Sunny at least once time - the time when Sunny then destroyed his photos. It could be up to debate on whether or not Basil saw him multiple times - as in maybe once when the opening scene happened and they promised to stay together, then again at a later date is when Sunny blacked out Basil’s photos, likely being that that was their last encounter before Sunny stopped seeing people. So Basil may have seen Sunny at the beginning, persistent enough as a friend to be allowed into the bubble that Sunny created, before those walls became completely closed to everyone. But then there’s Kel, who breaks Sunny’s hikikomori habit. Kel also seems like the persistent type, however there aren’t many hints that the two saw each other within the four years after Mari’s death like there are with Basil. Rather, it seems like Kel was probably trying to deal with his own and Hero’s grief, which may have been a big enough distraction that he didn’t make it to Sunny in time before the younger erased himself from the outside world. This does not change that Kel is the reason for Sunny coming out though, as he was the one who was determined to see the other before he moved and completely disappeared. This is simply a show of Kel's personality being persistent and loyal even after years of no contact. It’s an admirable quality in a person, and it’s part of why Kel is an amazing friend - and why he could take the spot of best friend after four years.

Through his loyalty and charisma, Kel is undoubtedly the most likely choice for someone who would get Sunny outside. Aubrey is angry at everyone for abandoning her, Hero is off to university, and Basil is once bitten, twice shy. Kel, while still hurt and grieving, is closer to the acceptance stage than anyone else, appearing to be slightly better than the others, as he manages to try to still enjoy his life. It’s this kind of person who Sunny needs at this point in his life, someone bright, someone who understands the pain (at least in terms of losing Mari), but wants to be happy as he continues through life. Sunny has been stuck in a state of loneliness, only his imagination and memories - shades of the friends and people he once knew accompanying him. It is through this that Sunny attempts to deny everything that happened, but when he opens the door to Kel, he is soon reminded of the tragedy that actually took place in their past. It is thanks to Kel that Sunny is able to come out and once again see people he knew, it is Kel who drags Sunny out and creates for them new memories, helping to heal the group that once was, as Hero joins them partway through the second day, and they manage to bring back Aubrey within the third day. Kel’s determination is what brings the group together again, as if he hadn’t drawn Sunny out, then the group wouldn’t be seen together again, they wouldn’t start to understand each other.

Kel is the companion who Sunny is able to reappear for, he is the one who finds the piece who can potentially bring the group together once more. It is all of these factors that lead Kel to likely earn the title of best friend when Sunny meets him again. His bright persona is what creates an opportunity for the group to be found once more, and it is him who drags Sunny around town on random errands and fun adventures. Sunny only has dark routes if he goes down a path without opening the door for Kel, who can lead to the only good ending. Honestly, Kel gets bonus points for being the reason that the good ending does exist - without him Basil would be dead and Sunny would either be dead or else still have guilt hanging over him. Sunny and Kel’s friendship after their four years apart is still strong, even if it may start off a little bit awkward as Kel didn’t expect Sunny to open the door. He still showed up in spite of believing that Sunny wouldn’t open the door, which also shows his hopefulness and his love, as some wouldn’t have tried with the possibility of getting hurt being kept in mind.

Overall, it appears like both Basil and Kel can take the position of best friend to Sunny, even if it’s in different parts of life. It’s within the game that one can create their own interpretation of the duos, as well as what one chooses to believe. A best friend is a title that is granted personally, and not everyone will only have one person as a best friend - some people choose to not give anyone the title of best friend, so really, who knows if Sunny even views anyone as a best friend. The game leaves a lot of room for interpretation within the relationships, but no matter what, Basil and Kel are both portrayed as being amazing friends to Sunny, both past and present.