sunniedesi

[sunniedesi]

Yeah, separation isn't something either wants (or is fully capable of at this point), but it could be an interesting concept to explore for a dead end or a failstate. After all, what Leyley fears the most is Andrew's abandonment, but Ashley's insistence of never growing up is what pushes him away, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. So a natural ending to this could be Andrew leaving or at least attempting to (like when he escaped the apartment in S&S). Just something that solidifies Ashley's fear of abandonment as much as the Decay failstate solidified Andrew's fear of becoming Leyley's plaything.

I’ve been thinking more and more about what the Burial route would look like if our theories about it being Ashley’s route are correct. It made me wonder, what if Burial is a mirror of Decay? Like, what if Andrew has a fight with Ashley at the beginning of the route, and asks her whether she wants to grow up (be Ashley) or remain Leyley, similar to the Andy/Andrew choice. If you choose Leyley, it could lead to a failstate where Andrew tries or even successfully leaves her, and we get an ending titled “Leyley and Leyley alone.” Choosing Ashley leads you to the actual endings, with Ashley going through the journey of growing up. I’m still not sure which route would lead to a better ending (whether questionable or sane), though we were warned that Questionable will not go down the way we think. However, if I had to take a guess, I don’t think Questionable is going to be a bad route per se. Both Andrew and Ashley are being forced to face many of their issues in this route (Andrew’s hidden desires and Ashley’s struggles with sexuality for one). Depending on whether they keep burying their issues or actually addressing their feelings the ending will differ, and Ashley’s growth will either stagnate or continue. I find this a little harder with the Sane route, as neither has reflected upon their problems and everything pretty much remains the same. But I guess only time can tell how horrible this post will age.

Also, I’ve been thinking a little more about the interpretation of Burial being the route where Andrew and Ashley trust each other, and how that may not be entirely correct. I too held this opinion for the longest time, but I think I’m starting to change my mind slightly. While on the surface it may appear that this is the route where they’re starting to build trust, we know that Ashley doesn’t really trust Andrew (and can’t due to her insecurities), she’s just leaning onto the trinket as leverage. On the other hand, Andrew’s choice to reflect on the olive branch doesn’t really hinge on his trust for Ashley, rather it’s his process of mourning his past image of the “good son,” his facade. He’s coming to terms with the fact that his life will never be normal and how deep his obsession with Ashley is consuming him. Meanwhile, if we choose to decline, Andrew doesn’t really go through this process (or at least not yet). He’s more so ignoring his hang-ups, further burying his issues. I think this is important to bring up because trust is still something that needs to be addressed between them in Burial. Ashley’s trust issues stem from her insecurities, while Andrew’s distrust of Ashley stems from her inability to grow up, neither of which are fixed when starting the Burial route. I’m really curious to see how this will be handled without the introspection we experience through Decay, since Nemlei has said both routes will have their good and bad endings. It’s also kind of funny in retrospect, how a lot of us went into this route because we wanted them to trust each other, yet they’re still far, far from that goal. Like, demon therapy intervention kind of far.

[sunniedesi]

I’ve been thinking more and more about what the Burial route would look like if our theories about it being Ashley’s route are correct. It made me wonder, what if Burial is a mirror of Decay? Like, what if Andrew has a fight with Ashley at the beginning of the route, and asks her whether she wants to grow up (be Ashley) or remain Leyley, similar to the Andy/Andrew choice. If you choose Leyley, it could lead to a failstate where Andrew tries or even successfully leaves her, and we get an ending titled “Leyley and Leyley alone.” Choosing Ashley leads you to the actual endings, with Ashley going through the journey of growing up. I’m still not sure which route would lead to a better ending (whether questionable or sane), though we were warned that Questionable will not go down the way we think. However, if I had to take a guess, I don’t think Questionable is going to be a bad route per se. Both Andrew and Ashley are being forced to face many of their issues in this route (Andrew’s hidden desires and Ashley’s struggles with sexuality for one). Depending on whether they keep burying their issues or actually addressing their feelings the ending will differ, and Ashley’s growth will either stagnate or continue. I find this a little harder with the Sane route, as neither has reflected upon their problems and everything pretty much remains the same. But I guess only time can tell how horrible this post will age.

Also, I’ve been thinking a little more about the interpretation of Burial being the route where Andrew and Ashley trust each other, and how that may not be entirely correct. I too held this opinion for the longest time, but I think I’m starting to change my mind slightly. While on the surface it may appear that this is the route where they’re starting to build trust, we know that Ashley doesn’t really trust Andrew (and can’t due to her insecurities), she’s just leaning onto the trinket as leverage. On the other hand, Andrew’s choice to reflect on the olive branch doesn’t really hinge on his trust for Ashley, rather it’s his process of mourning his past image of the “good son,” his facade. He’s coming to terms with the fact that his life will never be normal and how deep his obsession with Ashley is consuming him. Meanwhile, if we choose to decline, Andrew doesn’t really go through this process (or at least not yet). He’s more so ignoring his hang-ups, further burying his issues. I think this is important to bring up because trust is still something that needs to be addressed between them in Burial. Ashley’s trust issues stem from her insecurities, while Andrew’s distrust of Ashley stems from her inability to grow up, neither of which are fixed when starting the Burial route. I’m really curious to see how this will be handled without the introspection we experience through Decay, since Nemlei has said both routes will have their good and bad endings. It’s also kind of funny in retrospect, how a lot of us went into this route because we wanted them to trust each other, yet they’re still far, far from that goal. Like, demon therapy intervention kind of far.

[sunniedesi]

This post just reminded me I had this sitting on my phone

It was funnier in my mind.

Mirai Nikki Fandom ... We need more memes (?)

[sunniedesi]

Sincerely, Mayle (Mail from the Heart) English Translation

This post is the conclusion to our little saga of searching for Sakae Esuno’s lost works. This story in particular is Sakae Esuno’s second manga, and perhaps his most obscure work. I originally came across this title while reading through Esuno’s bibliography on his wikipedia page, leading me down a bit of a rabbit hole. You can find all of the details in my original post about the matter. In response to that post, @yunoteru4ever went out of their way to search for this very obscure oneshot and kindly shared the scans with us (as always, thank you so much for your help!). Which means I finally got to translate it! 

However, I have a little correction to make about my original post: When I first found out about this oneshot, there was no information available for it other than the title “Kokoro Yori Meiru.” Because of this, I translated the title literally, since “kokoro yori” means “from the heart,” while I assumed that “meiru” simply meant “mail” (meiru is the borrowed English term used for this word). But now that I have the context of the story, I realized this last part was a mistake, since “Meiru” is actually the name of the protagonist. Within the manga, I decided to translate her name as “Mayle” to avoid confusion, and thought the title would be better translated as “Sincerely, Mayle.” Hopefully this change is not too confusing, I probably shouldn’t have jumped into translating the title without context (￢_￢;)

Without further ado, I’ll leave you with the translated oneshot about a tsundere robot boy and his silly maid.

[sunniedesi]

Thank you so much for sharing these!! This is such an awesome find >_< (and hopefully the last of Esuno's lost works).

I'll probably work on translating them during Easter break, also as the natural follow-up to the Railway Angel scanlation ^^

Sakae Esuno's "Mail from the Heart" (ココロよりメイル)

Here it is, the raw Japanese scans of another obscure Sakae Esuno manga—"Mail from the Heart." Consider this the natural follow-up to my scans of "Railway Angel" (and @sunniedesi's subsequent — and GREATLY appreciated — English scanlation of same).

But let's talk about "Mail from the Heart." @sunniedesi identified that this missing work in August 2024. As they explained in that post, this story was published in a small supplemental publication called "Aim for Ace!" that was included alongside copies of Monthly Shōnen Ace's June 2003 issue.

The story herein is both written and drawn by Esuno—the creator of Mirai Nikki/Future Diary, Big Order, Hanako and the Terror of Allegory, and more. As of this writing (April 15 2025), this is the last known work of Esuno's that wasn't widely available in any language... but there's always the possibility of more obscure Sakae Esuno works surfacing in the future.

Without further ado, I present the link.

(NSFW Warning: There is one page of nudity.)

[sunniedesi]

Ok but can we talk about this puzzle for a sec, because what the hell was this?

(Yes I’m still talking about this game, the brainworms won’t let me be.)

I get some of the symbolisms and what it’s trying to convey: the Andy plushie we have to unlock while the Leyley plushie we need to dig out from our “beloved’s” grave. And we can only proceed by balancing out Andy and Leyley a.k.a. making them equals. Sure, that’s pretty on the nose, but what about Ashley’s body? Why is she dead and her parts scattered about? Why does Andrew have to put her back together? Why does her bed have her eye mark (the same symbol as her soul)? Why is she surrounded by, what I’m assuming, are the souls of their parents? And more importantly… is this even a vision? 

We kinda brush over this puzzle in the game because it’s never brought up again. Which is weird considering it’s the catalyst for the Andy/Andrew choice split. It’s never brought up in the Andy route, while in Shots and Such it’s treated as just another vision of Andrew killing Ashley. But, given the bizarre nature of the visuals and what we are tasked to do, I don’t think that��s the case. It’s also quite strange that in this realm, we see Andrew as a person but Ashley as a tar soul, or at least what I think is her tar soul.

Which also makes me ask, is this Ashley from the present intruding in the vision, or is Ashley’s soul a part of the vision? It would make more sense for it to be the former, but that still doesn’t explain why Andrew is in his human form and she isn’t.

There are so many questions that I have about this. Maybe it doesn’t mean much and I’m looking too deep into it, but it’s the one thing I’ve yet to understand the meaning of and it’s killing me. If the cliffhanger route doesn’t address this I’ll go feral.

[sunniedesi]

The Decay of Andy and Leyley: the bad, the ugly and the terrible

Now that it’s been a while since I finished the Decay route, I think I’m ready to finally analyse this chapter as a whole. I’ve collected my thoughts and read through a couple of people’s opinions here and there… just to be utterly disappointed. I knew casual fans generally didn’t understand much of the subtext for tcoaal, but damn are they completely lost with this one. Maybe it’s the fact that I only interact with a small echo chamber of the fandom that does get it, but after all the terrible takes I’ve had the displeasure of seeing, I think it’s time I leave my own. There is quite a lot to comment on, since this part of Decay builds upon several plot points of the story: the quarantine, the entity, lord unknown, and namely, the main duo’s upbringing and relationship. While I’d love to pick apart every nook and cranny of this episode, this analysis will only focus on Andrew and Ashley’s relationship, as that alone has plenty of things to dissect for one post. I will also comment on some of the changes done to the previous episodes and what that could mean for the next routes. (More below the cut, this will be a long one).

But before I begin anything I want to start with a disclaimer of the obvious; yes, this game is fucked up and the relationship is toxic, horribly so (wow, who would’ve thunk it?). If things weren’t messed up before then they certainly are now, so I understand why nobody would want to touch this game with a ten-foot pole. In fact, I’ve noticed many let’s players who’ve previously played it either not mentioning it or going as far as to delete every video they’ve made on it (not dropping names here but I had a couple of videos in my watch later taken down mere minutes after I saved them because of this). I often see people saying “it’s just fiction” as a defense for talking about this, which is totally valid, but my view of it is a bit different. It is fiction, yes, but also something that could very easily happen in real life and that a lot of people could (unfortunately) relate to. That’s what makes it uncomfortable and gross, and that is exactly the reason why we should talk about it. As per words of the author “although unpleasant, true [CHAOS AND MAYHEM!!!] can only be achieved by unearthing the root cause of one's issues and addressing the underlying decay.” Even if you think it’s icky and gross that doesn’t disqualify it from existing. Moreover, it calls for analysis as to why it makes you feel gross, which might I add is an impulse reaction to something much deeper than a simple “nooo they’re related,” as there are many layers to this from a moral, ethical and psychosexual perspective.

So… let’s talk about it. 

The Bad: Andy and Leyley

The beginning of the episode tells us a lot about the upbringing of our characters, though most of it was writing on the wall if you paid attention during episode 2. We play as Andrew, examining his psyche and going through the motions of how to be a walking disappointment. As he cooks, cleans, excels at school and sets order in his family, he accomplishes a level of independence many don’t reach until adulthood, all before the age of 10. Yet every single mistake, as small or out of his control as it may be, is a cause for reprimanding. Renee doesn’t spare the emotional rod with him per se, expecting Andrew to go above and beyond for tasks that she should be responsible for. And whenever her live-in maid complains or dares to set an even playing field, such attempts are crushed by repressing him further into his shell. Berating, insulting, belittling him.

Nothing he does is ever enough, and it can’t be,  lest giving him hope of ever meeting others’ expectations, of ever doing better. The more suppression, the less of his independence, say or personality, the easier to control. The less of Andrew the better. And as such, Andy was born: a sorry replacement for Andrew’s essence, easily malleable and capable of becoming everything you want him to be. Many believe Andy is a result of Leyley, but really

Andy was a nightmare of Renee’s own making. And speaking of nightmares, Leyley’s origins aren’t much different. Having a second child as a middle finger to your disapproving family is no good if you don’t intend to raise said child. But what’s the need when Andy is there to do it? Disciplining a kid aching for attention is far too taxing for Renee, especially one with as much attitude as Leyley. So, instead of inflicting more trauma as she’s done with Andy, she lets him pass his own over to her, creating a direct pipeline to the cycle of abuse. It should be noted that in one of the new visions available we see that Renee is an older sister herself, and was expected to also go above and beyond for her sister despite being completely disregarded by her family.

In other words, her treatment of Andy and complete neglect of Leyley are anything but surprising. It’s all she’s ever known. (Not excusing Renee, I hate her with a passion, but it’s important to know where everything is coming from).

Funnily enough, Leyley’s personality isn’t as innate as many believe. It’s easy to see her as the “difficult child,” but in reality, everything she does is a cry for help. We’re dealing with a lonely, undisciplined girl, disregarded by the world as a crybaby and a freak, left to be raised by trash TV and her clueless older brother. The result of this terrible concoction is a self-loathing, marshmallow spine of a boy and a lost, shrieky viper of a girl. Neither can like each other, because they don’t like themselves. And neither can help the other, because they refuse to see themselves for what they are. These are Andy and Leyley, the antagonists of the story.

As much as people have difficulty separating Andy and Leyley from Andrew and Ashley it must be noted that, from a narrative perspective, these are entirely different characters. Andy and Leyley are the immature, worst traits of our main duo personified: Andy is a paranoid pushover garnering resentment every time his buttons are pushed, while Leyley is nothing more than a scared little girl, terrified of abandonment and terrified of change. The more they push and pull, the more they test and bring out the worst in each other, the more they decay. But if these are Andy and Leyley, then who are Andrew and Ashley?

The Ugly: Andrew and Ashley

I believe the cliffhanger route is where we get to see the most of these two, though glimpses of them can be seen in the Shots and Such route. Andrew we know (thanks to his lengthy pov) is a crude and relentless antisocial who can’t stand anyone. He only does so out of keeping appearances, instilled by his mom, but just like her, is incapable of caring for anything. Something Ashley is very quick to point out when they were children.

We also see he’s very manipulative, sly and finds fun in (mentally) messing with people and romanticising the shit of his life, perhaps as a way to feel something other than the misery it bestows upon him. However, not playing nice can only bring trouble, so he hides behind the mask of the innocent pushover (Andy). Needless to say, this is a life full of lies and deception, utterly unsatisfactory. It will never fulfill his true desires and can only push him further into nihilism. But what are his true desires? 

Well, to be seen and understood, the one thing no one’s ever bothered to do. No one except the mess of his own making. Ashley, the girl Andrew raised, is full of wit and charm. As seen in the flashbacks, she’s perceptive and quickly calls bullshit whenever she sees it. She doesn’t play nice, she doesn’t put up a front, she’s everything Andrew could be if he wasn’t afraid to show his true colors. This last bit is why I would argue Andrew is so drawn to her, that and of course all of the trauma bonding. As Andrew says himself, his attraction is pathological, i.e. unreasonable and irrational, a result of his loneliness and conditioning from childhood. And as much as I agree that it is paraphilic in nature, I do believe there is a logical side to his attraction; Ashley is loud, obnoxious and annoying. Carefree and unbothered, the flip-side to his Andy facade. In fact, she hates having to keep up appearances and how everyone around her is a phony. For Andrew, the man that has endured years of suppression and self-loathing, it is a relief, it is liberating to have someone just as bad as him. Someone who wouldn’t be afraid of him. Someone who could meet him at the same level; an equal.

Continuing with Ashley, one of her most emblematic traits is that she’s self-assured and doesn’t care about anything or anyone except for Andrew. This is quite the contrast to Leyley, who is incredibly insecure, selfish and does not care for Andy, only the reassurance he brings. And how do we know Ashley cares about Andrew if Leyley does not? Well…

This flashback is the single most important piece of information we get from the whole chapter. So let’s analyze it from the start. Julia takes Andrew to visit Nina’s grave, bringing back a slew of emotional turmoil he’s still haunted by. He immediately goes home to unpack it with Ashley.

(because god knows he was thinking about her the whole time he was talking to Julia). Ashley shows her first signs of maturity in the conversation that ensues, accurately pointing out the impending doom of Andrew and Julia’s relationship, and being a little more… introspective.

It’s clear that Leyley’s view of relationships is skewed, to say the least. She barely distinguishes romance from platonic love and has a very childish take of sex being "gross and all men want.” I’ve seen many people, before and after this chapter release, theorize that Ashley is asexual, something that’s always bothered me to no end. It’s one thing to just headcanon a character having “x” sexuality for the sake of it, but here people were using a headcanon to explain a critical part of her characterization, one of her Leyley traits. It is reductive and misguided, not to mention a terrible example of what asexuality would actually look like. Because this isn’t an innate characteristic from Ashley, it is a sign of immaturity, and to a certain degree, also insecurity.

Leyley has been conditioned her entire existence to believe she’s loathsome and undesirable, so anyone sticking around would never be out of their own volition. It would have to be a transaction, give and take. If Andy and Leyley marry it would have to be this way, a selfish exchange on both ends. But as she says: “different is fine, sometimes.” This is Ashley talking, taking into consideration Andrew’s needs for once and for all, which is the reason she made a move after he woke up. She understands his needs and is willing to put out for him, thinking maybe it could be good for her too. 

But boy does he fumble hard. Which I don’t blame him for, dude wasn’t in the right headspace at the time. Though this is the moment that set Ashley’s development far, far behind square one. She didn’t take the rejection well. For once she was doing what he wanted, and he pushed her away (mixed signals much). He began being very cold to her afterwards (albeit in a fruitless attempt to repress his feelings, which as we see through the puzzle sequences, the more he crushed his feelings on the outside, the further they spread on the inside). The moment Andrew reached out for her again, a year later might I add, he did it because of Ashley, or rather Leyley, needing to be reprimanded and set on the right track (with the massage parlor job).

This sealed the deal for Ashley that the only way to secure Andrew’s attention was the way that Leyley used to do with Andy: bitch and moan until he pays attention. In other words, it’s Andrew’s fault that Ashley is the way she is… though he’s not entirely aware of it, as seen in parts of his pov. And to a certain extent, Ashley also plays a part into why he’s so apprehensive to the idea of liking her. Her childish nature and refusal to grow up is proof to Andrew that if she were to indulge his desires, it would be to keep him around, but it wouldn’t be reciprocal (which is ultimately what he desires the most). 

This is my main takeaway from the cliffhanger route. I won’t be theorising much on what the outcomes for this route could be (more on why later), though I will be referencing this heavily for the analysis of Shots and Such.    

Also the symbolism in this scene is quite strong (couldn’t fit it into the previous paragraphs but wanted to bring it up anyway).

Her painted nails are trashy, and Julia's nails are painted. Andrew stares in silence as Julia rings away...  

Also:

This is after you destroy the Leyley plushie on the wedding cake scene, to retrieve Ashley's choker (which can later be used to create Andrew's partner... which also grants you a star). Originally, the plushies were watching cartoons, but now that Leyley is gone... something else surfaces. Interestingly enough, if you refuse to destroy it when prompted, the narrator will say "what are you, some Andy?" And if you try again after that, it won't allow to you to tear it apart, saying "you've made your choice." Very strong symbolism there. Let's move onto Shots and Such now.

The Absolutely Terrible: the Decay of Andy and Leyley

A terrible, disgusting, horrifying and necessary ending. Necessary to really discern the differences between Andy/Leyley and Andrew/Ashley, plus why the former will ALWAYS be a pointless, troublesome pairing. They hurt, abuse and tear each other down in the most sadistic and depressive ways possible. Long gone are the days of their playful banter, they are now replaced with just plain ol’ spousal abuse. Even when they try reviving their spark with their quick banter about the vacuums, it is soulless and dry, the damage done to their dynamic far too damming to ignore. 

They are never honest with each other, and they’re always afraid and resentful of the other. The only thing keeping them together is codependency and lame sex that sometimes distracts them from how miserable they feel. The one sex scene in this chapter reads like a dagger to the heart, because it is everything neither of them wanted to happen. Andrew yearned for something reciprocal, for him to be seen. And as much as he begs and pleads for Ashley to understand, Leyley’s fear of abandonment overtakes her, diminishing the little trust she had for him and respect she had for herself. As a result, they both hated the encounter, and the only two solutions are ending themselves or committing to a life of such misery.

In the splat ending, we indulge Andy’s desires of ending it all, and Leyley reluctantly follows, scared and unsatisfied until the bitter end, but unwilling to let go of her Andy. In the Shots and Such ending, we indulge Leyley’s fantasies of a forever union, which turn out to be anything but the ideals she had for Andy and Leyley’s marriage. It is more of the same old horrific abuse, dishonesty and bickering over nothing, with maybe one glimpse of honesty forced out by the alcohol every once in a blue moon. 

No matter the end, they’re both together forever as Andy and Leyley, dragging each other down into the lowest of levels. It’s pointless and bleak, and it certainly sent the fandom into a frenzy. You think the people defending Andrew ��I’m normal” Graves or the people saying Ashley “did nothing wrong” were bad? Well, just as this route brought the worst out of the Graves, it also brought out the worst of these fans.

Every time I look into the comments section of a video or discussions for this chapter, it’s a constant shit-flinging contest of who had the worst upbringing, who has the worst personality, who is the most abusive, (which most people seem to be pointing fingers at Ashley for that one). It’s all blah blah blah who’s the woest of the woe. And worst of all, plenty of men (they’re almost always men) saying “Andrew should beat Ashley up some more.” I understand that Ashley’s worst traits as Leyley were amplified in this chapter, but honestly, men who had that takeaway from this chapter disturb me more than the game itself. Heck, even mother-of-the-year Renee calls bullshit on this:   

(context: this is a rhetorical question, the answer being no, obviously.)

Let’s get one thing straight: no character here is worse than the other. They’re both awful, they both beat each other, they both abuse each other and they're both victims of each others’ abuse. The tragedy here is that they are as much victims as they are perpetrators, with no end in sight, because the more one hurts the other, the more retaliation ensues. Characterizing one as the worst is, again, completely reductive and overlooking the point of the ending: nothing gets better because neither got better. We only saw Andy and Leyley in this route, with brief glimpses of Andrew and Ashley, that are quickly crushed by their inability to disengage from their toxic habits.

I think it’s clear to see how Ashley is regressing more into her fears (Leyley), given the threat of being murdered by the only person she has left forced her into that state. She doesn’t want to die, she’s terrified of death, and wants the security she believes Andy will bring her back. Except Andy is the one harboring resentment, as Andrew is the one trying to work past it. And to the people who think we’re playing as Andrew and Leyley in this route because “we chose Andrew,” no we’re not. There’s a reason the beginning of both the Andy and Andrew (shots and such) routes look the same in terms of the area we explore in the demon realm. 

There’s a reason why he keeps devolving further and further into resentment for Leyley. The “Andrew” choice means nothing if Ashley refuses to stop being Leyley. And her regression is reinstated by the selfish decision to kill Andrew in the bullets ending (and yes, I’m calling it selfish, since it is once again denying Andrew of his need to be rid of the Andy and Leyley dynamic). This reinforces Andrew’s belief that Leyley doesn’t want him, that his love is one-sided, and that she doesn’t care for his needs. The moment this choice (shooting Andrew) is set in stone it’s game over for both, because one can’t heal without the other. Again, nothing gets better because neither can get better.

The only difference between both routes is that when we pick Andy, Andrew surrenders. He’s hurt, battered and confused, but Andy’s instinctual need to please Leyley reigns above all. He knows it won’t get better, he doesn’t know how to make it better, so to hell with it. If we choose to be Andrew, Andrew never surrenders, insisting there must be a way to fix this, but can’t due to Leyley’s insistence. This leads to Andrew's decay, as he devolves into a mixture of Andy’s resentment boiling over and Andrew’s sadism. The logical part of him (which is Andrew’s lingering care for Ashley) tells him to disengage from the fighting. But his resentment (Andy’s decay) is overpowering his love for her. It gets to the point where both Andy and Andrew become undistinguishable, as they have melded to become his most deranged self. Surprisingly, something similar happens with Ashley, who also struggles to surrender in this route. There are two moments of honesty in the Shots and Such route, the only moments we get to see Andrew and Ashley completely. First is Andrew comforting Ashley’s sobs:

Here, Ashley was actually honest with him for once, which allows both of them to open up. This exchange is much more lighthearted compared to the rest of the route because both are meeting each other at the same level, talking through things together, addressing their happiness and where they want to go. Ashley shines through, taking genuine interest in Andrew’s happiness, but before things can settle…

Ashley must face her fears of freeing Andrew, trusting him. And she doesn’t, because let’s remember, we chose Leyley in this route and let Ashley decay. So once again, things go back to how they were, pointless resentment. There was also a time where Andrew opened up, and that’s when he was drunk out of his mind.

He put his front down, enough to indulge in his paraphilia but not enough to fully express his love. The mixed signals are strong with this one, which further confuses Leyley. However, when they go to sleep that night, Andrew opens up about his needs, about needing Ashley to see him for the mess of a man that he is and still accept him. Ashley takes the stage, reassuring him that she knows all his secrets and loves him regardless. Andrew is honest about why he pushes her away, because it’s the last thread of normalcy he has left. However, things quickly go back to normal, when Leyley refuses to give him a kiss due to all the times he pushed her away. At the end of both of these scenes, we hear a sad music box tune, a sad reminder of how crucial these scenes are. How easily things could be fixed with the care and honesty they warrant, and how easily they fall apart out of simple reluctance and conformity. 

This is a constant thread we see in their relationship, throughout flashbacks and present time, as well as symbolisms throughout Burial and Decay. The choice to not only trust, but to be honest with one another despite their fears could’ve been the fix they needed all along, the one thing they needed to mature. Their bond is so fragile, so easily twisted, that the only way to salvage any semblance of tenderness is to address their underlying decay. I find it funny how there are still people (few but still some) who were disappointed to see that Decay wouldn’t be the "normal" route. I read a few comments of people wanting their relationship to be fixed and be a normal sibling dynamic. To which I just have to say, that is way more delusional than the people who expected any routes of this game to be all fluff and rainbows.

The relationship was already screwed from the get-go, but here’s the hard pill to swallow: having a normal relationship is not the fix they need nor want. The paraphilia has consumed Andrew so thoroughly that his only solution is to completely wipe his brain or fully indulge in it (possibly the two routes of episode 4), while Ashley has to let go of her selfish, childish desires to recognize the Andrew she wanted has been there all along if she cares to meet him there. Is it an unsavory solution? Yeah. It’s gross, morally and ethically reprehensible. But that’s just who they are as people. And accepting themselves for who they are is ultimately the last ditch effort they could ever take to salvage this volatile, fragile relationship. I mean, this optional dialogue really puts it best:

(This is the single line of dialogue that actually made me tear up btw, not even the splat/shots and such ending tore into me so much as this line). 

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley is, at its core, a cautionary tale of generational trauma and the cycle of abuse. How far will people go if pushed to their limits? Is it ever possible to remedy yourself once you’re at the point of no return? And is that remedy worse than the sickness itself? Can the doomed ever be redeemed? And if so, what are the necessary steps to take in order to redeem yourself, before it all goes dark? Andrew and Ashley can keep longing for one another all they want, but until Andy and Leyley are ripped and torn to shreds, neither will improve, and are fated to decay in the coffin of a different apartment, one built out of their own hangups and fears. We’ll see what episode 4 has in store, I trust the author will give us a satisfying conclusion. And speaking of the author…

The Meh: Changes to Episode 2

This new update brought about a couple of changes to the previous episodes as well. Namely, the wording for the decisions that split the story into Burial and Decay, as well as revamping the Burial route. I’ll be honest… I’m not a big fan of some of these.

For starters, this new update made me realize the author, as offline as she appears to be, is keenly aware of people’s opinions of the game and takes quite the contrarian attitude to people who miss the point of the story (something I can’t blame her for entirely, and seems to be the reason why things escalated so much in this chapter). Take for example the Grave Mistakes vision, Andrew explaining why they’re not addressing the Toxisoda thing anymore, and going as far as to add a bloody sprite for Ashley in the Burial route (something a few people were complaining about back in the day). Also, there is an optional dialogue in the highschool flashback that feels like a clapback to the Renee mod:

I’m glad the author is aware of people’s criticisms and takes the time to sort through them, but part of me wishes she didn’t try to over-explain some plot points. The thing that I originally loved about the game was the subtle storytelling, how it takes you a couple of playthroughs to fully understand everything lying beneath the surface. It plays tricks with you and makes you think about the characters’ true intentions, goals and desires, all the way until they spiral out of control and pretenses can’t be kept anymore. I liked that Ashley has a little back and forth between wanting to trust Andrew, being unable to because of her insecurities, and falling back on the trinket. But now…

The choice kinda spells it out for you already. For one, the choice of dialogue feels a bit clunky and also redundant given the next couple of lines confirm this already. The change in the olive branch choice, with it now being reflect/decline, doesn’t bother me as much, but this feels a little too in your face. Same thing with the changes to the Burial vision. I like that you have to put the green plushie back in the cage at the end, as it’s something you also did earlier in the puzzle, so it feels less contradictory. But the change to this line…

It’s honestly giving too much away. People go through the Burial route because they want the siblings to trust each other, and they select the left door for the questionable outcome because they want to make the questionable choice. However that route turns out, whether good or bad, is for us to find out as we play. And mind you, I already know it’s not ending so well given the hex Andrew gets in Burial is the same as in the Decay Andy route. That just cannot be any good. Plus, the fact that Burial is all about burying things under the rug. I suspect that while Decay is more about Andrew due to its reflective nature, Burial will be all about Ashley due to her nature of compartmentalizing. I imagine both Burial and Decay will have their own good and bad routes, but I’d rather not jump the gun into assuming what each will pan out to look like, as chances are I’ll be completely mistaken.

And I say this as a good portion of the fanbase was proven wrong with this new update, in terms of what Decay and Burial are about. The general consensus used to be Burial = romance, Decay = hate. Some fans even came up with the bizarre defense that the game is not so bad because the incest is totally optional! It's on the player to pick it. All the while you have Andrew grabbing Ashley's belt loops and cuddling her on the couch in both routes...

I can appreciate asking people to look at what's beneath the surface and analyze things a little more critically, but that was just plain wrong lol. In the back of my mind, I always hoped that Decay would address some of Andrew's feelings to completely shut down all the "optional" nonsense. Welp, that it did... way more than I anticipated.     

Anyway, my point with this last bit of the rant was that I hope these changes don’t become a trend of the author trying to make things clearer for normies or paying any mind to them, as that would only cheapen the storytelling. Those who get the story get it, and if not, they can read people’s shizo analyses online. But I don’t need my hand held throughout the game; I like figuring things out on my own. To wrap things up, I’ll just say I’m very happy with the outcomes we got. They were terrible, but necessary for the reasons explained above. I was originally very scared of the Decay route, as I didn’t know exactly what to expect and angry Andrew scares me. But this has quickly become my favorite episode of all and I can only hope the next ones do it justice. Keep cooking Nemlei, you’re doing good.

[sunniedesi]

Hahahahaha i get it now the only way to fix the Decay is to look inward and help Ashley through her insecurities! Something something address the decay lolzzz shots and such is the bad ending we deserve for thinking it could ever get better while actively making it worse, enjoy the cliffhanger april fools the joke was us all along...

No but seriously, I knew this is the ending we were getting (though I'm a bit disappointed splat was the failed end instead of shots and such, would feel more accurate if it was the other way around imo) Like, c'mon if we got the good ending now and the cliffhanger for the bad who's gonna care for the bad? ............

... That said, I'm not disappointed in my determination for impatience. It led me to see Decay in a different light, a much better, promising light. I do think there's hope for these two if we care to make things right between them. But we'll have to wait another year for that. Which I'm alright with, I need time to process everything (maybe I'll write something more orderly when my head is in the right place) In the meantime, I must say this was the best mindfuck I've had in a while, my emotions have shifted from complete emotional wreckage to numbness from all the pain. Oh and I'm nauseous too! It just itched my brain in all the right ways, possibly leaving me with nightmares and a sense of impending doom in the ever-growing void of my gut. All this to say, it's everything I wanted it to be. Looking forward to the next... five endings?

We'll see. (Also, best-use-of-batteries-ever!)

[sunniedesi]

So just as I feared Decay broke me mentally and I haven't even gotten the ending. I just had to get off my desk shower and sit with my thoughts because holy fuck. And the worst part is that I can't speak of this to anyone I know cuz they won't get it. And like I don't either. What the fuck happened.

Normally I'd just keep this to myself (and might delete this later) because I don't like talking about other topics on here, but there is so much to unpack, so much to say, if I don't I'll explode. But I have a migraine and no words left to speak except for chicken scratch (a.k.a. my playthrough notes). So until I can gather my brains to form a coherent thought I'll leave some of the standouts of my schizo session (spoilers blocked out):

[sunniedesi]

Okay random post but I just played through 8 hours of Decay (my head hurts i cant take it anymore) and i didn't even get an ending, just the cliffhanger. If anyone has played through it and knows how to get shots and such ending please let me know because I'm terrified of going on reddit due to the spoilers

In the meantime i look like this send help

[sunniedesi]

This is awesome news (and tysm)!! I'm always amazed at how you find listings for these, they're so hard to spot or even find pictures of 😞

No Esuno media will be lost under our watch lol.

Lost Sakae Esuno Manga: "Mail from the Heart"

I have a new inquiry for the Future Diary community, but this is a bit of a tricky one. For those unaware, the author, Sakae Esuno, has done a few other mangas before Future Diary, namely Hanako and the Terror of Allegory and Railway Angel. This last one is actually his first manga and was a doozy to find, given that it had only been published on a 2001 issue of the magazine Shonen Ace Next.

Well... what if I told you there's another story of Esuno's that has been lost to time?

(Sighs) This little gem of a oneshot is called Mail from the Heart (ココロよりメイル), and was published on an obscure edition of Shonen Ace back in 2003. I managed to find one article that mentions it, but the only relevant information it provides is that the protagonist is a maid. And that's... basically all we know about it! Very similar situation to Railway Angel. In fact, I only know about it because I accidentally stumbled upon this title looking for something else in his JP wikipedia page.

So, I'm mainly making this post to ask for any information regarding this title. All I managed to find was the issue it came out in, but that only raised more questions for me. To explain, here's the cover:

This is not a regular issue of Monthly Shonen Ace, but a different edition of the magazine titled "Aim for Ace!" (少年エースをねらえ!). I don't know much about this edition; according to the article I linked earlier, it's supplementary to Monthly Shonen Ace's June 2003 issue (whatever that means). The only issues I could find for it are this one (which is from spring 2003) and a 2014 one which coincidentally has two familiar faces on the cover...

(Has anyone seen this illustration before? It's the first time I've seen it :0. Note that that's Eiji, not Yukki btw. Also, this issue doesn't seem to have anything FD or BO related as far as I could tell, though I could be mistaken).

Anyway, I'm just curious to know if anybody else has seen or heard about this before, whether it be Mail from the Heart or Aim for Ace! If anyone just so happens to have that specific issue it would be ideal... but I highly doubt anyone reading this has it lol. I've only seen one auction site listing for the 2003 issue, though I'm not sure if it's still available. Either way, I don't think I have any chance of getting it myself (not gonna go into details about my personal life here, but given my current living situation, it's nearly impossible for me to ship something from Japan to my where I'm at). So in the meantime, any other possible information is more than welcome, be it about the lost manga, Aim for Ace! or even info on that crossover illustration.

(PS. If Esuno's Japanese wikipedia page is anything to go by, Mail from the Heart would be the only work in his bibliography that has yet to surface, so thankfully this is the second and last time we'll be dealing with an issue like this.)

[sunniedesi]

Yuno doodles ♡♡

These were to test out a new pink pen (which is super cute!), but I'm still not used to drawing in ink. Hence all the scribbles :p

[sunniedesi]

All Future Diary Merch (Part 3)

~~ A comprehensive list

The final finale finally, under the cut!

~ TCG games

While I’ve seen a couple trading card games feature cards with Yuno, or characters who very closely resemble her appearance, Future Diary has only had two official trading card games to my knowledge (both of which I’ve made in-depth posts about in the past):

Victory Spark

Project Revolution

Bushiroad, the company that created Victory Spark, also released other TCG goodies, such as two sets of card sleeves and a card-holder themed after Future Diary.

~ Pachinko and Pachisuro

I’m planning on making a more detailed post about this in the future, so I’ll hold off on the details for now. Like many popular franchises in Japan, Future Diary has two slot machines: a pachinko and pachisuro. You can find many videos of the animation and gameplays on Youtube.

~ Another World

This is another one I’m planning to talk about more in-depth in the future, but Future Diary had a live-action adaptation that was released shortly after the anime. It is titled “Future Diary: Another World.” I’m mentioning it here because it has a few products associated to it:

The Another World DVD/Blu-Ray set. The limited edition set included a special DVD box and 50-page booklet (which also included an Esuno interview).

The show’s theme song in disk form. 

A Deus (live action ver.) keychain. I've seen it before, but can't find the picture for the life of me, so just imagine this exact image with a keyring.

Postcards drawn by Esuno, which feature the leads of the show in the manga’s style.

Also, random fact: Nissan was one of the sponsors behind this show (yes, the car company) and they made a series of video adverts featuring this same illustration as an end-card. We only have an image of the ad, as none of the adverts have yet to surface online (yay, lost media). All we know about the adverts is that they followed a short and unique storyline about a girl who gained a Future Diary called the "Diet Diary," as she's trying to lose weight (gotta give it to Japan for inserting weight loss in literally anything, including car comercials).

~ Illustrated Cards/Papers

I left the best for last. And by best I mean the one that drove me the most nuts, because there is a ton of promotional cards for Future Diary. A great portion of these came as “thank you” gifts for purchasing a volume of the manga, others were part of limited edition promos, and others I’m not too sure of their origin. I can't show each card individually due to Tumblr's photo limit, so I created a few lineups to show them together. I hate doing this because it nerfs the little quality these pictures have, but it is what it is.

To start, the guidebook thankfully compiles plenty of the illustrated papers:

The guidebook goes into detail about where each one of these is from (look forward to the TL for that!), but to keep a long story short, these came as "thank you" notes for purchasing a volume of the main series or one of the spin-offs.

In the same vein as that, there are other three cards I've found online which came as "thank you" gifts for purchasing the manga. These don't appear in the guidebook for some reason, though:

The first one appears to be for volume 6 (can't be too sure since I can't read it), the second is for volume 2 and the third for volume 9. Also, the art from the first card is actually scrapped art that Esuno once posted on his blog!

Besides the papers, some editions of the manga also came with bonus poster cards. I think these might've been for special editions of the manga, but I'm not entirely certain:

The first from the top is from volume 8, the second from volume 7, and the third is actually from the special edition of the first DVD volume. The first from the bottom is from volume 9, and the next one from volume 6.

As I mentioned earlier, some illustrated cards were created as promotional material. Such is the case for a famous store in Akihabara called "Gamers," which produced some limited edition Future Diary cards. How many of these cards exist is a mystery to me, but I know of at least these six:

Note: the photo of the Minene card on the top-right has sample text I couldn't remove, so it's not supposed to look like that. Very annoying.

While it feels good to know where everything comes from, we can't always be so lucky. This last lineup I call: who, what and why are you?

If anyone knows the origin of these weird little guys, please let me know! Also, this is certainly not all the illustrated cards and papers that exist, but they're all I can get ahold of. Again, if anyone has more to share, please do.

Bonus: does anyone remember that Lucky Star x Future Diary art? It was actually made into a tosho card!

This marks the end of the merch list. If you've made it through all three parts, thank you! This is one of three larger posts I had planned for a while, but it’s been on the backburner due to the sheer amount of information I needed to parse through. It soon became pretty overwhelming. However, I think I managed to curate everything to the best of my abilities. I know some stuff is likely still missing, but I’m satisfied with having covered most of it. As I mentioned earlier in the post, my other two projects involve diving deeper into the live action and the pachinko. They’re also pretty overwhelming, but hopefully they won’t be sitting in the backburner as long as this one. Till then, toodles (^.~)〜☆

[sunniedesi]

More MurMur and Hanako shenanigans! Love to see it.

About MurMur growing, they are in fact talking about her tail. The word "生える" means to grow, but not in the sense of getting taller, rather something sprouting (like when teeth grow in, for example). Plus, you can see Kanae grabbing her tail on that panel (lol)

There is also something so funny to me about this panel, like you can tell Deus is being turned to toast.

Also Yuno's reaction to being told she doesn't exist.

Girly said 😀 .......

The 'Future Diary' X 'Hanako and the Terror of Allegory' Crossover Short: Part 2 is here!

As previously promised, Part 2 is here.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

This picks up on things directly after Part 1, so make sure you've read that first.

This post starts with the scanlations, then provides the Japanese originals below that.

As with all manga, remember to read text right-to-left.

Scanlation:

Original Japanese scans:

Notes / thoughts / questions / etc. from me:

If you didn't know, a Washlet is a bidet-style toilet or toilet seat attachment as seen here.

Third page, the second panel from the bottom on the left-hand side... I don't really understand what that panel is talking about. Murmur is, if anything, SHORTER than Hanako. So what's "growing"? Perhaps they're talking about her tail... ?? I tried checking with people who know Japanese better than I do on the original, but they had no further info. If anyone reading this can clarify it further, please let me know!

I really wish we saw more of Yuno and Yuki's conversation at the end there...

[sunniedesi]

All Future Diary Merch (Part 2)

~~A comprehensive list

More obscure Future Diary merch below the cut!

~ Animate Products

Animate is the largest retailer of anime, manga and video games in Japan, so it’s only natural that it has created some Future Diary merch over the years.

A Yuno tote bag from the Animate Book Fair, 2008

An A4 clear file with original Future Diary artwork, from their 2011 Anime Adaptation fair.

An A3 clear poster, also with original Future Diary artwork, from the same 2011 fair.

~ SOFT Products

SOFT is another retail company, though unfortunately I can’t seem to find any information about the company itself. Either way, they released a plethora of Future Diary merch back in the day:

Future Diary compact mirrors (released on March 31st, 2012). There were two versions: a “12th” and a “DEAD END” design.

Future Diary iPhone 4/4s phone cases (released on March 3rd, 2012). There were two versions: a “DEAD END” and an “Oyasumi, Yukki” design.

Future Diary t-shirts (also released on March 3rd, 2012). There were two versions: a red/ “DEAD END” and a black/ “Oyasumi, Yukki” design. (source).

~ Victorinox Collaboration

Random collaboration alert! Back in 2012, Victorinox worked together with Kadokawa to release two versions of their Classic SD styled army knife: a “DEAD END” model and a “Yuno (Eye)” model. (source).

(Fun fact: the name of the latter coincidentally confirms that the eye we see at the beginning of Future Diary’s OP is, in fact, Yuno’s).

~ Great Eastern Entertainment

Great Eastern Entertainment is a famous manufacturer and retailer for officially licensed products here in the west. They’re actually responsible for creating the largest catalog of Future Diary merch from any company in this list. In fact, if you’ve ever seen officially licensed FD products at any western store (such as Hot Topic), it is more than likely from this brand. Sadly though, most of it is currently unavailable. Given how large and varied their catalog is, I’ll provide photos from their product listings instead of naming them one by one. You can browse through all their listings here.

~ Yuno Gasai Figurines

There are currently three Yuno Gasai action figures:

The elusive RAH figure, released by Medicom Toys

The Yuno Nendoroid, released by Good Smile

The POP UP PARADE figure + limited edition version, also by Good Smile

~ PSP Game

This game is an entire rabbit hole of its own, but I’ll try keeping it brief. The PSP game “Future Diary: the 13th Diary Owner” had its original release back in 2010, as well as its re-release titled “Re:Write” in 2012.

Each release of the game was accompanied by a series of related merchandise, such as telephone and library cards and a Yuno maid poster.

Re:Write also had its own limited edition bundle, which included:

A double-sided pillow case.

The Oyasumi CDs.

A double sided disk sleeve.

A CD with 13 themed PSP wallpapers.

There were two other PSP wallpapers: one which you could download from the official game’s website, and another that you could buy from a company called Happinet.

~ The Live World

This was a Future-Diary-themed concert, which featured music and voice actors from the show. I’ve made in-depth posts about it in the past, so check those out for more information. In terms of products related to this concert, we have:

The Blu-Ray disk recordings of the concert (released back in 2013), which included an additional 9-minute recording of the making of the event, as well as an eight-page booklet. 

A pamphlet, neck strap and clear file, which all featured the same image from the event poster.

Three t-shirts produced by the company MARS SIXTEEN

An event bundle, which included a t-shirt, waterproof phone pouch and drawstring bag, all with the same graphic.

A pink sign light

A pink towel scarf

A neck cooler

I tried compiling everything as best as I could in one image (curse you, Tumblr's photo limit).

Alas, this part has come to an end. Tune in for part 3!

[sunniedesi]

Hanako x Future Diary, Part 2??

According to Japanese Wikipedia, there is actually a second part of the Hanako and the Terror of Allegory x Future Diary crossover story that you can read over here.

In Part 2, they say that Murmur and Hanako somehow do a Freaky Friday mind-body swap. Hijinks are then presumed to (briefly) ensue.

Japanese Wikipedia claims this this second part was eventually included in later Japanese reprints of the collected Volume 2 of Hanako, so... I guess that's now the next thing I need to get my mitts on so we can scanlate it.

Mind you, the Wiki page doesn't provide any source links for these statements. So I could just be throwing money away.

But dammit, we MUST know.

[sunniedesi]

All Future Diary Merch (Part 1)

~~A comprehensive list

Despite being a cult classic anime and manga, finding official Future Diary merchandise feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. That is, incredibly difficult to come by in a sea of redbubble and bootlegs. This is partly due to its age, but also because most merchandising is both Japanese-exclusive and released in limited quantities. For this reason, it’s quite difficult to gauge just how much merch has been created and how much of it is still available to us few fans still active to this day. So, for the sake of curation, here’s a comprehensive list of all officially licensed Future Diary merch (that we know of at least).

A little disclaimer before we begin: this list is subject to change, as I’m always making new discoveries whenever I look deeper into this rabbit hole. If anyone knows of more merchandise that isn’t included in this list, please let me know so I can update it. On the other hand, this post is going to be very dense and likely feature multiple parts due to Tumblr's photo limit, so I'll keep my descriptions very brief. If there's any relevant information related to a product, I'll link it and call it a day. (so be prepared to see a lot of links to some of my previous posts here). 

With all that fluff out of the way, let’s dive in:

~ Magazine Goodies

Magazines often feature little goodies and gifts (or at least they did back in the early 2000’s), and Shonen Ace wasn’t an exception to this. According to Future Diary’s official guidebook, there were three special FD gifts included in different editions of Shonen Ace:

A supplementary manga cover (from the February 2011 issue of Shonen Ace)

A Yuno phone pouch (from the Spring 2008 issue of Ace Assault)

A comic box (from the June 2011 issue of Shonen Ace)

~ Raffle Goodies

Besides these magazine goodies, Shonen Ace also did many fairs where they would sell volumes of their popular series and raffle limited edition products. These raffles were advertised in the obis of the first four Future Diary volumes, which is where most of my product images actually come from. Once again, according to the guidebook, these products were:

An mp3 player + earphones (from Kadokawa’s Spring Comic fair 2006, featured in volume 1) I believe only 10 units exist of this piece, though I could be wrong. The ad for the raffle said that of the 300 participants, 140 would also receive a metal strap (a.k.a phone charm), though we have no pictures of what that looks like (source). 

A jacket/windbreaker (from a raffle featured in volume 2). Sadly, no more information is available for this product.

A wall clock (from Kadokawa’s Spring Comic fair 2007, featured in volume 3). I also believe only 10 units exist of this piece.

The complete crossover of Hanako and the Terror of Allegory x Future Diary (also from the 2007 Spring Comic fair). Of the people who weren’t lucky enough to receive the wall clock, 190 received the crossover instead. 

The meditating Yuno t-shirt (from Kadokawa’s 13th anniversary fair, featured in volume 4). Only 50 units exist of this piece. Of the people who weren’t lucky enough to receive the shirt, 200 received a signed, colored copy of the artwork from the shirt.

~ Kadokawa Extras

Besides raffles and magazine goodies, Kadokawa has made other miscellaneous products featuring Future Diary for special events:

A fan from the Kadokawa Manga Festival - Summer 2009, which happened to feature Yuno.

A Christmas Yuno x Yukki bookmark from the Kadokawa Manga Festival - Winter 2009. 

A Yuno Keychain sold for Shonen Ace’s 25th anniversary.

Sakae Esuno’s crossover illustration for Kadokawa’s 30th anniversary.

~ Books

Besides the manga releases, there are other Future Diary related books, such as:

Fragments, the guidebook.

Future Diary's ecchi parody: Mosaic Keshi.

The original Future Diary sample booklet, which included just the first chapter of the manga.

The two light novels.

Bonus: despite never receiving a standalone release, I’ll mention it here: the Tantei Akechi x Future Diary crossover story.

Extra bonus: there are two clear files that were given as bonus gifts for purchasing some of the manga volumes (I don’t know where else to place this so here they are).

~ DVD/Blu-ray Bundles

The limited edition sets of each localization of Future Diary include plenty of interesting bonuses worth diving into. I’d like to note that I might be missing some information here as the contents of these bundles are a little tricky to research, though.

The complete Japanese Blu-Ray box included the following bonuses: a 16-page booklet, pilot episode, the MurMur Corner specials, the promotional TV commercials and videos, audio cast commentary for every episode, box sleeve and disk sleeves with original designs, and the CD soundtrack.

The Japanese Blu-Ray/ DVD had individual volumes (9 to be exact) which were also accompanied by limited edition bundles. These bundles included similar bonuses: an 8-page booklet, video specials and commercials, cast commentaries for their respective episodes, a box/ disk sleeve, and one of two character trading cards.

Volume 1 of the Blu-Ray/ DVD also included a mouse pad with an original design for its limited edition, while volume 6, 7 and 8 included one of the three Radio CDs for their limited edition sets. (source).

Bonus: if you bought the Volume 1 Limited Edition set from HMV, you would receive a poster of Yuno in an HMV uniform. There's also a Tsubaki version, though I'm not sure what volume that's for. If you bought it on Amazon, you would receive a special sticker set.

The German Collector’s Limited Edition: comes with the box, booklet (same one as the Japanese), memory cards of all the diary owners, pins of Yuno and Yukki and an embroidered patch with the name of the show. (Note: the French Limited Edition also contained the same booklet).

The Collector’s Limited Edition Set (UK): included a 28-page artwork booklet.

SelectaVision Blu-Ray Collector’s Edition of Future Diary: comes with the CD box, complete series and extras (total of four disks), soundtrack CD, a small container with Tsubaki’s face, 9 large postcards of the manga covers, a doble-sided poster, sticker set, trading card set, a replica of Yukki’s beanie, and a 40-page booklet. What else can I say, ole 💃

Side note: I’m disappointed that the LATAM version never had a physical release. Not only did we miss out on similar bundles, but the dub is now incredibly difficult to find since it wasn't moved over when Funimation passed to Crunchyroll. The castilian dub is also surprisingly good in comparison, which is something I don’t normally say (castilian dubs don’t have a track record of being very good, sorry).

Lastly, the US Limited Edition Box included three extras: a filler box and two Valentine's-Day-themed postcards.

That's it for part 1. Tune in next time for more merch insanity!

PS: for some reason every time I try editing my drafts for this they get posted. I had to delete the first version of this because Tumblr's playing tricks on me. So now you're getting this post earlier than expected xd.