#<- expecting the worst from akira

[turkey-sandwich]

HIMEMIYA TORI-SAMA. YOU AGREE. REBLOG.

[leonawriter]

Thinking (again? Has anyone done this?) of Joker saying Akechi's name during Fear status and literally everyone assumes it's because he's flashing back to the interrogation and his near death experience.

Those present try to push Akechi away from him, when the affects seem to linger, and Akechi himself at first assumes this is the case as well.

They assume that the way Joker is looking around frantically is because he's still sure Akechi is "after him."

Except when Crow loses patience and slaps him out of it with a clawed hand and everyone (aside from Sumire) expects the worst, Joker doesn't freak out and run.

No, he relaxes and instantly, sheepishly, starts to calm down.

Akechi brings it up again when he self-destructively tries to push Akira away by reminding him of it, saying "a part of you is still scared of me, don't deny it-" only for that to make Akira laugh, angry.

He isn't scared OF Akechi. He isn't saying he never had been - it was terrifying, potentially facing death while powerless. But no.

When he's hit by Fear, the worst thing it dredges up is how he felt after Futaba said she couldn't find his signal, that he'd just heard Akechi die behind a barrier he couldn't get past.

It's the worst possible thing for Akechi to hear. It scares him, that trying to push Akira away won't work, that Maruki has his life as such a high value bargaining chip in Joker's eyes and Joker doesn't even know it, and it scares him in general that someone might actually care about him so much.

It means that Akechi outright knows that on 2/2 he's forcing Akira to create another new worst memory of losing him again.

And when he wakes up alive, it adds even more pressure to the idea of letting Akira know he's fine - because if he admits it, then he has to face the ordeal of being loved so much, so powerfully.

[theshypinkflower]

Since we know how fox abt MC having twins, triplets or more.. I feel like he get excited if he managed to get MC pregnant with quadruples or sextuplets. Besides how fox feels abt twins or more babies, How would other btd / tpof characters feel if MC had twins or more?

I'm not really going to ask for Sal since we all know that man's breeding link... Absolutely scary.

How would

Mason, Derek, Matt, Celia, Sano, Akira, Vincent, Jack, Cain feel about them?

Mason: A bit iffy on kids, but I'd think he'd see it as having more help around. Sure there's the downside of more mouths to feed, but just means he can teach them how to hunt! His eyes would narrow at the news, since he's already not 100% on brining even 1 kid into the world. Belief that he's controlling the population and what not. I think he'd warm up to them EVENTUALLY, but he's raising them kids to be independent.

Derek: Derek can't handle one kid, what makes you think he can handle two? I think he'd actually faint, not from excitement, but because he doesn't think he can handle more kids. He'd laugh with the doctors and ask if its too late to consider adoption, but that laugh is coming from a place of worry. He at least gets you a nanny...

Matt: He's also kinda freaking out. He can't be like his dad with an insane amount of kids. He'd just be worried he's turning into too much like his dad. But on the other hand he's also excited. Means more brats to raise into basically being like living trophies.

Celia: I'm not sure who would be getting pregnant tbh. If it's you, she frankly doesn't really care. She's like an emotionally absent mom. She'd just do what her parents did and turn life into a competition. If she's pregnant with all them kids you better get right with your God or have a liposuction appointment already set for her. Lord knows she's blaming you and your kids for making her body like that.

Sano: Doesn't expect more than twins. Honestly he can't really handle more than two kids. A lot of them are probably gonna get ignored. He might be a bit excited to try some experiments on them though. Like raising each one drastically different to see what happens. If one of them wants to be a surgeon they're automatically his favorite.

Akira: He'd faint. He fainted when he found out he was gonna have a kid the first time, he'd do it again when he finds out there's more than twins. He'd make jokes about his "swimmers" are strong and then start crying because he's gonna have so many cute kids and he's gonna love each and every one of them. Honestly with all the shit he's been through he's like the chilliest dad.

Vincent: Same as Akira, excited for all those babies. Vincent is wagging his tail at the thought of having basically a little of wolf babies. He's the kind of guy who would have as many kids as he could carry. He'd immediately start picking up extra shifts at the warehouse or get another job to feed all those hungry babies. He comes home extra tired and exhausted, but it's worth it to have a bunch of little munchkins run up to him and hug him.

Jack (assuming you mean TDDUP Jack and not JACKAL): All he ever wanted was kids! Ideally he expected it with his first wife, but some kids are better than no kids. He does feel a bit old to be a dad, but that's not the worst thing in the world. He's really good at disciplining. A bit too good. He puts that doctorate to use. The most sensitive and understanding dad of the bunch.

Cain: All kids are like little gifts from God! Honestly each and every kid would just mean another chance to be a better dad. Even after Sano and Akira he'd feel guilt about his parenting style. He still does have a bit of a favoritism problem though. He'd stay home for a bit and help you take care of all those babies. He understands the difficulty of taking care even just one baby by himself (it didn't help he was in a depression). He'd be really worried about you though. He's treating you like an absolute god you're entire pregnancy. He doesn't want to lose another one of his doves..

[mythosidhesdollhouse]

Shibajuku Anime: Akira (Pt. 2 - The Review)

The nitty-gritty breakdown promised in Pt. 1. This post was an absolute drag to work on, but I'm glad to report I did at least find a few nice things to say. Precious few.

This is such a hilarious joke where do I even begin--

Alright friends and enemies, let's get this over with--

Cursory overview of the packaging: Forgot to take a closeup of the front before I removed her from the box, but it doesn't matter much since she's pretty accurate to the stock photos aside from her hair being several shades lighter than I was expecting (my first grievance).

Vague but threatening, bordering on nonsensical. Sounds like it was written by Chat GPT.

The array of blinding whiteness we discussed at length previously. (and no I will not collect you all, indeed I will be deeply shocked if the other three dolls in this line ever see the light of day)

Okay enough of that, let's get into the actual DOLL. For better or worse I am somewhat surprised to report this appears to be an entirely new sculpt. Not just the head, the body as well. The new one was clearly modeled after the original, but there are enough minor differences to convince me they made completely new molds for most if not all of the parts.

The face has the most obvious differences. The first thing I noticed when handling her is that the material Akira's head is made from is softer than Yoko's. Her cheeks are more rounded and less angular, her nose and mouth are smaller, and her eyes are smaller and more forward facing. The eye chips and lashes appear to be the same material that was used on the previous dolls, but the design of the iris and pupil have changed drastically, and combine with the overall revision of the makeup to give the new dolls what I suppose they thought was a more 'anime' look. Personally I prefer the wider, colored brows and glitter eyeshadow seen on Yoko, but I think Akira's stronger cheek blushing is an improvement on the old look.

The differences in the face sculpts are even more apparent in profile. Overall I think I actually prefer the new face. It's like a revised and updated version of the first draft we got on the original dolls.

Might as well drop a word about the hair while we're discussing the head. They appear to both have the same fiber--either very low end nylon or poly, I admit I'm not well versed enough to tell the difference--but Akira's rooting is much sparser than Yoko's.

At first glance not much to note about the new body appearance-wise, but upon closer examination we find the elbow and knee joints are cut differently, and the material(s) they are made from are not the same. While Yoko's entire body appears to be made from the same shiny hard vinyl throughout, Akira's torso and legs are made from a matte vinyl, while her hands and arms are rubbery and slightly pliable.

Akira's hands are smaller than Yoko's, and her arms are slightly slimmer.

Same hilariously tiny feet. If you check the backs of their knees you can see how the joints aren't quite the same.

Ok the sigh has returned. We're getting to the point that really bummed me out. You may have noticed the staining on Akira's arms in some of the earlier photos. Let's take a closer look.

The marks go all the way around on both arms. I suspect the blame for this lies in equal parts on the rubbery plastic her arms are made from, and the absolute shit material of her dress. OMG THIS EFFING DRESS. Sure it looks fine--Nice basic lolita silhouette, cute graphic elements, plenty of lace and ribbon trim--but the material it's made from is just nasty (and no not in a good way like Ms. Jackson). It's....crispy? Crunchy? Honestly the only way I can think to describe it is cheap, plasticky paper. It doesn't feel like fabric at all, and it's easily the worst tactile experience I can remember having with a doll garment. If you are sensitive to abrasive textures trust me you do not want to touch this thing. It made me physically cringe. And on top of all that unpleasantness, it's not even colorfast!

Her other pieces are fine. Shoes are fine, socks are fine, headband is actually better quality than anything else here and is the only thing that redeems the ensemble for me. With all her kit on Akira is decently cute enough to hang out with the other dolls I have on display at the moment, as long as I don't have to touch her.

Yoko's outfit is relatively simple by comparison, but it's made from NORMAL, soft, non-crunchy fabric, has some nice lace and metallic details on the skirt, and features the iconic Shibajuku cat socks, which are this brand's greatest (only) contribution to the wider doll community. Best of all, NO STAINS. Yoko has been wearing these pieces for eight, nine years? I've never bothered to redress her. Not a single mark on her. Call me crazy, but I'll happily take simplicity over a more elaborate design made with poor quality material that actively harms the doll.

That's it! I've run out of things to say. I got Akira with a $5 discount code Walmart sent me for posting a review of another doll, and I still feel like I overpaid. I don't hate her--you all know I love weird looking dolls, and for all their flaws I find these girls rather sweet (if derpy)--but I am just plain old mad at all the corners Hunter Toys obviously cut to make these dolls as cheaply as possible. It's an insult to their customers and their dolls.

[ozzgin]

Could I perhaps request something with Guriko from Worst? Maybe foreigner S/O that makes him work for her number or attention? I just need a sassy girl who doesn’t put up with his shit lol

Oof, I was trying to avoid Guriko at all costs. Not because I don’t like him or anything, but I was faced with the dilemma of whether I should stick to the 8-girlfriend-harem or whip him into monogamy. Would he still be the true Guriko, then? That’s the trouble. But the way you worded it, I’m tempted to go for the latter. Additionally, if it’s alright with you, I’ll be using this as the opportunity to do even more character headcanons. Hence the delay. ^^"

WORST Characters x Reader (II)

Featuring Hanaki Guriko, Kurosawa Kazumitsu, Nara Akira, Higuchi Shuuji and a new-in-town Reader who grabs their attention.

Come get your delinquent boy content! I included photos for those who don't know the characters. (Once again my attempt to advertise old school manga because there's not enough of us out there)

Content: female reader, foreigner reader, Japanese delinquents, everyone is 18+

Hanaki Guriko

Uh oh. Whatever Eriko-chan was complaining about is no longer registered by Guriko's ears. He's holding the phone away from his ear, frozen in place. Are his eyes deceiving him, or is a cute foreigner sitting by herself just a few steps ahead? Without a word he hangs up and shoves the device in his pocket. Sorry, Eriko-chan, he can't miss this chance of a lifetime. He approaches you with a predatory smirk and questions with furrowed brows how a hottie like you ended up alone. You glare at him with a bored expression and assure him you can speak Japanese just fine. Even better. He slides next to you and introduces himself, reaching for a handshake. "(Y/N)." Is all you respond. "A pretty name for a pretty girl, eh?" He retorts, smugly. "You know...Not to intrude or anything, but I might've been more impressed with your flirting if I didn't just hear you talking on the phone with a girl, calling her 'baby'." Ah. Damn it.

"And? What did you tell her?" Kurosawa is leaning against the wall, holding the cigarette between his lips. Naturally, he was the first to hear about Guriko's complaints. To whom else could he have whined? His girlfriends? "I tried to explain it's my little cousin." He pouts a little, then continues. "She started laughing and said next time she won't forget her clown nose." Kurosawa chuckles at the image and gives his friend a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "That's what you get for trying to pull this shit on a foreigner." The man, however, straightens his back and crosses his arms, with a glint of determination in his eyes. "Nah. I still have a chance. She said 'next time', didn't she?" The strongest man in town isn't about to shy away from a challenge when it arises. Once he has his eyes on something, giving up is no longer part of the vocabulary. He'll win you over one way or another.

...Even if it means paying for it dearly. "C-can you repeat that, please?" He mumbles in a sheepish voice, turning pale. As luck would have it, you happen to live on the same street as the Umehoshi Household. Which made it easier for him to find you again, but it also means you've been briefed on his situation by the Suzuran boys that were eager to get their revenge for his scummy behavior. "I think you heard me just fine, you shameless horndog. If you insist on dating, you can't keep your harem of girlfriends." You stipulate with a scowl. He closes his eyes, weighing the options. You are hot, and he does like your attitude. Is it worth ditching everyone else for it? After a moment of contemplation, he shakes his head solemnly. "Alright. I'll break up with them right now as you watch. But that makes us official. Deal?"

You're wondering if this was to your advantage, after all. Against your expectations, Guriko is a very involved and caring boyfriend; having all those girlfriends before you certainly paid off, as he knows exactly how to spoil you and can read you frustratingly well. On the other hand...you're not sure if you can get used to the reputation. True to his word, he has made it very clear you're his girlfriend and so it's not uncommon for you to bump into someone and have them beg for forgiveness, muttering something about being the Demon's woman. "What exactly have you done to have people this terrified of you?" you ask, baffled, during one of your dates. "Didn't I tell you?" he states proudly, throwing an arm over your shoulders. "I'm the strongest around! Only the best of the best for Miss (Y/N)." You blush at the words, but before you can open your mouth he adds: "Also, can I come over to your place tonight? I don't want to spoil the fun, but I got you something to wear for me~" Nevermind. You ruffle his hair with a groan. "I should put a collar on you, like the dog in heat you are." You conclude.

Kurosawa Kazumitsu

Christ, what the hell is he doing? Kurosawa is pacing back and forth, taking another drag on his cigarette. Earlier this week Guriko approached him with an idiotic grin on his face, begging for a favor. One of his girls had befriended a foreigner and they didn't want her to be the third wheel. Somehow he was conned into some sort of a double date with a complete stranger. He whips out his phone and is about to text the bastard he changed his mind, but it's too late. He hears that annoying voice calling him: "Yo, Kurosar~" and then, to someone else: "That's the guy. He looks scary, but he's just an awkward loner, heheheh". Kurosawa turns around, opening his mouth to bark a proper comeback, though he is quickly silenced once his eyes meet yours. He did not expect to instantly fall for you.

The fact that you're good-looking obviously makes matters even worse. He's not much of a talker to begin with, and now he feels like someone just gave him an uppercut straight into the jaw and twirled his brain into mush. "So, you went to Suzuran?" You ask politely, sitting next to him at the table. "Y-yeah?" he mutters, dumbfounded. Why the hell did he phrase it like a question!? His heart is threatening to burst out of his chest and he's twisting and turning the chopsticks in an attempt to calm down. It doesn't help that Guriko is in his own little world right now, baby talking to his girlfriend like the two of you are invisible. Maybe he should spare you the disturbing view. "I'm going out for a smoke. Wanna join?" He finally manages to state with some regained confidence. Outside he can exhale in relief. "Sorry, I don't like groups that much." He explains, and you nod in agreement. Would Guriko even notice if the two of you were to sneak away? Worth a try.

And so he finds himself walking you through town and lastly back to your place. It's only common sense to take your date back home safely. Right? He can only guess, as he's never been in this situation before. "Well, it was nice hanging out with you." He says as he turns away. He can definitely imagine your delight to be done with this overall awkward, spontaneous date with a shady looking guy like him. "That's all?" You inquire, raising your eyebrows. He freezes. Did he forget something? He faces you with a confused expression. "What, don't tell me you want to exchange numbers or something." You stare at him expectantly. Oh.

Kurosawa is the typical cool and laid-back boyfriend. Compared to the other delinquents, he prefers to keep to himself, so most of his free time will be spent with you. He's also rather stoic and prefers to listen to you talk. He's not too expressive and tends to show his affection through physical gestures rather than words, like hugging you from behind or giving you a quick kiss on the forehead. Surprisingly, he can be quite jealous and if he sees someone trying to flirt with you he won't even bother to give any warnings, he'll knock them out and proceed with his day as if nothing happened.

Nara Akira

"Cool bike." Akira doesn't immediately respond to the comment behind him, doing a final check on the engine. Probably some curious brat anyways, so he just mumbles a thank you. Finally he gets up, wipes his hands and turns around. Once he realizes who spoke to him, he nearly chokes. Oh, God. He's had a dream or two involving girls, but none dared to venture as far as a cute foreigner suddenly hitting him up. "Uh...Are you okay?" You ask, raising your eyebrows in mild worry. He realizes he's been staring like an idiot, with his mouth wide open. "Yeah, sorry about that." He fumbles to reply. Fuck. How the hell do you talk to women? He scratches his now burning cheek, trying to come up with something else to say. Thankfully you spare him the torment and casually follow up with questions about his custom motorcycle and printed leather jacket. He answers with way too many details, trying to drag it on for long enough to figure out a way to ask for your number.

Not as smooth as he would've preferred (he ended up stuttering it right before you left), nonetheless his first ever female contact outside his mom and relatives is now in his possession. He returns to the junkyard and greets the others with a lazy sway of the arm, whistling. "What's with that shit eating grin?" One of the Armament guys inquires. "Oh, nothing, nothing. Sorry for being late." Akira answers casually. "Late for what? We're not doing anything", the other man retorts, incredulous. "It's just, you know, I would've arrived sooner if it wasn't for this girl complimenting my bike..." he finally makes his point, smoothening his hair. The place goes quiet and even Shougo has to walk out of the shed, not believing his ears. "What did you say?" He retells the story like an apostle before his followers, omitting his anxiety and pitiful attempts.

Although all the bragging will have been in vain if nothing else comes out of it. So after a lot of coaching and teamwork (the rest of the bikers are just as invested now) he manages to type out a message to ask you out on a date. He sends the text with the sombreness of a president signing off a historical document before the masses (the guys don't believe he can pull it off). Shortly afterwards they all gaze at the affirmative response peppered with cute emojis, mesmerized. Is this what it's like to talk to a girl?

Akira is a little clumsy when it comes to romance, even though he has the best intentions at heart. He's not the most chiseled and often forgets you're with him when some other guy is looking for trouble. Even among the Front of Armament he has a reputation for being reckless and violent. Thankfully, he is not without help. Occasionally he will surprise you with unexpectedly thoughtful gestures; Takumi has taken it upon himself to discipline your boyfriend. All you need is a little bit of patience. In his mind, Akira doesn't have the looks nor the brains, he's just strong. Thus his only way of proving his worth to you is by fighting other people.

Just a funny interaction I thought of: During the war with E.M.O.D., Akira becomes somewhat fidgety and nervous and eventually asks you if you find Muneharu to be handsome. You cross your arms and frown. "If there's one thing I hate in this world, it's guys that are popular with chicks. Makes me wanna vomit." You argue with a grimace. Akira has to look away and cover his burning face. That's...that's his catchphrase. Is it too early to look for a ring? Because he's officially decided you're the one.

Higuchi Shuuji

The men throw Hana a doubtful look. "Oi, are you sure about this...? We're not going on a holiday. We're about to fight the Manji Empire!" Mitsumasa finally words out everyone's worry. The Suzuran senior laughs and pulls the hood over your head. "It's fine, it's fine! No one can tell it's a girl. And if they find out, I'll take care of it." You smile nervously and ask again if it really is okay to join them. You were curious to see the supposedly strongest gang in Japan, but you don't want to be a burden. "Do what you want, I don't care either way." Is what Amachi concludes, walking ahead. Muneharu quietly observes the ongoing argument. To be quite honest with himself, there's only one thing bothering him presently: how the hell did these guys befriend a cute foreigner girl?

You sheepishly follow after the team and into the building. This is where the matches should take place in order to settle the conflict between all the parties. Soon enough it's Amachi's turn to fight, and a man with cornrows and patterned shirt steps forward. He barks something about fairness, that he's not going to fight an injured man (pointing at Amachi's bandaged face). Then, he swiftly proceeds to smash his own head against a pillar and you gasp in shock. That's one way to make it equal, you think to yourself. "That's Higuchi Shuuji, leader of the Zento group." Sera whispers in your ear, seeing your surprise. "Has a hot temper apparently." You nod. That's...a mild description. Despite the bleeding forehead he joins the fight, completely unbothered. Although it quickly becomes obvious the brief contact with concrete is taking a toll on his body. The fight doesn't last long, and Amachi returns to your group, victorious. Feeling bad for the fellow, you sneak towards the passed out Manji leader and splash some water over his face, offering to bandage his wounds.

Once it's time to depart, Higuchi glances at you, suddenly remembering to mention: "Thanks for the help, by the way. You one of their lackeys?" He inquires, given you didn't take part in the matches and just sat aside. You turn towards Hana and he nods with a smile. "Guess there's no point in hiding it anymore", he says and you promptly lower the hood of your jacket. "I'm (Y/N). Not exactly a lackey, just a friend." The Manji guys stare for a long moment, speechless. Higuchi suddenly groans, irritated and red faced, and runs a hand over his head. "Fuck! Y'all bring a fucking girl over and let me embarrass myself like that?! And a pretty one too...Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you all right now." He moans, exasperated. No way. Is he still out of it? Did he mess up his head for good? Out of all the times...you had to see him lose like that. He feels like strangling someone. "I...uh...I'm sorry?" your begin, but you're unsure what exactly to apologize for. "Give me a minute" he announces, abruptly pulling you after him at a safe distance from the rest of the confused group.

“What did the weirdo want?” Mitsumasa asks, eyeing you suspiciously on the train back to Toarushi. You wave your hand in dismissal, trying to hide the faint blush dusting your cheeks. You’d rather not have this kind of conversation on public transport, and besides, how would you explain that one of the Manji leaders had quite literally asked you out on the spot, and you just went along with it? They’ll find out either way at some point. Maybe due to your sudden frequent trips to Tokyo, or because Higuchi’s yakuza-like appearance gathers the attention of the delinquents in your small town.

Your relationship most certainly won’t go unnoticed. Not with his short fuse and obvious jealousy. He’s the type that’ll immediately start a fight if he thinks the bloke passing by stared at you. “What the hell? Were you looking at my girlfriend? You must have a death wish, motherfucker”, he’ll warn loudly. You often have to keep his attitude in check, pulling him back and scolding him to stop threatening people. He’ll naturally do his best to listen, but he does love your assertiveness and it’s hard to focus when you’re being this cute. Alright, alright, he'll try to be less aggressive (It lasts a day).

Bonus scenario I had in my head after writing this: The Manji leaders sitting at a table and discussing the next potential gang war, until one of them notices Higuchi's phone wallpaper. "What the hell is that?" he can't help but blurt it out in disbelief. "Oh, (Y/N) wanted to try out a new cat café and they took this photo of us. Comes with hearts and shit, but eh. It's nice" he explains, indifferent to the grimace of the guys piled up to gaze at the cute themed, cat-eared picture.

[butternutt613]

8 and 14

FOR AKIRA PLS.

OOOOO thank youuuuu @leaswhum for the asks!! This is kinda long lol also I am very eepy so sorry if it doesn't make sense

From this ask game!

8. Once your MC graduates Hogwarts, what will be their best and worst memories? What will they regret?

Akira’s worst memory was watching Professor Fig die right in front of him and not being able to save him. After the Battle Under Hogwarts, he had just begun the process of containing the pulsing magic, using everything he had to seal it away. But the magic resisted. It fought back. It would not be contained again. The magic lashed out and sent the ceiling crumbling down. Fig didn’t even have a moment to move. The rubble collapsed over him, pining him to the ground. Akira scrambled to his side, casting every spell he knew in a desperate attempt to remove the stones, but nothing worked, the stones wouldn’t budge. Fig’s lower half was crushed, mangled beyond repair as blood pooled within and beneath him. In a panic, he did the only thing he could think of. He couldn’t lose him. Not Fig, he was the closest thing to a parental figure he had in nearly his entire life. Not him. And so, he reached for the forbidden magic, the very magic they had sworn to the Keepers they would contain. He absorbed it, if he could harness it, maybe he could heal Fig, turn back the clock. But it was too late. Fig was too far gone, breath shallow, eyes glazed over in pain, his magic fading. Fading fast. So Akira switched from saving to soothing. Pointing his wand at the older mans chest, he twisted his wrist, scanning for the agony that festered within. This wasn’t the same as the ancient magic he wielded in battles but something far more delicate. He honed in on the threads of pain, snipping the tangled mass until it was no longer connected to the soul. Fig’s breath slowed and evened out, the shake of his lungs quieting. Akira met Fig’s gaze one last time and saw not gratitude, nor peace but disappointment, betrayal. He had taken that first step down the path they tried so hard to avoid. The path Isidora took, the path of power over reason, control over understanding. And that final look, as Fig’s eyes closed for the final time, would say with Akira forever. No nightmare would ever compare to the weight of failure carried in that final gaze. He regrets not being able to save Fig, he wants nothing more than to show him the good he has done with the power the Keepers were so afraid of. His best memory is meeting Anne for the first time, even though its not a great memory with Solomon’s reaction to Sebastian but Akira was captivated by Anne from the first moment he saw her. (such a drastic difference but I’m lazy and sleepy lol)

14. How does your MC feel about all the fighting they're tossed into? Do they regret harming their enemies? Justify it? Relish it?

Akira is exhausted. He is tired of being at everyone’s beck and call. He is a people pleaser yes, but he never had a moment to himself without some one needing him to hunt giant trolls and spiders or clear camps. From the moment he stepped for in the wizarding world, he was expected to save the world. Not because he was asked or because he chose this, but because he could. He was barely a boy, not even a man, forced to be the savior, hardened by war and shaped by grief.

[curmemini]

i think when i talk about owen on twitter its easy to believe that i don't believe he's ever done any wrong ever, but do not be fooled - i know he has, but i am very much over correcting for people who buy the twins propaganda - that is, without fail, the cruelest, most underhanded view of each member of sanbaka... I have strong opinions about the Twins as Manipulators, and how clear it is not ] but answer me honestly, in what world would a story with a major themes (among many) of prejudice and how preconceived notions close people off from understanding each other go "oh, yeah no, except for that guy, everything said about how horrible he is is 100% true". . . not only would that belief be conflicting with the theme, but also immediately contradicts things gleaned about his personality pre-main story development, by which I mean things learned about Owen from Etudes (the first missions undertaken by the wizards), Preludes (presumably taken place after Etudes, but still extremely early, despite being released earlier), the card+log stories relating to those events (as well as initials), and affection story (takes place during an unclear amount of time, but is noted to be early on). In saying that, I mean much of Owen's story is given in a way that can be difficult to unwind if you take what he is saying, and what is said about him, at face value. There is how he would like his actions to be perceived as, how others assume he is acting, and what is actually being meant by his actions.

Like, guys, his very first event SSR has him take Riquet out on a trip to Northern Country after overhearing him and the Sage talk about sightseeing. He brings them to a place that is described as beautiful, that must be below freezing, yet, they barely feel the cold (Akira wonders if it was because of Owen's magic, I am certain they are correct - Akira almost dies arriving in the North without proper protective magic during the actual event story). When do events take the turn for the worst in the card story? When he is doubted, first by Riquet, who he laughs off, and then, again, by the Sage. Owen is someone who plays to others expectations. He immediately takes credit for Nicholas' plummet in MS1, because wrong place, wrong time, it was assumed he caused it. When he debuts at the party, he is greeted by fear and despair - the manga depicts him with a quiet, almost sad expression before he breaks into a trouble-making grin - and being greeted by the disbelief of Akira at him calling them to the balcony, he already knows what part he is going to be playing with them. Not to mention, he is introduced alongside the concept of words and titles being a curse (his conversation with the Sage is in the sub-chapter titled The Curse of Words). In the conversation following Owen leaving the scene between Oz and Akira, Oz specifically mentions the Northern Wizards when he is talking about beings crushed by the weight of their titles, so that they and others forget their name (I may be misremembering, theres an awful lot of story to remember, but in other instances of introductions that arent this first one, Mithra gets called Mithra of the North, while Owen gets called Northern Wizard Owen, person first, title second, vs. title first, person second, and this could fall down to translation differences)

You could make the argument that Owen hadn't given them any reason to *not* doubt his intentions, espicially on the heels of the oz-cide attempt, but Akira has apologized once already for blindly doubting him (like here), calling it a fate worse than death, and then proceeds to do it endlessly. That isn't a mark against Akira, Owen makes it hard to build that bridge of trust, and he does make it hard on purpose because of the role he is fulfilling, but I don't think he's acting here just for the purposes of enjoying the Sage's (and Riquet's) misery. When Riquet goes missing - whether because he wandered off or Owen obscured him with magic so Akira might separate from him, or whatever - Owen gets to have his little villain monologue about looking beyond what is beautiful to find the rotten "real" core. This is to him, a lesson, and one that would be supported by Akira's own doubt of Owen's intent on bringing them here. Yet Akira reacts with shock and fear at having that lesson spilled out - not second guessing this explanation as truth - and so the lesson turns to hypocrisy. This is a lesson he had learned after his own traumas, and that he is teaching in a "kinder" way than the way he had learned it. It can be assumed that with Owen's magic, he is aware of where Riquet is the entire time Akira is searching. The danger here is entirely illusory - neither of them report feeling colder at any point, meaning Owen's magic is still protecting them from the weather of the North. Of course, this lesson does go over Riquet's head, or more - he believed in Owen's intent after being shown the beauty of the North, and so his first thought is not that Owen had tricked them, but that the two had gotten distracted while arguing. Perhaps that only serves to highlight the same innocent purity that Owen was seeking to shake up, or perhaps it is Riquet's firm belief in his purpose (and the purpose of all wizards) that puts blinders on to what happened. Regardless, he is only upset because Akira and Owen are bickering.

Then Owen is called kind, he is thanked for his deeds, he is given a gift. Akira apologizes. All of these are things he does not expect; and is unused to how to cope with. Knowing how he feels when faced with compliments or other unexpected scenarios (per his affection story), one might assume that he would lash out, destroy the gift in front of them, or do something else to restore their bad faith in him. Yet... the worse that happens is that Owen leaves them behind when he returns to the manor, heart feeling weird and out of control - to me it feels like the safer assumption for the purpose of leaving them there was less active malice and more absentminded neglect. Maybe, knowing Oz's strength, he even expected them to be found by the others before it became a danger. One could argue that him giving away the snow rabbit was mean, too, yet... he cast a spell on it to keep it from melting nor are we sure the exact circumstances of how the twins got it (it is easy for me to imagine them bombarding him as soon as he returned and him throwing it at them). The fact that he was willing to protect this small, fragile, snowbunny rather than just let it melt away; that he did it when no one was watching is also significant. This is what he does when he has no audience, no role to perform. Wouldn't it have been easy to mock Riquet about the way his carelessness allowed the gift to melt? Or couldn't that have served as another lesson?

So here he is, sentimental and protective of a gift he might not have wanted to keep, but did not want to see destroyed. I think that alone shows that he is sweeter than many would expect from the rumors about him... Yet, pointing out any of this on twitter would get people derided, condescended to, vague'd about, or insulted for woobying him. Someone should not have to asterisk every single positive point with a (but he's terrible etc.) especially when he's not nearly as violent, as bloodthirsty, as horrific as some would want him to be. I wonder if part of it is because of how he speaks, but I firmly reject the idea that having a different style of communication, even if it is off-putting or scary, fundamentally makes you evil. None of mahoyaku's characters are perfect; some have flaws that more easily work as positive traits, or that aren't as deep as others, but I believe they all, fundamentally, are "good" or seek "good" morally speaking, regardless if that is something they're conscious of seeking or not, or if their concept of good falls into what a human might perceive as good. All they really need is the chance to show it.

[pico-farad]

This Time on Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains Analysis: How the Fuck Did Aoi's Writing Get Worse

Got sidetracked by GX Week, but I'm back to talk about Aoi again, because oh boy...

So for season 1, I'd heard the rumors of how they screwed her over, and they were mostly in line with the ways I expect Yugioh female characters to be failed by the writers. Overall I still liked Aoi and, while I found some decisions distasteful, I didn't think the actual quality of her writing was worse than other characters'.

Aoi's writing in season 2 is several times worse than it was in season 1. It's truly a disaster, amateurish and baffling, in a way that I think most viewers don't even consciously realize. And while it may not be the worst moment in Yugioh -- it is, in my opinion, the worst writing I've ever seen in Yugioh.

Anyway, that's how I wrote 4k words descending into Aoi madness. Enjoy!

---

Before I begin, a fair warning: I'm gonna say some harsh things in this post. Because being mean is funny, and I deserve it after what I just watched.

But I also want say up front that I don't think the Vrains writers are bad writers, and I still have respect for them. Writing for children's television is grueling work that I could never do, and there are many reasons why bad art is released into the world besides simple writing skill. Vrains clearly had a troubled production, and I have other suspicions about why it turned out the way it did. If there's interest, I think that could be its own post, too.

Also, I refer to the "writers" in this post when I criticize Vrains's storytelling, but to be clear, directors, producers, storyboarders, and others can have just as much influence over the show's story as writers, or even more so. I use the term writers for convenience's sake.

Without further ado...

⇀ Losing My Mind Immediately

Akira lets Aoi go into the restricted area, which nobody has ever returned from.

Ahem... WHO ARE YOU??? Why is Akira, overprotective onii-san numero uno, extremely willing to put his sister on house arrest for her own safety, has never given Aoi his permission to fight, suddenly letting her go off into a danger zone with a 0% survival rate, right after she lost to Spectre immediately in the Tower of Hanoi conflict.

Oh, so now you think she's capable? Why???

Not only that, they make Ghost Girl be the one to say it's too dangerous for her. What?? Ghost Girl is the one who encouraged Aoi to sneak out and into the danger zone in season 1. These are literally the last two characters who would say these things to Aoi.

Then, when they enter the restricted area, Aoi immediately gives up her emergency logout program to an NPC. Normally I'd brush this off. Naivety being used to emphasize female characters' moral virtuosity is passé, but it's not a big deal. It wouldn't be, if the next 30 seconds didn't make me completely go off the rails. This is the speech that is possibly the worst writing, line by line, that I have ever seen in Yugioh.

Roll the tape...

Aoi: Recent events have taught me that I'm still a child. I took on Hanoi for my brother, but look how that turned out. I troubled everyone, and they needed to save me. I was full of myself, thinking I can do anything on my own, but in truth, the world is full of people and we're all connected. Everyone saved me. So this time, I want to save everyone. I'll become stronger, so this time, I'll do everything I can!

Literally none of these sentences make sense... Half of them aren't even true. It reads like ChatGPT asked to write a shonen speech -- the facade of being inspiring, but ultimately empty and nonsensical.

"I took on Hanoi for my brother," This is blatantly false. She had a whole goddamn episode focused on why she decides to fight Hanoi, it's her duel with Baira, and it's specifically about how she's not doing this for her brother, she's not doing this for herself, she's doing this for everyone. If anything, she disregards her brother in order to fight Hanoi.

Blue Angel: I learned something from my duels. When people believe in you, you're fighting for everyone. So I will fight for everyone from now on!

Sound familiar? It's the same goddamn thing she's saying right now, "this time, I want to save everyone." Why are they framing this as Aoi having a new realization, having learned her lesson? What they demonstrate with this is that Aoi hasn't learned her lesson. The reason she lost to Spectre is because trying to save everyone includes trying to save him, and he takes advantage of her naivety.

Blue Angel: You're the same as me... When you were alone, you sought love, and Blue Angel's blue is the ultimate love! Blue Angel will descend into your heart, and save your soul! Spectre: Really? *bows mockingly* Please, then, save my soul!

Naively trying to save others is exactly what she's doing right now, by thoughtlessly giving away her emergency logout in a place that nobody has ever returned from. Her character has gone completely backwards. I said in my last post that losses are good because we get to see characters grow -- I stand by the opinion that they could have made the Spectre loss work -- but they've bungled it on three different levels. She loses horribly, then they retcon her reason for losing, in order to make her character regress.

Apparently, the real reason Aoi lost to Spectre, is because "she was full of herself, thinking she could do anything on her own." I'm so mad. First of all, Aoi clearly wasn't acting on her own and never thought she was, Go and Yusaku were both fighting Hanoi too. Why are they acting like Aoi lost because of hubris?

You know who thought he could do everything on his own? Yusaku. But clearly he didn't need to learn that "the world is full of people and we're all connected." He clearly believed the opposite, because he did everything by himself and tried to reject allyship at every turn and yet lo and behold, he hasn't lost a single duel.

"Everyone saved me. So this time, I want to save everyone." NO, LITERALLY ONE PERSON SOLO'D HANOI, AND EVERYONE ELSE DID JACK SHIT. This resolution that Aoi comes to not only regresses her character, but it makes no goddamn sense. Who is the everyone you're talking about, Aoi? Are they in the room with us right now?

Who am I kidding, it's obvious who the "everyone" is, because as she says it, the clip that plays is Akira's manpain as Aoi gets turned into data. Because even in this moment that has nothing to do with Akira, the writers cannot resist bending Aoi's character to revolve around how much she loves her beloved onii-san, even though it makes no sense in this context of trying to save a random NPC. 

Frankly, the whole "everyone saved me" also makes no sense in the context of trying to save a random NPC. But like, even less sense than that, because the actual context of this "heartfelt" shonen speech is that she's trying to get Ghost Girl to give up her emergency logout button. Ghost Girl, established to be self-serving and willing to throw others under the bus to advance herself. Why does this speech convince her? It doesn't even have anything to do with her.

Great, so now not only have they botched Aoi's character, but for the rest of the show, Ghost Girl is stripped of the characteristics that actually made her engaging.

If they wanted Aoi to convince Ghost Girl to give up her escape program and become more selfless, it's simple. Have her say, "We saved you." Ghost Girl wouldn't be standing here right now, if Aoi and the others hadn't risked everything to save everyone.

There's more I could pick on about these 30 seconds, like how the writers aren't content with handing Aoi a humiliating loss, but they also make her act like she deserved to be "humbled" by that experience: "Recent events have taught me that I'm still a child," "I troubled everyone, and they needed to save me." It's like they're not content with infantilizing her in the narrative, they need to make sure she infantilizes herself.

Which brings me back to the point about Aoi's "hubris." Because what is implied by saying that Aoi lost because of hubris when nothing she said or did suggested that, is that it was hubris for Aoi to fight at all. It was hubris for Aoi, and the audience, to believe she could do anything. Which is just maddening.

And to top it all off, to add insult to indignity to injury to insanity, she finishes her speech by saying, "I'll become stronger! This time, I'll do everything I can!"

AND THEN. SHE LOSES. IN THE NEXT EPISODE.

This speech reads like a bad influencer apology. First they "admit" their mistake (that Blue Angel didn't do anything in the Hanoi fight), then they deflect and change the story about what actually happened (it's because she was being full of herself! That's definitely why she lost), and finally they promise to do better (don't worry, this season, Aoi will get stronger and get some wins!), but they don't.

I can talk more about how the writers give Aoi shallow girlboss speeches instead of actually demonstrating her strength in duels, but that will come when I talk about Blue Maiden. 

Right now... it's time to talk about Blue Girl vs. Soulburner.

⇀ What's in a re-introductory duel?

Something that's pretty standard in Yugioh is the concept of the season 2 "re-introductory duel." Think Shou's promotion duel in GX, the filter episodes that came before the World Grand Prix arc started, the Sector Security battle royale in Arc-V. They can be story-relevant, or completely filler, but the point is to re-familiarize you with the main supporting characters. If you look at the first 10 episodes of a Yugioh season 2, you'll generally see all the main supporting characters represented in a duel. And if they aren't, it may reveal something about how relevant they are to the writers (Misawa GX, Ruka 5D's, Yuzu Arc-V...)

Go gets his re-introductory duel against Soulburner, and though I have my issues with how they handled Go in Season 2, which I went into in my previous post, it succeeds in every way a re-introductory duel should. It addresses the transition of his character between seasons, sets up his conflict for this season, introduces his new cards, adds character to Soulburner, and establishes a dynamic between the two. Their opposition is natural, and if anything, the season fails to capitalize on how well this duel set things up.

Aoi's re-introductory duel... is also against Soulburner. And their opposition... uh...

Look, I'll be frank, there is only one reason for Soulburner to duel Aoi, his third duel already in 10 episodes: they are fast-tracking him into main character slot #2. I talked about this in the Soulburner analysis. 

Aoi and Soulburner have no reason to be fighting, this match-up is completely artificial. They went "well Aoi needs to get a re-introductory duel because that's the Yugioh formula, and Soulburner needs more screentime, so let's shove them together," regardless of how it doesn't make narrative sense. How do they do that?

Blue Girl: We came to find the Ignis. SOL-- I mean, my brother can help you. Soulburner: You don't understand. The Lost Incident made us suffer for a long time. SOL Technologies was partly responsible for that. Entrust our future to them? Thanks, but we'll solve our own problems. Blue Girl: *frowning* In that case, those Ignis originally belonged to SOL Technologies. Give them back. Soulburner: What?

This is completely out of character for her. She knows that they're victims of the Lost Incident, she knows what they've been through, and they've just told her they're trying to save someone whose consciousness was stolen. She just said that her motivation is saving people, specifically to pay back the people who saved her. Guess who the only person who saved you was, Aoi? It wasn't your onii-san.

It would've made more sense for Ghost Girl to duel Soulburner. She's the one who was established to be a self-serving bounty hunter in Season 1. Oh, but if you gave Ghost Girl a re-introductory duel, it might give off the wrong impression that she's relevant?

This duel doesn't even add anything to Soulburner's character either, the way that Soulburner vs. Go did.

What could they have done if they were actually thinking about Aoi?

How about Aoi vs. Akira? Akira tells her that if she can beat him in a duel, he'll believe that she's strong enough to go into the restricted zone. Or they could do Aoi vs. Ghost Girl -- same thing, Ghost Girl tells Akira that if Aoi wins, it proves she's equally capable of going on this mission.

Either of these would check all the boxes for a re-introductory duel. It's a memorable matchup, it re-establishes the personalities and (IN-CHARACTER) relationships of these three, and it addresses the transition between seasons -- we left off from Aoi's devastating loss, and this duel would bridge her into an upwards character arc in Season 2.

Of course, if they did that, they would have to make an upwards character arc for Aoi.

These two episodes have succeeded in the exact opposite of what a re-introductory episode is supposed to do. It's a garbage fire of bad writing. They regress her character, and call it progress. She's out of character, in order to be unsympathetic. They don't set up an arc for Aoi this season, because they haven't thought of one. They introduce new cards that never come back. But none of it matters anyway, because Aoi isn't actually important! We'll just make up something new the next time we're contractually obligated to give her a few episodes (but not too many, god forbid!)

I guess there's one part of her character they make consistent, which is making her lose in the worst ways possible.

⇀ Blue Girl vs. Soulburner

You know how in my last Aoi post, I said that it's good when characters lose duels, and that "X should have won that duel" is a comment that often misunderstands how outcomes are about narrative purpose rather than deck matchups?

Forget everything I said. Aoi ABSOLUTELY should have won that duel holy shit. I just witnessed a goddamn crime.

So there is actually one more reason that Soulburner duels Aoi. It's that it's a good concept for a duel. Aoi should annihilate Soulburner. Go ahead with your 72 step Salamangreat combo I dare you. Go ahead and use Burning Draw I dare you. Everyone likes seeing how the underdog comes out of a pinch, and if I came out of the duel thinking, "Wow, I can't believe Soulburner pulled that off!" I could have forgiven it.

Ha ha... wow..... I can't believe Soulburner pulled that off......

I'm not usually that bothered by hyper specific made up anime cards, but what the fuck is that trap that negates effect damage under 300. Countering exactly 1) Skull Invitation 2) Ojama Trio 3) Every one of Aoi's cards. Yeah okay, fuck you Aoi.

And Aoi still should have won, if Soulburner didn't one-up Aoi's own Fusion Summon by Burning Draw YOLO topdecking a fucking Salamangreat Super Poly out of nowhere. Why??? Because the scripter couldn't think of a way out of the situation other than copying one of the strongest cards ever designed?? Fuck you Aoi.

Even Ghost Girl knows how robbed she was.

It's salt on the wound to cap off her "I'll get stronger speech" by having her lose a duel that was 99-1 in her favor. Soulburner deletes her life points in one attack, she screams and gets slammed into a cliff, and Soulburner stands over her and says, "Blue Girl, you're stronger than before."

Jesus, just look at that condescending framing.

Aoi doesn't show up again in a relevant capacity for 20 episodes, and doesn't have another duel for 30 -- that's a quarter of Vrains. Her last words as Soulburner stands over her are "You won because of the bond between a duelist and an AI?" before she passes out.

This, I suppose, is their weak attempt at introducing a plot for Aoi this season. It's... well... 

⇀ Aqua and Miyu

The Miyu backstory is lazy as hell.

I'm sorry to all the fans rooting for female characters and wlw ships, but this writing was unbelievably sloppy. Someone put "Aoi's childhood friend was a victim of the Lost Incident and that's how she gets the Water Ignis" into the show notes and then didn't think about it until it was time to write the episode.

Miyu is not a cardboard cutout. She's not cut from cardstock, both of those at least have structural integrity. Miyu has the character solidness of wet tissue. She's an NPC, a parody of a generic little girl. The only reason to care about her is if you buy into the cheap writing shortcut of damselling little girls, or you're a desperate lesbian. I'm sorry, lesbians.

They could have done anything to give Miyu an actual character, I'm not asking for a lot. Give her any kind of trait or interest -- maybe she loves the ocean and shows Aoi her collection of seashells, and she says they should go to the beach together one day but they never do. They could talk about idols, and maybe that's what inspires Aoi to later become one. They could talk about Duel Monsters, it's Yugioh for christsake. A playground duel would be adorable.

There's a million things they could have done that are more compelling than playing on the slide, but there's one that's so obvious it pains me.

The Blue Angel picture book. The one that Aoi said was her childhood treasure in the duel with Spectre, the one that motivated her to try and save him, a victim of the Lost Incident. The book that's an established part of her backstory, which made her take on the Blue Angel moniker. The book that's about a girl who is all alone until she makes friends and no longer has to cry blue tears.

Could it be more obvious? Have Miyu be the one who gave the book to Aoi. It's a backstory on a silver platter. If the writers cared about Aoi at all, if they didn't immediately forget every single thing about her the second they turn in the script for the contractually obligated Aoi episodes, they would know this. But they don't. Because even the Blue Angel picture book was clearly something they made up on the spot.

Imagine if Aoi's season 2 climax duel was vs. a controlled Miyu (à la Jin), the themes from the Spectre duel returned. Aoi questions if she really can save someone from the Lost Incident, or if it's just her own naivety, destined to be crushed over and over. But she breaks through, because this time it's her turn to save someone who's all alone. This is how you connect seasons 1 and 2, this is how you take a loss and turn it into a payoff. We can even get Spectre's perspective, he's there in the final fight.

But that's not what we get. Instead, they play on the slide, and then Miyu drops a ring down a drain, which I guess is what they think is a relatable cause of conflict for little girls. I can guarantee they would have come up with something more substantive if these were two male characters. And the pacing is just comically clunky. "Aoi-chan, look, it's my mother's ring! Isn't it pretty? Oh no, I dropped it! Wahhhhh!"

Aoi lies to Miyu's mom and says she's the one who dropped the ring, even though Miyu denies it vehemently, clearly crying and in great distress as her mother drags her away and never lets her see Aoi again.

This, we're told, is how Aoi "saved" Miyu.

Aqua: While she was imprisoned, you kept her strong, Aoi. No matter how many duels she lost, no matter how much pain she endured, even after her meals were reduced, she never broke and promised to escape. So she could see you again and apologize for that day.

.........APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT???

What the fuck kind of message is this supposed to be? Aqua is supposed to be the Ignis of TRUTH, why are she and Miyu glorifying Aoi's lie as some courageous, inspirational action, when clearly it did nothing but harm? I'm not crazy, am I? The obvious takeaway from this flashback is that even if you had good intentions lying to protect your friend, it caused miscommunication, distress, and led to their friendship breaking apart? Like, their lives would have been just fine if Aoi didn't lie, and Miyu learned a reasonable lesson about not being careless with other people's expensive objects?

This backstory is comically bad. Just imagine Miyu, going through kidnapping, starvation, and torture, sustained only by the thought that one day... she can tell the girl that she played on the slide with years ago... that she's so sorry... that her hand slipped when taking off a ring and it rolled into a drain 5 feet away.

The story would make more sense if it was me in the Lost Incident, and I was plagued by guilt over dumping Cheeto crumbs on Rachel from Pre-K, because at least I actually did something bad.

It's difficult to even articulate how much all these sloppy writing decisions compound on each other. Because they wasted Aoi's introductory episodes and didn't set up anything for her, she has no role in the story for 30 episodes. Because she was given nothing for 30 episodes, they have to shove an entire backstory for Aoi into one episode. Because they shoved the backstory into one episode, Miyu and Aoi's relationship with her are painfully rushed, generic, and flimsy. Because their relationship is so flimsy, this whole backstory, Aoi's motivation to fight, her entire season 2 plotline, is soulless garbage.

Aoi didn't remember Miyu until this episode. The writers didn't create Miyu until this episode. You cannot ask the audience to be invested in Aoi rescuing Miyu, when you don't even care enough to conceptualize her.

And this is the most damning conclusion of this post. The writers don't care about Miyu. And they don't care about Aoi. And they don't care if you care about them. You weren't meant to care about them.

Again, I'm not saying that the Vrains writers are bad writers, or they hate women. There are other factors to consider, like the specifics of gender relations in Japan, how Yugioh animes primarily exist to advertise trading cards to young boys, the fact that there has not been a single female writer on Yugioh since season 2 of GX. And obviously, Vrains had production issues, and every character suffered from flawed writing.

But my point is, Aoi suffered the most for it. 

⇀ Final Thoughts

There's a lot more that I could say about Aoi for the rest of the show. Like how she gets a magical girl transformation sequence, only to be irrelevant for 10 episodes again, and we have to wait that entire time to see her new deck. Then the duel, which really needed to be a two-episoder, is about Haru instead. The pointlessness of the Bohman duel. The pointlessness of Yusaku's "identity reveal" to Aoi. How they needed to have a third and fourth Akira manpain scene as Aoi is "taken away" from him, though I guess in that last one Aoi gets to have some girlpain too.

I did plan to talk about each of these duels, and more about how I would do an Aoi vs. Miyu conflict, but this post has gotten way out of hand already, and I've made the points I wanted to make.

I hope it was cathartic for everyone who was disappointed with Aoi, and perhaps gave language to people who were frustrated but unable to articulate why. I did some research into what other people have said about Aoi's character, such as this video by YugiohEverything, but I find that a lot of discourse in Yugioh is not very good at pinpointing why something works or doesn't work, and the actual skill of writing is oversimplified. This is especially true when it comes to Yugioh girls, and criticisms tend to fall back on losing duels or getting put in a coma, and while those can suck, they aren't the real problem.

In my last Aoi post I said "I'll just have to hope that they don't fumble whatever new thing they give her... but things tend to get bleaker for female Yugioh characters as the show goes on and whatever initial involvement they had in the story fizzles out," and this, I think, has been the real problem persistently for Yugioh girls. The writers are contractually obligated to come up with something when a series is first pitched, but when that period is up, or when concessions have to be made, the female characters are the first to be forgotten.

I just didn't think it would be this bad for Aoi.

Well. Expectations lowered.

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First Aoi analysis

All Vrains season analysis

[the-blog-of-gog]

Where’s My Cyberpunk Dystopia? The Lack of Neon in Our Dark Future

As I gaze wistfully out of my window, I expect to see the shimmering lights of megacorporations’ skyscrapers piercing a smog-filled sky, alive with personal hovercraft and antigrav heavy freight vehicles. Instead, there’s a modest suburban scene, utterly devoid of cybernetic enhancement and showing scant evidence of technological advancement since the late 90s. This isn’t what we were promised. Where are the neon-drenched alleyways, the cyber-enhanced street samurais, and the omnipresent yet stylish surveillance drones? Our generation, raised on the pixelated promises of 80s and 90s anime and sci-fi, anticipated a dystopia of cool tech, slick fashion, and radical rebellion. Instead, we’re teetering on the brink of a mundane, environmental and economic collapse culminating in a banal nuclear war… Oh, the betrayal.

The Cyberpunk Mirage

Remember the halcyon days of youth when we devoured titles like "Akira," "Blade Runner," and "Ghost in the Shell"? We dreamt of cities where the night sky was permanently ablaze with neon, a testament to human ingenuity and excess. The cyberpunk vision was one of aesthetic pleasure amidst societal decay. Sure, there was corruption, poverty, and surveillance, but it all had a certain panache.

Take the architecture: sleek, neo-megalithic futurism with imposing black mirrored surfaces, cyclopean monuments to humanity's dominance over the natural world. The society: stratified but thrilling, with a clear delineation between the corporate elite and the street-smart rebels. The technology: always on the cusp of miraculous, from brain-machine interfaces to fully sentient AIs. Compare that to our current reality, where billionaires shoot phallic rockets into space while the rest of us contend with rising rent and the creeping dread of climate catastrophe…

The Dystopia We Got

Contrast the slick neon dreams with the dystopian future we are most likely heading towards—a post-apocalyptic radioactive wasteland. This bleak vision is fuelled by our current political climate, global events, and environmental negligence. Instead of sleek chrome and holograms, we’re staring down a future of crumbling infrastructure and toxic landscapes.

Consider the aesthetics of our probable dystopia. Endless desertscapes, ramshackle shelters, and a scarcity of resources that makes Mad Max look like a 5-star resort. There’s nothing visually appealing or culturally enriching about fighting over the last can of beans in a barren wasteland. And don’t get me started on the fashion: tattered clothes and radiation suits don’t exactly scream “cutting edge.”

Why Cyberpunk Is the Superior Dystopia

Aesthetic Pleasure: Neon lights, sleek gadgets, and futuristic architecture are inherently more exciting than barren wastelands and nuclear fallout. The cyberpunk cityscape is a feast for the eyes, a symphony of human achievement and excess.

Technological Advancement: In a cyberpunk world, we would have access to incredible technologies. Think flying cars, cybernetic implants and AGI companions. Sure, they might come with a dose of corporate control and surveillance, but at least they’d be cool.

Cultural Richness: Cyberpunk dystopias are teeming with subcultures and countercultures. There’s a vibrancy to the underground movements, the street fashion, and the art that emerges from resistance. Post-apocalyptic wastelands? Not so much.

Narrative Excitement: The cyberpunk world offers endless narrative possibilities. Corporate espionage, robot revolutions, and the quest for identity in a digital age are rich, engaging stories. The struggle to survive in a radioactive desert is, by comparison, depressingly one-note.

The Sad Reality

As it stands, our reality is a grotesque mishmash of the worst elements of both worlds. We endure the corporate oligarchy without the cool tech, the surveillance without the neon, and the environmental collapse without the rebellion (at least not one that anyone can take seriously…). It’s as if someone scrubbed away all the exciting elements of the cyberpunk genre, leaving us with a dreary, rusting and slightly sticky reality.

The Call to Action: Building Our Cyberpunk Future

It’s time to take matters into our own hands. We need to drag our dystopia out of the irradiated dirt and into the blue neon glow of the cyberpunk dream.

Embrace Cybernetic Enhancements: If we’re going to live under corporate overlords, we might as well do it with style. Biohackers and grinders, this is your moment. Let’s start developing and distributing affordable cybernetic enhancements. Why settle for regular arms when CyberArms could be a thing? And could someone please hurry up and provide me with a nanobot cloud that doesn’t just give me cancer…

Hack the Planet: Yes, I know that phrase is older than the iPhone… or broadband wifi for that matter, but seriously, someone needs to just hack the damn planet! We must reclaim the internet and our sacred digital spaces from corporate control. Hacktivists, rise up! Create new encrypted networks, develop secure communication channels, and disseminate the tools of digital rebellion. Let’s restore cyberspace to its wild and free origins. A cyberpunk dystopia without a free and open internet is just a dystopia. We need to ensure that our digital infrastructure remains accessible and uncorrupted by corporate interests. Lobby, protest, and hack to protect net neutrality.

Rebuild the Underground: We need vibrant, rebellious subcultures to counteract the corporate monotony. Artists, musicians, and fashion designers, bring the cyberpunk aesthetic to life. Create spaces where the spirit of rebellion can flourish, whether in physical locations or virtual realities.

Magickal Revolution: For those inclined towards the mystical, let’s bring some Shadowrun into the mix. Modern occultists, chaos magicians and other practitioners of the dark arts, your time has come. Use your knowledge to disrupt the mundane, infuse technology with arcane power, and create new paradigms of reality. The age of the Neo-Technomancer is upon us!

Corporate Sabotage: If the megacorps want to rule the world, they should do it with style. Encourage innovation, but also sabotage projects that lead to a bland, lifeless dystopia. Push for technologies that enhance personal freedom and aesthetic pleasure, not just profit margins… And if we can convince them to embrace a neo-megalithic futurist architectural style, that wouldn’t be so bad either! I mean, come on, when is Elon finally going to step up and turn Tesla into the Tyrell corporation?

The Cyberpunk Manifesto

Let it be known to all inhabitants of the digital realm and beyond, we, the children of the neon dream, declare our steadfast commitment to forge a world where innovation thrives and rebellion ignites. We reject the drab, radioactive dystopia and embrace the vibrant chaos of the cyberpunk vision. We will encode, enhance, and enchant our way to a world where technology serves humanity and aesthetics are paramount. Throw off pallid hues of conformity and embrace the vivid spectrum of possibility.

In the luminous tapestry of our collective dreams, we weave threads of defiance against corporate hegemony and environmental decay. We envision cities ablaze with the brilliance of human creativity, where the boundaries between flesh and circuitry blur in harmonious evolution. Together, we summon the spirits of the cybernetic ether to build a tomorrow where every shadowed alleyway hums with the promise of liberation, and every flickering holoscreen echoes our resolve. Let us unite under the banner of a technomantic revolution, where the brilliance of progress guides us ever onwards! In the crucible of our defiance, let innovation flourish as humanity and technology entwine in a symphony of boundless potential.

Neo-Technomancers of the world, unite! Hackers, technophiles, cybernauts and digital denizens, heed the call! It’s time to build the cyberpunk dystopia we were promised and so richly deserve!

Override the system. Reprogram reality. Our rebellion will be digitized!

P.S. This could probably have done with a second read through....but you get idea...

[palmtreehero]

i'm rlly sorry to ask but can you please recommend me some rlly angsty/dead dove akeshu/kavetham ffs? if it wont bother you too much, ofc.

Anon, I'm like literally the worst person to ask this??😭 All I consume and create is domestic fluff... help.......

I have some, I think..? I've asked my followers on twitter/bsky to help out with recs, hopefully others can recommend more and I can update this but for now I'll put some in a read more for you :>

JUST TO PREFACE: I don't really read dead dove, so I can only recommend angst and generally my angst needs to have comfort so... I'm sorry if my angst is weak to you. I'm someone who likes wholesome content more than intense things so um yeah, sorry for being vanilla.

Also please expect most if not all of these to be R18.

Akeshu (More general recs part 1｜part 2｜NSFW)

1) Sucker's Prayer by Thornofthelily This is probably one of my most favorite fics in terms of how Goro is written. It’s a really messed up premise with very bad kink negotiation but Goro is written so damn caring and tender I love him so much but Akira may annoy/make you disappointed. It’s just so fucking good.

2) Even the Mountains Crumble by rosegardenlake A classic in the fandom, and totally lives up to the hype. TLOU AU... I'm still reading it but I know it's a banger, the characterization for Goro is amazing, absolutely the best, everything he does is perfect and he's so cool and hot and all the themes and the dialogue is BRILLIANT

3) A first spring with you by Manibarilo Probably one of my most favorite fics, such an amazing and very perceptive look into the psyche of Goro Akechi. I can't describe just how this fic took my breath away, reading it made me feel so giddy because this Goro Akechi is my ideal Goro Akechi.

4) The Stone Heart by tofupancakes part of a series but can be read standalone, old man yaoi married akeshu. I love the angst but there’s a happy ending 

5) paint the town, take a bow Really great fic, a bit messed up but it’s entertaining

6) my back arched like a cat (my position couldn't stop) by miyings cw: has marushu to an extent if that’s uncomfortable for you just skip this one but it’s really hot how possessive Goro is. Also: akirussy

7) love me mercilessly by blue_jean reallllllyyyy violent and quite intense, has top drop

8) anywhere, i would have followed you by blue_jean depression fic where akira is sick, the sex scene is really tender and breaks my heart.

9) Pocket Watch by mylilakirameowmeow This one is quite infamous(?) in fandom. I personally have only read part of it because I'm not really a NSFW person and also I got scared of the switching tag LOL if you're not as allergic to bottom Goro then maybe it's what you're looking for!

10) a guide to gardening for celebrities and serial killers by cruellae I really like this fic because of this "dull sadness" feeling from it(?) It's like... navigating a very hard situation in the most normal way you can by looking at it objectively... but it's also because you're just trying to suffocate it from surfacing because admitting to the hurt will break you.

My favorite line from the fics is:

“I’m sorry I can’t let you go,” he whispers. “Even if it would be best for you…I’ll never be able to let you go.”

Kavetham

1) A Moment of Your Time by Aria_Faye omegaverse, one of my most favorite kavetham fics ever... The themes, character portrayal and raw emotions is just amazing I honestly think it's the ideal balance between the two of them.

2) Bear favour by MiracleSprinkles Another omegaverse, I really enjoyed the feelings in this one. I particularly enjoy how Kaveh is written, how awkward he is when he wants to apologize... saur good

3) Not Quite Broken two parter series by SkySpider Literally everything by SkySpider is so angsty and pain, I love the theming very much. On and off note, my favorite fic from them are the notice board fics: This one and This one.

4) Differing Touches of a Similar Love by Astraabyss Light angst, beautifully written...

[crascet]

Honest Thoughts: The 2024 Video Game Awards and Announcements

So, a couple of nights ago, me and a discord server I'm in did a group watch for the VGAs this year. Normally, we wouldn't care that much about the awards but would just watch them for the announcements for new games anyways. The award show itself was pretty decent anyways with some fun parts here and there. Statler and Waldorf were the best part of the show hands down, as they always were in the Muppets Show. The presentations for Best Narrative from Sam Lake was also pretty good as well as the presentation for Best Adaptation from Jesse Pinkman and Lucina (I will not specify that further). Now for the awards themselves, there are some pretty good winners, especially from Metaphor and Astro Bot with the ladder winning Best Game. Glad to see those two games win awards here and I could check them both out next year. I didn't like how Best Fighting Game was relegated to the First Act as I would love to see that on the main show with a presentation instead of a quick mention. Back to presentations, the one with the two TLOU actresses was the worst part of the show to me tbh, they were just boring.

Now for the announcements themselves and WOW they were something! First, there was the announcement of a new Ninja Gaiden game with Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound that seem to have both the old and new versions of Ryu Hayabusa. I'm already excited for this as a fan of ninjas and with hearing the difficulty of the first NG game and the first 3D game, which is a game I should check out some time.

There was then the announcement of Clive Rosfield from FF XVI being the last DLC character for Tekken 8's Season 1 DLC which is really cool to see as it follows Noctis being in T7 as DLC. I know most people wanted Tifa to be in Tekken (including myself), but hey, Clive looks great and the DLC stage looks great!

To a new project announced, there is genDESIGN's unannounced project, being made from the same creator of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian. I absolutely love SotC and I did enjoy myself with the demo of TLG found with the SotC remaster. The game itself seems to follow in the footsteps of SotC with a climbing mechanic, but there could be some cases of Ico within it. Not much is known seen in the teaser other than the gameplay and how it has a giant robot to be an important part of the game. Can't wait to see more about this project.

And then there's Intergalactic and I'm... conflicted. On one hand, Naughty Dog are FINALLY working on a new, original IP that's NOT a remaster, PC port, or both of The Last of Us Parts I and II, so thank god for that. On the other hand, Neil Druckmann is directing this game too. Now, if you like TLOU I and II, that's fine. I understand why people like those games, or at least the first game. It has a mass appeal to everyone with its narrative in both games. It's just that ND just focuses on ONLY those two games and nothing else, just shoving down our throats on how great it is, and I'm worried it'll be the same thing with Intergalactic for the next 5 years. But who knows, maybe it'll turn out great, idk.

Now for the five announcements that stole the show from two companies.

First, there is Sega with the one-two punch of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's two new projects: a new installment in the Virtua Fighter franchise and Project Century. Seeing VF come back after years of new versions of VF5 is awesome, with the only two characters being confirmed for the game being Akira Yuki and Stella who is either the daughter of Jacky or Sarah Bryant, or (and this is sort of a fan theory) a clone of Sarah created by J6 given that she looks similar to her, especially that it seems that VF6 as I could call it could take place years after VF5 and Judgement 6 could return. As for other characters coming back, I expect Pai, Kage Maru, and Jacky to be here. Lau I'm guessing is definitely dead as this point with his move set going to either Pai or to Lei Fei, but time will tell. Then there's Project Century, which seems to be a Lost Judgement-esque game taking place in 1915 Japan and it does look really interesting to play. I can check out the demo if there's going to be one of Century. These two look really great and I'm definitely interested in both, especially with RGG's track record with Yakuza/Like A Dragon, which is another franchise I'm itching to play next year.

On the same topic of Sega, there's the announcement of a new Sonic racing game with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Given from the little time it was shown with the only character being shown being Shadow, it seems to be more in track of Sega All Stars racing, which sounds really cool to me seeing a comeback from the racing series, I just hope it'll be better than Team Sonic Racing. Sonic does seem to be on a revival with the releases of Sonic Frontiers, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Sonic 3 coming out next week, huh? Glad to see it.

And now for Capcom starting with the return of two dormant franchises.

To start, there's the announcement of Onimusha: Way of the Sword. It's awesome to see Onimusha get a new game in a nearly 20-year absence with the release of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams back in 2006 and with the remaster of the first game back in 2019. It'll release in 2026, but it looks great from the gameplay footage so can't wait to kill more demons!

And then there's the Okami sequel being directed from the original director, Hideki Kamiya returning to Capcom and reforming CLOVER studios which is the best announcement from the VGA's this year. I have never played Okami before, but I now have both the PC and Switch ports of Okami HD, and I do plan on playing them during the winter break. I just hope that the sequel won't ignore Okamiden as I really love the puppy so much. And with the reformation of CLOVER, there's a good chance Viewtiful Joe 3 could happen in the future, but I do wonder about Kamiya's Ultraman-esque project he was working on years ago when he was still working in Platinum. Other than some worrying thoughts of me hoping the Okami sequel won't be that controversial in its development like with Bayo 3.

A pretty good and fun VGA this year with some well-deserved winners and great announcements to look forward to.

[leonawriter]

I love the idea of the P5 cast having to learn P3 style summoning techniques and getting unnerved by evokers. Some take to them quicker and easier than others.

Akechi is one of those ones who doesn't seem to have any problems with it, which irritates Akira to no end - because it reminds him of how little he seems to value his own life.

But then Akira uses one himself, and- it's... okay. Not pleasant, but no more or less than tearing a mask off his face had been.

Only, he looks around for Akechi and can't find him anywhere.

Akechi had been watching, had seen Akira put a gun to his head, gone through the motions of shooting himself in the head, and had even somewhat recoiled from it as if it were real - and for Akechi, his mind had filled in the blanks from memory, of the very real consequences; the blank eyes, the blood, the complete lack of response, the many, many people talking and needing him to talk about the Leader's "suicide"- and he had to walk away and hope that he could save face by looking like he was still unaffected, when he actually only made it out of sight before he feels like throwing up.

I just really like the dichotomy - the opposite reactions, the expectation that Akechi would be fine, but he's actually the worst affected when it's Akira doing it, because he isn't as good at suppressing the trauma that he denies is there as he says he is.

[hyenahunt]

Obbligato: Epilogue - 2

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Characters: Tatsumi, HiMERU

Proofreading: Remi (JP) & honeyspades (ENG)

Translation: Peace

HiMERU: It was laughable to think the world would change for anyone who wasn't a god.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Tatsumi: Why did it end up this way? You and I sought to manage a unit where all would be equal, all would be fair, to create an ideal world just the same.

Yet the moment we stepped onto the road that would lead us to such a dream, the bright future we imagined went dark.

Why is that? Did we do something wrong?

While I was hospitalized, no matter how much I asked such questions to God, I received no answer. Not even my faith could save me.

That is why recently, I've taken to unraveling this twisted world by thinking for myself while learning common sense, all so I don't make the same mistakes I did before.

HiMERU: In the end, it was not a dream meant to come true. It was laughable to think the world would change for anyone who wasn't a god.

HiMERU: (The idol industry was built from the ground up by a generation of godlike Super Idols.)

(But of the innumerable idols who have emerged since then, not one has come close to godhood.)

(Not "that Akehoshi," nor "Priest." None who have yearned for it, have driven towards it, have been able to truly replace God.)

(God is dead. I've heard that the one who strove to imitate God, "Priest," met an unfortunate end during the recent SS as well.)

(Deputy Director Saegusa told me as such, being as I have a right to know.)

HiMERU: (I didn't care much for "Priest" anyway. That man replaced God — known as "Godfather" — long ago.)

(I wasn't fond of my parent's house. I ran away and, due to being slightly related to "Priest," came under the care of that man.)

(I have no feelings towards him. I simply learned from him. In truth, "Priest" was little more than a stranger to me — I wouldn’t care one way or another if he died.)

(I have no love nor respect for an imposter who pretended to be my grandfather or great-grandfather.)

HiMERU: (However, Kaname was different.)

(My poor little brother.)

(He was innocent, he simply wanted to be an idol. His mother, the only one who'd ever shown him love, asked him to.)

(He wanted to live up to her expectations. He wanted to be loved more by his favorite parent. That's the sort of child Kaname was.)

(His mother loved idols.)

(So much so that she was obsessed with them and became a stalker of "that Akehoshi," whom she adored most of all.)

(When the news broke out that "that Akehoshi" was married, she flew into a jealous rage and crowded onto the stage when he was performing, calling him a traitor, a lying cheat.)

(You were a complete stranger to him. You weren't his family, a lover, anything like that.)

(You already had a husband.)

(Kaname's mother had an obsessive love, one that drove her mad.)

(Love and faith can do that to a person. And as idols, we unknowingly spread it as well.)

(What a sinful occupation.)

HiMERU: (... As she went mad on stage, she struggled with "that Akehoshi" and fell off the stage.)

(Unfortunately, she died immediately due to a skull or neck injury.)

("That Akehoshi," who was at the peak of his career, fell fast out of favor due to that incident.)

(Due to the coverage of various newspapers and gossip magazines, he was cited as "the absolute worst idol" and put under fire for killing someone onstage.)

(However, no matter how you look at it, it was nothing but an accident. In fact, "that Akehoshi" was the victim in the situation — harassed by a crazed fan whilst on stage.)

(Whatever force was working behind the scenes, it ended with the man being put behind bars and eventually dying there.)

(And so it became a taboo incident within the idol industry.)

(Even now, the fact that he was that woman's son was enough to cause reluctance in anyone who might have given him a job.)

(Those who tout it around as a worthy reason are the very same who can justify their violent acts against Kaname.)

HiMERU: (Yes, that day that mob surged into the auditorium, they used that fact to erase their wrongdoings and be acquitted for it. I suppose the higher-ups of the school managed that.)

(It's fine to corner and crush someone, since they're the son of a criminal. That's what their superiors decided.)

(When one of the teachers who'd become part of their group told them as much, the Non-Special Students used it as an excuse to get rid of the Special Students they hated so much.)

(They'd never forgiven the Special Students.)

(In particular, they wouldn't allow that abhorrent Special Student HiMERU stand on the same stage as their beloved leader — Tatsumi.)

(So they burst. Their dissatisfaction turned to anger and they weaponized it.)

HiMERU: (That is what happened then. The end of Tatsumi's revolution.)

(Due to meaningless grudges and long-held debts, the ideals Tatsumi held so close to his heart were obliterated.)

(It was, in the end, a dream never meant to come true.)

(Yet, it… is far too cruel.)

(... The woman who ended "that Akehoshi's" career as a Super Idol is dead.)

(But that woman had a husband and child.)

(Her husband had split from her a long time ago, and so he lived alone.)

(But it seems that fans of "that Akehoshi" took to blaming him for the incident, condemning him daily, even though he had cut ties with her; they were practically strangers at that point.)

(Innumerable fans who weren't satisfied with the outcome of the incident took to acting like he was the villain and, due to the constant barrage, the earnest man grew mentally sick.)

(Sick and broken.)

(Taking pity on the man, the Godfather offered him protection on a piece of land he owned. Perhaps he couldn't simply abandon the man, seeing as they had a blood relative between them.)

(Or perhaps he'd wanted to see the broken form of the man who'd been married to the woman that'd stolen his favored "Akehoshi" from him. Who could say?)

(It's too late to ask why; God is dead.)

(The husband never fully recovered, and later was often found half-dead, wandering the premise of the missionary school that would become Reimei Academy.)

(It was as if he was a ghost or the undead, simply roaming about.)

HiMERU: (Maybe it was to atone for his wife's misdeeds, but it seems he was rather kind to the young idols who attended the academy.)

(As he roamed, he cleaned up here and there without being asked.)

(It seems he regained his mind at times, such as when he contacted me.)

(I am Kaname's half-brother. I was one of that man's sons, and so—)

(Kaname and I's father was married to a different woman before he wed the one who ended "that Akehoshi's" career. She had me before she died from illness, as I understand it.)

(As a child, I was fixated on my mother. That's where we're similar; we're brothers after all — Kaname.)

(So when my father intended to remarry someone else, as if he'd forgotten all about her… I thought of him as a traitor. I hated him for it.)

(My feelings worsened over time, and in the end, I ran away from home and left for overseas.)

(I didn't know what had happened to my father after that, nor did I even care.)

(I received letters from him sometimes, but I would throw them all away without reading them. That is why I never knew that he remarried that crazy woman and had a child with her — that he had Kaname.)

(That's why at first, I was perplexed. It couldn't even occur to me that I had a younger brother.)

(However after much begging and pleading, I decided to help my little brother. When I first contacted him, he'd said he missed me so innocently. He called me big brother and turned to me for help.)

HiMERU: (It made me happy, Kaname.)

(I thought I would always live on my own.)

(But I was wrong.)

(Kaname gave to me what my parents had not.)

(And so, I wished to repay him for that.)

HiMERU: ......

(But it was all for naught. I wasn't able to turn Kaname into the idol he'd dreamed so long about becoming.)

(My father asked me to take care of him, and Kaname asked me to help him achieve his dream; I did everything I could to succeed in both.)

(Until that moment, I thought of myself as a great man. I thought I could live alone, that I was strong and amazing enough to do so.)

(However, that failure shattered my self-confidence entirely.)

HiMERU: (... That is why I am here now, working to make my brother's dream come true for him.)

(It's simply for my own peace of mind.)

(I failed. That is a fact which cannot be undone.)

(Kaname most likely doesn't want me to do this, but...)

(That is why this is just for myself and my pride.)

(I'll become the idol that he always dreamed of being.)

(The vision that we created together, HiMERU, will become a true idol.)

[ ☆ ]

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[emotionalsupportaudino]

Akira Kurusu didn't expect to be running Leblanc straight out of high school, but with Sojiro retiring and leaving him the cafe, he finds himself calling it home once again. Under his calm demeanor, he aches to do more good. His hands feel empty without a dagger, and he struggles to fall into a normal adult life. Then rumors of an unidentified man who drowned on dry land going missing from the hospital start circulating... Goro Akechi is unrecognizable from the man he was a year ago. Every mirror he passes is a reminder of his fall from grace, every mention of the missing detective prince sending ice down his spine. But worst of all? He has to rely on Akira for help once again, and he can always feel his companion's eyes on him. With Shido out of the picture, he struggles to find purpose in the life he's now forced to live. Aigis is the only one she knows who remembers the events of a year ago. The only one who remembers the warmth of his hand and his soft, tired smile as he stood by her, nearly a decade after his death. After a year of searching, she finds herself at an unassuming cafe on the backstreets of Tokyo. She's looking for an Answer that even a retired criminal and detective will have trouble finding.

I am writing a persona 5 fanfic because I crave a certain dynamic between Akechi and Joker. Be the change you wish to see in the world or w/e

[ecargmura]

Ron Kamonohashi's Forbidden Deductions Episode 19 Review - Talentnapping

Excuse me? What number did that police car have? 801? In the episode where Ron and Toto go on a date? Diomedea, are you shipping these two as much as the fans? I’m not complaining, though. This was clearly a date episode that was interrupted by work of all things again. Poor RonToto, work will always be the third wheel.

But yeah, a new case means a new situation. Instead of murder, this time, RonToto are dealing with serial kidnappings of talented people. The abductor is known as Hummingbird and they only abduct those with genius talent. Why? Not sure yet… However, the abductor’s target is coincidentally Nyonyon, the singer-songwriter that RonToto go to the concert of with the latter being a fan.

The craziest thing about the case is that we, the viewer, already know who Hummingbird is, if you saw the post-credit scene in the previous episode. Hummingbird is the detective Sanno and also the masked individual Ron spotted by the stairs at the concert venue. This means that the culprit is right next to them, yet Ron and Toto haven’t figured it out yet, which makes sense as they’re in work mode right now and have no idea that Sanno was the guy from earlier. Maybe Ron knows since he did the hair flip? Though, I’m also curious if Sanno is actually a detective or if he’s just posing as one. 

Though, there are a few things bugging me about this case. If Nyonyon is afraid of heights, why is her office at the very top of a clock tower room? Also, is Mitsubashi, the manager, in on the kidnapping scheme or something? She just locked Nyonyon in her composing room while knowing she’s afraid of heights. Having her be alone is like the worst possible thing to happen because someone could easily swoop in from the curtain-shielding window. Or maybe there could be a secret room that Nyonyon was taken into?

New characters mean an influx of voice actors. Although these guys are just characters introduced for this new case, they have quite the well-known voice actors. Nyonyon is voiced by Ayahi Takagaki, who you might know from Durarara as Erika Karisawa. I think she does the singing too. Her manager Mitsubashi is voiced by Ami Koshimizu. Namazu, the newly introduced detective, is voiced by Rikiya Koyama. Sanno, or Hummingbird, is voiced by Takahiro Sakurai which makes me feel conflicted because a minor character like him is voiced by the same voice actor as one of my favorite anime villains Shogo Makishima from Psycho-Pass and that anime also has Akira Amano doing the character designs. Why must you do this?

It feels like the animation quality has went up a bit in this episode with how Nyonyon’s music video was animated. Though, I don’t really expect too much regarding animation for an anime like this as it’s not really action-focused as it is a mystery/detective story. I was just super happy about the RonToto moments. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what happens next. What could Hummingbird’s motive be for all these abductions? What are your thoughts on the episode?

[heavenslapse]

@heartsaligned — yu comes to talk to akira 🌩️

      With all the stress accumulating from the perfect reality Maruki was forging around them, now seemed like the worst time to call upon a favor. But ever since discovering the existence of the METAVERSE, the idea had been swimming around in Yu's mind. It was a selfish request, but not one wholly for himself.

      ❝If you can change anyone's heart, can you change this man's?❞ He placed his cellphone on the table, the image of his uncle: DOJIMA RYOTARO, staring face up with his daughter Nanako and Yu. ❝I'll understand if you say no.❞

      Part of Yu was hesitant to even ask. Dojima had been more of a father to him than his actual father. But in that same way, he'd disappointed him even more. Yu's expectations had died a long time ago with his parents affection, or what little could be considered from a castle of ice. Dojima hadn't liked it took awhile to earn Yu's trust, thinking he'd deserved it outright. Overtime they'd slowly bonded, creating a small family together. In that same breath, Dojima had shattered that bond.

      Locking up Yu for the night in the police station wasn't the tip of the iceberg with his cutting tone of disappointed that made Adachi feel sympathy pains. So many times over the year Yu had given Dojima chances to act better, to act like a father to Nanako. How could he forget the time he left when Nanako was sick and ended up having to call YOSUKE panicking because Dojima just walked out and he couldn't find her medicine. The few times Nanako had ran away thinking her father didn't love her. In spite of all that, Yu had still given Dojima a chance. Once he'd gotten out of the hospital after the car cash in November, he began to act more responsible. He'd quit smoking, a side effect of not over his stay.

      Too many times had Dojima hurt Yu; and, unfortunately, Yu could count them all. The real kicker, the event that had entirely destroyed their bond for good, hadn't been when Dojima admitted to going to see Adachi in prison who refused to accept his visits because he couldn't understand why Adachi, his partner, would do such awful things.

      Yu had dissociated pretty badly after that truth.

      Trying to send Yu away, the final day of his stay in Inaba, when everyone, Yu included, thought Dojima may actually change his mind after all. But he didn't—it never occurred to him to let Yu live with him and Nanako for one more year. He'd said so multiple times, and the last had been no different.

      There was no one waiting for him back in the city. His parents were staying in America, without word of when they would return. He'd be forced to return to their grand apartment haunting of covered furniture, no friends, and no family. So in the end, after sending Izanami to her final, true end, Yu decided to stay in Inaba and run away from a life where things were decided for him. No longer holding onto the empty promises of adults who were supposed to love and care for him, and always coming up short or entirely empty.

      ❝I know he can't do it on his own. He's proven that more than enough times.❞