#AND HAVE ONLY SEEN SOME DISCUSSION AND SCREENSHOTS OF THE MANGA

[evelynpr]

Hi guys u wanna see my current insanity

The "I want to save you, love you, be like you, forever" love square of BNHA. How these narratives and characters were made so intricately really amazes me.

This is my bakudeku togachako relationships and thematics diagram- and honestly I'm quite astonished on how detailed it is. It is 12:09 am right now and I cannot stop thinking about them

If someone out there is interested in this massive mess, pls do just ask and I could help you decipher my own horrid handwriting. (I'm being genuine and earnest, I'm just also tired lmao)

Also special thanks to @dekusleftsock for how much you've made me love bnha again from just talking about these four. Seriously, I wouldn't be here without you and I hope you continue to do what you love (which I hope includes posting more abour them haha). If you see this, and wanna know more, I would truly be honored.

[seangardnerxiv]

Shadow and Maria's Complex Relationship

FOR DISCLOSURE: this thread is going to be discussing the complexities of Shadow and Maria’s relationship based on many different factors. Though I will be including the romantic interpretation (NOT a sexual one – I do not support nor condone sexualizing these two, nor any of the characters in Sonic, as they are almost all minors) as a potential, I will not be arguing to assign a definite label to their relationship – I will, in fact, be doing exactly the opposite (I am also not interested in engaging in shipping discourse over Sonic the Hedgehog characters). I would simply like to disclose that that will be discussed in case the topic upsets you and you would prefer to stop reading now. I accept this post may not be received well by some.

SPOILERS FOR SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS

So I've had to break out my Tumblr for this - my usual haunt is Twitter/Bluesky, but those don't really allow for longform posts. This is also a major departure from my usual FFXIV posting, so apologies to anyone who follows me for that.

Sonic x Shadow Generations recently dropped, alongside the short animations “Dark Beginnings” as well as the (non-canonical) manga “The Jet Black Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog.” With it, discourse surrounding Shadow and Maria’s relationship has kicked up again, largely in two parties – that Shadow and Maria held a sibling relationship, or that Shadow and Maria held romantic feelings for one another (some people have also argued that Shadow is her uncle, or Maria is his mother, but I won’t be discussing those views). There are arguments for both drawn from a variety of sources – I will do my best to present both (if there are others I've missed, please feel free to comment and I will add them).

For siblings:

This Twitter post of artwork for Dark Beginnings has the following alt text: “Shadow and Maria reach out for one another in an infinite abyss (as long-lost siblings would) with the Moon and the Space Colony ARK in the background."

The manual for Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) describes Maria as “like a sister to Shadow.” I have also seen another screenshot of a different manual that states that Shadow as "like a brother to Maria," but I've been unable to find which manual it is.

Gerald refers to Shadow as “son” during the climax of SxSG.

For romantic:

Maria saying “I love you” in the Japanese version of SxSG uses the kanji “ai shiteru,” whilst her “I love you” in the Japanese version of the manga uses “daisuki.” Whilst it can be used for familial relations, it is apparently very uncommon for both of these to be used outside of romantic intent.

Shiro Maekawa – the original creator of Shadow and Maria – based them (or at least parts of them) off of a romance manga known as “Please Save My Earth” (with Maria sharing the Japanese voice actress for the female lead from the anime), and has frequently supported them together, often retweeting romantic art and posts of Shadow and Maria.

In a recent interview from Sega, Maria touching Shadow’s face in Dark Beginnings was equated to Beauty and the Beast.

For Tanabata – a Japanese festival celebrating the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, and the separation of them as lovers – Sonic Channel posted artwork of Shadow and Maria reading the story beneath the stars. Sonic Channel has also published fanart for Valentine’s Day relating to Shadow and Maria (although they publish a lot of fanart).

Before I go any further, when the topic of Shadow and Maria in a romantic lens comes up, many of the same criticisms arise that I do not believe are fairly levied – namely accusations regarding their age, species, and familial ties. I would like to address – and debunk – these three before we go any further. Keep in mind while you read these – this is not meant to convince you that their relationship was one thing over another, but only to provide validity to a subjective point of view I feel is unfairly stigmatized.

“It’s incest because Shadow is Maria’s brother/uncle(?).”

While there were notions of family stated by both Maria and Gerald, Shadow was grown in a tube with alien DNA and has zero blood relation to the Robotnik family. Whilst there are abstract labels of “like a sister” or “sibling coding” that are only ever applied in a meta sense, neither of them define their relationship in such a way within the lens of the universe. And it is not as if the topic never arises - in Shadow Generations, Maria herself likens young Abraham Tower as akin to her little brother, but she makes no such distinction with Shadow.

“Sibling coding” is ultimately a nothing statement, and unless a proper adoption is made, it does not magically turn romantic feelings towards the two involved into incest. Frames of reference are often informed by what young people are familiar with, and they sometimes lack the proper tools to acknowledge that their feelings towards each other are more complex than they first believe - to say that this is something that potentially occurred with Shadow and Maria is not outlandish, and not a concept unique to Sonic as a series.

Similar examples to this include Clive and Jill from Final Fantasy XVI (Jill is accepted into the Rosfield household and raised alongside Clive and his brother, only to later enter a romantic relationship with him as an adult), Nero and Kyrie from Devil May Cry (Nero is fostered by Kyrie's family and considers Kyrie a sister initially, only for her to become his love interest as adults) and Sidon and Yona from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Sidon grows up perceiving Yona as a sister, only to realize his feelings for her are more complex later on). None of these are incestuous relationships, nor is Shadow and Maria’s were it to be romantic.

“It’s bestiality because Shadow is an animal.”

Bestiality is applicable to regular animals that do not hold human sentience of thought, as they are unable to consent to a relationship, like a dog or cat. Shadow is not this, nor are any of the anthropomorphic characters within the Sonic games - were you to change the anthropomorphic animals in Sonic into humans, basically nothing about the series' content would change. All of them are completely sound-minded beings that are essentially just people who look different. Shadow is not Maria’s pet, he is her fully sentient friend that holds the same degree of thought as she does – given that Shadow’s entire arc is about finding his purpose in life, degrading him to simply a lab animal rather than acknowledging he is a person defeats that entire arc (something the manga also touches upon).

A lot of people also cite Sonic and Elise from Sonic ‘06 (namely the scene where Elise kisses the deceased Sonic) as a reason why Shadow and Maria should not be done - while I think it’s valid if you didn’t like watching a human girl kissing Sonic the Hedgehog, I maintain that a good chunk of that disdain stemmed from two major reasons:

Elise was very poorly characterized in her game. She existed to constantly get kidnapped and be saved by Sonic, and so both the relationship and the kiss came off more like pandering than something earned.

Sonic '06 had a bizarrely realistic artstyle for the human characters, whilst all of the animal characters retained their cartoonish appearances. This clash of artstyles looked its worst when Elise kissed Sonic at the game's climax.

Maria, however, does not fall into these pitfalls. She does not exist to be purely a love interest for Shadow - she’s certainly not someone for him to save, as the entire inciting event of Shadow's character is his inability to save her when she saves him.

For a frame of reference, Shadow is more akin to an alien from Star Wars – a setting where humans also exist. It is not bestiality for a Human to hold a relationship with a Twi’lek, as both races are fully anthropomorphic and sentient. On a similar note, Beauty and the Beast is not considered bestiality either, even though the Beast bears obvious animalistic traits. Some people have also entertained the notion of Rouge and Topaz from Sonic X, even though the latter is human. This is all the same principle, and none of it is bestiality.

“It’s creepy because Maria is young.”

Shadow – while said to be ageless – is not an adult, and to imply that he is one is a fundamental misunderstanding of Shadow’s character – whilst there are many instances where he demonstrates maturity on some levels, he has shown much immaturity since his inception in Sonic Adventure 2 (his desire to destroy the world out of revenge for Maria), and his most recent storyline in Generations involves his naïve desire to change Maria and Gerald’s fates (or rather, an initial indifference to what it will bring). Not only that, but his time on the ARK was mired in confusion over the point of his existence – Maria was the one that helped him field through his confusion, and was arguably the more mature one between the two of them. We can safely say that Shadow is not an adult character, nor is he ever presented as one in the lens of the game.

As the closest thing Sonic likely has to an equal in both body and mind (Sonic holds his own immaturities similar to Shadow), he can likely be placed mentally close to his age of fifteen. This is reinforced by the leaked transcript of Sonic ‘06 that refers to Shadow as 15 (the red squared text in this image).

Maria has no canon age established in game material, but Sonic X lists her as 12. 15 and 12 is the same age gap as Sonic and Amy respectively.

In addition to that, many people have claimed that Shadow is over 50 years old, but this is only true of his chronological existence, not the time he has been conscious and aging. He spent 50 years stuck in cryosleep, and awoke exactly how he was when he was placed in there.

A similar example would be Aang and Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender - Aang was frozen at the age of 12, and awoke 100 years later. Nobody, however, tried to claim that he was 112 years too old to kiss the 14 year old Katara, as Aang was physically and mentally still a 12 year old upon awakening - most people who watched the show were also actively rooting for these two characters to kiss, which they did at the show's finale. It's the same principle regarding Shadow - he is 50 chronologically, not 50 in mind or body.

If we’d like to really get into it, I would point out that nearly every character in the lens of Sonic is in and around Maria’s age range (according to the Sonic Channel). As stated previously, Sonic is 15. Amy is 12, Knuckles is 16, Rouge is 18, Blaze and Silver are 14, etc. Nobody bats an eye at notions of romance between any of these people (not that I’m saying they should inherently).

Romantic intent between minors is not inherently viewed as a bad thing - see the examples of Aang and Katara or Clive and Jill above, or for an in house example, consider the canonical (to Sonic X at least) relationship between the 8 year old Tails and Cosmo - yet for some reason when it comes to Shadow and Maria, a relationship is stigmatized.

To reiterate in the wake of the last point, my discussions of romantic intent ARE NOT SEXUAL IN NATURE. As I acknowledge these are minors, any notions of that are completely off the table, and I do not agree with anyone who would imply their relationship was a sexual one. I want to make that unmistakably clear.

My major takeaway from observing both the Sonic fanbase and those on Sonic Team seems to be that in western circles, Shadow and Maria as siblings is the popular perception, whilst in eastern circles, they are more commonly perceived romantically. But ultimately, Shadow and Maria’s relationship seems to have many contradictory signals that makes it hard to pinpoint a concrete definition, especially in the most recent releases – and I believe that this is fully intentional.

Shiro Maekawa has stated in DMs has stated this regarding their relationship when asked if he saw them as siblings or love interests (translated from Japanese):

“I think they have a special bond that is unique to them that doesn’t fall into either of those categories. Just my personal opinion.”

From the way that the two are written post-Sonic Adventure 2, this appears to be a sentiment that is fully carried forward – their relationship is more nuanced than a canonical label would make it. Maria was the only person who made Shadow feel loved, and Maria unquestionably loved him back. What kind of love that was is up to the viewer, especially given that Maria died when they were both young, before they even had a chance to expand upon their relationship, if that was ever on the table – not that they needed to, given that their bond seems to have transcended both labels. Maria was the only one who acknowledged Shadow as more than an experiment or a weapon, and Shadow was her rock in an environment where she was isolated away from her family and home. Maria was Shadow's person, and still remains that in death.

To disclose for me personally (in case it was not obvious), I have always interpreted their relationship as romantic - or at least having romantic implications - ever since playing Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and Shadow the Hedgehog when I was a kid. I have both a fiancé and a sibling, and the way they treat each other is far more evocative of how I treat the former than the latter (especially in Dark Beginnings – I do not imagine my sibling through a shoujo filter while I wistfully think about cuddling them in a field of flowers). I do not take the awkwardly placed alt text verbiage from the Sonic Twitter account, used to fake-argue with the Wendy’s Twitter account, as gospel for anything, and I think that treating it as a damning disproval is silly. Had she lived, I believed the complex feelings they held would have been identified as romantic down the line. The relationship always just read as too intimately charged for me to perceive as siblings (it still does especially in the wake of seeing how she touches and speaks to him), even before I had a serious relationship. I think that arguing the nitty gritty over Twitter alt text and translations is silly, as all it took for me to takeaway that the relationship was still romantic was to play the game, watch the animations, and read the manga for Shadow Generations - but that's just me.

That said, I will concur that if you are weirded out by romantic notions between the two of them, that is completely understandable, and I would never argue that you should not feel what you feel for yourself. The sibling viewpoint is also wholly valid an interpretation, with or without word from a meta source. Though she had her grandfather and later Abe, she was largely alone on the ARK away from a family that she clearly loved and missed, and it’s not unusual to presume that Shadow filled in the role of a brother for her. I will also acknowledge that many things I have not mentioned - such as Shadow blushing at Maria calling him cool, or her saying "I love you" in general - are not inherently indicative of romantic intent, and can be read as fully platonic interpretations, and I find those that try to state that the romantic interpretation is the objective one just as irritating as those that state the sibling interpretation is the objective.

My intent is only to dispute the idea that romantic interpretations, and the people who hold them, deserve to be scrutinized. The pairing is completely innocent, and the treatment people have received for believing them to be romantic is obscene. Sweeping blanket statements have been made to insult all who do (some going as far as to wish death and harm upon them), all just based on subjective viewpoints held by people who see them platonically. The fact that there is so much discourse surrounding this topic, and that there is evidence enough on both ends to make an argument, means that Sega has intentionally left the relationship up to interpretation - including the romantic take.

Everyone unclutch your pearls.

But with all that said, I will reiterate that this post was not meant to convince anyone of one thing or another, but rather that both interpretations of their relationship are valid, as it is essentially a secret third thing that transcends both labels and is special only to them. Strictly defining their relationship as “siblings” or “love interests” (even as someone who perceives them romantically, I would never want that to be definitively confirmed for this reason) is deconstructing what is perhaps the most nuanced part of a series that does not always tend to be terribly nuanced, and a definition matters far less than acknowledging what Maria means to Shadow in the present – he is who he is because of her, and because of that, he is now living a life for himself. Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) ended in a way that had Shadow let Maria go, and Shadow Generations ends with him carrying her forward with him after accepting her loss. She was, and will always be, the person who loved Shadow - however you define that love is up to you.

Nothing has ever been hard confirmed by Sega, no matter how much either side wants to pretend it has been.

In summary, both points of view regarding Shadow and Maria’s relationship are simultaneously true and not true – it is a matter of interpretation according to the viewer what their feelings towards each other were, yet their relationship in the lens of what it is now after the tragedy of their existence (even before Maria died) is purposefully indefinable, and it should remain that way. Nobody should ever try to say that Shadow and Maria are definitively something - that goes for both points of view. I doubt it will, but I hope this goes towards removing the stigmas towards one of the more nuanced parts of this series, as nuance in Sonic the Hedgehog - frankly - does not come along very often, and it would be nice if that were encouraged rather than smothered.

Thank you for reading.

[misscammiedawn]

Taking Her Home

Back in the chaos of 2020 during the early days of the lockdown and while I desperately tried to get a therapists to endorse my HRT, I had began writing a visual novel in Ren'Py. Back then I was part of a game studio and had worked upon a number of projects for them. Writing, coding, music and photography.

My desire was to channel the skills that were being polished into a personal little side-project that I had named Taking Her Home.

The story was about essentially a reunion between a child and their estranged father who kicked them out of their family home when they were a teenager. The child has since transitioned and is seeking to gain some form of emotional closure from the encounter.

As written, it had been framed as Sabrina, the protagonist, disguising herself as Danny, her deadname, and interacting as Danny until the final day where she has a choice to reveal herself.

I ended up scrapping the project after starting HRT and allowing my experiences openly living as a woman to shape and change me. Regretfully I came to view the project with discomfort, feeling how unthinkable it would be to pretend to be who I once was for the sake of placating an abuser. Plus I had cut ties with my biofam since starting the project.

Thusly it was scrapped within a year of starting. 40k words, 5 original songs and a fairly competent game mechanic. All down the drain.

Alas

Though I am unlikely to finish it, I have come to appreciate the project in new light recently. Within the past year I was diagnosed with DID. I have a system of 5, though to those who follow me and know me on Tumblr, only 3 of them present openly to the world.

One of the hidden pair is The Kid. Our deadname. Our father's son.

In some way, I feel the writing of this script was an attempt for the emerging female parts who had been repressed to make peace with this male part that was being put away. In that light... well, it seems worth at least examining what we had written, don't you agree?

---

Note all screenshots are temporary assets, especially the GIU. They would have been replaced if the game were finished. Some GIU elements are from games I worked on previously and are used without permission of the studio I used to be part of. They would have been replaced before the game was released.

The game starts with a flashback. There's no art of it, but the notes depict a teenage Danny being kicked out by his father with a single cardboard box of possessions.

In the present, Danny and Sabrina are in an airport preparing to fly to England. Their sister, Liz, has died and they had received the news via unexpected contact from their father who they had not seen since they were kicked out all 15 years ago. The father, Rodney, wishes for Danny to come to the funeral and visit him.

As this scene plays out we hear the first track, Homecoming

As they psyche themselves up for the trip, Danny and Sabrina begin to discuss their childhood and we are given a stealthy character creation segment.

The character creation segment gives some flavor text to Danny/Sabrina's upbringing. We learn the name of their step-mother and the fact that their parents divorced, that they have a biological older brother who lives with their mother and a half-sister, the now dead Liz.

But as you answer these questions about their childhood the game places a score to your options that lets you pick from 3 variations of who Sabrina grew up to be.

In the code I label them as Fashion Brie, Geeky Brie and Active Brie. One was interested in theatre, learned make-up and starred in many stage performances. Geeky Brie was into anime and manga, did cosplay and Active Brie was into sports and had a lot in common with Rodney.

Then throughout the game there will be comments and baggage related to that backstory. For instance Rodney would have destroyed Geeky Brie's Sailor Moon manga brought in by a friend from France, Fashion Brie would be livid that her father never once attended one of her shows.

The other reason for character creation is to start the stat system.

During the course of the week Danny/Sabrina will talk with Rodney and get a feel for how much he has changed, if at all, and each interaction gives the opportunity for the stats to increase or decrease.

Frustration - How angry your character is with Rodney. At high levels this will unlock an option for the "burn all bridges" ending.

Confidence - Required to unlock burn all bridges, allows you to interject and stand up for yourself more.

Understanding - Required for the "come out" option, where you can see who Rodney is and why he is the way he is. Can play along with frustration too, if you are frustrated and understand Rodney then you'll "know" he is incapable of change.

Empathy - Connection between parent and child required for the "come out" ending. Grown when you make sincere connections.

Once they arrive in England Sabrina and Danny are picked up by Becky, the friend who housed them after they were kicked out.

Becky fills in some of the blanks on Sabrina's time when she lived in London prior to moving to the USA. Becky was present during Danny's transition.

As they talk the song Girl From London plays.

During this segment we get to see who Sabrina is in the present. The intro was focused in on the childhood and Danny and Brie's relationship with Rodney. This segment is to show that they turned out alright, even if they are willingly going back to confront a past that should be left to rest.

Day 2 is the first day with Rodney.

Becky drops you off and in if you need her to pick you up you'll need to send a "signal flare" text message which will take a while to be responded to.

On the drive Becky prepares you to talk to Rodney by introducing the "Call Out" function, where you have the option of stopping Rodney's dialogue and interrogate his dialogue for bigoted or untrue remarks (akin to the Hold It! function in Ace Attorney).

She'll also ask what you are looking to get out of the trip, an answer which will impact your stats.

As Becky speaks Questioning plays.

The "gameplay" then begins as your character, presenting as Danny, arrives at the house and begins to reconnect with their father.

While "Here With You" plays.

As Rodney and Danny talk, Rodney makes a number of reaching assumptions about Danny's life which show a level of projection, for instance he assumes Danny must spend every Christmas alone in America because he has "no family" there with him.

and you are given chances to ask or tell him to not use bigoted language. No matter which playstyle you use he will ignore this, though may apologize more often if told off.

For the Call Out function my favorite was always this subtle one, very much based on interactions with my IRL father.

"you left for London" he says. If you correct him you respond.

The conversation has ups and downs and you can be prompted to ask about your step-mum and why he's alone now, how his relationship is with your brother, if he still works at the local pub and a number of other bonding questions that can breed empathy, understanding, frustration or confidence.

Towards the middle of the day you can either tour the house or go for a walk. There are some stat bonuses for doing both.

In your childhood bedroom there are a number of options for searching for items from your past and a mechanic which either lets Rodney be in the room with you as you search (he will comment on items and give context as to why they are stored and such) or have you kick him out for either privacy or because he insists on smoking.

I had intended to polish this segment if I finished the game so that some items would only be available with or without Rodney's presence.

There's also a secret scene in the bedroom hunt which can end the game right here and then by having Rodney explode and begin to argue with Danny right there and then on the first day. In this ending you storm out of the house and skip the funeral entirely, opting to stay in London with Becky instead.

I wanted to make all of the endings valid, but since my diagnosis, the idea of "never think of the name Danny or Rodney Smith" kind of hurts, the idea of a viable ending being to bury poor Danny entirely? That ending came from a dark place, it seems.

Also the bench concept will come up later...

If you succeed through the day you can either leave early or stay for a meal. If you do, Rodney will note that Danny had mentioned wanting to introduce him to someone and wanted to know who it was. No matter how you approach this situation Rodney will think his son is hiding homosexuality.

Your reaction here will read how well your empathy and frustration points have been stacking up. The script sometimes doing a check for those values rather than asking you outright.

These options are unlocked based on your interactions, the below is checked to see what you are allowed to say at that point.

Obviously these are thought, not spoken.

The day ends when Becky arrives to pick you up. You have a debrief which is a stealthy way of seeing if you passed or failed the checks for the stats leading towards unlocking each of the endings.

Day 3 was the funeral and is a segment I never ended up writing. It was going to be more flavor text for Danny's childhood, his relationship with his other birth family and give some connection he had to Liz which brings about the unspoken truth that Sabrina is very much built from his perception of his older sister.

Day 4 is the second visit to Rodney and would take place on neutral ground with distinct paths. Pub, Canal Walk and Cafe are options.

I'd not finished writing this segment, but I had written the conclusion of Day 4.

It ends with an argument that causes Danny to burst out and retreat to The Bench.

The Bench is a park bench much like many others. Every time Danny and Rodney had an argument and Danny stormed out he would go to this spot. Sometimes people found him and had deep conversations on that spot with him.

There's a bench on the South Bank of the River Thames that fills that role in our own life. We think of it and the view it grants often.

The scene begins with a flashback of a time Liz is the one to collect 15 year old Danny and have a conversation comforting him after one of his dad's angry outbursts. As the flashback ends Liz is replaced with Sabrina and then as the scene continues the 15 year old Danny is replaced with the 32 year old one.

As they talk, Sabrina and Danny discuss their feelings on Rodney. At this point you are given stat checks to see if you can unlock options for the ending. Danny will advocate for the love he has for his father and Sabrina for the hatred she has for Rodney.

As the conversation goes on, Danny begins to yield to Sabrina and by the end Sabrina is the only one with spoken dialogue and Danny is only appearing as thoughts and choice screen prompts, much the same as Sabrina was during the first portion of the game.

I again note I wrote this 2/3 years before my DID diagnosis. In the dev notes I even state that Danny is the "kid inside, the one who sits behind every action you make judging you and wishing you were more" with no concept that it may not be a universal experience.

The final day is essentially select your ending.

I believe the ones I had written before abandoning the project were:

"I don't have a plan. I'm just going to go and see what happens." - You go in without a plan presenting as Sabrina. You cannot explain this in any way that satisfies and end up arguing. It is a break but an unclean one. You think back on it and wonder "what if" often.

"I'm going to burn all the bridges once and for all." - You end things on your terms, head held high. You understand he has no power over you and never did.

"I'm going to call him." - You call to say goodbye, you do not come out as Sabrina to him. You thank him for the week and return to America, satisfied that you got to say goodbye and knowing you do not owe him access or context.

"We're going to meet somewhere on my terms. We'll talk this out. Make it work." - You meet in London and run the conversation, dispel his every fear about your gender and sexuality. He finally gets to see the grown woman you have become and though you are not certain if he accepts or rejects you, he jokes about burying two children in one week after all, you can go back to the USA knowing he *acknowledges* you. Maybe that's enough?

"I'm not going back" - You do not show up to the scheduled Day 5 meeting and stay with Becky instead. You return to America and ignore the growing pile of emails from Rodney, leaving things unresolved but breaking all connection.

"I just want to say goodbye." - Essentially the "call him" ending but with coming out. You do not argue. You tell him your name is Sabrina, that you're going back to America and not to contact anymore. It's benign. You wonder how he is handling the news and realize you don't care.

-

And that's the game.

I just felt like putting something of it out into the world. It was a deeply personal project at an integral time of my life when I was on the intersection between past and present, slowly learning just who was hiding under the masks and lies I told myself.

Maybe one day, if the kid ever wants to come back, I'll let him finish this. For himself. For the love he still has for our father and for the game studio that we are no longer part of.

But for now I feel it's a draft that shall forever remain unfinished. And that's okay. It did what it needed to.

Thanks for giving me a platform to just air it out in a form that isn't just a lingering piece of ignored potential.

[pikahlua]

I love the way you write about this story and these characters, it's just so wonderful.

Other than your own meta, who else do you recommend? Any fanfics? What about video essays? I trust your opinions 🙇

There is no one who will agree with me 100% on everything, and no one will write or talk about something in the exact same way as another person. I'm sure you realize that.

I see eye-to-eye with @siflshonen on most everything in MHA, and I enjoy the different ways we often approach expressing similar opinions. @makeste has been on break from the manga as of late, but I vibe with her old metas.

@greenhappyseed @class1akids @transhawks write often about sections of the MHA story I am less inclined to examine as closely, and I regularly consider or even defer to their opinions in those areas (All Might-, Todoroki family-, and Hawks/LoV-focused perspectives).

On YouTube, Semblance of Sanity have the takes I agree the most with or find the most interesting. Next would be A Goodwin TV's takes. Blind Wave (reactions on their website) and K&K Anime have reactions and some discussions that I enjoy as well. I'm not really into any video essayists at the moment, though I think there is a lot of potential in the medium itself for good discussion. It's just harder to produce a video in a reasonable amount of time when writing and screenshots get the job done just as well, and most of the essayists I've seen have a more...power-scaling focus that I rarely agree with. (Yes, I have power-scaling opinions based in meta, and they're correct.)

Fanfics are a different beast. A lot of writers lean heavily on western perspectives, which I think is entirely valid to do for whatever type of story you're trying to write. For me personally, a lot of western-based tropes I often see in fanfic just don't mesh as well with canon-focused MHA stories, and many characters end up either out-of-character or at best something like their anime-only filler episode selves. Fanfic is often an avenue of self-exploration, and that means many good stories will reflect the writer's personal experiences more than anything. Those are enjoyable to read, but they don't scratch my itch for more content that explores the canon characterization even in shipping fics. And yes, I guess this is me being a half-hearted snob. There are just some things no one will bat an eye at that I will cringe reading merely because I know Japanese social mores a tiny bit better than most westerners (for example, I very much doubt canon Katsuki would ever get a tattoo, let alone Izuku). I never expect writers to know these things, but I can't help but raise an eyebrow whenever they come up.

I Want What I Don't Deserve (hi sifl, I'm plugging you again!) actually scratches the itch for me. Even in the moments where the author may be inserting their personal experiences or adding more depth to characters that isn't present in the manga, all these author additions make sense with the characters as they present in canon. I whole-heartedly recommend this story to Bakugou fans, Todoroki family fans, and even BakuDeku fans (there is a poetically tragic element to their relationship--though it is not the primary "ship" in the fic--and I think the fandom could use more of this specific take to spice up the ship). Plus Katsuki's opportunities for narration strike the perfect balance of self-deprecation, arrogance, teenage flippancy, and hilarity to keep me entertained for literal months now. (Fuck, just read everything by sifl, because their works reflect the care and craft they jam-pack into everything they write. Do it!)

I don't have many fics I'm currently reading or following. I feel like there was a period a few years ago when I really enjoyed the MHA fanfic world, but lately it's been hard to find anything that grabs me. I could probably use more recommendations myself.

This got way longer than I expected. Oops.

[madcontainer]

Mods Asleep, Post Words

Trying to get some Asura-related thoughts in order. This is, of course, rife with spoilers, which should be evident from the character being discussed.

Firstly: I have only ever watched Soul Eater fan-subbed, so I am not sure if the dialogue I draw my conclusions from is even close to official translations, or original intentions.

We don’t get to explore Asura very deeply in the anime, and while I am aware of certain manga plot points, I have not read it in its entirety, so this is a lot of conjecture. With that out of the way, here are some disjointed thoughts.

I’m interested in Lord Death’s/the translator’s specific choice of words here. “Simple and cowardly,” as in the repeated strategic choice to retreat is not complex and he is made predictable because of that. Additionally, “simple,” as in lacking intelligence/perceived as mentally deficient in some way.

I’m not sure whether to interpret Lord Death saying that Asura has always been that way as a straightforward insult, or as a legitimate identification of Asura’s behaviour made into an insult.

Additionally, in the first fight with Lord Death after Asura’s resurrection, there is another line that I took note of.

The line “you’re smarter than I thought” is said after Asura flies just outside of Lord Death’s range. I’m not sure if Lord Death insulting his intelligence is just meant to be cruel (since he does call Arachne a “pig bitch whore” at one point, in the memory that is preserved in the explosion), or if it has any bearing on how Lord Death actually perceives him.

We know that Asura initially fought alongside Lord Death (with his weapon partner Vajra, who I have not forgotten), so I doubt that he was ever incompetent, despite his constant paranoia. He is also a fragment of Lord Death and our other reference for how those fragments manifest is Death the Kid - who is definitely neurotic (to an exaggerated degree), but a competent meister and not to mention a legitimate (if unfledged) deity.

This is a side note, but during the battle in episode 48, about slightly past 7 minutes in, Death the Kid yells in concern for his father, and Asura is shown glancing over and taking note before Lord Death starts unleashing attacks again. Later, he gives Lord Death a piece of “advice” before blasting his way out of the Death Room with Vajra’s laser - that relying on all those rules would be fatal. I thought that was a neat touch.

The manga’s additional context could make that hurt all the more. Death the Kid’s clear attachment to and concern for their shared progenitor and Lord Death’s willingness to jump in front of the shot to protect him (and Azusa, while Excalibur needs no rescue) at the cost of his own ‘life’ sure is something.

Asura made a wise choice in exploiting Lord Death’s weakness, though I wonder if he felt anything about his own relationship with Lord Death while doing so. To put it flippantly, sucks to not be the favourite.

-

Asura is quite rigid and particular. He also disagrees with there being “rules” one has to follow. I don’t necessarily believe this is a contradiction.

I think it is interesting that Asura points out Lord Death’s more child-friendly mask and patterns of speech twice - once when he is freshly resurrected, and again during the battle in the Death Room.

Additionally, in episode 51, he says the following:

“And then there is nothing weird nor funny.” This translation is clearly slightly “off,” but I have also seen it subtitled as “there is nothing strange or unexpected.” I have no screenshots of this, however.

To me, this reads as having a specific, rigid set of internal principles that he conducts himself by.

It seems like Asura wants things to make sense - he wants to understand them, or he has a very limited ‘window of tolerance.’ It comes up that largely arbitrary societal ‘rules’ are at odds with this, but I highly doubt they’re the entirety of the issue.

Being opposed to the humorous, child-friendly death, sugarcoating things and providing an ‘order’ to an inherently disorganized and chaotic world makes sense. This is beginning to read suspiciously like an “Asura did nothing wrong and was entirely right” post, which I wasn’t intending, but I can’t say I disagree with peeling the thin skin of reality away and exposing what lies underneath.

-

I have speculated a lot about Lord Death in this Asura-focused post, so enough of that.

Throughout all of this, Asura remains outwardly calm and honestly fairly polite. He doesn’t shout or yell aside from when he first resurrected, and later when he had to regrow his arm during the Death Room battle. The paranoia and violence only visibly escalate with provocation.

Asura’s retreat from the city and acceptance of Lady Arachne’s invitation don’t seem particularly cowardly to me. He sits around, catatonic in a temple, and then allows Lady Arachne to pet and fuss over him as she sees fit (not helplessly, of course). 

This instead seems like he has traded one form of containment in the dark for another. He didn’t just bounce back from his imprisonment, ready to drive the entire world to madness. It is stated in episode 25 that his Madness Wavelength is limited by distance, and initially he holes up in an abandoned location.

I don’t say this implying that Asura chose to be imprisoned again, since he clearly has significantly more freedom - even if he chooses to exercise that freedom by emulating the same position he was in previously. It even makes sense that he’d do so, crucially, on his own terms.

800 years is an incomprehensibly long time to remain locked up, and he does not strike me as keen to reintegrate into society. Lady Arachne’s madness amplifier and promised protection is a way to achieve a set of goals beneficial to him, without needing to drastically change anything about the situation he has adjusted to or re-enter the new world that he has been thrust into.

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

it's funny how like. different fandoms can give you a very different impression of the stories they're about (or convince you to get into them at all).

i've been thinking a lot about how despite being in circles that should by all means be talking about rain code, and despite having followed the promotional content extremely closely for wiki reasons, i have no idea what the contents of the game are like because literally no one is talking about that. i did see people spoil two major end-game plot twists, i think i saw one meta post about the main villain/their ending or something, but i don't see anyone share their favourite scenes or jokes or screenshots or meta about a chapter in the middle of the story. i have no idea what rain code is like and no reason to want to play it because of that (... and i basically already know the ending too.) this seems imbalanced. it makes me feel as though the game isn't very hype worthy, but then i'll see people insist they loved it! the lack of discussing of the actual game just screams the opposite.

meanwhile, dungeon meshi, which i did end up watching (although i was never going to read the manga, which was all over my feed for a long time), is overhyped to hell and back. specifically, its meat - ha - its contents, are overhyped. i'll have read hundreds of meta posts about a scene or character, and when i watch the anime, they're pretty good! but that's like, it. and that's not an issue, they really are good, they just can't live up to the exaggerated hype. (and since the manga is so popular, i have seen the manga comparisons so i know i'm not talking about issues with the adaptation.) i'll have seen fanart upon fanart and meme upon meme of a character, only for them to turn out nearly completely different from all the interpretations i'd been shown. tons of gorgeous, angsty fanart of one specific scene that turns out to be short lived and not at all romanticised. in some ways, the hype did convince me to watch it - and i am enjoying it - but is also making it come across a lot more lukewarm. i expected more of characters, of scenes, that turn out fairly straightforward.

there's probably a just middle. but at the end of the day, it's not like fans really choose how they make their favourite media come across. it kind of just happens. just their popularity plays a major role.

[synthetic-venus]

I think it would have been best to credit the person, personally, I wouldn't have liked to find my content on someone else's blog.

To be completely honest, I believe that this debate is endless and will never result in a completely objective discussion, as it tends to only attract pro- and anti- Sakura stans. + there will always be a counter argument for each point made because people tend ton concentrate on details and never fully look at the bigger picture.

For example, about the NaruSaku fillers : NaruHina actually had more filler episodes/moments than NS (22 ep vs. 14). And even if there were a NS agenda in SP, it was not because they liked Sakura, but because it was a way to put light on the main character : Naruto.

The studio had their ups and down with both Sakura and Hinata. I haven't watched the anime since it ended in 2015, but I do remember a lot of moments where the studio failed Sakura especially through the portrayal of her relationships with Naruto, Sasuke and Ino. As for Hinata, she suffered from some mistreatment too but she never received the amount of hate that Sakura got for these changes.

Like I said with my previous reply, the main problem are the Naruto fans who use these fillers/changes to hate even more on some characters. What I regret about these kind of posts is that it tends diminish the impact that these changes had on the reception of certain characters, especially Sakura. How many times have I seen antis using screenshots of filler scenes (out of their context) just to sh*t on Sakura and her fans ?

Might be an unpopular opinion but Kishimoto failed a lot of his characters (which happens with a lot of long running-mangas so can't say it's 100% his fault) and I think that Studio Pierrot could have had the opportunity to "fix" that (there again, long runing-animes are also victims of these same issues). Instead, they ended up caricaturing some of the characters (Sakura as a tsundere who always hits Naruto, Hinata as some kind of stalker who only thinks about Naruto) and it's a shame.

I'm really getting tired of seeing people say Studio Pierrot hated Sakura

When in reality they didnt't in fact she had alot of fans in the studio. Which is dangerous for people spreading missinformation about the people working at the studio.

I'm always seeing on twitter & other social pages. "SP hated sakura." "They wanted to make her look bad. "Why didn't they adapt the Sakura Hiden novel. "They favored Hinata more." "They add filler to Hinata's fight." "They sexuallized Hinata." " Hinata has more filler episodes."

Also, with Studio Pierrot, they love Sakura in fact they wanted Naruto & Sakura together. They tried really hard to pair her with the main character.

Kishimoto's translator:

For Naruto & Naruto Shippuden

Filler aka not canon to the manga

You seen this in Ova's, movies, outros and try to add fillers in cannon episodes I could post more but it'll be to long.

Lets start with the leap in logic that fans take. According to them the studio goes out of it’s way to try making Sakura look bad.

Anime did not change this manga part.

Now for the changes the anime did.

Zabuza Arc:

As an anime watcher even you know that SHE'S RIGHT. It’s not a matter of objectivity whether or not this version of Sasuke was superior to Naruto(without emotional amps), its a factual statement. Even if Sakura is doing it out of being a fangirl it’s irrelevant(not like it appears that she is doing it because of that regardless). Kakashi has stated that Sasuke was the number one rookie. How does this in any way alter Sakura’s character? WE LITTERALY SEE HER DO IT IN CANON LIKE A 150 CHAPTERS LATER.

Naruto saved her and Sasuke from Shukaku Gaara, Sakura couldn’t even process that Naruto was the one that beat the man and recued them, she didn't have hopes on him, it was all Sasuke. So tell me? How the did this change depict her in bad light when she was canonically like that.

They sure do love to cut out certain momments of Sakura too

Exams arc & after Naruto vs Kakazu arc

"They favored Hinata, In Hinata vs pain its basically all filler she got one-paneled!"

C'mon....like other characters in the show haven't gotten one paneled in the manga before.

The Studio add more fight scenes & changed certain things in the manga to benfit Sakura. Yet they act like Hinata vs Pain was the only one.

They did the same with Naruto vs. Sasuke, Kakashi vs. Hidan, Pain vs. Naruto, Obito vs. Kakashi and, of course , Sakura vs. Sasori

Sakura & Chiyo vs Sasori manga:

Studio Pierrot Anime filler fight:

Kisimoto (canon) close combat fight

Team 7 Naruto, Sai & Sakura vs Karui & Omoi

The amount of fans I have seen debated that thought that Omoi’s feat was an outlier because they thought that the Studio’s animation for the Sasori fight was canon is staggering the say the least. This isn't me trying to downplay her she is easliy Kage level . The whole point of her power is that she's a live tank and a powerful support. Speed has never really been her forte.

Naruto Anime filler: Manga:614

Edit: Let's not forget the final fight between Naruto vs Sasuke chapter 698

Boruto Anime:

Sakura vs Shin filler...wait anime canon

Easily one of the coolest CQC sequences in Naruto and in the anime right? I mean, its an entire filler scene that the STUDIO went out of its way to animate but hey maybe it’s just a one time thing you know? Who knows maybe they just really like Shin? ( I'm being sarcastic)

Naruto Gaiden manga: It has 10 chapters in total please just read it.

Sakura vs Shin manga finshed in one panel until Sasuke saves her with susanno chapter 9

The studio also went out of their way to create an entirely different sequence that painted Sakura as more heroic.

In the anime she is blaming herself for not telling her daughter anything ,in the canon she blames Sarada for wishing to know more about her father. The anime makes Sakura much more sympathetic as she at least admits she did something wrong

it’s as of the studio went entirely out of their way to improve Sakura’s character during the ENTIRE Shin arc and early Boruto, I mean just look at this:

Left Canon:

Sakura was never cheering for Sarada

Shin outright blitz Sakura with his knockoff Kamui

Sakura didn’t ignore Sasuke to go and hug Sarada, after the entire Shin confrontation she just stood there awkwardly whilst Sasuke gave Sarada a dubious explanation of their love.

No fight against Shin, just a single panel of a frustrated Sakura hitting into nothing.

Right Studio pierrot:

Adding scenes of Sakura being a supportive mother during the Chunin exams.

Sakura only being caught into Shin’s attack because she was protecting Sarada.

Sakura ignoring Sasuke and putting her first thoughts into Sarada whilst hugging her

Amazing fight sequence against Shin

Why does she have to hit Naruto so much in filler!? 

Again, they’re just following the characteristic’s that Kishimoto created for her. It’s a canonical fact that Sakura hits Naruto when he somewhat annoying. Naruto is 40% filler, of course we were going see a bunch of scenes of Sakura hitting Naruto.

Overall she not much different from her manga counterpart

" Studio Pierrot sexuallized Hinata." They had her dancing on the water like a stripper!" Hinata was in more fillers than Sakura!"

Yall are up in arms about Hinata centric episode training for a anime filler jutsu Protective 8 trigrams 64 Palms naked on the water because she didn't want to get her clothes wet while training ...smh.

Hinata appeared in 12 anime filler arcs and 5 anime filler movies she had was a minor character in most( most from Naruto then in shippuden). Sakura had appeared 14/15 anime arcs and 9 anime filler movies, she made major roles in them too.

We can all look this up put people choose not to. You should go to some that is netural

Don't act like she is the only female character that had fanservice in the show.

I’m talking about a specific number of fans, only the misogynists who believe that the fanbase hate Sakura because she’s flat and favor Hinata because’s she has big breasts, they want people to believe that they don’t care about boobs, they feel safe because Sakura’s boobs are “average”, “Everyone who likes Sakura is obviously not a perv and a good guy who doesn’t care about tits”.

They even used a bunch of fillers created by Studio Pierrot to prove that.

The majority of Hinata fanboys love her because she’s a pair of tits and a fanservice”.

Studio Perriot

I hate the hypocrisy.

Also studio

They somehow hate fanservice and the bias but also claim that “Sakura is not flat, has curves, average boobs and a big butt, it’s just studio Pierrot fault and favor Hinata for fanservice” They said.

These hypocrites are obsessed with tits and ass, they wouldn’t be trying hard to prove that Studio Pierrot messed with Sakura’s chest as if they really didn’t care about boobs

"They focus way to much on Hinata!"

It was one episode of Hinata about the novel Konoha Hiden... The plot was split with other characters find a gift to attend the wedding (her wedding mind you) and she was worried. Didn't know having her appear in a episode about that was a bad thing.

I will never understand how a side character needs to be compaired to someone from the main cast.

"Studio Pierrot didn't adapt Sakura Hiden they hate her!"

They didn't adapt kakashi hiden, they didn't adapt gaara hiden. They didn't adapt the akatsuki novel. You don't see their fans complaining and accusing SP of hating their favourites. They had six novels and adapted half.

Lastly, everyone tends to nitpick when comes to the anime. I just showed scenes for a number of reasons fans always tend to ignore, they just like to focus on the little changes shown in the anime(which are probably done for time-cuts/adds) was an attempt of damage control for her character. For a studio that likes to make most of her fights way cooler and likes to ship her with the MC every chance they had they surely don’t seem like ‘’haters’’ to me.

[head-empty-just-sigma]

why Dazai said goodbye to his partner

(and no it’s not because he died)

so i’ve been seeing posts fly around left and right with fan theories about why Dazai said goodbye the way he did, but none of them really mentioned a specific topic and that’s what i want to discuss and theorize about in this post here

🔺spoilers ahead for the main manga series as well as Dead Apple and Stormbringer🔻

i’m so sorry my theories are novel sized, i will provide a tldr under the cut here for those of you who cannot read all my rambling… the tldr only contains spoilers for manga chapter 101

also, this post is written courtesy of @nataliaphantomhivesblog who replied to my theory comment on another post and encouraged me to make it into an actual post like i've been wanting to so thank you and i hope this doesn't disappoint lol

here’s my “this post is literally the length of an epic novel” summary:

Dazai says goodbye to Chuuya because he thinks that this situation will break the bond of trust that Soukoku is made of. Dazai has always tried to avoid hurting Chuuya, including making him use Corruption, but Dazai has found himself in a situation where he just can’t prioritize Chuuya’s wellbeing. and this makes him feel bad enough to the point of basically apologizing to Chuuya for putting him in this situation, and saying goodbye to their partnership, but he knows Chuuya won’t die at least, or maybe has a plan to get Chuuya out of there, so he laughs it off at the end for a smooth transition back into nonchalant-ness with a subtle nod to real life Dazai's unfinished novel "guddo-bai" in his final line this chapter

let’s first bring up this set of sad, depressing pixels:

(i’m using specifically this screenshot because of the english translation, the context it provides makes more sense to me in this situation for this theory than some of the other translations i’ve seen)

let’s talk about the first and most obvious thing: Chuuya is in a closed room that’s filling with water, and his sole companion is Dostoy. Dazai is somewhere else in the prison, and has no clear way to reach Chuuya. on top of that, Chuuya showed up there as a vampire, and in the last panel above it looks like he’s returning to his human senses, and it’s unclear if people retain the memories of what happened during the time they were a vampire when they return to their human state, so it’s entirely possible Chuuya has found himself in a dangerous situation with no knowledge of how he got there. this, number one, i think would be a little nerve-racking for even Chuuya himself, and on top of that, he’s hearing his partner talking over an intercom saying goodbye to him. Chuuya is in a dangerous situation, with no clear plan of escape, and (the most important thing) he has no idea what Dazai is planning to do here. why is this so important? well, let’s look at a not so brief history of soukoku in dangerous situations like this…

Chuuya vs Lovecraft

i mostly bring this up because i absolutely love watching this fight in the anime it’s in my like top 5 best bsd animated moments but i do have a legitimate point here i promise

so, after 4 years of no contact, Dazai and Chuuya team up again for an epic fight against Guild members Lovecraft and Steinbeck (even tho Steinbeck is only there for 5 seconds before being punted like a damn football) and we see how soukoku functions as a partnership involving Dazai’s mastermind plans and strategies, and Chuuya’s literal godlike strength and ability. and the basis for this partnership? trust. Chuuya’s Corrupted state may be godlike, but it’s also incredibly dangerous to use. during the fight, we see several shots of Chuuya’s face with blood dripping from his nose and his mouth from using Corruption. we also learn that Chuuya can’t come back from Corruption on his own, and he could die in this state. so, why does he use it? because he trusts Dazai to bring him back. despite not working with Dazai for 4 years, despite them being in enemy organizations, and despite Dazai taking every opportunity to harass Chuuya literally like 5 minutes before this, Chuuya trusts Dazai enough to put his life in Dazai’s hands. why? because Dazai trusts Chuuya to get the job done, and because Dazai let’s Chuuya have the final decision when using Corruption. even though there are no other options here, which Chuuya comments on, Dazai still says regardless that it’s up to Chuuya to follow Dazai’s plan. and then, at the end of the fight…

this quote is IMPORTANT because it’s one of the few times Chuuya openly admits to trusting Dazai!!

Chuuya vs Dragon

ok, next up is Dead Apple. there’s no way i’m not mentioning this even if it wasn’t in the main manga series, it’s just too important to this theory tbh

i couldn’t find a gif of his dramatic entrance leaping off a plane *cries*

this point speaks for itself if you read the book/manga or watched the movie. before this scene, Chuuya meets with Ango, where Chuuya’s asked to go beat the crap out of this dragon bcuz he’s the only one who can basically. this whole scene was just two gods duking it out let’s be honest… Chuuya agrees, and while he’s on the plane, Ango admits to Chuuya over a radio that Dazai is most likely already dead. this means that if Chuuya uses Corruption, he’ll die. however, Chuuya knows Dazai well enough to know he’s alive in there (and we later learn that Mori sent Chuuya out in the first place to help Dazai), and Chuuya trusts Dazai and his “disgusting vitality” enough to risk actually dying using Corruption this time. i also think Chuuya points out a good fact at the end of the fight as well, which is where he mentions Dazai hiding the antidote in his mouth knowing full well Chuuya would punch him, therefore proving that Dazai trusts Chuuya to be there to save his life. and this is what soukoku is all about: their equal trust in one another that the other will be there when one of them is in danger

and also this scene where Dazai canonically pushes Chuuya’s face into his crotch, and then Chuuya proceeds to fall asleep in his lap. and also the cheek touch Dazai does to bring Chuuya back from Corruption im SCREAMING

*ahem* moving on…

Stormbringer

i won’t lie, i haven’t read it yet, cuz the official english translation doesn’t come out till the end of next month as of writing this, and i haven’t been able to find any full novel ones out on the internet passed like chapter 4, but i’ve seen a bunch of quotes from it to basically already know what happens

SO… due to me not actually reading it… i’ll keep this part short to minimize any potential context errors. my main point here is to emphasize how Dazai feels about Chuuya using Corruption. we’ve all seen the quote where Dazai, after telling Chuuya his plan and then walking away to let Chuuya decide for himself whether to go through with it or not, is trying to think of alternative plans so that Chuuya doesn’t have to risk his life using Corruption. Dazai genuinely cares for Chuuya’s wellbeing, and it’s emphasized a lot when it comes to Corruption. Dazai really will only suggest it as a last resort if no other options are available. and that he always, no matter what, leaves the final decision to Chuuya. Dazai straight up walks away from Chuuya during this scene in Stormbringer so that he won’t have any influence over Chuuya’s decision here

there's also the whole Dazai believing more than anyone else in the world that Chuuya is human, but im not going to get into that since i have very little information and quotes to go off of on this topic so i'll save that for a later theory on why Dazai and Chuuya bonded on a level outside of soukoku

ok, so, finally. my actual theory

Dazai is breaking Soukoku’s bond of trust

in all the times they worked together (i'm omitting Fifteen since soukoku wasn’t established, and Chuuya admits to not trusting Dazai at the beginning of Stormbringer in chapter 3, which takes place a year after 15) in every scene shown here in this panel of flashbacks, there was a mutual trust between Dazai and Chuuya that they could rely on one another to win a fight. Dazai would come up with the mastermind plans, Chuuya would do the fighting, and Corruption would only be used as a last resort AND only if Chuuya agreed to do it. yeah, most of the time there is no other option, but it’s the fact that Dazai never once orders Chuuya to use Corruption that’s the point here. he doesn’t just say “well there’s no choice so just do it” he always lets Chuuya have the final say on the matter.

but, for the first time, this simply just didn’t happen. Dazai is fighting against time with poison in his veins, his opponent is a mirror version of himself with morals equal to that of Beast Dazai, Chuuya’s a freaking vampire, and all hell has broken loose up top while they’ve been in prison. Dazai has very few options here, and prioritizing Chuuya’s wellbeing in this situation just isn’t possible if Dazai wants to beat Dostoy, or at least force him into a corner where he has to reveal one of his tricks. and Dazai feels bad enough for forcing his partner into this kind of situation that he literally says goodbye because he thinks that this move will ultimately break the bond of trust that soukoku is made of… Dazai knows Chuuya isn’t going to die, that’s not what this goodbye is for. if it was, then Dazai would have absolutely not smiled and joked at the end.

Dazai cares too much about Chuuya that if he were to truly lose him, i personally think he would become similar to the Dazai in The Day I Picked Up Dazai side B, where literally nothing matters to him except his own motives and goals. he would have been so dark and so angry in the final panels if Chuuya were to actually die, that it would put that one panel of angry wet rat Dostoy to shame. we actually do see Dazai's anger in the panel where he literally calls Dostoy a bastard for using Chuuya in this situation. but him joking here is also him putting his mask of nonchalant-ness back on after that vulnerable moment of him reminiscing on soukoku’s past, knowing he may have just drowned their partnership too soon? more like too late it’s been 3 weeks

i also think he joked at the end for a few more reasons. 1. to provoke Chuuya, duh. Dazai always harasses Chuuya at every opportunity, this is just another one of those times, and 2. to kind of antagonize Dostoy. Dostoy specifically played his Chuuya card here bcuz he thought it would give him some kind of advantage over Dazai, whether it was combat wise or not. this is Dazai just being a prick and laughing in the face of Dostoy’s plans. it could also be a subtle hint to Chuuya that Dazai has a plan to save him and this is just a part of that, since we've seen in scenes like the Lovecraft fight that Dazai often teases Chuuya before a big fight happens. we also see that Dazai's strategies are named after works of literature in the Lovecraft fight, and the final "goodbye" here in Japanese is not 'sayounara', which is meant to carry finality when it's said, Dazai says 'guddo-bai', which besides being the most literal translation of goodbye in english, is also the name of real life Dazai's unfinished novel its unfinished bcuz he commited shinju before he could finish it but um well i'm ignoring that. so this could also be another hint from Dazai that he has a plan that involves Chuuya not becoming an actual shrimp under the water here

ok, i think that covered everything… i’m sorry this is literally the length of a short novel thank you so much for reading you’re all greatly appreciated <3 umm here’s a bonus Sigma-related theory

so we all know Dazai is joking about not caring about Chuuya. but why would he fake not caring about his partner, besides to harass Dostoy? to manipulate Sigma. i don’t think we’ve talked enough about Dazai using and discarding people like napkins, and i think this is going to turn into one of those times. here’s why…

we know Sigma’s gift can’t be used on Dostoy, bcuz Dostoy can’t be touched. however, we also know that Sigma is literally 3 years old… a toddler, no thoughts, head empty, and surrounded by lunatics. why would Dazai laugh at his partner drowning? to make it look like he does not care. Sigma believes Dazai just won against Dostoy, and i think Dazai knows this. Dazai even compared Sigma to Atsushi in one panel bcuz they are both mentally immature and don't grasp the fact that Dazai is a master manipulator. Dazai is trying to draw similarities between him and Dostoy to manipulate Sigma. what for? pfft god don’t even know, it’s Dazai. only Dazai knows why he’s manipulating Sigma into thinking he’s heartless with morals on par with Dostoy. i honestly can’t think of any reasons why Dazai would feel the need to do this other than the pure joy he finds in harassing any living creature around him, and also maybe to drag information out of him similarly to the way he did it in the very first chapter of the manga where he deduced Atsushi was the tiger, then proceeded to manipulate Atsushi into working with him using money. it’s also 3am while i’m writing this so i think i’m forgetting something from the last few manga chapters, like how Dazai picked Sigma to have a partner with him before Dostoy’s reveal of a vampire Chuuya by his side. and Dazai wasn’t even surprised, he just seemed angry when he mentioned Dostoy had Chuuya. but i don't have enough info on this to make a real theory so this is just a mini string of thought i had.

[ripleycano]

streps! I'm gonna have to ask you to go off about why hajime is easily the most entertaining protag bc i wholeheartedly agree with you and i would love to hear your hot take

OKAY OKAY OKAY! i've been WAITING for this one here we go

there's a couple of reasons why i enjoyed hajime more than any other protagonist i'll list them

1. makoto is a lovable main character, komaru is top tier, shuichi is wonderful but you know what's so funny about hajime? he brings a sense of realism to the game that feels so bizarre in the wacky world of danganronpa

putting aside all the izuru kamukura shenanigans (which makes him a really unique protagonist btw), hajime is just... such an honest reflection of the average player yk

nothing will beat one of the characters acting like wildly exaggerated versions of real life personalities and hajime just going "??? why are you like this????" and usually being the only voice of reason

realistic doesn't mean boring at all though!! there's like 80% of hajime's character that i never see people talking about, it's always 'yeah he's kind of a tsundere' lmaosa 

like. have you seen this man? have you seen his ass reciting poetry into the night sky at the start of the game because he was feeling a little emo? are we forgetting that his first reaction to the killing game was to bury his face in his bed and scream until he passed out? answer me this, danganronpa community: when will we discuss the way hajime never fails to pose like a wronged vampire in his closing arguments?

he is so dramatic... he puts gundham to shame sometimes

on top of all that, he’s not as much of a jerk as the fandom makes him out to be? i honestly don’t know where that came from other than his pessimistic tendencies because he’s actually rly sweet

in the official manga / anthology comics / 4 panel comics too! he gave nagito another hope’s peak ring after nagito got panicky about losing the first one he received, politely offered to help him with cleaning the old building in chapter 1, playfully went along with gundham’s dark demon overlord act and introduced himself as the god of the cow folk or something shkjsd

and i could name so many more times where he tolerated the sdr2 cast way better than a normal person would

other than all that he’s just had some great moments in game that brought me a lot of joy

-”shUT UP!!111! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!11″ punk protag hajime walked so emo protag shuichi could run - the fact that he just... walks out on confusing conversations??? like he just announced he was leaving at the end of nagito’s ftes because he simply felt like it and just... turned around and left???? -johnny yong bosch did such a phenomal job as his va -some descriptions of hajime we got from the cast: akane said he was warmer than anyone she’d met, fuyuhiko said he had a ‘harmless-looking face’, both nagito and fuyuhiko suspected his talent to be things like ‘ultimate counselor’ and ‘ultimate serenity’ :,) and uh hiyoko is hiyoko lol

also hajime completely rejected toxic masculinity on multiple occasions.. king

anyways i have like 5000 screenshots of my favorite fte dialogue moments with him lemme know if you ever want them lol

i love hajime and i could talk about him anytime😌 this is just the tip of the iceberg hahsdkja

2. he’s hot

[kitsuneheroes]

warning post for omocat/omori

tw for discussions of shota/shotacon and general pedophilia

in 2014, omocat (the creator of the upcoming game omori) released this shirt.

[image description: a light green shirt with a sketchy pink and blue drawing of a young-looking boy, with the word “SHOTA” in all caps underneath it. the artist’s signature, “OMO CAT”, is seen in the bottom right corner. end image description.]

this is already extremely disgusting, as shota refers to porn of underaged boys. but also, when called out for this, omocat didn’t apologize but instead stated this:

[image description: a twitter post @/_omocat. it reads:

shota isnt exclusively erotic; i’m not a pedophile, nor an ableist, nor a scammer, nor a racist, so stop calling me those things. /end transcription.

it was posted at 1:58PM on 4/11/2014 (april eleventh twenty fourteen).

end image description.]

this is absolutely not true; even the wikipedia page for shotacon states this:

[Shotacon] refers to a genre of manga and anime wherein prepubescent or pubescent male characters are depicted in a suggestive or erotic manner, whether in the obvious role of object of attraction.

even if you were to divorce the sexual aspect from shotacon, it is undeniably an attraction to young boys. this is not excusable even if it was from 2014.

don’t reply to this post or send asks defending omocat because you will just get blocked; i simply want to spread awareness to people who do not want to support someone who has outwardly defended pedophilia.

i will put hyperlinks to archived versions of the posts in another reblog, as posts with links do not show up in tumblr tags and people need to see this. however, as of this posting date (12/22/2020, or december twenty second twenty twenty), everything in these screenshots is publicly accessible.

don’t buy omori and don’t support omocat.

edit (1/13/2021, january thirteenth twenty twenty one): i have been made aware that omocat posted an apology to her blog about a year after the shirt was released. i will include screenshots of the relevant information below, and the link to the post is available in the notes along with the wayback machine links.

[image transcription:

hey everyone,

a lot of innocent people are expressing legitimate concern regarding some of my work. it goes without saying that i feel a little violated with all this false information being passed around; so i want to clear things up a bit for those who are curious or aren’t sure what to believe in.

• i made a shirt with the word “shota” on it about a year ago. at the time, it didn’t have the same definition as it does now. it was a lesser-used word, and i was under the impression that shota and shotacon meant different things— shota loosely meant “anime boy, or young-looking man” while shotacon referred to the anime boy complex. the shirt was meant to be a parody of those sometimes-ironic “boy” shirts, and was not meant to condone pedophilia in any way. i’ve never even drawn anything sexual in my entire life.

end image transcription.]

[image transcription:

i’ve taken a lot of time to reflect on this situation. in my mind, “shota” still does not condone pedophilia, but the association between these words has changed since the shirt’s release. it was never my intention to be affiliated with something so harmful, and for this reason, i am going to be taking down the “shota” shirt from OMOCAT SHOP.

i want us to make peace with this and i ask for your understanding

thanks

end image transcription.]

in my opinion, this apology does not come across as genuine. for one, it took her a year to apologize and remove the shirt from the store, after she had already made a large profit off of it. furthermore, she continues to defend herself instead of owning up to her actions.

you’re free to make your own opinions on the situation, of course. my post is only to serve as a warning to those who do not want to support this kind of creator.

[turnaroundroundround]

Morimyu in Classical reference

So, as for the fact that music in Morimyu Op. 3 resembles classical music in both progression and musical technicality, it's interesting how it's possible to keep coming up with different interpretations after re-watching the musical again and again.

I've made a thread on twitter about this before, but 1) word limitations and thread will never be enough to list all that I have to say lol 2) I'd prefer to have a fuller version noted down, especially one that I can edit and keep coming back over and over again when ever I come up with something new.

Either way, I am still (lol) not a pro in music theory and music history as well. All that is written here are based on my very very basic knowledge on music as well as something that I've picked up (and discussed) with my friends after watching Op. 3.

What's the point of this?

Why is it important? Lol I always need this to keep myself from writing off-topic but anyways. Why do the music sound good (except for the fact that because it does lol), and what do they represent? Surely there must be, and there always are, other things that are implied not only through the lyrics but also the music, and the flow in general.

Apart from the lyrics and the lines, it's also quite interesting to have a close look at the music - melody and harmony itself - to see how they portray the stories.

Most importantly, the continuality. How did Morimyu manage to insert so many songs and still managing to connect them as a whole? And how did they use music to go beyond what's on the pages? That's the most important thing about musicals - beyond the pages. We don't see stage or anime doing so very often, as they mainly focus on what's already there, bringing them to life as close as possible to how we imagine things might happen.

As for musical, they have the music. They have the arias and the songs. At some point, a character starts singing, and other characters followed suit. They have their very unique way of expressing the plot, and they have the orchestra, the arias where characters get their solo song, and the duets between characters with strong relationships, and the ensemble which emphasizes the plot, and so on.

A funny thing about duets in classical opera, they're often meant to show lovers' relationship because of the harmony but can also use opposition and all to show enemies' relationship. And in SherLiam's duet it's just both of them at the same time - thoughts connected while engaging in a chase, a hide and seek game of mystery. We'll go into that later.

Back to the topic. Morimyu follows the main plot strictly, but also uses their advantage with music to add all the side details that wasn't told in the manga to create a "complete" view of the plot. It is always available for musicals to do something unexpected (like how we never expected Lestrade's puppet show to be a whole 5 mins long piece lol). And where they did that they added arias and duets, they allowed moments where characters express and developed their emotions as well as going with the plan (yes Albert yessss). Of course there's both a good and bad side to this all the while.

💛 The good thing is they went all the way to show us sides of emotions that we don't see much in the manga or stage, the sides of the story that all of them have kept hidden while focusing on their grand plan. 💛 But then it does get too emotional at some point, especially those who came for the plot and the mind games behind all of it (like me - although I won't deny that I had a lot of fun picking out all the emotions behind the music here lol).

Musicals can always go beyond what we knew. As for Morimyu, their music is heavily influenced by opera and classical music, and it's shown quite clear. There is live music playing (instead of the entire orchestra we have a violin and piano duet), and they have distinctive arias and recitatives throughout.

So thanks to that, it's also possible to use a reference from classical music to interpret their songs.

A Sonata formation - The Narrative Series of SherLiam

Yes, songs arranged and analysed with reference to a Sonata formation, especially in the way they progress through the play.

Some notes before getting into the point

1 - Sonata = a piece of music consisting of several movements - very often 3, sometimes 4. First movement-Allegro: With the quick tempo, introducing the theme of the entire Sonata Second movement-Adagio/Largo: Slow tempo, can be emotional sometimes, as well as leading more towards the final movement Third movement-Rondo Vivace: The ending, quick-paced and vigorous, leading the Sonata to a close. A Sonata always has a general theme, a topic. The theme that I chose to write about is Mystery - the Hide and Seek game between the Detective and Lord of Crime

2 - Aria and Recitative = different types of songs used in an opera Recitative: Lines within a song that happens like a real conversation, as the characters sing they are also talking to each other Aria: A solo section where everything else is a freeze frame, while one actor remains and sing their own song about their thoughts, feelings, etc. In this post we're mainly discussing the arias of Sherlock and Liam, and the duet between them. But there's also some mention of recitatives here and there.

3 - Videos used To make it easier to understand which songs I'm talking about, I also arranged them in piano. And also to have a listen at how they might connect. Just in case the videos beneath don't work (they didn't work on my phone), the three songs discussed are Nazo, Liam's solo, Kokoro no Rondo, all piano arrangements.

All of the songs noted in this section are arias and duets from Op. 3 - the Ghost of the Whitechapel. The additional "series" that Morimyu has added spreading throughout the play, Sherlock and Liam's narratives, which portrays both their emotions and the chase between the detective and the Lord of Crime.

First Movement - Allegro: Nazo(謎) song

Starting from Lestrade's exit after his puppetshow and proceed to the scene, Sherlock's aria introduces the theme of the imaginary hide and seek game that the Lord of Crime has started. The song repeats the word (mystery) over and over again with a continuous rhythm.

Ends with Sherlock just mumbling the word Nazo (mystery) and exiting the stage - no conclusions, just like a mystery that leads into further mysteries with no answer.

♛♛♛ In regards to a Sonata formation, this is the beginning of the entire piece. Quick in tempo, written in 3/4 time and introduces the theme of the entire piece - Mystery.

Uso ka Shinjitsu ka - Lie or Truth song

Starting after Sherlock learns the truth behind Jack the Ripper, wondering if Lord of Crime is a good person after all.

Now I had a really hard time thinking whether this piece should be included or not. For one, it's not an aria. It can be viewed as a Da capo Aria, a development section of the Nazo song, repeating the theme that is introduced, coming and going rather quickly. So, for continuality.

It also does not fit into the series as a whole, being 1) a recitative. The lyrics focus entirely on Sherlock's deduction and whether he should expose the truth or not, etc. so on. 2) The lines in here, unlike the other arias, are taken directly from the manga, so it's not entirely an 'added' element to this chase. 3) Also because if we compare this to a Sonata form, this doesn't really fit anywhere

However, among Sherlock's arias, this song can also be seen as an interesting development as I have mentioned above, so I've decided to have it here, still.

There's another thing about almost all of Sherlock's arias throughout the 2 stages - they never have a conclusive end. The detective's mind is always running, mysteries after mysteries.

Most of the other characters' songs ends with some kind of closing lines, and piano continues to conclude the piece with a strong end, and then goes on to start another piece. All of their problems in the songs are concluded. They made up their minds in some ways.

But Sherlock, his songs always end with him repeating the melody, a capella, and exiting the stage. Piano waits for him to exit, then starts a new song. Or in Op. 2's Mindgame case going straight into the next conversation. We never get to know how Sherlock's songs end, because they didn't really end at those points. There's a hanging sense of waiting for a resolution, a conclusion. Sherlock never seems to have his problems solved within the songs, they just go on and on.

An idea initiates, then something happens and he is once again in the dark. And he spins around within his own mind.

Screenshot from Op. 2. Even if we look back to his aria Mindgames from Op. 2, this song doesn't really have a conclusive ending as well. He just starts singing, the music stops and he starts shooting and going on, resuming the play. It kind of has been a thing for Sherlock's arias?

Second Movement - Adagio/Largo: Liam's solo

♛♛♛ The "second movement" - the 'slower' piece - of the series, Liam's aria lol but actually the piano part of this song isn't slow at all but ok. The other side of this hide and seek game. The "development" section of the sonata series, where we see things in a much more emotional way.

This aria is much richer in harmony and melody. Not only Liam's melody, but also the piano's part which plays a beautiful melody in harmony.

I recall an interview where the stage director mentions how the "orchestra" - piano and violin are representations for Liam and Sherlock. It kind of applies here, where his music is created mostly by piano.

There is modulation, emotions rising and elevating quickly and strongly. But the harmony is beautiful, overflowing and rich with emotions. The song repeats certain lines, emphasizing aspects within Liam's thoughts.

Unlike Sherlock's train of thoughts that circles with no destination, Liam's solo has a definite ending in harmony -> Even with all his emotions in mind, Liam still has a goal already set before him. He has a brief moment of slowing down, pausing and sung about his feeling, before resuming the story.

Leading us to the final stage - Kokoro no Rondo.

Third Movement - Rondo Vivace: Kokoro no Rondo

Rondo formation: Rondo is a type of dance that revolves around a pattern, often ABA, ABACA, or ABACABA - where A is the ritournello ("meguri - kimi ni omou - meguru kokoro no rondo" section) that is repeated over and over with B, C parts in between. Rondo can also be combined with sonata form - this case applies to this song which begins with a key other than the tonic (Fm) before resolving to the tonic key (Fm) to put an end to the entire sonata series. For reference purposes, the last movement of Beethoven's Pathetique or the very typical Fur Elise is also written in a similar format. I also referred to Pathetique quite a lot when brainstorming this post.

♛♛♛ The "final movement" of this Sonata, the final scene of their "Hide and Seek" game. The song's tempo is vibrant and rapid, combining with the dancing sense, all the while strictly following the structure of a Rondo as mentioned above.

This is the stage where Liam and Sherlock's line interacts and reply to each other, as if in a real conversation - just like how the connection between them are now much stronger than what they had before.

In the ritournello, we have Liam and Sherlock's lines intertwining and chasing after one another, emphasizing the "Hide and Seek" element between the two of them.

The song comes to a definite ending, concluding with a strong tonic (Fm) chord. At this stage, there is no more question to be left open, for Sherlock at this point has already made up his mind to take the next step into solving the mysteries regarding the Lord of Crime.

Their imaginary game of Hide and Seek is coming to an end, as Sherlock came to a decision to take the next step - going to Durham.

That's the end of my first draft.

So far that is some of my thoughts noted down right after watching Op. 3 stream a while ago, with some edition made just now.

On the side note, at some point during my discussion with a friend, we also came up with the idea that a Suite may be a better reference. A Suite consists of 4 parts and a prelude, each of them having their specific characteristic. But we didn't go all the way analysing that idea, as 1) we couldn't find a 5th piece that can be added into the series. 2) Even if we did, the Truth or Lie song still would not really fit into the "aria" vibe of this series, as mentioned above.

But then quite interestingly, after a while, I've found another interesting fact that should have been quite obvious but I've missed for (lol) like ages.

The game of Hide and Seek between the detective and the Lord of Crime has begun ever since after Hope's case - that being said, ever since the end of Op. 1

And what is it that we have in Op. 2? "The Mind games of the Lord of Crime". The one where Sherlock went maniac rapping about all the thoughts he has and end up shooting randomly into the wall.

At first it begins like another recitative, but in the later half, the harmony starts to become more harmonious, written in 3/4 time flowing like a dance.

In that section, the melody of the piano and violin part resembles the one we have in Kokoro no Rondo, the Ritournello section, only that the melody of the violin in Op. 2 and the melody that SherLiam sung in Op. 3 are kind of reversed.

Coincidence much?

So now we have a collection of songs from both Opus, it becomes tricky. How do we connect them? And what's the story?

At this point, all these recitatives, aria and duets all in the theme of the Hide and Seek game. And they all connect to each other through harmony, progressions in harmony.

We know that the Mind games of the Lord of Crime has begun from ever since the end of Op. 1. We know that Sherlock keeps wondering about that in Op. 2, and then he wonders even further after he has been tested by the Lord of Crime. "また俺だけのメッセージなのか?" - Is this a message just for me?, as he wondered in the Truth or Lie song. We knew all of that. But Morimyu didn't let that stop them from emphasizing on this subplot even further.

They didn't let the gap between Op. 2 and Op. 3 stop them from making a smooth flow in plot either.

Correction, they didn't simply create a flow. They established a connection, all the while showing a strong progression of Sherlock's thoughts that goes on from Op. 2 straight onto Op. 3.

Very often, what makes a good plot is how their plots and sub-plots intertwine with each other. Morimyu has a main plot that follows Moriarty gang in the plan of changing society. And they have a smaller plot told from Sherlock's side of things. And they have this sub-plot told by harmony of how Sherlock is connected to Liam, or the Lord of Crime, by an invisible thread. A connection that is only expressed that clearly in Morimyu.

We have so many things going on, so many songs throughout the play. But each of those elements are all connected to something else, creating a sub-plot that enriches the main plot.

There is no loose connections. For everything that connects to the main plot, they're also linked to other elements. Each scene and every song has their own meaning not only in regards to other songs, but also to the plot as a whole.

Also, did I mention how Morimyu feels like a grand piece of music?

Opus -> What classical songs had that basically shows the order in which they are written. Morimyu - a title piece itself - has 3 Opus, 3 different parts with the same theme.

Classical music very often had all the different elements in it -> Morimyu had an overture, the song they sing just before the main theme song, just before introducing the stage. Then arias, ensembles and choruses. All of them are connected by similar harmony.

Classical music always had a big general theme, with each section having a smaller sequence connecting to each other. Subplots within a big plots. A Sonata piece has 3 movements, each having their own "sections" of development - expositions, development, recapitulation. -> Morimyu does the same to their plot and subplots, as discussed above.

Also, Opera reference

While Opus 2 used an opera reference to tell the story, I feel like Opus 3 has become an Opera itself. During Op. 2 the arias were mostly very loyal to the manga, taking their lines from the original work, like the Mind Games song. Their story progresses steadily but logically.

However starting from Op. 3, the aria became more independent. They developed and expressed even further what wasn't said in the manga. For instance, the 3 songs mentioned in the "Sonata" above. And there's also Albert's solo, and Patterson's solo and Milverton, which I haven't got the chance to discuss all.

But either way, they spring out of the original story, adding more emotions and "colours" to the characters. The aria became more original, all the while also much more expressive. We get to see new sides of the characters that we haven't seen anywhere before.

Anyways, it's probably time to go back to the main question: How Morimyu used music to go beyond what's on the pages.

-> Musicals aren't simply about music added to acting. The characters on stage don't just simply starts singing for no reason. All the songs are meant to express something, and while they do they also establish various connections to the plot's progression.

We don't get to see much of the characters' emotions in the manga. And we don't see much of the side story, the finer details behind each arc. Every time, Morimyu adds something original to enrich their plot. They express and develop what's already known to all the viewers, especially regarding the emotional and motivational side of the characters.

-> The manga shows us the entire plot, with details related, back stories that lead to the present, and all. But it doesn't give a lot of hint into how characters might feel. Surely, reading between the lines, it's up to the readers to interpret them.

But Morimyu gives us all of that, and they leave it to us to read between the music.

And even if we didn't, that's fine. Then the purpose of all of them linking together would be to create a performance where everything is connected harmoniously, allowing us to be emerged in the world of Yuumori.

-> The purpose of having a stage, primarily, is to allow the audience to engage in, experience and feel the emotions along with the characters they see on stage. The point of having a live stage, a plot, and the music, are all to let us emphasize with the characters on stage.

In Morimyu, we aren't just watching a plot between our favourite characters happening as we know it from the manga. We see a combination of mysteries unveiling slowly, the stories on the side of each characters as they slowly progress forward, as well as emphasising with their emotions in the story.

That's what I really like about Morimyu.

So, WHAT'S THE POINT OF THIS?

So I had to scroll back to the top (lol) to quote this and make sure I haven't gone too far from the main theme.

Regarding musical Yuumori, there's always so many things I'd like to talk about. And if I start going on about it then it only gets harder to focus on one single topic.

Since the topic here is Morimyu and their music, especially in classical reference, I've tried to keep everything I've discussed relevant. But whenever I start on something, there would always be something that comes to mind. Like how other songs might also have certain connections, or how they used stage directions and lightings, etc. I really want to look more into stage directions in Morimyu as well, but that would have to wait...

Anyways, I tried to keep this as simple as possible. When I sent the first version of this to my friends, I keep having the feeling that I got too technical with all the theories about harmony and structure lol

And once again, this is only some of my own interpretation of the series that I've picked up.

If something else came to mind... well. Either way, for the purpose of engaging in their wonderful music or for the purpose of watching a beautiful stage just for enjoyment, Morimyu definitely is worth watching. And to watch over and over again. I've said this for Op. 2 but I'll say this ten times as much for Op. 3. Truly magnificent.

And, that's pretty much it that I have for today, I guess.

Thanks a lot to all my friends who gave me lots of inspiration and motivation to complete this ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ Lots of love to @rikaaki as well ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

[mellometal]

Hi, everyone.

I have something extremely important to talk about that is NOT fandom related. I really do hope this can reach everyone on here, especially since it's still Autism Acceptance Month.

A few quick questions for anyone who happens to see this before I dive right into this: Have you ever heard of Dhar Mann? If so, have you ever seen his videos? What do you think about them?

If you don't know who Dhar Mann is, he's a content creator whose main platforms are Instagram and YouTube. He makes these videos about various scenarios from a couple on the brink of divorce, to kids bullying one of their peers, even about Autism Spectrum Disorder. All of his videos have some kind of message at the end that really drives the point home. One of his most recent videos is about ASD, which is what I'm going to discuss today.

Personally, I think some of his videos are interesting, despite the concepts being reused and recycled over and over; however, how I feel about the video he made about ASD is the complete opposite. I'll summarize the video he made so you don't have to watch it. (If you really want to watch it to see exactly what I'm talking about, I'm not gonna stop you. Do what you need to do in order to form your own opinion.)

The video Dhar Mann made about ASD is about this boy who excludes his autistic brother from participating in activities with his friends at school. The boy bullies his autistic brother and does pretty much everything to make his brother's life Hell, even going as far as to pretend that he doesn't know his own brother. The boy "instantly regrets his decision" when their mom is called into the school to discipline her son for bullying his autistic brother. What his mother says is what REALLY upsets me. The message of this video in particular is this, WORD FOR FUCKING WORD. I wish I was kidding. But here's the message below:

How the video concludes is the boy reluctantly includes his autistic brother in every single activity, the boy sees his brother's potential, and they live happily ever after. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

As an autistic woman who works with disabled people for a living, that message Dhar Mann put in this video specifically is not only extremely ableist, but is also spreading misinformation about ASD.

News flash to all the people who still spread misinformation about ASD: Not every single autistic person is a little white boy in elementary school, nor is every single autistic person a young white man who's a Super Genius™️. (I could go on all day long about how the media stereotypes autistic characters and autistic people in general, but that's a whole other topic.) No autistic person is the same, meaning we all fall on the spectrum in different places and all that jazz. There's no "look" to autistic people either because no autistic person looks the same.

Autistic women exist.

Autistic girls exist.

Autistic nonbinary people exist.

Autistic BIPOC and AAPI exist.

Autistic people who are completely nonverbal exist.

Autistic people who are completely verbal exist.

Autistic people who are in the middle of being nonverbal and verbal exist.

Autistic people who require minimal to no support exist.

Autistic people who require moderate support exist.

Autistic people who require full support exist.

Autistic LGBT people exist. (Reason why I bring this one up is because the media almost always shows cishet autistic men and I don't see autistic LGBT representation very often, if ever.)

Autism isn't something you can "catch". People have this same mentality about ADHD and Tourette's Syndrome too, which, by the way, you can't "catch" either.

Autism doesn't "go away" when you reach adolescence or adulthood. Why? BECAUSE AUTISTIC TEENAGERS AND AUTISTIC ADULTS EXIST. Autistic kids grow into autistic teenagers, then into autistic adults.

You can't "cure" it either. Unless you can build a time machine and a device to go back in time to change how a person's brain develops, there is no cure. ABA therapy is a fucking shit show in itself that does more harm than good.

The title of the video is a real squick for me too. It's mostly because I don't particularly enjoy people using person first language (the "boy with autism" part). I've seen many other autistic people on multiple other platforms sharing that same sentiment and preferring identity first language (autistic person). There are also others who prefer using person first language and those who don't have a preference. That's all perfectly valid. Whatever you prefer people using when referring to you, or whatever you refer to yourself as, in this case, is totally valid and I love you. This goes for disabilities in general, not just Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Regarding the message in this video, here's my response to it! A quick heads-up, my response is VERY long and VERY passionate. I was VERY close to making a response video where I tear that video apart AND tear Dhar Mann a new asshole. Unfortunately, it worked me up so much that I was really struggling with what I wanted to say and I had to stop multiple times because I kept stumbling on my words. That's how angry this message made me. I'll try my best to explain whatever parts you have questions about. I put my response in the nicest way I possibly could, despite me seething with rage, wanting to go OFF on him.

(The first part of my response are the first three screenshots, and the second part are the last three screenshots.)

The first part of my response, I did forget to add that the message is offensive and disrespectful to autistic people as a whole. I apologize. My initial comment got way too long. I pretty much covered that when I told him the message is ableist. I wanted to clear that up before anyone asks about it.

The second part of my response is me opening up about my experience with being diagnosed with ASD, formerly known as As//per//ger's Syn//dro//me, at sixteen years old. I also went into how not calling ASD what it truly is (which is a disability) and calling it a "different ability" instead is extremely harmful and is treating being disabled like it's a bad thing.

By the way, saying that a disabled person is disabled isn't a bad thing. I'm disabled. It is what it is. Does it have its challenges? You bet. Does it help me with certain things? Hell yeah. I can really absorb information about my favorite bands, characters, shows, books, etc., and tell you a lot about those things. For example, I can tell you that Su can't ride a bike or read manga and she's okay with that. I can also tell you she can't tie her shoes very well, which is why her boots don't have laces and are slip-on and/or zip-up. But that doesn't mean my struggles are nonexistent or that I never struggle. I do, and it makes my life Hell at times.

The narrative that autism is a bad thing to have, every autistic person is somehow broken and they all need to be "fixed" is also super fucked up and not true. That's the narrative that I received when I was diagnosed by a therapist I had. I'm gonna be real here, I cried when I was first told that I was diagnosed with ASD. I felt like I was broken. I already felt like a total outcast. Being told about my diagnosis made me feel even more broken than I already felt. I was so ashamed of myself, despite me not doing anything wrong whatsoever, that I masked for SEVEN YEARS of my life. I masked for so long that I forgot I was even diagnosed with ASD in the first place. I wasn't taught how to really put my special interests into good use. I kinda had to figure that out on my own. I was pretty much under the assumption that me being interested in anime, cartoons, music, comics, theatre, writing, etc., to the point of obsession, was somehow weird and hurting people around me. You know, despite those things being harmless. Despite me being able to separate those things from other things that are important (like work, for example). Despite my only surviving parent, other family members, and the woman he was dating at the time completely overreacting and not bothering to see exactly what makes these things so special to me.

(By the way, having a disability does not completely make who a person is. There are a lot more things that make who a person is than that.)

It's kinda shocking that I wasn't able to come to terms with my diagnosis until this year. Considering that I masked for so long due to being ashamed of myself, plus being treated like a burden for being disabled, it's probably not very surprising. I initially thought at the time that it was the worst thing to have, as I was already struggling with enough shit back then, but came to realize it's not a bad thing. It doesn't change who I am. But I'm glad I came to terms with it finally nonetheless.

This is getting way too long, so I'm gonna wrap things up here. If you've read this far, thank you so much. I'm sorry this got so long!

If you watched the video, what are your thoughts on it? If this is your first time hearing about Dhar Mann, how do you feel about him? If you're a Dhar Mann fan, did this change your opinion on him in any way? Feel free to sound off in the comments!

Have a great day, everyone!

[iamnightduchess]

Reiner & Mikasa: A Retrospective Pt.2

“The Shield of Marley & The Blade of Paradis”

Why ReiKasa is a (BR)OTP ship that’s worth more than a fleeting glance

[*caution: a continuation of a long reflective post with the sole intention to share a fan’s perspective through available representation through manga, anime, exhibition & etc. This post is not to convince nor argue where is its place in canon, but only to explore the vast possibilities of these two amazing characters that I love. In the end, if the series ends with Mikasa alive & ending by herself or with X character, then it means Isayama believes that X character is the one she’ll find that eventual happiness with and I’m all for that. Same goes with Reiner :)] Special thanks to @berumika​ for sharing some of the additional points that are included in this post. Years down the line after SnK ended, I’d love to have a post I can revisit of these two amazing characters & the possibilities that could have been from time to time. I’m having absolute fun in observing how much both of these characters have grown since the series debuted in 2010.

Pt. 1 available here. Warning: Image heavy, potential spoilers.

When I first got to know SnK/AoT, it was through the anime first before manga. Bad idea for me. My initial perspectives of Mikasa & Reiner were skewed and that was later rectified as I navigated the original source directly. Eren is the first protagonist that was introduced by the series creator but I was drawn to Mikasa & Reiner when I started the manga after Season 1 ended. 

Trainees

These top two trainees of the 104th batch are closely matched to each other in ranking. We don’t see them interact directly in the anime, but in the early panels of the manga, Reiner could be seen sitting down with Eren, Mikasa & Armin during mealtimes.

Sure, Mikasa can be expected to not converse with Reiner directly, but if her two childhood friends have their good friend sitting together for meals, at the very least we can expect them to have some brownie points in socialization.

Apart from being total gorgeous hotties, they’re both physically strong people, with Reiner always being second to Mikasa in terms of brute strength. Total muscle pairing and I could see them being at par with each other during physical drills. Reiner & Mikasa could go all out, even beyond 100% and the other would be physically capable to take/receive the force. Shadis would’ve tasked them to lead the physical trainings from time to time. They have been sparring partners, evident from the moment Mikasa threw Reiner across the field into Eren who’s sparring with Annie. Their fitness regime would be in-sync with each other. I could see them having mad respect for each other and secretly admire the other person’s prowess and skill. 

Connection through Eren

As highlighted primarily in Pt.1, Eren has been shown to look up or aspire to be high achievers like Reiner and Mikasa both. He wanted to be as strong as the two of them. The odds of the very same people he look up to, as the two individuals who would be able to stop him, I would suspect as very high at this point.

When they were younger, Reiner has always been the one that’s pulled Eren up when he’s down, nearly giving up & at the lowest points of his life. He was also the one who convinced Eren to ‘keep on moving forward’, which we’ll learn later was one of the most ironic moments that Reiner recalled as he feels responsible for everything that begun, which also pushed his guilt inside him to his near-suicide attempt.

Survey Corps

Reveal on Wall Rose

Mikasa, was one of the few junior SC members who were called in for the secret meeting with the unit’s top brass the night before the reveal. She was made aware of Reiner & Bertolt’s possible identity as the enemy after she assisted with apprehending Annie in Wall Sina. While Reiner was talking to Eren, Mikasa could be seen being highly agitated, hands shaking as she waited with unease breath for Reiner & Bertolt to make their move.

She was later seen questioning her hesitance on delivering the killing blow or at least enough to incapacitate them. Mikasa called Reiner & Bertolt “the plague of humanity” in anger and absolute disappointment. They were still her friends that she knew for three years & it had been difficult for her to kill them.

Thunder Spears Training

Mikasa could be seen reflecting in a combination of unease, sadness & regret as she recalled back the moment she was unable to break Reiner’s armor with her blades.

Return to Shinganshina

Mikasa was the one who crippled the Armored’s legs. She wasn’t as emotional as Connie, Jean & Sasha but there was a deep, painful rumination on her part the moment they assumed that Reiner was dead dead. She was also the one who noticed the sudden move from Reiner’s Armored Titan. In the anime, she could be seen angry & frustrated at Reiner’s refusal to confess that she pulled too hard on the bandage in her hands while she was helping Jean with his injuries.

Time-Skip (Current)

Reiner’s reminiscence & nightmares

Reiner’s reminiscence of Mikasa was indirect, but he highlighted her (and Armin’s) fierce, unwavering loyalty towards Eren. He had recurring nightmares of her & Levi that are the symptoms of his PTSD. The anime specifically used her shot to highlight the last image of her that he saw: anger.

Assault in Liberio

You could see the existing disappointment on her face when Reiner’s partially transformed Titan appeared, having to cross paths again in such a way after four years. She could’ve intervened the way she did with Galliard’s Jaw but she didn’t. Eren said Reiner’s out of any energy left to retaliate and Mikasa didn’t disagree. At this point, Mikasa is already affected by Eren’s actions in murdering the women & children inside the building that he shifted in and the destruction they all left behind.

Connection through Gabi

Reiner’s young cousin reminded Armin & Mikasa of a young Eren. The difference is that, Gabi had an early opportunity to be saved through the compassion showed by Mikasa and Sasha’s beloved family. The very same people who had every right to be sad, grieving and taking out their anger on the child who gunned down their beloved friend & daughter.

Mikasa doesn’t verbally express her emotions but it can be shown through her body language & facial expressions. I love seeing the tender way she pressed Gabi’s head onto her shoulder as protection and a symbolism of safety. It was a bit sad that this ‘bond’ was short-lived but what an amazing connection it would’ve been if Mikasa & Gabi had been given more space to develop their bond in canon.

Concern for Reiner & Annie

Usually when Mikasa verbally expresses something, it is usually important/significant to her. In ch.124, she could be seen asking Gabi about Reiner’s location. Why? It’s because she is concerned for Reiner’s safety. If his Armors were undone, he was vulnerable and with pure Titans and the Colossal Titans walking around, he would be in danger.

“We need to help Reiner & Annie.” She was heavily concerned with Reiner and Annie’s lives at the docks. But this moment is more important for Connie as a callback to the moment when Annie & Reiner both had saved Connie when they were trainees.

Adjacent Manga/Official Art Paneling(s)

In the current final arc of the manga, (several panels have been highlighted in Pt.1) it’s quite interesting to note that Mikasa & Reiner’s characters/panelings have been drawn adjacent to each other. I could also see the way Armin, Reiner & Mikasa (ARM) are getting primary focus by Isayama in this final arc.

Others (Misc./Semi-canon)

Cool-faced Cookie (Attack on Titan Game)

When Reiner suggested the player to do a melee practice with two other sparring partners, he immediately spotted Mikasa & Historia. It’s very interesting to note that Reiner’s nickname for Mikasa is “Cool-faced cookie” as he hinted the player to ask Mikasa for an impromptu practice.

The blink and miss furtive glance(s)

In Lost Girls OVA’s ED by WIT, a screenshot of the primary 104th walking together could be seen. Mikasa could be seen sneaking a glance at Reiner.

In a scene during the fresh SC recruits discussing intensely about Eren’s role as humanity’s hope, Reiner could be seen glancing silently with concern for Mikasa, as Jean questions her vouch of confidence in Eren’s abilities.

In Snk OVA#3, Mikasa is grouped with Reiner for the excursion and they could be seen having good teamwork together. When Mikasa’s ‘sixth senses’ are triggered due to Eren being in danger, Reiner could be seen looking at her direction immediately as if sensing her distress. 

Characteristics & Zodiac Signs

Amazing/Compassionate with children

Known as the Shield of Marley, Reiner’s a caring keeper, a natural leader and a provider who’s naturally amazing with children. Everyone looks up to him. Would’ve made a good family man if the circumstances were different. Based on his characteristics & physical attribute, he reminds me of Mikasa’s father below, no matter how short-lived he was. I could see her admiring that side of him even if it wasn’t mentioned directly. They are both loving, selfless, protective towards their child/ward.

Mikasa, true to her name, an Ackerman, a genetically-enhanced super soldier/warrior of Paradis that wields their blades with the highest efficiency. Though she might not seem as natural with children, did come from a healthy & loving upbringing with her parents for nine years. Her real persona as a child pre-awakening is a curious, thoughtful and actually a warm-hearted girl. Post-awakening characteristics could also be contributed from the traumas imposed by the murder of her parents, the fall of Wall Maria, the death of Carla & having to shoulder the immediate responsibility as Eren’s new ‘guardian’/caregiver/problem-solver/mess-cleaner.

She shown her compassion towards Gabi, which in turn had proved to the little girl how there are good-hearted, forgiving people in the Island. Mikasa could be observed as being heavily concerned with Falco as she questioned Jean about the young  boy. One could see the anger on her face when she saw Connie took off and abducted Falco to be fed to his mom. She drew the line in harming children even if they’re trained enemy soldiers.

Aquarius & Leo’s Compatibility

Reiner’s a Leo and Mikasa’s an Aquarius. Their characteristics are too coincidental to their respective astrological signs to be disregarded completely.

He’s an extrovert (Ref: younger!Reiner. Older Reiner too but his PTSD’s and maturity have taken over his more outgoing personality) that compliments her introvert personality yet they both have their inner demons to deal with and could somehow understand that about each other. He’s a ray of sunshine that could enlighten her melancholic personality. Yet their dominant personalities, although might be clashing at first, eventually would lead them to respect the other’s perspective. This would ring true when they were younger. Currently they have grown older, wiser and more understanding of the other.

At the current Final Arc, this has been highlighted in Part 1, recent chapters have shown older Reiner and Mikasa’s unspoken respect and understanding for each other. The current Reiner’s natural leadership as a born Leo is very apparent. Reiner was being very mindful of her feelings as Eren is a very sensitive subject & Mikasa took in Reiner’s words with serious consideration. 

It would be great to see more of their combined synergy as Reiner & Mikasa’s teamwork could be seen once again in ch.135. Aquarius & Leo would take turns to take a back seat while letting the other leads.

They are actually very physically and sensually compatible with each other & could potentially be an unstoppable force if they were to fight for the same side. At the moment, I’m hoping to see this potentially deadly combination once again in ch.136 onwards. They could’ve overtaken Eren’s Founding Form is it wasn’t for OG!Ymir’s one-sided overkill powers. To the real God who created the parasite worm, please take powers away frpm this uncontrollable grandma in a little girl’s body.

More of Mikasa’s Aquarius & Reiner’s Leo Compatibility Meter with description below:

Since this is SnK and not Berserk/Tokyo Ghoul/insert other josei manga titles, no one’s having sex directly haha In an ideal world, Reiner & Mikasa’s physical attractions for each other will almost be off the charts. “When they find true emotion, Aquarius might actually end up respecting the king”. In current arc, this can be observed. She respects Reiner & his words.

The above describes both Mikasa and Reiner respectively. Mikasa does not reach for heroism directly but it can be seen indirectly from the way she had inspired a child Louise through her bravery, protecting Gabi and rescuing/protecting the Azumabito Service crew from the Jeagerists. Reiner has always been born to be a hero, regardless of the circumstances of his conception or birth.

“If they end up fighting for the same cause, they could turn down entire governments and use their incredible force to change anything in the world.”

Even oppressive, destructive supernatural, God-like powers? Ymir & Eren, better be prepared. 

 “To get there, these two would have to stop the battle they have with each other.” Check and Check.

“Leo -- has the ability to give clarity to any situation.” Ch.133. That was not Reiner projecting. He’s always been Eren’s counterpart. He’s telling the readers that there’s a part of Eren out there that still wants to be stopped since he has surrender his will to Ymir. She took his words into serious consideration and in Paths, voices out to Eren on his sins and burden.

“Leo is exactly what Aquarius needs to find love. -- to liberate and shine as if they have been searching for one another for many lifetimes.” In an ideal world or in my gazillion AUs: Reiner and Mikasa could be soulmates.

This could ring true for the younger Reiner & Mikasa.

Reiner and Mikasa both are indeed strong, selfless individuals in each other’s eyes. This can be observed in Ch.133 & 135. Reiner feared her but respect her strength & feelings when it relates to Eren nevertheless. Even Reiner was taken aback by Pieck’s ultimatum in blowing the Founder’s neck, although Armin had suggested the same thing the night before.

“Just like the Sun and the lightning don’t go together, Aquarius should take over on a rainy day, in a depressive crowd or in places where they both feel as if they would drown. This is where Leo needs to give in and let their partner rule the sky--”  It wasn’t a rainy day or depressive crowd in ch. 135, it was a chaotic shitstorm and they were all not drowning but dying. Period. Our dear Mikasa took charge like a BAMF Queen that she is. She was putting her life on the line to protect the four injured men behind them. She aimed to buy them more time if she could as everyone expected it to be the end. As highlighted in Pt.1, you could see the helplessness on Reiner’s face when he saw Mikasa’s breaking point.

Reference : http://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/compatibility/aquarius-leo/

Final Exhibition

The Final Exhibition highlights the Last Stand: the direct final confrontation between The Founding/Attack against The Armored, with Mikasa being in the middle of the confrontation, tipping the scales of the outcome. Before, she assisted Eren against Reiner. Currently, she is working with Reiner to stop Eren.

Trio(s) Parallel

An interesting panel from ch.97:

EMA & RBA have always been lauded as the main trio of their respective sides. We have seen Armin taking over Bertolt’s powers & is potentially promised a future with the girl that Bertolt had feelings for. Recognize the probable pattern?

Guy from trio 1 ate Guy from trio 2′s Titan & is promised a potential future with the girl he cares for/have feelings for/close with from the trio.

Only one between between Eren & Reiner will remain. What if the story begins with Eren but will end with Reiner all along?

SnK HighSchool AU / Breakfast Club X-over

In the movie, the Jock (Quarterback!Reiner) ends up with the Rebel (Goth!Mikasa). He looks past her eccentricity & see her for who she is. This is a fun crossover by Isayama but very interesting to see Armin, Mikasa & Reiner work together to save Eren in the fake previews.

Whether the combined strength and perseverance of the Blade of Paradis & the Shield of Marley be enough to save the world from total annihilation? It remains to be seen very, very soon.

No matter how the series ends, whether both Reiner and Mikasa survive or not, I’ll be looking back in pride upon seeing their journey, growth & dynamics as either individual or together in this beautiful series by Hajime Isayama’s brilliant mind. Because of him, these two characters inspired his readers, myself included, to be brave and fight for what they truly believe in: humanity & its continuation. It has been an incredible ride and I will continue to enjoy writing for this OTP/BROTP, that I’ve fell so deeply in love with and their vast possibilities.

[dokidokivisual]

Gochiusa BLOOM episode 1 impressions

Ok, now that some time has passed let’s look at the long awaited first episode of the third season of Gochuumon wa usagi desu ka? aka Is the order a rabbit? in detail. I spent a lot of time on this, so any feedback would be appreciated.

The opening scene of the season is a sendback to opening scenes of the first two seasons. The episode starts as usual with a several establishing shots of the setting, which is based on various European towns, mostly in Alsace region. This shot in particular is based on Little Venice area in Colmar which I have visited a few years ago.

Then we see Aoyama Blue Mountain going through the town and ending up by the Rabbit House sign. Previously Cocoa and Chino were shown in a similar situation. However the road seems to have been repaved between season 2 and 3 (probably because a different studio is making the backgrounds now).

After the opening sequence ends, we see the title card and... no opening? Well, this is different. Anyway, the story starts and as was expected it’s based on the first chapter of volume 5. We see the staff of Rabbit House trying various measures to resist summer heat, and eventually deciding to create new, less stuffy uniforms.

On the way to the store Rize has to carry everybody and then fight through the crowds. Understandably even she has her limits. But then, a wild Sharo appears! I thought this scene had pretty cool animation.

Then the girls go to acquire fabrics for the vests, however they can’t find Cocoa’s signature pink color. Cocoa proposes this sequin fabric, which might be the sparkliest object I’ve seen in anime. It’s quite impressive how it was animated too. Unfortunately Chino hates it.

After that Chino’s concept for the summer uniform is revealed. What I find interesting here is that in manga this drawing was black and white, and the label “pink” was actually useful, but now it’s colored and the label is redundant.

Shortly after we get introduced to a new character? Which happens to be just a random background girl playing as Phantom Thief Lapin. An interesting bit of foreshadowing, but possibly confusing for those who only follow the anime?

The scene that follows features an amazing ad-lib (perhaps?) from Cocoa

なんとかなーる (somehow it will happen) どこかにあーる (somewhere it exists)

In the manga Cocoa only says the first line, but now it rhymes and allows the characters to think about where it might be. A sudden realization comes to Cocoa and she starts rummaging through Rabbit House’s storage room.

Here the story naturally links up with volume 5 chapter 9 (the brocante/flea market chapter), as Cocoa discovers various items that junk up the place. Anyway she finds up the exactly right fabric and we get a glimse at “nice body Cocoa” 10 years in the future, as though she will still be wearing the same outfit and working in Rabbit House for 10 years. By the way, the manga will reach 10 years of continous publication in May 2021, so at least from our point of view she has been working there for almost 10 years.

After a brief intermission with Takahiro and Tippy (I actually laughed at the bake-usagi joke) we move on to the B part. At the flea market (with 100% female attendance for some reason), Cocoa, Chino and Rize set up a stall. Sharo is also there, and her obsession with ceramics is recalled, while Chiya helps her carry the purchases. This scene is expanded compared to the yonkoma version with Chiya displaying some gray (green?) morality by blaming Sharo for caring more about the cup than Chiya. The original joke in the manga was that Sharo desperately jumps for the cup despite saying how she can’t be unladylike in the presence of fine china just before that.

Next scene is a bit of a cultural reference to “tataki-uri” sale. Here’s a video of a guy selling bananas in this style with a help of harisen in Osaka. Harisen is an important prop in Manzai-style comedy, where “straight man” of a duo (tsukkomi) often slaps “funny man” (boke) with it. Seeing as Sharo is usually in tsukkomi role, her lack of “my harisen” is surprising to Chiya.

One of the most impactful scenes of the episode is when Chino meets a lost child and makes her stop crying using her old rabbit toy. This is another scene that got expanded compared to the manga, showing how Chino overcomes her shyness and how compassionate she can be. The fact that she gives away the toy for free is also original, the mother actually bought it in the manga.

Next there’s a scene about Chiya trying on a shirt she bought from Rize. This scene is interesting because the anime adaptation cuts some dialogue from the manga where it was revealed that the clothes Sharo wears are actually hand-me-downs from Chiya. As a result Cocoa tries to give hand-me-downs to Chino, and then when she asks for Chino’s clothes to wear, Chino’s reply that “it would be just an exchange” actually makes sense. Is it just me, or the same reply doesn’t make sense when all hand-me-downs dialogue is cut out?

Now we move on to the final(?) scene where Cocoa reveals that she bought the magic set herself. Cocoa even tells us the moral of the story about how things have their own history. Cut to the scene where she demonstrates her magic skills for the first time. Even those who didn’t read the manga probably expected her to fail at this point, and she does indeed fail the cane trick. But then... something magical happens.

We see Chino (still wearing Cocoa’s hand-me downs) staring enthralled as Cocoa prepares her next trick, with other girls chatting in the background. We now see Chino’s point of view. Everything but Cocoa disappears, she’s now in a magical BLOOM dimension where it’s only two of them. Flowers spring from Cocoa’s magic hat, petals flutter in the air and the camera zooms on Chino, who is absolutely amazed by it all.

And then it transitions onto the opening sequence! Wow, I did not expect that. Mostly because the flowers trick failed in the manga. But also such a strong allusion to Cocoa kind of being like a mother figure for Chino. In this moment Cocoa is Saki (=BLOOM). I mean, you can interpret it differently, I don’t know.

But this is not all. After the opening there’s a C part, which is really a continuation of the A part. Such “sandwich” composition has been employed before in season 2 episodes 1 and 12 for example. Cocoa shows off her summer uniform which is pretty similar to the original uniform to the point where I’ve seen people saying stuff like “hope they’ll show the summer uniforms in the next episode”. This is it, this is the summer uniform:

This is also a callback to when Cocoa wears the uniform for the first time in season 1 episode 1, with Rize and Chino’s responses being the same. This is lampshaded in the episode itself though.

Since the opening theme serves as the ending theme for this episode, the actual ending theme (Nakayoshi! Maru! Nakayoshi! by Chimame-tai)  will likely be shown in the next episode. Not to break from the tradition, the next episode “preview” is a scene with Takahiro and Tippy, who deploy some amusing meta-commentary this time around. The next episode seems like it might have Phantom Thief Lapin in it, based on the title, so I better get my Lapin figure ready.

So that was the event-packed first episode of Gochiusa BLOOM. I think it might be one of the best episodes in the series so far, and the key drawings by the new studio are so beautiful, I couldn’t stop screenshotting it on my first watch. What did you think of the episode? It’s kinda hard to find any decent Gochiusa discussion out there... Please look forward to the next episode and my review of it!

[a-crimson-lion]

A Look At Bakudeku’s Development (Based On That One Instagram Post): A Photo-Narrative Analysis

Word Count: 4,287 (Yikes…)

[This got long. Like, REALLY long. Don't expect too many colors. There's a lot to get through...]

For those out of the loop, I recently came across this Instagram post during unhealthy hours in the morning. The purpose of this post, I’d assume, was to debunk any negativity aimed at the Bakudeku dynamic/ship, claiming it was indeed not abusive and that the antis in question are ignoring canon in favor of playing Bakugo’s suicide instigation on repeat. Before addressing the post in question, I would like to state two things:

I am not stuck on Chapter/Episode 1 in the series. I have been caught up proper with every story arc up to the JT Training Arc and am roughly familiar with everything past that point. I don’t just take Katsuki’s now essentially forgotten suicide instigation into account; I’m taking every part of his actions well beyond that moment and how they reflect on him, internally justified or otherwise.

While I’m among the people who believe that Bakudeku as of the latest incarnation of the manga (up to Ch. 280) is indeed abusive, I am open to discussions on why it is not. In any case, however, I cannot ignore the fact that the dynamic/ship is incredibly problematic besides the skeletons in both Izuku and Katsuki’s closets.

So, in order to address this issue to the best of my half-awake brain’s abilities, I will review the screenshots within said post and break down how they factor into the Bakudeku dynamic and the overall development. Be aware that there are some manga and movie spoilers, and this is just MY OPINION. I could be wrong, and I’m okay with that. If you wanna talk without patronizing me, the comments are open. I also apologize in advance if I myself come of as patronizing. All the screenshots I’ll be discussing can be found in the video link above (or here).

Well then, no point in beating around the bush...

1) Izuku Taking Katsuki Out Of The Final Exam Gate (Anime Screenshot)

The first piece of “evidence” used to show the merit of Bakudeku comes from the Final Exam arc, shortly after Katsuki succumbs to All Might’s assault, only for Izuku to come in and deck the #1 Hero in order to grab Katsuki and carry him to safety, allowing them both to pass.

However, this photo marks a recurring trend throughout some of the other photos: they speak more about IZUKU as a character than Izuku AND Katsuki.

Izuku getting to save Katsuki is a major development… for Izuku. One that we’ve seen before. Think about it. The first time Izuku saves Katsuki towards the beginning of the exam, he has to punch Katsuki in the face because he was considering throwing the match just for working with Izuku. And after he’s been saved, Katsuki blows up (figuratively and literally) before aggressively kabedoning him. In this scene though? Katsuki got knocked the f*** out, so he really has no room to protest if Izuku comes in to save him a second time.

Plus, this isn’t really anything NEW with Izuku. We know that he’s aware in an abstract sense that what Katsuki did to him was “wrong,” but he doesn’t hold a grudge or any animosity to him towards that. He’s one of Katsuki’s biggest defenders and supporters, assuming Katsuki allows it. So really, him saving Katsuki isn’t really surprising or a major step forward, ‘cause he was always willing to do it from the get go. And again, Katsuki isn’t conscious during his second rescue, so we don’t really know if he would have let Izuku save him again or if he would have protested.

There’s nothing new here, and nothing balanced to the overall dynamic. Just Izuku being Izuku.

2) All Might Acknowledges The New Bakudeku Rivalry (Anime Screenshot)

Deku vs Kacchan 2 was a big moment for the Bakudeku dynamic. I’m not saying it’s a positive moment, nor am I saying it was necessary, but it was big. And in the aftermath of that fight, where Izuku and Katsuki are having a back and forth, All Might thinks to himself that the two have become true rivals now, or something along those lines. And it’s nice that he’s willing to spell this out for the audience and all, but uh…

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: show, don’t tell.

All Might is essentially telling us that Izuku and Katsuki are rivals now. What does the story have to show for it? A brief conversation during their house arrest, followed by a massive stall due to the Shie Hassaikai Arc and Cultural Festival Arc (albeit with one more instance we’ll cover later), and then what essentially equates to Katsuki yelling at Izuku a lot during the Joint Training Arc.

...that’s ...not much.

And yeah, you could expect me to be a good bean to the author and wait until the later arcs, but even then, the execution… just falls kinda flat, at least for me. Going back to that particular moment with All Might’s thought process, it kind of reminds me of Eraserhead essentially acting as a mouthpiece for the Ochako vs Katsuki fight during the Sports Festival, but that’s a can of worms I won’t be indulging today.

What I’m getting at is this: All Might letting the audience know that Bakudeku have reached rival status is great! Now if only the series could deliver more on that...

3) Standing With Two One For Alls (Heroes Rising)

Okay, seriously, if you haven’t seen Heroes Rising yet, I implore you, GO. WATCH IT. It is an incredible film and I would recommend it with warm words. And I’ll admit, it gives us a better incarnation of Bakudeku compared to the rest of the series.

Yes, I said “better,” not “great.”

Look, I’m all for Izuku and Katsuki working past their differences and the clusterf*** that was their childhood, and maybe Horikoshi not being as integrally involved with the film’s writing as people think he is has something to do with it, but uh… you do not say “put myself as low as to working with Deku” or something like that and expect to be casually tossed aside, at least if you’re me. And while I’m glad there was some genuine emotional tension as Izuku gave Katsuki OFA, some part about it feels… off. Like, nothing was really truly resolved. Katsuki wasn’t given OFA as a sign of forgiveness, as an acknowledgement. Katsuki was given OFA because there was an AFO level villain about to wreck the place and kill some peeps and oh look, the narrative made it so that Katsuki was the only convenient holder around! It kinda stings when you look at it that way.

Not that it matters, because a big thing most people forget is that at the end of this movie, THE ENTIRE THING IS ESSENTIALLY SWIPED ACROSS THE DESK AND ON THE FLOOR. Even if it was going to have some level of effort towards the development of the dynamic, that effort is essentially GONE because Katsuki doesn’t remember SQUAT, and what happens to OFA after the fight is NEVER DISCUSSED. It’s just a hard reset, BOOM, back to normal. *Sigh*

Really, the whole double OFA thing was for convenience, less so for any emotional leveling up that could have been done. And even then, Izuku is still somehow the one putting more emotional input into the entire thing than Katsuki.

4) “I Thought You Were Gonna Get Ahead Of Me!” (Anime Screenshot)

Katsuki’s methods of motivation are… admittedly not for everyone. They seem to work fine for Izuku, as seen sometime after the Cultural Festival Arc, but again, that’s just Izuku. We know how he takes Katsuki’s words and turns it into motivation, but why does Katsuki bother at all?

Well, maybe this comes with desperately trying to find reasons to like a character but progressively despising him and his narrative placement more and more as time progresses, but here’s my angle on it: Katsuki just doesn’t want Izuku dragging his weight for nothing.

Keep in mind, we’re talking about the same Katsuki who held a grudge against Shoto for holding back during the Sports Festival. The same Katsuki who wanted the #1 Hero to go all out and would continuously press to fight him. The same Katsuki who wanted to fight a deadly villain even after being instructed to get back to camp for his own safety. The same Katsuki who challenged Izuku to a fight to finally determine where the gap was, and who was frustrated when he won because the power Izuku possessed was All Might’s, so clearly he shouldn’t have lost.

In short, Katsuki doesn’t like it when people don’t give it their all. And I believe it’s been stated once or twice that once Izuku makes One For All his own, there’s a good chance they’re gonna fight again. So it’s in Katsuki’s best interest to make sure Izuku isn’t half-assing anything, because he wants to prove he can beat Izuku at his best, thus proving that KATSUKI is the best.

So it’s less so for Izuku’s benefit as it is for Katsuki’s own.

5) One Giant Leap (Heroes Rising)

Arguably one of the best moments of the entire Heroes Rising film amongst the fandom is the big handhold scene between Katsuki and Izuku as they make a last gambit effort to take down Nine with two One for Alls. Admittedly this is one of the best if not the best moment throughout the entire progression of the Bakudeku dynamic thus far. I’ll give it that much.

...which makes it all the more frustrating because again: MIND. WIPE. The audience knows it happened, but in canon we never know if Izuku discusses it with Katsuki or if anyone else was aware of the moment in greater specificity. IT ESSENTIALLY NEVER HAPPENED, and I’m starting to legitimately wonder whether or not it was for the best...

6) Datte Atashi No Hero (Anime Screenshot)

First off: how? Second off: huh?

Believe me, the second ending of Season 3 is an absolute bop, don’t get me wrong, but uh… again, it provides NOTHING balanced for Bakudeku, once again relying on Izuku’s perspective on the entire matter. I once read an interesting meta about this ending and how it could be interpreted (take this with a grain of salt), but the biggest contender is that this is in fact Izuku’s fantasy. Think about it:

Izuku is a humble traveling warrior, with nothing to distinguish himself in his own opinion.

Ochako is a magician because she’s alien to Izuku, an unheard of phenomenon.

Tenya being a knight, Shoto being a prince, and Momo being a warrior princess all correlates to their high standings in society, heroic or otherwise.

The reason Katsuki is a barbarian king is because he’s familiar to Izuku in an ancient sense; he’s known him for a long time. The list goes on, but you get the jist.

With this in mind, it’s not difficult to understand that even Katsuki willing to work with Izuku would be another aspect of Izuku’s fantasy: to be able to stand beside his childhood friend once more. And remember the ending of that scene, when Izuku does that big sword slash? That’s him having fully mastered OFA. Both are things that could happen given the manga’s recent direction, but still have yet to happen because this is, again, a fantasy.

And apparently Datte Atatshi No Hero is a reflection on Izuku’s feelings towards Katsuki. Take that as you will, but again, this does not speak for Bakudeku as a whole. Just Izuku’s feelings on the matter.

7) Win to Save, Save to Win (Manga Screenshot)

Since I’ve already penned myself into a short story at this point, might as well take the time to look at this famous phrase from the story.

Personally, I consider it bulls***. It harms both characters overall; yes, I said both. It excuses Katsuki’s need to be a blunt powerhouse that only targets villains, and it redundantly demands Izuku do more of what he was already doing, albeit with less sympathy. I know it sounds corny to say saving is more important than winning, but in the heat of the moment, what gets to the civilians in danger more often? Seeing a guy in a cape deck the latest disaster right in front of them or from a distance? Or said cape guy risking life and limb making sure that this person gets to see life another day?

There’s no perfect answer to it, but that’s my stance.

And this quote, “Win to save, save to win,” justifies the one thing that keeps Katsuki from truly outgrowing his past: his need to be the best. If winning is on the same level then saving, and Izuku has an innate capacity to save, then that means it’s okay for Katsuki to have to win all the time, right?

No. It’s not. And that’s not speaking for all the “Gary Stu” crap, either.

Because being pressured into being the best is what caused Katsuki to hate any kindness offered to him by Izuku. The desire to be the best had him bully Izuku for a decade to ensure that Izuku remained the loser and Katsuki remained the winner. That desire characterizes arguably the worst aspects of Katsuki’s character, and those aspects aren’t gonna fly in the Pro Hero world. Because if Nana Shimura, Shota Aizawa, the Pussycats, Mirio, Sir Nighteye, and a handful of other incidents have taught us anything, it’s that even at their best efforts, heroes don’t win all the time.

Katsuki needs to learn this, or it will crush him in the long term. But he hasn’t. The narrative has kept letting him rack up wins, and his current actions in the manga were spurred on by the fact that he still has yet to truly take a loss.

Say what you will, but I don’t like this line. For what it says about Izuku or Katsuki.

8) The Only One Who Can Accept His Feelings… (Anime Screenshot)

Me @ #7: Wanna see me go off?

Me @ #8: Wanna see me do it again?

Izuku’s perspective on the entire Bakudeku situation is a major reason why most fans condone it. “Izuku doesn’t appear obviously bothered by Katsuki, so that clearly means it’s not abusive/problematic, so just shut up!” or something like that. Well, I’m no psychologist, so I won’t go into a spiel about people ignoring their pain for the sake of others or people trying to excuse others in order to place fault on themselves whether or not it be accurate.

Really, all I can say is that NONE OF THIS should be Izuku’s responsibility.

I’m not blaming this on Izuku because he hasn’t had actual friends or a healthy support system in a long while, but the fact that he decides to take on and enable Katsuki in his element just… doesn’t sit well with me. The logical conclusion would be talking, not throwing hands. I don’t care if they’re “distressed teenagers,” neither of them should be doing this, and Katsuki was fully aware that the teachers would stop them in the first place; that’s not simply adults meddling in what isn’t their business. Katsuki should have really figured out by now that maybe the best course of action is to actually vent to someone without blowing their face off, and I get that he’s absolute s*** at feelings, but really, that’s more of a red flag that he needs to actually get help. And if you think a little too hard on Izuku’s feelings of the matter, well…

Imagine being ostracized for so long that you lose all sense of self worth.

Imagine being told time and again that your worthless, which checks out for you because clearly if your worthless, the guy that enabled that mindset is obviously better than you, and he’s entitled to use you for his own ends.

That’s what I get from this scene.

And again, this is all from IZUKU at this point; virtually NOTHING from Katsuki.

9) Double Detroit Smash (Heroes Rising)

I’ve already said my piece about the film. At this point, it’s beating a dead horse with a stick. Moving on.

10) Word of God (Miscellaneous)

Here’s the thing about Word of God in fandom: the general consensus is that it’s nice to get confirmation from a credible source, but unless it is portrayed in canon, it’s just more words which may or may not be true.

In this case, Kohei Horikoshi, the mangaka for BNHA, is saying that eventually, Katsuki will have to apologize to Izuku. Eventually.

As in, it still hasn’t happened yet.

As in, Katsuki still has yet to decide that what he did in the past was wrong and he should try to fix it.

As in, it currently shows no bearing towards Katsuki’s current character nor the overall Bakudeku dynamic.

Sure, it MIGHT happen, but in another interview (or mayhaps it’s the same one), Horikoshi stated that Katsuki originally wasn’t intended to get as much screen time as he did. Both of these situations are different of course, but with the recent turbulence of the War Arc shaking up the manga, is it really so hard to believe that an apology might slip away from Katsuki’s thought process?

On the bright side, an apology could happen. But until it’s canon, then it’s only a possibility, and therefore can’t be used fully for the intended argument.

11) X-Catapult Handhold (Heroes Rising)

I bet some people working on the movie and some fans on the movie felt spoiled when they included not one, but two handholding scenes for Izuku and Katsuki.

And while the first handhold is certainly a marvel of battle tactics, again, there isn’t much else going on with it. Is it nice to see Katsuki working with Izuku again? Yes, but contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t go past that. Katsuki’s just willing to work with Izuku, full stop. He’d probably be willing to work with anyone because Nine is f***ing tank. And sure, getting a handhold tease is nice, but it’s only to facilitate Katsuki’s subsequent yeeting of Izuku at Nine in an attempt to do damage. Nothing more pressing about the circumstances of their past or anything like that.

12) A Bit of Advice (Anime Screenshot)

Look, this is one of the tamer, better looks at Izuku and Katsuki’s relationship. He’s willing to put his pride aside and give Izuku some advice. But remember what I said earlier in #4?

It’s not just to make sure Izuku gets better, but so Katsuki can feel like it’s a complete win when he beats his ass.

And if we take the line “It pisses me off” into account, we can look at that flaw from the same angle. Remember, Izuku has All Might’s power, the #1 Hero’s power. To Katsuki, that means he shouldn’t have the luxury of making mistakes. But Izuku does. He makes mistakes, and Katsuki sees them and he doesn’t get to exploit them. He still wins, but not because of those mistakes. And part of that pisses Katsuki off. Izuku shouldn’t get to slack. So, Katsuki gives him some advice. Advice that will no doubt help Izuku in the long run, for his (and Katuki’s) sakes. It’s a good outcome from a not very good reason...

13) Have You Made That Borrowed Power Your Own? (Manga Screenshot)

Yeah, no.

I don’t care if Izuku is used to this treatment, it still isn’t reinforcing an overall positive tone.

I don’t care if Katsuki acknowledges at some level that Izuku’s power is becoming his own, he still has the gall to say it was no wonder he passed BECAUSE of his power. Which may be true, but it’s not like Izuku was relying on it 100%, and lowkey comes off as Quirkist.

All it tells me is that Katsuki is starting to acknowledge Izuku, in the “gadfly I can’t get off my back” sort of way. Is this the “best development” y’all are rooting for? Basic acknowledgement of another human being?

14) Outta My Way Punk! (Manga Screenshot)

Katsuki reflexively tells Izuku to get out of his way.

Izuku is used to it, again, that does not excuse it.

Once again, Katsuki reverts back to his usual behavior instead of showing a more subtle approach to show the audience that maybe he’s changing beyond what a chorus of other characters saying “he’s changed!” has to offer.

...even if it’s not abusive, you can’t really say that’s a “good” relationship, either.

15) Blackwhip Training (Manga Screenshot)

Katsuki willing to train with Izuku to help him master his Quirk(s) is nice.

Still blatantly in his element with lots of needless yelling and dominance assertion, but still nice.

And keep in mind, right after it’s clear they aren’t getting anywhere and Izuku tries to rationalize it, Katsuki decides to dip seeing as it’s not worth his time anymore. And even before that, at least in my translation, Katsuki seems to be more interested in beating out Blackwhip instead of having Izuku get a handle on.

Again, maybe not abusive, but not exactly supportive, either.

16) ??? (Anime Screenshot)

I personally have no idea what they were going for with this screenshot, but if I had to guess, that’s after Katsuki gives Izuku an escape window whilst he faces off against All Might alone during their Final Exams.

While I understand that this is early on in their dynamic’s development, the fact still stands that Katsuki still wants to fight for fighting’s sake. He may have been willing to at least give Izuku a chance, but he still sees Izuku’s retreat as cowardly, even though it’s a perfectly valid way to pass the exam. He still just wants to fight.

There’s no mutuality in that sense.

17) Quote from Justin Briner (Miscellaneous)

I don’t have much of an opinion for Izuku’s English VA, but for what it’s worth, I think overall he’s a really cool dude. The same, however, cannot be said for his quote.

I can buy into Izuku wanting to get stronger because of Katsuki, since that is a major plot point. I can’t do the same for Katsuki seeing the good in people because we don’t ever see it, really? In fact, it’s more like people latch on to Katsuki and he just tolerates them until they’ve completely wormed their way into his life. There’s no scene where Katsuki considers someone a good person because of something Izuku did, or anything even vaguely along those lines, at least to my knowledge.

As for their relationship, there have been more downs than ups, and it isn’t relatable to me in the slightest. Maybe that’s just ‘cause I don’t get the overall appeal, but their friendship never really strikes me as a… well, friendship. You could argue that’s the point and that’s what makes them different and interesting, but I would much rather we see more concrete proof of their relationship being at more understandable highs and lows while actually demonstrating it was mutual.

But again. That’s just me.

18) Joint Training Pep Talk (Manga Screenshot)

I’m basically repeating myself at this point. Katsuki might be keeping tabs on Izuku, but again, it’s not entirely for Izuku’s benefit. He just wants to make sure his new “rival” (successor to the #1 Hero, I might add) isn’t dragging his feet through the mud and actually getting s*** done so their eventual third clash will actually be worth his time.

...this relationship is so one-sided in two entirely different ways, I swear.

19) Speaking With Kacchan So Naturally (Manga Screenshot)

Why are we congratulating Katsuki for adding one more person to his already (surprisingly) sizable tolerance pile?

Why are we congratulating Izuku for bridging a gap other people managed to cross with little to no effort even though he didn’t do anything wrong?

Izuku is essentially saying “Good job on me for finally getting the same treatment as everyone else from that one person after over ten years.” Good on him, but uh… that’s not exactly a landmark worth framing the way the fandom does...

The relationship might not be outright abusive, but HOO BOY the bar has never been set lower...

20) “You’ve got a good friend in him” (Manga Screenshot)

And finally, the pièce de résistance. Which is really more narrative mouthpiece-ing.

Even before that, Katsuki yet again can’t take a compliment from Izuku for whatever reason. Yet again, Izuku just shrugs off all of Katsuki’s discouragement, intentional or otherwise. And I love me some Dadmight as much as the next guy, but really, does he have a good grasp on relationships? His only friends in his life were David and Naomasa, and he’s been shown time and time again to not be the infallible man many think he is due to being the Symbol of Peace? But suddenly he goes “Bakudeku rights” and y’all jump on that with no room for argument?

Katsuki has yet to prove what All Might has been saying. Again, telling rather than showing, therefore removing the meaning from the entire thing. Unless Katsuki proves otherwise, I call bulls***.

-------------------------------------------------------

So, my final verdict? Bakudeku is fine. It’s just not as great as the rest of you are making it out to be. I’m not gonna dictate whatever you ship or what you enjoy, that’s not my place, but at least keep these perspectives in mind. You don’t have to believe them, but just… stay aware, y’know?

Alrighty, I’ve wasted enough of your time. If you’ve read it until the very end, then… thanks. Carry on.

-Crimson Lion (10 August 2020)

[recentanimenews]

OPINION: How Umineko Changed My Entire Approach to Fictional Media

All screenshots captured on Playstation 3 by author

  The following article contains a discussion of thematic elements and motives that appear during the second half of Umineko When They Cry. While no actual plot details will be revealed, some might still consider it spoilery. So if you want to experience one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever completely untainted, you should check it out on Steam right now.

  The internet is pretty rad, isn't it? You can follow your favorite creators, watch tons of awesome shows, and talk about your favorite things with other people. How about we do that right now? Well, too bad, because YOUR FAVORITE THING IS BAD, ACTUALLY! You made the mistake of posting about it online, so prepare to be sent lots of negative comments linking to 5-hour video essays pointing out every single flaw about your favorite story and why you are wrong for enjoying it!

    It's a situation I'm sure many of us have experienced at least a couple of times online. While the internet can be fantastic for finding like-minded people to chat with about things you deeply love, it can also be a gamble and sometimes you end up in a discussion where your conversational partner seems more interested in showing off their intellectual superiority over a work instead of openly discussing its merits or flaws. I certainly know — I used to be one of them.

  "As I've eaten my way through countless tales to escape boredom, I haven't really been eating them. I've just been killing them." - Hachijo Tohya

  The rise of social media has opened the gates for some incredible in-depth discussion and has changed the way I experience things over the years. But there is also a dark side to the discussions on the internet and that is the trap of wanting to feel intelligent in how you approach stories, which is often accompanied by not really being emotionally earnest. I myself tried to come off as perceptive by pointing out so many mistakes and bad things about media which led to exactly one thing: me becoming absolutely miserable. All I cared about was consuming as many things as possible (FOMO's also one of the many downsides of social media) and appearing as "smart" about them as I could. Until one fateful 10-month stretch in which I played a certain visual novel known as Umineko When They Cry.

    Umineko really is tailor-made for catching people with that mindset: It depicts a mystery story about how mystery stories are told and consumed — and what genre would be more fitting to challenge someone concerned with intellectual superiority than one that is all about the clash of Author vs Reader? 

  "Books aren't a competition. It's not about who's read the most. But boasting that you've read all your ever need to read is just as wrong-headed" - Battler Ushiromiya

  Umineko starts off with a well-known mystery trope: A family meets up in a mansion on a distant island, gets cut off by a storm, and then slowly gets murdered one after the other until everyone is dead. And just as in Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (which served as one of Umineko's main inspirations), a bottle detailing the events of the incident to the public eventually washes ashore. But this only serves as Umineko's prologue, as its main character Battler quickly finds himself facing off against a self-proclaimed Golden Witch known as Beatrice on a meta-narrative level where he must prove these gruesome killings could have been committed by a human culprit, or be forced to acknowledge her existence and allow her to fully revive.

    Thus begins a game of chess filled with exceedingly preposterous murders in which our protagonist's family gets killed by demons, giant goat butlers, and sharpshooting bunny girls — all supplemented by the so-called Red Truth, a truth-revealing tell not unlike Martha's vomiting in Knives Out. Battler must use these authorial proclamations and find a loophole that enables him to explain the murders in a way that does not frame any of his beloved family members as the killer and still allows him to deny the existence of the gruesome and torturous witch.

    Umineko's all about how stories are perceived and told by both their creator and their audience. It explores how remarks by the author in every situation — no matter how off-hand they might be — can be used, applied, and twisted to shed a completely different light on a story regardless of its original intent. It shows how adding meaning to a narrative that wasn't meant to be there can both add to or subtract from its most important element: The heart its creator wanted to convey.

  "If I had found meaning in only exposing the truth, I would have sunk to the level of a truth-revealing witch and fallen into ruin, spreading only hatred, [...], crushing and refusing to acknowledge anything but the particular truth I seek, unable to escape the cycle of misery." - Ange Ushiromiya

  Umineko goes through many different angles of how we create, share, and discuss the tales that fuel our discourse. It ponders the importance of rules when creating storylines and tackles how easy it is to overlook major themes and motives by just focussing on minute details that are open to misinterpretation and irrelevant to a story's soul. It even includes the typical misanthropic yet oh so intelligent detective that usually gets idolized in most media (think BBC's Sherlock or House, M.D.) and puts them at odds with every other character because who would really want to cooperate with someone that completely disregards you as an equal human being and merely perceives you as an amalgation of hints, motives and alibis?

  "Sheesh! Just one more step and I'd have been able to take a heart as innocent as the smooth sand just after a wave had pulled back and tear it to bits. What a shame. This isn't fun anymore." - Erika Furudo

  And just when you start to really get into Umineko, it moves away from its main conflict, providing you important hints for its solution which most readers ignore as they aren't presented with facts and logic but on an emotional level distanced from the characters we long to get back to. But most importantly, it conveys how one single element is so indispensable to enjoying the narrative odysseys we embark on in our lives, to cherishing the characters that are presented to us in these tales, and to truly understand a story's message behind things like story developments, plot twists, and narrative tricks. I, of course, am talking about love.

  Be it the love you feel for characters, for certain staging elements, phrasings of prose, orchestrations of music, design of sound effects, implementations of themes and motives, or cinematographic puzzle pieces — the one thing that is indispensable to truly enjoy all kinds of media, is love. Or, to quote Umineko directly, "Without love, it cannot be seen."

    By the time, I was nearing the end of Umineko's eight main chapters, it had transformed from an intellectual battle between author and reader to an all-out war of a story against its community of readers who simply wanted to tear it down to cold, hard "facts." I had spent ten months and over 100 hours. The first half took eight of those months to get through (owing to a few lengths in Episodes 2 and 4), I finished the second half in less than two despite my busy schedule. I even dedicated a whole 15-hour marathon to the final episode as I was too glued to the grand finale to move away from it.

    A new me came out the end. I no longer had an interest in tearing apart media for minor missteps. I enjoyed them much more deeply and honestly and began taking my time with the things I consumed. Instead of filling my plate at the buffet of stories as much as I could, I gave each dish its own course on the menu so I could appreciate its flavor in a different way — one bite at a time and not stuffed up simply to give the outward appearance of a seasoned gourmet. And for that, I will never be able to thank Ryukishi07 and his co-creators at 07thExpansion enough.

  "The point of theory-making is not to create a culprit or to trample the truths that lie in the hearts of those who have not sinned. If you want to play detective, don't neglect the heart. Otherwise, we're just intellectual rapists. Don't forget it!!" - Willard H. Wright

  If you are interested in reading Umineko When They Cry, you can find both its Question Arcs and its Answer Arcs on Steam, GOG, and MangaGamer. You can also read the manga adaptation digitally on Bookwalker (though I personally recommend the visual novel for its award-worthy soundtrack alone).

  What work of fiction has touched your life in a profound way? Tell us in the comments!

      René Kayser works for Crunchyroll as a PR and Social Media Manager in Germany. You can find him on Twitter @kayserlein where he tries to get people into Umineko every single day.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com