#I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON SUMIRE

[frootbyethefoot]

so who are you really?

[ID: a digital drawing of sumire yoshizawa at three different stages in her life. from right to left, the first is an image of sumire in her tracksuit. she is wearing glasses, her hair is down, and she looks depressed. she is sitting down and hugging her knees. the second is of sumire in her phantom thief outfit with a heavy bright pink filter over her. she has her hands behind her back and she looks troubled. the third image is of sumire pretending to be kasumi. she has her hair up and she has one arm in the air gesturing towards the crowd. she looks happy. the background is entirely black, aside from a bright pink star behind the second sumire.]

[r0semultiverse]

Eida knows Sarada & Sumire are immune to her abilities.

Whats weird to me is that Eida just doesn't further question that Sarada & Sumire are acting so normal, like I would have never bought Sumire's excuse. NO SHOT!

I think Eida is protecting those two from her clingy little brother.

She has stated before that she wants to have actual friends, but probably knows Daemon would try to kill them potentially if he figures it out (that part isn't so much stated but it's the way he's looking at Sarada & Sumire when he's considering they may not be affected).

He's overprotective, clingy, & overpowered; a terrible combination for her to be around in this case where she would like some actual friends. He's also very eager to fight people!

She 100% went along with Sumire's bullshit excuse to keep those two safe from her brother. She literally pauses for a moment before agreeing with them!

We'll see how good the excuse is when the official translation is out, but I think Eida's playing along so she can have actual friends around her. She knows whats actually going on here, she isn't a fool.

[luxiapoof42]

One of the things about Sumire that Atlus should've done was change her phantom thief outfit when she had her true Awakening. Like. Yes, Sumire's whole character arc and confidant ranks 6-10 are about her trying to find/regain her identity as Sumire Yoshizawa when she's been (unintentionally) masquerading as Kasumi for like 1-2 years, and that's fine (except for the fact that it's horribly integrated into the story up until the third semester, and even in the third semester she takes a backseat to Maruki's character development). But her Violet fit only makes sense while she thinks she's Kasumi because she's pretending to be someone else and will continue to pretend to be other people instead of embracing herself for who she is. When she awakened for realsies in Maruki's palace, she should've gotten a completely new and unique fit to show that she's coming into herself and accepting her identity as her own. Akechi got a sick costume change when he decided to show the thieves who he really was. Why can't Sumire get the same treatment??

Anyway, Atlus should hire me

[mercuryislove]

I've been playing persona with my bestie almost every single night since p3r came out and we just finished p5r last night and now I'm like. what's going to fill this arcana-based void in my heart. what else could possibly be the means by which all is revealed

[hoshihime98]

*Rotates the Royal Trio in my mind like a chicken*

[ashxketchum]

New collaboration with Loft & Amnibus was announced for Digimon Adventure!

Details about exact merch will follow soon, but the tweet states that the concept was decided by keeping the idea of 25th Anniversary in focus but the art itself is flower + wedding outfit themed. The collab will start in June which is considered a good month for brides in Japan and so we see many wedding themed anime illustrations get released during this time every year.

Now it is time for another certified Ayushi breakdown 🫡

Taichi and Agumon are seen holding Edelweiss, with a pattern of the flower drawn beautifully on Taichi's shirt as well. Edelweiss in Japanese Language of Flowers (Hanakotoba) is meant to symbolise 'cherished memories/大切な思い出' and 'courage/勇気', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'noble courage' and 'daring' - both of which are apt for our best leader 🧡

Yamato and Gabumon are seen holding Alstroemeria (Lily of the Incas, Peruvian Lily), and while the flower motif is not drawn onto his clothes, Yamato's coat's breast pocket is decorated with the flower as well. In Hanakotoba, Alstroemeria is meant to symbolise 'persistence/持続' or 'longing for the future/未来への憧れ', while in Western Language of Flowers it's meant to symbolise 'friendship' and 'devotion'. All meanings are apt for him imo, but especially persistence and longing for the future are very representative of his arc from the first series till Kizuna.

Sora and Piyomon are seen with Pink Carnations, with the neckline of Sora's jumpsuit lined with a bunch of the flowers. I personally love the visual of Sora in this pink jumpsuit, it plays into her slightly tomboyish yet extremely gentle personality so well! In Hanakotoba carnations symbolise 'innocent and deep love/無垢で深い愛' and pink carnations specifically symbolise 'love of a woman/女性の' 'passionate love/熱愛' and "beautiful gesture/美しいしぐさ'. In Western Language of Flowers carnations symbolise 'fascination' and love'. All meanings are pretty accurate for Sora, but red carnations are used to symbolise Mother's love in Japan so it would've been nice if they threw in a mix of red and pink to hint at her relationship with her mother!

Koushiro and Tentomon are seen holding Violet Sage, which at first glance I thought was Lavender. The flower pattern is also visible on his waistcoat and bowtie, which ties together his outfit very nicely! In Hanakotoba, Sage seems to have many symbolisations, 'respect/尊敬', 'wisdom/知恵', 'good home/良い家庭', and 'family love/家族愛'. But Blue (Violet) Sage specifically signify respect and wisdom. In Western Language of Flowers, Sage symbolises 'esteem', 'wisdom' and 'domestic virtue'. Again, a perfect choice for Koushiro, I personally would prefer to believe that they picked this not because of his crest but because of 'good home' and 'family love' since that part of Koushiro's arc in the first series was probably the most impressionable aspect of his character.

Mimi and Palmon are seen holding baby's breath, with Mimi's dress covered in a pattern of it. Even keeping my bias towards Mimi aside, this is possibly one of the prettiest outfit of hers till date, it genuinely looks like she's about to walk down the aisle as a flower girl for a very happy couple! In Hanakotoba, Baby's Breath or Kasumisou, symbolises 'pure heart/清らかな心', 'innocence/無邪気', 'kindness/親切', and 'happiness/幸福'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'everlasting love', 'purity of heart', and 'innocence'. All meanings apply to Mimi to the T, but they're also very apt for the whole wedding theme of the merch which makes this particular outfit + flower choice my favourite from the lot.

Jou and Gomamon are seen holding Violets or Sumire. I honestly struggled to figure out the flower for a while, at first glance I thought it was Periwinkle but since that was not mentioned in the Hanakotoba reference anywhere, I searched other people's interpretations and settled with Violets. His tie also has a cute pattern of the flower, and it makes me wonder if Koushiro and Jou went shopping for their outfits together! In Hanakotoba, Sumire symbolise 'modesty/謙虚', 'sincerity/誠実', and 'small happiness/小さな幸せ'. Depending on the colour, the symbolism can change in Hanakotoba, and purple Violets specifically represent 'fidelity' along with 'love'. In Western Language of Flowers it symbolises 'modesty' and 'faithfulness'. This is as Jou as a flower can get lol.

Takeru and Patamon are seen with White Gerberas. Like Yamato, Takeru's outfit doesn't have a pattern of the flower, but the Gerberas themselves are pinned to his suspenders. In Hanakotoba, Gerbera symbolises 'hope/希望' and 'always moving forward/常に前進'. White Gerbera specifically are used to symbolise 'hope' and 'honesty/律儀'. In Western Language of Flowers it is meant to symbolise 'cheerfulness' and 'beauty'. All meanings are accurate for Takeru, no comment needed!

Hikari and Tailmon are seen with Sunflowers. I personally feel that Hikari's outfit is a little too much compared to the rest, just the sunflower belt would've been enough but they added that extra line at the hem and it's kind of an overdose. In Hanakotoba, Sunflowers symbolise 'I gaze only at you/私はあなただけを見つめる', 'adoration/愛慕', and 'worship/崇拝'. In Western Language of Flowers, it symbolises 'adoration' and 'false riches'. I understand that they wanted to go with a bright or perky flower for Hikari but something like a Pink Aster which symbolises patience or Cosmos which symbolises harmony, peace etc. might suit Hikari better given the overall theme of the illustration. The only miss in the otherwise perfectly depicted theme and art!

[senblades]

Just realized that Crow and Violet enter the Phantom thieves group with the same condition, though not the same circumstances.

They both first Joined as a fake of themselves, fooling everyone. Then they were a 2-phase boss fight, where the true self gets revealed. Then they join the team, for good and for real.

Hmmmmmmmmm

ANON YOU'RE SO RIGHT I'M

I'll always be a little sad that Atlus never went all-in on the SumiGoro friendship/parallels potential... o7 another fallen dynamic for the pit

in all seriousness, though: many people have talked about the Akechi and Sumire parallels far better than I ever could, but I'll talk some more anyway!

I think the most obvious parallel is in who they admire/resent. Sumire, obviously, admires Kasumi in every way- undercut with resentment that she's scared to ackowledge. Akechi, meanwhile, resents Joker to hell and back, undercut with layers of admiration that he refuses to admit to (+ uh. shauke angst HAHA)

Both are lying to themselves about their other halves, but even more interestingly: Both Kasumi and Joker see Sumire and Akechi respectively as their equals/rivals, despite everything, and even though it may seem that one half is clearly better than the other at first glance.

Sumire's coach, during the Faith confidant, tells Sumire how Kasumi had worked so hard because she knew if she didn't, Sumire would catch up to her- that Kasumi was jealous of Sumire's grace (Ironic, as meanwhile Sumire was desperate to emulate Kasumi's boldness)

Joker's a bit different -silent protag, and all- but, even still: "I'll hold onto you're glove", "I won't lose"- so much of Joker's dialogue about Akechi makes it clear that he takes the other seriously. Plus, the consistent reminders that the promise for a rematch hasn't been fulfilled: clearly, Joker doesn't consider the interrogation room nor the engine room 'fair fights', or true indicators of either's skill (stop me before I go on a tangent)

It's not just Joker=Kasumi and Sumire=Akechi, though. The fact that both sides of each equation are equals means that some lines get crossed. I'm thinking Kasumi's "Because that's my right, as the elder sister!" vs. Akechi's "Going all out against a junior seems a bit gauche, don't you think?"- both Kasumi and Akechi seem to have this idea that they have to be better (a bit of speculation on my part, for Kasumi)- they have no excuse to lose; it's only natural if they win, and incredibly dissapointing otherwise.

back to crow/violet parallels, they also act as excellent foils for each other in the royal trio dynamic: Sumire, when faced with low self-esteem and terrible circumstances, latches onto people that she considers "better"- imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all! And Sumire has imitation in spades.

Akechi, meanwhile, distances himself from pretty much everyone. He seems to value shallow praise of people that don't really see, rather than experience the mortifying ordeal of being known, and whatnot.

but even then, Akechi does have some similar tendencies to Sumire- he just hides it under layers of deflection and lying to himself. He claims to absolutely hate Shido and Joker, and while I don't doubt that, necessarily, it's clearly far more complicated than that. Akechi, no matter how he feels about them, lives and dies by the will of his obsessions- and by the time of the third semster, he's had enough. (while, conversely, Sumire hasn't quite learned to stand on her own)

Actually, speaking of the third semester; Maruki's reality also highlights some similarities between the two, as the two people most egregiously edited by the false reality: Sumire, back to believing she's Kasumi, and Akechi as "I've never had a violent thought in my life!" pleasant boy. Those two are the only members of the PT where Maruki goes straight for the personality.

whoops. long post HAHA

[musicalmoritz]

what are your thoughts on hananene?

I’m so glad you asked this!! Some people assume I hate HanaNene because I ship Nene with Aoi and I don’t post about it as much as Aoi//Aoi, but that could not be further from the truth. When I first watched the anime I absolutely adored HanaNene, they were my favorite ship for a hot second there (though I was saving that spot for Mitsuba and Kou, and it was also Sakura and Natsuhiko for like a day. I never expected it to be the plant lesbians lol)

My love for HanaNene tends to be more mild when I’m not actively reading about them. I have never and will never dislike them, but I don’t think about them as consistently as some of the other ships (though I think of them more than some others). Then I read a scene of them in the manga and I’m abruptly reminded of why they’re one of my favorite TBHK ships. This also applies to when I’m rewatching either of the animes or when I get in the rare mood to read fan fiction for them

The thing that initially stole my heart was how weird they are. Their whole relationship is odd, it’s like if Aladdin got with the Genie. The first chapter doesn’t have anything romantic between them up until the very end and if you didn’t know they were love interests, you’d assume he was meant to be her goofy sidekick. And then we start the gag of him flirting with her while she’s very adamant about him being Not Her Type. But her relationship with him is still so different from everybody else, she’s usually so self-centered but with Hanako she notices things about him and makes efforts to make him feel better (ex: deciding to be his friend in the mokke chapter). Sure, there are still things she misses about him, Teru had to be the one to tell her he was unhappy in the new timeline. But she’s significantly better at looking out for Hanako than she is with everybody else, because he’s so important to her. She gives him time to open up about his past because she knows he’s not ready for it, she wants to be the one to confess to him because he deserves to feel loved. With heterosexual relationships I’m mainly focused on what the woman is feeling/experiencing and HanaNene is such an interesting ship for Nene! It gives her a lot of important development and stands out from her other crushes and ships. She had cheesy romantic fantasies about him but she doesn’t act like a blushing fangirl, it’s real love and we get to see a more mature side of her when they’re together

I have so many favorite moments for them so I’m gonna list them all now because I’ve been waiting for an excuse to do so. The end of the Picture Perfect arc where Nene asked Hanako if he wanted to trap her and he said “of course not, how could you even think that?” The Confession Tree chapter as a whole, it’s my favorite early chapter by far. When Hanako told Nene she’s cute when she’s smiling. When he tucked her into bed at Sumire’s house. I don’t remember when this was but when Nene made some big statement on the roof and then she was like “as a friend ofc.” When she kissed him on the cheek duh that was so cute. That convo they had in the classroom during the Picture Perfect arc. Their first kiss but that’s like a given everybody loves that scene. Wow. HanaNene.

I will say that I prefer their dynamic with Amane’s personality but I’m not one of the people who separates those ships entirely, I think people who do sort of miss the point of Hanako’s character. Amane is still a part of him, there are many scenes in present times when he acts like his old self. Sure, he’s changed over the years, but he can’t fully become a different person the way humans often do because he is forever that same 13 y/o boy. So if you were to ask me “HanaNene or Amanene,” I’d say both. I do prefer to call him Amane tho bcuz it’s such a pretty name. Amane. Amane. Amane. Pretend you can hear it, it’s gorgeous

Similar to how I will never slander Aoi and Akane for Aoi and Nene, I’ll never slander Hanako and Nene in favor of them either. I love all the canon ships so I’ll never be the type of fan to put them down in order to justify my fanon ones. I don’t need to do this because I have good reasons for liking fanon pairings, I can back them up without having to put down another ship. If you have to put down another ship in order to make yours look good, it’s probably not that great on its own

Also for headcanons. They are t4t and bi4bi to me, that’s just how it’s gotta be. Toilet-Bound Woke-Kun. Woke-Bound Hanako-Kun. Toilet-Woke Hanako-Kun. Much to ponder

[beezonia]

okie this is for @39tn39!

——

So the Olympics au came about because is was thinking of yukamitsu and then my brain just gave literally all the casts (p3/4/5) an Olympic sport

And then my love of ryukoto just brought my thoughts to life

——-

So:

Akira - Fencer - Mainly because of Arsene but also because that guy has agility and speed to get the points he needs to win in fencing

Ryuji - athlete - that’s self explanatory! But I’d say he competes in sprints (100/200m and the occasional relay race)

Ann - Taekwondo - LET HER KICK THE SHIT OUT OF PEOPLE - but also quite a disciplined sport in itself I feel like she’d love it

Yusuke - Diver - You can’t tell me that he would not love the intensity and precision needed for the complicated dives (also he might be a good artistic swimmer he’d choreograph though?)

Makoto - BMX Racer - Johanna but also how Makoto would probably love how exhilarating it is and the speed of it

Haru - Hammer Throw - THIS NEEDS POWER! HARU IS FULL OF POWER LIKE DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY WOULD UNDERESTIMATE HER BUT THEN SHE COMES AND ABSOLUTELY LAUNCHES THE WEIGHT RIGHT OUT OF THE PARK

Futaba - Skateboarder - Street specifically because I feel like she’d love to grind on the rails with her board to see if she can keep on them for the longest (I have a post for this I’ll share it!)

Goro - PISTOL SHOOTING - ITS PERFECT FOR HIM (or we make him and archer I like that for him)

Sumire - Gymnast - I’d say floor work is her best! Either pole vault or the beam are her weaknesses

——- Yeah! Let me know if you’d like to know more!

[trifargo]

Persona 5 Kitchenette (Cooking)

is a P5 game idea i came up with... instead of the main PT, the stars here are the auxiliary phantom thieves instead (and joker): akechi, sumire, sophia, zenkichi, and toshiro. this came be because i'm annoyed at how zenkichi (and sophia) are not in P5T, so i thought "you know what, because i am complaining about the lack of P5S guys in P5T, and the royal trio fans complain about the lack of P5R guys in P5S, what if i merge the left out folks in a game. world peace???"

it's basically cooking mama, but a bit more elaborate. the game will be split in 3 parts: shopping, teaching, and cooking. more below (VERY LONG)

storyline

winter holiday is coming up. joker and the gang plans another reunion in leblanc. but then, joker remembers something: the team was bigger, sometimes. there are some of the PT comrades that have yet to chat and meet with them, or even with each of them. so he decided to whip up a surprise: he'll invite not only the main PT, but also the auxiliaries, to meet with each other and the main team.

so joker invited the auxiliary gang ahead of the D-Day. and to make the smaller mini reunion more fun, he decides to do a cooking lesson with them, and they have to cook this on the real reunion day - for the main PT gang.

for the mini reunion, they'll be cooking in sojiro's house, instead of leblanc because of course, leblanc will be filled by customers, duh! they'll have some chats - the awkward one, funny one, annoying one... some character developments and look deeper on the ideals and meanings from the journeys each aux members have gone through. exploring the possible paralels in each characters, contrasts, and what they have been doing while they're off the game.

gameplay

the game is basially visual novel with minigames. it has 2 modes:

story mode: follows the story above. the story itself won't be long, probably like... 3 hours? 5? i dunno. it will play like P5T format: gameplay - dialogue - repeat. i personally find this format to be monotonous to enjoy, so the break sections (the one with menus) will probably allow you to walk around the house and outside? still, all you can do here is talk, so probably there'll be reward for talking. maybe bonuses to ease your next minigame. the character you'll be playing as is scripted.

free mode: you can cook whatever you want in here. it's off from the main story, so treat it like an "what if" (like joker's wedding scenarios in P5T). you can cook whatever you want - there are even new recipes in this mode! complete all the recipes perfectly to achieve platinum. you can pick anyone you'd like to play as (though they determine the kind of minigame you'll be playing, being shopping/teaching/cooking - except joker, he can play all these three).

meanwhile, the game parts are as below. these aren't super fixed or anything, could be changed.

shopping: you'll be playing as sophia. retaining her role in PT as a vendor, your job is to shop the items joker is asking you. joker will give you some items to buy. each item are bought by playing 2 minigames: maze and "find the difference".

maze: sophia has to find the right website to buy the item... by donig code blocks, because she's an AI. code it right, so sophia won't get lost among the sea of websites... the most monotonous one i guess, as there isn't many varieties to it...

find the difference: joker wants these items precise, so you gotta pick the right shop and item based on joker's note. plays like papers, please!, where there are details you can inspect deeper to match and make sure you get the right one (like fake customer reviews, for example)

2. teaching: you'll be playing as sumire and toshiro. each of them will do 1 recipe (so 2 recipes in total). they can cook well, so joker would like you to teach akechi and zenkichi how! teaching is kinda half-half on cooking and "pick the right one" game.

cooking: your job is to prepare the ingredients. these are too advanced for those bad cooks, so hopefully this will ease their process (like preparing fish from the bones, or whole chicken).

"pick the right one": basically making sure those bad cooks do the instructions properly (example, placing the right step to do in the progress bar in stirring process), with a timer.

3. cooking: you'll be playing as akechi and zenkichi. each of them will do 1 recipe (so 2 recipes in total). they're confirmed to be bad at cooking, so joker wants them to learn cooking better... for akechi so he can stop buying take outs, and for zenkichi so he can cook for akane better. this one is full cooking a la cooking mama, so their mingame depends on the recipe they're cooking.

for the mini reunion, you'll be playing shopping and teaching. sophia will shop the ingredients for both mini reunion and reunion day, while sumire and toshiro will teach you how to cook in mini reunion day. in the real reunion day, you'll be playing cooking only.

i was thinking to pair sumire-zenkichi and toshiro-akechi, because pairing sumire-akechi will probably develop less new things from them, as they've met in P5R. but i'm sure that developing new things isn't everything - i think akechi-sumire is a lacking connection in the royal trio triangle, and i'm sure this game will also be about getting new interactions from the established character dynamics. so probably, first half of the teaching/cooking section will be sumire-zenkichi and toshiro-akechi, while the second half is the opposite (or you can swap the order). so you get all.

as for morgana (because morgana is always next to joker), he'll be there as emotional support commentary cat during the gameplay. sophia can also be one during teaching/cooking.

as for the recipes, some will be taken from joker's kitchen in P5S. the ultimate recipes, leblanc coffee and curry, will only be unlockable in free play.

costume

i approached this one with functionality & "what would atlus do", even when i don't know what people wear at winter!!! otherwise, i'd take joker's glasses off and all that... though i believe i can be better at the color picks - i don't think atlus does color coding that much, judging the costume variants in the game. everyone who has long hairs will be tied, because like futaba said:

joker: i observed that his wardrobe is mostly plain, no pattern or peculiar detail. so i gave him shirt with not too much decor other than the buttons and black lines on end, and jeans to make it homey, but still kinda formal for guest visits. joker's appron is the appron he use in leblanc. nothing fancy behind it...

akechi: i noticed a running joke about akechi and plaid patterns when i was doing scramble zine and ya. all his wardrobe has that. so i gave him yellow plaid outer. he sorta has earthy color and his party color is brown. but his pants are already beige, so it's... yellow. his appron is kinda fancy, but still clean sleek. has metallic accents (pocket pins and harness) to give a bit boldness to it, vibing his loki side. i came up that shido facilitated him the appron if he wants to cook himself, but too bad he doesn't know that akechi can't cook...

sumire: she starts to feel more comfortable living as sumire again, so she wears the glasses back. i left her hairstyle as is, as it has lore. her fit is mostly opposite of kasumi, being more modest. color is from the violet dress she bought with joker in 3rd semester. her appron is... this wasn't really the plan (i think of picture printed appron), but i can't come up with a design yet!!! so i think she'd just have normal appron, but with patterns. kinda looks aunty/mom vibes... i think of the tora shirt she picked with joker. it's pretty mom/aunty vibes and sumire wasn't actually sure when she picked that, but i think she eventually developed a slight interest in those kind of patterns. i'm still considering to change the design, though... not 100% fixed.

sophia: she's a unique case, as her role/game is not cook, but shopper! so she becomes a delivery girl. ichinose came up with her look. so i gave her delivery jacket. her design is the most difficult, as i don't usually like drawing overdecorated anime fits, and how sophia is meant to evoke friendliness according to soejima & kanda, plus keeping her minimalistic aesthetics. then i combined the details it with puffer jackets, while making sure it's not overdecorated and making it as similar as sophia's original shilouette. IMO it became a bit too playful, as i slapped colors that are not in her original design. the blue green red accent is taken from sophia's shop UI. treat it like sophia's shop employee jacket! her footwear is a bit taller and is a shoe now. she's travelling the net, so...

zenkichi: the adults are tricky. they still wear the suit, so i could only change the shirt and tie. zenkichi's design is pretty normal common, even his design uniqueness is logical: when people's shirt button are usually similar colored to the shirt, his is a peculiar black. so i gave him pocket with black lining... he'll mostly be off suit, so there's no problem with suit obscuring pocket. his tie is also off. his appron is new. but because he doesn't know much cooking, he bought an overkill appron, AKA a barista appron with many pockets...

toshiro: i'm not really sure what is his job after P5T... but i assume he still wears suit around. so he wears a pale purple shirt. his tie is still purple, but grid pattern. he doesn't wear gloves anymore too, of course. i don't know toshiro's icon. we need to think that... his appron is plain, simple, and functional. the best that works with his housechores, something he excels at.

bonus contents

i'm thinking of a DLC with another character that have big impact to the story, but also too out of the picture to come back: maruki. i haven't decided how it will be like though. for now, i'm thinking either of these:

a separate day in the story, where you just cook with maruki. no shopping section in this DLC, just cooking and teaching. they both will teach a recipe to each other, and talk a bit more about how's maruki been doing.

a dream section or something? comes down to whether i can come up with a reason to summon the other PT auxes to this story. basically, besides maruki, you can invite 1 more guy from the list of PT auxes to cook with him. so each character will have their own storyline. more on this option:

sumire will be about reflecting their past relationship and how things are now, akechi about 2/2 (but pretending they don't meet, so it fits both who do the akechi and normal versions) and probably shido ties, toshiro and zenkichi about what happened to them in 3rd semester and how they feel when they found out, and sophia about learning maruki's heart research.

i assume toshiro is immune to maruki's influence in a way for now, because erina was born to protect him from godly influence... or maybe because salmael has taken place? i dunno. could be he's not immune either though, if erina's meant to only protect from salmael and not maruki.

[silverynight]

I just thought of this idea being inspired by the Yoriichi is Tanjiro’s ancestor AUs: Since Sun Breathing is a lost hidden technique, it’s like a rare treasure waiting to be found.

I’m going to be a little nice and say that Yoriichi’s child lives and marries Sumire Kamado (Suyako’s & Sumiyoshi’s daughter) so the Kamado-Tsugikuni line continues. Yoriichi’s spirit is unable to move on since Muzan and his demons are still out there, he watches his descendants like a guardian angel. Oh lord, the breath founder is going to have a field day if he has to scare his descendants’ many many suitors.

Tanjuro and the rest of his family still live due to luck or smth like that.

So Hashira!Tanjuro’s like, “So you nine want to court my eldest son?” whilst calmly sitting crisscross, not having his signature smile.

The other highest ranking members nod despite their insides twisting a little, “Um yessir!” “That’s right!” “Absolutely.” “Your son is a wonderful person!”

Tanjiro, who’s next in line for his father’s position/rank, says, “Father, they all truly mean it! No casual flings or one-sided false love. I could sense their honesty and dedication.”

Tanjuro begrudgingly agrees, “Very well son, I and the rest of your family shall give them a chance.” He turns to his potential future in-laws, “However, if any of you harm him… you won’t be allowed near us ever again.”

Yoriichi is always ready, watching from the spirit realm, ready to haunt the Pillars if they do anything that hurts Tanjirou. Although he's very tempted to do that anyway because he doesn't like when they get too handsy around him.

[mari-lair]

Do you think Aoi will ever be able to show nene her “ugly” side and open up to her? Perhaps with the help of Akane? Or will she keep up her “popular girl” act with Nene to avoid the risk of losing her as a friend?

If we put the responsibility 100% on Aoi she will stay stuck in her popular persona forever. Aoi opening up is very important for change to be made, it is fundamental, but this friendship was built by two, and Aoi didn't get stuck in this superficial 'bubbly bff popular girl' image alone, Nene had just as much of a role keeping her in this box.

Nene lives in a fantasy and blinds herself to reality. Aoi is a big part of the idealistic high school life she desperately clings to, so even if Aoi tries to open up, Nene will either blind herself to Aoi's problems or go out of her way to shut Aoi down before the illusion is broken.

Even with the help of Akane I find it unlikely, cause 1- Akane knows this isn't his business, he let Aoi reunite with Nene alone and currently believes the two made up.

And number 2, even when people call Nene out directly, Nene does not change her behavior. If she doesn't want to think about something that distresses her, she will cover her eyes and not think about it. There is A LOT to talk about when it comes to this problem of hers, but I'll keep it brief, no need to go over the whole manga for this point.

Think about her dilemma with Hanako: She is always surprised when someone calls him a murderer, either making excuses for him or unable to reply, still not making a hint of progress untangling how she personally feels regarding his murder despite this being an internal conflict that was introduced at the very start of the manga.

Why does she not have an answer? Because she doesn't want to think about it. The idea of him murdering someone is troubling and scary and not a nice fantasy at all, she doesn't want to think about it. So she doesn't think about it. Is that simple.

Nene is no longer a normal girl. But she is in denial. She still wants to believe she is a normal girl.

We can say "A lot of 15 year olds girls live in a fantasy world and are boy crazy :D" but we can't say "A lot of 15 year old girls know they'll die in 1 year, have seen ghosts being broken and doomed, nearly lost their friend cause their crush got extreme in their attempts to help, had seen the eaten remains of a possible friend (sumire), but their priority is to confess to their crush." That's not normal. That's a Nene thing.

She is determined to stay the same even when the world around her begs her to change. Begs her to sit down and think about the reality she is facing.

She is shocked when she sees bad things but she doesn't allow herself to process it. The manga itself calls her out for not learning from her mistakes.

She treats high-stakes scenarios as a normal high school life scenario. Fantasy may be one of Nene's charms but it is also her biggest flaw.

Nene has many moments where her reality is challenged, moments that feel like it will lead to introspection, but she never thinks about what she is told. what she sees. She doesn't want to stay mad at Hanako. She doesn't want to think about the situation. So she focuses on the no priority of "omg I need to make my crush confess!" as best she can.

Anything that is too serious or dark to fit her high school fantasy adventure will not be thought about. She is a kind person, there is no denial, but this incapability to face reality, to take off her bubbly fantasy glasses, makes her very insensitive at times.

She is so far up la la land that she hasn't properly processed that Hanako is dead yet.

She non ironically says "l'll live a happy life as a dead person" at the idea of being with Hanako. Aoi's rescue is a run away narrative in her mind, a forbidden romance. She is not in reality.

It is understandable to go in denial, to reject reality when reality is something you don't want to face, especially at 15, but just because it is understandable doesn't make her devoid of responsability. Nene is being a coward, her fantasies are far more charming than Aoi's brand of cowardness but she is, in her own way, still running away from her problems.

Even Hanako, who is madly in love with her, acknowledges she is self-centered and childish.

Aoi being a popular queen is the embodiment of her fantasy that "being popular is amazing! Is a dream come true"

So if Aoi works on the courage to speak up, if Akane calls Nene out, but Nene doesn't work on her bad habit of ignoring reality for the sake of her high school dream life, she will keep turning a blind eye to every hint she had witnessed that being popular is not a sea of roses and Aoi have problems and flaws like everyone.

Aoi had tried to talk about her ugly sides before after all.

But Nene covered her eyes, dismissed the drugged Aoi she had seen as a complete fake and embracing her cute bubbly bff without asking any questions about her feelings, her behavior, etc.

She does not want Aoi to have flaws, so she won't see those flaws.

She won't change.

I talk in detail about how her fantasy problem affects her relationship with Aoi here

[crguang]

// rain burst spoilers

tagging because i know some of yall are also new to the game and the update just came out but i need to yap to myself for a minute. about garofano specifically.

so many thoughts that need to come out, i don’t know if it’s recency bias but she’s officially my second favorite character in the game man… like i already loved her a lot after her interro and i’ve explained how she’s my type in every single way but i wasn’t expecting her to have such a big role in this event and i was really pleasantly surprised, she stole the show a bit. couldn’t focus on shit but her voice and mannerisms. im also glad to have some more info about the garden because they were always kinda blurry in my mind but to learn that they actually treat each other like family and it not only being sumire’s opinion on coquelic (her savior) warmed my heart like. sumire, who was the first character i liked in the game, talking about garo like this godddd they’re my everything. they care about each other so bad… found each other when they were all at their lowest… that’s family.

garo’s so loved. she’s soooo cherished by the people around her and it means the world to me knowing how desperately she needed a family after she lost her biological one. i understand more the fear that drives her now, because unlike how it looks like just by reading through her interro, her love is actually reciprocated. the garden all cling to each other and they’re “the only treasure she has”… to see the lengths she’s willing to go to just to assure their safety is so inspiring to me. i know we’re all like omg freaky milf and yeah she’s a freaky milf but i loved seeing how much she genuinely cares. there are sinners (cough cabernet cassia cough) who will objectify people for their own selfish needs and not necessarily give a shit about them but garo cares, her calling her loved ones “possessions” is just born out of an extreme fear of abandonment and loneliness because she loves them. she’s not surrounding herself with just anybody in order to not be alone. these people understand her, and that’s very important to her. they’re all people who have gone through something similar to what she has, who had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. she has a relationship with them. idk it was really nice to see how she thinks about her found family. this line tugged at my heartstrings fr, and the one where she’s struggling to go on due to the extreme mania contamination in her body but keeps going so she doesn’t become bait for her family and indirectly hurts them… i swoooned

she wants revenge on those who have hurt her and her loved ones but it’s not really what drives her, it’s that burning desire to protect them so they wont be used or hurt again. it all comes down to this for real, and that’s admirable to me. loved the traits that separate her from rahu; where rahu protects the innocent, garo protects her people and that’s all that matters. love how she straight up said she didnt give a fuck 😭 she’s ready to “burn in hell” for her actions if it means her loved ones are safe like shes sooo intense and i really love that about her.

i have so much shit to say about her, man. seeing her skills in action was AMAZING, especially against an s-rank sinner like rahu!!! i was lowkey cheering for her im sorry. she’s fast and dexterous with her fingers so yall know what that means hehehe hahaha i need her in me. her composure… the way it only breaks when someone mentions her family being used because of her… how quickly she regains control in a situation that has destabilized her… the mocking, teasing tone she takes with rahu even as she’s getting thrown around like a doll and her sense of humour with the dog collar she sends her like ohhhhh my god i’m obsessed. im obsessedddd there are so many moments i couldnt screenshot or else i'd have the whole event in my camera roll and also tumblr wont allow them all in one post but know that they're imprinted in my gray matter

speaking of getting thrown around like a doll— THIS EVENT STRESSED ME OUTTTTT. omg. i was so stressed out bro garo was getting hurt left and right and i was in my room like “please please please get up get up im begging youre fine walk it off” the whole time. rahu and her big ass shield like put that shit away?! slamming her around by the neck please get your hands off her immediately?!?! and then this…. i cant believe they made me read about how she’s crying and cursing as she’s getting tortured i couldnt even be horny. i was so stressed out i couldnt even goon out to her whimpering and gasping and breathing hard. see how serious this shit was?… she was barely breathing when she got corrupted by wtv the fuck those underground dudes carry around AND THEN GOT RIDDLED WITH BULLETS? AND THENNNNNNN GOT BEATEN UP BY RAHU???? OH MY DAYS. LEAVE MY WOMAN ALONEEEEEEEEEE. shit, they all got a hit on her i was SICK. paradeisos you will burn to the ground. langley hop on that helicopter before you get taken down too

and speaking of cursing…. i need aisno to never beep another curse word again. they’ve been slacking off on that front and good for me because hearing garofano swear made my day it sounds so out of place and sexy coming from her. the emphasis on “fucks” like she really hates these dudes😭😭 it’s so hot. it’s so hot man. i cant add the video on here bc tumblr is a bitch that wont let me add multiple vids in one post but i tweeted it here for those who wanna hear it, i'm usually a private acc but i felt like being public for a while lol

anyway this really was an amazing event and the #1 garo stan now

[royakahoshiart]

Gonna be ranting about the way harassment is talked about so leniently in tbhk.

That part where Tsukasa kissed Nene makes me so mad because we didn't get to even see Nene's genuine reactions, she only thought manwha type stuff it's so annoying.

Let's also talk about Hanako he's also harassed people constantly.

Looking up Nene's skirt, throwing Kou to the ground numerous times, never respecting boundaries even when told to.

I feel like I should add how both Aida and Iro are guilty of this in most of their stories actually.

Sure it's a popular thing in Japan to treat it as a joke but that's exactly why so many horrible shit heads can get away with harassment.

Oh god let's not forget the scene everyone on twitter and tik tok hates.

Chapter 69 during the aoiaoi fight, I will always defend it to my heart forever and ever but I acknowledge that the way Akane was touching her was kinda weird that's why I struggled to read it at first. The kiss at the end was consensual but holding her in place, and we whatever that panel of him was I don't wanna think about it was definitely not consensual.

I don't like how it's treated. I don't care that it's a comedy sometimes or that a shounen trope like this are common, both writer and artist are women I'd expect them to try and treat it with a little more care.

I've seen how most Japanese readers don't really address the bad things of the manga or maybe they just don't notice and I don't think that's good at all.

So many characters have done weird things I'm just picking who didn't, mitsuba and the adults seem to be the only ones who haven't harassed anyone really, even then they have faults.

Even Kou , he tied up Mitsuba it kinda pisses me off for no reason. Maybe im just petty but I knows it's supposed to be comedy, I still laugh at that thing but it's still weird how Kou tied him up in the first place and had no objections by Mitsuba at first maybe I'm thinking too hard about it.

I despise that part where Hanako enters Nene's body. Not consensual, plus using her as a way to get away with things.

People see it like a funny moment but it's still sexual harassment and harassment in general I hate is so much. The fact that he commented on Aoi's breast size makes me even more mad because he touched it wanting or not, and decided to say it even making fun of her.

Plus Nene was obviously uncomfortable with it I'm not sure how she was able to look at Aoi ever again.

Also poor Kou???? He's a poor 14 year old boy Hanako does not need to do that with Nene's body I feel so bad for both Kou and Nene. Kou wanted to do something about it but he couldn't even dare to look at the scene Kou Minamoto they could never make me hate you.

English translation fucked it up a bit , they made him comment on the occurrence saying "seductive" but what i think is more fit is "embarassing". AUGHHH tbhk stop putting your main characters in weird scenes challenge failed.

The image in the first volume of Nene being naked errr it's censored yes but weird. We could've had just hanako talking about it but we didn't need an artist rendition. Someone made an edit of that panel making her covered parts visible and it disgusts me like it would for other people too.

Talking so freely about wanting to see her naked is very weird from Hanako's part I don't exactly know if it does count as sexual harassment but for me it is.

I think we forget Sumire tried to erffghnb with Hakubo and I like that all she got was a headbutt. Oh oh and well Hakubo's kiss was uncalled for but her slap was even more.

The scene where she gets eaten goes down easier if you remember she was completely fine with it, both of them where okay with it happening (i still struggle reading that part 😓) so it's not really that bad.

[raveneira]

Could you explain how the spoilers are bad for Sarada? I'm a little lost here

Because they show Sarada in the terrible light shes always been in but never been called out on it until now which was long overdue tbh but it needed to be said, just since now there's finally a light being shined on it, there's no ignoring it anymore, so now its not just the fandom saying it but its an actual canon conflict being addressed now, not just ppl speculating that's the case, it IS the case 100% now and its a terrible look for Sarada.

As for how well just look at how it all played out and see it through Sumire's pov, not the readers.

Sumire asked Sarada how she felt about Boruto FIRST to see how she felt and Sarada told her point blank with no hesitation or sign of lying that no she isn't interested and it doesn't bother her if other girls like him.

Keyword to remember:

It doesnt bother her if other girls like him

This is what leads Sumire to feel comfortable admitting her feelings to her, because Sarada said she isn't bothered, so Sumire tells her that she does like him and that it DOES bother her, much to Sarada's surprise but at no point does Sarada ever backtrack on her statement, leaving Sumire to believe that everything she said is true, that she doesn't like Boruto and doesn't mind if other girls like him, so Sumire feels comfortable to pursue a romance with Boruto without stepping on Sarada's toes.

In this moment Sumire is considering Sarada's feelings first, she easily could've pursued Boruto without ever asking Sarada how she felt, she doesn't own Boruto, he's not an object she called dibs on, so Sumire had no obligation to approach Sarada for 'permission' but she did, because she didn't wanna go behind her friends back going after somebody her friend liked, she wanted to know how Sarada felt first before saying anything about her own feelings, this is important considering what happens later in the timeskip that not enough ppl consider.

I get how on the surface this looks pretty petty, that's her childhood friend shes been worried about for 3 years so an emotional hug in relief isn't really anything to be mad over, but again, you gotta look at it from SUMIRE'S pov to understand how fked up this looks to her.

First you have to look at what Sumire says to Sarada, because she doesn't only talk about the hug, that's just one of many examples of Sarada not giving any thought to anyone else's feelings, that's just the example she chose to use here.

This is before she mentions the hug, Sumire is spot on in everything she says here because Sarada, even tho well intended, is being not only stupid but also extremely selfish here and the ppl trying to argue that it isn't are both delusional and in denial, especially the ones using Hinata to prove the point when Hinata herself literally says shes being SELFISH in what shes doing.

And what happened because of Hinata's selfishness? how did it affect Naruto?

Yeah, Naruto had a complete and total mental breakdown, he was in pain, suffering in agony, so much so he nearly gave into Kurama which would've killed him if he unsealed him that only by the grace of Minato thinking 16 years ahead was that prevented, otherwise Hinata doomed him to an early death by making him lose control like that with her selfishness.

Thats not a jab at Hinata btw, Naruto has been equally selfish and inconsiderate regarding Sasuke and others too at times, its only human, nobody is 100% unselfish and unflawed ALL the time that's just basic human nature, so there's nothing wrong with pointing out Hinata was selfish here just like there's nothing wrong to point out Sarada is too, it doesn't make them bad ppl, It just makes them human.

This is exactly what Sumire was talking about when she told Sarada to actually THINK for a moment, because for the past 3 years she hasn't thought about a got danm thing and it shows and this was just the final tipping point for Sumire because of what just happened recently, you'd think Sarada would've learned her lesson, wised up, realized the position shes in but no, instead she stupidly asks Ada where Boruto is so they could go chase after him, AFTER LITERALLY ALL THIS JUST HAPPENED

All this JUST HAPPENED and she has the AUDACITY to ask where Boruto is to try and chase after him, THAT was the tipping point for Sumire because this is not the first time Sarada was this annoyingly careless and even after getting humbled STILL repeated the same mistakes and Sumire is understandably fed up with it and calling her out, it was long overdue.

Why does Sarada need to know where Boruto is? what does she plan to do? go after him and then what? help fight the enemies that 1 v everybody like nothing? the same enemy that almost ate her alive? the one Boruto had to save her ass from? and will have to save her ass again?

Sumire is absolutely right, Boruto only struggled and got hurt because THEY were there and he had to keep in mind THEIR presence the entire time, if it was Boruto alone he might could've handled Hidari solo since he clearly doesn't have total mastery over Sasuke's arsenal yet, and he only got sniped because Kawaki stopped him to justifiably question wtf is going on, but again, these things wouldn't have happened if THEY weren't involved, he'd have defeated Hidari and dipped before Jura got a clean shot.

So Sumire is absolutely right, they are, at least currently, a liability to Boruto, they are just in his way, a distraction, as much as they might WANT to help they simply cant, they don't have the power or the means to help him in the way KK and Kawaki can, but that doesn't mean Sarada and Sumire cant help AT ALL in OTHER ways, they just cant help him fight those enemies like Sarada is stupidly suggesting after literally just getting bodied by said enemies and needing saving.

The fact that she is so unselfaware is also highly annoying because she thinks Boruto cant handle these enemies on his own despite him literally saving Hima AND her back to back with seconds to spare and then hard carrying everybody the entire fight and yet STILL had to make time to save Sarada in between charging up Uzuhiko, which he couldn't even do to completion because they couldn't even buy him enough time to so he just went with what he had, which ended up only blowing him in half that only by the grace of Kawaki appearing when he did was Hidari finished off before he healed himself.

This is whats frustrating about Sarada, because even with all this happening right in front of her eyes she still cant take a hint, she still lacks self awareness, something she lacked 3 years ago and still does now, she hasn't developed ONE BIT from then to now.

Even if her running after him is understandable Im not saying it isn't, but she doesn't ever think before she acts, her intent is to help yet she has 0 plan for how, like for example Hinata jumping in to help Naruto, how did she help him? despite knowing she was outmatched, she fought him, lost, but she did throw hands at him to buy Naruto even just a little more time

What did Sarada plan to do? absolutely nothing, she shot a fireball that Kawaki absorbed and then just stood there with a kunai ready while Kawaki approached her and slashed at her, she didn't even activate her Sharingan or get into a fighting stance, she was literally weak kneed and nervous and just waited to be attacked, needing to be saved by the very person SHE went there to save, costing him his eye, and she does ZERO reflection.

You'd think after that type of fumble she'd know better and DO better now but she doesn't, she does the EXACT same thing she did then, she is stupidly trying to run to 'help' Boruto with no danm game plan, even after just being humbled by these enemies she stupidly thinks Boruto actually needs their help despite them being in his way the entire time and holding him back.

Anyway I made my point there so lets move on but its important to why Sumire is getting fed up with her, because it doesn't take rocket science to put together that Boruto left with both his eyes but only lost one after Sarada went to go 'help' him, or hell I wouldn't be surprised if Sarada told her, either way its safe to assume Sumire knows this which is partially why shes irritated with Sarada's lack of self awareness.

First Boruto lost his eye because of her, then Boruto gets badly wounded trying to protect her and everyone else there, now she hears Ada saying Boruto is deliberately avoiding them to not get them involved as much as possible and Sarada stupidly asks for his location completely ignoring the elephant in the room, disregarding Borutos feelings and what just happened entirely because of what SHE wants and Sumire understandably had enough.

So moving on from Saradas lack of self awareness and selfishness, lets move onto what she says about the hug and why its also justified from Sumire's pov.

As a viewer this seems petty but again, you have to see this from Sumire's pov, as I mentioned 3 years ago, all the way back in chapter 19, Sumire approached Sarada FIRST before ever acting on her feelings to see how SHE felt about Boruto first before saying how she felt herself and Sarada told her she had no interest in him and that it doesn't bother her if other girls like him, so in Sumire's eyes she doesn't have to feel awkward about liking Boruto, that she can tell Sarada without causing any hard feelings in their friendship, Sarada GAVE HER that impression.

Sumire gave her the chance to come clean about how she feels, she asked her point blank and Sarada said NO, making Ssumire feel completely comfortable in confessing how she felt and pursuing him.

So for Sarada to give Sumire that impression, then after that run after Boruto as some grand proof of love [doesn't have to be romantic, after all Naruto and Sasuke risked their lives for each other out of love too] only to cost Boruto his eye, then when the whole world turned against Boruto she completely folded under pressure leaving Sumire to pick up all the pieces and holding HER together which is the ONLY reason she even thought of begging Sasuke for help, otherwise she would've left Boruto to die if not for Sumire saying their the only ones who could help him.

After Sasuke goes to save Boruto, we see Sumire by Saradas side supporting her, and before Boruto leaves he asks Ada to thank Sarada for sending Sasuke his way, having NO idea that it was actually Sumire who helped make that happen, nor that shes also unaffected and on his side as well.

3 years later and Sarada hasnt changed at all, all shes done is yap and lose her temper at Shikamaru consistently for 3 yrs straight and then complain to Sumire about it afterwards, she says 'again' implying this is a repeated occurrence that she whines to Sumire about afterwards everytime.

I want you to put yourself in Sumire's shoes, imagine your friend, the only other person you have to count on during this hard time just constantly fumbling, and not just fumbling, but also screwin up in ways that hurts the guy you like as well, but you still try to be a good friend and support her and just bite your tongue to preserve the friendship cuz you don't wanna come off mean or insensitive to their struggles despite you struggling as well and nobodies considering that.

Sumire tolerated Sarada's complete and total lack of consideration for her and how she felt and how shes struggling for 3 whole years, all the while constantly putting up with Sarada's complaining, her outbursts, her reckless behavior, shes remained calm and compassionate through it all because their all they've got to depend on now due to omnipotence, so you would think Sarada would consider Sumire but she DOESNT, instead it is always SUMIRE considering HER but she never receives that in return.

This is why the hug may sound petty on the surface, but that is just one example of a much larger problem.

Like Sumire says, she understands why Sarada acted the way she did, but when she asks did she ever consider how SHE felt, even tho its in reference to the hug, her question applies to everything

When Sarada hugged Boruto infront of her like that, knowing how she felt about him, knowing how worried she was about him too, knowing how relieved she'd be seeing Boruto alive and well too, did those thoughts ever cross her mind? no, because Sarada doesn't think about Sumire or how she feels

For context on why this looks bad from Sumire's pov is because unlike Sumire, Sarada actually SAW Boruto once already before this, SHE got to see Boruto alive and well in person, Sumire didn't, she just heard Boruto was in the village but never got to see him for herself.

It wasnt until chapter 5 where he revealed himself to BOTH of them that Sumire finally got to see Boruto again, and before she could even say or do anything Sarada threw herself at him with no regard for how Sumire was feelings, like she wasn't even there.

You can say Sarada was 'overwhelmed' seeing her friend again because she already saw him, she already knew he was ok, so this wasn't some spur of the moment thing, which is why there's an extra sting from this moment, BECAUSE shes already seen him, had time to process him being ok, had time to feel the relief and joy that Boruto was alive and well and strong enough to scare Code into retreat.

Sumire didnt get any of that tho, so there was probably a lot Sumire wanted to say or do when she finally saw him again, but Sarada didn't give her that chance, it was literally INSTANT before Sumire had even fully turned around she was already running to him.

Im not condemning Sarada for hugging her friend, that's stupid, Im just pointing out from Sumire's pov WHY this moment looked bad and rubbed her the wrong way.

Sumire's question is spot on, whereas Sumire was considerate of Sarada's feelings and understood why she reacted that way and STILL was attentive to how awkward she was feeling and made the effort to ease the tension, Sarada didn't consider Sumire AT ALL in that moment and hasn't been this entire time when you really play it all back.

Here are quotes by Sarada regarding Boruto to Sumire, or about Sumire, see if you notice something.

I only found out...that Boruto had died...after he had already been resurrected. At the time, I didn't even know...that he was in danger. Now that I know...I cant just stand around doing nothing!

But...this? its too cruel! why cant Boruto ever get a break?

But...you saw it too didnt you? if it'd gone badly...Boruto might've died instead of being wounded!

Its too reckless for him...to take on those monsters by himself!

Notice anything? not a single thought about Sumire, not one dialogue directed at her, about her, or how she feels

Now lets look at the same thing but this time from Sumire to Sarada about Boruto or about Sarada.

Stay calm Sarada! dont get flustered! Listen...if Ada finds out about this...it'll likely be bad! Think about it, those who become her captives...cant even think about attacking her! but...the two of us would actually be able to attack her! in short, there's a high possibility...that Ada would deem us security risks!

Sarada no! its too dangerous!

Calm down Sarada, you should be fine, actually you and me both. I don't have it all figured out yet, but given the facts...I'd say that Ada...is involved somehow.

Either way, you and I may be the only ones...who can help Boruto right now. And yet...Im not sure what we can do.

Sarada! you okay!?

Master Konohamaru! protect Sarada!! his target is Sarada! I think-- No, I know it!

Sarada, hang in there! Sarada!

Boruto! This foe is clearly after Sarada! just now...he completely ignored Master Konohamaru...and went for Sarada instead, the moment he saw her!

So many mentions of Sarada, concern, worry, thought for her wellbeing, thought for her mental state, supporting her, there for her.

When you look at all of that, Sumire's quote here really hits hard.

I've...tried to be respectful of your feelings. To understand that you reaction in that moment was to be expected. But...what about you Sarada? when you...were in front of me...did you think about my feelings at all...even just a little bit?

And that right there is what makes Sarada look so bad this chapter, because she DIDNT and when you play it all back, she NEVER has thought about her feelings, not even a little.

I am by no means saying this chapter makes Sarada a horrible person, nor am I saying shes a bad person or friend, but she does have bad friend tendencies that went unaddressed for far too long and its ok to call it out, nobodys perfect, the important thing is whether or not Sarada will finally REFLECT on these flaws and work to change and better herself, only time will tell but for now this opens the door for some much needed development for both of them that I hope Ikemoto doesn't fumble.

[thegreatmatpi]

Love Live! School Idol Honor Band

this took me wayyyyy too long to figure out and edit together but i'm very proud of the balance of this ensemble!! explanations (for most of them at least) below the cut!

μ's

honoka: trumpet obviously. she's been shown playing the bugle and has the energy to match.

kotori: flute. kotori has flute player vibes. i swear i've seen her play the flute somewhere and if i haven't the image fits so well.

umi: french horn. again, vibes.

hanayo: oboe. needs a really specific skillset to get it to sound good and hanayo seems like she'd be that kind of specialist.

rin: percussion. what else could it be? the sheer energy of that joy and whimsy must be harnessed to make music by hitting things.

maki: in the spirit of avoiding the low-hanging fruit, i'm giving her the flute as well.

nico: trumpet. how else is she supposed to get noticed?

eli: tenor sax. she has the right kind of cool for it.

nozomi: baritone sax. i don't need to elaborate.

Aqours

chika: trumpet. she looks up to honoka so she'd play the same instrument.

you: percussion. i am projecting.

riko: clarinet. i think most of the piano players will end up having woodwind instruments.

yohane: tuba. i think the image of yohane with a tuba is both hilarious and very fitting.

hanamaru: contrabass. it fits very well but i don't know why.

ruby: flute. following in her sister's footsteps

dia: flute. her perfectionist nature lends itself to flute playing.

kanan: trombone, she has a very cool and calm vibe that suits it.

mari: euphonium. solely because she reminds me too much of asuka tanaka from hibike euphonium.

Nijigasaki

ayumu: clarinet. the og 9 are all based on the marching in harmony set

setsuna: trombone. she also has the chaos to match.

ai: percussion. also based on that one magazine art of her holding drumsticks.

lanzhu: also percussion. she has percussion vibes.

kasumi: trumpet. also because she wants to play solos.

rina: percussion.

shizuku: piccolo.

shioriko: french horn. she has the same vibes as umi as far as instrument choice.

karin: alto sax.

kanata: euphonium.

emma: tuba. her marching in harmony card has a sousaphone, which for all intents and purposes is a tuba with the pipes wrapped in such a way to facilitate marching.

mia: alto sax. not entirely sure why but again, avoiding the piano, and this makes sense.

Liella!

kanon: euphonium. she IS kumiko oumae from hibike euphonium, which probably why i like her so much tbh.

keke: french horn. partially for ensemble balance but i can see it.

sumire: trombone. it's flashy and perfect for showbiz.

chisato: percussion. so many circles. moving around like that is also kind of a dance in and of itself.

ren: oboe. she has the elegance for it.

kinako: clarinet. her character arc reminds me most of a clarinet player's

mei: trombone. she's kinda like a trombone herself in a way i can't really articulate.

shiki: tuba. i legitimately can't see her playing anything else because tuba fits so well.

natsumi: alto sax. flashy. she picked it up again after joining liella and actually put some work into it.

margarete: french horn. something something vienna philharmonic something something beethoven symphony.

tomari: bass clarinet. fits too well.

Hasunosora

(i don't know much about them so this is purely vibes and to balance out the band)

kaho: trumpet.

sayaka: clarinet.

rurino: alto sax.

kozue: flute.

tsuzuri: bass clarinet. the way she acts around sayaka reminds me of how one of the senior bass clarinetists was around one of the clarinetists.

megumi: clarinet.

kosuzu: clarinet.

ginko: flute.

hime: bassoon.

and obviously yuu is the conductor.

i have also put a little thought into the seating chart and percussion part assignments. nozoeli, shikimei, and tsuzusaya are sat together bc of course they are. kinako and ren are next to each other as kind of like a mentor/mentee kinda thing, and similar logic with dia and ruby. trumpets i probably put the most thought into. i have chika as first chair ahead of honoka in second chair as kind of a symbol of how she got Aqours to shine like µ's, and possibly even brighter. kasumi is just behind nico but their auditions were pretty similar. inspired by that one part from the sifas main story where the two of them hold a joint stream to see who the fans love more and they both fail to attract much good attention. kaho is brand new on the trumpet; she picked it up because it looked cool and then realized there was a very steep learning curve. kind of like hazuki katou from hibike if that makes sense. ai and rina are with their marching in harmony instruments. rin has crash cymbal energy. you and lanzhu are focused on mallets mainly so i gave them marimba and vibraphone. chisato is on timpani because four big circles. that said the percussionists know how to play everything and they'll switch around for each piece.

anyway would love to hear y'all's thoughts on this! i love putting the love live girlies in situations where they play instruments :3