#I absolutely love Higashi

[zekesplayground]

♥

[hopkei]

03.17.24

[overdevelopedglasses]

Tojoctober Day 14 - Shock

(What's the meaning of this magic spell?)

Alt title is from “A” by SiM

Hoshino swings by Yagami Detective Agency, getting some assistance with some evidence he’s been cleared to look over.

One of these pieces of evidence? A device that is described as a shock gun.

(no spoilers!)

—-----------------------

“Thank you for the help, Yagami-san. Oh, hi everyone!”

The evening Kamurocho light illuminates Hoshino’s face as he walks into the Yagami Detective Agency. All eyes turn towards him. Yagami sits at his desk, Kaito sits on his desk, Higashi sits respectfully on one of the chairs, and Sugiura lounges on the couch. Sugiura watches as the new lawyer makes eye-contact with all of the unexpected parties, landing on Sugiura. The ex-thief attempts to soften his gaze. Last thing he wants to do is scare the poor guy. He hasn’t interacted with Hoshino much, even though he means to.

“Do you guys want to help out as well?” Hoshino asks, gaze bouncing between everyone in the room.

“Sure thing, Hoshino-kun. Otherwise, I’d imagine Tak would kick us out. Client-detective privilege and all” Kaito hops off of the desk and saunters over to the coffee table, motioning Sugiura to give him a seat on the couch. Sugiura sticks his tongue out, but swings his legs onto the floor, assuming a sitting position. He adjusts his hoodie slightly as Hoshino places the large bag he was carrying onto the table, opening it before taking a seat in the empty chair.

“That’s not true, Kaito-san.” Yagami rolls his chair out from behind his desk, taking up a position at the head of the table. “What are we looking at, Hoshino-kun?”

“Well, we have to be careful, as some of the evidence is a bit delicate.”

Hoshino starts going through each piece of evidence, as Yagami and the others provide passing comments. Sugiura pays half-attention, at least until Hoshino pulls what looks like a gun out of the bag. Once it’s set down, Kaito immediately snatches it. Sugiura watches as Kaito examines the gun with a child-like wonder.

“What’s this thing again, Hoshino-kun?” Kaito asks with what Sugiura deems as way too much curiosity. He sees Yagami in his eyeline, also watching Kaito with a great level of concern. 

“That’s what was called a shock gun, Kaito-san. Apparently it discharges electrical blasts that-”

Hoshino is cut off by a loud whirring sound. Sugiura processes the sound a second too late, as he sees a blue light exit the gun that Kaito was holding, and then someone lets out a yell.

“FUCK’S SAKE, ANIKI!”

Sugiura looks over at Higashi, who’s glasses are now askew, revealing his brown eyes that are wide in shock. His hair is now slightly puffed out in all directions, but still maintains its slicked-back nature. His chest has a very slight dark mark on it, as blue energy rises from him. His limbs also twitch every now and then. Sugiura tries his damndest to hide a smile, because he’d never seen Higashi this disheveled in his life.

“Oh, shit, Higashi, you ok???”

Kaito leans over, concerned with what he just did, placing the gun on the table. 

Hoshino leans over and grabs it.

“YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO SHOOT ME WITH THE DAMN THING” Higashi shouts in retaliation.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you!”

“Wait, Kaito-san, how’d you get this thing to activate?” Hoshino asks, spinning the gun in his grip.

“Hoshino, maybe that’s not the best idea…” Sugiura trails off as he hears the whirring noise a second time.

“OWWWWWW!”

Hoshino yells in shock and slight pain, throwing the gun into the air reflexively, and Sugiura hears the whirring noise again. The gun spins as a third blast launches from the barrel. Sugiura follows the blast with his eyes, and realizes that it would’ve hit Yagami, if a large ex-yakuza wasn’t leaning over the table to check on his friend.

“OH FUCK!”

Unsurprisingly to Sugiura, Kaito is the source of the yelling this time, his muscular form crumpling onto the table. The hand that he was using to check on Higashi falls onto the man’s knee, and begins to spasm, along with the rest of Kaito’s body.  The gun lands on Hoshino's lap, and he attempts to scramble away to no avail.

“YEAH, DOESN’T FEEL GOOD, DOES IT???” Higashi yells with half sarcasm, half concern, and Sugiura bets he feels a little bit vindicated by what just happened.

“NO, IT DOESN’T, HIGASHI. FUCK!” Kaito replies, struggling to get himself off of the table. Sugiura would laugh if the whole situation didn’t seem kind of pathetic. Here was a yakuza, an ex-yakuza and a lawyer, all bested by a tiny little device they didn’t understand.

Yagami, trying to hide a smile, walks over to Hoshino’s lap, and picks up the gun. “Maybe it’s best if I keep this on my desk. Who knows when it could go off next?”

Sugiura stands up and blocks Yagami’s path, with the man giving him a questioning look.

“Can I take a look at it first, Yagami-san? Maybe I can figure out why it’s going off so suddenly.” He had to admit, the gun made him curious as well. And Sugiura would like to think of himself as pretty smart.

Yagami gives Sugiura a look that challenges his claim, and Sugiura acts before thinking that maybe this was a terrible idea.

He aims a swift kick, which connects with Yagami’s wrist. Yagami reflexively reacts, aiming to smack Sugiura’s thigh, but not before the gun flies into the air again. Before Sugiura can flash a winning smile at his superior and leap to grab the gun, he hears a sound, and then a sensation of warmth and tingle and pain echoes through him at the same time a second sound fills the air.

“SHIT!”

“GOD DAMN IT!”

Almost simultaneously, Yagami and Sugiura hit the ground, and the entire office is filled with groans of pain from the five occupants. Sugiura can’t really register anything other than a burning sensation that slowly fades through the next few minutes. Soon after, he starts hearing someone laugh.

“Man, that was stupid, wasn’t it guys?” Kaito, the source of the laughter, quips.

Sugiura finds himself joining in, “ Yeah, not our best moment.”

Soon, the whole office is filled with laughter from all five people, reveling in their shared pain. They all begin to arise and assess themselves and each other, making sure no one was seriously hurt.

The shock gun was treated with much care beyond that.

And when it did fire, they all made sure that the blast didn’t hit anyone.

[fyanimaldiversity]

have you seen any of the grey transient killer whales off the west coast of north america? they’re beautiful! researchers aren’t exactly sure what causes the coloration. it’s hypothesized that chediak-higashi syndrome may be to blame, as it was documented in a captive individual from a related population. beautiful animals though, so far, none of the wild grey calves have survived to adulthood

Sorry for the late response, but wow! Absolutely stunning, I love faded black animals, they look like went through the wash too many times. So sad they have health issues!

[arkiwii]

ME WHEN I'M FINALLY DONE WITH MY ARKNIGHTS OC

my god it took too long for literally just a fullbody. usually i do them so fast but i guess here i was lazy. anyway information and stuff and story and whatever below!!

Real name Fortuna, code name Kochosen, is a Liberi (azure-winged magpie) born in Laterano. She had been growing up and thriving to become a doctor. However, after contracting Oripathy in an accident, she has been forced to leave Laterano. Surviving in the wastelands on her own, she discovered her Originium Arts, to manipulate water, which greatly helped her in her journey. She finally joined Yan, where she was able to find some help for her cause, then later, joined Higashi, after helping a whole village from a Catastrophe.

She later accepted to help Rhodes Island as a Medic operator, precisely an Incantation Medic.

Fortuna is what can be said a bad omen... And also a good omen. Back in Laterano, due to her clumsiness, she quickly won the reputation of bringing bad luck around. Her Infection is what truly made her the nemesis of the Leterans, and due to the rules in the city, has been seen as an occasion to get rid of a bad luck bringer. This convinced her that she was indeed one who only cause suffering around, bringing her morale and self confidence to the lowest as she barely managed to survive in the wilderness.

However, when she arrived in Higashi, after catching the first signs of an incoming Catastrophe and having alerted the nearby village, she has been seen as a savior and a good omen. Her help and contribution to the village as a doctor also contribued to this good reputation, and the villagers quickly started to appreciate her presence. After this event, and seeing that her powers and own hands were able to save lives and not hurt them, she questioned herself.

But she doesn't remain less clumsy. It seems all the worst happen to her, like a bad luck magnet. But it seems like it happens to her and only her, and nobody around, quite the opposite even - people around her seem to live rather fortunate events. Maybe by attracting the bad luck to her, the other persons around are left with only good luck...

It's because of her clumsiness that her body is rather... In a bad state. Under the layers of clothes she wears is a wounded, bandaged body, covered in minor scars, bruises, and of Originum crystals. She seems to be used to this however, her only complains are about how her sleep is uncomfortable.

Despite her serious and calm personality, she's not one to be on the smarter side. She still struggles a lot with Yanese for example, and the culture of Higashi. After all, as a Lateran, she finds the food of Higashi "dull", and would much prefer their sweetest snacks instead.

As well, it seems that her Oripathy has caused kleptomania, as she was often caught taking on objects of her interest for no other reason that she felt the urge to take them.

___________

i love birds, i love magpies, i love arknights, boom

here she is

The main ideas for her design and story is... Well, about how Magpies are absolutely dual?? in occidental cultures, they are seen as bringer of death, bad luck, nasty, quite like crows. but in oriental cultures, it's the total opposite, they're seen as a symbol of luck, of love, of balance and such! that's why i wanted to make her being so contradictory. she seems serious but is dumb. she came laterano where she was seen as bad luck, she moved to higashi where she is seen as good luck. her outfit is quite literally a mix of lateran and higashi culture

as for water arts, it's a reference to how luck and fate are like a river, but also to how water arts are both very dangerous and benefic, and also it's a reference to the magpie bridge in chinese culture

anyway, she tries her best, and that she's clumsy and a bit strange doesn't change that she has a very kind heart

[lemonxdaisybby]

Hello, can I ask for headcanons on dating Higashi (aka the babygirl)? Could be general/NSFW, it's up to you! Thank you so much~

I got two Higashi requests at the same time, and I am v happy because he is my favourite in the Judgement gang 💕

Link to the NSFW hcs ✨here✨

I’ve also included a few more below too! Hope you like and thank you for the ask! also sorry this is long I got mega carried away whoops

Higashi is babygirl indeed, yes.

It would take him absolutely ages to confess to you. He’d try so hard to hide his feelings at first, and instead would choose to maintain his usual tough guy facade, trying to appear all gruff and serious.

This would not work. Yourself and anyone hanging around with you two would totally catch him softly smiling or staring at you. As soon as he realises his facade has been broken, he’d clear his throat hastily and quickly return his face back to its signature scowl. He’d probably turn away in an attempt to find something else to busy himself with, flustered that he got caught.

When he does eventually gain the courage to confess, he would invite you to meet him for a coffee at a nice, peaceful cafe, with absolutely no indication of why he suddenly wants to meet up with you, alone. It would be mega confusing, but also it’s Higashi, so you’re not gonna decline a meet-up with this precious angel.

He’d seem so on edge when you arrive, he’d be very jittery and would be wearing a deep frown, and you’d notice that he can’t quite seem to meet your gaze.

He probably made an error in choosing a quieter cafe to make his confession, as it means he has to speak in a lower voice to make sure you two aren’t overheard. You’d probably have to get him to repeat the confession twice as he was so quiet the first time. He’d be gripping his coffee cup so tightly the entire time, you’re surprised it didn’t explode.

He was honestly so happy and also surprised when you accepted his fumbling confession, as though he almost expected you to reject him.

Higashi is an absolute gentleman, so with dating he would definitely take it rather slow, and he would be very conscious of boundaries. He’d absolutely hate to ever make you feel uncomfortable. He would also be rather nervous when the two of you first start dating, so expect some awkwardness.

No PDA. He would get so embarrassed. Not because of you, but because he’s got this tough Yakuza facade to maintain, and also the guys would absolutely roast him to shreds if they ever witnessed him being affectionate. He would however be okay with holding your hand, and when you’re saying your goodbyes he would give you a lil forehead kiss, although the first time he did this his face got so heated.

Higashi would make such a huge effort to make time for you. Any time you need him, he’s there in a flash. Kaito and the guys would probably tease him and tell him he’s whipped (which he would heatedly deny), but they’re also extremely glad that he’s found someone as lovely as you. They want the best for their baby boy.

He would make time for little dates with you through the week too, just little casual outings, such as meeting up for a drink and a small bite to eat at a cafe, or a casual, relaxing evening at a restaurant where the two of you can unwind and enjoy each others company over some amazing food. He’d also enjoy going on little walks with you round the city.

In terms of sex, he was so fucking nervous the first time he fucked you. He is a massive over-thinker, and would maybe worry that he would perform badly or fuck up somehow and embarrass himself. Your first time together was good however. It was clumsy, and there was a sense of urgency almost, as the two of you had probably wanted to fuck long before now, but both were too awkward to initiate it.

He prefers positions where he can see your face, to gauge your reactions so that he can make sure he’s making you feel as amazing as possible. He’s very observant.

Higashi wouldn’t be massively loud, but there would be a lot of heavy breathing, and also low groans whenever something feels particularly good.

He’s not the cuddliest person, but his after sex snuggles would be so lovely. He’d have you pulled close to his chest, with your head tucked under his chin, and he’d be stroking your back slowly, his fingers gently trailing over your skin. You would just feel so safe and loved.

[yakuzacasual]

Game of choice

Round of rapidfire late-night thoughts based entirely in my own gaming experience of a european, and things i've gotten through osmosis.

What kind of games they play with Yagami, Kaito, Sugiura, Higashi, Tsukumo, Mafuyu, Saori, Hoshino, Kuwana

Yagami needs his mental stimulation, with how many cases of his end up being a literal wild goose chase. He would totally be into Layton games and maybe even Ace Attorney if we feel a little on the nose. Eventually falls victim to the Spike Chunsoft pipeline from Danganronpa, through AI: Somnium Files, to Zero Escape series. 999 is now his favourite.

Kaito only cares about multiplayer shooting games with his buds. Rainbow Six Siege, Battlefield, PUGB you name it - he probably tried it. Aside from CS:GO, he was banned from ever trying CS:GO by Sugiura. Got roped into Fortnite along the way and although he clearly enjoys it, he keeps complaining it's clearly for kids.

Sugiura plays pretty much anything popular - Minecraft, Fortnite, GTA, Valorant - usually just to kill time. He doesn't care all that much about having "experiences that will change the trajectory of his life forever", as Tsukumo puts it. What only a handful of people know, however, is that he is absolutely INSANE about Mirror's Edge. Go figure.

Higashi will let his history nerd run wild and will put his hands on anything samurai period drama adjacent. He's been through things such as Ghost of Tsushima, Ishin and will brave the toughest of challenges in Sekiro and Nioh for his dose of the good shit. Recently he's been even caught trying out Katana Zero and despite not being his usual kind of setting, he ends up loving it.

Tsukumo is a League of Legends youth survivor and years clean of the cancer that enveloped him. These days he's neck deep into jrpgs and visual novels of all kinds. Most notably, he is THE Xenoblade Chronicles fan and has played literally every entry in and adjacent to the Megami Tensei series. Refuses to talk about Persona though, absolute SMT truther.

Mafuyu is the absolute casual girly player, with hundreds of thousands of hours in between things like Fashion Dreamer, every Sims generation and a touch of Splatoon when nobody's watching. Was there back when Flash games were a thing, where she would spend all evenings on the dress-ups and Devillish Hairdresser. Probably played Stardoll or something.

Saori finds herself lured into the strange appeal of Cultist Simulator, which somehow escalated into her being insane about Lobotomy Company and Library of Ruina. I don't know either. Suffice to say, she enjoys card and management games, with a bit of weird fucking lore on the side. At times she emerges from her solo player cave to kick people's asses in Dead By Daylight - she can WRECK with any killer.

Hoshino was there for the Giant Dad phase and has, ever since, remained one of the greatest, most viscious Dark Souls PVPers. Bro used to have absolutely no mercy with his neigh beast skill in the game and if you squint, he might've won a DS speedrun competition once or twice. These days he only logs in to help in multi (think along the lines of Let Me Solo Her) and will not shut up about Disco Elysium.

Kuwana is yet to recover from Hotline Miami brainworms even though it has been literal years. He has tried his hand at similar recommendations like Superhot, Ruiner or Ultrakill but nothing has ever stuck quite the same way. Ends up replaying the games every year like a religious ritual. Might end up getting into Katana Zero, but ends up so pissed with the ending he vows never to give chances again.

[yakuzacanons]

YAYYYY!!!! HAPPY ONE YEAR!!!!!

I'm so happy for you<333 I love getting alerts that you've posted your posts are always so good!!! Now that judgement requests are open, I was wondering if you'd be willing to do Higashi dating hcs? (Sfw and nsfw... If you want ...)

skskskssks thank you you are such a sweetie for saying that. Also hell yea, Higashi was a character that really grew on me and I love that he just doesn't think sometimes. No wonder he and Kaito get along.

If Kaito is pure of heart dumb of ass, Higashi is dumb of heart dumb of ass. Higashi is the type of guy who thinks by just jumping headfirst into situations. Actually, sometimes he and Kaito don't think much before doing stuff.

Right off the bat, let's be clear: if you're dating Kaito you will be seeing Higashi a lot and if you're dating Higashi you will be seeing Kaito a lot. Package deal.

Higashi spends most of his time at work, half slumped behind his desk at Charles bored out of his absolute gourd. Likes a good bar crawl, or just about any nightlife type of activity. Knows how to party, good taste in drinks too.

If he's got a crush, Kaito is the first one to hear about it. By hear about it, I mean Kaito just magically knew one day and straight up asked the guy and Higashi was suddenly like "HUH?!" like his dumb ass did not even know he had caught feelings.

Higashi's less experienced than one would think given how loud and tough he can act. Yea, he's had sex, he's been on some one-off dates, but what the fuck is a relationship? Like most things, he'll just figure it out as he goes.

Type of guy to confess on accident. You two will be doing the most normal mundane thing and he'll just suddenly be like "Yea, it's almost like I like you, jeez!" and you'll both just stand there silently and be like "...now what?"

Boyfriend Higashi is super chill. Since he just spends most of his time working and sitting in one place, he's always down to go out and do stuff. Plus, you are always welcome to swing by Charles. Bring snacks if you can...

He does have a bit of a cocky act that serves as a bit of a wall at the start of dating. Man's just trying too hard to impress. Just let him know that those sorts of things don't matter to you and he'll eventually stop playing a part and start being his true self.

Kaito thinks you two are cute, by the way. And he won't stop saying it, mostly to get a rise out of Higashi. Yagami cannot comprehend how any of this happened though.

In bed, Higashi is one of the most normal guys out there which is not a bad thing. Average sex drive and stamina, you two can have a good time getting it on without it being a multi-hour affair. Does prefer to top, is a bit stubborn about changing that habit so watch out.

Wanna make him blush? Compliment his outfit.

[jankydem]

I spent all day. All. Day. Drawing this stupid ugly fugly annoying mean FAMILY.

Hours. For these STINKY. PEOPLE

Anyways here’s them with better quality + names and whatever (these are in age order btws)

Chiyo Gokuhara and Higashi Gokuhara. (aka slenderman with hair)

Higashi is troubled and rude and pushy and hates his children unless they’re perfect. We don’t like him here. Meanwhile Chiyo… CHIYO! 😊 She’s a radical woman, doesn’t push her children into doing anything, very supportive, very sweet, and love love LOVES her babies. Also she’s pretty :3

Maria Gokuhara.

One of Gontas older sisters, she owns her a relatively large section of the families company, and a huge fan of puns. She’s chill, serious when she needs to be, looks out for her younger siblings and has a crush on her coworker… ooooo.

Silvia Myoga (Married name).

Another one of Gontas older sisters. She has a bubbly personality and a huge heart, similar to Gonta. She’s the only one of the Gokuhara siblings who are married, though, her marriage was arranged. But despite that, she is like BESTIES with her husband. Not in love, but they’re good friends. So they don’t really care about being married to each other. She’s the sibling that Gonta probably vents to the most, only because she’s the only one that doesn’t do much work. All the siblings comfort each other when they can, though.

Andrés Gokuhara.

The oldest brother in the family, also the most serious. He isn’t really stuck up, per se. Just.. strict. Really. He takes his gentleman AND work role very seriously. He’s a fabulous worker, also taking up a portion of the families company, just like Maria. He INSISTS on brushing on Gontas hair, which never works and it just ends up getting hair brushes and combs stuck in his hair. Gonta and him don’t really talk much..

Gonta Gokuhara.

…It’s Gonta.

Rui Gokuhara.

Gontas younger brother, who’s obsessed with Spider-Man. Yes, Spider-Man. He’s also unable to speak, he’s mute. He LOVES Gonta to bits. Mostly because of his height, he likes climbing on his shoulders. He finds it fun. Watch out though, he bites. For no reason. He just does.

Nomi Gokuhara.

The youngest of the siblings, an absolute BRAT. She’s very rude, insults everyone, and only really likes her mother. She’s sorta like a 6 year old version of Hiyoko. But richer. She’s a mean one..

Spare thing-

Before you ask, they’re all VERY tall. They take after their dad.

[khytal]

going through the kaito files dlc for the first time :)

-kaito's dad energy is off the charts. love that for him -jun is such a good kid.,..,.he's literally 14 and not once does anyone forget it (bc of how 14-years-old he is) -why is higashi narrating this story HDJFGHDF -"how can we keep yagami out of kamurocho so that kaito can really shine in his story here" "bear" "what-" "bear" -crimson lotus's introduction was really funny to me I'm sorry -kyoya sadamoto looks like a fish

-the guy who was like "oh fuck you two're father and son?? man I am SO sorry for trying to kill you. why didn't you guys fucking tell me this before I fought [kaito] you KNOW I have a son of my own. what the hell. I'm outta here" and just left LMAO -I almost forgot how embarrassing kaito was in lost judgment; I mean it was just his behavior towards sawa that I didn't really like (and I know yagami was also like "dude knock it off") but it was so unnecessary especially when he's been respectful towards women in literally every other situation -it only really stands out in LJ because that's like. the only time kaito interacts with a woman (outside of the client at the beginning of the game which doesn't really count). so seeing him once again be the gentleman that he was in JE makes his whole thing with sawa feel uncharacteristic. definitely not his finest moment -anyway faith in kaito's writing restored or something x') if there's a 3rd game I hope they don't botch him again -I have A Lot to say about yong yea's kiryu, which I'll save for after the gaiden patch drops. but he's absolutely killing it as shirakaba

[undercooked-spaghetti]

As someone who has written to infinity and beyond in the Judgment fandom, I feel like I should say a little something in terms of the Kaito Files DLC. I've briefly mentioned it here and there in my notes on my fics, but I absolutely just didn't like the DLC all that much. I liked small things here and there; I thought Mikiko and Jun were good characters, I liked that we got some Higashi lore: he used to make and serve tea for the Matsugane Family, he gets a new arcade in Ijincho (WHICH WE DON'T FIND AT ALL IN INFINITE WEALTH). BUT... a lot just felt quite lackluster and unlike what I've come to love in RGG games. LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!

First of all, it's a DLC about Kaito. Which is FINE! He's not my favorite, and at times he's really fucking dumb and I don't believe he can be a GREAT detective (or even a good MAIN protagonist for the series), but he means well and is strong. I think he's a good fit alongside Yagami and backs him up. And I guess for big Kaito fans, it's great to finally see him in action! However, the whole "you were engaged 16 years ago and you fall HARD when you're in love" feels like a last minute decision to write some bigger backstory for Kaito.

Now, we know a bit already; he joined up with Matsugane right after graduating middle-school, his dad was a drunk, he went to highschool for a year (??? He mentions it in Lost Judgment, and I guess I assume Matsugane tried to have him go, but it feels off, but whatever). It all seems to fit in with Kaito's character, but the whole engagement thing felt off only because the DLC makes such a big deal about it, shows us flashbacks of him and Mikiko, show us how much it means to Kaito... but until the DLC tells us about the engagement, it just never seems like it comes up or did anything to change his character in any way. It seems more like an afterthought rather than something that works out with an already established character. And it's not the WORST thing at all, but it just really sticks out to me.

I actually really liked the flashbacks of Kaito and Mikiko. It was clear that Kaito cared and Mikiko was a strong woman who wouldn't put up with his bullshit, but instead call him out on it. Kaito would absolutely come to her aid, but she wasn't helpless either. BUT... her introduction rubbed me the wrong way. Not for Mikiko; she was sticking up for her baby sister and doing what she could to protect her. But you can't tell me that an office worker, whether she used self-defense or not, could totally leave the Matsugane office weakened that they needed Kaito to come in and save the day because she could totally take on several yakuza by herself. I know they needed a quick way to tell us she was a no-nonsense woman, but I just felt like it was a weak way to get Kaito around to meet her.

They made it too obvious Kyoya was the bad guy. I don't know if maybe I have a sixth sense for plot-twists or maybe it's just their writing (RGG twists are never the STRONGEST, but sometimes I don't see it coming), but they kept going with every intention of making it OBVIOUS he was not a good guy. He was rich, worked a lot, and then hurt Jun because the kid was just looking at some knives he found. There was NO subtlety about Kyoya, and the fact that he somehow seemed a million times more evil than Soma just seemed annoying, mostly because beyond Kyoya wanting money and to be rich, he barely felt all that complex. Like, he felt cartoonishly evil.

It leads me to the next point that the whole game itself just seemed so predictable. I knew Kyoya was going to be the big bad, I knew Kaito wasn't REALLY gonna be Jun's dad but it would make him want to help more and more even thinking he MIGHT be, and I knew that not only was Mikiko never going to do any damage during her revenge rampage, but she would end up with Kaito. I know I said RGG twists aren't always the strongest, but I feel like despite it, they still weave an intriguing story with twists and turns that become unexpected. But I could almost see everything a mile away and none of it was particularly interesting, if I'm being honest.

The ending I think is what truly soured me to it all. They're on a rooftop, Kyoya has been subdued, and Mikiko is seconds away from shooting him and getting her revenge because Kyoya had his "bestie" Kenmochi burn down her family's house (which apparently he assumed the house would be empty which is why he was okay with it, but he never checked and was really upset he killed people. OKAY?). Kaito stops her and mentions that Jun would be alone, and Kyoya was already in a bad spot and she could end her rampage, so Mikiko DOESN'T shoot him. And it's weird because she already had the detectives (which we never heard about until the DLC) watch Jun while she planned to infiltrate the party. So like, what were her plans for her kid once she DID get her revenge? It's mentioned a lot that despite it all, she loved Jun and tried to always be there for him before her disappearance, but suddenly she needs KAITO to bring up that her kid would watch her shoot his father and then she'd be in jail. Whatever. Kenmochi strangles Kyoya, DIES HIMSELF FROM THE POISON (Kyoya is super evil by the way and poisoned and killed EVERYONE. BECAUSE. HE. IS. EVIL!!!!), Jun is likely traumatized from watching it (plus all the trauma from EVERYTHING ELSE), and... it doesn't get brought up how much that'll fuck him up. Whether his dad was the most evillest villain or not, it's gonna fuck Jun up. And even when Jun talks to Kaito on the roof about wanting to be strong to protect those he cares about, he barely seems affected by watching people die RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. YIKES!

AND THEN DON'T WORRY! Mikiko ends up with Kaito in the end! Because not only did the doctor who cared for her during her amnesia fall for her, but for some stupid reason, despite Mikiko now being free from her rampage to pick up the pieces of all the shit she's been through, the best thing to do is to saddle her with a man! AND WHAT BETTER WAY THAN TO FIGHT FOR HER LIKE SHE'S JUST A PRIZE TO BE WON?

And it's mostly for comedic effect I guess, since of course this rando RIPPED doctor would never win the girl when the protagonist is RIGHT THERE, but it's just... so stupid. They just go with Kaito despite EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON like it'll all be okay. And I think that's what really fucking chaps my hide. It felt like Jun's the only one who grew (KIND OF. He got over his fear of knives, I GUESS), and they all lived happily ever after. And don't get me wrong, I like a happy ending too, but it just felt too perfect. Nothing ever felt tense, it never felt like anything was at stake, no one seems all that hurt by anything that has happened (except, again, JUN). On paper I think the outline for the plot seems okay. But man, it just felt like a way to give Kaito some attention because... I dunno, maybe fans were sad he wasn't in Lost Judgment for half the game due to his stab wound?

I know I'm in the minority here. I want the guys to be happy because they've all been through shit, but man, I don't know, it felt too perfectly weaved to end the way it did. Despite how much I liked Kaito/Mikiko, it just feels like it's a leap for Mikiko to uproot her and Jun's lives after ALL THAT SHIT, to go live with Kaito all because... LOVE CONQUERS ALL!!!!111 It just felt so trite and unbelievable given what I'm accustomed to, I guess. I believe Mikiko would see how much Kaito would have changed in so many years, but she has a lot more going on and a lot to unpack, I just guess I don't see her as being so charmed and wooed after everything that had gone on just because Kaito won some stupid dick measuring contest FOR HER LOVE! It felt like they just wanted to have some form of wrap-up, and we got... this. I've seen a lot of talk about how Kaito wouldn't be so bad as a main character, and I FULLY disagree. I think he's a strong side character, but he doesn't feel smart enough to carry a game of mystery and intrigue. I know it was after the fact, but we saw how it went in Gaiden when he was the lead on a case; he had it all wrong and was running off before he heard a client's full story, and then ALSO throwing Higashi under a bus for not picking up that they had been tricked by a yakuza family.

There's a lot of little things that annoyed me as well, such as random woman working at Charles despite part of Higashi's character is that with the Family dissolved, he's been working toward getting Charles profitable so he can hire his guys to work for him because he cared so much about them. And it's not so much that he has a woman working, but more that she's only there so she can be a damsel in distress to show off Jun's character as fighting for what's right and protecting those who don't have the strength to protect themselves. They ditched some small established character lore to create lore for a new character when they could have done it a million other ways. It's a nitpick, but I'm a huge Higashi fan and entitled to my opinion.

I also hated Hoshino's bit. I could see him helping Kaito out on a case, but then he talks about troubles in his and Saori's relationship, how there's distance between them, which is also mentioned here and there in Lost Judgment as well but never taken further. So of course, Kaito says Hoshino should propose. WHY? Who the fuck knows, I guess to foreshadow the upcoming backstory. It's stupid. It's. All. So. Stupid.

Mikiko randomly snooping through Kyoya's laptop and finding evidence he was behind her family's death just also felt lazy. To be fair, I can't quite remember why it was explained she was snooping around, but with how meticulous and calculating they made Kyoya out to be, I just couldn't see him keeping any kind of documentation about it, especially not somewhere where his family could find it so easily. It felt too convenient.

Phew! I had to get it out of my system. I've been playing Lost Judgment here and there, and the stupid DLC stares me in the face when I open the phone, and it's annoying. I nearly gave up on the DLC after the first chapter because I was just so uninvested in it, but I pushed through because achievements and man. It just didn't feel like it got better. And not only was it too formulaic and predictable, the difficulty spike just felt odd. Like fighting as Kaito was fun, but the enemies felt like a chore to get past to the point that I set the difficulty to easy just so I could get through it faster.

Everyone praises the writing, and I'll say the writing was fine. They told the story they wanted to, it wasn't necessarily even a bad story, they even gave us some good characters in Jun and Mikiko, but it just didn't quite feel like a Ryu ga Gotoku story. It felt devoid of any real tension, intrigue, and it never left me feeling like I HAD to know more and at the edge of my seat. I'm glad it came free if you bought the Judgment Collection, because paying any big amount for the DLC would've been a slap in the face.

ANYWAY, Higashi lore was the best part of the DLC for me and it showed what a big heart he has despite trying to keep his edges. Love that for him!

[pigeoncore]

The idea of a Judgment 3 absolutely wracks my brain because. like what could it potentially be about? How can RGG invent yet another narrative of a similar calibre to the past two games?

Considering LJ's biggest pitfall in its storytelling was how detached it all was from Yagami, and therefore wasn't nearly as emotionally satisfying as the first (in my option, anyway), I would really like if the next installment centred around him or somebody close to him again.

My main... theories? ideas? wistful thinkings? would probably be have the plot focusing on either Higashi or Kaito.

In Higashi's case, despite being part of the main group, he's also the one with the least amount of information surrounding his background. He's an incredibly smart and diligent guy (who we see in flashbacks as being quite skittish and non-confrontational) would've probably had no issue finding an office job or something of the sort, yet somehow found himself in the yakuza. Not a lot of people like that go yakuza without a reason. It would be really interesting to explore that, maybe have whatever messy past he had catch up to him? Also could be a perfect way to patch up the relationship between him and Yagami once and for all, as having a Higashi-centred case would surely call for a lot of relationship development between the two.

As for Kaito? He's had his entire story arc, sure, but that gets me thinking. What if he is used as a way to challenge Yagami's stance on the legal system? What if the conflict gives an excuse to get Mikiko and Jun involved in the main story?

Let's say, for example, Kaito is arrested and framed for a crime he didn't commit. Winter Soldier Style. Most people are convinced that he's the only convenient culprit. It would be a great way to bring the prosecutor characters from the first game back, notably Mafuyu, maybe even have her play as an antagonist for this specific scenario. It brings in a lot of personal conflict and tension for all involved, as Mafuyu doesn't want to believe that Kaito could commit such a crime, yet can't disregard the evidence that she's been given. Yagami, on the other hand, doesn't want to antagonise Mafuyu, yet can't give up hope on his best friend who he believes has been wrongly accused. Yagami also gets to strengthen his relationship with Mikiko and Jun by working together with them to try prove how the guy they care about is innocent. There's a strong central theme about faith and truth and most importantly trust and how it eventually allows Kaito be freed.

Of course, that might be a bit too corny for what modern RGG narratives are trying to do but I am just spit balling a few ideas. I'd love discuss anything about this if anyone possibly has anything to add on or any alternative takes. 🤔

[jesselemonbubbles]

self-ship whatever blog of @squishylemonbubbles

i am gay and i love men. i'm also an adult who gets horny. don't expect everything to stay squeaky clean.

i have an irl boyfriend as well! nothing against people who are super serious devoted just to their F/Os or exclusively fictosexual or anything, but i figured i'd be clear up front that's not me. i just think these guys are fun and like to daydream

---

jesse ackerman - tag / introduction

pairs off with poison mitsuo and/or momiyama

shoichiro himura - tag / introduction

pairs off with toru higashi

---

mitsuo "poison" takaoka - tag / introduction

a substory character from yakuza kiwami 2

last name (takaoka) is non-canon

though his canonical character model is extremely buff and perfectly sculpted, i throw that out the window. he's a fat hairy bear now.

photographer, particularly of male models

satoru momiyama - tag / introduction

a gag character from yakuza 4 so uncared for he doesn't even have a wiki page.

first name (satoru) is non-canon

the "super VIP" massage therapist of love in heart

toru higashi - tag

i have less to say about higashi because i have way more hyperfocus on the main series. but still he's cute and i like him a lot.

---

i guess ship discourse is a big thing around these parts. i don't describe myself as pro, anti, or neutral, because i think they all suck at describing the crux of the issue in their own ways.

there are topics that need serious care and consideration to be depicted and discussed without people getting hurt, and a lot of internet spaces are absolutely terrible at this. still, the presence of these topics isn't inherently glorification. read the room and all, you know?

that said, i don't take kindly to adults self shipping with minors, or those who think this is acceptable.

if either of these things bothers you, feel free to block.

i also would prefer if minors do not interact, as i am an adult. feel free to lemme know if i interact with you and you're a minor, sometimes i miss these things because i have brain issues.

[badboyportrait]

THE YAKUZA ASKS. (A) 1,2,8,9,13. (B) 1,4,5. (C) 2,3,9,11,12. any you want for D or E. (F) 1,3,5. hopefully this is comprehensible lol

ryu ga gotoku questionnaire!

A1: Favorite character(s)?

Kuwanya by far. Otherwise, I'm also fond of: Sugiura, Crow, Tanimura and Nishiki.

A2: Favorite game(s)?

LJ is my favourite story, but YK1 is dear to me for sentimental reasons. Plus, I really like the "fight this guy to level up your friendship" mechanic.

A8: Favorite song(s)?

Machine Gun Kiss! I spent a month or two trying to learn it by heart. Honourable mentions are Pure Love in Kamurocho and Akiyama's version of Baka Mitai.

A9: Favorite game location(s)?

Purgatory in Kamurocho, easily.

A13: Favorite minigame(s)?

Hostess clubs and Cabaret Club Czar. I like the chats!

---

B1: Which character do you relate to most and why?

u are evil for asking this (affectionate). There actually isn't a RGG character that makes me feel absolutely insane Relating To Them, but much like Sugiura, I too am a pretty boy who gets swept up in his emotions and sense of justice. I agree with Kuwana on a lot, too.

B4: Who would you like to post more about but you don’t? Why don’t you?

Answered here!

B5: Which character do you think you would bump heads with most if you knew them in real life?

Most of them. My first thought are the Dojima lieutenants tho. and Dojima himself ofc.

---

C2: Which game had the worst plotline?

Out of the ones i've played, YK2. Secret Koreans as a plot twist is. certainly a twist.

C3: Which character(s) deserved better?

And speaking of YK2, Ryuji and Kaoru!

C9: What was the most emotional scene in the series?

Y0 spoilers /////// Nishiki trying to mercy kill Kiryu and breaking down into tears. That was good. That made me feel insane.

C11: Which character has the best taste in clothing? Who has the worst?

YK2 daigo is my fav. I don't think anyone has bad bad fashion taste because the character designers would have given them all some kind of flair, but Murase in JE is not my kinda thing.

tis daigo, then murase. i feel like u know my fashion sense enough to infer this tho

C12: Whose voice do you enjoy hearing the most?

Akiyama, babyyy.

---

D2: Who is the most underrated character?

Arai and Kido!! I like them!!

E3: Return: Shinada or Tanimura?

Please, I'm dying and you have to water me with Tanimura.

---

F1: Who would you buy a drink? At which bar?

Akiyama, at Vincent. He just seems like the character most down to chill with. I'd want to buy Kuwana a drink at Survive too, but I don't know if I'd be brave enough to go through with it. tfw u are gay...

F3: Who are you inviting to karaoke?

I think the whole YKM99/YDA + Higashi crew would be fun. I can always duck in the nerd corner with Tsukumo/Sugiura when I get tired, and just watch Yagami/Kaito/Higashi be rowdy. If possible, I'd want Kuwana to be part of it too ;__;

F5: What would the first 5 pictures in your camera roll be of?

All the stray cats around Kamurocho. The giant crab fixture in Sotenbori. I feel bad photographing people without their consent, so I'd just tweet about all the weird shit that goes on, text only.

[iplayvideogamescasually]

1. Their name is Yokai Mei-lu Majima, currently they are 19 and their birthday is 8/10/05

2. So they do have an irezumi but it's one of a fox, they also have a mouth scar from fighting kuroiwa and is pretty cut (fit wise)

3. They'd be the side-main character. Also being an ally.

4. Yokai first appears in yakuza 4 but appears from yk7 to judgement, lost judgement, and yakuza 8.

5. They change a pretty decent component of the story. Since they're the child of Goro majima and Makoto Makimura.

6. They do have an Ishin version of themselves! Her name is yūrei okita. And is absolutely PSYCHO and I mean it lol. She works in the Kabuki theater. Most of the time you'll see her in full Kabuki makeup but still wearing a salmon colored kimono with a grey hakama. In dead souls, they're with majima the whole time. But they end up staying in morning glory till majima comes back.

7. When it comes to a normal beat-em-up, Yokai has a nishianti type of fighting style. However in a turn based, they'd be the healing type.

8. Those shakedown scammers. It doesn't take a lot for Yokai to get shook down. But when they do, they put up a very large fight. And somehow getting their money back regardless

9. Slightly related to minami but only because of their eyebrow piercings. Also related to shishido because of their scars. And uh.. Majima because of his overall personality .,.

10. Just about everyone they cross with. But specifically Yagami, Kaito, Zhao, Tesso, Ichiban, Higashi, Kiryu, and Seong-hui. Kaito is a slight father figure to them. But is much closer to Higashi

11. Yokai despises kume, and also really hates kuroiwa as well.

12. Yes, their family is Goro majima and Makoto Makimura. It's a pretty normal household. With two crazy family members and one normal family member. However it is again, a knife welding family as well lol.

13. Yokai loves pocket circuit and karaoke. They especially like "Like a butterfly" and "Otometal"

14. Probably no but maybe their own special karaoke song. Like hell's stew! Or ring! Realistically they will have a cooking mini game

15. Most likely an apartment with an ability to play the cooking mini game.

16. They have a kamulop costume.. no particular reason.. but they do also have an ability to wear yagami's jacket. And another ability to add more different things to their apartment as well.

17. Sotenbori. However they do travel to, ijincho, kamurocho, and Hawaii as well.

18. Probably harajuku

19. Ramen

20. They collect pocket circuit cars, and hannya masks. They also spend their free time collecting different plushies from arcade games as well

Yakuza/RGG/Like A Dragon OC/SI Ask Game

This is ending up a blend of specific to RGG questions and also general "introduce your character" questions. Oh well.

1. Basic intro! Name, age, etc. Whatever you wanna include.

2. Appearance stuff. As complex or basic a description as you want. If you use this character in multiple verses, are there any features specific to RGG? Irezumi, other tattoos, story scars, etc?

3. What role do they play? Substory star, side character, background cast, love interest, protagonist, antagonist, the options are endless.

4. Where in the story line do they land?

5. Does their existence make any major changes to the 'canon' story? Minor ones?

6. If they're from the mainline games, do they have an Ishin/Kenzan/Dead Souls version? Share as much as you want.

7. If they are/were a protagonist/playable, what fighting style would they use in the beat-em-up games? What about turn based, what would their party role be?

8. What kind of mobs would they get accosted in the streets by?

9. Are they related to any existing characters? What is that like?

10. Who do they get along with? How close are they?

11. How about enemies? Or just people they don't like?

12. Do they have any family? Are they involved?

13. Do they have a fave 'mini game' activity?

14. If they had their own special-to-them mini game, what would it be?

15. What would their 'home base' look like?

16. Bonus/DLC costumes! Serious, silly, anything goes.

17. What canon city are they based out of? Do they travel to others?

18. How about we introduce a new location just for them?

19. Canon has the cabaret, real estate, bakery. What would their 'business' be?

20. What are their 'signature collectibles', if they have any? (Cards, pocket racecar parts, etc.)

[kimbapisnotsushi]

so i only suggested it as a joke but like. here's the fucking list of token cishet haikyuu characters per team i guess let's go!!

(also i am SO sorry i know this is way past fifteen minutes)

karasuno: oh dear oh fuck. okay look i love daisuga and kurodai as much as the next person but solid reliable daichi?? daichi who is like the epitome of big man on campus?? who at first glance looks like he doesn't even know what there is beyond gay?? and yeah he doesn't really understand sometimes, but all he knows is that he loves his team and he wants them to be happy!! so he does his best!!

nekoma: y'all already know but. lev LMFAAO. like it truly can't be anyone else he's sixteen, he's got no shame, he's got a cool older sister who teaches him that, no, the pad does NOT stick to the body and yes you need a top coat to have good nails . . . lev is just so honest and straightforward and simple-minded in the BEST way possible i love him

seijoh: kindaichi for very very similar reasons to daichi but like. on the OPPOSITE end of the spectrum. like. he's a bit of an asshole! he gives off classic american high school bigoted jock vibes!! he looks like he'd shove your head down the toilet and trip you in the hallway! but he's actually quite kind and thoughtful and even tho he's never been in a fight in his LIFE he WOULD get into one for seijoh!!

fukurodani: komi haruki!! komi haruki!! komi fuckin haruki!!! like whatever people say about bokuto being the only himbo on fukurodani is SO fucking untrue komi haruki has the muscle to just straight up DECK anyone being an absolute asshole and will take you out for coffee after!!

shiratorizawa: not that i intend on making a pattern with the liberos but like. i do indeed think it would be yamagata LMFAAAO. because like, if we do process of elimination . . . it's NOT goshiki, it's NOT shirabu or kawanishi, it's NOT ushijima, tendou, semi, or reon . . . yamagata takes it!!

dateko: fukiage jingo. he's long-suffering bc he has to deal with kogasaku being absolute idiots about whatever it is they have going on but those are his friends and he loves them very much!!

johzenji: higashi. he's still more respectful than terushima and bobata ever were.

kakugawa: minamida. he always knows what to say and he learns REALLY easily.

nohebi: numai. he's good i can tell.

inarizaki: wouldn't you know it!! it's the libero again!! akagi michinari coming in hot with the "shut your mouth or i'll do it for you!!" and he's smiling like a total angel while he says it!!

itachiyama: iizuna. sakusa and komori rely on him for more than they intend to, but he doesn't mind.

mujinazaki: ezo. he's soooo fuckin tired man. he loves the team and he'll do anything for them, ESPECIALLY against an asshole, but dear god do they drive him nuts

kamomedai: suwa. i trust that man with my LIFE.

tsubakihara: echigo!! another one where the captain takes it. king's already got a gf too i just know he treats her right!!