#Justice for Kazane is going to be real trust me

[hestzhyen]

Character Investment Advisory Update: End of the Rakuzaichi Arc

Hi void, it's time for lobotomy during the break week. Thank you as always for letting me yap into your gentle, ambivalent ear.

TL;DR: re-read chapters 18, 40, and 44 to be reminded of the set up for the next arc. Invest in Kamunabi characters; Kyoura performed better than expected, opinion changed for Soya. Questions remain about the worthiness of investing in certain types of Azami, Shiba, and Hakuri stock.

Post is quite long due to images and section spacing but individual character blurbs are pretty short (compared to the walls of text I usually post at least (´。＿。｀)).

OG Post - speculation and predictions made as of Ch. 39 (not required or recommended, honestly). Updated status under the cut.

Kunishige: safe (major) | UNCHANGED

Everyone's favorite dead DILF is only getting more and more relevant as time goes on, as expected. Expect a sharp increase in backstory and extra context as Chihiro joins the Kamunabi to learn more about him and the Magatsumi. Invest moderately and pray for disaster trio flashbacks of him, Shiba, and Azami doing some of the dumbest shit possible. At the same time, prepare for more emotional gut-punches because Chihiro's probably going to learn some very unpleasant truths.

Chihiro: safe (major) | UNCHANGED

My boy continues to astound and amaze every week. He's the MC -meaning we're stuck with him no matter what- so thank god he's so refreshing. A stoic critical thinker who adapts and takes calculated risks is a breath of fresh air. I've been reading WSJ series for a long time and while I love me my Ichigos, Dekus, Itadoris, and so on it's great to see something new. Might make a useless long rant about all the reasons why some day, who knows. Anyway I love him to pieces and will keep investing heavily. I trust whatever plan he's got brewing, no matter how half-baked it is as long as it involves keeping Hakuri by his side.

Is this the arc where he gets punished for winging things and trying to make a miracle, I wonder? All of the hope in the narrative is tied to Chihiro succeeding... if he errs it falters, possibly even dies if he screws up badly enough. We're riding high after the end of the Rakuzaichi arc and things will probably work out for the best this time as well, if I had to make a blind guess. But I'm ready and waiting to have my heart crushed into a fine paste too. Invest moderately in a complete success scenario.

Shiba: safe (major) | UNCHANGED

Look at him! We finally see him doing something onscreen and he's being a responsible, kindhearted adult! Still got a lot of mysteries around the exact nature of his sorcery ability but they can wait honestly. I'm way more interested in seeing these insights into his character little by little. Getting pretty strong "regretful adult trying to do right by the kids" vibes from him through the end of this arc and I'm here for them. War criminal or not, I trust you with these traumatized children Mr. Shiba; you're not perfect but you're doing your best. Maybe consider investing in hair dye stocks as well now that he's got two traumatized orphans with self-sacrificing tendencies to look after.

The big question on my mind right now is if he'll join back up with the Kamunabi or not. He could do it for Chihiro's sake I think, but he seems to be much, much happier acting as a free agent. There could also be some bad blood between him and the org that we don't know about yet. The next few chapters will give us a clear idea of what his role will be, so wait to see if Offscreen Sorcery stocks are still a safe investment or not.

To address the baby elephant in the room: yeah, Shiba can die. It's a revenge story and if John Hishaku thinks Chihiro's too soft then guess who's first up to be offed? That's right, the mentor/adoptive uncle figure. But I'm not gonna put stock into that right now. If we see Shiba training Hakuri to take over for him "just in case" followed by a backstory dump that leads into him reminiscing over his regrets then get a little worried. But he's fine for now.

Hishaku Sorcerer: risky (minor) | UNCHANGED

Still waiting for him to show up as more than an ominous scenery detail. He's probably going to be a mid-boss at best for Team Goldfish to put down in epic fashion, but don't discount his potential to dredge up trauma for Chihiro.

Hinao: safe (minor) | UNCHANGED

Still only going to be there for plot convenience and some downtime moments, but at least she's not at risk of dying or being totally written out. Low risk low reward. Hope she's charging a competitive babysitter's rate with hazard pay included.

Char: safe (minor) | UNCHANGED

Nothing bad is ever allowed to happen to her again, so for Char to remain safe in a series like this, the less time she spends on-screen during fights the better. She probably won't have much plot involvement going forward but at least we can count on her for some comic relief and heartfelt moments. Another low risk, low reward investment.

Sojo: inadvisable (minor) | UNCHANGED

He's dead as fuck but invest if you want to, I'm not your dad.

Oni Mask Sorcerer: inadvisable (minor) | UNCHANGED

His few remaining fans are eagerly awaiting him to appear after nearly 20 chapters of absence, but most readers don't expect to see him again. I will acknowledge his potential as a recurring background character or a secret boss but I won't bet on it. Not a lot anyway.

Azami: safe (minor) | VALUATION INCREASE

Azami's another one that's been absent for nearly 20 chapters now but it's a good time to invest. He's going to be a key player in the upcoming arc, I can feel it in my bones. Azami will most likely be our primary window into the politicking going on in the upper echelons of the organization while Chihiro deals with the rank and file directly. And if we get into Kunishige's backstory, he'll be involved there as well since he's an old friend, same as Shiba. I'm really looking forward for the story to dig into the difference in ethos between him and Shiba; why he stayed while the other was glad to leave.

The most interesting investment opportunity will be in the Traitor stocks- some folks are convinced that he must be the one who tipped off the Hishaku to get Kunishige murdered, but I'm not so sure about that. Hedge bets carefully around this one.

Ikuto: safe (minor) | VALUATION INCREASE

RIP these guys, jobbed too soon. Ikuto is alive at least and can show up. I won't speculate on the specifics of how or when he'll appear but it's fine to invest a little into his well-being. Because losing the lower half of his body is probably the worst thing that will happen to him for the rest of the story. Right?

Kazane: safe (minor) | VALUATION INCREASE

Alright! It's gonna be his time to shine! If Kazane gets the Hakuri treatment, investing in him will yield great emotional enrichment. I can't wait to see him clash with Chihiro to build up the payoff we've been waiting for since he ratted out Chihiro's existence to the Kamunabi. He'll probably play second fiddle to Hiyuki for extended parts, but he will still come back for more development or I'm seven toads in a trench coat.

As to the suffering stonks, while it's unknown if he's been through worse than Hakuri, pain isn't a competition in the first place. He's the one who can best relate to Chihiro's particular brand of trauma between the two of them though. So I'm excited to see a lot of him bouncing off of Chihiro and growing as a result. Even better if he can bounce off of Hakuri too.

There's some Kazane slander going on (in good fun) calling him the next Potential Man to compared to Hakuri's Potential Fulfilled status, but I believe in him. Chihiro's gonna save him too. Invest!

Kamunabi HQ Roundtable: safe (minor) | VALUATION UPGRADE

These guys are going to have different evaluations individually but as a group, they are a safe investment. They will be Doing Things and moving the plot above Chihiro's level while our protagonist tries to use them for his own ends. Some are sympathetic, some are neutral, and some are hostile to him. Very potent brew of personal and professional interests clashing here. Invest if you are a fan of faction politics and corrupt government arcs. (Me, this setup is made for me, and I am putting my whole being into this arc and the maneuvering these guys will be doing while also dealing with the Hishaku and Chihiro.)

Individuals will be evaluated once the arc proper is underway but I'm betting that these three will be the safest investments in terms of entertainment value and screen time:

They seem like the biggest fish in the org. Especially Mr. Beard and Mr. Prince Nez as we've had quite a few shots of them during the Meanwhile, at the Kamunabi HQ segments.

Current Wielders: safe (minor) | NEW

I didn't expect to get to the Kamunabi this quickly so I left them off the list last time. All five of these guys are under the Kamunabi's protection so we're bound to meet them, though Chihiro might not get to see Magatsumi's wielder until later on since he's imprisoned like some kind of malevolent spirit. Once we meet them it'll be easier to give them individual ratings but much like the HQ brass, they're safe to invest in as a group. They seem like an eclectic bunch personality-wise so I'm excited to meet and get to know them.

Hiyuki: safe (major) | UNCHANGED

Her, her, her!!! Lots of Hiyuki on the horizon! Invest freely! I think she'll be the focused Guest Character of this arc like Hakuri was for the Rakuzaichi. Seeing her be moved by Chihiro at the climax of the previous arc really makes me excited for what's next. Her backstory, her reasons for working with the Kamunabi, everything.

She's brash and outspoken but we haven't seen much of her actual thought process yet... what's going on in that gorgeous spaghetti-filled head of hers? Where is she on the sliding scale of friend<-->enemy? Will we get to see Spinal Column? I don't care if it's just as a practice match, I want Hiyuki/Tafuku vs. Chihiro/Hakuri round 2... ah, there's so much I'm excited for. Please don't step on me but do tell me what your deal is. And bicker more with Chihiro; the mid-battle storehouse bit was one of the best interactions he's had with another character so far.

Hakuri: safe (minor) | VALUATION UP

My blorbo! I'm so glad he's staying with Team Goldfish. Hakuri is safe to invest in... with an abundance of caution when it comes to his future prospects as a recurring character.

Hakuri doesn't need further development as a character, sadly, so I'm interested in how he'll be used going forward. It's safe to invest in him as a permanent ally of Chihiro's much like Shiba, Char, and Hinao but I would advise waiting to see what he's set up to do in the next arc before going all-in on his growth. If he's Chihiro's buddy at the Kamunabi HQ then by all means, go wild. But if he's going to be hanging back at the cafe then grab that liquor and down the whole bottle (responsibly). There's no in-between in my opinion; he's either genuinely a color-coded deuteragonist that will keep growing with Chihiro, or he's a Guest Star to be checked in on when he's useful for his abilities. I wish I could just relax and accept whatever comes but I don't have an anxiety disorder for nothing, y'know. So it goes for our favorites with late introductions and few significant ties to the larger narrative.

For now, Hakuri is safe and has the potential to find happiness. I hope he does it at Chihiro's side but I will try to spare myself from disappointment. Invest cautiously for now if you care about him continuing to be developed. And please pat me on the head for not writing a deep analysis on his character arc from start to finish (I'll probably do it anyway, but I really want a headpat).

Tafuku: safe (minor) | UNCHANGED

Wherever Hiyuki is, Tafuku will follow. He's a cool dude and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him. Tafuku is doing a stellar job of being the blue oni for Hiyuki and there's no sign of that changing anytime soon.

Please carry grumpy, tired Chihiro like a kid again I beg of you! Do it to Hiyuki too! And a bratty Kazane! Free piggyback rides for all the problem children!

Kyoura: inadvisable (minor) | VALUATION INCREASED

What a legend of an antagonist. I totally missed the mark by underestimating him in the original post. He's deader than dead (and hopefully rotting in hell) but man, he was absolutely incredible at the very end. It's too late to reap the benefits of investing in him but if dead abusive dads are your thing, go for it. He's not going to have presence in the story any more save to perhaps bother Chihiro and Hakuri in flashbacks, but hey, invest if you don't mind incurring a loss due to his overwhelming superiority as an arc villain.

Tenri: inadvisable (minor) | UNCHANGED

He's donezo but pour one out for this poor kid who never got a chance to live a normal life. Dead at about 16 years old because of his father's shortsightedness and shitty parenting techniques. Don't invest but do mourn who he could have been.

Soya: inadvisable (minor) | VALUATION DECREASED

Stay dead you fucking bastard. In hindsight, my original post wasn't harsh enough on you. I don't care if the wiki lists your status as "unknown"- you're dead to me. I will only accept you coming back via flashbacks to expand on Hakuri's backstory. Thank you for helping endear me to Hakuri but no one needs your "love" any more.

I don't think Soya will be back. At least I fucking hope not. He was in bad shape before Hakuri pressurized his guts, he was acknowledged as dead by Chihiro and Kyoura didn't deny it, and the framing in Ch. 43 leans super duper hard in to the "this guy is dead like his little bro" interpretation. And on top of all that a fucking building collapsed on him.

I hate the "twist" of villains surviving improbable odds... "But we didn't see the body! He didn't explode into giblets and a fine red mist! Someone could have whisked him out with a teleport ability and helped him him recuperate! Revival from beyond the grave with magic!" shouldn't be valid coping mantras, but they are thanks to cheap shock tactics in way too many works. Ugh. Anyway. Don't invest in this guy unless you like dead abusive brocons who only incur massive Ls.

Ice Lady: inadvisable (minor) | VALUATION UPGRADE

Another dead person who still has quite a large impact despite being six feet under.

She's probably going to continue showing up in Hakuri's memories as his motivation to keep saving people. I wouldn't expect to see as much of her now that we're probably done with the lion's share of Hakuri's development into a savior, but it also wouldn't be a surprise if he kept thinking back to her. He's going to be out there trying to prove to her that there's hope outside the cage. Rest in peace.

Mr. Inazuma (Yuu): inadvisable (minor) | UNCHANGED

Go home and live a happy life with your big sister, kid. May nothing bad ever happen to you guys again. But feel free to drop by the cafe to hang out with Char.

John Hishaku: safe (major) | UNCHANGED

The man continues to let his plans simmer and I am sitting here at the dinner table, napkin tucked and utensils in hand, wondering what the fuck is up with him. He's got a lot of work cut out for him to be as iconic as Kyoura or even Sojo but I have no doubts that he'll deliver. Being able to break Chihiro's stoicism without lifting a finger is pretty damn OP! Invest to fund his machinations, whatever they are.

Thank you as always, dear void. I hope your favorites get a ton of screen time and development in this arc or a later one! We'll survive the break weak together, Bachibros.