#Putting him in all these disadvantages ALL. THE. TIME. isn't improving his character

[deximexi]

I’ve been watching DR S2 and is it just me when I say Zane feels like a background character?

(spoiler under cut)

He lost the tournament in his FIRST ROUND. It wasn't even a long fight! I know main characters aren't immune, but..seriously?

I know ZANE of all the ninja could’ve won that match. Since the writers are really hammering down the fact that he’s a robot in these past seasons, why make him lose a match against one of the easiest elemental masters?

I feel like if Zane is really embracing this robotic side of him, he could detect objects/people at high speeds. His reflexes would be more advanced (like a robot) if the writers weren't using him as another punching bag this season.

Poor guy can't get a break.

[gaoau]

would rather kms than make my only winbre post be about Suo's stupid ass, so it's time to talk about Nirei cause i love him. i read a post and my blood started boiling i dont fuck around so now i gotta defend him with my life. also cause im sick and tired of him not being deemed marketable enough to be included in merch and collab illusts when he's a whole—if not the most important—third of the main trio. (theres something to be said about Tsugeura too, considering they don't use him but love using Kiryuu, but that's a different conversation.)

anyway, on Nirei and the exceptionality of being ordinary.

manga spoilers btw also disclaimer im not eloquent at all i just say things.

there's something about Nirei that just simply isn't special and i think that's wonderful. not in a mean-spirited sense; Nirei is the most regular out of anyone in Furin, so much so that he had to buy an ugly shirt he didn't even like to stand out. he's just a kid with a notebook and a simple backstory trying to follow a hero's example. he's nothing extraordinary, especially seeing the people he's surrounded by. physically, he's very limited, which he knows and doesn't ignore at all, so he can't do much in fights. no one is more acutely aware of his own limits than Nirei. i was reading the first couple chapters again and it breaks my heart to hear his efforts be dismissed as "playing hero," because Nirei is the biggest hero in this whole manga.

it's true, yeah, he can't fight. he's more like another average citizen of Makochi than he is a Bofurin member sometimes. he lacks fighting abilities, his diplomacy isn't particularly the best, and he's two seconds away from going into cardiac arrest at almost all times. but it's not like he gives a shit. every single time he gets beaten into the ground, he picks himself back up immediately. he takes hit after hit, time and time again, because no matter how battered or defenseless he is, his drive to stay and protect the town is ridiculously strong. he does go down when he can't take any more (keel), but it's with improvement and training that he manages to throw his first—albeit useless—punch (noroshi or whatever this arc is called idk). improvement that, mind you, comes from recognizing his own limitations.

some have called him reckless (Suo), but i disagree, because Nirei is right. i know the kids would rather look out for him and have him uninjured by the end of a scuffle, but he doesn't need to be coddled. everybody else jumps into a brawl and gets a broken nose regardless of their fighting skills. Nirei isn't any different. he knows he's limited, he knows he can't fight, he knows he's nothing special. he risks it all anyway, because even though he wasn't built for fighting, he's more than prepared to try over and over again until his efforts are enough to make a difference. he's looked at Sakura's back and thought he couldn't match him, that Sakura gets back up even when he's almost fully tapped out, that he's not needed because Sakura's stronger and will be okay without him.

maybe he's right about this, too. i'm inclined to disagree, but i understand where he's coming from. Nirei chases, Nirei can't stop running because he'll fall behind all these phenomenal beasts that can hold their own. i'm so glad the conclusion he reached was "okay, i gotta step up my game," but i'm not really surprised. this is Nirei Akihiko we're talking about and, i think Suo put it best, he wants to become stronger more than anybody.

he's been at a disadvantage this whole time, "playing hero" rather than being an "actual" hero, but he has a goal. if he has to tear himself apart to stand next to Sakura, he will. he doesn't have to, of course, he's already more than useful the way he is, but when you're so ordinary that you get lost in the crowd, standing beside someone so exemplary makes you want more.

honestly, Nirei's fucking wild. lil bro's actually crazy. we've seen characters go apeshit, but no one in this entire manga is nearly as insane as he is. i appreciate Suo telling him to slow down and chill out, cause he was fully intending to kill himself learning how to fight with zero foundation. my guy was more than ready to actually fight Endo. he meant that. it's a good thing he's properly learning how to defend himself, considering he probably lacks the muscle to go on the offense. those are his limits and he knows that. it frustrates him, but it definitely does little to stop him, because look how big his back is. i hope somebody tells him, after all of this is over, that he's doing more than enough, more than great.

to be fair, fighting isn't even where he shines, and that's okay. he's not strong enough to beat anyone's ass and he doesn't need to be, either. he doesn't need to be a leader like Sakura or a devotee like Sugishita or mimic whatever the fuck Suo's got going on. in the words of my favorite pink curse, the real heroes are the ones who support from the back, and that's exactly what Nirei does. he's said it himself, he wants to guide Sakura all the way to the top and he can, because he thrives in being another citizen of Makochi. he's a regular person and i think that's what makes him so compelling and important.

there's something so fascinating about his simplicity. he really is nothing more than just an ordinary kid. put him in a normal high-school classroom and he'll pass his midterms with a 75. he recognizes what he's good at, of course, he knows the town inside out and it's very useful, especially to Sakura. he's amazing support. it really doesn't seem like it and people love to completely dismiss him, but i wanna be outrageous and call him the backbone of these kids. he was Sakura's first friend and he continues to be the one pushing and prodding to make sure he stands back up every single time. he's more necessary than anyone gives him credit for. i have no doubt in my mind that, if it weren't for him, Sakura wouldn't be able to do half the things he's managing. even Suo, who's out here acting like he knows the secrets of the universe, has to stop and reorganize his ideas when Nirei talks.

if Suo is the heart (debatable, but okay, whatever bro says) and brain, i'd like to think Nirei is the spirit and the soul. there's no chance the kids would work so smoothly without Nirei around—which, yes, arguably the same could be said of all of them, but i've seen Nirei be dismissed as a Zenitsu looking ass gag character and i've never had to hold back a kys so hard. idk for sure what the general consensus on him is cause i've only ever seen him used in the context of ships and never on his own, which honestly makes me a little sad. especially after seeing the popularity poll cause he didn't even make it into the top 5 with not even 1k points personal offense tbh i need a word with the voters. what i've gathered is that aint nobody gaf about his ass im devastated Suo has to fuck off (13k votes is crazy gang come on). which i don't understand. take him out of the equation and everything falls apart. Sakura's the sword, Suo's the strategy, and Nirei is the ambition, the desire, the force, the feelings.

there's much to be said about how he's treated, not only in-universe, but also by the people consuming the media and the pr team. i don't fuck with shipping, but when i'm scrolling through my timeline, Nirei only exists in the context of somebody's favorite ship. and don't fucking get me started on the mischaracterization. look me in the eye and tell me Nirei doesn't have more conviction than any of these dumbass kids. yes, he gets scared and he's fucking horrified most of the time, but motherfucker he's fighting. he's out there in the frontlines, making himself useful, biting more than he can chew and then some. i dare you to treat him like wittle baby that needs protection.

if not for his uniqueness, look at him for his regularity, because i find it endearingly wonderful. i think there's something so special about the ordinary. he deserves a lot more than what he's getting so these mfs better put him in all collab illusts cause if i have to see Kaji in his place one more time i will personally book a flight. okay thank you thats all i promise ill never come back here have day.

[dire-kumori]

I’m gonna come off anon because character limits suck. I agree that he wouldn’t purposefully put them in danger (especially in a timeloop where he’s trying to be better), more along the lines of when the time comes for him to make whatever preparations he can to face the Reaper (I’m imagining a fucked up Home Alone scenario) Ev and Liz pop up like “you’ve been acting weird. something’s going on and we’re gonna help! :D no you can’t say no.” not understanding the severity of the situation and by this point Mike can’t send them away because *he’s already here*, best to not send them off on their own. By the time it’s all over they share an unshakable bond and horrific trauma over it. Mike takes them to get ice cream.

Also a moment where the Reaper is killing/about to kill Mike and Evan runs up to try to stop him. The Reaper is like “don’t you get it, he deserves it. he killed you!” as part of him trying to pretend this isn’t for his own satisfaction but Evan’s just like “What are you talking about, I’m alive! And Mike’s been a lot nicer, yesterday he helped me fix a rip in Fredbear!” and the Reaper is so stunned and thrown off by the idea that Michael Afton could be anything but a demon, that he could possibly change and improve, that he pauses, giving Mike the opportunity to get away from him, at least for a moment.

Oh yeah, I can see that, especially if Evan's and Elizabeth's memories of the previous loops are less coherent than Michael's. Problem would mainly be Michael fighting against them being there and trying to convince them to leave. And his fears aren't unfounded. He knows on a quiet, instinctual level that the Reaper won't hesitate to hurt or kill innocent kids in order to get to him. I'd need a bit to dig up the relevant posts, but I've had some people suggest scenarios of the Reaper killing Evan in a blind rage for trying to defend young Mike, and also of the Reaper killing Elizabeth as revenge for the Scooper. So just because they're not his main targets doesn't mean that Elizabeth or Evan would be safe from the Reaper's wrath.

Ooooooooh, if you want fucked up Home Alone scenarios, might I suggest this oneshot by @lonelyfreddles? Just be aware that it does get very dark and involve a particularly brutal death.

The first time Evan gets involved, unfortunately, does not go so well for younger Mike or his brother. The Reaper is stunned, having his entire worldview violently upended. Has he changed something by accident? Is there some possibility this younger version of himself isn't the complete monster he believes he is? But rather than pausing or changing from his intended course, he instead flies into a blind rage. When he comes too, the Reaper finds two dead bodies; Evan, and his younger self, slumped over Evan's battered body. Almost as though his very last action was to try to save Evan's life. And then time resets and the tragedy repeats all over again.

Evan's murder at the Reaper's hand ends up being the trigger that has younger Mike switching from defense to offense. Unfortunately, he's got a significant disadvantage in that his future self remembers everything that young Mike has only just begun to plan. Ultimately Michael needs Evan's and Elizabeth's help to defeat his older self, as much as he's against the idea. The only real way for them to outwit the Reaper is for them to outwit Michael as well, something which Evan and Elizabeth are better equipped to do.

[sunriseverse]

what's your favourite thing about jgy as a character? 🫖

honestly there is so much i love about him as a character that it's hard to put it succinctly into writing but i shall try my best!!!!!! (and caveat of course that i am mainly going off of what cql i have seen and the various metas i have read about the canon overall.)

i think my first point of love for him is how great his propensity for love is!!! while it does lead to him getting hurt, i think it's also a very important part of his character—a lot of the things he does are to help those he loves/to shield them from harm (be it personal love, such as for his mother (in building the guanyin temple so she is honoured in death in the way he wasn't able to ensure in her life), jl, lxc, qs, nhs, etc, or his love for the common people—because yes, i would say the care required to want to improve the lives of the average person, say via the watchtowers, does require love at least in some measure), and i personally find that a very compelling and engaging trait.

secondly—his determination! in every way possible, he started off at a shockingly large disadvantage to those around him, both from the circumstances of his birth and upbringing to the way that those around him treated him, but despite that, he is able to become someone who is, if not loved by the jianghu, at least seen as competent (i would say the common people probably do respect him for the changes he makes in his time as the jin regent(? not sure if this is the term that is ever used in canon but given that it's clear jgy is leading the jin in jl's place while he's too young to do so himself it is the best one i can come up with)—the watchtowers, yes, but also how he changed the expectations and standards within the jin sect, like making it clear that anyone who accepts bribes will not be tolerated (i don't have the sources for this one on hand but i'm fairly certain there's evidence on your blog somewhere).) the fact that he was able to rise to the position he eventually held is not coincidence—it took careful application of his wits, the skills he honed, and the relationships he made and risks he took along the way.

and of course, i absolutely adore his dynamic with lxc—obviously this isn't a jgy-only topic, there's two pieces in play here, etc etc, but if i don't talk about it i feel that i'm doing him a disservice, especially with how much he himself clearly values lxc's companionship, regard, respect, and affection. i don't think that, given canon, it would ever have been possible for them to be anything "more" than what they were, but i think that, in those years in between the end of the sunshot campaign and the final stand at the guanyin temple, they found happiness in each other, and even if that happiness was finite, i believe it is incredibly important, especially given the actual real importance of their presences in each others' lives (lxc being one of the first people to treat him as an equal, jgy sheltering lxc during sunshot, their mutual parts in the downfall of wrh through jgy's spying—i think it's safe to say that if either of them were anyone else, it would not have worked—, jgy's support in the rebuilding of the cloud recesses and lxc's relationship and sworn brotherhood with jgy realistically going a long way to legitimise jgy in the eyes of the gentry, just to name a few).

finally, i love him because he is small and i want happiness for him forever and nothing bad to happen. that is all your honour, thank you for your time.

[misschifuyu]

General relationship headcanons with Inui and Hakkai

requested

characters: inui seishu + hakkai shiba

genre: fluff

warnings: none

Inui

inui is someone who is very careful when it comes to expressing his feelings. he much prefers to keep a neutral stance whenever speaking to those he cares most about, simply because it helps him not develop too strong of a bond with the other person. he's afraid to follow the path of koko, so he's especially careful when it comes to love

so it came as quite the shock when you came into his life. no doubt, he found you attractive at first glance, but even after just a few words exchanged here and there, he had started to wonder - and, frankly, worry - why he wanted to continue listening to you, to get to know you better

as he started to connect the dots, he quickly recalled just how his friend would act with his sister. and it frightened him.

he was falling and he had nothing to grab onto, to stop himself from sinking into the one emotion he had been running away from - love

when you confessed, since he most definitely not put himself in that situation seeing as he was trying to control his growing affection towards you, he would be left absolutely stunned. of course, he reciprocated your words, but it would take him a few minutes to explain to you that he was scared of a relationship

but, don't worry. you understood him, and were willing to take things as slow as he needed. after all, there was no need to rush into everything all at once

give him a few weeks, let's say two. during this time, he would visit you much more often, hold your hand when he knew no prying eyes were around and, all around, start warming up to you. of course, he knew you well enough by that point, but it still took him a little to get used to the whole relationship status

he will, undoubtedly, come to koko whenever he had any doubts. he wants to improve himself for you, trying his best to become the partner you deserve. his friend may be not always be of the best help, but anything was better than nothing

once he has fallen into a comfortable state around you, you will quickly notice what he had been deprived of all these years. he turns into a very affection person whenever he's around you, mostly when you're either at his house or yours. expect to be followed around quietly by this softie

hugs from behind are his personal favourite. feeling you so close to him, your arms holding onto his as he bring you into his chest and rests his head on yours. it's very comforting for him, so expect him to do so quite often. he may be silent as he does so, but the way his heartbeat will slow down will be enough to tell you that he feels safe with you

play with his hair whenever the two of you are cuddling, trust me. your fingers running through his soft locks will be enough to send him off into a good, hour-long nap, no questions ask. he's a pretty deep sleeper, so you can tie his hair up into a bun. he will be oblivious to it all until he walks past a mirror upon waking up, groggy eyes fixating on the little mass of hair on the top of his head

one thing that will truly make his heart flutter is whenever you pepper his face with kisses. although he may not mention it, he's a little insecure about his scar. but this will quickly change when you tell him how all his features are absolutely beautiful, placing little, butterfly kisses on his soft skin as he lays on your lap, facing you from below

you truly are his source of comfort, of love. he won't brag about you, but by the way his lips would turn up into a smile when he knows he'll see you after a meeting is more than enough to let the other members of the gang know just how much he loves you

a closeted lover boy, let's say

he will, on occasions, turn up at your house during the late hours of the evening with a a flower or two he picked up on his way to your place, or even a box of your favourite snacks. anything that reminds him of you, really. and if you gift him something, you best believe he will treasure it as though his life depended on it

one thing that you hadn't expected from him was his liking towards taking pictures. he's always been fond of snapping pictures of sceneries here and there, and he just so happens to have one of these polaroid cameras

your wall - and his, for that matter - will be filled with selfies, random pictures of him you'd take and some of yourself that he'd keep on his bedside table. he deemed it a way to remind him of how much the two of you have been through and the importance you held in his life

of course, his phone wallpaper is a picture of the two of you when you went to a summer fair, where he most definitely didn't spend the best part of half his change on trying to win you a prize that had caught your eye

afterwards, you had insisted on trying to win him something too; however, he had assured you that there was no need, he was more than content with seeing you get a prize instead

inui will be very cautious when it comes to your involvement with anything related to the gang. if you happen to be also member, he will stick by your side just as much as he does with koko, and will not hesitate to throw himself into a dangerous situation if you were ever at a disadvantage

he's a little reckless when it comes to this. he acts without thinking when it comes to your safety, so more often than not, others will have to get involved if things get ugly. he may not look like much of a threat, but he will completely change his demeanour whenever those he loved were involved

he just can't afford to lose another person again. having found someone he could fully trust in, and show love to, he isn't about to let some punk take it all away from him. so he will put his own life on the line

but it's mutual, between the two of you. undoubtedly made for each other, it would take some doing from the enemy to actually knock one of you out. truly a couple that any gangster would wish for, that is an indisputable fact

Hakkai

the baby of the shibas. he may act all tough and strong when with toman, but it's a given fact that he has a very soft, vulnerable side. it's really what comes with such a conflictive childhood; but he will constantly try to put all of that behind him, building himself up to stand up to those who looked down upon him

this strategy of his, however, won't be very effective when he was introduced to you. a close friend of mitsuya's, he had thought the two of you might get along quite well. right off the bat, hakkai had to take a few seconds before actually coming to the decision of what to say to you upon first seeing you

he couldn't exactly tell you how attractive you were on the first day, now could he?

as the two of you would get to know you better - fulfilling mitsuya's expectations - he would start to notice that he looked forward to seeing you each time there was a meeting. this would lead to a timid suggestion of hanging out either before or after the next meeting, receiving a content response from your behalf

his crush will go anything but unnoticed by his sister. yuzuha will quickly notice how he would come home a little quiet, lost in his thoughts although not in a gloomy state. he actually seemed to be a little happier now

she would be the one to push him to confess to you, after having heard his considerably long rant about you that he accidentally came out with whilst he was talking to her. she was over the moon to hear that her little brother was finally crushing on someone, and would walk him through all the key points to not scare you off or come off as weird when he told you about his feelings

luckily enough, her strategies proved to be successful, and before he could even register it in his mind, hakkai had achieved a relationship with the one that had been flooding his thoughts for a good few months now

although he may not be entirely experienced in the whole dating area, he will be anything but shy when trying his best to be the perfect boyfriend. he may not show much pda, mainly because he still tries to upkeep his strong persona even around you, but his lingering will not go unnoticed by the other members. wherever you were, hakkai was never too behind

he just loves being around you, to be able to call you his partner. you're like a little - since this guy is ridiculously tall - beam of light that he wished he could keep by his side at all times. behind closed doors he will be much more affectionate, to the point you would actually wonder if this was the same person you would attend toman meetings with

being the soft giant he is, he absolutely loves engulfing you in his arms. spooning you, hugs from behind, laying you on his chest, you name it. he can be awfully cheesy at times, too, so expect to be showered with the most sappy comments ever. you're convinced he keeps a list of them.

"you wanna know what's the best thing in my life? it's the first word of this sentence"

"hakkai...you realise that just works better written down, right?"

definitely an avid enthusiast of making you think over why you were with him in the first place. of course, you loved him and everything that came with the youngest shiba, but sometimes you truly wondered where he got his personality from

speaking of family, meeting his siblings will be an experience in itself, to say the least. yuzuha will be ever so welcoming when you first went over to their house, offering you food and sitting you down to get to know you better. she knew you were a perfect match for her brother, and she's delighted to have you as a sister-in-law

now...taiju may be a little different. just by appearance, he's quite intimidating. you did know about him, but you had never actually spoken to him in the entirety of your life. hakkai will stand nearby when you eventually meet him, just in case something got out of hand.

however, surprisingly enough, the eldest sibling gave you a friendly pat on your shoulder, thanking you for finally giving his brother a chance at a relationship. the way it came off sounded like he believed hakkai to be almost unlovable, but you supposed it was pretty good coming from such a scary individual

needless to say, your boyfriend had a few things to murmur about when his brother left. you reassure him that it was alright, though. truthfully, you had expected it to go another way even

dates with hakkai will be quite an often occurrence. apart from his duties in toman, he doesn't have much to do. he attends online school, so as soon as he slaps his laptop closed, he's usually on his way over to your house. he will always take you out on a ride on his motorbike, around the busy city filled with people and commotion

you want to go out for lunch? he knows the best places. want to go shopping? the guy brought his wallet for a reason. he's such a sucker for you that he will drive across the city for even the smallest thing for you, he didn't mind. if it meant he could see that smile of yours, he's absolutely willing to do anything

he's also a perfect shopping partner. he hangs out with mitsuya a lot, so he's picked up on some knowledge on fashion and is more than happy to help you pick out outfits. he will always offer to carry your bags, too. truly the perfect boyfriend, wouldn't you agree?

just be sure to shower him in love and kisses once you get back home. he will happily receive each and every one with a wide smile, lifting you up into his arms as he tells you, once more, how much he loves you

some may say the two of you are too soft and sappy for a couple involved in the gangster world, but neither of you could care less. not everyone could say they fought alongside their partner that they would, afterwards, spend quality time with, no matter how bruised up you were

you always had a laugh after a fight with other gangs; both of you would always mock the rivals, saying how they never really stood a chance in the first place

the two of you are like a pair of old women when it came to judging people neither of you liked; if anyone happened to listen in, they would automatically think you were simply best friends by the way you would speak

needless to say, hakkai will be both an amazing boyfriend as much as a friend, and you can always count on him if you're ever in need of a mood booster, because he will rush over to your place as fast as he can

[minty-marshmallow]

Hwarang [Ep 15] IDK HOW I SKIPPED POSTING THIS LOL

I like that Moo Myung is honestly more King-like than Maek Jong. I think he would make a better King unless Maek Jong has some character improvement. However, I doubt that's the way things turn out. I'm sure Make Jong will still end up on the throne, but hopefully, he will be a different person by then.

Ah Ro has so much trust in Moo Myung that he won't let them die. I think he's really gonna get hurt though. I think he'll barely win somehow. Lol, it's funny that the princess doesn't think he is her brother, but I think she doesn't want him to be because she likes him. This is just the Ah Ro situation all over again just another woman haha.

So this Prince/King whatever he is likes to just do things on luck and chances. It doesn't show the dice but I think Moo Myung's was higher, I think not based on pure luck but that he has used that dice thing so much that he knows how to slightly maneuver his hand to land on what he wants it to. Or it could be luck, idk.

Aish, Young Shil isn't going to do anything and so the other ministers won't either. They won't start a war. They got the Queen's hands tied. Whether they live or die is going to be entirely up to Moo Myung and if he can win or not. Oooh, I good idea would be for Wi Hwa to send the rest of the Hwarang, and then the ministers would care because their sons are there too.

Ugh, guard dude cut Moo Myung's arm...that's cheating bruh...what precaution are you talking about ugh. You're giving him a disadvantage. I'm so mad. He's gonna die.

Okay, he didn't die, I guess because he's really not afraid of death. The Prince even asked him that and he said why would he. Oh, it did show us the dice he did get a higher score. Fascinating. Hmm, I don't think this guy is gonna actually keep his word. Oh, but he won't let the people go.

So Moo Myung is gonna break everyone out of jail and make a run for it and that's gonna cause the war I guess.

I love that Maek Jong is worried about Seon Woo; at least slightly. Plus he's helping him bail everyone out so....

Oh, Soo Ho took the arrow for Seon Woo.

Ugh, this Prince guy is so annoying, why can't he just let the dang people go. Why does he feel the need to kill everybody? Yes, the other Hwarang came just in time. haha, drama timing of course.

Oh no, Maek Jong saw Ah Ro and Seon Woo kiss. He's gonna find out they aren't actually related....well not till the next episode anyway.

My Thoughts: Personally, I think Seon Woo/Moo Myung would make a better King anyway. I know he probably won't even want the throne, that's not really his type of thing. He just wants to right wrongs and have people live peacefully. However, it's because of that attitude that he would make a better King, for now anyway.

I think once Maek Jong changes and grows up a little and stops being that son that hides and just tries to piss off his mom he will be capable of being a great King. He's seen the outside, and now he's seeing how great of a person Seon Woo is. I think he's jealous because right now he thinks Seon Woo would make a better King than him too.

I hope Ban Ryu ends up not working for Yeong Shil. I know he's gonna be put up to a huge test of loyalty here soon. Maybe not the next episode but definitely before the final one. He's gonna have to choose between his friends and lover, or power and being King.

5 episodes left to go and things are gonna get more and more serious.