#Ryosuke Sugano

[hikaru-kamiki-truther]

What the latest chapter felt like basically :

[booknbrew]

Hikaru Kamiki actually did come full circle - an opinion piece

⚠️ Spoilers for OnK manga

⚠️ manga panels that depict mūrder, sūicide, sexūal abūse

One of the most controversial topics with regard to the OnK manga and especially it's ending, is the character of Hikaru Kamiki. From the very beginning, he has been a character shrouded in mystery that the readers had constantly been questioning and theorizing about, and the amount of excitement when he finally appeared in the present day as Ruby was leaving her mother's grave was immeasurable:

The first time we ever hear about Ruby and Aqua's father, is in chapter 8, where he is explicitly mentioned by Ai as "an ex":

He is respected enough by Ai after 5 years to have the opportunity to see his children, as their father. At this point they are both 20~ years old, and have matured, each in their own way.

Hikaru also mentions the aftermath soon after this conversation: he discusses it with his "friends", Nino and Ryousuke, painting himself as the "sad and pathetic ex", while most likely (my interpretation) painting Ai as a selfish idol that isn't truly capable of love:

I inferred that it was the case because when Ryousuke came with the flowers to Ai's address, his nonsensical and obsessive dribble included mostly her LYING about loving and being in-love with her audience. Something the already obsessed Ryousuke (the one that "loved" Ai more than his own girlfriend) was already upset about:

Right before he did what he did, he had his obsessive thoughts fanned over like a flame by an ex of Ai's, who told her essentially - "I literally fathered her children and she still dumped me like last week's trash, how do you think she would feel about some random fan like you?"

But, when Ai explains to him that to her, lies are a form of love, it makes no sense to him. He reacts with pure horror and confusion the moment he realizes she is telling the truth, when she tells him that she remembers his name. This, to him, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he just fetally wounded his favorite idol over a lie. He WAS bring lied to. But not by Ai:

You know what I think he was about to say? "This is not what he told me/what I've been told". He expected a cold and heartless reaction, not to mention dishonest. After all, she already constantly lies and is allegedly a manipulative hypocrite, right? So, why is she smiling? Why is she kind to him? Why, why the HELL does she even remember his name?!

Overcome by grief, regret and losing the closest relationships he had remaining (his girlfriend and his alleged "friend") he takes his own life.

I wanted to start the post with this, because I'll be drawing parallels to this as I continue writing. Now, let's get back to Hikaru Kamiki.

Controversy and my thoughts

Like I mentioned earlier, HKs character is shrouded in mystery for most of the manga. From the very first time we see a pregnant Ai on the screen, questions flood our mind:

Who impregnated her?

Why isn't he with her now?

Where is he?

How did they meet up and get this close?

And many more.

I saw many fans and readers believe that his character had been rushed, retconned, even completely changed, or outright made no sense. The purpose of this post is to answer these claims and try and explain why HK was actually a very well written character that actually DID come full circle.

I'll admit in this segment that he is my favorite character. This isn't to say that I condone, approve or enjoy his actions. I enjoyed reading his story, and he was very interesting to me as a reader.

15 Year Lie - Hikaru Kamiki's timeline

We get most of the story in the 15YL movie arc, so please take this part with a grain of salt, although most of what is depicted in it is mostly confirmed as true by the characters involved and their surrounding.

With that being said - here it is:

Hikaru Kamiki is an up and coming actor, one of the aspiring future prodigies of the esteemed Lala-Lai. He is a shy and timid boy, that while handsome, talented and charming was harboring a dark secret - he is a victim of ongoing grooming and sexūal assaūlt by famous actress Airi Himekawa, a married woman. His abuser is depicted as a manipulative woman who'll stop at nothing to keep her prey in her talons' grasp. She excuses this behavior with the claim that she herself was abused before, and this creation of a new male victim is her revenge for taking part of a world (show business) controlled by men. While he is aware of what is happening and being done to him, his deep sense of insecurity and the manipulation used on him keeps him in this situation - because he believes the lie that this is the only way he'll ever be loved.

His first interaction with Ai is when he is instructed to mentor her and help her as she begins theater lessons. They become quick friends, having friendly banter, and as they both quickly grow as actors and get to know each other, they also develop feelings towards each other.

*continued in part 2, I'll add a link when it's ready*

[oshinohoshi]

In which I ramble about an Oshi no Ko mystery

To this day I am haunted by the question: How many members of the Ai Hoshino fan club were present when Ai gave birth/Gorou died and what where they doing there anyway?

In case you forgot who the Ai fan club members are, their names and ages at the time:

Founding member Hikaru Kamiki (15)

Vilest member of the year 3x award winner Ryosuke Sugano (18)

Most talented and sexually repressed member Nino Fuyuko (somewhere around Ai's age of 16)

Let's address who was there

Tsukuyomi told Ruby in ch 79 that on the night Gorou died, a college student and a middle school boy were present: Ryosuke and Hikaru.

However, in ch 160 according to Hikaru's statement and a flashback, Ryosuke and Nino were present.

So what gives? Was Nino there? Was Hikaru there? A few possibilities:

Tsukuyomi lied - I don't think so. She exists to explain the plot and pester the twins. Therefore, Ryosuke and Hikaru were there

Hikaru lied about Nino's presence and/or his knowledge of Gorou's death - There's really no reason to falsely add Nino to the story. As for Gorou, Hikaru is something of an unreliable narrator in ch 160. He said some things that are true - like the fact he technically didn't stab anyone or push them off a cliff lol - and at least one thing that was untrue - that he never thought of hurting anyone, to which Aqua replied that he wanted to hurt Ruby or at the very least made no effort to protect her from Nino. Personally, I think everything Hikaru said except for his statement about not wanting to hurt anyone is true, but this is up to interpretation. My reason for thinking this besides that I'm still clinging to the man he was before his character assassination in the final chapters is that the vibe Hikaru gives off is telling Aqua truths that are basically lies by omission.

Tsukuyomi didn't mention Nino because it's irrelevant to pushing Ruby into revenge against Hikaru* and from a story perspective, it allows the Nino twist to happen later. Also, Hikaru never actually said he wasn't present.

*Why did Tsukuyomi prod Ruby into revenge? I DON'T KNOW. DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING? NOT REALLY.

Anyway, point #3 is the most sensical to me. Therefore, all members of the Scooby-Doo gang were present.

What were they doing there?

Unfortunately, we're in the land of pure speculation. I would discount that Ryosuke had murderous intentions. Trying to sneak into a hospital to kill Ai and make it out undetected is just silly.

Ryosuke may have been there to verify Hikaru's story or simply because he's an obsessive stalker. Nino either had similar reasons or was dragged along for the ride.

Hikaru would likely have been there with the intention of meeting Ai. He just wasn't brave enough to do so. He may have wanted Ryosuke present for moral support or because an adult can do things like rent a car in a small town and attract less attention wandering around a hospital alone.

Does it matter?

Kind of? I guess it matters whether Hikaru knew Ryosuke had murdered someone when he sent him to see Ai. I think that even though Hikaru was present, he didn't know. Personally, I don't think a brokenhearted and fragile 15 year old was capable of manipulating others but that's up for the reader to decide.

It also matters to me because I was eagerly waiting for this to be cleared up. Would it have killed Akasaka to just make such things clear? I have a Nino/Ai fic to write. I need to know.

Final questions

Did Nino always wear cute hats? Did Ryosuke own anything other than hoodies? Yet one more thing Akasaka left up to interpretation.

[goldenharmony]

Honestly, Christmas is so freaking wild in OnK:

The Birthday of Ai Hoshino

The Death of Ai Hoshino

The Date of the Cancelled First Dome Concert of Old B-Komachi

The (Likely) Death of Ryosuke Sugano

The Date of Kana's (Shitty) Graduation Concert

The Day Nino Fuyuko was Arrested

The Death of Hikaru Kamiki

The Death of Aqua Hoshino

[aihoshiino]

I saw a person on Reddit saying on a lot of posts that Ai wasted her time on Hikaru and that he didn't deserve her. Out of curiosity, what do you think about this?

and that redditor's name? sugano ryosuke.

BUT UH JOKING ASIDE I think this is just kind of a boring and unengaging way to talk about any fictional relationship, especially one as fraught and complex as HKAI's. Like... what does it even mean for him to "deserve" her or for Ai to have "wasted her time" on him? Because the relationship ended badly? Because he was traumatised and not a good partner? Idk man they were born teenagers having proper grown up feelings for the first time and it just didn't work out. Did everyone on earth who also had a kind of fucky adolescent Baby's First Romance also "waste their time"? Weird ass take.

I think this kind of sentiment also ignores the fact that the KamiAi relationship wasn't like Ai doing charity work or taking pity on him lol. It's easy and understandable for the way it ended too overshadow the rest of their relationship but Ai also got a lot out of being with Kamiki. There's her babies, obviously, but Akane even points out if only indirectly that Ai becomes a visibly happier (or at least more stable) individual after meeting Kamiki and implicitly credits that change to his influence. Not only that but like... Kamiki is pretty much her only positive peer relationship at that point in her life and kind of also just in general lol. Unless we wanna try and say that Ai would've been better off just being miserable and alone for those months that she was dating him, I'm not sure what else she would've even been doing with this supposedly "wasted" time.

Idk! Like I said up top. Weird ass take and not one I agree with at all. Very funny to think that homie is wasting a bunch of their OWN time bitching about this tho.

[momijiyama1649]

T字路「夕暮れ fromTHE BLUE HEARTS」 岩見沢culbDOPE (via Sugano Ryosuke)

[jculture-en]

The World Baseball Classic Championship Final is Tonight

#npb #samuraijapan [SB Nation Lookout Landing]Samurai Japan’s ace Tomoyuki Sugano’s excellent outing was marred by a couple defensive miscues that led to both US runs. Japan’s run came on a Ryosuke Kikuchi home run in the sixth inning. For a second everyone watching thought Andrew McCutchen …

[npb-en]

The World Baseball Classic Championship Final is Tonight

#npb #samuraijapan [SB Nation Lookout Landing]Samurai Japan’s ace Tomoyuki Sugano’s excellent outing was marred by a couple defensive miscues that led to both US runs. Japan’s run came on a Ryosuke Kikuchi home run in the sixth inning. For a second everyone watching thought Andrew McCutchen ...

[herretes]

El Dodger Stadium de la ciudad de Los Angeles fue testigo de un intenso juego de pelota donde el conjunto de Estados Unidos sacó la casta de equipo local para imponerse con pizarra de 2 carreras por 1 a Japón y así instalarse por primera vez en su historia en la gran final del Clásico Mundial de Beísbol donde se enfrentarán a Puerto Rico. 

Este cotejo estuvo marcado por un tremendo duelo de pitcheo entre Tomoyuki Sugano y Tanner Roark, el nipón trabajó por espacio de seis entradas permitiendo tres imparables, una carrera y ponchando a seis contrarios mientras que el estadounidense tuvo foja de cuatro innings completos permitiendo dos hits y abanicando a un rival.

La apertura del marcador llegó en la parte alta de la cuarta entrada cuando Andrew McCutchen sonó sencillo con rodado al jardinero izquierdo Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh para impulsar la anotación de Christian Yelich. Japón no tardó en responder y la rayita del empate llegó en la baja del sexto gracias a solitario jonrón de Ryosuke Kikuchi.

En el octavo inning Adam Jones bateó rodado de out al primera base nipón Sho Nakata en jugada de infield fly que trajo para la goma la carrera de la victoria en los pies de Brandon Crawford que se encontraba en tercera base.

La entrada Estados Unidos despide a Japón y se cita con Puerto Rico en la gran final aparece primero en Noticias Diarias de Venezuela.

[hikaru-kamiki-truther]

Ryosuke and Nino getting a pass cause they're "mentally unstable" like HIKARU FUCKING KAMIKI is what comes to one's mind when they think "mentally stable".

[betitocom-sports]

#WBC knocks off Japan to advance to WBC finals for 1st time The United States is off to the finals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time in the tournament's history. Adam Jones hit an RBI groundout to score the eventual winning run in the eighth, and Luke Gregerson converted the seven-pitch, three-out save to lead Team USA to a 2-1 win over Japan on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. "The guys that signed up for this understood the challenge," Jones said following the game. "Tomorrow we get the chance to do something the United States has never done." With drizzle raining down for almost the entire three-hour, 12-minute game, the United States and Japan were locked in a pitchers' duel for the better part of the night. USA starter Tanner Roark tossed four shutout innings before handing the ball over to the pen, while Japan starter Tomoyuki Sugano struck out six over as many innings, allowing one unearned run. Andrew McCutchen picked up an RBI single on a ground ball to left field to plate Christian Yelich in the fourth to give the United States an early 1-0 lead. Ryosuke Kikuchi tied things up in the sixth with a solo home run off Nate Jones on a ball that just landed over the outstretched glove of McCutchen in right field. With one out and runners on second and third in the eighth, Jones hit a groundball to third base that Nobuhiro Matsuda bobbled, allowing Brandon Crawford to cross the plate for what would be the eventual game-winning run. The U.S. will hand the ball to right-hander Marcus Stroman in the championship game Wednesday against Puerto Rico. It will be the second time the two teams meet this WBC, after the undefeated Puerto Ricans edged the Americans 6-5 during the second round.

[hikaru-kamiki-truther]

Not a big fan of whatever the hell they were trynna cook with the Nino and Ryosuke backstory.

[momijiyama1649]

T字路「夕暮れ fromTHE BLUE HEARTS」 岩見沢culbDOPE (via Sugano Ryosuke)