#Souji's childhood

[number1villainstan]

FUUUUUCK i just realized that that shot when Mikage's standing up against the wall so that his shoes are part of the lineup of all the dead boys' shoes it's to hint at the fact that Mikage's already dead

[thebearme]

Here's a redraw depicting of Yu's parents

The second worst parents in p4. The first goes to Rise's parents but again I'm not in the mental state to unpack her child actor trauma to all of you.

I haven't given these two a name yet but we'll get to that later...

Anyway TW childhood neglect, Physical abuse

I don't have much of them being genuine people with their own life, only the shit parenting but there one.

Yu's mom works as a lawyer. My og idea for the dad is to be a train conductor but idk might change it.

Yu's parents when together tend to like a one brain unit, a professional partnership. But they're never seen being lovingly to each other because of the fact that they don't have time to be together.

They both have hard and demanding jobs where they're rarely at home to take care of Yu. And when they are home, they just give Yu a expensive gift to make it up. Never actually spending time with them.

Yu's parents tend to get Yu into extracurricular activity to keep him busy and be a well rounded person. Yu is now great at athleticism, paper crafts and piano. But he really hates playing piano. (brightside, he can now make a origami pile when stressed)

Yu's parents rarely call but when they do it's for grades. (which is canon! They only called once in the whole game and it was to Dojima not Yu and ONLY for HIS FUCKING GRADES?!)

Yu's dad usually handles the physical punishment while Yu's mom has most "normal" punishment. (like no dinner, groundings and yellings) but because how cold she could be the punishment emotionally hurt as well. So when Yu does something he wasn't supposed to, he prefer dad to know than mom.

They tend to not notice much when it comes to Yu but once he came back from Inaba, they noticed that Yu was more vibrant in his personality and feelings. But it started getting minimizes as Yu remembered that he can't really be talkative and open to his parents. (Yu's parents don't like him being happy.)

Dojima doesn't really understand the full extent of how Yu is being raised or how his sister acts much now. He knows that when growing up she was always the most serious and pretty much only cared about getting out of their home town. He could never blame her for that, there really isn't much opportunity in middle of nowhere town. They are both tough, workaholics, but the difference is that Dojima is soft at heart. He wants to take care of his child and is willing to change for that.

Luckily when Yu was younger he had a babysitter/nanny taking care of him. But sadly it didn't last long, soon Yu had to learn to take care of himself. In Which he did pretty well besides the bizarre eating from time to time.

And you would think with having a neglectful and lonely homelife with absence parents Yu would get friends for a distraction? RIGHT?? NO! Yu doesn't talk to kids his age so they don't get attach when he eventually moves away again. A lesson he inertly got taught by his parents...

Back when Yu and Yosuke first became friends, Yu would try to make him laugh with dark humor. (it didn't work and it just made Yosuke concerned in his homelife.)

When Yu first realized Nanako is using to being alone and taking care of herself something clicked into place. "I know how that feels, I don't want Nanako to be alone like I was. It isn't right."

As of the time of p4, Yu doesn't know that his parents are abusive. But they'll realize later in life, and that's when Yu spends more time in Inaba than his homecity.

Idk but when writing about Yu's parents it makes me feel like I nothing and everything to say about them. I tried to not think about them much because I pulled things from my own childhood for this, I literally was unpacking my own stuff of my mom as I was first writing them.

So if you have any questions like "how was Yu's parents when ___?" I'll try to answer.

[prrtnrr]

Souji: I assure you I'm awake enough to do this. Yukiko: That's not what I mean. I haven't seen you this quiet since you very first moved to Inaba. Souji- Souji: There's not much to say. We need to prepare for entering the TV. Naoto: He's distancing himself. Yukiko: But why? We're all friends and want Yosuke home safe; also why are we whispering? Naoto: If I had to venture a guess I'd assume it's because Yosuke Senpai jumped into the TV at the thought of dating Souji Senpai. Souji: ...

<<Prev | First | Next>>

[m0e-ru]

guy who only read the persona four manga: getting a lot of persona four manga vibes from this

[cafeleningrad]

If it's not to late for the ask game:💚💖💔 for Revolutionary girl Utena. (And if you want ofc)

This show is a never ending opportunity to talk about so the asks will be perfectly on time any time. Thank you a lot for the questions! (/≧▽≦)/ 💚 What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character? That would Tokiko. The fandom barely talks about her, if they acknowledge their existence at all - which is in itself perfectly ironic for the Black Rose Arc finale. I've got many, so many thoughts on the limited yet incredibly revealing screen time of Tokiko, Nemuro before he became Mikage Souji, and the Chida Mamiya. But I will keep it brief at their actual, very human story being essential for explaining what psychological issues are determining the logic of Ohtori, and Akio as it's center of gravity. Tokiko appearing, and being the only person Akio can not intimidate or impress is my favourite moment about accepting past pain, and a life outside of Ohtori.

(And I guess for other two favourites Wakaba and Nanami, I think the fandom is pretty spot on about them (also high five to every Wakaba fan out her, love my onion girl 🧅🤎)) (And yeah, maybe some fans are a bit too kind on Saionji. This boy is physically mistreating others for his compensation. On the other hand, I'm a big Theon Greyjoy fan. For both characters the deeply complicated childhood friendship, patheticness-to-likeability-ratio, and gender-struggle make them overcomepnsate in the most dickhead ways parallels are just too close for me to overlook them....)

As usual, writing about this show got way too long, so the rest is under the cut. ;)

💖 What is your biggest unpopular opinion about the series? two things 1. This show thrives on accepting ambiguity and plurality all at once. The itself perfectly blends all it's aspects and inspirations together. Analysis of the text is a beautiful kaleidoscope. I do think a bit more of interest for the Japanese, especially the time and Japanese popculture context helps understanding why certain characters are the way they are could be useful. (By example: Juri's distant yet poised demeanour in a male environment reflect the tough position for women trying to survive in a male dominated field, or Nanami's and Kozue's incestuous tendencies corresponding to a prominent shoujo trope of the time, or what it means for Akio to take on his fiancée's last name, or Jur/iori's ashamed perception of lesbian love and desire as impure is combating questionable Class-S tropes). Still, I think different readings of gender, queerness, but also depression, maturity, childism, machismo in facism, Greek theater, colour theory, literary analysis of fairy tales, German literary influences, theater, power dynamics and also personal thoughts of escj viwer don't exclude other. Instead they link to each other, help understand one aspect a bit better, maybe are in conflict, or support each other. Even if I might not agree a 100% with every reading or interpretation, the thoughts of many other fans have helped me seeing different aspects in different lights.

2. Lesbianism didn't save anyone. I know most "gay gals winning"-claims are jokes. However it does irritate me a bit because the show works really hard against gender essentialism. It understands really well how love, and mature, good relationships works - even within same sex couples. There is a lot to untangle here but in order to not jump to 99 tangents at once: Princehood is not only misogyny. It's an entire mindset of egocentrism, and a power hierarchy needing over people to submit so a single person can climb on their backs. Such renders every relationship to a disproportionate exchange of values - not loving the actual person. At the pinnacle of it nothing matters more than an individual being uncritically revered, untouchable, unconditionally be loved without having to risk anything. If homsexuality was such an easy cure Touga, Saionji, Shiori and Juri... wouldn't be like that. They might even quit the show the moment Shiori said sorry, or Saionji returned at Ohtori. Them being all stuck in princehood mentality means seeing relationships as exhange of value, domination and submission as only possible form of intimacy, yet honest feelings and hurt are incredibly dangerous to reveal. They've a bleak outlook into the future, and mostly care about themselves before they actually care about the other. (Even though from all people Saionji might be the most caring for Touga... this boy is such a trainwreck...) This is why it takes Anthy and Utena 39 episodes and movie to flirt and finally kiss each other because they needed to mature and overcome the fears into which they were conditioned. Their vulnerability of loving has hurt them before: Anthy gave her all to Dios just to have her most intimate spheres in every sense getting violated. Utena lost the unconditional love of her parents, and her trust and intimacy got badly betrayed by Akio. However, they dare risk experiencing such pain again for the other. Opening up, daring to believe in something better, believing in the kindness and connection Ohtori so vehemently denies... there might be the chance of an miracle, actually.

(Don't get me wrong, it is a very queer show so it also tears down the pitfalls of heteronormativity. A prince needs a princess to showcase prowess and simultaneously own someone they can rob of power, relationships are just functions. Unlearning patriarchy means learning anew what personhood and what love is. Love is also the preservation and respect for the personhood of another person. i.e. it's basically Erich Fromm but without his fraud understanding of gender...) Again, SKU is incomplete with only one partial reading.

I don't mean it as "love that transcends gender", and "it doesn't need a label" way. No, Anthy is suffering under very real abuse whereas also bearing a heavily symbolic if not allegorical role. Meaning, reconciling with Anthy, Utena does reconcile with her struggles about being a woman. Utena is by design queer as it already is her starting point that whatever is considered "normal" not making intrinsic sense to her.

💔 If you had to remove one major character from the series, who would you choose? Ooof that's a tough one. The entire cast represent different arguments and issues of the Ohtori system, even side characters like Keiko and Tsuwabuki become relevant. Let alone main characters... (And I'm of the very strong opinion that a good story utilizes every character perfectly. Without even a terrible character there would be no plot. Which is to say we have to keep Akio if we want a plot... ) Even when dead, Touga is a necessary foil as self-aware ideal of princehood... I know Nanami only appears once in the manga but what would the story be without one of the best characters ever created for TV?

Alright, I've to choose: Evne though Miki and Kozue are my Rosetta stones to Akio's and Anthy's fraud relationship, I think removing Kozue would make for an experiment in deciphering Miki. How quickly would we pick on his deal if her was a prince without princess. After all, Juri and Shiori are the next step in isolation and dehumanisation, and Saionji has actually as many princesses as Wakaba has princes... hmmm... To say, Kozue is my starting point in understanding the arbitrary of gender roles and misleading concepts of innocence. Without her Miki could mislead the audience much more easily...

[fierce-little-miana]

Yeah to hearing more about Souji’s childhood. This time @inthegardensofourminds I think I prefer what I have seen of this scene from KW/EN which seems to go into more details. That being said, I am still glad to see Souji’s opening up about this to Chizuru. I don’t think he would have done that with anyone before.

Though his first dialogue box is a tad hilarious. They have known each other for 5 years at this point and he is like “you do know that I am actually a samurai right?”. This never came up in a conversation before? They discovered Chizuru having a secret twin, being adopted, and not being human before Souji told her what social class he was born in?

[cleave-and-plough]

YOU SON OF A BITCH

what a warped episode, huh? the black rose arc seems to come to a close, the whole thing seemingly orchestrated by akio, using anthy as a false mamiya. some questions are answered, but many more are raised as nemuro dissipates and akio solidifies his place as the power behind the scenes.

down to the final black rose and unable to find a way to defeat utena head on, souji redoubles his efforts to recruit her into the seminar, unromantically confessing to feelings for her and posing himself as a savior - someone with the genius and resources to help her and her friends out of any trouble. utena considers; she's usually able to get herself out of any scrapes, but there is someone dear to her who seems powerless. dreaming of her time in the coffin after her parents' death, utena wakes in a dim room, the tv playing static, anthy's hand entwined in hers. a transference occurs in this ghostly, liminal space - utena recognizing her past helplessness in anthy and that sometimes outside help is needed.

meanwhile, souji experiences his own transposition, seeing utena as tokiko and substituting her in utena's place. it's an uncanny moment that foreshadows the strangeness to come. as the end approaches, he coldly dismisses his secretary, who notably resembles tokiko, and her comment that she can "finally let her hair down" seems pointedly loaded. untethering himself from his worldly connections, he floats between the present and the past over an unending banquet table, remembering how he refused the lab boys' duel challenges once his work had finished. mamiya appears at his bedside, bringing flowers as if to a funeral, and questions his opening of the arena and castle. knowledge of the arena's existence seems to instill the academics with the belief that eternity will be attainable by the champion duelist. suddenly, mamiya changes tone. "don't you want the power to revolutionize the world?.... i want... eternity."

until now, it had seemed mamiya was reluctant to be preserved like the roses in tokiko's garden, but his strong words now spur souji into action. in the memorial hall, as utena beholds the portraits of the black rose duelists, he confesses to her yet again, this time as both the architect of the black rose and tokiko's would-be lover. but, he argues, utena and the other black rose duelists aren't so different, are they? at their core, they are bound to their most precious memories, have based their lives upon them, and are willing to fight for them. and fight utena will, punching souji and pinning him to the ground for daring to equate them. he smiles, acknowledging her memories must be very precious indeed. he's not entirely wrong, which is what angers utena, but he does seem to make a key misapprehension - utena doesn't wish to live in the past, she looks towards the future. her childhood experience of pain and salvation is something that she draws strength from, but it isn't something she wants to eternalize. nevertheless, she can't allow souji to continue his schemes, which have threatened her friends and endangered anthy, so she formally challenges him to bring an end to all this.

collapsed in the elevator, souji has a vision of the past, extending his funeral-like air from earlier into something like his dying words. visited by mamiya's spirit, he accepts that dueling utena is his last hope, as she is closest to the power of dios. and yet, there is some relief in this desperation, as he feels he has been reunited with tokiko - perhaps, to die by her sword is its own kind of eternity. somehow, the spirit of mamiya hands him the final black rose, allowing him to call forth a sword that looks strikingly like the sword of dios.

the duel begins amid a sea of photographs of tokiko and mamiya. souji continues his psychological warfare, drawing parallels between himself and utena and claiming that their lives were both changed by a special person in their past. this, he says, is why they can enter the arena - their lives are built on an elusive memory. utena rejects his comparisons as mere manipulation, and souji begins to falter more and more. his shoulder wound ails him, he slashes the photo, and, most damningly, he fails to realize anthy's deceit in the duel's final moments. hearing "mamiya's" voice in the arena, he becomes lucid for a scant few seconds before his rose is severed, his last sight the true image of mamiya.

akio takes a phone call. calmly, he reveals everything to souji. nemuro's regrets over tokiko froze him in time, and mamiya passed away long ago. akio used this to some advantage, but no longer. "the path you must take is not prepared for you. now graduate from this place." and with that, just as all the black rose duelists lost their memories of the black rose, so too does ohtori lose its memory of professor nemuro. the hall he had rebuilt in his memories lies derelict and forgotten. "he was never really here," akio says, sounding very like the end of the world. "just like you." anthy turns to face him, smiling.

reflecting on nemuro's last moments and his life of regret, i thought of the lyrics to "komm, süsser tod” from end of evangelion:

i wish that i could turn back time 'cause now the guilt is all mine can't live without the trust from those you love i know we can't forget the past you can't forget love and pride because of that, it's killing me inside

...

i'll never love again my world is ending

stray thoughts:

during the duel, souji's style seems to mimic past duelists' techniques, just as the black rose duelists' imitated those of their swords' sources. i noted saionji's sweeping horizontal slash and juri's footwork - i'm sure there are other connections to be made.

the silhouettes depict a father missing the golden days of his youth, which have been replaced by the challenges of adult life. to recapture that glory, he attempts to re-enter high school, just as nemuro reinvented himself as the student mikage souji to remain at ohtori.

the use of the word "graduate" seems significant, extending the metaphor of the school as purgatory, and begs the question of what (adult) life outside the school is like. the staff don't seem to be a viable source of information, and the only visitors have either been transfer students or tokiko herself (and nemuro, at first). perhaps kanae, hoping to advance in life, realized that akio would always be "in school" and misdirected her frustration towards anthy.

i look forward to learning more about the nature of the school and how the saga of nemuro aided akio's plans, especially given that utena doesn't seem to remember the experience - what role will the black rose come to serve in all this?

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki SSL Hakuo Gakuen Story Vol 1. Toudou Heisuke

Since SSL got its Switch release... I decided to translate some SSL stuff. I got tl for the five of 薄桜学園物語 stories (which is all of them! mentioning that since I have some Souji SSL magazine stories saved but I don't think it's complete) that were originally published in the 電撃GS���志 magazines... though I didn't save who spoke for each line (the sentences were colour-coated!). It shouldn't really be an issue for this since there are only two people in this though....

Anyway, this translation is of 薄桜学園物語 vol.1 藤堂平助 and this was originally published in GS杂志2014年3月号.

Hakuoki SSL Hakuo Gakuen Story Vol 1. Toudou Heisuke

Translation by KumoriYami

Early February.

Beneath the blue sky of the warm and cold season, on the roof of the Hakuo Gakuen school building, were Okita Souji and Toudou Heisuke, who had sneaked out during the self-study period.

"Hey, Heisuke. I saw that you were staring at the dessert/sweets in your hand just now, what are you thinking about?"

"Hm... I was thinking that, that day is almost here."

"That day, meaning?"

"It's, that's, that… That's the day you receive chocolate then send a gift in return?"

"What, so you're talking about Valentine's Day? Ah… I see. So you were reminded of Valentine's Day when you saw those sweets by the entrance."

"That's right... so don't ask me about things you already know."

"You want to eat chocolate that much? You can just buy it for yourself."

"I'm telling you… wouldn't it be pointless if I bought it myself? Because it's Valentine's Day, giving chocolate is proof that the other person values you, which is why it's a day worth celebrating."

"Eh… so you have someone that you want to receive chocolates from."

"Th-That isn't the case/N-No, it's not like that."

"In any case, at our all-boys school, there isn't a single girl, so this type of celebration has nothing to do with us."

"Ye... Yeah... it has nothing to do with us."

"Huh? Speaking of which, Heisuke, you said that you received chocolate last year, right? Who gave it?"

"Uh… apparently my mother?"

"No, no, it wasn't."

"Th-That was, it should have been a kouhai?"

"Did one of the younger male students give it?"

"Uh… Ah, aah, right! It was from my childhood sweetheart…."

"So that's how it is… a childhood sweetheart. Hearing you say that, it seems there was something like that."

"Ye-Yes? I remembered that I received Giri chocolate form her. Right right, it was like that."

"She, ah…. Despite it being Giri chocolate, I'm under the impression that you're quite happy about it."

"Th-There's no such——! It's just Giri chocolate! Because it's Giri chocolate, even if I receive it, I won't be happy at all——!"

"Then, if you also receive Giri chocolate from your childhood sweetheart this year, give it to me."

"Huh...?"

"Because you said that won't be happy, doesn't that mean you don't want it?"

"No, that, well, even though it's Giri chocolate… that's still not good."

"Is it? Hijikata-sensei and Sano-san will give me the Giri chocolate they receive."

"The amount of chocolate those two receive can't be compraed to normal people! They're obviously teachers at an all-boys school, yet as soon as those two pass by the stores and places they frequent, they will receive an amount of chocolates piled up as high as a mountain, and they're able to fill up a paper bag just by strolling around."

"But, that's also Giri chocolate."

"Hmm…. but, whether or not I'll receive any this year is still unknown…."

"Then you mean, if you do receive some, you'll give it to me?"

"I didn't say that! Anyway, even if I receive some, I won't give it to you, Souji!"

"…Heeh. Forget it. It would be great if I could receive chocolates this year from that childhood sweetheart. Because that's the only chocolate that Heisuke can receive every year."

"Enough, let's stop talking about this. By the way, we should be heading back to the classroom. The self-study period is already over. If someone notices that we opened to door to the roof without permission, then we'll definitely get into trouble."

"Yes yes. let's bring this subject to a close."

"Unfortunately, the bell for class is ringing! Alright, let's quickly go back!"

Heisuke, who was being urged by Souji to get up and start running towards the classroom, thought to himself.

（She, will she give me chocolates this year…. although it'll still be Giri.）

---to be continued---

i don't believe this was reprinted in any of the SSL books unfortunately...

also i forgot to mention: i know that Heisuke and Chizuru are childhood friends in the SSL game but the word I had used "sweetheart" so I went with that.

[moistvonlipwig]

for the ask game this question - the character who I do not understand - for utena . i'm doubting that there's anyone u don't get though lol

omg i love ur faith in me....there is someone i struggle to get tho! i'm just gonna do all the questions if u don't mind...

The first character I fell in love with: Utena, I was like wow she's just like me fr <3

The character who is my ‘baby’: Utena and Anthy and Miki and Nanami are all so YOUNG like yes the others are teenagers too but they're middle schoolers bro 😭 they're actual Babies

The character who I do not understand: Mikage confounds me...like I think there's some really interesting commentary his character is doing on the social construct of the "genius" and he works very well as a foil to Utena and I think his flashback episodes are very good. But his deal with Tokiko is so ??? what does he want from her??? Also what was up with those 100 boys, did he kill them or not 😳 and the thing is that does make his character really interesting to think about, I kind of like that there's this big part of RGU that I still struggle to comprehend and that can be read in so many ways, it keeps me on my toes. But also it kind of frustrates me because, much like Mikage, I think I am the smartest specialest person ever and so I hate not understanding things on the first try lol.

The character that I think the show ruined: No one because it is a good show :)

The most attractive male and female character: In terms of character design I have to give it to Anthy and Saionji. Both of them have such luscious locks.

The character death that was the worst for me: The death of the idealized childhood past that you can never return to no matter how strongly you desire it

The character that is the most like me: Utena but also Miki tbh.

The character I think the writer(s) love: I think they loved Nanami as is good and proper.

The character that I just want to be happy: Anthy bbgrill I hope you're doing okay. Same for Utena. And Nanami my steak egg alien girl we gotta get you out of Ohtori!!!

My four favorite characters, past or present: Nanami Kiryuu, Utena Tenjou, Anthy Himemiya, Chu-Chu :3

My four least favorite characters, past or present: Souji Mikage because my difficulty understanding him also means I don't really connect with him emotionally at all, Akio Ohtori who I dislike more than Mikage but I refuse to put him first because he is not even special or cool enough to be my least favorite and also baby Dios makes me sad so he gets one (1) point for that, Keiko sorry girl but whyyy do you like that man, and Touga Kiryuu the That Man in question who gets one (1) more point than Keiko for being a confirmed Cat Guy.

[zorkaya-moved]

P4 VERSE RUNDOWN FOR NOW:

International student from Russia. She's that student who does all work and then either sleeps in class or reads some complicated literature or books. Teachers either hate her or like her, she is the student that keeps getting on Kinshiro Morooka (King Moron) nerves because she's smart, a prodigy and he knows it by seeing her grades and giving her tests. He makes it very clear that he does NOT like her, she's on his shit list and will never recover (not like she wants to). Very opinionated and straightforward. She has many people who circle around her as she's known to be charming and charismatic, but she also doesn't seem to really belong to any group.

Moved to Inaba the same time P4 Protagonist (Souji Seta/Yu Narukami), they're also in the same class since it was just easier on the school to keep tabs on new students and 'maybe two new students might get along.' Zarina joined the class a couple of days after P4 Protagonist (Souji Seta/Yu Narukami) because she was moving in.

Sokolova lives alone despite her age. Only if you get close to her will you learn she lives alone, but aside from that people think she lives with her grandparents. It's quite obvious that her family is rich and she is rich as well, but she does work on some days, which makes her unavailable to hang out with on certain days.

Zarina doesn't have a palace and doesn't have a moment where she must face her true self. She is the character that is fully aware of herself and her inner self without denial of herself. This is why her persona doesn't 'evolve' or change. She is the constant and 'stagnant' character who may not always be present in the labyrinths as well.

Her Arcana is DEATH and her Persona is MORANA. She is the never-changing Persona User, her elements are double of Dark and Ice. She is weak to Fire instead of Light.

She joins the crew as a Persona user by following the main gang when they dive into Yukiko's Castle. Teddy finds her first and gives her the glasses and they find her hold her own against shadows but they find her being pushed back because she's looking exhausted and tired. It's obvious she awakened her Persona without the presence of the main team. Upon asking, Sokolova would explain what she was doing there (following them) and that she awakened this new power on her own without any help but the awakening made her feel weak and she's glad they came to help her out.

The Investigation Team will only learn of Zarina's... 'unique' views on life and very different outlook when Naoto joins in because she starts to snipe the other with some remarks that have never been shot at anyone else. What does it mean? Zarina's cynical and survivalist self may just throw some sprinkles here and there.

It becomes quite obvious the longer you spend with her that she does NOT fear speaking up against adults or speaking with adults about topics that teenagers her age do not speak about, especially when it comes to research and crime related discussions. Dojima could say that kids like Zarina probably suffered in childhood from some life-changing experience, which he would be correct about. .

Is she a part of Russian mafia still? Yes. However, in Persona 4, she actually wants to become a lawyer or... maybe something else. Currently, she is trying to find what she wants to do aside from her family business and that's why she wants to live in a 'normal' environment. Thus, seeing the murders in Inaba, she knows it cannot be a normal human who did that. She's seen enough death to know a variety of ways how someone can be killed. Upon anyone asking how does she know so much, she says that she's an avid fan of crime documentaries and crime studies.

[starianamber]

Some Yu/Souji headcanon I had

Note that I ended up combining both anime and manga adaptation for his characterisation since I don't like writing two separate characteristics for the same person

Yu/Souji hates receiving gifts and/or money due to his parents giving him gifts/money to make up for lost times. He later appreciated the gifts he got in Inaba as it's the first time he received something that wasn't from his parents

Yu/Souji attachment to cats stems from elementary school when he befriended a stray cat that his first elementary school unofficially adopted it. He wishes to own one once he finally has a fixed place to stay

Yu/Souji had made other types of origami during his spare time. While his favourite origami to make are cranes, he made different types of origami when he's alone in his room. Some of them are linked to each S.L. he has encountered and depends on who, it represents them by meaning/symbolism (Yosuke is frog, Yukiko is swan, etc.)

Yu/Souji love of model making and painting came from both of his father who work as a robotic engineer and often showed him how to create complex models. While being a robotic engineer was his childhood dream job, he eventually dropped it after his father gotten busy but still does it as a hobby

Yu/Souji had only seen pictures of Nanako prior to his move to Inaba. While hardly remembering Dojima by looks, he remembers his voice only because he heard it whenever his mother was calling Dojima before she herself gotten busy with work

Yu/Souji hate thunder on rainy nights only because it's too loud for him to get some proper sleep. He doesn't mind them if it's in the morning or when using it in battle

Yu/Souji absorbs knowledge like a sponge and can get a grasp on it after one or two tries. He only studies a lot because he has nothing else to do

Yu/Souji only gave the food that he felt comfortable making to others. Experimental food/ first-time trying is all his to avoid giving someone food poisoning

Yu/Souji used to own a stuffed animal bear that looks similar to Teddie when he was younger. However, he lost it on one of his moves and couldn't find it again. He doesn't want to speculate that his old stuff bear is Teddie as he doesn't want to think what's inside of his childhood toy is a man and not cotton

Yu/Souji owns a diary to write his feelings down whenever he's stressed. He mostly hid his diary under his futon until Yosuke found it (S.L. rank 5) and hide it in the same drawer where he keeps his origami

Yu/Souji's eyesight aren't terrible but his vision is still considered poor before he moved to Inaba. He doesn't get himself a pair of prescription glasses until college/university years as he doesn't think it's that bad

While visiting Port Island, Yu/Souji had a strange feeling of deja vu despite never visited Port Island prior. Unknown to him, due to being linked with the velvet room, Minato/Makoto is looking at him from his seal, making him felt like he had experience it before

Might be a bit off character but hey, I like player insert protag because it's fun to imagine what they are outside of mainline and spinoff. Anyways, here's a doodle of Yu/Souji. Ok, bye

[watasemasaru]

Tell me about Twisted Wonderland? How is it?

It's a visual novel where the concept is popular disney villains, but ikemen. The premise is Yuu (that's like the place holder name for you 🫵🏻 the player, you can obviously name urself whateves) are not a magic user, you're not even from this place, but somehow you've been summoned by the dark mirror and ended up in Twisted Wonderland, specifically Night Raven College. Currently the story is broken down into books and we navigate school life while also dealing with an issue of students (the villains) overblotting. Which they used too much magic and their emotions have tainted them.

Night Raven College is an all boys school of arcane arts (magic) and is divided into dorms that represents the The Great Seven (since these are "twisted" versions, the villains are seemed as benevolent). Each dorm has a house warden and a vice warden, usually the house warden is the one who is the specific iteration of a villain. Each student has a special spell that is unique to them as well!

Heartslabyul - this dorm embodies the Red Queen's strictness

Riddle Rosehearts - house warden and like the Red Queen, has a penchant for following the rules. His signature spell of Off With Your Head.

Trey Clover - based off a club card soldier, he's very mild mannered and a Riddle's childhood friend. His spell is Paint the Roses.

Cater Diamond - a diamond card, he's ur social media jargon magicam posting buddy. His spell is Split Card

Ace Trappola - he's one of your two main besties. He's the Yosuke to your Souji, Ryuji to your Akira. His spell is currently unknown

Deuce Spade - your other bestie and the more meat head of the two but a good egg (his mom is also soft butch and hot awooga) his sig spell is Double Down!

Savanaclaw - students here are representative of The King of Beast's Tenacity

Leona Kingscholar - Prideful and a little arrogant, he is easily jealous. He is snarky and a bit of a slacker (like any good cat tbh) His signature spell is King's Roar

Reggie Bucchi - a hyena beastman and the vice warden. He's a little impish and a trickster. His spell is Laugh With Me

Jack Howl - a wolf beastman who is very earnest and adheres to the hierarchy but not so much that his sense of justice goes to the wayside. His spell is Unleash Beast

Octavinelle - a dorm founded on the compassion of The Sea Witch

Azul Ashengrotto - the iteration of Ursula, he's intelligent and knows every loophole, a little Saul Goodman to be had in Azul. He's also rather fond of making money. His signature spell is It's a Deal.

Jade Leech - vice warden and a eel merman (Jetsam). He is has the disposition of a butler...but watch out, he's just as intimidating as his brother. His spell is Shock The Heart

Floyd Leech - the overtly chaotic mirror twin of Jade. He loses interest in things quick but easily excitable if something catches his eye, big ADHD energy. His spell is Bind the Heart

Scarabia - a dorm founded on The Sorcerer of the Sand's Mindfulness

Kalim Al-Asim - house warden who is not actually supposed to be a student, but his father bought him in with a large donation to the school. Kalim was insistent to attend when Jamil was accepted. He's unbearily positive and kind to the point of toxicity. His unique magic is Oasis Maker

Jamil Viper - is the better student and mage, but is Kalim's attendant, it would be "inappropriate" for him to be housewarden. He is calculating, careful, and aloof. His spell is Snake Whisperer.

Pomefiore - founded on The Fair Queen's tenacity.

Vil Schoenheit - the fairest of them all, he's an actor that people love as much as one loves an idol. He's beautiful and can be a little snotty, but he's kind when it's needed. His unique magic is Fairest One of All

Rook Hunt - based on the huntsman from Snow White he's an eccentric individual and French™. His ultimate desire is to find all different kinds of beauty. His spell is I See You

Epel Felmier - like his name, he is the poison apple. Epel is at odds with his fair appearance and what he views masculinity to be. He's a country boy and has a thick accent, but Vil encourages him to hide it. His spell is Sleep Kiss

Ignihyde - founded on the King of the Underworld's diligence

Idia Shroud - the arrogant but self deprecating weeb version of Hades. Idia is your typical gamer/anime trope character. He has a desire to be free and more outgoing but usually caves in on himself. His unique magic is Gate to the Underworld

Ortho Shroud - the humanoid younger brother of Idia. He's cute, charming, and polite and always trying to get Idia to come out of his shell. As it stands he has no signature spell.

Diasomnia - founded on the Thorn Fairy's spirit of nobility.

Malleus Draconia - the iteration of Maleficint. Because he's a fae he essentially has time blindness and is usually late or not at a housewarden meeting. There's a loneliness to Malleus because other students are so intimidated by him. His prize possession is a tamagotchi like toy. His spell is Fae of Maleficent

Lilia Vanrouge - old man in a cute guy's body trope. He's plucky and full of wisdom that belies his youthful looks. It said he is the iteration of Maleficint in her dragon form. His unique magic is Far Cry Cradle

Silver - a second year and bodyguard of Malleus who falls asleep at the drop of a hat and is beloved by animals. He was raised by Lila who found him in the woods. His special spell is Meet in a Dream

Sebek Zigvolt - the other bodyguard and an overzealous loudmouth (my stupid son). He is single minded (Malleus) and refuses to engage with anyone unless it's to berate them for not giving Malleus the proper respect. He tends to call the students around them humans (derogatory) despite being half-human himself. His father is a dentist and his mother, a fae, helps out. She's a tooth fairy lol. His special spell is Living Bolt

I love it, despite the fact it IS a gacha game as well as a vn, and never ever spend actual money on the damn thing their pity is a joke lol. It's better to just save your gems and keys for your favorites and call it good (I save for Sebek, Floyd, and Rook). You take lessons to level up your cards, exams to earn books to raise the card's spells, play twist tunes, and once you're in Idia's book, some retro game style mini games. There's also a little guest room at your dorm, Ramshackle, that you can invite a character to and design the room as you see fit!

[shinsengumi-archives]

My thoughts about ChatGPT after asking it about the Shinsengumi

I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT and asked it questions about the Shinsengumi to see how good it is when it comes to very niche topics.

I’m both very impressed and very worried about the results. It didn’t have problems understanding my questions and the writing is definitely human-like. On the other hand, the content itself is sometimes decent but rudimentary, but sometimes factually incorrect or misleading.

It’s usually (but not always) good for giving a brief introduction to various topics, but shouldn’t be trusted when it comes to the details. 

As it is, it’s not that useful for learning about the Shinsengumi beyond the basics, and that’s probably also the case for other topics.

Here are some answers I got from it:

Who were the Shinsengumi?

The Shinsengumi were a special police force in Japan during the late Edo period (1603-1867) and the early Meiji era (1868-1912). They were established to maintain order in Kyoto during a time of political and social upheaval. The Shinsengumi were known for their distinctive uniform, which consisted of a long haori coat, hakama pants, and a chonmage hairstyle. They were also famous for their strict code of ethics, which emphasized loyalty, bravery, and honor. The Shinsengumi played a significant role in Japan's transition from the Edo period to the Meiji era, and their legacy continues to be remembered and celebrated in Japanese history and culture.

It could answer this basic question without problems. This is an acceptable description of the Shinsengumi, but reading Wikipedia would be more useful. One inaccuracy is that the Shinsengumi’s strict code of ethics was actually fictional.

Who was Okita Souji?

Okita Souji was a prominent member of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Japan during the late Edo period (1603-1867) and the early Meiji era (1868-1912). He was born in 1842 and was considered one of the most skilled swordsmen in the Shinsengumi. Okita Souji was also known for his good looks and friendly personality, which made him a popular member of the group. Despite his youth, he held a high rank in the Shinsengumi and played an important role in its operations. He was also known for his devotion to the Shinsengumi's cause and for his loyalty to his fellow members. Unfortunately, Okita Souji suffered from tuberculosis and died at the young age of 26. Despite his brief life, he remains a well-known figure in Japanese history and culture.

It’s also pretty good, with one minor problem. We’re actually not sure which year Okita was born. It could be either 1842 or 1844, but the answer doesn’t mention this ambiguity.

If I ask something more detailed:

What was Okita Souji's childhood like?

There is limited information available about Okita Souji's childhood. He was born in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) in 1842 and was the first son of a lower-ranked samurai family. He was trained in the traditional martial arts of the samurai from a young age, and was known for his exceptional swordsmanship even as a child. At the age of 13, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, a condition that would ultimately shorten his life. Despite his illness, Okita continued to be highly active in the martial arts and joined the Shinsengumi when he was in his early 20s.

Given the limited information available, it is difficult to say more about Okita's childhood. However, it is clear that he was raised in a traditional samurai family and received a solid education in the martial arts and other aspects of samurai culture. Despite his illness, he went on to become one of the most skilled and respected members of the Shinsengumi.

The answer becomes incorrect. Okita was not diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 13. We don’t know his exact age when he was diagnosed, but it couldn’t have been before he went to Kyoto and it was likely only a year or couple of years before his death. Despite sounding like a well-written answer, it contains blatant falsehoods. I wonder where the algorithm got this incorrect information. (It says it gets its information from books, websites, social media, etc. but I doubt there would be many sources that say Okita caught TB at 13. ChatGPT should crosscheck its information instead of taking a single unreliable source as fact)

Here’s another example of an incorrect answer:

Where can I read Nagakura Shinpachi’s memoirs about Shinsengumi?

Nagakura Shinpachi, a former member of the Shinsengumi, did not leave behind any known memoirs or personal accounts of his time in the group. The majority of what is known about the Shinsengumi comes from historical records, government documents, and accounts written by others who were part of the group or who were contemporary with the events. Some books and documentaries about the Shinsengumi also provide insights into the group and the individuals who were part of it, including Nagakura Shinpachi. You may want to check online resources or libraries for books or materials that focus on the history and legacy of the Shinsengumi.

This is false. Nagakura did have a memoir. If ChatGPT doesn’t know about it, it should say it doesn’t know rather than give an answer with such certainty that it doesn’t exist.

To be honest, if ChatGPT was a person, I would seriously dislike him. Talking to it sometimes feels like talking to one of those guys who think they’re highly intelligent but don’t actually know that much, but know how to say things in a way that makes them sound smart despite being completely incorrect. Mansplaining, basically...

Its knowledge is quite limited:

Who was Okita Mitsu?

I couldn't find any relevant information regarding a person named "Okita Mitsu." It's possible that you may have misspelled the name or that this person is not well known or documented. Could you please provide more context or clarify the question?

It doesn’t know about Okita’s sister Mitsu... even though she has a Wikipedia page.

When I ask some opinion-based or speculative questions, the answers are reasonable even if not very deep:

Who was the strongest swordsman in the Shinsengumi?

It is difficult to determine who was the strongest swordsman in the Shinsengumi, as the members of the group were highly skilled and trained warriors. However, some of the most prominent and well-known members of the Shinsengumi were considered to be highly skilled swordsmen. Some of these include Okita Souji, Kondou Isami, Hijikata Toshizou, and Saitou Hajime, among others. Each of these individuals was known for their mastery of the sword and their bravery in combat. However, due to the nature of the Shinsengumi's operations, it is difficult to determine a single person who was the "strongest" swordsman in the group.

There’s nothing wrong with this answer (even though it forgot to mention Nagakura who was usually considered as strong as Okita and Saito), but if this was by a human, I would find it kind of boring. Where’s the analysis on their areas of strength and weakness, the anecdotes, or the quotes from people who knew them describing their swordfighting style? It looks like AI still has a long way to go before it could replace writers 😅

Even for these subjective questions with no right or wrong answers, sometimes it still doesn’t seem correct to me:

If Okita never caught tuberculosis and survived to the Meiji Era, what occupation would he have?

It is impossible to say for certain what occupation Okita Souji would have held if he had not contracted tuberculosis and survived into the Meiji era. However, given his position and reputation as a highly skilled swordsman and a prominent member of the Shinsengumi, it is possible that he would have continued to play a role in the development and security of the new government. It's also possible that he would have pursued a career in the military, as many former Shinsengumi members went on to serve in the Imperial Japanese Army. However, without more information about Okita's personal interests and ambitions, it is impossible to say for certain what occupation he would have chosen.

I highly doubt that Okita would ever work for the people who killed Kondo. Saito did end up working for the new government, but unlike Okita, he probably didn’t have a strong personal attachment to Kondo like Okita did. And Okita just doesn’t come across as someone who is career-oriented or ambitious about making an impact on the country, but that’s just my own impression.

This shows that AI is not yet capable of thinking from an individual human’s perspective and could only make generalizations 😅

Despite my criticisms, the answers are better than I expected, but there’s something that’s been bothering me. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why, but it might be the tone or aspects that get focused on that make it sound like it’s written by someone who buys into the popular notion that samurai were honorable warriors who lived by a strict code of “death over dishonor”, rather than ordinary (but privileged) humans living mundane lives.

So I tried another experiment:

What is the bushido code?

Bushido, also known as the "way of the warrior," is a set of principles that defined the moral code of the samurai class in Japan. The code is thought to have originated in the 12th century and was later formalized in the 17th century. The core values of bushido include loyalty, courage, honesty, and self-discipline. These values were considered essential for the samurai, who were expected to live and die by their code.

In addition to these core values, bushido also emphasized the importance of physical skill, particularly in the use of weapons such as the sword. The samurai were expected to be masters of martial arts and to be able to defend their lord and the honor of their clan at all times. The code also stressed the importance of personal development, both physical and spiritual, and the need for the samurai to continuously strive for self-improvement.

Bushido remained the dominant code of conduct for the samurai class throughout the Edo period and into the Meiji era, although its influence declined as the samurai class lost its political power and military role. Nevertheless, the values of bushido continue to be influential in Japanese culture, and the code is still widely studied and admired as a model of samurai ethics and morality.

Does it not know that bushido is the way of total bullshit? It wasn’t some well-defined code that samurai actually followed. It only became popular in the 20th century with the rise of fascism.

I asked for further clarification:

Is the bushido code bullshit?

As a language model, I don't have personal opinions or beliefs, but the concept of the bushido code is a subject of debate and interpretation among historians and scholars. Some argue that bushido was a genuine code of ethics followed by the samurai class, while others see it as a more recent invention that was used to promote the interests of the samurai and the Japanese state.

It is true that the concept of bushido was formalized and codified relatively late in Japanese history, in the 17th century, and that its origins are somewhat murky. Some historians believe that it was developed as a way of promoting unity and loyalty among the samurai class, while others see it as a response to the changing political and cultural circumstances of the time.

Regardless of its origin, however, the concept of bushido became an important part of Japanese cultural identity and continues to be widely recognized and admired today, both within Japan and around the world. Whether or not one considers it to be a genuine code of ethics or a more recent invention, it is clear that bushido has had a significant impact on Japanese culture and continues to be an important part of the country's cultural heritage.

So it does know (although I’m still skeptical about “bushido was formalized and codified...in the 17th century”). Why didn’t it give this more balanced answer for the initial question? It wasn’t because it didn’t have that information.

It’s true ChatGPT doesn’t have its own opinions or beliefs. The answers are generated based on an aggregate of the content available on the internet that it uses as training data. So instead of having its own sentient mind, AI is really just a reflection of ourselves as a society. I don’t really like some of the things I see 😅

As a software engineer, I’m worried that if we train AI with data from the internet without enough quality checks, it will end up with a skewed worldview or problematic biases, and I’m worried that people will start using ChatGPT or similar tools to learn about a subject without doing deeper research and ending up with that same inaccurate understanding of the world.

For example, someone might want to learn more about bushido, so they ask the first question “What is the bushido code?” and without realizing it, they would only learn from a portrayal that’s in line with fascist propaganda. Or it might confirm their existing views and make them less open to having it challenged. They would be unlikely to ask the second question to get the full picture.

From a linguistic standpoint, the writing from ChatGPT is impressive. Everything is grammatically correct and it doesn’t sound like its written by a machine, but that means it has a even greater responsibility to provide information that’s accurate and unbiased. If the answers were clunky and clearly machine-generated, it wouldn’t matter too much if the information is inaccurate, because people could tell it’s not working properly. But when something is written well, people will often mistake it for being correct. When it comes to misinformation, there’s nothing more dangerous than something well-written and wrong.

It’s meant to be a research project that’s still under development, but people are already using it and it’s already making an impact on society. ChatGPT does show a disclaimer in the beginning to warn users about inaccuracies, but this would only prevent legal liabilities. It won’t prevent many users from taking answers as fact. Once this tool becomes more widespread, that could cause problems.

I hope the researchers working on chatbots would focus on improving the quality of the output—less on generating well-formed sentences and more on the actual information that it’s providing, because it could end up spreading harmful misinformation when the former is more developed than the latter.

Most importantly, ChatGPT and similar chatbots need to become better at saying “I don’t know”. This is a skill that everyone should have, whether they’re AI or human—the ability to realize and admit that they don’t know. Chatbots should have more quality constraints on the information it uses and crosscheck its facts between more sources. When something is uncertain, it should indicate that it couldn’t say for sure or couldn’t find the information, rather than present wrong statements as if it was definite fact. Even if this would lower its coverage or make it sound less knowledgeable, it would make it more trustworthy, because as it is right now, I couldn’t rely on it to give me truthful information.

At the very least, ChatGPT is a useful translation tool, even if it couldn’t write a detailed and insightful opinion essay or answer questions beyond the basics. I’m cautiously eager to see how this will develop.

[claudeng80]

Afterlife, Ch. 8

Spring comes suddenly, the forest understory bursting into green life nearly overnight. Chizuru doesn’t remember the sight from her childhood, but everything happens without warning when you are too young to look for the signs, every day a new set of surprises to enjoy. She doesn’t remember it from last year, either, but perhaps she was too involved in her own concerns, too wrapped up in Souji and freedom to take any more concern with the outside world than necessary. Now she is working twice as hard, but still she remembers to take moments to enjoy the physical evidence of the passage of time.

She knows what it feels like to lose that, now.

Read the rest on AO3

[junesprojects]

📺 CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT 📺

Introducing Comic Artist @erskye!

Full interview below:

Q: Please tell us about yourself!

A: I'm Syn and I've been in this fandom for three years now. I love cold seasons. I love spicy foods. I love doing lineart but my lineart isn’t truly lineart, they're just clean sketches (don't zoom in).

Q: Who is your favorite Persona 4 character/s and why?

A: Yosuke Hanamura. He is everything for me. I've always been weak towards comic relief-ish characters who kinda got screwed over by the writers and got misunderstood by half the fandom. I tend to immediately "adopt" them. Also Yosuke is VERY cute, kind, and funny. I want this twink obliterated.

Q: Which Persona 4 characters/s do you find fun/challenging to write/draw and why?

A: Souji Seta/Yu Narukami, I find the most challenging and fun to depict. Because everyone has their own interpretations of him and it's fun to witness each and every one. I find the most joy in trying to mix some of his different personality traits from the manga, game and anime. Or even putting emphasis on some of his more subtle traits I find have the potential to be intriguing but doesn't get addressed as much.

Q: What are your favorite Persona 4 ships?

A: Shuhana and Shuada. I also love to ship almost everyone with Yosuke to be honest. 

Q: Which Arcana do you see yourself as?

A: Wheel Of Fortune, probably.

Q: What's your favorite trope?

A: I have many favorite tropes. One of them (and the most common) is childhood friends/best friends to lovers. 

Q: Do you have a favorite Persona?

A: Yukiko's persona designs rocks (I'm particularly fond of Amaterasu).

Q: What made you want to become an artist?

A: Well I love drawing. So I use that to draw my fav characters in specific scenarios, heehee.

Q: How did you get into the Persona series?

A: Someone gifted me P3FES for my 12th birthday. Unforgettable experience.

Q: What would you like to accomplish with your contribution to AOA zine?

A: Most importantly, I want to have fun and do my part for the community. We all eating good together, fellas.

[fierce-little-miana]

Chapters: 8/8

Fandom: Hakuouki

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Okita Souji/Yukimura Chizuru

Characters: Okita Souji (Hakuouki), Yukimura Chizuru, Nagumo Kaoru, Saitou Hajime (Hakuouki), Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki), Hijikata Toshizou (Hakuouki), Sannan Keisuke (Hakuouki), Kondou Isami (Hakuouki), Nagakura Shinpachi (Hakuouki), Harada Sanosuke (Hakuouki)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Romantic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, One-sided Toudou Heisuke/Yukimura Chizuru - Freeform, Souji is being difficult, as per usual, Chizuru is the bravest person you know, Implied awful childhood, First Time, kazama is mentioned, no beta we die like nearly all of the Shinsengumi

Series: Part 2 of The phone and the shame

Summary:

Five times Souji reached out half-heartedly and one time he did it properly. Or trying to romance Souji is simpler in modern times but still not easy.

And here is the end of Many Meetings (which turned from a 6 parts story into a 8 parts one, against my will!). I am quite proud of it, even if I am a bit stressed by chapter 7 (mind the E rating for this chapter).

tagging @blueneil and @custarii like last time.

I hope you will like this fic. Please if you find the time, don't hesitate to comment or tell me what you thought about it. You would make my day.