#They are two geniuses of manipulators

[gia-carangi-86]

I really want to share my thoughts about the scene in SG season 2.

When In-Ho asks Gihun if he can handle it on his own and if it's worth going with him, I think In-Ho confidently thought that Gihun would definitely take him, him, who supported Gihun in everything, protected him from aggressive players, followed him everywhere, showed himself to be on the good side in terms of of physical strength and mental abilities, he supported Gihun with his crazy idea of rebellion and shot his own guards for him. He literally gave Gihun the version of the friend that Gihun always wanted to have, because Sanwoo, his childhood friend, betrayed him, he realized this after the second game, then tried to kill him in the end for money, all this still traumatizes him, and even Chongbe, who is so good-natured, too, to some extent betrays him when he chooses a zero instead of a cross, everyone around him does not believe him and betrays him. And then there's this perfect Yong-il, who, using first-class methods of manipulation, pleases Gihun in everything and strongly binds him to himself... and who does Gihun choose..... he, in such a difficult moment, where if you make a small mistake, you will die, still prefers his old friend, not In-Ho, but this idiot, in In-Ho's opinion, who betrayed him. I'm so perfect, I gave you everything you wanted, I'm much better than Sunwoo, Jongbae, why don't you choose me. And it literally tears In-Ho apart from the inside. This is how manipulators behave, they want to be at the center of the universe, they want you to choose between close people, relatives, and best friends, choose only them and consider only their opinion, belittling others. Gihun is doing the right thing, after all, he chooses a person he has known for a long time, yes Yong-il is good, but he has only known him for a couple of days, even Chongbe asks in disbelief, "why am I not Yong-il?", hinting that he is much better and you have become closer to him, and What does Gihun say, "you're still my close friend." And this truth is killing In-Ho, it makes him so angry.

He understands that Gihun is gullible, naive, but far from stupid.

Yes, maybe he doesn't have the same analytical mindset as In-Ho, and a lot of what he does is very stupid, but still, in the end, he acts like the same manipulator, pursuing his own goals. You're good, so you'll stay and buy us valuable time by killing the guards, and I'll take my close friend with me, I'll trust my back to a man I've known longer and I'll protect him myself. That's why I think In-Ho killed Jongbae so viciously in front of Gihun. Saying "if it's not me, then it's nobody, look at the consequences of your decision, dear"

In-Ho is literally a psychotic rejected girl.

It's not just jealousy, it's anger, the anger of a typical manipulator who has been tricked into using his own weapon against him.

Gihun, I'm proud of you, you managed to piss off our princess, but unfortunately, it led to another injury to you, baby 😣

P.S. English is not my native language, I apologize for the mistakes

[lazyflower48]

Dazai and Ranpo: The Two Geniuses of the ADA

The thought about making a post about Dazai and Ranpo's teamwork has been plaguing my mind for a while now, and so I finally found some time and decided to go through with it.

So let's talk about one of my favourite underrated duos for a moment. The two geniuses of the ADA- Dazai and Ranpo. Two people who make a wonderful team and are actually, in my opinion, the backbone of the agency.

What I find interesting is that (though I believe that Dazai respects and admires all members of the ADA) Dazai openly admires Ranpo A LOT. He's always quick to praise Ranpo (basically fanboying over him and it's quite adorable to see Dazai gush over someone like that other than Oda) and in 'Dazai's Entrance Exam' we see him being surprised over the fact that Ranpo's ability is not actually an ability and we see him further praise Ranpo's intellect after finding that out.

Despite the fact that Dazai is a huge mystery, even to the people around him, Ranpo figured out that there was something up with Dazai in just a single glance (in 'Dazai's entrance exam'). And despite knowing that Dazai was probably hiding a sinister past, he didn't press him any further for details (probably in order to respect his privacy or his wish to not disclose his past OR maybe due to the the fact that knowing Dazai, he most likely wouldn't answer truthfully even if questioned about it)

What I also love is that even though both of them are extremely intelligent, their intellect differs in such a way that Ranpo is a master of deduction and Dazai is a master of manipulation (as stated by Kunikida in 'The Daily Routine of the Detective Agency'). However, one thing both of them share in common is that they both felt isolated due to their nature.

They may have limited interactions but their interactions are always my favourite, for instance-

1. Dazai's entrance exam - Dazai's admiration and respect towards Ranpo

2. Season 1 - Murder on D-Street - Dazai showing a good understanding of Ranpo's deduction process and acknowledging that Ranpo caught onto more details than him

3. Season 2 - "Mountains or sea?" " Sea. "

Showing their unspoken communication. They can read each other's minds at this point lol.

4. Season 3 - Ranpo basically acknowledging that Dazai would be a tough opponent to go up against by comparing Fyodor to him (sort of praising his intellect in a way)

5. Season 5 - The Strongest Man in the Agency- Ranpo

Dazai keeping an eye on Fyodor while leaving the rest to Ranpo

Dazai relying on his allies- trusting Ranpo to negotiate with Bram in order to undo the vampire curse.

6. Dead Apple - Ranpo seeing through Dazai's plan beforehand.

7. 55 minutes - Seeing through upcoming events beforehand, one thing Dazai made sure was to inform Ranpo about the whole fiasco on Standard Island in order to save the Agency in the end.

Also, sidenote: I found out that the Dazai and Ranpo duo is named Souheki, which translates to double jade. Now, I'm not sure if this information is fanon or canon (feels more like fanon tbh but I really like it because it's a pretty name)

Anyway, one thing we can say for sure is that as long as the two geniuses of the Agency- Souheki work together, the ADA will most likely remain undefeated cause no one really does it like them

Lastly, just some food for thought. I've always wondered how Dazai would react if he found out that Ranpo met Oda TWICE and the second time he met him was right before Oda went on to his certain death.

Honestly, I would LOVE to see more fleshed out and direct interactions between these two.

[celaenaeiln]

One of Dick's greatest strengths is his ability to manipulate every single person in existence.

Genuinely I think this makes him the smartest person in the room. Not only is he a brilliant detective, but the fact that he's able to outmaneuver and control virtually everyone including other geniuses and masterminds makes him the most terrifying. There's a reason why his enemies have give up using intelligence against him and simply resorting to brute force.

Now hold your horses before you bring your crowbars and let me explain.

Dick once said, "On an even playing field, I always win."

And it's true. But how do you even the field if your enemies are geniuses, detectives, or metas?

"Well, if you don't like how the table is it, turn over the table."

And that's exactly what Dick does.

Let's begin from his younger years. Dick is 19, newly out of Batman's wing and in no position to take on a skilled mercenary on by himself. But the mercenary isn't going to stop just because he says please. So.

DEATHSTROKE WAS CLEARLY NOT EXPECTING TO GET OUTPLAYED BY A 19 YEAR OLD.

"You're right Slade, he's not a fool so choose a dumber kidnapping victim next time."

Ofcourse this is the least of his abilities.

This cover is perfect because it shows how two of them are literally in a constant game of chess. And evidence of Dick's tactical expertise was never more obvious than the bombing of Bludhaven.

By all means Dick had won.

And he's right. Dick is incredibly intelligent, and he has to be given how he maneuvered the entirety of the world to save him city. Not just the heroes and villains, but everyone - the heroes, the villains, the government, the civilians, the organized crime - everyone. He ruled the freaking world at that moment.

@haroldhighballjordan actually made a post about this that explains this scene so well

But yeah Slade knew he lost so in his petty vengeance what he basically did was set the whole fucking chessboard on fire.

The perfection to which Dick had calculated and moved millions of people to force Slade into abandoning their game and leave him shrieking and seething in rage over his loss. Another reminder that this game only happened because Dick manipulated Rose away from her father, away from his control to a better life.

Spyral is one of my favorite comics because it shows just how good of a manipulator Dick Grayson is.

One of Dick's coldest traits is his ability to manipulate a situation to fit his needs.

In the beginning Dick wanted to calm the meta down and take him in but the second his opponent let out the slightest hint of weakness, look how fast he flips his words. This man is brilliant.

And his planning came to fruition as the meta wore himself out, allowing Dick to take control of the situation and the opponent with no harm to himself-a quick, two second exit. He can manipulate emotions, thoughts, and people to get what he wants like he's playing chess with a child.

But it's not just other people- he can completely change himself to become a whole new person. In the earlier chapters, Dick is learning how to shoot a gun for the agency.

Dick's a terrible shot. Not a single bullet lands in the center of the target-there's no way he's ever going to shoot well....or atleast that's what he wants you to think-

"Yeah, well, that's what spies do."

"We lie."

He's a puppet master and the final boss.

part 2

[sunderwight]

Been thinking about the implications of Jayce needing a sponsor/patron to get into the academy.

Jayce Talis:

-is from Piltover

-comes from a family of good standing and moderate wealth

-is a certifiable genius

-even outside of his hextech dream is an accomplished engineer

-has no criminal record or other blemishes on his background

-presumably passed every relevant aptitude test

-ticks all the superficial boxes (looks, health, charisma, etc)

And yet, this guy still requires the patronage of a wealthier house with a family member on the council in order to pursue his career in academia. Viktor manages to do without, but as we see there is a definite limit that Viktor has pretty much hit even by the start of S1, stalling in the role of Heimerdinger's assistant, a position of influence but one that is necessarily limited to whatever is approved of by Heimerdinger. Jayce is able to ascend higher only with the full force of his advantages behind him, and even then he's almost ruined by the first major blow to his reputation.

Also, despite hextech becoming widely used by the general public in several capacities by the time of S2, Ambessa can't find any other scientists among the Piltover elite who can figure it out. Some of that might be down to the smarter ones just not wanting to cooperate with a Noxian warlord, but we've seen the clever minds in Zaun figure out how to manipulate hextech with at least enough success to avoid obliterating themselves in the attempt (mostly), and with way less access to any of Jayce or Viktor's research on the subject than is presumably available to their academic peers in Piltover. You're telling me there's not a single would-be authoritarian self-serving prominent tech guy in the upper city who can also figure out hextech?

But the thing is, I can in fact believe that, because in order for Jayce to get hextech off the ground he needed not only House Kiramman's support but also Mel's, like he had to launch an entire political career alongside his actual scientific research, and he started nowhere near the bottom. Mel's probably right when she says that if she hadn't stepped in to support him (regardless of how badly the whole hextech thing actually turned out) then Jayce would have either ended up sabotaged or had his work stolen out from under him by someone with more political traction.

There's a strong implication in that, and in the apparent apprenticeship system of the academy, and in the stupidity of the head of the council prior to the explosion (guy whose name I can't remember, who Mel gave the child's toy to), that many "prominent geniuses" of Piltover are just stealing the ideas of students and assistants with less social mobility, stamping their names over the accomplishments of people in their employ and acting like they came up with all of it themselves. Heimerdinger's not the type to take credit for Viktor's achievements, but I'd bet that he's an exception to the rule. If Viktor had taken up with a different employer, he probably would have had to resign himself to only gaining ground in their name, to just making the progress he hoped to make without ever getting credit for his own innovations. Heck, that still kind of happens even in his employment with Heimerdinger and partnership with Jayce -- despite the two of them not actively diminishing Viktor's contributions at all, the council in general dismisses him as more of an assistant than 50% of the mind behind the hexgates. Jayce is Mister Progress, and no one even tries to put Viktor's face on a mug (not that he'd want it but that's beside the point).

So what does this say for the talented thinkers who don't luck into sponsorships with the most influential houses in the city or catch the eye of established council members? What about the geniuses and revolutionary thinkers who attended the academy while Heimerdinger wasn't looking for new assistants, whose apartments never blew up and caught the eye of ambitious young politicians or chill science bros? Like absolutely the fact that few of the bright young minds in Zaun have less than a snowball's chance in hell of following in Viktor's footsteps (especially after hostilities escalate) is atrocious, but things are so bad that most of the bright young minds in Piltover are probably stuck holding assistant and secretarial positions and working unpaid internships under guys from wealthier families who aren't half as capable, but whose names nonetheless go on all the papers, and whose house sigils get stamped on all the innovations.

And that's if they can even manage to get into the academy at all.

Like I can see why we didn't get more information on how Viktor went from being a poor cripple in the undercity to one of Heimderdinger's assistants, and why tptb were throwing around ideas of his parents basically just getting a uniform, sneaking him into the academy, and encouraging him to bluff his way through until he was enough of an established presence that no one questioned whether he actually got there legitimately or not. Because the only other thing I can think of is that he did get some kind of official scholarship or backer, but that it was the equivalent of a predatory student loans situation, where getting into the academy set him into debt so far that if hextech hadn't taken off, he would have probably spent the rest of his life paying it back.

Not a deal offered to many and not a deal most would take, though considering Viktor wasn't expecting to live very long unless he could find a miracle anyway, it probably seemed like a better option than just waiting for the pollution and chemical runoff in the undercity to finish killing him while he stayed at home.

Anyways. Yeah. Piltover's a shithole too, I think. That place has gotta be just lousy with Elon Musk types.

[fyozaibrainrot]

FYOZAI ANALYSIS

Heya bsd fandom! Welcome to my fyozai analysis that no one asked for. If you're an anti, please feel free to skip this post, I'm not a fan of shipping war. If you're not caught up to the manga and don't want to get spoiled, you can also skip because this contains manga spoilers.

Now, I want to say in advance that I have nothing against other zai and fyo ships (I like skk — I even edit them — and fyolai — thanks to Creantzy), I'm merely stating things as I see it. And if you agree with me, then we have something in common.

Background

Their similarities and differences

Their relationship

They hate each other vs. it's nothing personal

Their view of each other

How they treat each other vs. how they treat others

Why is fyozai a good ship?

How they feel about one another

fyozai is NOT skk 4.0 or fyolai in a different flavor

Their connection

Their abilities

Background

In chapter 37, after the fall of Moby Dick and before Dead Apple, Dazai told Hirotsu that he met Fyodor before the present timeline, and he also hinted that he knew Atsushi is the tiger from the very start. It's a popular headcanon that they met after Dazai left the Port Mafia, but until today, we still don't know how they met and their circumstances at that time.

I'm assuming it will be revealed in the coming chapters before Fyodor is defeated to make us cry, maybe from Sigma's POV, or Asagiri-sensei will release a new LN. (It's also possible Asagiri-sensei will leave it at that for us to do what we want in fanfiction.) Either way, it's clear that they got to know each other pretty well during that time, since Dazai is already familiar with Fyodor and his ways even before they reunited again.

Speaking of reunion, there's a detail that wasn't specified in the Dead Apple — in the movie, at least. I haven't read the manga or LN — but supposedly, Dazai teamed up with Fyodor against Shibusawa, but Fyodor was pals with Shibusawa and sold Dazai for his ability only for Fyodor to also betray Shibusawa. In short, it's a circus of clowns and demons.

Anyway, this means that Dazai had a way of reaching out to Fyodor to be able to team up with him beforehand. Of course, that went up in flames during the cannibalism arc. (It'll be hilarious if Dazai casually called Fyodor to ask him where he is and Fyodor hung up on him though.)

Moving on to communication, the two of them talked to each other enough to create their own language. And by enough, I mean a lot, they must've had a lengthy conversation during the DA and before that. Otherwise, how the fuck can they use a lot of words in prison? Because their meetings during the cannibalism arc and their on-screen time in the movie sure as hell wasn't enough to make up their language.

We don't know enough about their personal background yet and their history together is still up in the air so we'll leave it at that.

Their similarities and differences

Dazai and Fyodor are so similar. That's established since their first interaction in the main manga. They are both highly intellectual geniuses who feel alienated from society. Dazai feeling alienated? Not a shocker if you've read his ability and it's shown in the 15 arc. (i.e. him shooting that guy from GSS over and over, and going “ah right, that's the right way to think" after Chuuya stopped him.) But Fyodor? Well, yes. It was practically stated by Ango during the DA and confirmed by Fyodor with his iconic counseling hour bit. That panel is not just for fun and giggles. It's Fyodor admitting that no one can quite understand him. Just as they can't understand Dazai.

They view themselves as being different from the rest of society; Dazai views himself as being below the other humans, and Fyodor views himself as being above and closer to God.

Both are also willing to go to great lengths to achieve their goals. Getting captured, killing, manipulation, using people, betraying allies, the list goes on and on. As they said in the alley, they are alike. And that's the reason they are each other's worst enemy. They are not yin and yang like Akutagawa and Atsushi, no, they are the opposite sides of the same coin. The reason why it's opposite? Well, aside from them being on opposing side of the war, it's because of their one difference.

Dazai found beauty in people being sinfully stupid while Fyodor despised it. Fyodor wants to cleanse that sin, but Dazai accepts it as part of people's humanity. But you know what's interesting?

“He is stupid. I am not disputing that, but perhaps the normal man should be stupid, how do you know? Perhaps it is very beautiful, in fact.” — Notes From The Underground

This is a line from one of IRL Fyodor's novels. I think that their conversation about stupidity comes from this. Who knows? Maybe Fyodor will have a change of heart in the end.

Their relationship

-They hate each other vs. it's nothing personal

I think it's clear by now that Dazai and Fyodor don't hate each other. There's nothing personal in their fights. It's Dazai wanting to fulfill Oda's last words and doing his job for the ADA, Fyodor is an enemy so he has to dispose of him. It's Fyodor wanting to achieve his goal, but Dazai is in his way so he has to eliminate him. They are rivals, sure, but they don't have the animosity sskk used to have.

It's all business. If Fyodor ever becomes like Verlaine, I doubt that Dazai will still kill him without a reason. If Dazai ever joins Fyodor's side, I don't think Fyodor will kill him either unless given a reason.

In fact, it looks like Fyodor doesn't even want to kill Dazai. Before you guys call me delusional, bear with me and read until the end, it will make sense. Of course, this is all speculation on my part.

In the Dead Apple, before Dazai merged with the dragon, Fyodor could have stopped him by dragging him down before he's high enough. Or he could stab him lethally to make sure he's dead and not rely on Shibusawa's poison. But he didn't. Fyodor just let everything play out as though he's testing Dazai. (And for entertainment)

In the alley scene, Fyodor knew Dazai would come for him and he ordered the sniper not to hit Dazai anywhere vital, but he didn't have to do that. Fyodor rationalized his action by saying that Dazai still had to tell the Armed Detective Agency about the fight against the Mafia. Did he need Dazai specifically to be his messenger though? He sent the Port Mafia a letter! Can't he do that for the ADA? Fyodor could have ordered his sniper to kill Dazai (Dazai still came anyway even knowing there's a sniper, he's suicidal like that lol or maybe he just knew Fyodor wouldn't kill him) and order someone to give the Agency the letter, but he didn't do that. Basically, they just exchanged information and Fyodor got Dazai out of the way, albeit temporarily, without killing him.

And then there's Meursault. Mushitaro said that Fyodor let himself get captured, although he looked genuinely shocked when Dazai caught him, and that may be because Dazai getting arrested was already planned from the moment Fyodor recruited Mushitaro.

Once again, getting Dazai out of the way without killing him, Fyodor planned to send him away from Yokohama. And so Dazai also let Jouno arrest him in order to get closer to Fyodor. But then, Nikolai came into the picture and started the prison break.

Now, if Fyodor really doesn't want to kill Dazai, then for what reason? It's simple. He wants Dazai to be his other half. And when he deemed Dazai unfit for it, after the whole prison break, he went to Atsushi.

-Their view of each other

Earlier, I mentioned how they view themselves, now it's how they view each other. Fyodor put Dazai on a pedestal and vice versa. Why? Because they view themselves as being different from the rest of society, but as the two outcasts who share a mutual understanding, they see each other as being the same kind. They said it time and again throughout the manga.

It's more apparent with Fyodor singling Dazai out of the world, but Dazai also regards him highly out of his every other enemy, because Fyodor is someone who can match him. Dazai's actively putting in effort and using everything he can (government, Port Mafia, The Guild, and even Sigma) to defeat Fyodor. They view each other as equals and don't treat each other as mere pawns. And that leads me to this next point.

-How they treat each other vs. how they treat others

Dazai treats Fyodor differently from the others. ie. Kunikida, Chuuya, Sigma, and Ango

Dazai has a habit of annoying his partners, withholding information, and manipulating them. He does it to Chuuya, Kunikida, and later on Sigma who he admits is a replacement for Kunikida. It's called the Dazai effect.

But he couldn't do that with Fyodor. Why? Because Fyodor is calm and rational like him, Dazai wouldn't be able to easily manipulate him. First, Fyodor wouldn't yell and punch him. Second, Fyodor would guess what information he's withholding rather than wait to be amazed or mad by it. That's literally their whole shtick. They would guess and anticipate the other's plan until they got surprised and then repeat. And third, unlike the rest who will still trust Dazai and even put their lives on the line for the sake of his plan, Dazai won't be able to just simply utilize Fyodor, as proven in the Dead Apple when Fyodor turned on him.

That's not to say fyozai don't get silly though. The prison arc is enough proof that they can. Their silliness is just on another level that others couldn't reach or understand. So to speak, Dazai is both more mature and childish when dealing with Fyodor. He's more natural and not putting on a happy-go-lucky mask.

Then there's Ango. Though he's not usually ship with Dazai, Ango and Fyodor have one similarity, that is that they both have a history with Dazai in the past. Unlike with Fyodor, we already knew what happened between Ango and Dazai, and even when they started talking again their friendship wasn't quite mended. What's interesting to compare here is their reunion. With Ango (and Mori in extension), we can still see a hint of hostility from Dazai, but there's none of that during the Dead Apple or the alley scene during the cannibalism arc with Fyodor. They're casual with each other. What can we take from that? That their previous meeting didn't end on a particularly bad note to warrant a resentment from Dazai.

Fyodor also treats Dazai differently from the others ie. Nikolai, Ivan, Shibusawa, Fukuzawa

Like Dazai, Fyodor is manipulative towards the people around him, whether they're allies or not. Fyodor always has control over the others, and as Dazai said, he can't trust those he cannot control, and that's why Fyodor has no real allies (compared to Dazai), they're just pawns for him to control. He manipulated everyone who ever got close to him (Shibusawa, Ivan, Nikolai, Fukuchi — to name a few) but there's an exception to that, because just as Dazai couldn't easily manipulate Fyodor, Fyodor also couldn't easily manipulate Dazai. And it works so well in their dynamic.

Now, on to his enemies. Fyodor has shown a lack of interest in his enemies, even the president of the ADA which is where Dazai currently belongs to, with the exception of Dazai and Atsushi. Although, Fyodor's interest in Atsushi has less to do with Atsushi himself, but to him being a bookmark, and that's what makes Atsushi and Dazai different. Because Dazai is not the bookmark, what makes him any different from Fukuzawa, who by all rights based on hierarchy should be the bigger fish? It's that Fyodor put Dazai on a pedestal. This also further proves my earlier claim of how they view each other.

Fyodor now thought that Dazai isn't fit to be his other half, but what happened when he went to Atsushi?

He's dissatisfied and disappointed because Atsushi didn't live up to his expectations and went on yapping about Dazai. And what can we take from that? It's that Fyodor wants Atsushi to surpass the standard Dazai set, especially since he houses the bookmark, to be his other half.

Why is fyozai a good ship?

-How they feel about one another

Do I need to say more? Really? Is that not good enough evidences?

Sounds familiar? If you're an MTP fan, it does. Fyozai is like a darker and doomed Sherliam.

-fyozai is NOT skk 4.0 or fyolai in a different flavor

As I stated above in their relationship, Fyozai is different from the rest of the ships. Of course, every ship has their own uniqueness to them. Soukoku with their unbreakable trust, Kunizai with their differing sense of justice and morality, Sigzai with their damsel in distress and knight in a criminal uniform, Dazaku with their codependency, Fyolai with their Judas theme, Shibufyo with their ghost bride shit etc etc. But the thing is, Fyodor and Dazai both treat each other differently than when they're with the rest. Dazai isn't constantly messing with Fyodor and Fyodor isn't controlling Dazai's moves. They stood on equal ground and planned each other’s downfall.

Also, Fyodor wants a challenge. Simply put, he's sick and tired of his monotonous life. Dazai's someone who can give him that and in return Fyodor can give Dazai a challenge to live for.

He smiled when he saw Dazai in prison!

Now, some might say “but they're toxic!" All of their respective ships are toxic tbh, but fyozai is actually good for each other because they bring out their humanity together, and like I stated above, they're both manipulators who can't manipulate each other easily. “But they tried to kill each other!" And so did the others. It's out of necessity and not because they hate each other. There is a reason why their ship is enemies and lovers duh.

-Their connection

Everyone likes to say that SKK understands each other, and while I admit that SKK matches each other perfectly (there's a reason why it's the most popular ship in the fandom), I hate to break it to you but fyozai is the one who truly understands each other. They relate to each other at a much deeper level; in their alienation from society, their shared intelligence, morality, and humanity.

“Living itself is the source of sin." — No Longer Human

This is a prime example of that. In Stormbringer, Chuuya hallucinated Dazai, and that Dazai was naturally created from his view of him in his mind. However, Chuuya didn't think the same way as Dazai and didn't agree with him, like he later on said. But you know who does?

Yes, everybody. It's your host Fyodor Dostoevsky!

“Dazai doesn't give a fuck about Fyodor!" you might say. But this point is still debatable due to a lack of POV from Dazai's side. However…

Dazai didn't look happy when Fyodor died. Like, his smile disappeared as soon as the helicopter moved, and then his expression went blank. Even his eye seem empty.

Then, if we based Dazai to Yozo from NLH, then he's someone who cannot love someone he cannot relate to. That's why he claims to hate Chuuya. Because Chuuya is so human.

Even if Dazai and Fyodor didn't spend years together, it's undeniable that they have a strong connection with each other. And that connection is also related to their abilities.

-Their abilities

No Longer Human

-Nullifies any ability with a touch

*Crime and Punishment

- The crime is killing Fyodor and the punishment is Fyodor taking over the killer's body

-In DA, Fyodor claims that he is Crime and his ability is Punishment, working side by side, however, in NLH Dazai supposes that Crime and Punishment are not synonymous, but antonymous. How will that work? We will put No Longer Human into the equation.

Punishment is not the result of crime, but the opposite of it. Fyodor's crime is living a long life as a consequence of the sin that's his ability, and so his punishment is death that can be granted by No Longer Human, releasing him from sin. However, there's another question that arises here. If death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it — the last part, the first part being birth — then what's the opposite of life? Well, I still don't have the answer to that other than non-existence. And if Fyodor dies he will cease to exist. Idk if I'm making sense. But that's it.

It's also possible that Fyodor wants Dazai to kill him in order for him to be at peace (aside from Atsushi who can tear through abilities with his claws, Dazai is the only one who can possibly kill Fyodor) and that may be part of the other half thing. It doesn't seem like Atsushi will kill Fyodor since from what we've seen they're still fighting the higher being two hours later. Unless, the higher being can move independently even if Fyodor's dead.

And Dazai will see that as courting! (Mentioned in the Dark Era about Gide 'courting' Oda) Also, Dazai started talking about double suicide after Oda died, so maybe he really doesn't want to die alone because it's lonely. If that's the case then a double suicide with Fyodor will satisfy the both of them.

And that's enough yapping from me. I won't call Fyozai underrated, but it definitely deserves more love and appreciation. I just wish that I did them justice with this analysis.

[nikosaki]

Please may I request Yandere fyodor with a reader who’s in love with dazai. Thank you, have a nice day/night

Yandere fyodor with reader crushing over Dazai

Summary: Uh oh! Having fyodor as someone who is obesesed with you and then going for dazai? Tsk tsk what a foolish bird you are!

Genre: yandere, dark content

Warnings: dark themes, manipulation, bite marks, gaslighting,

a/n: reader has some nerve to even look at dazai if it’s yandere fyodor💀

Oh hell naw- 💀

You think having a yandere Russian man stalking you 24/7 is not enough so much that you went to crush over another crazy maniac

Well lets be clear first, let’s say reader is in the Rats in the house of the dead then it would cause more conflict especially between the two geniuses.

Fyodor already has a whole chess game prepared now he wants his doll to play with?

Fyodor knows what goes on your head you can tell too whenever his eyes narrow when your feeling nervous, excited or sad, he know everything

Perhaps it was his mistake of introducing dazai to you, his darling was just so curious!

But fyodor knows he know whenever your eyes had this small form of heart whenever he talked about him or showed his picture.

It became worse when you and dazai met the first time, oh golly-

I am pretty sure dazai already knew about how you love him and though at first he thought he could use you, you look like quite the peculiar person.

Having the demons doll wrapped around his finger is such a great way to provoke him

Dazai is a smooth charmer just like fyodor, he probably takes things further each time you two meet

One time he would say soothing words, another kissing the back of your hand, complimenting your work, and maybe at times leaving a trace of him on you intentionally.

Maybe even going far as leaving a mark on you though I doubt fyodor would allow that.

If anything fyodor got pretty angry when he found out you two even interacted! How dare his doll chase after another man

Foe now he will let you ran into the man you love but when he confronts you a bout it..I hope you will be both physically and mentally prepared.

Dont look at me like that! Fyodor is a sadist and he loves punishing you whether it’s mentally or sexually.

I do think he would lock you in a room for days with no sunlight rather than do physical punishment. What will you blame him on? Touching you?

You can’t really it’s your fault, why did you ran into his arms, do you not know who you belong to? Do you want to leave him? Is he not enough for you?

All sorts of manipulation tactics will be used against you and at the end you will become more submissive.

I am pretty sure if dazai by any chance falls in love with you it would be better for fyodor, why does he need to be angry? disturbing Dazai by any way makes his ego grow!

Two birds with one stone.

In the end you will be far too of a lifeless doll who learned its lesson from living in a dim cell for far too long. How many days has it been? You do not know but atleast fyodor didn’t abandon you.

A/N: not proud of it too much *sigh*

[mmani-e]

And in this week's post for DR: Demix, I'm finally sharing a concept I've had stewing in my head for a while now. A tale of not one, not two, but THREE JUNKOS! Yay!

In DR: Demix, there are 3 Junkos, the reason why is that I wanted Ibuki to have her own little Izuru form, and I thought the perfect equivalent of that was Junko. But to make it work, I needed to retroactively change a lot of stuff, and it was a really fun process ngl. And things got complicated regarding whether or not Junko in DR1 even is Junko at all, so I thought I'd add a little fun tidbit to that too.

"Junko Enoshima" in Demix 1 is Ryoko Otonashi, and the name is just a nickname people gave her in reference to the founder of HP. She takes up the name when Mukuro dies and she goes ballistic, like Kiyotaka becoming Kiyondo.

Junko Enoshima in Demix 2 is the founder of Hope's Peak. An anarchist revolutionary who was granted the opportunity to make a better world and kinda flubbed it because she was a teenager.

The "Junko" Project in Demix 2 is also the hyperactive and insane Mastermind" of the killing game, created in a secret project by disgruntled student geniuses, Ibuki was transformed into a sick reflection of HP's founder and manipulated to becoming a pawn of Taka's... but not really.

Junko 1, the Titleholder - The first Junko is the one we know and love from THH, but that is not her real name. Ryoko Otonashi - the Ultimate Moral Compass - is her real name, and "Junko Enoshima" is just a nickname given to her by the hopeful youth that see her as the successor of the revolutionary woman who founded the school of Hope's Peak itself.

In reality, this "Junko" is no more than an opportunistic teenager, who thinks the name is... weird, at best. Reveling in the popularity and opportunities she's given as the so-called "reborn Junko" to cause chaos, even if beneficial chaos, to every school she is shipped off to after setting the last one ablaze with riots and protest in the name of her vision of a right and just world.

It's not until she experiences an unimaginable loss in the events of Demix 1 that she fully embraces that nickname in a bout of insanity. Swearing to burn the school down to its foundations with everyone inside, promising through running tears that she would accomplish it, any means necessary to avenge her sister.

Junko 2, the Founder - The second Junko is seen in an old busted portrait taken about thirteen years prior to the events of the despair, and she is the revolutionary founder of Hope's Peak. An anarchist leader, she was the first truly identified ultimate. A revolutionary, quite literally, Junko used her incredible talents to bring Imperial Japan to heel in the second world war, starting a prolonged anarchist revolt that would only be quelled when offered to change the system from within, the government granting amnesty, infinite travel funds, and most importantly an institution made in her name where she could support the youth: Hope's Peak Academy.

Ultimately, it was a mistake to take the government's deal, as her efforts to spread revolution worldwide were quashed and Japan restricted her freedoms until she was an old woman who had hardly the energy to walk around the school she founded herself.

Junko 3, the Mastermind - Not forgetting the dream of their founder, many students united clandestinely to discuss the future of their school despite neverending scandals and reports of corruption. With their founder missing, they created a project to rejuvenate the school under a perfect vessel: an ultimate revolutionary of their own. One with every talent under the sun needed to retake the school for themselves.

A council of sixteen students at the head of the project did their best to transform reserve course student "Ibuki Mioda" into their savior... only for her to end up a completely out-of-control maniac.

"Junko" is a hyperactive monster, her only limitation being what her genius mind can come up with. She is constantly in a state of bliss as whatever desire Ibuki once had in that mind of hers was accomplished, even if she doesn't remember who she was anymore. And she lives to revel in that fact, to enjoy her talents now and forevermore, as it is the only thing she has of her old self to cling onto that makes her feel whole.

[natequarter]

some of my proposed doctor/companion mismatches:

one: ace. It's Free Granddaughter. also he won't manipulate the shit out of her. the tardis might blow up, but that's a problem for another day

three: romana i. the brigadier might die of the stress of Two arrogant geniuses chewing him out, but it would be worth it

four: vicki. it would be a nightmare, but not of the nightmarish sort

five: harry. i think what that guy needs is someone equally insufferably english. that or leela, but he needs leela for the same reason four needed leela (would laugh if he died)

six: tegan. she would NOT stand for his shit. unfortunately she might also leave given all the violent events that happen with him around

seven: clara. the universe will not be standing by the end of it

nine: donna. well that's fucking WIZARD, mate

eleven: sja-era sarah. you hear an explosion and it's not that they set it off, or that they're escaping it, but they're running towards it. shit.

[fantasy-nerdddd]

Recall what Finnick said in Catching Fire: "No one in this arena was a victor by chance. Except maybe Peeta."

Well, unpopular (?) opinion, but that is the furthest from the truth Finnick could be. Finnick meant that Peeta won because of his strategy, not because he killed the rest of the tributes. Basically, Katniss gave both of them the win by killing Cato, and Marvel, and Glimmer, and the girl from 4. And the first time I read the trilogy, I agreed. But now, I understand the nature of The Hunger Games. To survive, you don't need to be exceptionally strong, although strength does matter. It's to present the Capitol with a compelling story. To have a strategy shown at the interviews, so hopefully the audience will want to see that storyline unravel. As long as you keep them interested, you keep yourself alive. Rich people will sponsor you and the Game makers are less likely to make your life a living hell, because they'd be afraid of the backlash. That means, you would only die in a fight. But still, your opponent might be injured, exhausted, starving, dehydrated, weaponless and so on. You still have an edge.

And who used that to his advantage? The weakness of the audience for unique, convincing stories? Peeta. He introduced and sold the idea of the love story. He manipulated everyone, even the Game makers, into believing the story in a largely fake TV show. And yes, it was real for him and arguably Katniss too in some degree, but it doesn't matter. The strategy worked. They got sponsors. Katniss was only caught in the fire so she'd get closer to the Careers, to cause more drama. They didn't intend for her to die. The rules changed for them, for the first time in history. They got to a feast that, unlike the others, had medicine and not just food, just for Peeta to survive and for the story to continue. In the end, the Gamemakers chose for them to live just so they'd have more of the love story. All because Peeta had a god-like strategy. And yes, strength is vital, but Peeta was strong, he survived against Cato while having 5 tracker jacker stings. And yes, Cato was also stung, but Katniss, with 3 tracker jacker stings couldn't even move without someone pushing her to.

Finnick, on the other hand, was just your regular Career. Nothing special, except the talent of making people want to sleep with him. And that is mainly genes. He was objectively attractive, and that was pure luck. That's why he had a ton of sponsors. That's why he got a trident for a gift. Because he was born attractive and girls fell for him. He's the Victor that won by chance. Not the star-crossed lovers. Not a girl pretending to be weak. Not a singer. Not a tribute good with camouflage (the Morphlings from district 6). Not an arrogant resourceful boy that used his surroundings to his advantage. A pretty face. Hey, don't complain I am solely focusing on the Games, not the absolutely disgusting aftermath

Finnick thought that Peeta won by chance because that's what he was taught. Violence means Victory. The more people you kill means Victory. Use the interviews to assert dominance. Not to make people look at you with sympathy. Make them look at you with fear. That's the Careers. One-sided kids trained to be killing machines. But, when someone to root for comes in the picture, this whole thing fails. Because no one wants to see an 18 y/o kill mercilessly when the other option is two teenagers in a battlefield defying all odds and being in love. Bring pride to your district by proving yourself to be the strongest. Not survive by infiltrating and ultimately betraying the alliance you are taught to fear. Get a good score so no one will interrupt you while you hunt the other tributes down. Not play weak until the final six.

The other district's Victors tend to be more memorable. And look at the tributes for the. 75th Hunger Games: The brother and sister. The girl who ripped another tribute's throat out. The two geniuses. The crazy girl (Not Mags; Mags volunteered). The pretty face. The camouflaged. The weakling. And of course, the star-crossed lovers. You can tell them apart. Johanna can easily find nicknames. That's what they want. Storylines to follow, memorability not to forget.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Edit: Heeyyyy, I might have fucked up a little with my wording on Finnick's paragraph. I am not trying to downgrade pedophilia anon, just saying that he didn't work hard to win the hunger games, and he had it harder after his Games. I was solely focusing on the Games, not the follow up. Also, yes Finnick did use the arena to make nets, but let's be real the nets weren't his biggest advantage a FUCKING TRIDENT was.

[weaselandfriends]

do you think your thesis on Ender's various games impacts your reading the siblings sideplot? or are they representing something entirely different?

I talked about this a little in a response to a response to the essay (it's in the reblogs), but Peter and Valentine's plot is a foil to Ender's. Peter and Valentine were rejected by the military's game of control, and being outside it are capable of, essentially, taking over the world, even as children. On the face of it, it's a ridiculous plotline, but in the world of Ender's Game, it's to be expected; the Wiggin children are preternatural geniuses and they do not lose. The juxtaposition between Ender and Peter is especially highlighted at the end of the story, when Valentine and Ender remark how ironic it is that the sadistic Peter saved millions of lives by bringing about peace accords, while Ender killed billions by following orders. I suppose you can interpret the subplot two ways in terms of Ender's culpability: Either it shows that Ender was, in fact, intelligent enough to take over the broader system of control if he wanted to, or it shows that it was specifically the military's control over him, the distracting games they sent his way where he could win and conquer and not question the larger game, that prevented Ender from achieving something actually good.

Another interesting note is that the military rejected Peter because he was too cruel. This detail is given very early on, but when revisited in retrospect while considering what exactly the military wanted Ender to do (namely, complete and utter genocide without mercy), it's odd that Peter's cruelty was seen as grounds for disqualification at all. The military doesn't even care that Ender kills a few other kids on his way to the top; actually, they encourage it by putting him in a situation with Bonzo where he is forced to resort to violence. Ender comments on this throughout the story himself: They want me to be Peter, he thinks, they're trying to make me be Peter, I really am Peter after all (he sees Peter in the mirror in the psychology game).

The military brass and Rackham mention that Ender's empathy in understanding the buggers was essential to his ability to destroy them, which is true, but Peter also displays the ability to understand his adversaries during his blogging rise to global control -- his entire plot hinges on Locke and Demosthenes manipulating public opinion exactly the way he wants, and it works. Perhaps we can take this explanation at face value, assume Ender's superior empathy to Peter was in fact necessary to his success, but there's another interpretation I like, which is that Ender's compassion makes him easier to control. Both times Ender puts up any resistance to the system of control, not by active dissent but by simply shutting down, the military whips him back into compliance by parading Valentine in front of him, as if to say "Look who you have to save. You have to do what we say to save her." Is Peter's sociopathic cruelty really disqualifying him from beating the buggers, or does it just make him harder for the military to control?

[idol--hands]

Star Trek #500 - The Final Masterpiece 🎨

Lore: “Let there be Lore!”

Lore: “And I must say, I think I’m in LOVE.” Data: “Of this, I have no doubt.” Lore: “Bah. What would you know? All you’ve ever loved is a cat.”

IH: Initially I didn’t realize we’re staring at Lore’s golden eyeball here.

IDOL ⭐️ HANDS: tales within this publication are often heavy-handed with fan service and can feature canon divergence. While this tale is in line with the “Star Trek: Lore War” publication (a prologue) — the art & writing feel over-the-top for the characters and also pose a bunch of unanswered questions. Such as: * How did Data get here? Lore wiped out EVERYTHING, but Ben Sisko, due to that Captain having a unique ability to hide in the Bajoran Prophet’s wormhole (aka “The Temple”) — the only thing surviving. * Why is Data in his uniform? There’s no Starfleet as it was known. * If Lore can make anything the way he wants and/or brought back his younger, android brother…why not make him more agreeable? * In canon, Lore shouldn’t know anything about “Spot”, that’s the big reveal in the Paramount streamed show Picard. #fanservice * How is it Lore can manipulate all the matter, but Data cannot? Despite being identical? Scientifically speaking, how is that working? * Though this scenario very much repeats the concepts of “Descent”, it offers none of the drama of the two androids appearing aligned. What happened to Lore’s nuances, his past, and both brothers’ regrets?? *Fans and earlier issues of this comic book arc thought to blame much of the psychopathy of “Descent” on the “emotion chip”…so now where is Lore’s mania supposed to be stemming from? His rejection and internal turmoil…yet, none of these geniuses are giving any credit to that or making any gestures regarding that?? I mean, it’s just the universe at stake for want of a “hug”. P.S. See the episode “The Mind and The Matter” from Twilight Zone (where I suspect some inspiration arose).

[thedenofravenpuff]

Intelligence in DCA on TSAMS - A thought

Thoughts that been stuck with me for a bit

Through dimensions and story arcs of TSAMS-verse, Moons are typically depicted as the brainy but rash ones, Suns the emotional and empathetic ones. To a degree where Suns often gets put down as dumb and whatnot.

Eclipses are intelligent, taking after Moons, but having bits extra to prove themselves a challenge for Moons to face off. Since they are a bit of a fusion of the two to create a whole, and their intelligence depending on the directions they choose (OG Eclipse obsessed with replacing Moon, chosing cold logic. Solar taking after Sun, showing care yet having handy knowhow in most things he dabbles in).

Then we got Ruin, a "true Eclipse" so to speak. A perfect fusion of the two, not creating an unwanted code but putting their own existing codes together into something new and balanced. Moon's intelligence with Sun's theatrics and social intelligence. Creating a perfect actor for any situation, a sociopath with perfect logic and willingness to lower himself to act a lunatic or a coward for whatever gains he aims for. His intelligence surpassing Moon's, creating a machine able to ERASE the existence of cornerstones to dimensions for a single-minded cause.

Then there's Dark Sun. A Sun who snapped. Tired of being pushed around and belittled, he didn't fuse with his Moon but STOLE his intelligence, cannibalising on it to ad to his own intelligence. But staying a Sun. A Sun choosing cold logic, for the want to be left alone or in control. Seeing patterns differently from how a Moon would with his social intelligence, to pull strings and create a scheme even larger than Ruin ever could imagine. His true goal still unknown.

I find Dark Sun specially interesting for this. The way they keep pushing that Suns are dumb or useless, yet here's one who was proactive for his own cause and wants. Beyond what any Moon or Eclipse could foresee.

There's a huge difference in knowledge and intelligence. In knowing facts and being able to read people. To be able to create solutions and to solving issues yourself.

Those lines often cross, but is also often forgotten, especially on TSAMS.

Just some thoughts, based on how often cold intelligence is used to solve things, or empathetic social intelligence is used to build up things. Suns get a bad rep among those who consider themselves geniuses. Lord Eclipse even bashing on Dark Sun for "leaving it to others to do things for him", as if he ain't manipulating everything behind the scenes without needing a star or to be a fusion of codes.

Thanks for reading my ramble

[mimisfortress]

Guys, if I write music and put it on Spotify would anyone listen?

꒰𑁬💎໒꒱

Here's a song I've written

This song is just overall what the vibe of my Junior year of highschool was, lol. Grey autumn days, noticable self-improvement and celebrating mental well-being while it lasts. Seeing the bad in people, being disappointed in people, love spells and new love, death and new beginnings, and very vivid dreams from a forever ruined sleep schedule.

Here's my musical resume or something idk 😭

I have a SoundCloud and I post covers on Instagram. I also would post many covers on Tiktok, but TikTok is bad for me and so I use it only once every blue moon.

I'm currently writing a song inspired by music by the Pierces, Stevie Nicks, Enya and Sophie Woodhouse. It's about being oblivious to being manipulated by people you really respected and trusted.

I also have two other songs I wrote and have posted on SoundCloud (my SoundCloud is Marinq, but I don't think that name will be permanent)

Music Artists

• the Pierces

• Stevie Nicks

• Hole

• Bambi Baker

• Celine Dion

• Sophie Woodhouse

• Enya

• Flëur

• Cyndi Lauper

Music I like

• Morute - I love creepy, yet angelic & pretty sounding music.

• Classical - I love stuff written by Piero Piccioni and Tchaikovsky and I love Classical Opera.

• Gothic Alt Folk Rock - the Pierces, basically. The sisters that wrote the theme to Pretty Little Liars? Yeah, I adore them. They're poetic geniuses.

• Y2K pop or Y2K indie-pop type stuff - the Pierces' older music feels like a 2004 teen girl coming of age movie.

• Rock/Pop - I'm talking sparkly Jem and the Holograms type stuff. Glitter everywhere, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Nicks sounding music. Stuff you'd listen to on a plane to L.A. Either that, or songs like "Pet Sematary" or "Don't Fear the Reaper" I freaking love and I need more songs like them, so why not write my own?

• Slavic folk music - the melodies to Slavic folk music are like no other. I love music in the minor key, it's the most beautiful to me and I love melancholy music more than anything.

[uneducated-author]

I love how Bungou Stray Dogs writes Geniuses.

Dazai and Dostoyevsky are very obvious foils, but BSD never lets that feel lazy, because the two still have distinct ideologies and strategies. The line is less blurred with the two. Both are willing to kill, to manipulate and to utilise any means necessary to achieve their goals. In the script distinguish themselves majorly in one particular way, which is their understanding of God (or at least fate) and their perspective of humanity. Fyodor believes fate rewards perfection and harmony while Dazai posits that the works of destiny are happenstance and absurdity. Fyodor thinks he's controlling the situation while Dazai says the ones making the World move are the people trapped in contingency. They both agree that humans are sinful and foolish. But to Fyodor that makes them undeserving and boring, while Dazai says that their inherent flaws make them great. They aren't different in an intellectual level, only an ideological one.

Then compare than to Ranpo, noted as the strongest man in the agency. A kind of walking deus ex machina with Ultra Deduction, but a really complex character. We saw him as a strategist in Cannibalism, except that he largely was supporting Kunikida, but now he's essentially running all of the ADA operations. He fails to account for all the contingencies that Dostoyevsky would implement, but arguably knows the limitations and capabilities of the ADA better than even Dazai (think of that scene where they're planning to take down the moby dick).

I like how Ranpo and Dazai are portrayed in their respective arcs right now. Ranpo's strategies are explained clearly to the audience, with flashbacks to him explaining their route of action occurring as the plot unfolds, and clear agendas and techniques used in real time. In contrast, Dazai's plans are kept secret even from the reader, so we are left oblivious to his true agenda and plan.

Then compare that to Mori, who is a very grounded genius. He's smart enough to calculate that Fukuchi is Kamui, which before only Ranpo had deduced, and has been running the port mafia, even maintaining it during intense internal turmoil from when different factions were fighting against him. In the dark era we even see him out manipulate Dazai, with him being the one to smuggle Mimic into Yokohama and leak the location of the orphans without Dazai knowing. But he doesn't have aspirations beyond keeping Yokohama safe, so most of his schemes are directly for the city or for the Port Mafia. He utilises peoples access to information, and affects their circumstances to influence their actions. He has a great understanding of how individuals will both act and react, and how to manipulate both.

There are multiple 'genius' characters, but they all have distinct skill sets and ideologies, and I love seeing how the narrative handles each if them.

[andreablog2]

One thing that scares me about ai, people with large digital foot prints, our collective lack of new stories, digital censorship, the looming metaverse scenario…is how skewed the perception of the past will become and how quickly it will become skewed and manipulated now. Ordinary people lack memory like they used to as well….so it will be interesting how this period of history with such glaring inequality could become to be known as a sort of utopia…and how the worst people will be lionized. I think people who do the world of gossiping online and like…being unfiltered radical communists are doing sort of the same thing to thwart this. It will always feel like I’m living in North Korea when a billionaire entertainer demands “empathy”, in this case empathy being taking everything they present about themselves at face value. Bravo fans are geniuses at truly peaking behind peoples motivations and can gather things about episodes of tv I would have never picked up on. It’s just interesting how much celebrity culture can and can’t be used for propaganda because it’s built on this foundation of lies so there’s always going to be this collection of suspicion and speculation….but at the same time it’s very easy to scandalize people to believe a certain narrative through celebrity culture as well. Where that line between two very different things is interesting. Amazing how much Luigi owes his success in the court of public opinion to how primed people are to obsess over theatrical handsome men 😭 also like if the cis really owns Hollywood this is what they get for pushing so many ugly white guys for years that this took the world by storm.

[animentality]

guys.

guys. it finally happened.

blue lock finally brought me back out of the coma it was putting me in during most of the NEL arc.

hallelujah.

this new chapter is actually doing something fucking interesting for a change.

let's talk about it:

noa's betrayal was probably the only genuinely surprising development in the entire arc. I was worried it would get immediately ruined by Isagi surpassing noa in this match.

because Isagi glazers are the most annoying people on earth and they were starting to make me think Kaneshiro is a fucking idiot who'd actually let a 17 year old amateur beat a 30 something year old PROFESSIONAL.

thank god Kaneshiro isn't as stupid as Isagi fans want him to be.

now we're actually getting a proper build up for when Isagi faces off with him later.

Isagi grabbing noa by the fucking arm and challenging him in front of the entire world?

that was actually cool. I say this as the world's third biggest Isagi hater...

I can't deny. I am into that.

actually. you know what, Isagi.

that takes guts, and I actually like how fucking insane you looked when you did it.

beat that white man.

plus it actually gives their eventual face off in the future much higher stakes.

and it's like oh ... I forgot blue lock could be exciting. how intriguing.

but it's not just that either.

Isagi actually admitted he can't beat Rin alone. he can't beat geniuses head to head, just by being smart.

he needs to use other people around him... even if that means asking them for help, and not just manipulating them.

this is an amazing development.

because again. Isagi stans are out here insisting he can be the number one striker just because he wants to be. just because he's "ruthless."

well nope.

he cannot and will not ever be able to do the kinds of things other players do. he can't 1v1 Rin. he can't beat noa on his own.

but that doesn't mean he can't still win.

and man. man, I fucking dig it. Isagi, admitting he has weaknesses?

Isagi, admitting he has to sink further, he has to truly abandon everything, and break himself again?

I remember when that had meaning. Before NEL.

now... at the end, Kaneshiro remembers Isagi is an underdog and he needs to face hard truths and struggle every step of the way because he's not naturally gifted like the rest of these whores.

like shit. maybe I can root for you again. maybe.

and the best part too.

Isagi has to ask Kaiser for help.

he has to swallow his pride. he has to throw away his morality and his soul.

he will team up with his worst enemy to win...

that's fucking... good.

that's actually decent. one good fucking thing this arc, amazing.

I needed to see Isagi humbled, and he was.

I needed him not to be a fucking Gary stu who can do things on his own and can surpass everyone just through the power of yapping.

him having to team up with Kaiser...after Kaiser just broke himself down too...after Kaiser gave up on his hatred for Isagi because it was holding him back...

Oh my God.

blue lock remembered what parallels are? and setup? and actual emotional stakes?

blue lock remembering that Isagi was best when he was actually struggling and not effortlessly beating everyone else through the power of plot?

and the fact that he hates Kaiser... and Kaiser hates him... but they both want to win and defeat these geniuses so badly... they'll do the unthinkable and work together?

going back to its roots, of insisting that sometimes change is humiliating and painful, but you can never evolve, without abandoning all of it?

blue lock...are you

...are you finally back?

have you returned, prodigal son?

am I... am I coming back too...?

...

I don't know but God.

god please.

end this fucking arc.

I know you two can fucking do it.

and I need you to. and maybe it'll even be...good.

ugh.

I'm gonna be sick but...blue lock might be...it might actually be turning itself around...I'm not sure if my heart can handle this.