#WITH THE NEW DYNAMIC WITH MAKOTO

[luxexhomines]

Danganronpa Character Tropes/Patterns Across Main 3 Games

I'm sure this exists somewhere already, but I wanted to make a list for my own self-reference because I was analyzing the patterns across games, so I figured why not post it? Unfortunately, this ended up egregiously long, and I decided to stop and post it before it got even longer. I'm sure I missed plenty of things, but I didn't want it getting any longer. I already spent a lot of time refreshing my memory and poring over the Danganronpa Fandom Wiki to make this list, ahaha...

So, here we go--I made a few categories: 1. Personality, 2. Ultimate Talents, 3. Cast Dynamics, 4. Killing Game, and 5. Body Characteristics. Wasn't sure how to format it, but I tried. I didn't list their Ultimate Talents since I figured most people remember/know.

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to pop into the replies or my askbox and we can discuss! There might be some you disagree on. Under the cut for Danganronpa spoilers and length!

Personality

Bossy toward men 

SDR2 - Mahiru Koizumi

NDRV3 - Tenko Chabashira (complete misandrist) 

Little Shits/Gremlins (& most obnoxious criers) /affectionate

SDR2 - Hiyoko Saionji

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Made-up Words/Sayings 

SDR2 - Ibuki Mioda

NDRV3 - Angie Yonaga

Most Unhinged Participants

SDR2 - Nagito Komaeda

NDRV3 - Korekiyo Shinguji

Multiple Personas/Personalities

DR1 - Touko Fukawa (has DID; Genocide Jack)

DR1 - Junko Enoshima

NDRV3 - Korekiyo Shinguji (older sister)

Optimists

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

SDR2 - Mahiru Koizumi

NDRV3 - Kaede Akamatsu

Potty-mouthed

DR1 - Mondo Oowada

SDR2 - Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

NDRV3 - Miu Iruma

Self-Esteem Issues

DR1 - Chihiro Fujisaki

DR1 - Touko Fukawa

SDR2 - Nagito Komaeda

SDR2 - Mikan Tsumiki

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara

NDRV3 - Maki Harukawa

Stoic/Serious Ladies

DR1 - Sakura Oogami

DR1 - Kyouko Kirigiri

SDR2 - Peko Pekoyama

NDRV3 - Kirumi Tojo

NDRV3 - Maki Harukawa

Ultimate Talents

Athletes

DR1 - Leon Kuwata

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

SDR2 - Akane Owari

SDR2 - Peko Pekoyama

NDRV3 - Ryoma Hoshi

Martial Artists

DR1 - Sakura Oogami

NDRV3 - Tenko Chabashira

Musicians

DR1 - Sayaka Maizono

SDR2 - Ibuki Mioda

NDRV3 - Kaede Akamatsu

Ultimate ???

DR1 - Kyouko Kirigiri

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata

NDRV3 - Rantaro Amami

Has Secret/Other Talent

DR1 - Touko Fukawa (as Genocide Jack - Ultimate Murderer) 

DR1 - Makoto Naegi (Ultimate Hope) 

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata (as Izuru Kamukura - Ultimate Hope)

NDRV3 - Maki Harukawa (Ultimate Assassin)

Cast Dynamics

Protagonist & Friend Iconic Duo

DR1 - Makoto Naegi Kyouko Kirigiri

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata Chiaki Nanami

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara Kaede Akamatsu

Mystery Solvers/Complicators

DR1 - Kyouko Kirigiri

DR1 - Byakuya Togami

SDR2 - Nagito Komaeda

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Antagonists

DR1 - Byakuya Togami

SDR2 - Nagito Komaeda

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Protag’s Guy Friends Who All Have That Same Loser Vibe

DR1 - Yasuhiro Hagakure

SDR2 - Kazuichi Souda

NDRV3 - Kaito Momota

Breaks the 4th Wall

SDR2 - Gundham Tanaka

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Serial Killers

DR1 - Touko Fukawa (Genocide Jack)

SDR2 - Peko Pekoyama (fake; “Sparkling Justice”)

NDRV3 - Korekiyo Shinguji

Killing Game

Protagonists

DR1 - Makoto Naegi

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara

NDRV3 - Kaede Akamatsu (one chapter still counts!!)

Traitors/Moles

DR1 - Mukuro Ikusaba (as Junko Enoshima)

DR1 - Sakura Oogami

SDR2 - Chiaki Nanami

NDRV3 - K1-B0 (unknowingly)

Masterminds

DR1 - Junko Enoshima

SDR2 - Alter Ego Junko Enoshima

NDRV3 - Tsumugi Shirogane

De Facto Forensic Examiners

DR1 - Kyouko Kirigiri

SDR2 - Mikan Tsumiki

First Victims

DR1 - Sayaka Maizono

SDR2 - Byakuya Togami (Imposter)

NDRV3 - Rantaro Amami

First Killers

DR1 - Leon Kuwata

SDR2 - Teruteru Hanamura - SDR2

NDRV3 - Kaede Akamatsu (as scapegoat) - NDRV3

Framed/Suspected of Murdering Close Friend

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

SDR2 - Hiyoko Saionji - SDR2

NDRV3 - Himiko Yumeno

Victims of Double Murders

DR1 - Hifumi Yamada Kiyotaka Ishimaru 

SDR2 - Hiyoko Saionji Ibuki Mioda

NDRV3 - Tenko Chabashira Angie Yonaga

Double Murder Culprits

DR1 - Celeste Ludenberg

SDR2 - Mikan Tsumiki

NDRV3 - Korekiyo Shinguji

Self-Sacrificial

DR1 - Sakura Oogami** 

SDR2 - Byakuya Togami (Imposter)**

SDR2 - Peko Pekoyama*

SDR2 - Nagito Komaeda** 

NDRV3 - Ryoma Hoshi**

NDRV3 - Gonta Gokuhara*

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma**

(* = became culprit, ** = became victim)

Non-Culprit Tries to Misdirect Voting to Execute All Participants

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

NDRV3 - Maki Harukawa

Is Incited/Led by Antagonist to Murder

SDR2 - Teruteru Hanamura

SDR2 - Chiaki Nanami

NDRV3 - Gonta Gokuhara

NDRV3 - Kaito Momota

Sustained Injury/Death Not From Participant Murder or Own Execution

DR1 - Mukuro Ikusaba (as Junko Enoshima)

SDR2 - Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu  (from Peko’s execution, not own)

SDR2 - Nekomaru Nidai

NDRV3 - Kaito Momota

NDRV3 - K1-B0 (final explosion)

Mystery Victims

DR1 - Mukuro Ikusaba (Chapter 5 reappearance)

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Makes Plot & Trial-Relevant Technology

DR1 - Chihiro Fujisaki

SDR2 - Kazuichi Souda

NDRV3 - Miu Iruma

Most Notable Character Development

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata

SDR2 - Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara

NDRV3 - Himeko Yumeno

NDRV3 - Maki Harukawa

Body Characteristics

Super Muscular

DR1 - Sakura Oogami

SDR2 - Nekomaru Nidai

NDRV3 - Gonta Gokuhara

Tan/Darker Skinned

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

DR1 - Yasuhiro Hagakure

SDR2 - Akane Owari

NDRV3 - Angie Yonaga

Fat/Chubby

DR1 - Hifumi Yamada

SDR2 - Byakuya Togami (Imposter)

SDR2 - Teruteru Hanamura

Tiny

SDR2 - Teruteru Hanamura

NDRV3 - Ryoma Hoshi

Small Girls

SDR2 - Hiyoko Saionji

NDRV3 - Himiko Yumeno

Small Boys

DR1 - Chihiro Fujisaki

SDR2 - Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

NDRV3 - Kokichi Ouma

Breasted Boobily (reference to meme please don’t kill me lol)

DR1 - Aoi Asahina

SDR2 - Akane Owari

NDRV3 - Miu Iruma

Robots/Non-humans

DR1 - Alter Ego

SDR2 - Mechamaru Nidai

NDRV3 - K1-B0

Ahoge Havers

DR1 - Makoto Naegi

DR1 - Hifumi Yamada

SDR2 - Hajime Hinata

NDRV3 - Kaede Akamatsu

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara

NDRV3 - K1-B0

NDRV3 - Miu Iruma

Hat-wearers

SDR2 - Kazuichi Souda

NDRV3 - Shuichi Saihara

NDRV3 - Ryoma Hoshi

NDRV3 - Korekiyo Shinguji

NDRV3 - Himiko Yumeno

Different, Cartoonish Eyes/Features

DR1 - Hifumi Yamada

SDR2 - Teruteru Hanamura

NDRV3 - Ryoma Hoshi

Other patterns: 

At least one red-haired, one black-haired, one white-haired, and one blond character per game

At least one red-eyed and one same hair & eye color character per game

[eggs-can-draw]

Doodle from my warmups

[obstinaterixatrix]

man, there’s a lot of mako/haru crumbs in the form of haru casually and very consistently complimenting makoto… I had like 100 words of a pre-relationship fic during the hawaii trip, I should finish it… I need to rewatch hawaii and also call upon the haru scholars

[lanternlightss]

Ohh Cecil and Rukkadevatta yesyesyess

As for foculors and murata… I feel like them anf Focalors would either get along somewhat well or they would also despise each other lmao 🐝

cecil seeing a god that actually cares for their people and shows it genuinely without any misunderstandings: wait what this feels illegal

and ooooo!!!! ahsjsjsjd yeah their sense of justice would probably conflict a lot XD

also cecil getting along with murata while hating zhongli is just. very funny to me lmao

[frickingnerd]

dating the members of s.e.e.s.

pairing: makoto yuki x junpei iori x akihiko sanada x shinjiro aragaki x gn!reader x kotone shiomi x yukari takeba x mitsuru kirijo x fuuka yamagishi x aigis

tags: wholesome & silly fluff, polyamorous relationship, sees!reader, supportive!sees members, leader!makoto & kotone, akishinji, yukamitsu, obviously NO ken & koromaru

there's a palpable tension between the members of sees when you join, as ALL OF THEM quickly end up falling for their lovable and sweet new team member!

sure, there might be some jealousy here and there, but everyone quickly agrees that the best possible outcome would be to simply share you and let everyone date you!

some of them quickly jump at the idea of dating you, like junpei, yukari or kotone, while others are more reluctant to share you with someone else, like akihiko, shinjiro or aigis

it'll take at least a month or two for your relationship to fall into place and become something that is long term sustainable

there are certainly little groups within sees forming when it comes to who gets to go on dates with you or who gets to do certain activities with you

for one, there are akihiko and shinjiro, who quickly warm up to the idea of sharing you with one another. they'll help each other out, whether it's about presents for you or solving any troubles coming your way

mitsuru occasionally is part of their little dynamic as well, helping the boys when they reached their limits, while also joining them on dates with you!

though mainly, mitsuru and yukari have an alliance going on. those two make the perfect girlfriends for you, always supporting each other, as well as the other girls around them!

fuuka and aigis are new to relationships and struggle a bit with having their first relationship be a polyamorous one, but yukari and mitsuru, as well as kotone, always help them out

fuuka and aigis are the ones most likely to take you on dates with nobody else joining, as they need to get a feel for how dates work, before they feel comfortable sharing you with the others on group dates

junpei is also the type to enjoy lone dates with you, but mainly because he's a bit jealous of everyone else at first and wants to keep you to himself. but as he opens up over time, he'll join yukari & mitsuru or akihiko & shinjiro on dates with you, teasing and annoying them playfully

and lastly, there are the two leaders of sees: kotone and makoto! those two are quite similar, despite their differences

kotone quickly latches onto you and she'll spend every free second with you. she doesn't mind if the other girls are around as well or if it's akihiko and shinjiro who go on a date with you and her

meanwhile makoto is more reserved. you might think he's not a fan of sharing you with others or might even believe he doesn't enjoy dating you. but he just takes some time to adjust to a relationship with you, especially when it comes to sharing you!

makoto and kotone are both incredibly protective of you, which you'll mainly see in battle! but even outside of tartarus, you'll notice them scaring off anyone outside of sees who dares flirting with you

after all, you are dating them! you're sees's partner and while they don't mind sharing you with their friends, they don't enjoy seeing strangers flirt with you!

[koneko-chan-hai]

“Slowly he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, a hand cradling her head to his collarbone. Chiaki wrapped her arms around his waist as she leaned in. Izuru could distinctly feel her relaxing, making him do the same. It had been more than a few months since they started being this close, but somehow, Izuru still couldn’t get himself used to how nice it felt to have her presence and warmth right next to him.”

Impulse and Circumstances

Rating:

Mature

Warnings:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories:

M/M

Fandoms:

Super Dangan Ronpa 2, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope’s Peak High School

Relationships:

Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Kamukura Izuru/Nanami Chiaki, Chou Koukou Kyuu no Sagishi | Ultimate Imposter/Mioda Ibuki (mentioned), Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto

Characters:

Hinata Hajime, Komaeda Nagito, Kamukura Izuru, Nanami Chiaki, Naegi Makoto, Tsumiki Mikan, Hinata Hajime’s Parents, Soda Kazuichi, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, Pekoyama Peko, Ikusaba Mukuro, Munakata Kyosuke (Dangan Ronpa), Enoshima Junko, Kirigiri Kyoko, Hagakure Yasuhiro, Original Characters, Kirigiri Jin (mentioned)

Additional Tags:

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Hinata Hajime, Alpha Komaeda Nagito, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Positively Yours AU, Hinata Hajime and Kamukura Izuru Are Twins, Hinata Hajime and Kamukura Izuru are Separate People, Mpreg, Unplanned Pregnancy, One Night Stands, Strangers to Lovers, Established Relationship, for KamuNami, Rating May Change, Getting Together, Nagito is Makoto’s older brother, Tags May Change, Not Beta Read, Discussion of Abortion, Aged-Up Character(s), only Class 77 though, Mild Sexual Content, Miscommunication, Kamukura Izuru Has Feelings, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Slow Burn

Summary:

“To some, those two lines could be the best news, the hope to create a family with their loved ones. To others, however, they could be the worst news.

Unfortunately, Hajime was part of the latter category.”

After years of celibacy, and after having his longtime feelings unrequited, Hajime decides to throw caution to the wind for one night. Needing to deal with the consequences of his actions, how can Hajime deal with the sudden interest of his one night stand towards him?

Words: 47,583 | Chapters: 10/? | Language: English | Updated: 2024-08-17

[theamityelf]

What do you think the dynamic would be with a Izuru, junko and makoto ship I just want to see not only how it would happen but also maybe a bit of jealous junko who could honestly be jealous of makoto receiving attention from Izuru or trying to keep makoto for herself or maybe junko in a one way rivalry with makoto but as a naejunko shipper I like the idea of junko hogging makoto or maybe try to make makoto jealous by her hanging around with izuru

Oh, what a delightful question.

I can think of a few ways I like to imagine this scenario starting out:

Once she's recruited Izuru to her side, Junko actively keeps him away from Makoto. She's not openly like "Stay away from my boyfriend"; it's more like she's constantly doing magician-style misdirects to keep Izuru from ever sharing a space with Makoto– who she never mentions to him. Izuru notices that she's doing this and seeks out Makoto himself. This may or may not have been Junko's intention all along.

Once she's recruited Izuru to her side, Junko just kind of brings Makoto around as a tag-along. He's her boyfriend, after all. It's chill. She, Izuru, and Mukuro are all in a limo discussing end-of-the-world stuff, and Makoto is with them listening to music on some headphones Junko got him for his birthday, drinking a fountain drink. He wants to be part of their conversation (or at least know what they're talking about), but Junko asked for privacy, so he'll stay out of it. If he ever nudges his headphones or pauses his music to try to listen in, everyone stops talking and turns to look at him expectantly, waiting for him to resume. He does suspect that they're up to something (though he has no idea the scale of it), so he talks to each of them about it individually, when he can get them alone.

Makoto just goes and introduces himself to Junko's new friend because he's curious about the stranger. Maybe he enters a relationship with Izuru before Junko.

Whatever the case, I feel like Junko would be asserting dominance constantly. Just very frequent power moves, to keep it clear that she's the president of the polycule. Usually, it's just simple stuff. "Hold my bag." "Is that what you're wearing?" Stuff that Makoto and Izuru both take in stride.

When it's not minor stuff, like if she's starting actual serious arguments or trying to boss them around in ways Makoto isn't comfortable with, Izuru intervenes. Left to his own devices, Makoto would try to resolve the conflict in a meaningful way, and Izuru considers Junko too dangerous for that kind of thing. Basically, Izuru considers it safer for their status quo if he humors Junko's whims of cruelty than if he lets Makoto hash out the disagreement.

Izuru and Junko understand each other in an analyst way, but Makoto understands both of them in a very human way that often eludes them. Like, Izuru and Junko can identify each other's strategic motives for doing or saying any given thing, in a way that goes over Makoto's head a lot of the time, but Makoto can identify that in this case Junko is being rude because she skipped lunch and it's made her cranky and if he gives her a snack she'll chill out. Stuff like that. Stuff that they like to think they're above, but they're not.

Izuru enjoys spending time with both of them. They activate different kinds of feelings in him. He learns that he likes to cuddle, and he learns that he likes to be amused at other people's expense. (He and Junko often share jokes about how much Mukuro wishes she were in their polycule, and he finds it amusing and oddly satisfying, to see someone like Ikusaba so badly want what he has.)

Makoto knows that both of them have a mean streak, but he also knows they're more than that. (Junko mocks him for this, occasionally saying that she and Izuru have tricked him into thinking they're complex, but he genuinely sees more in them.) Junko genuinely doesn't like to be alone. She genuinely gets really needy when she's sick. And Izuru has all kinds of feelings buried deep inside.

Long story short, they're cute together and I hope they don't destroy the world.

(Also, in case you didn't know, @suitov has also written about them.)

[kotelok16]

Hii so I’m new here and haven’t touched danganronpa in years, so I’m just curious as to what got you into komamiki? My mind is blown whenever I see a ship that’s not implied in canon, so seeing your art was like woah!!!! And I just like getting people to infodump about stuff they love 💕

Thanks a lot for the question, anon! This is gonna be a long post, be prepared

In fact, I remember very poorly the moment when I got involved in this pairing. As I understand it, I saw one piece of art and just fell in love with this couple? That is, my brain clicked and was like, "Listen, I like it, there's something in this!"

If you still asking "why" I liked this pairing, then the main reason is an interesting dynamic. Yes, yes, komamiki haters, I know about the ending of the third trial and that these two "hate each other" (as they usually write). But... Isn't there a special charm in this? Has the path from hate to love stopped being a thing? I mean, at the end of the trial, it was shown how well Mikan caught Nagito's weakness. She could have left him speechless with a precise phrase. She understood Nagito.

Isn't there some spice in the fact that you are best understood by the person you dislike now? And everyone you admire didn't even try to understand you?? (yes, Hajime tried in free-time events. I know, I don't deny it. Just for now we are talking about the main plot).

Of course, I can think too much like any other fan of any other pairing. But this dynamic is driving me crazy!

It gives me pleasure to reflect on how difficult it would be for komamiki to restore a neutral relationship to begin with after the events of the game. And it's going to be difficult, as it's going to be difficult for all the killers and victims to talk about what happened, you know? And the difficulties are ✨interesting✨.

What I also like about komamiki is that they are two broken people who can understand each other. They both need psychological (and not only) help, okay?? But in this path of recovery, they can become each other's support.

Mikan is emotional, reads the general atmosphere and someone else's mood very easily, worries a lot. Nagito is actually more detached and calm (unless we're talking about hope-). He knows how to show the emotions needed at the moment, but he does not always read the general atmosphere (and does not always consider it necessary, he is on his own mind). In total, we have two broken people, one is very emotional and reads people well, and the second is calm, which adjusts to the mood of people. And both have low self-esteem and are very, let's call it, helpful. "I will do anything, just don't hate me!" and "I will do everything to become your stepping stone to hope!"

At the same time, they can learn a lot from each other and take care of each other. Mikan, of course, as a nurse. I like to think too much that she put all her strength into Nagito's life after him waking up from the New World Program. Komaeda, in turn, is sharp-tongued, and can protect his emotional girlfriend from unwanted comments verbally. He also knows how to express admiration, I think such words won't hurt Mikan. Tsumiki can also express in words and actions the importance of Nagito's life to her. Uh, a mutual aid circle??

Will such a relationship be difficult? OF COURSE, absolutely. But do you really think that any relationship does not involve difficulties? Including healthy relationships, which are being talked about a lot now? Like, guys, psychologists identify the crisis stages that ANY married couple goes through. The question is not what kind of problems are in the relationship, but how they will be solved. But I got off the subject.

If I think again about the post-canon, then I am hooked by the idea that the Class 77 will become the world's enemy. Not without reason, let's be honest. But, you see, there is no one left in their world who would accept them, except classmates (no, Makoto, don't look at me like that-). "In this world, we only have each other." Isn't this a bit dramatic, tragic and romantic?! (tragic for the most part, but we love it here)

Uh, I think this post is already quite long, it's worth taking stock. I love komamiki, I see an interesting, complex dynamic between them. Most of the time I draw them cute, gentle, romantic, well, because I like to draw them like that. I'm interested in thinking about their relationship, but drawing all sorts of cute things gives me peace of mind. Thanks again for the question, anon! It's always a joy to talk about your favorite couple^^

[my-midnight-musings-xoxo]

Major spoilers for MadK

---

I know this isn't a new point, but I still want to bring it up. I find it extremely concerning that people unironically wanted J and Makoto to end up together. I don't believe that liking toxic things makes you a bad person, or supporting those things.

You could argue MadK is a cautionary tale, a review I really love referred to it as a Greek tragedy, it is not a love story in the slightest. I love J and Makoto's relationship, it's fascinating to read and watch their dynamic and mind games to play out. But they're both clearly victims, traumatized victims continuing the cycle of trauma. Gaslighting, manipulation, etc. Them knowing this is happening doesn't make it any less toxic or unhealthy.

This isn't to say I don't enjoy and find entertainment in toxic relationships in fiction, I absolutely do!! But I find a problem with people who seem to ignore the genuine toxicity within these types of relationships.

Everyone in this manga is a victim, and that is far from glorified in the slightest. Of course there are things it poorly handled, I'm not arguing against that. Overall, in my opinion, they don't show toxicity as being beautiful, it's quite upfront about it!

Again, I have no issue with people enjoying toxic relationships in fiction, I have a problem with people ignoring it and then glorifying it, even sexualizing it. It being fiction makes it no less harmful.

In my opinion!

(Might muse about Datenshou and J's relationship one day, there's so much to think about there <3)

[raidenenthusiast]

been involving myself in p3r lately & something i really enjoy about it over p5r is the uniformity of the cast & how they each play off each other & the mc.

i never expect much when it comes to meaningful, LASTING characterization (keyword: lasting) from atlus but i've honestly been pleasantly surprised by the cast of p3r & their dynamics with each other. maybe this comes from their circumstances & the fact that they live with each other, whereas the cast of p5r all came from different sects, backgrounds, & even schools, but the group feels genuinely tight knit to me, & the introduction of new members feels natural & interesting.

i know part of the "awkwardness" felt from the pt's comes from the fact that p5r was widely defined by the concepts of fate & destiny (quite literally, with yaldabaoth's influence on akira's life) & as such the dynamics & meetings of characters as well as their "decisions" to join felt somewhat shoehorned at times. p3r doesn't have that aspect (as far as i know, lol) & it really makes the dynamics between the whole group feel more compelling.

just from the members i've seen so far, i can identify multiple close relationships between them even this early in the game. yukari & junpei clearly have a set banter with each other & had bonded even before mc joined. mitsuru & akihiko were original members & have been there longer than everyone else. fuuka & yukari are developing a friendship of their own. mitsuru & junpei have that sort of stickler for rules/slacker dynamic between them, which is funny. even members who have yet to join (ken, shinji, & even koromaru) have already been somewhat introduced & shown/hinted to have existing dynamics with current party members (ken was shown with yukari & junpei at the shrine, shinji at this point obviously has history with akihiko & mitsuru, & koromaru showed up outside the dorm).

& again, i get WHY we didn't have that in p5r for at least pre introductions. akira's life was being decided for him in a sense, & he didn't really have much of a say in it. but even in terms of once the group is formed, the relationships between the pt's can't really be compared positively to the relationship between sees members.

genuinely, the only pt's that feel like they have an authentic friendship between them are ann & ryuji, or haru & morgana. there are certainly other dynamics, but they're either touched on very briefly (ann & makoto), are based in hostility or creepiness of the writers (ryuji & morgana, morgana & ann), or exist completely in fanon (goro & ann, haru & makoto, sumire & futaba).

so much of p5r is based in solidarity through trauma despite the circumstances of your meeting so it's honestly always been insanely disappointing that the solidarity shown amongst the pt's was so limited to a specific member + the mc.

but so far that's something i'm really liking about p3r. sees doesn't feel like a group full of people who essentially read as coworkers, but rather a family. & honestly with the introduction of more characters that feeling is only getting stronger. not only that, the characters foster strong relationships with the mc without DEPENDING on those relationships & not ONLY fostering those relationships with him.

[tobiasdrake]

Okay I need opinions on this, cus I'm writing something-

If Celestia (Ludenberg) was in V3, and Korekiyo wasn't, what do you reckon the dynamics would be? Or would anything seriously change (other than the obvious thing of the chapter 3 killings)?

Derivative-ass Tsumugi whole-ass copy/pasting old characters into her script. :P

(Oh hey maybe that's what the V3 demo with Makoto and Hajime was about. She was using them as placeholders while figuring out what she wanted to do.)

When it comes to people treating Kirumi as the help, Celeste would undoubtedly be the absolute worst.

Her relationship with Tsumugi would probably be as sour as her relationship with Hifumi. Ultimately, Celeste's persona is a cosplay; Taeko is performing Celestia Ludenberg, no different from what Hifumi or Tsumugi do. And that's not something she wants to be reminded of.

Her dynamic with Kokichi is... interesting. Celeste and Kokichi are two of a kind; The Queen of Liars and the thematic embodiment of the lie, both living falsehoods and extolling falsities in the positions they claim to hold.

Celeste on-paper believes in adaptability and feels that they would all be better off to simply adjust to the new life circumstances of their confinement, while in truth she's more desperate than anyone to get out of this wretched place. Kokichi's opinions change with the wind, constantly going back and forth over what he truly believes and wants up until the moment of his death.

Every word out of their mouths to each other would probably be a move in a game of 4-D chess.

She also probably would find Miu to be crass and disgusting. Not an uncommon sentiment.

For the most part, I would expect Celeste to keep to herself, forming relationships solely based on how valuable or useful a person can be to her.

Oh, and she would absolutely be on Angie's Student Council. If there's a position of authority in it for her, she'll believe anything you say.

[cherrylng]

Upcoming Victories UK ‘00 - Muse - Matt Bellamy interview [BUZZ (November 2000)]

"'Compared to dance music, nothing great ever comes out of rock music, no matter how many years we wait. I'm going to start a new rock scene here.' That's what I thought when I started MUSE."

Out-of-this-world heaviness, out-of-this-world dramaturgy. What is the frustration, sense of purpose and impulse of MUSE and Matthew Bellamy to shake up a situation where only sing-along music can survive?

Text by Shinji Hyogo Interpretation by Makoto Takami

I noticed that in every issue I wrote things like "The new UK bands today are all sing-along bands that haven't been able to escape the influence of Oasis even though it's been years since their breakthrough" or "their sound is not as strong as dance or American heavy rock". There are issues where I don't write about it, but I write about it in the JAPAN record reviews that month. Do I want to make enemies with UK rock fans? Do I really hate them that much? When Coldplay's new album arrived, I was happy and listened to it every day. I also liked the new REEF stuff. I praised Placebo in the record reviews in the previous issue, and I love Oasis to begin with. What's so bad about it, me?

I thought about it and realised that the point is that I don't like the "same" thing. I've written about this before, but when I listened to the songs of creators from all over the world who uploaded their own work to MP3.com, I felt really depressed because they were all Aphex Twin imitations. Why do they go to the trouble of being "the same" or "under the influence of XXX" when they are in a field where they can do whatever they want with their music? Isn't it a waste? Isn't it uninteresting for both the performers and the listeners? First of all, you can't win if you do the same thing. I can't say that I haven't been influenced by someone else, or that I haven't written similar texts to someone else, but I think so with a sense of self-discipline. This was the lead sentence of an interview with MUSE. It is said that Radiohead and Nirvana have a strong influence on the band, and they admit it, and in fact, when I listen to the band, I certainly think so. However, I can't help but feel that I can see "beyond" the dramatic, dynamic, heavy and loud feel of their songs, the fragile beauty of their melodies, the sheer skill of their playing and vocalisation, and above all, the swell and dynamism of their sound.

There are strong sounds. MUSE's sound is strong too. However, the fact that this strength is different from alternative, (current) punk or American heavy rock is clearly expressed in the first album "SHOWBIZ" released earlier this year and the Japanese compilation "RANDOM 1-8" released in time for the band's visit to Japan in the middle of this month. Whether in melody, lyrics, or sound, what MUSE is aiming for is a sound with an intensity and drama of a type never seen before. And that's what makes you want to expect "maybe they'll change the current status quo". Matthew Bellamy answered.

I think the loud, heavy feel of MUSE's sound is what sets you apart from other UK guitar bands. 「Yeah.」

And I think there are two reasons for that. One is that American heavy rock and dance music are first of all overwhelming in terms of the intensity of sound, whereas UK rock today is not, so you had to get the intensity of sound to match it. And the second is that you needed that kind of strong sound to give form to the world that you genuinely wanted to express. 「Yeah, I think the second opinion is right. I needed that kind of sound to create what I wanted and to make music that accurately expresses my feelings, how I feel about life and so on. I've tried to make the sound as intense as possible in order to make music that is sincere and honest. I also want to convey my feelings and emotions in a way that I can enjoy. So yeah, I think you're right about that. But it's not that I felt the need to do it to get rid of the weakness of the UK rock sound. We were born and brought up far away from the mainstream British music scene, so it was a very natural progression for us to start playing this kind of music. In fact, we didn't really know much other than this kind of music growing up. I think the main reason is that we grew up in a remote and isolated place where we were shut out from the outside world. When you grow up in a place like that, you develop a unique worldview.」

Like a rare species of animal that evolved on its own on a remote island? 「(laughs) That's terrible. No, I listen to all kinds of music without preconceptions. As far as I remember, the first music I liked when I was a kid was blues music. I think I was 10 or 11 years old, and I was first into blues piano, like Ray Charles. And I learnt guitar by listening to Robert Johnson. Then, when I was 13 or 14, I became interested in more indie British music, like Wedding Present, Senseless Things, Mega City Four, and Sultans of Ping FC」

What?!?! You liked the Sultans? (Note: A B-grade band that existed in the mid-90s and was like a combination of early Manics and Iggy Pop and the Stooges.). I've interviewed them a lot. 「Oh yeah? Did you like them?」

I loved them, but when they didn't make it, I thought, "I knew it" (laughs). 「Hahahaha. So yes, I was almost exclusively focused on British music at the time. But when I was around 15 or 16, I started listening to American music too. Like Nirvana and Sonic Youth. Then I travelled around continental Europe for a while, and that's when I started listening to a lot of European folk music. I got really into Spanish flamenco guitar and started studying it myself. And also Greek music. I was also influenced by a lot of Eastern European bands and Southern European music, as well as a lot of Irish folk music. My mother is from Ireland, so we had a lot of folk music from there at home. So yeah, I've been open to all types of music.」

All of this is reflected in the sound of MUSE, isn't it? 「Right? (laughs)」

So it wasn't just a subconscious thing like, "I grew up in a remote area, so this is how it is," but you actually wanted to play music that was completely different from the mainstream scene? 「I think so, yes. The music scene in the UK was getting pretty boring at the time. There was some good dance music coming out, but there wasn't much interesting stuff going on in the rock scene. So I think that was definitely part of what inspired me to think, "I want to put out a record. No one's going to come out any time soon. Then I'll start a new rock scene here". So much was missing in rock at that time. I'm happy that some good bands have finally started to emerge recently.」

Also, I think MUSE's music and sound are very complete and dramatic. Is this something that comes naturally to you? 「Hmm…… No, I don't always make music with conviction. So it's not like I do it intentionally, it just comes naturally, or that when I make music, it sounds that way. It's not like I want a certain sound and plan it out in advance, I just write songs that honestly express how I feel. So for me, it's very personal music, but maybe new listeners will see a completely different perspective, or a dramatic side to it, like you said. For me, it's a very personal piece of music that expresses my own thoughts and feelings in the sound. However, the album I'm currently preparing will contain many different types of songs. For example…… There are some songs on there that have an unusual positivity to them, which I can't really describe. What I mean by "unusual" is that they actually sound very positive when I sing them, but they're also the hardest and most emotional songs for me to sing in a way. Maybe it's because it's so positive that it becomes hard. There will be some songs like that on the next album, and it's the first time I've ever approached songs like this, but I'm really enjoying it.」

If that's what happens when you make it naturally, doesn't that mean that your life and your life itself up until now has been dramatic in a way? 「Yeah, it certainly hasn't been normal so far. I feel like I've travelled a very long way. And I feel like I've come this far without really being aware of what's going on. I don't really know where I'm at or where I'm going. But for me, that kind of situation feels really good. I really enjoy getting lost and not knowing where I'm going. I don't know how it's going to end or when it's going to end, so it's kind of fun in a way. It's like my emotions and everything else is a blur, and that's what's really interesting. Even now, I'm so busy that I can say I don't have time to rest at all, and I feel like I don't know what's going on, but I think the more chaotic it gets, the better the music gets.」

Do you feel that you are becoming more and more sensitive to those vague and unpredictable states? 「I think I'm becoming more and more aware of them. And what I like about that feeling, and why I like it, is that I'm the kind of person who thinks that situations where you can predict what's going to happen next are uninteresting. As soon as I'm in a situation like that, I get bored and start looking for something else to do. That's why…… Yeah (laughs).」

So you're the type of person who likes to put yourself in unpredictable situations on purpose. 「Yes, that's true, haha. That's for sure (laughs).」

I understand (laughs). By the way, you've said in the past that you have a great distrust of "communicating through some kind of system", whether it's the media, the internet or religion, and it shows in your lyrics. What is the reason for your dislike and distrust to such an extent? 「Hmm…… I think it's because I grew up with a constant sense of "something's not quite right" about developments and changes in the world. But I can't really explain what that "something" is. So I'm trying to learn more about the world, about the system of government, about the system we grew up in, so that I can explain it better. Why is it that the power structures, for example, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), seem to be more and more in step with America? I'm trying to learn about the impact of that kind of system on the rest of the world. Maybe in doing so, I'm trying to learn more about that sense of "something's wrong" that I've had since I was a little kid. I'm looking at it carefully, trying to find out if it's just a fantasy or if it's real. But I think anyone can feel that kind of discomfort when they watch the news, or read a newspaper. You can feel it from all media, and you can also feel it when you talk to people who don't understand the hidden, subtle messages the media give out. When you realise that there are so many people who can't read what's being said, who don't realise that there's another movement going on behind the scenes, it makes you realise that you have to learn more.」

Does this mistrust stem from structural problems in the system? 「It's largely down to how people are informed. For example, the other day there was a huge demonstration in London against the WTO, and 26,000 people marched through the streets of London. By the way, I think 50,000 policemen were mobilised (laughs). Anyway, the media misreported that march. All the news programmes said that "everyone was at the demonstration for a riot". And that "hardly anyone turned up". They deliberately downplayed the fact that it was a very small demonstration. This is a classic example of media control of information to the public, which they probably thought was harmful to the state. Also, in the UK we have recently had a fuel shortage problem, and when the price of petrol went up, everyone started to strike at once. And what happened was that people barricaded themselves in refineries all over the place. And at one of the refineries, the police force opened the gates of the refinery and let the trucks out, and the press photos of the scene showed the gathered crowd cheering and clapping, as if they were happy that the petrol was being taken away. But in fact they were on strike there, trying to stop the petrol from being taken out. But the press just happened to film everyone clapping and made it look like they were happy that the petrol was being taken out. There were hundreds of other refineries protesting, and only one of them happened to be on the news, and they just happened to take a picture of the crowd applauding as the petrol was taken out. It was nuanced, as if the strike had failed. In fact, after the photo was published, all the refineries bowed to the pressure and stopped protesting. So, I think that in certain areas of news, the people who are involved in the press are manipulating information, especially in America, and I think it's done on a much larger scale.」

"I'm acquainted with the sing-along type bands like Coldplay, and we're actually good friends. I think it's great that they've had success. But when it comes to music, we're definitely marginalised."

So for you, does the process of pursuing your music and expressing it as a piece or performance involve a feeling of being in struggle with someone or something? 「I think it does, yes. I get confused and sometimes I don't even know how I feel or what I'm thinking about. You can think about love, or religion, or science, or the meaning of life, or simpler things that are not that complicated, but when you have to make decisions, when you have to figure out what is the right thing to do, you can get confused. Moral standards are not as clear-cut now as they used to be. In the absence of religion, moral standards become ambiguous. So there's a lot of confusion when you have to make the right decision, and confusion about what the right answer is, and that's what I'm trying to express in a lot of our songs.」

You could say that rock ‘n’ roll has been singing about themes like "despair" and "confusion" for a long time now. However, such an approach tends to lead to a dead end at some point, but I think your music is unique in that it doesn't sound claustrophobic in that way. No matter how naïve the songs are, the sound is always bold. 「Yeah. That's probably…… I just think that…… Hmmm…… I think it's because the music is flowing with me. I don't know, it's always flowing, or it's always reflecting the situation at the time. So as long as interesting changes and unpredictable things keep happening, I think the music will always be interesting.」

For example, the new bands that have been coming out of the UK recently, such as Travis, Coldplay, and even Toploader, are all sing-along bands in the vein of Oasis, Manics, and Verve, without the intensity and aggression. What do you think about that situation? 「I still can't find a band that plays the kind of music we do. Like you said, I think most of the bands are sing-along type, and that's been the trend for most UK bands for a long time. But of course I know people in those bands, and they're all very nice guys and we get on well, and I'm honestly happy that they've had such success. It's not the kind of music I really love, but that's fine. I prefer music that makes the listener more passionate, more energetic.」

Are you aware that you are quite marginalised in the current scene? 「I don't think it's the same as being "marginalised". I know them and we get on well with them. But when it comes to music, yes, I think we are marginalised. Because there is no one else.」

I think the intensity and heaviness of MUSE's sound can be attributed to your experience of American alternative rock as a listener, but having seen you live twice, my opinion is that there is actually a strong heavy metal influence. What do you think? 「……Heavy metal? I think it's one of the two extremes…… Wait a minute…… Hmm…… I don't really know, Chris and Dom listen to a lot of that kind of music, so maybe that's an influence. But I've never really listened to heavy metal. I like playing heavy music, sure (laughs). I like the dynamic transition between playing really heavy and playing really mellow. One minute you're standing still on stage, the next you're flying around. In short, I just like doing different things. I guess that's why some of the songs sound like they're influenced by heavy metal. But I don't think there's any band that I actually listen to on a daily basis that I would call that.」

I understand. But your main guitar is based on the Music Man's Eddie Van Halen model, isn't it? 「Yeah, yeah.」

I think it is very rare to find a British guitarist who uses a Floyd Rose nowadays (Note: Floyd Rose is a tremolo arm that was very popular during the metal boom in the mid-80s). 「Hahahaha. That guitar. I actually smashed that guitar at a festival in Leeds and threw it into the audience*. So, well, I don't have that guitar anymore. And in terms of stage performance, when I used to go to see bands as a kid, I always wanted to see a show where the band was just jumping around like crazy and giving everything they had on the stage. That's why I'm so fed up with British bands these days. They just stand there and look bored, like they're not enjoying themselves. But in my case, when I go out on stage, I really enjoy it, and I think that joy shows in my desire to let everyone know that we're having fun too. I think having fun is a wonderful thing, just as much as pursuing intensity and seriousness. In the case of MUSE, the music itself is often very serious and intense, so I think it's interesting to contrast that with a positive, energetic stage show. I think it makes a good contrast to the music.」

Translator's Note: This is my first time scanning the pages from BUZZ magazine, a now defunct magazine issue that was a subsidiary under ROCKIN'ON. The shape and quality of the magazine are more akin to a photobook with interviews included, really. But overtime, it really did became more of a photobook before it was sadly discontinued.

* Finding the guitar that matches Matt's description was a bit hard, but my guess was that it was a Peavey EVH Wolfgang. Matt owned two of such guitars back then, with the differences being that one was partially covered in grey tape and the other was completely covered in black tape. It was the one with the grey tape that Matt smashed it and threw into a crowd. A photographer picked it up, sold it on eBay, someone repaired it, and it was auctioned several times up until it was last seen on auction in 2018 before its listing was removed.

Now, finding when and which festival in Leeds that Matt smashed and threw the guitar to the audience is harder. There were 2 festivals in Leeds that Muse performed in August 2000 that were just 3 days apart and there are no descriptions available to pinpoint the event down. So it either happened on August 26th during Carling Weekend or on August 28th during the Leeds Festival.

Do support me on my Ko-fi! ☕

[syoddeye]

9 People You Want to Know Better

Tagged by @smoggyfogbottom 🧡💐 thank you!

Three Ships: poly 141 (and it's cheating but every combination tbh), gaz x farah x alex, and kate x reader x price (this specific dynamic).

First Ship: 💀 i think it was ami (sailor mercury) x makoto (sailor jupiter)

Last Movie: rewatched best in show last weekend

Last Song: toro by remi wolf

Currently Reading: about to start the breakaways by cathy g. johnson

Currently Watching: love island uk series 4 (slowly getting through it)

Currently Eating: zucchini bread

Currently Craving: new orleans-style iced coffee

Tagging: @stellewriites @dragonnarrative-writes @ghouljams @duskier @captainjamster

@mikichko @tiggerriot @srfiv @kyletogaz

[real-life-senshi]

May I ask for your headcanons of Reinako’s relationship after canon? Could be for manga or PGSM!

Hello friend! Thank you for dropping by and giving me a prompt to gush on Reinako even more! XD

First off, here are two sets of PGSM Reinako headcanons for those who haven't seen them before. They are all connected. XD

Reinako Headcanon 1

Reinako Headcanon 2

And thanks to this ask, here is a brain dump of more headcanon:

PGSM Reinako Headcanon Part 3:

Timeline/stages of life of the Reinako development:

Following directly after the Final Act, during the girls' 3rd year in middle school, Minako was a bit awkward about how to act casually around the Senshi team. Rei helped her out the most before the group dynamic fully settled - e.g. never stopped inviting Minako even if Minako often needed to miss out on group plans due to work without making Minako feel bad (not that the others intentionally make Minako feel guilty, but they just try too hard, versus Rei doesn't make a big deal about it); calling Minako out when Minako holds back on sharing her candid thoughts or feelings with the team for some silly reason or due to occupational hazard of being an idol; calling Makoto and Usagi out when they fangirl too hard and was making Minako feel awkward, making it a struggling for Minako to balance building a genuine friendship or treat them as fangirls. (Ami was also a bit shy with Minako at the start, so Rei had to run some interference there, but Usagi and Makoto were the troublemakers.)

I struggle to make up my mind on which is the better high school scenario: if Minako went to Juuban with Ami, Makoto and Usagi just like manga canon, or because of her fame and celebrity status she ended up going to T*A academy for high school with Rei (better security because of all the politician’s and big businessmen’s daughters in the school, etc), Regardless, high school period is when Rei and Minako really settled as best friends, getting to the point they practically know everything about each other and would be in contact almost everyday.

By the 3rd year of high school approaching graduation, Minako starts to realize she has romantic feelings for Rei. She suspects Rei might actually reciprocate her feelings, except Rei is too dense to realize or too scarred by his dad's abandonment of Rei and Rei's mom to consider exploring a romantic relationship. Knowing both Rei's and her own career trajectory would take them away from Tokyo with limited contact after graduation, Minako decided to not broach the topic.

Rei and Minako drifted apart a bit after high school graduation until the Special Act. After the kiss at the hospital (see Headcanon Part 1), and then UsaMamo's wedding, they both matured enough to face their feelings and started seriously considering starting a relationship. They had to do a lot of soul-searching and shared really candid conversations to get through all the emotional baggage, personal barriers and doubts they both carried, but they eventually got there.

And then they live happily ever after following what I described in Headcanon Part 2. haha (My actual headcanon of post-Special Act Reinako is drastically different from my fanfic, coz apparently I thrive most in writing angst and battle. LOL)

High school era PGSM Reinako:

While Rei took the lead in helping Minako find her place in the Senshi team dynamic and getting comfortable with just being a normal teenager during their middle-school period, Minako was the one that instigated most if not all the shenanigans that led to their deepened friendship in the 3 years of high school, elevating their relationship from just-friends to best friend status.

I always imagined Minako pranked Rei by surprising her on a school visit at T*A to "check out options for a new high school". Minako and her manager Saitou Sugao are being led on a school tour by a nun, and when they spot Rei, Sugao (who is of course in on the prank with Minako) makes a whole scene of barging into the classroom trying to scout Rei into stardom in front of all of Rei's peers as if it's his first time meeting Rei and exclaiming he has found the next shining star of Japan, after Minako of course! Rei was absolutely mortified, though the Senshi team had a great laugh when Minako shared the story in their next hangout. Rei was not pleased.

Following the above headcanon, I headcanon that Rei achieves the same intra-school celebrity status by the time she enters her high school division, similar to how Rei is a school celebrity in T*A in the manga. The drastic change from live-action canon was first prompted by the whole stardom scouting fiasco Minako and Sugao caused. Secondly, Minako learned by chance that Rei was bullied at school throughout middle school through Usagi describing how she met Rei. When Minako confronted Rei about it, Rei just shrugged and brushed it off coz she was used to it and the bullies are practically harmless with more bark than bite, but Minako was still so upset about it that she went to post on her public blog (equivalent to celebrity Twitter/Insta nowadays) about how Rei's her best friend and the coolest, kindest person who helped her get through her illness and recovery, etc. She wrote a whole sob story narrative about how thankful she is for having Rei in her life and how Rei was a source of inspiration and a role model to her, etc. etc. and posted some photos she had taken with Rei. Suddenly all of Rei's peers see Rei in a new light and think she's the coolest and want to befriend her for a chance to also meet Minako. The teachers started actually addressing and punishing the bullies and the school atmosphere was changed anew. The whole deal freaked Rei out, while Minako felt very pleased with herself.

Once Rei joined the archery club in T*A's high school division, she gained even more fame from winning archery competitions at the district and then national level. Her achievement adds to the furor Minako caused, and the lowerclassmen in T*A practically fawn over Rei and founded a fan club with merch. Minako loves teasing Rei about it and secretly becomes a fan club member with platinum status from buying all the merch.

^ The fan club is how Minako knows Rei's archery competition schedule, coz Rei is too humble to ever mention it, and also because every time she gets way too embarrassed by how loud the Senshi team is when they cheer for her, because Minako makes sure the whole Senshi team is decked out with inflated thunder sticks and signs whenever they go cheer for Rei at competitions.

Other misc PGSM Reinako headcanon:

Rei's the one who always remembers and is mindful of Minako's distaste for whipped cream, and stops Usagi's rampage on getting strawberry shortcake for every Christmas because Usagi always reminisces on the cake she and Minako had on the Ferris wheel and forgets Minako’s actual food preference. Rei knew coz she actually paid attention to the lyrics in Sayonara ~Sweet Days.

It's very often Usagi and Makoto would drag the girls around town to try out a new cafe or shop that's selling some new sweet drink, pastry or snack (shaved ice, ice cream, crepe, cake, etc. the stuff you'd see people post on foodie social media). If Minako ever bows out of getting something for herself, Rei will make sure to buy something she knows Minako will likely enjoy so Minako can share some of hers (usually strawberry-flavoured coz that's Minako's favourite), and without fail Minako would take some of Rei’s 'just for a taste because she’s curious', and then inevitably eating half of Rei’s. lol And if Rei is buying something for Minako or knows Minako will inevitably take some from her, Rei would always also buy a bottle of water to accompany whatever crazy sweet things Usagi makes them eat/drink - and it has to be room temperature only, for Minako because Minako needs to be very careful with maintaining her vocal cords for singing.

Whenever Minako and Rei get into a serious fight but both struggle to reconcile, they both would separately go to Artemis and poor Artemis can usually help them sort it out after. But if things get really bad and they notice Artemis is feeling caught in the crossfire, Minako would then go to Makoto, and Rei would go to Ami to process their thoughts... or vent. Makoto and Ami's involvement becomes a yardstick of whether "shit's-hitting-the-fan" or not.

Manga Reinako Headcanon...?

I've not thought as much about the manga Reinako headcanon because I perpetually live in PGSM brainrot. But I do think manga Reinako eventually established a partners-for-life relationship in the manga universe as well.

Different from how I think PGSM Reinako eventually enters an openly romantic, crazy-in-love-for-each-other relationship (once they get over their personal crap), I see manga Reinako has a more subtle and delicate soulmate relationship that is built on deep partnership and mutual understanding in life and duty, especially considering their near immortality and role in Crystal Tokyo. Their relationship dances back and forth on the line of being romantic involved in their personal life, and being a kind of kindred spirit in their view and attitude towards their duty. They've dated, and fallen in love with each other, but across the years also realize sometimes they need space from each other to maintain healthy boundaries between private life and their duty. When they enter a break from each other, it's nothing bad and always with mutual understanding, done amicably - stepping away so they don't get "sick of each other" since eternity is a damn long time! But if one of them is ever feeling down or struggling with something, they are each other's default go-to person, their safe place, and they can discard their masks and break when they need it, especially when they start outliving their non-Senshi family and friends while the world they know of slowly changing and morphing into Crystal Tokyo.

Once they stopped aging, Minako would still try to find opportunities to enjoy life as a human when it's possible, while Rei was more comfortable just accepting fate and being Sailor Mars for life. When there's no crisis to deal with, Minako makes Rei de-transform and drags Rei out of the palace for a girls' night with her in the city.

I see manga MakoAmi to have a similar partnership as well. Though their way of showing affection for their partner is a bit more overt and less complicated than Reinako's. Rei and Minako are so interesting to me because I feel they are more polar opposites in some ways, yet both are so similar in how deeply layered their personality and backstories are that it complicates their relationship but also strengthens them.

[mikuni14]

Ossan no pantsu ga nandatte ii janai ka! - Ep - 11 (finale)

The series finale did not disappoint 💯 I was curious whether the series would maintain a high level until the end, or whether it would go more towards a nice, old fashioned, "traditional" endings for this type of family stories.

That's why I'm very pleased that the series remained fresh and uncompromising until the end, while still being positive and charmingly sweet. There is no homophobic parent (Daichi's father) who suddenly transforms in the last minutes of the series, magically regains his child's love, his wife's respect and everything ends well. Makoto was such a parent and his transformation was not magical and sudden, it took place over a long time, it was difficult at times, but as a viewer I know that the respect and love of the family that he enjoys at the end of the series has been earned.

I really like the fact that the series showed the classic dynamics of Daichi's family: how he tries desperately to chase, get, maintain the love of the strict, absent parent, love that is marked by terms and conditions, overlooking the constant presence of the good, supportive parent, the one who stayed, taking it for granted. And what a huge impact the words of this absent parent have on the child's life, often greater than that of the supporting parent.

I associate people like Daichi's father with this new wave of fascists in the politics of many countries (including mine), who exchanged brutality and easily recognizable style for suits and smooth words, thanks to which they entered big politics. Daichi's father's words are like that, they are smooth, refined, polite, they seem caring, he is "just asking", he is only "worried about the CHILDREN". Sounds familiar? His words sound nice and caring, but when you look at them closely, when you take them apart, all that false caring disappears. Besides, you can pour out torrents of words - it's the effect that counts. What does Daichi look like, what does Kakeru look like after such a "caring" conversation, and what do they look like after conversations with Makoto, who, to paraphrase the words of Daichi's father, "throws these poor children to the wolves"? After meeting his father, Daichi is defeated, unhappy, lost, ready to give up and throw away his entire hard-earned life, his relationship, his development, his "self". Kakeru locks himself in a room and hides. After talking to Makoto, both boys are smiling, full of life and hope, ready to face the world and adversities, they are brave. It's very interesting how shocked this man was by the simple idea that his child could be happy and that this happiness did not have to be provided by a position in society, a respected job, or the respect of this society in general. Something that in his eyes is achieved by fitting into this society. He also doesn't see that Daichi is a grown man who manages his life efficiently, who was doing just fine before his father came out of nowhere, thank you very much! Daichi's father, like the fascists I mentioned, treats people as a homogeneous whole, has his own ideal of society, and attributes to this society features that are true only for individuals, or that he thinks are true. He's also really more conservative than most people. Daichi's father assumes that because he is homophobic, everyone is like that, having proof in front of his nose in the form of Okita's family that this is not true, he assumes that since he rejected his son, everyone will reject him, he assumes that since - I'm sure of it - he discriminates against people in his company who deviate from the norm in any way, then all employers will discriminate against Daichi, although this is not the case. Will Daichi, Madoka, Kakeru, Moe, or even the Kpop-loving mom Mika face unpleasantness in their lives, perhaps even discrimination? Sure, assholes are everywhere, homophobia and prejudice are unfortunately not going anywhere (mainly thanks to giving platforms to people like Daichi's father). But what Daichi's father doesn't know or knows but ignores it is:

they will also meet good people, and there will be more of them

no matter what bad happens to them, they have their people, their own little community, who are like a safe haven for them, a safety cushion, they will have real caring arms to cry on

as long as it does not involve protecting yourself from violence, depending on the situation and circumstances, being yourself is simply better for your mental and physical health, it relieves people of the huge mental burden of pretending and fitting in, it gives you peace and happiness. Daichi being himself with his beloved by his side, with his mother and friends (young and older) who accept him, will simply be happier and more peaceful in life than Daichi living according to the expectations of his father, Daichi, whom one can expect to wake up one day bitter, unhappy, lonely, with a possible drinking problem and with the feeling of an absolutely, terribly wasted life...

I am very, very happy that this series has maintained a high level from the first to the last episode and has not gone into cheapness, sugarcoating and powdering real problems. That it gave time to each of the characters, that it gave them interesting personalities and hobbies. That it was patient, understanding and sensitive towards the characters, and politely ruthless towards the villain 😎 I also like that it gave the gay couple a wedding, and a traditional one at that! (sobbing Makoto forever in my kokoro 🥺), although it's a pity that if I'm not mistaken, they never kissed once (I'm not even talking about passionate kisses, just a regular kiss). It's a pity, because as a result their relationship was largely shown through the prism of their problems, and not being happy and affectionate with each other as well, and a kiss on the lips or on the cheek would show it, (also proving that the physical aspect of love between people of this same sex is not disgusting). But ok, the wedding was great, so I'm cool, and hey, isn't it the first same-sex wedding in Japanese drama 🤔?

Anyway, I give it 10/10 🥰💖

Heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude to @isaksbestpillow for subbing this series. I cry with happiness like Makoto at the wedding 🥺💞

They were such nice and good people! (and the dog) 💖

[jariten]

I was wondering, would you mind talking about why Slam Dunk is one of your favorite manga? I've seen it on a lot of people's favorite manga lists and I'd like to know your favorite aspects of it. I started reading it because of you (I'm at Shouhoku's first match against Shoyo - I say "first" in case they play against each other again) and personally I find it really charming so far, Sakuragi is a really endearing protagonist and I can see how later mangaka were clearly inspired by him and Rukawa to make their own characters (cough Naruto haha). I like the Akagi siblings too, and Miyagi is really funny. I'm rooting for Shouhoku High!

Where to even begin ever since I first read it in what... 2017? It completely upended and forever changed the standards of which I hold comics to forever and gave me a genuine internal crisis of knowing I'm neverrrr going to have a reading experience like this again where I laugh out loud, get so overwhelmed by excitement my body starts moving on its own and I have to suppress my screams, sequential art and panels that makes me rethink how I want comics to capture the flow of action, truly visually diverse cast of characters, the character development is great, the way the characters bounce off each other is great, the balance of off court matches and games I think is perfect, I love the length of the series and how it leaves me perfectly satisfied, and I can read it again and again and it will feel just as exciting each time.

I did end up having reading experiences that captured the same excitement as Slam Dunk like Rookies did a great job sucking me into the sport and grow to care about it together with the cast, not to mention that I think Morita is an excellent sequential artist and master of the visual aspect of manga which is obv the great influence Makoto Kobayashi has had (on Inoue as well) like Judo Bu Monogatari had the humor the action the character dynamics and again just the most amazing way of capturing the speed and dynamic action of Judo and visually interesting and diverse cast.... most action manga just aren't visually exciting to me anymore bc of these series. Its like playing a really good video game or watching a really good movie that kinda ruins other games or movies to you from that point on bc they were just so good and made you realize what you want good things to be like. Of course theres plenty of genres where these comparisons arent applicable but the sentiment of wanting a reading experience that absorbs me in this way is always there

I also saw the Tokimeki part of your ask but I will have more to say when I do my planned reread (I'm thinking of starting right before or after new years depending on what else i got going on) but it was also very much a game changer for me in appreciating adolescent drama and even the ~emotionally distanced~ male love interest. I've searched for anything that will capture me in the same way but no luck so far... again the reread might have me making some new connections previously unseen to me