#Wonderland x show time Kaito

[tsukasalover]

even kaito was weirded tf out 😭

[sadthixx]

i always tap on this specific dialogue to make sure he says the same thing, it's tradition at this point lmao

[yourvirtualhusband]

who do i have to pay to get wonderland x showtime their own show

like imagine them being a kids show like those dance along kid shows

emu teaching letters with nene

storytime with tsukasa

science with rui

numbers with kaito and miku

exercise time with emu and meiko

naptime with luka

and life lessons with rin and len

who would watch it if it does happen though

[sankatsuka]

Backlit Lens Flare and CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY Discussion - Reigniting The Passion Lost to Peer Pressure

Everyone wants to have a place to belong, where the hard work we pour into the things we love will be seen and appreciated by people. But what happens when you decide you will never find this place and resign yourself to a life of solitude, only to be proven wrong by a group of people who insist on your wholehearted hard work? And it only later dawns on you that you will someday have to part ways and you will lose the miraculous place you finally found.

This is what I like to think Rui Kamishiro encapsulates - the battle between being yourself and wanting a place to belong. How easy it is to get swayed from what you love when you think you've found this place and start to subconsciously dedicate your passion to this place instead, to the point that if you're not aware enough, you can forget the feelings in your original passion (resulting in the hesitation and doubt in Curtain Call). After all, nobody is the same, and if you focus too much of your passion on them, that passion becomes about them and not yourself. Ultimately, it is how not acknowledging a healthy boundary with people who are different from you can affect your passion (Shiho as a character is very integral to this).

Warnings:

I believe the entire WxS plot is meant to be misdirection.

Personal interpretation of Rui and several characters by inferring from text.

I believe Rui is a flawed person with no bad intentions, so there will be criticism of his character here. I really suggest turning away if it upsets you.

Spoilers for all WxS unit stories up till Backlit Lens Flare (as well as for Saki, Shiho, Akito, Mafuyu and Mizuki's characters up to their most recent stories)

Edit (11/2/2024): Made multiple edits as always, but biggest change is talking more about the foils in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY and Kitty's message. Edit (12/2/2024): Compulsory mention of Rui's mom and how he was set up for failure from way back then. Edit (12/2/2024): Expansion on the parallels between Rui and Mafuyu - what it is that makes them the CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY and Jackpot Sad Girl. And a summary on how three commission parallels supports this interpretation of CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY about Rui's characters. Edit (13/2/2024): Lets add a bit more about how Resonate with You criticizes Rui's actions in Curtain Call. AND MANJI ALSO BEING A SLANG MEANING EXCITEMENT, STILL APPLIES TO TSUKASA IDC!!

Rui's character in the story starts off as someone who has thrown the part of himself who wants to have fun making things with people after being repeatedly let down by them. The early times with Wonderlands x Showtime helped him remember that desire from childhood to find a place that accepts that desire, that he criticizes Tsukasa for not appreciating WxS - for not realizing the best shows can't be accomplished without friends.

"--The best shows can't be done alone."

Following the fallout, Tsukasa and WxS' continued insistence and appreciation of him makes him start to see them as a place he can finally belong to. The place he's searched for for so long since childhood. That when he saw Tsukasa get hurt, he became swayed from doing the things he wanted to do for the first time and he hadn't even noticed it - because Tsukasa might leave him like his classmates had, so he has to hold back so as to not disappoint him further. This resulted in Tsukasa and Ruis second argument, with Tsukasa being angry at Rui for lying and holding back - which I later argue is the exact same feelings in his FUZAKERUNA in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY.

"This is surprising. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way." "Being afraid of losing your place, and then being unable to face the actors who seriously respond to you - this is a failing as a director."

However, this entire ordeal ended in Rui acknowledging his weakness, putting the whole deal behind them and moving on with the show, as KAITO advised. (Spoiler: it isn't weird at all to say that this happens again, with how he deals with it so indifferently like this.)

And then in Curtain Call, he becomes painfully aware that everyone may leave someday for their dreams--

"Someday, the day we will have to depart will come... For both me, and everyone."

Doesn't this just seem like a repeat of Halloween in a different way? He's scared they'll all leave him alone. One can say that Curtain Call ignited the exact same fear of being left alone and losing your place that Rui felt in Halloween - and his reaction feels exactly the same too: acknowledge it, put it behind you and move on to doing what is best for the best shows. After all, Rui lives for the best shows, because it is what makes him most happy - albeit Backlit Lens Flare suggests how he doesn't actually fully remember the joy and passion for shows he had as a child (discussed later). The best way to put it is - Rui feels like a walking corpse of his childhood.

Normally, when you realize this possibility of parting in the future, you talk to your friends about this (see: Saki Focus 3, Get Over It). But Rui refrains from talking to the people he should be talking to (WxS) and proceeds to go for the most obvious decision for his dream by joining Arklands. Only after Asahi turns him away does he go for the next obvious option he sees - the reckless decision that he would do everything in his power to achieve everyone's dreams together. And he can so confidently chase it because he's smart, only to be put down in Backlit Lens Flare lol.

Rui has really just been powering his way through the things he finds unpleasant, as KAITO had told him to in Halloween, ignoring the bad parts and doing everything for the sake for the best shows. You can really, really argue that KAITO's advice in Halloween seems very, very morally ambiguous now lol. He doesn't think ahead of what is the best choice and what would make him happiest - it's as if he's avoiding the very line of thought of how he would do post-WxS. Compared to Shiho in Focus 1, 'Resonate With You', who shows how she has thought it through and is happy enough just spending time with Leo/need for leisure - Rui doesn't even reach this line of thought of what happens next.

I think that he avoids thinking properly about these stuff because he wouldn't have a proper answer to it. Can he really trust Asahi when many other people have disappointed him after showing some interest before this? On the other hand, he's argued with Tsukasa twice and everyone is still enthusiastic - WxS is the only place he's ever felt secure.

"There were a few people who saw my ideas and said, 'it would be interesting if we could do it'." "But even those people gradually became reluctant with the more new ideas I brought to them."

It may generally be underestimated in the story just how much Rui doesn't inherently trust people and actors.

Even CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY begins with 'Nobody's listening anyway. Music's all just fashion, players leaving the field after devouring dead sounds one night.' which can be interpreted as people who became reluctant after they spent too long around Rui as he says to KAITO above, innit.

And then, Backlit Lens Flare happens and Rui encounters ??? (Sakaki). Sakaki immediately identifies the problem with Bakuno's acting, pinpointing it to the directors instead of the actor. Rui was not able to.

Remember, the freelance option isn't permanent - there's the possibility someone may be recruited away (It's a story for another day that he is only really worried about Tsukasa instead of the whole WxS but doesn't realize this). Rui paying attention to their growths first of all before his own is testament to how he's trying to make sure they quickly grow so they can achieve their dreams together:

"...It seems it became good stimulation for both of them right away." "...I also need to more proactively study from this opportunity."

So even now, Rui is more worried about WxS over himself. He prioritizes making sure they are getting something out of the freelancing gig over himself. Only after watching them was he stimulated to do his best too - and here comes the question, where did his drive to be proactive for his own passion go to?

Sakaki's ingenuity finally pops this question to Rui's mind. Had Rui's brain not been filled with the worry of losing his place, he may have been able to think more clearly and just as quickly reach the same conclusion as Sakaki. If he had been filled with thoughts of what was satisfying for himself instead of how he could stay with everyone, he may have been able to create a much better film (see: Shiho Focus 3, Stick to Your Faith). In fact, why is he even so bothered about falling behind Sakaki, when Rui isn't even an adult or a professional director himself?

It's not normal to be bothered about that: Nene was never hard on herself for not being as good as Kazamatsuri, because it's a given she's far away. But she does get upset with herself when she realizes she had looked down on Sakurako and naively seen her as an equal. You only react that way with people you see as equals if you're secure.

Perhaps, the passionate person Rui used to be would have admired Sakaki and want to learn from him out of a pure love for shows instead. And not be so bothered about how he was falling behind professionals.

We see Rui fail twice in the story: not figuring out the problem with the scene, and not thinking ahead of personalizing the script like Ohara had. (There is a third time too: how Tsukasa and WxS seem so moved by Bakuno's performance that Rui played no part in - meaning there are others who could easily replace him - if the emotions in this discussion hold true). And it's no wonder it would have him start questioning and blaming his obsession with WxS for it - if he had not been preoccupied with them, he may have avoided his failures altogether, and even if he did, he wouldn't have been this upset.

It's like a hit to his ego. Is how he's acting and behaving really the same boy who loved shows and would do anything for a show that would satisfy him?

Right now, it's as if Rui is trying hard to protect his position as a talented genius that surpasses everyone so WxS will need him for their dreams and want him around. No one can replace him; only he can achieve their dreams for them.

But Sakaki and Ohara prove him wrong.

The closing lines of Backlit Lens Flare, where he focuses on his own feelings towards directing instead of anything WxS learned, implies this self-realization of how he had been behaving. Rui is finally focused on himself.

"I'm disappointed that I didnt come up with this method, but strangely enough, I feel refreshed." "Directing... really is interesting."

FIRST UP. WHY DID YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH THE METHOD. SECONDLY, WHY ARE YOU REFRESHED. It makes sense to me as someone who's been carried away a lot: when you realize you lost sight of your original intentions and began worrying more about so many unnecessary things, you feel bitter at your mistake but relieved and refreshed you've finally been woken up.

To me, all of these feel like they're pointing to Rui being afraid of losing his place in WxS. So he has to be capable of solving everything, achieving everyone's dreams, so they will need him for it and they can keep staying this way. Before this, it seemed like a normal human emotion he had just never experienced before, but now, it's starting to show it's actually detrimenting his passion.

This is what I believe the theme of trends are playing into in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY - doing anything you can to make sure there will be people to hear and appreciate your music, and the spite in realizing you've lost yourself in that pursuit. Money is the artificial love you receive by catering to people so they would stay and listen to you. It's heartless, but following his character, it seems the crowd he's referring to is WxS. Because they have their strong individualistic dreams and just won't simply stay with him as he wants them to, he has to keep worrying about keeping up with them (Tsukasa mainly):

But still, here, there, everywhere, loners, manji, Gen Z, even monkeys want it.

Loners=Rui Manji (a sign of good things to come)=Tsukasa (being surrounded by good luck charms; kanji 天 being associated with heaven; inviting Rui to WxS) (edit: manji is also a slang for excitement, which Tsukasa literally is for Rui) Gen Z=Nene (digital age, playing video games) Monkey=Emu (in Rui's picnic card and Emu in Sky's Edge)

(In NY2, Emu ended up drawing tons of big luck omikuji, and Tsukasa is surrounded by monkeys in Island Panic - so you can suggest their roles are reversed. But the robot monkey Tsukasa in picnic suggests Tsukasa isn't a real monkey.)

Curtain Call and Backlit Lens Flare together show how not addressing and expressing fears properly and simply moving on changes nothing. Self-awareness and powering through is useless advice - anyone who's had troubles with lovers, friends and family know you need to talk and accomodate each other. Or not, is it even feeling loved and cared anymore, isn't it just about control then?

In Resonate with You, Shiho makes Leo/need think through their choice to join her into becoming a professional, rather than accepting them right off the bat. She knows from her prior experience working with people that half-hearted musicians would only fail, suffer and drop out. It is only by Leo/need wholeheartedly declaring their intentions of facing music sincerely and seriously that Shiho is convinced that they can all do it together for sure. This is such a contrast to Rui in Curtain Call where he decides on his own that he will find a way for WxS to achieve their dream together, while barely thinking at all. And he winds up focusing so much on making sure WxS stays together. You need to think it through, face the future seriously and talk properly. NOT JUST LEAVE IT THERE!!

Or else you'll lose sight of your original motivation from focusing too much on things that don't really matter as much to you: you'll just end up half-hearted.

Further proof that Backlit Lens Flare is Rui's realization of his half-heartedness since Curtain Call, is that Tsukasa gets angry at him in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY like he does in Halloween. It isn't even a desperate shout to save someone - it's like a look of pure judgmental disappointment, as if they've been through this already. Stop lying.

He already shouted in anger in Halloween. If that didn't reach Rui, then there was no point in being all angry anymore.

Rui was repeating Halloween, trying so hard to protect the place he belongs to and forgot what he himself truly wants. From there, the lyrics in the entire CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY are self-explanatory: what happened to the things you wanted to sing? (I was so happy with the lyrics because it was exactly what I was thinking in Curtain Call but no one seemed to care).

One thing you can never take away from Rui is that he is a very, very passionate guy. He loves what he does that he would spend every waking hour of his day working on it. Even if he's become a shell of his former self, his body is still naturally drawn to shows (Samsa Kanade reference heh). And Rui himself believes himself to be purely passionate too. So when he realizes that passion has been thoroughly dirtied, it makes sense he's as angry as he is in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY.

In Anni 2, Rui says he didn't know what he wanted to do like Mafuyu, but then he corrects himself to say he THOUGHT he knew.

"Actually, in the past, I didn't know what I wanted to do." "No... I should say that I thought I knew, but I actually didn't know at all."

For a brief moment, Rui thought he was just like Mafuyu with nothing to call his own. Until he quickly remembers that he did indeed have something he wanted to do, but claims to have been mistaken.

Why did you briefly relate to a girl who felt like she had nothing she wanted to do like everyone else, if that isn't a sign of his current state of mind - feeling like he has no dreams like WxS, and having to keep up with them so that he can feel like he belongs (discussed later in the parallels with Cinema). His lost passion became more evident at this point of the story.

If you 'thought you knew', then that means it was once a genuine feeling too. Even if you're alone, doing what you love is still fun - Shiho in her Focus 3, 'That Day, The Sky Was Far Away' demonstrates this. Although she had been let down by the bandmates, she was still fine alone because music made her feel better. And she even inspired Mihane because of her enthusiasm. After all, what you love to do should make you happy to some extent.

In comparison, Rui seems to have forgotten that shows were actually fun in middle school (probably because Stick to Your Faith never happened for him). When he approached Mizuki, he was standoffish and didn't think to introduce Mizuki to the fun of shows even when they expressed some interest in it. Probably because he couldn't even remember it himself. But being able to make that decision suggests he did still have some semblance of emotions that felt like shows were fun. Once again, a walking corpse of his chiildhood.

In the end, it's like he already lost this original joy for shows since middle school, and then grew even more confused about what made him happiest with the new joy he experienced after finding a place in WxS. He hasn't been able to wholeheartedly enjoy his passion because he's been continuously rejected, and he thought he was having fun when WxS accepted him - but in the end, that fun was from finally finding a place.

Update: Tetrad gives more implications of how Rui had gone astray post-Curtain Call. Tsukasa and Rui sing together, "We're facing the same direction", but Rui appears troubled. It's like Rui can't declare that he is chasing his dreams as confidently as the rest of WxS. Deep down, a part of him probably knew this even before Backlit Lens Flare happened but was afraid of facing it.

I would further go on to associate CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY to both Kitty and Cinema which its imagery resembles. The card set takes place in Shibuya where Kitty takes place in, and Cinema uses the same director's cut + Tsukasa's trained card directly mentions Cinema on the billboard.

There's also the naming that is clearly based on Jackpot Sad Girl - which I think just goes to highlight how both Rui and Mafuyu have the power through it mindset that it lands them dead and sad respectively: people need to reconcile their differences with others to truly love and feel alive (Rui) and people can't endure stress for too long without getting depressed (Mafuyu). Both ignored their human needs and thus this is where they wound up.

The parallel with Kitty feels like it's also within the overall messaging - how facing things can lead to losing yourself even more when you aren't mentally prepared and have no clear-cut answer (sounds similar to what Rui carelessly did in Curtain Call, doesn't it?). In Mafuyu's case, she seemed about ready to change herself again to please her mother, and in Mizuki's case, opening up to Niigo would make them more sensitive to what they say and probably even change themselves so as to not be left alone. Mizuki has even expressed this sentiment once by dressing as a boy in middle school, when they already knew they loved cute things since childhood and was even reaffirmed by their sister.

In Our Survival and Escape, the point is made that it's BECAUSE Mizuki never opened up to Niigo that they were able to protect their heart. Compare this to Rui, who bore everything about himself to WxS by not holding back with his performances and past and thus gained their unconditional acceptance. As a result, he becomes swayed by them when he realizes that things would come to an end and becomes preoccupied with stopping it even at the cost of himself - his passion. If Mizuki had similarly put their utmost trust in Niigo like this, it wouldn't be surprising either if they quickly get swayed to stop expressing themselves too if one of them ever expressed dismay (hinting that they would leave).

Thus, in order to find the answer to real love, you have to protect your heart first, even if it means running away and distancing yourself from others (Kitty). But unlike Mizuki, Rui was taught from childhood to simply not care about what people say, so he has never been aware of just how much words can affect you (compare the advice Mizuki's sister and Rui's mom gave them: completely different). This winds him up in CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY, where he's unknowingly adjusting himself for WxS to not leave him.

As for Cinema, both songs capture how Akito and Rui's struggles and fears at the time feel like the exact same - being left behind and losing your place because you weren't enough, to the point of losing who you really are (Akito pushing himself to be passionate to match everyone else, Rui falling into the trap of peer pressure to match everyone else. What they envy in 'everyone else' is how they want things that Akito and Rui don't feel like they really care about and view as meaningless. But in truth, they don't care about it only because they're more concerned about belonging - they've always had it deep down in them.).

But in Akito's case, VIVID BAD SQUAD directly reaches out for him when he pushes himself far too much and forces himself to suffer to make up for his lack of talent. That's why Akito is reassured that even at his weakest and most pathetic, there will be people there who refuse to leave him alone. So Cinema feels like Akito freely lamenting on how he's different from the people, that he can't keep up with them, but with VBS by his side, he feels like it's fine to find and pursue who he truly is.

On the other hand, CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY feels like Rui's suppressed spite from having to keep up with WxS in order to not be left alone. Because everyone else will betray him, it has to be and can only be WxS who've endured him until now. It's the first time he found people who would stay, so he's desperate not to lose them that he would subconsciously change himself so he can keep matching their needs. And the realization makes him spiteful, because he's lost what was fun for him from that need to change for others to stay. And he's left to stay lost to the very end, because the only way right now for him to be himself and stop worrying is by others matching him instead, but there is no way to 100% control people - compared to Akito who found his answer by coming to terms with the impossibility to control yourself to be someone else. Because VBS was there to accept him as he was when he was trying so hard to be someone else.

Rui will probably eventually realize he has to just accept he's lost his passion from the fear of being alone and stop lamenting controlling everything around him, once he gets tired of it and reaches his limit like Akito in Stray Bad Dogs.

Suddenly everyone started up onto a nonsense scenario (Whatever you do, wherever you look, there's a traffic of influencers.)

It's just like a movie, exactly like a movie. (But still, here, there, everywhere, loners, manji, Gen Z, even monkeys want it.)

No matter where you go, there's a story. (Just give me a punchline, its meaning can be whatever.)

Cinema and CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY are like the perspectives of two boys who feel like outsiders to the world, but one is actively trying change himself to belong somewhere and the other finds himself suddenly facing peer pressure when he used to not care about belonging somewhere. It's even contrasted in Akito's customer service front and Rui's indifference to school terrorism that they are foils of one another in a society. And probably why Akito hates Rui too - for taking any means necessary to achieve what he wants without a care for people, when Akito has spent his life working hard to be equals to people in order to belong.

[More similarities in lyrics, in no particular order (CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY in brackets):

Traffic’s already jammed up now. Oh well, nothing I can do about that anyway (Whatever you do, wherever you look, there's a traffic of influencers.)

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.” "What was it supposed to be like then?" (What happened to things you wanted to sing about?)

Back then I'm sure it was there. The thing that I envisioned was there. When was it that I... (There must have been something you wanted to sing about.)

What are you playing at? Who are you trying to be? There's no way you could be that, right? (At this rate this will never end. What you want definitely isn't money.)]

Maybe it's coincidence, but the lyrics in Cinema also reference Curtain Call very early on:

Someday it'll be bye-bye when the end comes, so Smile for the curtain call and applause.

Cinema is accepting of it and faces it head-on. Rui still avoids it.

And Cinema also captured what happened in Backlit Lens Flare with Bakuno. Something Rui couldn't figure out on his own without Sakaki and Emu:

If you're not suited for the role, Then just rewrite the script!

This is as if implying Akito realizes early on that people are all different, and there may come a time you have to part because of your differences. So you don't have to keep worrying about fitting in - try your best to be yourself instead and smile when it all ends.

This is something that Rui hasn't faced at all, so it's pretty meta that he hadn't thought of matching the actor's individualities. It seems he's lived with the belief that directors have to adjust themselves according to the level they believe the actors are on and actors have to work their hardest to live up to the director's wishes at all times - because the director knows best. Instead of truly understanding their actors for who they are as individuals and what they individually need.

"I always try to cast actors in a way that brings out their strengths." "That's why I always get you to play the role of a type that is easiest for you to match."

And this becomes a regret for Rui in the same story - realizing that he hadn't thought enough about what Tsukasa really wanted and needed.

"...I feel a little regretful that I hadn't thought that far."

Nene's surprise at Rui's words further imply that this isn't how he normally is. That he wouldn't be thinking so much about people and their personal needs.

It isn't therefore surprising that he agrees with and commits to the mindset that he has to power through his emotions without speaking to anyone. He expects that from his actors, and applying it to real life, it means that your role and scenario have already been decided from birth and what was left was living up to it. It's frighteningly similar to the lyrics in Engeki, which I wasn't even thinking about. Except it wasn't forced on him but rather something Rui decided on his own, with no harmful intent from the people who fed that mindset. Even before KAITO - it was his mother who unknowingly instilled this in him:

"People are people, I am myself. If you take care of what you like, someday you'll be able to make friends too. Like how I met your dad." (i.e. don't bother with the painful things around you, just keep doing what you do and keep going until you get there.)

And hence why this commission is full of firey anger. The story tramples on the way Rui has lived until now, proving him wrong when he thought he finally found his answer by powering through his fear of losing WxS. How it made him realize that he had at some point been driven by something petty like being with friends forever and lost the passionate part of him, the one who would do anything to satisfy himself. He's realized he's no longer having fun like the child he used to be, evident from the lyrics that start off with how he no longer has anything he wants to convey.

"Now let's all laugh. Aren't views more important than art? A terrible price for the virus. So what will you do? Is that really fine?" The lyrics are as if Rui is finally realizing that everything he's been doing, making people smile up until now, has been just for views (for WxS to stay around), and it finally makes him question, is this what he really wants??? Where did all the passion, fun and self-satisfaction that he thought he was making shows for went to???

(This is a more literal translation, the popular TL translates it as Then what do we do? Was that how it was supposed to go?)

I don't know if it's clear now - but in conclusion, CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY feels very much like Rui realizing how he was more focused on protecting his place over enjoying what he does. The first lines of the song do seem to be screaming a spitefulness in not being able to just do what you enjoy: "No one wants to listen (...), I don't have anything I want to convey (...)"

That's why CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY is an ironic name, appearing on the director's cut to imply they're filming a movie of Rui's life. How Rui had been living dead against his own self - falling victim to peer pressure (trends) to protect his place in WxS. Until Sakaki reminds him of the heights his true self wanted to reach and reignites the passionate fire for theatre inside him.

In summary, to simplify it, CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY's parallels come together to tell a complete story about Rui Kamishiro (biased but idc): 1) Jackpot Sad Girl: The unhealthiness of Rui and Mafuyu's mindset of powering through what they think they want without properly talking to people. 2) Kitty: How putting your trust in people can sway your heart and steer you away from what you truly want, something Mizuki knows and thus avoids but not Rui. 3) Cinema: A combination of Jackpot Sad Girl and Kitty - how a person with Rui's mindset is left feeling angry and confused when realizing he has lost himself from having his heart unexpectedly swayed by people. This is foiled by a complete opposite like Akito who has lived a life with no reason to truly call his own and is bitterly aware of how it is all because his life has always been completely defined by other people.

(Man, I LOVE the Cinema foils so much. Akito and Rui are such perfect opposites I LOVE THEM.)

And finally, from the end of CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY:

Devoid of soul, music remains silent Unheard lyrics conceal their essence; without playback, music loses its meaning. Thus, modern music is pronounced deceased.

YES. YES. DEVOID OF SOUL AS I SAID, HOW RUI KAMISHIRO FEELS LIKE A WALKING CORPSE OF HIS CHILDHOOD. PLAYBACK!!! LOOK BACK AT YOUR PAST AND FIND YOURSELF!!! REMEMBER THE JOY AND PASSION YOU CAN'T GIVE UP RUI-KUN!!! Stop trying to keep people around, face solitude and be brave: what's most important is to be yourself!

Backlit Lens Flare felt like a reawakening for Rui, and it's why it's one of the best stories alongside Pandemonium for me. If Tsukasa is completely avoidant, then Rui is full of blatant lies. But of course because the writers will never clearly describe the emotions in WxS stories, I can't confirm this is the intended interpretation. It's just my own personal interpretation that I enjoy best and makes most emotional sense to my personal experiences.

But my opinions are bound to change because there are soooo many ways of seeing things. For now, this is what I think of Rui Kamishiro in Backlit Lens Flare and CYBERPUNK DEAD BOY.

[bi-turtle-enthusiast]

wonderlands x showtime is just

-rui trying to figure out just how many osha rules he can violate in one show

-tsukasa and emu sharing one braincell that neither of them can find at the moment

-nene being overstimulated the whole time

-miku going "awww they're so cute" while tsukasa is being fired out of a cannon by rui

-tsukasa and nene being canonical fans of Cats, the musical

-kaito standing in a corner like :D

-rui leading the robopocalypse while emu cheers him on

-emu using the power of friendship and also brute force to ensure that the show goes on

-everyone's eardrums exploding the moment tsukasa and emu are less than 5 feet apart

[pjsk-story-summaries]

Wonderlands x Showtime Main Story Summary

TL;DR: Tenma Tsukasa, an egotistical aspiring actor, auditions for a cast member position at Phoenix Wonderland. He is picked up by Otori Emu, an optimistic dreamer, at the run-down Wonder Stage. They encounter the mysterious director Kamishiro Rui performing alone within the park, who upon invitation into the troupe also brings along his shy childhood friend Kusanagi Nene.

The four of them work to put on a show, but disaster strikes when Robonene runs out of battery halfway through the show. Tsukasa yells at Nene out of frustration, sparking Rui to leave the troupe.

Tsukasa goes to the SEKAI to reflect, where he finds Usa-chan, one of the plushies, crying. Through his attempts to cheer her up, he finally remembers the true reason he wanted to be a star: to make others smile, especially his dear younger sister.

Tsukasa apologizes to Emu and Nene, who both decide to rejoin the troupe; however, Rui is not convinced. The three of them put on a new show in the SEKAI that ultimately causes Rui a change of heart, officially re-forming Wonderlands x Showtime.

Official English Youtube upload / Song (The World Hasn't Even Started Yet) / Animation

Chapter 0: The story begins with Tsukasa narrating about the show he had seen as a little kid with Saki, sparking his dream to be a star that makes everybody smile. After a hard cut to the present day, we find Tsukasa preparing for an audition at Phoenix Wonderland. Saki comes up to talk to him, which eventually reaches her asking why he wanted to become a star in the first place. Tsukasa can't remember. Suddenly, his phone flashes with the new Untitled song, transporting him to SEKAI. Miku and KAITO introduce themselves and the place, but Tsukasa denies it all.

Chapter 1: Tsukasa arrives at his interview. He introduces himself with his standard stardom speech, shocking the interviewers but catching the ear of a certain onlooker. A short time later, Tsukasa receives his acceptance letter with arrogant pride. Both Rui and Nene overhear him talking to himself about it, but don't interact. Kigurumi (Mascot) leads Tsukasa over to the Wonder Stage, much to the latter's disappointment. Suddenly, Emu leaps down from the rooftop and reveals she's the one who invited Tsukasa.

Chapter 2: Emu had specially requested Tsukasa after he failed the initial audition. Tsukasa is less than impressed with the current state of the run-down stage and lack of an audience. He tries giving Emu his autograph before leaving, but Emu tackles him instead, saying she had made a promise to do shows at this stage specifically. Suddenly, the stage projector switched on to reveal Miku. When trying to call and resign, Emu finds Untitled and clicks it, sending the both of them to SEKAI.

Chapter 3: Tsukasa encounters Mikudayo, who soon reveals herself to be the actual Miku. She pushes him into the show tent, where KAITO and Emu are preparing for a show. The Virtual Singers explain the concept of SEKAI. Tsukasa insists he knows what his true feelings are, but the Virtual Singer's aren't so convinced. Usa-chan, a talking stuffed rabbit, also introduces herself. Tsukasa panics and passes out.

Chapter 4: After regaining consciousness, Tsukasa demands to leave the SEKAI. Emu promises to help find Tsukasa's phone only if he promises to do shows at the Wonder Stage with her, to which he reluctantly agrees. Back in the real world, Kigurumi attacks Tsukasa for "kidnapping" Emu, intimidating him to the point where he fears going back on his word to help her out. Tsukasa and Emu then set off to find more cast members. They find some small robots, who lead the pair to Rui's performance.

Chapter 5: Rui begins telling the tale of an alchemist who loves theater. However, his story is cut short by Security chasing him out. The next day, Tsukasa learned the strange performer is a new transfer to his school. Rui had been waiting for him on the rooftop, following his movements with a drone. Impressed, Tsukasa offers him a spot in his new troupe as director. Rui declines.

Chapter 6: Rui explains that he wants to do the shows he wants to do, ones that exist to make the audience happy. Tsukasa affirms that he'd perform any role given to him "to 12,000% satisfaction". Rui catches a glimpse of Nene walking down below. He decides to accept the offer, if and only if Tsukasa would take one other member. Later, Tsukasa takes Rui to the Wonder Stage and introduces him to Emu. The two instantly hit it off.

Chapter 7: Rui introduces the other two to Robonene. Tsukasa is hesitant on the concept, but after Nene's display of skill, he reluctantly agrees to accept her in (though he's more worried of losing the limelight than anything else). Afterwards, Rui and Nene chat about the new adventure in front of them.

Chapter 8: Tsukasa and Saki chat. When things take a melancholy turn, Tsukasa begins reciting script lines to cheer her up. Saki thanks him and talks about how he always used to do shows like this when they were little, especially with a small bunny plushie. The next day, Tsukasa brings the rest of the troupe the newly completed show script, along with a proposal for a troupe name. It was bad and immediately shot down. Through Emu's ramblings, Rui suggests naming their troupe after the different worlds the stage can become through showtime. Emu adds an x to represent the multiplying wonderlands, giving birth to Wonderlands x Showtime.

Chapter 9: Rui runs over the script with everyone and suggests some extreme stunt ideas, much to Tsukasa's horror. Nene tells Emu about Rui's history with this, and how most people avoided him afterwards. Despite the outlandish ideas, Tsukasa and Emu warm up to them. Later, Nene comments on how much happier Rui looks now. The next day, the troupe works together on the show. Emu suggests going to "that place" to look for inspiration and sends the four of them to SEKAI.

Chapter 10: Rui immediately begins analyzing the SEKAI and wanders off. KAITO gives Tsukasa and Emu advice while Miku greets the real Nene hiding somewhere else. Nene's too shy to have a conversation, however. Before the four leave SEKAI, Miku again questions what being a star means to Tsukasa, who's true feelings are still unknown.

Chapter 11: Wonderlands x Showtime finishes rehearsals for their show. Emu thanks Tsukasa and the others for performing shows with her here at this stage. Rui and Nene stay late to rehearse a little longer. The next day arrives, and the show begins.

Chapter 12: The play starts off as a hit! Halfway through Nene's song, however, Robonene loses power and crashes into Tsukasa. They try their best to recover, but any momentum they had gained was lost. The play was ruined.

Chapter 13: Tsukasa lashes out at Nene for the mistake. Rui tries taking the blame instead, while Emu desperately tries keeping the peace. Despite Rui's insistence, Tsukasa continues his outrage. Nene runs off. Rui tells Tsukasa that "you can't stage great shows alone", and that Tsukasa's selfishness means he will never become a star. Rui officially quits the troupe. Later, Rui goes to apologize to Nene for making her join the troupe. Tsukasa goes to the SEKAI for advice.

Chapter 14: Tsukasa runs into Usa-chan crying. Though his dance only made things worse, he managed to distract her by immitating Emu's wonderhoy. He spins it to form an improv play and invites Usa-chan to join along, to which she happily agrees. After playing for some time, Tsukasa notices the name "Saki" written under her foot. Tsukasa finally realizes the SEKAI is full of things from his memories, and a memory of him cheering up a sick Saki in a hospital room. Tsukasa finally remembers his true wish to make others happy, and how grateful he is to have met the other members of Wonderlands x Showtime. Tsukasa resolves to set things right with them.

Chapter 15: Tsukasa finds Emu by the ferris wheel, so they ride together. Emu tells Tsukasa about how her grandfather had built Phoenix Wonderland and the Wonder Stage specifically, but had sadly passed away a year prior. Emu's family would save the Wonder Stage if Emu managed to attract enough visitors by the end of spring break, but since their show only made everyone sad, she'll have to say goodbye to it. Tsukasa tells Emu that she's a part of everyone needing to be happy and asks if they can try to save the stage one more time. Back at the Wonder Stage, Nene went to retrieve Robonene and reminisces on how much she'll miss theater again.

Chapter 16: Emu and Tsukasa find Nene singing on the stage. Nene runs away, causing the two to chase her around the park. After Emu catches her by jumping from a gate, Tsukasa formally apologizes for what he said and asks if she would want to rejoin the troupe. Nene tells the two about how she had messed up the lines of her performance when she was young and became too anxious to stand on the stage anymore. Tsukasa tells her that making mistakes is how we get better, and that he's truly sorry for yelling at her for trying to learn. Nene officially rejoins the troupe.

Chapter 17: Nene reveals she and Rui are neighbors and takes the two to meet him. They find him continuing the story of the alchemist on the street: the alchemist had found acceptance through their shows, though short-lived. The townsfolk and alchemist simply thought differently, so they left, leaving the alchemist all alone once again. Tsukasa tries to apologize to Rui, but he doesn't believe he's changed yet and leaves. Emu and Nene don't want to give up on him, either.

Chapter 18: Rui walks around the streets, remembering the fear and harsh words of his past classmates over his show ideas. Suddenly, Emu, Tsukasa, and Nene ambush him and send them all to SEKAI. They begin a play made specially for him. A traveling troupe consisting of an arrogant showman, stubborn clown, and shy songstress meet a lonely alchemist and invite him to the troupe. The alchemist builds a doll for the songstress to sing behind and other inventions. However, when the doll broke during a show, the showman lashed out and broke apart the troupe. A cute fairy had reminded the showman of his true desire to make people happy through shows, driving him to make ammends with the rest of his troupe. Though the clown and songstress agreed to come back, the alchemist didn't believe him. The three decided to make a play to show him their true feelings. KAITO asks Rui what he thinks will happen next, to which he questions if they thought this would really work through just a monologue. Fortunately, the alchemist is now here to help them improve.

Chapter 19: Suddenly, Tsukasa's phone flashes as Untitled changes into a song: The World Hasn't Even Started Yet. Tsukasa asks if the others would sing it with him, since the song is just as much theirs as it is his own. Afterwards, he thanks Miku and KAITO for their help before returning to the real world. Emu finally tells the others about the fate of the Wonder Stage, but they realize there's still hope to save it. They put their show back together and begin saving the stage once again with an enthusiastic wonderhoy!

Chapter 20: All of their remaining shows went spectacularly, even though they had to do so many in a row. Their efforts had paid off, however; the Wonder Stage was officially saved! Wonderlands x Showtime decides to keep putting on shows there, too. The story ends with Emu and Tsukasa's laughter echoing in the distance, all the way into SEKAI.

Card Stories: Tsukasa / Emu / Nene / Rui

Virtual Singer Chapter 1 (Pre-Chapter 0): Miku, KAITO, and the plushies prepare a show to help Tsukasa remember his true feelings. Miku runs off to put on the Mikudayo costume to match with the plushies. There's one of KAITO, too, but he refuses to put it on. Tsukasa finally arrives in the SEKAI, but Miku is now stuck in the Mikudayo costume.

Virtual Singer Chapter 2 (After Chapter 4): Miku is disappointed she couldn't put on a show with Tsukasa and Emu, so to cheer her up, KAITO puts on a magic show for her. KAITO teaches Miku some magic tricks after. Miku is a bit sad that the show has to end, but KAITO reminds her that without an ending, there can be no beginning.

Virtual Singer Chapter 3 (Concurrent with Chapter 14): Usa-chan is upset Tsukasa didn't remember her. Miku and KAITO decide to put on a show to cheer her up, but it doesn't work to well. Tsukasa arrives in the SEKAI halfway through, but before the Virtual Singers can greet him, they find a crying Usa-chan already talking to him. Miku goes to help, but KAITO stops her, opting to watch things play out instead.

Virtual Singer Chapter 4 (After Chapter 20): Wonderlands x Showtime goes to SEKAI to thank the Virtual Singers for their help, and to ask if they could watch one of their shows for inspiration. They decide to put one on in the flying train. Emu and Miku fall out the window, so Tsukasa, KAITO, Rui, and Nenerobo save them.

[cnidarianrui]

Wonderlands x Showtime Agere Headcanons!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsukasa-

★ age range 0-2

★ primarily regresses in the SEKAI

★ very attached to his old plushies while small

★ wants to use agere gear (pacis, bottles, etc.) but isn't confident enough/doesn't want to get caught.

★ very eepy baby, so sleepy..

★ has tea parties and pretend shows with the plushies in the SEKAI.

★ snacks on those gerber baby puff snacks

★ practically lives in footsie pajamas..

Emu-

★ age range of 4-7

★ very hyper, loves playing with the virtual singers or her troupe mates.

★ loves singing with nene if they are together while emu is small.

★ definitely a biter (very lovingly though!)

★ has an ENORMOUS toy collection, with many different types of toys to keep herself entertained.

★ eats a copious amount of sweets when tiny!!

★ loves dancing and rolling around!!!

★ loves!!! coloring!!! so much!!! very much an arts and crafts enjoyer, getting a bit messy sometimes.

★ she would LOVE playing dress up too!!!

Nene-

★ age range of 6-10

★ much more talkative when small, rambling about whatever game she's playing.

★ expanding on the last one, she plays games like animal crossing, mario kart, splatoon, and pokemon while regressed.

★ sings along to the soundtracks of kids' movies.

★ also a very sleepy little, preferring to spend her little time in bed, either napping or playing a video game.

★ still shy, but more open about her feelings.

★ always snacking on something, usually grapefruit candies or popsicles.

★ surprisingly cuddly!

★ very reserved little one, despite being the oldest when small...

Rui-

★ age range of 4-6

★ adores building with legos, making a small replica of the wonderland SEKAI..

★ carries around his emotional support stuffie (a platypus of course!) everywhere..

★ a little bit clingy, definitely enjoying being held or picked up, almost always by kaito or tsukasa.

★ sometimes nonverbal while little.

★ carries around a large amount of soda candy in whatever pockets he can stuff them in.

★ bedtimes are non-existent, yet he does get a bit cranky near night time... but he will protest despite the sleepiness.

★ when he is verbal, he is ALWAYS willing to go on about whatever he's currently interested in.

(If you got this far, thank you so much for reading~!)

[citruscitrushope]

Thinking about the parallels between No seek No find, and On the Stage of Dazzling Light.

Both involve one of the Tenmas remembering repressed traumatic memories (Saki's loneliness and isolation while in the hospital, Tsukasa's loneliness and fear for Saki's health throughout his life) in order to improve at their craft (Saki writing a song that can move a different audience, Tsukasa mastering the role of Torpe) for a special event (Leo/need's second performance at a new live house, Wonderlands x Showtime's show at the music hall).

They both get help from others in their lives (The School Sekai's Len and Kaito, along with her old journal for Saki, Toya for Tsukasa), and are able to remember something that helped them through hard times in their pasts (Saki had her bond with Ichika, Tsukasa had the piano).

All in all both Tenmas are decently traumatized with repressed memories, and they both deserve a hug so badly.

[magolorstometrackers]

Can you write a Rui (vocaloid/Project Sekia) X reader

Absolutely!

You didn’t specify much so I’m going to just assume general dating headcanons with a gender neutral reader! I hope that’s okay!

Rui Kamishiro x GN!Reader General Dating HCs

He usually brings you to Wonderland Sekai with him!

His favorite thing to do is hang out with you and Kaito

Kaito gave him advice on how to confess to you; he ended up holding a special show for you at the Wonderstage

He LOVES cuddles (and really any sort of touchy stuff— his love language is physical touch)

He always shows you his crazy creations (and may or may not have accidentally set your room on fire… oops)

When he wears his Becoming Potatoes outfit and isn’t on stage, he lets you wear the big hat :)

He likes to cook but… do NOT eat his food. Chances are he changed up the recipe for “experimentation”. Who knows what’s in that batch of cookies or that lasagna…

Dates at Pheonix Wonderland all the time!

He is extremely protective of you, and would probably explode anyone who hurt you

Silly boyfriend! Tickle fights, pranks, jokes, piggyback rides, all that fun stuff!!

Overall very good boyfriend, he loves you very much <3

Sorry I didn’t write too much, and sorry for accidentally replying with an empty post (my finger slipped up and I hit post before I could even type anything… eugh.), but I hope these are okay!

”If you ever want to hear more, just let me know!”

[nogenderbee]

I have seen your recent post (composer s/o) and I'm immediately love it💕

So, can you do one but with fantasista squad?

Hello, I'm so glad you liked it! And yes, of course I can do that! Also I don't know if you wanted KAITO too so if you did feel free to tell me that! But anyway, I hope you enjoy <3

Akito, Toya, Tsukasa, Rui with composer!reader

TagList: @bleachtheidiot @vodka-glrl @yulikesminori @kuzui5201314 @miya-akane @alicewinterway18 @indi-has-fallen

⊱ when Akito discovered you're a composer, he at first chuckled as he's glad to see you being passionate about something for much, of course he makes a bit of fun about you but it's obvious he cares

⊱ he's pretty impressed when he hears you play but his reaction is something like "oh, alright, that's alright" but ask him more and more about it and he'll give win sooner or later

⊱ honestly, he probably told about you to many of his friends but he'll never admit it

⊱ if you publish your works and also add lyrics to them, he'll definitely sing it when he's alone and hum then when he's in public or if they don't have lyrics

⊱ although if you catch him humming, he'll try to convince you that it's some other song but c'mon, you can recognize song you made

⊱ if you ever make a song for him, he'll blush before giving him out quick "thanks" and act like he doesn't care but it's obvious he likes it once he asks you to don't stop or to play it again

⊱ also, he'll definitely be more affectionate and more eager to give you gifts after you show him song that's just for him

"Alright, that's fine I guess. You should do what makes you happy. And if you really want to know my opinion then let's say it was... okey..."

⊱ you coule literally see how Toyas eyes shine when he discovered you're a composer

⊱ if you play on piano or so like, he couldn't be anymore happier

⊱ but even if you don't, he'll still do his best to convert you song onto piano version so he can play them whenever he likes and maybe you two will even do duo one day

⊱ unlike certain ginger, he's not afraid to tell you how proud he is from you and not afraid to admit that he talks about you to his friend either

⊱ he probably even asks you himself if you'd like to do a duo although he won't if your instruments clearly don't match...

⊱ but if they so and you agree to do duo then he'll be smiling all th time as he's just enjoying the moment

⊱ if you ever happen to make a song for him then let me just tell you that he's th happiest boy on earth and also probably biggest blushing mess

⊱ but after he's over with it, he literally spoils you with compliments and all the affections he can offer to you

"That's amazing, love... I'm truly happy that I got to hear this song from you. To be honest, now I'm definitely even more amazed with your talent."

⊱ Tsukasa is also the type to be impressed by fact that you're a composer but I think it won't be a surprise that he's a little mor dramatic with it

⊱ you can be sure he'll talk to his friends about you, pfft he even can tell some random stranger about how wonderful and talented you are

⊱ don't be surprised if some of the Wonderland x Showtime performances will be based on your songs because he just really likes to write scripts while listening to you play

⊱ honestly he's probably also the type to randomly stary learning how to play your songs on piano so he can play then whenever he wishes

⊱ if you happen to make a song just for him then you can be sure he'll cherish it untill the very end

⊱ one day Nene had enough snd came to you asking to make your boyfriend keep it quiet because he's been rambling about you for 2 weeks straight and she just wants a break

⊱ so you can only imagine how happy and loud he was when you first showed him your song

"It's for me?!!! Oh my dear star... you truly know the best way to surprise your beloved! Well then let the futuee star spoil you this day as his thanks!!"

⊱ so when Rui discovered that you're a composer, he immidietly started teasing you about how you should make song about your relationship but when you do he's literally so shocked and flushed oh look how the tables have turned~ but that's for later!

⊱ honestly, despite his teasing, he's just really supportive and proud of you and he shows it

⊱ also, the more time he spends around you playing on something, more often her catches himself humming one of melodies you played

⊱ if your songs also include lyrics then it's very possible that you'll receive mini robot based on your song on the next day

⊱ and finally once you show him your song, he's absolutely moved by it, maybe you'd even be able to see couple tears of joy but he's quick to change into his flirty and teasing self

⊱ 2nd time you play it, he's ready and he'll record it so he can hear it any time be wants which is basically all the time

"Fufu~ won't you look at that~ Well it seems like someone loves me so much they have to make me a song! But don't worry, I truly appreciate this gift~"

❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉⊱•═•⊰❉

[nashishishi]

i've seen a lot of theories about what the virtual singers signify to each character. the two main theories i've been seeing are that they're either symbolic of what the members of the sekai need to grow, or are just milestones of their growth and/or their desires. i'm not quite sure which camp i fall into personally, but i do think both theories are really interesting. especially since, when you think about it, what do the wonderlands x showtime virtual singers signify?

first of all, we have miku. miku is a bubbly younger sister type character. she's curious about everything, thinks everything is wonderful and amazing, and she literally has stars in her eyes all the time. she talks in onomatopoeias and is high energy. she was part of the sekai when tsukasa first discovered it.

then we have kaito. kaito is a parental/older sibling figure. he takes care of the plushies in the sekai, takes care of the other virtual singers, takes care of the unit members, and basically takes care of the sekai as a whole. he's shown bits of being a workaholic as well. he was also part of the sekai when tsukasa discovered it.

next is len. len is curious about anything he finds interesting. he's willing to learn from others, constantly spouts about how cool everyone is, and is always looking for ways to improve himself in the things he likes doing. he manifests right after the main wxs story ends, but only makes his actual first appearance in the story during "It's On! Wonder Halloween!".

after that is meiko. her characterization is the trickiest. she seems to be a "supporting role" kind of person, happy to be on the sidelines helping out, instead if being the center of attention. she first appears in "On This Holy Night, I Sing".

next is rin. she "completes" len, in that she's curious about her friends. she always wants to learn more things about them so they can be better friends. she first appears in "Musical Twilight Parade" (which isn't actually a wxs-centric event but they are there).

and last but not least is luka. she's always sleeping. she's said to sleep when everyone is happy, because she can rest knowing everyone is doing well. she appears during the "Doll Festival at the Tenma's" event (which is a tenma siblings centric event).

so. what do they symbolize? well, the easiest ones are len and rin.

like i said, len first manifests right after the main story of wxs, and him being curious of things he finds interesting could be symbolic of tsukasa actually making new friends after like. a decade. which i WILL get back to.

it works with both theories. tsukasa needs to be more curious to get his friends to open up/get himself to open up to his friends, but it could also signify tsukasa Actually Being Curious About His Friends. he's never known anyone like emu, or rui, or nene, so he wants to get to know them and what they do. it also fits that len's first proper appearance was during the halloween event (or, if you remember events by the songs, the Becoming Potatoes event), because that's the same event where tsukasa gets injured by one of rui's robots, rui shuts down, and tsukasa has to reassure him that it's okay.

rin is basically the same. she's symbolic of love, care, and curiosity for her friends. i haven't read the twilight parade story in full, so i'm not exactly sure how she ties into the story, but it makes sense that she'd show up then, because right before her was meiko.

SPEAKING OF MEIKO! meiko is also relatively easy to figure out. like i said, she's a "supporting role". there to help out when needed, not to take the lead. it makes sense that she'd show up during the christmas event because the event isn't tsukasa-centric. it largely doesn't involve him. but meiko is also loving and caring and, as i said before, supportive. she's symbolic of always wanting to help and support friends, even if from a distance. tsukasa reflects this by complimenting nene in the event, often saying things like "that's our diva!" and such.

again, this works in both theories. nene needed support and, seeing this and (likely) wanting to help (idk like i said he isn't shown much lol), meiko manifested. but she could also be symbolic of how tsukasa has grown past his earlier actions in the main story, where he yells at nene for messing up the show. meiko is a symbol of how he's come to care for her, and genuinely wants to help her.

luka is. a bit trickier. as i said, she sleeps when everyone is happy. that means, if she's wide awake, someone is upset. she first appears in the doll festival event which is. worrying.

in the doll festival event, tsukasa misinterprets a memory from his childhood. when he was younger, he wanted to give his little sister saki these 2 dolls, but on his way to the hospital, he trips and ruins them. when he shows them to saki, she cries. he misinterprets this to mean that she hates him for it, when in reality she was touched by the gesture.

luka's appearance in an event like this is... concerning, because tsukasa is also shown as a bit of a workaholic at times (kinda like kaito). he doesn't stop until he reaches his goal, and even then, he quickly moves on to an even greater goal. this means, depending on which theory we're following, luka could either signify

a.) how tsukasa needs to rest every once in a while. how he doesn't need to shoulder everything on his own. how he's Allowed to Rest When Everyone's Happy. or

b.) how tsukasa FINALLY LEARNS EVERYTHING IN A.

so then. we get to the last 2. the duo that had been there from the very start. miku and kaito.

miku and kaito are kind of polar opposites. one is bouncy and bubbly and full of energy, while the other is calm and collected. one is a playful little sister figure, while the other is a responsible older brother or parental figure.

i want to briefly talk about another theory (or rather, headcanon), separate from this, that has become quite popular lately: the theory that miku and whoever else was there since the discovery of the sekai has been there since the unit members were children. i mention this theory because...

miku is a little sibling. she thinks everything is wonderful. she thinks everything is amazing. she literally has stars in her eyes.

she could have only been made when tsukasa was a child because, depending on the theory, she's either:

a.) a manifestation of how tsukasa needs to let loose and have fun and enjoy life like a kid would?? (which doesn't make sense bc of kaito)

b.) a manifestation of either tsukasa's childlike wonder, tsukasa's Want to experience childlike wonder, and/or his want to spend more time with saki

and kaito is an older brother/parental figure. he's responsible. he's calm and collected. he's cool. so depending on the theory, he's either:

a.) a manifestation of tsukasa needing to be a reliable/responsible older brother figure for everyone around him (which is worrying)

b.) tsukasa's need for a parental unit in his life, or tsukasa's desire to be seen as a reliable older brother figure (Which Are Both Worrying (seeing as kaito seems to be a workaholic and tsukasa has also been shown to be a workaholic as well!!))

which brings me to my next point: the designs of some of the virtual singers.

miku, rin, and luka are designed a bit specially in comparison to the others. they all have elements of animals in them, implying their designs are supposed to resemble plushies. (which makes sense considering how many "fluffy" elements and pompoms they have in comparison to all the other characters.) miku is a cat plushie, rin is a bunny plushie, and luka is a sheep plushie. but.

why?

why is miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, a plushie?

why is rin, the embodiment of excitement and love and care for friends, a plushie?

why is luka, the embodiment of resting well knowing everyone is happy and healthy, a plushie?

actually, why are plushies way more important to tsukasa than they ever were to saki?

tsukasa's sekai is all made of things he made for SAKI, right? all of the things, from the giant train in the sky to the singing flowers, were for SAKI, right?

but saki barely ever mentions it in her story. in fact, it only ever comes up when TSUKASA is involved. saki sees them as nothing more than toys, meanwhile tsukasa has personified them. it may just be because of his sekai, but let's not forget...

while these were SAKI'S plushies, they were also TSUKASA'S co-stars. they were with him when he put on all those shows for saki in the hospital. they were with him when the plushies were brought back home.

and what else is a lonely little boy at home, with no family and no friends, supposed to do, other than to anthropomorphize inanimate objects to keep him company.

suddenly, we have a reason why miku, the embodiment of childlike wonder, is a Plushie. we have a reason why luka, the embodiment of being able to Rest now that Everyone is Happy, is a Plushie. we have a reason why rin, the embodiment of the Excitement of Friendship, is a Plushie.

because tsukasa's childlike wonder Started with plushies. he made them act out scenes from the wonders created in his brain, and the plushies were there to bring them to life.

because tsukasa always used plushies to cheer people up (like in the shows he put on for saki). because the plushies were always there to cheer Him up.

because for the longest time, for maybe a decade, or more, for most of tsukasa's childhood...

his only friends

were

the plushies.

[starshine-valley]

Prosekai opinions :DD (credits go to @ace-and-the-rpg-horrors !! + added stuff)

Leo/Need:

Favorite Virtual Singer: Rin

Favorite member: Honami

Favorite Singer: Shiho

Favorite Commissioned song: NeedLe

Favorite Cover: Kagerou Daze

Favorite Event: Resonating with You or Stella After the Rain

Favorite Card Set: Carrying Our Thoughts and Feelings, Shooting Star!! (That’s what the Gacha is called anyway)

Favorite in unit ship: Poly/Need or ShihoSaki

Favorite NPC: lori

Favorite out of unit ship: Honakana, IchiNene, HaruSaki, ShihoAn

More More Jump:

Favorite Virtual Singer: Len

Favorite Member: Haruka

Favorite Singer: Shizuku

Favorite Commissioned Song: More Jump More or Newly Edgy Idols

Favorite Cover: Love Trial or Shoujo Rei

Favorite Event: You Deserve It! Break Time! Or Hear Me! Hopeful Show♪

Favorite Card Set: Casting Magic! Witch Craft

Favorite in unit ship: Polyjump or Minoai/minoharu

Favorite NPC: Nanamin

Favorite out of unit ship: AiriEna, Shizumafu, HaruSaki, Kohamino

Vivid Bad Squad:

Favorite Virtual Singer: Len, Rin and Meiko

Favorite Member: Akito (ew /j)

Favorite Singer: Akito and An

Favorite Commissioned Song: Gekokujou or CRaZY

Favorite Cover: ECHO

Favorite Event: Light Up The Fire or BURN MY SOUL

Favorite Card Set: Chasing That Day’s Light

Favorite in unit ship: Anhane

Favorite NPC: … taiga :DD (/j (kotaro mita))

Favorite out of unit ship: ToyaRui, MizuAn, MinoKoha (akitaro if that counts?)

Wonderlands x Showtime:

Favorite Virtual Singer: Luka and Miku

Favorite Member: Emu

Favorite Singer: Tsukasa

Favorite Commissioned Song: Mr. Showtime or Tondemo Wonders (i’m tondemo wonders biggest fan real not fake)

Favorite Cover: King, Positive Dance Time, Nonsense Bungaku and Ah, It’s a Wonderful Cat’s Life

Favorite Event: Smile of a Dreamer

Favorite Card Set: Hidden Circus and Never Ending Showtime

Favorite in unit ship: Emukasa !!

Favorite NPC: Hinata Otori

Favorite out of unit ship: ToyaRui and IchiNene

Nightcord at 25:

Favorite Virtual Singer: Kaito, Len and Luka

Favorite Member: Ena

Favorite singer: Mizuki and Ena

Favorite Commissioned Song: Kitty, Samsa, Theater, Jackpot Sad Girl and IDsmile

Favorite Cover: Self inflicted Achromatic and Bitter Choco Decoration

Favorite Event: Immiscible Discord and Saying goodbye to my masked self

Favorite Card Set: Poisonous Fangs and Peeking Shadows, Escape from Rain, Where is ♡? And Ball of the Marionettes

Favorite in unit ship: Kanaena

Favorite NPC: Mizuki’s Sister or Futaba

Favorite out of unit ship: MizuAn, Honakana and AiriEna

General:

Favorite unit: Vivid Bad Squad and Leo/Need

Unit Ranking: Vivid Bad Squad / Leo/Need, Nightcord at 25:00 / More More Jump, Wonderlands x Showtime (i love them i promise just not as much as the others 😭🙏🏻)

Unit with the best main story: Leo/Need

Unit with the best event stories: Vivid Bad Squad

Unit with the best cover songs: More More Jump

Unit with the best commissioned songs: Wonderlands x Showtime

Unit with the best cards: Nightcord at 25:00

Top five singers: Mizuki, Shiho, Ena, Shizuku and Akito

Top five characters: Ena, Honami, Akito, Emu and Haruka

Favorite virtual singer: Rin

Favorite Mixed Event: Standing Next to the Kind and Gentle You (i love honakana) and KAMIYAMA HIGH FESTIVAL!

Favorite Mixed Cart Set: Bon Voyage・Sailing and Bonding

Favorite Popular Ship: Honakana (??) or ShihoSaki / Poly/Need

Favorite rarepair: shizumafu and ichinene

Favorite Commissioned Song: NEO, Be The Music and Salamander !!

[sokai-asuki]

Axl relationship with the WxS and their VS

Wonderland x Showtime with Axl

Emu —> Axl: "Big brother Axl is very wonderhoi! He makes such a wonderhoi food! And he can eat lots, lots of food at one go! One time, we gifted him a crepes and ever since then, he wants to try it again next time we meet!"

Nene —> Axl: "Mr. Axl is a good cook, I can say that. He is also very patience to us everytime we have some doubt about our performance. He says he have a little sister, so it understandable how he treats me and Emu differently than the guys..."

Tsukasa —> Axl: "Mr Axl is a great fighting performance and great cook! Even if we don't know where he is from nor do we know how to get him to join our troupe, I really admire his skill! He doesn't mind at all that I calling him a knight!"

Rui —> Axl: "Mr Axl is a great guy and very patience with us too. He doesn't seem much surprise with my invention but still admire it. He seems to get the art of invention, such as myself~ Of course, I am wondering, who is this "Robin" guy that he says I might get along with?"

Axl with Wonderland x Showtime

Axl —> Emu: "Out of all the kids, Emu is the kind of energetic person I ever seen, even Aaron was not that energetic. But I guess I understand it a bit. I don't mind being called a big brother, but I don't think Axlina ever call me one..."

Axl —> Nene: "Nene is a good kid, but a shy one. She always take a step back behind others and don't want to get involved much. But when I see her playing some games, she seems more active with it. I guess there's always something behind the closed door after all."

Axl —> Tsukasa: "Tsukasa is the leader of the Wonderland x Showtime but the more I see it, the more I can't help but see a combination of Clay and Lance. He is a great actor and very expressive but at the same time, kind of strict and always on watch on everyone like Clay."

Axl —> Rui: "One time, Rui brought his invention blueprint and show it to everyone to see if he needs any improvement, luckily I have memorize the blueprint and show it off to Robin for exchange. And I send it back to Rui about the improvement he can do for his invention from Robin."

Virtual Singer WxS to Axl:

Miku —> Axl: "Big Axl is a fun guy to be around! A knight that came to the Sekai to help us find the true feelings of Wonderland x Showtime and himself! If any of us ever feel sad, not to worry for our knight is a great cook and give us his food and everyone finally feeling full of happiness from the food!"

KAITO —> Axl: "Axl is kind enough to help us around when his here. Sometimes it's nice to get a helping hand. He is also give the plushies some of his cooking, even I have to admit, it is good. I'm just glad, he have found something for him to be passion about..."

MEIKO —> Axl: "Here comes the big knight! Axl is very skill with his fighting and cooking. He always have a right idea to give us or any of the kids the food. I have tried one of his food and it was delicious!"

Luka —> Axl: "His a great cooker. One time, when we eat his cooking, I can't help but sleep after eating all of his food on my plate... Leaving my plate empty as I already eat it all..."

Rin —> Axl: "I will never get over his cooking! Instead of a knight serve loyalty to his kingdom, his the knight that think for the flavor of his cooking for his kingdom! It was so delicious and so good, that I felt like I will never try anything else if Axl isn't the one cooking it!"

Len —> Axl: "Axl is amazing! His cooking is so good and delicious! Ooh, baking! Don't forget the baking! He may say he is not an expert of baking yet but I know for sure, it's taste good and delicious! Even Luka suddenly took a nap after finishing some of it!"

Axl with Virtual Singer WxS:

Axl —> Miku: "The ever energetic girl I've ever seen. Though she's a bit of joyful and cheerful, sometimes I am questioning if her tricks for the show performance is safe for everyone..."

Axl —> KAITO: "KAITO is the responsible one, I can tell since he is a leader for his performance troupe. He seems tired with how much he have keep everyone in line. I think I can understand a bit from him because he is almost like Clay..."

Axl —> MEIKO: "If KAITO ever unavailable, she's the one in charge of the performance. But sometimes, her idea came be a bit dangerous... As I heard last time, she throw Miku to the sky... So strong..."

Axl —> Luka: "I wouldn't call her lazy but she's always sleep at some places and at random times. But she's perform perfectly and didn't seem tired of it... Very strange."

Axl —> Rin: "She always have an idea and great mind, but you can clearly see how much she means well. Always making sure everyone had the greatest time they had."

Axl —> Len: "Ah, brother of Rin. Unlike his sister, he does appear to be the calmer version of her but at the same time, the idea he gives seems a bit much, not the Miku kind of much but different kind much."

[cassioppenny]

🔥🔥 Why the Hatsune Miku gacha game is pretty cool actually🔥🔥

(i couldn't find the fire text generator sorry)

project sekai colorful stage ft hatsune miku is mobile idol gacha game about five groups of four teenagers each who make music together and go to therapy pocket dimensions where hatsune miku (and rin, len, luka, meiko, and kaito i guess) is real and their friend

the five groups are

leo/need a rock band made of four childhood friends who drifted apart after one of them, saki, got sick and had to stay in the hospital for all of middle school

more more jump an idol group made up of three former idols who quit because of them being treated like shit by the industry who regain their love of being performers after becoming friends with local gay disaster minori

vivid bad squad a group of street performers who wish to surpass a famous event one member's dad did

wonderlands x showtime a group of actors who perform in a theme park led by a guy named tsukasa who wishes to become famous

and finally the one im going to talk the most about because while i love the others a lot i think they have the best story out of them

nightcord at 25:00 a group of online friends who make music together on miku discord who are all secretly depressed and learn that there is nothing worse than being a teenage girl

their story is so good if you're going to watch any of the stories i suggest at least watching theirs. im going to go in depth on each of the girlies because i need all of you to be obsessed with them like me

kanade yoisaki

kanade is second year in high school but doesn't go to school physically but does it online so she can focus on composing songs for her group. her mother died when she was little and her father is hospitalized after being put in a coma after overworking himself. kanade blamed herself for her father's near death condition and developed a savior complex so nothing like what happened to her father will happen to anyone else she cares about. especially with her girlbestie mafuyu. her dream is to compose a song that would "save" someone from despair

she doesn't go outside often other than to visit her dad and go out to eat with the rest of n25 occasionally after the events of the main story.

mafuyu asashina

mafuyu is a second year high school student who goes to the exclusive girl only school miyamasuzaka girls academy. she's an honors student and very popular with the other student there due to her perfect student aura. she's gifted academically and praised by her teachers, parents, and peers. she plans to become a doctor after high school. however this is all a front

mafuyu is severely depressed due to the high expectations her parents and especially her mother put onto her. she loses her sense of self as she molds herself into the perfect girl her mom wants her to be. she's basically an empty husk of who she once was. if i had to compare her to a pokemon character i'd say she's a lot like lillie if lillie stayed with lusamine and became basically an emotionless husk. this culminates in her creating her own personal world, the empty sekai

she's the lyricist of n25 who joined two years before the events of the game after kanade reached out to her after listening to one of mafuyu's songs. mafuyu felt something for the first time in a long time after listening to her song and agrees to join. however during the main story she secretly makes music by herself under the alias "OWN". own's songs are dark and hopeless in tone and is famous for their depressing lyrics. after kanade confronts mafuyu on if she's the one behind own mafuyu suddenly stops showing up on discord and everyone begins to worry.

it turns out that mafuyu wishes to disappear and stay in the empty sekai forever. however after miku (who is real in sekais btw) brings kanade, ena, and mizuki into the empty sekai to convince mafuyu to continue living.

the rest of of mafuyu's story is about her regaining her sense of self separated from her mother and it's so good. sorry i am obsessed with her

ena shinonome

ena is a second year high school student at the public school kamiyama high and the illustrator of n25. she however takes night classes. she wishes to have people acknowledge her and her passion for art because her father's, a famous artist, constant dismissal of her work. she posts her art online but it gets no attention compared to the selfies she also posts.

she's mean and confrontational but really does care about n25. she's jealous of mafuyu's seemingly super human abilities in music making and school. kanade asked her to join after seeing some art ena posted online and was a big fan of it.

mizuki akiyama

mizuki is a first year high school student at kamiyama high and the animator of n25. they are heavily implied to be transfem to the point that yeah it's 100% canon. they are never referred to with gendered language in the japanese version which the official translation translates as giving them they/them pronouns. this is most likely done to keep their gender vague due to them not being out yet. i will refer to them with these pronouns to be safe though

mizuki skips school a lot due to the constant transphobia they face there and only goes when necessary so they don't fail highschool. their story is about slowly feeling comfortable around n25 until they finally feel comfortable enough to come out to them

so yeah you should check out project sekai very good game stuck in gacha game prison i love my sillies very much look at these cards

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

my current ranking of Sekai units (i love them all btw + reasons undercut)

1.) Wonderlands x Showtime

2.) Leo/need

3.) Nightcord @ 25:00

4.) More More Jump

5.) Vivid Bad Squad

W x S: love these characters so much. their dynamic as a group is brilliant, every single relationship within the group is so fun!! i also really love their story, and they get points for reminding me of my A3! days, with the whole "theatre in shambles and threatened with being shut down" concept, which they pull off really well!! adore the shenanigans and general chaos caused by them- and the silliness they normally show off does make their more serious moments feel more impactful. they have fun songs too!! not at all surprised that these clowns seem to be the fan faves, they've definitely earned it <33 (i am TERRIFIED about the possibility of their disbandment i will sob so hard) also Rui's in W x S, enough said

L/N: they feel like the most realistic unit to me!! their story about the fear and pain of drifting away from your beloved friends hits SO hard, the conflict happening between them, especially Shiho being frustrated by Honami's people-pleasing her snake classmates- things like that happen all of the time in a school and they feel really relatable. Saki's illness and its effects are pretty emotional too. plus, the Virtual Singers have the best outfits in their Sekai in my opinion, i adore the looks, especially Miku and Kaito's. they have some extremely catchy songs too, Peaky Peaky, Tale of the Deep-sea Lily and Roki being ones always in my head!!

N25: about 90% of my favourite songs in the game are from their unit (including Usseewa which is probably my fave song in the game rn), in fact i knew some of them before i got into the game!! plus, i find their songs the easiest to play generally, which means i've become quite familiar with them!! love the concept of them mostly being online friends through Nightcord, feel like it's quite relatable for us chronically online lot, showing how our online friends can be just as valuable as our irls <3 plus the characters explicitly struggling with mental illness is so refreshing to see, especially with the way it's portrayed- it's not like they suddenly get "healed" or "fixed" by the end of their main and event stories, but it's shown to be a gradual process, with the occasional slip back into a less-than-idea mental state within their stories. i'm not too invested in Kanade and Mafuyu (in fact, Mafuyu's character and situation makes me rather uncomfortable due to how close to home it hits) but i ADORE Mizuki and Ena, their bantering is everything to me and i love both of their characters

MMJ: i really love how their stories really focus on like the brutal reality? of being in a performing industry. the way they deal with crushing expectations and some weird fans, especially poor Shizuku, how she's pestered by them all the time. speaking of Shizuku, i've started to really love her character recently, she's just so lovely!! and Minori's also really fun to watch, her willingness to keep on trying despite their fans being really mean to her sometimes is so strong of her!! they also have super pretty card art most of the time

VBS: tbh, the reason i've ranked them low is cause they don't feel like a proper, complete unit to me. a lot of the time, it really feels like it's just two duos collabing, unlike the other units who actually feel much more involved with EVERY other person in their unit, not just their main partner. it kinda hurts to rank them this low because i LOVE An and Kohane, but tbh Akito and Toya don't interest me as much? i'm not sure why, i really like their dynamics with other characters, but i'm not all that invested in just them (Akito is slowly growing on me though, as much as i hate to admit it cause i, like everyone else, love bullying him) they have some great songs, the Anhane Odo cover is just brilliant and i'm OBSESSED with City

[pjsk-story-summaries]

Kamishiro Rui "Endless Imagination and Challenges" Fes Card Story Summary

Fan translation (Arvon Oven) Part 1 / Part 2

Part 1: Wonderlands x Showtime debrief after a successful show. The others praise Rui for his thorough safety planning and creative shows. Rui, in turn, tells them about his two inspirations; a director who wants to connect others through shows and the novelist who invented science fiction. As a kid, Rui loved to read the stories and hypothesize about them; specifically, one about someone getting launched to the moon. Tsukasa questions if this is why Rui's so bent on sending him flying all the time.

Back home, Rui pulls out the book, "Moon Travels". He reflects on how he once wanted to turn the novel into a play, and how he fell in love with one line in particular: "What people can fathom, people can create". The line taught him about both possibility and loneliness. But, now he has Tsukasa, Emu, and Nene. Suddenly, Rui's phone flashes and brings him to SEKAI. There, he finds a glowing orb, transporting him to a strange but familiar Fragment SEKAI upon touch.

Part 2: Rui stumbles upon a miniature version of Tsukasa, Emu, and Nene working together to build a cannon to launch themselves to the moon. Tsukasa notices the comparatively massive Rui and immediately panics. Emu greets him happily while Nene tries to run away. Through their explanation of their task, Rui realizes the Fragment SEKAI is based off the book he loved so much. He offers to help them build the cannon both faster and safer, to which the others graciously agree.

Finally, the cannon is complete. Rui thanks the others for believing in him, to which the miniature Tsukasa returns the sentiment. He asks if Rui would continue to work with them to conquer even greater challenges. Rui declines, though, since he has three very similar friends who he must return to. With a hearty farewell, Rui lights the cannon and sends his three friends off. Just before they go, Tsukasa thanks Rui again, stating that "There is nothing we all cannot do!" Rui happily returns the sentiment.

He's then sent back to the main SEKAI, where KAITO greets him. KAITO explains the concept of a Fragment of Feelings, though he can't say for certain who's feelings created it. Rui reminisces on the experience, now knowing that "What people can fathom, people can create" truly is possible as long as it's those three by his side.