#accept yourself to be accepted by others (kanji)

[pikahlua]

Oh? Please, Madam

What Izuku rejects is the opportunity to be Katsuki's SIDEKICK. He doesn't reject being a hero or competing with Katsuki. He rejects working FOR/UNDER Katsuki. Which is hilarious because Katsuki accepts (apparently multiple times) showing up as a guest lecturer to help out Izuku's class. Katsuki tells Izuku that "If everyone is special, no one is special," which has the potential for SO MUCH DOUBLE MEANING. But what there is no ambiguity about to me is he's basically telling Izuku "Hey, notice this. I'm treating you special. You're special to me. NOTICE."

It's also implied that Izuku sees Katsuki more regularly than he sees most others from their class, which is emphasized by the previous chapter when Aizawa complains to him about Katsuki's behavior in public affecting his ranking. Katsuki basically tells Izuku he needs to start thinking about himself more, and he also ends their final interaction with a "See ya [later]." Katsuki is NOT talking about Ochako, but Izuku takes some of his advice as the impetus for going to talk to Ochako (specifically they just wanna talk more after the dinner since the dinner is now over and they didn't get to talk). So what was Katsuki thinking of? I personally read his "See ya later" as "You'll figure it out, just go handle what you gotta right now and you can catch up to me later."

Hilariously, Izuku calls Katsuki out for being the one to say "If you don't start thinking a little more highly of yourself, you won't notice the things you should." Izuku's response is basically, "Look who's talking." Again, the potential for double meaning here is painfully obvious. He could be referring to SO MANY THINGS and we're meant to infer what that is. WE GET TO GUESS. Izuku could be saying "You did stuff just as bad as what you're saying," or "You're STILL not noticing something, Kacchan."

And Izuku taking inspiration from Katsuki's words to go talk to Ochako is meaningful in another way--IT MEANS IZUKU LISTENED TO HIM. Katsuki is having an influence on Izuku in a way to improve who he is just like Izuku did for him in high school. Izuku takes Katsuki's advice seriously. NO ONE HAS EVER GOTTEN HIM TO UNDERSTAND THIS LESSON BEFORE NOW. It ends with Izuku and Ochako deciding to talk more, but what it shows us is the beginning of Izuku considering himself more. If Izuku follows Katsuki's advice long enough, he'll end up back in the competition with Katsuki just like Katsuki expects him to. That is just as easy of a conclusion to make from the theme of "inevitability" that Shouto gives us (and that Izuku also takes to heart).

This ending implies that inevitably Izuku's gonna catch up again, basically. Things will continue to change. So yeah, we get a beginning where he and Ochako meet up to talk, but it's just a beginning. It's one night of chatting. They're seeing if something's there now (which kind of implies that there wasn't much there before), but it's left open-ended. And I think it's left open-ended what happens with Ochako on purpose because anyone can read how that ends up however they like. You just have to decide as a reader what's "inevitable" for Izuku Midoriya from this point on. Me? I've decided Izuku is taking Katsuki's advice to treat people who mean more to him better. Ochako is just the beginning. Izuku has other people in his life he needs to show love to as well (because that's what this is, Izuku is learning to show people that they're important to him, that he loves them, because saving people doesn't do that--he saves EVERYONE). And then maybe he'll start to see how the people who love him treat him special too, like guest SPECIAL (same kanji) LECTURER KATSUKI BAKUGOU.

tl;dr there is a lot left open to interpretation and it's probably on purpose, read the chapter however you like, just like we did with the last chapter.

...and my interpretation which is the correct one is that Katsuki tells Izuku, "Here let me show you how to love people, damnit!" to give him the character development everyone has been begging for him to have for years, to realize that saving people doesn't mean they're special to him if he's known for saving everyone ever, so like, maybe go show them you care in OTHER ways, Izuku, and also I'll be waiting right here for you to come show you love me you jackass (and he does, he does come show him that)

[bttrflybb]

serendipity ❤︎ variety.

summary: naruto men and some of their favorite little symbols of love you give them.

wc: 1.3k

feat. gaara, yamato, kakashi

a/n: honestly, this whole thing should be classed as a ramble. sorry if it's a bit funky at times ;; just some ideas i wanted to get out hehe

GAARA

gaara loves it when you push his hair up out or his forehead so you can plant a kiss on the kanji carved there. part of him was worried it’d make you uncomfortable- like you’d be put off by the fact that he put it there himself. not once did you show any adverse reaction to the marking, the story, or the meaning. you always accepted gaara. every part of him.

“missed you.” he hummed into the curve of your neck, holding you from behind. he had just gotten home from a drawn-out council meeting. poor boy, dealing with some of those personalities takes so much out of him. “i missed you too, cutiepie.” you always treat him like such a baby. he didn't hate the nickname, it was just so... lovey. sometimes a bit of a shock to hear. he'll admit it grew on him though. he loves whatever you call him- because it's you. “you hungry? ‘s almost done.” you wiggled, trying to escape his grasp so you could stir the veggie medley you had going on the stove. he relented, steps quieting as he disappeared to shed his vest on a rack and reappeared on the other side of the island counter, pulling out a stool to settle into.

you put extra care into making his plate, loading it with some extra meat and rice. not gonna let him get by without some veggies though. you set both your plates on the counter, shuffling around to sit on gaara’s left. he always waits.

you pull the plates towards the two of you and look to gaara with pride. “smells good,” he hums, snaking an arm around your side to pull you into a kiss, “thank you, lovely.” you beam, cupping his cheek to pull him into one too. one on the cheek, and one on the kanji. “thank me by eating your veggies this time.” you tease.

your focus is back on the food before you can notice the blush crawling up his face.

YAMATO

yamato can’t take it when you’ve got your fingers in his hair. he’s like a puppy, in a way. scritches, pets, brushes, all of it has got him instantly relaxing in your arms.

“morning, pretty lady.” you hear your husband rumble. ah, you’d fallen asleep. eyelashes flutter to find him, settling on his smooth, barely clothed figure above you, ruffling his hair with a towel. “mm. how long have you been home?” you murmur, the smell of eucalyptus and mint hitting your nose.

“not long. wanted to shower before i cuddled up to you,” he states, that sultry smooth voice washing over you. he tosses the towel to the side and is quick to get underneath your blanket. observant, this one is. he’s already got all the lights off, doors locked, showered and clean for you. just how you like it. you’re a sensitive sleeper- and a bit of a neat freak, always chewing him out for getting his “outside clothes” in the bed or under a blanket.

“mm. how was today?” you murmured, voice still coated in sleep. you pulled yourself up a tad and spread your legs, coaxing him to lay his head on your chest. “fine, mostly just surveillance.” his voice vibrates into your chest, “kakashi had us swap places though- he hates paperwork. always wants to make me do it.”

you can hear his pout. he hates it too. everyone does. and there is so much of it. “my poor baby,” you purr, pulling him further into an embrace. one hand caresses circles into his back, the other coming to rake through his hair. immediately, he sighs and the process of turning him to mush begins.

“mhmmm.” “yeah? you’re my poor baby?” “mm, sure.” “are you fallin’ asleep already?” “mmmmm… no.” amid your little scalp massage, your nails scratch with just the smallest bit of extra pressure, warranting a tiny cry. “what was that for?” he fusses. “lyin’ to me.” “mm-mm. not sleepin’- just comfortable. missed my wife.” the sudden intimate confession makes your heart skip a beat. “hehe- i missed you too, sweetheart.” your fingers go back to combing through each damp strand, coming down to scritch his sideburns and the nape of his neck. he’s practically purring.

enough time has passed for you to assume he’s knocked out on top of you, and before sleep makes you their next victim- you curl in slightly to leave a kiss on the top of his head, running your thumb over the patch before you lay back down. before you can- hooded inky eyes look up to you expectantly. needy man. another kiss, this time on the forehead. you think you’re cute, teasing him this way. with a huff he’s lifting himself up, hovering over you to give you a short-lived kiss on the lips before he’s setting himself down, this time nestled on your shoulder.

such a pampered man. you don’t mind it. his neediness was something you came so close to losing. with that thought you can’t help but squeeze him closer, resting your cheek on the top of his head.

KAKASHI HATAKE

kakashi loves it when you offer to shave his face for him. when you waddle into the bathroom to brush your teeth, just to be greeted by his foamy face- the way your eyes widen with aggravation is the funniest thing to him.

“why didn’t you ask me?” you pout, setting yourself up on the counter in front of him with a huff. “thought you were gettin’ ready for bed.” he hums smugly, relinquishing the single-blade razor to you as you grip the underside of his chin. “not goin’ to bed without you. ‘s quicker when i do it for you too.” your annoyance quickly fading and being replaced by concentration. so cute, he thinks, watching your brows furrow and lips slightly part while you focus on the left side of his face.

he’s in bliss, letting you tug his jaw, chin, ear, whatever it may be, to get at every angle. getting bitched at and manhandled by your pretty little self while he gets to squeeze at your hips and butt? a dream come true.

he doesn’t want it to end, heart stuttering at the feeling of you shifting beneath his grasp and the sound of the razor getting folded in on itself and set down. ‘nooooo…’ he quietly whines, reaching out for you and making the most pathetic grabby hands. grown ass man, by the way.

“quit fussing,” you giggle a bit- quit, you’re supposed to be mad at him. you grab a small washcloth from the rack of neatly folded towels, turning back to his smug little face watching your every move. so annoying, you roll your eyes. you love his attention.

you beckon him to lean over after wetting the cloth. you wipe his face with warm water so gently- like he’s gonna break underneath your touch. it’s nice. you’re gentle with him. so so gentle. “looks good.” you hum. “always looks good when you do it.” he hums back. “you’ve not even looked.” “don’t gotta. i know you always do good.” so cheeky. you use the hands you have on his face to turn him to the vanity mirror. “see? jus’ like i said. always looks good.”

it really does. kakashi’s looking at himself like he’s the hottest guy he’s ever seen. honestly, he probably is. little twerp. you won’t admit it, but the praise he mumbles while he admires your work is going right to your head.

after you pat the alcohol into his skin and give him a kiss for enduring it like a ‘big, strong man’ you’d coo in the most demeaning tone, you’re finally able to brush your teeth. kakashi is in heaven this entire time, unable to keep his hands off you and definitely unable to keep his eyes off.

the nighttime routine the two of you share is one of the best parts of kakashi’s day. he makes that fact known when he’s sleeping outside during a mission and wailing over the fact that his face feels dirty or dry. bless his teammates. though, it’s less the actual routine and more you being there with him during it all. taking care of him.

before you know it you’re being scooped up in his arms and lightly tossed into the bed. he’s just so full of feelings- feelings for you. others may not have guessed it (they probably have with how much he whines when he's away from you,) but this man is such a sap.

[cmdrfupa]

Prologue

all warnings and chapters can be found here.

Hiromi x Reader

The room reeked of power—a sharp blend of smoke, leather, and the subtle tang of whiskey that lingered on polished wood. Hiromi Higuruma sat with his back straight, his face an unreadable mask of calm. The table before him was littered with contracts, each one marked with red seals and neat rows of kanji spelling out his future. He skimmed them without truly reading. The words didn’t matter. The decision had already been made.

“You understand what’s at stake,” his adoptive father spoke with a boom from the seat across the table. His voice was deep, unyielding, each word an order cloaked in false reason.

Hiromi glanced up. He didn’t need a reminder. The opposing family had been circling like vultures, looking for any sign of weakness in their organization. The marriage wasn’t just an alliance; it was a lifeline, a way to ensure their control over contested territories while keeping your family in check. It was strategy.

“Of course,” Hiromi replied, his voice steady.

His father leaned forward, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Good. Then there’s nothing more to discuss. The arrangements are already underway.”

There was no room for protest. Hiromi knew better than to argue with the man who had raised him. Gratitude was the chain around his neck, the silent weight that kept him tethered. But as his father spoke, Hiromi couldn’t help but think about the woman he was being ordered to marry.

He’d heard of you, seen one horribly snapped photo of you and accepted it. He had never met you, though rumors painted you as this quiet, stubborn woman who despised the yakuza lifestyle you’d been born into. Hiromi wondered if you’d would hate him, too.

“Do you have anything to say?” his father asked, a challenge hidden in his tone.

Hiromi met his gaze, his expression unflinching. “No. I understand my role.”

That was the truth, wasn’t it? He had spent years playing the obedient son, the loyal consigliere. What was one more sacrifice in the name of the family?

—————

On the other side of the city, you sat in your bedroom, hands clenched into fists as your mother fussed over wedding plans.

“This is for the good of the family,” your mother spoke sweetly, holding up a delicate hairpin as if it would somehow soften the blow.

Your jaw tightened. “I don’t want to marry him.”

Her mother sighed, setting the hairpin down with an exasperated clink. “You think this is about what you want? You’re not a child. This is about survival.”

Survival. You hated that word. It was the same justification they’d used for every compromise, every betrayal of the values you once thought your family held. Survival had cost you your freedom, your voice, and now, it seemed, your future.

But you didn’t argue further. What was the point? You had no power here and you certainly wouldn’t have it anywhere else.

Your gaze drifted to the window, where the city lights stretched endlessly into the darkness. Somewhere out there was the man you were being forced to marry. A stranger.

Closing your eyes, you tried to imagine his face. Cold, calculating, cruel—he had to be, if he was a consigliere for a family like the Higurumas. The golden boy of his family and one day the head. You wondered if he felt as trapped as you did, or if this was just another business deal for him.

Either way, you would find a way to hold on to whatever pieces of yourself you could. Even if it meant playing a role in a world you hated.

_________

The drive into the city was suffocating, despite the chill in the air. You sat stiffly in the backseat between your mother and father, your hands folded tightly in your lap. The leather interior smelled faintly of cigar smoke, a scent you’d grown up associating with every decision you’d never been allowed to make for yourself.

“This isn’t just about you,” your father said, his voice breaking the heavy silence. “It’s about our family. You understand that, don’t you?”

You didn’t answer right away, staring out the window at the blurred city lights.

“I understand,” you said softly, though the words tasted bitter on your tongue.

Your father grunted in approval, adjusting his tie as he glanced at you from his peripheral. “Good. Then listen carefully. This man, Hiromi—he’s not like us. He comes from this family of clever, calculating types. The kind of man who’ll see through you if you don’t keep your wits about you. You need to be strong, but not too strong. Respectful, but not a pushover. A good wife.”

The word made your stomach churn. “A good wife, yes.” you echoed, your voice flat.

“Yes,” he repeated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “Your job is to make him trust you. Make him see you as someone worth protecting. That’s how you secure your place—and ours—in this world.”

You turned to face him then, anger flickering in your chest. “And what about what I want?”

Your father’s jaw tightened, and he shot you a sharp look as if you were the enemy. “This isn’t about what you want. It never was about what you want. Get that through your head.”

Your mother reached over and squeezed your hands, a silent apology that should be coming from him instead of her.

The rest of the ride passed in silence, the weight of his words pressing down on your like a stone.

When the car pulled up outside the Higuruma estate, you felt your pulse quicken. The house loomed in the distance, its dark silhouette framed by meticulously trimmed hedges and iron gates.

As the car came to a stop, your father turned to you.

“Remember what I said,” he murmured, his voice softening for the first time that evening. “This is your life now. Make the best of it.”

Your driver opened the door and your mother gently rubbed your back as you stepped out of the car behind your father, the cold air biting at your skin as you stared up at the house and the dozen people standing like statues to greet you.

—

The ink was drying on the contracts by the time Hiromi left the meeting and stepped outside. His family stood sharply, holding umbrellas down the walkway as he stepped into the cold night, waiting to take you and your family in for the first of many dinners.

He wondered how much of himself he’d lose to this marriage.

The answer, he suspected, was more than he was willing to admit.

And as he watched you step out of the car, he felt as if he was destined for doom no matter how this played out.

[kenomacreature]

NO, THE VALENTINE'S LETTER IS NOT FROM W.D. GASTER

On the supposed veracity of a 'quirked up' Gaster

A little over a year ago, Toby released a newsletter on Valentine's Day. It contained a bunch of cute little Valentine's cards from various characters across Undertale and Deltarune, randomly selected for individual recipients. The rarest one, however, stood out from the rest, and contained a lengthy letter from an unknown sender, seemingly addressing us as players of Deltarune. After a while, it was deleted from the official website. Naturally, people jumped to the conclusion that Gaster had sent it, and this hypothesis remains the most popular to this day.

There's only one problem: the letter isn't from Gaster, and I can prove it. Or get pretty damn close, anyway.

I'll keep it short and sweet. I've gone over every single piece of confirmed Gaster dialogue multiple times, and done the same with the Valentine's letter. I'll start by listing the key features of Gaster's confirmed dialogue up to this point, and then compare it to the key features of the letter writer. Then I'll expound a little bit on what I think we can take away from this whole situation.

Key features of Gaster's dialogue

Gaster’s dialogue is characterized by a very peculiar syncopated rhythm, with frequent and arbitrary caesura which is communicated either through short pauses in the rendering of dialogue on screen, or (double) line breaks. This is Gaster's key identifying feature. There is no consistent pattern tying the caesura/line breaks to any practical or grammatical feature (such as punctuation); it is purely arbitrary. You will sound like G-Man from Half-Life if you voice the dialogue with the appropriate pauses.

Sometimes, Gaster will split one line of dialogue across multiple “text boxes” (or any other equivalent) for extra emphasis.

Rarely, Gaster’s punctuation will follow a space. In both instances so far, it happened as Gaster was introducing a new chapter of Deltarune.

When speaking in Wingdings, Gaster does not use punctuation.

When speaking in a normal typeface, Gaster consistently uses punctuation, the only exception being one instance in the tweets preceding Chapter 1.

Gaster’s use of language distinctly tends to be either quite formal or lyrical.

While Gaster is usually perfectly coherent, he will occasionally indulge in philosophical musing, make leaps you can’t reasonably be expected to follow, or present bizarre notions (such as the “flavor” of pain, or the notion of “favorite blood types”, where C and D are apparently candidates; that said, Gaster might simply be testing how the player will respond).

There are certain words or phrases Gaster repeatedly comes back to: “VERY, VERY...”, “INTERESTING”, “WONDERFUL”, “EXCELLENT.”, “TRULY…”. Toby seems to rely on the first two phrases especially to make it clear to the reader that Gaster is the one who's speaking.

Gaster retains a serious tone and almost never exhibits humor or self-awareness.

In Japanese, Gaster's dialogue is spoken (very unusually) exclusively in katakana and kanji, with very formal language used.

In Japanese, Gaster's first person pronoun is 'watashi' - to the best of my knowledge, a common neutral way to refer to yourself in formal settings or to strangers. In informal/casual contexts, however, it apparently tends to only be used by women.

In Japanese, Gaster refers to the player exclusively with 'anata' - a formal neutral pronoun which is most often used in cases where the speaker doesn't know the name of the person they are addressing (in paperwork for example).

The only exception is in Entry 17, where "what do you two think" is translated with the pronoun 'kimi'(-tachi, the plural form). Kimi seems to carry some complex nuances - as far as I've gathered, the gist is that it signifies a superior position by the speaker, is socially acceptable when speaking to a subordinate (if you're a teacher or boss for example), can be affectionately used between close friends and family, but is otherwise typically seen as rude or condescending, especially to strangers or superiors.

"During the survey portion, [Gaster] uses “ware-ware” - a rather stiff way of saying “we.” He ends his requests with “kudasai” (please) and uses the polite endings desu/masu. He’s almost excessively formal, as this level of politeness is unusual in Undertale/Deltarune." (source)

The above points by and large do not apply to the text after the vessel is discarded, which is part of why people theorize it's spoken by a different person. This post looks at the differences in Japanese between Gaster and the 'second voice'.

Key features of the letter writer

The letter writer utilizes (single) line breaks which exclusively follow punctuation. Gaster’s arbitrary caesura is not present. You will not sound like G-Man if you voice the letter.

The letter writer says “DELTA RUNE”, whereas Gaster has only used “DELTARUNE”; this is, admittedly, not entirely consistent across translations.

The letter writer uses very idiosyncratic and/or shoddy punctuation, which Gaster rarely does.

The letter writer uses none of Gaster’s common words/phrases.

The letter writer comes off knowingly forgetful, aloof and silly – behaviors which Gaster has never exhibited in his dialogue.  

The letter writer exhibits a fondness for riddles and paradoxical statements, something absent from Gaster’s characterization so far.

The letter writer is noticeably less formal and elegant than Gaster usually is, joking, meandering and rambling where Gaster is typically succinct and to-the-point about the topic at hand.

The letter writer seems easily excitable and uses exclamation marks at multiple points throughout the message, something which Gaster, heretofore characterized as reserved and calm, has done a total of one time.

The letter writer seems aware of the player, which is consistent with Gaster… and yet, the letter writer adopts an unfamiliar, questioning stance towards us and commissions our help, despite Gaster having already established contact with us ages ago and collaborated with us for two chapters now – on cordial, well-acquainted terms at that.  

The letter writer does not have a clear objective in mind, whereas Gaster has been “patiently waiting” to put his plans into action. 

The letter writer is quite blunt and judgemental, dismissing Valentine’s Day as “absurd” and remarking that the player (presumably, anyway) is “very odd”. By contrast, Gaster is reserved, unanimously polite, and only ever offers his opinions when he has something positive to say.

In Japanese, the letter is in a mix of hiragana and kanji (but slanted towards the former) and uses casual language.

In Japanese, the letter writer uses the first person pronoun 'watashi'.

In Japanese, the letter writer refers to the person being addressed with 'kimi' - not 'anata'.

So what do we make of this?

The Valentine’s Day letter is, at the very least, presented in such a way as to make the reader think about Gaster. This is mostly from contextual features of the letter – the letter being “strange”, its “illegibility” possibly referring to the Wingdings font, it disappearing and getting deleted from the website shortly afterwards, and, of course, the letter seemingly being addressed to the player, who only Gaster has been shown to be truly aware of so far.

While all of these are valuable considerations, it must be stressed that not only does the actual content of this letter contain zero substantive similarities to Gaster’s dialogue, it outright contradicts every significant pattern that’s been established so far.

The letter is clearly meant to evoke Gaster, and it would’ve been trivial for Toby to confirm that it was Gaster if he wanted to. Even with all the other patterns broken, Toby could’ve retained the caesura, or written it in katakana, or had the letter writer say “VERY INTERESTING” or “WONDERFUL” or any other common phrase of Gaster’s and this matter wouldn’t even be up for debate. However, Toby deliberately refrained from clearly identifying the writer as Gaster. Instead, he systematically cast doubt on that idea by making it, in every respect, completely unlike all other dialogue we’ve heard from him.

So I think the question to ask is: why would Toby even do this? If this really is just Gaster, why not make that clearer? Again, even if this is showing a “different side” of him, it still would’ve been the easiest thing in the world for him to prevent undue speculation about it being a different character. It seems tremendously implausible that in the already unlikely case of Toby doing a complete 180 on Gaster’s characterization, that he wouldn’t communicate that fact more clearly. If you think this letter is from Gaster, you have to basically ignore the fact that Toby is deliberately (because to imply that he's unaware of this would be absurd) posing a question about the identity of this letter which on first glance would seem to be from Gaster; you either have to assume that his doing so is meaningful (in which case it can't be Gaster), or that Toby is essentially doing this for no reason to trick or confuse the fandom.

I personally see no other plausible answer to the question of “why give us such good reason to believe that this isn’t Gaster” than… this simply not being Gaster. Or at the very least, not the same Gaster that we’ve previously spoken to. 

Who could it be then?

The short answer is that I have no idea. But I think we can narrow down a list of candidates (presented here in no particular order).

#1 - It really is just Gaster The first possibility is that this actually is just the same Gaster that we've come to know. I've made it clear how I feel about this scenario.

#2 - It's a shard of Gaster or a flashback I personally am not fond of Gaster having some form of split personality, but there is at least some support for that idea in Undertale. Likewise I don't see why pre-shattered Gaster would be less coherent than shattered-across-time-and-space Gaster, but it's technically plausible. The benefit of these candidates is that they obviously go some ways towards explaining the Gastery aspects of the letter while also accounting for the dramatic difference in their characterization, but if you ask me, they come with considerable baggage.

#3 - It's the Secret Boss of Chapter 3 or 4 It would fit the bill. All caps dialogue, distinctive speech pattern, probably insane, connected to Gaster, and seemingly about to send you on some weird personal quest. This is the one my money's on. The only issue is that it might be too on the nose if they really are addressing us, the player, directly, and referring to the game of Deltarune (but remember - they say "DELTA RUNE", like the prophecy, or the symbol).

#4 - It's the Man behind the tree Obviously this is assuming that the Egg Man isn't Gaster (and personally, I don't think he is). Handing you an Egg is a similar kind of mix between surreal and silly that characterizes the letter. The Egg Man seems at the very least connected to Gaster, so this would explain that aspect of the letter too. There's also the mirrored flavor text "Well, there is a man here" / "Well, there is not a man here", which is reminiscent of some of the contradictory repetitions in the letters - though, granted, that kind of language is also somewhat associated with the "someone" contacting the Secret Bosses, who I do think is Gaster. Let's move on before we get too confused.

#5 - It's Everyman Everyman certainly has Gaster connections through his appearance in Undertale's True Lab, his status as a recurring easter egg in Deltarune, and his liberal travels between the Light and Dark Worlds. Other than that, we can't say much about Everyman (cards on the table - I think Everyman is the Egg Man). But he definitely isn't Gaster, and he seems semi-important, soooo... could be him! A combination of #4 and #5 would be my second choice behind a new Secret Boss.

#6 - It's FRIEND Okay, I'm not even convinced "FRIEND" is a real character, but if you're not aware, there's a weird Spamton-like entity that briefly appears in Queen's basement in Chapter 2 which, oddly enough, is tied to Gaster via its internal filename, DEVICE_FRIEND. There are a ton of crackpot theories about this thing; I'm not particularly fond of any of them. But I haven't been able to come up with a very enticing explanation for the FRIEND phenomenon myself, so maybe it really is a new character, and the letter was their formal introduction. At the very least I'd say it's more plausible than it being Gaster.

#7 - It's the 'second voice' Once you've accepted that the vessel was discarded by someone other than Gaster, this may seem like a tempting conclusion. However, there are a number of issues with this idea, namely that the SV does not speak in all-caps, uses kanji more frequently than the letter writer, and uses different pronouns. The same reasons that compel us to distinguish between Gaster and the second voice also compel us to distinguish between the second voice and the letter writer.

#8 - It's Dess We know very little about Dess other than that she disappeared in what many assume to be a Gaster-related incident. The problem is that there's not much reason to believe this over the other options, aside from maybe the choice of the 'watashi' pronoun.

#9 - It's the "unused" voice in the code Which many assume to be Dess. Again, not impossible, but I think this stretches credulity even more because there's quite a shift in characterization from UNUSED's scared helplessness to the letter writer's brash, loony arrogance. And while I'm not an expert in Japanese, from a quick glance it seems like UNUSED uses kanji with more frequency than the letter writer does. This post seems pretty informative re: what can be gleaned from the Japanese translation of UNUSED.

(Thanks @kitten-kokomo for the above two suggestions)

#10 - It's some entirely new character unrelated to all of these This is possible, of course, but there's nothing to say about this scenario; if this is the case we couldn't have predicted it and we have nothing to work with at the moment, so we'll just have to wait. I will say, the Gaster connections make me think this is unlikely. We already have a bevy of potential Gaster minions.

Okay, that's all I have to say about the letter.

Good by!

[habitual-truant]

"Naoto isn't trans! Kanji isn't gay! You obviously don't understand their character arcs at all!"

I'm allowed to be critical of the homophobic and transphobic narratives that are in persona 4. Obviously in canon kanji is straight and Naoto is a cis girl, but it pisses me off when people decide to say "you don't understand their character!" because I do. I KNOW Kanji's arc was about toxic masculinity. I KNOW Naoto didn't like being a girl because she wasn't treated fairly and taken seriously for it. I KNOW they aren't queer. But they should have been.

Throughout persona, a person's shadow has been some part of their unconscious mind, the exact part varying from game to game, but the general consensus being that it's the part of the self that's unknown for whatever reason. In persona 4, its the part that is repressed and rejected. Characters defeat their shadow and gain their persona from accepting that their shadow, a manifestation of the things they hate about themselves, is in fact a part of them. It's not exactly the same for Kanji and Naoto though. Kanji's shadow is the result of internalizing what others say about him as the truth, and Naoto's is the result of rejecting what other people think of her, and repressing the reasons why they think those things. Unlike the other characters who's shadows entirely come from their own emotions and thoughts, Kanji and Naoto's shadows come from how other's perception of the two affects them.

Kanji's shadow is a "gross pervert" that lusts over men. Based off of the other characters and how they defeat their shadows, you would think he has internalized homophobia, and that by accepting his shadow, he accepts being gay. But, its the opposite. Kanji accepts he's straight despite liking feminine things. He accepts that he's NOT gay. I understand the intentions. I know his shadow was the way it was because he was accused of being gay and made fun of for liking girlish things, and he internalized it. I know his arc is about toxic masculinity and unlearning it. But Kanji was attracted to men before his arc. He all of a sudden magically becomes straight after accepting his shadow. "But he had a crush on Naoto, who ended up being a girl!" Yeah, I understand. Doesn't change the fact that Naoto presented as a boy, and was completely socially transitioned. At that point, Kanji had literally no reason to think that Naoto was a girl, he completely saw her as a boy. The writers backpedaled on his attraction to boys. It implies being attracted to the same sex is something you can change, and that it's worth changing. Not to mention, his entire arc is played off as a joke. his shadow is a "pervert queer" because its "haha funny" for a masculine man to like men. It's a mockery.

Naoto's shadow isn't nearly as insulting, showing the main focus of Naoto's arc; nobody respects her as a detective because she's a teenage girl. However, Naoto herself says she doesn't like being a girl when her shadow reveals the fact that she's a girl. Yes, it's because she's ridiculed and disregarded because she's not a man, but she's still uncomfortable as a girl and actively chooses to present as a boy, even after gaining her persona. She is undeniably transcoded, at the very least, before she accepts her shadow. She accepts that she's not taken seriously, that she IS all the things that people look down on her for being, and that she IS actually a girl. Again, while not doing a complete 180, the writers back out of Naoto wanting to be a boy. Even though her arc isn't as abysmally insulting as Kanji's, it still sells the narrative that trans people need to accept that they "aren't trans, just pretending,"

No matter how you look at it, the "moral of the story" for both Kanji and Naoto is that being gay or trans isn't something you should accept about yourself. Both Kanji and Naoto have queer themes in their stories, even if the writers backed out and effectively gave the opposite message. They're queercoded, end of story. For us queers to reject the homophobic + transphobic themes and decide "no, actually these characters ARE gay" is completely reasonable. Who are you to tell us that we aren't allowed to reject the honestly disrespectful writing from a triple A game franchise? Why wouldn't we dislike the way the characters are written? And why do you only complain when its the two characters that are so close to being queer rep?

I 100% understand and respect people who disagree with the headcanons, but those who mock and make fun of people who do consider Kanji and Naoto to be queer? That's something I can't accept.

TL;DR: People choose to interpret Kanji and Naoto as queer because of the queer themes in their arcs. The same themes that the writers completely backpedaled on, and ended up implying harmful things on instead.

[thiscityneedslessfog]

I don’t talk about Kanji much but I do really love him and his social link. I’m not going to focus on the whole arc of it (which is how opening up and being honest about yourself is honestly much better for you than letting people’s preconceived notions influence you), but I am going to focus on a piece of it—namely his dynamic with the “doll boy.” To be honest, I think he and that boy needed each other’s reassurance in a sense. Both he and the boy were mistreated by other kids their age for “not being masculine enough.”

During Kanji’s fourth Social Link rank, the little boy has his friend’s stuffed rabbit thrown into a river by a bully because the rabbit is seen as “girly.”

Kanji looks for the stuffed rabbit but can’t find it, and then immediately decides he can make a new one and asks the boy what the plushie was like, and makes the doll boy’s friend Sana a new plushie. He especially feels compelled since he can relate to the boy’s struggle.

But after making the plushie, thanks to the mistreatment Kanji himself has faced from his peers for being able to sew, he’s actually embarrassed to admit that he made the plushie, to the point he’s reluctant to—the protagonist can tell the child, or Kanji can hesitantly tell him.

(Ehhh, don’t think I did a good job on this edit…)

But the kid praises him, much to his shock, and asks for more handmade plushies from him. He actually asks Kanji to teach him how to sew, which startles Kanji… who obliges and uses the Dojima house to teach him and some other kids how to make puppets out of oven mitts.

This kid, this boy, mind you, broke Kanji’s fears and allowed him to have the confidence to make plushies all he likes—he’s making money for his mom and pursuing his passion for sewing that he used to get judged for. By admitting a piece of himself he kept locked up to a kid so similar to him, he actually got an open outlet for his love of sewing. And again, he’s supporting the family business. There are ZERO downsides to this for Kanji! The kid actually helps him later with the police, who don’t believe it initially when Yu and the kid explain what happened to them, which helps tie into the message of Kanji’s social link.

And for the boy, he actually got a doll he loved for both himself and his dear friend Sana, and became allowed to pursue a newfound passion of his without judgement or fear of being seen as “not enough of a man—” an older man (…relatively speaking… Kanji’s a 15-year-old boy…) is literally teaching him. And Kanji is one hell of a guy!

It’s a really sweet story and proof how a positive influence, whether older or younger than you, can change your life for the better and help you be comfortable in your own skin. People want to be accepted by those around them, but due to people’s prejudices and biases—and oftentimes these biases are so sweeping as to be baked into a society—people are often contorted into boxes they can’t fit into, and when they don’t fit, they’re mistreated. Like Kanji, who ended up putting up walls due to belief he’d never be accepted by others as a proper man, and the boy, who only began to become more outgoing and able to pursue his interests (like plushies and sewing) when he had another guy in his life who proved that what it meant to be a man wasn’t nearly as restrictive as he’d been taught to believe by the toxic masculinity perpetuated by his peers, small children around him (who had been likely taught this toxic rhetoric by their parents). They were a mutually positive influence on each other. And I think that’s beautiful, even if the context behind their appearances in each other’s lives are so important is actually rather sorrowful.

Kanji’s easily my favorite Emperor Arcanum. I love him a ton.

[centrally-unplanned]

それをもう問うたかもしれないが、日本語話せるの？

("I may have already asked this one, but do you speak Japanese"?) No, not really! Like of course I do know a bunch of Japanese, so my level is "some", sure, but I do my translation work through a hybrid machine-assisted approach and couldn't do it without at any speed. I spelled this out elsewhere a while ago (and have a note on my blog about it so anyone using my translations is aware of the limitations) but obviously no one would keep track of that - I have a multi-model LLM set-up where I OCR document text and run them through the disparate models that are tuned differently, and then give the text a quick check myself. If all the models agree with each other, and nothing red flags, then I more-or-less accept the translation as is - when they disagree I go in by hand and manually translate them to resolve it. (I also manually translate anything I directly quote, versus just reading for learning/research purposes.)

Doing all of that has had me develop a kind of funny skillset where I know a lot of Japanese grammatical rules and the like, because that is something you need to know for that task. But memorizing kanji outside of topic-specific niche vocab is nearly useless because lookup for kanji is trivial (due to Japan's lack of spacing and such kana can be trickier so you need to know more). And meanwhile you will have jargon for certain topics so I have studied a lot of say anime industry vocabulary and such. This leaves me with a weird skillset! Plus, If I am doing a "deep" translation I typically have to do a bunch of spot research to figure say what specific 90's culture reference this or that word is pointing to, which is it's own skill.

When experimenting with set-ups I did blind tests between the LLM-mixed methods and my own or fluent-speakers results and they passed with flying colors; the technology has progressed dramatically, and even since I have been doing this kind of work the need for corrections has gone down notably. We aren't at the point where you can simply throw out single-source translations with no corrections too reliably if you want anything quotable, but if you want to read a document yourself and get a 90% accurate read of it with no language knowledge at all, I think we are there now. I don't like to pretend I am uniquely skilled - I am instead simply putting in the work. Others can too, and I definitely encourage it - never before has global culture & history been more accessible than it is today.

[notayamichan]

🌟 Learning Japanese 🇯🇵

🔔　あたしのガイドは、人が英語を話す向けー　(⁠◔⁠‿⁠◔⁠)

The following guide is based on my personal experience. I am not an authority on the matter and I am still barely a beginner regarding Japanese.

What am I doing?

Learning languages seems non-lienar and that's partly true (at an intermediate level). But, when you're first starting out, there's generally clear goals to work toward.

Your Beginner Goals

Study and master kana

Japanese employs hiragana and katakana in conjunction with kanji. Together, hiragana and katakana make up kana.

Learn the kana (hiragana and katakana)

Learn the difference between kunyomi and onyomi (kanji)

Delve into grammar and establish some foundational vocab

Immerse yourself with input content (movies, shows, etc)

Study and practice a basic form of "pitch accent"

Continue developing your vocab and particle knowledge

Learn about polite versus casual talk and social culture

Use the language (letters, blog, diary, etc)

Seek conversations to apply the language properly

Find and study tests like JLPT to gauge your progress

What can I use?

Duolingo

If this was your first pick, you're naive but not foolish. It'll teach you enough to get help if you're lost in Japan. But it won't be enough to hold a conversation. Give it a try and see if it works for you. Duolingo is free.

I recommend using Duolingo as a supplementary learning tool rather than your primary learning tool

Textbooks and Guides

Many learners and even classes praise numerous textbooks. I for one received a recommendation for Tae Kim's Japanese Guide. So, I'll recommend it to you. Don't be afraid to see out other guides or attempt some textbooks. However, one should always remember that the textbook is NOT demonstrative of naturalistic Japanese.

For example, 「私は猫が好きです」 is what a textbook correctly teaches, though 「猫好きだよ」 is acceptable and more natural in casual Japanese

Building vocabulary

If you want to develop your vocabulary, you can use JLPT anki decks. Anki is a flashcard program for desktop and mobile. You can also use anki in conjunction with a dictionary like Jisho to create new flashcards decks (suited to the words you'd like to learn). You may also pick up vocab from Japanese media (i.e, anime, manga, books, content creators, music, etc).

If you're using Jisho and want to find a word you only know in English, search for it using quotation marks. For example, "school" or, if you want a verb "to learn" ~ it should help. You can spell out Japanese words normally by just typing... i.e, watashi.

Good input versus Bad input

Immersing yourself in Japanese media and culture is good but you need to be mindful of the content you're consuming— take note of the context behind events, interactions, or the relationship of speakers. Be especially mindful of anime and manga— both are known to use hyperbolic language or phrases that aren't commonly used in day to day conversation. Fortunately, some anime and manga do use everyday language, and you can usually find lists.

I recommend using the Tofugu blog to learn about both Japanese language and culture. But if you don't like reading, there are many YT channels like Kaname Naito and NihongoDekita with Sayaka. For general immersion though, here's a sweet vlog channel, a JP Warframe creator, and a natural born otaku.

[blessingera]

my reasons why i love rui

hello!

before that, i would like to say that rui is the most unique characters in project sekai in terms of his design and lore.

look at his passionate in robots. so cute and sweet.

okay, first of all, i wanna say that his hair designs is something pretty. the combination of purple and cyan in his hair depicts diversity, as if clpl describes rui as a character who accepts diversity no matter what. if we can take this with semiotics, purple means wisdom, and cyan means calm. it means rui sees the diversity by wisdom and peaceful.

you know, i also love to spell his name. since rui's name in kanji means "variety" and his hair colors mean "diversity" if i say this with semiotics study, i think there is an implied relationship between the meaning of his hair colors and his name in kanji.

remember about his bloomfes story? i can say his character development is something realistic. we can see his 5 stages of grief there. i remember when elementary school rui was in denial-anger situation because of his loneliness and slowly in middle school (also high school) he began to accept his situation, while going through bargaining and depression.

here is the denial side of elementary school rui. (translate from japanese: "in other words, i wanna deny the lonely me-")

and here is the way rui accepted his situation and being patient. (translate from japanese: "because we know pain, we can be kind to others, and because we know sadness, we understand the importance of smiling.")

he is the gentle person and has a sincere heart. the way he treats his friends is very appreciated. he also really treasures every moment with his friends, especially to tsukasa, his positive influence. he knows how to empathize and return the favor to someone. even though he was considered as a weird, crazy, freak, or something out of the box, he is a genius and has 1001 ways to explore something interesting in his own way!

bonus: rui has a history being tsundere when he was in elementary school and it makes me adore him so much, hahaha.

don't forget that the way he speaks english fluently was something sexy, i admit it. you should know his sexy aura increased by 12000% during he speaks english!

i also love the way he bonds his good relationship with his mom. remember about his "revival my dream" event? he trusted his mom when she said that it's okay to be a weird and indirectly said "just be yourself". his mom understood his feelings, and rui did too. he is such a kind boy, isn't he?

okay, that's all about kamishiro rui in my opinion! here is my favorite costume from his card "tasogare no kagayaki" (yeah, i love tactician rui so much i could die without him).

thank you!

[yatsurinamikaze]

Wager (first) - (second) - (third) - (fourth) - (fifth) - (sixth) - (seventh) - (eight) - (ninth)

tw// shit show, cringe, word vomit, objectification, shitty writing, grammatical errors, curse words.

Oikawa Tooru x Reader, Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

Summary: They strike a bet. The Wager? You.

Days blur into weeks, and the routine you’ve built with Ushijima becomes a comforting rhythm in your life. Despite the initial awkwardness, you’ve grown close in a way that surprises you both.

You help him plan his diet meals, carefully balancing his protein intake with the right amount of carbs and nutrients. In return, he patiently assists you with your Japanese writing, his calm and methodical approach guiding you through the intricacies of kanji and grammar.

You spend evenings together watching volleyball matches on TV, analyzing plays and strategies. Sometimes, you share the poems you’ve written, reading them aloud while he listens intently, his quiet presence reassuring you in a way you hadn’t expected. It’s a steady rhythm, and you find yourself liking it—liking him.

One day, when you visit Ushijima’s school, Semi catches you in the hallway, his expression sheepish as he approaches.

“Hey, Y/N,” he begins, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh… I wanted to apologize for the whole texting thing. It was a stupid joke, and I didn’t think about how it would affect you. I’m really sorry.”

You grin after accepting Semi's apology and say, "Alright, Semi, I forgive you… on one condition. You have to serenade the team with a song of my choice during the next practice."

Semi, looking a bit nervous but curious, asks, "What song?"

You pulls out your phone, scroll for a moment, and then show him the screen with a mischievous smile. "I think you’d do a great job with ‘Barbie Girl’ by Aqua. Full performance, choreography included. And no backing out!" You point a finger at him.

Semi’s eyes widen, but he knows he has to go through with it.

The next practice has everyone cracking on the floor as Semi belts out the lyrics, much to the amusement of everyone around. Even though it’s embarrassing, he takes it in stride, and you can’t help but laugh the entire time.

He smiles in relief looking at you, and just like that you become a part of their pack.

Meanwhile, your interactions with Tooru have shifted into a delicate, unspoken dance. When you pass each other in the hallways, there’s a moment, in slow-motion—a fleeting exchange of smiles, eyes lingering on each others for just a heartbeat longer than necessary—before one of you looks away.

True to his promise, Tooru took care of the bullies, and they’ve since apologized, leaving you in peace. But the distance between you and Tooru remains, and it’s a chasm you’re not sure you want to bridge.

One afternoon, you’re leaving the chemistry lab, distracted by the constant pings on your phone, when you hear a familiar voice coming from an empty classroom nearby. You pause, your heart suddenly pounding in your chest.

“You’ve got no idea what you’re doing to me, do you?” Tooru’s voice is low, almost a growl, dripping with flirtatious intent.

A girl’s laugh follows, breathy and playful. “Maybe you should show me, Oikawa.”

Your heart skips a beat, and you feel a sick twist in your stomach. You can’t help but imagine the scene unfolding behind the door, Tooru’s hands on her, his lips close to hers. The thought makes your blood run cold.

“You really want that?” he says smugly, his voice dangerously smooth. “Because once I start, I’m not going to stop until you’re begging for more.”

The words hit you like a punch to the gut. Your heart races, your hands trembling as you try to steady yourself. You told yourself you were over him, that you’d moved on, but hearing him like this—hearing him with someone else—makes you realize just how wrong you were.

Your breath catches, and before you can stop yourself, your phone slips from your hand, clattering loudly against the tiled floor. Tooru's eyes snap towards you. Panic surges through you, and without thinking, you turn and run, your footsteps echoing through the hallway as you flee towards the parking lot.

“Y/N!” Tooru’s voice calls after you, sharp with concern, but you don’t stop. You can’t stop. The air feels too thick, too suffocating, and all you want is to get away, to escape the reality that’s crashing down around you.

By the time you reach the parking lot, Tooru catches up to you, grabbing your arm and spinning you around to face him. His eyes are wide, searching yours for an explanation.

“Hey?” he demands, his voice tinged with frustration.

You wrench your arm free, the anger and confusion bubbling up inside you until it spills out in a rush of words. “What?”

Tooru comes to a halt in front of you, his expression filled with worry and confusion. “Are you… are you okay? What happened?”

The concern in his voice, the genuine worry in his eyes, only serves to fuel the fire burning inside you. How can he ask that? How can he pretend like he doesn’t know what’s wrong?

“What happened?” you repeat, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. “You were all over her!"

He looks taken aback, his brows furrowing as he tries to make sense of your outburst. “I thought that’s what you wanted! You’re the one who said we should move on, and now you’re getting upset because… what? Because I’m trying to do what you asked?”

The raw emotion in his voice cuts through your defenses, and you realize, with a sinking feeling, that he’s right. You did want to move on. You told yourself that you had. But the truth is, your heart never really let go.

“I don’t know what I want!” you shout, the words spilling out before you can stop them.

"We..we are broken up yn." Tooru says with sincerity.

The tears threatening to spill out earlier, find its way streaming down your cheeks. You whisper, "So what Tooru? It obviously hurt."

Tooru’s face softens, and for a moment, he looks as if he’s about to reach out to you, to pull you into his arms like he used to. But instead, he steps back, his expression torn between anger and something softer, more painful.

“You need to make up your mind, Y/N,” he says quietly, his voice strained. “Because I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep waiting around, hoping you’ll choose me again. "

"I..Im not asking you to wait." You look down.

"I’m leaving for Argentina after the year ends. I got an offer to play volleyball there, and I’m not going to pass it up. " Your head snaps up to look at him. This is all too soon and sudden for you.

He repeats, "I’m not going to pass it up", he takes a brief pause, "Not unless I have a reason to stay.”

His words hit you like a punch to the gut, leaving you breathless and reeling. “Argentina?” you whisper, your voice barely audible.

He nods, his eyes locked onto yours. “Yeah. This is my dream, Y/N. But you were always a part of that dream too. I need to know if you still want to be a part of my life, or if it’s time for us both to move on.. for good.”

You’re speechless, the weight of his ultimatum pressing down on you like a suffocating blanket. You don’t know what to say, what to think. The confusion and hurt are too overwhelming, and all you can do is stand there, frozen in place.

Tooru’s shoulders sag, and he looks away, the resignation in his expression breaking your heart all over again. “Just… make up your mind, before it's too late. ” he says, his voice so soft it almost gets lost in the evening breeze. Then, without another word, he turns and walks away, leaving you standing in the parking lot, alone and shattered.

Masterlist

[symphonic-scream]

Okay.

New Arcana Swap

(tag for now is Transboy Haru I need a new name for this I know)

Anyways. It's been like 2 hours here's everything I have so far

So it's a Fool Haru au, but as a trans guy. He's been transitioning since the year before he started high school, and he's had top surgery. Now he's in his final year, and he's being shipped out to Tokyo after a summer in Juvi, all for something he didn't do

Toranosuke Yoshida as the Hierophant with Goro as the Hermit too it's. This ex politician who has been adopting these kids who's rich and important parents abandon them

Emperor Makoto. And then with Makoto, she's been "staying" with Kobayakawa as a pupil and StuCo Prez, and once he's confessed, she reaches out to her sister and returns home to live with Hanged Man Sae. She's sorta non-binary genderfluid? She doesn't have a term coined yet. But pronouns vary each day

Makoto: thanks, so much. For saving me, for helping me find my sister again, for accepting who I am, and- and for loving me,

Haru: oh, Mako dearest,

Makoto, crying: d-dont look at me like that, Loverboy. Just- let's hurry, the others are waiting

(in case you couldn't tell yet, this is Okujima)

Haru: hey why are you so close with that pharmacist?

Yoshida: oh, cause. I take pills?

It's cause Goro's on anti-psychotics lmao

It's how he so easily got Haru in with the counsellor Death Maruki

Maruki: yep, I see your files are completely true. So, I'll get you set up with your old regime of hormones

Haru: just like that?

Maruki: yep, but I also have to give you anger management sessions. Your parole demands it

Haru: ...I understand. Just, thank you. For understanding who I am

Chariot Shiho and Lovers Futaba, and the Temperance is Kanji-

Cause his husband is the Judgement and their wife is Fortune-

Moon Joker, Magician Ryuji (he's a lil lizard), Star Ann, Empress, uh, Yusuke?

Shiho a recovering amputee. She got in an accident that ended her volleyball career, but she's trying to not get too depressed about it

She cost them the national title. She ends up starting her training again to aim for the Paralympics, and manages the school team

Shiho: hey, why was Shit Head calling you a girl?

Haru: I, I'm trans,

Shiho: THAT BASTARD! Urgh, I'm so sorry, I know a teacher who'll help report that bullshit. I'm Shiho Suzui, school cripple. Nice to meet you, transfer boy

Haru: thanks, I'm Haru Yoshida. Thanks for not, freaking out on ke

Ryuji's a little bearded dragon in the real world

And MORGANA! He's like, Shinya's age? Human

He's playing the hero, trying to take down the Yakuza that ruined his family and left him alone, but he's young and scared, and the group saves him and he moves in with Yoshida too and he's like Haru's little brother

Goro: you're getting soft, old man.

Yoshida: maybe I am. Or maybe, I'm finally doing what I was meant to all along

He runs a homey beef bowl shop and Haru helps out, and Morgana sits at the counter slurping his noodles and Goro studies away in the back booth. Little family of three brothers

Goro: thanks for changing my heart, I guess

Futaba: no problem, man

Goro: ...I, feel like I need to tell you all. My mom was schizophrenic, and I've been being treated for it since Yoshida took me in. I, I'm gonna get myeds adjusted too. So I can be reliable for you all as navigator

Shiho: whatever you need to be yourself, and to be healthy

Haru: and if you end up like that again, we'll race back in and save you

It's shown in how his palace would change every other day. Like if you wait too long the infiltration route changes

Once he's doing better again, he gets back into school, and ends up in the other third year class with Makoto

Goro: your partner is a pain in my ass. They're making it hard to get that #1 spot

Haru: isn't my love so smart?

Goro: fucking gross. Bleh. I'm going to go watch a documentary on serial killers.

Toranosuke and his three sons, such a proud dad

Haru doesn't leave Tokyo at the end of the year. He gets formally adopted, and moves from the attic to the proper Yoshida house

Naoto: so. You're the leader of the Phantom Thieves?

Haru: ...what's it matter how I answer? They got their signed confession.

Naoto: I knew it, there was no way they'd have gotten a genuine one so quickly... Those bastards... Well, hopefully our chat can clear things up. Tell me, why'd you do it? How? The more I know, the better I can help you out

Naoto recognizes the boy from his husband's class roster, from his chats about the transfer boy that seemed to affect everyone around him

Naoto: so. Your dad kicked you out?

Haru: yes. Not for being a boy, he accepted that part of me. No, I caught on about some of his shadier business deals. So, he framed me for assault, disowned me. I got lucky, that Mr Yoshida agreed to house me, otherwise I would have probably ended up back in Juvi,

Okay this is getting too long so MORE UNDER THE CUT BUT WHAT DO YALL THINK LEMME KNOW

Okay. More

Shiho with her slight hobble cause of her prosthetic, and when she just *can't* wear it, she's on crutches, Like at the beach

She wears her leg to the beach, but takes it off when Makoto and Morgana egg her into running out to the water with them. Makoto loads her onto their back until they reach the water and then it's just. Splashing and fun

Goro's reading a book while Ryuji lies on a towel in the sun, soaking in the heat. Haru and Futaba are munching on popsicles and watching the others

Two Jokers

Moon is Akira, and Ren was in Shiho's role

They're Futaba's foster brothers. So that's why Futaba really wants to join up. To avenge Ren. And it's why Akira helps out

Futaba: hey, so Ren's awake. He's going to need physical therapy, but he's keeping all his parts. He's, also going to testify. He won't be returning to Shujin,

Akira: he's going to finish at Kosei. It'll be a better fit for him

Makoto, fluid, having more they or he days but still having she days. Masc she days, but still

Coloured bandanas around their upper arm for their different days. Now embracing their baby punk side

And smiling so much more, back home with their sister and able to be themselves with support, and having friends and a sweet boyfriend

Hifumi for the Faith and. Justice Kasumi and Sumire TRSUT ME

Haru: hey!

Makoto, wearing a dark red bandana: hey Loverboy, can I get a kiss?

Haru: course, love. How's my girl today?

Makoto: feeling great, Sis and I are going out tonight. She said you're welcome to join if you want? And then maybe come over after later to "study"?

Haru: how can I say no to you?

[applescabs]

hi sorry i would love to know more about transfem kanji tatsumi. that’s sounds really cool……

oh thank you so much. for indulging me,,

this came from me delving way too deep into persona 4 (it's been one of my main hyperfixations for years) so I have a lot of little things that have added up to this. keep in mind that all of my characterization is based on the games, i actually haven't seen any of the anime nor read any of the mangas (believe it or not...)

the main thing that made me think that Kanji is trans though, is the simple fact that... a lot of the time when there's a queer "male" character in Japanese media, they're put under the "okama" umbrella. the thing with okamas is that there's a pretty thin line between "effeminate gay male" and "straight up a trans woman", and with Kanji they tiptoe this line a bit as well (at least... i think so)

For example, the infamous crossdressing pageant... in it, Kanji dresses in the iconic white Marilyn Monroe dress (complete with the same blonde haircut, red lips and earrings to boot) it's not very noticeable in the pageant itself (because Kanji barely talks) but every time it's brought up afterwards in side convos, Kanji appears to have genuinely felt good about dressing that way, and was treating it 100% seriously (well. aside from Teddie, but he's a whole other can of worms we're not getting into rn)

if you tell Kanji to put the Marilyn dress on again when dungeon crawling, you get these lines;

in the pageant all of them were only being ridiculed, but Rise will actually compliment Kanji's looks when it's brought up again here. which is so cute because it actually did seem to give Kanji some confidence;

When you equip Kanji with the same outfit in Persona 4 Dancing (which is named "Sexy Ingenue" in this game btw. ingenue = archetype of an innocent/naive young woman. Marilyn Monroe was often referred to as a "Romantic Ingenue") it'll prompt this voice line; "Th-these clothes ain't cute or nothin'." For comparison, here's the voice lines that play when you equip clothes that Kanji doesn't like; "The hell is this?? I ain't wearin' it!" "Th-the hell you lookin' at, punk!" "Is this... a bad dream?"

Ok so... this could just be an interest in crossdressing... But that's not all I got.

Here's what Kanji's mother has to say at the hospital in rank 3 (after Kanji leaves);

Kanji's whole arc is about the frustrations of not fitting into the mold of a typical man. which can be read in just... the cis way ig. but the fact that sewing isn't the only typically feminine thing that Kanji is (was?) into and the line of "the girls didn't accept him either" stuck with me so much. in a nutshell; growing up, you're a pretty feminine kid. suddenly, your father passes away and he tells you "if you're a man, you have to become strong" so you do. you overcompensate so much in your masculinity that it becomes unbearable not only to yourself but to others as well. you push yourself away from people and hide your feminine hobbies, interests and personality behind a hotheaded, angry wall of a man.

digging a bit online, many try to overcompensate in their agab as a way to deflect the realization (I know I did!) it also seems to be a pretty widespread experience for trans people to be really angry and/or frustrated with, well, everything and everyone before they realize they're trans and/or before they transition.

so. yeah, that fits.

there's probably more little things if i go digging, but this is all of the more important stuff where i got the idea from. ty for your ask!! <3

[daily-hanamura]

I kind of wished that the persona 4 cast wasn’t stuck in a narrative where the main theme is ‘always accept the role thrust upon you and if you don’t like it, just force yourself to like it’. Yukiko actively wants to leave Inaba and create her own life, but is portrayed negatively when doing so, with her character arc involving her accepting the role thrust upon her. Don’t get me started on Naoto. I know you’re the Yosuke guy, and was wondering what are your thoughts on this when applied to Yosuke?

I want you to know that being called "the Yosuke guy" is now my greatest achievement you've made my day everyday for the last week

I do agree with you, and I think it was one of my initial issues with P4 where, for a game whose entire narrative is about being true to yourself, it sure falls back into that tired sense of social conformation a lot. It's grating, right, because it feels like what they really mean to say is "be yourself! but not too much and not in a way that makes other people unhappy and make sure you're still living up to other peoples expectations because that's the real reason why you're unhappy with yourself, you haven't accepted who we want you to be (which is the real you that we've decided) etcetc" and it just undercuts the emotional impact of their self-acceptance (see also kanji and rise). (dw I know P5 also kind of has the same problem, and I can go into a whole thing about the limits of transformative narratives written by capitalist corporations but i wont. today-)

I think with Yosuke though, it's really interesting because his character arc is more so tied to his relationship with Inaba as a place, rather than his fundamental self-perceptions. It's established early on that Yosuke hated the town for various reasons; he's a city boy who wants excitement and connection, but most of the town hates him so he's shit out of luck and it gives him little reason to like the town back. As the game progresses, he starts to like the town -- "it's not about where you are, but who you're with", so it's his friendships (and having people who accept him for who he is) that makes the place meaningful for him. And, at the end of the day, Yosuke did get what he wanted - excitement and connection.

But he's not tied to Inaba.

In P4AU, it's revealed that Yosuke's struggling to figure out what he wants to do in life, but by the end of it he tells Yu that he wants to leave the town and go to college with Yu in the city, and that he wants to see the world and experience more things for himself. It fascinates me because it very strongly implies that Yosuke's arc isn't complete as we're very expressly told that he's still developing. It stands in contrast to the other characters who have effectively been fixed into some role or position (Yukiko as an inn manager, Rise as an idol), and unlike them, Yosuke hasn't been permanently relegated to the things that he starts off hating. He hasn't been written to stay in Inaba or even to continue working at Junes after graduation, instead he gets the opportunity to try things. imo this makes his arc more situational (and therefore layered) - Yosuke's perspective on his circumstance matures, but who he is as a person doesn't have to change, and he's not forced to make a trade-off with the wishes he had at the start.

This might be because Yosuke is Atlus' favourite character of the contrast between Yosuke's city background and the rest of the Inaba folk. There's a guy in the school who talks about how most people who finish high school in Inaba just go on to get jobs, and very few actually leave for college and beyond. It's something deeply realistic and reflective of human geography IRL, because that's very common in small communities. A fear of the outside world because of how isolated they are (and Inaba kind of is - remember how Yosuke said they barely had cell connectivity up until recently) means they tend to look inwards instead of out, so there isn't as strong an awareness of what else there is out there and a belief that your options are basically just that (it also makes it all the more impressive that they have surprisingly well-traveled teachers). Yosuke, on the other hand, is very much connected to the internet and the outside world, and he also tends to think about the things that he's missing out on more tangibly.

It makes for a very interesting parallel with Yukiko, who had grown up in Inaba all her life and also expresses that same interest in wanting to go out and see the world. Yukiko's idea about the kind of options that she has is weirdly limited for someone who is supposed to be at the top of her class. When you meet her at the bookstore, she talks about getting a job license so she could leave town, and her first thought was interior decorator (do you even need a license for that? it's not a chartered profession unlike an architect or interior designer, but things might work differently in japan). And maybe she does have a genuine interest in it so I'm talking shit, but it also feels like it's a job that she's aware of only because of the ryokan. As far as I could tell, we don't actually see her express any interest in, say, furniture themes or colour swatches and fabric textures in the way Kanji very clearly does. Her world view, like everyone else, is bounded by the reach of her experience, but because Inaba is so small and cloistered it impedes her ability to imagine beyond that. Even when she's thinking of leaving, her options are still limited to her experiences at the inn. I'm still really salty about how she decided to stay at the ryokan in the end, because something much more satisfying in my opinion would have been for her to get the opportunity to try different things elsewhere in the world, and if she decided that the ryokan was the right thing for her, then, well, fine, I guess? Or some cliche like exploring other inns elsewhere so she could bring that knowledge home. Especially since she had the support of her family and the inn staff, it makes her narrative feel more like an acceptance of her lot in life, rather than a genuine realisation that yeah, this was what she wanted, which was what the game wanted us to think, except it's not convincing. Instead, it just feels like a weird stagnation because her initial wish of wanting to see the world beyond the ryokan was not satisfied.

But hey, guess who does!

Yosuke gets to learn how to make the best of a situation, but ultimately, he's not beholden to it. He - and his writers - understand that he's not done growing, so he doesn't fix himself to a role that he doesn't like. AND IT'S GOOD. I just wish everyone else got that opportunity.

[kamsspice]

i'm playing P4G and i just got to the part where the gang are in the camp and yosuke tells kanji to prove to him that he's straight and can i say, the conversation i've seen surrounding this topic is so frustrating.

people insist that "it's how a teenager was in that time" as if it excuses the fact that he said what he did. people focus the narrative on the status quo and as such, we shouldn't criticise the writing because that's how things are. but none of the conversation considers the impact of the supposed status quo on the individual - kanji in this instance - and how it makes them feel. because to excuse yosuke's words and discredit the homophobia is to say he was justified in the words that he said. that he is right to feel uncomfortable about the possibility of kanji being gay because of his Shadow Self. but nobody ever questions Yosuke's assumptions are wrong. It's up for Kanji to prove to Yosuke he isn't like that.

and it's just really annoying because it implies that for Kanji to not feel made other, he shouldn't behave in a certain way. it's never questioning whether yosuke's line of thinking is wrong. and it's just annoying watch it all play out without being able to push back properly.

and it pisses me off even more when people genuinely give a pass to team atlus for being for the gays because of the options to joke that you are gay because the reality that being gay in their stories is a joke.

this game really is a glimpse into what it was like to be queer in the 2000s and for a game whose thesis is to accept the other part of yourself that you hide, it doesn't seem to give that same grace for its queercoded character.

[personuhh]

How do you go about doing character analyses, and how confident were you in them starting out? I thought about starting to do my own to not only understand the stories I like better, but to also become a better writer myself. I'm really nervous to share my ideas with others, though, since they usually come off as stupid. For example, I see a few parallels, connections, and meaningful differences between Yosuke and Kanji's characters, but I'm afraid to try analyzing further.

Media analysis is absolutely imperative to develop as a skill, so even if you don't want to share it, it's great to talk to friends or even just write it out without posting. Practicing by stretching those writing muscles will help immensely with both ability and confidence. In your case, I think that you may just need to put yourself out there and not worry too much about how it may be received. Write for yourself.

I'm not sure I've ever thought about confidence as it relates to sharing my thoughts, I just do it, because I truly believe in what I believe and I want to share it with people and start a conversation that might fuel further exploration. And while there have definitely been times I've felt like an idiot for getting stuff wrong, (mostly misremembering phrasing or something that does alter the overall meaning where it no longer fits), you just kind of have to take the L and recalibrate. It doesn't mean all of your ideas are stupid, or that you yourself are, it's just that you put a few pieces together wrong or jumped to a conclusion before everything was considered. One of the most important things you can do when analyzing media is being open to different interpretations (not just from others, but also from yourself) until you sus out the one you can put your full weight behind. You might run through a couple different iterations before you land on one that ties everything together, and you might look back and scoff at how silly those previous thoughts were, or you might say, "hey, I was right!"

Don't underestimate the importance of the community aspect of fandom either. If you only see a few parallels, point them out (to a friend in private, or in your own post) somebody might be able to add on and give you a different perspective you didn't consider. It doesn't need to be complete when you're still in the process of exploring. Just try not to overreach, I'd actually say that while you should believe in what you're saying first and foremost, it's a good thing to not be completely confident, because it generally prevents you from making unfounded and ignorant claims; be receptive if you are under criticism, but you also don't have to accept anything and everything that a critic says.

[habitual-truant]

as a persona fan. i HATE atlus. like, theyre always SOOOO close to having really good social commentary on like, pretty much anything in general i guess. but. they pussy out and it has the opposite effect!! like, biggest example that i actually have well formulated thoughts over is persona 4.. i wrote a long ass essay type thing that id honestly like to rewrite now that my thoughts are more solidified on this but, tl;dr… :

kanji isnt gay and naoto isnt trans. kanji’s story is about accepting that hes got feminine traits and learning to stop internalizing what everyone says about him to be true. naoto’s is about accepting that she is a girl, and she IS everything that people look down on her for, and learning to stop rejecting herself just so she isnt disrespected and dismissed by others.

kanji isnt gay and naoto isnt trans, but they should have been. being queer is very obviously a theme in their stories, and without looking deeper into the characters and their arcs, on the surface level, the story is saying that they’re learning to accept that they ARENT queer. which is pretty clearly homophobic and transphobic.

the entire game is about accepting yourself for who you truly are. for the character that is EXPLICITLY stated to be gay and for the character who EXPLICITLY lives socially as a male despite being born a girl to both have their true selves actually be “normal” is… counterintuitive. while it does fit within the theme of accepting yourself, it’s saying to accept yourself as “normal” and “correct”, not as someone who doesnt fit into societal norms. it undermines the idea of being true to yourself. it’s SO close to being a great message that anyone, no matter who they are, can relate to, but it singles out the unusuals, the people who really need to hear that it’s ok to be whoever you are. i could go on and on about how it’s honestly impressive that the writers managed to miss the mark by such a small amount that it ends up completely undermining the entire thing, but it would be redundant (just like my use of the word ‘undermine’ within two run-on sentences..), and i want to take this back to my original point

the writers at atlus are very, very skilled. its amazing, i really really respect them. but at the same time, i think that their ability to write amazing characters and themes and weave them together into a universe with such inconsistent rules is exactly what makes this so infuriating. i KNOW they’re 100% capable of not being misogynistic in their portrayal of women, i KNOW they’re capable of not being homophobic, i KNOW they can take topics like misogyny and homophobia and transphobia and explore the reasoning behind why people are close minded and hateful, and how it affects people who are at the receiving end of the hatred.

but they dont, because either the writers themselves are prejudiced, or what i think is faaaarrr more likely, the executives think it’s too “risky” to talk about and criticize bigotry, and that they want it to be as palatable to everyone as possible. unfortunately that means no gay people, no trans people, no “controversial” minorities in general.. sure, we can have a few complex and well written women as a treat, but they either have to be fanservice or largely irrelevant to the rest of the plot.

no conclusion paragraph this isnt english class

thanks if u read my 11:00 pm hyperfocus fueled rant i am sending you joy and happiness and good things