#because i think he would be all about that. and i still don't understand hiro's like. clown outfit. like hello

[mcl-mia]

//zeus week day 1 - night

weirdly enough, this prompt was the one i struggled the most with, so it's not my favorite. have a demon zeus as like. creature of the night i guess. _(:3」∠)_

[synergysilhouette]

Everyone keeps talking about "traditional villains," but in retrospect, I wish Disney had gone in a different direction for the Revival Era. Hear me out...

King Magnifico's failed characterization and poor writing in "Wish" really bummed me out. I was looking forward to a complex villain who was kinda right. I was hoping it could usher in a new age of Disney villains who were more grey than black and white, who made the characer grow as a person because they challenged their perspective. But then I realized that the opportunity existed in earlier revival-era villains:

Dr. Facilier is a villain first and foremost, though thinking back on it, I do think he is kinda proto-Magnifico, granting people's wishes, only for them to find that what they wanted isn't what they expected. I do wish he tied a bit of truth in with his scams, mentioning (similar to Magnifico) how people's dreams are very difficult to achieve--especially in the post-WWI American South, particularly POC. Naveen is generally assumed to be a POC himself, so he could juxtapose this viewpoint as someone who's never really had to experience such hardships. Dr. Facilier could still be 100% villainous, but further emphasis on dreams, wishes, and hard work would be part of his character. However, this is the reverse of "Wish"; Tiana has already worked hard, but she's lost a lot of her innocence and light-heartedness trying to achieve it, thus causing her to reevaluate how important love is and how she may not have realized it, being more practical about her dreams. It all starts with a wish.

Mother Gothel was already right; the world can be dark and cruel, and will destroy any light it finds. However, similar to Magnifico, since she's completely evil, the protagonist she goes against doesn't really change to understand what she's saying. Rapunzel doesn't see the world as dark or dangerous anymore; it's the opposite, thanks to her experiences. Because of this, I do wish Rapunzel did have a bit more negative experiences independent of Gothel to prove Gothel's point rather than it being "hey, she's just saying that because she's the villain." Maybe Rapunzel tries healing someone and people start lusting after her hair.

Hans is DEFINITELY a missed opportunity. He was the anti-Anna; isolated and alone, and he became bitter and cruel because of it. It's mentioned that the deleted song "More than Just the Spare" was removed because it made Anna too much like Hans. I don't think that, and if anything, it furthers my point: Hans gave up on his brothers, who he felt overlooked by and pestered by (he doesn't even mention his parents). Maybe give Hans less brothers and feature them a little in the movie so we can see how they interact with Hans and how it's a "what could be" for Anna and Elsa. His evil character is exactly what Anna is trying to avoid, but she understands how he became this way rather than it simply being for shock value.

Yokai was a great villain to me, but the reveal happened too late. I'd have loved seeing a more thorough exploration of his character and parallels to Hiro (which were done great in the film; I just wish it was expanded on). Highlight how people quickly forget about the dead and don't always learn from history, how there's this cycle of loss and hatred that you have to break.

Bellweather was on a power trip, but I do wish she had a storyline similar to Judy and Nick, since--in an interesting twist--they come off as more interesting and complex than the villain. She doesn't really say what made her act like this, and comments that "fear always works." I wish we got more of that, especially to play the two sides card; Zootopia is mainly predator-phobic, and challenges to this, ie predators playing down predator-related crimes in order to get people to look past their identity (and the fact that many predators are in positions of power) may have caused Bellweather's abuse by predators to be overlooked, causing her to want them all gone.

Te Ka is interesting. Despite "Moana" being a great film, I do feel like Te Ka and Maui's storyline was underutilized. It's revealed Maui stole Te Ka's heart for humans, but from what we see, Moana lives in this ideal community where their heritage, culture, and nature is loved and respected. Maybe embrace the fact that Tala is the only one who tells the story of the ancestors and how being they became "comfortable" since they were no longer voyagers, being used to the hierarchy and their stagnant society. Highlighting some humans' selfish natures would've been nice rather than Maui just telling us about it, with Te Ka being a metaphor for the destruction and disregard for nature and love.

Namaari is such a missed opportunity. Despite caring about her community, she comes off as more villainous than an antihero since she doesn't show any sympathy or care for Raya--in fact, she seems rather smug about hurting her. By making her a villain burdened by expectations and love for Fang while slowly being redeemed would've been better to me, shifting her POV slowly, making Raya angry with Namaari but understanding her motives. Having some regret about her choices--even if she believed they were the right ones--would've gone a long way for Namaari's characterization.

Magnifico...well, you already know he could've been one of Disney's most complex villains. Horrifying backstory and powers that are the result of hardwork left him with a jaded view on wish granting. He wants to help others, but has MANY reservations about it.

This is just my POV, of course; some of you may disagree (or feel like the aforementioned villains already achieved what I ask for), but I do hope future Disney villains have that "they're kinda right, even if they're wrong" characterization. It'd be a nice new era as the successor to traditional villains and twist villains--though just like twist villains, this trope requires VERY good writing.

[theamityelf]

In your Kamakura Wrangler Au could you rank who would be the most likely to hurt/endanger Makoto to the least likely to hurt/protective of him out of the students please?

That is a great question.

Honestly, I think his greatest protector (in terms of effectiveness) would actually be Hiro. While he's not actively protecting him or staying with him most of the time, he often does little things to set the right future in motion to protect him. In general, Hiro happens to lack the kind of hollow boredom that most Kamukuras feel; like I mentioned, his vibe toward everything is just that he is watching reruns of real life. Makoto is a recurring character he likes well enough on a show he's seen plenty of times. (The only show. The only channel. But it's not a bad one. It might even be really good, if this were his first time watching.)

Plus, Makoto's luck can occasionally surprise him. One time, Makoto trips and spills food on himself, and Hiro surprises everyone by actually laughing, because wow! A new scene for once!

Second most protective, of course, is Taka. He is vigilant about making sure none of the other Kamukuras kill this innocent and normal person. I think Kyoko and Byakuya would come around to protecting Makoto, too, but initially their vibe might be more, "You won't survive here for very long, so tell me this, before you die..." Taka is protective right away.

The only catch there is, Taka values Makoto's humanity so much that there is a non-zero chance that, if he thinks the scientists will change Makoto into one of them, he might mercy-kill him. It wouldn't be his default response. He's significantly more likely to attack the scientists or whoever else is posing a danger to Makoto than Makoto himself. But if he's identified it as impossible to protect Makoto from being Kamukurified, he would view death as the kinder, more ethical alternative. It would be very quick and painless, and he would cry for the first time, after. Makoto's ability to sway Taka's view on the humanity of the Kamukuras is so, so important to how well everything goes. Though the increasing investment of Byakuya and Kyoko would be helpful.

And Chihiro would also be a big help. They're usually hiding (and as a Kamukura, they're really good at it), so Makoto's conversations with Chihiro read like conversations with a ghost, but the arc there is that gradually Chihiro starts to become a physical presence. Eventually leading to Chihiro protecting him if and when it becomes necessary. Maybe someone thinks they've gotten Makoto alone, his allies are elsewhere, and they can attack him, but lo and behold Chihiro appears and saves him.

Mukuro initially protects Makoto only from being taken away by the scientists. Her strong sense of personal loyalty from before is now expressed as a rigid bond with the new collective, meaning she is very strict about the treatment of the Kamukuras. They have been given this resource, they have negotiated his use, so the scientists are not allowed to take him. Makoto always has Taka on one side of him, but when the scientists enter the room, Mukuro immediately stands at his other side. I think the two of them don't talk all that much, but she still grows fond of him from what few conversations they do have and how positive a force he's been for the other Kamukuras.

On the other side, of course Junko might harm or kill him just on an impulse. More likely harm than kill; despair is one thing, but she does actually need the enrichment. The thing is, the more he interacts with her, and especially the more he reminds her of the past and maybe helps some of her memories return, she might start to actively enjoy despair again, instead of just feeling the impulse toward it. And this time, she's got all the talents of a Kamukura. She would be extremely thankful to him, and killing him might be an expression of that thanks. Or she might keep him on hand as she develops into her new self, with the understanding that she'll kill him when it will hurt her most. If she actually starts to care about what's happening, she can manipulate her friends' eccentricities to get Makoto to herself. (Give or take a wild Chihiro.)

Sayaka would actually be something of a problem, not because she actively bears him ill will, but because she can't handle his attempts to be present as a friend and support for her. Her way of making sense of the trauma she underwent in the Kamukura Project, and even more so the very particular brand of demeaning that is being one of many Kamukuras, is to perceive herself as the one person who doesn't need any help, support, enrichment, or anything. She's supposed to be the one who can help everyone, and then Makoto shows up and talks to her in ways no one ever has, tells her about a past self she's not supposed to yearn for, etc. If she wants or needs it, then suddenly what she went through was just a pointless thing that harmed her and not the thing that made her what the world needs. She feels she needs to take him down several pegs. But I believe she can overcome it.

Hina is a danger, but she doesn't particularly mean to be; she's just very curious and she assigns no positive or negative moral value to any means of exploring that curiosity that pops into her mind. She'll mitigate her own more destructive thoughts because the group will have made agreements as to how to engage with Makoto, but for anything they haven't made explicit agreements about, there is no guarantee she won't hurt him. Even once she considers him a friend, it would be a separate thing for her to fully understand why suffering is a thing that people actively avoid, because she just doesn't factor suffering into her own thought process at all. (She understands suffering, functionally, and she has a full grasp on the ways in which it motivates and influences people's actions, but her own relationship with suffering colors her understanding of what it means that most people avoid it. Not to mention she's an analyst who spends a lot of time around Junko; her data is skewed.)

Celeste will become a danger if it will help her escape, but in most circumstances it won't.

Mondo will become a danger out of agitation over changes in the status quo, since they cause him to feel a lack of control. Like Sayaka and Hina, I believe he can overcome that.

Hifumi and Leon will be more into watching from the sidelines than anything. When Makoto befriends them, they still won't be too active. Sakura I think would be pretty neutral to him. And I'm going to say Toko likes him but does nothing for him.

[cinderella-ish]

Kyo and Momiji: interlude (part 3 of 5)

So, here are just some cute scenes from late S1/early S2 that also inform us of the nature of their relationship.

First, these gems from the Hiro episode.

Momiji immediately figures out what's going on when Hiro starts castigating Kisa for bringing the Mogeta DVD to Tohru instead of watching it with him. When Kisa expresses confusion, Momiji cheerfully says, "Hiro's being unreasonable!"

Soon after, we get this delightful moment:

Kyo: What the heck is going on? Momiji: You're so dense, Kyo. Kyo: Huh? Momiji: Hiro was jealous of Tohru. He's trying his best, but he's still a sixth grader. He's awkward about his feelings.

(cut to Kisa and Hiro talking, then back to our faves)

Tohru: Ah, so I was his romantic rival! Momiji: That's rough for you, Tohru! Kyo: Huh?

And later, when Tohru sentences Hiro to "hug penalty," Kyo's response is adorably telling.

Kyo: Seriously? How is that a punishment? Momiji: *giggles*

I mean, just look at Momiji's face when he calls Kyo dense! But also, it's extremely telling that Kyo trusts Momiji enough to ask him what's going on.

I think this interaction highlights the difference between their people skills. Kyo is good at getting a read on people; he can tell when someone's upset, when someone is genuinely happy, etc... but he may not always be able to verbalize what's at the core of their feelings. He immediately knows Hiro has done something to upset Tohru, but he can't make the leap to understanding it has anything to do with Kisa. I wonder how much of this was a survival/coping mechanism he picked up because of his status as the cat. He would need to be good at getting a quick read on people, especially his biological father, for his own safety.

Momiji, on the other hand, is very good at understanding the underlying things that drive people (knowing that Tohru values her mother when he wants to convince Tohru to go to the onsen, for example, or knowing that Hatori is really just trying to protect Tohru in Spring Comes, or- in this very scene- knowing that Hiro cares about Kisa more than anything), but either can't always tell when people are down and need to talk to someone, or just doesn't like giving space to negative emotions. I suspect this is because of his own traumatic childhood; he needed a narrative way to understand what his parents did, to empathize with them so he wouldn't hate them. He had time to reflect on and understand their perspective, even if it still hurts him.

Momiji uses his ability to understand people's driving forces to manipulate them (not necessarily a bad thing - he manipulates Hiro into apologizing to Tohru and returning her pocketbook by bringing Kisa into the situation, for example). Kyo uses his ability to read people in the moment to make sure his loved ones are safe and happy.

Something else I find interesting here is that the interaction between Kisa and Hiro is a bit of a microcosm of Kyo and Tohru's relationship, right down to Momiji's role as interpreter and catalyst. Momiji's the one who brings Kisa into the situation

Just a cute li'l brotherly moment between them in the episode where Tohru gets sick.

Here, Kyo, Tohru, Arisa, and Saki are planning for their Kyoto trip, and Kyo is being a grouch about having to spend time with Yuki. Momiji scolds him for focusing on that instead of the fact that he gets to spend time with Tohru (something we've seen Momiji scold Kyo for before).

Momiji: Kyo, you dumbo! You already get to go with Tohru! Don't be so selfish! Kyo: Oi. Momiji: I wish I could go with Tohru! I want to eat deer crackers with her! Arisa: Can't eat 'em. Momiji: Kyo, you don't wanna? You don't wanna do stuff with Tohru? Kyo: Idio- 'Course I- Saki: 'Course you-? Arisa: 'Course you-? Momiji: 'Course you-? Kyo: Yeah! This is exactly how you all mess with me! Arisa: It's out of love, I tell ya!

And this scene, after Mayu pours the bucket of water on Kyo and Haru, where Kyo scolds Tohru (again, one way he shows affection), Momiji translates for him/verbalizes Kyo's affection for Tohru again, and Kyo gets embarrassed (cuuuute).

Kyo: And you. Stay away from Haru if he turns dark. Tohru: Huh? Kyo: You can't be trusted not to get hurt. Tohru: O-oh, but that would be rude to Hatsuharu-san... Kyo: He's the one who's rude! Tohru: B-but that's- Kyo: Sheesh, you don't get it at all. Momiji: "I couldn't stand that happening!" is what Kyo wants to say, I'm sure. Tohru: Eh? Kyo: Momiji! Get outta here! Leave! Stop blabbing abou-

It's worth noting that Kyo's scolding Tohru because she could have gotten hurt, and he cuts himself off when he catches sight of his beads and is reminded that he once hurt Tohru, too. Tohru getting hurt is the worst possible outcome of any situation for him.

Just another cute brotherly moment complete with a big brother noogie from Kyo.

The scene where Momiji takes them to the haunted house is also a great little moment showcasing the different ways they show they love Tohru.

Momiji: Here! This is it! Wow, it looks like so much fun! Yuki and Kyo (internally): This... has gotta be... Momiji: So exciting! Let's go! Kyo: Hold your horses, kid! Yuki: Why don't we ask everybody if they want to enter first? Like Honda-san. Haru: She's speechless. Kyo: That means no. Let's go home. Momiji: Aw, Tohru, you can't? You're scared? Tohru: N-no! Well, if you ask if I'm scared, I would have to say I am! But they say that if you clear your mind of worldly thoughts, even fire doesn't feel hot! I can't keep avoiding it! Kyo: Actually, it's fine to avoid it. Tohru: I'm going to enter and show you I can! Go me!

Again, Momiji wants to do fun things with Tohru, while Kyo wants to protect her.

Inside the haunted house is hilarious, too. Yuki and Kyo are both exasperated by the other three, and both of them scold Tohru for closing her eyes or trying to laugh her way through (like Momiji). Kyo teases her, too, which is always delightful. When she falls, Kyo and Yuki both offer their hands, then immediately start fighting. Momiji takes her hand and scolds the two of them.

Momiji: Don't ignore a girl as you fight! It's a no-no! Kyo: Shut up, brat! Hurry and go! Yuki: He's right, though.

Momiji is again telling Kyo to worry less about his hatred for Yuki and more about his love for Tohru, which seems to be a recurring theme. Hmmmm....

Anyway, part 4 will be the beach arc! Hope you enjoyed reading!

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

[stories-of-the-nrm]

The Great Race Part 2

Narrator: That night at Tidmouth Sheds, all the engines were talking about the Great Railway Show.

Thomas: Can you imagine if any of us actually get a chance to compete?

Percy: I think you would do a great job if shunting was an event Thomas.

Edward: Did you hear what any of the events would be, Thomas?

Thomas: I only heard the famous, Flying Scotsman say that there's going to be a racing event.

James (laughing): Oh we know Gordon would want to compete in that. He'd love to have the chance to show off.

(Henry rolls his eyes.)

Henry: It's not as if you wouldn't want to show off your paintwork, James.

James: Ha! I'm sure the judges would love to see my glorious paintwork.

Emily: I do think you would do an amazing job if you did a freight pulling competition, Henry.

James: Oh please, Emily. Henry isn't even the strongest engine on Sodor.

Henry: I'll have you know James that I pull heavy goods to the Mainland all the time. Murdoch only provides goods work for the farmers and Sir Topham Hatt wouldn't want to take him away from that. They would need two engines to pull the trains I can all the way to the Mainland.

Percy: What about Hiro? Isn't he pretty strong?

Edward: Hiro would most likely represent Japan, Percy. He is a JNR Class D51 after all.

James: Yes, yes, we all know what his class is, Edward. Why would that matter? He doesn't live in Japan anymore so he should be able to compete for Sodor.

Emily: Victor's still a Cuban engine despite living on Sodor, James. Donald and Douglas are still Scottish despite living on Sodor. It's possible Sir Topham Hatt would let both of them compete where Hiro would represent Japan as his native land.

(Gordon backs into the sheds groaning.)

Gordon: Are you all still blathering about the Great Railway Show?

Thomas: It's not blathering, Gordon. We're all very excited to see engines from other countries compete against each other.

Gordon (scoffing): I think it's nothing but a waste of time. I wouldn't want to be racing against my brother like some show pony.

Percy: But you like showing off how fast you can go.

Gordon: You don't understand, little Percy. I have to boast about my speed because I'm the pride of Sir Topham Hatt's passenger fleet.

James: Gordon you don't have lovely red paint like me. If anyone's the pride of Sir Topham Hatt's fleet of engines it would be me.

(Gordon groans.)

Gordon: You are the same size as Edward, little James. You could never keep to my schedule. You simply aren't able to go nearly as fast as I can. There isn't a single engine on this island who could pull the express like me.

Edward: You do know Gordon that Connor and Caitlin were designed to go up to 123 mph.

(Gordon rolls his eyes.)

Gordon: Connor and Caitlin are STREAMLINED Edward. They only travel from Ulfstead Castle to the Mainland. They are not express engines like me.

Emily: Spencer's an A4 and can go up to 125 mph.

Gordon: Spencer wouldn't dare risk his position just for some frivolous race. And again Emily he's STREAMLINED. He serves the Duke and Duchess of Boxford which means his work load isn't nearly as large as mine.

Thomas: But why wouldn't you want to at least see your brother the Flying Scotsman again?

Gordon: That is not of your concern little Thomas.

(Gordon rolls backwards into his shed.)

Edward: Well everyone I suppose that's our cue to turn in for the night. Good night everyone.

(They all say good night except for Gordon.)

Narrator: One by one all the engines fall asleep. Although, Thomas could've sworn that he heard Gordon crying as he fell asleep.

(Thomas falls asleep as we fade to black.)

Tagging: @thefedoragirl, @jayde-jots, @colaxcoco, @ethereal-capricorns-blog, @pxmun, @pxmun2, @glitterking599, @gordon208, @nlliah, @bluy1206, @tetsudomoe1304, @klein-sodor-bahn, @ladychandraofthemoone, @sketalya, @postmodernpre-grouping, @thesudrianchronicles, @milkagaisme, @ihatewoodpeckers, @lavenderrosiefan, @eyesinspaceisgone, @jordeynnotgordon, and @asktheoriginalorder.

[master-of-the-railway]

Relating to your post on the subtle angst of being a machine, I hunger for all the possible physical angst elements. Where is the fear of limited or increasingly costly repair parts? Where is the worry of the shrinking pool of mechanical experts (engine troubleshooters)? The simple inescapable awareness that one's moving parts are constantly degrading? Horror relating to corrosive/damaging environments? Complex emotional trauma and strange coping mechanisms in response to the reality of their entire "family" slowly *literally* falling apart?

YES!!! YESS!!! FUCK YES!!! SOMEONE THAT GETS IT!!!!!

going to. put this under the cut bc I have SO MUCH TO SAY.

You get it SO well, so many good points there. All things come to an end, and engines especially can be kept alive for over a hundred years if they are well taken care of, but there's so many who are not as valued or who simply cannot be taken care of as well as their owners want to take care of them. And they can rarely do things about it. It's honestly admirable that some of the Sodor engines have worked so hard to protect and preserve their fellow rolling stock. Oliver is a beloved little engine, but he likely stays up some nights thinking about how if Douglas hadn't happened upon him, he wouldn't even be here right now. He'd have been melted down ages ago. Not to bring up Hiro again but he is literally the first engine that comes to mind when I think of this sort of thing. He went to Sodor so excited to be helpful and useful and was promptly abandoned not long after he'd broke down. He was stuck there for god knows how long and if Thomas hadn't found him, by accident mind you, he would've corroded and died there most likely. And yet he would've rather done that then get scrapped. Almost as if he wanted to pass away on his own terms. Like I mentioned before, we're shown often that most of the kind-hearted engines (specifically on Sodor) will put forth their best effort to keep any machine out of the smelters. Thomas listened to Hiro's story and was likely deeply disturbed that Hiro had been abandoned like that and not a single person dared to look hard enough to find him when he was still on Sodor this whole time. But with his horror, came understanding, because he knows the reality of even some of the most famous locomotives at times can be harsh and even deadly. And Spencer showed no care or concern at all, not only that, but he almost seemed delighted to inform Sir Tophamn Hatt of Hiro's existence purely to ensure that he was scrapped. He knew nothing about Hiro. He doesn't even LIVE on Sodor. And yet he took great pride in the concept of getting the old engine scrapped. As if that does not mean the very end of an engine's life. It's honestly really unsettling to me how quickly Spencer jumped to that conclusion. Not to mention the tearful horror in Hiro's voice when he was yelling out to Thomas whilst trying to get away from Spencer.

Henry was locked in a tunnel for fearing the rain would damage his coat. How often did he beg those workers that would come by to let him out? How many times do you think he cried feeling like he'd failed his entire railway and that he'd never be released again? There was no sympathy shown for him. And no acknowledgement to the terror he very likely felt for the time he was trapped there in that tunnel. He got sick not long afterwards, the anguish he went through in that time period was probably something awful. Most all machines are at the mercy of their employers. They don't have the appendages to escape the situations they get in that some humans might be able to get out of. If you deprive any machine of their fuel they cannot go anywhere. If you refuse to repair them they cannot go anywhere or function properly. There's a reason they pride themselves on being really useful. If you're not really useful, you're either sent away or you're...well...sent somewhere to be scrapped. It's the way the world works with real, non-sentient machines...and it seems like the TTTE universe operates on those same principals despite being a world where 99% of all heavy machinery is alive and can think and speak for themselves. Sometimes it's just progression, sometimes it's business, but at no time is it ethical. They are alive. They have wants and desires and emotions and fears, yet very few of the humans in their world seem capable of understanding that. There's so many scary things that come with being an engine. If you're too slow and you get less done than a new model, you're likely done for unless somebody cares enough about you to take you in and restore you. Sodor seems to work overtime to preserve old rolling stock, I'm sure they would've taken incredible care of Hiro had he not went home to Japan, and it seems like they did miss him there considering that he's still very well taken care of when he comes to visit Sodor after he'd moved back home. But there's so many engines who don't have that luxury. Hiro just as well could've been sent back or left sitting still, of course whoever owns him now clearly cares for him a great deal. The other types of machines aren't as touched on as our beloved engines are, but they surely experience the same kind of stuff. Airplanes may just as easily feel the same anxieties as old steamers do. They get antsy when they can't fly because what is a plane good for if it can't get off the ground? There's just SO many things to talk about. I really do think the fandom should include things like this in angst content more bc there is a lot of the show's own canon that is genuinely unsettling when put into real world perspectives.

[nerd-cat-rambles]

Rating Every Danganronpa Trial (That I've Played.)

Please keep in mind I've only played THH and SDR2 and I am kind of biased lol. Also, this is a long rant so buckle your seatbelts... or something.

Last Place:

"CELESTIA LUDENBURG GODDAMIT!"

THH Trial 3: I hated this chapter. The search was too long, Robo-Justice plot was annoying af, I hate that Hifumi believed Celeste about Ishimaru, Kiyondo was a useless plotline (I still love his character tho) and Kiyotaka could've had kick-ass character development like Fuyuhiko got in SDR2. Instead he just... died. I hated that Celeste lost her cool, the trial was annoying, and I hated it. 1/10.

"Kyoko's a ghost!!!"

THH Trial 5: I hated this dumb plot. Shortest trial in all of Danganronpa, and yet it felt like it went the longest. Don't care about the victim, debated whether Kyoko was a ghost for... a good 15 minutes? People are dumb, the investigation kind of annoys me. The only good thing was Owada's "Crazy Diamond" pick-axe in the shed. I wouldn't re-play it at all. Boring. 2/10.

"None of us know what happened to the world, but maybe she knows..."

SDR2 Trial 6: This trial was decent, but probably not as re-playable as it could be. I liked Hajime in this trial, but I feel like we needed a bit more to go off of, playing it I didn't understand that everybody was alive. Junko fanservice was bad. Felt really dragged on, but important points were not included enough (E.G: Kamakura) I don't get Junkos' motive this time but the remnant thing was pretty cool. I would replay it, definitely not my favourite. 5/10.

"We're all remnants..."

THH Trial 6: This was also an alright trial. A bit too much Junko fanservice but I liked Genocider Syo in this trial, she was funny. I liked Junko's plan but she was quite a bland mastermind. I would've rathered Togami or Kyoko but that wouldn't make sense for the plot. Hiro did nothing in the trial again... I kind of enjoyed this one, but last trials are known to be bad so this could've been a bit higher if Enoshima could've had a better motive than "Despair, despair, I'm bored, kill my sister." Re-playable by a slim amount. 5.3/10

"I did it all... for my beloved!"

SDR2 Trial 3: Chapter three trials are known to be worse than Chp.6 because the culprit doesn't need to kill two people, but they do, they get caught, and they spam F in the chat and scream about "stupid, not fair, because, apologise" etc. I find this trial isn't as bad as everybody says, the search was confusing, Hiyoko dying was funny, and I laughed. Mikan couldn't possibly set up her locked-room murder in time and then meet Hajime in the Music Venue car park. This chapter had so many loopholes (E.G: How did Hiyoko even die?) but I liked it more than the other ones. Weak execution, but great Despair Disease motive. Might reluctantly re-play for nostalgia. 5.5/10.

"You.... all killed her! You pushed Sakura into a corner! She died because of you!"

THH Trial 4: I'm going to get hate for this one... but... I'm not a big fan of this trial. I am biased, yes, but everybody is, and this is my respectable opinion. The investigation was decent, and so was the discovery. I find that Aoi trying to kill everybody was smart but dumb at the same time, if that makes sense. I kind of got bored after THH after a certain trial (no spoilers for the rest of this list) I loved the Alter-Ego twist, and Sakura's note was great. Junko messing with the suicide note was not cool though. I would replay it but it still isn't my favourite. 6.3/10

"Hey! You can't say that without any evidence! This is bullshit! You're stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Heh, I guess I just have pretty good intuition!"

THH Trial 1: Okay, I LOVE THIS TRIAL- I really love this trial. When somebody says "Danganronpa" THIS is the trial I think of. It isn't the best, and it's a very short chapter compared to SDR2 Chapter 5, but oh my gosh. I love it. I liked Sayaka a lot, and I also loved "Fake Junko" before I knew she was Mukuro. I thought that Leon was really cool too. I liked the introductory trials a lot, and this one is amazing! The series starts with a bang, and you realise "Oh shit this isn't as colourful and fun as I thought." The only reason this trial isn't higher is because it was obvious and easy. When I first played THH, I admit I didn't even notice 11037 on the wall and was stuck on the investigation for like... an hour... *disappointed sigh from me* but upon re-play it's easier than I remember. I know it's for Japanese speaking users who wouldn't know Leon/11037 in English. Highly re-playable, good twists, good introductory trial. 7/10

"Good bye my four dark devas of destruction..."

SDR2 Trial 4: I'm also probably going to get backlash for this opinion, but I still LOVE this chapter. I love the island, I love the motive, I love the strawberry and grape houses, and the elevator. I love the Hajime octagon meme! But, the trial was just DIFFICULT. I actually had a laptop infront of me the whole time with the answers up- I loved Mechamaru and the Sakura statue. I love Gundham and his hampsters. A great execution, a great trial room. Silly Fuyuhiko was the only reason Gundham got caught. I like that we got to switch between Nagito and Hajime's POVs and the Russian-Roulette scene. My only issue is that I'm dumb. That's it. 8/10, very re-playable.

"P-please Peko! Don't go! I NEED YOU! Don't leave me!"

SDR2 Trial 2: Okay, we are up to the final 4 in trials, and this one takes 4th place! I love it so much! I have ALMOST nothing bad to say about this trial at all! The relationship between Fuyuhiko and Peko was shown to beautifully during this trial. The execution was amazing, the music was absolutely a banger (as always) and oh my gosh. This trial made me so sad and emotional. Very smartly set out murder plan. Enough on the trial until a little bit later, my thoughts on the island are great. It's probably my favourite island in the game. The only thing bringing this chapter down a rank is the fanservice... THE DINER SCENE. If you've played you know what I mean... anyway, the only other thing bringing this chapter down is the motive. Twilight Murder Syndrome was a game I didn't care about. I didn't care about Sato or Natsumi. I didn't care about Girls A through E or Guy F. It got too confusing and annoying and I had to write down who each character was because they kept reffering to Mikan as Girl A. It got annoying, but I enjoyed this chapter and would replay it more than once. 8.5/10

In third place we have...

"AVRIL LAVIIIIINNNNGGGGGEEEE"

SDR2 Trial 1: Uh... even I'm surprised that a guy calling us "Avril Lavinge" got third place, but here we are. I don't care much for Teruteru or Imposter/Fake Byakuya, and the execution was a little bit silly. I loved this chapter, we got introduced to the characters and their aspects much better than in THH in the man hall, it helped us explore the island and learn the new locations/controls as well as hitting us with nostalgia. I have nothing bad to say about this chapter at all. I liked that Byakuya strangely tried to take charge (which was unlike what he did in THH) and I think that his dying resulted in Hajime realising he had to get his shit together and step up. Loved the references to the first game. Great humane motive, great chapter, great fun, not too hard not too easy. I loved this trial and chapter alot. 9/10.

In second place we have...

"Yep! You got it right!. I'm just going to confess, I'm the traitor."

SDR2 Trial 5: Yeah uh... I'M SO BIASED THAT THIS ISN'T FIRST, BECAUSE THIS IS TRULY THE BEST TRIAL OUT OF THE FIRST GAMES BUT WHATEVER THIS IS MY OPINION AND MY POLL HERE WE GO!

I loved this trial. Nothing bad to say. The chapter was amazing, the new island was great, the bomb thing. Awesome! The traitor being revealed? Awesome! I cried! NAGITO DYING SO BRUTALLY? AWESOME!!! I have nothing bad to say, and I loved this trial SO SO SO much! Hajime and the others in denial about Chiaki being the traitor was such a strong plot. I wish that the last trial of SDR2 was as good as this one, but it isn't :(. Let's start with Nagito COOKING. He absolutely ate, fire, luck, the whole plan was amazing! I don't know how he or the DR2 team came up with that, but whoever did NEEDS a raise bro! I think about this trial so much, I'm so dam passionate about it. The most brutal body discovery? Check! The saddest execution? Check! The best execution music? Check! The craziest body search and evidence search? CHECK! I loved this trial so so so so so so so much, and it deserves to be number one. Fully replayable, amazing, elite! I have no issues with it. 9.5/10

And... first place... omfg-

I love this trial so much. I can't even describe. When somebody says Danganronpa, THIS is the line I think of.

"JUST SHUT UP YOU SON OF A BITCH! SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. From one man to another..."

Peak Danganronpa (In my opinion). I agree, THH is the weakest of all the Danganronpa games in characters and visually. But if every trial cooked like this one, goddamit I WISH-

THH Trial 2.

I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!

Let's start: The motive, amazing. I loved it. Imagine your most embarrassing secret. "Nobody would kill over that" you'd be surprised. I loved the bromance between Ishimaru and Owada, and the sauna scene was just hilarious. The chapter body discovery was amazing, Byakuya framing Toko for no reason JUST to get her secret out was amazing (asshole move, but amazing) Celeste not mentioning the track-jacket colour... the emotion in their voices. The body search was fun! The new floor was fun! The free time events I chose were fun! I love Mondo, I love Kiyotaka, I love Chihiro. Another humane motive. I got chills hearing Kiyotaka's voice acting. CHILLS. Even though the execution story is terrible, and a bit goofy, just imagine being liquified... your body turns to mush, your internal organs fail you... your body eats itself and crushes itself, bones and all. GODDAMIT IT'S AMAZING. I also loved Syo in this trial. Who gave Byakuya the right to be such an ass though? I love it so much, I have nothing bad to say about it. I will replay it OVER AND OVER AND OVER I LOVE IT SO MUCH! 10/10

Anyway, sorry for this long-ass shit-post. Hope you enjoyed reading my opinions. I'm bored so I'm going to rank executions next, with shorter paragraphs. This includes the executions in V3, for those of you who love Strand of Agony and Der Flohwalzer!

[mainstoryarchive]

Underachievers - 3: Gospel

Tatsumi: Fufu. Excuse me. It seems I’ve surprised you.

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: Meeting room, StarPro

Tatsumi: Fufu. Excuse me. It seems I’ve surprised you.

It appears I have a bad sense of timing.

Hiiro: ​(…? How curious. At first glance he appears to just have a calm demeanor, but in reality he doesn't show any weak spots! I wonder if he’s ​some kind of martial art master?)

Tatsumi: ? What could be the matter, dear sir? …Is there something wrong with my face?

Hiiro: No, I think your face is uncloudy and well-proportioned. By the way, I am called "Amagi Hiiro" not "sir". Nice to meet you. Let's become friends.

Tatsumi: Hm? I don't understand, however I'll happily accept that offer.

Fufu. No matter how old one gets, to be able to make new friends is a thing to be grateful about.

Let us thank God for having let us meet.

Aira: Can you not have such a weird conversation and explain about this situation instead… I've been getting left in the dust for a while now.

Wait. Huh, could you be—

Could you be Kazehaya Tatsumi?

Hiiro: Nay! As I've said many times, my name is Amagi Hiiro!

Aira: No one is talking about you, Hiro-kun! Not you, the person over here…

Tatsumi: Indeed. As you have said, my name is Kazehaya Tatsumi. So you were aware of my name, how unexpected…

I've been hospitalized for quite a while and as such my activity as an idol has been on quite the long break after all.

So there are people who still remember. I'm grateful.

Aira: There's no way I could forget!

Kazehaya Tatsumi is known for his legend of being hailed as the number one idol produced by CosPro's idol training facilities before 'Eden' came around!

Aira: Uwaah, it's an honor to meet you♪ You said you were hospitalized? Is that the reason why you haven't appeared in public for some time?

I want to know the details, it's intriguing! Ra-vely!

Ah, but before that… Please sign something for me…☆

Hiiro: Hmm. Your reaction to his and my introduction is clearly different, it's somehow strangely vexing.

However, I'm more so confused by the many strange words you just used. What's an edden? Whatever could cosupro mean? Is it something well-known in the city?

Tatsumi: I wonder… I was hospitalized in an area that was almost wholly isolated from the rest of the world. As such I am quite unaware of the state of the world. You could call me Urashima Tarou—[1]

I'd actually rather like someone who is more knowledgeable to teach me about this and that. Umm, you… what's your name?

Hiiro: Understood. His name is Shiratori Aira! He is my friend!

Tatsumi: Fufu, is that so. I've memorized it. As karma wills it, you have remembered my name and so I swear I will never forget yours.

Aira: Hey… Hiro-kun, you and I first met today, could you not introduce me like we've been best friends for a decade. Kazehaya-senpai ​will misunderstand.

Tatsumi: You can just call me Tatsumi. Hm… I surmised you had a good relationship from how neither of you holds back, however it seems the both of you have only met recently?

That aside I wonder why we were all gathered here?

How peculiar. I wonder just why three complete strangers were gathered here together.

Aira: Huh, Kazehaya—…Tatsumi-senpai, could it be that you're unrelated to the summon we got? Did you just happen to be walking by?

Tatsumi: No, that is not the case. I was also abruptly called upon and was quite bewildered because of it.

Regardless; I did obey because the letter I received held some—frightening contents. It told me that if I were to ignore this summons, a befitting punishment would be given.

To be completely honest, I do not have any idea what is happening.

Aira: R-really? Then we're all the same! But that's weird, because senpai, unlike myself, is an excellent idol.

Tatsumi: That's already in the past. A past that has most likely been interpreted only in good ways and glorified.

From back when CosPro's affiliated schools have been doing flashy promotions. You could say that they have the tendency to make smoke where there isn't even fire.

At this point I'm just a relic of the past. I'm nothing less than a wandering traveler, who has lost his place after being away from the mundane world for too long.

Aira: You're just being modest~ A bird is a bird no matter how low it falls. For someone like me, who crawls over the ground, you are like a person above the clouds♪

And that's exactly why this is weird.

Hmm… I thought they were gathering a bunch of failures so they could fire us all at once… But even if he's been on a long hiatus, there's no way they would let go of that Kazehaya Tatsumi…

ES has been doing well, but it has only been a little while since it's been established. They should want as much fighting power as they can get.

Hiiro: You two, hold your breath for a bit.

Aira: ? What's up, Hiro-kun?

Hiiro: I can hear footsteps.

No, What could this be? I can feel an ominous presence!

[ ☆ ]

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1. Urashima Tarou

[legendheroes]

since Masaru mostly lives in the digital world, did you guys tell him about the modern slang or does he still not know the meaning of those words?

Uh... I don't think Masaru is forever stuck in the Digital World? I mean, I remember so little from my last rewatch but it didn't seem like the digimon would be separated from their human partners... They were returning to the Digital World in order to help calm everyone down since they... They had lost an important god-like wannabe figure and everyone was confused.

And if they did, pretty sure the Savers' version of the Digital Gate would've been reopened post the epilogue scene...? I dunno, Savers didn't feel like a bittersweet ending like Tamers and Frontier for me...?

Unless you mean Haru, R!Taichi and Hiro? If that so, I guess nobody would understand those three's slangs because they're ahead of their time... And possibly from different timelines/worlds not related to the others at all.

(don't mind Ni, i just idk how to reply this with the boyos' dialogue/art)

[shihalyfie]

I have no idea why but something made me go back into my dummy attachment to all series protag crossover things and... Well, i've been thinking about this since the purple Tagiru card and the birth of the jokes based on it about Tagiru having his own corruption arc in Digica.

Who would be the most dangerous to the less of concern enemy out of the 9 protags (double Taichi, Daisuke, Takato, Takuya, Masaru, Taiki & Tagiru, Haru, Hiro) if they had a corruption arc? 👀

Context: Tagiru's Tamer Card is purple, which is unusual because purple is usually associated with dark or undead Digimon. It's probably because Tagiru's meant to be played with the Arresterdramon line (with Arresterdramon being purple, the card game has gone across the usual color associations just to match the relevant Digimon's color, and he does have some "spirit"-type attacks), but it's funny to consider that most of the Digimon protagonist cards so far have been red, and Daisuke being blue is pretty easy to understand why, and then Tagiru got pinned with the color that all the evil Digimon usually get. So of course, the amusing question that follows is how effective Tagiru would be as an (attempted) evil overlord!

Least dangerous: Masaru, actually! Not because he's incapable, but because of the above list, Masaru is the only one who comes off to me as being actively turned off by things like world domination or power for the sake of power. For better or for worse, he's the kind of person who's very self-focused and has goals related to his own definition of self-improvement, and even on the evil side he would still probably be bound by so-called "honor before reason". So if left to his own devices, the worst thing I could see him coming up with would be some underground fighting ring or something else that "causes trouble" but is hardly world-threatening, and even if he ends up being hired help he'd be like a one-off assassin rather than a core part of the threat.

After that in order: Daisuke, mostly because in many ways he doesn't really have a spine (I'm saying this affectionately) or enough conscious malice to get anything done by himself -- even when he's on the good side he's incredibly reliant on his friends to make any real progress. He's a pragmatic enough person that I think he could be surprisingly effective as someone else's right-hand man or minion, but I don't expect him to be a very good evil overlord by himself.

Hiro, who's outright stated in the series to be a doormat who just goes along with everything, and is only considered to be more dangerous than Daisuke on this list because he's a pretty capable guy who can keep himself together in situations Daisuke can't.

Tagiru, who certainly has the drive to do things but is one-track mind enough to be easily predictable. Which is fine in a lot of cases, but being an evil overlord not so much.

Takuya, because while like Tagiru he has a sort of one-track mind with things, he has a sort of "innocence"/"earnestness" Tagiru doesn't that I could easily see being corrupted into the kind of malice that enjoys tormenting people for the sheer fun of it. I think that's the part that's really scary about this, that if you flipped just a few switches in the wrong direction Takuya could be like those kinds of bullies who made Tomoki's life miserable.

Takato, who's often deferential, but, well, the scene where he completely lost himself to wrath is one of the most famous ones in the franchise for a reason. Of course, in that case his own good nature won out, but if a corruption arc is in play...

Reboot!Taichi, I feel could go pretty much any way.

Haru, who's thoughtful and intelligent, and only isn't put beyond the following two because he doesn't have a lot of experience with actual leadership, and his talent of keeping people together is outright dependent on his kindness.

Taiki, who has the charisma to lead a whole army and whatnot, and is very good at planning things out to achieve his goal. Power grabbing is what his entire series is about! The one thing that I think might hold him back to any significant degree is that his Good Samaritan nature of "I can't leave anyone behind" is portrayed as something that's so integral to his being that it's basically compulsive to some degree, whereas...

Most dangerous: Taichi. Of course. Well, we haven't seen him directly lead an army like Taiki did, but even when he was in an existential crisis about his career he still decided to go into poli-econ, and we know he eventually does go into hardcore politics. He's charismatic and great at bringing people together for a goal, and while he does have a self-sacrificial aspect, it's heavily tied to him having guilt over troubling or hurting others, and if that weren't in play...

[toujokaname]

Game master / Episode 18

Author: Akira

Characters: Hiiro, HiMERU, Aira, Kohaku

"As Nii-san's little brother, that is Hiiro Amagi's honest opinion. His deduction."

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[ Read on my site for a better viewing experience using Ois~su ♪ ]

Season: Winter

Location: Amagi's House

Hiiro: Fumu. But a farewell gift, huh?

In that case, the "culprit" that HiMERU-san mentioned earlier would be—

Could it be you're talking about Nii-san?

HiMERU: How did you come to that conclusion?

Hiiro: For Nii-san, the female AkanP is the producer that shared his hardships during his solo career. He feels indebted to her, and given Nii-san's character, he hopes to return the favor.

Aira: Is he really that dutiful? Doesn't he seem like he'd just laugh off and skip out on debts?

He treated his adorable little brother, Hiro-kun, so roughly after he worried and cared for him. In other words, he's ungrateful and shameless.

Hiiro: That's not true. Nii-san has gotten so twisted that it's hard to read his true intentions, but I don't think he'd repay kindness with betrayal.

Rather, the gratitude I've repaid is nowhere near enough for the kindness and affection I've received from Nii-san all along.

I've come to think that recently. No, I was convinced of it that summer.

So even now, I still love Nii-san.

And never again will I think of Nii-san as a despicable traitor who abandoned his hometown and me.

HiMERU: .........

Hiiro: In the past, Nii-san was a monarch. Born and raised for that purpose.

However, he rebelled against that destiny and ran away from his hometown.

He didn't want to be a monarch who devoted himself to his people, he wanted to be something much different.

Aira: And what was that?

Hiiro: In that summer, amidst that sweltering heat... No, even from a long time ago, Nii-san has been asserting it with his entire being.

"I want to become an idol."

Aira: .........

Hiiro: Before, I didn't fully understand what that meant.

I didn't know what being an idol was yet.

Aira: Ahaha. At that time, Hiro-kun kept on asking the same question.

—"What is an idol?"

Do you understand a little better now?

Hiiro: A little, yeah. Thanks to Aira, Tatsumi-senpai, Mayoi-senpai, and everyone else who taught me.

An idol is someone who makes others smile, brings happiness to them.

And in doing so, they find their own smiles and happiness.

They're like monarchs, but different. It's much more personal, intimate, human...

Ahh, it's hard to express, but it's something truly precious that sparkles even brighter.

That's what I think now.

That's what I've found to be the "correct answer."

And so, Nii-san is trying to become the idol he dreamed of. For the sake of becoming an idol, maybe even now—he's trying to make someone smile.

Because by doing so, he can smile too.

As Nii-san's little brother, that is Hiiro Amagi's honest opinion. His deduction.

HiMERU: —Is that so? Generally speaking, HiMERU has no objections.

Rinne, who appears to be the culprit, mastermind, and instigator behind these recent events, is up to yet another scheme. As usual.

However, it is not so contradictory to HiMERU's pursuit of becoming a perfect idol, one could surmise.

HiMERU: Because both Rinne and HiMERU are idols.

It was because of that commonality that HiMERU ended up getting involved with such a rotten scoundrel, a situation that wouldn't have occurred otherwise.

That's why we're walking the same path.

Kohaku: Yeah. We're all buzzin' around together, flyin' under the same sky.

It's annoyin' and unpleasant, but surely, we'll reach the same destination.

Aira: Ermm... Sorry to interrupt when you seem so pleased, but I'm not following the conversation at all...?

So what does it all mean? We know that Rinne-senpai seems to be up to something shady, but ultimately, what's he after? What's he doing?

HiMERU: Regarding that point, if you look at the big picture, you can somewhat infer it.

Instead of fixating on the equation, look at the solution. What phenomenon occurred as a result of Rinne's actions in this instance?

Take a look at the result, Shiratori.

Aira: Ummm, the result is that we got forced into this weird showdown...?

HiMERU: That's also part of the process. What do you suppose came out of that showdown? No, rather, what's happening now?

Aira: Uh, well, we're going through some scary stuff in this backward village...?

HiMERU: Yes, that's the current result, the answer. We came to this Amagi Village as part of our idol activities, within the context of Matrix.

Aira: Um, so Rinne-senpai's goal was that? Putting cameras in his hometown...?

HiMERU: At this stage, that seems like a reasonable assumption. Although the purpose of that action is still unclear.

HiMERU isn't sure how those strange figures, the two AkanPs, are related, either.

Hiiro: I've had some thoughts on that point. But I kept going "I wonder if it really is like that"—you know?

Back when I was in my hometown, I picked up on some rumors.

HiMERU: ...? Could you please elaborate?

Kohaku: Well, if we just wait it out, I reckon eventually Rinne-han'll come and explain everythin'.

He pulled the same stunt at the first match's wrap party. That troublemaker just loves gleefully braggin' 'bout his misdeeds; it's his reason for livin'.

[ ☆ ]

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[curejiraiya]

i'd like to talk about the follow up tweet please, thank you

So like your initial thought reading this tweet, is that his wish was fulfilled because Kouji got with Ito, and Takeyuki (Jo) was Kouji’s dad and Gen was Ito’s dad, therefore in a way they got together; and I mean I can’t say that doesn’t make sense, but I do think there’s a better interpretation of this; or at least one that I like a little bit more lol

To me this is a story about two fathers wanting more for their children. The goal of a parent is to have their child grow up in a world that’s better than theirs. And something I’ve written about before is the changing political climate between the 80s and the 2010s when the story of Rainbow Live takes place. When Jo and Gen were teenagers in Lucky Star it simply was not acceptable for them to be together. I’ve definitely written on this before. 1985 was the beginning of the AIDs crisis in Japan. The public was under the assumption that it was PHYSICIALLY dangerous to be a gay person. That gay people were dying for their sins.

So my interpretation is that Kouji’s father’s wish isn’t that he wants Kouji to be with Ito, Gen is the one that reached out to Jo asking to reform Lucky Star. At the time Gen had two children, he and his wife were in a completely different point in their lives than he was when Lucky Star disbanded, and so was the world. Like it’s now the mid 2000s and Gen and Jo are both adults. So Gen thinks that maybe it’s okay that Lucky Star is a thing again, he thinks maybe the two of them could be a thing again. 

And Jo hesitates. He hesitates because he doesn’t like the idea of changing the relationship with his family. He loves his wife and his child. Obviously I’m interpreting this as he’s gay, but you can be gay and still in love with your wife. This has happened throughout all of history. Because love isn’t solely romantic. He doesn’t have to be sexually attracted to women to feel like a father, like a husband. To him, his place in society was to be the man of this household. To protect his wife and child. I think it would be wrong to interpret that he didn’t like this aspect of his life. Because you can still be happy if things are perfect. 

And Jo’s wife Natsuko knows of this relationship because she tries to put a stop to it. She’s the one that keeps Jo out of Lucky Star because she wants to keep her family together. She knows things would change forever if the two of them were back together. And she’s afraid of that. I understand, they had a child together and she wants to keep their traditional marriage. I don't think she's really in the wrong here, I don't think she could ever be wrong to fear her husband leaving her. To fear what the AIDs crisis has done to gay men throughout the world for the man she loves.

So to me Jo’s feelings, his wish that he passed down to Kouji wasn’t to be with Ito. It was to live in a world where Kouji could love anyone he wanted. A world where he and Gen could’ve been together. That’s the world that the queers of the 80s and 90s wanted for the next generation. The ones that were being killed by the epidemic hoped for a future where the next generation could unequivocally be themselves. A world where you didn’t have to make the hard decision between the one you love or a family and potentially your life.

Picking one or the other was a decision that both Gen and Jo had to make, and they had to be on the same page or tragedy would strike. And that’s what happened. 

But Kouji Mihama was born in the year 1998, and for him and all of the future generations of queer children, they’re finally not forced to make that decision. It’s been slow over centuries but the world is finally progressing towards a place where people can choose who they’re with. And for Kouji that means anyone he wants. It means he isn’t restricted. He can choose to be with Ito if that makes him happy. But in this world gifted to him by his father he can choose to be with Hiro.

The thing about Jo’s wish is that it doesn’t matter who Kouji ends up with, just that he gets to choose freely. And if he chooses Hiro he can be with him without having to give up another aspect of his life like Gen and Jo had too. Kouji can be with Hiro, and Ito can be with Otoha, and it’s still fulfilling the wishes of their parents. That’s part of what Gen said, Kouji and Ito should be able to give it a shot because they’re just teenagers. It might not work out, they might grow apart from each other, but that’s part of being alive. That’s part of them being able to freely love whoever they want. That's his feelings fulfilled.

Thank you

[fishy-lava]

Hello Loveliest Fishy!

You asked for more so here you go :)

🏆 a recent release you enjoyed 👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻favorite main couple 🌄 your favorite scene of any BL show

May your day be peaceful and your sleep restful.

Hello Ama! Thank you for indulging me in my desire for silly little questions lol <3

🏆 A Recent Release You Enjoyed

Definitely Perfect Propose! It was such a simple and mundane show but in the best way possible and i truly loved getting to watch Hiro and Kai open up and grow and heal together in a way that felt very natural and steady to me (and surprisingly didn't feel rushed despite how short the show was). I really appreciated the topics they touched on as well and the series will definitely be one very dear to me for a long time i think.

👨🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻 Favorite Main Couple

This is a tough one! Especially when there are so many couples i adore but i think for this I'm gonna go with Tang Yi/Shao Fei bc no matter how much I rewatch Trapped my love for them never dies. They can be so silly and ridiculous and soft and it's so much fun to watch them fight and work together and tease and take care of each other and truly fall for each other (and drive each other insane sometimes lol) in a way that feels so meaningful to me and then you add in the scenes like this

that just break me down into nothing but an emotional disaster no matter how many times i see them.

Everything about these two, from the hostility at the beginning to the ridiculous antics and the tender love and quiet gentle care and the raw heartbreaking emotion, was truly so incredible and these two have remained a favorite couple since the first watch and likely will continue to be for many years longer.

🌄 Your Favorite Scene Of Any BL Show

Wow!! World's Most Difficult Question For Me Specifically™ as someone who has watched over 40 different BLs as of now and is notoriously bad at picking favorites and sticking to them lol

To make this easier for myself I'm just gonna go with one of the first scenes that popped into my head and say the confession scene in UtsuKare at the end of season 1 in the classroom.

There is genuinely not a single thing i don't like about this scene. The emotions, the color scheme, the lighting, just everything. i do not know how to describe the way it makes me feel.

The distress in Kiyoi as this all becomes too much for him to handle anymore, the way his mask of nonchalance and apathy he hid behind for so many years to protect his heart is now nowhere to be found in the wake of everything finally boiling over, the way he shouts at Hira because its the only defense he has left, the way his voice breaks as he tries to speak and to make Hira understand, "I'm an ordinary guy. I want to be with the person i love. I want to touch him... I'm just an ordinary guy." Hira's shocked disbelief that Kiyoi could ever want him of all people, the emotion in Kiyoi's face and in his voice as he falls apart, "Why would you love someone like me?" "I wish I knew! I really don't know" the mesmerized look on Hira's face as he tries to reach out and touch Kiyoi only to have his hand slapped away because Kiyoi can't handle it if it doesn't change anything, the way Kiyoi is lashing out because he's still so afraid of how much this matters to him, "I love you so much, Kiyoi, that it drives me crazy! I think of you like a god. I never thought i could have you." " I'm not a god" Hira's nod as he tries so hard to understand "Can I touch you, Kiyoi?" "Not if it's the same way you did before" the way Hira looks at him as he tentatively places his hand on Kiyoi's cheek still unable to believe he really can do this, the way Hira looks him in the eyes as he tells him he loves him, THE HUG AND THE WAY HIRA BACKS KIYOI ONTO THE DESK AND THE LIGHTING AND THE MUSIC AND THE WAY HIRA IS FINALLY LETTING HIMSELF WANT AND TO ACT ON IT AND THE WAY KIYOI LETS HIM BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HE HAS WANTED FOR SO LONG

I'm sorry i just have a million feelings about this scene and its impossible for me to convey them in a way that makes sense and isnt just screaming but holy fuck dude this scene was so incredible and the actors did an absolutely phenomenal job with it

Even though it's the end of the season it's also just the beginning of them learning and growing together. It's the beginning of Kiyoi learning to be vulnerable and express his feelings and ask for what he wants and of Hira learning to be Kiyoi's partner and equal instead of a devotee and servant like he always thought he was. It was an incredible end to the season and very important turning point for both of them as people and their relationship going forward and i am still so incredibly proud of the growth and progress they achieved through the rest of the series. It's both one of my favorite scenes and one of my favorite series and I'm not sure i will ever really recover from the things it made me feel.

Again, thanks for the ask and sorry about my probably incomprehensible ramblings lol, I hope you have a very lovely day<3

BL Ask Game

[shummashum]

Hiro Tachibana Ch1 [6~11]

Anyway, Liz and Hiro were following behind Zeus, who was very excited due to Klaus' absence.

and Sig is mentioned here come to think of it, what is Sig doing after graduation? I'm kinda curious

oh… that you know, there was a buddy system in the previous seasons which is very very stupid system to somehow keep Liz and her love interest together cough cough

Anyway, they arrived the Headmaster's office.

hello Mr. Rembrandt you're still just roleplaying as an NPC who throws out a bunch of quests

whew just do it yourselves… our S6 comrades are not pawns that you can use as you please… how many times have I been saying this

Anyway, Remb announced that he had one more thing to talk about apart from the BBW case.

what recommend

huh... is another slave officially about to added

oi Hiro are you planning on saying yes? well you'll eventually be involved in all cases regardless of whether you become a Prefect or not because of your loudsy boss, but that's a separate issue from whether you wear a leash yourself

eh the bgm stopped?

uh erm well what can I say, it feels a bit different than rejecting it with a euphemism like "I'll consider that (nah I won't do that shit)" perhaps he doesn't want to take such a leader position? but something feels off

don't force him oh man the atmosphere has become sour again if the first chapter is this stuffy, how will the climax unfold

but well I'm kinda surprised the Hiro I've seen so far has been portrayed as just following Zeus' words even though he's been complaining one after another, but this is the first time he's expressed his opinion so strongly

Well that's how he left.

but this is not a problem that can be solved by forcing him I understand his concern for him, but I think acting that way would be counterproductive…

uh… why tho do you really need to do that why don't you just respect his opinion and leave him alone

uh wait Zeus E_TP Liz definitely ENFP I think Cae is E, I'm not sure about Al but I guess he leans more towards E? so this is E's way of thinking harsh,,,

Anyway they headed down to cafe.

hello you may not be happy with this situation but what can you do since you're stuck in the E group, it's force majeure

what

Well they encouraged him to become a Prefect, citing different charming reasons, but he remained steadfast.

oh no the already low success rate has become even lower

eh… what is there a special reason

Then Hiro ended the conversation by saying that he was going to take a nap.

oh… evasive maneuver

that's a pretty convenient ability honestly I envy it more than dimension rip

well I don't think you need a clear reason for liking or disliking it though

oh... he can't use magic? since when? from birth? or for some reason? then the dimension rip wasn't done with magical power? what then? singularity? but is this a matter that can be revealed without the consent of the person concerned erm,,,

I've always wondered, why is he wearing a sword at the magic academy, and why is he never shown using magic now I get it but why can someone who can't even use magic stay in a magic academy you know, Joel was in danger of being expelled from the academy because he couldn't use magic in his route but him?? eh...

[hiro-doodlez]

HELP I can't see my therapist for a couple of weeks and am currently having something i like to dub "yet another hiro autism crisis" where i contemplate if my therapist gave me the right diagnoses (she has told me she is not certified to give autism diagnoses, and instead more things like depression) Right now, I am diagnosed with ADHD, Anxiety/ Social anxiety (its still up in the air, DPDR, and depression. idk if that matters SO NOW I LIST RANDOM THINGS that could be considered symptoms or not I DUNNO HOW TO DO THISS feel free to ask questions about some of the crap i say here half of it doesn't make sense

First off, I have a general trouble understanding most social situations, and struggle sometimes when talking about practically anything. For example, earlier today my step-mom basically said she wasnt going to finish her food and let my brother have it. my brother said he would leave 2, he didnt (BOZO) and later after he left she found the empty container and said something along the lines "HAH! I thought he said he was gonna leave me 2!" and immdeiately without thinking i went "hey! you said he could have as many as he can! and hes working 10 hours a day and needs his energy!!" half jokingly and she got mad at me for it, we got into a mini argument over that.

When saying something thats serious, i tend to make a joke around it and i have NO CLUE why. I just CANT be openly upset around people. For example, when being told about something that happened to me as a kid that NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED RAGRHAGHAG, instead of having a breakdown and being reasonably upset, i burst out into giggles and laughs while my brother was just so fucking confused on what was wrong. It was kinda like i couldn't stop and it fucking sucked

The TINIEST things can upset me, and other HUGE things can have little to no effect. Its so incredibly annoying

I have INTENSE fluxuations in interests, hobbies, and motivation for certain projects. I will start on this huge project that im INCREDIBLY excited for, and then a week later have little to no interest in continuing it.

I make everything about my personality a joke, i dont know why. EVERYTHING i tend to say or do has to be funny. it's like i dont want people to see beneath that

I fluctuate in personality A TON, especially depending by the people i am around. At school, I'm the quiet kid. I don't talk to anyone except maybe 5 people, but other than that i tend to stay completely silent. It could be a mask? i dunno. but when im at home, ask my brothers, i am BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS. it might also be me just getting some of my energy out? RRAHHH I DUNNOOO

I will simply forget to do very important things to the point of endangering my health. Like forgetting to eat for a day straight. my step-mom thinks i have an ED AND I DONT. i literally just keep realizing suddenly at like 6 pm all i have eaten is a couple of skittles and pringles.

i have no clue how talking to people works and im constantly winging it. I forget how to have friends especially how to even talk or interact with them and its so stupid. I can't ever start a conversation with someone without having at least 5 minutes going "am i weird for this am i being annoying am i being clingy".

If i say even one thing wrong i WILL be thinking about it for DAYS thinking about how they probably hate me now and im a terrible person ect. ect.

I tend to hide many of my traits (especially good ones) because i am incredibly embarrassed and never want anyone to EVER compare themselves to me.

im a people pleaser does that count

i tend to get extremely upset if i get told one bad thing about something that i like or just a project i have. For example, I had this fandom silly man poll because i just wanted to find out who was silly. Then one of my friends just posted something like "i hate fandom polls theyre the worst" and i just lost complete motivation afterwards. I haven't touched that blog in WEEKS at this point becuase i simply have no more interst

I have had a meltdown or 2 before, and they both stemmed from being told about how i was a bad person. i don't know why the hell thats a thing

I can't stay focused on one thing for long periods of time (ADHD cough cough) Like literally earlier i was watching this video about autistic traits and i kept having to back the video up because i would get sidetracked in my mind to the point where im just not listening anymore

if im not paying attention to people sometimes I SWEAR theyre saying "ffajaleifnanamzmaldafjkjeffnma" and as soon as i start noticing it suddenly theres words again. hate that.

i have times where it can kinda seem like i cant speak, and if i do everything comes out wrong and jumbled. Like when my autistic friend would have a sensory related meltdown, i would never know what to do and end up going dead silent because of being so mad at myself for not knowing how to help (any tips actually hahahahaHOW DO I HELP)

i have little idea who the hell i am. had a mini-crisis because i didn't know what my favorite color was because before, it was the color my friend with synesthesia said i was and i just went with that (i think its purple or blue i have no fucking clue JFALJK)

i will have spikes of random motivation on one thing. like learning lanugauges, i will have a week where its so easy to get like 10 lessons on duolingo done a day and then the next week its a struggle to get even one done.

i focus better with distractions ??? I can't focus without music and tend to do better on reading tests if everyone else in the class is talking ???

i remember the most random things about certain things. Like, i could not for the LIFE of me remember what color that one persons hair that i was talking to for 15 minutes straight. but i can remember that they had pink socks on. WHY IS THAT WHAT I REMEMBER??

I hate organization and doing the same thing every day. i NEED chaos. My brother a little bit ago helped me out and got me to make a personal to-do list. i couldnt do it a single day even though the things were extremely simple like "brush hair, make bed, eat breakfast ect."

i zone out a LOT. especially when people bring up topics im uncomfortable with or conflict with my current feelings. i go into a kinda little talking (not nonverbal, i can still talk) or just confused state that freaking sucks.

when im in a high energy mood i tend to not feel.. reall???? I do many things overboard and annoy the heck out of my brothers. i always feel terrible afterwards.

Idk if this is weird to say but i tend to get really off put when people im comfy with get haircuts or major changes in their appearance. I never like the change no matter what the hair cut looks like. i dont have any clue why

i have no clue whether or not any of this is real or if I have managed to make it all up in my head. (bascially when i was younger i wanted attention and ended up faking depression for a year straight and was an absolute ass to my friends and blah blah blah)

[madeofcc]

What are some words that are a big part of your oc’s vocabulary? How did they pick up on them?

Oooooh *0* Thanks a lot for this awesome ask @shanisims ! This is surely interesting and kind of deep about writting process so ...

Not all of them but some of my OC's have some kind of words habits of their own, depending on where you start the story and who you're focusing on.

The story starts with most of them being teenagers, so during season 1 and 2 they all mostly curse a lot when they speak, especially Destiny and Renji who are both going to curse even when they're 30, just a bit less but still. Both of them have some kind of hot headed trait that they try to control. Also, Destiny is supposed to be poor, leaving with a drunk dad in the beginning so of curse she would curse like him (When I started the story, I actually pictured Joel and Ellie's relationship in The Last of Us for Des and her dad William). Hiro tends to not curse a lot as he likes to think he's educated enough and Leïla mostly curse in french when she's upset or hurt because it's her natural habit, also a good way for her to be understood by others (her sister Soraya does the same). Julia, on her evil side, curse specifically to hurt and she's not affraid to appropriate all the words she shouldn't (she uses the N word all the time and other terrible words because she knows it hurts and upsets others U_U). Hugo, on the other side, never curse and speak english with a strong french accent as he learnt human language through TV and as a weird fascination for France and french in general. His name Hugo is actually the one he chose but you'll know all the detail about his life later in the story (and this is some kind of big plot revelation thing so I can't tell you everything yet).

As the story moves on, the characters will grow and meet new people that will bring some new words into their vocabulary. For instance, Aïssa is black, trans and has some french antillean roots as well so she uses a lot of slang words coming from all the cultures that she's a part of, especially when she's around her closed ones or when she's upset. She will influence Destiny as they're dating. And same goes for every characters that will have a special bound to another.

Just like in real life, we all have some expressions/words related to a common love/friend story and I really love to play with this a lot when I write. It kind of creates a deeper bound between the characters and the readers who understand better their relationship. It's also a good way to remember some specific events, to illustrate what our ocs like/love together (I love to add some movies/songs reference between them sometimes to add more realism in a way), to also increase something,,a feeling/situation (like someone who will curse on their loved ones because they're really hurt for instance) ... I guess language can reveal a lot about our characters but also on ourselves ^^

I have to stop otherwise I might write an entire essay here but thank you so so much for this awesome ask ! I hope the answer is already enough but if you need more examples, or like a mini list with the ocs habits don't hesitate to ask again :)