#but ogata light and eyes

[ruporas]

can’t look the sun in the eyes

[grand-line-shenanigans]

My favorite middle-aged men who do fuck all <3

..and various other characters as well, I suppose

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

Izana but give him a mental breakdown Golden Kamuy, chapter 310-style

[kkachi-rkcl]

WIP Excerpt (my fave bit is under the cut)

Fandom: Golden Kamuy

Ship: Ogata X female!Reader

Context: You are a doctor for the 7th division and were in charge of Ogata’s recovery after his fight with Sugimoto. The two of you are on the run after being discovered as traitors to Lt. Tsurumi

———

“Ogata,” you say again, pairing it with some light taps on his arm. He stirs this time. His head lolls lazily to the side to blink at you through half-lidded eyes. “Dawn is breaking. We should get moving soon.” His hair is slightly mussed where it rubbed against the tree trunk. You resist the urge to reach out and fix it.

You watch closely as he yawns, looking for any signs of pain. You think his jaw quivers slightly as it stretches, and this time your hand reaches out before you can stop yourself. He blinks when your fingers touch his cheek, his eyes snapping over to watch you, but he makes no further move to stop you or move away.

“How does it feel?” you ask. Your fingers trace down the scar and gently palpate along his jawbone.

“It’s fine.” You wait to see if he will elaborate. He doesn’t. Of course.

You move to crouch between his legs and take his face in both hands, turning his head this way and that, inspecting your handiwork. In the cool light of dawn, you can see more clearly than when you rendezvoused last night. His bruises had faded weeks ago, leaving only the barest trace of swelling lingering around the fresh pink scar lines. It was easy to forget when he was shrouded in bandages, but Ogata really does have an excellent jawline.

“You’re rather bold for a woman alone in the wilderness,” Ogata says flatly, his voice vibrating through your fingertips as they drift down the muscles of his neck.

“I’m not alone. I’m with you.” Your eyes drift back up to meet his, deep pools of inky black.

“You know what I mean.” His hand comes up to your knee, eyes boring into yours all the while as his fingers move slowly along your thigh.

You repress the shiver that threatens to run down your spine. “Ogata Hyakunosuke. I have brought you back from the brink of death, cold and naked on an operating table. My fingers have been within your flesh while you were at your most vulnerable, and the marks of my touch will stay with you forever.” Your fingers trace his collarbones as you lean closer, and your lips ghost over the scars you created. “I am not afraid of you, and if you wanted to do the same to me, I would let you.”

His hands have drifted all the way to your hips and stop there, unmoving. His pulse is steady beneath your lips and you can’t help but smile as you nip his neck. The sniper’s composure is truly admirable. “But,” you add, pulling back to land a quick peck on his nose, “the time and place could probably be better.”

Ogata scoffs, but lets his hands slip off your hips as you stand up and walk over to your pack. He smooths his hair back with a smirk and it’s not long before the two of you are on your way again, your shadows shrinking behind you as you continue east.

———

Author’s Note: I probably haven’t written reader insert fic in 15 years, but this feral cat boy has given me toxoplasmosis and the brainworms ate my cringe filter.

[goldenkamuyhunting]

For the entirity of the manga, Ogata's eyes are flat black, even on extreme closeups. There's a single panel in the train scene where he has pupils. How do people interpret that?

Well...

...are you talking of this scene?

It's worth to mention in the volume version Noda removed the dialogue (as it was pointless since Ogata got his answer already at Karafuto and so it couldn't bother him anymore)

While reading the manga I and other readers noticed there was kind of a code in the way eyes were depicted... but don't take it as perfect.

With light inside= normal

Without light (might become permanent)= did/is about to do something so bad, suffered something traumatic, has lost hope/inner purity/whatever

Pupils visible, iris white or very clear, no light (might become permanent)= overwhelmed with rage, fury, omicidal instinct, pain, worry, shock or maddness

In Ogata's case, since the dialogue was removed and the way his eyes are is not permanent we can assume it's just he's overwhelmed by pain as the Ainu poison is very painful (if it were surprise it should be in the previous panels). Still, everyone is free to speculate. Even if the way eyes are drawn is a visual clue, as said before the rules aren't so binding and apply to more than one feeling so do your pick.

Sorry I couldn't give you a definitive answer and thank you for your ask.

[ii-iikko]

TOUCH

ogata.fem.reader drabble

PLIABLE wasn't the proper term to accentuate his hands: they weren't soft, weren't warm and neither were they a familiar ire when touch blossoms upon.

"Spring comes and goes." You said once.

Under the shade, you stood with the corners of your lips, then, plush cheeks curling into a smile. The flares of sunlight spools through the crack of the foliage, and a ray glinted your eyes. Brightly, your irises flickers.

"But it leaves an unforgettable trail in it's wake."

Now, your eyes pulsed with dissent. No longer was there the genial mien, you upholstered. And, as his fingers curls around your neck, clamping down on the flesh, his sleeves pull taut in tandem of your struggle. Nails dig through the layered uniform — then, a light tap against his skin.

"Traitor." A hiss seethes through. You wracked a cough, grunting from the weight of his body above. "You're a damned traitor, Ogata."

Below, the snow bites into your skin. He leans forward and the crook of his nose brushes against your neck.

"Oh? Tell me something I don't know, rabbit."

[eyedelater]

noda-sensei's art peculiarities

(links are carefully selected example images from golden kamuy)

incredibly skilled with the human form; even difficult poses are rendered perfectly. (does he make everyone naked just to show off?)

babies are Not cute. they're ugly with puffy eyes and always look sleepy and disgusted.

clearly hates drawing teeth and the inside of mouths. notably just leaves the inside of mouths white most of the time. sometimes draws rough teeth, sometimes draws detailed teeth, sometimes implies teeth with shading, sometimes fills it in grey— it's not consistent at all. i think i've deduced that what he hates the most is calculating the position of teeth in the mouth.

despite the above point, he seems to always draw sofia's teeth because her tooth gap is an important part of her character design

sometimes zooms in and draws details (especially on hands) then zooms out and you can tell because now the line weight is a little different

3/4 view from behind (1/4 view?) of people's faces where you just see the funny bumps of their lips. and it always works

big round sweat drips that often have Texture and Shading.

incredibly skilled at drawing animals, even notoriously difficult ones like horses. though most of the animals die. especially horses.

amount of sparkle in the eyes is meaningful. more sparkle indicates the lightness of their spirit, and no sparkle indicates coldness or jadedness. best/worst example is reinvigorated tsukishima. asirpa is of course also a critical example. and i think ogata's eyes never have any sparkle his whole life.

he can draw wrinkles in the places where they would normally go on someone's face, and he can do it well. or he can decide to draw Other lines on someone's face, in any spot, and if someone questions it, the answer is that they're just like that, and you have to accept it. i really like this "they're just like that" approach to character design, and there are many examples in golden kamuy (e.g. ariko's square irises and pupils, ushiyama's forehead plate, tsukishima's nose)

really good at drawing the way strands of hair wrap over the top of someone's head. (look at tsurumi, ogata, hijikata)

he'll draw chapped lips that'll make your own lips feel real dry.

mouths are often shaped like that... but it works

eyes are usually black, but sometimes a character's pupils will get really small during moments of high tension and you can see their iris and it's light

this is just a hunch but i think he prefers drawing men over women

judicious use of lines going up from the corners of the mouth

he's not a coward: if a character's chest is exposed and the angle is right, he will draw that character's nipples, and that is right and just. he will apply the same principle to draw a character's butthole, which i don't have such a strong opinion about.

there are lots of men with very close-cut hair (bc it's the military) and that's not distinctive, so he gets creative with the hairlines. i think this is an underrated aspect of character design.

careful use of line weight on the corners of closed mouths has a powerful effect (of cuteness?) (look out for this next time you read the manga. it's everywhere and it's the best.)

consistently skillful use of ink splatter effects for blood; similar splattery effects used for snow

eyebrows and other facial hair are usually drawn as multiple long, thin lines together, and for an eyebrow with emotion, you put a couple of perpendicular lines at one end or both

strands of blood or hair extend and curl around in unrealistic ways for dramatic effect. this effect is omnipresent.

occasional really, really choice faces that were obviously drawn either from photo reference or while looking in a mirror

character design by actually giving everyone different facial features, as opposed to character design by assigning different hair and accessories to uniformly pretty people. the latter is much easier, but he chose the thorny path of his own will! thank you for setting a strong example, noda-sensei!

[gumbaigumbai]

Ramblings on Modern AU Ogata

Modern AU Ogata has so much potential when it comes to the different ways his mental instability could be displayed, along with his living situation as well.. so I'll write down some thoughts I've had/collected below (& I'm well aware Noda mentioned he'd be a dentist but I wanna explore other possibilities)

^ to preface I've read a couple works on ao3 abt this as well so some ideas are heavily inspired

Work: I think a job as a photographer would translate over his sniper skills very well, links such as steady hands and a good eye, staying still in a required position, "shooting", and freelance of course.. Though I don't think this would pay well enough for him to maintain a decent living, so he would primarily work as a morgue attendant for a couple reasons; respect given when needed, no customer interactions (or if so, very few), most talking is between co-workers which I don't imagine there's plenty of, he wouldn't be opposed to being in the space w. all the corpses, it could worsen his mental state (🤤), to an extent links back to his "canon" modern job via medical field

As for the home life; small apartment, can't imagine him caring about upkeeping the place or getting "fashionable" furniture so most items inside are just necessities. while he was only doing photography he used to sleep on a mattress but after the attendant job he upgraded to a simple bed. Definitely has a computer setup that he saved up for, used for editing/organizing his pictures and doom scrolling. I like to think he has some interest that he researches in his spare time, could be really into the history & different types of guns, or if we want to be less on-the-nose he'd enjoy deep sea creatures - just reading up on them or watching videos, maybe those informational documentaries. Also has a small amount of fondness towards Hello Kitty (bc ofc I have to add this), though it's something he's embarrassed to admit (Usami found this out & never let him hear the end of it)

Relationship w. ppl

I think he'd be pretty good at coming off as collected while working (outside of home) but when he's not required to talk with others he's contrived in public, says the bare minimum and leaves. He'd keep in touch with Usami and Tsukishima - they always have to reach out first but in his better moods sometimes he starts talking w. Usami. He used to have some sort of relationship with Tsurumi (relationship not used in a romantic sense here) but they fell out and he doesn't have contact with him anymore. Yuusaku has his # and tries inviting him over for the holidays but he declines most of the time, another instance where you must catch him while he's prone to social gatherings..

Mental state 😻

Okay this is where I take a lot of liberty so I apologize if ppl don't like this… I think he would definitely be depressed to some extent, falling into episodes where he's more of an active suicide risk, but it's not often enough to become debilitating to carry on normally. He wouldn't reach out for help, and would over time get much worse before he ever gets better (I'd like to think in the modern world he'd have a real chance at reformation though). Usami would unintentionally worsen Ogata's mental state by affirming his negative thoughts, though as an avid Usao shipper I have to give myself a treat and pretend Usami would take care of him during his worst times… And wouldn't make fun of his attempt at getting better if he ever enters therapy (delusion works in mysterious ways). Ogata would engage in self-destructive behavior; taking light drugs at a younger age but as he got older he resorted to sh. The first step towards rehab however would be a holiday dinner with Yuu where he actually showed up, and they entered a genuine conversation over his issues after Yuu grilled him enough about his worries.

Anyway, sorry this was so long & I didn't include many other characters, & if you just don't really see this as plausible for him - I like to play with him like a Lalaloopsy in my head

[ogize]

きれい花火だよねー ねぇ百ちゃん, りんごあめちょだい

For now, I will write about me and Hyakuchan’s first matsuri together.

After moving to and living in Japan for a few years, I still hadn’t gone to a matsuri since I was nervous about going alone. This takes place after Ogata’s feelings for me has begun to blossom. Though he was still processing it and didn’t understand what he felt, he was acknowledging it in his own way.

One of the 7th division soldiers named Shigeru invited me to go to the matsuri with him. At the time me and Ogata’s relationship was still unknown to the public except for the select few that noticed something between us. With Ogata in my mind, I rejected Shigeru on the premise that I didn’t want to go.

Though festivals seemed were frivolous to Ogata, the idea of taking me to one stuck to his mind. Knowing I never gone to one, sparked an uncharacteristic urge to see me happy. Ogata didn’t outrightly invite me, instead he brought it up casually while masking his excitement with his nonchalant tone.

“There’s a festival this week…” almost like an afterthought. After a pause he says, “you should see it.” Of course I didn’t catch on to his invite, and told him that I didn’t want to go out of nerves. Before I could say anymore “I’ll take you” saying it like it was no big deal. Making me wonder if if he was doing it for practical reasons, though the faint upward tilt of his lips revealed otherwise.

While at the matsuri, Shigeru saw me with Ogata. Ogata doesn’t have the most positive of reputations on the base. And so with that along with jealousy, Shigeru decided to start insulting Ogata in front of me. Asking why I’m with the 山猫. Nothing infuriates me more than someone tarnishing Ogata’s name, let along in front of me. Even after speaking my mind on my love for Ogata, Shigeru’s continued his relentless remarks. So I punched the lights out of him.

Furious, I held Ogata’s hand as we made our way to where the hanabi would be. Ogata didn’t say much but I could see the appreciation in his eyes as he patted my head while I calmed down.

Even with this unexpected encounter, me and Hyakuchan proceeded to make memories that day that neither of us would ever forget.

(That’s why I don’t skip arm day, to protect my husbands honor. Also, a more serious progression in our relationship occurs but that’s for another day)

Commission by ordecchi

[piduai]

One thing I love about GK is how often characters die happy. Edogai died knowing he was of value to Tsurumi. Ushiyama died assured that he's a hero. Henmi died... doing whatever tf that was.

With the revelations Ogata made before he died, do you think he was happy? I keep going back and forth on it :/ You have really good insights and recently did a reread, so I'm curious what you think.

no, quite the opposite of that, which is why i'm saying that his death was exceptionally cruel, especially compared to everyone else (henmi, usami, edogai, anehata, ushiyama, hime & oyabun, ienaga all died some sort of accomplished and content).

ogata spent his entire life convinced that he is lacking something fundamental as a human being, but only because he was born to parents that didn't want him, parents that didn't love each other, therefore created something utterly defective. he was attributing all of his faults and actions to that inborn inadequacy, all while believing that only if he could become chosen by his father, by tsurumi, by the army he could make up for what he's lacking - and if he failed that, only if he could take his father's seat, even through deception, to prove that his resplendent father and chosen brother aren't any better than him, that even he, who is such a broken, lacking person, could achieve their heights, making them meaningless. if he can prove that he is no worse than those proper, whole people, then it doesn't matter that nobody ever loved him and that he was unwanted by anyone, because the difference between him and those who aren't lacking would be null.

but yuusaku loved him, or at least tried to. and he killed him with his own hand just to prove a point, to test a theory. somewhere at the bottom of his heart he knew that he did something wrong, and asirpa, by being kind to him, by trying to love him, by reminding him of yuusaku, shed a light on these feelings of residual guilt (not towards yuusaku or other people; towards himself) he has been avoiding for so long. this is why each time he'd point his gun at asirpa, he'd hallucinate yuusaku's ghost - it was haunting him, telling him that he can't make this mistake twice.

but if yuusaku loved him, and he felt guilt towards shredding that love to pieces with his own hands, then it means he wasn't a fundamentally lacking person. it means that he always had a chance to be happy. it means that all he did - killing his mother, killing yuusaku, backstabbing people, looking for love in all the wrong places, self-sabotaging, running away - weren't actions borne out of his inherent inadequacy, it were his OWN choices, so him becoming the wretched creature that he is was his OWN fault. he has avoided thinking of all that his whole life but then the poison circulating through his system made him delirious, terrified and helpless, and opened all his old wounds. sure, it was a relief to learn that he wasn't BORN broken... but the pain of realizing that he MADE himself broken was too great, he couldn't stand it, he couldn't look at it, so he shot himself in the one seeing eye to free himself from it.

i think a happy death for ogata would have been being proven right by having asirpa kill him, have his theory that good people will do bad things if pushed far enough confirmed and him dying smugly and somewhat peacefully with this knowledge. but the narrative went out of its way to give him a gut-wrenching self-imposed punishment before finishing him off. so no, i don't think he died happy.

[cicadaemon]

You know I never realised what I disliked about Ogata's first appearance cause all things considered its not bad but it still doesnt sit right. Just realised what it was. He's drawn with light reflecting in his eyes.

This man is not allowed to have anything but dead, cold eyes

[aggro-cucco]

Everytime I see that picture of Ogata with light in his eyes I take psychic damage

[here-lies-golden-kamuy]

after seeing some of your Ogata meta, I wanted to share an idea I had.

it starts with Yuusaku, and Ogata's paradoxical hatred/envy of him. in my mind, Ogata hates Yuusaku because he represents a privileged existence. one that their father granted to Yuusaku, while neglecting Ogata. they're like light and shadow. Yuusaku's purity has and will always frame him as an exception to the compromises that other people have to make... and it's not just in relation to Ogata. normal men compromise their morals during war, but Yuusaku is treated as though he's above everyone.

Ogata's position is that this isn't fair. but then, what should be the method of leveling the playing field? Yuusaku would rather bring Ogata into the light, and Ogata would rather drag Yuusaku into the dark. these are their attempts to become relatable to each other, but they'd have to fundamentally alter each other if they were ever going to see eye to eye.

when Ogata asks "was a blessed life ever possible for me?" he does tip his hand a bit. it sounds like he actually wants to have those blessings. meanwhile, Yuusaku was never enticed by the darkness. Ogata failed to prove that his way of thinking is inherently tempting... and when Ogata shoots Yuusaku, that 100% cements his ideological loss. Yuusaku's death ended his potential to change, and immortalized his purity forever. and Yuusaku left Ogata with a curse of his own: "nobody should be able to kill without feeling guilt."

Yuusaku died, and made it so. and with this background knowledge, here is what I'm really getting at.

at the end of their journey together, we see Ogata draw a clear parallel between Asirpa and Yuusaku. both are people who have an empathetic, sentimental urge to care about the lives of others... and they expect to try and maintain that moral framework, even in the midst of a conflict that seems to necessitate violence and death. in some ways, their dedication to these morals can come off as judgmental towards people who have ended up dirtying their hands already. early in their relationship, Asirpa and Sugimoto grappled with that.

I believe that, if Asirpa and Yuusaku are comparable, then Sugimoto and Ogata are contrastable in the same role... they've responded in opposite ways to the same offer. both consider themselves to be cursed, and they think of killing as sometimes necessary, but Sugimoto feels guilt fully and readily. and when Asirpa reaches out to him, Sugimoto is more readily willing to change.

once you start thinking of the two as foils, there's no going back. Asirpa reminds Sugimoto of how he lived before the war, and Sugimoto devotes himself to Asirpa... Yuusaku reminds Ogata of how he lived before the war, and Ogata kills Yuusaku. one accepts the aid of someone who can help him heal, while the other rejects it.

this all culminates in Ogata murdering Wilk, and shooting Sugimoto. at that point, Sugimoto is basically what Ogata could've been if he'd embraced the connection that was offered to him. and I think it's symbolically meaningful that Ogata tries to kill this symbolic healthier version of himself. with this one decision, he ensures that Asirpa will never be able to think well of him... not if she ever learns the whole truth. whether Ogata knows it or not, he's essentially been watching as, once again, another person lives a more blessed and prosperous existence that he cannot partake in. he's always on the outside looking in, and when he shoots Sugimoto, he closes off one more important avenue.

I absolutely love the scene where Asirpa shoots Ogata in the eye. first of all, Asirpa and Sugimoto are beginning to swap their views on killing. Asirpa's morals have been tested, and she's starting to come to Sugimoto's early conclusion that killing isn't something she wants to do, but sometimes it can't be avoided if you want to survive. meanwhile, Sugimoto has picked up Asirpa's philosophy of being as non-lethal as possible. war isn't the proper tool for preserving a culture... Sugimoto already knows it isn't the proper tool for preserving a person. he went to war, and it nearly destroyed him. but now, everything he values about himself exists because, from the beginning, Asirpa had the correct tools to let him rebuild himself.

and so, when the arrow hits Ogata in the eye, Sugimoto saves Ogata's life, regardless of his rage. Ogata failed to kill Sugimoto, and Asirpa succeeded in healing him. as a result, when Asirpa is in danger of being pulled into the dark, she has someone there to help her.

and Ogata has still failed to corrupt anyone. he can't figure out how to bring someone down to his level so that he can relate to them. he's still alone. he never quite figures out what's good for him until after he's already ruined it.

Hey, anon! <33 When I first read this, I was totally blown away /gen And honestly, you deserve your own meta post about Ogata for real ‼️‼️‼️ I'd totally lose my mind again like I did the first time I read this /pos

Let me give you my thoughts in chunks! :-D I'll put it under the cut because holy shit it's so long

"it starts with Yuusaku, and Ogata's paradoxical hatred/envy of him. in my mind, Ogata hates Yuusaku because he represents a privileged existence. one that their father granted to Yuusaku, while neglecting Ogata. they're like light and shadow. Yuusaku's purity has and will always frame him as an exception to the compromises that other people have to make... and it's not just in relation to Ogata. normal men compromise their morals during war, but Yuusaku is treated as though he's above everyone."

My god, the thematic light and dark analogy is so on point. I agree: Yuusaku is the embodiment of light whilst his older half-brother is the dark entity. I always found it interesting that Yuusaku was pushed to a position of veneration (chapter 165, page 12). By keeping himself pure, he will be an "icon" for other men to look at and relieve themselves from the guilt of killing another person. What's interesting about it is that he's following the interpretation of their father about the superstition surrounding the flagbearer role. I argue that Yuusaku, to some degree, is forced to be light. He was forced to play a role that dictated that his life should radiate purity. His position as flagbearer and the mysticism behind the role wasn't his idea (and to some extent, wasn't his choice - he just followed what his father wanted); but because he's a willing participant of this superstitious belief, he, therefore, transforms himself from mere man to a purity akin to divinity.

Because he's so pure, to the point of veneration, I feel like that was part and parcel of why Ogata killed him: to prove to himself that even the gods and their blessed children bleed and die at the hands of men like him.

Ogata's position is that this isn't fair. but then, what should be the method of leveling the playing field? Yuusaku would rather bring Ogata into the light, and Ogata would rather drag Yuusaku into the dark. these are their attempts to become relatable to each other, but they'd have to fundamentally alter each other if they were ever going to see eye to eye.

when Ogata asks "was a blessed life ever possible for me?" he does tip his hand a bit. it sounds like he actually wants to have those blessings. meanwhile, Yuusaku was never enticed by the darkness. Ogata failed to prove that his way of thinking is inherently tempting... and when Ogata shoots Yuusaku, that 100% cements his ideological loss. Yuusaku's death ended his potential to change, and immortalized his purity forever. and Yuusaku left Ogata with a curse of his own: "nobody should be able to kill without feeling guilt."

YES YES YES!!!! Exactly! I love your idea of them trying to bring the other to their "ideological side" as a form of relating to one another. I feel like Yuusaku wanted to "save" his brother from the darkness that he feels had enshrouded him his entire life. Ogata, on the other hand, wanted to prove that a person who was beloved by his parents and who had it all can still be someone like him: "normal". This comes from the idea that Ogata thought that it was normal for everyone not to feel guilt when killing people (chapter 165, page 13); who knows what else he thought was normal?

I think there's a part of Ogata that really wanted to be a blessed child, underneath all his layers. There's a Tumblr post that tries to pull out the intricacies and nuances in Ogata's confrontation with Hanazawa Senior in chapter 103. I think it really showed Ogata's vulnerability, the inner child in him that continued to be ignored and hurt.

I think Ogata's hand in Yuusaku's death does immortalize his purity forever! Because Ogata finally gave up on their game: Yuusaku won their ideological battle by offering Ogata true love and acceptance (it's completely familial please) - something he's never received from anyone in the past. Though, I don't fully agree with how Yuusaku's death ended Ogata's potential to change: rather, for me, it symbolizes that Ogata's life ideology is flawed, and he ran away from it rather than confronting it. I argue that his potential to change died in your later observation of him shooting Sugimoto and/or when he pointed a gun at Asirpa and got shot in the eye by accident.

I love your idea of Ogata having his own curse as a result of Yuusaku's death: "nobody should be able to kill without feeling guilt". Because that's the backbone of his relationship with Asirpa, the one who reminds him of Yuusaku and someone who also tried to love him.

at the end of their journey together, we see Ogata draw a clear parallel between Asirpa and Yuusaku. both are people who have an empathetic, sentimental urge to care about the lives of others... and they expect to try and maintain that moral framework, even in the midst of a conflict that seems to necessitate violence and death. in some ways, their dedication to these morals can come off as judgmental towards people who have ended up dirtying their hands already. early in their relationship, Asirpa and Sugimoto grappled with that.

I believe that, if Asirpa and Yuusaku are comparable, then Sugimoto and Ogata are contrastable in the same role... they've responded in opposite ways to the same offer. both consider themselves to be cursed, and they think of killing as sometimes necessary, but Sugimoto feels guilt fully and readily. and when Asirpa reaches out to him, Sugimoto is more readily willing to change.

once you start thinking of the two as foils, there's no going back. Asirpa reminds Sugimoto of how he lived before the war, and Sugimoto devotes himself to Asirpa... Yuusaku reminds Ogata of how he lived before the war, and Ogata kills Yuusaku. one accepts the aid of someone who can help him heal, while the other rejects it.

this all culminates in Ogata murdering Wilk, and shooting Sugimoto. at that point, Sugimoto is basically what Ogata could've been if he'd embraced the connection that was offered to him. and I think it's symbolically meaningful that Ogata tries to kill this symbolic healthier version of himself. with this one decision, he ensures that Asirpa will never be able to think well of him... not if she ever learns the whole truth. whether Ogata knows it or not, he's essentially been watching as, once again, another person lives a more blessed and prosperous existence that he cannot partake in. he's always on the outside looking in, and when he shoots Sugimoto, he closes off one more important avenue.

[With so many emotions] fuck. 🥹🥹 I love your assessment of both Asirpa and Yuusaku being so firm in their own beliefs that they can come off as judgemental or even condescending to those that fail to meet their standards. Well in the case of Asirpa, she eventually learns that the world isn't as white and black as she used to think, so she too grows in her own ideological perspective.

Sugimoto and Ogata are foils, you're so right, and you pointed out the main reason why I strongly believe that. It boils down to their respective relationships with Asirpa, who is characterized as a "chosen one" in the sense that she's a) given a huge moral task of protecting the Ainu (and later on even the other ethnic minorities in Karafuto and Russia), and b) she's - for the most part of the story - depicted as someone who's is pure (and is firm in staying pure) in a world of bloodshed and greed.

I like your idea on how Sugimoto and Ogata had their respective person who represented light in their lives. And you're right: they differ in their response to being "saved". I wholeheartedly agree with how Asirpa reminds Sugimoto about his past (unmarred) life. But for me, I think rather than being reminded of his past, unmarred life, Yuusaku represents a "what if" in Ogata. He represents a blessed life that Ogata himself could have lived; to go even further, even perhaps the lost life he could've had, should Yuusaku hadn't been born.

I think that Ogata truly did close himself to the possibility of a blessed life. Hence, I love the metaphor of him having his own path in the snow versus the lynx (meko oyasi) and the rest of the group in chapter 169. Like a lynx that lives a solitary life, he was forced to live life alone because of the childhood neglect he experienced (I talked about that in my first meta for Ogata and Love). But because he killed Yuusaku and therefore gained his "curse", he further alienates himself from others, trapping himself in his own twisted worldview by clinging onto it. He forced himself to be isolated - hence he's walking on his own path, which hints on his independence as a character on the surface but shows his loneliness on a deeper level.

I absolutely love the scene where Asirpa shoots Ogata in the eye. first of all, Asirpa and Sugimoto are beginning to swap their views on killing. Asirpa's morals have been tested, and she's starting to come to Sugimoto's early conclusion that killing isn't something she wants to do, but sometimes it can't be avoided if you want to survive. meanwhile, Sugimoto has picked up Asirpa's philosophy of being as non-lethal as possible. war isn't the proper tool for preserving a culture... Sugimoto already knows it isn't the proper tool for preserving a person. he went to war, and it nearly destroyed him. but now, everything he values about himself exists because, from the beginning, Asirpa had the correct tools to let him rebuild himself.

and so, when the arrow hits Ogata in the eye, Sugimoto saves Ogata's life, regardless of his rage. Ogata failed to kill Sugimoto, and Asirpa succeeded in healing him. as a result, when Asirpa is in danger of being pulled into the dark, she has someone there to help her.

and Ogata has still failed to corrupt anyone. he can't figure out how to bring someone down to his level so that he can relate to them. he's still alone. he never quite figures out what's good for him until after he's already ruined it.

I love this so much that I'm just nodding my head to everything you said. Hey, you dropped this crown, your majesty 👑 I love how you looked into how Sugimoto and Asirpa grew throughout the series, especially in the Karafuto Arc for the latter. And how despite Asirpa dipping her toes into the moral dark, she has an anchor in Sugimoto. She's not like pure Yuusaku, but she's not also as dark as Ogata: she now exists in a lighter moral grey.

"He's still alone. He never quite figures out what's good for him until after he's already ruined it." I love love LOVE this one. Because you're right: Ogata damns himself in pits of the darkness of his own volition. He curses himself never to escape its traps by killing (or attempting to kill) those that try to pierce through his gloomy veil.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this, anon. I loved every moment of reading and analyzing Ogata more <3

[mk-vii-jp]

Happy birthday Ogata, wish you had light in your eye.

[hardcore-lonewolf]

I love the Naruto World so much that I wish I was in it, I want to be a female Senju princess who's a god child to Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

I'll love to be the last child of Tsunade Senju and Jiraiya Ogata, be the Sixth Hokage after saving the Leaf with Naruto Uzumaki, and is the main romantic interest of Sasuke Uchiha, a former student of Orochimaru Yashagoro.

I want Naruto to have a sibling, so I chose Deidara cause Uchiha Clan heirs tend to be rivals with Uzumaki Clan members and I don't to replace Hanabi for somebody else, so Hinata got a big sister now...how about Yume for the name...yes.

My name should be Misako, have a big sister named Akira who's the main romantic interest of Itachi Uchiha, and is the Chosen One with elemental bending powers as the Light Avatar who must destroy the Dark Persona.

I shipped myself with Sasuke, NaruHina for life, NejiTen, ShikaTema, SaiIno, KibaTama, ShiShi, ChoKaru, LeeAma, KankuAka, SoraKae, GaaMatsu, AsuKure, KakaHana, JiraTsuna, MinaKushi, Orochimaru X OFC, Itachi X OC, MY AU!Deidara X OFC!Hinata's Big Sister, ToneShion, IruAya, SuiKari, Sakura X OMC, GaiKao, KoteAnko, KabuGure, HayaYuga, IzuShizu, YamaYuki, ObiRin, Rin and Obito will be still alive, my dad's not gonna die too, Asuma deserves to live for his daughter, Neji stays living, etc.

There's ten tailed beasts from zero to nine; Satori the Reibi, Shukaku the Ichibi, Matatabi the Nibi, Isobu the Sanbi, Son Goku the Yonbi, Kokuo the Gobi, Saiken the Rokubi, Chomei the Nanabi, Gyuki the Hachibi, and Kurama the Kyuubi.

I want Team 02 [Yoruha - Hikaru, Nayumi, Migaku & Sakura], 03 [Gai - Neji, Tenten, Lee & Kaede], 07 [Kakashi - Naruto, Misako, Sasuke & Hinata], 08 [Kurenai - Kiba, Tamaki, Shino & Shiho], and 10 [Asuma - Choji, Ino, Shikamaru & Akane].

Sakura need to be shipped with somebody else rather than Sasuke, she was falling for him and broke her friendship with Ino for his heart.

If I was her, I'll choose my friend over my crush and keep my bond.

Misako got three childhood friends; Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke...it's that clear and simple.

Misa doesn't like fan boys at all like Sasuke don't like fan girls, they're from enemy clans and are best friends who's secretly betrothed to each other as a way to form peace to both family trees.

Watching all episodes and movies, I've learned many shocking plots and twists throughout my childhood.

Itachi's an amazing big brother, I wish Naruto has a brother and I gave him one...named Deidara rather than Menma cause I see that alternative future son of our ramen lover if he was married to Sasuke.

I want Naruto to have his first kiss with Hinata, which leads to this scenario...what if Misako was between both him and Sasuke during the episode where they were finding out their teams.

Misako will kiss Sasuke...again, here's the catch, they shared their first kiss at a young age cause they liked each other and can see their futures as a badass power couple.

Itachi had already predicted that his little brother was in love with Misako...like he was with Akira, Akira will prevent Itachi's death and tell Sasuke the real truth herself with her baby sister by her side.

I've read a fanfiction on Wattpad that has an original female character portraying as Nezuko Kamado, her name was Misa, I loved it and saw the major changes they've done...it was glorious...shout-out to the author.

I know one way to make Sasuke feel overprotective to Misako like she's understanding with him, I've made three characters we know as original characters named Hikaru, Nayumi, and Migaku.

Hikaru will portray from Toneri or Seimei, Nayumi will depict from Shion or Sawaii, and Migaku...I got something for him...Yoichi or Ren.

Misako and Akira, two sisters with their father's white hair, their mother's brown eyes, their father's red markings, and their mother's beautiful looks and gorgeous figure...I got their character portrayals...Heinrich Prinz (Akira) & Eugen Prinz (Misako).

Indra & Asura was in love with the Kishimoto Sisters named...Luna & Kira...

Kira will be the light that guides Asura to the Sun and into the Spirit World for a bright star.

Luna will be the shadow that escorts Indra to the Moon and get him away from the Phantom Zone for a dark cloud.

The sacred ancestry continues to Madara Uchiha's lover and Hashirama Senju's wife...Mito Uzumaki & Himiko Hyuga.

Years have passed, I want Misa to become the Light Avatar since the Dark Persona was her complete polar opposite...they're destined lovers.

I honestly want Misa to have two sons and daughters; Daisuke (OMC: Haruto Uchiha), Mikoto (OFC: Amara Senju), Yuta (OMC: Isamu Senju), and Sayuri (OFC: Kiyomi Uchiha).

I'm giving Naruto another son and daughter; Menma (OMC: Soha Uzumaki) & China (OFC: Naruko Uzumaki).

If you're confused with the names of the following OCs I've planted, search for their names on Google to get some clarification...it took me a few tries and I've finished.

Comment down below, reblog, anything you wanna do...go for it.

Do not report me, this is just my ideas...something I wanna do for my fanfics in the future.

Sayonara guys...believe it!

Also...who will win between Roman Reigns and Jey Uso?

If nobody wins and unexpected twists happen, who will return?

What if Damian Priest changes his mind and cash in on Roman, if not...on whoever wins between Seth and Finn?

Who will beat Dominik's ass and strip him from his title?

Will Santos dethrone Theory?

Can Ricochet take down a jackass?

Will Gunther stay undisputed?

Who will be Rhea's opponent?

Who will walk out as Women's Undisputed Champion?

Will Iyo win or lose her chance?

Will Shotzi get revenge on Bayley?

Can LA Knight conquer the Battle Royal?

Will Shayna kick this transphobic bitch's ass out of wrestling for good?

Will Solo join his brother?

Will Cody end Lesnar?

All these questions and more will be confirmed tomorrow night at Detroit...watch Peacock now, get your tickets, and get ready cause it's ride or die this year on 2023.

Let this tribal combat...commence.

[anonzentimes]

have you ever watched neon genesis evangelion cause i’m starting it and i’ve decided the mc is just a little guy (sorry i wanted to tell someone)

I HAVE NOT! I’ve been thinking about it but I’ve heard it’s certainly not a light story so I need to pull up trigger warnings first lol, the only thing that really bothers me is eye mutilation but i can be fine depending on how it’s done. I’ve been really wanting to watch more stuff Megumi Ogata is in though, and a lot of people confuse or joke about kawoshin and komahina being similar, so I don’t know!! Oh yeah, if you’re listening to the show with the Japanese voices Nagito shares the same voice actor with Shinji, you probably already knew that though lol,,