#cass.thoughts

[shewritesallnight]

Here we go again... time for another Phantom Tales of the Night rant dump

⚠️ Warning for major spoilers up to Volume 11

From my previous notes on Vol 10 plus what we learned in Vol 11 there seems to be 5 incarnations of Sasaki that have been highlighted in the story.

Starting from the oldest incarnation...

Singing Bone: ~ we know this is the oldest version since Owner tells us that this is the first time they met.

Lover Sasaki: from volume 11 ~ was somewhat living with Owner and Owner stated that they loved him.

***Super Old Sasaki: from volumes 7 & 9 ~ this version is the Sasaki with Super Old Rei who reveals himself as a skeletal monster. This is the version that is the Author --- this is also the version that Yoshitaka Kudou sees and that Kaibara is researching.

Adult Sasaki: from volume 8 ~ this is the incarnation who was arrested for political writings and whose will-o-the-whisp moved on.

Current Sasaki ~ our present day kiddo.

For Saejima Rei, he does not show up until the Super Old Sasaki timeline. I believe this is where their souls or fates became intertwined. This is probably the only reason that Owner became involved with trying to 'change' the Saejima curse.

We see 2 Saejima Rei incarnations:

Super Old Saejima Rei/Mandarin Orange Rei ~ where their paths seem to first cross (I'm thinking more of Current Rei's grandfather or great grandfather) because Kaibara found the *old* writings of SO Sasaki.

Current Rei ~ teacher and newest incarnation of Rei, brother to Rin and cousin is Tousei, grew up with Yoshitaka Kudou.

With the info from Vol 11 it's not too far fetched to say that Owner feels that SO Saejima "stole" Sasaki from them. I was getting the impression that Sasaki cared for and maybe even loved Rei in that timeline. Perhaps Rei loved him back as he kept his skull with him.

So the one thing Owner wants (family/love?) is taken from them. When Owner kicked out Kaibara, they stated that they "did try to make a home once but couldn't do it."

SO/MO Rei tells Owner that "Only by speaking to others can we end this cycle."

By setting it up for Rei to cross paths with Current Sasaki, Kaibara, and Kudou again... (ppl who understand his family's curse) He is setting up the opportunity to "speak to others" and end the grudge/curse cycle.

The same goes for Sasaki, SO Sasaki wanted a true friend someone he could speak to freely without hiding the knowledge of his body. (Or so he thought...)

This branch goes back to Kudou's conversation with Owner at the waterfall. Owner states that Kudou loves Rei and then asks "what will you do with this knowledge.... if I say he is not happy... are you going to try and make him happy?"

To which Kudou responds, "That's not what it means to wish for a person's happiness. It's to hope for that person to be happy even when you're not there."

The showdown in Vol 11 is centered around Rei. Kudou wants to save him. Tousei wants to consume him. Sasaki relates to him.

Owner thought there was a connection building between them when Sasaki asked what he wanted to fill himself with so long ago. They reach out to him only to be left behind when Sasaki says it isn't about him right now.

Then again at the end of the volume Sasaki asks Owner to tell him what he's been searching for 'up until this life'. It looks like Owner is about to tell him when they are interrupted by Kudou and Rei 😩

Reviewing older volumes, I think Owner is sticking with the reincarnations of Sasaki to figure out what/where his "core" or soul is. It seems that he is hoping for the version that loved him back to return, based off my interpretation of Owner's convo with the Bone Monk in Vol 8.

That ultimately Owner is trying to rebuild their family/home with Sasaki as it once was.

[shewritesallnight]

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this! If I may add to it, I like the juxtaposition of Sukuna and Gojo with Jogo in particular.

Gojo was belittling to Jogo, calling him weak and making him feel small and useless in comparison. Basically made him feel like he wasn't even worth Gojo's time (which he seems to do with a lot of his opponents).

During the fight in Shibuya he knows he cant even think about winning against him so the goal is to just keep him distracted and wear him down as much as possible. Then he witnesses Gojo basically not even try when he "murders" Hanami. Gojo was, in those moments, all the ugly things that the curses thought about humans and why they hate humans.

Where as with Sukuna, even tho he was kicking Jogo's ass, he was almost teasing in their fight and would encourage Jogo to keep going when it seemed like he was going to give up (which he seems to do with a lot of his opponents).

Then to add that last meeting between them, Sukuna shows Jogo that he respects him enough for those parting words. That he is a good fighter and that he did well. So even tho he killed him, Sukuna treated him with the respect and "kindness" that you would expect from the "good guys" and humans.

Idk I just have mad love for both Sukuna and Gojo as characters. There is just so many layers to them ❤️

Thoughts and analysis + rambling on sukuna's character! JJK anime AND manga spoilers below. Pls read with compassion, im not great at articulating my complicated thoughts 🙏

When sukuna told jogo that he shouldve just burned down everything he desired to without worrying abt identity or the future, sukuna was most likely referring to himself,, thats probably how he became so strong

Gege outright said in the official fanbook that its questionable whether the people around him ever considered sukuna human and that he himself most likely didn't think so either. He was nicknamed the king of curses before he even became a cursed object, so sukuna really didnt give a damn abt what he was, or whatever nickname he was given and he just kept doing what he was doing

And he's never referred to himself as the king of curses, it was always the people around him or the literal narrator! Even the famous quote "throughout the heavens and the earth, he alone is the honoured one" was said by the narrator, or by nanami in the season one anime. Not once has sukuna needed to introduce himself to someone, they already knew who he was and/or there was really no need to, since he was going to kill them anyway.

The idea of cannibalism isnt a big deal at all to him, its kind of like a complete and final line where he really crosses over into the non-human area, he literally views everyone else around him as something akin to either a thing to toy around with or to eat.

And this involvement of "cannibalism" is actually very interesting to me, because if he doesnt consider himself human, and other people didn't believe so either, is it really cannibalism? Gege seems to blur these kinds of lines with sukuna so incredibly! Sukuna is always drafting between human and nonhuman, life and death, the honoured one and the disgraced one. He's like everything all at once.

Though his trueform may have extra limbs and mouth, in my opinion he still looks and functions mostly like a human... yet theres also many moments where we realise that he really is far away from the rest of the cast, both in strength and thought.

To show evidence of sukuna drifting between life and death, I'd like to mention how he has spoken soul-to-soul with characters right before their death TWICE now, first being jogo and the other being kashimo... this isnt a coincidence! How was he able to do this? We have no clue, perhaps jogo + kashimo were only hallucinating or maybe sukuna really is able to have a lil chat with someone right before they die like some grim reaper 😭

I think this is what makes him a really poetic character, the way speaks is one thing, but to watch him really reach out and have a conversation with his opponent while they are in a very vulnerable state makes him really like a otherworldly figure (even though he slaughters them right atfter).

He's not a human yet he is still capable of understanding the desires that humans have, and their goals.

I believe sukuna is a really complex and flexible character, I've never really seen someone be so many things at once. He can be serious, strict, playful, goofy, evil with only the tiniest hints of compassion and many more...

[shewritesallnight]

Inumaki's s/o who always frets over him when he over uses his cursed speech. They always carry an extra bottle of throat medicine and a handkerchief for moments like this.

Who rushes over to kneel in front of Toge, assessing the damage. Handkerchief already in their hand.

Who gently wipes at the blood dripping from his chin and down the column of his throat. Careful not to irritate anything further.

Who quickly sets aside the cloth to hold his face in their hands. Thumb wiping at the corner of his mouth to get the drop they missed.

Who presses a chaste kiss upon his lips as a pass of their inspection.

Who sometimes presses one, two, three more when the curse user refuses to release his grip on their sleeve.

Who helps him to stand and wordlessly passes him the bottle of throat medicine.

Just Inumaki's s/o taking care of him 💙

[shewritesallnight]

Sleep deprived BSD Fyodor hot-take‼️

Okay so Fyodor isn't dead. Neither is Sigma.

Possibly... Fyodor was "created" similar to Chuuya?? Thought process for this is his long life span (being around for the forming of the ADA) and all the "information" and light Sigma sees when he touches him.

Fyodor said he is sickly, could be due to failure to completely merge like Chyuua did. His body can't handle it. But we still don't know what his special ability is. For all we know everytime he kills someone he takes their remaining years type thing. I don't actually think this is his ability but who knows 🤷‍♀️

I don't think Sigma is dead either. Seems like a weird way for Dazai to send him to his death. I think it's more of his brain is still trying to process all the information. I think the intention of him pursuing the info is 2 parts.

1) make sure they know all of Fyodor’s plans

2) entrance exam to the ADA

I'm thinking that when Sigma wakes up he will tell them what he knows and they will realize Fyodor is still alive.

Because face it, we have seen them come back from way worse injuries. And someone loses a limb every other episode. I'm surprised Dazai didn't do more to confirm Fyodor’s death. Seems like he's making the same mistake F did when he assumed Chuuya killed him.

Idk maybe I'm wrong. But the way it ended just feels off and unfinished.

Also what is up with that ending? Knight in shining armor Akutagawa ✨️ probably has something to do with the page 🤔

Oh shit and the idea of Mori coming to collect an ADA member ooOoooOOoOo I have some thoughts on this!

Mori is acting as tho he wants Yosano and is hoping Dazai will step up to take her place. I've seen posts of ppl thinking that Mori wants Dazai to willingly come back to him which I agree to a point. I think Mori is 💯 not above manipulating everyone to get his ✨️son✨️ back.

Tho I think he would definitely be happy with Yosano too.

There is also the possibility of Sigma joining ADA and being the one to go and then just returning to the casino to make profits for the PM 💸

[shewritesallnight]

@sgchop I know you feel me on this

Inumaki's s/o who always frets over him when he over uses his cursed speech. They always carry an extra bottle of throat medicine and a handkerchief for moments like this.

Who rushes over to kneel in front of Toge, assessing the damage. Handkerchief already in their hand.

Who gently wipes at the blood dripping from his chin and down the column of his throat. Careful not to irritate anything further.

Who quickly sets aside the cloth to hold his face in their hands. Thumb wiping at the corner of his mouth to get the drop they missed.

Who presses a chaste kiss upon his lips as a pass of their inspection.

Who sometimes presses one, two, three more when the curse user refuses to release his grip on their sleeve.

Who helps him to stand and wordlessly passes him the bottle of throat medicine.

Just Inumaki's s/o taking care of him 💙