#have I mentioned I hate kanji

[aroaceyunarukami]

Investigation Team icons! feel free to use if you wanna!

[nyxypoo]

it didn't work

eating real food to hold back on the need to eat him

[grimalkinmessor]

The parallels between Tsubomi and Reigen drive me so fucking insane you have no idea like—that shit had to be at least SOMEWHAT intentional even if not in a specifically romantic way.

For one, Tsubomi and Reigen are two of the only few people that call Shigeo "Mob" consistently. (Yes Tome also calls him Mob eventually but she starts out calling him Kageyama-kun and likely picks up "Mob-kun" from Inukawa or Reigen later on). We don't know how Reigen started calling Shigeo "Mob", though we can assume that Tsubomi was likely part of the group of kids that originally misread Shigeo's name as Mobbu to begin with so she's less of a mystery on that front. Maybe Reigen saw it written on his backpack or his shirt tag and started calling him that too, or maybe Mob even just told him that that's what everyone else called him and was what he prefered to be called at the time. Either way, it's a little odd that Reigen's one of the only people who use that nickname when we don't really get a reason why beyond "it can also be read like this", especially since Reigen is a grown man with (presumably) full literacy of kanji and would know how to read it.

Then there's the other obvious parallel that's made in the show; how Tsubomi and Reigen treat Mob. How they see his powers. They're not special, they're just a part of him. Nothing to be scared of—even though they kind of,,,,are lmao. The fact that Tsubomi continues to sit in the park even though a literal hurricane is approaching because she thought Mob sounded upset on the phone happens at the same time Reigen goes sprinting full-tilt into said hurricane because Mob is in trouble always stands out to me. It's less obvious than Mob's own words: "She never treated me any differently because of my powers" "Master never treated me any differently..."—but it's still a pretty blatant parallel to me.

Not to mention that both Reigen and Tsubomi's personalities are actually very similar as well! They're both described as people that hide behind a mask, a facade, while still being brutally stubborn. If Tsubomi doesn't want to do something, she's not gonna do it. While Reigen is more laid back because he's used to getting his hands dirty for work (money), he's still very stubborn himself when he doesn't wanna do something. He'll find a way to wriggle out of it and talk circles around you if you let him. Dimple even says that Tsubomi is the type of person who can't be swayed by words or peer pressure. She and Reigen were actually, again, two of the only people brainwashed through airborne Vibes™ instead of through food like everyone else. The biggest difference between them on this is that while Reigen lies fairly blatantly, Tsubomi seems to only lie through omission. Tsubomi is more of an introvert too, compared to Reigen's extrovert (though you could argue that both of them are good with people, with the only difference being that Reigen enjoys being the center of attention while Tsubomi presumably does not).

Plus they're both pretty goofy too once you think about it lmao. They're both prideful and hate to be humiliated, but they also care a lot about their public image and how people perceive them. Every time the scene with Tsubomi and her friends outside cleaning up leaves comes up, her expressions and panic always remind me of Reigen. And then there's Mob, calm and unjudgemental, willing to help her with no questions asked. Mitigating her humiliation, just like he does for Reigen :)

Another thing that always strikes me is how Mezato says, "If you can accept her for who she really is..." followed by Reigen's echo during his confession: "This is who I really am". Mezato essentially tells Mob that Tsubomi isn't who she seems on the outside and that if he wants to be accepted by her, he needs to also be ready to accept her as well. Which, we don't get to see much of Tsubomi's life outside of Mob���wow just like Reigen—so we don't ever really know who she is beyond that outer mask, but we see her slowly opening up to Mob later, as a friend. But the fact that Reigen's own confession mirrors Mezato's words to Mob about him accepting Tsubomi always makes me vibrate in place a little like,,,Confession Arc my beloved 🙏

I don't know man, there's just so much there, it makes my head spin. I could go on and on about it but I better cut myself off because if I don't I'll start crawling on the walls going feral about it because what, what was the point of this if not to make it clear that the relationship between Mob and Reigen is supposed to parallel his relationship with Tsubomi like what do you MEAN—

[jetspikepub]

No one ever really talks about it in the fandom and it NEEDS to be discussed because it's hilarious to me. I have to ask where all the crazed spike x julia fans come from 😭 like say one thing negative about the ship or ship spike with someone else and there's this one person (who I think owns multiple spikexjulia accounts snd pretends to be different people😭😭) that starts sending their "CAnoN aNd facTuAL eviDencE" with so much hostility

I've also noticed that Julia fans either always hate Faye and/or don't give a damn about Spike's well-being and just want him paired up with Julia even if that costed him his life, which I don't even think Julia herself wanted for him to do in the end lol. It's a little disturbing

Oh trust me, this is a looong story. It's not like we don't see it, we just got tired of it. You're not alone, I give you a warm hug🫂

This user has been terrorising Bebop fandom across multiple platforms since 2022, I think. If you ever see this bitch harassing someone just flag the account or ban it. A collective appeal could do the trick, but it's gonna be like chopping off Hydra's heads. This pain in the ass keeps posting weird commissions on X (Twitter), Deviantart, Reddit, Pixiv (for Christ's sake, please DO NOT search Bebop tag on Pixiv, it's a total disaster in there right now) and edited Bebop wiki, describing Faye as Spike's no 1 enemy and Julia as a goddess of doves and roses 🤢 It's hard to track down every account, the only way to stay safe is to not interact with them and blacklist. "If I ignore it, maybe it will go away" tactics is the best in this situation, don't let them take away your time and emotions, they cannot be reasoned with.

Another thing that bothers me is that stupid localisation of guide books with SpikeJulia nonsence the translators added just because they wanted to and ruined the original idea that implies multiple ways of story perception. I've aready dispelled that "truest lover ever" myth by presenting the original texts from my collection of Japanese books. They fucked up with "love" kanji meaning in Eng and this changed a lot (I did some analysis here and here). Now we can see what happens when these love stories fall into the wrong hands: haters cite it like a Bible in each and every thread about SpikeFaye😩 Also there was a post about some Julia's love letter to Spike (wtf?) written on the back cover of the vol. 6.

I wanted to make a post about it and took pictures of a Japanese edition but forgot. Now it's the right time to dispel another myth.

According to quick translation results, this guide was made to inform fans about some Bebop episodes which weren't aired on regular TV and appeared later on WOWOW (premuim satellite broadcasting) because of censorship.

There was no mention of Julia writing letters to Spike in the original series. It was Spike who gave her a note describing rendezvous point or whatever and she tore it to pieces🤷🏼‍♀️

Just remember: Spike's well-being is up to the viewer. Noone can convince you otherwise if you don't want to and noone has right to insult you. Spike is for everyone 🌸

The situation is so annoying, those who loved SpikeJulia or didn't give a damn about them now hate this. If someone is going to use "SpikeJulia" as a safeword I will understand 🤣

[psychicwavementality]

※ Ch149 WBK spoilers/leaks, endosaku/endochika talk. +my nickname for chika is chiitan btw

Can't believe edsk neg diffed every sakura cp in 4 pages what the fukk

This is really fun for me to interpret...! in my view, i think that endo equates love to full-blown attention and bloodlust. since sakura is known to lock in on his opponents which was painted as a flaw (im unsure when, around keel arc was it? i rmb he realized he had to protect everyone and not just charge in by himself), this very flaw unfortunately pulled endo in

Like, endo practically spent less than 2 hours??? Face to face with sakura???? And then he's already calling him a man he "values from the bottom of his heart" before acknowledging he can never have the things he truly loves (chiitan and sakura standing side by side, and we already know his feelings for the former are Not merely platonic)

If chiitan is an unobtainable god of worship in a higher plane for endo, i suppose sakura would be the human embodiment of said god... and chiitan never gave endo the attention he categorized as love, but endo still fell first after seeing his bloodlust (the other part of his love)

When endo sees sakura with the same bloodlust, this time directed at him with full attention, he realizes for the first time in his life that he also wants to be desired by the person he's taken an interest in; i believe this was repressed after all those years with chiitan. even tho he was satisfied chasing after and worshipping chiitan, he was never truly happy because those pair of eyes would never look the same way as sakura had looked at him, with the same intense fervor.

Yet endo can't have both of them, his feelings will never be mutual. Sakura's whole spiel in the beginning was how he could never meet another person's eyes, but everyone (with "everyone" being the things sakura loves—the people who care for him) was looking at him—and now endo, who never had the eyes of the thing(s) he loves looking at him, experiences it for the first time, and sakura's gaze is trained fully on him. he's looking his way for the first time in his life, but at the same time, what endo wants will never be reciprocated. I think it's ... wow! Wow u make me HOME A PHONIC

Fucking hell this disaster gayfailure makes me insane. I am homophobic now. I hate him /lh

Edit: me and my friend talked a bit...

I like how the image of endo embracing chiitan is religiously inclined (the title, the pose, the robes, the painting). It's the beginning of the chapter, the largest image. It's clearly depicting worship. Whereas sakura's one is in the middle of a chapter. It's mundane, it's human, it's something fleeting yet all-encompassing, a potential pedestal of worship and idolization. Endo's in normal clothes sitting in front of Sakura's bust. There could potentially be more people around him but the spotlight right now is on sakura, his attention has narrowed down to him and him only

I like how Sakura is also a bust and not a painting... he's more 3 dimensional, perhaps more nuanced even, more developed; he's observable from multiple angles and his features are more defined. But chiitan's a painting—and it kind of fits since we don't know much about him at all. We've only heard of him from tales and other potentially skewed perspectives like how religious paintings depict religious figures

My friend mentioned, Sakura being a bust on a mount could be because endo can topple it down and break him, similar to the panel how a sakura twig can be snapped. Paintings are meant to be hung and admired from afar.

Another friend of mine pointed out that the kanji for chiitan's name contains 焱, while the kanji for endo's has 棪. 木 = wood and 火 = fire... It's like he's firewood as fuel for chiitan's inferno, but at the same time, endo's hurting himself and turning into cinders

Fire (chiitan) is beautiful when admired but painful to touch, but endo's been shown to worship and grasp at it even if it almost kills him.

But Endo uses words like "submerge" and "bathe" when it comes to sakura... he's like water if chiitan is fire. I don't know about the JP originals but endo does mention feeling "joy" upon meeting chiitan (a brief spark) and sakura brings "happiness" (a more prolonged thing) if eng TLs are accurate

What I'm saying is... if chiitan is truly symbolized in the painting and endo is searing himself away through worship—i'd dare say that the best way to destroy a painting, too, is to burn it.

[habitual-truant]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[duckiemimi]

i fell into a little rabbit hole while reading bora chung's cursed bunny when i found the japanese proverb 「人ひとを呪のろわば穴あな二ふたつ��� ("hito o norowaba ana futatsu"), meaning "when you curse a man, [you dig] two graves" (click here for reference and click on the first link at the bottom for more context). it's a cautionary proverb about the consequences of cursing or invoking evil onto others, similar in a way to the english proverb "what goes around comes around."

i dug around some more (hah!) and found an article explaining the origins of the proverb (click on the second link at the bottom). do bear with my lacking skills when it comes to translating, but from what i understand, the proverb itself originated from the heian period. onmyoji (click on the third link at the bottom) were civil servants who practiced onmyodo, specializing in magic and divination. the article describes them using the kanji 呪術師 (third highlight in the left image), or jujutsushi, meaning sorcerer.

these onmyoji were responsible for calendar-related tasks and mystical duties such as divination, but the most interesting duty listed was protecting the capital from evil spirits, or 怨霊を (vengeful spirit) as the article cites, by cursing and killing the capital's opponents. now, this was a particularly dangerous task because they risked having that curse "returned" back to them in a counter-attack, killing them in the process, too—hence why one must prepare two graves when one resorts to "cursing" someone.

now that we've established the history of the proverb, it initially struck me as familiar because...

it's something geto mentioned when he came to the school to declare war! and...

later on when he says his last words to gojo!

given that the series takes some inspiration from onmyodo in the heian period (the golden age of jujutsu in the story), it's befitting that a proverb like this would make an appearance in the actual dialogue. in both instances, the proverb was relevant in geto's dialogue.

the article i referred to before also provided two example sentences related to the proverb, which when translated become:

"As there is a saying that if you curse people, there are two graves, hatred only produces unhappiness."

"I hate him so much. Even if you say that if you curse people, you will have two graves, I'm prepared for that."

as the geto fanatic that i am i find it interesting that both these phrases could align with geto's lines in volume 0. the first time geto references this proverb, it's when he says, "let's curse each other to our hearts' content." i've talked about this in my other posts (click here for one of them), that i've always believed that geto knew his pursuit of ideal was futile, or "impossible" as he explained to gojo in shinjuku. regardless of the outcome, this was the path he chose for himself, a path where he had to constantly pretend to the people around him that it was indeed possible.

referring to the proverb, the two graves here would be geto and the subject of his curse, non-sorcerers. his curse—his hatred—only led to his own unhappiness and his own demise. as it is, he failed his attack and the only grave there was his. he died unable to laugh from the bottom of his heart.

the second time geto references this proverb, it's when he says, "at least curse at me a little at the very end." he says this in an easy exasperation in response to gojo's omitted last words to him. he expects gojo to hate him or at least be angry with him, but instead gojo does not "curse" him the way he thought he'd be.

refering to the proverb, geto expects gojo to hate him so much, he'd curse him even if it might risk his own life to see geto dead. instead, gojo spares him—or rather, gojo says what he says honestly, without the disguise of anger or spite. the two graves here, at least in geto's mind, would be gojo and the subject of his curse, geto himself. ironically, despite the lack of "curse," there is still a grave for one body. in a more figurative sense, perhaps that alley is a teeming graveyard.

what an apt cautionary proverb for such a vengeful character.

links i couldn't hyperlink:

[javiersprincess]

tags: fem read, sfw, no warnings, religion mentioned @prettyboykatsuki for the idea!

synopsis: your love is god - what else would he pray to ?

It is known that Kunigami Rensuke hates interviews - when the game is over and the reporters rush to the sidelines, it’s almost comical how the 6ft man runs as far away as he can from the onslaught of microphones and cameras. Usually, he can usually throw his teammates under the rug and let those who enjoy the spotlight soak it up as he drinks his fill. If you were to ask Kunigami why he hates interviews he couldn’t give you a reason. He just doesn’t like them when his job is to play and represent his country on the international level not to answer questions that slowly but surely become invasive gossip. It isn’t what he was broken and remade to do but it seems today he can’t sneak off like he usually can - his teammates clabber onto him, tugging him back to the rounds of reports which look at him with eager eyes.

With one last glare to his team that only grinned from behind him, his eyes turned to meet the reporter in front of him - a nice-looking woman with dyed blonde hair and wide eyes.

“S-so Kunigami, you were great out there today! However, your fans have noticed that you have a rather unusual pre-game ritual - are you religious?” The question makes him do a double take and then blank. What on earth is she talking about? His hair had grown out again, it shadows his eyes and he assumed it makes his blank stare look like a glowering glare as the reporter swallows and explains herself.

“You see, um many fans have noticed that before you head to the field or when you are lined up you bring a necklace to your face and kiss it - this is more commonly found in catholic players and we are wondering if you are that sort of player?” Kunigami tilts his head, pondering over her words as his hand comes up to feel the object across his neck that is tucked under his jersey. He knows what she means, it must look like that from the outside and he can’t help but laugh under his breath about what it is he is truly doing.

“No, I’m not religious. What I am kissing is this,” he paused to untuck the object around his neck - a locket on a thick chain that he hopes he can trade out for something thinner down the line. A smooth silver locket, it doesn’t have much ornate engraving outside of the kanji for love on it. The idea of him kissing a cross makes him laugh - why would he be praying to something he does not know the validity of its existence, when he can believe in you instead.

His hands look huge in comparison to the dainty thing and he opens it with such care it’s baffling to see it from a man like him. The locket opens and inside are pictures of you from your third anniversary, you look beautiful like the sun. As Kunigami gazes at the picture of you he doesn’t recognize the fact that many others are on his face - his teammates shiver in both awe and in fear. Never before had they seen such a gentle expression on his face and it both left in awe yet frightened them.

“It's my girl, I wear it every game for luck. It’s worked so far.” Is all he says before he excuses him from the reports and begins his way to the locker rooms. He wants to shower and change, wants to go on his phone and hear about your day. The adrenaline has worn off and his bones ache.Swatting away his teammates that buzz around him like flies, clambering away asking question after question about you - When did you meet? How old are you? How long have you been together? All of it is an annoyance he lets drip down his back like water off a duck’s wing as he settles through his routine.

It isn’t until he gets to his phone does he smile the same way - soft and gentle at your text message. It reads - “help me pick which photo to put in the locket so we match.” Pictures from over the years; your graduation dinner, pictures from your friend’s wedding and his pictures from your third anniversary. He picks the latter and grins when you call him sweet.

Yeah, only for you and the love you share.

[thebottomfromhell]

Is it possible to get something fluffy with hantengu (main body) and a female reader? Maybe him poorly trying to comfort his partner for once? I'm having a tough time lately and this weird little man is a big comfort character to me.

Roger that. Damn this is my FIRST female reader PoV, the others are male and GN. And I know that people like this blog because I write male reader, but I'm glad to have more variety.

I do want to warm that, even if it's female reader, I won't be making the PoV hyperfeminine (but again, it's hard to be hyperfeminine when you are feeling off)

Hantengu comforting female reader after a bad day.

Warnings: .... Mentioned character (Hantengu) with paranoia, Mentioned character (Hantengu again) having PTSD, Implied character (you know who) having dissociative disorder (seriously, this guy is fucked up).

You are so fucking stressed right now....

Your day was awful, you can't even begin to describe it, no matter how much you would like to. And damn everyone seemed to make up their way to be the most unhelpful to you as possible. You were working around all day, had little to no time to yourself (you still have to eat your first proper meal of the day instead of a snack and a drink to be able to keep working), your efforts were basically ignored by everyone around and you are fucking tired.

It would have been fine if it was only for today, but it's the fith bad day in a row and you just want to die in your bed. "Y-Y-Y/N?" Ask the already known voice of the Uppermoon Four main body. Usually his presence would help you to light up, but you are not in the mood for anything right now. He also gets to be a chore at times, with his paranoia and this memory of being accused of lying and some other shit that, no matter how much you love him, you just can't care enough. (Or at least not the amount and the way Hantengu wants you to care.)

"What?" He winces and covers his face with his arms when you speak, ok, it did sound a lot more harsh than you wanted it to be, but right now the idea of having to apologize to someone else leaves a bitter flavor in your mouth, and you hate that but- you're too tired to think about it, so you only back down. "I want to be alone right now." You were genuinely expecting him to also back off "... Is there anything I can do for you?" Usually this would be endearing, but right now you just want to be alone, you want to cry, you want to lash out, you want to- does that even matter? It didn't feel like it mattered during all day.

You understand you are not being coherent, but it's so fucking hard right now. "No." Thankfully he leaves you alone, leaving the room and giving space to all of those bitter feelings to sink in as you burry yourself in your pillow. Your face is hot and your eyes wet, your humour gets even worse when you hear the door knocking again. "What?" You know it's Hantengu, there is nobody else in the house, but nobody answers. "What?" You ask as you feel your patience drain, only silence answering again. That's it, you ho to open the door, Hantengu hiding in the other side of the hallway looking at your feet. You see what he is looking and see... your favorite dessert. There is also a note.

Hantengu's letter is impossible to read, he trembles too much to make understandable kanji, so you give up on that as you take deep breaths. "Hantengu...." You kneel to take the plate and servings as you speak softly "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! My hands... my hands did it by their own!" You sigh, he never changes, but you are grateful for his attemp of making you feel better. "Thank you." He also takes a few deep breath to calm down and shyly gets close to you, playing with his hands. "I-I-I did make you a bath... f-f-for my queen.... or princess...." he dislikes using petnames, the terms feel odd in his mouth so he covers it while squeaking. "Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to say that! I'm sorry!"

Damn, you can't stay angry at him, you were not even angry at him to begin with, it's just... "It's ok, Hantengu. Sorry about earlier." He relaxes a little bit more, not completely, never completely. "I will eat and take the bath you offered, thank you." He nods in a rush and leaves to the bathroom, probably to make sure the water stays hot. You smile to yourself before taking a bite of that flavor that basically tickles in your stomach, in a good way, it's hard to describe. Once you finish you take the bath Hantengu offered, the moment he sees you he starts to blush violently before leaving making weird noises.

You can see bottles of expensive cosmetics, bath oils and salts that other women show off when their husband's or father's buy them. You don't even know when Hantengu stole them, how long were you in your room? But the scent and the steam feel so good already and you can't help but gove in to the sensation of being one of those aristocrat ladies with their lavish and fancy robes and houses and bedrooms and gardens and lives... you will thank Hantengu again later, for now, just relax.

Let Hantegu take care of you for once, you will feel better, promise.

[denofven]

I tried to translate 『 Tatari Kami 』 !

[ official image source ]

★ Disclaimer: I'm an english speaking casual student of the language and my translation is in no way anything but amateur, I mainly rely on kanji dictionaries and researching individual syntax with very slight MTL assistance. I started to translate Ikigusare songs for myself in order to simply gain a personal understanding of the music and thought I'd share what I have for others now that the idols are finding traction in western spaces. very open to critique!

『Curse God』 English Translation [ original lyrics and singable romaji ] cw: suicide mention

Aah, I just can’t die carrying this deep regret As if I’ll ever rest in peace, I’ll become a god of curses

While you’re still young and good-looking You’ll find someone new soon, right? The time you were meant to share with me you’ll share with someone else, won’t you? Unforgivable, inexcusable, I’ll curse you for generations That’s why, my dear, you’ll grow a lovely family Raise kids, surround yourself with grandchildren Live a truly happy life I’ll curse you for generations

Aah, I just can’t die carrying this deep regret As if I’ll ever rest in peace, I’ll become a god of curses

Come now, how long will you stay upset? Crying won’t bring me back Quit it with things like suicide It’ll seem like I was pulling you along, won’t it? So hateful, so bitter, I’ll bestow a curse for generations So, my darling, look to the future And never turn back to this past With all your strength, survive I’ll curse you for generations

Aah, I just can’t die carrying this deep regret As if I’ll ever rest in peace, I’ll become a god of curses

Unforgivable, inexcusable, I’ll curse you forever That’s why, my love, you’ll cherish the dead More than you ever did the living You’ll forget all about me I’ll curse you for eternity

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

long time no see! i really missed ikigusare and my translation busywork so i'm back on track with their uploads (for now). as for the pv, what surrounds the presumed god of curses as it emerges is shimenawa adorned with shide paper; ritualistic and sacred rope to denote an area or object with spiritual significance within the shinto faith. cutting the rope is extremely sacrilegious and is said to attract misfortune. as always, i recommend you do your own research!

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[extinct-fish]

Werewolf in Aisle 4 Drabble

a little WIP thing

Inaba, a small, quiet town in the middle of nowhere. It was relatively sparse, yet populated at the same time. It was quite a bit dark out, and the local Junes was closing. 

Yosuke Hanamura was working the nightshift at Junes, helping customers and sometimes dealing with snooty, pain-in-the-ass coworkers. There weren’t many employees on the clock as it was closing, but that didn’t mean there weren’t customers.

“Oh, did you know?” A customer piped up.

Yosuke was doing inventory, but he couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.

“Oh, yeah, October’s here,” another realized.

“Yeah. It’s that time of the year.”

“Can’t wait for those warnings to not pet any ‘suspiciously-large dogs’ once again.”

“Good lord, you’ve been on tumblr for too long.”

“So says the tumblr gremlin.”

Yosuke had to hold in a laugh as he heard the conversation. It was times like this that made his job worth it. 

Yu Narukami was at home with the Dojimas: Nanako, and Ryotaro, and their guest, Tohru Adachi. Yu was preparing a meal as Ryotaro observed Adachi with caution. Nanako, on the other hand, was having fun, chatting with Adachi and being shown some cool little magic tricks.

“Yu,” Dojima spoke up.

“Yeah?” he asked, turning his head as he was cooking the udon noodles.

“Today’s the start of October, and I thought I should give you a heads up.”

“What for?”

“Well, around Inaba, especially in October, werewolf sightings are common.”

“Werewolves? I thought they weren’t real?”

“Oh, they are real,” Adachi added, “They are. I once got scared shitless-”

“Language,” Dojima scolded authoritatively.

“Scared out of my wits while coming home.”

“Curse around Nanako again and we’re gonna have problems.”

“Sorry, boss…”

“Dojima-san, I don’t think you should worry too much,” Yu chuckled.

“I know-”

“Besides, I’ll drop-kick him out the window for a snickers if he does it again.”

“You’re not helping,” Adachi sighed.

Yu laughed a bit at Adachi’s response.

“I’m just messing with you… partially,” Yu added with a mischievous grin.

Nothing says you’re his friend quite like picking on him. But yeah, as Dojima said, In Inaba, werewolf sightings are common, but most commonly in October. When it’s the first of October, the police give out warnings to the public, warning them that they should not try to approach or pet any suspiciously-large dogs. Those suspiciously-large dogs happen to be werewolves. 

Werewolf sightings used to be rare, that was until Yosuke moved to Inaba. Yosuke, the son of the owner of the Inaba branch of Junes, is a werewolf. However, he was quite ashamed of this detail, worried that he might get hated by the entire town if he was revealed to be a werewolf.

It wasn’t like Yosuke was feral by any means, in fact, he’s relatively conscious on full moons. Due to this, he only works the overnight shift in Junes during full moons. However, he can’t really speak, unless you count barks, growls, huffs, and whines as talking. Of course, he may be dumb, but he’s still smart in his own capacity, as he’s resorted to learning sign language to better communicate with customers. The problem is that he needs an interpreter if he was to work the register. Of course, that’s not a problem as he’s often just loading shelves.

Now, let’s get to the main story.

“Did ya hear? Werewolf season is here!” Chie mentioned.

“Oh, yeah, now that you mention it, I’ve always wanted to pet a werewolf!” Yukiko added.

“Senpai, I don’t think you’d wanna get bitten by a fleabag,” Kanji sighed, the comment making Yosuke feel slightly uncomfortable.

“I wanna pet a werewolf!” Teddie cheered.

“Of course you do,” Chie sighed.

“You’re not supposed to pet werewolves, you idiot!” Yosuke hissed.

“I heard about it from my uncle,” Yu mentioned, “But I didn’t think they were real until Adachi-san commented how he saw it one time.”

“Wait- Adachi saw it?!”

“I didn’t really ask, so I don’t know the whole story.”

“Either way, Senpai,” Rise mentioned, “I don’t think you should ride around at night until November. It’s a little risky.”

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Yu dismissed, “I’ll be fine.”

“Partner, are you sure?” Yosuke doubted, “Maybe there’s a reason to not be out so late.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be fine.”

Yu then cheekily patted the top of Yosuke’s head, eliciting a squeak and a reddened face from the gesture. It was a gesture Yu often did to mess with Yosuke, since he simply assumed Yosuke was simply either not used to affection or very much deep enough in the closet to watch a circus in Narnia… or suck dick in Narnia, pick your poison.

[peacheesex]

I adore Len and Rin! I have been trying my hand in x readers lately by making a load of Lyney x Reader so why not make some nostalgic (for me at least) Len x Reader🤔? As cringe as it may sound I've been reading all the fics left over by the fandom of old since I was 10 I'm so obsessed with Len>< So I pretty much have a headcanon for everything under the sun about him! So this mini thing will be a breeze:>

Len is a very cautious lover.

Used to all the memes and hate he used to regularly get back when the Vocaloid fandom was rampant; he is very hesitant with just about everything he does lest it become yet another meme and another reason to make fun of him.

As you can guess this leads to major anxiety and constantly feeling like he has done something wrong.

Please don't let him feel this way.

This being said, he is great at recognizing panic/anxiety attacks long before they happen.

He has a tendency to memorize what triggers them and avoids those places/topics entirely.

It's almost like he was built to be some form of anxiety relief android. Maybe he has some beta coding for future therapy androids?

Either way despite his physical age and mindset his is incredibly observant and can read a person pretty well.

He has a tendency to make assumptions though.

Brush his hair and don't tell him he needs to whack his ponytail off.

He'll love you.

Maybe he will let you braid it if you ask nicely.

He owns a saluki named Happy. No questions asked.

No he does not co-own her with Rin. Happy is *his* dog and neither him or the dog will accept otherwise.

If his dog approves of you 9 times outta 10 he will too.

He also likes cats, he and Rin are just allergic.

If you're someone like me and covered in cat hair 24/7, he will sneeze around you all the time.

It's cute though.

Len sneezes are adorable.

He is bad at english/kanji class please help him.

That being said he is a math wizard.

If you're like me and suck at math he can help you don't need to worry.

He would probably just do your homework for you if you ask.

Which is why you shouldn't.

Len has a problem with doing things for others so he'll do just about anything (within reason) for you if he loves you enough.

We already know he would die for his sister if I had to guess he would die for you too if you won him over.

He will take his hoodie off for you and let you wear it. He never takes his hoodies off.

Please please protect him.

Him is verr ee wholesome.

Len has some serious self doubt issues (as I mentioned earlier) so remind him that he *is* talented and that his sister isn't any better than he is.

I mentioned earlier he is good at recognising the signs of a panic attack and I think he is just as prepared to handle them as he is good at sensing them.

If you need words of comfort he can provide you with those but if you just want him to hold you while you cry he can do that too.

He actually prefers the latter because he is afraid he may say something wrong.

He has attachment issues and separation anxiety.

To certain extent he has separation anxiety with his sister and dog but it's not as bad as it is with you.

He gets so nervous and scared. He doesn't like being without you.

He is also super attached to you because you aren't mean to him.

That's probably one of the big reasons he loves you so much; you treat him like a person.

Len gets angry when people say he is a little gay twink.

He likes girls too!

He thinks no matter what's in your pants if your beautiful and kind you are beautiful and kind>:[

Please play minecraft and animal crossing with him♡♡♡

He is often littered with band-aids for no reason. He thinks they look cool lol.

Big cuddler!

Winter and autumn are his favourite seasons because he can cuddle with you in bed and wear layers:)

He has *so* many blankets and he shares all of them with you!

Doesn't mind if you fart in the bed. Doesn't run away squealing in disgust like his sister. Literally could not care less it's no different from a sneeze to him. True manliness right there.

Apple cider is his favourite!

He loves the smell so much his room has diffusers everywhere in it and they all have the scent:)

He also has his windows open a lot of the time!

So it smells like that windy-open-window-bedroom *and* apple cider!

If you open his door without expecting it, it's like being hit in the face with essence of bard. (If you get it you get it.)

Hates anything to do with zombies. They trigger panic attacks in him because he knows he would survive because he is an android but he wouldn't know how to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Not knowing what to do in certain situations enduces anixety and panic attacks in him whether it be an on the spot question from a teacher or just thinking about a situation like such his room.

He cries a lot.

I mean he is adorable and it's impossible to not find him cute when he does cry but he has one of those crying faces that makes you just feel so much guilt and a need to protect him.

Smooch his cheeks when he cries, if you do it enough he cries a little less.

Don't make him bottle up his emotions though, but also help him to stop crying because it's not very good for his eye cameras.

His eyes can glow in the dark by the way.

Every android's can.

But his are so pretty! When they glow they are a bright, electric blue that fades into a slightly deeper shade and they are *so*, SO sparkly!!

Make sure to tell him his sparkle eyes are beautiful✨✨

He has a lot of plushies.

He likes Journey to the West and is a Sun Wukong enthusiast!

He really likes Dragon Ball so he wanted to know about the design origins of Goku and you get the picture.

He doesn't quite understand all the symbolism in JTTW but he still enjoys it regardless because MONKEY KING SMASH!!!

Has a lanyard that he really likes and doesn't take off often.

He has a Vocaloid tomogatchi and the little character in it is the same Rin he has had since he first got it back when they were released.

He can't let his sister die on him!

His sister has one with him in it that she takes just as good care of♡

They may argue all the time but they really do love eachother!

Len and Rin are you best friends and Len is the best, most accommodating boyfriend you could ever ask for so please treasure him and his sister you lucky you!

Handle with care U^U

[mellosunshine]

MONONOKE STORY IDEA | PT.1 (Might write a fic for it haha)

OKAY, SO.

The plot mainly centers around a daimyo (大名) family— or family of a feudal lord. It goes into lots of family dynamics and unresolved conflict. I’ll be splitting up sections (Mononoke, characters, etc) with bolded text. Pay in mind that this will be a long post!!

If you have any advice PLEASE comment!

(Also so sorry if there’s any grammatical errors or just bad sentence structure— I’m just rambling.)

1) PLOT

The plot is mainly following the two siblings of the feudal lord’s family.

The eldest sibling (will refer as ES) has a bad illness that has him stuck at home and bedridden half the time. ES is mature and smart, and is basically the prime example of a good heir. However, the youngest sibling (will refer as YS) is the next in line to take their father’s role as a feudal lord. This is mainly because the family believes that ES won’t be physically capable of handling the role. YS is childish, doesn’t study, and isn’t really capable of seeing the larger picture. This ‘incompetence’ leads to a lot of tension between the two siblings. ES feels frustrated since he believes that YS isn’t worthy of being the heir, and YS just wants to get along with his sibling. This, alongside with more family tensions relating to the situation, create a mononoke.

The actual plot would probably start with Kusuriuri visiting the estate after noticing activity of mononoke. He most likely meets YS first, who offers to give him a place to stay after seeing him lurk around their residence. YS introduces the medicine seller to ES, which prompts a scolding about bringing in strangers. It takes a while, but eventually he’s convinced and offers up a room.

Kusuriuri acts as… a family counselor of sorts. He tries to defuse situations while trying to find the form (形), truth (真), and reason (理). He learns of their scandals and exposes them to try and defeat the mononoke.

(Coughhh,,, thinking about maybe making some sort of illegitimate child situation but I’m not too sure.)

2) THE MONONOKE

And with that, we’re now on the topic of the mononoke.

It took a while, but I finally landed on the akaname. They’re small, goblin-like creatures that feed off of grime and filth. Presumably, they eat the filth in bathrooms— but it’s also been speculated that it’s actually less of physical dirtiness and more of a reference to impurities in the soul but I’m not too sure,,, (this is because of the kanji aka (垢) in the name)

This could reference more to ES’ illness and how a lot of families back then viewed sickness as a ‘curse’ or filthy. Especially for higher ranking families since it could impact their reputation. There is also a lot of resentment each family member holds against each other (hate, disgust, etc) which the akaname could feed off of.

The form is this— the akaname. The truth would be the true source of all these feelings, and the reason could be linked to the family turmoil/secret?? Still working this out.

3) CHARACTERS

Like we have established before, there is Kusuriuri, the eldest, and the youngest sibling. I’ll go more in depth with them and other characters.

Also for clan names, I was thinking maybe Suiren (睡蓮)?

ES:

As mentioned, very studious and a proper candidate for their father’s role. However, he is struck with a mysterious ailment that the family keeps under wraps (I’m thinking of maybe hemophilia?). He’s often at home and looks over the estate.

YS:

Young boy who is next in line for their father’s position as a feudal lord. He’s considered childish, and isn’t quite in touch with reality. But he’s still a sweet and outgoing person.

Their father (idk how else to word this..):

A stubborn and distant man. He doesn’t speak often to his family, but shows more of a liking towards his youngest son (much to the distain of his wife). Often praised for his strategic skill.

Their mother (again, don’t know how to word this):

A quiet yet caring woman. She often looks over her sons and isn’t one to judge. However, one can notice the distant look she carries when looking at her youngest.

The housemaids (maybe 2-3 main ones):

Don’t really have much of a thing for them yet. However, I do know that one happened to engage in an affair with the father and birth YS. She was taken in soon after they found out. Also, YS happens to look more like their father— so it can be assumed that ES looks more like the illegitimate child (again, also bc of illness (people back then were really judgy)).

4) RELATIONS:

This section isn’t exactly relations, but it’s meant to show the disgust/hate (doesn’t matter how small) each person holds and where it’s directed.

YS: Slight hate towards his mother

ES: Himself, YS, his father

Mother: Father, YS

Father: ES, maybe mother?? (They were in an arranged relationship. He only really loved that housemaid.)

Housemaids: Mainly directed to ES, some at YS

This is what the mononoke feeds off of.

END

ANYWAY. That’s all I have so far. I’ll be making a hashtag that I add stuff to so if you’re interested check it out :-))

Thank you for reading till the end!

[purgemarchlockdown]

Im going through all the dogs in my head and yeah it all lines up pretty well-

First of all, Neotony is defined as "retention of some larval or immature characters in adulthood" it is also known as juvenilization because the idea is that these traits are only seen in juvenile members of the species. Humans can experience neotony but we specifically bred dogs to have neotenized traits. Second: Not a biologist...at all! Just some guy who knows too many animal facts! Plus I'm using this concept in loose metaphorical terms. Neotony is usually connected to physical traits but it does show up mentally in ways such as decreased aggression.

Anyways the Big Ones:

Haruka: ...Okay do I need to explain this one? Haruka both wants to return back to being a "child" where he was loved and cared for and hates the "weak" parts of himself. When he killed dogs he, in the process, destroyed the idea that he could "be a child again."

(Note: Haruka also kills a Cat which...Cat=Sin fans we stay Winning!) John: John is a "dog's name" and has refereed to himself as a "newborn" and wishes he wasn't "born" Once again connecting being a dog to being a "child," plus there's also the children noises in Double.

(Note: Tsuwmya has covered over Here ideas of age and maturity in relation to milgram characters and for Mikoto she put them down as "an adult that wants to become an adult" talking about how he has a lack of control in his life and even though he wants to be an adult and taken seriously by the people around him, he isn't. Go read the post its good) Kotoko: Notably Kotoko has Wolves and not Dogs, the non-domesticated, non-juvenilized version of dogs. However Kotoko herself has a lot of child-related imagery and concepts. Her name is written with the kanji for "child" she has a connection to Little Red Riding Hood and tells Amane that she was "the way she is now by her age" not growing or changing past being twelve. Tsuwmya's post actually covers it really well how she's an child stuck as an adult forced to be a child.

Other various details: Amane (I GOT HER IN!) has a dog Magic.

Notably unlike the cream cat (which is collared) and Her Cat (which well...dies and is also a representation of her and her sin) the bunny and the dog are uncollared (domesticated without the need of something to control them)

Magic is notably child-like in it's art direction too.

Mahiru:

Admittedly this one alluded me but Tsuwmya's post strikes again! Mahiru is an adult stuck as a child! The dog isn't too relevant to her but ay it works with my point! Would also like to mention the line that goes over here is:

We fought sometimes, I was happy to get hurt

So that's interesting.

Kazui: Family dog that is At His Parents House. Kazui has a notably bad relationship with his family and doesn't want to be an adult and deal with adult responsibilities. Yet he doesn't Really want to be a child because that means doing what his Parents want him to do and having the pressure on him.

Note again: We caused the Neotony in dogs! Each character's "childishness" can be traced back to something. Haruka was neglcted and abused, Mikoto is overworked and disrespected, Kotoko presumably had something in her past, Amane...I will talk forever if I say hers so I wont, Mahiru was sheltered, Kazui is trapped in the pressures of society.

So yeah...I think someone on the Milgram team must Really like Animals.

[namedafterflowerstournament]

Welcome to the next part of this tournament : the Honorary Mentions ! You can see underneath the match ups for Round 1.

Which characters are part of the "honorary mentions" ?

Short answer : Unvalidated submissions from the original spreadsheet that didn't made the cut for any of the brackets for diverse reasons, including joke submissions

Long answer :

Unvalidated submissions because :

- the relationship between the name of the characters and the name of a plant was a bit of a stretch (wrong kanji, unlikely relationship etc.)

- I allowed mushrooms at one point as honorary plants (mushrooms, indeed, aren't plants) before the bracket became enormous and I decided to exclude them. This is why there are a lot of shroom related submissions

- there might be here and there characters that should have been in the main bracket but that I've forgotten to add

- there probably are other reasons and I'll add possible explanations when the submitters left none

You don't have to vote for "the most valid" submission, except if you want to. You can also vote for the one you like best, the one with the most absurd propaganda, the one against the one you hate or whatever. Enjoy yourself

No antipropaganda, please

However, you can go wild with your propaganda (but if you sound serious while you're spreading untrue propaganda, please use the unreality tag). Of course the initials C.R. (fake example) stands for Chlorophyllia Renonculus

[fatestayyuri]

Finished Ward Act 2.

thoughts under cut.

I live in hell, lament.

I don't mean to be a hater more than like, what's comedic in the liveblogs to sell the bit. but also whenever i give this fucking serial an inch it throws sand in my eyes and spits on my face. when i go "oh this interaction with children is sweet, i'm glad that Vicky is at least to get some measure of comfort vicariously" they hit me with the "actually one of them might be powered so we have to funnel them into the paramiltary death squad fasttrack" and "Victoria is now going to be a freelance strikebreaker, but this time with Less Oversight". she also wants to fuck her therapist so like, sure. fuck it. i guess we're at that point now.

it's so fucked up very clearly seeing the artifice surrounding the actual genuine compelling core of the story of someone with terminal copbrain due to her trauma and upbringing learning to heal get fucking, impaled fourteen hundred times over by Wildbow moments. There's nascent themes here! of healing! of loss! of taking uneasy, shaky steps forward and trying to mesh the inherent hypocrisy of knowing your abuser deserves a second chance but feeling like that you'd rather kill both of you than be the one to give it to them. I Get It. i really do. but also please stop framing the strikebreaking like it's a good thing.

Sorry i just need to go on here to say that it's supremely funny to me that throwing cars in front of people during a panicked evacuation because they disrespected her Special Baby Girl authority is AFTER all of the conflict counselling is so fucking good. Like??? this is after, huh. it's okay since civies aren't people i suppose, just cargo and luggage

I'm not actually sure if wildbow knows what a strike is. "they're not striking, the two construction groups have just banded together to withhold labor", you say? I don't know maybe it's an intentional oversight on the character's part but at least mention that, goddamn. was he really that proud of the insult Glory Hole to use it twice, too? every time he tries to be witty i genuinely sink into my seat and start boiling alive in second-hand shame. that flirting scene was fucking terrible and the "wow so witty" he gave himself was fucking terrible.

^Wild thing to put slip in there, by the way. "yeah they acted like a union, y'know, making sure the kids were educated, sane, not being SLUTS, not being abused, etc etc"

These writeups aren't edited or like cohesive or coherent at all almost entirely because if wildbow doesn't feel the need to why should i. fuck off, it's ward.

oh right! the therapy group! the therapy group pisses me off so much dude I hate that i love them all i hate that their dynamics are good i hate that they have good chemistry and play off each other and that they feel believable and I hate that i'm gonna read more of this just to see them. Fuck me

uhhh lemme just go down the list... I haven't been given enough information on Chris but I'm liking what i'm seeing tbh, he's cagey and kind of idealistic but also he's like. 13. that's just how they are it's very convincing

Kenzie is good! i like her! she[realises i'm gonna write "is very convincing and compelling for all of these] uhhhhh mirrors a lot of the hangups i had as a kid but also I do in fact completely understand why everyone else wanted me Not In Danger back then

Ashley is too good and hot for Victoria "Cop" Dallon. that is all.

Byron and Tristan are a really interesting character concept to me actually; I have cogent thoughts whirling around in my brain but the only joke i have is that what if they starred in a variant of All or Nothing wouldn't that be fucked up

Rain O' Fire Frazier. She's so trans-coded it's unreal. I love her and how fucked up she is and how she's literally just in this to not get Murderized by her metaphorical family. Girl Same. It is really funny that she gets introduced with a functional kanji pun,

shows up with all her shit fucked up and cracked,

and then leaves with the closest thing of explicit lesbianism that Wildbow has written other than Victoria Dallon's weird thing with the milf therapist.

but from what i hear of Wildbow i'm pretty sure he'll add in a passage about her wanting to settle down with a nice Decidedly Male guy and get pregnant or whatever.

the main thing about Sveta is that she goes "well i *see* myself as disabled" while being like. a quadruple amputee. girl if you are not disabled who is

god. i love these characters. it's such a shame that they're gonna become cops. i hate it here. i hate that i'm gonna read like 1.8 million more words of this. fuck me. fuuuuuuuuuuck.

all in all 7/10 so far