#hero mahiru is the hero we all need

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

Honestly, I think that if Kotoko doesn't have any kind of tragic backstory or deep-ridden trauma and did have a relatively normal upbringing like she says she does, it will probably heighten my enjoyment of her character and her narrative even more. I've said it before and I'll say it again, my favorite thing about Kotoko's narrative and role in the story and why she is my favorite prisoner is the fact that she is the perfect encapsulation of what I think Milgram is trying to teach. It is unfair to put her, or any of these prisoners into boxes of good and bad because both are cruel oversimplifications that only serve to dehumanize them regardless of if the audience's intentions are good or bad. By dehumanizing them and partaking in the fucked up justice system that is Milgram, you are emotionally distancing yourself from them. When you emotionally distance yourself from these people, you become more ignorant to the possibility that you could do the very thing that they're doing. That Haruka, Yuno, Fuuta, Muu, Shidou, Mahiru, Kazui, Amane, Mikoto, and especially Kotoko could all be you and you won't know it before it is too late. That is why even within this system that pushes black-and-white nuance-less thinking, the narrative itself encourages you to look beyond the surface depiction of these prisoners that we are presented with. Because in the words of one Will Wood - "If you were in my shoes, you'd see I wear the same size as you" But what does any of that have to do with Kotoko and her backstory? Well, @/archivalofsins / Gunsli made a very good post that explains exactly what I'm going to talk about in more depth, but I'll give it a rundown nonetheless. It would be very easy for someone to look at a person who has gone through tragedy or trauma who has done bad things, and say in response: "See, I can't become like that because she is abnormal. I could never do that, that would never happen to me.". Now I would hope that you don't need me to tell you that this way of thinking is a white lie cake rich with ableist frosting, but that is a discussion dug into by Gunsli's post. And I do believe, if Kotoko is revealed to have a tragic traumatic backstory, this will happen to her. Because it happened to Amane. And that is why Kotoko having a 'normal life' would be so important to me and, in my opinion, heighten her already amazing narrative and writing. Her role in the story is to be a audience parallel, she is an embodiment of the system and mindset Milgram as a story criticizes and her actions are a direct consequence of our involvement in it. Milgram is already not subtle about this fact, but Kotoko's ordinary upbringing is the thing that fully hammers the nail in the wood. Anyone can become like Kotoko Yuzuriha, trauma or not. Her beliefs, her bigotry, her fascism, her violence, and her fantasy to be the chivalrous hero who protects the weak are not things that are alien or only things that form within an "abnormal" brain. In fact, they are very normal things that a lot of normal people across the globe perpetuate wholeheartedly whether they realize it or not. Kotoko isn't some one-of-a-kind individual She is literally just a girl

[good-beanswrites]

Remembering how Futa said in one timeline that there’s no way a woman could beat a man in a fight and got his ass beat. Can you do a crackfic of the girls beating him up for that?

Ahahaha thank you for the request!! This was really fun to write omg -- and well deserved, there was no need for all that in the timeline convo 😤 He was too busy thinking of leverages and forms he failed to consider the fury of a woman scorned..... may he rest in peace......

Fuuta didn’t even know what he did to earn himself an ass-beating.

“Oh, you know what you did,” Yuno said. She closed the cell door behind her. 

Whatever it was, it had managed to anger every woman on the premises. He thought it took a lot to get girls riled up this much – something like cheating on them or calling them names, you know? But without a single action on his part, he found himself facing Yuno, Muu, and Amane. All three had a fire in their eyes that Fuuta was not liking the look of. 

Mahiru had pointed him to his cell, saying Es was looking for him there. She spoke strangely as she did it, and waited awkwardly outside as he went in, but everyone around here was a little odd. How was he supposed to distinguish when people were being murderer-in-a-supernatural-prison weird from setting-a-trap-to-corner-him-in-his-cell weird?

He waved his palms in front of him. “Listen, listen! Let’s just talk, okay? Let’s slow down.”

Muu cracked her knuckles.

Amane began rolling up her sleeves in perfect creases. “You have doubted our abilities. We will make you a believer.”

Fuuta took a few steps back. His voice came out loud and frantic. “What are you talking about? If you’re looking to pick a fight, you better think twice, because I’m not gonna hit a girl or anything.”

“Oh, good!” Yuno’s voice was as bubbly as always as the three closed in. “That will make our job a lot easier.”

He felt his back hit the wall. “I mean it, let’s just talk about this for a sec! Hey!”

Mikoto’s voice came from outside the cell. 

“Mappi? What’s going on in there?”

“Yes!” Fuuta called, “Mikoto! Help! They’re gonna kill me in here!”

“Oh, no need to worry~ The girls are just teaching him a little lesson about not saying awful things.”

“Isn’t this going a bit too far…? What did he even say?”

“Nothing! Come on, get me the fuck outta here!”

“I believe his exact words were, ‘there’s no way a girl could win in a fight against a man.’”

Fuuta paled. He did say that, didn't he...

“Oh crap. Yeah, that’d do it. Carry on.”

“Wha–? Mikoto!” 

He gaped at the three in front of him. 

He remembered a hero in a video game who had faced off against an unbeatable foe; a glorious knight who came to understand that he could never conquer the world-razing dragon before him. After giving his all, and seeing his fate was sealed, the hero had no choice. In a manly show of valor, he’d lifted his chin, closed his eyes, and accepted his impending, gory death.  

Yuno's gaze was cold as she raised her arms. Muu had a hungry look in her eyes. Amane clenched her fists, her posture perfect.

It wasn’t a dragon, but Fuuta would argue this was a good deal more dangerous. He lifted his chin and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Get ‘em, girls!”

—

Kotoko approached just as the other girls filed out of Fuuta’s cell. They had giddy looks on their faces. They giggled and whispered in a huddle as they walked around the panopticon. 

“Wow, Muu!”

“Haha, I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“That felt amazing…”

Kotoko didn’t know what kind of game they were all playing in there, but Fuuta was in for a big surprise now. The fun was over. Today was the day she acted out her responsibilities as Es’ fang. Today was the day she delivered justice. 

She swung the cell door open. Her eyebrows shot up. 

Her head whipped around to take a look at the girls, still complementing one another and laughing lightly.

Hell, her work here was already done.

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Mahiru learns that she’s pregnant. (KuroMahi, Fem Mahiru)

Two red lines stared back at Mahiru. Her world was spinning and she feared she would throw up. For the past few days, she had felt nauseous and now she knew the reason. Mahiru was pregnant. She understood the word but the weight of it still hadn’t settled in. The initial shock shifted from happiness to fear and then panic. Those emotions clashed together and created a storm. When she was a child, her uncle told her to give a name to her emotions so they’ll be easier to face. She didn’t know if she could do that now.

“Mahiru, are you okay in there? You’ve been throwing up a lot. My cooking isn’t that bad so maybe we should go see a doctor.” Kuro knocked on the bathroom door. She opened her mouth to reply to him yet no words left her. What could she tell Kuro? How would he react if he knew that she was pregnant. When he became human again, neither of them thought of this scenario.

Another knock pulled her out of her spiralling thoughts. Mahiru looked from the pregnancy test to the door and contemplated what she should do. Even though she knew that she should tell Kuro and discuss such an important decision, she hesitated. She needed to make sense of her own emotion first. She placed the test in her pocket and opened the door. Kuro stood on the other side with a worried expression. The genuine concern in his eyes made her heart squeeze in her chest.

“I’m fine, Kuro. I just remembered something and I need to visit my uncle. It’s nothing dangerous so don’t make such a worried face.” Mahiru’s words didn’t ease his concern. They had known each other for years and it was easy for them to read the emotions of the other.

Kuro placed his finger beneath her chin and lightly lifted her face. Their eyes met and her heart squeezed. The way he looked at her could still make her heart race. Would she lose him once he knew about the baby? They discussed the possibility of having a family. Kuro had a large family with the Servamps and she envied that. Yet, that always felt like a far away future. What if Kuro wasn’t ready to be a father?

“Let’s stop by Tetsu's onsen on the way. He always give out free dango samples.” He leaned down and tapped their foreheads together. The light touch brought her back to when they were teenagers and she almost spiralled after her uncle was hurt. Since then, the gesture became his silent way to tell her to lean on him. She started to speak but something stopped the words. Mahiru made a strained smile.

“There’s something I want to ask my uncle about my mother.” She told him in a quiet voice. While she didn’t tell him anything further, Kuro understood. Mahiru loved her mother and there were still times when the loss felt more intense. He brushed her bangs from her eyes and then cupped her face.

“If you need me to pick you up after you finish talking with your uncle, call me.” She hugged him and pressed her face into his strong chest. He made her feel safe and Mahiru wanted to borrow his strength. She didn’t know whether it was the hormones from her pregnancy or how uncertain the news made her. The only thing she was certain of was that she hoped Kuro would hold her through it all.

Mahiru knocked on her uncle’s door before she let herself in with the spare key. When she texted her uncle, he said he was at C3’s headquarters but he would return soon. He suggested that she wait inside for him. She felt a little nostalgic to return to the apartment where she grew up after her mother died. Her uncle had rearranged the apartment after she and Kuro moved out. Nevertheless, she could still clearly see the memories she formed there.

While he took her in, her uncle needed to work and she was left to raise herself. Mahiru didn’t resent him for those lonely nights because she saw him as a hero who would leave to protect the city. She almost laughed to herself at how ironic her childish imagination had a little unknowing truth. Then, Kuro came into her life. She placed her hand over her stomach as she recalled the memories the house held— both hopeful and lonely.

She stepped into the living room and her bittersweet reminiscing ended. Her eyes narrowed. In the kitchen, Touma sat at the table and worked on his laptop as if it were his own home. Seeing him act so casual in her uncle’s home irritated her. Mahiru had a complicated view on Touma. He was her father but their conflicting view on life and morals kept them from becoming close.

“Does my uncle know that you’re here, Touma?” She asked. Mahiru glanced at the clock and she hoped that her uncle would return soon.

“I wanted to go over documents with him. Since he isn’t here, I let myself in. Someone like Toru won’t mind.” Touma said and ignored her accusatory tone. “I’m surprised that your little guard cat isn’t with you. Did you and Kuro have a fight and you came here to vent to your uncle? I would offer advice but your uncle is better with these things than me. Tsurugi was a simple child compared to a wide eyed kid playing hero.”

“I wouldn’t call your training the same as ‘parenting’. People always call me soft and too forgiving but I don’t know how Tsurugi can still consider you family.” Mahiru huffed and crossed her arms. Despite her own words, a part of her understood. Touma rescued Tsurugi in a similar way her uncle held out his hand to her.

The one thing she could never make sense of was how Touma and her mother started dating. Mahiru glanced at the photo of her mother resting on the shelf. When she was a child, she saw her mother as a perfect hero. Now that she was older, she could see that their family was much more complicated. If only she could speak with her one last time.

“Mama didn’t tell you about me— let alone her pregnancy.” Mahiru walked to the photo and took it into her hands. She looked over her shoulder to Touma and studied his expression. Whether he felt saddened by the statement or not, she couldn’t tell. Touma merely took a sip of his drink and continued flipping through his work.

He only looked up when she sat across the table from him. His eyes were on the picture though. Touma didn’t say a word so Mahiru continued. “I read Mama’s research paper on the Servamps and Jinn. She wrote about you in a few of her notes. She called you intelligent and driven. Though, she didn’t write about your private research so she probably didn’t know about that. I doubt she's the type to be blind to your faults just for love.”

“The same way you love Kuro despite how lazy he is? When I spoke with your uncle about that, Toru reassured me that he’s a good man. However, even he worries that Kuro will push all the chores onto you.”

"Kuro isn’t that lazy. I won’t let you talk poorly about my boyfriend." Mahiru was surprised that Touma had spoken to her uncle about Kuro. She didn’t expect him to care enough when he never made an attempt to be a father.

Then, she heard him mutter: “You’re a lot like your mother. You didn’t inherit anything from me. That’s good.”

Mahiru forced herself to swallow her pride and placed the picture of her mother between them. “Mama never told you about being pregnant because she wasn’t certain if you were ready to be a father. Maybe there were other reasons. Do you think that she was also scared to be a mother? Did she talk to you about not wanting a family? Mama couldn’t talk to me or Uncle Toru about those thoughts but she could with you.”

“If she did ask me about children and the possibility of a family, I would’ve realized that you were my daughter much sooner. She broke up with me and she needed to focus on her own Jinn research. I took her words at face value and never looked deeper into it. She started working from home more and she refused to bring you close to C3. I never met you while she was still alive.” He held up his empty hands. For a moment, Mahiru thought she heard regret in Touma’s voice.

“So, you really can’t tell me how Mama felt when she was carrying me.” Mahiru bit her lip.

“Why the sudden interest in my relationship with your mother and your birth? Are you pregnant too?” Touma made the quip expecting Mahiru to snap back at him. Instead, silence filled the room and made the air thick. The realization slowly dawned on him after he saw her face pale. He reached towards his phone on the table. “I’ll call your uncle and tell him to come home immediately to speak with you.”

“Mama didn’t tell Uncle Toru about her pregnancy either! The little he knew was from her diary and even that was vague. What can he tell me that you didn’t already say?” Mahiru slammed her hand on the table and the force rattled the wood. Touma’s hand froze over his phone and he wished that Toru was home. He didn’t know how to comfort his own daughter. She hugged her stomach and lowered her head. “I just want to talk to Mama.”

“Akira used to lecture me about how I raised Tsurugi.” That was the first time Touma spoke Akira’s name in their conversation. Touma realized that he hadn’t been able to say it in decades. He needed to build walls around himself and detach from people for the sake of his goal. Akira and Tsurugi came the closest to saving him from himself. He regretted he didn’t realize how important they were sooner.

He took a blank sheet of paper from his folder and began to scribble a few sentences. “If you want the parenting advice she gave me, I can write them down for you. Your friends often joke that you mother everyone. You don’t need to be afraid of being a good mother, Mahiru.”

“Mothering people? That was just me playing at being a hero. You said so yourself. What do I know about being a parent? Mama died when I was five years old and you weren’t there from the start. Uncle Toru was always working. I don’t know if I can do this!” Mahiru’s voice rose and shook with each word. She didn’t understand how her yells managed to pass the lump in her throat.

The fears and emotions that she felt after she saw the positive pregnancy test came flooding out of her. Tears fell onto her mother’s photo and Mahiru desperately tried to wipe them clean. “Kuro told me that he loved me. But he might change his mind if I’m a bad mother. What if he doesn’t think he’s ready to be a father like me and resents me? Did Mama feel like this too?”

No matter how much Mahiru tried, she couldn’t stop her tears. The only thing she could do was lower her face onto the table and bury her face into her hands. Mahiru missed her mother more than words could convey. She had the impossible wish of feeling her mother’s comforting hug one last time and to ask her for advice for her pregnancy. All the things that she would have shared with her mother filled her with longing and regret.

Then, she felt Touma’s hand on her hair. He lightly patted her head as if she were a child again. “When I went into my neighbour’s house to rescue Tsurugi, I didn’t know if I was ready to take care of a kid. I was scared. I read books on how to raise a child to prepare myself. However, the first night, I was utterly lost. I didn’t have anyone to rely on to help raise Tsurugi. You have Kuro, your uncle and friends. If I can manage raising Tsurugi, you will be a good mother. Akira would be proud of the person you grew up to be, Mahiru.”

“I wish Mama was here.” Mahiru took a deep breath. Her heart still ached and felt uneasy with doubt. Though, Touma’s words were a little reassuring to her.

“If you don’t want a kid and you’re not ready, you can get an abortion without anyone knowing or give it away,” Touma suggested. “I won’t tell anyone about it.”

“Don’t talk about my daughter like that. I don’t know if I’ll be a perfect mother but I love my child.” Mahiru hugged her stomach protectively.

While she glared daggers at him, he didn’t flinch back from her. Touma patted her head one final time and then stepped back. “I only suggested it to see what your first response will be. You already have the protective instinct of a mother lion. You’re just like Akira.”

“I’m home!” Mahiru called into the house when she returned. After her talk with Touma, her uncle came home. She lost track of time speaking with Toru. She didn’t tell him about her pregnancy though. She wanted the next person she told to be Kuro. During her walk back, she planned the different ways she could tell him.

Kuro didn’t greet her as he usually would. She hoped that he didn’t get worried and went out to search for her. Mahiru took out her phone to see if he texted her. When she stepped through the foyer, she found her answer.

In the living room, Kuro slept on the couch. A simple tray of food sat on the coffee table: two plates of her favourite hamburgers. Mahiru knew that he had cooked it to make her feel better. The meat patty was misshapen but the sight still made a spiral spread across her face. She sat next to him and lightly kissed his cheek.

Mahiru was careful not to wake him as she whispered, “Thank you, Kuro. You’re going to be a great father. But I'll have to teach you how to cook for our child.”

[childrenofthesun77]

Giving the heroes 13 mikuni's (well 12 now I guess. Or are 12 fake mikuni's left and the original is not among them so it's still 13? What did you do now mikuni, I'm so confused) to defeat makes a lot of sense now that I thought about it a bit.

Almost all characters are on mahiru's side at this point, with the exception of mikuni, jeje, lily and tsubaki. Even former antagonists like touma and tsubaki's subclass are trying to stop the ritual from succeeding. Now that all the eves and servamps on the heroes side (and gear, touma and tooru) got a chance to show off their powers against pandora I'm expecting that fight to end one way or another soon, meaning we need other antagonists for the many heroes to fight and there aren't a lot left.

Tsubaki is still figthing with kuro. I guess other characters could join the fight, but my guess is that this fight will be mainly between the two and maybe mahiru will join to support kuro at some point. All the servamps coming together to convince tsubaki that they are also his family would be cool too I guess tho.

Last time we saw jeje he was bound in chains and tsubaki stole his jinn, so jeje is currently not exactly a threat unless someone frees him.

Lily could start a fight with someone, but he's not a great fighter, he's a schemer and he already revealed most of his plans to misono. I also feel like while other characters could fight against lily in the end it's misono who has to get through to lily so any other confrontation would only exist to give the characters something to do.

In a similar case I feel like misono should be the one to stop mikuni, but with mikuni's plots harming so many people now (I see lily and mikuni as the true antagonists at this point) I would understand if the other characters got to fight him too. Which thanks to mikuni multiplying a lot is now possible. Some mikuni's are already covered by tsubaki's subclass (so far we've seen belkia, higan and lilac. Plus two pairs of unknown subclass of tsubaki, but I doubt they will defeat mikuni) but many others are not, leaving a lot of mikuni's to defeat to stop whatever spell he cast to aid tsubaki.

I wonder if tsurugi could also return as an antagonist. Not out of his free will of course, but because mikuni is puppeteering his corpse or something. Mikuni told jeje to leave the body as nice as possible and lily killed tsurugi by beheading him with one clean cut. When mikado woke up again the corpse was gone. So did mikuni take it with him to do something with it? Dead tsurugi vs touma would be emotionally brutal😅

The count could return in one form or another too I guess, but I feel like that is something mainly for mahiru and kuro to deal with.

Of course it's possible that a few more heroes get pushed off the board by injury or something similar (tooru is too injured to fight and freya, ildio and lawless did take a lot of damage as they shielded the eves from pandora's blast) but with so many characters on the side of the heroes we need more antagonists to give them something to do while the main characters deal with the bigger threats.

[katzkinder]

was talking with friends about what's necessary for an Eve to be successful at their position and what an individual Servamp might need from their particular Eve, and of course this came back to talking about Wrath arc since that's the most polarizing for some reason when it comes to who should have been Freya's Eve, but also Tetsu and Mikuni got involved, which is... Gonna be fun to ramble about LOL

Alright so ripping the bandaid off real fast, Tsurugi... Would make a bad Eve. I love him but it is so so true, he would be a TERRIBLE Eve, because until Mahiru entered his soul and helped him confront his loneliness, he lacked the most important thing for being an Eve: the ability to make his own decisions.

If an Eve is a Servamp's reason, the one who pulls them back from the brink, what do you think will happen if someone becomes an Eve who can't do that task? Someone like Tsurugi, who has only ever blindly obeyed the orders given to him without question? What do you think would happen if he made a Contract with the Servamp of Wrath, who is shown having Eves in positions of power before, who dislikes senseless death and murder, if she were tied to a man who only knows how to look to his superiors for who he's supposed to kill next?

If he had become her Eve, he never would have been able to grow beyond the him who looked at Mahiru and blithely talked about the reality that the outcome of the war would decide whether he was a hero or a mass murderer. He literally could not even think for himself enough to question whether he was right or not.

That is. Really fucking bad lmao.

Especially since even if Tsurugi survived the trial of wrath (he wouldn't, because he's a footsoldier who only knows how to do as told and Freya needs someone who can equal her, not be consumed by her), when it came to rescuing Shuuhei from Shamrock? He would not have pulled his blade like Iduna made Freya do (and even Freya herself is shocked by the decision Iduna made. She's clearly not used to having her Eves, while in battle, show mercy or make decisions that don't end in bloodshed). He would have killed Shamrock, saved Shuuhei, and doomed everyone because he just offed one of Tsubaki's inner circle and sent him on a made quest for revenge, AGAIN, thoroughly ruining both the plot and Servamp's narrative cohesion.

Anyway all of that *gestures above* is also why I think Tetsu ended up NOT being an Eve this whole time. He, like Tsurugi was, is completely dependent on others to tell him what to do. He doesn't think when things don't add up, he simply accepts whatever he's told at face value, and that... It ended badly for him, suffice to say. He was used by Hugh and, like a dog that's been kicked, had no idea what to do when hurt by his master via betrayal.

Which brings me to Mikuni. He is the OPPOSITE of Tetsu. He is someone who commands his Servamp without ever taking Jeje's thoughts into account. And while he's a decent Eve of Envy, WHOO MAMA Y'ALL he would be so so bad as the Eve of Lust.

He and Lily are just too similar and if they didn't live together since Mikuni was a fetus, they would not get along at all lololol. Even now, because they're so similar, there's no like... cross talk? Between them?? There's no one who steps back and says "hey what the hell that's fucked up" when one or the other wants to do something Stupid.

And basically what I'm getting at here is that being an Eve for one Servamp is not necessarily a qualification where you are just Super Suited For Being An Eve.

Because the Servamps and Eves are individuals, so their own differences lead to combinations which are either lightning in a bottle (Kuro and Mahiru) or destined for tragedy (Mikuni and Lily)

We should all be very grateful that Mikuni never inherited Lily like he was supposed to :) Those mean bitches would have caused so much chaos together and I love that for them, but I don't want the world to end ya feel

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] Final SERVAMP Quest Vol. 2

Here’s the 2nd volume of Final SERVAMP Quest! Please go to the Servamp - French facebook account for the download link ^^ 

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

Under the cut, enjoy~

Final Servamp Quest Vol. 2 Translations

KURO: The world has been under the control of the dark Demon Lord Tsubaki.

KURO: The sky looks like it will always rain and it’s been impossible to air laundry out.

KURO: And all the convenience stores… All they sell are green tea-flavored stuff…

KURO: In order to correct this world, the housewife who hits his laundry to dry with wild abandon—ah, no, the chosen hero Mahiru decided to fight back.

(triumphant fanfare)

MAHIRU: WAIT A SECOND!!

KURO: What is it, Hero Mahiru?

MAHIRU:  Who the hell’s a hero?! Isn’t that supposed to be you?! Why are you suddenly avoiding it?

KURO: “Adventures of Hero Mahiru” is written on the title, you know?

KURO: Naturally, we have to stick with that.

MAHIRU: Then, don’t make fun of the hero from the beginning!

MAHIRU: Monthly Comic Gene, special drama CD: SERVAMP.

KURO: Final SERVAMP Quest: Adventures of Hero Mahiru – Vol. 2

(8-bit music)

MAHIRU: Pretending as if Vol. 1 never happened, me, Kuro, Licht-san, and Lawless went to defeat the Demon Lord Tsubaki but…

KURO: How troublesome… Can’t we just return to the first village we came from and laze about playing games?

MAHIRU: Shut it! Isn’t it better to get this over with fast?

MAHIRU: Um… First is… let’s check our roles…

MAHIRU: I’m the hero and Lawless is…?

HYDE: A swordsman~! A huge sword might be more helpful with attack points but, the super stylish Lawless-chan fights with a thin saber that matches with his outfit~!

MAHIRU: (in an uninterested tone) Ah, sure, sure. I’m expecting a lot from you.

HYDE: (dejected) I got passed over by Shirota Mahiru…

MAHIRU: Kuro is?

KURO: A healing cat-vampire.

MAHIRU: You’re gonna bring your role from the main show here?!

KURO: Ah, no, I just thought that it would be good to keep something the same. If we keep doing parodies like these, someone might forget [our real roles].

MAHIRU: Well, you have a point but… that’ll make things complicated here so it’s rejected!

KURO: Guess I have no choice… Then, I’ll be a gambler.

MAHIRU: I feel like you’re not really serious but… (grunts) Fine, that’s good enough.

MAHIRU: Then, Licht-san is…? Going with how you look… Are you a magician?

LICHT: I’m an angel.

MAHIRU: Eh?

LICHT: To be more accurate, I’m a saint sent down from Heaven above in order to purge earth from evil.

LICHT: An angel.

MAHIRU: That’s long…!

KURO: I haven’t heard of “angel” as an RPG class though…

LICHT: Naturally. An angel is a one-of-a-kind existence.

HYDE: Ah~! A saint sent from above! Does that mean you can purify evil or something~?

LICHT: A shitty rat like you should just die horribly with despair and regret deep in your heart.

HYDE: How rude! Is that what an angel would say?!

LICHT: You should be grateful that you can still talk to an angel like me, you stupid rat.

HYDE: Ah-ah~ Is it time to punish this angel who’s getting cocky?

LICHT: Bring it on. I’ll send you back to hell.

MAHIRU: WAIT! Licht-san, Lawless, please calm down. Hey, Kuro, help me stop—

KURO: Good luck, Hero Mahiru.

MAHIRU: At least help a little!!

(more 8-bit music and a monster growl)

MAHIRU: Ah! Something appeared while we were arguing! An enemy monster!!

(monster attacks and hits Hyde)

KURO: A direct attack…?!

HYDE: (groans) You’re pretty good for a lowlife monster.

MAHIRU: He got some damage…! Licht-san, please heal him with your magic!

LICHT: There’s no need.

MAHIRU: Pardon?!

LICHT: I will exorcise all evil.

LICHT: Take this! Dynamic Angel Kick!

(Licht hits the monster and victory fanfare plays)

HYDE: In the end, it’s no different from his usual attack patterns…

KURO: That’s got nothing to do with angels…

(triumphant 8-bit music)

MAHIRU: Oh, the monster dropped something.

MAHIRU: I wonder what this bottle’s for… It’s got something green in it. Green tea juice…? Or maybe not.

MAHIRU: Ah, it says “healing potion” on the label…

HYDE: Okie-dokie~ I’ll be taking that! (Hyde grabs the bottle)

MAHIRU: Eh?

HYDE: Since it looks like there’s no one here who can use healing magic, we’ll have to heal ourselves with items!

(Hyde opens the bottle)

HYDE: Thanks for the potion~ (Hyde starts drinking)

MAHIRU: You’re gonna drink it now?!

(Hyde spits the drink out)

KURO: How nasty…

HYDE: Disgusting…! What the heck’s this? It’s so bad!

HYDE: I was prepared for a bitter taste but this doesn’t taste like medicine at all!

HYDE: It totally tastes like grass, bwehh…! (coughing)

MAHIRU: Ugh…! That smells so bad…

LICHT: (pinching his nose) Don’t come any closer, you fugitive rat.

KURO: (pinching his nose) It’s true that just speaking lets a bad smell out.

KURO: Let’s stay away from him for a while.

HYDE: Uwah…! How absolutely mean of you! Is this how you treat a person who will help you defeat the Demon Lord?!

MAHIRU: (pinching his nose) No… You’re the one who took it first, you know…?

  ***

 (8-bit music accompanied by fighting sound effects)

(fighting and victory fanfare keeps repeating for a few times)

HYDE: Ah… geez, there’s no end to them…

LICHT: It’s one demon after another…!

MAHIRU: At this rate… We’ll all be defeated before we even reach the Demon Lord…! What should we…?

KURO: You leave me no choice… Now that it’s come to this…!

MAHIRU: Did you think of something, Kuro?

KURO: I didn’t really… want to use this technique…!

KURO: But, if it’s to protect you guys, I…!

HYDE: Don’t tell me…! Is it a technique where you sacrifice yourself so that your allies can get away?!

LICHT: What did you say?!

MAHIRU: No! I won’t let you sacrifice yourself, Kuro—

KURO: Don’t stop me, Mahiru! This is the only way I know to save you all…!

MAHIRU: Stop, Kuro!

HYDE: Nii-san!

KURO: Ultimate Technique!

KURO: Command: Choose escape!

MAHIRU: Eh?

HYDE: Eh? WHAT?!

KURO: (sighs) We escaped successfully.

MAHIRU: You were just gonna run away?! Give me back that serious conversation now!

LICHT: An angel like me running away…?! I got swayed by the demons…?!

KURO: In any case, we escaped a difficult situation.

KURO: Be grateful for my decision.

HYDE: Well, you have a point. In any case, if we keep fighting those hordes of enemies, we’ll never reach the Demon Lord’s Palace.

MAHIRU: That’s true but, we need to raise our levels, right?!

HYDE: Can’t we just raise our levels by cheating, though?

KURO: You know, like spinning a gacha for levels using money or something.

MAHIRU: This can’t be resolved with money!

MAHIRU: Look, Licht-san’s still brooding over running away. Take responsibility and do something!

KURO: Guess I have no choice… (Kuro transforms into a cat)

KURO: Be healed by my cute appearance~

LICHT: Mr. Cat…?! MR. CAT! Are you going to heal me? (Licht hugs cat Kuro)

HYDE: (quietly, to Mahiru) Ah… He’s recovered… As expected from a simple-minded angel.

LICHT: Mr. Cat~

MAHIRU: (quietly, to Hyde) He’ll get mad at you if he heard that.

HYDE: That’s why I’m saying it quietly so he can’t hear.

LICHT: (still quietly mumbling) Mr. Cat~

KURO: At this rate, we’re lacking man-power so let’s go with a shortcut!

KURO: Magical Kitty Cat Magic~!

KURO: Magic Portal!

MAHIRU: Huh? What the heck’s that?

(a looming sound effect comes closer)

MAHIRU: EH?! What—AHHHHH!!!

(ominous music plays as they land)

MAHIRU: Wha—this place is…?

HYDE: Looks like… We’re suddenly in front of the Demon Lord’s castle…

LICHT: As expected from Mr. Cat’s fancy kitty cat magic.

MAHIRU: What did you do?!

(Kuro transforms back into a human)

KURO: Simply put, it’s a ○○.1

MAHIRU: But, a ○○ is not an easy place to go to…

HYDE: Welp, never mind the complicated stuff~

HYDE: Now, let’s invade the Demon Lord’s castle!

(they slowly walk inside)

KURO: It’s here, isn’t it?

MAHIRU: How can you tell?

KURO: The circumstances declare so.

HYDE: You keep saying that, it’s getting annoying.

LICHT: Let’s attack.

(softly knocking on the door)

LICHT: Please excuse us.

HYDE: Oh? You’re actually doing it politely. Since it’s you, I thought you’d kick the door down or something.

TSUBAKI: (from the other side of the door) It’s open~

KURO: He’s not locking the door… What a careless guy.

MAHIRU: That’s not what you should react to!

(door opens and they walk in)

TSUBAKI: (laughing maniacally) Not interesting at all…

TSUBAKI: So, you’ve finally arrived, you peasants! This great Demon Lord Tsubaki will… give you some green-tea flavored snacks~

KURO/MAHIRU: Annoying!!

MAHIRU: The tension’s gone after seeing him laze about in a kotatsu!

TSUBAKI: I mean, it took so long for you guys to get here. I got tired of waiting.

HYDE: He’s pretty easy-going for a last boss, huh?

KURO: You’re completely right.

TSUBAKI: Come inside [the kotatsu], Brother Sloth~ You can relax all you want.

KURO: …! What’s this feeling…? I can’t avoid it… My heart’s being held captive…

TSUBAKI: Ah, we have oranges, too. Want some?

KURO: Oranges?!

MAHIRU: (scoffs) As if Kuro would be taken in by th—

HYDE: Nii-san already went, though.

MAHIRU: STUPID! STOP CAUSING TROUBLE!

KURO: No… When I heard the words “kotatsu” and “oranges”, my body suddenly…

KURO: (groans in pain and then transforms into a cat)

KURO: (sighs) It’s so warm~ This is the best~

MAHIRU: What’s gotten into you, Kuro?!

TSUBAKI: See~? They say that cats will always fall victims to kotatsu, right?

KURO: I’m gonna relax and live here~

TSUBAKI: We have melon, too~

LICHT: (slightly gasps) Melon…? (Licht runs to the kotatsu)

HYDE: Aw, crap! Lichtan!

LICHT: (eating) This melon’s good…

HYDE: Come back to us, Lichtan!

MAHIRU: Uwah…! This got a lot more troublesome!

TSUBAKI: (laughing maniacally)

LICHT: (to himself) This is so delicious… It has Heaven’s taste to it.

TSUBAKI: Looks like I got them hooked. This is actually my plan all along.

TSUBAKI: How does it feel having your friends taken hostage one by one~?

MAHIRU: (grunts) Honestly… I’m lost at how I should feel and react right now…!

HYDE: Damn you, Demon Lord Tsubaki. That’s foul play!

MAHIRU: Good going, Lawless!

TSUBAKI: A Demon Lord playing fair is similar to a rollercoaster going slow or sushi without wasabi, you know? It won’t be interesting at all.

HYDE: Ah, I don’t really get it.

MAHIRU: The analogy’s too difficult…

TSUBAKI: Grr… Shamrock and Belkia would totally get it, though…! If you don’t broaden your horizons, you’ll experience less, you know?!

MAHIRU: He’s sounding like a school teacher now…!

HYDE: I understand the logic but, hearing it from you is irritating.

TSUBAKI: Fine, then I’ll explain it so that simpletons like you can understand.

TSUBAKI: In other words, it’s meaningless if I don’t provoke you.

TSUBAKI: Take this! Demon Lord’s Ultimate Technique!

TSUBAKI: Kyun, kyun, Tsubakyun~ Tsubakyun Beam~ (sparkly sounds)

MAHIRU: That’s an ultimate technique!?

(explosion)

HYDE/MAHIRU: AAAAAAHHHHHH!

  ***

  (downtrodden 8-bit music)

KURO: The world was enveloped in darkness.

KURO: The Hero Mahiru disappeared right in front of my eyes.

KURO: Do you want to continue?

MAHIRU: No, I don’t!

  ==END==

Translator’s Notes:

1 What Kuro and Mahiru actually say here is bleeped out in the audio, presumably because it’s a copyrighted term.

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

[rhythmicpirate]

MILGRAM current theories and personal verdicts

Spoilers under the cut!

Haruka

Judging by the PV it looks like poor Haruka's only crime was murdering a dog that his mother brought for him. It seemed as though the dog appeared to him as a wild animal though, and he only acted out fear. Perhaps that mistake is where his depression came from? He needs to see if there's like a therapy place in Milgram. Personal Verdict:Innocent

Yuno

I...I don't actually know what her crime is? I mean I know she had to have killed someone but I can't figure out who? Probably one her clients as I believe, isn't she like a prostitute or something? Verdict:Unsure? Will have to wait for part 2.

Fuuta

Compared to the other crimes here, Cyber-bulling is kind of tame. It's still wrong, of course, but we've got people here who got multiple deaths. Still his quick to anger personality doesn't give me good vibes. Not to mention playing the role of hero isn't a good excuse for your evil. Verdict:Guilty

Mu

Bullying in real life can do a lot of damage to a person. I believe that at the time she thought her actions were completely justified, especially considering that she felt trapped by them. But now that her personality has done a full 180 saying that "she did nothing wrong" ironically enough I'm starting to have my doubts about her so called "bullies". Not to mention she is in the 1% (rich), and probally a transfer student. Verdict:Innocent, but may lean towards guilty later.

Shidou

I don't think Shidou murdered anyone. Instead I think that all his paitents died on their own due to bad caretaking. The stealing of the Organs was a lie he made up so he could get Es to be innocent. In reality he probally donated them to something. However, the guilt of not being able to save a single paitent made him spiral into depression and maybe the reason he wants to die so badly is because thinks it's the only way to make things right. Verdict:Innocent

Mahiru

Look at the poor girl. It looked like her lover was abusing her either emotionally or psychically (as assumed by her end frame, a look of fear clearly is visible). Yet she was blind to do this and kept on believing that he truly loved her. However her true colors soon shown at the surface and decided to end it herself. It's not good that Kotoko reminded her of her wounds after words. Verdict:Innocent

Kazui

He seem to really care about the other prisoners in the Milgram and dosen't seem to mind getting a guilty verdict. Infact he seems like he dosen't care if he gets guilty or not, maybe he secretly wants one too. His actions are definetly strange at times, but I just can't bring myself to hate the guy either. If I drank beer I'd probably drink it with him. Also I'm not so sure he cheated on his wife, rather he let someone who he had loved dearly go, or they broke up with him. Verdict:Innocent

Amane

She's still so young, only a child, I'd feel guilty if I gave her a guilty. Yet...I'm worried. Is she to far gone in her own delusions that the cult had brainwashed her into believing. Is there still a chance to redeem her or was us letting her down the final straw? I don't think Verdict:Reluctant Innocent.

Mikoto

It's my theory that Mikoto is suffering from Split Personality AKA Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). One personality appears to be ruthless and rude while the other one appears to be polite. However, this evil personality may be less protective then we thought, and maybe selfish as well. Either way, that other personality may be a bit much. Verdict:Guilty

Kotoko

A wise Batman once said "If you kill a killer the number of killers in this world stays the same." I think that really applies to Kotoko. Sure she believes she's fighting for justice, but wolves are often used as symbols of wrath. Not to mention she might be getting more dangerous due to her use of bats on the other prisoers. Even if they do turn out to be "guilty" in the end, does that mean she has the right to do those things to her. Verdict:Guilty

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Rpg Anon: Still haven't finished the Remnants or the next thing I said I would do but I just had another idea. Mod, what do you think we should name certain characters' ultimate weapons? For example, what would Leon's best baseball and bat be called, or Mahiru's camera, or Peko's sword, or whatever weapon category Makoto's and Hajime's are classified as, etc. To save time, let's not discuss what their weapons would be.

//Still not in the mood to get political today so I’ll just do this instead. I don’t know if there are weapon types/classes in the RPG, but I’ll divide them up anyway to make it easier for me.

//I also forgot which characters were planned out and which weren’t, so I’m just doing whoever I can think of.

Unarmed/Fists (Characters who don’t need anything other than their fists to do the talking):

Makoto - Hands of Hope

Hina - Pool Punchers

Mondo - Unbreakable Diamond Fists

Taka - Justice Thrusters

Sakura - Fists of the East Moon

Hajime/Izuru - Jabberwok Defender

Akane - Rambunctious Rough-‘em-Ups

Nekomaru - Show some Spirit

Nagito - Hands of “Ultimate Hope”

Bandai - Hands of the Land

Koichi - Drunken Boxing

Tenko - “Taste the Wrath of NEO AIKIDO”

Kaito - Star Pummeller

Gonta - Reptite Wrath

Masaru - Hero Hands

Yuta - Brotherly Beats

Yuki - Divine Punisher

Yukari - Two minds, one mess

Narumi - Gauntlets of Gross

Kazoumi - Punk Punishers

Ayumu - Wall Breakers

Mikoto - Muscle Mesher

Mitsunari - Uma and Shika

Eje - Punk-Ass Protector

Leona - Sizeable Threat

Breakers (Characters who rely on physical quick attacks, almost like dance moves, and also primarily use their legs (some have unique weapons)):

Toko - Toko Taser (Uses the Taser as an additional weapon, and also this is her when she’s not Genocide Jill. She gets her own one.)

Ibuki - Black Cherry Cha-Cha

Hiyoko - Bladed Fan Dance (as implied by the name, she uses bladed fans like that one Power Ranger)

Akeru - Ninja Nightmare

Setsuka - Evil Eye Ass-Beating

Kego - Low-blow fro’

Aruma - Lashes of Love (She uses a whip with her style)

Kibin - Lonely Lashing

Hunter - Breakdance Backbreaker

Ranged/Pistoleer (Characters who use a firearm or two):

Kyoko - Gun of the Gloved Detective

Byakuya - Puissant pistolet Togami

Fuyuhiko - Kuzuryu Killing Blow

Ryuji/Imposter - Puissant pistolet Twogami

Kokichi Ouma - Dual Intense Cartridge Evoker’s (DICE) (He dual wields)

Nagisa - Sage Shooter

Taichi - Desperate Destroyer

Yoruko - Desperate Measures

Tsurugi - Kinjo Killjoy’s

Rei - Incompetance Annihilators

Teruya - Tarnation Cessation

Ryutaro/Keisuke/Midori/Minako - Kisaragi Foundation Firearm (they all share the same weapon)

Syobai - Brokeback Blaster

Assassin (Arms consist of both a small weapon, like a dagger or baton, as well as a small firearm. Can fight at both close and mid-range)

Genocide Jill - Jill’s Trusty Genoscissors

Mukuro - Fabled Fenrir Gear

Shuichi - Saihara’s Stuff (is significantly less agile than other Assassin-class characters, and wields a pistol and baton)

Maki - Ultimate Assassin Armaments

Ryoma - Tennis History (Has a tennis racket. Can attack with it physically, and hit at range with tennis balls. Put in this class because he’s physically quick.)

Tsumugi - Potentially Deadly Props

Matta - Mysterious Malice

Special (Characters who’s attacks are based on strange unnatural powers that are unrealistic and can’t typically be sensed normally. This is the category of most of the musician characters who fight with music.)

Sayaka - Miraculous Microphone

Hifumi - Otaku Overpower

Celeste - Gambling Blaze

Gundham - Seal Unleashed (He fights a bit like Heizou in Genshin, with punches and kicks imbued with magic. He also summons animals to help him)

Himiko - Magic Castle Staff

Angie - Atua Light of Power (same as Gundham. Attacks with art tools like chisels and hammers imbued with magical power)

Taichi - Datamine Damager

Mikako - Onmyodo Onslaught

Mikado - Monster of Utsuroshima

Iroha - Arts and Crafts

Marin - Playful Forecast

Uchui - Alternate Attacker

Oliver - The Fang’s Fury

//I will make the second half later because it’s really taxing to do this on my phone.

-Mod

[izur-x]

I wanted to ask for an image where S/O saves victim from an attack by sacrificing them self, then trying to get back them to safe place nor dying at the end. That for Hiyoko, Hajime, Komaru, but you don't have too.

Have good day!

A hero

Pairing ~ hiyoko/reader, hajime/reader, komaru/reader

Genre + warning ~ angst. Spoiler, uh blood, death, major character deaths(my favorite).

Summary ~ ...

Note ~ hello! I'm sorry if i took too long, hope you like this! If this isn't what you meant, please ask again.

Hiyoko saionji

—"(y/n)!!"

—hiyoko scream when you block peko metal bat attack, how did this happen? Well...

—hiyoko wakes up too early and had to see mahiru get blown away by peko, before hiyoko even react to it, peko already prepared to hit her.

—they didn't know that you were entering the beach house, without thinking, your body move itself and protect hiyoko.

—thats why she screaming your name, peko and fuyuhiko scared now. "Peko!" "Roger." Pekoyama escape inorder to the plan to work again.

—and now it just leave you, mahiru dead body, and hiyoko. Even so, hiyoko was attached to mahiru and not you, she was crying beside you.

—"(y-y/n), p-please st-stay!!" You smiled softly, "sorry hiyoko...but please live on, that is our promise." Before you last breath was taken.

Hajime hinata

—monokuma had a new motive. Not many people left and he already prepared a new motive? Chiaki and Nagito already died. Only six people left, and this killing game haven't finished.

—this time, there's no class trial. Death game, well the rules is simple, 1.when it official begin which is at night time, one of you will get injected. Triggering to kill someone infront of everyone.

—Sonia was injected, and no one knew about that, so when they all gather up on hotel, sonia was holding a knife. She was aiming at kazuichi but failed.

—"oi akane! Stop her!" "I-i can't!" Everyone panicking, and then sonia starts to aiming at hajime, he couldn't react because it was sudden.

—everything goes slow down in your eyes, you already made up your mind, you don't want to regret it, you want him to live on.

—you run fast to hajime, and get stabbed in the heart. Everyone screaming your name at the same time, hajime face went pale, he could not believe this.

—chiaki already died, his friends died, and now, you died. Everything is taken away from him, it is unfair.

—Till the end, you died with a smile, and forgive sonia, she couldn't help but kill someone, Hajime was... Holding tightly, doesn't care that your blood ruining his clothing.

—your last words is..

—"i love you, don't die on me, okay?"

—and then your whole body given away, no strength left.

Komaru naegi

—ball monokuma.

—okay i stop.

—you three just scrolling through the city, with didn't expect to be followed. It was a new design monobots, you three didn't know what they capable of.

—without any warning, the monobots begins to let out a weird noise, it is not a ticking bomb, sadly ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

—the monobots starts to spilt in half, it's literally a nightmare for you three, in a second they manipulate fast, there is no escape for three of you.

—"w-what should we do!" Komaru panicking, "run obviously!" Jack/jil grab komaru hands and you but you pulled away, "y/n / s/o!" They both surprised.

—"s/o! Don't you even think–" "sorry komaru, i don't keep my promise, but you two need to get out of here, i will take care of this." "Huh???? You? Hah! No way you will handle this amount or robots!" Jil scolded you.

—"not when i try, now go!" You pushed them away leaving you crowded in a bunch of monobots. You could hear komaru screaming your name.

—you leave them no choice but to run. You accepted your fate, everything, you regret nothing, even i you are, it's already too late.

[rev3rb]

I hope the angels do end up final boss like you said. Mainly bc I think it’ll be really interesting to see everyone rethink everything with the added perspective, as well as just general curiosity about their true nature + power. I’m also kinda a sucker for villains turning out to be the good guy, but idk if the 1st will turn out like that, or simply not as bad as we currently think. I mean it would take some hella good reasoning to justify that many years of child murder, abuse, experimentation, and manipulation.

And yeah the gay banter was totally great lol. I forgot to mention earlier how cute it was to see Mika come back and immediately talk about discussing their future together while holding Yu’s hand. I love seeing them fight together again and the return of Mika’s memory/personality. I do see your point about the eye being a lil creepy, however, I appreciate Mika being able to talk in blade form and his cool special move names.

Super hopeful that we’ll get more answers next time. Also for ppl to start waking up bc I’m sure there will need to be plan changes based off the new info plus I wanna make sure none of the main crew is too injured from fighting the 1st. Same for Shinya & Kureto. (And tho it currently seems unrelated to the plot, I’m still holding out hope for a reason to check on Ferid + Crowley 🤞)

The angels would make for a cool final boss. I'm wondering if their powers will be similar to that of the Seraphs. It would make sense. It would also just make sense for the angels to be the final enemy since so much of this series has been about forsaking what is objectively right to protect/save the ones you love, or in other words, giving into your desires. If the demons are all about desire, it only makes sense that the angels would be opposite that, or doing what is objectively right.

As for the First, I can see him turning out to be a "good guy" pretty easily. As I believe Kagami once said, there are really no objectively "good" characters in this series. Most everyone is selfish and will do bad things to achieve their goals. Up to this point, the First has just been the most classically evil character because of all the things you've listed. Given that it seems to indicate that the First has done all this in an attempt to revive Mikaela, is he really so different than our protagonists? Guren sacrificed the world for Shinya, Mito, Goshi, Shigure, and Sayuri. Yuu would also do anything to save the ones he loves if he sees a way forward. Yoichi and Kimizuki want to revive their sisters regardless of the consequences. No one really cares about the consequences of their actions so long as it achieves their goals, which, more often than not in OnS, is saving/protecting the ones they love. In this sense, the First is just like our heroes. Objectively, you can't really justify everything the First has done, but if the motive is sympathetic enough, people will forgive him. I don't think our cast of heroes really even have to forgive the First so long as their goals align in some fashion, which I feel is entirely possible at this point. Everything is about revival after all and the angels don't appear to want that, meaning that the entire cast is against the angels for one reason or another. If they're really as powerful as they're being set up to be, it might just take most all the cast to defeat them.

Yeah, it's interesting that they're just having Mika speak in blade form. Prior to this, either the demon never responded or we were brought to a mental space for it. Oh, I guess there's also the demon manifesting separate from the weapon like with Mahiru and Noya, but that's a special case. Regardless, I kinda wonder if Yuu is just hearing Mika's voice in his head like how he would with Ashuramaru, but the speech bubble is coming from the blade for our (the reader's) benefit. Also, can't have a cool new demon weapon without cool new moves and names to accompany them.

If we don't get answers next time, I think the fans as a whole will riot. We've been waiting so long for this.

Not too sure we'll get people waking up next chapter unfortunately since I think we're gearing up for a rather large exposition dump, which doesn't inherently involve our passed-out parties. However, I would be most happy if they did. I've missed Shinya and Kureto. As for Ferid and Crowley, they're bound to come back sometime. Crowley is just following Ferid's lead, but Ferid definitely has goals that haven't been achieved yet. He'll show back up, but again, I don't think it'll be too soon since we have to get through some exposition first. Only time will tell though.

[animeloversworldsblog]

Thought chapter 98

Kagami again increasing mahiru's victimization? At this point and after everything she has done, she does not deserve to be called a victim and much less a savior, kamagi could you show me the mental and physical abuse of guren from the moment he met her when he was a child and how she has done nothing but destroy his life and how in spite of it guren is still the same person who cares about others. Could you show me how Shinya has dealt with his pain, with his emotions and his life since he was ruined when he was a child, could you show me the suffering and abuse they have suffered and the pain of the other characters. could i see how the real victims have tried, struggled and trying to make a difference instead of making excuses and justifications for mahiru. Instead I would like to see and explore guren's agony thank to her and saito, shinya and the others being the true victims and how despite this they always fight for what they believe, for others, for their ideals and their beliefs and how despite the difficult how the world is, yet they never stop fighting even with pain and suffering and they are not constantly victimizing themselves as mahiru. I really want to stop seeing abuse, manipulation, use, experimentation, death, etc, as good and justified things to kill shikama when in reality all that is bad and has no justification. But to justify hiragi's family, especially mahiru is good based on always the same "love". Love, friendship and family are shown by the other characters who fight for that, but that is nothing more than "weakness" and it is not like that, that has made others grow as people, they are strong and intelligent on their own right and they do not deserve to be reduced to objects as they have been seeing since catastrophe at 16 until now. Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work (and Einstein said that, not me) something that Mahiru never had or knows what it is, because her effort is to kill people, to obtain more power and be free by using everyone in her step, just to be called a savior and a good person in the end. While who really is fighting to make the difference are being reduce to be the servants of mahiru to stop the enemy when she is one too. Mahiru lost all her right to have her on life since the moment she planned to go to met guren and try to make ichinose's family get murder bcs she was an egoist girl who knew what was abuse and used it to destroy another family for simple vengeance. What rights she had and has when to her everybody's life belongs to her and can make whatever she wants to them just bcs she has the right to be the owner of her own life. This sound like she is not to blame to her own actions and decision bcs was forced for shikama to do all that so her hands are clean of all blame. More and more excuses and justifications.

I'm tired of her haughty eyes, her lying tongue, her hands that shed innocent blood, her heart that divises wicked schemes, her feet that are quick to rush into evil, being the false witness who pours out lies and be a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

She is not a good character, her character is a hole that exists that serves as an excuse, she is not a character as such is literal all the excuses and fetishes of Kagami in a character.

I'm tired to see bad as good like something to stop the big master.

I'm tired to see the victims to be reduced to have this life without show how they are being victims and abused while who made terrible things deserve to have a good ending.

I'm tired to see abuse and genocide for the greatest good like something good

I'm tired of a lot of things who involve her like excuse and justification.

And about there aren't good or bad characters in ons, if sika is the enemy here what make mahiru being an ally? The double moral and hypocrisy. What a lie. Both are bad and made a lot of damage to the world.

Both are doing all in "the name of love", the worse here is use the word "love" to justify their actions, specially in mahiru to use it as redemption in her and everything that she does and has done since she was a child until now, is being disguised with the word "love", both destroyed whoever get in their way just bcs they couldn't have what they wanted and became everybody as a tool using excuse and justification. Bsc shikama is the big enemy while mahiru is a savior. Both are equals. This false savior masquerade as “a servants of righteousness,” just as her master, Sika, masquerades as the only enemy when he is not the only one.

it's impossible for mahiru to do the right thing..

it's imposible to someone to do the right thing, unless you make a conscious effort.(Something that mahiru isn't capable to do). People do wrong in the most offhanded ways, just swept along they fall into evil (like she did and does). Without purpose, without deliberation, without any thought at all, then just like that she is on the wrong path as if there were no choice.

By contrast, no one ever read something on her like, “without realizing it I was just doing the right thing,” or how about, “next thing I knew I was doing good deeds,” or perhaps, “I helped someone by mistake. We never hear her say that, and we never will. Without intent, there's no righteousness. There can't be, because righteous action requires righteous intent. You can't do the right thing unless you've set your mind to do it. If your inability to do the right thing is causing you to suffer right now, that's likely because you're aware of the fact that you're not trying to do it. And she never tried to do something good for others.

There are many reasons why one may not try to do good; a myriad of fears which might inspire hesitation. You can blame it on another person, or on society as a whole. You can blame it on the age we live in, or the cards you were dealt. Those who are not doing the right thing, must admit to themselves: it's not that they cannot do it, but that they will not do it, (bcs to mahiru always do evil, "excuse and justify her actions for the greater good", the end justify the means using everybody just to destroy another evil). no one need to force themselves to do what is right, but don't fool yourself into thinking your failure to do so is because you're unable, but because you've made the choice not to even try. All righteous people decide to do right, and then they do. The steps must be taken in that order. Worrying about the second step while you're still on the first, is the height of calamity.

And to mahiru no one is right more than her bcs she wants to destroy someone that is the same as her. Both are the same, but one is ok to be call savior doing all kind of terrible things to people and used them as puppets, as tools, as pawn, abused them mentally and physically, while the other is the bad here bcs was the big master who wanted to save his son. And both made the same things to all the people that is suffering and paying for their terrible egoist issues. Both are masquerade as someone that is trying to protect their beloved ones, when both abused from them.

They aren't someone who value, they are someone who want to have success even if that's mean abuse and killed who they want to get it all.

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

Not shikama and mahiru deserve to have justification and excuses to be honest.

One person can make a difference and those are who always tried to do it. Mahiru? Shouldn't be portrait like someone that is making a difference. Bcs she is not and she never did. No when the only person she always think that deserve all was herself. Sika and mahiru did the same things to everybody just to achieve their goals.

I wanna see the real victims and how they fighting for others not someone as mahiru being masquerade with excuses and justification like something with a good porpuse. I wanna see the real heroes here that really are trying to make the difference. They deserve a truly good ending.

[good-beanswrites]

Any headcanons about Yuno, Muu, and Shidou being guilty in T1, for a total of 7 guilty prisoners? If it means anything, none of them have a higher guilty percent than Amane. (Yuno is 50.85%, Muu is 51.26%, Shidou is 50.96%, based on Pai's graph)

(I see what you're currently working on)

Haha, well I hoped you enjoyed a bit of comedy before I post some dramatic headcanons :3 Thank you for the request, this is a really interesting switch-up for the prison 👀👀👀 A majority guilty cast would carry a much darker tone, but allow for a few people to really shine.

Major guilty reactions:

Yuno: She’s just as bitter about her guilty verdict as she was in canon, becoming cold and isolated. She’s tired of people making judgements about things that are none of their business, and separates herself from everyone. There’s the subtle difference from canon because she actually agrees with this verdict, but still doesn’t think Es should be the one to give it out. Her video has more focus on Es/the audience, we see more people who may judge her (friends, family, etc). More stuffed animals, more crowds, all growing hostile. The video had more substantial hints towards her sadness at the way society looks down on people like her. 

Muu: She becomes panicked and defensive with her judgment. She's flighty, startles easy, and lashes out in fear all the time. Now, she’s the one to consider ending everything – to her, the verdict essentially means “if it was really down to you or her, it shouldn’t have been her.” Her video really highlights that duality, turning both she and Rei into monsters battling for/with the hourglass. Her panicky attitude is reflected in it, feeling like everyone in the world must be out to get her now.

Shidou: He’s at peace with the verdict, and allows himself to fall into misery. He's thankful to be punished for all the guilt he’s been feeling. Kotoko’s attacks only plunge him deeper into despair. He feels helpless and once again can’t save people the way he wanted to. He’s disillusioned with his career and becomes pessimistic and bitter. He takes it out on Es, telling them there’s no way they can save anyone either. His video is full of unavoidable death in nature, like rotting food, changing seasons, and wilting flowers. 

The attacks:

Since the guilty percentage order didn’t change, I’m going to say the attacks themselves happen exactly the same – it’s the aftermath that’s different. Whether it’s due to restraints or locked cells, Shidou isn’t able to offer aid. He has to sit back and talk the others through instruction: Haruka, Kazui, and Mikoto if he can get him to focus. They do their best, but they’ve never done anything like this before. Despite his calm attitude, Shidou isn’t good at explaining things he knows innately under pressure. Fuuta and Mahiru end up in a much worse state, since proper care was denied for so long. (I don’t think they’d kill anyone t2, but if they were willing to, she would have died here). Fuuta’s eye is gone for sure, and he has trouble getting around with his other injuries. Mahiru is barely scraping by, not allowed to leave her bed. Her video is glitchy and confusing due to the unhealed head injury and overall weakness.

Other character details:

Haruka grows even more confident than canon, seeing himself as Muu’s protector as well as the object of her affection. He helps her through her self-harming thoughts, feeling like a hero and a model son again. He threatens Es to vote her innocent, but with his newfound feeling of importance he threatens anothers’ safety, not his own (maybe Amane or Mahiru because they're smaller than him.)

Amane’s hatred for Shidou is actually dulled because he got a guilty verdict too. She believes he’s getting the punishment he deserves, and doesn't need to interfere. She's a little annoyed he's taking the punishment with open arms, though.

Fuuta’s line in Backdraft is just about Kotoko – “why is she innocent?” He feels less singled out among so many guilty prisoners, but he recognizes his parallels with her and it drives him crazy that they got different verdicts.

I won’t spoil anything for Kotoko’s stuff, but she’s a bit less harsh since she believes Es really is just like her, giving unattached, severe judgements. 

Since he was able to help a lot in the attacks, both protecting Fuuta and offering care afterwards, Kazui really leans in the hero role. Whether he enjoyed being a cop before or not, he's consumed by that responsibility now. It gives him purpose and he really takes charge of everyone. He and Kotoko butt heads a lot now that he's speaking up more.

There are conflicted emotions between the innocent prisoners and patients – they know they’re not medically trained, but there’s still a bit of hostility that they didn’t do a good job. There’s a mix of feeling grateful for their aid and bitter it’s not perfect. The innocent ones get a confidence boost that they were able to be useful and protect others instead of hurt them, as well as get crushed by the guilty that they failed at offering great care. 

I'll need more time to ruminate on it, but I wonder if given enough time, would the guilty prisoners band together and attack Kotoko back? It was hard for the canon four, but now they have the numbers...

[hamtigers]

When I found out about Milgram it's inevitable that I got into it, since I love Deco*27's music so much. However as a fair warning, the entire project deals with extremely heavy themes since every character is a killer in some way or another. So if you are uncomfortable with content involving themes such as abuse, suicide, death, stalking, violence, abortion, and animal death, please do not look into this project or read any further.

I'd add a read more but I still don't know how from mobile lmao.

Just wanted to share my thoughts on each prisoner so far

Haurka: I am choosing to agree with the theory that he had some sort of learning disability and that he lashed out in jealousy because people didn't understand him or his needs. I also currently prefer the twin brother theory over the younger self theory, because if he was so miserable at the time why would his past self look so happy? While I don't believe mental disabilities excuse someone from being held responsible for their actions, I do believe that he was too young at the time and not given the right tools and help to learn to cope. Instead he falsely learned lashing out was the only way to be taken seriously. He shows extreme remorse for how he behaved and seems to be triggered by anything that reminds him of his past (his dislike of young children and animals in particular). I want to forgive him so that he can get the help he desperately needs.

Yuno: Abortions are not murder. It's extremely easy for me to forgive her. Especially since it's heavily implied that her clients refused to use protection even when asked. She probably didn't have a way to get access to birth control without bringing her controversial career in compensated dating to light, either.

Futa: honestly I got into Milgram so late that I haven't put much personal thought into Futa because quite honestly: I don't like him and I feel like he represents a huge part of what's wrong with cancel culture. He fancies himself a hero, thinking that he's fighting for what's right. It's pretty clear to me though that he's taking his so called 'villains' out of context and condemning them for things he doesn't have a full picture on. I think i'd be able to understand the story better if I could read the screen on his phone, but I do not know japanese and rely heavily on fan translations for content outside of the provided lyric translations. It's clear he didn't actually want anyone dead, since the monsters in his fantasies are just KOed... Up until the last one, where the literal blood on his hands shakes him out of the fantasy. I see a lot of people saying he bullied and doxxed someone until they committed suicide. I'm still glad he was voted unforgiven for this round though.

Mu: I don't... Fully understand Mu's story. I understand she was bullied and harassed by people who pretended to be her friend initially, which is something I can absolutely sympathize with. I also understand that she was just being used for her wealth rather than seen as a real friend. What I don't understand is why she targeted the specific girl she did for her 'escape'. The popular theory is that she had a crush on the girl, got outed as being not straight, and the entire school including her friends started relentlessly bullying her even physically for it. The other girl seems to just straight up avoid and ignore her, which is why I understand the point of being pressured nearly to suicide and exploding but I don't understand why she attacked the specific person she did. I think my opinion of her can go either way the more information we get.

Shidou: I'm following the harvested organs from his patients to try and save his lover theory. Honestly even with the vague imagery there's so little wiggle room for doubt in this one. I don't think he should be forgiven, but he also wants to die because he already saw his lover die which he is quoted as thinking to be a fate worse than death. For all the lives he's ruined, I almost want to say he deserves that torture... At least, that's how I'm dealing with the idea that he was already voted forgiven by the time I got here.

Mahiru: I!!! Hate!!! Her!!! Overly clingy and controlling of her lover who she stalked while trying to emulate romance novels to force into a relationship with her. Heavily implied to have driven him to suicide via emotional abuse and guilt tripping him back to her every time he tried to break up with her. I'm so glad she was already voted unforgiven by the time I got here. I actually had to take a break and step back after the weight of her song hit me because it reminded me of so many people I've had the misfortune of having in my life in the past.

Kazui: so far my first one that I have an original theory on instead of following one someone else came up with! I just posted my full thoughts on the video about an hour ago. But basically, I feel like his wife divorced him and wanted to stay friends but he wanted to get back together. It escalated until they had an argument that resulted in her falling or being pushed to her death. Seems to view himself as the protagonist in his own romantic tragedy. My opinion on him was swinging wildly until I came up with this theory and now I am leaning heavily towards unforgiven because it is the similar selfish pushiness as mahiru minus the manipulation.

Amane: most of her imagery flew over my head until I read some comments and theories. I support the 'grew up in a religious cult that literally tortured her if she didn't follow the rules' theory. I'm voting to forgive her because just like Haruka, I think she's too young to truly be held responsible, especially when it's currently unclear to me what actually happened. I think what she needs isn't punishment, but to be taken away from the cult and rehabilitated.

Mikoto: until we have more info I'm as confused as he is : )

Kotoko: seems to be pretty upfront about what's going on. I'm currently assuming that she fancies herself some kind of vigilante or holds a very strong personal grudge of some sort. Obv waiting for more info.

[depressed-celestial-body]

I posted 633 times in 2021

151 posts created (24%)

482 posts reblogged (76%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 3.2 posts.

I added 98 tags in 2021

#pokemon - 12 posts

#lgbtqiia+ - 12 posts

#fop - 10 posts

#mha - 10 posts

#lgbt - 10 posts

#my hero academia - 10 posts

#the fairly oddparents - 10 posts

#bnha - 9 posts

#lgbtqia - 8 posts

#lgbtq - 7 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#like ig the universe thought i might have something good going for me so it was like lol goodbye executive functioning

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Danganronpa 2 Characters As Shit I've Heard My Roommate Say On Discord

Nagito: I love poly people. Look at them, all poly and shit

Chiaki: cuz I'm a side-quest bitch

Gundam: *gasp* MOTHMAN EARRINGS?!

Hajime: She's a 40 year old white terf from England, I know exactly what she smells like. She smells like grape cough drops.

Mikan: I just sent [Hajime] a selfie and he said 'ew'.

Nekomaru, to Akane: You're going to let a grown ass man prostitute you for an Arby's roast beef sandwich?

Hiyoko to Mahiru: You and I have to get really close because you have to touch my boob in this play

Akane: What do you mean black women need more representation? We have Aunt Jemima. NOTE: my roommate said this sarcastically, they don't actually think this way

Ibuki: Nobody makes Minecraft parodies anymore :(

Teruteru: All three nights the whole backstage smelled like ass guacamole

Fuyuhiko: A fucking 90 year old woman buying meth in the Chipotle parking lot?!

Ultimate Impostor: Mormons. Know. How. To. Fucking. Cook.

Mahiru: he has a tic tac head

Sonia: Suck my Richardson!?

Kazuichi: there's boobs in it though!

Peko Pekoyama: you're nothing but a peepaw to me

37 notes • Posted 2021-11-11 01:09:29 GMT

#4

I assigned pokemon types to Danganronpa characters

I only did the first and second game bc I haven’t finished UGD or Killing Harmony yet

*Trigger Happy Havoc:*

Sayaka Maizono: normal

Makoto Naegi: normal/grass (because he’s average but with a little *spice*)

Leon Kuwata: rock

Chihiro Fujisaki: electric/fairy

Mondo Owada: fire/dark

Kiyotaka Ishimaru: fire/steel

Hifumi Yamada: electric/bug

Celestia Ludenberg: ghost/fire

Sakura Ogami: fighting

Junko Enoshima: dark/fairy

Mukuro Ikusaba: dark/steel

Aoi Asahina: water

Byakuya Togami: ice

Kyoko Kirigiri: psychic

Yasuhiro Hagakure: ground/psychic

Toko Fukawa: dark/ghost

Genocider Syo: dark/fairy

*Goodbye Despair:*

Hajime Hinata: normal

Chiaki Nanami: electric/psychic 

Ultimate Impostor: normal/ghost

Teruteru Hanamura: fire

Mahiru Koizumi: grass

Peko Pekoyama: steel/fighting

Ibuki Mioda: electric/poison

Hiyoko Saionji: fairy

Mikan Tsumiki: poison

Gundham Tanaka: dark/normal

Nekomaru Nidai: rock/fighting

Nagito Komaeda: ghost/grass

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu: ice/rock

Sonia Nevermind: grass/fairy

Akane Owari: fighting

Kazuichi Soda: steel/electric

44 notes • Posted 2021-05-05 04:41:12 GMT

#3

Sexuality headcanons for some of the pokemon league champions

Cynthia: asexual and biromantic

Alder: straight

N: arocace (not techinically a champion but close enough)

Diantha: bisexual, but prolly male-leaning

Wallace: gay and aromantic, probably nonbinary

Leon: pansexual but only Sonia knows

Professor Kukui: straight but his s/o (Professor Burnette) is definitely bi, so he has BI. WIFE. ENERGY.

Lance: probably still trying to figure it out

Iris: lesbian and panromantic

Steven: ace and panromantic. like the dude is fucking dressed like the ace pride flag

Blue: homophobic. that’s it that’s his sexuality

Red: aroace

50 notes • Posted 2021-06-23 18:57:21 GMT

#2

You know how cartoon villains always label themselves as like an EVIL scientist and they really need to stress the fact that they are evil? This implies that there is an occupation known as a Morally Ambiguous Scientist.

235 notes • Posted 2021-11-03 02:52:07 GMT

#1

I'm not in the harry potter fandom but I do know that if you say you like the Snape guy then you will get death threats

414 notes • Posted 2021-08-25 01:42:18 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[katzkinder]

I’m salty and I’m boutta make that everyone else’s problem :/

Sometimes I remember that there are people out there who think Mahiru is boring, annoying, etc, and... I get so confused, because are we reading the same series? Watching the same show? Mahiru’s not boring at all! Like every single other character in the series, on the surface level he appears to be a one dimensional amalgamation of tropes and cliches, but then you dig a little deeper, look a bit more closely at how he acts, and it’s obvious he’s so much more

He’s a kid who’s terrified of being abandoned, so he makes himself as useful to the people around him as possible so they’ll always need him. He’s lonely, and even in the very beginning, he never wanted to show his negative feelings to his friends because he was scared that they’d get tired of him. Even now, he can’t bring himself to cry in front of others, instead hiding away or waiting until he thinks he’s alone to let his tears fall, such as when Kuro was stuck in the ball or at Gear and Youtarou’s flat.

He’s a perfect foil to Tsubaki because instead of letting his melancholy emotions consume him and shutting everyone out under the assumption, the fabricated falsehood, that no one will ever understand the pain he is feeling, he overcame and transformed them, accepting those feelings for what they are and moving forward even when it’s hard, using the sorrow he has felt to relate to and help others because even if it’s impossible to completely understand, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

But, the thing that makes him such an important character not just in the series, but to me, personally... Is that he doesn’t just want to be that “someone” who helps others when they have nowhere else to turn, he is that someone. He doesn’t just stand around waiting for someone else, someone else, oh won’t someone else do something.

His nagging isn’t nagging, it’s care, because have you seen this cast? Nothing would ever get done without him around to keep everyone on task!

He is a representation of everyone that has ever held a hand out to those who are hurting, a normal, everyday person with his normal, everyday fears and hurts. A normal, everyday hero.

Mahiru Shirota is a genuinely good, kind, loving person who refuses to be a bystander and wants to be the person his uncle was to him, the person he needed as a depressed, lonely little boy who felt like, and still feels like, he is more burden than he is worth if he isn’t giving away pieces of himself to everyone he meets. And if that is “boring”, then gimme all the “boring” protagonists you’ve got

[passmeabook]

Servamp Tarot Analysis: Kamiya Tsurugi

I’ve decided to do an analysis of the tarot cards in Servamp. Many of the meanings are taken straight from the books they were found in because I feel they explain the meaning of the trumps better than my own words could. I’m looking not only at the official tarot cards assigned to characters, but also headcanon unofficial cards that may have been quietly assigned by the author.

First up is Kamiya Tsurugi. The official card assigned to him in canon is The Hanged Man. In this analysis I will also share headcanons of how he has been unofficially assigned the cards of: Justice and Death.

The Hanged Man #12

Number: XII

Alternative Name: The Traitor

Numerology Link: III, The Empress

Astrological Sign: Neptune

Element: Water

Hebrew Letter: Mem

Symbol: Water and the Oceans

                                               ---------------------

The Hanged Man XII

The Hanged Man Key Meanings:

Transition

Waiting

Sacrifice

Enlightenment

Upright Meaning:

“Events are not moving with speed, but all you can do is wait patiently in the knowledge that the universe has its own plan. The card can also indicate that you may have made sacrifices just now and are eager to see rewards. Unfortunately, you cannot force an outcome that fits with your timetable. There are many other factors about which you can have no knowledge or influence. Therefore, you may also expect delays to travel plans and projects… On a creative level this card appears frequently when a person is feeling frustration with their progress… Another message from the Hanged Man is to try to see things from a new angle.” (Dean).

“In readings the Hanged Man bears the message of independence. Like the Fool, which signified doing what you sensed was best, even if other people thought it foolish, the Hanged Man indicates being who you are, even if others think you have everything backwards. It symbolizes the feeling of being deeply connected to life and can mean a peace that comes after some difficult trial.” (Pollack.).

Feeling trapped

Confined

Self-limiting

Uncertainty

Lack of Direction

Needing Release

Letting Go

Reversed Meaning:

“The Hanged Man reversed can be a sign of rigid thinking and martyrdom. You may need to revise your expectations; what you think you want may not be possible. In this position, the card asks you if you are hanging on to a fantasy that may make you a victim rather than a victor. Take another view and liberate yourself from a contract or other obligation that cannot offer you what you want.” (Dean).

“The trump reversed indicates an inability to get free of social pressure. Rather than listen to our inner selves we do what others expect or demand of us. Our awareness of life always remains second-hand, never a direct experience but only a series of stereotypes, like the person who models his or her behavior on the orders of parents and the actions of movie stars. The card reversed can also mean fighting your inner self in some way. It can mean the person who tries to deny some basic part of himself or simply the person who cannot accept reality and who in some way or other is constantly battling life.” (Pollack.).

Discontentment

Apathy

Disinterest

Stagnation

Impulsiveness

Negative Patterns

Detachment

The Hanged Man understands that his position is a sacrifice he needed to make in order to progress forward. The time he spends dangling from the tree will not be wasted on his journey. The hanging is not death, but life in stillness. It could be a repentance for past wrongdoings or even a calculated step back to rethink the path he will take once he continues on with his journey. If an approach isn’t working then look at things from a different angle to gain a new perspective. This card is one that tells its reader that waiting and suspension are sometimes what you need to do in order to achieve success. Sometimes action is not needed, and one needs to wait patiently for the proper opportunity.

The Message of the Hanged Man:

Use your time wisely.

The Hanged Man & Numerology:

“TAROT SYMBOLISM: Key 12 The Hanged Man. The keyword for the Hanged Man is reversal. The corresponding symbol means oasis, sea, or water. According to the alchemists, water was the basis of all life, the fluid substance that solidified into physical forms… Water was the first mirror in which the reflection always appears upside down. The significance of this card is that things are not as they appear on the surface. You must look beneath the surface for true understanding. The man is suspended by his foot, like a pendulum at rest. His crossed legs form a figure 4, indicative of key 4 Reason. His elbows and head form a triangle with the point down which is an ancient symbol for water. The Hanged Man represents a person who is poised in consciousness and under perfect control… He sees trouble in the world--people unhappy in marriage, in trouble financially and lost because they have no goals--and he knows it is because they all see things upside down. Yet they look at him and think that he is the one who is crazy. The Hanged Man’s philosophy sets him apart from the crowd and, at the same time, brings him peace of mind and perfect contentment.” (Javane and Bunker.) [Emphasis mine.]

                                              ---------------------

Looking at these meanings and ideas I find that Tsurugi very strongly if not perfectly embodies the Hanged Man.

I speculate that for a majority of the C3 arc Tsurugi is in the position of the reversed Hanged Man. The lines that really stood out to me while researching this were, “Rather than listen to our inner selves we do what others expect or demand of us.” and “In this position, the card asks you if you are hanging on to a fantasy that may make you a victim rather than a victor.” because they seem to fit Tsurugi so well. Tsurugi clings to Touma and the idea of family he idealized Touma as being. Tsurugi also does what others expect of him, and before his breaking away from Touma just did what others wanted him to do. Even in the TAROT SYMBOLISM section that I highlighted the line about things not appearing as they seem on the surface resonated with me about Tsurugi because despite Tsurugi’s smiles on the surface inwardly he has a lot of trauma.

The symbolism the Hanged Man has with the connections to water, the oceans, and the planet Neptune also tie into together with Tsurugi. Water as an element is related to the Cups suit. Cups/Water has the meaning of “I feel”; the suit focuses on emotions and relationships. The planet Neptune, the Roman name for Poseidon the Greek god of the seas, holds the symbolic meanings of: dreams, intuition, and imagination. Which negatively connects to Tsurugi and his inability to metaphorically grow up, dreams and imagination being viewed as childish, but also to his magic Neverland. In the series we’ve seen Tsurugi be visually connected to water rather directly. Both in his drowning before being saved by The Mother/Freya in Ch. 56 “A Windowless Room”/Ch. 57 “Born” and also in the bonus chapter Ch. 57.5 “The Person Searching for the Key” where Tsurugi is underwater behind his locked door. Tsurugi is also an incredibly emotional person, and has worked on coming to terms with his emotions and what he really feels instead of just doing as other people tell him too.

                                              ---------------------

Tsurugi’s/The Hanged Man’s Dilemma:

A great showing of Tsurugi and his dilemma of choosing between the upright and the reversed meaning of The Hanged Man is in Ch. 52 where Tsurugi is caught between Touma and Junichiro in making his decision to follow Touma’s orders or to heed to Junichiro’s words.

In Ch. 52 we have the scene where Junichirou and Touma are asking Tsurugi to come to a decision. Tsurugi is physically in the position of the Hanged Man, but he’s divided down the middle into a black side and a white side. On the black side where Touma asks him, “Are you going to ignore what I say again?” Tsurugi’s hair follows the course of gravity as if he were standing up, his long length of ribbon does as well, and his hood lays flat against his shoulder. Compare this to the white side, Junichiro’s side: the background is white and Tsurugi’s hair, hood, and ribbon follow the path of gravity that they naturally would if Tsurugi were hanging upside down. This choosing of Touma, and of the reversed meaning of the Hanged Man, allows readers to see that Tsurugi is not following the upright meaning of the Hanged Man, and that his trump has yet to be flipped to the upright position.

In the side by side comparison Tsurugi’s collar is black on Junichiro’s side and white on Touma’s, but when Tsurugi chooses Touma the collar is black. The collar represents both control and Tsurugi allowing others to make decisions for him. The removal of the collar in Ch. 74 represents Tsurugi taking control of his personal agency and decision making.

                                              ---------------------

Headcanon Tarot Analysis:

Tsurugi is directly portrayed as the Hanged Man in Ch. 50 “The Hanged Man”. The closest version visually of the Hanged Man as it is as a trump card is on the cover page of the chapter. Then we have another section in this chapter later on which portrays Tsurugi as both hero and criminal. Right before this Mahiru has just asked Tsurugi if he has been fighting to protect people all this time. Tsurugi denies this and instead tells Mahiru that to humans he is viewed as a hero, but to vampires he is viewed as a genocider.

What is fascinating is that visually he’s portrayed as physically being in the position of the hanged man, only as both lauded hero and condemned criminal. As the hero of humanity he’s in a upright Hanged Man position. As the criminal he is in a reversed Hanged Man position with a noose. Looking at the two side comparisons I feel that they both represent #11 Justice & #13 Death more so than the Hanged Man, “In the major arcana sequence, the Hanged Man falls after XI, Justice, and before XIII, Death. We had our values on trial in Justice, and now we must hold on until Death, when we can figuratively let go. Death brings transformation, while the Hanged Man prepares to make the sacrifice Death needs so he can move on.” (Dean)

Justice XI

Justice Key Meanings:

Fairness

Balance

Perception

Objectivity

With Tsurugi wearing a cape and a sword I feel it represents a reversed #11 Justice. Tsurugi’s hero is in the upright position for the Hanged Man, but in the reversed position for Justice. Trump XI portrays the personification of upright Justice on a throne with scales and a sword. Important to see is that the Justice trump is not blindfolded, her vision is clear. The scales held in her left hand represent favoring the deserving with the scales of mercy, and the upright sword in her right hand represents seeking retribution for past wrongs with the sword of retribution. The scales also symbolize the thought process put into making a judgement, and weighing both sides of a story. The sword symbolizes the action that results from judgement. The sword, when it is held upright, symbolizes success.

Tsurugi as a reversed Justice fits in many ways. Tsurugi, as an instrument for furthering Touma’s and C3’s plans, is furthering the goals of those that use him via corrupt justice. Vampires are captured we've seen, but are they given legal trials and do they have protected rights? From what we’ve seen of C3 I highly doubt it. Hence why he is in the position of reversed Justice. Tsurugi has often been connected to a sword, and his name can even mean “sword”, look at the sword of hero-Tsurugi. It is covered in blood, but Tsurugi’s arms are held behind his back. The blood on the sword is not boldly in your face, and is even a bit hidden behind Tsurugi and a speech bubble. Tsurugi does not hold the sword in his hand showing that he himself does not actively choose to to make any decisions with the sword, and instead I feel it represents Tsurugi's passivity and his following what others want and will of him. Later on we also see that when Touma manipulates Tsurugi with his spell power Tsurugi becomes blindfolded, and this is perhaps a symbolism of justice being both blind (traditionally) and blinded (corruption hiding the truth).

#11 Justice Reversed

“Reversed, the card indicates dishonesty with yourself and others. It shows an unwillingness to see the meaning of events and shows especially that you are missing some opportunity for a greater understanding of yourself and your life. In outer life it indicates dishonesty and unfair actions or decisions. Sometimes it is others who are unfair to us. The reversed meaning can refer also to unjust legal decisions or to bad treatment from someone. On the other hand we must not allow the suggestion of unfairness to act as an excuse for denying our own responsibility for what happens to us… ‘Nothing can save you but yourself.’” (Pollack.).

“Life goes out of balance as work, relationships, and money issues spiral out of control. A decision may go against you, so there may be dishonesty or a miscarriage of justice. You are treated unfairly, which is compounded by bad advice from a trusted individual. You are not able to speak your truth and feel overruled by those who don’t understand your predicament. It is important to find your voice and stay strong to your values- if you are in the right.” (Dean).

Death XIII

Death Key Meanings:

Decline

Rebirth

Transformations

Change

As the condemned criminal Tsurugi is in the reversed position of the Hanged Man, but he’s also in the upright position for Death. With Tsurugi wearing traditional black and white striped prisoner clothing and have a noose around his neck I feel this gives weight to the idea of connecting him to #13 Death. Tsurugi in this side comparison is on a scaffold. He wears the clothes of a criminal and he seems to be a minute away from hanging. Yet, the noose around his neck is loose. As the Hanged Man trump has told us, the Hanged Man is not going to die. Instead he is merely hanging around waiting. The trump card Death arrives after the Hanged Man as death follows a hanging. Only in the case of the Hanged Man this is a spiritual death and rebirth after a time of contemplation. The black and white colors Tsurugi wears are associated with Death in the thirteen trump. In the trump Death wears black armor and sits astride a white horse while holding a black and white flag in his left hand. The thirteen trump is associated with change, an extreme change in your life to be exact. When I read this page I see Tsurugi’s Reversed Justice representing who he is right now, and that his Upright Death represents that he needs to and will undergo a great change. Especially since the manga is written in Japanese and we read the pages from right to left.

#13 Death Upright

“In diviniatory readings Death signifies a time of change. Often, it indicates a fear of change. In its most positive aspect it shows a clearing away of old habits and rigidness to allow a new life to emerge. In its most negative aspect it indicates a crippling fear of physical death.” (Pollack.).

“Death brings ending and beginnings-sometimes all at once. This is a time of fast and deep transformation and an opportunity to let go of whatever you no longer need. Unlike card XX, Judgement, which signals a process of self-examination, Death’s impact is sudden and may be shocking. You have little control over external events when Death looms, but in time you will be able to see this sharp change in circumstances as a blessing. A break with the past-from relationships and friendships to work that is no longer satisfying-is the only way forward. In this sense, Death can be a release and a relief. Death, after all, is the ultimate reality check, and he leaves you with the bare bones, the truth.” (Dean).

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These are the views I have on Tsurugi and his tarot cards. I also thought about him perhaps having reference to the Ace of Swords, him being C3′s Ace and his name relating to a sword, but just decided to focus on the major arcana for now. Maybe I’ll do another post about that at a later date. I had fun writing this. I hope to make more posts like this in the future, but if I do they will likely be very, very sporadic.

References:

Dean, Liz. The Ultimate Guide to Tarot: A Beginner's Guide to the Cards, Spreads, and Revealing the Mystery of the Tarot. Fair Winds Press, 2015.

Javane, Faith, and Dusty Bunker. Numerology and the Divine Triangle. Whitford Press, 1997.

Pollack, Rachel. Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom A Book of Tarot Part 1: The Major Arcana. Aquarian Press, 1980.