#i chose daisuke because idk

[peaterookie]

wOW!! LOOK AT THESE GUYS!!

i made cookie run versions of the lupgang, uh if you dont know, cookie run is a video game franchise about these gingerbread cookies and you should not play it

anyways, time for me to explain for hours about the thought that went in these designs!!!

Lupin III - Cactus Cookie

firstly, yes, cacti can be eaten. for lupin's case i think you'll deadass die if you eat him

the reason i chose cactus for his flavor is because of his incredible persistent to survive in the most dangerous and impossible conditions, much like how cacti dont need a lot to survive in the desert.

i think this may be a reach but i recall a lot of times where lupin is in the desert but idk that bitch can be anywhere bro also hes a prick

I used the green color of the cactus, but cactus cookie can change the color of his cactus coat and the flower tie.

also cacti can sprout flowers! that's very gay of them to do, very lupincore

if you're curious about his eyes, i based it off of strawberry cream cookie's eyes, i think it fits a lot with lupin's googly eyes

Jigen Daisuke - Shiitake Cookie

i think his flavor was the hardest to decipher, but i decided to use shiitake, mainly because another certain mushroom themed cookie uses it as a huge hat...

also, shiitake mushrooms have a rather strong, meaty and earthly taste, which i think fits jigen's strong and gruff personality.

I also added some pepper on the mushroom, which is just, intensifying the strength peppercorn can also be used for bullets !

in addition, shiitake mushrooms are one of the ingredients of sukiyaki, which i think is a rather iconic food for jigen !

Goemon Ishikawa XIII - Soba Cookie

SOBAAAAAA soba is earthly noodle and it looks like the color of goemon's hair, that's literally it sorry i dont have anything else HAHAHAH

nvm i think i have more design notes for goemon some of his design elements are inspired off of rebel cookie, which is based off of a korean classical character hong gildong jeon, who has a very similar story to ishikawa goemon !

also goemon's swords are chopsticks, tehe

Fujiko Mine - Cinnamon Bun Cookie

I wanted to show her deceitful personality through the flavor, and i arrived on cinnamon buns, primarily because cinnamon is a spice that can be very harmful to consume in huge doses, but many people seem to like the cinnamon flavor.

i use the cinnamon flower on her head, like how i put a flower on lupin's head, to kinda show that they have a similar personality and profession

also design inspo

Koichi Zenigata - Macadamia Cookie

the flavor was very easy to decide on. if you don't know, cookie run detective characters are typically nut cookies! (walnut cookie, almond cookie)

so i decided on macadamia nuts, the hardest nuts, because of his stubborn and headstrong personality

other than that, not a lot to comment. if you wonder why there's blue in his designs, i dont really know tbh, i used blue as a color base and i found it pretty on him.

end of post

[variouscolors-old]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 & 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄;  𝘔𝘶𝘯 & 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦 - 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘦.

fill out & repost ♥

𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐒:   canon /  OC  / au / canon-divergent / fandomless /

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK / MAYBE 

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO / IDK

Were they relevant for the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG

Are they widely known in their world?  YES [epilogue] / NO / IDK

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖  ‘ 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 ’ ? — I follow most of the material, but i tend to “fuse” all the portrayals for various materials into one. Not only with Daisuke but every Advverse character.

𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄! 𝐀𝐤𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬.  —  This boy, see him? He’s a walking sun irradiating optimism and good vibes wherever he goes. Every single of his friends love this baby friend soooooo much. He’s good at understanding people’s hearts, encouraging and cheering them up. Please, give him a chance.

𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐄, 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?).  — The fandom claims he’s boring and obnoxious, dumb like a rock, that he “stole” Taichi’s goggles and Hikari from Takeru, that he’s the worst protag ever seen. And his fans usually erases most of his flaws to make him a perfect icon, which makes me desire to not interact with those people at all.

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄? —  My burning passion for this character because I really really got into drawing and writing him back in 2009~2010. Since then, I’m trying to be loyal to his portrayal ;w; (the only best Daisuke one is the OG Daisuke VA, mrs. Kiuchi imo)

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆?  — revisiting 02 material and also my thirst for Kizuna movie lmao

&

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / IDK / I HOPE

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES  / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO

Do you think a lot about your muse during the day?  YES / NO

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES  / NO / MAYBE?

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO / KINDA

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO / KIND OF

𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐋 — I do, however you need to know how to word stuff. If you start yelling at me for a mistake instead of a friendly approach, i might shut in and perhaps block you for a while (if it persists, it’s a permablock)

𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒, 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑? — Yep.

𝐈𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒, 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐇𝐘? — It’s okay, but not needed.

𝐈𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐋, 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 ? —  Meh, just don’t send me ugly messages because of that.

𝐈𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 ? — I don’t care as long you don’t treat me like sheet for liking some series/character/ship you hate.

𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐊𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐒 ? — Yes, please. Especially because I’m not native.

𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐔𝐍 ? — Hmmmmm... Maybe?

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵!

Tagged by: @kidsonaquest​

Tagging: @cxuragecrested​ @indentedheartner​ @onheroeswings​ @digiauthorenergize​ @digimonruler​ @digi-analogue-diary​

[earlgreymon]

hot summer night

🍶 miyako + iori // [day 6] exam (challenge) - for @digiweek 2022 for this day, i'm trying to write about that one dynamic (and perhaps two characters) i rarely wrote about. this fic was tricky to write and i even finished this the last one among all the digiweek contents i created. but that's what this day is about, right? and frankly i'm happy with the result! this fic was inspired by this fanart. the first time i saw it, i knew i had to write about iori accompanying drunk miyako someday. this fic sets before kizuna and before miyako left for spain. idk why i remembered miyako having an exchange program instead of being a full-time student in barcelona. let's just assume it that way in this case, and sorry if i was wrong. at least i correctly implied miyako as a gemini (this is canon fyi). also, no, this is not a romance fic between those two, even though it has hot in the title (sorry i'm on title block so i only snatched one of the script's song titles). there's a minor kenyako, though. happy reading!

___

Iori found Miyako in front of his cram school that night in June, looking very standout with her purple strands and cherry-tinted lips. It was easy to be in the limelight when you wore makeup and shirts with striking colours among students with crumpled uniforms and weary faces after studying for the whole day.

“Iori-kuuun!”

Her high-pitched voice didn’t sound like a mature college woman, however.

Iori sighed, getting a second-hand embarrassment because everyone’s attention diverted to him after she echoed his name. He proceeded to walk out and approached her, asking the obvious, “Miyako-san, what are you doing here?”

“Meanie. Is that something appropriate to greet to your senpai?” Miyako pouted for a second before returning to her jolly mood. “I happen to be around so I figure I can ask you to accompany me for a dinner.”

He glanced at her feet and atop of her head, only to find something was missing. “Where is Hawkmon?”

“Oh, I told Hawkmon to fly to your house with some food from my konbini. Armadimon is home, ne?” she responded. “Come on, Iori-kun. It’s been a long time since we had fun just the two of us. Isn’t this a perfect time now that I’m going to leave next week and the others are too busy with their freshmen stuff?”

It was not a bad idea at all. He initially planned to grab a takeaway because his mother and grandfather were out of town, but now with Armadimon’s dinner settled, he didn’t have to worry about his partner starving alone.

He just didn’t know that Miyako also had her own plan of ordering a bottle of sake right when they just stepped inside the yatai tent.

Iori took a seat beside her, eyeing her ever so cautiously. He remembered the day Miyako turned twenty last May, and she decided to celebrate it by secretly grabbing a can of beer from her store. She posted its photo in their group chat, prompting joyous reactions from Mimi and Taichi, in addition to a jealous wail from Daisuke. Miyako then seemed to embark on her personal adulthood venture, trying different types of liquor ever since.

 “…you do understand that I am still a minor, don’t you?” he said as he watched her pouring the sake into a cup.

“And why do you think that will stop me? It’s not like I’m asking you to drink along.”

“Just because I’m younger than you, that doesn’t mean I cannot tell you off.”

“Well, can you?”

He could, for real. He just chose not to.

Miyako then chuckled. “Don’t worry. It’s because you’re with me that I have to drink more responsibly. What will people say if they see a high schooler carrying a drunk woman home?” She took her first shot and whooped right after her cup was empty. “Ahh, this is sooo good! You’re going to love this once you turn legal.”

“To be honest, I cannot see myself drinking even when I reach the right age.”

“Aw, what a shame. I look forward to coming back here and sharing sake with you.”

He pondered, sipping his ice tea. “Well, perhaps I can make an exception for you.”

“Right? I don’t think lawyers can survive without attending nomikai,” Miyako instigated as she snatched the first fresh-grilled yakitori from their plate. “Speaking of which, is that what you really want to aim for? Go to law school and become an attorney?”

“That’s the plan for now,” Iori also grabbed a negima but did not bite into it before he finished with his answer. “I know it’s hard to enter a law school, so that’s why I sign up for cram school as early as possible.”

“Yeah, but I just—” Miyako sighed. “I don’t want you to keep studying and let your youth pass without having fun. You’re only in high school once, so do something crazy. Skip a class, have some dates, go on a summer vacation with your friends….”

Iori paused, looking at his faint reflection on the glass.

“I am having fun,” he continued. “I have a great time battling monsters and saving the world. It makes me realise that I want to fight for the right thing and help people to get out of iniquity. And I believe becoming a lawyer is a good way to accomplish that.”

He was aware of how idealistic he sounded just then. If he was with other people, they would certainly be laughing at his words, telling him that the world was too cruel of a place for justice to prevail and he should just stick to a dream that was more within his proximity.

But he wasn’t with other people right now. He was with Miyako, who cracked a smile while looking at him with proud glimmering behind her spectacles.

“That’s just really you,” she said. “I know you’re a good kid the moment I laid my eyes on you. And I hope you know that I’m always rooting for you, no matter what. After all, I’m the big sis who just loves my reliable Iori-kun a bit too much!”

And that was when Iori couldn’t help but giggle. He was used to people calling him mature even when he was a little boy, but once he wore the high school uniform and felt a lump growing in his throat, it was still surreal for him how he really reached the age of adolescence. That was why he was glad to have Miyako around because she was a constant reminder of how he would still be someone’s little brother.

Her phone suddenly vibrated above the table, and as she picked up to see what was on the screen, Iori noticed her face getting a bit red. Somehow, he reckoned it wasn’t because of the sake, yet he didn’t want to pry further so he chose another topic. “How’s your departure preparation?”

“No hay problema! I’m leaving on Wednesday’s noon, though, so I guess you can’t set me off to the airport.”

“Ne, sorry for that.” It was rather unfortunate for him that Miyako chose to fly to Barcelona instead of using the Digital Gate for the sake of enjoying that wanderlust feeling. Iori started to consider whether this would be the right time to skip a class just like she advised just now. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“Hmm. Just promise me to pick up when I video-call you,” she said before quickly adding, “oh, oh, I know! You can visit me during your summer break. Ask Ken and the others to join too!”

Just like that, he easily solved the puzzle. “Ichijouji-san?”

“Ah, yes! He’s helping me learn Spanish even though he’s busy with college,” Miyako responded, and Iori could hear her voice turn jovial at once. “He even texted me just now to check my progress. I think I should go meet him tomorrow.”

There was something stirring inside him that he tried to brush off by picking up another skewer. However, it was obvious he didn’t sound so thrilled when he blurted out, “Oh.”

And Miyako caught his reaction with pleasure. “I thought you no longer hate him.”

“I don’t hate him.”

“Are you jealous, then?”

“No.”

But boy, did he never stray too far from the truth.

After all, he was a little brother who just cared about his big sis a bit too much.

[douwatahima]

Turns out I have some more feelings about the manga I finished yesterday. Not naming it so this doesn’t end up in the tags. Please don’t read this, lol. The fourteen year old version of me jumped out.

I think the thing that bugged me most about this last stretch of DN Angel is how much it felt like Yukiru Sugisaki was just...done with the whole thing. Like everything felt very rushed towards a specific, easy conclusion that didn't address a lot of the interesting pieces she had previously laid down.

Like, I remember reading those last few chapters before the eight year long hiatus and HOLY SHIT there was so much! The Dark/Risa relationship all of a sudden becomes an actual threat, not just to Daisuke/Riku, but to Daisuke himself! Satoshi completely lets his guard down around Daisuke, trusting that the person he loves will make this huge sacrifice for him, and when Daisuke refuses he POINTS A GUN TO HIS OWN HEAD. AND THEN WHEN HE GETS CAUGHT HE GOES OFF INTO THE FOREST WITH. THE. GUN!!! AND THEN!!!! RIKU FINDS OUT DAISUKE IS DARK!!!!!!!! IT'S WILD AS FUCK!!!!!!!!

And then we come back and a lot of this is immediately dealt with in a comedic fashion and we just move on. Dark and Daisuke don't talk about that Risa interaction. No one goes after Satoshi. Daisuke comes up with some excuse and Riku is satiated for now.

Then we got the whole dream circus arc. Which was honestly alright. I enjoyed Daisuke coming to terms with the fact that he cannot separate himself from Dark. They are one and the same, for better or worse. And honestly, at first I thought this arc was going to lead us somewhere interesting. Because if Daisuke and Dark now understand that they are a package deal, how do they deal with the whole Riku and Risa thing???? (The answer is they basically don't but I'll get there). I was 100% ready to love this arc and then they did...the thing and I...

Okay, look. Full disclosure, I've been a DN Angel fan since I was like, fourteen. It is linked to me in a way that can only happen when you're obsessed with something at the height of your awkward teen years. And the thing that continues to be my favourite part of the whole story is the relationship between Satoshi and Daisuke. They were my number one ship, not just at fourteen, but...honestly probably through all of my teen years. Like, remember when people used to make jokes on this website about someone asking about your otp and you pull out your binder of reasons? I literally made a Satodai binder. That's not a joke. They were it for me.

And, don't get me wrong, there was never a point where I honestly thought the manga was gonna have Daisuke leave Riku and end up with Satoshi. I dreamed about it, but didn't honestly expect it. BUT I loved the way the manga addressed Satoshi's feelings for Daisuke. This is someone who Satoshi treasures above all others. The person who makes him believe the world can be better. The person he would do ANYTHING for. Like, Satoshi LOVES him.

Which is why it's so frustrating to me that Yukiru Sugisaki decided it would be better for Satoshi to have a two second dream about Risa that changes all of his feelings instantaneously. Like, I'm not here to shit on Satoshi/Risa fans, and I'm happy y'all got your ship. Honestly. But, the two of them have barely spoken before this and then Satoshi has a dream and literally says, "oh I guess my feelings have changed now" like...two volumes before the end! AND THEN THEY DON'T EVEN TALK UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE SERIES. FOR WHAT????

It honestly just read to me as, the mangaka wanted to end the series and Satoshi continuing to be into Daisuke was too emotionally complicated to quickly wrap up so he loves Risa now. And hey, that clears up the whole Dark/Risa thing, right? I'll get to that.

ANYWAY, so then we jump into an elongated story about some past Niwa/Hikari drama which would've been fun if I hadn't been growing more and more confused as I noticed how few chapters were left and we were STILL ON THIS. Like, I love when DN Angel gives us fun new characters to talk about. Hell, the Freedert arc and the Argentine arc are two of my favourites. But, when you only have a limited amount of time...It just felt like this was something Yukiru Sugisaki was maybe sitting on for awhile so she didn't want to skip it, but she also wanted to finish the story as soon as possible so the ending comes IMMEDIATELY after which makes this whole arc feel...weird. Like...we could've spent our last few chapters on the characters we know and love but...instead...

Then we get to the endgame. So, quick poll, do we think the mangaka already had this ending in mind before the anime came out or do we think she decided to do the anime ending because she had no idea how to finish the story. I'm really not sure, but either way it felt soooo anticlimactic given that we've had the anime ending for almost 20 years. Like...what was I waiting around for if you were just gonna do the same thing????? And look, I honestly never finished the anime because I couldn't stand the way they chose to characterize some of my favourite characters (most notably Satoshi and Risa) and I'd read what the ending was and hated it lol. But I digress.

The thing about the ending that gets me most is that it all comes on so fast. Like, you wanna do the anime ending? Okay. Don't love the idea, but okay. BUT it all happens in like... 2-3 chapters. Like, all of a sudden the Black Wings is sucking up power from the artwork and, oh no, here comes Krad ready wreck shop. And then we, randomly at THE END OF THE MANGA find out Satoshi's adopted Dad is actually his real Dad and also he's a piece of artwork which makes Satoshi half a piece of artwork???? Why are you telling us this now???? Then Satoshi and Daisuke seal Dark and Krad into the Black Wings the end. Like...????? That's it?????

OH ALSO I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE HARADA TWINS ARE MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. HONESTLY PROBABLY BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE YUKIRU SUGISAKI FORGOT TOO SINCE THERE'S NO CLOSURE ON THAT?????? (Honestly, I'm laughing because I literally forgot about this fact until just now. AGAIN WHAT WAS THE REASON LMAO!!!)

Okay, so the story's done but where does it leave our favourite characters???

Daisuke and Riku have figured their shit out and are...presumably going to do long distance??? Idk, they never really address whether they're staying together or not as far as I can remember???? Like, this is the relationship I thought we would get the most closure on but ?????????

Risa just gets to be sad for awhile I guess. It's honestly so infuriating to me that we got this awesome moment before the hiatus where Dark asked Risa if she would love him no matter what and she says yes with her WHOLE CHEST and that's enough for Dark to almost, like, take over Daisuke's body permanently. Like, her love for Dark is as real as Riku's love for Daisuke but she's not allowed to have a happy ending like her sister. She gets to see Dark one last time where he kisses her and hopes she'll always be his best girl and then he flies off into the night while she begs him not to leave. Then, she gets to cry in the street, trying to remember him while everyone else is forgetting. Well, at least she has Satoshi, right????

But like, we don't even know if she likes Satoshi that way. There's been...no indication that she does as far as I know. And as he's hugging her, Satoshi is having these thoughts hoping she'll be able to remember Dark because he knows how meaningful he is to her. So their ending is LITERALLY Risa gets to be horribly heartbroken and Satoshi gets to pine for someone else who, at this point, doesn't love him back.

Like, once again not to shit on Satoshi/Risa fans but...is this the ending y'all wanted????? Because as someone who stans them both this just felt horrible. It reads as a feeble attempt to "pair the spares" (since in the story the mangaka wanted to tell, neither of them could be with who they originally loved) but, like, even then this is the saddest way to do that. OH! And once again, if Risa is moving, ARE THEY EVEN GOING TO BE TOGETHER????? Like, what are we supposed to get from this what is the REASON??????

And then there's Dark and Krad being stuck in the Black Wings for eternity. The biggest reason I didn't like this ending in the anime. Like, look. I get that you have to end your manga somehow. BUT if your plan was to reunite Dark and Krad in this way I don't understand why you would write a whole interaction, mere chapters before, having Dark say that that's the LAST thing he wants to do. HE SAYS THAT THEY AREN'T THE SAME ANYMORE AND THAT HE DOESN'T WANT TO RETURN TO HIM. AND THEN HE'S FORCED TO DO JUST THAT. FOR. WHAT?????

Like, Dark isn't a villain. He's one of our main protagonists and has been this whole time. I get that in stories sometimes characters have sad endings. (I've already argued that I think both Satoshi and Risa's endings were bittersweet at best). But to have Dark say mere chapters before it happens that he categorically DOES NOT want to rejoin Krad and then force him to do just that feels like such a needlessly cruel thing to do to this character we're meant to love.

Once again, it just felt so much like Yukiru Sugisaki wanted to end the series as quickly as possible. I get her wanting to come back to it; she's kinda notorious for not finishing things so I get the impulse to just drive through and get at least one story done. But, it felt like so many things were skipped over or changed just because it made getting to the end goal easier and less complicated. Not addressing some of the cool shit she laid down before the hiatus, completely morphing Satoshi's feelings in a dream, writing off Risa's feelings for Dark, telling us all of the Satoshi backstory stuff at the last goddamn minute, giving Dark his worst nightmare as an ending, so many of these things done just to move things along towards a specific end goal as fast as possible.

Honestly, there's a part of me that wishes she hadn't come back and finished it at all. I was happy enough with the ending I had written in my head and would've preferred it to what we ended up getting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Anyway, to anyone who actually read this (and a part of me hopes no one does lmao) thanks for listening to me ramble. And if you're a Satoshi/Risa fan, uh, sorry I hated on your ship lol. You're cool.

[lady-literature]

chaotic thoughts on millionaire detective Ep 6

oop, here we go again

ah, starting off right with it I see

bruh, why the fuck aren’t you telling Suzue what’s up??? she should definitely know

random thought I had during the opening: are we even really sure that the episodes are in chronological order? like, there are somethings that obviously come after one another, like this ep after the last one, the 1st ep goes first likely followed by the second, but are the other one’s directly connected to anything?

we’re only six episodes in so I’m not sure if it’s a pattern or not, but I would say Millionaire Detective is a very ‘monster of teh week’ type show and sometimes those don’t really have a set chronology or connect to one another besides the barest of hints.

idk, it’s not terribly important but it’s a thought

I fucking love modern Crimes guys they’re just so *clenches fist* cute

okay they still cute but what the fuck guys??? that was coldblooded

they just fuckin yeeted Haru under the goddamn bus!!

I’m so sorry haru, i can’t believe these unfaithful ass bitches would do that to you

it’s also kinda ironic that Haru so greatly stands for justice and all that and he gets punished in a room labeled ‘justice’ for doing exactly that even if he did bend the law a bit.

I know logically that Kambe is doing shit to probably track down whatever’s wrong with HEUSC and stuff, buuuuuut he looks like a) a douche for where his sunglasses indoors and b) a weirdo who’s just waving his hands about in front of him like he’s casting some sort of magic spell

tell me im wrong

what you doin old man? i don’t trust you

Haru about Daisuke: ‘he’s terrible and I want five’

what an awkward way to hold a phone

holy shit is- is daisuke going to murder this woman?

whaT THE FUCK

WHAT THE FUCK

DAISUKE YOU’RE SCARING ME

oh thank god

jesus

warn a bitch next time

okay but like,,,,, does this mean that Daisuke chose Modern Crimes because there’s something fishy with the company?? and he’s known about it the whole time? and he’s kinda just using modern Crimes and all that to figure it out?

i... do not have enough time to go more in depth and do research on that. but i f anyone else has ideas about that? it seems like plausible theory

okay but like, i’m not overly familiar with Japanese law but I’m pretty sure they have a right to a lawyer? Daisuke, honey, i think you’re breaking the law again.

SHOOK

oh cool. so we aren’t just skipping over all the blatant law breaking.

not sure I’m about pitting my two favorite boys against each other but sacrifices must be made i guess

(wait- hold up. is this a lead up to a betrayal?? or a horrid misunderstanding? some other type of heartbreaking trope?)

IT’S THE STAIRWELL

he’s protecting you, you idiot. (probably)

(look. all I’m saying is that daisuke is pretty goddamn shady okay? i love him but i have no clue what his fucking morals are. i’m pretty sure that woman still thinks she killed somebody.)

cho-san be the old generation Haru huh?

are those parallels i see?

cho-san keeps doing the anime glasses thing and i’m getting flashbacks

you know who cho-san reminds me of?? that one military man from FMA, you know mustangs mentor or whatever? they both hide behind friendly, kinda dopey, personas but are actually vaguely terrifying and too smart for their own good ya know?

oh we love blackmail

seriously, does anybody follow the law around here?

i mean, besides Haru of course

what a good boy. i wanna pat his cheek like an old grandmother

.... oh damn

i uh, i did not see that coming

is cho-san implying that daisuke murdered that woman??

i mean, i’m not terribly surprised but damn

WHAT IS HAPPENING??

i have,,,, so many questions. so many.

[polar-stars]

in SnK which cities do the characters live?

Oooh that’s an interesting question ! Thanks for the ask :D 

I feel most have their main residence in Tokyo, although I do believe that some of the very rich couples also have more than one property (you know, some additional vacation homes I’d say) If you want me to talk about one couple in specific, I could try to do that ;w; (I’m not all to acknowledgeable about such stuff though, just a warning)....in this post I’ll tackle the main residences so to speak ovo;;

-

Soma and Erina live in Tokyo and their living space in Tokyo is also the only living space they own. As I hope it’s known now, in the “Shokugeki no Kimiko” Cinematic Universe Erina resigned off the high-society life (more on that later in the story) and nurses the Yukihira Diner alongside Soma nowadays. They live above the diner, together with Joichiro and their children Hiraku & Kimiko. When they’re on Totsuki, Kimiko resides in the Polar Star Dormitory while Hiraku lives in the Nakiri Mansion with his Aunt Alice. 

Isami and Megumi live in a rather large, but still cozy house that also has a garden, located in Megumi’s hometown in Tohoku. Their son Hiroshi lives in Polar Star Dormitory, whenever he’s on Totsuki. 

Akira and Hisako live outside of Tokyo, but still near to the city, so it doesn’t take long to get there with a car. They have a very large house with a super large garden. On Totsuki, Kaori and Akio live with Jun, although Akio most recently got to move into the Nakiri Mansion to be closer to Hiraku.

Takumi and Ikumi reside in a pretty modern, decadent residence on a hill in Tuscany, that is a hour away from Takumi’s hometown where the original Trattoria Aldini is located. Their daughter Mika lives in Polar Star Dormitory whenever on Totsuki. 

Ryo, Alice and their daughters remain in the Nakiri Mansion, given Alice’s occupation as Totsuki’s headmaster. As I said, I don’t really want to get into vacation homes and the likes in this post but for these two I can say: They do also have a mansion in Denmark which is definitely a second home for all of them.

Shun and Ryoko have a house outside of Tokyo, but still near Tokyo, that also has a forest. They decided they wanted their children to grow up near nature, while also just appreciating more peace than what a crowded city can often provide. Their son Yasu lives in Polar Star, whenever on Totsuki.

Zenji and Yuki have an apartment within Tokyo. One that is still located in one of it’s more calmer districts I’d say and also a spot where it doesn’t take them awfully long to drive to Shun’s and Ryoko’s place. Their daughter Chieko is another Polar Star candidate as we know. 

Subaru and Nao have a pretty big house in some calm neighbourhood within Tokyo. Their children stay there for the entirety of the year. 

Shoji and Urara have an apartment near one of Tokyo’s flashier districts that Urara chose because she wants to live within the liveliness of the city. Their son is Hideyoshi is once again a Polar Star kid. Daigo and Yua are literally their neighbors lol. Their son Daisuke is another addition to Polar Star as we know. 

-

Isshiki, as Polar Star’s dorm-mom, lives in Polar Star all year. And loves it. 

Terunori lives with his wife Miyoko in a huge apartment that is incredibly near Hojo-Ra. Their children, Suzume and Takayuki, got an apartment for themselves that is much nearer to Totsuki and in which they live throughout school days. When it’s holidays they go back to their parents of course. 

Etsuya and Nene live in a decadent apartment that’s probably very near Tokyo’s center as well as possibly one of its more wealthier districts (idk). The apartment has huge windows, so jot that down. Their sons are as privileged as the Hojo-kids and also reside in an apartment that is very near Totsuki throughout school-time. 

- 

Megishima lives somewhere in the country regions far away from the big cities. 

Somei and Momo have a huge mansion in a village near Tokyo (not the same as Shun’s and Ryoko’s). They’re pretty much the most famous people within the village ahdhd, but Momo refuses to talk to anyone. Their daughters have an apartment in Tokyo, to be near to Totsuki whenever it’s school-time. 

Rindou and Eishi currently live in Switzerland and that’s all I am going to say on them. 

-

Kojiro and Hinako have an apartment in Paris together as well as an apartment in Tokyo. They consider both of these equally their home. Throughout school time, Noboru resides full time in Tokyo of course. But when it’s vacation he usually goes to France. 

[kurisu7777777-blog]

Vanitas No Carte VA prospects

Vanitas

Akeno Watanabe

 (Yes, I would very much like a female voice for Vanitas and I think Akeno would fit since she voices some male characters like Rito Yuuki from To-Love-Ru and LEO from Pandora Hearts!  I think her voice is deep and sounds cool for a male character. She can also portray Vanitas’ playful character.) 

Ayumu Murase 

A male seiyuu this time. Voices Allen Walker from the recent D. Gray Man anime. His voice is not so deep and manly which I think would fit Vanitas’ sly character. 

Yuki Kaida

Got the inspiration from Kurapika of HxH. She is also known for voicing cool male characters. And her multilingual tongue (French and Chinese) would really help in pronouncing French words. 

Koki Uchiyama

One of my favorite VAs! Roxas’ va from Kindom Hearts, also Yoshino from Zetsuen no Tempest and currently Shin from Evil or Live. I just love how he can portray evil and clever characters that looks so innocent. His voice is also very cool and sexy. I would never ever complain if he becomes Vanitas. 

Noe 

Nobunaga Shimazaki

Haru from Free is the perfect match for Noe’s character. His voice can certainly portray the naive-type/ clueless type and  he also has the same poker face type of voice.

Kensho Ono

The poker sound [face] of Kuroko from Kuroko no Basket would certainly fits Noe’s character. Although he doesn’t sound as naive as Noe, I still think he would be a great match for his character.

Jeanne

Maaya Sakamoto

I would very much love Maaya Sakamoto to voice Jeanne! I don’t think anyone will do a great job than her. She can be fierce and cute at the same time. Voices Ciel Phantomhive from Kuroshitsuji and Kisshot from Monogatari series. 

Yukana

My favorite VA! I chose her because of Tear Grants from Tales of the Abyss. She can also be fierce and cute like Maaya. 

Kana Hanazawa

Kana isn’t really my favorite va because she became overrated in the past years. Nevertheless she has an iconic and cute voice so I wouldn’t be surprised if she got the role. 

Yui Horie

One of my favorites as well. I can never get tired of hearing her voice. And Idk, I think every role given to her is just perfect for her voice so I wouldn’t complain if she became Jeanne. Cute, strong and tsundere perfect! 

Dominique

Shizuka Ito

Tbh, I don’t think anyone can do better than Shizuka Ito. She’s very sassy and cool. She portrayed Rindo Kobayashi from Shokugeki No Soma so smoothly so I think she can do Domi’s seductive voice. 

Yu Kobayashi

Yu comes out strong and can certainly portray girls that attracts girls especially her role as Mariya in Mariaholic. 

Risa Taneda

Not exactly my favorite as well. I didn’t like her voice as Erina. I prefer the current one. But like Kana, I wouldn’t be surprise if she got casted. 

Miyuki Sawashiro

Yes! One of my strong candidates! Miyuki’s voice is very smooth and calming. She fits the mature type so she’ll do well voicing Domi. Voices Celty from Durarara, Milla Maxwell from Tales of Xillia

Yoko Hikasa

When I hear Boar’s voice in Juni Taisen, she certainly did a great job in voicing a mature woman so I think she’s a good candidate as well. I’m just not sure about Domi’s cute attitude. 

Mitsuki Saiga

I love Mitsuki Saiga voicing a male character! But that doesn’t mean she can’t fit a female role. Although her voice is too deep for her, I’m still curious on how she would voice Domi. Also voices Okita Souji from Peacemake Kurogane, Teito Klein from 07 ghost.

Luca

Ryoko Shiraishi

Ryoko can portray kid’s role such as the noble kid MoriMori in Gintama. She can produce a really cute voice as a child. Also voices. 

Reiko Takagi

She voices the gentle Tadase from Shugo Chara and that’s where I got the idea. Since Luca can be naive and impulsive, both charactes fit together. I think she’ll do great voicing Luca

Megumi Han

Gon’s voice from the recent HxH. I love how she portrayed Gon’s naivety which will do great in Luca’s character especially on the part where Luca was very grateful to Noe. 

Houko Kuwashima

Known for voicing females like Yohime from Nurarihyon no Mago and Chizuru from Hakuoki. I loved her kid voice in Takasugi Shinsuke of Gintama that’s why I also picked her for Luca. 

Yumiko Kobayashi

First heard her from Tetsunosuke Ichimura of Peacemaker Kurogane. Her voice usually portrays stubborn and noisy characters but I think she’ll also do great with someone noble like Luca. 

Roland

Mamoru Miyano

Who else could do better than Mamoru?! He can totally voice Roland as the jolly and God-loving chausseur who can switch to a serious person in a split second. 

Olivier 

Kisho Taniyama

With Mamoru Miyano as Roland, this is Chuuya and Dazai all over again! Well, I just like how Kisho can portray nagging characters so he’s very perfect for Olivier’s character.

Daisuke Ono

Iconic voice! He also voiced Jack from Pandora Hearts and Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji. Daisuke Ono also has a switch from a nagging character to a perfectly serious one. 

Kosuke Toriumi

Voices Mikazuki Munechika from Touken Ranbu. He can also do great as a mature persona like Olivier. 

Ruthven

Sho Hayami

Sosuke Aizen of Bleach, yes, I can’t hear anyone but him in Ruthven’s voice. He’s sly and mysterious, very perfect for Ruthven.

Joji Nakata

Aside from sho, Joji Nakata can also be the mysterious evil type. He voiced Kotomine Kirei of Fate Stay Night. 

Domi’s grandfather 

Takehito Koyasu

Another mysterious character! No one else but Takehito Koyasu can do better! He’s perfect for the playful, ruthless and mysterious shapeless one. 

Veronica

Aya Hisakawa 

Aya Natsume from Tenjo Tenge. She has a very mature voice and her  body type also fits Aya’s so I can’t imagine a better candidate than her. 

Yuko Kaida

Tsukuyo of Gintama’s voice. Although a mature type of voice, I think it’s very hard to imagine her as ruthless like Veronica but I do wonder what will it be like if she voiced her. 

Dr. Moreau

Yutaka Aoyama

The Millenium Earl from the recent D. Gray Man series. Yes, they’re both psychotic and old (in some way) so he’s very perfect to voice the mad doctor. 

Cho 

Hearing his voice in The Sheep from Juuni Taisen, he really is made for an old man role. He can also do a good job voicing Dr. Moreau with that very grandpa voice mixed with madness. 

Louis

Miyuki Sawashiro

Ironically, I also picked Miyuki for Domi so wouldn’t it portray their relation more if she was to voice Louis? xD Nevertheless, yes, Miyuki is not new to young male characters and  listening to Kira from Btooom! She can be very well voice Louis with maturity and a lot of painful emotions. 

Mariya Ise

Voiced Killua from the recent HxH. She can really voice young but mature male characters. Her voice can also be serious and calculating like Louis’ personality.

Dante

Takuya Eguchi

The voice of Dragon from Juuni Taisen and Takeo from Ore Monogatari. The cheeky and chubby-kind of voice is perfect for Dante. As Vanitas’ informant, he can be very arrogant sometimes and Takuya Eguchi can do a good job voicing that. 

Riche

Ayane Sakura

Since Riche is very naive like the 2-face Niwatori from Juuni Taisen, she’s very perfect for her.

Johann

Masakazu Morita

Ever since I heard him voice Yukari from K Project, I never expected him to be so perfect in a gay~ish role! So who else fits Johann better than him?

Amelia Ruth

Mamiko Noto

The innocent Amelia Ruth is the match for Mamiko Noto’s cute voice. 

Sora Amamiya

Voiced Touka Kirishima and the weak-looking Honoka Mitsui of Mahouka koukou no rettosei. She can voice a fierce but also innocent character. 

Ai Kayano

Better known for her role as Inori in Guilty Crown and Shiro from No Game No Life. Like the other candidates, she also fits the innocent role of AmeliA Ruth  

I’m truly expecting a VnC Anime in the future, when it gets enough chapters like PH and hopefully the voice casts won’t disappoint us. 

[lazuliblade]

Figure Skating Charms and a Wealth of Nuance

Haha...so...*guiltily posts this months later* I had this in my drafts 70% completed since episode 10 came out, but with episode 11 and 12 the fandom exploded on other issues, and I thought it was kind of irrelevant since the rings have so many layers of meaning already. But in PASH magazine’s March issue, Kubo-sensei actually brings this up. 

I ended up cleaning this post and after finding out that @sachiro​ was going to make a similar post, we decided to have “pair posts” to submit for victuuriweek. You can read their yoi meta here , which discusses and connects specific moments throughout the series to the points I’ll lay out in the second half of this post.

About Yuuri’s charm. Yuuri has a figure skating precedent for buying jewelry to act as a charm - it isn’t a blasé “lots of good stuff around here...yeah, rings can make good charms, right? idk, but I’m doing it anyway.” Here’s yet another layer.

Charms are a legitimate THING in figure skating.

You won’t read about this in figure skating intros or on Wikipedia, and you won’t hear commentators talk about it either (if it’s brought up, consider it a stroke of luck and immediately save that video/interview forever). Unless you follow skaters to the point of knowing about their personal lives, then this is one meaningful aspect of figure skating that is easy to miss.

It’s not uncommon to see women and men in figure skating wear jewelry to bring them luck. When you spot a figure skater wearing a necklace/ring/bracelet/earring it’s often because it has special significance to them and the skater is somewhat superstitious. In other words, it’s not casual bling for costuming. Technically it’s against the rules to wear accessories in figure skating, but so many skaters have sentimental and lucky charms that the rule is essentially obsolete -- no one cares as long as the accessory doesn’t fall off and cause trouble. 

You might even call charm-wearing a trend for how many skaters have worn special jewelry over the years and inspired younger skaters to wear their own.

I’m including a short list of examples with a few anecdotes that I’ve come to learn:

Yuzuru Hanyu - a necklace with a rhombus-shaped pendant etched with a symbol and letters; 2 Phiten necklaces; one power-stone bracelet on each wrist given to him by his mother.

^The Phiten necklaces are relatively new (a few years old), but that rhombus-pendant necklace and the bracelets have been around since his Junior/early Senior days. The pendant in particular he believes balances his energy and brings him good luck. He never takes them off. (As an aside, the last picture shows Yuzu’s customary thanking the ice after a performance.) He also gave his coach, Brian Orser, a matching bracelet to wear, because they are a team:

Daisuke Takahashi - a necklace with a gold pendant.

Shoma Uno - a Colan Totte necklace with pendant. He appeared wearing it at a show once (it may or may not have been a gift), and didn’t stop wearing it.

Johnny Weir - a necklace with charms&bobbles.

^He never takes it off and does not allow anyone to touch it. It’s very personal, it brings him luck, and he believes that having another person touch it would mar the aura it has. He mentions that if he has to take a charm off to clean it, he’ll do so with the utmost care.

Evgeni Plushenko- a necklace with a cross that a relative gave him. He never takes it off. 

Over time he started adding more charms to the necklace. (above is 2002, below is 2010 and 2014 respectively)  

Michele Kwan -  a red silk string necklace with a gold dragon pendant given to her by her grandmother. She always had it in competition for good luck, and you would rarely see her without it even off-ice.

Gracie Gold - a necklace with a gold evil eye pendant. She wears it to ward off bad karma. Her first ballet instructor gave her the pendant and she went on to win the U.S. Nationals. It’s since become very special.

Yuuri Katsuki -  gold ring. One of a matched set of simple gold wedding bands, the other worn by Victor Nikiforov.

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

A Treasure of Meanings

This is the tradition that Yuuri is drawing from when he mentions that he’s always wanted a protective charm (omamori).  It’s true that he DOES want a special charm for luck -- it’s a cool item that a skater will have associated with them-- but he’s also using the idea of a charm as an opportunity to carry something with multiple meaningful layers. We know by his stuttering in the jewelry shop and at the cathedral that Yuuri understands a gold ring has more connotations than being a charm for luck and protection. If he had just wanted a charm, he could have simply bought a necklace or bracelet, but he went for a gold ring precisely because of the additional implication of a promise. 

However, it’s important to note that there are a variety of alternate nuances he’s attaching to the ring, and the nuance of engagement is no more significant than any other one layer.

Yuuri bought it to center himself on the ice, he bought it to physically show that bond with Victor(ep5), he bought it to give a token of utmost gratitude to Victor, he bought it to link him to Victor even if he’s not by his side(ep9), he bought it to bring them luck and good fortune, and he bought it as a promise. Putting a ring on Victor was, to Yuuri, giving himself good luck while being grateful. He is stating his appreciation for Victor and intention to be a unit (a team).

The act of Victor putting the other ring on Yuuri (as opposed to Yuuri simply placing it on his own finger a la “boyfriend giving his sweetheart a matching gift and then wearing the match himself”) showed his acceptance for Yuuri’s feelings. This is one of those “he meets me halfway” moments. There is an implicit understanding to this moment when Yuuri is giving Victor the ring. As is very Japanese, Yuuri doesn’t discuss or directly state all of the nuances and layers. Victor, having lived with Yuuri for 8 months and spent many significant moments with him over this time, can understand what Yuuri is saying underneath the mere spoken words.

(special thanks to @sachiro​ for the gif)

When Yuuri can’t say what else the ring implies, Victor says it for him. If Yuuri’s action of giving the ring to Victor was all of those things above, then Victor’s action of placing the ring on Yuuri was a good luck charm to reassure Yuuri that Victor understands, that he will stay by Yuuri’s side (ep7/9 “Hanarezuni soba ni ite!” ), and that this sense of security should help stop Yuuri from overthinking on the ice. (“You always flub jumps when you’re thinking of something else, Yuuri~”) And if this method to calm and reassure Yuuri on the ice happens to take the form of a wedding ring -- all the better for this besotted man. 

Pair all that with what an omamori means, and the omajinai that Victor casts on the ring, and you’ll get a grasp on the importance of the scene that might be lost on Western viewers. Then in knowing this cultural meaning of protection, connection, and strong emotion influencing outcomes, you’ll have another interesting angle for why Yuuri chose a ring instead of a necklace or bracelet (I’ll warn that the writer goes into greater depth about omamori in Japan than may be relevant, but it makes a fascinating read).

And if I may add a modern Japanese dating culture angle to all this, couple’s jewelry is common (usually as bracelets and phone charms), and there’s the modern act of boyfriends giving their serious girlfriend a ring for their right ring finger to represent a promise….

In conclusion, wearing charms is an aspect in figure skating (and with athletes in general) that is fairly common. An athlete’s charms can carry special significance from the start with multiple meanings and wishes, and conversely the charms can have sentimental feelings attached over time. A charm can gain more meanings as experiences pile up, and sometimes they become inseparable from an athlete’s image. Yuuri chooses these rings with the intention of being his special protective charm while having many nuanced feelings attached, and through acts with Victor (the exchange in front of the church, Victor’s proposal comment, the kiss on the ring rinkside serving as a blessing) the rings will gain a stronger meaning over time.

To end on an overly flowery note -- it is victuuri week, after all -- the rings have layers of nuances that bloom like a lotus when showered with observation, and which shine like a beacon when Yuuri is lost in the mud of anxiety.