#i haz opinions

[jalebi-weds-bluetooth]

Hello, Jalebi! As to Khushi’s character growth; I feel much less harsh towards her actions than you do. I see her as an inexperienced 18 year old traditional Indian girl from a smaller city and all the immaturity and lack of worldliness that that entails. Also, a much older, powerful, worldly Arnav treats her twice as badly for every time she hurts him. Her punishment often is harsher than the crime. Arnav can be very cruel while she can be just very thoughtless and supercilious. Cruelty is wors

Hey Anon!

I think some of your message is cut off. Oh I never imply that I judge/criticize Arnav less. I feel he's better written - or at least his set of motivations and behavior are explained and unique to him as opposed to Khushi often fitting the standard ITV good girl child woman manic pixie trope.

And, again, while Khushi is 18, the creators aren't. Khushi herself making these odd decisions and bad choices - definitely human - but the show barely points out when Khushi is wrong and does NOT give her room for growth.

Which is why my favorite scenes of Khushi are during her trapped in guesthouse moment, her post Diwali era and the tormented wedding because we see her beyond surface level characterizations and we see a perspective.

Arnav is... gosh. He is incredibly entitled and privileged and that is evident on how he treats someone who doesn't match his privileges.

I'm not balancing who is more right than the other, it's just that I really wish we saw more of Khushi as a character.

Best,

Jalebi

[hazmatmaid]

How do you feel about the headcanon of the Spades being dogs/bears?

Honestly I’ve grown not to be too keen on it, since it kinda felt like it was largely an excuse to hyper-cuteify them (Lancer especially), and it would lead to a lot of off-model art for the sake of aligning with the headcanon as much as possible (making them fluffy, giving them tails they’re not shown to have, etc).

Personally, I’m of the mind that it’s funnier not to know or have a definite answer (the King lives in a hamster cage now, but doesn’t necessarily mean he’s 100% a hamster, or Lancer having a honeypot in a stump like Winnie the Pooh).

[macwantspeace]

Sorry, gonna rebog my rebog here. All y'all just gotta wander down and observe the Fish Slap Dance in the comments.

[phantomrose96]

If anyone wants to know why every tech company in the world right now is clamoring for AI like drowned rats scrabbling to board a ship, I decided to make a post to explain what's happening.

(Disclaimer to start: I'm a software engineer who's been employed full time since 2018. I am not a historian nor an overconfident Youtube essayist, so this post is my working knowledge of what I see around me and the logical bridges between pieces.)

Okay anyway. The explanation starts further back than what's going on now. I'm gonna start with the year 2000. The Dot Com Bubble just spectacularly burst. The model of "we get the users first, we learn how to profit off them later" went out in a no-money-having bang (remember this, it will be relevant later). A lot of money was lost. A lot of people ended up out of a job. A lot of startup companies went under. Investors left with a sour taste in their mouth and, in general, investment in the internet stayed pretty cooled for that decade. This was, in my opinion, very good for the internet as it was an era not suffocating under the grip of mega-corporation oligarchs and was, instead, filled with Club Penguin and I Can Haz Cheezburger websites.

Then around the 2010-2012 years, a few things happened. Interest rates got low, and then lower. Facebook got huge. The iPhone took off. And suddenly there was a huge new potential market of internet users and phone-havers, and the cheap money was available to start backing new tech startup companies trying to hop on this opportunity. Companies like Uber, Netflix, and Amazon either started in this time, or hit their ramp-up in these years by shifting focus to the internet and apps.

Now, every start-up tech company dreaming of being the next big thing has one thing in common: they need to start off by getting themselves massively in debt. Because before you can turn a profit you need to first spend money on employees and spend money on equipment and spend money on data centers and spend money on advertising and spend money on scale and and and

But also, everyone wants to be on the ship for The Next Big Thing that takes off to the moon.

So there is a mutual interest between new tech companies, and venture capitalists who are willing to invest $$$ into said new tech companies. Because if the venture capitalists can identify a prize pig and get in early, that money could come back to them 100-fold or 1,000-fold. In fact it hardly matters if they invest in 10 or 20 total bust projects along the way to find that unicorn.

But also, becoming profitable takes time. And that might mean being in debt for a long long time before that rocket ship takes off to make everyone onboard a gazzilionaire.

But luckily, for tech startup bros and venture capitalists, being in debt in the 2010's was cheap, and it only got cheaper between 2010 and 2020. If people could secure loans for ~3% or 4% annual interest, well then a $100,000 loan only really costs $3,000 of interest a year to keep afloat. And if inflation is higher than that or at least similar, you're still beating the system.

So from 2010 through early 2022, times were good for tech companies. Startups could take off with massive growth, showing massive potential for something, and venture capitalists would throw infinite money at them in the hopes of pegging just one winner who will take off. And supporting the struggling investments or the long-haulers remained pretty cheap to keep funding.

You hear constantly about "Such and such app has 10-bazillion users gained over the last 10 years and has never once been profitable", yet the thing keeps chugging along because the investors backing it aren't stressed about the immediate future, and are still banking on that "eventually" when it learns how to really monetize its users and turn that profit.

The pandemic in 2020 took a magnifying-glass-in-the-sun effect to this, as EVERYTHING was forcibly turned online which pumped a ton of money and workers into tech investment. Simultaneously, money got really REALLY cheap, bottoming out with historic lows for interest rates.

Then the tide changed with the massive inflation that struck late 2021. Because this all-gas no-brakes state of things was also contributing to off-the-rails inflation (along with your standard-fare greedflation and price gouging, given the extremely convenient excuses of pandemic hardships and supply chain issues). The federal reserve whipped out interest rate hikes to try to curb this huge inflation, which is like a fire extinguisher dousing and suffocating your really-cool, actively-on-fire party where everyone else is burning but you're in the pool. And then they did this more, and then more. And the financial climate followed suit. And suddenly money was not cheap anymore, and new loans became expensive, because loans that used to compound at 2% a year are now compounding at 7 or 8% which, in the language of compounding, is a HUGE difference. A $100,000 loan at a 2% interest rate, if not repaid a single cent in 10 years, accrues to $121,899. A $100,000 loan at an 8% interest rate, if not repaid a single cent in 10 years, more than doubles to $215,892.

Now it is scary and risky to throw money at "could eventually be profitable" tech companies. Now investors are watching companies burn through their current funding and, when the companies come back asking for more, investors are tightening their coin purses instead. The bill is coming due. The free money is drying up and companies are under compounding pressure to produce a profit for their waiting investors who are now done waiting.

You get enshittification. You get quality going down and price going up. You get "now that you're a captive audience here, we're forcing ads or we're forcing subscriptions on you." Don't get me wrong, the plan was ALWAYS to monetize the users. It's just that it's come earlier than expected, with way more feet-to-the-fire than these companies were expecting. ESPECIALLY with Wall Street as the other factor in funding (public) companies, where Wall Street exhibits roughly the same temperament as a baby screaming crying upset that it's soiled its own diaper (maybe that's too mean a comparison to babies), and now companies are being put through the wringer for anything LESS than infinite growth that Wall Street demands of them.

Internal to the tech industry, you get MASSIVE wide-spread layoffs. You get an industry that used to be easy to land multiple job offers shriveling up and leaving recent graduates in a desperately awful situation where no company is hiring and the market is flooded with laid-off workers trying to get back on their feet.

Because those coin-purse-clutching investors DO love virtue-signaling efforts from companies that say "See! We're not being frivolous with your money! We only spend on the essentials." And this is true even for MASSIVE, PROFITABLE companies, because those companies' value is based on the Rich Person Feeling Graph (their stock) rather than the literal profit money. A company making a genuine gazillion dollars a year still tears through layoffs and freezes hiring and removes the free batteries from the printer room (totally not speaking from experience, surely) because the investors LOVE when you cut costs and take away employee perks. The "beer on tap, ping pong table in the common area" era of tech is drying up. And we're still unionless.

Never mind that last part.

And then in early 2023, AI (more specifically, Chat-GPT which is OpenAI's Large Language Model creation) tears its way into the tech scene with a meteor's amount of momentum. Here's Microsoft's prize pig, which it invested heavily in and is galivanting around the pig-show with, to the desperate jealousy and rapture of every other tech company and investor wishing it had that pig. And for the first time since the interest rate hikes, investors have dollar signs in their eyes, both venture capital and Wall Street alike. They're willing to restart the hose of money (even with the new risk) because this feels big enough for them to take the risk.

Now all these companies, who were in varying stages of sweating as their bill came due, or wringing their hands as their stock prices tanked, see a single glorious gold-plated rocket up out of here, the likes of which haven't been seen since the free money days. It's their ticket to buy time, and buy investors, and say "see THIS is what will wring money forth, finally, we promise, just let us show you."

To be clear, AI is NOT profitable yet. It's a money-sink. Perhaps a money-black-hole. But everyone in the space is so wowed by it that there is a wide-spread and powerful conviction that it will become profitable and earn its keep. (Let's be real, half of that profit "potential" is the promise of automating away jobs of pesky employees who peskily cost money.) It's a tech-space industrial revolution that will automate away skilled jobs, and getting in on the ground floor is the absolute best thing you can do to get your pie slice's worth.

It's the thing that will win investors back. It's the thing that will get the investment money coming in again (or, get it second-hand if the company can be the PROVIDER of something needed for AI, which other companies with venture-back will pay handsomely for). It's the thing companies are terrified of missing out on, lest it leave them utterly irrelevant in a future where not having AI-integration is like not having a mobile phone app for your company or not having a website.

So I guess to reiterate on my earlier point:

Drowned rats. Swimming to the one ship in sight.

[silleye]

ok fuck having a self insert oc what if I just draw me and spy 😭😭😭😭

[aromanticannibal]

what fandoms r u on other than bnha again

uh

[ca-3-lestis]

Late night blues.

"Dad."

"Dad, wake up."

James jerked awake from his deep slumber, looking around. He saw a six year old Harry standing next to him, with his head down and hands to the side. The six year old was growing at a rapid speed, in James's opinion. But in that moment, he'd never looked smaller.

James got out of bed, trying not to wake up his sleeping husband. He and Harry walked to the kitchen. James got a cup for the boy as Harry took a seat on the countertop.

"Bad dream?" James asked, facing Harry.

The only reply that he got back was a timid nod from the six year old.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

In return, James received yet another nod.

Harry took in a breath. "I saw papa, he was drowning. It was on some rocky island, there was a basin filled with dark water. Papa was drinking the water, and it was hurting him. He was in so much pain, dad."

Tears were slipping from Harry's eyes, but he wiped them roughly.

"And then some creatures started to walk towards him, and pulled him in," Harry continued, his voice breaking. "They never let him go, he was drowning and he never made it up."

James pulled Harry into a tight hug, letting him cry out all his sorrows. Once Harry pulled back, James bent down to his level. James hated the fact Harry had to feel this pain, the fear of losing someone so close to him.

"Your father loves you very much, Haz," James said fiercely. "He's safe, and so are you. That's all that matters."

"You being safe matters too," Harry mumbled quietly.

James smiled. "You wanna sleep with us tonight?"

Harry nodded, and the two made their way back to the bedroom. James let Harry get into bed before getting in himself. Regulus stirred, and when he saw Harry next to him, he smiled and took him into his arms, the both falling asleep with each others comfort.

James looked at the two with a soft smile on his face, knowing that he had found his true loves. These were the people he would do absolutely anything for. They were his family.

[frank-zhang-praetor]

ooc post

I want to talk about the fact that people are saying that Leah is the only Annabeth. No, she is not. Book!Annabeth and Musical!Annabeth exist. It's racist to imply that Annabeth is only African American. No she is not she also has blonde hair and grey eyes. In Haz's words "Racist can be towards anyone". pls be respectful to everyone's opinion regardless or whether you like it or not.

[a-doubleh-x]

Why I like Charlastor

The other day I noticed there was some negativity in the Charlastor tag, including antis and people feeling the need to defend against antis, so I thought I might as well take a step back and just write candidly about why I like the ship.

I only got into Hazbin in October of last year, but already it has inspired me a lot to write and fantazise about it. Like most people, I started with the classic "they look cute together", but as I kept looking I couldn't help but think there was something else to these two than first met the eye.

For starters, I love Pollyanas! I think they get a bad rep for being naive, but I just appreciate an optimist like Charlie who just wants to make people around her happy because it makes her happy. I also like bad boys 😳 I'm a pretty heteronormative guy, so I haven't had a big chance to explore that part of myself yet, but I do like the danger and excitement someone like Alastor brings to the table.

I will admit when I started writing Charlastor I felt like I was handling dynomite. It's a lil scary to ship a boundless altruist with a manipulative sociopath, but bear with me.

I think each of them has something the other needs. I think Charlie needs someone to challenge her, someone to steer her in the right direction while she's mostly isolated. At the start of the series, practically nobody but Vaggie takes her seriously, and Alastor is no exception. He mocks her, teases her, but she still listens and I think it's because somewhere deep down she understands there's something he's trting to communicate in his annoying, but curious way.

Of course, I also love the fanon Charlie who's down bad for Alastor, and even if that Charlie is a little naive, I think it's also sweet and she can use some indulgence while most people treat her like a child.

On the other hand, when it comes to Alastor, this is a bit of a theory on my part, but I think he's secretely lonely. He has friends, certainly, like Rosie and Mimzy, but they're not good enough friends to live together with him. They don't seem to be able to save him from "pure, absolute boredom". But Charlie, for some reason can, even though she's a stranger at the beginning when Alastor chooses to move into the Hotel.

Alastor is not as much of a cynic as someone who chooses to see things in a perspective that benefits him. He doesn't think redeeming sinner is "hopeless", but "hilarious" instead, which has interesting implications to me. That's why he chooses to hover around Charlie, not because he thinks she's lame, rather because he thinks she's silly. She makes him laugh. Which I think is kind of how Alastor sees "love".

And then you have fanon Alastor who, depending on the writer, is either a horny animal, a wisecrack edgelord or a soft boy who's mean to everyone but Charlie XD I like several of those interpretations, but I kinda prefer mine just out of personal taste. I think the best part about Alastor is that he doesn't *care* what anyone thinks of him and always does what he wants, even at the expense of other people, which I find pretty enviable.

They're kinda both outcasts in their own ways. Charlie by being unable to fit in and Alastor being unwilling to compromise. But they don't judge each other. He supports her in his own weird way and she houses him and is delighted of him in general, which is tasty food for his ego. I do wonder why Alastor is interested in Charlie, both in canon and in a fandom vacuum.

There's some cool potential for drama there, but also growth and healing, in my opinion. Personally, I think Alastor doesn't want to actually *hurt* Charlie, but he may hurt those around her, which will be a moment to start settling compromises if Charlie puts her foot down.

That haz bin my review so far! I'm honestly pretty grateful for Vivziepop for all of the work she's done so far, I know directing, animating and writing two shows over the course of 5 year or so ain't easy. I'm also grateful to the fandom who shares their thoughts and vision, which calms the terrible voices I started hearing in my head since I bought this weird old radio.

I'm in the middle of a break, but if you're interested in my fanfics I'll get back to writing very soon. Cheers! 🌈❤🦌

[cemeteryvalentine]

astro observations part 3 ^____^

i'm having fun doing these, so herez a part 3 🙏 a lot of these r just based off me and close friendz lol :3

(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡

--------

(*´∇｀*)

i feel like people get on water signs (especially CANCER and pisces) for trauma dumping, and ngl a lot of us do (i used to b guilty of doing this 💀) but no one mentions how people do the same to us. like in my opinion, water signs are alwayz getting trauma dumped on. i think prominent pluto influence in ur chart also makes u prone 2 being trauma dumped on lol

(๑>◡<๑)

i feel like a way to make a cancer or leo frustrated with you is not returning the love they give you. i kno a lot of cancers and leo's (or natals having both in their chart) who get very frustrated when they pour their heart onto someone and not get the same amount of love in return :P. my mom and i have cancer and leo in our chart and shez alwayz complaining abt how much love she gives out to people but doesn't get the same love in return and i totallyy get her LOL

(*^▽^*)

if u have aquarius placements i'm gonna assume u have a god complex or sum 😹😹

\(//∇//)\

taurus placements looove things they don't need. like im alwayz broke from buying cutesy charms, trinkets, mini plushies, makeup, cute clothes, you name it. we also love receiving gifts :3 (or atleast i do).

*\(^o^)/*

virgo placements care soooo much about appearance ^____^ and imo, we got the coolest style cuz of it 😼. nowadays, i'm alwayz getting compliments on my style :3 and pretty much all of my friendz with virgo in their chart.

(●´ω｀●)

adding to that, i also feel like virgos feel uncomfortable if something's off. like growing up with a virgo rising, i would play a lot of dress up games, or games that required it or any form of decorating, and i would spend major chunks on time making sure everything is in perfect detail and matches my vision. and if it isn't, i get upset and feel itchy LOL. like even now, i spend so much time on my phones appearance, but i currently don't like how it looks cuz it feels like itz missing something and it's bothering me so bad LOL 😭

(^з^)-☆

air signs r soooo friendly. every air sign i know haz a fuck ton of friends 😭 earth signs too, cuz they're so chill.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

okay thatz it pookies :3 idk if i'll do this again soon cuz i still got a lot 2 learn abt astrology and more observing to do, but i'll sure asl do this again, even if it takes a while :3. drink water, eat food, n sleep well ^____^

[rainyday-deer]

Mo's Christmas Haz-vent Day 6 ❄

I had a few opinions, might have started a fight, well It's not Christmas till somebody cries

[flodaya]

This is such a small thing to base my opinion on but for me marriage was never something I could get on board with because tz had harry haz and tuwaine living in the London house at some point. And regardless of tz possibly telling them it was ok, I don’t think harry or Harrison (of who we know was living there recently) would stay in that house willingly if they were married. Just out of respect and their comfort you know? Like hey they just got married let me try to find my own place so my friends can enjoy their new stage in their relationship. Once Tom said they were moving out I knew something was up

"Once Tom said they were moving out I knew something was up" exactly, not a small thing at all imo, they have their own place in SF and London now....... somethinggggg is up

[peterdarlingg]

On a completely different note here’s a sneak peak of a series I’m working on :)

Thoughts, opinions?

Pairing: Mob!tom holland x reader

~~~~~

You suddenly felt a hand on knee and instinctively recoiled, letting out a sob choking you. “Hey, hey it’s okay,” you heard a soft voice say. Well as soft as a voice can be in a bar. But the lump In your throat was too big to reply to it. Loud sobs racking through your body when someone tried to touch you again on the shoulder.

“No, don’t touch me, please don’t touch me, please, please just…” you panicked. “Same thing happened when I tried talking to her, she wouldn’t talk to me,” Harrison told Tom. Tom glanced over to Haz from his crouched position in front of you. “Okay darling, I won’t touch you again okay?”

“Can you please just look at me?” “I just want to help,” Tom explained calmly. “No, I-I-no-“ you stuttered unable to catch your breath. “Shh, hey look me darling it okay, you’re okay,” you stared to look up slowly but surely until you faced the person owing the soft, calming voice. “That’s it darling,” “Hi, my name is Tom” “can you tell me what your name is?” He asked gently with a smile.

“You we’re still taking harsh breaths but calmed a bit looking into his eyes. “I-I don’t remember,” you mumbled, looking down, almost ashamed. “You don’t remember your name?” Tom asked skeptically. “I don’t remember anything,” you cried.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Dead mummies. Just leaving this here... by u/Economy-Alfalfa-2241

Dead mummies. Just leaving this here... So Clotface still haz a sad about Mummy, awww.I imagine that poor Baka baby who was taken from his mother's shot body BY CLOTFACE'S RANGERS will have some sort of feels in the future. Thank goodness he won't have to contend with elite boarding schools, gifted commissions to top regiments, entire countries willing to lie about his crap performance. At least the poor little thing won't have to deal with who gets the window in the castle or more sausages. And he was only a baby, he won't remember. Not like you and The Worst Thing That Ever Happened To Anyone Ever, surely they can just dump him off on some other woman (if there are any left) or plug him into a cow or something...Do something, you fulminating great stinkhorn. Your charity. Flounce around slebland collecting pointless awards based on your stolen valour to make you feel less useless afterwards. You have enough time, you lazy little scrote.DO. SOMETHING! WE WON'T FORGET. Apologies, sinners. No funny today. I just cannot with these two blobstains. post link: https://ift.tt/kdIRvUK author: Economy-Alfalfa-2241 submitted: June 29, 2024 at 10:31PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[morningsharksworld]

Oooo I loved your take on Haz with a high sex drive s/o, but what about him with a really shy ace-spec one?

Like, they're sex positive or neutral (or maybe he's their exception, because ace is such a spectrum)

Because he gives me ace-spec vibes as well, but maybe I'm projecting.

I love your work 💖💖💖

-Jaki 💖

A/N: Absolutely a-okay with self projecting on this blog! (I do it all the time with venture) I think Ive written some headcannons about how he feels it’s more important about a relationship (I think I never posted them and just kept them to myself—) but I think he wouldn’t be too focus on the sex aspect of it because he thinks that a relationship is more than just that, it’s more about trust, bonding, loyalty and overall just being one with each other.

Hazard with a shy S/O who is on the ace spectrum

☢️ Early Relationship Dynamics

- Hazard is naturally protective but not overbearing. He quickly picks up on your shy tendencies and gives you space while offering subtle reassurances, like standing close by or giving a small smirk when you're feeling out of your depth.

- He respects boundaries to a T. He’ll always check in without making it awkward—“This awricht wi’ ye?”—before doing something as simple as a casual arm drape or playful nudge.

- Despite his tough and confident exterior, he’s surprisingly patient and gentle when he notices you getting flustered. If you start stammering, he’ll quietly wait for you to gather your thoughts without pressuring you.

☢️ Communication & Understanding

- Hazard goes out of his way to learn more about ace identities. He’s not pushy or nosy but shows he’s paying attention by making sure his teasing or affectionate gestures align with your comfort zone. When you shyly share your own feelings about being ace-spec, he gives you a warm, knowing smile. “Aye, we’re a pair, then, eh? Guess I’ve got yer back, an’ ye’ve got mine.”

- He's all about finding other ways to show love and care—things like making your favorite snacks, fixing things around your space, or even bringing you small trinkets he thinks you’ll like. “Saw this wee thing an’ thought it might make ye smile. Don’t make a big deal o’ it, aye?”

- If you get overwhelmed in social situations, Hazard is your rock. He knows how to quietly steer you out of the spotlight without drawing attention. “Fancy headin’ oot fer a bit? Naebody’ll notice we’re gone.”

- If anyone questions your relationship or assumes things about it, he’s quick to defend you both. “Dinnae think yer opinion matters here. We’re happy, an’ tha’s all ye need tae ken.”

☢️ Affection & Growth

- Physical affection is slow-paced and meaningful. He’ll test the waters with things like a gentle hand on your shoulder or brushing a strand of hair out of your face, always giving you time to get used to the intimacy.

- Hazard has a surprisingly soft spot for your shy moments, often throwing in a cheeky “Yer cute when ye blush, ken that?” just to see you go redder.

- He loves how you light up when you get excited about your interests. Even if he doesn’t fully understand them, he’ll listen attentively or ask questions to see you smile. “Ach, dinnae stop now—ye’ve got that spark in yer eye. Tell me mair!”

☢️ Protective Tendencies

- Hazard has a sixth sense for people who might not respect your boundaries, and he’s quick to step in with an intimidating stare or a sharp remark to shut them down. “Mind yer ain business, pal, or ye’ll be regrettin’ it.”

- He’s incredibly supportive of your self-expression, cheering you on when you push past your shyness or stand up for yourself. “Tha’s ma Bonnie! Show ‘em what ye’re made o’.”

☢️ Quiet Moments Together

- Hazard enjoys the quiet moments with you the most—sitting together while he tinkers with something, or lounging in comfortable silence as you both read or watch a show.

- If you’re ever overwhelmed, he’ll offer a grounding presence. Sitting beside you, he’ll rest his hand close enough for you to take if you want, but never push. “Am here, love. Ye dinnae have tae do it alane.”

[mageknight14]

Something I always find funny when it comes to TWEWY discussion is how people tend to take Hanekoma’s words at face-value when it comes to the TWEWY mythos and his opinions on the Shinjuku games’ structure and take everything he says as fact when the games show, subtly or not, that he’s a heavily biased source who will outright LIE in the Secret Reports and that he’s not always the right moral viewpoint.

And that’s what I honestly love about his character because like any well-written character, he is often fraught with his own subjectivity.

I think an important thing to note is that in the Secret Reports, there is a small mistranslation that shapes a lot of what Hanekoma has to say regarding the events that takes place within the story; namely, Rindo DOESN’T have a high Imagination. It’s actually rather low or mediocre and his Replay power mainly comes from his pin, with Nagi and Fret being the real powerhouses.

(Shout-outs to my friend ζ for this great document!)

In the original ENG translation, the report went "For better or for worse, he is able to maintain abnormally high levels of Imagination, thereby increasing the accuracy of each Replay."

When in actuality, it’s "The higher [the] levels of Imagination he is able to maintain, [the] increas[ed] accuracy of each Replay." Which basically means that Replay relies on him maintaining the focus of his Imagination, rather than how much Imagination he has in general. It also fits in well what we know about Rindo and how he contrasts his team. Nagi is a huge otaku with a passion for her favorite gacha game, Fret is a fashionista that’s caught up on the latest trends, Shoka has her entire thing with Gatto Nero and Neku and Beat are winners of the last Reaper’s Game, with the former already having high amounts of Imagination even before he got sucked into the game due to a combination of his love for urban culture and the arts and Hanekoma’s graffiti subconsciously raising his Imagination levels even higher. Meanwhile, all Rindo has is the words of a social media guru that he mindlessly parrots and a mobile game that he casually plays. Not exactly grounds for cultivating a high level of Imagination, no? That said, Rindo is still able to function as a potent user of Replay due to his ability to hold a LOT of information in his head at one time, giving him a holistic view of the situation that makes him be able to piece together character relationships and bits of information in a way that he can use to his advantage to turn a bad situation around to his favor. W1D5, W2D2, W3D3, and the final day are especially great examples of this.

This is an important distinction to make because Hanekoma actually dismisses Rindo multiple times due to his low Imagination, in contrast to how supportive he was of Neku in the first game. Hanekoma's prioritization of Imagination is him believing that it is a necessary foundation for people to have in order to face adversity; to interpret their world; to grow, self-analyze, and to properly contribute to society. With that in mind, Rindo not having a good level of Imagination to him is indicative of a kid whose potential to do all these things is not as impressive and therefore would probably fail the Shinjuku Reaper’s Game. And to some extent, he’s right since Rindo does fuck up at times and stagnate when people he believes to be more capable show up to potentially solve his problems for him; taking away his responsibilities from him.

However, Rindo does grow from his mistakes, which ultimately culminates into him rejecting the offer for Haz to solve everything for him in favor of striving for a better future for both him and the people he cares about and the Shinjuku Game’s ruleset does make him come out of his shell as a leader, which was what ultimately saved all of them in the end, not his Imagination levels. It’s important to note that unlike the others, Rindo doesn’t actively participate in Operation Awakening: he’s the guy who gets the pieces to go where they need to go in order to have the operation go by smoothly and navigates them to do their job correctly. Operation Awakening ultimately succeeds due to Rindo’s skill as a leader, which Hanekoma did not view as something to make ado about. Hanekoma's vibe was that imagination, and by proxy, the things it provides a person to do, is something that is predisposed..but Rindo proved that you don't have to be predisposed to imagination to do really amazing things or affect change on a grand scale; you can learn how to do it through your experiences. There’s a reason why World is Yours, which is basically Rindo’s theme, has the phrase "Making mistakes is proof that you’re challenged. The World is Yours."

This is also a pretty big contrast when you consider how the Shibuya Game operated, which was heavily biased towards high Imagination people to excel further while pushing low Imagination people out of the running. I mean think about it: out of a normal week in the original game (Week 1), only Neku and Shiki survived legitimately (Beat only got by due to Hanekoma’s intervention in order to make him a wild card later on). But because they have high Imagination, Hanekoma is fine with such a low survival rate for the others. If someone only cares about supporting the already "gifted", then it makes sense that Hanekoma would only focus on a model that promotes Imagination gain and self-reflection for those he deems worthy, i.e. already have good Imagination.

That’s not even getting into how the nature of psychs and pins already predisposes low Imagination people to be weeded out in the original game. And of course, there’s also this Report from the original to consider.

"So, what happens to those who survive the week? Those whose Imagination is less than outstanding are broken down into Soul, while those with excellent Imagination become Reapers. The most talented of these may travel to the next plane, inhabited by Us Angels."

Remember Sota and Nao? By Hanekoma’s and the Shibuya Game’s logic, those two deserved to be absorbed into Soul by account of them not being able to survive but it’s because how the Game operates, that’s just how it has to be, even though the circumstances were out of their control and they are shown to be genuinely good people. From Hanekoma's view, he sees the act of facilitating Imagination as the means to progress evolution; a way to improve the health of world's laws. And why wouldn't he, right? By focusing on Imagination, you are promoting people to think better, to build self-awareness, to grow and change into better people; to reflect. Hanekoma finds this to be ideal, but maybe doesn't consider the vast ways with which people could achieve high Imagination. Hanekoma essentially viewed the lack of focus on Imagination specifically in the Shinjuku Games as precluding the capacity to grow and change, but failed to account for ways in which the team system could allow for growth and self-reflection in other ways even without an entry fee, and arguably more so because of it. The great thing about Hanekoma as a character is that while he has good intentions, he still falls under the Higher Plane mentality of "the ends justify the means" and this leads to a heavily biased perspective from his end. Just take a look these excerpts from the original game’s secret reports:

"My art is widely accepted in Shibuya."

"This proves that those with Imaginations sufficient to create the future are gathering in the area. Shibuya's future is looking very bright."

"I imbue my art with two command codes. The first is "Enjoy the moment more". This strengthens the Imagination. The proxy received this signal loud and clear, though past trauma precluded him from responding accordingly."

"The second code, "Gather", calls to those with strong Imaginations. Hence the inevitability: why wouldn't the Composer find his worthy proxy standing in front of my graffiti?"

When you break it down, he’s essentially saying "My art is so good that it is propelling Shibuya into a better future. Just ignore how I implant my own codes within it to specifically cultivate Imagination." Sounds just a bit egotistical, doesn’t it?

Shibuya is a hub of youth culture and is where new trends are born. Of course the UG of it would value individuality and creativity -> influencing others through art and passion. Shinjuku is both a business district but also has a very expansive night culture. It’s considered "adult" in comparison so of course the UG would value having to work with many, many different kinds of people -> being able to navigate and work with people to your advantage. This also helps to explain why the concept of entry fees aren’t a thing because the team set-up is the challenge in and of itself. Obviously Shiba’s version of the game is an anomaly so huge teams like that probably wouldn’t exist in a "normal" version of the game.

But being a leader in and of itself puts that individual in the best position to ascend and gain power within the UG, but then the leader is burdened with being in charge of the individuals under them. Meaning they have to learn to balance the two and work with their team. Likewise, just joining a team means you end up at the mercy of just following along with what your leader says, meaning without the ability to actually challenge or discuss things openly, you will also fail as an individual within that team.

Let’s compare Fuya and Kanon’s teams for this example: Fuya is explicitly noted to have a high Imagination but that didn’t stop him or his team from repeatedly coming into second-to-last place and the mental breakdown he’s currently having while Kanon doesn’t have a whole lot yet she has her head on her shoulders and the social skills needed to be an effective leader, hence why she and her team are able to survive relatively comfortably in the middle. Just having high Imagination or high qualities won’t be enough on its own if you’re unable to work together and balance out your respective strengths The Wicked Twisters end up being the best example of this ideal since they’re able to work together and clash thoughtfully as a team and support one another in times of needs, with the final day in particular running entirely on this concept. If just a single piece was out of place, the entire thing would’ve fallen apart.

Ultimately, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them.

Then we must compare how the respective Games are operated. The Shibuya Reaper missions (other than the one assigned by Kitaniji) tended to be pretty simple: go here, defeat Noise, etc. The other stuff such as the need to fix 777’s lighting seemed less about intentionally giving a mission and more incidental. They additionally have harrier Reapers, who more or less fit as the game’s RNG element with their job being to actively hunt down Players like animals. With this and giving the Players simple missions with little structure to go on but letting them have to figure out any resultant complications, the Shibuya Game is a lot more chaotic. By contrast, the Shinjuku Reapers are a lot more involved and administrative, which is fitting considering their business aesthetic. You have them being around to answer questions (unless you’re Shoka but she’s had to do this repeating structure for ages without a shake-up of things so it makes sense that she would be sick of it), preventing unfair interference, providing help, and generally ‘administering’ the missions. You have ordered events like the Scramble Slams, with the commentator actively, well, commentating, more involved missions like decals being set up ahead of time, spot-the-difference missions, a pig treasure hunt, etc…

Of course, there are certainly chaotic elements as well (bribing Reapers for more points, having to act on the whims of the Game Masters, teams forming alliances with one another, etc) but for the most part, it’s a much more controlled structure and it really fits in well when you consider the individuality vs sociality mindset of Shibuya and Shinjuku respectively and shows why Hanekoma, an Angel infatuated with Shibuya, would look down on the Shinjuku games in comparison. In his mind, Shibuya’s more emergent mechanics and interactions allow for more Imagination to be cultivated and to him, Imagination is the sole important thing to focus on. But Rindo’s growth disproves that mentality quite a bit and shows that, like many things, there’s room for compromise between both sides. It may also reflect the devs' changing opinions as culture has changed. In 2007 Nomura and company may have focused more on individual talent under the idea of the spirited sole artist, but by 2018, they realized that leadership and followership, and the ability to work in teams, also really fucking matters. Individuality is still important at the end of the day, hence why Rindo needed to get his shit together and not just become a follower like he was before in order to achieve better things for himself and others, but accepting and learning to balance different viewpoints in order to achieve a desired solution is also extremely important.

At the end of the day, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them and even Hanekoma himself seems to realize this when he praises Rindo’s ultimate decision and the courage he had to have to make that choice and sincerely hopes to meet him someday.

Ultimately, Rindo’s growth is a response to OG TWEWY in that you don’t need high Imagination or some other equivalent to be able to enact change and that there are other methods to do so, especially if you use your own unique strengths for them. And even Hanekoma himself seems to realize this when he praises Rindo for this courage he had to make his final decision and that he sincerely hopes to meet him someday.