#i read requiem and made like a mental plan in my head of what their home looks like and have not been able to fix it since

[umblrspectrum]

infinitely funnier visuals in my head, likely because they werent subject to my actual skill level in art

[idkiwillfindone]

Post Sky High part 1

Sumary:

Giorno, Guido, Ungalo and Prada finally reached the little girl's house but there are bad news waiting for them

TW:

Implied child abuse

This is a part two of Post Bohemian Rhapsody

————————————————————

Prada didn’t liked when strangers spoken to her, especially if they didn’t had the courtesy that she deserved, so, naturally, she was really annoyed when a weird man screamed at her for reading too loud, and on top on that the guy even took her book whitot asking. She stayed silent for the rest of flight swearing that she would make him pay for his impudence. But then when they arrived to Key West and she looked over him she realized that the man fell asleep while reading, how could someone find Peter Pan’s story so boring to fall asleep? To her the story seemed so fun and interesting, did this guy just hated fairytales in general? No that was impossible, she loved fairytales, each one of them created new worlds, experiences and memories, she just couldn't imagine someone who hated all fairytales, that guy had to have a favorite story and she was determined to find out which one.

Giorno checked on the rearview mirror of the car, the two guest had fallen asleep hours ago probably tired out by the flight. Guido was next to him peacefully driving, fortunately he hadn’t realized yet that there where four people in the car, their destination was Orlando, the city where Prada lived whit her parents, Giorno didn’t really believed the little girl when she said that the man, during the road trip he learned that his name was Ungalo, was her babysitter and he had reasons to believe that she was actually trying to run away from home, once they would got to her house he would have judged if her parents were worthy of raising a kid, but he played along whit her just to have an excuse to keep the man close. He hadn’t told Guido yet but from the moment he stepped in the airport Giorno felt a weird connection whit him and he was pretty sure that the man was able to see GER, he wanted to know who this Ungalo really was and then decide what to do whit him. “Giogio!” His boyfriend’s brought him back in the present as Giorno saw out of the car Prada’s home... or what was left of it, the whole block of houses was destroyed, the scene was full of policemans and ambulances, it seemed to be in a post apocalyptic film, “what the hell” Giorno muttered, “ugh- what’s going on, are we arrived yet?” he heard from behind his seat, looking again in the rearview mirror he saw Prada and Ungalo stretching out after their long nap, “what the fuck happened here?” Said Ungalo after taking a better look at the outside of the car, “oh god, Giorno” Guido started “it’s because of the four, we are four! How did i not noticed before!” Well there he goes “what is this guy talking about?” Asked Ungalo confused “it’s a long story” Giorno simply replied “listen we’re going to find Prada’s parents, you stay in car sir” the blonde got out of the car whit his partner and the little girl “remember running away is useless” he added before ultimately approaching the rubble.

“Excuse me mister officer” Giorno said to one of the policeman that were scanning the area “can i ask what happened here?” The cop took a deep breath before answering “I’m sure you’re aware of that strange phenomenon that involved the whole world just a bunch of hours ago” “the fictional characters that came to life?” “Yes, Superman came to life in this block and fought whit one of his enemy, leaving twelve injureds and thirtyfive dead” Giorno and Guido shared a worried look aware of what this could mean, “sir we were looking for this little girl parents, she told us that they lived in this zone” the cop crouch down to Prada’s level “hey little miss, can you point me your house?” Prada smiled pleased by respect that the cop was showing her, then she pointed to one of the many pile of rubble, the policeman got up whit sad look on his face he slowly shook his head before returning to his work, The two men looked at each other again, they both silently agreed to let Guido handle the situation with Prada, he was pretty good whit kids after all, “hey little one are you ok?” He gently asked “i don’t have any other relatives that can take care of me” she mumbled “does this mean that I can spend more time whit you two?” Prada continued whit more energy “of course honey, we’ll be by your side through this this difficult time” “sweet! You guys are a lot cooler than my parents, i mean he look like Rapunzel and you have a gun” Prada immediately responded happier than ever “sure, but you don’t have to bottle up your feelings, you can cry if you feel like it” Guido tried again “nah i’m fine, oh! What’s our next stop? A library? McDonald’s? Disneyland? Can we go to Disneyland? I always wanted to visit it” “sure but-” “yey let’s go” the little girl happily ran back to the car excited for what was waiting her for the rest of week “well she got over that quickly” commented Giorno not less surprised than Guido “so... what now?” His boyfriend asked scratching the back of his head “we go to Disneyland, again” the blonde calmly replied “and if Prada really doesn’t has no one that can take care of her we will bring her and her babysitter back in Italy with us” he added as he started to walk to the car “that seams like a plan” concurred Guido.

When the two of them reached the car the first thing that they noticed was that , besides Prada, the vehicle was empty, when Giorno asked her where Ungalo was she simply responded “i don’t know” the blonde scanned the crowd until he found a familiar purple beanie trying to get away from them, Giorno sighed as he summed Gold Experiences Requiem and returns Ungalo’s actions back to zero “what did I tell you about trying to run away?” Giorno asked whit the same tone a father who’s calmly scolds his son would use “oh come on what do you want from me? I heard what that cop said, the brat’s parents are dead, they can’t lecture me for neglecting a task that they didn’t gave me” Ungalo protested “since Guido and i decided to take Prada’s custody we will need you and all the instructions that her parents gave you” That wasn’t one of Giorno’s most brilliant lie but for the moment it would have work “I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT KID IS! god! you are just insufferable as my...” Ungalo stopped as the realization of how to escape from this situation came to him “my stupid brothers!” He exclaimed whit new energy “they know that i would never babysit a child because they’re just useless little parasites” now that striked Giorno interest “you have brothers?” “Yea! They’re two, last I saw them they were in an hospital with...” He hesitated again, this time all the joyful mood he had gained disappeared as he remembered about the other man in the hospital, he had fucked up way too many time as kid for forgetting what could happen if he disappointed a person older or stronger than him “Ungalo?” The blonde called “is everything ok?” His voice sounded genuinely worried which just made Ungalo more pissed whit him, this guy had no right to interrupt his depressing childhood memories “yea yea” he quickly dismissed him, Giorno nodded to his response but mentally took note of his behavior “as i was saying” Ungalo restarted “last time I saw them they where in a hospital whit a plan to get rid of a bitch called Jolyne and her friends” “hey Giorno’s great niece is named Jolyne too” interrupted Guido “what weird coincidence” “yep weird, unlike the fact that i don’t give a fuck about Giorno’s family tree” Ungalo remarked in a monotone-passive aggressive tone, the gunslinger decided to keep quiet for the rest of the other man explanation “the closest to our position now should be Rykiel” he lied “alright then, let’s go to find this Rykiel” the blonde respond hopping that this other brother would be more collaborative, “let’s find him quickly” Guido added “we are still four Giorno, we cannot take a risk like this anymore”.

So their next stop was decided and thanks to Ungalo and Rykiel’s family connections it was easy to track the other brother position. Unfortunately for the little girl their trip to Disneyland was delayed. She quietly sat in the backseat looking at the landscape go by, “hey, uh, Prada?” Called Guido from the passenger seat earning her attention, he wanted to do a last tentative to get her to talk about her parents, she had just lost her family the kid had to show some reaction “are you sure that everything is alright? You know, about your parents” “I’m ok, especially cause this means that I don’t have to see my therapist anymore” she responded happily, once again Guido didn’t expected this answer “a therapist?” “Yes, he said that I had to see him twice a week” she promptly explained “he always makes me do all this boring things like speaking about my feelings, talking about the other’s feelings and some more stupid stuff” “sounds like hell” Ungalo commented mostly to himself than anybody in the car “exactly! And everything because one of my teachers snitched on me after i pushed her down the stairs” the car fell silent after Prada’s words said so casually, the three man needed to elaborate them “y-you pushed down the stairs your teacher?” Normally Giorno hated repeat a phrase, it didn’t matter if it was one of his own or someone else’s, but in that moment he really couldn’t find anything else to say “and a girl on a wheelchair” the kid proudly added “the jury gave her the ballet trophy that i wanted” “so let me get this straight” interjected Ungalo “you physically attack two persons” Prada turned over him with an annoyed face, she had this conversation thousands times and it always went the same “yes” she angrily muttered “whitot verbally attacking them first?” Now her expression was a total surprise one, that was definitely new “yes?” The man let out a loud sigh of frustration “goddamit children are so dumb, you cannot physically attack someone right out of the blue like that, you need to make sure that whoever you’re attacking is afraid of you” “Ungalo I don’t think this something you should teach her” intervened Giorno, his normally calm voice betrayed a worry tone, But apparently Prada didn’t agreed whit him “no no why? I want to know how to make people afraid of me” then she turned towars Ungalo whit sparkly eyes “please theach me” “it’s not that hard kid” The man began whitot any trace of hesitation “you just need to find your victims weaknesses, there’s anything that’s making that teacher you attacked vulnerable?” “She was kinda sad for her divorce” “there! That’s something you could have use” Prada stayed quiet listening in awe as the man kept talking, she didn't even remotely expect that this Ungalo would actually be so cool, but it was nice surprise, meanwhile Giorno and Guido sat whit their eyes whide opened while they listened to a twentythree years old man teaching a ten years old how to verbally abuse the people around her, Giorno, Giorno, Giorno! the blonde heard his boyfriend call through his stand yes Guido he responded already knowing what he wanted to say when we’re going to return in Italy we’re going to find a good therapist he stopped only to hear that Ungalo was still going on whit his disturbing explanation for both

————————————————————

I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry

I really wanted to include Rykiel in this chapter here, but it was becoming too long and i’m and the school is draining me from every energy, i swear that he is going to be the first character to appear in the second part. Also I’m sorry if in some parts the story is rushed but has i said school etc

[purplesurveys]

1232

Did you make any money today?  Not today, because it’s a weekend.

What was the highest place you've ever jumped from?  I’m not too sure, actually. I tend to be cautious when it comes to jumping just because I always have this fear at the back of my head that I could possibly snap my legs in half upon landing lol.

Have you ever gone swimming in a river?  I don’t think I have.

Is there something you really want to buy at the moment?  I want a jumbo RJ doll but it’s quite expensive and not one of my priorities at the moment. 

Would you ever consider culinary school?  I want to learn how to cook but not passionate enough about it to enroll in culinary school altogether, so no.

What was the last souvenir someone got you?  It’s been a while since anyone went anywhere...

Do you have a favorite remix of a song?  I’ve never enjoyed remixes and just stick to original versions of songs. The one remix I’ll give a pass to is BTS’ Mic Drop with Steve Aoki just because that one includes a dance break that sounds really nice and gets me all hyped up.

Has the power gone out recently?  Yeah, like two weeks ago. I was working from home then so it had been a huge bother, but fortunately I had been charging my devices all day and also had enough data on my phone so I was able to continue.

Do you like driving at night?  It’s ok and actually pretty relaxing if it’s LATE late at night and there’s barely any cars. Driving in the evening during rush hour, on the other hand, is just fucking stressful.

What do you think is the most saddest sounding instrument?  Depending on how it’s played, probably the piano or violin.

Do you really pay attention to the ratings on movies?  Yes. It’s a pretty influential factor.

Have you ever snuck in to a theater/dance/bar etc?  No.

If given the chance, would you go to Ireland?  I mean, it’s not really on top of my bucket list but for the sake of travelling and experiencing a different place and culture I definitely would go to Ireland.

Are you afraid of standing on the edge of hills/skyscrapers/cliffs etc?  I am scared but whenever I’m given the chance to do this I kind of scrap that fear first and live in the moment.

Do you have a favorite species of wild cat (tiger/lion/cougar etc)?  No.

Do you have an absolute favorite name (boy or girl)? Alessandra, 120%. It is so beautiful-sounding, plus I love that you can use "Alessa" as a nickname. My Silent Hill obsession is quite thrilled by that, ha ha. < I love that name too, now that I think about it. For now, I think Olivia still tops my list.

Are you good at pronouncing foreign words?  My English is alright.

When listening to music, do you usually tap your foot etc to the beat?  I tap my fingers more than my foot.

Have you ever literally cried on a friend's shoulder?  Yeah but they were also my significant other then, so I dunno if that counts. I’m not super into physical touch so this isn’t something I’d do towards a friend, no matter how close we are.

Would you ever consider being a DJ at a party if you were paid?  Nah, I would suck.

Do strapless bras work for you?  No, my boobs are too small. 

Has anyone told you that they wanted to marry you/were planning on it/etc?  No.

Do you feel comfortable enough to wear short shorts?  Yeah, I just never really have the opportunity to wear them.

Have a favorite actor/actress from Old Hollywood? (Marilyn Munroe, etc) AUDREY HEPBURNNNNNNNNNN

What's your opinion on people who stretch their ears?  They can do whatever they want lol. I’m personally not a fan of the look but that’s my own problem to deal with.

Do you think tattoos are expressive art or unattractive?  Expressive.

What is your school mascot?  None of the schools I attended have one.

Have you ever seen a bear in the wild? I have never seen a bear.

What's the book you're currently reading?  Not reading anything at the moment.

Can you recall the most disturbing movie you've ever seen?  Eraserhead. Requiem For A Dream is also stressful to watch, even on your 2nd or 45th rewatch.

Has anyone you know gotten mono?  Possibly, but I can’t place names at the moment.

Have you ever picked an apple off the tree and eaten it?  No. Aside from the fact that I don’t eat fruits, apple trees aren’t native here so I’ve never actually seen one.

Can you say yes/no in different languages?  Oo/hindi, ne/ani.

Out of the traditional superheroes, which one is your favorite?  I don’t like superheroes.

Ever peed in your pants after the age of 10?  Not in my pants but my bed, but fortunately it just happened once.

Had any surgeries? What kind?  I have not.

Ever told your parents you hated them?  I had it written down on my journal when I was going through those rebellious puberty years, but it was only directed towards my mom because that had also been the peak of her emotionally/mentally abusive days. It’s funny because she snooped through my stuff then and saw the entry and ended up crying...and I didn’t even feel bad about it because 1) I meant what I wrote, and 2) she literally went through my shit. I still don’t feel bad about it.

Do you let your pets on your furniture?  Yes they can get on the couch and my bed.

How do you feel about kettle cooked chips?  I don’t really have an opinion lmao. If they are chips then they are going in my mouth.

How strong do you like your coffee?  I like milky/creamy coffee best tbh. When it comes to how strong they are I don’t have a preference.

Would you rather see someone of the opposite sex naked or nicely dressed?  Idk.

Would you ever consider visiting Texas?  I have relatives based in San Antonio and we’re pretty close to that side of the family, so yeah. 

If you could make a movie, what would it be about?  I’ve never been one for creative writing.

If you were kicked out of your current residence whom would you call?  My grandma or one of my aunts.

Do you want a boyfriend or girlfriend?  Not at this point in my life.

Do you prefer broccoli or asparagus?  Oooooohh I love both!

Was the last person you kissed attractive?  Objectively yes, but I no longer feel the attraction I once held for her.

Are you racist at all?  No.

Do you read creepypasta? If not, you should.  No thanks.

Have you ever vandalized?  Yeah some desks when I was in grade school.

Would you ever scuba dive in shark-infested waters if you had the chance? Most likely not. And by the way, they do not "infest" waters. That's their home. I hate that phrase so much. < This is a good point and I’d like to keep it here. Anywho, yeah I’m willing to do this but as far as I know they keep you in a cage when you go down in the water. I’d only do it if this was guaranteed lol.

Have you ever been drunk at work?  Hungover, yes. Drunk while at work, hell no.

Have you ever hit a parked car with your car?  No. My mom has done this with my parked car though -____- She had been backing up and I kept honking as she inched closer to my car, but she heeded me no mind until she finally hit me.

Have you ever slept on the floor with someone you like?  We probably had but I don’t remember the details anymore.

Which do you prefer: french toast, bagels, or cereal?  Bagels.

Do you prefer light or dark haired?  Dark.

Have you ever read any of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books?  Yes, I liked reading those in like grade school and high school.

Would you be prepared to do a job that you didn’t like, if it paid well?  I haven’t been placed in that situation yet, so I’m not actually sure how I would handle it. Depends on how much the money is, I guess.

Do you think age is needed for maturity?  No.

Do you believe the future is predetermined?  I don’t think so.

What words are most comforting to you?  Words of reassurance, like, “I’m just here,” “You don’t have to apologize.”

How important is money to you?  It is generally pretty important to me and I’m usually good at saving...I’ve just hit a road bump the last few months because getting into K-Pop means wanting to get something out of every new merch drop hahahaha. I went alarmingly crazy from April to June, but I made a vow to calm down starting this July; and so far, aside from pre-ordering the new Memories of 2020 DVD and buying some merch from the pop-up store, I haven’t bought anything else.

Is there anything you want to last forever?  Cold weather in the Philippines.

List three of your passions:  Writing, food, and museums.

How old do you want to live to? Just because I’m competitive even until age, I want to make it to 100 lmao.

What kind of love do you value the most?  Very comfortable platonic love. I highly value friendships where I can pretty much treat them like an SO hahaha.

If you could control one element, what would it be?  I don’t care.

Do you prefer foxes or wolves?  No preferences.

Could you ever deliver a baby?  OMG no I would be terrible and would for sure bring more harm than good to the mother.

Do you think suits are sexy?  Uh yeah.

Ever been called babe?  Yeah.

How old is your youngest sibling?  18.

Who in your phone has a heart after their name?  Angela.

Favorite boy’s name?  I guess I have several preferences, but I dunno if I have favorite boy’s names. I like the sounds of Lucas, Jacob, Liam, and Mason.

Are your parents together, separated, divorced, never married, what?  Married.

Do you go online every day?  For sure.

What is the best quality in the last guy you kissed?  I’ve never kissed a guy.

What do you usually do during a kiss? Depends on how passionate it is? < Yeah.

Do you have an older brother?  Technically no, but I have a cousin that I pretty much see as one.

You’re offered free tickets to a Justin Bieber concert. What do you do?  I love Biebs, but I would probably sell them. Some extra money is always good hahaha.

What’s the genre of the current song you’re listening to?  K-Pop, R&B.

Would you ever keep your favorite animal as a pet?  Yeah, I already have two of them.

Would you ever sell your soul?  Erm, I guess not.

[ghostmartyr]

How do you think the story Will end? I read comments from Reddit and other sources that some fans want Eren to succeed to destroy the rest of the world ( if that's his actual goal), but I wonder. Would that contradict the themes of the story and send a very bad message considering the WW2 parallels.

It is quite the conundrum.

I don’t think you can unring this bell.

The manga has made it very apparent that genocide is bad.

The manga has made it very apparent that genocide is not a deterrent to more genocide.

Paradis being the last island standing, bringing the story back to these humans being the only ones left alive, carries no promise of a better world. All it means is that this is the group that had the biggest stick last.

The story can go for that, if that’s what it wants, but calling that a downer is being soft. It would be retaining the status quo in a series where the protagonists are consistently the ones who disrupt the status quo and its complacency. It continues the cycle of human beings growing accustomed to their evils until enough people are upset enough that they try to fight those evils –

Only in a world that has already made it clear that those people lose. Its thesis would become, yes, there are always people who will rise up and fight oppression. They’re just as powerless against it as the people who got used to it.

You can technically do that, but spending over a decade explaining that inaction and action are both pointless against the written-in-stone fate of humanity being awful is, uh. Dumb? Of course they couldn’t win, the author said they couldn’t? That’s not a story, that’s someone beating up their OCs for giggles and entrenched emo feelings.

Which. Valid, if you want to do that. I guess. But tricking me into being in the room for it seems rude.

More importantly, that’s just not what the story has ever been about. It has always been about the opposite of what all that just described. And how to change the world, you need to actually change things, and not just commit genocide until an outcome you find livable crops up.

So with the starting point of genocide being bad, the manga very loudly shouting how genocide is bad and will continue even after Eren, the protagonist, commits a genocide, where are we?

Stopping Eren.

Okay, cool.

Ignoring how for right now, what then?

The rest of the world just forgets how this power exists, and before Eren started using it they all voted the island off the island? After a hundred years of hating Paradis for no reason, they change their views now that they’ve been presented with an active reason? After a hundred years of persecuting Eldians in the name of a dead empire, they start being nicer to them after an Eldian tries his damnedest to create a new one?

Because what, nice Eldians exist? It was all the fault of the big bad Eren that gigantic man-eating monsters tried to destroy the world? This will have no influence over our racial prejudices whatsoever because we all know that Eren was just being a dick?

Probably not.

What else we got?

Well, we have Eren.

Who is either having the world’s most dramatic meltdown, or has a plan.

Considering he’s the one with the turn on the reality-bending superpowers right now, let’s say he has a plan, and we’re not going to reduce the plot magic to end all plot magic to a bunch of giants stomping things. Plus a decent radio.

So we have our protagonist with plot magic.

Which someone certainly needs in order to make any of this work out, because in other news, our protagonist has fucked everything up so badly that no one else can fix it at this point.

Isayama has taken too realistic a view of how people are capable of being complete bastards for this to end with Eren’s villainy uniting the world. It’s not united. It’s more angry and afraid than ever, save for the old island people Eren hated shrugging and going about their new daily life.

Again we find ourselves turning to magic for a solution.

We just honestly don’t have anything else.

So, since Code Geass is too blindingly, appallingly whatever the hell it is to be the option anymore, we turn to Eren going full Madoka.

Note how the Zero Requiem option at least had the decency of sort of explaining what the hell Eren thinks he’s doing. The Madoka option sort of shrugs aimlessly at the camera and tells you to be happy it’s better now.

Then we get into wild theorizing, and as for me, I think that Eren is going to use Paths in some way to contact the original Thing that OG Ymir met, and then force the ability to turn into a titan on every single human being on the planet.

Cue magic radio powers and Eren telling them that they’re all cursed now, and isn’t this fun.

Then he just keeps everyone on the planet a titan for a few dozen years until he’s decided that they’ll all just be grateful to be sentient when he turns them back, and that should put an end to Paradis being in so much danger.

What I’m getting at is that I have no fucking clue what’s going to happen.

Here’s what I have as the relevant canon facts to Eren’s Super Secret Plan:

He’s doing everything he can to piss everyone off, including people like Zeke, who nearly ended up getting what he wanted because Eren is so fucking bad at this.

He left Floch in charge.

To review, “everything” includes Floch, and “everyone” includes the entire world.

Literally no one is happy with him except the people voted most likely to commit the next genocide, and the one true thing Eren has said recently is that he’s putting an end to that fuckery.

He’s doing a very bad job.

-hands him his gold star-

Who knows what he’s doing but he’s inarguably trying very hard to do whatever it is.

With occasional crying over it.

Someone in his memories has contact with the little refugee boy.

Someone in his memories remembers a scene with Historia that we have not seen.

To summarize a little better, Eren is doing everything he can to infuriate everyone, and he has two unexplained memory shards in the unbiased narrative portrayal of his mental interior.

I would argue that the moment with the little kid is unexplained because it’s a central moment, and the only time we see Eren specifically around the kid, it’s at the party.

Patch together whatever you can from that information.

He has the power of a god, and so far he’s using it to having a bunch of toys stomp the ground loudly and threateningly while he makes everyone who ever cared for him furious and hurt and throws everyone who hadn’t heard of him before Paths Radio into some form of extremism.

Even if you argue there’s a logic to it, his grand plan results in him getting his head shot off.

This train is not guided by logic, it’s guided by desperation, and that’s even less helpful as far as a reliable predictor of behavior.

...Getting back to the actual ask, I think the story will end brightly. Maybe the characters we love won’t be around to see it, but I honestly believe that we’re getting a thematically happy ending.

And I only inject “thematically” in there because I suspect people find my ceaseless optimism annoying when it’s left untempered.

This story is not as dark as its reputation and horrific moments would have you believe. It’s about tiny, weak humans trying to be better.

Eren might end this world, but if he does, I don’t see it happening without a renewal. An actual renewal, not just Floch giggling atop a castle because he’s king of the mountain.

Because this manga has one very plain take on genocide:

No.

The story can’t have a bleak ending without demolishing its themes.

I have no idea how it gets to any other kind of ending, but I’m betting on it.

Thanks for the ask.

[ai-da-ice]

[Live Door] Put Pressure to the Side! Sota Hanamura challenges the stage!

Da-iCE’s Sota Hanamura’s ultimate weapon is being a vocal with overwhelming singing skill. After succeeding at the group’s Budokan live, in the spring he will challenge starring in the stage play “Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem”. During his training lesson, he showed a smile, saying, “I am happy even to have painful experiences,” and shows no inclination to negative words. The harsh circumstances and heavy pressure turn into positive with the gentleness of his imagination. One by one, he responds to our questions with unexpected answers. What is going on inside the head of Hanamura-san?

The confidence of Shinsengumi Hijikata Toshizo is something they have in common!?

- The stage play originated from popular manga “Chiruran Shinsengumi” and is an action stage depicting the heroes of the strongest samurai group, the Shinsengumi, at the end of the Bakumatsu period. Expectations are high because Da -iCE ’s Sota Hanamura (role Hijikata Toshizo) and Toru Iwaoka (role Okita Souji) are starring together.

Because we did not know we’d be starring together, we were jumping around when we heard the news! (Laughs) Because there are many people who have performed in plays before surrounding us, there is more pressure to do our best so as not to drop the quality.

- I think that it will be a new challenge, completely different from your work as a vocalist, but have you prepared anything special to transition to the stage?

After having read the original work, I started investigating the person I was playing, such as why the original Hijikata Toshizo was the one who was called “the deputy head demon”

- Hijikata Toshizo in this stage is a hero who is growing through battle while aiming to be “the strongest” in Kyoto at the end of the Edo era.

Hijikata is confident at the beginning, fighting to believe that “I am strong” and “I am right”, and growing up with the surrounding encouragement, he becomes a really strong man. This story is about his growth.

- Is there any place you think that you are similar Hijikata Toshizo?

We’re similar! When I was 18 years old, I was convinced that “I can become the best singer in Japan in my teens” (laughs). But when I came out to Tokyo and attended lessons and started having lives with Da -iCE, I noticed, “I’m just one fish in a pond." Even now I’m confident, but unlike the old "overestimation”, I am planning to see my ability accurately. I think that growth is also a huge part of me

–I see. So, when do you think Hijikata is cool?

Aside from his swordsmanship, the place where he learns to trust himself to the end is cool, isn’t it? Because I think that it is very important that I believe in myself, apart from just good singing. I think that continuing to have confidence in anything is a talent.

- The stage lessons have begun, so how is trying out swordsmanship?

It is really hard. There are also a lot of scenes involving sword fighting, and I have only practiced the first half yet, but it is exhausting (laughs). Already … it feels like I’m about to die. Ha ha ha!

- You have a big smile but you must feel a little bitter (laughs).

Still, I’m a certain type. Rather than thinking “Wow, it’s not enough! I have to do it more!”, I would think “I have to know my limits”

- It seems tough to balance your practice with Da-iCE.

While practicing, I also had recording and choreography practice, but my abdominal muscle pain was so bad that it was hard to sing. I was trying to hold my breath, and it looked silly. Even when I tried to make my voice resonate, it was just “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”! (Laughs).

- Recording while in pain. It is not something you can easily experience.

It was a shock to me to witness how muscle soreness could make my singing less clear. But I was still content to do it.

- How positive! So what is the most enjoyable part of practice?

It is a lot of fun to interact with the performers, isn’t it? Even when you say the same line, it is slightly different each time. The response of your body and voice at that time will change depending on the line. I want to be able to express myself in various ways …. and every time I work, I feel the power of professionals. I think I surely grow each time during rehearsal and I have to take it to the highest point

- I am looking forward to it. What is it like starring together with Toru Iwaoka?

He is the kindest and the most innocent among my members. It’s easy to be with him because he understands me well. So practice is fun every time!

- It is encouraging that a member is nearby.

I think so, but I think that the pressure is also heavier. I am thankful to have someone like family with me, and since I can share anything including tough things with him, I really appreciate it.

Rather than dying without regrets, I want to regret dying!

- Although the word "pressure” has came out several times, do you easily feel pressure and tension?　

It is very easy to feel! When singing live, it’s hard to get into the feelings without being nervous, so I feel as if I can’t sing as well if I don’t have those feelings. When recording, I sing a different way than I do during lives, since I value the importance of ease of listening. So if I do not feeling any tension during the live, it’s too similar to the recording. So, I’d like to be a little nervous all the time during a live event.

- For Hanamura-san, pressure is not bad, it’s also a friend.

Well, of course feeling pressure isn’t easy. After all, it can be a painful thing. Of course, there are days when I am feeling too much pressure and and feel useless, and that imbalance makes me anxious. It comes down to whether I can turn it in a good direction, and make it fun for myself.

- I think that mental attitude is a very wonderful way of thinking.

I’m aware I have limited time, so I want to become a human being who can use it well.

- In the manga “Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem”, the emotions of a man are depicted beautifully, but what kind of image do you have about masculinity?

About the sense of being a man, it’s something I’ve thought of for a long time. It’s a bit embarrassing to say … (laughs). I think that there are many people who often say “I want to live a life with no regrets when I die,” but I would like to regret it when I die.

- Want to regret …?

I want to die thinking that “I want to live more” and “I wanted to do more” and “I wanted something better.” I want to live more. If you are satisfied, isn’t it a waste? If you think "Oh, alright,” then everything really ends there. I want to die with a desire and greed for living.

- That idea is interesting. When it comes to your work, are you usually satisfied, or do you reflect a lot after?

I will reflect a lot when I see my own videos. Perhaps I’ve seen the film of the Budokan live probably about 20 times. However, if I find five bad places, I try to to find ten good places. It is important to destroy those bad places, but it’s more important to improve upon the good places.

- Doing that, you analyze yourself well.

After all, you do not know until you see the whole picture. “If this song was good” then “Let’s increase it even more here” or “Let’s add more places to it like this”. If there is a place where I think “It was overkill here for a moment”, I should draw back a little..

Dreams are goals that you one day pass through …

- What character do you think you have– what kind of person are you?

I am confident and like myself. I like myself when I am singing, myself when I am dancing, and when I do something I like, I like shining brightly. So, basically, I think that the word confident is a match.

- It really overlaps with Hijikata Toshizo. When did you aim forbecoming a vocalist?

I began to like singing since I was little, but when I was about 15 years old, I started talking about it sincerely. For the first time I told everyone around me the words “I want to become a singer”.

- Were there any challenges?

When choosing my career in junior high school, it was so important to me that I didn’t want to study anything else.

- And in 2011, you joined Da -iCE at the age of 20 and had your major debut in 2014. In January of this year, you also had a one-man live at the Budokan. You are making dreams come true one after another.

When I was fifteen, the major debut was a dream, but when I debuted it became a passing point. Dreams change to goals, and the goal changes to a passing point. The same was the case with the Budokan, which used to be a dream before, so when I actually went to the Budokan, it did not feel like “My dream came true!” because it had become a goal I’d passed, and we were heading towards the next dream.

- Please tell me the next dream.

Someday I absolutely want to stand at the Tokyo Dome. That is a really big dream, because it took our sempai AAA over ten years, so I think that it will also take time to make it. And at the moment when I stand at the dome, if I can see that scene … I guess that I’ve made it an artist, right??

What do you think the next step would be after the dome?

I cannot imagine. That’s why I wanted to stand in that position I cannot imagine. What’s the next point up from the dome and what is left for the artist and what kind of ambition comes after? It is interesting, isn’t it? It would be fun to find out!

-The members of Da-iCE aim for such a dream together. For Hanamura-san, who are the members?

Well, I’m their business associate. …… putting it lightly, haha. (laughs). As I expected, they’ve become my family, and they feel like brothers now, don’t they? There are parts that you don’t want your brothers to interfere with, and there are parts that you want your brothers to understand. It is close to such a feeling. We absolutely can’t be separated!

I’m doing stand up comedy on radio programs by myself (laughs)

- I think you must be busy these day, but how do you spend the day off?

I do not go home at all, or I go to a dance lesson. I like dance lessons. I’m really into dancing now!

–Dance…? Da-iCE has been doing that since formation, but have you been particularly into it?

Yes Yes! When I am addicted, it is all consuming. Since all my senses are involved in it, when there is a lesson to go to, it’s better if I go to it. That’s why it’s so much fun. The thing that I want to do the most now is trying being a back up dancer to someone!

- Hanamura-san as a back-up dancer! (laughs).

No no no. If it’s impossible, I would be ashamed, but I want to do it (laughs). Of course songs are the best, but I’d like to try expressing myself with dance alone. I can express myself with songs, but I’d like to express “I feel like this now” just by dancing.

- Because you always sing, you must feel a strong motivation to try doing it

I agree. That’s why dance lessons relax me. I have no friends either.

- Now, we know that isn’t true … (laughs).

Out of all my friends, there is only one in Tokyo. I am lonely, recently. That’s why I have a feeling of needing to talk, watch comedy programs that I have recorded at home. I’m listening to a radio talk program while I’m on the move, and I keep making responses to it when I’m on my own (laughs).

- You’re being a stand up comedy man by yourself (laughs). Surprisingly, Hanamura-san’s lonely face is ….

I will go to movies by myself. I do not want to talk during the film. I am someone who understands the contents of the movie without needing to talk about it. I can understand the development, but when someone asks me “What was the meaning of that?” I will want to explain, during which the movie will proceed to the next scene ….

–(Laughs).

After all, going by yourself is comfortable (laugh).

- So, at the end …. finally, “One word to those who come to see the stage”, (laughs). Tell us your enthusiasm for the stage!

I am practicing now (* interview was done in early March), with the staff, director, performers and everyone, so that I can create the best stage together with them. I hope you will be satisfied if you come. I will make it “a time you will not regret”!