#junpei shibayama is a good character

[aph-japan]

@alpaca-clouds @alpaca-clouds @alpaca-clouds I asked you once and you blatantly ignored me, so I'm taking it to main because you clearly don't give a care to acknowledge I commented to you directly about this. This post will remain on my blog until you delete the gif.

REMOVE MY MEIKO GIF FROM YOUR ANTI POST. THANKS

My personal Digimon season ranking

Given August is Digimon month, I cannot help but do one of these. Because, oh boy. I have not made one of those in a long, long while.

Now, let me tell you one thing clear: I have been in the Digimon fandom since Adventure started airing 2000 in Germany. I still vividly remember getting into the show and what the first episodes I watched were. I have obsessed about this show for so long...

But I also have unpopular opinions when it comes to the seasons. So let me get to those.

And please note: I will not list Digimon Adventure: (2020), as I only watched the first 22 episodes and then just dropped it. But I will list Digimon Adventure tri., though it is not quite a season.

#1 Digimon Tamers

My number one Digimon season is and will probably always be Digimon Tamers. This show really has no right to be as good as it is. Like, holy shit. This show went so hard in so many regards.

It really is the only season of Digimon that has something like a proper pacing. With only a couple of episodes being actual filler, while most do progress either story or character arcs. And those character arcs are so fucking good.

When I was a kid, I got so hooked on Ruki, because she was just such a good female character. But by now I do appreciate them all. (Well, Ryou maybe less, but that is a story for another day. Because he is one of those examples where I also grew up on those games and I love game!Ryou...)

Also, the amount of amazing background characters is kinda hilarious. Like, background figures like Janyuu, Yamaki or Shibumi are so well written.

Not to mention: For a 2001 merchandise TV show with 51 episodes, the animation has no business being as good as it is. How is it, that this series still has better animation than some of the later series?!

So, yeah, all around great show. Love it. Will rewatch most certainly a couple more times.

#2 Digimon Universe Applimonsters

And while a lot of people will absolutely understand, why I put Tamers in first place, pretty much most people will not get, why I would put Appmon in second place. Because other than Tamers this has a ton of filler episodes.

But to me none of that really matters, based on the fact that I just love the freaking character writing in this show, all the references to computer history and also... The fact that this show is gay as fuck. I mean, holy fuck, the entire Haru/Yuujin thing? Yeah, it warms my little queer heart so much!

But other than that it is another series where I really just love all the characters a ton. Haru is probably the goggle boy I relate to most out of all of Digimon. But I also really loved the other characters in this series, including the Digimon partners and what not.

So, yeah, to me this is my second favorite Digimon show.

#3 Digimon Savers

Masaru in a way is the polar opposite character to Haru, isn't he? While Haru is this soft spoken, introverted guy, Masaru is just this pure hardcore masculinity! GAAAAR! So, while I do like him less as a character than I like Takato or Haru, I did enjoy the writing in this show quite a lot. There were a ton of personal stakes to the story, that the others seasons did not bring in as much as this show did. And that was something I really enjoyed.

And while it got ridiculous at times, I also liked how Masaru was a bit more involved in the battles by punching stuff. Though I kinda am sad that they did not go with that original concept where all the characters would've been able to punch stuff.

I also enjoyed that the characters were a bit older in this, though ironically my favorite characters from the season are Chika and Ikuto.

#4 Digimon Ghost Game

There might be some bias here based on the fact alone that it is the most recent season of the franchise. But even though it was basically 100% episodic, I did enjoy almost every one of those episodes. Basically the show is 100% vibes for me, but oh boy, do I love those vibes.

I find this season kinda weird in terms of how it kinda pushed for two Digimon/human ships, with Ruli/Angoramon clearly being coded into the text, while it is also fairly clear that Jellymon is romantically interested in Kiyo. I mean, there always were seasons where you could definitely go for Digimon/human ships....... but it was never like this. But then again: All power to the monster fuckers, right? xD

And yeah... Being a fan of the horror genre, I absolutely adored how many episodes were based around classical horror stories from all around the world. That was so freaking fun! :D

#5 Digimon Adventure 02

Okay, let me make one thing clear: Digimon Adventure 02 is not a good series. It is not. Knowing what I know about how chaotic it was behind the scenes, aka how chaotic and cursed this production was, this is also not a big surprise. I disliked the show for this for quite long. I mean, there is tons of filler and the animation is soooooo bad in soooo many episodes. I mean, there is a ton of fan animation that is better than this series. But...

It also is kinda charming.

See, the thing about this show is, that I kinda still do like how the characters develop over the show and how... positive a lot of it is. The characters are sweet with each other and even with their enemies. And a huge chunk of the show is also dedicated to the characters outright trying to rebuild the digital world.

Also, this show has Ken, who to this day is one of my favorite Digimon characters. So, fuck it. I actually still kinda like it.

#6 Digimon Frontier

Fun Fact: I grew up with the Japanese dub of Digimon, but Digimon Frontier is the one season, where I actually kinda liked the US Dub, just based on the US soundtrack for this show. I really kinda liked the vibe it had.

In a way I do feel that this show had in fact the strongest character designs out of all of Digimon. The characters just have the right level of detail. They do not look overdesigned, but also not too simple. I really digged that. And yes, as a kid I cosplayed Takuya a lot.

To me the series just mostly suffers when it comes to the pacing. Not because of the fillers really (I am fine with fillers, as long as the fillers are fun), but rather in terms of the Cherubimon-arc being sooooo long and everything happening after it feeling kind of like an afterthought.

But I still very much like the characters. I just wished they did not make Junpei a glutton. One fat character who isn't a glutton. Is that so much to ask?

#7 Digimon Xros Hunters

For anyone now going like: "But this is not even a series on its own!" I will kindly ask you: "Shut up, this is my list." Because those couple of episodes from Xros Wars that were clearly just meant to fill the timeslot for a couple more weeks, do have a very different vibes from the rest of the show.

Now, this also is basically just filler + then the crossover event. But... At times this was kinda sweet. I liked the vibes this show had at times and some of the characters were kinda likeable.

And I really liked the opening.

It was not good. Definitely wasn't. But there was stuff about it I liked.

#8 Digimon Adventure

Yeah, let's get to my most controversial Digimon opinion: I do not like Digimon Adventure a lot. I really don't. Some of the characters are fine, yes, but... I do not like a lot more of this show. Mostly because I fucking hate the crest system and how morally simplistic the show is, with the bad guys just all being bad guys with not much depth. Meanwhile most of the characters are horribly underwritten and have their entire character arcs rushed through within like two episodes.

And I just hate Yamato and how the show just tries to excuse all of his bullshit. There. I said it. I think he is a horrible character. A horrible brother. And a horrible friend. So, yeah, fuck him.

And Nishizono, the showrunner, had no plan where he was going when he started writing. Not entirely his fault, given that he inherited a production that two other writing teams already had abandoned. But maaaaaan, it shows.

#9 Digimon Xros Wars

What is there to say?

Digimon Xros Wars sucked. It sucked. And to this day I wonder what the drama behind the scenes was. We know there was drama (given the showrunner abandoned the production half-way through!) but details are sparse even ten years later.

But, yeah. Taiki is a fucking Gary Stu and the plot just shifts around him. The story is a whole mess. The female characters get sexualized to no end. Everyone who is not Taiki gets sidelined constantly. The animation is inconsistent. And what not.

And the really sad fact: The manga is so fucking good.

I am fairly certain that most issues are because of production drama. And one day I am gonna find out what that drama was.

#10 Digimon Adventure tri.

Digimon Adventure tri. is one of the things that by themselves are not good, but get really bad once you consider the universe it is set in. It is one of those things put into an existing canon without honoring the existing canon at all.

It just ignores basically everything happening in 02. The character developments from anything that has happened before. The 02 characters are just not there. The "original chosen children" exist and yet the OVA does not give them the attention they deserve. And Meiko is just... Oh boy. Meiko is just a horrible character for so many reasons.

It is just fucking sad that this exists. So fucking sad. Just why?!

Also, for OVAs the animation is so bad. Soooooo bad.

[ran-orimoto]

I wish you didn’t write about that China thing because I won’t accept it to be false now. I hate this. I needed a Junpei and Izumi spinoff just to know their families. Cool headcanons btw. I didn’t know half of the things in Junpei profiles. It tells so much this character is underrated.

I thank my Twitter Junpei/Junzumi fans crew if I’ve got to know about all of that stuff! So, credits go to all of them (@teclatete, @dailyjunzumi @odettebolahoi ).

Even if I don’t really care about it being true or not since I accept it in my own canon like Bible, I do think it derives from SOMEWHERE. But the fact is that we don’t know from where, that’s it. The mention of this fact is present on ton of chinese web pages about Junpei, videos about him too. My guess is that someone spread this rumor and people believed to it. Yet, the mention of the background lore (“the setting” in GT translation) is so weird, I don’t know. It makes me think someone might have posted something more specific somewhere else, but we’ll never know.

It’s also bizarre because sites like Tieba Encyclopedy do specify when something it’s a rumor. An example is an obscure Tamers drama where it was claimed Ruki divorced from Ryou and married Jen, but I know many other I spotted on tw.

I could also think about China wanting to give more space to Junpei’s past too…Maybe? But again, it wouldn’t make any sense since this fact isn’t mentioned in the show itself, -which is what it’s underlined in the articles-.

Anyway, who cares, I’ll just settle for spreading this trivia from China on Tumblr🤣.

(This is from Tieba Baidu).

At this point I would really like to post what we have learnt about Junpei from profiles and other official scans. I would really like to post one of these so badly, because I’d love showing you what Junpei’s first-sight crush on Izumi truly meant for him at the beginning.

[emmajh97-mumaji]

Literally ALL My Blorbos

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💕💗💝🥰

A comprehensive list of my favorite characters from my favorite media! (I keep this because it makes it easier to decide on what to draw lol)

[This post will probably be edited every so often, so make sure to go to the original and not any Reblogs for the most up-to-date version!]

[page break because LONG LIST IS LONG]

Ace Attorney: ○ Apollo Justice ○ Miles Edgeworth ○ Phoenix Wright ○ Simon Blackquill Animal Crossing: ○ Lily (Rainy) ○ Wilbur Avatar - The Legend of Korra: ○ Mako Barbie in The Nutcracker: ○ Captain Candy Ben 10: ○ Ben Tennyson Black★Rock Shooter: ○ Black Rock Shooter Bleach: ○ Ichigo Kurosaki Danganronpa: ○ Hajime Hinata ○ Kaito Momota ○ Kazuichi Soda ○ Kiyotaka Ishimaru Danny Phantom: ○ Danny Fenton DC Comics: ○ Shazam (Captain Marvel) ○ Aquaman Demon Slayer: ○ Kyojuro Rengokou Detroit: Become Human: ○ Connor (RK 800) Digimon: ○ J.P. (Shibayama Junpei) ○ Marcus Damon ○ Takato Matsuki ○ Takuya Kanbara Dragon Ball Z: ○ Trunks Briefs (Mirai Trunks) Frozen (Disney): ○ Elsa Final Fantasy: ○ Cloud Strife ○ Prompto Argentum ○ Black Mage [any generic one] ○ Zack Fair Five Nights at Freddy's: ○ Glamrock Freddy ○ Golden Freddy (Fredbear) ○ Toy Freddie [in huggable Gijinka Form] Generator Rex: ○ Rex Salazar ○ Six Genshin Impact: ○ Arataki Itto ○ Lisa Minci ○ Mona Megistus Hazbin Hotel: ○ Lucifer Morningstar ○ Angel Dust Henry Stickmin: ○ Charles Calvin Hetalia: ○ America (Alfred F. Jones) ICEY_ (X.D.Network): ○ ICEY Interstella 5555: ○ Shep ○ Octave ○ Manager (Music Producer Guy) Jarrett Williams' Comics: ○ Joe Somiano from Super Pro K.O. ○ Sensational Sike from Super Pro K.O. ○ Ace Estrada (Yellow Hype) from Hyper Force Neo ○ Neil Tran (Blue Hype) from Hyper Force Neo Kingdom Hearts: ○ Axel (Lea) ○ Meow Wow Kiznaiver: ○ Hajime Tenga Legend of Zelda (BotW/TotK): ○ Link ○ Sidon Mario (Nintendo): ○ Luigi Marvel: ○ Clea Strange ○ Doctor Strange (Stephen) ○ Spider Man (Peter Parker) Miyuli's Webcomics: ○ Oz from Morgana & Oz ○ The Bogeyman from Lost Nightmare My Hero Academia: ○ Izuku Midoriya (Deku) ○ Kirishima Eijirou (Red Riot) Mystery Skulls Animated: ○ Lewis Pepper the Skeleton Ghost Mystic Messenger: ○ Yoosung Kim No Straight Roads: ○ 1010 [Eloni, Rin, & Purl-Hew are all good] ○ Zuke Persona: ○ Ryuji Sakamoto Pokemon: ○ Ash Ketchum (Satoshi) ○ Cilan ○ Hugh ○ Milo ○ Pearl (Barry /Jun) ○ Deoxys ○ Mismagius Promare: ○ Galo Thymos Rise of the Guardians: ○ Jack Frost RWBY: ○ Neptune Vasilias ○ Qrow Branwen Sanrio: ○ Keroppi ○ TuxedoSam ○ Shunsuke Yoshino Seduce Me (The Otome): ○ Matthew (Zecaeru) SOMA: ○ Simon Jarrett Sonic the Hedgehog: ○ Gold the Tenrec ○ Mighty the Armadillo ○ Shard the Metal Sonic ○ Silver the Hedgehog Soul Eater: ○ Black Star The Book of Life: ○ Manolo Sanchez Tiger & Bunny: ○ Kotetsu T. Kaburagi Vampire Knight: ○ Zero Kiryu Voltron: Legendary Defender: ○ Shiro (Takashi Shirogane) Xenoblade Chronicles: ○ Shulk Yu-Gi-Oh: ○ Soulburner (Takeru Homura) ○ Yami Yugi (Atem) ○ Yusei Fudo ○ Stardust Dragon 2064: Read Only Memories: ○ Lexi Rivers ○ Turing

BONUS: Media I love, but don't have a blorbo from

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar (world of Pandora; James Cameron)

Atlantis (Disney)

Angry Birds

Dekoboko Sugar Days

Disney Princess Movies [i.e. The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty]

D.N.Angel

Epic (Blue Sky movie)

Epithet Erased

Full Metal Alchemist

Ghibli Movies [specifically Castle in the Sky & Kiki's Delivery Service]

Hamtaro

Hindu Mythology [Amar Chitra Katha comics]

How to Train Your Dragon movies

Kal Ho Naa Ho

Kung-Fu Panda movies

Land of the Lustrous

The Lego Movie (and 2)

Lisa Frank

Little Witch Academia

MLP: Friendship is Magic

Megamind

Molly Moon (book series)

Mune Guardian of the Moon

Paleoart (dinosaur documentaries & encyclopedias)

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt

Penguins of Madagascar

Pretty Cure (HeartCatch)

Pusheen

Sailor Moon

Scooby-Doo [What's New? and Mystery Inc.]

Scott Pilgrim

Starlight Brigade - TWRP

Steven Universe

TRON [1982, Legacy, and Uprising]

Tatsinda by Elizabeth Enright

The Avengers

TokiDoki

Tokyo Mew Mew

Treasure Planet

Undertale & Deltarune

Vocaloid / UTAUloids

[windfighter]

"Here, hold my hand."

The attack cut straight through Fairymon’s visor and Fairymon’s data shattered together with it. Izumi cried out in pain as she landed on the ground. Her face was wet and the wettness smelled like iron. Opening her eyes yielded only pain, but nothing to focus her eyes on, the world around her was black. She closed them again. Her breathing picked up, the battle still raged on around her. She needed to move, get out of the way and take cover somewhere. She sat up and froze. An attack rushed past her, she could feel the heat of it. Takuya or Junpei? Another attack landed on the ground right next to her and she let out a shriek.

”Izumi!” Blitzmon called for her.

She could hear him devolve despite the battle not being over yet. Was he down as well?

”Izumi, are you…” Junpei’s voice died out. Izumi could only guess that he had laid eyes on her.

”Junpei…” she tried looking towards him, but sounds echoed all around her and she couldn’t pinpoint him. ”I can’t….” Her breathing got faster, shallower. She couldn’t see.

”I know”, Junpei said. His voice was so soft, had it always been like that and she hadn’t noticed? ”I’ll get you to safety, okay?”

Something cold flew past them. Tomoki was still in battle as well. Izumi clenched her hands. Why was she always the one who got sidelined?

”Here”, Junpei continued, ”hold my hand.”

She assumed he offered her his hand, but she couldn’t tell where it was and she hesitated. She tried opening her eyes again, but it was still painful.

”Keep them closed”, Junpei told her. ”I’ll guide you. If… if you’re okay with it.”

She almost wanted to cry. She lifted one of her hands and tried to grab his. There was only air and she took a shaky breath. Junpei grabbed her hand. His hand was warm. Soft. He didn’t move and she gripped his hand hard.

”Are you okay with this? I know you don’t like me…”

Older boys only have one thing on their minds, her mother had told her. She didn’t dislike Junpei, but she knew what he wanted. Thought she knew what he wanted. Maybe she didn’t.

Another attack landed next to her and she let out a new shriek. Junpei pulled her to her feet, pulled her to his side, away from the attack. She should feel scared. But she felt protected. She stumbled, her head spun. Junpei put a hand on her back to steady her and she didn’t pull away.

”There’s a couple of rocks we can hide behind just a few meters to the left”, Junpei said. ”You just hold on and we’ll be there in a no time.”

The first step was terrifying. Junpei’s hand disappeared from her back and she only had his voice and the hand holding her own to follow.

”I know, this is scary”, Junpei said. ”The floor is getting steeper here, lift your feet a little higher.”

Izumi did. Probably a little too high and it probably looked stupid, but Junpei didn’t say anything about it and the others were locked in battle.

”You’re doing great, Izumi. There’s a hole here, to your right. We’ll navigate around it, just follow my voice. A little more to the left, okay?”

Someone crashed into a wall. Izumi turned instinctivly to see who it was, but Junpei pulled at her hand and regained her focus.

”I’ll tell you what’s going on when we’re safe. The ground is flat again, you don’t need to lift your feet quite as high any longer. Just another three meters, we’re almost there.”

Izumi swallowed. She was moving so slowly, despite the danger they were in. She tried moving faster but Junpei stopped her.

”Two more meters…. One… There’s four rocks kind of smushed together here, with space inbetween them. You’ll be safe there.”

He grabbed her other hand, put it against one of the rocks.

”You’ll have to duck under here or you’ll hit your head.”

She could feel him crouch and followed his lead. Her free hand was still against the rock, so she could tell how low she would need to keep her head. There was a small thud and Junpei let out an ”oof”.

”Are you okay?” Izumi asked.

”Don’t worry about me”, she could hear the smile in his voice. ”Just raised my head a little too soon, I’ll make sure you won’t hit yours.”

She moved another meter and then Junpei put a hand on her shoulder, making her stop. He let go of her hand and her chest got tighter, she couldn’t breathe.

”We’re here”, Junpei said. She wasn’t sure he noticed her panic. ”Do you want me to stay?”

She hesitated, her hands patted at the ground and the rocks and she found a place to sit where she could lean against the rock without her head being visible from the battlesite. Company would be nice, but…

”How are they doing?” she asked.

Junpei fell quiet. She heard Wolfmon scream in pain, heard another attack shatter rock.

”They’re… doing okay.”

She turned in his general direction, tried to convey through the way she tilted her head that she didn’t believe him for one bit.

”They… probably need you out there.”

It hurt to tell him to go, to rejoin the battle and leave her alone. It only hurts because I won’t have any idea of what’s going on. It wasn’t because his soft voice had kept her calm despite what was going on or because her hand already felt empty.

”If you need me here…” Junpei started. ”I mean, I know I’m not…. I know you’re not… Uh…”

Junpei’s shoes scraped against the ground as he stood up. Izumi wasn’t sure what had gone wrong. There was another attack. Another scream from Wolfmon. Izumi clenched her hands.

”They tried to attack Chakmon, Agnimon got inbetween and then Wolfmon jumped infront of the attack”, Junpei told her. His voice was less soft now, more distant. A new wall built up between the two of them. Izumi took a deep shaky breath.

”Go. Help them.”

She could hear him start to climb the rocks to get back out, to rejoin the battle.

”Make sure you come back for me, though”, she smiled in his general direction. ”Who else is going to hold my hand and guide me to safety?”

He was quiet, his shoes scraped against the rocks and she could hear his digivice beeping.

”I will”, he said and his voice was soft again. ”Spirit Evolution!”

Blitzmon flew away to join the battle and Izumi was alone. Alone, but for once she didn’t feel lonely.

[digitaldreams0801]

Frontiers Unexplored Playlist

Did you know that I made Frontiers Unexplored a playlist? Because I did. Link here. In this post, I'm going to be detailing where each song connects to the story, whether it be through an overall theme, an arc song, or a character theme. Note: not every character has a character song yet, so if you have ideas for any character song, feel free to drop suggestions. Even if a character already has a song, give me ideas. I want them. More below the cut.

Frontier Songs

Not all of these songs are on the playlist due to Spotify availability, but I'm listing them here anyways.

FIRE!! - Originally by Kouji Wada, Cover by aLf Studios on Playlist

With the Will - Originally by Kouji Wada, Cover by aLf Studios on Playlist

The Last Element - Ayumi Miyazaki, Not on Playlist

Innocent ~ Mujaki na Mama de - Kouji Wada, Not on Playlist

An Endless Tale - Kouji Wada and AiM, Not on Playlist

Story Themes

World For Us All - We.B and Caleb Hyles Cover

You Will Be Found - Voctave Cover

Change - Taylor Swift

Everything's Magic - Angels & Airwaves

Long Live - Taylor Swift

It Takes a Lot to Know a Man - Damien Rice

Centuries - Fall Out Boy

Cruel Angel's Thesis - AmaLee Cover

Lifelight - Ensemble Cover

No Boundaries - Kris Allen

Rapture - Ok Goodnight

Arc Themes

Act One: Worlds (1-11)

This Will Be The Day - Caleb Hyles Cover (Original by Casey Lee Williams is also here)

Rising - Casey Lee Williams

Act Two: Change (12-24)

Time to Say Goodbye - Casey Lee Williams

Sun - Sleeping At Last

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring

Think Again - Ok Goodnight

Let's Just Live - Casey Lee Williams

Act Three: Crumble (25-39)

Fear - Casey Lee Williams

Mars - Sleeping At Last

Awake - Ok Goodnight

Innocence - Nathan Wagner

Day and Night - Ok Goodnight

When It Falls - Casey Lee Williams

Act Four: Shadow (40-50)

Miracle - Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams

The Triumph - Casey Lee Williams

Until the End - Casey Lee Williams

Act Five: Apocalypse (51-55)

For Every Life - Casey Lee Williams

How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty

Character Themes

Takuya Kanbara, Warrior of Fire

Atlas - Coldplay

Koji Minamoto, Warrior of Light

Nothing yet

Tomoki Himi, Warrior of Ice

Nothing yet

Izumi Orimoto, Warrior of Wind

Free Fall - Ok Goodnight

Junpei Shibayama, Warrior of Thunder

Addled Eyes - Ok Goodnight

Koichi Kimura, Warrior of Darkness

Rebirth - Ok Goodnight

Chihiro Ayumu, Warrior of Earth

Unraveled - Ok Goodnight

Yumiko Mihara, Warrior of Wood

Nothing yet

Hinoka Sakatami, Warrior of Water

Nothing yet

Saki Fushida, Warrior of Steel

I'll Be Good - Jaymes Young

Mayumi Reiku, Warrior of Energy

Nothing yet

Haroi Tsurumaki, Warrior of Cosmos

Nothing yet

Duskmon, Warrior of Void (Corrupted Warrior of Darkness)

Open Up Your Eyes - Emily Blunt

Give me your song ideas. I want them. Also yes I'm editing FU right now thank you for asking. I love this story so much, and I would 100% appreciate song suggestions that fit the vibe of this story, especially character songs. Feel free to leave them in asks or in response to this post. I'd love to hear them.

[rockthistowninsideout]

DigiWeek 2021

Day 6 - Dream

What are your favourite’s favourites?

I’ve been looking at the Adventure universe in previous posts, and my original story is also heavily influenced by it and can be located there, respectively. So, for once, I want to focus on another favourite season of mine, Frontier.

There are two kinds of favourites in the Digimon franchise: the ones I’d like to be like and the ones who are like me. I wanted to be clever like Koushirou and Miyako, brave like Taichi, or pretty like Mimi and Izumi. But I was the mom friend who thought of everyone else first like Sora, and I was a fat* kid like Junpei. And just like him, I thought I could buy myself friends - which ties together with the mom friend thing, I guess.

Just like JP, I realized I couldn’t buy friendship or had to give myself up to please people. So I want to shine a light on this, for me, very important character.

(*Fat is a descriptor.) 

Junpei “JP” Shibayama

Favourite food

(Yes, I am starting this essay about a fat character with food!)

Before he met Izumi, that was a traditional Japanese dish, maybe Gyodon (beef on rice - very delicious!) or Oyakodon (I tried making that and have yet to master it - but also yummy!). While he was infatuated with her, every Italian dish was his favourite! Now that his crush has passed, he doesn’t religiously worship Italian cuisine anymore but a good homemade lasagna alla mamma (or alla Izumi) can still make him forget the rice. 

Favourite things to do/ Hobbies

If I remember correctly, in his time before the Digital World he used to be a conjuror to impress his peers. I’d say that he hasn’t completely given up on magic but he doesn’t use it anymore to make himself appealing. This, ironically, garners him genuine attention because people notice that he does it for his own pleasure and therefor with more heart’s blood than before. He might not be good at sports but he’s the star of the end-of-year school festival with his magic tricks (and jokes - most of them about himself without being self-deprecating. He performs under the name Maestro Garfield [yes, it’s about his love for lasagna; yes, I just made that up after adding the gif above].)

Favourite music

Junpei seems to be the kind of guy who took a long time to find his own taste in music, also owed to his previous attitude of people-pleasing. Whatever was popular among his peers, he was a fan of, too. With enough confidence, he finds his path away from mainstream (which doesn’t mean he’s ignorant about or despises it, though). And this path, I am not kidding, is opera. He starts looking into it when he first encounters Luciano Pavarotti who is fat but not made fun of and instead admired all around the world. Digging in deeper, he finds more big opera singers, both male and female, and finds comfort and confidence in this fact. And the music also slaps, he thinks.

Favourite movies

He enjoys superhero movies (yes, I’m talking about Marvel and DC movies here) because that’s what most of his friends like and that’s what they all can agree on for a movie night. But secretly, and he has no problem with it being a secret, he loves westerns, especially spaghetti westerns (this, though, has nothing to do with Izumi). For him it’s the aesthetics, especially the Django movies with Franco Nero (I mean, a tommy gun in a coffin!), and the black humour. As he gets older, he does recognize the flaws like the portrayal of Native Americans.

Favourite books

He’s not an avid reader but he loves comic books and stays a fan of them as he gets older. He’s not fixed on one genre, he reads at random. Superhero stories, Ducktales and Mickey Mouse, stories from independent publishers. You name it, Junpei has probably read it or at least heard of it.

[citrus-cactus]

10 (more) characters, 10 (more) fandoms

Heeey, thanks for tagging me @sanzoline​! I wrote one of these a few years ago, but there are always other characters and fandoms to talk about, so yeah, let’s do it!

Forgive me for not just listing them, I must ramble and post gifs and the like, so under the cut to be polite!

There are a couple of themes to my choices here, one being “characters who I think deserve more love,” and the other being that I (still) like big ensemble casts and it’s REALLY HARD to pick favorites sometimes, but I did my best!

Digimon Frontier: Soooooo… I DO really like the trio of Takuya, Kouji, and Kouichi, even through it a) sucks and b) is stupid that the writers decided they were the only ones that mattered in the second half of the series. But I’ve always thought Frontier was more likable for its potential rather than its execution on several matters anyway, and that is also going to inform what I’m about to say here as well. Guys, I really like Junpei Shibayama. This kid deserves more love.

Note that in no way do I condone everything JP does. But I think he has a really solid arc of growth and development, despite all of Frontier’s pacing and focus problems. He starts out deeply insecure (and with good reason! His social rejection at the hands of his classmates is utterly heartbreaking to watch when it comes up later) and more than a little pushy/entitled, with most (if not all) of his early behavior seeming to stem from his own misunderstandings of how to form meaningful bonds with people. But it’s something that he’s forced to confront as his time in the Digital World unfolds, and we start to see other sides of him emerge. He’s clever; funny; he has a big heart; a sense of justice; and a willingness to acknowledge many of his own failings, and even starts to address them. I like to think that he eventually becomes fully, genuinely respectful towards Izumi (though uh… every time a new piece of supporting Frontier media reveals he still has the same childish crush on her, I do kind of die a little bit inside...and I actually ship them together! Trust me, it’s. COMPLICATED.). But on the whole JP as a character has a lot of realized and unrealized potential, and while he’s not perfect, he’s still a great kid, inside and out. I’m rooting for ya, JP!

Appmon: OK, you’d think. YOU’D THINK that because I have a sideblog dedicated to him, Haru would be my favorite. But he’s not. And I actually love ALL of the kids, so you’d also think that this decision would be really difficult. But it’s not. My absolute favorite character in Appmon, and one of my favorite characters across all of Digimon(!!) is Yuujin Oozora.

(Side rant: I CAN'T BELIEVE I had to RECREATE THIS GIF from SCRATCH because Tumblr APPARENTLY FORGOT there are gifs of him out there, but I did that JUST for this SILLY POST. SUCH IS MY LOVE OF THIS BOY!!!!... but anyway, I digress.)

My love of Yuujin is meteoric. Yuujin is THE reason I both wanted to watch and stuck with Appmon, and his whole deal (including but not limited to subversion of the “guy who looks like the main character” trope) is still the most intriguing thing about the series, and why (to me), Appmon is such a standout season of Digimon. Plus his relationship with Offmon. And Offmon himself. And THEN when you factor in his relationship with Haru… that’s when I have to go lie down for a while. YUUUUUUJIIIIIIIN!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: One of my recent quarantine projects was to (finally!) watch the whole series, and since I can’t actually pick between any of the main four (Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles… er, well, no. Unlike JP, Xander’s “yikes” moments FAR outweigh his positive ones, so he’s out of the running. I *do* love Alyson Hannigan’s acting to death and will watch her in absolutely anything, BUT!!!!!), I’m going to pick someone who was NOT a part of the series from beginning to end because otherwise it's too hard!!! Ahem. While nothing in my mind can truly top Season 2, Season 5 comes really close, and a big part of that is Dawn. Controversial pick, but I’m going to go with Dawn Summers, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.

I LOVE how she was just Chibi-Usa’d into the plot-- and while yeah, she’s *technically* more of a plot device than a character (who, it seems, the writers had virtually NO idea what to do with after S5), I still like what she brings to the show, how effortlessly she fits into the story, and how she has unique relationships with ALL of the pre-established characters right from the get-go. Just… wow. REALLY good writing there. But Dawn: she’s the “bratty little sister,” she’s a young teen still trying to figure out her life, she just wants a normal life and opportunities to do Dumb Teen Stuff, but her proximity to Buffy really throws a wrench in that and hey, she has neither the calling of the Slayer nor the special powers to help her out :( Her presence gives both Buffy and Xander CROWNING character moments (the S5 finale and near the end of S7, respectively), and hey, Michelle Trachtenberg gets a fun dance number with a demon in the musical episode. Don’t hate; Dawn is great!

KiraKira PreCure A La Mode: I’ve only watched two Precure series, this one and Healin’ Good (see below). And while initially I was all about Akira (Great outfit! Dog theme! Chocolate! Little sister!) I actually found myself more intrigued by the cat ladies, Yukari and Aoi. I like that Yukari is kind of manipulative (she tricks Julio rather brilliantly, and became elected leader of the town's cats that one time??), but several of her focus episodes were about the will-she-won’t-she of leaving the group (because she’s soooo fickle!) and that got kind of old after a while—so, sorry Yukari, I’m going to go with Aoi Tategami on this one. She had my favorite transformation sequence, and her double life (wealthy but restricted lifestyle vs. the freedom of following her passions) is always a dynamic I enjoy. Her bandmates/band rivals were cool, plus her moments of friendship with Himari were so cute! Here's to you, lion girl!

Healin’ Good Precure: I! Like! All! The! Girls!!!! And how they interact together. This one IS really hard. But Hinata Hiramitsu is best girl. The catgirl wins again! :O I love her energy, she has some extremely relatable faults/focus episodes, and I like what we see of her family. Plus I love her outfit and transformation sequence the most! Nodoka, Chiyu, and Asumi are all GREAT, but yeah, it’s gotta be Natasha Hinata.

Laid-Back Camp: Rin Shima. Rin is a good good solo camping girl! I like her fashion and her scooter and her general vibe. Going to far-flung campsites in the middle of winter to take pictures of dogs, read books, and text with her friends? A bit too chilly for me, but I’m here to watch it!!

Final Fantasy VII: Cloud Strife. Man, I don’t even know what to say about Cloud. FFVII Original is my Favorite Game of All Time and I love the theme of identity, and how crucial it is to Cloud’s journey. His characterization changed slightly during the Compilation years, but I’m mostly OK with it (I’ve only seen Advent Children once and thought it was pretty “meh,” but maybe I should give it another try?). I love that he is an unreliable narrator. I love the insanity that is Wall Market. I love how much of an Awkward Dork he is. And I just want him to be OK. My most fervent hope that someday he can take a break from swords and motorcycles and go live a quiet life raising chocobos and snowboarding in the mountains because my goodness he deserves it!!

Special shoutout to all the girls, but especially YUFFIE!!  Intergrade is coming and all of a sudden I’m sad I don’t have a PS5 :C

Princess Tutu: Ahiru. Gosh, Princess Tutu is a such a good show, and Ahiru is the biggest sweetie. All of the main four characters are so important to me for one reason or another and I *almost* went with Rue here, but Ahiru is just so pure and sweet and adorable and funny. Actual favorite magical girl heroine of all time maybe??

Spider-Man: Miles Morales. I’ve gotta be honest... I’ve never actually read/watched/played anything where Miles is a main character. But I’ve seen excerpts of those things and I already know he is Best Spider-Man. What a good kid!! More Miles, please!!!!

Muppets: Gonzo. He’s on his own wavelength, he’s an Artiste™, a Prince of Plumbers, and he loves chickens. “Jamboree” is a quintessential Gonzo Song and I've thought about it a lot as an adult on the long, winding path to embracing my own imaginative inner weirdo. Gonzo is Important To Me.

And there we are!

Hmmmm... I tag @rockthistowninsideout, @stuckinthewrongworld, @keep-on-trying, @seregkat, @aikotters, @vidramon, @skuag, @ex-mousse, @nya-vivi, @winged-wolf-dreamer, and anyone else who wants to. No obligations, of course!

[yukimuraruki-art]

Festivities Countdown 2017

Happy Holidays

Size: 1000 x 800 pixel, 150 dpi Medium: SAI Series: Digimon Frontier Characters: Minamoto Kouji/ Koji Minamoto, Orimoto Izumi/ Zoe Orimoto, Shibayama Junpei/ J.P. Shibayama

Don’t Repost, Trace, Recolor or change this drawing in any way without permission

All likes and Reblogs are appreciated ♡

It’s almost New Year’s Eve, everyone! Are you all okay out there? Three of the Frontier kids enjoy the warmth of a good house and a Kotatsu. I really like Junpei and Izumi being a couple at some point. However, since Junpei wanted to have some time with Izumi, he asked Kouji to be with them so Izumi would feel a bit more secure. Kouji gladly plays their watchdog :)

[ran-orimoto]

Sometimes I find myself thinking how in the 2022 drama Izumi and Junpei seem to be the characters they tried connecting with Train of Hope the most (if not exclusively)? I feel like they tried giving more flesh to the choices of their careers, and I do appreciate it SO much?

The story of Izumi and her waistband is surely a reference to her becoming a reader model in the future. Her conversation with Fairymon does point at that imo, because it seems to be a reference to how she’s certain Izumi will create a sort of trend with that new style of hers (and she will do the same in Digiworld). So I feel like the whole weirdness of that gag wanted to underline Izumi can have an influence on people, can become a model (in another sense of the word this time, help XD).

Junpei and his Detective Shibayama craziness, instead, is a BLATANT way to underline he has developed an even more theatrical nature. Now that he has got friends, he seems to be able to be at the center of attention like he wants to, probably gaining nicknames and building his own fantasies on them thanks to his genre savvy personality (remember the horror tropes he randomly throws into a silly scold to Takuya lmao). In whatever way the Detective Shibayama thing was born, it still shows how Junpei is growing into a person who can aim at entering the entertainment field. He won’t get his detective show, -at least so we know, what a pity, Junpei XD-, but the good news is that opera singers often star in special productions giving opera pieces a cinematographic form…So he’ll have fun, I think so. He’ll have a lot of fun, though that drama kinda made me wish he had ended up being an actor for real, not only indirectly.

And then they just decided to also make a minuscule connection with TOH through Junpei saying “Ah, SO she won’t understand if you don’t confess directly uhm?”, which IS SO OBVIOUSLY RECALLING THE “IF YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, SAY IT AND CLEARLY” Izumi quote from TOH. And this makes me wonder if Junpei becoming a tenor can’t also be a symbol of him eventually finding his own voice for something ELSE as well. Like ehm writers. EHM.

[ran-orimoto]

Interesting. I'm interested in your stories about these underrated pair and characters. But don't let me months away without knowing what your headcanons about Junpei'parents are. Izumi's mother intrigued me but I need you to introduce the parents of Izumi too properly. Good job, Kurumizu

Hey, Anon! Thank you for having read the new chapter of MTTCI! I’m happy to hear you have liked it💕. I’ve FELT this chapter because it’s very close to my heart, experiences I’ve felt on my skin (which I’ve obviously adapted to them), so…It’s a double joy🥺💕.

I think I have already replied a similar ask, but let’s say now my headcanons are more fleshed out (even if I’ll be brief, I’ll try ahahah)

• Izumi’s mother has got no stable job, like I’ve said in the fic. She continuously changes her occupation and she will always go for part-time contracts. She has worked in disparate places such as supermarkets, clothing shops, malls, but her favourite activity is to take care of her family and their house. Maybe in Italy she managed to be hired by a grocery shop and she worked there for a longer while than usual.

• Izumi’s father is a diplomat working for the japanese embassy and being gifted of great eloquence and persuasiveness. He’s so skilled the embassy sent him to Rome for some years, provided him with a nice house, with documents and papers that could allow him to move there along with his whole family. Tw friends and me often joke about the fact the man likes eating as much as Izumi, - especially because his wife can cook very well- , but tends to gain weight very easily, for his wife’s utter irritation. So dude is not THAT thin, or at least he didn’t use to be 🤣.

• Junpei’s father is an engineer but is also the director of his family’s company, one dealing with trains and railways, assembling stuff, building them, selling them. He managed to climb the corporate ladder thanks to his skills but also thanks to favours…Certain kinds of maneuvers which helped him defeat his sibiling in the race to the top.

• Junpei’s mother is in the same field of her husband, 99%, of possibilities they work together in the same company, sharing the top in two. She might still be an engineer, but maybe a mechanical engineeing, whereas Shibayama-San is a electric one *cough* *cough*. A love among engines🤣. This is why Junpei knows how to use blueprints, “collects train models” and, most of all, “has got no parents around”.

Junpei lives with some uncle and aunt most months of the year and they let him live like he pleases, like he deserves…Except when Shibayama-San sends him disappointed letters about the bad grades he gets at school. He should focus on school instead of magician stuff🤣.

Thank you for the ask again💕!

[ran-orimoto]

Kurumizu have I understood well your adult JP is into drama too? 😍 Or the theatre rehearsals are something else. Sorry, I’m not expert in opera😅. Imma bit learning with your stories.

Oh no, Anon, I hadn’t seen this on Sunday. Sorry. To be sincere, I opened the inbox again only now and I’m glad I have 💕.

I had this stupid headcanon in my head before the third drama hit ,to be honest. However when the Detective Shibayama thing showed up in canon, I just understood it was really possible to see the writers crushing the accelator right onto the “Junpei’s main field is entertainment” path. And I don’t mind? I know he seemed to be more into engineering and similar stuff, but at the same time it’s also true Junpei is a kid who’s canonically interested in miscellaneous stuff, so, if you ask me, this vein of his was already there, when he showed everyone else his magical tricks ( which he still took on because of his curiosity and wide interest about the most disparate things).

Anyway, I headcanon middle school Junpei doesn’t know which club he wants to join because he feels like everything, -except sport XD-, could appeal him. At the last moment, he joins the drama club, drawn by the prospect of being inserted in the group of those who have to build and set up scenographies. Junpei is apparently skilled with his hands despite being a clumsy kid, so I can see him drawing and projecting scenographies, eventually collaborating to build them on a material level.

Yet, Junpei is also a freaking egocentric kid, so I can also see him growing some attraction to the stage while observing people getting their spotlight on it. He couldn’t be the main character in Digiworld and in real life, either, -since no matter how hard he tries, the older he gets the more people who think he’s a just a silly, stout and hopeless dude he will meet-, but he could be a main character somewhere else, maybe? Just like in those fantasies of his where he’s the main character of a detective series ahahahah.

Thus, he decides to try and he understands he can also be pretty good at it, if he manages to fight that stage fright of his.

He doesn’t really drop theatre after his illumination about opera in 2006. He is just forced to put that passion aside, but he will often accept to plunge in that field again whenever he can. If he can also make kids smile with his acting, all the best!

Anyway, Anon, don’t worry. I will eventually write about this too and I also plan to add some headcanon about this here and there in “May the thunderstorm come in”💕.

PSA That for a while I could also see him in voice acting because the very first drama shows both what a great actor he could be and what a great VA as well🤣🤣🤣🤣

[ran-orimoto]

I’m sad, anxiety is ruining me :(, I have heartrace because of things happening rl. Ran can you light me with a headcanon about married Junzumi?

Aww,Anon💔. I know the feeling. Today I’m being devoured by anxiety too and I do hope I will be able to sleep without having too much trouble. So I’ll virtually hug you💕. You’ll manage to go through this, I promise you. Believe it and you will be fine. Everything will be fine, Anon. 

Hm a headcanon about married Junzumi. Well, I’ll go for a comical one I like playing in my mind now and then, never managing to bring my a$$ to write a silly one-shot about it.

I headcanon at a certain point Junpei kinda becomes sick of his life as a tenor. As a budding singer, he just wants to entertain people and convey feelings to them but he also has got a great thirst of success to finally be a main character. However, his devotion to his job leads him to losing control on the situation. It becomes quickly clear he is terribly good at what he is doing and he fairly gets fame in the european opera field. In the span of fifteen years, he ends up with paparazzi and nagging managers telling him what to do, how to act, what to look like in public, what to wear. They also cut his relationship with his fans by personally handling his email, so Junpei grows frustrated about what his life has become and what he has become, sometimes even wondering who that person he’s looking at in the mirror is.

Taking in consideration the lows his career has to offer, those few times he can stay with his family HE DEMANDS to be left alone with them. Alone. Whenever he stays with Izumi and the kids he just wants to be…Another person? Himself…? He just wants to lead an ordinary life wearing whatever he freaking wants, even if he will look like a plumber with hilarious jumpsuits making Izumi laugh so hard. He just wants to spend free days helping Izumi at the restaurant, making calculations about the restaurant’s intake, spending mornings taking care of the garden, of the cats, of the children, calling Kouji wherever he is. In a nutshell, he just wants to be a normal family husband and father. And, Gods, let him eat food prepared by his absolute favourite cook, free from disgusting broth and weird diets for throats, and let him be at the best of his clumsiness.

One day, after the family has moved to Japan again, some client recognizes him, which is something that happens rarely there unlike in Milan. Sitting at the table, they dare to ask Izumi and Junpei if he might be, -just out of curiosity, because of some hunch that won’t let them alone-, that Shibayama Junpei opera singer, that famous one.

Izumi would like to reply, always pleased when someone wants to praise Junpei caro and always ready to commend him in front of others, because after years Junpei has stopped being the only n.1 fan of an imaginary fanclub 🤣. For once, Junpei stops her and replies in her stead, shrugging.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Me? I’m Orimoto Junpei. And, so you know, Orimoto Junpei and Shibayama Junpei aren’t and can’t be the same person. At all.”

(Best wishes, Anon💕.)

[digitaldreams0801]

Frontiers Unexplored Elemental Analysis

I’m finally doing this! I’ve been meaning to talk about the characters and how they match up with their elements for a while, so here we go. Spoilers for the true identities of the Fallen Warriors (though this doesn’t exactly mean much since you can’t match names with faces if they haven’t shown up physically in human form). This will contain a breakdown of each character’s elemental affinity as well as a contrast with their elemental opposite. 

Takuya Kanbara, Warrior of Fire Takuya is a passionate and determined person, naturally charismatic and talkative. He can easily earn the respect and attention of others thanks to how kind he is. Takuya is a born leader with a strong sense of justice, always looking on the good side and inspiring hope in others.  He is also rather stubborn and reckless. Takuya can grow irritable easily at times as well, and he struggles to admit when he’s wrong from time to time, particularly when he gets defensive or feels attacked. He can inspire admiration from others while simultaneously being somewhat volatile and harsh. 

Hinoka Sakatami, Warrior of Water Hinoka is a natural introvert, self-sufficient and independent. She is creative and clever as well, easily able to think of both the emotional and logical sides of a situation. She is endlessly curious too, always wanting to learn more about the world around her.  On the other hand, Hinoka is prone to being overwhelmed at times, and when she gets flustered or upset, she can very easily become anxious. On top of that, she can be hard to approach due to her habit of bottling her emotions and shoving them aside. She is kind and clever but suffers from being passive.

Fire and Water Takuya and Hinoka are opposites in every respect. Takuya is a natural leader who looks on the positive side while Hinoka struggles to stand up for herself and is more of a realist. Takuya relies on the energy of others and is talkative while Hinoka values her time alone far more. Hinoka lacks Takuya’s stubborn recklessness, instead having a weakness in bottling her problems and remaining passive. 

Koji Minamoto, Warrior of Light Koji is a loyal person who would do anything for those he comes to trust. He is naturally independent and understands himself well. Despite being rather pragmatic, Koji has endless grit and determination. He’s logical and critical, understanding how to act in his own best interests.  However, Koji’s sense of light is hidden beneath a rocky exterior, something he hides from others. He feels that expressing such can be perceived as a negative thing, prompting to hide his optimism and act detached from others. While he is loyal and caring, he struggles to properly express such. 

Koichi Kimura, Warrior of Darkness Koichi is creative and practical, able to analyze most situations with a sense of grace most others lack. He is easy to speak with despite how shy he is, and he has a natural aura of kindness that surrounds every aspect of his life. Koichi cares greatly for others and longs to see them succeed.  Koichi’s darkness is internalized due to his severe self-esteem issues and habit of repressing his negative emotions. He is dependent on others and tends to fall apart when he feels that he has been abandoned. He is kind towards all others while struggling to show that care for himself. 

Light and Darkness Koji and Koichi both hide their elements beneath a facade of the other. Koji comes off as a bearer of darkness between his pragmatism and detached behavior while Koichi is kind and open with others. However, their true personalities reflect their elements far better. Koji is independent and able to rely on himself while Koichi is far more dependent, a reflection of how darkness needs the light in order for proper shadows to be cast. 

Tomoki Himi, Warrior of Ice Tomoki is a naturally shy person, tending to avoid others where possible. He is empathetic and willing to listen to the issues of others. He is rather competitive when given the chance to truly thrive, and he acts as a coolheaded and calm voice when he feels comfortable around others.  Tomoki is prone to shutting others out when it comes to his own emotional problems, insisting that he can deal with it on his own. In his worst of moments, he grows incredibly anxious and panicky but refuses to allow anyone to truly understand him. He is sympathetic and caring but can’t allow others to treat him the same way. 

Yumiko Mihara, Warrior of Wood Yumiko, much like Tomoki, is rather shy and empathetic towards others. She does all that she can for others with a smile on her face. She lacks his hidden sense of competition, instead trading it for an ease during conversations that gives her a reputation for grace and mediation.  She tends to hide her emotions most of the time, only allowing others in to a certain extent before pushing them away. Yumiko also tends to blame herself rather than facing the true issue behind her significant problems. She has good intentions and a kind heart but can easily be taken advantage of. 

Ice and Wood Tomoki and Yumiko are the pair of opposites with the most in common. They’re caring towards others and do what they can to help while hiding how much they’re falling apart on the inside. They also share an issue of struggling to confront their problems head on, instead deciding to avoid conflict and blame themselves. Tomoki tends to give others the cold shoulder when struggling, turning himself into an island, while Yumiko prefers to keep her problems in plain view but behind her perfectly-constructed mask. 

Izumi Orimoto, Warrior of Wind Izumi is kind and open to others, reaching out and acting as a binding force among the party. She is friendly and talkative, allowing others to connect with her when they give her a chance. Izumi gives off a sympathetic aura as well and would do anything for her companions.  Izumi hides her true self behind a facade of perfection. She can be dodgy when others attempt to reach out to her, tending to retreat into herself. Izumi can also be unreadable and inscrutable, leaving her intentions a mystery at times. She’s caring and kind but rarely allows others to see her true self. 

Chihiro Ayumu, Warrior of Earth Chihiro is stubborn and endlessly loyal to themselves. They can be snarky and playful when they feel comfortable with others while remaining bold and firm in the face of opposition. They seem to be a grounding force in negative situations with their realistic perspective on life.  However, Chihiro is short-tempered and abrasive, allowing their emotions to get the better of them at the worst of moments. They hate not feeling as if they’re in control, and they struggle to admit when they’re wrong. Chihiro is confident and determined while also having a terrible temper and a brash nature. 

Wind and Earth Izumi reaches out to others while Chihiro tends to avoid doing such due to their own insecurities. Izumi struggles with being loyal to herself while Chihiro never bows to anyone. Both of them hide it when something truly bothers them, but Izumi tends to act as if nothing is wrong while Chihiro gets swallowed by their emotions until it drives them to breakdown. 

Junpei Shibayama, Warrior of Thunder Junpei is loyal to himself above all else and has vowed to change himself for no other. He’s kind and casual when spoken to while staying on his own a majority of the time. He’s logical and analytical, able to break down a situation rather quickly when given the chance.  On the other hand, Junpei’s self-esteem comes out of the nihilistic idea that he might as well care for himself since no other will treat him well. He gets defensive and brash when he feels attacked emotionally and is prone to fits of anger when provoked. He is confident and self-assured but can’t accept when he is truly cared for. 

Saki Fushida, Warrior of Steel Saki is as intelligent as it gets, knowing how to handle themselves and looking at everything with a critical eye. They are self-reliant, business-oriented, and confident in all their actions. They are easily able to find a solution to most problems thanks to improvisation and quick thinking.  However, they are incredibly manipulative and controlling, always having to be on top in a situation where others are involved. Saki’s ambitions can lead to them hurting others unintentionally, and they are averse to the aid of others. Saki knows how to live independently but can’t reach out to others no matter the situation. 

Thunder and Steel Junpei and Saki both suffer from pessimistic views of the world, understanding that others won’t care for them no matter how hard they try. They don’t try to please others and act for themselves above all else. Junpei is able to draw the line between selfishness and self-sustainment where Saki struggles a bit more. They are both ambitious and defensive while maintaining a cunning and logical side. 

Mayumi Reiku, Warrior of Energy Mayumi is incredibly positive and tends to go with the flow. She doesn’t let herself be bothered often, instead living with the philosophy that everything will turn out fine in the end. She is laidback and relaxed with a strong sense of justice and determination.  Mayumi can also struggle to get serious in heavy situations, believing that problems can’t hurt her if she chooses not to acknowledge them. She seems somewhat unfocused and flighty at times as well. She has a good heart and an optimistic spirit but doesn’t know how to fully accept the gravity of negative times. 

Haroi Tsurumaki, Warrior of Cosmos Haroi is quiet and avoids speaking with others under most circumstances. He is creative and quietly passionate behind his introversion. He cares greatly for others and loves to see others smile. He is ruled by his sense of logic rather than his emotions.  He can be rather passive though, struggling to fully stand up for himself. He hates the idea of disappointing others and tends to stretch himself too thin in the name of satisfying those around him. Haroi is caring and compassionate but tends to allow himself to be carried away by such. 

Energy and Cosmos Mayumi is the chaos while Haroi provides the order. Mayumi is extroverted and talkative where Haroi is introverted and shy. She’s the leader while he’s far more of a follower. Mayumi can be caught up in her emotions while Haroi is analytical. In every sense of the word, the two are opposites, yet they make up for the other’s shortcomings well. 

Closing Thoughts When I was working on this rewrite, I intentionally made sure that each character’s element fit their personality. The characters of contrasting elements are complete opposites intentionally to offer variety to the team. I loved doing this brief little analysis about the characters, their elemental matches, and their polar opposites. I’m hoping that you liked reading over it too, and I’ll see you the next time I inevitably decide to analyze these characters again!

[digitaldreams0801]

Frontiers Unexplored Character Changes Dump

You read the title. You know why we’re here. Time to deeply analyze all of the canon characters in the Frontiers Unexplored rewrite of Digimon Frontier just because I can. This will include explanations of all that was changed for the rewrite. 

I’m not including my characters since they weren’t in canon. Anyways, let’s get into this. 

Takuya Kanbara Takuya is pretty similar to how he is in canon, just as headstrong, determined, and reckless as he always was. He’s the rallying voice of the Warriors, doing what he can to make everyone feel better about the literal war going on. There’s one primary thing that changed for Takuya, but it’s a pretty minor thing given how early we are in the story right now: the way he deals with trauma. Not to spoil anything, but he goes through quite a bit over the course of this story, and it hits him much harder than in canon. Takuya gets pretty easily attached to the rest of the group since he’s always down for making friends. He still argues with Koji just as much as he did before, so it’s good to know some things never change. Also, Takuya says trans rights. 

Koji Minamoto Koji is easily the most similar to his canon interpretation. He’s a bit more vaguely protective of the group in the early stages of the story, especially when it comes to Tomoki. Koji doesn’t exactly open up easily (he’s the last to get his Beast Spirit, if that’s any indication), but he becomes just as attached to the rest of the group over time. His relationship with his father is far more strained than in canon, and the two were prone to arguing often before Koji left for the Digital World. This is the primary reason he’s so tense, and it leads to him being much more protective of Tomoki than he was in canon. He’s still the same edgy boy everyone came to know and love from the original anime, just a bit more nice to people (eventually). 

Tomoki Himi Since all of the characters are much older, Tomoki’s arc about not being a crybaby doesn’t exactly fit here. He’s far more anxious than his original interpretation and lacks his regular vivacious energy. Tomoki is constantly burdened by his past issues, unable to fully move on or ever feel secure. He’s tense a strong majority of the time, and he has a nasty habit of bottling his emotions until he hits his breaking point. Tomoki tends to feel as if he deserves any pain that comes his way, a certain difference from his canon interpretation. He looks up to the rest of the group for their strength and wishes that he could be like them. Tomoki is easily prone to bouts of fear, rarely ever seeming truly comfortable in the Digital World. The age increase hit him the hardest, to put it simply. 

Izumi Orimoto Izumi, much like Tomoki, has changed quite significantly. She isn’t as undyingly loyal to herself as before, instead putting on a mask that makes her seem perfect to hide her identity issues. Izumi knows that people admire her, but she’s grown used to people caring more about the concept of her rather than who she is deep down. She is often said to wear practiced smiles, hiding her discomfort to ensure others don’t see her insecurities. Izumi has had problems making friends with others for a variety of reasons, but the main one has to do with her success as a gymnast: people want to be friends with the gymnastics star and not the person, longing for the image and not the person. Izumi becomes easily attached to the rest of the group when she realizes that they like her for who she is rather than the concept of her, and she becomes easily distraught at the idea of them being hurt. 

Junpei Shibayama Junpei is the third and final character who changed a lot. He comes off as how Izumi does in canon: loyal to himself regardless of what others think, though this is far from being the case. Junpei acts this way as a coping mechanism, hiding his insecurity and loneliness behind a mask. Rather than trying to please others like Izumi, Junpei has given up on earning the approval of most others, instead deciding to be happy with himself even if it ends with him alone. He’s prone to being spiteful and bitter when he feels as if he’s under attack emotionally, but he does have a good heart. Junpei is perceptive and smart, but he still struggles heavily from insecurities involving his appearance. He’s loyal to himself out of a nihilistic idea that he’ll always be alone and that pleasing others by lying is pointless. Junpei is hesitant to reach out to the rest of the group, fearing that it will just end with him alone like everything else has, but he still cares about them greatly and is just too afraid to admit that he finally isn’t alone anymore. 

Koichi Kimura Koichi is rather faithful to his original iteration, remaining a shy and passive young man just as before. He takes the worst traits from both Tomoki and Izumi where his weaknesses are concerned: bottling his emotions until he breaks and hiding such distraught behavior behind a perfect barrier. Koichi never had anyone to open up to, leaving him to struggle on his own. He isn’t sure about reaching out to the rest of the group at first, believing that he doesn’t deserve them after all he has done, but he is able to move on eventually. When he finally lets them in, Koichi does all that he can for them, relishing in the idea of having companions at long last. He hides his negative emotions, but this darkness soon gives way to show one of the kindest people that anyone could ever meet. 

Wow, character analysis is fun! I could only get into so much on this post since I’m attempting to avoid spoiling future plot points, so maybe I’ll have to come back to this subject further into the story. Tomoki, Izumi, and Junpei are so different from their canon iterations that I could probably write entire essays about their changes one day (you know, when I don’t have to worry about spoilers). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little thought dump from me! I’ll see you guys again for chapter twelve this Sunday!