#just analysing the character I hyperfixate on

[so-very-small]

having a new hyperfixation and a new ship and desperately wanting to write a g/t fic of them but also really wanting to wait til i consume more of the media and really get into these characters heads. like it’s not enough to write a g/t fic about them, i need to analyze these guys to such an insane degree so i can write 100% in character reactions to finding a tiny/being a tiny. and like it’s not that i’m worried readers will find it OOC. this accuracy is all for me baybee. i need to be able to read this in five years when i know every single fact abt this show, and still find it in character. i need to absorb their psyches. like if i don’t spend a dozen hours combing the wiki and finding out their most niche traits and utilize it for a fucked up fearplay oneshot then like, what’s the point

[thecatspirits]

I haven't currently got access to IT 2017 or IT Chapter Two. However, from what I've been able to analyse through short scenes on the internet, Richie and Eddie's queer coding (specifically in IT 2017 as that is what I'm looking at right now) is actually a lot deeper than I originally thought. Whether or not it was intended, it's there. Like, even the scene at the Quarry which I've heard people talk about contradicting Richie especially being gay has got subtle queer coding in it if you look deep enough. Or at least that's my interpretation of it all. I have always been an analyst at heart so I love to really get into the nitty gritty of it all.

[medilies]

Do you ever watch s3 and s4 and realise you're not enjoying it that much

[imsonormalipromise]

Real because they both have internalised homophobia, just varying degrees of it and varying internal conflicts. Mike's seems to be much more about being in denial, trying to conform, pushing away the feelings whilst also having some negative feelings/views of himself. Will's seems to be less about denial (he knows he's gay) and more about self loathing and believing he's "wrong" and a "mistake" and a "freak", and believing he isn't worthy of love and that he'll never fall in love (with someone he "should", aka a girl).

I love the idea of one or both of them being targeted by Vecna (to explore their inner conflicts and traumas) and I do often think about how it would go down if Mike was the one to be Vecna'd (just because Will has gone through so much, that boy needs a break, and to show the audience and the GA what Mike's going through to clear up the misunderstandings they have of him) but if it's purely about the internalised homophobia, I completely agree that people shouldn't argue that Will does not have any and therefore cannot be targeted in the same way.

I may talk/share more about Mike's internalised homophobia because his character is still not confirmed to be queer (despite him being incredibly queer coded), but Will for sure has internalised homophobia too and I do think it should be acknowledged more!

it kind of rubs me the wrong way when people say that mike is the one who will be vecna’d in s5 because of his internalized homophobia…i agree that mike will probably be targeted by vecna and i think will will be too (but not in the typical way because he has a more complicated connection to vecna and it’s more personal) but the thing that bothers me is that people almost act like will doesn’t *also* have internalized homophobia. i don’t think he’s quite as repressed as mike is but seasons 3 and 4 pretty clearly showed us how much he was struggling internally. people will sometimes talk about it like will is the “out” one and mike is the one who has stuff to figure out when the reality is that they are both closeted gay teens in the 80s and vecna will almost definitely use will’s feelings against him

[impassioned-ships]

The average person will never understand the power of hyperfixating on a singular character. Yeah sure i like this franchise but just this specific show but just this specific character. And every little aspect about this character makes me crazier. And every little new development about this character explodes more and more of my brain every single day. They become my muse. Pictures writings and analyses and wiki holes and DREAMS AT NIGHT. DO YOU UNDERSTAND???

[chuffedchough]

I reckon that a big part of what's got me hyperfixating on Natm right now is the way the premise overlaps with BBC ghosts.

We have historical characters from different eras in a modern setting who are bound and trapped to a particular location annoying the ever loving heck out of each other as well as a very tired, very stressed regular person who is just trying to survive every day/ night.

Over time these very different people grow closer and become a found family.

Said historical figures are very silly and fun, but at the same time they hold a delightful amount of potential for tragedy and darkness and that makes them so rich and compelling to analyse and theorise about. There are so many brilliant fanworks, my gosh.

Both have a comfy sort of comforting quality to them too. I dunno, I'm just happy both of these series exist.

[loulits]

Mapping Neurodivergence in BSD: A Headcanon Exploration

💭✨ Neurodivergence has always been one of my biggest special interests, and something I love about fiction is how much space it gives for different interpretations.

Bungou Stray Dogs is accidentally one of the most neurodivergent-coded series I’ve ever seen—whether it’s intentional or not, so many of the characters just feel ND in ways that go beyond typical genius or eccentricity tropes.

Whether it’s Ranpo’s hyperfixation on mysteries, Kunikida’s compulsive need for structure, or Chuuya’s impulsive emotional outbursts, these characters reflect real-world neurodivergent traits in ways that are compelling, complex, and painfully relatable.

This list is a collection of personal headcanons based on their behaviors, interactions, and underlying motivations.

✨ I'll be doing deep dives into each character here, analysing their traits in more detail! (Of course, this is all just for fun! Everyone interprets characters differently, and that’s part of the beauty of fandom. 🖤)

🕵️‍♂️ Armed Detective Agency

Osamu Dazai – Autism (Masking & Situational Manipulation)

🔹 Highly intelligent but emotionally disconnected in ways that seem intentional. 🔹 Uses humor, dramatics, and exaggerated behavior as a social mask. 🔹 Deeply perceptive of people’s emotions but doesn’t always engage genuinely. 🔹 Alternates between hyperfixation (on suicide, on outplaying opponents) and emotional dissociation. 🔹 Sensory-seeking behaviors (bandages, physical playfulness when teasing others).

Edogawa Ranpo – Autism (Hyperlexia, Special Interests, & Social Processing Differences)

🔹 Hyperlexia: Genius-level reading comprehension and information processing from an early age. 🔹 Doesn’t understand or care for social norms—he thrives best when people adapt to him, not the other way around. 🔹 Fukuzawa accommodating his intelligence and treating him with respect instead of condescension was a turning point in his life. 🔹 Low frustration tolerance for perceived incompetence but deeply loyal to those he trusts. 🔹 Sensory & executive dysfunction struggles? Can’t dress himself properly, avoids certain textures (like food).

Doppo Kunikida – OCD (Perfectionism, Order, & Intrusive Thoughts)

🔹 Highly structured routines—his notebook is more than a quirk, it’s a lifeline. 🔹 Ritualistic behavior: Needs things to go exactly as planned or he experiences distress. 🔹 Moral rigidity: Struggles when ideals don’t align with reality, leading to internal conflict. 🔹 Likely experiences intrusive thoughts—his strong reactions to things outside of his control seem rooted in anxiety.

Atsushi Nakajima – Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) & PTSD

🔹 Hyperaware of how others perceive him, even in neutral situations. 🔹 Intense fear of failure, especially when it might lead to abandonment. 🔹 Struggles with self-worth due to past abuse, leading to cycles of self-doubt.

Yosano Akiko – PTSD & Possible Hyper-Empathy

🔹 Deep emotional trauma from her past but keeps it buried under a tough exterior. 🔹 Uses dark humor as a coping mechanism. 🔹 Highly attuned to others' suffering despite her cold demeanor.

⚡ Port Mafia

Chuuya Nakahara – ADHD (Hyperactive-Impulsive Type) & RSD

🔹 Impulsive emotional reactions—anger, excitement, frustration, all at max volume. 🔹 Struggles with authority but is also fiercely loyal when trust is earned. 🔹 Hyperfixation on proving himself, especially post-Dazai. 🔹 Likely has rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), leading to intense emotional reactions when he feels slighted.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke – Autism (Demand Avoidance) & CPTSD

🔹 Blunt, socially unfiltered, and struggles with nuance—his reactions are either extreme aggression or complete silence. 🔹 Sensory hypersensitivity (his strong aversion to being touched). 🔹 Struggles with emotional regulation—anger is his default reaction because other emotions are too vulnerable. 🔹 Demand Avoidance: Will resist authority figures unless they earn his respect.

📖 Other Figures

Edgar Allan Poe – Social Anxiety & Autism (Special Interests & Sensory Sensitivity)

🔹 Hyperfixation on gothic literature and storytelling. 🔹 Difficulty with in-person social interaction, preferring structured, written communication. 🔹 Likely hypersensitive to noise and prefers solitude.

✨ Which headcanons do you agree with? These are just my personal interpretations! Neurodivergence is super broad, and while I love diving into ND traits in characters, it’s totally cool if you see them differently. This is all for fun, so feel free to share your thoughts!

💡 I’m also open to requests! If there’s a character you’d like me to explore more deeply, or if you think I missed someone, feel free to drop an ask or comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts and keep building this list together!

[miwiheroes]

Hi welcome to miwiheroes <3

MY BYLER ESSAY

*australian accent* 'Ello this is Eli, president of miwiheroes club and I realised I never made an intro post, also this is a little masterpost where you can find all the analysis/ byler rambling posts without having to scrolls through my account :D

I'm 19 years old

At university for psychology

he/him

I may look like an aggressively straight man but no one knows i'm actually hyperfixated on shipping two queer guys from a sci-fi netflix show

I'm a capricorn, infp, bisexual and trans ftm

my hyperfixations right now include byler, the elder scrolls (oblivion), link click, aot, the magnus archives and dan & phil <3

i'm from england

my spotify is 'figflower' and: Here are my byler playlists!!

i never used to write analysis on film but thx byler tumblr because i've been missing out

if you were wondering, my favourite characters from stranger things are (in this order): will, mike, hopper and el <3 okay see ya

MY ANALYSES:

(i will update these as i make them. my more massive analyses are highlighted in blue)

ANALYSES I'M MOST PROUD OF:

El's arc of her desire for a normal childhood - "Pretty"

Mike displaces his anger at himself onto others

A little ST5 theory

This theoretical model of relationships + ST couples

Mike and Will and El cannot be replaced by a different gender - they are tied to a queer narrative

All my Airport Scene Analyses

Blue and Yellow theory is completely canon

Will is not getting a new love interest in S5

Season 3 ending scene full analysis

Mike and the theme of promises

OTHER:

We have been heterobaited far more than queerbaited

Insane Loverslakegate proof

Mike's treatment of El's powers vs. Will's powers

The difference between Byler's interruption trope and Mileven's

Common Romantic Tropes used with Byler

The D&D Substitute scene is Mike questioning his sexuality

Byler + Reciprocal Looks of Love

The existence of a Love Triangle proves Byler endgame

The Painting Lie is Chekhov's Gun

'The Will Voice' isn't a thing Bylers made up

The original S3 ending script reveals inner thoughts

Mike's lack of attraction to women other than El

Purposeful blocking analysis

Purposeful music choices and music titles

Will's understanding of Mike makes the audience root for Byler

Mike has to be wrong about needing to love El

Elmike breakup vs Byler fight contrast

Phonegate canon or not canon? analysis

Mike's bedroom detailed analysis

How Mike treats El's letters vs. Will's art

Mike's conversation with El in the grocery store is queer coded

Byler parallels with other canon ships

Answering a mileven ask part 2: electric boogaloo

Answering a mileven ask part 1

Mike's self-sabotaging avoidance to incriminate himself

Silly queer coding jokes

The M&M Scene

Will's 'I'm not gonna fall in love' is a bigger proof than you think

Confirmation that Mike jumping into the quarry was about Will

Milkvan's conflict, Byler, and the concept of understanding

Byler and the insane amount of Closet Imagery

Season 1 Mike is extremely queer-coded

What if Mike's gay from the beginning of S5 like Will in S4?

You're not delusional: What I noticed when I wasn't a byler

Thinking about the monologue…

Mike is clearly thinking about Will in the Snow Ball scene

Light is symbolic for truth = byler endgame

MY FICS:

My AO3 Account: miwiheroes

vibrant days (caution to the breeze) - 15,204 words

Mike and Will's relationship has been secret for 2 months. Neither of them want to bring it up, but things build and build until it becomes more of a burden than just a little mutual understanding. Will's growing up (and getting drunk) and it's impossible for Mike to stay in the same place forever, with words always on the tip of his tongue.

aka mike and will are hiding their relationship and avoid talking about hard subjects

is my timing that flawed? - 14,621 words

In the aftermath of a harrowing escape from the Upside Down, Mike and Will grapple with physical and emotional wounds. Faced with Will's new plan and doubt of what's real and what's not, Mike must confront reality and something that he had never been able to truly control.

aka wound cleaning fic + a devastating cliffhanger + Will not knowing what's real and what's not

it's rotten work (not to me. not if it's you) - 15,919 words

Ten years after everything, and Will hasn't been able to shake a debilitating fear of anything medical-related. So when the only option and smart thing to do is get a blood test from the hospital, Mike is sure to take the time to be there for him.

aka will needs a blood test but has a phobia of needles and mike takes time off work to support him

what you really want - 46,456 words

aka a s5 speculatory mike wheeler-centric fic about his internalised homophobia and a lot of moments where he's not so clever about his feelings with will

our hearts were singing - 13,724 words (dnf)

aka karen invites mike and will over for christmas, but mike still hasn't told his whole family about his relationship, even after a year of them definitely not-so-platonically living together. maybe it's time.

you can't help but become the sun - 16,267 words

aka mike offers to be will's reference, they talk about mike's self-esteem issues, and more shenanigans with paint ensue

stay with me a while - 9,515 words

aka mike confessed to will to save the world, but will wasn't conscious enough to say it back. when he wakes the next morning, they have a lot to talk about.

life used to be so hard - 5,697 words (incomplete)

A collection of drabbles and short one-shots that tell a non-chronological story about Mike and Will's life after the UD. Stay tuned to put the pieces together and figure out a full story <3 Further explanation is in the notes of the first instalment.

the boy with the thorn in his side - 53,566 words

aka mike figures out his sexuality in the worst way possible, but as always, will is there to help. in more ways than one.

how could i be blind to it? - 16,082 words

aka holly's missing, and her friends are determined to find her and bring her home. one person in her friend group in particular is more passionate than the others about finding her, and soon mike finds out why that is. and why he felt so different about will to his other friends when he was a kid.

answers you seek will never be found at home - 12,325 words (incomplete)

aka mike begs will to escape their small town after too many run-ins with homophobic small-town bs. he knows will's meant to find himself elsewhere, but he never expects to find an answer to the age-old question of his own fate. prom, gay bars, sleazy hotels, train stations, two lesbians and their not-so-legal marriage - they aren't the traditional sources of wisdom, but he can't complain.

MY BYLER EDIT COMP ON YOUTUBE

Have fun! And if you don't ship byler ur allowed to interact but if you want to hate on it, please don't interact! I'll just delete any hate because I personally think there is no space for homophobia or negativity on my page.

You'll also find 0 byler doubt here. I don't want to worry people. So ily <3

[girlfailureboylosercom]

Ex-literature Student Hyperfixates on Haikyuu Characters and launches off their rocker

the title says everything.

i got too silly trying to plan a hrhs yuri au fic and ended up deciding to do an analysis on the Kamomedai team (its mostly hrhs. my bad guys)

I'll be analysing volumes 38-41 in this post!! If I miss out on certain panels or misinterpret moments, that's my bad. Most of the panels I'll be putting here are taken irl, so they might not be that easy to read 😞🙇

This is also an opportunity for me to dissect my brain and figure out why I took a liking to these characters. I LOVE ANALYSIS and genuinely wish there was more over Haikyuu, especially on themes and characters and their philosophies!

so, what will I be focusing on in this analysis?

Kamomedai's philosophy, importance + message

Hirugami Sāchiro and

Hoshiumi Kōrai's significance in the story of Haikyuu

Coach Murphy's connection to HRHS' philosophies

If there are any topics I've failed to list here but have explored in this analysis, please understand that I was simply too excited to write and may have forgotten to list them here!

Word Count (excluding titles): 4838

Hirugami Sachiro

His Backstory

of course, whenever Sachiro is brought up, his backstory is the first thing that automatically pops into mind. It's tragic but even worse, it's realistic. It stuck with me the first time I read the entire manga, but I couldn't figure out why. I knew it resonated with me, reminding me of the several burnouts I witnessed in multiple kids around me at school, but that reasoning wasn't enough. So I supposed that pushed me to write this analysis haha!

From these panels, it's safe to say that Sachiro did have love and passion for the sport. He practically grew up with it- his parents and siblings played it, and they eventually went down the path of going pro. It would be no surprise that he was bound to follow in their footsteps. It was natural. There's no confirmation and this is more like a theory/headcanon, yet I believe that his family did have these expectations for him or placed pressure on Sachiro to play volleyball, whether or not they intentionally meant to. When you grow up with a family of star athletes who all did the same sport, why would you do something different? In the manga, Hirugami states that if he just 'straight up quit' volleyball there and then, there would be a whole set of problems. We could assume that maybe their coach would be upset, but this could be another hint that his family would not take the news that well. Perhaps his parents would be the more judging ones. Since he has all of these expectations and the pressure to improve and earn respect and acknowledgement from his family, it wasn't a surprise that this mindset would eventually turn sour and cause Sachiro to crash. We even have some supporting evidence for this, and it (strangely) comes from Atsumu.

Atsumu states that he knew Hirugami was always this good, but the way he played was 'like a man possessed', and watching him gave Atsumu the impression that he was on edge at all times. In the panel that displays Atsumu's recollection of his original impression of (middle school) Hirugami, we can see that the Miya Twins are completely fine compared to Hirugami who is panting like a dog, tired out and not looking in top shape. I don't think it's a far-fetched assumption to say that Hirugami was just forcing himself to play the sport, to keep on going and giving his all despite his body protesting, trying to tell him that he's reached his limit. But the mind can be stubborn and Hirugami's mind was also dead set on goalless/vague improvement; He wants to build more muscle, not let anyone outdo him, and not get left behind- all these goals don't have a proper end and that's harmful. Of course he's going to force himself to continue whether or not his body gets the rest it deserves. To him, there's no such thing as a rest day. Hirugami doesn't believe he gets to rest until he finally achieves or stops chasing the improvement he desires. But there's no end to the goals he wants to achieve. If Hoshiumi didn't stop him, how long would've Hirugami been aimlessly chasing his own demise?

Hoshiumi & Hirugami's Middle School Relationship (sub-category of Hirugami's backstory)

I think that Hoshiumi and Hirugami have quite similar philosophies! Both are centered around hard work and the need to improve, to become better. However, here's the difference: Hoshiumi's more accepting, acknowledging the harsh reality that he's weak. There are stronger people out there, which is why he NEEDS to be competitive and strive for improvement in order to avoid lagging behind his competition. If Hoshiumi makes any mistakes, he most likely would take it as a learning opportunity and eventually shrug it off. He already knows he gives everything his all, so any mistakes he encounters are not an outcome of laziness or lack of effort. On the other hand, Hirugami's is more degrading. It's harsher, taking any mistake he makes and echoing it back at him in a harmful manner, telling him that he could've- should've done better, that there were ways Hirugami could've gotten that last point, that the smallest mistake he made would affect the way he and his team played. There's no room for error because if there is, then there's something wrong with him. And because of their difference in philosophies, I believe that led them to interact when Sachiro finally crumbles and hurts himself.

While re-reading Sachiro's backstory, I got the impression that he and Hoshiumi barely interacted during their middle school days, so I asked myself: why would Sachiro tell Hoshiumi, an all-time bench warmer, that he doesn't like volleyball? The few times we've seen middle school Hoshiumi and Hirugami interact besides the self-harm scene were they only getting brief glimpses of one another. The panel above shows Hirugami briefly noticing Hoshiumi, acknowledging that he's still practising this late at night, then shrugging it off and walking back to the canteen. Well, Hoshiumi just helped him out of a daze during a difficult moment. Hirugami's head is now above the deep, dark water called his thoughts, so he's most likely disorientated. He's shaken up by the pain in his knuckles that are finally alerting his senses and at the same time, he's settled on a simple conclusion: He doesn't like volleyball anymore. And in that moment of silent anguish, who else could he let out this confession to? Any walls Hirugami has put up during this time are now knocked down by raw vulnerability. He needs to speak and ground himself, to let his mind finally acknowledge that he doesn't want to continue playing volleyball like this. And it just so happens that Hoshiumi is also there to hear this statement. There is no hesitation in Hoshiumi, not when he offers a tissue for Sachiro to clean up his bloodied hands, not when he listens to Hirugami's sudden, sensitive confession and simply asks, "Okay. Why don't you quit?", a question that Hirugami didn't consider nor thought possible before. He doesn't coddle but offers Sachiro advice that he could take or leave behind. Korai doesn't forcefully press the tissue packet into Sachiro's hands, nor continues to show his discomfort at the sight of the other boy's wounds despite the response being natural. His steadiness and composure are reassuring, allowing Hirugami to take his time to calm down and process his thoughts and the advice that Hoshiumi has given him. Also, Hoshiumi's advice is structured more like a conversation, if that makes sense. Hoshiumi is straightforward and honest and his words hold no flattery when he points out Hirugami's strengths, something that he can't achieve as easily as the other could. He's not making a big deal out of the situation and is staying calm yet helpful, which is essential. Because of his approach and advice, Hoshiumi unknowingly helps to give Hirugami an entirely new perspective, when he probably intended to only stop him from harming himself even further. (I also believe that Hirugami revealed this thought to Hoshiumi because sometimes, people find it easier to talk to strangers than the family or friends that they are close to.)

Little note: I love how supportive HiruHoshi are of one another!! Throughout the manga, we can see how close they are; Hoshiumi has always been there for Hirugami, ever since they first properly interacted in middle school until the end of their high school days. And of course, during adulthood. Hirugami visibly reciprocates this by taking the time to understand Hoshiumi, learning his story and other things like his thought process and quirks in volleyball.

Sachiro's View on Volleyball

One of the special arts that included Hirugami called him 'dispassionate' and I found that very interesting. It highlights his whole stance on volleyball; He likes it, but after all that he's been through, Hirugami would rather leave it behind and watch from the sidelines. He likes it, but he's not going to get overwhelmed by it again, unlike the other Kamomedai members or characters in Haikyuu. This time, Hirugami has set the goal of playing volleyball only until the end of high school. Knowing that he will get to quit after all these years, that these long periods of burnout will finally come to an end, its a relief to him. Hirugami still has a love for volleyball, but he understands that his relationship with the sport will not go back to the original, passionate state that it was before. And he's accepted that. He wants to play the sport without getting drowned in those overwhelming thoughts, he wants to have fun and not let volleyball take over his life. It doesn't matter if his talent in volleyball gets wasted. So what if it does? Hirugami knows what he wants in life now and wants to pursue it.

Dispassion can come off as someone having no passion, but that's not true; it's simply another meaning for being calm and not letting emotion take over logic.

Parallels with Asahi

Also noted that he and Asahi have some parallels! Not as much or obvious as Hinata and Hoshiumi, but it's there! Even the summary for Volume 40 acknowledges this!

Both characters have had a past with or are currently experiencing overthinking, along with how it affects their attitude and behaviour during games and or in general. Their arcs are connected to their mental health/well-being and how volleyball, the sport they play, are closely intertwined. However, Asahi's character does seem to be more centred around anxiety and how it can affect his gameplay and social life. Meanwhile, Sachiro's character has a more intense focus on the depression that can come from burnout and the effects it can develop. Yet both of these characters share the pressure of needing to be better, the need to live up to certain expectations that have been placed on them consciously or not. For Asahi, it's being the ace. And for Sachiro, it used to be, well, being good at volleyball.

Throughout the entire story of Haikyuu, we can note that Asahi is still trying to get over the overthinking that his anxiety has given him- he's struggling with the thoughts, which have been shown to affect his plays and his relationships. Asahi is learning to have more faith in his abilities, to go easier on himself and stop wallowing in his negativity. Meanwhile, Sachiro is shown to have already gotten past that. Has he made a full recovery? I don't think so. But he's shown to have not been affected by expectations anymore; He's over that burden and he knows that even if things get tough, volleyball is just a game. If he makes a mistake, Sachiro knows he won't die. It's a sport he enjoys, but there are simply other things in life that he has more passion for. He's just currently focusing on having fun with volleyball and trying his best.

Hoshiumi Kōrai

The Little Giant Legacy

If you care about either Hinata or Hoshiumi, you would know that the cause of their rivalry is the pursuit of the 'Little Giant' title. It makes sense after all! Both players are considered astoundingly short for their sport, have great jumping lengths and are considered amazing players by their team, just like the original Little Giant, Udai (who changed his mind on the pursuit of volleyball and went on to do manga instead). Personally, I believe that the moment their rivalry was officially solidified was actually at the end of Chapter 361 and the beginning of Chapter 362!

This panel was when Hoshiumi started to develop some respect for Hinata, recognising him as a potential rival he wanted to go against. But before it, when Hinata jumps and manages to spike the ball against Kamomedai's defence, Hoshiumi recalls a statement he made earlier, one he gave to the interviewer: "Yes, being short is a disadvantage...but it isn't a sign of incompetence."

And this panel establishes just how similar they are. They haven't heard one another's philosophies, yet they share it already. Gao acknowledges it with an expression of unease, and even Sachiro thinks, "He's just like Korai-kun." For this part, I will focus on these four people due to their connection with one another: Hinata, Hoshiumi, Udai and Coach Washijo. These four characters have experienced how height can be an extreme hurdle to overcome in sports.

According to Udai, the original 'Little Giant', he talks about how he knew he was the ace back in the day and how he deserved to feel confident over it. However, as Udai grew up, it is implied that the pressuring competition experienced at nationals most likely got to him. Udai assumed that if he trained himself even more, and focused on improving his skills and technique, it would be enough to keep up. But there was one thing he forgot to factor in: mentality. In fact, I think Udai does acknowledge this as well! It's why he politely shoots down Akiteru's comparison compliment of his and Hoshiumi's playstyle. Udai points out during the match that if he was in one of the situations that Hoshiumi was in, he would've failed at scoring as he would've spiked the ball down instead of back, a sign that the block intimidated him and made him retreat. "Hoshiumi has far better skill and decision-making than I ever did." Referring to Volume 41, Udai gives this mental narration while watching Hoshiumi set the ball to Hirugami: 'Know your weaknesses. Accept them. Forget the weapons you can't wield. Find all the ones you can...and carefully, persistently hone them all to a wicked point. That is what it means...to be a Little Giant.' Between these two pages, we can note that Udai is also eagerly watching Hoshiumi's play, with a determination that we can conclude from that if Udai had to pass down the title personally to anyone, he would most definitely choose Hoshiumi. If Hinata has Coach Washijo rooting for him, then Udai is the one who is silently applauding for Hoshiumi from the sidelines. (Fun fact! In Volume 45, in a small panel that features Udai, we can see him drawing his second manga series and the main character looks reallyyyy similar to Hoshiumi,,,)

All four characters know that they are weak when it comes to volleyball. However, Udai and Washijo are the ones to have been shown to crumble under that knowledge, accompanied by other factors that have made them resign from the court and pursue another path. Yet, that other path is still connected to volleyball. For Udai, it was making a manga based on it; For Coach Washijo, it was becoming a coach and only cultivating those with strong potential.

Coach Washijo has been burdened by the knowledge that his height restricted his ability to play so severely that it's firmly become a staple of his philosophy, that he'll only take in the strongest and biggest, keeping that mindset for 40 years. He only starts to change his mind when Hinata enters the scene; Not when Udai started playing and became Karasuno's ace years ago. Yet, Coach Washijo remains resistant to the idea that a player like Hinata or Hoshiumi can make it. (We don't see what he thinks about Hoshiumi, but I think his view would be similar to how he views Hinata, but not as personal 🤷) Over the time of Haikyuu- and by the time we reach the Kamomedai vs Karasuno match, Washijo's mindset has already begun shifting into a more positive view. He's started becoming more open and eager to the idea of a 'Little Giant', finally accepting that the harsh reality he faced back then is now possible to overcome. I believe that the match and the development of the fun rivalry between Hoshiumi and Hinata contribute to it, even if it isn't hinted at that often.

Turning back the focus onto Hoshiumi and Hinata, their rivalry is simply a beautiful thing to witness, especially considering the legacy both these players are chasing and discovering the respect they have for one another despite being one another's biggest competition. (also something something about the monster generation players on the Adlers team being the people who are the top three rivals Hinata has experienced in the entirety of the story,,,,yeah)

Referring to a panel from Volume 41 (again), Hoshiumi confesses to Hirugami that compared to other competitor teams, where he states that he simply wants to go through them no matter how good they were, Karasuno is one that he truly wants to beat. This intimidating statement sends a shiver up Hirugami's spine, which is something considering the handful of panels we get of him making a sadistic expression throughout this match. From this interaction between the two, we can interpret that up until this point, Hoshiumi did give his all to help his team win against several other teams to get to Nationals, but most likely didn't experience much competitive thrill during those matches and had to hype himself up by beating opponents who would underestimate him due to his smaller stature. Yet now, he finally gets the competition he desires. In Nationals, every team has been proven to be good. No one's planning to overestimate or underestimate anyone, there's simply no time for that. The time on the court is precious, meant to be used to win against whichever team is on the other side of the net. And like a cherry on top, there is someone like him. Someone gunning for the same thing he desired- Hoshiumi and Hinata's relationship can be classified under 'mirror characters'. Or in a more literary viewpoint, parallels. Typically, this trope is used to give the protagonist a rival, which is one of the reasons why Hoshiumi was created. Hoshiumi's role in the story is necessary as considering the other two main 'rivals' Hinata faces in the story (Ushijima as the Privileged Rival and Kageyama as the Main Rival, referring to TV Tropes), both of them seem to have more of the upper hand due to their height and long experience with getting the chance to play on the court consistently. With the presence of Hoshiumi, his character further drives the message that whether or not you have been given blessings from the start or have access to certain opportunities, working hard & smart along with having passion are also essential elements that you require in order to achieve the success you want.

"They come to us with solid, undeniable strength, and make us choose them."

The Need For Competition

Disclaimer: I do NOT have any siblings. So if I do accidentally miss-analyse anything in this section, I sincerely apologize 🙇 But yeah. Akitomo. Although we BARELY see him for the rest of the manga, he still has an essential role- if not, why do we need him in the first place? Furudante gives every character a purpose, whether or not they're major or minor. From Kōrai's backstory, we can see that he and his brother have your usual competitive sibling rivalry and whatnot. Akitomo bullies him and Kōrai retorts. But I think that this manga panel solidified Kōrai's need to be competitive and the desire to drive himself to improve in every area of volleyball possible (besides his mother's helpful advice that also plays a huge role in his philosophy).

This was the utter devastating realisation that he was so much weaker than Akitomo, despite Akitomo not knowing how the fuck to play volleyball. Kōrai learned that sport, dedicated and invested himself into it, yet here comes his brother, easily taking away the spotlight and spiking the ball without breaking a sweat. Just a jump and a hit, and boom. He could be replaced like that. Akitomo has always teased Kōrai over his height, yet this moment was most likely one of several that Hoshiumi experienced and solidified his understanding of how weak he was, and there were some things that he simply couldn't change from just effort and hard work alone. But with Asa's advice, Kōrai also understood that just because some doors were shut to him didn't mean the rest were. Some doors required a bit of prying to open, while some were already waiting to be discovered, and all Kōrai needed was to find and sharpen the required tools. Throughout the manga, there is a theme of competitiveness and how it affects the lives of the high school players on the court. We see how it affects them for the better and also the worse. We see how regardless of its positive or negative effects, these teenagers strive for improvement, to learn how to work with others as a team, and the list goes on. Hoshiumi is an example of a character who has a good balance of competitiveness and passion, which keeps him going in his pursuit of being good at volleyball. But in a moment of vulnerability (not defeat), he suddenly turns to Gao during the match and admits that there were times when he'd given up a little, starting to feel there were limits to the height he could reach. I believe that this statement was essential for Hoshiumi to admit out loud, as it further shows us that even a character as confident and competitive as him can eventually start to feel the pressure of keeping up and even almost let it get to him. But it seems that by the end of the manga, all the effort Hoshiumi has put into his own improvement in both body and mind, along with letting his competitiveness drive his passion instead of control him, he manages to achieve not only a spot on one of the best V1 League teams in Japan but also becomes a player on the Japan National Team for the Olympics. The seeds he's sown have finally grown and now Hoshiumi can reap his rewards as he rightfully deserves.

Someone once told me that competition was simply part of human nature. It can come in forms we never thought possible, but it's still there. Sports, academics, collections, status, and so on. It doesn't matter what form this competitiveness comes in, but it does matter how we use it in our lives. Do we let it control us and our desires in turn? Or do we use it as fuel to strive for improvement, to make a positive change in our lives and for others as well?

Kamomedai's Message

The Importance Of A Coach

Aaron Murphy is the coach for Kamomedai and according to the manga, his background and qualifications make him stand out amongst the range of other coaches we've seen in the story. He's a coach for one of Italy's Pro Series A leagues for years, took a Japan V2 League team and made them V1, and many kids on the volleyball team purely attended Kamomedai High just to play for him. He's a pro through and through- you'd expect him to be harsh, to have multiple well-detailed training schedules for his team, to push the limits of his players- similar to Coach Washijo, who's also a coach for a powerhouse school that is amazing at volleyball and set up to be one of the biggest antagonists Karasuno will ever face. But he's not! He seems to be a far cry from that. According to an onlooker (and referencing the manga again), people view him as a coach who doesn't seem to stand out too much, despite knowing he has an incredible record of being one. Meanwhile, Coach Washijo only looks for players with raw strength and power, the ability to intimidate and rule the court with their impressive height and skill and he will cut them off from their position if they refuse to listen to him. He's painfully harsh and it's evident in the way we've seen how his players react when he merely calls their names. Coach Washjio is intimidating and fierce, something you'd expect from a coach who has cultivated a team that's produced some of the most impressive players in the history of Haikyuu. Yet this treatment stems from his background, where Washijo was not allowed to play volleyball because of his height. We don't know a lick of Coach Murphy's backstory, but that's okay! It's unrequired to dissect his importance and why someone like him fits perfectly with Kamomedai's message and significance in the story, along with implied effects on Hirugami and Hoshiumi's philosophies.

Earlier, I stated that Udai gave up on volleyball because the pressure of intense competition got to him. It was good that he knew that improving his skills and technique could help him make up for his height, but Udai forgot about improving one thing that Coach Murphy had emphasised when training the Kamomedai team: Mindset. (Or more accurately, mental toughness) Through short moments in Volume 41, we can see that Coach Murphy focuses on mental training. Furudante could've shown us how intensely he trains Kamomedai, as he does mention that serving and blocking are the other two skills that he wants to train the team in (and Kamomedai is well-known for those two aspects), but we only get a brief panel showing us how sweaty and exhausted the whole team is. Yet, during that moment, the focus is on Coach Murphy talking about mindset, before directing the team to scenario practice. In the same volume, Akaashi recognizes that not one, not two, but the whole Kamomedai team is capable of doing task focus throughout the game, something that he barely managed to do in Volume 38. Akaashi is a character that is typically perceived as someone who is very calm and collected due to his analytical nature, but in Fukurodani matches we get to see that he doesn't have a good view of himself and tends to have negative thoughts that are similar to Asahi. A character like Akaashi noticing and making this connection further emphasizes how the players on Kamomedai are exceptional at their way of thinking, besides their serves and blocking.

We can see that his teachings have effects on his players and that's great! Reflecting on my earlier comparison between him and Coach Washijo, his methods are tough and intensive, but they're not excessive and seem to value both physical and mental health equally. Although Coach Murphy and Coach Washijo have years of experience training volleyball players, only one of them has experience looking over a professional team of athletes. Coach Murphy focuses on taking the players he has and helping them to hone their skills, instead of filtering through them and only picking ones who have the most potential. He looks at the cards he's dealt with and figures out how to make the best use of them. There's an air of professionalism with the way he handles and talks to his players, in my opinion- he's playful at times, but Coach Murphy's words are also grounding and firm. In a way, his method is very similar to gentle parenting (if that makes sense haha). His healthy way of teaching has affected his players, assisting them on their journey of improving their thinking in both their games and outside of the court. In Volume 41 and on the same page that the players of Kamomedai are briefly shown to be undergoing training, Coach Murphy's advice clearly addresses potential physical or mental obstacles players can face during a match- 'What happened was either a failure of your skill...or a failure of your decision-making process and mental control'. Murphy also states that they should make success a larger habit, before following up that a thought along the lines of "Oh, I'm having an off day today" isn't an excuse, unless the player themselves are sick or hurt. From this, it's implied that Coach Murphy is advising his players to pursue success but not let a negative mindset prevent them from doing so. Coach Murphy's second statement also supports the point that his training is gentle but firm by implying that he guides his players on how to properly reflect on their mistakes and spot areas of improvement before making the next step (which is solving the issue). Kamomedai's slogan is 'Habit Becomes Second Nature', which further supports the purpose and message of the team in the story of Haikyuu. Combined with Coach Murphy's teachings, it's no surprise that Kamomedai will not only grow as a team, but their players will also become people who persist despite undergoing harsh conditions. It's why they're closely linked to seagulls (and also why Hoshiumi resembles and is heavily based on one); To quote Coach Murphy, Kamome means 'seagull'. Seagulls can handle sea or sky, fair weather or foul, no matter what.

So, what is Kamomedai's purpose and message in the manga? From all the evidence I've gathered, I believe that the team exists to show the viewers and other characters in the story the importance of mindset besides skill, to carefully train yourself to persist in doing or achieving something despite obstacles in your way and that if something bad happens, it's not good to beat yourself up. Instead, careful reflection is required if you wish to improve and avoid making the same mistake again. Take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.

But then again, this analysis might be a bit biased as Kamomedai is one of my favourite teams and I've typed a crap-ton of words for this, phewwwwww. My brain is dry now. So if you have any other views on them, feel free to reply to this! I'm all up for discussion :3

[55adapertio]

(Alt Text: Tragibox Lore Resource Masterpost. Archives, official links, fan docs, etc...)

Guess who accidentally deleted it when they were going to edit something... yeah.

LAST UPDATED; 30/03/25

Thought this would be treasured by others as much as it is by me. Wherever my hyperfixation takes me to learn is for me to share!!!

If you have any additions, feel free to send them to me so I can add them! Also don't doubt about telling me if any of the links happen to be broken or if anything is incorrectly linked!

⚠️ Some things to keep in mind:

Tragibox Lore is currently being rewritten by the new owner of the project, Ruby Waters. Some things might get changed!

Breakthrough bonuses are fanmade.

Ruby has kindly asked to not ship characters within Tragibox, this includes Neester x Lilac. Screenshots of this boundary can be found on the Lore Archive Masterdoc linked below. DaveMack is excepted from this since it's a canon ship! Canon ships are allowed.

Official Orin Ayo Lore Doc (Wayback Machine Link): Might be a bit laggy on phone. Try not to touch the text too much because it sends you to refresh the page (HAPPENED MANY TIMES...). There's a missing picture of Acheture Blunt's appearance before death but I managed to dig around a little and find it! It's currently on the lore archive below.

Tragibox Lore Archive Masterdoc: A document by me. Archives the official lore doc, in-game profiles (in progress), discord lore questions answered and some other things. My directory basically!!! Don't request editing access. Note: When opening in a mobile browser, check "desktop size/browser view" to be able to see the images better, otherwise they will look blurry.

Official Tragibox Discord Server: Activity varies a lot but very fun! There is interesting lore material around and you can ask lore questions. Might serve to track the progress of the project in the future! Also good to interact with other Tragibox fans. Special shout-out to whoever sent me the invite link through strawpage when I asked for it, you're a real one sob sob...

Tragibox Archive by Smugg/Pk Freeze: HTML version of Tragibox games saved plus a bit of lore information screenshoted~

Orin Ayo Wiki: Take some of the things here as a grain of salt, information tends to be changed by users and is usually not backed by sources. Lore related note; don't take the info in character profiles in Orin Ayo as the 100% truth, as most of that information can be manipulated by cultists~

Extra to Orin Ayo Wiki: Paige's Wiki Page

Breakthrough Wiki: Same thing as the Orin Ayo Wiki. This time, character info can be trusted a little more, most of it is written directly by Sol but there are some cases of unknown characters or Dave writting them (Dave's logs have his signature)

Using this little space to add that I'm currently working on a document analysing some elements on Tragibox from a more scientific point of view~ For now it is just a very rough WIP bit will be added to this list once it is done.

[enbypotat53]

(TPOT 17 SPOILERS AHEAD!)

KICKING MY FEET CHEWING THE FURNITURE BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS WHAT IN THE KENTUCKY FRIED FUCK WAS THAT EPISODE /EXTREMELY POS

FIRST OF ALL

FUCKING

FINALLY.

I'm so sorry to all the Pillow/YF fans but when I tell you this is probably the HAPPIEST I have been watching an elimination go down.. ever?? My two least favourite characters gone in the same elimination I am CRYING.

Gonna be honest I didn't get many screenshots for this one because I spent most of the episode freaking the fuck out (and most of the ones that I DID get are Tree-focused, go figure), but GOD there is so much to unpack.

Pen and Pencil's interactions this episode were AMAZING - they have such an excellent parallel, and I'm REALLY hoping their dynamic goes further. Pen missing his friends but learning to move on and accept the present, whilst Pencil is still stuck in the past? Also Book learning to stand up for herself is amazing too 💙

I love him.

So much.

I'm sure you could tell already by the several dozen images I've added in my last TPOT analyses, but Tree is my absolute FAVOURITE TPOT character, and some of his moments this episode were honestly great?? Him being scared of the mansion noises and IMMEDIATELY noping out made me cackle, and the fact that he can't whistle for shit is just.. he's so pathetic /aff 💙

Also his little interaction with Marker at the end of the episode is so cute?? Death PACT have my heart and soul y'all they love eachother so much :,3

Okay when I tell you I SCREAMED.

Probably no secret that I've been hyperfixated on XFOHV (and that Five and Six are my favourite characers, as well as my favourite ship), and.. good lord I was NOT prepared. I was honestly expecting Nine, I have no idea why?? I am SO happy it was Six, though (although that "I'm the only one left" was a punch in the gut, what the fuck do you mEAN WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CHILDREN-)

ALSO

ONE! It's becoming apparent that she's slowly losing what little hold she has over the contestants, with Donut denying her contract and the others focused on solving what happened to the other contestants, it's clear she's using all her resources to stop them. Manipulation? Altering text? Possibly getting rid of the other Algebraliens?? All on the table for her. Anything to get what she wants. (And from how Six sounded, the others may be aware of how dangerous she is, too. I'm excited to see how this'll play out!)

Not much more to add except a couple of miscellaneous moments I couldn't place elsewhere, and...

I'm not even gonna lie, the cereal scene made me tear up. Winner realising that Loser didn't fully forget about them? AUGH MY HEART 💔 And Bottle hosting this episode was fun as hell! I seriously loved this challenge - breaking up the teams to focus on inter-team relationships? Pen and Marker interacting?? Mwah, chef's kiss.

[delicatetigerobject]

i love this show too much so I'm ranting/venting about that so you don't have to read, I just wanted to tell someone about this

this was made because nobody wants to listen to me infodump about stranger things! its a bit long tho

Im legitimately so excited for the season five trailer to drop. Like so excited. I cant wait to look for blue and yellow, i cant wait to write down what will and mike say, i cant wait to search through it for byler evidence and write it down and take photos. I cant wait to watch it with the sound off and then the sound on. I cant wait for it bro i want to see it i dont know when the trailer will drop but i CANNOT FUCKING WAIT!! I haven't even finished season four yet and im rewatching season one already. Idk i just felt the need to talk about this because i want to scream and jump up and down and explode and it makes me so happy to think about it sometimes, i love this show so much. When the trailer for season five comes out, im going to watch it silently first without captions to see the emotions in the scene, then ill watch it with captions but no sound to see what theyre saying, then with sound and captions to hear their emotions and see them. Im going to experience it layer by layer and then probably rewatch it to spot any details i miss.

Idk this might seem like too much but AGGHHHHHH I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH PLEASE YOU MUST UNDERSTAND. LIKE ITS MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, I kid you not. It’s the ONLY show I watch, and it’s all I can draw. I don’t know if I’ll still like it in a month, or next year, or in a decade, but right now, it is the thing i look forward to most each day, ive annoyed my sister to death talking about it. Every time i see the number seven or someone says seven. I think of byler. If i see blue and yellow. I think of byler. Minecraft makes me think of stranger things. This hyperfixation is becoming a problem now, but it brings me so much joy. I cant wait for season five, i cant wait for the trailer for it, i cant wait to see how they finish the show. I feel so truly happy when i look at a good meme of it, i actually laugh at them and it makes me smile so huge. I dont watch the show every day, but i draw byler during class and i look at theories and memes and art whenever im bored. I just really cant wait for the season five trailer, i cant wait for the theories, for the analyses, for the fan art, for the possible edits, for the other people excited about it. I dont think i have any byler doubt right now, i think its set up too perfectly for it to happen and in such a well made show that it would be just too unfulfilling if it doesnt happen, it would ruin so much of it.

Its sometimes crazy to me that i haven't even been watching this show for half a year yet, because i care so much about it. I dont know what id do if i lost it, if it ceased to exist, if i couldnt ever watch it again. idk , i might just be feeling more strongly than usual about it right now, but i absolutely adore this show and everything in it. I love every season and every episode i watch makes me want to die of happiness. I love each and every piece o byler evidence you guys find, and i hope that you know that even the simplest of byler shitposts bring me so much joy. I am shaking as i type this, i have no clue what to do right now because i feel so strongly about this. Stranger things and byler hold an incredibly special place in my heart right now, and i just really had to tell that to somebody i guess.

Sorry if this is repetitive, its just my literal favorite thing ever. I go to sleep thinking of this show and i wake up and think about it. I know itll end, but i really cant wait for that, either. I want to see the conclusion, i want to see how they wrap up the stories of the characters and i want to see what ends they leave loose for us if any, and the fanfictions will be so wonderful im sure of it. I will read them until my eyes hurt, even if theres typos, even if theyre sad, especially if theyre sad, even if they have the worst punctuation ive ever seen. I think im done for now tho, i need to go lie down on the floor for a bit and try to calm down. Byler endgame, im sure of it. And if its not. Well. then to be completely honest? I may cry, and i will definitely read alternate ending fanfics. Same goes for if will or mike die, im very attached to mike’s character. This show has made me so happy, and i love that i get to share it with you all. Anyway im done for real now, i seriously need to lie down and take a break to calm down

[dancing-dawn]

for the ask game. please put him under the microscope

[to all my other sskk+kuro mutuals - love ya, have a little treat from me mmmwah!]

Why, my darling loving literary versed and slightly unhinged friend, you have my eternal gratitude for blessing me with this opportunity to analyse our bastard son. This ask just brought the brightest smile upon my face, because it was so unexpected but also, oh, how my soul has been craving it without my knowledge. I shall make a fair warning here: all of this is going to be my pure and unblemished opinion, since I have read 0, and I mean 0.00 Kuroshitsuji analysis (unlike, yk, for some other cursed by fate morally gray and doomed by the narrative characters for whom I have read every single instance of meta knowledge that can be found on this blasted site). So this shall be fun! Hopefully I can do him justice with my measly understanding of the source material and longtime hyperfixation.

Favourite thing: Ok I feel the need to be very insightful here and analyse the complexity of his character and why he’s such a unique and lovable protagonist besides being an absolute insufferable little shit but, honestly, it’s his character design for me. The way he’s drawn in the manga and espeeecially in the latest volumes where Yana’s art style has grown and flourished so much - it’s magnificent. Such a simple yet striking design, with the glowing engraved with runes purple eye beneath the eyepatch and the very simple boyish blueish hair which oh thanks god he doesn't look like your typical anime protagonist with crazy hair (it also helps to drive the appearance of just a normal little boy who's driven into a world of pure madness and forced to grow up and essentially come on top of the underground “mafia” because of his heritage)

Second, his asthma. As crazy as I may sound. The connection I feel to him because of his lung problems is as limitless as the sky. I adore asthma representation in media, it’s very important for me and I feel that his was portrayed very respectfully and serves to paint the full picture of his story.

Third, all the goddamn chess metaphors to his name. I love the chess symbolism to SHREDS!! And everything related to his personality to stem from that yes.

Least favourite thing: MMmmmmm some of his earlier outfits imao, I can think of some especially atrocious ones from the anime (the colors are NOT helping). But don’t get me wrong - I also love a lot of them. Especially those from the dreamscape, yk what I'm talking about.

Favourite line: I just realised I don't have one???? Preposterous, gotta go on a deep dive gimme a sec…

“I prefer to have my nightmares with open eyes.”

Oh that's a sick one I like it! Coming back to check Ciel quotes I'm being reminded this boy has some terrific life philosophy and I love him for it.

brOTP: Ok it’s a bit weird to call it a “brotop” but in the sense of which platonic interactions I love the most of course I need to say between those of our main duo. Ciel and Sebastian have the most complex and interesting dymanic, possibly out of any characters in media outside of kuro too, I just don't feel confident enough to analyse it here because honestly it's hard even for me to put into words.

OTP: I feel like the story of Black Butler is best told without any romance, so I’m gonna say none.

nOTP: For plot and current manga development reasons, as tragic as it is, I need to say Lizzy/ Ciel (both in fact). I love Lizzy, so so much. She became very dear to my heart the second her backstory and real character was revealed in Book of the Atlantic. Her love for Ciel is tragic in many ways. It makes for a dramatic interesting story but I still feel sympathy for her.

Random headcanon: He would soon reach a point when he'd start wanting to tear himself from Sebastian's care - maybe just to spite him, maybe to prove to himself he's as physically weak as he's perceived, but he will start making his own tea or trying and failing spectacularly to make his own desserts and little things like that.

Unpopular opinion: uuuuh gonna skip this one i can't think of anything perdonami perdonami

Song I associate with them: Easy. So easy in fact that I searched for the song the second I opened this document and it’s been playing nonstop for an hour while I write this. I have so many fond memories of this song because I discovered it very early into my Kuro obsession and at first I didn’t even realise it’s not an “official” character song, it just fits so so well. I remember this song carrying me through my uni prep art courses when I was feeling so stressed and close to throwing up, I always put this on repeat to calm me. I barely even remember what the lyrics mean and yet I still feel a very intense connection to it.

Favourite picture:

I shall not and need not elaborate further thank you :3

[sepublic]

People -and this did include myself at one point- really don't want to engage with the fact that Belos is modeled after white supremacy by trying to bury this under the lens of "Oh he's actually a lonely weirdo like Luz!!!" when Belos' superiority complex is the most important part of him and it's where all analyses inevitably must stem from. I think the problem is that people are too attached to their speculative fanon version of Belos and instead of letting go of that to rebuild their understanding of him from the ground up (since he's a mysterious character who is only gradually revealed bit by bit), they keep clinging to this sympathetic tragic villain as the core behind their interpretation of him. 

Everything about Belos makes so much more sense when you explore him as someone akin to a lot of right-wing 4channers; A lonely young boy who was radicalized because white supremacy promised to rescue him from his isolation, and after buying into it wholesale, he very much chose to cling onto the need to be superior to the "NPCs" even when someone close to him actually unlearns and deconstructs for him why this is harmful. He sees firsthand how someone just like him is happier for leaving this mindset, and then kills them to eliminate that contradiction threatening his world belief; At which point it’s inaccurate to infantilize him as just a lonely and misguided kid, because he’s no longer a kid and he made a very cognizant and informed choice to double down and commit actual violence.

And everyone knows that by this point, such people are not actually being sincere; They’re not secretly misguided, you can’t simply attribute their harm to not knowing better because this is what their religion says or whatever. These people know they’re committing harm, but rather than help on “lesser” people’s terms, they ‘help’ the way THEY see fit, in the way that strokes their ego. That’s what separates Philip from someone like Gwen, who humbled herself to focus on what Eda was saying she really needed. So the Titan’s summarization of Belos as someone who only cares about being the hero in his own delusion, and fears what he can’t control is… hardly an oversimplification, it really gets to the core of Belos as a character, and the narrative he embodies. It captures the difference between wanting to help and having a savior complex, and is what ends up delineating the two at the crucial crossroads. 

And I find it a little concerning to joke about how this type of character is “just a silly guy” when people exactly like him are on the rise and committing very real violence right now. It’s also why I don’t buy the justification behind a lot of salt about how villains need to be humanized in order to show kids how THEY can become villains, because the show is fairly outright about how Belos rationalizes atrocities under the guise of the ‘greater good’ and refuses to self-reflect, and it’s not as if we don’t have Luz learning to understand characters like Amity or Lilith, the Collector and even Kikimora (whom she DID relate to personally, yet Kiki still doubled down with or without Belos), while still having the show emphasize that they need to get their act together and can’t just depend on people to save them. 

There’s also the very obvious theme of Luz realizing she doesn’t owe her oppressor anything, especially not when he won’t ever meet her or anyone else on their terms, but idk some people just seem to hate Luz for having boundaries I guess, even though she already put in the effort to be kind and understanding to Belos and she got hurt for it. Hell the Collector made that effort after being inspired by Luz, and Luz was murdered protecting them from that mistake!!! There are some very obvious stories and lessons being told here with the actual protagonists being the heart of those narratives, but the problem I’ve noticed is that a lot of the people complaining on Belos’ behalf are those who hyperfixated almost exclusively on the Wittebane aspect of the lore, going over it with a fine tooth comb and microscope to extrapolate an entire fanon from the littlest of details… only to just ignore the actual show and narrative and themes happening on-screen. 

And that leads to many not understanding various narrative decisions because they weren’t really paying attention to the actual point they’re in service to, and then they blame the writers for their own chosen ignorance, and how the story wasn’t about their part specifically so everything else doesn’t count and the whole show is wasted potential, really. The way so many of said fans immediately turned on Luz after the finale and tried to drag her down to Belos’ level by acting like she wasn’t any better for also wanting things and 'demonizing enemies', claiming Luz had unaddressed ‘flaws’ while Belos deserved more sympathy, and framing Belos as a ‘better’ character who ‘worked harder’ while claiming Luz was retconned into an arrogant chosen one who never grew, is actually baffling.

A lot of them are just upset that Belos didn’t play the role in Luz’s arc that they wanted him to play, so they’ve opted to dismiss Luz’s overall storyline as badly written and even a reflection of Dana's 'Catholic complex' (which is a tasteless jab to make) because they neglected the nuance behind every other aspect of Luz that wasn’t directly tied to Belos, that didn’t set her up as the one person who understands him or whatever because that’s more important to them than addressing the sheer trauma and pain that Belos willingly inflicted upon Luz. Because god forbid this brown girl be angry against her white abuser, huh? God forbid the white guy be used to set up the brown main character, rather than the other way around right????? It’s really just a jealous complaint about the show’s choice of priorities and celebration, hidden under the false guise of ever caring about Luz’s arc for Luz’s sake.

And that’s how you get insincere arguments about how Belos should’ve been able to survive, that’s how you get AUs that undermine the lessons of canon to egregiously relegate Luz to being Belos’ sidekick, or even present her as an obstacle to him getting his much-needed redemption, as if that last part hinges on all of Belos’ victims getting over their pain to help him, because obviously he needs it more than they do! Because we gotta spare Belos’ feelings by giving him friends instead of consequences!!! Unbelievable. He is not Amity, not Lilith, and definitely not Hunter, and the people who forgave them had actual reason to do so. And even Lilith had to move in with her mother so she could be given reparations by someone who actually owed it to her, rather than her younger sister and two kids.

And there’s definitely a major difference between Lilith and Gwen’s dynamic and Philip and Caleb’s, especially since Caleb was also a child when he moved into Gravesfield. Even if you think Belos' bigotry was radicalized due to 'grief' over losing his brother to witches, that's just entitlement and control because it's not as if Caleb can't have more than one positive relationship in his life; Philip is no better than people who blame minorities for some incident in their life and use that as justification to become white supremacists, and there's nothing sympathetic or 'tragic' about that.

But the point is that Caleb ultimately wasn’t THAT important to Belos because he’d always be secondary to witch-hunting, Belos clearly chose his white supremacy over his brother, and any ‘takebacks’ that come in the form of the Grimwalkers are insincere given Belos does nothing to actually repent or regret his violence committed on the people of the isles; It’d have been one thing if he DID try to undo his mistake by choosing differently, by cloning Caleb and giving up witch hunting, but he still doesn’t (Note that Belos does not hallucinate the ghosts of the witches he killed; He still feels no remorse over them, because his fear of being wrong comes from a selfish place). And unlike Luz, Belos can’t have it both ways because one option explicitly calls for the extermination of the other; It’s the Paradox of Tolerance that Luz struggled with, except contrary to what Belos claims, humanity’s existence does not require the eradication of others.

Because yes there IS a meaningful moral distinction between Luz and Belos -don’t forget they’re not just parallels but explicit opposites- that occurs even before you get into the genocide, not that you should neglect that other part either because it’s incredibly important, being the starting point for this entire rant. Society already has a bias towards devil’s advocating bigotry as some big misunderstanding, and prioritizing the angst of white dudes who commit it over the victims of color; Can we avoid applying that to fiction?!??!? I literally saw someone complain that the show didn’t portray Belos’ grief from murdering Luz, and that Luz’s “glory moment” took away from a Wittebane backstory!!! At this point, people are just being racist.

[senualothbrok]

Because you get it. Can we just discuss the intense feeling of loss over realising that Gale (and other fictional characters) don't really exist and the grief it brings? Like, is this feeling of mourning normal?

Hello anon, and thank you for this ask 🫂 I do, in fact, understand this, and am glad that I'm able to share in a discussion about this with someone who resonates.

Long post incoming...

To answer your question. I don't know if this feeling is "normal", or if it's all that useful or helpful to think of this in terms of normal or abnormal. What I can say is that you are definitely not alone. There are people, myself included, who understand this experience deeply. I've seen it being talked about in different ways. As grief and mourning. As missing Gale (or other fictional character). As an emptiness following a hyperfixation waning. And more recently, I have come to see how similar it is to the withdrawal symptoms of an addiction.

I don't know if you know much about fictophilia - and if you already know everything I am about to go into, then I apologise for teaching a grandma to suck eggs. Fictiophilia is a strong and lasting feeling of love, infatuation or desire for a fictional character. Over the past year I have reflected a lot on my feelings about Gale and their effect on my life. I have been in love with Gale since autumn 2023, and I identify as a fictophile.

There is a really interesting study on fictophilia from 2021, which helped me to better make sense of my experiences. Researchers analysed 71 online discussions about fictophilia. One of the main themes that came out of their analysis was the fictophilic paradox. This is the distressing experience of knowing that the object of one's love and affection is fictional and "not real", and therefore unattainable. To know this and still experience intense feelings of love and attachment produces grief. One participant said:

"Knowing that he doesn't exist is agonising. It literally makes my heart ache. I hate feeling this way and I hate the fact that I can't talk to anyone about it because I'm so embarrassed. But I don't want to let go of him either."

I, for one, deeply resonate with this experience. It seems like this is one of the main experiences that many fictophiles share.

I have also heard many people, and many neurodivergent individuals, talk about the emptiness and depression they feel after the waning of a hyperfixation. (I also consider myself neurodivergent, and can relate). A hyperfixation can inject a sense of joy and purpose into life in an all consuming way. That is certainly how I experienced my love for Gale for a very long time - I thought about him all the time, and all I wanted to do were things that related to him. Although being hyperfixated to an extreme degree can impair one's ability to get on with everyday life (which it definitely did for me, ngl), to lose that intensity of focus and feeling can be like coming off a high. It can leave one feeling lost and incredibly low. I also experienced it as a deep and pervasive loneliness. A kind of mourning.

I think there can also be crossover here with addiction and the cycle of withdrawal. For me, my hyperfixation was addictive. It gave joy and comfort, and made me feel good when things were bad. Unfortunately, when it comes to addictive behaviour, the more one engages in the behaviour, the more one needs to do to get the same level of pleasure (the brain develops tolerance). If one engages in it to a lesser degree, or stops altogether, then withdrawal kicks in. Feelings of depression, grief, emptiness - these can all be part of that.

All of these things are, I think, my way of saying: the sense of loss and mourning you feel isn't something unheard of. It's an experience shared by others, that many can relate to. You're not alone - it doesn't make the grief go away, but at least you know there are people who understand.

On a broader and more philosophical note...

I have described my feelings for Gale as love. I truly believe that. And one of my favourite sayings is that grief is the price of love. The deeper we love, the more we open ourselves up to the grief that comes as part of giving our hearts, when there is always the possibility of loss. For those of us who love Gale, the loss has already materialised, because we can never really have him. We pay the price of grief up front, as it were.

I hope this was helpful in some way. Thank you for reaching out 🫂💜🫶🏻 if anyone wants to share their thoughts, I would love to hear them.

[mini-version]

My brain is going crazy 'cause I was analysing Max' character in that penose au because I want certain traits to be passed down or be seen in Oscar as he grows.

NOW, I was wondering what makes Max a good husband to Charles and a good father to Oscar?

If you ask anyone in their universe, there's just no way. He's a man who is a witness of violence. He was born in the world of violence. He is more than capable of inflicting this violence towards others.

And then I started ranting to my best friend about my brain fart (i'm sorry darling), because someone like Max would have to be mentally strong to be capable of all these evil stuff and still stand his ground. To still be capable of being soft, being tender, and gentle, and love.

Because good and evil come hand-in-hand but not because they sit across one another. They come hand in hand, because a good person should be capable of evil, and choosing not to inflict it is what makes them a good person.

If you're just not capable of evil, then you're just yourself. And the self doesn't really have a definition. No one is born evil, or born good. You're just born. And then you learn and then you choose.

LASJDFLASKJDFLASKJDFALSDKJF I'M GOING CRAZY, MY HYPERFIXATION IS AT FULL FORCE, I AM IN A RABBIT HOLE—