#lots of spoilers in there but phew

[hel-phoenyx]

OHOHO I HAVE TIME IN MY HANDS AND NO ACCESS TO MY GAMES, LET'S HAVE THE INFAMOUS VILLAIN RANT

Huge ass spoilers for La Peste Moderne, Lysara IbRu'Ael and Azilis Chronicles ahead

Ah, villains. An interesting subject, for that matter. I am very well known among my friends and polycule for being the Notorious Villain Fucker, but aside from that villain psychology is something I find utterly fascinating, and the way people write their villains is very, very often telling of their own opinions about life.

There are many archetypes of villains. Some I came across in my mates' stories are, for a non exhaustive list, the iredeemable bastard just here for the laughs, the person with a goal and ready to do unfathomable things to reach it, while knowing damn well he went too far, the broken beyond repair that can't or won't pick himself up because finding redemption is so scary, the endoctrined man who never knew anything else than evil, mundane cruelty.... And of course, evil parents, but evil parents are less antagonists and more backstory-related, so I won't dive into it.

Personally, I realised my main antagonists fall into two main categories : One which is less about being a villain and more about being morally grey, being broken beyond repair in excruciating need of hope, but still able to love, still able to feel, and wanting to feel; or, the absolute bastard, iredeemable fucker, but with a knack for show.

There are exceptions, of course. The Ultimate Empress, for example, falls into the inbetween of those two archetypes. There's Yuuki, too, which is antagonistic on her very role but not on her behaviour. Or Shizuka, who falls more into the bastard category but has no interest for show. But these two are more secondary, and less villainous than the other people I will talk about.

Main antagonists share a caracteristic : They are FASCINATING to write about. Taking for example my boy Mairù. Mairù evolves in two very different persons depending on the universe : In Lysara, he starts out not as a villain, only as an antagonist : He is moderate, tries to keep in control the excruciating pain his body is inflicting to him, only joins the antag's side because of a genuine want to make things better... He is the enemy, yes, but he is not a villain per say. In fact, he is more than happy to help the protagonists once they share an objective : Stop a third party wrecking shit up.

It's after that that he gets into his villainous arc. Mairù is, fundamentally, a broken person : His trauma defines all his life, all of who he is. He is a prophet, he is a weapon, and even his own family can't see him as a person. He tried, for a long time, to find people who make him feel like he isn't a monster : The problem, or the problems, in fact, is that these people always end up, one way or another, leaving him behind.

Lina broke up with him. Kal threw himself into his attempt for redemption, something he was very good at, and Mairù was very bad. So, to try to salvage what little mental health he has left and not hurt the last person he has left, Asura, he left for his training arc, hoping to come back stable and worthy of her affection.

She didn't wait for him.

That was the last straw, the last hit in his already fragile self. He became the villain of the story, leaving all forms of selflessness behind him. At this point, he is tired of waiting, tired of trying, only for scraps. It expresses itself in his love for Asura getting insanely unhealthy, borderline yandere, but fundamentally it is a visceral reaction to being left on the road one time too much, and his resentment also expresses itself towards Lina, Baku, or even Kal.

Fundamentally, despite doing atrocities, all he needed to put himself back in the right path was a held hand and a solution. The moment he is helped, the moment he is loved, he changes for good. He is the living example of how a single ounce of understanding and genuine help can change a person, bring him back from the hole he was crawling into, pushed voluntarily or invonluntarily by all others before.

He is a villain, he is an antagonist, he is broken and thought it was beyond repair, but affection mended the cracks he was desperate to fix.

That's where he is different from his azilian version. Mairù at Azilis starts already broken, in a world far less accepting of people like him. he is already at the point where lysarean Mairù breaks down. The problem is that there is no Kal to follow : Mairù creates his own path, his own revolution, and is responsible of his own downfall.

Unless this time he picks up the pieces of him himself. He realises brooding won't do him any help, that the people he has left need him to pick up the pace. He was the instrument in his own downfall, so he will be the instrument of his own redemption.

In fact, I think the huge difference between lysarean Mairù and azilian Mairù is that lysarean Mairù is the victim of his world, while azilian Mairù is the actor of his own story.

They're the same and different at the same time. Same basis, same cracks in the shell, same pain, same will to be important in the eyes of people. They just had a different story, one as a puppet and one as an outsider, but still yearning to be good, yearning for understanding and acceptance. They are in the concept morally white-gray : Not wanting to hurt peoble, screaming for help, but still to be held accountable for shit they do.

Both of them are a narrative foil somehow for their other sibling, and boi do I have things to say about them : Akira.

Akira is a peculiar case. They started devoid of emotions each time, except for a deep longing for revenge and a craving for what they lack : But as the two Mairùs, their path changes drastically to the point where azilian Akira falls out of both the archetypes I was talking about earlier, while lysarean Akira is the epitome of the showman bastard.

They start the same way. Akira, despite being emotionless, is the first of his siblings to fall in love with Lina. Like, the very first, starstruck and all. This is a bit cliché I'll admit, having all three of those fuckers infatuated with my protagonist, but Mairù gets over it each time, Baku ends up marrying her and as for Akira, Lina acts as a narrative foil for everything they want.

Lina is the embodiement of the first strong emotion he ever felt. She is love in his eyes. She represents everything he longed for : To FEEL. So naturally, he pursues her to the point she becomes quite the obession. The problem being each time, whe he awakens, she is already taken and can't be fully his.

He loves her like a man would love a prized possession. He wants her to be only his, no matter the cost, no matter if Lina prefers to be her own. That sounds obsessive, because it is, but it finds its roots in the fact that Lina embodies his emotions.

And then the game branches.

In Lysara, Lina becomes queen, and Akira is able to use Baku as his anchor to try and obtain her. He thinks about nothing else, the rest of his life is filled with empty cruelty in an attempt to feel something he knows will never be satisfying enough. Knowing his plan needs patience, he delves into the darker part of his personnality, channeling his need for adrenaline in absolute cruelty. In this iteration he's a complete and utter sadist, feeling pleasure in other's pain and not seeing any wrong in his way of acting.

She believed she would just play the long game, take possession of Baku before revealing the imposture to his beloved and either pose as the king or snatch her away, completing his lifelong goal of feeling that emotion entirely. The only problem is that Lina is polyamorous, and ends up falling in love with Shera next to Baku. Thus shattering her plan to take her peacefully.

At this point, Akira becomes more cruelty than love. And the birth of Carolyn gives him a new opportunity to obtain his full being, separated from Baku.

Her plan is completely separated from his love. Not to get into details, but once again she plays the long game, up until she gets completion and discovers her new emotions are... Not all positive :D

She is now completely defined by her cruelty and sadism. Still, she is motivated by her love for Lina, but now it gets overly bloody, and she finds more pleasure in shedding blood than in completing a goal she knows is doomed to fail. She is the kind to do dramatic reveals, enjoys presentation, because the fear people feel towards her is delicious. She loves being venerated, and in fact, there may be more than one cult in Lysara dedicated to the Angel of Death, cruelest nightmare harbinger ever known in this era. Her arc is one of complete bastardisation and reeling in blood and gore.

Azilian Akira, on the other hand, sees Lina dying before he can even prepare an erzatz of plan. So his arc is about grief, and about his own freedom far earlier than lysarean Akira. His cruelty has little time to nurture, and is replaced by ruthlessness and dedication for his objective. And since he has no one to direct his love unto, it quickly dies into regret.

This Akira is still a bastard, but an emotionless one. He knows what he wants and does whatever it takes for it. Only the results keep him going. He does find new people along the way, but his heart is closed to every last one of them and, even if he feels comfort in their presence, he doesn't love them per say. His emotions are sparse, some rush of adrenaline when he fights or kills, some kind of pleasure when he is in bed with people, but nothing else but regret and determination.

He knows on a intellectual level what he does is seen as wrong. He doesn't care. His goal is the only thing that matters. He has no time for pizzazz, showmanship or anything that will make him lose time. And his goal is completely selfish since it's about becoming more than a god.

So there you have it. Iredeemable, in no way wanting redemption, still cruel and destructive, still a bastard. But a bastard done with life rather than a bastard who takes the most of it.

The "bastard who takes the most of life" is actually the most fitting of Artist. Artist, my second Monokuma, is the secondary antagonist of The Art of Creating Hope. He is the fulfilled kind of bastard. He doesn't have a goal per say, or rather, he already achieved it, and is still living it : Living Art with a capital A, without limitations or rules or care for the world.

That goal led him to trial, but he carried on, and ended up among the Monokuma. There, he finally fulfilled his lifelong dream : Creating a work of art in a new medium that will revolutionnize the world. That medium being the killing game.

He acts as a narrative foil for Emerens in many ways. Their shared hate, thir shared past in the link created by Adelheid van Heel, but also in their shared goal. They couldn't be anymore different.

Artist is cruel to the last degree, and has no limits, no barriers. He only lives for Art, and to create again and again and again in his own twisted way. He doesn't care for anyone, likes to see suffering, and lives a show in any moment of his life.

Emerens, on the other side ?

Oh boi. Do I have things to tell about my little bastard.

Emerens is the embodiement of grey morale. He started as an innocent boy, that got broken again and again and again, picking all the pieces of himself down the road while forgetting some (too many). He has too many coping mechanisms that make him go from bullied at school to Mean Girl Archetype(tm). He commits legit atrocities during his killing game and even before, blackmailing, manipulating, gaslighting his way into a comfortable life.

To modern worlds standards, he is irredeemable. Many of his acts are worthy of life prison. But the problem with Emerens is that he CARES. He cares way too much. His parents opinion at first, then his beloved's safety, or his despair plaguing the world (something that can and DID happen way before the beginning of the story). He does what he does because he cares.

He is a bitch that can be unnessesary cruel at times, detached from reality because he is hiding behind his cocoon of hypocrisy, false security and coping mechanisms. He has the skill to subjugate or walk all over people and he does, more than once. Both before and during the killing game he is pictured as selfish, independant and secretive, following his own agenda. Many of his acts are nurtured by a hate rooting in his own traumatism.

But at the core of his being he is just a little boy who didn't grow up hidden behind a whole persona, a boy he refuses to look in the eyes, that didn't learn right or wrong properly and as a result has a twisted sense of morale. He is a man that wants desperately to love people no matter the form, no matter the cost, who throws himself in every crumb of affection ANYONE gives him, sex, friendship, relationship, no matter. He is someone that is ACHING for softness and security, the kind that won't get tainted by betrayal.

So of course he acts rather unhinged. Of course there is nothing worth suffering the loss of his love. Of course he would do anything for the first one that showed him genuine affection, or even the ones that followed.

Emerens is full of love that he does not know how to direct properly. His devotion make him act... Rather unkindly towards the masses. Unlike Akira or even Mairù, he is not desiring possession or even reciprocation : The only thing that matters in the killling game is getting Thibault to safety. No. Matter. What. Even if he would reject him. Even if he would hate him. His life is the most important thing in Emerens's perception of the world.

He is not a kind man or a victim of his own story. His convictions are twisted no matter how you look at them. Misguided is very far from the truth of his core. His feelings are spilling everywhere in such a way that he manages to distract the attention of everyone else from them. But he is not evil per say. Just broken beyond repair in a broken world that didn't allow him to find the help he needed, and fed his hate instead of nurturing his love.

There is no coincidence he is so different in the AU without killing games. He's still the same little bitch, but far more moral and kind to people than his TAoCH version, with a system that helped him instead of bringing him and people like him to slaughter.

The best, or worst, part, in my opinion, is the fact that, would have he gave in to his despair, he would have just killed himself without hurting anyone. But he met people he loved, found again people he loved, and threw himself in that connexion and that deep desire of protecting them to a point nothing else mattered other than makng sure NOTHING could hurt them.

He is a villain because he loves.

And that's a point I find quite a lot in my favorite antagonists.

[jazdrawsmtas]

POV everyone in town has a crush on you!

Wow, I can hardly believe I drew them all. Thank you everyone for the support, I had a lot of fun and seeing them all lined up like this is extremely satisfying.

[vioshortforviolence]

Pineapple is not a popular pizza topping choice among Links 🍍

original image from @linkeduniverse

[buttercupshands]

Chapter 419 Analysis or "How to completely break Tenko Shimura" a manipulative guide from All For One (part 1)

This is mainly a character analysis of Shigaraki Tomura or Shimura Tenko, any other character present is there to help.

Chapter 419 was hard to comprehend even with just summaries right on April 4th. Some things need at least fan translation to fully make sense. Or just hurt more in that matter.

Warning of spoilers to the whole manga to the point of chapter 419! All of the warnings from the respective Tomura chapters are applicable.

So like... mentions of death, killing other people, manipulation, emotional abuse and many more!

This is Part 1 - See Part 2 for something less depressing

This is going to be long! So let's start, shall we?

First of all we'll need to take into understanding ALL the chapters that we'll need to remember/reread just make this chapter worse (skip if already familiar with them):

Chapter 222 - Tomura Shigaraki: Distortion

Chapter 234 - Destruction Sense

Chapter 235 - Tenko Shimura: Origins

Chapter 236 - Tenko Shimura Origins, Part 2

Chapter 237 - Tomura Shigaraki: Origins

This is your "Tenko and Tomura understanding" starter pack, basically. Without them it's harder to even start unpacking what just happened with Tomura's perspective in mind

Well then.

The chapter starts and we are immediately greeted by AFO semi-agreeing without wanting to, that Tomura was strong enough before Izuku started trying "saving" him in his own way and even succeeded making Tenko's will all the more fragile than it was when he returned using his hate to his advantage.

Even after Izuku holding Tenko's hands for the whole chapter he was still stubborn enough to continue even without that hate in his heart

And the thing that initial summaries missed was the fact that Tomura actually reacted to AFO reapperance.

Still not understanding why AFO was even saying that.

Tenko was literally taught by AFO to follow "what he wants" in ch 237 with Tenko making his first decision to kill someone himself. And never actually hiding that Tomura just needed to never forget that hatred and those bad emotions that Tomura never really understood. And it took Izuku seconds to decipher them.

With AFO reassuring Tomura that he has no need in following morals of society and just should follow whatever he wants - his want to destroy everything that hurts him. And only AFO would accept and help him. He was constantly reminded of that.

Even if Tenko was feeling sick from killing at first, even if hands that he wore were still making him sick 15 years later without him understanding anything. Decisions made while person is emotional are usually the ones that the person might regret the most and Tomura lived with those unstable emotions for years. Knowing that they hurt him and make him feel sick.

But Sensei said that it's okay to follow those emotions. That's it's actually great that he does it.

Everything was for his sake, everything was for Tomura Shigaraki and Tomura Shigaraki only. He was his Sensei's successor and no one should argue with it. He's the only one to be next ruler of the underground and the next king. And Tomura gladly accepted that as truth.

Since it was easier than facing his guilt.

Because AFO just needed Tomura to have enough willpower to get OFA when the plan is ready. To make Gigantomachia to follow him while Garaki was watching knowing full well how the plan is going. Both knowing full well that Tomura is still holding himself back.

In this chapter however we finally see how all of the things AFO told and taught Tenko were just to make him so sure that HE was in control and allowed to do whatever he wants to completely break his worldview in the end "after he gets OFA" which is an unreachable goal now since OFA is gone for good.

By just saying that Tenko never had any choice to begin with.

Tomura already knew that AFO manipulated him and he was just a pawn, needed only to get OFA and piss off All-Might he accepted and embraced it as something unimportant. It was his choice and he was free to do it and not feel bad about it. Since he's born to destroy.

Until suddenly it wasn't just his life after Decay that was manipulated.

But his whole life from birth. Just because AFO didn't get his hands on Hana sooner and she was happy while AFO needed someone hurt and broken. And Shimura's household wasn't as bad as he needed it to be at first with Kotaro loving his children, wife, in-laws and even his mother.

And AFO destroyed it by creating so much conflict and even going out of his way to make sure Tenko's father knew that he was playing heroes with some kids. And even saved them by putting his own quirkless life in danger.

In some sense narrator-Tomura's words at the end of ch 236 still might hold true. AFO didn't just create his hate out of nowhere, to make it feel like even if Tenko remembers everything it's still he's doing not a villain appearing, not just some accident that it actually was.

Although AFO doesn't say anything about people who didn't help Tenko even though he he knew that it happened so he most probably was watching it happen until Tenko lost all hope entirely to finaly make him dependent on his help.

And he succeeded for the most part.

Tomura was making an assumption after he remembered everything that he "must've been yearning for that" and from that point onwards explains everything that happened as "I wanted it - I did it" and was clinging to it like a lifeline to explain everything.

He accepted that if Re-Destro is talking about his Decay quirk affecting him he exists only to destroy.

And now it seems he found a false motivation for himself that AFO created by cruely manipulating everything from his quirk to his family. Making him believe he had a hand in it. Breaking one of "safe" truths that Tomura never doubted. They only made his decisions feel right.

Which makes that a hopeless loop of broken memories being staged just to let Tenko become Tomura who hates and destroys everything believing that it's his choice. Only choice at that.

And if destroying is him only choice because of his quirk... then what can a quirkless person do while having so many people dead from his own hands? Hands that were literally cursed to have destruction quirk in them not because he was born to do it. But because his own Sensei wanted that.

And he's "unwavering heart" is now nothing but an illusion that was destroyed by both Izuku and AFO together.

There's no "Can I be a Hero?", because can he even be a Villain if most of the choices that were from Decay and the hatred in his heart weren't actually his own?

[teenytinyapprentice]

Black Raven week: Day 7 - Favourite

It goes without saying - Crow really stole the show. The charismatic and intelligent leader of the Black Ravens - I think he’s genuinely really cool! But also, still very much a dorky awkward kid. I love a good natural leader kinda character, especially one with a lot of ambition and street smarts to pull off something so absurd. Gotta love his tenacity!

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

66.7512 meters episode!!!

i think i broke his heart! oh well!!!! ÑLKÑLK ruby y are u so happy about this all the time skfljdks1 (waiting for the karmic writing where someone breaks *her* heart....). tbh also very doctor-like. they are *so* unhinged

i was looking for some Spin-off foreshadowing in this war between land and sea business but best i've got is that... it will probably be set in wales ksdlfj

nuclear war is hilarious. fiften u are not all right.

That's the most bizarre "circle" ive ever seen. if anything is the orthogonal projection of a geodesic dome.

"A pee around the back"…….. dr pee foreshadowing

AESOP #1: children, when u are doing "off the road tourism", don't disturb sacred sites

susan twist's "thing" is just gonna be: "take revenge from being killed so many times". like she's just red-shirting all over the place (maybe it's gonna be a bit of meta commentary of the high body count of this show? that it's all for our sadistic pleasure but doesn't always have real significance skfldj)

I guess inflation is a recurring theme this season?

liminal spaaaace

"and then there's the blood""w-what blood?" i laughed ngl sksksk

the different color fonts in iplayer are a bit distracting tbh…...

ah yes. welsh racism...

hmmm… runy sitting in the chair... to wait in front of the tardis... "The one who waits?"

Thats' what men do skdksk love me some "Intergalactic fuck boy" subtext being voice and made text

Poor ruby ):

it's about the [metaphor for being stigmatized]!!!

Ohh the doctor was the first to disappear by the curse, maybe?

"even ur real mother didnt want u" Bro this monster is so mean wtf Kate!!!

AGAINST HIM, SOMETIMES!!!!!!!!! Antagonist kate be coming!!!

"well, that's classified"

This timeline might be suspended along ur event???

WE INVENT THE RULES AND MAKE THEM WORK!!! THEMES!! YOU HAVE TO COUNT EVERY GRAIN OF SALT!!! IT'S THE GAME THEME CONNECTING TO THE SUPERSTITION THEME!!!!!!!!

theeeemes

the more unit gets competent the more sinister they become

her going "cheers!" to her personal satan. i love u ruby

FUCK YEAH. ICON. GO KILL THE PRIME.MINISTER

...only guys in ruby's little montage ]: im heartbroken T.T rip the x5 times wlw companions streak dream it seems

"except the bed thing that was u" narrator voice: it wasnt

"Which is what?" KILL THE PM KILL THE PM DO IT ICON

Rtd connected to the universe skskdk oh beautiful synergy

[also literally how Y&Y starts... ]

"No more" feels loaded/intentional here, considering how it's been used before as an Important Phrase is War's arc.

the emo advisor guy intrigues me

Ruby having to solve this whole thing + cold war vibes.... mmm very ace coded

[lol @ soc dem / liberal writers being so scared of "populism" and "the dumbness of crowds". peak soc dem / liberal] [what is a "political allegory story" by a soc dem without the punchline being that "I think The People are really fucking Stupid actually"] [i do enjoy the side point of british politicians being so desperate for relevancy that they fire nuclear missiles for the fun of it. yeah… that tracks]

[lol becoming independent from nato being a bad thing. lol #"fucklybia!!"#signed:thisepisode]

the directing is very fun in this

Ruby get on your feets and make it happen

She's gonna say u forgot to say hi to this lady

ruby's asking to be shot again sksks

Iris u say…........ eyes emoji

[ok but also. lol not to go " ah, peak liberal again!" but lol. this resolution is peak liberal [ie. fundamentally antidemocratic, a few 1% technocrats (obvs, privileged and from the global north) with the answers "know what's best"]. this lad may have been crazy but they voted for him for a reason that "the system" wasnt providing.but in typical soc dem fashion they can't ever fight the fascists on The Real Deal ie. strength of a proposed political project + material gains resulted from those political projects + committing to real system change, so they have to scramble for antidemocratic solutions like [timey wimey prisons] to ""fight facism""" (ie not fighting it at all and by proxy, just making the fucking cockroaches stronger each "election cycle" because they can't fight them in a meaningful, political sense) bc the people are just too stupid!!! and this is why democracy was a mistake!!!!!!! ... sigh rtd. oh well good thing i didn't expect more on this front tbh sdlkjfdsd in that sense the s1-s4 rewatch prepared me well lol]

clara vibes in this ep in a lot of moments (old!ruby, sort of "mausoleum tardis", etc)

"i didnt travel with him long..." "but it felt like a lifetime" became literal…

"Everyone has abandoned me my whole life" T_T

AESOP #2: kids u are never alone <3 u always have ur inner demons :) and the unrelenting spectra of death~

There's always something a bit unsatisfying about self closing paradoxes... kinda like "oh it was all a dream so it didnt matter". but i think in this one it was crunchy enough with other things that i think it was balanced.

Very turn left-y ending! CONCLUSIONS!! people kept saying in the press this episode was gonna be "super scary" tbh i just found it.... profoundly sad sdxkljflkfj ruby's life just *screams* "missing the important bits by focusing on the unimportant" and "obsessing over things that don't matter" and "companion becomes detached from real life to the point they become super unhinged and callous" ("im sorry i couldn't help you marti")

(c+p some stuff i put on a discord): tbh i rolled my eyes at the political stuff but i don't think im even mad about it this time lol (too tired irl to get properly angry at doctor who these days ig)

anyway i dont think the political stuff is what it was really "about". i found this story very moving on what it was (imo) rlly about: ruby's fear and experience of being abandoned and also the general "fear of approaching death"

and obvs a bit of other emotional beats that are more specific to doctor who's long running stories: like the doctor "always does this" ie leaves everyone of his friends behind and there's the lingering tragedy that this will happen, as well, to ruby inevitably, then also both ruby and the doc becoming 'detached' from real life (ruby basically never investing anything in those relationships w/ those guys bc she was 'absorbed' by this mystery /clearly a parallel to her being absorbed by her parental origin) and also how tourists cant watch where they step / the doctor and co arent always respectful to the 'silly traditions' of the places they visit (tbh excellent bc to overcome my "this show has the white man's burden' engraved in its dna" meta... the show is gonna have to keep making story like and like Demons of Punjab for at least 3 more decades lol) (basically tldr i think it fumbled the politics stuff but it was rlly crunchy where it mattered. also, ....... i think this pretty much confirms that ruby isn't her own mother / the person who let herself at the door step in Christmas, right??? like rtd had said was the short story he had concocted years ago, and was the insp for this... but he kinda used up that trick here… so it must be something/someone else, right?) (another thing: ruby going "i used to be able to make it snow" made smth click....... ---> if ruby's whole focus rn seems to be about "the mystery", and this quest seems to be not only something she *needs* but also something that like... means joy and adventure, and traveling with the doctor... when she finds out the Truth,,, that probably means all the whimsy in her life will go away? (so she may come to a point where she Doesn't want to know Actually (which would be very "thirteen regretting throwing away the watch" realness mirror again)

[purplelea]

Do you feel like kariya is a good person to look up to? Like I know day 4 happened but that's like the worst thing he did. And I honestly can't be mad because that "hello, villain? Screwing with you is my job." Line just hits me weird. I'm tempted to write a fic but I dunno

Now that is an interesting question. I see what you mean by "day 4 is the worst thing he did" but that's actually the only thing we see. And while that's the most nefarious action he took, that's the only one we saw, but he's been a Reaper for so long that he most likely erased hundreds of not thousands of players before. Is Kariya an overall good person? No, I don't think so.

But, as you said, "it's his job". Here we fall into the morals of the Reaper's Game and I'm afraid I'm not qualified enough to judge. But I can offer some ideas anyway.

What's the job of a Harrier Reaper? It's not to mindlessly erase Players to rack up points and rise up the ranks as Uzuki seems to believe. Kariya sees further: he knows that the Reapers (Harriers, Supports, Officers...) all have the common goal of helping to judge which Players are worth reviving. It's not about erasing them all, it's about putting up obstacles that will make them grow (for instance, erasing Rhyme was the way to help Beat grow, wasn't it?) and erasing those who are not strong enough to survive. It follows the basic rule of the Reaper's Game which is the survival of the fittest.

Now that rule can obviously be contested in many ways, as it is directly contested mulstiples times during twewy directly, and by Neku himself, who believes that all Players should live again. So there's mutiples questions here: do you agree with the survival of the fittest? If not, do you believe that because someone is asked to do something, then that takes away their responsibility in the actions taken (it's "just his job")?

I don't have any idea on how to answer those questions. Just food for thought!

But on the other hand, Kariya can be looked up to on some subjects. He knows what matters to him (Shibuya) and he's willing to risk his life for it (for instance, going against Shiba or helping Beat and Neku in week three of the og). There's many other steps he takes in order to protect Shibuya (finding the source of the Taboo Noise, trying to find out what Joshua's deal is, fighting against the Plague Noise on his own to protect the RG inhabitants from it...) which clash with his "lazy" personality and show that he can definitely give his all for something as long as it matters enough to him. That man got his priorities straight, I can admire that.

I wouldn't say that he likes to help people because we don't see him do it that often. I believe he's doing it with the same goal in mind that he has for everything else he does: Shibuya's well-being. He helps out Beat to grow because that's what the Game is about, and same for Rindo, because he knows that having people who win the Game and get revived is a good thing for the city thanks to the influence they will have on it (see Shiki's influence through Gatto Nero!).

In the end, to answer your question... it depends on what you believe in. Nobody's perfect, and there's definitely people worse than Kariya to look up to. But it's important to be aware of what his morals are, because of course he's very much a grey character when it comes to those.

[toreii]

Tamashina Mina spoilers part 18

A downpour falls on the arena. Cheka tells Kifaji that it is raining. Kifaji says that for the people, the rain is a blessing. However, to come down before this big event…Kifaji feels a disturbing atmosphere. Back at the arena, Sunset C is growing restless. He shouts at Vil, asking how long he intends to keep him waiting. The referee announces that it’s time to start the game. But, due to the absence of players, the referee declares that NRC forfeited. Therefore, the victory goes to the Sunset Team.

A voice cuts the referee off as they tell him to wait. Sunset C is startled. A masked figure approaches. It is not Vil. This new person looks oddly familiar. He apologizes to Sunset C for making them wait. He introduces himself as the general of Night Raven College team. Sunset B is shocked. Cheka and Kifaji merely watch confused. Kifaji recognizes the height, stature, and the way of walking. It couldn’t be! Leona! (I mean, the clothes and hair give it away…)

Sunset C asks what he’s talking about. The remaining player should be Vil Schoenheit. The masked man says he’s just a substitute player just like everyone else. There’s isn’t a problem, right? Sunset C argues that players without pre-registration should not be able to participate. He demands to know who the hell he is. The masked man says his name is…

Yuu notices the man looking over at them. He responds, saying his name is Yuu. The NRC boys are stunned.

Choice A: “T-That surprised me…”

Vil wonders why Leona used Yuu’s name. Jack replies with certainly. In any case, it would have been better to use his name. Grim argues that even his name could have been used. Lilia says Leona must’ve thought about various things.

Choice B: “No, actually……”

Lilia advises Yuu to wait. He warns him not to say something unnecessary. Vil reminds them that it would be bad if Leona’s identity was revealed. Because Leona is not eligible to compete, the team will be disqualified immediately.

Sunset C argues that he has not heard for such a player before. Isn’t this a violation of the rules? The masked man says that’s funny. He should go ask Kifaji-sama over there. Kifaji is silent for a moment before recognizing Yuu. It really is them! The referee asks if Kifaji knows them. Kifaji answers that Yuu is a student from Night Raven College whose entry was sent to him. Kifaji apologizes for not informing the judges sooner. It is a regrettable mistake.

Cheka asks Kifaji if the masked man is his unca. Kifaji nervously replies that he is mistaken. It’s Yuu! Cheka isn’t buying it. It’s his unca! He knows! Kifaji corrects him again, however. It is definitely Yuu!

Kifaji asks if Cheka understands. Leona isn’t allowed to go to the arena. If he does, the team will be disqualified. Cheka is confused. Kifaji continues by saying that this is an important match of the finals. If the second prince violates the rules, it’ll be the disgrace of all of Sunset Savanna. Cheka is doubly confused. Kifaji says that since they invited so many guests from other countries, such scandals cannot happen. Cheka is completely confused. Kifaji goes on saying that in order to maintain credibility, that masked man is not Leona. Cheka finally replies that it’s difficult, and doesn’t get it. Either way, Cheka loudly wishes his Unca Yuu good luck!

Kifaji mentions that Leona should have calculated that he would be judging like this. To make him cover for him…Kifaji realizes Leona must bear a grudge against him. But, whether Leona can win Catch The Tail depends on his ability. Kifaji wants Leona to show him his power.

Leona hums. This guy turned to Kifaji, after all. He says it doesn’t take a lot to know that he’ll be honoring the country. Well, it’s a fact that helped. He asks if Sunset C would like to thank him. Leona tells the judge to start. The problem has been resolved. The referee understands, and starts the final match. The audience cheers with excitement. Sunset C shrugs in the end. He adds he’ll crush whoever his opponent is. They’re taking Leona’s “Guardian Class”! Leona promises to defeat him, so that he won’t feel that way again. He growls at Sunset C to prepare himself!

[After the battle]

Sunset C is in disbelief. He was told he was the best at Catch The Tail among the guards in this country. Strength, speed, technique, he simply can’t win. Leona declares a checkmate, and swoops in quickly taking Sunset C’s beads right away. He curses. The referee declares Yuu the winner. Therefore, Night Raven College team are the winners!

Cheka is cheering happily. He turns to Kifaji, excitedly asking if he saw. His unca is pretty amazing, after all! Kifaji replies that Unca Yuu is amazing. Still, Kifaji comments about Leona’s overwhelming strength, and is left in awe. As expected of Leona-sama. He adds that Leona has always surprised him ever since he was a child. Kifaji says he looks forward to the future of Sunset Savanna.

Leona says that took a lot of time. Sunset C is evidently crying. He wanted to take Leona-sama’s “Guardian Class” this year. Leona pauses for a moment, but then says he has a message from Leona-sama. He apologizes about the class. If Sunset C is a real warrior, he shouldn’t rely on someone else’s teachings. It’s best to devote oneself with their own power. Sunset C realizes something. It couldn’t be…! Indeed…that strength… He chuckles. Sunset C says they lost, but he was still able to take the class. He has no regrets.

—Arena Backyard

Lilia announces that “Yuu” is back. That was amazing! Leona redresses himself, removing the mask from his face. He tells Lilia he’s Leona Kingscholar. He doesn’t know what he means.

Choice A: “Congratulations on winning!”

Leona says it’s not a big deal. It was an obvious result.

Choice B: “I didn’t expect my name to be used.”

Leona explains that Jack has an entry, and it’s possible the referee may have seen his appearance. Grim has a loose tongue, so it’s more than likely he’d give himself away. Leona thought using Yuu’s name was the safest option.

Kalim tells Leona he was really cool. They were able to win, everyone seems to be having fun, and it’s such a great festival! He wonders if Jamil is happy, too. Leona replies he’s certain he’ll be delighted. Jack says he’s sure Leona will be angry, but… Vil says they took first place. What cheating? Leona tells Jack he thought he would know the difference between herbivores.

Leona goes on saying that the rain has fallen in earnest, and the people of the country will be happy. Tamashina-Mina was a huge success. Vill mentions it’s a bad place to feel satisfied, but… Even though the match is over, and the second prince is absent, so there’s a lot of commotion in the VIP seats right now.

A tournament staff member screams that Leona is missing. Where did he go? He orders everyone to search. Leona clicks his tongue, and says they’re so noisy. He says he has to sneak back to his seat before any more people show up. As if to answer his worries, Cheka comes running to him at full speed, boisterously congratulating Ojitan on his win. Leona is stunned to see him. Lilia amusingly comments Leona’s nephew came running from the other side. Behind Cheka, Kifaji is running after him, asking Cheka not to run so much. Cheka’s guards ask that they wait up.😅

Leona says it’s bad. Since they’re all coming together, the scam from earlier in the match may be found out. If that happens, their victory will be invalidated. It’s better to run away. Kalim asks about the victory parade. Leona says he’s not participating in such a stupid thing. He’s going to his car, and bids the boys a farewell. Kalim asks him to wait. Can’t he just tell him?

Vil comments that Kalim went after Leona, too. Lilia says he’s going, too♪ There’s no victory parade without them. Vil agrees to go, as well. He’s not as boorish as to stand on stage without the lead character. Leona tells them it’s fine. Whatever! If they’re coming, they need to get in the car now!

Jack tells Leona to wait. …He’s also coming along. Grim yells they’re not being left behind!

Choice A: “Cool!”

Jack asks where? He adds that they look like a disorganized team. However, it definitely seems like Leona-senpai.

Choice B: “Looks like Night Raven College team.”

Jack agrees. It’s not a bad ending, either.

They pile into the car, and drive away. Kalim laughs. He never imagined such a victory parade. Tamashina-Mina is a very interesting festival! Lilia agrees. It was a very fun trip♪ It became the memory of a lifetime……including this last drive. Vil laments they went through such lengths to achieve a beautiful victory, they can’t just end it cleanly. Leona says everyone is being noisy. He tells them to keep their mouth shut before they bite their tongue. Time to go, and say good-bye to such a boring festival!

[Rhythmic/twistunes segment]

The End

[marchsage]

misc date family art... they are all so family :)

+ bonus aiba!

[julia-bunncat]

A huge analysis of the 3rd trial | DRV3

Well! As I promised in the previous post (although since then I’ve already finished the fourth chapter – the saddest for me at the moment 😢) , today we will talk about the 3rd chapter of DRV3, Korekiyo Shinguji’s role in it, and in more detail:

a} I’ll tell you about my experiences during the direct playthrough; how hard it was for me to solve Angie and Tenko’s murder [I didn’t spoil the details for myself deliberately, only knew about the «seesaw effect» meme] b} I’ll analyze the class trial and Kiyo’s behavior in it; c} of course I’ll share my thoughts on improving Korekiyo’s arch, because actually every fan knows this truth – the writers failed their task to create an adequate, worthy story.

After all, I have no regrets; the goal of «find something useful + figure out every detail» has been achieved and to me it was paramount, because (if someone didn’t know and hasn’t read one of my posts) I plan to create my own universe where most of DRV3 cast are survived.

That’s the end of the intro! I warn you that the following text will be as full as possible of spoilers... and yes, it will be huge. Again. Just get ready for it.

☄ I’ll start by stating my attitude to what is happening during the 3rd chapter BEFORE murder (but I won’t go into too many details here, because for the most part, again, I plan to dedicate this post to Korekiyo). First and foremost, I want to say that Monokuma. is losing. his grip. Earlier I managed to spoil myself the thesis that once again chapter’s motive is sucks, but I didn’t know exactly what the problem was... Now it’s clear. As with the 1st chapter, the motive is not being used – the murder generates either additional conditions (like time limit) or the students' personal complexes / psychoses (Kaede has the desire to «save everyone», Korekiyo has the goal to collect «friends for sister»). If only the Monocubs had come up with that motive, I would understand and forgive… But no, despite the «revolt» against their father’s principles, it seems that they didn’t abandon his original idea to shove this useless Necronomicon – after all, at the end of the execution Monokuma is upset; he say: «Seems like a waste, though. You guys sure you don’t wanna use it?».

It leads me to believe that the writers have once again decided to avoid logic in “favor” of some gags. They wanted to introduce an aesthetic creepy freak into the story – they did it, nothing else matters. And this is actually upsetting to me – in theory, the events could have been staged in such a way that the motive is used either indirectly or directly. It’s such a waste….

Now, a few words about Angie and the main event – formation of the student council-sect. I remember Korekiyo talking about it as a natural phenomenon in their situation – in times of despair, people cling to faith as never before thingslikethat… Moreover, I agree, it (as well as the Monocubs’ revolt) is something truly unique. It must be admitted that in no other Danganronpa nobody even tried to do something similar.

…But in what shock and (no other words come in mind ;^) horror I was, watching the accession of the cult of Angie’s God. Those who have studied at least a little bit about sects, understand – it’s not really about despair. A sect is always either money or a cult of personality (sometimes all together), and in the case of Angie – God (Atua) it’s herself. It would be more appropriate to listen Kokichi’s assessment of event: «She uses the situation to take the school under her and make us dependent on “Atua”». His opinion is even more confirmed by the fact that Angie became active just after the guys checked the Flashback Light (with group funeral) and what they saw confused them really.

This sequence of actions actually makes her dangerous. I heard a fact that many fans was genuinely considered Angie as the alleged murderer of chapter three… And you know, I WILL agree to this without any hesitation! Perhaps, at least that way, what happens in this chapter would have made some sense.

Also, in the last post, there were a number of criticisms and aversions to Angie that came from my lips. And I'd like to add something to my remarks, yeah, because even though Angie has taken to enslaving the minds of her classmates very intelligently and promptly, she is still full of contradictions (which breaks down theories about her genius). I’ll outline these contradictions so as not to sound hollow:

1} Angie's motivation for using the Necronomicon is simple – she doesn't believe in resurrection, but she does believe that someone who has died can come back, since they actually didn't die at all (their body could have been replaced by a first-class replica). At first, she backs up her conviction with comments like: «Well, the more people, the more fun it will be in our paradise! Shuichi, don't you have any sympathy for the dead? #shameonyou» BUT! when it comes to a new Flashback Light the next day + the question of “who shall we resurrect” arises, Angie changes her mind without a bit of mercy. The resurrected man is no longer a welcome friend – he is a victim in case an inconvenient time-limit-type motive is reintroduced. Is this a contradiction? Or hypocrisy? Let's just not decide.

2} Theory with replicas. At the first sight of the wax figures of the four dead, Shuichi is irrevocably convinced that this is impossible. He reasonably and inspiringly explains to Angie (who believes in spiritual and otherworldly things) that no matter what works of art the figures are, even Ultimate Talent cannot replace the soul… But how does Yonaga react? Right, she contradicts her own words again. Or to be more precise: She doesn't even try to defend her own beliefs in any way. No one can be resurrected because the replicas don't exist? Whatever! God said the ritual had to be done anyway! It will work – but the logic and danger of realising the motive...? Pfft, who needs them?!

Things might not look so dumb if it turned out that Angie was trying to cover up her plan to kill someone (from the student council, for example) in that way... But in the end, she dies by accident and in a very stupid position. Don't. Be. Like that. DR screenwriters. PLEASE.

☄ Now for some personal impressions of what happened during the investigation and the process of solving the mystery. If I remember correctly, Korekiyo and Celestia are the only unicums who have risked killing someone in the middle of an investigation. Celes did this by confusing things from the start by running from floor to floor… When Shinguji, on the other hand, took a risk in every sense of this word. Firstly, he brought suspicion on himself by using a katana from his own lab (and not on purpose – Monokuma set it up so that there was nowhere else to get a long enough sharp object). Secondly, all the time before the murder he admired the Caged Child séance, longed for it and finally persuaded his classmates to try it out.

In all fairness, by listing all this I'm not trying to say that Kiyo is a lousy blackened –  on the contrary, he even manages to turn some mistakes to his advantage. For example, the use of a katana from his research lab is justified by the clever creation of a locked room mystery. After all, Korekiyo is not a member of the student council (Angie only let them into the lab) or a master lock picker. Moreover, the way he created the locked room is quite handy. If it weren't for the gilding on the hilt of the katana, it would be harder to guess the exact purpose of the «upside-down figure + katana» combination.

More than once Korekiyo has been saved by his cunning, his diligence (sawing floorboards in three rooms at night is not like picking flowers xD) and his ability to think ahead. He created a safety cushion for himself by provoking another classmate (namely Himiko) to choose a new killing place for him, then framing that very classmate. By taking the risk of killing Angie, he helped himself by learning from Monokuma beforehand that (logically) only the killer who "got there first" would be punished. Shinguji could have got away with it many times, especially since the trials are based on the principle of "until I hear an unbreakable argument from you, you won't charge me".

But I'm getting a little carried away, ahah! All in all, despite the fact that I'm actually praising Kiyo here, his trial didn't seem all that complicated and confusing to me. Thus, I pretty quickly got to the bottom of the spinning-the-wax-figure trick, found correlations of the evidence and used them correctly to spot weaknesses in the arguments. Difficulties began closer to uncovering the essence of “seesaw effect”. For example, it's still astonishing to me how Korekiyo came up with the idea of navigation by touching SALT in complete darkness.  Yes, he had prepared a straight line in several layers beforehand and remembered by heart how the circle was drawn, there was nothing to confuse it with... But he crawled, knowing that his stressed classmates were all around him, jumped on the floorboard with all his legs, managed not to fall in himself and STILL SANG!! What’s amazing human being!

By the way, the atmosphere at the séance was indeed tense to the point of creepiness. I knew what was going to happen – I had to be ready for it... But that viscous, crawling feeling of discomfort wouldn't let go no matter what :'D My bestie and I were still completely silent during the chants – just try it, there is no substitute for this experience 😨😂

I will continue to discuss the trial further, for on the purely technical side, it has a number of oddities for me:

During the investigation of Angie's case (i.e. before Tenko's murder), there's a scene in Shinguji's lab that still haunts me, even though it could easily be written off as conventional. When Maki and Shuichi go to the lab to check if the katana is definitely missing, Kokichi runs in after them to get a sheet for a séance. This is the same sheet in which Korekiyo will later carry the sickle to kill Tenko. Question: at what moment did he manage to hide this sickle in it?? If he did this before the séance, then sending Kokichi for the sheet was a monstrous mistake ;^ (although it's not that Ouma is a fan of solving murderers, no matter how disgusting they are to him – that would spoil all the fun) However, it was virtually impossible to do this during the preparations, because an abrupt leaving (to Maki's lab) would have raised a lot of suspicion, and no one had told us about such an event. One last variant is that he's been hiding the sickle under his clothes all this time, but... how? Don't you need special clothes for that?? Kiyo's uniform fits snugly over his body. Your theories? xD

I've noticed a tendency that very often it was Korekiyo who (indirectly) provoked the guys into discussing very pointless topics :'D (which I don't think is the best tactic on his part – blackeneds in general become more active at their trials). For example, when, making excuses on the subject of an offer to hold a séance, he recalls the "possibility" of entering the chosen place by crawling under the floor and because of this suspicion falls on Kibo with his new function. Everyone ends up wasting extra time, even though it is already obvious that Kibo's flashlight is BLINDINGLY BRIGHT – it would have been visible without any slits in the floor, in fact, as well as other light sources. Or this alternative theory that Tenko may have been killed when Himiko lifted the cage... although the blood was visible when Kiyo removed the sheet (which was also covered in blood) and Himiko literally toppled the cage on adrenaline alone, immediately bursting into tears?? In general, moments where the teenagers start tо stall make the trial seem more natural, but personally, as a player, I found it a bit annoying 😅

‌Well, one last point from the “we would have saved a lot of time without it” section – a lie feature. Honestly, before this I had no idea how to win a debate without using it (although I think the game mechanics provide a way out)... But not in the case of the third trial, no. A reminder for those who haven't replayed it in a while – when the trial comes to a bit of a standstill, Maki supports Kaito's spontaneous theory: «Tenko's killer was inside the cage the whole time». In other words, the murderer in her own case is Chabashira herself, she also threw the sickle under the floor after the deed + allegedly there was even a reason to commit su*cide. To refute this theory, Shuichi has to lie that Tenko died instantly... But... Why, when he could just retell Maki's words during the investigation? Tenko didn't die instantly, yes, but from the pain shock she couldn't move and therefore couldn't throw the sickle (especially so hard that it wasn't under her, but in another corner of the room). Seemingly another convention, but still quite hard to ignore x)

Despite my admiration for Korekiyo's mental capacity in such precarious circumstances, in the end I concluded that our anthropologist had created both an ingenious mosaic and a complete mess xD In theory, he might have won if Kokichi hadn't sneaked into the next room and discovered the trap there. He might have won if not for Kibo's function to reproduce his memories in the form of images... If Himiko hadn't chosen the very room where Angie died... If Maki hadn't noticed a piece of duct tape under the corpse (because Shuichi obviously wouldn't have dared to examine the dead girl's body himself like that – including to avoid disturbing the crime scene). But the main problem here is not the unpredictability of classmates and a series of unfortunate accidents, no. Kiyo, as a murderer with a very interesting talent, has one unforgivable sin... I would like to discuss it a little later.

When Kiyo decides to confess to killing Tenko (although he could have done it a long time ago, lol, he apparently VERY much enjoys hearing detailed and reasoned evidence), the cast begins to divide into two teams: "let's vote right now, recognising Kiyo as Tenko AND Angie's murderer" and "we can't vote right now". The latter team includes Kokichi...

And you know, already figuring out his true motives and attitude towards the killing game, I often wondered: “How does Kokichi feel about murderer-Korekiyo..?”. The answer was found, thanks to the following dialogue:

...now I finally saw that Kokichi was a little bit angry with Kiyo for being a hated murderer. Just because he voted to continue discussing Angie's case doesn't mean he believes in his innocence. On the contrary, he probably just wants to humiliate Shinguji = to lead others to destroy him morally (and he succeeds in doing so).

☄ After all, shortly after this scene, Korekiyo's having a nervous breakdown. He trembles, stammering, ready to almost spit bile... And then he releases his "defence mechanism".

So, now I announce a special category called "Interesting notes from interactions with Sister" o/ (quick note: only during the trial, because after that... everything goes down the drain)

❧ So that's where Kiyo's self-teacher kink is coming from..? To this phrase he replies «Y-yes, you're right. I'll teach them».

And it makes sense, if we think back to the hcs that Miyadera could have replaced Kiyo's parents, i.e. to be his main mentoring, educational figure... Now, copying her whole personality, her behaviour, whole experience with her, Korekiyo also tries to resemble the teacher and gradually experiences real pleasure in educating others. Which is why, when he befriends Shuichi after FTEs, he offers to be none other than his disciple. This is the only form of intimate communication available to him, ugh.

❧ I wondered for a long time: why Kiyo was so afraid of being declared as a culprit...? Shouldn't he, on the contrary, be coolly calm, because his execution / his death, would only be a transition to another life in which he could be reunited with his sister? But no, he's blatantly panicking :(

And sister's next phrases (even though she is addressing Shuichi)

prompted me to think of two things at once:

1) Kiyo isn't afraid of being culprit, but being blamed, because he remembers from childhood the consequences of his mistakes – the need to apologise to his sister over and over again, literally begging for her forgiveness and understanding. Even on "Argument Armament" he confirms my point with the phrase «You're all wrong, not me!» (which sounds like a rather childish statement :'D)

2) Whatever true love he speaks of, all he feels for his sister is fear. He wants her to let him into her arms when they reunites, but how is that possible if he has already made a mistake, if he has failed to realise his main goal? He fears death because his sister's punishment awaits him beyond it – and his execution, in fact, proves this directly. have always been of the opinion that the second part of it is an illusion on all sides. It would be logical to think of it not as something real, but as a representation of Korekiyo's subconscious; something that symbolically emphasises the gravity of his crimes.

❧ /foreword/

Once I was lucky (or maybe not so, ahah), to meet Chinese and Japanese Korekiyo fans on Twitter who were able to communicate with me (and their audience) in English. That's how I came to know one of the most horrifying facts: the Chinese and Japanese FD of Danganronpa don't consider Korekiyo's sister as abuser. What's more, they're sometimes even angry at this opinion; for them, Ane-Kiyo (an alternative name for our "Miyadera") is the main victim... And you know, I was so worried at first! «What if I'm getting my favourite character wrong?». «What if the English translation is so shoddy that it can't be trusted?».

But it's hardly that serious. Eventually, I found the reason for this mismatch of beliefs for myself.

English fd has several arguments. The most important of these, as far as I know, is the list of requirements that Korekiyo's sister makes in the trial: «You musn't raise your voice / musn't stutter / musn't waver» and so on. For a Japanese fd, however, there is no problem with it... And _that makes sense_, as these requirements are more indicative of a strict upbringing than a full-blown abusive relationship, which is confirmed by the fact that AneKiyo's tulpa enjoys being a teacher who teaches ignorant children [screenshots above]. Strict upbringing in Japan and China – especially in traditional families – is not uncommon + Japanese fans are convinced that the "sister behind the mask" has nothing to do with the life-in Korekiyo's sister at all (which is difficult to confirm or deny in any way, as we can only take the meagre bits and pieces that the game offers us at face value). In other words, no one is right or wrong in this situation – it's just a matter of cultural differences. 

My personal impression: Kiyo's sister made the same demands on him as she did on herself, firstly because she was terminally ill, and secondly because she was the eldest and the role model. Roughly speaking, these attitudes + the fact that she had a loving, obedient brother at her side simply kept her from going mad from the pain she was experiencing. Of course this doesn't excuse her actions – it just makes her more psychologically understood. There is essentially no reason to go to extremes and see her as some kind of cruel tyrant. Even the way the tulpa makes Shuichi apologise – in a gentle, ingratiating tone – illustrates her preference for confusing and covert manipulation rather than shouting and pressure. 

❧ It's interesting that when Kiyo (based on his voiceline) is already almost crying because he feels cornered, and can't afford himself to make a mistake in front of Sister... She calmly tells him to give up and admit defeat, even though she seemed to be on his side and defending him the whole time. Kiyo himself is surprised by such an advice, agreeing very timidly, with a shaky «O-okay...».

I think this is a direct demonstration of the indifference the Sister sometimes showed towards Kiyo's failures / worries when she was alive. This meant that Miyadera could actively support him for a while, but as soon as her brother made a mistake, she would coldly dismiss his feelings, to which Kiyo could only reply: «Okay...».

☄ And now... I can freely move to scenes that take place after the trial, before the execution (and this is one of those cases where it would be better if it didn't exist at all, or only existed in a few sentences).

TW: mention of incest and analysis of incestuous relationships.

❧ Yes, I'm starting with the most dysmoral stuff. After some thought about "why would Miyadera need this all in all", I came to the only plausible conclusion. Kiyo was probably the first one to fall in love with her (especially if she restricted his contact with other people = was the only person close to him) and she took advantage of that: а) out of despair that death is near and she has no friends or anyone else, has no choice; b) because a lover is even easier to control – he will be completely at her mercy.

I've made similar theories before. The only thing that wasn't clear before the direct playthrough was: "Why do many fans also see hints of sexual abuse from Miyadera..?" But now I have a bit of a guess...

Yes, we see the "no physical connection" note, but any way you look at it, Kiyo's words sound TOO provocative. If it had been, let's say, a simple hug, nothing would have stopped him from saying it directly (and that would sound just as "romantic"), but no... And the illustration itself seems designed only to confuse. On the other hand... Where basically could they have made love if the sister lived in the hospital? .-. And probably very often was in a weakened / critical condition?¿

Moreover, during the same monologue, Shinguji utters an intriguing line:

They called. What "they" he is talking about...? The parents? Doctors? But if "they" were so outraged, why didn't anyone try to limit the communication? Or is this a hint that attempts _were made_, but Shinguji siblings always found a way to "find each other again", unwavering feelings, all stuff..? Honestly, it sounds like clichéd phrases from novels that are hard to take for granted. I don't even have any assumptions here.

Another thought-provoking formulation

❧ «I had to kill». So Korekiyo with his own mouth calls it coercion – and again, related to his sister. It is as if he is admitting: "Yes, I had a sick, lonely sister. One day she died. If things had been different – I would never kill...". But that doesn't change the ambiguity of his words, does it? Moreover, I would venture to say that it is precisely this position that scores a few points in favour of his haters. For Shinguji, the quest to "gather 100 female friends" was a noble gesture, but for all sane people it remains an unwarranted horror, as it is unlikely that his sister would have directly asked him to do such a thing. There is no evidence,

[except these words, I guess]

...to support this, besides the tulpa – as a projection of Korekiyo's unconscious – can't be trusted with everything. Therefore, the only conclusion to be drawn is that Shinguji has invented such a goal out of despair caused by her death...

And in fact, he confirms it, yeap.

All of the above only convinces me that the quest. to gather. a hundred. female. friends. should. never. have. existed. This concept destroys everything from logic to the personality of Korekiyo Shinguji (or rather, those little particles are left of it). And that should be the fiction of his story.

Oh. Another line provoking the question "why is it..?". 

❧ Yes, it's clear that Kiyo's understanding of love is distorted by the negative background of his relationship... But I would have described it in detail: in fact, Miyadera just never recognised him as anything more than a "little brother" or a "convenient, ephemeral lover". She didn't think they were similar in any way; that they could understand each other... An unbreakable, cold distance, full of endless illusions.

❧ But here I come to those Korekiyo's explanations that make me blaze as much as the "Shinguji is a maniac" concept. 

So... At first, Kiyo claims that his goal wasn't to escape from the academy. In fact, it makes sense – there is no one and nothing waiting for him on the outside, all that he needs is inside him...

! Meanwhile, during the trial and just before it ends !, he remains nervous, panicky, angry and hysterical, afraid of being blamed (we've already confirmed this).

But then Kiyo suddenly contradicts the "I had no intention of escaping" thesis. 

He declares that leaving the Academy would be a nice bonus for him, as he'd still be able to collect friends for his sister – he's just blighted by greed.

...What?!

So you're saying he behaved that way during the trial because he was still hoping to win..? That he has covered up the evidence behind him in order to get out of the academy..? (although, again, he DOESN't HAVE TO DO THAT – he can die in peace: his sister is happy, life after death continues!!)

I don't understaaaand 😫 It's so outrageously cynical! The facts add up to an unbearably illogical, contradictory mass, which in turn spoils the fans' attitude towards Korekiyo again... It breaks my heart.

☄ As you can see from the tone of the previous paragraph, I'm not going to end on a very positive note. A few hundred words ago, I promised to outline Korekiyo's main sin (read writer's)... So, I think it's about the circumstances under which Korekiyo decided to kill.

«Caged Child» séance.

An anthropologist who genuinely honours tradition... An anthropologist who's frankly delighted to have the opportunity to conduct a super-rare séance and communicate with the dead... Suddenly destroys everything that is part of his life's work in such a devil-may-care way? Are you _serious_?? Nothing could be more cynical than that. EVEN IF, as we know, the real reason for this attitude is love for his sister and the desire to give her 100 friends, this is no excuse, as anthropology and sister are still two closely linked things for Kiyo. It was Miyadera who encouraged him to develop their shared passion. It was Miyadera who made him a special uniform for field work. To betray anthropology is to betray his "true love", and how Kiyo can allow that to happen when he's so obsessed with this imposed love?? Doing this to your own brainchild is terrible.

And now, Korekiyo's last words:

By golly, if only the writers had left out those few rather deep, good lines – it would have been much better. I can't claim to be a literary genius, but the recipe sounds pretty simple to me:

We have a younger brother whose most important, closest person, who has built his life around her own leadership, is his ill older sister. The sister dies, the brother loses his mind in despair, and a little later gets involved into a killing game.

The organisers can erase his memory of his sister's death (provided he doesn't have a tulpa), or leave him with a tulpa and manipulate his mind with motives. Whether from chapter two or three – any motive will work. The main thing is to remind Korekiyo of how much he misses his sister, how much he misses the control he's so used to and/or the warmth, the voice, the visual embodiment of her.

This provokes a murder. Kiyo kills ONCE and NOT with an important anthropological séance, showing his respect. He tries to hide his direct involvement in the crime and panics at the trial because he has been taught – you cannot be wrong, Sister would not approve of your mistakes. One way or another, mistakes were made because of haste – his guilt is proved.

And well done o/ We get a character who resorts to killing because he can't deal with the death of someone dear to him and who had also abused him all his life. Touching – check ✔️ Empathy – ✔️ Cruelty – still ✔️ It's not so hard! .-.

But okay xD I hope you enjoyed reading this long analysis along with my still fresh impressions! ^^ I can't tell you how much I miss Kiyo continuing to play... But I have to move on, because the further I go, the more useful I find it. Thanks for your attention and have a nice day everyone – let's love Korekiyo Shinguji! 💖

[maxbegone]

It’s late, but I just finished my first Ragnarök playthrough and I wanted to share my thoughts.

Firstly, this game is worth the hype. It’s a beautiful continuation of the 2018 game, and though that one felt big, this one is far bigger. The world itself is on a grander scale, the risks are higher, there are more allies to meet, old relationships to mend, some to watch go to ruin. It’s truly seamless.

I know cinematic, story-driven gameplay isn’t everyone’s forte (and I will be the first to say that I prefer story when I choose my difficulty), but this game had an absolutely fantastic balance of story and combat. The major fights were thrilling and really kept you on your toes, though I will say the smaller enemies you encounter such as the wretches or gulon or the grim (but especially the wretches) are a bit repetitive. Nothing like the trolls in the 2018 game, luckily — just nuisances.

Now, the characters — they’ve grown immensely. We watched the relationship grow and mend in the previous game between Kratos and Atreus, but in Ragnarök we watch it flourish. We start off seeing father and son proud of one another, and while there are ups and downs, we continue to witness their betterment. I’ve mentioned before that through-line of “be better,” and it’s really shown here as well. Once we get Freya on our side again, she continues to blow the player away. We have her as a genuine companion this round, but the grief and anger she feels toward her past comes full-circle in the end, and while it will never quite go away, she has an easier time breathing knowing Odin’s hold on her is no longer. My love for her grew, as did it for all the characters — old and new.

The story in God of War: Ragnarök is truly emotionally-driven and by far one of the most phenomenal games I have ever played. Heart-wrenching, beautiful scenes that make you sit and think, a deeper dive into lore, one-off comments that mean much, much more in the end…incredible.

To see Atreus’ growth within himself, discover who he is, who “Loki” is and will be, this little curious boy we once knew become a young man is truly seamless. His devotion to his father but also to himself in the end, and to the giants, is not lost on me. He will return, we will see him again, Kratos will see him again. Loki goes, Atreus remains.

And Kratos…where to start with him. I will say I came into this series with the 2018 game, so my knowledge and experience with Kratos as a character firsthand is that of the Norse telling. I haven’t ventured into the original trilogy, and I’m not sure I will, but if I do, I know that Kratos will be very different from the one I’ve gotten to know. Though I’ve read up on his past, seen a few videos, etcetera, I might remain biased. (Note that I also tend to play games out of order unintentionally; tftbl before the borderlands series, uncharted 4 before the original games).

In the 2018 game we saw glimpses of a scared, anxious father, not a god, once Atreus fell sick. In Ragnarök, we see more of the fatherly side come out. He trusts his son wholly and fully, he seeks to understand him, and he is open to what the world can teach him. He no longer seeks vengeance, he’s wise and sage, and wishes to, again, “be better.” And, more importantly, make sure his son will be prepared and better than he could ever be.

We only got three, but seeing a (somewhat) vulnerable side of Kratos in those dream sequences with Faye were so lovely. She has been his guide, a teacher without the title, and continues to walk the path with him just like she promised. I wish we had more time with her.

Coming right off a 2018 replay really puts into perspective how massive this game is. The previous one was homegrown: the mission being to scatter the ashes of Faye. In this, there is a war leaking into every realm, no one is left untouched by it, and we see what true evil, unmitigated power could be in the wrong hands. Ragnarök, regardless of how you see it, is a game about family in every way. Found, blood, convinced. Be better. Protect your family. Do what is necessary, not because it is written.

This is long, I know, and I doubt anyone took the time to read this, but I just needed to get my thoughts on the page while they’re fresh. I will, without any doubt at all, be playing this game again soon. And I do truly, truly, highly recommend. It is phenomenal.

[dickbaggins]

big day in baldur’s gate

[thepringlesofblood]

in plain text for all of yall w screen readers (still under the cut for spoilers reasons)

Wendy Corduroy Instagrab

Wendy pictures online

Lumberjack girls

delete search history permanent

Drank coffee heart feel weird dying?

Dipper Pines + Cool + What people are saying

Fake chest hair convincing tips

remove hot clue goat hair from chest urgent

is it ok to wear the same shorts for a week

BABBA latest release

normal to have no friends?

Can you kill ghost

does killing ghost make double-ghost

attracted to green M&N unhealthy?

green M&N smiling at me

lyme disease signs

sousaphone tutorials

SPF 100 sunscreen for ultra sensitive skin no tears

crystal forums

is my sisters fnurby haunted

how to stop uncle sleepwalking with eyes open it is so scary

immoral to eat candy monster? (was alive)

stan pines arrest records

hot glue scented candle gift for sister

subliminal messages in cartoons

Is my voice getting higher

backwards puberty

Is backwards puberty real

Plutonium taste

Girls who like elaborate puzzles mazes

What-The-Heckahedron answer cheat

Am I the sidekick?

"Dipper Pines Sidekick"

normal head size circumference

Thought I saw the moon blink

Is moon alive serious

Soos Alzamirano Ramirez age?

Fear of triangles support group

Traded body with sister support group

Uncle dressed me as "shirtless wolf boy" support group

Big words to impress people while talking

Grow extra finger impress uncle?

first was Merman does this count?

can't get sister's glitter out of clothes

tension in household excessive glitter

Pacifica Northwest pageant video

Toby Determined what is he

CIA are you reading this right now

To CIA: these were all fake searches just to test your agents readiness. You passed. You can now delete my search history

Vest rash

Fighting vest rash

Living with vest rash

dipper’s search history in the book of bill had me fucking crying like what do you mean he googled if it was normal to desire the green m&m carnally

(full search history below)

these are all so fucking funny to me the way he’s phrasing them is true Urgent Google Search Cadence. “first kiss was Merman does this count?” “tension in household excessive glitter” “toby determined what is he” this boy is rapid fire anxiety googling in a most relatable form fr

[autffiy]

A little something about your Subconscious mind

As we all know our subconscious mind is what helps us manifest right? If you don't know, let me explain it to you in a semi scientific way that i learned recently. (spoiler alert; this made it click for me.)

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WARNING LONG POST AHEAD :p

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So 5% is the  Conscious mind, thats what helps us know words, numbers, languages and logic.

95% is the  subconscious mind that corresponds with visuals, symbols, dreams, emotion, repetition, tone during sleep, relaxation, stories.  aka the best way to update the “system”            

Our subconscious mind has RAS ( Reticular activating system) which distorts, deletes and generalizes all the information you recieve. Based on believes, values, identity, memories, past decisions, mood, location/ times.

You→ recieve information by the 5 senses with 2.3 million hits per second of data. 128 bits is what your mind will process and that creates meaning+behavior. Which means your reality is a filtered, distorted, generalized version of events.

The subconscious mind → is like a tape player, change the tape, change/upgrade the mind. 

Our beliefs exist in our blindspot. The blindspot is created by the mind.

Become aware of your limiting beliefs, not by going in war with your thoughts but redirecting them.

You must leave out the idea that circumstances have any power over you, they don't.

Repetition helps you believe in your beliefs.

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If you suffer a lot with limiting beliefs i reccomend you writing them down, somewhere that you can acces easily. It might be a notebook, ypur notes app, whatever works for you. I want you to write all your limiting beliefs down. Doesn't matter if you have one or a lot, write them down. Then i want you to flip those beliefs, turn them around. Write them down as well, you can write them behind your limiting beliefs or create a new list. These are your new beliefs and you will stick to them.

Some examples:

I can't manifest, manifesting is hard and takes so long.➙ Manifesting is so easy, i always manifest instantly. Manifesting doesn't take long at all.

Money is hard to get➙ Money is easy to get, i get money effortlessly

You have to work for money➙ i don’t have to work for money, hell i can lay in bed all they and receive large amounts of money daily.

I am unlovable➙ No tf i’m lovable i’m perfect, i’m irresistible, everybody wants me. Period, I am so perfect.

They don’t love me➙ They love me, in fact they worship the ground i walk on, they need me, they can’t live without me.

They have another partner➙ Who? I AM their partner, they only love me. That was their cousin or their friend.

I am fat and ugly➙ I am so perfect and pretty, god i look so amazing. I am skinny, my body is so pretty and perfect.

See what i did here? I took my limiting beliefs and flipped them around. And i will now tick to these. Repeating them, not thinking back to those old stupid trashy beliefs. By repeating ypu will create a new assumption and that is what creates your "new" reality.

I promise you if you just persist and repeat in these new thoughts everything will work out for you.

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That was a long one, phew. Thanks for reading all the way to the end!!! Happy manifesting. Love you!!

XOXO

[artsymeeshee]

Hello! I just found your laundry list of art last week, and I have to say…I LOVE IT! Love the instinct comics, Ford being cool never ceases to make me giggle, and I loved the autumn drawing. I’ll admit, that one had me in tears…made be believe in the what-if’s of my own family. What they…could be like someday. Or what I wish they were. Thanks for the tears, they were much needed.

 Anyway! This is what I came to message you about! Although,…I am extremely sorry for the late message. I tend to check back into tumblr at…weird hours of the night. Heck, it’s almost the next day as I type this. I seriously need to sleep more. So! I had a few thoughts on Stan and Ford relationship, and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it. Just a disclaimer, I’m kinda basing this off my actual life as I find these characters mirror personal events very closely! I am also a writer and soon to be author! Might post some archive of our own content about these two soon. Also, and this is the most important, I have NOT read book of Bill yet. So plz…no spoilers. Anyway, long introduction aside, let’s begin!

In my personal head cannon of these two, which I don’t imagine is “too” different than how anyone else could see them, Stan and Ford have an extremely awkward and emotional conversation after Weirdmagedon. Why? B/c they’re both, to some degree, emotionally numb. In my opinion, why wouldn’t they? They haven’t spoken to each other in 40 years, properly, and they have repressed a ton of their emotions since then. It’s hard to bring that back up. (Speaking off of experience) I’d say even harder for Ford. Stan, thanks to the twins, has learned to loosen the locks on his heart while Ford kept running away from those emotions to defeat Bill. Just like his ambitions, that was the main priority, and everything else later. To me, this would explain why Ford never bothered to talk to Stan properly since coming back during the show. He wouldn’t know how to. If they were to talk, and this is where the writer in me comes out, I’d write Ford as the one that needs it most. He’s been traveling dimension for decades, running from the past that held him back…but he has no anchor now. Stan becomes that anchor, paralleling what he wasn’t when Ford was lost. And Ford…he just breaks. Like, completely breaks. And Stan is there with him, breaking like he is, but still there for him brother. Finally back after all those years apart. And as someone who has been on the side of neglect from one’s own brother…nothing would be me happier if we went to connect. Just like Stanley and Ford. And eventually, soon to be sailing on the seas to connect even more.

Phew…that was a lot. Sorry for the rambling. Told you I had some ideas! So, what do you think? Do you see Ford acting like this? If not…why? Genuinely, I’d like to know. Anyway, thanks for taking your time to read this. Again, sorry for the ramblings. Oh! One more thing, I know you aren’t taking art request right now, but would you be open to take them in the future? Say in 2 months time? Anyway, bye!

Well first off, thank you! I appreciate it! :D

And to answer your headcanon, I agree on it. Stan is definitely more open to talking, especially thanks to the kids. I mean there's still moments where it's hard and awkward for sure. And Ford would for sure have a harder time opening up, especially with the constant guilt and mistakes that replay over and over. And there's always that lingering feeling of "well, Stan has to hate me for what I've done" and it's always so surprising when Stan tells him differently and he never once hated Ford. Sure, was angry but never hated him. He had too much self-hatred to feel that way with Ford. And as many times as it needs to be said or repeated, it really makes all the difference when they tell each other how much they love and care for each other. As Alex said, "they're both so damaged, they desperately need each other."

As for the requests thing, most likely not. Only because I'm entering the busiest time of year for my work so it's gonna be a miracle if I even have enough energy or motivation for drawing if I'm not completely burnt out.

[arthursfuckinghat]

Okay, I'm hearing about a lot of underweight Arthur Morgan's in the notes so here's a quick RDR2 food guide that'll hopefully help! (Pre ch.6 only <\3)

Now, I have the guide book for the game and it goes into depth about all this so I'll condense it as much as I can.

First things first, the weight system.

Weight is measured in numbers from 0 to 20. 0 is underweight, 10 is perfect and 20 is overweight. Average weight is any number that is between the three main weights (8, 11, 13, etc).

These numbers are weight points! Your Arthur will naturally lose 1 weight point every 12 in-game hours (24 real-life minutes) if he hasn't been fed. Your Arthur's weight will also slightly alter his cores. Example: an overweight Arthur's stamina will drain quicker, but he will be more resistant to damage.

Secondly, the calorie system.

Every edible and drinkable item in the game has an assigned amount of calories, these calories scale from 1 to 10.

If you want to make up for losing 1 weight point, your Arthur needs to eat enough food that will add up to at least 10 calories.

So, say you've been playing RDR2 for 50 minutes, you'll need to feed Arthur at least 20 calories to make up for the 2 weight points lost if he hadn't already eaten anything. If you want to keep his weight consistent, Arthur will need to eat 10 calories worth of food every 12 in-game hours (24 real-life minutes) or 20 calories worth of food every in-game day (48 real-life minutes).

Thirdly, the food system.

Oh boy. There's a lot of edible things in this game, like 6 pages worth.

To keep Arthur's weight consistent, he will need to eat the same amount of calories every day. If you want to make Arthur gain weight above his ideal weight, he will need to eat double the amount of calories that he would need to make up for losing 1 weight point.

I'll list the best calorific/stat boosting items per category.

The easiest food would be cans, all canned food is worth 3 calories.

Cans - Canned Pineapple (+50% health and +37% stamina) or canned kidney beans (+37% health and +50% stamina).

Alcohol - Fine brandy (+25% stamina and +62% dead eye), 3 calories.

Dry goods - Chocolate bar (+50% stamina and +25% dead eye), 5 calories.

Saloon meals - Prime rib (+100% health, +100% stamina and +100% dead eye), 5 calories.

Meats - Any seasoned big game (+100% health, +100% stamina and +100% dead eye), 10 calories.

Camp Stew - Stew with any big game meat and eggs (+100% health and +100% dead eye), 10 calories.

Lastly, some quick ways to make your Arthur gain weight.

Stock up on big game.

For the camp stew: donate big game and eggs frequently.

For in Arthur's satchel: Season all big game. Any time that you notice the health or stamina core start to drain, eat and drink a bottle of alcohol with it (passing out does not change the calories already eaten).

It's worth mentioning that Arthur's weight change will only be noticeable after sleeping, fast travelling, or before a cut scene (Or after any screen fade!) so it will take a few days gradually.

Phew, thats all. Most of this is applicable to John as well but thank you for reading, I hope this helps!!

I love how some players struggle to remember to feed Arthur and some players straight up don't feed him but man I have the opposite problem I keep accidentally overfeeding him lol