#mamori minamoto

[fire-emblem-birthdays]

August 2024

[fecipherfullart]

Artist: Sakura Miwabe

Source: Cipher Artbook 4

[allpatchedart]

More things I'm hoping to sell! This time, it's charms of all the playable characters from Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE!

I think TMS is really fun, and the character designs are cool! So I wanted to put more stuff out there for it!

[endsofthearth]

"In the heavens rests a grand theatre - the stage of the gods"

[angrypencileducationmoney]

fire emblem Descendants promotional poster

[wtfuglydemon]

[rankotendo]

Kiria Kurono and Tsubasa Oribe from Tokyo Mirage Sessions definitely had a crush on each other, the lesbians!

[bananabraiined]

Her mirage partner taught her well.

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

You know I find it so funny that everyone sees Tokyo Mirage Sessions as a funny happy idol game when

-The game literally starts with over 500 people being fucking murdered, with three of your party members and one of their sisters being the only survivors

-Tsubasa Oribe, who is reported as being the only survivor because she was the only one who survived that was in the audience, only wanted to be an idol to try and find her sister and figure out what happened to her

-Touma Akagi (put him in FEH) only wants to be an actor because his parents abandoned him as a child and the thing that saved him and stopped him from giving up on life was totally-not-Kamen Rider and now he wants to spread that hope to other children

-Kiria Kurono’s a victim of bullying and deeply represses her love of cute things because she thinks it makes her “gross” because of the way she looks and this ends with her growing and changing and accepting the way that she is

-Eleonora “Ellie” Yumizuru is obsessed with going to Hollywood because she’s always treated as an object or a doll at home and she never felt like she belonged, so she wants to go to Hollywood because she feels like she’ll finally be accepted for who she is there.

-Mamori Minamoto is perfect. She is not traumatized because she’s 11, but her arc is about learning how to stand up for what she wants because the adults around her have been deciding what she wants to do all her life and now she wants them to fuck off and let HER decide what she wants to be and do as an idol.

-Yashiro Tsurugi (put him in FEH too) is also severely traumatized. He watched his father get murdered by Gharnef and never got over it, got saved by Tiki, and now his life’s purpose is to find her again and when he finally does he realizes that she’s completely lost her memory. Also canonically doesn’t know how to eat because his father, while he loved him, kinda sucked and taught him to think only of improving his craft and so he left all the stuff that he considered unimportant to his assistant who he fired after he was against his transfer to Fortuna Entertainment.

Anyway TL;DR TMS is the happy fun idol game but also if you take a couple of seconds to look under the surface you’ll find that every character has reasons for being who they are and they’re so amazing please play Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE Encore for the Nintendo Switch

.

[demonslayedher]

Kanroji Temple: A lesser-known KnY Holy Site... which is a holy site anyway

There are actually a few Kanroji Temples throughout Japan, but one very small one in Wakayama Prefecture embraces the namesake in some subtle ways. The platform-only train station which shares the name also got in on the fun with green and pink "love" banners with cherry blossom and cat motifs. Although there is not as much to see there now as there was in 2020 during a short promotion they did, there's still a few cute vestiges.

To borrow a previous analysis of Mitsuri's name: 甘露寺: "甘露 Kanro" is "Sweetness" (in Japanese Buddhism, this is considered a virtue, perhaps you could think of it more like a heavenly sweetness than a gluttonous one) and "寺 ji" ((Buddhist) Temple). Rather than looking at this and thinking "wow, her family is so Buddhist" you could look at it and think "wow, they're probably pretty well-off." It's a wide generalization, but surnames which are also temple names imply that the family was long a (presumably wealthy) patron of the temple, and it carries a high class ring to it.

Besides the name, there are another couple reasons this is such a nice little Mitsuri related spot.

This temple was already known as a bit of a matchmaking spot, because there is a conifer on the premises with leaves that, once they are dried, don't break if you try to pull them apart. In addition, there are little protective "inome" (boar's eye/snout) marks around the roof, which people nowadays look at as upside-down hearts. There was also some romantic episode between the couple who started the Kamakura shogunate here, Minamoto no Yoritomo and Hojo Masako, but Mitsuri and Masako have very different personalities so I'll leave that there.

I did not realize this until I was on my way, but you know Tama, the station master cat? And Nitama, the successor? Kishi Station is the very next train stop. Mitsuri would be thrilled! I was also thrilled to encounter a celebrity, which was not at all on my itinerary for the day. Even got to ride the Tama train.

It seems that during the Mugen Train hype of 2020, the temple had as many as 200 visitors in a single busy day, when they were displaying a wider banner with the temple's name and a pretty green and pink background. There were signs that cosplayers could hold in front of it, as well as a "love pillar" temporarily installed in the little courtyard. Cosplaying in public isn't welcome in many areas of Japan, so this feels a bit like the equivalent of Christian churches having welcomed Pokemon Go players after they became gyms. This temple does, after all, function first and foremost as a religious institution, specifically for the Jodo sect of Pure Land Buddhism. Still, they are flexible and open-minded with it. Back in 2020 they had Rengoku's words about how growing old and weak being what makes humanity precious written as words of wisdom on the post outside the temple where words of Buddhist-style wisdom are typically posted. Nowadays, although there are also signs saying that the inside is off-limits to anyone not there to worship, there was also a sign saying, "Come, everyone, let us go and pray... (Himejima Gyoumei??)" I love that nod, because Himejima's repetition of the nembutsu (Namu Amida Butsu) is stressed in the Jodo sect.

Speaking of! Besides o-mamori (protective amulets), it is very common for shrines and temples to have go-shuin, a stamp or handwritten seal, in exchange for a modest fee (more technically, a donation). Many pilgrims (or tourists, that's fine) collect these directly in fancy books, but you can also just take the paper home to put in a book later. Although Kanroji Temple had their own version of these before their unexpected namesake popularity, they now have a second version on green and pink paper. It is the nembutsu written in a "rikenmyogo" calligraphy style. That is, "sword style" calligraphy.

While the "demon slayers use swords!" association is clearly there, and in their explanation they make a lot of clever use of the 滅 (eliminate) character so prominent in the KnY world, the sword is in regard to how when Buddhist figures are depicted holding swords, this is not so much to slay the enemies of Buddhist teachings, but to sharpen oneself and cut away ones' evils, faults, and worldly attachments--the sources of worldly suffering.

That said, no one is making the fans get rid of their attachment to a hit manga/anime, and there are still a few signs to hold in "I was here" photos.

The train station, which is surrounded by cherry trees and had a tiny heart graffiti etched into the sign, still has their "love" banners up, as well as a clearly inspired illustration of an anime girl reminding people to show their train passes clearly to the conductor when disembarking (because there are no gates on this train station platform).

So if you ever find yourself a couple hours away from Osaka on your way to visit Nitama the celebrity station master, just remember you can make another nearby stop in honor of the Love Pillar. If you don't have the luck of riding the Tama train, you might get to ride a strawberry train too.

[fire-emblem-birthdays]

[fecipherfullart]

Artist: Marue

Source: Cipher Guidebook 4

[ghostlymonade]

Now it's Persona-l: Escapism and Freedom in Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Persona 5

On the surface, Tokyo Mirage Sessions seems about as Diet Persona™ as a game can get. With a cast of colourful teens out to save the world using their Stands Persona  Performa, some critique of our society, and the same amount of clueless running around Shibuya, it would be easy to write the game off as a quick cash-grab by their respective studios. But when giving TMS another look, you might be surprised at the depth that lurks beneath the pastel-coloured waters. Today we’ll be taking a deep dive into two specific themes that persist across both games.

For those who somehow missed an originally Wii-U exclusive JRPG which didn’t include the Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei tags in its title, Tokyo Mirage Sessions: FE is a collaboration between Atlas and Intelligent Systems to bring a little Fire Emblem flavour to the familiar Zio-spamming recipe of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. The game follows Itsuki Aoi, a nineteen-year-old with dark blue hair who has therefore been recognised by the universe itself as the main character. He discovers his ability to summon a Performa— a Fire Emblem character turned to a Persona – and joins up with other Performa users to battle mirages (i.e Shadows), pursuing their dreams and growing stronger as they do. It’s a setup that requires no further introduction if you’ve ever picked up an Atlas game before. They have a rightful confidence in this formula that allows them to focus on refinement and improved storytelling, the benefits of which absolutely shine in Persona 5.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions predates its more successful cousin by two years, but I argue we see the same brilliant attention to detail, themes and realism across both, and nowhere is this more apparent than in how both games handle freedom and escapism. For those still working through these eighty-hour behemoths, not to worry! There are spoilers for the first few story dungeons and other aspects, but not the endings of the games.

The two player teams present an interesting dichotomy, partly because of how similar they seem on the surface. Take their publicity situation. Posters of the Phantom Thieves’ logo plaster every building in P5, and Shibuya 106 is always displaying posters of Kiria or Tsubasa’s newest production— a very nice touch for TMS’s story, considering how much focus is placed on the nitty-gritty, mechanical aspects of building a career in performing. But there is one key distinction. While neither group is recognised for their heroic work in the Metaverse or Idolasphere respectively, the names Kiria Kurono, Tsubasa Oribe and Mamori Minamoto have gathered everything from a cult following to a full-blown fan frenzy. This has fascinating ripples throughout the rest of the story that feel fully considered by the writers.

Within the P5 cast up to Okumura’s Palace, many members join the Phantom Thieves because they feel backed into a corner. In Joker’s case, the corner is very literal. For Ann and Makoto, they could, in a purely technical sense, do the bidding of the villain and escape physically unharmed, but nobody in their right mind would suggest submitting to Kamoshida or Kaneshiro is a good idea. Imagery of imprisonment is everywhere, through promotional art and cutscenes and every line of dialogue. But this imprisonment is rarely a physical thing. Even in the literal jail of the Velvet Room replaces one wall with a huge portal back to the real world, albeit obscured by the camera angle. Restrictions on the Phantom Thieves are often nebulous or even self-imposed, and I find it fascinating that their problems rarely evaporate after they awaken their Persona and gain a new outlook. While the pressures of society are given a face for each Thief, the writers never make the mistake of treating it as if these singular persons are the only issue— instead, they represent a wider imprisonment.

Conversely, the Mirage Masters don’t seem to face these same issues. Not to say they have no conflict, but there is a sense of freedom that permeates every aspect of the game. It’s an interesting approach; their lives aren’t ruined or ended by failure, but their dreams will crumble before them if they can’t push on in their professional journey, and the world will be worse off for the loss of talented creators to the mirages. The Idolasphere may not feel of much import. Obviously there are consequences to leaving it unchecked, otherwise there would be no driving plot force to have the characters enter at all. But the Idolasphere and its adventures seem to be an inconvenience to most of the TMS cast. They aren’t actively seeking out new Idolasphere locations, excitedly searching for new equipment and attempting to train their Performa in their off time, the way the Phantom Thieves do. These are driven young professionals, yes, perhaps with the exception of main character Itsuki Aoi. But not driven by anything the Idolasphere offers- they already have their career aspirations, and it isn’t to fight shadows mirages for the rest of their lives.

This is even reflected in gameplay. Where leaving the palace in Persona 5 ends your day and has you missing out on a limited timeslot, TMS allows the player to jump in and out of any Idolasphere location, at any time. You could say that this is because TMS lacks the limited time frame mechanic that appeared in all three modern Persona games, but I would say the lack of that day-by-day mechanic is, itself, another way to show the freedom the TMS cast enjoy.

For the Phantom Thieves, the metaverse is their escape. Even in official art, you can see the grins as they jump into action:

Regular life, for the Thieves, is a tedious Sisyphean battle, where they feel like they have little power and little control. The power of a Persona is one thing that elevates them, makes them special, in their minds, anyway. Right from the flash-forward at the start of the game, it’s clear that the world is hostile to them. While Joker bounces around with a grin on his face and heaps of style, crowds react to him with fear, scorn, and derision. This in spite of the fact he has seemingly done little more than nab a prize and disappear, in true phantom thief style. And when Joker is caught by the police, the prospect of the truth being discovered becomes more and more unsettling, the closer the Phantom Thieves grow to each other. Beside the criminal charges: Ryuji is separated from his single mother, Ann loses her career and support network, Morgana loses the only people who understand him, Makoto loses her best chance at individuality and self-expression. The world is out to get the Phantom Thieves, and if that happens, they lose everything. They won’t die, presumably, but their lives are likely to become hollow and empty. This again emphasises the idea of their imprisonment being a less tangible thing, hard to fight and much harder to escape from.

I could probably go on for another few pages but we’ll draw things to a close for now. Escapism has always been a less talked-about motif in Atlas games, rarely the ‘point’ of any one story, but it’s often there, an interesting compliment to the main theme. Persona 3 delves into mortality, and I believe escapism is a fascinating part of that, as a way to distract from it and try to live a happy life in spite of the inevitable end. Persona 4 focuses on finding the truth, despite a society that tries to force conformity, and they discover comfort and freedom by finding people who let them be their true selves. Persona 5 was merely the first game to push these themes into the spotlight. But let’s not forget the lesser-loved Atlas games, either! And hey, maybe if you see Tokyo Mirage Sessions on sale? Give it a go. I promise it’s pretty good.

[uozlulu]

Uozlulu's 2023 Year in Reading Fanfiction

For my post about the stuff I wrote in 2023, go here

This year I finally decided to use my bookmarks for more than just keeping track of WIPs I'm reading, so I now have 156 bookmarks and 33 recs. You can see the full list of bookmarks here and the full list of recs here.

Because there are so many that I added this year, here are some simple stats so I can use this post for something more comprehensive next year.

My earliest bookmark: Stop Eating My Grapes! by Zabbers - The Thick of It/Green Wing - Malcolm Tucker/Sue White - M

My earliest rec: FROBIN AU: A Long Way From Home by PaintMeTheSky - One Piece - Franky/Robin - T

My most recent bookmark: Thrall by bandedbulbussnarfblat - IwtV (AMC) - E

My most recent rec: Languages of Love by mizumoiro - Onmyouji Series -Yumemakura Baku/The Ying Yang Master Movies (2001 - 2003) - Abe no Seimei/Minamoto no Hiromasa - T

My oldest fic bookmarked: Fraught by anenko - Eyesheild 21 - Hiruma/Mamori - T

My oldest fic recced: Untangled by orphan_account - Revolutionary Girl Utena - Anthy/Utena - T

My newest fic bookmarked: Home for Christmas by bandedbulbussnarfblat - IwtV (AMC) - Armand/Daniel - T

My newest fic recced: Koby's Awful No-Good Very Confusing Day by okiedokeTM (madelinescribbles) - One Piece - Koby/Luffy - T

[5iyoomi]

> Fire Emblem

Last Updated: September 8, 2024

Key: Fluff (🩷), Angst (🥀), Suggestive (💋), Smut (🌶️), Timeskip (🕔)

↳ Back To The Main Masterlist

★ = Dark Content/Read Warnings!!

— General

3H leaders with an overworked s/o [hcs/drabbles] | x gn!Reader

dimitri, edelgard, claude [🩷]

when they see how you've changed [hcs/drabbles] | various fe3h x masc!Reader

dimitri, felix, ashe, sylvain [🩷/🕔]

they react to your new outfit [hcs/drabbles] | various engage x masc!Reader

part 1 — m!alear, alfred, diamant, alcryst, fogado [🌶️]

part 2 — louis, kagetsu, rosado, pandreo [🌶️]

— Other

N/A

— Tokyo Mirage Sessions

itsuki aoi.

N/A

tsubasa oribe.

N/A

touma akagi.

N/A

kiria kurono.

N/A

eleonora yumizuru.

N/A

mamori minamoto.

N/A

yashiro tsurugi.

N/A

maiko shimazaki.

N/A

barry goodman.

N/A

tiki.

N/A

— Three Houses

male byleth.

N/A

female byleth.

N/A

edelgard.

N/A

ferdinand.

N/A

linhardt.

N/A

caspar.

N/A

bernadetta.

N/A

dorothea.

N/A

dimitri.

N/A

felix.

N/A

ashe.

N/A

sylvain.

N/A

mercedes.

N/A

annette.

N/A

ingrid.

N/A

claude.

N/A

lysithea.

N/A

marianne.

N/A

hilda.

N/A

cyril.

N/A

jeritza.

N/A

yuri.

N/A

constance.

N/A

hapi.

N/A

— Engage

male alear.

N/A

female alear.

N/A

clanne.

N/A

framme.

N/A

alfred.

N/A

céline.

N/A

etie.

N/A

louis.

N/A

chloé.

N/A

diamant.

N/A

alcryst.

N/A

amber.

N/A

citrinne.

N/A

hortensia.

N/A

kagetsu.

N/A

rosado.

N/A

anna.

N/A

timerra.

general nsfw hcs [hcs] | x transfem!Reader - [🌶️]

fogado.

N/A

pandreo.

N/A

— Three Hopes *for main playables, see 3H section*

male shez.

N/A

female shez.

N/A

arval.

N/A