#shoma forgetting things

[horse-girl-anthy]

I only just thought of this, but I think Shoma could be said to have survivor's guilt. survivor's guilt is often framed as an irrational thing, but it's a perfectly logical response to being faced with the abritrary cruelty of the world. when you witness sudden death, suffering and misfortune, you realize that you've done nothing to earn your own position, but you have it anyway, while others have nothing. someone who develops survivor's guilt can't ever forget that, and thus can't ever be purely happy.

Shoma definitely feels guilt over his parents' actions, but that's false guilt; it arises from having been stigmatized for being their son and from his anger at the existential unfairness of Himari's life and death. while Kanba externalizes his anger, Shoma internalizes his into guilt.

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

When I look back at the 2024 Worlds in a few weeks, the things that will stay in my mind are...

Adam backflipping himself from 19 place to 3rd

a majestic Lion King

the ever-growing Kimmy and Nikolaj nailing their jumps

Amber's glorious 3A

the only competitor being my age winning gold by turning her partner into a vampire (everyone bow to Queen Deanna)

Loena in first place after the short programme (and losing it in the free skating 😭)

Kaori defending her title for the second time

Stéphane dancing behind the boards during the men's practice

Shoma dropping off the podium (I'm going to cry about this for the entire off-season😭)

Donovan delivering two glorious skates

Josefin's amazing performances

a true artist finishing among the top six with two clean skates and no quads

Riku/Ryuichi's glorious comeback

Young You's beautiful SP and the even more beautiful FS (I never thought I'd ever see Arwen on Ice)

my favourite German pairs team bringing the first worlds medal home since Aljona & Bruno

a Tango de Roxanne that made my heart cry (I have a love-hate relationship with that programme and I'm going to miss it because of the entertainment it brought me)

not to forget all the skaters I would have love to see in the free but who didn't qualify because the field of competitors was so extremely dense.

I don't care who's the best jumper. Jumps are fake anyway.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

I just hope Shoma has also big fanbase as Yuzuru has, so that even in moments of being underscored or facing challenges, he feels the support and never experiences loneliness. And I want this support to continue even after retirement. Shoma has made significant contributions to this sport and always delivered breathtaking performances. I hope he always feels loved, now and in the future. Of course he does not need anyone's support to feel okay, but I want him to get the appreciation he deserves. I just do not want anyone to forget him and his contributions to figure skating. Today's score made me think about such things.

Shoma has a huge fan base, obviously not as big as Yuzu's (which is basically a once in life occurence and tbh I am not sure that level is desired), and I think and hope that Shoma has long realized that we as his fans love and support him not only for the victories but for who he is. I think already back at IdF he learned that we appreciate him if he's in 1st or last place and NHK's scoring doesn't change that.

Also Shoma survived the disappointments of Worlds 2019, the disaster of IdF19, the disaster that was WTT 2021, he did have his share of unfair judgment over the years even ofc antis would never admit that and he never gave up and he would come back stronger and proof everyone wrong who ever called an end upon him. Shoma may be at a different stage of his career and obviously sooner or later he will quit competing but until then I don't see him going down without a fight. Yes first his NHK comments sounded awful but a day after it sounded like Yuma was actually a motivator to try his best. He also said he wouldn't suddenly quit, so this is all hopeful. Now I just hope judges treat him fairly. Again I am not mad if Shoma's not winning with mistakes or if someone else was clearly better that day but NHK was none of this as he was clearly the best skater at NHK and that's what made me mad and sad.

Shoma also not only has fan support but also the support of his family, his girlfriend Marin, his coach Stephane, his pyhsiotherapist Demi, his friends as Koshiro, Satoko and Keiji and I am damn sure they all tell him how supported he is.

I also think for the future things look bright. He is already the frontliner of The Ice and One Piece on Ice was also very successful, he is invited to many ice shows. I don't think we have to worry for him.

Only time will tell if Shoma's contribution to figure skating will be recognized in the future but it is already while he competes. Yuma just once again confirmed Shoma as the skater he looks up to at NHK. Plenty of junior skaters and younger senior skaters call Shoma among their favorites, some even have copy like costumes of his programs.

Shoma has written his name in the history books of figure skating as 2 time world champion and first to land the quadruple Flip. No one will take away those achievements and NHK scoring also won't take away any of his glory. Yes Shoma may not always come in first place, but that takes nothing away from how special he is to skating.

Inside Skating published some very nice articles on Shoma over the years and each reads not only like praise but also if you track back old articles skaters have admired Shoma from way back when he was just a little junior. This article from today is a recommendation.

He already left his mark in the sport. He's not where he is because of favors and fed politicking as some envious haters say but because his skating is magical - spell binding and ppl inside and outside the skating world appreciate Shoma. I am sure.

[crimson-ace-reviews]

Crimson Ace Reviews: Kamen Rider Gavv Episode 2

This episode reveals why Kamen Rider Gavv is a fantasy show: It portrays corporations as evil, and we all know how false that is, right?

Let's get into Kamen Rider Gavv's second episode: Happy Zakuzakuchips

We pick up right where we left off last week, with a woman named Sachika waking Shoma up. Sachika then offers to take him back to her place for some food.

It's here we get the show's opening theme, “Got Boost?” It's a pretty upbeat theme with some nice visuals. I especially like the one part where Shoma, Hanto, and Sachika are all singing along to the song.

After the opening, Sachika takes Shoma to the store she runs, Hapipare, or Happy Parade. Shoma mistakes a towel Sachika gives him for cotton candy, before being told to go take a shower. Make sure to wash your Gavv too, Shoma.

The next scene properly introduces the season's villains, the Stomach Family. These are the heads of the company which produces the Dark Treats, those things Granute Hound wanted more of last episode. Lango Stomach is the president of the company after the death of their father, Glotta Stomach is the head of manufacturing which involves those shrunken humans wrapped in Fruit by the Foot, Nyelv is in charge of research and development, and the twins Shita and Jeebh are in charge of getting supplies. It's a very effective scene that introduces the villains and gives the audience an idea of their goals and explains more about the Dark Treats. I also love how rather than an evil empire, the villains are structured like a corporation, sort of like the villains from Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Back with Shoma, he helps himself to some of Sachika's food, only to forget the whole “giving birth” thing.

Damn it, Shoma! Do that in the bathroom for Gaim's sake! Or at least see a doctor about your Gavv if it keeps up.

Something of note is when Shoma tries a bento made by Sachika, he doesn't create a new Gochizo, showing that it's only snacks that affect his Gavv. After he struggles to hide the new Gochizo he created (including a few he made from eating potato chips for the first time), Shoma offers to help Sachika help a friend move. Because he has super strength, it's a snap for him, so they celebrate with soba and potato chips.

Meanwhile, Hanto gets a lead on the mysterious monster attack, taking him to Hajime's house.

Oh hey, Hajime. We thought you were dead.

Speaking of monsters, we get our first look at this week's Granute, Granute Whipple.

Damn, Squidward's been hitting the gym.

He gets a new assignment, to target the friend Shoma and Sachika just helped move out.

Back with Shoma and Sachika, the latter asks the former just why he goes so crazy over snacks. He explains that he gets it from his mother.

You know, between this show and Dragon Ball Super, who would have thought junk food would be seen as humanity's greatest achievement by aliens?

After Sachika gives her full name, Shoma starts to reveal his last name, but because it's all but stated that he's a member of the Stomach family, he has to improvise and come up with a name that's less evil.

Okay, not the best person to name yourself after, but at least Toshiki Inoue isn't a mass-murdering psychopath.

Cut to Granute Whipple, who wraps up the friend into the shrunken Fruit by the Foot form, which is seen by two of Shoma's Gochizo. After starting to write in a snack diary, Shoma is alerted to this, so he heads out and confronts the Granute, transforming into Gavv. Granute Whipple tries to bargain with Gavv by offering to split the profits, but Gavv tells him to shove it. Gavv gets the friend back, but his gummy armor is chipped away again, so he tries a different Gochizo, this one labeled “Zakuzaku Chips”.

I like this form. The food motif is much clearer here, and I especially like the touch of his eyes being potatoes that are quickly sliced off.

The weapons, a pair of swords called the Zakuzakuchipslasher, are really creative, looking like crushed bags of potato chips. Hopefully, these things won't break so easily like what happened last week.

In all seriousness, Shoma is just as surprised before he figures out that the Zakuzakushipslasher's effectiveness depends on the angle, and even if they break, unlike the Poppin Gummy armor, he doesn't need to reload another Gochizo to make the blades regenerate. So Gavv goes to town on Granute Whipple, and just like the commercials say about eating chips, you can't just stop at killing one Granute. Gavv saves the friend, but she isn't grateful to be saved by him.

Yes, because clearly the bright blue gummy-themed person is a terrifying monster.

Gavv rides off on his ATV, only to be seen by Hanto. We learn that the reason why Hanto is so obsessed with monsters was because a Granute murdered his mother when he was just a kid. Damn, that's two for two on dead moms this season. Somebody better get Sachika's mom to a bunker.

Just like last week, the episode ends with Shoma deciding to leave Sachika's place to continue roaming the world. Our hero, ladies and gentlemen, master of chewing and screwing.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Shiny New Toy: For the Zakuzaku Chips Gozhizo and the Zakuzakuchipslasher.

No Parents Allowed: For Hanto's mother, who was killed by a Granute.

This was a pretty okay episode. It had some strong character moments, a good introduction to the villains, and hints at future conflicts with the mystery Granute that murdered Hanto's mom. It's a good follow up to Episode 1.

Next time on Kamen Rider Gavv: Shoma continues to scare the public that probably thinks Monster High is too graphic for them, given how he's still being called a monster. But hey, at the very least, he discovers soda-flavored gummies.

[sutcliffe-v]

𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫. 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭. 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 | quiz link. | tagging: @fruit-of-infidelity @kindan-no-kanojo @komori--shoma @kurosawa-family (for anyone!!) @sumire-bride @sadistic-sakamaki & anyone else who wants to do this!! (also i tagged some new people/just haven’t tagged anyone in a while so! i hope these are okay!)

Virek — The Soldier

"There will come a soldier. Who carries a mighty sword. He will tear your city down"

Righteousness. Strength. Violence. You see a door and break through it.

You wonder, sometimes, if anger is the only thing you can feel. Remember : love is passion too.

You made your own rules and will follow them to death.

You try and forget that there is only one rule, and that it is "FIGHT".

You are tired of fighting.

You try to forget that, too, and keep going.

You dream of quiet.

Your love is where you heal.

God knows you deserve to.

[sunflowergarland]

thought i’d introduce myself bc why not:

(probably will be updated as i think of/get into more things)

name: freya (not my real name)

age: 17

gender: (afab) honestly not sure rn, though i want to experiment with using she/they or they/them

sexuality: i have no idea right now but i think im bi??? someone please help me out with this hsjsjsjsk

occupation: highschool student with a tendency towards writing and theatre

hobbies: language learning (currently focusing on French), a bit of art (not great at it), singing/choir

random:

i seriously think i might be adhd or autistic (or i might just be misremembering the symptoms of the depression i KNOW i have)

i literally never stop singing

my dream is to write a series as well loved as harry potter or the lord of the rings or the chronicles of narnia

but i can never finish a wip

i’m joining my church’s adult choir in january!! dream come trueeee

i’ve sung with my youth choir for several shows in Branson, Missouri (and even had a couple of solos!)

entertainment:

- movies/tv shows: harry potter, star trek tos, star wars

- books: the chronicles of narnia, unblemished (not sure this is technically a fandom yet but the books more than deserve a fandom)

- music: stray kids, bts, txt, ateez, fifty fifty, dreamcatcher, owl city, taylor swift, chung ha, enhypen, oneus, alisha liston, coldplay, a multitude of christian artists, probably a hundred more i’m forgetting rn

sports:

f1: mclaren, mercedes, williams, alphatauri, charles leclerc (not ferrari as a whole though)

f2: ollie bearman, frederik vesti

f3: dino beganovic, paul aron, nikola tsolov

f4/freca: kimi antonelli, conrad laursen, charlie wurz

european football: fc barcelona, tottenham hotspur

figure skating: ilia malinin, shoma uno, roman sadovsky, gage and oona brown, nathan chen, ekaterina kurakova, kao miura

i love to chat with people and make new friends so feel free to message me as long as you’re not a creep :)

i’m also trying to make this a writing blog of some sort but it’s already pretty disorganized sooooo getting a cohesive theme might take a while hehehe

anyway i think that’s all for now! love yall 💕✨

~~freya~~

[music-art-sport-and-more]

From a Legend to a God

I'd like to know why we still have the same discussions every few years when a new kid enters the senior field.

This is gonna be a bit long, an overview of the past 10 years in figure skating, the reign of Yuzuru the First.

There are not many teenagers who have a natural connection with the music since early age, and those who have mostly struggle with jumps- which just is an important part in figure skating. For example Marin Honda. A wonderful performer, was called "the next Mao", but her jumps were atrocious and killed her career.

It's even weirder when the complains come from certain fandoms whose skater also started their senior career as jumping prodigies. I know how the mind of a Fanyu works, i've been one of them but thank God left that cult. If you followed Yuzuru basically from the beginning of his senior career, you probably forgot by now ( or chose to forget) how it all started.

He was that new kid on the blok, the reigning WJC. Even though the discussions about quads started already in the Plushenko era, it was actually Yuzuru who started the quad revolution. From the beginning he impressed with his jumping abilities, he landed his first quad (4T) in a senior competition at the first try, in a time when quads weren't a thing in juniors yet. He started beating the more experienced and "artistic" guys like Takahashi or Chan at 17/18/19 yo not because he was such a great artist, but because of his jumps. His skating overal was -sloppy. He never had natural artistry, only later in his 20's he found his own style. Even as a good jumper, he didn't had the consistency, after he learned the 4S, he struggled to land it in competition for 2 years. Yet still got good enough scores to top Chan, mostly thanks to his good SP. An aspect Fanyus also like to forget. He was never "screwed over" by the judges, even when he got silver at COC 2014 with a 5 fall program. It was the reason they changed the rules and punish falls harder since then, the "Hanyu rule", that is nothing to be proud about.

Then came Boyang Jin. The new jumping prodigy kid. The king of the 4lz. And the discussion about quads started. The same people who were glorifying Yuzuru's jumps when he was 17 and was ambitious to try new quads were now calling for the cancellation of the new quad king who just did a bit more than the guys before him. He was all over the place but was consistent enough to earn him two World medals. Lucky for Fanyus, Yuzuru was in his prime in those seasons, was pushing for 2 quads in the SP and 3 in the FS, so nobody could touch him and he already had a certain reputation. Shoma Uno was way to inconsistent thanks to his bad technique to battle him, but was supported by Takahashi's fans since they seemed similar in the way they performed ( and they also were still salty😉) and Fernandez somehow improved in that time, so Uno was being left alone to some degree.

Things got a bit more heated when an even more refined teenage quad king became senior- Nathan Chen. An upgrade from Jin, all over the place at first but his efford was recognized. Yuzuru lost a bit of his spark by then- and found himself in the position of the Takahashi's and Chan's of his time. The new kid on the blok started beating him with his own weapons.

And now it gets interesting, because we came full circle. It only needed the upgrade of the previous quad kings, the more consistent one, the God himself, to finish what was started years ago, to end the quest for quads. Because Ilia is that 17 ( now 18) years old, for now the only skater in the history who can land all existing jumps in figure skating- including the unicorn Yuzuru was chasing when he started this journey- the 4A.

What all these teenage prodigies have in common is Yuzuru. He was the one who inspired them to go above and beyond what was seen as impossible. So be proud of his impact instead of feeling threatened by the youth 🤷‍♀️

[gaydelgard]

i think i usually forget shomas somnium when i list the small amount of things i like in aini

but i do like it

[impish-crow]

[TRANSLATION] DIG-ROCK HOUND ROAR vol. 1 - Track 04

Track 4: Things I don't want to forgive.

Sogo: I'm back. Shoma: Welcome back! Shion: Yankee… Why are you here? Shoma: It's your fault, stupid. Sogo: I asked him to watch my house. Practice got canceled, and he said he had time. Shion: …I'm sorry. Shoma: Apologize to me too. Shion: …Sorry. Shoma: What? Why are you apologizing so easily? It's annoying! Sogo: Hey, hey. There's nothing to argue about. Hibiki: Sogo, Shion, welcome. Sogo: We're back. Shion: Why—is Hibiki here too? Hibiki: I came too play with Ricky. Also… I heard Shion got caught by the police. Shion: …You finds it amusing, right? Hibiki: Well… kind of. Shion: Damn. Shoma: Most importantly, you look pale! Come on in. Shion: What? Wait a minute. What are you doing?! Shoma: Since I spread out the blanket, go take a nap. Shion: Huh?! …What's this, treating it like it's your house… Hey, don't pull me! Sogo: Well, considering you have the energy to talk back, it seems fine. Hibiki: Haru-chan and Toya? Sogo: They both went back to work. What about you, Hibiki? Is it okay for you to stay at my place? Hibiki: Well. I have some free time. Sogo: Oh? Weren’tyou have plan today?

Hibiki: I quit my job… and there's nothing to do. Sogo: Well, if that's the case, at least show your face when we're practicing. Hibiki: There's nothing else to do. Sogo: Then, come and sing for us! It'll be more rewarding for us to play if there's a vocalist. Hibiki: I'll come when we're recording. It won't work without vocals. Sogo: Is that so… Well, since that was the deal from the start, there's nothing I can do. Hibiki: …Remember when Sogo said our members are all mysterious? As for me, I can't figure out what Sogo is thinking the most. Sogo: Is that so? I'm pretty straightforward. I just want to play in a band with everyone. So, I hope you sing too, as much as possible. It would be nice if Shoma and Shion also got along quickly. Hibiki: I think those two already get along quite well. And, about Shion, leave it to Endo. No need to worry. Sogo: You and Shoma are complete opposites in personality, but you seem to get along well. Hibiki: Whether we get along or not… I don't know yet. It hasn't been long since we started interacting face to face. But I know that Endo is kind to the weak. Even back then, when I cried in the livehouse, he stayed with me without saying a word. Sogo: Haha, is that so.

Shoma: Leave your stuff there, and oh, if you're changing, wear the clothes there. Even if you want to wash up, take a nap first! Your face looks terrible, and I don't want you collapsing before that happens. But wait, what about food?! When was the last time you ate? Shion: You're being annoyingly loud. Shoma: Huh?!

Shion: I'm tired now. I don't want to talk. And, don't worry about me. Shoma: Of course, I have to worry, idiot! Shion: …Why? Shoma: Why, you ask? Usually, if someone looks unwell in front of you, you try to help, right! Shion: …Haah. Are you a kind person or something? Forget it. I don't want to talk. Shoma: Hey, hey. Change your clothes! Oh, and isn't it torturous like this?! Should I call an ambulance?! Shion: It's not necessary; you idiot. Shoma: Is that so? Shion: Also, the inhaler… in the pocket with a zipper inside the bag. Shoma: Ah, got it! You don't need it now, right? Shion: It's fine. And, don't use it continuously even if the condition is bad. The medicine is strong, so you need to leave it empty for a few hours in between. Shoma: …Okay, I'll remember that. Oh right, your phone? Shion: I left it at home. Shoma: That's why we couldn't reach you earlier. Sogo was worried. Give me your house keys. I'll go get it for you. Shion: …I don’t need it.. Shoma: I'm not going to open your drawers! Shion: … The sound of the phone ringing, I don't want to hear it. Shoma: Huh? Why? Shion: Clearly, it's a call I don't want to answer. Shoma: Haah? Fool, quickly block those calls! Shion: …Ah. I didn't think of that. Shoma: Who is it? That annoying person? Shion: My mom. Shoma: …?!

Shion: She's been calling several times a day lately. Even though I told her to stop. At least send a message, she keeps calling. Also, when I'm not at home, she estimates when I'm not there and enters my room. She rummages through my stuff, Shoma: Just what do you mean… Are you sure you're not mistaken? Shion: Things are slightly out of place. Clothes are being washed, things I don't remember buying are lying around. There's a change of clothes, a toothbrush, more food. It makes me feel uneasy just thinking about it. Shoma: …You..see.. Shion: Don't preach. I'm tired. Shoma: I won't. …But you know, aren't your parents worried? Shion: …If that's the case, they shouldn't have let me live on my own. Don't need to buy me a mansion. Shoma: A mansion?! Shion: My parents provided the house, and the condition for living alone was it. Shoma: Your parents is rich… When did you start living alone? Shion: Since the talks about my debut began. Shoma: Surprisingly recent. Shion: It feels like being watched, and I can't relax at all. Recently, I've been staying out late every night. Shoma: Ah…!!! So that's why you got caught by the police! Shion: They thought I looked suspicious, did a body search… couldn't answer properly… and here I am. Shoma: Idiot! You should have just said something like you did now! Shion: Could I have said that? If I call home and things go wrong… Toya-san might told to quit HOUND ROAR>. Shoma: Huh? No, there’s no way. Shion: Toya-san's song will be complete without me. HOUND ROAR wasn't supposed to have a keyboard. Shoma: Then, Why!? Shion: They weren’t recruited a keyboardist, but I sent a demo for the audition anyway. I just played the song the way I felt like. I knew that MEO was working at Renown Stage, and I wondered if he would listen… But then they contacted me. Shoma: Seriously? Isn’t it great? Shion: I did hope he would listen, but I never thought he'd let me join the band. Shoma: If that's the case, you really didn't need to worry at all! Since he really likes your keyboard, everything worked out! Shion: Why are you so sure? Shoma: Well, because… Shion: You've heard all sorts of things about you, haven't you? Even if you play well, you will be a problem for the band. Shoma: …Uh, well… Shion: I don't know how to wrap this up smoothly… My parents are waiting patiently for me to give up. Shoma: What? Give up? They even buy a mansion and supported you living alone. They wanted to encourage your band activities… Shion: It's not like that. They pity me because I have no talent as keybaorist. Since they can't say it themselves, They are waiting for someone else to tell me that. Shoma: That's a bit too much… Shion: If they can't believe me, they should have said it clearly from the beginning. ‘You a pianist who can't meet your parents' expectations. You can't even take care of yourself properly, you can’t even go outside..’ …And missing practice because of an incident like this. What should I say to Toya-san? Me who didn’t play the keybaord have no value… Shoma: …Tsk.

Hibiki: Huh? Endo? Sogo: How is Shion doing? Shoma: …Ugh, so damn annoying!!! Sogo: Did you guys fight? Shoma: We didn't!!! …I'm sorry, we didn't. Hibiki: …Want to sit down? Shoma: Yeah… Sogo: Do you want something to eat? Shoma: No, I'm fine now. Sogo: Why are you so angry? Shoma: …That guy said he's a failure as a pianist. Hibiki: A failure? Sogo: I've heard stories that he played solo classical since he was young… Shoma: He called himself a failure and said he has no value as someone who can't play the keyboard. Someone who can't play the keyboard? It sucks I heard him said he has no value, and it sucks that his parents, who have been with him since birth, don't believe him at all!!! It really irritates me! A faliure? What are parental expectations? He plays the piano so well!!! Hibiki: Maybe they think classical music is superior to being in a band? Shoma: Huh?! Are they picking a fight?! Sogo: Calm down, calm down. Nothing has been confirmed yet. Shoma: Why won’t they understand that he is working so hard?! Maybe because they are worried about his health, but I also get scared sometimes… But he knows how to use medicine himself, explain things, and when it's really tough, he can even call Haru-chan! …Why doesn't he know these simple things? Hibiki: Parents are ultimately just other people, we can't choose our parent, and sometimes all we can do is give up. Sogo: Hibiki…? Hibiki: Parents can’t choose their child either, Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure. Shoma: Ah!!! It’s so frustating!! Sogo: Oh? Haha (Laughs) Shoma: Sogo-san? Sogo: No, I just think that both of you are kind, you’re getting angry for Shion’s sake. Shoma: That megane is annoting but her piano isn’t band. Hibiki: I don’t care about music, but Shion is my friend. Sogo. Um, that’s right.

[hecksupremechips]

I’m getting kinda feral about Ryuki today so I wanna bring up something else

Since the entire Ryuki side of the story is pretty much just everything he tells Mizuki about what happened 6 years ago, this begs the question: is his summary including the parts that are from the future, or is this just a writing error?

It’d make sense if it was just an error like. First off if Ryuki could see the future that’d be a whole mess, plus the future he’s seeing here isn’t even in the right timeline, it’s all what happens on the B side. Plus, the whole twist of not knowing what the proper timeline is is already a pretty iffy twist because it’s only a twist to the player, not to the characters. Since it’s kinda flimsy to begin with, I can see how the writers could’ve just completely fucking forgotten to fix the Ryuki side to make sense with this twist. They kinda forgot about Ryuki a lot in the second half of the game after all and a lot of the writing around him is messy as hell so I can believe it

But, let’s pretend this all WAS intentional, that Ryuki DID include information about the future in his story to Mizuki. This would go perfectly with the idea that Ryuki is a frayer and that he’s being haunted by knowledge from the past and future and is incapable of distinguishing the two. It’s already true that Ryuki has trouble telling what year it is (during the practice launch on the Mizuki side we see Ryuki in a trance waiting for Shoma to get off the ferris wheel even though that’s an event that happened 6 years ago, Ryuki makes constant references to Date being disappointed in him,etc) so it’d make sense if he got his wires majorly crossed when telling Mizuki what he remembers about the case from 6 years ago. If this is the case, then Ryuki’s powers can extend across not just past and future, but also multiple timelines

It’s not like Ryuki is the only one with this power. Date remembers when he was hospitalized in the Mizuki route during the true ending and gets confused about why he’s remembering things that never happened. Mizuki is able to remember Jin being referred to as the almighty despite her not hearing about it in that timeline. But it is interesting that Ryuki is the only one who seems to be plagued by his knowledge. The other two protagonists will be just kinda weirded out by their ability to know things that didn’t happen, but they recover pretty quickly. Ryuki though, he doesn’t know what timeline he’s in and he’s constantly speaking and thinking in riddles and drowning himself in liquor to forget everything and is only able to function in the A side BECAUSE the somnium failed and he wasn’t able to remember tearer’s true identity

Basically Ryuki cursed with evil timeline powers and it makes me wonder if he’s an unreliable narrator on purpose or on accident and honestly, I don’t know if I wanna know

Had an epiphany last night and I haven’t seen anyone talk about this (maybe because it could be just so obvious no one felt the need to but shhh) but look here at the veeeery beginning of the aini flowchart

We got the Ryuki somnium as the first split and as we know, this split happens based on whether or not you (or ryuki in this case) know the name of Tearer. You can only get the Mizuki side of the story if you have played the Ryuki side and have heard Tearer’s name. The somnium will also be much more complex and dangerous

So essentially on the B side, the psync is unsuccessful. Mizuki doesn’t really help Ryuki, and she barely learns anything about the hb case. Ryuki is left in the same mentally unstable state he was before, and he can’t hold a conversation without babbling and laughing maniacally. This leaves Mizuki to do her investigation without any of the past help at all, which is how the true route of the story is supposed to go

This isn’t anything new, we know this. What I do wanna revisit is the A side, where Ryuki doesn’t remember Tearer. The psync is actually successful and the results are significantly different than the B side. Ryuki sobers up and is able to tell Mizuki everything that happened to him 6 years ago. So basically the Ryuki route (the parts from 6 years ago) is everything that he’s telling to Mizuki

This means that there’s a whole separate version of the story in this timeline where Mizuki learns everything about the past, including what happened to Date. And what’s getting me feral about this is. How did the investigation proceed afterwards??? Did the two of them work together to finish the case? Did Mizuki get a chance to mourn Date? Did she lash out at Ryuki? Did Ryuki even mention his involvement with Tearer or Bibi’s existence at all? How would everything had changed if they worked together?

IM GOING INSANE I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE A SIDE TIMELINE DAMMIT-

[shomagravity]

30 June 2022 || Uno Shoma Event Translation (with Tanaka Keiji)

Honda: Back in my day medals were too small. I'm kinda jealous. 

Shoma: Yeah, the strap was the same but the medals were so small, I would lose them. But lately the small medals are just as big as the normal medals. I haven't been receiving many small medals lately so when I won them I thought 'oh they changed so much', I felt deeply emotional. Deeply emotional? I just said it casually. Sorry. 

"It was a great season which will be positive for me. I'm happy about winning World Championship and the medal at Olympics, but I was most happy to be able to fight again at the top of the world." "The rules are changing in a big way and as it's a new program, many things will change but my feelings regarding the positions in a competition or how I feel towards skating hasn't changed." "I want to make it a year where I focus on "growth"." "Last season was a really good season with results. Even so, I want to forget that and do my best with a feeling of starting over." "As an active skater, I want to be an athlete like Nathan Chen. " "Figure skating really is victory or defeat. You can avoid mistakes but once you make one, you can't take it back." “He has the stability of winning most championships in those 4 years, and was always one step ahead of everyone." "Seeing Chen who couldn't perform well 4 years ago (at Pyeongchang Olympics), do such an amazing performance at the (Beijing) Olympics...  I think the active skater image I want to reach is Chen. "After I retire... Well it might be because he's the closest one to me, but artistic like Stephane Lambiel coach... To continue being an active skater jumps are necessary, but if I retire, rather than jumps, my goal is to be artistic in the way Stephane is."

He talks a bit about how fans supports matter. He talks about how because of Corona they each realized they were taking it a bit for granted, and fans still can't cheer etc yet.

People might think that one fan's clapping wouldn't reach them but he says each person's support reaches them even during competition, so he says if it's okay with the fans, if they cheer for them it'll power up the athletes. Keiji gets called on stage and Honda is like "What's up Keiji" to which he replies "Heard Shoma was around so I came over to play."

Q. Once you said "if you realize something is missing, it's not really missing." Keiji: (Bursts into a laugh) Q. Have you forgotten anything big lately? Shoma: (Stares) Honda: Something you forgot? Shoma: Yeah, you know how I'm bad with forgetting things. Honda: You forgot your costume.   Shoma: When was it?  Honda: During Prince.  Shoma: ...  Shoma: OH yeah, the red one.  Honda: The costume for the opening.  Shoma: Yeah I forgot the opening costume and borrowed it. Keiji: I don't think that's rare. Shoma: I'm not even worried about it anymore. Even if I forget things. As long as I'm not causing anyone trouble, it's fine, I think. Shoma: Recently... I forgot the ticket in the Shinkansen. I barely made it in time. Shoma: Keijikun do you not forget things much? Keiji: No I usually make sure I check things. Audience: LOL Shoma: I DO THAT TOO. Keiji: Normally before you leave home, you'd check if you have your outfit, boots. Shoma: I do... Keiji: Shoma probably thinks he already put them in and neverminds it. Shoma: You know how you have to hold it... When I'm putting on my shoes, since you need a free hand, you'd put it down, right? .... After that, it's already no good. I'll just leave like that. Shoma: Even if I make sure I don't forget, like put things right at the door, I'll hold it thinking I must have it with me, then realize I have to do something else and then I leave it behind. Shoma: I think it's quite a lot less now though. Keiji: That's probably not because of Shoma checking things but your manager making sure you don't forget anything. Rather than Shoma, it's thanks to your Manager. Shoma: So if I forget something it's not my fault, but my Manager’s. Honda: Well that's how Shoma is. We end up not being too worried about it either. Keiji: "It's just how it always is." Shoma: Like, "Oh, again?" Keiji: And in the background, his manager is panicking. Honda: He won't change. Audience: LOL. Honda: This is Shoma-kun. tweets

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

Let's talk about Shoma today...

A first defeat in 1,5 years...but Shoma looks in good spirits and his comments are not speaking of disappointments. So if Shoma is happy, I am happy. 🥰

This program is just beautiful. Can't wait to see it without the mistakes in the beginning. Admittedly Shoma looked a bit out of it after the fall and that probably messed up his timing for the 4F. Afterwards it was a captivating performance.

If there is one thing I am disappointed,it's that Shoma yet again has a skate with only two combinations... Shoma really that's not it...😅 And maybe I am a tad disappointed that I am not super thrilled about his costumes...

But on the positive side Shoma did 4T3T in both of his programs, which didn't happen last season at all, so that's a step forward. 👏 (And let's not forget the 105 SP from yesterday)

I think Shoma did both this competition. Proof he is still the world champion and going against him won't be easy with that glaring almost perfect SP but also that he is not unbeatable. Both is exactly were I think his standing is. Shoma is one of the veterans going up against the youngsters and imo he is still the front runner no matter today's 2nd place. Because no matter Shoma's approach this season or if he personally doesn't care as much for the results, if Shoma delivers this free skate to its full capacity, he will be the one to win. Shoma today left a jarring 25 points in TES alone on the table if we add the base value of the jumps he didn't do. And that doesn't even include StSq 2, the negative GOEs for the q on the 4T, the fall and the positive GOEs he can get with his quads. We could add about 10 points more he left on the table with GOEs alone and we haven't even touched the PCS. Add that up and his score would be at 209+ for the FS. And that's not even the 5 quad layout he had last season. So Shoma is still the Gold contender he was before he lost to Adam today. So I am not worried, the only way is up now. 🔥

All in all we should not forget that this is Shoma's latest ever start to a season and that it's rare for him to bring everything on the table at first start (barring that 2017 Lombardia Trophy) he always paced himself from competition to competition to deliver better and better. But ofc that also lead here to a disadvantage bc he didn't know how he would be perceived by judges and someone like Adam had the 5th competition of the season and though he didn't start perfect either, he is at a different phase of the season than Shoma. That's not to excuse Shoma's mistakes bc it's his own decision to start late, but it's still a fact.

The ice was a huge problem from start to finish for the skaters so we cannot emphasis enough what a difficult circumstance this was and how it affected skaters. Again not an excuse just a fact. That makes Adam's free and Shoma's SP even more admirable.

Last but not least let's emphasize one thing: I am not delusional, Shoma may never get his free skate together to top Adam's scores, he may lose again to Adam, maybe Ilia but this is Shoma's 9th senior season even 10th if you count his first senior comp 4CC 2015, he has won everything besides Olympic Gold, that he is still here to skate and compete is admirable! We can be happy about every competition he shows up! Everything that he will win now is an extra! And Shoma is advocating for his juniors, he praised Adam and noticed him before many others even considered him for the top spots! Shoma likes to have competition, Shoma likes to be the challenger, Shoma is happy if the sport continues to have great skaters bc he knows he won't compete forever. There is a new generation of skaters and Shoma is happy to see them thrive.

Ofc I want Shoma to win, ofc I want him to not get defeated like today. But I don't consider Shoma losing the end, not even the end of Shoma's career, because dare you underestimate that he can keep up with them, but I am happy to see there is a continuation with new great skaters.

[hanyusan]

the saga of my mom’s spiral back into figure skating

If anyone needs a spirit lift, here’s a list of things my mom has done since the Olympics started:

has sat down to breakfast every morning armed with her giant mug and the latest and greatest figure skating gossip; never one without the other

mandatory reminiscence about the days of Kristi Yamaguchi, the GOAT residing in her heart

mandatory comparison of every skater to Kristi, regardless of discipline (and no, your fav will never match up to her)

in the fashion of a seasoned figure skating fan, calls the judges dumb but still gets really excited when someone she likes gets good scores

she actually likes everyone because they’re all precious babies

every time she sees an Asian athlete, she goes into Asian mom mode and unfailingly says: 太乖了太乖了 = “such a sweet/good [child]” x2

clicks on every headline involving either Yuzuru Hanyu or Nathan Chen

pronounces Yuzuru’s name as “Yuzuzu”

researched Yuzuzu on the almighty Wikipedia and determined that his height and age are optimal. Optimal for what, you might ask:

based on the above information, determined that Yuzuzu would make the perfect son-in-law for her painfully single daughter (AKA me) and suggested that I take a plane to Japan and propose marriage to him, after which he would apparently marry into my family and I would raise him on my graphic designer salary plus benefits

if the proposal is a failure, the backup plan is finding a man of his likeness on a dating app via a succinct bio: “If you are similar to Yuzuru Hanyu, I will consider you”

was dismayed to find that all the fellow moms in her group chat also want him as a son-in-law, hence she reluctantly told me that she’s giving up on the idea (she has not given up, if her continuous lamenting about the competition is any indication)

thinks Keegan Messing is the funniest man alive after his whole travel debacle. My mom is the type who would find it hysterical if you fell down the stairs (as long as you’re okay)

we were all discussing skaters’ height during Nathan’s free and she recited his height instantaneously. I do not know when she looked it up or how she remembered it because she tends to forget trivia the moment she learns it

also looked up Shoma Uno’s and Yuma Kagiyama’s heights and found bragging rights in that she is taller than them (she isn’t)

casually researched Nathan’s background and stalked discovered his dad’s LinkedIn page. My only justification for this is that she has the mentality of a sociable businesswoman

asked if Nathan is from California. When told he is from Utah, asked if he is Mormon

apparently the mom group chat also partakes in just as much angry discourse about Yuzuzu vs. Nathan as Twitter. Basically, no one can escape from this timeline

I am 100% certain that the only reason she has not suggested me taking a plane to Utah to propose marriage to Nathan is because he is younger than me. You have been spared, Nathan. Yuzuzu, though, get ready

so far has ended every event asking me what I’m good at and why I’m not as good at anything as the skaters are at skating

This is only after watching the men’s discipline. I fear that this is only the beginning.

[blairamok]

now that i’m home, i can properly process this… i’ve been fighting back tears for the last several hours. that probably sounds ridiculous to a lot of people lolll. but god this last season is the first time i really stuck with it start to finish and shoma was my highlight. i adore him as a skater and a person and i’m just heartbroken. happy for him, sad for me. the competitive scene will not be the same without him. next season is going to be very bittersweet. the world championships is going to be in Boston and that was my one chance to see him perform in person. i still want to go because there’s so many other skaters i want to see but… it’s just gonna be one of those things that i missed out on. his skating makes me feel…… so. much. it’s hard to put into words. i’m excited for whatever he does next of course but just going to miss him so much next season.

so here’s some of my favorite shoma moments and programs

starting with my all time favorite i love you kung fu // clair de lune

cant forget when in the end pose of this same short program at the Grand Prix final he looks to his coach to see his reaction

time lapse // spiegel im spiegel

come together EX

fantasy for violin and orchestra // ladies in lavender

mister plays Minecraft until dawn and every day is cheat day

oboe concerto 🤍🤍🤍

dancing on my own 😭

vivaldi’s winter !!!!!!

and lest not forget his four seasons duet with stephane

my favorite costumes

learning french with his coach stephane lambiel

and moments with stephane 🥺 the coach who likely gave us a few more years with shoma after his career low

tumblr won’t let me add anymore photos so i will stop here i guess. point is i’m going to miss shoma’s silly self at comps, and i’m in my feelings about it. i’ll be supporting him in whatever he decides to do next 🤍

shoma uno retired….. i feel like i have been kicked in the chest lmao.

[horse-girl-anthy]

What’s going on with Kanba?

full thoughts on his character under the cut.

my first watch, I found Kanba an annoying character and didn’t understand why the narrative expected me to have so much sympathy for him. over time, I started to find him more amusing, which helped me enjoy the story more, and then I began to see how tragic a figure he is. 

the more I’ve let the story percolate, the more I’ve come to see the nuances of the character. one of the things that makes it difficult to get into Penguindrum is how the characterization is done non-chronologically, in sporadic, often abstracted bursts, but that also makes it a delight to revisit and mull over. here’s what I’ve pieced together at this point.

Kanba is a self-sacrificial character who gets stuck giving. he was put into that role deliberately by adults when he was “chosen”; it may be implied that he was picked to be the next leader of the Kiga Group at a young age. he was also “chosen” by his father to stay behind with the Kiga Group, but that was a decision he had a role in as well, pleading on behalf of his sister and brother. Masako felt this deeply as an abandonment, suffering from her separation from father and brother, living under the thumb of her grandfather, protecting her younger brother alone. however, she later recognizes that Kanba had been acting on a subconscious, childish intuition to get her away from the Kiga Group--his first self-sacrifice. 

Kanba’s father dies, lamenting on his death bed that he “failed at family” and “shouldn’t have chosen Kanba.” now Kanba is just another abandoned child... but then he is taken in by the Takakuras. Kanba is again “chosen” and “found,” as he is able to connect to Himari, is picked by the parents to be the oldest sibling, and choses to share his apple with Shoma rather than leave him behind. we see more evidence that at core, Kanba is a person who wants to reach out to them and help them. so what went wrong along the way?

firstly, we have Kanba’s position in the family and relationship to Takakura Kenzan. Kanba clearly idolizes his adoptive father, who took him in when he didn’t have to, cared for him as if he was his birth son, and provided him a role model. seeing the father through Kanba’s eyes, all of this makes perfect sense. Kenzan shows him what it means to be a “man,” to be a protector and provider who remains stoic in the face of suffering and does what must be done. after the parents are gone, Kanba tries to take up this mantle, as all of the Takakura children must try to fill the void left by their parents. 

however, the security Kanba found in the Takakura family is just one more step to him falling prey to his “fate” of being the next cult leader. looking at young Kanba and Shoma in their Kiga Group uniforms makes my heart break, but that forlorn shot of Kanba staring after Masako as she is driven away has always communicated to me how truly trapped the character is. 

I’ve written about why I think Shoma was so resistant to the cult, but something I didn’t mention is that him being his parents’ birth child may have actually made it easier for him to turn from their ways. adopted children may feel a debt to their birth parents, may see them as a savior in a way that birth children usually don’t. in my view, Shoma is the character with the clearest view of the past, while Himari tends to forget it and Kanba distorts it. when the Takakura parents disappear and the children are confronted with their crimes, Kanba immediately goes into denial and says they couldn’t have done it, they aren’t that kind of people. even if he acted otherwise, I don’t think Kanba ever really got over that initial denial. 

all of the Penguindrum characters are haunted lost futures and the cruelty and injustice of the world. people like Shoma or Himari are more likely to resign themselves to fate, but characters like Kanba or Ringo are prepared to fight to get what they want. Kanba also gels with Kenzan because the Takakura father seems to be doing something about the unfairness of the world, and Kanba’s tendency towards denial makes it more possible for him to dissociate his actions from their consequences, to enter a delusional world where he doesn’t see reality. 

as more and more of these thoughts about Kanba came to me, the thing that I found hardest to understand was his relationship with Himari. in the context of Ikuhara works, I struggled with the fact that he gets what he wants in the end (dies for Himari), and I didn’t get why Himari became such an obsession for him. here’s my thoughts at this point.

his incestuous fixation on Himari is the elephant in the room. taking the narrative as a whole, the kiss at the end of the first episode feels strange--is Kanba’s huge secret really that he’s in love with Himari? why was that scene included?

there’s a lot of directions to go in for analysis on that front. first of all, it’s important to place their relationship in that wider context of the family system. Ikuhara uses incest to hint at larger complexes within characters. the Takakura siblings are essentially raising themselves with no one else to look after them, and so role confusion is a given. Himari comes to be “the world” to Kanba because she is not only a sister but a mother figure, not only a mother figure but a dependent under his care. to make matters worse, she’s not that much younger than him and they’re teenagers living under the same roof. no wonder his feelings get confused. 

to profile Kanba’s incestuous behavior, I would first say that he has poor boundaries in general and also has some incestuous tones towards Shoma--really, he’s the center of Penguindrum’s incestuous web. however, I don’t think that Kanba is particularly sexual in his inappropriate behavior (though his penguin is--feel free to read into that what you will). as a work, Penguindrum is what I might call “quasi-platonic” with closeknit chosen family ties that ride the line between romance and non-sexual love. ultimately, the incest in the work points to the ways that the characters desire to continue being family, like how in RGU, incest often arises from the desire for an eternal bond. 

I’ve always found it fruitful to compare Kanba and Masako’s fixations, as the narrative clearly invites it. Masako also has role confusion, with her feelings towards her father enmeshing with her feelings for Kanba. while Kanba casts himself as a pining martyr, Masako becomes a love hunter. with Masako, it’s quite explicit that her grandfather has influenced her approach to relationships, which has made me wonder if the same is true for Kanba. 

there’s something strange going on with the way that Kanba/Masako and Masako/Himari are paralleled. from episode 10, I take the following points: 1) Kanba places Himari on a pedastal, causing him to reject all other women, 2) even though he once told Masako he will take any curse that befalls her, he has now forgotten her, 3) Kanba’s issues with women may in part be caused by Masako’s obsession with him. from these points, I began to piece together what exactly is going on in this incestuous love triangle. Kanba originally sacrificed himself for Masako, and on finding himself in a new family, transferred all of his love to Himari, and used her to fill the void in his heart. I don’t think it was just Himari--the Takakura parents helped, he still visited Masako, and he had Shoma. but over the course of time, his field of visions narrows more and more until he only sees Himari. this naturally hurts Masako, though she doesn’t express those feelings in a normal way.

why is it Himari, though, who Kanba fixates on? I have a couple ways to answer that. firstly, there’s the fact that she’s dying over and over. when Masako is in danger, or when Shoma lands himself in the hospital, Kanba is worried--it’s not just Himari he cares about. he gets more and more crazy about her the more times he is taunted with the chance to save her only to watch her fade away again, and each time he sacrifices for her, he gives up more of his humanity. in episode 1, the first time Himari dies, Kanba actually accepts that Himari has passed faster than Shoma does, demonstrating that he didn’t necessarily have to become a cult leader on losing her. 

next, there is Himari’s place in the narrative. 

symbolically, Himari’s illness comes to stand in for the unfairness of the world. every time that the ghost of Kenzan talks about the problems of the world in general--greedy men make the rules, children are turning invisible everywhere--Kanba brings it back to Himari. like Momoka, she is a truly innocent person, not born into the Kiga Group; she should bear no responsibility for it, but she is the one dying. this is what Kanba is so haunted by.

however, Kanba eventually realizes that he can’t be the one to save Himari anymore. I’ve expounded before on how selfish much of Kanba’s attempts to be the savior are, but mostly, I find it sad. he got stuck in that mode, unable to receive, only give. that’s why Himari says that he’s lost and crying inside, but he doesn’t even see it himself. he has to keep going, give something more, and then things will be okay--and everyone else should stay out of it so they don’t get hurt. only he must carry the burden. but that’s just not possible, and so he is easily manipulated and used. 

Shoma has to complete the cycle, returning the fruit first given to him by Kanba, and Himari has to hold him so that he is able to receive it. it is only then that Kanba can perform the ultimate sacrifice and die for love, saving Himari and setting to right one injustice in the world. at this point, I whole-heartedly embrace that writing choice. when Kanba is fading from the world, he speaks to Shoma, telling his brother he has obtained true light. the self-sacrificial nature which he had from the beginning is so purified that he is able to escape from the box of the self. it’s a perfect ending for the character.

[leahthedreamer]

Didn’t get to say it last night but the mens podium wraps up an era and starts a new at the same time.

You have Shoma at bronze, honestly who would have thought he could medal again after how up and down things had been this past quad but he got himself together at the right time to produce results.

You have Nathan who had to shrug of the media storm that decimated him after pyeongchang and remained clear-headed till the end.

You have Yuma who represents the future of skating as he is to now carry on the legacy of Japanese men in the sport.

And we can’t forget Yuzuru Hanyu of course for pushing his own personal limits and though it may not have worked out in the end, he will forever remain an icon to the sport.

Outside of the bigger names the entire mens event was filled with the past and the future that’s going to take over once they retire and it was very emotional to see.