#there are even people who are saying that she is sexualized because kazuki helped her in the bathroom ????

[pleasegivejinlingabreak]

no you jerk, buddy daddies ain't sexualizing anything, the damn kid is just hugging her dad(?), you're sexualizing it

[soniadamasco]

Miri's mom: a breakdown

Warning: sexual assault, mental health related topics

I've seen a lot of opinions in the fandom about Misaki (Miri's mom), in particular discussing if she is to be considered or not a bad person. It's a very complicated topic and I think her character - with the little screen time she got until now - deserves a little more work to be understood.

Yes, she made some horrible decisions: leaving her child alone to wander in a big city, sending her to her criminal father. Yet, there are some small clues in the scene where she talks with Kazuki that I think make her a more complex character than we might think.

At the beginning, we see her slapping Kazuki for hitting her boyfriend, even thought he was just trying to save her from abuse:

But, right after, she offers to treat him, in a very tired tone. This tells me that at least she recognises Kazuki is not the one at fault and deserves to be helped. Her very emotional reaction from before might also be a clue that she's very attached to what she considers "hers".

When we return to the scene, we see her sitting down and talking with Kazuki, telling him how she never wanted to have Miri. She also explicitly says that she was taken advantage of, possibly experiencing sexual assault.

The lack of compensation could also mean that she was at the time a sex worker and, considering the environment she lives in, I have my doubts it was consensual. Maybe she was forced through abuse, or maybe she had to do it to survive. After all, when she "jokes" about Miri being a "cheap date" for liking her store-bought hamburgers, she shows a strange attachment to money, which might as well derive from a life of financial struggles.

All of this to say that I think there is something connecting Misaki's answers and the things they allude to: a lack of control in her life.

She couldn't control her body when she was assaulted by Miri's father, as well as during the whole time she was pregnant with Miri (I suggest reading this post before commenting on her options about terminating the pregnancy). She can't seem to control how other people affect her life, especially the men who constantly abuse her:

That's why I think she got upset at Kazuki when he hit her boyfriend: because he touched something that she feels belongs to her. Living a life where you feel you have no control, you get attached to the few things that you can keep close to you, even those who hurt you. Those attachments, for how toxic they can be, make you feel like there's a slight hope to survive when everything else seems to be crumbling down.

The other reason why she gets upset at Kazuki is because he judges her for not having a "maternal instinct":

Look, we all love our sunshine boy, but I believe she's in the right here. Kazuki is an orphan, who never experienced what a parent is from a child's perspective, and a man whose child died before being born. He's talking from and idealistic point of view, thinking about the families he dreamed of having but never got. For how much it hurts, he doesn't know what it's like being a parent, especially the hardest parts of it, the ones which badly affect your mental health.

Still, he strongly judges her, and it's not a good thing to do even if he's thinking about Miri's well being. Misaki, who has no control over her life, probably sees Kazuki's judgement as another person trying to take control over her, this time over her own worth as a human.

I've said this in another post, but there's another sentence with gives me the most insight on her character:

I think we focus too much on what this sentence means for Kazuki and too little about what it tells us about Misaki's past. This is not a sentence you would say lightly, this is a sentence that comes from experience. I think there is more trauma in Misaki's life than we might think, probably even relating to her own family.

It could very well be that this feeling of lacking control over her life comes from her childhood, or at least a time when she was younger and still developing. It also tells us that she sees the concept of family as something to be wary of, not something that should bring happiness.

As someone who probably didn't have a good experience with her family, I think Misaki sees Miri's existence as another thing that is controlling her life. More than that, something brought by someone else's belief they had the right to decide what to do with her future. It hurts to say, but I think it would be very difficult for her to ever see Miri as something different than another chain.

When you feel like you have no control over your life, you might do the worst things - to yourself, to others - just to feel like for once you're the one who makes the decision. Does that make Misaki less of a bad person? I cannot answer that question, but I can understand how much she's hurting. More than anything else, she reminds us how vulnerable we can be in our lives.

[aqvarius]

[REVIEW] Her Love in the Force: Shusuke Soma - Who I Once Was

Guys, I’m supposed to be dieting during this quarantine period but Voltage is keeping me FED with all this new amazing Soma content. 

HLITF fans, we have been blessed with amazing Soma content recently. Soma’s S3 Love’s Battlefield route was probably one of, if not the, most memorable HLITF routes I’ve ever played. I also adored his PoV despite it not covering all the moments that I personally wanted to read. (I understand disappointment over it, but I found that the bonus scenes they gave us made up for it, and it allows me to play with my own imagination a bit and potentially write up some fic for the scenes not in his PoV hehe.)

Like the manic Soma fan that I am, I had to IMMEDIATELY buy and read this route. I love him so much I am willing to do anything just to understand him even a little bit better. To my delight, I’m not even a little bit disappointed. And the route even made me spend 300 more coins to buy Goto’s Episode 0 so well done Voltage lol. 

I will summarise my thoughts on this story and then get into some more detail in the cut below. With that said, if you know Soma’s back story already, there isn’t much information to spoil. But I’ll leave some of the more surprising details under the cut.

This story shows us an unfamiliar Soma. This is a Soma that is far colder than even when we first meet him as a Special Instructor at the Academy. He battles with his conflict over his future and what he feels like his life’s purpose is, which is all sparked over his sister Kurume’s comment that she sees him as a hero. Throughout the route, he struggles with aimlessness and his futile attempts to investigate the metro gas attack even while doing his work in the Criminal Affairs/Investigations department, where he becomes the mentor for new recruits Ichiyanagi and Goto. That’s RIGHT, we finally get the Soma/Goto/Ichiyanagi Criminal Affairs dynamics that I have been waiting for years for ever since finding out that they all worked there together! (The only thing missing is Hayase but I guess he’s from a different timeline lol). 

This is something that makes the route super enjoyable to read because we get to see a Soma who isn’t as gentle and reticent as the one we know. He’s a bit colder, a bit harsher, and has less tolerance for antics. We also see Soma as a mentor before he became an instructor and it’s so cool to realise that Goto and Subaru are so capable partially because of the harsh but fair mentoring of Soma and the way that he’s not only drilled the fundamentals of police work into them but also supported them emotionally through the trials of losing a loved one. This route really helps you understand why Goto has so much trust and respect for Soma (and I’d like to see more Soma/Subaru interactions!) 

We also get to see Kurume for what I believe is the first time, which is incredible to be able to put a face to the name. I am such a sucker for big brother Shusuke and seeing more of his life with Kurume really adds depth to our understanding of his character and why/how losing him has made him lose perspective of his own life and identity. 

(I don’t know if I can explain in words how devastated seeing the two of them together made me feel...)

The route also gave some more insight into the Goto/Kazuki situation which was used really well to offset Soma’s own situation regarding vengeance and unresolved grief. We also get to see more of the relationship between Soma and Goto and how much Goto respects him as a senpai even though Goto transferred to Public Safety first (on the recommendation of a certain elite ;)). There are also some great Ishigami/Soma moments which I’ll elaborate on under the cut, as well as some things I discovered while cross referencing between this story and Goto’s Who I Once Was. 

I love that there’s a theme running throughout the story, which is about defining a hero. This is a crucial question which underpins Soma’s incessant yet pointless attempts to figure out his identity and purpose in life. I love that we begin to see him figuring out what being a hero means to him and that Goto’s own grief and slow road to recovery, and the way that he’s affected Goto’s life, is what sets him on this path towards figuring out where to go from here on out. This path is then what leads him to his MC, who we can see is someone who grabs him by the hand and pulls him ever forward. 

To put it briefly, this is a route you’ll enjoy if you love Team Ishigami. You get to see both Soma and Goto pre-trauma (you get to see a younger Goto than in his own episode 0), but then you see both of them forced to confront grief head-on, and then you can see how they both help each other to move forward in their own subtle ways. This story also showcases the best of Ishigami, a man who is collected and analytical but is always thinking of how he can help those around him who are hurt. Like how Ishigami and Kaga are saved by Namba, I would say that Soma saves Goto, then Goto returns the favour, and then Ishigami saves them both. 

Keep reading under the cut to see my further thoughts on Soma: Who I Once Was. I provide extra details about the story and provide some analysis on his relationships with his colleagues and his MC with lots of screenshots for evidence!

Okay so first off: Soma’s parents are ALIVE??? Why have we never met them?! You would think that they would come to Kurume’s grave on Soma’s birthday to see their children at least. For some reason I genuinely thought it was just him and Kurume but no it turns out that he’s had parents this whole time?! Either way, it’s so wonderful getting to see Soma’s home life from back when he was a teenager.

In the past, I’ve made joking comments about Soma being confused over familial and romantic love and wondering if he just cares for his MC like he cares for Kurume because how can you have sex with someone and then still wonder if you just care for them like a SISTER. But this story definitely helped me understand his mindset a bit better and why he sees similarities between his MC and his sister.

So I think we’ve discovered quite early on that Soma’s sister died on his 19th birthday. We also see scenes of them when Kurume is in high school and already having to fill out forms about her future. So she would be 15 at the very least while Shu would have been probably in his first year of uni? I think he’s mentioned that Kurume and his MC would be around the same age but I was really reminded of that in this route.

Honestly it devastated me to read that conversation because her future was just stripped away from her like that. And to see her get all excited about all the possibilities her future held just wrecked me emotionally. She was considering being a florist or a baker or a pharmacist. She would have been around the same age as the MC :’( To see Shu suggest that Kurume could consider studying agriculture made my heart ache because it made me think of how much care Soma puts into maintaining his plants and how much it means to him that his MC takes care of them for him when he can’t, especially because that’s what Kurume did. I also now believe that Soma is so invested in doing whatever it takes to guide his MC towards the best possible future for her because it’s his way of almost atoning for Kurume never being able to live out her dreams and future.

So rather than mistaking familial and romantic/sexual love, I think it’s rather that Soma sees his MC as symbolic of how his sister might have grown up. Rather than thinking of his MC as his sister, he wonders if he’s just fond of her because she’s similar to how she might have been, sort of like how you might make friends more easily with people that remind you of other friends or siblings/people close to you. That’s why he gets so confused when he feels more beyond just affection and can’t control his emotions, because he’s never felt love beyond just worrying and wanting the best for someone until his MC.

On a side note, Soma did a 4 year degree at a university before joining the police academy? What did he study?!?! I want to know!!!!!

I also love that we got to see Soma not really wanting to be a mentor. We get to see him at his most candid, and at a time in his life where he’s still figuring himself out and doesn’t have any goals except for getting to the bottom of the Crimson Wings case. So when he has to take two rambunctious young men under his wing, it’s so amusing to see how much they annoy him at first with their bickering. In the main stories, we only really get to see a bit of this when he deals with Kurosawa but when he does that, it’s kind of jokey and snarky but man Subaru and Goto really pissed him off at times LOL. Like I mentioned, we’ve only seen him as a seasoned instructor who goes out of his way to help you develop, but he is so reluctant to look after these kids at first. He calls them goons, the gruesome twosome, annoying, a pain in the ass… It’s so funny seeing this side of Soma.

I did think it was so cute that Subaru immediately jumped to calling him Shu and Goto was so polite and called him Soma-san but then somewhere down the line ended up calling him Shu as well (which is what he still calls him to this day. I would literally DIE to see some present-day Subaru/Soma interactions – will someone who’s played Goto’s Adversaries let me know if the two of them interact? Subaru is so alpha male especially now, I’d love to see him defer to Soma in the present day.) It was also so cute that they tried to throw him a birthday party (but also very tragic because his birthday is also the anniversary of Kurume’s death and none of them knew that).

I also loved seeing Soma’s response to Kazuki’s death and the way that Goto’s loss and Soma’s loss kind of play off each other. He knows how it feels to lose a loved one, he’s been dealing with the repercussions of it for at least around 5 years at this point with frankly very little progression. If Goto was not able to move forward because he was stuck in time, Soma is not able to move forward because he is lost. Goto’s grieving puts in in a static place where he can’t move, but Soma’s grieving has him constantly moving, but without direction. He’s haunted by Kurume’s words and even says as much: “I had no idea where I was supposed to go… I just let myself float along”. 

This is why Soma scolds him both in his own story and in Goto’s story, and it is Soma’s experience that allows him to guide Goto towards his growth. It’s also (at least partially) because of Soma that Goto ends up in Public Safety.

Ishigami approaches Soma for an evaluation of Goto, stating that “students raised by an elite teacher are elite themselves”. Soma’s evaluation sets the stage for Goto to eventually be able to confront his grief and develop as an undercover specialist through Ishigami’s guidance; Goto even calls him his “benefactor”. In Goto’s story, he says “It has to be him. The one who found me on the neon-lit street” and Goto then mentions a line about being blinded by revenge that I’m pretty certain is something that Soma said during their nighttime (and thus presumably neon-lit) back alley chat. So I’m not 100% certain who Goto has in mind but 95% he’s thinking about Soma, especially since he later thanks him for the transfer. 

 We know that Soma essentially helps Goto without trying because he’s confused when Goto calls him his benefactor. In evaluating Goto to Ishigami and cornering him in that dark alley, without even knowing it, Soma effectively helps to push Goto into facing his future – the two facets that Goto says makes someone a hero. 

We also discover that Soma is recruited to Public Safety through a recommendation by Goto, who is presumably “the elite who nominated” him.  I love that if Soma pushes the frozen-in-time Goto into moving forward, Goto helps the lost Soma begin to find some direction.  

For years, Soma has been chasing this elusive concept of “being a hero” without even knowing what that means, which is why he never gets closer to fulfilment, because he doesn’t know what it’s supposed to be like to “feel like a hero”. No matter what he himself does, he is never able to see himself as a hero either because he couldn’t prevent the death of the one person he wanted to save. I will say probably that the thing that first changed Soma into making him feel like he has more sense of purpose in becoming one step closer to the “hero” that Kurume said he was is that Goto basically called him his hero. I think it’s so special because here we can really see the links drawn between Goto’s life, Soma’s life, and the narrative theme of being a “hero”.

Something that I thought was missing was how Goto (and potentially Subaru?) finds out about Soma’s past. We never see him tell him about it, but I wonder if that’s the reason why he nominates Soma to join Public Safety? We know that Ishigami knows about it, but I think Goto would probably have found out through Soma himself?

On another note, I actually wondered why Soma, Goto and Kurosawa all have fairly similar strategies and strengths as detectives while Kaga and Shinonome have more specific specialties. Now I realise it’s because Goto trained under Soma, and Kurosawa trained under both Goto and Soma.

These two routes made me realise that Goto needed Soma, Soma needed Goto, and they both needed Ishigami and Public Safety in order to be able to keep walking forward without being trapped in neverending grief. I just need to talk for a little bit about how incredible Ishigami is. Ishigami’s judgement in picking his team is amazing. The fact that he finds these people who have personal vendettas who are working covertly and independently to achieve vengeance and then sees how they evaluate each other shows that he is actively building a team that respects each other and work well together. He sees that they have the skills for Public Safety work but also that they have personal issues that Public Safety can help them deal with, and then he does everything he can to help them attain their peace. Ishigami is unbelievably supportive. He works quietly and diligently within the system to get his subordinates to where they need to be and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

Okay with all this said, I cross referenced between Goto’s Episode 0 and Soma’s Episode 0 and found some timeline discrepancies? Right after Kazuki’s death, we know Goto spends a while completely depressed until Subaru drags him up to go to Kazuki’s funeral. Then after her funeral, he becomes obsessed with working independently to try to avenge her death. This goes on for long enough (weeks) that Soma has to corner him in a back alley to lecture him (which by the way happens surprisingly often with Soma lol). Goto transfers to Public Safety soon after Kazuki’s funeral. We know this because he transfers and we see him start doing work for Ishigami but when he goes to see her grave and Subaru says that he’s transferring to SP department, this happens on the monthiversary of Kazuki’s death (not even her funeral). Then, it says that Soma transfers to Public Safety a few weeks after Goto’s transfer (meaning it would have happened within a couple months at most after Kazuki’s death).

In Soma’s route, we know that he goes to see Goto a few weeks after Iijima (Kazuki)’s funeral with the bananas. This occurs while Goto is still at Criminal Affairs because Soma references “the other day” when Soma lectures him about his personal life getting in the way of his job. I’m assuming this happens after the back alley lecture when Goto has returned to normal life for that one week before he gets called to transfer to Public Safety. However, later Soma, still working in Criminal Affairs, says “Years have passed, but the one responsible for [Kazuki’s] case wasn’t caught”. This suggests that Soma was still at Criminal Affairs for years after Goto’s transfer to Public Safety rather than weeks? So what’s the TRUTH?

I also just briefly want to gush about how much I love the CG. We see those typical important Soma elements (his hair and the bonsai) but I just love the look on his face. I mean he looks impossibly handsome, but he looks so serious and determined while at the same time still lacking the warmth that we see in later CGs that he only develops after meeting his MC. Am I reading too much into this? Maybe, but let me PRETEND. 

Finally, I want to end my thoughts on how this relates to his relationship with his MC. Soma says that she’s helped him to face the future. As I previously discussed, I genuinely believe that part of this is because his MC lets him see glimpses of what Kurume could have been. Soma is attracted to her brightness, her bravery, her diligence, her conviction and her optimism. (He also starts enjoying everyday life with her when they pose as a married couple and let’s not forget that he does find her physically attractive even before he falls in love/realises he’s in love lol). But more significantly, I feel like this is because of how important he is to her.

Soma has previously said that he doesn’t trust Public Safety, but for some reason they seem to trust him. This reveals that he’s not sure of what his value is to his department or to his colleagues. While he has moved forward, he’s still working towards being that “someone who pushes you to face the future” and “helps people without trying”. Even though Goto basically implies that Soma is the one who has helped him face his future, Soma sort of interrupts so he doesn’t explicitly voice it. However, when his MC confesses how important he is to her with that unwavering conviction of hers, I believe in that moment he suddenly realises his own worth. His MC, who in some ways is a vicarious symbol of Kurume’s potential, helps him see that he has already been a “hero” to those he has saved through his Public Safety work and to his colleagues. This, combined with her trust in his colleagues and them actually coming to the rescue, is what makes Soma able to trust his colleagues. Because he finally knows his own worth, he can finally see how significant he is to his colleagues and how far they would go for him. I think this is also what makes him believe in Public Safety as an institution. For years, he’s been unable to trust or forgive Public Safety because of what happened to Kurume, but now he can finally see that they as an institution have actually helped people and saved people’s lives, and this is partially due to his own involvement.

Finally, the last facet of his relationship with his MC that I want to talk about is how mutually important their relationship is. I’ve already discussed how his MC sees him as a hero by those guidelines that Goto helped him set down, but by those same guidelines, his MC is also his hero. I mean first off, he first became conscious of her as a woman when she gave a ridiculous display of bravery. But more importantly, if a hero is someone who helps people without trying and someone who pushes you to face the future, she has done both of those for him. He says so himself: “With her, I think I can focus on the future and moving forward”. And she has helped him just by being herself. This theme really comes to a head when she literally throws away her own future to help him finally get closure. When he decides to cut his hair, he says this:

“I’ll make the cut, draw the distinction between the past and the future, because I love them both.

I have to let go of what I’ve lost and look to what I can still gain.”

He learns this because of her.

Soma: Who I Once Was is an incredible story that really helped me to understand my favourite character’s psyche, history and relationships just a little bit more. For that, I’m so thrilled and so grateful. I’m so pleased at the quality of this content and all the insight it provides, and I’m excited to see how Soma and his relationships continue to grow and develop in the future.

[marshmallowgoop]

Brand New Animal...

So, the last few episodes of BNA: Brand New Animal dropped on Netflix Japan last week. I was initially really hyped for this anime—I devoted several hours of my life to translating and summarizing the Winter 2020 Otomedia interview concerning it—so I intended to write a lot more about the series, especially upon a wider release.

But having now seen every episode, this is another Kiznaiver and Darling in the Franxx for me. There’s a lot of potential, and I was incredibly invested at the start, but the narrative quickly goes directions and makes decisions that don’t sit well with me at all.

For those interested in BNA, my (mostly?) spoiler-free opinion is that it’s visually beautiful (especially in regards to its colors), but the story feels scattered, and there’s so little time devoted to positive interactions among the leads that their friendships fall flat. Further, speaking as a very character-oriented person, I finished this anime annoyed at the entire main cast. Their growth comes across as dissatisfying and undeserved.

Of course, it is more than worth noting that my understanding of Brand New Animal is indeed limited at this point; I don’t have much of a grasp on Japanese, there are no official English translations yet, and I watched with Japanese subtitles. (At least until episode 12. While there are thankfully subtitles available now, there weren’t when I watched, which is a huge disappointment in terms of accessibility.)

I recognize that my feelings may very well change if I have a better sense of everything that’s being said. But given what I do know, I—at least at the moment—have no desire to rewatch this series. I’m always open to requests to talk about BNA, but I don’t think I’ll be blogging much about it otherwise.

All that said, I do want to share some spoiler thoughts under the cut. As my sister noted, I am “very upset about this furry anime.”

First things first: I cannot stand Nazuna. I’m sorry. I think it’d probably be too much to say that she soured the whole show for me, but she definitely comes close.

Now, I got a (minor) degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, so, yes, I can’t help but wonder if my strong negative feelings are related to sexism. Would I feel so strongly if there were a man in Nazuna’s place? There’s been a lot of investigating myself these last few days, let me tell you.

Still, I can’t say I know the answers. But I do have some Thoughts that are maybe best illustrated with another anime I’ve started watching lately: My Hero Academia.

Do note that I’m only on Season 2, but there are also characters I strongly dislike so far in My Hero—characters who are arguably much worse than Nazuna, as far as their actions and behavior go. Bakugo is an angry, abusive bully, while Mineta sexually harasses women. I hate both of them, but—especially regarding Bakugo—it’s a different kind of hate than what I feel for Nazuna.

Why? Well, I won’t deny the possibility that sexism plays a role, but there’s also a profound difference in how these characters are treated by their stories. Bakugo initially gets away with his bad attitude, but upon coming to high school, he’s a pariah. He’s called out for being a jerk, time and time again. Mineta, similarly, is not adored for his actions. These aren’t nice dudes, and the narrative makes this point clear. Regarding Bakugo, I hate him, but it’s not exactly a bad kind of hate. Because I hate him, I’m rooting even harder for Deku to prove him wrong.

But what about Nazuna? She pretends to be another culture’s god, but much of BNA seems dedicated to treating her as a poor victim who was manipulated into manipulating others and needs to be rescued. While Nazuna’s situation is indeed a frightening one that I don’t at all intend to make light of, episode 6 makes abundantly clear that this girl adores masquerading as a goddess and fails to see any moral problem in tricking thousands of people into believing that she’s their savior.

And that, to me, is absolutely horrendous. Nazuna is not in kindergarten. She is not a small child still in the preoperational stage of development. She is an older teenager. I find it disconcerting to paint her as someone in a rough place who was simply desperate for love when she pointedly relishes her false godhood because it makes her feel like an idol. That is so unbelievably gross and disrespectful.

Of course, Nazuna truly doesn’t see what she’s doing as wrong, and I recognize that she is young. In the end, as I hope the Bakugo example highlights, my issues are really less about Nazuna herself and more about how she’s written and depicted. Just as there’s nothing inherently despicable about portraying a smug, selfish teenage boy in a cartoon, there’s nothing inherently despicable about portraying a smug, selfish teenage girl in another cartoon. But while Deku and Bakugo were also past friends just as Michiru and Nazuna, Deku never defends Bakugo’s awful behavior as Michiru does for Nazuna.

And that bothers me. Michiru—our protagonist and so the person viewers are pushed to empathize most with—never really seems to grasp just how disgusting Nazuna’s actions are. More importantly, neither does Nazuna herself. She’s instantly forgiven, and her dream comes true seemingly without any apology or understanding of wrong whatsoever.

Brand New Animal is filled to the brim with social commentary, but one message that stood out to me actually has nothing to do with the human/animal-human conflict. It’s instead that this cute girl never has to face the consequences of her actions because she’s cute.

I know, I know. This is some pretty over-the-top negativity. But I was so excited for this series. Especially considering the ending conflict around being “mixed” and “purebred,” I felt like BNA was an opportunity for writer Kazuki Nakashima to more thoroughly explore concepts he wanted to examine in Kill la Kill but didn’t because a talking outfit just ain’t gonna garner the same amount of sympathy as cute animal-humans. With my recent(ish) Wolf Children posting in mind, I also love that Brand New Animal ultimately pushes for diversity instead of away from it as I feel that film does, even if there are some... unfortunate implications along the way (that I don’t know if I’m personally capable of analyzing).

But 12 episodes simply couldn’t do this show justice. I’m supposed to care for a girl who calls being an animal-human a “disease” and never seems to really reconcile with how messed up that is? I’m supposed to care for a man who dismembers others in the name of “honor” and never seems to really reconcile with how messed up that is? I’m supposed to hope that two friends/lovers get back together when one is rude and dismissive towards the other for the majority of the show, and the other idolizes her and overlooks her truly terrible misdeeds?

Maybe I just don’t get it. Maybe I missed something (or a lot of things). But there is so much here that gets resolved too quickly or never receives the full exploration it deserves. As I said in the start, characters fall flat, their friendships fall flatter, and any good themes or messages that I do recognize in the series hardly impact me because the rushed development of the players soured my positive feelings for them.

I would have loved to see Michiru acknowledge that she’s in love with someone who does bad things. I would have loved a heart-to-heart where she admits this to Shirou, where he then admits that in his long life, there have been times when he’s been in the same boat. I would have loved to see Nazuna truly question her actions, where her declaration that she’s Nazuna instead of a cult leader actually means something because she’s recognized that she’s been wrong and is ready to be loved for herself, not someone she’s not. I would have loved to see a moment where Michiru expresses to Shirou that he shouldn’t control his violent tendencies for her approval but because it’s simply the right thing to do. The list goes on and on.

At the end of the day, I can admit my own garbage tastes. Bakugo is apparently the most popular My Hero character, and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else express such a harsh opinion regarding Nazuna’s portrayal in BNA. Episode 5 of the show (with the baseball) seems to be its most adored entry, but I thought little of it. My favorite things in anime—and what I’m specifically looking forward to in Studio Trigger anime—are maybe anomalies.

But, gosh. I really wanted to love this.

[tourmalinedreams]

pls elaborate: "gay women are bloodthirsty animals and gay men are crazed murderers" sarazanmai is my first ikuhara anime

The thing about gay women refers to Yurikuma Arashi, where the characters Ginko and Lulu are actually bears pretending to be human. In the show, bears are shown to eat humans, and it’s no coincidence that they and the other bears are girls who openly love other girls. Yes, a few of them are villainous, but the bear thing isn’t meant to dehumanize gay women and isn’t literal; it’s meant to skewer specifically how society and the media portrays them (Predatory, unstable, etc.). In-story, bears are hated and feared for understandable reasons regarding their eating habits, but you can’t forget, this is Ikuhara Lord of The Metaphor.

It might be an uncomfortable watch for some viewers, which I understand, but it’s anchored by the love story between Ginko and Kureha. Kureha is a human, not a bear, but is timid about her love for other girls because of how she is shunned by her classmates. and had to hide her relationship with her first girlfriend. When Ginko comes into the picture, she is incredibly forward and constantly tells Kureha that she “won’t back down on love.” Most of the anime is dedicated to Kureha’s emotional journey toward accepting her feelings and in a more meta sense, denouncing the notion that lesbian and bisexual women are only good for the consumption of others.

As for the thing about gay men, a LOT has been made of Reo and Enta’s characters in Sarazanmai. They’re both incredibly flawed, and it’s mainly tied to their sexuality. Enta loves Kazuki and acts recklessly in the beginning because of that, while Reo will do anything to restore Mabu to the person he once was, hurting plenty of others in the process. A fuck-ton of hate has gotten dumped on Enta for not being a selfless angel but instead being lonely, jealous, and even spiteful. Plenty of people have already written some great stuff about how reducing his character to these flaws completely ignores the commentary on the pain of being a queer adolescent.

I don’t have as much to personally say about Reo other than how it’s completely unsurprising that viewers are more willing to hate the dopey teenage boy instead of the attractive grown man voiced by Mamoru Miyano even though he’s… actually killed people (I love this disaster gay too but let’s face facts). What I *will* do is direct you to this great Twitter thread about the most recent episode and how it directly attacks the anime industry’s aversion to non-BL anime letting a clearly romantic m/m couple actually explicitly state their feelings:

https://twitter.com/shipperinjapan/status/1139493502616604672

I know it doesn’t so much explain Reo’s actions, but it gives necessary context for *why* Reo is so angry in the first place.

WHEW that was a lot of typing. I hope I managed to make it a little clearer for you, anon! Ikuhara’s work is famously dense, so it really helps to be at least a bit familiar with his favored themes. If you’re interested, I’d really recommend seeking out interviews with him, along with writings by other people. I’d recommend Vrai Kaiser, Josei Next Door, and the website Anime Feminist for starters!

[recentanimenews]

Sympathy for the Devilman: The Legacy of Go Nagai's Magnum Opus

I've always had a thing for villains. Unlike my brothers, as a kid I'd always choose the "bad guy" action figures. If they went for the ninja turtle Leonardo, then I'd go for the uber-buff Super Shredder. I personally identified with villainy because of how it connected to the idea of "evil." I personally see evil as a generalized concept that expresses antagonism toward violent and dominant societal structures. Due to a coercive religious upbringing, I now see how my younger self unconsciously found ideologically-oppositional comfort in "evil" art. This eventually led me to one of my most cherished pieces of fiction: Devilman.

Devilman has left an indelible mark on manga and anime creators over the last few decades, inspiring major industry heavyweights such as Hideaki Anno, Kentaro Miura, and Kazuki Nakashima. The series was created by Go Nagai, a manga auteur also responsible for Mazinger Z, Cutie Honey, and Violence Jack (which is a Devilman sequel). Although Devilman retains much of the explicitness native to Go Nagai's usual fare, it uses these graphic elements uniquely to deliver a haunting, unforgettable, and compassionate message.

Let's explore the surprisingly relevant political and social significance of Devilman, along with a few of its animated offshoots. Read on but be forewarned, this article contains major spoilers!

  Devilman (original manga, 1972) 

via Seven Seas Entertainment

  The Devilman manga is a dark antiwar narrative in deep contrast to the standard monster-of-the-day, "evil fights evil" set-up of the anime (which ran at the same time as the manga). Ryo Asuka — who turns out to be Satan, the leader of all demons — helps convince the world that anyone dissatisfied with the status quo could turn into a demon and needs to be killed. Every nation starts a war with each other, and Japan creates the "Demon Busters" to murder anyone suspected of being a demon. This plot twist is the most explicitly political angle in Devilman and a clear critique against the genocide of marginalized peoples. One page features a taste of the global hate brewing around the world: a collective white desire to murder Black communities, the renewal of German anti-Semitism, and hatred for any protestor. There are also many moments that display the horrors of historical genocide when Akira and Ryo travel through time.

Devilman builds additional nuance around this theme with Ryo's character. In the manga's final scene, Ryo describes how demons were once oppressed by God, and that they in turn preyed upon humans in the same way that God preyed upon demons. Ryo recognizes that he continued the same cycle of genocidal hate and marginalization he once suffered. This is a striking moment that functions as a cautionary warning against abusing imbalanced power dynamics, and how even once marginalized groups are still capable of enacting horrors against those with less power. 

via Seven Seas Entertainment

  Ryo's character also made a groundbreaking stride in the representation of marginalized gender and sexual identities. His true form as Satan is easy to interpret as trans, possessing emotional, mental, and physical traits that defy the standard gender binary. The manga also makes it clear that Ryo considers Akira more than a friend, and is actually in love with him. Amazingly, Go Nagai does not use Ryo's trans-coded self or his queer love for Akira as fodder for insulting or disrespectful commentary from other characters. Ryo's gender-variant form is certainly mentioned, but it's never negatively framed or conflated with his murderous attitude toward humanity. Additionally, the manga never suggests Ryo is evil because of his romantic feelings for Akira (a simple, yet important distinction). It feels all the more impressive when you remember that this was made in 1972. Devilman's subversive portrayal of non-normative gender and sexual identity could still be considered groundbreaking even by today's standards.

Devilman OVAs

  The first OVA, The Birth, covers Ryo and Akira's discovery of demon existence, with a very brutal early sequence that shows the bloody survival-of-the-fittest origins of life on Earth (which beautifully expands upon and mirrors the same sequence from the manga). It concludes with a gore-soaked finale where we see Akira's fateful transformation into Devilman. The sequence is filled with face stabs, top-notch body horror, and decapitations galore as Devilman rips apart demon after demon in a nightclub setting.

  The second OVA, The Demon Bird, had the same crew that worked on the first OVA and contains a very similar feel. This OVA is more action-oriented than the first since it doesn't spend time on the build-up and exposition leading to Devilman's initial appearance. The animation and art design is probably even better than the first episode, which is most notable during the fight with Sirene. On a side note, the Manga Entertainment dubs for these first two OVAs are absolutely essential if you're seeking a fun evening with fellow anime nerds with a decent sense of humor. Their typically sleazy dubs — where Manga Entertainment excessively hyped up the seedier, more "adult" side of anime in order to market their products as wildly different from cartoons for kids — contain an assortment of unnecessary profanity and generally crude dialogue compared to the Japanese source material, to great comedic effect.

The third OVA, Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman, is based on Amon: The Darkside of Devilman manga, an alternate-universe offshoot by Yu Kinutani. This OVA contains a reworked version of the end of Devilman and has a much darker edge compared to the first two OVAs. This entry in the series has an ugly, grim quality to it – such as the horrific depiction of Miki and her brother getting slaughtered by an angry mob — that initially felt off-putting to me. I started to enjoy it more on subsequent viewings however, when I remembered that, well, the entire Devilman mythos is pretty damned bleak in general. I think the desolate mood would have been more bearable had Akira felt like the compassionate, tragic hero of the manga.

Actually, overall I'd say that Akira's portrayal is one of my biggest complaints about these OVAs. He displays a cold lack of care for human life — like in the Demon Bird when he unconcernedly tears through an airplane while fighting Sirene and allows its passengers to presumably plummet to their deaths — that for me, offsets one of the biggest strengths of Devilman's core: that although Akira has the body of a demon, he never loses the tender heart of a human. With that in mind, let's explore Devilman Crybaby. 

  Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby is my favorite animated incarnation of Devilman, period. I might be in the minority with that opinion, but I think there's a lot to love. Masaaki Yuasa is already one of my favorite recent anime directors — Kaiba, Mind Game, and Lu Over the Wall are highlights  — so it's no surprise I'd be head over heels for his take on a classic Go Nagai story.

Yuasa impressively shifts the '70s setting of the original into modern-day Japan: The group of surly highschoolers from the manga are replaced with rappers and smartphones are everywhere. In the hands of a lesser writer, a modern setting would be no more than a cosmetic, surface-level change of scenery to an already-written narrative. In contrast, Yuasa avoids this trap by using the modern setting to make incisive social commentary relevant to our times: social media is the means for both horrendous and beautiful moments in the show. It leads to Miki's murder when she posts on Instagram to defend Akira, but also serves as the online catalyst that unites Devilmen across the globe (in contrast to the original manga, where a set of demon-possessed psychic monks unite the Devilmen). Yuasa explained this in a 2018 Japan Times article:

"Today's situation is a lot closer to 'Devilman' than it was when Nagai wrote it in the '70s," he says. "The popularity of social media means people are a lot more connected, for good and bad – like someone getting shot over a video game. We learn about unarmed black people being killed by police, people being tortured and the rise of nationalism in politics. In Japan, too, where a lot of problems are openly blamed on foreigners.

"But it can also help spread good that we wouldn't otherwise know about. We see people coming out as gay or trans on social media, and there's a greater opening up and acceptance of different opinions and lifestyles."

  Another beautiful aspect of the show is how Yuasa amplifies the queer elements present in the manga. Ryo and Akira's relationship feels even more loaded with romantic undertones, and Yuasa also introduces two queer characters unseen in the original manga. One of the characters is named Miki Kuroda, initially portrayed as a jealous antagonistic foil to the Miki we all know and love. Miki Kuroda changes as the episodes progress and she becomes a Devilman, and we eventually see her sacrifice herself in an attempt to save Miki Makimura, who she confesses her love to before dying. It's refreshing to see a queer woman represented in a story that previously had none, and incorporated in a way that feels organic and thoughtfully integrated within the larger narrative.

  In contrast to the Akira of the OVAs, I absolutely adore this incarnation. Yuasa did a stellar job showing not only Akira's horny goth-jock side but also his compassionate traits. As the name implies, there's a lot of crying in Devilman Crybaby, and Akira is responsible for at least half the tears throughout the brief 10-episode series. Akira evokes such intense compassion and cares for people around him, which is a noticeable deviation from his cold demeanor in the OVAs. The human heart at the core of Devilman is on full display here, taking the emotional elements from the original and turning the volume up to 11. Though the art style and setting might be drastically different from what you'd typically expect of a Devilman remake, Yuasa did a masterful job honoring the source material while injecting it with fresh life and even fresher modern resonance. 

What other aspects of Devilman  — or its many incarnations  — did you find important or interesting? Let me know in the comments below!

Do you love anime? Do you love writing? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[iztarshi]

Sarazanmai episode 7

I have a lot of feelings about this episode -- many more than about the more dramatic episode 6 actually -- and I don’t know where to start reacting.

Let’s start with the twist really got me. I thought they were friends ;_;

It completely makes sense but, aaaah, no, all those sunny pictures of them hanging out happily were really Enta hiding his jealousy and misery.

Enta’s interesting because his behaviour isn’t really worse than Kazuki and Tooi’s, objectively. He hasn’t tortured anyone, stolen, kidnapped or dealt drugs. Tooi was even threatening to take the plates from people by force early on. Enta’s been sneaky and underhanded but so has Kazuki.

I think the reason his behaviour comes off differently, and the reason he gets judged more harshly by the audience, is because it’s sexually motivated. Haruka holding onto the sachet because he wants to hold onto Kazuki is innocent in a way Enta playing Kazuki’s recorder isn’t. If Enta was trying to hold onto a platonic relationship, even underhandedly, I think it would feel less like he was violating boundaries.

It’s interesting in a show that so far contrasts “love” and “desire” as opposites and treats “desire” as suspect. I’m curious to see where it goes.

*

Kazuki’s personality now he’s not depressed is interesting, partly because of how much of his “Sara” I can see in him now. Big smiles and unrelenting optimism, a level of cuteness (aided by the pink frog shirt), a whole lot of energy. He’s still a bit self-centred and intense, even in his openness, he knows what he wants (Tooi to stay) and throws himself into achieving that goal without anyone else’s opinion mattering. I think he accidentally overwhelms Enta, who’s more shy and uncertain, a lot and probably has for most of their friendship.

*

Tooi I mostly feel bad for right now. He’s clearly a lonely person, and he seems to genuinely like Enta, so having Enta reject him -- worse, having Enta pretend to accept him -- is probably going to be really sad for him. Knowing Tooi he won’t show it though.

*

Sara and Keppi are adorable together in a way they probably should not be :D

I am not going to get over Sara talking about going bowling and accidentally throwing the prince for a long time. Especially when she implies it’s happened more than once and Keppi’s still gone bowling with her again.

There’s about an 80% chance Keppi and/or Sara shouldn’t be trusted, but I hope they’re on the same side and at least don’t betray each other.

This does seem like Sara’s been telling the truth about her “emotional reunion” with her prince in episode 2 and they’ve probably been dating offscreen for a while. This doesn’t help me figure out what Sara’s up to at all.

*

Given Reo and Mabu’s reaction to the Science Otticer I’m going to say this theory is looking very likely. Their involvement in the youkai side of Asakusa seems like it started with kappas and they were barely aware of otters before they got co-opted by them.

Everyone’s feeling bad for Reo but I almost feel worse for Mabu. Whether he’s the “original” Mabu or not, he seems to care for Reo and to want very much to be loved back. Being treated as a fake is undoubtedly not helping him act like Reo expects Mabu to act, because original Mabu wasn’t depressed by constant rejection from his partner.

[kujyouhikari]

Sasazuka Monologue

An excerpt of my translation for the Collar x Malice Unlimited project by @otogetranslations​

This has been proofread by the wonderful crow and lunar in the group.

This is Sasazuka’s monologue that is unlocked as bonus content after his route is completed in the game, so please be prepared for spoilers.

Takeru’s route is fully translated at the moment, and the project is progressing well, so please buy the game and use the patch according to instructions when the patch is released!

I worked on most of Sasasazuka’s route in the translations, so this gives you a taste of what is to come, lol.

Please do not repost without permission. I would be very depressed, become a ghost, and try to haunt you forever.

——I often think about how well she complements me.

"Sasazukaaa-saaan, you're drinking, right?"

"I am. You're the one drinking too much."

"I still haven't drunk that much today.  The night is still young!"

"I'll leave you behind if you get wasted."

"Meanie...Even though you say that, you'll never leave me behind..."

"Shut up, you drunkard."

On a normal day, on her way from work, Ichika texted me, [Today, I'm in the mood for a drink.]

And thus, I came along as her companion.

Drinking at home is fine, but she drinks more when we go out because she's not distracted with making side dishes or worrying about it affecting her at work the next day.

(...Did she mess up at work or something?)

...Everyone have times where they just want to get drunk.

I suppose, in times like this, it's my role as her boyfriend to chase away her unpleasant thoughts. It's my exclusive right.

I don't dislike listening to the petty squabbles of drunks.

The atmosphere here boosts one's willingness to get drunk.

I hate people with no sense of moderation though.

"Well, you don't really choose ones with high alcohol content, so drink to your heart's content today. No vomiting."

"Yaaay! I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm still only a little dizzy so I can drink until it really hits me."

"That's a pretty unreliable gauge..."

"Speaking of, Sasazuka-san, do you remember? A while ago...How, when we were chasing the X-Day incidents, you harassed me with alcohol."

"I didn't."

"Didn't you half-threaten me into drinking with you to help take your mind off things?"

"...It was probably because I knew you could drink pretty well."

"Haha, but you know, now that I think back on it, that was you being too shy to say what you actually thought while sober, wasn't it?"

"..."

She grins from ear to ear with a besotted expression.

I'm a little irritated, but I can't dispute the truth.

In retaliation, I took an edamame into my hand and silently stuffed it into Ichika's mouth.

"Mmph...Ah, I remember this too. You stuffed my mouth when it became too much for you."

"That memory of yours is better used elsewhere, you idiot."

"You know, I was really scared silly. To think that I did something so extreme in the heat of the moment!"

"You remember that too? You know, you really did something quite daring."

"What? That's...Are you referring to when I grabbed onto your chest while crying?"

"Nope. Something even more daring."

"T-That's...a lie! I haven't done anything like..."

"Hmm, I see. You don't remember, do you? So I was played by you all along."

"...! H-Haha, good try! Back then, it was still in the middle of the X-Day incidents... And we weren't even in a relationship..."

I laugh at how she brushes off my teasing, and think back on when we hadn't gotten together yet.

——I'm certain that at that point, I was already quite into her.

Starting a sexual relationship with her would have been easy, but just as she says, the reason I didn't, is because I had too many other things on my plate.

Also, because she was so wholesome and diligent, some part of me wanted to be sincere towards her.

To put it simply...I think I wanted to cherish her.

(Of course, I won't admit it, or else she'll get cocky.)

"...But I remember this, too. Back then...How you gently patted my head gently when I was crying and sniffling."

"...Of course I'd have to comfort someone who was crying until their face was messed up like that."

"Back then, did you already think that you didn't want to make me cry again?"

"...Who knows."

Once again, I stuffed her mouth to stop her from saying any more inconvenient things.

It's fun to make her inebriated, but it's not fun when I'm the one being teased.

I suppose I'll have to spur her into soberness, then.

I pulled Ichika's arm towards me, leaning forward with my lips next to her ears.

"You know, if you show me that kind of vulnerable face..."

"Yes?"

"I'll pounce on you."

"...!"

Satisfied by her sudden intake of breath, I start to release her, but Ichika's hand stops me.

And, as her eyes approached mine——

"Then, pounce on me please."

This time, she's the one whispering in my ear.

"...You drunktard."

I was the one who started it, wanting to see her panicking face, but I'm the one who's mortified by her reply.

The me of the past would have never even imagined that I would be at the mercy of this woman, to this extent.

"Understood, let's head back."

"Nope, not yet."

"Hey, you're the one who tempted me."

"I won't go back until Sasazuka-san drinks one more."

As she says that, Ichika orders a Cassis Orange from the menu on her own accord.

"I've already had a just right amount."

"But...A drunk Sasazuka-san is a very cute Sasazuka-san."

"I'm always cute."

"Haha, judging from that reply, you're already a little drunk."

...I suppose I do have room for more alchohol, but drinking too much would make it difficult to have sex thoroughly... which I refrained from saying in this public place.

If I drink one more, I'm probably going to go from just feeling fuzzy to feeling hazy at this rate.

——While I was thinking about that, the drink arrived.

In the end, I have no options left other than to become an idiot together with her.

"Haaah...ah...It's so warm..."

"Don't crash down half-way through."

"Urgh, Sasazuka-san, you idiot!"

"Huh? You're the idiot, idiot."

"Sasazuka's call of 'idiot' means 'I love you', right? ...That's how I hear it."

"...Go get your ears checked out."

"Hehehe... W-W-W...wait please...Let's do this properly on the bed..."

The moment we returned, we started messing around like puppies.

While being appalled at how low my IQ has gotten, I kiss her messily under the influence of my intoxication.

"Haaaah...Thanks to you I've become an idiot."

"Please don't say that you want to break up because you don't want to be an idiot."

"What if I did?"

"...I'll cry."

"Then I won't."

"Hehe."

"...Damn it. You're the only one that can threaten me with that, you know."

"Of course. Even if you see another girl crying... Cheating is not allowed, okay?"

"Hah...! Then, make me so into you that I don't even want to cheat."

"...Okay. I'll try my best."

——After we ended up in this relationship...

No. It was from the moment I decided that I would not let her go for the rest of my life, and proposed to her.

There was something I have been thinking.

Rather than looking down on others, or pushing people away, there's something that's more fulfilling.

To pamper her and to make her happy.

I still don't care about anyone besides those important to me, but it seems that the ones I treasure have become a place for me to come home to, rather than something tying me down.

The woman in front of me is the one who made me realize I felt that way, even though I dislike being swayed by emotions.

"Ah...Speaking of which, Kazuki sa-...!"

"Don't bring out another man's name during this."

"No, it's not...like that...mn..! ...Come ooooon, just pause for one seco-..."

"I'll hear it later. Thanks to that one extra drink, I can't really restrain myself..."

I thought that my passion for her was only a phase, and would calm down a little after a while, but she matches me so well that there seems to be no limit.

...Not just in body, but also, in other parts, too.

Is it her that changed, adapting to me, or was I the one who changed?

Most likely it's both, but being with her is so comfortable that I can't even think of anyone else. It feels just right.

Someone who doesn't get in the way of my life, who even makes it more fulfilling.

(Once I've known this happiness...There's no way I can let go.)

Though I was the one who intended to make her fall for me, I'm the one who became more enraptured.

To feel happy even about that fact, I must be off the deep end.

"...What are you thinking about?"

Perhaps because I was distracted by my thoughts, when I look back down, Ichika is staring at me and pouting, with flushed cheeks.

As she gently tugs my cheeks, the corner of my lips lifts.

"About you."

Giving her a smile as I said that, I bit down hard on her white nape, leaving behind a red scar.

"...Takeru-san..."

"Hm?"

"Say you love me."

"Idiot."

"Not that way of 'I love you'."

Even though I snapped at her on reflex, she understood. Seeing that, I felt joy and chagrin mingling together in my chest.

"...I love you."

"...One more time."

——And then, I lose count of how many times I feverishly repeat those words of intimacy.

You, and the me that is changed by you.

Right now, I can admit in my mind that I really like them both.

[sambart93]

Messiah: Genya no Koku [Movie Review]

Another quick review I wanted to do. So I got to see this twice and I got to theorise with one of my friends after both reviewings and we were both going crazy with fanfic ideas after this. 

In true Messiah style, I watched this and fell right back into the hell pit that is Messiah. I love this series. I don’t think I’ll ever leave it. But that’s what DV does to you xD

Official Site here Press/Pics/Videos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The Story

The story is set just after Tsukuyomi where Itsuki agrees to trading himself in so they could get Ariga back. During the transfer, Ariga makes it back to HQ safely but Itsuki, along with Saryut, goes missing. They have been captured by the real Nightmare and he makes them do a little treasure hunt before they can escape his clutches. Meanwhile the rest of the boys, including Suku, try to track them down, and save them. But past actions make a reappearance.

We also have a side story of Sakura having to protect a Prince with the help of his shady bodyguard. And they also end up being connected to the main plot.

*

Entering SPOILER TERRITORY!

*This is a huge series so I don’t recommend you jump into this one without scene the previous work from it*

Spoiler Story

So Itsuki and Saryut wake up in Nightmare’s Lair and they are trapped inside with a bunch of people who, one way or another, want to take revenge on either Itsuki or Saryut. So they attempt to kill them but obviously our boys are more than capable and handle the entire situation on their own. But they keep one of them alive. However, Nightmare kills the man’s daughter for failing to kill Itsuki and Saryut and for siding with our boys. Itsuki and Saryut stop the man from committing suicide and persuade him that ‘you should take revenge on Nightmare because he’s the one that killed your daughter, not us.’ So Nightmare lets them move from room to room, but in each room is a hint or a scene that reminds Itsuki/Saryut of something terrible they’ve done in the past. And they cannot move onto the next room without facing what happened and explaining that terrible scene/situation.

While they are trying to get out of there, Sakura (on one side), and Suku & Doctor X (on the other side) are trying to find their boys. Eventually they find the same trail and the same hints, end up meeting up, and they momentarily join forces so they can get their boys back.

We also have this Prince who Hinamori and Kogura are in charge of protecting a prince, but after being caught transporting the Prince to safety, shots are fired and the Prince runs away, even leaving his bodyguard behind. Turns out the Prince is also wanting revenge of Itsuki (for killing/assassinating his father) and that Nightmare had invited him to watch their stream (of them going through the rooms), and he eventually makes his way to the location of the boys.

In a horrible twist though, when Saryut and Itsuki make it to the last room, they’re both knocked out. Saryut knocks of Itsuki after making a deal with Nightmare behind Itsuki’s back. And Saryut is then knocked out by Nightmare. When the Prince makes it to the location, he revenge shoots Itsuki (who has a bag over his head), but turns out it was his bodyguard who Nightmare had wrapped in Itsuki’s clothing and put a bag over. Nightmare enjoys that fact that he tricked the Prince to kill his only true friend and is reveling in the fact that the Prince has now actually fall into a Real Nightmare (the entire theme of the movie is that death is not the nightmare, living is the real nightmare).

Itsuki wakes up after being knocked out and Nightmare reveals himself. He was actually the guy they decided not to kill right at the very beginning! He just pretended to be someone else. Itsuki wants to know why. Nightmare reveals that he is actually the Prince’s older brother, and that when Itsuki killed their father, their father actually had all his child heirs and child relatives locked up; with his dying breath their father had hit a switch that gassed and killed all the children. Nightmare’s daughter was one of them. So he wanted revenge on Itsuki.

Although Itsuki does blame himself for all those children dying (and still has PTSD/nightmares/flashbacks from it), it’s actually revealed that the father/King was using the children for his own sick experiments --> he wanted to create people who couldn’t feel any pain (turns out Saryut’s group was helping to conduct those experiments). And when Itsuki found the King, he actually decided not to shoot because the King was threatening to turn the switch on (to gas the children) if Itsuki did shoot. But the guards in the palace came bombarding in and one of those gun shots hits the King. So as a last ‘I will not go down alone’ sick selfish way, he pressed the switched and killed them all. 

However, it is very important to note that only the audience knows the truth. Itsuki never reveals to Nightmare, to Saryut, nor to anyone what really happened. He just purely and honestly feels it was his fault all those children died.

So now that Nightmare has Itsuki alone, and Nightmare himself was one of the past experiments (and successful) who can feel no pain, he asks Itsuki to fight him til one of them dies. Unfortunately, Nightmare gets the upper hand because of his lack of feeling, and just before he shoots Itsuki flat in the face, Ariga walks in!

Ariga literally woke up, quickly found out what happened, and got his ass over to save Itsuki! Together they kill Nightmare and walk away, with 2 or 3 bullets in them each xD but thank god they survived!

Suku also finds Saryut in the very first room Itsuki/Saryut woke up in and helps him out. Saryut asks why someone like Suku wanted to help save him, claiming that Suku usually doesn’t care for anyone else. Suku replies ‘because it would be so boring without you,’ and they leave.

That’s all the main points!!

Comments

☆ I absolutely loved the plot of this story! I loved all the twists! I absolutely loved this trapped building/room theme! I absolutely LOVED the twist with the Nightmare reveal, switching Itsuki for his bodyguard, the Prince shooting his bodyguard, Ariga running in at the last final minute. Every single reveal was amazing and I was just like ‘OMG!!!’

☆ I absolutely loved how Hinamori and Kogure’s friendship and trust grew! There were so many scenes and moments in this movie that they kept hidden from Ichijima! They were both like ‘lets not tell Ichijima,’ many times. Their friendship is getting so good!

☆ I absolutely loved seeing this vulnerable side of Suku. He’s trying not to care for Saryut but it’s so obvious that he does care! Even Doctor X says ‘it’s unlike you to care about/trying to find someone,’ and he always claims ‘I’d be bored if he wasn’t around’ or something like that but YOU CARE! YOU CARE!!!

☆ There’s a scene where Hina and Kogure are in a dark piping room, and I just saw the sexual tension go everywhere!! There’s one moment 

☆ Unfortunately, I figured out straight away who Nightmare was. But this was from pure luck and pure random thoughts. Because you don’t hire Namioka Kazuki for a simple role! He never has a simple role! He is such a popular and well known actor! As soon as he popped up as this ‘poor guy wanting revenge’, my brain instantly went ‘Namioka never plays small roles. He always has a main role. He always plays a bad guy too,’ so when it’s revealed that he’s Nightmare, I was like ‘I KNEW IT!!’

☆ I adored the opening scene where we had a badass female murdering some mad scientist. It did give many fangirls hope that we were going to have a badass female (finally) in Messiah. But alas she ends up committing suicide in the end, and Hina and Kogure find her body.

☆ I love, love, love that they kept the bathroom for this movie too! We still have HQ at the bathhouse! And we still had some bathhouse scenes! There is a hilarious bathhouse scene with Kuroko, Ichijima and the bodyguard, Kuromatsu, just after they catch Kuromatsu betraying his prince somewhat. And Ichijima is not impressed and has this ‘-___-’ expression on his face while Kuromatsu is trying to defend himself. Also Kuroko splashes water in this scene and Ichi doesn’t flinch at all! I was giggling so hard at this scene! Also, while I don’t particularly like Ichi, I have to admit that the actor has kept his body in amazing shape! His chest and torso looked so damn good in that scene!!!! I was dying xD

☆ Apparently the Prince and the Bodyguard are going to stay in the series. But so far, I think they’ve had a lukewarm welcome. The Prince is a totally dick to his bodyguard, but all of a sudden cares for him at the end, and the bodyguard was very cold towards the Prince; for most of the film, he said ‘it’s just business’ but then he tries to save the Prince? So right now what we know about them is not much, and it’s also very all over the place. So we’ll see...

☆ I absolutely adored some of the action scenes in this! I think the first fighting scene (Saryut and Itsuki VS the revengers), and the final scene with Itsuki/Ariga and Nightmare were very well shot!!

☆ I also, as I always do, loved the opening theme song and sequence!! I absolutely adored the colours and effects that they used this time around! 

☆ There are many moments in this movie where Itsuki and Saryut have to face what they and what their group have done to people. And I absolutely loved how both of them felt justified in their actions but where then condemning the other’s actions. There’s a beautiful moment/line from Saryut (to Itsuki) where he says ‘just because you were told to (do it), you think you’re in the right (for your actions)’ and it was a really powerful line and moment.

☆ I thought this one was such a good, high quality production. The colouring was great, the cinematography was great, the effects were great, the fighting scenes were great, some of the dialogue was gold. I thought this was probably the best produced Messiah movie we’ve had! Everything aesthetically pleased me!

☆ Speaking of effects!! Fucking Hinamori is BADASS. His very first scene is him and Kogure trying to meet the Prince and get him to safety but obviously terrorists turn up, and there’s also a sniper of a far off building. But Hinamori can find/see where the sniper is, so every time the snipe took a shot, Hinamori moved ever so slightly and DODGED the bullet! EVERY TIME he so easily and so smoothly DODGED the bullets! I absolutely LOVED this moment! I also loved his posture and body language as he dodged the bullets. Hina looked so fucking kool!!

☆ There’s another comedy gold scene, where Ichijima suggests something (not so nice), and Kuroko immediately got his green plastic slipper out and smacked Ichi over the head! Ichi’s hair spiked up but Ichi kept him ‘-_____-’ face and continued his lines. I was dying of laughter.

☆ Another adorable scene was right at the very end as Itsuki and Ariga walk/limp out, after killing Nightmare, and Itsuki had a very emotional moment towards the end and was in tears. So as they walked out, Ariga was like ‘by the way.... why are you crying?’ and Itsuki’s like ‘I ain’t crying!’ and it was such an adorable moment that I couldn’t help but giggle in happiness and amusement xD

☆ As I hadn’t seen the previous stage, it was so weird for me to see Kuroko as the leader and in Ichijima’s leader coat!

☆ Upon my first viewing, I had no idea Ruka (the Prince) was MALE until he took his turban off! He has very girly features that I thought for the first 30 minutes or so that he was actually a girl!! I was so surprise, I was like ‘a-WAH?!’ xD

☆ Ichi is still keeping secrets in this movie. Throughout there is a card with an ‘S’ on it, but even when Kuroko asks, Ichi just says ‘now isn’t the right time for people to know.’ UGHHHH fuck you Ichi!!!

☆ Towards the beginning of the movie, Itsuki has a dream where Ariga betrays him and points a gun to him and pulls the trigger. I was losing my shit in my seat the first time around!!

FanFic Ideas!

Me and my friend had so many dang fanfic ideas going around while watching this!! But the main two I had:

☆ There is a scene where Hina and Kogure are in a dark, pipping area, and Kogure lightly comments ‘I hope Itsuki is okay...’, and I was immediately thinking ‘Hina get angry! Ask ‘Itsuki? What about me?’ and kiss him!!!’. They were SUPER close during that scene too. Also this scene is split into two parts in the movie; the first part, it’s still day time, but when we come back to this scene, it’s night, and my brain was like ‘I bet I can guess how they passed the time there mwahahaha’ xD

☆ Another scene is when Suku first finds out Saryut has been taken and is trying to find out where he is. Doctor X comments ‘it’s not like you to care about someone else’ and my brain was like ‘ARGHHHH THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!!’. AND at the end when Saryut is like ‘why did you come and save me?’ and Suku replies ‘it’d be boring without you’, I was DYING in my seat!! ARGH!!!!

*

And that’s all! I’m super excited for the dvd and I hope many of you get a chance to watch this movie! It was great!