#ty again Akio!

[atlasprefects]

Hiiii pookie <33 I came to check up in ya <333

I hope u feel better pookie <33

Aww ty Akio!

I actually had a rough day today both at school and home..ty again for this! Ily <3 ❤️

[tender-rosiey]

candy pretty! — nanami kento x f!reader

a/n: okay but what would nanami do if his little girl had a crush on gojo’s son 😏

nanami is a mature man, calculated, collected, and the picture perfect adult. he is the best husband who, without fail, treats you like a queen.

he is also the best dad out there and your six year old daughter will always defend that with her entire being. she is also very ready to throw hands at whoever disagrees. right now, however, the one throwing hands is your husband.

and it’s either at gojo’s son or gojo himself.

but the boy did nothing, and gojo deserves a beating anyways so he settles for the latter.

that’s at least until his darling daughter came in with the biggest smile on her cute face and holding a note—probably written by gojo’s son, considering the very terrible and unstable handwriting, but the small smiley face and cute heart—as she squealed, “daddy, daddy! akio invited me to a playdate!”

it takes every bone in nanami not to walk to gojo’s house and throw him in the nearest trashcan where he belongs; instead, he smiles gently at his daughter, “that’s great, d/n. when are you going?”

“right now!”

“sure—wait…now?”

she nods excitedly. nanami sighs then gives her a thumbs up, and the girl takes it as a cue to excitedly run to her room with giggles and squeaks, “mommy, he said yes!”

he hears you respond through the door and he can practically hear the smile in your voice, “really? that’s awesome! let’s get you dressed up, pretty girl,” you and her run happily run to her room and nanami smiles at the sound of footsteps.

he loves how lively it makes the house feel.

then hears the door close and he leans back into his seat.

moments pass by. a deep breath he takes, and a stare he gives the ceiling before mumbling very quietly, “what the fuck.”

“ooo, daddy said a bad word!”

“put the money in the jar, kento!”

ugh, this is going to be a long day.

the both of you are already dressed, and your daughter is busying herself with her favorite comic while you help your husband get ready.

he is glaring at the mirror and you chuckle while straightening his collar, “what’s on your mind, handsome? dad instincts acting up? she is growing up; she is bound to have crushes.”

he nods with a sigh, “I know, but like it’s gojo’s kid.”

“yeah?”

“no, y/n, it’s gojo’s.”

“oh right…ew. ew to gojo, not the kid. akio is an absolute sweetheart.”

he snorts, “he probably takes after his mom,” then he kisses your forehead when you’re done tying his tie, “but the thought of being related to gojo is just…” he grimaces, shaking his head, and that’s all you need to understand.

he can almost imagine it: them a couple of years later, completely and utterly in love, and he would be so happy for them. anyone who ensures the happiness and safety of his daughter is an a+ for nanami.

then gojo will enter, loudly and dramatically, and he won’t hear the ending of his annoyances, a pain he thought he will get rid of before he enters his 40s at least. he looks at the bright side: at least, he will have you by his side.

you lightly smack his—very broad and muscular—shoulder, “now, you’re being dramatic! he isn’t that bad.”

a stare of silence is what you’re met with until your daughter interrupts the judging look of your husband, “mommy! daddy! ‘gotta go! he is waiting!”

your husband sighs once again and you giggle, pulling him with you towards the car.

the ride is quiet, save for your and your daughter’s singing and her rambles about how excited she is to see akio, along with your husband’s frown as he realizes that maybe he is getting protective of her even against akio.

it doesn’t take much time, before you’re already in the gojo household and are seated while the kids are playing in akio’s room.

it’s just you, kento, and gojo because mama gojo went out to work. you would’ve loved to catch up with her about the latest gossip in town.

gojo grins as he looks at the both of you, “so how’s nanamin feeling about the kids’ love story?”

an instant scowl is plastered on your husband’s handsome face and it makes you and gojo laugh out loud. gojo understands why he is protective. when he has a daughter himself, he will probably never let a boy near her.

you cup kento’s face to press a kiss to his cheek and it relaxes him, even if it’s just a tiny bit. gojo lets out a whistle and both you and your husband glare at him.

you hear some rustling in akio’s room, before your daughter bursts out, red-faced and running towards you. she buries her face in your legs and you softly ask her, “what’s wrong, honey?”

nanami gently rubs her back and it encourages her to speak up, even if her voice is a mere murmur, “akio called me pretty,” she fidgets with her fingers. you and nanami share a look of a helpless smile and pat your daughter’s hair.

soon after, akio comes running out of his room , “d/n? are you okay? miss y/n, is she sick? is she okay? I can get that…uh—yellow thingy mommy gives me when I am sick!”

you chuckle and stroke your daughter’s hair lovingly, “don’t worry, hun; she is just a little shy about being called pretty,” you hear her huff on your legs and she looks up to frown at you.

you chuckle and kiss her forehead while nanami is staring—read: probably glaring or planning something—at akio.

akio tilts his head in confusion, “but she is pretty? the prettiest girl ever! even prettier than candy!”

your daughter whines, burying her face further into your leg, “akioo, stop!”

gojo chuckles, watching the scene unfold and thinking about how his very evident charms were passed down to his kid.

but the compassion in his eyes as he worriedly looks at d/n is definetly from his mom. akio pads his way to d/n, and gently pats her head, “I am sorry; please don’t be mad at me.”

he pouts and looks away while blushing, “you’re my favorite person to play with…and I never—um,” he hides his faces his shirt, “want to make you sad.”

your daughter peaks at him and you could swear you could hear the slow music and the chiming bells. you could also bet that the wind is a paid-actor cause when did the window open anyways?

your husband taps your shoulder and points at gojo, who is turning on a fan to give this sweet moment more drama.

and so, after a while, the playdate comes to a close and you’re at the door saying goodbye to the gojos—who you will probably see tomorrow, but whatever.

gojo is leaning against the door as he grins, “let’s do this again soon.”

your husband takes out a cloth to wipe his glasses, “I would rather not.”

you gently elbow him before kneeling beside your daughter, “come on, d/n; say bye to akio and uncle gojo.”

“bye bye, uncle gojo,” she waves and he excitedly waves back then she looks at akio in silence.

the poor boy is overthinking why she isn’t saying goodbye to him and he is probably about to tear up. however, your daughter finally musters up the courage and walks towards him.

they look at each other for a moment before your daughter pecks his cheek and dashes to the car.

akio stares in front of him before becoming a blushing mess and falling to the ground. it’s chaos from there on out.

gojo is cackling like he never laughed before in his life. your husband is speechless and probably planning murder. you’re trying to do your best to calm him down, but it seems like there will be no stopping this man.

family dinners will be so interesting.

taglist: @magenta-cat-drawingss @pompompurin1028 @scul-pted @requiem626k @nameless-shrimp @shinys-bsd-world-1 @sonder-paradise @ravenina14 @jessbeinme15s-notebook @todorokichills @ginneko @missrown @shrynkk @simplyxsinned @beautiful-is-boring @starlostlaiba @izukus-gf @irethepotato @thekaylahub @dazaisbloodybandages @aeanya @sweetcloudsimp @moon-catto @the-midnightskies @pianopuppygirl @gojosblackqueen @kryscent @kunikida-simp @whoami-72 @mx-0-child @fiona782 @kisakitwister @imjustasimpxd @psychopotatomeme @dreamcastgirl99 @watyousayin @doobiebochana @laylasbunbunny @hojicha-expresso @4sat0ruu @nineooooo @chuuyasboots @alekssashka7 @rieejjyubi02 @satoryaa @nothisispatrick300 @fallencrescentmoon @etheviese @ho34gojo @the-mom-friend-dot-com @the-weeping-author @stray-npc @libbyistired @anon1412 @anakalana @maehemthemisfit

copyright © tender-rosiey

do not copy or plagiarize or you will be reported

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

akio and the coffin

it’s fascinating how akio both literally IS the coffin of ohtori academy and, simultaneously, is trapped by it. ohtori academy is in many ways a manifestation of the ugly side of adolescence, of clinging on to something in your past and refusing to move forward in your life. every character has something they continue to hold on to despite the fact that they ought to let it go for the sake of growing and maturing. for example, saionji has his inferiority complex regarding touga, his refusal to let go of the simplicity of their childhood together when he felt that they stood on the same ground, and that touga saw him as an equal. everything he does in the series is an attempt to make himself feel as though he is finally on equal grounds with touga. if he would only stop tying his self-image to the perception that touga is somehow above him, that touga looks down on him, then he would be able to let go of that sense of inferiority and move on. but he can’t. juri refuses to let go of the pain she feels regarding her past with shiori, and continues to see shiori as someone who is “innocent”, albeit cruelly - someone who is unknowing of the pain she causes juri through her actions when in fact, shiori in seducing the boy she thought juri loved was deliberately acting to hurt her. if juri would only realize and accept the true intentions behind shiori’s behavior, then she could get one step closer to understanding shiori, to being understood by her, and moving past the pain of shiori’s betrayal. but she can’t. 

most of the characters, except utena and anthy of course, remain in ohtori by the end of the show. while they’ve all made progress in “maturing” thanks to the events they experienced throughout the series - both saionji and touga’s as well as juri and shiori’s relationships have gotten visibly better, as shown in the final medley of scenes - they still have more growing to do, hence why they remain in ohtori academy until their time comes. one day, the show suggests, they might also revolutionize their own worlds - their own selves - and finally leave the coffin of ohtori behind as well. 

so where does that leave akio? i think he can be said to literally be the coffin of ohtori in that he is explicitly shown to try to manipulate others into remaining stagnant, to clinging on to whatever toxic things they are struggling to process and come to terms with, though this is of course only shown via the characters he most directly interacts with. naturally it comes across most clearly with anthy, although i think utena and to a less direct extent, touga, are the other two people who are the most straightforwardly influenced by him. when it comes to anthy, she clings to her love for the person her brother used to be, the older brother who, at least as she perceived, was kind and caring and wanted to protect people. to protect that older brother, she willingly took on the hatred of the world, and continues to endure the pain of it to this day for what is implied to be centuries. but akio has shown time and time again, through the repeating dueling cycles, that if he was ever kindhearted and genuinely caring, those parts of him are gone now. i do believe he cares about anthy to an extent even now, but whatever affection he has for her is paltry in comparison to his desire to reclaim his power as prince dios. it’s for that purpose that he set up the entire dueling system, for which he freely allows duelists to treat anthy like a prize and an object. and additionally, because anthy is so integral to the power he has now in ohtori, he uses emotional, psychological, physical, and sexual abuse to keep her tied to him. he’s willing to not just let her wellbeing come last, but puts it at the bottom of the list of priorities, and actively tears it down himself for his own benefit. anthy knows all this - but because she still holds onto that love that she had for who he used to be, she stays with him and does his bidding. and that’s what akio wants. he is the coffin, wishing to keep people in their states of despair, conflict, and pain, therefore ensuring that they are compliant and vulnerable to his manipulation. 

at the same time, akio is trapped by the coffin like everyone else. he, like all the other characters, has something that he ought to move on from for his own sake as well as the sake of the people around him: his goal to reclaim his powers as prince dios. akio has failed in this goal every single dueling cycle that happened before the show’s events, and as displayed in the final episode, he definitively fails the one that takes place during the show as well. he can attempt the cycle over and over and over again, redo and tweak and modify the dueling system however many times and in whatever ways he wants - it’s all useless. there is no sword that can break open the rose gate. there is no way to reclaim his powers. they’re gone, that part of his life is over, and if he accepted that fact, it would allow him to move on and heal from what he experienced. but he can’t. at the very end of the series, right before anthy leaves ohtori for good, he’s typing away just as diligently as he ever did and, completely oblivious, tells anthy that he’s rewriting the rules of the rose crest, that he’ll be counting on her again. and i didn’t pick up on this until rewatching the episode, but it really just hits you then how utterly stupid he looks, working so hard and speaking so confidently about the upcoming dueling cycles as if any of them are ever going to matter in the slightest. i love anthy’s response to him too; i love the subtle but at the same time so blatant scorn in her words: “you really don’t know what’s happened, do you?” because once again, throughout all this, akio has learned nothing. he hasn’t realized it’s useless, what he’s trying to do; he hasn’t realized all the effort and pain and anguish he’ll cause in people for yet another dueling cycle will never make any difference. he is unable to come to terms with the reality that he will never have his powers as prince dios back. he refuses to move on. 

akio is the coffin of ohtori, wanting to keep others in stagnation and regret. he’s also trapped by the coffin, incapable of maturing past his own stagnation and regret. and it really, really says something that all of the other major characters of the show, who have been in ohtori for far shorter a time than he has, have been able to make visible strides in their growth. anthy, who is the only one comparable to akio in terms of duration at ohtori, revolutionizes her world and leaves. meanwhile akio, as deluded and self-unaware as he is, hasn’t made a single step of progress in all this time. the only thing he does is call in bewildered desperation after anthy as she finally leaves him behind, still totally clueless as to what has happened. 

tldr; i once saw an author say one of her characters represents inertia, in fact he is inertia. i think that’s a spot-on explanation of akio, at least in terms of what he symbolizes in the story. i want to beat him in the dick with a cactus

[yellowmagicalgirl]

within the infant rind of this small flower (poison hath residence and medicine power)

Anthy has had chronic pain for centuries. After Ohtori, Utena shares it.

This was written for word_docs_and_willowboughs on AO3 for the 2024 Hurt/Comfort Exchange. There are references to both the anime and the movie. I also did some quick research on types of pain meds in Japan, but not too much so there may be some inaccuracies.

AO3

FFN

SquidgeWorld

One day, when Utena doesn’t even have the strength to get out of bed, Anthy brings her a mug of tea, two Eve tablets, and plate with a single cookie so that the Eve doesn’t wreak havoc on Utena’s stomach. Unbidden, Utena remembers how they once threatened to poison each other’s tea and cookies. She lets Anthy feed her anyways.

Her back hurts. The flare-ups happen about once every other month, which is much better than when Utena first left Ohtori. Back then the only times that she didn’t feel the Swords of Hate was when she was dreaming of Anthy, and the pain from when her now-girlfriend had stabbed her through the back managed to outweigh the pain Utena had taken willingly. She had been in the hospital for three weeks as the doctors tried and failed to diagnose the cause of their pain.

“Back when he was still fighting everyone’s battles, I’d make this sort of tea for him,” Anthy said in a low voice. She doesn’t have to say Dios’s name for Utena to know who she is speaking of. The haunted look in her eyes is enough. “Back when he was still trying to save me, just to save me, he would make the tea for me. He wouldn't make it as well, though. Our pain medications weren’t as good as they are now. The best we had just made you sleep it off. I still felt the pain in my sleep; I was just too weak to really move.”

Weakly, Utena lifts her hand to place it on top of Anthy’s. Anthy twists her hand to hold Utena’s. Even now that they’ve both escaped and found each other again, far from where Akio can find them, it can be hard to convince Anthy to take a new medication when she’s sick, especially if one of the side-effects is drowsiness. She didn’t get sick back at Ohtori, not unless her current Betrothed wanted a sick girl to dote over.

“I didn’t put any of the herbs we used to use in this tea,” Anthy continues, using her other hand to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear. The closest she ever does to pinning it up anymore is tying it back in a braid or ponytail, but most of the time she leaves it loose. More than once, Anthy has talked about just cutting it all off. She hasn’t yet, though, no matter how many times Utena has said she could pull off short hair if she wanted to.

“It just has a similar flavor. Not the same, though; the herbs had made it more bitter, and I didn’t add any sweetener.” It isn’t poisoned. I’m sorry.

There really is no need for apologies, not anymore. But Utena is in too much pain to have that argument. She suspects she’ll still be in pain in an hour after the Eve kicks in, and she’ll have to take it easy. It’s a shame, because she had actually been planning on cooking something nice tonight, but the cast iron skillet she plans on using is heavy, and Utena won’t be able to lift it on her own. Maybe she’ll ask Anthy to help her. Maybe she’ll just have to hope that Anthy won’t feel guilty enough to cook the meal herself, and that Utena can fry the tonkatsu in a couple days when she can lift things again. The pork should still be safe and unspoiled in the fridge until then.

[linagram]

everyone's album covers, song previews and album trailer voicelines!

YESSSSSSSSSSSS I'M FINALLY DONE WITH ALL OF THEM *falls on the floor*

okay okay i'm actually kinda proud of myself?? :'D like i always prefer just. drawing characters even though i don't really avoid drawing backgrounds and i don't find drawing them that difficult but i rarely pay attention to things like. doors so yeah it's kinda cool that i've managed to come up with ten different door designs and draw them! even though most of them don't even look like doors. it's okay listen i just wanted to make them as weird as their mvs okay

(also about some prisoners having the symbols on their uhhh restraints and most of them not having them. well you see i just didn't have any energy left to draw them so i was like "it's fine i'll just draw the actual symbols later" and guess what. i didn't :) and i'm too tired to draw all of them so y-yeah. honestly maybe i'll change the symbols to something else like it takes way too much time to draw them and they're not even that close to the canon ones)

okay sorry for rambling, you can read everyone's song previews, titles (though you can see them on the covers, but still. or maybe you can't see them i'm sorry if the text is hard to read 😭) and album trailer voicelines under the cut! and also more of my rambling

Album trailer voicelines:

Akio: "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

Aimi: "Don't you think that's kind of.. unprofessional?"

Shun: "I-Isn't it a good thing that I'm getting better?"

Naomi: "But in the end, I've simply decided to agree with you."

Kei: "It's time for your punishment, Eiji~"

Eiko: "It's like.. your life finally has a purpose."

Asahi: "I wanna go home, even if I don't have one anymore."

Yurika: "THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE!"

Riku: "Haha, trust me, I'm strong enough to do that."

Reina: "So, yeah, the show's over."

Song titles:

Akio: The King's Execution

Aimi: Mask of Kindness

Shun: Wrong Route

Naomi: Your Story

Kei: Web of Desire

Eiko: As Seen On TV

Asahi: 'Cause I Deserve It

Yurika: Bitter Aftertaste

Riku: Trendsetter

Reina: Death of the Author

Song previews:

Akio: "Come on, fight me, punch me, beat me to death,

Show me how you've really felt about me all this time

There's no one left to support me, no one left to call me "Your Majesty"

I guess it's time for me to admit my defeat" 

Aimi:

"Let's have as much fun as we can today, like this is the last day of our lives

I won't ask you to be careful, I know you won't listen to me anyway

Let's make these moments more colorful than ever before

Let's turn today into our best masterpiece"

Shun:

"I know that this is the best option, I don't even need a guide

"Real life"? What's that? Some kind of joke?

I know you will love me in every world and universe

Tell me I'm your everything, let me get the best ending"

Naomi:

"I can't believe I found out about this only now

Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't anyone else tell me about this?

Your life was so short, but so full of pain

Does this mean that I've saved you from all that suffering?"

Kei:

"Congrats, you've fallen right into my trap

Make yourself comfortable, you're in for a long ride

Tying you up, choking and biting

Keep your eyes on me, take those rose-colored glasses off"

Eiko:

"Yay, she did it, good for her! What an icon, am I right?

Haha, thank you, thank you! Serves him right, I know

You've forgiven me, darling, so let me thank you properly

Tell me what you want, I will give you everything and more"

Asahi:

"Give me more, you know that it'll never be enough for me

You want me to repay you? That's funny

Why should you give me so much and get nothing in return?

It's obvious, 'cause I deserve it"

Yurika:

"Please, please, make my world sweet again

This world is so cold, so bitter, if I take a bite, I'll get poisoned for sure

Hey, hey, what are you saying? You want more sugar as well?

Sure, anything for my master! But you're not her, so get out."

Riku:

"Now, listen, I don't like to do this

I'm not the type to abuse my power

But looks like it's time for you to get what you deserve

So get him, everyone, I'll pat you on the head later"

Reina:

"What about my crime? What about my sins?

Well, why don't you figure it out yourself?

I'll let you decide, I'll let you write my story

Aren't you the one who's supposed to judge us anyway?"

Random facts about everyone's song titles, lyrics and doors (spoiler-free. mostly):

The silhouettes from Akio's T1 MV are back!

If you've read Aimi's T1 MV description, you probably already went "Wait, is her song title a reference to that mask from her video?" and you are correct!

Shun's song title is kinda supposed to be a pun? Basically it's a reference to dating sims, character routes and all that stuff, but it's also supposed to mean taking a wrong path in life or something like that.

Naomi's song title was the hardest one to come up with and it turned out to be the most boring one. I am so sorry.

I actually wouldn't say that Asahi's door shows his MV that well, since his video will actually have mostly white and green colors, but I thought that a door like that would look boring, so yeah, I made it more colorful!

"Why is Yurika's door like that?" Oh, don't worry, compared to Asahi's door, Yurika's door shows her MV perfectly fine <3

Riku's door. Riku's door made me go through so much pain, IT WAS THE LAST DOOR I CAME UP WITH. I LITERALLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DRAW. Not even because I dislike his MV, it's just that his MV has this motif that's. Very hard to show as a door. Like all ideas I had just sounded stupid so I decided to go with something like this instead. Also I still hate drawing chains and I used a brush instead.

Yes, Naomi's door just. Looks like a diary. BUT I TRIED TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A DOOR OKAY I TRIED

Reina's door having a more "actor-like" motif probably doesn't make much sense because of the song title, but trust me, it does. And yes, her song title is based on the trope of the same name.

Aimi's song lyrics kinda sound like a sequel to her T1 song though i guess her t2 song can be called that here, but the rest of the lyrics sound more different. And yes, there will be more of their song lyrics in the MV descriptions this time >:)

Kei's song lyrics are actually supposed to be much more sad this time and even the chorus will sound differently in the end.

Reina, please, stop breaking the fourth wall, you're becoming way too powerful.

[tyrantisterror]

Liveblog Postscript: My Silly Theory About Adolescence of Utena

It’s hours after I finished my liveblog of Adolescence of Utena and I just had some shower thoughts that I need to vomit out so I can easily recall them the next time I end up watching this series.

Short version: I think Adolescence of Utena isn’t just an alternate continuity, but rather a result of everyone reincarnating after the events of Revolutionary Girl Utena, and is about definitively breaking a cycle of abuse and victimization while also tying up loose ends from the show in a surreal way.

Long version after the cut!

Ok, so, like, the word revolution, right?  What first comes to mind is probably the “break free of social norms and change shit on a societal level” sort of revolution, which indeed seems to be the meaning implied by the title Revolutionary Girl Utena, since Utena is introduced to us by breaking a shitload of gender and social norms.  She’s the girl who chose to be a prince instead of a princess, bucking tradition and all that.

But revolution can also refer to a repeated circular motion - a wheel revolving in a piece of machinery, the earth revolving around the sun, an endless process of movement that ulitmately leads to no change whatsoever - you return to exactly where you began.

Both ideas of what “revolution” mean are recurring themes in Utena.  They occur visually - often in the show there are scenes (generally character introduction scenes) where the shot is framed with four roses revolving in the corners.

The duel arena that serves as the primary setpiece for the show’s action scenes is this giant clockwork contraption full of spiraling and revolving pieces, including the very stairs leading to the top.

The above sequence is one of a good handful of very noticeable pieces of stock footage in the show - sequences that you’ll see about once per episode, in fact.  Now, you could argue that’s purely a budget thing, but whether or not it was done for budgetary reasons doesn’t prevent it from also having meaning.  This is the chamber where Utena has her duels - its appearance in each episode heralds the perpetuation of that cycle of violence, the cycle of people trying to control and exploit Anthy, and Utena standing in their way.

Many of the characters themselves are trapped in these cyclical behaviors - Anthy being passed around from abuser to abuser, people dueling Utena again and again, Nanami desperately trying to humiliate Anthy and/or gain her brother’s affections to no avail, etc.  In fact I think you could argue that these cycles of behavior are what cause most if not all of the problems in the show - people are being driven mad by a world revolving.

Until Utena revolts and breaks the cycle.  A revolution to end the revolutions.

The duel chamber sequence changes in the last third of the anime, when shit gets real.  Utena isn’t climbing the revolving stairs to meet Anthy at the top anymore - she and Anthy both ride an elevator inside them.  The world revolves, stuck still in the machine of its patterns, but these two are moving forward without it.  Anthy’s school uniform - clothes that represent a role assigned to her - drops and becomes fodder for a plant that grows as the girls move forward, showing that something new is beginning to grow. The cycle isn’t going to last forever this time.

Ok, abbreviated and oversimplified summary of the end of the series: Akio, the main antagonist and a man trapped in his own cycle (he was once a prince who tried to solve everyone’s problems, cracked under the strain of it and had to be sealed away, and is now trying to remake the world as I understand it), tries to use Anthy for his own ends, fails, and watches as Utena does the impossible and breaks the curse on Anthy, saving her and changing the world in the process.  The anime ends with Akio thinking Utena failed, that she destroyed herself and will be forgotten, and deciding to start the whole system of duels again - only for Anthy to tell him he knows nothing, that Utena is alive and has simply escaped Akio’s world, and that now Anthy is going to escape it as well to find Utena and repay her for freeing her.

Got that?  Ok, let’s talk about the movie.

In Adolescence of Utena, Akio is dead to begin with.  That doesn’t mean he isn’t present or affects the story, but he’s a corpse in the ground.  He is dead.

because this isn’t his world anymore

Utena is instead inspired to be a prince by the actions of a boy named Touga.  In the show, Touga was one of Akio’s minions, more or less the most powerful/high ranked of them in fact, and kind of a real sleazy piece of shit.  But towards the end of the series, as Akio’s plan gets closer to completion and Touga sees how cruel it is to everyone else, Touga realizes he doesn’t like seeing these people - and Utena in particular, who he has grown to love to some extent - suffer.  He tries to warn Utena against trusting Akio and be the charming prince he’s often pretended to be, but Utena ignores him because, well, he was kind of a prominent antagonist for most of the series.

In Adolescence of Utena, Touga is not a sleaze or a piece of shit.  He’s a heroic young man who gives his life to save a drowning girl, and his heroism is what inspires Utena to become a prince.  In other words, he has completed the change of heart he began in the show - no longer a minion of Akio, but a noble young man, and one who Utena could love to some degree.  If we view this Touga as a reincarnation of the original, then he has essentially finished the business the original began.  The cycle of Touga’s bad behavior was broken - he revolted against the role Akio gave him in the original story.

Touga’s sister, Nanami, who was a recurring yet fairly incompetent antagonist who eventually became more of a comic relief buffoon than an actual threat, is mostly absent from the movie - which, again, makes sense given where her story ended in the anime.  Nanami realized how she was being used, and how bad the environment of the school was, and tried to transfer to another school to get away from all this horseshit.  While Akio stopped her in the show, here, in the reincarnated world, Nanami’s gone - she’s not at this school anymore.  She revolted so hard that she escaped the narrative altogether.

Juri and Saionji have fights with Utena more or less as abbreviated versions of their antagonistic roles in the anime, but Miki abstains (because even in the anime he was never really committed to the bit the way the other henchmen were).  Then all three of them shift to being allies really quickly at the end of the movie, because while they may have been put into their old roles, the effect of the previous iteration remains, and the three of them can’t help but love Utena and root for her.

Utena takes her role as a duelist more confidently and assertively, and fights for it with a ferocity even her anime self couldn’t match.  But by the third act the story isn’t focused on her so much anymore - because Utena already broke one cycle, and it’s not her job to break this one’s.

It’s Anthy’s.

In the anime, all these cycles revolved around Anthy, and specifically the abuse and exploitation she received at the hands of, well, pretty much everyone who isn’t Utena.  And Anthy was fairly passive in accepting it, feeling as if she had no choice but to follow her role in the cycle of things... until Utena broke the world.

Now, in this movie, in the world where Akio is dead to begin with an no longer in charge, Anthy is immediately more proactive than she was before. She tries to warn Utena away from becoming a duelist, is far more openly romantic in her interactions with Utena, and in the third act, it’s Anthy who is our focal character as she tries to escape the cycle.

Utena goes and does what she did in the anime - she opens the door that no one else could open, the one that allows her to revolutionize the world.  In doing so she breaks tradition and repeat the cycle - and leave it for Anthy to break.

And here’s where this theory of mine gets REALLY stupid!  Ready?

Utena being turned into a car?  It’s part of this.  It’s the APEX of this.

A car is a machine with wheels - a machine whose parts revolve over and over, never leaving their position in their constant movement.  But it’s also a machine that helps you leave where you where.  It is revolution as an endless cycle AND revolution as a way to break through and leave behind the world you knew.  Utena’s life could go either way - she could break the cycle, or become part of it.  But whichever she does, she can’t do alone.  She can’t escape...

...unless Anthy is behind the wheel.

Anthy drives Utena through everything that the machinery of this world can throw at her.  She beats Shiori, a character who was a minor antagonist in the show but becomes a major secondary antagonist here as she tries to steal Utena’s role in the narrative, only to be destroyed by her own stubborn refusal to change her patterns of cruel behavior.  Then other wheeled machines are sent after Anthy and Utena, and though the pair are worn down, Anthy redoubles her resolve and keeps going.

Akio’s ghost, for want of a better world, appears at the end - and has appeared a few times before that, for that matter - and tries to once again take control of this narrative, using a machine with giant revolving treads in an attempt to kill both Utena and Anthy.  But they perservere, breaking out of this world and all the expectations heaped upon them.  Though the car is reduced to a bare chassis and wheels, Utena and Anthy escape, free, no longer trapped in a world revolving and the cycles it used to keep people in line, and allowed to claim a life of their own choosing.

Utena escaped Akio’s world, and in Adolescence of Utena Anthy does the same, claiming her own agency and rescuing Utena just as Utena had rescued her.  And every other character who could have chosen the same does so.  The revolutions have ended, and the revolution has triumphed.

[legends-art-forever]

Ninjago Spinjitzu Brothers:

—Forest of Illusions—

Chapter 3

"my names Akio. And if you wish to find your brother I would recommend we start looking now, before anything bad really happens to him." Akio replied, grabbing a bandana that was tied around his wrist and putting it on his head, tying his hair up. "Bad like what?" Wu asked. "I....umm...I'm not quite sure. But...just something bad." Akio replied. And then they both walk into the forest of illusions. Wu couldn't stop thinking about what could possibly happen to Garmadon in here. And he doesn't even know the worse of the forest but yet he feels its nothing like anything else they've dealt with and even if it was. His brother may not be able to face it like the others, Garmadon and Wu did it together. Like they do pretty much everything together. Wu was cut off in his thoughts. "What did you say your brother looked like again?" Akio asked. "Oh. He has brown hair, wears mostly dark clothes and a purple bandana." Wu replied. "Umm. I'd say he was definitely here then." Akio said. Picking something up from the ground and holding it out to Wu. "Garmadon's bandana." Wu said. His face turned pale and was filled with fear when he saw it, the bandana was ripped up. Next to where the bandana was on the ground is footsteps. "These are fresh footsteps" Akio said, Looking at the trail of them. "We follow them and they should lead us to your brother" "Let's go then." Wu yelled. Putting his brother's bandana in his pack. Akio and Wu spend hours following the footsteps. "We've been following the footsteps for hours and still no sign of my brother." Wu said. "Akio, you said this is a forest of illusions. How do we know that these footsteps aren't illusions too?" "I didn't think of that. But even if I did we would have no way of telling if they were or weren't!" Akio replied, Walking farther ahead pushing plants aside. "Why? There has to be some way of telling?" Wu asked. "These illusions aren't like any other ones. They can physically change things. They can screw your mind all up. And never in my life have I found a way to tell these illusions apart from the real things." Akio said. Wu stopped and stared at him for a bit, thinking to himself *what illusions did he see here? And were they really as bad as he says they were?* "l...let's just find your brother, okay?" Akio asked. "Okay" Wu replied. It hits nightfall and there still has been no sign of Garmadon anywhere. Wu's eyes were getting very heavy on him though. He could hardly keep them open. "Akio, could we maybe rest for a second?" Wu asked. Walking very slowly. "Resting here is a horrible idea! Who knows what will happen to us if we do." Akio replied. They continued to walk along but Wu was farther behind then Akio and he tried to keep up with him but he couldn't keep his eyes open and fell to the ground. "Akio..." he said before his eyes slowly shut.

[xbuster]

anon's gf tying them up to a bdsm table, only hands free to play minish cap

Hi again, Akio

[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

Enter the Kitsune - Chapter 2

Warnings: none really in this part. introduction to castle life.

Masterlist

—

Chapter 2

I raised my groggy head from what felt like a giant pillow only to discover it was the flat mattress they gave me to sleep on. It is called a futon, right? Argh… need coffee. Defused light was seeping into the room through the large screen in front of the window. It took a few moments for my brain to catch up with everything. I guess some part of me still thinks this is a weird dream.

– Clatter –

A loud noise from outside my room made me jump. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders I moved to the door and slid it open just enough to see that one of the servants had dropped a tray. Small plates had fallen onto the floor. Miraculously they had somehow avoided braking, which was more than could be said for the food.

A young girl with dark chocolate brown hair was bent over scooping rice and other foodstuffs back onto the tray to try to clean up the mess.

“What do you think you are doing?” A slightly older woman scuttled out of a room with a wet rag in her hand. Her sharp tone made even me jump and I felt even worse for the young girl who was being glared at as if she had intended to sully the castle floor on purpose.

“I was taking breakfast to the Princess.” The girl paused in cleaning up the mess to bow her head to her elder.

“Princess? Don’t make me laugh. Takes more than a title to make you something like that. I have no idea where Lord Oda found that stray cat but it won’t take long for him to get bored with her.” The other woman was waving around her rag like a flag as she spoke. I knew I wouldn’t be welcomed with open arms or anything but you would have thought they would at least see me or get to know me before deciding they hate me.

“We still have to treat her…” The younger servant stood back up balancing the tray with its scattered contents in her hands.

“She won’t be getting special treatment from me. You do as you like.” The other servant scoffed.

“Has anyone seen her yet?” Another female appeared carrying what looked to be bolts of fabric with one more maid walking next to her carrying a woven basket that looked to be full of linen. “I caught a glimpse of her when she arrived. She was sitting proud as you like wrapped up in Lord Masamune’s arms.”

“Who does she think she is?” The older servant was practically spitting venom in her voice at this point.

“Lord Hideyoshi doesn’t seem to like her much.” The one carrying the linen spoke in a conspiratorial tone as she joined the conversation.

“Well, that says it all. The man has taste.”

“What was her name anyway?”

“I think Lord Mitsunari said she was called Aerion Foxx.” The young servant holding the dropped tray timidly spoke up. Clearly, she was uncomfortable with the conversation but was staying put probably from fear of being dubbed an outcast in some way. Honestly, the way they are gathering there just makes it look like a bunch of people gossiping around the water cooler in the office at work.

“Fox? As in Kitsune?” The one holding the fabric nearly dropped them as they practically jumped hearing my surname. It’s not that strange of a name you know?

“Haha, that’s perfect!” There was nothing pleasant in the laughter that erupted from the lips of that older servant.

“What is?”

“Well we already have one kitsune in the castle now Lord Oda has brought in another one.” The servant holding the linen basket nodded knowing what the older woman was getting at. Kitsune? I guess that’s what they call a fox here. Why do I get the feeling its meant as an insult?

“Shh, keep your voice down what if she should hear us?”

“What does it matter? Mark my words she is nothing but a fancy stray cat from some Nanban’s boat. I give it a week before Lord Oda is bored and tired of her and she is gone.” Everything about the older servant just seemed to scream that she was not going to accept me no matter what I did. It’s not like I was planning on trying to be everyone’s friend or anything. But the fact remains I have to stay here for at least 3 months. It would have been nice if we could all just be civil with each other. I gave a silent little sigh as I imagined the drama that was sure to be coming my way in the near future.

I slid the door closed not wishing to hear any more and noticed a bundle placed next to it. It was neatly tied and there was a small note placed on top. The black ink was smooth and delicate on the paper making it almost seem inviting in some way. There was no way I had of reading it, I had been right before I might be able to somehow hear and speak this language but I can’t read it. A soft knock on my door announced the arrival of the original maid that had dropped the tray in the corridor.

“Excuse me, Princess. I have your breakfast from the kitchen.” She had her head bent low in a formal bow and was shuffling her way into my room like a graceful constricted swan. Her dark brown hair was bundled to one side at the top of her head in a kind of messy bun, small ponytail style. Her bangs were falling over her face in three sections allowing me to see her eyes that looked so warm and inviting it was like looking into two cups of rich dark espresso. She couldn’t have been older than me if anything she appeared to be in her late teens.

“What is your name?” I was still holding the bundle one hand with the unreadable note in the other.

“My name is Akito, Princess.” She continued to politely address me and placed the tray down near a floor cushion for me. She was stealing small glances at me but not actually looking at me for very long at all. Nervous? Fear? Or is that some form of manners here? Either way, I can’t take it, it’s making me feel uncomfortable just watching her.

“Ok. Well, Akito. First of all, you don’t have to bow to me. And could you please not call me by that title?” I felt like I had been repeating the same conversation over and over again to everyone recently. It’s a shame I can’t just record the message and hit a play button every time I want to say it.

“It would be highly disrespectful to do such a thing, my lady.” Akito’s head shot up from her formal bow so she was looking at me directly now. He brown eyes were wide with curiosity but also appeared to have traces of fear in them. Oh, come on I’m not that scary. What do you think I’m going to do?

“Alright I realise there is a strong sense of maintaining things like that here but whilst you are in my room with no one else here you can drop the formalities. I am just a woman the same as you.” I gave her a warm smile and kept my tone soft in an attempt to calm her. Thankfully Akito seemed to relax a little at this.

“If that is what you have ordered me to do Prin-, I’m sorry if I am not to call you Princess what am I to call you my lady?” Akito inclined her head and it reminded me of a small animal discovering something new.

“My name is Aerion.”

“Lady Aerion.” Akito nodded happily a stunning smile spreading across her face as she addressed me.

“I suppose that will do for now.” I chuckled. “Will you be the main servant I see?”

“Yes, lady Aerion I was assigned to your care by lord Mitsunari. I am your personal maid.” Akito straightened up proudly after saying this. I wonder if Mitsunari chose Akio specifically because she seems to be so kind or if it was because no one else seems to want to have anything to do with me? I mentally shook that thought from my mind not wanting to dwell on things I can’t change.

“I see. Could I ask you to read this to me?” I handed over the note to a confused looking Akito. She took it carefully in her hands and began translating it for me.

“I thought you would be needed this. I hope you find it easier to move in. Akechi Mitsuhide.”

“Mitsuhide?” The name of the last man I thought would be leaving me surprise gifts made me look suspiciously at the bundle in my hands.

“Yes, My lady.”

“Do you have any idea what this is?” I held up the folded fabric glad to see that Akito apparently recognised it. She gently took it from my hand and unfolded it holding it up for me to see that it was definitely clothing.

“That is called a hakama my lady.”

“Is it different from a Kimono?” I took a step closer to it running my fingers over the soft fabric to what looked like a pair of unfinished trousers.

“Yes, my lady. If you like I can help you get dressed after you have eaten.”

“Thank you, Akito I’d appreciate it. I tried to put on this kimono myself and made a complete mess with the obi.”

“I understand. A lot of the foreign visitors have similar issues but with practice, it does become easier.”

Breakfast was simple but delicious on my empty stomach. I tried to remember the last time I really bothered to eat a proper breakfast and failed miserably. It was always a mad rush in the morning to get the train to work so typically I would grab a Danish pastry from the coffee shop along with my morning late and suffer the impending doom of my own hunger until lunchtime when I could go out and get something decent to eat somewhere else.

Akito had helped me get dressed and I was happily surprised with how comfortable the hakama was to move in. My legs didn’t feel like they were going to be restricted at any point. It was a far cry from my usual pair of jeans it was a better historical replacement than a standard kimono. I tried to pay attention to the different layers as Akito explained how to put together the outfit on me. Under kimono, kimono, obi nothing seemed different until I slipping into the Hakama and then the very specific way she was tying it around my waist.

It felt strange to put on effectively a pair of trousers like this. After attaching the front of the hakama Akito took what looked like a wooden fastener that was at the back of the hakama and attached it to the new ties she had made when she arranged the first half of the hakama. She pulled the back portion of the hakama a little higher so it covered my original obi and then moved to do the finishing ties around my waist turning the stiffen fabric into a beautiful flattened bow on my left side. Apparently, there was a right and wrong way of doing that so I tried to follow as best I could. There is no way I’ll be perfect at this straight off the bat but I can at least attempt to try and get better at it.

After what felt like an eternity of getting dressed Akito left to return the tray to the kitchen and had some other work to attend to. I felt bad for keeping her so long so I let her go and decided I would try to make my way around the castle to see if I could figure out what I was supposed to do in my new job. I had been right on my first impression of around here it’s so easy to get lost in this labyrinth of corridors.

“Ah! There you are, Lass.” That familiar voice instantly made me freeze as I remembered the steel against my throat. Turning around slowly in case of there being a repeat performance of last night I saw Masamune walking along happily with Ieyasu by his side looking less than impressed with the other man’s company.

“Masamune. Ieyasu.” I didn’t know what else to say and as I was usually told it was better to say nothing during those times than ramble like an idiot.

“You look lost.” Masamune chuckled looking a little like a mischievous child as he got close enough to try to reach out his hand for me and I instantly sidestepped to avoid him. His blue eye twinkled seeing this and I swear I saw him lick his lips. Little early in the day for that kind of thing… down boy.

“A little.” I admitted I was in fact lost it wasn’t as if pride was going to help me change the facts.

“Takes talent to get lost walking in a straight line. You’re as bad as Mitsunari.” Ieyasu spoke up critiquing my inability to decipher the castle layout. I plastered my best smile on my face that I usually saved for meetings with difficult clients at work.

“And it takes a special kind of talent to both help someone out and insult them at the same time. Congratulations Ieyasu you really nailed it.” Ieyasu stood there slack-jawed, emerald eyes wide just staring at me dumbfounded. Masamune had a similar expression but recovered much faster and burst out laughing so loud it echoed in the hallway.

“Isn’t that great Ieyasu you got yourself a new friend?” Masamune said slapping the other guy on the shoulder with an audible thump.

“As if I’d want to be friends with a weakling like her.” Ieyasu mumbled avoiding eye contact with either of us as he spoke. Something about that sight made me start giggling which earned me a glare from Ieyasu that only served to make my laughter worse.

“So where were you trying to get to?” Masamune asked after we had both gotten our laughter under control.

“Nowhere really I was just trying to work out what I should be doing as Chatelaine but I haven’t found anyone that’s willing to tell me yet.” I felt the weight of all the emotions that hit me earlier when I had overheard the staff gossiping earlier. I had found several maids but they had all been more interested in asking if I needed anything and insisting that I didn’t need to help them. When I tried to ask about my new job, they had either fallen silent or made excuses to leave. Nothing like that classic feeling of the new kid in school.

“You should just give up and go be a good girl and play in your room.” Ieyasu huffed. Clearly, he thought that Nobunaga’s original idea of me playing dress up was what I should be doing. Just the idea of that had my skin bristling all over.

“No. I said I would work and I intend to. I can’t sit around and just do nothing I really will go crazy and what’s more why are you talking to me like I’m a child?”

“Who goes wandering around and gets lost when they are an adult?” Ieyasu met my tone matching it perfectly with his own bringing us into a stalemate just glaring at each other.

“Ignore him, Lass. If you want to know what you should be doing you had best go and ask Mitsunari. I would say Hideyoshi but when I last saw him, he looked like you could boil water on his head.” Masamune expertly cut in front of Ieyasu and broke the tension.

“What a lovely image. And how do I find Mitsunari?”

---

[kaibutsushidousha]

Artbook Data - Ryouma Hoshi

One game of the Jinguuji series was released in the West under the localized name Jake Hunter: Detective Story, but none of the cases on it were written by Kodaka.

Seiyuu’s comment: Akio Ootsuka

Ryouma Hoshi is a smart character with a cute appearance and who rocks a double-breasted rider jacket. His background is arguably grander than the other characters and he was very worth voicing. My first impression was “High schooler!? That’s just a cute little boy”, but despite his appearance, I think he has quite a lot of unique points about himself. Find out on your own where will fate lead him to.

Kodaka’s comment: Cute-hardboiled, the spice that worked

The keyword for Hoshi was “hardboiled but cute!”. But this “cute” guy is a ruffian, so Komatsuzaki tried numerous design until we arrived at the style we decided to go with. We imagined his first as the “Super High School Level Prisoner” before the “Super High School Level Tennis Player”, then we connected it to tennis because that’s a hardboiled sport, then we filled the script with Prince of Tennis memes... yeah, that’s the order in which we constructed him. The dark blue prison uniform was, again, Komatsuzaki’s idea and to add more hardboiledness to it, we matched it with a leather jacket. To top it off, we decided to add the knitted hat, resulting in the current design. Taking from this sequence of events, we named him after, surprise surprise, Kyojin no Hoshi and Prince of Tennis.

As for cutesy characters, we had Daisaku Bandai in DanganRonpa 3, we were thinking of making Hoshi less of a curveball than him, more straightforwardly “cute”. On the other hand, we want to have him in a direction where he would be well-liked by people who tipically like traditional hardboiled characters. On top of that, we want to add the DanganRonpa-style spice to it, leading to our “hardboiled x cute” motif. Hoshi looking like this and being voiced by Akio Ootsuka-san was something very well commented as soon as the characters were presented. I added a twist so he wouldn’t end up as nothing more than a novelty, but I think you all who played the game noticed it already.

His always hardboiled personality was based on Saburou Jinguuji from the “Detective Saburou Jinguuji” series. I handled some scripts on the same series, so you know him, do you?

Note: Kodaka wrote some cases in the mobile version of Detective Saburou Jinguuji (“Six Pieces of Crime” and other 5) and the spin-offs “Ghosts of Shinjuku” and “Brilliant FUTURE”.

Design Notes:

Beanie: The beanie with the very unique dual-horned design is an original item of the Kasumigaoka Institute, as you can tell from the school badge on it.

Rider Jacket: A leader suit that makes you look cool as soon as you put it on. It’s in a form-fitting just size, so no one can say he looks lame for wearing oversized clothes.

Chocolate Cigarette: Super popular among the children! A chocolate candy shaped like a cigarette kids use to pretend to be adults. How difficult it is to unpack it when you’re going to open it is part of the fun.

Underwear:  Hoshi’s favorite briefs. He wears pure white underwear because of one national tennis tournament that had a rule that said “All players must wear all clothes white, including underwear”.

Legs: Legs trained to perform the miraculous footwork that supports Super High School Level tennis plays. He is nimble almost to the point of teleport, according to Gonta.

Anklet: A long time ago, prisoners had heavy stell balls shackled to their ankles to prevent them from escaping. Hoshi wears a mark of his crime in his right ankle, a reminder of those horrible customs.

Favorite Presents:

Mint Cigarettes: A cigarette-shaped lemon candy, popular among growing kids interested in acting like adults. For whenever he wants to take a break from the chocolate one.

Dogtag: A pair of soldier ID tags. If the owner dies in combat, the person on the second tag is reported to recover the body. Give it to Hoshi, as he is constantly face-to-face with death.

Hammock:  A sleeping net you can use by tying it between to trees or pillars. A guaranteed moment of relaxation for the sentimental Hoshi, where he can enjoy an unordinary mood.

Hated Present: 

Tennis Ball Set: A set of 4 hard tennis balls. This could come in handy in diets or massages but none of this matter anymore now for Hoshi, as he threw away tennis.

Key Phrases:

User of Shukuchi: Hoshi became a member of the Saishuu Academy as the Super High School Level Tennis Player. According to his fellow middle school tennis player Momota, he was actually considered a hero by the other tennis brats. He was already that famous at the time. His physical capabilities are something to look out for, specially with his Shukuchi technique. It’s a moviment technique that allows him to instantly close the distance between 2 points, almost like teleport. It’s one of the proofs he deserved his Super High School Level title. Dodging Gonta’s terrifyingly powerful invitation to the Insect Meet-and-Greet and escaping intact is an impressive feat. But what fate awaited Saihara, who was left behind...!?

The Cat-Loving Man: Some say cat lovers are loners and Hoshi is a clear evidence to that theory. He likes to act like a nihilist lone wolf who rarely shows emotions but he says he likes cats because “petting their fluffy heads makes you forget the rough stuff” and admitted to being a cat man after being tricked by Akamatsu’s loaded question. By the way, his favorites breeds are the longhaired ones (Persian, Himalaian, Ragdoll, Siberian, etc). The man likes his fluff. By the way, Hoshi had one cat he left with his friend before he went to prison and he refers to it as the last ties he still have with the outside world. Akamatsu tries to encourage him saying “Maybe you can regain your hope in life if you get a chance to get a new cat?”. If there were any Super High School Level Animal Breeder out there, he would certainly have such a great therapeutic effect in Hoshi’s life...!

Super High School Level Prisoner!?: He was called the Super High School Level Tennis Player after numerous feats, but became a death row convict. It all started when he blew a rigged game on an illegal tennis tournament, earning the mafia’s wrath. He lived tragedy for seeing the dark side of society. He met misfortune because his sense of justice couldn’t let this slide. The shackle on his ankles and the design of his lab prove he is the Super High School Level Prisoner and so does his constant saying the he gave everything up...

Chasing After the Shadow of his Dead Girlfriend: Hoshi says he mercilessly threw away even his girlfriend. The tragic truth behind it is that she was killed by the mafia’s retaliation. When he knew the guns were pointed at her, they had already ran away in different directions, so he could not protect her. The same happened to his beloved family. He says that even if he escapes, there’s no one he wants to see. I hope someone can save his lonely back.

Main Quotes:

“I would never do something this uncool”: This almost-nihilist’s motto is “be cool”. Monokuma’s favorite ill-tasted theatrics and causing a big rucks by falling for cheap threats are two example of things he considers uncool. He is acts quiet and dandy with the chocolate cigarette in his mouth and, maybe for that very reason, he is calmer than everyone.

“I just got some lucky cues“: It’s very common to see athletes having personal lucky pre-game rituals to seize victory. In Hoshi’s case, he would always enter the court with his right leg and it earned him a lot of games. It’s just a mental reinforcement technique, but it somehow worked when he adapted it to sitting on the casino stool with his right leg. Jackpot! Judging from his sidelong glance at Momota when he lost everything he had, maybe Hoshi is the real Super High School Level Gambler?!

Final Comment: Calm, always showing his back, with cold look in his eyes and feeling of resignation. No matter much he insist that’s what being cool is, everyone will still unite their voice to make him regain his hot-blooded hope!

[cavedraconem]

Hey I have a question about RGU. During the third arc with Akio, what do you think he shows all the deulists during the car ride that compels them to duel Utena? I don't know I'm really confused about the symbolism. I love your blog btw! :)

Hello! That is a very god question, and now that I realise it I haven’t actually thought that hard about it before. I think that it’s meant to be unclear for one thing, and for another far too many people are ready to just say ‘it’s a sex car Akio shows them sex’ and that’s really not my style, nor do I think it can fully explain everything that’s going on. So I went and watched the first scene of this type again, with Saionji and Touga, and turned out something kind of interesting.

So we start off with Saionji angry and mistrustful while Touga does the whole ‘seduction’ act. He suggests that Saionji is interested in the castle in the sky because he hopes to find something eternal there. And then he pulls out the big guns:

[...]

So, Akio seems to pretty heavily imply that he’s about to show Saionji the same thing that he showed the mysterious girl in the church - something eternal, something that wil give him the will to live on and continue to strive for the castle in the sky. Of course this is perfectly in keeping with his intent to manipulate Saionji - tying his revelation directly into that formative moment of Saionji’s childhood is a very effective part of Akio’s general MO - so it may be that he’s not showing every duelist the same thing. Maybe if Saionji sees something eternal, Miki sees a shining thing, Juri the power of miracles and so on. 

But what is he showing them exactly? We have two competing versions of what Akio showed Utena that night: in one, she saw eternal love and a prince; in the other, eternal suffering and a witch. Which version is Akio referring to, if it is exactly that after all? It’s difficult to say. Perhaps he shows them Dios on his pedestal, perhaps Anthy on her altar - perhaps both. I can actually think of arguments either way. Showing them Dios, showing them the power of the prince which they could set free, would be a convincing argument for someone who was losing faith that the duels were leading towards anything at all, would suggest that there is power and eternity lying at the end of them. On the other hand, to some of these people Anthy is overtly functioning as the projection of their desires (Saionji’s eternity, Miki’s shining thing), so maybe they see her. Maybe each duelist sees a version of eternity that is perfectly tailored to what they most deeply desire, as well as a promise that this is what they can win by winning the duels. (Theory: Nanami just sees herself in a mirror looking great.) So I guess what I’m saying is that there are no real answers and you can decide for yourself, which is pretty much the mantra of this show anyway.

[somethinglessfighter]

And I thought we would probably not get another chapter after 121 (Hitomi and her smug earless friends ). Admittedly 131 would be a slightly better stopping point (we finally get some pretty heavy hints about Seimei’s motivations). It’s still pretty bad though.

We were just finally reaching the point in the story when things would be revealed and the status quo would change big time. But it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen now. I could write out all my theories but what’s the point? I feel so sad.

I think Seimei is a clone of Masaki who was beloved of Misaki hence Beloved, hence Misaki’s creepy incestuous overtones. And that Ritsuka is the clone/reincarnation  of whoever Masaki’s spell battle partner was...hence the whole Thing with Ritsuka..and I came around to the theory that Nisei is probably the clone of Misaki..(and she insisted it be a male clone so she wouldn’t have any romantic rival for her former lover/clone son...jokes on you Misaki its a BL manga..)

And there’s a good possibility that Soubi and Akio’s situation relating to Ritsu mirrors that of Misaki/Masaki/Seimei. In other words Soubi is a ‘replacement’ for Akio/Chouko to Ritsu just as Seimei is a replacement for Masaki to Misaki. etc.

(and that there’s probably a similar situation again with Nagisa and Sanae and Nana. Just the same situation endlessly mirrored.)

And that’s not even getting into what the deal is with Kio’s family! (remember Shikoku is too old and Kio too young for her to be Kio’s biological ‘concieved the conventional way’ daughter...there’s probably some cloning/biolengineering thing going on there too.)

We were going to get some very interesting stuff either way...but doesn’t look like we will get anything now. And to think I used to fear a rushed non loose end tying up ending now we will be lucky to get even that..)

And to think I even used to fantasise about a new anime to adapt the rest of the story! (maybe someone could use Yun’s notes to animate the rest of the story and we could get at least an ending in one medium..)Not very likely though.

(Though perhaps the reason for Akuma no Riddle’s ultimate failure was the fact that they used Yun’s notes to basically give away most of the story so that when the corresponding manga chapters came out even up to like two years later or something like that there were no surprises except for minor details..that really did spoil the story in both senses of the word. It got an anime adaptation far too soon and it basically ruined the manga. No wonder Yun got bored of it.)

Still we know from the ANR example that Yun does write out notes in advance, I would just really hope that if Loveless isn’t to be finished in manga form that she would at least make those public so we know how it ends. But again, unlikely. From what I can see it just doesn’t work that way in Japan. If the manga stops it just stops and that’s it.

Maybe I’m too pessimistic. But it doesn’t look good.