#yumi touma

[ashitomarisu]

(Took me long enough to post something for the new year).

Almost done watching Ah! My Goddess, but not without drawing crossovers. Obviously, Skuld!Keroberos is just everything I need right now in a crossover. Urd!Gomechan, on the other hand, was an afterthought.*

*Urd's seiyuu, Yumi Touma, originally voiced Gomechan in the 1991 anime adaptation of Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken.

Believe me, if I went any further with Gomechan, I'd end up with an army of school idol Gomechan variations (I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO DRAW 30+ SCHOOL IDOLS FFS).

[childrenofthesun77]

Tsurugi is talking with touma over the phone here and we only hear tsurugi's side of the conversation. I know yoshimasa was the closest thing touma had to a good father figure so I can see him trying to be nice to his kids, but the image of touma picking up shuhei and his little sister from school is still funny.

[kon-konk]

I wonder if Tsurugi, Jun, and Yumi would have ever spared a subclass. Like just straight up let them go.

Like maybe it's someone from another combat unit that went missing during a hunt (or other C3 member that just up and vanished) and was presumed dead, but they've actually ended up as a subclass.

[childrenofthesun77]

We didn't get to spend much time with iori in the main story, but I love the three old idiots in the extra comics and the tanakabox events.

They are so dysfunctional as a "friend" group.

Iori wants touma and tooru to see him as their friend, but touma hates everyone and with tooru I feel there is some tension because he's technically his boss. This distance between them all seems to sadden iori.

Tooru always wanted to help touma, even after everything touma did (touma got his sister pregnant, broke his nephew's arm and tried to kill mahiru, I would really love to get a better explanation why tooru is still so protective of him. He got mad at iori for suggesting to pin all the blame on touma when they thought he had died and seemed worried about touma when he called him at the hospital. Is it because he doesn't want to think too badly of his nephew's father?), but touma rather openly hates him and thinks tooru is looking down on him.

Touma only claims to be iori's friend if he thinks it'll be to his advantage, like when he introduced himself to mikuni, and he openly hates tooru, yet despite claiming to kill people he dislikes tooru is still alive. Also they all three go out to eat ramen sometimes?

Unlike the new three idiots that are actually friends the old three idiots are three people that are to each other probably the closest thing to friends they all have, but they don't really get along. It would be cool to see them united once more now that touma seems to have stopped being the grinch.

So ummm...

Does Iori really dead or y'know... he would go back to the battle field or sumthin? Coz Touma is back and Tooru is also back, I need Iori to complete the "C3's three idiots first edition" on the battle field.

But Iori is really dea-- I know but what IF right???! No one is ever really dead on Servamp... this is just my trust issue speaking

[heich0e]

the heart is but a winding road p.2 - shouto todoroki/f!reader (1.8k) fluff, pro-hero shouto todoroki is not good with kids (lying), natsuo is the most big brother that ever big brothered, someone pls give the poor assistant a raise, i truly believe that shouto hyperfixates on random things for a few weeks at a time and you cannot change my mind, also i promise the 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 is coming.. i just need to set the mood first.

p.1 - YOU ARE HERE - p.3 - p.4 (upcoming)

“What was I like when I was five?” 

“Uh, dunno? Guess you were kinda—hey!” Natsuo doesn’t even manage to finish his thought before something (apparently very pressing) on his end of their phone call distracts him. “Aoi! You little—get down from there! Motherf—“

Shouto listens to the chaos unfold with a completely unchanging expression.

“Tou! Talk to your uncle for a second. Your brother's gonna break his neck!”

There’s a scuffle, and before Shouto can so much as protest there’s a little voice greeting him on the other end of the line.

“Hi Oji-chan!” Touma, Natsuo’s 7-year-old, says cheerfully after having evidently been handed the phone.

He hears a little giggle and the sound of his brother squawking incoherently somewhere in the distant background on their side of the call. This is immediately followed by a series of very loud crashes and a panicked string of words which, even in his limited knowledge of childrearing, Shouto's fairly certain kids are not supposed to hear.

“Hello,” he greets his nephew curtly. “If your father’s busy, I can—”

There’s a bit more shuffling, some disgruntled grumbling and laboured panting, and then Natsuo is taking the phone again.

“Sorry, sorry,��� the older man says breathlessly, and Shouto stares up at the ceiling over his sofa blankly. “Oh, okay, what were you asking about?”

“Me. When I was five.”

“Oh, yeah!” Shouto’s brother laughs. “Dunno. You were round, I guess? And pretty squishy.”

Shouto rolls his eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

Natsuo laughs, loud and carefree like he always does. “Well, what did you mean, then?”

“What kind of stuff did I like?”

There’s a thread hanging from Shouto’s sleeve, and he fiddles with it while he speaks with his brother. It’s distracting, but he can’t quite grip the troublesome string to pluck it loose since he’s using his other hand to hold the phone to his ear.

Natuso hems and haws as he mulls Shouto's question over for a bit. “Soba and chewing on things, mostly.”

“I liked chewing on things when I was five?” Shouto’s reply is flat and unamused. He shifts to hold his cellphone between his shoulder and his ear as he lays back against the cushions of his sofa, snapping the string off easily once he has the use of both his hands.

“Yeah, you were always bite-y,” Natsuo replies simply.

The youngest Todoroki sighs. He rolls the thin bit of thread between his fingers for a moment, watching how the ends split and fray, then flicks it away disinterestedly.

“What’s all this about, anyway?”

There’s a significant amount of racket on Natsuo’s end of the call, but Shouto suspects that’s a fairly normal thing for his older brother’s home. What with two kids and more pets that Shouto can keep track of, there’s always pandemonium happening whenever he stops by to visit. He can’t help but think it’s a miracle that Natsuo managed to find anyone who would willingly subject themselves to that, let alone a partner as normal as the one he married.

“Nothing really,” Shouto mumbles. “Just curious.”

“Well, Yumi would remember that stuff better than I do anyway,” Natsuo chirps. “You could always ask her!” 

“Yeah, thanks,” Shouto nods even though he knows his brother can’t see the gesture. 

They end the call with vague plans to meet up for dinner the following week, though these plans often end up getting rescheduled or completely forgotten about in the stir of their busy adult lives. Once the line disconnects, Shouto is once more left staring up at the boring beige ceiling of his living room.

His apartment is always just a bit too cold. It’s been that way since the day he moved in. His hope in choosing such an upscale domicile had been that he wouldn’t run into issues like this one; it was newly constructed after all, and cost enough that things as simple as climate control shouldn’t be a problem. But no matter how much he fiddles with the thermostat, no matter the time of year, there’s always a chill that seems to linger in his quiet home.

He blinks up at the ceiling and listens to the pitter patter of rain outside.

It’s been raining for days now, with only the occasional break in the downpour that never lasts more than a few hours. His last four patrols have ended with him towelling off in the changing room at his agency, using his quirk to warm the terrycloth before he ruffles it through his drenched hair. His costume is fairly well-insulated, and repels the rain, but he still always feels so soggy by the time he gets home.

Suddenly, he thinks about a little yellow raincoat, and the thump of rubber boots.

Truthfully, Shouto’s not sure why he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about that strange encounter from a few days prior. The little boy in the yellow raincoat and the ill-fated, crumpled receipt.

Maybe it’s because he can’t remember the last time a kid was less excited to meet him. 

Maybe it’s something else.

Shouto’s expensive sofa creaks as he pitches himself upwards, reaching out towards the tablet he’d left resting on the edge of his coffee table. He unlocks the device, and realizes he’d left it open to a news article about the Recycling Hero he'd been reading earlier in the day.

He’s been reading a lot about Reductro lately—just about any resource he can find. News articles online, press releases, pamphlets that environmental activists are handing out on street corners. Hell, half the hits on the the guy's Heropedia page from the past week were probably thanks to Shouto.

Just earlier that very day he’d even placed an order online for a copy of the Recycling Hero's newest book.

Reductro, Shouto recently learned, has dedicated his life’s work to inspiring meaningful environmental changes around Japan; he uses his quirk that is capable of breaking down plastics and other complex carbon compounds (as well as his doctorate in Ecology and Environmental Science) to make significant improvements to the climate and the country. The man has a way of speaking that’s neither overly sanitized nor pedantic and inaccessible; kids love him for his exciting way of talking about the environment and why they should care about it, but he's equally capable of putting on a suit and addressing a crowd of adults. Above all else, he seems to be truly passionate about the work that he’s doing–a conclusion Shouto has inarguably come to through his extensive research, and by watching just about every video he's managed to track down online.

He hates to admit it, but the guy is kind of… really cool.

He gets why Naoyuki was so obsessed with him.

Shouto taps around the surface of the tablet for a moment, pulling up an article about a documentary that Reductro is in the process of producing about microplastics. He scans through the article—making a mental note to look up when it will be coming out and see if his secretary can get him an early cut of it—when an image at the bottom of the article makes him pause. It’s a recent photograph that, according to the caption underneath, was taken only a few weeks prior when Reductro was giving a presentation at a local elementary school.

A little voice rings in the back of Shouto's mind, from a rainy day not unlike this one.

“He came to my school last week and he helps to get plastic outta the ocean!”

Naoyuki may have been a bit of a menace, but he was well-intended. And ultimately Shouto has him to thank for opening his eyes to the prestige of the Recycling Hero.

He stares at the image lighting up the screen in his hands for a moment, his eyes scanning over the name of the elementary school a few times as an idea begins to take shape.

He reaches instinctively for his cellphone.

“Good evening, Shouto-sama,” Shoto’s assistant and secretary, Takahashi, answers on the second ring—just like he always does. “Are you well?”

“Hi,” Shouto greets the man in a relatively abrupt manner, brushing off pleasantries for the sake of saving time. “How hard is it to find a kid?” 

There’s a few beats of silence as Shouto’s question lingers over the line.

“Such as a missing person’s case?” Takahashi-san finally responds, though the usually proper and eloquent man sounds uncharacteristically baffled. 

“No,” Shouto shakes his head. He thinks about his next words carefully. “If i know where a kid goes to school and his first name, could you track him down?”

“Track… him down?”

For all the hard-fought takedowns Shouto has made in his career as a hero, he sure is losing this battle.

“He’s not a criminal or anything,” Shouto explains, and Takahashi hums understandingly, but it sounds sort of like when an adult is placating a child. “I met him in the street the other day."

"I see."

Shouto knows he still doesn't get it, and he wracks his brain for a way to make this whole situation make sense, even though it doesn't.

"He’s… a fan.”

Lying is bad. Shouto knows this. He happens to pride himself on knowing the difference between good and bad, as a matter of professionalism. But Naoyuki is a fan, for all intents and purposes.

Just not his.

“Oh,” Takahashi-san sounds more at ease now with this half-truthful revelation, “very well. I don’t suppose it would be all too difficult to find the child’s information. I'm sure the school would be willing to forward contact information for a legal guardian if your office were to reach out on official business.”

“His mother," Shouto replies immediately.

“Pardon?”

“He, uh..."—Shouto fiddles with the tablet in his left hand—"The little boy. He was with his mother when I met him. She’ll remember me.”

“I see. Please forward me the name of the institution and I’ll reach out to the school administration first thing in the morning.” Takahashi has always been exceedingly competent, since the first day Shouto hired him. He’s a bit stuffy, and Shouto’s pretty sure he’s never seen him smile, but the young hero strangely admires the man's no-nonsense sort of antiquated way of doing things. “I assume you’re looking to send some sort of gift. Perhaps a signed poster? Some merchandise?” 

“Yes,” Shouto says, nodding. Then he pauses. “But not mine.”

“Oh?” the man on the other end of the line—who Shouto now realizes is likely at home during his off-hours that he rudely interrupted—sounds puzzled again. 

“Takahashi-san…” Shouto stares down at the tablet in his hands, still open to the article he’d been reading before he picked up his phone to make this call. “Have you ever heard of the Recycling Hero?”

[acediathemelancholy]

I've realized that this blog is a disorganized mess. So this is an attempt at a masterpost. I've only gone through my servamp posts so far and put together the interesting ones by topic. Edit: added link to Witch Hat Atelier Masterpost

Witch Hat Atelier

Servamp

The Alicein Family Drama

On Love and Fear

Chapter 130 Cover Analysis: Mikuni as the King

Alicein Mikuni: Sower of Scandal

Mikuni (and Lily): Sowers of Scandal Part 2

Hokaze's Illusion of Control

Lily and Enlightened Despot Theory

Lily's Second Betrayal

Mikuni, Lily and the Alleged Lack of Resentment

Dunking on Mikado's Pathetic Everything

Kiriko's Music Box

Clergy Jeje

Mirror Mikuni and Hokaze

Mikuni Doesn't Respect Anyone's Will

The Shirota Family Drama

Touma and Projection

Tooru as the Stagnant Shounen Protagonist

Imposters and Second Generations

Mikuni and Touma

Where does the Alicein Family Drama Meet the Shirota Family Drama

Tsubaki Accidentally Kickstarting the Shirota Family Drama

Touma and Sakuya

Saint Germain

On Saint Germain

On the Myth of Saint Germain

Theosophy Myths and Saint Germain

Saint Germain and the Jesus References

It Was More Than Eight Times

Who Will be Killed by Vainglory

Vainglory and the Traitor Servamps

The Ritual and the Lunar Eclipse

Sloth Pair

Mahiru: The Rook

Mahiru and Kuro: Saint Alban and Amphibalus

Kuro's Self-Acceptance and the Culmination of his Arc

When the Protagonist Isn't Always the Center of the Universe

Mahiru Reaching Out His Hand Like Tooru

Mahiru and C3

The one I strongly believed in, and the one who strongly believes in me

Team Melancholy

On Tsubaki's Creation

Early C3 and Tsubaki

Tsubaki's View of the Aliceins' Plot

Tsubaki (and Kuro) and Acedia

Tsubaki as The Method

Tsubaki and Mikuni's Fragile Alliance

Tsubaki Didn't Foresee Hugh's Plot

Sakuya Is So Lucky

Mikuni and Sakuya: Who is the liar?

Mikuni Never Understood Sakuya

Misono does understand Sakuya

Sakumahi Angst

Team Melancholy Gets an F in Espionage

Otogiri and Margaret of Cortona

Pride Pair

Hugh and Mikuni

Hugh and Mikuni the Prequel

Tetsu as Prometheus

Hugh Becoming What He Sought to Destroy Part 1

Hugh Becoming What He Sought to Destroy Part 2

Let's Talk Names: Hugh The Dark Algernon III

The Servamp Traitor Plotline

C3/Misc.

Mage Society Part 1: C3's Purpose

Mage Society Part 2: Class

Mage Society Part 3: The Origin

Tsurugi and Higan

Yumi's Character Development

Thoughts on Why C3's Ritual Failed

Iori

Subclass Logistics

Wrath Pair

Lily's View of Freya

Freya and the Witch Trials

Greed Pair

Licht's Choice

Lawless and Reaching Out His Hand

Gluttony Pair

Ildio's One-sided Rivalry

Nicco's No Good Very Bad Day

Nicco and Questions Raised by His Shareable Lead

[ghostingkai]

Just some random Touma & Mikuni thoughts that my brain has been chewing on

I hadn't mulled over it much until now, but --

In the mirror world, Jun and Yumi refer to Touma as "director" instead of "assistant director," which implies that not only is he still their boss, he might even be the head of the company this time around.

Meanwhile, Mikuni is getting ready to join and take over the family business, which likely means he's stepping into the role Mikado used to fill in the previous world, including doing a lot of business within C3.

Assuming C3 functions in the mirror world the same way it functioned in the previous world, this would probably mean that Mikuni and Touma actually have to interact with each other frequently -- and honestly, that's hilarious.

I mean, these two absolutely hated each other. Mikuni obviously had reasons not to like Touma, since he was basically trying to do the same thing that Mikuni is currently doing -- use Tsurugi to create the ninth Servamp. And Touma once tried to shoot Mahiru for even mentioning Mikuni's name that one time in the basement of C3, so it's not much of a stretch to say the feelings were mutual.

Yet in the mirror world, Touma (presumably) doesn't realize that things are different -- but Mikuni absolutely knows, considering he's the one causing the world to change over and over again while trying to bring Misono back into existence. And now I can't stop thinking about the idea of Touma and Mikuni having a normal business relationship (WITH TSURUGI ON MIKUNI'S SHOULDER THE WHOLE TIME TOO, AND TOUMA DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHO TSURUGI IS IN THIS VERSION OF THE WORLD. MIKUNI YOU'RE SO MESSED UP.)

Obviously, I can only speculate about a lot of this stuff, since it isn't confirmed yet -- we have no clue how many details Mikuni changed while altering the timeline. Maybe he and Touma don't even know each other in this world. Who knows.

All I know for sure is -- I so desperately want to see Mikuni interacting normally with Touma and Mahiru, all the while knowing this isn't how things used to be. Like a private little gloating party in his twisted head. I love how completely messed up it all sounds.

[yarrayora]

for a while i have been worried about how st germaine as the Final Boss will be treated

because the obvious answer is, of course, that he isn't someone to be forgiven, and i agree but if that's all there is to him then it will render touma's entire redemption arc hypocritical

because touma purposefully sabotaged a C3 ritual to kill a lot of mages to be able to create his own servamp

touma abused tsurugi both emotionally and physically

touma wanted to watch the world burn

st germaine did all that and you can argue that he did worse things based on the scale alone but that's like saying there is a hard limit on how many people you can massacre before you deserve redemption, isn't it?

but if st germaine was someone to be forgiven? that will deny tsurugi's character arc. although touma is trying to redeem himself, not even once anyone he has harmed was asked to forgive him. not jun, not yumi, not tsurugi. tsurugi is finally able to get angry and protect himself

but then the chapter "ashes to ashes" drops and the answer becomes obvious

once again, it connects back to how mahiru resolved the conflict with touma

"you probably can't forgive the senselessness of it all" or as translated by @hello-vampire-kitty "you never did accept the unfairness"

hell! this whole thing about how forgiving your past self, forgiving how weak you were, to move on past your hate and grieve, has been a thing since Greed Arc

so just like virtually any other arcs in servamp, the evil will finally be defeated... by acknowledging that he's still hurting

[mahi-does-some-art]

For succubus mahiru au...

Jun: So you have to feed off of sex now?

Mahiru, clutching Kitty Kuro: *Sighs* Yeah, normal human food isn't enough to sustain my body anymore. I ended up getting sick because I didn't know I was transforming.

Yumi: Oh, no wonder you had looked so out of it a while ago.

Mahiru: It was bad...

Touma: Not that I care but the more you grow, the more you'll have to feed. Sucking each other's faces and dicks off won't be able to sustain you on their own soon.

Mahiru: You could at least said it nicely!💢

Touma: No.

Mahiru: Ugh, you're impossible...

Mahiru: I already feel like a leech.

Tsurugi: Haha, it's ok, Mahiru-kun! If you get hungry you can just pay me and I'll–

Touma: Tsurugi, I forbid you to fuck him.

Tsurugi: Wha- HUH?

Touma: I said no.

Tsurugi: But Tai-chan!! When have you ever cared who I have sex with?!

Mahiru: As much as I hate to agree with anything Touma says, I actually agree.

Chuuni3: HUH????

Mahiru: When I feed, I'm sucking the energy out of them and using it instead.

Mahiru: With all the work being done in C3 to help vampires right now, none of you have much time to recover from having your energy stolen like that.

Mahiru: You have too much work to do, Tsurugi, you can't afford it.

Kuro, still being held: Damn, talk about a rejection...

Jun: Rip...

Touma: He'll survive.

Tsurugi: Ouggggg Mahiru-kunnnnn, how could you say that to meee!! Robbing me of a well-deserved day off!

Yumi: You haven't done shit, Tsurugi, you've been slacking off all day!

Jun, nodding: Mhm. Come on, we have too much paperwork to do.

Tsurugi: But I hate paperwoooooork!!!

Touma: Finish that paperwork by tonight or I'm docking your pay.

Tsurugi: EVERYONE'S BEING SO MEAN TO ME TODAYYYYYY!!! MEAN!! ALL OF YOU!!!

-Mahiru and Kuro watch as Tsurugi gets dragged off, touma snuffing out his finished cigarette-

Mahiru:...You think I was too harsh?

Kuro: Nah. He deserved that.

[pinkestlittlebutterfly]

Servamp hospital AU with no plot only vibes but I remembered there's more characters to experience the joys of working in healthcare.

Yumi – Part of the security team under Tsurugi. Once he was destined for a job with more prestige and better pay; and it's no secret that several members of his family are rather disappointed with where he ended up. He, however, seems to love being part of the security team, and takes great joy in playing mouthpiece for the nurses who – unlike him – can’t tell abusive patients to go fuck themselves. 

Jun – Part of the security team under Tsurugi. As its calmest member, he’s deployed whenever a situation could maybe be saved with diplomacy. Lately, however, he’s been trying to keep himself a little safer for the sake of his young son, which the other two use as an excuse to saddle him with all their paperwork. 

Iori – Part of the upper echelon of administration, like many of his family before him. His tasks used to be mostly about logistics, but he has also been handed responsibility over the hospital’s finances upon starting to work in his current position, which multiple people were vying for at the time. He’s well-connected and popular, so no one would accuse him of nepotism to his face. 

Tooru – Part of the upper echelon of administration, and known as an incorrigible workaholic. A lot of his tasks are about managing the staff, and though he’s far removed from the reality of working the wards, he still tries his best to be helpful. He’s not sure what to think of his nephew’s job in the hospital – he’s proud, but there’s been too many burnt-out nurses in his office to not make him worry. 

Touma – Part of the upper echelon of administration, concerned with questions of safety, and firmly in control of the security team. While not everyone is happy with the way he handles his responsibilities, there’s rarely ever any complaints about him. It’s unclear whether this is because of the results he produces or the fact that everyone seems scared of him. 

Mikado – CEO not only of this hospital, which was founded by his family, but also the hospital network it has spawned since. He’s not seen often, neither by the medical staff nor the administration team, and sometimes it seems like he actively avoids the hospital. His confidants among upper management are aware he’s quite unhappy with his younger son’s job there, but have not yet figured out why he’s not doing anything about it. 

Mikage – used to be CEO before his son Mikado. Unlike him, he was not only an administrator but a trained doctor, too. He established the hospital’s paediatric unit, and though he has passed since, a beautifully framed picture of him still smiles upon the patients treated there. The resident paediatrician can be seen tending to it sometimes.

[servamp-musings]

Thoughts on Chapter 124

How Sigurd was being so pessimistic and everyone being sad about Nicco possibly dying, and then Miyako just casually strolling in scolding them 😂

I really love Miyako in this chapter, just the way they shove Sigurd aside and takes charge of healing xD It does make you wonder why they didn’t help Iori, but I do believe that the two of them have a plan of some sort and Miyako is acting accordingly. On another random note, I thought they came by car with Yumi so I got confused when I saw the helmet-

The part with Licht and Hyde was quite sweet (idiot Hyde and idiot angel)

Just the confirmation that Jeje probably shortened his attack to avoid hurting Misono gets me every time 🥲

Seeing Toto from the Mori family and the rest of Nicco’s family in the video call panel was amazing, and I love that him and Nicco remained friends after the Russian Roulette scene.

Poor Good B and Bad B though; they showed up in one chapter and the next time we see them, they’ve already been captured 😅

The flashback of Tooru, Iori and Touma 🥲

It’s so nice to see Ildio finally accept Nicco and that he actually remembered his words about sharing food and drink with others. It was a nice end to the first half of the chapter with them all celebrating together. The second half of the chapter though, the contrast.

Finding out about the barrier within the Alicein Household was interesting, but I don’t quite get why Mikuni wants to deactivate it? Other than it aligns with what he’s doing at the moment even though it’s still not revealed.

There were two things that came to mind when I first saw the spiral staircase; 1) Why do they have such a long staircase in the manor and 2) Why does it remind me so much of the stairs leading down to the underground room in that Kingdom Hearts 2 cutscene xD

I guess the thought of Mikuni and Iori working together is a bit out-the-window, but I still like the idea and perhaps it’s still a bit early to conclude that.

The physical keyboard slam I experienced seeing the mirror and the way Mikuni’s reflection looked. I’m aware it probably takes the form of whoever’s in front of it with the key, but the thought of there being a Mirror Mikuni and how going in through the mirrored doors is like going through the looking glass, like the book.

The bottled aura and the broken bottles around it…it looks like either there was multiple parts that got out, or it was the result of multiple attempts to keep whatever that was (part of the count?) in.

Wait, so you’re telling me that Mikuni didn’t actually kill his mother, and that he wasn’t actually there that night? :o The possibility was there, but I didn’t think it was that •_•

Did Misono think it was Mikuni and Jeje because the wisp resembles them slightly, or was it another memory that Lily had interfered with? If that’s the case, oh boy.

Jeje’s words at the end of the chapter about how he doesn’t believe that he’s of any use to Mikuni anymore and how he’s worried if Kiriko made it to Heaven ;-;

Please tell me the person going up the stairs isn’t who I think it is, if so my brain’s going to implode-

I’m guessing that probably means Mikuni took the responsibility of everything to hide the truth from everyone, and if that wisp/aura is part of the Count, uh…I’m going to say yikes at the implications and might make Mikuni’s motivations a bit clearer if that’s the case.

I swear if this ends with Jeje working with Misono and Lily with Mikuni-

As always, I’m looking forward to next chapter but also a bit scared of what’s going to happen.

[yarrayora]

#are we forgetting that Misono has already tried to use Mikuni's love for him against him in gluttony's arc? and it did NOT end well... #Rip tsurugi... it seems you have been forgotten...

i mean... other than the fact mikuni doesn't love tsurugi (especially not the way tsurugi loves touma, or the way the melancholies love tsubaki) (frankly speaking it feels like shuuhe has more chance to save mikuni with the power of love compared to tsurugi) we also know that love alone is never enough

because, again, with the two examples ive mentioned above, tsurugi loves touma! and the melancholies love tsubaki! but that love wasn't enough to stop them from going through the path of self-destruction. there's always a third party interference first, the same way yumi and jun couldnt stop tsurugi from destroying himself because they love tsurugi too much because they're too close to him that they fear of pushing him away, which is also why tsurugi never tried to stop touma

and it takes sakuya separating from the melancholies to realize that tsubaki is destroying himself, and for shamrock no longer being blindly frenzied by his loyalty by reconnecting with people from his past

servamp is also known for building up the momentum, Lawless finally accepted his grief for Ophelia waaaaay back then in Greed Arc, but then as recent as Gluttony Arc we found out that he is still dealing with that grief and guilt

so it feels kind of too hasty to decide "mikuni can't be saved with the power of love because tsurugi couldn't do it" especially when this feels less like "love" and more like "violence"

I knoooooooow that being defeated by the people you love / your love for someone is a recurring theme in servamp.

I just feel like we're forgetting that the last time that was tried on a certain somebody, a certain someone had their head detached from their body.

I just feel like we moved past that too quickly.

[childrenofthesun77]

With tooru awake and touma seemingly fighting on the side of the protagonists now I want iori to reveal that he didn't die but was turned into a subclass. Give me united three old idiots. Plus a vampire as the head of the tokyo branch would be fun.

(Something about the scene of sigurd going to the morgue to do something we didn't get to see seems fishy to me. What did he see when he lifted the cloth that covered iori's eyes?)

[kon-konk]

Knowing Mahiru he would be oblivious to anything think related going on with him Tsurugi and Kuro(boy is a lil oblivious at times), While Jun Yumi and even Touma watch in horror lol

If he doesn't notice, there would be so many hushed* conversations about whether he should be told or not

*they are not hushed, Jun and Yumi have no volume control when "whispering" and we know it

[valkyrieprofilee]

Listening Guide - Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange

“The concept behind Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange is uncommon yet simple: mixing in-game voice acting with arranged music. It has given birth to a most controversial game music soundtrack that was "epoch-making at the time", according to its composer, Motoi Sakuraba.” 

TRACK LIST -  (00:59:14)

01.  REQUIEM TO A PREDICAMENT ~ NEGATIVE ROOTS  | 05:08 02.  ANCIENT FANTASIES ~ A HOLLOW HEART  | 03:54 03.  THE CRUMBLING ID  | 01:48 04.  TO THE UNHALLOWED GROUND  | 03:58 05.  OUT OF CHAOS  | 04:36 06.  BOOZE ON A MOONLIGHT NIGHT  | 04:41 07.  THE FIRST UNISON  | 04:30 08.  CONFIDENCE IN THE DOMINATION  | 04:13 09.  HEADS MAGIC, TAILS CURSE  | 04:03 10.  CIRCULATE ON A WINDUP DOLL  | 01:33 11.  THE NONSENSE OF REALITY  | 04:26 12.  EVIL TALES AND OBLIGATIONS  | 04:48 13.  THROUGH A THIN HAZE  | 03:46 14.  BLOODY PANIC  | 4:45 15.  THE ROAD TO GLORY AND PROSPERITY | 3:05

Listen Here 

Note: Although this guide aims to help listeners better enjoy and understand Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange, it is recommended you have prior knowledge of Valkyrie Profile’s story/ knowledge of the Japanese language to enjoy this album to the fullest extent.

READ MORE FOR GAME-OST.COM’S REVIEW 

01) REQUIEM TO A PREDICAMENT ~ NEGATIVE ROOTS 

      The very start of the album sounds almost Baroque-oriented, with the familiar tune of "Requiem to a Predicament" played on an harpsichord. Quickly, the first voice of the album can be heard. Lenneth Valkyrie calls her companions to battle: "Shi no, saki wo yuku mono-tachi yo! / To my side, my noble Einherjar!". At first, the voice sounds distants and feeble, then, as voices from other characters start to gather around her voice, it becomes more firm and the background instrumentation grows in strength. At one point, all the energies have reached their apogee and the transition to the second part of the track is made as Lenneth commands "Ide yo! / Come forth!", unleashing the introduction to "Negative Roots".

     That rush gives more room to instrumental action at first, with a solid, rockin' arrangement featuring, where a dreamy synth pad replaces the original flute, and gives the melody much more appeal. Lenneth's voice is heard from time to time, still urging the warriors to fight by her side in the middle of action. At 2:48, the "Requiem..." theme comes back to mark a pause in the middle of the fight. This time, the harpsichord is accompanied by a violin and low drums. These elements, as well as the male voices talking about death, add more gravity to the scene while Lenneth continues to summon more warriors. The drums get louder and louder, and another "Ide yo!" switches back to the dungeon theme, this time shorter, and with even more battlecries. Eventually, "Requiem..." is played for the last time but Lenneth's voice disappears, leaving two isolated voices: a man in great pain and a surprised girl.

     I think this track constitutes a good, striking introduction that starts the story where it should. However, it isn't the best representative of the voice/music pairings that can be found on this album.

02) ANCIENT FANTASIES ~ A HOLLOW HEART

      The pace of this arrangement has been slowed down compared to the original "Ancient Fantasies", and the leading instrument has been replaced by synth strings, so that it protrudes better. On the whole, it still sounds very similar. That same little girl's voice (most probably Nanami) is asking for Valkyrie to wait for her. The volume and reverb of her voice changes to simulate it becoming more and more distant. Freya's voice is leading, sounding as self-confident and direct as Lenneth was in the previous track. Their alternating voices coupled with fast synth percussions makes me think about the runs my party did into the game's vast dungeons.       

     The second part of the track starts as the first reaches its maximum level of tension. The brisk beat of "Ancient Fantasies" is maintained while the quiet mood of "A Hollow Heart" gradually sets in with Freya's reassuring voice. As the beat becomes more regular, words are repeated again and again in the background, as if Freya was trying to hypnotize us. This arranged version has a nice soothing effect that is used quite well as a break between two dungeon sessions.

      The track ends with the second reprise of "Ancient Fantasies", using the very same quotes as the first one. At one point, a few words ("Waga na - Jougen no Shinri / My name - The Extend of Truth") are looped in the background while Freya continues talking. It is the beginning of the end: obsessional chaos seems to set in as layered voices endlessly repeat the same words...

03) THE CRUMBLING ID

     The confusion induced at the end of the previous track couldn't have been better to introduce the ominous tone of "The Crumbling Id". A gigantic, very low noise lurks in the background, as dark sweeping pads and hard drums produce a feeling of despair. The prevailing mood here is anguish; I feel like I'm looking down at a bottomless pit, at something impossible to fathom for me as a human being.

     The voices used in this track reflect that state of mind. Sakuraba illustrates "The Crumbling Id" with cries and supplications of a young man ("Ore no negai kanaete kure! / Please grant my wish!") while a girl is bursting into tears in the background. Her sobbing is emphasized by a strong reverb effect, which gives the impression that her voice is overwhelming the soundscape from all directions. The resulting atmosphere is gloomy, intimidating, and almost physically disturbing, as we don't expect the album to take this sinister turn at all after the first two action-based tracks. This is precisely where it really starts to be interesting: it's getting closer to the drama genre, but still has a strong musical dimension behind. 

     Note that this track is rather short and ends abruptly with a few piano notes. Was it all an illusion?

04) TO THE UNHALLOWED GROUND

     By hearing the very first seconds, we know we're back into electronic action. After a few listens, I'm still wondering what the aim of this track might be. We're provided with a hardly recognizable electronic arrangement of the memorable introduction theme of the game. This version has a minimalist harmony, and focuses primarily on the use electronic samples and the building of a danceable rhythm. The impression of being in a nightclub is all the stronger as most of the voices are combat taunts of female characters. Nothing astounding here.

05) OUT OF CHAOS

     "Out of Chaos" starts quietly, on a low and suspenseful tone. As Arngrim's self-confident voice introduces us to the heart of the track, warlike synth drums enter the stage to play a primitive rhythm. The voice gets distorted, and the track takes off after a final and provocative sentence ("Huh... taoreru made kirikizamu dake yo / Huh... Just a matter of carving you up till you die").

     This arrangement relies mostly on sweeping synths and bass used to create a hectic and surreal atmosphere. Arngrim's reassuring male voice fits rather well in that context. After two loops, the track ends abruptly on his "special attack" taunt: "Teme no kao wo miaki ta ze / I've seen enough of your face". 

Simple yet quite good.

06) BOOZE ON A MOONLIGHT NIGHT

     "Booze on a Moonlight Night" is the first track of the album that has been exclusively composed for it. It's also the first track of the album to have such a nonchalant atmosphere: the four same chords are repeated from the beginning to the end, backed by slow drum loops quite similar to what can be heard in rap music. In the meantime, you can hear all the male badasses of the game enjoying themselves. 

     Their inebriation is simulated throughout the track by several elements: the pitch of their voice frequently deepening all of a sudden, the oneiric feel given by the sound of the main synth, the reassuring — almost effeminate — appearance of saxophone solos, the drums sounding heavier and heavier as time passes by. Sakuraba succeeds in building a thorough and realistic picture of your generic tavern, late at night, clouded with smoke and full of tired warriors looking for comfort into alcohol and women.

07) THE FIRST UNISON

    There's something hypnotizing about the buildup that introduces this track. The main percussion loop seems like giant machinery put in motion. The way the motif created by all the instruments alternates between ascending and descending motif creates a sound disturbingly close to something that emulates a giant breathing. This organic aspect is reinforced by a few "fat" synth notes added at key-moments in the main loop. Behind this monstrous sound, a man — most probably Gandar — can be heard. His voice is as confident as the machinery's motion is unstoppable. He's the main character, and his laugh is the trigger to the body of this track.

     The main melody is quite special: if you imagine it without the percussion, and with a slower tempo, it sounds like a very sad melody. However, forcing its rhythm to a dungeon-compliant pace makes it sound tragic and determined at the same time. According to the quotes that have been chosen, I think that's exactly how the character is like. The dramatic bridge of this track introduces a few battlecries, as well as a quote that will be heard until the end of the track: "Ore wa ore no tame ni ikiru / I live for my own sake". The mechanical drums of the beginning appear again, with this sentence looping in the background. As the end approaches, techno drums, a synth flute, and the man's voice participate in the final buildup.

     I must say that "The First Unison" is the first track that left a totally positive impression on me, because it sounds more elaborated and deeper in meaning than the previous others.

08) CONFIDENCE IN THE DOMINATION

    Those who already know the Original Soundtrack will quickly notice that the pace of this famous piece of music has been dramatically slowed down, and doesn't sound like a battle track anymore. It's as if it has been stretched to offer enough room to paste sentences inside. A few voice effects have also been added to the backing percussion, including male gruntings; at least that's fun to listen to! 

     I'm not very convinced about this one, mostly because I can barely stand its nonsensical new pace. Seriously, it's such a sluggish battle theme... *nays*

09) HEADS MAGIC, TAILS CURSE

    "Heads Magic, Tails Curse" starts with a nice piano solo introducing the soothing voice of Lenneth, with chirpings in the background. I'm not sure about what the latter are supposed to represent (Birds? Shooting stars? The world of dead spirits?) but they surely add something to the serene, almost oneiric atmosphere of this introduction. It doesn't last long, however. As Valkyrie invites us — almost intimately — to follow her ("Isshioni ikimasho / Let's go together"), the dream ends... and the second part literally bursts in.

          Now is that a nightmare or harsh reality? The contrast with the introduction is extremely violent, and we're surrounded all of a sudden by dissonant brass, berserk strings, and aggressive percussion. One thing is certain; what we're facing now outclasses human scale. Lenneth's last words resonate again, yet they are deformed. She sounds heartless, almost commanding. The metaphor is now much clearer; this track illustrates what happens to every character of the game, whose soul is taken at the moment of their death to become an Einherjar, a warrior spirit. From that moment on, their existence is dedicated to fighting demons along with Lenneth, hence that frightening and endless second part.

      The conclusion to this track is some kind of flashback to the initial piano and chirping mood, focusing on one of the sentences Lenneth said at the beginning: "Tasuke... tasukeru towa ittai. Dono yo na koto o sase / To save... to save somebody eternally. What kind of thing do you make me do?". 

Brilliant.

10) CIRCULATE ON A WINDUP DOLL

     This track is a short interlude on the CD, summing up the fight with the dreadful Genevieve. The villain's taunts and laughs can be heard all over the arranged version of her own battle theme, featuring a cool organ improvisation in its second part. As expected, the track ends with a "oh no, I'm defeated!" verbose line, as well as a great organ/violin finale. I don't think it would have been better if it were longer.

11) THE NONSENSE OF REALITY

     It all begins with one of these "ultimate showdown" moods: a monster's distorted voice responding to a man's determined voice, the whole being backed my a massive church organ toccata and electric guitar riffs. It all becomes weird when you realize that both voices are saying the same words.

     The toccata ends at the 1:11 mark to make place for the body of the track; the fight between the man and his deformed self, incarnated by an rousing arrangement in the tradition of Sakuraba's epic prog-rock style. Battlecries and imprecations are well-integrated this time, both in terms of timing and volume. "The Nonsense of Reality" is the most energetic and epic track of the album. But while its form is very accessible, its contents don't reach great depths.

12) EVIL TALES AND OBLIGATIONS

    The first thing one should notice is how the oriental flavour of the original version has been enhanced — and its boorishness put aside — to make the track actually enjoyable. The basic percussion use is still the same, but the samples have greatly improved, and the bass line can now be almost labelled as sexy. Last but not least, the Arabian flute that appears here and there adds a twisted touch to this restless atmosphere. The main character's voice is accompanied by an harpsichord, illustrating its refined cruelty. You've guessed it, the guest star of "Evil Tales and Obligations" is no less than everyone's favourite necromancer Lezard Valeth! 

     In this track, his evil laughs and his disgustingly confident voice are resonating through the hallways of his tower, reaching our ears as we struggle to reach the summit. A true tribute to evil!

13) THROUGH A THIN HAZE

     Staying faithful to the game's spirit, the album continues on a tragic note, representing the death of a hero, illustrated by a grand orchestration of "Through a Thin Haze". More than that, if you succeed in getting into the track, the added voices will find their way to your heart, as they are cleverly used along with the intensity of the music.

     A woman's soft voice enters the scene, talking to someone: "Ne, isshou ni iko yo / Come on, let's go together". At one point, her voice becomes tainted with sadness ("Koko ni kure wa anata no ibashio kanjirarerumono / This sunset is something that makes me feel where you are"), and we suddenly understand that the person she's talking to is no more. She continues to supplicate ("Shini takunai! / Don't die!") until she bursts out crying as the orchestra reaches its climax. A beautiful violin and piano interlude follows to back her silent mourning. After that, a strident noise can be heard as pain and fear rush back to her, triggering another burst of tears. Finally, church bells come in after a last orchestral climax, to add a solemn touch to this moving scene.

     I'd place this track at the same level as "Epic Tale of a Holy Death" from the arranged album. However, I'm conscious of its hit-or-miss nature; these sobbings and cryings can be considered as annoying and ridiculous as I find them adequate. All is a question of believing in what is happening.

14) BLOODY PANIC

     "Bloody Panic" is the second exclusive composition of this album. This one sounds like an ancestor of boorish Gothic metal songs, with its apocalyptic synths and its deep intimidating groans ("Osore, uyamae... waga na ha Bloodbane! / Fear me, worship me... I am Bloodbane!"). At one point, a piano pops in to play a few minor notes that sound like they've been directly taken from these awful 4-seconds-long loops used in cheap rap music. 

     A few measures later, the track switches back to distorted guitars and Bloodbane's growlings to finish on his long-awaited death. Nothing really interesting here; even if you happen to like that kind of music, I'm sure there are better incarnations than this one out there.

15) THE ROAD TO GLORY AND PROSPERITY

     What would be better than the victory tune played at the end of each chapter to conclude this album? This orchestral arrangement is very enjoyable, though rather close to the original version. While the fanfare plays, a small girl's voice can be heard, encouraging us to go on with the adventure ("Watashi wa makenai / I'll never give up", "Watashi o mamori kudasai / Please protect me").  The track concludes after the last cymbal hit, with Lenneth's words "Shiawase ni narimasu yo / I wish you happiness". 

     In my opinion, the track is well-placed but the arranging and voicing effort hasn't been taken very far. It constitutes a decent ending nonetheless.

SUMMARY

     I must say that when starting this review, I had a strong prejudice against the album, having read a couple of negative reviews. However, I hadn't gone through a real listen until I decided to review it. Believe it or not, I ended up extremely satisfied by this musical experience.

     What exactly is Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange, then? First of all, its musical material consists of arranged tracks, plus two new ones that don't belong to the Original Soundtrack. But music shouldn't be the main subject of interest here. What makes this album special are the added voices from all the characters of the game. Valkyrie Profile being extremely rich and deep terms of voice acting, what you'll hear won't be only digitalized battlecries; the chosen quotes cover a broad emotional spectrum.

     I think that people who listen to that album as any other work that can be played as background entertainment are quickly fed up with it because these voices don't stop begging for their attention. Indeed, it is especially difficult to focus on something else, since the voice acting is done well enough for everyone to be able to grasp the emotions of the characters. I'd say the best approach would be to "live" the album as an orchestrated series of plays, rather than a series of musical pieces with voices over them. The spirit of Sakuraba's work will appear by itself when you consider the characters as the centre of interest of each track. Note that it is not the same as a drama album either, because music is way more than background material.

     Should I advise you to get it? It all depends on whether you're a speedy "background listener" or if you are patient enough to actually listen to an album without doing anything else at the same time. One thing is sure, however : the targeted audience is definitely those who are familiar with the game and its story. Having played and enjoyed Valkyrie Profile for at least a dozen hours is highly recommended before you try and listen to the album. Rated 08/10 by Reviewer  ~END OF GAME-OST.COM REVIEW~ _______________________ NOTES

- Tracks 6 and 14 were not included in the original game

- Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange is the third album released for Valkyrie Profile, four months after Valkyrie Profile Original Soundtrack and three months after Valkyrie Profile Arrange Album

- Valkyrie Profile Voice Mix Arrange is the hardest to find of the three albums and is best obtained through eBay.

Alt. Track Titles: 01 – Heaven’s Requiem 02 – Long Generations of Anger 03 – Punishment Creed 04 – To an Anxious Earth 05 – Into Chaos 06 – Booze on a Moonlit Night 07 – The First Unison 08 – Confidence in the Domination 09 – Evil Mortals, Holy Divinity 10 – Circulate on a Windup Doll 11 – Responsibility 12 – An Evil Mechanism 13 – Sadness 14 – Bloody Panic 15 – To the Road of Light and Darkness

Catalogue Number:  FSCA-10134 Composed By:  Motoi Sakuraba Arranged By:  Motoi Sakuraba Release Date: 06/21/2000 Published By: First Smile Entertainment

Cast: Lenneth: Yumi Touma Lucian: Nozomu Sasaki Mystina: Wakana Yamazaki Arngrim/Aluze: Hiroki Touchi Lezard Valeth: Takehito Koyasu Freya/Frei: Maria Kawamura Loki: Mitsuaki Madono Yumei, Celia: Hiroko Emori Aelia, Genevieve, Millia, Claire: Ai Orikasa Jelanda: Kae Araki Badrach, Surt: Mitsuaki Hoshino Brahms, Bloodbayne: Kenji Nomura Nanami: Natsumi Yanase Fuyuki: Daisuke Sakaguchi

[childrenofthesun77]

One question I have is: Does C3 even exist in this timeline?

Jun and yumi are still co-workers and touma is their boss, but they all look like normal office workers.

Iduna's parents moved to Japan for work reasons, but if C3 doesn't exist then maybe Iduna never moved to Japan with her family.

Where's Iduna?

Like where is she? She's not shown in any of the pages. She's Shuuhei's friend yet she's not shown hanging out with him. She's the weapons maker who had to hanging out with chuuni 3 yet she's not there. Freya talking with someone who might be her husband but there's no way she doesn't remember Iduna. There's no way the braided hair girl hanging out with Ildio is Iduna they look nothing alike.

You can put Licht's white hair on the wrong side of his head. You can turn Tetsu into a meathead for whatever reason. Hell, you could kill off Nicco out of spite.

But. Mikuni.

How dare you forget about Iduna?

Don't use the excuse that you never knew her. You literally worked with Johannes who is her coworker.

Is it because she was that unimportant beyond being an Eve? Or is it because she was willing to take a step back before she went too far? Is it because she didn't fall for the ends justify means rhetoric that you wholeheartedly believe?

I hope Misono goes on to become just like your father, Mikuni.