#(older Takuya thinking about the deep things)

[darkscorpiox]

Dogsred - Theories on Tsunemaru Youta

Before the next chapter will come, I would like to present my theories concerning Tsunemaru Youta.

For starters, Youta was not the first Tsunemaru mentioned in the manga. In fact, it was in Chapter 8, when Higuchi was looking at the scrapbook of newspaper clippings about Oinokami’s victories, though you wouldn’t know unless you saw the untranslated version.

DF常丸拓也主将（3年） -> Defenseman Captain Tsunemaru Takuya (3rd year)

That information was from last year (the 19th consecutive victory) when Youta was a first year. So not only was he probably a member of the team at that time, but an older relative (most likely a brother) was the captain as well.

(Does that mean Ogata-expy Youta is the younger brother in this universe?)

Their positions aren’t the same, yet people from the same lineage, if they aren’t compared to each other, are usually expected to share the same potential. The Shirakawa siblings and the Genma brothers are examples of such respective cases.

Rou and Haruna both loved figure skating, but the former was more talented than the latter.

Keichi is expected to join Kouichi’s team next year because of the potential he shares with his older brother.

Youta too must probably live up to (the town’s, his family’s and) his team’s expectations of being not only an Oinokami hockey player, but also one related to the previous captain. I speculate that he is compared to the older Genma brother, who is a year younger than him, as well.

(I would like to point out that in every page Youta appeared in before the beginning of the match in Chapter 9 Kouichi was there too. Coincidence? I (would like to) think not.)

Despite being a decent goalie, he’s not as talented as Kouichi. As the last defense against his team’s opponents, his position is (one of) the most important one(s) in hockey. Any point scored by the opposing team can be considered more on him than the other players. So that’s a lot of pressure on his shoulders, something I believed his teammates didn’t help with (in the last image)…at first.

I thought they were bullying him, but the fact that it had been done on the leg pads had given me pause. Wondering if it’s something related to hockey, I searched on the internet and found these tidbits on the sport’s traditions and superstitions:

“Before the game begins, almost every player goes up to the goalie and taps him on the pads. It is done for good luck and to signal that the goalie is ready for action.” (source)

“[…] It is common for players to give [goalies] a tap on the pads before face offs, after great saves and after disappointing goals. These little gestures provide support and encouragement that words can’t always convey.” (source)

So that’s normal for hockey players and not a teammate’s act of malice. I was relieved that Youta didn’t seem to be hated by others like Ogata and even more after that scene:

I’m sure they would have helped any of their teammates, but still.

Maybe I’m looking too deep into things, but surely, Noda wouldn’t have put all those details without a reason.

(Also, because I was too focused on Youta being an Ogata-expy in Chapter 1, I didn’t notice the leg pads, the same as Koichi’s, which would have been all I would have needed to know his goalie position from the beginning.)

(And while it might just be a hockey reference, 39 can be the goroawase of the "saku" (3 + 9) of Yuusaku. Even in his next life, he's not free of his brother. It's probably his karma 😅😂😅)

[legendheroes]

Rank the heroes on how good their sleep schedule is. The highest having the most consistent and god-tier sleep schedule there is and the lowest being needed to knock-out cold just for them to sleep

Takuya: My sleep schedule is fine.

Daisuke: Takki, do ya have a part-time job or something tho?

Takuya: Of course I have! I’m studying and training to be a professional soccer player after all!

Takato: And you live in Italy now, right…?

Takuya: Yup!

Daisuke: But we’re in Japan right now, so… How can you not get… Y’know, jetlag?

OG Taichi: Uh Daisuke you also travel around the world in seconds and never had that problem before…?

Daisuke: Huh, didn’t I tell y’all? World travel via the Digital World is not that bad… I think.

Takuya: Wait, you asked me a question and won’t even let me answer that?! 💧

Daisuke: Ya know, it’s like… The atmosphere of the Digital World is different from the human world’s atmosphere so the whole jetlag thing doesn't happen that often!

Takato/OG Taichi: Oooh…

Takuya: That makes no sense tho…

Masaru: The question wasn’t about traveling, you’re going off-topic 💧

Takuya: It was Daisuke who started it!!

Daisuke: My question does have to do with the question! Because your body has to readjust to the current time and it might make you feel exhausted or something!

Takato: Oh, that’s right.

Takuya: [muttering] At least no one is asking me why I moved to Italy tho…

Tagiru: Uhh… My sleep schedule is fine! At least now!

Takato: Ah, you had that strange dream every time you fell asleep, right?

Tagiru: Yup! And I couldn’t sleep well, It was terrible.

Daisuke: I think the younger-ones get to have a more balanced and healthy sleep schedule like the older-ones here… [sighs]

OG Taichi/Takato: Haha… 💧

Takuya: Seriously, my sleep schedule is fine too! What’s wrong with y’all?! What’s makin’ the oldies be soooooooooo messed up?!

OG Taichi/Daisuke/Takato: A ton of things, actually…

Tagiru: ? What’s wrong guys?

OG Taichi: A lot, actually. I’m working at a special department for the digimon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and there’s a lot of work regarding a certain incident happening back home… You know, big things. And also…

Daisuke: I’ve been stuck for almost a whole year in your and Taiki’s world and I probably got kicked out from my culinary classes, might have lost my internship with a ramen restaurant and…

Takato: Someone said in the future artists will be replaced with AI and then my job as freelancer designer will end up doomed. So I’m concerned that…

Takuya: Wow folks… Could you… lighten it up a little here?

Daisuke: What do ya mean?!

Takuya: I know it’s hard, but… You all need to think about your health first! If you don’t relax a little bit, you might not even find the solution for your problems and it will make you even more worse.

Masaru: He’s right, and you three know it.

OG Taichi: I never expected Takuya to tell us something like that.

Takuya: W-what?! 💢

Daisuke: Hey… Workin’ hard is good but TOO HARD is bad, right? Takki’s right, we need to chill!

Tagiru: The newest heroes from different futures are also fighting their own battles too! We’re their predecessors, we MUST give them a good example!

Takato: Yes, we’re their seniors after all.

Masaru: Alright, but have you seen the other spiky headed kiddo?

Tagiru: You mean Taiki-san?

Masaru: Yup.

Tagiru: Ah, he had some stuff to do and– Oh. You mean HE needed to listen to that lesson too, right?

Masaru: Yup, because he’s probably the only of the youngest heroes who had screwed up his sleep schedule and is deep down in this rank thing.

Everyone: . . .💧

[dream-meister-translations]

WOLF GAME

THE WOLF GAME - PART 8

━

Takeo Kojima, 35 years old.

A sturdy detective. The assertive type that often tries to take charge. Not fond of certain adults. Skilled in martial arts, making him a dangerous person if he were to become a wolf.

TAKEO KOJIMA : Even as a police officer, I never expected a real murder to happen…

TAKEO KOJIMA : Based on the condition of her body, there's no doubt she was killed with a knife.

TAKEO KOJIMA : Dammit… Things just keep getting more complicated…

━

Ritsu Kamiki, 21 years old:

A university student from Tokyo. She’s a cunning girl who doesn't trust easily, always speaks her mind and has a terrible attitude. Despite being 21, she still looks like a grade schooler.

RITSU KAMIKI : Did that wolf guy really go and kill someone...? Isn't that insane?

RITSU KAMIKI : And that much blood is just ridiculous...

RITSU KAMIKI : Ugh, it's so gross…

━

Maki Takayama, 25 years old:

A reporter for a major weekly magazine. Specializes in gossip articles and always carries a camera and voice recorder. Friendly and approachable, likely popular among older men.

MAKI TAKAYAMA : So, the wolf among us actually murdered someone…

ME : Yeah, it certainly seems that way.

MAKI TAKAYAMA : Yeah, well, just sitting around watching everyone won't help us figure out who the wolf is…

━

Satoru Yonemori, 33 years old:

A seemingly unlucky psychiatrist. His hairstyle is influenced by Jack Black, an actor he admires. Judging on appearance alone, he seems dissatisfied with his life and somewhat bitter.

SATORU YONEMORI : The victim likely died of shock caused by excessive bleeding.

ME : Indeed, there's a disturbing amount of blood...

SATORU YONEMORI : The wolf appears to have stabbed her through the heart with a knife."

SATORU YONEMORI : In all honesty, she didn't stand a chance of surviving...

ME : You're right…

━

Leaving the others, he finds a room containing the belongings of Ritsu Kamiki and Maki Takayama.

Ritsu owns a backpack shaped adorably like a cat.

And Maki seems to always keep a spare camera on hand.

━

Takuya Tsuchiya, 28 years old:

He’s a stage actor who has recently hit the big time, but before that had actually been commercially unsuccessful. He has a somewhat languid demeanor, but is straightforward when it comes to expressing his opinions. Since he seems to have a quick temper, it's better not to provoke him.

TAKUYA TSUCHIYA : Seriously... I never thought a real murder would happen...

TAKUYA TSUCHIYA : I’m not going anywhere near that body…

ME : Y-yeah... 

ME : (I wouldn't want to examine a dead body either if I could help it...)

━

ME : Oh, these are Takuya’s things. Better leave them alone, or he’ll blow a gasket.

ME : So these must be Satoru’s. That bag looks exactly like something a doctor would have.

━

Iida Rintarou, 18 years old.

Honestly, I have no idea what he's thinking. He's known for his eccentric fashion sense and slanted speech. He often ends his sentences with a musical flair. He may seem carefree on the surface, but he comes across quite sharp deep down.

IIDA RINTAROU : Phew! I feel so refreshed after taking a shower.♪

IIDA RINTAROU : Have you taken one too?

ME : No, I'll pass...

ME : (This guy doesn't seem to be too shaken up, even though there's been a murder.)

ME : (There's something suspicious about him...)

━

SATORU YONEMORI : I was thinking this knife could have been used as a weapon...

KOU NIIMURA : But this knife... it's not even clean, let alone bloody.

SATORU YONEMORI : Yeah, about that...

SATORU YONEMORI : I actually asked Misaki-san to cook for me last night because I got a bit hungry.

SATORU YONEMORI : She used this knife and I forgot to wash it...

OSAMU NAGAI : So, does that mean the knife has been left as it was after cooking last night?

KOU NIIMURA : In that case, it's unlikely it was used as a weapon.

SATORU YONEMORI : So it would seem...

ME : (They’re right, of course, but if that's the case, it seems it really wasn't used as a weapon. I guess I'll have to keep searching…)

[cxruscare]

twistedstarlitspirits replied to your post: “I never asked Lady Ophanimon this… but when I...

“Yes.” -Ken

“That’s what I thought.”

A quiet sigh came from the Legendary Warrior’s lips. After his first Digivolution, he felt like all the things he worried about before was no longer an issue. Though the older he got, the more that he started to realize that isn’t necessarily true.

“It’s weird having to think about how things impact me as a human and as a Digimon.”

[shihalyfie]

Would would you say the similarity and differences are between Taichi and Takuya? (Since I've seen a lot of negative comparisons between the Adventure and Frontier cast and I'm curious with your thoughts on that)

One thing I really gripe about when it comes to the way people tend to approach the Frontier characters and compare them to those of other series is that, since Frontier is (unabashedly so) far more of a "conventional" series than the three before it, somehow that makes it and its characters worse or lacking in depth. Not at all! Firstly, there's pretty good reason to do something like this; the Adventure and 02 characters being a bit too unconventional means that you're still getting people who struggle with understanding their behavior patterns and blaming anything that doesn't "seem consistent" (actually "doesn't fall into neat fiction patterns") on "bad character writing", so Frontier being a bit more trope-y is probably just to make it a bit easier to understand the characters' progression. Moreover, even conventional tropes often have some root in reality; sure, Tomoki being a child who gets emotionally overwhelmed and cries more often may definitely seem "too conventional" compared to Takeru or Iori, but, uh...that's also extremely accurate to how a lot of real kids his age would behave. Many different kinds of kids exist! Representing all of them at once is hard!

At first glance, yes, the Frontier characters fall closer into the usual tropes (especially Super Sentai ones), but when we're talking about Digimon under Seki, it's never just been about what the characters look like at first glance but also the little nuances that they don't always put in words. The Frontier characters have a surprising amount of depth if you're willing to sit down and look at the little things, how they behave in different situations, what their motivations are for doing what they do, and while I don't think they go nearly as deep as Adventure or 02 do in this regard, it's not because I think Frontier was inherently lacking in this but because Adventure and 02 were just that level of ridiculous in terms of bias towards character writing (at occasional detriment to other aspects). Kind of unfair to expect everything else to go that far. So if we're talking about characters with this level of depth, I'd put it in between Adventure/02 and Tamers in terms of fleshing characters out this deeply. (No, I don’t actually think the Tamers characters are as "deep" as they're often claimed to be; they're just less subtle. No, that does not mean I think that's an inherently better or worse thing, given how I've always referred to this kind of thing as a double-edged sword.)

Rant aside! (Sorry, it's a bit of a long-standing point of frustration I've had with how Frontier constantly gets treated.) I think Takuya is definitely more "conventional" of a typical shounen protagonist than Taichi is, being more impulsive, hot-headed, and occasionally belligerent; Taichi was "impulsive" in the sense that he was kind of playing things by ear and could sometimes even be too chill, because his focus was often too much on the big picture instead of what was in front of him, whereas Takuya definitely comes off as the type who defaults to more aggressive solutions for the most part. However, one of the first things they point out very, very early is that Takuya's actually an older brother -- he's had to take responsibility for Shinya in the past, and it also reflects in how he handles Tomoki (and how Tomoki immediately senses that into him and latches onto him most as a surrogate older brother). While Takuya, being a bit of a misfit, isn't necessarily perfect in the role, he shares this trait with Taichi, and in fact, much like Taichi, his tendency for sometimes being insensitive or being too aggressive isn't because he's callous or doesn't care about others -- he is empathetic, he does hear others out, and he doesn't fight people for the sheer sake of fighting them but because he simply happens to disagree with others (mostly Kouji) in terms of the best way to approach things.

One thing that's really interesting about Frontier is how it starts off its cast as outright misfits; Adventure and 02's cast was made up of fundamentally selfless people, and Tamers had a cast that kinda got dragged into the whole affair, but Frontier starts off with a cast that practically seems taken out of a detention hall. The kids start off very shallow, self-centered, and not taking the concept of throwing themselves into an adventure seriously; in fact, you get the impression they took it on so easily because of how out-of-place they felt in the real world, and their adventure allows them to understand what they need to change about themselves. Given that, while Takuya didn't seem to be much of an outcast in comparison, you still get the impression he was a bit of a misfit like the others. Interestingly, as of the most recent drama CD, Takuya remains our only currently known Digimon protagonist to seriously pursue soccer beyond hobby purposes, and there's something quite fitting about that; Taichi's position in soccer was mainly meant to indicate his position as a "leader" and "someone who brings people together", and Daisuke wasn't even implied to be particularly exceptional in soccer anyway, with it having more pertinence to his relationships with Taichi and eventually Ken. In the case of Takuya, him actually enjoying the sport enough to take it seriously to the point of a career implies a genuine, unfiltered passion for what he does, that he does enjoy the thrill of climbing ranks (and for a team sport, at that), and...also, that his "aggressiveness" is actually him having a lot of boundless energy and passion that needs some kind of outlet, rather than him actively being belligerent purely for the sake of blowing things up.

[x0401x]

Given the Movie: Web Newtype Interview

Depicting the immature romance of the adult trio! Interview with Nakazawa Masatomo, Eguchi Takuya and Asanuma Shintarou about “Given the Movie”.

“Given” has gathered attention due to being the first BL comic that Noitamina adapted into anime. If one attempted to open the lid and take a look at it, they would find it was a youthful drama that sensibly portrays the growth of bandmates, which could be enjoyed regardless of age or gender. In the TV anime, the main focus was on the high school characters Satou Mafuyu and Uenoyama Ritsuka, and a teenage-like heat and freshness were the charm of it, but in the movie, the main focus is on Nakayama Haruki, Kaji Akihiko and the violinist Murata Ugetsu. It depicts the nature of the adults’ relationships, which was not in the TV anime. Here, we had Nakazawa Masatomo, who plays Nakayama Haruki, Eguchi Takuya, who plays Kaji Akihiko, and Asanuma Shintarou, who plays Murata Ugetsu, discuss about the movie’s appeal.

——Please tell us how you felt when the theatrical adaptation was green-lit and you found out that you would play the main roles.

Nakazawa: I was both happy and surprised. I had heard that the anime would only have one 11-episode cour, so I imagined that it would end at the first live concert scene, and just when I was thinking that people were supposed to look forward to seeing the trio’s story in the original work, we received this proposal. I was overjoyed, and while listening to it, I was thinking, “So we’re going to do that scene”. *embarrassed*

Eguchi: In the TV series, we did not manage to perform their true forms, as in their realistic side, so I was purely happy that we would be able to enact what happens afterwards.

Asanuma: Just before I took part in the TV series, I heard that my character was apparently active in the movie, so I remember feeling tension at the fact that I had to perform while keeping this in mind. Nothing changed in the drama itself, but I thought that, since the sound and the screen size are completely different and people would watch it in an environment so unlike watching at home, I should be conscious of thinking it out by matching all of that.

——Please tell us your impressions regarding the nature of Akihiko and Ugetsu’s relationship.

Nakazawa: The timing in which Akihiko became serious about music – but a genius appeared and crushed him – and the one in which he fell in love happened at the same moment. For Ugetsu, too, the instant in which he fell in love was the same as the one in which he decided that he wanted to focus more on his beloved music, and this was where things began to turn sour, I guess. I watched while thinking that it must be hard to start from there.

Eguchi: Akihiko and Ugetsu are such adults, so warped. They aren’t dating even though they like each other, and despite having no idea what awaits them in the future, they’re living together and leading their daily lives with one another anyhow... It’s outrageous, but in contrast, it’s shrewd. *laughs* Still, what the feeling of wanting to be with someone means is complicated. But I felt emotion in that and I liked it. Feels like their days are made of glass and seem easily breakable.

Asanuma: On my own accord, I refer to this work as “usuhari” (a particularly thin type of glass). It feels like it’ll fall apart if you aren’t careful with how you handle it... I’m always being told this a lot so it’s embarrassing to say it now, but there’s the saying “you don’t do love, you fall into it”, right? It feels like these two have exactly that kind of relationship, and even then, they had no motive to get it together, so it gives you the feeling that they’re always searching for a reason to be drawn to each other, as well as to let go of each other. But even when they think, “This is it”, they set the reason aside... so I’m sure that they indeed “fell”.

——How about Haruki and Akihiko?

Nakazawa: I think the fact that Haruki gave special attention to Akihiko must have become an obstacle. Akihiko, too, was hiding a part of himself, either knowingly or not, like, “Haruki would probably hate me if he saw this”. He must have feared that their bond would have no fixing if it ever broke. I have the impression that their romance doesn’t move forward because they think of each other as special.

Eguchi: I simply thought... “Haruki has it hard, huh”.

Nakazawa: *bursts into laughter*

Eguchi: He keeps shouldering a love that he doesn’t sort out, and most likely, he catches onto the feeling that Haruki favors him, which I believe has turned into comfort for him and he basks on it. That’s an unfair side of him, but Haruki accepts it too... I think this would be all right if their relationship was of bandmates, but since romantic love comes into the scene, it gets difficult. Akihiko is doing all he can in his own way, but in seeing it from Haruki’s eyes, there’s also inertia in him, and since people have many sides, it all gets tangled in an even more complex way.

Asanuma: There’s one amongst Haruki and Akihiko’s scenes that makes me think, “Ah, I wish I was in it too”. In this painful story, which is sometimes intense and feels like it’s going to break, this scene between Haruki and Akihiko became somewhat of a salvation. Also, I felt that when Haruki said, “Leave me alone”, he actually didn’t want Akihiko to go away, yet when Ugetsu said, “Leave me alone”, it was when he really did want Akihiko to go away. *laughs* I thought these two polar opposites were interesting.

——From Mafuyu, who confessed on his own, to Haruki, who was always hiding his feelings, each of the characters experiences a different type of romantic love. Which character to you sympathize with the most?

Asanuma: The only one I could be is Haruki. I’m the type who feels complexed and raises the flag too early. *laughs* But when it comes to sympathy, they all have a side of them that I can sympathize with.

Nakazawa: *nodding* There’s nothing impossible in this series. The way they love and the agony of it is realistic, and i want all the love stories to become happy ones, to tell them all that they don’t have to suffer... but amongst them, I guess the one I can personally relate to is Haruki. But I can also understand Ugetsu’s feeling of wanting something to remain in the end and Akihiko’s impulse to break him, and I think one of the characteristics of “Given” is that none of them can be said to fit the mold.

Eguchi: I want to be Akihiko. I think he’s wonderful because he ends up at a point where he’s “seeking people”. He has this conflict because he’s trying to find some sort of truth by pursuing someone, and he’s got a way of protecting himself that could be considered unfair, yet he’s forgiven because of it... That’s nice. *laughs*

Asanuma: When it comes to which of them is more human, it’s most likely Akihiko.

——Please leave a message to the fans who had been waiting for the movie’s release.

Asanuma: I described it as “usuhari” earlier, because this sort of series is just that delicate and perilous, and when things do break, it’s sharp yet beautiful – the kind of work you want to look at forever. When people write about romance in fiction, there’s a huge drama and absurdly shocking things tend to happen, but this series is full of things that, if they happened anywhere near you, it wouldn’t be strange, yet even in the middle of all this, there are several scenes where emotions are portrayed down to their detailed bits. I hope people can love it deeply, along with the music they play.

Nakazawa: In the TV anime, regarding each of the so-called adult group’s three people, it was said that Akihiko was the “older brother figure”, Haruki was the “nice person” and Ugetsu was the “genius” or the “mysterious guy”. But in the movie, you can see that Akihiko is someone who has an older brother-like attitude, Haruki is someone who talks and acts like a good person and Ugetsu is someone who has a raging love for music deep down. There’s a grown-up side to them in the way that the high school duo sees it, and it’s realistic that the adults choose it and go along with it. I hope everyone can enjoy the different ways of watching it as it went from TV anime to movie.

Eguchi: We’ve made something good, so I’m filled to the brim with the wish that people watch it by any means. Even when the animation was still not ready, there were many scenes that struck home. I think there’s a part of it that can move people’s hearts not just from the romantic aspect but also as human beings. I wonder which parts will move my heart... I believe these works are mirrors that reflect myself. “Given” is a series that has many such mirrors in this sense.

Asanuma: *whispers something into Eguchi-san’s ear*

Eguchi: There aren’t just four yearly seasons. There aren’t just four emotions either. It makes you think that there are many sorts of feelings... *laughs*

Asanuma: He said everything I wanted to say! *laughs* The rainy season was added to the four seasons of the year. Along with this, many kinds of emotions that aren’t limited to joy, anger, grief and pleasure are depicted in it.

Nakazawa: Ones with a high “humidity level” at that. Movies sure are good. *laughs*

Eguchi: Please watch it in the theaters!

[digitaldreams0801]

Frontiers Unexplored Character Changes Dump

You read the title. You know why we’re here. Time to deeply analyze all of the canon characters in the Frontiers Unexplored rewrite of Digimon Frontier just because I can. This will include explanations of all that was changed for the rewrite. 

I’m not including my characters since they weren’t in canon. Anyways, let’s get into this. 

Takuya Kanbara Takuya is pretty similar to how he is in canon, just as headstrong, determined, and reckless as he always was. He’s the rallying voice of the Warriors, doing what he can to make everyone feel better about the literal war going on. There’s one primary thing that changed for Takuya, but it’s a pretty minor thing given how early we are in the story right now: the way he deals with trauma. Not to spoil anything, but he goes through quite a bit over the course of this story, and it hits him much harder than in canon. Takuya gets pretty easily attached to the rest of the group since he’s always down for making friends. He still argues with Koji just as much as he did before, so it’s good to know some things never change. Also, Takuya says trans rights. 

Koji Minamoto Koji is easily the most similar to his canon interpretation. He’s a bit more vaguely protective of the group in the early stages of the story, especially when it comes to Tomoki. Koji doesn’t exactly open up easily (he’s the last to get his Beast Spirit, if that’s any indication), but he becomes just as attached to the rest of the group over time. His relationship with his father is far more strained than in canon, and the two were prone to arguing often before Koji left for the Digital World. This is the primary reason he’s so tense, and it leads to him being much more protective of Tomoki than he was in canon. He’s still the same edgy boy everyone came to know and love from the original anime, just a bit more nice to people (eventually). 

Tomoki Himi Since all of the characters are much older, Tomoki’s arc about not being a crybaby doesn’t exactly fit here. He’s far more anxious than his original interpretation and lacks his regular vivacious energy. Tomoki is constantly burdened by his past issues, unable to fully move on or ever feel secure. He’s tense a strong majority of the time, and he has a nasty habit of bottling his emotions until he hits his breaking point. Tomoki tends to feel as if he deserves any pain that comes his way, a certain difference from his canon interpretation. He looks up to the rest of the group for their strength and wishes that he could be like them. Tomoki is easily prone to bouts of fear, rarely ever seeming truly comfortable in the Digital World. The age increase hit him the hardest, to put it simply. 

Izumi Orimoto Izumi, much like Tomoki, has changed quite significantly. She isn’t as undyingly loyal to herself as before, instead putting on a mask that makes her seem perfect to hide her identity issues. Izumi knows that people admire her, but she’s grown used to people caring more about the concept of her rather than who she is deep down. She is often said to wear practiced smiles, hiding her discomfort to ensure others don’t see her insecurities. Izumi has had problems making friends with others for a variety of reasons, but the main one has to do with her success as a gymnast: people want to be friends with the gymnastics star and not the person, longing for the image and not the person. Izumi becomes easily attached to the rest of the group when she realizes that they like her for who she is rather than the concept of her, and she becomes easily distraught at the idea of them being hurt. 

Junpei Shibayama Junpei is the third and final character who changed a lot. He comes off as how Izumi does in canon: loyal to himself regardless of what others think, though this is far from being the case. Junpei acts this way as a coping mechanism, hiding his insecurity and loneliness behind a mask. Rather than trying to please others like Izumi, Junpei has given up on earning the approval of most others, instead deciding to be happy with himself even if it ends with him alone. He’s prone to being spiteful and bitter when he feels as if he’s under attack emotionally, but he does have a good heart. Junpei is perceptive and smart, but he still struggles heavily from insecurities involving his appearance. He’s loyal to himself out of a nihilistic idea that he’ll always be alone and that pleasing others by lying is pointless. Junpei is hesitant to reach out to the rest of the group, fearing that it will just end with him alone like everything else has, but he still cares about them greatly and is just too afraid to admit that he finally isn’t alone anymore. 

Koichi Kimura Koichi is rather faithful to his original iteration, remaining a shy and passive young man just as before. He takes the worst traits from both Tomoki and Izumi where his weaknesses are concerned: bottling his emotions until he breaks and hiding such distraught behavior behind a perfect barrier. Koichi never had anyone to open up to, leaving him to struggle on his own. He isn’t sure about reaching out to the rest of the group at first, believing that he doesn’t deserve them after all he has done, but he is able to move on eventually. When he finally lets them in, Koichi does all that he can for them, relishing in the idea of having companions at long last. He hides his negative emotions, but this darkness soon gives way to show one of the kindest people that anyone could ever meet. 

Wow, character analysis is fun! I could only get into so much on this post since I’m attempting to avoid spoiling future plot points, so maybe I’ll have to come back to this subject further into the story. Tomoki, Izumi, and Junpei are so different from their canon iterations that I could probably write entire essays about their changes one day (you know, when I don’t have to worry about spoilers). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this little thought dump from me! I’ll see you guys again for chapter twelve this Sunday!

[bossarmadimon]

What your favorite digimon ship says about you

(with apologies to @doubleca5t )

Taito: You think the anime has only gone downhill since Adventure.

Takouji: If you’d been born a few years earlier, you’d probably have been shipping Taichi and Yamato.

Tomato: If you’d been born a few years earlier, you’d probably have been shipping Takuya and Kouji.

Kiriki: If you’d been born a few years earlier, you’d probably have been shipping Thomas and Masaru.

Tagiyuu (Tagiru/Yuu): If you’d been born a few years earlier, you’d probably have been shipping Kiriha and Taiki.

Taiora: You absolutely refuse to acknowledge the epilogue.

Sorato: You appreciate the canon validation, but you absolutely refuse to acknowledge the epilogue anyway.

Joumi: You want to be stepped on by Mimi Tachikawa.

Koumi: Your ideal date involves confusing the hell out of each others.

Mira: Your favorite relationship dynamic is butch/femme.

Vamdemon/Piedmon: Your favorite relationship dynamic is a RuPaul’s Drag Race catfight.

Yamato/Gabumon: Your favorite relationship dynamic is powerbottom/service top.

Thomas/Gaomon: This is exactly the same joke as Gabumon/Yamato, but even more so.

Miyako/Hawkmon: This is exactly the same joke as Gabumon/Yamato, but you're heterosexual.

Wizartail: Your favorite relationship dynamic is the plot of the live-action Casper movie.

Mimato: You appreciate the fact having to work with nothing at all means you’re unlikely to contradict their canon interactions.

Joushirou: You’re just here for some disaster bisexuals.

Ogremon/Leomon: You’re just here for some baras.

Miyaora: You’re just here for some tomboys.

Jouyako: You’re just here for some meganes.

Ioyako: You just wanted good things for Iori, and really, who wouldn’t?

Taisuke: You ideal date involves getting your sempai to notice you.

Jouri: Your interest in sempai/kohai is outweighed only by your overwhelming love of height differences.

Miyami: Your ideal high school romance is nerd/prep.

Kouyako: Your ideal high school romance is nerd/nerd.

Yamasuke: Your ideal high school romance is band kid/jock.

Kenyako: Your ideal high school romance is marrying straight out of high school… oh, and you absolutely refuse to acknowledge the epilogue anyway.

Daiken: You are a firm believer in dating your best friend.

Daikeru: You are a firm believer in resolving love triangles by ignoring the axis.

Daiyako:You’re always a sucker for a dumbass in love.

Daiori: You’re always a sucker for an unsuspecting bystander having to deal with a dumbass in love.

Hikeyako: Your favorite relationship dynamic is two women tired of dealing with one dumbass in love’s bullshit.

Mimori: This is exactly the same joke as Mimato, except even more so.

Daikari: You are heterosexual.

Takari: You are heterosexual and you absolutely refuse to acknowledge the epilogue.

Angemon/Angewomon: You are extremely heterosexual.

RenaLeo: You are extremely heterosexual and you are a furry.

RenaFlame: Your interest in hetero furry ships is outweighed only by your interest in twinks.

Veetail: You are a furry, and you don’t mind being weird about it.

Mukeni: You just wanna fuck villains, and really, who wouldn’t?

Jurato: You are a firm believer in keeping things canon and keeping things wholesome.

Jenkato: You are a firm believer in keeping things gay and keeping it to the main characters only.

Patatail: This is exactly the same joke as Jurato, but you’re also a furry.

Juri/Leomon: You’re always a sucker for breaking the cutie.

Jenruki:You’re always a sucker for slow burn.

Rukato: You are a firm believer in 👏 men 👏 getting 👏 pegged

Takazu: Your addiction to dumbasses in love got so bad that one day you went “Hey, you know what’s even better than a dumbass in love? Two dumbasses in love.”.

Ryuki (Ryou/Ruki): Your favorite relationship dynamic is Prom Queen/Prom King.

Renamon/Rika: you either want a girlfriend who can bridal carry you, or you want to bridal carry your girlfriend.

RenaGuil: Your ideal high school romance is jock/dumbass.

ImpRena: Your ideal high school romance is jock/goth.

ImpTerrier: Your ideal high school romance is goth/theater kid.

ImpCulu: Your ideal high school romance is goth/dumbass.

Ryokazu: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of hero worship.

Hirota: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of accidentally kissing.

Takumi: This is exactly the same joke as Daikari, but even more so, and with some actual canon validation.

Kouzumi: Your interest in heterosexual pairings is outweighed only by your crippling addiction to edgy boys who have trouble talking about their feelings.

Junzoumi: You just wanted good things for Junpei, and really, who wouldn’t?

KouKou: You’re always a sucker for incest.

Tomoya: You want to fuck brother figures.

RanaKaze: You’re just here for some monster girls.

LordKnightmon/Dynasmon: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of high camp.

Yohmas: You can’t resist the draw of shipping the good-looking ones together.

Yosaru (Yoshino/Masaru): Your interest in bitter rivalries is ouweighed only by your love of bickering married couples.

Daitsuma: You want to fuck father figures.

Ikushino: You want to fuck mother figures.

DaiLeo (Daimon/BanchouLeomon): Your ideal date involves going to the gym and spotting each others.

Meguki (Megumi/Miki):You’re always a sucker for characters who are in desperate need of more screen time.

Thoka (Thomas/Chika): Your favorite relationship dynamic is a third grader telling their teacher they’re gonna marry them when they get older.

Ikuka: You’re always a sucker for reformed bad boys.

Dairata (Daimon/Kurata): You’re always a sucker for a character who starts off as a complete asshole and then gets much, much worse.

Akaki: Your favorite relationship dynamic is bickering married couples.

Taiyuu: Your favorite relationship dynamic is enemies to lovers.

Taikirou (Taiki/Zenjirou): You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of one-sided rivalries.

Neiki (Nene/Taiki): You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of stalking.

Zenjine: Your ideal date involves walking in on each others.

Kirine: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of deep-seated mistrust.

Kirijirou: Your favorite high school romance is jock/jock.

Zenjiri: You believe there is nothing stronger than the bond of two people who are sick of one man’s bullshit.

LilySting: If you’d been born a whole generation earlier, you’d probrably be shipping Patamon and Tailmon.

BallisShout: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of “Guy Love”.

BeelMerva: Nothing gets you on board faster than characters who have no idea where they are going with this.

Aigiru (Airu/Tagiru): You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of bullying.

Tagiki (Tagiru/Taiki): If you’d been born a whole generation earlier, you’d probrably be shipping Taichi and Daisuke.

Harai (Haru/Ai): If you’d been born a whole generation earlier, you’d probrably be shipping Juri and Takato.

ToraEri: Your favorite relationship dynamic is feuding youtubers with UST.

Eriru (Eri/Haru): You either want a girlfriend that could kick your ass, or you want to be a girlfriend who kicks her boyfriend’s ass.

ToraHaru: Your ideal date is livestreaming together.

Harujin: You’re always a sucker for shippers on deck.

Maigo (Maki/Daigo): You would’ve shipped Juri/Leomon, but you thought Juri didn’t get broken hard enough.

Meimi (Meiko/Mimi): Your favorite relationship dynamic is cinnamon roll/sinnamon roll.

Ryou/Milleniumon: You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of trying to kill each others.

[twinfanfics]

The tale of the three head beast. The marching fishes (19/22)

WE ARE BACK!! And the ending is written, only four more chapters  to end. WUUU!!

Fandom: Digimon GoT au.

Charaters: All the choosen children from Adventure, 02, Tamer and sometimes Frontier.

Ships: Taiyama, Joumi, Daiken, Takary, TakatoxYuri, RikaxRyo …

Second part of the tale of the three head beast series, you can read the first part The chosen children Here and here, or look for the tag  3t3hb  on this blog.

Resume: Three years had pased since Taichi won the hand of princess Sora and both get crowned King and Queen of the living land, now they must faced the duty of the monarchs, but the King is must worried about cover his affair with the royal guard. The war started on the Honest Island, does the King Joe would manage it?. Mean while at the other side of the sea Takato and Ruki stronger their forces.

And you can read all past chapters of the marching fishes in the links below or in AO3

ACT 1. ESCENE 1: THE RAIN

ACT 1. ESCENE 2: THE WILL  

ACT 1. ESCENE 3: THE TRIP

ACT 1. ESCENE 4:THE SON

ACT 2. SCENE 1: THE ARRIVAL

ACT 2. SCENE 2: BROTHERHOOD

ACT 2. SCENE 3: MOTHER | **warning suicide attempt**

ACT 2. SCENE 4: THE BATTLE OF THE IKKAKU ISLAND

ACT 3. SCENE 1: THE INTERROGATION

ACT 3. ESCENE 2:  DELIVERY

ACT 3. ESCENE 3: RED DRESS

ACT 4. ESCENE 1:TRIAL

ACT 4. ESCENE 2: THE SAINT QUEEN

ACT 4. ESCENE 3:THE SPY

ACT 4. ESCENE 4: INTRUDERS

ACT 4: SCENE 5: THE BROKEN SWORD

ACT 5: SCENE 1: THE WIDOW

ACT 5: SCENE 2: WELCOME HOME

ACT 5 : SCENE 3: FAITH (chapter after the cut)

The bells of the Light church rang at the sunrise. Queen and King wake up on the big bed. The King rolled over it and tried to cover himself with the bed sheets. 

“it is going to be late”  It wasn’t and order, but everything that Sora said feels like a comand now. 

Taichi turned to his wife. She undressed herself unceremoniously and walked naked until the dresser. For years both had kept themselves to some shy decor but shy had died on her wife. 

“You are going to miss your audiences” She said when she come out full dress and Taichi was still sitting over the bed on his bet´s clothes. 

She looked gorgeous on that big dress, it was embroidered with the Light emblems and it left place for the sword that Sora carried everywhere. 

“Your audiences” She insisted. 

“Yes, yes, I know. They can wait for me, I’m the King” Taichi said as he stand up and walked at the dresser. 

“I am on my way then. I had a reunion with the sisters on the morning, but I’m going to take the audiences of the afternoon” 

When she opened the door Yamato wasn’t standing outside. Nobody cared their door anymore. No one follow the Queen anymore. Taichi waited until Sora’s steps were far away to change his clothes. When he opened the door Hikary was waiting outside. 

“Brother” the girl said smiling. “Let me accompany you at the ceremony”

Taichi take a deep breathe. The words “I want to be alone” die on his troat.  Hikary take his arm and they walked together at the throne room. 

The royal guard was waiting on the throne room. Most of them wearing the Light armor, Yamato Ishida, royal guard and leader of the soldiers, wasn’t. 

The King crossed his look with the handsome soldier. Restrained himself to touch him had never costed him this much. 

“Brother” Hikary called him “Your majesty” she corrected promptly “We are ready to star”

Taichi sat on the throne. HIkary welcome at the guests of the ceremony and recited a five minute prayed. 

“I can’t believed they made us attended this” Kouji whispered at Takuya on the back line of the army.

“And you don’t go at the daily mass, they are longer everyday” the fellow soldier replayed.

“What is she wearing?”

“It is a ceremonial sister thing”

“It would be easier pay attention to her if she hasn’t three layer of clothes on”

“The sisters of Light are illuminated, it is supposed that if they don’t cover to head to toe when they pray they would break the souls of the weakness with her sacred grace”

“What?” 

A sshh called the attention of the soldiers. 

Hikary finally retired of the spotlight and Taichi stand up of the throne. Davis Motomiya knelt down in front of him. 

“Outrageous” Kouji said on a quiet voice “the man betrayed the King that he swore to protect and received a title”

“Is he that good?” Takuya asked.

“What?”

“Is he as good to be the new protege of the King?” the knight asked with disdain. 

“The protégé of the King?”

Izzy Izumi standed behind the young men and they shut up immediately. 

Kouji looked at Takuya. His brown eyes were glued at Motomiya, the guy had returned from the war with the favor of King, he was now his new apprentice, not Takuya. Kouji had seen Motomiya in action on the battlefield, if he had the favor of the King he can easily ascend on the royal guard. Kouji could had been worried about his own position on the royal guard, but the subtle hate on the eyes of Yamato Ishida when he accepted Motomiya on the guard were even bigger than the envy on the eyes of Takuya. 

When the little ceremony ended the supreme alchemist come close at the King and whispered something at his ear. Sorrow plasted on the face of the monarch. His eyes went to Yamato. The royal guard was at some steps of The King. 

“That concludes the ceremony, thank to all of you for coming”Hikary said with the sweetest voice “That the true god of Light enlighten your days” She said as she looked at Yamato. 

Kouji knew that look. That was the look that the enlightened had for him and his brother. That people always talk about saving the souls, but their solutions always were torches and murders. 

The King left the throne room. His sister followed him. 

Yamato left the throne room, but he cannot follow the king any more. The royal guard assemble the guard, it was time for training. 

Kouji had to admit that this was the funniest training that they had ever had. Yamato wasn’t subtle about his hate for Davis Motomiya, his exercises were excessive, no soldiers talk to him, he felt and get hurt. Even Takuya mock him. Takuya whose first move always was befriend the new recruits. 

Prince Takeru knel to help him when Motomiya felt for the third time. 

“It’s enough!” The Prince claimed. 

Yamato actually listened to him and called out the soldiers. 

“Your training are really hard, I’m not surprise of the good reputation of your army” Motomiya said at the prince with some tenderness. 

“The Captain need time” Takeru said.

“What?”

“If you act right, this could get better” The prince handed some water at Davis. Kindness was so strange to him right now. The prince was gone for when Davis tried to said thank you. 

“this could get better” Davis repeated to himself. Hope was never his strength. He was optimistic on the battles, but it was Ken and Iory work to do the planning. Ken and Iory. He shouldn’t miss the brothers that he betrayed. He missed Ken’s warm and Iory’s clarity. What would be their brothers advice on this situation? Ken would kill at anyone who mock him, he would made some cruel revenge plan. Iory probably would take it as a challenge, maybe he would try to win at the superiors, his little brother was good for that. Ryo would resolve this problem for him. But his master was gone and Davis was alone. He cannot plan a evil revenge or charming his way out. He did the thing that he do when he can’t do anything else. 

The afternoon came at the palace. It was quite and warm and Davis was boring, the trained had let him wounded and sad. He walked by the gardens through the hallways, until the big doors of the wall around the castle. Takuya and Kouji were guarding the doors.

“Where are you going?” Takuya asked

“I'm going to the port, I would come back by the sunset” Davis answered

“I dont think so”

“ i dont had orders to complete or anything to do here”

“You can't leave without permission” Kouji interested 

“Do we need permission to leave the palace-” Davis asked. The two soldiers look at each other with smuggled smiles.

“I don't think you understand what is happening”

“ You are just being mean” Davis accused them.

“mean?” takuya laughed “it is a way to said it”

A whinny interrupted the conversation. When Davis turned it was Yamato Ishida infront of him riding a black horse.

“What is happening here?” The royal guard asked

“Motomiya wants to leave the Castle” Kouji said

“ Trying to escape already?” Yamato looked down at Davis since the horse. 

“I'm not quicking I just want to visit the port” Davis claimed. He isn't scaping anything, he was a free man.

“You can't leave the castle, Motomiya”

“What? Why?”

“Orders of the King”

“Liar” 

Yamato get down of the horse.

“How do you call me?”

“You heard it”

Davis saw the fit of his superior officer and got ready to take the hit, but the hand of princes Takeru hold the elbow of the royal guard. 

“Yamato!” the princes called “what are you doing?” 

The older man shake it off his anger.

“I was going to teach a lesson to this vermin”

“I had a name” Davis said challenging Yamato, the blond turned to him with hate on his eyes. “I need to go at the port to pray, when did you go?”

“Excuse me?”

“You are too a son of the ocean as me”

“I’m nothing like you” Yamato claimed as get closer to the soldier.

“Every soldier of the King is a soldier of the Light” Takuya said firmly. Kouji grown smaller and Takeru and Yamato evaded his look. 

“I had seen the big walrus on your neck” Davis said at Yamato “You are a son of the ocean”

“SIlence!” Yamato scream and moved his hand with force “You don’t have the right to call the old names of the ocean, how you dare, you… dirty traitor”

The words of Yamato hang on the air, Davis listened it but need a few seconds to understand the meaning of the words. 

“I betrayed your enemies, I joined your army, I won your war, your men and your King are only alive because…”

“You betrayed YOUR KING! YOU KILL HIM!”

Yamato’s hand was over his sword and the hand of Takeru was holding his

“No”  Davis said “You are the one who killed Joe KIdo”

Takeru looked at Davis with surprise and slowly released Yamato. Finally he turned over himself to don’t watch the ugly show. 

The fist of Yamato finally hit Davis face. The young soldier tried to evade the second one, but Kouji hold him by the back and kept him in place. Yamato broke his lips and hit his stomach. Davis couldn’t breathe,he was only bleeding. Finally he hit the ground. Someone, probably Takeru, let him at the infirmary. 

 Davis wake up on a cold room, alone. The wall of the palace were probably the last wall that he had ever seen. He had been wrong, he wasn’t the protege of the KIng or a soldier of the royal guard, he was a prisoner and he was so far away of the ocean than no god would heard him. 

The old god had abandoned him. His master had leave him behind. His new King had lied to him. There was no more place to go. Davis entered at The Light church. There were angels and figures of old criatures singing and howling, there tails were long and there arms short. Davis walked for the corridors and stopped in the garden. 

The young boy stand next to the fountain and with a hand in the water and the eyes on the sky, he pray.  

A suddenly noise alerted him. He turned the head and saw her standing next to fountain, beautiful as a new day, an angel.  

“What hails you, brother?” The angel asked, but Davis has no words to share with so gracefull presence. He broke over her and cried all his laments. 

"Holy mother in heaven, shelter of the poor and support of the weaks" Hikary pray "show the way at this lost sheep". 

Since they balcony of the church Izumi watch the encounter with an impy smile.

[finalwuyifantasy]

how to fall in love with a kpop idol in 6 years and 1 week: an autobiography

i don’t expect anyone to read this, but i want to have it written somewhere...

i first found out about Cross Gene in 2014. according to my youtube history, considering i have no memories at all of 6 years ago, the first video i ever watched of them was Amazing Bad Lady’s MV teaser (on the day it came out, surprisingly), then the MV for it, then that goddamn dance practice. (fun fact: i kept coming back to that dance practice every week. just like i do today. i haven’t changed!) few months later they released Play With Me and Not a boy not yet a man, and i think either Billion Dolla or ZEDD was also released around that time. i watched La-Di Da-Di’s and Shooting Star’s MVs but didn’t feel too much about La-Di Da-Di, really liked Shooting Star though. that was the only 4 songs i would have of them at the time: Amazing Bad Lady, Play With Me, Not a boy not yet a man and Shooting Star. according to my twitter history, i tried learning their names with mediocre success. eventually i learned... Takuya. Takuya was kinda the only one i was obsessed with at the time. lasted a few months or so.

eventually, some time after that, i just fell out of kpop as a whole. i’d still listen to kpop songs, because you never grow out of music -- but i’ve gotten a lot less interested in fandoms, performances, variety shows, new releases, new groups, everything. i didn’t really consider myself a “kpopper” anymore, because all i had was just... yeah, i listen to kpop, but that’s literally it. i think this blog kinda reflects that. i just fell out of it completely. and i kinda forgot about Cross Gene.

two years ago, Cross Gene released Touch It and Fly. i only found out about those because Billion Dolla randomly got stuck in my head so i looked that one up and found out they had new songs. and i loved both, especially Fly. it was strange to see them without Casper but i embraced it. two years ago was also the time i started being a regular on that one guy’s stream, and he had song requests available at the time; i remember that i played Fly there twice. the first time he let it play fully, probably because he wasn’t paying attention, because the second time he skipped it after people were yelling in his chat that it was “ew kpop”. ㅎㅎ

but even after that, i also, stopped paying attention. i had Fly in my playlist for quite a while, but one day my playlist changed, and i just forgot about them again. i liked the songs they released, but i didn’t want to care more than that. i fell out of kpop, after all.

and then comes... last month. on June 1st, 2020, once again, i got Billion Dolla stuck in my head and went to listen to it (it’s always fucking Billion Dolla! why’s that song so good!). then i decided to watch ZEDD, because, i hadn’t before, and i wanted to know the plot or whatever. (it was an okay movie, but eh could have been better, anyway) little did i know this would be me jumping into the rabbit hole...

i found out they had had a comeback “recently” that i missed (Black or White, which actually came out before Touch It/Fly, but i had no idea). i read in the comments Takuya left the group last year. i was devastated. started looking up Takuya content to cheer myself up. came across one MV, then another, watched them all in a row. i remembered Amazing Bad Lady and thought to myself, how could i forget. i ended up watching probably every Amazing Bad Lady performance they have and being outraged that they banned the choreo. i found out it was the first (and possibly still only?) boy group choreo that got banned from music shows. and even with that achievement Cross Gene is unknown to the mainstream media... it felt sad. anyway, i needed more Takuya content. i started watching Abnormal Summit - only 6 years late, no big deal. i watched like 10 episodes before getting bored (poor Takuya barely got any screentime and i didn’t really care about the guests).

over a month and a half my life was all Cross Gene. i’m not sure how it happened. i watched so many live performances, probably because that’s all there is to watch. fucking hell there’s literally barely any Cross Gene content on youtube and that drives me WILD but anyway. i watched some variety shows. whatever i could find that was subbed in english really lol. i ended up listening to every single one of their songs. i’ve had their entire discography - bar for one song that i just haven’t found at all lol - playing on loop for weeks now. my playlist is only Cross Gene. i’ve fallen for them so much harder than when i found out about them 6 years ago, and i surprised myself by liking every single one of their songs. the only time i’ve had that was with Big Bang, where i liked every single song by them - at least until MADE. even EXO, and you know how deep i was into them, had several songs i would occasionally skip or just not like listening to. but not Cross Gene. every Cross Gene song is a masterpiece. and i love every single one of them.

and then... something strange happened. for the past 6 years my Cross Gene life was only Takuya, and yet... over less than 10 days... my Cross Gene life became only Seyoung.

i don’t even know if i remembered his name when i came back to them last month. there’s a high chance i didn’t. and while i was watching all those videos, performances, dance practices, variety shows - my eyes were mostly only on Takuya. so... Seyoung... how did you do it?

to be honest, i literally have no idea. it just happened. like that. woke up one day thinking about Seyoung. feels like he’s been on my mind forever. no thoughts, head empty. only Seyoung. and within a week, just like that, i've become SO IN LOVE with Lee Seyoung.

for some reason, this feels different. i was obsessed with quite a few idols in the past, but i can’t remember ever feeling for them what i’m feeling for Seyoung right now. maybe it’s because i’m older and actually have a boyfriend so it feels more mature, less crazy, more respectful. even though i’ll admit i also feel [redacted] to him which is also the first time but eh... happens i guess.

but one thing i really need to mention is... just how attached i became to him, even within a week.

when i first found out about Cross Gene, JG hadn’t been part of the group for a while. “my” Cross Gene has always been with Seyoung, not that i have anything against JG at all, of course - but i don’t have any particular attachment to him since i didn’t “grow” with him. Seyoung however, feels like a natural piece of Cross Gene to me. like he’s always been there, and like he belongs there. i can’t imagine Cross Gene without him, even though their first two albums were without him. and that brings me to...

as i said earlier, i’ve been listening to Cross Gene’s entire discography on loop for weeks on end now. this includes their Timeless albums, sung with JG. i’m used to those versions, and i don’t mind them. JG is a good vocalist and the songs are good. but everything changes when they perform them at a concert.

i watched a few concerts (whatever i could find), i’ve heard La-Di Da-Di and New Days with Seyoung, and i couldn’t really think of anything about them. i like having Seyoung there. obviously, it sounds different, as JG and Seyoung have critically different vocals, but i couldn’t think of anything else other than enjoying the performance.

then i watched their With U concert. there, they performed Sky High.

i watched knowing Sky High is a song on Timeless, so originally sung with JG. i watched full of expectations of how Seyoung’s version is gonna sound like.

in Sky High, JG’s first lines are the second part of the first chorus. that’s a full minute before he starts singing. i watched this performance with my eyes on Seyoung. the way he watches the rest of the members before his turn comes.

i had no idea what was gonna hit me.

Seyoung started singing and i started crying. literal tears in my eyes. i don’t think i’ve ever cried over someone’s voice before.

it sounded so different. this wasn’t the version i’m used to, and yet, it felt so natural. it felt like Seyoung belonged there. it felt like Seyoung had been singing this song forever. it felt like this was Seyoung’s song. i felt like i wanted him to keep singing it forever.

and so i cried while listening to this performance. between Seyoung’s beautiful voice, the energy with which he sang and danced, the overall feeling of the performance... i was a complete mess.

there’s someone in the comments of that video saying that they can’t accept Seyoung as a replacement for JG’s parts. this honestly made me realize how deeply attached i am to Seyoung. there’s people who don’t want to hear him sing JG’s parts because they sound too different, and there’s me who cries as soon as he sings two words.

i love Seyoung... i love Seyoung so much.

his nickname within the group is ‘Miracle Gene’.

when i heard him sing Sky High, that’s what i thought.

he really is a miracle.

i’m so glad he’s there with Cross Gene. he belongs there.

my god, i love him so much.

[keysoflight]

Always Together

A little look into Takuya and Takato's college life. (A small Takuya x Takato one-shot)

I really hope you liked reading the story, just one of my many ideas in the many headcanons and verse I have for them. This is one of Digimon OTPs and I need to write more stuff about them.

This was not the weekend activity that Takuya had in mind for him and Takato. There was a party going on tonight, everyone was going, including their friends but Takuya needed to finish his essay for Monday. His boyfriend was helping him study and finish the essay in time, it meant giving up their weekend but it had to be done. Of course, Takuya didn’t like the idea, and he felt a little bad that Takato was spending tonight studying with him instead of partying. Takuya huffed as rested his head on his hand as he was sat on the carpeted floor opposite to Takato, in between them was a pile of paperwork, books and pens.

“This is not how I expected to spend our Saturday night…” Takuya huffed, as the boredom was clear in his tone.

“I know. I know… You wanted to party, get drunk and have fun… But you wanna pass don’t you?” Takato smiled as Takuya sighed, and then nodding his head.

“Yeah…” The older male responded as he then grabbed up some of the paperwork with his handwriting on it.

“Okay, I’ve done two pages out of… twenty.” He paused as he was really behind as he then groaned falling back on the ground with the papers resting on his face.

“AH! This so boring, I’m never gonna get this finished, why’d I even pick this stupid course.” Takuya whined as the other brunette just shook his head to the sides.

“Wasn’t it because you found it so interesting, or was it because I was on the course…” Takato teased the other who lifted the paper over his face staring at his boyfriend.

“Both I think.” He admitted as one of his course choices was the same as Takato, and he chose the same university because he wanted to be close to him.

“That was pretty impulsive of you… You could’ve a pick a course more suited to you and still to this university with me.” Takato chuckled as he liked how impulsive he was.

Takato and Takuya had been dating for over two years, and they had been friends since meeting in high school, they got on very well, had a lot of things in common. Over time they became attracted to each other, and Takuya made the first plunge, on their graduation night he kissed him, told him that he loved him. Takato happily returned his feelings, they became inseparable after that, being accepted to the same university, moving away from home, and starting their university life together.

Now in the start of their second year, with two years to go until they graduated, that is of course if Takuya could manage to complete his essays on time. A few more minutes had passed as Takato was reading through his notes with his boyfriend’s head resting on his lap, even he was being lazy, Takato was going to help him finish the essay, if he could he would do for the other, but that wouldn’t be practical. With one hand he started to scratch Takuya’s hair affectionately making the other grin with joy.

“Alright, so your research notes are really good, but what you’re struggling with writing it all out, how to layout it out…” Takato was focused on the notes, while Takuya listened.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll get it sorted it together.” He smiled looking down at Takuya, who then reached up to him, pulling down closer so he could kiss him.

“Hey now, were meant to be focusing, that’s not going to help...” Takato said as Takuya just cupped his cheek as he kissed him again, the other brunette returned the kiss but this sweet moment quickly ended as Takato pulled away.

“Come on… Let’s see how far we can get and then…” He blushed as Takuya smirked as he nuzzled softly against him, it was very easy for him to get distracted or lose focus as he was trying to tempt his boyfriend.

“Okay. It a little after 8, let’s continue for a couple of hours and afterwards we can…” He whispered something Takuya’s ear which made the brunette chuckled, he blushed faintly as they both grinned at each other.

“I’m gonna hold you to that, fine… Let’s do this essay or whatever.” He said sitting back up as he started writing again with Takato going through the books and their notes advising him on what to write next…

(A few days later)

It was the Monday afternoon, it had been a boring weekend but they managed to finish Takuya’s essay, he handed it in the morning during class and was waiting to receive it. He was nervous all he needed was passing grade and he could breathe, if not he would have to re-take after their summer vacation, and he could fail the year. Takuya was sat outside his class waiting for his professor to call him in, he was going to meet Takato and the others as soon as he got in his essay back. Then the door opened as he was called into the class, he stood up, took a deep breath and entered the room, on the professor's desk were stacks of papers that had been graded carefully.

"Mr Kanbara, here you go, in the future, I hope you leave enough time to prepare properly for my essays, it's clear you rushed this. However, you put a lot of effort into it." The teacher said handing the paperwork back Takuya, he was expecting to see a D or worse as he turned over the essay. A grin formed on his face as he glanced at his teacher and essay a few times.

"I expect better work from you next time, you're very promising, you just need to be more organised." He said faintly smiling as Takuya then cleared his throat as he respectively bowed slightly.

"T-Thank you, sir, I promise I won't let you down." He said smiling as he then left the room, waited until he was outside before he excitedly shook his arms up and down, trying to contain his joy.

A little later he with Takato and the twins, his arm around his boyfriend's neck, still happy with his grade. On his paper was marked a 'B-' grade, it wasn't a perfect grade but it was a passing one. He was still glad to have passed and he wouldn't have to worry about it over the summer or repeat it.

"And you said I wouldn't pass." Takuya grinned at Koji as the other just rolled his eyes.

"You barely passed, and if it wasn't for Takato you would have failed, miserably..." Koji replied as Koichi chuckled as soon things never changed between his brother and their friend. Takato just smiled as he was happy for Takuya.

"See, I knew you could do it," Takato said before he sweetly pecked Takuya's cheek.

"Yeah but Koji's right, If you hadn't helped me I wouldn't have passed. You make a great teacher." Takuya told the other brunette

"Your lucky Takuya. To have Takato by your side, you guys are a great combination together." Koichi said making the two boys blush as they looked at each other.

"Ah jeez, why you always gotta stuff like that..." Takuya rubbed the back of his head while Takato giggled.

"He's Koichi. What'd you expect?" Koji stated as his twin gently elbowed him.

"So, this Friday. Party." Takuya suggested as he eager to have some fun and make up for the last weekend.

"Hmm. Maybe I'm pretty sure Zoe and JP are free..." Koichi said regarding their friends

"Yeah, I can see if Henry, Rika, and the others are available. You've earned it." Takato added as they continued walking down the hall, his hands interlocked with Takuya.

[x0401x]

Given Movie: Anime Eiga Interview

The adult trio of “Given”, Nakazawa Masatomo, Eguchi Takuya and Asanuma Shintarou – finding out about each other’s appeal through proffering a deep love.

The sequel to the TV series that adapted Ms. Kizu Natsuki’s popular BL manga into an anime came in the form of “Given the Movie” and made its appearance in the big screen. Along with sensible expressions of emotion, this series depicts the circumstances of youthful love connected by music, capturing the hearts of the viewers. The movie portrays the “bitter and passionate love” between the band’s “adult members”, Haruki and Akihiko, as well as Akihiko and his ex-boyfriend, the genius violinist Murata Ugetsu, whom he continues to live with even after breaking up. Hence, this time, we have hit up Nakazawa Masatomo, the voice of Haruki, Eguchi Takuya, the voice of Kaji Akihiko, and Asanuma Shintarou, the voice of Ugetsu. What kind of appeal did they sense from one another after co-acting in roles where they had to proffer intense love? We had each of them discuss their thoughts.

Discovering the charm of the characters anew in a movie where the feelings of each accelerate.

——The movie is about the romance between Haruki, Akihiko and Ugetsu. The thoughts that they had been concealing are exposed, so what were your impressions when you read the script?

Nakazawa: In the TV series, Haruki, the character I play, was thinking about “wanting the band to do well” and “what he should do for the band’s sake”, being a “sideline support” for Mafuyu and Ritsuka, together with Akihiko. Haruki and Akihiko are said to be part of the “adult group”, but the two of them have their own ways of thinking - Akihiko is the type that aims for good things by taking action using a detonator. On the other hand, Haruki is always calmly concerning himself with everyone, so that they can do things freely. Both of them listened to Mafuyu’s singing voice, were influenced by it and suffered changes, so I felt from the script that I could get a glimpse at these changes. Regarding Haruki, he started feeling his own loneliness more strongly, and while watching Mafuyu display his musical talent more and more, he also had a complex about being just an ordinary person who liked music a little bit. I felt like we were able to see what Haruki was carrying under the surface.

——Were there any points where you felt the appeal of Haruki and Akihiko all over again?

Nakazawa: There were. Haruki never tells Akihiko that he likes him and does his best to hide it. It’s totally obvious, though... (laughs). Through Haruki, I felt that there are things you convey not with words but with feelings, and on the other hand, there are things that can finally be conveyed when you put them into words.

——Eguchi-san plays the role of Akihiko. Please tell us your impressions of the script.

Eguchi: I had read the original work, so I was looking forward to seeing the hearts of everyone from the “adult group” being moved and them putting an end to things. When I read the script, this is quite obvious, but I had many lines (laughs). Akihiko shows in it a part of himself that he never had until then, so destroying something like a sculpture of Akihiko that the TV series had warmed up was necessary work. Moreover, it was the kind of scrip that allowed for all kinds of fun, such as how long the monologues and narrations should be, so I felt a strong sense of compensation from it. During the recordings, I first tried throwing in what I had come up with. The team makes you want to create something together with them, so I felt like making up my mind and challenging myself. I was very happy to be able to take on the challenge.

——When you threw it in, were you able to see a new side to Akihiko’s appeal?

Eguchi: “So he was THAT compassionate?!” was what I thought. Akihiko is always cool, so I wondered when his emotions would take a swing, but I think this was a sign that he was afraid of “changing the present”. In the movie, I had to carry out the job of Akihiko properly facing all sorts of things and doing a retake on his true feelings. He gave off more of an adult impression until that point, so I think I got to see a more realistic, young part of him.

——Asanuma-san plays the role of Ugetsu, who continues living with Akihiko after breaking up.

Asanuma: There were few episodes in the TV series where Ugetsu showed up, but even in them, there are crucial scenes in which you can get a glimpse that “Ugetsu is this kind of person”. It’s exactly because he is a genius that he acts indifferent about anything other than music, gets fawned on in a genius-like way that makes people think, “If he says so, then there’s no helping it”, and has great interest in people like Mafuyu, whom he feels sympathy for. There’s a scene in the movie where Ugetsu and Mafuyu meet for the first time, and when I read the script, I felt that “Ugetsu approached Mafuyu with honest feelings”. It’s because he has sympathy for Mafuyu that he ends up telling him things that he can’t say to Akihiko face-to-face, such as “I love Akihiko to death”, and shows a side of himself that he usually doesn’t show to other people. It seems he speaks out his feelings when he’s with Mafuyu for some reason, which made me wonder if it isn’t Mafuyu who has the power to make people act like that.

——Ugetsu has a mysterious charm as a character. Was there anything you deemed as important when performing him?

Asanuma: It was my first time taking part in a BL show, but I felt that “Given” is a series that portrays emotions very delicately, down to the details. When performing, it’s exactly because the depictions of emotions are detailed that I make sure not to be “too theatrical”.

Love becomes more complicated as you grow older?

——In the TV series, we were able to see Mafuyu and Ritsuka’s high schooler-like romance, yet the movie is about an “adult love”, where they are “going through unfulfilling and agonizing situations, but no matter what, they like each other”. Was there anything you felt seeing their love?

Asanuma: There are things that we end up complicating precisely because we have accumulated experiences as adults. It’s because we know about all sorts of things that we don’t want to get in the other’s way and feelings of inferiority towards the other are born. When you’re a child, you don’t think much about things such as “pulling away because you think too much about the other person”, for example. There are many things we have to face when we become adults, so we might turn the feeling of “romantic love” around in complicated ways.

Nakazawa: I think “being able to break up once and for all” is important in adult romance as well. Not clashing with each other like, “I can’t do this with you anymore!” and parting ways, but instead ending it with, “If that’s how it is, it might be better for us not to be together anymore” after learning about each other’s circumstances is also a form of love. I think that reflecting about not just the feeling of “love”, but also about what you should do to make the “we can’t be together anymore” that lies ahead into a reality is what adult romance is.

Asanuma: They’re called the “adult group”, but they’re not adults yet. Even I, who am in my 40’s, have yet to come across anything like an “unconditional love”...

Eguchi: I believe this is valid for all kinds of romantic love, but I think it’s about being together with someone because you find that person to be an “irreplaceable existence”. And it’s because they’re irreplaceable that going out with them isn’t the goal, and the couple has to properly face one another. Also, when I looked at their romance, I felt it’s precisely because they like and are close to each other that there are words between them that they can’t say. They might have had a different relationship if they had conveyed those words, but there are words that can’t be conveyed exactly because this possibility exists. I think humans are extremely complex.

“Eguchi-kun is sharp!” – A casting that fit perfectly.

——What kind of appeal did you feel in each other’s acting and personalities through “Given”?

Nakazawa: The way that Asanuma-san bears a “quiet intensity” when playing as Ugetsu is very charming.

Asanuma: For real!?

Eguchi: And you’re also too good at putting on the air of a genius!

Asanuma: It’s only putting on, though. I have to make sure not to take it off too soon (laughs).

Eguchi: It had me thinking, “The way he envelops himself in the air of a genius is just genius!” Asanuma-san can push and pull splendidly. I was thinking, “He’s so awesome” when I watched it.

Asanuma: There are times when I tend to explain things with my voice no matter what. Before, in a different work, the sound director told me, “The animation is already doing the explanation, so you don’t have to try to explain with your voice so much.” In works like this one, where the subtleties of the characters’ hearts are so detailed, I think it’s even more important to bear in mind “not being too theatrical”, without deeming it as an exception just because it’s a BL, but instead seeing it as a love pattern that could happen anywhere and performing naturally.

——What is your impression of Nakazawa-san?

Asanuma: Nakazawa-san is tolerance incarnate! He can be no one but Haruki.

Eguchi: That’s right. He gives off a “mom” vibe (laughs). He’s like that during the recordings too; Nakazawa-san himself is a very soft person.

Asanuma: And although he may disagree, “looking troubled” suits him.

Nakazawa: I disagree!

All three: (Burst into laughter).

Asanuma: Since being troubled suits you, it feels like people gather around you, thinking that they “want to try and give you trouble” without any ill intent.

Nakazawa: That rings a bell (laughs). Indeed, I myself think that I have a Haruki-like side too. I also have a side that accepts basically anyone and any kind of comment... As for Eguchi-kun, if nothing else, he’s sharp! In terms of voice quality, his tone is low-pitched and solid, so the acting that he brings out is extremely sharp. There’s a fineness to it where it acts as a detonator, especially in “Given”, as if it will set fire, to his heart’s contentment, to anything that seems inflammable. He pulls off an acting that has an explosiveness to it, as he takes ahold of the important points while performing in a natural manner, so I have a lot of trust in him.

Asanuma: Eguchi-kun gives off a sense of broad-mindedness and security. Not because his body is big, though (laughs). I feel that he’s something like an emotional bodyguard. It was my first time in a BL series, but when I heard that Eguchi-kun would be the other party, I vaguely thought that “everything will go well”.

Eguchi: Thank you so much!