nihilnothings

[nihilnothings]

Who is Fumiko, What is Fumiko, and Why is Fumiko?

Introduction

“Chainsawman and problematic women name a better duo”

  Today’s chapter has sprung a lot of discussion regarding a controversial character who goes by Fumiko Mifune, a new character within the list of CSM’s problematic women that joins Makima and Himeno in the groomer gang.

Her making inappropriate advances and actions towards minors already makes her be on so many people’s shit list, doesn’t help that she herself is within the “good guys” side (in the loosest term considering that most CSM characters are somewhat morally bankrupt) which makes it squicky for characters as well as the readers to work with someone who does actions that are a little too close to irl, when you make even Denji uncomfortable I think that character should have a moment of self-reflection. However, considering that this is the CSM world and PS as an organisation isn’t really a moral paragon, I think it makes sense to have some problematic nutcases within the organisation (PS really needs to improve their HR department smh). 

Currently people are confused and befuddled on why her previous actions (diddling and humiliating Denji) contradicts the words that she said within the newest chapter (liking Denji for who he is and protecting him). Like most CSM characters, they aren’t often the most straightforward types so if you take their actions and words at face value, you’re probably missing something (or not). Based on the many opinions of people on her there are two ways that you can view her. 

Fumiko the Manipulator 

One of the ways people can interpret her contradicting statements and actions is to perceive her as a manipulator who would do anything to keep Denji from transforming into Chainsawman. If she has to provide him with sex, so be it. If she has to be a Chainsawman fan, so be it. If she has to say that she likes him, so be it. It has to be remembered that Fumiko works with Yoshida and under PS with the goal of keeping Chainsawman from resurfacing presumably to halt Fami’s plans. This explains why she says a fan of CSM in one page and then says she’s a Denji fan the next few days. She even reveals to him that she and PS invaded his privacy, a fan has a normal amount of idolization. This is just stalker behaviour at this point! 

I think everyone who thinks that she’s merely doing her job would find that this interpretation as making a lot of sense right? Yesn’t. If she were doing her job properly then why’d she blab her mouth about surveillance and why would she give semi-subtle nudges for Denji to maybe reconsider his choices in not being Chainsaw. This could be interpreted as mere teasing or incompetence but Fumiko doesn’t seem to be the type to be that incompetently stupid, she’s carefree but not careless.Therefore her contradictions could mean something else entirely with the below interpretation.

Fumiko the Misguided 

In the recent chapter, Fumiko mentioned a bit of her backstory of her being caught in the chaos of the battle between AKI47 and Denji. At that moment, two things dawned upon her, CSM is not omnipotent and that he’s but a child. This view of him being imperfect festered and held two contradicting feelings within her where she on one hand wants to be “super” like Chainsaw and at the same time holds some resentment for his inability to save. At the same time, she also developed pity that a boy not even of legal age has been involved in operations meant for adults. These two feelings she felt recontextualizes and explains why she acted differently within their first meeting compared to subsequent ones where she’s much more affable with him. It is not wrong to say that she cares for him but that care is not completely pure as it is “tainted” by the resentment and idolization she felt. In a way the assault can be interpreted as a way of her “caring for his needs” despite it being ethically/morally wrong for her to do so as an adult, according to some people who hold this interpretation. Even if she does care, sad to say Denji doesn’t see it that way as she’s already broken his trust by assaulting him and taking away his privacy, Denji might be often be viewed as desperate but even he has his limits and he himself has had enough of any sort of “care” that only serves to harm his being. Is there any way for reconciliation? Perhaps, but only future chapters can tell. 

I find this interpretation quite interesting as it exemplifies the morally grey and black world of the CSM-verse, it doesn’t forgive her wrongdoings but doesn’t necessarily paint her as a moustache twirling villain either. However, you may ask, is this true? Hard to say considering that this is a first and her backstory while believable feels “stock” that it feels as if there’s more that she’s hiding from Denji as well as the audience. Characters who are often marked for death in order to further the protagonist’s development in CSM tend to have a flashback when explaining their motives or back story and considering she’s a more amoral parallel of Himeno it’s quite odd that she hasn’t had one. 

The Future of Fumiko within the Narrative? 

With these two interpretations can we now determine her role in Denji’s development considering she’s been attached to him for quite a while? It’s a bit hard to say on where her trajectory is but considering that there’s glimpses of her “caring for him”, as twisted as it is, her development may lead to him having a glimpse of a healthier relationship with women other than Power and Asa during their brief moment in the Aquarium, considering her age she maybe the “mother figure” (still kinda yikes considering what happened in 137) that he’s looking for before getting offed or maybe not and it’s just something platonic where they both see each other as the flawed yet at the same time well meaning individuals that they are before she probably gets killed off. Alternatively, it may be something else entirely because Fujimoto often throws off his readers.

Conclusion 

Fumiko isn’t a character that’s meant to be universally liked, with her polarising as well as contradicting actions and statements, she’s meant to incite a divisive reaction amongst the fandom, similar to her predecessor but even worse considering that she’s even more loose and immoral than her. That said, I am hoping that she’s able to stay long enough within the series as there seems to be a lot left to explore within her as compared to Himeno and Yuko who are more or less figured out, Fumiko hasn’t “revealed” all her cards to the cast as well as the audience. Until she reveals it, she can’t die yet lest she becomes merely fodder with no purpose. 

[nihilnothings]

4.0 Spiral Abyss C6 Ayaka ft. C6 Shenhe Cooks Emperor of Fire and Iron (16s)

To those who are kinda new to me, I occasionally speedrun in Genshin Impact by optimizing for the fastest times possible with my investment.

It would also be appreciate if you all can also visit my YT channel for other runs

Link:

[nihilnothings]

Oshi no Ko's Angel of Light: Kamiki Hikaru

So, I wrote a review of Oshi no Ko previously, just not on this blog. I talked there about the meaning of Hoshino Ai as a name (it's literally hoshi no eye, Ai spelled in katakana to reinforce that it's a loanword, meaning starry eye, and of course, eye/ai is a homonym for love) and how Oshi no Ko uses wordplay and puns to introduce its themes.

Naturally, I wanted to talk about the other parent, whose name is just as significant.

Kamiki Hikaru is literally "god of light/shining god." Well, okay, sort of. It's technically "kami of light," and kami doesn't translate super well into English. It's often referred to as a god in Shintoism, but it's not quite the western perception of a god. Spirit is another popular translation.

Of course, this references the supernatural themes of the story, as well as Hikaru's role. See, "angel of light" is what the Christian Bible calls Lucifer, the Christian devil. Pretty fitting for Hikaru's role in the story as the main villain.

But wait! There's more! Lucifer itself, as a name, refers to the planet Venus, known as the morning star. Which, of course, is the "star" we see in the story associated with Ai.

(Yes, the story is very much using distinctly Christian allusions alongside Shinto ones.)

Hikaru, like Lucifer, is known to, well, want everything for himself. That doesn't mean he wants all the worship of the world like Lucifer literally did according to mythology. No, instead it's far more insidious but no less disturbing: he sees himself as entitled to dictate how the world runs. He decides whose life is worth living, and makes others pay for mistakes of people they don't even know. He's playing God, in other words--exactly what Lucifer did to fall from heaven in Christian mythology (it's not actually super biblical hence why I'm using "mythology").

Lucifer is also called "Satan" obviously, which literally means "accuser" in Hebrew. That's kind of the perfect summary for what Hikaru sees himself as: he's visiting his hatred of an abuser he has every right to hate on everyone and everything that remotely reminds him of her.

The thing is, as said above, Hikaru does have the right to hate Airi, just like Aqua has the right to hate him. But following the path of revenge is Not The Way.

So, is Hikaru Satan?

No. He's a person.

The Path To Hikaru

Hikaru is not all that different from the other characters we know and love--Ai, Ruby, Kana, Akane, and especially Aqua. Fitting since they're all idols of sorts (yes, Akasaka is constantly using religious references to add social commentary to the idea of an "idol" as a false god/object of worship). They're also all actors.

Hikaru is what Aqua risks becoming. No, seriously. Hikaru was traumatized as a child via rape that led to the creation of a life.

As a result he's pretty anti-life as a whole, and especially anti-woman. He's constantly seeking revenge on women, hence his murder-happy spree. The problem is that he's not seeing these women as individuals: he sees everyone and everything as a representation of Airi, the person who assaulted him.

Also, society as a whole's attitude towards male victims of sexual assault, especially male victims of attractive women, means that Hikaru would not be seen as a victim. One of OnK's major themes is how messed up society is and how it dehumanizes people via fitting them into roles, and this is a perfect example of the harm that can come from it. Hikaru would be seen as a boy, and all boys clearly want sex. A famous actress slept with him? Lucky him! Even though this never came out publicly, Hikaru absolutely knew this was the case and it certainly plays a role in his grudge against the world.

Even though Airi is dead (probably as a result of him provoking her husband by revealing that he wasn't the father), he still isn't satisfied. No, Airi is still everywhere. Killing the perpetrator, making them pay, did not erase his trauma.

If Aqua kills Hikaru, his trauma will likewise not be erased. Not his trauma as Gorou, not his trauma as Aqua. Hikaru's death will fix absolutely nothing in his life besides stopping more murders, but there are ways to do that that, y'know, don't involve killing. If Aqua kills Hikaru, he will lose the best part of Gorou (valuing life) and the best part of Aqua (the future Ai wanted for him, a future with Kana and Ruby).

Aqua, You are Your Father

Aqua, you are your father. It's almost like the entire series has been trying to give you this message and you keep ignoring it. (By the way, because I know I'm going to get asks about this, I am NOT saying Aqua and Hikaru are moral equivalents. Not at all. I'm just saying that Aqua is walking a path that will end with him being just like Hikaru if he doesn't get shoved off said path.)

From being the violent stalker who attacks someone who has never felt loved in his first acting job after Ai's death to scenes like this:

The story is asking Aqua to take a good long look at himself, and he's trying desperately to avoid doing this. Why? Because he's also playing God, same as his father, same as Satan in Christianity. He thinks he is responsible for everything; a natural, childish attitude that people grow out of as they age.

Of course, Aqua is not nearly as toxic in this as Hikaru--he's not attacking innocent people--but the root of this is still a belief that he somehow controls what happens, when he doesn't. He doesn't at all.

Aqua, too, is just a person.

But Aqua struggles to understand what it means to be a person, to be Hoshino Aquamarine.

He struggles to see other people as people, too. This ranges from sabotaging Ruby's auditions to how he treats Akane to his protecting Kana without considering what she wants. It's been brought up multiple times in the story so far:

Aqua also fundamentally does not see Ai as a human being, either. Unlike Ruby, who calls Ai "Mama," Aqua only ever calls her "Ai," her persona. Aqua and Ai are foils to Kana and her own mother, in that Kana's mom lived through Kana only to abandon her, and Aqua is living through his mom... but ignoring what she would actually want.

(Ruby isn't flawless or perfectly healthy, and the story certainly doesn't frame them as good twin bad twin, but Ruby's overall worldview is absolutely more in line with what the story wants to endorse.) That's why we have lines like this, where Ruby reveals that she has a healthier view of their mother than Aqua does. She knows Ai was flawed.

This is extra notable because he has 0 problems calling Hikaru his father. It's almost like Aqua is drowning in self-hatred, in feeling unloved, in the idea that he brings bad luck just by existing.

He'll call out Ruby for her negative traits, but Aqua thinks he deserves them. Aqua dehumanizes himself, the same way he dehumanizes Ai, and he has to see both his mother and himself people before he can step off this path.

Essentially, what he tells Ruby here is exactly what he needs to realize, but he has not done so.

The root of Aqua's God complex is that he cannot move past his trauma. It's actually psychologically realistic that a child who experienced such an event would be stuck in a childish mindset wherein they feel guilt for not being able to save their mother.

But it's not just Ai that Aqua couldn't save. It's Sarina, too. She is the one who introduced him to Ai, after all. He didn't move on from her death in his past life, either, which can probably be traced back to his own tragic birth circumstances--the idea that he only brings death, because his mother died giving birth to him. Gorou even states that he became a doctor to help people like his mother, but the point is also that he wanted to bring life, not death.

Except, he isn't God. Neither Gorou nor Aqua are. He can't save Sarina, and that isn't his fault. But Sarina ends up okay as Ruby, not through his own intervention. Aqua couldn't save Ai, but that's not his fault.

The point I'm making here is that Aqua needs to heal the hurting child within him. The story has also brought up the theme of children suffering at the hands of the entertainment industry numerous times:

His path towards healing would involve taking a long look not just at the hurting child in himself, but the hurting child in Hikaru, too. Which is not the same as excusing. After all, we already saw what happened with Aqua thought his dad was dead: despite the supposed justice and his proclamations about being free, he was still every inch the trapped, terrified, traumatized child afraid to live. Killing Hikaru won't be any different.

Becoming Human

So, is there hope for Aqua?

Yeah. A ton of it.

Despite the tragedy of Ai's story, every other arc has ended optimistically. The story's optimism, also, is fundamentally rooted in humanity. Every character, even the ones who seem like exploitative jerks like the producers who edited Akane to look bad and the self-centered mangakas, end up having their thoughts and motives explored, and we see where they are coming from. Not only that, but they have the best of intentions.

Frankly, this is true to life as well. Precious few people see themselves as the villain. Almost everyone thinks they're doing the right thing. It's very human.

The end of the reality dating show arc is kind of what I expect in the end here. There, all contestants came together and pooled their unique individual talents to exonerate Akane. I would expect Ruby, Miyako, Kana, and Akane (who herself has finally realized that she can step into her own personhood instead of trying to be Ai/whatever Aqua needs and vowed to stop him) to come together to save Aqua from himself.

Aqua is incredibly loved, and he doesn't seem to understand this. Love is what enabled Ai to die smiling. A lack of love, feeling undeserving of love, is what torments Sarina/Ruby, Aqua, Kana, and more. The bastardization of love is what torments Hikaru.

Love allows someone to be themselves, truly, to individuate. This is what Aqua needs to learn:

He also doesn't need to earn the love of those around him, nor the love of Ai. She loved him just because he was her son, and all she wanted was for him to be happy and to live.

Imo, it's pretty unlikely Akasaka plans to end the series with Aqua becoming Hikaru 2.0. My guess is that Hikaru will be stopped because of Aqua, and he'll even likely die, but not at Aqua's hand. I suspect Akane, Ruby, and especially Kana (the one person Aqua has consistently placed above Ai) will help save Aqua from himself.

[nihilnothings]

While I enjoyed yesterday's interlude it didn't expand what we already know of Kana and Akane's Rivalry

Don't get me wrong I appreciated the appearance of Akane after being gone for so long and the banter between the two but compared to the two previous interludes I don't think it expanded or recontextualized their character or some of the interactions within the series, making the filler just filler. While I know the purpose of the interludes were meant to pad out time until we get back to the main plot, the previous two interludes kinda elevated itself a bit from typical filler by taking a deeper dive on their characters.

Kana and Akane's interlude showed what we know about them, they don't really get along, but Akane has tried to make attempts in doing so but Kana's too stubborn to acknowledge it.

This in stark comparison to what Melt and Memcho's interlude that expanded more about them.

Memcho's Interlude: Deepens a Past Scene

Memcho's interlude reveals more about her past which parallels Miyako's own background: they both had dreams of entering certain parts of the entertainment industry but hesitated due to society's ageist beliefs on certain occupations, only to reveal that deep down, they still wished to chase that dream. Knowing more of Memcho's background deepens the reasoning on why Miyako gave her leeway to join B-Komachi, because she too was in a similar place and didn't want her to experience the same thing when Ichigo had given her a chance. It enhances the scene by making it more heartwarming in hindsight.

Melt's Interlude: Expanding his Character

Since the "Sweet Today" arc, Melt has been trying to grow beyond his pretty boy image as he felt that it wasn't for him, he even tried to fiddle with music, which his boss rejected. Even when he became better in acting during Tokyo Blade, the pretty boy label still latched his career by the netizens. It's a bit bittersweet to know that labels don't come off as easily, a real time thing that's often referred to as being type-casted, but instead of giving into despair he tried to own the pretty-boy image through his own terms. If people want a pretty boy, then he'd be the best pretty boy that he can be, a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the problem he's facing. While being a pretty-boy often involves looks, it also carries a character of charisma and confidence to the label, therefore Melt isn't necessarily stuck being just a pretty face if he's able to bring these qualities to other aspects of entertainment.

Conclusion

It's a shame that one of the prominent characters didn't get an interlude which expands or contextualizes events within the canon. The filler was short and fun as a way to showcase more scenes of the rivalry but I wish it could've been more like the previous two, so it wasn't completely filler.

[nihilnothings]

Stay - An AquKane Poem

Stay

Because the night is cold

Stay

Your happiness is rare as gold

Stay

I don't want you to go

Stay

Even if it's not for me

Stay

Because I want you to know

Stay

I love you so

[nihilnothings]

Patricide Under a Starry Night - A Poem Inspired by a Father and Son

The moonlight shined bright

Tainted by crimson blood in the night

An estranged father and his begotten son

At the crossroads of destiny where one would be gone

The spirit of vengeance won

Against the evil of the patriarch hidden under the sun

The journey of revenge leaves the soul tainted

Purity loss through the knife red painted

Though it was better than the choice unchosen

Where the souls he damned left restless and broken

This artist is underrated as hell please give them a follow

[nihilnothings]

Against Me - A Poem Inspired by Chapter 140 of CSM

All my life I had been a puppet held to a string

Not knowing free will nor a single thing

Even when I was free I still felt captive

My mind and body not adaptive

They present me a scale to which there is only two

Presenting me a falsehood which they deem as true

I grow weary of all these carrots and sticks

The games they play they drive me sick

If the world seeks an enemy then let it be

For I will show them all of me

[nihilnothings]

Taking the Wrong Turn

For as long as I've known vengeance is my zeal

Everything else is a distraction, 'tis the only thing that's real

Until I met a blue whose hue made days less blue

The grays started to soften and the blacks slowly fade

I wish for these days to never leave my abade

Yet darkness still creeps and haunts my soul

Thus with a heavy heart I let her go

Vengeance once more consumes my whole

Seeking to destroy my wretched foe

Aqua and Akane angst is a source of inspiration for writing poems

[nihilnothings]

The Contradictions of Denji Hayakawa and why it’s humanly real

Introduction

“Why does Denji not learn his lesson, is he stupid?”

You’re not entirely wrong but you’re not entirely right.

One of the common gripes of some fans is that Denji appears to not have changed because he keeps falling for women with red flags in exchange for sexual favours, but honestly if anyone paid attention and not get let their emotions do the thinking, he actually has changed for the better in one aspect but he’s struggling for another:

Denji has succeeded in familial love but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it translates to his romantic life.

You can be a decent/good friend or good brother but that doesn’t mean you’ll not fumble with women or romance

What Denji Has Succeeded and How He Did It

One good thing that Makima (unintentionally) did was putting him with Power and Aki. They had a rough start but eventually as all people know he eventually saw them as surrogate family members and Power became one of if not the first close female character he viewed in a platonic sense than in a romantic/sexual sense as at least from his end.

Though they were gone from his life, the lessons he learned never left. Old Denji would only think about his own survival and the carnal pleasures of sex as well as basic necessities, New Denji however stepped up and took on the big gamble of raising the ticking time bomb that is the Control Devil, Nayuta. It can be implied that due to him being shown good examples, Denji was able to succeed in raising Nayuta.

This can strongly conclude that Denji learns by being shown and eventually doing it himself.

For all his setbacks he was a good brother because he had one himself

Interlude: A Common Trope Being Slightly Subverted

We and most of their mothers here know how Part 1 ended, Denji’s broken spirit is mended, he learns more about love and relationships, defeated Makima, and now focuses on living another day as CSM raising her so hooray no more issues right?

It even ended in a seemingly victorious note

I feel like when a long-running series has a continuation and replaces them with a new protagonist, people expect the old protagonist to act as some sort of “mentor” who has everything figured out and helps out the new protagonist in the ropes.

The thing is just because you have one thing figured out doesn’t necessarily mean it translates to everything, real life isn’t like that.

For all of its fantastic elements, Fujimoto characters tend to be praised for being “human” or “real”, it doesn’t exactly mean that it 100% translates to our reality but the way they behave at least resembles somewhat to us humans in real life. Like humans we are, we don’t move linearly forwards or backwards, we move in a haphazard direction that eventually, hopefully, takes us forward, only to repeat that cycle again for a different experience until we reach our inevitable death.

This is what’s currently happening to Denji, he hasn’t had all the things figured out (considering his background, pretty impressive tbh) and he hasn’t reached his goals of finding a good romantic partner. If he had succeeded, then we would be shown a “perfect” Denji that’ll eventually woo Asa without having his own issues or a character who acts as Denji’s girlfriend as a sign that he as a character is fully actualized.

Which is why we see him relapsing against his better judgement.

What Denji is Struggling Right Now and Why Old Habits Die Hard

One of the other things that Makima taught him right is that the activity of sex will be good when it’s done with someone significant and this usually means a romantic partner.

Therefore, when Denji wants sex he also wants a romantic partner along with it.

Now the problem lies in the fact that most of Denji’s romantic experiences weren’t really good at all, most of the women in his life tried to kill and use him, even Asa did once, but thankfully he was shown that she might not be all that bad after all and might lead onto something good for once even if the paths have now caused them to diverge putting that development to a halt. As it is strongly suggested that Denji learns by example, the fact that terrible examples were mostly shown is what’s probably causing him to blunder his romantic life which inadvertently blocks him from having good sex.Not only that but he was essentially mind-broken by Makima to the point of him losing any desire at all, considering how IRL abuse leaves scars, it cannot be denied that toxic patterns still exist within Denji in relation to romance and sex.

He used Chainsaw Man, an important part of him and the part that many people love (especially the ladies), as a means to hook women into a romantic relationship with him, though with Yoshida’s attempts and no sign of a girlfriend, it seems that tactic might not be as effective after all (ironically it did lead him to score Asa unknowingly).

Then, for the sake of Nayuta, he gave away that identity, and thus no longer had a tool to woo women because with all the things that happened in Part 1 and in Part 2, no women seemed to be interested in Denji Hayakawa, thus leaving him listless and desperate. With that he removed the intimate part of sex and hyper-focused on the carnal part out of boredom and desperation with Sus Girl.

However, him struggling doesn’t necessarily mean zero progress, Old Denji wouldn’t have thought of anything and just went with the flow but the fact that he did thought of it shows that he shouldn’t be doing it (he even has a look of shame of doing making the scene of 137 both hilarious and depressing, in the words of abridged Popo, deprerious).

Relapse is a bitch

If Fujimoto didn’t show the hypothetical scenario then we would’ve thought that it was just a cheap gag but the fact that he showed it means that Denji and he knows that this is what the character should be doing but instead he did the opposite making the scene both a gag and a message that change isn’t easy.

Relapsing is a real thing, ask any druggie, addict, junkie, smoker, etc. they all know that it’s wrong but they do it anyway because it’s been their “normal” for so damn long. Heck, let’s not even get to addiction, how many times do you know that procrastination is bad yet still keep doing it anyways? Some might already succeed but a large part of people still keep doing it because it’s been their “normal” even if being productive is better than doing useless shit like making an analysis of Denji’s contradictory behaviours instead of revising your thesis.

Conclusion

Denji’s constant back and forth on the surface looks inconsistent on the outside, but considering all that happened is it a surprise that he’s failing at romance and attempts despite his best in dealing with it? What he needs is someone to show him the right way of handling it, that person doesn’t have to be perfect, but at least teach him that relationships should not be completely transactory and is the work of two people, only then can he probably reduce his mistakes and develop healthier approaches.

Relapsing is a human experience and considering that CSM characters are said to be close to real life, maybe we should view his experience as someone who is struggling to be better but has no capable person to show him.

[nihilnothings]

Asa is a Shinji Reference (IS CSM A STEALTH SEQUEL TO EVA?! /)

I can't believe I only thought about this obvious similarity until it hit me

They're both outcasts of society due to troubling psychological issues that prevent them from connecting or trusting people (Asa loathes a part of herself because she thinks that she's the cause of bad luck to the people she cares about while Shinji hates himself due to the fact that Gendo abandoned him which shot his self-worth down to hell)

It took a catastrophe for them to reach an epiphany that bettered themselves from their previous psychological states (For Asa it was the Falling Devil Debacle, for Shinji it was the Third Impact)

They both have something special within themselves which is why external forces chase after them (Asa will be involved in the Nostradamus prophecy by virtue of being the host of Yoru and Shinji is chosen by Gendo due to him being one of the only one capable of piloting Eva-01)

Despite their demeanor and doubt, when push comes to shove, they will step up and do what they think is right (Though Asa is definitely more decisive than Shinji in general if memory serves)

They had a lesbian/gay coded character who cared for them only to be killed off which heavily impacted their being despite only appearing for a short while (Though Kaoru was more blatant than Yuko with the bath, the piano, and the fact that he literally said I love you to Shinji)

They have a hot-blooded and extroverted blonde love interest who have similar yet at the same time different personal issues of their own.

Both of them and their love interests have a roller-coaster like relationship where they weave between "it's so over" and "we're so back" as a result of clashing personalities and issues within themselves

The hate for their character is often because they're seen as "whiny" (Asa's problems are often perceived to be "not as bad" as Denji's and Shinji is hated because of his indecisiveness in piloting the EVA), "lame", or "unfun" (They're less blatant in terms of what makes them interesting but generally people often gravitate to more outgoing personalities any who) in contrast to their more extroverted, hot-blooded, and outgoing blonde love interest (I was not there when Evangelion first aired but based from a quick-search Asuka was more liked than Shinji)

I can't really think of any differences between her and him but at least personally to me she's slightly more proactive and assertive than Shinji in interacting with people or dealing with the world-ending shit that befalls upon them though the latter could be attributed to her current motivations in "saving" Chainsaw Man while Shinji just wants to live another day for the love and approval of those he yearns and only knew about the Third Impact last minute when NERV got jacked.

[nihilnothings]

How “Thank you For the Venom” Reminds me of Akane and Aqua 

Source: https://twitter.com/holy_one_night

What I love more than angsty songs and angsty couples are relating its lyrics to the dynamics of said couples. When I was listening to MCR, I somehow was thinking of Akane and Aqua along the way, causing me to visualise a music video that matches the lyrics with the best of my abilities in accordance to my interpretation. Without further ado here’s the connection of the song to the dynamic between the two: 

Sister, I'm not much a poet, but a criminal

And you never had a chance

Love it or leave it, you can't understand a pretty face

But you do, so carry on, and on, and on

Interpretation: 

When these lyrics came up the first thing that came to mind was Aqua coming clean to Akane on his true nature on how he views himself as “evil” using his entertainment profession as a means of revenge. He expects that no one would understand him and he initially couldn’t care less but as we all know in the story she’s the first one who did.

I wouldn't front the scene if you paid me

I'm just the way that the doctor made me

On, and on, and on, and on

Love is the red, the rose on your coffin door

What's life like bleeding on the floor, the floor, the floor?

Interpretation: 

What first came to mind while listening to this section was the fact that he can never enjoy acting as it always pained him as he first sees “acting” as a tool for revenge. He can’t help being like this as he’s forged by his past life known as Gorou to enact a vengeance that’s been haunting him for long fueled by the guilt of him failing to save those that mattered to him. 

The 3rd and 4th line can make you think of Ai in her final moments, bleeding and dying on the floor before leaving the world saying that she loves her children

You'll never make me leave, I wear this on my sleeve

Give me a reason to believe

Interpretation: 

This can be seen as a conversation between him and Akane. The first line refers to Akane’s declaration of shouldering his burdens together and following through with it. Aqua, not used to being understood, doubts her. 

So give me all your poison, and give me all your pills

And give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill

You're running after something that you'll never kill

If this is what you want, then fire at will

Interpretation: 

In response she restates her resolve in helping him, his burdens and shoulder the evil and guilt that tortures him. She sees that despite his hard and cold exterior, there’s a part of him that’s still soft on the idea of being a true avenger but resigns herself that if this is what he wants then better prepare himself 

 (I’mma be real though this interpretation can mean differently depending on who you’re talking to due to how the lyrics are presented, I just find that the first two lines can have a positive twist to it despite how it can come off as negative.) 

Preach all you want, but who's gonna save me?

I keep a gun on the book you gave me

Hallelujah, lock and load

Interpretation: 

Aqua being his paranoid self still doubts on whether or not anyone could truly save him. He takes various contingency measures by keeping hidden equipment for situations that might unexpectedly threaten him.  

Black is the kiss, the touch of a serpent son

It ain't the mark or the scar that makes you one, and one, and one, and one

Interpretation:

I’mma be real this one is a bit hard to interpret though I suppose this could mean that his “love” would only corrupt and taint those he touches, ruining their futures and dreams, referencing how his guilt complex prevents him from feeling any sort of happiness.

You'll never make me leave, I wear this on my sleeve

You wanna follow something, give me a better cause to lead

Just give me what I need, give me a reason to believe

Interpretation: 

And again Akane declares that he will never stop him from stopping her and she swears by it. Aqua in response doubles down then asks for an alternative to this gnawing vengeance, desperately asking for what he needs and a reason for him not to self-destruct. 

So give me all your poison, and give me all your pills

And give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill

You're running after something that you'll never kill

If this is what you want, then fire at will

So give me all your poison, and give me all your pills

 (Fire at will)

And give me all your hopeless hearts and make me ill

 (Fire at will)

You're running after something that you'll never kill

 (Fire at will)

If this is what you want, then fire at will

 (Fire at will)

Interpretation: 

Once again Akane is offering to shoulder it with him together and if he’s off for this path then better prepare himself for it. 

And that’s the end of my attempts in trying to connect MCR song lyrics to Aqua and Akane. This isn’t really objective as many people can interpret things differently, this was just what I thought and felt when hearing the song. Due to the personal touch it had, it eventually became a favorite of mine that I kept listening to on repeat, lol.

My Chemical Romance - Thank you for the Venom

[nihilnothings]

What the Theatre Girl Represents

This is less of a theory and more on what Theatre Girl potentially represents considering what's going on through the chapter, but first an abridge of what's going on:

Denji's State

Throughout the chapter I don't think Denji being ignorant about the situation, he's probably confused after the deal with Yoshida and seeing the news on Asa. Chainsaw Man after all has been part of his identity for so long, his "normal", as it is the thing that brought him great happiness as well as great despair. Reading that Denji is in a state of ambivalence, Yoshida decided to take him out to the movies and planned the girl from the start as part of his deal to get him a GF and stay true to committing "normalcy". Denji then rambles on his dilemma as a way to word or vent out his thought processes only to then gets a surprise theatre girl.

Theatre Girl

From the chapter I guess this is what I think she is:

She's the representation of Quanxi's mantra, "Ignorance is Bliss". Short term gratification or carnal pleasures often are the equivalent of "safe drugs" that make us feel good and happy, distracting us from the melancholy of life, choice, and consequences. Denji was having a process of rumination because of what he went through and then suddenly he got jumped by distractive regressive tactics whose purpose is to just focus on the "good vibes" instead of engaging in the dizziness of anxiety. She serves as an obstacle of Denji's personal growth in regards to "truly living", which is to live with the choices and consequences of said choice.

OR

She's (obviously) and intentionally planted by Yoshida to veer Denji into the choice of "life of normalcy" as a way to fulfill his promise of him getting a girlfriend through the carnal pleasures of sex as just being Denji. This was not a coincidence I bet, as Denji still desires good sex in his life after getting cock-blocked too many times by bad apple women who ruins the experience for him.

Aight I'm done, this doesn't really foreshadow anything but just a stream-of-conscious thoughts being written down while reading the chapter

[nihilnothings]

I just recently noticed the similarities between Aqua and Akane's relationship to Hikaru and Ai

This isn't really a new profound theory as I found it on some obscure part of the Internet but I'd like to share some light on it because I just noticed it all of a sudden.

Ruby is usually the go to when people describe someone similar as Ai, after all she is a spitting image of her but blonde, has that similar charisma that draws in people to her, and eventually in traditional Hoshino fashion uses lies as a means to an end.

However, Ruby isn't the only one with similarities to Ai, Aqua too is also similar to his mother, at least when it comes to some aspect of his love life lol but even if they aren't physically similar Aqua too has similarities with his mother, in which they use lies as an expression of their love (The difference being Ai yearns for love while Aqua feels like he doesn't deserved to be loved) wouldn't be her son at all if they don't share anything in common after all!

The parallels so far are mostly on how their love lives are similar:

Both are entertainers who got entangled with Lala Lai Theatre Troupe members for a specific goal in mind

Eventually they started to get romantically involved with one another

They both then experienced a fallout for different reasons (Aqua can't bring himself to have Akane be involved for her safety while Ai started falling out due to the pregnancy, though further details might reveal more on their fallout because ain't no way it's just because of that)

They then started to oppose each other (Akane is actively planning to stop Aqua from self-destructing while REDACTED for reasons unknown went back to murdering again and killed his lover)

That's where the similarities end and where the differences start within this parallel.

In the case of Ai she was the older one, while in the case of Aqua he was the younger one lol (if we don't include his past life that is)

REDACTED opposes Ai but his motives are out of malice (unless Ai did something so bad to him that warrants murder and more murders following that, he is an evil piece of crap for ruining the lives of his children and many others), Akane opposes Aqua but her motives are pure, which is to save him from self-destructing (I personally don't think Akane wants Aqua to not chase after REDACTED as someone as smart as she is knows how dangerous he is, she's probably trying to stop him from destroying himself and find a much "healthier" way to stop him.)

The romance between Ai and REDACTED ended in a very bitter note to the point of Ai getting murdered by him. The fate of Aqua and Akane is still uncertain.

Aqua who is compared to "Ai" is the "bad guy" while Akane who is REDACTED is the "good guy" opposite to how REDACTED and Ai was, though further details of their relationship might shed more light on how they are.

Now the question stand, do these parallels mean anything? Maybe or maybe not, I just found the observation to pique my interest and considering I can't predict the current journey of the story, I'll leave all of this as me speculating.

If it were true though, I suppose these parallels are a way for the author to allude the trajectory of how their relationship might go. A lot of dark things are currently happening within the OnK-verse but I don't see this series to have a downer end, it'll probably be a light after dark ending where after all the shit that the characters have been through, they all will live knowing that they've won against their struggles.

Using this Tokyo Blade panel as a complement to this observation, I suppose if Ai and REDACTED's relationship concluded in a horrible note (but at least Ai managed to die knowing she was capable of "real love) then Aqua and Akane might succeed where their predecessors failed, by making amends and loving for real.

[nihilnothings]

Looming Moon and Vast Ocean

Source: https://twitter.com/HasashiYume/status/1669670729837871104

She was his moon

He was her ocean

Her gravity stirs his rousing tidal waves

His depths beckon her to stare deep into his gaze

Though one is of earth and one is of space

Their love will never be contained to a place

[nihilnothings]

A Playlist that reminds me of Aqua and Akane (Ongoing)

source: https://twitter.com/oyasumisuya_/status/1680117312798756864?s=20

When I listen to music, besides from the goal of enjoying the songs in itself, I try to find songs that try to remind me of something and one of those things happened to be a relationship dynamic that I like. Without further a do here's my playlist of songs that reminds me of them. There aren't really many songs yet as scrounging for songs that match can be a bit difficult but overall I think this will suffice. I appreciate any suggestions on what to put on the playlist to expand upon it.

Considering how their relationship is angst ridden expect a lot of pop punk, rock, and angsty J-rock/J-pop.

The process on how I chose the songs were based on my personal preferences and gut feeling, so it doesn't claim to be a definitive playlist of anything.

The Track Listing :

Tears don't fall - lightingz (My Bloody Valentine Cover)

Follow You - Bring me the Horizon

Follow You (Acoustic) - Tris Mikal (BMTH Cover)

cbd - brakence

Helena - My Chemical Romance

Demolition Lovers - My Chemical Romance

Thank you for the Venom - Outline in color (MCR Cover)

Thank you for the Venom - My Chemical Romance

Monsters - All Time Low (Ft. Demi Levato & blackbear)

I don't care if you're contagious - Pierce the Veil

Need to Know - The Story So Far

If I Fall - The Story So Far

Growing on You - The Story So Far

[nihilnothings]

I think stopping the revenge plan is a bad idea

Source: https://twitter.com/zhaoquruge/status/1663866032866607106?s=20

I'm going to be real, if anyone of you have caught up with the manga I genuinely think that stopping the revenge plot is actually not good for the bigger picture.

Hikaru Kamiki is a legitimate threat that threatens the safety of actresses for whatever reason (no amount of tragic or sympathetic backstory is going to justify any of his actions from being put to jail or literally drop dead). It's no longer just about Aqua and Ruby's grudge, it's for the safety of the entertainment industry as a whole.

You can argue that they don't have to resort to murder and leave it to the justice system but considering that Hikaru is a shrewd man of influence there is a possibility that he can deny all the allegations and roam free. I don't necessarily think murder should be their top option, ruining all that he's built and putting him in jail time/death penalty could also be a "form of revenge" but if worse comes to worse, murder can be used as a last resort. It's not like Ruby and Aqua are psychos who murders for kicks, they're murdering a person who wronged their lives and wronged others for some sick twisted reason, it's not comparable.

Also, committing to the revenge imo, doesn't necessarily negate the idea of "saving" or "rehabilitating" Aqua, considering how most of the main cast are morally dubious people in their own right (just not outright murderous criminals). The problem with Aqua is that all he thinks he's worth for is to avenge Ai and nothing else, he doesn't value his life or think that he deserves happiness. Him finding happiness can still align with the revenge plot by causing him not to self-destruct and die alone, because based on the implication he feels as if he's just going to throw his life away through dying alone or rotting himself with no loved ones. At least now, he has more to live for by having a connection to his past be alive in a different form as well as the new loved ones that he's made in his new life.

TLDR: The revenge plan needs to keep on going and saving Aqua doesn't necessarily means that he has to stop, it just means that doesn't need to kill himself.

[nihilnothings]

Aight I know some may groan considering love debates tend to go awry but considering how romance and ship teases have been a part of this fandom for too long it is inevitable that discussions for this shall arise.

Source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/109469704

Note 1: This post was partly inspired by the thoughts of a blogger who goes by Kanae who believes that is possible for the three heroines: Ruby, Akane, and Kana to represent three types of love: "Familial", "Romance", and "Admiration"

Note 2: If you're curious on their views, head over to their blog to hear their interesting perspectives on the dynamics between the Quartet (Aqua, Ruby, Kana, and Akane....though it's mostly Akane/Aqua considering how most misinterpret their dynamic a lot)

Kanae's Blog: https://skania.tumblr.com/

Note 3: Just because I defend this theory doesn't necessarily mean it comes true, I just find that this view makes sense and is coherent with the story but who knows if Akasaka might pull off something that'll throw this theory off

One of the criticisms that I notice regarding the "Akane Love Interest" theory is the fact that people find it as "derogatory" or "limiting" her scope to just that.

However, this may be considered a hot take by some, but I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with being a "Love Interest" because she isn't just a "prize" or "narrative McGuffin", she's a love interest character with a thematic and narrative purpose, whose done a lot by progressing the plot, develop characters, and entertain the audience with her personality and character dynamics.

Seriously, it can be difficult to find "designated love interests" in shounen to ever contribute to the plot in the same way Akane does, most of them tend to not even interact with the male lead and kinda is just there as a "prize".

People need to understand that certain characters are created for a purpose, just because a character doesn't have a current overarching goal that involves a career or mending/breaking familial ties it doesn't necessarily mean that it degrades their character. If let's say that they are created as a love interest, it's not a big deal as long as they show instead of telling why they're a love interest and move the plot going. There's a narrative and thematic reason to why Akane's development is tied to Aqua in comparison to most characters with Ruby being a runner up in that department. Even with her breaking off from Aqua her goals still involve Aqua despite the fact that she can choose not to follow through but instead she chose to plunge herself back into danger and Aqua for all his talk of cutting her off is still drawn to her in spite of his efforts to hide it.

(Read this: https://skania.tumblr.com/post/720497617513201664/can-we-please-talk-about-how-silly-aqua-is)

Kind of a weird comparison but I consider her as something akin to "the Joker", where both characters are a lack of a better word "Entertaining Narrative Devices", they embody a certain theme and move the plot while having a personality which keeps the audience entertained. They also are glued to the main lead where they both are at the same wavelength yet are different at the same time alongside having goals that often tie back to the main lead.

I guess if you really want a goal then patching things up with Kana can be considered one but I feel like that isn't the same as an overarching goal of "I want to be an Idol", "I want to be an acknowledged actress", or "I want to kill my dad." Patching up with Kana shouldn't be a slow or difficult endeavor considering that both do not really have negative feelings to harbor in the first place. I guess breaking off from Aqua but the thing is she already is away from Aqua and is choosing to go back and stop him out of her own free will instead of being ordered because she cares a lot for him.

Whether or not they end up together is anyone's guess as it depends on how both of them will resolve this issue at hand during or after the revenge plot (I can safely say that the revenge plot would not be interrupted with a romance as the killer genuinely needs to be stopped considering how he's life-threatening to entertainers everywhere.)

Edit 1: Late edit but changed the wording of the disclaimer a bit to accurately represent my source's thoughts.