#amaterasu aesthetic

[vxmpire-vxlle]

Concluded in a rain of tears.

[corvinusgenesis]

The Old Gods: Amaterasu

“Even if you are not ready for the day, it cannot always be night.”

Pantheon: Shinto (Japan)

[the-meme-mutatoer-tmm]

"The One About Amaterasu and the Waffle House," 4/18/23

[danieyells]

UZUME IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMILAR TO HOW I THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE??? I'M HYPE I NEED HER

[dunyabariscetin]

("Harmony of Japanese God Amaterasu with the Moon, Stars and Clouds" A-Line Dress for Sale by Dunya Baris Cetin gönderdi)

[getsesko]

— Kusakabe Shinra anime: Fire Force [Enen No Shouboutai] instagram: @Getsesko

[stirringwinds]

on one hand, i’m...content? with canon hetalia having china and japan being men because there really are multiple levels of regicidal, confucian mentor/protégé vibes that we can explore between yao and kiku through the prism of east asian masculinity (and how problematic these two prideful dickheads can be). but i will admit nyo!china and nyo!japan definitely offer a lot of interesting opportunities, when just thinking about how they might be associated with prominent deities in japanese and chinese tradition like amaterasu and nüwa. and also because tang dynasty china and heian japan overlap historically...on a purely aesthetic level, my silly brain also itches to draw things like these:

[roselyn-writing]

I’m bored, So I decided to make Harumi Rose moodboard aesthetic! ❤️🌹🔥. I also made a poem about her 🌹🔥. She is also blessed by Amaterasu (Sun Goddess) in Japanese mythology.

‘Born under the sunrise, A blessed child of two races.’

‘The sun was rising on the sky, Her little voice let out a laugh.’

‘The Sun Goddess was satisfied and blessed the child with beauty, grace and power.’

‘Her people called her the ‘SunChild’ as she made the Sun Goddess smile.’

‘She is a gift to her people; Promised to rebuild, prosper and thrive.’

‘When the people gaze at her, They don’t hesitate to tell her that she is a Sun Goddess given human form.’

‘Unrivalled beauty, Strategic mind, And an indestructible will. And for her destiny she will fight.”

‘Her family are always proud of her and they will always support her. And she is indeed the SunChild.’

I hope you like the little poem of Harumi Rose Hasashi 🌹🔥.

[aikoiya]

LoZ Cultural Masterlist 1

General Hyrule Culture:

Hyrule Courting Traditions

Dating VS Courting

Lurelin Romance

International Relations - Speculating on other countries across Hyrule's Earth.

No Port Town?

Hyrule Sports

Humans are the Countryfolk of Hyrule

TotK VS BotW Weapons

Ordonian Culture

The Depths Are a Liminal Space

Hyrulean Cultural Aesthetics

Pre-Hyrulean Culture

Hyrule Cultural Patterns

Rauru Era Hyrulean Culture

Faron Cultural Tidbits

Hebra Cultural Tidbits

Hyrulean Royal Transition of Power

Ordona Folktales: The Tale of the Stáblad & the Tangled Capaill

- Skyloftian-nutcase made a short prompt of my folktale! X3

Fashion:

Cece Brand Fungal Pirate Set - Something to go with the hat.

No Cece Brand Wedding Dress???

Hylian Fashion Trends

Hyrule Holidays & Festivals:

Hyrule Festivals & Holidays

Hanami Festival

Hyrule Pantheon:

Hyrule's Pantheon

- Hyrulean Holy Relics

My Thoughts on the Fierce Deity

- The Bargainer Statues

- The Fierce Deity's True Name

- The Fierce Deity's True Form

- Fierce Deity Unmasked

- FD the God of War

- FD Depictions in Hebra

Karina Goddess of Love & Passion | Warning: Mature Content (Nothing explicit, but it has some adult topics.)

Hylia as a Character

- Depictions of Hylia

- Hylia's Sacrifice

- Hylia = Amaterasu, But What Does That Mean?

Hyrule's Pantheon in Sumi-E

Gopongan Depictions of the Hyrulean Pantheon

Created Cultures, Races, ect:

Wolf Link & the Búralupán Race

Full Hyrule Settlement Restoration Map

Euryhaline Zora & Coastal Rito Port Town

Food:

Goron Spice

Sky Island Fruits

New Wild Ingredient Ideas

2nd Tier Ingredients

Beastiary Expansion

More Meat Variety

Flavor Differences Between Browned Butters?

Wild Cultural Recipe Ideas - Includes all the canon settlements in BotW/TotK.

Wild Ruined & Non-Canon Town Recipe Ideas - Includes the ruined settlements of BotW/TotK & some other perspective settlements.

Kakariko Food Culture

Ordon Food Culture

Ealiyah Town Food Culture - Town of the Highland Gerudo

Koholint Food Culture - Eventide Island Settlement(s)

Other LoZ Masterlists:

LoZ General Masterlist

LoZ Wild Masterlist

LoZ Cultural Masterlist 1

LoZ Cultural Masterlist 2

LoZ My Fanfic Masterlist

LoZ Great Fics Masterlist

LoZ Linked Universe Masterlist

Other Useful Masterlists:

Aikoiya's Writing Tips Masterlist

[holleighgram]

Explaining the Riku's Olfactory Sensitivity in CoM: (alt: why my boy was out here sniffing people--an essay.)

So, here's a little essay that no one asked for, but I need to find a way to cope with my fave being cringe, so here it is.

Animals that are nocturnal often have heightened senses to compensate for their forfeited sight.

After being lost in the darkness for so long, Riku's sense of smell became stronger to the point where, once he found his way out of the darkness he was was noticing smells he never noticed before.

He even uses it to his advantage when he can no longer trust what he sees (i.e. namine appearing as Kairi and Zexion and DiZ's illusions). I think that's partially why he where's the blindfold-- to not let his eyes deceive him.

But it's more than just that. Abandoning his sight to rely on his other senses would be in line with the on going Bat symbolism.

Riku has a LOT of bat symbolism. Not just with Kamory Bat and the Dreameater stuff. I mean, obviously, Soul Easter and Way to Dawn feature a bat wing, but why? It's not just because Bats= dark/ spooky/ demons/ etc.

From the start, we see that Riku has incredible hearing as he is depicted eavesdropping on Sora from a distance multiple times.

It's interesting to not that Riku is the only "human" character with seemingly deliberate animal iconography outside of the Foretellers.

In Japenese art and folklore, bats are a symbol of good fortune, and in some cases, even linked with Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun.

Finally, i know its a bit of a stretch, but Bats are known to make their homes in caves, and there is one cave that we know of in the series, and it just so happens to be quite significant....

Alternatively, Nomura drew some edgey demon wings to aesthetic and said "oh fuck yeah. That looks rad as hell" cause he literally is a 14 year old edge lord.

But the main take away is, having an early 2000s HoT Topic aesthetic does not give you the right to start telling people they smell like darkness.

That is all.

[onesunofagun]

This is probably a wildly unpopular thing to say, but I see chatter and takes concerning Hyrule and the Hylians and Hylia where the fandom dissects them as white European, or more often British coded. I've seen it be argued that this is because of surface level European (like Greco-Roman and Celtic) aesthetics are commonly used for them, though these are pretty shallow wrapping paper at best in game. Not that similarities can't be drawn! I'm saying this with all my Irish distaste for Britain! But it seems to be more of a symptom of ignorance or unfamiliarity with Japanese culture and history, and its own tilt at Imperialism.

Which I get! The average Western Fan's closest touchstone to Imperialism is likely Britain.

But Hyrule represents Japan. It's narrative is deeply rooted in Japanese Shinto beliefs regarding the relationship between man, nature and spirits-- including spiritual purity and impurity-- as derived from Buddhist concepts. Hylians are a fantasy race of elves who are Japanese coded, their Royal Family and Imperial structure and attitudes reflect a Japanese Nationalism that is deeply tied to Shinto. Hylia reflects aspects of the Goddess Amaterasu and her role as a progenitor of Emperors in Japanese myth.

I fully understand that many criticisms that apply also pertain to British Imperialism and their own Divine Hegemony, which is valid. But I think it's also falling short to critique and dissect the meta and intention behind this franchise without bothering to have the context of Japanese beliefs and history, and without bothering to really seek it out.

JP Imperialism formed as a response to the Western encroach and their subsequent focus on forced unification of the east in order to defend against it is deeply reflected in how Hyrule operates. The localisation of games like SkSw and TotK have wildly missed their mark in the impression that they give of certain concepts to especially the North American audience, and entire concepts and references to cultural beliefs and history (and what they might imply within game) are simply invisible to many who do not have that context to connect back to.

And I'm not trying to say that what anybody takes from the story they personally received isn't a valid impression based on their own experience with the games and media around them. There are many interpretations and themes that you can take away and play with.

But I don't think that saying Hylians are just white people coded or following Christianised themes or 'basically Britain' and calling it a day is quite good enough if you want to meaningfully and accurately discuss and dissect the narrative and intent of the Zelda franchise. Being able to critically read it with both external and Japanese context is really important in having the full conversation about what it reflects on real world history, religiosity and nuance.

[thehandwixard]

um . could u give me the rain code pitch . i am still cursed with the dream specter and think i might need to play it to exorcise this

hi. so. this is going to be pretty long and slightly stream of consciousness, because i am always much worse about giving concise pitches than i think. i am also clicking my heels together in joy. its going to be very obvious that i love this game a lot... like. elevator pitch, i would give the game a solid, respectable 6/10 if ranking it purely in gameplay feel, overall execution, and the like. maybe edging closer to a 7 with its updates to performance since launch.

However, what is clear about raincode is that it as a 6 year long labor of love, and this endears me to it in the way that energy endears me to trigger happy havoc despite its flaws, its clunkiness, and its relative shortness. I would give it an easy 9/10 for the heights it strives for and the effort that went into the making of the world, the emotional resonance of the main characters, the story, the aesthetic. the psychic effects it has had on me, finally, cannot be measured. i need to find articles about gay bathouse culture for this game. thats not even a queer theme i think kodaka intentionally put in this game and trust me he puts stuff in intentionally, thats just one i keep thinking about. thats the headspace the game puts me in.

now,

THE (master detective archives/enigma archives) RAINCODE PITCH.

The danganronpa games, you know them. Kazutaka Kodaka, the writer of the games, you may or may not know that guy. I like his writing a lot since i got deeply into danganronpa in 2020. this is one of the only games i have preordered in years. He made a new game that's a 3-d mystery-adventure game. The soundtrack designer and character designer from those games are also here, and spitting. 

Raincode is a mystery-adventure game set in a unique world with what are described as “psycho-noir” aesthetics, referencing the heightened fantasy of the setting’s visuals compared to the (already electric) DR.

You play as Yuma Kokohead, an amnesiac trainee detective sent (along with several other, far higher ranking detectives) to the autonomous zone ‘Kanai Ward’ to investigate its never ending rain, its complete isolation, and the corporation that controls it: Amaterasu Corporation, its faction of ‘peacekeepers’, and its systematic refusal to let investigations be done inside or out.

The bulk of the game IS this detective work, even when you’re not working on a case. The city has several districts (with very clear class associations) that you are free to walk around in, and it uses cyberpunk aesthetics in a way that’s very pleasing to me. Kinda think splatsville but neon, its that design of.. an area thats still maybe a little too polished for a city but it has a genuine eye to how a city actually tends to look and the ways people use it and exist in it. there are quite a few incidental npcs, and i think they work well to make the city feel alive. One of my favorite aspects of the game is the goal to present a multinational setting, with stuff like signage in latin alphabets, cyrillic, kanji, and the character’s names.

I could go on about the design for a while and i have more notes about it later just. The World Is Really Cool. you know what the master detectives are? Theyre detectives sanctioned by the World Detective organization, given the title of master because of their innate psychic abilities that have been honed into forensic and investigative tools. The reason the trainee detective Yuma is an amnesiac is probably because he made a pact with a death god that links them “body and soul”, for purposes he can no longer remember and she is unable or unwilling to tell him. This pact, however, gives him his own edge in investigating. Obviously the game is centered around solving murders, though in a less personal way than in DR. Also like and unlike DR, the way you are guided into solving these murders is through a series of minigames (in a pocket dimension that is the mystery given form (called a mystery labyrinth where the psychedelic design starts to come out crazy hard)) which are. The minigames are fine, i do generally enjoy the non-stop debates from danganronpa more, but theyre well-designed and fun. The mysteries themselves are Bangers, i made it a goal for myself to at least try to solve all of the main ones by myself to test if they were good mysteries where u were given all possible information to piece together, and i never felt cheated when i didnt get it exactly right. Again, it misses some of the intense personal connection you get with some of the murders in dr with it not happening in a closed cast, but i think that the story of them is done very well. Smiles. 

And coming back to yuma, thats the other thing about this game. Danganronpa dealt heavily with exploring themes of student burnout, critiquing the justice system in specific areas like trial and (capital) punishment, etc with its characters, and where Raincode really shines in similar areas, but a little to the left. 

If danganronpa was essentially about teenagers who really didn't have much to gain from the system but useless power over other teenagers and the costs of punishing deviance from norms, raincode is grappling with power structures where adults do have a lot to gain from upholding them, especially through the politics of information. Misinformation, hiding information, even the collection and use of info. Like DR, it also has a lot of very interesting things to say about ‘giftedness’ and the way it can alienate people, though again with a strong eye in considering people without these gifts, and/or people who do not have “average” abilities and how they have to navigate this world. 

The themes are strong. I would argue the game is also edging into being about being disabled and the guilt of burdening or even just interacting others with characters like Yuma, Fubuki, and Pucci. Its really highly interesting and, thankfully Kodaka’s bottom-line touch is one of understanding. The duality of being othered by ability and othered by disability.

I think one of the things i like most about Raincode is its unflinching way it depicts the ebb and flow of our protagonists', Yuma and Shinigami’s, morals, goals, and convictions. It has a lot to say about what depending on other people means, the good and the bad of it, the ways you can be taken advantage of, and all of yuma’s relationships with the other characters showcase this heavily– how he feels about himself in relationship to them, what he wants them to feel about him, how they support him or use him. Its a game where, very plainly, you do not have all the information and are playing against sharks who will take every chance they get to puppet you around. 

and what helps, obviously, is that yuma and shinigami are delightful protagonists to follow. their dynamic is written with a lot of care and nuance and is also just. really funny.

I clear my throat. Addendum. Some things to note, about this game. We have some one piece type shit in here. What i mean by that is I respect komatsuzaki as a character designer but he makes a lot of weird choices in character design that i am unable to really understand the reason for at times. Kodaka is not getting off the hook for the writing of the characters of color, but its unclear how much.. Direct correlation kodaka’s writing and the designs have. Wont get too much into it.

The other thing i mean by that is. Transmisogyny but i put a huge “EXCEPT-” sign up. One of the best chapters of the game centers the transmisogynistic plot device of two male characters having to disguise themselves as girls to investigate a murder in a girl’s school. I am not a trans woman, but what i will say in my perspective being familiar with this trope in even recent stuff like mob psycho is that like. The characters generally can and will say edgy, really rude shit but i personally feel the game takes the stance that theres nothing wrong with crossdressing, yknow? And also the pervert character is explicitly trans-positive. That helps. Its a thing that looks bad head on and makes the pitch kind of hard because obviously its not something one expects to be any better than it looks.

Also the game is almost fully voice acted with only some incidental interaction dialogue not being voiced. The english voice actors do a fantastic job, and from what i understand many of the japanese voice actors have a lot of love for the game too (i can't speak on their performances lol)

(also theres a lot of extra material for the game in the form of dlc stories and collectable story interactions in the main game. these are difficult to know the correct time to experience them and are a bit clunky in that way but are very worth looking up when the time is right)

[kairunatic]

Ok call me crazy but Amaterasu remindes me soo much of Dia Kurosawa from Love live like look

She's a Student council president

A perfectionist

Trying to be a Good older sister

They embody traditional Japanese beauty and aesthetic

They're BFFs with an energetic genki girl(Ame no Uzume for Amaterasu and Mari Ohara for Dia)

Long black hair that I love

And is a goddess

Maybe this is why I love amaterasu caue of thse traits

[sakura-code]

💜☔️Makoto Kagutsuchi Headcanons☔️💜

He loves to go to the Aetheria Academy’s plays and have even been one of the major donors for the theater club

He is confirmed to be a Capricorn

He always has homemade cookies ready to serve to special guests like Yomi or the Peacekeepers

He helps test new kitchen models whenever he ends up practicing cooking his own meals

His aesthetic is mainly indie

He does like to dress in full goth occasionally

His favorite color is purple

His casual clothings are all multi-patterned

His favorite tv or movie characters are always villains, he just loves their presentation

He comes across as open and friendly towards strangers, but when it comes to being vulnerable or close, personal relationships, he is more shy and shut-off (almost like a tsundere)

Instead of poetry, he likes to write crazy lore

Makes you wonder if maybe he has learned and gotten curious about artifacts and the lore behind it

Sounds like he would be interested in DnD and be the kind of guy who just loves creating his own characters and lore than anything else

He has an interest in science and inventing since he became CEO of Amaterasu

He loves the rain as he sees it as calming and refreshing, like he likes to watch the rain fall and mix in the air and listen to the rainfall

too bad he gets sick if he stays out in the rain for too long

Though he has a stronger immune system than his double

His rain attire is a long cloak (like the one he wore in the Mystery Labyrinth)

Even though he’s technically four years old biologically, he is still younger than Yuma by eight months

He loves to do self hobbies with his hands like crochet, yo-yo tricks, knitting, and his favorite, Cat’s Cradle

He likes to do gardening even though he can’t cook

He loves to watch prank and trick videos and would practice them himself

He has a restaurant critic blog he does in his spare time since it’s his main go-to for food, and may as well give them something in return

Like Yuma, he has “gifted kid syndrome”

He has a bad habit of forgetting to take care of himself like taking proper baths

He also has a tendency to overwork himself to the point of burning out (Yuma and a few others are trying to break that habit)

He tends to act like an overprotective big brother/parent sometimes to the Homunculi in Kanai Ward

He is a nurturer at heart

He does not do well in the heat or the sun at all

[raincode-archives]

Chapter 5 Character Profile Descriptions

Yuma Kokohead A Trainee Detective with amnesia. His small build is unsuitable for physical confrontation. A lack of self-confidence results in a tendency to frequently complain. However, he posses a strong sense of justice and selflessly tries to help anyone in need.

After exposing the truth behind the incident at the Amaterasu lab, he took Yakou's life with his own hands. Though filled with anguish, he remembered Yakou's last words, and vowed to lay bare the truth behind Kanai Ward, however cruel it may be.

Yakou Furio A Kanai Ward native and head of the Nocturnal Detective Agency. He lives in an unhealthy, unkempt, and unsanitary lifestyle. He understands the thread the Amaterasu Corporation Peacekeepers pose, but only thinks of how to avoid them. Even so, he cares a great deal for his companions.

In order to avenge his wife who was murdered four years ago, Yakou sacrificed his life to murder Dr. Huesca at Amaterasu's lab.

Halara Nightmare A Master Detective dispatched to the Nocturnal Detective Agency by the World Detective Organization. The sharp-witted and attractive detective has no specified gender. Halara is always cool under fire and has solved many difficult cases through precise judgement. Although Halara only believes in money, it's willingly spend on things deemed necessary.

Halara's Forte is Postcognition, the ability to see how a crime scene appeared at the time it was first discovered.

Halara stayed by Yakou's side as he lied dying in the Amaterasu lab, and tried to keep him alive until Yuma and the others returned.

After seeing Number One's contempt for Yakou's death, Halara voiced strong emotions not typically shown.

Desuhiko Thunderbolt A Master Detective dispatched to the Nocturnal Detective Agency by the World Detective Organization. His goal is to become famous as a mystery-solving superstar detective. He's an optimistic ladies' man whose "investigations" usually entail trying to pick up girls around the city. These attempts are rarely successful due to his goofball nature, though he doesn't mind. Uncomfortable around blood and corpses, he prefers undercover investigations to those involving murder.

After providing him the opportunity to sneak around Aetheria Academy, he began referring to Yuma as "my man."

His Forte is Disguise, the ability to change his voice, appearance, and build, visually and mentally masquerading as the targeted person. The backpack he always carries is required to use this ability.

After seeing Number One's contempt for Yakou's death following the Amaterasu lab incident, he nearly exploded with rage and disgust.

Fubuki Clockford A Master Detective dispatched to the Nocturnal Detective Agency by the World Detective Organization. Although she's a beauty with outstanding style, her airheaded tendencies can frustrate the people she talks to. She ran away from her pampered life as a lady of the world-famous Clockford family to seek adventure.

While solving the Mystery Labyrinth, she lashed out at what she thought was the abhorrent "God of Darkness." She later realized that Shinigami had Yuma's complete confidence and tried to befriend the death god.

Her Forte is Time Leap, the ability to rewind time and redo things. However, if time has been turned back once, it cannot be turned back beyond that point.

Desperate to save the dying Yakou during the Amaterasu lab incident, she repeatedly turned back time. But unable to go back to before he was attacked, she felt utterly helpless.

Upon Yakou's death, she wailed uncontrollably.

Vivia Twilight A Master Detective dispatched to the Nocturnal Detective Agency by the World Detective Organization. He has pale skin and an aesthetic atmosphere about him. Often lying down in various places, his personality can be described as self-indulgent.

His Forte is Spectral Projection, the ability to maneuver in a ghost form free of his flesh, ignoring the laws of physics. In addition to being completely invisible in this state, he is able to pass straight through walls and other solid objects.

Having enjoyed the time spend at the agency with Yakou, he refused to let the truth of Dr. Huesca's murder come to light despite knowing the identity of the culprit. He turned against Yuma inside the Mystery Labyrinth, but after witnessing Yuma's resolve to face even the most bitter facts, he decided to expose the truth.

When he found out Yomi was manipulating Yakou, he felt immense frustration and hatred.

Number One Head of the World Detective Organization. His true name is unknown, and he is almost never seen in public.

After the destruction of the WDO building, his whereabouts are unknown.

Yomi Hellsmile The director of the Amaterasu Corporation Peacekeepers. Despite having the face of a handsome young ma, he is cold-hearted and cruel, finding joy in the misfortune of others, especially from miseries he devised himself. He holds great power within Amaterasu and treats his underlings like expendable tools.

He conspired with Dr. Huesca to secretly make deals with corporations outside of Kanai Ward, but when the doctor double-crossed him, Yomi spurred Yakou into murdering him. After capturing Yuma and the others, Yomi planned to bury them along with the truth, but Makoto appeared with incriminating documents that led to Yomi's downfall. He was then arrested and taken away by Martina.

Martina Electro The vice director of the Amaterasu Corporation Peacekeepers. A tall, elegant, intelligent, bespectacled woman who ruthlessly crushes the opposition and has no mercy for those who defy her.

Makoto saved her moments before her execution, and she sought to deliver judgement on Yomi for his crimes.

After all of Yomi's misdeeds were revealed and he was arrested, Martina took responsibility for her own complicity, resigned from her position, and left.

Makoto Kagutsuchi The always-masked CEO of Amaterasu Corporation. He lives on the top floor of Kanai Tower. While Yomi is ostensibly his employee, the two are always at each other's throats. His tendency to speak in riddles make it difficult to ascertain his true nature, but he seems to have ulterior motives.

Acting in secret behind the scenes of the Dr. Huesca murder case, he secured documents that lead to Yomi's downfall. He intends to restructure Amaterasu and the Peacekeepers to bring about a change in the winds of Kanai Ward.

The gift he gave Yuma caused all the Master Detectives gathered at the Nocturnal Detective Agency to pass out.

Dr. Huesca Chief researcher and expert weapons developer at Amaterasu Lab. An arrogant man who believes his intellect is unrivaled. He hates having his precious research time interrupted and allows no one to enter his critical labs.

He colluded with Peacekeeper Director Yomi to secretly sell off Amaterasu technology, planning all the while to double-cross Yomi and flee Kanai Ward. Attempting to use the turmoil caused by the hitman to fake his own demise, he was instead stabbed and killed by Yakou, who sought revenge for his murdered wife.

Yomi prompted Yakou to commit the murder in order to get rid of the backstabbing Dr. Huesca while keeping his own hands clean.

Fink the Slaughter Artist A skilled assassin who works in Kanai Ward. As very few witnesses have come forward, it's unknown if this hitman is male or female, an adult or even a child. The assassin is certainly effective, boasting a 100% completion rate.

Fink was hired by Yakou, with Yakou himself as the target. Yakou asked the hitman to kill him to hide his involvement as the murderer of Dr. Huesca.

Behind the scenes, Makoto arranged for Yakou to hire the hitman. Makoto permanently silence the hitman once his work was complete. (Acquired by interacting with zombified Fink?)

[tobiasdrake]

So Rain Code has DLC to zero in on each of the non-Yuma detectives. Gonna play through these in order of release. Who do we start with? Let's see, that would be....

Goddammit. Desuhiko.

Okay, well. At least we can get him out of the way and then move on to the characters I like. Wonder if these take place before, after, or during the main game?

Well, we're opening at the Scary Zombie Rex Museum so that eliminates "before" as an option. Either the Secret of Kanai Ward investigation is currently ongoing or this is between Makoto's defeat and the Master Detectives leaving town.

Ooh, classic cat burglar mystery going on. So it looks like we'll have to stop this notorious thief from stealing the precious jewels. Okay, we can--

Nope, never mind, we failed. That was a short DLC. Alright, who's next on the list?

Alright, shouldn't be too hard to identify the Nine-Tailed Cat. As we can clearly see from this silhouette, our target is a naked man. Bizarre choice of aesthetic for a cat burglar, but I'm not going to judge.

Go, Nudist Thief, go!

...where do you think he stashed the jewel? Probably best not to think about that.

Again!? How often do naked men steal things on your watch!?

Desuhiko's over here proving my firmly-held belief that the word "again" is the funniest word in the English language.

Will you, though? Your skillset is in intelligence gathering. You're pretty much my last choice in fisticuffs, so I'm pretty sure anyone else on the team is better suited to apprehending our streaker.

Makoto agrees. When he was faking everyone's deaths, he had you die first. He knew there'd be no doubt about that.

I wouldn't call what Desuhiko has charisma. If he were charismatic, people would be willing to buy what he's selling. Instead, his role is one of constantly embarrassing himself for comic relief but with zero self-awareness of how cringe everyone else finds him. His behavior routinely makes him the butt of the joke.

Enthusiasm is how I'd describe Desuhiko. He has enthusiasm. Despite rejection after rejection after rejection, despite constantly failing to convince anyone or even himself that he's cool, Desuhiko never stops putting out a positive façade and trying again.

Oh hey, Yakou's sapient! That places us pretty firmly in the "during" timespan. We're somewhere between Desuhiko's arrival in town and Chapter 4.

The museum must be taking this pretty seriously. Amaterasu's isolation would make it difficult to procure new art pieces for display. Pretty much whatever they already had here plus anything new that the residents create, that's it.

So far as new gems go? Amaterasu doesn't do business within the city; People were talking about that in the epilogue. That's a problem because Amaterasu may have international reach, but they're the only part of Kanai Ward that does.

So good fucking luck getting gemstones here. It's not like Makoto's going to let anyone go out and open a mine somewhere.

That being said, our naked man has to be stealing for his own private collection, right? It's not like he can take the gems to a fence. I can't imagine Kanai Ward has a thriving black market. Why would someone even become a notorious serial burglar in an isolated city-state?

Unless this is a human burglar from outside the rain cage. In which case, WHOA HO HO did he come to the wrong city.

Okay, so their reputation extends to before the Blank Week. That makes a bit more sense. It's possible Kanai Ward had a black market before the isolation. Either way, the possibility of an aristocrat stealing for their own private collection remains as well.

That doesn't sound so bad, honestly. I'm glad Yuma's not on this case. A cat burglar who robs from museums hardly warrants a death feral regeneration sentence.

That's where the nudity comes in. It draws the eye away from the face, and that's if you don't look away immediately out of embarrassment. Brilliant, really.

Sorry, Desuhiko, but I think I'm on Team Kitsune. Robbing a megacorporation barely even constitutes a crime.

I AM 100% ON TEAM KITSUNE. Why would we even want to thwart these robberies? Desuhiko's pride? That and a dozen coins is worth 12 shien.

Oh, it is Desuhiko's pride at stake. I thought I was being dismissive.

Wow, I aggressively do not care about the stakes of this conflict. Let the Nine-Tailed Cat keep pissing in Yomi's corn flakes. It's not like they're hurting anyone.

Oh no, you're mentioned on the seventh paragraph here. "Yellow stranger spotted shaking fist impotently at the burglar."

Hey, I'm all for bagging on Yakou for being a shit detective. But this sounds a hell of a lot like Yomi's problem, not ours.

Yuma does enough of that shit as it is. Do you have any idea how frequently he nearly gets shot? The answer may surprise you.

This was all about impressing a girl. That makes sense. I am now even less invested in the stakes than I was before.

Sound advice, Yakou.

It's amazing how much less irritating his dismissive reluctance to do anything becomes when it's Desuhiko on the receiving end instead of Yuma.

Alas, as with Yuma and Kurumi, Yakou's greatest weakness in reining in his Detectives shows itself once again: His stern disapproval is no match for a brisk jogging pace.

At least we can be sure that didn't change when he turned feral. Yakou's speed has always maxed out at a shamble, so his zombie's barely changed in that regard.