#hence the cut

[sage-nebula]

"Suffer No Fools" - Shiver vs. Marina Analysis

It's been a few days since "Suffer No Fools" released, but I wanted to go ahead and release my analysis of Shiver's and Marina's verse since that's the one that has caused the most discussion within the fandom. I've seen a lot of debate over Marina's section in particular, with people unsure whether she was being sincere or sarcastic, and I think the actual answer is a little more complicated than one or the other, at least with regards to the first couplet of lines both she and Shiver sing. Of course, people are free to interpret this song however they wish, but after seeing numerous interpretations I personally didn't vibe with, I just wanted to put my own out there, breaking it down line by line.

So! Here we go.

Exchange 1:

Shiver: "Your haunting voice -- there's no escape. How nice it must be for your fans." Marina: "You're far too kind! I love your vibe. I can learn so much from your style."

Analyzing from dialogue only:

Shiver is insulting Marina's voice by calling it haunting and saying there is no escape, insinuating she wishes there was one. She says how nice it must be for Marina's fans, again implying that she isn't one.

Marina says that she loves Shiver's vibe, which on the surface could be a compliment, but given the context (a music battle) it could also be a Mean Girl "ooh I love your [thing] :)" passive-aggressive drawing-attention-to-something-ugly insult. More direct though, is the "I can learn so much from your style"; you can learn what not to do from someone just as much as you can learn what to do from someone. Marina's engaging in plausible deniability here.

HOWEVER. Lyrics are NOT the only thing that need to be analyzed from this first verse, which is arguably the MOST important exchange between these two. Instead, we need to look at how these lines are delivered.

Shiver is singing in a traditional Japanese folk singing style, specifically a style based on Shima-uta, which her voice actress has a background singing in. Unfortunately, I don't know the actual term for this style of singing, only that it's not kakegoe, something Shiver also does that is different from this. Anyway, in these lines specifically Shiver is singing in her Shima-uta style, a style that she has presumably been practicing since she was a small child, a style that is probably culturally significant to the Hohojiro clan. Singing in this style is not something that just anyone can do. It's completely different from singing in a (for lack of a better word) "western" style. The way you breathe is completely different. The way you incorporate your voice into your breathing is completely different. So by singing in this style, which Shiver has been doing practically her whole life and which, presumably, only she of the four there can do, Shiver is FLEXING on Marina regardless of what lyrics she chooses to sing.

But then Marina, who grew up under the domes in Inkadia, who presumably has never heard Shima-uta before she started listening to Deep Cut and heard Shiver sing, who presumably has had absolutely no training whatsoever on this style of song . . . mimics it perfectly and flexes on Shiver right back.

Could Marina's words to Shiver be interpreted as passive-aggressive in turn? Yes. But does it matter? No, not really. Because in this first verse, Marina's ACTUAL comeback is to take the style of singing that Shiver has been perfecting her entire life and throw it right back in her face despite having never (as far as we or Shiver know) practiced it herself. Shiver was flexing by presumably doing something Marina couldn't do, only for Marina to do it flawlessly, being every bit as divine with a voice so fine as Pearl said she was previously. Marina says "I love your vibe" so she takes it. Marina says "I have so much to learn from you" but does she really, when she can already do exactly what Shiver can, and has, just now, right in front of her?

And Shiver noticed, hence:

Exchange 2:

Shiver: "You remind me of my neighbor's little daughter . . . What's that saying? 'Octo see, octo do.'" Marina: "Glad you approve -- your praise has left me moved. Thanks to your notes, I'll find my groove!"

Shiver drops the Shima-uta singing, because now there's no point. Marina can also sing in that style, so it's no longer a flex. Shiver lost ground on that one, so instead we're back to the same (again, for lack of a better word) "regular" style of singing that everyone else is using. For that reason, we can go back to analyzing purely based on the words alone.

Shiver is calling Marina a copycat, essentially, because Marina copied her Shima-uta singing style in the previous verse (hence why Shiver had to drop it, as previously noted). Marina then gives her "glad you approve -- your praise has left me moved" . . . basically noting that by Shiver accusing her of copying, Shiver is saying that Marina -- someone who just tried the singing style off the cuff right there on the stage for the first time -- was just as good as Shiver, someone who has trained in that style her whole life. The audience saw for themselves that Marina was able to emulate the style, but Shiver saying, "you copied me!" is basically admitting that Marina was just as good as her in Shiver's own eyes, and Shiver is a pro. That's Shiver's aggravation handing Marina the win and Marina smiling wide as she accepts it.

Exchange 3:

Shiver: "Oh, look at the time. Isn't it getting late?" Marina: "Not at all! I could go on like this all night long."

This one doesn't even really need an analysis. For all that she prides herself on being "so cool even sharks call her cold-blooded," Shiver is known for being easily irritated and riled when she's losing due to her competitive nature. Marina successfully got under her skin, and this is her trying to end the battle fast because she didn't have any further comebacks. Marina, meanwhile, gives the classic "I could go on all night" because she's not riled at all, and is instead perfectly comfortable in this environment, knows what she's doing, and has had the upper hand from the start.

It goes back to another post I made about Experience vs. Inexperience. Shiver and Frye are still new idols, whereas Pearl and Marina have been at this for a long while. And while off the stage Marina is a sweet, kind, gentle person who will go out of her way to help others, and can sometimes be a little spacey or naive, she's also a 23-year-old literal genius who has been in the music industry for years now and knows full well what a rap / music battle is and knows her way around a stage. Personally, I found it to be a little infantilizing to insinuate that she "didn't realize Shiver was insulting her," when not only do I think she knew full well, but also she was the one with the upper hand not because of sick burns (that's Pearl's department), but because of sheer innate musical talent.

But those are just my thoughts! Everyone else is free to have their own.

[b4kuch1n]

THEE audiodrama disguised as podcast

[o0kawaii0o]

[iszapizza]

what if eli had to be the one to give thrawn that first haircut?

[i-ate-the-rats]

weldin is hot fr fr

[twistedshipper]

MERLIN | 1.10 The Moment of Truth | 3.07 The Castle of Fyrien

[candyheartedchy]

Was planning on cutting my hair short again since it grew out fast, but I went and updated my sona’s design instead since I decided to try growing it out long.

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Jamaican!Hobie Brown

My evidence?

I rest my goddamn case. Now put that in the bloodclat canon!!!!!

[captnbas]

at the coronation of aragorn elessar

[originalartblog]

I've been meaning to play in this space too for a while (Chuuya has been sitting alone in my drafts for months :'), have some women!!

(I think my brand should be well-established by now as being someone who likes to make AUs while changing the least amount of things possible asjhgjhfg)

[mothfables]

Wild set the last of the ingredients on the counter before clapping his hands and calling out, “Alright! Who wants to help me make cinnamon apple muffins?”

There was an excited gasp from the loft where Legend was taking a nap followed by quick footsteps. Legend appeared at the top of the stairs and almost tumbled down them in his haste, caught at the last moment by Twilight.

As soon as he had his feet under him the little bounced over to where Wild stood in the kitchen area of the house.

‘Me me me! I wanna bake!’ he signed, hands nearly shaking with his eagerness.

Wild laughed at the clear excitement, grinning back at him. “We need clean hands before we do any baking, remember? And maybe go get changed into something you don’t mind getting dirty. You can borrow some of my clothes if you like.”

Legend nodded before bounding off back up the stairs. Wild shook his head fondly at the sight before taking his own advice and moving to the sink to wash his hands. He’d already put his hair up earlier, so that was one less thing to worry about.

It was only a few minutes before Legend was back, this time in some of Wild’s old clothes - slightly too big on him due to the other boy being several inches shorter and slighter. He scurried over to the sink to wash his hands, glancing at Wild for approval. He beamed when the older hero gave a thumbs up.

When he was done Twilight came over, brush in hand. “Hey, kit. Do you want me to put your hair up to keep it out of the way while you bake?”

Legend nodded and did his best to hold still as the rancher pulled his hair back into a small ponytail. Once he was finished the boy bonked his head gently against the rancher’s chest in thanks with a beaming grin before bouncing back over to Wild.

‘Bake now?’ he signed.

Wild nodded. “Bake now!”

Legend gave a happy squeal, stomping and flapping his hands excitedly.

“Bake bake bake bake!”

Wild guided him over to the counter and pointed out all the ingredients they’d be using. Flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt sat on one side with eggs, oil, and milk on the other. Two apples, freshly picked, sat on a cutting board with a knife next to them on the other counter.

“I’ll cut up the apples, okay? Can you mix all the dry ingredients together? I wrote down the measurements you need here,” he gestured to a piece of paper next to the ingredients and Legend nodded.

Wild left him to it and started on the apples, confident that Twilight could help if Legend ended up needing it; peeling and coring them in quick succession before chopping them into small pieces and dumping into a bowl. When that was done he checked back in on Legend.

The little had his brows furrowed, tongue sticking out in adorable concentration. He carefully poured the last of the dry ingredients into the bowl before mixing them together.

“Good job, blupee,” Wild praised, earning a surprised squeak. Legend’s ears went pink and he rocked side to side, flapping his hands happily. “Time to add the next ingredients. Are you ready?”

An excited nod.

“Okay, I’ll add these if you want to add the apples?”

Legend nodded so quickly he wobbled for a moment and Wild had to reach over to steady him. He let out a giggle before moving to grab the bowl of apple pieces. Wild added the eggs, milk, and oil, then motioned for Legend to pour in the apples. Then he offered his little brother the spoon to mix everything together.

Legend reached for it before biting his lip and pulling his hand back. He glanced from Wild to the spoon then back to Wild again. Then he whispered, sounding suddenly shy, “Help?”

Wild blinked in surprise. “You want me to help?”

Legend nodded, still biting his lip and making Wild worry it would start bleeding. Wild sighed, reaching over to gently ruffle his hair.

“Sure thing, blupee. Good job asking, I’m proud of you.” Legend flushed and glanced away at the praise. “Here, you hold the spoon and I’ll help you mix it all together, alright? Then we can pour it into the muffin tin.”

‘Okay,’ the boy signed, finally reaching out and taking the spoon. His cheeks were still pink.

Together, they folded the apples into the batter before Wild had Legend hold the bowl so he could carefully scoop out enough to fill each well of the muffin tin. Once they were full Legend gathered up all the dirty baking supplies and put them in the sink while Wild quickly whipped up the crumble topping and sprinkled it over top the batter.

“Alright, now we just stick it in the oven and wait for about 25 minutes!” he announced. “Think you can wait that long, little blupee?”

“Uh-huh! I used t’ do it wh’n I helped my Uncle bake back home!” As if to prove it, Legend plopped to the floor in front of the oven right then and there.

“...Okay. Just let me or Twilight know if you want to do something else, alright?” Wild slid the tin into the oven and set a timer on his slate for 25 minutes.

True to his word, Legend didn’t move from his spot once until the timer went off, rocking and humming as he watched the oven with a single-minded focus.

He moved out of the way so Wild could take the tin out of the oven without being told, gasping in delight at the now-baked muffins. He watched closely as the older boy inserted a toothpicks into each muffin, checking to see if it came out clean.

“Hey, Lege, go call the others in so we can eat these before they go cold?”

“Yeah!” Legend raced to the door and yanked it open, shouting, “Muffins’re ready!!!”

Then he was back, bouncing eagerly as he waited for everyone to join them.

Wind was the first one inside, grinning as he yelled something over his shoulder to the others. He was quickly followed by Four and Hyrule with Sky close behind.

“Hi, baby!” Sky exclaimed, moving in for a hug which Legend happily accepted. “You made muffins?”

“Uh-huh! They’re apple cinni- cinna- um, yummy! Wil’ helped me!”

Twilight chuckled. “You mean you helped Wild, kit.”

“Mm!”

Warriors and Time finallly came in, walking slowly and clearly in no rush. Wind ran over and grabbed their hands, tugging them impatiently towards the table where the rest of the Chain waited. “You guys are gonna make the food go cold, come on!”

“There’s no rush, Sailor, it’s fine.” Wars grinned, reaching over and ruffling Wind’s hair. He squawked.

“There will be if the muffins get cold and Legend cries,” he glowered.

Wars winced. “…Right. Sorry.”

“Well, we’re here now,” Time cut in, smiling. “No need to worry. Legend, would you like to do the honours?”

Legend bounced a few times with a happy sound before carefully picking up one of the muffins and handing it to Wild. The champion took it with a smile and a word of thanks and Legend moved on to the others, tongue sticking out in concentration.

They all took their muffins eagerly but unanimously decided to wait until everyone had theirs to try them.

Legend picked up one of the last muffins and glanced around to check that they all had one before taking a big bite. He immediately made a delighted sound and began to sway side to side as he chewed.

The rest of them took that as their cue and began to eat their own, more than one of them letting out appreciative noises at the taste.

“Lege, Wild, these are so good,” someone - it might have been Four - groaned. Everyone else made various sounds of agreement.

“It’s really the little blupee here you should be thanking; he’s the one who gave me the recipe.” Wild grinned, looping an arm around Legend’s shoulders.

Legend giggled and leaned into the touch with a contented smile.

(here’s the recipe i used for reference!!)

[firefly464]

Two souls. Both given a second chance. Both waiting for a third.

Some bonus versions under the cut :D

also shoutout to @fishcop for listening to me ramble about this idea and then showing up with a beautiful drawing like. an hour later :D

[quiescentdestiny]

I know you've been cursed, but this can be reversed after everything you lost, every penny that it cost you it doesn't get much worse, but you wouldn't be the first to survive this kind of hell.

•• ━━━━━ ••● x ●•• ━━━━━ ••

previous jean art mentioned in the tags.

[it-came-autumnally]

This line is extremely funny (motherly??? hello??) but also it just reminds me of why the Minori & Airi dynamic makes me want to explode (positive).

Even though she's only a year older, Airi sees so much of her past self in Minori -- she knows what it's like to be an outsider in their industry, to be someone who's faced rejection for simply not possessing the innate “idol aura” that people like Haruka and Shizuku have. She’s not like them; and neither is Minori. Having a dream is great, but you can't become an idol purely out of desire. This is expressed very directly in the digest animation (which condenses the MMJ main story): "Just because you want something to happen doesn't mean it will."

Screenshots from MORE MORE JUMP - Journey to Bloom: [HOPE].

Airi's resigned herself to the fact that she's stuck in her role as a variety show entertainer, even though being an idol was her real dream. And, after seeing her own fate, she bluntly tells Minori that the other's passion isn't enough for her to successfully break into the industry. Despite this, Minori isn’t discouraged from her path; after all, she'd already been rejected 50 times. In her own words: she has faith -- something Airi has almost lost.

But Airi hasn't lost it completely. After some reminders from Shizuku, she reluctantly agrees to watch Minori's practices and give her some advice. It's a small ask, but one means a lot to Minori -- which Airi knows, and she's willing to give Minori a chance.

Minori has the chance to return the favor when Airi goes to confront Cheerful*Days. Even when Haruka warns her about the ugliness she's about to see, she isn't swayed. In her own words: she "care[s] too much for Momoi". Not just as a fan, but a friend* now, too.

Screenshots from the MORE MORE JUMP! main story chapter 11. *friend is a bit of a loose term here but Minori does know Airi personally by this point. Not as well as Shizuku, but better than she used to.

The affirmation of being an idol that Minori gives is huge for Airi. After being constantly denied her identity as an idol from both her managers and peers, hearing this from the girl who she had accidentally dismissed is perhaps the most powerful thing she could have heard in that moment. It's clear that Minori hasn't been disillusioned in the slightest even after seeing all the resentment and anger, and despite everything, she still believes in Airi, and her ability to spread hope as an idol.

After all that happens in the main story, Minori's presence becomes a non-negotiable part of MMJ. She is, after all, the final bit of glue that brought them together as a group. In Time to Re:Start! (Airi 1), Haruka, Airi, and Shizuku all make it extremely clear that they refuse to let their group split up. We see how Airi takes this a step further:

Screenshots from Chapter 4 of Time to Re:START!

Notably, she's willing to go back to variety programs and talent work if it means that MORE MORE JUMP! can stay together (even though doing so means that she probably would be extremely busy and have less time to do "real" idol work!)

Since Airi's offer is rejected here, we don't see the consequences of this negotiation come to fruition, but it's certainly not an offer she makes lightly. Note that Airi 2 hasn't happened yet; she still hasn't fully made peace with how her role as Happy Everyday took time away from her as "Airi Momoi the idol". Despite how painful it would be her to reprise as that role after resolving to become an "regular" idol again, Airi still makes this request as a last resort, because she would put herself through something she doesn't want rather than sacrifice Minori's dream to be an idol. This isn't something that the rest of MMJ would agree to, of course, but this cements a trend in Airi's behavior -- namely, her desire to protect Minori from the thorns of the idol industry that she's had to go through. Her Colorful Fes card gives some insight into this, where she encounters the younger version of herself (Little Airi).

Screenshots from "To You Who Wants To Be An Idol" Side Story 2.

The way Airi treats her literal younger self mirrors the way she treats Minori at the start of the MMJ main story. Even though she knows better than anyone how much being called a "tomboy" hurt her younger self, Airi still calls her that on accident. This is extremely similar to how she dismisses Minori upon their first meeting -- she of all people should know how hurtful it is, but she does it nonetheless. This time, however, she doesn't need Shizuku to remind her of her mistake, and quickly rectifies it -- a testament to how she's changed since the events of the main story.

Still Airi's ColorFes card story 2. Sorry for the spam of screenshots from this one I love this card way too much

Airi imparts the lesson she learned from Minori to Little Airi: "tomorrow will always be a better day." She shares the hope that Minori (and the rest of MMJ) shares, something she directly says she's grateful for. Meeting Minori has changed her for the better, and also allowed for her finally continue on her path towards being a "real" idol -- one that never gives up.

By the time Airi 3 happens, MMJ have taken off as online streamers. People have started to accept Minori as an idol -- but she's still a newbie when compared to the rest of the group, and lacks the same training that her fellow idols have. Nobody is more keenly aware of this than Minori herself. While she's initially practicing on her own, Airi is quick to understand what Minori's issue is, as its one that she's dealt with herself. Yet again, it comes back to seeing her past behaviors in Minori's - she's gone through the experience of trying to emulate the "idol aura," so she knows doing so is a waste. She wants to save Minori the time and effort that it took for her to learn these lessons, so that Minori is able to hasten her path towards finding the "best way to shine".

Screenshots from Chapter 6 of "Chasing The Sparkle Beyond the Blue Sky"

The other really interesting thing is how Airi tells Minori her to not put herself down -- and yet Airi does the same to herself! She needs Shizuku to reaffirm her status as a true idol and tell her the same things that Airi herself tells Minori. She's been able to relearn how to inspire others, but still needs help when it comes to having that faith in herself.

This event is a testament to how much the two of them have matured since the main story, while also showing where they still have more room to grow. The two of them still have some doubts about whether they "deserve" to be idols, but it's something that they're both working through, together with each other as well as the rest of MMJ.

In regards to Airi trying to shield Minori from going through the troubles she did, it comes into the spotlight yet again during Airi 4:

Screenshots from Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 of "Friendship Rebuilt"

This time, we see this behavior explicitly stated: "I don't want her to experience what I did back then". Minori is her own person, and Airi respects her ability to make her own decisions, but she can't help but see her past self in the other, even after how far they've come. She's worried; Minori may be strong, but Airi wants to make sure that she can avoid having to go through the same pain she did.

This all comes full circle then, when Airi excitedly talks about her upcoming school trip to Kyoto.

Screenshots from the "I'm Excited Too" (Pandemonium/Spirited Affair 2*) side story 1.

After constantly being the one looked after, Minori finally gets another chance to be happy for Airi. For once, Airi doesn't have to sacrifice her own happiness for work, and for that, she's glad. It's the least she can do for the girl who's been protecting her all this time, and its a step towards Minori truly becoming an equal to the idols she's looked up to her whole life.

MMJ as a whole unit is about spreading hope and joy -- more specifically, about sharing hope and joy. The reason both Minori and Airi decide to become idols in the first place is because they were cheered up by idols in their childhood, and wanted to do the same for others. Minori is able to finally become an idol herself after she helps Airi (as well as Shizuku and Haruka) regain their own hope and passion; Airi does her best to guide Minori down a path that is as least painful as possible in return. MMJ's stories focus so much on the idea of paying it forward it truly drives me crazy to see how Minori and Airi's dynamic really embodies that ideal, where Minori will never stop uplifting her friends while Airi always looks out for them.

[selenevassos]

selene + nemea, there's an unused voiceline in returnal where selene talks about having a cat

[cupophrogs]

How did Drew get DeeDee down? What sparked him to do that decision?

“I don’t think Pops knows I have it, but it came in handy, huh? As for your second question; I wanted him to live, y’know? He deserves it. Besides, I’ve caused enough death here, already. What kind of “hero” would I be if I didn’t at least try?”