#lathi writes ajin

[eidolonlathi]

Why Sato being an Miami Vice fanboy adds to his characterization

Sato liking Miami Vice and nicknaming him and his IBM after protagonist duo Sonny and Tubbs is a nice pop culture reference the manga inserted. But iconic action duo appreciation is only one side of this.

See, I wonder what pre-ajinificated!Sato's thoughts were watching the show when it aired. Because just like manga!Sato, Sonny is a Vietnam War Veteran too. Watching the episodes bringing up on Sonny’s war trauma must have felt relatable. Seeing the issue addressed and shared.

But also. After the war, Sonny found new meaning in his life working for Miami Vice. This kind of path was not an option for Sato after the war. Not with him lacking one leg. The scars he carried were not only visible but here to stay, present daily in an unavoidable way.

The story on TV was reminder and escape: The exciting thrill of dangerous undercover work, making friends with a likeminded buddy like Tubbs, having reliable colleagues, caring for a cute pet alligator: I'm sure these would have been the things Sato would have liked to experience too.

But it was fated to remain a dream, a lost chance of another life. Something that now only could be watched TV. Something at least was possible to be seen on TV.

After his ajinification the unreachable dream had the chance to become reality though.

No wonder his IBM resembles Sonny’s pet alligator. No wonder the entity becoming a friend felt like "Tubbs": It's a symbol of lost hope regained, implication Sato does not see this second chance as something to be taken granted but appreciates it for the gift it is.

Even the reliable colleagues seen on TV became reality. Convinced Takahashi's legendary Hawaii shirts are a reference to Sonny's work buddy Stan who likes to wear them as well.

Great minds think alike and wear Hawaii shirts.

In general, Sonny's work pals Stan and Larry might have been an inspiration for parts of the TakaGen storyline: Like Takahashi and Gen they were "those two always hanging out together", both at least implied to struggle with present and overcome addiction (gambling, drinking). And Stan unravelled when Larry d.ied

[eidolonlathi]

Aspects Concerning the Dynamics Between Gen and Takahashi

You just know it had to be Gen's idea to join the Sato squad. Takahashi didn't realize until the end it would be a trip with no return for Gen while for Gen this was a feature and not a bug.

At first glance Takahashi seems to be the one with the ideas. It seems like this because he's impulsive and talkative but if you look closer, it's Gen's approval he's constantly looking for.

And when it comes to heavy decision making and to defending Takahashi then it's Gen acting without hesitation. Neither standing under enemy fire nor Tanaka's legendary sour moods manage to faze him. No matter the pressure, Gen knows how to stay calm.

That’s Tanaka Gen has on the radio here during the Grant Pharma operation by the way. Sort of sad that the two of them were shown to work perfectly together during that situation and only a few chapters later there’s this much tension involved.

But always being the responsible and reasonable one can also be a burden. Back in the day, Gen’s first and only concern when joining Sato's group was the question if Sato really had everything planned out in a reasonable way. Gen doesn't care about morals, it's logistics he's concerned about.

When he shows worry, it's due to the question if something got discarded too early. If it got wasted when it still could have been useful. He calms down when Sato reassures this is not the case but also, this looks like the behaviour of someone used to conditions of scarcity. 

Related to this, it's interesting to think how Taka becoming an Ajin ended up influencing their dynamics. For Takahashi, it seemed to have fed into his already present impulsivity. It's easy to see this trait of his as a flaw but it's not that easy.

He shows a fundamental inability to see the immediate future. As if his experience of the future is a malevolent force that's forced upon you, happens to you without caring about your sensibilities. But once he turned an ajin these factors strenghten a feeling of invincibility.

A sense of invincibility that included Gen. Pointing to a tendency in Takahashi to see himself and Gen as a unity. A tendency shown in the moment of Gen's end: Gen had to spell out for Takahashi that him being an ajin would not mean Gen would be included in his regenerative abilities. Even in his last moments Gen’s first impulse was to ease Takahashi’s fears, one last time being the responsible and reasonable one for the wellbeing of the person he most cared about.

For Gen the entire incident of Takahashi turning out to be an ajin must have heightened already present feelings of resignation and lack of power. Takahashi already was meant to no longer be here, to be lost, saved only by chance, a chance promising new dangers of an almost unimaginable scope. Feeding into an impression that no matter how hard you try, it will never be enough to stop the arrival of new dangers and worries. Instead confirming the eternal necessity to be alert and behave in a reasonable manner. As usual for Gen, old patterns continuing, never changing.

Seeing Sato arrive and bringing with him the opportunity to disregard all concerns of old and instead offer the power to for once to inflict instead of to only endure as long as you accept the consequence attached to that path... I'm not surprised Gen grabbed the chance.

He might have have told himself it would have been a unique chance to ensure Takahashi would win back his rights he had lost when turning out to be an ajin. But Gen always must have known the inevitable outcome for himself. And in a lost corner of his mind, Takahashi knew too.

[eidolonlathi]

POV

For the No Excuses Writing Meme, Askbox Version: drop one of these bad boys in my askbox and i will post, without editing

Anon sent me: POV - something that’s already happened, retold from another character’s perspective

Thank you for the prompt, dear anon! ^.^ I was thinking what POV might be interesting getting retold. I decided on a scene from my Ajin fic Sound of the Sky, an AU where Izumi is the one ending up being Sato’s right-hand-ajin and Tanaka as Tosaki's secretary and bodyguard:

It’s weird to think about, but when Tosaki arrived the fear ended. Before Tosaki was there, there was nothing but growing terror, the kind of panic that made it hard to think, hard to see a way forward, hard to think what might come next. Tanaka had been frozen into place by his fear, unable to take another step. Luckily he had not been alone. Next to him had been his father, gripping his hand, dragging him with him to the car, silently, secretly, so the townspeople investigating if one of their own truly had turned ajin would not notice. His mother had been there too, handing him over a bag holding something to eat and his jacket. There had been fear in her eyes too, though Tanaka had been able to tell she had been trying to hide it, trying to stay strong. “Be careful”, she had whispered, her voice drenched in emotion she did not allow her face to show.

Tanaka had only nodded, promising her he would be. Then the car had set into motion and his mother had been gone, leaving nothing but an uncertain future. The terror in his mind had expanded, making it hard to breathe. But his father had still been next to him, gripping the wheel of the car, promising Tanaka it would be alright.

Tanaka didn’t know if his current situation deserved the label “alright” but he guessed those were semantics. His father was safe again, the shock of getting arrested when they both had been discovered not entirely forgotten but in the meanwhile at least lying in the past. His mother was safe again too, trying to appease the last lingering suspicions of their neighbours by reminding them it all had been only a misunderstanding, Kouji was no ajin after all.

It had of course been no misunderstanding at all, Tanaka thought, looking through the one-way mirror, unable to tear his gaze away from the torn figure on the slab. Bright red bIood kept blooming against skin that had become pale from years away from the sun. The beeping of some machine or another told that despite her injuries the woman on the slab still was alive. But then, for Kouji and her “alive” was nothing but a state between two recoveries.

Next to him he heard a rustling of fabric, Tosaki turning towards him. “Tanaka-san, do you have the Grant Pharma results from last time?”

Tanaka opened his briefcase, quickly locating the desired paperwork. Of course he had them ready; being perfectly organised was his way of insurance. He paid attention to what Tosaki had to say, making an effort to read his moods, learning to predict his wishes sometimes even before he Tosaki would voice them. He took out the results, handing them over to Tosaki.

“Those exactly, thank you.” Tosaki leaned towards the microphone that let his voice be heard in the laboratory room. “We’re ready. You can go on performing your next step on the test subject.”

Tanaka had used to feel upset when hearing the way they referred to the woman on the slab. She was still a person after all. And one of his kind if you’d belief Tosaki’s argument that ajin weren’t human to begin with. Tanaka didn’t know if he agreed with that. He didn’t know.

Feeling a glance resting on him he turned his head, meeting Tosaki’s gaze. He was giving Tanaka an intense and careful look, as if he was able to estimate the thought forming in his mind. For a moment Tanaka held his gaze for the simple fact that trying to hide something from Tosaki was pointless. That only would have led to problems.

Tanaka straightened his tie before avoiding his gaze and looking at the scene taking place in the laboratory again. He used to feel genuinely upset when witnessing the experiments taking place in the lab but nowadays an odd sort of routine had set into him that left him indifferent and cold. As if he wasn’t able to care anymore. That bothered him. For the fact alone that this could be him lying on the slab and getting experimented on. Tosaki reminded him about that the rare times he accused Tanaka of slacking off.

Tanaka gripped the briefcase he was holding in his hand. But now was now and he was not the one stuck in the laboratory. He couldn’t deny, when Tosaki had arrived the fear had ended. If that meant he had been rendered numb then so be it.

[eidolonlathi]

This One Thing Concerning child!Sato's Character Design

There is this just for fun theory I have about child!Sato's background and I'm only halfway joking. So, I noticed that the character design of child!Sato we see in the flashback to his childhood resembles the character design of baby Gage in the Pe/t Se/ma/tary movie. And matching to this the character design of dad Owen looks similar to the character of Jud Crandall, the neighbour in the movie who tells Gage's father about the existence of the P/et Sem/atar/y.

Incoming spoiler for a 30-something year old movie: The thing is, pets and especially people bur/ie/d in the pet se/mat/ary develope an odd destr/ucti/ve urge. As little Gage did when eventually bur/ie/d in the sematary.

In resonance to this trait, in the manga flashback where we see child!Sato, he is ki/llin/g small animals. See where I'm going with this? What if the seemingly poin/tless urge to des/tro/y that child!Sato showed was because dad Owen brougt him back from the de/ad using the Pet Sem/ata/ry? Just as ajin are brought back to life time and time again?

Ok, maybe no actual cur/se/d b/ur/ial ground involved in Sato's case but the character design parallels to the Pe/t Sem/ata/ry movie is a nice thematical reference the manga did here.

[eidolonlathi]

Chapter 86 brought Thoughts and Feelings

The last Ajin chapter dropped and gave me lots of thoughts. Fortunately mostly positive ones. More or less unexpectedly even TakaGen related thoughts. Among other things.

Beware incoming spoilers for chapter 86.

Chapter 86 spoilers, now:

Now that the last chapter dropped, I can finally say it: I'm glad the manga let Gen d/ie at the point it did. I'd rather have a character arc that is lacking ideas end instead of seeing it getting dragged on without spirit for two more slow years. And with Gen dy/ing Takahashi’s character arc was put on a bus as well. Which was good because the way his and Gen’s characters had been written had started to feel regressive since a while, not giving anything constructive to work with but instead starting to trip over its own feet. So, I was just glad adventure TakaGen had ended no moment too late.

Even better: The last chapter didn’t give any flashback or new development that disturbed this personal peace: Instead the glance the last chapter gave on Takahashi sets the world right again: Little rascal still full of energy, spirit not broken, energized by the hate, hurt and disappointment that has always been his motor. But now that Gen is no longer around to bring in affection we get an unfiltered view on it? And I love it? It confirms a pile of suspicions I had about his character and about the dynamic he had with Gen. Those few pages were just a good way of seeing Takahashi’s stay in the manga end like this.

Takahashi knew all along that he’d eventually would get captured and he does not care. Also the implication two panels earlier that he theoretically would be able to use his ghost to cause some dama/ge but doesn’t do it because he is rather letting a mindgame going for now is… much better than seeing him succumb to passive gri/ef would have been. I’m sure Gen is rooting for him from the aether, ever loyal. 

Further thoughts on the chapter in no specific order: Sato in a box still means Sato can get out of the box; no confinement strong enough to hold him. The world is right, his future still holding potential.

And aw, I'm happy we saw Izumi defending Tosaki's memory one last time. It rings true with the journey her character went through: That despite embracing the opportunity he offered her, she felt it right to appreciate the second chance she eventually decided to actively grasp. Overall, Izumi is safe and I’m happy with that. 

Pity thought: No Yamanaka-san in this chapter? This here is the biggest disappointment I feel. Please tell me Kei at least send her a letter to say a thank you. Her taking him in and being kind to him was after all an important part he could avoid capture and think of ways of what to do next.

Furthermore Eriko seems on the path of getting better, at least she is out of the hospital. I wish her the best for her future.

Overall, it’s a chapter that gives the reader the chance to wish the best for the future of any character we saw in it. And seeing how writing a good ending can be a challenge, I consider this a positive aspect: The biggest concern with any manga ending is that the last chapter doesn’t thematically fit into what came before and therefor does not ring true. This last chapter managed to wrap up most of the big questions that were still open, ultimately ending with lots of possibility. Happy rereading soon.

[eidolonlathi]

Aesthetical References of Sato’s Black Ghost

Since the beginning of the manga Sato’s character tends to make remarks about pop cultural references. And looking at the kind of media he is talking about might not only reveal references hidden in the design of his black ghost but also holds information about the time frame of the story’s events.

The fact that Sato and his IBM are calling each other “Sonny” and “Tubbs” during operations is an clear reference to Miami Vice’s, to its main characters Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs. Not much hidden meaning in this one and a reference surely picked up by many readers.

Living the neon-noir dream. Tell me Sato, if your ghost is your Tubbs then who is your Castillo?

It gets more interesting though if one has a look at the head of Sato’s IBM. Clearly a reptilian inspired design, especially in panels that show its teeth. A long snout, sharp teeth… an alligator might be the most fitting comparison. Alligator? Fun Fact: Miami Vice’s Sonny Crockett is proud owner of a pet alligator called Elvis, which lives a spoiled life at his epic sailboat. Looking at this, I think there might be a good possibility the design of the head of Sato’s IBM was directly inspired by alligator Elvis.

The secret of the alligator: In some parallel universe Sato’s black ghost is named “Elvis”

Observation two: Early in the manga, when staging Tanaka’s breakout, there is the famous line where Tanaka is missing Sato’s A-Team reference and instead ends up comparing himself to the Clarice Starling to Sato’s Hannibal Lecter: A Silence of the Lambs reference.

Tanaka shows ambitions to become Clarice and can you blame him for it?

So, where does Sato’s IBM fit in here? Ever noticed how the black ghost has six fingers on each of its hand instead of five?

The number of the beast is six-six-pool ‘gator

In the Silence of the Lambs novel, it gets mentioned that Dr Lecter was born with an additional sixth finger on each hand (can’t remember if this detail made it into the movie). And that he later had those extra fingers surgically removed. So, the design of the hands of Sato’s IBM might be inspired by that.

What to make of these observations? Outer universe that the writing not only loves bringing in pop cultural references but also manages to re-insert them in interesting ways. Having the effect that they feel deeper than a simple one-panel joke. And Inner Universe? Probably that during the time his IBM started appearing, Sato not only went watching Silence of the Lambs at the cinema but also didn’t miss any episode of Miami Vice running. Both media are fitting into the approximate time frame he would have discovered being an Ajin. So, on top of being entertaining references, I think there is a good chance the writing did not pick these two titles randomly but was inserting hints about the time frame of events.

[eidolonlathi]

About this blog:

Lathi. Personal blog. I write and draw sometimes too. Attached to too many fandoms. Ship and let ship.

This place started as a fandom blog and mainly still is, but in the meanwhile also consists of everything else that interests me too. When I have the time I like to write and draw. At the moment mainly for Ajin and Naruto. Mainly; some new fandoms show up, some old ones never really leave the sphere of interest entierly. Have a look at the tags of this post to find this blog's tags relevant to my writing and art.

Artblog is @lathidraws

[eidolonlathi]

And then the camera showed his face. The reader still doesn't know how it happened exactly, but now with the most recent flashback we've witnessed the timeframe Sato got his scar.

[eidolonlathi]

four haiku and a moodboard created for @ajinweek 2020

Day 05 - Justice: Core Motivations of the Sato Squad

Trying to narrow down the broad term of "justice" into a subjective form for each character, I wrote a bunch of haiku that have the individual motivations of the different Sato Squad members as a theme.

In addition I did a moodboard supposed to support the overall motive in these.

  Haiku 009: Okuyama Electric current Rushing through our shared systems My earned victory

Haiku 002: Tanaka Dust clouded my mind Your voice is reaching me now I mean to listen

Haiku 006: Takahashi and Gen Became two monsters By intention, so we can Bite before they do

Haiku 001: Sato Patiently waiting Desire melted into glass Shattered silently

[eidolonlathi]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 亜人 - 三浦追儺 & 桜井画門 | Ajin - Miura Tsuina & Sakurai Gamon (Anime & Manga) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Satou | Samuel T. Owen & Takahashi, Gen & Satou | Samuel T. Owen, Gen/Takahashi (Ajin) Characters: Satou | Samuel T. Owen, Takahashi (Ajin), Gen (Ajin) Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Light Angst, Incest, Sibling Incest Summary:

It is the day Sato’s group launches their move on Grant Pharma. But that is only the beginning of new developments: Sato realizes the operation ended up being a success in more ways than planned, and Takahashi and Gen see a perspective shift into a positive direction they had never expected to encounter to begin with. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Fic written for @ajinweek 2020 Day 04 - Favourite Friendship: Takahashi & Sato & Gen I love the dynamic those three have with each other. It's a bond not being in the main focus and centre of the manga, but an important one showing gradual development nonetheless. So, I've written a fic set during what I consider the key moment that let this connection of three develop from mere group buddies to friends.

[eidolonlathi]

The Question of Okuyama’s Motivation

I’m still trying to make sense out of the last instance Okuyama had in the manga, because it seems so jarring in tone to what we’ve seen before. A least at first look.

Earliest panel we see of him is in front of a TV screen, witnessing Sato “breaking out” Tanaka from the laboratory, the true goal of this broadcast calling together fellow ajin. Given Okuyama proved quick to be an attentive mind, I always was convinced he knew exactly into what kind of situation he would be getting into, should he decide to join Sato. Especially given he was already confronted with the fact Sato was able to free Tanaka on his own (regardless of the timing of the escape, Tanaka had gotten out and away), and witnessing the further uproar that broadcast managed to catch, like the explosion used to distract, so Sato and Tanaka had an opportunity vanish from the running cameras without getting followed, or the messy details of Nagai’s own escape through the roof. What his last appearance made me realize though, was the scope of calculation and pragmatism he had already carried when joining.

Chapter 58: Now it’s been clarified: Okuyama’s not here to make friends. He’s here for his intended main goal.

Chapter 58: Amazing how Okuyama manages to contradict himself in one and the same chapter. He states that he never felt part of Sato’s squad, just to lament moments later that he’s ‘alone again’. Alone again? According to him he was alone the entire time, so nothing has changed. Well, maybe he just likes being melodramatic for no clear reason. Even his IBM seems to be confused. Although there’s more to it that may clear this confusion:

Chapter 58: A special time. According to an earlier panel, fun, even. 

Looking how he explicitly stated during these moments that he views the time he spent in Sato’s team as a challenge and welcome entertainment, I think this promise of fun was the main reason Okuyama decided to join. He knew from the first moment into what kind of direction Sato’s plans would go and always seemed to be calculating and lacking any hesitation when participating in earlier operation, like the one on Forge. Killing an entire room of employees in a pragmatic manner, the only emotion he states once this is done, is that he’s feeling excited and is having fun.

During the Forge operation: Calmly towering over a scene of chaos he initiated – this is still one of my favourite panels featuring him, efficiently managing to transmit information about who Okuyama is as a character.

During the Forge operation: His way of jumping on turtles.

Okuyama joined this team not for ajin liberation and not to make friends with people stuck in the same situation as him, from moment one his only goal was to have fun, recognizing the opportunity to face demanding challenges he would have no chance encountering otherwise and grabbing this unique chance. Seeing how well-prepared and systematic his approach was once he deemed it time to leave, I think it’s safe to say that had been his intention from the beginning: Getting entertained as long as it is safe to do so and getting away as soon as he’s considering circumstances becoming too dangerous. That also would explain why he was so quick to come up with lengthy excuses and words of appeasement once Kou and Akiyama had managed to track him down. (Surprise though his calculations apparently didn’t foresee freshly excluded Tanaka’s willingness to reveal detailed information about Sato’s team. Okuyama - not quite as fast a mind as formerly assumed? More like situation induced stupidity for plot’s sake, but the victim being canonically smart Okuyama, witnessing it hurt double).

Getting confronted with Kou and Akiyama, Okuyama’s only goal was to get away from that situation, and his words towards them were reflecting this. Though I don’t think he was lying exactly when he admitted to prioritize his wish to stay safe and in a good place, regardless if the means to get there were deemed “good” or “bad”: From an intrinsic point he really couldn’t care less. The only thing he wisely left out during that confrontation, was his own inner streak to find pleasure in causing destruction and having joined the organisation due this urge  in the first place, being aware about the risk the situation posed and accepting it. The really interesting part came when he was on his own again: Openly admitting to his black ghost he had enjoyed the time in Team Sato and the opportunities he encountered during it.

His last chapter lets some past scenes appear in a different light too, like this instance right before the Forge operation:

Given the insight of his last appearance, it now poses the question how much during this moment Okuyama was trying to get a clear view on the reasons behind Sato’s mental slump and how much of it was him seeing a parallel to himself, once confronted with it, projecting his own issues. Maybe a bit of both. We know Sato (and Takahashi and Gen too, by the way) views the tension of a fight as a source to have fun, but we got confirmed several times that so does Okuyama as well, leading to an interesting parallel in the entire team dynamic. It would also explain his outright bafflement and impatience realizing that Tanaka, who has spent much more time with Sato than him, is apparently completely unaware about this. As far as Okuyama is concerned, this sort of motivation is not only something easily understandable but also something relatable. So, maybe his statement to not care about forming connections with other people wasn’t quite as absolute, especially given he was in need to distract Kou and Akiyama with his words.

It’s due to this that in hindsight I get the impression that despite being aware about the reason Sato had fallen into a depressive slump, Okuyama was more talking about his own state of mind during above moment: Which viewed from a broader perspective would also be a foreshadowing of his collected but enjoyment-driven demeanour during the Forge operation and his final statements before he left the action of the manga.

[eidolonlathi]

Eriko’s Fear of Abandonment and Loss

I don’t think that Kei ending his friendship with Kai is the reason Eriko is holding a grudge against her brother to this day. Sure, she had a crush on Kai and was affected seeing him feeling hurt over getting rejected by Kei. But I think it’s more that she keeps up brining up Kei’s abandonment of Kai because she was starting to have issues with her brother’s behavior –towards her and others- before that incident.

When getting abducted by Sato and asked about Kei’s character, she states she views Kei as scum not because of him being revealed an ajin (she even clarifies she feels no disgust towards ajin but rather pity) but because of a pattern to put his own gain first, willing to quickly dismiss others to reach his goal. As an example she reveals that since she’s been a small child she felt used by Kei herself. Observing how he used the pretense of wanting to treat her disease as a tool to look better in front of their mother, his teachers and other adults. Seeing this even let the doubt in her grow if he was caring about her at all. It’s no surprise she felt fear of getting abandoned and dismissed, after all she was familiar with experiencing loss at that point already.

Early in the manga we saw her grief over her pet dog dying, her words indicating that incident was more to her than the mere pain of losing a pet: She was voicing concern if “defective” beings are fated to die early. We don’t know if at that point her illness was already diagnosed or if she was still unaware about it, but the suspicion lies close she knew something was wrong with her and feared her illness would mean she was doomed to find the same end as her pet.

Add to this that in the same year the incident with Kai happened her father also got into big trouble for helping a patient through illegal means, ending in him being forced to leave his family. (We know that Kei was nine years old when the incident with Kai happened and also had the same age when his father left the family.)

So, out of Eriko’s point of view, people or even pets leaving her out of a sudden is not a mere fear without any base but a reality she had to live through several times. It comes as little surprise then that witnessing her brother behaving in ways she feels are unreliable are fuel for further anxiety and concern. That’s why I think her continuing to bring up Kei's abandonment of Kai is because it's one of the few hard facts she has, one of the few occurrences Kei's tendency to use others was one big, clear event instead of a string of subtle small happenings.

And no one ever shows willingness to understand where she is coming from but continues to shut her up and dismiss her concerns. Be it mere strangers like Tanaka, who had the nerve to scold her for mentioning her brother’s less flattering sides after just having abducted her. It doesn’t really come as a surprise Tanaka dismissed her; we’ve seen it as a pattern in his behavior that on the one side he expects other people to understand him and cater to his demands while on the other side showing little willingness to understand the point of view of those around him. But for Eriko it must have been an unpleasant reminder that no one is willing to hear her out because she constantly gets dismissed as a “sulky brat” while Kei is good in showing a pleasant front that will gain him the goodwill of others. (As an example, think of how he was able to charm Yamanaka into letting him stay with her or gaining Kou’s trust before poisoning him and locking him away in the truck.)

And sadly it’s not only strangers unwilling to listen to what is worrying Eriko. Her own mother dismisses the matter when brought up. Reducing it to a case of Eriko still “pouting” over the incident with Kaito and valuing feeling over logic, completely missing the point that neither is the root of what Eriko is trying to say but simply the symptoms of disease.

“Someone mistreating you or other people is alright as long as they claim they’re doing it out of love.” That’s the message Eriko is getting here. She didn’t ask Kei to become a doctor for her sake nor to abandon Kai. Yet she gets exactly those “sacrifices” of his thrown into her face the moment she questions his calculated approach.

The experience Eriko continues to make that the moment she voices those concerns they not only get dismissed but she gets shamed for bringing up the matter to begin with. No critic allowed Eriko, your brother loves you, end of story! The way she words things indicates that it’s not the first time this issue came up. And her refusal to let it go points to a motivation much deeper than “but he made Kai cry”. I wonder if there is a (subconscious?) fear in her if one day it will be her getting abandoned. Her being aware of her illness making her “defective” might be one reason, another might be that her father (who was more on the emotional side just like her) leaving the family made her feel that her surroundings are unstable and lack reliability, especially for people with a mindset like hers. Regardless of her doubts having a foundation or not, she’s clearly in a state she would need reassurance and room to address her fears instead of getting guilt-tripped every time she brings up uncomfortable subjects.

The sad thing about the matter is that I think Eriko would like to have a good relationship with Kei and have a reliable brother in him. After all there once was a time where she, her brother and Kaito used to play with each other and get along. Those harmonic days lay in the past though. After making the experience of not only losing her father being part of the family but also of seeing the connection with Kai vanish, both incidents taking place during less than a year, she knows that bonds with other people are a brittle thing and being related by blood is no guarantee to make them last either. For her and for Kei’s sake, I would wish that those cracks and insecurities in their bond can still be mended and repaired instead of getting deepened even further.

[eidolonlathi]

The Two Aspects of Dehumanization in Ajin

I find it interesting that it is stated several times in the story that in order to be able to persecute those labelled as demi-humans, regular humans need to express the temporary need to get rid of their own humanity entirely.

“We are not humans.” - Parallels between chapter 02 and chapter 54

Chapter 02

Chapter 54

I find these panels highly interesting not only for the fact they parallel each other but for what this pattern implies for the world ajin is set in.

Since the beginning of the story, authorities in charge justified the capturing, restriction and torture of ajin for the sake of commercial and scientific use of said individuals with the reason that ajin are not human. That even though humans and ajin look the same and are entirely indistinguishable until the moment a person proves to be unable to die, they must be viewed as two different species. Justifying like this that the values and empathy humans give each other do not apply for ajin. Because ajin are not to been seen as equals, but as something entirely different. A potential threat, an anomaly of how the order of nature is “supposed to work”, as something alien.

It didn’t take the reader many chapters to come to the conclusion that this reasoning is hypocrisy of the finest kind. An excuse to keep the status quo in place that robs ajin of their rights and puts them at whim of whoever is in charge of managing their case.

Ironic that this kind of systematic dehumanization does not only affect ajin but also the humans being forced to deal with them.

Seeing Izumi reacting baffled to Tosaki’s statement comes as little surprise, as the reader realizes soon into the story that he has the habit to force her into compliance by threatening to reveal her ajin status (which only he is aware of at the time). Izumi is safe as long as she is allowed to play human, Tosaki not shy to remind her that next it could be her lying on the laboratory table forced to endure experiments should she inconvenience him enough to no longer stand in his favour. He makes a point during this time that he doesn’t view them as equals. At the same time he has no problems distancing himself from his own humanity for the sake of keeping his position, even going so far as to encourage Izumi to do the same. And with this very encouragement reveals his own hypocrisy: By letting her know she has to let go of her own humanity, he acknowledges that she has one, that despite his constant reminding that he is the one holding the very power over her that has the potential to letting her end up getting dehumanized by turning her into a test subject, he still views her mind as that of a fellow human. A fellow human who needs the same coping mechanism he does, who needs strategies of distancing themselves from the daily and systematic abuse of ajin they’re both part of.

Many chapters later we hear the same sentiment again, this time stated by a human who is addressing his subordinates who are just about to go out and hunt for ajin. Revealing once again that certain roles force people to deny their own humanity – this time with the justification that the need of the individual soldier in this situation has to stand behind the wellbeing of the group they’re part of, has to stand behind what is best for the public. A self-inflicted dehumanization for the sake of keeping a machinery in place that keeps inflicting harm on fellow humans: With the justification that they’re not equals at all but only half a human who deserve to get their basic rights taken away. Not due to something they did wrong but due to circumstances outside their own influence, due to something they are. As abandoning one’s own humanity is justified and even encouraged as long as it’s done by choice but not when it’s an element of an individual’s nature they cannot change.

[eidolonlathi]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 亜人 - 三浦追儺 & 桜井画門 | Ajin - Miura Tsuina & Sakurai Gamon (Anime & Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Okuyama Masumi/Satou | Samuel T. Owen Characters: Okuyama Masumi (Ajin), Satou | Samuel T. Owen Additional Tags: Light Angst, melancholic fluff, Takahashi/Gen is the background ship Series: Part 4 of Endless World Summary:

There is a heatwave crawling through all spaces close to him and Okuyama tries his best to avoid getting affected too much by it. The fact Sato is the kind of person he can spend time with without feeling the pressure to produce empty words for the mere sake of filling the space between them might also help.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Written for @ajinweek 2020 Day 07 - Anything goes: Favourite rarepair: Sato/Okuyama This is a pairing I used to write for a lot. Their dynamics in the anime were the main reason I started shipping them, and I felt today’s prompt would be a nice opportunity to revisit.  This week went over so fast. Thank you for holding and organizing this event. It was fun to participate and to see all the different content that got created. 

[eidolonlathi]

What a certain Panel Composition reveals about the Bond between Sato, Takahashi and Gen

I’ve written about the similarities and shared mind set about Sato, Takahashi and Gen before. Taken the panel composition of the manga reflected this aspect as well, repeatedly, I thought it worthwhile to have a closer look at this: It’s a good example of how the manga successfully manages “show, don’t tell” to transmit information about the intensifying quality of a bond between characters.

The first time we see this occurring pattern of portraying those three as a group is right before the attack on Grant Pharma starts: Sato getting ready to board the plane he’ll succeed utilizing in the operation, Takahashi and Gen about to get ready to act as snipers. Taken how well those three ended up cooperating in the incoming plan, I assume this panel in question wasn’t coincidence but foreshadowing of those three being compatible. And also it’s the first time this composition of Sato depicted in the middle, Takahashi on his left and Gen on his right shows up and it’s worthwhile to keep this image in mind as it would get repeated in this exact same manner for several times.

The second time we see the constellation mentioned above: Soon after the events in the building of Forge security took place. At this time a rift in team Sato has already happened: Tanaka’s sudden decision to prioritize the personal whim of sparing a target he put on the death list himself, casting the needs of the group during an ongoing operation aside, and further insisting plans previously established in the group should get cancelled, started letting his comrades doubt if he can still be viewed as a reliable part of their team. In this panel this atmosphere of growing uncertainty and distrust gets strengthened by showing that in contrast to this rift connections in other places have gotten strengthened.

Example three: Sato may no longer deem Tanaka a good fit for the entire group. In return his trust in Takahashi and Gen gets shown to have grown. The manga makes a point to depict this several times in the short time between the operation of Forge Security and the incoming move on the Iruma base.

Two times a coincidence, three times intention and four times can be viewed as proven facts - Not only is the by now familiar panel composition returning, what is taking place here is further proof that this bond of three has not only stayed stable but strengthened further: Not only is Tanaka’s exclusion as unreliable element of the group decided by now, it’s also getting shown that this decision wasn’t made by Sato alone but that Takahashi and Gen are in on the plan and as confirmed some pages further in after the above panel, also in favour of it.

And the fifth time is confirmation of a familiar pattern by now. With the Iruma plan having gone as planned so far, these three favourite nihilists of mine have not much more to do than broadcast their message to the public in this most familiar pose. A joyful occurrence for the fact that it’s not only the manga readers, but by now also finally the people watching the TV in-universe getting the chance to appreciate the teamwork that comes to those three so naturally (though to be fair, the people glued to their screens in-universe probably have other concerns and priorities during this moment).

And for example six I allow myself to make a bit of a stretch. The familiar order of Sato being the one in the middle (here in the middle panel) with Takahashi and Gen being at his left and right is not as strictly in order as in previous examples. But here the teamwork and understanding not in need of many words that flows so naturally between these three is so nicely depicted that I just needed to include this example. This occasion of Takahashi and Gen having words of encouragement for Sato is also a nice parallel to the panel I used first: Because it was during said first example of the Grant Pharma operation the bond of those three started developing, similar to here with Takahashi and Gen following their spontaneous impulse of the moment to cheer for Sato while he was in the middle of having to manage a demanding task of the plan on his own.

[eidolonlathi]

The Issue with Gen’s wasted Character Potential

With the manga about to reach its end I thought it worthwhile to have a closer look at how Gen’s character has been written. And the conclusion I'm coming to is that things started promising but then ended with already established potential not getting used.

Let’s start at the beginning. I don't believe that by the time of their introduction, any of the Sato squad’s new members had a clear and finished backstory. Or if, that it must have gotten changed while the story was progressing.

At this point it is difficult to say what the initial intention had been. But looking at Gen’s introduction, I always had the impression he and Takahashi didn't use to know each other before, came to the meeting alone and met there for the first time, instantly developing sympathy for each other. Something of the body and facial language in their first panel just seems too distant for me to signal anything else. And taking into account that until chapter 66.5 it hadn’t been confirmed that they shared a backstory, I view an individual arrival still as a possibility. Gen stating some time after the Grant Pharma arc that he possesses no ghost is no contradiction; just because Kou was clumsy enough to attract attention and got caught doesn't mean Gen wouldn't have been able to attend the black ghost meeting undetected.

Either way, only moments later, as soon as Sato's plan was established, he and Takahashi were able to quickly adapt to the situation and work together in harmony. Be it because they used to already know each other or by forming an instant strong connection. This moment already established the pattern that functioning together came easy to them while with Tanaka in the equitation friction would develop easily. But interestingly on the newly formed team all disharmony vanished at first, the operation on Grant Pharma ending a success.

I think this is about the only time in the manga where Gen is completely on his own and it’s impressive how good his nerves are during this moment. He stays calm, analyses the situation and delivers the needed information. And he has to do all of this while Takahashi is constantly being killed right next to him, yet Gen doesn’t get nervous at all.

That kind of levelheadedness would last until into the Forge Arc. And then getting reduced for the sake of preparing a “twist” lacking any solid foundation. Regardless of what one thinks of Gen being human or him and Takahashi supposed to have been brothers all along, from a storytelling perspective it makes zero sense to hide this all away from the reader until the last second. Like, that’s it? That’s the twist? How is this supposed to be relevant again? One of the random sidekicks to the main baddy –who you always knew wouldn’t have a chance to make it to the end- died instead of having gotten captured. I doubt anyone but the less than 20 people who used to ship takagen cared. These characters were about to disappear from the story either way, the average reader wouldn’t care about the surrounding details because these two were not the kind of characters that were given enough relevance. Or more, after a strong introduction, relevance and focus kept getting taken away from them.

Because relevance is the second factor why the reveals at the end were a bad way to progress the story. Since it got clear that some intended surprise was along its way (being shocking for the purpose of being shocking always looks forced), Takahashi and especially Gen were shoved further away into the background of happenings, given little to do. And that was a waste, frankly, taking into account how active both of them were allowed to behave shortly after their introductions. Remember them both supporting Sato with their sniping skills during the Grant Pharma attack? Sniping is a task complicated to do right but both of them were proving to be capable. Together and on their own: The moment Takahashi was taken out by enemy snipers, Gen was perfectly able to calmly overview and asset the situation, like this gathering together the information Tanaka needed to advance further and deal with those threats.

So, you have these two characters who have proven to be capable during stressful situations with a reliable mind and then the manga just… shoved them aside. Not just by lessening focus on them but by downright ignoring the ways they would have been able to contribute to their team. Cutting their teeth and claws further and further, first by putting more of a focus on their drug using habits (edgy. Now we know they’re bad guys for sure. Don’t get me started on addiction getting used as an indicator of morality) and then taking this further until they were reduced to not much more than moving props clowning around in the background. Compare that to Okuyama, whose early established technical skills kept getting efficiently used to advance the plot.

The curse got broken. After years of silence chapter 59 finally allowed Gen to speak again. Unfortunately barely anyone still remembered he existed or what he had brought to the plot so far.

Letting all this potential go to waste, for what? Because more of a focus would have threatened to reveal those wannabe twists? Something that turned out as boring as “one was human all along but the writing never told us that for no good reason”. It is hard to imagine after all the Sato squad was unaware about this important little detail: Not with their habit to regenerate themselves or their injured comrades via shooting themselves back to life during operations. With this they would have needed getting informed about Gen not being an ajin.

And the sudden sibling status about to get introduced resulting in “Gen’s dialogue needs to get reduced into nothing, otherwise it would become too obvious he and Takahashi being brothers was a last minute idea, with them going against local conventions by not calling each other “brother”, instead using their last names ever since.” Yeah, how did that work out? Now we have actual implied canonical incest because Takahashi and Gen being related changed nothing about the fact they were giving off the most obvious couple vibes this manga had to offer, making it look they were actively hiding being related. Where did it go wrong? Was “Gen is human” installed as a possible twist last minute late in the game, kept nebulous in case some better idea came up? (The hints were always vague guesswork at best, supposed to be able to go both ways, and unlike the anime the manga didn’t have the foresight to prepare it as believable by keeping Gen out of the most dangerous situations and reducing this drug consuming habit to a zero. So, am I supposed to look at it as a deliberate suicide mission on his part in manga context? Was his nihilism this deeply rooted here?) And what about the sibling retcon? Was “he joined this non-human extremist group for the sake of supporting his friend” sounding too gay an explanation, so in an attempt to erase that away they were retconned brothers? Would at least explain why those two look absolutely nothing alike despite supposed to be related.

Ironically this accidental incestuous implication was the only element working here in favour of story telling and character development. Disillusioned incestuous couple disappointed with life drifts into nihilism and thus resonates with Sato's ruthless modus operandi? Now that's the kind of variation and originality I like to see in fiction.

Interesting how Gen just shrugs his shoulders and goes back to routine once told the hostages already served their purpose. Zero sentimentalities to be seen. 

I’m glad the story at least let those two stay loyal to Sato until the end, keeping the last bit of relevance in place that differentiated them from their (former) teammates. Takahashi and Gen had bloodthirsty motivations long before they met Sato, so it makes sense those shared similarities kept deepening the bond of those three. It makes sense on a level of characterization and interpersonal relation as well: I’d go as far as to say that Sato was most likely one of the few (the first?) people who accepted them the way they were. Attentive as he was it is hard to imagine he would have missed any aspect of the nature of their relationship. Yet his demeanour towards them never changed, more, as time went on the three of them grew closer. Being met with this kind of acceptance, it is easy to see why Takahashi’s and Gen’s loyalty towards Sato would have strengthened over time as well. Add to this that those three had a pretty similar mind set and voila. A unit that could have had it all, hadn’t it been for the story’s need to play it safe and prepare circumstances so the “good” guys (anyone seriously believing the status quo of using captured ajin for experiments would have changed without outside pressure?) win because of reasons.

This manga has many strengths but the recent habit to insert plot threads that keep dangling and are leading to nowhere or constant retcons that backpedal on what was previous established are none of it. Seeing how the manga started losing its way shortly after the Forge Arc ended and how the plot is now stumbling around in an attempt to reach an ending has been a disappointment, exactly because the story already has proven so many times that it can be excellent under the right circumstances. Alas, hope gets snatched away last.