#save me ichikawa save me

[momoccake]

patiently waiting for hnk chapter 106 btw (im tearing shit off the walls and going insane)

[readkaijuno8]

Kaiju no. 8 official manga trailer

[nightfal1n]

Until we meet again

"I'll be way stronger than I am now"

[agnerd-bot]

Fate Fanservant: Ichikawa Kumehachi, First and Last of the Women Actors(Pretender)

Ascension Stages:

First Stage: Ichikawa’s first ascension is that of a black-clad stage hand, a black cloak covering most of her body, save for a stylized kabuki mask covering her face, and geta sandals on her feet. She holds a parasol behind her, patterned with snapdragons and spider lilies.

Second Stage: Ichikawa’s black cloak has been unbuttoned, and her mask has been removed, revealing a young woman with dark purple hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. Ichikawa’s umbrella has been split into two, revealing there to have been a hidden blade within.

Final Stage: Ichikawa is now dressed within the armor of Musashibou Benkei, wearing a mix of red plate armor and a black priest’s cloth. Her ponytail has lengthened, now hanging down to the small of her back. A black conical hat rests atop her hair, patterned red and black. On her face, red and white kabuki paint has been applied, and over half of her face is an oni’s mask, her eyes peeking out from underneath. Ichikawa’s umbrella is replaced with a longsword and a naginata, and five other weapons can be seen carried on her back.

Theme:

First Ascension Theme: Teen Titans-Master Of Your Fate

Second Ascension Theme: BIOSHOCK RAP by JT Music - "Masquerade" (A Sander Cohen Song)

Final Ascension Theme: Broly Rap (Remix) | “Legend” | Daddyphatsnaps (Dragon Ball Super)

Traits:

Class: Assassin / Pretender Alternate Class: Caster, Avenger True Name: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX / Ichikawa Kumehachi Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: True Neutral / Chaotic Evil Attribute: Man

Known as: The Ninth Danjūrō, The Revitalization of Kabuki, The Savior of Kabuki’s Golden Age, The God of the Stage / The Female Danjūrō, Onna Danshū, First and Last of the Women Actors

Voice Actress: Honda Takako Deck: QQAAB

Parameters: Strength: D Endurance: C Agility: C Mana: E Luck: D NP: EX

Passive Skills:

??? C/First and Last of the Women Actors C:

The skill of an actress without peer, a performer who redefined what it meant to be an onnagata. With her on the stage, women once again were able to perform alongside men in kabuki, which hadn't been possible since the age of Izumo-no-Okuni, when kabuki itself was founded. The Meiji period brought many changes to the world of kabuki. Women returned to the stage for the first time in decades, adaptation of Western plays became part of the culture of Japanese theater, and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX made history by being part of the very first film caught on camera.

However, like all things, this time in the spotlight for Kumehachi was never meant to last. Time went on, and for many, the novelty of women in kabuki slowly died down. While she was among the first of the women actors, she was also destined to be among the last, with the resurgence slowly dying down until only a minority of women now perform. Kumehachi herself eventually faded into obscurity, being overshadowed by Kawakami Sadayakko. However, as an actress, for the briefest of times, Kumehachi was able to shine on stage and entranced Japan as one of the first women actresses of kabuki. Despite the fact she has been forgotten by history, this simple fact is enough to ensure Ichikawa Kumehachi a place within the Throne of Heroes, no matter how small.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases Damage Against Gold Rarity Enemies. -Increases Damage Against 'Divine' and 'Threat to Humanity' Enemies. -Increases Damage Taken by 'Performer' Enemies [Demerit].

Territory Creation (Stage) C:

While Ichikawa never had any Magecraft talents in life, as a master of the kabuki arts, she has a talent for transforming the stage into new and fantastic lands on which to perform. She could melt into roles and scenery perfectly, creating a simple wooden platform into a massive battleground through her performances.

In her case, her 'territory' is that of a stage, directed and set up by her kuroko assistants for her to perform as the lead actress. Those who watch her perform become entranced, trapped within the worlds she weaves with her voice and body, just as she did years ago in her prime.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own Arts performance by 6%. -Increases own critical star generation rate by 6%.

The Mad Dance of Yasuna B:

The final performance she ever made in her life. A role of a madman, driven to the absolute deepest pits of despair and anguish after the loss of the love of her life. A song of rage, of sorrow, a song of what was once there and what is now lost. A lifetime of changes, regrets, triumphs, and failures, all laid bare on the stage before those who behold her bewitching dance.

To the people she lost, to the dreamers rejected, she dedicates this to them.

(FGO Effect:)  -Increases own debuff success rate by 8%. -Increases own NP generation rate when taking attack by 18%.

Active Skills:

Kuroko B:

A variation on the Espionage skill, as a kabuki actress, Ichikawa has worked both as a main attraction on the stage and the backstage crew handling the props and instrumentals. This manifests as the Kuroko skill, named after the stagehands in kabuki theater who were meant to be ignored by the audience as they did their work. This allows her to become an entity that cannot be seen or interacted with by normal means, fading away into an unknown layer of the world unseen by human eyes. As a result, she can easily escape potentially lethal situations by merely fading into the background, becoming an entity that can strike at any time and disappear in a mere moment's notice.

As a consequence of this ability, she also cannot directly interact with other people in this state either, though she can manipulate objects to an extent, not unlike a phantom. Those with strong enough magical perceptions can see through this layer, revealing her location.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase Critical Star Generation for three turns. -Apply Evade to self(2 times, 3 turns).

All the World’s a Stage B:

An ability that allows the user to see through deceptions and lies, this power is not dissimilar to that of the Fairy Eyes possessed by the Fae of Britain. Danjūrō IX sees the world as nothing but another stage to perform upon, filled with actors pretending to fill roles, and ideals that are little more than hollow motivations. The world is filled with nothing but lies and deceptions, empty promises and shallow goals, and through the eyes of an actor, these falsehoods are easily revealed.

In a world that is nothing but a stage, the only one who can see the props are the actors. The only people who know that they're on a set are the performers.

(FGO Effect:) -Remove one latest buff from all enemies. -Apply Ignore Invincible to self for three turns. -Increase own Arts Card Effectiveness for three turns.

Instructions for Onnagata A+:

To be an Onnagata is to be able to blend in within one's own character near-seamlessly. To take on an entirely new identity, gender, sexuality, or even species, and become someone entirely different. The Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors was among the greatest at this talent, transcending the very concepts of humanity itself for the sake of their art form, becoming demons, warriors, and princesses all to tell grand tales of humanity's greatness.

This skill is less of a magical ability and more of a testament to Danjūrō IX's talent as an actor. With simple changes in posture, tone of voice, and gesture, Danjūrō IX can easily make it appear that she is an ally even in the midst of a group of enemies. This ability goes beyond that of a disguise and becomes akin to taking on a new identity entirely.

Indeed, so great was Ichikawa Kumehachi's talents that it was near-impossible to tell the difference between her and her male counterparts while on stage. A master of deception and the arts, she was one of the few acclaimed actresses in the short period that women were allowed to perform Kabuki, and is one of the few surviving names of that time.

(FGO Effect:) -Give self 'Male' trait for one turn. -Increase Attack for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Increase NP Gain for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Increase Critical Damage for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Apply NP Seal self for one turn [Demerit].

Noble Phantasms:

Noble Phantasm: Kabuki Jūhachiban - The Eighteen Finest Kabuki Arts True Name: Kanda Gekijô - Behold the Stage Where We Stake Our Claim Rank: C Maximum Targets: — Range: 50m

Classification: Anti-Army(Self)

An army of Wraiths taking the form of kuroko, the black-clad stagehands of kabuki theater. They do not typically manifest in physical bodies to attack like other Anti-Army Noble Phantasms. Rather, these shadowed stagehands serve as workers in the background, setting the stage for Kumehachi's performances whenever they are needed, constructing sets, props, and narrating the stories she is acting out. With mere wooden props and paintings, they can summon bolts of thunder or powerful waves to drown her enemies. Trapdoors can open out of nowhere for her to escape through. Stage lights can shine down to blind her opposition, and ropes and pulleys can be used to make it seem as she can soar through the air.. Most opponents cannot see or interact with these crew members, and so many enemies initially mistake Ichikawa as a powerful mage at first glance.

If they are needed, these shadows can manifest themselves within the physical world, much like how Ichikawa can enter their world of the background. While they lack any significant power, they make up for it through their incredible ability to disguise themselves as others, melting into the roles they have made and spreading disinformation and confusion to enemies. In an absolute emergency, these Wraiths will dive in front of an enemy attack to shield the Ninth Danjūrō from harm, appearing as if out of nowhere before enemy eyes.

Each and every member of this army of Wraiths is a member of Ichikawa's troupe of all-female actors. The women who dreamed of making a name for themselves on the grand stages of kabuki, only to be rejected and abandoned when they were deemed 'too old' to exude innocence and purity as they had when they were younger.

Rather than being mindless executors of their dear friend Kumehachi's will, they are her chosen family, aiming to support her in any way they can from the shadows. For if nothing else, her existence as a Heroic Spirit gives them the one solace they need, proving that they existed and they had made a name for themselves. In turn, Kumehachi's own bitterness and anger is fueled in part by how the world of kabuki came to shun her sisters, abandoning them carelessly as if they were nothing more than toys it got bored with. This bond persists long after the death of these actresses so many years ago, a defiant shout into the void.

They are the dreamers, the hopeful, a family of those abandoned and forgotten by human history.

Noble Phantasm: Momijigari - A Fine View of the Maple Leaves True Name: Onna Danshū - An Actress’s Stories Lost to Time Rank: EX Maximum Targets: 150 Range: —

Classification: Anti-Narrative

A powerful and dangerous Reality Marble representative of Ichikawa's true outlook of the world. It manifests when she selects a doorway and marks it with the symbol of the Ichikawa Family Crest. Named after the kabuki play which was turned into the oldest surviving film in Japanese history, those who pass through this doorway enter the Reality Marble, where the Noble Phantasm rejects the 'Mystery' of anything that enters through the doorway, converting all mystics and similar powers into 'fantasy' and reducing any hero that enters to a mere human. Noble Phantasms are reduced to mere smoke and mirrors. Mystic enchantments are left as makeup and lights. Weapons become merely fanciful props of plastic and wood. The inverse of this becomes true as well, as wood and sticks become blades capable of cleaving through heavy armor, and two-dimensional sets transform into dense forests or deep pools of water.

Victims who are drawn into this Noble Phantasm slowly forget who they are, what their purpose is, and the idea of there even being a world outside of the stage. They become yet another actor on the set, meant to follow the script, perform their heart out, and take a bow at the curtain call.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of this Noble Phantasm is how all, no matter their strength, no matter their legend, no matter their mysticism, can be caught within the spell of the stage.

Power is meaningless. Legends are meaningless.

The only meaning to be found in the world, is that there is no meaning at all.

It's all just another lie.

However, there does exist an ‘out’ of some sorts against this Noble Phantasm. Because this Noble Phantasm reduces everything to a ‘performance’, Servants with histories of being actors and performers on stage have the ability to counter it. Actors like Mata Hari and Shakespeare can actually match Kumehachi blow for blow on stage, meaning they can use Onna Danshū’s power against her.

Even then, only the finest actors will be able to truly match Kumehachi’s skill on the stage. It is not enough to speak falsehoods or play pretend while acting on the stage. It is to be willing to lose yourself completely and totally in your performance, risking your very identity to entertain others and to create a work of art. Such is the way of the actor. Such is the way of Ichikawa Kumehachi.

(FGO Effect:) -Ignore own Attack Debuffs for one turn. -Ignore enemy Defense Buffs for one turn. -Ignore Class Disadvantage for one turn. -Reduces one enemy's Arts resistance by 20% for 3 turns. -Deal heavy damage to one enemy.

Noble Phantasm: Kanjinchō - Endless Blank Pages of Humanity True Name: Kanjinchō - I Enter the World With No Real Face Rank: B- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: —

Classification: Anti-Unit(Self)

Named after the play so heavily guarded by the Danjūrō line of actors, Kanjinchō is a Noble Phantasm that allows the user to essentially ‘transform’ themselves into a role to be played, mimicking a person of her own choosing. Not only does this Noble Phantasm serve as a near-flawless means of disguising herself, Ichikawa can also channel the abilities of the person she is acting as, albeit to a much lesser degree. Uniquely, unlike Holmes's Empty House or Yan Qing's Doppelgänger, Ichikawa can actually copy the Noble Phantasms of an enemy Servant with this power. Because of this, Ichikawa actually can combat Servants normally above her paygrade when she takes on a role, though her acting abilities have their own limits. For example, even if she took on the appearance of Gilgamesh, the comparative weakness of her Spirit Origin would make it obvious to anyone facing her that she isn't the real thing, and the abilities she uses would be far weaker.

However, despite the versatility that her Noble Phantasm provides her, it seems she always tends to default to a single hero when in combat: Musashibou Benkei, the main character of Kanjinchō and retainer of Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune. Is it merely a personal attachment to the role defined by the Danjūrō line? Is it simple hero-worship? Or is it something else?

In life, Kanjinchō was the performance that led to Ichikawa Kumehachi’s relationship with Ichikawa Danjūrō IX to crumble. The theater-master was outraged at anyone daring to perform the signature play of the Danjūrō line of actors. So Kumehachi was expelled. It mattered not if Kumehachi herself was forced to perform the play, the insult had been made. While the two eventually were able to reconcile, this incident has left its mark on Kumehachi’s incarnation as a Servant, with the actress using it to take the form of her grudge against her former master, as well as Kabuki as a whole. She has chosen the role of Benkei as her preferred role both as reverence for the great hero of the famed play, as well as a means of spiting her former master. While the real Benkei was made famous for his loyalty to his master, this false Danjūrō takes this form as an act of rebellion.

Voice Lines:

Summoned: Hello, hello~! Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, great hero of Kabuki's rebirth! So, so~! This is Chaldea, is it? I’ve heard so many great things about this place! Well, I hope you treat me well! We’re partners now, after all! I, the theater-master, and you the loyal patron!

Level Up 1: Hwachaaaa! The Great Danjūrō grows stronger still!

Level Up 2: Thank you for patronizing my humble performances, Master. As a reminder, every little bit helps to make our stars shine even brighter~!

1st Ascension: Oh, whoops! It seems like my little disguise has been revealed. Sorry for deceiving you, I had to put on that outfit of mine for some personal reasons. But now, I arrive, like a delicate flower reaching full bloom! I hope my being a woman didn’t surprise you that much. That aside, how do I look? I could easily perform as one of the great Sanhime, don’t you agree?

2nd Ascension: The performing actresses of Kanda Gekijô thank you for your patronage! While we are currently working behind the scenes for our next production, allow me to regale you with some of the greatest works of my repertoire. *ahem* ... Eh? Now's not the time? Haaaaah, you sure are a spoilsport!

3rd Ascension: The armor of Musashibō Benkei… In life, this role was my last performance before I died. I suppose it’s only fitting that it is my greatest performance as a Servant as well. Osu! Just as Benkei served the great Yoshitsune, I too will serve you faithfully! I arm myself with the Seven Weapons of the honored monk, and I will stand and defend until the last!

4th Ascension: ...so this is as far as I go, hm? My, how troublesome. I was hoping I wouldn't reach my limits this soon. I had plans to elevate my troupe to even greater heights. I suppose it can't be helped, though, can it? Even the talented, even the hard-workers, we all have a place where we eventually stop... However, I will say this: thank you for taking us all this far.

Fight Start 1: So you’re my audience this evening? Wonderful!

Fight Start 2: What shall we do today? Shall we do something fantastical?

Fight Start 3: It’s time to raise the curtain on another show tonight!

Skill 1: Cue the music!

Skill 2: Cue the lights!

Skill 3: Cue the makeup!

Command Card Select 1: Oh, it appears it’s my scene!

Command Card Select 2: This is the part where you fall down.

Command Card Select 3: I hope you remembered to rehearse!

Command Card Select 1(Third Ascension): Halt, for just a minute!

Command Card Select 2(Third Ascension): This blade is too precious to cut scum like you!

Command Card Select 3(Third Ascension): Benkei, guide my weapon fair and true!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: For this next performance, I will need a volunteer from the audience!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: Don’t be shy, now! Let’s put on a show!

Noble Phantasm Select 1(Third Ascension): The last performance of my life… And the last performance of yours!

Noble Phantasm Select 2(Third Ascension): I am… Musashibou Benkei!

Attack 1: Tut-tut, it looks like rain!

Attack 2: Seiiiyah!

Attack 3: Whoops! Hot hot hot hot!

Attack 4: Wait a minute! Could you die for me?!

Attack 5: Behold! The shining golden castle!

Attack 6: Seven Gods of Fortune, bless me this day!

Attack 7: Unleash! The god of dragons, destroy them all!

Extra Attack 1: Behold, the beauty of the kabuki arts!

Extra Attack 2: Suisen! Kyokubai! Lower the curtain!

Noble Phantasm 1:

Struggle all you want, despair as you please, rejoice however you see fit...

But in the end, we all have to take the final curtain.

It's all just a show, and we are but actors on the stage.

So make your vows, and take your bows.

For in the end... we are destined to be forgotten.

Noble Phantasm 2:

What is the stage? What is reality?

The line between both is blurred.

All the world's a stage…

And the stage is another world…

Momijigari…

Let us dance under the maple leaves.

Noble Phantasm 3(Third Ascension):

I have no true face. I have no true self.

All I can do is take on the role of another.

Such is the path I have taken as an actor.

Now then… Regale me with your applause.

Kanjinchō.

Noble Phantasm 4(Third Ascension):

I have lost my way. My face is no longer my own.

Who am I?

Who are you?

It matters not, we all melt away into our roles in due time.

Such is the price to pay to be an actor.

Kanjinchō!

Damage from Noble Phantasm: All part of the show folks!

Regular Damage: Owowowowow! Watch it, you could’ve hurt me!

Defeated 1: Welp, that’s my scene done with…

Defeated 2: This is why I don’t work with amateurs.

Victory 1: An encore? Oh no, I couldn’t possibly!

Victory 2: Thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind!

Bond Level 1: Hey, Master… Have you ever tried to learn an instrument when you were young? I’ve had the urge to start teaching again, something I hadn’t done in a long while. Care to learn a bit about the arts? We can start off with something simple if you’d like.

Bond Level 2: Now, let’s begin the lesson. Read through this script, and start with a few lines from the paragraph here. … …hmmm. I must say, you’re surprisingly restrained during this. I must admit, I expected you to be louder and more wild. While that may be suitable for a quiet piece, this scene requires more emphasis. Can you do that for me? … That’s more like it! From the top!

Bond Level 3: Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ I must say, you’re progressing quite well. You still have a long road to go before you can master even the basics, but you certainly have been keeping at it longer than I expected you would. …hah. You almost remind me of the students I watched when I was a child…

Bond Level 4: ‘Why did I choose to take on the identity of a man?’ …hah. I got asked that a lot. ‘She left something behind in her mother’s womb’, ‘Alas, if only she had been born a woman’, ‘If she had been a man, her acting would have surpassed mine’... The world around me decided that I was only valuable if I was a man. So, I took on the name of a man to match what they believed I should be.

Bond Level 5: Another performance, another role, another identity I melt into to the cheers of the crowd. But… All the same, I sometimes wish to be recognized as myself. As the Ichikawa I was born to be, rather than the Ichikawa the world deems I should be.

Dialogue 1: *sigh* What a pain. I was hoping to rehearse our next production in the simulator, but apparently, some numbskull broke it again. We really should do something about those repairs…

Dialogue 2: Oh, Master! I’ve come up with a new play idea! I was inspired by your work in the field! I call it, “Farming: A Master’s Slow Descent into Madness!” What do you think?

Dialogue 3: Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ Oh, Master! Have you come to hear my performance? It’s just practice, but I’d love to put on a little show.

Dialogue 4 (If you have Musashibou Benkei or Ushiwakamaru): …Master. Do my eyes deceive me or is the hero of Kanjinchō standing before me? Quick, quick, get me a pen and paper, I must have their autograph!

Dialogue 5 (If you have Kijyo Koyo): The mountain oni Momiji, before my very eyes. I must say, she is as beautiful as the legends say, perhaps even more so. …eh, that aside, why can she turn into a tyrannosaurus rex? Was that always the case? Should I get new props?

Dialogue 6 (If you have Izumo no Okuni): Izumo no Okuni… The fair maiden who invented the art of Kabuki itself. Hoo… My, I’m honored to be in the presence of the great brothel maiden herself!

Dialogue 7 (If you have Sasaki Kojirou): A Phantom Servant? Ah, a man who has no true face, no real identity. Lost to time itself, and forced into another man’s role. I suppose it’s not unlike being an actor, is it?

Dialogue 8 (If you have Nagao Kagetora): Eichigo’s Almighty God of War… is a woman? I suppose I have no room to be surprised, but that’s certainly unexpected. I wonder if I can get her to join our troupe…

Dialogue 9 (If you have Yan Qing): Ah, a fellow actor! What a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance! I must say, with a build like yours, you may be able to be a rising star! …eh? ‘108 Stars of Destiny’? You mean you’re already in the big time?!

Dialogue 10 (If you have Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): My, so many talented musicians have made their mark on human history, haven’t they? None so much as Mozart… How interesting, a man tied to the world of demons instead makes his mark on humanity on his own merits.

Dialogue 11 (If you have William Shakespeare): Ah, William Shakespeare, yes! His writings had made it overseas to Japan when I was active. I must say, It has been interesting adapting his work to kabuki’s stage. I wonder if he’s making more plays as a Servant…

Dialogue 12 (If you have Mata Hari): Eeeeeek! Master, save me! The mightiest of all Servants has come to pass judgment on us! I’m helpless against her sheer power! … Hahahahaha! Oh, don’t give me that look, I’m just having some fun!

Dialogue 13 (If you have Elizabeth Bathory or Nero Claudius): Geh… So loud! At the very least, could you learn to carry a tune before squawking like a drunken goose? Your singing is an offense to the Gods of Music!

Dialogue 14 (If you have Scheherazade): 1001 tales from the Middle East. My, my, she must be quite talented to tell 1001 stories straight each and every night. Our troupe could use a narrator like that? Eh? ‘The stage is much too dangerous, I could die of stage fright’?

Dialogue 15 (If you have Miss Crane): Ah, so there’s a seamstress of great renown making shop within Chaldea? I’ll have to talk shop with her sometime. After all, our troupe is always in need of expert costumers to provide us with outfits. I wonder if she’ll give me a discount for my looks. After all, I’ve been known to be quite charming~!

Dialogue 16 (If you have any “Shining! Grail Live!! ~Crane Idol's Return of a Favour~” Servants): Oh, so Chaldea had its own idol event, did it? … I must warn you, ladies. Do not simply go onto the stage and presume it to be a casual event. To take your place in front of the crowd requires commitment, and more than that, an understanding of your purpose. To forget that is to spit onto all who came onto the stage before you.

Likes: The world of the arts is something so beautiful, so exquisite, that it defies anything. Humanity is one of the few species in this universe that can truly produce art for art’s sake. If nothing else, that is something worth cherishing, no?

Dislikes: …if there is one thing that is truly unforgivable in this world, it is those who disrespect those that came before them. To trod on the history and the sacrifices we have made as people and leave them in the dust. Promise me, Master, that you will not be one of those people.

About the Holy Grail: Hm? What would I wish for if I had the chance? Why, Master, that’s just- …I suppose I do have one wish. In life, I sought to tear down the divides people had put on the arts. Young and old. Man and woman. Nobility and peasants. I wanted the chance to make a world for the arts where all could join in, unabated. Of course, that dream was simply that, a dream.

During an Event: Where there is a celebration, actors are soon to follow! Come Master! Let us perform a wondrous scene!Birthday: Happy birthday, young Master. I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a gift this day, no? After all, you have been so kind to patronize my troupe for this long. Allow this humble theater-master to regale you with a song and dance of my own creation.

Profile:

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A strange and mysterious Servant in the Kabuki-za Singularity, an enigmatic phantom directing a performance based on the Chaldeans and their adventures. The ninth of a line of famed kabuki actors taking the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, and the fifth son of Danjūrō VII, Danjūrō IX was the beloved star of Kabuki's Golden Age.

The son of the Seventh Danjūrō, Danjūrō IX was seen as a genius who helped Kabuki thrive during the Meiji Period, developing katsureki plays, bridging the gaps between traditional kabuki and new innovations, connecting Eastern theater with its Western counterparts, and even reinstating women back into kabuki after over two hundred years of their initial banishment from the stage.

It was for these bold movements and others that Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was seen as the Savior of Kabuki's Golden Age, an actor without parallel that fearlessly steered the art in the raging storm of the Meiji Era.

Bond Level 1:

Height/Weight: 165cm • 50kg Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: True • Neutral Gender: Female

"What's this? The almighty God of the Stage is a woman? Hahahaha! I guess you saw through my disguise already, didn't you? Let's just keep this a secret between us for now, eh?"

In life, the Ninth Danjūrō was a very stoic and serious man. He served as a pillar upon which kabuki itself was supported, calmly and hopefully bearing the weight of the art with grim seriousness. Only the most dedicated and talented could become a student under his wing, and even then, his students knew his reprisals could be swift and harsh.

As a Servant, however, it seems Danjūrō IX has become a lot more carefree and lackadaisical, cracking jokes and running around aimlessly and without regard for how others see him. Despite her quirks, though, it's unquestionable how much skill for the arts she has.

Oh, and he's also a woman, apparently.

I know this is par for the course in this series, but still, what the hell?!

Bond Level 2:

It is said that Danjūrō IX had a distaste for the 'shipbrought things' imported from the West. When asked if his performance of the play Momijigari could be filmed for posterity, the Ninth Danjūrō was said to have reacted with disdain and disgust. As a man who sought to create plays based off of Japan's own culture and historical roots, the concept of using foreign innovations and inventions to disrupt kabuki's norms and traditions was insulting. Eventually, he relented, on the condition that it was merely meant for posterity as opposed to public viewing.

Yet, despite this outlook the Ninth had on the foreign goods, he also was as influenced as any other during the changing Meiji Period. In this era, Western plays such as the performances of William Shakespeare made it to Japan, as well as many other works, which ended up influencing his work, even with Danjūrō's own patriotic fervor for Japan. The Western dramas were said to have inspired his creation of katsureki, historical plays meant to be as accurate as possible, a living history of Japan's own culture.

An interesting paradox, a hatred of the foreign innovations from overseas, and yet, a willingness to learn from them and adapt them to help Danjūrō's kabuki grow and evolve.

Bond Level 3:

Danjūrō IX can often be seen conversing with her stagehands when not performing or practicing for her next role. In particular, he talks with Ichikawa Suisen II and Ichikawa Kyokubai II, his two daughters. While they were unable to perform on stage with their father as actresses that often, they did often have roles as stage hands and minor performers, helping their father in his major productions.

In life, the Ninth Danjūrō had attempted to bring women back to the stage of kabuki, starting with his two daughters, before eventually expanding to help form a women's troupe with his pupil, Ichikawa Kumehachi. However, many criticized Danjūrō for this, deeming it an invasion of the typically male-dominated kabuki. Many of the female actresses of this era were seen as novelty and little else, with many fading from the public view and being forgotten.

Ultimately, Danjūrō's hopes for a kabuki where men and women could share the stage and thrive together could be considered unsuccessful, with women in kabuki continuing to be a rarity. However, there still exist many female acting troupes to this day.

Danjūrō's dreams may lay dormant for now, but they are undeniably still alive.

Bond Level 4:

The Kabuki Jūhachiban is an assembly of eighteen plays strongly associated with the Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors. Chosen by actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII, these plays are seen to be representative of the greatest kabuki has to offer to the world. Of the five, Shibaraku, Narukami, Sukeroku, Ya-no-Ne, and Kanjinchō are the most sacred among them, even being used in ceremonies to name new recipients of the Ichikawa Danjūrō title.

Kanjinchō in particular was a favorite of the Ninth Danjūrō, as it was an invention of his father, the Seventh Danjūrō, adapted from the noh theater play Ataka, as an attempt to challenge the perceptions of kabuki. He protected his role as Benkei devoutly and dutifully, as well as Kanjinchō as a whole, taking it as a deep personal insult whenever someone took the role without his permission. There have been multiple accounts of Danjūrō expressing outrage at those who performed the play, with the ninth even going so far as to expel students who had done it without permission, no matter the circumstance.

To the Danjūrō line, Kanjinchō is not merely a play, and Benkei is not merely a role. Rather, it is the very definition of who they are and their pride as actors.

Bond Level 5:

A statue cast of bronze, a tall, imposing figure stands over the populace. Face set in a heavy scowl, an impenetrable helmet atop his head, an artful fan held in his right hand and an imposing blade set in his left. One can almost hear the music playing as this veritable giant of a man storms into the hall of the villains, intent on avenging the dishonor they have given to him. This is Ichikawa Danjūrō IX. This is the great hero Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa. This is kabuki, in its distilled form.

The man known as the Ninth Danjūrō left behind a shadow large and imposing, cast over all who would succeed him. He was a man who took the world of kabuki by storm, deftly changing it while still rooting it to the people and culture that it was born from. From his students, to his children, to anyone who would take up the name of Danjūrō, anyone who knew of his legacy bowed their heads and wept upon the death of the Great Danjūrō.

For who could ever follow in the footsteps of the Savior of Kabuki?

Extra:

So, here I am. The Savior of Kabuki's Golden Age, soon to pass away on my deathbed. I suppose this was meant to be some day. No man is meant to live forever.

Ahhhhh... Such a shame. While I can safely say I've done enough to have honored my predecessors, I suppose there is something I can't help but doubt in my life. The newspapers cry that I am kabuki's greatest actor. My fellows of the stages revere me as a god. The world says that I am the man who steered kabuki into salvation, that has ensured its future. And yet...

Did I really change anything in the end? Or did I just delude myself into believing I did anything important?

I have failed so much in this life. I had attempted to revolutionize the art with my katsureki, but many have brushed them off as boring and uninteresting. I had attempted to reconnect with kabuki's roots by advocating the return of women to the stage, but my actions were met with anger and jeers. I had attempted to preserve our country's history by rejecting the Western innovations, and yet it seems even I could not help but be swayed by the influence of the foreigners.

I wanted to do so much, I wanted to change as much as I could, I wanted to make the world better for my students and my children... And yet, here I am, laying on my deathbed with all these regrets.

Ah, such a shame... What an old fool I am, to lay here with these thoughts.

In the next life... I hope I can do better for my students.

Voice Lines (Post-True Name Illumination):

Summoned: Hello, hello~! Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, great hero of Kabuki's rebirth! ...ehehehe. Oh. It's you. What a joke, to think that I would end up partnering with a fool such as yourself. I suppose an actress can't be too choosy about the role she takes on. Allow me to do my introduction again. ahem Hello, hello~! It is I, the great female Danjūrō! Ichikawa Kumehachi at your service! Please take care of me, oh great Master of Chaldea! So, will that suffice for now?

Level Up 1: Oh, you've chosen to level me up? Forgive me if I don't prostrate at your feet for this.

Level Up 2: Tch. Someone turn down the lights in this place already. Those sparkles get on my nerves.

Level Up 3: Ohhhh congratulations, I've leveled up. *clap*

Level Up 4: Time marches on, with or without me...

1st Ascension: Awww... I quite liked that stuffy old outfit... I suppose it can't be helped, can it? You seem all too eager to strip me down. Oh, is that a blush I see? Hehahaha... You truly are incorrigible, Fujimaru.

2nd Ascension: Wh-what?! M-my Spirit Origin is changing! My clothing, it's shifting! What is this?! It's... It's... It's a lie! Aww... is that disappointment I see on your face, Fujimaru? Don't tell me you actually thought I was serious now.

3rd Ascension: Benkei's armor, huh... Tch. Old bastard... Even now, you intend on overshadowing me, do you? Or is this your pathetic attempt at an apology? Fine, fine... A performance is a performance, after all. If the world wishes me to play the grand heroine, then who am I to deny my audience? 

4th Ascension: ...what, are you expecting something profound? Do you believe that your actions here have any meaning? Do you believe that you can ever unlock my 'true feelings'? The only truth is this, Fujimaru: everything you've done, everything you've said, every single droplet of power you've gifted to me... It means nothing. The world forgot me. The world will forget you. So please, stop wasting your time. You're embarrassing us both.

Fight Start 1: So, you’re my audience this evening? Wonderful…

Fight Start 2: And so the curtain rises on another performance of ours.

Fight Start 3: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, the Ichikawa Girl’s Troupe presents… The truth of this cruel world.

Skill 1: Places, everyone!

Skill 2: I’ve rehearsed this perfectly!

Skill 3: Fufufufufufu…

Command Card Select 1: Sei-yoh!

Command Card Select 2: Come, little puppet… Let me cut your strings.

Command Card Select 3: *snaps fingers*

Command Card Select 1(Third Ascension): The truth has come out.

Command Card Select 2(Third Ascension): The story has reached the climax.

Command Card Select 3(Third Ascension): It is time for this play to end.

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Showtime!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: Master of the arts… Pleaser of crowds… I am… Ichikawa Kumehachi!

Noble Phantasm Select 1(Third Ascension): Let us unfurl the blank subscription list.

Noble Phantasm Select 2(Third Ascension): So begins the grand finale!

Attack 1: The waterfalls of Monk Mongaku!

Attack 2: Yaegaki’s mourning blade!

Attack 3: The boiling pot of Ishikawa Goemon!

Attack 4: Take their heads! Tomokirimaru!

Attack 5: Shine, Kinkakuji!

Attack 6: Behold, the grace of the Sanhime! One! Two! Three!

Attack 7: The Advent of the God of Fire! Now comes the final blow!

Extra Attack 1: Time for the performance of a lifetime! Kanda Gekijô!

Extra Attack 2: Kikuko, Satõ, let’s end this with a bang!

Extra Attack 1(Third Ascension): This is my hanamichi!

Extra Attack 2(Third Ascension): Now… I shall take your head! SEIIIIIII!

Noble Phantasm 1:

There is no truth to this world.

We live a life wholly made out of fantasies and stories.

Gods and heroes have no power here.

Mysticism and weaponry mean nothing.

You are all simply actors on a stage.

And I... the lead role.

Noble Phantasm 2:

Behold, the emblem of humanity's sin.

The hopeful... The dreamers...

All of us who were promised fame and glory...

All of us who were denied it in the end...

Now... We will take our revenge on this twisted world.

Onna Danshū no Mukashi.

Noble Phantasm 3:

Do you seek the truth? Are you looking for answers to your pain?

Let me show you the reality of this life:

This world is built on nothing but lies.

Onna Danshū no Mukashi.

And so the curtain falls once more.

Noble Phantasm 4(Third Ascension):

When the curtain rises, I disappear into my role.

When the curtain falls, I cease to exist.

I was forgotten by the world, and so will you.

A blank list written by humanity.

Kanjinchō.

Noble Phantasm 5(Third Ascension):

You don't seem to get it, do you…

The emotions you feel... The lives you've touched... The people you've killed…

They didn't mean anything. Not really.

Once an actor steps off of the stage, they've ceased to be.

Once a person dies, they never truly existed.

Such is the cruelty of the world.

Damage from Noble Phantasm: Gnnnh… No…!

Regular Damage: Is that the best you can do?

Defeated 1: Just another performance… Just another meaningless death.

Defeated 2: Tch… The curtain call was early this time.

Victory 1: You see it now, don’t you? It’s all just another performance in the end.

Victory 2: Welcome to the troupe. You’re not going to be leaving any time soon…

Bond Level 1: Hmph. What, have you come to watch me perform? This is nothing but a rehearsal, and yet you're seated on the floor like a child. ...fine then, you can stay if you like. Feel free to talk and observe as you wish. I wouldn't be much of a performer if distractions like this bothered me, now would I?

Bond Level 2: “Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” ...feh! And that fool has the gall to lecture me on my world views. I will admit though, I quite enjoy the chance to read the other plays Chaldea has to offer. it gives me some good material to work with...

Bond Level 3: Do you remember what it's like? To dream like a child dreams? When I look at your face. When I see into your eyes, I'm reminded of what it was like to be young. To have dreams for the future. ...may those eyes never change, for your sake.

Bond Level 4: ...why. Why do you insist on watching me? Do you think that doing this makes any sort of difference? What you do doesn't matter. What you say doesn't matter. What you think doesn't matter. Humanity forgot me. The world forgot me. ...you will forget me. Everyone forgets, in due time.

Bond Level 5: “Feeling as though they had trod on the tail of a tiger, and slipped through the jaws of a dragon, they departed for the Province of Michinoku…” ...and scene. And so, the story ends, as it always does. With a dance on the stage, surrounded by stars that fade out one by one. Such is the nature of the world, such is the nature of humanity... Fleeting, transient, and ultimately left to be forgotten in the rivers of time itself. ...but I suppose that's what makes these stories worth telling. So go, ye heroes, go and die, and perhaps for the briefest of moments, your name will be remembered...

Dialogue 1: I must say, it’s quite enjoyable to read the plays and songs written by the other Servants here. I wonder if I could commission a script from one of the authors here… It would certainly be interesting to see how much they differ from the kabuki arts. Of course, none of them could ever hope to compare…

Dialogue 2: It seems many so-called ‘heroes’ call Chaldea home. What a shame… To see so many people delude themselves into thinking they can change their own fate.

Dialogue 3: One, two, three, one, two, three… Come on, girls, focus. I know you can do better than this! …oh, Ritsuka, fancy meeting you here. Yes, we’re simply holding a rehearsal in your room, sorry, you’ll have to come back later.

Dialogue 4: Kikuko, I thought I told you that Momijigari requires a maple branch. So why did you give me a sakura branch?! … The name is Momijigari! Of course it matters! …ugh, sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Would you please get me the right prop this time?

Dialogue 5 (If you have William Shakespeare): Ohhhhh? That bastard Willy’s here too?! Heh, awfully smug to be walking around like he owns the place. I think I should go say hi. He’s annoying, but the blabbermouth is more fun than you’d ever be.

Dialogue 6 (If you have Izumo no Okuni): The great founder of kabuki herself. I suppose I do owe her quite a lot, considering my own history. And yet… I can’t help but find her frustrating. So… Very… Frustrating.

Dialogue 7 (If you have Mata Hari): Why, if it isn’t Margaretha. You know, our troupe could use someone like yourself. You’d be right at home among the ladies here. No? Ah, such a shame. But the offer still stands, Margaretha. If you ever wish to join us, we will welcome you with open arms.

Dialogue 8 (If you have the Phantom of the Opera): Erik, you bastard, what are you doing out and about? Ain’t a guy like you better suited behind the scenes? Eh? Doesn’t my outfit and history make me fit better for the job? You rat bastard, when did you get such a smart mouth?!

Dialogue 9 (If you have Oberon): The first Pretender, eh? A man trapped between two realities that have been lost to time and space. How tragic… How fun… Hehahahahah… I think it’d be fun to mess with this guy, don’t you?

Dialogue 10 (If you have Don Quixote): That old fool… Of all the Servants in the world, he’s the only one I can’t touch at all. Is his will simply that impenetrable? Or is it because he’s simply too inane for my Noble Phantasm to affect him? Either way, Ritsuka, don’t put me backstage with him, it’s not gonna end well.

Dialogue 11 (If you have Sherlock Holmes): The man who can unlock all mysteries… And yet cannot solve his own problems. Hoo~! I must say, it’s quite interesting to see a dog that chases every tail but his own!

Dialogue 12 (If you have Ashiya Douman or either Koyanskaya): You know, it’s almost sad to see those two simpering fools cloying around you, acting like they’re your friends. No, to refer to either of these dopes as ‘actors’ is an insult to any fool that has stepped on stage. At least a fool can drop their pants for a cheap laugh. … I wonder if I can convince them to do the same…

Dialogue 13 (If you have Musashibou Benkei): Musashibou Benkei… No, I suppose the proper title to refer to him would be Hitachibou Kaison, wouldn’t it. He and I are similar, don’t you think. Perhaps too similar…

Dialogue 14 (If you have Antonio Salieri): Another man, another genius, another person cruelly abandoned and trod upon by humanity. Forever left standing in the shadow of a ‘shaper of the arts’. Such a shame, his music is much more palatable to me than that flamboyant manchild’s, to be sure.

Dialogue 15 (If you have Yù Tù): Another figure who made her life known by identities. Gods, devils, mortals, all new roles, new masks to put on and act in. But which one is real? Are any of them real? Who can tell… I don’t think even she knows at this point.

Dialogue 16 (If you have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern): Oh god, it’s these two again… They certainly made excellent patsies in that Kabuki-za affair, but I have enough headaches to last a lifetime, and I don’t need these two making more. …hm? Do I want to play Questions? What kind of idiocy is that?

Dialogue 17 (If you have Czernobog or Awilix): So, even the gods can be forgotten by the cruelty of this world… Humanity can be so cruel, can’t it? To abandon even the ones who helped shape their existence. What hope have we mere mortals, then?

Dialogue 18 (If you have Coyolxāuhqui): A goddess, seeking to overhaul the cruelty of human history, to make a world where her own people are not forgotten. …hah. To think that there were like-minded individuals here in Chaldea all this time. I think this gives me an idea for a new play.

Likes: Something I like…? Well, isn’t it obvious. Ever since I was young, I grew up on the arts, flitting from teacher to teacher, picking up new names and new experiences. Despite everything, I truly did love kabuki and the world it opened up to me. … Such a shame that the world of kabuki didn’t love me back.

Dislikes: If there’s one thing I refuse to tolerate in this world, it’s people who half-ass things. There are those in this world that give their everything to their lives, living and dying for them. To do anything without aiming to be the best you can possibly be is nothing more than an insult to those before you that have failed.

About the Holy Grail: The Holy Grail… An artifact said to be able to pierce even time and space in order to grant the wisher’s deepest desires. …what a farce. Dreams, wishes, all that is to be left to the children and the foolish, is it not?

During an Event: Where there’s festivities and fun to be had, singing and dancing is soon to follow close behind, no? I’m not much for parties and celebrations myself, but I suppose it’s my job to entertain.Birthday: Another year has passed, another step closer until the world deems you of no use anymore. …what, me? Bitter? No, I’m fine, I’m fine, go and enjoy your cake and flowers, and whatnot.

Profile (Post-True Name Illumination):

Default:

A famous actress from the Meiji period, said to be among the first women to become kabuki actresses since the shogunate banned them from performing for fear of harming public morality. She was one of many women who made their name known as an actress and changed the landscape of kabuki itself.

Born Yokota Kei to a poor samurai household, she adopted many names over the course of her career as an actress. Keihachi, as a student of the local dance master Bandō Meihachi where she learned to make a living, and later Bandō Keihachi under Bandō Mitsue, who introduced her to the art of kabuki. Iwai Kumehachi, as a student of Iwai Kameseburo III, who taught her how to become an actor. "The Female Danjūrō", by many critics who had come to respect her rising status as an actress. Shōei and Shōjo from Danjūrō IX. And of course, the name that came to define her existence until the day she died: Ichikawa Kumehachi.

Student, teacher, daughter, mother, wife, widow, star, wash-out. Names upon names falling from the lips of the people around to adorn her like an empress's crown.

And each and every one, like any role, eventually faded away.

Bond Level 6:

Height/Weight: 165cm • 50kg Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: Chaotic • Evil Gender: Female

By any metric, she is probably among the weakest Servants to face in combat. She has no military experience, no talent for magecraft, no superhuman ability, and unlike other servants like Shakespeare or Mata Hari, she does not even have the benefit of being a well-known name in the modern day. By all accounts, she shouldn't even be a Servant in the first place.

And yet she persists, carrying on with the confidence and dignity of any of the warriors and kings within the Throne of Heroes. She carries on as she always has, clawing her way up to the top by any means necessary, defiant of all who dare say she has no claim.

It matters not if she does not belong on this stage. She has been summoned forth to perform, and the show must always go on.

Bond Level 6:

While many Servants enjoy the new advancements mankind has accomplished, and easily adapt to the changes brought about in the era they were summoned in, Kumehachi is very much the opposite. While the era she made her name in was marked by changing viewpoints and defiance of the norm, Kumehachi often had trouble adapting to the newer styles that became popular as she grew older, and was often a champion of the older and more traditional styles of kabuki. As she grew older, her role was phased out bit by bit until she fell into obscurity.

This style of thinking still persists as a Servant, as she often struggles with reconciling the changes the modern day has brought with the 'good old ways' of her prime. Even relatively older advancements such as sound and color in film is regarded as an astonishing advancement for her, given that the oldest surviving film in Japan was recorded almost 14 years before her eventual death.

"Fascinating... So the directors paint the film after recording, do they? My, they must take some time to finish all that work. I suppose I can respect this new technology for that dedication alone."

She has a lot of catching up to do, to say the least.

Bond Level 6:

Kumehachi is not a traditional fighter by any description. Unlike the combat skills honed for years by many other Servants, her style of combat is much more flamboyant, more wild, more fantastic than any real combat style ever would be, an art of a different kind. The little combat knowledge she does have comes from watching her father, a samurai, practice.

However, because of the decades of honing her body as a dancer, as well as the practiced scenes she commits to every day for her performances, Ichikawa Kumehachi has made her own style of combat. While she stands little to no chance in a direct fight on a battlefield, with her Noble Phantasm, she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

The false steps, practiced from memory for years, become just as much truth as the schoolings from the masters.

Bond Level 6:

Like many Pretender-Class Servants, Ichikawa Kumehachi's Spirit Origin has been combined with another historical figure, though unlike her fellows, Kumehachi has been merged with a figure she knew quite well: the man whose existence overshadowed her own legacy: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX.

While the ninth Danjūrō did take Kumehachi on as his own disciple, the two never performed on stage together, with many wondering if the great actor was ashamed of having to work with the female actress, even despite his dreams of having women return to kabuki's stage and his continued praise of Kumehachi's own talents. These rumors only grew louder once Danjūrō had Kumehachi expelled from his tutelage for a time when she played Benkei in Kanjinchō without Danjūrō’s permission.

Kumehachi has begun to believe these whispered stories herself, and has openly come to disdain her old master, taking on his identity as Ichikawa Danjūrō IX to mock the man who overshadowed her, hateful and bitter at the man who not once truly seemed to acknowledge her enough to perform with her.

But... is disdain truly what the ninth Danjūrō had for Kumehachi? No one may ever know.

Bond Level 6:

"Maybe if she were some 20 years younger...  It looks as though she will soon die. Why must she work? Is it because she is poor? As she gets closer to death, she becomes greedier."

The very last years of Ichikawa Kumehachi's life was that of a slow and tragic decline. While her status as 'the female Danjūrō' was once a sign of prestige and talent, in her later years, the title only served to overshadow Kumehachi, denying her the new opportunities her younger peers found for themselves. Rumors spread about her, disparaging her for continuing to perform even in the presence of younger, more beautiful actresses.

And yet, despite the jeers, the insults, and the inability to move upwards, Kumehachi continued to act until the day she died, taking with her the legacy of the female kabuki performers.

In essence, Kumehachi is a Servant defined by the changing landscapes of history. She gained her fame by being the first to truly adopt and embody the new changes in kabuki, and she ultimately was tossed to the wayside by further change, becoming the First and Last of the Women Actors.

It is then that Ichikawa Kumehachi came to realize the truth of the acting world, and humanity at large:

Even those who work their hardest can't all excel, and even those who excel can't guarantee that they will be remembered, and even those who are remembered will be forgotten.

Extra:

As a forgotten starlet in a very brief window in kabuki's history, Ichikawa Kumehachi should well and truly be impossible to be summoned as a Servant. She lacks any real impact on Proper Human History, she lacks any fame or iconography to be remembered by, and what little fame she does have is often just a smaller role in a larger cultural shift in the Meiji Period. Even her death was well and truly unremarkable, dying in a hospital after collapsing from the strain of her final performance. Simply put, her being placed into the Throne of Heroes is nothing short of a miracle.

However, through the wishes of the fellow actresses Kumehachi performed with in life, and even through the hopes of her mentor, Danjūrō IX, Kumehachi was given a second chance at life. Her heart, filled with mourning and bitterness at how human history had treated her and her fellows, had come to resent the idea of the Throne of Heroes, and Heroic Spirits at large. When the Last Master of Humanity had arrived in her Singularity, Kumehachi sought to deconstruct them, tearing apart each and every facet of their achievements and their history, all in an attempt to prove it meant nothing in the end. That the world would abandon them as easily as it had abandoned her.

But all the same, to dance upon the stage, to roar with a defiant fury, to scream into the uncaring world that you are here and you will let anyone who can hear know it, even if it means being silenced once more...

Is that not what it means to be a performer?

"If nothing else... Let's enjoy ourselves tonight. Teachers... Daughters... Sisters... Lovers... Whatever your place within our troupe, let us all agree: we will not go out quietly this time."

[fairy-writes]

Hi hi! I see you just opened your Kaiju no. 8 requests and I’m head over heels for our boy Kafka! I’m not sure WHERE to take this but like him having saved you in a similar fashion as Kikoru (so you know he’s part kaiju now) and months later after A LOT of flirting Reno finally blurts out “JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY JEEZ!!” or something🤣

If you’re not a fan you can take this however you want or ignore it lol thanks for indulging me lovey! *screams please & thank you <3

HE LISTENS

Reblogs and Comments are greatly appreciated!!

__________________________________________________________________________

Fandom(s): Kaiju No. 8

Pairing(s): Hibino Kafka x Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Genre(s)/Tag(s): Gender Neutral!Reader, Civilian!Reader, Kafka and Reader are the same age, Reader is implied to be shorter than Kafka

Notes: I absolutely adore Kafka! He looks like he’d give the BEST hugs!

The reader is written with fem!reader in mind, but no pronouns are used!

CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA 

__________________________________________________________________________

You knew you should’ve evacuated at the first siren.

But noooooo! You just had to go back to your apartment for your laptop! But hey! Your dissertation for your doctorate was saved on there, and there was no way you were losing it when you were this close to finishing and graduating!

You ducked under another swipe of a Yoju. It’s some spindly long thing with too many eyes and a mouth full of too many teeth. It takes another swipe at you, and you duck, narrowly avoiding dropping your laptop bag as you trip over some stray rubble. Your right arm shoots out to catch your fall while the left cradles your precious dissertation and homework. 

Pain jolts up your right elbow, and you’re pretty sure you have road rash all up and down your fingers and your palm. You look up and see the Yoju opening its maw to swallow you whole and only think of one thing. 

You knew you should’ve evacuated at the first siren.

You close your eyes, accepting your fate but curling into a tighter ball in a sorry attempt to make it harder to eat you. (What kind of logic was that?)

But nothing happens. 

What?

You peek open an eye and see something that has your jaw dropping open in shock. 

Scales as black as pitch and outlined in azure light. A demonic-looking skull and a pronounced spinal cord with spikes lining the length of it. 

Another Kaiju? 

But that wouldn’t make any sense, seeing as it was holding the mouth of the Yoju open to keep it from eating you. The humanoid Kaiju effectively stood between you and the monster… Was it… Protecting you? 

The creature turned its head slightly to look at you and winked. It winked!

“You might wanna get outta here, sweetheart, I’ll deal with this one.” Its voice was vaguely male-sounding yet demonic at the same time. 

It could talk?!

That snapped you out of your shock, and you scrambled to your feet, holding your laptop bag to your chest as you sprinted around a corner just as the Kaiju readied a fist. You peeked back around the corner as the punch landed and quite literally exploded the Yoju on contact. You flinch back as organs and blood go everywhere. But it’s so quick that some of it gets on your sweater, effectively ruining it, as well as your slacks and shoes. 

The blood begins to burn, but you pay little attention to it as a young man—no older than eighteen—with silvery white hair rounds a corner. His uniform exposes him as a member of the Defense Force. He holds the long rifle-like gun that all Defense Force members have. The man skids to a stop before the Kaiju but doesn’t shoot it. 

“Senpai!” He chirps, and you watch as the Kaiju begins to change. 

It shrinks in size, scales retracting into skin, and horns retreating into a head of spiky brown hair. Soon enough, a man stands before you in the same uniform, back to you. 

“Yo! Ichikawa!” The man greets him in return

What. 

The.

Hell?!

“Ichikawa” seems to hear something and turns to see you. His face drops in shock and surprise before darkening in anger. Though it wasn’t at you, it was at his “senpai.” The Kaiju-man-hybrid-thing notices the anger and turns around, spotting you. But he doesn’t seem angry. Instead, you watch his face light up in pure panic. 

“I thought I told you to run!” He squawks awkwardly, and you stand on shaky legs, jabbing a finger at them. 

“You never said how far! I thought around the corner was good enough!” You retort, though your knees shaking betray just how scared you are. 

Would you be killed? This was clearly a closely guarded secret between the two of them. 

Did the Defense Force know they had a Kaiju on their side? 

Did anyone else know? 

Ichikawa digs his foot into the man’s side in a ferocious kick and sends him stumbling. 

“I thought I told you to make sure the area was clear of civilians before transforming!” He shouts, and you flinch at the vicious tone. Though the other man was clearly older than Ichikawa, he seemed to be in charge. 

“But if I had to check the area every time I had to punch somethin’, nothing would ever get done!” The man whines, and Ichikawa simply sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“Um…” The two men look at you, and you flinch again, your grip tightening on the laptop bag. “I won’t say anything, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me!” You manage to squeak out, and the older man looks at Ichikawa with bright eyes. You could practically see a puppy tail wagging behind him excitedly. 

“See! We don’t have to worry about anything!” He exclaims, but Ichikawa isn’t convinced. 

“How do I know we can trust you?” He says, eyes narrowed and brows pulled together in skepticism. You swallow thickly,

“Well… He saved my life. I’m indebted to him, and the least I can do is keep a secret.” You say, and Ichikawa stares, mildly surprised but relenting. 

“Fine!” He says, turning on his heel to glare at his friend. The man spews apologies for revealing his identity to a civilian, but the duo doesn’t seem too upset about it. 

You hiss in pain as adrenaline wears off, and you’re left in bloodstained clothes that are currently melting off your body. You high tail it to a nearby shelter where they provide a spare change of clothes. While you change and shower, you can’t help but think of the odd duo you met today. 

You’d likely never see them again. 

Right?

You stare at yourself in the mirror, adjusting your blazer for the millionth time, making sure your button-down is tucked into your slacks and scuffing your feet along the floor. 

It was almost time. 

It had been nearly six months since your interaction with Ichikawa and his friend (whose name you still didn’t know). You hadn’t seen them since then, but your life had changed drastically as a result. 

You successfully graduated after defending your dissertation. Your research was making waves in the Defense Force and Kaiju-enthusiast community in general. So, you were summoned by the Defense Force to give a presentation to the officers about the importance of it. And today the presentation was to be given to the entire Defense Force. 

You were only a little nervous. (You were bullshitting yourself, you felt like you were going to pass out.)

There is a knock on the office you had been stationed in, and you jump about a foot in the air. 

“Yes?” Your voice is much more level than you expected. At least that was good. An officer peeks her head in,

“The Defense Force has been organized. They’re ready for you,” She says kindly. You swallow once, nod, and scoop up your laptop (which wasn’t damaged in the Yoju attack, thank the heavens) to follow her out. 

The massive lecture hall reminds you of the enormous rooms professors would give lectures in back in graduate school and college. In fact, you wouldn’t be surprised if they were modeled after one another. Officers in their uniforms line the seats, most on their phones, but some chatted with one another. You even spotted the infamous Narumi Gen on some sort of gaming device. 

Silence fell over the crowd as you were handed a microphone and tapped it a few times, making sure it worked, before introducing yourself. You heard a strangled noise come from the audience, but the lights facing you kept you from seeing who it was. You could see vague shapes of people, but that was it.

So, you don’t pay it any mind and start into your spiel that you had prepared. You introduce what the lecture will be about, your contact information (mainly email) if there are questions, and promptly launch into said lecture.

“And that concludes the lecture. Thank you, everyone, for your questions and for listening. I’ll be around the next couple of days gathering samples for research, so feel free to reach out and ask any other lingering questions!” You say and switch off the microphone, setting it down on the podium as well as the laser pointer. Most of the officers trickled out, with only a few staying behind to ask clarifying questions.��

It wasn’t until you were shutting down your laptop and packing up your notes that the final people in the audience approached you. Everyone was long gone by now, save for…

“You!” You gape at the sight of the man and Ichikawa approaching you. They freeze midway up the steps to the stage. Ichikawa takes the initiative. 

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.” He says as he bows. You rub the back of your neck awkwardly and bow your head in return. 

“Only thanks to you two. I’m sorry, I didn’t get either of your names.” You say hesitantly, and both of them look at each other before introducing themselves. 

“Ichikawa Reno.” 

“Hibino Kafka!”

You can’t help but smile at Hibino’s enthusiasm and extend a hand for them to shake. Ichikawa shakes it first, his hold light but not wimpy by any means. In contrast, Hibino’s is firm and sturdy.

“Now, how can I help you both?” You ask, and Hibino looks somewhat embarrassed. 

“We were just wondering if you told anyone…?” He trails off, but you know what he’s talking about. 

“No. I kept my promise. No one knows save for whoever you’ve told.” You say quickly, eyes unconsciously looking around the room for any spare stragglers who might be listening in. 

Luckily, no one is.

“So… You never really went into it in your lecture… But what did you major in in college?” Ichikawa asks as the three of you walk back to your office. Hibino thankfully badges you in, seeing as all the keys are electronic keycards, and you never received one. You set your bag down and sigh in relief. It was finally over and not as scary as you thought it would be.

“I graduated with a PhD in biomedical engineering with a specialty in Kaiju biology studies.” You explain as you slump into your office chair and tilt your head back. But not before you watch their faces pale at the idea of all the studying you had to do.

Which was a lot. 

You laugh at their expressions and offer them a smile,

“It was a lot of work, but if I can help people, then it was worth it.”

Ichikawa Reno and Hibino Kafka become a staple in your life after that. 

Even when your research into how Kaiju biology could help amputees and transplant recipients took off, they were there every step of the way.

Especially Hibino.

He was there at every lecture, asking questions and stimulating conversations amongst your peers. He allowed you to study him in his Kaiju form as his identity as Kaiju No. 8 was revealed to the rest of the Defense Force. No needles, of course. That was his only stipulation. (Who knew a man as powerful as him would be scared to death of needles?)

So, you settled for CT scans, MRIs, and other ways of study.

Hibino also took you out for meals when you were both on break at least twice a week. Ichikawa often tagged along, but more often than not, it was you and Hibino alone.

Today was a day that Ichikawa tagged along.

It was one of the rare days that he was able to come to visit from the Fourth Division while you and Hibino were stationed at the First Division. You weren’t employed by the Defense Force persay; you were actually employed by Izumo Tech while you furthered your research. But with Hibino stationed at the First Division, that was where you were allowed to go.

The diner was filled with American-style food. It was one of Hibino’s favorites in the area, so you usually indulged him when he allowed you to pay. (Which wasn’t often) 

The waitress brought over your drinks just as Ichikawa arrived and sat down. You had taken the liberty of ordering him a drink that you hoped he’d like. This place was renowned for its smoothies, so he got a strawberry banana smoothie. Hibino ordered an alcoholic beverage of some kind, and you stuck with water. 

“How’s research been going?” Ichikawa asks as the waitress brings over your food, and you all promptly dig in. The food was greasy but delicious. You hum through your mouthful, chew, and swallow before answering. 

“Slowly, we’ve made some breakthroughs, but nothing special has come of it yet.” You say cryptically. You weren’t allowed to really disclose anything before it was published, so dancing around the topic was the best you could do. 

Hibino didn’t really get the memo. 

“We almost—” You lunged across the table. You shoved a hand over Hibino’s mouth before he could spill any critical information. If it got out that he said something, you could be fired, and your career would be ruined. Hibino was still talking, his beard scratching your hand as he tried to explain himself. You yank your hand back like you had been burned but silence him with a glare. 

“You know you aren’t supposed to say anything!” You hiss, and he rubs the back of his neck with a chuckle. 

“Sorry, I just get really excited hearing you talk about your work.” He mumbles. 

That gets your blood boiling. 

But not in anger. 

In excitement. 

No one liked hearing you talk about your work! Hell, even your parents' eyes would glaze over when you started talking about Kaiju biology and how it could help hundreds of people! But as you thought back on it… Hibino would be an active listener, sometimes even taking notes for you to clarify at a later date. 

He listened to you. 

Your face was burning, steam practically coming out of your ears in embarrassment. Hibino’s face mimicked yours as what he said caught up with him. 

Ichikawa wasn’t impressed. 

“Just kiss and get a room already!” He complains and gets up, tossing some paper bills down to cover his part of the meal, and goes to get a take-out box. He was clearly done with your antics. 

Your face felt like a volcano erupting. But you couldn’t do much else other than look down at your lap. 

“Y’know…” You look up as Hibino rubs the bottom half of his face, his voice barely above a mumble. As your rampant emotions cool off, you answer him. 

“What?” Hibino’s face flushes even more red, and it isn’t the alcohol in his system. 

“He isn’t exactly wrong… I mean… I’ve been wanting to take you out for a while… And not just to lunch!” He stammers through his sentence until you get a vague idea of what he’s asking. 

“Hibino Kafka, are you asking me on a date?” You tease, mostly to hide your thundering heart. Hibino swallows thickly and nods, 

“If you’ll date someone like me, that is…” A grin splits your face until your cheeks hurt, and you reach across to grab his hand. 

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” You say, and he stares for a few seconds before whooping in excitement. 

“Hell yeah!” He shouts, and you duck your head in embarrassment. 

“Oh! And you don’t have to call me Hibino anymore, y’know?” He cradles your hand in his larger one and swings it back and forth as you leave the diner. Ichikawa left a while ago, claiming you two were an embarrassment to be around. You can’t bring yourself to care. 

Squeezing his hand in return, you lean your head on his arm and smile. 

“Kafka it is, then.” You say, and he just grins. 

[cherry-romper]

hello!! i’m currently in love with your writing style and i wanted to request a superior officer! reader babying reno bc hes so baby, and maybe hes feeling insecure of his battle scars and his ability to kill kaijus and reader comforts him, angst to fluff? thank you!!!!

RENO X CAPTAIN!READER

Love requests like this! I had fun writing this, thank you anon <3 I've never written angst before, so idk if its any good :(

Warnings; none

Contains; GN!reader, angst to fluff

Word Count; 2065

Three tight knocks at your door pulled you from your work. “You wanted to see me, captain?” Reno’s voice was cautious, laced with worry. It wasn’t often you asked a subordinate to your office, and when you did it was never for a good reason. 

“Ah, Ichikawa! Please come in, take a seat, I’ll be with you in just a moment,” you tried you best to sound inviting, but given the mountain of paperwork you were faced with, you just sounded stressed. 

Reno strode into the room, as anxious as he was, his body language didn’t display it. He stood at the other side of your desk, back straight and arms tight to his sides, refusing to take a seat. Always so formal, you thought. Finishing up the sentence you were writing, you laid down your pen. 

“I thought I told you to sit, Ichikawa?” You eyed him, watching as he tensed up at your stern voice. 

“With all due respect, captain, I can’t.” You cocked a brow at him, looking between the empty seat and him. “Why not?” 

“I sustained an injury on the field, captain. It makes it hard to move my hips.” He explained, slightly embarrassed, a dusting of pink on his cheeks. He’s hurt his ass, you chuckled to yourself. 

“I understand, you can just stay standing then,” you permitted, an amused smile on your face. Standing from your seat, you walked round to where he stood. As young as he was, he was taller than you, only by a few inches, but taller. You weren’t much older than him, being the youngest captain in the Defence Force. Still, you sighed at the difference. He’s not even finished growing yet. You perched on the desk next to him, crossing your legs and arms. You stayed like that for a minute, in silence; half trying to find the right words, and half to tease him. 

He looked to you, his body still facing forward despite you now being at his side. He shifted uncomfortably in the silence. 

“You know, Ichikawa…” You started, staring up at him from where you were perched. He observed you, anticipating a beratement for his failings in the field. Instead, he was greeted with worry. “I was worried about you out there”. 

Confused by your words, he questioned you “I don’t understand what you mean, captain…”

“Stop being so formal would you, its bugging me out, I told you to call me Y/N when we’re alone,” you winked at him, sending him spiralling. His blush deepened and he was certain that the whole country could hear his heartbeat. He tried hard to stammer out a reply of agreement, but his brain betrayed him. You’d made him incoherent. A smirk played on your lips, watching as he nodded his head instead of speaking. Sweet boy.

“When I heard what happened, with that kaiju, I mean…I feared the worst”. You didn’t meet his gaze, you couldn’t. Truth be told, underneath your exterior, you had such a soft spot from Reno. He was more than capable of looking after himself on the field, you knew that better than anyone, given how much you’d watched him, but still, he was young…and reckless at times. It scared you, knowing how often he’d put himself in danger for his friends. He wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself if it meant he could save them. He reminded you of your younger self. You admired him for that.

“You were injured. Badly from what I’d heard. And the drones were destroyed…I didn’t know if you were even alive…” You looked to him, hoping to find relief in his eyes that would mirror your own, but you were met with distain. His face was scrunched up and his brows knitted. He jerked his head away from you, disgust plastered on his face, like you were a rotted piece of meat. 

Taken aback by the sight, you rose from the desk, turning your body to him. “Speak freely, Ichikawa.”

He took a moment to collect his thoughts, thinking of how best to convey his opinion respectfully. You were his superior, and he would always treat you with respect, no matter how much he disagreed with you. 

“I came to you in a moment of need, after Kafka got injured, you told me to find you when I felt lost. You told me to treat you like a friend. Then you went and told me then not to get attached in this line of work, you said ‘it never ends well’. And now…now you’re telling me you were worried about me dying, captain?” He didn’t meet your eyes, he just stared out the window, his eyes glinting in the evening sun, a deep venom hung on his words. 

You felt your heart sink. He’s not wrong, you thought. You tried to digest his words, to understand where he was coming from. His outburst wouldn’t have come without reason. You hummed, “I see”. 

Thinking back to that time, you remembered trying to comfort him when Kafka had been injured. Poor kid was beside himself with worry. Again, that was something you deeply admired about Reno. When you told him not to get attached, you didn’t mean for him to stop caring. What you were trying to say is, in this line of work, you can get hurt in more ways than one. Emotional pain can kill a man as good as any Kaiju. You were trying to warn him that there is a price on emotions. 

“Reno, I…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” he turned to you upon hearing you call him by his name, this time he looked at you softer, more composed, “will you allow me to explain myself?” He only nodded. 

You’d originally called him in to your office to ask him how he was doing and to gush at his new injuries, something you did often to tease hi. You knew he’d blamed himself for the last Kaiju escaping, you wanted to reassure him that it wasn’t his fault. 

After the mess that happened during the last kaiju attack, you’d been led to believe many members of your platoon had passed, Reno included. You weren’t on the mission, it had been classed as low risk, so you’d been watching from the surveillance room. After the drones got destroyed and the communication had been cut off, there was no way of knowing exactly what had happened. It quickly became a blur, an incomprehensible mess. The guilt made you feel sick. You were safe and sound while you believed your platoon was being massacred. It all felt like some big joke. Like the universe was playing a trick on you. These things happen, you told yourself, it’s an occupational hazard.

“It wasn’t just you I was worried for,” you forced eye contact with him, he needed to know you meant every word. “I care about all of you. Every last one of you out in the field are my responsibility. You’re all like family to me, something I never had. This place, the Defence Force, it’s my home, and all of you bring me such joy. Being able to serve alongside you, it’s a privilege I’m thankful for every single day”. 

He didn’t move, didn’t even blink, it was hard to tell if he was even breathing. He just stared on as you talked, watching as you occasionally gesticulated to emphasise yourself. 

“And you!” He raised a brow at you, as if to say ‘me?’ “I’ve grown to care for you, Reno Ichikawa. More than I should ever admit.” You both frowned slightly, knowing these are words better left unsaid. “And I thought…I thought I’d lost you out there.”

The two of you had grown close over the many months that he’d been enlisted into your division. He often came to you for advice, you were wise beyond your years. You’d seen too much and lost too many to not have learned from your mistakes, Reno saw that and wanted to learn too. He’d found a friend in you, and you’d found hope in him.

“May I speak freely again, captain?” His voice wavered slightly, nervous again. 

“Y/N,” you breathed, “and you may.”

“Why me, Y/N?” he turned his body too you, looking deep into your eyes, searching for a sign, something, anything that would tell him he was understanding you wrong. 

You couldn’t answer. Truth is, you didn’t know why you cared so deeply about him. Your care led to babying him often. Treating his wounds yourself, being sure his suit was on properly, checking if his guns worked. He’d asked you to stop, politely, of course, and you did. For the most part. You could never stop caring about him, and the urge to do things for him never went away, but you respected his space and need to grow freely. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t watch him like a hawk. 

He had always felt the same to you, but scorched his emotions after you’d told him not to get attached. He’d thought you were referring to yourself. He took as a premature rejection. 

You stammered out what could loosely be called words, “I…erm…well…”

Before you could collect your thoughts, he took a step towards you. You froze at the close proximity, your mind and heart racing. “Tell me,” he whispered, “you’re always so good with words, what’s stopping you now?” He was barely arms lengths from you, you could feel his warmth. 

“I’ve never been good with emotions, Reno,” you didn’t know why you were so flustered. You’ve seen this man shirtless on multiple occasions as you dressed his wounds and kept a better composure then, than you are now. 

“You told me not to get too attached. Why won’t you listen to your own advice? You know that we…” he trailed off, but you knew what he was going to say. 

“Back then, what I meant was your emotions come with a price. I’ve seen grief kill just about as many as kaiju have. I was warning you that you must be prepared to pay if you care so much.” You peered up at him, his eyes softened, pieces falling into place for him. He reached for your arms, cupping your elbows, pulling you closer to him.

The curve of his arm brought his new scars into the light. You looked down to his worn hands and silently gasped. “Reno, when did you get these?” your fingers trailed over the freshly healed scars.

He pulled his arms from yours, “don’t do that,” he half-joked.

“Do what?”  

“Gush over me.”

You gave him a ‘really?’ look, “after everything we’ve just talked about, you think I’m not going to gush over them?” He sighed after you.

You gazed up at him through your lashes, a candied smile teasing your lips. “I don’t like them,” he admitted, crossing his arms in an attempt to hide them.

You fought the urge to ask why, but you were smarter than that, you knew why. To Reno, the scar were reminders of where he’d failed. “It wasn’t your fault, you know?” you started, keeping your voice soft and sweet, “you didn’t let that kaiju escape.” 

He gave you an upside-down smile, he wanted to appreciate your attempts at comforting him, but he couldn’t help but feel like you were just saying it to make him feel better.  He dropped his head slightly, taking in the sight of his arms. 

A pang shot through your heart. It saddened you to see him like this. You knew that eventually, this insecurity is what will drive him to be better and to keep improving, but to see him now, with this dullness in his eyes, it pained you.

“Oh, Ichikawa,” you reach out your equally worn hands and smoothed your fingers along one of his scars. “These aren’t because you’re bad,” his eyes found your own, his body shivering at your touch. “They serve as reminders that we are alive. Like the rings of a tree, they show how far you’ve come. And when you’re old and grey, we can count them, and think back to the memories we’ve made and all the lives we’ve saved.”

You took his hands in your own, observing the callouses and bumps. “We?” he asked.

“We,” you said, “for us, I’m willing to pay the price.”

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 783: Advancing ranks

Pag 1

1: “Friends”....

2: “People who trust each other and treat each other as equal”

“People who hang out and chat together”

4: Funatsu-kuun

Huh!? Me... me!? What

You and Kiriya-kun are friends?

5: Ye-yeah, we've been together for three years, so of course

And last year and this year we worked hard together and participated in the Inter High....right?

Yeah

And what about me?

Huh!?

Pag 2

1: What about me?

2: Are we friends!?

3: Uhm, well

4: We also were together for three years with this guy and we practiced and participated in the Inter High together

Uh.... well

What shoud I say? How should I answer this question

But this guy doesn't talk about anything but bikes

5: There they are, Midosuji's “cryptic questions”!!

Thank god this time his target is Funatsu

6: What's the correct answer!!

Ahh, dammit... I'm suddenly shaking

Midosuji!!

7: I'm sorry, Funatsu!! Do your best!! Funatsu!!

Pag 3

1: Of course!!

We've been running together for three years!! You're a great friend!!

How about this!!

3: Fr... iends...

Me and.... you?

6: He's satisfied!? Yes!! It was the correct answer!?

Pag 4

1: What, did you misunderstand?

Me and you are not equal in the slightest!?

Pag 5

1: Our efforts, tenacity, our attitude and readiness, and even our imagination!!

Uwaaahiiii!!

2: Didn't you think about it?

Ah.. was there even a moment when you felt like we were equal!? Surely

Dammit so this is what it was!!

3: You that in your zeal for goodness became nothing?

Puku

4: What's this!? This time

Ahh, dammit, don't spout nonsense!!

This time even my parents came to see me

5: Midosuji-san

More importantly

Pag 6

1: The course is changing

Turning west along the flat seaside road

Pag 7

1: it's entering a hill

4: The Kyoto Pass

It's a hill with a 3.5km climb with an incline of 4%, about 250m above sea level

Pag 8

1: According to my plan....!! Alright....!!

Let's move on....!!

2: Heading for the next phase!!

Yeah!!

Yes!!

Yes!!

4: Kyoto Fushimi are assembling and moving up

5: They didn't move in the first half, Kyofushi is saving their legs

Yet on this short climb they're spontaneously moving up their group's position

Pag 9

1: They're moving up!!

3: Seeing him this up close, this Midosuji really is amazing

His body's thickness is completely different from other people's, and his limbs are so long!!

4: He has such an aura that it makes me feel like there's no way I could win!!

5: I broke out into a cold sweat but at the same time I can't help but laugh a little!!

Pag 10

1: They really are amazing, Onoda, Imaizumi... and Naruko, they fought against him last year and the year before!?

3: Sugimoto-san

Sugimoto-san

4: Ah, sorry, is everything alright?

I was just thinking a little about something, just a little

5: That's right, I'm in the “selected team”!! I need to focus more on bringing these guys together!!

Pag 11

2: Huh

3: The two sprinters who went ahead

4: have turned back!!

We're back... we're back!!

5: Sugimoto-san!!

Yeah!! Kobayashi!! Uchikawa!!

Pag 12

1: We somehow managed to catch up to the lead

Is that so!!

But the remaining 3km... too fast!!

I see!!

2: That guy from Hiroshima let us know a lot of things

I see!!

They're so sweaty and their jerseys are all torn out too

3: They worked hard, I'm glad...!!

4: I couldn't last until the very end, but Kobayashi-san was there too

There were four people in front of me so I pushed as hard as I could in fifth place

5: And I placed ninth

Oh you're in the top ten, amazing, amazing!

Waaa, Sugimoto-san praised me, I'm so happy

Pag 13

1: Hahaha

Ah, that's my line....

I'm feeling so proud, somehow

2: Ninth place is amazing

Well... Ichikawa pulled me

Was the lead amazing?

It was!!

3: I'm aiming for the top ten for the mountain line too!!

Really? Do your best!

5: We're an impromptu team and we still have a long way to go in terms of skill, but with our mutual interest and cheerfulness

Pag 14

1: Maybe we could go far!!

3: It's all thanks to Sugimoto-san

No no, I only asked Doubashi

Doubashi-san also helped us a lot!!

4: That's right, next time we meet him

Pag 15

1: I'll have to thank Doubashi

3: Dammit!!

Sorry, it's my fault!!

4: With opponents like that, if I had gone myself we would have placed even lower

This just shows how hard it is to carry out your words in road racing

Pag 16

1: As I told you, you needed to be careful about that guy

3: The race goes went a low pass and passe through a tunnel

Pag 17

1: They went downhill in a line

2: Waa... this is the place for “three seconds”...!!

Kiji-saan!! Fou!!

3: Looking at the limestone quarry that is the raw material for cement

4: the passed through the coal mining factory that supported the growth of Kitakyushu

Pag 18

1: The ranks went south along the riverside in the inland areas of Kyushu

2: Ah....

Oi, Issa, how long....

3: How long are you gonna feel down!?

Pag 19

1: Naruko-san

2: Stop with the depressing sighs

You'll just have to use your frustration as a springboard to keep moving!!

3: Naruko-san, you don't know what it feels like to lose a sprint!!

5: I've matured, I've matured, I've matured.... or I should have

Naruko chanting magic words to suppress his anger

Two people who feel so sorry for him they have no words

6: What's wrong? You're shivering and peeing your pants?

I wanna kill him...!!

7: Hotshot, gimme permission to kill him!!

I don't have that license

8: Ah!!

I see it!!

Pag 20

1: It's the mountain!!

The first day's..... this Inter High's very first....

2: mountain!!

[king-paimon]

Houseki No Kuni Chapter 108 Thoughts: Everything Stays....

Hello all. I hope the month of April was good to everyone. It was alright for me, though I'm just in awe by how fast it went! Time really goes by too quickly as you get older.

Speaking of time, would you look at that? The final chapter of Houseki no Kuni was released! 108 chapters over the course of 12 years. And I've been following it for nearly 5 of those years! Wow! That is quite the feat, Ms. Ichikawa.

I'd been waiting for this day for a long time, and the feeling is bittersweet, with the overlaying feeling of relief. This emotional rollercoaster that Ms. Ichikawa had sent us on has finally reached it's dock.

Phos's story is finally complete. What a ride it had been!

Now the question is: Was I satisfied?....

I'll do my best to answer this. I don't know how long this post will be, but I'm hoping that it won't be too long (edit: Oops. I was wrong.) And as always, please feel free share your own thoughts if you're interested!

Here we go:

Phos's True End: Was It Satisfying?

I reread this chapter a few times to answer this question and to be honest, I still reach the same conclusion: It was fitting. Not absolutely bad or 100% amazing, but in terms of Phos's whole journey throughout this story, I think this was a fitting ending for Phos, and that's good. And if anything else, it's a little ironic.

I mentioned in my last post that I thought it was funny that the remaining piece of Phos had become the youngest/newest member of the pebble species much like how they originally were at the beginning off the whole manga. It seems though, the similarities don't end there because of this little interaction between Eyeball/Pita-pat and Pebble Phos:

I'm sure this was supposed to be a little cheeky conversation and Eyeball/Pita-pat didn't really mean it. But still, this was an interesting exchange to include in this final chapter, especially right before it's implied that Eyeball/Pita-pat passed away.

One intriguing story choice Ichikawa made was having Pebble Phos continuously fall apart near the end to the point that they become a small spec. To be honest, I was not sure how to feel about this part when I first read, especially considering how now there's hardly any of Phos left now. Like, after Eyeball/Pita-pat saved that last bit of Phos so they could have a nice life away from humanity, it'd be unfair for them to break apart again to nothing after all of that. But I did like how the pebbles decided to view Pebble Phos' changes; that their fragments surely became beautiful comets that would brighten someone's day. And that shot with original Phos was nice...

Also, I saw the post that implied that Ichikawa released this final chapter around the same time that a rare famous comet was supposed to be seen on Earth. I want to say that I think it was a pure coincidence, but I'm not putting anything past this author!

This chapter made me think of that one song from Adventure Time: Everything Stays. If you haven't heard of it, please give a listen. It's a song about life and the course of change. It focuses on how even if things appear to stay the same over the course of time, changes still occur, even if subtle. Phos certainly changed a lot throughout their story through intense mind and physical altering events. But I also think they changed subtly even during the less intense moments. I think the moments in this final chapter fit with this song, too. Phos was always evolving, even when it didn't appear so. Through their interactions and lack thereof with others and their environment, Phos was always changing and growing, ever so subtly. And even in this last chapter, Phos is still evolving and that'll likely never end.

Interesting... after thinking about it some more, I think I feel a little more satisfied with how this chapter/story ended. I'm glad that Ms. Ichikawa didn't pull some other twist near the end; that certainly would have ruined it for me. Am I 100% happy with how Phos's story ended? I don't think so. But to me, it's a fitting end.

But what do I think about the series as a whole?

When The Journey Ends: Was It Worth It?

There are very few manga or written stories that had me wanting to see how things end because more often than not, there aren't that many stories that I've read to completion. Part of it is because I don't want the story to end; basically, I'd have the thought process that if I don't know how the story ends, the story doesn't end! Perfect logic (sarcasm). Though this usually happens because I lose interest or because the story goes in directions that I don't like, I'd say one of the main reasons I end up dropping a series is because of how a story ends. How a story ends can completely change one's opinion of a story, and I've seen my fair share of stories that end badly. Sometimes the ending is abrupt and not satisfying, especially if it was lead by a big build up, or the ending is a result of a jarring story pivot that seems to come out of left field. It just seems that many creators don't know how to end their story well. And if I like a story a lot, sometimes I'm too scared to see how it ends. Partially because I don't want the story to end, but mostly because I don't want the end to ruin my experience.

Houseki no Kuni is a unique case for me. I know I've mentioned this before but I'll state it again: I don't think I've ever been so invested in a story like this before. Though that investment had dwindled over time, partially due to me developing new interests, life, and being occasionally dissatisfied with certain story choices, I wanted to see this how this story would end no matter what. And now that it's done, I'm glad I stuck it out.

Was this story perfect? No. There were several story decisions that I wish was either told differently or completely omitted that could have made the story stronger in my opinion.

Did I get a too invested in this story? During certain points, most definitely haha. I remember getting very emotional about certain chapters when I first started making this series of meta posts. I remember seeing some posts from people stating that they no longer liked the manga because of the direction it was going and in some cases, I could see where they were coming from.

Do I regret getting so invested in this story? No. No I don't. Despite not liking certain story aspects, I do not regret getting invested in this story. Though the story was not perfect, this was such a unique experience that I'm grateful to have gone through.

I plan on talking more about how I feel about Houseki no Kuni as a whole in another post. I intend to delve into what I loved about it and what I wish was different. While I could include that stuff here, I think this post is long enough. I've already started working on it, but I know it'll be a while before it's done; you bet there will be some parts with me ranting a little haha

But long story short, despite some grievances I have with some parts of the story, I feel satisfied with how it ended. And I'm glad that I read this series.

What Happens Next: Thank you, HnK Fandom

I want to thank those who've read, liked, and even commented on my posts! I didn't think so many of you would like, let alone read, my longwinded messy posts. I loved every feedback I got, even the ones that didn't agree with me. You made me love being part of this niche fandom. Like I said in the previous section, I have at least one more post that I want to make detailing everything I feel about Houseki No Kuni as a whole. I might make another one that's more for fun, but we'll see. I encourage anyone who's interested to share your own thoughts on the post! I seriously love reading different perspectives.

But after those posts, I don't know how involved I'll be in the fandom afterwards. I may repost some art and other people's meta posts on occasion. But when it comes to meta commentary, these will likely be my last posts about HnK. I have other fandoms that I like to follow, though I don't make posts about them. Perhaps I will, though I know they will be nothing like the posts I've made about Houseki no Kuni. This was the only series I've ever felt compelled to analyze so deeply, which makes it special for me. If I were to post anything about the other stuff I'm into, it'll most likely be of fanart that I made for my own personal enjoyment. I know scare many of my followers away since they'll not be HnK related. But who knows? I haven't made any HnK art in a long time... Maybe one of these days, I can try to make some HnK art again. I have some unfinished pieces on my computer that's now years old. Yeah, I should finish them when I have the time. That'd be a fun little send off.

Anyhow, if you are interested, please hang around for my final HnK meta posts! And when it's out, please please PLEASE share your own thoughts in it! Don't be afraid to share your opinions. I promise I don't bite.

So that's it. These are my thoughts of the final chapter of Houseki no Kuni. I might add more to it, but I'm fine with what I put out. Wow... I still can't believe I got into this series 5 years ago! So much had changed in my life since then. Despite everything, it was worth it.

Thank you again for reading my jargon. It means a lot and I can't wait to post my true final meta posts about Houseki no Kuni.

What a ride this was.

Until next time...

[wolfiesmoon]

Binding the book

duke!gojo x fem!reader

This is in a manhwa au?? I don't want to call it a royalty au since neither of you are royalty but its essentially your average manhwa plot

I've decided to write something completely unrelated to the canon plot of jjk since I'm still in the process of watching the anime lmaooo

i feel overwhelmed by this anime tbh someone save me , i might just skip to the second season since i've already seen the first one back when it first came out but lowkey forgor everything😵

He's talking to her with that smile on his face again. You really shouldn't be bothered by this anyway, so why do you keep staring? You know how this story ends for you anyways.

You quickly turned around, not wanting to invade upon Satoru's buisness any further. You weren't outright bothering him, but you have a feeling he wouldn't enjoy you staring at him from behind the corner like some stalker. Not when he has better things to be looking at.

You've been married to Gojo Satoru for exactly 3 months now. It was a marriage born of neccessity, pure interest to stop marriage pressure from your families. Atleast on his side, it was. He made that clear during the marriage proposal.

"Well, I'm mostly just doing this so mom stops nagging me about finding a wife already. I'm sure the same applies to you."

Those words have been replaying in your head for a while now. You've known Satoru only for about a year at that point, and even then it was mostly through social events you attended that he also happened to be attending.

So needless to say, it was simulaneously a complete surprise and completely expected when he suddenly gave your family a surprise visit to offer his hand in marriage.

You knew there was zero romantic feelings involved from the very beginning, so you know you shouldn't be surprised if Satoru wants to leave you for Lady Ichikawa, the girl he talks to almost every day. But your heart can't help but clench at the sight, and you wish Satoru could...

Nevermind.

You should be attending to your duties anyways.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You sighed, practically collapsing on your bed. Finance is not fun, to say the least. Being the Lady of the house is a suprisingly tiring job, and definitely gives you more respect for your mother.

The servants had already helped you change into your night gown, and you were perfectly ready to hit the hay right now.

As the servant put out the lights in the chandelier, you thought about Satoru again. The guy is an annoyingly persistent thought in the back of your head, that's for sure.

You haven't even talked in a week.

Sure, the two of you tend to get busy, but this essentially just proves to you what kind of marriage this is. If he did care about you, he would've checked up on you atleast once, wouldn't he..? You don't have a right to complain about it anyways, since you were the one who agreed to the marriage in the end. You should be grateful you even had a say in it.

As the servant closed the door behind you, you clutched the pillow in your hand. Maybe if you keep being useful, he won't discard you. You've only been thinking of yourself up until now. You just now realise that if he leaves you for Lady Ichikawa, you'll lose your family face.

This is shaping up to be a nightmare.

Suddenly, you hear a knock on the door. "Oiiii, can I come iiiin?"

Well, speak of the devil. You would recognise that voice anywhere. "Sure, come in." you said so, but did you want to face him right now? You felt conflicted, both really happy and really nervous.

As the door opened, you turned your head, his silhouette, illuminated by the lights in the doorway coming into view. "Man, it's dark in here. You're going to sleep so early?" he said casually as he turned on the oil lamp on your table.

You only nodded in response, looking at him with half wonder half suspicion. Why is he paying you a visit all of a sudden? "What..? Can't a husband visit his wife?" Satoru furrowed his brows, noticing your dimmly lit expression and sitting down on the edge of your bed.

"I'm happy you're here." You assured him. And you truly were.

"Right, of course you are." Satoru smirked boldly at you, but somehow, you could tell that he was relieved to hear it. He looked in front of him.

"I got you this." he said a little more quietly, handing you a book as you sat up in bed. But it wasn't just any book. "No way... how did you even get your hands on this?!" you blinked multiple times in the dim light, making sure your eyes weren't playing tricks on you.

When you realised how loud you just were, you quickly covered your mouth, and Satoru laughed at you for a bit before saying "I have my ways."

"That... doesn't answer the question. How much did this even cost?"

"...You shouldn't worry so much."

That idiot... You took another look at the book in your lap, the rare book you were trying to get your hands on for 3 years at this point. You can't help but wonder if the emergency finance work you had to do today has something to do with this.

"...Why?" you looked back up at him.

"Why what?" he flashed his usual smile at you, his white lashes fluttering as he gazed at you. This all seems... odd.

"Why did you get this for me? Why would you spend so much money on me? How did you even know I wanted this? What are you trying to do... here..." your last question died off as you saw his expression slowly shift to one of concern.

"You're... my wife? And I happen to know you want this? What kind of questions even are those, seriously." he scoffed, shaking his head.

"But... Lady Ichikawa..." why would he spend money on you when he could be putting it towards his future with Lady Ichikawa? Wait, why did you even start assuming that he'll leave you any minute to begin with? Gosh...

"Oh, her? Wait... are you jealous?" he raised his eyebrows playfully, leaning back. "Not really, I just thought that you... like her more than me." it felt strange finally admitting this to him.

"Ehhh.... She's just a friend, ya know. And I actually mean it. Why would I like her more?" Satoru looked as unaffected as ever, smiling at you. But beneath that nonchalant attitude and those shining blue eyes of his, you could feel confusion, doubt, and something else.

"You said in your proposal t-that... So I thought Lady Ichikawa..." all the turmoil that had been building up inside you for the last three months finally let loose, with you trying your best to speak through your tears. Isn't this pathetic?

"Shhh, I know what I said back then. But now that I actually have you, I dunno anymore. I wanna try out this whole love thing." Satoru moved up on the bed, moving over to your side and gently petting your head.

"In other words, you can stop crying now. Because I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

i dont like this one all that much I'll be real, but then again when do I ever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

this is actually based on a very specific manga plot, if you get it right I'll give you a gold star ⭐

[chososhoeso2]

Ooooooooh mama this was a good episode of Kaiju No.8. Seeing our beloved vice captain go all out? Hot. Shinomiya got a badass weapon that's absolutely perfect for her? Kafka getting better at controlling his powers? The incredible teamwork across the squad??

I can't wait for next week. Finishing the episode off with the massive Kaiju at the training grounds is definitely leaving me with a bunch of questions. It's just the Kaiju and Hoshina in there but he's best against midsize Kaiju, not the giants. So is the captain going to come save the day again? She's the one who's best against the giants, but she's not there now. If she doesn't come, then is Kafka the only option? Or will the rest of the squads take care of the regular sized wyverns while Shinomiya and Ichikawa (and maybe more from the 3rd) go help vice captain? If Kafka goes, will Hoshina finally find out the truth? I feel like it's probably still too early for that, but I'm reeeeaally itchin for when that finally plays out

[dropintomanga]

Kaiju No. 8 - The Beauty of a 32-Year Old Hero

When it comes to shonen manga, almost every protagonist is either a teenager or at most, a 20-something year old. However, in one shonen series, someone in their ‘30s is the main star. That manga is Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 and its hero is a 32-year old man still trying to make his dreams come true.

Kafka Hibino, the protagonist, was once someone who aspired to be a member of the Defense Force to fight against kaiju. He has a childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, who had the same dream. Mina would achieve her dream by becoming a high-ranking Defense Force officer, while Kafka ended up becoming a kaiju disposal worker. One day at his job, Kafka meets a young, aspiring Defense Force member named Leno Ichikawa. The two formed a quick bond despite their age gap. Leno then tells Kafka that the age limit to be a Defense Force soldier was increased to 33. Kafka thought about chasing the dream again, but then he and Leno were attacked by a monster. Kafka saves Leno, but the monster somehow ends up inside Kafka’s body. Kafka suddenly gains the ability to become a very powerful kaiju as a result and decides to join the Defense Force with his newfound powers and catch up to Mina despite being the “enemy.”

It’s pretty cool to see this because there’s not enough middle-aged main heroes in shonen series worth highlighting. This is true in most Japanese media. Either they’re young or old. There’s no in-between. However, I will note that almost every shonen series is about chasing your dreams. Kafka is the same.

You can arguably say the important message from Kaiju No. 8 is that you’re never too old to still chase your dreams. Better late than never, right? I think of the people who have a lot of goals and dreams, only for them to stop chasing them or just be crushed by the weight of them. And then I remember something someone once said to me, “Sometimes, they were never given the opportunity to dream again or be able to chase it.” In Kafka’s case, meeting Leno and getting kaiju powers were those opportunities.

We’re all so bombarded with often mundane responsibilities that seek to limit our dream-seeking and our potential to help one another during times of great stress. We’re not built to be cogs for a world that won’t always think the best for us.

What shined for me with regards to Kaiju No. 8 is Kafka’s enthusiasm and the vulnerability that comes as a result of it. Because he is so ambitious about protecting people, Kafka has insecurities about what to do if he can’t protect anyone. There was a moment in the story where his kaiju powers were getting the best of him. While fighting a powerful kaiju, Kafka starts to become afraid of transforming out of fear of going berserk on his Defense Force comrades and hurting innocent people. One of Kafka’s fellow comrades, Kikoru Shinomiya, snaps him out of it by telling him not to think so little of those who are strong enough to handle themselves. Learn to trust others who can protect themselves.

I think the older we get, the more we tend to dislike a lot of people. It’s different in Kafka’s case, but I really like that this is a middle-aged character with a bunch of enthusiasm about helping people in need. I think Kafka is a timely character because we have a lot of anime/manga fans aging into their ‘30s and some still have that shonen mindset of wanting to make things happen.

While not giving up is always aspiring, the environment we’re placed in can sometimes make someone want to do so. That’s why I believe it’s important that institutions provide resources and opportunities to make middle-aged adults still feel like they matter. 4 years of college in your 20s’ should not be the end of learning and growing. I say this because ageism is still a huge problem in the world. There’s definitely cool people like Kafka out there, but sometimes, they just need a chance by others to prove themselves when they can’t find it themselves.

What’s interesting to me is that Kaiju No. 8 came off the heels of another property featuring a middle-aged hero in a genre that normally has young protagonists, Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The game starred a 40-year old former yakuza, Kasuga Ichiban, who falls out of luck with his triad family in Tokyo and tries to rebuild his life in Yokohama. It’s also a turn-based Japanese RPG, where middle-aged characters tend to be in the supporting roles. A lot of people (especially older adults) found this game refreshing because it’s about a group of middle-aged adults taking the stage to fight against a huge political conspiracy. The game’s sequel, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, continues this trend of older JRPG protagonists that are relatable to middle-aged adults.

Much like what the Like a Dragon games did for me, Kaiju No. 8 and Kafka show that adults can still do some great things despite some limitations. Sure, the other characters in the manga are great, but Kafka being the chosen hero at the age of 32 who can save everyone is what some readers and I are looking for. Naoya Matsumoto gave a great message about the manga’s appeal in that it’s for people dealing with the complexes of reality who are trying to create a future worth having. It’s not just about chasing dreams; it’s more about having some kind of realistic optimism for life and the people who are doing their best.

No matter what age we’re at, we should be given a chance to decide what we want to better ourselves and the world.

[sonicasura]

Hello sorry if this is not allowed, but I kind of have a request of sorts for you? In your I'm Still Me chapter on your 3ao fic, could you perhaps expand a bit on it? I'm curious as to how things would go.

Like would the Monster Sweppers play a bigger role than in canon so far? Would they end up in a lot of trouble for hiding one of the deadliest kaijus to exsist?

And would the encounter with Kafka saving Kikoru as a kaiju be any differnt? Also, how would other DF members react knowing who No 8 really is?

Post in question.

Hello there. I actually don't mind talking about my AUs and ideas! Honestly consider it much different from taking actual requests.

The Monster Sweepers do play a bigger role since Kafka is stuck as a kaiju. You can say the group help our himbo still feel human and try to live normally. Modified clothes, a modified catheter since his plumbing pretty much shifted upwards, alongside all sorts of items.

Hell the sweepers even come up with an excuse for Kafka to keep a blanketed visor on. (Work related injury that melted his face.) They know the dangers for hiding Kaiju No. 8 and honestly don't care. Kafka is their long time friend so no way in hell are they turning their backs on him.

Now our himbo also sees Reno off on the day of the exams. He might've slipped into base just to watch his companion in secret. Reno definitely was pissed once he finds Kafka before an injured Kikoru.

She does keep the encounter secret from Hoshina but immediately confronts Ichikawa the moment she's clear to leave the hospital. Kikoru is let in on the secret as she recognized No.8's voice being eeriely similar to the "visored weirdo's".

There's quite the uproar once it became apparent that the most powerful kaiju on record used to be human. Mina honestly thinks she's in a nightmare as her old friend has become the very thing they vowed to destroy. Yet the tests reveal that No.8's DNA matches Kafka's despite the vast alterations to it.

It does show that there's a chance he might be able to shift back to human. For now, Kafka is getting dragged into the Defense Force once he proves he isn't a threat to humanity. Hoshina will be his keeper since he has no ties with the man here and can take him out if needed.

That's all I can share without crossing into manga spoilers.

[pemprika]

Hello, my goodness it's been a very long time since I've last read HNK. I thought it ended already until I saw your tags on the newest chapters. So I went to look it up and was in utter disbelief to find out the last time I'd read it was December 2020?! I'd missed out on everything from the hiatus to the return to its near end??? Well. Thank you for reminding me of the story! I wanted to ask what your thoughts were on the latest two chapters, and if you think the story is wrapping up in a way that stays true to its essence. Admittedly, I feel for Phos and I dislike when characters like them don't get some form of closure, a sort of peace they're allowed to have after dealing with such loss/tragedy/etc.

** hnk spoilers ch 98-99

omg!! i'm happy to hear you decided to pick it up again! it's been one emotional roller coaster since the series returned from its hiatus... and i think it might just wrap up within a volume's worth of chapters...(not ready™)

i assume you're talking about ch 98-99! the pacing of the last few chapters has been fast for me, so i feel like i still haven't properly digested everything.... but i still love it.

i don't have much to say about it honestly.. i think it pretty much ended up how i envisioned phos' ending would be like-- left isolated all alone on earth for all eternity, though, i didn't expect the subtle hopeful turn of events from the latest developments in ch 99. i loved the little rock conversing with phos-- their presence and simple perspective really helped phos put their troubles into a broader pov.

it doesn't make it hurt any less now that phos has finally realized all the mistakes they've made and the changes they can't reverse, but it feels like phos can at least accept their own flaws and consequences in this new lifetime of theirs. judging by how the direction of the recent chapter went, i do suspect that ichikawa has some sort of hopeful, introspective ending saved for phos. her past works always tended to be very open-ended, so i feel like she'll do the same for hnk, but i agree, it would be rlly nice to see her wrap up some bows on loose ends and give a proper, peaceful closure for phos.

[sawsdoe]

ok so various hnk thoughts under the cut

i’ll start by saying that reading everything in one go and not as a teenager definitely made me appreciate a couple of things a bit more, namely:

1. at the end of the day this is phos’s story, the side characters were a vehicle for their development.. it’s still hard not to feel led on into thinking that shinsha (prime example) would be more important than they actually were but looking back on everything they’re just one of many characters that guided them on their way. which i think i’m fine with. but mainly because i couldn’t actually stand them this time round LOL (more on that later).

2. the gems are essentially perpetual schoolchildren- it’s frustrating that no one else got any kind of satisfying ending but i think if any of them were capable of real change then it wouldn’t be so noteworthy that phos was. at least that makes sense as an in-universe explanation.. still kind of frustrating as a reader. but again i think ultimately i’m fine with it.

i already knew this but the reread did remind me that my prior disappointment with the way the story developed wasn’t so much that it ‘got bad’ but that it just wasn’t what i was hoping for. but as a teenager i was into it in a bit of a ‘fandom-y’ way (with faves and ships and memes and whatever. lighthearted stuff) and maybe part of me expected a nice ‘good beats bad’ kind of ending. but it’s just not that kind of series. kind of back to point 1 but reading it in one go really did hammer home that phos gets fucked over from the get go (i’d forgotten too much by the time the chapter with ‘in other words, i have always been alone’ first came out but this time. no.. that’s exactly it). like the power of friendship and communication was never gonna save the day here lol.

i think my only real beef or ‘objective’ criticism is that the behaviour of the moon gems seemed unnatural to the point where it just felt like they were being forced to act a certain way to get the plot where it needed to be. once cairngorm had their eyes changed there was no suspicion from any of them.. like all the cooing over aechmea and cairngorm, even considering the fact that the gems are so sheltered they have no way of knowing what grooming and sexual abuse are, would aechmea still not be suspicious on account of being uh. the guy in charge of kidnapping and murdering them for thousands of years. it’s not like i needed some acknowledgement that it was ‘problematic’ for the sake of the reader, that was very clearly the intention, but it just wasn’t believable.. the earth gems were frustrating in their own way but that was also clearly the point, they were the ones that chose to stick their heads in the sand. whereas the moon gems had at least made the first step in moving forward, so i would have thought they might use their brains a bit more.

speaking of earth gems. shinsha is a funny character because somehow, in the 5 years between now and my last full read through, they’ve gone from my fave to someone i would uh.. love to tell to get a fucking grip. like i felt bad for them when i watched the anime way back but now i’m older they’re just like. the kind of person who is so determined to be miserable that they refuse a. help when it’s offered and b. to believe anyone else might have their own problems. (insert that david foster wallace quote about how self hatred is a form of narcissism). it reminds me of an interview with ichikawa i read way back, and i won’t be able to get the exact quote because the wordpress account has since been deleted but she said something along the lines of how a key theme in hnk is if one person can truly save another.. and i think one answer to that is, ‘well clearly not if they don’t bloody want to be’.

as for the other side characters.. i could never work cairngorm out. how much was naivety, how much was acting, how much was being straight up controlled by the new eyes.. i know there’s at least one dedicated fan out there picking apart their every line but honestly i stopped caring. i was always waiting for them to just.. DO something and they didn’t. (back to point 2)

kind of feel like rereading ichikawa’s oneshots too now. might be able to make some connections i didn’t make before.

[cherry-romper]

Loving You Sounds Like a Song

Playlist

+ Kafka, Reno, Shinomiya, Iharu, Haruichi, Aoi, Hoshina, Mina, Gen

Kafka Hibino; Stand by me – Ben E. King

I won’t be afraid, Just as long as you stand, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon, Should crumble and fall, Or the mountains should crumble to the see

I won’t cry, No, I won’t shed a tear, Just as long as you stand, Stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble, won’t you stand by me?

Reno Ichikawa; Look After You – The Fray

My heart has started to separate, Be my baby

There now, steady love, so few come and don’t go

Will you, won’t you, be the one I’ll always know?

I’ll look after you

Kikoru Shinomiya; The Chain – Fleetwood Mac

Damn your love, damn your lies

And if you don’t love me now, you will never love me again

We would never break the chain

Damn the dark, damn the light

Iharu Furuhashi; Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Boys Town Gang 

You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off you

At long last love has arrived and I thank God I’m alive

Pardon the way that I stare, there’s nothing else to compare

I love you baby and if it’s quite alright, I need you baby, to warm a lonely night

Haruichi Izumo; August – Taylor Swift

Whispers of “are you sure?”, “Never have I before”

August slipped away like a bottle of wine

Your back beneath the sun, Wishin’ I could write my name on it 

Wanting was enough, For me, it was enough

Aoi kaguragi; West Coast - Lana Del Rey

You’ve got the music in you, don’t you?

Boy blue, yeah you

You’re fallin’ hard, I push away, I’m feelin’ hot to the touch

You say you miss me and I wanna say I miss you so much

Soushirou Hoshina; Only Love Can Save Us Now – Kesha

The power of Christ compels me, I’m a demon

Keep singin’ “hallelujah” nothin’ can save us

I’m ‘bout to blow your fuckin’ head through the ceilin’

Yeah, I’m possessive, maybe I’m possessed, bitch

Mina Ashiro; California – Lana Del Rey

You don’t ever have o be stronger than yo really are

I shouldn’t have done it but I read it in your letter

I wanted to reach out but I never said a thing

Ill catch you on the flip side, If you come back to California

Gen Narumi; Stronger - Kanye West

Man, I been waiting all night now, That's how long I been on ya'

I need you right now

Play secretary, I'm the boss tonight

Bow in the presence of greatness

[little-robin-doll]

This is the recent progress.

Backstory: My laptop likes to die on me very fast whenever I use it. So when I was using it to do the outline part of the of the “Kaiju No. 8” animation for Ichikawa, it die on me and made me lost hours of progress. Now I gotta go back a redo it all. Fun times indeed. (Note: always save and plug up laptop while using)🤦‍♀️