#since this is akira's excuse to talk abt real world issues

[yume-fanfare]

it's great that enstars is taking such a clear anti-ai position and educating their players about it, but at the same time it sucks that makoto had to be the plot device to introduce the topic again

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket,Se03, Ep7 (part 2)

Toxic kindness (Kureno):

I’ve touched upon this in se02 finale, but kureno’s toxic kindness mirrors the foolish traveler story. The foolish traveler says “ thank you” as he dies. Kureno ignores the knife in the hands of a person whom he saw with his own eyes abuse a number of children repeatedly. Kisa, Isuzu, hatori & yuki bodies testify of being beaten, cut, & bruised. Kyo’s psychological abuse was announced in front of kureno himself before akito summoned him in the beach arc. Akito has strangled her mom & screamed, cried & went manic in front of him. Yet, kureno walks toward her ignoring the knife, hugs her & tells her to press the button of change. Easy, right?

I highly respect the author that Akito didn’t respond positively. I don’t want kureno to be stabbed or want akito to run away & hurt the others.  Also, I hate cheap drama. So, I’ll never support dramatic confrontations just for the sake of it. I want a realistic depiction of trauma & mental illness. The person who lived her entire life entitled to be obeyed, feared & having extreme authority, won’t just change cuz a foolish guy told her to.

-The responsibility of Nurturing children:

Akito’s outburst represent the author’s view on the role of nurturing children properly to teach them to be decent human beings. Akito was raised with extreme views neglect & narcissism. You’re special & must be loved (said her dad), Others MUST obey you (said the old maid), No one truly loves you (said her mom). So, her entire life she craved showcasing her power over these unfortunate zodiacs as it stems from the notion that they live for her sake.

Tohru on the other hand was raised with compassion, love & appreciation of other ppl. Tohru being timid, shy or unable to stand for her self are personal struggles that tohru deals with & not related to nurturing , While her trauma might be caused by a parent, it didn’t prevent tohru from being a kind & compassionate person because she was raised & taught abt these things.

The faults of abusing a child might lead to create faulty mentality & social issues. these kids might even grow to implement similar abuse onto others, while all that is understandable, it will never excuse their behavior. A lot cases of real life abusers were once kids who were abused. It is tragic. It explains why they become the horrible person they are today, but it never excuses the harm of others. The victim is not responsible of your screwed upbringing. Kisa, kyo, yuki, & Isuzu have nothing to do with Akira, Ren or akito’s troubles. They are victims themselves but they didn’t go & inflect harm upon others. Yes, they each developed a faulty coping mechanism &  showed tendencies of rage, withdrawal, misplaced pain, but they were never a harm towards the society, & their peers.

Akito’s outburst paves the path for her redemption. How it will happen? I duno. Will someone once again holds her cheeks, talks her into bettering herself? I duno. She will atone. I can guess that based on the ED. but Will she be rightfully punished for her crimes? I duno. I hope so. Forgiveness is different from punishment. Thus, a type of punishment should be implemented. Abusers, whether victims or not, or atoned or not, must receive it. It is only fair.

- What will happen with tohru/ kyo’s confession/ confrontation? What is the exit from kyoko’s harsh last words! How can Furuba’s best mom hates kyo! My mind goes crazy!

Perhaps the following will happen:

(a) Kyo will confess the past, tohru forgive, kyo relieved, they kiss or whatever (happy ending). This could happen but while I would be happy for them, I’d hate that kyo’s entire trauma goes away with a simple “ I forgive you/ I love you”. Trauma doesn’t have a button you magically shut down. Kyo must unload his burden first! open his lid, then deal with it. Also, How will kyoko’s last words fit here? Are they just kyo’s imagination? really? it seems so anti-climatic. Imagine living with kyoko’s words for two seasons only for it to be in kyo’s mind! I really need kyoko to have bigger role than simple imagination. She’s either a haunting ghost or a holy perfect mother, rarely a real human character. Also, I need to include Akito. In this happy version, Akito gets stopped by shigure or even yuki! .. possible but too light for all the buildup drama & endless cliffhangers! lol

(b) Kyo will confess the past, tohru won’t forgive, kyo hurts himself as he sees her pain (dark ending). This ending is too dark for both. kyo hearing tohru’s words of un-forgivness will echo what he himself believe in he should be. Then where is hope for him? T_T Tohru not being able to forgive is logical since her mom is her world, but it also further ties tohru to her mom. She’ll be stuck again remembering her mom’s tragic words & last moment. Also, tohru will loose another person she loves even more than her mom. Here Akito will interfere somehow. Perhaps tries to kill tohru, then kyo sacrifices himself saving her. I duno.. too dark for furuba! lol

Ok. I give up. Anything I think gets stopped by kyoko’s words. I need kyo to push tohru away cuz this is the only logical progression for his trauma! I refuse to believe that kyo’s trauma was pushed into the climax & was written to embody furuba’s most mature themes of guilt, self-forgiveness, repeated mistakes, depression & others only to be quickly solved. But, tohru’s own issues were quickly presented & addressed in one short ep so..... augh! I want to hope for more from tohru, but I duno.. her growth has been so inconsistent, & I’m tired of being disappointed.

Next ep could either become furuba’s best ep or the worst ever!!! & this scares me so much. 

Side Notes:

Kyo was repeatedly punished for his mistakes & faulty coping mechanism throughout the series, He is yet to be forgiven by someone or forgive himself. But he has been living the punishment of his own trauma.

Why is momiji still speaking German in the dub? I know his curse break is a secret, but He’s still holding on the facade of identifying with a rabbit in his burger, imitating his mom’s accent as he’s still so attached to her. I thought he let go of the past while bravery acknowledging it & moved on. Starting brighter, happier & with more hope. He isn’t still holding on to pain. He is looking forward now. =/

At first, i didnt recognize the room tohru & kyo are eating in! XD. It’s their living room, right? first time seeing it with all doors closed. weird.XD

Seeing Hiro’s curse break further reinforces that there is no logic on its breaking order. It just breaks. that’s all. If there is any reason behind it, then, momoji should be the first. He had always developed outside relationships with others way before tohru & not exclusive to her. Seeing as he has lots of friends playing with him. Also, he has always dealt with his own issues with level headed perspective, never too absorbed in sadness, never too self-focused, he never withdrew or lashed out. He never looked down on kyo, heck! I’ll argue that he even looked up to him!. hiro could've happened earlier too, as he was always protected from trauma & in a loving home, then yuki as he not only opened his lid but told akito in her face that he will forgive her & decided to never be by her side. His curse should have broken right on se02, ep25. You can place anyone afterwards. So, yeah, the curse just breaks, perhaps akito herself has a role as her insecurities increases. duno.

I dont care for the curse itself at all. As far as I’m concerned it is (a) fun gimmick, (b) analogy for abuse & trauma. The later is the core of furuba.

plz let next ep be well-done, well-written & well-direct. plz! T_T

[princiere]

hfdjghkjdfhkg ok so I’m gonna answer the rest of that ask list I rb’ed earlier bc a lot of those questions made me uwu super hard so here we go

to literally no one’s surprise these questions are abt Akira hdkghkj

Aborted Declaration of Love: How long did it take for you to finally confess to your F/O? How did it go? Were there several attempts, or was it just The One?

Knowing me, my feelings will get so out of control that I end up confessing to him about a month after realizing my feelings. We’ve been friends for a couple years, so he can tell that something’s up but won’t push for me to say unless he can tell that whatever I’m hiding could put me or anyone in danger.

I kept putting it off, saying I’ll “do it eventually”, but it isn’t until Akira goes through the interrogation that I realize…I have to tell him. Despite how him being “killed” was part of the plan, what if he didn’t really make it?

It took…a few attempts to get the message across, admittedly. It isn’t until everyone else left Leblanc after Sae brings him back that I tell him. I couldn’t stop stuttering and fidgeting, but once Akira understands what I’m trying to say, he smiles and explains that he’s felt the same for…a while. He won’t admit how long exactly, but Ryuji and the others will tell me it’s been at least a year and a half since he first confided in them about his feelings for me.

Accidental Hand Hold: When did you first hold hands with your F/O?

The very first time was when we were still friends, and during one hangout with him, the subway suddenly became super crowded. He grabbed my hand, explaining that he doesn’t wanna lose me in the crowd. (I already went off abt this scenario though hgkdjfg)

The first time we hold hands as a couple, however, felt much different than when we were just friends. It was only a few days into dating, and he initially held my hand very loosely, like how he would when we were friends. But after a few moments, he’ll carefully squeeze my hand, grazing his thumb along my skin. He wouldn’t look at me, but it was hard to deny the pink on his cheeks.

After-Action Patch-Up: How does your F/O react when they see you got hurt? How do they tend to your injury?

In the Metaverse, he isn’t too concerned. He’s got all kinds of medicine that instantly heals his teammates, so he’ll use whatever is needed until I’m better.

In the real world, though, he’ll get angry, but won’t express his emotions any further than a scowl. The one time, the one time he doesn’t come with me, and I end up getting hurt with no way to instantly fix it or track down the culprit? He wants to put the blame on himself and come with me wherever I go now, but won’t admit these feelings until later. He knows and respects my desire for privacy, however, but…he can’t help but feel a little overprotective in the moment.

Akira will quietly tend to where I’m hurt, asking every now and then if I got a good look at whoever did this to me. Did I hear any names, did they have anyone else with them, etc. Whether I can give any good answers or not, he’ll still comfort me, and holds me a little more than usual for the rest of the night.

Almost Kiss: What was your first kiss with your F/O like?

It was about a few weeks into us dating, and after our weekly date, he’ll take me to Leblanc under the excuse that he “wanted to surprise me with something”. Turns out, he’d been working on making a special dessert, with the help of Sojiro, and wanted me to be the first to try it. Unsurprisingly, it tasted amazing, and after expressing how sweet it was, Akira smiled and said, “Not as sweet as you.”

He watched as I laughed, before asking rather bluntly, “Hey…can I kiss you?”

It took me a moment to register what he said, and when I did, he tried not to laugh at how red I suddenly turned. “…Yea.”

The kiss didn’t exactly feel like “fireworks were going off” or anything like that. It was…quiet, but more than peaceful and calming. Akira tasted like coffee, unsurprisingly. Without pulling away very far, he said I tasted like the dessert I’d just finished eating, and that yes, it was sweet after all.

Beautiful Dreamer: Who’s usually the first to fall asleep while the other stares and admires?

Absolutely me. Akira can fall asleep within minutes, but it can take me at least an hour to get to sleep. In the meantime, though, I got something nice to look at~

Bodyguard Crush: How does your F/O make you feel safe?

In the Metaverse, he tends to use himself as a shield if he feels I’ll be too hurt by any enemies. He knows I hate when he does that, but he still does it.

In the real world, he’ll usually hold my hand as a way of comforting me and making sure my anxiety doesn’t randomly spike like it loves to do. In any confrontation, he either gets in front of me (human shield again smh) or escorts me away.

Grow Old With Me: How long have you and your F/O been together?

A couple months, give or take. It’s only been so short because 1) I only recently realized my feelings for him, and 2) I change f/os a lot but…it feels different with him, so I’m hoping it lasts a lot longer.

Laugh Of Love: What are some things your F/O does to make you laugh?

Memes. That, or his snarky comments that piss his friends off or stupid puns that physically hurt.

Love Epiphany: When and how did you realize you loved your F/O? When and how did they realize they loved you?

For me, it just sort of came out of nowhere a few months ago. I looked at someone that I’ve known for years, and thought about all the things he’s done, both for me and everyone he cares about, and the next thing I knew…I was in love.

Akira realized much sooner, but it hit just as hard. About half a year into being friends with me, he noticed how much I’d change when I’m around him. I become much more open and happy, whereas I’d usually be extremely quiet and reserved. It didn’t help when he learned about my past relationships and realizing that, despite the trauma I was put through, I was still willing to push through and be happy again.

It then wasn’t until he was subconsciously thinking about how he wanted to be the guy that’ll treat me right that he realized his feelings.

Marry For Love: Are you and your F/O married? If so, how was the wedding like? If you aren’t, do you plan on getting married, and if so, how would you like it to be like?

We’re not married, and…honestly I don’t know if I want to be? Not that I have non-committal issues or anything, but it just feels…overrated? Too expected of me?

However, I’m not against the idea, so if we did get married, we’d definitely just want to keep the wedding amongst a small group of our loved ones. It wouldn’t be too fancy or anything, and we’d have the actual wedding at a nearby park before having the reception at Leblanc. 

Post-Kiss Catatonia: How did you and your F/O react to your first kiss together?

I’ve done this every time I have a first kiss with someone so I’ll say it here: I get weak in the knees and almost collapse. Thankfully, Akira and I were already sitting at the counter of Leblanc when we first kissed, but I’m definitely shaking and flushing.

Akira was initially worried that maybe he pushed things too fast for me, but after some reassurance, he’ll start to feel better, knowing that it’s just intense jitters from having a first kiss. Later that night, though, after returning from taking me home, he’ll have some trouble sleeping that night, constantly touching his lips and reliving that moment.

Sickeningly Sweethearts: Do you and your F/O engage in PDA? If yes, how do the surrounding people react?

For the most part, he wants to keep it to a minimum. Mostly just holding hands, with maybe some holding from the side, and a kiss here and there. He doesn’t want to garner a lot of attention if he can avoid it.

Around friends, though? He’s a bit less reserved, prompting to tuck his face in my shoulder/neck if he isn’t up for talking much, and asking for a kiss every few minutes. He’ll try to casually cuddle, to which Ryuji and Futaba usually tease him for “being so clingy with me”. He always gives some cheeky comment in response.

Zip Me Up: Does your F/O help you get dressed for the day? Do you help them?

Me getting dressed is one of the times Akira will turn the other way. We both know of my dysphoria, and as much as he wants to help and compliment me the whole time, he knows that bringing attention could just make it worse. Though he’ll help in the blink of an eye if I ask for assistance.

Akira typically doesn’t need help getting dressed, but moreso asks how anything looks on him. He knows I’ll be upfront on what I think though honestly I’m kinda biased but isn’t that a given with your boyfriend? cmon