#the makanai spoilers

[splitting-infinities]

ok i'm just gonna slap some post-crying-spurred ramblings about The Makanai here because i need to shout from the rooftops:

this show good

i'm so stuffed with emotions and visual imagery of food and art. what a triumphant, wholesome masterpiece. this show means so much to me.

basically if you adore shows about the power of true friendship, platonic love, strong female-led stories, beautiful depictions of tradition and culture in a modern era, found family, one (1) hilarious zombie episode, and gorgeous shots of cooking food, you will love this.

unhinged spoilered ramblings below

hnnnnggggh momohana only ate the sandwiches made by kiyo because she promised. her father's character arc in the last episode. the zombie skit. azusa's blossoming love story. the way momoko is so refined and dedicated to her art, and she also loves super gross horror movies and inflicts them on other people with delight. momoko's breakup and how satisfying it is to see when things just don't work out but it's okay. how kiyo makes tsuru the same meal her grandmother made her in the first ep because it's a meal of sending off travelers on a journey. the way chiyo and her long lost actor man got to have their moment. that one jump cut of hiroshi and his dad drinking coffee and reading in the exact same way - hilarious. the soft and kind of melancholy mother daughter relationship we get with azusa and ryoko? lovable characters like Ren the adorable bartender and the photographer who makes tsuru her photo album?

I think the part that got me choked up the most was when sumire goes out to fancy dinner and sees fried oysters on the menu but it's just not the same and when she gets home kiyo has that exact dish waiting for her? totally captures the feeling of food being better when you're with people you love. it's👏about👏the👏love👏!

[ihokshop]

fandom: maiko-san chi no makanai-san other: azusa and yuuko

azusa was used to sisters. where she grew up, it was inevitable, since all the kids were either dumped into the laps of anyone who was free to look after them, or to play with each other when they weren't in school. she was in high school before the adults around her realized that she was taking on too much, as captain of the girl's volleyball team, the class representative, the rising star of the student council, and walker of dogs, feeder of cats, peeler of fruits for the old ladies in the kitchen.

it didn't change the fact that she was used to being around the quash of people, to have the relentless press of their sound in her ears. helping came natural to her, why shouldn't it? she enjoyed it, and being told she was praiseworthy for that wasn't a bad bonus.

moving to kyoto, becoming a maiko, it didn't really change anything for her. her accent, her dialect, had shifted into a remnant of the past. she lived in a charming house with sisters. and little sisters didn't change, not really.

yuuko, though. yuuko was a little different.

she hadn't known what it was like to be caught off guard before, not even when she had taken to learning something new. but yuuko had shattered norms that seemed so common sense, devoted herself almost single-mindedly to the one thing she loves.

it wasn't like azusa didn't know devotion — volleyball had her shed tears and work until her mother had threatened to chain her to the bed if she wouldn't rest. but that too, feels far away from what yuuko and dance.

yuuko performed like it was her last. like every step and movement of her arms, her fingers, was her way of breathing, and if she stopped, so would her soul. the lightest whiff of song had yuuko's eyes brighten like no other star in the sky. in the off chance that azusa had gotten yuuko to speak more than five syllables, it had only been about practice or critique.

in everything else, of course, yuuko wasn't as keen, but how could it matter?

azusa could not look away. perhaps she did not want to.

and perhaps it was heartbreak when, after a day of waiting at the genkan of ichi house, one year after her inheritance, yuuko had not appeared.

[missmyloko]

Review: The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House - Episode 1

I’ve been getting a TON of asks for me to review Maiko San Chi No Makanai San’s new live action adaptation, so now that I’ve had some time to finally sit down and watch it I can do just that! Episode 1: Change The show starts out in Aomori where Kiyo and Sumire are departing for Kyoto and are seen off by Kiyo’s grandmother and Kenta, their friend from school. This happens in the manga and the anime as well, but the show adds a line about Sumire’s parents not showing up because her father didn’t approve of her becoming a maiko. I honestly never questioned why Sumire’s parents were never at the station before, but that line actually makes the whole thing make sense now! Next we’re whisked off to Kyoto where, upon arriving in Gion Kobu, Kiyo and Sumire almost immediately run into maiko, who are played by none other than Mameaya of Ninben and Mami of Minoyae! On their way to their destination they spot even more maiko, who are Nanoha, Mameju, and Yuzuha of Tama! I really enjoyed the cameos and I bet the real maiko enjoyed playing themselves too. From there they meet the two okasan of the Saku yakata (the show uses the term yakata instead of okiya, so I’m also going to use the term yakata from now on), Azusa and Chiyo. This is a slight deviation from the manga and anime where there was only one okasan and they all just called her “okasan” instead of giving her an actual name. The girls then go to settle into their new digs when they’re confronted by one of the other girls who lives there, Ryoko, who quite rudely tells them that they’re not cut out for this and that they’ll quit soon enough (what a bitch :O!). It then skips ahead three months to the day where the yakata is changing out the sliding doors for summer, and the local otokoshi have come to help out. It’s here that we first get to meet the makanai of the Saku yakata, Sachiko. She’s a middle aged woman who’s brought ingredients to make everyone in the house some fresh somen noodles to cool everyone off on a hot day. It’s here that we’re first introduced to what a makanai is and Sachiko’s physical problems that ail her. After the lunch is over Kiyo tries to help massage Sachiko’s back, but things go awry when Sachiko ends up putting her back out when she tries to get up off the floor of the yakata. This spells the end of Sachiko’s time as the makanai for the Saku yakata. We then cut to lessons at the Nyokoba, where Kiyo isn’t exactly a master of flower arranging (her arrangement seems to just flop over), then to drum lessons where Kiyo can’t hold a beat to save her life, and then onto dance lessons where Kiyo just can’t keep up, to the point where she’s told to go sit off to the side by the dance teacher as she’s interrupting the lesson. Poor Kiyo is even reprimanded after the lesson and is made to question whether she should keep pursuing the career of a maiko or not. However, all Kiyo can think about during the exchange with the dance teacher is the teacher’s udon noodles (I’m guessing that they did this to show a pattern between Kiyo and food, but it did feel slightly odd). Sumire and Kiyo then walk home together and Sumire is clearly worried for her friend, but Kiyo just shrugs it off like the meeting with the dance teacher meant nothing at all.  Back at the yakata the maiko of the house are getting dressed and some explanation is given as to what they wear for certain months of the year. Kiyo’s clumsiness leads to Sumire taking over to help the otokoshi get the maiko dressed and following after the otokoshi to go help them dress a geiko called Momoko. In the manga and the anime Momoko is (spoiler) the onesan of Sumire once she debuts as a maiko, but we never actually meet her. Here she shows up in episode one, so we know that she’s meant to play an integral part in the show somehow going forward. Sumire follows Momoko around for the night like shikomi often do and is at one point rewarded by asking if she’d like to watch an ozashiki that Momoko will be performing at. It’s here that we can see Sumire’s passion for the profession as she watches Momoko dance and you just know that Sumire wants to dance like Momoko someday.    The next day, Kiyo goes to visit Sachiko in her apartment and cooks tomato curry for her, while Sachiko explains the secret to being a makanai: that you have to be able to cook something that will satisfy everyone’s taste buds since the residents of the yakata come from all over Japan and have grown up with different seasonings. Kiyo takes this to heart and returns to the yakata, where at night a mysterious phone call is answered by Chiyo and the episode ends.   So far I’ve really liked the show and while it’s taken some deviations from the manga and anime, it’s likely to explain them in the future, so I look forward to checking out the rest of the series ^^!    

[toasnearlynakedghost]

I feel like the CoD writers gave each of these characters a tragic backstory. Are there any characters in CoD who don’t have a tragic backstory?

The MC’s parents are dead. We learned this in the prologue.

I’m going to list off the characters and the tragic backstories so if you’re new to CoD/haven’t read a consort path yet and don’t want spoilers then stop here. If you’re new and love spoilers then click keep reading.

Guy Avari’s mother is dead. His step mother wants him dead and hired an assassin to assassinate him but she failed.

Lynt’s father had him betrothed as a child to be in an arranged marriage when he was an adult. Lynt didn’t protest this or try to do anything to stop it though, unless he meets and likes the MC. Edit: His grandfather who was who he was closest to, his favorite relative, is dead.

Fenn was neglected by his parents as a child, was in a terrible relationship with his nanny who became his ex and step mom. It’s super weird his nanny dated him and then left him to marry his dad. Then she tried to assassinate Fenn’s mom and the other Luxure Queens so she was sentenced to death.

Toa’s father was cold, strict, and emotionally neglectful to him and put pressure on him to compete with Guy. His sisters were emotionally abusive and physically abusive (the hair pulling) to him. Also since his father was in the running for the Grand Prix in MakaNai as a new datable consort path option does that implies Toa’s mother might be dead, or is there polygamy in Quelsum like Luxure has? I have yet read Toa’s book 2 in MakaNai so maybe that has more info on this?

Roy has the pressure on him to be a prince and one day rule a kingdom, but so do the other crown princes.

Rio doesn’t have as much magical talent as the other crown princes and he doesn’t know how to use Ancient Magic so he tries really hard to improve his swordsmanship to overcompensate for it.

Grayson’s uncle who he looked up to like a father died. Grayson’s friend Joel became a mercenary and then tried to murder him.

Jasper almost died when he tried to defend Guy from an assassination attempt so to keep him alive Guy and Jasper preformed illegal magic to like tie Jasper’s life force to Guy with what CoD called servile magic. So if anyone successfully kills Guy then Jasper’s life force he got from Guy will go back to Guy and Jasper will die in place of him.

Knight is an orphan from the slums of Quelsum. He doesn’t know who his parents are. He has a magic gem imbedded into his chest by someone that stunted his growth and magical ability. He doesn’t know who put it there and only the person who put it in can take it out.

Tino is the son of the head of the Maes family who serves directly under the king of Akedia so ever since Tino was born he’s had expectations and pressure put onto him to become the next head of the Maes family and directly serve the next king of Akedia. Tino’s cousin Daan was emotionally and physically abusive to him as a child/when they were growing up.

Lance’s mother is dead. His father wants to start a war between the kingdoms and wants to murder people. Lance’s best friend is dead and Lance blames himself for this.

Dia’s adoptive mother used him and his talent for singing for her own gain. She’s abusive.

Lou doesn’t remember or know who his parents are or were. It’s implied the Iritum organization may have killed them.

To answer the question at the beginning of this post Lynt, Roy, and Rio are the only ones who don’t have a tragic backstory, or much of one.

If there’s anything I forgot feel free to say it in the comments and I can edit and add to this.

[rughydrangea]

2023 drama year in review

Okay, this year I'm really late. But better late than never, right?

Joining the pantheon of my favorites:

The Glory--The highs of this drama made me feel like I'd taken a hit of whatever not-found-in-nature strain of pot Sa Ra was on.

Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san--Sweet, heart-warming, gentle. Its kindness made me cry!

Revenant--Just a satisfying, scary, sad, immaculately produced, wonderfully acted ghost story. In terms of sheer quality it may be the drama of the year.

Quite good:

Bad Mom--I loved how complex the character dynamics were here and wish the show would have gone more in-depth into them? Like, this mother gave her son an eating disorder (and was overall incredibly emotionally abusive), and by the end all is forgiven. Mi Joo hides from Kang Ho that he is a father, telling their kids all sorts of lies about their dad, and ultimately everything's okay and they're going to live happily ever after (we didn't even get the scene of them telling the kids, which was truly all I wanted). I'm glad for these characters that love was able to triumph over everything for them, but the genuine darkness of the beginning (especially that first episode, yikes!) primed me for something that was perhaps a bit more messy that this ultimately was. Still, a really enjoyable watch.

The Matchmakers--This one snuck up on me! Fun, funny, and disarmingly sweet.

Moon in the Day--Persuasively makes the argument that dating a corpse reanimated by a 1500-year-old ghost is a great life choice.

Moving--A great show about how dads are hot. I can't believe I spent the whole show waiting for JIS to be reunited with his family and meet his grown up son and the minute he does the camera zooms out and that's it and we see nothing.

My Dearest--"How much amnesia is too much?" is, it would seem, a question this writer has never asked. And yet, it was still pretty incredible. I just wish the last few episodes had lived up to everything that came before.

Perfect Marriage Revenge--I love a drama that knows exactly what it is and is determined to have fun with it.

Not bad:

Crash Course in Romance--There's simply nothing better than grown-up romance. And nothing worse than pointless serial killer plots.

The Forbidden Marriage--Ridiculously charming when it didn't pretend to care about the plot.

My Lovely Liar--"Spoiler" really was a banger.

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract--Poor Joseon Tae Ha really got a raw deal, huh?

WHY??!?!?

Joseon Attorney--I liked the part where the king decided to kill WDH's sister and never apologized for it and everybody, including WDH, was totally cool with it.

Lady Durian--Every episode was an out of body experience in terms of pure, glorious weirdness.

Our Blooming Youth--Every episode felt very long and yet also like nothing had happened. Which is also what the drama felt like.

Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3--So bad. So dumb. But Kim Sabu continues to have a smile that keeps me coming back for more.

Secret Romantic Guesthouse--It's certainly a bold choice to have your male lead be your least compelling character and performance. Kang Hoon is a star and a half and it's time for him level out of supporting roles.

See You in My 19th Life--It was okay (SHS great as always), but once I read the synopsis of the webtoon, I couldn't understand why that wasn't the plot of the drama.

[wordsandrobots]

IBO reference notes on . . . Kudelia's decisions

Right then. This essay was prompted by various criticisms of Iron-Blooded Orphans that bug me purely by being centred on what I find one of the most interesting things the show does. Obviously, other interpretations are available, but this is where I settled after watching. As usual, spoilers (mainly Season 1, some Season 2 and final ending stuff).

Kudelia Aina Bernstein is the daughter of the governor of the Chryse region of Mars, a colony operated by the Arbrau political bloc (a merger of Canada and Russia, yes really). Like all Martian colonies, Chryse is suffering from neglect and abuse by its parent state, leading to poverty, violence and general misery for its inhabitants. Being a decent sort (thanks in large part to straying beyond the confines of her parents' estate and seeing the real Mars for herself), Kudelia sets out to right this wrong by persuading Arbrau to deregulate the sale of 'half-metal', Chryse's main export, thus bringing more income to the region that will – hopefully – raise everyone's quality of life.

There are a few things to note from the get-go. First, 'deregulate exports' is not exactly the stuff of revolutions. Kudelia is shown addressing an assembly of people who want Mars to be free (or at least freer) of Earth's rule, but she doesn't advocate for openly fighting the central authority. She just wants to negotiate for better conditions. Luckily for her, Prime Minister Makanai of Arbrau is inclined to listen, so it's an aim that appears within reach, if she can hold a meeting with him.

Second, we quickly learn the Martian independence movement in general and Kudelia in particular have some wealthy backers. Enter Nobliss Gordon, a businessman who has been generous to the cause. Now Nobliss is perhaps the most obviously evil-coded character you could imagine, which tracks perfectly with the later revelation he's an arms-dealer. And this immediately raises important questions about what kind of people are calling for independence. Think again about Kudelia's goal here: deregulation of half-metal exports will first and foremost help the people who own the mining business, with any benefit to the average Chryse citizen depending on trickle-down economics (pause for laughter). Those who stand to gain most immediately are those who already own the means of production: those in Nobliss' class – and, importantly, in Kudelia's.

I don't mean to imply any insincerity on Kudelia's part. She genuinely wants to see the lives of Chryse's citizens improved. It's an honest motive that only grows stronger the more she learns what it's actually like for those people on a day-to-day basis. But by dint of who she is in her society, she seems predisposed to look for solutions among those who already hold influence, and there's a degree to which she isn't wrong to do so. Men like Nobliss are the movers and shakers of Mars and do have the connections necessary to organise a meeting with their counterparts on Earth. If she can use those connections to influence the levers of power, she might be able to make things better.

The problem is, Nobliss just wants to stir up enough chaos that his customer base will expand with people desperate to buy new weapons. To this end, he intends to make Kudelia a martyr, setting her up to be killed by Gjallarhorn, the Martian branch of which he has in his pocket.

See that's the thing about Nobliss at the start of the show: he already has influence over the levers of power. He simply doesn't use them to make things better for anyone except himself.

It takes Kudelia a while to twig this is the case. Blame for the initial murder attempt can be squarely placed at the feet of her father, a craven toady who sells her out to save his own neck. Nobliss' involvement is hidden and she approaches him in good faith as a to get the money necessary to employ Tekkadan to escort her to Earth. He obliges, having been disappointed in Gjallarhorn's ability to do their job and now seeing further opportunities in using Kudelia to stir the pot.

This leads to the Dort Colonies and that bit where Kudelia gets a fleet to back down with only her words.

Except – no. Not really.

Let's take it from the top. The workers on the Dort Company-run space colonies are desperate for better conditions and on the verge of open revolt. Nobliss is funnelling guns and mobile workers to them via Teiwaz and Tekkadan. The leaders of the workers unions, fearing what more radical elements among their number might do, organise a march on Company headquarters to make their demands heard. Gjallarhorn, however, are aware of the colonists' intentions and set up a pretext for wiping them out. The whole situation is a colossal trap.

Into this walks Kudelia, who Nobliss has been bigging up as 'the Maiden of Revolution', fighting for the rights of people in Mars-sphere. It is vital to keep in mind he is the one who comes up with this moniker, not Kudelia herself. Sure, Kudelia takes inspiration from that one history book, but she did not set out to lead some grand-scale uprising. Again, her plan is to go to Earth and hold polite discussions with Arbrau to get better export deals. That's it.

By this point, however, she's starting to understand what she's up against. Quite apart from nearly being murdered by Gjallarhorn, her interactions with Teiwaz have demonstrated that other people want to take advantage of what she's doing. Indeed, in order to get the necessary support to reach Earth, she has to bargain away half-metal mining rights to Teiwaz.

Dwell on that for a minute. Her whole aim is to use money from the mining to improve things in Chryse, and now she's given a cut of it to the Jupiter mafia, just for the chance of making that work. Gjallarhorn has too much invested in their role as the colonial police force to ever willingly let Chryse gain independence. They will do anything to stop Kudelia and they're way too powerful for a lone idealist and a bunch of child soldiers to tackle alone.

So Kudelia choses not to be idealistic. She choses to be pragmatic, in the name of the end result.

But of course, nobody hearing rumours about the Maiden of Revolution has any idea this is the case. To them, she's a symbol of hope, heralding hope of change, and they greet her and Tekkadan (the 'heroic band of knights' escorting her) accordingly. Buoyed by their presence – and, more importantly, the guns they've unwittingly delivered – the workers head to Company HQ, where Gjallarhorn is poised to crush them in one fell swoop.

Kudelia is basically a bystander up to that point. She has no idea it's even happening until she stumbles on to the march while chasing after her maid, Fumitan Admoss, who she's just found out is in the employ of Nobliss. This is revealed by series arch-demi-villain/anti-protagonist McGillis in an effort to prevent Kudelia's death and so use her later. But Kudelia, being far more good of heart than him, wants to know the full story from Fumitan and pursues her through the colony, getting mixed up with the union people right as Gjallarhorn opens fire.

What is supposed to happen here, per Nobliss' scheme, is that Kudelia dies publicly in the course of the violence. See above re: inciting sales. But Kudelia survives, first due to the union workers protecting her, then to Fumitan taking a sniper's bullet for her – because all else aside, Kudelia is a kind, charismatic person who manages to get the people on side more often than not. With their supposed ally having prevented Kudelia's assassination, Nobliss' men pull out, marking the failure of his plan.

While this is happening, Nobliss himself receives a personal call from McMurdo Barriston, head of Teiwaz, who not-so subtly warns him off trying to kill Kudelia. Teiwaz stands to wins substantial profits if Kudelia's mission succeeds and they are the big dogs in the outer-spheres, so get with the programme. This warning comes too late to stop events already in motion, but it does neutralise Nobliss for the foreseeable future.

Shortly thereafter, he receives another call, this time from Kudelia, very much alive and in need of his assistance. You see, the massacre in the colony has led to a full-blown rebellion, with Gjallarhorn's sabotage meaning the colonists are being slaughtered by the forces deployed against them. It's a blood-bath, and Kudelia and Tekkadan are caught right in the middle of it.

Luckily. Kudelia has a plan.

We never hear what she says to Nobliss to convince him to help. However, I think it's reasonable to assume that her final illusions about him have shattered and she has put enough of the pieces together to know he set her up, big time. On the other hand, she also knows she currently has Teiwaz's support and her death would inconvenience them. My personal read is that she leverages this fact mercilessly – if politely – and requests Nobliss kindly give her a hand out of the mess he's dropped her into.

Impressed by her sheer guts, Nobliss obliges, pulling strings to get her a broadcast channel provided by the African Union – the very power bloc for whom the Dort Company operates the colonies.

Here is where Kudelia gives her speech, standing up in front of the world to decry the injustices being perpetrated before her. She castigates Gjallarhorn for their butchery and dares them to shoot her down on live TV (much to Tekkadan's collective WTF).

It is important to note (and I swear I'll stop saying that now) that even here, Gjallarhorn aren't the ones who back off. The commander of the operation is fully in 'jam the transmission, kill the lot of them' mode to the very end. But ultimately, the African Union themselves say – no. Stand down. Presumably because somebody who owed Nobliss a favour just let Kudelia put an enormous hole possible in the media narrative they were constructing around what was happening and those in charge, quite reasonably, panicked.

(If IBO offers one main lesson about big institutions, it's that they're full of factions working against one another.)

So yes. Kudelia gives a speech and the killing stops. Eventually, this leads to a negotiated settlement to give the workers more rights. Again, the show doesn't dwell on the details but I think 'the police quit halfway through six city's worth of riots' fairly neatly explains how the Company got brought to the table afterwards.

If Kudelia hadn't stood in front of the guns, things likely would have ended much more miserably. But like I said, there's far more to it than what she actually says. Kudelia leverages her connections to Nobliss, who leverages his connections to the African Union while himself being pressured by Teiwaz, who have bought Kudelia for their own interests, who is now fully conscious of this rats-nest of venal motives she's caught in. Mikazuki might come away deeply enamoured by Kudelia's ability to influence the world with just her voice, but we know it's not that simple. The things that allow the speech to take place and the reasons it has the required effect are laid out, bit by bit, to demonstrate this is a world where it's not what you say but who you have on your side at the time.

This informs everything that comes next. When Kudelia and Tekkadan finally reach Earth to discover Makanai has been ousted as Prime Minister, they are left with no choice except to get him his job back. He is the lynchpin of Kudelia's plan, so she sets about making more deals and getting him to Arbrau's capital in Edmonton for a key election. Which means cosying up to McGillis and his dumb mask, because he holds power on Earth she lacks. More compromises, more trading the future for an advantage in the present.

The election is the other Big Speech moment for the season and this receives somewhat less step-by-step justification. Partly, I think, because the point has already been demonstrated, so we can make do with brief glimpses of Makanai's allies laying the groundwork for his comeback while the show concentrates on the martial drama of Tekkadan battling through Gjallarhorn's defence perimeter. We're shown enough to reasonably conclude Makanai retained strong support in Arbrau. His allies are powerful people and his opponent had to sell herself to Iznario Fareed in order to oust him. Plus, by dint of arriving in Edmonton at all, Makanai can make a stink about Gjallarhorn's (illegal) interference in an internal affair, dealing them a harmful blow.

Within this context, giving Kudelia the stage might plausibly be read as a power-move by someone who's already won. That she shames more votes his way . . . well, this is ultimately still a story. IBO shows its working well enough for me, personally, to be satisfied with how the plot beats hit.

And with Makanai reinstated, Season 1 ends on an upbeat note for the Martian independence movement. Kudelia negotiates her deal, making all the sacrifices worthwhile – hooray!

Sacrifices. Interesting word. Everyone is at it, sacrificing each other for the greater good, for some far-off goal. Whatever Mikazuki's opinions on the matter, Kudelia dwells on the members of Tekkadan who die doing a job she is paying them for. She has their blood on her hands.

But what of Kudelia's personal sacrifices?

In Season 2, we see these come home to roost. Right away, we find Kudelia working as president of the Admoss Company, administering the half-metal mining on behalf of the people of Chryse . . . and Teiwaz, Nobliss and McGillis, her not-so silent partners. She has given up politics to focus on this task, building schools and orphanages with her fraction of the profit from the deals she made.

Perhaps it is therefore no wonder she is so much more reserved and downcast at this point. After all, how would you feel if you'd had to get into bed with the mafia, an arms-dealer and the world's least-reliable Machiavelli-impersonator?

This is Kudelia's version of Mikazuki losing his body so he can keep fighting. Kudelia takes what she can practically achieve at the expense of never becoming a true 'Maiden of Revolution'. It limits her potential as the inspiring figure Nobliss set her up to be, it neuters the hope she can provide, and restricts her achievements to fiddling around the edges of a still-unjust system. Not because she doesn't want to do more, not because she isn't a fundamentally good person, but because she values doing something concrete over aiming for a dream she may never reach.

Within the story, Kudelia forms one pole of morality, demonstrating how to grow and learn, and the importance of not letting your reach exceed your grasp. It's by following her advise that Takaki escapes the fate the rest of Tekkadan suffers, for example. However she also ends up shaking hands with the man responsible for killing large chunks of her adoptive family. I am not certain if the message coming out of that is the one intended, but it sure as hell is a coherent one.

Sometimes, if you want to make a difference, you have to trade with terrible people. And sometimes, making that trade stops your ultimate aim dead in their tracks.

“But Words, “ you might say, “isn't that a terribly cynical view of politics and how the distribution of power works to disempower even the most influential advocates of change?”

To which I'd say, “how did you get in my house?” before adding, “well yes, but this is a show rooted in the reality of child soldiers. If you're not being deeply cynical about the mechanisms by which the world operates, you're doing it wrong.”

These are the kinds of compromises made every day by those working in charities and political establishments, or any kind of official avenue, trying to do some good. I've been there myself, on much, much smaller scales. It's not right. Yet it happens. Until there are is an almost-inconceivably thorough change to the way the world is organised, it's going to keep happening.

Kudelia fails the same way most of the characters in Iron-Blooded Orphans do: incompletely. Like many of the others, she offers inspiration, hope, kindness, love, and opportunity to those around her. That she is ultimately powerless to save them is a direct, unintended consequence of who she is and what she values, and how those factors inform the choices she makes. That she achieves some measure of what she set out to is an ambiguous success at best.

The epilogue for the show portrays a Mars freed from Earth, with Kudelia as chairperson for the new Martian Union assembly. She has taken a position of power and this is presented as a good thing. A reward for her dedication to the slow, practical path. She gets to extol the virtues of the world she now lives in, building on Tekkadan's sacrifices to create something better.

But I can't stop thinking about all those deals from Season 1, how her speeches are underpinned equally by her righteous indignation at injustice and the pragmatic means by which she takes the stage. I can't help wonder how far her portion of the tragedy stretches. What fresh compromises did she make in order to reach the point of cosigning the Human Debris Abolishment Treaty?

What I know for sure is, for the chance to take another step forward, she wouldn't have hesitated.

Other reference posts include:

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 1)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 2)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (corrigendum) [mainly covering my inability to recognise mythical wolves]

IBO reference notes on … three key Yamagi scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Shino scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Eugene scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Ride scenes

IBO reference notes on … the tone of the setting

IBO reference notes on … character parallels and counterpoints

IBO reference notes on … a perfect villain

IBO reference notes on … Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko

IBO reference notes on … an act of unspeakable cruelty 

IBO reference notes on … original(ish) characters [this one is mainly fanfic]

[imminentinertia]

CURRENT ASK GAME

I was tagged by @lurkingshan, thank you darling!

Current time: 14:40

Current activity: Waiting for my bean-to-cup coffee machine to finish its noisy little start routine

Currently thinking about: well, what to put in this, but also whether it's a good day for sushi delivery for dinner (spoiler alert: it is)

Current favorite song: It's still Jeff Satur: Dum Dum. Every time I think that maybe this or that cool song I'm listening to will take over, Jeff grins the evil grin and reels me back in.

Currently reading: Still Inga Strümke: Maskiner som tenker, and it's still the book to read on AI, I hope that it will be translated.

Currently watching: Fuck. Well. Weekly I watch Only Friends, Kiseki: Dear to Me, Minato's Laundromat S2, Dangerous Romance, My Personal Weatherman and The Jungle and I'm very grateful for Wedding Plan and Laws of Attraction finishing this week. Catching up on my BL lessons with Friend Zone, HIStory 3: Trapped and Long Time No See. Feeling bad about not having finished Alice In Borderland S2, The Makanai, Midnight Diner S2 and The Sting of Lavender.

Current favorite character: Ai Di (Kiseki: Dear to Me)

Current WIP: Do we count that fairy tale AU Evak I found on my drive? Or the somewhat realistic mafia dealings thing I'll never finish? No? Then none.

As usual: if you'd like to do this, consider yourself tagged.

[unnursvanablog]

The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House /

This is just my opinions on the jdrama Under the Queen’s Umbrella. Thoughts below are pretty much spoiler free, but if there are spoilers I will put up a spoiler warning first.

The Makanai is a really cozy TV series from Japan that is mostly about the friendship of all these different characters who come together in this school for young geishas, the food that they share and Japanese traditions that many western people have an inaccurate view of.

This is an true slice-of-life Japanese drama, which is actually a certain type of story that Japan has developed over the years through formats like anime and manga where this type of story doesn't necessarily have it's origins there, but seems to be a very popular way of telling a story. And this drama is only nine episodes so time flies by while watching it.

The Makanai has a somewhat random storyline, although each character actually gets their own part of the narrative as they are followed through the day, but all the stories are a bit without a plot, or a big conflict that the character necessarily has to solve. It's about the character and their life and dreams, but there's no specific goal with the stories in particular. They just are. And in the end everyone gets together, people are friends and enjoys the food and their connection to the food that is served them.

The food in the series has its own meaning to the lives of the characters, whether it evokes memories or soothes them in some ways, gives them a warm hug and perhaps a little the importance of tradition, but also the conflicts that some traditions have with modern times. But this is always told without specific answers for the character. They are just there pondering these things while the narrative slowly passes us by.

This quiet narrative style isn't for everyone, and many would without doubt want there to be more of a purpose to the story, or more tension and feel that our time with the characters doesn't provide enough immersion. In general some might want or yearn for more story, but in my opinion this was just enough. The characters are all alive and doing their own thing. That cozy, easy-going feel is kind of the point of the story and this slice-of-life style of telling a story. It's okay to just be cozy and enjoy good food in the hustle and bustle of everything.

Not everything needs tension. It doesn't all have to be high-stake drama or action. And this sweet little story just lets you do take things easy and just be present, in a way. To be with these people, even if it's just for a little bit. Not all TV content has to be big and bold. There is plenty of room for this kind of calmness too. The only downside that I can really point out about the shows is that it's really impossible to watch these episodes without something to snack on, or stopping to google all these different recipes, because it's all very appetizing and delicious to look at.

[nakamuso]

Our Little Maid" - Healing through Nothingness

Here is a manga I recently read and enjoyed.

My Little Maid" by Kana Osada.

The latest 4 volumes were released in August this year.

If you liked "Maiko-san-chi no Makanai-san," you will definitely like this work.

Why do housekeeper-type manga stick in the mind so much?

It is set in the early Showa period (early 20th century) and depicts a 14-year-old girl, Hana Nonaka, who works as a maid for a translator, Reiko Hasumi.

At first I wondered why such a little girl comes here?　Isn't there some kind of mistake?　The story begins with the question, "Why is a 14-year-old girl coming to work? It is true that it would be a surprise if a 14-year-old girl came to work at the house. However, Hana-chan is a very hard worker and is good at all household chores. She is very serious and does not joke around. Seeing Hana, Reiko decides to keep her in the house.

The house where Reiko, a translator, lives is a lovely Western-style house. I think it was a rarity in this era.

In an era when people built fires with seven rings and drew water from a well, gas and running water were installed, so she must have been very rich after all.

Come to think of it, Yoji Yamada's "Small House" also had Takako Matsu living in a house like this, with Hana Kuroki as the maid. People who like that atmosphere will also like this manga.

As to why Reiko lives alone in such a luxurious house, there is an unavoidable reason, but I won't go into it here because it would be a spoiler. Anyway, Hana-chan came to the luxurious but somewhat lonely house.

Hana-chan is basically expressionless, but when she sees Reiko's sophisticated lifestyle, she is surprised like a 14-year-old, and little by little she begins to show various emotions.

Nothing in particular happens, but it's something to read. At the beginning of this article, I asked why housekeeper-type manga sticks in the mind, and I think the answer is "healing. I think the answer is "healing." We modern people are looking for healing in the most trivial of things.

I have one more manuscript to submit today, but I was reading "My Little Maidens" and it turned into the evening.

How can I rewind from here?　Can I really submit the manuscript today? I think I will go to the convenience store once to buy All Free.

[oisanite]

⭐ fic masterlist

Fandoms:

Akatsuki no Yona: AO3 · Tumblr

Ascendance of a Bookworm: AO3 · Tumblr

Female General and Eldest Princess: AO3 · Tumblr

Hana ni Arashi: AO3 · Tumblr

Handsome Girl and Sheltered Girl: AO3 · Tumblr

Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san: AO3 · Tumblr

Shiroi Suna no Aquatope: Tumblr

The God Who Can't Clean Up: AO3 · Tumblr

Who Decided That Blues Had To Be Cool?!: AO3 · Tumblr

Works that can be read fandom-blind: AO3 · Tumblr All fic: AO3 · Tumblr

Last updated: Jul 10, 2021.

[stillness-in-green]

Human Debris Masterpost (9/?)

This is the second of two consecutive posts in the series, which I had to break up for length (whoops).  The first one, dealing with the conclusion of the Dawn Horizon arc, can be found here.  Don’t miss the moment I fell in love with Derma!

At this point, we begin the Silent War arc, with an episode I’ve been wanting to talk about for months now.  I will attempt to manage my post length better in the future, but for now...

EPISODE THIRTY — Inauguration of the Arbrau Defense Forces

After some unsubtle foreshadowing courtesy of Makanai about what befalls those who try to take the quick way to their goals, we join the Earth Branch kids, as Takaki fields some conversation about what they’re going to do once the Arbrau Defense Force is all officially trained and on-duty and stuff.  

Takaki hasn’t heard anything in particular yet, but Aston puts in that he likes the Earth.  He doesn’t show much particular emotion in the statement, or immediately elaborate on why, but one of the unnamed characters (who, at the very least, have slightly more distinct designs than HQ-Tekkadan’s Random Brunettes) puts in that the food’s good, and Tekkadan members are welcome in the city.  

This is pleasant to hear, if a bit surprising, given what we’ve been lead to believe about prejudice towards those in the Outer Spheres.  Is this soley due to Tekkadan’s good rep?  It’d make sense that Arbrau, who just found out Gjallarhorn was trying to interfere in their democratic process, is feeling particularly welcoming to the organization that exposed it.  It may also be the case that the average person on the street is way less xenophobic than the average Gjallarhorn soldier.  

In any case, Takaki tries to mollify the other boys about Radice, who they don’t much like, and don’t feel is a real Tekkadan member.  

Aston and Takaki do an awful lot of silent watching of each other, at least in these first few episodes focusing on the Earth Branch.  They clearly have a lot of thoughts about each other, but are both slow to comment, Takaki probably a little reluctant to possibly hit a sore spot or say something insensitive, and Aston perhaps not feeling it’s really his place.  Will this cause them problems later?  I guess we’ll find out!

But in the meantime, back to Chad!  And also my screaming about Chad.  I’ll ask my readers to cast their thoughts back to something I mentioned some time ago, waaay back in my third post.  Specifically, Chad’s preview text for episode eleven, where he talks about only having been given torn, used clothes prior to joining CGS/Tekkadan (it’s unclear which he meant, but even CGS had uniforms), and how he’s more comfortable in dirty clothes.  

We find him working on a tie and wearing some very nice clothes indeed, for what is apparently the very first time.  Since this is not the actual day of the ceremony, I’m thinking he probably just got these delivered, and is trying them on to make sure everything fits correctly.  I’m impressed he knows his way around a tie, honestly.  Takaki compliments him, which he gets a bit abashed about, asking if it shouldn’t be Radice instead, whereupon we find out two things: firstly that Chad is indeed the one officially in charge of the Earth branch, and secondly that Makanai askied for Chad specifically.  More on that in a little bit.

Aston is a little wide-eyed throughout this scene, for reasons he will talk about later.

Chad catches Aston staring and gets even more embarrassed, saying that he knew he looked weird after all.  He’s clearly not feeling at all comfortable in the clothes, even as the smile on his face says that he’s still just a bit pleased.  My guess is that even if he feels like a street-rat playing dress up, something everyone is going to know as he shows his face in front of a crowd, he’s still proud to be representing Tekkadan.  And I love that the character writing is consistent enough to tie this back in to literally the only thing season one told about him personally, his comfort in used, dirty clothes.  

Aston tries to explain his staring, but they’re interrupted by Radice, here to deliver the last batch of guidelines for the event, which Takaki jumps in to grab, saying Tekkadan will take care of guarding the venue while Chad attends the ceremony.  

It’s indicative of Aston’s history, I think, that he’s apparently lippy around outsider adults, but shuts right down in the face of adults in his chain of command.  He doesn’t even look at anyone during this exchange, just stares at the floor as Radice rebukes them all not to cause any more friction with the Arbrau Defense Force.  He did the same around Kudal (although often he looked more terse about it, as Kudal was abusing the Brewers Debris quartet every time he was in the same room), which gives this reaction an air of ‘keep quiet, keep your head down, avoid trouble.’  

Chad and Takaki are more openly bemused by the man’s attitude.  

Ah, there’s the old terse Aston!  As soon as the authoritative adult leaves the room, he more openly glares and grumbles around it.  

Chad (because Chad has the patience of a saint and the self-esteem of a child abuse victim), says that Radice probably just has a lot on his mind, while Takaki (ever the optimist) points out that Radice has gotten more willing to listen to them over time, compared to how he was when he first joined, and jeezus, I dread to think how intolerable the man must have been at the start.  

We close the scene with Radice briefly eavesdropping from outside the door, as Chad jokes that maybe Radice’s just given up on them because they’re so dumb (see again: self-esteem issues), and Chad plz stop hurting me this way you are wonderful and smart and deserve much better than what’s about to happen to you.

Takaki and Aston head on out, with Takaki chattering about how cool Mr. Chad looked.  This leads Aston to ask about Chad��s history—that he used to be Human Debris like Aston himself, right?  Takaki confirms, but does not follow up on the question at all, instead changing the subject to whether Aston will be coming home with him that night, as Fuuka likes having him over.  

This is, perhaps, a good point to remind the reader that Takaki was nearly killed by Masahiro back during the Brewers Arc, something that I don’t doubt he is keenly aware of, though I don’t know how much of that Aston ever found out about.  His unwillingness to press Aston about Aston’s own issues stemming from that history are likely rooted in that awareness—that he would prefer not to dwell on that old division, telling himself that Aston is a member of Tekkadan now, and thus that Human Debris stuff doesn’t matter anymore!  (Spoilers: It still matters.)

In any case, Aston turns down the invite, noting that Fuuka has a test she’s been studying for, and he doesn’t want to distract her with fussing over him.  As was the case back with the Brewers, Aston shows himself to be observant and thoughtful, and with a tendency towards mediation that he only ever shows to his peers.  Takaki looks a little startled, and the next scene gives us the general impression that Aston has, perhaps, noticed more about Fuuka’s habits than her own brother has.  

After the credits, we return to Mars, and I get to roll around some more in my Human Debris feelings.  

Shino is chitchatting about how Chad will be pleased with the delivery of Shidens Tekkadan is getting ready to ship, though if they’d gotten them to him earlier, it would have made him look better.  Akihiro agrees, in an unusually upbeat mood.  When Lafter comments on it, Akihiro observes that they were both Human Debris.

Dante joins in to confirm, saying that Chad will get the job done, in a ‘Chad is awesome and we are proud of him’ moment that gives me more warm fuzzies about the Human Debris trio than my body has room for.  Ride breaks it up with some ribbing about how Akihiro would get nervous if it was him.  

Akihiro scowls theatrically at the teasing, and I am reminded of Biscuit commenting that he was surprised Akihiro came to the Tekkadan+Turbines oath-swearing ceremony, as it didn’t seem like the kind of thing he liked.  At that time, Akihiro said it was an important moment for the family.  This, though, is an important moment for our ex-red-stripes, one they’re clearly all feeling the resonance of, and it is great great great.  

After a check-in with Arianrhod, we return to Earth for the day of the ceremony, where Chad is giving some last-minute instructions.  They’re at the parliament building, actually!  It’s the same place where Kudelia gave her speech during the season one finale, and which will eventually be renamed in honor of Makanai.  

As the rest of the group disperses, Chad calls back Takaki just long enough to place him in charge.  Their trust in each other shines here, but knowing what’s coming, we also know that that trust can, itself, be a weakness—because Tekkadan focuses so strongly on obeying their appointed leaders, to the point that they don’t really think for themselves, there’s no protocol for what happens when a leader goes down, no way to put on the brakes even as things start to feel really wrong.  This will prove disastrous over the entire rest of the series, but particularly in this arc.  

As the ceremony gets underway, Takaki finally asks Aston why he’s been so out of it lately.  Aston responds with self-deprecation, saying that he isn’t very smart, and doesn’t know how to describe what he’s feeling.  

He was surprised when he saw Chad dressed up; it made him want everyone to see him.  He continues to puzzle over further explanation, until Takaki finally fills in the word—pride.  He was proud of Chad.  Aston confirms, and Takaki continues—he was also happy.  

Aston looks briefly, openly shocked by this assessment, turning his gaze away awkwardly, but confirming that as well.  He was happy.  

You guys, I’m starting to feel pretty confident in my assessment about Aston’s stunted emotional self-awareness.

As we approach the beginning of the end, we find Chad in Makanai’s office, where they have apparently not headed to the ceremony just yet.  Makanai is complimenting Tekkadan’s work as a military advisor, and thanking Chad for it, which Chad is a bit startled by, brushing it off.  

Makanai presses, though, stating that he’s counting on Chad as a person in charge of Tekkadan—and then he namedrops Chad specifically, leaving the young man completely stunned at the recognition.  The way he breathes, “My name…” here just guts me.  AUGH MY RED STRIPE FEELS.  

Before this gets any more personal, though, Makanai’s assistant (who I will have some words about, in a post I intend to make someday about various odds-and-ends I’ve noticed going through the show again; suffice to say the guy is a CHAMP) comes in and, showing his own observational skills, comments on the flower arrangement sitting on the table, asking when it was delivered, because it wasn’t in the room earlier.  

Before he’s even all the way through the question, Chad is leaping to a terrible (and sadly accurate) conclusion.  As Makanai reaches out and touches the flowers, Chad yells his name (calling him ‘sensei’, fascinatingly enough), the vase emits a beeping sound, and we go to slo-mo.  

Chad body-tackles Makanai to the floor just before the explosive goes off, removing him, alas, from these recaps for an agonizingly long time.  He’ll be back, though!  

Outside, as soon as the sound of an explosion hits the street, Aston is making to bolt inside.  He has to be physically stopped by Takaki, reminding him that a) Arbrau is in charge of security inside the building, and b) Mr. Chad is in there, and he’ll take care of whatever happened!

When they overhear that Makanai’s been injured, Aston wastes no time in grabbing an Arbrau security dude by the lapels and demanding to know about Chad.  Alas, the rest of the world is not so attentive to the names of random teenaged security personnel, and the guy has no idea who he’s talking about.  

After a brief timeskip of three days, we return to a bunch of angry kids (and they are kids; not one of them looks even as old as Chad and the other core members back on Mars, seeming closer to Takaki in age) already showing the first signs of frustration that Takaki doesn’t have any orders direct from Orga, but is just relaying them via Radice.  As has been and will continue to be the case, Aston keeps his own council, just keeping an eye on Takaki during the argument.  He is less of a mediator through here, for reasons that we’ll touch on shortly.  

Here we find him lurking in the hallway while Takaki tries to talk Radice into letting him contact Tekkadan directly—Radice says that’s his job while Chad is still unavailable, and Takaki lacks the wherewithal to just up and pull rank on him.  

In the hallway outside, Aston reveals that he, like the other Tekkadan members, wants to go and avenge Chad, but feels supporting Takaki is more important.  I think, though, that the fact that he never jumps in to try and smooth things over between Takaki and the others does speak to just how much he wants that revenge.  He wants to support Takaki, but probably doesn’t have any words to soothe the other members, because frankly, he agrees with them—so he just says nothing.  

Back on Mars, Orga has smelled a rat in all of this, and decides to rush the Shiden delivery, opting to send Akihiro and some others along.  Akhiro, who is without a doubt more pissed about this than he is immediately showing through his immediate worry and confusion, wastes no time in agreeing.  

He comments here that he wants to hurry, as he has a bad feeling.  It’s probably just his experience talking, as well as his trust in Orga’s bad feeling, but it does please me a bit to think that he’s having that shoujo manga “react as though I’ve sensed my loved ones’ mortal injury despite being miles apart and having exactly zero psychic ability” feeling that the show will traffic in more and more heavily in its wind-down episodes.  

We return to find Takaki and Aston talking about the possibility of a war breaking out, and what they should do without explicit orders from Orga.  Takaki, who made it through an entire season’s worth of Orga’s rhetoric about Tekkadan being family, wants to trust Radice, as well as hold out on Earth because Fuuka likes it so much.  Aston is entirely ambivalent about Radice, but wants to protect Takaki and Fuuka’s happiness however he can.  

However he can, though for him that really only means killing or dying.  

Whoops.  The Human Debris stuff still matters.  

Takaki protests this talk angrily, which seems to honestly bemuse Aston, in a strong echo of Akihiro’s early confusion about Orga offering him freedom, and the rest of Tekkadan welcoming him as family.  It just isn’t their first instinct, these red-stripes of ours, to understand the value the people around them place on their lives.  Aston is even more clueless about it than most, as Takaki is more reluctant to talk frankly about it than, say, Orga or Shino, Eugene or Mikazuki were with Akihiro.  

Yes, as Sudden Narrator Takaki tells us, this is all going to end in pain.  

Oh god, these are so long.  Thank you all for reading all this, and apologies again for any confusion with the back-to-back posts.  Comments and discussion are totally welcome, by the way!  Anyone who wants to talk Human Debris, or IBO generally, is wholly welcome to do so via reblogs or direct messages.  

[toasnearlynakedghost]

spoiler: Lou’s consort path and event stories

I don’t remember if I’ve posted this on here yet but I’m still scared/worried what if Headmaster Lou’s crystal ball can see into the bathrooms, what if he turned on the crystal ball to see what the MC was doing and she was using the toilet. I think that would be awkward and embarrassing for both of them.

I hope crystal balls in Saligia have a limit on them that they can’t see into bathrooms or I hope the bathrooms in Saligia have spells on them so crystal balls and any other magical devices can’t see into the bathrooms when someone is using the toilet. I hope the MakaNai/CoD writers leave the characters and us some shred of dignity please.

I half expect if any of the CoD writers see this they’ll be like ‘great idea!’ and use it against me by making a story about this that I didn’t like.

[missmyloko]

Hello Again!

I was reading you review on Makanai's chapter 3 and I must say that I agree and Tsurukoma is one of my fav character she is such a great maiko and quite an interesting character who later will show a side of the Karyukai that is not the most pleasant one for fans but a good reality for girls this there days (I love spoilers but will not make any right now unless you ask me hehe).

Besides that, when I read your review during the double ozashiki reservation and how the retired geiko with a crazy personality takes herself a spot into the dinner, I remembered something quite interesting about the Karyukai history and come up with a question.

Do you think that in order to survive the Karyukai will be more open to start new trends like in the past or accept more crazy girls?

You know that nowadays the work is not what is used to be and less Japanese are interested in traditional ozashiki

But I remember a Tokyo hangyoku that was really unique and crazy, which didint like to her sisters and okasan but was loved by costumers and also make really popular even outside Japan.

And in the past they were the ones that come up with the new trends for women and were successful due to their originalities back then

So taking that into consideration and that all thinks must evolve to keep going and costumers look for new stuff as well or similar things but with new twist.

Do you think that changes will be taking at least into consideration? By example new musical compositions and dances, new trends in kimono, maybe more creative freedom for girls (we will se something related to it in the series as well) that even if they are performers, they are also artists that could want to do something else but not leave the Karyukai. Maybe some moderns complements or other stuffs added at least in a little way?

I personally believe that in this world nowadays and in some way will be necessary but will be contradictory with their mission being the guardians of tradition and art and their iconic image to it. Maybe they need like special trend for special days or like a new service for new costumers, like when they opened to tourist but that will be still Karyukai? quite hard to think?

What do you think ??

Thank again in advance Dear Justine

My very best Regards

It's really hard to say what steps the karyukai may take in the future on anything. However, opening themselves up to more "rowdy" or "outgoing" girls is against the tradition of temperament that they seek. Beyond that, we'll just have to wait and see ^^

[toasnearlynakedghost]

Iritum spoiler from MakaNai the Japanese version

I don’t even know for sure what this stupid guy’s name is yet but he just looks like a villain.

I think his name might be Luciano. He just looks like a stereotypical old fashioned skeezy slimy slicked back hair villain. I think he shows up in the Prince’s Path and in at least two of the Consort Book 2s.

Before I know anything he says or thinks yet he just looks like an asshole.

Edit: At some point when he shows up on the English version CoD I might end up making some posts on what an asshole he is.

[toasnearlynakedghost]

CoD started in October 2020. I first found and added CoD in January 2021. I’d have to check my notes to know for sure but I think I added the Japanese version MakaNai in February 2021. Now that some of Lou’s content is released or going to soon be released on CoD I can finally go back and post some of my commentary/notes about him without having to worry about or feel guilty about the possibility of spoiling it for someone who plays CoD and didn’t want to see a spoiler.

[toasnearlynakedghost]

Let’s see what else I wrote in January 2021.

slight spoiler for my commentary about a Lou CG I found on Google images at the time

Apparently I already wanted a Violet Consort path back in January 2021 within the first few days of adding the game.

On first impression of Lou I thought he might be a bottom. Then I looked on Google images for if anyone from the Japanese server had posted any teaser images of what his pictures would look like. I found only one blurry one. He was being a top in that CG. Since writing that note I’ve added and played the Japanese version MakaNai, played some of his event stories, bought and read some of his epilogues and spoiler I think he’s a switch. Which, at least in my head I don’t know maybe making this connection/assumption sounds weird, given his role in the story as he’s supposed to be a neutral character, he oversees and is in charge of the Isle of Colde which is supposed to be neutral ground, the most neutral area in Saligia, a sign of peace, a peacekeeper, it kind of goes along with the rest of his character and role in the stories/makes sense he’s a switch.

Then again I’ve only read a few of his epilogues and they’re not in my first language English, they’re from the Japanese version, so it’s possible I misread or misunderstood something.