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bustin-a-hazelnut · 5 years

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So basically @neopoliitan‘s last post has made me feel very strongly about the Amaranth family (the kids especially), so I now need my own post to sort out all the new information.

Let me begin by saying, I used to believe based off this post, that the Amaranth family only boasts five children; today’s comic proved me wrong. I went on to get some clarifications, and well...

Two times more kids - two times more fun, am I right?..

Needless to say, I did some further searching, and this post basically turned into my personal masterlist of Amaranth children. Those are mostly personal opinions and/or speculations, but again, my feelings in regards to them are strong & plentiful. Without further ado, naturally, the list opens with our beloved girl:

1. Akane Amaranth, 19

The oldest of the brood & really needs no introduction from me. A well-deserved favorite of Rain’s fanbase, among other things working on gradually rescuing her sister’s from their toxic household. As of late, her character arc has been (much to my joy) associated with William Lincoln’s, whom I assume will play a part in this encounter. The type of person he is, I wouldn’t put it past him to voice some unsavory truths to the face of Akane’s parents, with unpredictable consequences. With her own emotions & experiences in the mix, as well as the actual purpose of the visit, Akane’s got quite some development ahead of her. Not great for her - but a treat for us as viewers.

Her name in Japanese means “deep red, dye from the rubia plant”.

2. Miyako Amaranth, 18

Having been neither introduced nor mentioned in the actual comic, still a personal favorite Amaranth of mine. She’s gotten a great characterization from another Rain’s fan ( @infinitree ) here, which was approved by Neopoliitan. I don’t loose hope for her to make an appearance & shine somewhere in the future posts.

Even though she may not be too relevant for the plot right now, I see great potential for an inner, personal character arc with her. The idea for her character, from what I can tell, is that she’s always coped with her parents’ harshness & constant demands by becoming more withdrawn, apathetic, to the point of neglecting her own needs. Having gone so far down that path has damaged her in more subtle ways, than outright abuse - she’s basically traded it for neglect, and internalized it to the point of not caring enough to defend her needs & individuality, & eventually sorta loosing herself. This is actually rather dark, when you think about it, but I do believe there’s hope for Miyako. Her connection to her sisters, especially Ayano, whom she’s got a deep bond with, is a sliver of her identity that hasn’t been taken from her. It can also become the reason for her to find herself again & start caring more. She is in a strange place right now, and not in a good way, but I have faith in her.

Her name in Japanese means “beautiful” & “night”.

3. Nanako Amaranth, 17

Much like Akane, needs no introduction, having been a part of the plot for quite a while. Just as her elder sisters, this girl has all of my love, especially for her friendship with Tobin, even though the “wicked poo” line did play a part as well (which I Refuse to treat as anything other, than a reference to TTGOT S2 AU & Alanna Snow). It would be hard to guess by her upbeat personality, that she had to withstand more of her mother’s abuse, than possibly any of her siblings. This encounter is going to be a challenge for her, but I believe, that over the course of her life outside home, she’s gained the means to hold her own. She’s part of a team, a valued & great friend, a warrior, a huntressd & living proof, that neither what you’ve suffered, nor the people who’ve hurt you define you. She is going to overcome this, I have no doubt.

Her name in Japanese means "vegetables or greens".

4. Kasumi Amaranth, 16

A bit of a mystery at our hands, this one. No appearance or mention in the comic, no wiki page & the search through @neopoliitan came up dry. Her mention at Akane’s wiki page is the only indication of this girl’s very existence. There is little more to do than wait for further information on her, but as far as theories go - I wonder if she could exhibit a less positive personality, than her siblings? So far, all the Amaranth children we know of, that got somewhat characterized have exhibited different traits, yet, despite their home situation, I would describe all of them as well-meaning gals, even with their share of quirks & struggles. It’s not unreasonable to assume, that at least one of them would be affected more severely by their toxic parents - and have it shape them into a somewhat troubled person.

Her name in Japanese means “mist”.

5. Akiko Amaranth, 15

Her arrogant demeanor & the status of her father’s protege could lead to mistaking Akiko as someone who’s “sided with the abuser” in their family (a parallel to Whitley Schnee, someone who copes with abuse by submitting to his father). Another characterization post, however, suggests that she is actually far more than meets the eye. There’s this duality in her - outward brightness, determination & desire for leadership, wich is exactly what her parents expected; & hidden intent to use her future position for good, refusal to reject her sisters, who’ve been cast aside by her mother. This kind of characterization is an honest to god breath of fresh air - ambition & confidence, that is treated as a positive thing, not a sign of corruption. By Neo’s own words, she’s like a “good Whitley”, which is a fantastic character concept. I’m looking forward for anything she could have up her sleeve.

Her name in Japanese means “bright, sparkle” & “autumn”.

6. Sakura Amaranth, 14

Another kid we know virtually nothing about - and so far there isn’t much to theorize from. Sakura’s placed near her mother & appears relaxed, suggesting she isn’t in Yukiko’s bad graces. My two main guesses of why could that be are - either she’s just naturally inclined to obey & accept her parents’ way of seeing things; or she’s learned how to bypass them in her own ways. I find the second guess to be more interesting - while she can’t run away like Akane & Nanako, but can’t be up to her parent’s standards the way Akiko is or detach herself like Miyako, she could’ve developed a great ability to lie & manipulate, perhaps even in malicious ways, like shifting the blame onto her sisters in case of a screw up. I know this is really far-fetched, and I’m honestly just having fun coming up with those ideas at this point. One more option is her being a fave of Yukiko for some personal reason & therefore spared from mistreatment.

I also find it interesting, that other than Nanako, who is shown gradually dyeing her hair throughout the comic, Sakura is the only one not to share the natural Amaranth hair color so far. Who knows if it’s just a reference to her name’s meaning, or some symbolism, like her not sharing the family values deep inside, but not letting it show in her demeanor... Idek, I honestly meant for this to be shorter.

Her name in Japanese means “cherry blossom”.

7. Natsuki Amaranth, 12

She displays a strong, blunt personality from her first seconds on screen & strikes me as kind of a tomboy. I can’t imagine Yukiko being tolerant of such demeanor - and I can easily see Natsuki fighting back relentlessly against her reign. She probably took Nanako’s place as a punching bag not long after the latter left, and now her relationship with Akane parallels the one latter had with Nan. By the way Natsuki immediately gets to the subject of leaving, it’s clear how much this life affects her. It probably greatly exacerbates her naturally blunt personality - she’s got no time for affection or chatter, getting away is priority number one. I’m not sure how much of it is Natsuki’s “normal” character & how much - emotional damage from her parents, but at this point, it is hard not to assume the worst.

Her name in Japanse can mean “vegetables or greens” & “moon” or “summer” & “hope”. Interestingly, the name is considered unisex, though more commonly used by women.

8. Ayano Amaranth, 9

Getting close to the end here, and moving on to the actually small children of the fam, Ayano is a welcome change as an example of an Amaranth daughter, who’s actually getting to be a kid more (again, according to a previously established characterization). I particularly love the idea of her & Miyako being mutually close - it’s hard to tell which one of them needs it more. It’s also good to know, that Miyako’s efforts to shelter her haven’t been in vain & she actually seems to be okay around her mother, despite having a personality, that would naturally grate on her. Then again, kids can be rather perceptive, so maybe Ayano instinctively holds back her more unruly side in Yukiko’s presence & reserves poking & prodding for her sisters. She may know something isn’t right deep inside, and adjust her behavior, so as not to become another target for her mother.

Her name in Japanese means “of color; from love”.

9. Hana Amaranth, 6

Another mentioned-only character, with no face attached yet; at the age of six, I’d be glad to know that she is kept away from the family’s shenanigans & simply enjoys being a kid. Not much to theorize from here - will have to wait & see if she’ll make an appearance, and what her place in the family hierarchy is going to be.

Her very existence to me raises a question of why Yukiko would choose to have another child, when there is no need for a specifically male heir, as Akiko has been selected for that role. We get to know, that she has no actual love for her children - so what could drive her to have more? Family’s reputation, desire for more control, or perhaps Aka Amaranth comes into play at last? He’s been barely mentioned here due to my lack of knowledge about him, but judging by his appearance on the poster, he is about to play a big role in this arc. Gonna have to wait and see.

Her name in Japanese means “flower”.

10. Baby Amaranth, ~1

A literal baby, basically raising the same questions as Hana did a paragraph ago. I’m going to spare this one from my dark theories & let her chill for now, observing the reunion from a safe distance. Being a 10th child is no piece of cake even in most benevolent of families, so let’s all just give her a break for now. She’s still got all the time in the world to grow up & eventually develop her personal brand of the Amaranth Badassery.

#holy shit this took longer than planned #i’ll be passing out now #what am i even doing honestly #akane amaranth #miyako amaranth #nanako amaranth #kasumi amaranth #akiko amaranth #sakura amaranth #natsuki amaranth #ayano amaranth #hana amaranth #yukiko amaranth

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