#yuzuru saeki x hoshino ichika

[lafiaso]

"I will change your despair into hope"

[pfpanimes]

⌕ collar x malice.

like or reblog if you save/use.

[mikia87]

I also started Collar x Malice. The story is really interesting.😄

I don’t know what to think about the LIs at the moment. Saeki is the one that interests me the most, but sadly he’s not dateable!😞 Shiraishi looks promising, mostly because he has Nicola’s voice.😏 But Sasazuka annoys me so damn much! Urgh😫 Now I started with Enomoto.

I finished Mineo Enomoto’s route. It was interesting. The story of this game is so cool!😁 Mineo is really kind and cute. I like him.

But the part that made me cry in his story was when Ichika and Mineo went to see Saeki at the hospital. Knowing that he was in a coma, that he needed a kidney transplant and that his family donated an organ to him, it made me cry.🥺😭 Sorry Mineo, but my heart belongs to Saeki.

Kei Okazaki’s route is done. I really like the story and also Kei.😉 And I found out more about Adonis! I can’t wait to know what happens next!😁

Takeru Sasazuka's route is finally over! The story was good. But I can't stand him. He's soooooo annoying!!!😩 I hate characters when they constantly insult others & act like they're better & smarter than everyone else. Ugh.😖

I just finished Kageyuki Shiraishi’s story. I didn't expect that at all...😱😨 And I'm still crying...😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

I wasn't sure I liked him when I started his route, but the more I played, the more I loved him. He's my favorite so far.💖 But now, I’m still in shock from the ending...😰

Aiji Yanagi’s story was great! When I learned the truth, it really hurt.😭😭😭😭😭 I already knew who was Zero (because of spoilers all over the internet😓), but it still hurt.😰

I like Yanagi, but I’m surprised I don’t like him more than that.🤔

[onyourowndaisymae]

i'm surprised anything ever gets done in this police station

[otometrashqueen]

Finished Yanagi’s route, actually fell in the love with Saeki 🚩😍

[ur-mousey]

..............................

Collar x Malice = Y'all Don't Understand

Plot Summary: Ichika Hoshino is a rookie cop in the Shinjuku, Tokyo precinct. While on her way home one day, she is attacked and collard by Adonis. They're a terrorist group responsible for 'X-Day', a string of unsolved murders. Can she figure out the truth or die trying? It's up to you.

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Thoughts on Hoshino Ichika:

My opinion on this character comes from the two routes I've played = Okazaki Kei and Shiraishi Kageyuki. Spoilers ahead!

Collar x Malice starts with a great premise. Shinjuku is in a state of panic due to the terrorist attacks brought on by the group Adonis. X-Day is their countdown to a rebirth of Japan, starting with the Roman numeral IX in April to the upcoming 0 in January. Adonis takes out the majority of their crimes against the police (despite first glance) due to a weak sense of justice. They commit crimes in retribution for individuals who were failed by the police's negligence. Adonis' main motive is to rid the world of malice.

Depending on whose affection you cultivate during the prologue will determine which X-Day case you follow. Okazaki Kei focused on the stalker case in July, while Shiraishi Kageyuki followed the disguised homicide that haunted September and October.

Frankly, I'm concerned about June's case. A bomb took out a class of pre-teens. What's that about? Do we have another case of the Glory?

Hoshino Ichika should be the definition of what Adonis loathes. She's a police officer of the 'corrupted' organization set on demolishing the X-Day murders. She is a part of a system that demonizes their cause. However, their intentions speak a different tune. The terrorist group intends to scout her for their cause because of her strong sense of ideals mirroring their own.

I give compliments to her because it's true. While you play the game, no matter which option you choose for her, her resolve leaks through. She's best played by being as authentically honest as possible.

If you fail to get a single affection point with any of the love targets, you'll follow Hoshino Ichika into a bad end where she tries investing Adonis with her innate strengths. And she fails because she doesn't have the investigation skills that the love targets have.

For example, Sasazuka Takeru is a hacker who has great benefits. I wouldn't know. I haven't played his route. But I can assume.

Most of the bad endings in Collar x Malice consist of Hoshino Ichika following her ideals into dangerous situations. Whether it be chasing after a criminal or sacrificing herself to protect others. The game set her up to be compassionate to a fault. While talking to her coworker, Saeki Yuzuru, at the bar, she displays her desire to become a cop in a childlike wonder. She simply wishes to help others. This trait of hers is seen in all the routes you take.

Hoshino Ichika is incredibly honest as well. She finds it hard to lie to others to gain knowledge or the upper hand. As Otome game MCs come, she is by far 'by the book' as you could get. As a player, you understand her fears and motivation for working with Yanagi Aiji and friends, which supersedes romance. I find her to be refreshing.

I believe there's solid groundwork to flesh out her character more if an anime adaptation were to come. It would be interesting to delve more into her inner conflict/connections with Adonis, and how they stifle her ability to do her job. She is a mole of the police and of the detective agency whether she likes it or not. Therefore, it would have been incredible to see how the information she learns affects Adonis' actions.

Plus, one slip of her shirt could poison her and affect the livelihood of the people she loves. Having more scenes of her anxiety mounting at the police station would give her the needed character to flush out.

Side note - I think I got spoiled about Zero's identity.

This makes me wonder more why he didn't get his route. Based on his design, I immediately thought he was cute, and I wish I could learn more in a dedicated route.

Thoughts on Kazuki:

Speaking of "flushing" things out...

There needs to be something done with Kazuki as a character. As of now he is the worst character in the game. I don't know what his deal is. Fuck angsty teen boys. If I had to give a negative to the Hoshino household, it would be these two interacting with each other. I have younger siblings. My brother sometimes acts similar to Kazuki, but goddamn! This character irks me. I felt sympathy for him twice! Both when he expressed fear of Ichika dying in the final chapter.

I am positive that there is a route that will cover Kazuki's actions. My theory is that he is a part of Adonis. He said some sympathizer shit, his friends are shady, and he is constantly out and about without our knowledge. There's an ending where Ichika can get SHANKED if she follows one of his friends to a venue. Shady as fuck! 

Kazuki, in this present moment, is a sideline character who would've been better written out entirely. I expected him to show more face in Ichika's daily life because they live together whereas other characters can be excluded based on which route you play. For example:

Mukai Eriko is the founder of the SBC (Shiraishi Bashing Coalition). If you do not interact with Shiraishi Kageyuki, then she has no business approaching you to join the club.

On the other hand, Kazuki and Ichika are related. And I struggle to see how the two care for each other. Ichika is a damn policewoman who go mixed into the X-day events. We do not see how this affects her relationship with her brother. All we can assume is that they get more distant. However, that is a state that has been developing amongst each other before the collar incident.

If I were in her shoes, I would become more protective of my younger siblings.

Ichika solemnly thinks about how allowing Kazuki to roam wherever he wants could harm him AND her. He's defenseless. He can't own a gun because he's a minor. If Adonis wanted her desperately enough, they could easily kidnap or harm Kazuki to get to her. There's also the fact that she could die at any moment.

It makes you think that she would get to know Kazuki more. Which briefly happens at the end of Okazaki Kei's route. Or you would think that Ichika would consider alternative housing or anything to ensure Kazuki's future in the case of a bad ending.

The point = these siblings need more time together. They don't feel like siblings to an extent. I can see how a relationship can delve into what they have. However, nothing changes about the two based on the circumstances that Ichika found herself in. Which I believe would be realistic in light of their circumstances.

Overall Thoughts:

I'm obsessed with this game. I spent the last week delving into the world and uncovering the mysteries of the X-Day cases. I'm excited to finish all the routes and to get Collar x Malice Unlimited.

My brain has been in overdrive since I saw a photo of Okazaki Kei and Shiraishi Kageyuki interacting with one another. They are messy! But that will be revealed in the next post. I have plenty to say about both these characters and their route.

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Thank you for reading! This was my opinion about the protagonist in Collar x Malice. I was going to include the two routes I've played in this review but I had so much to say about Hoshino. Do you agree or disagree? Comment down below!

>>>

Next Rant Post: Okazaki Kei + Shiraishi Kageyuki

[every-miles-and-space]

A Dream You Hold Dear

Warning! This post contained major spoilers for Collar x Malice. Proceed with caution!

“Look! It’s snowing!”

Ichika exclaimed excitedly, her face painted with a child-like joy as she stared at the view. Saeki chuckled in his throat, taking another sip of cheap beer in his hand. 

True to her word, it was snowing outside. It was nothing harsh, but not ideal to walk around if it had gone harder. The bar they're in was doing a decent job at keeping them warm without any jacket — for now.

“Yes, yes. It is snowing.”

“Let’s cheers!”

She raised her can to salute with his, and he complied.

“But to what, exactly?”

“Hmmmmmm…” She pondered, her face flushed red with alcohol she consumed (now that he thought about it, it was surprising he didn't get drunk like he usually did). “To white Christmas?”

“To white Christmas.”

He took another sip. Although it was no white Christmas at all, she didn’t seem to care (it’s 27th December).

"We should go home."

"I don't wanna!" She whined. "Kazuki's not home anyway."

"If the snow continues we won't be able to reach our homes tonight. Do you want to stay overnight here? Not that I mind though."

She hiccuped, and for a second he thought she would burst into tears - she could be quite emotional when she's drunk.

"Fine." She went silent, before speaking up again. "But at your house."

He blinked. "What?"

"I will be staying at your house! No one's at mine and yours is nearer!"

Saeki shook his head in disbelief. But reluctantly brought himself (and her too) out of the bar.

~~

"Why did you drink so much today?" He asked. "It's usually you that keep me in check and not the other way around."

She glanced at him and took another wobbly step forward — almost falling face-flat to the ground.

"It's cold..."

"You are not answering my question."

"It's just..." Ichika sighed. "The year passed by so quickly I can't believe it. Can't help but indulge me in..."

After that followed incoherent murmurs, and they walked in silence.

~~

It was a good idea to leave when they did. A second too late and they'd be left stranded outside in a cold snowstorm of December without any jacket or sweater.

“Say, Hoshino.” He trailed after settled down in his apartment room. “What is your new year resolution?”

“You sound like a grandpa, Saeki.” She laughed, opening up another can of beer (which he might add it's from his fridge). “Probably to continue being police like this? Oh, and talk with Kazuki more, too.”

He nodded, her relationship with her brother wasn’t so good as he recalled.

“What about you?”

She asked him back, it was sudden he couldn’t come up with the respond right on the spot. Not unpredictable, but still sudden.

To execute the X Day.

“To keep discussing about justice with you like this.”

Maybe it was alcohol, maybe it’s because she was staring at him so intently he answered so.

“Really?” Ichika giggled. “I’m really glad, you know.”

Her giggling filled the room before it died down as fast as it came. She hugged her knees, an empty can of beer left lying on the floor.

“Hey, Saeki…” Her eyelids droop, and her voice became barely above a whisper. “I wonder…how far would you go…to protect…justice….”

And just like that, she fell to sleep.

Saeki looked at her and sighed. Even though they were dear friends to each other since school and they knew for a fact that they would never think of each other as the opposite sex. But he was still a man and she a woman. Hoshino Ichika was too careless for her own good.

He tossed a can of beer in his hand aside and carried her body up. Positioned her so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable when she woke up later, he placed a blanket to keep her warm. 

“You are too careless…” He mumbled under his breath. “What if someone takes advantage of you in your sleep like this…?”

One time

Two times

Three times

He pressed his lips to her temple. Soft and lulling and light. An Angel came to save humanity.

But he was no angel, although he would save humanity. Malice so great it will erase any other malice away.

And then…she would be the one who ends it all.

He enjoyed all of their time together. All those heated discussions of justice over drinks. All those training sessions where she showed she wouldn't hesitate when the push comes to shove — that her aim would be for justice.

Saeki heaved a sigh once more. He traced his thumb along her neck absent-mindedly

4 months

4 months left until the first step of the X Day. And he wouldn't let anyone hinder his way.

Until then...

He bent down to give another kiss to her forehead.

He could only hope that her aim wouldn't have wavered.

————————————————————————

Hello there! This is my second participation in Collar x Malice Secret Santa and this piece is my gift to @phenylketonurics! I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year 🎄 !

[saeki-yuzuwu]

kazuki 

[incorrectotome]

Hoshino: Even though skeletons are the symbol of spook, corpses are way more spookier than skeletons.

Sasazuka: Corpses are harder to mass produce

Saeki: [through the collar] Only if you're a coward.

[puddle-rain]

He...😳💕

[kyle-ash]

💞 ACAB 💞

[katokathy]

Collar x Malice -Unlimited- (Nintendo Switch) Complete CG

Screenshots: katokathy

[xylphid]

Admit it...this song gave you feels whenever it plays in each route.

[sweetpotatosayrah]

Best ending confirmed. Where is my saeki route?

[cerulily]

Happy Holidays!! I was @lavendel080 's CxM Secret Santa who wanted IchikaxSaeki :) I hope you like it 💖💕

[otometrashqueen]

The thing I’m most excited about during daddy yanagi’s route is MC finding out Saeki is Zero