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keitaiijima · 4 years

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Keita, Izumi, Haruka, and Tadakatsu!

Thank you, P! I’ll do Keita first and then put the rest in a Read More, since these posts got a bit longer than I expected. And since I love all four of these babs, I’m sure it won’t be any shorter.

Keita Iijima

How I feel about this character

Considering he’s my url... I think he’s a good lil bean. We don’t really know THAT much about him in canon, other than the fact he likes coke (the drink), he’s a coward and he actually has enough trust in Shinji and Yutaka to reach out to them during the Program, even continuing to approach them when Shinji has a gun and Keita doesn’t have a way of defending himself. Because even though he’s a coward, he had to take a chance on the people he considers to be his friends, to accept him and invite him along. He was scared and desperate and he just didn’t want to be alone anymore. Well, we all know how that ended, ey. A LOT of my Keita feels are pure crack and I HC him as an annoying dumbass who makes lots of mistakes but ultimately never has bad intentions. But I also have these real Keita feels about how he died feeling lonely and rejected and confused, turned away by the people he thought he could trust and who he didn’t know didn’t trust him in return.

Short summary: I love Keita.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Keita/Shinji

I won’t be taking any questions at this time... Ok, look, Shinji/Keita has always been a bit of a crack ship for me. Mostly based on the fact that I HC Keita as being a big Shinji fanboy who just follows him around and is totally oblivious to the fact that Shinji is not that into it. I think he, someone obviously not that cool (no offence, Keita), would admire Shinji’s coolness and confidence and all his abilities in sports and tech etc. Shinji on the other hand, especially after what happened that day they went to the movies + comic book store, would just constantly will Keita to go away. I think Shinji’s bitterness and grudge about what happened is also so out of proportion, he even tells himself he knows Keita is a coward and shouldn’t expect his help, but he still gets all cold and pushes him away after. You totally know he would ghost his ass compeltely if they didn’t have mutual friends. And Keita is just in his own little “Lala Shinji is awesome”-world and doesn’t even notice. There’s something about how I HC their dynamic and a one-sided crush from Keita that I just love.

Keita/Yuka

This one is purely fan-based due to the dynamic they developed in an old RP, but which I could see working in canon as well, thanks to both of them (at least how I see Keita) are pretty upbeat and positive and kinda dumbasses. I can’t see them get super serious but I think they could be tons of fun and get up to some weird and annoying pranks.

Keita/Yumiko Back in 2004, when I was 12, I read BR for the first time and I drew my own little manga centered around Keita in the Program. In my cartoon, Yumiko was his ex, and he was looking for her. I don’t know why. I don’t know how. I stand by it. That’s all.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Keita/Yutaka The little nerds of the Neutral Boys group. I think they both joke around a lot and don’t get serious until things are really fucking serious. In the novel, Yutaka was shocked that Shinji didn’t trust Keita and refused to let him join them, and after Shinji kills Keita, it’s when Yutaka starts to question everything about Shinji’s motivations with him too. Not knowing the history with Shinji/Keita, Yutaka himself had obviously considered Keita someone trustworthy, and a good friend. And where as in the novel, Yutaka kinda questions why someone as cool as Shinji would hang out with him, you know he would never have to question this with Keita... Who isn’t cool at all, lets be real.

· My unpopular opinion about this character

I’ve seen a lot of people villainising Keita and I just don’t get it. Not necessarily disagreeing with whether or not Shinji was right to shoot him, because I can see where in a matter of life and death, Shinji would have just not be able to risk it (not only his life, but Yutaka’s too). But in the end, Shinji even knows he made a mistake when they find no other weapon on Keita, so I think it’s weird when the fanbase paint Keita as this asshole. Yeah Keita was wrong not to get help for Shinji and he was possibly even more wrong for lying about it after, but you know what… He’s a coward. He chooses the easy way out, that lazy bastard. Good for him. I still think if Shinji was that bothered by the whole situation, then he should have talked to him about it instead of pretending everything was fine only to shoot him straight in the heart.

So I guess my unpopular opinion is… I know Keita is a dumb coward but I love him anyway and Shinji could have handled it better too.

· One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Again, not dying would be great. I would love it if Shinji had heard him out and actually let him prove that he didn’t have any other weapon. Though I’m sure if Shinji had let him join them, Keita would have found some great way to fuck up the plan later anyway, bless.

. Izumi Kanai

How I feel about this character

My other baby. Izumi has zero lines and all we know about her is told to us by others, and to be honest, it was Yutaka who first made me fall in love with her, with his depiction of what “made her so great,” as Shinji asked. I love that she’s rich and from a good family but still not stuck up. I love that she easily cries when fucking up, like at the relay, because same. I love how she laughs until she cries when listening to Yuka’s jokes, showing she has a great sense of humour and isn’t afraid of showing her own emotions in public (whether it’s laughing or crying). Finally, although I had been a fan of Izumi for 10 + years by the time Angel’s Border was released, she really dug her nails deeper into my heart by being one of the two girls who went to Chisato’s brother’s funeral. It says even more about her considering Chisato’s brother was suspected of taking part in a rebel group and this is why he killed himself, while Izumi’s father is the town official and would probably definitely disapprove of her support of that. So she’s clearly also a caring and supportive friend.

I guess I kinda like the mystery of us never seeing anything from her POV, where we have to put together the pieces of information from the others. It also leaves for a lot of blanks to be filled by headcanons and personal interpretations. Which I love.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Izumi/Mitsuru

Who doesn’t love a bad boy/good girl? I know I do. Mitsuru finding Izumi’s body and being so startled by It (in the Norwegian translation he kinda stutteres “S-She, Kanai…”, and it’s adorable), as he notes to himself how she was kind of cute but he would never be stupid enough to develop a crush on her, considering their different backgrounds… Aah. To me it always sounded like he already HAD been “stupid enough” to develop a crush on her. And considering Izumi, despite being rich, is also described as being down to earth, I don’t think she would find it stupid at all. We know Mitsuru is also described by Yumiko as not being that bad of a guy and always being kind to girls, so I just picture him holding doors open and helping girls carry things around if needed, like a gentleman. How could Izumi not fall for that? The bad boy with a heart of gold is just irresistible.

Izumi/Toshinori

Another pairing that’s developed in the fandom and is probably more of an in-joke, but they are the two rich kids in the class ( don’t count Kiriyama as a person, sorry), and whilst Toshinori is super judgemental and dismissive of all his “vulgar classmates”, I really like the idea of Izumi’s class and family being factors in how he can’t judge her the same way, but then her kindness also touches something in his cold heart, opening up the possibility that he could love something other than his violin and salt… And it would literally be like The Princess and the Frog. That’s just too good.

Izumi/Yutaka

I think there was a point in my life where I actually shipped this harder than Izumi/Mitsuru, so I still want to pay my respects to it. Like mentioned, Yutaka’s speech about Izumi is what made me first fall in love with her too. He is so committed to her, her death is what leaves him with no doubt that he wants to give his all and fight against Sakimochi and the government, despite the very high probability that he would die in the process. The way he talks about her is so touching, and like Shinji said, he could probably be a poet rather than a comedian. Again, quoting Shinji, I think Izumi would really appreciate knowing someone cared for her as much as Yutaka did. He’s so sweet and they’d definitely be super cute together

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Izumi/Yukie+Chisato+Yuka

I could probably have just said Izumi and the Neutral girls, but these are the three I consider she would be the closest to.I kinda HC Izumi/Yukie as having a similar background, where as Yukie isn’t mentioned as being rich in the same way, her father still works for the government. Yukie clearly presses back against what her father/the government are doing, and I think down-to-earth Izumi would have similar problems with it. I think these two + Chisato are the girliest ones of the group and would enjoy shopping trips and late night sleepovers, where they gossip all night (Yuka can join for this, you know that girl loves the tea!!) Chisato is also the one girl who mentions Izumi’s death (thanks girl, you’re a real G), and the whole thing about Izumi going to her brother’s funeral to support her, that I’ve already talked about. As for Yuka, she clearly knows how to make Izumi laugh, and that’s one of the most important parts of a friendship. I think they could be very silly and cute together. I also think (I base this a little bit on the manga and some of the lines there), that these four girls are the most “boy-crazy” and could bond together over rating boy’s butts.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I know she has zero lines and she’s still my favourite female character. So… That in itself is probably “unpopular” in the sense that it’s not exactly embraced by the fandom.

I guess I don’t like when Izumi is portrayed in some fanfics as being very snooty, despite one of the five things or so we know about her is that she’s NOT stuck up

.I also don’t like the movie having her as a “bad girl” or the manga totally dismissing her and having damn Fumiyo be Yutaka’s crush instead. The other mediums did her dirty.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I think every AU I have In my head, involves Mitsuru finding Izumi alive and teaming up with her, giving them a chance to really get to know each other and you know… Fall more in love and express their feelings. And survive idk that’d be good too

.And any mention by the neutral girls in the novel that “Our friend Izumi died first, that’s sad, huh”, would have been welcome. Thanks Chisato for doing a little justice in AB.

I’m also still hopeful for like a BR prequel novel or manga focusing on all the different groups that could give Izumi some lines. I know it’s been 21 years since the novel was released, but AB was released 14 years later, so there’s still hope.

Haruka Tanizawa

How I feel about this character

Haruka has always been one of my favourite characters (in BR I love so many of the kids, so “favourite” means top 15). Her bravery and loyalty is really admirable and she really is part of keeping the team together in the Lighthouse. Despite being a little tough and clearly a little dis-trusting of boys, Haruka is still kind and caring, as she checks on Yuko in the lighthouse and tries to reassure her about the whole Shuya situation. She’s clearly a great friend who will always stick up for those she’s close to. AB adds another dimension to her character with her realizing recently she’s a lesbian and in love with her best friend which is just… Ouch. My heart.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Haruka/Yukie I mentioned in my Yukie-post that I have a hard time seeing Yukie as bi/gay, but I still heavily ship this. I guess I just want Haruka to be happy, right? Even before AB was released, I always read Haruka as a lesbian in love with Yukie, which I know a lot of the fandom did. Falling in love with your best friend is such a lesbian stereotype in media, but I’m here for it every time. The fact that Haruka really finds herself disgusting because of how she feels about Yukie now, is just heartbreaking. She mentions trying to pull away and avoid physical touches etc, but it’s clearly hard for her to pull away at all, as the girls have been best friends since Elementary school. In AB, Haruka also mentions how she could never live if it means Yukie has to be the one to die. Her love for Yukie, both romantically and platonically, Is just so strong.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Haruka/Yukie See everything I wrote about them already except remove the romantic elements, I guess? They make a great team, both on the volleyball court and off. Even their platonic love for each other (Yukie’s love for Haruka, I guess) is so strong and they find strength in each other, going back to the school together to gather their friends, despite the risks. They’re both very brave and even braver together. Strength in numbers and all that.

Haruka/Chisato I just imagine them looking so cute together when they’re cooking, described as looking as a couple because of Haru being so tall with short hair and Chisato being so short with long hair. Because of how much physically bigger and probably stronger Haruka is than her, I totally see her as overprotective of her smaller friend. I can see her just listening to Chisato go on about her crush on Shinji and be horrified that their innocent friend would risk getting hurt by a player like this. I guess I in general picture Haruka as protective of all her friends.

My unpopular opinion about this character

I’m not sure if this is unpopular but I don’t see it mentioned that much, but I HC Haruka as having experienced some sort of assault/abuse by a boy/man in the past. Possibly because of the manga stating that Haruka “knows boys do bad things”.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I obviously (this is gonna come as a shock I KNOW) wish she and Yukie would have succeeded in calming down Satomi and Chisato before the whole thing escalated like it did. I’d be so happy if the girls made it out of the lighthouse with Shuya to meet up with Noriko and Shogo, even if the happiness probably wouldn’t laugh.

And I’d like for her to have told Yukie just how she feels about her. I know Yukie would have been completely supportive and loved her no matter what, and I wish Haruka got that confirmation that she’s not abnormal or disgusting, and that it doesn’t change anything in their friendship.

Tadakatsu Hatagami

How I feel about this character

I love suspicious, grumpy, level-headed (until he gets horny) Katsu. He’s another one of my favourites. I like how he has friends from so many different group, like he’s a jock so he hangs out with Niida and Oki, but he’s also childhood friends with Yuka, and he’s still friends with his Elementary school friend, little nerd Yuichiro… It means he must be pretty versatile to get along with such different groups of people. And I find it a little hilarious how he let his strict mom keep him from being friends with Shuya after he started playing rock music. What a loser.

I find it really sweet how Katsu and Yuichiro sat down and decided to find other people and try to find a plan on how to escape once they met up in the Program (but failed to find any plan because they’re both just not that creative I guess??), but it’s admirable that despite being a suspicious person (“misanthropic” as Yuichiro described him), he still wanted to trust people enough so that they could help each other out of the situation. He seems all grumpy and hard when Mitsuko joins them but that’s because he doesn’t trust her (wonder why) but he’s still a nice guy with good intentions and a protective friend!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Tadakatsu/Yuka Yes, I jumped on this bandwagon immediately after reading AB. Yuka referring to him with his nickname “Katsu” and being in tears because the girls just let him run off alone, since they decided not to let any boys join their group… Seeing Yuka, happy-go-lucky, positive, jokster Yuka, cry like that because she had to let her neighbour/childhood friend go off alone, is just heartbreaking. And then knowing she had to hear about his death later… I wish we had gotten more of her reaction to that. Since I see Tadakatsu as pretty serious and kinda a grump, it makes this pairing even more appealing to me, as they’re so different.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Tadakatsu/Yuichiro Again, this is another case of the “opposites attract”, with Tadakatsu being a grumpy jock, and Yuichiro being a naïve, good-hearted otaku. Where Tadakatsu is suspicious and judgemental, Yuichiro is open-minded and wants to see the good in everyone, even someone with a bad reputation like Mitsuko. What makes me really like their friendship is that even though one might think Tadakatsu would be the domineering one, he actually lets Yuichiro call a lot of the shots, like letting Mitsuko join them in the first place, convincing Tadakatsu Mitsuko must trust them, and then also going along with it when Yuichiro freed her hands from the restraints later. Yuichiro clearly helps him keep calm in the stressful situation, and they have such trust in each other. It makes Yuichiro’s death by his hand so tragic, too.

My unpopular opinion about this character

He should have shot that bitch when he had the chance.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

He should have shot that bitch when he had the chance.

Honestly, he did so well, he had a healthy amount of suspicion, he was RIGHT to be suspicious... And then Mitsuko lifts her skirt up a little and he’s like “Oh, yeah, actually, let me just drop my gun and go get laid! Wohoo!”. I’m so annoyed with him! Dumbass! I get he’s a horny teenage boy but did his brain just completly turn off when the rest of him got turned on?! So yeah, I wish. 1) He would have shot Mitsuko right away. 2) If not, at least don’t let her SEDUCE YOU. 3) When given the chance to shoot her again, I wish he had succeeded, instead of Yuichiro being the sweetheart he is and taking the bullet. Oh and I guess I would have liked to see him re-unite with Yuka, or at least see her outside the school or... Something.

#Thank you! Sorry Im slow with these #This took me 2 hours so the read-more had to happen #Also 3 people sent me Izumi so thanks c:#pimpedoutgreenears #Asks #Character asks #Keita Iijima #Izumi Kanai #Haruka Tanizawa #Tadakatsu Hatagami

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