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natsmagi · 1 year

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tbh maybe this is a hot take but i really dont get why people insist on having one person in natsumugi be this Super Toxic one and the other a victim. the easiest conclusion to draw is natsume being the bad guy and tsumugi the victim due to natsume getting physical and berating him at times but far too commonly do i see people insist that its the other way around and that tsumugi is actually the super toxic one and natsume just lets tsumugi emotionally manipulate him and thats ?? so weird to me ??? both of these are so weird to me ???

i can ofc see where theyre coming from. both natsume and tsumugi have plenty of issues going on in their heads. i feel like natsumes situation is more commonly understood as him simply just being difficult though and not being the best at managing his emotions, and with tsumugi i get it because he doesnt really have much of a moral compass. he doesnt quite understand peoples feelings and it results in him doing pretty fucked up things at times, but to then frame him as someone who would be abusive?? that doesnt sit right with me

tsumugi may not understand peoples emotions and be apathetic to the struggles people are going through, but its clear to anyone that that man has good intentions at the end of the day. at WORST he may get overbearingly controlling, but its never in a "you cant do x y z" way, its in a "i signed us up for this job opportunity because i thought it sounded nice and didnt speak it through with you beforehand and now we have to do it" way. had this been 2nd year tsumugi maybe he wouldve been far more desperate and even manipulative to an extent because he was in such a dark place, but current day tsumugi is actively trying to understand people better. hes trying to learn how to feel. in wonder game he even outright said that natsume taught him pain and everything else. his growth is clear

i cannot see tsumugi taking advantage of natsume in a genuinely destructive way with modern day ntmg. again, maybe during the earlier !-era stuff he could be more destructive, but natsume also does a relatively good job keeping tsumugi in his place during that time too, with him getting physical and all. its only in !!-era where tsumugi doesnt really mind it and can even make playful jokes about it because theyve Had this development in their relationship. theyve moved Past many of their toxic attributes, and theyve finally grown to understand one another. this is also when tsumugi can have a more "dominating" role in their relationship, since natsume has come to trust him to this extent, but tsumugi wouldnt take advantage of that. again; theyve now grown very close and understanding of one another. theyll have banters such as tsumugi wanting natsume to do something like idk. wear a dress. to which natsume will reply with kys but again. in !!-era this is banter and tsumugi wouldnt actually force natsume to do something he doesnt want to. theyre just very comfortable with each other now

i also really hate the position natsume gets put in with all of this. so often he is already hyperfeminized by the fandom for no reason whatsoever (which is especially fucked up considering how much he canonically hates being seen as a girl), and by making tsumugi this manipulative and abusive partner youre stripping natsume of even more autonomy and framing him as powerless. naively in love with a man thats hurting him. and that doesnt sit right with me either!! natsume does have a big heart and he has endured more than he probably should, but to think natsume would just take it ??? natsume has BACKBONE. if tsumugi upsets him he will either 1. get really mad at him or 2. start ignoring tsumugi alltogether. hes not just gonna put up with it. and tsumugi will notice this change in demeanor. ask if hes done something wrong. he may not understand what it was he did but he never intends on hurting natsume and would genuinely want to resolve it. tsumugi isnt stubborn in this regard, if he fucks up he wants to fix it. and natsume isnt a damsel in distress, why do you want him to be a helpless maiden so bad ??

theres alot of nuance to all of this and im obviously not gonna tackle every single element of their relationship and this is just an overview but TL;DR ntmg are both awful and have many faults and their relationship has gotten incredibly unhealthy at times but the point is theyre growing PAST that. maybe sometimes these toxic traits of theirs will resurface, but that does not make one the abuser and the other the victim. theyre just two fucked up people in love, standing as equals and learning to understand one another. stop framing one as evil

#i hope this is coherent again sorry if i like. forgot something crucial. this is a heat of the moment ramble #i also feel like in general this fandom is obsessed with making things edgier than they actually are #but i guess thats what we get for hyping enstars up as this Super Fucked Up Idol Media #when its like. no guys the characters are just complex and act like human beings would #both natsume and ESPECIALLY tsumugi have suffered alot #so to make one of them #ESPECIALLY tsumugi #out to be an abuser when if you read the text you can see him actively try to better himself #is quite insulting to me. idk #again this isnt me saying neither natsume or tsumugi cant do incredibly fucked up things #but goddamn this fandom is addicted to reducing charas to singular traits #nat rambles #MAYBE ILL DELETE THIS LATER I GOT A LIL HEATED BUT #BROAD HAND GESTURES #nats enst posting

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nimbusnight28174 · 6 months

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Safe amongst shards

read on ao3

One of the little moments Natsume realises he might just finally be safe.

Abuse isn't something you just get over. Even now, with months behind him of peaceful living - or as peaceful as it could get, dealing with yokai bussiness - with the Fujiwara's, Natsume still found himself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like now, as a glass shattered on the floor, and he felt his body lock up, mute and with anxiety tearing at his insides, even as he bent down to gather up the pieces. It was best to keep his head down, in these situations; and he had learned this well, as he was an accident prone child, even without interferrance. It would not stop the yelling, but if he looked sufficiently cowed, and didn't make eye contact, it would stop sooner. Otherwise he'd seem standoffish at best, and rebellious at worst.

So when a hand appeared in his periphery, reaching towards him, he didn't know what to think. The Fujiwaras, had never been anything but kind so far, giving him his own room, regular meals and let him keep Nyanko-sensei who he'd unexpectedly brought to their home, but maybe this was it. Maybe they'd put up with enough. Natsume's heart raced, and he clenched his teeth as he waited.

But Touko's hand covered his own gently, and her voice was calm, as she told him to be careful of the shards, and don't you worry about it Takashi-kun, these things happen, I'll get the brush and clean it right up. And she stroked his hair with a kind smile, before telling him to sit go sit down at the table, and perhaps Shigeru could fetch another glass? He could, and he patted Natsume on the shoulder as he placed it down, offering him a smile of his own in silent reassurance.

And as Touko rejoined them and they dug into the homy meal, the glass was already a distant past, and when sensei came stumbling in some time later, complaining loudly at their headstart, it was to lighter spirits and a boy thinking that he might finally be safe.

#natsume yuujinchou #natsumes book of friends #natsuyuu #natsume takashi #fujiwara touko #fujiwara shigeru #nyanko sensei #healing #past abuse #comfort #family #fanfic

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note-boom · 11 months

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Okay but what if we get a time skip or an arc where we see Kyouka save her own traumatised child from certain existential dread and despair? What will we do then?

#this was inspired by an animatic someone made about a savior cycle in bsd #natsume -> oda -> dazai -> atsushi -> kyouka #now watch me weep on the floor as i realize that #oh #bsd might have cycles of abuse and cycles of 'unrequited love' and cycles of death #where the same tragedy is repeated over and over again #but we also have cycles of salvation #we have comedies that are told over and over again #the bsd arcs themselves are a comedy of them overcoming a world that wants to crush them #maybe someone can rescue you from your unhealthy cycle #like fukuzawa did with yosano and ranpo also #(has kunikida pulled anyone out of a cycle yet)#brb i need a moment #bsd #bsd kyouka #spitting nonsense #bsd musings

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everythingsinred · 5 months

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It's surprising and curious how Mikan's words can actually hurt or affect Natsume in some way and this is 100% canon in the manga, at least it happens twice.

The first is that time at the Festival when his fans started saying bad things about Mikan and she, in a fit of fury, said that she would never ever dance with Natsume and later we can see that these words really affected him because later he didn't want to dance with her and he even went with another girl!

Natsume, the introvert who never participates in academy events or interacts with girls, this time he did it only because Mikan said she would never dance with him.

And later we have that moment in the new year, when everyone ended up stuck together because of a prank by Tsubasa, at one point Mikan without realizing it says that she likes Ruka more than Natsume and at that moment Natsume doesn't seem affected but when are they going to sleep Natsume remembers Mikan's words twice; the first time when they were entering the room and mikan was complaining and Natsume replies "I'm sorry but I'm not Ruka" and at some point I know he says "I'll return you to Ruka later"

I don't remember if there is another instance in which something similar happens but I think that the 5 of us who are still alive in the fandom don't talk enough about how Mikan's words do have an importance in Natsume and that he can really feel hurt by they. It's also funny because all these scenes occur when Natsume was in the mood of "leaving Mikan and Ruka together" and he stepped aside so those words from Mikan should have been a joy or relief for Natsume but in reality they weren't.

(and very honestly I think that as much as Natsume loved Ruka I think he would never have been able to stand him being with Mikan, I'm sorry but every time there seemed to be some 'progress' between Mikan and Ruka, Natsume never reacted well, in fact he was affected)

hi! thanks for sending a message! my reply is a bit long, so it's under the cut.

it certainly is 100% canon but i dont think it's surprising to me, considering that it's typical for someone with a crush to be particularly vulnerable to any harsh words from said crush (whether they were harsh on purpose or not).

i did discuss these instances and more in my essays bc of how interesting those scenes are from both natsume and mikan's perspective but i will always take an excuse to talk more about them!

i always thought the festival dance instance was interesting, especially when you compare the anime and manga events, bc the anime seems more like what you'd expect from natsume: after pushing ruka and mikan together, he sulks off and isnt seen again at the dance for the rest of the night until mikan finds him. the manga is interesting bc he does the opposite, at least for a little while. yes, he does still push mikan and ruka together, but instead of brooding about it by himself, he acts out of spite, dancing with every girl EXCEPT for mikan.

i love this scene for what it reveals about both of them: they're too stubborn, for their own reasons, to actually communicate their feelings of jealousy. anime!mikan asks natsume to dance but manga!mikan would never, and analyzing those differences is pretty interesting.

and for the new years chapters, he actually gets hurt by her a couple times that day. the first instance is when she asks him how many greeting cards he got, when the answer is 0 and it is technically something she could have deduced. this event is a little different than the "i prefer ruka" one because mikan is instantly berated and feels really guilty for hurting natsume. she even gifts him her mochi as an apology though actually saying the words "im sorry" is difficult for her. natsume is a lil different too, because although he's hurt in the moment, he forgives her pretty quick and is still contemplating giving her his alice stone and he even eats her mochi without receiving any real apology at first. in this case, he knows she didn't mean to hurt him and there's no ill will involved, so it's easier to move past.

the case of confirming out loud that she would rather be attached to ruka than natsume is different for a few reasons:

mikan doesn't know that natsume loves her, so even though she instantly takes it back and tries to clarify, because she knows it's a mean thing to say, she doesn't fully understand why natsume would be particularly hurt by it. i would actually argue that mikan doesn't really mean what she says here, either. she doesn't prefer ruka to natsume at all. she loves both of them (in different ways) but considering her actions up to this point, it's pretty clear she's devoted to natsume. she's just petty here because he's irritating her.

i think mikan does in some way know ruka has feelings for her, and her feelings in response are complicated. i talked a lot about why i feel this way in my essays, but the main takeaway is that, because she isn't sure how she feels about him back, she doesn't want to really confirm or deny anything. saying things like that she prefers ruka to natsume might hint at some confirmation she isn't ready to give.

natsume does get hurt here in a way he doesn't with the greeting cards because this isn't a silly misunderstanding; it's a statement of her feelings. natsume has given up from the beginning. just a few chapters earlier, he even tells ruka "i was never trying to win in the first place" because he has no future to give mikan, being in a relationship with her would put her in more danger, and he hates himself and views himself as unlovable. altogether, he has no hopes of mikan falling in love with him as opposed to ruka. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean hearing things like this doesn't hurt. he's still jealous and sad about it, and that's why he doesn't get over it quickly even when she says that's not what she meant. he stays bitter about it for a long time, because, as far as he's concerned, she told the truth.

i think, usually, natsume doesn't really get very hurt by mikan's words because he knows she's careless and talks without thinking. there's plenty of things she says in the heat of anger or without considering how her words might make someone feel, and understanding what kind of person she is means her words don't hit as hard for him. there's a few instances where she does hurt him, and those are usually related to saying how she feels out of spite. she lashes out, and he gets hurt in the process. he loves her, and nobody on the planet would feel good getting any kind of hint that the person they love doesn't feel the same way.

for me, one of the most interesting scenes in the manga is chapter 81, when natsume asks mikan if people worrying about her is a burden, and she says "yes". she doesn't say it because of luna's threats or carelessly like she might have earlier. usually mikan hurts natsume on accident, or without thinking she could hurt him, but this time she hurts him on purpose, because she's jealous. he hurt her by choosing luna's team over hers, so she hurts him on purpose by saying he's bothering her. she doesn't mean it, and she regrets saying it, but i find it so interesting that she feels so bitter about being rejected by him that she hits back.

we don't really see much of natsume's reaction to that. he's not happy, for sure, but we don't really see if that hurts more than anything else that happens to him in this arc. still, mikan's side of things gives the moment an extra layer of angst.

natsume is, i would argue, almost always team ruka, at least until the sports fest arc. he gets jealous, yes, but like i said, he doesn't consider that he could get the girl and he doesn't really aim to get the girl either, out of fear she could get hurt. he loves mikan and he loves ruka and he thinks, if they like each other, they should be together to make each other happy (because he can't). that doesn't mean he doesn't get jealous, it just means he's choosing the path that hurts him the most for the sake of others because of his martyr complex.

things start changing around the sports fest arc because he becomes increasingly less capable of resisting showing his affection toward mikan. he has been pretending to hate her for so long without ever apologizing, but this time is different. he can't do it. he has to apologize, he has to hug her, to anonymously confess to her. he can't fight it anymore. thus, his jealousy towards ruka (while never once taking the form of anger towards ruka) also becomes stronger.

natsume is fascinating because he in constant conflict between selfishness and selflessness, the conflict between choosing what will make everyone else happy and what will make him happy.

he chooses selflessness each time, even when it's hard, until mikan makes her feelings known to him. he'd already completely let go of hiding his feelings by that point because he wasn't doing any of these things for reciprocation, but just because he loves her. but when she says she loves him back, he chooses selfishness. he's still dying. a relationship would still hurt her. and he still doesn't view himself as lovable (he underestimates how much she loves him). AND YET he still kisses her and proposes.

*note that when i talk about selfishness when it comes to natsume i don't mean it in a necessarily negative way.*

as for natsume not "standing it", i'm sure he wouldn't be able to. but his poor reactions towards mikan and ruka's relationship are mostly internal, which he is willing to take, with maybe some bitterness towards mikan, which works in his favor because he's constantly trying to push her away. he doesn't WANT mikan to be with ruka, but natsume doesn't care about what he wants. what he wants is never his priority. besides, he knows his death is imminent, so at least he wouldn't have to watch mikan be with ruka for too long. he sets the stage and he puts this misery on himself because he's convinced himself everyone would be better off without him.

but that's why it's interesting when he finds out his feelings are reciprocated. he doesn't try to put ruka and mikan together anymore. even when he has ruka promise to take care of mikan for him if anything happens, he doesn't mean for ruka to be with mikan after that. after all, natsume even tells mikan "you are mine," and that he will never give her stone back to her, even if her feelings change. and then, after natsume does die, ruka confesses again to mikan and tells her he will win her over next time. i think he does this to lure natsume back to life. kinda like a "see natsume? im making moves on your girl! come back and fight for her!"

so i do agree with you that he wouldn't be able to stand it, especially after he finds out mikan loves him back. he never wants mikan with someone else, but after that point, he wouldn't be able to tolerate anybody with mikan except for him.

i really can't talk enough about natsume or mikan or their relationship which is why i've written so much about them. natsume's jealousy is so interesting to me because it's rarely as simple as "i don't like the idea of mikan being with someone else." that's definitely a factor, but it's complicated by his love for ruka as well as his own self-hatred and martyr complex. this is what makes him so different from most male leads in other romances and also what makes natsumikan so unique.

tbh i think jealousy gets a bad rep these days. people lump it in with aggression and abuse, and though jealousy can certainly play a role in those things, it's an emotion and no emotion is intrinsically bad or abusive. EVERYONE gets jealous. it's what we do with that jealousy that makes a relationship healthy or toxic. i definitely wouldn't say natsume's jealousy takes a healthy form, but he's not abusive towards mikan in that way, mainly he hurts himself. he puts himself in this situation time and time again. this struggle requires natsume to choose himself every once in a while, rather than what other MLs might need (to choose other people over themselves).

i know you didn't necessarily ask a question, but i love having discussions like this. i hope you have a lovely day!

#answered #anonymous #gakuen alice #natsumikan #ga #hyuuga natsume #ppl hate jealousy but i think they just hate normalized abusive actions justified by jealousy #same w anger. there's a difference between feeling anger from time to time and having anger issues that hurt others #but these feelings aren't necessarily good or bad. feelings don't have morality. they just are #its fun when i go somewhere and leave tumblr for a while and come back to convos like this in my inbox... a nice surprise!

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loveregrown · 6 months

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I think people tend to forget Natsume is likely not very physically strong why would he be strong. And when it comes to his words, it hardly hurts or phases Tsumugi. It's sort of important how Tsumugi plays things up, to give Natsume the security that he's actually doing something, it's like a strange theatric of theirs

#❀#There's nuance to it that can't be dumbed down to abuse #It's funny when Rei calls Natsume his abusive boyfriend though #I'm sure a few of Tmg's whines and tears are genuine he is rather pathetic but also he is tsumugi #espost

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probablygayattorneys · 2 years

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If Herlock Sholmes was truly a proper adaption of Sherlock Holmes, The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro would have gone unsolved because he would have figured it out and then been like “damn girl… that’s sick as hell” and not cooperated with the cops beyond getting the charges against Soseki dropped.

#the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaac2 spoilers #tgaac spoilers #Herlock sholmes #Olive green #william shamspeare #natsume soseki #no but for real #if you read the original books #I’d say a good chunk of them is someone who was wronged in some way #an abused woman or a father who’s daughter was murdered #and Sherlock figures it out and then to them says ‘you go girl’#and then to the bobbies say ‘this case isn’t internesting to me but good luck ig’

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karmanticmoved · 2 years

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< being so so normal about eichi inside my brain right now (lying)

#tw just dont read the tags imbeing insane and talking abt some of the fucked up shit in enstars uh. well.#.txt #u #help me free me from my brain . jts so loud in here #d. do . whhhhhHhH #okay.#abled people dont know eichi the way i do. nobody knows him the way i do. idc abt canon whatever. my thoughts are right #i think shu is significantly more morally reprehensible than eichi. sorry #eichi fucked up more significantly but with good intent and without . social awareness or innate empathy to 'correct' him. he Did That Shjt #but well. the childhood trauma and No social skills and the fear that any day could be his last and that nothing he could do would matter.#i think he managed to manipulate himself into taking a messier. route to Fixing things. ermmm anywayyy #shu .. sure does have a lot of problems. why did he straight up abuse nazuna.#and poor mika. sorry. i wont shame anyone for liking shu bc in theory hes a really fun character #i just cant get past the whole eating disorder part. it makes me feel gross :(#OTHER PPL DONT HAVE TO LIKE EICHI but im just saying . wataru is . well jn love with him. w the similarities and parallels #between eichi and rei i believe that rei has forgiven him to some extent and does care abt him. and kanata doesnt like him but #respects him as an idol and that he did change most things for the better overall #meanwhile shu is still angry but also he sucks sorry i dont really respect his opinions on the matter #and natsume is still pissed too but he makes more sense bc he escaped most of the damage so hes mad FOR the ppl he cares abt.#i understand him i love him i accept <3 him as he js #anyway x4 umm. um. hm. eichi also did . intentionally leave rules and systems in place to allow further 'revolution' against Himself #to completely fix. the issues. he likes having control but i dont think he truly wants to be an 'emperor'.#when you are going your whole life prepared to die at any moment i imagine there is comfort in having control over other things because #you have absolutely no control over your own life.#sorry im normal #dont read these tags im being embarrassing if you read this no you didnt

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octahyde · 2 months

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the fact that all the discourse kiddies are into Stardew and if asked about bokumono their only response is “Stardew is BETTER” and leaving bokumono fandom completely undisturbed and discourse free with a bunch of people who just wanna mow hay (literal) and have fun is my own personal heaven. god loves me for doing that to my favorite series that means so much to me. I literally get prescribed by my therapist to play it when I’m mentally in the shitter and there is NOTHING online to piss me off. This fandom has had discourse a whopping twice in the 17 years I’ve played and both are LONG faded into the past

#There was controversy over how abusive Allen in ANB was as a love interest because the series never had a character like him before #and (thankfully) hasn’t since and died down not too long after the new release hype died down #The second was whether Natsume’s knockoffs were as good and worth playing as much as bokumono and the overall consensus ended up being no #Both of which were over a decade ago #unbothered. moisturized. happy. in my lane. focused. flourishing.#I had no idea you were such a baller.

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selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs · 5 months

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Family love(less). Chapter I

Self-Aware! Platonic! Yandere! BSD Characters x GN!Child! Reader

Self-Aware! Platonic! Yandere! Yukichi Fukuzawa x GN! Child! Reader

Chapter description: you woke up in unfamiliar place. Fukuzawa promise to keep your safe.

Warning: OOC. Platonic Yandere. Mental abuse. English is my second language.

[<Previous ll Masterlist ll Next>]

A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄🎅🧑‍🎄🤶☃️

Chapter I. Bodyguard's memories

The Park was quiet. No children's laughter. No adults talking with each other. No birds singing.

Only wind's howling.

But the Park wasn't completely empty.

There were six people.

Fukuzawa Yukichi, the bodyguard. President of the Armed Detective Agency in the future. Right now, a bodyguard, again.

He was cradling you. You were sleeping soundly, nested against Fukuzawa's chest.

On the ground were laying four of your relatives. Four people, on punishing whom Fukuzawa, Oda, Ranpo and Natsume insisted personally.

Three of your cousins. Their father, your uncle. Four people, who tortured them.

And who hurt and abused you.

Fukuzawa breath through his teeth. Your so-called family personified everything he (and others) hated.

Fukuzawa cradle you closer to his chest and walked towards the bench.

He kicked your uncle on his way. Their revenge will start, only after you and your relatives woke up, yet, Fukuzawa couldn't help it. After quick thinking, Fukuzawa kicked your uncle a few more times.

The man on the ground groan in pain, yet, didn't wake up. Slightly satisfied, Fukuzawa sat on the bench.

He, after making sure, that you are comfortably cradled in his arms, he started to think.

He had some time, before all of you wake up.

_________

Three months ago. After another session of "Read BSD together" video call.

________

Fukuzawa was sitting in his office. He was hiding his face in his hands.

The words of forsaken Real People rang in his ears.

"Fukuzawa is such a terrible character!"

"Agree! How could anyone like an old bag like him!"

"And this is the great swordsman? A babysitter for a bunch of kids!"

Word.

After word.

Insult.

After insult.

Aimed at him. Aimed at his detectives. At other organizations' members.

And with every insult come pain. With every insult, Fukuzawa felt, like he was drowning, teared apart. Tortured.

Fukuzawa can accept, that he and others can't be liked by everyone. And, while he despised of thinking about that, he understands, that not everyone will like stories about their life.

But this people hate all of them.

Hate them for simply existing.

For not reaching their expectations.

For being too kind, too cruel, too old, too young, too strict, too soft.

Fukuzawa hated Real People.

They only insulted them. Not even once Real People said something relatively nice about Fukuzawa or others. Only complaints and insults.

... Well, Readers said something nice about their looks from time to time. Yet, this comments didn't make the situation better.

"I am so tired of BSD. I can't even understand, why I still read it together with all of you!"

Fukuzawa, unheard to the real world, grumble under his nose.

"Then why are you still reading about us? If we bring to you only anger and boredom, why you torture both yourself and us?"

But, of course, no one answered Fukuzawa's question.

_____

Fukuzawa's thoughts were interrupted by movement on his lap. You started to woke up.

______

You felt warm. Warm and safe. You were dreaming about being protected by someone.

But, it's just a dream, for sure. No one from your family would care enough to protect you.

You yawn, opened your eyes and looked around.

At the park. At Uncle Arnold, Rita, Monika and Rebecca, who were laying unconscious on the ground. And at Fukuzawa, who was looking at you, and his gaze was soft.

If it wasn't for Fukuzawa's grip, you would fell on the ground. But, bodyguard held you close, not letting you fall down and hurt yourself.

"Careful, kiddo, there's no need to be afraid." Fukuzawa's hand ruffle your hair.

"Who... Where... How?" almost squeaked you. You had no idea how you got here and what was going on. Fukuzawa continue ruffling your hair.

"Shh... Don't worry, you are safe here. Nothing is going to harm you, kiddo." His voice was shooting.

No one has ever talked to you with so much softness in their voice, or pet your head. Slowly, your fear disappeared. You sat still.

"Now, let's introduce ourselves to each other. I am Fukuzawa Yukichi. And you are?" Fukuzawa sound genuine curious.

he gives you no reason to think, that he already knew your name

"[Y/N]... Nice to meet you, sir" Mumble you under your breath. You were nervous, yet, you still remain polite. You don't want to be hit by Fukuzawa. Bodyguard chuckled.

"You have a nice name, kiddo. Say, what were you doing, sleeping on the streets?" Fukuzawa's eyes remains soft. You looked at the ground and shrugged.

"I don't know... I fall asleep in my bed. Woke up here." Fukuzawa chuckled, hold you closer to his chest and stands up.

"Well then, you can stay with me, for now. Let's find you something more suitable for walking down the streets." Fukuzawa takes a few steps towards the Park entrance, when you shake his shoulder.

"M-Mister Fukuzawa, but, my family are still here!" You point at four unconscious people on the ground. You looked down at them, feeling nervous. You knew, that they would ruin anything good, that is supposed to happen to you, yet, you were afraid of leaving them here. They would be mad at you.

they will hit you

You didn't notice Fukuzawa's glare, that he send towards your family.

_____

The new person, who start reading about them, weren't that bad.

They were a child.

And a sweet one.

Soft-spoken. Kind.

And utterly adorable.

They were nice to all of them.

Not a single insult were thrown in their way. The new reader didn't feel even a speck of hate towards them.

Such a contrast, in comparison to the previous... Readers.

They start calling the new Reader Guiding Light. Their hope in this dark days.

Yet, the voices of previous Readers remained.

And this time, they were hating on Little Guiding Light.

This four weren't an exception. And, the man was Fukuzawa's enemy.

Yukichi's eyes shrink, when he looked at your uncle.

Arnold... Despicable being...

"Hey, Little Rat, are you still here? Shouldn't you be in a sewer with the rest of your kind?"

"[Y/N], don't try to act smart. You are dumber, then a donkey!"

"You useless clod! Your mother's should have get rid of you, when she had a chance!"

Fukuzawa wished, he could break the phone's screen, go to your world, destroy your family and, finally, give you the father's love you deserve.

But, for now, Fukuzawa can only wait.

________

Fukuzawa felt you shaking in his arms. Your voice sounded scared.

"P-please, we can't leave them."

'We can. They would leave you. They won't care about you. Stop caring about them only because you are related! Are you afraid, that they will punish you? Don't be! Your new father won't let them lay a finger on you!'

Fukuzawa wanted to say this.

Instead, he smiled.

It was the fakest smile in the world.

"Don't worry, kiddo, we won't be gone for long. I promise, that we will return in ten minutes. And, if they woke up before we return, then." Fukuzawa winks. "We will pretend, that we found them after they woke up. Deal?"

You looked at Fukuzawa and slowly nodded.

What remains of your childish curiosity has won.

Fukuzawa chuckled and walked towards the entrance.

_____

The clothing shop wasn't far away from the Park, so, you quickly choose your new outfit.

There were no salespersons, but, Fukuzawa assured you, that it wasn't a problem, and he will simply leave money on the counter.

'There are no other people in this world, except you, kiddo, your older brother Ranpo, your second new father Natsume-sensei, your future new third father, Oda Sakunosuke and I, first of your new fathers. And your relatives? I don't consider them as humans.'

Fukuzawa didn't say this out loud. He didn't want to scare you by mentioning your family.

You were too nervous, you didn't want make Fukuzawa to spend money on you, but, swordsmen firmly insisted on getting you new clothes.

You choose a simple clothes, that was good enough for taking a walk. When you changed, Fukuzawa lead you back to the park. He assured you, that he did leave money on the counter.

He grasps your much smaller hand in his.

For the first time, an adult hold your hand, to make sure, that you won't get lost.

Was it normal to like Fukuzawa more, than your actual relatives?

You still don't know, how you get here.

But, right now, this place was better, then home.

____

When Fukuzawa and you returned, your uncle and cousins were awake.

Fukuzawa took a step forward, shielding you from your relatives.

People, who made him and others go through torture. People, who made your life miserable.

'You will never hurt my kid ever again.'

His revenge has officially begun.

#self-awareau #self-awarebsd #bungou stray dogs au #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd anime #bsd x gender neutral reader #gender neutral reader #yandere #platonic #familylove_less #SABSD_Familylove_less

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obsidianstrawberrymilk · 1 month

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Whenever I see discussions of BSD it's always with the assumption the Triparted Pact is correct- which, like, why?

Because it was Natsume's idea? The whole point of BSD is that no one is perfect - previously badass stoic mentor Fukuzawa just got a whole arc exposing his flaws and weaknesses because he trusts old friends too much and values people over morals. No one is all good and no one is all bad in BSD, why should Natsume be any different?

Most of what we've seen about him thus far seems to be positive - he helped out Ranpo in Untold Origins, got Fukuzawa that Abilities Permit (speaking of How Did He Do That), stopped Zenki Soukoku from killing each other in Cannibalism, got Oda to stop killing, etc. Which makes me think that we've got to see the flaws in him soon. He seems omnipotent, and seems to believe his method is the best way to protect the city - but that's never how it goes in BSD! Mori's whole Great Good thing is literally what makes him one of the series most antagonist antagonists!

Also, irl Natsume Soseki?? Awful fucking person. His students adored him, but he was cruel and abusive to his family, and I read in one source (this could be wrong) that he drove his wife insane?? Like I'm convinced he's going to turn out to be a darker character (possibly being an abusive mentor to Mori - like there has got to be a reason that man is Like That), and, by extension, we'll get his methods criticized - including the three way agreement he seems to believe is the only way to protect Yokohama.

#bsd #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #natsume soseki #natsume bsd #mori ougai #mori bsd

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videogamelover99 · 1 year

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Listen, I can write a whole thing on why I'm starting to resent the whole "evil pedo Mori" trope and it very much is that whole "banality of evil" thing where it's just not interesting, but it's also that by doing that, you inherently take away any and all complexity present in the character in the first place.

Lemme tell you about The Last of Us episode 8, ok? Spoilers I guess.

I don't care about David.

I don't care about his character, I don't care about his philosophy, I don't care about any question the situation might have posed about canibalism or survival or community that he presents. Why? Because he is evil. Because in the series he is shown to abuse and exploit members of his own community. Because he is a child predator, and because of what he did to Ellie, I stop caring about him as a character and start seeing him as a vehicle of evil for Ellie to overcome. Which is his role, his function in the story and it's what TLOU needed at that moment.

But everything I've listed about David is what people like to give Mori in fanon and I hate it. Because Mori is meant to raise questions. He is meant to be a complex character. He's not just there to be an antagonistic force for the other characters to overcome, he's meant to be a character in his own right who sure does a lot of evil, but there is a difference between a character who does evil and an evil character.

Not every character needs complexity, but to see complexity get taken away by derivative works is like. You're not just character asassinating Mori, but pretty much every other character that is influenced by him. If Mori is Evil and was known to abuse children, why the hell did Natsume pick him to help with his plan for Yokohama? Why did Fukuzawa partner with him? Why does Yosano have mixed feelings about him in the current arc? Why would Kouyou or Chuuya or any other PM member we see as sympathetic choose to follow him? And if the answer to all of this is "they didn't know" then what is the point of doing this trope in the first place?

#bsd #rant #mori ougai #i have beef with like half of the skk fandom because of this #you could LITERALLY invent an OC that offers the same function as david did in TLOU and it would be WAY BETTER #bungou stray dogs #like #mori's whole character is about doing terrible things for the sake of something bigger than himself #its literally 'what i or anyone else wants doesnt matter im doing this cause it needs to be done'#hes not sadistic hes shown to regret a lot of his decisions and then ignore that regret cause it was for the greater good right? right??#he wouldnt prey on children or exploit ppl for his own benefit

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likealittleheartbeat · 2 months

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hello !!

i was wondering, do you know any other characters like aang from other shows/movies/books? or maybe, just his theme of radical kindness appearing in other stories?

i've been missing aang, and it would be nice to find other representations of such a fun and warm personality like his.

ps.: your blog is like, fantastic. truly.

🥰🥰🥰🥰 This is the best ask I’ve ever received!!! Depictions of radical kindness in media is a special interest of mine—not exaggerating. So I’ve done my best to make a list of rec’s, just tv, from most formally similar to ATLA to least, with a short description for each.

1. Fruits Basket (2019)

"My mom told me, it's better to trust people than to doubt them. She said that people aren't born with kind hearts. When we're born, all we have are desires for food and material things. Selfish instincts, I guess. But she said that kindness is something that grows inside of each person's body, but it's up to us to nurture that kindness in our hearts. That's why kindness is different for every person."

An anime orphan whose established memory of the kindness by which her family raised her ends up transforming and liberating a whole clan from an intergenerational curse that enforced an abusive hierarchy all within a show that has a deeply queer subtext, beautifully complex plotting and character development that due to its zen influence refuses to demonize anyone or any perspective wholly, AND a straight romance you can actually root for!? Nothing comes closer to ATLA thematically than this show. While the lead Tohru Honda is the biggest representative of radical kindness, the character of Momiji Sohma with his complex purity, idealism, and gender performance is one of the closest you'll find to Aang in any media.

2. Mob Psycho 100 (2016-2023)

"The truth behind one's charm is kindness. Just be a good person, that's all."

Mob Psycho 100 explores a core tenant of ATLA's critique of imperialism and power: greatness and perfection are overrated. They both ask the question about what to do for the world with one's gifts if that's the case. How can one be both normal and prodigious at the same time? The satirical comedy and style of this anime, which deconstruct a lot of the shonen genre tropes, are pretty distinct from ATLA, but when ATLA arrived on the airwaves, it was a pretty massive break from tradition in Western animation, and for both of these series, that difference of style is tied to the message of the show about the experience and acceptance of difference.

3. Natsume's Book of Friends (2012-present)

"As I encountered kindness, I wanted to be kind myself."

The anime, Natsume's Book of Friends and ATLA both depict the challenge and necessity of facing abandonment, loss, and a deep-seated loneliness with kindness and gratitude despite the persistence of grief. Both take a deeply spiritual view--even a responsibility--of this experience that demands a compassion for all beings including those who intend to do harm. Natsume, an orphan shuffled between houses who is one of the few people who can see spirits called youkai, inherits his maligned grandmother's book of yokai names, becoming a target for them in the process. He hides all of this from everyone in his life, and even five season in, still has trouble admitting to the one person who understands him when he is struggling and needs help. The gentle and light tone papers over a profoundly honest representation of attachment trauma and the wisdom of compassion that develops as a tool to cope with it.

4. Hunter x Hunter (2011-2014)

"You can do whatever you want to hide your feeling. You still have a heart."

If you think that "Radical Kindness" is by definition non-violent, then this show is either not for you or going to change your mind. Gon, the protagonist of HxH, like Momiji mentioned in Fruits Basket, is another rare character whose naivete and optimism are treated with respect. He is allowed to suffer, to be wrong, to be stupid, and to inspire others away from their own cynicism with the persistence of his beliefs nevertheless. But HxH is a show that integrates the most violent aspects of the world (organized crime, capitalistic competition and privileging, state-sanctioned brutality, pure sadism) with its examination of human potential for goodness. And even within a list of shows deeply inspired by spirituality and religions, this show is abundant with religious references as it seeks out meaning, balance, and an ethic for modern experience. On top of that, it ranks with ATLA for the depth and relevance of its magic system to its themes, plus its got gay subtext out the wazoo!

5. Mushishi (2005-2014)

“Make sure to remember, every person and place has a right to exist. It is true for you too, the entire world, as a whole, is your home."

Elegaic, episodic, compassionate, and strange, with some of the best short story-telling of all time, Mushishi is the story of a medicine-man who travels the Japanese countryside helping people deal with the spirits that accompany the little trials and tragedies of life that cling to our minds long after they're passed. The protagonist, Gingko, and the show itself takes the approach of restraint to observe these problems fully and come to a conclusion that's taoist in its balance and acceptance of reality--"Eyes unclouded by hate" as Miyazaki/Gaiman would have it. Each episode is like a therapy session arguing for you to choose to live even as the heaviest burdens sit on your chest.

6. Reservation Dogs (2021-2023)

"See...love doesn't have to be received, it can just be."

We're finally out of the animes, and moving away from the zen and shinto approach into some other options. Reservation Dogs' indigenous humanism was groundbreaking, bringing in distinctly modern American realities (with the kind of true-to-life details only a an on-location shoot could offer) with Native beliefs about ancestry, community, and connection to the land, while rarely feeling preachy. Instead, it's just fucking hilarious and casually heartbreaking. Four friends on the edge of graduating high school on a reservation in Oklahoma try to figure out what to do with their lives after their plans to go to California get abruptly messed up. Radical kindness as a concept often gets focused on accepting the enemy but what about accepting the weird stoner uncle who farts all the time and won't talk about his years in the army. I think that might be a more important goal of radical kindness, in truth, if we are being asked to look and accept reality for what it is, because growing comfortable with disappointment and the mundane let's us live without the relentless striving that drives perfectionism.

7. Skam (2015-2017)

"The second you start looking for hate, you find it. And when you find hate, you start hating."

A Norwegian teen drama that understood internet culture better than any show before or since, four season-long romance plots better than any romance film from that decade, and a masterfully constructed exhortation about leaning into failures of connection to build deeper compassion rather than demonize another person or group. Each season focused on a specific character within a high-school friend group, emphasizing the limited scope of subjective experience, and had them confront the challenges of opening up to others fully. And even when they return into the scenes with new protagonists, their lives weren't sorted perfectly, reflecting how resolving a single romantic plot point would not resolve life. The impact of this low-budget public-television web series (!!!) will be felt for years (it's already been referenced by Netflix juggernauts like Sex Education and Young Royals), but we're not likely to see something that juggles political themes, heartfelt characterization, realistic dialogue, and meta-commentary (it flashed its own hater and fan comments across the screen in the last episode!!) in such a obsession-inducing package anytime soon.

7. Boys Like Boys (2023)

"Because I have always been someone who hates myself, I don't have the courage to face it. Running away is my only option...What if I give myself one more chance to be brave?"

So how can a reality show make it onto a list of radically kind tv series, especially a dating show!? Well, when that reality dating show casts people who radiate warmth, vulnerability, and respect and seem to have the kind of chemistry that most scripted shows can't even manage, it's a good start. But then, when they elevate that cast with a format that addresses the cruelty of dating, elimination formats, and broader societal exclusion (an important consideration for a gay dating show), it offers a new model for future shows. Boys Like Boys did this when mid-season (spoiler alert) they had contestants vote out a contestant, only to provide the contestants with a vote in which they could retain a contestant who they didn't want to leave. In fact, many of the contestants asked if they could abstain from making a vote that would eliminate a constestant and were allowed to. The final result left one contestant, Jia-Hang, up for elimination--he had voted for himself to be eliminated, and many contestants, recognizing his reticence to continue on the program, didn't want to force him against his will to stay. Then, looking around at nearly the whole cast sobbing, even apologizing to him for not providing him enough support, Jia-Hang chooses to stay on. This is just one of many heart-warming authentic moments in the show that illustrate the vital influence of kindness to impact the trajectory of our hearts.

8. Joe Pera Talks With You (2018-2021)

"I can help you reach things. I can tend the garden. The different hours we keep are a good thing. And when they overlap, I can offer companionship and entertainment."

So much has been written about this show's groundbreaking kind approach, I'm going to quote instead: "It can be difficult to convey how a TV show airing on Cartoon Network’s provocative nighttime programming block Adult Swim can evoke almost nostalgic feelings of kind-heartedness. The premise of Joe Pera Talks With You is so simple as to almost be beside the point: Comedian Joe Pera plays a lightly fictionalized version of himself as a sweet Michigander, a middle-school chorus teacher with small and specific passions. Joe likes breakfast food, obscure trivia, beans, trips to the grocery store, and his grandma. He greets every day with a contented smile, stands beneath a pale blue sky, packs a balanced lunch that contains no surprises. (A turkey sandwich with cheese and a tomato, a banana, some trail mix, and as a treat, some cookies.) Joe, more than anything, is satisfied. His greatest joy is sharing these small pleasures with you, the viewer who exists on the other side of the fourth wall he has cleanly dismantled, often speaking quietly to the camera like he’s sharing a secret, just between you two. That he’s talking “with” and not “to” you is a crucial distinction in the show’s title: Joe never lectures nor rhapsodizes. Instead, he waxes poetic about what he loves and who he cares for and how he leads his life, telling his stories from a vulnerable position of welcoming you into his daily existence.” --“A Great Comedy About Being Good,” Allegra Frank for Vox

9. Anne with an E (2017-2019)

"Her life was not short on challenges, and still she held no grudges, believing instead that grace is perennial like the green, green grass."

While maligned for not being the 1980s version, this Netflix adaptation of Anne of Green Gables takes what many have read as an autistic subtext and made it text, giving Anne a performative quality that pushes a lot of the audience into the same irritation that the characters of Avonlea feel for Anne at first, and, thus, requires its audience to persevere toward the same kindness that Anne inspires in her adoptive mother figure, Marilla, among others, which is much more rewarding than simply identifying with Anne right away. In so doing, it enhances the development of its broader approach to acceptance--an approach in its insistence on the requirement of a community of kindredness (see Sebastian's excitement at finding out about the black community in "The Bog") that is much more rigorous than many other shows will cop to. Expanding far beyond literal adaptation into queer, black, and indigenous characters, without disguising history or disparaging the thematic seed of grace at the heart of the novels, Anne with an E imagines what it meant and what it might still mean to build real joyful community with others through kindness.

10. Little Bear (1995-2003)

"Interesting."

A childhood favorite that disguised in its simplicity a wide-openness to the world and an acceptance of different natures. While most child shows emphasize kindness, few do so with as much patience, wonder, and generosity extended to its viewers. Little Bear is a curious kid who goes on adventures in the woods around his house that can turn into games or small imagined experiences. He is sometimes with his friends Cat, Duck, Hen, Owl, and Emily, whose personalities, along with Little Bear's, bring about small tensions in their games that ultimately resolve, if not independently, then with the help of Mother Bear or Father Bear, who give each other knowing glances about the expected childhood behaviors. This is the first show that initially taught me to observe things while withholding my judgment, that first step of radical kindness.

12. The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968)

"The key to happiness is finding joy in the simple things."

One really old and somewhat controversial throwback for my last entry. If you have concerns about a sheriff character representing radical kindness, I would encourage you to start with the third episode of season 3 where Andy, the sheriff in question, has to explain to the new mayor why he doesn't carry a gun and lets prisoners go to gather their crops. There have been some fantastic pieces written about the complexities of this show's bucolic fantasy and Southerners (of all races) attachment to it, but they all acknowledge a type of humanistic and deceptively simple virtue found in Mayberry that audiences long to witness, if not emulate themselves. It's a morality that resists the "hyperactive zealotry" and bureaucracy that the show satirizes through Barney Fife (along with guest characters like the new mayor) and instead emphasizes the understanding that one can have for each individual and the trickstery middle paths that one can find to address conflict.

#sorry this took so long to respond to!#honorable mentions include Hey Arnold! & The Good Place & Friday Night Lights & S1 of Ted Lasso (but only S1 lol)#atla #kindness prevails #likealittleheartbreat recommends #fruits basket #mushishi #natsume yuujinchou #hxh #andy griffith #joe pera talks with you #reservation dogs #little bear #skam #awae #boys like boys #mp100

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