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jewwyfeesh · 5 months

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Recollections And Heartfelt Wishes 4

Writer: Mitsuki

Character(s): Oogami Koga, Kiryu Kuro, Nito Nazuna, Otogari Adonis, Mashiro Tomoya

Translated by: stcrfeesh

CN/EN Proof by: jewwyfeesh

Nazuna: You don’t wanna scare the kids away, right? Why don’t you try dressing up as a mascot?

Season: Summer Location: Amusement Park Stage

Koga: Whew… Playin’ the entire mornin’s pretty tiring too, huh. I mean, I’m not hungry, since I bought snacks while I was at it. I just need to look for a place to rest, that’s all.

Adonis: Hm. This place sells quality meat, I could already smell the fragrance from a mile away. I couldn’t help but want to try them all…

All the rides here are pretty interesting too. Whether it’s an adult or a child, anyone would enjoy it.

Oogami, thanks for inviting me here today.

Koga: Man, what are you even thankin’ me for~ ‘Sides, Kiryu-senpai gave me these tickets, and I don’t wanna be ungrateful, so let’s have some fun today, a’ight?

Lemme take a look at the map… right now, we’re probably near the stage area. There clearly ain’t any performances goin’ on up there, but a bunch of people are all gathered ‘round.

Adonis: Really…? But there’s nothing on the brochure about any performances being held at this time either. Could there be a different event?

Nazuna: …… ♪

Adonis: Huh? That guy below the stage distributing flyers to people, isn’t that Nito-senpai?

There’s a group of kids playing with the mascot next to him too. They seem like they’re having fun.

Koga: Well, no shit… We should probably go there and greet senpai, but it looks like that guy’s busy. He might not have the time to entertain us.…?

Why’s that mascot walking towards us? Could it be that someone else from Ra*bits is wearin’ that mascot?

Adonis: Based on the height of that thing, I wouldn’t say it could be…

Kuro: Phew… I could finally take a breather… this thing’s pretty hot to be in if you wear it for too long.

Oh, Oogami, Otogari, are the both of you havin’ fun?

Adonis: Kiryu-senpai…?

Koga: Huh… I already guessed that you’d probably show up today, but I didn’t think you’d show up like this, in a mascot… I think it’s a fresh look on you.

Kuro: Haha, ya think so? To be honest, I never thought that I’d be dressin’ up as a mascot at an amusement park either.

[An hour ago.]

Nazuna: Kuro-chin! Thanks for watching us perform today! I immediately spotted you from the crowd earlier, you know~

Kuro: Haha, you guys did great today, Nito. Who knew it would suit Ra*bits to perform at an amusement park? The atmosphere instantly became lively, even.

Nazuna: Well, we did practise for hours so we could do well on this gig. Just being able to see everyone with the biggest smiles on their faces, is already the best reward we could receive ♪

Tomoya: Nii~chan! Uhm, uh… could I talk to you about something for a sec?

So, you see, when I went to meet with the amusement park’s staff earlier, they asked us for an extension with promoting the special event they’ll be hosting this Summer since our performance earlier garnered a good response from the audience, and all.

The thing is, Hajime and Mitsuru won’t be able to stay any longer since they still have work scheduled for later. I was sceptical about accepting the job, cause what if it would be too much for just you and me to handle…

Nazuna: Hm… This side of the park is much more crowded compared to anywhere else, so it might not be doable if it’s just us both…

Though, this could also be a great opportunity to promote Ra*bits… We also attracted a bunch of people that could be potential fans during our performance earlier. If this is the case, then it would be better to go with the flow of things.

It might be difficult, yeah, but if we give it our all—

Kuro: Ah, I more or less understand your predicament. Your issue here is that you lack manpower. Let me help you out, then.

Nazuna: Huh? No way! How could I possibly make you do that? I invited you here to have fun, not get you to work with me!

Kuro: You don’t have to worry about that. I could visit the amusement park anytime if I wanted to. What isn’t acceptable is turnin’ a blind eye to a friend who’s clearly in need.

Nazuna: Well, if you say so… thanks, Kuro-chin! Uhuu, I really don’t know how else to properly thank you…!

Kuro: Haha, ‘sno problem. Anyways, why don’t ya tell me what needs to be done?

Tomoya: I already talked things through with the staff, would you mind if we did things like this?

Kiryu-senpai, you and I would be stationed at the opposite ends of the plaza distributing balloons, and then Nii~chan who’s got more experience with this will handle the distribution of flyers and answer any follow-up questions the people might have about the event.

Kuro: A’ight, roger that. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.

Nazuna: Everything’s settled, then! Let’s do our best, everyone ♪

Kuro: (Usin’ balloons for promotion… that does make sense. After all, kids would probably prefer cute things like these over a flyer.)

(If that’s the case, then it shouldn’t be a problem to strike up a conversation first, would it?)

Hey there, bud. This blue balloon’s for ya, I hope you have lots of fun today.

…Oi, don’t run backwards! You might… fall…

……

Nazuna: Kuro-chin, you don’t seem to be into this… Don’t force yourself, okay?

Kuro: …Sorry, Nito. I don’t think ‘m suitable for this type of job after all…

I really tried my best to put on the kindest smile I could muster, but in the end, no one wanted a balloon from me… Hell, I even scared a kid to tears.

His parents assured me and said t’was all good, but I still couldn’t help but feel awful.

Nazuna: No, no, you don’t have to feel bad, you did nothing wrong. It’s actually my fault for not thinking things through…

(No, I won’t have it! I can’t let Kuro-chin leave here with a bad memory! He’s the kindest, most gentle guy I know… how can I make everyone else see that…?)

…I’ve got it! We could try that!

You don’t wanna scare the kids away, right? Why don’t you try dressing up as a mascot?

Kuro: So that’s how I ended up lookin’ like this.

A’ight, I should probably go back to help ‘em out. It’s still quite early, you guys should go around and enjoy the park.

Adonis: Are you really going to be alright, Kiryu-senpai? You’ve barely even rested.

Kuro: Haha, don’t underestimate my strength, buddy. This thing’s got nothin’ on the intense trainin’ I always do.

Though, I dunno what’s goin’ on Mashiro’s end, he seems to have more balloons left to give away. I’ll try to check up on him and help him out in a bit.

Koga: Oi! If it’s manpower you need, then you already should’ve just said so! I literally have nothin’ else to do!

Promotin’ shit’s a piece of cake to me! Either way, me just acceptin’ those tickets from ya, ain’t sittin’ right with me.

Adonis: Oogami’s right. Many hands do make light work, after all. Besides, I want to help senpai out too, so please leave this to me.

Kuro: Haha, you guys are pretty insistent, huh. Well, if you guys really insist, follow me.

← Chapter 3 | ES x LC Masterlist | Chapter 5 →

#enstars translation #fragments of light and shadow #recollections and heartfelt wishes #Oogami Koga #Kiryu Kuro #Nito Nazuna #Otogari Adonis #Mashiro Tomoya

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jigensass · 5 months

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I also forgot to mention since I did get my platinum trophy for Gaiden, so I finally got around to playing the Infinite Wealth demo (both sections).

And here are my thoughts about it the gameplay.

I found this in the demo. If you can’t see it that is a little placard for Food Stamps benefits in one of the shops.

There is definitely a different feel about Infinite Wealth. The lighting didn’t need to go so damn hard and during this cutscene I oozed over how Ichi had hair physics as the car window was open.

But hey I think that is RGG just flexing to say they’re big boys now and can render shit like this.

1. I really hope the map is bigger or stuffed with more things to do. I know it’s just a demo, but being able to see all the districts of Honolulu scares me. But (dear god hopefully) we have finally moved away from Kamurocho for good. I wouldn’t mind getting a nod to Sotenbori or Yokohama with a little bit of gameplay here, but I really hope there is a new final boss area besides the Millenium Tower that takes the series in a new direction.

2. The gameplay is similar to 7, but they added a Limit Break meter. And I am glad they did not restrict Kiryu to a ‘one-punch man’ and incorporated something that hasn’t been seen since Yakuza Kiwami which is the three style combat method.

3. The way to build the friendship meter and how Ichi makes random friends around town is good, passive stuff.

4. DIVING IN THE OCEAN FOR GARBAGE.

The one thing I dislike is that they have finally upgraded the weapons system and have implemented crafting mechanics. I know this has been a thing since Judgement, but I never messed around with the elixirs in that series. Seeing it as a requirement to get better weapon stats doesn’t make me feel good.

Also, cooking.

At least the engine is getting more stable with each entry? Right? Right?

I know Yakuza 7 was not for everyone I certainly didn’t finish it because the last boss was a goddamned scam. No matter if you cheesed it with poison damage, by phase 2 of the fight you were guaranteed a game over because his KO moved ALWAYS went for Ichi. And unlike Dragon Quest if the ‘hero’ died your party could move on, but LAD decided to use the hardest difficulty option from DQ where Ichi is always a requirement to have at the front of your party and if he dies, it’s game over.

With what appears to be a party size of nine or more characters, I still am not a fan of how party combinations have to revolve around Ichi and how he HAS to be in that #1 slot all the time. There is definitely some good room now for some good party mixups and all the new job sub classes that we will be getting.

Why don’t they make having Ichi an optional tagalong and have him just appear in cutscenes where he is needed even when he’s not in the party or just be able to control him outside of the battles even if he’s not in your main party lineup, you know, like in Dragon Quest 11? I’m hoping this will change, but I doubt it will.

#like a dragon #infinite wealth

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pointlookout · 11 months

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i kinda wanna send all of these but. 5, 6, 7, 8 >:)

yiu know i would’ve answered them all but answering these were just as fun 🫶

5. worst discord server and why

i havent been apart of any big discord servers cause they scare me so i can’t say for sure. i wish i was part of more smaller ones though they seem fun :(

6. which ship fans are the most annoying?

i was on yakuza twitter in 2021 and some kiryu/majima stans were crazy….. not mean but some were just so annoyingggg

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

donovan lol. idk i used to like him but some ppl are just so weird abt him and are so defensive too and its like you can have him cause im out 🤸‍♂️

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

ppl who say m3 is a bad game but then will defend m2 as if that game isn’t just as bad imo. i know ppl have different tastes and thats okay but i think that m3 doesnt deserve half the hate it gets like it has its flaws but so does every other mafia game

#thank you mwa mwa mwah 🩷#ask

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lladmie · 2 years

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Thoughts on Makoto's lack of agency in Yakuza 0

I don't want to delve too much into the female characters' portrayals in the Yakuza serie, as it is a can of worms many players already talked about. What I want to focus on is a critique I often read on Makoto Makimura specifically and her lack of agency in the game, which is both understandable and exaggerated to me, and now I'm going to explain why.

I personally think her lack of agency has little to do with what the fans often complain about: how women are treated in fiction, especially when said fiction is intended for a male audience. Sometimes people tend to forget that fictional stories are usually written with a specific goal or message in mind, and more often than not this has more to do with what the writer want to tell than what the writer think of their characters. Fictional characters are pawns, no matter how much we end up loving them, and the story of Yakuza 0 is so impactful and emotional also because Makoto has little to no agency, which, if you ask me, can be perceived simply as a clear-cut and functional choice from the developers.

We can say Yakuza 0 is a well-written story with a general good eye for details, despite the technical limits. In this aspect, Makoto's role is clearly built with a primary objective in mind: the palyer's desire to save her. Segments of gameplay where you have to run away keeping the hand of a NPC are common in games that want the player to feel a strong emotional attachment to the person they are carrying, and therefore protecting. [see ICO & many others]

(They also wanted to show us the romantic chemistry between her and Majima where the camera also focus heavily on their connected hands since the very beginning)

Later, moments like the Takoyaki date in chapter 16 have very much the same purpose. It reminds us of the moment we kept her hand through the streets of Sotenbori, but we aren't keeping her hand anymore and she falls, again and again, with us standing there, unable to do anything but watch. This is not only meant to show how respectful Majima is toward her and her desires, which is also important for the story (- let me do things on my own - god bless him), but also to make the player feel powerless and suffer through the impossibility to help her, protect her. Makoto later failure with the Dojima family is an extent of that feeling, which reaches its peak the moment she's shot—we failed, or didn't we? (Story-wise, it also makes sense for Makoto to fail as she knows nothing about the yakuza world and her feelings were blinding her more than her eyes ever did)

For all Yakuza 0, the player's first sentiment revolves around a simple concept: I Want To Protect Her. And that's the point of it. A deep, intense desire we're also meant to share with Majima (and later Kiryu) and that have a functionality in making us empathize with his role, his character and his motivations as well, and then love him even more.

On top of that, there is the fact that Makoto is blind and has a horrible past. Blindness is a big disability we are used to underestimate in media. Have you ever thought of how much you can do, realistically, as a blind person? There is no shame in letting others help you or act scared, despite our time and age tells us a woman is better if she's strong (what a lie, no person is better if they're strong). A sour note is maybe the ending, where Makoto actually never choose a normal life (though she didn't say she doesn't want it either) and was thrown into a man's hands despite her history suggests she probably needs a man that it's very far from normality to begin with—but that's also a message the game want to send us: she's not alone and she's probably going to live a "good life". Majima did it. The player did it. Emotionally, that was all the game was about.

Thus, overall, I think Makoto's role in Yakuza 0 is good as it is. She's a character I came to love deeply, whose weaknesses are among many other things my first source of interest and enjoynment when it comes to her. She's not a puppet either, or she wouldn't have asked for the Dojima lieutenants' heads, nor looked those punks in the eyes in the last cutscene (and she declared that she wanted to be strong herself, didn't she?). Her character writing isn't perfect, as there were many ways to write her much better or at least let us know what she was thinking in a much more direct way. However, I don't believe her lack of agency is necessarily a bad choice for her character, but more a choice directly related to what the game wanted to tell us and make us feel.

#makoto makimura #goro majima #yakuza 0 #rgg #ryu ga gotoku #龍が如く #majimako #also good how makoto and majima's developments are parallels #they live in fear until they just want to die #and then the awakening #majima's fears and weaknesses in y0 are so precious too #don't erase them

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shishoku · 10 months

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I'm sorry for the little spam of personal posts during these past days, but seeing that this blog is like a window into my past I would like to write down a few things so that I can find them in the future.

I feel SO DAMN EMOTIONAL right now. I find it very hard to explain. The past few days have been an emotional rollercoaster XD Seeing all these Kiryu videos again has made my heart warm in a way that I didn't think possible, I felt like that part of me died years ago and now it's back at full swing.

I missed it SO MUCH. I missed THEM so much, the happiness they bring to my life is so different to everything else... I'm probably at my best moment in many ways, but I was lacking that excitement and that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach every time I see or hear them.

The last time I felt this way, they were everything to me. They were my life, my soul, my nourishment... Now I have a partner that is all I ever wanted and more, someone that I even made a Kiryu fan XD And somehow... I feel complete, and motivated to do things that I was avoiding before.

I feel guilty for "leaving" the fandom (although I never truly left, I found myself listening to their music every few months, but I lost track of releases and news). I should have never stayed away from this band, but I found it so hard to focus, to be into them. Now that so much time has passed, I can understand that the root of my biggest problems was all the same, I lost myself completely. I forgot who I was and responsibility took the best of me... it took my happiness, my weirdness, my spark, my health... I'm so thankful for my partner, because he slowly guided me back here, and he loves me just as I am, and he puts up with my silly fangirling... which is a lot honestly XD

I hope this time I don't stray away from this path, my path. I know that when I get to see those lives without Takemasa it will destroy me, and I will cry and I will want to leave again. Just like when I saw how Mahiro changed and it pushed me away for a few more months... but I feel for him, I don't judge him and I will continue to love him regardless. And for Negi... I just feel so happy that he has someone, I hope that he didn't have to go on this hiatus feeling guilty or scared, and also that fans understand that he is a human and not a toy or a virtual boyfriend... That line was always so clear to me, I want them to be happy in their private lives, I wish them to have the best partners, and children if that's what they want. As much as I can be an idiot and fangirl and make thirsty comments in the tags... they are human just like me, and I never forgot that.

And how did I end up writing about that? I have no idea. I've been laughing and crying and finding it hard to sleep with all these things going through my head that I'm a bit lost. All I'm hoping for is Mahiro to get better so that I can see him again someday. And maybe even Takemasa will make a comeback and I will sell my soul for a plane ticket to Japan XD I wouldn't want to miss seeing them live together again.

And now I have to save a whole lot of money for a trip to Japan XD AND spend a lot fo money on DVDs... that is the hardest part honestly because most of what I don't have is sold out. And there is no one sharing things anymore .__.

And even if there is no one to see my gifs and random posts anymore, I will do it because it makes me happy, because it completes me. That is all that matters.

#personal

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macaronnya · 2 years

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Fresh(?) Impressions (5)

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Hello Enstarries~☆ It is the next unit, Akatsuki! I don't have anything to write here as an introduction anymore but leaving it empty is weird, especially with the lengthy disclaimer. So, I'll just babble a bit here. As of now, the first shuffle event is here! I am aiming to get Kaoru! Idk if I'll actually like him as much as I hope but I like the song, his card is pretty and I can always use another Glitter 5☆ rn. I hope he won't be too expensive....

DISCLAIMER!: Everything said here is for entertainment purposes only and not meant to attack anyone. This is not an accurate description of any characters but my subjective rambling for fun, so please don't take it too seriously. (Just to be safe, I'm kinda scared of elite idol fans) Also, you will hear me mention other games a bunch of times bc I'm that bad and uncreative at explaining and I'm still grieving A3!EN's shutdown. Eng is my 2nd (or 3rd?) language.

Without further ado...Let's Ensemble!☆

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I love traditional japanese music mixed with modern, or to be precise, hearing kotos and shamisen playing with modern intruments in modern tunes. It's just SO cool and beautiful, just what their unit theme is, according to enstars wikia. I like the majority of their songs. As far as I know, akatsuki means dawn or so (Akatsuki no Yona = Yona of the Dawn), which explains their red theme. I like their outfits quite a bit as well. Kimonos are SO pretty and I like their more loose approach to it. All the colors work so well together! Oh, and I thought it's cool how they danced with swords and fans (like in Love Live or Pretty Rhythm). Anyways, weren't they one of the ruling and oppressive units in the "!" era? Yikes 😬 Well, they're good now.

8/10 - really like their music and the members are kinda funny

Keito Hasumi

He is, what one and he himself would call, a hobbyless person. Anzu just asked him why he was sitting alone and he went on and on just to say he didn't know what to do with his free time lol He looks so boring at first with his student council president look and aura but the fact that he masks his awkwardness with long paragraphs and lectures, plus he likes comics, reminds me of Sakyo (A3!), which makes him funny again. It even fits with the I-used-to-be-an-evil-boss or whatever happened in the "!" era. And what's up with his points system 😂 Does he have a whole book with everyones' names and points inside it, that he carries everywhere? Would have an actualy blacklist. Or maybe even: Dear Diary, today Miss Producer made fun of me :( Gosh, Leona (Twst), his VA twin would fold him in half in a second. With all of that done, I like his voice. It's a weird mix of being high and deep at the same time but not really and it feels like drinking cold water.

6.5/10 - pathetic funny man I'd be too scared of him in rl tho bc of his authorative air

Kuro Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu?!?!?!?! (Yakuza series) Big scary looking guy who changed his way of being a gangster to being a big dorky softie 💕 We love to see it. Big bro, likes sewing, caring, hubby material He may not be a man of many words but that's OK, I'm sure his actions prove his good intentions. He seems like he can cook and do housework. Probably has a single father. I love this trope of scary giant with a heart of gold so so much He's also ambitious enough to pursue both being an idol and designer!!! Literally a fusion of Yuki, Omi and Juza (A3!). Is his hair color red or black? Whatever it is, I bet if a card of him with his hair down comes out, everyone is gonna go crazy (me included).

8/10 - good boy, I'd pat his head

Souma Kanzaki

He never grew out of his chuuni phase and even went as far as to get an official license for his sword, if that isn't dedication idk what is. -insert meme of a guy cutting cake with a giant sword but instead it's a fish and his katana- He's like Gakupo (Vocaloid) but real. May or may not be friends with the ninja guy. He used to have a lot of friends in elementary school but then became a loner, is what I imagine. Dude didn't even realise people were kinda put off by his sword. If he has a license, then he practices kendo, right? He can actually wield it, right? If he also likes swords a lot and not just being a samurai, he'd have a field day with Touken Ranbu. His voice is softer than I imagined it to be, it has a pudding like texture.

7.5/10 - part of the drama gangy, would be the uncle kids love only for his cool things

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Conclusion

They can live perfectly fine in a house with just the three of them without burning it down. We have a cook, smn who does the paperwork and finances, and a handy guy. Honestly, still a pretty normal group here. I can't wait for more songs of them to come.

That's about it this time. I hope you found it nice and all if you made it this far. If you have any thoughts you wanna share, just remember, that everything is just for fun and stay polite! See you in the next part~☆

#ensemble stars #enstars #Akatsuki #macaron rambles

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yumesy · 5 years

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hi i still love twewy

#the world ends with you #twewy #neku sakuraba #yoshiya kiryu #shiki misaki #artsies #being a twewy fan since 2013 and now u just live thru aus #also guess who just watched a new day #twewy a new day spoilers #i didnt really liked it that much and it kinda scares me of whats to come for twewy #but it also gave me best boy which is yoshiya #edit: for a bit of context click on the image if ure curious on what the aus about mgfmdgmdf

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majimasleftasscheek · 3 years

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Got any Kazumaji headcanons?

OH BOY DO I

but that's such a broad topic hrmmm I'll just give a few under the cut for the time being

if you want me to go into more specific hcs, feel free to ask ;)

I like the idea that they're gushy mushy in love and hold hands and pork each other behind dumpsters but they're still frenemies or rivals or whatever the fuck cuz I like making them harass each other. There's fluff but also a mutual sense of animosity (loving) because their personalities are just so polar opposite. Prolly ooc but my content and preferences are a lil more on the funny lighthearted stuff than angst - which I like don't get me wrong but I leave that to other people

I think Majima is very protective (and clingy) over Kiryu, not because the guy can't handle himself obvs but he just can't lose more people he cares about. He'll do anything for Kiryu, even at the cost of his own personal safety and Kiryu takes advantage of that, whether or not he's actually aware of doing so. Kiryu however is a lil quicker to deny Majima depending on what he wants but is equally just as loyal

Kiryu is protective tho knows Majima's fine on his own so he often leaves him to his own devices. He's comforted that Majima's someone who he doesn't have to save or worry about constantly - in the damsel in distress sense. I'm sure he'd worry about Majima getting off'd all the time of course. He'd prolly be more concerned about Majima's domestic life such as if he slept or took care of an injury properly. Maybe hits up Saejima to see how Majima is doing since Saejima's very upfront

both of them are touched/emotionally starved people so in private they're very intimate but they like to keep it aloof in public, especially Kiryu who gets easily embarrassed. Majima doesn't give a rat's ass but will tone it down if he gets his ass beat so either way he wins. Majima knows when to get serious tho and it can sometimes surprise Kiryu how focused he can get

when it comes to heavy shit, Kiryu's more open to talking about it than Majima who sorta just clams up. It takes a lot to get anything substantial outta Majima and Kiryu respects when he doesn't wanna talk. He figures something's wrong when Majima's more jokey than usual and they bond over unresolved trauma lol. When something’s bugging Kiryu, he’s usually off doing his whole lone wolf bullshit and Majima has none of it or at least, works from the sidelines since he knows how stubborn Kiryu is

nsfw stuff:

I like to write them as switches for my awful fics lol but I have a strong fondness for bratty power bottom Kiryu who likes to please and be pleased. He can get a lil aggressive when he allows himself to be a bit selfish and Majima loves using that to instigate fights with sexy conclusions. I like to think Majima both enjoys having control and getting his ass destroyed. He gets a kick outta convincing Kiryu to let loose every now and then

Majima's obvs the weird one but Kiryu's also adventurous and just needs a lil encouragement to try new things. He feels good about trying out freaky stuff since Majima would more than likely be 100% on board for anything. Kiryu doesn't instigate often but Majima's very open and supportive when he does so Kiryu doesn't get scared off but will definitely make fun of him if he's being naïve or dorky

they (me lmao) got a thing for humiliation or at the least, breaking down whatever façade each other puts up. Majima's a big fan of edging and cucking Kiryu until he's angry begging. Kiryu likes to play with Majima's impatience and will sit around playing dumb just to hear this grown ass man piss 'n moan about it. They both think each other have very annoying qualities but poking fun is the best part

#this was fun to write n think about #sorry if it's a lot I literally don't stop thinking about them #hcs #nsft #yakuza #kazumaji #kiryu kazuma #majima goro #ryu ga gotoku #long post

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seqka711 · 3 years

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Ranking the six main boy/girl ships in Yu-Gi-Oh from best to worst!

Not all main girl ships are created equally, I'm afraid. Let's take a look at each ship and see what's up! (Except Sevens because as I mentioned in a previous post, I am way too far behind to comment on anything in that show.)

First up is Anzu and Yugi! And YES I do ship them! However, I don't ship Atem and Anzu. Anzu was friends with Yugi, and started to see him in a different light when Atem started showing up. However, those changing feelings also started to influence her feelings about Yugi as well. We saw that in Duelist Kingdom. Then in season 2 when she realizes they're two separate people, she gets really confused! Anzu doesn't know how to feel anymore! Then Atem and Yugi are both playing wingman for each other, so that's not helping matters. I don't really ship Atem and Anzu because Atem just doesn't seem super interested in their date. I know he had other things on his mind, but if they wanted me to ship it, now was the time to show off some chemistry and they didn't.

We saw in GX that Yugi grows up to look just like Atem and he also grows more confident over the course of the series. After the end of Duel Monsters, I think they're both too hurt by Atem's passing to be digging on each other. But, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and I feel like she's gonna come back from the states and have some heart-pounding feelings when she sees him again. And Yugi's feelings didn't change, they were just put on the back burner. So hopefully when they meet back up, sparks are gonna fly! At least, I hope so. <3

Next up is Asuka and Judai! When I watched their first duel, I was 100% on board with this ship. They were cute, they had great banter, it was a fair fight. I loved it! But over the course of the series, I started losing interest in their relationship, fast. By the end of season 2 I was pretty convinced they had abandoned Asuka x Judai for Asuka x Manjoume, and honestly, I was 100% on board with that, I love a good romcom couple and those two have dysfunctional romcom energy. Plus they had evil power couple vibes when they were running the Society of Light together, so I thought for sure they were gonna have Manjoume and Asuka be better friends post possession.

Then season 3 came a long and I was like "woah, they DID do that on purpose! I was right!" when we saw the Judai x Johan x Yubel love triangle they spent the entire season on. Asuka and Manjoume were of course relegated to background characters, as was everyone who wasn't a transfer student. And then the series ended with a pretty definitive Judai x Yubel ending and I was like "cool I like it".

But then season 4 made me question everything by making it clear that Asuka was still crushing on Judai?!?! Uhhh.... what? You haven't mentioned this crush in OVER TWO YEARS ASUKA. You've both changed so much! I thought the whole point was "she had a fleeting crush on him in year 1, but people change and so do our feelings"! I thought they had her fall out of love with him on purpose!! You're telling me the writers just wanted us to ASSUME she was still in love with him this whole time?!

I honestly love the whole "had a crush on him, now that I know him better, he's an amazing friend but I don't like him that way anymore" dynamic and they RUINED IT so bad. And for what? To say "well they fought the whole time, but now look! They can tag duel together!" Well, jokes on them, because a few episodes later Judai and Johan will show off some of the tightest teamwork in the show and I'll have to throw Asuka x Judai in the trash. </3`

Yusei x Aki!!!!!! AHHHHHH I LOVE THEM. Their first duel is very romantic in my opinion. Yusei lives to help people, and it's actually a flaw of his that he'll help people no matter the cost. Usually that's sort of a "who cares" flaw in a protagonist, but for Yusei, it adds a lot of depth to his character. The reason he helps people even at the cost of himself is because he feels enormously guilty due to his parents' involvement in Zero Reverse, and he feels like he owes the world (but especially Satellite) everything. Yusei tried to go to jail in Kiryu's stead, but failed, and I think that only compounded his guilt even more.

Then, when Yusei sees the chance to help Aki, he does it. He's scared of her, but he rallies his courage to face her so that he can help her. And it's only natural that Aki would fall hopelessly in love with him after he continually put himself at risk over and over again JUST to help her. I love the episode where she rescues him from being kidnapped and then accompanies him on a riding duel. I think it hits me harder because it reminds me of how much I want to drive a motorcycle but can't because of reasons I won't go into. But part of her desire to learn to riding duel is because she wants to feel the same things Yusei feels. And that's so cute!

Unfortunately, I do have a certain headcanon that gets in the way of my shipping desires. I won't get into the whole headcanon, but I think Yusei might have ended up time travelling back in time to fix Zero Reverse and prevent Zone's future. And Aki wouldn't have come with him because we see her in the flashforward. Yusei is still giving her strength though. And I like to think that maybe a much older Yusei was able to help a much younger Aki control her powers and not enter a cult in the new timeline. And if my headcanon isn't true, then GET MARRIED AND HAVE BABIES GUYS. <3

On the one hand, I love Kotori x Yuma. They’re so adorable! Not only is Kotori surprisingly self-aware of her crush (usually the YGO girls love to deny it) but Yuma clearly treats her differently from the rest of his friends, even though he doesn’t know why (yet). Kotori’s confession at the end of the show is SO CUTE AND ADORABLE and Yuma accepts and I love it!

But… I can’t love it as much as I WANT to love it. Kotori’s character, especially in Zexal II is kind of boring. I liked her a lot in Zexal I actually. I thought it was fine to have a character not duel as long as she was doing something else. In season 1 she occasionally gets shit done. Or she’s there for comic relief like when she’s riding the duel coaster. Or arguing with Orbital 7. It wasn’t much, but it was something. In season 2, she’s a total non-entity. I thought the duel where she gets possessed was very funny, but I almost wish that her getting possessed by a Barian was played for drama rather than laughs.

I think what could have been cool is either a) after she can hear Astral, her and Astral team up for a duel or b) when watching Yuma she started to memorize his strategies. Or both. Or neither, just get this girl something to do BESIDES watch Yuma! In the end, my love for how adorable these two are is always somewhat soured by Kotori’s squandered potential. <3

Speaking of squandered potential, Yuzu and Yuya are next on the list. I love these two A TON! I’ll be perfectly honest and admit my biases here, I am NOT the biggest fan of Arc-V. The show had a lot of problems, and I’m harsher on it than most.

But one thing I really did like about the beginning of the show was Yuzu! She was independent, driven and her dueling was getting better as the show progressed. Just like Kotori, she became a non-entity in the latter seasons. However, I ship Yuya x Yuzu more than I ship Yuma x Kotori because Yuya was always keeping Yuzu in mind during the latter seasons. So it still felt like the ship was in focus, whereas with Kotori x Yuma, the ship kind of disappeared since more important things were going on. For Yuya, nothing was more important than getting Yuzu back, so really I had no choice BUT to ship it. How could I not? It was so sweet! She was his whole world! I wish we got more scenes with the two of them together though. Them never tag dueling is a crime against humanity. Also its total BS that only Yuya and Yuzu got to come back, but whatever, I guess. I was happy that the two of them reunited and even HAPPIER that the show was finally over. <3

Last and basically least, Yusaku x Aoi. Or Playmaker x Blue Maiden. I’ll be honest, I don’t ship this at all. The show doesn’t go through any effort to get us invested in their so-called “relationship” and if I had watched this show on its own, unaware of the series’ tropes, I wouldn’t have assumed they were a “ship” at all. With Judai x Asuka, I actually liked the fake out (at least until S4 when I wondered whether or not the fake out was actually on purpose or if the writers are just morons) but with Yusaku x Aoi I get frustrated because it wouldn’t have been that hard to GIVE them some chemistry. They’re both interesting characters, and I think Aoi and Yusaku could have had an interesting dynamic if Aoi had learned Playmaker’s identity a lot sooner.

What I think the show should have done was have Aoi discover Playmaker and Soulburner’s identity at the same time they discovered each other. Then have Aqua come into the fold a lot earlier. Trios are popular in fiction for a reason, and I think Yusaku, Takeru and Aoi would have been an excellent trio. Specifically, with both Yusaku and Aoi being so reserved, their relationship would be very understated. But that’s not a bad thing. It just means that the writers would have to put more focus on the little things. Like, maybe after a while of being friends, Yusaku sits next to her in class. That would be a small thing for other people, but for those two, that’s huge! I could also see there being a fun episode where Ai tries to trick them into going on a date but fails spectacularly. The two of them end up spending time together to foil the plan. That could be really cute! LITERALLY ANYTHING is better than NOTHING.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t ship this because the writers thought they could get me to ship it just by having boy meets girl and then having them shake hands over a hundred episodes later. And no. I refuse. I need a LITTLE more than that, please and thank you. </3

That was a very long post! All in all, 4/6 ain’t bad at all! Or maybe it’s more like a 3.5 since I only gave Kotori and Yuma a small heart? It doesn’t really matter, I’m a multishipper. At my heart and soul, I’ll ship anything. Like I said I don’t ship Judai and Asuka, but I totally have shippy fanart of them on my phone, lol. It’s more like… which of these ships would I defend in court and which ships do I only like because I’m trash that’ll ship anything?

Oh, I guess I did title this as a ranking... Well, I'm sure you can figure out my most and least favourites by how much I used caps lock, so it should be fine.

Give me ANY Yu-Gi-Oh ship (straight, gay or in between) and I’ll dissect it like I did these six.

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itsybitsylemonsqueezy · 4 years

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Hi! I happened to stumble across your analyses on both Majima and Saejima and boy am I blown away by them! You captured their personalities so well it’s awespiring. Is there a chance you’ll write a post about Kiryu as well? It’s just that originally I’ve had a hard time liking him as a character because of the numerous mistakes he has made across the series (and the fact that others don’t really address them for some reason). Despite that I’m a huge fan of kazumaji and that’s why I feel conflicted sometimes. Anyway, I would really like to hear your thoughts about it!

Awww, you’re very kind ^^; Thanks for asking for more c: So, the reason why I haven’t yet made a post about Kiryu is NOT due to my lack of feelings about him, it’s quite the opposite. I have essays worth of feelings about Kiryu and just... have not found the time to really give those feelings credit ^^; But, since you ask and you’re having a hard time with his character, let me at least start.

As a preamble, let me first say that there’s a difference between a character making a mistake and the writing making a mistake. This is not to say Kiryu never makes mistakes, far from it. I have a lot of feelings about Kiryu’s mistakes, they’re one of the reasons I love him, but a lot of the more egregious fuck ups are the writers making weak or poorly thought out choices. For example, like you point out, Kiryu makes mistakes and no one ever calls him out for it... that’s a writing flaw, not a problem with Kiryu.

(Please note that to give my best reading of Kiryu, I’m going to reference as many games as I have seen, which is through game 6. If you do not wish to be spoiled through at least game 5 (I never reference game 6 if I can help it), do not read further.)

Continuing with that example... I cannot tell you how simultaneously OVERJOYED and FURIOUS I am about game 3 when Mine, MINE YOSHITAKA, a character who was introduced that game and then never appears again, is the only person who criticizes Kiryu’s decisions when he has DEMONSTRABLY made bad ones! Like, Mine’s criticisms are ENTIRELY valid, but because they come out of his mouth it’s hard to say if the audience is meant to sympathize or not. Especially since Mine is sort of the antagonist of that game and he’s not really pitched as a sympathetic character. You have to really be willing to be critical of Kiryu to hear what Mine’s saying there and agree with him. The way the scene is played, you’re sort of supposed to still identify with Kiryu and insist that he’s never done anything wrong ever, even though he’s put all of his friends in a vulnerable position and IS arguably to blame for the state Daigo’s in now, as Mine points out.

And the writing is on some level aware that it is Kiryu’s fault or they wouldn’t have brought it up. They wouldn’t have had Mine say that if they didn’t see that problem. But the problem is they’re afraid of letting Kiryu be flawed. They’re afraid that if Kiryu’s wrong, even once, he won’t be The Good Guy anymore and the audience won’t like him anymore. This is weak and cowardly writing. Characters aren’t compelling because they’re never wrong, characters are compelling from what they do when they’re wrong. Any character who’s never wrong is unrealistic and, ultimately, boring. We all fuck up, we’re all only human. You ultimately will not identify with an infallible god because they would make choices you wouldn’t. I’m sure we can all think of characters who were pitched to us as infallible that, sooner or later, we ended up hating because of this very trait. So trying to pitch Kiryu as infallible is a ginormous mistake. But an understandable one, especially in a franchise that depends on the likability of its main character. But this means that they don’t trust their own writing, they don’t trust Kiryu’s inherent appeal and they fuck up the story around refusing to take risks. It’s one of the most heartbreaking writing decisions for me that those words come out of Mine’s mouth and not one of Kiryu’s friends.

Because it’s Kiryu’s friends who deserve to get to say that. It’s Kiryu’s friends, the people who are directly affected by his actions and the people who CARE about Kiryu, who have the right to criticize him. Not some fucking young blood with a chip on his shoulder. Having Mine say it makes the criticism look biased an illegitimate when it isn’t. I understand the writing impulse to not let us criticize Kiryu, but think how much more compelling it would be to show that Kiryu’s relationships are strong enough to handle criticism. That the trust and love is there for a friend to come to Kiryu with this and to force Kiryu to confront himself and listen rather than ignore the problems and insist that he’s never done anything wrong. But to make that call, to let us doubt Kiryu, you, as the writer, have to trust your story, you have to trust your character, and, worst of all, you have to trust your audience. Many many writers of popular media do not trust their audiences. They don’t trust that if they let you doubt, you’ll come with them and see where the story leads. They’re afraid you’ll lose interest and turn away. Many writers feel that they cannot take the risk of trusting their writing for fear of losing their base and therefore their income.

And, again, part of the issue is the aims of the story. At the end of the day, RGG is here to produce a fighting video game, that’s it. Wrapping that up in a compelling story makes it more sellable, but their primary focus isn’t the story itself. It’s getting you to buy a fighting video game. If the mechanics aren’t up to par, if they fights aren’t cool and interesting, the rest doesn’t matter. RGG came up with a story to link the games together and invested in making an interesting protag, but it was to sell the games. If the point of this story was the story, I think we’d be seeing different writing decisions and maybe some of these flaws could have been avoided. And I don’t actually mean to point this out as a criticism and say why aren’t they creating art for art’s sake? I mean it really as a grain of salt that I personally use to try not to hold the writing here up to the standard that I would a novel or something. That may not be useful perspective for anyone else, but it’s a thing I like to keep in mind.

So, part of what we see in Kiryu is that the writing fucking sucks. And it’s fair not to want to redeem Kiryu’s character or dig deeper into him when the writing hasn’t provided you with much. So no one feel bad if you’re not persuaded by my assessment, I’m not here to shame or convince anyone, I’m just offering my two cents.

And now alllll of that said... Let’s talk about my boy, Kiryu Kazuma.

I said earlier that characters are compelling based on how they react to mistakes, how they deal with them. Let me tell you, Kiryu is aware that he’s made mistakes. And he has regrets.

What I find compelling about Kiryu is that he tries so fucking hard to do the right thing, all the fucking time. What I find compelling about Kiryu is that he wants so much to make people happy, to make people proud of him. He is scared all the time of doing wrong by people and making himself untrustworthy, making himself scary. He has lost so much, he has lost everything and he still gets up every goddamn day and tries.

Does he fuck up? YES. ABSOLUTELY. ALL THE FUCKING TIME. But he gets up. Every. Fucking. Day. And tries. And you can’t buy that. You can’t ask for that. That’s just who he is, a guy who tries.

I don’t... have time to explain the depths of my love for Kiryu, but let’s take my favorite Kiryu, what I think the best characterization of Kiryu is in the entire fucking series: game 5. Game 5 Kiryu is my favorite fucking Kiryu, including 1, including Zero, bar fucking none. I fucking love game 5 Kiryu.

And Game 5 begins with a colossal mistake.

Before the game starts, Kiryu is convinced, either earnestly or nefariously, to leave his little family and specifically abandon AHEM release his daughter Haruka to someone else. This is the stupidest fucking thing Kiryu’s done since giving up the chairmanship. But he does it because he is told that he is a greater threat to his family WITH them than abandoning them. I want you to think about that. Kiryu loves his family so much he would sooner leave them than do them harm. I need to remind you that Kiryu has already destroyed and rebuilt his own life once already. He has repeatedly given up everything for his dream of having a family and for all his beautiful kids more than once. And he just loves his little Okinawa home so much, he can’t stand the idea that he would bring it harm, so he fucks off. This is categorically the wrong decision and any other reasonable adult would know this. I’m sure you yourself understand intuitively why a parent, no matter how dubious, can’t just leave a brood of underage children to fend for themselves in the world.

But here’s the thing: Kiryu’s made a number of dumbass decisions that have led him to this point in his life. He doesn’t have any adult, peer friends to counsel him about this. He’s deliberately estranged himself from Majima, from Date, from all the people who could have helped him out here and told him not to. And deep down Kiryu’s always been worried that he was unworthy of this. He’s always been afraid that he didn’t really deserve to be happy, deserve his little family of innocents. And the plot SURE AS FUCK has confirmed that for him, repeatedly putting the kids in danger and reminding him that you can never actually leave the yakuza. Kiryu knows he’s fucked up. He knows adopting his family was a mistake, but it was too late, what was he gonna do now? But here comes this little insidious voice confirming his worst fears, telling him he needs to go, and Kiryu listens. He has no one else to listen to and he’s been so beaten down by the plot by this point, he’s lost so fucking much now, that he doesn’t have the strength to believe in himself anymore. So he goes. Believing that he is doing the right thing.

And then, as it always does, the plot comes for him, telling Kiryu he needs to come help, telling Kiryu only he can fix it. And Kiryu, for the first time in his life, puts his foot down. He’s so fucking tired, he won’t fucking do it, not one more time. Because every time he gets his ass up to help, what happens? Someone else dies. Someone else dies and it’s Kiryu’s fault all over again, and it’s Nishiki all over again, and Kiryu can barely fucking live with himself for all the guilt that he feels. He starts to help and he just loses. Every fucking time. So this time, no, this time he won’t do it. He can’t do it anymore. He just wants... everyone to be okay. And he’s so sure that everyone would be better off without him.

If that’s a huge screaming red flag for anyone else IT SHOULD BE. Kiryu is in a depression spiral. He’s suicidal. He’s cut himself off from all his meaningful relationships, he’s not participating in his favorite hobbies, he’s alone and isolated in a new city where he doesn’t know anyone. He’s Not Doing Good. Game 5 is about finally, FINALLY confronting Kiryu’s demons, all the pent up unresolved guilt and turmoil that we never fucking addressed for 5 games running. (And if you’re hearing Bitter Resentment in the way the games have handled Kiryu’s emotional reactions OH BOY YOU BETCHA but that’s for another post.)

So Kiryu finally says no. He won’t fucking do it. But the plot comes for the fucking carotid. It’s Majima. It’s Majima. The only person Kiryu really, truly trusts. The person Kiryu was relying on to still be there, to be strong, to do the things Kiryu couldn’t. It’s Majima this time. And Kiryu loses his goddamn mind. That was the one thing you had left to take from him, his belief in Majima, and you took it. Kiryu nearly has a psychotic break at the news and decides, fine. Fine. I’ll go fix this, and then I can die. Then it’s over. Because there ain’t nothing left for him now.

And he does. Kiryu gets his ass down there, he solves the fucking problem, and then he does his level best to die there. Because it’s what he feels he deserves. He’s let down everyone. All those losses, all those people... they’re his fault. If he was really the hero, he could have saved them. If he was really a good person, these tragedies wouldn’t keep happening. It must be his fault. Fuck, even Majima died, even Majima... and he wasn’t even there, he couldn’t even have helped him, he just... He abandoned him. And Kiryu feels intensely that guilt and grief for his mistakes and his missed opportunities. And all he can think to do with that feeling... is die. It’s what Nishiki did before him. It’s what Kazama did before that. That’s what you do when you’ve fucked up and you don’t know how to fix it. You die. Then no one has to deal with you anymore.

But Haruka. His daughter. The best thing he ever did. She’s up there on stage and she loves him. She still loves him and wants him to be her dad. She’s been with him the whole time, she knows all about it. And she’s not scared. And she doesn’t think he’s bad. Maybe... maybe he can stay alive then. Maybe it’s okay if Haruka is still his daughter. And against all belief, he finds his way back to Haruka. He stays alive for her. He won’t repeat the mistakes of the past. And maybe... he can learn to do something different this time.

Kiryu... makes mistakes all the time. But he knows. And he feels so guilty. The writing doesn’t always do a great job of showing it. We don’t process Nishiki the way we should. We kill Rikiya for no reason. We forget that game 3 should have been TRIGGERING AS SHIT. And we awkwardly no homo out of Kiryu’s most important relationship while still insisting that it is Kiryu’s most important relationship. The writing is spotty and flawed and sometimes you can barely piece together a coherent narrative out of it.

But at its white burning core is a guy who just keeps trying. Who gets up the next day and tries again. Because he’s lost so much. Because he loves so much. Because he believes there is value in being nice to people and being a good person. And I love that.

#Kiryu Kazuma #Yakuza #I have a lot of feelings about Kiryu Kazuma #have some #major spoilers for game 5 #floweysky

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doog20 · 3 years

Text

Madness, Atonement and Love

Content Warning: Yakuza 0 to LaD spoilers Content Warning: i jump between Yakuza 0 and 4 plot remember that there is a time difference between the events

Majima is the best way to explain yakuza, its very funny one minute, hahaha funny face man does break dancing as a fighting style, and the next moment he is face with the decision to either kill an innocent woman to get back to the world he has been dying to live in again or let her live and live a life of hiding and protecting her from those that set you out to kill here. Majima has so many layers, that are all centred around one core theme, his sworn brother Taiga Saejima or his kyoudai. Majima on his own is amazing but he gets better when he is whole...

Saejima is hands down one of my fav characters in yakuza, his arc throughout the games is just brilliant but i especially like his first game, at first you think he is a cold no nonsense killer convicted for killing 18 people making him a legend in the yakuza world (and they say yakuza is a silly game ahaha... they dont know shit) many years after the events of yakuza 0 Saejima breaks out with his new friend Hamazaki (who i may write a blog post later) once he is out Hamazaki is shot and we presume he is dead. now Saejima is on the run to look for his kyoudai for answers, he may have to kill majima or maybe he doesnt...

AAAAAA man Makoto is so interesting, a blind woman who falls for a Yakuza, a yakuza she doesnt know the name of. he is this mysterious protector figure who always looks out for here and the people around her to the best of his ability. to her she is not the yakuza with the tattoo on his back, instead he is him, simply a man she loves, she knows that he is a man that is there to protect her from something, something bigger than the both of them, a yakuza war over a bit of land... land that is owned by none other than Makimura Makoto.

Jumping back to Majima for a moment, his chemistry with Makoto (the woman he is meant to kill) is brilliant, at first i thought it was a protective fatherly thing, but slowly it became obvious it was a... ahem thing... yeah slowly he is falling in love while this woman has never seen his face or heard his name bc she was traumatised to the point of mental blindless. as they fall in love it becomes clearer and clearer that the lives they must live are very different. bc of the this and the fact that Makoto gets shot by the Tojo Clan for (yakuza 0 plot reasons) Majima goes fucking insane, instead of this calm and collected character we met in The Grand we get this fucking love sick man (heh reminded me of BlackPink but i digress) who just wants to avenge the only one who he truly loved (sorta yakuza 5)... and this is the birth of The Mad Dog of Shimano. man the scenes leading up to his break made me so angry i was fully for Majima going mad dog on the cunts, it felt so good beating the shit out of some of them in the finale and it felt bittersweet for some... man Awano, but thats a talk for another day.

Jumping back to Saejima, after breaking out he washes ashore of a small island nation by the name of Okinawa, fans of the series know this place as the home of Kiryu and his orphanage. soon someone stumbles upon Saejima and takes him in, the person is of course Haruka Sawamura (the daughter of Kiryu). Saejima regains his consciousness and chats for a bit with Haruka, but then ummm... yeah ummm... i dont really want to type out what happened next, so lets just say that Saejima hasnt seen a woman in a long time (jesus i hate this scene and i am not defending it i am just trying to put it as nicely as possible). soon, in comes Kiryu who very quickly sees what happened and and realises who Saejima is, bc who wouldnt, but as they get to talking Saejima makes up a fake name and Kiryu goes along with it. blah blah storyy Majima sadness

AAAAAAAANND they fight. Kiryu fights in yakuza games (where you fight against him) always put the fear of a thousand suns inside you, they are so good at making you be like "OH SHIT i know that move" and then "Oh god i dont know that move what the fuck Kiryu a fucking beast" the fight ends and Saejima "wins" bc before he can finish Kiryu off Haruka comes in and has to be the voice of logic and reason, all things that sissies worry about, and she stops the fight...

now skipping way way way ahead to going to meet Majima you go to see him fight his lackies and then he comes down from the stairs, and for a man that rarely ever emotes you can see how happy Saejima is even through his tough face. Majima and Saejima walk to the batting cages for their fight, they talk about why Saejima is there and what is going to happen, its clear Majima isnt gonna go down without kicking, bc in his mind it would be disrespectful to Saejima if he didnt give him a show, in any case, it could be Majima's last.

its so amazing doing this fight, bc its been built up since fucking yakuza 0 and when you do it you are just like "YEAAHHHH HIT HIM HARDER WOOOOOO" and when its over you are brought back to the earth and you have to think, at what cost? this reuniting scene is one of the best, its so sad and so exciting, all you can think leading up to it is how it went for Kiryu and Nishikiyama, its just very well done.

The 2 chat for a bit and Saejima asks about the eyepatch Majima explains why he didnt show when they where supposed to do the hit, the very same hit that landed Saejima in jail. the reason being he was taken hostage by one of the family heads, and he explains that bc he gave them such hell the only way to shut him up was to take one of his eyes, Saejima laughs, now its clear, the kyoudais are back together and stronger than ever.

it is very very clear to me that Saejima and Majima are 2 parts of a greater whole, there is no Majima without Saejima and there is not Saejima without Majima. its beautiful how the insanity of Majima and the stoicism of Saejima mix so well, i think its beautifully shown in the Yakuza LaD scene when they do their attack, that gif is just brilliant at showing how they compliment each other haha. (sorry couldnt find the gif)

Majima and Saejima show us some people are worth it and even if they are worth it, sometimes the best call is to let them go, i of course have to finish what i started. awhile after Majima takes out the Tojo Clan, he goes on a walk, finally free from everything... and he sees her, there she is happy and she looks him dead in the eye (NO THE PUNS TODAY AAAAAAA) and doesnt see him for the protector she once did when she was blind, now seeing him as a flashy yakuza with a tattoo on his back, Majima doesnt speak knowing she would recognise the voice. soon, a man who looks like her boyfriend comes and says "Hey is this man worrying you" and in one swift move Majima takes him and talk to him heart to heart, asking "do you love her" and "will you look after her", the boyfriend is very confused and a bit scared, after all a yakuza with one eye is grabbing him talking in a very scary tone. the man answers yes and Majima walks away into the crowd, Makoto trails him with her eyes until there is nothing to see and she goes on with her life....

to be continued... ->

yeah sometimes when you love someone so much, the only okay thing to do is to let them go bc you know you would only bring them more pain if you stayed together... in a way, it would be selfish, robbing them of a normal life. this is exactly how Majima at this point sees it, and i respect him for it, maybe in the future they will meet again, and maybe just MAYBE, they will finally get proper closure that they deserve, but until then i will say goodbye and thanks for taking time out of your life to read my stupid little essay

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butterflyinthewell · 4 years

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I’m going to tell you the story of why I love Godzilla.

When I say not to make fun of an autistic person’s special interests, I say it from a place of deep understanding and pain. For me, an autistic SpIn is like being in love, or (for the aro folks out there), it’s like being with your best friend ever and it just feels so comfortable and good.

Sooooo in January my dad mentions wanting to watch KOTM with me. Any excuse to watch KOTM is good, so of course I jumped on it. We watched Godzilla KOTM. It’s the movie I spent all of 2019 talking about from January to May. I got it for Christmas 2019 because mom knew I was going to want it as soon as the first roar hit the screen in the theater. (I took her to see it as a Mother’s Day gift, she liked it too.)

Lemme tell y’all something: when I was a young kid, my dad got me into Godzilla. Starting when I was around 5, he told me the stories of the movies he’d seen (the whole Showa era and Godzilla 1985). So I knew about Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Minya, MechaGodzilla, Gigan, Hedorah, Megalon, etc long before I ever saw them.

My dad said “these are important characters.”

Then he started renting the movies when he felt I was old enough to not be scared by them (age 7 in 1987) and pointed out who was who.

And my first ‘real meeting’ with Godzilla was the same as the people in 1954, when he popped his head over that hill and roared that haunting sound I never forgot, and I was hooked forever.

I loved it. I loved all of it. Dad warned me about the ending of the ‘54 movie, so I wasn’t surprised by it, but I still cried! He got me over it by showing the the rest of them, as if to go “see, he’s okay!” Then dad warned me that Godzilla was ‘the bad guy’ again in Godzilla 1985, but didn’t tell me how it ended. I was reaaaaally upset when he fell into that volcano. I probably cried about it for three days. That scream still hits something in my soul.

My favorite childhood Godzilla movie is Godzilla’s Revenge. It’s the first Godzilla movie I ever owned. I loved Ichiro’s dreams of making friends with Minya, outsmarting his kidnappers and standing up to his bullies. I even tried to pick up Monster Island using a little portable am/fm radio I had as a kid. It didn’t work, all I got was static, but I sure tried! 😋

I wanted to be an island lady like Saeko from Son of Godzilla who could call monsters for help. I wanted to be a cyborg like Katsura, except I would use MechaGodzilla to make friends with Godzilla instead of trying to hurt him.

Anyway...

Dad’s interest in Godzilla stuff kinda dropped away as the 90s hit and my autistic traits began to make me deviate more and more noticeably from my peers. I had seen all the Showa era movies, so he stopped telling stories because there weren’t any more to tell.

My love for Godzilla carried on into the Heisei era and beyond. Dad acted like I should “leave that crap behind” when I kept buying movies and talking about them to him. He didn’t want to watch them with me or look at pictures in the Godzilla Compendium I picked up.

I didn’t stop my enthusiasm for Godzilla, I just stopped sharing it with dad. I kept at it through high school. I sobbed over Godzilla vs Destroyah because I thought that was the end of the franchise, and I can’t even mention what happened to Godzilla in that movie. If you’ve seen it, you know.

In the year 1998 the rumblings for the ‘98 movie started around New Years, so of course I made noise about going to see it. Because GODZILLA, y’all!

Well, dad surprised me and took me to see Godzilla ‘98 when it came out. I had been bugging about going to see it and he kept giving me a hard no, then had me convinced we were going to a baseball game that night instead. I did nothing to disguise my boredom or hurt in the car, and it broke when we pulled up to the theater. Okay, he pulled a fast one on me and he said I did an emotional 180 spin, but it was worth it. (I still like that movie, but I don’t call that creature Godzilla. I call him Zilla or GINO instead.)

Literally right after that my dad would get mad if I talked about Godzilla. He griped that I was “so obsessed with that stupid monster” and that I needed to grow up. I was almost 18, and I had, just not the way HE wanted, I guess...

Godzilla 2000 came out. Dad grudgingly took mom and me to see it, and I finally got to live my dream of seeing a legit Toho Godzilla movie in theaters. I was yelling and clapping (as were other people) and just had a huge blast. In the car, he told me to knock it off when I talked excitedly about what I liked in the movie. He slapped down all talk of Godzilla.

I still continued to be a fan. When more Millennium era movies came out, I grabbed them when I saw them on the shelves. I got everything from Godzilla vs Megaguirus to Godzilla: Final Wars in a little Japanese shop my dad found near where he worked at the time. I was in my early 20s then. I also got some figurines from that store: a Heisei era Mothra, a Heisei era King Ghidorah and a Millenium era (Final Wars) Godzilla. Dad rolled his eyes when I walked out with them in my arms.

And so began his weird pattern of indulging my interest, but getting upset at me if I talked about it. I was discovering the online fandom at this point, so I had another outlet, but still, it used to be our thing, and his behavior really stung.

I only discovered there were more movies in the Millenium era becuse I happened across GMK on HBO and realized I didn’t recognize that Godzilla suit or the setting.

Then I missed the ending because of a very badly timed phone call. But I was like “omg more Godzilla movies...hey dad, can we go to that shop?” (And then I was like a dragon with treasure when I came home....)

I grabbed the two Kiryu movies first because a certain fanfic author in the fandom had written some Mechagodzilla fanfics where Kiryu (Kiryuu in her stories) was sentient and sexy af. The idea of the original Godzilla being brought back as a robot was amazing and that author basically took the idea and ran it to another level. She’s the reason I headcanon the 54 Gojira as Heisei Godzilla’s dad.

ANYWAY, I got all caught up on the Godzilla movies and blew up to a boiling fan girl froth when the 2014 movie got advertised.

I took mom to see that becuse dad’s Parkinson’s had advanced so far that he couldn’t go out much anymore. Mom likes Godzilla movies and sci-fi in general. While she’s not as into it as me, she enjoys them for the entertainment. We both liked G2014, so I got it for Christmas.

We watched it with dad as a family, he said it was okay.

Through 2016 and 2017 I was rattling on about Shin Godzilla. Got that as a late 37th birthday gift because it came out on dvd a few days after my actual birthday. I watched it for the first time with dad, and he complained the whole time and kind of ruined the experience for me, which pissed me off. HE was the one who wanted to watch it with me, now I wish I watched it alone instead.

2019 came, KOTM happened. So that brings me to sitting down to watch it with dad. I was excited see his reaction to the monsters he introduced me to in childhood realized with modern cgi effects and all. I love seeing things that remind me of happy times in my childhood, and I thought those memories were fond for him, too. So I watched, waiting for him to recognize Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah.

He said nothing when they came onscreen. I got engrossed in the movie and sort of forgot about it, but when it was over I bounced up and asked, “Wasn’t it cool to see the guys you told me stories about when I was 5?”

I thought back while I waited for him to answer. I thought back on the stories, the fun and the movies.

I thought back on how my love for this character has grown, and how in KOTM it was physically realized in that painful moment when Ishiro Serizawa looks up at Godzilla with such reverence and lays his hand on his snout. I feel like that was Dougherty telling all the fans he sees their love for Godzilla and gives them that one singular, intimate audience with the big guy through Serizawa. Because who wouldn’t want to give him a pat on the nose and thank him?

The director of KOTM understands what Godzilla means to the fans. He understands how they feel and what they want. In my mind he gave it in spades.

But my dad...

My dad, the man who taught me enough to get me into Godzilla forever, looked at me in the eyes and said, “I don’t remember any of it. They’re not that important anyway.”

“These are important characters.” Much younger dad said to much younger me.

“They’re not that important anyway.” Older modern day dad said to older modern day me.

I thought my heart had stopped and my soul fled through the floor. This franchise, these characters he brought to me with such enthusiasm, something that grew into a lifelong love, meant nothing to him. It was as if he gave me a diamond and later told me it was worthless glass to him. Godzilla was and still is a huge part of my life and who I am, and dad acted like this “us” thing I thought we bonded over during my childhood didn’t matter to him.

It’s almost like he expected me to take passing interest and then move on, but because I’m autistic and because I relate to Godzilla so much, my interest turned into love and respect for the character, what he represents and the messages he has sent throughout the years.

Part of who I am is shaped, literally, by Godzilla, something that started because my dad told me he existed. And in a sentence my dad took that root from my childhood and ripped it out because he decided it was a worthless weed.

It’s not my love for Godzilla that was ripped out. It’s the love I thought my dad felt for me when he was telling me all those stories and showing me the movies. I’m sharing this because I love Godzilla, because I love what he represents and means to me, and I thought my dad shared it with me for the same reason. This is a very autistic thing...I’m sure autistic readers can feel my love for Godzilla just by reading this.

I thought my dad did, too, once.

But no. There was no love at all like I thought there was, so I was not pouring my love into an ocean that still existed, I was throwing it into a black hole.

Dad didn’t care to remember Rodan, or Mothra, or King Ghidorah. He didn’t care to remember what all that meant to me during my childhood because he doesn’t and never has cared about my feelings.

He doesn’t care about my feelings.

He wants me to shut up about Godzilla.

I will not.

I love Godzilla. I don’t need dad’s approval anymore. I will turn 40 this year (2020) and there is no stopping what began 35 years ago. The plant that grew around the root dad planted is shaped like me now, and like Biollante I will keep blooming because Godzilla was my first love fandom-wise and that admiration and love for him stands on its own.

Dad no longer has a say.

But, my God, my dad has this remarkable ability to tell me something is important when I’m young and then claim it isn’t so many years later. He’s done it for a lot of things, but hearing him say Godzilla isn’t important after instilling his importance into me at a young age just...gutted me...and it gutted me as much as the time he asked me what I did to make kids bully me when I was being bullied as a teen.

I got bullied because I’m autistic. I existed. He said it was my fault for being that way. I was a newly diagnosed teenager when he said that. It was 1995, ironically, the same year Godzilla vs Destroyah came out.

And I was an adult when he ripped at that root of Godzilla he planted in me.

Godzilla was the last part of my childhood that he hadn’t sunk his abuse into, but he finally did in January of 2020. Now there is no part of my life untouched by his emotionally abusive crap.

It shouldn’t hurt like this. I feel ridiculous to be hurt so deeply, but I can’t keep pretending that I’m not hurt by it anymore.

I will get over it. My absolute love and respect for Godzilla is something my dad can never destroy no matter how much he tries to shit talk about it. I’ve let him ruin so many things, but not Godzilla.

Godzilla will never be a trigger for me. He is an anti trigger. On this day of April 19, 2020, I’m realizing he is the protector my dad failed to be.

To all parents of autistic kids, be careful that you don’t belittle the things you said were important when they were young. Don’t introduce something that becomes a special interest, say it’s important and then belittle it when they grow up.

Even if you don’t think it’s important anymore now, even if you think it’s silly now, even if you didn’t know they were autistic at the time and would dive in like that, it may still be important to them.

It may become their safe place. It may become treasure.

Don’t try to destroy that safety. Don’t treat it like trash.

#actuallyautistic #special interest #godzilla #emotional abuse #gaslighting #dad issues #swearing #ableism #gifs #long post #tw emotional abuse #tw gaslighting

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littlegoldenbirdie · 3 years

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Kaiju introspections

Have I ever mentioned that I have too much time on my hands? Expect to see a lot of this stuff in the near future!

Showa Ghidorah as engine of destruction.

Lots of G-fans out there say Showa Ghidorah doesn't seem very sane, or sane at all. I don't doubt that. It's a 'duh' of the most epic proportions. But is that going far enough in describing him? Does he have a mind at all? What if he's the flesh and bone equivalent of a machine doing what it was programmed to do? I mean, is he capable of higher thought, or any form of thought at all beyond the overwhelming urge to destroy all in his path? He seems to go into every battle with no plans beyond 'go forth and kill everything in sight by shooting gravity beams in every possible direction at random intervals'. Sometimes he has the sense to retreat, which means he must have SOME sense of self-preservation. He gets controlled a lot, so I guess that explains some things, but does it explain all those times when he just keeps fighting even when that control is broken?

Heisei Ghidorah didn't sign up for this kind of crap...

Well, the dorats sure didn't. They probably thought they were going to be the team's mascots. Poor little guys could've lived out their whole lives just being happy little lizard puppies. And getting dumped on that tropical island? What kind of person with a functioning heart just up and abandons their pets like that? Because that was what they were. Pets. And did what they became ever get to do a damn thing of his own volition? I mean BESIDES wake up in the middle of a battle against a very pissed-off lizard who likely wouldn't have accepted ANY explanation, let alone the one he would have had to offer? He woke up confused and scared, got his ass kicked, lost a head and ran away, only to get shot down. Boom, that's all she wrote for his freedom. Alas, Heisei Ghidorah, we hardly knew ye. ...Whereas Mecha-Ghidorah is remarkably okay with things.

"Okay, lady, you want to work the metal bits you twits put on me? Fine. As long as I get a proper rematch against that dumbass lizard, I don't care WHAT you do."

Kiryu's life has been nothing but a kaiju-sized cavalcade of pure suck. (Granted, most of this applies to Godzilla in general, but there's no doubt it sucks...)

Okay, imagine this. You're a Tyrannosaurus Rex sort of critter, living it up on a tropical island in the Pacific somewhere. Sun, sand, abundant food, what's not to like? Maybe you've even got a mate and kids. A family, you know? Sounds nice, huh? Then one day somebody drops a nuke on your head. BOOM! Your home's flattened AND on fire, your family's dead and you get turned into a giant fire-breathing monstrosity (which HAD to hurt like *bleep* at best). So there goes ANY hope of ever having a normal day, let alone a normal life. You also have nobody to talk to, since you're literally one of a kind now. All this stuff gives you a legitimate gripe with the local authorities, right? So you decide to head downtown and lodge a protest by wrecking a bunch of stuff. They wrecked your home, so why not wreck theirs? After all, it's not like you could just TELL them what's wrong, since you got a species barrier to deal with... as if a language barrier wouldn't have been bad enough! But do they bother to realize you're doing this because you got a complaint? No! You're just a threat to them, but that's probably the last thing on your mind as you decide to make a return engagement and wreck more stuff for emphasis. Figuring you've made your point, you head back to the ocean for a nap. Might as well TRY to get back to something approximating normal, right? Guess again, because here come the humans, this time with something that sucks worse than a nuke! Your flesh boils away, your lungs melt and you're reduced to a pile of bones. But your skull remains intact, and your brain is in your skull, so you're fully aware of all of that... until there's nothing left to feel. No nerves in your bones, you know. All five senses gone, all you can do is think... and possibly go very slightly mad from sensory deprivation. But guess what? It's the humans again, dredging up your mortal remains to make a giant fucking robot whose sole reason for existence is to fight on behalf of the folks who did this to you! No respect for the dead at all, though whether a functioning brain inside of a bleached skull counts as alive or dead is a question for the ages. Say hello to your new 'life', Kiryu, because that's what they're calling you nowadays. And guess who you'll be fighting? It's your son, who has also been turned into a giant fire-breathing monstrosity just like you were, and he has no idea who you are! ...Sucks, huh? Destroyah: "...*bleep* you."

Mutation or not, none of his stuff had to happen. The microscopic forms would have likely been perfectly happy just derping around in their de-oxygenated soil, had the Tokyo Bay Underpass project not evicted the lot of them. They find out the world's a lot bigger than they thought it was, a lot bigger, so they have to get bigger too. Well, if you want to get bigger, you have to eat, so the aquarium thing happens. R.I.P fishies, and the security guard who had to see that happen was probably Not Okay for quite a while after that. So they move into their new home, start getting settled in, and the Army shows up. Boom, boom, time to kick out some intruders, and they all get heinously shot at. That's ANOTHER home wrecked due to human interference. Time to get even bigger. So they do just that, and THAT is when this lizard kid shows up and pretty much proclaims that he will hand them their collective asses. Nah man, they say, that's happening to YOU instead! So then there's a huge brawl about whose ass is going where, and they end up faceplanting into a factory and causing an explosion. ...Ouch. Well, they're all together now, and there's plenty of energy to be had, so why not get even bigger? Good idea, since the lizard kid's dad just got here, and man is he PISSED! So now there's two of them. They may be bigger than ever, but two enemies at once? Not good odds. The logical way to start a second fight is to finish the first one quickly, so they grab the kid and drop him like a rock. The kid's done, but boy, if they thought the dad was pissed before... Oh well, time for another fight. Wait, something royally messed-up is happening to the (probably former) dad. Even entities that have no concept of poker or playing cards in general know when to fold 'em. Time to book it. But wait, it's those lousy humans again, along with a(nother) long-distance faceplant, and this time it's fatal.

Long post is long. Deal with it and gimme some freakin’ feedback on this stuff

#kaiju #showa ghidorah #dorats #heisei ghidorah #mecha-ghidorah #godzilla #kiryu #destroyah #destoroyah

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