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bloodraynebeast · 2 days

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Now that there’s some context to work with, let’s have some fun. I decided to switch it up and compile a list of what Romantic Tropes I could find that are the most fitting and evident for Yashiki / Mashita. You may recognise all of these from TV Tropes. Not safe from MAJOR SPOILERS of the main games and more below.

All Links: Part 1 / Part 2 <-

Romantic Tropes -

1] Age-Gap Romance: Both are adults with Mashita ageing in his late twenties, meanwhile Yashiki is estimated to be within the mid thirties to mid forties range. This instantly becomes comical in the dynamic of their relationship as Mashita often takes the lead and berates the older man.

2] Anger Born Of Worry: This is practically Mashita on a regular basis with Yashiki whenever he feels he gets too emotionally involved in their spirit cases - alleviating the source of their pain, helping innocent people affected while dismissing the threat to his own life. Mashita’s first instinct when saving Yashiki as he falls from the building in Red Riding Hood, is to bark at him for being an idiot and press why he ignored his warnings, his orders to stay outside where it was safe. It becomes a pattern that Mashita makes irritated comments about Yashiki always getting into trouble and his lack of concern for his safety, especially for the sake of others. Whereas Yashiki can sometimes be mildly indignant, but he's normally unambiguous when he's worried. Plus he’s too thankful for any help Mashita gives.

3] Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: For all the times the two can bicker and disagree on their views and ideals - Mashita frequently pointing out his naivety and stating the living and the dead should stay separate, while Yashiki can’t turn a blind eye to the suffering of the dead and wants to help everyone involved - it doesn’t change how compatible they are in their relationship and how well they work as a team. Despite not entirely approving of the other’s methods, they understand. They both also care deeply about the other’s wellbeing, more than enough over their own.

4] Battle Couple: There is often build up to Mashita joining Yashiki in the investigations during the games and other media. In two separate instances with Red Riding Hood and Death Mark 2, and more which can be determinant, Yashiki and Mashita are made to partner up at the climax of a story. They are framed as a force to be reckoned with when they work together, giving the other support and are the type of pair to use guns on a spirit in a confrontation and have it be a success. Word about the two men have spread over the years in the field, as characters from NG mention them in previous cases they’ve closed. Yashiki and Mashita are implied to be inseparable in and out of work and not what the spirits can win against, according to Shou Nagashima.

5] Belligerent Sexual Tension: Noticeable during their more tender and teasing moments, when Mashita offers kind, supportive words and Yashiki reacts softly, or the two are quipping with each other. In other instances it's when the men are frustrated with one another, but Yashiki is shown to have a somewhat calming effect on Mashita’s stormy demeanour on several occasions. There’s also an exchange in the ending of Red Riding Hood where Mashita describes the teacher that was involved as thin, tall and the type popular with students, implying that he was attractive or had an attractive personality, glances at Yashiki before continuing that he wasn’t too unlike him. Given how the student Sayako felt towards the teacher and how Death Mark 2 proceeded with its narrative, could this have been a sly, cautious way of complimenting Yashiki?

6] Birds of a Feather: Yashiki and Mashita both lost someone very important to them that still weighs on them heavily, something they may have confided in each other about off-screen. Neither are particularly equipped for social situations, although in different ways and much prefer their own company. Both can be blunt in their honesty, their remarks and cannot take praise. They also share in appalling sleep schedules as their character art sprites show extreme dark circles under their eyes and more than likely neglect any sort of self care. They enjoy the simple pleasures of sitting in the quiet with a cup of coffee or enjoying a drink, and smoke in Mashita’s case, which is likely one of the reasons why Mashita would visit the Kujou Mansion so frequently. Yashiki and Mashita are not the best at dealing with children and also find themselves drawing blanks or not understanding the appeal when younger characters talk about something new or popular, although much more so on Yashiki’s end.

7] Defrosting Ice King: After meeting Yashiki, Mashita has certainly made some progress. It’s apparent the impact Yashiki has made on him and still retains those effects in the current timeline. Breaking down his character, Mashita does have a secretly good heart but Yashiki makes Mashita stop and consider a gentler, more empathetic approach to situations. In Kokkuri’s case in Death Mark 2, he even talks to the deceased himself much like Yashiki would. He’s also just more at ease and takes part in antics with him in and out of canon.

8] Fan-Preferred Couple: Evidently this. Considering the amount of created content and attention, a majority of the fandom supports Yashiki and Mashita as the main pairing. From the pairing’s popularity alone it is entirely possible if there were an official couple introduced, particularly with either character, they would still be the preference.

9] Fate Drives Us Together: If the Mark incident with Mary hadn’t occurred, or happened later down the line with even worse consequences, the two would likely have never met. Yashiki would have remained as Masamune Kujou and continued his isolation while devoting himself to his family’s obligations, or simply died. It is only through meeting Yashiki that Mashita survives. Otherwise he would’ve been another victim, someone else seen as collateral damage in Masamune’s eyes. In the epilogue of Death Mark after sealing away Mary, Yashiki and Mashita would reunite and continue to investigate spirit related cases together after Mashita returned to normalcy, starting a new career as a private investigator. What started as possibly one-offs soon became partnered work and how their relationship deepened. Years later following the events of Death Mark 2, Yashiki and Mashita would still continue to work together closely, as evident in NG. Mary’s albeit mocking words given her deception of Mashita’s fate being entwined with Yashiki’s comes to mind, and yet rings true.

10] Finishing Each Other's Sentences: Frequently in and out of their work. Yashiki and Mashita are often of one mind and can tell where each other’s thoughts are leading, finishing where the other tends to trail off.

11] I Got You a Drawer: The latest DLC for Death Mark 2, opened up a new aspect of their relationship. Mashita leaves his signature coat behind at Kujou Mansion, which Yashiki doesn’t appear to mind as it’s still hanging out in the open. It’s just accepted with the reason that Mashita must have forgotten about it and yet doesn’t jump to resolve that. It’s also worthy of note that he points out how an item left by Moe was without his permission, whereas he doesn’t linger at all on the fact Mashita left the trench coat behind without permission after however long it’s been there. It poses a question of what else Mashita may leave behind if he’s become so accustomed and comfortable at the mansion, and whether or not this was intentional. The likely answer is yes. But the reasons for why are more curious.

12] Inconvenient Attraction: Feels like Mashita for Yashiki whether it be sexual, romantic or platonic as the ex-detective was evidently drawn to Yashiki in some regard. Presumably Mashita has very few in his circle of people to care about and probably intended to keep it that way given what happened to his mentor, so things are suddenly more complicated when he’s needing to worry about a good natured man always managing to throw himself recklessly into danger. Some curse or spirit always trying to take his life. Enough so that Mashita is called in to help Yashiki as backup by characters like Yasuoka and Rose or goes in to help of his own will. It’s also ironic as someone formerly on the force still holding onto strict laws, having a close relationship with someone constantly breaking said laws - worse still, does so himself for Yashiki’s benefit. I wonder if Mashita places blame on Yashiki for that.

13] Implied Love Interest: This is more subjective, but the vague romantic tones as evidenced in this analysis are all very much implied. They have more attention and development, throughout canon material and alternate universes which we will explore later. There are even accounts from fans saying they thought Death Mark was partly a dating simulator, wholly due to Yashiki and Mashita’s chemistry. As a result, the game gained some reputation online as the “Yaoi Ghost Game”.

14] Like an Old Married Couple: Although both are still relatively young, their conversations sound like old men that have been married to each other for decades. One case being Yashiki growing offended at Mashita always grabbing the coffee he meticulously makes for him before he has a chance to add sugar, which he deems a crucial final touch. Giving away that Mashita does not approve of the sugar intake Yashiki indulges in. Others have Mashita taking a moment to tell him to stop putting everything and anything he finds into his bag, rebuking him for always getting into life threatening situations. Yashiki needing to almost apologise on Mashita’s behalf for his rudeness to Hiroo and other characters, saying he acts like that with everyone or that he didn’t mean what he said that way. Small moments like these are why they are commonly referred to as husbands in the community, which only suited more after Death Mark 2’s release with its marital themes.

15] Lonely Together: Both strike me as the types to often find themselves alone and being generally lonely people, especially Yashiki who’s heavily implied to have spent the majority of his past life in isolation, shutting himself away from people while his sister Saya handled that side of matters. Mashita more because his personality may be too off-putting and rude for others. And yet they are frequently found around each other.

16] Love Overrides the Law: Mashita has brazenly given Yashiki, a civilian with no prior experience, a gun twice for protection despite very strict firearm laws. He also lets Yashiki get away with a long list of misdemeanours, but points out that he keeps track of them. Understandably the exception was when Yashiki to his knowledge at the time confessed to the murder of Kinukawa in Death Mark 2, which Mashita threatened to handcuff him on the spot for if he could, but then suddenly added that it only applied to living beings. Throwing out a theory that the version Yashiki killed wasn’t real, which was later proven right.

17] One Head Taller: Not massive, but height difference is a popular one and as it stands, Yashiki (5’11”) has several centimetres over Mashita (5'8”) - almost another head taller - which fuels a lot of content and discussion. Mashita being the shorter, smaller framed man of the two with all his grumbling attitude and confidence comes off as oddly endearing.

18] Rescue Romance: It goes both ways. After Yashiki saved Mashita’s life during The Mark incident and beyond that, Mashita likely felt indebted to him. Likewise, Mashita returns the favour saving Yashiki’s life during Red Riding Hood, the Bad End Voice Drama; “The Black Demon’s End” and arguably in Death Mark 2. The CG of Mashita saving Yashiki in the DLC is definitely popular for a reason. Mashita in particular is known to go rushing in to save Yashiki, half the time with a gun in hand. Given the nature of their work, the two will probably spend the rest of their time saving each other from close calls, further cementing their trust and loyalty.

19] Ship Tease: Was hesitant to put this one, but at this point the developers are at least aware of the pairing’s existence. The most teasing moments of potential romantic feelings we’ve had so far that I’m aware of are evident in the Voice Dramas and livestream advice column skits, particularly one that had been fan translated where Moe asks if Mashita is “interested” in Yashiki. One could argue the games themselves have teasing based on several analyses, but it largely depends on the player’s perception.

20] Tough Love: Mashita is straight to the point and can seem insensitive at times with Yashiki as he’s shown not to coddle him. He has a protective streak, but not as much in the way that protects Yashiki’s feelings. However, Yashiki seems to somewhat acknowledge that it's what is necessary sometimes when he begins to spiral with guilt. While it’s true Mashita can act a lot softer on him than with the rest of the cast and does console him, he still throws the occasional harsh words at him. Yashiki’s sympathy and naivety can be very dangerous for everyone involved after all, if not careful.

21] Tsundere: Now this is the major one. The huge factor for this pairing. It’s very unanimous within the fandom and can be strongly supported. Almost everything points to Mashita being a tsundere from his long list of actions regarding Yashiki in my previous sections, speaking louder than words, because he has difficulty expressing his feelings. Complaining about things being a hassle when helping Yashiki when in the background he’s already been digging for information, or that he’s helping because it's a job and pays when it’s obvious to the players that he’s heavily concerned. Mashita is notorious for calling Yashiki an idiot when he’s worried as well as in normal conversations, and disgusting in response to Yashiki showing gratitude or care towards him. More than naught with a tut, which is common behaviour. Mashita is more open with Yashiki about what’s on his mind and about more personal matters. The evidence doesn’t stop there as a post on social media from one of the devs had Mashita on Pocky Day - a day about sharing love, happiness and appreciation - additionally his official birthday, comment that he’s definitely not going to the mansion today. But actually had intentions to do so. He’d already prepared to visit. Other instances include outside of canon in livestream Voice Drama skits, where the characters read out fan questions for OOPArts. One in particular includes Yashiki, Moe and Mashita, translated by Keru and uploaded by Marvelously Cheerful. After the session, Mashita admits he only came to the mansion to kill time after seeing Yashiki there, to which Moe asks in a seemingly teasing manner if that means Mashita is interested in him. He responds with a baffled “Huh?!” and tells her to cut it out, not exactly giving an answer. There are other skits with some equally interesting things going on, but are yet to be translated. Nevertheless these livestreams can all be found on the official Experience エクスペリエンス Youtube channel to listen to. More examples can be found but for the sake of keeping these short, let’s move on.

22] Undying Loyalty: To reference the “deep bond” in Mashita’s character file, the relationship Yashiki and Mashita have formed has grown to a degree of deep loyalty, and feels especially obvious on Mashita’s side due to his decisions throughout the main games. To name a few, staying behind to help Yashiki’s situation when he could have focused only on finding the missing information about his mentor, charging in to save Yashiki and getting himself cursed a second time in the process during Shimi-O and running after Yashiki into the love hotel alone when he enters back inside to face the spirit, choosing to risk his life over and over again for his sake in the present time. Meanwhile Yashiki displays quiet appreciation. How much Mashita means to him is mostly conveyed through internal monologues and he knows he can always trust Mashita and trust his intentions even if he doesn’t always like it at first. When apart, Yashiki keeps in contact with Mashita and updates him about the case he’s working on. And when he presumes Mashita to be dead, he tells him that he’ll finish The Departed’s case to the best of his ability because he knows that’s what Mashita would want. They never give up on each other.

23] You Are Better Than You Think You Are: This and dismissing a compliment blend together well here. Yashiki is a conscience-stricken man with low self-esteem and shadowed by the past, so his opinion of himself is very poor. Even before the reveal of his actions as Masamune Kujou. Also despite inventing himself as an entirely new person and Mashita repeatedly reminding him of his capabilities that would do some good - preventing more victims that Yashiki feels responsible for - he often feels doubt over the decisions he makes and questions his own resilience, especially when it leads to consequences that cost an innocent life. This leads to where in both games Mashita takes a moment to assure him in his own words that he’s doing fine, doing everything humanly possible and that he does in fact save people. These scenes are significant because Mashita only goes out of his way to comfort Yashiki like this. Meanwhile Yashiki expresses his affections and admiration towards Mashita in small gestures, which he almost always returns with a sardonic comment or pointed rejection. It’s often seen as a mask to hide how secretly appreciative Mashita is of Yashiki’s kindness and how much he’s valued.

There are likely more tropes that could hypothetically be applied to the pairing as of currently, but I couldn’t include every possible example without repeating earlier points. We have a smaller amount of material to work with, with our smaller series. Writing out all these tropes however, definitely showcases the amount of layers their relationship has and why it’s appealing to fans. Back to the usual plan for the next part looking at the various hints in CD Voice Drama’s, which may take more time. Thank you so much for reading!

#死印 #死噛 #shiin #spirit hunter #death mark #spirit hunter: death mark #death mark 2 #death mark 2 spoilers #spoilers #death bite #shibito magire #kazuo yashiki #yashiki kazuo #satoru mashita #mashita satoru #yashita

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