theoptimisticfatalist

[theoptimisticfatalist]

something I appreciate about akechi as a character is that he never seems to think hmm, maybe I should emotionally distance myself from joker, because being invested in him could end up being bad for me when I need to kill him. the vengeance-oriented character goro is made out to be at first glance ought to think like this, but NO! goro akechi is NOT (just) that guy!

from the beginning, akechi goes above and beyond the minimum requirements of getting intel on joker and gaining his trust. he says, I’ll go the extra mile! I’m going to follow him around, inside and outside the metaverse. we’re going to talk about my dead mom. I’m going to insist that we’re RIVALS! I’ll spend so long thinking about all the reasons I hate him that it’ll become obvious to everyone around me— even joker’s (not a) cat— that what I feel isn’t really hate but something much more complex. obviously, this will make killing him that much more gratifying, because our lives are now intertwined! HA! take that joker! I WIN!

I believe this… interesting… thought process has something to do with akechi’s central motivation being more than just a desire for vengeance. he also desperately craves approval and recognition. akechi is not actually all that pragmatic. he’s highly driven by emotion, sometimes at the cost of logic (I mean… his revenge plot isn’t all that mature or well-thought through. it’s basically suicidal).

this considered, it seems that becoming akiren’s rival would be second nature to goro. it gives him a veritable cornucopia of things he craves. winning their “game” allows him to feel recognized for his worth. just playing it gives him opportunities to feel seen and known. being a rival is addictive. he gets the chance to embrace the anger he cultivates towards akiren and the rush of putting him at the center of his thoughts. their rivalry is by far the most intimate relationship akechi has. and so, he gets more and more tangled up with joker— and in his feelings about joker— regardless of any risk that poses to his plans. distancing himself would go against goro’s every instinct.

being akiren’s rival is tied to akechi’s vengeance, but somewhere along the line, “besting joker” evolves to be about more than plotting against shido. this is probably for similar reasons as to why akechi’s desire for vengeance against his father was never purely about “vengeance” at all.

of course, this comes with the pesky, entirely predictable side effect of akechi getting a bit obsessed. oh well! it doesn’t end up stopping him from trying to carry out his order to kill akiren.

regardless of how events actually unfold, akechi’s feelings are a clean-cut liability to his revenge plot. a rational character would probably want to avoid such an obvious crack in his armor. this to say, as intelligent as akechi is, he’s not really all that rational. there’s a difference! he’s not who he appears to be at first glance, or even second or third glance. he’s not the detective prince, or an assassin with tunnel vision for vengeance, or even just plain angry. akechi wants to be needed, and he’ll do anything to chase that feeling.

so yeah, it would’ve been nice if he had found a homoerotic rival before the shido revenge plot debacle happened! alas.

[theoptimisticfatalist]

BROTHERS

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Gamagori writing love letters to Mako

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Desperation

[theoptimisticfatalist]

watching p5r playthroughs and I like seeing people go through this specific progression

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Hideaki Sorachi

Thanks for all your hard work, Anime.

–Gintama Vol. 33

[theoptimisticfatalist]

big part of being the justice arcana is drinking coffee with the fool and finding a home within them. akechi is just really funny about it

[theoptimisticfatalist]

[theoptimisticfatalist]

If you wish to go, Do I have the right to ask you to stay? Guess not.

[theoptimisticfatalist]

I think….Takemi and Iwai would be cute together….

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Iwai 🍰

Fire theme = Cool shopkeep

Anyway I was really not feeling this until I screwed up the layers and ended up with the cool blue green business. Then I just drew over it to fill the emptiness.

[theoptimisticfatalist]

doodle

[theoptimisticfatalist]

night vision.

[theoptimisticfatalist]

[theoptimisticfatalist]

S.E.E.S. at Fanime!

Minato Arisato: @thatendyperson || Hamuko Arisato: @acgiacoma || Akihiko Sanada: @napallama || Shinjiro Aragaki: @stella-rogers || Junpei Iori: @thehijackbunny || Aigis: @merbearedie​ || Yukari Takeba: me

Photographer: Amaryie Cosplay & Photography

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Stackable

#persona 3 #akihiko sanada #shinjiro aragaki #minako arisato #kotone shiomi

[theoptimisticfatalist]

Memento Mori. Remember that you will die.

Persona 3 Portable Katsucon 2014

Minako/FeMC ✩ Shinjiro Aragaki ✩ Akihiko Sanada ✩ Photographer

#persona 3 #cosplay #akihiko sanada #shinjiro aragaki #minako arisato #kotone shiomi #p3 #persona