#and basically incorpoate his mistakes into his appeal

[kageyama-ritsu]

idk theres something about makotos overarching character arc being that he basically decided to devote his whole self into doing something he loves (being an idol and being part of trickstar) and sticking with it even when it consistently drags him outside of his comfort zone

parallels with his modelling career where he was also repeatedly pulled outside of his comfort zone, but in ways where he was being taken advantage of, where it was done to the detriment of his own self, something he wished he could escape from but circumstances prevented him from doing so until he reached a breaking point and physically could not continue anymore.

now he's constantly being pushed to do things like take charge, assert himself, and gain self-confidence, even when he doesn't quite feel comfortable in doing so. he fights back when he doesn't think he's being valued as a human being with his own desires and wants. every time he's pushed out of his comfort zone, it's for his own benefit - and even if it isn't, he finds a way to put a positive spin on it. and most importantly (to me anyways), he does this all while pursuing his dream of becoming an idol, something that doesn't come as naturally to him as modelling did, something he still feels inadequate about and is unsure he even has the talent for. but he works his ass off to be an idol despite the fact that he can quit anytime BECAUSE he loves the new path he's chosen so much

#ensemble stars #makoto yuuki #after the trauma his modelling career left him with he could have tried his best to just live a normal life #or stayed a hikkikomori forever. i dont think many people wouldhave blamed him #but instead he decided to risk it all and place himself back in the spotlight again #originally just as a way to create a completely brand new and fresh start to his life #but eventually gaining the courage and confidence to literally face his past (cameras) and make something good of it #i think many makoto enjoyers would describe him as 'ruthless' or 'pragmatic' which is admittedly a rather confusing descriptor #for those who havent pored over his stories #but its a very different sort of pragmatism from the usual that someone like. say ibara or eichi would embody in some ways #because it's more... hmm... reactionary? defensive? #the goal of his pragmatism is not to brutally force his opponents out of the way #but as a way to push himself and those he cares about forwards no matter what stands in their way #an example of this is the fact that he uses a sort of easygoing and klutzy persona on the stage #to smooth over the mistakes and relative lack of talent he had compared to the other three #and basically incorpoate his mistakes into his appeal #he does it so well that i think a lot of enstars fans legitimately have the misconception that makoto is just a silly little guy #yes hes part of the idiot combi but he's the tsukkomi. yes hes a silly guy but he can be as serious as they come when the chips are down #this is the guy who literally had to be locked in a room for a week tostop him from going back to trickstar #this is the guy who was willing to sacrifice what he thought of back then as his only redeeming quality (his looks) #in order to be an idol in the unit he loves!!! #when im out of catching up on work hell and can writemy 10k+ word makoto dissertation its fucking over for you all