#in fact it made more sense for kiryu to be a boy at that point so he went to kazama and told him and kazama was like ok lets make it happen | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

autisticmao · 4 months

Text

GENRE: fluff - kingdom au | madakuromao family au!

FEATURED: mikejima, kiryu

WARNINGS: mentions war

PROMPT: isara has his first night out after the war, he spends the evening out with his dad's.

WORD COUNT: 1,187

[posted earlier than wanted, but hey-ho~]

Adopting the queen's son whilst he's an early toddler all because of a war that was caused between three kingdoms was nothing that the two former head knights for the said queen of Yumenosaki would have ever expected.

Especially due to the fact that neither of the two men knew how to deal with children, but with the day of the present hanging over their shoulders, Mikejima and Kiryu wouldn't have changed their lives around if they didn't adopt the prince of Yumenosaki — Isara Mao.

Due to the war going on for years on end, five years before Isara was born and all the way up to him being the age of six, Isara didn't quite get to learn much about the experience of being outside, and this night, his adoptive parents wanted to change that. Especially because tonight was going to be a special night — a meteor shower was bound to happen.

"Papa, papa! Look! Mam made biscuits, and I got to help!"

The young prince ran around the large opened space area of the house. His bare feet tapped against the recently scrubbed clean wooden floorboards as he skids in front of a settee whete Kiryu sat in the living room area.

Isara tilts his head up at Kiryu, a plain biscuit coated in sugar that sat in his small left hand. He grinned at the adult once, noticing that he trailed the aforementioned adults' attention away from the book he was reading.

Kiryu smiled down at Isara, placing his book onto the armrest of the said settee he sat on and chuckles. "Oh really? I'm surprised your Mam didn't burn the house down again, then."

"That was one mistake, Kuro! One mistake!" The duo could hear from the kitchen where Mikejima's voice echoed from, his tone sounding embarrassed from Kiryu simply bring the not-so-old memory up, causing the tall redhead to smirk and Isara to giggle at the antics going on.

There was never a day without banter in the household between his adoptive parents.

"Anyways, you made a biscuit, Mao?"

Isara nods his head up and down and decides to climb the settee, leaning partly on Kiryu to balance properly and waves the biscuit in his hold near Kiryu's mouth, prompting the adult to take a bite.

"I made it for you! Mam even helped me to make it look like you!" Isara beamed.

Kiryu glances down at the biscuit once more, and sees that the biscuit was admittedly messy looking — to be honest, in his point of view, the biscuit looked like a thin line of jagged spikes, but he didn't want to put Isara's mood down, it was nice seeing the young child actually act the age he is, so he takes the biscuit out of Isara's hand gently, inspecting where to take the first nibble.

"Thank you, little warrior." He takes a bite into it. The biscuit was harder than the sweet treat was meant to be, but other than that, Kiryu liked it.

Isara's happy expression brightened as he watched Kiryu intensely eat the small sweet treat. Both of his hands scrunched into balled up fists as hope caused his heart to race. "Did you like it? Did you, Papa?!"

Kiryu nods, wiping the crumbs away from the corners of his lips. "Very much, kiddo." He places his spare hand on top of Isara's head, giving him a pat, which causes Isara to giggle again at the feeling. His smile was wide, and his eyes closed.

"Yay! I'm glad, Papa!" Isara then slides off the settee, stumbling once he gets off, which causes Kiryu to react quickly and help him stand straight as Isara then runs off towards the kitchen. Faintly, Kiryu could hear Isara talking Mikejima's ear off about his excitement of Kiryu liking the treat, and he wants to make more some time soon again.

Kiryu shakes his head and sighs of deflation. The young beaujolais-haired boy's energy was a lot — tiring, but it caused Kiryu to feel a sense of determination for tonight's special moment. He looks out the window not so far from where he sat and notices that the sun was beginning to set so he stands up from the settee and begins walking down the hallway towards his and Mikejima's bedroom to get himself dressed, he'll pick some clothing out for Isara along the way.

He wonders what his child should wear? Definitely something to keep the cold from biting at his skin, that was main priority, Kiryu thought to himself.

...

"Are we there yet?" Since leaving the house to go to their designated spot, which was a hill not far from where the trio lived, Isara has been repeatedly asking the very same question over and over.

"Almost, MaoMao~" Mikejima responds.

Isars then whines, "you already said that... I'm bored and want to go nightie-nights!"

Mikejima glanced over his shoulder. "You don't get to talk, little man. You're tired? I've been carrying you since we got off that doorstep on my back!"

Isara pokes his tongue out in response, causing Mikejima to huff and face forward once more.

The family of three then reach their destination, Isara was slid off Mikejima's back whilst Kiryu set out the blanket they were going to sit on, along with a carrier for the biscuits that Mikejima and Isara baked together. There were various types. Sugar-coated ones. Fruit-filled. Jam-filled. They even got some chocolate covered ones, which excited the whole family — chocolate was a rare item around the country. It was hard to get, and it was very expensive to pay for.

The three members of the family sit down on the blanket. Isara sat on Kiryu's lap as the three faced forward. "Look up, little warrior. Do you see them? It's beginning."

"Where... oh - a flying...! Uh..."

"This is what you call a meteor shower, bub."

The family of three sit in amazement; pointing out any of the meteors to Isara most of the time.

("Papa! Mam! Over there, they look just like us!" Isara points to a trail of three meteors that flew down in synchronisation with one another. The middle one was tiny compared to the two on its sides.)

("That one is going so fast... woah.")

("It's Mam's biscuit! The... the star! The shape of it!")

Eventually, the shower was over, and the sky was beyond dark, just like the rest of the world.

"Madara..." Kiryu calls out, causing the brunette to pay attention to him after his call whilst he packed the stuff away. Plenty of the biscuits and other food that was packed had been mostly eaten. Only a few half eaten pieces have been left to crumble inside the carrier.

Kiryu knocks his head down to his arms where the young Isara sat, resting his head on Kiryu's shoulder, his eyes closed as a few soft snores left from him. A smile reached the child's expression whilst he slept. "We did it."

"I'm glad... Happy New Year, Maobub." Mikejima leaned over Isara, giving a soft kiss on Isara's forehead and doing the same to Kiryu but on the lips.

1 note · View note

ivushk · 3 years

Note

HELLO. MAY I PLEASE HEAR MORE OF YOUR VAMPIRE AU…. 👉👈

OH MY GOD I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Okay, SO. BUCKLE THE FUCKLE UP 'CUZ here's what I've got so far:

Nishiki and Kiryu are still orphans at Sunflower. They come from a tiny village just a few kilometres west from the orphanage. It's a very close and closed-off community. The boys' parents died in a fire when they were very little (which is a common theme for the kids at Sunflower and isn't that a crazy coincidence? *smiles mysteriously*), however the Nishikiyama family house wasn't as badly damaged as Kiryu's so it's just sitting there, waiting for its former residents to reclaim ownership as soon as they're able to (I imagine Kazama would help them with that).

In the next years it becomes a home for Nishiki, Yuko and Kiryu (and Yumi, too, though she feels like a visitor for the most part) in everything but name. It's their hangout spot, their "base of operations", their not-so-secret meeting place. When Yuko's health deteriorates so much that she can't stay at Sunflower anymore, the siblings actually properly move in to make arranging the doctor's visits easier.

It's Nishiki's 17th birthday and all three of them are celebrating and playing games and eating cake and having a good time at the edge of the woods not far from the Nishikiyama residence. They're young and loud and stupid (and ignoring the fact that several people went missing over the course of the last few months) and if Nishiki's heart beats a little too hard in his chest when Kiryu gives him his gift - a beautiful, heavy silver pendant on a slightly-worn leather cord - he doesn't think about it too much (and if he notices that Kiryu stares at him just a bit longer than usual without saying a single word but his gaze is so, so, SO fond-- he doesn't think about it either). (he leaves these kinds of thoughts for restless nights because thinking about his best friend in that way during the day... it hurts. the hurt is good sometimes but it's overwhelming).

They're drunk on the cheap beer they've smuggled from Gen-san's fridge and high on happiness. Unaware that the very same night it would all go crashing down.

At some point they all quiet down and go a little further into the woods than they normally would but no one pays any mind to that. And when suddenly their trio turns into a duo with the sudden absence of the birthday boy himself no one immediately starts panicking. He's been gone for ten minutes, twenty, half an hour. Kiryu tells Yuko to go back to the village, to gather everyone, make them start a search party or something while he keeps looking for her brother (the only things he'll find are the pendant he's gifted to Nishiki with the leather cord torn and the broken shards of his own hope). They never find him.

A year goes by and they hold a funeral for Nishikiyama Akira. Even though there's no body for them to bury. Yuko doesn't cry (she doesn't believe he's really dead). Neither does Kiryu (he used all of his tears up that night, the guilt choking him, and the night after that, and the night after that, and the night-). Yumi does, however. And the nice old lady who gave both Nishiki and Kiryu money for helping her do chores around the house. And the man who gave Nishikiyama a part-time job at his shop (to put at least something towards the cost of his sister's treatment, he felt so indebted to Kazama, and that debt weighed down on him). And a few of the girls and boys from Sunflower too.

Another two years pass. Kiryu moves away to the big city at the behest of Kazama. "It's important for you to continue your education," he says. ("It's important for you to move on," he keeps these words to himself). Kiryu really tries his best. Even makes a few friends (although he's still on the fence about whether he can actually call Oda his friend). It goes as well as it could have considering his circumstances. They say that time heals but Kazuma Kiryu never finds out if there's any truth to those words because he recieves a very short letter - an invitation, actually. To another funeral. But this time it's Yuko they're burying. This time they actually have a body to bury.

Tachibana offers his condolences. Oda offers him a ride to the village and back. Kiryu accepts both.

He can't help but compare this funeral to the last one he's been to. There are fewer people. Fewer tears, too. More flowers. It's quieter and feels something like closure (in truth, it's anything but). Yuko also left behind a will (more like a bunch of wishes since it wasn't an official document but the community decided to honour them anyway). Almost all of her possessions went to the kids from Sunflower, except for the Nishikiyama family house (which on paper actually belonged to Shintaro Kazama) which she left to Kiryu. He can't quite believe it when he hears it and feels his heart break under the onslaught of childhood memories. Still, he goes there later that evening. He finds that little has changed in the time he spent away from the house, from the village, from... all of this, really. There are the same pictures on the walls collecting only slightly less dust. The same books on the shelves and under the broken legs of the old pieces of furniture. The same medicine bottles and equipment in the bedroom, though doubled in quantity. Kiryu's not as devastated as he thought he'd be when he walks around what he used to call his home.

He goes through all the rooms, taking notes of every single thing he finds and every single thing he doesn't. He probably misses a bunch of things (he's not as good at that sort of thing, Nishiki's always had a much better eye for details). Once back outside, he looks for the secret stash they made back when they were teenagers. It's like going through a time capsule. There's a pack of cigarettes he and Nishiki once stole from the teacher's bag, copybooks filled with ugly doodles, dreams for the future and dried flowers and leaves, caps from soda bottles, rocks they thought looked cool, photos and birthday cards damaged by time and weather... the pendant Kiryu gave to Nishiki the last time they saw each other. And a small notebook Kiryu's never seen before. A diary of sorts, a recounting of their days together and their days apart. The handwriting is unmistakingly Yuko's.

It fills him with nostalgia, tears welling up in his eyes, unshed. His heart sinks when he finally reaches the pages where Yuko recounts the last few weeks before she-

She writes about her brother, which is understandable. What's less understandable is the fact that she speaks of him as though he was there, with her. Physically present. Kiryu could chalk it up to the girl being delusional in her dying moments but it doesn't feel right to do so. It's stupid, it's absolutely impossible, he's confused, he's hopeful, why would Yuko hide her notebook there?

The last page. A message. For Kiryu. "Please, Kazuma-kun, help my brother".

Against his better judgement, Kiryu decides to spend the night in the house. Sleep doesn't come to him but that's fine. He sits in the living room, trying to make sense of everything. He sits there until it's way past midnight, until the distant barking of the dogs quiets down, until the rustling of leaves stops, until the very air around him grows still and silent and somehow charged with strange energy. And then he hears it. Three uncertain taps against the window. Kiryu turns his head. It's him.

"Kiryu... Let me in. Please."

He does, without thinking. (He could never very well say no to Nishiki. Even if it got them both in trouble. Even if he's not real.)

The quiet is deafening. It really is him. His best friend (whom he thought dead). His kyoudai. Before Nishiki could say anything, Kiryu wraps him in a tight hug. The only heartbeat between them is Kiryu's own, thundering against his ribs. Nishikiyama doesn't let the hug last, putting some distance between them. He looks guilty, tired; looks at Kiryu with sadness, with longing and something else that he can't quite decipher yet (and it makes him scared but why?). Nishiki also looks older than Kiryu remembers. Not a 17-year-old boy anymore, no. About the same age that Kiryu is now.

Has his gaze always been so sharp? Have his fangs always been this pronounced?

They talk until their throats are hoarse. Until Nishiki pulls out a bottle with some liquid that smells strongly of iron and drinks from it and in that moment Kiryu believes everything his friend has told him. It's crazy, but he does.

Nishiki was abducted that night. Taken from them. By vampires. They hurt him. Forced him to fight other humans (just like him then) for his survival. They fed on him.

It went on and on and on... Days turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into years. Only thoughts of Yuko, and Kiryu, and Yumi kept him going. He wanted to see them again. He hoped he would. That hope was crushed when Nishikiyama met his match in the arena. No, not his match. Someone far stronger. He lost and was tossed out to die. But another vampire saved him. It was a woman, whose face he saw often among the spectators of his fights. She stood out from the crowd, since she never cheered for any of the humans. Never put any bets. Only looked at all that madness with quiet horror. "Reina" she said her name was.

She gave Nishiki blood. Her own blood, and the blood of the vampires that were much stronger and more powerful than her (but not wiser), and human blood.

He turned and it was even worse than the years of anguish he had experienced. The pain and constant thirst almost drove him mad until he was taught to deal with them.

Nishiki was given a second chance. He escaped. And ever since that moment he's been trying his damndest to help other victims of those monsters. Both, the poor imprisoned souls and the villagers who might have shared his fate otherwise.

THAT CONCLUDES MY MAD RAMBLINGS BECAUSE I HAVEN'T THOUGHT OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT THAT WELL

also i don't remember the last time i wrote this much in one sitting and i'm tireeeeeed. i'm not cut out to be a writer and it shows nghghghhhhhh

but! but! but! i have a couple thoughts on where the story goes:

kiryu decides to stay in the village and help nishiki

they uncover the vampires evil plans and recruit a few other characters to fight on the side of JUSTICE (i.e. kazama, who up to that point has been kind of in cahoots with the vamps - hence trying to atone by means of creating the Sunflower orphanage; kashiwagi; yumi; reina; tachibana and oda; majima, and yeah he was actually the one that defeatead nishiki and unknowingly caused him to become a vampire, also majima himself turns into a vampire later in the story thanks to a certain mad simp nishitani)

yuko comes back as a vampire

at some point the scene from my fanart happens; something along the lines of kiryu and nishiki being found by the evil vamps and being attacked. then of course nishiki saves kiryu (who's still baffled that this shit is happening to them and vampires are REAL) and tells him to run which he doesn't but it works out fine in the end

the scene of nishiki drinking kiryu's blood is a MUST because i. love. that. shit. (it's also extremely horny dfjvhsdkfhiasdfhisd)

nishiki's personality is somewhere in between his ykz0 and ykz k*wami self (like, he's much colder now but he still cares about others and does things not just for the sake of his own ambition)

idk about the end but immortal boyfriends? sounds nice?

#i'm so sorry anon this took so long #i went to bed and slept for like 12 hours and then my neck and back were really bothering me ghjklkjljfkjg #i had to take a few smoke breaks along the way #writing shit is hard #OKAY I'M DONE WITH EXCUSES SORRYYYYY #nishikiryu #yakuza #vampire!au #ask

13 notes · View notes

amy-issen · 3 years

Audio

ok so here it is!! i spent the last week solely making and listening to this playlist like i was POSSESED because this ship is lovely and deserved a nice playlist! if anyone wants to know why i picked each song, i’m going to ramble about it extensively in the read more, so check that out if you want! hope you enjoy it! also thanks again to @birbwell for letting me use her art for the cover!

i divided this playlist in a few sections so let’s start with the first one (section one: first meeting/pining) i. in the rain - joe hisaishi i wanted to start with a short instrumental track to set the mood, and i looooove howl’s moving castle score, so i had to pick this one! the fact that it has rain in the title also helps to reference how their relationship began! ii. with every breath i take - frank sinatra “every breath that I take is a prayer that i’ll make you mine” my sister is a big sinatra/jazz fan (and also a yakuza fan) so she helped me with picking a few of the songs here! this one is very romantic, elegant and beautiful and i thought it fit the mood (and it’s what i think tachibana listens to in his free time lmao).

iii. gold rush - taylor swift “what must it be like to grow up that beautiful? with your hair falling into place like dominoes my mind turns your life into folklore i can't dare to dream about you anymore” this one is my FAVORITE song on this playlist, and one of the first i picked because this song just fits them like a glove. it’s basically pining 101, and i love that what taylor said this song is about “daydreaming about someone then snapping out of it.” i feel like the first part could be from tachibana’s perspective and the second one from kiryu’s (also giving a bit of a glimpse into the future, with the mention of a coastal town they’ll never find together) iv. first love/late spring - mitski “so please, hurry, leave me, i can't breathe please don't say you love me mune ga hachikire-sōde (my heart seems like it’s going to burst)” this one was another song i picked very early on because i love mitski, and i needed to include her here. i just wanted something to symbolize the trust that tachibana and kiryu have to share to work together, and the feelings that emerge from it, if that makes any sense. i don’t think this has a specific perspective, because i feel like this could work from both kiryu’s and tachibana’s (mostly kiryu though) v. real estate - adam melchor “every time I wonder how i'd carry on without you i'm runnin' out of real estate tryna make all the right moves i don't wanna hesitate i would bet the house on you “ do you UNDERSTAND how satisfying it was to find a song named real estate for them?? come ooon. ok that’s not all of my reasoning for it but it’s like. most of it, lmao another song i felt was about trust and feelings. (also a bit of a glimpse into the future, because i’m sad) vi. i get a kick out of you - ella fitzgerald “i get no kick from champagne mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all so tell me why should it be true that i get a kick out of you?” another one my sister recommended. i originally was gonna go with sinatra’s version of this, but i love this one and it just wouldn’t leave my brain. again, one from mostly tachibana’s perspective, get this man to sing this on karaoke night right now. vii. like real people do - hozier “i will not ask you where you came from i would not ask and neither would you honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips we could just kiss like real people do” this is one of my all time favorites from hozier and, again, it just fit perfectly. tachibana and kiryu have both lived some very... troubled lives so far, and while they’re depending on this trust they have in eachother, none of them really care to know about what they’ve done or who they are. this is mostly from kiryu’s perspective, specially with this metaphor of being rescued/dug up from the earth with the whole being found in the rain and saved by tachibana and his poor driving skills. viii. delicate - taylor swift “this ain't for the best my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me... we can't make any promises now, can we, babe? but you can make me a drink” y’all are going to have to forgive me for picking TWO taylor swift songs but COME OOOON this is another one that i picked early on because i could draw so many parallels between the lyrics and things that they both said in that car scene on chapter 9 (mostly tachibana though) and i kept harassing my sister with screenshots to prove my point and i’m gonna do it again

ANYWAYS i’ve made my case, and now we enter the second section of the playlist at last ( section 2: actual romantic/fluffy songs because this is a ship playlist) i. good old-fashioned lover boy - queen “dining at the ritz we'll meet at nine (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 o'clock) precisely i will pay the bill, you taste the wine driving back in style in my saloon will do quite nicely just take me back to yours that will be fine” is this a bit of a cliché? yes. did i want to include it because it’s very cute and i’d like to imagine kiryu and tachibana having a nice date night with no people trying to kill them all the time? also yes. i love this song.

ii. stay with me/mayonaka no door - miki matsuraba “you in your gray jacket with that oh-so-familiar coffee stain just as you always are the two of us reflect in the window display stay with me knocking on midnight's door i beg you not to go home tonight” (translated lyrics) is anyone not obsessed with this song lately? this is the only song here i’m blaming tiktok for making me listen to it lol. in any way, this song is deceptive because it sounds really happy but is actually quite melancholic. i thought it fit their relationship well, and it seemed like a good addition to the playlist with it’s 80′s city pop vibes.

iii. on melancholy hill - gorillaz (covered by matt forbes) “just looking out on the day of another dream where you can't get what you want, but you can get me so let's set out to sea, love 'cause you are my medicine when you're close to me" this is a gorillaz song but i went with this cover because it fit the feeling of the playlist a little better. another song that i just love very deeply and i thought fit the sentiment of kiryu being like “hey i know we have Big problems and you’re very sad in the moment but i’m here for you” iv. (i love you) for sentimental reasons - nat king cole "i think of you every morning dream of you every night darling, i'm never lonely whenever you are in sight" surprisingly, not one that my sister recommended, but one i found for myself while looking for quiet romantic songs. i feel like this is tachibana's reply to kiryu being there for him and helping him. plus, idk i just wanted to imagine them slow dancing to this. v. positions - ariana grande (covered by travis atreo) "perfect, perfect you're too good to be true but I get tired of runnin', fuck it now, i’m runnin' with you" i picked this cover because i felt like using ariana's one would be a little goofy for this section lmao, but i really like this song and how it's about commitment and doing everything to make a relationship work. i just wanted to throw some sexy vibes before this playlist delved into depressing stuff. also if you telling me tachibana wouldn't absolute body a tiktok set to this song you're lying to yourself. (section 3: oh no this is getting sad) i. forever - labrinth "i'll live forever" i love everything labrinth makes, the euphoria soundtrack lives in my mind rent free and this is my favorite one. this barely has any lyrics so, again, mostly a track i picked for its intrumentals and feeling overall. mostly preparing you for the sad stuff ahead. ii. hong kong - gorillaz "you swallow me i'm a pill on your tongue here on the nineteenth floor the neon lights make me calm" this is my favorite gorillaz song, by FAR, and i think it's introspective vibe really fits tachibana's character. not really a song about relationship but i really wanted to include it because it's just such a GORGEOUS song. iii. fragments - severon another instrumental track! this one i stole from a playlist my sister made for a fic i wrote last year. again. sad vibes. iv. sign of the times - harry styles (covered by LANY) "remember everything will be alright we can meet again somewhere somewhere far away from here" i loved the synth-y vibe this cover had, while still keeping this song's sad "our lives are dangerous and i'm about to die" vibes. i mostly wanted to evoke the vibe from the scene where tachibana agrees to go with lao gui after kiryu gets shot. just really sad all around. v. so close - jon mclaughlin "we're so close to reaching that famous happy end almost believing this one's not pretend let's go on dreaming though we know we are so close, so close, and still so far" me? picking a song from disney's enchanted??? for a playlist??? it's more likely than you think. idk this song just gives me that vibe of being so close to being happy and together, almost reminiscing and wondering what could have been. but it just... won't happen. vi. as the world caves in - matt maltese "yes, it's you i welcome death with as the world, as the world caves in" oops, yes, i had to go there. just couldn't resist including this song, and i feel like it's really self-explanatory. vii. places we won't walk - bruno major "neon lights shine bold and bright buildings grow to dizzy heights people come alive at night in places we won't walk" again, i feel like this song speaks for itself. a bit of a meditation on kiryu's perspective on things that could have happened, things they would have done, that kiryu will just have to do alone from now on. viii. carry me out - mitski "i drive when it rains at night, when it rains, i drive and the headlight spirits they lead me down the styx so black it shines and carry me out carry me out"

possibly the saddest and the most powerful song in this playlist, because i just had to put a mitski song again. the image of kiryu carrying tachibana's body is just constantly in my mind when i listen to this, but i could also see this song being from the perspective of tachibana's spirit. ix. arms tonite - mother mother "i died in your arms tonight i slipped through into the afterlife it was nice" lmao this felt a bit like a cruel joke to include, but i didn't want this playlist to end TOO depressingly. it's a nod to tachibana dying in kiryu's arms, sure, but also it's romantic and possibly a little hopeful (tachibana lives au!!! orpheus and eurydice au!!! fuck it, idk!!) xi. everybody wants to rule the world - tears for fears "there's a room where the light won't find you holding hands while the walls come tumbling down when they do, i'll be right behind you so glad we've almost made it so sad they had to fade it everybody wants to rule the world" not a recommendation from my sister, but it is her favorite song, and she was happy that i included it. another 80's bop with sad lyrics! i feel like this is a lovely summary of their story together and it feels like a nice little bow to wrap up the playlist. i hope you enjoyed my long ass explanations! i might add songs later (or make an entire second playlist altogether for the fic i'm writing rn, but let's not get ahead of ourselves)

#tachikiryu #yakuza #ryu ga gotoku #kazuma kiryu #tetsu tachibana #playlist #audio #THIS IS SUCH A LONG POST I CAN'T BELIEVE I WROTE ALL THIS ARRRRGH #praying this shows up in the tags lmao

52 notes · View notes

rhetorical-ink · 4 years

Text

Haikyuu!! Observations: Ushijima x Sakusa, Ft. Komori and Tendo

**SPOILERS FOR ANIME ONLY’S BELOW**

Okay, am I about to dive into a lengthy post about why UshiSaku may be endgame in Haikyuu!! and how Tendo may be the best wing man for it all?

Uhm, yes. Yes, I am, so bear with me.

I’ve been stewing on this for a while now, so there’s a lot to cover in this post. Let’s dive in!

Ushijima and Sakusa’s Parallels

Okay, first things’s first -- let’s talk about Ushijima, Sakusa, and the parallels the Manga has made with them. Starting with their views of Shoyo Hinata. Let’s begin with Ushijima. While the stereotypical characterization of Ushijima is to make him completely stoic and unfeeling, Ushijima DOES have emotional responses, especially in the manga -- for example, his reaction on the court to Hinata is MUCH stronger than I believe the anime shows:

This is developed further in the Shiratorizawa vs. Karasuno match -- as Ushijima struggles with the fact that Hinata is not a skilled player -- he just has natural athleticism and his actions are half “luck” and half the gutsy collaboration of his actions alongside the “reckless” and “wild” other players of Karasuno.

This idea of “luck,” interestingly enough, will come back with Ushijima nearly 200 chapters later...but we do establish here, that Ushijima is the type of person that admires and respects strength, and efforts that are backed by natural talent and disciplined training. It’s only natural that Hinata frustrates him, because at this point in the manga, Hinata and “disciplined training” aren’t exactly words that go together (more on that below).

Verrry similarly, Sakusa has no room for people who lack discipline, though his “discipline” relates more to personal health than just physical preparation for a game. This comes in direct focus in a flashback during the Black Jackal vs Adlers game, when it shows Sakusa first meeting Hinata. Unlike Ushijima, it doesn’t seem like he “hates” Hinata, just has absolutely no desire to be around someone that lets themselves get sick...and he only allows himself to be open to Hinata as a teammate after Hinata expresses that he has indeed grown up since High School.

The manga also points to parallels of how they handle defeat, showing both Ushijima remaining proud and quiet after their loss to Karasuno, only quietly declaring to Hinata and Kageyama that he would “beat” them again --

While with Sakusa, he’s more vocal in his musings about losing, in Chapter 368 stating that it would hurt more to be pitied, especially when you did all you could do, and still suffered a defeat. Itachiyama losing their setter could be viewed as “bad luck” in the final set, but Sakusa points to luck not having so much bearing as just it being the result of fate and unstoppable forces in the moment. Ever the realist, Sakusa...(again, more on “luck” below).

Sakusa objectively presents the fact that they lost in very simplistic, albeit nihilistic terms, and similarly, Ushijima doesn’t shy away from using objective information and putting things in simplistic terms without hyperbole. This can be seen through his conversation with Goshiki below.

Ushijima and Sakusa’s “Type”

So, if we’re going to even possibly ship these characters together...does it work? It becomes clear, through the manga and anime, though that both Ushijima and Sakusa admire players who are powerful, can present a legitimate challenge to them, and therefore spurn them to become stronger players, too.

Both Ushijima and Sakusa are portrayed as incredibly strong right out the gate in the manga, which makes sense as both are in the Top Three Aces for high school volleyball. However, unlike Kiryu (the #2 Ace that is depicted as more down-to-earth, friendly, compassionate, and relatable to our other protagonists), both Sakusa and Ushijima have “colossal protagonist” vibes -- seeming larger than life, incredibly stoic, and emotionally distant to others on their team, even if they are around them constantly.

And then, concerning Sakusa...there’s the infamous Chapter 394.

If anything has established what Sakusa’s “Type” would be, it would be these two panels. Ushijima is checking off all of the boxes for Sakusa: Understands personal hygiene? Check. Someone offering Sakusa a challenge as a competitor, and motivating him to keep moving forward and practicing? Check!

Chapter 394 answers many questions, and points us to the observation of:

Sakusa’s “Pining”

Furudate, we see Sakusa lazer-focused on Ushijima from the other side of the court...you’re not fooling us:

Hey, remember where the mystery of Sakusa and Ushijima’s relationship began? Waaaaay back, after the Shiratorizawa match, after the Fukurodani/Nekoma matches; at the start of the National Japan training camp that Kageyama attended in Chapter 209.

A camp, where it was noted by Karasuno, that Ushijima had been the chosen representative of their prefecture for at least the last year.

And who is the first person Kageyama runs into at this camp?

And the first thing Sakusa states isn’t a proper greeting, it’s not about how they beat Shiratorizawa...it’s how the team “somehow” beat WAKATOSHI-KUN.

The next time we get interactions from Sakusa, he immediately jumps on the offensive, DEMANDING to know who the player was that led to Shiratorizawa’s downfall:

It’s interesting that Kageyama implies the “entire” team was responsible for Ushijima’s defeat on the page before this one below, but of course, Kiyoomi does not pick up on this. Then, leave it to Komori to come in with the save. Again, tying Kiyoomi to being a “realist,” which will come into play below.

So, it isn’t until Chapter 394 that we learn about Sakusa’s long-standing history of playing Ushijima in various matches, developing this competitive rivalry with him that has been going on since middle school. Ushijima is literally the one obstacle that he finds himself unable to surpass; the one piece of the puzzle he can’t put into place yet.

It’s no wonder the fact that someone defeated him irked him so much.

We get a little more context from Komori on Sakusa and Ushijima’s rivalry, and more on the flashback on their Nationals loss which will tie into my last point.

Motoya Komori

I would be remiss not to bring up Motoya Kamori’s role in all this.

I think it’s verrrrrry interesting the route Furudate chose with Komori, specifically in revealing that he’s Kiyoomi’s cousin.

This makes a LOT of sense, considering how closed off and antisocial Sakusa is. It justifies not only why Komori is so keen to stick by Sakusa’s side, despite his seeming apathy towards his presence, but it also justifies why Kiyoomi even sticks with Komori: he really doesn’t have a choice. Komori’s family.

Side Note: Ever get the impression that Komori and Kageyama could be a fun friendship/pairing? I mean, the top setter and top libero? Komori seems genuinely friendly with Kageyama, both at the training camp and when they see each other at Nationals, commenting on Sakusa being out of his element...

...Juuuuust a crack pairing side note! Spread the word! Now, back to the post!

Komori becomes our main expositor about Sakusa in Chapter 394, noting how osbsessive compulsive he is, especially in finishing anything he starts. It’s just an odd choice for me, to make Komori his cousin. True, it goes against the stereotype that all family HAS to look or act like each other, and it does make sense to why their friendship is so strong.

It’s just a move that Furudate hasn’t pulled the entire manga, and it comes right at the end of the series...and it disrupts Furudate’s tactic of giving us characters in “pairs” that, as some reactors have noted, are ripe for instant shipping.

Coincidentally, right as we start to make connections between Sakusa and Ushijima. It’s almost as if Furudate sank the Komori x Sakusa ship with revealing their relationship, just in time to reveal the answer to our mystery of why Sakusa refers to Ushijima in such a familiar way...and let that ship sail. How poetic.

Also, if you wanted to know WHY Komori is so good at being a libero, look at this page below. I mean, if YOU had to practice non-stop with the Top Ace in the nation, receiving his spikes, you can only imagine that you’d be amazing at the sport.

I also like how this page points out how, despite Sakusa also having a physical trait that makes him stand out -- like Ushijima -- in contrast, it seems Sakusa’s “oddity” was instantly accepted among his peers and he didn’t face much resistance to it. Of course, this also could be because Komori notes Sakusa wasn’t close with his “much older” and “much busier” family.

Tendo’s Friendship

And, tying this all together, of course, is Tendo’s involvement.

I love chapter 176 and this part of the anime, where we actually get backstory on Ushijima. I love that Tendo is pretty much his “true” friend in this series, as he actually is one of the few at Shiratorizawa to take the time to ask questions and get to know Ushijima.

Chapter 176 is a big source of material for people shipping Tendo and Ushijima together, and I’ll be honest -- until Sakusa came into the picture, I was right there with you all. Tendo shows genuine concern and sincerity in his conversations with Ushijima off the court, and on the court, he’s practically the ONLY character on Shiratorizawa’s team, and in the whole manga (other than Oikawa) that calls Ushijima out and isn’t afraid to tease him.

Of course, in the end, Tendo is just as impressed and in awe of Ushijima’s raw athletic talent. It’s likely this page that fuels a lot of the ship:

And, even later on, Ushijima borrows Tendo’s words to reveal to the team how much he’s enjoying the match, much to their surprise and Tendo’s delight.

So yes, Chapter 176 I believe started the UshiTen ship, and it does become more compounded in the infamous “Boy Ball Arc” before Spring Nationals, as we learn in Chapter 210 about Tendo and Ushijima’s friendship off the court in more detail; one example being them sharing Shonen Jump magazines...

...and another being that they hang out during the practice matches, with Tendo being pretty much the only one talking to Ushijima in a casual setting.

I’d like to point out that while some see this in Chapter 214 below as a “ship” moment, I did start to question if the two were just friends when Tendo likens Ushijima to a “monster” like Hinata and Kageyama. To me, this banter reveals that Tendo, ironically referred to as a monster himself, doesn’t put himself in the same league or category as Ushijima. This is also reflected in how Tendo notes he’s not pursuing volleyball after high school, but hopes that Ushijima ends up becoming famous and interviews him as his best friend.

And this leads to the final point, which I think cements Tendo’s status as Ushijima’s best friend...but nothing more. Maybe. Perhaps. We’ll see.

We get the reveal in Chapter 395 that during Ushijima’s first few years post-high school, he didn’t constantly keep in contact with Tendo. We know this because Ushijima hasn’t mentioned his trip to the United States to Tendo, which had happened three months prior. So some time has passed there.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Tendo hasn’t kept caught up on Ushijima’s Pro Volleyball career, as that’s his reason for calling Ushijima in the first place.

I like that Tendo offers Ushijima advice and genuinely asks how his family is doing, specifically his father, whom Ushijima went overseas to visit with his father. Even if it has been a while since they’ve talked, you can tell that they are close enough friends that everything seems to pick right back up where it left off for them, which is true for many real-life friendships, and I appreciate Furudate giving us that here, and expanded on more years later, below.

I love this page of Chapter 402. Especially Shiribu’s little crush of Ushijima, as he “shhh”’s Semi.

Not only because it reverses Tendo’s original prophecy that it would be himself interviewed as the famous Ushijima’s friend, but also that it cements their friendship. I mean, Ushijima flew to PARIS for the interview. I know that in itself could be considered shipper fodder, but the fact that they identify as best friends...it just fits them so well. And I could see Tendo talking with Ushijima on late night phone calls to talk him through his dating, or lack thereof, woes.

Also, let it be known these men are the most stylish in Haikyuu!! They should work with Asahi.

Also, also, Tendo’s favorite food is chocolate ice cream. That should have been all the foreshadowing we needed for his future career, right? ^^

Black Jackals vs Adlers

So, that leaves us with the meat of the UshiSaku ship: the Adlers vs Black Jackals match, and the final chapter 402. In Chapter 394, we establish Sakusa’s backstory and the potential pining he’s done for Ushijima the last ten years of his life, starting with this page:

Again, tying back to being “lucky.” I like that despite how Ushijima couldn’t comprehend where Hinata attained all of his athleticism and lamented how half of his plays were just “lucky” and a combined effort of him and his teammates, in the end, Ushijima admits here that he himself is rather “lucky” he won the luck of the draw athletically and was born with a particular trait that made him excel in the game (that being lefthanded). Sakusa, incidentally, falls into the same category, though he doesn’t quite admit it as such.

I like that we see these two actually interacting side-by-side, as equals, a visual I think Furudate designs intentionally. Unlike Tendo, who doesn’t situation himself in the same realm as Ushijima, Sakusa positions himself right in the same sphere, of the “Monster Generation.”

By the end of Chapter 394, Sakusa reflects on his own “luck.” In how he is lucky to have been given life -- reflected with a picture of Komori, his family -- to have met people -- reflected by Ushijima specifically -- and to still be playing volleyball -- reflected by his old high school setter, whom went on to play in the Division 1 league after his own injury. His views of “luck” are all represented in ideally, the people that mean most to him...and Ushijima is one of them.

Sakusa also describes his “Ideal Last Game,” which could be represented by the game being played in that moment. It’s beautiful that someone who is so germaphobic and hyper-obsessive with controlling the atmosphere around him (who he comes in contact with, how he finishes everything he starts), is also so content and at ease on a volleyball court, where nothing is in his control but his own body and the contact he makes with the ball. And it also helps that he’s surrounded by amazing players, like Ushijima, here, to keep him rising to the next challenge --

-- which ends up coming his way in the very next Chapter, as Ushijima (coincidentally right after Sakusa) has his “moment” of reflection and growth put on display. Of course, Sakusa isn’t “finished” with catching up to Ushijima yet, as his cousin snidely reminds him with a laugh, here. I love that we see Ushijima smile, though, at Sakusa’s effort.

Speaking of “Effort,” that ties into later in Chapter 400, when we have Sakusa’s own high school banner for Itachiyama put on display. It’s a simple motto, that goes alongside Shiratorizawa’s in “Be Strong.” I also like here, that in contrast to Chapter 395, when Ushijima was smiling at Sakusa, who couldn’t bump his spike, in Chapter 400, we have Sakusa getting the spin off of Ushijima’s hand, and as he lands, he gives a little smirk to a disgruntled Ushijima.

LITERALLY, these two have only truly smiled during a game at each other. Sure, each have scowled and showed irritation and drive towards facing opponents, but have we seen them “smile” at another in the midst of a game? Not really, unless you count Sakusa getting that service ace before Atsumu Miya in this same game...

Speaking of Atsumu Miya, we’ll talk about him a little bit below. But for now, I like that Sakusa describes that there’s no “room for anything that disgusts me” on the court in a pro volleyball game. Everyone is at their fullest potential and peak physical condition, just like Sakusa, and they all have worked diligently to get to that position.

We don’t get much other UshiSaku crumbs post Chapter 400, although, I would like to point out that Furudate, when drawing the National Japan Olympic Team, placed these two right next to each other. You know...for no reason, I’m sure.

And yes, I would be remiss not to mention this tiny panel -- the last we see of Sakusa or Ushijima or Atsumu Miya, I believe -- as it’s Sakusa that digs up Oikawa’s insane serve. I just LOVE the smile that Ushijima has here as Sakusa digs it. Because unlike Sakusa and Atsumu Miya, Ushijima knows exactly what kind of player Oikawa was in the past, and no doubt knows the kind of plays he could pull off...so I’d imagine he’s proud that his teammate dug up this serve right off the bat.

I know there are a lot of people that ship AtsuSaku, and I won’t deny you that Furudate has laid out crumbs for them as well...but I sort of view Miya with Sakusa the same way I view Tendo with Ushijima at the end of the day: as best friends. I definitely think that there is a hilarious friendship angle with Sakusa and Atsumu Miya -- but I think it’s Ushijima that is the player Sakusa is always going to try and beat and surpass...you could argue, very similar to the dynamic between Hinata and Kageyama in their rivalry...albeit, I think Sakusa’s hints more deliberately at something more...but that’s just my opinion.

In the end, I find it interesting the decisions Furudate makes to show us these characters and specific interactions at the end of the series; specifically, showing Ushijima and Sakusa’s backstories back-to-back, and with all the little glances and panels of them near or looking towards one another. But hey, shippers will see what shippers want to see, right?

I do think that Komori’s panel here in Chapter 394 is pretty telling, though:

Sakusa has identified Ushijima as someone he wants to beat and surpass, and he’s not going to stop until he does. And if there are feelings beyond that...well...he’s not going to stop until “he’s satisfied” with that, either.

At least, according to Chapter 378, Ushijima’s already got his flu shot.

I hope you all enjoyed this little dive into this bizarre pairing in Haikyuu!! I’ve wanted to break this apart for a while, and now that the manga is over, I hope to do more of these types of posts with other pairings. Until next time, we can celebrate the ship that is UshiSaku (and KomoYama/KageMori -- pass it on!) with fan fiction and fan art to our heart’s content! ^^

107 notes · View notes

hazeldough · 3 years

Text

the more i think about it, the more it feels to me that the series really gave haruka the short end of the stick in the end...?

i cant be the only one who thinks they made some weird ass choices for haruka’s part in Y5....... like nevermind the fact that she couldn’t brawl-- though, that’s another can of worms-- i’m talking mostly about how they did things to show how being an idol wasn’t as great as it was, but they didn’t do much to offset it??

Y6 & Y7 spoilers

the main thing that grinds my gears is the running girl mini game where haruka was running around sotenbori and the director was acting SUPER creepy towards her-- and that’s putting it mildly. no one was there-- not park, yamaura, horie, or christina, to watch out for her. the least they could’ve done was have them eye roll at the director.

yes, i’d rather them just cut ties with the program, but i imagine the industry being more complicated than that so it wouldn’t be that simple. but idk, just something to be like, “hey, this guy’s a fucking creep. and that’s not okay.” and to my knowledge, they didn’t do anything about it...? (feel free to correct me if i’m wrong and someone powered through it proving me otherwise)

what boggles me about it is that ever since kiryu (and the player) has met haruka, we’ve known her to be a kid that’s way too mature for her age-- but makes sense considering the type of trauma she’s been through. she’s observant and willing to take a stand. she pranked kiryu, date, and the florist when she played that she didn’t know what a soapland was. she slapped mine when he was ready to wreck her home.

why didn’t she notice how much that director was being a creep????

i get it that haruka can’t know everything and yes, she’s still 16, of course she wouldn’t! but it just feels so...... off, and icky. and i hate that she didn’t get a chance to be a kid or question what happened to her in her childhood in the game.

we saw her grow up, but unfortunately didn’t see her character develop as much.

yes, she has a lot of unsolved trauma from experiences, and i know she can figure it out. but how come we never got to see that??

Y6, comparatively, was a game that broke out of a lot of recurring story patterns when comparing it to previous games. i loved the story, but i also can’t help but thinking that there was so much missing out of it. they were able to fill in the gaps with Y7 with majima, saejima, and daigo, but it’s such a shame they weren’t able to give haruka the same treatment, especially with how her happiness and well being was kiryu’s main motivation in the games.

speaking of, how fucked up is it that kiryu gave daigo a letter recognizing him as his son and reuniting with him, but haruka didn’t get that? like i’m glad it happened for daigo, but why couldn’t haruka get that too? especially when kiryu was the only one from Y6 who faced the consequences for revealing the secret of hiroshima even though the hirose boys were also with him?

it SUCKS that haruka was one of the most recurring characters in the series, but she was never given a chance to really shine and grow like everyone else. like she deserved SO much better than that!!!

anyways, this whole thing started bc i was listening to loneliness loop and thought, “haha, the daigo mod was funny, but isn’t it SO weird they put haruka in that outfit for the sequence...?” 🤦‍♀️

like i love this series and i complain out of love, but also. good GOD i want everyone on the dev team to chug respect women juice like it’s the first drink after a drought. and no, the whole “kiryu won’t hit women” bit is very dated bar. i want them to treat the female characters in this franchise the same as the male characters. (yes, i’m salty that we never got a seong-hui boss fight, but that’s besides the point)

(also do not get me wrong on that brief daigo comparison at the end. i think the series could’ve done better with him too. but this aint about him right now!)

#aj rambles #hey game!! you present to me haruka as my daughter and don't think that i care her beyond just being cute and capable!!#ur fuckin wrong buckaroo!!! i want the works for my child!!!!!#tempted to put this in the tags but who wants to see me going off like this...?

4 notes · View notes

subasekabang · 5 years

Text

Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Title: Long Dream –Live Remix– (A Side)

Rating: T

Word Count: 7598 total, 3758 this chapter

Characters: Coco, Joshua, Neku, Beat, OMC, OFC

Warnings: Major character death

Summary: Her Magnum Opus nears completion, and as her audience approaches, she hurriedly arranges one final rehearsal. Elaboration on a pet theory of mine, built out of Final Remix spoilers.

Every day streets are crowded with people

Every night streets are jammed with these noises

Things are so strange, are they real or a dream?

Where am I now, trapped in this city of illusion?

***

Neku surveyed his surroundings. It didn’t take him long to recognize them.

“This is Cat Street…”

“Yo, finally!” Beat said, running a few steps ahead. “We can get outta Shibuya from here! I’m so ready to be done with this crappy Game!”

Neku looked up the street, murmuring, “Unless the way ahead has been rearranged too…”

He tensed a bit as Coco stepped up behind him, the tiny Reaper saying, “No worries fam! See, the way ahead looks, like, totez clear! That super tough wall you guys just made it past must’ve been the last challenge!”

Neku’s eyes caught on the café just ahead. Even in this situation, it still sparked a very complicated emotion in his heart.

“Yo, whatchu waitin’ for,” Beat said, “an engaged invitation? Le’s go, man!”

Beat took off. Neku followed at a slower pace, saying, “Hold on! While we’re here, shouldn’t we ask Mr. H what’s going on?”

The other boy skidded to a halt. “Huh? You think the H-Man’s gonna tell us anything?”

“He might. We have time to spare—it can’t hurt to ask.”

Coco made a face as she walked up next to him. “Uuuuh, source? That guy, like, oozes bad vibes. You should totez just finish the Game! That’s all that matters, yeah?”

Neku shook his head. “I still want to know what’s going on. Out of the people who might actually know, Mr. H is the only one with an address. We might not get another chance.”

The Reaper rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I mean, I guess, but like, why risk it? The finish line is literally right in front of y’all—just cross it and end the Game. Then if you still wanna talk to Coffee Weirdo, just walk right back in and do it then! It’ll totez be less stressful once we’re off the clock!”

Beat nodded. “Yeah, man! We gotta get this over with either way. Plus we might get an explanation jus’ for winnin’! We’ll keep the H-Man as a back-up plan, aight?”

Neku crossed his arms. “I still feel like this would be less risky.”

“Aw c’mon!” Coco said, skipping down the sidewalk. “You srsly need to chill, Neku! Let’s just finish the Game already. Besidez…while we stand here chatting, the other Players are still fighting Noise and stuff. Like, uh, Shiki? Do it for her!”

“Right: Shiki and Rhyme is still out there, Phones!” Beat said. “We gotta end the Game now!”

With a sigh, Neku grumbled, “…Alright, I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting. But soon as we’re done, I’m coming back to get answers.”

The three of them ran down Cat Street, with Coco trailing farther and farther behind. Eventually she came to a stop, and just watched the boys continue with a wide grin on her face.

“Ugh, finally,” she said to herself. “This pair was WAY more stubborn than the last, 7.8/10 too much effort.”

Neku noticed they had lost her just as he and Beat ran over the city limits. The next thing he noticed was pain. Intense, searing pain, like his entire body was on fire. Judging by the way Beat had toppled over on the ground, the same thing was happening to him. Neku fell to his knees as the agony worsened.

“What’s…happening…?!”

Coco slowly approached them, taking care to not actually cross the limits. “This is fine! All according to keikaku. Congratz on winning the Reaper’s Game: Expert Mode! Oh btw, keikaku means plan.”

Beat cried out suddenly. Black and red flames consumed him, burning brightly for a few seconds before vanishing, leaving not even ashes in their wake. Neku’s eyes widened in horror.

“What did you do to him?!” Neku demanded.

“Erased him, duh,” Coco said. “Though technically wasn’t me, actually my baby that did it.”

“What?!”

“He needs loads of food to grow up big and strong. I’ve tried, like, a gazillion different things, and the Soul of super tough Players like you two is what works the best by far! ty so much!”

The pain only grew. Neku screamed, doing all he could to endure it despite knowing he was failing.

Coco put a hand to her ear. “Mmmm whatcha say? Couldn’t make that out.”

It wasn’t long before the flames consumed Neku as well, and then he too was gone. Coco put her hands on her hips and smiled. The world around her shifted, wavering like a mirage until it all melted into one swirling void of bluish clouds. Before her spawned a massive creature: a tapir with purple skin and six tusks, yellow tattoo-like protrusions in the shape of flames erupting all across its form. Its red eyes focused squarely on Coco.

“Yay! Look at you, you absolute unit! You’re, like, so strong now you could body anyone!”

Coco threw herself onto the tapir’s trunk, hugging it tightly—the creature gave a guttural rumble in response. She could sense its power increasing, and giggled happily as she took a step back. The tapir lowered its head and nudged her gently.

“Okay, okay.”

Reaching up, she scratched the tapir’s trunk. It tilted its head and squeaked.

“Aw, who’s a good boy?”

Coco hopped up to the top of its head, lying down so she could reach far enough to scratch behind its ear. The tapir lifted its trunk and trumpeted happily, then floated up and down in place, jostling Coco only the smallest amount.

“Haha, very good, such cute, wow!”

Soon it settled down. Coco propped up her head with one hand, continuing to slowly pet the tapir with the other, and let out a long sigh.

“Tapez my dude, I’m, like, so glad I have you. ngl you’re kinda my bff.”

The tapir grunted, swinging its trunk slightly. Coco swayed along.

“I dunno when it’s going down…but I’mma make sure you get through it. You’re one of my peeps too now! So it’s a legit promise!”

Coco extended her pinky. The tapir inclined its head a little and flexed its claws.

“Oooooh right. Well, still totez binding lol.”

She pressed her face against the tapir’s skin, letting her eyes close.

“Aaaaaah, we’re almost there, Tapez. Should just need, like, another few rounds and you’ll be a prime example of the ideal Noise body! Though tbh if the next pair is as annoying as this one, totez just gonna yeet them straight into your stomach.”

Her phone chimed. She opened one eye to look at the screen, and then rolled onto her back and groaned loudly, kicking her legs about in frustration.

“Uuuugh for real? Fine, whatevs.” She paused to pet the tapir one more time. “Sorry Tapez, I gotta bounce. brb and then we’ll go find you some more treats!”

The tapir squeaked a farewell, and then Coco stood up and shut her eyes again. Focusing her power, she elevated her Vibe and reached out with her mind to feel for the world she wanted to travel to; after so many times, it was easy for her, and in mere seconds she had concrete beneath her feet. Opening her eyes, Coco looked up at the skyline of Shinjuku and smiled brightly.

I love my city tbh.

***

Feel the people, hear the voices

They are reaching out to catch you

Feel the rhythms, hear the noises

You are beating all the visions

***

Coco moved through the city at a slow pace. Shinjuku was a travel hub, a place that was purely transient for most: each moment was fleeting, but each brought something new, something different, and that everlasting tumultuous tide of life fascinated Coco in a way nothing ever had before. Each second was something wholly unique, and she never wanted to miss even one of them. She spun around on a corner, taking it all in, and just laughed to herself.

“Having fun, Atarashi?”

Her good mood was spoiled instantly. She grimaced over her shoulder to see Joshua standing there, looking every bit as smug as she remembered him.

“fml what are you even doing here Kiryu?” she asked, turning around and crossing her arms in a huff. “Can’t you, like, take a hint?”

“Nice to see you too.” He raised a hand to his chin. “Hm. I’m curious: why is it you hold onto your wings even in the RG?”

Gesturing to them, Coco said, “Aesthetic.”

“…And what aesthetic would that be, exactly?”

“fyi I’m headed to a super important meeting rn so unless you’re finally ready to fite me irl then I, like, don’t even want to hear it.”

Joshua chuckled and brushed aside a lock of hair, which only made him seem even more smug and made Coco even angrier. “Stimulating as that has the potential to be, we’d both be in quite a bit of trouble with the folks upstairs if we were to have a skirmish.”

“Oooooh good point,” she said as she turned away. “And I bet you’re, like, already in hot water after the way you went off.”

“Nothing to worry about on that front. I’ve spoken with my Producer and he assures me the matter has been put to bed. Things in Shibuya will be staying the way they are.”

Coco spun around. “WTF?! You two are out of trouble just like that? I literally have no words!”

“Hm? Why, I would assume your Producer has been apprised of the details as well. Has he not passed them along to you yet?”

There was a short delay, and then Coco glanced aside and grumbled, “That must be why he sent me that txt…”

“I take it you’ve been too busy with your side project to stay on top of the paperwork.”

Coco locked eyes with Joshua. He was still smug, that would never change, but now there was a deadly undercurrent to his words that demanded Coco’s attention.

“tf are you even talking about?” Coco asked. “You really need to stay in your lane, Kiryu.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Explain.”

“Well for starters, I know you’ve been poking around my city.”

“omg! Tourism is a crime now?”

“Considering our circumstances I believe it falls more under ‘corporate espionage’.”

“It’s totez hilair to me that you consider the UG a corporation.”

“Setting that aside for the moment, there’s also the fact that you’ve been shirking your duties as Composer to jaunt off to an alarming number of parallel worlds as of late.”

Coco smirked. “Aw, u just jelly I can travel between worlds without needing to call an Uber to get back.”

Joshua shrugged. “I admit, it’s a skill I’ve yet to master—even my alternate selves seem to have difficulty with it. One came to call on me recently, you know. Said something about a bizarre Noise erasing two former Players in his world.”

Yawning loudly, Coco said, “Kiryu can I, like, get a tl;dr?”

Joshua’s face began to darken, the undercurrent gradually rising towards the surface. “Well Atarashi, it certainly sounds like you’ve been attacking alternate Shibuyas. If so, that’s something I believe qualifies as ‘in my lane’. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Coco cackled. “Pffft omg are u srs? I am DECEASED y’all, the guy who just tried to wipe his whole city is acting protective up in this bitch! lmaoooooo!”

Joshua stared hard at her. “Coco, do think for a moment: how do you suppose the Higher Plane would react to this news?”

“What, are you, like, planning to tell them? If you’ve got some proof then hmu.”

Joshua didn’t answer.

“lol that’s what I thought, smdh you better sit down Kiryu. Even if I were, like, messing with parallel worlds or whatevs, why would the Higher Plane even care? Angels from this world have no jurisdiction there. It’s free real estate.”

Slowly, Joshua nodded. “…Alright. Perhaps you have a point. Let’s leave the Higher Plane out of this hypothetical. The only one you need to be concerned with…is me.”

The air suddenly felt very heavy. Coco actually needed to remind herself to breathe, but she made sure her reaction wasn’t obvious.

“So, Atarashi. Explain to me why you’ve been killing Neku in so many parallel worlds. And, do try your best to make it a very good explanation.”

Coco brought her hands up to her face, twisting slightly away. “lololol I’m confused. Mad cuz I beat your record? Or want to make sure I don’t off this world’s copy of Edge Head before you can tell him he’s worthy of your grace? Honestly? I ship it.”

Joshua paused. “Neku himself isn’t the issue here. But if you’re making a move into my territory—“

“Yeah yeah yeah, cuz you care, like, SO much about your territory! I am SHOOK seeing you come in here acting like the authority on protecting your peeps! I could learn so much about my job from watching you!”

“I’m feeling a bit of déjà vu. I could have sworn I’ve already told you that a Composer’s job is simply to judge their people, and that it is only the existence and boundaries of their respective UG that require protection.”

Coco covered her mouth. “omg! Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?” She dropped her hands and stuck out her tongue. “jk obv you’re full of it.”

“I don’t see why I should need to divulge my motivations to you of all people,” Joshua mumbled, “but if you must know…I was under the impression that Shibuya was not worth keeping around. Now that I’ve seen it still holds potential, I of course have every intention of preserving the seeds that I’ve sown.”

Coco scowled at him, but didn’t speak at first. Nearly a minute passed before she said, “Then tbh? I’m not your enemy.”

Joshua’s eyebrows went up.

“It’s, like, only a matter of time before a new kind of Game starts up Kiryu. Their Game. And I’m gonna be mad prepared when it does. If you had literally a single brain cell you’d totez be doing the same thing.”

By the time she was done, Joshua’s eyes had narrowed down to a suspicious glare. “Surely you’re not referring to the party I’m assuming?”

“Like, who else?”

Joshua stared down his nose at Coco as he considered his next move. Coco grunted, drew out her phone, and checked her messages.

“My, you truly are impossible to figure out,” Joshua sighed.

Coco gave her best Clearly Fake Smile and replied, “Because you’re an expert at that lol. I’m nothing compared to your galaxy brain.”

“I think I could do it if not for that absurd…shall we call it a dialect?”

“Uh, this is how people talk now? Hello? If you knew anything about people, then like, you’d already know that, but as always you have 0 friends so buh-bye.”

“…Hm. And, exactly how many friends do you have, Atarashi?”

Coco frowned.

Joshua turned. “But, alright. If this is some plan to deal with the Inferno, then I’ll drop the matter for now. But, one thing I’d like to make clear before I go.” He took one last glance back at her, eyes full of ice. “I will not tolerate any interference in this world’s Shibuya.”

He was off without another word. Coco suppressed the urge to shudder, turning back to her phone and mumbling half-formed syllables as she made herself look busy. She looked back up to be sure that he was gone, and then sighed and tucked her phone away, gazing over Shinjuku once more as she waited for the tension to leave her body. It was immediately replaced by joy.

“omg whoops. Rōjin is totez still waiting orz.”

***

Is it angels? Is it devils?

Whispering in my ears

Is it emotions? Is it illusions?

I need to be with you

***

Coco poked her head through the shrine’s gate. Looking up the path, she could see a bald, tan-skinned man with a stoic face sitting at the building’s entrance, his eyes already locked onto her. She flinched.

“Uuuuh what’s up gamers?” she blurted as she stumbled forward. “I know I’m, like, totez late, but I have a tru legit reason for it, get a load of this!”

The man was Seiji Rōjin, owner of the shrine and also Shinjuku’s Producer. He offered not a single word as Coco hurriedly explained her encounter with Joshua to him. When she was done, he nodded and closed his eyes; Coco looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, and then took a seat next to him.

“You must leave your Opus be,” he ultimately said.

Coco started. “Uh, excuse me? Abandon all my hard work just because that nerd doesn’t want me near his bf? I think the heck not!”

Rōjin opened his eyes to look at her.

“…Um? Something else?”

“The Higher Plane demands a Game.”

Coco blinked. Then she rolled back, digging her fingers into her scalp and shouting, “AAAAAAARGH, srsly?! I know I haven’t held a Game in, like, forev, but can’t they just let me handle thingz down here? Please say sike!”

Rōjin said nothing. As she accepted the reality of the situation, Coco’s heart sank.

“But…Tapez…” She groaned. “…Is, like, a teeny bit of faith in me too much to ask? They know I’ve got mad skillz! When you taught me how to make Tapez, you said I was one of only, like, three Composers whomst’ve ever been able to control Magnum Opus Noise—they should be totez impressed with me already!”

“The Higher Plane demands more of your position than mere talent,” Rōjin said. “It demands discipline.”

Coco pulled herself back into a sitting position. “I am, like, sooo disciplined! I legit wanted to tear Kiryu’s face off, but I didn’t!” She got back on her feet as she went on, “Like, sure, this is about Shinjuku, but the whole reason I’m working on Tapez is so he can protect my peeps! Making sure he’s bad enough to dunk on anyone is literally The Best Thing I can be doing rn! The Inferno is out there, you know, somewhere, and we dunno when they’re gonna throw hands! And now I have to take time out of my counterattack schedule to run some basic-ass Game?”

She whirled back to face Rōjin. He didn’t say anything. Coco stared at him for a few moments, realizing she was getting a headache.

“…heck. We don’t really have much of a choice, do we? If the Higher Plane wants a Game so bad, then like, we gotta pull together a Game. Tapez will just have to chill for a week I guess.”

Coco put a hand to her head as she trudged past Rōjin for the door.

“Ugh, lemme see, the Conductor obvs needs to show, and we should probably @ all the Officers too. idk who’s gonna be the GM this week but they—“

The pain in her head suddenly turned sharp. She paused mid-step.

“…they…”

Her vision blurred, then went dark. And then she saw Shinjuku again, but it was…different, somehow. As if viewed through some sort of filter. She saw the streets, the people, and then a glowing red symbol up in the sky—and then the streets were empty. Not a single soul was left in Shinjuku. No, not quite, next she saw one person: a girl who slowly walked forward with a blank look in her eyes. The girl stared straight ahead, but couldn’t see Coco. Still, she opened her mouth to speak.

“All that’s left in the world is me.”

Coco gasped as the shrine came back into focus. At first she was too surprised to make any sense of the event. But as she breathed, she processed it, and her eyes shot wide as pure dread came over her.

“Uh…a-ah…I…”

Rōjin stood, watching her with furrowed brow. Coco’s entire body shook as she turned to face him.

“I…I saw it again…!”

She jumped forward and grabbed Rōjin’s shirt.

“It was the same vision! You remember, right? From, like, WAY back when I first asked you about Magnum Opus Noise? I saw it again! Shinjuku was erased—it was an Inversion! I-I…” She looked down as tears started to form in her eyes. “I haven’t seen anything since that day…why now? Is…is the Inferno about to attack Shinjuku? Is that what this means?! Are we out of time?!”

She felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw Rōjin staring back at her, his face as calm and stoic as ever. Coco swallowed hard, and then exhaled slowly.

“R-Right…right.” She managed a chuckle. “Like, look at me, crying in the club like a little bitch! Thanks bunchez, Rōjin.”

She stepped away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Coco found herself looking up at the sky, as if to verify what she had seen hadn’t actually come true…at least, not yet. The same skyline greeted her. But this time, she just couldn’t feel happy about it. This time, it made her feel resolute. She turned back to Rōjin.

“Sorry fam. But I, like, can’t just sit on my ass and play a Game rn. The Higher Plane might not be convinced, but I just know the Inferno’s on their way to end my whole career, and I’m not about to take that.”

Rōjin paused. Then, with a single nod, he said, “Mood.”

Coco giggled. “omg, you’re, like, literally the worst!”

She left the shrine and made her way back up the street, thinking, Dunno how much more time I have to beef up Tapez. My boi’s totez strong, but I can’t be too careful, and probs don’t have much time for last minute boosts. I need to, like, think of how else I can improve his chances…

Her feet slowed, and she looked back at the shrine.

…Hm. I wonder what she would think?

Coco crossed her arms.

I mean, she’s gonna be totez disappointed there’s no Game. But like, she’s still my Conductor, yeah? If I can’t trust her to back me up, then who can I trust?

She turned and got moving again.

At the v least I gotta ask. Whatever it takes…my Shinjuku is going to survive.

***

Every day noises are killing these people

Every night noises are waiting for me but

Don’t run away, we’ve got no time left to fear

Where are you now, still it’s showing me illusions

#TWEWY #TWEWY Bang 2019 #The World Ends With You #Subarashiki Kono Sekai #World Ends With You #fanfic #submission

5 notes · View notes

undyinglegends-blog · 6 years

Text

Hi there so please allow me to scream about one Joshua Kiryu bc i've been sitting on this for ages now

I'd like to preface this by saying that Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu is not a monster. At least, he's trying not to be anymore.

Joshua knew a few things for certain in life: Firstly, he could see things other people couldn't. He was heavily ostracized by other kids for the things he could see--people with arrow-tipped, wiry wings, people who had died and were now running around Shibuya with timers on their hands, animals with glowing tattoos for legs, arms, tails, that would attack those dead people and cause them to disappear, strange red symbols that would float around, yellow symbols that would latch on to people and, a few times, himself. No one ever believed him, of course. "Stop lying," his parents would tell him. "Stop crying for attention." He eventually learned to just stop mentioning it. Later he learned to just stop telling people the truth at all, since they never believed him. People heard what they wanted to hear, and what they wanted to hear were things that benefitted them in some way. "Home life is fine," he'd say. "I'm fine," he'd say. "Everything's fine," he'd say. And people would believe him then, because that meant they didn't have anything weighing on their conscience.

Secondly, nothing he did was ever good enough for his parents. Top of his class, winning numerous awards in math and science at his school, and it was never enough because that was their expectation for him. Perfection was their standard. Sometimes Joshua would get a couple questions wrong on an exam, and his mother would look at him and tell him she was disappointed, that she expected better of him, that she didn't want a failure for a son, and Joshua would agree because what else could he do? They wouldn't love him if he wasn't perfect. So he tried to be perfect. He really did. But come his tenth birthday, when the world became nothing but him and a pair of silver headphones, he just... stopped caring.

Thirdly, the world was dull and gray to him. Unbeknownst to him, Joshua was suffering from depression. He found himself feeling unmotivated, unusually tired all the time, finding no joy in even the smallest of things that he had found to be hobbies of his. And the world around him felt just as gray and lifeless as he did. It took a lot of effort to just get out of bed in the morning as he grew older.

Then he met Hanekoma.

Hanekoma was and still is the only person that Joshua genuinely trusts, the one person who ever took him seriously and treated him as something of an equal, and most importantly, the one person who actually confirmed that all the things that he had seen for his entire life were real. Hanekoma told him about the Game, the Underground, the Reapers and Players. And Joshua listened to every word, feeling complete relief at the fact that he wasn't crazy.

But the more Hanekoma talked, the more Joshua realized that he didn't want to just learn about the Game; he wanted to be a part of it. There was nothing for him in the living world, he thought. Parents who barely knew he existed and fought all the time (Mother was stressed, Father drank because he was stressed, Mother got more stressed because of his drinking which made Father more stressd), peers who constantly mocked and ridiculed him, and a world that was moving so fast for a tired, goalless boy. In the Reapers' Game, though, there was a goal. Everyone could use pins, everyone was put on equal footing. And there was one goal: to win. There was something.

[SUICIDE TW]

He was afraid of doing it, initially. He didn't want it to hurt. But he knew he had to. He wanted to. He wanted to get out of this endless hell of his life and do something for once.

So on July 30th, 1995, Yoshiya Kiryu hanged himself in his room, and was later found by his mother the next morning. The funeral was minimal; very few attended.

[TW END]

He can still remember the look of hurt, of regret in Hanekoma's eyes when he saw that Joshua had entered the Game. But Joshua excelled in the Game, being able to use a wide variety of pins--not all of them, but certainly a large array of them. He and his partner made it to the end of the week, and while they both had scored enough points to return to life, only Joshua's partner did. Joshua wanted to become a Reaper. He even told him to keep his entry fee--his mark on the world, other people's memories of him, any information about him. He wouldn't need it in the Underground. The Reapers could not keep his entry fee in full, so only minimal information on Yoshiya Kiryu was released back into the living world.

Joshua immediately became a Harrier Reaper, and was very efficient in his job of erasing Players. But upon learning about the position of Composer, the most powerful being in Shibuya, he set his sights on that. For once in his existence, he had drive, motivation, a reason to do something, and it was wonderful. The world, for once, had color to it as he fought and got stronger. This was where his quietness grew into confidence, and confidence grew into arrogance. A couple slips let him find that people’s reactions to him flirting with them--especially cute boys--was not only hilarious, but kept people from getting close to him. Why bother? No matter how lonely you are, your life made it pretty obvious that friends weren’t for you.

Eventually, he took on and defeated the previous Composer. His ethereal form reflected the age of his soul--how long he had existed, how old he would have been had he lived--and suddenly, he could hear everything in Shibuya. Everyone’s thoughts and emotions were readily available to him, all at once without filter. And it stayed like this for around 10 years (if we assume twewy takes place in 2007). Joshua could hear and see everything in the city--every horrible crime, every fight, every meeting between friends, every death. He had to pay special attention to the deaths, of course, to see if they were strong enough to be Players. He was bombarded with information, especially with the rise of popular culture and the city’s fixation of the consumption of goods.

This overexposure to people and consumerism, as well as his own cynical viewpoint warping his perspective, caused Joshua to gradually grow to loathe the city. And the city grew duller and more vapid in response to Joshua’s will. He is the city; the city is him. They affect one another. The omniscience cause him to become horribly numb and disenfranchised, not blinking at death or murder or suicide any longer because he had seen it so many times.

[SUICIDE TW]

Finally, it came to a tipping point, where Joshua was going to destroy Shibuya--and himself along with it. And he thought he was finally going to get his wish for death, to stop his miserable existence. Kitaniji was actively trying to stop him; any of the Reapers who wanted his job could just try to kill him; and even Hanekoma, the one person he genuinely trusted, thought it best to help Minamimoto become Composer and destroy Joshua in order to protect Shibuya. And once more, Joshua Kiryu felt completely and utterly alone. Not even the person he trusted more than anything thought he was worth saving. Every path lead to Joshua’s death in some manner.

[TW END]

So he was willing to put everyone’s lives on the line. He felt nothing as he killed an innocent teenager and made him fight for him, put him through hell just so he could prove that the city was stale and stagnant, just as he had always thought.

The time Joshua spent with Neku began to plant the seeds of doubt in his mind. Neku was no longer fighting for himself, he was fighting for another person, one he had just met and yet already cared about. Multiple times throughout the week, Neku had helped other people, in some cases without a bit of hesitation, because it was the right thing to do. He saw Shibuya’s people grow and change, both in good ways and bad--including his own proxy. It didn’t make sense to him. This want to help and protect people... the fact that someone once as cynical as him could gain that was baffling.

Even as baffling was Joshua faking his sacrifice. Well, not entirely faking. Neku would have most certainly been destroyed by the level i flare, and had Joshua been a tenth of a second later, he could have been seriously injured himself. He didn’t get out of that unscathed, either--the attack had grazed him as he jumped to a parallel world, and it had hurt a lot more than he thought it would. Any later, and he could have easily been in far worse shape. That week in that alternate timeline let him think, and he did everything he could to justify to himself that all of this was wrong, that the moment Neku was presented with a strenuous situation he would revert back to his old ways, and Joshua’s plans to erase Shibuya could go on as planned.

But then Neku didn’t pull the trigger. He had every reason to, but he didn’t. Joshua had won their Game, and he could do as he desired with the city. But he couldn’t destroy it. Not after going through that week with Neku, after watching him fight Kitaniji in order to rescue everyone--Joshua included--from the Conductor, after being unable to shoot Joshua. He didn’t know what was going through Neku’s head or why he didn’t shoot--but some small, deeply-hidden part of him thought that maybe, maybe it was because Neku thought Joshua was worth saving.

“I can’t forgive you. But I trust you.”

He still doesn’t understand how that was possible.

The following week left Joshua to reflect, to fight with Hanekoma over what he had done to protect Shibuya, and to finally realize the disgusting, emotionless monster he had become. Even just a bit of the weight of what he had done slammed into him full-force, and he slunk into momentary despair over what thing he had turned into. Since then he has been guilt-ridden and remorseful, but is unsure of how to even begin to approach the subject. Only recently has he left himself start to acknowledge his emotions, because the guilt and horror at what he had done was just too strong to push aside.

Since the end of TWEWY, Joshua has been trying. He’s been trying to become better. He is slowly beginning to try to understand people, to understand that people’s lives--even his own, to an extent--have value, to try and be just a bit more selfless, to try and care. It’s certainly difficult, uncomfortable, and extremely foreign to him, but he’s trying. (I tend to play him like his KH3D incarnation, hence this is how the original game leads to this--) He doesn’t want to continue to be the monster he had been.

Becoming a Reaper was like he got tinted glasses. Eventually, the luster faded, and the world was gray once more. Because of Neku and crew, Joshua Kiryu finally feels like he can see color in the world that he couldn’t before.

#;author's notes {ooc}#-KICKS DOWN DOOR- MOM HOLY F U C K #THIS ABOMINATION IS FINISHED #I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS EVEN COHESIVE JUST FUCKING TAKE IT #anyway i love one (1) joshua boy #;lonely god {joshua}#;footnotes {headcanons}#alcoholism ;#death ;#suicide ;#hanging ;#twewy spoilers ;#just regular twewy spoilers nothing from the New Stuff

9 notes · View notes

coolgreatwebsite · 6 years

Text

Cool Games I Finished In 2017 (In No Real Order)

Civilization The year is nearing its end, so that means it’s once again time for one of these. 2017 has been rough for pretty much everyone, but even divorced from the state of the world this was unquestionably the worst year of my life. 2017 was a goddamn nightmare where nearly everything went wrong for me in the most major way possible. Consequently I didn’t get to do as much writing as I would have liked, and I ended up playing fewer games with almost all of them being 2017 releases. But! The video games were very fun!! So it all cancels out!!! Everything’s okay!!!! Here’s a bunch of cool games I experienced for the first time in 2017.

Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada (iOS, 2017)

Dandy Dungeon is weird as hell, which makes sense given that it was made by a lot of people who originally worked on games like Chulip and Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland. It’s a free-to-play phone game that’s sort of a cross between a puzzle game and a dungeon crawler. Guide your semi-nude hero Yamada to the exit of the 5x5 dungeon grid in a single line, trying to touch every tile along the way, gathering treasure and beating up enemies to level up. Solving the floors and making the perfect line is satisfying, the story and enemies are all very strange, and there's a ton of content. The free-to-play monetization isn’t too obtrusive either, you can either buy straight up convenience features like unlimited energy and a mid-dungeon item storage system or buy rice balls that can be used as gacha entries or continues if you die in a dungeon and don’t want to give up your treasure. I felt 100% okay with giving the weirdos who made this game money. The same people put out another game this year, Million Onion Hotel, and I barely put any time into it because I just kept playing Dandy Dungeon. I’m very much looking forward to really playing that whenever the hell I finally burn out on this.

Yakuza 0 (PlayStation 4, 2017)

Yakuza 0 is a hell of a game, and a hell of an introduction to the Yakuza series for anyone who hasn’t played it. Set in 1988, the game follows series mainstays Kiryu and Majima as they deal with the events that made them who they are in the games to follow. While I ended up still liking Yakuza 5 more if only for the sheer scope and variety of it, Yakuza 0 is very easily the second best game in the series. It has one of the most straightforward, coherent and engaging narratives out of all of them, it pulls off its setting so well that it made me sort of nostalgic for an era I wasn’t even alive for, and the localization/writing is unquestionably the best the series has had. Almost every single sidequest is funny or memorable in some way and I just can’t say that about the rest of the games. It’s not flawless. The combat unsurprisingly pulls very heavily from Yakuza 5 but with multiple fighting styles for Kiryu and Majima taking the place of multiple characters, and I mostly found myself just sticking with one style for each of them. Beast and Breaker were just too good. The story, while mostly good as previously stated, does have its stumbling points. Some characters and events definitely aren’t given enough breathing room, mostly on the Majima side of things, and weirdly enough the game holds back on having Kiryu and Majima interact for the most part. Overall though, Yakuza 0 is a fantastic encapsulation of why I love this series so damn much and the absolute best jumping on point a newcomer could ask for. Plus Space Harrier is in it! Every game is better when you can also play Space Harrier.

NieR: Automata (PlayStation 4, 2017)

I feel like every year I do one of these lists there’s a game where I start off by saying “This game is good, but”. NieR: Automata is this year’s game. NieR: Automata is a good game, but I did not have the fervent, visceral reaction to it that most other people seem to have had, and my feelings are muddied even further by the lingering feeling that I SHOULD have. I love the first NieR. It’s one of my favorite games of all time. I love PlatinumGames. They’re one of my favorite developers of all time. Yet I came away from Automata somewhat... I don’t know if it’s disappointed. I guess “left wanting” might be a more accurate description? Again, don’t get me wrong here, this is a good game. There’s a lot to like in NieR: Automata. It’s a wild ride, but for me that’s... kind of it? The game shuttles you from crazy setpiece to crazy setpiece, but the second I stopped to think about anything that happened in any sort of detail it all just got real murky. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, outside two exceptions, and one of those is a character from the first game that I already loved. NieR: Automata’s storytelling is much more reliant and focused on its themes and imagery than anything that really actually happens during the course of the story, and I’ve never been a huge fan of narratives like that. I need a strong connection to characters and events and places, and whereas the first NieR had that by the truckload, Automata super doesn’t. There’s also the part where a lot of what Automata does, I feel the original game did better. Automata’s music is good, but NieR’s is better. The multiple playthrough system feels like it’s just tacked on because the first game did it, where in the original it was absolutely vital to that game’s story. Same goes for the choice you make in the final ending. The most I can say as far as improvements go is that the combat, while about as mindless, certainly looks better and overall the sidequests are less tedious and grindy. It’s been a very weird experience seeing the huge, widespread positive reaction to this game essentially mirror my feelings on the first game while I’m just sort of left to grumble about how the first game did all that better under my breath. Not that I’m not glad it got a positive reception! It’s great that this game has been such a success and that so many people have finally had their Yoko Taro Moment™. Like I’ve gone out of my way to state multiple times: the game is still good. There’s some wild shit to see in NieR: Automata, and while it didn’t leave a positive lasting impression on me, I very much had a good time with it in the moment.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

I thought I was done with open world games. I had pretty much decided I was two years ago. I was so tired of the checklists, the boring traversal, the endless swaths of fucking nothing between mission A and mission B, the heaps of useless collectible garbage littering the ground trying to trick you into thinking you’re doing something. I was perfectly content with never playing an open world game again, and when Nintendo started promoting the new Zelda with that familiar Bethesda-esque “go any direction, climb any mountain” rhetoric and showed you climbing towers to reveal the map, I for all intents and purposes checked the fuck out. I didn’t care that it was Zelda, I didn’t care that it was Nintendo, I was just fucking done with all of that... I thought. The more time went on, the more impressions got out, and the more impressions got out, the more of my individual sticking points seemed to have been addressed. Yeah, you climb towers, but all that does is fill in the topography of the map. You don’t get flooded with a million activity and collectible icons, it’s up to you to scope out what looks interesting. And most importantly, while the landmass is large, there’s always something around the corner. I decided to get Breath of the Wild along with my Switch and I’m so glad I did. If I hadn’t been whittled down by pre-release chatter I would have missed out on one of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s like Nintendo explicitly set out to fix every problem I had with open world games. The way the systems in the world interact with each other, how much of a joy it is to explore and traverse the terrain, and the fact that there really IS always something to find make for a breathtaking game. If you go in any direction, you’ll trip over dozens of neat things to do and see. If you climb any mountain, there’s a good chance there will be something waiting for you at the top (and along the way), from a simple Korok seed puzzle to a full-blown shrine dungeon. The game gives you no truly firm direction once you leave the tutorial area, so it really is up to you to explore and find what you want. You can even run straight for the final boss if you want! The traditional Zelda-style puzzles are all super smart and satisfying to solve. I even liked the Divine Beast dungeons and boss fights, which I feel like I’m in the minority about. I finally took on Ganon after about 100 hours of playing the game and I hadn’t been so sad that a game was over since I beat Persona 3. Breath of the Wild is just an incredible, once in a lifetime game. I can’t wait to do it all again next year when I do another playthrough with all the DLC.

Persona 5 (PlayStation 4, 2017)

Persona 3 will likely always be nearest and dearest to my heart, but Persona 5 is objectively the best Persona game. They’ve polished the Persona formula to such a perfect mirror sheen in this one and I’ve never seen a game so consistently and effortlessly ooze such a concentrated amount of liquid capital-“S” Style before. The plot doesn’t intimately revolve around the cast to the degree Persona 4′s does, but they’ve made another charming band of anime teens nonetheless. They’ve either restored or re-worked nearly every mechanical aspect that was dropped between Persona 3 and 4. The soundtrack is incredible, there’s actually a decent amount of non-party S-Links again, the end of the game sticks the landing in a way Persona 4 very much does not... I could keep going. Persona 5 just plain rules. It’s the only game in the series where (even though I haven’t yet) I’ve actually wanted to jump in and do a New Game+ run.

Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

As I may have mentioned in a certain other article from this year, I have had very little love for Wonder Boy over the years. That changed a bit when I decided to try out Monster World IV a few years ago, and I think I’m officially a Wonder Boy Liker after playing The Dragon’s Trap. A remake of Wonder Boy 3 for the Master System, Dragon’s Trap is essentially just an extremely pretty coat of paint on a very early Metroidvania sort of game, but it’s remarkable how well the core gameplay holds up. You start as a human and very early on you’re transformed into a dragon, and you explore the world until you reach a boss which, upon being defeated, transforms you into a mouse. Your mouse form has the ability to enter narrow spaces and stick to certain walls, which allows you to reach new areas, bosses and transformations. Defeated enemies drop coins that you can use to purchase new weapons and armor from shops hidden across the world. It’s fairly simple, but I think that’s the reason it’s still so enjoyable today. The controls are tight and responsive and it doesn’t really date itself in too many ways. They went to great lengths to recreate the original game, down to being able to swap between the remade and classic graphics and music with a button press. Old passwords from the original game even work in the remake. The new art and music are beautiful and the game is the perfect length to not overstay its welcome. You can tell the people who made this really love the original game, and they absolutely did right by it.

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PlayStation 4, 2017)

I never in a million years expected to like Resident Evil 7 as much as I did. I played the demo back when it came out and thought it was okay, and I mainly got the full game so I could play something on my PSVR. It’s kind of crazy how, after so many years of Resident Evil stumbling, Capcom managed to just get everything back on track just like that. They made Resident Evil tense and scary again. The VR is insanely effective but even playing through on a regular ol’ TV, which I did multiple times after my initial VR playthrough, they manage to capture a really good, persistent sense of dread. For most of the game, anyway. The last third definitely slips a bit too far back into action game territory, and while it’s still enjoyable it’s definitely weaker than what came before. I beat this for the first time right before the next game on the list came out, and even while super deep into that I couldn’t stop thinking about Resident Evil 7. I really need to go back and play all the DLC.

Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

2017 was Nintendo’s year. They released my favorite console in a good long while with the Switch, launched it with one of the greatest games of all time, and closed out the year with another incredible game in Super Mario Odyssey. Mario Odyssey has finally dethroned Mario 64 as my favorite 3D exploration Mario game. It’s like Breath of the Wild in that there’s something to find in every nook and cranny, but condensed down into multiple, more tightly designed areas. It’s an absolute joy to play. I 100%ed the game and not once in the 50-ish hours that took did I get tired of controlling Mario. The movement options all flow together so naturally and complement the spaces you explore so well. Landing a long jump > hat throw > dive > hat bounce > dive combo across a huge gap was the most satisfying thing in the world to pull off even as I grabbed the very last power moon. The variety of the worlds and challenges and things to capture kept me in a constant state of excitement about what was coming up next, and the game is consistently charming in both weird new ways and a couple of very effective nostalgic ones. My only real complaints are that I think it’s maybe the easiest Mario game ever made, and I wish more of the platforming challenges were baked into the worlds proper instead of cordoned off into their own little challenge rooms, but basically everything else about the game manages to make those minor somehow. Mario Odyssey is distilled happiness in video game form, and the world needs more of that.

Sonic Mania (PlayStation 4, 2017)

Ohhhh myyyyy Goddddddddddddd Sonic Mania. I cannot fucking believe how awesome Sonic Mania is. I love the Genesis Sonic games so fucking much and while I like Sonic Adventure 1 despite itself, there hasn’t been a good Sonic game since Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The Genesis games always were and will always be great fucking video games, despite what internet fuckboys say because Sonic’s an easy target to dunk on. I’ll take Sonic 3 & Knuckles over Super Mario World any day of the fucking week. Fight me. I’ll cut you. With Sonic Mania, there is FINALLY, fucking TWENTY-THREE GODDAMN YEARS LATER, a legitimately great Sonic The Hedgehog game again, and I’m stunned. I was INSANELY skeptical about this game from the minute it was announced until basically the moment I played it. Yeah, they brought in people from the hacking and fan-game community to work on this one instead of letting Sonic Team touch it, but I’m close enough to those communities to know that that on its own is NOT enough to guarantee the game would be good. Yeah, Taxman and Stealth made an extremely good replica of the Sonic 1-3&K engine, but they absolutely did not have the design chops to tackle anything but ports successfully. That new version of Hidden Palace they added into the iOS port of Sonic 2 was a complete trash fire. Thankfully they linked up with PagodaWest Games, a company made up of a lot of the non-insane elements behind the old Sonic 2 HD project, who as it turns out very much did have the design chops. Together they made something incredible. It obviously controls perfectly given the engine, but the levels are so fun and well-crafted. The classic levels manage to mix in so many different elements from other levels that didn’t quite make it in the game on top of there being weird twists on those on TOP of all the completely new elements, and the brand new levels are lavish with all sorts of super fun new gimmicks and details. The game looks fucking gorgeous, going for a sort of “what if they had made a 2D Sonic for the Saturn” look that it pulls off great, even going so far as to render the special stages in low-poly 3D. The music is P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-A-L, sounding like a lost ‘90s Japanese arrange CD but without all the bad aspects that usually come with those. There’s so many dumb, great little details for hardcore classic Sonic and Sega fans littered throughout the game. They managed to fucking combine Oil Ocean and Sandopolis, my least favorite zone from Sonic 2 and one of the worst zones in the entire SERIES, and have me come away from it not hating it. It’s masterful. It’s beautiful. It’s right up there with Sonic 3 & Knuckles for best in the series. Nothing this year made me so genuinely, personally delighted. Sonic Mania was made just for me and I love it and I want another one with all original levels as soon as possible. Please let these people make video games for me forever.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

The original Xenoblade is one of my favorite RPGs of the last generation. Then they released Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U and broke my goddamn heart. They tossed out nearly everything I loved about the first game in favor of haphazardly dumping as many disjointed game mechanics as they could on top of bland open world exploration and needlessly grindy progression. It was such a hard swerve that by the time they had gotten around to announcing a proper Xenoblade 2 for the Switch I had basically abandoned all hope of it being a game I’d like. But for some reason, I still decided to give Monolithsoft one last shot. And I’m glad I did! While not quite as cohesive and instantly-endearing as the original, they definitely righted the ship. There’s a bunch of weird mechanics, but in the good Xenoblade 1 way where they mete them all out at an appropriate pace and explain them and they all fit together. The cast of characters is likable, the music is great, the gameplay is engaging all the way through. They managed to pull it off, and I’m back on board for a potential Xenoblade 3.

These games were also cool, I just had less words to say about them: Splatoon 2 (Nintendo Switch, 2017): Splatoon is great. Splatoon 2 is more of that. The new weapons are fun, the new maps are cool, Salmon Run is the most fun I’ve ever had with a horde mode. I played it for like 100 hours already. Not too much else to say! Play Splatoon 2! Hitman (PlayStation 4, 2016): Hitman is an amazing sandbox. Whether I was following along with the authored ways to kill my targets, doing things my own way or trying to get out of a situation that went completely south, Hitman constantly surprised me with the variety of things I could do and options I could take advantage of. And there’s so damn much content to do it all in. DDRMAX, DDRMAX2 & Dance Dance Revolution Extreme (PlayStation 2, 2002, 2003 & 2004): This doesn’t really teeeechnically fit on this list but I would be remiss not to bring up my rekindled love affair with DDR this year. My very good friend who I am very appreciative towards at all times Geoff generously gifted me an old Cobalt Flux dance pad back in like June and I have been playing DDR again ever since and it’s still great. I can clear some songs on heavy now. Thanks Geoff. Glittermitten Grove (Steam, 2016): A very normal game about fairies, and not about shaving. Tekken 7 (PlayStation 4, 2017): Tekken 7 is the first Tekken game I’ve cared about in like a decade. I couldn’t really tell you exactly why, to be honest, but the fact of the matter is that Tekken 7 is very fun to play and I highly recommend it. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PlayStation 4, 2017): I think the gameplay of this is worse than the first game, but everything else is stronger. Hopefully they fix it up and make a game that’s great all around next time. Gundam Versus (PlayStation 4, 2017): Gundam Versus is basically a team based Virtual On. I had a lot of fun with an old version of the game at various events I went to throughout the year and I had a lot of fun with this one even though I didn’t play it nearly as much as I wanted to. Clowning on people with Guntank in 1v1 is probably the hardest I laughed all year.

And that’s it! That’s 2017! It’s done! Good riddance! Thank you all again for bothering to read my video game words. If you need me, I’ll be training to deliver many extremely savage elbow drops to 2018 until it gives me what I want.

#article #year wrapup

15 notes · View notes

entergamingxp · 4 years

Text

DualShockers’ Favorite Games of 2019 — Ricky’s Top 10

January 1, 2020 10:00 AM EST

Fortunately for you, the great editors at DualShockers have saved the best of these GOTY lists for last. Here are my top 10 games of 2019.

As 2019 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2019 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2019 releases — can be considered.

2019 was a surprisingly good year in video games, at least for me. Sure, we didn’t get many absolute bangers that held the collective video game public hostage for weeks at a time. However, there were several good games that had a major impact on what should be a “tune-up” year as we near the release of next-gen consoles.

That said, while we’ve enjoyed a cornucopia of good games, they all had a flaw or five that held them back from being truly spectacular. So, in a sea of good, not great releases, I’ve chosen to highlight the games that I had the most fun with in 2019. After all, isn’t that we play games in the first place?

Here are my top 10 games of 2019.

Honorable Mention: FIFA 20 Web App

Let’s be clear, FIFA 20 was an overwhelmingly mediocre game on launch and EA has only made it worse with their various “fixes.” Ultimate Team, in particular, is in shambles for much of the community. However, I have spent more time playing FIFA than any other game in 2019. So, while I refuse to put it on my list, I still feel like I have to recognize it in some way.

Enter the FIFA 20 web app. I’m on this all the time playing FIFA‘s transfer market and usually having a great time doing so. If you like the idea of playing the stock market without actually investing money, this is the best way I’ve found to do it. Buying and selling players on the market and seeing that coin total slowly rise has been a fun challenge in 2019.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for FIFA 20.

10. Heroes of the Storm

I know, I know; Heroes is a dead game that no one plays. The way Blizzard just killed off the pro scene in 2018 continues to be massively disappointing, and those of us who still play are baby gamers who can’t handle a real MOBA. I get all that and mostly agree with you.

That said, Heroes, for me, is like a fresh plate of my grandma’s meatloaf: something I can always go back to and love regardless of where I’m at in life. My time in HOTS has certainly died down over the last year or so, but it’s the game I always go back to when I just need 20 minutes to unwind. Plus, Deathwing came out this year. That was pretty great.

9. Wattam

Listen, I’m a simple man. If you make a game that lets me make friends with and then explode poop, I’m probably going to like your game. So, while Wattam is in many ways barely a game, there aren’t many other games I enjoyed start to finish as Keita Takahashi’s latest.

This tale about friendship and coming together to conquer evil is one of the most joyous games out in 2019. Perfect for kids and adults alike, I thoroughly recommend this experience to anyone that has an afternoon to kill over the holiday. It won’t change your life and it doesn’t innovate, but stacking up poop and kabooming it to smithereens is so much fun.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Wattam.

8. Death Stranding

As of this writing, I’ve yet to finish Death Stranding. In fact, I just hit Chapter 3, which is where I hear a lot of people begin to have problems with Kojima’s latest. So, I reserve the right to move just toss this game off the list in the next few days.

That said, since starting the game a few days ago, I haven’t been able to think about anything else besides playing Death Stranding. I love the slow, methodical plodding Sam Bridges does as you move cargo from place to place. I love trying to map out the best possible route to stay away from trouble. I even love all the weird lore that keeps getting dumped on me.

Maybe it’s the fact that I come from a family of porters (read: truck drivers), but Death Stranding is the most fun I’ve ever had doing something that, in real life, seems like it would be pretty boring. I hope it stays that way.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Death Stranding.

7. Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is among the most inventive games in 2019. I love how the game just gives you a world and says, “explore.” There aren’t any roadblocks to you beating it in 20 minutes and everyone is going to get to the ending in a different way. Add in a Majora’s Mask-like constantly-moving map and you have a game that’s nothing like anything else.

Outer Wilds also does something many games can’t and sticks the landing with a stellar (interstellar?) ending. I know you’ve heard this from every corner of the internet, but you really should give Mobius Digital’s freshman effort a try.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Outer Wilds.

6. What The Golf?

I adore golf games. My middle school summers were filled with countless hours of Mario Golf for the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64. The reason I bought a Switch was to play Golf Story. For whatever reason, I can’t get enough golf in my video gaming life. I can’t stand playing golf in the real world, but virtually, there’s not much better.

That said, What The Golf? is not a golf game. Oh sure, you’ll hit objects toward a flag, but that’s where the similarities end. However, this game does just about everything else besides golf. And still, it’s by far my favorite mobile release of the year. The sheer amount of creativity in how to approach a non-golfing golf game is staggering. I don’t want to say much about what actually happens, as that would ruin the surprise. Just know that What The Golf? is great, regardless of how you feel about golf.

5. Control

Control is my annual “wow, this looks so good on my RTX card” game. Visually, there wasn’t a more impressive game to me all year. Much of this comes down to Remedy’s striking art direction. They do so much with color and lighting to make a game that is a visual feast. It sucks to hear that the console versions are less than stellar, because I want everyone to have the same experience I did.

Outside of the impressive visuals is a story that I had to see to completion. I don’t know if it breaks any new ground, but the narrative threads were so fun to pull at that I ended up doing everything. Combat is mostly fine outside of a few truly bad boss fights. If you’re looking for an entry-point to the Remedy-verse, Control seems like a great jumping-on point, especially if you have a relatively beefy PC.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Control.

4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Bloodstained is a fantastic reimagining of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The Metroidvania combat and exploration is tight and incredibly fun. If that was all the game did, it would probably still make my list. However, what makes this game really stand out for me is how willing it is to not take itself too seriously.

Bloodstained is good with it if you become laughably overpowered. In fact, it seems to want you to. The way you can just break the game is so amusing. Many games are too precious about their power curve. Bloodstained doesn’t care. It just wants you to have a good time and rest assured, that’s exactly what I did.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

I had a paragraph written up about how FromSoft has truly evolved their gameplay with Sekiro to force you to actually learn how to play well and not cheese bosses, but honestly, there’s only one thing you need to know. This game is worth playing (or at least watching) to see the Monkey Fight.

For a developer known for creating controller-breaking and genre-defining boss fights, the Monkey Fight stands head and shoulders above them all. If the overbearing difficulty isn’t for you, that’s fine. Just look it up on YouTube, sit back, and enjoy FromSoft at its best.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

2. Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2, as a remake, has no business being as good as it is. Mr. X is my favorite thing in gaming this year. His horrifying, omnipresent role in the game’s first half makes RE2 a must-play. The way he stalks you throughout the police station, appearing when you least expect it, made for countless moments of both pure terror and hilarity. Plus, the memes that sprung up around the character were exceptional.

When people ask if they should play the game, I just show them the “Mr. X Gon Give it to You” videos and they’re sold instantly. And sure, once you leave the police station, the game kind of slogs to the finish, but that shouldn’t keep you from experiencing the panic-inducing joy that is the early parts of Resident Evil 2.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Resident Evil 2.

1. Judgment

Where do I even start? Do we talk about the oddly captivating murder mystery full of more twists than a bad M. Night Shyamalan movie? Seriously, this story just goes places and is constantly defying what you think a Ryu Ga Gotoku game can be. The studio has really hit its story-telling stride with Judgment. Do we talk about how Yagami might be a better character than Kiryu? Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always love the Dragon of Dojima, but Yagami has more much range than the ever-stoic favorite foster son of Shintaro Kazama. How about the ease with which Judgment switches between serious, soap opera-style narrative and the wacky side quests we’ve come to love from Yakuza games? This has always been one of the series’ strengths; however, with the main character being a private detective, it makes a lot more sense for them to be randomly searching for a man’s cats or beating up a disgusting pervert.

Really, Judgment is my game of the year because I can’t think of another game that I had more fun playing. The beat ’em up gameplay is the same as it’s always been, but RGG has made it instantly a blast. If I want to show someone why I love Judgment, I’ll just jump into a random battle and I’m immediately piledriving all those young thugs into the ground. Judgment has, quite possibly, the best set of “heat” finishers in the Yakuza franchise. And truthfully, that’s the kicker with Judgment. It doesn’t do anything remarkably new with the Yakuza format. What it does is distill everything in the game down to its most fun form and slaps it all over the world of Kamurocho.

As I get older and there are more demands on my time, “fun factor” has become more important than ever. Judgment has that in spades. I’ve already put 100 plus hours into the game and just thinking about the game’s big moments over the past week while writing this has me seriously considering jumping back in. That Platinum’s not gonna earn itself. Thank you for reading my mini-review for Yagami’s greatest journey. If you haven’t checked out a Yakuza game yet, this is a perfect jumping-on point.

Check out DualShockers‘ review for Judgment.

Check out the rest of the DualShockers staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 23: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2019 December 25: Lou Contaldi, Editor-in-Chief // Logan Moore, Managing Editor December 26: Tomas Franzese, News Editor // Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor December 27: Mike Long, Community Manager // Scott White, Staff Writer December 28: Chris Compendio, Contributor // Mario Rivera, Video Manager // Kris Cornelisse, Staff Writer December 29: Scott Meaney, Community Director // Allisa James, Senior Staff Writer // Ben Bayliss, Senior Staff Writer December 30: Cameron Hawkins, Staff Writer // David Gill, Senior Staff Writer // Portia Lightfoot, Contributor December 31: Iyane Agossah, Senior Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Senior Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Contributor January 1: Ricky Frech, Senior Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer

January 1, 2020 10:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-rickys-top-10/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dualshockers-favorite-games-of-2019-rickys-top-10

0 notes

kahnac · 7 years

Photo

Kind of out of Order here since THIS was made before the Kaiju villains list. But don’t worry, it shouldn’t be too big a deal. Just be sure to enjoy what’s down below.:)

Greetings, and hello, everybody. Today, i have something pretty different from what i normally do. This time, with the enormous help of my friend japanesegodzilla1954 , i have conducted a list of my Top 20 favorite kaiju together. Now, when i say "major help", i mean as in HE created the list above while i just told him what kaiju, and in which order. He actually came to me, and asked if i had a list like this i wanted to make. I told him yes, but also that i didn't know how to edit something like this. So he offered his services, and i gladly accepted. And i can easily tell you that i am pretty grateful to japanesegodzilla1954 for making this for me. It really was a great thing to do for a person. But now, let's get to the kaiju themselves, and explain why i like them so: #20. Titanosaurus: Now, as alot of people know: dinosaurs are awesome. And Titanosaurus is no exception. Part of a long lost ancient race of aquatic Dinosaurs, Titanosaurus was enslaved by an alien race, and made to fight alongside Mechagodzilla 1. And boy, was he a force to be reckoned with: he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp, and buried him in a mountain. Yet his only real flaw is his wasted potential. It was stated that he is a shy, timid creature who only acted vicious because of the mind control. Yet we never got the chance to see that. Even after his demise. Yet, he still was a very cool, and interesting kaiju who should definitely be admired. #19. Orga: Here, we have another example of how imitation is often the highest form of death. In this case, it's in the form of a kaiju formed from an alien known as the millenian. It crashed on earth millions of years ago before being awakened in 1999. It immediately sensed Godzilla, his G-cells, and the means of creating a physical form. In time, it conducted the plan, and it succeeded. Except for the radioactive part of the G-Cells mutating it into Orga. Now Orga is an interesting kaiju. He basically looks like a big brute who's probably as strong as Rhino, or Juggernaut if they were kaiju. And it's said because of his mutation, he acts like it, too. But personally, maybe like KaijuSamurai , he is actually smart with his millenian knowledge, but he can sometimes lose himself in G-cell induced rages. That's usually why i like depicting him as something similar to Shockwave from both IDW, and TFP. And idea which has often struck me as being: "logical". #18. Megaguirus: an often horrible creature who basically embodies what a nasty bug is like. She is the queen of an ancient race of insects from centuries ago in earth's prehistory. And is one of the most fearsome, and territorial creatures in existence which is an eternal enemy of Rodan. As they say. Long story short, Japan creates a weapon which opens a wormhole to that point in time, a meganula comes through, lays an egg, kid dumps in tokyo sewers, swarm emerges, absorbs Godzilla's energy, brings it to their queen, and thus Megaguirus is born. And just looking at her brings the idea of what an actual Dragon Fly might look like. She is absolutely vicious, brutal, and she likes playing dirty. She also seems to have a sadistic nature to her, too, which makes her all the more devious. And her speed: oh gosh, her speed is incredible. If anything, she had Godzilla on the ropes thanks to that impossible speed she was using, combined with her ability to absorb Godzilla's power. Now, if things wen't a bit differently, and Godzilla was an ordinary fighter, she would have killed him in no time. But as we've all learned, Godzilla is no ordinary fighter by any means. A lesson which eventually bit her hard, and fast. #17. Rodan: Now, we get to one of the biggest figureheads of Godzilla kaiju. Or specifically, toho. After the movie, "Godzilla Raids Again", toho decided that they would begin making a series of kaiju films before eventually bringing back the big g himself. One of those was Rodan. Basically a prehistoric kaiju akin to the likes of Megaguirus, Anguirus, or Baragon, Rodan was actually one of two who had awakened in the 60's of Japan. Both supposedly died, until the film "Ghidrah, the 3 headed monster" saw his initial return. Now, what makes him interesting is the fact that not only is he a great flier, but also a fierce fighter. And also strong enough to fight Godzilla for the majority of the film until Mothra convinced the two to work together against Ghidorah. Since then, he's appeared in numerous films as Godzilla's ally, and has even been featured in all three Godzilla generations. Though it seems his strength, and abilities vary in each one. But nevertheless, Rodan is a great kaiju that can often stand with the best of them. And no matter what, ya can't keep a good Rodan down for long. Just ask SMGII. #16. Zilla: *sigh* Poor, unfortunate Zilla. The kaiju who apparently very nearly ruined Godzilla's career for being an inferior version of him that could supposedly never hold a candle to the name. Hence why Toho made him into his own kaiju after buying the rights to, just so they can kill him off in an "I'm better than you" fashion. But if i'm to be honest, i don't hate Zilla in the slightest. In fact, i kinda think he's an alright kinda kaiju. But to be honest, most of this outlook comes from my love for his son, Zilla Jr, from the animated series. Which did well to pay more respect to the Godzilla name. And if i actually considered it, he would be on this list instead. But if i did, then he would probably be number one, so i went with regular Zilla. But either way, i owe this Zilla for the second Zilla's existence, and he did awesome in "Rulers of Earth". So, as they say, Credit is where credit's due. #15. DesGhidorah: So here we have the first Ghidorah on the list. But definitely not the only one. Anyway, this one is a real interesting creature. Millions of years ago, he wiped out the planet Mars. In a similar manner as King Ghidorah did to Venus' civilization. He then traveled to earth to do the same, but the Elias, alongside the Mothra race, sealed him away into the earth to hopefully never return. But since when has that ever been a permanent solution? Anyway, cut to a million years later, an evil elias named Belvera mind controls the head of a construction company, and breaks the seal holding DesGhidorah, breaking him free from his prison. All so she can basically "save the earth from humanity". Idiot. Anyway, DesGhidorah picks up where he left off, and begins bleeding the Earth dry of its life force as he burns, and blasts everything in sight. The current Mothra tries to stop him, but she was too weak after giving birth to Leo. Even he can't save her, and she dies. Now, DesGhidorah is a very cool Ghidorah by many ways. His black scaly skin, and bloodred wings give him a perfectly demonic appearance. His quadrupedal appearance also gives the felling of a traditional western dragon to his appearance. And also how ruthless, and powerful he is. So much so that he forces Leo to go to the Tree of Life itself to give him the power to transcend beyond what any normal Mothra is capable of. He then reaches what i can assume is Godzilla, and Gamera levels, and promptly beats Desghidorah back into the earth he crawled out of. But whether he died, or not, is left up to debate. Either way, he certainly lives up to the title of "The Death Ghidorah". #14. Anguirus: Yep. The ever-loving, best buddy to Godzilla himself is here, too. And why not? Especially since, ironically, he was the very first enemy Godzilla ever fought, and beat. After that, he seemed to become friends with Godzilla. In fact, you could say they were pretty close, too. What i like about him is just how great his bond with Godzilla has been depicted. There are plenty of times where he will fight beside Godzilla against any kaiju. He'll often be hanging out with Goji, just relaxing, and probably chatting. And he'll even go as far as to do what he can to cheer him up out of any kind of funk he's in. And because he's one of the most stubborn, and determined fighters around, he will often risk his own neck to help out Godzilla, or anyone else he considers a friend. The respect, and acknowledgement he has for Godzilla is one to truly be admired. It's just a shame we never got to see much of it in the films. But i have heard that there have been indications of it in the showa films, so it is acknowledged. And he's appeared in about as many films as Rodan. So it's safe to say that no matter where Godzilla goes, or in what generation, Anguirus will always be right behind. #13. Jet Jaguar: JET JAGGA! JET JAGGA! PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH! Yes, that's right. It's every-bodies favorite super fighting robot from "Godzilla vs Megalon". There are alot of things people like about this guy. And even i have a certain liking to him. Especially considering my exposure to him in the "Rulers of Earth" series. Where he has scored as much kaiju wins, if not more than, Godzilla himself. He can use his size changing ability in very creative, and helpful ways. Like giving Orga a bad case of indigaestion, or surviving Destoroyah's attacks, and to dish out a few of his own. He even stood up to Godzilla's nuke breath with ease before giving him a single KO punch. Not alot of kaiju, or mechs, who can say that they knocked him out with one punch, i can promise you that.. And he's also great at strategy, as he knew that the best way to beat Destoroyah was to freeze him. Hence why he shrunk to human size, flew into Kiryu's cockpit, and fired AZ cannon at Destoroyah, completely obliterating him. And he also has a great rivalry with Gigan, as well. Something the comics played with a bit after GvsM. Either way, this is one sentai tribute who will give you the thumbs up for a heroic job well done. #12: King Caesar: Possibly the first King of the Monsters before Godzilla himself, King Caesar is a great, and awesome addition to the roster First of all, he is a kaiju of a somewhat supernatural persuasion, as he is by all accounts a living statue. Hence why he was the best chance the AMF had against the Trilopods: no blood to absorb, and thereby assimilate. When he first appeared, it was to fight against the first Mechagodzilla. An enemy even Godzilla couldn't stand against on his own. Yet inspite of his abilities, which also includes reflecting beams back into enemies, even he couldn't atand against the mecha. At least until Godzilla showed up, and they double teamed the robot. Though what is important to note is that his strength is possibly the kind which even rival's Godzilla's own. Especially considering he's more than strong enough to rip Trilopods in half, or just pull apart piece by piece. Yet what makes him stand out amongst kaiju is how he is actually dedicated to protecting humans. He will actually risk his own life to keep humans safe, and if any is harmed, then let's just say you don't want to fight him, as he will get REALLY angry. Some believe this is because somewhere inside of him there is some kind of spirit which compels him to be a protector of not only the earth, but also the humans who live on it. But whatever his origins, he is a brave, and noble kaiju who has even earned Godzilla's respect. And has proven to be more than worthy of being a Guardian of the Earth. #11. Kiryu: One of the greatest mech's ever created for being certainly one of the most unique: because inside of Kiryu's metal body is the skeleton of Gojira, the 1954 Godzilla. When Godzilla returned years prior to his creation, the JSDF decided to create a bio robot as a weapon to fight him. One of the components was Gojira's skeleton. Unfortunately, nobody counted on Gojira's soul waking up, and actually taking control of the mech to go on a rampage, thanks to Godzilla. But he was brought back under control. And thanks to his interaction with humans, and one Akane Yoshiro, it seemed like he was actually starting to let go of his hate filled ways, and become more of a heroic force for good. Though he would be considered a tragic hero, since in order to end the cycle of death, and hate, he took Godzilla, and himself, back to the sea, to be laid to rest for good. Heck, he even went so far as to save Chujo from going down with him, as well as give him a farewell message. With speed, and strength capable of matching Godzilla himself, and an Absolute Zero weapon, Kiryu is another great example of how you either die the hero, or live to see yourself become the villain. #10. Biollante: Speaking of tragedy, i don't think any come as close to that of Biollante. Save for Nemesis, that is. Before she became a kaiju, Biollante was actually a human girl named Ericka Shiragami. During an attack by terrorists, she was killed in the event. So, driven by grief, her father tried to bring her back by the only thing he could use: Science. Taking her DNA, and crossing it with that of her favorite rose, as well as adding G-Cells, Shiragami sought to at least preserve her spirit in some way, or another. What actually came about was a case of "be careful what you wish for". after a short while, she basically changed into a gigantic flower creature, confused, and with no idea of what was happening. Her presence actually drew Godzilla to her, and he destroyed her body in a fight. But a few hours later, she came back. More monstrous than ever before. Because of what he did, Biollante was allowed to mutate even further into a beast which began to more closely resemble Godzilla. The two fought to a stalemate, and she turned into space pollen as she drifted up into space, and seemingly giving Ericka peace. A story which i could imagine was the inspiration for the creation of Project Nemesis" which had a similar story with it's titular kaiju. Either way, Biollante is an enormous, but also sad character that makes us wonder if a rose by any other name would really still smell as sweet. #9. Megalon: A prime example of why people like the Showa era: a silly, completely ridiculous kaiju design which still manages to keep the story interesting. Which is basically what Megalon is. He was originally the God of Seatopia, and was intended to destroy humanity. Before Jet Jaguar came along, and beat him into submission. Even with Gigan's help, though the both of them seem to be good buddies. But either way, let's just say Megalon is a weapon without the safety lock on. Cause without somebody like Gigan to tell him what to do, he'll basically just stay in one spot, and go crazy. He's basically like an overgrown child. But one who happens to be a super strong demolisher, and likes blowing stuff up. Though personally, i kinda prefer when he isn't played like an idiot, and is more like a black knight who serves the evil cause for his own purposes. But there is an irresistible charm to Megalon which keeps me from hating the guy, and gives him a small, but special place in my heart. *8. Mechagodzilla 1: And now we have the very first, and possibly worst, Mechagodzilla ever created. As the first evil doppelganger to Godzilla, MG1 left quite an impression. In fact, the first thing he did was impersonate Godzilla, go on a "rampage", and then break Anguirus' jaw. Poor guy. And when he first revealed himself, it was when he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp. Though not without his own systems overheating first. All thanks to the enormous arsenal he has at his disposal, including an invincible shield, and being made out of Space Titanium, which is the strongest metal in the toho universe so far. Even with the help of King Caesar, Godzilla was barely able to beat MG1 until he made himself into a magnet, and then tore off his mechanized head. But as his creators must've learned: if at first you don't succeed, try try again. They rebuilt him stronger than ever, and then teamed him up with Titanosaurus. No doubt inspired by Godzilla's own team up from last time. Either way, the duo made short work of Godzilla, and proved how fearsome they are. Until Titanosaurus was taken care of, then it was more even. But tearing of MG1's head wasn't enough, and Godzilla had to use everything he had to destroy him. While a bit outdated in design, MG1 is an enemy who will live on in the hearts of Godzilla fans for ages to come. #7. Hedorah: Ooooh, great. If people thought MG1 was the toughest, then Hedorah is that, and the most disgusting thing toho ever made. Basically, Hedorah is a being comprised entirely out of toxic sludge, and radioactive waste. He has no organic properties, and is there fore a gelatinous mass. Godzilla himself was no match for the slimy beast, as his attacks were pretty much useless against him, and touching him was dangerous because of his body being completely acidic. He's kinda like Majin Buu with his durability, and his invincibility. In fact, the only way he could be killed was by dehydrating his body, then atomizing his compound. Simply put, if humanity didn't help, this abomination would have killed Godzilla in probably the most unpleasant manners possible. Though i can admit, his concept, and design are intriguing, and something that can make me appreciate the blob of a kaiju. Either way, if slime's beneath him, or slime's up above, you will NOT wanna love his "Toxic Love" anytime soon. Trust me, you will regret it. #6. Mothra & Battra: Now we have what is possibly the most interesting kaiju you could have around. Mothra, in case you don't know, is the guardian of humanity, and the Goddess of Peace. Battra is Guardian of the Earth, and God of Vengeance. Centuries ago, the two fought against each other because of humanity, and Mothra was forced to seal her brother away for centuries. And yes, i consider them siblings. Now Mothra is by far the most influential kaiju in the Toho universe. In fact, she has been in more movies than any other recurring kaiju aside from Godzilla himself. You could even say that she is his foil: the peaceful, loving guardian who exists to protect the world through peaceful means, while Godzilla is an often vengeful, hate filled destroyer who exists to maintain order on Earth. Such is why both have often fought against each other before. But in spite of the conflicts they've had, they have often worked together more. First, against King Ghidorah, and then in a few other instances. Alot of people have taken up the idea that, in certain universes, Mothra can see the potential for good in Godzilla, and she will often try to guide him on the right path. And in spite of his rough exterior, he is willing to accept her guidance, and can even consider her his friend. Though the same could not be said for Battra. He has more often than not been an enemy to both Godzilla, AND Mothra because of his often vengeful nature. But when his sister convinces him of a greater threat to the Earth, he will drop his vendetta, and help her to do his duty. This was mainly against Godzilla, and resulted in his death. But he has since returned in the IDW comics, and has played the prominent role in the series as the yang to Mothra's Yin: not evil, but still greatly misguided. Nevertheless, both are essential guardians of the earth, and will continue to fight until the end of their days to keep their world safe from any danger. #5. Gigan: Introducing the first ally to King Ghidorah himself, and one of the most popular recurring villains in kaiju lore. And considering he's also the first cyborg ever introduced, that is saying something. On his first appearance, he teamed up with King Ghidorah to take down Godzilla, and Anguirus. And very nearly succeeded. His fighting style was formidable, and his blades actually managed to cut through Godzilla's body like butter. Another feat few kaiju can ever say they accomplished. And let's just say that when Godzilla caught his second wind: that's when things got bad for him. After his initial beatdown, he got out of there as fast as possible. Ditching King Ghidorah as quickly as possible. This showed that as good a fighter as he is, he's also a coward. But he is also a sadistic one, too. He brutishly beat the scrap out of JJ with Megalon, and even used him as a ball for catching. Even going so far as to threaten to off him if Godzilla got any closer. But luckily, Jet got the last laugh as he broke Gigan's arm, and then forced him to make a hasty retreat. Once again, ditching his "friend" to save himself. Though when he got updated for the millennium series, he was severely upgraded in a big sense: his hooks got turned into scythes, his body was given a red and black cybernetic appearance to emphasize his cyborg heritage, and he was clearly given an extreme workout in his years of absence. Because he is quite fit for a guy probably in his forties. Sadly, in spite of his great, new design, he was beaten a bit easily by Godzilla. Guess it was just to show how strong he was compared to before. But Gigan wasn't taken out so easily, cause he got his neck braced, and loaded with chainsaws! Funny enough, it was Mothra who finally put him down, since in the story, the both of them were ancient rivals who fought long ago. And though she killed him, she ended going up with him. But nevertheless, he made a great comeback in "Rulers of Earth", as a secondary villain who is just as formidable as ever before. And who also might have had his rivalry with Jet Jaguar revived as well. Either way you slice it, Gigan is an amazing kaiju who can make the cut of any list. And if you strike him down, he shall only become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. #4. Destoroyah: Ah. Now we're getting into the big leagues. And who better to start off with than the Oxygen Destroyer incarnate? Long story short, Destoroyah was once a microscopic, precambrian crustacean until the Oxygen Destroyer killed Gojira. It then began mutating over the past forty ears before micro oxygen was made, and gave it the ability to exist on land. He then became a number of aggregates which eventually merged together to form him. He has several forms for several purposes, which makes him cool. And from what i've seen: his only purpose is to destroy everything he sees. He also seems to be vengeful as well, because when he achieved his final form, he basically killed Junior for beating him in his second form. But then he learned the hard way what happens when you get Godzilla mad by screwing with his family. Yet even when Godzilla was in his strongest state, which was ironic considering he was dying, Destoroyah proved to be a real Juggernaut, and withstood mostly everything Godzilla threw at him. Up until Godzilla reached his full power, and unleashed all of his flaming vengeance upon Destoroyah. Mutilating his body, and causing him to flee only for G-Force to basically freeze him in midair, and thus kill him. Now, i will say right now, Destoroyah is one of the coolest kaiju around with one of the best designs you could ever ask for. Like the AVGN once said: "HE LOOKS LIKE THE GODDAMN DEVIL!" Which is true, to be honest. But sadly, he was kinda underutilized in Rulers of Earth. Be that as it may, that doesn't stop him from being one of the most badass kaiju to ever grace the big screen. And it certainly won't be the last time we see him. #3. Grand King Ghidorah: If anyone was to ask me what my favorite Ghidorah would be, it would definitely have to be this one. Where i felt Showa Ghidorah was wasted potential, and Heisei wasn't even a real Ghidorah, imagine how excited i was when i learned about this guy. Grand King Ghidorah is a beast among monsters. In fact, he gives full meaning to the word. As it happens, he has destroyed countless worlds through out his existence, much like his showa counterpart. And he even caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. That alone should give an idea of just how dangerous he is. But it isn't. It's when he arrives on earth that his evil is truly displayed. Upon emerging from his meteor transport, he begins destroying Japan's cities, one by one. Not only that, but he actually has the ability to trap people, or in this case children, and contain them inside an alien dome comprised of his own essence. Others can enter, but none can leave. UltraGWRzilla had an idea as for why else he did this: not only was he going to feed on the children's lifeforce-but also the despair, and misery of the human parents who were worried for his young. Giving in to his "King of Terror" title, it is possible that he actually feeds on fear as well-the fear of people losing those they truly love, and couldn't stand to lose. An act of true evil unlike may others. And a notion i'm inclined to agree with. Especially with how he seems to enjoy his work, too. Worst of all, he is leagues above Mothra Leo, who had grown considerably stronger by that point. In fact, i still think he was in Godzilla's league by this point. But either way, Grand King Ghidorah brushed off all of his attacks, and completely devastated the young moth. And thus made him so desperate that he went back in time to the day GKing Ghidorah came to earth, and destroy him while he was weaker. Thus erasing him from the present. The plan worked, of course, though Leo was stranded in the past. But unfortunately, he didn't know that Grand King Ghidorah could apparently regenerate from even a single piece of his body. So in the end, he still came to Earth-just later than he did before- and picked up where he left off. Thankfully, Leo spent his centuries in a cocoon, soaking up earth;s mana to evolve into an armored form. One which finally surpassed Ghidorah, and finally destroyed him. So, as i said, Grand King Ghidorah is another awesome, and incredible kaiju who makes a perfect villain for Toho. Now i just wish he could be featured in IDW comics. Either way, he has proven to be a true horror that brings true meaning to the name "King of Terror". #2. Spacegodzilla: You want to talk evil kaiju? Well, look no further than Godzilla's evil clone, Spacegodzilla. Now, where do i begin? He destroys a nasa space station with everyone on board, trashes Moguera, torments, and terrorizes Little Godzilla so that he can draw out Godzilla, proceeds to beat Godzilla, locks his son in a crystal cage, baits Godzilla into following him, transforms Fukuoka into his own crystal domain, and the proceeds to fight Godzilla, and Moguera in a fight that lasts what could probably be considered longer than any previous kaiju fight i have ever seen. What's interesting about him is that he has no specific origin. We don't know anything about where he came from, or exactly how he was created. The only thing we can assume is that he was born from G-Cells in space. In fact, plenty of people have given him some kind of origin: from G-Cells bonding to a crystal organism in space, being crystal organism that came to earth and copied Jr's DNA, to being a clone engineered by aliens, to being from an entirely alternate universe. The list is somewhat long. But as the Joker once said: "If i'm going to have an origin, i'd prefer it to be multiple choice". This only helps to exemplify how bad he is. The rest goes for his actions, and how he carries them out. For starters, he's out to kill Godzilla so that he can conquer the Earth for himself. The only time we've ever had an alien kaiju trying to conquer earth, it was for some other alien race mind controlling them. But Spacegodzilla is nobodies puppet. He is out to conquer, and rule of his own volition. And he will go to any lengths to do it. Which includes attacking an innocent, helpless young Gojiran so that he can call Godzilla, and then lock up the kid so that he'll have no choice but to fight Spacegodzilla in order to rescue him. And Spacegodzilla will not tolerate anyone who tries to interfere with his conquest in anyway. Ask the mafia who tried to mind control Godzilla beforehand. Then, he transformed Fukuoka into his personal fortress so that he could be at full power when he fights Godzilla. Showing how he uses strategy in his methods. And when he does fight, he is plenty powerful enough to tear Godzilla apart. It was only when his shoulder crystals got blown up that he was eventually beaten. But like any good villain, he never stays down for long. And as stated, he will use any method to get what he wants. Which includes teaming up with an alien race in Save The Earth, and a band of aliens in Ongoing. He still lost on both accounts, of course. But it gave him the idea that he's better of as a solo act. Hence why he returned in "Rulers of Earth" he fought against his former ally, Gigan, and promptly kicked his ass with relative ease. Then the Trilopods came along, and he was actually forced to team up with Godzilla to fight a group of them. One of them having assimilated him. They seemed focused on him though, since they could probably tell he was the bigger threat. Though it didn't matter what they did. When the two "siblings" combined their power, no Trilopod was left standing. And after Godzilla ended up unconscious after he killed one? Spacegodzilla attempted to kill him on the spot, basically pulling a Megatron us. But he sensed the incoming Trilopod hive, and promised to settle things later in kaiju-speak. Though honestly, i feel like his greatest achievement was when he caused the Crystal Incursion. He had the entire world in his hands after he covered the globe in his crystals. Though he obviously didn't know other kaiju could use power surge crystals like that. Oh well. In the end, Spacegodzilla has proven to be the most cunning, ruthless, intelligent, powerful, and sadistic monster created by toho. A true symbol of what it means to be a force for pure evil. And #1 is: #1. Bagan: As i'm sure many of you know: i absolutely love this guy. I'm pretty sure i explained why, but let me recap by explaining who he is. Bagan is essentially a scrapped kaiju who is ironically the most popular of them, too. He was planned to appear in several films, but due to circumstances, he never got a chance. In hindsight, this may seem like a bad thing. But with a kaiju who is basically a blank slate, this is a good thing. While Toho has never created a specific backstory for him, others have done their greatest to give him the best there is. Though he does have a few backgrounds for when he was intended to be used. The kind other people have used, too. He was originally a guardian of earth, who protected the region of china. But due to some unforeseen reasoning, he was either sealed away, or he ended up trapped in an iceberg, or something. Either way, he breaks free centuries later, senses the changes mankind has made to the earth, gets angry, and begins destroying them. Another story was in the NES game "Super Godzilla", where he is basically the super-powered combination of Godzilla, and King Ghidorah. Something which makes him nearly impossible to beat. Some people have incorporated these backstories into their own stories, while some created their own. As far as anybody is concerned, it's another matter of an origin being multiple choice. As for me, personally, there is a certain version of Bagan i find the most enjoyable. And is easily my favorite kind of Bagan. One where he was indeed a guardian of Earth, and the most powerful. But under mysterious circumstances, he saw life as something that needed to end for certain reasons. So he turned against all living things, and sought to destroy all. Only thanks to the combined efforts of the earth's guardians is he sealed away for centuries. Until centuries later his prison come undone, and he is free once again. That is the main idea for the devil figure Bagan. And people like UltraGWRzilla have done this as well. But i feel like tarbano is someone who can do this kinda theme correctly. As he has created a depiction of satanic origins with the mannerisms of Unicron, and the mindset of Deathwing. Though in my opinion: these qualities are also the kind shared by another satanic figure who was once an agent of good before he betrayed his fellow guardians, and became a force of pure evil: Makuta Teridax. One of my absolute favorite villains in fictional history, i find that Makuta serves as a perfect character influence for Bagan, and is one i will often find myself using for his character in my stories. Which works well, because i consider Bagan to be the devil of Toho universe if he s handled right. Whether he is a destructive force of nature, or a force of ultimate evil, Bagan is otherwise a being who will remind others that while powerful, they are still mere mortals: and he is a god. And those were my Top 20 favorite kaiju. Do you agree with my choices? Have other kaiju you may like? Have any thoughts you'd like to share? Then feel free to share, and leave in the comments below. Until then, i hope you enjoy reading this, and i'll see you all next time. Goodbye!

0 notes