#jshk chapter analysis | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mari-lair · 6 months

Text

Kou never mistakes Hanako for a human, and I find that interesting.

He heard about Amane from Nene, who had front roll seats to his past and gained an intimate wake up call that "Hanako is not a 'magic being' from a fantasy book, he was a student, who is now dead"

His death is not a conflict for Kou though, is just who he is. He is well aware the ghost is dead, so what Nene shares isn't a revelation, is just small pieces of the puzzle that is Hanako: the understanding he used to study here.

Kou has no real link to Amane, he never met the guy. Even when explicitly talking about Amane, Kou has no mental image of this 13-year-old who killed his own brother, he can only picture Hanako, the ghost.

Kou doesn't interact with 'Amane' in Picture Perfect either, the very few interactions they have are super short, and always started by Hanako in his Amane disguise.

The one time Kou approaches him is because 'Amane' was carrying an unconscious Nene, so he gets curious, and shows that he doesn't trust him.

But when he learns it's Hanako, he is delighted. It doesn't matter that Mitsuba is acting weird, and that he still didn't get any answers, cause is Hanako! Hanako his buddy!

He never had a wish for Hanako to be alive, to be his classmate, so he doesn't feel any desperate attachment to the idea of 'Yugi Amane' like he did with the idea of 'Mitsuba Sousuke' only ever seeing him as a wrong version of Hanako from the start. Is not real, so of course he doesn't trust him.

His view of Hanako cannot be separated from him being a ghost.

Hanako is the one who properly introduced Kou to the world of supernaturals and served as an informant on the Far Shore when Teru kept him in the dark. He teaches Kou about rumors, boundaries, supernatural festivals, and introduces him to the complex feelings some of the dead may have about lingering on the Near Shore.

There are two main mentalities Kou has when it comes to Hanako, the first is 'I don't know enough about Hanako to tell if he is a threat, he is so weird, I want to learn about him' The second is 'he helps me and Nene. He looks after us, he is our friend.' and usually he focuses on the second.

But the "i need to gauge if he is a threat" mentality is just as important as his attachment to Hanako.

It's what makes him keep an eye on him and occasionally act like a judge, trying to figure out what is going on with him, which is a hard task.

Hanako does a lot of good and bad things to Kou.

He sealed his exorcist staff, which debilitates him through basically the whole manga, but he helps and saves him and Nene when called, he lies and is selfish, but he seems to only lie for silly things or what Hanako seems to believe is the greater good (the tears eye drops, Nene's lifespan). He seems guilty and burdened by his murder but he did murder someone. He is important to Nene, he is important to Kou, and so on.

Is too much to keep track of. Too hard to give a judgment.

So he focus on his feelings way more than logic, and he is very inclined to have a positive view of Hanako. He wants Hanako to be good. To be a friend.

He does notice his slimy behavior and he does change his perception of Hanako, slowly understanding him better and growing more wary of what he says, more careful when trying to read him.

But his doubts aren't nearly as heavy as his hopes for Hanako: He believes he wants the best for them.

If we go back to the scene where Nene is talking about Amane, there is something she says that sticks with Kou, something that immediately catches his attention "Maybe I shouldn't be his friend"

Unlike his death, this is a conflict Kou relates to.

He is making donuts for Hanako as they speak, absorbing everything he learns about the guy and using the information to help Hanako because he wants to cheer up Hanako.

Hanako being important to Nene is important to Kou. They are a group to him, and he isn't alone in his uncertainty.

Kou keep this mentality of just doing what he wants for a while, childish as it is, but slowly, he is forced to give Hanako more thought, to take him seriously.

His view on Hanako has been tipping to the negative recently. He always knew about Hanako being strange and full of secrets but he can't dismiss it anymore, since the ghost started lying about big things, like trapping Nene in a fake world and exchanging Aoi's lifespan for hers without Nene's consent. Is not like his usual avoidance and silly lies, he is getting harmful.

Hanako gave Kou plenty of glimpses into his more 'inhuman' mentality. He has shown Kou a lot of hints that pratically scream "Stop trusting me kid."

It piles up.

It becomes harder to know what is a lie. What isn't. What is okay and what shouldn't be forgiven.

Kou keeps trying to understand him and give him the benefit of the doubt , he truly doesn't want to believe Hanako is just an 'evil spirit' after everything they've been through. He is a supernatural but he is his teacher and friend too, that got to mean something.

But he doesn't have a clear answer. He can think as hard as he want, he still has no idea what is going on inside Hanako's head, he just wants to believe is something for Nene's sake. Because even if he isn't sure what Hanako thinks of him, he wants to believe he wants Nene to be happy, that his care for her is strong and genuine.

Besides the conflict between "he is an apparition, he is a friend" There is also the way Kou is dependent on Hanako.

Hanako is extremely helpful, he gives him all the answers related to supernaturals. Even when Kou didn't trust Hanako, the ghost already took the role of 'the guide' in the group, offering Kou something he always wanted: Information on supernaturals. A ticket to be part of a world Kou had always wanted to be part of, but his brother had sheltered him from.

Kou always goes to Hanako when he is in trouble. Regardless of how shady he acts, Hanako always helps.

So when he tells Kou he is incompetent, it gives him a wake up call.

Kou always had an inferiority complex, but this puts into perspective how he relies a lot on Hanako. He doesn't solve anything by himself, he either follows Hanako's lead, or faces a dead end.

Kou has a lot to think about after that. He doesn't want to keep relying on Hanako, he wants to take action himself, to be something that doesn't follow Hanako or Teru's lead.

He focuses mostly on Mitsuba, convinced the supernatural needs him, but also goes back to the promise he made with Teru.

This 'what do you want to do?' moment gives insight into a lot of relationships, but I'll only focus on what it says about Kou's view of Hanako here.

Kou is usually very sweet with Nene, but he is direct to the point of being cold here, he calls Hanako "The evil spirit of a murderer" as he had when he first met him all the way back in chap 3, It feels like an ultimatum. A judgment.

Hanako is dangerous, he needs to exorcise him. Part of him wants to exorcise Hanako. But he doesn't want to exorcise his teacher, his friend.

This brings me to his wish on the Red House.

Before talking about his wish I want to point out what his wish isn’t: Kou doesn’t want Hanako’s help, advise or support. He doesn’t want Hanako to give up on trying to help nene either, so he is still depends on Hanako's actions to save Nene to some extent, he doesn't believe he can do it himself, nor does he want the pressure of being believed.

He wants Hanako to be a problem that’s easy to deal with, an evil spirit that’s undeniably evil.

Things would be much easier if Kou could exorcise him: It would prove it to himself, teru, and Hanako that he can be an exorcist, it would eliminate any possible anxiety about what Hanako will do next, and it would give Hanako what he wants, Kou wouldn't disappoint him again.

When he pictures Hanako, he is happy and sweet looking, almost innocent. He may have decided he need to exorcise Hanako at some point, that is the right thing, but he doesn't really... want him gone.

He consistently has exorcism in mind when it comes to Hanako post-severance, but he also consistently pictures him happy and friendly. .

"I want to be a bigger help" implies he wants to work with Hanako, so the two help Nene instead of him being the sole person in charge of her lifespan, which is a big big difference from his self-destructive desperation to be the one to help Mitsuba.

"I need to get to the point where I can exorcise him." As it is, Kou does not believe he can exorcise him. He realizes he should, but also that he can't.

What he says when he fights Teru fits into that.

He doesn't agree with Hanako, and he denies the idea that he is doing this for Hanako, choosing to focus on his bond with Nene instead of his exorcism dilemma.

He and Nene have a simple camaraderie he can rely on, a mutual lack of understanding of what to do, but even this more 'safe' decision to be on her side instead of trying to keep discovering his own path got Kou the same reprimand Hanako had given him "You have big ideas but you can't back it up."

Both of the people he looks up to give him guidance told him he is useless. He can not fully relate to exorcists, or supernaturals, the path he is carving for himself, his beliefs, are unclear, easily shaken, and likely useless.

He still wants to be an exorcist, deep down, delighted when Teru gave him a chance. But he can't be an exorcist. Not when he thinks so much about the supernatural, unable to reject them but unable to truly understand or relate to them either.

It makes me sad that Aidairo pushed Kou and Hanako's situation aside, cause they still have a lot to explore, yet all we got recently is these crumbs:

Kou is keeping his eyes on Hanako, his attitude half "I am your friend, I care about you", half "I don't trust you anymore, don't scheme again, bastard" but they don't have meaningful talks with each other anymore.

Hanako will save Kou if he sees him in danger, I'm sure. And Kou will do the same. But their trust is... shaky... and they will never talk about it. Kou won't share that he wants but can't exorcise Hanako and Hanako won't share how much he values Kou. They won't seek each other for help either. Both will slowly yet consistently focus on someone else instead, like a weirdly passive attempt at detachment.

So I have no hope for more meaningful interaction between them. Not anytime soon at least... Is truly a shame.

#i know no one cares about them anymore but it's something to pass the time while the chapter is being translated... I guess #ngl I didn't go very in dept... This is half an analysis half me going 'i miss them :('#tbhk #toilet bound hanako kun #hanakou #kou minamoto #minamoto kou #jshk #jibaku shounen hanako kun #character analysis

279 notes · View notes

legend-of-cupcake · 3 months

Text

Spoilers for TBHK 110!!

Small analysis and thoughts below

This right here, it broke my heart. Tsukasa has went this entire time believing with all his heart that Amane hates him, and that it's okay for him to disappear. That mindset he had at 4 years old never changed. And Amane doesn't help himself at all, he never says what he really means, and watching him say this:

Is even more tragic, because we know he doesn't mean it literally. But Tsukasa will take him that way anyways, further strengthening his beliefs. Reading this though, it brought my mind back to that small flashback we had during chapter 101.

I wonder if Tsukasa spent a lot of time trying to coax Amane into revealing his true desires, wanting him to be more honest so Tsukasa knew where he stood. But because of the way Amane naturally is, he doesn't say anything regarding his true feelings-- maybe he feels he can't. When Tsukasa grants a wish, bad things start happening.

Maybe Amane knew that, and became more guarded about his dreams and desires. Became more closed off about how much he truly loves his little brother, never saying the words themselves, but feeling it all the same. Amane loved Tsukasa so much that he followed him into the afterlife, just so he could see him again, made him his yorishiro so they would always be bound together.

Perhaps, had Amane told Tsukasa how he felt before they died, even just once, then things could've been different.

#tbhk #jshk #hanako #tsukasa yugi #toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #tbhk analysis #tbhk spoilers #chapter 110 spoilers #this is an analysis btw #but since it's so early I'm hiding it to avoid spoilers

63 notes · View notes

essamimi · 1 month

Text

No but in the arc where we find out about the clock keepers and nene’s lifespan(I forgot what it was called) it is stated that the clock keepers abilities do not work as effectively on supernaturals. What does this mean. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN.

I feel that it would be dissappointing if shijima/mitsuba was actually alive and their mystery selves don’t exist at all in this present, period. With no memories coming back to them. Or anything, really.

Aidalro what are the ramifications of this I am in your walls

Aidalro tell me

#tbhk #tbhk analysis #tbhk theory #thoughts #tbhk 112 #jshk #jshk analysis #jshk theories #tbhk theories #jshk theory #uhm #chapter 112 #idk how to tag this #aidalro open upppp

13 notes · View notes

httyddragonfox · 8 months

Text

Tsukasa (Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun)

There really is no rhyme or reason to whatever that kid does, but I've decided to do something perilous and crack into his mind a bit. Wish me luck, and if I don't return...remember me.

Anyways, he's always been a messed up little dude, ever since he discovered the truth about him and Amane's destiny. So who knows, maybe he's always been a bit messed up, considering he told the deity of the red house that he wasn't going to "Hold back" anymore. I'm a twin myself, so I know that spats between us can get a little violent. We don't ever see the extent of Tsukasa's insanity as a human, but I feel it was a bit more than whatever me and my sister ever got up to. This guy is obsessed with his brother; yes I feel like my life can't be fun without my sister but I'm not that obsessed with her. Just read his character stat page and you'll know what I mean.

It all started as a normal twin relationship, his brother was sickly and Tsukasa just wanted him to feel better; he realized Amane's true wish was to be healthy. So he sacrificed himself for his brother to get better. Tsukasa didn't seem to understand his family's feelings, or the fact that they would miss him. He then learned that Amane would throw his well meaning sacrifice away one day and die young, and despite saying he loved him he would murder him. This doesn't make Tsukasa distraught, it just makes him curious. Despite Amane wanting to live so badly, there is something that would make him want to die. Despite Amane loving him, there is something that would make him want to kill him. Tsukasa just wants to know what these things are; he wants these events to come to pass, to satiate his own curiosity.

Upon his return, his mother can tell there's something demented about him. She wants him exorcised. From what I can tell, Tsukasa still spends time with his brother Amane, but he also can get a bit violent with him at times. Amane refuses to tell anyone who's hurting him. In one flashback, it also seems that Tsukasa can be emotionally manipulative as well, asking Amane if he would be okay if he just disappeared.

As a Twin, I hate to admit it, when I was younger I was emotionally manipulative. I threatened to run away or kill myself when arguments got too heated. I am aware, that was not good of me. In all fairness, she did that as well, and she is aware that was not good of her. We never beat each other up, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tsukasa got that way sometimes. Little Amane admitted that if you interrupt Tsukasa from doing something he's invested in or enjoys he gets a tad violent. That is reflected in his supernatural self, only really getting upset at people if they interrupt him or try to stop him from what he's doing at the moment.

So all in all, Tsukasa is a psycho. I can't end it there though.

He does anything to satisfy his morbid curiosity, like seeing a pufferfish's insides, building an artificial ghost to see if he could, or from the after school manga, seeing if fireworks still work inside someone's gut, or seeing if he can swim to LA. Whatever curiosity, whatever disturbing thought comes to mind, he wants to act on it. A ball of chaos, as he admits in his introduction to Kou. He doesn't believe in restraints or social order, he believes every supernatural should be free to act as they please, anyone should act to true heart's desire, even if it's acts of violence, especially if it's acts of violence. Violence is the one true thing that's a societal no-no, and since Tsukasa doesn't believe in a social order, he wants violence to run rampant. He admits loves the faces of those who don't hold back anymore, faces of people like himself.

Tsukasa is an honest person, he never once lies in the series. It's a belief of mine that he believes the social order is holding everyone back, forcing them to lie to themselves in order to uphold it. Of course some people don't want to hurt anyone, but like he cares about that. When Mitsuba in the Hell of Mirrors chose to run away instead of fighting the main group, he ends up punching him telling "you can do it" in a threatening tone. He truly believes Mitsuba can defeat them easily, and wants to see that in action, but Mitsuba doesn't want to. Also, even though he doesn't lie, he does know how to spin his words in order to make it seem like someone doesn't have a choice. He tells Mitsuba if he doesn't become the new school wonder, he's going to fade away, and "he doesn't want that, does he?" He wanted Mitsuba to gain a whole lot of power for himself to go against the group, and told if he didn't he was going to fade. It wasn't untrue, but Tsukasa made him make the wish to become the new school wonder. So Tsukasa knows how to manipulate things so that both and them get what they want, maybe in an indirect way.

When he twisted Souske's rumor, it was to grant his wish to have friends. It was rather messed up of him, because at that point Souske was happy Kou was his friend. Tsukasa didn't care about that, because Souske's true wish was to have friends, it didn't matter if Souske was okay with one. According to Tsukasa, "Your wish was to have many friends, and you're okay with just one? That doesn't make sense." Not to mention when Souske went off on his own and was receiving help from Kou, Tsukasa punched him through the stomach. It seems he wants people to go through with their original wants, and not change up their plans where it is most convenient. After turning Souske into a monster, he claims that if Souske were to make Kou like him they could be friends forever. I truly think he meant this, he just had no concern for what would happen to Kou or the fact that Souske didn't really want to hurt him, he just wanted Souske to be the worst he could be with no restraint and then have him go after what he wanted. He wishes more people would act as he does. He truly lives by his own beliefs, and wants others to follow that doctrine.

After Hanako ended Souske, he wasn't too torn up about it. As I said, he's only really upset if people interrupt him. He was more happy to see his brother again. Also, it's violence against violence, why wouldn't he be for that? He likes it when people don't hold back.

What is overall end goal? What does he want? Well for right now, he sees it as a game of good vs evil. He wants himself and Hanako to "Play together" like they used to. Of course, them playing is more on the violent side this time around, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love him. Tsukasa adores his brother (he's upset when Yashiro says he's not her type), but he thinks that violently going against each other is a form of fun. He admits to Yashiro that he sees himself and his brother as arch-enemies, and he's fully embracing the role he's playing in this game they're playing. He went after Yashiro for two reasons, first to get to know her because she's friends with his brother (he fully thinks they're dating), second to go against her in this deadly game (get rid of her) because he sees her as playing this game as well. Sakura and himself vs Yashiro and his brother; he doesn't so much care for Natsuhiko and Kou, they're just there, they help out sometimes. The real opponents are them and their assistants. Getting rid of his assistant would give Tsukasa an advantage in this game they're playing, so of course it'd be the move he'd take.

Of course, he's not too torn about it when she survives. So what, they won that round; we're no longer playing that round, we're no longer addressing that round. It's also great as that means she can keep playing. He finds her quite fun, when he first met her he was impressed by her gusto and how she just went to attack him like that. He doesn't like it when she interrupts him, but he's learned to be gentle to girls. He usually goes after Nene when trying to influence what happens next on his brother's side. He put a spy on her to see how his brother handled a twisted rumor, he had Sakura influence her to go tothe 4pm bookstacks to learn more about his brother, and he used her donut gift to find a way to visit him.

This is because he's met her before, and thinks she's fun to play with. In the picture perfect arc, he even wished her luck in killing his brother, and sent her with Mei because she helped her realize her wish, untimely freeing her from her cell Hanako locked her in. He seems like he's on her side, as he seems to support whatever crazy idea she has; like when she's suddenly okay with dying, he tells Hanako to let her die or else he's being selfish and a hypocrite. Then again, when his brother gets the idea to break every Yorishiro and then get a wish to save her, he's all for that because that would mean much more chaos would be unleashed. So not exactly on her side, just in support of her usually not supported ideas. He just wants to see what she'd do in these trying situations, because he likes her gusto. Of course, he knows that breaking every Yorishiro would lead to her death, but he's okay with that; he was okay when he himself was murdered. He does know she doesn't like killing people, but if she does end up doing it, she has his full support. If not, well she's locked in the boundary until she does. He likes playing with her. We get to school festival arc, and Tsukasa from the past asks her to play with him again.

When time is frozen, it seems he's talking to her more than Hanako. Probably because Hanako knows most of what he's saying already. He does ask him if he would still save everyone even if meant bringing Yashiro closer to her death. Tsukasa wants him to break the Yorishiro and save everyone, it's why they broke the clock in the first place. However, he is curious on what they rather do in this situation.

Why does he do what he does in chapter 105? For starters, I think he just wanted to know what kissing was like. When he met Yashiro for the tea party and he though Sakura was dating his brother, he asked what the kisses were like, and said he heard they tasted like lemons. When that's cleared up, he asked Yashiro what his brother's kisses were like because he assumed they were dating. When that's cleared up, he asks Sakura if she would smooch him, and that was a no.

Now Yashiro and Hanako are frozen in time but still conscious, and Tsukasa is aware that they like each other (Did he see them kiss in the boundary? Maybe.) These guys aren't going to do anything, and he can do anything to them. He kisses Nene. Nene is mainly confused, as she usually is by what Tsukasa does, and Hanako is not just confused but also very upset by that. Tsukasa probably did that to know what kissing was like, but maybe to also know what's it like to kiss her (like his brother does), and lastly probably just to get a rise out of Hanako. Yeah, I don't think he likes Nene like that. He likes her as another player of the game and thinks she's interesting, but probably only kissed her because of Hanako's feelings for her, to make him feel more helpless. He does seem pretty happy after he does it, probably because it was nice, and it satisfied his curiosity.

After the kiss, he kidnaps her, saying "You're my assistant now, okay?" He already has an assistant, and Yashiro doesn't even owe him anything, so she's not bound to him. Tsukasa is an honest guy, but I'm not sure how much of this he truly meant. It probably means he's going to keep her, and maybe force her to do what he wants like with Sumire and #6. He might be expecting Hanako to try to save her, but Hanako doesn't know where his hideout is. Also the two of them are frozen, can Tsukasa get Nene out of it? How is he expecting Hanako to get out of it? These things I don't know. If he can't get Nene out of it, he probably just wants to keep her frozen body around. If he can, he might force her to destroy #1's Yorishiro. If Hanako doesn't get out of it, everyone will be in frozen torment for eternity, which could be nice. If he does, he'd need Yashiro to destroy the Yorishiro, unless they force #1 to destroy it themselves.

Another thing I'm not sure about: he's a yorishiro. If he's destroyed he'll cease to exist, so he won't get to see that world he want's to see so badly or finish his game. Did that slip his mind? Probably not. My guess is that he wants to have a final battle with Hanako, and the winner will see the world come to fruition and win the game. Maybe he'll be content enough that the world of chaos will come to pass even if he won't get to see it. Maybe since Hanako doesn't want to hurt him again, he try to force Yashiro's hand.

Anyways, with Tsukasa as a villain I'm a little excited to see how things will play out, and also a little horrified.

#jibaku shounen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #after school hanako kun #tsukasa yugi #yashiro nene #hanako kun #yugi amane #chapter 105 #thbk #jshk #character analysis

19 notes · View notes

periwinklepaperrabbits · 2 years

Text

Tsukimi festival and the music box of chapter 91

A couple people have pointed out that the boy and girl rabbits in Nene’s music box represent Hanako and Nene. I think this is actually a very important symbol and could actually offer a lot of insight into Nene’s mentality when she said she would stay here.

In the timeline of the story, Obon passed a little while ago. That means the next big festival in Japan, Tsukimi, is fast approaching. And this has a lot of thematic implications. One, Tsukimi has origins in the Japanese nobility writing poetry while gazing at the moon’s reflection on the surface of the water. Two, it is a gratitude festival. And three, one of the main legends associated with Tsukimi is that there are two rabbits kneading mochi on the moon. Maybe you can see where I’m going with this:

Nene has made it clear that, before she described living a long life, that she wanted to go to the moon together with Hanako. Throughout the manga, be it the severance or this scene, there is a constant underlying wish of Hanako living with her. She's not really sure how this would work, but she declares these things boldly and Nene-ly. Yet, it seems this option is becoming more and more unrealistic. And he also keeps trying to send her off alone with that hat of a brain he has.

So she looks down firmly at the reflection of the moon they’ll dance on– the music box. It's melancholy, but it's an ending she will settle with. If the moon is living a long life with Hanako, then its reflection is this after-life situation. She wants to be on the moon making mochi and dancing with the boy she loves, and she’ll settle with its reflection. It’s so romantic, so silly, so Nene— and it must be so, so dissatisfying to her.

Because she so eagerly suggested to him of living 90 years, of experiencing all those ephemeral, simple things that a human life has to offer. She described it with such wonder and shimmer that it even transferred to him. The strength to dare to dream of the impossible. These two not only fell in love with each other, but with life itself. And that’s something beautiful.

But, as the title of chapter 91 suggests, she wants them to fix their mistakes, the two of them. She doesn’t want to continue being selfish and risk more things, even if she loves that moon-dream dearly. And thus, she decides she’s staying here and not going anywhere. No longer pursuing that moon. She’s letting the music box, her cruel fate, unwind. She’ll be grateful for the nothings she has been given and accept that she can no longer live.

-but she’s under the illusion that this after-life would be something similar to life, when it’s not. He already made this choice– to abandon life and stop dreaming. And he’s looking at the girl he loves refusing to look up, becoming more like how he was before her. The last thing he wants is for her to stay here and never leave. Because that is reminiscent of what he did for Tsukasa.

Amane let himself die and stay here. Amane thought it was an act of love. Tsukasa thought it was an act of love. When really, it just made them miserable. (this Amane’s death=love idea is brilliant and not talked about enough imo, the original place I found this idea is mokkemusic's home-bound tsukasa post). And now Nene is thinking this. More than any fate before her, this is the last thing he wants to happen to her. We saw his fear when she mentioned staying locked in a place in the PP arc.

The idea of her being locked and following the horrible path he went down frightens him to no end. She needs to quickly see what becoming a supernatural entails and he has to be honest for once.

So let’s return to the moment and track Nene’s gaze and the music box in the following panels.

The way he tells her this is unsettling (I think he wants it to be, he wants her to recognize that ‘death for a lover’ is unsettling and unromantic). He’s not interlocking their fingers in their usual close and tender manner. Her eyes leave the music box briefly, but then immediately trail back to the music box, as she tries to make the decision seem as pretty as it was before Hanako became all chirpy and unfamiliar (similar to how he was during the severance).

And as he finishes explaining it (in the most horrifying way he can put it), her eyes become blank and unreflective. The “why would you say such a thing” is reminiscent of the picture perfect arc, when he first told her about her death.

And this is usually why he doesn't want her to fully understand these things. Because they're horrifying. Because sweet Nene doesn’t want to die die. She thought she could stay in the after-life with Hanako in a sort of happy pseudo-living in her mochi-making moongazing fix-up plan™. But the options actually before her in that path are so bleak. And- and as much as I love to tease Nene about this, it’s fucking tragic. These poor fucking kids. None of their plans are working, and the world just wants her to settle on her death like a falling leaf. Hell, even so much of the fandom does.

And she lets go of the music box and breaks down, struggles and pulls his hair. Her music box falls uselessly to the ground in the process (off-screen, we see it in the later panel shown above). He captures her hands, and how Hanako treats her henceforth is so tender.

Like how he did in PP arc, he cups her cheeks and affectionately tilts her face back up. And he explains the things that he adores about her that most would consider purely flaws— those playful, human, silly, Nene things that inspired him and filled him with life despite his death. That made him see everything differently. Those things she was trying to abandon right now. He wants her to be selfish. He wants him to be a little selfish. Why should they be grateful when this is what they’re given? What harvest have they been given? Why shouldn’t they fight back a little? Nene showed him her strength and fragility and revived those traits in him from his indifference. As tiny light says, she gave him the strength to simply wish wholeheartedly.

So damn it, they deserve to wish a little more. Because despite the mess they’re making, they don’t want to give up just yet. So I just just can’t be angry at them if they start following whatever trail Tsukasa is leading them down. And, speaking of that boy, Tsukasa showing up and reminding Amane of how he gave up is so painful. Because now Amane has the will to hope and not give up, not wanting Nene to either. And Tsukasa is going to exploit that. I truly can’t wait to see how this plays.

I have a lot more to add but this is getting long and I'm a bit snoozy so I’ll shut up now.

…..

….........

SOME EXTRA FOOD FOR THOUGHT☆ ～('▽^人) (I’m too snoozy for full sentences and picture linking now but I need to talk more)

❤the famous tsukimi story involves the rabbit offering to throw itself into the fire as food for the old man who came.

❤in the Chinese version of the tradition, the elixir of immortality is what the rabbit is preparing, often accompanied by Chang’e, the Chinese Moon Goddess.

❤the alice in wonderland art released a little before this chapter is very evocative of the music box (mechanical themes, similar toys). Except only Hanako is the rabbit. Along w furthering the music box arg, in the themes of alice in wonderland, Hanako could’ve been leading her to fall down the hole (she’s the kannagi). But of course we know our boy fell in love.

❤A lot of people are pointing out the Karuto and Hanako comparison. I think it’s valid, and my two cents on it is that, yes, Iro does want us to recall that. And they're trying to contrast the two narratives right now. I doubt they’re going to end tbhk the same way (I’m risking looking like an idiot in the future but I’m stupidly confident). Because

1) short stories tend to have more shocking endings, because they have less time to develop a well-constructed narrative and rely on the ending to leave the reader

2) Aidairo is very self-aware, and will not repeat a storyline twice.

3) Hanako and Karuto are so different. Karuto sounded like he was trying to convince himself why Lily and him shouldn’t die though it’s clearly the first thing he wants to do (almost brushing off those reasons). Hanako is just stating facts and sounds so darn genuine in how the last thing he wants is for Nene to die. [insert his imagination of Nene’s life proceeding happily panel ch 86] More than anything he wants her to experience those things she can't experience with him. It’s part of his whole arc in how he’s learning to love life

4) Nene and Lily are so different. Lily wanted to stay with Karuto and only Karuto. Nene has expressed time and time again that she loves life as well as Hanako, and the stubborn little thing doesn’t truly want to just settle for one of them

❤[the Nene and Kou apple eating picture, nene more hesitant] See her hesitance here. Kou is far more willing to become a supernatural than Nene. Because Nene loves life.

❤I’m pretty sure in the original japanese, Nene uses ‘together language’ when describing their plan (we need to change how we’re thinking about this, begin our happy after-life). Because she’s trying to get them to do this together.

❤I wonder if maybe the tears in Tsu’s eyes are because Hanako swung his knife.

Okay I’ll shut up this time fr fr

#hananene #jshk #tbhk #jibaku shounen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk spoilers #jshk analysis #my analysis #...a lil’ long for a first post #( ◕▿◕ )#but that’s okay this manga deserves it #and honestly I feel like I’ve barely even scratched the surface of this brobdingnagian fucking chapter #even though it’s like 10 pages #this manga has truly perfected visual storytelling #Iro you motherfucker let these two sweethearts grow up happy and healthy #let them gush about their first kiss normally #Aida you’re sorta off the hook just keep drawing these beautiful panels #You can practically hear a slow tiny light coming from that music box #I love using nene as an adjective #aaaa I’ve come too late and the fanbase seems to have faded a bit #but idc I’ll just keep loving this lovely manga #I’m gonna follow up soon with a cheekholding analysis #and post art

160 notes · View notes

daily-terus · 8 months

Text

#His lil' pose...#bit of a side-tangent and probably not an Actual Intentional thing #but he's braced for a fight here #In my little over-analysis world #it shows how on-guard he is #and how being treated like an object (probably sub-consciously) puts him into heightened awareness #like #his knees are bent just the amount they need to be for him to spring into action #It's kind of like 'en guard' in fencing?#or part way to it #like he could snap to it in an instant if need be #his feet are even angled that way #yet another thing I eventually need to make an Actual Post on #jshk #minamoto teru #teru minamoto #tbhk #THAT ENDS CHAPTER ONE THANK FUCK

6 notes · View notes

sillyyuserr · 2 months

Text

posting again at nearly 1am :P

another small analysis (if you can even call it that)

what im going to be talking about takes place in jshk, chapter 79, a quick recap. This is during the red house arc, and at this point in time kou and nene are in the red house, whilst akane and teru are at the shrine talking to what seems to be either a worker at the shrine or a family member/family friend of teru’s (and aoi’s in the far shore but shes not very relevant in this chapter).

after they fail to get something out of the “family friend”, teru exhaustedly lyes down and starts “ranting” to akane ab how hard his life is

and whilst doing this they somehow get to the topic of aoi. And akane starts to wonder if teru GENUINELY likes her. And i mean we can kind of tell he doesnt, but its still a little odd to see him act like this

does he like aoi? We never truly will know, but theres alot of things implying he doesnt like her (and vice versa) but im too lazy to go digging those up so just take my word for it 😭

but akane doesnt even look mad here??? he’d usually either bitchslap someone for talking ab dating her or even hitting ppl with a fucking spiked bat who glance at her

but this? who knows. And not to mention teru looks almost sad when akane mentions him possibly liking her. Almost as if he misunderstood his intenions??

This is very interesting to me, he looks almost distant, but not in the way of no one understands him or he wants to get away from everyone but in the “im trying to tell you what i mean but you’re not getting it” kind of way.

you see it too right? Pls tell me im not insane 😭

but why is he looking like this at akane? Well lets come up with a few ideas. one reason could be because he’s possibly “hinting” to akane that he likes aoi, although this doesnt make much sense considering he literally asked him that straight up and thats his literal direct response.

another reason could be that he’s sad akane’s brought-ten up her again. Not because he dislikes her, but maybe a little reminder that akane still likes aoi, and that he’s still JUST out of his reach.

After that akane talks about going to save aoi on his own since teru’s being a sad sack and wont do it himself, leading up to these 2 panels.

LIKE UHM???? HOLD ON

Lets look closer here 😭 not only does he have the most love-struck eyes ive ever seen, but also he’s blushing??? ON BOTH SIDES?? Also the way his expression takes up the entirety of the upper half of this panel shows us that this is kind of important and for us to really pay attention to it.

ive seen him make this face TWICE. Both times looking at who you may ask? Take a guess

I have so many takes on terukane but no one wants to listen to them so i go to tumblr and share with my singular follower💀 im not even exaggerating

One sided terukane makes me SICK 😭

#minamoto teru #aoi akane #terukane #tbhk #real

102 notes · View notes

makshu · 1 month

Text

Ok. There's something going on and I need to talk about it.

We've all seen that AidaIro is posting new art every day, and on the 18th there will be a new chapter.

But I noticed something, all these arts are about the last arc and are telling the story of it again.

Let me show you

The first one we had was on chapter 111, which shows Yashiro. Everything is normal, but behind her we can see typical theater spotlights, it could just be something mundane or reference her school play rehearsals. Well we started with this.

So we have this art of 12y Tsukasa. Referencing when Yashiro and Mitsuba ended up in the past and found 12y Tsukasa talking to them. He said a rumor about the big clock that further opened the theme of this arc, really an omen for everything.

This art by Sakura is worth mentioning, as she is part of the broadcast gang. She is behind everything, and theories about her being the god or something powerful are increasing more and more. It's worth mentioning that she wished something for Tsukasa, everything he's doing is because of her (because of Amane too, but he has a bond with Sakura). Sakura is an extremely important piece in this puzzle.

Let the fun begin! Next in the series we have Mitsuba and Kou enjoying their time at the festival. Eating and playing together. We were informed, the festival has started.

More moments at the festival. This scene happened in the manga, it is the beginning of the festival that we see. Hanako and Yashiro in the haunted house made by Kou's class. Until that moment everything was normal (or so we thought).

This one is curious. We only see seal Tsukasa in this arc after the plan is initiated. But I believe he was also out there enjoying his last moments. And you can tell that it's really Tsukasa and not the creature. Well, now we're getting close.

Ohhh look what we have here! President and vice-president enjoying the festival as well, despite their work they still managed to find some time to have fun. Natsuhiko had already confronted Akane earlier and Teru had already discovered the black crane, they were probably already alert for anything suspicious. But, everything's still normal.

We return to Sakura, now in her maid outfit. We also have Natsuhiko's first appearance in these arts. This was possibly before or during the festival, but following the chronological line it must have been during. Note that until then this was the only art that did not have a black border (I will talk about this later). Moving on to the next...

From here things started to get serious. The plan had begun. This moment happens in chapter 105. Blood had started to spread throughout the auditorium and Hanako noticed that something was wrong. We are just a few steps away from entering No.1 boundary.

And finally we have today's art. The revelation of the immortal human, Natsuhiko. Breaking the timeline, in this art we go back to chapter 104, where Natsuhiko spreads his blood across the clock, thus executing the plan to go after the last yorishiros.

And these were all the arts released so far, the arts that reference the arc in this case. They all seem to be retelling the story of the Festival arc. Now why? Why would AidaIro be recapping the last arc?

We know that the past has changed and everything has a chance of being different from what we know. We go back to the beginning of the festival, where nothing had happened yet. Therefore, none of these events had happened, if everything really changed, the arts are telling an alternative version of history, the version we know.

Moving from analysis to theory... did you notice that almost all arts have a black border? Black borders are used to indicate flashbacks, the past in JSHK. Now, why would they be using this artifice? Assuming the present has changed, this would be the past. But not a past like something that happened years ago, but a past that no longer exists, in the sense of what it was before this current one. That's why the black borders, indicating that this would be the past.

What breaks this theory is Sakura's art in her maid outfit, as it doesn't have a black border. Maybe the borders are part of the new AidaIro style and are something made to style the arts, or actually have a connection to something. Well, that part is just a crazy theory.

But what do you think of this analysis? The images seem to be telling the arc of the festival all over again, and for what reason? Maybe we'll find out on the 18th, when chapter 112 comes out.

#jshk #tbhk #jibaku shounen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk analysis #jshk theories #hanako kun #yashiro nene #tsukasa yugi #kou minamoto #teru minamoto #mitsuba sousuke #akane aoi #sakura nanamine #hyuuga natsuhiko #long post

122 notes · View notes

thelunarfairy · 6 months

Note

Holaaa, First of all I want to tell you that I really like your account and your analysis💖Your points of view are very accurate and you give me my daily dose of hananene, so thank you 🫶

Now let's get to my question, it is not new that AidaIro makes "jokes" about Hanako harassing Nene, however this usually reaches strange limits, let's say, that Hanako tells Kou that he has touched Nene's breasts (clearly a lie) wanting to see up her skirt in a final comic of the Guardians of the Clock arc, hinting at her a lot, in another final mini comic he imagines what it would be like Nene if the water won't affect her (She would clearly be naked and he knows it) I even once saw a user of this app talking about how there is a fairly old mini panel drawn with a pencil in which Hanako wants to imitate a scene with Nene from the romantic movie Ghost (a scene that ends in something sexual) and the most famous imagen:

Clearly if you see this scene without having some context you are going to think badly, everyone thinks badly, the link I am leaving you is an analysis in which it is mentioned that eating and sex go hand in hand in the manga.

https://www.tumblr.com/theevilthatismokke/698270204867788800/the-myth-of-sumire-and-hakubo-jshk-chapter-94-and

And so we could continue talking about the many times that Hanako makes advances to Nene, to which I asked myself this, is Hanako sexually attracted to Nene? Maybe my question makes you uncomfortable, so if so, don't answer it :), even I feel bad and uncomfortable asking you this, I would just like to know your point of view, I also analyze these characters.

Many greetings from Mexico ☺️

Aww I'm the one who thanks you for your kindness, I'm very happy that you're enjoying my posts >.<

This answer was a little long, so I'm going to put fewer images to avoid making it twice as long, I'm going to rely on your memory on this one haha

Finally someone asked about this, and I'm immensely happy because it's a subject I've wanted to address for a long time. It turns out that I never really went into depth about it because I didn't know if people would feel uncomfortable.

JSHK has very strong and heavy themes, so I try to be cautious when talking about some things, even if I have theories about the topic. But to be honest, I'm thinking about talking to people about it.

Some of these themes are important to the main plot, and their analysis has a very important outcome for us to draw some conclusions about the characters' behavior, but anyway, returning to your question, let's talk about two of these themes, and one of the most controversial.

Hanako died at age thirteen, but he maintained his consciousness and physical presence for over fifty years. People still debate his mental age today, some say he has a mental age equivalent to the age he died, others say he already thinks like an adult.

Hanako has a duality, he will never be just "one" thing always, he is not just a good boy, but he is also not just a bad boy, I can spend hours exemplifying this, but that is not my intention, making it clear that this applies to most of the characters, so since we're talking about his mental age, this applies too.

He acts like a child, not like Tsukasa, but you still see him playing with toys or playing with other people, Hanako likes to have fun. He also has some childish thoughts about some things and does wrong things like a child. Tsuchigomori is sometimes seen teaching him things, as if he were responsible, like when the boy wanted to sell Tsuchigomori's objects without permission to buy a hat, the teacher teaches him that this is wrong and he understands.

We can clearly see that there is a very childish side to him, but at the same time he also has a more adult side. Let's consider him to be a side younger than an adult properly speaking. Hanako was thirteen years old so he was in puberty, about to leave pre-adolescence and enter adolescence. In fact, sexual desires are common and very latent at this age.

But, we are already talking about two topics, I will separate them so that we can better understand the connection that sex has with hunger.

Let's start by talking about sex.

Hanako clearly has strong and very latent sexual desires, this was made very clear from the beginning, what happens is that the "comic" side of the series leaves this as a situation that is supposed to be "funny" as if it were just a joke. It is common in works to see perverted characters being used as comic relief, but this does not apply to JSHK.

Hanako does indeed have latent desires, the way he acts, the way he behaves and the way he looks at Yashiro is almost always with a lot of desire. Just look at many panels of the manga, the way Hanako looks at Yashiro with desire, as if he was always about to kiss her, the way he is always touching, hugging, putting his arms around her, it's because there is a desire he tries to control.

The face he made when she was touching him

I talk more about his desire in this post here

Make no mistake, Hanako has actually touched her breasts a few times, I talk about that in this post here

Hanako doesn't just feel desire for Yashiro, he has a sexual desire that is natural to him, that is, this desire didn't start because of her. He always walks around or finds some suggestive items.

Erotic books (whether with girls in bikinis or magazines teaching what to do at "the right time" such as the magazine that teaches how to reach your girlfriend's G-spot)

Books teaching how to win someone over (like the one he used to help make Yashiro's wish come true) the book was very worn out, which means he read it very often. This indicates that he was wanting to learn to do it with someone (conquer someone).

The Kokeshi doll.

Let me tell you about this doll. There are some meanings behind it, such as the fact that it is used as an amulet to guarantee the protection of children, but at the same time the doll is also associated with sex and the sexual desire of boys, due to its shape.

On some Japanese sites I found it being linked to use for boys' sexual "relief", if you know what I mean. Not only does Hanako have a kokeshi doll, but he also thinks it's "Sexy." Again, people associated this moment where he says this as comic relief, but the signs are there.

See other examples

So, let's move on to the sexual desire he feels for Yashiro.

When Hanako was a child, he said that Yashiro was his type, that is, he had been attracted to her since that age (even though he was so young). When Nene met him again when he was older, the first thing Hanako did when they formed a bond was flirt with her, and he flirts very often.

His flirtations are different from those we usually see in other works. He always uses touch when he does, and Nene has noticed this to the point of claiming that he sexually harasses her. Do you see that Yashiro herself noticed this? At first Hanako had no criteria, he actually didn't care about touching her or imagining her naked, trying to look under her skirt or watching her take a shower (despite her turning into a fish).

And he didn't care because it was purely physical, he actually felt a strong sexual desire for her, even though she wasn't the only one. Yes, Hanako has also touched Aoi-chan, and even talked about the size of her breasts.

Then, Hanako falls in love with Nene and his way of acting subtly changes. We saw how he was reluctant to go after Yashiro when she went to take a shower with Sumire because he was afraid Yashiro would be mad at him. Do you think he would do this before? Hanako now has feelings for her, so he starts holding back.

Holding back is something that represents Hanako well.

And we see this all the time, the confirmation that he holds so much back came precisely in the chapter on the mokkes of the dead. Hanako doesn't have his normal consciousness, he's letting himself be carried away by his desire, in this case for sweets, but did you notice that he recognized Yashiro's voice when she called him? And the way he "attacks" her is different from the way he attacks Kou. We clearly see the sexual connotation here, Hanako's desire for Yashiro, and he pursues her until the end.

The way he "attacks" Yashiro

the way he attacks Kou

see his eyes of desire in this last panel

In this chapter we see that just by "relaxing" a little, he already tried to fulfill one of his own desires. Hanako already had several opportunities to kiss Yashiro but he was always holding back, he couldn't hold back any longer during their reunion because he hadn't seen her for a long time, because she risked her own life to see him, she saved him from Teru and She still confessed that she loved him. He couldn't hold back any longer and kissed her.

So, I've been thinking about this whole situation and whether Hanako would start putting pressure on Yashiro if they started dating. If Nene is his girlfriend, he'll be able to tease her, right? I was wondering if this possibility could happen and I started to think so after what happened between Hakubo and Sumire.

So, after an intense kiss between the two, would we see Hanako trying to touch Yashiro? Or even succeeding? Nene is not difficult to convince, and she must know that when she wanted to have a boyfriend, sex would be part of the relationship, the question is, how long could Hanako stay before he started wanting to consummate with her?

This is where I start to talk about the second theme, "hunger".

You sent me the link to a post (very good indeed) talking about the relationship between eating and sex, which are directly linked to JSHK, and it actually makes perfect sense. Aidairo made it very clear that this duality exists and the constant use of this metaphor.

That's because sex and hunger have one thing in common, desire

Everything in JSHK is about desire. Make wishes, fulfill wishes, always wishes.

Hunger and Sex are represented by the desire to obtain, to consume, to obtain something at will. Or are you going to tell me that you don't feel pleasure when you can eat delicious food when you're starving?

Eating is a word that actually has a sexual representation not only in JSHK but also throughout the world. I'll give you a personal example here.

In the country where I live (Brazil) the word "eating" is almost a synonym for sex, depending on the context in which you use it. If you say that you desire or want to "eat" someone, the person listening to you will SURELY understand that you are going to have sexual relations with the other person and that you will be the one who will be on top (active). So, if you come here haha, don't use that term because people will interpret it as being about sex.

I want to eat someone is the same thing that I want to have sex with someone. It's a very popular term even though a lot of people hate it (especially women).

I imagine that in other places in the world the word "eating" could be related to sex too, not just here in Brazil.

So back to JSHK, let's talk about hunger. We know that cannibalism is present in the work too, in addition to the extra arts in which the characters are represented as food or something like that.

We see Hakubo and Sumire's relationship, and we have to admit that the moment Hakubo went to "destroy" Sumire, he ate her. It was very obvious and very clear that it was a sex scene.

Obviously not in the most common way, but remember that Aidairo literally uses eating to represent sex itself. This is the most explicit example we have in the work (for now).

So let's move on to another topic, the way supernaturals relate to humans is different, of course it's different. Supernaturals like to devour humans and the way they deal with feelings is different but at the same time similar to that of humans.

Hakubo was a supernatural, he was born that way, and he reflected what was part of his nature. He did it the way he liked, he could have destroyed Sumire in any other way, but he chose to eat her, to consume her.

Do you know who is also a supernatural?

Hanako

Even though he was a human and understands better how relationships between humans work and that he can actually fall in love, he is still a supernatural.

Hanako is also hungry, and the whole time he is next to a kannagi girl, and he said that kannagis are delicious for supernaturals.

Hanako feels desire for Yashiro, he is a supernatural, she is a human with that title, with the blood that supernaturals desire. So, Hanako wants to eat Yashiro?

What if in the end Hanako has to "consume" Yashiro in the same way as Hakubo and Sumire? It's a possibility.

He has to stop himself from doing that. Which brings me to another point that people don't really like to think about

Hanako's relationship with Tsukasa.

Have you ever stopped to think? Tsukasa is Hanako's yorishiro, and if Nene doesn't remove Tsukasa's seal, will Hanako have to "eat" Tsukasa too?

Tsukasa seems to be looking forward to it.

What kind of relationship did these two have?

I won't delve into that now, let's get back to Nene and Hanako.

Their relationship is troubled, not only because he is supernatural and she is human, but also because of the way this relationship develops. There is a supernatural side to dealing with "love" and "desire" that we don't know about, but which is dangerous.

Hanako desires Yashiro in human form (sexual) and also in supernatural form (hunger), he wants her in the same way that Hakubo desired Sumire. Hakubo was supplying both, wasn't he?

It could be the same thing with Yashiro, it will depend on Hanako and how much he can control himself, which side of him will speak louder? the human side or the supernatural side?

This is the question he fears so much, he is afraid of his supernatural side, and the proof of this is the desire he has to remain sealed because he can control himself.

Hanako's human side wants to touch every part of Yashiro's body, wants to take her as a wife, wants to give and feel the purest pleasure with her, but the supernatural side actually wants to consume her, wants to devour her.

Which of these sides will be able to win in the end?

It's like I said, everything always begins and ends with a wish.

Hahaha the answer was longer than it should have been, sorry, but I loved finally being able to talk about it. There are a lot of things I think about these topics, but I'm still thinking about whether I'm going to talk about it or not, I need to know if the public is okay with it.

A big hug to Mexico from Brazil \o/

I hope you liked it, thanks for the ask! ♡

103 notes · View notes

platina-inc · 2 years

Text

JSHK Chapter 94 Analysis: Sumire and Hakubo

So aside from the strangeness to the chapter, I think it’s worth diving into the conversation in itself between Sumire and Hakubo—

We see that Hakubo is struggling with his feelings that he shouldn’t have because he’s not human, he’s a demon—feelings he can’t even begin to understand—

The feeling of love—it’s raw and unpleasant—as though Sumire had cursed him.

And yet it’s everything Sumire wanted to hear—to know her feelings are returned with such a force and passion.

And as Hakubo says he could let her go again—which would just involve Sumire reliving the last 100s of years of being sacrificed over and over and over again—hoping she stays so far within the depths of his boundary that he could forget her—

But he can’t.

He can’t forget her.

And he recounts the past—that Sumire had wanted him to cry—to feel for her, to feel the way she felt all along—but he realizes their happily ever after could never happen because he wasn’t born a human.

Had he been human—had they met in their childhood—where he wasn’t a guardian and she wasn’t a sacrifice—all the good times, the laughs and cries they could have shared…the eventual falling in love…and weeping for her loss…

He could never have that.

Because he’s not human.

And Sumire points out that Hakubo is living in his own hell of misery—of missing and mourning Sumire—mourning the normal life he could never have.

And, in both symbolic and not symbolic way, he eats her. He eats his grief, he eats his hell, and is accepting it and becoming one with it—with her.

He’d finally given in.

#jshk #tbhk #jibaku shounen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk spoilers

159 notes · View notes

amyyythestarry · 6 months

Text

Chapter 26, After School Boy.

I knew something was going to go wrong. I thought the cat and Tsuchigomori in the new chapter cover was going to be involved in the original manga, but I guess not.

His simps go feral whenever they see him because he doesn’t show up that often.

It’s always the mokke, isn’t it.

Where does he get these artifacts from. The one where your personality gets swapped, the gender bend one, and now this?

Who’s allowing him to get these?

Definitely not Tsuchigomori…

And who is allowing him to cuss?

How dark of him.. Wanting to cut Tsuchigomori’s new very real cat ears… Hanako needs God in his life.

My sister said she thought Aoi would be a major cat person.

I said she’s giraffe person instead. Not an official thing, but it’s a title that works in her case.

What an ugly cat.. 💀

I would have thrown it away… He’s uglier than hairless cats.

Also, she just has cute accessories on her?

I love their dynamic. It’s ship-worthy to me.

Oh my god, Teru, cats are not even safe from him.

But what if he already knew it was Tsuchigomori and that’s why he said that? “This ‘cat’ “. There’s no way he would actually say that to a regular and normal cat.

Or he probably wants revenge for all the cats that have wronged him in the past.

I was really really really confused on this part.

A fight? With Tsukasa?

What could you guys possibly even fight about??? What is there to fight about???

Is he being over dramatic, misunderstanding what happened between them or did they actually fight?

I hope we see what their fight could have possibly been about, would Aidalro drop information like this and expect us to think this is a normal occurrence? I mean, I believe some people would think this is a normal occurrence, but idk….They’ve never really fought. Not in a way that would make both of them feel like it was a fight.

Tsuchigomori’s father-tendencies kicked in.

Vivian….? Quick name-giving…

He really has a desire for someone to stay with him forever. Bound by death. God Mitsuba, your lonely.

You have Tsukasa though, you have to get to know him better! I promise he’s not so bad!

Oh my god. 💀

Mitsuba’s facial expressions changed so fast.

A whole grown a** man, having cat ears on, and sitting on his 13 year old lap.

I would have screamed. ( In a horrific way )

Liked this though. 👍🏽

#tbhk #anime #new manga chapter #manga chapter #jshk chapter #tbhk chapter #after school boy hanako kun #tsuchigomori #hanako #mitsuba #teru #nene #aoi #jshk tsuchigomori #tbhk tsuchigomori #slight tsumitsu?#jshk chapter analysis #tbhk chapter analysis

35 notes · View notes

mari-lair · 1 year

Text

It’s wild when I see people say Aoi is written only to be Akane’s love interest, cause Akane never hid that he is her boy.

He goes the extra mile just for a hint of her attention and had given the classic childhood friend heroine speech of "I’ll love my crush even if they never look my way."

It's framed as a joke but he is genuinely happy as long as Aoi exist, he can enjoy his life and look forward to all his days no matter how shitty they are (Teru bullies him, the clock keepers work him dry, he gets rejected constantly, and so on,) as long as Aoi is alive and happy.

He is ridiculously easy to please when it comes to Aoi.

And while Aoi does loves Akane, visibly being affected by him: As seen by her possessive attitude, her wish to be closer to him, and the way his hard work influenced her, she doesn’t try or want her world to revolve around him.

Yes, she will cry and crumble if he doesn’t like her because she cares deeply, their relationship is a solid part of her character, but she has plenty of hobbies and plans without him, most of her problems are caused by herself or society's views and expectations of her, she wouldn’t do what Akane asks of her or change for him, not unless he is asking for something she also wants for herself.

Let’s compare how they talk about each other for a bit.

The only time Aoi talks about her feelings for Akane is in chapter 84, which is very far into the manga.

And this exposition shows her envious and insecure side, how she admires kindness and wishes she was as lovable: It shows a conflict that says as much about Aoi’s character as it does about Akane’s character.

Meanwhile, Akane consistently talks about her, and most of his expositions don’t offer any substance to his character, other than “he is in love”.

The only exposition that says as much about himself as it does about Aoi is the one in chapter 24, which shows he stalks her, and Aoi encourages it, since she trusts him, and unfortunately, she have been in need of constant protection from a young age:

Even when Akane explicitly says he’ll talk about himself.

He doesn’t.

He proceeds to spend the whole chapter talking about Aoi.

The only thing he says about himself in that entire rant is “I hate that part of you”, which he later admits was a lie, something that he used to have her stay and listen.

He isn’t just her boy, he has a life outside her, a very busy life.

As Aoi put it, “He works hard and is dutiful.” which mostly translates to ‘helpful and trust worthy’, so he is constantly seen giving other characters advise that works or making them snap out of their bullshit: He is the reliable one.

His classmates respect him , Teru trusts his judgement, and hell even Kou, who barely interacted with Akane had called him and not a close friend like Nene, when he felt powerless and needed help.

But no matter how seriously he may take his duties or want to help people, Akane has decided he was born to love and protect Aoi.

That’s his priority, always.

His only long term goals involve Aoi, he devoted all his heart and soul to her.

If she wanted Akane to change his style to clothes he would never wear on his own, or make him get into new hobbies, or tell him to score lower than her, he would do it right away: He is comfortable being her boy, he’ll throw his pride away with no hesitation for her and do anything to make her happy to an extreme even most ‘heroines’ I see wouldn’t cross.

The one thing Aoi made VERY clear despite never saying out loud is “Keep your eyes on me. Don’t flirt with anyone else.” and that’s a wish that Akane took to heart, to the point that he is the only character that stays ‘loyal’ to his love interest even on silly extra events, like the ‘kiss day’ arts.

Everyone else send a kiss, no matter if they have a love interest or not, since is just a fun little bonus.

Akane only starts to touch her when he is confident Aoi likes him too: When he assumes she wants him, before that he always kept a certain distance, understanding he ain’t entitled to shit just because they are childhood friends.

Akane is far from perfect, he can be selfish and self centered, his approach to help usually tactless, but at his core, he always seek to do what Aoi wants, no questions asked.

His devotion is extreme to the point of being unhealthy, but he isn’t lying or trying to please Aoi here: As long as she is alive, and enjoying life, he will be delighted doing any of the things she wants. Her best hairstyle in his eyes is always the one she chose to style, the best clothes are always the ones she wants to wear.

There is nothing he likes more than her. Or to make her happy.

Even what Akane loves to do the most, which is to gush about Aoi nonstop until he looks batshit insane, is something that she had encouraged and never complained, no matter how much it escalated, so he was convinced she loved the attention.

Once she is honest and admits she doesn’t like it, he immediately tries to drop it.

He still has an ‘I was born to love you’ mentally, he just stop putting on a show, or trying to make her heart flutter. Most of his displays of worry, affection, or ‘ill protect you’ became either quiet or casual.

...Still.

He can’t help but show his love loudly from time to time, he is cringe at heart, truly hopeless, but he is trying his best.

In short: Aoi is in desperate need for more character focus, but the one determined to make their life revolve around their love interest is clearly Akane.

#while everyone wait for the chapter to be translated here is a post to pass the time #akane aoi #aoi akane #aoikane #tbhk #toilet bound hanako kun #and yes i wrote this because of bad takes i saw on twitter #but also cause i'll take any excuse to talk about them #jibaku shounen hanako kun #jshk #tumblr i love you pls show it in the tags #character analysis

343 notes · View notes

theevilthatismokke · 2 years

Text

The myth of Sumire and Hakubo: JSHK chapter 94 and the reinterpretation of “Tales of Ise: Part 6 (Akutagawa)”

Hakubo and Sumire seem to be a point of controversy and confusion among the jshk fandom: from their introduction to the latest chapters, they are a misunderstood and underrated pair, a phenomenon that has only exploded as of chapter 94.

There are many factors, as I see it, that contribute to this... confusion. But in this post, I'll focus on an aspect that is so far, very overlooked, but in my opinion, very important in understanding Hakubo and Sumire: their relationship with the mythical and mundane.

For that, I'll also be comparing chapter 94 with part 6 of the Tales of Ise (Akutagawa).

But before we begin this analysis, I feel we must clear a few concepts.

1. Clearing concepts: Eating and Sex, Death and Marriage

It feels like I'm pointing out the obvious, but just to be safe, let's talk a bit about these metaphors, not only what they generally mean in literature, but how Aidairo apply those metaphors in JSHK.

a) Eating = sex

This… should be the most obvious one. It’s really not that uncommon to see this particular metaphor in… any sort of media whatsoever! Poems, songs, books, movies, series… Maybe you’ve heard instances in literature of wanting to devour someone equating to sexual desire. Or think of vampires, these monsters now synonymous in pop culture to sexual beings, their lust for blood often intertwined with sexual lust. Heck, even stories that come from oral tradition, such as Little Red Riding Hood, have many interpretations that equal the wolf’s eating of the girl to sex.

Still, even without this knowledge, Aidairo does establish plenty of times, both in their AUs and the manga proper, what eating- particularly someone else- can mean within their writing.

Let’s start with the AUs:

In Hanako-kun of Magic: Sweet Witch Banquet, the only way Nene and Aoi can bring back the people they turned into sweets back to normal is to eat them… with the side effect that, for a short amount of time, the people who were eaten will fall in love with those who ate them.

In the Ghost Hotel AU, it’s a little more subtle but it’s still there. There are two instances of monsters eating those they desire. First, there’s Kou, who’s a werewolf in this AU, and apparently can’t resist taking chunks out of Mitsuba the mummy to cook and eat.

Second, there’s Hanako, who’s a vampire in this AU, and who’s stated to have drunk too much blood out of Tsukasa, and later, is implied to bite Nene and do the same to her, trapping her with him in the hotel.

But AUs are not the only place Aidairo have written this metaphor. In the very first chapter, eating a mermaid’s scale together means you’re bound to each other, a bond equated in said chapter to a romantic relationship.

And if that example’s too much of a stretch for you, than look no further than chapter 39: Mokke of the Dead!

In that chapter we have two instances of eating equating to sex and romance. First, when kegare!Hanako going straight to Nene to eat her. The scene is…

…quite suggestive, Nene even misinterpreted it at first!

Later, we have Akane who, under the influence of kegare, seemingly translates his romantic feelings for Aoi into wanting to eat her.

It’s very clear here that Akane’s thinking of Aoi when trying to take a bite out of Nene. Hilariously, Nene herself worries that Akane trying to eat her would result into a love triangle between her, Aoi and Akane.

And last but not least…

THESE PANELS ARE CLEARLY BEING FRAMED AS A SEX SCENE!!

Seriously, how could anyone not see it?

So, yeah, JSHK clearly uses the cannibalism = romance and sex metaphor a lot. But what about death and marriage?

Let’s find out:

b) Death and Marriage

For this one we must turn back in time and go for stories based on oral tradition.

Death and the Maiden is a very famous, frequently used motif in stories. Most iterations of Beauty and Beast use both Death and the Maiden and Animal Bridegrooms in their narratives to make a point.

But basically, death and marriage have been equated in stories for a very long time, to symbolize the cyclical nature of a human’s life- in this case, it often has to do with the end of a woman’s childhood and the start of a new part of her life, as a wife and mother: adulthood, basically.

Think of Hades and Persephone, who are meant to symbolize the cyclical nature of life and death, the coming and going of the seasons and marriage as the end of childhood/maindenhood, but the beggining of something new.

In JSHK, this is also referenced with the Kannagis, usually young women of marriageable age, whose sacrifice is equated to marrying God and returning to his side.

Keep all of this in mind as I ask you: which of the mysteries oversees 'life and death'? Who, in the JSHK universe, is meant to be seen as the main representative of Death? And what character is mostly seen among flowers? What characters are heavily associated with the dual nature of Life and Death?

Hint: it's Hakubo and Sumire.

As No. 6, Hakubo has powers over life and death. Currently, he’s also referred to as a Shinigami, often translated as a “Grim Reaper” or “God of Death”. The term “shinigami” can also have, in literature, a link to suicides and shinjuu. Finally, he’s an Oni. In many stories, often written during/after wars, famines and natural disasters, Oni are featured eating people- in these, Oni are a metaphor for death itself.

So, if we consider Hakubo’s role as a Death deity in the JSHK mythos, we have to ask this question: what happens when Death falls in love?

2.) Chapter 94: The reinterpretation of Tales of Ise Part 6 (Akutagawa)

The 'Tales of Ise' is a uta monogatari (essentially, a collection of poems and other narratives) composed of more than 100 episodes, some of which date back all the way to the Heian period.

Among those poems, there is one in particular Aidairo chose to allude to and reinterpret in their manga: Episode 6 (Akutagawa). The story below (translated by Helen McCulough) shares certain beats with chapter 94:

A certain man had for years courted a most inaccesssible lady. One pitch-black night he finally spirited her out of her apartments and ran off with her. As they passed a stream called the Akutagawa, She caught a glimpse of a dewdrop on a blade of grass and asked him what it was. The journey ahead was long, the hour had grown late, and a torrential rain was pouring down, punctuated with frightful peals of thunder. The man put the lady inside a ruined storehouse and stationed himself in the doorway wiht his bow and quiver on his back, never dreaming that the place was haunted by demons. But while he was standing there longing for daybreak, a demon ate the lady up in one gulp. A thundercap muffled her scream of terror. When the sky finally began to lighten a bit, the man peered inside and saw that the lady was gone. Frantic with helpless grief, he recited, When my beloved asked, "Is it a clear gem Or what might it be?" Would that I replied, "A dewdrop!" and perished.

There are quite a few beats that match, no? A couple that isn’t allowed to be together is stranded by the rain, but it ends unexpectedly as the woman is eaten by an oni.

Now, before any of you look at this superficially, have a "gotcha!" kind of reaction and try to use it as proof that Hakubo didn't love Sumire or that Sumire was eaten against her will, let me reiterate that not only chapter 94 is a reinterpretation of this tale, but also that Aidairo has done this sort of thing before.

Aidairo loves to reference all kinds of stories in JSHK. The 'Little Mermaid' is thematically very important to Nene's character, part of the short story 'Takasebune' is narrated by Amane during the Picture Perfect arc, the myth of 'Orpheus and Eurydice' is alluded to twice, first with Akane and Aoi, then with little Tsukasa, Nene and Kou.

Most obviously, we also have the urban legend of 'Hanako-san' right in the first chapter.

What do all these instances have in common? The answer is simple: they all are reinterpretations of the original tales.

For example: both with Akane and Aoi, and the trio of Nene, Kou and little Tsukasa, we have an allusion to the famous scene of Orpheus looking back to see Eurydice, only to find her gone.

The differences in these interpretations lie on many factors, but most heavily on the characters taking the role of ‘Eurydice’. Although she was essentially kidnapped, Aoi still was passively suicidal, and later even lashed out at Akane and Nene, who were trying to rescue her. Likewise, Tsukasa actually knew the way to get back to his family, he only chose not to until Kou and Nene convinced him to do otherwise.

By giving Aoi and Tsukasa more agency than the character of ‘Eurydice’ had in some known versions, this allows for a more complex and nuanced narrative without taking the tragic elements out of it. That said, to outsiders, these situations might look like a version of ‘Orpheus and Eurydice’ played completely straight: a tragedy about a poor, helpless thing taken too soon against their will, not particularly nuanced nor too complex.

Chapter 94, similarly, transforms the chapter of Akutagawa into a more complex and nuanced story by giving both Hakubo and Sumire more agency, even if, to outsiders, it might look like it was just the tragic tale of a poor innocent girl being trapped and eaten by a monster.

And this where we can see the differences between the two stories.

The woman in the chapter ‘Akutagawa’ is a tragic figure… but her voice can barely be heard anywhere in the narrative. The only things we know about her are that: one, she was implied to be of a much higher status than the man, and two, that she was apparently so sheltered and isolated, she’d never seen a dewdrop before in her life. The man mourns not explaining to her what a dewdrop was.

Sumire was, indeed, from a family of much higher status than Hakubo, who was essentially a slave to the Minamoto clan and their village. Sumire was also, very sheltered and isolated throughout her entire life.

But Sumire’s status within the village was simultaneously very similar to Hakubo’s own: she was nothing but an object to be sacrificed, mostly referred as a Kannagi by her fellow humans. And although she was sheltered and isolated, Sumire hilariously began her relationship with Hakubo as the one with more basic living skills (cooking, laundry, cleaning).

Sumire, most importantly, knew Hakubo was an oni from the very beginning, and again and again proclaimed her love for him, knowing very well what, who and how he is.

While Sumire is meant to represent the woman in the tale, Hakubo is meant to be both the man eloping with the woman he loves and the oni who eats her.

Hakubo, like the man in ‘Akutagawa’, pines for a woman he cannot be with: not as kaii who loves a human, not as the one in charge of seeing her off as a Kannagi. Hakubo had wished to take Sumire’s hand and run away from their village, to ‘spirit her away’ much like the eloping couple did. And ultimately, so they would not be separated again, Hakubo eats Sumire, as the oni ate the woman.

It’s very poignant, I think, that Hakubo represents both the man and the oni from ‘Akutagawa’. The entire irony of his monologue in chapter 94 lies in the fact that he didn’t need to be a human man to do any of those things: he managed, in his own way, to do them all.

He laments not being able to cry for Sumire, while his face has been permanently marked, two thin tears streaks forever burned in his visage.

He wishes he could’ve grown with her, and yet, did he not grow? Learning with and from her, how to take care of himself and her, discovering and developing feelings and desires buried deep within him? Does he not seem older, comparing before and after he met Sumire, physically, mentally, emotionally?

He says he wished he could’ve laughed with her too, dismissing how, moments ago, he was actually smiling and playful, the happiest we’ve ever seen him be as he recalls precious memories with Sumire.

‘I would’ve clung to you and cried as you were sacrificed’ he says as his boundary itself weeps, trapping her in a cave with him, as if begging her not to leave him again.

…‘I would even have fallen in love with you like a human man would’ he confesses, as he devours her, usurping the River God of the village as her husband, after kissing her like a man starved, after confessing to be under her spell.

Hakubo represents both man and oni because he was both, because, in JSHK, kaii and human truly aren’t all that different.

…Hakubo is also the woman, ignorant of his own heart, as she was of the world outside.

Sumire is also the man and the oni, at once guiding and haunting Hakubo.

The reinterpretation of ‘Akutagawa’ in chapter 94 is not meant to lend a cynical view on Hakubo and Sumire’s relationship and feelings for each other.

Instead, it is meant not only to reinforce that they loved each other, but also finally get some agency, after a lifetime of abiding to their village’s will.

It is also important to note that chapter 94 is, in many ways, a do-over of chapter’s 89 ending for both Sumire and Hakubo.

Once again, they’re placed in a situation where a higher power dictates that Sumire must be sacrificed and that Hakubo shall oversee said sacrifice. Sumire even says:

Both Hakubo and Sumire had many regrets about that day. Feelings unspoken, the sin of inaction… the loop present in their boundary symbolizes how neither ever moved on from that night, from their regrets.

When faced with the same situation once again in chapter 94, Hakubo and Sumire decided to take their fates into their own hands, with the cards they were dealt. Unlike their past selves, and unlike the man and the woman in ‘Akutagawa’, Hakubo and Sumire at last gained some agency.

It isn’t a tragic ending, although I don’t see it as truly happy either. Like many things in their lives, it was bittersweet.

3.) Nature vs Nurture: the significance of the rumors and the “right way” to love someone

I've seen some people completely miss the point and think that Hakubo's nature as an Oni means he's incapable of loving someone. The same people also completely ignore the sort of environment he grew up in.

First, and as a quick note, I find this panel very interesting:

It has struck with me for quite some time now, Shuten Doji’s pose. It looks like he was reaching in Hakubo’s direction, almost as if to warn him or protect him. How odd if you think that Oni apparently aren’t capable of love.

But regardless of nature and what love might innately mean to an Oni, we should also take a look at Hakubo’s formative years:

A slave, a tool to be used, Hakubo not only equates the humans to the mountain Onis, he also grows up hearing again and again that he’s a monster incapable of understanding humans, that he’s different, he’s unfeeling.

How the hell was that not supposed to affect how Hakubo viewed himself?

(something, something, call someone monster enough times, and they'll actually become one)

The manga never really discards either nature and nurture when it comes to their characters, and with Hakubo, it is both his dense nature and his alienating non-upbringing that turns him into the mess he is.

By the way, we’re absolutely meant to compare the villagers talking about Hakubo to the students spreading rumors. The way they call him creepy, the panel where only the hands of the villagers are shown... it kinda reminds me of Shijima-san's flashback.

This last image also low-key reminds me of the scene where the villagers are celebrating Sumire's death. I think Akane's steadyfast belief that kaii don't value life and his implict belief that humans value it will be put in question by either or both Shijima and Hakubo. But that's a whole other thing.

And just in case you missed, here’s a little montage of humans and supernaturals being compared:

Kou is ‘kinda like’ Yako, Aoi and Hanako 'might be alike’, Nene and Tsukasa are the same.

Humans and supernaturals are compared so many times in this manga, and every single time we see that they’re not really that different. All of them have someone they love- all of them.

Considering this, I must ask: just what is “truly loving someone” in the world of JSHK? What is the “right” way to love someone in the manga, presented by the text?

And just which characters have managed to love someone the “right” way?

Is it Yako, who has tried to bring Misaki back in the shadiest way possible, by harming students and building a fake body?

Is it Tsuchigomori, who never put anything in line to help Amane?

Is it Shijima, who tried to kill Mei?

Is it Akane, who stalks Aoi, constantly changes himself for her and beats up her admirers? Is it Aoi, who has stabbed him, and simultaneously kept him at arms length and lead him on for years?

Is it Natsuhiko, who tried to drug Sakura and is okay with her destroying humanity as long as he gets a date? Is it Sakura, who is cold and violent towards Natsuhiko, while not letting him go?

Is it Kou, who calls Mitsuba a ‘fake’, tries to commit suicide to appease his guilt, and is a low-key bully to him? Is it Mitsuba, who kidnapped Kou and wants Kou to accept him just because he’s lonely?

Is it Teru, who tortured Akane on a daily basis and tries to control Kou’s life?

Is it Nene, who fell for the first boy who gave her attention, can be frivolous and shallow when it comes to romance and is always making excuses for Hanako?

Is it Tsukasa, who’s love-starved, obsessed and willing to destroy and manipulate everything and everyone to make Hanako happy?

Is it freaking Hanako, who killed Tsukasa, who tried to imprison Nene and who is creepily possessive of both?

…Is it Sumire, who wished to a submissive, obedient Oni to fall into hell for her and was blissfully happy when she found out he did just that?

...Is it Hakubo, who cannot express or understand himself clearly, and struggles with his feelings just like any other character in this manga?

If you’ve read any of those and tried to justify something, or if your gut reaction was “well, it’s more complicated than that…”, or if you thought that this doesn’t mean the feelings of love weren’t there, even if warped or twisted…

Then, congrats, you got it!

Pretty much no character has a truly healthy idea of love in the manga- all the romances… all the main relationships so far have been at least a little bit messed up.

But something JSHK has not done so far is put any of its couples in the “failed romance/not true love” box. It has played with concepts of selfishness vs. selflessness, yes, but it has never disregarded the feelings of those involved as not love.

The only time I remember that Aidairo explicitly told the audience that something wasn’t love was through Nene in the very first chapter… when she admitted she didn’t know anything about her old senpai or Teru, nor did she bother getting to know them.

This is a manga about people who are on the way to discovering themselves and who have no idea how to communicate nor express love in a healthy manner. Trying to divide characters and relationships into “true love” and “not-true love” is… terribly inane.

Furthermore, trying to say that any character is incapable of love in JSHK is, to me, going against one of the core themes and messages of the manga: that everyone loves and is loved.

And speaking of themes, let’s talk about Hakubo and Sumire’s role as the culmination of JSHK’s themes, thesis and messages.

4.) Hakubo and Sumire: JSHK’s blueprint

This one will be brief, but it should be said. If you’ve paid any attention to JSHK, you’ll notice that Aidairo love their parallels. They use it everywhere, to drive a few points and get their themes across better.

These parallels also serve to connect all the characters narratively and thematically. But, the king and queen of parallels in this manga are Hakubo and Sumire. Go ahead, compare them to any character or relationship in the manga, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Basically, Sumire and Hakubo serve as mirrors and foils to all the important characters and relationships we’ve seen so far… actually, even minor ones, since they also have parallels with Yorimitsu.

Hakubo’s and Sumire’s narratives and relationship are meant to illustrate all the themes of the manga in one duo. So, when I really think about it, the thought of Aidairo saying that Hakubo/Sumire are a “doomed/failed romance” or that Hakubo and Sumire didn’t love each other is… absurd! Why make the embodiment of your work’s message and themes into something cynical, when JSHK has such hopeful undertones, especially when it comes to love? Doesn’t make sense to me.

Instead, I propose the opposite: Hakubo and Sumire are meant to illustrate that relationships between kaii/human are possible, that they can understand one another and that everyone is capable of loving and being loved.

5.) Conclusion

JSHK chapter 94 is meant to be a reinterpretation of chapter 6 of ‘Tales of Ise’ (Akutagawa). This retelling is meant to give more agency to Hakubo and Sumire as they choose to end things on their own terms, while finally having some sort of closure regarding each other’s feelings: Hakubo and Sumire loved each other and were loved by one another.

This reinterpretation also reiterates Hakubo and Sumire’s role as both the culmination of JSHK’s themes/messages and as part of the folklore/mythos of the manga.

Finally, the themes of nature vs nurture and kaii vs humans are explored within Hakubo’s speech to Sumire, where we are meant to question whether it was necessary for him to be human in order to love Sumire or if he, as an Oni, managed to do it, regardless of what the world and Hakubo himself believe about oni/kaii.

While confusing sometimes, I believe Hakubo/Sumire are the key to understanding JSHK’s themes, messages and possible endings better, so it is vital that we look at them carefully.

Also, on a side note, I do not believe that chapter 94 will be the last we’ve seen of these two, and I’m not necessarily talking about flashbacks.

When it comes to a manga like JSHK, which deals so much with the afterlife, plays with our notions of “life and death” and has so much time traveling, not to mention time-loops… I’m always hesitant to say that a character is truly gone. After all, Mitsuba has ‘died’ how many times already in the manga proper?

And considering the other instances of characters fusing upon eating the other, and the fact that Hakubo not only oversees ‘Life and Death’, but also that his powers haven’t been properly used for the plot yet… there’s so much that’s gone unanswered about those two… and there’s this panel that shall haunt me forever:

(Me, after seeing how deeply connected to the number six both Sumire and Habuko are: What the hell does this mean, Aidairo?! Come back and give me my husband-wife team!!)

Only time will tell. Who knows, maybe that’s the end and Aidairo was just messing with me. But I digress.

The purpose of Hakubo and Sumire in this manga is clear to me: not to makes us fearful and cynical for a ‘bad end’, but hopeful for a good one.

Now, whatever that would be for our characters is a whole other story.

#a mokke overanalyses

139 notes · View notes