Yukine's journey toward acceptance of the life that was robbed of him, this time with finality, exemplifies the emotional and beautifully rendered arc that has defined his character.
Yukine finally accepting the reality of his death. Yukine stepping out from the fridge that contained memories of what was once his life. Yukine freeing himself from the shackles of his trauma. Yukine running to protect the person who cherished him the most in the world. Yukine standing up to an abusive father. Yukine wholeheartedly apologizing. Yukine's growth, and Yato tearing up as he stretches his little arms to pull him for an embrace.
Yukine's gratitude for what Yato did for him is evident throughout the series. He was given a name more precious than any other. He was treated like a human--an ordinary teenage boy. And life after that was one exciting journey after another. Now, Yukine can no longer be entirely consumed by the horrors of his past because he knows that his reality with Yato is so much brighter. Far brighter.
Yukine could break out from that refrigerator because of the true, sincere, and nurturing love shown by the only father figure in his life. Yato has said multiple times throughout the series that Yukine was his priority above all else, and Yukine was the only person he swore to protect the most. Hell, he even went straight to hug him after Yukine apologized for turning into that form! Yato did not need to summon Yukine. Yukine came to protect Yato on his own decision. As he always did.
The journey to their healing will be painful, and this chapter shows that Yato and Yukine will face it together. No more secrets and no more miscommunications. They will help and be by each other's side as they always have, not only as god and shinki but, this time, as family.
"I will not let him die. Not Yato. No matter what happens... I swear I won't let anyone take him from me!" -Yukine, Noragami Vol. 17 Chapter 67.
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Dazai truly has become Oda in every way imaginable now. :’ ) the final words he gives to Sigma are the exact same words Oda gives to Dazai in the original scene Asagiri wrote for the end of the Dark Era stage play, 後は頼んだよ, “I will leave the rest to you.”
And I really love the progression of the way his eyes look in this chapter, and how Sigma is allowed to have this moment of questioning and rebelling against all the faith Dazai had naturally been leading him to place in him up to this point, which is what I hoped would happen. He’s been confused ever since Dazai first chose him, and everything he’s ever known about how everyone sees/treats him turned upside down by Dazai’s words and actions, and just when he’s finally started to feel like he’s found some hope and lowered his guard, Dazai pulls him back underwater, instantly reinforcing all of Sigma’s trust issues and reinforcing that he should never believe in anyone, because (he thinks) everyone lives to manipulate other people. Dazai’s dark eyes here reinforce that, too, and the other panels around this point where they look white and hollow and demonic, all like Fyodor’s. He appears like an evil, looming force pulling him back under, trying to kill him, when Sigma is so close to the freedom of the air he desperately wants (aka free from pain, which is what he’s been seeking his whole life).
But then Dazai makes this face, and the first one I posted above, and Sigma understands, even without words, that Dazai doesn’t have evil intent: on the contrary, he actually is bound and determined to save his life -- and the light in his eyes comes out through this determination and kindness, arguably the most light we’ve ever seen his eyes have in the entire manga (in the “I leave the rest to you” panel too). The “No” could be Dazai wordlessly telling him to not leave the water, but my first assumption was that it was Sigma telling himself no, stopping his own train of thought about Dazai being the same as Fyodor and someone he shouldn’t have trusted -- he soon realizes why Dazai stopped him, and that he’s still going to try to save him, that he wasn’t wrong about him, and it’s all because Dazai’s earnest expressions get through to him.
And it’s just so heartwarming to see how far Dazai has come. :’ ) He tried so hard to save Sigma (doing the most physical action we’ve ever seen him do, really), did his best to be reassuring and comforting to him afterwards, and then reaffirmed his promise to ensure he escaped Meursault alive, his final words to Sigma echoing Oda’s and his last action being to save an orphan, just like Oda did in his last moments. Obviously Dazai isn’t actually going to die, he’ll be saved somehow, but I do think as of right now he really does think this is the end for him, and that he didn’t foresee the elevator dropping -- he was examining the wires a few chapters ago because he thought he might need to know how to open the doors in case Fyodor pulled an uno reverse, hence why he looks more annoyed than shocked when the water starts, but here, when the drop collision sequence is initiated, he looks genuinely shook in comparison. There’d be no reason for him to give the thumbs up if he knew more danger was on the way, either; that’d just be cruel. No, I don’t think he saw this coming, and it’s important that that turns out to be the case: it’s important that he spent what he believes to have been his last moments saving someone like Oda wanted for him, and doing what Oda would have done in the same situation. That doesn’t mean that it’s okay that Dazai throws his life away so easily, and cares so little for his own safety; he still has a long way to go in that regard. But it’s still so beautiful to see how much he’s changed, and how much he’s truly begun to embody Oda and his legacy; the fact that he messed up and miscalculated, because Dazai isn’t infallible, but in turn didn’t hesitate to use his last moments to save Sigma. Oda would be so proud for everything he did here. :’ ) 💖
There are a lot of options for how Dazai will be saved, and by who, but personally I hope (and I kind of expect) that Sigma chooses to not give up on him and ultimately plays a role in saving his life, to return the favor and repay him for his kindness. Not only would it be a beautiful way to initiate Sigma’s ADA entrance exam as people have said, but it would bring the Dazai > Atsushi > Sigma chain full circle: Dazai saved Atsushi at the start of the series, allowing him to (spiritually) save Sigma at sky casino thanks to the growth fostered in him by Dazai, and now finally, Sigma could potentially save Dazai thanks to Atsushi kickstarting his own growth (and Dazai continuing it). Fyodor is overly cocky right now and so tunnel-visioned on killing Dazai, it’s possible that he has no idea that Sigma managed to escape the elevator and is now a wild card; even if Sigma doesn’t go as far as killing Fyodor himself (which I don’t want, tbh; that’s endgame stuff arcs down the line and imo Nikolai and Dazai should be the ones involved with that), he could throw a wrench in the jailbreak duel, and help Dazai and Chuuya get out alive. It would be poetic, and only fitting, for Fyodor to underestimate and be outdone by the kind of person Dazai told him is the strongest in chapter 77 -- a self-proclaimed “ordinary man” -- who could only have the strength to take such action thanks to the chain of kindness that Oda originally started. 💖
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Night Dream Episode 4
Another great, but too short, episode. They're 30ish minutes, but it's not enough!
But Dream's confusion and reluctance to believe Night likes him is starting to make sense if Night keeps kissing him and then leaving! And just never talking about it?!
Night looks at Dream with the most sincere expression and asks about his love story.
He says Dream's crush must love him too. And it starts cutting back and forth between the present and the stargazing scene. At which point, I was like, hmm we've already seen this. What else are we going to see here?
(Do you know he's in love with you, Night? Do you know you're in love with him? Who knows what?!)
And they're just staring at each other and getting closer to each other's faces. And Night's got his hand on Dream's wrist, and he's pulling him closer.
And then they're kissing IN BOTH SCENES! They kissed during the stargazing scene? They KISSED during the STARGAZING SCENE!
I don't know when that scene happened in terms of timeline. Like was that kiss why Dream was going to confess on Night's birthday?
But then Night stops kissing. And he looks away. And Dream wakes up alone and proceeds to be sad and distracted all day.
Night's so confused that he asks his friend at school about love, too. I wonder who's absence could hurt you, Night? Maybe think back to when Dream was gone for 4-5 years?
And we see Night and Dream staring at one another before Night leaves. But I wonder what happened. Did Night break up their kiss again? Did Dream? Why does this keep happening? How many times have these two kissed exactly? They both looked so sad and confused and hurt, so why?!??
Dream just sadly puts the wound tending supplies away :(
And we're left with Night's pondering face. But what is there to ponder, Night? You are in love with your best friend, buddy. Process that, so you two can be happy, please!
This guy is going to tell Namwan he likes her next episode? Why, Night! Did he really kiss Dream with tongue and then just never talk about it with him? What is going on in this man's head?!
I'm hoping it's a misleading preview. I wonder if maybe Dream tries to push him away again. And that's why he tells Namwan that. If he kissed Dream, and Dream told him that he likes Namwan, actually, then he must like Namwan, right? How many times can they kiss and not talk about it?
Other random thoughts for the episode, could Dream and his friends hear Night and Namwan talking? Did Dream think Night was agreeing to date her, if they couldn't hear? Because she was saying friend, but her hands were saying lover. I did really enjoy the two friends spying on Dream and Night and just going "Is it clear?" Yes, yes it is clear. I also loved Night asking if he would confess to his crush and bringing up how people in novels will try to confess but lose their nerve if they're interrupted, since Dream did plan on confessing to Night but got interrupted and then never did. Granted, the interruption was the death of his parents, so he had a lot on his mind at the time.
I really loved Night being ready to fight those bullies for Dream in the past and now. And how the one guy was taunting them by saying, what, are you his boyfriend? And Night's response was just "so what?" 🥰
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something that always throws me off on rereads is when andrew gets neil a phone and it's a shitty flip phone and everyone's like "damn no one uses those anymore" when it's 2006/2007..... bro everyone used shitty flip phones back then. the razr was like THE flip phone and it came out in 2005. the first iphone wasn't until mid 2007, after neil's first school year at palmetto ended.
i know this is like the weirdest thing to get hung up on but it always makes me question when the series actually takes place and if it's 2006 or 2013 but an alternate 2013 where october 13 is on a friday just for the ~Aesthetics~ of the raven game being on friday the 13th in october
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