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busghost · 3 years

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Kiana/Sirin/HoV situation

since the release of chapter 25 part 1 my old post about this is pretty wrong now and I wasn't happy with it anyway.

If you're looking for how we got here, the old post is still mostly correct. Here's the recap in the indent anyway.

So, 2nd Honkai War Sirin kills millions and then dies.

Her Herrscher core is then put into K423 and that's the only K400 series clone that actually wakes up. She wakes up after Sirin wishes within the Herrscher core to live a ordinary life being loved. This is the first evidence of the clone Kiana (hereby called Kiana, I'll specify if I'm referring to the original Kiana), existing.

Siegfried tries to take both Kianas away from Schicksal and loses the original Kiana and takes the other Kiana to ~somewhere~ in East Siberia. They live together and eventually get along great and are happy. Schicksal finds then and sends the Valkyrie Assault Squad to capture her.

The first evidence of the Herrscher of the Void appearing happens here. She takes over Kiana's body and kills all the Valkyries sent to capture her and cuts off Siegfried's arm. Siegfried successfully subdues her. Realizing that his presence will present opportunities for the Herrscher to take control again due to the Herrscher exploiting emotional turmoil, he leaves and Kiana wanders the world looking for him. The next incident we get with the Herrscher is in Singapore where Kiana prevents a Honkai eruption by grabbing the Gem of Serenity with her bare hands and the vast amounts of Honkai energy wake up the Herrscher of the Void. It doesn't last long because Fu Hua punches HoV back to sleep.

We get to events that happen in the game, in chapters 5-6 the Herrscher of the Void creates an illusion that Kiana believes wholeheartedly in which she is able to prevent her mother, Cecilia's, death during the Second Honkai War. When Fu Hua reveals that it was all a lie created by HoV you get the emotional turmoil that leads to the Herrscher taking over her body again. Fu Hua knocks her out and kidnaps her and then the Herrscher of the Void has control of Kiana's body until the end of chapter 9 when Himeko injects the Spear of Destiny serum into Kiana freeing her from HoV's control.

In chapter 11-EX, with some help from the disembodied Fu Hua, Kiana takes the Herrscher powers by the force of her own will.

Then HoV doesn’t appear again until chapter 25.

CHAPTER 25, THE BIG ONE

The Herrscher of Domination shows Kiana proof of Himeko’s death, the Gem of Haste, and the emotional turmoil plus holding the Gem of Haste is the perfect storm to awaken HoV again. So they meet in their mindscape.

The first thing that appears to Kiana is proof that she is Sirin, and the Herrscher of the Void is Sirin too. Or depending on your point of view, neither are Sirin and were just “made from” her. Or both of them have changed so much since Sirin “died”, who’s to say if they really count as Sirin anymore? I’ll leave my personal opinions for the end, and there is no right answer and it’s all rather philosophical.

Kiana actually accepts this rather readily, saying that she “knew it”. And so they fight for control over the body, but the fighting isn’t the interesting part but what they say to each other in between the fighting. Most notable I think are:

By constantly dehumanizing Kiana, by calling her a “vessel” or only K423 she claims a monopoly on being Sirin when that isn’t really true. Sirin didn’t only have painful memories, even at her lowest she had friends, even if they were taken from her. She received love from Cecilia in the illusory world she trapped them in and kept Ich liebe dich with her even after she and Cecilia were killed by the nukes. Theresa and Siegfried both tried to help her even if they were vastly less successful than Cecilia. And through the love and warmth she was shown through out her life she wanted and second chance and that is where Kiana comes from.

Kiana even recognizes the Herrscher’s pain and empathizes with her, but she can’t allow her to continue. Causing pain indiscriminately because you were hurt isn’t justified no matter how grave the injustice. But as Kiana states, HoV can only see the world in black and white and chooses to only see the painful memories. Kiana knows that she has only made it this far due to love and kindness from others.

Along the way Kiana even comes to terms with A LOT of repressed memories.

Ultimately what this all comes to the conclusion of is that they cannot co-exist. There is no room for reconciliation. Even the Bella that HoV summons to fight Kiana helps Kiana because she wants Sirin to be happy. Then HoV takes the Herrscher powers from Kiana entirely. Kiana keeps fighting though becuse she can;t give up, she has recieved love and support from too many people to give up. And then the imprint Himeko left on the Gem of Haste gives Kiana the powers of the Herrscher of Flame and with these she is able to defeat the Herrscher of the Void. HoV asks why is it that she has to go? Is it because she’s the “evil Sirin”? But Kiana tells her that it has nothing to do with that and that she chooses to cause pain wherever she goes and must be stopped.

The final remarks from the Herrscher before she dies are that she can’t accept Kiana’s point of view, however Kiana should struggle until the very end. She actually calls her by name as well.

And then there’s only Kiana left.

my opinions below cut

Chapter 25 part 1 was so well done holy FUCK. And part 2 made me cry for hours but this post ain’t about that and I don’t really need to analyze it since it really speaks for itself.

So if you clicked on the cut that means you want to see my opinions on the conclusion of the Herrscher of the Void.

I think that both of them are Sirin, she was capable o just as much good as Kiana does as she was evil that HoV does. Maybe the original Sirin is truly dead and they are the remaining impressions she left on the Core of the Void before dying. I think that’s too depressing though so I’m gonna go with both of them being Sirin, and like Kiana says, just calling HoV the “evil Sirin” isn’t right either.

They share the same memories (and you could say that makes them Sirin anyway since your memories are a big part of what makes you, you) and it’s how they interpret them and choose to act on them that sets these two apart. Two sides of a coin. I think Kiana’s understanding that you can choose to accept love and also change because of it is what really sets her apart from HoV. The Herrscher of the Void refused to grow or change and that is ultimately her downfall.

I’m genuinely sad to see HoV go. Also constantly calling her HoV is sad cause we never get a name for her, only a title. The crimes she committed were horrible and go against any standard of morality, even driving Kiana to attempt suicide, but I still think she deserved a chance to be happy too. But you can’t help somebody who refuses to help themselves and she refused to see any good in Sirin’s life or in Kiana’s. And she had plenty of opportunities to make the choice to change her ways but didn’t. Still, a life lost to hate is a tragedy.

Now Kiana is solely responsible for carrying the legacy of Sirin so hopefully she does so in a way that would fulfill Sirin’s wish that gave her the chance to live.

#sirin #kiana kaslana #herrscher of the void #hi3 lore #honkai impact

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somevirtualnolife · 3 years

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How To Date a Boy, 101 (Part 1)

1331 words

Also on Ao3

Rating: G

Series: Tokimeki Memorial: Girls Side 2nd Kiss

Pairing: Daisy (OC) x Saeki Teru

Summary: Mizuki has caught feelings for Saeki Teru. But how can she tell if he feels the same way? Guess there's only one way to find out: by taking the advice of your best friend and reading the best lifestyle magazine in Habataki.

Author’s Note: Yes... I have come back from the dead to write some TMGS fics! With GS4 coming out and replaying GS2, the creative juices have been a-flowing. Other than the many cute boys in the game, I have a soft spot for female friendships and always wished you could talk about your crush and do silly friend things in GS2 (I'm glad that it feels more like that in GS3), so I figured it was a great way to open the story. I wanted to capture how Mizuki is really just an insecure teenage girl, with very little experience in love. So while there isn't any Saeki in this chapter, I hope you can still appreciate the build-up!

I hope you look forward to the next chapter!

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Chapter 1: Love Mode

“You know if you studied consistently rather than the day before the exam, your grades would be much higher. Just because we’re second years doesn’t mean you should be slacking! You’ll gain bad habits.” Chiyomi chided as Mizuki took a small box of Pocky off the shelves of the convenience store and placed it in their basket. A perfect snack for all-night study sessions.

“Ugh, I know. It’s just between work and cheerleading, it doesn’t give me a whole lot of time to hit the books on my own,” Mizuki then put on her sweetest, most pleading smile. “Besides, it’s way more fun to study with an amazing friend like you, Chiyo-chan. Your notes are so concise and perfect, unlike mine.”

Chiyomi pursed her lips and looked. It would take a lot more than that to stop the lilac-haired girl from scolding Mizuki.

“Well, studying should be the most important thing in your life right now! As our teachers say, as it is our job as students is to get good grades. You shouldn’t let other things get in the way.”

Mizuki let out a sigh as they both continued down the aisles. She shouldn’t have expected anything less from the school council member.

“You should maybe consider cutting hours at your job? You said you work at a café, correct?”

Ba-bump. Mizuki could feel her cheeks flush as he picked up a hot can of coffee and stared at it with an unusual amount of intention. A great way to stay awake, but her palette for it has changed since working at Sangosho. Having properly brewed coffee by someone who was passionate about it…

“I’d… rather not.” She let out a sigh before putting it back.

She wasn’t sure if it was the pink in her cheeks or her cryptic answer that gave it away (not as though she was doing a job at hiding either), but Chiyomi suddenly started to stutter.

“Mizuki-chan!” Chiyomi finally blurted out, leaning in closely to Mizuki’s face, as though she needed to confirm what she had just seen. “You like someone, don’t you!?”

“No! I mean… not exactly!” Her eyes darted around as though she were looking for the answer inside the convenience store. Maybe it was the bluntness of the statement that threw the brunette off.

“... It’s complicated!”

“…It’s not Hikami-kun, is it?” Chiyomi stared at her intently, her eyes looking both suspicious, but also worried when she posed the question.

“What? No, of course not. I wouldn’t do that to you.” If Mizuki was bad at hiding her thoughts about boys, Chiyomi was ten times more obvious about her own. She was well aware of why her friend always invited her out all those times to the amusement park, and it wasn’t for the view from the top of the Ferris Wheel. In all honesty, Mizuki thought Chiyomi and Hikami looked cute together. They clearly shared similar interests and got along swimmingly. She couldn’t say the same for herself and her crush.

Chiyomi seemed relieved by that answer, yet still not entirely satisfied it seemed as she still stared intently. Mizuki wasn’t entirely sure how she could answer… for if the entire truth came out, it could cause quite the scandal at school. Saeki Teru going out with a girl that wasn’t one of his fans…

Ugh! What was she even saying!?

Did she like Saeki?

Sure, she had to admit, ever since that time at the fireworks festival, she did feel… different about him. The coffee prince was still a pain in her side, but she also wanted to be around him a lot more. She used to ask him to hang out without a second thought, but that’s because they were friends, like Chiyomi, Shouta, or Tatsuko. Now, anytime she called him to go out, she could feel her heartbeat a million times a second, terrified he might say no. Yes, she and Saeki were friends.

But would it be so bad if they could be something more? He was handsome and charismatic… even kind in his own way. Sure, he teased her, but she could also count dozens of times that he’s helped her out, whether it was teaching her about the different types of coffee beans, or protecting her from random men when they went out together. She could see why he had his own fan club. And when he smiled…

Oh boy. She did like him, didn’t she?

“It’s a guy that I work with at the café,” Mizuki finally answered. Not a lie, but just omitting a few key points. Who knew if there was one of Saeki’s groupies in here. “But I don’t even really know if he really feels the same way! He’s kind of hard to read at times and I’d hate to ruin what we have.” Though she liked to believe that he was fairly honest and upfront with her, it wasn’t unlike him to put on a façade in front of others.

“Hmmm… I do understand this issue,” Chiyomi crossed her arms and nodded, showing concern.

If Mizuki just had a way to figure out if Saeki in a way that didn’t make these weird between them, then maybe it wouldn’t be so scary.

The two girls then found themselves upon the magazine stands. Among the various manga and gravure magazines were of course several lifestyle magazines aimed at young women. Well, when in doubt, consult the experts, right?

Mizuki picked up one with a pure white cover, featuring very professional and very beautiful working women on the front cover. Real Woman Magazine: Two Sure Fire Ways to Find Out If Someone Likes You Pg. 36!

She quickly flipped to the page and scanned the page with her dark-brown eyes.

Tip 1: Ask them if they like you.

Tip 2: Tell them how you feel about them.

Being direct and honest is the most important thing in establishing a good relationship and-

“What kind of garbage advice is this?” Mizuki huffed, tossing it back on the rack. Honest? Direct?

No. Absolutely not. She would rather choose a life of solitude than be the first one to admit her feelings. What if he said no? What if he laughed in her face? No! Mizuki didn’t admit her romantic feelings, she did like any good teenager would: buried them underneath a mountain of snide, sarcastic comments, and hoped that the other person was smart enough to pick up on that! Was that really so hard to understand? Stupid lifestyle magazines.

“Oh, here’s one!” Chiyomi motioned for the brunette to come closer to her. “Look at this special love edition of Habataki Watcher! What to wear and 9 other ways to get your crush to notice and confess to you on page 22!”

Mizuki gasped. Unfortunately, the magazine was bound, meaning they couldn’t open it up in the store, but it wasn’t that much more expensive. She had to know. Habataki Watcher had yet to steer her wrong yet. Himeko’s columns were always spot on. Like they were written specifically for her, but maybe that was just a coincidence.

“Ah, but… this is totally not studying material! Sorry to sidetrack us,”

“Mizuki-chan.” Chiyomi placed the magazine in their basket and then clasped her hands around Mizuki’s. “This is studying. Studying for love!”

“Chiyo-chan…!!!” she could feel her eyes start to tear up. That was truly the cheesiest thing she had ever heard in her life, but seeing Chiyomi was supporting her, how could she not feel touched?

The two then raced to the cashier and quickly paid for their things. Mizuki suddenly felt a boost of confidence. She had the perfect magazine and the support of her friend. Maybe this was all that she needed to help her after all this time. A smirk appeared on her face as the doors of the convenience store automatically opened.

Saeki Teru, you’d better watch out, because Mizuki Shirogawa is about to capture your heart!

#tokimeki memorial girl's side #tokimeki memorial girl's side 2 #tmgs2 #saeki teru #saeki teru x oc #chiyomi onoda #tokimeki memorial fanfiction #fanfic

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burnouts3s3 · 5 years

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Citrus, a review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.) Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for Season (MSRP): 48.74 USD How much I paid: 32.88 USD (I pre-ordered it when there was a New Year's discount). Animation Studio: Passione Licensed and Localized by: Funimation Entertainment Audio: Japanese Audio with Subtitles and English Dub available. English Cast: Megan Shipman as Yuzu, Amber Lee Connors as Mei, Margaret McDonald as Harumi “Harumin” Taniguchi, Kristi Rothrock as Matsuri, Terri Doty as Umi, Number of Episodes: 12 Episodes Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song. Number of Discs: 4 Discs in Total. 2 DVD Discs and 2 Blu-ray discs. Episodes per Disc: 6 Episodes per DVD Disc. Episodes 1-9 on the first Blu-ray disc with Episodes 10-12 on the second Blu-ray disc along with the special features. Bundle also includes: Digital Copy to redeem. (which doesn't work because when I enter the code provided with the discs, I get the message 'The Digital Copy is not yet Active'.). Also on: Amazon Video, Funimation Now, Funimation’s streaming service that requires a subscription and Crunchyroll, a subscription based service that allows streaming for shows. Free streaming is available with ads. Bonus Features: Textless Openings, Textless Ending and Trailers for other Funimation Licensed Shows. My Personal Biases: I actually saw Citrus a while back but never reviewed it. I like other shows in the Shoujo Ai genre such as Mai Hime, Mai Otome, Maria Watches over Us, Strawberry Panic and yes, even Kannazuki no Miko/Destiny of the Shrine Maiden. I am not fond of Citrus. My Verdict: Citrus is trashy, exploitative, gawdy, and mainly exists for the titillation of its audience. And while other Shoujo ai shows have done this as well, there’s also a lack of a narrative structure to the point where older works like Kannazuki no Miko look like the Godfather compared to this. If you lower your expectations, you’ll find a good deal. WARNING: SPOILERS FOR CITRUS AND OTHER YURI SHOWS AHEAD! Citrus, a review

Yuzucchi “Yuzu” Aihara is a new girl about to transfer schools. She’s never had a boyfriend and hopes to break that curse once and for all. But, when she realizes that she’s been transferred to an all-girls’ school, Yuzu’s outlandish behavior, clothing and voice captures the attention of the ultra-strict Student Council President, Mei. After a heated first day in which Mei confiscates Yuzu’s cellphone and Yuzu sees Mei kissing a teacher, Yuzu has one final revelation: her mother’s new husband is also Mei’s father, making Mei her step-sister. And to top it all off, Mei kisses Yuzu and steals her first kiss. Citrus is one of the few Yuri manga that not only managed to sell a number of books in Japan but also make the New York Times’ Best Seller list. It’s a series so successful, it’s spawn drama CDs, a 12 episode anime and a spin-off series after the manga’s conclusion, Citrus Plus. It’s also been criticized as a schlocky teenage soap opera with numerous peripheral characters that add nothing to the plot, and for depicting things like Mei forcing herself on Yuzu as sexualizing rape. For a number of viewers, the depiction of, yes, sexual assault is going to turn them off, and I can’t blame them. archive.is/DRUN8

But it’s not a problem for me. This is because (and yes, I’m aware of how this sounds) I’m of the party that says you can make a good story out of anything, including, yes, rape. The Late Roger Ebert once said “It’s not what a movie is about; it’s how it’s about it”. It’s a quote I’ve come to appreciate as of late. You can make a good work out of any subject material, but you have to use it well. One of the most influential shows of my youth was Kannazuki no Miko, in which one of the main characters, Chikane Himemiya, sexually assaults Himeko, her love interest. But, I give that series a pass (again I can only speak for myself) because it was one of the first depictions of a Yuri couple in an anime after Utena and Sailor Moon and serves a purpose to the story: the good girl becoming bad and the friend character wanting more (as well as a convoluted plot with weird universe rules explaining in great detail why Chikane did what she did). While Citrus uses sexual assault, it’s more for titillation and premise. It’s clearly there to hook the reader in by generating cheap unearned drama. Again, if that were the end all be all issue with Citrus and said work gave me a fulfilling story, I would give it a pass. But even pushing aside the scenes of nonconsensual assault, there’s way too much going on with way too many characters to the point where the story’s structure resembles more of a weekly soap opera rather than a romance between two girls. 9 years after the anime release of Sweet Blue Flowers and Whispered Words and THIS is what we end up with? What’s interesting is that Yuzu, despite being the usual blonde in a Yuri anime (a loud, expressive extrovert who’s unclear of her sexuality), actually receives a lot of character development. While she does make mistakes (a lot of them), there’s a strong sense of justice in her and she attempts to right the wrongs she committed. It also helps that for the majority of the story, we’re given internal monologue from Yuzu’s point of view and we see there’s a girl struggling with her newfound sexuality. One of the highlights is Episodes 5-6, in which Yuzu starts to see Mei’s unresolved father issues becoming a part of her character and realizes the last thing Mei needs is romance and avoids it so she can better help Mei become a healthier person. But on the other side of the relationship, Mei, is little more than a reactive drama magnet. Mei, at least in the 12 episodes that adapt the early parts of the manga, has very little character. I get that’s the idea; this is clearly an introvert who’s been so focused at school and extracurricular activities that she has no life and her first sexual experience would involve assault of some sort. But in execution, she’s little more than a plot device that’s meant to generate problems to prevent Yuzu and Mei from being together. First, it’s an overbearing grandfather that doesn’t approve of Yuzu. Then, it’s a childhood friend who likes to sip tea. Then, it’s an absent father figure who stopped being strict and decided to be a traveling wanderer. It also doesn’t help matters that when Mei does take action, it’s either downplayed or shown off-screen. Do you not have enough plot going on with the fact these two are step-sisters? What next, is Seto Kaiba going to be Mei’s half-brother and kidnap her and tie her to some train tracks until Yuzu beats him in a card game? The plot contrivances start from the very first episode. I’m not caught up on Japanese culture so I’m willing to accept that Mei and Yuzu have never met each other until after their respective parents got married, but the contrivances keep piling on. Now, Mei and Yuzu share a double bed! Now, Yuzu has a childhood friend, Matsuri, who’s really into her and is an expert blackmailer. Now, Yuzu meets a really nice girl who has a crush on Mei. And of course, where would we be in a romance series if we didn’t have two characters having a conversation about their crushes when they’re unaware they’re referring to the same person? The pacing of each contrivances are so smashed together it makes it seem like a wacky sitcom or one of those dramas found on the CW. And all the while, Mei barely changes from her introvert self. Christ, this makes me sound old. I can’t believe I’ve come to a point where I can say Kannazuki no Miko had a better sense of Story Structure compared to this. What makes this really frustrating is that other side characters continue to be way more interesting than Mei. Harumin, a girl who quickly befriends Yuzu, remains an energetic bright spot as well as a shoulder to lean on who actually has more chemistry than the main pair. Matsuri is actually very entertaining when she’s allowed to be. Funimation Entertainment did the localization and the script mainly remains loyal to the source material (for better and worse). Amber Lee Connors as Mei does the best she can when saddled with the role of a mopey, emotionally constipated introvert and manages to wring out some emotion out of the character when the story doesn’t. But it’s Megan Shipman as Yuzu that carries the series. Shipman gives Yuzu just enough energy and fire to make us empathize with a loudmouth and her internal dialogue really does help us understand the character. JAPANESE AUDIO WITH SUBTITLES IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO PREFER IT. All things considered, Funimation’s offering a pretty solid deal for Citrus, giving all 12 episodes on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Copy (which doesn't work because when I enter it, I get the message 'The Digital Copy is not yet Active'.). It’s too bad it’s wasted on a series that, even with the trashy exploitation and inevitable thinkpieces about consent scenes, the narrative itself settles for villain of the episode melodrama. And while characters like Yuzu, Harumin, and even Matsuri, Mei continues to be less of a character than she is a plot device. CAVEAT: For a lot of people, Citrus was ‘their first Yuri anime’, as in it was the gateway anime that led them to discover other works. And in some ways, I can understand how said nostalgia can affect one’s perception of the show. After all, shows like Strawberry Panic, Kannazuki no Miko and My-Hime were ‘my’ gateway shows that led me to a bigger and better genre. But, just as time goes on, so does the genre grow. So, I would hope fans wouldn’t limit themselves to just one series and start exploring other and older works. Shoujo-ai and Yuri anime has a long history of balancing fanservice, sex appeal and story. Even older, more lurid works that DO use sexual assault to progress the story, such as Kannazuki no Miko, make up for it with strong story structure and character development. But compared to works that truly do attempt to weave a complex narrative about girl’s romance such as Sweet Blue Flowers, Whispered Words and Simoun, Citrus remains as shallow as the fountain Mei and Yuzu fall in.

Verdict: If you’re a fan, pick it up. But if you want the genre to get better, maybe wait for a sale or watch it for free on Crunchyroll first.

#citrus #yuzu aihara #mei aihara #yuzu #mei #shoujoai #shoujo-ai #yuri #anime #review #kannazuki no miko #chikane #himeko #chikane himemiya #himeko kurusugawa #saburouta #funimation

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