Latest Posts by writtingcorvus - Page 2

i love when my children are doomed by the narrative

yugi "no matter the tl dies" amane and kamui "and the illusion of free choice"

binary star - a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to each other (ex. sirius, the dog star)

more astronomy au content who cheered !! i say as i look out to the silent crowd

"Wake up, Osamu..."

yes, detective conan is my favorite anime, how could you tell?

Going insane because my first thought at their similarities is that they could have gotten along in a different context, but without that context (Teru being an exorcist and Hanako being dead) they wouldn't even be similar.

Spy x Family volume 15 omake chapter translation

Volume 15 of SxF was just released in the Japan, and along with the new illustrations I posted about the other day, a 2-page bonus/omake chapter was also included, featuring Henry and Martha. I created translations of the pages, and big shoutout to @rafaron1223 for using his superior editing skills to put my translations into the pages 😃

Also, for those who haven't seen, Martha is on the cover of volume 15.

I like how the inner cover of young Martha for this volume matches the inner cover of volume 14 (young Henry).

how tf do people write fics?? like i really have the ideas in my head and then i pick up a pen or open the notes and it's all gone

thoughts on beast!dazai

i have been thinking again recently about beast!dazai and that he was just a kid when he got to see the memories of the og!dazai, so it makes sense that he became so obsessed with saving oda.

just think about it, he was younger than 16, feeling lonely and he has these "vision" of someone that understands him and is by his side, someone he has a connection to and that genuinely enjoys his company and he too does enjoy being around oda (the only adult we have seen treat him like the kid he is)

oda is the closest person he has to a friend and all of it is an illusion of a future that isn't his to live and he knows the ending. oda dies and changes his life (the life of the og!zai) and there is no way to thank him, to show how important oda truly is to og!zai and him.

thanks to oda's words he knows he can find something akin to happiness, find something to appreciate and make life, even if it's just a little, worth

his only way of showing gratitud is trying to manipulate his reality to a universe where oda can live his life by his own principles, pursue his dream and find some kind of value in what he does and his life.

this decision is so full of love for his friend and that makes it so sad, because he abandons entirely the possibility of happiness to give him a life to live.

and the only thing he has to treasure are memories that aren't his. oda isn't his friend in the beast au and he makes it clear that he considers dazai his enemy

as much as he yearns for his frienship with oda, it isn't his, he will never be the other dazai. and that was his choice, because he was just a kid that wanted to do something good for someone that was important for him and abandoned a part of himself as the price.

mitsuba has taken me to places of my brain i don't like (thinking seriously about beast dazai and oda)

fucking kiyoka choosing that moment to tell miyo he loves her??? mf???? drop dead???? i'm crying?? happy marriage my ass

SHINRAN & SOUKOKU PARALLELS

i'm sorry. the first time i rewatched the first episode of dcmk after reading bsd (more than 2 years ago) i came to the realization of why i like skk so much (maybe) and i really need to share my thoughts.

FIRST: the super intelligent character and the martial artist

both shinichi and dazai are characters that are incredibly smart and chuuya with ran are recognized because of their fight abilities.

but let's not forget that ran and chuuya both are smart as well, they can definitely solve things on their own when they need to, but are often mischaracterized as dumb

SECOND: love at first sight vs. hate at first sight (i'm crying)

THIRD: the one that goes away

extra: womanizer guy

extra hc: just like shinichi fell in love first sight and ran noticed she was in love with him in the ny trip, i hc skk with dazai falling in love first and chuuya realising his feelings when dazai defects lol

DUNGEON MESHI anime REVIEW

After Falin is eaten by the red dragon, her brother, Laios decides to go down the dungeon to save her. Meanwhile some leave the party, Marcille and Chilchuk decide to stay and help him. Without food or money they end up with the necessity to eat monsters, so Senshi, a dwarf who eats monsters, joins them. The four of them start they journey to find the red dragon and get Falin back.

To be honest I wasn't really interested in this anime when it was airing, but between boredom and curiosity bc of it's popularity I ended up watching it.

It was a really fun watch, I like fantasy and the plot seemed ridiculous (it is, but that's the charm), plus the animation was so good in some moments (especially battles) it just keeps you watching.

It is typical that series start with a more fun focus, but have this serious moments (that are more battle focused) that increase over time. Personally, I like the balance that it has in this aspect, the story intertwines such difficult emotions (sadness, guilt, etc) with light hearted moments, so it doesn't make it heavy.

To add to it, the world building (not just around just this the dungeon, but all them and the world) is exposed in a light way too. It's told bit by bit so one can always follow it.

Laios doesn't feel like a unique character (or more specifically protagonist) when you see his personality, but even with that and just a normal person desing his weird obsession with monsters takes him apart from other protagonists.

And i was gonna make a point for all of the other characters in the main cast, but i don't think i have much to say lol, they are all enjoyable and charming, i think what i like most is that they feel well balanced for every situation and context, everyone has their moments and the author really knows what to do with them

also i love marcille and specially how even if it's always the same outfit, her hairstyles change ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ it's a detail but i love it soooo much

in conclusion...

i really had so much fun, but I don't know if i'll read the manga, tho definitely i will be watching when the second season drops, I'm waiting for it

maybe the reason why i love tbhk so much isn't bc of the potential for theory discussion, the horror themes, the doomed lovers, the doomed by the narrative character, the queercoding of mitsukou, metaphor of cannibalism as love, identity issues (mitsuba), the yokai/spirits stories and their contrast with humans, the mystery, the romance, the art or any of the other things i like...

the reason i just became obsessed with this series is all of the above, yes. but more importantly is the siblings going through the horrors™ (and i think that's the reason why fmab is still my favourite animanga of all time. for me there is nothing more angsty than siblings)

the way i love how tsukasa is the moon and amane the sun, it goes from their names, to:

night = time of spirits → tsu grants wishes for spirits/yokai

day = time of the living → amane grants wishes for living humans

but you can also consider how amane has always loved the moon, at least until his death and how he loves his brother AND ALSO the distance he put with both of them (giving up on his dream and "not going anywhere", giving tsuchigomori the moon rock AND with tsukasa killing him and then abandoning (?) him)

and THERE'S TOO how the moon can't shine without the sun, so it can be a metaphor how important amane is for tsukasa and how he is the reason for so many of his actions

and

and and

if in the new timeline in the manga there are no school mysteries then that means that the creation of the mysteries is related to the death of the twins? or is it to the pit god?

watching the new episode i can't help but wonder how hanako felt when, trying to act closer to what nene would like, she is just missing the real him

I really like revisiting the earlier chapters after reading the newer ones because it helps give new perspective on the earlier interactions of these two.

The way how Hanako speaks to Yashiro, even from the beginning of their partnership, is so cute and sweet in a way I don't know how to explain. Sure, he's definitely still a jerk at times, but the general manner in which he interacts with her makes me smile like an idiot.

I like how he's not even angry or too upset with her, he's simply like, "Stop the cap. Just fess up and I'll help."

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.

We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 3.

4. Aoi and Akane, continue.

Aoi is very similar to Hanako in her secretive, insecure and stubborn character. She is a cheerful introvert, it is difficult for her to reveal her secrets and vulnerabilities to others, she is inclined to solve problems by "giving up everything, all or nothing". Akane is open, straightforward, confident and goal-oriented, even if he has to work hard, he is not afraid of it.

Although I compare Aoi with Hanako here, and Akane with Tsukasa, there is a moment where they switch roles. When Akane strangles Aoi and says that he hates her.

After all, it is her fault that everything turned out this way, and since he is her close person, he has the right to say such things to her. This is just pointing out flaws, right? "I've known you since childhood." In this situation, it is as if Aoi is to blame.

Now let's return to the first parallel. "Do you love me at least a little? Are you sure you love me?"

You have to really drag words of love out of these two (Aoi and Amane), because you're not sure about it because of their behavior, huh. (Hello, Nene on the far shore.)

So, how does this relate to Yugi?

The twins were very close, but that's obvious. Amane was a shy boy, and Tsukasa was easier to get along with people, and Amane remained in his shadow.

They lived an ordinary life until that fateful day - Tsukasa sacrifices himself for Amane. He makes a contract with a supernatural in exchange for the life of a loved one, and becomes half supernatural himself.

Tsukasa is also very traumatized by what happened. He is fixated on Amane and wants to know more about his brother for the aforementioned reason.

The boy who returned to Amane was a slightly different person. He acted differently, and distance began to form between them, tension in the family grew (especially considering the behavior of his mother) and at one point Amane was brought to a state in which he believed that a good solution to the problems would be to kill his brother and himself.

Amane also says how he hates Tsukasa, and that it was as if he was guilty. "If you weren't a fake, everything would be different," as if Tsukasa was to blame for the current situation. (Compare with "if you hadn't closed yourself off and lied, everything would have been different, it's your fault that we're breaking up, Aoi." Akane, on the other hand, was not to blame for anything, although he was the one who scared Aoi with his behavior and he's the one strangling her now. Amane killed Tsukasa, but Tsukasa was also the one to blame, yeah.)

It's worth noting the differences between Yugi's story and others.

1. Kou and Mitsuba. There's a difference in who Mitsuba is and who Tsukasa is, and why one is more "real" than the other. I'll leave a link to my analysis of the nature of these two.

2. Hakubo and Sumire. Hakubo eventually realizes that he didn't appreciate Sumire, while Amane is far from it. Also, Hakubo is an autistic demon, while Amane is much more human by birth, even if he also shows autistic traits, it is in his nature to cope with it better. But in the end, he behaves much better than a horned demon with low empathy, although he talks a lot about feelings and guilt, that is, Amane understands this concept, but in a purely human cruelty continues to push Tsukasa away from himself.

3. Aoi and Akane. There is a certain difference in the behavior of Akane and Tsukasa. Tsukasa is much more independent from Amane personally, although he builds his goals on him (!). He is able to act separately and show interest in other people and things, and not all of his motivation is built entirely on Amane, he has purely personal motives, which Akane never had, concentrating only on Aoi. Also, words of hatred are thrown here by Akane and Amane, and not Aoi and Tsukasa, although these two probably have something to complain about in the behavior of a loved one, they continue to tolerate it, and even if they speak out, then much more gently, not throwing around the words "I hate" so easily in relation to someone who is dear to them.

Thus, if we collect into one whole everything that goes under the line "what does Yugi have to do with it", then we will get their integral story, in which there are almost no unknown moments, only Amane's motivation for murder is not yet entirely clear, but only because we do not know it, and I am sure that when they show it to us, it will definitely parallel with something already written, because Yugi's story runs like a red thread through the entire manga and is reflected in all secondary conflicts.

Parts 1 and 2

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We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 1.

We don't know much about the twins, but I think that's enough because their personal story parallels all the characters in this manga. And w

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We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 2.

3. Hakubo and Sumire. Mystery and yorishiro continue. How does this relate to Yugi? Tsukasa is also a sacrifice to the demon hole in exchan

We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 2.

3. Hakubo and Sumire. Mystery and yorishiro continue. How does this relate to Yugi?

Tsukasa is also a sacrifice to the demon hole in exchange for a wish, also a yorishiro in the form of a human. There is a difference in how Sumire was betrayed against her will, while Tsukasa died of his own free will.

Tsukasa sat alone in Hanako's boundary for a long time, calling for him, but he never came.

Most likely, Tsukasa has not met Amane since the very day of his death, and when he appears in the chapter with donuts, this is really the first time he was able to go free and enter the plot.

Tsukasa, unlike Sumire, is sure that Amane hates him, and does not consider himself significant to him, he is surprised when Amane begins to cry.

Tsukasa is also tired of his existence, he just has some goals that still keep him afloat, but having achieved them, he is just as ready to disappear if it will help others, close to him.

What is so good about Amane, because he is unbearable? Why did Tsukasa and Nene love him so much? Here it is, the irony. Sumire had no options, Nene and Tsukasa still get along with people easier

and nevertheless, love is blind.

Tsukasa is very unrestrained, and probably because he finally got out of prison and can control his and even other people's actions. Tsukasa does not ask to be remembered, but deep down he also wants at least some recognition of his value. Amane also suffers that he acted this way towards Tsukasa, he blames himself a lot, but at the same time also shifts part of the blame to his brother.

After all, it is his fault that he is fake, if everything were different, if Amane had lived a different life, he would not have done this. He, just like Hakubo, did not value the time he spent with his brother, and now he is stewing in his own guilt, while leaving Tsukasa alone in the locked boundary and not answering his call.

4. Aoi and Akane. Close since childhood.

These two were close like twins, growing up together since childhood. Aoi was a shy girl, while Akane was more easily approached by people, and as a result, she remained in his shadow.

At first, they grew up like normal children, and both acted completely normal, until one fateful day came...

The Clock Keepers recruited Akane by threatening to kill Aoi, and thus, he made a contract with them, becoming half-supernatural.

Here, I want to refer to the theory of friend if mine that Aoi died that day and Akane sacrificed his lifespan for her. [But he doesn't remember it. Come to think of it, the flashback abruptly ends with "do you want to gain the power to control time?", continuing the story from the perspective of an unreliable narrator - Akane. I say "unreliable" because it was easy for him to have his memory erased, or even have some of his memories fabricated.

It's worth remembering that the senior guardian can actually rewind time, deleting unnecessary memories. And I don't believe that the guardians of the clock choose a third one for fun. They probably have some kind of selection criteria. Besides, Akane is literally half supernatural, and I don't think that will go unnoticed. Most likely, his days are numbered, like Yashiro's. Maybe he wasn't supposed to die in the first place, but he probably sacrificed his lifespan to correct a terrible misunderstanding. He thinks that after graduation he will simply stop being a guardian of the clock and return to his normal life, but what if everything is played out in such a way that he does not remember the first and most important point of his contract: in exchange for Aoi's life, he gave up his future?]

Also, Akane is very traumatized by what happened. I already said that the reason why he clings to Aoi so madly could be his trauma that day. Just like how Tsukasa got fixated on the idea of "knowing more about Amane" because he discussed it before Kou traumatized him with his revelation, Akane got fixated on the idea of "enjoying the time spent with Aoi and confessing my love to her because I love her and want to be with her" because he also talked about it with Aoi before the Guardians put her in danger.

That's why he doesn't act like a normal person anymore, and that's why he's becoming less and less like his calm younger self. Akane made a contract with a supernatural in exchange for the life of a loved one and became half supernatural, changing internally, but mostly because of the trauma and fear of losing Aoi rather than the effects of the supernatural specifically.

The boy who came back to Aoi after that day was a slightly different person. He acted differently and hid a lot of things, and that's why there was a distance between them that grew wider as the years went by. This isn't an "Akane is hiding something" level problem, it's an "Akane has really changed a lot" level problem.

So Aoi, who was initially comfortable around him, starts to feel weird. She stops being playful and teasing around him like she used to because Akane has become so obsessed with the idea that she's slowly starts pushing him away.

Eventually, the tension reaches a breaking point and Aoi is pushed to such a stalemate that she lays hands on the person closest to her, Akane, because she thinks that will solve her problem.

Continue in the next post 🙌🏻

Part 1

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We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 1.

We don't know much about the twins, but I think that's enough because their personal story parallels all the characters in this manga. And w

We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 1.

We don't know much about the twins, but I think that's enough because their personal story parallels all the characters in this manga. And we already know it. In this analysis, I will analyze the relationships of Kou with Mitsuba, the fourth secret, Hakubo with Sumire, and Aoi with Akane, because their arcs interpret one big arc of the twins.

1. Kou and Mitsuba. That boy was still that boy.

The main problem for Kou is the "real" Mitsuba. His entire arc is reduced to trying to bring back "that" boy, while Mitsuba's problem is wanting to live as a living person. Kou feels responsible for Mitsuba and wants to help him with his own hands, not someone else's.

He believes that he can make everyone happy, alone. It's really important to him, he's really dedicated to saving Mitsuba. So much so that he won't listen to anyone, even Mitsuba himself - he's so stubborn.

Just like Amane.

The problem is that Kou separates the two Mitsubas, he's completely confused about "who's the real one" and spends his time trying to figure it out instead of cherishing the time he spends with Mitsuba more often.

"You wanted to be my friend, right?" "You wanted to bring back the me you lost, please stay by my side..."

Mitsuba wants that understanding from Kou. "Admit it already, it's impossible, I can't become a _normal_ person, because no one can do that."

Mitsuba knows he's not the same anymore, but he still wants understanding. No one can turn back time, so why not just accept it? Kou is adamant.

And the famous "do you want me to die so we can understand each other better" page.

And then Mitsuba calls Kou an idiot because you can't say things like that. You have to value your life.

So how does this relate to Yugi?

Amane has trouble deciding whether the "new" Tsukasa who came back is the real one, while Tsukasa just wanted some simple human warmth.

Amane thinks he's responsible, thinks he can fix everything on his own, he never listens to anyone, and is very stubborn. It's believed that he tried to fix the big clock to turn back time and bring back the "real" Tsukasa. That's why he doesn't value the time he spends with his brother, because it's not the same. He's fixated on the idea of two Tsukases and a real brother.

"You wanted to bring back the me you lost back then (that birthday), please stay by my side..."

Tsukasa just wanted to spend time with his brother. Deep down, he was waiting for the joy of meeting and understanding from Amane. No one can return Amane to a real living brother, it's all too complicated and even the machinations over time did not solve the problem. And perhaps Amane could have thought that if they both died, it would somehow bring them closer together. Tsukasa is very angry with Amane's actions, because he gave his life in exchange for his brother's health, and he destroyed it so easily, without appreciating it.

2. The Fourth mystery and Mei Shijima.

I won't say much here, and maybe not very deep things, but nevertheless.

"Killing Shijima Mei is all I want." Yes, we have an obvious parallel with killing her twin with a knife, but the reasons for the fourth secret... "I wanted to protect the real you."

Shijima believes that this will bring Mei good. And despite the fact that she tried to kill Mei from the dream world, she still asks her not to leave, even though she is not "real" in the full sense, because it is too painful.

Also, the Fourth hates this fake world. It is too perfect in it, in a way that does not exist in reality.

How does this relate to Yugi?

Amane in the pp arc is parallel to Shijima, Nene just catches their similarity.

Radical problem solving, believing that they alone know what's best, doing horrible things "for your own good." Amane probably killed Tsukasa for similar reasons, believing that somehow it would be better this way. Amane also accepts the current Tsukasa as a fake, but even so, he doesn't want all the yorishiro to be destroyed, he doesn't want his brother to disappear, because losing him again is too painful.

Hanako hates the world of the perfect picture, everything is too easy and wonderful in it, as it was not in his real life, where he had to endure a lot.

3. Hakubo and Sumire. Mystery and yorishiro.

Sumire first appeared before us as proof that yorishiro can be in human form and her story is very parallel to Tsukasa. She had to spend many years locked away in the boundary of the mystery, in the form of the same place where she met her death.

She has not met Hakubo since that day. She hoped that he would come to her, but this did not happen, although Sumire strongly maintained some hope for her own importance to him - "after all, yorishiro becomes what the school mystery cherishes most."

She is tired of her existence, she has no particular purpose and she does not mind disappearing if it will help someone, if she will be useful at least in this way.

Nene asks Sumire what is so good about Hakubo? After all, he is unbearable, and Sumire probably fell in love with him because there was simply no one else. No one was as close to her. It is funny to hear this from Nene, but more on that later.

Sumire was also sacrificed to the hole demon in exchange for a wish, and later became a yorishiro, which is mechanically very reminiscent of Tsukasa. She also has a control complex due to the fact that she could not influence anything in her life.

She would also really like to be mourned and remembered - that is, at least some sympathy in her direction.

Hakubo, on the other hand, had problems expressing his will, and this is the main point of his personal history.

He suffers from the fact that he could have acted differently towards Sumire, these thoughts have haunted him since that day. He understands that he did not value the time spent with her during her life, he was cold in everyday life and he did not save her from death. The guilt for her death lies heavily on him.

"If I lived another life, I would have done things differently." He only grinds this thought in his head, and Sumire sits alone in the boundary, without the support of a loved one nearby.

How does this relate to Yugi?

I will continue this thought in the next post, since the image limit has ended 🙌🏻

Parts 2 and 3

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We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 2.

3. Hakubo and Sumire. Mystery and yorishiro continue. How does this relate to Yugi? Tsukasa is also a sacrifice to the demon hole in exchan

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We don't need Yugi's flashback because their story has been told for a long time. (an analysis) Part 3.

4. Aoi and Akane, continue. Aoi is very similar to Hanako in her secretive, insecure and stubborn character. She is a cheerful introvert, i

i bring today the theory that the clock-keepers cat isn't a yugi twin, but actually the yugi mom

the twins have HER eyes!!!

so does the cat!!

"but it has hanako/tsukasa's personality" well, kids do have their parents personality!

and it's nowhere said that the cat is male, so it can be female!!

"it's a male suit" wrong, it's just the clock-keeper aesthetic!!

Let's talk about Nene and how she find power in other people.

Nene gets overwhelmed easily and is very insecure, not just about her body but about her power, and smarts too.

When she thought Hanako may like her she wasn't sure about her judgement, but when Aoi who never even met hanako said 'oh yeah, he likes you~' she became far more confident.

Aoi must have been her reassurance for most of Nene's school life, so much so that when Aoi tells her "he might confess to you in the confession tree <3" Nene acts like that's the truth and spend the rest of the chapter giggily waiting for it.

She is right that Hanako have a crush on her, but when he start hiding behind excuses, she believes it right away. She never consider that his excuses and his feelings can both be true, she trust what he says more than her own judgement

When she started getting involved with the supernatural she start getting more and more doubts about herself. Her issues growing from the simple 'do they find me cute? can i get a boyfriend?' to questions about what is right and how much power she have.

She have a crisis when she learns Hanako used to be a living student, with a real life, who killed a real person. She become so helpless by this realization that she can't look at him in the eye.

Reality is so overwhelming, that she keep running away from Hanako.

There is no "Hanako is my friend anyways! His life doesn't matter what matter is the now!! Let's gooo!!" self talk in the garden. She want to hide. To give up.

Kou is the one that come to her side and reassure Nene that her feelings are valid, that not knowing what to is alright. That there is nothing wrong with being overwhelmed and doing all you can do, even when 'all you can do' isn't much.

They find strenght in each other.

Throught the entire manga Kou is there to cheer Nene up or to back up her plans. They are in this together.

Break the fake world? Rescue Hanako? Go to the Red House cause a kid is crying?? That's a Nene and Kou plan. That's their team effort. They got each other's back! They can do it!

Even when the idea isn't that good, Kou constantly cheer her, rewarding Nene for trying instead of giving up.

Most of the time Hanako is with Kou cheering her up, albeit not as upfront, being his indirect and 'haha just kidding i would die if i was vulnerable!' self.

Regardless, Nene got support through every step of this new and scary supernatural world!

Or at least... most of the time. Let's go over the instances where times were tough and Nene didn't have Kou and Hanako by her side. The times when she become her most vulnerable and insecure. She ceases to be "Your overwhelming grass type and beloved heroine Yashiro Nene!" and becomes Nene, the insecure high school girl.

When she learned about her death she was lost and confused, she didn't try to imply she could conquer death, she couldn't do anythnig, so she asked for guidance.

When she was given no real answer, just cryptic orders to stay in her caje forever cause hanako will 'solve everything', Nene was even more lost. And she was alone. No one to talk to in her time of need, no one to cheer her up.

We have no panels of her trying to break her window of wiggle between her caje bars because she isn't determined, she was devastated. So she cried and cried and tried to comfort herself

ONLY AFTER who knows how many doodles and time to process her feelings does her hopelessness turn into anger for Hanako and determination to change her situation.

She only fully enter "I will fight this! I can do it!! I won't do what Hanako want!!" mode after Mei visits her with a friendly dispossition and comforts her, giving her sweets to soothe her heart and give her energy.

Nene say her tears are false here, a mere ploy to make Mei lower her guard!! But it is rotted in real sadness.

The fire she gained after doodling her friends in the real world only spread into an inferno of determination when she is told she is deeply loved, that Hanako would sacrifice everything for her sake. That love is why this was made in the first place.

This world want to protect her, not kill her. Her hapiness is cheerished. And she isn't happy. She haven't loss the real world yet, she can still change things.

She was already determined to change things, but she doubles down on it, she gain more confidence and becomes bolder. She will kick and scream and try her best to win! Is amazing. She is sweating but she know what she is doing is right so she will do it!!

Throught the manga, as the time passes she start to stand up for herself more, she tries harder, she takes any opportunity she can to do something and believe in herself. She stop seeking superficial attention to feel worth.

Take her play of Oz for exemple, she want to be dorothy, the big role that is worthy of a beautiful dress and all the spotlight! Despite all her development and traumas she still cares that she was given a unimpressed role, that she 'isn't worthy' of the main role

But instead of being unable to focus on anything else except how bad her role is and how uncute it makes her, as the Nene from the start of the manga would, she get the strenght to move pass it and have fun, keeping her head high because she won't be alone.

Hanako will be there for her.

Hanako is one of her biggest strenghts, and when he is gone she is hit hard.

Her first instinct is to seek someone to talk too.

And when she can't, she falls. There is nothing she can do, her friends are already dead, and just like her own death, she doesn't know how to solve it.

Even when she feels better, going out to the arcade instead of being trapped alone in her room, the moment she remembers that she can't talk to her friends, that they are gone, she relapses again, sapped of all of her strenght.

She is 15, she can't handle this.

Her major sorces of comfort is still her close friends, which is normal, but she does gain strenght from other people.

Enters Teru and Akane.

Akane is one of the characters that push her to act when things are at their most hopeless, but unlike Kou and Aoi he isn't her cheerleader, he never coddles her. If she ask for reassurance that she is beautiful, or useful, or doing the right thing, he will either not give her that or straight up say "I dissagree".

Akane is not a source of hope for Nene, his belief in her is not nearly as strong as Kous or Hanako or Aoi's belief in her. Just as Nene's believe in herself isn't very strong in hopeless situations.

He never sugarcoats tragedy, in fact he consistently drag her back to how bleak things are. Ignore the arcade, don't distract yourself: Face reality.

He is open about his misery.

It mostly feel like he is processing his own feelings when he rants to Nene, but the end message is clear "I hate this, i want to try to change it. You want to, don't you?" which is exactly how Nene feels.

They are hopeless but they're not alone in this hopelessness. Despite Nene never working up with Akane during the rescue arc. This served as a reality check, which serves to process her feelings better.

Reality does sucks, there is no clear solution, she is unhappy, she does want to change things, she hates crying and being helpless while her friends are dead/suffering. So she eat a sugary sweet to comfort herself and she chin up.

Akane never says "you can do it, you are stronger than you think!" he sucks at comforting, I love him but oh god he sucks. But the message he gives her is till important "You have to do it." "You have to try anyways or you'll stay helpless."

Teru is the savior, Nene already idolized him from the start, but he is the one that showed them a way to rescue Aoi too. He is amazing. He can do the impossible!

Now let's jump to the new timeline.

Kou, her buddy, her biggest cheerleader, doesn't know her. It hit hards and she was so so happy to have him back!!

But just as quickly as she gets to see her buddy, Kou is gone, this is just a shell trying to lure her to death, the real one is dead at the bottom of a wheel.

She doesn't have the time to process that, because Hanako, her big source of comfort, doesn't exist. Amane, who she had watched be brutally slashed by Teru, have been possessed and wants to kill her and all her friends instead of protecting her.

Teru, this invincible guy (Nene wasn't present when No.6 took Teru down, so for her he is unbeatable) that made saving Aoi possible, is the first one down.

Everyone is doing what they can, so Nene does too, she want to help her friends, she can't let them be in danger! While Aoi takes charge, she doesn't allow herself to be too shocked and focus on destroying the tentacle attacking Akane.

But she is still terrified.

The last thing she want to do is to be alone. But she have too. Once more, Akane doesn't sugarcoat the situation, he says "This reality, it sucks, and if you want to change it, you have to act! Go!"

But this time he is left behind too. Nene is completely and utterly alone.

She has the weight of the world on her shoulders as she run through the city for who knows how long, but she is terrified and she doesn't have Akane to be terrified with her, just the weight of his words and the faint hope that they'll meet her in the big clock to keep her going.

She is doing something so so big, she need to talk to someone first, she need strenght. She need people.

So she seek them. And no one answers.

She crumbles, she becomes small. There is no heroine to be seem, just a teen girl in shambles after losing every. single. person that used to give her strenght.

That's why Tsuchigomori was needed.

Let her cry. Let her process the situation with a comforting sweet to gather the strenght to do what she must.

Picture perfect Amanene coloring (^o^)

Sometimes I think we forget that we're dealing with middle school/high school aged characters. Literal children.

And this includes Hanako.

Sure, Hanako is decades older than most of the main cast, and so you could make an argument that he's technically this ancient being, trapped to forever inhabit a 13 year olds body.

But I don't think it negates the fact he is literally still a 13 year old boy. I think we forget he is still a middle school boy at heart and a lot of what is going on is most likely extremely new to him, and so he's going to handle it to the best of his ability—as a 13 year old boy, and as an ancient Supernatural.

Nene is possibly the first and only girl he's ever had a serious crush on—actually, she is possibly the first and only girl Hanako has ever crushed on, loved, and kissed. I'm not sure at any point in Hanako's life, as Amane and as Honorable No. 7, he thought getting to have something as normal and common as a crush, a first love, and all that entails, could be possible for him. I doubt that was any concern of his as Amane, considering what he was going through at the time, and I doubt he believed it at all possible as Hanako, dead and gone and just a rumor in the school, nothing more.

There is something cute and sweet and endearing about their relationship first starting off in the series. Hanako is more like a friendly guide to Nene—she is his assistant, and at the start she was extremely green to the world and happenings of the Supernatural world. He wasn't the one to initiate the friendship-stage—he merely brought up how that's how it feels, having Yashiro around every day to clean the girls' restroom. He obviously wasn't planning on getting attached, as he knew from the beginning she was close to death and well isn't that how it is with humans, they die so easily, it's too bad but it is what it is.

It was Nene who initiated it. She made the big step to go from -san to -kun. No longer would there be an illusion of friendship from Hanako's perspective—they are friends, Nene made it so.

People say the turning point to their relationship changing from guiding mentor/assistant to more was the Picture Perfect Arc, but I would argue it started at the rooftop where Nene made the decision to call him her friend.

From that point, we get to see the progression of this friendship to something much more, because they were now actively beginning to move passed simply being this friendly, but almost business-like partnership. It was gradual and very natural, but when you compare their relationship from the start to where we are now, there is a stark contrast.

I do believe the change in how Hanako interacts and treats Nene also stems from the growth and wisdom she has obtained via the experiences she's had so far.

Nene is not a simple bystander in this relationship, she really is the driving force behind it. We know that Hanako would have probably left things well enough alone from the start, just her being his assistant, helping him deal with certain supernatural occurrences, fix rumors, clean his bathroom, etc. and simply make sure she was at least having some fun doing it because he knew her days were numbered. He wasn't uncaring, but he was pretty practical about it, being a School Mystery Supernatural and all.

He was doing his job. Like the other Mysteries, he actually takes his job pretty seriously. We see this in how, similar to No. 4, No. 6, and now No. 1, they all can get tunnel-vision and resort to drastic, extreme, and almost tyrannical means to accomplish the ends.

But then Nene makes him her friend, and meeting her results in him making other friends (primarily Kou), and all of a sudden it's not so simple as doing his job and protecting the humans under the Mysteries charge at this school.

Suddenly it's not so simple, because he grows attached, and she continues to do things and say things that further drive their relationship to something resembling romantic, first love. She becomes very important to him, to the point his drive of granting her wish (saving her) has changed him and has made him act out in ways which, truthfully, have been mislabeled (more on this in a second).

Nene will always call out for Hanako to save her because insofar he has never failed to be there to save her. Sure, at the beginning he might have taken a more passive approach in helping her, as it's usually because he believes she can get herself out of certain situations on her own (think of the Tea Party Arc, where technically Nene does get herself in that situation by her own naivety and fault of falling for a pretty face) and that was endearing.

But Nene is not always a damsel in distress. Nene is not stupid. Sure, she's 15, and she's a little dorky and silly and she does have a boycrazy problem, but what fifteen year old girl doesn't? And she's fully aware of herself! She is honest about her faults, and she knows when to admit she has made a mistake and when she needs help.

But Nene has grown, and if the last chapter doesn't prove that then I don't know how else to convince you. She is a young woman who has crossed six boundaries, has faced spirits and other supernaturals, and has leaped through time, has confronted Death, and will continue to confront and fight it, and is in love with a School Mystery Supernatural.

She does not need Hanako to always hold her hand like he had to in the beginning. She might be scared, she might feel utterly alone, but she is doing it scared, and she is determined, and she is capable.

It then only makes sense that Hanako and Nene's relationship would have to change. We can look back at the start, and be completed smitten and charmed by the beginnings of what their relationship looked like, how Hanako treated her.

But as she became less his assistant and more like something of a crush, a first love, a maybe girlfriend/lover (a girl who has gone through every trial and tribulation so far with him and still wants to BE with him), then of course, for a character like Hanako, not only would this change how he handles and treats her, but also how he might act out.

Again, she is probably, most definitely his first in everything, similar to how he is turning out to be her first in a lot of things too.

Nene is made for love, she's a lover girl at heart, a romantic, and so falling in love with a boy (even a dead, ghost boy) doesn't really faze her. She used to vehemently deny anything being there between them, but as she got to know Hanako, and spend time with him, and love him despite all his flaws, despite him being dead, despite him murdering—when Mitsuba accuses her of falling madly in love with Hanako, she can't even bring herself to act shocked and bewildered. Instead, Nene has come to accept, quite easily, she does love him, and she does want him to know that she doesn't just like-like him, but that she loves him. It's very easy and natural for her.

It is not easy and natural for someone like Hanako. It's probably like pulling teeth, when he's put on the spot, when he's expected to openly admit his feelings. We've seen this. He can't be direct about his feelings, it's like trying to throw a cat in a tub full of water. He won't do it, it almost seems to physically pain him to be so honest and vulnerable like that. The idea of love, of being loved, scares him, or at least leaves him nauseous and off-kilter.

Because he's dead, and the dead and the living can't stay together. Even if Nene dies, if that is truly what's going to happen and neither can stop it, worse, he's a special kind of dead thing, and she won't be, and so even after death they apparently can't be together.

So love would be out of the question, wouldn't it? Yet here it is, a thing called love, a girl called Yashiro Nene.

Circling back, I don't think Hanako fits the Yandere category. It's funny to call him that, but I would not describe the love between Hanako and Nene as a ''sickness.'' He has not become a Yandere, and I don't see him ever being one. If you've read Aidalro's short comic, My Dear Living Dead, then I would say the boy in that story would better fit the category of a Yandere—his love becoming so obsessive, all consuming, and makes him so unstable that it does become a dangerous kind of sickness.

Hanako is trying to balance being a dead, 13 year old boy, and a School Mystery Supernatural. Now I'm not saying this excuses him for any fumble and fuck up he's made, but I think it more than explains why he's not going to handle this situation perfectly and maturely. Why he might kind of be really bad at handling the fact that the girl he was supposed to grant a silly love wish for has now become basically his entire world, this living girl, who is actually going to die, but he doesn't want her to die because he loves her and even if it'll break him and whatever resembles a heart, he is willing to sacrifice himself, and possibly others, to save her.

I think the biggest example people might use of him being a Yandere is how he acted during the PP Arc. That he was willing to make himself out to be the villain, just because he believed that this was the only way to halt the progression of her life coming to an abrupt end. Living in a painting, living out her days in a pretend world, as long as it was real enough for her. We could also say that it could've been a bit of a selfish indulgence on his part, because he was able to "live" alongside her in that world, be a normal boy, with a normal crush, and go on normal dates, etc.

So what if she forgot the real world? Forgot the real him? She could be happy there, she could stay alive there. She could live to be a hundred in that world.

But I don't see that as a sickness, as much as it's an example of a School Mystery Supernatural kind of going haywire in trying to complete it's duty (which we've seen can happen, Supernaturals not really taking into account what it could effect as long as their decision accomplishes what needs to be done) Hanako is not immune to this happening.

But also, he cares about her, and he loves her, and he definitely loved her during that Arc. Love can make people act stupid, extreme, unthinking, foolish. Being that Nene is his first love, I'm actually not even surprised by this first attempt at prolonging her life. She couldn't understand why he was doing it, and of course Hanako was not direct with her in his reason for why he was doing it, at all. "Yes, why am I doing this."

But later on, when she's coming to the realization that Hanako might have feelings for her, and she takes note that Hanako has never been direct with what he means and how he feels, and one of the examples was when he said that to her in the PP Arc while she was imprisoned. So I think, unconsciously, Nene knew why Hanako was doing what he was doing.

Anyway, it's not like he went through with keeping them all in a painting of No. 4's making, because Nene was able to talk him down and he was willing to finally listen to her. If his love for her was a sickness, she wouldn't have been able to get through to him at all. His decision would have been final.

But Hanako actually cares what Nene thinks and feels and has to say, even if he was initially thoughtless and careless with his decision, in the end, he does care about what she wants.

Hanako was also going to accept never getting to see Nene again. Like yeah, it's bad that he was willing to put Aoi in Nene's place so that Nene could live—but are we forgetting that, technically, Aoi wanted to go away? Maybe she didn't want to die, but she did want to disappear, she wanted to leave. Hanako made his decision, but so did Aoi, who is more than capable of making her own brash, stupid decisions as any other fifteen year old girl.

Anyway, Hanako was willing to let Nene go, even if it meant her not only forgetting about him, but also hating him.

Yandere's do not want their crush to hate them. They do not want to be separated from their love interest, ever. They would rather kill them both, or hurt their love interest, than ever let them live without them, or move on from them.

Hanako has not intentionally tried hurting Nene. I think he would shatter into a thousand pieces if he accidentally physically hurt her, too.

Hanako's attempts so far to save Nene may have been ill-advised, impulsive, foolish, and extreme. Hanako can act selfish, possessive, jealous, and sometimes even insensitive. He can get tunnel-vision when it comes to saving Nene. He wants to be the only one to save her and give her the possibility of a life because it's the only way he knows how he'll get to love her and "be" with her.

But, as we've seen, it's not like he gets away with it, it's not like these things aren't addressed, and it's not like he completely disregards what the others have to say to him once they catch him acting up.

Nene made it a point to tell him how she does not like how he will make these rash decisions and plans without telling anyone (without asking her) because he thinks he knows what's best. Nene, like in their relationship, is a large driving forcing in Hanako's character development. She may make excuses for him at times, but when he does fuck up, when he does do something crazy like in the PP Arc, or basically letting her best friend Aoi take her place to be sacrificed and disappearing on her like he did in Severance—she lets him know immediately that what he's doing isn't right, and it's especially not something she would want.

To the point that she's taken her wish back of wanting to live. To the point of pretending that she's accepted her death and that she would stay behind with Hanako, or in the far shore, while the others got out and saved Aoi. Because I think she knows that Hanako can get this tunnel-vision when it comes to her and her life, and that he wants to be the one to give that to her.

Hanako isn't a Yandere, he's just a boy with a very unfortunate past, who has tons of baggage, dead, a supernatural with serious responsibilities, and is severely down bad for a living girl who is on the cusp of death. Honestly, he could be handling this much worse than he has been. And maybe he might, but we'll just have to see.

He is navigating the unknowns as best as he can. He's not unreachable, he's not any more unstable than all the other characters in the series right now, having to deal with their own hangups, issues, and flaws. Almost all of them teenagers. Of course they're all a little unstable and stupid.

So, I don't know, I guess the point of this post is that Hanako is not a Yandere, by definition and by characterization, and while he definitely deserves to be called out for certain choices and actions, that maybe we should cut him a little slack. He is literally going through it.

i hadn't at all consider this line of thinking, but i can see it work and i like how it ties that plot line with the more recent arcs. it's soo interesting

i'm definitely gonna be up thinking about this

thoughts on tbhk manga

just some days ago i read this series, so there are a lot of things that are on my mind especially after seeing other people theories and stuff, so here i'm gonna ramble a bit about them KDNDLDMF

1. so, i have seen a lot of theories of amane's injuries being bc of the clock. but i don't really think that makes sense timewise.

i assumed that the year amane is fixing the clock is 1968 and when we see him injured is 1969. in chapter 101 the announcement says that the first year middle school play and then comes this conversation,,,

so is their class that's doing the play. and since the festival is at the end of summer and they are in their first year (if they are from the class presenting the play) it must be 1968. and he had to have it moving before that years school festival ended,,, so it being the reason for his injuries is highly unlikely imo (well, except he is refering to the 1969 CF, that is an option, but isn't it weird?)

that takes us back to then who or what is actually harming him? i have 2 theories for that. the first one is that it was tsukasa, but it was to provoke amane..

we have seen tsukasa's reaction when he gets to know that his brother is going to kill him, so maybe since they both were close to 13, he has been trying to trigger amane to DO THE THING, trying to get to know that part of his brother, what would push his buttons enough for him to actually do that?

my other option is that it's the mother, afterall she was scared of tsukasa, maybe she started to take her fear on them and since amane is also suspicious, he would understand his mother and forgive her

i haven't seen this idea so idk what you guys think

2. what is it really that the clock-keepers changed? a lot of people speculate that they keep baby tsukasa in the house, but we are shown after n° 1 loops a clock with 1968 written on it, so is logical to assume that's the year they change something.

From that, if we take into account that's the year amane was fixing the clock, maybe he originally did change something when he traveled through time (even if tsukasa says that nothing came of it, implying he couldn't even fix the clock) and that's what n°1 changed, he made amane do something different in 1968 that made a change in the past, but then who told adult amane 4 y/o self about the change in time? his middle school self that traveled? the red house thing?

3. ALSO IN CHAPTER 101 there's this ghost? that talks to nene about an accident in the CF so WHAT ABOUT THAT? WHY NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THAT?

WHAT IF this accident is related to the time change somehow come on guyssss think with me

other thing that has been bothering me is that in the wikis (eng and esp) it says that the yugi twins birthday is in 1955, but in chapter 78 it says that in 1960 is their 4th birthday, so shouldn't they be born in 1956? i don't know if i'm just to dumb to fucking do math or what but wth

tbh my only problem with tsukasa being the cat (even if i like more that option bc of the potential it has for exploring tsukasa's character) is that if the clock-keepers made the deal with 4 y/o tsukasa that had to be in 1960, but it's implied they travelled to 1968 so SOMETHING IS MISSING IN THIS LINE OF THOUGHT!!!! and i'm not smart enough for this, why did they pause on 1968 come onnnnn

Interview

Part 1:

AidaIro: Mangaka. With Iro as the writer and Aida as the illustrator, the two create as a team. Their works include Furyō to Megane to Koi to Sensō, published in the September 2012 edition of Monthly G-Fantasy, and Dear My Living Dead, published in the November 2013 edition. Following a miniseries version in 2014, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun has been serialized in G-Fantasy since 2015. Starting in 2018, they created a spinoff called Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun hosted on Pixiv Comic in the online publication “P-Fantapy”. Along with receiving an anime and musical theater adaptation, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun begins its second season in January 2025.

The appeal of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun lies in its slightly retro setting, where the author blends eastern and western concepts with unpredictability, such as turning infamous Japanese urban legend Hanako-san of the Toilet into a boy, as well as another familiar topic to its Japanese audience: “the seven wonders of the school.” Even the items, hairstyles and clothing featured in the work create their own narrative. The supernaturals encountered leave a lasting impression with forms that are more than just terrifying, and Hanako-kun’s boyish qualities that contrast greatly with his dark side create a gap in personality that gets your heart thumping. We asked AidaIro to tell us more about the captivatingly comical and serious world of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, its characters, and the making behind it.

…

Interviewer: The theme of this special feature of Quarterly S magazine is “the supernatural.” In a prior interview, Iro-san talked about how they love Western and Japanese horror, folklore, nursery rhymes, and more, but could you tell us what draws you to them? On the flipside, Aida-san mentioned that they watched something based on “Hanako-san of the Toilet” when they were younger. We’d love it if you could tell us about creative works that have left an impact on you both over the years.

Iro (Writer): Fear is universal, something that all of us are familiar with, right? Even in our day-to-day lives we fear the dark, imagining there’s something lurking inside it. And if you were to combine this fear with a fable, like one about a “monster that lurks in the dark”, it helps to strengthen the power of the imagination. Adding a sense of realism to fiction, leaving the reader wondering if what’s written down could actually be true, is something I really enjoy. Also, I think there’s a part of me that sees horror as a kind of entertainment, like a rollercoaster.

Aida (Illustrator): I watched a TV program called Ponkickies that featured an anime called “Gakkou no Kowai Uwasa: Hanako-san ga Kita!! (Scary School Rumors: Here Comes Hanako-san!!)”. The Hanako-san in that show is an ally, so it left me with the deep impression that Hanako-san is “one of the good guys!”. “Sacchan no Uwasa (The Rumor of Sacchan)” and “Kaijin Tonkaraton (Phantom Tonkaraton)” were episodes that I found particularly scary.

Iro: I found the song “The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” from NHK’s “Kodomo Ningyou Gekijou” scary. It was only a shadow puppet, but there was this visual of a girl sinking into a puddle of water…

Interviewer: ”The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf” is meant to teach kids a moral lesson, but the story and the events that transpire are pretty severe, so I could see how viewing it at a young age would be pretty traumatic. “Sacchan no Uwasa” and “Kaijin Tonkaraton” are both urban legends. Were there any rumors like that at the schools you two attended?

Aida: When I was in school, there was a horror boom. On school trips, everyone desperately tried to get their hands on paranormal photographs. Of course, the professional photographers never had any spirit photography available…

Iro: The school I went to had no ghost stories whatsoever. I looked around, but sadly I found none…

Interviewer: During the boom, I saw a lot of spirit photography for sale on television programs. And now, I’d like to hear about the kinds of fictional settings and motifs you both enjoy.

Aida: I have an appreciation for the old over the new. For example, back in the 1910s when commercial illustrations began to appear, they had these posters, like of posing actors, that I personally find really cool. Much of the furniture and clothing made back then I still find cute today. I also like how the people of the 1960s imagined the near future—what’s called the “retro future”.

Iro: Whether it be reading or writing, I love settings with fantasy elements. Like what you might find in a children’s book…… Recently I read House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle Series #3). I enjoy the horror and mystery genres as well, but I think I prefer watching them over reading them.

Interviewer: The time periods that intrigue Aida-san are close in time to the fictional settings seen in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. Moving on, I want to ask you both more about manga. What was it that got you to create manga together in the first place?

Iro: I started off writing short stories alone. When I was a student I wrote a script for a play, and after gaining the experience of working with multiple people, I wanted to try creating more works as a team. I liked manga, and after meeting Aida-san in college, I fell in love with their art at first sight. I asked them if they would be the manga artist for my stories. 

Aida: I read Iro’s work, thought it would be fun to work with them, and readily agreed. But once I agreed I wondered, “How exactly does one draw as a team!?” and began to worry (Laugh). In the end, the manga BAKUMAN。had a great influence on the way Iro-san and I work together. It's a great example of creating manga as a writer-illustrator duo, and it was what helped me first understand what that really looked like.... It told me what I should do and gave me the push I needed when I was just starting out. Besides that, I thought, "I can't be the only one reading Iro-san’s fictional worlds. I want more people to experience their writing!" and that was a great motivator as well.

Interviewer: What a wonderful story. Have there been any changes between the way you two produce the manga today in comparison to when you first started?

Iro: We used to meet up before, but nowadays we mostly work via voice call. Aida-san and I live close enough that we can reach the other's house before a bowl of soup cools, so we go out together often when there are events in the neighborhood and such. When we meet up, our conversations will naturally drift to work-related topics; perhaps that's a sign that we keep close contact.

Interviewer: Thank you so much. Moving on, I’d like to look back and discuss your debut work, Dear My Living Dead (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 0). Lilia’s unchangeable fate and the path that Cult chose were really heartbreaking.

Iro: I like anything related to zombies.

Aida: I designed Lilia to look soft and full of happiness, while Cult was given a simple design that conveys an intense weariness. When drawing the important scenes, I would adjust the lines and angles until the faces looked just right, to the point where a single panel could take me 5 hours to draw. This isn’t limited to just Cult and Lilia, but I was conscientious of how lower eyelids would move when I was drawing.

Interviewer: 5 hours... that's incredible! I find it fascinating that you even paid attention to the way the lower eyelids moved. Furyō to Megane to Koi to Sensō (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 5) is a comedic work that was published before Dear My Living Dead. It contains Akane-kun and Yamabuki-kun, who appear in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun.

Iro: Akane and Yamabuki were created before JSHK. They were positively received back then, so we decided to have their characters reappear in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun rather than leave them lying around.

Interviewer: Is that so! This was followed by a three-chapter miniseries (included in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, Vol. 0) which then kickstarted the serialization of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. Themed around a well-known concept, “the seven wonders of the school”, and mixed with unexpected elements like having a male “Hanako-san of the Toilet”, the manga sucks you in with its retro fictional setting. Tell us how you develop ideas for stories that combine dark themes with humor.

Iro: It was originally a short story I wrote for an assignment that I then turned into a manga. The main characters were Yugi Amane, Hanako-kun in his previous life, and the character who would later become School Mystery Number 4, Shijima Mei. It didn't have any love comedy or ghost story elements, it was just about Amane and Mei's lives as high school students and their interactions. When we added the "seven wonders of the school" element, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun was born. The retro and ghost story elements were added after; the foundation of the story, its darker parts, were there first.

Aida: When brainstorming ideas, there are times when we’ve done it over meals, but we don’t typically decide on things that way? Usually it starts with either a suggestion from Iro-san or a new character I designed. For example, the school mysteries Number 6 and Tsuchigomori had their character designs completed first. In the seasonal events we host on social media, it starts with an illustration I draw, then I create a world and clothing to go with it, and finally have Iro make a story out of it.

Interviewer: So you have a flexible creation process. I see. “Picture Perfect”, the arc where Yugi Amane and Shijima Mei appear, didn’t start with a rumor but with the characters being unknowingly captured by a supernatural and taken to a world that confuses the ordinary with the extraordinary. It was a very memorable arc.

Iro: I started writing the Picture Perfect arc with a desire to create a story that you could read as a standalone, like something that could be adapted into a movie. In movie adaptations, the story takes place on a large scale and ends with a dramatic finish, so I kept that in mind while I was writing. Within the pilot version Shijima-san was in love with Number 7 (Hanako-kun), but when she came to the long series adaptation of Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun that element disappeared. Since I was writing about school ghost stories, and haunted art rooms are a common theme in those, I wanted to include one here.

Interviewer: It was extremely dramatic, it had me invested. The “Number 6” arc, where Number 6’s (Hakubo’s) story is told, also took place on a large scale. The visual of him wearing a bone mask left an impression on me.

Aida: We decided a character wearing bones would appear early on in the series… Later on we settled on Number 6 being a shinigami (god of death) and the decision that he would be an oni came after. He has an invigorating face, like one that would belong to a member of a baseball club, but his actual personality is nowhere near sportsmanlike. Being able to dig deep into Aoi’s character during the No. 6 arc was really fun.

Iro: Since the Picture Perfect arc was a refreshing change of pace, I started conceptualizing the No. 6 arc by going in the opposite direction. I wanted to create a grimy, unpleasant story, containing self-serving old customs and disagreements between the characters. It was fun to have the characters get shaken up by new plot developments; I labored really hard while writing it.

Interviewer: Being able to see sides of Aoi she wouldn’t show to Akane and seeing her get worse was painful. I feel that seeing the characters grow and change is another one of the highlights of reading Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun. I also felt that Mitsuba and Kou had a nice relationship in the “Night Out” arc.

Iro: I enjoy writing about Mitsuba and Kou’s relationship. Writing the script for the Aquarium arc wasn’t easy…

Aida: We were mulling it over during karaoke when suddenly we saw clown fish and coral reefs pass by on the monitor. “Should we do an aquarium?” “Aquarium sounds good.” And the rest was history.

Interviewer: So that's how that came to be! Next, I want to talk about the spinoff, Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun (After-school Hanako-kun). The humorous chapters and crazy plot twists make it so fun! Tell us more about the chapters you were able to make because they were made for Hōkago Shōnen Hanako-kun and the scenes that you personally enjoyed.

Iro: I plan it so that all of the characters get equal amounts of screen time. That said, occasionally there is some bias. We were able to create the chapter where Nene turns into a Mokke precisely because it was a chapter made for “Hōkago.” That chapter (Day 9: Truth of the Mokke) is my personal favorite.

Interviewer: Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, a brand rife with animated shows, events and the like, is nearing its 10th anniversary! Congratulations! I’m looking forward to all of the anniversary events.

Aida: Thank you! A lot of merchandise has been made in celebration. Get excited!

Interviewer: Additionally, Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun Season 2 begins airing in January 2025! Tell us what you’re looking forward to seeing in the new anime.

Iro: There is so much I’m looking forward to it’s hard to choose… I’m excited to see the opening and ending.

Interviewer: The opening and ending are like a condensed version of the work, so it makes sense they would grab your attention. To cap things off, not limited to just Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, tell us what’s been on your mind, what you’re into lately, or something you want to try in the future.

Iro: I love escape rooms, so I have a dream of one day collaborating with SCRAP and making one. I also love haunted houses, so I want to collaborate with one of those someday, too. I want a Mokke alarm clock. Also, I want to make a Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun horror game. I love video games, and I’ve always felt an urge to create them. This feeling will never die.

Aida: I like railroads, so I would like to ride the Jungfrau in Switzerland one day. There are many railways I haven’t ridden yet that I’d like to ride within Japan, too.

Interviewer: Thank you for answering all of our questions!

Part 2:

Comments about the cast from AidaIro themselves! Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun’s Human and Supernatural Cast 

Hanako-kun | Leader of the Seven Mysteries・No. 7 “Hanako-san of the Toilet” A ghost story in the old building of Kamome Academy, “Hanako-san of the Toilet.” Dons a gakuran and school cap. Although cheerful and innocent, he’s experienced gloomy events in his past. His favorite food is homemade donuts.

Iro: Hanako-kun thinks Nene is cute, so he keeps close to her. He can be excused for this because he’s younger than Nene. Aida: The decision to make the toilets western-style came naturally. And because Hanako-kun lives in them, we didn’t want to make them too uncomfortable to live in. I thought stained glass would help make the bathroom look more attractive.

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Yugi Amane Hanako-kun’s name during his “lifetime.” Loves stars. His personality is more mild than Hanako-kun’s. During the time period he’s shown interacting with Tsuchigomori-sensei, he’s drawn with ever-present wounds. Within the story, his physical appearance varies; he’s seen in his early childhood, his adolescence, and even as a working adult.

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Yashiro Nene A first year student in the high school division. In order to get her beloved Teru-senpai to reciprocate her feelings, she summons the rumored wish-granter, “Hanako-san of the Toilet.” Contrary to expectations, she winds up with the mermaid’s curse, and turns into a fish when she gets wet. Cares deeply about the subject of daikon legs. Ends up learning she’s going to die soon…

Aida: In manga, a character can’t always be in full view, so you have to ensure that a character’s unique characteristics shine through when nothing below the face or bust are shown. That’s what Nene’s skull broach and magatama hair clips are for. As for her daikon legs, I recall the editor-in-chief asking for the heroine to have a defining feature of some kind. Her face is pretty.

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Mitsuba Sousuke (Mitsuba) | Seven Mysteries・No. 3 “The Hell of Mirrors” A cute face with a problematic personality. Loves to take photographs. As a ghost, he met Kou and was able to let go of his lingering regrets, but due to Tsukasa and his posse he gets transformed into a terrifying form. Mitsuba, whose appearance has changed multiple times, continues to live as a supernatural. Although he is no longer the old Mitsuba Sousuke, Kou continues to be friends with him, and encourages him whenever Mitsuba feels disheartened.

Iro: He first appears in Vol. 4, and was created out of a desire to make a character of a different archetype than the rest. Aida: In contrast to Hanako-kun and Nene whose colors look chic when combined, we wanted him and Kou to really pop together. Iro: Mitsuba made his exit at one point, but because there was potential to show more between him and Kou, and because we thought he could help us dive deeper into Kou’s character, we decided to bring him back.

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Minamoto Kou A third year student in the middle school division. A hot-blooded teen who feels his emotions intensely. His omamori piercing is his trademark. Through his interactions with Hanako-kun and Mitsuba, he begins to empathize with supernaturals, unlike his brother. His special skill is cooking.

Aida: His staff and omamori piercing were designed to easily communicate the genres of the work, Japanese and Horror. Moreover, his hairstyle and face scream "lively!", though he might make more soft expressions now than he did at the beginning of the manga.

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Minamoto Teru A second year in the high school division. The student council president who doubles as a powerful exorcist. While on the outside he appears to be a dazzling, fine-looking man, when it comes to supernaturals he is unforgivingly harsh. Fond of his little sister Tiara and terrible at cooking.

Aida: Teru keeps his elbows in and legs straight, giving him great posture. I always take care to draw him making refined gestures. When he’s thinking, he has a habit of touching his chin. Incidentally, Kou touches his ear or cheek. Iro: In his first proper appearance in Chapter 9 (published in Vol. 2 of the comics), he tries to exorcise Hanako-kun. In the magazine’s questionnaire, he scored super low (Laugh). It was then that I understood that being pretty wasn’t enough to absolve you from all crimes.

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Aoi Akane | Seven Mysteries・No. 1 “The Three Clock Keepers” Nene’s classmate. A prodigy who serves as the student council vice president. Aoi’s childhood friend. Confesses his feelings to her and is continuously rejected. Even his reason for becoming a Clock Keeper links back to Aoi. Has the ability to stop time.

Aida: When he turns into his Clock Keeper form, I try to draw him a little more mature. When he’s with Aoi, his eyes sparkle with delight, but with everyone else he loses his enthusiasm and his eyes seem to gloss over.

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Akane Aoi Nene’s best friend and the popularity queen of Kamome Academy. Knows a lot about the rumors circulating through the academy. Rejects Aoi’s advances because her name would change to Aoi Aoi if they ever got married. In the “No. 6 arc”, after she confessed the feelings she’d bottled up inside, she began to see supernaturals, and now her behavior is overall more laidback.

Aida: When drawing beautiful girls (Aoi) and beautiful men (Teru), I line in a lot of extra detail, creating silky smooth hair and sparkling eyes. In comparison to Nene-chan, her eyes have smaller highlights and are overall darker. I feel these traits are both very Aoi-chan, and very cute. ♥

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Yako | Seven Mysteries・No. 2 “The Misaki Stairs” An Inari statue with feelings for the human Misaki. In charge of the “Misaki Stairs.” Now that her yorishiro’s been destroyed, she pretends to be a cat and is taken care of as one in Kamome Academy. She and Tsuchigomori get along like dogs and cats.

Aida: The bib in her kitsune form turns into an apron in her human form, maintaining a sense of unity between the two. The basis of her design are the colors red and white, and I take care not to ruin the balance between those colors in both of her forms.

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Tsuchigomori | Seven Mysteries・No. 5 “The 4PM Bookstacks” A supernatural that’s dwelled in Kamome Academy for many years now. He was Amane’s homeroom teacher when Amane lived, and now works as Kou’s homeroom teacher. His defining features are the spider web-like pattern on his forehead and his long fingers. Wears a white lab coat and can be found in the science prep room.

Aida: There was no trouble when designing Tsuchigomori. I think I designed his supernatural form first. He’s a kind supernatural with an indifferent face.

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Hyuuga Natsuhiko A second year in the high school division. Lures Nene and friends in with his casual tone of voice. Sakura treats him like the air. A human that won’t die however many times he’s killed whose blood is deathly toxic to supernaturals. Works to destroy the yorishiro of each of the seven mysteries.

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Nanamine Sakura A third year in the high school division. An aid to Tsukasa, she spreads rumors about supernaturals in the broadcasting room. A beautiful young lady whose eyes are usually downcast. Like Nene, she formed a bond with a supernatural (Tsukasa) as payment for a wish.

Aida: When I draw the three members of the broadcasting club in a panel together, I make it so they’re all looking in different directions. With Sakura-san as their leader, there is a cool atmosphere. This contrasts with the main character group (Hanako-kun, Nene-chan, Kou-kun), who tend to gather in a circle and exchange looks. By the way, Natsuhiko has a habit of putting on airs and posing like he’s going to be photographed, while Tsukasa floats freely through the air.

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Yugi Tsukasa The younger twin brother that Hanako-kun (Amane) says he killed, Tsukasa. They resemble each other, but he has a higher level of brutality and a deep darkness inside of him. The cursed red house is haunted by “something” taking the form of a young Tsukasa. It seems he was trapped inside in exchange for saving Amane, who was terribly sick. The seal on his cheek is pasted on the opposite side to that of Hanako-kun’s.

Aida: Even in the pilot, many compositions were created with the idea that Tsukasa was a thing. Iro: It’s not that I particularly like twins, I just think it’s cute when two characters share the same face. Or I’ll think I want there to be more of a face I like, and split them into separate people to give that face a variety of different facial expressions. And then the number of twins increases, for whatever reason. Aida: Isn’t that the same as liking twins? (Laugh)

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Shijima Mei | Seven Mysteries・No. 4 “Shijima-san of the Art Room” A supernatural born from lament towards the fictional rumors that started after the death of Shijima Mei. Able to create ideal worlds within her boundary. Memorable for her ability to bring drawings to life.

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Hakubo | Seven Mysteries・No. 6 “Shinigami-sama” A supernatural with the power to control life and death. The visual of him wearing a skull head covering in addition to his animal-like hands leave a strong impression.

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Mokke

Iro: I always have fun when writing about the Mokke. In truth I would like them to appear more in the main story, but alas… Even when the main story gets serious, the Mokke are there living their Mokke lives.

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“The Boundary”: What Connects This World and The Next The boundary, the place where the Seven Mysteries can exercise their power to its max potential. The visuals within the boundaries are extravagant and large scale. No. 2’s is like a road approaching a shrine, No. 6’s has arched bridges, and the Clock Keepers’ boundary is composed of clock parts big and small. Each boundary is original and impactful in its own way.

Aida: The boundaries of the Seven Mysteries are composed of two things: something related to the Mystery’s name, and something that has nothing to do with the name at all. For example, Number 2’s boundary is composed of stairs and dolls, Number 5’s is bookshelves and butterflies, etc. Number 6’s boundary is composed of large lotus flowers and buildings resembling the stacked rocks of Sai no Kawara (Children’s Limbo.) This is based on what someone from his past told Number 6 the afterlife—“Paradise”—was like. The lotus spirits (one-eyed creatures who speak in various combinations of ma, mi, mu, me, and mo) are the part that have nothing to do with the name. The boundary I’d want to go to is Yako’s. Iro: The boundary I want to visit most is also Number 2’s. It’s photogenic, like something you’d see on Instagram.

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Aida's Key Points for Illustrating

Line Art Style Crisp lines drawn with varying degrees of pressure give the art a charming, three-dimensional style. Compared to the style used early on in the series, the lines are now sharper and have a stronger presence on the page. The effects produced by distorting lines are interesting, too. Aida: When drawing impactful scenes, I will alter the panels that come before and after and adjust the balance of the inking. I also apply light sources to produce effects rather than to show the actual light source.

Balance Between Black & White Hanako-kun's black hair and gakuran aren't just inked in pure black--strokes are added to express their sheen and create a three dimensional feeling. The balance between black and white can also be used to convey tension in a scene. Aida: Once I'm finished inking, I distribute the lighting and shading so as create contrast with the other drawings.

Triangle Motif The triangle motif appears when worlds crumble after a yorishiro is destroyed, in backgrounds and props, and even in the texture of Mitsuba's scarf. Triangles also appear in the designs of the volume covers; see for yourself! Aida: The triangles were included because I wanted to add an effect that was unique to the work. I was partially inspired by the uroko- (scales) patterned kimono worn in kabuki theater. Other than that, perhaps I incorporated them because I enjoy glass and glass-like things.

The Beautifully Decorated Recap Pages The decorations surrounding the panels are also worth looking at. Particularly in the "recaps", where characters will introduce themselves and get readers caught up on the story. The witty lines accompanying the characters’ self-intros are part of the fun. Aida: Since Hanako-kun is currently serialized in a magazine, I drew them thinking that readers who have not yet read Hanako-kun may be intrigued by seeing something cute and retro while randomly flipping through the pages. If they find the panels unique and wonder why that is, then we might succeed in grabbing their attention.

Styling the Eyes The eyes in Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun are unique, being shaped and detailed in such a way that you can tell the characters apart through their eyes alone. Here are some of the various eyes seen in Hanako-kun, showcasing emotional highs and lows to the seemingly inhuman. Aida: Nene looks at others head-on, so her eyes clearly reflect what she’s seeing. I try to make Hanako-kun and Tsukasa distinguishable through their character design. I often give eyes no highlights when I think it’ll produce a good effect.

Index Pages The table of contents pages in the manga volumes are also beautiful. The index in the Picture Perfect arc is linked to the story by depicting an unsettling broken canvas. Volume 21 contains the school festival, and depicts a flyer posted on a bulletin board. The same design appears in the story itself. Aida: The index page designs are often chosen based on how exciting they are. I create many drafts depicting impactful scenes, then select one from the group.

Covers Aida: The cover illustrations are decided by the characters. I will draft many different compositions for each cover, and there is always a lot to consider. Even the main color of the volume, which I might pick out early on, can change if it doesn’t fit the feel when I start coloring in the characters. It is a dynamic creation process.

Drawing Tools [For colored pages, colored illustrations, and black-and-white pages] Tablet: LCD Tablet (Wacom Cintiq) Art Program: Easy Paint Tool SAI 2 (Most-used brush: 鉛筆・平筆 (Pencil/Flat Brush)) Aida: I struggle with pen pressure, but I find the pressure sensitivity in SAI to be the easiest to draw with. I use Clip Studio Paint to add screentones to black-and-white pages. Also, I sometimes use Muji’s 週刊誌４コマノート (Weekly 4koma Notebook) when drafting the manuscript. At first I only ever drafted things on PC, but occasionally I feel like 'drawing while eating tasty food!', so I also do it non-digitally.

Q: What is indispensable when creating manga? Iro: Definitely Japanese Tea. I fill a 700ml teapot and have it placed beside me as I work, and I can empty it up to 3 or 4 times a day. There’s also this handmade coaster I received from a reader a long time ago that I still use to this day. When I conceptualize the story, I put on background noise that would have played during those story events. Back when I was brainstorming the scene in volume 5 where Nene meets Yugi Amane in the past, I played the 5 PM / Evening Chime on repeat for 10 hours. Aida: I take a walk for about 2 hours every day. I’ll go to the gym, or the library, or play with my hamster… in addition to copious amounts of drawing. Occasionally I’ll go on walks with Iro-san.

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Houkago Shōnen Hanako-kun: Houkago Shōnen Hanako-kun is more humorous than Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun, featuring many slice-of-life episodes where readers can learn new, unexpected sides of the characters. Editor: When the editorial team was planning to collaborate with pixiv to create an online magazine (P-Fantapy), I pitched the idea of a Jibaku Shōnen Hanako-kun spinoff and brought it to AidaIro-san. I remember telling them it would be nice to have a spinoff where readers could take a breather from the seriousness of the main plot and enjoy humorous short stories.

am i the only one that thinks about how similar teru and hanako are? i mean in the sibling™ area. it would be interesting for terus character to actually put him in a spot where he could sympathise with hanako, but also obviously draw out more their differences

i think...

so if the cat (that has the twins eyes!!!!) is amane or something this can still stand (delusional)

GUYS, what if in the next chapter (123) there's other of those time fluctuations and yashiro is able to interact with the amane that's fixing the clock without time traveling and that gives her the info she needs so she doesn't jump with so little clues of what changed in the past