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THIS WAS VERY TENSE AND EXCITING
Monshiro has been staying in his room for days, not talking to anyone.
Usagi says the kaleidoscope is nearly finished. Everyone seems happy...except Karasuba, who deflects Beniyuri's concern and goes to his room.
The next day, a worried Kagiha tells her that Karasuba's gone missing. The possibility that he may also have become a monster hangs in the air. They split up to search for him.
Beniyuri decides to find her own way to Yamato and ask if he's seen anything. He hasn't, but does admit he remembers their childhood, and has for some time. He goes off to look for "little crybaby Aki" alone.
Beniyuri keeps searching. Night falls and she ignores the sound of the rain, her worries threatening to engulf her if she lets herself stop. She bumps into Hikage, and just as he's persuading her to let herself rest they hear the sound of a gunshot.
They find Karasuba bleeding heavily from a slash wound on his arm.
Karasuba: I was just doing some thinking, minding my own business, and one of them caught me by surprise. Turns out I'm still the weakling. Some things don't change, I guess.
Hikage: Do you need to lean on me? We need to get you back to the base for treatment.
But he refuses the help, and stumbles back unaided, seeming distant.
Just as they arrive...
??? (Monshiro?): None...None...
??? (Kagiha?): But... if... it... will...
And then they see Monshiro pointing a gun at Kagiha!! Beniyuri throws herself in front of Kagiha, and demands to know what Monshiro is doing.
Monshiro: Natsuki...is a monster now.
OOoOOOOooooh
WHAT IS MONSHIRO'S PLACE IN ALL THIS???
Beniyuri: You're the bad one, pointing your gun at a nakama!
(they translate it as "ally" this time but I feel like it being the same word they've been using all this time is important)
And then she hears Karasuba laughing.
Karasuba: Hahaha. Bad, huh? You might as well be talking about everyone here. I guess I'm the worst of all, though. I tried to change, but I'm still here, I'm still the same as ever.
Me: Oh god, did they all do something to Monshiro in the forest?
Karasuba shoots towards Monshiro. Beniyuri is horrified, but Monshiro isn't injured. Instead...his mask shatters.
Revealing HIKAGE'S FACE????!!!!!!
WAIT DAMMIT DID I SHIP INCEST TWICE????? GODDAMMIT GAME
Um. Not that that is the most important thing.
Wait now I CAN ship Yamato/Hikage... ANYWAY.
Mannnn I was having some "Wait is Hikage really the Master" suspicions I was in denial about because of the coma thing but it's ok! HE'S NOT THE COMA GUY AFTER ALL.
Like, the red eye in the title image (see below), and him having iridescent black-butterfly-ish patterning on his clothes, and him saying serious-minded, determined stuff which felt like it was based on a lot of life experience with dangerous situations and generally leaned more towards "cold calculating villain" than "serious but otherwise average kid who was in a coma for ten years".
There were some other clues looking back that I didn't write down because they were like "Hikage says some odd stuff that I can't quite get my head around or summarise neatly but it feels weirdly significant".
Plus of course him being SUCH a dick to Monshiro.
And I even thought "Ha, Monshiro has way more of a stereotypical Sick Person personality than Hikage, interesting choice". HA.
I had this horrible moment thinking they were doing some split personality thing but no. Phew!
OK SO.
Karasuba: Knew it. Monshiro, you're Kazuya. Hikage, you're the imposter.
Beniyuri: Hikage??
Hikage: ...
Beniyuri: Kagiha, did you know something about this?
Kagiha: ...
Oooooh
Beniyuri: Did you ALL know? Why didn't you tell me? How could you be so cruel?!
Hikage starts laughing and black butterflies appear out of thin air to surround him.
Well SOMEBODY'S gone full supervillain. And lo, his eye has gone red!
Hikage: And what a surprise from you, Karasuba, what happened to all your cowardice?
Karasuba: Oh, it's still there. But I know how to keep it bottled up now. I can't forgive myself for being so weak.
Hikage: How irritating. I think it's time for you to die.
*shoots at him*
But he was shooting at a nearby butterfly. It's energy flies into Hikage's accessory.
Uh.
I, uh, don't think he's a boring LI any more >.>
Of course I'm not sure he IS a LI any more. I'm still very curious to know how his earlier shippy scenes play out, it'll be fun seeing all the clues.
The accessories absorb the negative life energy and souls that make up the black butterflies and act as a protective charm. "Look at how dark mine is, isn't it beautiful?
Because he is, of course, the Master.
Beniyuri: Then the Hikage I knew is...
Hikage: I'm the human you call Hikage. *Beniyuri voice* But I can become you, and all your weakness and cowardice.
He takes on everyone's shape and body in turn (though they were too lazy to make a Beniyuri sprite) "This world can make anything you think manifest"
Beniyuri: Then all the times you comforted me, and worried about me...it was a lie?
Hikage: The despair on your face! The long wait was worth it >:D
Beniyuri: This was all just for the kaleidoscope?! How could you?!
Hikage: Beniyuri...shut your mouth *points his gun at her*
Kagiha: HIKAGE!
Hikage: Oh, I promised not to hurt you. Well, I don't care, as long as I get the last shard. And on that note...
AND THEN HE SHOOTS?!
But the pain she's waiting for doesn't come. Kagiha took the bullet.
Oh hey, I recognise that "blood spurting from a bullet wound" sound effect from Hakuoki D:
Kagiha: Are you...ok...Beniyuri...
Hikage: Oh, are you going to die? How unfortunate, you had promise.
Beniyuri: STAY AWAY FROM HIM
Hikage: You pretend to care for your nakama, but let's not forget that he's hurt because of you. To protect you...since the beginning, this pitiful man...
Kagiha, sounding desperate: Don't...tell her...!!
Beniyuri: Why are you all looking at me like that?! TELL ME!!
Monshiro: I'm sorry...
Hikage: Just die already *points gun at her again*
Yamato: KEEP YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF HER YOU BASTARD!!
MONSTER BOYFRIEND TO THE RESCUE :D :D He uses his razor sharp claws to cause Hikage serious injury :D
Hikage grabs the barely conscious Kagiha as a hostage and points the gun to his head, dragging him away.
And now I have to unlock a single scene to continue. It's called...Summer Camp!
...and is them as kids talking about what they WILL do at camp. GAME *shakes fist*
Takuya=Yamato
Kazuya=Monshiro
Aki=Karasuba
Ai=Beniyuri
Natsuki=Kagiha
Takuya is a dick about noone else liking soccer. "You like the same thing as a GIRL?!" Kazuya speaks in a quiet monotone, and tends to be very literal and logical, he could easily be read as autistic. I don't have a good feel for Karasuba, he seems a little quiet and sensitive? Takuya calls him princess because he is, as stated, a dick. Luckily he mostly outgrows the worst of his toxic masculinity.
OK IT'S THE CAMP NOW THE SCENE DIDN'T JUST END THERE
Chaperone: There's a lake nearby but the area near the water is dangerous, so please don't go near it.
CHECKHOV'S WATER FEATURE
Nobody agrees with Takuya to name their exploration group after his favourite TV show (they use Kazuya's suggestion, Thrillseekers) so he stomps off into the forest.
And then I got tense and had a nap lol. I dreamed I took the day off uni and got lost and ended up doing a colouring in competition in a church run by a creepy old priest who looked like Vincent Price, but kept thinking I needed to leave and get home to my mum.
Which is a kind of funny way for my subconscious to reframe the plot, and if the Master has a true form that looks like Vincent Price it's going to be freaky. He probably won't have a priest's collar though lol.
(Also they had two sided designs intended to have marker colour from both sides bleed through to form a sort of ghostly effect, which is actually a kind of cool idea. ANYWAY)
Kazuya runs after Takuya and trips and hurts his knee, which brings Takuya back. Ai has practice from dealing with her little sister, so quickly cleans it but needs something to tie on the handkerchief she's using as a bandage. She uses the ribbon from her mother.
Kazuya: But this is important to you.
Ai: It's more important that your wound is taken care of!
Kazuya: Then I promise I'll bring it back to you.
They explore some more, but the forest gets boring after a while. And then, just as they're about to turn back...
A WHITE BUTTERFLY
(also, again before I get pipped: am wondering if Kagiha has also been kinda dead this whole time. And also how Yamato, Beniyuri and Karasuba all got (kinda-) killed simultaneously...)
Takuya: Let's catch it!
But it always flies just out of reach. They run until they're nearly out of breath, and find themselves at....
OOOH
Ai: Let's check it out!
The twins: Yeah!
Aki: Yeah! ...if it's safe...
Natsuki: They said it's dangerous!
Ai: But I reaaaally want to
Natsuki: ...ok
YEP this is definitely the Master's manor inside, except all ruined. Just how much of what Usagi told them is a lie? Is she even a real person, or was she just afraid? Are they actually all half dead? Are they just living teens trapped with an old-but-not-immortal man in a real-if-magic house? Is he some...butterfly magician? There's definitely a butterfly theme to the house...
Or did Usagi tell the truth, and this is a projection into reality?
More butterflies flit around the ceiling. Natsuki finds an iridescent glass shard and gives it to Ai. Aki looks sad, so Kazuya gets him one too, and points out that there's five, enough for everyone.
Takuya: Why would I want some chunk of glass I could get anywhere?
Ai: It will make a nice memory we can share!
Takuya: That's stupid.
Kazuya: Stop talking like that!
Ai smiles at Kazuya for defending her. The dark cloud of angry jealousy that has been building in Takuya since Ai gave Kazuya her ribbon grows.
He notices that the ribbon has gotten loose and offers to retie it. But afterwards, he can't look Kazuya in the eye.
The sky is getting dark. It starts to rain.
They head back.
Did Takuya set things up so Kazuya will come back in the dark looking for the ribbon? D:
END OF CHAPTER 5
The camp flashback section is actually a branch off of Chapter 5, and then splits further into two locked branches I can't access yet.
Anyway. ON TO CHAPTER 6.
Actually, first lets take another look at the image on the menu screen:
You can see why I saw Hikage/Beniyuri as the default couple, since they're large and the focus. But everyone but Hikage is in pale, desaturated, almost white versions of their canon colours, while he is almost entirely black except for the red underside his cape, flowing up like a butterfly wing. His expression is kinda scary, and one eye is red. Also there's black and white and flowers and butterflies and splashes of rainbow everywhere, as is The Aesthetic. Beniyuri is the only one holding guns, which I approve of. Also, poor Monshiro is over there on the far left hidden behind the P in Psychedelica, and gets cut off when the menu is visible.
Rewatching the opening credits, now that I am looking for it there's a bunch of images of Hikage's Freaky Red Eye. Also was that two Beniyuris?? Is that a metaphor or...
THIS WAS VERY TENSE AND EXCITING
Monshiro has been staying in his room for days, not talking to anyone.
Usagi says the kaleidoscope is nearly finished. Everyone seems happy...except Karasuba, who deflects Beniyuri's concern and goes to his room.
The next day, a worried Kagiha tells her that Karasuba's gone missing. The possibility that he may also have become a monster hangs in the air. They split up to search for him.
Beniyuri decides to find her own way to Yamato and ask if he's seen anything. He hasn't, but does admit he remembers their childhood, and has for some time. He goes off to look for "little crybaby Aki" alone.
Beniyuri keeps searching. Night falls and she ignores the sound of the rain, her worries threatening to engulf her if she lets herself stop. She bumps into Hikage, and just as he's persuading her to let herself rest they hear the sound of a gunshot.
They find Karasuba bleeding heavily from a slash wound on his arm.
Karasuba: I was just doing some thinking, minding my own business, and one of them caught me by surprise. Turns out I'm still the weakling. Some things don't change, I guess.
Hikage: Do you need to lean on me? We need to get you back to the base for treatment.
But he refuses the help, and stumbles back unaided, seeming distant.
Just as they arrive...
??? (Monshiro?): None...None...
??? (Kagiha?): But... if... it... will...
And then they see Monshiro pointing a gun at Kagiha!! Beniyuri throws herself in front of Kagiha, and demands to know what Monshiro is doing.
Monshiro: Natsuki...is a monster now.
OOoOOOOooooh
WHAT IS MONSHIRO'S PLACE IN ALL THIS???
Beniyuri: You're the bad one, pointing your gun at a nakama!
(they translate it as "ally" this time but I feel like it being the same word they've been using all this time is important)
And then she hears Karasuba laughing.
Karasuba: Hahaha. Bad, huh? You might as well be talking about everyone here. I guess I'm the worst of all, though. I tried to change, but I'm still here, I'm still the same as ever.
Me: Oh god, did they all do something to Monshiro in the forest?
Karasuba shoots towards Monshiro. Beniyuri is horrified, but Monshiro isn't injured. Instead...his mask shatters.
Revealing HIKAGE'S FACE????!!!!!!
WAIT DAMMIT DID I SHIP INCEST TWICE????? GODDAMMIT GAME
Um. Not that that is the most important thing.
Wait now I CAN ship Yamato/Hikage... ANYWAY.
Mannnn I was having some "Wait is Hikage really the Master" suspicions I was in denial about because of the coma thing but it's ok! HE'S NOT THE COMA GUY AFTER ALL.
Like, the red eye in the title image (see below), and him having iridescent black-butterfly-ish patterning on his clothes, and him saying serious-minded, determined stuff which felt like it was based on a lot of life experience with dangerous situations and generally leaned more towards "cold calculating villain" than "serious but otherwise average kid who was in a coma for ten years".
There were some other clues looking back that I didn't write down because they were like "Hikage says some odd stuff that I can't quite get my head around or summarise neatly but it feels weirdly significant".
Plus of course him being SUCH a dick to Monshiro.
And I even thought "Ha, Monshiro has way more of a stereotypical Sick Person personality than Hikage, interesting choice". HA.
I had this horrible moment thinking they were doing some split personality thing but no. Phew!
OK SO.
Karasuba: Knew it. Monshiro, you're Kazuya. Hikage, you're the imposter.
Beniyuri: Hikage??
Hikage: ...
Beniyuri: Kagiha, did you know something about this?
Kagiha: ...
Oooooh
Beniyuri: Did you ALL know? Why didn't you tell me? How could you be so cruel?!
Hikage starts laughing and black butterflies appear out of thin air to surround him.
Well SOMEBODY'S gone full supervillain. And lo, his eye has gone red!
Hikage: And what a surprise from you, Karasuba, what happened to all your cowardice?
Karasuba: Oh, it's still there. But I know how to keep it bottled up now. I can't forgive myself for being so weak.
Hikage: How irritating. I think it's time for you to die.
*shoots at him*
But he was shooting at a nearby butterfly. It's energy flies into Hikage's accessory.
Uh.
I, uh, don't think he's a boring LI any more >.>
Of course I'm not sure he IS a LI any more. I'm still very curious to know how his earlier shippy scenes play out, it'll be fun seeing all the clues.
The accessories absorb the negative life energy and souls that make up the black butterflies and act as a protective charm. "Look at how dark mine is, isn't it beautiful?
Because he is, of course, the Master.
Beniyuri: Then the Hikage I knew is...
Hikage: I'm the human you call Hikage. *Beniyuri voice* But I can become you, and all your weakness and cowardice.
He takes on everyone's shape and body in turn (though they were too lazy to make a Beniyuri sprite) "This world can make anything you think manifest"
Beniyuri: Then all the times you comforted me, and worried about me...it was a lie?
Hikage: The despair on your face! The long wait was worth it >:D
Beniyuri: This was all just for the kaleidoscope?! How could you?!
Hikage: Beniyuri...shut your mouth *points his gun at her*
Kagiha: HIKAGE!
Hikage: Oh, I promised not to hurt you. Well, I don't care, as long as I get the last shard. And on that note...
AND THEN HE SHOOTS?!
But the pain she's waiting for doesn't come. Kagiha took the bullet.
Oh hey, I recognise that "blood spurting from a bullet wound" sound effect from Hakuoki D:
Kagiha: Are you...ok...Beniyuri...
Hikage: Oh, are you going to die? How unfortunate, you had promise.
Beniyuri: STAY AWAY FROM HIM
Hikage: You pretend to care for your nakama, but let's not forget that he's hurt because of you. To protect you...since the beginning, this pitiful man...
Kagiha, sounding desperate: Don't...tell her...!!
Beniyuri: Why are you all looking at me like that?! TELL ME!!
Monshiro: I'm sorry...
Hikage: Just die already *points gun at her again*
Yamato: KEEP YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF HER YOU BASTARD!!
MONSTER BOYFRIEND TO THE RESCUE :D :D He uses his razor sharp claws to cause Hikage serious injury :D
Hikage grabs the barely conscious Kagiha as a hostage and points the gun to his head, dragging him away.
And now I have to unlock a single scene to continue. It's called...Summer Camp!
...and is them as kids talking about what they WILL do at camp. GAME *shakes fist*
Takuya=Yamato
Kazuya=Monshiro
Aki=Karasuba
Ai=Beniyuri
Natsuki=Kagiha
Takuya is a dick about noone else liking soccer. "You like the same thing as a GIRL?!" Kazuya speaks in a quiet monotone, and tends to be very literal and logical, he could easily be read as autistic. I don't have a good feel for Karasuba, he seems a little quiet and sensitive? Takuya calls him princess because he is, as stated, a dick. Luckily he mostly outgrows the worst of his toxic masculinity.
OK IT'S THE CAMP NOW THE SCENE DIDN'T JUST END THERE
Chaperone: There's a lake nearby but the area near the water is dangerous, so please don't go near it.
CHECKHOV'S WATER FEATURE
Nobody agrees with Takuya to name their exploration group after his favourite TV show (they use Kazuya's suggestion, Thrillseekers) so he stomps off into the forest.
And then I got tense and had a nap lol. I dreamed I took the day off uni and got lost and ended up doing a colouring in competition in a church run by a creepy old priest who looked like Vincent Price, but kept thinking I needed to leave and get home to my mum.
Which is a kind of funny way for my subconscious to reframe the plot, and if the Master has a true form that looks like Vincent Price it's going to be freaky. He probably won't have a priest's collar though lol.
(Also they had two sided designs intended to have marker colour from both sides bleed through to form a sort of ghostly effect, which is actually a kind of cool idea. ANYWAY)
Kazuya runs after Takuya and trips and hurts his knee, which brings Takuya back. Ai has practice from dealing with her little sister, so quickly cleans it but needs something to tie on the handkerchief she's using as a bandage. She uses the ribbon from her mother.
Kazuya: But this is important to you.
Ai: It's more important that your wound is taken care of!
Kazuya: Then I promise I'll bring it back to you.
They explore some more, but the forest gets boring after a while. And then, just as they're about to turn back...
A WHITE BUTTERFLY
(also, again before I get pipped: am wondering if Kagiha has also been kinda dead this whole time. And also how Yamato, Beniyuri and Karasuba all got (kinda-) killed simultaneously...)
Takuya: Let's catch it!
But it always flies just out of reach. They run until they're nearly out of breath, and find themselves at....
OOOH
Ai: Let's check it out!
The twins: Yeah!
Aki: Yeah! ...if it's safe...
Natsuki: They said it's dangerous!
Ai: But I reaaaally want to
Natsuki: ...ok
YEP this is definitely the Master's manor inside, except all ruined. Just how much of what Usagi told them is a lie? Is she even a real person, or was she just afraid? Are they actually all half dead? Are they just living teens trapped with an old-but-not-immortal man in a real-if-magic house? Is he some...butterfly magician? There's definitely a butterfly theme to the house...
Or did Usagi tell the truth, and this is a projection into reality?
More butterflies flit around the ceiling. Natsuki finds an iridescent glass shard and gives it to Ai. Aki looks sad, so Kazuya gets him one too, and points out that there's five, enough for everyone.
Takuya: Why would I want some chunk of glass I could get anywhere?
Ai: It will make a nice memory we can share!
Takuya: That's stupid.
Kazuya: Stop talking like that!
Ai smiles at Kazuya for defending her. The dark cloud of angry jealousy that has been building in Takuya since Ai gave Kazuya her ribbon grows.
He notices that the ribbon has gotten loose and offers to retie it. But afterwards, he can't look Kazuya in the eye.
The sky is getting dark. It starts to rain.
They head back.
Did Takuya set things up so Kazuya will come back in the dark looking for the ribbon? D:
END OF CHAPTER 5
The camp flashback section is actually a branch off of Chapter 5, and then splits further into two locked branches I can't access yet.
Anyway. ON TO CHAPTER 6.
Actually, first lets take another look at the image on the menu screen:
You can see why I saw Hikage/Beniyuri as the default couple, since they're large and the focus. But everyone but Hikage is in pale, desaturated, almost white versions of their canon colours, while he is almost entirely black except for the red underside his cape, flowing up like a butterfly wing. His expression is kinda scary, and one eye is red. Also there's black and white and flowers and butterflies and splashes of rainbow everywhere, as is The Aesthetic. Beniyuri is the only one holding guns, which I approve of. Also, poor Monshiro is over there on the far left hidden behind the P in Psychedelica, and gets cut off when the menu is visible.
Rewatching the opening credits, now that I am looking for it there's a bunch of images of Hikage's Freaky Red Eye. Also was that two Beniyuris?? Is that a metaphor or...
no subject
Date: 2021-05-30 08:19 pm (UTC)...Two years later, I am cackling.
Mannnn I was having some "Wait is Hikage really the Master" suspicions I was in denial about because of the coma thing but it's ok! HE'S NOT THE COMA GUY AFTER ALL.
So I read your Hikage posts first (but months ago), so I had a pretty good idea he was the master! So as soon as he showed up in the first scene, I was like... I think he's evil? But hmm, he's so Determined, Tsundere First Guy Who is Dedicated to the Heroine (probably a scene later where she realizes that he's reliable but rough?). And he dresses kind of like edgy Heisuke? And his voice sounds so reliable -- but also familiar.
And then I looked him up and realized he was voiced by Kaito Ishikawa, who has had a secret dark side in all five of the things I've heard him in. And the first time he yelled and got all controlling was very..."hmm" -- it actually kind of disturbed me and didn't feel just, garden-variety protective tsundere. But then the whole photo thing threw me for a loop for a bit, because how could he be the Master and Kazuya? Except spoilers told me he wasn't Kazuya.
There were some other clues looking back that I didn't write down because they were like "Hikage says some odd stuff that I can't quite get my head around or summarise neatly but it feels weirdly significant".
Plus of course him being SUCH a dick to Monshiro.
:D I was so mad when he was using the photo and the childhood memories to try to get the group to kick Monshiro out, while stealing Monshiro's face and place. Because dang, that was low.
I, uh, don't think he's a boring LI any more.[...]
they were too lazy to make a Beniyuri sprite
:D
(also, again before I get pipped: am wondering if Kagiha has also been kinda dead this whole time. And also how Yamato, Beniyuri and Karasuba all got (kinda-) killed simultaneously...)
THIS HAD NEVER OCCURED TO ME BUT NOW I BELIEVE IT. (I just finished chapter 5, so I'll see if you're right!)
You can see why I saw Hikage/Beniyuri as the default couple, since they're large and the focus.
I like your analysis of the cape thing! I did not even notice Monshiro hiding behind the P; I was feeling bad for Yamato because he was the most desaturated...
Looking at the cape, it's interesting because the way he's holding her hand on the left is kind of Dark Romantic Hero (I have never played Diabolik Lovers, but I imagine that vibe is the same), but on the right... the cape just looks Creepy.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-31 12:17 pm (UTC)I was so mad when he was using the photo and the childhood memories to try to get the group to kick Monshiro out, while stealing Monshiro's face and place. Because dang, that was low.
I didn't realise at the time but was pretty angry in retrospect. Poor Monshiro :(
no subject
Date: 2021-05-31 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-03 11:55 am (UTC)Mmm ;_;