i'm sure someone probably did this already, but i feel i'll explode if i don't say anything about mizuki and rui's "fake human no. 40" cover. i can't believe i was so busy today i didn't hear it until now. it is making my head spin
this will probably be really long... and likely incomprehensible (considering it's almost 1 am as of writing this intro). i apologize, i'll probably edit this in the morning
also this will be Rui-centric because i'm autistic and insane. i'm sorry mizuki i love you
thank you owner of this video for existing and making my insane analysis so much easier.
From the start, i want to note how Mizuki starts off the song an octave lower than her usual singing, matching Rui's deep one. Many noted this already. As the song progresses, her voice goes higher. This is obviously a nudge at Mizuki's transition throughout middle school, possibly also following how she gradually trusts Rui more and more, acting more genuine (and therefore, more feminine) around him.
Rui, shockingly enough, is also singing much deeper than he usually does, and his voice lacks the warmth it carries in his WxS features. In fact, his voice is literally a copy of how he sounds like in his "Cyberpunk Dead Boy" cover. Detached, annoyed, almost bored? Tokishun doesn't go this low very often, and it's admirable. In my interpretation, this may be SEGA's way to separate Rui's "true self" from his more polite, terrified exterior. Rui's internal monologue is always critical (mostly towards himself) dim, which hardly shows in the way he acts. The only way we know how he truly thinks is because we are omniscient—with no access to his thoughts, we would never understand the hate he harbors towards himself.
This is true to everyone in his life, EXCEPT... Mizuki. In "Cyberpunk Dead Boy"'s original cover, with WxS, Rui barely sounds any different, because most intense lines go to other members. He only reveals his true identity in his SOLO cover, and it's the only time we see this. Even in Heat Abnormal he doesn't sound so depressed. But, if it's Mizuki, it's fine. It's the same with hoe Mizuki's voice goes higher, right? Why hide his most raw side from someone he feels no need to perform for? Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I don't know. I simply think the frustration and borderline anger in their voices is a sign of trust, as they hardly ever show it to others.
"I am just a stupid artificial human" / This line assigned to Rui is genius. I believe artificial, in this context, means two things. First of all, it relates him to machinery. He does not see himself as a true, natural human—it's more like he was created BY a human to SERVE as one, but there's way too much missing to CALL himself one. As he says earlier in the song, he'll never be like them. Second, I believe it's a nudge to how Rui's identity could partially be fabricated. Not exactly in a Mafuyu way (though the character foils are there), rather in a way that he suffered so much for being himself, he unconsciously trained his brain to kill off any indicative of uniqueness in him. In the Kamikou event, middle school Rui's characterization is so vague. He talks and acts opposite to how he does in the current main storyline. It's empty. Same as when we see Rui in Nene's flashbacks in Rui1 (at least I think it was Rui1? Might've been the main story. Correct me if i'm wrong), he's just. Someone. Small talk, empty eyes, clearly uninterested. We can clearly see this in Rui1 when Rui's scared of having harmed Tsukasa, and he quickly, yet subconsciously, starts acting more like the shadow of a good director than an actual good director. Mild ideas, pushing away the any novelty, enforcing safety over quality... he loses all his characteristics in fear of being hated again.
"Ah, I hate this ambiguous side of mine. I don't think you understand how that feels" / Amazing how they weren't afraid to give this line to Mizuki. Am I insane? Isn't ambiguous interpretable as both gender ambiguity and her emotional/social withdrawal in middle school? Yet "I don't think you understand how that feels" is just Mizuki telling Rui he wouldn't ever understand how her kind of "different" is like, no? It's in moments like this I wish they were more open with her identity, and that they showed more of Mizuki and Rui's middle school friendship. I'm sure Mizuki must've hated whenever Rui compared himself to her, and maybe we could've been able to see how that was like. As queer as he might be (which i imagine is a lot, don't get me wrong), he won't ever know how being in her skin feels like. How being as unsightly as her is like (NOT MY WORDS!!!!!! HER OWN!!!!!! I DONT AGREE WITH THIS SHES BEAUTIFUL TO ME). I feel like many Rui fans that glorify that middle school child need to hear this! He was kind to Mizuki and accepted her, yes, but Rui's extremely flawed—especially early game (Main Story, for example) before his character development. It's not evil or mischaracterization to assume he might've been insensitive at times, a 14-year old boy's maturity level and depressive behavior considered.
"But the future I imagined that day will not ever come" / FUCKKKKKKKKKKKK. Yeah no I don't think I have to comment on this it's simply self explanatory. It's middle school Rui talking about his shared dream with Nene, and how after growing apart from her (which he most likely blames himself for), it won't ever come true. Because he can't do this alone, he can't do anything alone. Much less reach his goal. Okay. Yyeah whatever sure
"Without a pause. The past i want to forget just flowed in" / Again, how much do I have to comment on this? I feel like there's no interpretation. It's about Mizuki being forced to, time and time again, relive her childhood trauma. The bullying never stops coming, reaching it's climax on Mixu5 where she's forcibly outed, taking away her RIGHT to tell Ena herself. And she really was going to that time. Isn't that nice? She wanted so much for someone to just do it for her, right? Jesus fucking christ this line being assigned to her is so fucking evil we gotta kill the SEGA team in charge of project sekai's music department
"The oil leaks out. I sink to the low of hurting myself, just pull the plug" / Now. SEGA. Is this on purpose? Did you give Rui this line because you HAD to give Mizuki the past one, or this planned? There are countless headcanons of Rui having self-harming tendencies in middle school, but I thought Colopale was too scared to ever make such a thing canon, and their excuse for the countless signs would be something stupid like, "Ah no, that's just how he is!!! Silly little weirdo Kamishiro! He's not doing anything like that, we're a PG company!" -> A total red herring. Hearing Tokishun's acting of this line, though, I can almost believe this might be some sort of confirmation. The emotions Rui puts out singing the lines... it's as if he really does relate. It's such a "You'll Never Know" moment. Will i use this to back up my Rui's sh headcanons, tho? yep. I will. You literally cannot stop me
Also. No words on Rui's whisper on "tasukete kure" btw. He sounds so fucking done and exhausted. Tokishun's shaky voice fit that so perfectly it gave me goosebumps. I really did think Toya's on the original pjsk cover was umatchable... I was wrong. Very.
On the final "Aaah, kusoga." I love the difference of Hina's frustrated, almost angered tone and Tokishun's more empty, exhausted version. It again perfectly shows the difference between Mizuki's "escape for survival" attitude, where she puts on a tough front and runs away from her issues in order to maintain herself sane. She's frustrated, and she won't give up running until she's far away from everything. Rui can't even be bothered to do that. He's too tired of the constant stress that he just stands in place, pretending he's unaffected, because if he recognizes what he's truly feeling... it'll all come crashing down. If he recognizes his hatred, his fear, he'll likely not be able to handle it, and he'll just give up. As said before, he'll just pull the plug.
This cover is perfect. Never before have I seen two completely different views and reactions on depression and anxiety incorporated so well in a 3 minute masterpiece. Tokishun and Hinasato please please please never stop collabing my bones hurt. I could definitely go even further on analyzing the tone in certain parts, the wording, the emotion... but i fear i'll just start babbling on and on and end up saying nothing at all. This is as far as I can go without sounding insane.
Can't believe that for a small second I was disappointed we didn't get telecaster b boy... god this is just. so much better. Not only is it a good way to recall their middle school selves back into the narrative, but it's also a song BOTH of them can relate to, while telecaster b boy's transgender symbolism only really fit Mizuki (canonically speaking).
