Let’s do some QUELL-spotting in the first 2 episodes of ProAni while waiting for QUELL’s focus episode that’s coming up next week :D And talk about some details that may or may not contribute to the Proani viewing experience :D Obligatory warning for lots of rambling.
In Japan, it’s common to wear face masks in public, usually for the following reason:
Allergies or hay fever. A huge portion of the Japanese population have some sort of pollen or plant allergy, especially evident in early spring.
To prevent germs from spreading; from yourself to others when you’re sick, or from others when you can’t afford to get sick.
Some people in professions that rely heavily on their voices (eg singers, TV presenters, seiyuus) wear masks regularly to protect their throats. It’s a common belief that wearing a face mask to sleep keeps the throat from drying out especially in colder weather.
Celebrities wear it in public to avoid getting recognised and drawing attention to themselves.
When you’re too lazy to put on makeup but need to go leave the house (I’ve done this myself lol)
Shu probably wears it for points 2, 3, or 4, or perhaps a combination of several reasons. In the BELIEVER drama CD, it’s not mentioned whether or not he was wearing one while walking around the streets of Sapporo (where he ran into the twins), but judging from bits of conversation that happened later in the CD about paparazzi, I’m guessing that he wasn’t. Shu’s a pretty chill guy so I don’t think that he minds being recognised, or probably hasn’t experienced any nastiness from media or fans in public to warrant wearing a mask. So! In the above images, which happened in April according to the canon timeline, he’s probably just wearing it for allergies or hygiene, since early spring is also when a lot of people get sick from the changing weather.
At this point QUELL’s living spaces (both the individual bedrooms and shared common room) are the only ones that haven’t been revealed, but we do get to see Shu playing the grand piano. Not sure if the piano is within QUELL’s area, or shared among the whole dorm.
In the scene where Shiki’s at a standing noodle shop (dirt cheap but delicious eateries without seats, hence their prices), the red tin that he sprinkles over his soba is shichimi - a seven-spice blend with chilies that can be added to virtually anything. This product is an actual Takamura Shiki merch that you can buy. It’s called “My Shichimi” and has Shiki’s name printed on the lid lol. I can’t believe this nerd carries it around in his pocket when he goes out to eat, especially when the restaurants always provide them… A shame he didn’t choose any toppings for his soba tho. (I always go for ebiten.)
As a side note, afaik Shiki’s never shown wearing a face mask in public. Although, these cheap eateries are usually frequented by salarymen just looking for a quick bite so the chances of running into a fan is pretty low.
Lizz squirrel plushies of each SolidS member chilling on the bench. Keep an eye out for these mascots (for all groups) as they’re sure to pop up regularly throughout the show.