I've been following this Japanese TKDB player for a while because I absolutely love their theories about the story and the characters' lore. And today, they posted their interpretation of Kyklos's words from the final episode of Season 1. And Guys. GUYS!!. You need to check out their post because it completely blew my mind. Thank goodness X has a translation feature so I was able to understand the main points of their post despite the language barrier.
Okay, these fanarts are inspired by MCās voice actress singing āMenishuki Rush-sshuā in Uma Musume (she voiced Cesario btw). Originally, I only planned to draw MC. But halfway through sketching, I started thinking, āWhat if I add some female NPCs too?ā and in the end I got way too attached to the idea of MC and the girls becoming an idol group.
I imagine MC as the face of the group, Nina as the main vocalist, the blue-eyed girl as the leader, and the green-eyed girl as the main dancer.
While drawing this, I also kept imagining a bunch of random headcanons. Like Jo or Romeo being their manager/stylist, Zenji as a is a famous producer who occasionally promotes as a soloist, and Leo running MC's group social media/content account. Kaito is definitely MCās biggest fan.
Then somehow Rui, Sho, Jiro, and Taiga ended up becoming a band under the same agency, with Taiga as the vocalist, Sho as the drummer, Jiro as the guitarist, and Rui as the keyboardist
Btw, donāt ask me why I chose this ghoul formation because honestly I donāt know either. šBut I picked Taiga as the vocalist because his VA sings a lot of songs, and Jiro canonically plays guitar, so in my head it just makes sense
As for the rest of the ghoulsā¦ hmmmm, Iām still not sure yet. But I imagine some of them are part of a boy group under the rival agency, like Kamurai Agency??
So yeah, drawing these was really fun even though it literally took me three weeks to finish all of them because I only drew them after work
Warning: Please, for anyone who hasnāt read this episode yet, donāt open this post. This is just my personal opinion about the episode, so please donāt take it too seriously šš»
So I finally finished all the chapters, and I have to sayāZZG really cooked with this episode. The soundtrack and the story flow were chefās kiss šš». There are also a few scenes I want to talk about.
The beginning was actually so funny. Seeing DW 00.42 again made me laugh so hardāespecially every time that anomaly screams. And Zenji basically has to chase it?? That took me out š
And Subaruā¦ heās so cute whenever he sees an anomaly. Honestly, if he wasnāt the heir of a Kabuki family, I feel like heād totally be an otaku whoās into horror or anomaly stuff.
Also, I was so happy because a lot of my favorite ghouls showed up. Sho, Mioālike asghfhtghtgdf
And when Zenji changed his clothes, I couldnāt stop laughing because it reminded me of this.
Please tell me Iām not the only one š
Overall, I just want to thank ZZG for all the Hotarubi ghoul fight scenes. Because WHY are they all so cool?? ESPECIALLY Haku. I was literally giggling, kicking my feet, screamingāfull fangirl mode. And the way theyāre all so gentle and protective toward MC?? Yeahā¦ theyāre trying to kill me with thisš«
Okay, now for the serious part.
This episode takes place after the first camp mission with Sinostra, right? But in this season, the Dionysia ghouls are already back at Darkwick and we already know them. Soā¦ does that mean our encounter with Elias after escaping the camp never happened?
Because in Season 1, we didnāt know his real identity yet. So it feels a bit inconsistent unless the circumstances changed. But since the story doesnāt show it, I honestly canāt really confirm anything.
Now about Hydeā¦ heās getting even more suspicious. It feels like heās taking the blame for whatever happened to Hodge Podge and Moby. So does that mean their current forms arenāt their real forms? Were they human before, and something happened to them?
If thatās true, it would explain why the students donāt question Mobyās appearance even though he literally looks like an anomaly. Iām also curious if Hodge and Podge used to be teachers or part of Darkwick staff.
And Hyde himselfā¦ yeah, I still donāt trust him. His phone call with that unknown person, his conversation with Sho, and the way he knows about the Flower Witchā¦ I seriously donāt understand his motives. At this point, I donāt even know if heās evil or actually on our side.
Alsoā¦ this might just be me overthinking, but do you think Subaru canāt see Zenji?
Okay hear me out š
A few months ago, I saw a comment (I forgot whereāmaybe X, Tumblr, or in-game discussion) saying Subaru might not be able to see Zenji because he never directly talks to him. And ever since then, I canāt stop thinking about it.
So I started paying attention while rereading, andā¦ I kinda see it??
Like, every time Zenji talks, itās usually Haku or MC who responds. Subaru rarely replies to him directly.
It often feels like:
Zenji ā Haku/MC ā Subaru
And in this episode, some of Subaruās reactions felt really weird. Like, why doesnāt he respond to Zenji? And why does he ask Haku if normal people can see Zenji?
And his reaction after Haku says most people canāt see Zenji?? I donāt knowā¦ it kinda feels like that applies to him too.
Also, in the last chapter, it felt like Subaru wanted to tell Haku and MC something important. What if he was about to say he canāt see Zenji?
But at the same time, I know this theory is just a theory. Maybe for some people it's a bit absurd (?) And It has flaws too that we can't ignore. There are scenes where Subaru clearly reacts to Zenjiāeven calling his name. So yeah, there are contradictions.
Maybe Iām just overthinking because of that one commentā¦ but I canāt lie, this theory has been stuck in my head ever since. But let's discuss it!š
That's all for my reaction for now. I think I need to reread the story to add more detail
Does anyone else think this Hotarubi's GA student looks a little suspicious?
First of all, he appeared for the first time in Chapter 2 of the Unfathomable Triangle mission, when Ritsu wanted to take a photo of the road Tohma came from. At first, I didnāt think this Hotarubi student was suspicious, even though he was near Ultioās gate, because I assumed the road to Ultio is close to Hotarubi. So I thought it wasnāt unusual for Hotarubi GA students to be around that area.
Butā¦
When Ritsu and him parted ways, he showed this line
This line is kind of line that usually appears when ghouls have something to say, but the story hasnāt revealed it yet. Thatās when I started to feel a little suspicious, like, āhmmmm This line probably has a deeper meaning we donāt know yet.ā But since he didnāt appear again for a while, I brushed it off.
Several months later, though, this NPC appeared again in Chapter 28 and Chapter 31 of The Fiendās Lament episode. That canāt be a coincidenceā¦ right? I mean, itās rare for an NPC to show up three times in the story. There has to be some meaning behind his appearances. I always believe NPCs in Tokyo Debunker usually have some kind of connection to the story, whether itās major or minor. So this Hotarubi GA student must have some role, right?
And one thing that makes him even more suspicious is his conversation with Jiro. We know most students tend to avoid ghouls (even though some respect them, like Hotarubiās GA ghouls with Haku and Subaru, or Vagastrom students with Alan). But here, weāre talking about Jiroāone of the suspects in the One-Eyed Sleeping Beauty murder incident, someone many GA students are afraid of. Yet this NPC talks to him so normally. Thatās really strange.
This is a normal reaction of GA students when they meet a ghoul :
This is this Hotarubi's reaction when he talks with Jiro:
He also seems particularly interested in the plant Jiro is holding, and I feel like itās not just because he mostly draw plants.
I know my suspicions arenāt backed by strong evidence, and maybe Iām just overthinking something I shouldnāt. But I donāt knowā¦ itās been bothering me ever since I reread those episodes. Hopefully itās just me overthinking unnecessary thing. Still, it would be really interesting if this NPC turned out to be a ghoul from Clementia or Ultioāor someone with a bigger role in the story.
Guys, I think I accidentally found the person who drew most of TKDBās ghoulsā warding cards while I was doomscrolling on X.
Like these cards :
I thought it was just that their styles seemed similar. But after I took a deep dive into their account, I noticed they always repost TKDBās warding cards.
After that I was like šÆ. I donāt know why, but Iām so happy right now. It feels like I just found a hidden treasure
If you are curious about them. https://x.com/sekina_00?s=20
By the way, I drew this after listening to One More Time, One More Chance. You know, the theme song of 5 cm per Second movie. Somehow, Haku quietly came to my mind. I donāt know why, but something in the lyrics feels so much like him.
Warning: Please, for anyone who hasnāt read this episode yet, donāt open this post. This is just my personal opinion about the episode, so please donāt take it too seriously šš»
I think this seasonās story is more structured, and the way the missions are resolved feels smoother. Even though there are still some things I think the developers need to improve, the writing this season is definitely better than last seasonāespecially in how they portray the MCās role. I feel like theyāve improved a lot in developing her personality. She takes more initiative and is more straightforward, and most importantly, we have more choices in the storyāyay! Iām really looking forward to seeing how the MC develops this season.
This choice is still my favorite, LOL
Next. After seeing the second-year ghoulsā interactions in episode one, we finally get to see the first-years interact. Last season, I always wondered when Lyca first met Sho, because in the Last Start episode (the interhouse mission in Hotarubi), they already seemed to know each other. So yeah, Iām really happy we finally get to see their first interaction.
I also think Lycaās first interaction with Leo is important for his character development. Leoās āharsh truthsā about how cruel people can be are really helpful for Lyca, who doesnāt know much about the outside world yet. So, in a way, Leo gives Lyca a new perspective on people. Iām glad Lyca met someone like Leo at Darkwick.
Moreover, from this interaction, I realized that Leo always has his own way of helping peopleāespecially those who are a bit naĆÆve, like the MC and Lycaāso they can learn to stand up for themselves. Maybe a lot of people already noticed this (especially after the Vanishing Homeroom mission), but Iām still amazed by how well-written Leo is.
Also, itās really cute to see Lyca, Ren, and Ritsu interacting. They totally remind me of a group of students working on a school project, lol.
I burst out laughing when Ritsu dissed Renš
I LOVE Obscuary. They never fail to make me laugh and love them even more. Their interactions are always hilarious (Poor Ed couldnāt superchat his favorite streamer again, lol) and yet somehow Iām always a little anxious about how their missions will end. I donāt know why, but zzg often gives their missions a tragic or sad twist at the end (iykyk). Thankfully, this one had a satisfying ending.
I also love how Lyca imitates the way Rui calls other ghouls by their nicknames. I was giggling when Lyca called Jo āJojorin,ā too. Aaaa, so cute!
Oh yeah, speaking of fem Joācan we give her the honorary āBig Sisā title alongside Hodge Podge? Because fem Jo really feels like a big sister figure to the MC. It always makes me smile how supportive she is.
But Iām also really curiousāhow does the MC address Jo? Does she call him āJo-san,ā like she does with Haku and Rui, or āKongoza-san,ā like she does with the other third-year ghouls? As far as I remember, the previous episode hasnāt shown us how she addresses him yet.
Next, Iām really happy to see Sho and Haku so much in this episode. As a fan who ranks them among my favorite ghouls, I was well-fed this episodeāthank you, zzg.šš»
As always, Sho notices even the smallest changes in the MC, and Haku is always helpful whenever he appears. But Iām also a bit concernedāhow many side jobs does Haku actually have? Every time he shows up, heās always busy with something. Like, my boy, please get some rest.
I donāt know why, but it feels like almost every vice-captain in Darkwick is a workaholic. Please stay healthy, guys.
Oh, and in this episode, I realized something. The police captainā¦ somehow he feels really familiar. Iāve definitely seen him before, but I couldnāt remember which episode he appeared in.
After looking it up, I finally found himāhe showed up in Frostheimās last mission. He was actually an institute agent disguised as a bull-head masked figure. In the story, Tohma mentioned that he entered the Dragon Triangle a year ago and disappeared.
But in this episode, he appears much earlierāaround mid-Januaryāand heās still in Darkwick. That seems to contradict the timeline from Season 1. So now Iām wonderingā¦ will this affect the upcoming missions? Since we havenāt reached Frostheimās last mission yet in this timeline, thereās a possibility that it might not even happenāor maybe it will play out differently this time.
I donāt know, what do you guys think?
And lastlyā¦ does this mean itās finally canon that Rui has feelings for the MC? I really hope so, because I want to see some romantic drama between the MC and the ghouls, mwhehehe ššæ.
Thatās all from me! I can say I really enjoyed this episode a lot, and I canāt wait for Hotarubiās mission. Iām especially excited to see that scene from the preview imageāahem, Haku in action š
