Mister Strawberry🍓

She/her(Ironic, isn't it?)

[thedrotter]

2026/2024!!!!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH... 2026🫣🫣🫣🫣 i bring you a redraw from pride month 2024 becausw i still find it funny

[snowssilentrest]

Okay. After a week of no writing, I finally sat down and finished writing Chapter 15, and dear God and I am glad I was able to. Obviously, I’ll need to reread and edit it and make sure it makes sense with the other chapters, but after Chapter 16, the angst should ease up. I am not going to lie, writing November has been incredibly rough for me, but I am glad it’ll at the very least be not so angsty from then on. At least, not as much. A lot of November, to give you a sneak peek of what that arc is about, is basically about the price of caring about others before yourself and how a misunderstanding of how the world thinks of you can prevent from properly taking care of myself. I definitely had a point to make, but good God, it was hard to write. So many scenes in my head I had been wanting to write are finally written. Now, I just need to write Chapter 16… Which will also be angsty… Oh well, I do apologize for the slow writing. Life’s been hectic, and personal health kinda needed to take a front seat for a bit. I did want to finish November this month, but it looks like I won’t be able to finish it until July. I will say that November is a major turning point for quite a few characters, especially our main one. But it’s not the end of his development, it’s the beginning. That being said… I did admittedly have an idea to go into the backstory of Reina in detail within the story since that would help really set up some plot points in December, but it is not really needed. Since some of those beats were already told, and this would just show them. This would lengthen the story also, and it’s already going to be long. And it would not be able to be a part of December. I guess the question is would my readers want to read her story before December? It would probably be around 3-5 chapters long give or take at the standard length, and it would basically be like an intermission between story arcs. And that would not be included in the 10 chapters per month plan I had in mind. It would be those 3-5 chapters and then the 10 chapters for December. December, by the way, should be a little easier for me to write since it will go back to having the balance of angst and fluff that October had. Anyway, I gabbed off long enough. I do apologize for the delay in releasing new chapters. I just want to pre-write and edit as much as I can before I actually release them. I do hope to hear from you all again soon though. Till then, fare thee well.

[heartbunnymoth]

i haven't draw traditionally in a while. tokimeki squeaky yay

[vyakalka1]

yayy (^_^♪)

[voidjumpduo]

doodles from awhile ago

[misterstrawberrypwpw]

So, tomorrow I have a Social Studies exam, which means it's time to write about music! It's been a bit of a struggle, but I finally got a couple of songs together for playlists. Unfortunately, Spotify wasn't working for me for a while, but it suddenly started working again.

And

There are 10 songs in each, but that doesn't mean I'm done with them. I'm just showing you the presentation, and when I have 10 more new songs, I'll write more posts about them. First, we should start with Yuichi. I don't know if there's room for Shunsuke, but we'll see.

A very catchy song from the memes of distant times, but the lyrics talk about how everyone is an idiot and how there's no point in being disillusioned any longer, wanting to disappear. I think the song's characteristics already convey the vibrant mood of Yuichi, who has fallen to the lowest point and is completely disillusioned with everything, wanting to leave.

ODE TO DISCORD!!! A FAN SONG BASED ON A CHARACTER FROM LITTLE PONY, FROM PONY'S POV. Pony sees what Discord is doing to the city, turning it into his playground and having fun. In fact, the characters Discord and Yuichi are very similar in their madness and desire for chaos. A childhood song that still rocks. As for the main character, it could be any of the kids, but knowing that Ryou saw the corpses, I'm leaning toward him.

Yuichi wants Shunsuke to defeat him, and even his heart makes concessions because of its weakness, keeping monsters away, while Yuichi even gives detailed instructions. Even in the murderous ending, he comes to Shunsuke himself, simply standing silently and allowing him to do what he wants, accepting death, so... I think this song is very on point.

English translation. The song is about a girl who is bullied at school and subjected to numerous rumors. She becomes disillusioned with people, talking about the labels people give each other to differentiate themselves and how, after one victim, they will move on to others. In the end, she can't stand it and realizes it's time to end it by dying. Something similar to Yuichi's bullying, where many dislike him for trivial things and he, disillusioned, notices annoying details, but in the end, instead of dying, we know what happened to him.

I like the emotions and mood of this song, the lyrics and the whole presentation, it’s very pleasant and relaxing, I like things like this with a lot of incomprehensible phrases but with a lot of meaning

AAAAAAAAA FINALLY WE'VE REACHED THIS SONG!!! HOORAY!!!

The song is about someone trapped in darkness, falling further and further, but she (the cover I listened to is performed by a girl, let's say?) has no plans to escape and no longer tries, because she bears responsibility for her sins, having gone completely mad and lost all common sense. Eventually, a man comes along who becomes very close to the girl and becomes her weakness. She doesn't want this man to leave because she's lonely and suffering, but she also doesn't want to run away. Need I say more? I think you understand my thoughts on this and the man with the cat, the singer says.

So, I know this song might be better suited for Shunsuke, but hear me out.

It's close to Shunsuke because of the theme of the player who is suffering and trying to find a way out while running like a hamster on a wheel, but it seems to me that this is not something that can be directly called about Shunsuke, in the end, he is not just running and looking for a way out as the main character, so Yuichi

This song doesn't have much hidden meaning, but it's there, even though it was inspired by backrooms. Before the events of the game, Yuichi was like a squirrel in a wheel, running through the darkness and searching for a way out. But realizing there was no way out and everything would continue as usual, he gave up and lost the purpose of fighting, as if nothing he did was meaningful or justified. That's why this song

And the next three songs will have translations, eh 😔😔😔😔😔

So, this song, I think these sentiments speak volumes about Yuichi. This man has been through a lot, and it's just hard for him to move on from it because time doesn't heal. But he leaves it behind, acting prudently and casually because nothing matters. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten, and it doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt him. It's more about the adult Yuichi, who still can't get over what happened in his childhood.

Before I explain how this song is connected to Yuichi, I want to tell the story of how I met this artist and his songs.

You know, back when I was a teenager (like I'm not a teenager now, lol), I was really into Japanese horror legends. They made me read every single one with awe, especially when I found the original and read the story from beginning to end with a translator. These legends inspired me, and I found an incredible website with a collection of these legends; I could spend hours there. It's a shame I can't find it now, but after this website, I'll try to find it.

I first became interested in them through TikTok, and then more deeply through untitled songs (Why untitled? Because they have no name on YouTube, and the channel doesn't have a name either, but you can find it by typing: @X0o0x_.). It all started with a funny song review and a YouTuber talking about how songs find their own listeners, and then those very songs popped into my recommendations. The songs had Russian subtitles, and I loved the lyrics and the story the author told so much that it inspired me to study legends and determine to learn about all the legends from their songs.

This song is also a retelling of a popular legend, namely, the ghost station. A girl was driving to visit a friend while chatting with him (I don't remember who it was—either a coworker, a friend she was driving to work with, or a relative she was visiting). She ended up arriving at an unfamiliar station, frightened. The person on the other end of the phone asked about the station she was at, saying he'd pick her up since she hadn't made it. But when he looked for the stop, he discovered it didn't exist, and there was no stop with that name.

This confused them both, and he began trying to figure out where she was, asking about everyday objects and surroundings. While describing the station and how empty it was, she mentioned a strange silhouette at the station. She approached and wanted to talk, but at that moment she simply stopped responding, apparently having encountered a ghost (I don't remember the original story very well, but this is what I remember).

The song projects this legend but complements the behavior of a person who is trying to calm himself and find meaning, but as the song progresses, the main character begins to think that she is not even against disappearing here, admitting that no one will find her here, also asking the ghost if he can take her, and in the end suggests why she ended up here, because of her desire to get away as far as possible from "you" and for everything to stop, and then the heroine herself disappears, because no one can find her and no one will hear her soul (I think my hint at Yuichi is clear here, right? His resignation that no one will find him or save him anymore

OH NO, THE LIMIT IS ENDED HERE, OH, I'LL HAVE TO GO ELSEWHERE 😭😭😭😭😭

[misterstrawberrypwpw]

We continue here because there is not enough music.

Where were we? Oh yeah.

At first, Yuichi hesitates and takes breaks because he's so tired from caring for his mother, but eventually, after telling others, he's shocked by their reactions, unable to understand why everyone is reacting this way and how they could do this to him. He slowly processes this, encountering more of this attitude from everyone, and then the song ends. He becomes completely disillusioned, putting on his usual mask and demanding that people submit to him by acknowledging him during the genocide, sometimes breaking down and saying, "I beg you," as if if they don't, he'll completely break down and go mad.

The last song, I'm sure some of you are familiar with this song, and I won't point fingers at them. Who am I? Anyway, should I write something? I'm just not sure, I think everything is clear here. After the betrayal and those terrible looks at him, he's afraid to trust Shunsuke, afraid that he might simply crack and fall apart after this, even though he spent a long time building his strong and cold image. When Shunsuke shows kindness after realizing the terrible things he did, Yuichi rejects Shunsuke and asks him to leave, but deep down, he wants him to stay. That's pretty much how I see this song.

So! These are all the songs Yuichi has so far, but as I said, I'll be slowly filling out the playlist and will make the next post when I have 10 more songs. In the next post, I'll talk about Shunsuke, but... Let's slow down. There's one last song I want to talk about about Yuichi.

This song was supposed to be on this Playlist, but it's literally not on Spotify no matter how hard I look, so I decided to add it here and talk about it because it's my third favorite song after Charles (WHICH IS ALSO NOT ON SPOTIFY) and Merry Bed End.

It was from this song that I got the headcanon about Yuichi being a neat freak and loving cleanliness. The singer talks about how selfish people are, talking about perfection and their loved ones, dreaming of the same thing, leaving litter and filling everything with their lies and selfishness, dirtying it. The singer has simply resigned himself to this and doesn't let people get close: "Don't come near! I can't be saved," but then his eyes are opened to the fact that everything can be changed and not all is lost, which makes him cry because he loves cleanliness. I don't think there's any need to read who's who, hehe.

Yuichi is finished! And here's the cover of his playlist.

I wanted something simple and bright, with a lot of details, so it turned out so bright and atmospheric, I like it, unlike Art with Shunsuke.

[misterstrawberrypwpw]

So, tomorrow I have a Social Studies exam, which means it's time to write about music! It's been a bit of a struggle, but I finally got a couple of songs together for playlists. Unfortunately, Spotify wasn't working for me for a while, but it suddenly started working again.

And

There are 10 songs in each, but that doesn't mean I'm done with them. I'm just showing you the presentation, and when I have 10 more new songs, I'll write more posts about them. First, we should start with Yuichi. I don't know if there's room for Shunsuke, but we'll see.

A very catchy song from the memes of distant times, but the lyrics talk about how everyone is an idiot and how there's no point in being disillusioned any longer, wanting to disappear. I think the song's characteristics already convey the vibrant mood of Yuichi, who has fallen to the lowest point and is completely disillusioned with everything, wanting to leave.

ODE TO DISCORD!!! A FAN SONG BASED ON A CHARACTER FROM LITTLE PONY, FROM PONY'S POV. Pony sees what Discord is doing to the city, turning it into his playground and having fun. In fact, the characters Discord and Yuichi are very similar in their madness and desire for chaos. A childhood song that still rocks. As for the main character, it could be any of the kids, but knowing that Ryou saw the corpses, I'm leaning toward him.

Yuichi wants Shunsuke to defeat him, and even his heart makes concessions because of its weakness, keeping monsters away, while Yuichi even gives detailed instructions. Even in the murderous ending, he comes to Shunsuke himself, simply standing silently and allowing him to do what he wants, accepting death, so... I think this song is very on point.

English translation. The song is about a girl who is bullied at school and subjected to numerous rumors. She becomes disillusioned with people, talking about the labels people give each other to differentiate themselves and how, after one victim, they will move on to others. In the end, she can't stand it and realizes it's time to end it by dying. Something similar to Yuichi's bullying, where many dislike him for trivial things and he, disillusioned, notices annoying details, but in the end, instead of dying, we know what happened to him.

I like the emotions and mood of this song, the lyrics and the whole presentation, it’s very pleasant and relaxing, I like things like this with a lot of incomprehensible phrases but with a lot of meaning

AAAAAAAAA FINALLY WE'VE REACHED THIS SONG!!! HOORAY!!!

The song is about someone trapped in darkness, falling further and further, but she (the cover I listened to is performed by a girl, let's say?) has no plans to escape and no longer tries, because she bears responsibility for her sins, having gone completely mad and lost all common sense. Eventually, a man comes along who becomes very close to the girl and becomes her weakness. She doesn't want this man to leave because she's lonely and suffering, but she also doesn't want to run away. Need I say more? I think you understand my thoughts on this and the man with the cat, the singer says.

So, I know this song might be better suited for Shunsuke, but hear me out.

It's close to Shunsuke because of the theme of the player who is suffering and trying to find a way out while running like a hamster on a wheel, but it seems to me that this is not something that can be directly called about Shunsuke, in the end, he is not just running and looking for a way out as the main character, so Yuichi

This song doesn't have much hidden meaning, but it's there, even though it was inspired by backrooms. Before the events of the game, Yuichi was like a squirrel in a wheel, running through the darkness and searching for a way out. But realizing there was no way out and everything would continue as usual, he gave up and lost the purpose of fighting, as if nothing he did was meaningful or justified. That's why this song

And the next three songs will have translations, eh 😔😔😔😔😔

So, this song, I think these sentiments speak volumes about Yuichi. This man has been through a lot, and it's just hard for him to move on from it because time doesn't heal. But he leaves it behind, acting prudently and casually because nothing matters. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten, and it doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt him. It's more about the adult Yuichi, who still can't get over what happened in his childhood.

Before I explain how this song is connected to Yuichi, I want to tell the story of how I met this artist and his songs.

You know, back when I was a teenager (like I'm not a teenager now, lol), I was really into Japanese horror legends. They made me read every single one with awe, especially when I found the original and read the story from beginning to end with a translator. These legends inspired me, and I found an incredible website with a collection of these legends; I could spend hours there. It's a shame I can't find it now, but after this website, I'll try to find it.

I first became interested in them through TikTok, and then more deeply through untitled songs (Why untitled? Because they have no name on YouTube, and the channel doesn't have a name either, but you can find it by typing: @X0o0x_.). It all started with a funny song review and a YouTuber talking about how songs find their own listeners, and then those very songs popped into my recommendations. The songs had Russian subtitles, and I loved the lyrics and the story the author told so much that it inspired me to study legends and determine to learn about all the legends from their songs.

This song is also a retelling of a popular legend, namely, the ghost station. A girl was driving to visit a friend while chatting with him (I don't remember who it was—either a coworker, a friend she was driving to work with, or a relative she was visiting). She ended up arriving at an unfamiliar station, frightened. The person on the other end of the phone asked about the station she was at, saying he'd pick her up since she hadn't made it. But when he looked for the stop, he discovered it didn't exist, and there was no stop with that name.

This confused them both, and he began trying to figure out where she was, asking about everyday objects and surroundings. While describing the station and how empty it was, she mentioned a strange silhouette at the station. She approached and wanted to talk, but at that moment she simply stopped responding, apparently having encountered a ghost (I don't remember the original story very well, but this is what I remember).

The song projects this legend but complements the behavior of a person who is trying to calm himself and find meaning, but as the song progresses, the main character begins to think that she is not even against disappearing here, admitting that no one will find her here, also asking the ghost if he can take her, and in the end suggests why she ended up here, because of her desire to get away as far as possible from "you" and for everything to stop, and then the heroine herself disappears, because no one can find her and no one will hear her soul (I think my hint at Yuichi is clear here, right? His resignation that no one will find him or save him anymore

OH NO, THE LIMIT IS ENDED HERE, OH, I'LL HAVE TO GO ELSEWHERE 😭😭😭😭😭

[thedrotter]

an attempt of aya's melancholy 4 fun after work that i post since it resonated w/me for some reason DAUGHTER

[snowssilentrest]

Okay, now time for Sayaka's post! Sayaka initially had only three songs, but now she has 18 songs. Her stuff is more theatrical, compared to Shunsuke's variety of musicals, JPop, JRock, and indie stuff, and Ryou's folk sound. With that being said, she has the three songs, At The Ballet, A Song About Nothing, and Smile Away. With that in mind, let's continue.

Sayaka to me is someone who acts silly for attention, but in reality, has a lot going on underneath her. I think she is someone who views attention of any kind as proof of her existence, and thus, as long as people interact with her, she matters. She's a girl who tries to be silly and unserious, but is, deep down, a scared girl who notices way more than she lets on. You don't really see much of this, though, until she joins you to search for Aya, but this is notable when she talks with Shunsuke outside the phone booth towards the beginning of the game, where she notices that Shunsuke's last name and his Dad's last name are different after he brings it up. So, I tried to strike a balance between the version of herself she shows everyone, versus who she really is. I hope my picks make sense.

Of course, I had to go with something from Funny Girl, a musical about a Vaudeville star, Fanny Bryce. Well. Kinda. It's a very fictitious retelling of her life, but this is an oldie. It's not here for a deep plot. It's here for good songs, funny laughs, and nothing else. But I'm The Greatest Star is basically Sayaka trying to make others laugh. By deliberately being random.

Hey, remember the voice claim I gave for Sayaka initially! Yeah, I decided to add that song to her playlist. I just think this song really fits Sayaka's attitude really well. And I just had to include it. But this song, while still showing her silliness, shows that there is something deeper going on.

Now, her adult voice claims! This musical is honestly the whole reason I picked Megan as one of her adult voice claims. A lot of the songs in this musical really suit Sayaka. Now, if you know the story of Daddy Long Legs, the character she calls Daddy is not her Father. For the sake of her character, though, we're divorcing it from the context of the story, which is still good. And the musical is the best adaptation of it. But I digress... This song is basically Sayaka noting that she's not like other girls, but honestly wants to be like other girls so she doesn't have to hide who she is as much, but she knows deep down her real self wouldn't be seen as approachable. Or, that's at least what she thinks at first...

This is what she really wants... She wants to be herself without feeling judged by others. She wants to be herself, and she decides to be herself apologetically, not caring what others think. So, yeah... This song pretty much speaks for itself, and one listen gives you all the reason for why it's Sayaka.

This song is basically her showing who she is with no qualms about what others think of her. She doesn't care if others think of her as a nuisance... Or she tries not to. She's going to live how she wants to, regardless.

I don't remember right now if I used this song for Yuuichi or not because I did think of giving it to him, but I am passing it along to Sayaka. This song represents how free she feels once she starts being herself, despite what those outside of her friend group think. However, despite this, Sayaka says a lot of things she doesn't know the meaning of, which leads to the next song.

This song represents Sayaka feeling like her silliness prevents others from seeing how easy it is for her to learn new things. Sayaka is someone I see as pretty smart despite her silliness. But her silliness makes others see her as a fool, and nothing else... And while that part of her is her, it still hurts to be underestimated.

I know I said we have to divorce the context of Daddy Long Legs from Sayaka, but in this one instance, this song is basically Sayaka lashing out at her Father for drinking and saying he wants to kill himself, and she might say, "Then die already." But she regrets it immediately and says sorry... She likely has to deal with a lot with her Dad being so depressed he wants to die... and while it's pitiable, it does also get frustrating when you're from the outside looking in.

Okay. So, there are two versions of this song. One from the London Cast Recording (Which is this version), and the one on the Broadway Cast Recording. I picked the London version because I felt it fit Sayaka better. Specifically, a Sayaka who acts differently at home than when around her friends and family. A Sayaka who is told that others envy her for her energy. A Sayaka who is still waiting... For what, she doesn't know...

This is Sayaka recognizing how little she knows her Dad. And how much that hurts her because he doesn't try to tell her anything about himself. And yet, he knows a lot about her... And that hurts. She's his daughter, and he may as well be a stranger to her... This is her wanting to escape her home life, but also wanting to know her Dad before it's too late... And she never gets that opportunity because Yuuichi kills him...

This is a song I wanted to add after I posted my initial character analysis post on her. But I didn't even think of it until afterwards, and it's honestly because of this verse.

Be happy That's the answer Be the center of attention Be the person people mention to their friends

Be a winner Be a dancer Be the life of every party Then go home and don't be lonely When it ends

I think this song, and its relation to trying to be happy and only being that happy, so others will want to be around you. It's a song about someone doing everything they feel like they need to do to be happy. But they still can't find it.

And now, we're on to People. A song about being needed. This is Sayaka making note of everything she's observed on TV, at school, and in her surroundings, and this is her conclusion. That people who need people are the luckiest people of all. It's a simple conclusion. One a child would make. But still true all the same.

This song... This song is one of the best musical theatre songs in history. It's a song sung by an actress in the context of the show. Which is why the word clown is used. It's using the classical meaning of the word, which means fool, or comic relief. The song is basically saying, bring out the comic relief because the leading lady is bombing. But in this case, Sayaka is both the leading lady and the clown. This is a Sayaka who is told to stop acting how she's always acting, and she can only think, "I thought this was how you wanted me to act..." Now. Typically, I would not equate this song with an 8 or 9-year-old girl. Especially since the character singing this is supposed to be in her 40s or 50s, but honestly, I can see Sayaka thinking she relates to this song as a kid, only to be hit with an "Oh! That's what that song meant!" when she gets older.

A Sayaka after the Incident... A Sayaka who tries to move on. Now, this song isn't a perfect fit. Especially regarding her Dad's other family, but everything else is so good that I had to include it here. I think the show itself is a bit "babies' first musical," but we need more approachable musicals for a younger audience, and it's very effective at what it sets out to do. I just think this is Sayaka realizing, especially after everything, that it doesn't matter who or what others want her to be. It's her story. She can choose who is involved in it and who isn't... The past is holding her back... So, she moves forward...

Her thoughts once she's in a better mental state. This is a Sayaka who revisits her friend and tells them what she learned with a bright smile on her face. Everyone is surprised by her mature outlook... But she just says, "I think I've always thought this way. It's just no one heard me before." Sidenote: I love this song... It really makes me feel good. It's just a good song about taking things slow and enjoying the ride... Do what makes you feel happy if it is safe.

Don't let this song fool you. While the lyrics are very generalized. This song is not about romantic love. But rather, the love of those you've tried to obtain in life, whether through your career, or just being who you are... This is a Sayaka who sees how much the trauma has affected everyone, and she sees that making them laugh isn't going to help this time... So, she says, "We did what we had to do. We're here. We're still alive... We can't regret what we did back there... I don't... I don't regret any of my decisions... I don't regret what I did for love..."

And that's the end of Sayaka's playlist. I will admit, a lot of this was more speculative than concrete. But my initial idea of trying to find songs about someone using humor to cope was surprisingly hard. If you hadn't noticed, I try to structure my playlists so that it feels like a story is being told. I will likely be working on the others in due time. Probably either Aya's or Shunsuke's Mom. But for the latter, her playlist will be more connected to my story than Re:Kinder, and I already know if I made that and released it, I'd be spoiling my story. But... if you're interested in figuring out her story, I can make it and give you guys a puzzle to see where I am taking her. But only if you want to try and figure it out. If you want to remain unspoiled, then I'll wait until after the December arc to make it. Mami is in the same boat, but hers would be a longer wait. If you know, you know. But I digress. I'll likely make Aya's sometime soon. She will probably get a few more songs, too, if I can find any that fit. I'd love to use Silent Hill, but the soundtracks for Origins, Homecoming, and Shattered Memories aren't on Spotify anymore, which really sucks because a couple of those games have songs I would use for her. Maybe I'll include them as bonuses. Anyway, I digress. Thanks for indulging me here.

[snowssilentrest]

Hey, I made two Re:Kinder playlists! One for Ryou, and one for Sayaka. I actually added more songs than what were initially on either character's musical analysis. I'll likely separate them by posts though to make it feel more special. Without further ado, let's get started with Ryou, who has 17 songs on his playlist.

I've included two of the songs that are technically more related to his parents than himself in the beginning because I felt they gave a good idea of what his home life was like. But Your Light, Open Arms, Daybreak, The Riddle Song, and Here For You are in here, as well as Throwing In The Towel, since I consider Sodapop's verse in that song to be intrinsic to Ryou as a character, despite the song being introduced on Hiroto's playlist. I felt bad only giving five songs, so I tried to find more songs, and I searched the crevice of my memory, and I actually came across more songs than I expected. By complete coincidence, a lot of them had a folk theme going on.

First song I really want to showcase is Now And For Always, which is from a Lord of the Rings Musical of all things. I had not listened to this musical since I was a senior in high school, but I did remember this song sticking out to me all those years ago. And having connected Shunsuke and Ryou to Frodo and Sam respectively, I thought... Why not... And I don't regret it. This song is beautiful. It really does a great job showing the deep friendship Frodo and Sam had in the story, and I just had to include it... I'll be honest... I have a deep love for The Lord of the Rings. I got into it in Junior High, and it was one of the few media I was able to connect with my Dad on, who read the series as a child. A couple of years ago, we watched the extended editions together as a family, and there were times when he mentioned things that happened in the books that didn't happen in the original cut, and then it would show the exact scene he described in the extended cut... I don't really get to speak much about my love for this series, so I am glad I was able to have this brief opportunity. I do stand by that Ryou is basically the Sam to Shunsuke's Frodo. I think the two's dynamic could really lean into this, and I do genuinely love that.

Honestly, I did not think I would revisit Water for Elephants since my thoughts on this musical are that it needs to be seen to be appreciated, as the songs on their own are kinda weak. At least those were my thoughts. I decided to give this song a chance to see if maybe something from here could fit Ryou, and honestly... Yeah, they do. Especially this song, which in the context of the show is sung by the female lead as she comforts her horse, who is in a lot of pain, and is about to be put down. Since Ryou is the healer of the group, I do see him saying these words to someone who is hurting, while also telling himself these same words.

I think this is a good postgame Shunsuke and Ryou song with Ryou taking on Johnny's role. I do think that the two do kinda have a similar dynamic to Ponyboy and Johnny. Especially towards the end of the song, where Ryou says, "I'll never leave you alone." It's a very simply song, but I do think it's effective as well.

This is basically Ryou's beliefs. I think after the Incident, he'd try to have a bit of a brighter outlook. Bright Star is one of the few musicals I can think of with a bluegrass score. And it's really good. The book is a bit of a mess, but the score is well worth the price of admission. I actually saw this show when it was touring around 8 or so years ago. I'll be honest, this song was a last-minute addition, but I felt I had to include it for its earnestness. And Ryou is a very earnest character, even if he's a bit of a messpot sometimes. Much like the show itself.

Ryou to any of his friends. Especially Shunsuke. Honestly, if I looked, I could probably find more Glen Hansard songs that fit Ryou, but I'm sticking with this for now. This song would showcase just how much Ryou understands Shunsuke better than anyone else. The chorus of "When your mind's made up, there is no point in trying to change it." Shows Ryou as someone who knows Shunsuke is someone who won't change his mind, but he'll still be there for him through and through.

Ryou watching his friend get worse and still being there for him... I've been wanting to use Sonya Alone from Great Comet for a while. This song is from an adaptation of War and Peace (a section of it, at least). The chorus,

"I will stand in the dark for you I will hold you back by force I will stand here right outside your door." "I will protect your name and your heart Because I miss my friend."

This song is a heartbreaking showing of loyalty to someone who is insistent on making a terrible mistake, and I think the concern really shows Ryou off as a whole.

Another song from Water From Elephants. This is basically Ryou finally coming to terms with his own trauma after ignoring his own... This is his grief... His way of showing it... In this song, he blames Yuuichi for taking his parents away from him before he could tell them how much he loved them, even though they weren't perfect... They were still his... And I think Ryou feels bad for this because he knows how much Shunsuke really wanted to save Yuu, and he can't feel anything but contempt for him. Ryou, I think, is someone who wants to help others, but knows there is very little he can actually do... And I think that's something he hates about himself... But he still keeps going...

The ending song for Persona 3 The Answer... A song about living on after losing someone you care about... I'll provide the English lyrics below...

Sunlight, the ray of morning that woke me up Shines again (all over my sight) – on this world While holding the collapsed promise all alone by myself I'm chasing over (it’s over my blind) - the yesterday in eyelid

Stay high, I’ve forgotten This clear blue sky Surely given by you The shining true feeling

Someday, if the strength of our held hands are scarred I won’t let it go, dear friends We’ll be like this, always

I wonder how many days strayed ‘cause we looked up at the same moon? Have you getting past (we told you so long) the same goodbye?

I knew it; surely, the pain was inflicted by the jewel As I count (you told me what’s wrong) -- those lost lights

Stay high, if you notice it Hey, there’s a dazzling blue sky on the window Surely, tomorrow’s door Still green, will open

Someday, if the passage of time changes everything I will never lose it It’s “you” I’ll lead the Brand New Days

Sunlight, the ray of morning that woke me up Then starts to shine (it’s all up to you) – on this world

There are days when I was tired to call “the meaning of living”, and then I was cowering Even so, it’s still in my heart (so look up to you) – your smile

Stay high, I’ve forgotten This clear blue sky Surely given by you The shining true feeling

Since I’ve been awake from the dream I will meet a new tomorrow That certainly believes in Your faith Always, every time

Stay high, if you notice it Hey, there’s a dazzling blue sky on the window Surely, tomorrow’s door Always green, opens

New Days, where you can hear the spring’s wind among the Graduation On the true days from today Where I meet you, towards tomorrow I’ll lead the brand new days

The new miracle will start from here At the Shining Place, right? Once more, with you…

Yeah... I wish I had more to provide for Ryou. If I find anything, I'll be sure to add some, but for now, this is it. I hope you guys like what I picked for them. I'll write my Sayaka post now.

[snowssilentrest]

It's Not That Complicated - A Re:Kinder Oneshot

Shunsuke looks at his phone. He reads back a message from a certain boy...

Yuuichi: Hey. You wanna meet up somewhere? Just the two of us?

Shunsuke: Sure. What day and time?

Yuuichi: Saturday at 1:00 works for me.

Shunsuke: Yeah, okay. We can hang out then.

Yuuichi: Great! It's a date then! Meet me at our usual spot! I'll see you then, handsome!

Shunsuke: Wait! What do you mean by date?!

Yuuichi never left a response... That's just like him... Ever since they met five years ago, Yuuichi has always liked making him feel weird. Whether it'd be complimenting his looks, or getting as close to him as possible, even when around friends... Heck, when they're alone, Yuuichi goes further, by brushing his hand against his, tackling him from behind and making him carry him (Although, in fairness, he'll do that even with people around...), to even hugging him really closely... Shunsuke tells him to stop, but he never does, and he's always happy he doesn't... But why is that? Why does he like it when Yuuichi does those things? Why is it that every time he sees him, he feels his heart beat super fast... Why is it every time Yuuichi says something that sounds like flirting, he just blushes like a fool... Why does he want to return the favor? Why does Yuuichi have to be so... cute... Shunsuke screams into a pillow, embarrassed.

"C'mon, Shunsuke! He's just teasing! It doesn't mean anything!" He shouts. "I mean... You're not even..." Shunsuke stops himself... "Aren't I though...?"

Shunsuke pulls up an article on gay rights... It's just been passed in America recently that gay marriage is allowed on a national level. He asked his Mom what that meant, and she explained that it meant two men or women could get married like a man and woman now... He remembers being shocked to hear this and asked, "Wait, that's okay now!"

His Mom's response, "It's always been okay. The world is just slow sometimes..." She gave him a look he couldn't quite describe, and that's when the questions came flooding...

Shunsuke knew that he hadn't really found girls all that attractive... But before then, he just chalked that up to not finding the right girl... But then Yuuichi came along and complicated things... He met him by chance in the 2rd grade, running into him on the streets of Kowada town, and they became fast friends... Shunsuke introduced him to Sayaka and Ryou, and they welcomed him with open arms... Yuuichi was reluctant to join them at first, but in time, he would come to their old hideout and play together after school... During that time, Yuuichi got really close to Shunsuke... and the games they would play together became very similar to the games Ryou and Sayaka played together... Yuuichi, of course, would pretend to be the wife, and Shunsuke, bless his heart, tried to be the husband... But he was so off with it that he just turned into a blushing mess... So, they pivoted to playing knights instead. Shunsuke was the Prince, and Yuuichi the Princess. As it turned out, Shunsuke was much more suited to that role, and they would have all sorts of fun... Later on, more friends like Takumi, Aya, Rei, and Hiroto came along, and they joined in on their game... Little did Shunsuke know at the time that all these games were an escape from Yuuichi's home life...

But that was then... this is now... He hopes... Yuuichi is pretty tight-lipped about what goes on at home nowadays... He remembered one particular day when he told him about his parents' fight all the time, and he's the one holding everything together... Most of this came out of nowhere, but Shunsuke listened to his friend who confided in him about something deeply personal... When he was done, he said,

"I understand if you want to stop being my friend... Most people hate me... If you continue to know me, you might end up being hated too..."

Shunsuke didn't know how to tell him that he's already hated... At least by his Dad and his family... So, he hugged him gently and kept him close... "Sorry... You're not getting rid of me that easily..."

"Idiot... You're way too nice..." He responded.

He slept over that night, his Mom cooking them her best curry, and giving him love he clearly isn't used to... Since then, the two have gotten closer and closer... and soon Shunsuke started thinking that Yuuichi was cute... not just cute, but like really cute... These thoughts scared him... These weren't the first time he's had thoughts like these about other boys. Hiroto was a pretty big example... And honestly, his first real step into discovering his... preferences... When he first met Hiroto, he wanted to be near him a lot. It must have been annoying to him at the time, but he was glad to be like a mentor to him... Or maybe a brother is more apt... But it wasn't just wanting to be near him, it was thinking how cool he looked, how strong he looked, how smart he was... Just how perfect he was... To a young 3rd grader still learning things about the world, Hiroto was basically his ideal of what a guy should be... His first real crush... Naturally, it didn't last long... Rei came into the group right around the same time, and while things were a bit rocky at the start with them, the two got close really quickly and soon became confidants, and that eventually turned into a genuine relationship... When that happened, he was happy for them both... The two weren't perfect, but they worked. They complemented each other in very real ways, and it made Shunsuke wonder if he would ever find someone like that for him...

"Okay... So, I might like boys... But that doesn't mean I like Yuuichi..." He tries to reason... He still hasn't told anyone about this... It's not exactly something you can casually bring up. "But..." He looks at the words, 'date' and 'handsome...' Is this really a date? Does he think he's really handsome? Was this Yuuichi trying to ask him out? Or was it Yuuichi pulling a Yuuichi... he just doesn't know... He really needs advice, but... who...?

At that moment, his Mom comes into the room, and can see the look of contemplation on his face... "Something got you stumped?" She asks.

"Oh... hi Mom..." He says, smiling at her... A lot has changed these last few years... His Mom finally ended things with his Dad. Good riddance, and she's been thriving a lot lately. Not only does she seem happier, but she's also been making a lot of strides in the baking industry to the point that her pies have won awards, which gave them enough money to start their own business, and that's been doing really well... Money is still not as tight as they would like it, but they're a lot better off than they were... "Umm..." Shunsuke trusts his Mom... She would probably be okay with him being... gay... Just use that word... It's not a bad word. But he doesn't really know how to tell her... "Well... Kinda..."

"You want my help?" Reina asks.

"Well... I was invited to hang out with someone on Saturday..." Shunsuke starts. "And... well, they called it a date..."

Reina looks at her son, happy for him... "Oh wow, look at you. When did you become so popular?" She asks, jokingly.

"Moooom!" Shunsuke blushes, embarrassed. "I'm not even sure if they meant a real date or if they were joking..."

"And why would you think that?" Reina asks.

"Well, because they have a history of blurring the lines... I never know if they're flirting or if they're just being silly..." Shunsuke admits. "I don't know... I think I want this to be a date... because I really, really, like them, but... I don't know if I like them that way or if it's just something else..."

"Well... there are a few questions I can ask to help you figure it out... You interested?" Reina asks, and Shunsuke nods. "Alright, first question, how long have you known them?"

"Five years..."

"Okay, so long enough to develop real feelings. 2nd question, how long have they acted this way?"

"Same amount of time..." Shunsuke answers.

"Ooh, good sign, 3rd question, who's the lucky boy?" Reina asks with a knowing smile.

"Huh? Wait, now hold on!" Shunsuke starts panicking. "I never said it was a... How did you...?"

"You just told me, silly..." Reina pokes his nose, and Shunsuke brings the pillow to his face in embarrassment. "Now, relax... It's not like I knew the entire time. I just... suspected..."

"You're not mad...?" Shunsuke asks, giving a peek. "Mad that I'm... different...?"

"No... You're my son... I love you no matter what anyone says..." Reina gives a gentle smile, and Shunsuke feels a weight lift off his chest... "Okay, now answer... Who's the boy?"

"It's Yuuichi..." He answers, turning a little pink.

"Okay, yeah, he's definitely into you," Reina says, so quickly it practically gives Shunsuke whiplash. "Definitely treat this like a real date. He'll appreciate it, I promise."

"Umm... Okay, but... um..." Now for the other problem... "What do I do on a date...?"

"Well, first, you dress nicely. Second, you should be as sweet as you can, while still being yourself. Third, and this is very important for you, especially, be discreet. Even straight couples are looked at strangely for public displays of affection."

"Well, I don't think that'll be a problem," Shunsuke says, knowing he'd be too nervous to even hold hands with Yuuichi. "But what will I wear?"

"Let's pick something out..." Reina goes to her son's closet and looks through his clothes... "Geez... You really got to organize this..."

"Leave me alone, it's organized... for me..." Shunsuke says, a little too defensively.

"Let's see, I know Rei got you something good not too long ago... Ah! Here we are!" She pulls out a royal blue button-down shirt, his usual white T-shirt, and some grey jean shorts. Since it's summer, he really should try to avoid long pants for the time being. Plus, he's a teenager, so he can be owed some leeway. "This will definitely work..."

Shunsuke looks at the clothes, choosing to defer to his Mom on this one. His sense of fashion is just as bad as it was when he was younger. So, the help is appreciated. "Okay... Yeah, this will work..." He gets really nervous, all of a sudden. "Okay... okay... So, just in case this is real, I'll at least look decent."

"What time is the date?" Reina asks.

"1:00..." He answers.

"Okay..." Reina goes to get her purse and gives her some yen, putting it on his desk. "Don't forget this, okay? This should be enough for whatever you two want to do together. Just try to be home before 9:00. Keep your phone with you, just in case. Alright?"

"Yes, ma'am," Shunsuke says, smiling... "Hey, Mom... Thank you..."

Reina just smiles and leaves her son to think about his next steps for his first date... It's hard to believe how much he's grown these past few years... She knows the world will likely be against him, but as long as he stays himself, she knows he'll be okay...

As Shunsuke lies down on his bed, thinking about the next day, he gets a text from the group chat...

Ryou: Hey, Shunsuke, you free to hang out tomorrow?

Shunsuke: Sorry. I can't. I have a date tomorrow.

Ryou: Oh, okay...

Sayaka: Wait, a date!?

Ryou: Hold on, I'm just not realizing what you say. You have a date!?

Shunsuke: Geez... Don't sound so shocked...

Takumi: I was wondering why my phone was buzzing. Shunsuke, do you seriously have a date?

Shunsuke: Even you, Takumi?

Takumi: Sorry! I don't mean anything by it.

Sayaka: I do! Who would fall for you? I'm kidding! Who is she? Do we know her?

Shunsuke: I'm not telling you! It's a secret! You'll have to find out later!

Sayaka: Ah boo! You're no fun!

Aya: Hi. Just checking in. Shunsuke... Best of luck on your date. I'm sure you'll do great.

Shunsuke: Thanks, Aya...Hey, Ryou, I managed to get a date before you. How do you feel?

Ryou: Shut up!

Shunsuke: Am I wrong? Are you and Sayaka actually dating?

Sayaka: Hey, don't make this about us, buster!

Rei: Yeesh, you guys are loud. Some of us are trying to study here. By the way, Shunsuke, what are you wearing?

Shunsuke takes a picture of his outfit, which his Mom picked out for him, and Rei sends a thumbs-up emoji.

Rei: Not a bad pick. You'll look good in that.

Hiroto: Sorry, I'm late. What's this about Shunsuke getting a date?

Rei: He's got a date, Hiro. It's his first one.

Hiroto: Oh, wow! Congrats, Shunsuke. Best of luck with whoever it is!

Shunsuke: Thanks... Anyway... Do you guys have any ideas what we should do?

Ryou: No clue.

Takumi: Don't ask me

Sayaka: I'm going to recuse myself here. My ideas will probably make you mad.

Aya: You can take them out to eat somewhere... I'd let them pick.

Rei: Aya's got the right idea. But a movie isn't a bad idea either.

Hiroto: Amusement parks are always a safe option. But honestly, you're better off going along with what your date wants, unless they ask you what you want.

Rei: That's the winner right there.

Sayaka: No flirting in the group chat!

Rei: No.

Sayaka: Darn!

Shunsuke: Okay... Thanks... I'll figure it out on my own. But anyway... wish me luck!

Shunsuke silences his phone and decides to try to get some sleep for the next day. When the next day comes, Shunsuke takes a shower to make sure he is clean and then puts on deodorant and cologne. He tries to brush his hair to make it look somewhat nice, but he just goes with his usual style. He puts on his usual white t-shirt, and then layers his royal blue button-down over it, putting on his grey jorts, and then putting on some good walking shoes. He then shows his outfit to his Mom, who promptly takes a photo. Shunsuke turns a little pink, but he smiles a genuine smile... "Did you get the money?" She asks, and he shows the money in his pocket. "Oh, you need a wallet..." Reina looks around the house, and she finds an old wallet she doesn't use anymore and puts the money in there, giving it to Shunsuke. "Okay... Is there anything else you need?"

"Emotional support?" He jokes.

She playfully pushes his shoulder. "You're going to be fine. Now, go have fun... I'll see you when you get home..."

Shunsuke heads out the door and heads on over to his and Yuuichi's usual meeting spot... He tries to be as relaxed as possible. It's completely possible Yuuichi was just messing with him. But when he gets to the meeting spot, Yuuichi is not only already there, but he's wearing a short-sleeved lavender polo shirt and cargo shorts... His messy hair is in its usual state, but it looks like there was an attempt at combing it before he just gave up and left it as is. When Yuuichi sees him, he waves to him, and Shunsuke walks over to him...

"Well, you look dressed to impress," Yuuichi states, looking him over with his usual smile. "Did your Mom pick that out for you?"

"Y-Yeah..." Shunsuke answers.

Yuuichi pokes his forehead. Of course, he has to get on his tippy toes to do so. "You weren't supposed to be so honest, silly... But you look good. How do I look?"

"Um, uh..." Shunsuke struggles to find the words. Well, that's a lie. The first word he thought of was cute. The second was adorable. The third was... "Good..." Shunsuke kicks himself for picking something so plain. But it's hard enough admitting you find a boy either of those things. Do so in a public setting, and it makes it 11x harder.

Yuuichi chuckles, though, as if he expected such an answer. "You're lucky you're cute, or I might have found that insulting."

Shunsuke turns a bright pink, but he regains his composure long enough to ask... "You didn't answer my text..." He sounds a little disappointed at that... "I was really wondering what you meant..."

"I saw it. But I wanted to see what answer you came up with. Judging by how dressed up you are, you thought I meant date in that way..." Yuuichi says.

"Was I wrong...?" Shunsuke asks...

Yuuichi walks up to him, getting really close to him, and says, "What do you think?"

"Um..." Shunsuke's legs start to shake, and he backs away a little... As much as he wants this to be a date, he's still... struggling with being open about his identity... "Sorry..." He immediately says... "I don't want you to think that I don't want it to be that way, but... um... You know...."

Yuuichi sighs and smiles gently. "Of course I know..." Yuuichi keeps his distance. "For the record... I did want this to be a date in that way... I wanted to know if you were like me..."

"I am! I mean... I think I am..." Shunsuke says, still uncertain, but pretty sure.

Yuuichi goes over and grabs Shunsuke's hands, who turns a bright red, the moment their hands touch... "You're in good company then..."

Shunsuke doesn't let go... He really likes holding his hand... It's different... They did hold hands a lot when they were younger, but now it feels different... It feels... safe... "So... what do you want to do?"

Yuuichi shrugs his shoulders, "Honestly, I wasn't even sure you were going to come... But since you're here..." Yuuichi thinks about it for a second before remembering that a movie he's been wanting to see is in theatres... "Did your Mom get you some money?" Shunsuke nods... "Then let's go to the movies! A new movie came out, and I really want to see it!"

"O-Okay..." Yuuichi leads Shunsuke to the movie theatre, and he pays for two tickets to the movie Yuuichi wants to see. While also getting them some drinks and popcorn.

The two take their seats, and Yuuichi wastes no time leaning on Shunsuke. This boy is not subtle at all, and yet Shunsuke still wonders if Yuuichi genuinely likes him, or if he's just doing this to be funny... He decides not to think about it, though, genuinely liking the attention he's giving him... The two spend the next couple of hours watching the movie... Yuuichi spent the entire time watching the film closely, while Shunsuke kept more of his eyes on Yuuichi's face... The way he would smile when something funny happened, the way his face would pout when a character he disliked was on screen, and how, during the emotional moments, Yuuichi went oddly quiet and just looked at the screen with an almost distant look... During that moment... Shunsuke slowly puts his hand over Yuuichi's, which snaps Yuuichi out of his trance, and he looks towards him, surprised... Yuuichi's face turns a dark red when Shunsuke does that... Thankfully, he doesn't see that, but he never expected Shunsuke to be the one to make any kind of move on him... Does he actually like him, too? He honestly thought he was humoring him... Shunsuke smiles, and Yuuichi just turns his face towards the screen... his little heart beating so fast...

When the movie ends, Shunsuke and Yuuichi still feel a bit hungry despite the popcorn, and Shunsuke says, "We can go get something to eat if you want. My Mom gave me enough to eat out."

"Hmm... I could eat..." Yuuichi says. "Sure!" The two then go to a nearby ramen joint that opened up recently, and they head inside and order a bowl. "You ever been here before?"

"A few times. It's pretty good," Shunsuke says. "Their tonkotsu ramen is really good..."

"I'll have to give it a try then..." Yuuichi says, ordering the same thing as Shunsuke. During this, the two talk a bit more. "So, how's middle school treating you?"

"Well... It's harder than elementary school. I actually have to try now..." Shunsuke admits. "My grades have gotten better because the idea of repeating a year is unappealing. But Ryou, Sayaka, and Takumi are in the same class as me, so that's a plus."

"Lucky... It would've sucked if you all got separated..." Yuuichi says. "Join any clubs?"

"Yeah... Actually, I'm in the music club with Aya," Shunsuke admits. "Well, it's more of a choir club really..."

"Oh, so you're a Glee kid," Yuuichi teases, which makes Shunsuke grimace.

"No! That's you," He counters.

"Oooh, ouch, that stings," Yuuichi says, smirking. "Well, at least neither of us gets slushies thrown in our faces."

"Yeah, if that happened to me, I'd probably throw them out the window." Shunsuke jokes.

"Well, let me know if that happens, and I'll help hide the body," Yuuichi adds, making Shunsuke laugh. "In all seriousness... How's the bullying situation there?"

"It's not too bad..." Shunsuke answers, with a solemn look... Yuuichi has a history of being bullied... Before, he and his friends could shield him from it a little, but now... With him being in 6th grade, and the others now in Junior High, it's not as easy as it once was... "Is it happening again..."

"Heheh, nothing gets by you..." Yuuichi answers.

"How bad is it?" Shunsuke asks.

"Nothing I can't handle... Don't worry, soon I'll be out of there, and you can show me around with everyone..." Yuuichi tries to assure... "But... I do miss you when I'm at school..." His voice turned serious for a second, but before turning chipper once more. "Well, you're here now! Let's not talk about that depressing stuff!"

Shunsuke is taken aback by the sudden shift, but he can tell that Yuuichi doesn't want to talk about this. "Hey, Yuuichi... Um..." Shunsuke is honestly at a loss about what to do next. It's been established that this is a date. They just got out of a movie and are now eating lunch together. After this, now what?

"So... I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know what I'm doing," Shunsuke admits.

"Is that supposed to be a surprise?" Yuuichi asks, sarcastically. "It's a date. Not rocket science. Just spend time with me, that's all you need to do."

"But... Well, it's only 4:00. My Mom says to be home by 9:00, and there really isn't much to do here..." Shunsuke says, really wanting this to be special.

"So... We can either hang out around town for five hours... Or..." Yuuichi has an idea, and this one will guarantee that no one can see the two of them. "We can go to your house for the rest of the date."

"Huh... Is that allowed?" Shunsuke asks.

"Why not? Your Mom knows me very well by now. She clearly knows your preferences. And we don't have to worry about people seeing us. Plus..." Yuuichi leans on the table, looking longingly at the other boy... Shunsuke initially thinks he's about to say something flirty again, when instead... "This way, I can avoid going home for as long as possible..."

Shunsuke gives a look of concern when he says that... He hasn't heard much about Yuuichi's home life... and it's not exactly something one discusses in public in earshot of others... Shunsuke feels this sense that if he doesn't say yes to this suggestion, he'll regret it... So... "Okay... I'll let Mom know you're coming over..."

Yuuichi looks at him, surprised, "Wait, you're actually doing this. I was just joking. You don't have to if you don't want-"

"I want to..." Shunsuke interrupts.

"A bit fast for a first date..." Yuuichi says, turning pink, which just makes him look... cute...

"It was your idea..." Shunsuke counters, also blushing a little. "You done eating?" Yuuichi nods, and Shunsuke pays for the full meal.

"You know, I have some money too, maybe I should..."

"Don't," Shunsuke says. "It's on me..."

"If you say so..." Yuuichi watches as Shunsuke leaves some money on the table and the two leave the place. Shunsuke texts his Mom what's going on, and she says,

Mom: Oh! Okay! Sure! I'll get something sweet made for you two.

Shunsuke: You don't need to do that.

Mom: Too late. I already got dough made.

Shunsuke: That fast!?

Mom: I have to make a lot of pies for work. So, I premake all my dough.

Shunsuke: Oh! That makes way more sense.

Mom: Anyway, I'll see you two when you get here!

"Alright, I got the okay," Shunsuke says, smiling. "And she's making pie."

"Wow... She really wants this to go well for you," Yuuichi says, teasingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shunsuke asks.

"Shunsuke... Let me put it this way... A lot of people would date you only for a chance to eat your Mom's pie for free." Yuuichi states.

Shunsuke slants his eyes, feeling conflicted. "You just praised my Mom while insulting me, and I don't know how I feel about that..."

"Well... I'm not most people..." Yuuichi says, grabbing his arm, which makes Shunsuke blush even more. "You're adorable when you blush."

"Sh-Shut up..." Shunsuke says.

"Ah, c'mon, Shun-chan, you know it's true," Yuuichi teases...

"Don't call me that..." Shunsuke says, pouting.

"Why not... It's a cute nickname, and aren't couples supposed to give each other cute nicknames...?" Yuuichi asks, giving a pout, which just makes Shunsuke blush even more.

"I... How should I know?!" Shunsuke blushes even more. "Are we even a couple?"

"Do you want to be?" Yuuichi asks, looking almost serious.

"C'mon, Yuuichi! Stop messing with me like this..." Shunsuke says, moving a little bit away, crossing his arms as if to protect himself... "It's confusing..."

Yuuichi looks at Shunsuke's face and realizes that he may have gone too far... "I'm sorry..." He says, looking genuinely guilty...

"We can talk about this when we get back to my house..." Shunsuke says, starting to walk, turning around to make sure Yuuichi follows him. He does, much to his relief...

It doesn't take long for the two to get back to Shunsuke's house, where his Mom is still making the filling for the pie, while the crust cooks. "Hey guys," She says. "How's the date?"

"It's going good," Shunsuke says, looking over at Yuuichi, who takes off his shoes... He goes over to Reina and gives her a hug hello.

"It's good to see you, Reina," Yuuichi says. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"It's no problem. I've known you long enough. You're like one of the family," Reina says. "Why don't you and Shunsuke hang out in the living room. I'm cooking something special to commemorate this moment, and I'm gonna want to your honest opinion."

"Okay! I'll be to tell you how much it sucks!" Yuuichi jokes.

Reina thumps his forehead, leaving a little mark there. "Just for that, I'm charging double the next time you come in."

"Ah, but your pies are already expensive!" Yuuichi sounds genuinely saddened by this prospect. "I'm sorry! I'll tell you how amazing it is instead!"

"Now, that's better," Reina responds, laughing. "Now, go hang out with your boyfriend, already."

"Ah, um... well, we haven't actually made it official yet," Yuuichi admits. Reina looks at Yuuichi and then at Shunsuke, who is watching all of this happen, and his uncertain face is enough for her to know he's being truthful...

"Are you waiting for my permission?" She asks... Yuuichi shakes his head... "Well, you have it anyway... But you two need to talk about this..." Reina goes down to Yuuichi's height to whisper... "I know you like him a lot... You've made it obvious since you were seven. If you want to pursue a serious relationship with my son, you need to tell him how you feel without all the theatrics..."

"But... what if it scares him away...?"

"It won't..." Reina assures. "You two need to take things slow... but you also need to decide where to go from here..."

"Okay..." Yuuichi says...

Shunsuke goes over to Yuuichi and gently grabs his hand, who looks over at him, surprised... "Mom... Is it okay if we talk in my room? I'll keep the door open..."

"That's fine," Reina says. "I'll come get you when the pie is ready."

"Thanks... C'mon, Yuuichi..." Shunsuke tugs him along, and they head up the stairs. When they get up there, Shunsuke asks... "So... why did you ask me out...? Be honest with me..."

Yuuichi solemnly chuckles... "Nothing gets by you, huh..."

"I've noticed a pattern with you... Whenever something happens, you always want to talk with me alone..." Shunsuke says, sitting down on his bed. "Did something happen at home?"

Yuuichi nods, sitting down next to him... "My Grandma died recently..." He says... "Her heart finally gave out..."

"Yuuichi... I'm sorry..." Shunsuke says.

"She was old... And her mind was fading... It was her time..." Yuuichi states, crossing his arms as if to comfort himself. "To be honest... I was glad when she died... I thought maybe my Mom would finally start getting better. Or maybe my Dad would start being nicer..."

"Did that happen?"

Yuuichi shakes his head. "Nope... Not the way I wanted it to... Once Grandma died, Mom did the unthinkable... She asked my Dad for a divorce..." Shunsuke's mouth opens wide in shock. "I gave the same look you did... What's even stranger is that my Dad agreed! Like, there was no fighting! No screaming! No holes in the wall! My Mom just asked my Dad for a divorce, and he agreed... They're speaking with a divorce lawyer now, and... well... one of them is leaving Kowada Town..."

"No way..." Shunsuke says... "You... You're not leaving, are you?"

"I don't know yet... My parents are letting me decide..." Yuuichi admits. "Honestly... I've been wanting an opportunity to leave this place for years now... I don't have a lot of good memories here... I mean, there's you, and your friends, obviously, but..."

"It wasn't enough to counter everything else..." Shunsuke says, feeling conflicted. With a part of him wanting Yuuichi to be happy, and another part wanting him to stay... He knows it would be selfish to wish for the latter, but... he doesn't want him to leave...

"Sorry..." Yuuichi says. "I'm sorry for using you again..."

"What do you mean again?" Shunsuke asks...

"Well... every time something went wrong, I would go to you because you always made me feel better..." Yuuichi admits. "I knew you wouldn't say no to me if I asked you to see me... and that wasn't fair of me to ask to hang out with you so I could talk about my problems... And... Well... I know it wasn't fair to flirt with you constantly without making it clear what my feelings are for you... And for that, I'm sorry too..." Yuuichi gives an obviously fake smile... "I'm awful and underhanded... You shouldn't fall for someone like me..."

"But I did..." Shunsuke admits, gently holding his hand, and looking him in his brown eyes... "I did fall for you..." Shunsuke finally says the thing he's been holding back for a while now... "I think I fell for you the moment you asked me to be your Prince..."

"Geez, you remember something that embarrassing?" Yuuichi asks, chuckling, but secretly happy. "How could you fall for someone like me? I'm rotten..."

"Because I'm rotten too..." Shunsuke admits, making sure that Yuuichi keeps looking at him... "I knew you had a hard life, and I still chose to stick around with you because being around you made me feel good... It made me feel like a good person for wanting and choosing to be around someone the rest of the town dislikes for some reason... I thought because I did that, I was using you to make myself feel better..."

"But... that's not true..." Yuuichi says. "If that were the case, you wouldn't let me spend time with you alone when no one was here to see you... If that were true, you wouldn't have said yes to being alone with me in public on multiple occasions... You may have thought that, but that doesn't make it true..."

"Well... If you say so..." Shunsuke's still not sure if that's true, but he does know one thing to be true... "I still like you a lot... Like... in a boyfriend way..."

"I like you too..." Yuuichi admits. "I like you so much, it hurts..." Yuuichi brings his hands to his heart... "You know, it's funny... I've been wanting to leave this place for so long, but now that I've found you, and told you how I feel... I don't want to leave..."

"You don't?" Yuuichi shakes his head, and Shunsuke gently pulls him into a hug... "Then stay... I... I want you to stay... And if you think you can be happy with me, then... Well... I'll gladly be your boyfriend..."

Yuuichi turns a bright pink, and he buries his head into Shunsuke's shoulder... "If you're okay with how I flirt, cling to you, and well, everything else... then... well... I'll be your boyfriend..."

"To be honest, I really like it when you do that," Shunsuke admits, smiling... "I... um... only react the way I do because I didn't know if you were being sincere or not..."

Yuuichi smiles and plants a kiss on Shunsuke's cheek. "Does that answer your question?"

This act unfortunately broke Shunsuke for about a minute as he had to comprehend what Yuuichi just did... His face turns dark red, and his brain is on high alert. "Shunsuke.... You okay, dude?"

Shunsuke nods, grabbing a pillow to hide his face... Yuuichi just laughs, though, thinking this entire scene was just adorable. "For a guy who tries to be cool, you sure do break easily."

Shunsuke turns his gaze towards him, and he glares at him a little. His eyes are closed from laughing, and Shunsuke decides a little payback might be overdue... So, he scoots over to Yuuichi and kisses him right on the cheek... Which proceeds to overload Yuuichi as he contemplates that someone actually gave the same level of affection he would give to him, and now his brain is trying to comprehend someone caring that much about him... Yuuichi can only lie down on his boyfriend's bed and look up at the ceiling as his face gets really hot, and his brain becomes lightheaded... Good job, Shunsuke. He just broke his boyfriend! It's Shunsuke's turn to laugh now, as he lies next to him and starts to hold him close...

"You're adorable, Yuyu..." Shunsuke says... which manages to bring Yuuichi back... Partially.

"Yuyu?" Yuuichi questions, feeling really embarrassed by that name.

"You said couples give each other embarrassing nicknames. Well, that's mine for you. Do you hate it?" Shunsuke asks, with a mischievous grin.

"Yes. Never call me that in public," Yuuichi answers, glaring.

"Okay, I will," Shunsuke says, joking, which earns him a playful punch from Yuuichi.

"You're mean," Yuuichi responds.

"Turnabout is fair play," Shunsuke responds.

"I hate turnabouts..." Yuuichi says, but he leans into Shunsuke... "Just shut up and hold me..."

Shunsuke complies, the two sitting up, with Shunsuke holding Yuuichi as he leans into his boyfriend's chest. Eventually, Reina walks up and sees the two cuddling, and she just smiles.

"Pie is ready if you two love birds want it," She says.

"Okay, Mom, we'll be right down," Shunsuke says.

"Sorry, Shun-chan, but I'm afraid I love your Mom's pie more than you," Yuuichi says, as he gets off of Shunsuke and heads down towards the kitchen, with Shunsuke following him while rolling his eyes. When they get down there, Yuuichi is already eating a slice, and his Mom slides a plate over to Shunsuke, who begins eating his...

"So...?" Reina questions, looking at the two expectantly.

"It's official," Shunsuke says, smiling, a little embarrassed.

"I'm so happy for you, Shunsuke..." Reina says... "My baby boy is growing up so fast. Yuuichi... I'm glad he found you..."

Yuuichi looks over at Shunsuke, and he smiles at him... He still can't believe this is real... "Me too..."

The two finish up their pie, and Shunsuke walks Yuuichi out the door... He doesn't live that far, and he's certain it's way too soon to ask Yuuichi to spend the night with their new relationship... His Mom likely wouldn't let that happen anyway. Still, the two walk outside into the night sky, and Shunsuke holds Yuuichi's hand under a streetlight...

"I had a good time..." He says.

"Me too... Maybe next time, we can go to a game center or a theme park..." Yuuichi suggests, smiling wide.

"Hiroto says that themes park are usually a safe choice," Shunsuke states.

"Well, he's not wrong," Yuuichi responds. "Speaking of, how should we handle that bombshell for them?"

"We could tell them tomorrow. I'm pretty confident they'll be okay with it," Shunsuke answers.

"If that's what you want, that's fine. I don't particularly want to hide anyway... I've done enough of that for one lifetime," Yuuichi says, scooting closer to Shunsuke... Both boys blushing...

"You know... if this were a movie, we would kiss..." Shunsuke points to his lips... "here... I... I don't know if I'm ready for that, though..."

"Hmmm..." Yuuichi smiles. "Do you want to kiss me again?"

Shunsuke nods, nervously... "But I think it's too soon for that kind of kiss..."

"That's fine..." Yuuichi turns his cheek... "You can kiss me here again... I'm ready for it this time..."

Shunsuke nods, and he kisses Yuuichi on the cheek again, one more time, and Yuuichi returns it with his own kiss on the cheek. The two boys giggle like, well, children... and they give each other one last hug, before saying...

"I'll see you tomorrow... I'll keep in touch about what my parents decide. I'll figure things out..."

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything, Yuyu..." Shunsuke gives a teasing grin, while Yuuichi just gives a glare... the nickname may or may not be already growing on him. But he isn't about to say otherwise.

"You too, Shun-chan," Yuuichi says in his own teasing voice... "Bye bye!"

And with that, the two sign off on their official first date, when Shunsuke heads back inside... He can hardly believe it's real... He and Yuuichi are actually boyfriends now... Wow, that's going to be a lot to explain to his friends tomorrow. But he knows it'll be okay... He knows that things will be okay now... Shunsuke goes to put on his sleepwear, and he lies down in bed as he texts his friends that the date went well and that he's in a relationship now. He also says he's going to show them who it is tomorrow... saying it'll probably be a surprise to some, and to others, not at all... Of course, with the reveal of Yuuichi being his boyfriend now comes the added bonus of coming out as gay to trusted friends... Right now, he hasn't thought about all the struggles that come with being young and gay, but right now, he's so happy that he doesn't really care about all those struggles. Sure, he knows they exist... But he'd rather deal with them as they come... He's still young, and the world may not be perfect, but as long as Yuuichi is by his side, he'll be okay... They both will be okay...

End.

//Yeah. This is definitely a bit on the fluffy, trashy side than anything deep and introspective. But if you want that, you can read Lost Boy's Solace. I think part of my struggle was coming off on so much angsty writing that I felt I needed to include it. But honestly, I think with the world being on fire, we just need stories that depict honest, queer joy. So, yeah, this is my ShunYuu fluff. I hope you guys enjoy it, even though it's not as cerebral as my other works. I had a lot of ideas coming, and I ultimately decided to either lighten it up, and/or reuse them for Lost Boy's Solace, which will be a natural hunting ground for as much angst as you want... Anyway, happy Pride month, everyone. I know that the world sucks right now, but keep living, and keep strong. There's always something worth living and fighting for, no matter how shitty the world is... But that's enough on my soapbox. I'll see you around.//

[snowssilentrest]

So, I promise I am writing my Pride Month one shot for ShunYuu. I just need to reread what I’ve written since I am actually struggling with it for some reason. I feel like I am missing something with it. So, I’ll get on that soon. In other news, I added two new songs to Shunsuke’s playlist bring the total songs to 34. I suspect there will be more when The Lost Boys Original Broadway Cast Recording is released, but we will see (Four songs have been released so far and one is for Yuuichi and the other is for Shunsuke’s Mom). Anyway, the two new songs!

I relistened to this song, which is from Rent, and while originally a duet (this version actually cuts a line that made it a duet, but that’s on purpose since I plan on using the original version for the ShunYuu playlist.), this song has been covered by many artists as a breakup son, but also a mourning song. Anthony Rapp, one of the original Broadway cast members, famously sang this song for his Mom’s funeral, and I kept that in mind for why I added. So, why am I using Leslie Odom Jr.’s version? Well, because I liked it a lot, and the choice to cut a verse really gave the impression that someone was missing in Shunsuke’s life, and I just loved that idea so much. Also, Leslie Odom Jr sung this song during the Can’t Cancel Pride event which honored all the LGBTQ lives that were lost over the years, including the then recent Pulse nightclub tragedy. So, yeah, I love thematic storytelling and connecting things through music. We should know this by now.

Hey, ever wondered if there was a song that covered what it was like to deal with PTSD and survivors guilt in real time? Yeah, that’s what this song is. This song, in particular, is from a show that takes place around the time of the Vietnam War, and if you know your history, we all know why that time was particularly hard for veterans coming home. Yeah… I shouldn’t need to explain any more. But this is basically Shunsuke struggling with having survived while so many others died, and how he struggles to deal with that guilt.

[gabycantart]

Finally done!!! Kindergarten x rgp maker characters \(^^)/

List below of who's who👇

Kid: Madotsuki (Yume Nikki) Nugget: Eddie (Angels of Death) Lily: Ayumi (Corpse Party) Billy: Aya (Mad Father) Cindy: Rin (Mermaid Swamp) Buggs: Buck (Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass) Jerome: Phillip (Space Funeral) Monty: Neil (To the Moon) Carla: Fugo (Noel the Mortal Fate) Penny: Charlotte (Hello Charlotte) Felix: Sirius(Witch's Heart) Ted: Russel (End Roll) Ozzy: Nao (Your Turn to Die) Madison: Niko (One Shot) Ron: The Batter (OFF) Alice: Ib (Ib) Emmy: Basil (Omori) Austin: Samekichi (Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea) Davey: Yuuichi (Re:Kinder) Kevin: David (The Crooked Man)

._.

[thedrotter]

I've wanted to try drawing Yuuichi as Dejiko from Di Gi Charat for a little while since she reminds me of him a bit so there he is www also new installment of yuu in dresses🫣🫣 still very theraupetic to do (╹ڡ╹ ) anyway doodle dump theres that too

[misterstrawberrypwpw]

I'm still alive! I had my Russian exam today. It wasn't exactly a slam dunk, but it wasn't easy either. I sat there for a long time and my head has been hurting all day, but I'm here! I have exams in other subjects, so I'll be dying a lot, heh.

By the way! I've got a second channel where I post random junk and drawings unrelated to Re:kinder. I felt awkward posting stuff like that here, so I decided to start a second channel so I can post whatever I want without feeling shy or awkward. Here it is! @missgrape-102

[snowssilentrest]

Re:Kinder Voice Claims for Characters as Adults

So, this has been on my mind for the past couple of months, ever since I did a voice claim for the characters as kids, using actual child actors. This time, I want to switch things up and provide voice claims for how I think the kids would sound as adults. However, I'm going to go about this in two ways, one is going to be the voices when I first looked, and the other is going to be an AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) pick. One of my regrets when I did the voices for the kids is that I didn't really pick any actors who were AAPI. In this day and age, both on and off screen, whether on stage or in a cartoon, the world has pivoted to having proper representation of actors who match the ethnicity of the characters in order to give proper and authentic representation. All in all, this does tend to work out in the long run. Look at Yakuza: Like A Dragon's use of a Korean Voice actor for the character, Joon-Gi Han, for the English dub, so he was able to speak proper Korean. Or in the Great Ace Attorney's English Dub, which attempts to cast Japanese-European Actors for the characters Ryunosuke Naruhodo and Susato Mikotaba, and the result really works out, especially for Susato, whose accent is a really good mix of European and Japanese. I have been a big supporter of authentic casting in even animated media, especially in the cases where the character's ethnicity and background are central to the plot at hand. This is why Chad's voice actor in Bleach switched when Thousand Year Blood Arc came around. The original voice actor was a white man, and Chad was mixed, specifically half Japanese, half Mexican, so he was represented by someone of Latino descent, specifically Cuban. And while I don't know how this worked out, since I haven't seen Bleach beyond the third season. On my part, as a White man, I think it's important to cast characters authentically, especially when the character's ethnicity is important to the plot or a major contributor to it, which, in Chad's case, from what I remember, it was. His Mexican heritage came into play quite a bit in the initial seasons, and it made sense to cast a Latino actor in the role. Now... Honestly, this still isn't as simple as it seems. Ideally, you want to cast actors who match the ethnicity exactly, but to this day, this is still an issue. I mentioned Chad, whose voice actor was replaced by a Cuban-American instead of a Mexican-American. Ideally, the actor would've been the latter instead of the former. And while your mileage may vary depending on where you're originally from, ideally, you would cast the actor with the best skill who matched the ethnicity exactly. Now, for Asian characters, this gets a bit more complicated. Relationships between the countries are tumultuous at best, and antagonistic at worst, especially towards Japan (Honestly, not without good reason). Just read up on how the main actress for Memoir's of a Geisha was treated for playing a Japanese character when she was Chinese. It was a mess. So, it's not a perfect solution, but from what I can tell, people seem okay if the ethnicity of the actor at least matches the general ethnicity of the character (Asian, Latino, etc.). I say all of this because my picks for the Asian voice claims are Filipino, Chinese, Korean, and I think there's possibly at least one Japanese actress. But I wanted to make it clear that this isn't perfect AAPI representation, but I wanted to give a shoutout to the voices of a culture that has frequently been pushed aside in the entertainment industry overseas. With that being said, let's begin.

Shunsuke Takano - Jonathan Groff and Timothy H. Lee

For Shunsuke, I imagined that as he got older, his voice would get a bit deeper, but still undoubtedly a tenor voice. Honestly, for Shunuske for his initial voice and AAPI voice, it was a toss-up between Jeremy Jordan and Zachary Noah Piser, mainly because they both had what I was looking for. But I ultimately went with the two because I felt they fit the character better overall. Although you can consider the other two his understudies if you wish (Look them up, they're fabulous singers). I think his voice would probably have a medium speaking range, not too high, but not too low either. It's very much in the middle, until he starts singing. Jonathan Groff is an actor known for Spring Awakening, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Just in Time, and 36 Questions. He was also the English voice for Kristoff in all things related to Frozen. Timothy H. Lee, however, got his start as a KPop Idol before transitioning to stage work in New York, where he played a character in the tragically short-lived KPop Musical and was the first Asian Orpheus on Broadway.

Yuuichi Mizuoka - Jack Wolfe and Sam Tsui

For Yuuichi, I imagine his voice staying consistently high to the point that even when he's actually an older teen, his height, face, and voice would consistently make a lot of people mistake him for older. He's the one person who has to always bring an ID to a bar, and said bar gets checked for being real. Like. All the time. For that reason, I went with Jack Wolfe. To be honest, when I started writing my story, I was pretty much dead set on Jack Wolfe being his grown-up voice claim. Until I realized that I should also be looking at AAPI voices for the characters, and that's when I came across Sam Tsui. An actor and singer on YouTube, most known for posting covers, but has recently expanded into musical theatre with Children of Eden, where he played Cain and Jappheth, and has written a musical cycle called Immortals, which he's also in. I actually found Sam by chance and thought his nasally but high voice was also a perfect fit for an adult Yuuichi, so I went with it. As for Jack Wolfe, he's a recent breakout star. You probably know him for Shadow and Bones, but he's also been a big hit in musical theatre, where he played Gabe Goodman in Next to Normal and Orpheus in Hadestown, where he got critical acclaim. His voice is like butter and is honestly one of the voices I've heard in my life, and I say this with no hyperbole. And with me thinking Yuuichi is a talented singer, I had to give him the best.

Ryou Shimoya - Jack Ofrecio and Zheng Xi Yong

So, for Ryou, I'll be honest, he was the hardest pick for me. It was frankly easier for me to find a voice for him as a kid than as an adult. But here we are. I thought his voice would be a bit imperfect, with an odd sound, but still good. While the picks I gave for him are probably closer to tenors, I think he'd have a baritenor voice. Which is the voice between baritone and tenor (My range, believe it or not). So, I went with Jack Ofrecio and Zheng Xi Yong. Both are pretty new actors in their careers. Jack Ofrecio is most known for playing Henry in the recent production of Next to Normal, while Zheng Xi Yong has been acting for a few years and has hit his stride when he played Kousei in the Your Lie in April Musical (The second musical based on an anime to get an Englsh production, the first being Death Note. Coincidentally, by the same composer too, Frank Wildhorn). Both voices are technically good, but have a bit of an odd sound when they sing. And I initially thought of Ryou having a cooler adult sound similar to a bro character, but after thinking about it, I thought he was a bit too nerdy and odd for that, so I went with the more funny sound instead. I think it works for him better overall in the end.

Sayaka Akatsuki - Megan McGinnis, Rachel Clare Chan, & Helen J Shen

For Sayaka, I actually thought her voice would sound really sweet, but it actually has a lot of attitude behind it. So, I went with these three actresses. Honestly, I struggled with picking between Helen and Rachel, so I decided to just use both. It's probably hard to tell in the songs I picked, but each of these actresses shows some attitude in other songs. As Helen demonstrates in Rainy Day We Met (also special shoutout to Darren Criss, an AAPI actor who I couldn't quite hear in any of the characters, but I love his voice, so... here we are.). You can hear Megan's attitude more in the musical Daddy Long Legs, where she's both funny, charming, and still sweet. She's also known for playing Beth March in the Little Women musical. Rachel Clare Chan has been working hard in the musical scene for a while, and she's gotten a nice stride recently. Originally appearing as a guest on podcasts such as Musicals with Cheese, she's recently been appearing in many musicals, such as Death Note, where she played Saya Yagami (A cast recording of this does exist but hasn't been released yet, which is aggravating), and she was Tsubaki Sawabe in the Your Lie In April Musical. Helen J Shen, meanwhile, is also a recent up-and-comer, appearing in the 2025 Tony Award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending as Claire, and apparently having a supporting role in the non-musical The Devil Wears Prada 2. All three of them have sweet-sounding voices with an edge that I feel fit Sayaka perfectly.

Aya Hibino - Adriana Figueroa and Mia Kobayashi

For Aya, I thought it would be ironic if her voice went from soft quiet to quiet but powerful. Considering I used Alisha Weir as her voice as a child, I felt I needed to keep her voice like that, but something that grew powerful and strong to contrast her shy and gloomy demeanor. So, I went with Adriana Figueroua and Mia Kobayashi. Adriana is a singer, voice actress, and streamer who is currently on a hiatus to fight an illness. She's a very talented singer and performer and is responsible for a lot of great covers of anime and video game songs. I especially love her cover of Pollyanna with Sab Irene and insaneintherain. I wanted to showcase a voice that sounds soft, but works very well in soft songs and rock ballads, which is what I picture Aya becoming as an adult, a rock singer, and Adri showed that off perfectly. However, I didn't want to box her in, which is where Mia Kobayashi comes in. Mia Kobayashi is another up-and-coming actress who was recently in the musical version of Your Lie in April as Kaori Miyazono. When I first heard her voice for Kaori, I was surprised because of how deep it was, because if you listen to her voice in the anime, both in Japanese and English, it's a bit higher. Not high-pitched, but it's definitely not the same as Mia's voice, but I think it works, because her energy really fits the character. And I think her quiet, deep, yet powerful voice is a good fit for Aya, especially as an adult.

Rei Suzumura - Teagan Earley (TE/MO) and Eva Noblezada

For Rei, I imagined Teagan Earley (or TE/MO) as her adult voice first. A voice that seems deep, but has a wide range. Teagan Earley is most known as the voice of Athena in Epic The Musical, Persephone in Stories from Styx, and she's been uploading original songs under the name TE/MO. I've had plenty of her songs in my musical character analysis section, primarily Shunsuke and Rei. I love her music. I think her voice and range are powerful, and her sense of songwriting is something I haven't heard in a while. And given how Rei is a strong character, but still someone with a strong heart. I felt TE/MO was a good fit. That's the same reason I chose Eva Noblezada as the AAPI pick for Rei. Honestly, I was originally thinking of Rachelle Ann Go, whose voice is probably more similar to TE/MO's, but Eva's low notes, I felt, were a better fit for Rei in the long run. In a way, Eva's voice is the inverse of TE/MO, a girl with a high voice, but is capable of some pretty impressive deep notes. And I think that's pretty much Rei in a nutshell. Someone who seems initially spoiled and hot-tempered, but is a lot more dynamic than you'd think.

Hiroto Yamakawa - Joshua Henry and Michael K. Lee

For Hiroto, I felt he needed a baritone voice, so I went with Joshua Henry. Joshua Henry is an African American actor and singer who's been well-loved for years now. Most known for Violet, the Carousel revival in 2018, and the current Ragtime revival. He's a talented singer with a great classical and contemporary voice. As demonstrated in the songs I'm showcasing for him. As for his AAPI voice claim, I ultimately went with Michael K. Lee after deliberating between him and Conrad Ricamora. I ultimately chose him because even though his voice is technically a tenor (He played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, a known rock tenor role), he's got a deep voice that really suits Hiroto in my eyes, who I think would have a deep voice as an adult. It would be a very clear baritone that commands attention, while still being kind and charming in timbre. All in all, I think he's the most likely to get a decently deep voice that would be noticeable from his voice as a kid, to his voice as an adult.

(Okay, I'll need to repost this to do Takumi, bear with me.)

[snowssilentrest]

Takumi Katsuragi - Ben Platt and Zachary Noah Piser

Oh, Takumi... Getting the leftovers... Yeah, Ben Platt is honestly a last-minute choice for his non-AAPI voice claim. Ben Platt was briefly considered for Shunsuke, along with Zachary Noah Piser, before I ultimately decided on Jonathan Groff and Timothy H. Lee. But Zachary Noah Piser was really, really close for my pick as Shunsuke's AAPI voice, before I ultimately decided to have him be Takumi's instead. I don't really have a reason. I just think a sad-boy tenor voice suits him best. I guess I could've given him Darren Criss, but honestly, it still would've been a leftover, as he was also a contender for adult Shunsuke. Either way, I promise I do like you, Takumi. It's just that you are very hard to work with for a character that is only in the game for about 10 minutes.

Mami - Hannah Cruz and Phillipa Soo

Okay. I will admit. This is very last-minute. I wasn't originally going to give Mami a voice, but since I needed to reblog this post to give Takumi his voice. Fuck it. We're giving Mami, Shunsuke's Mom, and Yuuichi's Parents voices. So, for Mami, honestly, it helps that she's a teen, so I can fit a voice that I feel fits her voice, and I ultimately chose Hannah Cruz and Phillipa Soo. Hannah Crus is an actress who's been getting a lot of attention due to her being cast in the critically acclaimed musical Suffs, and has only been rising with other shows like The Connector and the revival of Chess, where she plays Svetlana. However, before that, she played Eliza in Hamilton and played other roles before. Phillipa Soo, meanwhile, shouldn't need an introduction. She was the original Eliza in Hamilton, and she's been a star ever since. This should tell you that I see Mami having a voice that can give an attitude, while also being generally kind. Which is notable in Phillipa's performance as Eliza, but she also gives a hell of a performance in the Warriors concept album. Hannah is in a similar boat, and this is notable in her performance as Inez in Suffs, a showstealer, and one of the best characters in the show.

Shunsuke's Mom - Rachel Bay Jones, Jessie Mueller, and Lea Salonga

Honestly, these three voices are very different from each other, but I just loved them all so much for Shunsuke's Mom that I had to showcase all of them. Honestly, of the three, I would pick Lea because who wouldn't want a Mom voiced by the legend Lea Salonga? But Rachel Bay Zones and Jessie Meuller give such breathtaking performances that I had to include them as all of them basically put a perfect image on how I imagine Shunsuke's Mom to be (I included the OBC recording of So Big/So Small because I prefer the guitar over the piano, but I wanted to show a video of her performing it badly). Basically, a strong woman who did everything to raise her son, even if she wasn't perfect. And I think giving her a strong belting voice makes the fact that her son has a similar belting voice, gives the impression that the two have a lot of common.

Yuuichi's Mom - Caissie Levy and Ashley Park

Okay. This was kinda last-minute too. I have been thinking of Caissie Levy as the voice for Yuuichi's Mom for a while now due to her performance as Diana in Next to Normal, and I honestly didn't think much about the AAPI rep for her. But I was running out of actresses off the top of my head, and I remembered Ashley Park, and I was surprised that she had the same qualities as Caissie in terms of vocals. I knew she was Soprano, but I didn't realize she could sing like that. I have not seen Emily in Paris, but I may have found a reason to watch it. I just pray it's not another Glee. But in any case, I imagine Yuuichi's Mom's voice not exactly being weak, but more... strained if that makes sense. She seems like the person whose voice would be loud when she cries and screams instead of weak. And honestly, I think both voices suit her very well. A seemingly frail woman, holding back a powerful voice, but that power isn't real power. It's just her falling apart.

Yuuichi's Dad - Adam Kantor and Marcus Choi

Again. This was last-minute. But I stand by it. I think Yuuichi's Dad would have a typical, calm-sounding voice that actually makes him pretty approachable at first glance. Only to hide just how much of an awful man he really is. That being said, while Adam Kantor's voice really has that quality that you can hear in his version of the Last Five Years album. Marcus Choi only has the one song from the Maybe Happy Ending cast recording, which he shares with Darren Criss (for the record, it's the man on the right). But he did play Washington in Hamilton, so the guy must be a very capable actor. But anyway, Yuuichi's Dad comes off as someone who doesn't sound immediately threatening, which I think is enough to give everyone a false sense of security, and these two give the most false sense of security. Who would suspect that a guy who sounds like Mark Cohen from Rent (He did play that role), and the seemingly friendly father-like figure would actually be horrible guys? For the record, by all accounts, I hear Adam Kantor and Marcus Choi are good guys, not going to defame them on Tumblr post giving voice claims to characters from an RPGMaker horror game from 26 years ago.

Anyway, now that is everyone! This post took a lot longer than it should've, but I'm glad I made it. I hope you guys like the voices I picked for the characters and my attempt to give AAPI actors the spotlight. I wish I could've done the same for the initial one, but there are very few Asian American Musical Child Actors in America and even Europe that are recorded. But maybe one day, I'll look into Japanese Child Actors across the years that could've played the kids. It won't be musical theatre, but it could be fun to try. Maybe another time. Anyway, I better end this post. I have been taking an unintentional week-long break from writing, and I would like to get started on Chapter 14 soon. Next time I post, it will likely be about the inspirations I have for my story that I feel connect with Re:Kinder. Starting with Monster. But I'll probably prewrite that in a document in my spare time. But I've gone on rambling long enough, I'll see you all around. Fare thee well.

[theshawssperrs]

Pride mont

Berryfunny (drools)