mizu6 cards are out and i am ILL and i need to talk about them in relation to mizu5
from the start, you can see both cards have a very similar color scheme and composition. they're both mainly blue hued with mizuki in a white surrounded in the middle surrounded by wire mannequins and flowers - and yet, they give completely different vibes from the very start!
mizu5's card is mostly black and dark. the entire card is in shadow basically - there clearly Is a light source but mizuki's turned away from it, blind to the fact that it exists at all. mizu5's card is draped in heavy, dark fabric. there's even a string of lace in the foreground Physically cutting you off from mizuki - there's a barrier between her and the viewer, between her and niigo.
that doesn't exist in mizu6!! it's just open air and blue sky ... and she's entirely bathed in the light and sun. after the acceptance that ena gives her in ena5 and the support from the other members, it's almost like the curtains shadowing mizuki pulled away and fully letting the light bathe the whole space in a warm embracing sunlight, further shown from the soft pastel colours - the wind, freeing as she no longer has to hide anymore
mizu5 also has a far more cool toned blue hue, while mizu6 has a warmer one! it makes it feel less. well. cold and more warm - however there's other things to note about the color scheme than that!!
the only warm accent in mizu5 is the red accent on her dress and the flower on her hair - torn, almost evocative of a gaping wound. there's blood in the water, her secret is out - the stark red also draws your gaze away from her face, which. haha. the focus to her dress rather than her face is the judgement to how she wants to be herself, how she dresses, being comfortable in her own skin. however people judged her for it, that no matter how pretty the dress that they won't look at her acceptingly - it's almost objectifying? in a way.
meanwhile, in mizu6, her face and hair Are the warm accent!!! this time she isn't hiding, she's actively inviting you to look at her true self. her expression is also warm - her eyes are a bit crinkled like she's about to smile or maybe even cry in joy.
i also want to note. the dress!! mizu5's dress is elaborate yes, but also falling apart at the seams - torn, disheveled. despite all the ruffles and lace, the set dressing, the layers and layers of fabric - it's all coming undone. she was outed and now her world is falling apart. the long sleeves covering her hands.. it's all symbolism.
contrasting this to mizu6's more plain dress - simplistic yet stylish. shorter sleeves, clearly only a single layer of fabric - she doesn't need all of the layers to hide behind anymore. mizu6's story isnt out properly ( i've been writing this since the card previews dropped sorry.. ) but considering the event summary mentioned how she's looking forward to the future, the simplicity and blankness of the dress almost reminds me of a sewing mockup? not quite the final piece yet, but the draft.. the path there.. it's something!!
looking more at her though, there's also her pose - in mizu5 she's just standing there. almost disassociating? her eyes are covered - she's trying to ignore the reaction she thinks the rest of them are going to give when they learn that she's trans... ( also, she's blind to the fact that niigo's more accepting than she thinks theyll be!!!! in trying to shield her eyes from the dark she's also blocking out her eyes to the light!!! SYMBOLISM!!!! ) meanwhile, she's looking directly at the camera in mizu6! she Sees now that she'll be accepted, that niigo will love her for who she is ... so she's not shying away from meeting your gaze. the wind blowing through her hair and skirts also gives it a more lively feeling! staying still (as if if she ignores the problem it won't come to her) vs letting the breeze ruffle her hair and letting things happen... accepting what's to come...
i think there's also something to say about her mouth being uncovered in mizu5 vs covered in mizu6 ... something about how she was gearing up to come out to ena basically the whole event. and now that she's out and she still knows niigo doesnt hate her for it, she has nothing else to say.. the open hands over her mouth representing the open hands niigo held out to her despite everything she was afraid of..
also !! in mizu5 the mannequins are a far darker shade of metal - together with the solid bottom and mostly vertical wires, it gives the effect of a birdcage almost. this is supported by what is In the mannequins - white flowers clustered in piles at the bottom of them, as if someone locked them away. it's very clear that in these events that mizuki herself is represented by flowers in the trained cards.. so it's almost evocative of the fact that she feels trapped in her own skin. how she isn't allowed to blossom.
contrast this however, with mizu6's mannequins! an open bottom so despite the similar design - they're also noticably more round and curvy, giving a more lifelike and actually mannequin-like touch as opposed to the more straight figures of mizu5's mannequins looking similar to cage. the mannequins also seem more femme in a way. in addition, the flowers bloom throughout the whole figure - no longer discarded and trapped at the bottom but free to blossom and grow through the whole body. symbolism!! i think this is less intentional than the cage symbolism but they almost remind me of flower trellises, no longer a cage locking them away but instead a framework for them to grow and bloom beautifully...
this is obviously mizuki's event but i think there's also definitely Things To Say about the rest of the cards in the set!! they all contrast mizuki's, but in such different ways..
in mizu5 all of the other cards are very White. even as the rest of niigo are bathed in light, they're unable to let that brightness reach mizuki ... similar to hers, the only real color accents are the bright red ribbons / petals. in their vicinity but just out of reach - except ena! who has the red ribbon tightly grasped in her hand. except she has this upset look on her face - knowing that even as she tries to reach out the feelings she was trying to offer in that moment never reached mizuki.
as opposed to mizu6!!!! as opposed to the bright white of mizuki's card the others are more lively and colorful. bathed in foliage and flowers all around - remembering that the flowers are what represents mizuki in these cards - which they're looking fondly at! they're surrounded! they see mizuki for who she is And They Love Her For It! i also want to point out how ena isn't reaching out anymore but i think.. perhaps.. in this case thats a good thing? she's just lovingly observing the flowers.. watching them grow and thrive.. she knows her feelings reached mizuki this time.. gay people.
also, i want to note the transition from mizuki's card being dark -> the other niigo members being white to mizuki's card being white -> the other niigo members' being so colorful and warm... she's slowly seeing herself the way they do, with that same brightness and warmth, and i think that's so lovely... mizu7 colorful mizuki card please i will Cry about it.
( i also think there's something to say about Who's in the cards in each set, at least for the 3/4 star cards.. of course ena's in both however. mafuyu and kaito vs kanade and len .. idk. there's something there, i used up all my braincells on the rest of this essay actually. but i think that's something to note!!!! )
i think it's very important to note how mizuki is represented by flowers in these cards... just scattered petals, flowers falling apart in mizu5 vs a whole blooming garden in mizu6.. it's just too good.
i don't know how to end this sorry. i'm just clinically insane about mizuki akiyama.





























