I specifically write Kyousuke like a sheltered rich teen, who wears full pyjamas to sleep, and maybe only really started socializing and doing ordinar things like going bowling or sleepovers in uni
Not that he didn't have friends, he was just so hyperfocused on the violin that there were some formative experiences he missed out on
As seen by Hitomi, the easiest thing to give under the weight of his hyperfixation were his social relationships, and I wonder if he had any true close friends besides Sayaka
He strikes me as the kind of person who isn't on bad terms with anyone, but isn't particularly close with anyone either. It's easy to be sort of friendly to everyone when you have to see each other 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, but when that sort of thing is out of the picture, it's very difficult to maintain meaningful long-term relationships
Becoming aware of this is part of growing up, gaining the kind of wisdom and self-awareness that makes him understand his lacking social skills, and working towards improving himself in small ways
He does try to be a good friend, son, person, etc, but especially after Sayaka's passing, he believes he's bad at caring for others and showing he loves/cares for the ppl around him
>>>>SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE VIOLINIST & THE WITCH! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED>>>>
Hey, hey and welcome to the secret afterthoughts for ch18 of the Violinist & the Witch!
Before I begin, a big 'THANK YOU' as always for reading. This was the chapter that I've been prepping since last year, and I'm so so so HAPPY to finally release it out into the wild
Much like chapter 7, this is one of the pivotal moments of the story, and I truly hope it was as fun to read as I did writing it! (Esp breaking the 4th wall, I absolutely love doing mindfuck reality stuff like that)
Some stuff I was a little sad didn't make it into the final cut:
Kyousuke, Hideaki and Yukari's late lunch picnic after their river cruise
Also, because the three of them had other plans, they had to cut their time short to get ready and missed out on the sunset. They promised to visit again so they could watch the sunset together next time
Kyouko helping a frazzled Mami get breakfast ready
-----------
It's always fun to see people guess at where things will go and how things will play out, and this one was no different <3
I honestly thought my writing was wayyy too obvious at times regarding Kyousuke knowing about magical girls, so it was surprising no one guessed he could be acquainted with Kyouko and Mami the same way he was with Homura
Just for fun, here are a few other hints peppered in throughout the story:
The opening monologue to ch1 is present-day Kyousuke talking specifically about Sayaka turning into a Witch
Ch6 has Kyousuke flinching at the word 'Witch'
During the grave visit in ch8, he comments on how Mr Arai and Miss Miki don't know the 'truth' (ie Sayaka being a magical girl)
Feel free to look through other chs for more hints too ;D
Regarding the how's and why's of Kyousuke and magical girls, we'll be seeing more of that in upcoming chapters! Look forward to it~
I'll also be doing a write-up after the upcoming arc is done. Fun fact is that a lot of the concepts being used in this arc are revamped ideas from the og concept, and I'm excited to go through the development of those ideas to the finished product
For now, I'll end it with the artwork i made for this chapter. Tw for scopophobia and shocked Kyousuke ahead
Originally, I was going for a more quiet shocked feeling, as you can see here:
However, as I continued writing, it became clearer that Kyousuke smiling would be way more suitable (and a lot more off-putting!), and was appropriately adjusted
(On a more light-hearted note, Kyousuke is such a mini-adult sort of kid in my mind, like he wears polo shirts and button-ups like a dad and has never owned anything like a jean jacket in his entire life. He only gets away with being this stiff & awkward because he's a violin prodigy and people think he's just mature for his age or he's too refined ajsdajsj)
>>>>SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE VIOLINIST & THE WITCH! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED>>>>
Hey, hey and welcome to the secret afterthoughts for ch18 of the Violinist & the Witch!
Before I begin, a big 'THANK YOU' as always for reading. This was the chapter that I've been prepping since last year, and I'm so so so HAPPY to finally release it out into the wild
Much like chapter 7, this is one of the pivotal moments of the story, and I truly hope it was as fun to read as I did writing it! (Esp breaking the 4th wall, I absolutely love doing mindfuck reality stuff like that)
Some stuff I was a little sad didn't make it into the final cut:
Kyousuke, Hideaki and Yukari's late lunch picnic after their river cruise
Also, because the three of them had other plans, they had to cut their time short to get ready and missed out on the sunset. They promised to visit again so they could watch the sunset together next time
Kyouko helping a frazzled Mami get breakfast ready
-----------
It's always fun to see people guess at where things will go and how things will play out, and this one was no different <3
I honestly thought my writing was wayyy too obvious at times regarding Kyousuke knowing about magical girls, so it was surprising no one guessed he could be acquainted with Kyouko and Mami the same way he was with Homura
Just for fun, here are a few other hints peppered in throughout the story:
The opening monologue to ch1 is present-day Kyousuke talking specifically about Sayaka turning into a Witch
Ch6 has Kyousuke flinching at the word 'Witch'
During the grave visit in ch8, he comments on how Mr Arai and Miss Miki don't know the 'truth' (ie Sayaka being a magical girl)
Feel free to look through other chs for more hints too ;D
Regarding the how's and why's of Kyousuke and magical girls, we'll be seeing more of that in upcoming chapters! Look forward to it~
I'll also be doing a write-up after the upcoming arc is done. Fun fact is that a lot of the concepts being used in this arc are revamped ideas from the og concept, and I'm excited to go through the development of those ideas to the finished product
For now, I'll end it with the artwork i made for this chapter. Tw for scopophobia and shocked Kyousuke ahead
Originally, I was going for a more quiet shocked feeling, as you can see here:
However, as I continued writing, it became clearer that Kyousuke smiling would be way more suitable (and a lot more off-putting!), and was appropriately adjusted
(On a more light-hearted note, Kyousuke is such a mini-adult sort of kid in my mind, like he wears polo shirts and button-ups like a dad and has never owned anything like a jean jacket in his entire life. He only gets away with being this stiff & awkward because he's a violin prodigy and people think he's just mature for his age or he's too refined ajsdajsj)
While waiting for the new ch, I decided to finish this!
Disclaimer: This is purely from the manga, as I have yet to start the anime, and contains spoilers up to Ch.121.
HANAKO/YUGI AMANE: BADGER BADGER
The titular character!
At a glance, he comes off as a Snake primary, acting clingy towards Nene and trying to establish her as 'his'. However, I would say he's modelling his twin brother, Tsukasa ( a very LOUD and clingy Snake).
In truth, Hanako is a Burnt AND Exploded Badger. He kicks himself out of his own community after murdering Tsukasa. In the beginning, he mocks both Nene and Kou on different occasions for easily befriending a 'murderer', trying to scare them into leaving him as he considers himself irredeemable/a threat to others. The whole reason he became a School Mystery is to atone for his sins.
He has also designated Nene as the one most in need in his community, due to her impending death, and clings to saving her as his one purpose, becoming EXTREMELY ruthless in the process. Because a damned murderer like him can only be helpful to his community, to someone in need as a weapon, much like the kitchen knife he carries around: a symbol of home & care turned monstrous.
He's also Exploded! Even before dying, he is an Invisible Badger, boiling himself down to essentially Tsukasa's brother and stifling other parts of him to cater to his brother, such as his love for astronomy and his dream to reach the moon as an astronaut. This scene in the manga in particular:
I think bc, out of guilt among other things, Amane believes he doesn't deserve an identity out of serving his community.
After assuming the position of School Mystery No. 7 (aka the eponymous Toilet-Bound Hanako), he discards his old name and fully assimilates himself into his role, the representative/'face' for all supernaturals. Discovering his past and his identity/life beyond both how he serves Tsukasa and beyond the role of No. 7 is a Big part of his arc
He is definitely a Prepwork Secondary. His plans tend to be very very intricate with layers, and he's usually foiled by Improvisational secondaries acting in unexpected ways (looking at you Nene and Kou).
I considered Bird secondary at first, but the thing about Hanako is that he relies on one of two things to get stuff done: people or hard work.
As Yugi Amane, he is the one responsible for Tsukasa. During the flashback to their past as living teens, Amane is shown to be putting his nose to the grindstone trying to repair the broken clocktower, going as far as to skip his own school festival.
As Hanako, he prefers the Courtier Badger approach, always friendly, helpful and warm (so much so that you forget he's technically an evil spirit). But when he wants people to be afraid him, he's terrifying, and the switch is so seamless it doesn't feel like there's a mask, it's always just 'Hanako'.
That's why it's usually surprising to find out when he's lied, because he typically comes off as such a genuine person.
YASHIRO NENE - LION LION
Our protagonist!
Oh Nene, dear Nene. She starts off as an immature Lion, chasing after her ideals of love and trying to stave off the pain of being rejected by her first crush by throwing herself into a new, shinier, 'better' love.
Nene also has a Badger secondary model she created to catch the eye of her first love; learning to cook, sew and garden in an attempt to seem more like his type, feminine and homely.
However, when push comes to shove, her secondary comes ROARING out.
Nene does not walk, she CHARGES headfirst into a lot of things. And if she doesn't, she usually falls into it, that girl is a magnet for trouble. She has difficulty deceiving others and is at her best when she is her most authentic self, being able to move people and mountains with her genuinely kind attitude.
The easiest example is this scene in the 1st chapter:
After Hanako's more Badger-y suggestions fail (giving 2nd love her homegrown vegetables as a secret gift, making an intricate themed lunchbox, sewing back a loose button), she simply goes ahead and swallows the mermaid scales, charging headfirst w/o considering the consequences.
This is seen later on as well when she discovers her impending death, and she gets a say in what she wants to do and what happens next.
The refreshing thing about TBHK is that Nene is allowed a lot of agency. While she is kept in the dark at times and often pulled into trouble, it's just as often that she gets into trouble due to her own choices, and she does get to learn hard truths + decide for herself what that means.
As a result, over the course of the story, both her Primary & Secondary primary mature a lot. She develops a more nuanced worldview, and learns to temper her Secondary better so she can utilise it at its fullest potential at the right moment.
At this point, Nene is at her best when she is simply herself, helping the people around her move forward by holding onto what she believes is true, and being genuinely straightforward and compassionate to those around her.
It's also why Nene and Hanako balance each other out so well. He tempers her, and gives her a place to land when the most direct route turns out to have disastrous consequences, being the person she can always rely on to save her.
For Hanako, not only does Nene challenge a lot of his coping mechanisms and self-destructive tendencies, she also provides him a space to unBurn and carve out his own identity through her kindness and compassion, insisting on seeing him as his own person, rather than as any of the labels he defines himself as.
MINAMOTO KOU: BIRD LION
The youngest of the main trio, a Bird Lion!
His system is initially very black-and-white, built on his older brother's Badger worldview (humans vs Supernaturals). When we're first introduced to him, he's gungho about exorcising Hanako (evil by default due to being a Supernatural), proud of his duty and heritage.
I considered Lion as well, but the thing is Kou changes his worldview/opinions without much fuss. Nene has chapters or arcs where she gets messy, and has to acknowledge her painful emotions to change her beliefs.
When Kou calls into question about one of his core principles (Supernaturals vs humans), it's very Bird-like. He has a thought ('are there only bad Supernaturals?') and keeps building up on it to prove his hypothesis. Rather than look inward for answers, his main method is to observe Hanako to determine whether this belief is true or not.
When Hanako proves to be trustworthy & helpful, Kou goes 'There is such a thing as a good Supernatural!' and just changes his mind from fixating on exorcising Hanako to wanting peaceful co-existence. This immediately extends to all other Supernaturals as well, particularly his relationship with Mitsuba.
Kou brings balance to the main trio through genuine curiosity and a desire to understand, asking questions to expand his worldview further.
Being part of both an exorcist clan and close friends with Supernaturals, completely opposite and opposing groups, might be difficult at times but it proves healthy for him, as he's able to get multiple viewpoints/information and develop a more nuanced system for himself.
MINAMOTO TERU: BADGER BIRD
I considered Snake primary for him, since he prioritises his siblings above all else, but that's just human. He loves them to pieces and coming home to them is a big part of what keeps him going, of course he wants to make sure they're safe and happy.
I'm calling him as another Badger. His refusal to see any Supernatural as nothing but the worst (there's no such as a 'good Supernatural') speaks of dehumanisation, and he immediately views Hanako as an enemy no matter what good Hanako does. This page in particular solidified my choice of Badger for him.
It's also very telling that he labels Hanako as a murderer/monster the same way Hanako, another Badger, labels himself.
He has a bit of an Authoritarian streak to him, trying to force his prejudice against Supernaturals on Kou, and coming down hard at times when Kou goes against him in the name of keeping their family safe.
For his secondary, that's a Bird! He has his main persona, Student Council President Minamoto, the flawless pinnacle of the student body and the most popular guy in school. When he wants a break from the mask, it's not very dramatic for him, and just seems like the difference between wearing a uniform or casual clothes.
He also tends to plan and scheme, very obviously frustrated when things don't pan out (such as when his plans to negotiate with a shrine fall through). It takes him a little time to get back on his feet after a setback, but when he does, it's very effective.
AOI AKANE: SNAKE BADGER
For someone so defined by his devotion and love, it's appropriate that he's sorted as 'the Lover'.
Akane has one person who has always been His, no matter what, and that is his childhood friend, Akane Aoi (yes, the confusing names are intentional and part of their dynamic). While he is typically nice and affable with everyone, he goes a little cuckoo when it comes to Aoi specifically and will do anything for her sake, becoming comically murderous towards anyone who shows interest in her.
However, his main priority is her happiness and while his affections are intense, he respects her autonomy and takes her seriously in a way most people don't.
I love how Snakes in this series are portrayed because it really emphasizes the boundless love they have and how their love can save their chosen people. Akane's consistent love and devotion save Aoi from despair, and she lets herself hope for something better because she has his love to fall back on.
Outside of Aoi, Akane is happy chilling in his secondary. His Badger secondary gives him a reputation for stability and friendliness, our initial impression being the 'dependable class rep'. In the words of Aoi, he's someone who others will rely on and even if he complains, he will still carry out what's entrusted to him.
This is how he gets roped into being Vice President of the Student Council and trusted confidant of Supernatural-loathing Minamoto Teru, as well as becoming one of the Clock Keepers. It's honestly due to his lowkey appearance that it was such a big reveal when he turned out to be the human-turned-Supernatural Hanako's group was looking for.
AKANE AOI: LION SNAKE (BADGER PERFORMANCE)
In contrast, Aoi puts on an outward Badger performance. She tries to seem like the innocent, lovable girl everyone thinks she is. Someone steady and sweet, who carefully maintains the classroom flowers and the club garden with not a bad bone in her body.
In truth, Aoi is actually a Snake secondary.
During the No. 6 arc, Aoi has parts of her memory removed/amended by No.6's minions and offers to approach Hanako's group + Akane. Despite having little useful info in advance, she skilfully lulls them into a false sense of security, and pushes them into a pit.
The only one who avoids this fate is Akane (who knows her so well he can see right through her).
And it is when he confronts her that we finally see what lies beneath her Badger performance and her Snake masking: her neutral state.
The true Aoi is afraid people will be disappointed when they find out the real 'her'. She is acutely aware of how people view her and looks down on them, internally mocking everyone around her for falling for the beautiful mask she's put on. This belief makes her feel justified in putting a wall between herself and others, despite how this drives her to despair.
I've heard it said for Snake secondaries going neutral feels like taking off your bra, being able to take a breath and relax, and that moment feels very much so for Aoi, who is utterly relieved that her true authentic self is accepted and understood by Akane.
Going by that, I think she's actually a Burnt Lion primary. She hates liars, despite putting on a facade, and adores Nene's straightforward shining Lion primary. It's also when Nene starts keeping secrets from her that Aoi gets disillusioned and becomes resentful of Nene as well.
Her biggest conflict seems to stem from the fact she can't seem to find a way to exist as her authentic self, too afraid that her true self will be rejected and hated. As a result, she becomes resentful of herself and everyone else who is not 100% truthful with her, leading her to an extreme decision: to avoid being hurt by running away from it all.
YUGI TSUKASA: SNAKE LION
Oh Tsukasa, what a boy, what a character. A child frozen in time forever more.
I will say Snake primary for him, with Amane being the top of his list. Even as a child, his mind is always on his twin.
While playing in the garden, his main purpose is to find fun things to cheer up his brother, who is unfortunately confined due to his poor constitution. He is also cheerfully clingy, jumping into Amane's arms or hugging Amane whenever he feels like (esp obv in the fake world where they have a better relationship).
At 4 years old, when Tsukasa overhears that Amane will die, this little Snake loves his brother so so so much that he sacrifices himself to a malevolent deity to ensure Amane will survive and live in a healthy body.
Unfortunately, he comes back wrong. As a result, his love tips over into an extreme obsession with Amane/Hanako. Partly due to the aforementioned coming back wrong, he becomes a lot more suffocating and destructive, an existence that both haunts and defines Amane.
While he does seem hurt by the fact Amane hates him, he also relishes that his brother can't let him go.
As for his secondary, he's truly a Lion. The people around him, even his allies, have a tough time keeping him in check as he will simply charge into whatever he thinks is interesting, no matter how inappropriate or risky or dangerous.
It's refreshing that child!Nene was able to curb Tsukasa simply by being a louder Lion secondary.
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