Katsuya Serizawa from Mob Psycho 100 has won Shutin Showdown!
Congratulations, Serizawa believers!
Below the cut: Me yapping about how awesome this poll was :)
This comes in spite of the VERY enthusiastic and committed efforts by many Antigone supporters, especially @origami-butterfly and @sexiestpodcastcharacter. Guys, I have to be real: I thought Wooden Overcoats was so niche that I never expected this character to get beyond round 1, maybe 2. I had heard of it, but never had a clue it had so many listeners who would support this character so passionately. The fact she reached the final of this poll among characters from hard hitters like Professor Layton, Danganronpa, Critical Role, WTNV and indeed Mob Psycho 100 is CRAZY to me.
I think this has left such an impression on me that I can't help but go and listen to Wooden Overcoats myself now (no promises though because I am TERRIBLE at actually getting around to consuming shows or podcasts!) and I've seen a few people following the tournament say the same thing, so to all the Antigone voters: please celebrate the fact that she got so far and know your support has managed to recruit at least a couple more people to your ranks!
On the other hand, as someone who only just watched Mob Psycho 100 for the first time recently and therefore hadn't really engaged with the fandom before I started this poll, it's been amazing finding out just how much love there is for Serizawa as well and how much he means to everyone. The fact I watched MP100 and Gachiakuta (from whence Shikage, the blog icon, originates) close together is basically what inspired me to do this tournament so it's awesome that Serizawa did indeed turn out to be The Shut-In Of All Time according to this little popularity poll on tumblr.com! Now I can almost forgive you all for voting out my belovedest girl Bernadetta von Varley in Round 2 :P
Most of all though, THANK YOU! Whoever you voted for, whenever you joined, however you contributed, THANK YOU ALL! Getting this blog noticed was an absolute slog at first but it ended up really taking off and it has been SO MUCH FUN! I had run poll brackets before but not for several years and this was by far my largest / longest, and I can't believe how much attention I ended up getting by the end for this silly little blog. I really did appreciate every tag comment / reply / ask I got, all the submissions and your propaganda, and even if you only clicked vote on the polls, you made me feel like this bracket actually meant something even if only to a few dozen (in the first couple rounds) to a few hundred people :) I've learned a lot about a lot of different characters I'd never even heard of before and it's been a blast.
I don't really plan on doing a sequel, at least not any time soon, as I feel like I've already covered most of the shut-in characters out there, but maybe in a year or two I could rerun it with the same characters + any others people can come up with to see if it turns out different with a higher voterbase from square 1. I definitely wanna keep doing more poll brackets of some sort (vaguely considering an "unpopular vocaloids" bracket but thats my only idea so far) cus it's awesome, though :)
Farewell Shutin Showdown and once again congratulations Serizawa fans!
And I can now reveal the prediction I made back in semifinals:
...Yep, I did not quite have enough faith in Serizawa đ
Funnily enough, in the alternate timeline where Luke wins, it would've been a throwback for me because he (with Layton) actually won my first poll bracket @britishaccentcharacterpoll 3 years ago!
Create brackets quickly and easily, all for free. You can create single and double elimination tournament, Swiss system tournament, Round Ro
not 100% sure this share will work but.
I just painstakingly entered everything into an actual bracket so I can see the journey our finalists took through the rounds and generally get reminded of some of the previous matchups! so here it is in case anyone else is curious
bc Round 2 had a bunch of "newcomers" due to the numbers of entrants I had to input them into round 1 and just write NULL in their opponent slot. those werent real polls. ignore those.
"The town thought she was dead, they hadn't seen her for so long. She prefers to spend time in her mortuary without alive people. She also used to be allergic to everything outside to the point she wore essentially a spacesuit" - anon
âthe girl was alone on prom night; and decided the solution was to not go outside for 18 years. she deserves to sweep this entire tournamentâ - @origami-butterflyÂ
SERIZAWA
"15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times" - @finnexistshere
"He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3" - anon
Full propaganda under the cut as always!
Antigone
[cont. from above] "Her only friends are her twin brother, a mouse, and their assistant who wormed her way into their lives. The love of her life is their perfect rival neighbor who she fantasizes about on the job (even though she's rarely off the job). She makes her own custom embalming fluids and made a chocolate similar to death that only she and her rival/crush could eat. She once had a house full of dead clowns because she liked the buff ringmistress.â - anonymous submitter
âMY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL IS IN ANOTHER TOURNAMENT
ANTIGONE SWEEP
can't believe the propaganda doesn't mention she spent so much time in the dark that she can disappear in the shadows at will
and sleeps in the coffins in their basement with is where she works as an embalmer
and she yells at everyone who tries to enter her mortuaryâ - @average-acorn
Serizawa
âHe has strong psychic powers, and not the best control of them, so when he was growing up he got bullied a lot because of it. When he turned 12, he decided to just become a shut-in, and he stayed that way for 15 years. Counselors tried to help but they couldn't really do anything. Eventually he got out of his room (and directly into an incredibly toxic dependency on a corrupt guy (he got out of that eventually too thankfully, he's doing a lot better now)) but I think the 15 years straight of not even touching the outside world counts for something here.
15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times and barely talked and interacted with anyone aside from one guy. And the reason he was given that umbrella was specifically because he was so nervous about leaving his room, and the umbrella made him feel like he was still there.â - @finnexistshere
âHe's a powerful esper (has psychic abilities) and due to his lack of control over them growing up, at the age of 12 he decided to become a recluse and locked himself in his bedroom for 15 years. He only ever came out of confinement when an evil organization (Claw) recruited him by saying they'd teach him how to control his powers. He confines himself because he's afraid of his own power and his inability to control it, and is deeply anxious about it, but is eventually recruited by Reigen to work for Spirits and Such (where the good guys work lol). He eventually starts to come out of his shell, get control of his powers, and starts going to night school :)
He basically is the CEO of being a shut-in by locking himself in his room in his mother's apartment for 15 straight years out of anxiety and fear, but he also shows how you can heal from that!! He's able to get a good job, starts going back to school, and makes new friends once he gets the confidence to. He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3â - anonymous submitter
The man spent FIFTEEN YEARS in his room. He was in there from his childhood into his late 20s because he was terrified of losing control of his powers and hurting people. He didn't leave his room until he was 27, and even then it was because he had to be manipulated into leaving, relying on his umbrella as an extension of his room, hiding under and behind it. He just deserves this. He's been through so god damn much.
"The town thought she was dead, they hadn't seen her for so long. She prefers to spend time in her mortuary without alive people. She also used to be allergic to everything outside to the point she wore essentially a spacesuit" - anon
âthe girl was alone on prom night; and decided the solution was to not go outside for 18 years. she deserves to sweep this entire tournamentâ - @origami-butterflyÂ
SERIZAWA
"15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times" - @finnexistshere
"He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3" - anon
Full propaganda under the cut as always!
Antigone
[cont. from above] "Her only friends are her twin brother, a mouse, and their assistant who wormed her way into their lives. The love of her life is their perfect rival neighbor who she fantasizes about on the job (even though she's rarely off the job). She makes her own custom embalming fluids and made a chocolate similar to death that only she and her rival/crush could eat. She once had a house full of dead clowns because she liked the buff ringmistress.â - anonymous submitter
âMY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL IS IN ANOTHER TOURNAMENT
ANTIGONE SWEEP
can't believe the propaganda doesn't mention she spent so much time in the dark that she can disappear in the shadows at will
and sleeps in the coffins in their basement with is where she works as an embalmer
and she yells at everyone who tries to enter her mortuaryâ - @average-acorn
Serizawa
âHe has strong psychic powers, and not the best control of them, so when he was growing up he got bullied a lot because of it. When he turned 12, he decided to just become a shut-in, and he stayed that way for 15 years. Counselors tried to help but they couldn't really do anything. Eventually he got out of his room (and directly into an incredibly toxic dependency on a corrupt guy (he got out of that eventually too thankfully, he's doing a lot better now)) but I think the 15 years straight of not even touching the outside world counts for something here.
15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times and barely talked and interacted with anyone aside from one guy. And the reason he was given that umbrella was specifically because he was so nervous about leaving his room, and the umbrella made him feel like he was still there.â - @finnexistshere
âHe's a powerful esper (has psychic abilities) and due to his lack of control over them growing up, at the age of 12 he decided to become a recluse and locked himself in his bedroom for 15 years. He only ever came out of confinement when an evil organization (Claw) recruited him by saying they'd teach him how to control his powers. He confines himself because he's afraid of his own power and his inability to control it, and is deeply anxious about it, but is eventually recruited by Reigen to work for Spirits and Such (where the good guys work lol). He eventually starts to come out of his shell, get control of his powers, and starts going to night school :)
He basically is the CEO of being a shut-in by locking himself in his room in his mother's apartment for 15 straight years out of anxiety and fear, but he also shows how you can heal from that!! He's able to get a good job, starts going back to school, and makes new friends once he gets the confidence to. He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3â - anonymous submitter
Luke Triton (Professor Layton) vs Katsuya Serizawa (Mob Psycho 100)
Luke
Serizawa
Voting ended onApr 10
Info & propaganda under the cut!
Luke
â[In The Last Spectre, the chronological first game in the series] The very first thing we hear after Luke is mentioned by name is that heâs âshut himself up in his room⌠as usual.â His father then says that heâs been withdrawn lately, and that on some days, Luke wonât leave his room at all despite coaxing. Luke wonât speak with his father on those days.Â
The maid says that heâs been holing himself in his room for weeks, and he wonât come out for meals. She theorizes that itâs related to his motherâs disappearance, as Luke didnât used to display this behavior. The maid and Lukeâs father both make remarks about how difficult it would be to get into his room at all. The maidâs comment on Luke not leaving his room is later verified by the visual of a cart outside his door containing lunch, which he offers up after Emmy threatens to eat it if he doesnât come out to get it.
Upon your first meeting, Luke makes it clear that he wonât let them into his room unless they first go through the hoop of solving a puzzle at the door. Upon solving the puzzle and entering, Luke is found by the window, facing away from them with the curtains drawn.Â
When his father enters the room, Luke becomes visibly agitated before quickly shutting down and ignoring him, much to his fatherâs chagrin. His father implies that this has happened more than once. Upon calming, Lukeâs father explains that heâs barely spoken with his son in the last six months, since the appearance of the specter (the figure thatâs been terrorizing their town and destroying things for months). After proclaiming that the world will end soon, Luke falls silent. His father reiterates that Luke doesnât seem to want to talk to anyone, and that when he does, itâs incomprehensible, as he wonât explain himself.Â
Heâs been predicting where the specter will attack, and then he has his butler tell the townspeople to evacuate. For a good portion of the game, Luke refuses to elaborate on how he knows where the specter will attack, unable to trust the professor or emmy. He seems to fear that he wouldnât be taken seriously, as most people discount him because of his age.Â
He used to be friends with a girl named Arianna, but after her fatherâs death, she lashed out at him and they hadnât spoken since. That was a year before the game. Itâs established that Luke doesnât play with many other children either, having not played with his old playmate in a while, and the market children find him to be snobby because heâs more well-off.Â
Other mentionable points to him being a shut-in
 Luke mentioned having read all the books on his bookshelf twice over. I counted 41 books on the bookshelf from the cutscene of his room, some of which are very thick.Â
Luke seems to have an early curfew/bedtime, likely to avoid potentially running into the specter, but this means that heâs going to bed while itâs still light out. Heâs not allowed outside at night, though the maid and butler let him leave without a fuss.Â
The boatsman mentions that itâs good to see Luke getting some fresh air.Â
A family friend stops Luke to ask if heâd offended the boyâs mother. Luke mentions that sheâs been gone a long time, implying that the two hadnât seen each other in quite some time.Â
Heâs described as âprecociousâ and âtalking all grown-up for his ageâ and that heâs sulking (Luke denies the last one).Â
His butler claims that he must be lonely with his mother gone, and that despite his interest in puzzles, he seems to have lost his love for them recently.Â
One of Luke's friends claims that they donât play together anymore since Luke got older and seems surprised that heâs out of the house, saying heâs usually cooped up in his house.Â
All of this information is available in the first half of the gameâ - @justkillingthyme
âLuke is best boy hands down! He's a sweetheart, he loves animals, and he tries to be a lil gentleman even though he can mess up sometimes. It's admirable that Luke does his very best when he's adventuring with Professor Layton and his ability to talk with animals has been quite helpful on many occasions.â - @angelbellelc2
âGo Luke!
As a young adult Luke also shuts himself awayâŚ
When heâs looking into a mystery linked to Professor Laytonâs daughter
Luke shuts out his wife (Marina) in an attempt to keep her safe. She has to ask Layton for help when Luke goes missing
Luke didnât even tell Layton that heâs MARRIED and has MOVED BACK TO ENGLAND cause he didnât want to involve Layton in the mysteryâ - @101flavoursofweird (Mod note: apparently, the plotline described here is from a Professor Layton animated series!)
Serizawa
âHe has strong psychic powers, and not the best control of them, so when he was growing up he got bullied a lot because of it. When he turned 12, he decided to just become a shut-in, and he stayed that way for 15 years. Counselors tried to help but they couldn't really do anything. Eventually he got out of his room (and directly into an incredibly toxic dependency on a corrupt guy (he got out of that eventually too thankfully, he's doing a lot better now)) but I think the 15 years straight of not even touching the outside world counts for something here.
15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times and barely talked and interacted with anyone aside from one guy. And the reason he was given that umbrella was specifically because he was so nervous about leaving his room, and the umbrella made him feel like he was still there.â - @finnexistshere
âHe's a powerful esper (has psychic abilities) and due to his lack of control over them growing up, at the age of 12 he decided to become a recluse and locked himself in his bedroom for 15 years. He only ever came out of confinement when an evil organization (Claw) recruited him by saying they'd teach him how to control his powers. He confines himself because he's afraid of his own power and his inability to control it, and is deeply anxious about it, but is eventually recruited by Reigen to work for Spirits and Such (where the good guys work lol). He eventually starts to come out of his shell, get control of his powers, and starts going to night school :)
He basically is the CEO of being a shut-in by locking himself in his room in his mother's apartment for 15 straight years out of anxiety and fear, but he also shows how you can heal from that!! He's able to get a good job, starts going back to school, and makes new friends once he gets the confidence to. He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3â - anonymous submitter
Serizawa has WON this semifinal with 321 votes to 231!
Commiserations to the very passionate Luke fans following this tourney, I really thought he had a good chance of winning it all but it turned out the Serizawa support was just a little too much.
The other semifinal won't finish for a couple of hours because I had to repost it, but unless Marion Lavorre fans manage a last-minute miracle, Serizawa's opponent in the final should be Antigone Funn!
Marion Lavorre (Critical Role) vs Antigone Funn (Wooden Overcoats)
Marion
Antigone
Voting ended onApr 10
hi I am posting this at 11:21pm in bed from my phone because i fucked up the original poll by forgetting to change the duration to a week god DAMN it
info & propaganda under the cut!
Marion
âMarion, also known as âThe Ruby of the Seaâ is a widely renowned courtesan who carries herself with such confidence and elegance youâd never expect that she also has severe agoraphobia. Since her lodging is also her workplace, she simply never leaves; if she needs something she has it brought to her.
[Propaganda]: I just think sheâs a really cool example of a shut-in character who is also incredibly charismatic and has a rich social life.â - anonymous submitter
âShut-in at the Lavish Chateau where she is the owner and primary performer/entertainer because she is too terrified of outdoor spaces to ever brave them. I donât think thereâs an official canon length of time that she spent there but it was a minimum of twenty years.
I love that sheâs an extremely successful stage performer AND agoraphobic. So often characters are either Anxious or Confident with no in-between, but she gets to be more complicated than that. Also, canonically has an absolutely stunning voice.â - anonymous submitter
âAt the Lavish Chateau, a classy inn/ hotel/ bordello in the port city of Nicodranas, for roughly two decades. The why is (to the best of my knowledge) never explicitly stated, but might have to do with societal prejudice against tieflings (she alludes to the world having been âunkindâ to her), or with the abrupt disappearance of her daughterâs father, who she had been planning to marry. In any case, she struggles greatly to leave her home/workplace where she feels safe, and Word of God (/Word of DM) has explicitly described her as having agoraphobia.
[Propaganda]: "đś Because the Ruby of the Sea is the best lay ever. đś
More seriously, sheâs a famous, highly respected, and widely desired courtesan and performer despite the fact that she hasnât been able to force herself to step outside in years. Sheâs also the mother of fan-favorite PC, Jester Lavorre, and is generally a kind, insightful, and lovely person." - anonymous submitter
Antigone
âThe town thought she was dead, they hadn't seen her for so long. She prefers to spend time in her mortuary without alive people. She also used to be allergic to everything outside to the point she wore essentially a spacesuit.
Her only friends are her twin brother, a mouse, and their assistant who wormed her way into their lives. The love of her life is their perfect rival neighbor who she fantasizes about on the job (even though she's rarely off the job). She makes her own custom embalming fluids and made a chocolate similar to death that only she and her rival/crush could eat. She once had a house full of dead clowns because she liked the buff ringmistress.â - anonymous submitter
âMY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL IS IN ANOTHER TOURNAMENT
ANTIGONE SWEEP
can't believe the propaganda doesn't mention she spent so much time in the dark that she can disappear in the shadows at will
and sleeps in the coffins in their basement with is where she works as an embalmer
and she yells at everyone who tries to enter her mortuaryâ - @average-acorn
âthe girl was alone on prom night; and decided the solution was to not go outside for 18 years. she deserves to sweep this entire tournamentâ - @origami-butterfly
Luke Triton (Professor Layton) vs Katsuya Serizawa (Mob Psycho 100)
Luke
Serizawa
Voting ended onApr 10
Info & propaganda under the cut!
Luke
â[In The Last Spectre, the chronological first game in the series] The very first thing we hear after Luke is mentioned by name is that heâs âshut himself up in his room⌠as usual.â His father then says that heâs been withdrawn lately, and that on some days, Luke wonât leave his room at all despite coaxing. Luke wonât speak with his father on those days.Â
The maid says that heâs been holing himself in his room for weeks, and he wonât come out for meals. She theorizes that itâs related to his motherâs disappearance, as Luke didnât used to display this behavior. The maid and Lukeâs father both make remarks about how difficult it would be to get into his room at all. The maidâs comment on Luke not leaving his room is later verified by the visual of a cart outside his door containing lunch, which he offers up after Emmy threatens to eat it if he doesnât come out to get it.
Upon your first meeting, Luke makes it clear that he wonât let them into his room unless they first go through the hoop of solving a puzzle at the door. Upon solving the puzzle and entering, Luke is found by the window, facing away from them with the curtains drawn.Â
When his father enters the room, Luke becomes visibly agitated before quickly shutting down and ignoring him, much to his fatherâs chagrin. His father implies that this has happened more than once. Upon calming, Lukeâs father explains that heâs barely spoken with his son in the last six months, since the appearance of the specter (the figure thatâs been terrorizing their town and destroying things for months). After proclaiming that the world will end soon, Luke falls silent. His father reiterates that Luke doesnât seem to want to talk to anyone, and that when he does, itâs incomprehensible, as he wonât explain himself.Â
Heâs been predicting where the specter will attack, and then he has his butler tell the townspeople to evacuate. For a good portion of the game, Luke refuses to elaborate on how he knows where the specter will attack, unable to trust the professor or emmy. He seems to fear that he wouldnât be taken seriously, as most people discount him because of his age.Â
He used to be friends with a girl named Arianna, but after her fatherâs death, she lashed out at him and they hadnât spoken since. That was a year before the game. Itâs established that Luke doesnât play with many other children either, having not played with his old playmate in a while, and the market children find him to be snobby because heâs more well-off.Â
Other mentionable points to him being a shut-in
 Luke mentioned having read all the books on his bookshelf twice over. I counted 41 books on the bookshelf from the cutscene of his room, some of which are very thick.Â
Luke seems to have an early curfew/bedtime, likely to avoid potentially running into the specter, but this means that heâs going to bed while itâs still light out. Heâs not allowed outside at night, though the maid and butler let him leave without a fuss.Â
The boatsman mentions that itâs good to see Luke getting some fresh air.Â
A family friend stops Luke to ask if heâd offended the boyâs mother. Luke mentions that sheâs been gone a long time, implying that the two hadnât seen each other in quite some time.Â
Heâs described as âprecociousâ and âtalking all grown-up for his ageâ and that heâs sulking (Luke denies the last one).Â
His butler claims that he must be lonely with his mother gone, and that despite his interest in puzzles, he seems to have lost his love for them recently.Â
One of Luke's friends claims that they donât play together anymore since Luke got older and seems surprised that heâs out of the house, saying heâs usually cooped up in his house.Â
All of this information is available in the first half of the gameâ - @justkillingthyme
âLuke is best boy hands down! He's a sweetheart, he loves animals, and he tries to be a lil gentleman even though he can mess up sometimes. It's admirable that Luke does his very best when he's adventuring with Professor Layton and his ability to talk with animals has been quite helpful on many occasions.â - @angelbellelc2
âGo Luke!
As a young adult Luke also shuts himself awayâŚ
When heâs looking into a mystery linked to Professor Laytonâs daughter
Luke shuts out his wife (Marina) in an attempt to keep her safe. She has to ask Layton for help when Luke goes missing
Luke didnât even tell Layton that heâs MARRIED and has MOVED BACK TO ENGLAND cause he didnât want to involve Layton in the mysteryâ - @101flavoursofweird (Mod note: apparently, the plotline described here is from a Professor Layton animated series!)
Serizawa
âHe has strong psychic powers, and not the best control of them, so when he was growing up he got bullied a lot because of it. When he turned 12, he decided to just become a shut-in, and he stayed that way for 15 years. Counselors tried to help but they couldn't really do anything. Eventually he got out of his room (and directly into an incredibly toxic dependency on a corrupt guy (he got out of that eventually too thankfully, he's doing a lot better now)) but I think the 15 years straight of not even touching the outside world counts for something here.
15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times and barely talked and interacted with anyone aside from one guy. And the reason he was given that umbrella was specifically because he was so nervous about leaving his room, and the umbrella made him feel like he was still there.â - @finnexistshere
âHe's a powerful esper (has psychic abilities) and due to his lack of control over them growing up, at the age of 12 he decided to become a recluse and locked himself in his bedroom for 15 years. He only ever came out of confinement when an evil organization (Claw) recruited him by saying they'd teach him how to control his powers. He confines himself because he's afraid of his own power and his inability to control it, and is deeply anxious about it, but is eventually recruited by Reigen to work for Spirits and Such (where the good guys work lol). He eventually starts to come out of his shell, get control of his powers, and starts going to night school :)
He basically is the CEO of being a shut-in by locking himself in his room in his mother's apartment for 15 straight years out of anxiety and fear, but he also shows how you can heal from that!! He's able to get a good job, starts going back to school, and makes new friends once he gets the confidence to. He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3â - anonymous submitter
(side note: I think this person is like the one person here who's actually seen the Professor Layton anime, which I had never heard of before running this, and it sounds like anime canon makes Luke's shutin tendencies a lot more prominent)
god really sorry abt that guys. i did the same thing on the other poll bracket i run a couple days ago but I caught it within 40 minutes that time >.< i feel bad about "losing" all the votes of people who voted on the original Marion vs Antigone poll. I've taken a screenshot of the results when I deleted it just... for posterity. the two characters were extremely close to being tied at the time so that's something
Marion Lavorre (Critical Role) vs Antigone Funn (Wooden Overcoats)
Marion
Antigone
Voting ended onApr 10
hi I am posting this at 11:21pm in bed from my phone because i fucked up the original poll by forgetting to change the duration to a week god DAMN it
info & propaganda under the cut!
Marion
âMarion, also known as âThe Ruby of the Seaâ is a widely renowned courtesan who carries herself with such confidence and elegance youâd never expect that she also has severe agoraphobia. Since her lodging is also her workplace, she simply never leaves; if she needs something she has it brought to her.
[Propaganda]: I just think sheâs a really cool example of a shut-in character who is also incredibly charismatic and has a rich social life.â - anonymous submitter
âShut-in at the Lavish Chateau where she is the owner and primary performer/entertainer because she is too terrified of outdoor spaces to ever brave them. I donât think thereâs an official canon length of time that she spent there but it was a minimum of twenty years.
I love that sheâs an extremely successful stage performer AND agoraphobic. So often characters are either Anxious or Confident with no in-between, but she gets to be more complicated than that. Also, canonically has an absolutely stunning voice.â - anonymous submitter
âAt the Lavish Chateau, a classy inn/ hotel/ bordello in the port city of Nicodranas, for roughly two decades. The why is (to the best of my knowledge) never explicitly stated, but might have to do with societal prejudice against tieflings (she alludes to the world having been âunkindâ to her), or with the abrupt disappearance of her daughterâs father, who she had been planning to marry. In any case, she struggles greatly to leave her home/workplace where she feels safe, and Word of God (/Word of DM) has explicitly described her as having agoraphobia.
[Propaganda]: "đś Because the Ruby of the Sea is the best lay ever. đś
More seriously, sheâs a famous, highly respected, and widely desired courtesan and performer despite the fact that she hasnât been able to force herself to step outside in years. Sheâs also the mother of fan-favorite PC, Jester Lavorre, and is generally a kind, insightful, and lovely person." - anonymous submitter
Antigone
âThe town thought she was dead, they hadn't seen her for so long. She prefers to spend time in her mortuary without alive people. She also used to be allergic to everything outside to the point she wore essentially a spacesuit.
Her only friends are her twin brother, a mouse, and their assistant who wormed her way into their lives. The love of her life is their perfect rival neighbor who she fantasizes about on the job (even though she's rarely off the job). She makes her own custom embalming fluids and made a chocolate similar to death that only she and her rival/crush could eat. She once had a house full of dead clowns because she liked the buff ringmistress.â - anonymous submitter
âMY BEAUTIFUL ANGEL IS IN ANOTHER TOURNAMENT
ANTIGONE SWEEP
can't believe the propaganda doesn't mention she spent so much time in the dark that she can disappear in the shadows at will
and sleeps in the coffins in their basement with is where she works as an embalmer
and she yells at everyone who tries to enter her mortuaryâ - @average-acorn
âthe girl was alone on prom night; and decided the solution was to not go outside for 18 years. she deserves to sweep this entire tournamentâ - @origami-butterfly
Luke Triton (Professor Layton) vs Katsuya Serizawa (Mob Psycho 100)
Luke
Serizawa
Voting ended onApr 10
Info & propaganda under the cut!
Luke
â[In The Last Spectre, the chronological first game in the series] The very first thing we hear after Luke is mentioned by name is that heâs âshut himself up in his room⌠as usual.â His father then says that heâs been withdrawn lately, and that on some days, Luke wonât leave his room at all despite coaxing. Luke wonât speak with his father on those days.Â
The maid says that heâs been holing himself in his room for weeks, and he wonât come out for meals. She theorizes that itâs related to his motherâs disappearance, as Luke didnât used to display this behavior. The maid and Lukeâs father both make remarks about how difficult it would be to get into his room at all. The maidâs comment on Luke not leaving his room is later verified by the visual of a cart outside his door containing lunch, which he offers up after Emmy threatens to eat it if he doesnât come out to get it.
Upon your first meeting, Luke makes it clear that he wonât let them into his room unless they first go through the hoop of solving a puzzle at the door. Upon solving the puzzle and entering, Luke is found by the window, facing away from them with the curtains drawn.Â
When his father enters the room, Luke becomes visibly agitated before quickly shutting down and ignoring him, much to his fatherâs chagrin. His father implies that this has happened more than once. Upon calming, Lukeâs father explains that heâs barely spoken with his son in the last six months, since the appearance of the specter (the figure thatâs been terrorizing their town and destroying things for months). After proclaiming that the world will end soon, Luke falls silent. His father reiterates that Luke doesnât seem to want to talk to anyone, and that when he does, itâs incomprehensible, as he wonât explain himself.Â
Heâs been predicting where the specter will attack, and then he has his butler tell the townspeople to evacuate. For a good portion of the game, Luke refuses to elaborate on how he knows where the specter will attack, unable to trust the professor or emmy. He seems to fear that he wouldnât be taken seriously, as most people discount him because of his age.Â
He used to be friends with a girl named Arianna, but after her fatherâs death, she lashed out at him and they hadnât spoken since. That was a year before the game. Itâs established that Luke doesnât play with many other children either, having not played with his old playmate in a while, and the market children find him to be snobby because heâs more well-off.Â
Other mentionable points to him being a shut-in
 Luke mentioned having read all the books on his bookshelf twice over. I counted 41 books on the bookshelf from the cutscene of his room, some of which are very thick.Â
Luke seems to have an early curfew/bedtime, likely to avoid potentially running into the specter, but this means that heâs going to bed while itâs still light out. Heâs not allowed outside at night, though the maid and butler let him leave without a fuss.Â
The boatsman mentions that itâs good to see Luke getting some fresh air.Â
A family friend stops Luke to ask if heâd offended the boyâs mother. Luke mentions that sheâs been gone a long time, implying that the two hadnât seen each other in quite some time.Â
Heâs described as âprecociousâ and âtalking all grown-up for his ageâ and that heâs sulking (Luke denies the last one).Â
His butler claims that he must be lonely with his mother gone, and that despite his interest in puzzles, he seems to have lost his love for them recently.Â
One of Luke's friends claims that they donât play together anymore since Luke got older and seems surprised that heâs out of the house, saying heâs usually cooped up in his house.Â
All of this information is available in the first half of the gameâ - @justkillingthyme
âLuke is best boy hands down! He's a sweetheart, he loves animals, and he tries to be a lil gentleman even though he can mess up sometimes. It's admirable that Luke does his very best when he's adventuring with Professor Layton and his ability to talk with animals has been quite helpful on many occasions.â - @angelbellelc2
âGo Luke!
As a young adult Luke also shuts himself awayâŚ
When heâs looking into a mystery linked to Professor Laytonâs daughter
Luke shuts out his wife (Marina) in an attempt to keep her safe. She has to ask Layton for help when Luke goes missing
Luke didnât even tell Layton that heâs MARRIED and has MOVED BACK TO ENGLAND cause he didnât want to involve Layton in the mysteryâ - @101flavoursofweird (Mod note: apparently, the plotline described here is from a Professor Layton animated series!)
Serizawa
âHe has strong psychic powers, and not the best control of them, so when he was growing up he got bullied a lot because of it. When he turned 12, he decided to just become a shut-in, and he stayed that way for 15 years. Counselors tried to help but they couldn't really do anything. Eventually he got out of his room (and directly into an incredibly toxic dependency on a corrupt guy (he got out of that eventually too thankfully, he's doing a lot better now)) but I think the 15 years straight of not even touching the outside world counts for something here.
15 years is an INSANELY long time. And during these 15 years he didn't even leave his room! That's insane! That's shut-in dedication! And even when he got out of his room, he was still kinda a shut-in still, because he literally hid under an umbrella at all possible times and barely talked and interacted with anyone aside from one guy. And the reason he was given that umbrella was specifically because he was so nervous about leaving his room, and the umbrella made him feel like he was still there.â - @finnexistshere
âHe's a powerful esper (has psychic abilities) and due to his lack of control over them growing up, at the age of 12 he decided to become a recluse and locked himself in his bedroom for 15 years. He only ever came out of confinement when an evil organization (Claw) recruited him by saying they'd teach him how to control his powers. He confines himself because he's afraid of his own power and his inability to control it, and is deeply anxious about it, but is eventually recruited by Reigen to work for Spirits and Such (where the good guys work lol). He eventually starts to come out of his shell, get control of his powers, and starts going to night school :)
He basically is the CEO of being a shut-in by locking himself in his room in his mother's apartment for 15 straight years out of anxiety and fear, but he also shows how you can heal from that!! He's able to get a good job, starts going back to school, and makes new friends once he gets the confidence to. He's just overall a very sweet guy who just had too much power for his own good, but he shows how you can change your circumstances with the right support system and how it's never too late since he only starts to reenter society when he's around 30. Love that guy <3â - anonymous submitter
