Silf / 30+ / they/them; fandom & writing(?) blog. Currently into Hetalia (always into Hetalia), Black Butler, SpyxFamily, Apothecary Diaries, Frieren, and Wind Breaker. If I'm not here, you can check my rp blogs or ask for my discord
tagged by @wickedwonderbread (thank you so much ❤️)
Last song: I've been blasting Poets of the Fall for the last three days for fanfic inspo... last paused my playlist on "Given and Denied"
Currently watching: *checks Anilist app* currently planning on rewatching Wind Breaker, and I should also continue Frieren, Black Butler, and SpyxFamily. And Journal With Witch is also on my to-watch list
Currently reading: there are like 10 books that live in my bed with me that I should be reading but instead I read manga (Wind Breaker and Witch Hat Atelier) and fanfics 😅
Current obsession: Wind Breaker (this much should be obvious lol)
Currently working on: oh so many things... I may have a problem. Current number of fanfic drafts: 6, and the number of tumblr drafts: 15 (granted not all those are wbk analysis posts ...but most of them are)
In case you're wondering what the afore-mentioned POTF music is for: I'm plotting a very evil song fic that I think Spades will like and everyone else might want me dead for. I'm not using POTF songs for it tho, those are just mood music for writing certain scenes
Last google search: "dictionary of obscure sorrows buy" bc I stumbled on the tumblr blog again and I need that book-
Favourite flowers: red campion (silene dioica) and ox-eye daisy (leucanthemum vulgare) and dandelions. If you're asking about fancy flowers, then lilies I guess
Tagging (no pressure), I don't have a lot of mutuals and I'm kinda worried tagging non-mutuals might be a faux pas but: @asofspades @orewing @littencloud9 @zephyrwindspirit
I first heard about Wind Breaker last summer when I was at an anime convention with my friend. I saw green merch boxes one of the sell tables (green is my fave colour so they drew my eye) and picked some up, asked my friend what series the figures were from
My friend told me: "it's that new delinquent anime"
And I replied: "ah, delinquents... I wouldn't care about that"
And put the boxes down
*cackles at myself one year later*
Anyway, I'm going to the same convention again next weekend with the same friend and this time I know what I'm looking for 😂
(My friend will surely have a good laugh about this story too when I see her)
I've previously analysed things about Suo & Bankoku-gai from the pov of my (current, ongoing) English & Translation Studies degree here. But this is actually my second degree, the first one was a vocational degree in...
*drum roll*
Tourism!
Anyway, I'm currently in the middle of a camping trip with friends and my phone is surviving on a power bank, so, full analysis of this chapter will have to wait until Friday
I wonder if Suo had to grow into kindness the same way Sakura had to grow into relying on others.
That's not to say he's an inherently evil person, but maybe this could represent one of his and Sakura's parallels.
Perhaps at one point Suo was rewarded or even required to be "nasty" and unkind to survive and develop in the environment he grew up in, much like Sakura was rewarded for becoming more open, trusting others, and allowing himself to rely on them. Perhaps Suo being unkind in his environment was what was needed not only for self-validation as it was for Sakura, but for general protection (eg, another way of "growing a backbone" and genuinely remaining safe).
However, he also likely had a hard time growing out of it or better refining it as he got older...maybe his master had that big of an influence regarding that...
*Spinning Suo Hayato around in my mental microwave again*
I've also been thinking that maybe Suo is a kid who got a hard lot in life, born into the poverty and systemic discrimination (I have another post in the works about Bankoku-gai being a burakumin community aka exploring Japan's brand of racism) in Bankoku-gai. A kid who got intimately familiar with the unfairness of life at a very young age, a kid who looked over the river and knew that the people on the other side didn't live like him. (A kid who maybe secretly hoped to one day spread his wings and join the other side, to be seen as "normal" and to be happy.) And all that suffering made an anger build up in him
But unlike Sakura who turned his anger outwards and rejected the world that rejected him, Suo turned his inwards and into a ruthless act of self-refinement. If his environment expected him to be cold or cunning or cruel, and rewarded him for it, then he would excel in those things to ensure his survival. (Someone forced to grow several hard layers to protect his fragile inner core, the kindness and idealism that he has never truly managed to kill in himself.) And then at some point he ended up at the dojo and met his master who helped him further refine himself and his fighting skills. And taught him how to wield his anger with surgical precision instead of just blindly lashing out
I'm still not really convinced that RC is a 100% good organisation... I think it's likely that they may also have expected Suo to commit acts of cruelty that he might not have wanted to do but wasn't in a position to refuse following the orders. And - this is just total speculation until canon either vindicates me or proves me wrong - what if Suo's currently in danger not bc someone in RC wants to harm him but bc he's putting himself in danger by trying to stage a rebellion? To change RC and how it works from the inside. (As a side note, I'm starting to lean on the theory that Suo's master is dead/gone and there's now someone else in charge, and maybe after master's passing, the higher ups stopped caring about/funding the dojo and maybe that's why Suo is now going against them; to protect his younger siblings who haven't been disillusioned by the realities of life or what RC really is like yet. And as another side note, while Suo is an officer, I've been consistently reading his role as an "enforcer", like he's def high up in the hierarchy but I don't think he's one of the three dragons, rather his role is to enforce the will of his higher ups onto others)
This is already way too long but. I've also been thinking of the reasons Suo came to Makochi and to Furin. Like maybe it was to help him recover after the eye injury, or keep him away from Bankoku-gai while RC regrouped after whatever happened to his master. Maybe he joined Furin to blow off some steam and, like Sakura, didn't know that Furin had changed under Umemiya. Or maybe he joined to find allies for his planned rebellion. Either way, I find it rather telling that the first thing he does with Furin is to put up a show in his fight vs Kanuma. Like really he's saying "look! this is my skill set, I can be useful to you!" in front of Umemiya. In the beginning he also started a one-sided competition with Sakura tho he dropped it after the KEEL arc. It's like it took him a while to figure out that Furin didn't want him as just a strong fighter, they wanted him primarily as a friend. And then we see the "god's strongest ragebaiter" personality emerge when Suo starts to enjoy himself for possibly the first time in his life. I'd definitely say Furin was healing something in him
I've done my head in with yet another fic idea (the drafts. they keep increasing. send help) so... if anyone who sees this happens to know Japanese (and/or Chinese) and enjoys making linguistic puns (or just overanalysing wbk characters in general)
Can we already start dreading the reunion between Sakura and Suo? Because, yes, Suo will try to keep them away from potential danger, and to do so, he’ll say something—even if it hurts himself or causes pain to Sakura and Nirei. We can’t blame him; he’s desperate, and this is the reaction and solution he’s found—born of fear and the belief that there’s no other way out. He’s just a fifteen-year-old boy; you can’t expect him to have the maturity to handle that kind of pressure—acting as an officer who must maintain order and peace, worrying about supply shortages, and bearing responsibility for children while having to educate adults. Wow, we’re witnessing a role reversal here; it’s unbearable.
The more I think about this, the more I feel like Sakura is no longer likely to be angry or try to fight Suo, he just genuinely wants to talk and understand him. However, there could be a role reversal in the sense that Sakura has to hold Nirei back from trying to land another hit on Suo
Bc no matter how Suo acts when he sees his friends again (whether he's angry with them and says cruel things to hurt them/chase them away, or apologises but refuses to talk and/or come back with them, or they find him dissociating in 4K and trying to act like nothing's wrong)... I can't imagine Nirei having a good reaction to any of the options
Imagine Sakura having to be the one calming Nirei down and feeling super weird about it bc he used to be the one flying off the handle and needing to be held back by Nirei
I am happy to announce that the application form for the Nirei Akihiko zine is now live!!!!! I'm so pleased with the amount of excitement I saw from people and am really looking forward to working with you all!
A disclaimer before you continue. To participate in this zine you will NEED discord as all communications will be done through a private ser
Okay, disclaimer, I'm not saying Suo doesn't like the dojo Kids or he doesn't care about Bankoku-Gai or RC, because I feel like some people think that this has to be a "Suo has to hate one either Furin or RC" situation somehow
That being said, the way people are claiming that Suo looks like he's doing great back at Bankoku-Gai and his smiles are less forced is killing me, because look at these panels and tell me that's not a kid dissociating in 4k and that smile isn't forced
He looks tired and on the edge, and this is not the first time he's looked like this, so it's wild to me that people are ignoring it
Like, he has that look before as well
And then obviously the strained smile, like, how do you miss that, obviously there's something Suo doesn't like about the kids joining RC at 15
And well, more proof that things really are getting serious (and I feel this is a big issue that not necessarily has to link directly to RC, like, maybe there's some corruption in RC, but we have to remember that RC and Bankoku-Gai aren't synonymous, please)
And last but not least, this panel
The only light in that eye was the reflection from an artificial light, that boy is not okay...
And it's likely just that he's a 15 year old with too much responsibility on his shoulders due to being an officer, a clear problem in Bankoku-Gai, possible internal issues with the other 2 sections of RC and the fact he had to leave his friends and Makochi behind.
But truly it is wild to me that people feel the need to claim that Suo looks perfectly fine and all his smiles are genuine back at Bankoku-Gai, specially considering the panels I've pointed out, as if any other claim would suddenly mean he doesn't care about his city and his people, when it's very obvious that exactly because he cares a ton he's not doing fine, he has to hide things from them, as an officer he likely can't show weakness, vulnerability or doubt in public because that would influence everyone he's responsible for.
Suo cares about Furin and he cares about Bankoku-Gai, but he has a formal obligation with Bankoku-Gai that he doesn't with Furin, it's pure feelings (Furin) Vs a mix of duty and feelings (Bankoku-Gai)
Particularly when you compare it to other panels where he is smiling genuinely. The difference is so distinct. Nii sensei has such a talent for nuanced expressions.
Concerned for Nirei, but affectionate smile:
Joking around:
Admiring smile:
Talking to friends
Angry smile:
Sad, introspective smile:
Suo is drawn so incredibly expressively that I think the difference is clear. Those smiles don’t quite reach his eyes. He looks like he’s anxious/holding back in the BG panels to me. I think there was a deliberate artistic choice to draw his eyes looking rather flat without the reflected light we see in many of the panels.
Possibly the most gleefully happy and carefree Suo in the whole manga
When I first started getting into wbk, I saw all these comments about Suo being "oh so mysterious, wearing a smiling mask and being inscrutable" but the more I read the manga, the more I realise this kid actually sucks at hiding his true emotions
Particularly I've learnt to recognise that when Suo's eye (or any other character's eyes for that matter) are not coloured in, it indicates fear/surprise/anger/some kind of negative emotion... so honestly to me he just looks scared the whole time in Bankoku-gai. Like he acts normal, talks familiarly with Bacchus and Rakta and the dojo kids (these, btw, were the only moments his eye was coloured in in ch 217, indicating he might have relaxed at least a little bit with these people), but the whole time there's something niggling in the back of his mind that terrifies him
I’ve noticed it and I think others have too but I am BEGGING all of you to stop using black and white thinking with this Suo arc like I’m on my knees begging.
We only know what the characters have told us about Red Chanpuru, and from what we’ve been told they’re a much older and strongly bonded organization with similar goals as Furin.
AND weve been told this by outsiders, people who have never experienced this organization personally who probably have heard misconceptions and rumors and so that’s the entirety of what they know! Most of them didn’t even know this organization existed!
I understand wanting angst and the easiest way to get that is through “Red Chanpuru bad and evil” but I NEEED you to think critically about that because this is the FIRST diverse group we’ve come across, PLEASE use your brain for 5 seconds and think about how harmful it is to say that the first group we have with diversity is abusing this teenager.
Now this doesn’t mean you can’t criticize them or talk about how Suo being connected to them is inappropriate. Suo is still a child and the fact that he has to go back and forth between this town on a 4 hour commute daily to a school he has then been made to drop out of (either by his own, or another persons decision) is wrong, but also we can’t even imply that he was forced to do it because WE DONT KNOW!
We can talk about how they probably have strict outdated rules without making them out to be an evil organization.
Things need to change, yes, but things also needed to change with Shishitoren and Noroshi and now they’re amazing allies which we don’t villainize because we heard them out!
I am just tired of people acting like this organization is evil and malicious when we know so little and to imply that Suo’s mask is something that was beat into him by Red Chanpuru when we don’t know that is just frustrating.
There are so many things that could have caused this response in Suo and I am BEGGING you to keep in mind that we are talking about the first ethnically diverse community.
no, but seriously. the way people see one image and immediately start making wild assumptions. "There's blood on the logo" so they're an evil violent organization. "It's their own blood" okay, um, [checks notes] they can still be an evil organization some how, just give me a minute.
or we could just wait and hear the mangaka out? no? alright.
So as a general rule I don't want to make a habit of making reaction posts (firstly bc I know I won't have the time and energy for it every week and secondly bc I dislike being redundant - I don't want to just repeat what everyone else is saying so if I have nothing new or interesting to add to the convo, I'll rather say nothing at all). I prefer to instead spend my time picking apart the themes and subtext and writing my fics. (Thirdly bc I and my perfectionistic tendencies need to spend a few days to mull over all my thoughts before I consider them publishable). So while I hope I might have at least one point to cover here that I haven't seen a lot of people mention yet (I do read the Suo character tag like the newspaper these days lol), don't expect anything too intelligent this time 😅
So without further ado...
Nirei has been amazingly resilient through the whole ordeal so far but he looks and sounds like he's going through the exact same emotions as Sakura. He's trying so hard to keep a brave face and cheer up Sakura (and probably himself as well) bc he can't afford his own breakdown when Sakura is hurting like this. But it would only be natural and human that Nirei's resolve won't last forever (I'd say he's pushing his limits almost as much as Suo is)
Especially with these panels, it feels like Sakura is voicing what Nirei is thinking and feeling too. So... when are we scheduling Nirei's breakdown?
Honestly I'm starting to feel like Nirei and Suo need to have a rematch (maybe with slightly less violence but more yelling from both sides this time, tho Suo doesn't really seem capable of a lot of emotion rn... but Nirei and Sakura slapping some sense into him like he and Nirei did to Sakura during the Noroshi arc would probably work to pull him out of the dissociation pool). Especially if Suo tries being difficult/distant and feeding them the "we aren't anything" line a second time, Nirei might finally snap and go nuclear
(Tbh it could also be funny to see Sakura going "o_o" seeing his usually calm and cheerful vices verbally tearing into each other's throats. It would probably also be good for him to learn that with good friends you can do that and it won't ruin things)
Also this painful little detail of Nirei looking at Suo's teacups (probably his tea as well being served... imagine if someone next chapter comments that it doesn't taste as good when it's not made by Suo). To me this just proves my earlier point of Nirei hurting just as much as Sakura but just being quieter about it
Gotta love how Suo keeps haunting the narrative, now also with physical reminders
Also gonna comment on these panels from two weeks ago. For the first time we saw Suo unsmiling and looking uncertain in Sakura's headspace. His motives and personality no longer completely known to Sakura. And then Suo turning away from him, effectively rejecting him. (Shoutout to the person who said "Sakura has never known a Suo who rejects him" in their theory post, that phrase lives rent free in my head)
(Also the strings imagery is 😩👌)
And then this week, look! Momi's words helped and Suo is once again turning to look at Sakura in his mental space. Smiling, with his eye big and round and gentle. Suo's once again someone reachable to Sakura
Momi reminded him that while Suo's side is still unknown, Sakura can at least be certain of his own feelings towards Suo. And those are what he needs to communicate to Suo if he wants to have his friend back
And finally yes, good question! This was my main hope for the chapter this week and then we spent half the page count on preamble and cooking montages. And mind you, I don't want to say anything bad about the pacing, I'm just a bit annoyed about being edged when I want answerrrsss... 🤣
Every week I wait like an excited puppy for Nii-sensei to throw the ball. And every week I think I know which way the ball will go and every week Nii-sensei throws the ball in a slightly different direction. And off I go running after the ball again with my theories and I'm having the time of my life~
Anyway, if Sugi doesn't get to talk next week, I might actually do something drastic. (Pls know that I'm joking... at least 50% joking)
whats a stereotype for your country that you absolutely do. mine is that i unironically go "eh" and apologize a lot and i often drink maple syrup straight
Let the summer solstice remind you that you've made it through the first half of this year, and you'll make it through the last half. Let this remind you that light always follows darkness. I hope you're able to enjoy the warmth even if you're not where you expected to be right now. Time is passing so quickly, and it waits for no one. Use the last half of the year to go after what you want, say yes to more things that bring you joy and say no more to the things that don't. Watch the sunset. Send that message. Dance on tables. Soak up the sunshine. Read that book. Move your body. Do it all because there won't be a second chance at life. This right now is all we have and once we recognise what a blessing that is, that's exactly what it will feel like.
Part 2 of how do you think Suo will react when he sees Sakura & co again?
Would he be happy to see them? Has he maybe been waiting, hoping against his better judgement, for them to come rescue him? Or would he be angry that they went so far to find him when he worked so hard to push them away and keep them safe?
Will the weight of his responsibilities finally break him the moment he lays eyes on Sakura again, or will Sakura find Suo already past the breaking point, facing them with a smile but clearly dissociated? Or will Suo try to run away from them or will they find him literally collapsed on the ground?
If they meet at the dojo, would the children form a shield around Suo to defend him from the outsiders, or would they run up to Sakura and beg for him to help their Sunfei-nii?
Will Sakura & co even have time to make the trip to Bankoku-gai to find Suo, or will Rakta and Bacchus show up at Furin one day to request assistance for Suo?
(Will Sakura and Suo end up fighting each other or together against RC?)
This is pure silliness from my part, not much analysis to be found here just vibes lol
RC TRIO HEADCANONS
1. All three of them are tea snobs. Suo drinks Chinese tea blends (habit inherited from his Master), Rakta drinks masala chai, Darjeeling and Assam tea, and Bacchus drinks Earl Grey and English breakfast teas (but also drinks coffee sometimes unlike the other two). Bacchus probably gets gently ribbed by the other two for his "lower quality" tea but is also the most meticulous about following the correct tea etiquette (Suo being the second most strict about it but he doesn't do full tea ceremony every time he drinks tea) and has pushed the tradition of having afternoon tea together on the other two. Suo is usually the one who buys or bakes tea cakes for them
Tea bags are officially banned in their household. (Or Bacchus might have tried bringing them in once and barely escaped with his life from the merciless teasing)
2. Bacchus is the best cook out of the three. Rakta needs to be supervised in the kitchen bc he's either easily distracted/forgetful and burns things or (being Indian) puts lethal amounts of spice in everything he cooks. Suo can also cook simple dishes but he's still learning and so far much prefers baking
3. Suo's eating issues have been a concern to his brothers for a while already (most likely his issues are stress related and have been present ever since he became an RC officer, or if there's an underlying issue then the stress of being an officer at 15 certainly isn't helping it) but Rakta isn't much better and frequently forgets to eat for 10-12 hours at a time and tends to run on very little sleep. Bacchus makes threats about forcing bread rolls down his brothers' throats and nags at Rakta for being a bad influence on Suo
(Bacchus is also definitely a freak in some way compared to most people but when paired with these two "monsters", he's the Normal One)
4. Bacchus is the most affectionate out of the three and wouldn't have an issue with hugs or throwing an arm around his brothers' shoulders (or getting in an outright wrestling match on the floor with Rakta) if the other two weren't as touch averse as they are. Suo used to be more affectionate as a child but now keeps his distance as he thinks it makes him look more grown-up (or his touch aversion may have developed after the eye injury). Rakta mostly knows how to be useful with his touch, and is gentle with Suo (who he has a massive soft spot for) but doesn't consider himself good at physically comforting people. He's more the listening ear and sage advice type
5. Bacchus calls Suo "Feifei" most of the time just to mess with him (and to remind Suo that he's still a kid and allowed to act like one) but will use his full name when he's serious or the situation calls for more gravity. Suo doesn't really like the nickname as he sees it as "childish" and he's too mature for it now, especially with his duties as an RC officer. Rakta tends to respect the hierarchy between them and Suo's own wishes more and defaults to Suo's full name but may call him by other Chinese nicknames like "Ah-Fei" or "Xiaodi" (something so childish and mushy it would normally make Suo burn with embarrassment) on special occasions to offer reassurance and protection. Tho on a side note, Suo could also semi-jokingly refer to himself as "Xiaodi" sometimes
Younger Suo would also have called his older brothers "Bacchus-nii" and "Rakta-nii" (or "ge" for Rakta as Mandarin is another language they share) like the younger kids at the dojo still do. Not anymore tho as he's now an "adult" and appears to stand above his brothers in the hierarchy. But maybe under special circumstances or when he has a sudden need to use a tactical nuke against his brothers, he might still pull these nicknames out
I also feel like Rakta would be much easier than Bacchus for Suo to wheedle and manipulate around. Like all he'd need to do is say "Rakta ge please" and smile pretty and Rakta would do anything for him. Even when he knows he's being manipulated
Source & source
(Also I still think there's a third brother, the eldest, or "Dage", for Suo hiding somewhere. Possibly the person at the headquarters he appears fearful of. That person could call him with the "Xiao" prefix)
6. Animal motifs/fighting auras: Bacchus is a lion, Rakta is a tiger (the lion and the tiger also being the respective national animals of England and India). Suo is a hawk/phoenix
First off, can I just say the (only) real comfort for me in this chapter was that at least Suo doesn't look so haunted anymore. I mean he's clearly not okay but at least he doesn't have the look like he's about to walk to his own execution like at the end of ch216
Looking at him still kinda feels like watching a skinwalker tho bc he's completely deviated from the "god's strongest ragebaiter" persona we got to know him as in Furin
But that's also what makes this chapter so ✨️fascinating✨️ to read
Suo speaks Chinese is now canonically confirmed! God, I got so excited seeing him speak multiple languages (I'm studying to become a translator and also know a stupid amount of languages lol). And then I got p mad at him for doing more or less everything we're taught NEVER to do in an interpreting/intercultural communication situation. Like "Suo I know you're a smart guy, why are you doing this, you're only going to create problems for yourself later!" At the same time, I do understand he was most likely acting under RC procedures rather than Suo procedures... which is only making RC look even shadier to me if this is what they've been doing the last 80 years in Bankoku-gai
Anyway, he's very much giving Boss Baby And His Body Guards vibe here and I don't even care that I have to throw the names and some theories I thought of for "Hawk brother and Owl brother" in the trash bc the real deal is even better than I imagined! I might like "Owl brother" (from now on referred to as Rakta) even more now haha
If you want to know my first impressions, my eyes were drawn to Rakta first and as soon as I found out his name, I shot a text to my Bangladeshi best friend to ask what his name means and what culture it's from. She told me it's a Hindi name so he's definitely Indian and Hindi could be Rakta's mother tongue (or he might speak a whole slew of Indian languages)
As for Bacchus, my first thought was "he looks like an Arthur" (the curse haunts me lol). And I was a bit surprised by his name bc it's... a bit unusual to say the least (speaking as a Eurobean). I thought he'd be either German or British based on his name and him being bilingual (and his two languages apparently being English and Japanese) made me land on British
Why British, you may ask? Bc when I see a white guy, an Indian guy, and a Chinese/Japanese guy standing together, I think of the British Empire (I will never beat the curse). And I already have a p strong hunch that with a "cosmopolitan city" as our setting, we're going to inevitably be discussing topics like racism and colonialism in this arc
I already covered the problem with Rakta's comment about Bacchus being "only bilingual" in my other post so here I'll focus on their brotherly dynamic
First off, I love Bacchus' comments about "something going on with that brain of yours" and "are you trying to be funny?" These to me imply that he's intimately familiar with all the facets of Suo's personality (which appears to be more or less the same as the version of him we got to know in Furin, thank god). It's just unfortunate that Suo's jokes don't seem to land that well with his brothers tho (meeting Sakura must have been exhilarating to him)
Also the dynamic between Bacchus and Rakta is absolutely hilarious and the three of them seem super close if they're okay bickering like this with Suo (probably their commanding officer) between them. And let's not ignore the part where Suo's touching Bacchus on the chest when he's usually the guy who only gives people shoulder pats or flicks on the forehead
I love them your honour
"Sunfei-nii" after my heart, I always thought Suo had a baby brother vibe (like third or fourth brother) but the big brother role suits him surprisingly well too. At what cost tho
A cursed middle child then, I guess. (Insert me taking a quick spin to read about "middle child syndrome" on wikipedia and cackling to myself "oh damn that actually explains a lot of things about Suo")
I'm kinda confused here tho bc we know Suo has his angry and very violent side too (hello KEEL crashout, I remember seeing his silent final boss walk for the first time in the anime and thinking to myself "oh. oh, you've definitely done this before, many times") so surely managing an orphanage isn't his ONLY duty in the RC. Bc just that doesn't create a person like Suo
Oh that smile is not natural at all, Suo def doesn't like whatever RC has in the plans for these kids. Which also leads us to the question of what Suo's life has been like under his RC service? (The boy who was way too "used to it" in the red light district for example, as Nirei pointed it out)
Moving on to looking at the brothers more closely. First off, Bacchus is a riot lol
He kinda gives golden retriever energy but... something more dangerous mixed in it too. So maybe more like a lion? 🤔 (This is still an RC member we're talking about so even if he looks harmless there must be a reason he got into this 80yo organisation way more dangerous than Furin). He's kinda like a mix of Umemiya and Hiiragi to me in a way? Tho I could also see him playing a Nirei-esque role with the other two, him being the Normal Guy who somehow got paired with the "two monsters" as he calls them (in a similar way as one Nirei post I reblogged recently about his dynamic with Suo and Sakura: "an open heart with his two pet clams")
All we know about his fighting skills so far is that he apparently only knows one move? Ofc this could be just another example of Rakta bullying him, like maybe Bacchus actually specialises exclusively on one type of move (like punches or kicks) but has variety within it but to Rakta it counts as "one move". So, it remains to be seen if he's actually One Punch Man or perhaps One Kick Man?
Also can I tell you, I'm incredibly annoyed with this man for managing to hide his left wrist in every shot so far! To the point it def feels intentional from Nii-sensei's part. I wanna see if he has a tassel bracelet!!
Tho I suppose whether he has a bracelet or not or what the tassels in Suo's earrings and Rakta's yajin mean probably won't be shown or explained until the RC trio formally introduce themselves to Sakura later on :/
And then we have the black cat to Bacchus' golden retriever boy. I love my quiet and serious and very good looking guys
My first thought with this scene was "oh this guy is going to be absolutely terrifying in a fight". Also I've now seen the bottom of his outfit. He wears pants. In other words, god have mercy on his enemies bc he can kick if he wants to and we've already seen how devastating Suo's kicks are
(I kinda assume that both Suo and Rakta would use similar moves in a fight... I'm also still in my theory that Suo was copying Rakta in the Furin trio, like he even takes the same position as Rakta in formations, standing behind Sakura on the right hand side)
Also now that I get a closer look, Rakta's yajin tassels appear to only have one coral bead after all which means if the beads symbolise rank, he could also be an officer like Suo. That or we pivot back to the theory that it signifies them being the students of the same master. (But also if the coral beads symbolise the officer rank, and Bacchus is hiding coral and tassels somewhere too, it could be possible that all three of them are officers/successors to their respective dragon heads in RC but more about that in another post whenever I get that thing out)
At the moment I'll lean on the same master theory, like, I still feel like him and Suo are Carved From The Same Wood personality-wise and possibly have a bit closer bond than what Suo has with Bacchus (this is also to say I currently hc Rakta being only marginally better than Suo at self-care lmao like where do you think Suo could get his "existing solely on tea" habits from). They seem like they've known each other for the better part of ten years and Bacchus might be a slightly more recent addition to their group. Like tbh I have no idea were they picked up Bacchus bc he kinda sticks out like a sore thumb and I don't just mean him being white, but also being "only bilingual" and only knowing "one move". How did this guy get accepted in the RC?
(Also just to cover my bases, I'm not saying that Suo likes or trusts Bacchus any less than Rakta, just that the relationship between them might be slightly different)
I don't trust this smile, it reminds me of the Shanti drawing. He says "Come in" but his face says "RUN". That or it's just the face of someone who's about to have a massive nervous breakdown any minute now
(Cue me idly wondering if he'll crumble the moment he sees Sakura again or a little later, honestly I'll give him one or two chapters, max three, before he loses it somehow lol. If he can make it more than three chapters without a breakdown, colour me impressed. And also very concerned bc I feel like at that point he'd have to be some flavour of catatonic)
WHY IS A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD IN CHARGE OF THINGS HERE
Frankly, I didn't want to believe the "Suo is a mafia heir" theories, but unfortunately, canon seems to be pointing in that direction now. So my theory as of now for Suo's backstory is that he was abandoned as a child (probably between 5-8 yo) at the gates of the Pupils of Crimson Vortex (which may or may not be RC's recruitment camp under a very thin veneer of an orphanage)... this much is more or less confirmed by canon already. And then, I suppose he caught his Master's attention by being very smart and socially fluent (read: a people pleaser), and being naturally gifted with languages (there are many different kinds of intelligences which are mostly inherent, Suo's strengths I'd say are in linguistic, interpersonal, and logical-mathematical) and a hard worker (I don't necessarily believe him to be a martial arts prodigy, iirc he also said at one point "being black and blue is proof of your hard work" which kinda implies to me that he had to work harder to hone his skills and/or his habit of pushing himself beyond reasonable limits goes way back or maybe I just want to project my own school troubles with adhd on him, the "you're too smart to be this stupid" and "you need to try harder" when you're already giving your 100%, I kinda just wanna see him have one thing he's not naturally and immediately perfect at but had to work hard for bc I think it makes for a more compelling and relatable character). And then skip forward however many years until the "whatever happened to his eye" incident
Idk, can't exactly explain why rn, but Suo just strikes me as a kid who maybe got Praise/Positive Attention from his Master once and then crafted his entire personality into "I can't disappoint this person EVER" which then probably slid into "I can't disappoint ANYONE EVER" as he grew older
This isn't ominous at aalll~ right? Suo and his brothers definitely know something but can't say it. They're probably trying to protect the dojo from something awful that's about to befall them
Also my sweet baby boy, you look so tired pls go take a nap 😭 I'm begging (it feels unnatural to see him so serious)
I saw someone else saying that Suo is looking at the moon like it's a timer and. Oh boy it certainly does feel like something big/bad/important will happen on the next full moon :D
Remember this thing I had in another post?
"Chinese dragons are often depicted as chasing a pearl-like jewel object. The pearl also resembles the moon, and as a dragon devours or disgorges the moon, it appears to wane or wax. The flaming pearl is one of the Eight Treasures."
Tho I suppose "Sakura crashing into Bankoku-gai and forcing Suo's two worlds into collision" would also count as very bad in Suo's book rn. I hope it's that option and not like. Idk. RC attacking the dojo and trying to hurt Suo or the kids to make him comply with whatever RC wants from him or something
Unfortunately, I wouldn't put it past RC to have made attempts on Suo's life before. I mean, he's literally missing an eye. And apparently ran off to Makochi for some reason. And the "curiosity killed the cat" line he said to Nirei. And asking if Sakura would help him if he was in danger... This boy definitely found out something he shouldn't have about RC at some point (I keep thinking of this one Suo analysis video I saw on youtube where the creator said his eyepatch could be symbolic for "the eye that once trusted too easily") and maybe that's why he was made an officer under 15
