insp. Forgetting is a kind of mercy, by nerdylizj

seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China

seen from Australia
seen from Taiwan
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from South Korea
seen from China
seen from France

seen from Canada

seen from Australia
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
insp. Forgetting is a kind of mercy, by nerdylizj
something i think about a lot is the way utena twists and subverts the idea of the chosen one protagonist. from the very first sequence in the very first episode, utena is set up to be special in this way. in her past she met this mythical figure, the prince, and it is her destiny to meet him again. eventually we of course start to suspect that this isn't really the case, that there's something else going on, but the narrative still leaves us for a long time with the impression that there is something special and important about utena. she's the dueling champion after all! she keeps winning, seemingly through magic. but, as it turns out, it's all an illusion and a lie. she isn't, and never could have been, this larger than life hero figure. she's just some kid. and the only way in which she was ever "chosen" was by a predator picking out his prey. using this exact narrative about the special and important and heroic to isolate her and gain her trust. and not even in this is she particularly unique. she just happens to be the most vulnerable, the most convenient, of his targets.
and, crucially, it's okay (good, even!) that she's not this hero she is initially painted (and trying to paint herself) to be. princes aren't real. it's not a moral failing on her part that she was hurt and deceived. she's not supposed to be perfect. and the best way she can help the people she wants to help, is simply by trying to be a good friend.
I already put Akio in Lumiose, now it's Yukiko's turn (she's suffering from Mega Evolution)
you're no prince!
A Homecoming {Opener for Akio}
Furuka glared down at the individually wrapped packets of Lumiose Galettes with a quiet, frustrated groan. She had been travelling for so long and thought to treat herself to a Kalos exclusive now that she was finally back, but her brother's voice rang in her head: "Mi-chan, I sent you just for the fresh produce! We have so many sweets already- you know everything at that farmer's market is overpriced! We'll be broke by next month!" An exaggeration, of course. Between her income as a solo idol and her brothers income as a doctor, the two were more than well off. Despite everyone in the idustry associated with her having been blacklisted from the agency, both Mitsu and Ren walked away with a generous severance from their years of service.
She groaned, and the woman behind the stall seemed to getting agitated with her hesitancy. "Young miss, are you going to buy something? You're blocking my stall from other customers."
"G-gomen- I mean, ah, J-Je suis désolé," she panicked, looking up from the galettes and taking a step back. It would be best not to upset her brother by spenidng more than the alotted money he'd given her for the produce. "I-I'll be going, then, yes," she murmured, spinning on the back of her heel, and slamming into a brick wall of a person. A very, very familiar feeling brick wall, though...