Today is a special day and this is a special oneshot, because not only is today the birthday of my second favorite and favorite characters of the franchise… but this oneshot is dedicated to my second favorite and favorite characters of the entire franchise! As a matter of fact, at the time of writing this, I would even go so far as to say that Seele Vollerei and Veliona are my second favorite and favorite characters… period. They are amazing and I hope that this oneshot does them justice.
The summary of this oneshot does specify, but since tumblr doesn't show the summary I'll just post this in case: this oneshot is set after Honkai Impact 3rd Part 1 Chapter 39.
A birthday oneshot for my third-favorite character of the franchise: Bronya Zaychik! Nothing else needs to be said I think, other than that the chapter is set after Part 1 Chapter 39.
It is that time of year again, and here we are with... the first crossover story I have published in almost a decade, actually. I have been thinking of doing something like this for a while now, so what better time to upload this oneshot than today?
The two franchises featured in this oneshot are, as to be expected, BanG Dream! and, perhaps a bit less expected, Honkai Impact 3rd
Important sidenotes:
This story is a sequel to The Path Connecting Our Yesterday to Our Tomorrow and will contain spoilers for that oneshot!
This story is set after the Crazy Halloween!! -Beware Tricksters- event in BanG Dream! Girls Band Party as well as Honkai Impact 3rd Part 1 Chapter 39. As a result, this oneshot is likely to contain spoilers for everything up to and including those two sections.
So... it has been a while since, well... I did anything related to Falneou17. Almost two years have passed since my last post here. The long and the short of it is that... a lot has happened these last two years. Maybe this marks my return or maybe it will be just a one-time thing, we'll see.
A fateful encounter with lasting results, a bond that should never be was formed and connected them. But the truth hurts, and none of them were truly ready for what would come after this... How will this one day change the lives of everybody involved and pave the way for a new tomorrow? And how will everyone adapt to accommodate these changes?
And here we are, picking up where we left off in chapter 36. I don’t really have much else to say other than “here is chapter 37″, so... here is chapter 37.
A fateful encounter with lasting results, a bond that should never be was formed and connected them. But the truth hurts, and none of them were truly ready for what would come after this... How will this one day change the lives of everybody involved and pave the way for a new tomorrow? And how will everyone adapt to accommodate these changes? [on hold for now]
All right, the next chapter of this story picks up right where we left off the previous chapter! Now... normally this is where I would say something along the lines of “there isn’t much to say here other than the new update is now live”, but... let’s talk about the elephant in the room here.
Yes, Shining Sunlight will be on hold (as will be me writing and uploading fanfiction as a whole) until further notice. Yadda yadda real life responsibilities piling up yadda yadda need to focus on other stuffs that won’t let me focus on writing and uploading fanfiction. At the end of the day, there are other things that I must do and as much as I want to continue writing and uploading fanfiction... I know that that is just not realistic for me to do.
So... until further notice, I will be putting everything fanfiction-related on hold to focus on those other responsibilities I was referring to. And hopefully I will be back sooner than later. Thank you for your understanding, support, and patience, everyone!
It’s that time once again to write this list with some... notable changes, if I do say so myself. I will be honest: I am surprised to see just how much some characters have risen (or fallen) compared to the last list I did. This will probably be the last post until after RAS and Morfonica are introduced in the game and I have the opportunity to read through their respective band stories.
Favorites
Yamabuki Saaya (1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1)
No surprises here at the start of this list; though it is quite interesting to see how polarizing Poppin’ Party’s members have been on my lists. I guess that’s a testament to how great of a base Saaya had in the beginning and how consistent she has been over the years. I mean, character growth and development is great and all, but why try to fix something that isn’t broken?
Aoba Moca (2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2)
What can I still say about you? You’re one of the better written characters of the franchise, you are super versatile for writing purposes thanks to the myriad of different sides you have, and you are always a joy to write for. And the fact that you pretty much write yourself now is a great benefit; I don’t need to second-guess myself when I have you be the focal point of a scene. Which is exactly why you have been the focal point of so many scenes I have written already. As a matter of fact, there have been more scenes written revolving around Moca than not revolving Moca. Moca is my go-to character to write in the franchise, and even when I am not writing her I can always feel reassured whenever Moca makes an appearance on my phone’s screen.
Mitake Ran (3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3)
What do we get when we take the best aspects of some of the best and most-liked characters of other franchises, combine them into one vessel, and smoothen out the edges with an implied backstory and some extra writing to add more sides to the character? I present to you: Mitake Ran. No, but in all seriousness, not only is Ran the combination of the best traits of other great characters (or, better phrased, other characters I really enjoyed), but they did a good enough job at combining all of that into one character that it doesn’t feel rough or forced or anything. And it should say a lot that Saaya and Moca have consistently placed above Ran despite that...
Satou Masuki (20, 21, 10, 9, 9, 7, 4, 4)
Masuki is the perfect example of a character with a good base and a ton of mystery who gets expanded upon in the right way. Despite being the newest character I talk about in this list so far, I really enjoy the many sides of Masuki (from her lone wolf nature to her abrupt and erratic actions in the heat of the moment). I can even see parts of Moca in Masuki, which is funny to say because they both come from the same franchise; that being said, it definitely helps Masuki make a name for herself on this list. Just a ton of amazing potential, Bushiroad definitely delivered when it came to this drummer and I cannot wait for the day when the EN server introduces the RAS girls.
Hazawa Tsugumi (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5)
Tsugumi, like Saaya, is a great example of the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” philosophy. Tsugumi is amazing; she is supportive, she is cheerful, she is one of the hardest workers in the entire franchise, and she keeps moving forward no matter what obstacle pops up in her path. It’s not a question whether or not you like Tsugumi; it’s how much do you like Tsugumi? And as you can tell, she has been consistently on the top of this list, only “dropping” a single spot thanks to Masuki skyrocketing up the list. Speaking of girls who skyrocket up the list...
Kirigaya Touko (NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 22, 9, 6)
What can I say? This girl’s got potential and I cannot wait to see what canon has in store for us when it comes to Touko’s character. As everyone probably already knows by now, I am not following the JP server; that said, I do look up card arts and songs and such, and, well... Touko’s appearances are always so filled with life and energy. I am really hoping I am not hyping myself up too much, but yeah... like Masuki before her, I cannot wait to see Touko in the game.
Uehara Himari (6, 7, 8, 7, 7, 8, 7, 7)
The leader of Afterglow. ...oh, you wanted me to actually say something more? You mean that being the leader of my favorite band is not a reason enough to keep her this high up? All right... Himari is an amazing character. Like... in all honesty, the fact that Himari is only on the 7th spot should say how much I love numbers 1 to 6, but that is beside the point. Himari is very similar to Moca in a way in that the girl is presented as a character with seemingly a specific and narrow niche... and then you start looking into them and you see how wide and varied you can take advantage of their character in so many different scenes. If Himari was just a bit more in control of her emotions I would be able to depict her a bit better better and she might make the spot for number 6 competitive with Touko. And speaking of a character who knows all too well what it was like to be 6th on this list...
Shirokane Rinko (7, 6, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8)
Rinko is a very weird girl for me to place on this list. On the one hand, yes, I do love Rinko and I have two very specific reasons to still keep her high on the list. On the other hand, neither of those reasons are necessarily tied to Rinko as a character. It’s not about her design, her personality, or her strengths and/or weaknesses but more a... coincidence... that those reasons just happen to apply to Shirokane Rinko specifically. So is it really fair to keep her this high...? I think it is just because of those two very specific reasons I inferred earlier making me still love Rinko, but don’t be surprised to see her fall once Morfonica (and RAS) get properly introduced in the EN server of the game. In short, Rinko still has a safety net that keeps her from falling to a lower category for now, but she doesn’t have a safety net for characters jumping above her...
Udagawa Tomoe (8, 8, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 9)
The only reason Tomoe is placed below Rinko is because Tomoe is even harder for me to place than Rinko was; which should tell you how difficult this choice was for me. Despite her shortcomings, I still adore Tomoe and she’s still part of Afterglow, and Afterglow would not be the same without her. But as I said so many times before, I primarily focus my writing on Ran... and Moca... and BlueFlora... and Tomoe is such a natural clash with Ran that they always seem to be bonking heads... so as a BlueFlora writer, it becomes a big challenge to find ways to properly use Tomoe and give her the recognition and attention that she deserves. She definitely deserves them, but it’s really difficult to find the right opportunities to showcase the true Tomoe nowadays.
Love
Tamade Chiyu (13, 13, 16, 14, 15, 11, 11, 10)
Without any source (i.e. anime, introduction to the EN server) to influence her placings on this list, I felt it was only fair to keep her on the same spot she was on the last time. She might seem that she jumped, but as those who have paid attention to these lists already know: it’s not that this girl jumped. It’s that someone above her dropped... and the reason why Chiyu is above the next couple girls in particular is that Chiyu has had some really cool parts in her band’s songs as of late. More of the same, to be fair, but more examples of a good thing.
Asahi Rokka (12, 12, 12, 12, 11, 10, 12, 11)
Same as above. Her placement will likely shift quite a bit once RAS actually gets introduced into the game. Until that day comes when we can learn even more about her... the same spot as always seems like a good spot for her.
Nyubara Reona (14, 14, 14, 15, 16, 15, 13, 12)
Same as above. The one thing that Reona definitely has going for her above Rokka (and that which could potentially become a factor in Reona eventually surpassing Rokka) is simple. I know what cards Reona will have, and... what can I say, Reona’s cards are going to be amazing. Will I hoard all my stars for a specific card? Probably not... will I be overjoyed if I can have at least one of them in the first year after her introduction in the game? Definitely!
Maruyama Aya (9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 12, 14, 13)
I would say “same as above” again, but unlike the three RAS girls above her Aya does appear in the EN server of the game. That being said, for me personally, her cards and appearances have not been relevant enough for me to even consider placing her above the RAS girls above her.
Wakamiya Eve (11, 10, 11, 13, 12, 14, 15, 14)
Eve is actually a really interesting character, and the reason why she’s still relevant... is for a very specific card I know I should not spend my saved up stars for but probably will. Eve cards are phenomenal, they always have been, they probably always will; as I said in the last list, she’s the only character outside the very top (Saaya/Moca/Ran/Tsugumi/Rinko) to consistently release cards that I really like... and that is definitely helpful in remaining relevant. That, and Eve is also a very nice character in and of herself with a lot of writing possibilities.
Kurata Mashiro (NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 21, 16, 15)
Why is Mashiro still this high even though I do not play the JP server of the game? The same reasoning as the RAS girls above her, really (before the PasuPare duo). I see the potential, I see the absolutely stunning cards that she has, and... between you and me, if a character can make you like a cover song more than the original version of that song, that is definitely going to make you memorable. And if that song just so happens to be from your favorite franchise of all time, then that gets even more brownie points.
Futaba Tsukushi (NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 18, 17, 16)
Another great example of a character who appears to have a good base going for her and a bunch of wonderful cards just waiting to tempt the stars I have saved up over the months. Like every other girl who comes from a band yet to be introduced in the EN server, I cannot really place them until they are properly introduced and we can learn more about them. So I hope that Tsukushi, as well as every other member of Morfonica and RAS, can reach those expectations.
Like
Imai Lisa (5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 8, 17)
...okay, we need to talk about this character. At first glance, you might think why? 17th is not a terrible placing; it means she is still in the top half of such a varied and diverse cast of characters. But then you realize that she fell nine spots since the last list...
For the most part, I try to not let how I feel about character one influence how I feel about characters who remind me of character one. But in practice, let’s be real... it’s going to have some effect in the overall placing. In a bubble, yes, Lisa is a great and wonderful character. However... if Chisato can be dragged down for this specific reason, then it is only fair for Lisa to take the fall as well. And since Lisa has experienced by far the biggest drop in between entries of any character so far (even when some characters “fell” after Morfonica’s introduction), I think you can have a pretty good guess how I feel about the character that Lisa reminds me of... if it wasn’t for the fact that Lisa is pretty much Roselia’s counterpart to Moca when it comes to closeness to their band’s vocalist, Lisa may have avoided this fall...
Wakana Rei (25, 20, 15, 11, 13, 13, 18, 18)
Rei is always really awkward for me to place. On the one hand, she’s probably one of the best vocalists in the franchise. RAS has consistently released amazing song after incredible song; so much so that I can confidently say that I have enjoyed every single RAS song that has been released so far (something that I cannot say about even Afterglow... or Roselia back in their glory days). On the other hand, she is also one of the most static characters on the list so far... and having a character that does not really stand out in a band like RAS... is not really a good thing. I can’t place you above Lisa even after Lisa’s big fall, but Rei is probably the character I like the most after Lisa.
Just like how Lisa taking the fall is telling another story in the background, Chisato rising up may or may not be spoiling something that has happened somewhere on the list as well... I will keep it brief: with what was effectively the only reason to keep Chisato in the lower end of the list now no longer a relevant point, I can say that Chisato has deserved a promotion. She’s a surprisingly deep character, after all.
Hikawa Sayo (17, 16, 18, 18, 17, 17, 19, 20)
Sayo is a great example of a character who has received too much character growth, and hear me out here: when writing fanfiction, the writer will have to adjust the character’s personality to match the scene that they are writing relative to where the character is in terms of their development. For a character who has a relatively steady growth, it becomes very simple to try and extrapolate where they will be at at the time of the scene they appear in. For a character who has extreme amounts and almost sporadic character growth, doing so becomes increasingly more difficult. That, and with Roselia’s fall comes the fall of its members. Sayo has one saving grace for me (no, it is neither Tsugumi nor Hina and definitely not Roselia) that’s keeping her... relevant. For now. The fact that she dropped the least amongst the Roselia girls should also say a lot how much her character growth has saved her in my enjoyment when it comes to seeing Sayo on the screen...
Okusawa Misaki (10, 11, 13, 16, 14, 16, 20, 21)
Misaki is a really interesting case where you have a great character, you have a serious and relatively normal character in a group of characters that do out-of-the-ordinary extravagant activities on an hourly basis. But the execution of this dynamic has always been very awkward in my opinion. It always feels like it devolves into either “Misaki gets forced into doing it against her will” or “Misaki reluctantly and exasperatedly gets roped into doing it anyway”. And maybe that is their dynamic, but it is not what appeals to me personally. So Misaki is falling because she is in the band that she is in, but she’s not falling as hard as she possibly could be because in theory Misaki has a really good character that I enjoy... it just takes a lot of creativity and effort to make this girl work in my writing especially since she shares character personality traits with Moca (and hence be “competing” for screen time in my stories).
Hiromachi Nanami (NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 28, 22, 22)
Nanami is still this high because... I can see the potential that Nanami has. I can see how she could be a really interesting character, but... it’s still in the realm of the theoretical. Coulda, woulda, shoulda does not mean anything if it doesn’t become a reality. So I am placing Nanami where I think she belongs with the assumption that she can live up to my expectations. Which, to be honest... should not be too difficult for Nanami based on what I already know about her.
Ichigaya Arisa (15, 17, 17, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23)
I know that this is neither the first nor the last time I will say this on this list, but Arisa is really weird to place. On the one hand, yes, she does have a fairly deep character I can exploit and take advantage of. On the other hand, however... it gets drowned out a lot by the defensive nature of this keyboardist. What’s worse, it’s even come to the point where using Arisa means needing to dance around scenes and activities and even characters that might trigger her defensive nature to begin with... still a fun character to watch, however, but really hard to try and incorporate in my writing.
Toyama Kasumi (26, 24, 23, 22, 21, 25, 23, 24)
Kasumi is always a weird one for me to place, as the numbers might give away. The main problem is that she is not only a main character but the main character, so a lot of the story kind of revolves around Kasumi doing (or not doing) certain things. That being said, Kasumi does have a surprising amount of depth to her and as a singer she can definitely deliver when the time needs her to deliver.
Above Neutral
Tsurumaki Kokoro (16, 15, 19, 19, 20, 20, 24, 25)
I do like the same-birthday girl, but there are a few things I have problems with here. Ironically enough, if Kokoro was a little bit more predictable, she might be able to avoid this steady decline that she has been experiencing these last couple of lists. I know that being unpredictable is kind of Kokoro’s thing, even more so than Kasumi’s, but... similarly to what I said about Sayo’s rapid and almost sporadic character growth, it makes for a nice and amusing character to watch, but makes for a horrible character to write and try to nail accurately.
Matsubara Kanon (23, 25, 24, 24, 23, 26, 28, 26)
I want to put Kanon above Kokoro, I really really do, but... it doesn’t really seem fair to do that just yet. Kanon just jumped, Kokoro just fell into this category, and Kanon... has the dreaded shy, overly-flustered personality trait that is absolutely horrendous for me to try and depict properly. So right below Kokoro you will stay for now.
Yamato Maya (27, 26, 26, 27, 27, 31, 27, 27)
Maya... if only you appealed to me sooner, you could have had a shot at being higher on this list. Although, to be fair, Maya has been on a somewhat steady climb as of late. Stagnating again, but at the end of the day... I can see the potential that Maya has. Will she be likely to play a significant role in one of my stories? I said that she has been on a somewhat steady climb, let’s take it one step at a time, all right? In all seriousness... it actually would not surprise me too much if I end up relying on Maya in the near future... who knows?
Hikawa Hina (24, 23, 25, 25, 24, 29, 30, 28)
The reasoning behind Hina’s jump is... an interesting one, to say the least. I will be honest and say this outright: the biggest reason is not thanks to something Hina did in BanG Dream. It’s actually what her seiyuu did in a different franchise; I’ve picked up playing Genshin Impact a few weeks ago and my main character in there is, surprise surprise, a character who shares her seiyuu with Hina. So... indirect bonus points for Hina. And while it may seem contradictory to put Hina above Rui right now for effectively the same reasoning but in the opposite direction (seiyuu), I feel like it is justified by the reason that I already know more about Hina than Rui (i.e. Rui’s placement, as well as the other four in Morfonica, is still a placeholder placement right now). Beside that, I’ve actually also been enjoying seeing Hina on the screen more often regularly nowadays compared to the previous list.
Yashio Rui (NA, NA, NA, NA, NA, 24, 29, 29)
I said it before, I say it again: Rui is the Morfonica girl who I know the least about. As everyone already knows, Tsukushi was my favorite based on first impressions, Touko and Mashiro I did a lot of research on for my birthday oneshot, and Nanami... is popular enough in my friend circle that her popularity has affected me. Rui is voiced by Ayasa, a violonist with a YouTube channel I have followed for several years, but it is not fair to change Rui’s placement on this list only because I like watching her seiyuu’s YouTube channel. Based on what I already know about you I want to believe that you have the potential to jump up, but for now... where to put a character I know next to nothing about?
Udagawa Ako (19, 18, 20, 20, 19, 23, 25, 30)
Above Ako, apparently. Ako has one very specific, very obvious, very usable niche... but of all the Roselia girls I have talked about so far... Ako’s, for lack of a better word, admiration for the vocalist is... a really big detriment for Afterglow’s drummer’s younger sister, for what I think is also a very very obvious reason by now...
Kitazawa Hagumi (29, 29, 29, 28, 29, 33, 33, 31)
Hagumi! Finally escaping the dreaded “effectively bottom” spot of the named characters on the list for one very specific reason: one of the reasons why she was there in the first place no longer applies. And what is left? A surprisingly interesting character with some potential... still a shame that you are in the same band as Kokoro, but hey... maybe some day I can use you properly? Also, I seriously considered putting Hagumi above Afterglow’s drummer’s younger sister, but since Hagumi has just entered this category I felt this was a fairer placement for the bassist.
Neutral
Hanazono Tae (18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 30, 32)
Tae, Tae, Tae... how the mighty have fallen. You had a lot of potential and you definitely were very interesting in the early days of the franchise. But as the years came and went, you... never really developed much beyond what you once were. And while you are by no means a ‘bad’ character, you also don’t really stand out anymore in a cast of colorful characters (in ways more than one). A shame, but that’s just how it is...
Ushigome Rimi (28, 28, 27, 26, 28, 32, 32, 33)
And if I thought Tae was static, Rimi is at least as, if not more so, than her fellow bandmate. I mean... what about Rimi today can I say that I could not say about her four years ago? Rimi embodies this category really well: a character who I feel no negative feelings towards, but one who is just completely overshadowed by everyone around her. But Rimi is not at the bottom of this list, surprisingly. Yes, Maya, Hagumi, and Tae are all above Rimi, but...
Below Neutral
Seta Kaoru (VB, VB, VB, VB, VB, VB, VB, 34)
As much as past me does not want to do this... fair is fair: I said that I would no longer put you at the bottom once I found a character in this franchise’s universe who I despise more than you. And, thankfully for you, your time has come. I still do not like you and I still will not be ecstatic when I see you on the screen and I definitely will not be jumping in joy when I see your silhouette paired with rainbow lights (...again), but I can at least say this with confidence: you are no longer the BanG Dream! character I want to avoid seeing and thinking about the most. So... baby steps. Maybe one day I might make a vague reference to you again, but for now I will at least acknowledge that you exist. Which technically means that Kaoru has received one of the biggest jumps on this list so far, interestingly enough.
And that is all for this list. It doesn’t feel like I am missing any noteworthy or significant main characters, so I will leave this list as is. And if I did, then that is probably because they are not worth mentioning whatsoever.
Check out the Falneou17 community on Discord - hang out with other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
All right... how shall I start this post out?
The big link above should have enough information as is for me to not need to go in a lot of detail: yes, I have created my own Discord server. It’s actually been a while since it has been made because I needed some time to set it up and recruit my mod team.
Will it remain this way for the foreseeable future with no new changes? Probably not, but at least it should be ready enough for it to be opened to the public.
And the reason for me opening up a Discord server? It honestly comes down to the fact that I am starting to lose interest in Tumblr. As I am sure I have mentioned before, the majority of people I spoke with on this platform either have moved to other platforms to remain in touch (Discord, for instance) or have just moved so far away that we cannot keep in touch anymore (figuratively, anyway).
So with that thought in mind, why not try out something new and see if that works out better, right?
If this does work, then I will leave Tumblr and probably stay away from that. If it doesn’t, well... we’ll see how it goes.
I should also probably disclaimer that Zeph is one of the mods, so if anybody wishes to enter the server just to spread hate and toxicity... well... you have been warned that Zeph is one of the mods~
