#mutsuhaise

[mamasaiko]

At first glance I thought that in this scene mutsuki was waking up Haise:

but now I see clearly that what he was doing was to wrap him up with the sheet, so that he wouldn't be cold (look at how the hands are putting the sheet).

It makes me sad that a love that in the past was innocent and pure has totally transformed.

[mamasaiko]

Similarities and contrasts on the cover of volume 11

The cover of volume 11 featuring Mutsuki has some similarities with another Touka color illustration launched by Ishida around the same time:

This far from being for chance is done with premeditation. If we look at the circular forms located behind Mutsuki, we will see that there are written some letters that form the word "aktor"

Aktor is an Indonesian word that in english means actor.

Mutsuki just like Touka feels a deep love for Sasaki, which being aware of the type of relationship that they both share leads him to suffer an intense jealousy towards her. This is reflected in this illustration, in which we can see how Mutsuki tries to act as if he was her:

Mutsuki tries to be someone who he isn't, imitates both her body posture and her facial expression, covering the same eye as her, placing a crown on his head (clearly alluding to the fact that Touka having married with the king acquires the queen status on a symbolic way),  arriving so far as to change the color of his own skin

or putting a "wing" where is frequently represented Touka's kagune

This wing-shaped figure was used before in the cover of volume 3 (from Tokyo Ghoul) to reflect that Hinami's kagune had in its upper part the form of butterfly wings:

and also in the illustration of Tokyo Ghoul Past novel to reflect that the kagune of Touka had the shape of a wing:

However, as we know, Mutsuki doesn't have a kagune whose shape has the form of a wing, that's why it's represented by a black liquid emerging from it, indicating that it has been put there forcedly.

Despite Mutsuki's efforts to resemble Touka, some differences still remain. As we can observe in the diferent illustrations, despite tilting their head in the same way and having the same look, they do it in opposite directions; while Touka's smile is itchy, Mutsuki's smile seems to be malevosy;  even though he wears the same clothes as her in this illustration:

We continue visualizing them from different perspectives, while we see Touka from her back, to Mutsuki we visualize him from the front. 

Meaning that for him is impossible to totally be her.

These differences that are contrasted in the two illustrations with Mutsuki's one, can have in turn the purpose to make us compare both forms of loving Kaneki, because despite sharing the same feelings towards him, Touka would sacrifice her happiness for Kaneki, meanwhile Mutsuki for the sake to make him return to the Chateau, would sacrifice Kaneki's happiness for his.

Thus the Mutsuki cover of volume 11 was made in such a way that it could be contrasted and compared with both Touka's colour illustrations.

[mamasaiko]

On several occasions Ishida uses a floral pattern as background in some panels:

We can appreciate them in ch 31.5 after Sasaki gave Mutsuki a present for Christmas

In ch 114 where Sasaki asks to Mutsuki if he wants to read some poems with him

And finally in ch 131 while Touka confims to Kaneki that she is pregnant

These flower pattern seems to represent daisies, which symbolize innocence and purity but also to keep a secret, the true love and new beginnings. 

In Mutsuki's case they probably symbolize his love for Sasaki, meaning that despite what people tends to think, Mutsuki's feelings towards him are true (even though that doesn't mean that he doesn't love Urie)

But also the innocence of his character, which has been corrupted due to various circumstances.

In Touka's case, just like with Mutsuki, they probably symbolize her love for Kaneki, but also unlike with Mutsuki, "new beginnings" due to the fact that she is pregnant, and "to keep a secret" because in this scene, she is trying to protect Kaneki by hiding her own feelings towards Yoriko's situation.

As an additional note, in Japan these flowers symbolize faithfulness, thing that would be associated with both characters:

With Touka because she waited for years for Kaneki to come back, creating :re

And with Mutsuki due to his firmness and constancy on the idea of ​​bringing back Sasaki to the Chateau, by any means possible

Therefore, in both cases the flowers symbolize their love towards Sasaki / Kaneki and their faithfulnes towards him, with some concrete meanings for both characters.

[mamasaiko]

I made a post a few days ago comparing the illustrations of Touka with Mutsuki's cover volume, however I would like to clarify that even though it's true that Mutsuki's love towards Sasaki is an obsessive type of love, it wasn't in its origins.

Mutsuki has a complicated relationship with men due to his father's abuse, that's why Sasaki's presence marks a before and after in his life. Sasaki was the first male figure in his life that look at him in the eye regardless of the rumors that were circulating about him in the CCG, a quality that Juuzo himself foregrounded.

It's due to Haise's warm and protective personality that leads Mutsuki to develop strong feelings of affection towards Sasaki, that with time transformed into love.

Sasaki is always protecting him, however after the death of Shirazu this changes, when Mutsuki is captured by Torso and subjected to both physical and psychological tortures Haise doesn't come to his rescue. This causes Mutsuki to develop feelings of abandonment.

Although the mental stability of Mutsuki begins to break through Torso's abuses, it's not until Uta's actions, that Mutsuki becomes completely psychologically unstable

It's then when feelings like his love towards Haise, his jealousy towards Touka or those feelings of abandonment, become obsessive and dominate his acts. 

As we can see when he tries in all possible ways to make Sasaki return to the Chateau, although his actions could cause suffering to third persons in addition to Sasaki

Or when he tries to kill Touka because of his intense jealousy towards her, since he sees her as an obstacle to get Sasaki back home and the fact that she has stolen his loved person.

Therefore, Mutsuki's love for Sasaki became disturbed due to the torture and abuse suffered, but in it's origin were pure feelings.

[mamasaiko]

No wonder why he was so happy

His face screams "MY CRUSH HAS GIVEN ME A PRESENT"

I know that you are still there sweetheart.