A Very Sane Analysis of the Number of Roses on the New Valkyrie Costumes
Ahem, I’m tired and this is what I bring for you:
Total roses between them both: 25
25 roses symbolize congratulations and celebration, often for an event such as an anniversary. Makes sense considering it’s their Thanx Fest.
Shu’s total: 13
Can symbolize both secret admirer or endless friendship. If you are a qpr or plain platonic shumika lover (Marlo looking at you) then endless friendship is perfect, and is adorable either way. Secret admirer also suits him well due to his difficulties expressing his love for others, especially Mika, and especially during !era and the war.
Mika’s total: 12
We all know this means marriage. Paired with the total on his lapel makes it even cuter though.
Total on Shu’s lapel: 5
5 symbolizes strong love or admiration, which is just generally adorable, and we all know Shu feels emotions very intensely.
Total on Mika’s lapel: 4
“We will never be apart” very fitting for Mika’s attachment issues, as well as fitting the Rewind theme as he was extremely devoted to Shu even during the nursing era.
Total on both lapels: 9
Symbolizes eternal love, which is also a theme referenced in the lyric “our love will dance for eternity in this armoire called reality, and leave behind a singular story la vie en rose”.
Then of course there is the symbolism of the shift from blue roses (unrequited love, mystery, and the pursuit of the impossible) to red roses (love, passion, and devotion)
"Nfufu, but ya made it, Oshi-san. Anythin’ ya make is a treasure in my eyes. ♪"
[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]
Season: Summer
Location: ES Building Lobby
During the second year of ES’ establishment, in June. At the ES Building Lobby…
Mika: (Nnah~, I finally made it to the ES Buildin’.)
(I heard it was gonna be hot and summery out, but I didn’t expect it to be this hot… I was ‘boutta melt onto the pavement on my way here.)
(Even the candies in my pocket’s gotten all squishy. I’m gonna have t’put them in the fridge fer it to harden later…)
(It feels like heaven in here with the air conditioner on an’ everythin’~! ♪ Stayin’ indoors is the way to go on days like this. Designin’ outfits, and sewin’ ‘em…)
(…Ah, right, I don’t have the time t’take it easy in the cooled air. I’ve gotta discuss with Oshi-san ‘bout what we’re gonna do.)
(It seems he’s come up with an idea fer our Fan ThanX Festival, but I haven’t a single clue what it could be…)
(I sent ‘im a message askin’ what it was, but he didn’t give me a straight answer.)
Mika: (He just went, “It will be more efficient if I just show you!”, just as Oshi-san would.)
(It seems like the other units are doin’ some real extraordinary things. Mystery-solvin’ games[1], and exhibitions showcasin’ unique art[2], fer example…)
(And the game Switch made all by themselves was real cool too![3] ♪ I don’t really play games, and I even had fun with it!)
(It’s like ya can do anythin’ that you wanna do! Anzu-chan sure is generous, huh!)
(…Wait, huh? Who is it I should be thankin’ in this case? Since it’s called the “ES Fan ThanX Festival”, should I be thankin’ the big-wigs up at ES instead of Anzu-chan?)
(But, the one handlin’ everything is Anzu-chan, right? Umm…?)
(Well, I’ll just have’ta thank both of ‘em. —And to Oshi-san too, o’course!)
(‘Cause the reason I’m able to even be an idol like this is all thank t’Oshi-san. The me I am now wouldn’t exist if it weren’t fer him.)
(So, fer Valkyrie’s ThanX Festival, I want to do it exactly as Oshi-san likes.)
(I’m so excited to hear what he came up with. I bet it’s real amazin', this is Oshi-san we’re talkin’ about, after all…♪)
Location: Dressing Room
Mika: S’cuse me~… Ah, there ya are!
That’s some beautiful rosework ya got there, Oshi-san. What’cha makin’?
Shu: Oh, Kagehira. This here is a prototype for a decoration for the outfit.
Mika: Outfit… Could ya mean the outfit for the Fan Thanx Festival?
Shu: Correct. I wish to incorporate roses into its outfit. I’m surveying materials and their textures and the like.
Mika: Ya really love roses, huh, Oshi-san? There’s so many arrangements ya can do usin’ roses as a motif, huh.
Ya can change how it looks dependin’ on how much dimension ya give it, and changin’ its color and its number gives it further meanin’ too, huh?
Shu: That’s right. Red symbolizes passion, white, purity, and yellow, friendship. A single rose represents love at first sight, and eleven, a treasured love…
And if you are to propose, you should prepare twelve roses. The proposed, rather than respond with a “yes”, instead communicates it traditionally by taking a rose and returning it.
That being said, all of these are simply meanings appropriated upon the rose by humans after the fact. The rose itself was not borne into existence to such purposes..
Mika: Nnah~… Hearin’ it like that makes it kinda strange, huh.
The world’s so big, yet somethin’ added on after the fact’s been widely accepted as a common sense of sorts.
Shu: Hmph. It all ultimately comes down to what is most convenient for humans, isn’t it?
Even feelings that cannot be described by words can take shape in the form of flowers. Quite convenient, is that not?
However, that means that those meanings are at the fore, leading to misunderstandings.
Mika: I get’cha. I only started considerin’ those things after I became an artist, fer example.
Once, when I casually presented an artwork o’mine, someone started countin’ the roses in it. I was shocked ‘cause I didn’t understand it at all.
Come t’think of it, Oshi-san, ya gave me chocolate roses at Chocolat Fes, didn’t ya?[4]
At that time, I had accepted it without knowin’ much ‘bout those things. I wonder if there was a meanin’ behind it?
Shu: Who can say? What truly matters is how you felt upon receiving it.
In any case, finding meaning in the mundane is the very essence of what it means to be human.
The rose is a blossom that possesses both beauty and pain. It is splendid, yet unafraid to bear its thorns.
Unable to stand on its own, it uses its thorns to entwine itself with other plants to provide itself support. It is nothing more but a mechanism for its survival, yet…
Humans seek out meaning, even in those thorns. Such as intangible emotions such as love, devotion, or even pride.
A story is imbued to where there was none, and emotions are entrusted unto it. That is precisely what constitutes “art”.
Mika: Hmm… So yer sayin’ that… As it is, this rose decoration is beautiful, but…
The reason I see it as somethin’ so special is because it is filtered through my own lenses of it bein’ somethin’ Oshi-san created…?
Shu: That’s a rather rough-hewn way to put it, but if I were to borrow your vocabulary, yes, that would be about how I would put it, Kagehira.
…This material is too pliant. It won’t be suitable for the outfit I have in mind.
Mika: Are ya gonna throw away that rose? Could I have it instead, in that case?
Shu: I do not mind, but… Goodness, you just ask for anything, don’t you?
Mika: Nfufu, but ya made it, Oshi-san. Anythin’ ya make is a treasure in my eyes. ♪
By the way, Oshi-san, there’s somethin’ that’s been on my mind fer some time now…
What's that over there? It’s hard not t’notice, bein’ covered in such elegant red silk and all.
Shu: Hmm… Yes, this makes for a good time to pivot to the ThanX Festival, doesn't it?
This is the palace I have designed from the ground up for our Valkyrie’s ThanX Festival to be held at.
Mika: A palace…?
Shu: Indeed. Here is the diorama for it.
Mika: Whoa...! This palace is real extravagant! It’s got fountains and pavilions… It reminds me of the palace ya took me to in Paris.
Yer thinkin’ to get this built fer real? Rather than rent a venue or somethin’?
Shu: That is right. According to the notice, “budget is not a concern”, you see. Meaning, I am at right to spend generously and without constraint…♪
Money, to the artist, is an issue they cannot be separated from. By the year, our performances have become more extravagant as the years pass, but there we are always dealing with financial constraints.
Fortunately, we make up any expense deficit through sales through the live, but, even so, ‘tis not enough for us to reach our ideal.
Our performances are akin to constructing a world of its own. Only when our song, outfits, and staging entwine in perfect harmony can our performance be considered complete.
And that is exactly why we absolutely cannot compromise. But as unfortunate as it is, we are bound by the shackles we call money. And without this necessary resource, our ideal will remain but a pipe dream.
As such, let us make full use of this for Valkyrie’s ThanX festival.
We shall pour this money into creating our grandest stage yet—we shall build our palace, and host a magnificent feast for our fans!
We shall hold a celebration filled with music and art for three days and three nights, just as the royals and the nobles once did!
This will be our way to express our gratitude! Kakaka…♪
[ ☆ ]
story directory | next →
Likely referring to UNDEAD’s Thanx Festival, featuring a mystery escape game.
Likely referring to 2wink’s ThanX Festival, an exhibition featuring an array of optical illusion art.
You too can play Switch’s Thanx Festival game, right here!
Referring to the scene found in Hot & Elegant Chocolate Fes - Chapter 11.
What happens if my Goblin Test Pilot ends up targeting my opponent’s Kopala?
When you activate Goblin Test Pilot's ability, you choose from among legal targets for its ability during the activating process. If that target happens to be Kopala or anothehr Merfolk controlled by that player, then an additional cost of 2 is imposed on the costs of the ability. You're then free to pay it (and in fact must if you have 2+ mana in your mana pool), but if you don't have the mana in your mana pool, you're not forced to generate it.
Since you then can't pay the costs to activate the ability, the entire activation is undone. You're then free to try activating the Test Pilot again. You're free to do this until the Test Pilot targets a non-Merfolk target if you like, but if you go around abusing this interaction, expect to get some sour looks from the other players in your game.
Note that this only works because Kopala actually imposes an additional cost on the ability. Something like Ward is just a triggered ability and doesn't allow these sorts of shenanigans.
Pretty late asking this question, but did your opinion on Mike Matei change any after the whole "save states and rewinds are for poopheads" thing?
It’s a case where I think there was always the implication that he was kind of a dope, but that was the first time where it actually seemed to be a little... annoying?
Like, yeah. People in AVGN’s circle are going to be “THE OLD WAYS ARE BETTER!” types. It sounds like James is surprisingly tech illiterate when it comes to newer stuff, which is why he stuck to retro games for so long.
That can be charming in a certain light, but what Mike said came off as weirdly aggressive and... like, so the definition of “toxic masculinity” is sort of this gate keeping where the only correct way to do things is by being MANLY and TOUGH and STRONG, right?
Well that’s the way it came off. The angry dad whipping you to “BE A MAN” where his definition of masculinity is this incredibly narrow point of view of human experience. Outdated, cruel, and on some level maybe even abusive.
It’s video games. It’s play. Play is meant to be fun. If you aren’t having fun, change how you play. Overcoming a challenge can be fun, but it’s not the only way to have fun. Look at games like Animal Crossing, or Minecraft, or Harvest Moon. There’s more to video games than proving how manly and tough and strong you are.
The argument could be made about “playing it the way its intended” but Mike’s comment was specifically about the Switch Online SNES app, which adds save states and rewinds. That means Nintendo is giving you permission to use those in Super Mario World, or Puyo Puyo 2, or whatever. And that’s not even touching on games with easy modes (or Celeste’s assist mode).
Or concepts like The Death of the Author, which says that authorial intent is meaningless and the only thing that matters is your personal interpretation of the content. Whatever you think it means, that’s what it means. If you think a game is too hard and you have to cheat in order to complete it, then that’s perfectly acceptable, because we’re humans, and all humans have different abilities, standards, and expectations.
The more I hear about Mike Matei the more he seems like the kind of guy who owns a “There’s a special place for me in hell, and it’s called a throne” t-shirt unironically. Do with that information what you will.
