#trashura

[completeoveranalysis]

[5]

HEY BEETRAIN WHAT DID YOU DO

[completeoveranalysis]

[3]

Okay back to THIS moment. 

Ashura is bestabbed and finally decides to replace attempted murder with signs of affection. He wipes Fai’s tears away, saying “You mustn’t shed tears for one such as I.” And now on this page he either whispers closely to Fai or kisses him on the forehead, but either way he passes on his intention that Fai should have been the one to kill Ashura and that would have removed his curse. 

It’s framed as if Ashura was trying to do Fai a favour and this is boosted in the fact that it’s Ashura’s last living action. He has mere seconds left to live and he uses it to give Fai the affection that (he implies) his actions were always meant to embody. 

Never mind the fact that just seconds ago he admitted that Fai wasn’t actually strong enough to pull this off. Even when Fai put his all into it, he still would have died.

Never mind the fact that Ashura was very definitely seconds away from murdering both Lava Lamp and Kurogane, and would have done so happily. 

Never mind the fact that he murdered an entire world (or at least a portion of it) and spent his entire life deceiving everyone who thought well of him, luring them into trust and security only so he could slaughter them all later.

Never mind all that. This was all for Fai’s benefit, you see. 

It’s that horrible twisted shadow of love that’s entirely selfish and doesn’t take into account any of the horrific suffering they cause on anyone else, least of all on the person they claim to love. 

Fai is, clearly, distraught. He’s broken. Ashura has manipulated him and brainwashed him and turned him against his family and used every memory as a weapon against him and torn Fai’s entire life to pieces around him - but, oh, it was going to be a good thing. It was for Fai, you see. 

Cue me screaming with contempt in the distance. 

ON the plus side, it shows that neat example of all the best villains see themselves as the Good Guys of their own story. 

And, for our benefit (and hopefully for Fai’s) the page ends with a panel that has no Ashura in it at all - just a message that looks forward to the future. 

Ashura, with all his murder and lies and terrible manipulative anguish, could not free Fai from his curse. He tried his absolute best (almost killed everyone involved in the process) and still failed miserably. It was never going to happen, not in this scenario. 

But Fai’s new family might be the ones to help him do it. Admitted by Ashura himself, in his final moment of candor, he sees that the love and strength of Fai’s new family has the potential to succeed where his violence failed. 

And THIS is, perhaps, the only good thing Ashura has done. Even though Fai is overcome with grief right now he now has the seed to continue loving and trusting his family, with the potential hope that sticking with them will bring happiness in all the ways that Ashura did not. 

AND THEN

(with a pause to warn about sudden gore)

HE SUDDENLY DIES. 

And all I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT

[completeoveranalysis]

[7]

I am SO HERE FOR THIS. Fai’s complete rage over the loss of Chii and the threat to Sakura overrides any compassion he still had towards Ashura - and it’s enough to break through Ashura’s magical barrier and do him injury. 

Fai himself is surprised by this. 

Ashura is not, and he’s going to keep this up because it’s getting him exactly what he wanted. 

ALSO? I am mildly terrified. 

Naturally Ashura counterattacks to further push Fai towards attacking back. Despite everything, Fai still has himself together enough to shield not only himself but Kurogane, Lava Lamp, and Mokona too. Which I think is saying something, because Lava Lamp has been a very small background presence of this scene from the start, and yet Fai never lost awareness of where he was or that he might be in danger. 

Fai is, of course, amazing. 

But I think this also feeds into exactly what Ashura is digging for. Ashura was pleased when Fai attacked him for the sake of Chii and Sakura, and now he has evidence that Fai also desires to protect Kurogane and Lava Lamp. 

SO I THINK WE CAN SAFELY GUESS WHAT ASHURA’S NEXT MOVE WILL BE. 

EVEN WORSE THAN EXPECTED: ASHURA GOES FOR ALL FOUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY AT ONCE. 

He’s really pushing Fai as far and as hard as he can, and holy crap I hate it all.

[completeoveranalysis]

[6]

OKAY SO ignoring anime shenanigans, Fai created his artificial person in the image of his mother. Which? Is incredibly heartbreaking. Chii’s purpose was to watch over the body of OG Fai - which is something their real mother never did, because she was too overcome with the tragedy of their existence that she left them alone in the world. They never had a mother figure to watch over them so Fai creates one that actually will - but too late, in an empty gesture of watching over a corpse. 

In a way, Fai made moves towards reclaiming his past and trying to find happiness in memories that were only sadness for him. Chii had the kindness and time for them that their mother never did - but now even she is gone, and it happened off screen, without the chance to say goodbye.

And naturally Ashura is the one to deliver the news, because Fai cannot have anything nice as long as Ashura is involved.

[completeoveranalysis]

[5]

Things look good for exactly half a second before Ashura cheats.

This is BAD SPORTSMANSHIP and I’m calling the referee immediately. 

[completeoveranalysis]

[3]

Fai crying over Ashura even now is really just the Perfect Icing on the cake of how much he cares and just how good a person he really is. 

It also expands on what Ashura’s parting words were; Fai’s ability to care will always cause him the most pain. Which, in a way, is correct - but it’s also the best and most valuable quality anyone can have. It’s perfect that Fai bonded so well with Sakura because she’s the embodiment of empathy in the world; she’ll care infinitely, no matter how painful it is, because it’s always worth it in the end. She sacrificed a piece of her soul and walked across the acid desert to save a world of people she didn’t even know and never once did she consider not doing it. Caring hurts, but it’s also the most powerful thing you can do. 

The only other option is becoming Ashura, and that’s not an option at all.

OH FAI. 

Honestly this wraps him up so neatly. 

Even though Ashura was using him from the start he still can’t make himself do it. Ashura was the only kind influence on his life for centuries, and even if it was a lie, it was still a defining moment in his life. 

Fai still cares. 

But Ashura never did, so once again, he’s going to use force to get what he wants.

[completeoveranalysis]

[4]

OH YUP I HATE THIS.

THANKS.

[completeoveranalysis]

[4]

Predictably I LOVE that Kurogane’s reaction is still just “I already told you I don’t care!”

Nevermind that Fai always suspected that the truth would make him change his mind. Nevermind that Fai thought he saw Kurogane change his mind.

To Kurogane, he meant what he said and will always mean what he said. He doesn’t care about Fai’s past, even as it’s broadcast right into his mind by an asshole sorcerer across the room.

WHICH is going to be a bit of a hard thing for Fai to adjust to, but give him time. Kurogane will help him get there. Once he stops forcing him to his knees.

Not like that.

Also is now the time that Kurogane will use his powers of deduction to show that Ashura has been full of shit this whole time? BECAUSE MY SOUL CRIES FOR THIS.

Please Kurogane give me the reasons why Ashura is an abusive manipulator and never cared for anyone but himself. I believe in you!

THANK. YOU. KUROGANE.

I picked this out when we read it in the previous chapter but it’s always so nice and satisfying when Kurogane agrees with me.

Meanwhile Fai sees the shards of his memory floating around him again and (hopefully) will soon discover that there is a reason they were broken shards all this time, and that someone broke his memory in the first place.

And we all know who that was.