Amazing performances from Akane and Kaisei and great moment between them afterwards! Now here are some thoughts about what may come next.
I think the two most probable options are the following:
OPTION 1 — Akane is declared the winner.
She managed to capture the audience's attention from the beginning to the end. Her god of death (the character) was the focus of the story and was memorable. She showed incredible technical skills. Her performance was solid, consistent and confident all throughout.
In contrast, Kaisei had more trouble getting the audience's full attention/interest at the beginning, causing him to have a moment of doubt.
So Issho may take all that as reasons to choose Akane as the winner, and it would make sense. But on top of that, this could also be logical for two other reasons.
One: it would allow Kaisei to tell Akane about why he called Shiguma 'the root of all evil' (as he said he would if she wins). More info about master Shiguma and the past!
And two: although both Akane and Kaisei are competitive and want to win this, after Kaisei's performance and his epiphany, I think he's the one who would mind less if he lost. His performance will mark the beginning of a new chapter for him. Now that he realizes that he has to get out of Issho's shadow and has to do his own thing, become his own rakugoka, I think this is also the beginning of him coming to terms with the complicated feelings and relationship he has with Issho. I don't think all of his negative feelings towards him will vanish just like that, of course. But I think this is the beginning of him making peace with Issho and the years spent under his tutelage. So he might take losing the GDDD with more… serenity? Or at least with less rage than Akane would, since Kaisei now has to leave Issho's nest for good anyway (while Akane is still stuck with Issho for a while (poor her)). So Kaisei will probably not be obsessed with the whole 'beating Issho Arakawa' thing anymore. (That being said, it would be funny if I'm wrong.)
OPTION 2 — There is no winner (aka, a tie).
This one would probably be the least satisfying, which is why it could happen, since this is Issho Arakawa we're dealing with.
If he chooses this, I think he's going to say that both performances were good but both had a flaw: for Kaisei, it's his wavering beginning; and for Akane, it's the short moment when she kind of lost control of herself and said 'Oh man… This is wild' out loud. (Story 204. Issho's reaction to that was… interesting.)
Technically, a competition/duel is not about whether someone performed perfectly, it's just about who performed better. But this is Issho, so he might be like 'both of you showed a flaw, and I consider those flaws equally important, so none of you wins'.
And then he's like 'alright that's done, now it's time for my performance!' And the crowd goes 'hell yeah this is what we actually came here for!' and focuses on him from now on. Akane and Kaisei are left feeling… some kind of way.
It would be a bitch move, which is why it could happen since this is Issho motherfucking Arakawa we're dealing with!!!
(I wouldn't be mad if Kaisei wins though. I actually slightly prefered his performance because of the emotional growth that came with it (and that gorgeous final double page!). It's just that I don't think that it's the option that would most move the story forward. Kaisei's performance was his growing moment; he doesn't really need to win the duel to move forward in his journey, in my opinion.)
I love how Akane banashi keeps reminding you that showing your feelings and opening up to people is actually a great thing not something bad. I think that's such a beautiful message
I need to bring back the panels from changing times again because, THIS WAS SUCH A PIVOTAL POINT IN AKANE'S DEVELOPMENT and the fact NOW SHE CAN JOKE ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!!! And even call out Kaisei!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM!!!!!! THEY'RE FINALLY TOGETHER ON THE SAME STAGE AND I * EXPLODES*
look I'm deeply hung up on this panel. She's telling guriko, yeah let's go celebrate, even if I didn't won and I'm a little sad let's share this sorrow together, then Kaisei appeared, and everything went to hell. Because she didn't want to win the raisenkai to defeat Hikaru, Akane wanted to win the raisenkai to be / compete on the same stage as Kaisei.
This has always been about Kaisei and Akane.
BOOM !!!! we got so many flashbacks of this part lmao
so it was him it was him the one who made Akane sad no losing but him with his insidious words
at this day I'm sure he doesn't know he made Akane go back home crying..... Ah, my subtle KaiAkas.
Needed to show the ending poses side by side. They fell on opposite sides... but they look exactly the same. What a journey both of them have gone through on this stage. This chapter had me SCREECHING!!!
I can't believe Kaisei felt pathetic and frustrated. Boy have more faith in yourself, you put your whole self in that performance and you deserve the standing ovation!!!!! YOUR STORY GOT THROUGH TO ME DAMMIT!!!!!!!
Thank you Kaichi and Kenbishi for saying what we all want to say. Kaichi the ever-supportive little brother apprentice, but also the fun uncle, you said it right. Kaisei uncovered a new layer and has evolved from his previous rakugo.
KENBISHI TRIED SO HARD!!! Look at the sweat on his brow, he believes neither should be compared. MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! Kenbishi, I am unfamiliar with your game but I APPRECIATE YOU!!!
At this point, I don't even care about what Issho has to say. Go away old man. (even though I know some part of me will agree and think hes actually kinda brilliant but I will NEVER agree with his methods) (the way suenaga sensei writes issho is so frustrating I don't want to like him but at the same time I do grrrrrr) Akane and Kaisei look so tired of his bs, just like me.
In the end, he chose to forgive himself - to make peace with his inner child.
Grown up Kaisei is the God of Death, and Child Kaisei is our protagonist. By choosing to accept his younger self (despite all his cynicism in the beginning), Kaisei was able to “grow up” and move forward. He decided to be more gentle towards his own self, deciding that Haru Ome deserved even more. That saved the old him, and also allowed him to move on (hence why the God of Death was the one to both light the candle, but also snuff it out).
It’s heartwarming 🥹 Even though it’s implied that our protagonist died (since his candle was snuffed out), I don’t feel bad at all; I feel warm.
His God of Death is so different from Akane’s that I don’t even know where to start comparing them. A capricious, uncontrollable child, versus a cynical but almost warm adult.
To begin with, Akane’s performance showed us the fruits of her labour, whereby Kaisei’s performance allowed Suenaga-sensei to give him is long-awaited character development. These two performances don’t serve the same narrative purpose for each character😭
I’ll probably need to reread this whole arc to solidify my opinion, but so far, even though Kaisei’s performance was awesome, the sheer prowess of Akane’s God of Death wins it for me tbh (plus I’m just so so proud of her 😭). But really, it’s a matter of opinion. Which one do you guys prefer?
Unlike Akane's shinigami, who's a separate being, Kaisei's shinigami is actually himself.
All his suffering is contained in that vessel.
The reason we see it in the form of his adult self is because Kaisei was forced to grow up much faster than most kids. Not just because of his family situation, but also because of the weight of his name. He has to be better than everyone else. So he feels like he has to grow up and improve before anyone else does.
Having to watch his mother suffer because of their debts. Knowing his family is poor. Knowing his father abandoned them to start a new family, and that the rest of their relatives abandoned him and his mother as well. Being just a little kid, unable to do anything but smile at a mother who can't stop crying because she feels she can't give him a decent life.
Throughout the entire performance, Kaisei has been talking to his inner child, that innocence we all carry somewhere deep inside. That's why the protagonist is portrayed as a child. That child is the light Kaisei still has left, the key that will allow him to be reborn and, this time, live for himself. Not to prove to Issho that taking him on as an apprentice wasn't a waste of time, nor to carry the weight of what his name means.
That's why I love this scene so much, the one where Kaisei talks to his mother. It's here that he realizes he doesn't have to let his name define the way he lives, that he doesn't need to be the best or the first flower to bloom. And that's what I love most about it, because at this moment, the story gives his name a new meaning. It no longer represents the obligation to be the first; it represents the chance to be reborn, to bloom into a new person. Until that moment, Kaisei hadn't truly been living; he was nothing more than a shell built from his own suffering. It wasn't until he finally let go of everything that had been weighing on his heart that he truly began to live.
I really love the symbolism of the candle. Taking it would mean going back to where he came from, going back to living for other people. But this time, he has to make his way through the dark cave on his own.
As a side note, in the official Spanish translation, when the Shinigami says he no longer needs the candle, he actually says, "It seems we don't need it anymore," referring to both of them.
Another aspect of this performance that I love is how it makes use of the manga's black andwhite art. At first, the shinigami is depicted in a black kimono, reinforcing its connection to death and suffering. But the moment Kaisei embraces himself, that very same figure is transformed, taking on an almost angelic appearance as though it were now clothed in white.
Another thing I really love is that the Shinigami (Kaisei) is hugging him from behind. Whenever the shinigami is standing behind someone (at the head of the bed), that person ends up being healed.
okay what i think the end means is that baby kaisei is the doctor and kaisei is the god of death. he accepted that he has to outgrow the role that other people put on him, thus he has to "grow up", and that's why the god of death told the doctor that he has "yet to live" for real.
in the end, the god of death blows the candle because, well, first of all this is a horror story and this is the suitable end. but since the god of death is also kaisei now, it means that he has finally "killed" his younger version and there's only the current him left now
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