I’m just a girlie who basically yaps on here about my interests, which right now are Enstars and TWST (although I am slowly getting into 18Trip)! I have some other interests too but I don't post about those as often, so prepare for a bit of randomness whenever I do get in a yapper mood.
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These are my favorites in the games I play:
Enstars: Nazuna, Kohaku, Tsukasa, Raika, Mashu, and Akiomi (I am a Ra*bits-P)
TWST: Ruggie, Silver, and Skully
18Trip: Ushio and Nanaki (subject to change since I’m still getting into the game tho)
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Please do not ask me questions regarding my personal life, as I don't typically talk about it past being in uni for engineering.
If you wanna go support me, please go check out my YouTube. I also have a translations website (mostly Enstars) and a matching side-blog!
Mashu is torturing me, I mean MDU V Valk as a whole has been torturing me. I think I've pulled 70+ times now and I only got Chitose 30 or 40 pulls in, got Shu at 70, and no Mashu yet. Rate up is an extremely enticing lie so fools waste all their money on this silly little game (LOL). Uhhhhh, Mashu has driven me to desperate measures. I have ordered his nui and I also spent money on Enstars for the first time in my LIFE to get him (still nothing). I plan on doing more summons. He's such a diva (this is why TLs for the event are taking so long bc he's stealing all my dang attention trying to keep me on the game and getting gems so I can pull for him)
Pleasantly surprised Odaka was the one to climb through the window first. >:]
I’m now headcanoning that he’s the one who taught Fujimi this strat…… and Fujimi continued being a menace and doing it to honor Odaka after he went missing……
(Also we do not talk about the hug and smile I am so unwell about that scene🥹🥹🫠🫠💕💕)
Credit to whomever made this template (which I did trace)!! I had my friends pick a random number (intending to draw some ZEZTZ chibis), and they landed on 5!
Perfect opportunity to put the funniest combo in the onsen together. Thought it would be really entertaining to just have Punny in his whole getup because Sieg wanted to go to the onsen and Punny is stuck with him, so that's why I picked them~
Also Punny is very fun to draw <3 and I got to mess with a lot of cool texture brushes!!
What if you wanted ZEZTZ merch but it was too difficult to find so you just made yourself really cursed low quality merch instead? It was a big mistake bringing out the glitter because it is EVERYWHERE now but oh well. Here's my two favs! :D
guy ferdinand would like to contact you about your cars extended warranty
And then also the one from my TL account (because Guy Ferdinand has invaded there too LOL)
😮THE Guy Ferdinand? I am truly honored wwwwww
I don't know what else to say alksjdfkasdf well I suppose if he wants to reach me about my car's extended warranty, then uh HE'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️
Uchusen Vol.193 (Summer 2026)
Kamen Rider Zeztz
ft. Imai Ryutaro x Furukawa Yuki Interview
(translation below)
Publication: July 1, 2026
"This will be Zeztz's first stand alone film. What were your thoughts as you entered filming for this movie?"
Imai: To deliver the same intensity as the TV series, every cast and staff member came together to take on the challenge.
Furukawa: We entered filming for the movie after we finished filming the final episode of the TV series. During the wrap up of the TV series, Imai-kun was moved to tears while saying "It's over~!" (laughs), but I imagined it more like a bonus stage beginning, one where we could still enjoy filming Zeztz.
Imai: I didn't cry though (laughs).
Furukawa: You did (laughs).
"The film depicts the strong bond between Baku and Nox, but how did you feel about them forming such a buddy relationship?"
Imai: While we were filming the TV series, I kept thinking that I'd "love to perform alongside Nox with smiles on both our faces someday." That's why I'm really happy that my dream came true through this film. And then, I thought it was great that we were finally able to do something that felt typical of the No.1 & No.2 Double Riders.
Furukawa: I didn't know about the story until just before filming began, so I would've never dreamed that the two of them would work together. I initially wasn't even made aware that Nox would transform into the secondary Rider when filming for the TV series began. I think this film captured the perfect sense of distance between Baku and Nox.
"Were you conscious of maintaining a certain distance in the TV series so that they wouldn't become too friendly?"
Furukawa: I wasn't being conscious about that. Rather, the distance between them wasn't closing at all, so around episodes 35 and 36 I had suggested, "Wouldn't this kind of performance make him come off more as the secondary Rider?" It was around that time that Nox started showing signs of wanting to help Baku, right?
"It was revealed that everything up to episode 24 had been a precognitive dream that Baku had, but did you consciously try to change your acting between the Nox in Baku's precognitive dream and Nox from episode 25 onwards?"
Furukawa: My performance had changed compared to the very beginning, but the reason for the change wasn't "just because it was a precognitive dream." The script already incorporated changes in regards to Nox's words and actions to match the unfolding developments, so I didn't need to change anything on my end. Compared to before, they started explaining things more clearly and communicating without being vague, so it seems the production team were the ones who changed.
"At what point were you told that developments up to episode 24 were all a dream?"
Imai: I found out when I was given the script for episode 24. It was just a "dream," but before that, the development where Three shot and killed Baku seriously shocked me, so the relieved feeling of "thank goodness! it was just a dream!" was even stronger. I was like, "I can still appear in Zeztz!" (laughs). I wouldn't have wanted to be told, "The main character will be changing starting from episode 25." It was also a huge shock to have taken Nox's life with my own hands, so I was glad that it turned out to be just a dream.
Furukawa: I found out before I was even given the script, just after being taken out by Catastrom. Just as I was thinking that I was going to be leaving during the middle of the show, the Producer told me, "Furukawa-san, you'll be absent for one episode, but he'll be revived, so rest easy." When I asked why, I was surprised to hear the reason being that "everything that's happened so far in the story was all just Baku's dream." Up until then, any information regarding the full picture of CODE or The Lady's character that Baku wasn't aware of, I wasn't told either. I later found out that it was established that "within dreams, Nox can't speak of anything other than what Baku knows."
"Having worked continuously on the series for over a year, did your impressions of each other change?"
Imai: I was incredibly nervous the first time I met Furukawa-san. I was worried about "hating to say something weird and for him to end up disliking me," but he was very kind when I actually spoke to him. On the film set, I learned alot about how to use my eyes and use pauses effectively while performing. I hope to continue growing as an actor by making use of what he's taught me.
Furukawa: He's just saying that to flatter me, but he seriously took on developing his role on his own, and I only offered him advice about two times. He had written detailed notes in the scripts regarding his approach to his performance, which gave me the impression that he was very serious. Before doing a real take, he had this routine where, without fail, he'd pout his lips in order to make sure he wouldn't bite them. It made me think that he was developing his character at his own pace.
"Please tell us what you find "cool" about each other."
Imai: Furukawa-san's face, style, and acting, everything about him is cool. His transformation scenes are super cool, and since I do a similar hand motion during my Exdream transformation pose, the viewers might think that I'm copying him. Still, it's such a cool pose that it's not a big deal that it looks similar (laughs).
Furukawa: Zeztz looks really cool when he lights up during night scenes. Especially with this production's distinct "red moon" in the background, the way Zeztz's suit glows red looks really cool even when you see it on set. Out of all of Zeztz's various forms, Physicum Impact would have to be my favorite.
Imai: My favorite is Catastrom. It felt incredibly satisfying to do post recording that conveyed the image of destroying everything. Still, Catastrom is the form that took out Nox……uh, Furukawa-san, you only spoke about Zeztz just now. Let's hear about "Imai's good points" too (laughs).
Furukawa: This is the side of him that I like (laughs).
"Let's talk once more in regards to the film. Do you feel that the cast members grew as actors on set?"
Furukawa: Back when the series first started, I think the seriousness of "having to play the lead role" caused an immense amount of pressure to be put on Imai-kun. However, he gradually got used to it and began enjoying being on set. The atmosphere also became more relaxed, and he seemed to enjoy talking with the other cast members. In terms of developing his character, he had a good grasp of it early on.
Imai: I'm not trying to say something arrogant, but as the series kept going, I think it deepened everyone's bonds. The moment I'd get into my performance, I would instantly connect with the members of the Paranormal Affairs Division and Minami in the real world, and with Nox and Nem-chan within the dream world. I felt that way during the TV series too, and in the film, the unity among the cast members grew deeper and made performing more enjoyable.
"Please tell us your impressions of Kumon Shuma's Sono Shunta-san."
Imai: Sono-kun's really tall and has a small face, so he's seriously cool. His performance and the way he delivered his lines were very powerful. We got along really well on the film set, and we'd talk about things like, "What did you eat today?" and "What do you do on your days off?" During the scene where we face each other and transform, after the Director called the cut, he shouted out, "That was so cool!" I think having Sono-kun created a more relaxed and lively atmosphere on set.
Furukawa: I talked with him about various things on set too, but I think normally, when you're on a set for the first time, you're so busy dealing with your own stuff, that you don't have the time to talk that much with those around you. Sono-kun however managed to do it without appearing stressed out. He's simply dignified, and I could feel his confidence. He's a real professional. The first day of filming involved a long scene together with him. The theatrics of the lines were challenging, and I think it'd normally be a situation that would make you tense, but he didn't show any signs of being nervous at all. I guess it's because he's gained alot of experience as a member of MILK. Seeing him like that, I was really impressed and thought, "Amazing!"
"Please tell us about any scenes in this film that the two of you put alot of effort into, and any scenes you'd like viewers to pay attention to."
Imai: I put alot of effort into everything, but the scene where Baku carries Nox princess style really stands out in two ways. The film location took place on top of train tracks, so since the ground wasn't flat, it was difficult to walk while carrying Nox. Suit Actor Niita-san showed us an example of how to do it beforehand, but even he said, "This is tough!" For Nitta-san to find it tough, that was saying something.
Furukawa: Imai-san was having a tough time, but as the one being carried, it was really tough for me too.
Imai: Furukawa-san said, "His holster is digging into me and it hurts!," right? Compared to that, I wasn't having a tough time at all (laughs). Still, I did my best to hold him!
Furukawa: It was seriously tough. Four people from the action team even had to help out (laughs).
Imai: Aside from that scene, the film is packed with tons of scenes that couldn't be included in the TV series, such as all of the CODE agents gathering together to Henshin and Disguise and some flashy bike action, so I hope you'll make sure to pay attention to that.
Furukawa: For me on the other hand, in a good way, there weren't that many scenes where I had to really push myself. Since this is an extension of the TV series, I was already accustomed with the role, instead entering into a "fun mode." Out of everything, what I want all the fans to watch for is how the relationship between him and Baku steadily progresses. After that, the action scenes are intense, so I really hope you'll watch it.
"Along with the film's release, the TV series is finally entering its final stretch. Please share a message for the fans who have supported Zeztz so far."
Imai: We've received tons of messages of support from all of you. It personally makes me incredibly happy that Zeztz has been loved up to this point. Developments in the TV series and film will be heating up, so I'd appreciate it if you'd watch until the very end.
Furukawa: The TV series is also rapidly becoming more exciting as we head towards the end. And, since the film can be interpreted as the culmination of the series, I really hope you'll watch it on the big screen in theaters. I'd make me happy if you'd support us to the very end.
(Hey guys everyone look at Nox vault over the fence it's super cool :D look at him goooo)
Anyway, spoilers below for ZEZTZ Ep45!! Don't read any further if you don't want to have stuff spoiled for you, please!!!
This week's ZEZTZ episode was good!! I have more questions than answers definitely, but I'm very thrilled to see how the show is going to answer them (I can be very patient lol). ALSO! It's looking like we'll get to see more of Nem's dream which has me veryyyy excited!
Anyway, we got lots of protective mom arm Nox this episode:
AND WE ARE GETTING FUJIMI AND ODAKA SCREEN TIME NEXT EPISODE L E T S G O. (I also find it very interesting how they are in Baku's room, but like... coming out his bedroom door. Are we going to see Nox breaking in through the window? 😭💦 Fujimi taught him well I guess akskdjflkajsdfklk breaking in through the window and sweeping the house????)
Back in June 2025, a question occurred to me: “Do people with certain personality traits gravitate to certain OB boys?” This led me to create a survey to try and get to the bottom of things.
Now we have results of our findings!! The Tumblr post you're currently reading only includes our findings, discussion, and credits. Some graphs, tables, and charts are included here, but not all of them, since Tumblr posts have a 30 image maximum. To read the full paper (which is ~50 pages), please see this Google Document.
Summary Statistics
Total number of responses: 1263
By Gender:
67.6% female
6.7% male
16.0% non-binary
9.7% other
By Age:
40.9% are between 13-18 years of age
40.3% are between 19-24 years of age
15.8% are between 25-30 years og age
2.4% are between 31-36 years of age
0.6% are older than 37, with the highest age noted being 42
By Region:
54.9% from North America
20.0% from Europe and Central Asia
14.1% from East Asia and Pacific
8.7% from Latin America and Caribbean
1.1% from Middle East and North Africa
0.8% from South Asia
0.4% from Sub-Saharan Africa.
By Keeping up with JP:
64.5% play EN
26.3% play both EN and JP
9.2% play JP
By Knowledge of Japanese:
96.4% do not know Japanese
3.6% know Japanese
By Main Source of Translation:
35.3% use video translations
32.5% use the EN game
21.0% use written translations
5.5% use summary threads
3.0% use machine translations
2.6% use word of mouth
By Years Playing:
12.6% five years
7.9% four years
32.5% three years
21.5% 2 years
13.8% 1 year
11.8% less than 1 year
By Story Quality:
34.1% rate it Excellent
53.9% rate it Good
11.8% rate it Okay
0.2% rate it Poor
By Relatability (to OB boy):
72.6% say yes, OB boy is relatable
27.4% say no, OB boy is not relatable
Most frequently selected favorite OB boy:
Leona (18.4%)
Riddle (17.4%)
Malleus (16.8%)
Idia (16.3%)
Azul (11.6%)
Vil (10.5%)
Jamil (9.0%)
Most frequently selected LEAST favorite OB boy:
Leona (17.5%)
Jamil (16.3%)
Azul (16.0%)
Malleus (15.3%)
Vil (13.3%)
Idia (11.5%)
Riddle (10.0%)
When evaluating our data, we must keep in mind that it is largely representative of:
self-identified women (~68%)
those aged 13-18 (~41%) and 19-24 (40%)
those from North America (~55%) and Europe + Central Asia (20%)
those who play EN (~65%) or both EN and JP (~26%)
those who overwhelmingly do not know Japanese (~96%)
those who mostly use video translations of the JP game (~35%) or play the EN game (~33%)
those who mostly keep up with JP updates (60%)
those who have played Twst for two (~22%) to three years (~33%)
those who rate the Twst main story “good” (~54%) or “excellent” (~34%)
those who say the OB boys are relatable (~73%)
In other words, this survey is NOT representative of the Twst JP fanbase or even of the international fanbase; it is concentrated on the lens taken by the young English-speaking women of North America and Europe/Central Asia.
Methods, Results + Discussion (Personality of Respondents vs Favorite OB Boy(s))
The method of collecting responses we used is known as convenience sampling, which gathers data from participants who are the easiest to reach. We, the researchers, sacrifice random and representative selection for speed and cost-efficiency.
To measure personality traits, we asked that each participant take the Big 5 or Five Factor Model (FFM) personality assessment and provide their resulting overall scores across 5 dimensions. Those 5 dimensions, commonly referred to by the acronym OCEAN and each existing on a spectrum, are as follows:
Openness (to experience) — measures imagination, curiosity, and willingness to try new things.
Conscientiousness — measures goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline.
Extroversion — measures how much an individual is energized by social interactions.
Agreeableness — measures empathy, willingness to cooperate, and ability to trust in others
Neuroticism — measures emotional instability, such as anxiety, hostility, and impulsivity.
We chose to use the Big 5 because it is widely accessible (i.e. free to the general public), widely recognized, and, most importantly, widely researched. Many languages and cultures use this test, leading to Big 5’s validity and reliability to be demonstrated many times over in several peer-reviewed studies. It is considered the “gold standard” in personality psychology.
For the purposes of this report, we will be using a significance value of 0.05. In hypothesis testing, the p-value is used to determine whether an observed result is likely due to chance or a true effect. 0.05 will be our marker, or threshold. In this case, a p-value HIGHER than 0.05 means the results are not statistically significant (i.e. these results are due to random chance). A p-value LOWER than 0.05 means the results are statistically significant (ie these results are due to a true effect, NOT random chance).
We determined that this data set has homogeneity of variance and for normality. For the oneway ANOVAs, we only considered the characters that respondents marked as their favorite (1). This was done for every dimension. Where relevant, Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test was used to determine if the difference between two scores within the same dimension were statistically significant.
Openness:
The Openness scores were not significantly different from each other (p-value=0.2858). The scores were generally clustered together without one being an outlier.
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the highest in terms of Openness (mean=89.98, sd=8.79)
Those who ranked Riddle as (1) were the lowest (mean=87.50, sd=8.97).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Jamil likers and Riddle likers were significantly different from each other in terms of Openness scores (p-value=0.0271).
Since the Openness scores were not statistically significant, this means fans of all OB boys were roughly the same in terms of Openness. This makes sense, as the concept of Twisted Wonderland itself invites curiosity and imagination for a world that reinterprets classic Disney characters. Those attracted to Twst’s world and characters would have to be open to a decent degree to get invested and stay invested.
If we examine the two characters who are notably different from one another, Jamil likers were the most open and Riddle likers were the least open. This reflects the personalities of the two OB boys. Jamil desires his freedom and can act unhinged when he lets himself cut loose, whereas Riddle is notoriously uptight. Fans of these respective characters may share these characters’ respective traits, which would explain the scores.
Neuroticism:
The Neuroticism scores were statistically significant from one another (p-value=0.0074). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the highest in terms of Neuroticism (mean=90.96, sd=13.83).
Those who ranked Leona as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.13, sd=13.91).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Idia likers were significantly different from Vil (p-value=0.0464), Azul (p-value=0.0130), and Leona (p-value=0.0003) likers in terms of Neuroticism scores.
Leona likers were significantly different from Idia, Riddle (p-value=0.0033), and Malleus (p-value=0.0366) likers.
Idia likers scored the highest in Neuroticism, whereas Leona likers scored the lowest. Again, I believe this reflects the tendency for fans to gravitate to characters that are similar to themselves. Idia is extremely anxious but can swing between periods of extreme confidence and extreme meekness. Leona, on the other hand, can usually keep his cool and does not act impulsively; he plans for the long term.
Agreeableness:
The Agreeableness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0449). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Malleus as (1) were the highest in terms of agreeableness (mean=89.80, sd=11.87).
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.14, sd=12.04).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Malleus likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0087), Vil (p-value=0.0099), Idia (p-value=0.0052), and Jamil (p-value=0.0122) likers in terms of agreeableness scores.
Jamil likers were only significantly different from Malleus likers.
Malleus likers scored the highest in agreeableness, meaning they are the most empathetic and willing to cooperate and trust in others. Jamil likers are the opposite, having scored the lowest. This, too, reflects the characters, whom the fans may see themselves in. Jamil is highly distrustful of others and assumes the worst of them. On the other hand, Malleus can be on the naive side and there’s a whole subplot in the main story about how he overcomes loneliness, learns to be more open with others, and makes new friends. He is also shown to be empathetic, especially when he relates to others’ loneliness (like in Endless Halloween Night; he was sad for the ghosts who had missed the party).
Extraversion:
The Extraversion scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Vil as (1) were the highest in terms of Extraversion (mean=63.52, sd=13.41)
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=59.32, sd=13.17).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Vil likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0218) and Idia (p-value=0.0031) likers in terms of Extraversion scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Vil, Riddle (p-value=0.0056), Malleus (p-value=0.0135), and Leona (p-value=0.0141).
Riddle likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0437).
Vil likers scored the highest in Extraversion, while Idia likers scored the lowest. Vil, being a celebrity, is constantly in the public eye and interacting with fans, whether indirectly (social media, films, etc.) or directly (in-person events). Additionally, his character revolves around the idea of beauty, being seen, and being confident in outward expression of his gender. I could see this pulling fans who similarly want to be seen or to express themselves in the same ways that Vil does. Idia, meanwhile, tends to keep to himself and be a loner, which may attract fans who behave similarly.
Conscientiousness:
The Conscientiousness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Azul as (1) were the highest in terms of conscientiousness (mean=76.94, sd=13.68), while those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=71.98, sd=14.30).
Using Fisher’s LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Azul likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0428), Leona (p-value=0.0308), Vil (p-value=0.0188), and Idia (p-value=0.0009) likers in terms of conscientiousness scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Azul and Malleus (p-value=0.0229) likers.
The conscientiousness scores were statistically significant, meaning respondents are different in their goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline. Twisted Wonderland is a free-to-play gacha game, in which players can earn currency to roll on banners by completing various tasks. However, there are limited ways for players to earn this currency, especially if they have been playing for years. This incentivizes paying money to acquire more rolls, which funds the game. Because banners–particularly event banners and birthday banners–are limited time, this feeds into FOMO (fear of missing out), furthering the pressure to not save or plan for future banners, but to spend on the current one. This data seems to suggest that fans of some OB characters (such as Azul) are better at long-term planning, including saving rolls for gacha banners, than fans of other characters (such as Idia).
Azul likers having the highest conscientiousness score makes sense, given that this is also true of the character. Azul often schemes and prepares for situations far in advance, and a perfect example of this is his ascension to dorm leadership. He implies that he worked hard to get into the good graces of his previous dorm leader to earn the recommendation to succeed him.
Idia likers are the least conscientious, but my best guess as to why this is the case… maybe his explosive and sudden anger? Or his ability to tackle any problem on-the-spot with the skills currently at his disposal? Perhaps it’s that he prefers to maximize efficiency?
By highest percentage:
15% of Jamil likers ranked Riddle as their least favorite OB boy
28.4% of Riddle likers ranked Leona as their least favorite OB boy
22.9% of Vil likers ranked Azul as their least favorite OB boy
23.3% of Malleus likers ranked Jamil as their least favorite OB boy
19.1% of Idia likers ranked Vil as their least favorite OB boy
17% of Leona likers ranked Idia as their least favorite OB boy
28.3% of Jamil likers ranked Malleus as their least favorite OB boy
Most common rankings
When Riddle was ranked 1 (n=218), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Azul (22.5%)
3: Azul (19.3%)
4: Idia (21.1%)
5: Vil (21.1%)
6: Malleus (22.5%)
7: Leona (28.4%)
When Leona as ranked 1 (n=230), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Jamil (23.5%)
3: Malleus (20.0%)
4: Riddle (20.0%)
5: Riddle (22.2%)
6: Azul (21.3%)
7: Azul and Malleus (19.1% each)
When Azul as ranked 1 (n=145), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (24.8%)
3: Vil (20.7%)
4: Malleus (22.8%)
5: Vil (20.0%)
6: Leona (22.1%)
7: Leona (27.6%)
When Jamil as ranked 1 (n=113), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Leona (22.1%)
3: Riddle (27.4%)
4: Leona (23%)
5: Idia (21.2%)
6: Idia (23%)
7: Malleus (28.3%)
When Vil as ranked 1 (n=131), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (26.7%)
3: Malleus (21.4%)
4: Leona (22.1%)
5: Azul (21.4%)
6: Idia (22.1%)
7: Azul (22.9%)
When Idia was ranked 1 (n=204), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Malleus (26.5%)
3: Azul and Vil (19.6% each)
4: Riddle (20.1%)
5: Azul (20.6%)
6: Jamil (23.0%)
7: Leona (21.6%)
When Malleus was ranked 1 (n=210), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Idia (26.7%)
3: Riddle (24.3%)
4: Vil (21.4%)
5: Jamil (22.9%)
6: Jamil (24.3%)
7: Jamil (23.3%)
The trends observed are:
Riddle likers usually also liked Azul
Riddle likers usually disliked Malleus or Leona
Leona likers usually also liked Jamil
Leona likers usually disliked Azul
Leona likers are conflicted about Malleus; some like Malleus while others consider him to be their least favorite of the OB boys
Azul likers usually also liked Riddle
Azul likers usually disliked Leona
Jamil likers usually also liked Leona
Jamil likers usually disliked Malleus or Idia
Vil likers usually also liked Riddle or Malleus
Vil likers usually disliked Azul or Idia
Idia likers usually also liked Malleus or Vil
Idia likers usually disliked Jamil or Leona
Malleus likers usually also liked Idia or Riddle
Malleus likers usually disliked Jamil
Overall comments on personality + favorite OB boy:
Noting the important differences between highest and lowest scores:
Jamil likers scored high in Openness
Riddle likers scored low in Openness
Idia likers scored high in Neuroticism
Leona likers scored low in Neuroticism
Malleus likers scored high in Agreeableness
Jamil likers scored low in Agreeableness
Vil likers scored high in Extraversion
Idia likers scored low in Extraversion
Azul likers scored high in Conscientiousness
Idia likers scored low in Conscientiousness
The trend seems to be that one’s favorite OB boy correlates with shared personality traits. This is observed over 4 (Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion, conscientiousness) of the 5 dimensions of the Big 5 personality test, with the remaining 1 (Openness) being insignificant, as the concept of Twst itself depends on the fans to have an open mind to begin with.
Leona was most often chosen as the favorite OB boy, and Jamil was the least often chosen as the favorite OB boy. It’s ironic, because both Leona and Jamil are the top two most often cited as the LEAST favorite OB boy(s). Leona seems to be a point of contention among respondents; he is simultaneously liked and disliked.
Results + Discussion (by Other Metrics)
Favorite OB boy by time spent playing Twst:
Those who have been playing for 5 years or more showed a preference for Idia
Those who have been playing up to 4 years showed a preference for Riddle
Those who have been playing up to 3 years showed a preference for Leona
Those who have been playing up to 2 years showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing up to 1 year showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing less than 1 year showed a preference for Leona
Inexperienced players seemed to like Leona or Malleus, which is interesting given that Leona notoriously has a disliked main story book early on and Malleus has little relevance early in the story. Based on the word analysis, it seems like many people were initially drawn to Twst due to the visual appeal of Malleus and Leona.
Fans of 2-3 years have been playing for about the same length of time as EN has been out. This is around when we’d anticipate the preference for Malleus and Leona transforming into more of an appreciation for their characters, as 2-3 years is time to acclimate to the latter parts of the story.
Players of 4 and 5 years like Riddle and Idia, respectively. This may be because, deep in the story, they are very important characters. Riddle has a substantial segment towards the end which adds more depth to the nature of his family, earning him much attention and empathy from fans. Idia plays a pivotal role in saving the day in book 7.
Favorite OB boy by region:
East Asia and Pacific: Idia with 18.7%
Europe and Central Asia: Malleus with 20.8%
Latin America and Caribbean: Leona and Idia with 18.9% each (color only reflects Leona)
Middle East and North Africa: Vil with 28.6% (small sample size 4/14)
North America: Riddle with 19.2%
South Asia: Leona with 30% (very small sample size 3/10)
Sub-Saharan Africa: Malleus with 40% (very small sample size 2/5)
The most popular character varies by region due to cultural values and traditions differing. For example, Europe + Central Asia have lore about spirits, fae, and/or dragons, which may boost Malleus’s popularity, since he is a dragon fae.
By age:
The most popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is Azul
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 37-42 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, and Malleus.
It’s possible that minor fans (13-18) like Riddle due to relatability; children may relate to not enjoying having a helicopter parent micromanage their life (preferring to rebel or leave the situation) and may sympathize with Riddle’s situation.
Leona is liked by ages 19-24 and 25-30, and that may indicate a “maturation” of the fan. He has ambitions and the skill/talent to realize them, like the fans who are now adults and are preparing for or have careers at this point. These adult fans may also relate to his stance on children (as studies show that adults are now having families later and later in life) or respect his involvement in politics, as they are now at the age where they are actively thinking about how it affects them.
Jamil in general may not be liked because (given that most responses come from the west), the ideas of filial piety + carrying on the family legacy and staying trapped in an abusive system are a challenge for westerners to understand. These are more normalized concepts and practices in the east.
Vil may not be liked by 25-30 year olds because this age group is aging and/or getting to a point where they do not care as much for aesthetics (which Vil is big on). They are generally more focused on adult responsibilities rather than putting all their energy and effort into looks like Vil does.
I will not comment on ages 31-36 and 37-42, since the sample sizes for those were too small.
By relatability:
All the OB boys were viewed as more relatable than not relatable. However, Jamil (63 vs 50) and Vil (75 vs 56) have the smallest gaps between “relatable” and “not relatable”. This may be because not many fans can relate on a literal or direct level to being trapped in servitude or being a famous but typecasted actor/model/celebrity. Idia was rated the most relatable, with a gap of 181 vs 23 (relatable vs not relatable). This may be because fans relate to his anxiety, which, as you’ll see in the word analysis portion, frequently comes up in reference to him.
Results + Discussion (Word Analysis)
Frequently cited reasons as to why respondents liked or disliked certain OB characters include:
Character’s personality/arc/background
Character’s design
Personal attachment for a particular Disney film
Relatability
Like more/less compared to the other OB boy options
First exposure
Factors unique to each OB boy were:
Riddle:
+ Likes Alice in Wonderland/Heartslabyul aesthetic
+ Relatable relationship (with mother)
- Preferred calmer characters
- Boring (compared to the others)
Leona:
+ Complexity; need to be able to read between the lines
+ Actually cares about others
- Book 2 makes him look bad
Azul:
+ Fun to watch his interactions with others
+ Love glasses and/or moles
Jamil:
+ His dynamic with Kalim
+ Enjoy his dynamic with others
+ Interesting/well-written
+ Voice
- Don’t like manipulative people
- Dislike his OB design
Vil:
+ Well-written
+ Resonate with him always being in second place
+ Breaks gender norms
+ His ethics and dedication
- “Rubs me the wrong way”
- Dislike the way he treats others and/or Epel
Idia:
+ Social anxiety (is relatable)
+ Fun to draw
+ Love his relationship with Ortho
- Cringe
- Not into otaku characters
- Boring
Malleus:
+ Relate to his fear of losing people and/or change
+ Like dragon and/or fae characters
+ Relationship/dynamic with Yuu/MC/Player
- Not interested in his role in the main story
- First Halloween event (I assume Endless Halloween Night, which is actually the second event?) made him look bad
Key Recurring Phrases
Depression
Leona: 29 mentions
Idia: 11 mentions
Anxiety
Azul: 1 mention
Idia: 24 mentions
Autism
Vil: 1 mention
Idia: 2 mentions
Malleus: 10 mentions
Yuu/MC/Player
Riddle: 4 mentions
Leona: 11 mentions
Azul: 3 mentions
Vil: 5 mentions
Idia: 6 mentions
Malleus: 24 mentions
(Gap) Moe
Riddle: 1 mention
Leona: 2 mentions
Malleus: 2 mentions
Cute
Riddle: 20 mentions
Leona: 5 mentions
Azul: 7 mentions
Jamil: 2 mentions
Idia: 12 mentions
Malleus: 18 mentions
*PLEASE SEE THE FULL RESEARCH DOCUMENT TO SEE CHARACTER WORD CLOUDS (and other charts/graphs/tables); Tumblr posts have a max image limit of 30 so it is not possible for us to include all images.
Specific points in the main story and/or events weighted Leona and Malleus down. Certain character dynamics enhanced or tore down a few OB boys (for Vil, it’s Epel; for Jamil, it’s Kalim, for Idia, it’s Ortho). Some most unique character traits were a big pro or con as well. For example, Vil’s breaking of gender norms was loved.
Yuu/MC/Player was often mentioned as a reason for liking Malleus. Malleus likers placed high weight on Malleus’s involvement and acknowledgement of Yuu in the main story.
Notably, diagnostic terms such as “depression”, “anxiety”, and “autism” (or variations therein) were frequently recurring for certain characters. Fans attributed these diagnoses to certain characters and cited relatability. For example, Leona had the most mentions with “depression”, Idia had the most mentions with "anxiety", and Malleus had the most mentions with “autism”.
Riddle was most frequently described as “cute”, but Malleus was a close second (2 less mentions). No one called Vil cute.
By maximum/highest word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Malleus (963)
Leona (642)
Idia (606)
Jamil (599)
Azul (391)
Riddle (261)
Vil (231)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (587)
Jamil (479)
Vil (460)
Azul (266)
Leona (167)
Riddle (149)
Idia (143)
By average word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Jamil (61)
Leona (57)
Vil (48)
Azul (45)
Riddle (44)
Idia (44)
Malleus (43)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (55)
Vil (44)
Jamil (39)
Leona (34)
Azul (33)
Idia (31)
Riddle (25)
Jamil likers had the average highest word count (61) when explaining why responders like him, followed by Leona likers’ average (57). Malleus likers had the average lowest word count (43) when explaining why responders like him.
Malleus dislikers had the highest average word count (55) when explaining why responders dislike him. Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count (25) when explaining why responders dislike him.
In terms of individual responses with the highest maximum word count for favorite character, that distinction goes to a Malleus liker (963), followed by a Leona liker (642), an Idia liker (606), and a Jamil liker (599). A Vil liker had the lowest maximum word count at 231.
The characters with the highest maximum word count for least favorite character, the top three are a Malleus disliker (587), a Jamil disliker (479), and a Vil disliker (460). An Idia liker had the lowest maximum word count at 143.
We can conclude that:
Jamil likers talk the most on average to explain why they like him
Malleus likers talk the least on average to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers talk the most on average to explain why they dislike him
Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count when explaining why responders dislike him.
Malleus likers can yap for the longest to explain why they like him
Vil likers can yap the least to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers can yap for the longest to explain why they dislike him
Idia likers can yap the least to explain why they dislike him
Weaknesses and the Future
Please see the full document for the complete list. No research project is perfect, and certainly not this one! If we were to do another project like this in the future, we'd take the limitations of this one into consideration.
Finally all caught up on ZEZTZ and I am VERY stressed for this week's episode. Some spoilery stuff for EP44 incoming (because I do analyze a decent chunk of it), so check under the cut for that!
Ok, so I find it very interesting that everyone has basically faded away and been forgotten by Nem, although this being an episode of just clips was a liiiiiittle bit disappointing. I understand why they did it I just wish we didn't rehash things again, but I guess I did also appreciate it because the plot is a little hard to keep up with sometimes.
On the topic of the clips montage, I find it very interesting that Nem was seeing flashes of her time in the premonition with Baku, even though there's literally no way anyone but Baku should know this information (at least visually, since he did verbally talk about it to everyone). This happens in the last moments they are hugging, so I wonder if through the power of dreams and friendship (lol) Baku was able to share some of the premonition timeline with her in an effort to have her remember everyone easier??? Sort of like if you plant something that technically didn't exist in someone's memories, then maybe it's harder to remove??? I doubt that's what it is, but hey, who knows?
I'm very excited to see what her new world looks like and the roles that everyone has been cast in (please please Odaka and Fujimi screen time I BEG). I wonder if this is a situation where the Nightmares have basically taken over everyone and are puppeting them to be the ones to play a part (kinda paralleling a lot of Nem's early personalities in the dream where she would act certain ways because she's just "playing the part") or if the Nightmares have just created a fake scenario for Nem using all of these people as a basis and in actuality all the people that got erased are just basically still in nothingness. If that makes any sense, because it probably doesn't.
Also with the puppeting stuff, I'm wondering if Nem will remember all the roles she played in the dreams thanks to Baku, and just slowly recognize that the people around her are being forced to play roles and she'll recognize that and connect with it on a subconscious level.
I'm hoping Nem gets the chance to be the hero and save the day, but seeing that clip in the "what's coming next episode" montage where she gets absorbed by Oblivion makes me think otherwise. Also we literally see ZEZTZ Exdream in one of those montage clips, soooo... It's likely that Nox or Baku are going to realize they're being puppeted or something and break free to save Nem.
My friend (who is still on the very early episodes where we are still within the premonition) has been trying to keep track of the roses that Baku has been giving Nem because she's convinced they're important symbolically. So I'm using her idea to go crazy about the blue rose Baku gives Nem this episode. This is the article I read to figure out more about this flower, and I cannot recommend it enough!! TLDR; the flower used to have the symbolic meaning of "impossibility" because of how it couldn't naturally occur in nature, however in 2009 a lab in Japan succeeded in making a violet-blue rose through genetic modification, which changed the symbolic meaning of the blue rose to "achievement of the impossible". The blue rose has seen very frequent use in anime and other Japanese media as a symbol for the above meaning since then.
Baku hands Nem a blue rose this episode, almost as a last (desperately impossible) vow to protect her. He promises to "make your dream come true someday" to Nem, with the blue rose symbolizing both the impossibility to protect her, but also a promise that one day he will surpass the impossibility like he's always done. The Lady didn't delete the blue rose and it never got touched by the white petals, so I'm very curious as to why (is it immune???). To me, the blue rose is the last remaining thing that proves Baku and the past existed, as proof to Nem that it wasn't what The Lady called a "long long nightmare". The fact Nem drops it before she goes off to her Dream World definitely gives off the idea that she is fully releasing the past and leaving it behind, but who knows, Baku always pulls through somehow. I did try to scan the montage at the end of this episode to see if I could spot any blue roses or anything in the clips for next episode, but I couldn't see anything, so maybe I'm just looking too deep into something that doesn't really matter all that much... 😅
On an unrelated note, I need Sieg to come back too please 🥹 (and maybe Three, but I know that's maximum delusion) (especially because I doubt the Nightmares would even let a watered-down version of CODE exist in Nem's dream) (rip my favorite delusional freaky men, you will be greatly missed).
I do feel like Sieg will come back though, he has to... right? Right? I think he has a lot of great parallels with Nem, and I know I know he wanted to basically be punished for all his crimes and so I think he's happy with being forgotten about, but there are TOO MANY times where him and Nem are on screen together to just have that be it. There's too many parallels. PLEASE 🥹 SIEG COME BACK.
