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Analysing the Albert Mycroft scenes from chapter 4 because I think it's really effective

Unironically I think these scenes tell you quite a lot about both of their characters especially Albert given that it's one of his first chances to shine after the backstory chapters!

So first of all, it's important to know how they even got in this situation in the first place - an opium ring is spreading across England off the back of the dissolution of the East India company, where it is rumoured that opium trading routes were handed over to nobles and high-ranking navy individuals (it's also linked to the mafia, which this series mentions a few times but rarely actually handles). The military and the house of lords are refusing to move to take down the organisation (likely because some of them benefit from the ring), so a military friend brings up the attempt at creating a shadow organisation within the intelligence branch that doesn't need permission of the house to act and isn't swayed by political interests.

Albert's reaction is quite important here - that he'd heard there was simply "no money to fund it, so the project was tabled" and that "If I could get into that organisation, it'd surely be of use to William." It's clear that he's done great research, prioritising knowledge of the political and social spheres. He is aware of its potential as an asset to the plan (Albert is prioritising William specifically in this), and directly requests William to help him organise a plan that helps him into its ranks. Then they spend a whole month planning this out, sorting out all of the logistics before he even goes to meet anyone at the Intelligence division - he's confident in its success before they even strike the deal itself. They've rigged the board in their favour without anyone knowing they're even in the game.

So now for the meeting at the Intelligence branch itself with Mycroft. Now, he is not named as Mycroft, but he is revealed to be at the end of Volume 3. Mycroft's first words seem a bit clunky in exposition - "and what would an indian army official such as yourself want from an intelligence official such as myself this late in the evening?" - but it also acts as a reminder of their ranks. Titles (Mycroft also uses his 'lieutenant colonel title afterwards) and ranks are incredibly important in this era, and Mycroft knows that a man like Albert would only show up at this time if it was an urgent or important request, so he's reminding him of the nature of such an exchange; that he, as military intelligence has the upper hand, and that Albert, if he wants something, needs to convince him.

Albert decides to forgo the titles after calling Mycroft 'Chief' once - he notes Mycroft's signifiers and plays back in opposite. His demeanour is generally much more casual, deciding to deliver his request as coming here to "talk to myself out loud." Of course, Mycroft is listening, and Albert knows this, and his request begins as an explanation of the needs and logistics (benefits and funds, mostly) when founding a shadow organisation. Mycroft is painfully aware of such things, and Albert is making sure that he knows that he is equally aware of the necessities. It's as if he's not talking about his own thoughts, but as if he's reading Mycroft's mind.

The line that brings it all together is "I will take care of all this myself," which brings a close to the logistical talk and acts as where he enters as a player in the game. He's offering to ease the burden on Mycroft's end, without the need for him to do anything but employ Albert in his stead. Albert's bold request is coated in layer of interpretive subtlety, where he gives the illusion of a concerned bystander but it is still clear that at the end of the day all he wants is this deal. Instead of taking the route of gaining trust and then making a bold request, Albert proposes the deal straight off the bat - using the request (and eventual results) to gain his trust.

And arguably this impresses Mycroft. It's that "Will you now? You have my attention." that really sells the idea that this boldness intrigues him. That upon studying his demeanour, gauging his personality, he is pleasantly surprised by the methodism, and welcomes it. He makes the deal right there and then, and it's by no means a small price - if the operation succeeds, he'd be transferring Albert to the military intelligence branch and letting him run that shadow organisation. It makes sense, given he'd be partly funding it, but also feels out of left field to trust a man he'd just met with such power. But Albert has clearly fascinated and convinced him enough in only a few sentences. Yes, it is still contingent on the results, but to even make the deal is an equally bold move on Mycroft's move.

Let's talk body language. Albert is aware that Mycroft is observing his every move intently, trying to gauge what he wants and if he is trustworthy. Yet his first decision is to turn away from his desk and instead adjust some of the memorabilia on his shelves. You don't usually turn away from someone when making a deal, given the fact it usually seems untrustworthy, but it's what he does with his hands. It's hard to tell, but it could be as if he's perfecting the placement of the items on the shelf. This shows Mycroft something else - that Albert has great attention to detail and a penchant for organisation. That he's calculated and orderly, which is the kind of person you need for such a role. And then there's the bow, and the hand to his heart - an action that's often seen as a sign of sincerity. He's indicating his honesty in taking care of the situation, and he's showing respect for Mycroft similarly with the bow. It's an indicator that he's not a threat, but an ally. That's part of how Mycroft comes to trust him. But still, each move seems calculated to elicit such an association. Albert is still playing the game, Mycroft allows it.

And Mycroft gets something he can't argue with - efficient results. The complete dismantling of the opium ring in a single operation, clearly calculated to perfection. Mycroft noticed this, and even points it out ("Makes me wonder just how much of this you already had planned out"), because that's the kind of mind he needs to run his organisation. Albert's insistence that's it's "all just a coincidence" is not supposed to be a convincing bluff - it's a calculated deflection from questioning the mind behind the plan (William, mostly) and what his ulterior motives may be. And this line from Mycroft - "well played, Lieutenant Colonel." Acknowledging that he's won this round, he gets his prize. He gets to lead MI6, with Mycroft as his superior.

Because they both know they're playing each other in some way. This makes much more sense with the foresight of chapter 17 (Scandal of the British empire act 1) - where Mycroft is aware of the fact that Albert has some ulterior motives, and he is prepared to test his loyalty to the empire. And Albert is aware that he's being tested. It's quite similar here - Mycroft knows Albert needs this position for something he's unaware of, and Albert knows Mycroft can't refuse these kinds of results. I do believe him and William will have done research into Mycroft prior to their meeting, and they are aware what he prioritises going in. With what Albert says and does, they play into his interests and necessities, in some ways like William plays into Sherlock's interests. But they're not quite playing opposite; they have a common motive and work as allies, but neither is trying to take the other down, considering how they equally benefit from their partnership. They sort of take to studying and testing in a mutual fashion. Each to gauge where the other's loyalties lie, and if they are to be trusted.

[I have more things to talk about with them... my recent reread has got me thinking a lot more about some characters and themes. I wish more of their interactions got into the anime or in morimu it's really important for their characterisations. Hope this makes any sense! I find it hard to transfer my thoughts into words sometimes.]

aritealeaf

They say you should relive the story of your character to write about them: I drank too much coffee in the morning today to the point I heard my heart racing through my throat, and I started feeling dizzy, seeing Liam in front of my eyes and Sherlock folding under his gaze

Is that canon Sherlock experience, can I be a writer now

gladiusveritatis

So, I’ve only briefly mentioned this before, but I’ve decided to delve deeper into the issue.

What’s the problem with people labelling William as "feminine"?

Let’s start at the very beginning. Why did people begin to call William Moriarty feminine? Because he experiences emotions. He has a soft tone of voice, which he almost never raises, a calm manner of speaking, and a serene demeanour, leading people to conclude that he’s "feminine." See the issue here? All it takes is being "agreeable" in the eyes of society for someone to be deemed feminine, even though William is a tall, broad-shouldered, strong man who handles any weapon with confidence.

Now imagine what it’s like for women, who are stereotypically considered "strong" only if they display conventionally "masculine" traits in their appearance or character: a short haircut, a rough and loud voice, wide gestures, and a heavy gait. In essence, the image of a "strong woman" is drawn directly from that of a powerful man. Interestingly, William himself does not exhibit most of these traits, despite being the central figure of his team.

This literally highlights a societal bias: you exclude anything "feminine" from positions of authority, treating them as inherently "masculine" domains. Society listens to a woman in only two scenarios: either she is exceptionally beautiful, becoming an object of admiration for men who are deemed superior in strength and status, or she behaves like a man, asserting herself in the same manner.

gladiusveritatis

Philosophical observation of the relationship between Albert and William

this is a fairly subjective interpretation on my part, but I have previously conducted several analyses of religious references in manga, so I have now decided to approach this one specifically through philosophy

Some philosophers, such as Bruno Bauer, once believed that criticism must be directed primarily at religion. In their view, liberation from religion equates to liberation of society. In Ludwig Feuerbach's work, the critique becomes more developed: God is merely a projection of human essence. People unconsciously attribute their own qualities to God and then begin to worship this projection. However, philosophers as Karl Marx, who initially shared this view, later stated that criticism of religion is the prerequisite of all criticism. For him, religion is only an expression of human suffering, and therefore one must examine the social conditions that produce this suffering. The full quotation reads as follows: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." The logic here is that if suffering and exploitation were to disappear entirely, the need to seek consolation in religion would also disappear. From this follows my interpretation of the religious references, in which Albert gradually begins to see less and less of William in religious terms. William becomes a form of salvation at the level of Albert’s internal motivation, where a clear parallel can be observed. His worldview changes not because someone convinces him of the falsity of religion, but because he begins to believe in the possibility of transforming the world itself, which previously seemed unchangeable. For Albert, religion initially functions as a response to experienced alienation and injustice. However, once the possibility of acting to change the social order emerges, the need for religion as the primary form of reconciliation with reality diminishes. What changes is not belief itself, but rather Albert's relationship to his own capacity to transform the world.

gladiusveritatis

There has been a great deal of discussion about what would appeal to the character of William James Moriarty—what dishes he would enjoy, which types of tea he would favor, how he would sleep, and so on. But let’s focus instead on what he would not like.

The desire to live in aesthetics—have you ever considered how utopian and absurd it is, how pro-capitalist it is, thereby representing a piece of the foundation for class inequality? In our time, every "aesthetic" is nothing more than a consumption product, as everyone who wishes to be part of it is not an innovator but a consumer. It represents the final stage not just of the capitalist social structure but of fading thought. People are divided not only into masculinity and femininity, classes, but into entire groups defined by a particular "aesthetic," which in turn fosters stereotyping and limited thinking.

When we see someone in a classic outfit with the hashtag "dark academia," we automatically assume they represent a developed member of society. Do not mistake my words—this is not about individuals but the bubble they stand under, unknowingly supporting. Many of us are familiar with Donna Tartt’s widely acclaimed novel, "The Secret History." This book did not fulfill its purpose. Fans of the book like to argue and say that it satirizes the romanticization of bourgeois pseudo-intellectual lifestyles—yet it failed to do so. Each of Tartt’s books, which has become a symbol of the "dark academia" aesthetic wave, was not written to embed ideas in the masses but rather for mindless consumption.

The need to "aestheticize" has led to the aestheticization and exploitation of religions, books, writers, incorrect historical facts, and misguided interpretations of literature.

In the term "dark academia," there is a lot of darkness and very little "academia," because currently, the books associated with this category do not provide food for thought. It has become more about ties and suits, shirts and chessboards. No, you can’t be both Albert Camus and Fyodor Dostoevsky—have you actually read their works? Have you delved into their contexts, the conditions under which they wrote, and, most importantly, the historical periods they were writing in? Where they were born and what influenced them? Clearly, no.

And this is where the pursuit of so-called "aestheticism" becomes a catastrophe. It is not done for the sake of knowledge, which should always be shared—bringing something to society. It is done for a couple of photos, a few videos, and a few out-of-context quotes from books.

The very popularization of a book that has clearly failed to achieve its purpose, along with the continued use of "prominent" names in Russian literature, stands as evidence of my argument. This wave of aestheticization is nothing more than yet another elegant veil of pseudo-intellectualism.

This is precisely why I cannot take seriously the fans of William who present themselves in this manner. William would never have appreciated all this decorative frippery; he would have condemned it outright.

krulzbydgoszczy

Its not the end of the month yet phew...

Happy pride month shout out to the gays

it was supposed to be... higher quality more effort and shi but i have to do like a milion things this month

artismeiisart

Been reading sherliam fics recently and I noticed that we only have William cross dressing and I think it’s sad we don’t have more Sherlock in dresses

I think he can absolutely do this to solve a mystery and would pull it off flawlessly but he would definitely hate it

Also this is inspired by this post

Part 2

x1angsh3ng

karereiko

Next part of Sherliam Days in New York, married geniuses(?) flirting at work and poor Billy. True story behind Sherlock wearing bow tie in part 2 now ;). It took far longer than it should but other projects and lineart problems artblocked me. Time to draw next one....

karereiko

Crack sherliam joke for crazy chapter 95. Guess Louis will lock up William now and no visits allowed. Poor husbands. Sherlock tried so hard and all went to hell.

we-intentionally-exude-calmness

Moriarty the Patriot : Chapter 92 fan-translation

Hello everyone! This is Stef! Despite the chaos, we were able to finish the fan translation of chapter 92! We hope you enjoy, because the process this time took 10 years off of our lives. For context, check a previous Tumblr post we made. As always, remember to intentionally exude calmness!

Read Chapter 92 - Crossing Intentions : Act3 - Yuukoku no Moriarty - Read the latest Manga chapters of Yuukoku no Moriarty online for free a

https://www.mangago.me/read-manga/yuukoku_no_moriarty/nbt/br_chapter-372959/pg-1/

Read the Moriarty The Patriot : Part 2 manga series.

miwhotep

MORIARTY THE PATRIOT AND THE FEMALE CHARACTER TREATMENT

As much as I love Moriarty the Patriot, I admit that I have a lot of problem with its writing. I already talked about why William's plan in Part 1 made no sense whatsoever, now I want to mention something else what really bothers me. The writing of certain female characters.

Namely, two characters from the Conan Doyle canon - Irene Adler and Milverton's maid, Agatha.

(As for Irene, I will only talk about the character arc before becoming James Bond. And since that, I will use "she/her" pronouns for her since she used those that time, too.)

Irene Adler is the most famous female character of the Conan Doyle canon. "The Woman", one of the few people who were able to outsmart Holmes. She is a feminist icon of the Victorian era literature, a badass who didn't just outsmarted the man regarded as the smartest of his era, but she was also able to handle it on her own, without further help. And I could only wish if we could see her like that in Yuumori, too, especially that Yuumori is an adaptation written in the modern ages. But Conan Doyle somehow managed to make her feel much, much modern and feminist than Yuumori did.

In Yuumori, Irene didn't only fail to outsmart Sherlock in the long term, but she even need his help and the Moriarties as well, to get away safely. She didn't come across and she was not presented as "The Woman" who defeated Sherlock and he needed a bunch of men's help to save herself. She basically became a damsel in distress in her own arc. Everything what the original Irene Adler was not.

But even she was done better than Agatha.

As much as I like Agatha, it boils my blood when I see how Sherlock and John treated her. For the record, yes, Holmes used her to get information out of her regarding Milverton in the Conan Doyle canon as well - but she was not presented the way she was in Yuumori. There, she is talked as a woman who goes through men quickly, who has muscle fetish, who almost faints seeing John's wet abs under his shirt, who falls for a man in a moment. In the Conan Doyle canon, Holmes needed several dates to make her trust him (and she was not a man-eater either, the only thing which is mentioned that there is another man aside of Holmes who is interested in her) - in Yuumori, she gives away everything for the sight of a few wet abs. (Uh. That hurts even written down.)

And yes, I know that Moneypenny is a badass, but Moriarty the Patriot still has some very misognistic character writings. Not because the lack of female characters, not because the lack of their screentime - but because the infuriating takes it managed to have on these female characters, especially on Irene Adler.

gladiusveritatis

What's actually brilliant about Moriarty the Patriot — and something other writers could learn from — is that all the characters are smart and capable whilst still feeling like real people, each with distinct personalities and temperaments. You look at them, and you can see that their words, actions, and thoughts do match their age. They behave like adults with adult problems. They look like adults as well. When you watch them, you don’t forget that they are grown people because they don't act like adolescents. That doesn't mean some of them are not awful, of course, but it is one of those rare cases in anime/manga where characters who are more or less on the same intellectual level don't all become the same type of 'genius' with identical dialogue. You do not get the usual edgy clichés: no 'I shall read this massive physics book overnight and return with a complete plan and my physics degree,' no 'obligatory chessboard battles,' no 'I am solving advanced mathematics in 0.1 seconds and you are not.' Those troupes always feel so fake and unnatural. Maybe it's just me, but I am not going to call a character smart simply because the canon says so. An author can assign an IQ of a thousand (I don't believe in the concept of iq anyway), but that doesn't make their character look intelligent — they just make everyone around them seem so dumb. On the other hand, even if the canon never explicitly states it, I'll still recognise a character as genuinely smart if they demonstrate it through their actions. The intelligence within the Moriarty's team feels alive, and that is the clearest sign of a truly thinking mind: the ability to learn, adapt, accept, and understand, rather than merely recall shallow facts from unrelated fields. And despite certain plot holes, there aren't truly serious missteps in how their plans or intelligence are handled. At least, I didn't notice the kind of glaring errors you often see in other anime — for instance, when a character suddenly acquires an inexplicable 'super ability' simply because the author needs some way to justify how they escaped unscathed. William has weaponised his intelligence so effectively that people often overlook how smart Sebastian Moran or Mycroft Holmes actually are. No one in Moriarty the Patriot is born with all the knowledge they possess, which is why they feel so natural and well-balanced. They have all studied and worked for it, and that is precisely why William merely smiles when he is called a genius.

localfandom

this is how the moriarties were being treated by aristocrats two times their age for saying they think the lower class deserves rights

sunsetsushiii

I never posted anything about Kyouka so here are some goods.

Ngl whenever I see people going "I ship kyouken!", I rarely find their wholesome middleschool romance moment works or something between these two. Like come on, let's not be a coward and draw them being cuties together 🥺.

opoxun

About the real Name of William James Moriarty

On several occasions we are shown that William James Moriarty possesses a birth name that we do not know. The first one is in chapter 33, when Charles Augustus Milverton investigates the professor’s past and discovers the record of a trial he participated in when he was little. Milverton complains that the name of the plaintiff, the child (that is, our William) is illegible (how convenient.)

The second time this is indicated to us is in chapter 53. Following William’s instructions, Sherlock Holmes runs to an abandoned house where he finds the evidence of the plans that the Lord of Crime has been carrying out. Among the documents are the birth certificates of the siblings. “So this is Liam’s real name…”

In addition, the theme is also joked in two omakes. In the one of chapter 33, (related to the scene ut supra diximus) Milverton is amazed about th fact that the water has only erased William’s name from all the documents. In chapter 34, Bond asks William for his real name; he firmly replies that it is a secret.

(Sorry, I didn’t find the text in english.)

We still have no clue of which one this name may be. I, a person who believes a lot in the symbolism of the names, have three in mind: Joshua, Michael and Adam. I will begin to explain them in order from least to greatest personal taste.

Joshua

The original name of Jesus Christ in Biblical Hebrew was יְהוֹשֻׁעַ yehoshua. The english variant of this name is Joshua.

Perhaps this comparison is the most obvious of the three. William’s goal is to sacrifice himself for the world to make it pure. He alone bears the sins of all mankind. He is a martyr, that if we do a bit of etymology, we remember that it comes from the Greek «μάρτυς, -υρος», «witness», in the sense that he gives testimony of his faith even when he is going to be sacrificed. The main martyr in history is the figure of Jesus, with whom the manga itself has made the comparison twice.

Indeed, Sebastian Moran says that “he’s starting to look like the guy who carried a cross while climbing the hill of Golgotha, bearing all of our sins and ultimately dying alone.”

We also have an illustration (chapter 61) of William with the crown of thorns, a characteristic sign of Jesus, since they forced him to put it on his head while carrying the cross. The objective was to make fun of him: it was a deserved crown for “the king of the Jews”.

In any case, these two references with Moran present make me think that this comparison refers more to Moran’s perception of William than how William sees himself.

Michael

In Hebrew: מיכאל mica.el, (literally: Who is like Him?) being its English version, Michael (pronounced /‘maɪ.kl/). It is in reference to the archangel Michael, commander of God’s troops in the jewish-christian religion and in charge of expelling the angels (future demons, including Lucifer) who rebelled in heaven. Of course, Lucifer would also suit him (light bearer, misunderstood angel…) but I find it a bit too dramatic.

The fall of the rebel angels by Luca Giordano (c.1666)

To support this theory, according to Christopher Roden, a Holmesian expert, a fellow student at Arthur Conan Doyle’s school may have served as the inspiration for Moriarty’s last name. This young man was called Michael Moriarty, and in his first year of school he won a math contest by presenting a paper on the binomial theorem. Let us remember that the three Moriartys obtained a prestigious degree (The King’s Scholar) in the school where they studied, and that the thesis that gave William his doctorate was precisely about the binomial theorem.

Adam

In reference to the first man, lider of mankind, and the first sinner. From the Hebrew "adamá” (אדמה) which means red clay. It can also mean blood, very appropriate for William, who seems to be obsessed with this concept: he sees his hands constantly stained with scarlet due to the guiltiness of his sins.

(Let me catch my breath. This scenes break my heart.)

Curiously, on the back cover of volume 9 of the Spanish version we can see that it says “The Past of the Lord of Crime is like the forbidden fruit …”

On the other hand we have the identification of Milverton with the serpent of Eden, the evil that incites to sin. This being the case, William could be Adam, who is forced to start the Final Problem earlier than expected because Milverton had agreed to reveal the identity of the Lord of Crime if he dies. Miverton, (the serpent), forces William (Adam) to sin and flee from “paradise” (tranquility and purity).

And you will say, is Sherlock Eve then, Adam’s partner? Well, although it may be funny in the first instance, if we think about it Milverton also “incites” Sherlock to sin: he forces him to kill him, sharing William and Sherlock the same crime since that night, becoming partners…in crime. (Thanks to Kiba –Laura- for this idea.)

What’s more, the real person the original Moriarty is based on was a criminal named Adam Worth. You could say that since he was the real person, Adam is Moriarty’s real name.

The small drawback that I see with this name is that there is already a character in the play called like that (Adam Whiteley), but since we also have coincidences like Bill (the math student) and Billy (Billy the Kid, who rescues Sherlock and William) maybe they could just let it go.

———————————————————————————————————–

For me, a name has a lot of power. At the end of the day, it is how we refer to a person, it is a way to identify them immediately. That is why I have tried to argue these names that in my opinion are very appropriate for the character of William James Moriarty. However, just as a name is important, so is not having it. We have already seen in yuumori that there is a lot of emphasis on William’s hidden name. Even in the songs for the anime adaptation “名前なき生贄” (Nameless Sacrifice) in Dying Wish. Not knowing William’s name is one of the crucial elements in the story. William acts from anonymity: he wants society to hate the ”evil Professor Moriarty", while his true self (his real name) remains hidden in the shadows. The issue of the no name can already be seen in another manga work, Monster, where this fact is also given great relevance.

In conclusion, although I would like to know which the real name of William James Moriarty is, I think that part of the magic (and meaning of his character) is in not knowing it. The decision is for the authors to make. For now, I’d be happy if everyone called William however they wanted. He is still a version of the charismatic Professor Moriarty, and that name doesn’t leave anyone indifferent.

chalantcowboy

i love him

urbow

hes so pretty he'll kill me

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