What I think the Shishigumi's Chinese zodiac signs are
•The tiger represents strength and leadership in a way that complements Ibuki's "King of beasts" mentality. You can just tell he has natural authority because the others trusted him with little to no argument in his decision to make Louis their new leader.
• Another part of a good leader is someone who looks after those who are dependent on them. Louis may technically have been above Ibuki in hierarchy but since he was younger Ibuki still put his all into protecting him. He shielded him from danger and fed him because in Ibuki's mind Louis was his responsibility and Ibuki would never neglect his responsibilities.
•the biggest negative of the tiger sign is their recklessness that comes out as a consequence of their courage. This was especially seen in Ibuki the day he died. He was used to sticking his neck out when he was younger to prove himself to the chief but letting himself die so Louis could go free is a whole different ballgame of recklessness. Not a single bit of self preservation held Ibuki back from throwing away his life for someone he deemed as having more worth than himself.
•unfortunately for this feline I think he matches the zodiacs' dog the most. Free is after all very loyal as shown in the manga when he happily welcomed back Louis despite previously threatening him to never enter the BAM again.
•those with the dog zodiac are also extremely playful. This can be easily compared to Free's touchy nature with his friends in the Shishigumi. Always wrapping his arms around those he cares about and brightly smiling. Of course Free can be serious when he needs to be but similar to a dog nine times out of ten Free is going to be in a good mood.
•the dogs' negative quality is that they represent somebody who has a hard time finding stability or satisfaction in their life. Always chasing to and from each thing that excites them. And despite Free being extremely loyal to the Shishigumi he is not the type to be loyal to a female. He will sabotage his relationships due to he insecurities and when the loneliness eats him alive he'll be back outside looking for someone else to hold till he gets bored again.
• The ox is similar to the tiger in strength but also has major differences. While the tiger jumps head first into situations the ox represents someone with a lot of patience. Both Ibuki and Dolph could lead the Shishigumi but only Dolph could survive that scenario. Dolph shows his patience mostly when he is in a fight. Like when he calmly tracked the spots on a leopards arm before blocking their upcoming attack.
•the ox also has a lot of determination inside of them which stops them from giving up. Dolph could have easily died from blood loss when Melon slit his throat but Dolph held on to his life. He bid his time like a predator waiting for his wound to heal till he could jump back into the Shishigumi. Where he unknowingly protected Agata from getting into a fight to the death with Melon.
•however their stubbornness also has drawbacks. If Dolph had told anyone in the Shishigumi that he was still alive, he was getting better, or that he will be fine. Then Agata would never have volunteered to be the one to stand up against Melon. The Shishigumi wouldn't have even had the conversation about overthrowing Melon in the first place.
•For Agata I was stuck between the pig and the rabbit for a little bit but I ultimately decided he was more similar to the rabbit. Rabbits are described as friendly pacifists that get along well with everyone but are also very deeply connected to their emotional side. Easily becoming defensive when they feel even the slightest bit of betrayed.
•Agata is after all the baby of the group so that could be the reason for his easily made friendships in the shishigumi but I think he's also just the type of guy you would want to be friends with. He has just got such a lovable face, anyone would want to protect or help him in some way.
•The rabbits weakness I most wanted to mention is their cowardice. I mentioned this earlier that in the manga Agata volunteered to kill Melon but I didn't mention that Agata was secretly afraid to. He literally describes how light his hybrid boss weighs yet still terrifies him. Even going as far as making Agata contemplate cutting off his mane because the mantle of being a dark maned lion and therefore and natural leader was getting too much for him to bear.
•the snake is the most wise of the zodiacs and it is easy to imagine Sabu as a snake. As the oldest lion of his group he has the life experiences to be able to pass on his wisdom. He also perfectly matches a snake's intuition.
•People with the snake as their zodiac are also considered very silent and graceful. Sabu is the definition of that times ten. The type of lion who has perfected the art of being an ambush predator.
•a negative quality of the snake is how suspicious they are of others. Years of being in a gang would naturally cause anyone to be cautious but with Sabu's cold expression an argument could be made that he is more cautious than the other lions in the Shishigumi.
•I wouldn't say the horse is a perfect match for Miguel's personality since he's not stubborn but it is close. Horses are energetic, responsible, helpful, and make swift decisions. He's definitely energetic just based of his physique alone and I'm sure he is a valuable member within the shishigumi when it comes to aiding the others.
•As for responsibility, I would argue Miguel is one of the most responsible members of the gang. When they hid Louis from Melon, Miguel was the one who jumped in and lied saying he ate a deer. Not only did Melon easily forgive Miguel after the lion apologized but Free also complemented Miguel on his humility.
•Now I don't have much proof for any stubbornness or other negative horse qualities but I do have a head cannon that Miguel doesn't enjoy being a gangster and following out orders from his boss/bosses. Mostly this is based on his thoughts when the shishigumi gave Legosi brand new concrete shoes for a beach trip in the manga. I found it interesting that Miguel had reservations about it but kept his mouth shut.
•the monkey represents a good communicator and someone who is quick witted. Jinma as someone who makes it his duty to know everybody in the black market represents this well. He's friendly to everyone and if need be he can quickly adapt to any danger that comes his way.
•the monkey is also a representation of curiosity and if any of the lions resemble a primates need to figure out how the world works it would be the lion that goes out and wanders just for fun. No plans, head empty, just gonna go for a little walk and see who he manages to bump into.
•a negative quality of the monkey is their selfishness. Representing the type of person who looks out for their own hide before worrying for others. I don't think Jinma would be selfish in a narcissistic way but I do think he would just not trust others to look after himself so he matches that energy and doesn't look after anyone else. Of course Jinma still cares about the Shishigumi's success but in his mind one's own well-being should be their top priority.
•I read something interesting about the rat sign that said rats are very cautious to the point they will strategically plan how to interact with those around them. Usually by hoarding a bunch of secrets to themselves or by tweaking their own behavior to match those around them. I sure you can see already how well that matches our negotiator Dope.
•rats are also described as being very sociable despite preferring their alone time. Dope strikes me as the type of guy who is always trying to be one step of ahead of anyone else but that mindset can get pretty lonely fast so I would say the rat is a pretty good match for Dope's personality.
•Similar to some other zodiacs one of the rats strengths is also one of their weaknesses. In the rats case they can easily be lead astray by their cautiousness. Looking too much into the finer details and missing the bigger picture that others could easily notice. Dope hasn't behaved this way in the manga but I like the head cannon that he tends to overthink.
•You known what would add to Hino's insane charisma, if he had the most coveted zodiac: a dragon. The dragon represents someone comfortable in their own skin with a healthy confidence. The kind of confidence that gives someone lots of romantic partners and good job opportunities. Hino embodies that pretty well since by Louis says Hino brings in jobs for the shishigumi.
•the dragon is also considered to be a zodiac for optimistic types. What with all the success a dragon would theoretically have in their life why wouldn't they also see the world in a positive light. I don't think this matches Hino that well but no zodiac sign rings completely true for anyone. Especially since everyone interprets what each zodiac in associated with differently.
•a dragons' worse drawback is their arrogance. Now Hino's never been rude to anyone in the manga but if you were an albino male lion with a gorgeous mane and body... It wouldn't be unreasonable to become arrogant.
A/N: Happy Lunar New Year! It has been such a long time since I posted so I figured I would write something I came up with myself before tackling my drafts. Anyways we are leaving behind the year of the snake and entering the year of the horse. A fire horse to be exact and I can only hope this means good things for 2026. 2025 just sucked so hard on a global level I will gladly accept any fortune that says anything positive. BTW fun fact I was born in the year of the rooster 🐓.