I've just started sharing my own files recently but I'd like to compile them for easier access and convenience🤣
2.5D STAGE PLAYS
Full Metal Alchemist (First Stage Play)
Mashle (1 & 2)
Bloody Love Opera: Babanba Banban Vampire
Fragaria Memories ~The Knot of Innocence (Red Bouquet Musical)
Boukyaku Battery
Pandora Hearts (peak 2.5d btw. go read the manga and watch🙏)
ORIGINAL STAGE PLAYS
Blue Egoist (istg, pls watch this)
Fantasy Musical; Birthday
For some stages, there would be a direct link on the post because I am not active on this site, but after a while, I may decide to take it off and share the link in private, so if you have sent me a message, please be patient with me. 🙏
disclaimer: i do not know the original source material so my opinions are solely for the drama/stage!
SOMEYAN/SEKORYO
i have two major reasons why i wanted to see this stage in person and they are: 1) someya, and 2) sekoryo.
my first 2.5D in 2015 was pedasute. i made this tumblr acc during my yowapeda era; hence, the username arakita yasutomo(e). i love all the stage play’s cast members, but three of them became part of my trinity, namely: szk hrk, myzk shuuto, and someya. he is my nyan nyan :3 i’ve consumed things i wouldn’t have if not for him.
then in 2023, i watched my first super sentai show, zenkaiger, and met sekoryo’s stacey. i’ve alr seen him in hypsute as ramuda before that and liked his performance but stacey is Such A Little Meow Meow, i started thinking of him as My Son. i have a stacey nui and it’s one of my most prized possessions. i take it to almost everywhere with me. when people ask who that doll is, i introduce it as my child.
being a fan of both, imagine my excitement when it was announced that they have a project together🥲 even just that had alr felt unreal to me btw, so i definitely, definitely had to take the chance and see them on stage! my og nyan nyan and sekonyan! two birds with one scone ! and it was so damn worth it😭 they are so good. i cried a lot👍
(not that anyone cares but) my fit and nails that day were inspired by saketoba btw:
VENUE
it was at shinagawa club ex and it was a rotating stage. the place was pretty intimate? it’s a circular theater and i was at the last row of group E’s first floor seating but i was only about three or four(?) meters away from the stage??? there was a pillar on my left side and an empty seat on my right, then a small staircase separating me from the other person on my row (my seat marked by a croissant below).
ngl, i thought it was a bad position bc it’s wayyy off the sides but i was able to see the expressions on their faces while they had their backs to the center so it wasn’t bad at all. bonus bc i could lean on the pillar to my left and not bother anyone while readjusting my sitting (AND i was slightly more able to cry freely than if i had seatmates). there were times where some things were hard to see but it was still very enjoyable. i like this venue a lot. (made me wonder that if i was able to see solliev0 there in person, would i have cried?🤨 bc i didnt cry for solliev0 since i loveeee how it ended😂)
anyway, the stage play didn’t have a break/intermission! it was just one heartbreaking story after the other for 100 intense minutes, and honestly i like this pacing a lot more than the drama’s? can i be honest and say i found the drama pacing a bit… weird,,, i’m so glad they made it a drama-to-stage show bc someya and konishi eito felt much more contained in the drama than in the stage play. they truly shone on stage oughdgdg
there was a moment during the opening where the “door” was facing me and someya was on the other side glaring at it. i was within his line of sight so it Felt like he was glaring At Me ! and i got intimidated! i shyly looked away!😂😭 but it was a magical moment for me. i received a glare from one of my favorite actors 11 out of 10 experience👍
AFTERTALK
i was still SOBBING when they started the aftertalk so i honestly cannot even remember much abt what they talked about but the one thing i do remember is when someya finished introducing himself, he said to introduce themselves in the order of cuteness and konishi eito very cutely raised his hand INSTANTLY and said, “hai!”😭
it was his last day of performing as a 25 year old too🥲 they had a birthday surprise on january 21,,, wc is sad. i should have gone on the 21st as well. but also, i dont think i can handle watching this show in person more than once and be mentally fine. i need to be able to sob in private for my next watch. unfortunately, dm/m is such a good gatekeeper and it won’t accept my payment even with vpn so i couldn’t buy the stream <////3
(SPOILERS BELOW)
so to me, the stage play showed FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOVE:
het (with a side siblingship)
yuri (*sisromance)
mother and child
yaoi (bromance)
*unfortunately, the mangaka only called it a sisromance based on their reply on this tweet
i won’t go into the details of the first two much but i liked the yuri/yaoi parallels. so now, onto the two pairings i cried to the most:
MEGURU x SAKETOBA
saketoba was the mastermind of everything! i honestly think saketoba stole the show😂 and it’s not bc of the bias but bc it was all in his plans. none of it would have happened if he wasn’t scheming behind the scenes. in the end, i think he wanted to be defeated. he wanted to help the main pairing. he helped them do that by means of provocation.
at one point, munechika asked saketoba what his goals are and saketoba just ominously said, “meow.” (sekoryo meow in real life, hell yeah👍) but that’s IT! that’s the point! he’s just a scheming little cat doing evil things bc he wants love and attention and to listen to music! and he got it in the end😭 ugh saketoba ily (and im so so so glad stacey got a mother figure who is willing to walk to hell with him in this show)
my japanese is not really conversational but if you say stuff like “as long as it’s with you, even hell would be fine.” then i’d understand AND cry hard to it. watching that scene and having to suppress my sobs was so painful.
YAGIO/OTOYA x MUNECHIKA
obviously, this pair has an insane dynamic. honestly, i was thinking their chemistry was kinda awkward but it makes sense that they do because yagio has been living in a time loop for 20 years, desperately trying to save munechika and seeing him die 48 times. meanwhile, munechika only knows yagio as this strange customer who owns that strange store selling those strange antiques. even after getting back his memories, it’s not as easy to get back into their old relationship bc there’s a big difference between them now ! in age ! strength ! maturity ! so it honestly makes sense. munechika is still a kid. yagio is now (a child living in the body of) an adult who sacrificed half his life for munechika’s life instead of actually growing up and living his.
in the drama, when yagio disappeared at the beach, his writing on the paper he left for munechika also disappeared. for the stage play, when UNREAL was breaking down and munechika can’t see yagio anymore, yagio picked up an umbrella. munechika grabbed his wrist then and said it’s okay even if he doesn’t speak or anything as long as he knows that otoya is right there. (ngl i cant remember much of the last scene bc i was hurting so bad and i couldnt sob so loudly in fright of disturbing the other guests). but point is, there was a black out and yagio was gone, the umbrella was on the floor. munechika opens a letter in his hand and he was able to read it !!! so it’s kind of like an open ending if otoya is actually gone now or if he just pretended to be so that munechika can move on and live his life. i can’t remember munechika’s final monologue (bc as i’ve said, i was sobbing so hard) but i think it was him saying it’s his turn to wait for otoya this time around.
in conclusion: i love them. munechika is a strange fellow to me, i don’t have a proper read of him, but what i DO know is that i love how yagio loves. the way yagio loves is so painfully beautiful and bittersweet. munechika may not seem to be as intense but he loves in his own way. he loves in his own “right” way and it doesn’t need to make sense to anyone but himself, and that’s exactly what otoya likes about him too.
FINAL THOUGHTS
agh, i wanna rewatch it so baddd😭😭😭 once i get to rewatch it in the comfort of my own room and with the privilege to pause and rewind, i might edit this post, but for now, these are (some of) the thoughts i can organize. it was a wonderful experience and the actors did so well. dm/m, why couldn't you cooperate with me for this one🥲
and then i went to ikebukuro after the unreal stage play! first on my agenda was:
GENAZO (at PARCO IKEBUKURO)
genazo stage play, aka my TOTGA !!!! i couldn’t buy tickets bc i got too focused on the someya/sekoryo experience😭😭😭 SUZUKI HIROKI PLEASEEEE, ONE MORE CHANCE😭 anyway, idk the main series but i watched and loved the movie. the stage is already up somewhere (pink) on the internet but i havent seen it yet. i’m sure it’s amazing tho!
as compensation for missing the chance of seeing szk hrk perform live, i went to the pop up in parco for the flyers and bought merch. i also planned on passing by sunshine theater itself but i forgot bc i’m an idiot :'DDD (also bc it was winter, it was so cold, and i was exhausted from crying after seeing unreal😔).
PANMYU EXHIBIT
i miss panmyu so much!😭 i was in japan the night of january 19 and the exhibit started on january 20 at animate ikebukuro. it was the perfect timing for me. they did it For Me. here’s to manifesting more panmyu installments (plsplsplsplspls)
(and here is j*ck's outfit,,, hfgfhghf couldn't fit them all in one shot i'm sorry???)
Lastly, a bonus SANRIO CAFE pic with Louterstella:
i odered the strawberry latte (and the matcha hello kitty donut). both tasted just fine.
if you’ve read this far, thank you so much!🤣 i hope i get to rewatch unreal someday :’)))
Yokoyama Kazan : Oz Vessalius
Takeuchi Yume : Alice
Yasue Kazuaki : Gilbert Nightray
Isobe Carin : Sharon Rainsworth
Yamamoto Ikkei : Xerxes Break
Sasaki Yoshihide : Vincent Nightray
Takahashi Karin : Echo
Taguchi Tsukasa : Cheshire (Kasahara Nonoka subbed in for the Nov 7-9 performances due to Taguchi Tsukasa's health concerns)
Ayukawa Taiyou : Jack Vessalius
hello! this is my last post for 2025.
i went to japan to see the show (twice!) so this is going to serve as my dl link and my panmyu report-ish🤣 i did wait for the available official streaming methods to finish before sharing my files, but it also really just took me this long to process my thoughts🤣
if you want to skip to the link, just scroll to the bottom of this post.
REPORT
this was the first 2.5d musical i saw live, and it is soooo fitting bc pandora hearts is my favorite manga and i've been manifesting this musical since forever especially after we had vanitas no carte stage play back in 2021. i didn't want an anime remake or a new season, i wanted a musical. honestly thought it was just me being Delusional, but, well... it became true so i have successfully manifested, ig! (it still doesn't feel real to me.)
i said this would be "report" but idrk how to write one?😭 i might just end up yapping without order, so i'll start by commenting per cast member instead! (i'll try not to spoil too much)
CASTING
first off: i successfully fancasted YAMAMOTO IKKEI as break !!! i haven't seen his performance as draluc (the vampire dies in no time) but it was why i thought he'd be a good candidate for break🤣 and good lord, his RANGEEEE. he's insane. every time his mouth opened to sing, my own mouth hung open in awe too. his voice as louis (moriarty the patriot) really was like a younger brother, soft and "pure". technique wise, i think he used a little more nasally voice. as break tho ?? oh,,, darling. especially for "mad hatter"... gosh. and he's suchhh a master of emotions and expressions... if there's one comment you want from me about him: good lord, his range is insane.
honestly, i can talk abt ymmt ikkei all day, so moving on to my next almost-successful fancasting! AYUKAWA TAIYOU!😭 makai ouji musical is one of my comfort myus and i loveddd his dantalion so i was fancasting him as gilbert... imagine my shock when it was announced he was jack instead (i was on a bus otw to work when i saw his post on instagram and i had to do everything in my power not to scream). the casting director was insane for this ! but i get it, aykw taiyou looks so damn good in long hair (glances at his jakurai for hypsute). but yeah, seeing him in real life was crazy because he's so tall! i was seated in rows J and I, and he looked so huge! he was like a head taller than kazan (oz's actor). i fondly fight aykw taiyou inside my head (for Reasons) so watching him as jack as a manga reader, was an Experience🤣 i love jack, but whenever he's mansplaining/manipulating/manwhoring, i can't help but make faces at him (mockingly AND affectionately).
KAZAN YOKOYAMA. i've seen him as fred in morimyu reprise! i liked his fred too but he wasn't a very dominant presence, which honestly makes sense bc that's what fred does, right? but seeing him as oz is amazing! he's such a stable singer, and he captured the complexity of oz's character very well. my "dream" fancasting for oz was matsuryo, but i'm very satisfied and happy with kazan's oz :')))) my dear :')))))
TAKEUCHI YUME. oh dear, she's amazing. i love her! she played both "white alice" and "b-rabbit alice" and the difference between the two is so good! loved that scene when she switched from crying and then back to being a punk😭 she and kazan has such a good chemistry😔 i don't ship them but i love them platonically (i love the main trio's platonic relationship). her interacting with gil was also good! they are sooo chaotic and funny😭
YASUE KAZUAKI. so,,, i didn't realize he was the same actor for megumi in jjk stage play... i only realized very very recently when i saw a megumi post and recognized the same scrunched up face of sorrow on his face😭 i'm gonna be honest, his megumi was much more impressive than his gil to me but he was still great as gil! amazing voice as well. ig, it makes sense that his dynamics aren't as strong bc gil still was having doubts abt himself, his relationship with oz, and a lot more in this arc. i WISH so badly for panmyu 2🥲
ISOBE CARIN. miss sharon!!! she is SUCH a princess. thankfully, they utilized her pretty well. she's such an elegant presence on the stage. in the 11/11 aftertalk, her very big skirt knocked over ymmt ikkei's (break's actor) water bottle on the floor as they were getting back on stage🤣 when asked about her favorite song in the musical, she very cutely sang, "mad hatter."
SASAKI YOSHIHIDE. this guy! such a SHAME he didn't get to sing more in this musical when his voice is amazing! they Better make a next installment so we can hear him sing as vincent😭 pleaseee, i'm begging. even in the aftertalk, him and ymmt ikkei mentioned their wish for him to be able to sing in a sequel. SO PLEASE. ughghgh (but also isn't it funny to think about vincent singing tenimyu shiraishi's nn ah ecstasy???)
TAKAHASHI KARIN. girlie was insane! (/pos af) she played a few roles other than echo. she played "the hooded baskerville girlie" (iykyk) and her voice for that character is soooo different than her voice for echo. amazing, powerful vocals and then she comes on stage as echo and she's literally the most pliant looking doll. she is so good. i bought an acrylic stand (random results) and got her! i need to see more of her in panmyu😭
KASAHARA NONOKA & TAGUCHI TSUKASA. our cheshire cats! so for the 11/9 performance, it was nono-chan as cheshire cat, then for the 11/11 performance, taguchi tsukasa was finally healthy enough to perform on stage. i like both of their cheshires! i think i am just more fond of nono-chan's bc i watched her version first and bc i knew she had to take on the role suddenly due to taguchi's health emergency.
FAVORITE SCENES
spoilers for the show below!
the very first scene! seeing and experiencing it live was insane. so you have the usual announcement of what is prohibited and whatnot with an ominous music as its bgm, and then it starts to rain... harder... and harder... oz's voice comes in and... boom! thunder and lightning, spotlight on stage showing oz. some people in the audience visibly jumped fghfgfh it was such a good opening scene. i still had goosebumps seeing it for the second time.
white alice's first scene !!! it was so impactful. after watching, sometimes i just randomly sing "koroshiteeee yaruuuu!"😂 takeuchi yume's playful manipulation of emotions/vocals is soooo good🥹
oz's solo song about his "sin" and his existential crisis😔 kazan delivers it soooo well and soooo consistently. also got LSS w that, "nanda... nanda??"
alice's solo about making a contract !!! it's got such a good melody and also kind of a little flirty sounding? it gives off the vibe that alice is "a girlboss" type of character, making it more believable that she is "a dangerous chain" that shouldn't be trusted. especially love the line where she sings it like, "dEGUCHI O HIRAKU NO SAAAAAAAAAaaaaa..." OUG beautiful Beautiful.
oz/alice duet after sealing their contract! their synchronicity was satisfying. UGH: UNMEI NO KEIYAKU DAAAAAAAA❤️🔥 and then the outro instrumental... my gosh, it's beautiful.
i love oz/alice's scenes a lot so the next one is also their duet😂 "omae wa... teki ka??" ughghghg their voices blend so prettily🥺
ZWEI VS GIL RRRRAAAHHHH takahashi karin-san, i love you.
oz/gil renewing of vows !!! OMAE WA ... OMAAAAE DAAAA!! this line alone is so comforting to me. then them running on the stage like they were on a field of flowers and the sun is shining on them brightly how they are just meant to be together. insane. (also the following comedic scene with break reenacting it😭)
act 2 started with kazan walking from the audience seats and i was busy taking notes on my phone so i looked up a little late🤣
break's "oz-kun, where are you?" scene is still iconic even in stage form. and i loveddd that it got repeated throughout the play.
for the 11/9 performance, when takeuchi alice ate the roses from vincent, she only spat to the side, but for the 11/11 performance, i think she accidentally spat right onto yasue's/gil's face ??😭 yasue was a little surprised and the two of them started laughing a little, it was so damn cute😭🤲 i think they chose to incorporate it to the actual scene after that.
gil's "i'll be back quickly." scenes 👍 and also everything that happened between gil and alice while they were buying food.
i find it funny that gil was pouring his heart out in his solo song and then oz/alice fell asleep listening to him😭 but yeah, i loveee the mix of young gil and present gil in flashbacks.
THE VERY SHORT MOMENT WHERE YMMT IKKEI AND SSK YOSHIHIDE SANG TOGETHER DURING GIL'S FLASHBACK. also ymmt ikkei during that whole scene. ugh ymmt ikkei is so damn good.
alice's scene where she gets asked why she wants to recover her memories ... and then the bloody hands.... oughghhg tasty tasty tasty, i wish they made it even bloodier.
kacha🍵<3 i love sharon.
cheshire singing abt oz being a liar for saying alice wants to remember :')))) bc the alice he knows is the one who wanted to forget everything :'))))
jack stopping cheshire from killing oz🙄 like he's a hero who's doing all that bc he Cares (hffhgfj). no, but his entrance was so good that it's so annoying, especially when it's a 188cm tall man walking in that bright spotlight towards the center of the stage. UGH.
jack's theme sounds so shoujo, it's CRIMINAL😭 somebody please punch this man !
OZ SEEING VINCENT FROM A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. INSANE, INSANE. i loveeee this scene. takeuchi kazuki did well. but again, i wish it was bloodier and crazier ahaha,,,
MAD HATTERRRR !!! ymmt ikkei, you are insaneeee. i don't have to explain this one, even the cast themselves love this scene. i think aykw taiyou said it plays in his head even when he's about to sleep??? lmaooo
alice's KONO KOE... SHITERUUUU😭😭😭
ALICE WAAAAA... ALICE NO MAMADE IIN DAYOOO😭😭😭 another comfort line from our mc. somebody comfort him just like this too please (IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENTS. PLEASEEE. i need to hear gil sing abt oz being oz and cry about it😭).
alice's "oz... oz! oz!" iconic scene. oz saying alice is warm😭
this duet actually almost made me cry in the theater but i didn't sob until i was back home after a few days, i think? bc it really took a long time for panmyu to sink in. that it's real. and that it happened.
vincent stressing out oscar > oscar stressing out reim🙂↕️
break finding vincent's little present. kinda sad that they didn't show the actual scene with sharon/break vs echo/vince tho
jack possessing oz🙄 it was amazing to watch the actors be in sync again !!! jack is so annoying but the pandora members singing in a chorus abt him ?!??!? amazing. goosebumps. heavenly. what hurt me this scene is when oz/jack fainted and gil/alice shouted "oz!" first and then "jack!"😭 PAINFUL, painful.
break kicking while saying murderous stuff about vincent😂
🥺break assuring oz that he can just be oz and then making him sing to the audience so they can start the finale /hj🤣
the closing song is sooooo good. hearing it in real life was a privilege bc it felt much more intense??? also, aykw taiyou strutting in the middle of the stage while singing ~pandora hearts~ made me feel a little insane. the brief moment where break!ymmt and jack!aykw were within a meter radius from each other also made me feel a little insane.
OVERALL
i love panmyu! 😭 i have been begging for it and i am so glad they gave us something as beautiful as it. even the minor roles like reim, oscar, and child gil/vince were handled wonderfully. thank you, fuuki harumi & takahashi ako for the amazing music. thank you, yamazaki akira-san for directing this musical. it was close to being a horror musical, and i wanttt them so badly to make it even more horror-like. ugh, i really wish we get more installments😭
if you read the whole "report", thanks. it was hard organizing my feelings for this production, but i don't think it's still organized enough😂
DL LINK
now, for the files! here is the link. they were only screenrecorded so they might have glitches. once i receive my copy of bluray, i might replace it with those. if you can though, please support the production itself by preordering the bluray! more sales would mean a bigger possibility for a second panmyu🥺
link will be public for a while, then once it's removed, please send me a message instead. do yourself a favor: don't skip the rain intro AND watch both of the switching and panoramic versions.
reminder to not reupload publicly! thank you and enjoy. would love to hear your thoughts too🥰🙏
have a happy holiday season and have a great 2026!🥳
hello! i come here with another file, but first off, the stream is available on niconico, so if you're able to, please buy it directly to support the show! you don't need any vpns and you can buy both the 13:00 & 18:00 streams to get the bonus panoramic view. (unfortunately, i only bought this one stream. the panoramic view was tempting, really. so if anyone buys it, may you please share it with me too?🥺🤣)
i'll put a direct link on this post after the streaming period ends (october 30th) for a limited time, then after that, please send me a message if you want the link.
it's been a long time but i'm sharing a stream recording of the closing night performance for red bouquet's musical! please send me a message for the link.
also, kk, the frmm translation person (a hero), has provided the musical's translation for the opening performance (they might also have the musical itself).
there are small differences between the first and last performances (like the adlibs, vocal performances, and cast comments) but it's generally the same.
as always, please do not upload publicly! i will remove the direct link someday so please stream/dl immediately. enjoyyy <33
hey, i just wanted to let you know it’s really risky to post public links to 2.5 shows. totally understand sharing them privately in DMs or on a locked twitter, but the industry has been making it more and more difficult for people outside of japan to access the shows at all, and things like this can make them crack down even more 🙏 i hope you’ll consider taking the links down or putting them somewhere more private!
helloooo, i'm not really active on tumblr so for everyone's convenience, i will post some stages with a direct link and then take them off after a while. i will still share the link through dms if available. thanks for the concern!
viewing for final performance (september 25) doesn't end until october 2, so if you're able to, you can purchase a stream for yourself on the official nico nico site as seen here without having to use vpn.
my recording is of the first performance (september 20). send me a message for the link. it's on yt for easy viewing but please do not reupload publicly! thank you, and enjoy someya looking like a wh*re /hj🤣
Director: Fukuzawa Yuu
Producer/s: Abe Alan & Aramaki Yoshihiko
Synopsis (machine translation):
Under the direction of a certain man, the color workers at Palette Factory are each performing their own unique tasks.
They were illustrations drawn by one boy, with unique characters based on the colors and characteristics he used.
It is the job of the Color Workers to make the hearts of future boys shine with pure white light. When the red Gaminero, the blue Buruburu, and the yet-to-be-seen green color illustration are born, the three colors will blend together into a transparent light that will make the boy's future shine.
Conversely, when the yellow Cornstar, the light blue Caribbean One, and the magenta Mazeluna get too close and blend together, they will be consumed by a dark future.
Everyone is desperate to bring light to life, except for Zero, who has a black heart…
One day, the boy creates a new color illustration. Some are happy about a friend's birthday, while others are suspicious, and a black Zero expresses concern about an approaching time limit.
The many colors blend together, painting the stage in a colorful display.
Will the boy's future be light or dark?
A boy's future is entrusted to these mysterious colors.
———
this is an original stage play and you can know more about it on the website.
i only recorded the performance from theater complex town so apologies for the video lags.
send me a message for the link and please do not upload publicly! thank you, and enjoyyy <3
hi, hiii! i love this series and the stage play is so fun, it's practically another comfort stage play of mine.
anyway, here is the link to both stage plays! if you're willing to pay for it, you can stream on theater complex town as well without having to use vpn.
the second stage play was only screen recorded (and my internet connection is not the best atm) so apologies for the glitches if there are any (i haven't watched it😅😂).
as always, please follow the usual rules of sharing. thank you and enjoy this very fun franchise!
arutasa omake of the lab cleaning pikero centric genfic
//
He reminds himself to be gentle before he knocks: loud enough to be heard normally, but if Tuxam is asleep, he wouldn’t want to disturb his rest!
“Tuxam?” he calls out softly, then waits for an answer.
“.......Arupek?”
“Yup! I brought you sports drink! For the electrolytes thing! An’ puddin’!”
“You have my gratitude. Please leave them at the door.” His voice is feeble through the wall. It makes Arupek frown.
“Are you sure? I mean I’d be happy to bring them to your bed for you…”
“Yes, I’m sure.” He hears Tuxam cough. “It’s contagious. I wouldn’t want to get you sick too, Arupek.”
“Okay… If you say so……” He puts the bag down on the floor. It’s a bit strange to hear Tuxam sound this weak. He’s usually so energetic! It just feels wrong! It’s making Arupek feel restless. “Tuxam, can I hold your hand for a while?”
“My hand?” Tuxam sighs, something small and tired, “Arupek-”
“Just through the door is fine!” he says hastily. “I mean, I’m not askin’ to be let in…! Is that okay?”
He holds his breath for the verdict. Hears the sound of rustling fabric, and the quiet thump of feet landing on the ground. “Did you bring a mask?”
“Yeah! Hang on-” he fishes in his pockets for his fold-up mask and scrambles to put it on. “I’ve got it!”
There’s the click of the door unlocking, and Arupek scoops up his bag again to hand it over through the slim gap that Tuxam has deemed acceptable. His heart drops when Tuxam’s hand jerks downward, pulled by the weight of the not-heavy-at-all bag. He’s not wearing his signature gloves right now. His hand looks concerningly pale.
“Thank you, Arupek,” he says hoarsely, a tone lower than his usual voice, from all the coughing.
Arupek reaches forward to grab at his hand. It’s clammy with a thin coat of chilled sweat. It’s heating up.
He hears Tuxam chuckle on the other side of the door. “Let me put your gifts down first, will you, Arupek?”
“Oh! Yeah, sure!” Arupek quickly draws back his hand. He closes it into a fist, flexes his fingers. “Sorry ‘bout that.”
“It’s quite alright,” says Tuxam, kindly. He’s always kind with Arupek, even when he’s sick.
Arupek hears the sound of the bag being set on a table, and soon enough the same hand appears at the door, empty this time, palm facing up, gentleman-like.
He takes it with both hands, squeezes it softly. He hears Tuxam hum through the door. “It’s odd,” he murmurs, mirth in his voice. “I always found your hands warm, Arupek, but they’re so cool now.”
He gulps. “Is that bad?”
“It’s nice. It’s always nice.” Tuxam’s thumb strokes small, mindless circles on the slope of the meat of his palm. It tickles at his heart. “It’s especially nice right now. The heat is quite unpleasant, so I’m glad to have a bit of relief like this.”
…This is so dangerous! All of this is so dangerous for Arupek’s heart! He swings their hands through the door to the other side. “Use ‘em! Not just for your one hand, Tuxam! Use ‘em however you want! As a cooler bag or somethin’!” If anything, he would gladly lend out his whole entire body as a cooler bag, but Arupek imagines he would only get a lecture from that, and he would rather not strain Tuxam’s throat like that! So he settles for his hands.
“...Really?”
“Really!” He gives double thumbs up through the door. “Go on ahead, Tuxam!”
“Then, pardon the intrusion,” Tuxam says quietly, his feverish fingers wrapping around Arupek’s hands firmly, then guiding them upwards to rest at his face. He signs blissfully when Arupek cups his cheeks. The door is really knocked half-open at this point, and Arupek is sure his own face might be heating up a little.
“How are you feeling, Tuxam?” He finally remembers to ask, a good couple lines too late.
you were all alone, casted away for your unsightliness, burdened by your ugliness, seeking an embrace from a person who would love you unconditionally in spite of everything. but you couldn’t grasp that reality by blood, rather, you have spilled it. still, you have luckily chanced upon finding warmth in others anyway—the vampire’s soft clothes, the wolf’s gentle strum on his guitar, the spider’s tender touch, the fox’s bright laugh, the crow’s kind beckoning. they have found you, and they have accepted you; you are part of them, a place to belong to. it may not last, you know that it may not last, but in your chest where you are keeping them, they will stay for eternity, because this is the beautiful world that nobody knows. even in separation,
For the instrumentals dropped, as did the official lyric sheet, I figured why not put the worms in my brain into words?
So here it is, my personal reading of Tied 2 Order.
this is all ayumurase's fault.
Canonically, the knights’ songs are dedicated to their lords.
According to Designer En, “For the Fragaria knights, ‘song’ is their way of conveying their love for their lords, of declaring their purpose of serving.”
Tuxam’s focal song is a model student of this design.
Each Fragarian knight serves a sanrio mascot lord, and so far in the story, it is not yet clear what the duties of a Fragarian knight entails entirely. Many knights include “work” in their daily schedules, and in both the 4koma comic strips and the voice dramas, there is mention of paperwork. Also from the voice dramas, it is shown that Fragarian knights have the authority to shut down kingdom borders, as well as implement/enforce laws. We can infer, then, that the Fragarian knights are in charge of more than military work, but their responsibilities also cover governing their kingdoms.
This is to say, a Fragarian knight answers more to their lord, but to their lord’s people as well.
Tuxam’s focal song is a (love) letter to Tuxedo Sam, as well as his people, and it is heavily linked to his development in noir bouquet episode 2.
The song itself takes us on a journey through Tuxam’s growth, in which the core idea is admitting to his own faults and amending his past mistakes. This song is his soliloquy after the events of ep 2. Throughout the song, Tuxam looks as if addressing the civilians of Tuxedosam Kingdom, but really, he is also addressing himself.
I’ll dissect the song verse by verse.
I made you draw a rainbow with a few colored pencils
I made you write a story using only vowels
I made you play a classic with 49-keys
I tied you 2 order as if giving you my luv
We open with three lines of thought rhyme, all asking the recipient to create while underequipped. The final line that follows behind concludes it all, and offers an explanation to the previous three lines.
In the final line, Tuxam points out that the motive behind the rules that he makes is love. Yet this lyric is also his self-reflection upon his actions: by using “2” instead of “two”, and by using the slang “luv” to cheapen and mock his love, Tuxam is showing that he now understands that pushing rules upon others, despite coming from good intentions, only binds and restricts people from reaching their full potential- from drawing a complete rainbow, from writing a rich story, from playing a proper classic. His rules (his love) are holding people back from the best they can do.
It is not pure and apt enough to be called “love”, so it can only be written in slang, something that is lesser than the real thing.
Verses two and three are about the views and values he held in the past:
So 踏み外すことなかれ 歩きなさい 秩序のレール
Tax in On duty なんでもいい 従ってりゃ 約束される
進むべき道を⽰す 課した決まりは独断のエール
紳⼠たるもの 常に品格を そして礼節を 絶対のルール
This verse talks about his standards for himself as well as his people- to walk the proper, courteous road that was dictated by his rules.
However, as with the first verse, this is from a present Tuxam looking back, which the vocabulary shows, especially on the third line.
課した決まりは独断のエール
課する means assigning the burden of responsibilities, notably taxes, which is present in the previous line. エール (ēru) is a loan word, and it commonly refers to the encouragement of Japanese cheering squads, or ōendan (応援団). In this line, Tuxam talks about how while his decisions on the rules he imposes upon his people is his form of encouragement, it is a tyrannical and imperious decision. It is an acutely self-aware and harsh way of putting it.
The final line shows the core of Tuxam’s beliefs, his thesis:
紳⼠たるもの 常に品格を そして礼節を 絶対のルール
To Tuxam, being a gentleman means always holding virtue and courtesy.
(One) 迷えることなく
This rule gets expanded upon in the next verse.
(Two) 間違うことなく
(Three) 律することやめることなく
標本に針を打つ as if giving you my luv
This verse lays down Tuxam’s main three rules, the way he interpreted his thesis back then, that act as reminders for himself on how to behave: never falter, never err, never give up on order.
The final line is a repetition of the final line of the first verse, “I tied you 2 order as if giving you my luv”, in a slightly different way.
This is also where we first see the butterfly motif.
The butterfly is the tie, as in, the bow tie. In Japanese, the bow tie is called a 蝶ネクタイ. 蝶 (chō) means butterfly, and ネクタイ is the loan word for necktie. It is named this way for the butterfly shape of a bow tie.
However, “tie” can be a verb as well as a noun. The butterfly is the tie, but the butterfly is also tied- to order, as the title of the song reads. In the music video, this is presented as countless bow ties being kept in glass frames and displayed on the wall, as one might display butterfly specimens. The butterfly is the people in Tuxedosam Kingdom. The butterfly is Tuxam himself. The butterfly is the tie. The tie is the butterfly. The tie is pinned, the butterfly is pinned, tied down.
与えるように奪い取ってゆく (Iʼm the Ruler and Timid Loser)
The butterfly symbolizes freedom, but the butterfly is not allowed to fly. The rules that tie it down are preventing it from reaching its full potential, taking away his freedom that should’ve been inherent for it.
そんな不⾃由に縛りつけてゆく (Solid Order) 嗤ってくれ
蝶のように ⼼のままに 翔び⽴ってゆけ その背中を押す命を下す Ruler
In the first line of the chorus, Tuxam is self-reflecting that he thought he was being giving, when he gave his people rules, but he was actually taking away their freedom. In the very next line he reaffirms this.
The line “Iʼm the Ruler and Timid Loser” shows up multiple times throughout the song,like a frantic mantra, but it is never sung by Tuxam himself. Even when he knows it to be true, he can’t put it into words in his own voice, and can only bear his subconscious drilling it into his mind again and again.
Rule 365 ⽇々に彩りを 紳⼠が嗜むドレスコード
In a moment of defeat, he invites mockery and ridicule. “嗤ってくれ”- “laugh at my expense”, for in the very next line, he repeats the sentiment he’s ordered- always wished for everyone: to soar as one pleases. However, his order is hard and forceful, and as previously stated, actually limits one’s liberty. How can one soar as one pleases under these circumstances? In the music video, the butterfly is gray, unable to truly fly.
わずかな変化を 規範的⾏動 さすれば豊かな暮らしを
わかってる わかってた 365 ⾊の歩みがあることを
躓く権利を それが⾃由と ⽬指していたはずのあの理想
In the next two lines in the song, Tuxam recites Rule 365, and the meaning behind the rule. The reason there is a rule dictating everyone wear a different tie every day is because a slight tweak in normalcy can enrich one’s daily life.
A little bit of deviance is seen as a positive thing here.
Right before this verse, a blue butterfly flaps by, but it is blurry and out of focus, and is going in a flash, an echo of the “freedom” that once was, that Tuxam sought for.
わかってる わかってた
Tuxam corrects himself saying “I know”, and changes it into the past tense of “I knew”, showing that he realizes now that he’s lost his beginnings somewhere along the way. He used to understand that just as there are 365 different ties to wear every day, there are 365 different ways of walking, of living, for everyone in the kingdom, and that they are all equally valid, but he’s forgotten this notion.
He started out holding the ideals that everyone should be free to choose the path they walk, even if they stumble and fall. That ideal has been long muddled.
The bridge is being sung directly at Tuxedo Sam. It is the only lyric in the whole song to do this, but it is the heaviest. It is the most raw and most vulnerable Tuxam has been the entire song:
After this verse, the butterfly is seen on screen once more. The butterfly is blue, but its colors are still muted under the shadow. It is perched on the frame of one of the bow tie specimen displays mounted on the wall. It flaps a couple of times, before taking off, showing a new beginning for Tuxam and Tuxedosam Kingdom.
凛として気⾼い憧れにはまだ遠いけど こんな僕も愛していいのでしょうか
“Though I’m still a far cry from the dignified and noble self that I longed to be, am I allowed to love you as I am now?”
It is more of a plea than a question.
Though it is sung at Tuxedo Sam, this lyric can also be applied to the people of Tuxedosam Kingdom. In fact, it directly calls back to a pre-established idea. “Am I allowed to love you as I am now?” As impure and inapt as they might be, am I allowed to call these feelings “love”?
撫でてるように押し込めてゆく (Iʼm the Ruler and Timid Loser)
In the next verse, the first verse is repeated once more, but this time, the line “as if giving you my luv” is spoken instead of sung, and the video flashes into a grayscale, a clear rejection. Tuxam is setting his feet down on this. He will no longer let his love tie his people down.
理解した(わかった)フリして⼿懐けてゆく (Iʼm the Ruler and Timid Loser)
蜘蛛の⽷に かかったわけじゃなく (Iʼm the Ruler and Timid Loser)
襟に⽌まった 誇り⾼き証 (Solid Order) 笑ってくれ
迷ってもいい 間違いもいい 幸せであれ 祈りのような命を下す Ruler
In the final verse, which is also the chorus, we see the same ideas throughout the song come back again.
The first two lines, again, are about Tuxam thinking that he’s helping, but actually being detrimental. He calls back to the previous lines of “その背中を押す命を下す Ruler” and “わかってる わかってた 365 ⾊の歩みがあることを”, and talks about how he thought he was in the right, but now recognizes that he was not.
Compared with the first chorus, two more lines are added, which highlight his newfound resolve.
蜘蛛の⽷に かかったわけじゃなく
襟に⽌まった 誇り⾼き証
The spider web is a visual motif that persists throughout the music video, representing rules and control, that is shown dissolving after this verse, after Tuxam claims that his bow tie (the butterfly that represents himself and his liberty) is not trapped in a spider’s web, but freely perching upon his collar as testimony of his pride. It is what his bow tie was always supposed to represent: a sign of dignity, and not the stifling constraint it’s become.
With this new mindset, he is able to ask the people to smile for him, (“笑ってくれ”) instead of at (“嗤ってくれ”) in the previous chorus.
迷ってもいい 間違いもいい 幸せであれ 祈りのような命を下す Ruler
Walking back on his previous sentiments in the second verse, Tuxam is now saying that it’s fine to falter, and it’s fine to err. In the music video, the blue butterfly is finally flying freely, as it pleases.
Tuxam is commanding his people to be happy, “幸せであれ” is written in a commanding form. This time, however, his order is a prayer and a wish.
This is Tuxam’s love for Tuxedo Sam: careful and reserved, to the point where he doesn’t even dare call it love at all. This is Tuxam’s purpose of serving: to make sure the people of his lord’s kingdom are happy and free. And this is Tuxam’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.
There’s wind in your face, in your eyes.
Pink is the color of the cherry blossom tree in full bloom.
You never had the time to go flower-seeing as a child, always working odd jobs here and there just to make ends meet. Not that you had any friends to go with, even if you had the time.
But sometimes, at four in the morning, as you were biking past the park on your way to deliver newspapers, you caught sight of a stray petal or two, having been carried all the way out.
There’s something funny about how you’ve finally been given the chance to take in cherry blossoms, and it’s at a place where there isn’t supposed to be a cherry blossom tree at all. Where there isn’t supposed to be you at all.
You tilt your head back.
The blossoms swirl overhead in a flurry in the spring gale, dissipating and dispersing with the breezes’ blows.
…Pink is the color of his hair, flying in the winds.
Speaking of the impossible, there’s a sight you never thought he’d ever see, mostly because, well, when you first met him, there was kind of a situation. A situation that you didn’t expect to live through, to be honest, and of course, you were too occupied with trying not to get burned to death to really think about anything else, but if you had the space to fit one other thought in your head, it would’ve been that it was jarring to see such violent flames coming from someone who looked so cold.
You were quick to find out that he wasn’t cold at all, really. That he had a fiery heart, really; that he was deeply passionate, really; that he was wonderfully expressive, really, entire face lighting up whenever he sees you, making you feel just a little too overwhelmed, chest a little too tight. It makes you feel special, and with him, you know you are special- he has never given you any reason to think otherwise. It doesn’t feel like something that could be true, but it is!
And what if you secretly enjoy the attention a little too much? Does it make you conceited? Or does it just make you new?
Pink is the color of soft, dewy petals, catching in your face, tickling your nose and wetting your eyes.
Pink is the color of your friend altogether, when you’ve battled off the petals in your eyes, when he catches your eye, when petals catch on his hair, when petals mix with his hair, and for a second, in the flourish of cherry blossoms brushing upon his brows and his blouse and his boots, it’s as if he too, might vanish in a gust of wind, a fleeting mirage, and wouldn’t that be all too typical for you? When have you ever gotten to keep anything, after all? Always on the move, always lacking, always starving and yearning and not getting enough-...
And pink is the color on his cheeks, when he turns towards you upon hearing your strained call.
“Yes, Iruma-sama?”
He smiles, soft and brilliant, and real, when you catch his wrist.
“I-Iruma-sama?” he stammers, when you don’t let go even after you have his attention. (You will always have his attention.) (You will never get enough of his attention.) “Is something the matter?”
Pink is the color of his flyaway hair he tucks behind his ear shyly, pink is the color of his flushed cheek, and the tip of his ear.
