There Is Actually Something So Devastating When You Find Someone Who Posts A Lot Of A Niche Character

major AITSF spoilers on "SyokubAI"

For a recap, "SyokubAI" is when "Iris" is being interrogated for the murder of Renju. This is one of my favorite parts of the game, and it drives me crazy to think that they had the killer right there and could've potentially stopped him had they had more solid evidence. The thought of PSYNCIN' IN THE VaiN being more like PSYNCIN' IN THE REFRaiN (Boss's Somnium) is funny, "Iris" obviously would have gotten locked up immediately if "her" somnium contained memories of killing Shoko Nadami and Renju Okiura.

But the thought of "her" being thrown into Fuchu Prison with #89 is absolutely hilarious to me. Poor Hitomi is crying hysterically, absolutely terrified about what happened to both her love and her daughter. Meanwhile Saito and Rohan are in the prison cafeteria chatting and pissed off that they both got caught. To the outside eye it's Iris and Uncle reunited, but in reality it is both halves of the Original Cyclops Killer together again.

Well, technically Saito would have died (of ligma) of Iris's brain tumor shortly after, since canonically she dies of it in KekkAI on Wednesday Day 6. The media probably would've blamed the tumor on the whole "Idol turned Serial Killer" thing. But the thought of Saito being stuck as B-Set forever in prison is absolutely hilarious to me. Stuck in the body of the daughter of the woman he killed, the body being his half-sister. His next step would have been getting revenge on his father and killing him in her body, and he would have failed on achieving that sweet revenge, living the rest of his days as his sister.

Yet I have a feeling he would somehow break out with Rohan, swap with him, and manage to get to Date again anyway. I hate him. I want to see more of him.

With the Persona 5 gacha coming out on global I think they should do collabs with the other gachas that they killed. I just think a Persona 5 x Love Live collab is very much needed after SIF died.

I love Amame aitsf but I feel like literally only her and Mizuki (& Aiba) were the only returning characters in AINI that were written remotely well.

major spoilers on AINI that are mentioned in a kind of vague way but also are still very major things. like I don't flat out say "x is the killer" but I mention their parents. ok so it is kind of major spoilers. don't read ahead if you haven't played the game:

Boss was "ok." Some of the routes she was written so bad. I don't understand why. She did not have that much screentime in comparison to the first game, nor was she that important, but the game never really explained why she acted so weird in... that specific route.

Date was abysmal. I don't understand how his relationship with Mizuki was a core aspect of the first game and then just thrown away in the second. And then even afterwards they barely have any screentime together. It makes absolutely no sense. I understand the context and circumstances, I just do not understand why it was written to be so in the first place where it was just unnecessary. I get it. But why? Why throw away something so important? And the stupid spoiler mode or whatever... his whole character was washed down. He was bad, plain and simple.

Mizuki Date. Yes I just said she was good. I think she WAS good, but literally everything with her backstory was bad. It literally just destroyed everything about her character in the first game. Ok major spoiler now. I simply do not understand why she was... a clone? Actual stupidest thing I have ever heard of before in my life. I understand the superstrength, yeah, sure. But a clone of Bibi? If anything I would have preferred Bibi to be a clone of her who aged faster, to mirror Shoma.

Mizuki Kuranushi. Bibi. Yes she is not in the first game. That's the problem. There is absolutely no reference to a character that is literally the adopted daughter of a major character. The lack of reference to her is still in-character for Boss, but it is stupid. Like I said before I think she should have been a clone of Mizuki and not the other way around. Mizuki being the biological daughter of Renju and Shoko was literally a MAJOR aspect of her character. The thought of Shoko taking Mizuki to a shady doctor to "make her normal" and her ending up with superstrength and then Chikara making Bibi from her DNA makes more sense. Literally makes more sense for both Mizuki and Bibi. And I of course would have wanted more bonding scenes with Bibi and her mama Boss, they clearly love each other very much and yet it is BARELY seen. Mizuki's clone having a better relationship with her mother (Boss) would have been even more devastating for Mizuki's character, yet had she and Date been close in AINI I think it would have balanced each other beautifully. Bibi's inclusion also makes the Annihilation route in the first game more devastating. (Also Ota ending too)

Pewter. They dgaf about him in the second game and to be honest I forgot about him too. They killed his boyfriend and killed his character.

Moma. Again, they dgaf about him in the second and to be honest I forgot about him too. They made him an Iris simp and that's it. Boring character.

Ota. They should have just let him die or something. I know there are good aspects of his character but he literally shows absolutely no growth in the canon ending of the first game and no arc in the second game. All he is really is an Iris simp. His heroic moments are not even canon nor are they... good. I lose braincells seeing him on screen, at least make him INTERESTING. Make him learn something. I don't care that his diner is doing well, good for him I guess, that is literally all I got from him in the second game.

Speaking of losing brain cells. IRIS SAGAN. SHE WAS WRITTEN. SO POORLY. AND I KNOW SHE WILL BE BAD IN THE NEW GAME. Yes the autistic daughter with a special interest in the occult and mythology was written poorly. It's not the special interest that was bad, it was the fact that she was basically reduced to it. A lot of her illogical behavior is explained in the first game as her having a tumor. Her illogical fears, the way she connects information, how she acts... and then... the second game happens... and its like nothing at all? Naix is actually real and she is not part of the arc whatsoever? She acts airheaded all the time, and yet she is still described as sneaky and calculating... but she does nothing? In making the thing she was scared of in the first game actually real and then completely making her irrelevant to that thing it REALLY damages her character. "Oh Iris is acting irrational because she has a brain tumor. No, actually the thing she was scared of was real. No, instead of having her confront the thing she was scared of let us write her to look like a fool." Stupid. All she does is make pop culture references, get simped for (and stupidly does not notice anything despite being a grown adult), and then written for her bestie to prioritize her over her father. And then... there is no on-screen reconciliation between her and Amame after? Actually, there is barely any (I don't actually remember anything aside from the school ones) interactions between the two? How are they gonna throw away her character, barely show her interact with Date, her mother, her sister (Mizuki), her bio dad, and even her friend? And just have her... kind of just hanging out with Ota? And not even in a way that improves either character, just a convenient "oh these two unnecessary side characters are in the same spot how convenient for the player."

Speaking of her family. Hitomi. She is irrelevant to the second game despite literally being Mizuki's adoptive mother. Is this canon? Who fucking knows! The writers sure don't! As far as I recall, we don't even have a damn clue where Mizuki lives! Probably in Date's apartment, but the information is just so... USELESS. The only vague importance it has is in differentiating between her and Bibi (Bibi mentions her "house" when Mizuki mentions her "apartment.") Why wouldn't Hitomi, her adoptive mother through Date, have her move in with her and Iris? Mizuki and Iris have always had a sibling relationship and it is just not touched upon. She and Hitomi have always had a mother-daughter relationship and it is just... not expanded upon. Hell, I think Hitomi and Bibi have a better on-screen relationship than them. Was Hitomi Bibi's teacher? Was Bibi Iris's, Amame's, and Kizuna's classmate? I don't know! Bibi's whole thing was wrapped up so quickly that it makes no sense. Hitomi caring for her when she got injured was sweet, but I feel like she should have had more interactions with Bibi, y'know, the one who is IDENTICAL TO HER ADOPTIVE DAUGHTER MIZUKI!?

So Sejima. He does one (1) good thing and that is ATTEMPT to be nice to Iris. He TRIES to own-up to his fuck up. And you know what? I actually really did enjoy that. Hate his guts. But somehow me loving Osiris (So as Iris) did make me like So more in general. Put the cat ears on old man! But yeah. He should have done more. And why is his sperm evil. How does he have multiple murderous children. That was a legitimately stupid writing choice. Like why So Sejima the bus driver all of the sudden.

Saito Sejima. I simply do not understand why they left Date with his appearance. I do not care that Saito's face was the more popular one and is more "iconic" for the character. It diminishes Date's growth and makes him shallow if the way they explain it in-game is that it was more popular with the ladies. Who cares. I at least would have wanted So to mention him, or for Uru to be compared to him. But no, he is basically irrelevant.

Mayumi. Irrelevant. And I am sadly glad that she was not in the game because she would have been written poorly. Love the fact that she becomes a mermaid. Rest in peace to her English VA.

Mama. Queen! Enough said.

Amame. Again, I just said I liked her. I really do. I truly do really like Amame. I just hate how EVERY FUCKING CHARACTER INTERACTS WITH HER. Gen? Was wholesome. Then it became absolutely stupid and destroyed my opinion of Gen's character. Kizuna? Basically irrelevant after Lien's introduction. Iris? The writers didn't give a shit about those two! Amame's arc was interesting and the twist with her was amazing. But the end was... wrapped up so illogically quickly and robotically that it just became "problem solved. the end." What, so she is just miserable now? I am glad that we will see her again in NSFKD (Horrible acronym. I am referring to No Sleep for Kaname Date) but her inclusion will probably just be useless info. Speaking of NSFKD. They're making aliens real, presumably reptilians. Just to... ridicule Iris some more? Again, they make the thing she was irrationally scared of in the first game real and now that she is the focus of the arc she is... in a bunny suit? Again she and Amame will likely barely interact and all it will be is fanservice galore. Show me Amame and Iris's personality and how they interact with one another. Hell, I want playable Iris. I really really so truly do. I want to see how she interacts with others and her internal dialogue. If she fakes her personality around Ota and if her airheadedness is a front. I would actually love playable Amame for the third game. Have us play through HER perspective as she gets out of jail. Have us read her internal monologue as she interacts with other characters. Is she angry about how they treated her? Is she happy to see them again? I just want the game to give me MORE about the characters they have established rather than making new characters whose purpose is to just die or help the protagonist in a task. The world feels dry, there is basically no interaction between characters only the protagonist and them.

In other words...

I dislike basically every portrayal in AINI. I am not saying that it was a bad game, I am just saying that in making the cast so much larger it diminishes basically every character. The twist of the game broke my immersion so badly that it genuinely upset me, but the mystery leading up to that point was interesting. But like I said before, the characters feel hollow. Bonds in the first game were broken in the second, and basically it feels as if things were stagnant during the six year time skip. There is... barely any growth in the characters behind the scenes. Serious issues are not taken seriously. Nice relationships turn romantic or fanservicey. It just... Aside from the mystery... there is no "story." There are barely "characters." In other words, my expectations for NSFKD are basically on the floor. They are non existent. I am not really that excited for the game.

"No sleep for Kaname Date," yeah not after I- YOWWWCCCHIEEE WOWCCHIE YOWW YAAAWAAAAHOOOY!!

sirensong sweep

girls who are fishie >>>

the desire to be a part of a zine so bad ooooooo I know my empty portfolio hate to see me coming

speaking of silly Love Live crossover fics, I want to write a NicoMaki crossover in the Dandadan universe and literally the only thing that I have planned is Maki getting telekinetic powers and Nico getting her pigtails stolen by Turbo Granny and the thought of it is so stupid but it has been making me laugh nonstop. She just looks so stupid without her pigtails.

to the genshin impact fanfic writers who include Layla in their fics, (first of all that alone is a blessing), but also include her DID as something that simply exists and not as a trope or joke... you have so much of my love. the inclusion of disability and mental illnesses in my own work as something that is framed as being casual, not in a dismissive sense, but rather as something that exists and isn't a negative trait - this is incredibly important to me. Layla being disabled due to her chronic fatigue, sleeping disorder, and non-specified dissociative disorder (probably OSDD 1a if we're being more specific), is something so tender to me somehow? obviously in-game it is not taken very seriously, nor do I trust hoyoverse to write disability well, but the part of the fandom that does love her and respects these aspects to her character and portrays said aspects with love and respect, well my love and respect for them is eternal.

Hoyoverse is a company that loves to give us disappointment after disappointment, but after so many recasts of characters that we love, I think the fandom should do much more to protect the rights of the actors that are part of the projects that we love. People of Tumblr, can we please all come together to submit feedback or email Hoyoverse stating that this type of behavior is wrong? Even if you play in another language, it certainly does feel demeaning that the company keeps on going against player feedback, whether that be with the racism, ableism, sexism, and now with the lack of worker rights.

If anyone has questions regarding the SAG-AFTRA strike I can try and point you to the right direction, but as a TLDR: the strike is to protect voice actors against AI and it is up to the company (Hoyoverse) to sign to protect them. Agents, talent agencies, and even recording studios do not have the final say in the agreement, in other words this is purposefully being ignored and postponed by Hoyoverse themselves. If the agreement were to be signed then all non-union actors could continue to work on the game, and the game could then become a union game. If so, there could be even more big-name actors working on it, which I am sure fans would love to hear. Working on a union game as a non-union actor could also potentially help in becoming SAG eligible and later a union member as well.

TLDR for the TLDR: It is up to Hoyoverse to sign the agreement and if they do everyone is happy and keeps their jobs and fans are happy with good quality voice acting.

Overall things are looking very bad for Hoyoverse since now most established actors don't want anything to do with that company. I think we need to push past our love for the characters and the game and really recognize that this is a company that profits off of gambling and does not really care about us unless we make it a problem for them. If revenue begins to tank and criticism rises, then perhaps Hoyoverse would actually listen and become a more respectable company. Not that it really was one to begin with, given all the disgusting sexualization, queerbaiting, racism, colorism, and so on. But truly, I can't say that I am surprised at how this is going, but I am without a doubt extremely disappointed.