shiro's grooming of itona and (to a lesser extent but still significant) terasaka combines childlike imagery with adult responsibilities to show how he simultaneously infantilises and adultifies them.

going deeper into how shiro's treatment of itona in particular is portrayed as textbook grooming deserves its own post, but this childish imagery combined with imposing adult responsibilities is part of it. shiro appeals to itona and terasaka’s vulnerabilities in a time where they are isolated and have no one to talk to and validates their feelings, the only one who validates their feelings. he makes them feel as if they are being taken seriously, treated as equals, as adults when in reality we see that he treats and thinks of them as children he can take advantage of for his own means

here is the most blatant infantilised imagery. shiro accompanying itona to an entrance ceremony of seemingly elementary school children - a reference to just how young itona was (is) when he lost everything. a bloody knife protrudes from a bag childishly captioned “a lil killer's knapsack!” to drive home that this a child. regardless of how shiro has made him feel, this is a child. and shiro THINKS of him as a child even as he as manipulated itona to believe they are partners, accomplices

here we hear from shiro's own mouth that he knows full well itona is a child and that he is taking advantage of him. itona views what shiro has bestowed upon him as his lifeline, as his escape from weakness. shiro refers to saving itona at all as “spoiling” him as you would a petulant young child. as he refers to himself as itona's “devoted guardian” the infantilisation becomes almost mocking with the additional context that itona was abandoned by his parents and shiro fully intends to abandon him once he has fulfilled his use also. all of these things that shiro has conditioned itona into believing makes them partners on equal footing after the same goal is undermined by how shiro clearly feels about him in reality. a mere child easily molded to suit his needs

onto terasaka, this wording is actually what stood out to me and made me look into this deeper. “pocket money” - a phrase exclusively associated with children doing odd jobs to earn some money to spend on toys or sweets. like itona, shiro has sunk his teeth into terasaka at a vulnerable time when he feels no one is listening to him and has given him an ear. he validates terasaka’s feelings, even claiming to understand how he feels, and gives terasaka a purpose he has never been given by an adult before. he doesn’t belittle terasaka like everyone else does. he makes terasaka feel important, he makes terasaka feel as though he is working alongside shiro when the bleak reality is that shiro is taking advantage of terasaka just like itona and is fully prepared to throw him away afterwards. he uses this childish imagery with terasaka because he knows full well that terasaka will not question why the plan is too simple, he knows terasaka has no real clue about how adults manage things. nonetheless, he pushes real adult responsibility onto terasaka in implicating him in his real plan, in murder

examples of shiro manufacturing adult responsibility onto them. eg implicating terasaka in murder, potentially getting him involved with the law, and making itona feel as if he is able to consent to something like human experimentation (when in reality, it was coercion through uninformed consent)

on yanagisawa…. the word “pawns” is consistently used to describe how he views and uses other people specifically the imagery of him playing shogi with the lives of others, and what is SO SO SO gut wrenching to me is the fact that the “馬” in ryoma (竜馬) refers to a shogi piece specifically the piece semi-equivalent to the pawn in chess. i think about how shiro somehow KNEW that terasaka was becoming more isolated within the class (implies he had been monitoring him/the class in general), how easily he constructed a plan around this, how easily he took advantage of terasaka and manipulated him, how he threw terasaka away when he no longer needed him, and i think about the kanji in terasaka’s first name that marks him as essentially shiro’s MO

something about how terasaka calming down itona & nagisa calming down kayano contrast each other in how nagisa chooses the method least likely to injure himself while terasaka chooses a method where he anticipates himself getting hurt in the process

saw something sorry it annoys me sm when people try and “disprove” autistic itona interpretations by being like “Oh no he’s just unsocialised and has trauma” like Yeah Obviously No One Is Denying That but those things and autism aren’t mutually exclusive and are not uncommonly comorbid. or when they’re like “He's shown having a wide emotional range pre trauma” NO HE IS NOTTTT him smiling in that scene is anime exclusive to impactfully transition to him in the same position but snarling to clearly show his loss of trust. in the pre traumatona manga panels he is depicted with the same blank expression he has the majority of the time

the only time itona expresses high emotions is WHEN the tentacle cells are feasting on and exploiting his rage especially when they’re triggered by loss. his limited emotional range is not solely (and i’d say not much at all) due to his trauma which conversely saw his emotions spiral out of his control and his rage become a fixation. his limited emotional range in facial expression and voice and general behaviour is just who he is

the thematic significance to taisei growing his locs more after junior high is so tangible to me its one of those things where i literally discard canon.. hair reflecting a character: locs requiring longterm looking after + commitment reflecting taisei’s longterm commitment to his dreams + relationships

yoshida being blasian literally enriches his character its so frustrating how that isn’t acknowledged …. it’s very easy to dismiss his reasoning for delinquency as shallow and just “wanting to be one” but really his adoption of a delinquent persona reflects a reality for young black boys who are othered by society. being perceived as overly tough and “masculine” so overcompensating by acting bigger than he actually is to be taken seriously. that angle is so important i think not least because it ties in thematically with the rest of the terasaka gang

love shots like this where u can just clearly see the difference between terasaka + muramatsu and yoshida’s stances … how terasaka and muramatsu carry themselves in such a comparatively relaxed manner with underlying threat to yoshida being tense + more openly prepared. its another one of those indicators of who’s familiar with confrontations like this - muramatsu and terasaka are just as prepared as yoshida presents himself, but have the experience to know how to go about presenting it to their opponent. interestingly, this is a unique instance for terasaka who wouldnt usually take it into account, but muramatsu does tend to do it in a similar vein to karma tbh

a common pre eclass terasaka gang take that i take issue with is that koyama was part of the dynamic the same way yoshida, muramatsu and hazama were because No i actually think its very important that koyama, who would go on to become one of the big 5, was a catalyst in terasaka’s “fall from grace” as it were

it especially annoys me when ppl portray it like “terasaka and koyama used to be friends then koyama left him” like nooo what are u TALKING about😭😭😭 at the point where terasaka is in the same class as koyama he is using those coercive intimidation tactics to assert control over him and koyama is clearly uncomfortable until terasaka is shut down and given that reality check which then bolsters koyama’s confidence

like, we assume from context clues that this interaction happened early on in their first year. which would be before terasaka met yoshida (the first person, we assume, he formed an actual bond with not founded on that intimidation) and long before he met muramatsu and hazama .. there is a point to that. There Is A Point To That

and like, i think a relationship between koyama and a grown terasaka is a very interesting one to explore dgmw. koyama is in many ways the pre hazama, takebayashi, itona. in different circumstances, koyama very well COULD have been someone terasaka would form a genuine bond with. but as they were, it never could have been that way

hazama and hara could have such an interesting dynamic like the fact the only canon tidbits about them is just fatphobic shit drives me insane i hate it. then the fanon that does exist is barely better bc the route ppl usually go when imagining their relationship is the whole hara being treated as a mother rather than a kid schtick which, on top of the other issues in playing that straight, just doesnt WORK with hazama. she would never put up w that 😭 in fact to me the interesting thing about their potential dynamic is exactly that hazama wouldnt put up w hara assuming a motherly role, especially if hara were to try it after learning about hazama’s treatment by her actual mother, and would sort of force her to challenge Why she feels the need to step into that role

sad that connection b/w itona and ritsu begins and ends for most people with them being the transfer students when i think by far the most interesting parallel there is that they were both created by their guardians for the specific sole purpose of being weapons + killing before they gain their autonomy of self

i feel what immediately jumps out when u compare terasaka’s relationship with muramatsu to his relationship with any other of the gang is that he is casually rougher with muramatsu in a way he isnt with them. this manifests in a physical sense both negatively in terasaka’s assault of muramatsu in vision time (the old grabbing him by the collar and throwing him against a tree) and positively in terasaka expressing affection to him via hitting his chest/back (these moments being where they are in the series speaks to the growth of their relationship, especially as the latter occurs in a moment of muramatsu focus). it also manifests in a verbal sense, again terasaka’s words to him in vision time demonstrating this most (calling him a “traitor” eg)

the vision time emphasis is important because there is a stark contrast between terasaka’s rough handling + words to muramatsu and how he then treats yoshida (where he targets the symbol of the motorcycle, rather than yoshida himself. compared to targeting muramatsu himself rather than the symbol of his scorecard). in general, comparing terasaka’s relationships with muramatsu and yoshida specifically does tons for highlighting this

and the REASON terasaka is (physically) rougher with muramatsu notably more than anyone else is also because he knows muramatsu can “take” it as he knows how physically strong and durable muramatsu is, so subconsciously understands no real harm will come to him. which by no means excuses his assault of him in vision time eg, but does explain why it easily escalated like that. because i feel like i frequently see the sentiment that terasaka thinks of muramatsu as weak, when the exact opposite is true. muramatsu and yoshida are the first people terasaka views with any sort of respect as equals which is an important layer to their especially early dynamic. muramatsu is also invested in delinquent culture in a way yoshida notably isnt, another distinction and indication (among other interesting things) that muramatsu can “handle” being roughed up

however, while terasaka is at his most casually rough with muramatsu he’s ALSO at his most casually supportive, and that element grows as the roughness dwindles especially post vision time. there are three key instances of this: island arc, itona horibe time re matsuraiken, and the school festival. terasaka is very willing to put his life on the line for muramatsu (as he is for hazama + the rest of the class) and immediately is by his side when he first collapses. it's muramatsu who is front and centre on takaoka’s monitor that terasaka (+yoshida) react to. terasaka eats matsuraiken’s ramen without a word while yoshida is quick to make a jab at it, and while he comments on it later he immediately follows it up with expressing his firm belief in muramatsu’s ability to fix the shop. terasaka is the first of the class to hop on the idea of the restaurant for the school festival after its proposed (also where we see the affection i mentioned earlier). that muramatsu had felt comfortable confiding in terasaka about koro approaching him with the idea of studying business speaks MULTITUDES to the new trust that developed between them post vision time

itona’s father prioritised delayed gratification, steadily building his business over time with a focus on hard work but shut down before he could achieve it -> itona prioritising instant gratification, needing strength NOW needing to win NOW for salvation. muramatsu’s father prioritises instant gratification, buying the most expensive ingredients for a hit of dopamine at long term cost -> muramatsu prioritising delayed gratification, studying and being patient to try best as he can to keep the shop afloat long as possible

its so funny this instance of yoshida’s fair/unfair dichotomy that exists within his mind REALLY stands out because like …. u think about how his combat strategy with muramatsu something pretty damn important in his character relies on just that: sacrifice. it’s not as if he’s averse to being told by someone other than him or muramatsu to undergo the strat either as he does just fine under isogai’s leadership lmao and its under isogai’s leadership that strategy of theirs becomes pronounced

but then u take into account how that is a combat strategy. how in this case his issue is very much to do with how he and muramatsu are being expected to play defence and essentially wait to be taken out in comparison to how they would usually play offence and take an active role in their sacrifice. yoshida and muramatsu were REALLY misplaced position wise in the civil war lmao 😭😭 in a way it reflects how karma still at this point views them as extensions of terasaka

its annoying right because hazama is incredibly smart - she’s observant and analytical and evaluative. in both academics and in interactions, she is smart and constantly reading. BUT when people say that she is the “single braincell holder” of the terasaka gang they arent referring to that!!! when that term is used, it refers to the idea of a “straightman” which hazama is not but they WANT someone out of the terasaka gang to characterise as the always straightman and “caller out of dumb shit” when the reality of their relationship is that there is no singular straightman because it depends on whats going on 😭 hazama, for example, is more an enabler and pot stirrer and active partaker than she will ever be a “straightman” - shes described as the most rational alongside yoshida because, similar to yoshida, that refers to her constant reading of situations that she will sometimes use to throw out a solution to an issue at hand or point something obvious to her out

it does disservice to the rest of the gang too and is overall such a reductive term that doesnt even apply to her. sorry for taking fanon jokes seriously im sick always and forever baby

a thing about yoshida and muramatsu is that even by terasaka gang standards their reliance on each other is sort of insane!!! because while the gangs overall group dynamic is characterised by their very strong (deemed “inseparable”) bond and teamwork, it remains true that terasaka hazama and itona each have their own reservations wrt combat that make yoshida and muramatsu stand out a little

like terasaka is closest to reaching the level of yoshida and muramatsu but stops short because he cant allow himself to risk putting his friends in harms way under any circumstances. hes a protector before anything else, focused on defense rather than muramatsu and yoshida’s offense (even at his own cost). itona is very new to the idea of relying on others to help him be strong, but his combat style becomes one of support. similarly, hazama’s teamwork and reliance on the gang doesnt shine through in combat situations, as she focuses on stealth and support

but yoshida and muramatsu’s signature combat style is dependent on their reliance on one another. on the unwavering trust they have in one anothers abilities that propels them forwards - so when that fails and they both get taken out they freak out and so does whoever they’re with lol

something i find really really interesting concerning yoshida's image and how he projects it is when sometimes the choice will be made to only show muramatsu and terasaka without him. part of yoshida’s image that he projects is one of a “delinquent” to make him appear tough, when it becomes very obvious to the readers/audience to infer that this isnt smth authentic to him and is just that of an image than anything else and one of the ways to see this is comparing him to terasaka and muramatsu. the play is a really evident example (manga only - the anime changed it to include him with tera+matsu) i think as it has only terasaka and muramatsu play the delinquents in the play and yoshida be one of the narrators and, furthermore, has him be more actively interested in the prospect of the play before when muramatsu and terasaka are expressing their complaints - notable as well is how hazama is seemingly the one who decided upon all the roles, so theres that layer of her deciding that terasaka and muramatsu are just more believable delinquents than yoshida. this is all especially at this point in the story where yoshida does stop dropping his front to engage more with others and allow himself to feel more - something that begins in vision time, continues in the island arc and itona’s arc

then that being said - something i really enjoy is how muramatsu IS sorta implied to have gotten into fights due to the provided reason for him dropping to e class highlighting bad behaviour alongside grades which we know from karma and kayano contains violent connotations and is also highlighted as among the physically strongest in the class alongside terasaka and maehara BUT his core strategy is that of kamikaze striking with yoshida and its stated that the two of them gain the courage to undergo that strategy because they trust the other and their toughness that much, as well as being so in sync. it strikes me how while yoshida does in some ways have this front he puts up, he IS in other ways so deeply authentic to his feelings and his relationship with the rest of the terasaka gang is such an example

ever since i learnt that some spiders cannibalise their mothers after birth hazama’s spider motif has hit so much harder like ARGHHH ITS ALL SO REALL it works for her in many many ways but, truly, the metaphorical cannibalising of the mother only adds to it like yesss girl destroy that womans hold and power and reclaim it for urself 🫡🫡🫡

always interesting to think abt. for as much as he’s stated to struggle with communicating his thoughts (in his relationships to kataoka + hara), muramatsu of course isnt afraid of confrontation in the slightest. on a personal level as much as him pushing back against authority figures. such as the buildup to terasaka and muramatsu’s confrontation in vision time - muramatsu calling terasaka out on the redundancy of the terasaka gang’s us vs them mentality and questioning how long they plan on maintaining it because they’ve already driven such a wedge between them + the class. its so important to demonstrate a) the impact terasaka is having on those who mean the most to him b) that said close ones are not as passive to him as they may seem and c) the fact its muramatsu who first tries communicating with him.

its a recurring issue with muramatsu that he’s not listened to by others. his dad, his early relationship with terasaka and (as we're led to assume) kataoka. again its a reason the relationship he builds with koro is so important to him

one way in which i think hazama's spider motif is SO fun to explore is when combined with her ability to read people/situations and how observant she is. i touched on it in my gakushuu/tgang fic a little and would have so much more later on but its genuinely like…entrapment right. being trapped in web by a predator who can assess ur every weakness who then uses those weaknesses to her advantage like venom THATS what being read by hazama is like fr fr….u mix in some literature refs too and ur unstoppable