Book Review: ‘HIGEHIRO’ #2

Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway, Vol. 2 (light novel) (Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway by Shimesaba My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sayu, frantically running away from her past, has run so far and so fast such that she has forgotten to allay herself of the benefits of having run away in the first place. That is not to say she hasn't indulged in the freedom of movement and behavior; rather, she has neglected to explore the emotional latitude one often earns for oneself when finally unshackled by the presumptions of home. HIGEHIRO v2 pivots, holding Sayu responsible for her actions and forcing her to confront the fragility she hides with five different dishonest smiles. Also, Yoshida's work life is getting more hectic. Also, Sayu snags a part-time job and makes new friends. Also, more folks within Yoshida's inner circle are clued into his home situation. Also, an adulterer barges back into Sayu's life. More and more developments layer the precedent, and readers are left to wonder how long it'll be until Sayu, or Yoshida, or any of the supporting cast, breaks down. HIGEHIRO v2 is about surviving the fiery backdraft of emotions left unattended for far too long. The novel isn't a tearjerker, but it's definitely heartbreaking on multiple accounts. It's a reality check, and nobody emerges unscathed. The expanding number of characters with baggage and a hustle and misconceptions about social propriety grows with each chapter. This novel series' premise hasn't changed. The tale of a "nice guy" office worker trying his best in spite of the world's emergent ills remains the primary theme. But the deeper readers wade into Yoshida's life, the more they come to find he's an aberration in more ways than one. In HIGEHIRO v2, Yoshida butts heads with characters whose perception of the world is falsely colored according to what they desire most. Airi Gotou is still the object of the young man's affections, but the woman's pretentious virtue nearly wrenches their whole dynamic off course. Mishima, Yoshida's kohai, still pines for her do-gooder colleague, but her indecisive disposition marks her for one who can never attain what she needs because she never voices what she wants. This is a character study on down the line. New characters are not immune to these clashes with reality. Asami Yuuki, for example, is a casual gyaru and one of Sayu's coworkers at a local corner store. The girl is a brilliant high-school student whose home life is the telltale consequence of neglectful parenting. The connections she makes, and the ruptures she inveighs, are direct consequences of these experiences. HIGEHIRO v2 tips its hand a little, strongly implying that Yoshida has found himself dead center in the most undesirable harem in the history of humankind: a gorgeous prude, a lazy and unambitious sidekick, an immature runaway, and a mature latchkey youth. Whether the man will acquiesce to one of these rotten desires, or fold his cards and walk away, is as of yet unknowable.

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just wanted to say thank you for all the LOVE for Clip! he's happy to be here!

Clip is hella competitive 😅

and here are some doodles inspired by some of your comments and tags!

@nowiknowthislooksbad @normal-about-the-dca

he's having fun (: (the kind of fun i would hate because i don't like the sound of balloons popping..)

@vacantfields @petrixmuserb

i like to think the hair salon does these kinds of things for charity often. would you be in line? what would you pick?

@ramblingsofacotlfangirl @salamansir

oh dear..

@bennydunbar

loved this tag so i HAD to draw something for it--

oop well okay! i think that's enough for today! thanks again!

Pac: Take care of Ramon, take care of Richas, ok? See you on the other side, big boy.

Fit: [Laughs] Take it easy, big boy. Take it easy, big boy. Actually, nononono– You can't just say "big boy" and then just expect me to not drag you outta here. [Fit tries to lasso Pac] You're coming with me.

Pac: No, I need to leave!

Fit: You're coming with me. You are not dying today! You are not dying today!

Pac: I need to leave, Fit! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

Ironmouse: Are you guys like, having sexy time?

Fit: There's homosexual activity going on Mouse, don't worry about us, ok?

Ironmouse: You guys, we don't have time to be gay right now.

[ Full Transcript ↓ ]

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Pac: I'm just here to say goodbye to you, Fit.

Fit: Goodbye? We're not– we're gonna be fine, we're going to get out of here, don't worry.

Aypierre: Yeah, don't worry!

Pac: I know, but like– I will sleep until the end, you know? I will pass through this moment sleeping, man. I won't be able to be awake for the moment.

Fit: [Laughs] You know, it's– I mean, if that's how you wanna go, but– I mean, that- I mean, isn't that bed kind of like.... I don't know, it's–

Pac: No no, I will be staying on the sofa, you know, I will be staying on the sofa.

Fit: Oh the sofa. Ok, that's a nice sofa! Yeah, that is a pretty nice sofa.

Pac: Yeah, it's a nice sofa right? No, yeah– I'm going to stay on the sofa, you know? So, since I will be going Fit... [Pac starts tossing Fit all his items]

Aypierre: [Not paying attention to their conversation] Is that bigger cell? I don't think it's a bigger- biggest one.

Fit: Oh... Thank you Pac, thank you.

Pac: Everything you need to survive, ok?

Fit: Wow.

Aypierre: Wow.

Pac: And if you need this one also, maybe, who knows? [Throws him more items]

Fit: Ohhh, well hey– just take this to remember me by, ok? [Tosses him a photo of himself – the same one Aypierre was carrying all day yesterday]

Pac: [Laughs] Ok, I will sleep holding the picture you know, like this. You know, I will dream about you, Fit. And I hope this is gonna be good dreams. I see you in the other side. Good luck, my friend.

Fit: The other side... Yeah, you know, yeah, we– we– you know? It's been an honor, Pac. It's been an honor, you know?

Pac: Yeah, for me too, you know? Take care of Ramon, take care of Richas, ok?

Fit: Ok.

Pac: See you on the other side, big boy.

Fit: I will sing your praise– Oh yeah, hey– [Laughs] Take it easy, big boy. Take it easy, big boy. Actually, nononono– You can't just say "big boy" and then just expect me to not drag you outta here. You're coming with me.

Pac: No, I need to leave!

Fit: You're coming with me. You are not dying today! You are not dying today!

Pac: I need to leave, Fit! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

Fit: Sorry, there's–

Pac: I'm sorry!

Ironmouse: Are you guys like, having sexy time?

Fit: There's homosexual activity going on Mouse, don't worry about us, ok?

Ironmouse: You guys, you guys– we don't have time to be gay right now, come on. There's no time.

Pac: No, there's no time! Oh, goodbye Fit...

Fit: Ok, c'mon, no no no, come on, we got this we got this!

Pac: Goodbye Fit, I'm sorry!

Fit: [Laughs] Oh no...

"Nie Mingjue would still have died young even if Jin Guangyao hadn't killed him" Not as in "So it's fine to kill him because people who won't live for much longer have obviously already forfeit their lives" (what) But as in "If you don't get that Nie Mingjue has had an inevitable young and violent death hanging over him since he was a young teenager and has embraced it you can't fully understand his character"

oot zelda doodle i liked :’-)))

is dandelion manipulating jalester's heart because jalester has sway over his boss who put the punishment/contingency plan curse on dande in case he betrays the party again? who knows.

(no, he's not, but it sure looks that way)

See here. BSD is a story about how all of our characters were once children. How the scars and wounds and secrets of their past will always haunt them to the present. We see it with Chuuya, Yosano, Ranpo, even Odasaku briefly, Atsushi, Tachihara, Akutagawa, Kyouka and Kenji right now, even Kouyou just a little bit. They've all overcome it or they've allowed it to consume them. And yet that brief glimpse into a past where they were young and scarred shows us once again just how human they are...every criminal, ever person, was once a child wounded by or protected from the world and doesn't that count for something even if it doesn't excuse the atrocities they commit today?

branwens & spardas 😁💥

I feel bad for Starlo. (pt. 9)

Star's the Papyrus (both are idealistic & seen as naive) of this game (Martlet is another possible parallel), even though he's got similarities with Undyne too. No matter how broken Ceroba seemed he asked himself WHY she did what she did and I think that's SUPER important.

Ceroba didn't do this. Her first instinct was to be harsh (after being harsh with him even BEFORE he attacked Clover):

called his personality "damaged" before this scene

... you never asked yourself WHY he did the whole sheriff act.

.... you never asked WHY he didn't want to grow up. If it was a coping mechanism, if he wanted to help his community in a way he couldn't as a farmer? It was never on her mind.

Yes he has baggage but he's dealing with it all while uplifting others, Ceroba has baggage but is well taken care of by Star and at least has him, he has no one but himself and his optimism to pull him out of negative feelings, and still gets insulted.

Yeah Ceroba's been through stuff but apparently it's been some time since Chujin passed and Kanako fell down, she should have at least started to support Star emotionally like he's been supporting her (sure, he did so with distractions, but as he said "aren't distractions what's best for all of that?" He did his best). Problem is she DIDN'T realise he was ever struggling with self worth and only assumed he was goofing off. Either that or she did nothing about it aka was too occupied with her own problems (which are valid but still... she should have tried at least a little) Cer's character flaw is being too stubborn and devoted to Chujin. She trusted him blindly and wholeheartedly. Everything else came in 2nd place. This is clear as day.

It hurts knowing Ceroba could never respect Starlo the way she still does her husband. Not saying she shouldn't admire Chujin, but the way she sees Star as a goofy manchild whose lifelong passion can go "too far," the way she sees all this Wild East stuff as him "just having fun," the way she thinks that only someone whose brain isn't developed would ever consider dating him just... ticks me off, tbh. That's why I think the guy needs someone who will be gentle and patient with him, even if that other person is going through tough times.

She DID call Starlo the best sheriff she's ever known (honestly the only sweet moment between them in pacifist, but it is very brief, especially in neutral where he just gets cut off; also I hope she was being genuine here) and said how everyone adored him (but hated his persona, which I've already covered: basically they either hated 'North Star' as a whole, which I hope isn't true, or just how excited he was to meet Clover, which makes no sense to me; already covered it as well)

Bonus: Dina didn't know who Star really was or what he looked like, not before the end credits rolled (when he shows up as himself & she's also seen there; makes sense that he finally came clean to her):

So he's literally been playing this role 24/7, ever since she became the bartender; ever since this town started to exist. It's impressive how he could keep up an act AND use this fake accent for so long

Bonus #2: Star was SUPER worried about Clover's safety; that's what REALLY upset him (he cares about that child sm). THAT's what drove him off the edge (unless he naturally has a temper, i don't think this is it tho). Either way, he was way more patient w Ceroba than I think most would have been in that situation. Sure he snapped a few times, but there was a good reason to. He still TRIED to reason with her. Why did he attack? Worried for Martlet & Clover. I honestly think Star's the type to only get super angry if someone he loves is in danger (minus the stuff that happened which led him to cracking)

I love ggy so much how did they accidentally make the most intriguing hypothetical gay romance ever

wolf daughter like father

Blah more back burner stuff cause I haven’t had time to draw this week

Had an idea for a Luca type au where like they are mermaids but can look human on land and blah blah blah

Self indulgence abound

Lol supposed to go along with these

Merm designs

Baby sun

the fic (don't read the tags if you don't want spoilers)

get your kicks, and let's go.

world gone mad, let's start the show.

ep7 cold open was released a couple hours ago and i think its very interesting how, as soon as summer and morty mention prime, rick removes himself from the conversation

No but David Kaye was literally perfect in TFA. He’s great for a younger take on Optimus, especially since he pulls off young serious stern hero whose willing to die to save others, whose also sassy

He's such a good sweet and genuine boy and I love him so much and I'm so happy for him every time he gets to cause problems on purpose for sentinel. TFA Optimus is only smug when its EARNED and the show does such a good job of making you root for him because everyone is SO mean to him and you're just waiting on the moment when he stops holding his tongue and really fucking lets em have it.

Literally just "aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just wanna go apeshit?"