Cooked here, ngl. Looking forward to see any more ideas you have of this AU, if you feel like sharing them. Either way, this is amazing! 🔥
I finished season 1 of Vrains and it was cool but I thought it needed about 2 billion more secret identity shenanigans
extended thoughts below
So I went into a deep dive in my last two posts (1, 2) about all the problems I had with Vrains, and you'd think I didn't enjoy it, but in fact as I was watching, there was a separate, parallel version of Vrains that was playing in my head, a Yugioh I think we were robbed of and which fixes every problem I had with the first season, and that is Secret Identities AU.
Yusaku needs FRIENDS
This is YUGIOH.
This dynamic is everything I wanted from Vrains. Yusaku developing unexpected fondness for these bozos who think he needs a defense squad. I want Miraculous Ladybug levels of secret identity shenanigans. I want Yusaku slapping his duel disk every time Ai tries to blow their cover.
This AU sprung forth from the scene in the duel club where he shows Naoki his decoy deck. Having Yusaku passing as a bad duelist is 1) so funny, but 2) Yusaku needing to maintain his low profile is a useful contrivance for other characters to get more duels, and 3) I think it would be a really fun one-off episode where Yusaku has to duel using his bad deck. When he wins, Naoki is so proud he cries.
Having Yusaku actually have to interact with the other characters in the real world opens up Greek play levels of dramatic irony. The crux of a secret identity story is that every single interaction builds up anticipation, because you the viewer know that the other party is being deceived, and that the tension will snap when the secret is revealed.
I have zero anticipation about Playmaker's identity being revealed, because Aoi would be like "oh.... I guess he goes to my school" and Go would be like "have I seen that guy before?" But SIAU Playmaker? My guy is making friends just so he can betray them. Insane.
Go needs A ROLE IN THE STORY.
I said in my first post that Go isn't a rival or a best friend character. SIAU fixes this by making him both simultaneously.
Having him be the ace of the duel club is a natural replacement for his whole hero of the orphans schtick, while placing him directly the circle of relevance with the other characters. Instead of being disgruntled that the orphans suddenly like Playmaker more than him, he'd disgruntled that Naoki and the duel club mooks are fawning over Playmaker -- which is actually just Naoki's character anyway.
I would kill for a big dramatic moment where Go learns that Playmaker and Yusaku are the same person, and even though Go feels betrayed that Yusaku has been deceiving him, he stands by Yusaku anyway because they're friends.
With a secret identity story, every conversation is working on multiple levels because each character is working with asymmetric information. You get these fascinating, layered scenes of two characters talking past each other because they cannot give up their secret.
Which would go especially hard with Go and Yusaku, because Go has legitimate criticisms of Playmaker in canon and Yusaku has legitimate reasoning behind the things he does, and as Go Onizuka and Playmaker they could never come to an understanding on them, but as Go and Yusaku, two friends in duel club, that door becomes open to them.
Aoi needs WRITING THAT ISN'T A TRAINWRECK
I made a whole post on this. Basically every problem would be solved if Akira doesn't know that she's Blue Angel. There's no reason for her to lose grotesquely against Yusaku, or have her basic autonomy called into question constantly.
Having her actively deceive her brother is delicious. Like I said in my last post, it's so obvious how Akira's overprotectiveness has taken its toll on Aoi, and pushed her into developing this other persona, Blue Angel. I want this absolutely dysfunctional sibling relationship so badly. The Blue Angel vs. Zaizen duel would make me lose my mind.
And a secret identities setting works so well with the potential themes of VRAINS as a stand-in for the internet and Blue Angel as an idol. Give me that Perfect Blue Satoshi Kon good stuff. Give me those themes about identity, and the different lives we live, outward and inward, online and offline.
This also helps Akira's character, because I think he would be much more interesting and relevantly positioned in the story if he stayed a SOL Technologies baddie. SOL Technologies has very little presence in season 1 despite being critical to the story. After Zaizen is replaced by an irrelevant clown, they don't do anything but send out mook AIs to get destroyed. By having a three-way standoff between Yusaku's squad, the Knights of Hanoi, and SOL Technologies, both Hanoi and SOL Technologies become more compelling. They've both got all the reason in the world to want to take down the other. Zaizen vs. Revolver or Spectre? That's good shit.
And don't get me started on how I would turn Revolver into a Secret Identities character.
Rin :)
There needs to be more art with Playmaker and Blue Angel σ(^○^)
I am Osama Al-Anqar and my wife's name is Rana Raed Al-Anqar. We have a little girl.
We used to live in our house in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood. We used to live in peace and security and I had a job, but the war came and took everything from me,
first of all my brother Mahmoud, who was martyred in the bombing of the Baptist Hospital. He left behind his children and wife, and my brother Ahmed, whose front leg was amputated in the same bombing. I lost my house, my family's house, and my job. Now we have become homeless, moving from one place to another. We are gripped by fear, terror, and hunger. My daughter suffers from extreme fear and panic, and suffers from lack of food and skin diseases due to the lack of water and cleanliness.
We are in dire need of your help. We call on you to fund this fund to save my family and provide safe shelter, food, drink, and health care. Your donation is no matter what can happen to us in our lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means more.
I’m always impressed just how different Zarc really is from all the other antagonists, especially for being an amazing call back villain
Zorc was driven by humanity’s natural evil, and wanted to destroy humanity because humanity is inherently self destructive. Zorc merely craved destruction and wanted to achieve these methods by allowing the Millennium Items to be created and spread their magic.
Darkness/Nightshroud was driven by the desire to end emotions, and nullify all drive, personality, and will so that no one will ever suffer, and have everyone enter his world of darkness. Darkness/Nightshroud wanted to eliminate all Spirit Seers so that they could drag people into their world at their leisure.
Z-One was driven by justice, wanting to make what was a relatively small sacrifice in order to save the future from being completely destroyed. His intentions were ultimately non villainous, but his methods could be considered villainous. Z-One wanted to help create a better future, and was willing to be a villain in order to achieve that end.
Don Thousand was driven by revenge, waging a war because he was abandoned by his original home world along with the power he believed was ultimately better, and eventually using it to corrupt others. Don Thousand was trying to take revenge because he felt that he was ultimately wronged.
Now where does Zarc fit into this?
Zarc was driven by fear.
He was a slave to an uncaring audience until he went insane from loneliness and pressure, making him destroy the dimensions and reincarnating. His full reincarnation has cards of his own design, made to be completely unbeatable because he never wants to lose to anyone.
Zarc never wanted to be used again, to be afraid again. Even with all the power he held, he was always afraid. And he wanted to make sure he never felt that way again.
Please help secure a future for an entire family - me, Ashraf, my wife Ghadeer, and our lovely innocent son Yamen 👶💙
Vetted by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi , fundraisers list Number (#328)
Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on their list ( #74 )
Vetted on X platform on this spreadsheet (#391)
Shared by @90-ghost | Shared by @a-shade-of-blue | Shared by @dlxxv-vetted-donations
Please bring us back to life without war, destruction, genocide or killing because this is what fills our memories after we forget what a life full of hope is like ‼️
I'm Ashraf from the war-torn Gaza. I've lived an entire life under siege in Gaza, facing relentless military actions and life-threatening conditions daily. In October 2023, the conflict escalated drastically, devastating my newly built house, my neighborhood,my workplace, and jeopardizing the lives of my family.
My wife, Ghadeer @ghadeerarqan , and I live in Gaza with our baby son Yamen. My wife gave birth to Yamen during the war, and it is all he has ever known. Yamen has spent the tenth months of his young life without a stable home, surviving a genocide.
I mourn the loss of our safe haven, but more urgently, I need to secure a future for my family away from the constant threat of bombings that have become our grim reality.
Meet Yamane, our precious tenth-months-old. Who was born during this war, We aspire to provide him with opportunities that surpass our own experiences, fostering a future filled with joy and prosperity.
This campaign is a call to arms for all who believe in the transformative power of community support. By contributing, you're not just donating; you're actively shaping Yamane's world, ensuring his journey is filled with the promise and potential every child deserves. Join us in making a profound impact on his life
Yamen... he's only a baby. He doesn't understand the fear that grips us, the darkness that engulfs our lives. He just smiles, his eyes bright with innocent wonder, oblivious to the terror that surrounds him. He reaches for me with tiny hands, his laughter a fragile melody in this symphony of destruction. 💔
Your generosity is a beacon of hope for my family, especially for my little baby boy Yaman👶🩷, who deserves a future free from fear and filled with opportunity.
Thank you for standing with us during this incredibly challenging time. Your support means the world to us, 🌺🩷🌿🕊
But we still need your help to reach our goal. Please continue to share our campaign and consider contributing if you can. Together, we can create a brighter future for Yamane and all children affected by this conflict.
Vetted by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi , fundraisers list Number (#328)
Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on their list ( #74 )
Vetted on X platform on this spreadsheet (#391)
Shared by /@90-ghost
Shared by @a-shade-of-blue
Shared by @dlxxv-vetted-donations
welcome back girls🎼🐈⬛🪄🕊️
Hello 👋
Please take a moment to read my story.
I am Heba Al-Dahdouh. I currently live in the completely destroyed city of Gaza. Since the war on Gaza began on 7/1/2024, my family- my father Nasif, my mother Asmaa, and my siblings Khaled, Ahmad, Muhammad, and Malak-have been living in constant fear, crying, and suffering due to shrapnel, shells, and bullets.
We have no food, no electricity, no cooking gas, no schools, no homes, no cleaning supplies, and no clothes. Our house was completely destroyed. My school has been bombed, and my brother Khaled's university is now rubble, depriving us all of education. The war has forced us to live in displacement centers, which are just tents unsuitable for living, especially in winter.
Every day we live death, terror, and panic a thousand times because of the ongoing bombardment of my city. The war has killed more than 50 of my relatives and neighbors. At the start of the war, we sought refuge at my aunt's house, but it too became rubble. Imagine: we have survived imminent death more than 20 times and have been displaced among shelters more than 13 times. My siblings and I have suffered from many illnesses due to malnutrition, and we need medication continuously.
If we stay in Gaza, we might lose our lives. Recently, we have been seriously considering leaving Gaza for a safe place. However, travel costs are extremely high. We need over $50,000 to leave Gaza. Due to exorbitant prices, rampant unemployment, lack of security, the ongoing siege, and relentless bombardment, we have lost all our money. How can we live in such insecurity, with constant shelling and shrapnel flying above us? Dear compassionate friends around the world,
With your generous donations, even if small, you can save 7 people from imminent death, allowing us to start a life outside Gaza filled with love, peace, and hope.
With my warmest regards from the city of Gaza,
Heba Al-Dahdouh.
Swing far pendulum carve the arc of vict- ohhhh I get it now
Hello, my name is Aya, I am 26 years old, currently living in the northern part of Gaza City, and I am a mother of two children. My oldest is my daughter, Sanaa, who is 5 years old, and my youngest is my son, Wasfi, who is 3.
Since the morning of October 7th, 2023, our lives have been turned upside down. We have lived through the hardest days of our lives, facing displacement and homelessness. We have been forced to leave our home more than ten times since the war began. We would leave without knowing where to go.
We sought refuge in schools and relatives' homes, hoping we could return home and that this nightmare would end. But our house was bombed, and our dreams were destroyed. We became homeless and displaced.
Every day, we wake up to the sound of bombs and rockets. I lived in constant fear and terror with my children, especially when my family's house was bombed while we were taking shelter there.
We are experiencing a real famine in Gaza. I’ve gone to bed with my children many nights without dinner because there is no food available. We have had to eat animal and bird feed due to the high cost of flour just to fill the hunger of my young children. Even after eating it, we all suffered from diarrhea and severe stomach pain. My children developed rashes on their bodies due to the spread of viruses and the accumulation of garbage. There is also a severe shortage of water, and even when we find it, it's not safe to drink.
My children cry, asking for vegetables, fruits, and eggs, but we can’t afford them because we have no income. The gas shortage has forced us to use fire for everything—cooking and baking—using plastic and pipes because firewood is so hard to find.
My children also developed jaundice, and I struggled a lot to get them better because there was no access to vegetables, fruits, or medicine. I even feared that my son might have developed polio because he already had leg problems before the war, and they worsened due to malnutrition.
Winter is coming, and we have nothing for it. I need clothes and shoes for my children to keep them warm, but I can’t buy them because they are so expensive.
For this reason, I beg of you and hope that you can support me, even with the smallest contribution, so I can provide my children with the most basic necessities of life.
I was displaced with my children to my family's house, tears in my eyes. On the way, Salah Al-Din Street was bombed, and the Israeli occupation committed horrific massacres. By the grace of God, we survived for the first time. We lived in terror and fear. A few days later, my family's house was bombed, and we were pulled out from under the rubble, miraculously surviving for the second time.
When my husband heard the news that we had died, he came to bid us farewell, only to find us alive by God's grace. We returned with him, but as the situation worsened and the fire belts in our area increased, we started to flee again and again, not knowing where to go next.
I beg of you to share my story and help me continue to live.
3 extra people in your head = 4x the hairstyle opportunities
Originally the Yuzu Hiragi parody from Twitter. Also known as PebbleNoodles/PebbleDragon in other social medias, I like to draw and write fan-fiction.
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