🌺Amelia-Senpai🌺

So uh can we talk about the illustration of the DVD’s art of Matakara and Ichiya?

(Voted 5th-most-popular-character on the jpn server in a combination of seven different character-ranking surveys held throughout 2021)

Azul not only excels academically, but simultaneously runs a cafe, "Mostro Lounge”, out of the Octavinelle dorm. In addition to managing the food, drinks, atmosphere and employees of the cafe, he also runs a side-business providing advice and services to troubled NRC students, for a fee.

He has been friends with Jade and Floyd since they were young children. He and the twins are all from the Coral Sea, but the northern part where the waters are cold enough for ice bergs.

We learn from Jade that Azul’s mother owns a restaurant, originally a small location owned and operated by her alone that has since grown into the most famous restaurant in the Coral Sea. It is assumed that Azul’s culinary skills and his talents as a manager were inherited from his mother, who is well-loved by her employees.

Translation: "The part in the opening ceremony where he is proudly saying ‘I will take the role of the bad guy!’"

When working out a divorce settlement Azul’s mother met his future stepfather, an attorney, who would go on to teach Azul about contracts and the law. Despite a lack of blood-relation, Azul has inherited his stepfather's shrewdness. Azul has said outright that he respects his stepfather, a kind man who is very dedicated to both his work and to Azul’s mother. Azul says he is proud of his entire family, which is full of kind, clever and witty people.

Azul is an only child, but his extended family are all mages of various talents, and his grandmother is said to be one of the greatest mages in the world while also being so benevolent and kind that she is always helping her neighbors with their problems.

Azul was bullied cruelly as a child for being an octopus (which is rare even among mermaids), and teased for being “slow” and “boring”. He threw himself into his studies in elementary school to escape it.

In Book 4 we learn that although Azul, Floyd and Jade had been in the same class their whole lives until enrolling in Night Raven College, Floyd does not have many childhood memories of what Azul was like, as he was so quiet and kept so much to himself. Upon entering middle school the three formed a trio with Azul playing the piano, Floyd on the drums and Jade on the bass.

It was around this time that Azul gradually began to look beyond his books for opportunities to practice his magic, while still keeping diligently to his studies. This resulted in several incidents　such as a student suddenly becoming physically fit but losing their voice, and another student suddenly having beautiful hair but losing one of their tail fins.

Azul is wary of apparent gestures of goodwill and unconditional kindness from others, believing that “all contracts come with a price”, and he strongly dislikes the idea of ever being indebted to someone.

His unique magic, “It’s a Deal” (in Japanese: The Golden Contract), enables him to take the talents of others for himself. Two of his talents as seen in the main story of the game—his singing voice and ability to talk to animals—were both obtained through this magic.

It is discovered in Book 3 that his powers are actually too strong for him to control: his unique magic allows him to absorb power from others indiscriminately, which Leona says is designated as a forbidden class of magic.

Azul does not need his contracts to enable his unique magic: he needs them to limit it. Without the self-enforced rules of his contracts, Azul’s magic would be impossible to reign in and result in constant over-blotting.

Azul is very calculating, logical and defensive. He will ask for payment for absolutely anything he does, including help with test preparations (a popular service among NRC students).

Azul is always on alert for information—particularly on the weaknesses of those around him—for use in contract negotiations. While his business may appear corrupt from the outside, Azul has an extremely high success rate in fulfilling his customers’ requests, resulting in constant demand for his services.

Azul is very smooth-spoken and polite when he speaks, but his formal form of speech wavers and can disappear entirely when he is taken by surprise. While appearing outwardly calm and collected, Azul is in fact very passionate and emotional.

We learn that Azul was overweight as a child (“he looked like a good meal" according to Floyd, and "twice as wide as the other mermaid children—at least” according to Ruggie, who saw a photo), which may be why Azul is always counting calories. He has expressed displeasure in the lack of calorie labels on food in the school cafeteria.

Azul is actually something of a gourmet who can identify the ingredients of food products (like juice) merely by tasting them, making it curious that his favorite food is Japanese-style fried chicken (kara-age).

Azul does not like crowds, saying that he feels most at ease in dark, small spaces, which is why he is often seen with his hood up when he wears his ceremonial robes.

Rook refers to Azul as both “Roi de Fort” and “Roi de l’Effort” on ENG-server. I asked a French speaker who assured me that “Roi de Fort” is incorrect grammar (it would be “Roi du fort”). Putting overwhelming amounts of effort into everything he does being one of Azul’s main character traits, I would assume that “de Fort” was a continuity error and “de l’effort” is the correct translation. (The original katakana of ロア・ディ・フォート would be “Roi d’effort, which is also grammatically incorrect ww)

While flying is his worst subject, Azul claims he does not dislike it. He is decidedly not athletic, but still performs light muscle training exercises daily despite how he does not like to sweat.

It seems that Azul is larger than both Jade and Floyd in their mermaid forms and actually quite strong in his original form of an octopus (Floyd says that octopi are "pure muscle" and he doesn't believe that all of that disappeared just because Azul drank a potion to turn himself human).

The extent of his abilities in his human form is unknown, but according to Floyd, “He’s slow on land and in water, and he’s got lousy athletic reflexes, but that doesn’t mean he’s weak. Octopi are all muscle. Seems to me like that wouldn’t disappear just because he took a potion to turn himself human.”

Azul enjoys collecting coins, which seems to be a hobby he has had for a long time. He first became interested after coming across a rare coin near a shipwreck and learning how much he could sell it for.

He now has a collection of about 200 coins, and his favorites are framed and on display in his room.

Azul has multiple hobbies and serves on multiple school committees, as he believes that there is no better way to find new avenues that may lead to new business ventures than to experience things directly.

Azul and Idia are the only two members of the main cast in the Board Games club. Idia prefers games that involve an element of luck, while Azul prefers games that require strategy, and he first joined after Ortho introduced him to a board game that mimicked business strategies.

Azul’s labwear goggles have the same prescription as his glasses, but he does not wear either in his mermaid form. He says that he began wearing them at the school both for vision-correction purposes and for the look, as he read that—according to on-land culture—glasses make one appear intellectual.

The mole near Azul’s mouth is on the opposite side of his face to that of Ursula, the villain upon which he is based.

Azul gets along well with Ruggie, who shares his appreciation of money, of the effort needed to get it, and of not being in debt. In Book 2 he provides Ruggie with a magic-amplifying potion for the Spell Drive tournament, despite he himself being on the event committee.  Azul also seems close with the twins, who invade his room at midnight on his birthday with cake and congratulations.

We learn from Leona that “transfiguration potions are forbidden” at Night Raven College, but it would seem that merpeople chosen by the mirror receive special allowances to grant them a human form in which they can comfortably attend their classes.

We learn from Floyd that living on land is a dream for many merpeople, but it is rare for anyone to follow through. They attend “land boot camps”, a month-long course where they are taught the basics of on-land living such as information about land-food, what fire is, the importance of wearing clothes, how to breathe and how to walk.

Floyd explains that the school was founded by a mermaid princess who married an on-land price and wanted to help keep other merpeople from suffering the same culture shock that she did.

Much like Disney’s The Little Mermaid, in Book 3 the MC, Grim and Jack have three days to fulfill a contract that they arrange with Azul, and Azul even provides them with a magic potion that allows them to breathe underwater in order to do so (a gift that mirrors that of Ursula’s gift of legs to Ariel).

Also in line with the movie, Jade and Floyd interfere. It is revealed that Azul’s end-game from the beginning was to transform Ramshackle Dorm into a new branch of Mostro Lounge to accommodate the growing business.

After a certain incident in Book 4, Azul refers to the player and Grim as “slightly dirty rags” (小汚い雑巾). On the same day that the chapter containing the line was released, the phrase was trending on Twitter, and then became the tag used for various Azul-related fan content.

This phrase was translated as “dusty cloths” on ENG-server while the original “dirty rags” line has been attributed—twice—to Floyd, despite how Floyd has never once said it in any of his original dialogue. (a small point, but JPN-server really did lose its mind at that part in Book 4, so it sticks out to me ww Copy-paste it into Google if you want to be buried in Azul fan-art)

Some great artists for Azul fan-art and more (SFW, no story spoilers) Octatrio 1

Octatrio 2

Possibly my favorite two-page comic of all time (Octatrio)

Octatrio Comics (spoiler: baby-mermaid-forms)

Voice Azul is voiced by Tamaru Atsushi (田丸 篤志), whose other work includes The Irregular at Magic High School (2014 - 2020), Hitori no Shita: The Outcast (2016), Touken Ranbu (2016 - 2018), A3! (2017, 2020), Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (2018) and I-Chu (2021)

An interview with Tamaru on voicing Azul can be read here

More seiyuu information available here

Mystic au

Leona Kingscholar

The air surrounding you grows devastatingly dry, heat burning through your very skin. Static crackles through the air, a sharp sort of sound that stabbed straight into your ears. A husky laugh echoes, raspy yet with a rich quality not unlike aged wine.

A weight presses itself onto your shoulders, fingers endowed with claws grazing over your arm lightly. Casting your glance to the side, you meet a pair of half-lidded emerald eyes, amusement dancing alight within those irises. Barking a laugh, those very same claws trace the curve of your chin, firmly guiding it upwards. Forcing your gaze to fall solely on him.

“Huh, rather bold of you to call me upon such short notice, Master. I was just having such a nice, refreshing nap… when you just had to summon me right then and there….”

He sighs somewhat theatrically, before continuing his drawl:

“Leona Kingscholar, Komainu.

I’ll be expecting you to fully make it up to me personally later, my Master.”

Ruggie Bucchi

You see shadows, darting in and out of your vision. Dancing around your form, ghastly beings of darkness with rows of razor sharp teeth, curved into a dastardly grin.

Laughter echoes eerily around you, with manic glee. They slink around, never staying still long enough for you to get a good look, yet move slow enough for you to be acutely aware of their presence.

Shifting, waxing and waning like a candle’s flame. Before a pair of hands reach out, cupping your face within their warmth. You’re greeted with a toothy grin , sharpened fangs gleaming menacingly with the faint light. Ruggie Bucchi, his eyes crinkled with his smile. He laughs at your surprise, a lovely boyish sound that went straight into your heart.

“Surprised? You were the one who summoned me, Master!

You can’t be this shocked when I pop out of nowhere, not when you were the one who called me here. Although I can’t say that face doesn’t look cute on that mug of yours-

Just kidding! Aw, don’t be too mad. I do genuinely think you’re cute. Ruggie Bucchi, Komainu.

So, what’cha want from me today?”

Jack Howl

A fresh, resinous, woody sort of smell wafts through the air. The smell of pines, encased in their wooden armour. You can hear the wind howling, a mournful, lonely sound. Rushing through your hair, chilling your skin. The temperature drops rapidly, leaving you cold and trembling, clutching at your own arms in order to preserve some semblance of body heat. Your breath comes out in a white wisp, vanishing right before your eyes.

Yet as it vanishes, something materialities in front of you. Jack Howl, your familiar. He drops onto a knee, almost like a knight, paying their respects to their sire.Yet he’s back up almost immediately. Jack’s eyes are bright as he looks at you, tail wagging away behind him. Upon seeing your shivers, he’s sheepishly sliding an arm around your shoulders, cautiously pulling you closer to him.

“Is this alright, Master? I’m sorry about the cold…. You don’t mind? That’s a first.

I’m warm enough to make up for it? Well… I… Urm…. You can snuggle closer, if you want… not that I’m opposed to it… Urm.

ANYWAYS! Jack Howl, Komainu! At your service, and your beck and call.

I made some icons for you to use them free! Hope you like them <3.

🫶

Part 1 of the Bucchigiri feature in spoon.2Di vol. 107

Part 2 of the Bucchigiri feature in spoon.2Di vol. 107

The complete Bucchigiri?! article from Animage April 2024