#criminal really

Nevermind that I'm just very interested in the twins in general, nevermind that I've always held SOGA up as the gold standard when it comes to outfit design in the myus (which has only very recently started being genuinely surpassed with productions like Hanakage's concert outfits or Goumyu's gorgeous, gorgeous tailoring) but there's also something about the whole presentation of SOGA that gets to me. Like a lot of things concerning the Genji twins, the presentation of the play (staging, choreography, costume design) is based around the Higekiri and Hizamaru being two halves of a greater whole, meaning that they parallel each other throughout the whole two hour jaunt. Kemono is such a perfect microcosm of the mirroring they've been doing for the whole production, including them doing the same choreo at specific times, as-above-so-below imagery with Higekiri on the balcony vs Hizamaru on the center floor

But there's also the way that their crest placements have been mirroring each other's on all of their outfits and now, for this performance, they both wear it on their left breast, right sleeves in their respecting black and white.

💙 ARCs for Rare Birds are available! 💙

Before the book's print and eBook release in July, I'm giving away some advance copies. Check my pinned post for full info about the book, including the blurb and presale links.

How does it work?

Comment on this post with a blue heart and at the end of the month (April 2024) ten readers will be chosen at random. I'll DM you with the link for Booksirens where you'll be able to safely download your eBook ARC (advance reader copy) and can later leave a review if you want to.

Is the review required?

Nope! For a start, many book review sites discourage paid reviews. But mostly I don't think reviews should be a chore or obligation. If you're in the mood to tell the world how you felt about the book, please do so! Your absolute honesty is highly valued. But otherwise this is just a free copy.

Is an ARC the real actual book?

Yes - it's the final version of Rare Birds. But just in case there's any last-minute typos to tweak, publishers usually reserve the right to make changes in the final *final* copy.

but that’s not the point of this post

basically I LOVE the books, especially James’s point of view, because we truly get to see his real, raw emotions. And you as a reader/watcher sympathize so much more because you see just how wrecked his mental state is.

SERIOUS SPOILERS UNDER CUT