#rien truths

Gonna be real part of why people are so eager to characterize Rien as "sad agencyless dad" and casually ignore that HE CHOOSES TO BE AGENCYLESS its why he's so FASCINATINGLY FUCKED UP the lack of agency and control is HIS FAULT... well its because he's the man in a narrative very much about mothers.

People just really, really hate women, and they are eager to ignore how Rien is an abusive father who acts as if he has no agency or choice when he abuses his partner (Shiomi, maybe not literal but at least symbolically) or child (Ryoshu) even though he has the ability to step outside the status quo and reclaim agency at any time. Like what do we think the narrative is trying to say about abusive fathers here. That Rien is able to hide behind things not being his fault and instead being the actions of his God, synonymous in this text as being social status quo. And that he uses God/status quo as an excuse to indulge in cruelty.

This is also why people are so bizarrely averse to discussing the themes of SA in canto 9, because it centers around Rien and people are incapable of understanding their skrunkly blorbo boy is a villain who has like, themes and shit. The moment it gets Too Real they have to deny it because they can't stand the thought of enjoying a Problematic Character.

Can we please use our thinking caps for one moment instead of compulsively forgiving the tall thin tumblr sexyman in a suit. He's not your new Onceler he's a three dimensional and fascinating villain that commentates on a lot of societal ills. Im not saying to stop liking him he's probably my fav villain of all time I just think ppl's eagerness to forgive him is ironically emblematic of the EXACT FORM of misogyny the canto was discussing

Uhhh, I'm not very creative myself, but I'd like to think that a Distorted Valencina could possibly have extra fodder to fight that look like soldiers(her bragging about the Smoke War and her position in it), and a phase of the fight lapses between fodder("I'm above fighting you myself...") and just her isolated("... But I'll get the last cut at you!") like the Jia Qiu fight's Answer Me, Jia Baoyu phase. Her eye Relic would probably also be there. I'm not sure how the alcohol would be showcased, but it is somehow. Maybe like the Night Drifter, except after a while it stops buffing her and starts debuffing her. I just think that the main point would be broken pride in relation to who she was as a fighter in the Smoke War and her loss of position in the Thumb.

SOOOOO normal about the fact that the ending of Canto IX's teaser is the beeping of Rien's pager when he stops following the Prescripts and begs for Ryoshu to stay, and the music playing at the ending of the trailer is Sanzunokawa, the theme of both Shiomi and Araya 🫠