RITSUMAO FOR THE ASK GAME 🗣️🗣️🗣️
YAYYYYYYYY YIPPEE YIPPEE I LOVE MY CHARACTERS #MYCHARACTERS
Why I like them
GOD WHERE DO I BEGIN FOR EITHER OF THEM THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS...
Ritsu: I first became interested in him because I really enjoy messy sibling dynamics and his relationship with rei is one of THE most interesting sibling relationships I've ever seen in fiction. Also I loooove a character that is so so dehumanized. And canonically disabled! Especially when part of his disability is chronic fatigue, which I share! And he's heavily bpd coded! And I really enjoy characters that are strategists. And I like vampires. Knights (the concept, not the unit in this context) as well though that's a chicken/egg situation for if I like ritsu because I like knights or if I like knights because I like ritsu. And I enjoy his aesthetic a lot. I could go on and on
Mao: remember how I said I like messy sibling dynamics. Mao's relationship with his sister isn't as prominent in the story as ritsu's relationship with rei but it's also sooo important to his character and shapes who he is and I find his whole childhood very relatable with the way he was assigned the label of "good, helpful kid" and expected to be more mature and reliable than should ever be expected of a little kid, especially after his little sister was born. And I love a character that's insanely insecure and a massive people pleaser. I think what REALLY gets me about mao more than anything is just how desperate he is to be liked, and how blind he is to the fact that people ALREADY DO love and appreciate him so so much. I could go on and on for him as well but I gotta move on or we'll be here all night akldjgl
Why I don't
Hmm...... I mean... they both have negative traits for sure but I can't say any of their flaws make me like them any less? If anything they make me like them MORE. I suppose I don't like how they act with each other prior to band ensemble (with mao fully ignoring ritsu's serious issues, and ritsu being wayyyyy too codependent and possessive) but if they weren't Like That before, then the development they have during and after band ensemble would just... not really mean anything
Favorite scene
Ritsu: piano monologue in band ensemble I love youuuuuuuuuuu. And of course his talk on stage with rei at the end of operetta. Aughhhhhh
Mao: okay I'll confess I've only seen the anime adaptation for revenge match I haven't actually read it but oughhhhh the flashlight scene. You know the one. Throws up and dies. Also the ending of seasons of love where everyone at yumenosaki comes together to support mao's charity event just because they all respect him that much!!!! Even though he doesn't see himself as anything special!!!! Explodes the world!!
Both: when mao finds ritsu in band ensemble because he recognized the sound of his piano and came to look for him because he had been so worried about him during the couple weeks he'd disappeared. Yeah. And then the performance after that. And the scene after the performance where they're walking home together with anzu. I like band ensemble......... other than band ensemble though there's of course the scene in chanbara the night before the game show where they're talking and scheming together hehehe. Also that scene in horror night halloween that shows us how much they've grown post-b.e. where mao is seriously taking ritsu's feelings into consideration but ritsu tells him to go help his friends instead of worrying about him... augh. They mean so much to me
Favorite line
Ritsu: like I said I really really love his conversation with rei during the operetta performance. If I had to choose just one line from that, I gotta go with "we acted like vampires and put up a facade, and while that might've comforted our hearts, I think it was meaningless. Let's do something meaningful. Because human lives are finite". And then from the band ensemble piano monologue, I really love the line "from the very beginning, there was no place where I belonged. And yet, he misunderstood, dragged me by the hand, and carried me on his back... he shared his warmth with me" he makes me sick in the head
Mao: "well, whether it's my selfishness or something else entirely... I want to leave evidence of me... no, of me and of my trickstar teammates, as well as everyone else who helped us to fulfill our dreams. I want to leave something behind that shows "we were once here"" from seasons of love
Both: obligatory tanabata seven bridges "maakun, I love you! Let's get married!" "Ask me again when it's legal in this country" mention...
Favorite outfit
Ritsu: RINGING EVIL PHONEEEEEEEEEE. And janus. And dark night halloween. And his !!y2 summer casual he's sooo cute. And his fs1. And craftmonster. And operetta. Also the new global exclusive outfit. I'm sorryyyyy there are too many good ones I can't even narrow it down...
Mao: finder girl of course. And I like his fs2 outfit a lot. And his !!y2 as well <3
OTP
Well I'm sure you can guess
Brotp
Ritsu: it's impossible to choose I love all of his friendships they all mean so much to me... just the fact alone that he's made so many friends when he used to be so isolated gets me... ueueue... if I had to pick though I especially love his friendship with koga they're silly
Mao: the rest of trickstar obviously (including anzu). I like his friendships with tori and shinobu a lot as well they're cute I love you !! stuco
Headcanon
Ritsu: oh god I have sooooooo many. Well obligatory transmasc mention because. Gestures to my pfp. And my orientation hc for him has fluctuated quite a lot but I think I most like to imagine him as demirose. I also have some particular hcs for his fashion style, I got a whole pinterest board for his outfits and everything. And as for my physical hcs I think I've made those pretty clear through all my art of him already akldklgjs. Also, inspired by an idea from my friend anyan that he wears glasses when he's older, I've recently been thinking about him having bad eye sight/wearing contacts! Which would be fitting because bats are blind as shit lmao and maybe I can bullshit something about how being nocturnal means his eyes are more adjusted to the dark and so he can't see as well in the light or something? I guess? Idk I just want him to have bad vision because I have bad vision <3
Mao: aromantic bisexual mao the realest ever to me. And lately I've been rotating the hc that he's secretly really really really into the fact that ritsu is so much smarter than him. He is sapiosexual to me. Also I like to imagine him as more possessive than he lets on (*cough* "you used to just be my ritchan" *cough*). I have a pinterest board for his fashion as well, and again my physical headcanons have been made clear by my drawings of him lol
Unpopular opinion
Ritsu: hmm there's honestly nothing that comes to mind...? I think the general fandom's characterization of him isn't inaccurate per se, just oversimplified (which I don't mind from people who don't actively produce him lol), so I don't think I really have anything to say about him that would be controversial
Mao: he's so not normal. I'm FOREVER going to be bitter about him winning that one tournament for the most normal enstars character because he is NOT. HE'S SUCH A FREAK. He wants people to think he is normal but it is imperative that you DO NOT FALL FOR IT
A wish
Ritsu: HALLOWEEN CENTER EVENT PLEASEEEEEEEEE I NEED THIS
Mao: I want him to grow his hair out more sooooo bad
An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen
I would... have very complicated feelings about it if they ever became a canon pairing. Canon ships are boring to me I prefer my ships ambiguous and left up to interpretation. I wouldn't exactly be devastated if they were made canon (because if any ships would be made canon, they'd be one of them for sure) but I think it'd take a lot of the fun out of it for me
5 words to best describe them
Ritsu: clingy, cunning, mischievous, eepy, gay
Mao: reliable, insecure, hard-working, friendly, gay
My nickname for them
Ritsu: ritchan or ritchu (or sometimes just The Character)
Mao: maakun, mao-meow, or kitty
