I think there isn’t much narrative point to killing off Yusa at this point! If Hirako didn’t learn child soldiers r a bad idea from the deaths of Shio and Rikai I don’t think he would learn from the death of Yusa. Seeing Shio and Rikai–or even just Arima and Hairu–quinques on the other hand? That might do it.
Because the reality is, Shio, Rikai, Arima, Hairu, and Yusa were all bred to become weapons in a war and then eventually to be consumed. But using their dead bodies (Hairu I consider a guarantee, Arima likely, the others… not so likely but it’s possible) makes it very, very obvious what they’ve been doing all along, and that it’s a cycle Hirako has not broken. That might give him the motivation he needs to say Yusa go home.
U think what kaneki did is gonna haunt him for the rest of his life him
being Happy to see his loved ones doesn’t mean that what happend didn’t
afect him At all , like John doe says killing is easy living with It is
the hard part I strongly belive that he is not proud of what he did ,why
should he? I don’t think is gonna be adress because the ccg members
never care in the first place they r still using KIDS as killing
Machines (poor yusa boy)
So I think the memories of the Oggai are, contrary to what tumblr likes to think, one of the pivotal moments that will drive Kaneki’s final development towards Judgment. I’ve also never said Kaneki shouldn’t be happy to see his loved ones or that he doesn’t care. Maybe others have but I haven’t. I do think he cares. I want that care to bear fruit and I believe it will.
Firstly, let’s address Tsukiyama. He grieves, but we’re deliberately told that we’re supposed to contrast him with Ui. Ui let his grief over his loved ones almost destroy him. Urie mentions Shirazu every 3 seconds. Kaneki thinks of his loved ones constantly, living and dead. Hirako is still all about Arima. But Tsukiyama doesn’t mention them at all and instead obsesses over Kaneki (not Kaneki’s fault). That does set off alarm bells. Of course I think the answer is to move on rather than be stuck in the past, but to move on remembering. My guess is that neither Ui nor Shuu’s response is something Ishida wants to endorse.
(I also think it is interesting that ghouls are the ones who move on because loss is what they know, but grief is a privilege for humans. So it’s a societal problem even more so than just a character flaw.)
That’s why it’s also… weird to me that neither Shio nor Rikai, nor the Oggai, have been mentioned at all. Yusa being in danger is directly confronting Hirako with the fact that those kids are dead. It’s not just the Oggai I want mentioned; it’s Shio and Rikai. It’s again breaking down the barriers and showing how ghoul and human is a stupid societal classification rather than a true species difference: this time the CCG ignores their deaths just like the ghouls have had to do.
I think the wrongs done to children need to be directly mentioned because while people would prefer to ignore it, it was a pivotal moment for Kaneki’s character development. It ties into all the themes of the series, ghoul vs human, the harms perpetuated onto children, etc. It’s not a blip we can ignore. It is one of the defining moments for Kaneki if not the defining moment that’s ramifications will be felt later in the story–which doesn’t mean Kaneki’s doomed or anything; he’s not, but it’s a pivotal part of his development. I am almost certain Furuta is going to try to use it against him if/when they confront each other one last time, and I also believe Kaneki is likely to encounter the Sunlit Garden in which he’ll have to grapple with that. I don’t want this to destroy him and I’m not saying BE MISERABLE EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE. I’m saying that I want to see him actually take responsibility for it like he said he would do, because we all know Furuta, with his love of psychological games, will not hesitate to confront him with that.
I’m still crying over them 😭 but unfortunately while anything is possible, I don’t think so. Shio and Rikai didn’t have arcs of their own, unlike say Hairu Karren Shirazu Arima Eto etc. what their arc was can and is being completed in Yusa (yes Yusa is going to live) and or through the garden kids that I strongly suspect Ayato and Kaneki are going to stumble across.
I would love it if it happened but tbh, I’m not sure I could handle seeing what’s been done to Hairu (if that beast is her and I think it likely is) done to them. It’s too grotesque. 😭😭😭
chosen not to let them fight they would still be alive, but also if A
had chosen to fight for what he believed him instead of becoming a
martyr for it and to actively protect the children they may have
survived. I think that the fact that the first 2 died offscreen while we
were clearly shonw R and S’s bodies has to do with the Moon arc and the
passage to the Sun arc where all the horrors and what the ch were
trying not to see is brought to the Surface. Actually except this
particular R and cont
S’s dead weren’t at all that different from the ones of the other 2
nameless children: we didn’t see any reaction from H or the survivor
kid(s). It’s as if they are completely forgotten once they die in an
almost automatic way. Also we are building towards a climax in the
characterization of the kids: first 2 nameless, S and R were sketched
out and now A is given more focus. I also saw a theory were the other 2
were left with Et by K and helped her survive. Meta anon
Ah, thank you Meta Anon! It’s interesting also that Hirako and Yusa contrast Ui in a similar sense to how Shuu does: whereas Ui clings to his every memory of Hairu and Arima, Hirako clings to what Arima told him but doesn’t honor the memories of the dead kids and neither does Yusa, and Shuu clings to Kaneki without remembering Karren and Matsumae.
(I know some people take issue with the claim that Shuu’s forgotten Karren but every other person who’s lost someone in this series–Urie with Shirazu, Ui with Hairu, Akira and Amon with Mado, Naki w Yamori, and on and on–always brings them up. Like, always. Shuu hasn’t since Rushima and that’s gotta be deliberate).
Also, did you see the “et” on Hairu’s back in the newest drawing of Ishida’s? -__-
Me evilly awaiting Ui’s pain and drafting theories about ET being Hairu all week:
Me seeing Ishida’s new 0 Squad art:
Me seeing that Ui’s arm is lined again:
Me upon seeing it pointed out that ET is indeed scrawled on Hairu’s back in the new illustration:
And that means she probably was calling out Ui’s name in the latest chapter…
without a head to guide them. So having the quinques cutting through their respective arms may be a reference not only to some physical wound, but also to finally cutting their dependence from Arima, so that they can stop being a “part” of him and become their own people. Also Ishida seems to be doing a lot of meaningful art lately as we approach the climax of the battle: Sh and U, the 0 squad, Shuu. Meta anon
Yessssssss that’s very true! I’m super excited for this haha. Ishida knows what he’s doing…
I think there isn’t any direct evidence for it–it’s
mostly circumstantial. We saw the first five zero squad kids, and
afterwards there were three.
I think it’s a pretty likely
assumption that those two died in the fight, but we don’t know because
we were not shown what happened. I’m going to assume that’s because it
will be relevant later since it seems like too big of a question to be
left hanging. If that is indeed the case, it seems unlikely Shinsapei’s
understanding would be correct. Hirako is also depicted as being
pretty paternal towards these kids. If two of them were to die, I think
it’d be fitting with his character to be enraged.
In an argument
against this theory, it’s true that Aura’s hatred of Kaneki would
indicate that he’s definitely under the impression that he took Kiyoko’s
legs, which she may have told him.
But then there’s this:
Hairu,
Shio, and Rikai have all been beheaded. The fact that this line goes through
Ui’s shoulder I doubt is a coincidence, and so I’m thinking Ui lost his
arm (which would explain where he is right now). If he did, that would
be a clear callback to what happened with Kiyoko, and a parallel: two
Garden kids die, and someone loses a limb or two. I don’t personally
theorize that Ui killed them, but rather that Hajime did due to what we
saw of their fight, with Ui being reluctant to hurt Yusa and Hajime
eager to hurt Shio–but I’m also not sure that precisely matters, since
the Garden trio are Hirako’s subordinates and Hajime is Ui’s. Hirako
holding Ui responsible for Hajime’s actions could also be along the same
reasoning of why Shinsanpei (and possibly Kiyoko) holds Kaneki
responsible for what happened to her: because Hirako was fight for
Kaneki there.
Of course, it’s possible Hirako just took
inspiration from Kaneki chopping off Aura’s limbs in revenge for the
Garden kids, but since Hirako’s the one who knew them best, it makes
more sense for it to have been him, and the parallel between that fight
and what happened here, right down to the number of Garden kids who
died, makes it seem likely to me. But it’s just a theory.
started wearing black clothes to symbolize his change, but which are also fitting for a reaper, Then the third may be Kaneki himself if he is dragon. The title implies some kind of nurturing and both J and Ui received it even if in different ways and if Kaneki is the 3rd he sure received it as well (abt J not killing K, not even the old reaper did). Still, even if dragon and Juuzu are the 2 reapers I think their target is more important than Ui’s if it’s Hirako. I don’t know, just some ramblings
You’re always welcome to ramble on my inbox, anon! All theories are welcomed.
I’ve considered Ui as a reaper as well, though I think evidence would suggest he didn’t kill Hirako or Yusa because you would think Hajime would have their heads too. Ui also didn’t seem particularly eager to kill Yusa (in contrast to Hajime promising Shio that he would die there).
My guess for where Ui is right now that he’s too injured to continue and Hirako took Yusa and ran… somewhere (hopefully to, you know, reconsider his use of child soldiers because as much as I adore Hirako I’m not letting him off the hook for this–you can’t claim to be that much better than the CCG if you’re using kids to fight too and you already lost two).
Maybe one of the reapers is Furuta for himself rather than Dragon, because I still think he intends for Dragon to kill him.
Maybe the reapers are the friends we made along the way
But I’m with you in that it’s very interesting to consider all the options; that’s such an intriguing title for a manga chapter though that I would be disappointed if we don’t eventually find out what the reapers are and who these three people are, presumably by the end of this arc.
hamliet 