Accompaniment: Televisions by Current Joys

It's becoming more clear that attempting to treat these chapters as if they were their own self-contained entity is folly, but I think I'm still able to say a few words on it as its own story.

For one thing, it's obvious that you should be playing Chapter 1 first to get introduced to all the characters and put you in the right mindset, but besides that I found Chapter 2 to be a heartbreakingly sorrowful tale of a best friend losing her state of mind to a powerful demon. While Chapter 1 is meant to make the reader feel paranoid, Chapter 2 sends them in a state of denial with you learning so much about one particular character and just how deep their emotions and sins go.

Watanagashi stands head-and-shoulders above Onikakushi for me, and earns the oh-so coveted title of Alliecore for one particular reason, and that's Mion's struggle with identity. When Mion first mentioned that sometimes she wonders why she wasn't born as a boy, I joked about it with my friend going like "Mion trans arc??? Based Ryukishi07???" But then the story went on. And as it went on, her struggles with femininity became more than just a simple line and I found myself relating heavily to that.

Mion is for the most part a tomboy, but as Rena mentions, she has an unseen feminine side. I may be different in that I am a trans woman, but I have trouble expressing that I am that. I myself do prefer androgynous clothing simply because it's easy to wear and comfortable, but that means that my identity is invisible to the naked eye of the random observer. The pain I feel in never getting to be called miss or ma'am is enough to break me into tears at night. Especially when my own family thinks I don't make sense. That pain rivals what Mion feels when Keiichi treats her as a boy. While she has different reasons for feeling pain (namely, romantic interest), the message is the same. It's not that she's blaming Keiichi for not treating her the way she wanted, but it doesn't take away from the fact that she's hurt and she wants him to know the pain she feels. I don't want to blame anybody either for their ignorance, but sometimes it's a bit hard when I give clues like my trans-designed sweatshirt or a pin showing my pronouns.

Another point of emotional pain I sustained within this scenario was Keiichi trying to give the doll to Mion after she was fully consumed by her demon. After finally recognizing her and him trying to make up for his blindness, it's too late. Mion stabs him and he drops the doll, soaking it in a pool of its own blood. The doll is a representation of Keiichi seeing Mion for what she is, and it being ruined by blood is a ruin of that perception, the beauty of caring for a best friend marred by the blood of a relentless evil.

I compare that scene to my current state of mind, my deep desires to cut contact off from my non-understanding family and friends that have greatly hurt me clashing against my meek and forgiving personality not wanting to go through with it. I fear that Watanagashi is a reflection of my intrusive thoughts and what happens when they fester. In my case, it is the desire to hurt with words, and with the intensity of hammering 30 nails into one's fingers.

I'll talk real quick about the horror. Definitely not as unsettling as Chapter 1, maybe because I could sort of expect what was to come this time around but the CGs of Mion going insane are going to keep me up at night lmaooo.

Everything just made me yearn much more to want to have a good ending for everyone. But at the same time, I'm also hoping the Chapters 3 and 4 live up to the attachment that Watanagashi had for me towards Mion. I'm also hoping, like, the ending isn't terrible either because this is a goddamn 60 hour time investment and I would be FURIOUS if the ending sucked lmao. Also I find Keiichi to be a massive shithead. I hope future chapters show him growing as a character. But, overall, still very much into this series and I can't wait to finish it!