There was an attempt at making clay pins/badge thingy today! It didn’t turn half as bad as I thought it would but there’s still room for (a lot of) improvement
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to my western hemisphere -if no one said it yet, HA! I was first!!
I’m not trying to be weird and vague face reveal, but I literally have no one to ask, and you all know me better than anyone. Other than maybe the guy that looks like Thor, that works at the gas station. But he gave me a weird look when I tried to ask him, soooo
Should I cut my hair? It’s getting long and it does some new weird shit everyday and idk what to do with it. But I kinda like it? (Cuz it does something new everyday.) But if I let it get any longer; I wont know exactly how to get it back to something like this can you tell I’m a wash and air dry mo fo?
Idk how to do my hair AT ALL
Also could you please help me find a boyfriend tia -Jeremy; Resident Insane Poetical Mischief Maker/Simping Otaku Extraordinare
Also, I now head canon The Rose “Baby” was a song Shizu actually wrote for Hiiragi to sing.
VALENTINES DAY SYH SHOW -> It was like 3 live performances in, of him singing it (like past all the rehersals) before he realized, it was actually Shizu’s song to him.
^^Weird things happen in my head while driving.
I also head canon; during that 3rd live performance, Shizu start shouting the backup vocals, over Hiiragi.
It’s incredible to see the WRITER’S process in visual form, because through Gurasi aka Sashikizu aka Sashikiz aka Kizu Natsuki doujins; you can see where they split characters into more characters. I agree, based on the Haikyu doujins; Iwaizumi and Oikawa, became Ritsuka and Mufuyu, although Iwaizumi began to look much more like Kageyama. (Or Kagami from Kuroko no Baskuke) But I’m gonna point something out; they were actually the characters that became Shizusumi and Hiiragi.
I think this is KiseIdk looks like Haruki to me
Story time: Just before traveling restrictions; my bf at the time, flies from his home in Osaka, to see me in the states for a week. Lil Sasaki to Miyano irl; we first bonded over BL. I hated it, he loved it, and was convinced he could find something I’d latch on to. So two grown men hole up in a hotel, order room service, and veg out on BL of all things. He and I didn’t officially last (thanks Covid you dick) I really liked him a lot, but the best part of our short relationship was that he introduced me to Natsuki Kizu. Because of him, I now have this blog and a whole Given fn shrine in my house. (I hate you Covid, Im supposed to be looking at houses in Hokkaido, right now, with a handsome art director.)
So there I was, reading Haikyu doujins about two characters called Iwaizumi and Oikawa. I was never into Haikyu (or Kuroko no Basuke) so I had no idea who these guys were, but the way Kizu depicted them had me INVESTED! Like I love them, so fn much, and continued to follow them even now, through Kizu’s original works. I found Given and realized it was the same mangaka. And there were my guys, but renamed and reworked. I had, in-between; started reading a little Haikyu to see where they came from, and discovered Hinata, Kageyama, and Kenma aswell. (Then the guys from Kuroko no Basuke) I do not see Hinata as Mafuyu, although a good chunk of Given fans swear he’s based off of him; eventhough their Haikyu doujins ship Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Reading Kizu’s doujins (everything I could get my hands on because they are such a damn good mangaka) I could see the developing oc characters that became Given, almost in real time.
Kuroko no Basuke’s Hayama X Miyaji/Kise became Akihiko and Haruki ->
Kagami X Kuroko became Ritsuka and Mafuyu ->
And somewhere in between writing the Kuroko no Baskuke and Haikyu doujins; Iwaizumi and Oikawa became Shizusumi and Hiiragi, not Mafuyu and Ritsuka. Interstingly; none of their fanart characters REALLY look like the characters they were based on. With Ritsuka and Mafuyu, and even Akihiko; you can further see where they were developed from all of them, between the different ships.
I’m sticking to Haikyu characters, in this article; but you can see a whole hell of a lot of Given’s characters in Kizu’s Kuroko no Baskuke doujins, aswell. Esspescially Kagami. Just refer back to the above panels.
You see, I read Given last. It seems they’ve been drawing Iwaizumi as an ORIGINAL character the longest, and as their WRITING developed, and Given began to form; their version of Iwaizumi began to split. From Shizu, to Akihiko, and even Ritsuka. You also see Akihiko in their version of Hanamaki, from Haikyu.
When their Iwaizumi character, that looks exactly like Shizu, branched off in their fan works; aspects of them first became Akihiko, then even Ritsuka later, with the introduction of Kageyama aspects, into their oc. It wasn’t until the visual introduction of some of Kageyama traits, snd essentially Kagami from Kuroko no Baskuke, that Ritsuka was really seen. Yet despite the clear inspiration from Kuroko no Baskuke; the relationship of Ritsuka and Mafuyu; started as what became and really looks like always was; drawing Shizu and writinga sweeter relationship between he and Hiiragi. Iwaizumi doesnt even look like Haikyu’s Iwaizumi, in Kizu’s works; it’s hands down Shizu, with Ritsuka’s angry panic faces and Akihiko’s manner of movements. And Kizu’s Oikawa fluctuates between what became Mafuyu yes, but also Hiiragi. I’ll give you all ones to reference. AGAIN I know there’s a lot of Kagami X Kuroko in Ritsuka and Mafuyu, but I’m sticking to the Haikyu doujins only. There are many elements of Given characters in Kizu’s other works.
“Hikari no Ko” and that whole kinda series of omegaverse looks and feels like Shizusumi and Hiiragi raising a child Mafuyu. But in this story “Oikawa” is more Hiiragi, less Mafuyu. Don’t see it? The last page of this story is exactly the same panel they JUST drew, of Hiiragi’s little heart attack in ch45, when Ritsuka says he agrees the set list is done, if Hiiragi’s okay with it.. but the original panel was Oikawa, in this doujin. Which is fn brilliant, because it’s the same sort of moment in Hikari no Ko, when Oikawa has a little heart attack, and realizes everything will be OK, with THAT story’s “Mafuyu”.
That story was very personal to them, as they felt the need to indepth explain in a letter to the readers; that they really felt they needed to write it, even if it wasn’t received well, because of the genderbending, in it. They went on about how these were their versions of characters, so in a way they WERE their characters, and they felt they had the authority to take artistic license and make it so that gender “rules” for roles, did not apply. I fn love Kizu so damn much! There are similarities in their early works, where Mafuyu-esque and Hiiragi-esque characters are drawn so similar, it’s like Hiiragi wearing a Mafuyu wig, or Mafuyu making Hiiragi’s exaggerated faces. This is where the split happened and Hiiragi was being fleshed out; making him look much more like Kenma than Oikawa.
The “father” in that story looks like Shizu, but his stance and facial expressions, are reminiscent of Akihiko. The two characters have continually paralleled in Given, and as a writer, going through these same processes in developing original characters; I can see where one was culled into two. Its also in the VISUAL development, so keenly; one is dark and plain and reserved, the other is fair and showy and boisterous. Both still have moodiness from Kizu’s version of Iwaizumi. But in this doujin; they are combined because they hadn’t been separated in to two different characters yet.
Iwaizumi is absolutely early “Shizusumi”. One can’t look at that art work and NOT see Shizu. And what’s more interesting, is if you didn’t know the cover art was from an oc doujin story; you would think it’s art of Mafuyu and Shizu, dressed to a T and posed exactly how she poses Mafuyu and Ritsuka, so iconically, now. Still this is also a good example of where we see Akihiko being developed
“Higan no Kagee” is like a fanart photo album of Haikyu’s Iwaizumi and Oikawa, showing Kizu developing oc characters, beginning to break away from those they were based on, and becoming Given characters. Images to note: “New flat New family” doesn’t even try to be anything but Shizu, while “volley ball player stretching” really shows Mafuyu forming from Oikawa. The memories of the beach and the car accident, are very telling of Yuki and Mafuyu, but it’s Iwaizumi and Oikawa, yet Iwaizumi looks identical to Shizu while Oikawa fluctuates evenly between being reminiscent of both Mafuyu and Hiiragi. I remember when I first started reading these, I had a moment where I remarked; this mangaka can’t decide how they want to draw this Oikawa character, they keep going back and forth. Infact the cover art of them standing on the beach, is often mistaken by Given fans, as Shizu and Hiiragi, especially the way Oikawa’s smile is drawn; it’s that signature Hiiragi sort of coyote yawn look, with a deep separation of bottom and top jaw. Think the pink SYH cover from ch39; 2021 Cheri+ vol3. The “holiday sandlot base ball” and “first kiss drunk not dating” images are again without a doubt Hiiragi and Shizu, but before Hiiragi was fully developed away from the introspective Kenma-esque feel. This is also where you start to see a change in “Oikawa’s” hair; like Kizu knew they needed to change it, to better fit the oc they were developing. It’s easy to spot, because it seems like short hair is the one thing they struggle with drawing.
“Gunjo no Shashin” and “Ano Machi” is where you start to really see Akihiko developing and “Iwaizumi” splits into both Shizu and Akihiko. You begin to see Iwaizumi drawn with Akihiko’s signature stance, hand movements, and mannerisms; but it LOOKS like Shizusumi. You even see Akihiko’s hair, where they’re developing the differences between Akihiko’s and Shizusumi’s which is the same damn hair, but Akihiko’s is shorter. They even write it as a part of the story, where Iwaizumi cuts his hair too short in the front, and voila; it’s Akihiko’s iconic hair, but black. It’s like you get to see Kizu actually asking the reader; what if I drew Iwaizumi like this, instead. I think Kizu has a thing about hair anyways; as the panels of Iwaizumi remembering the wind blowing through Oikawa’s hair, are almost identical to Shizu reaching out to Hiiragi walking on the railing. Its Shizu and Hiiragi, before the panels in Given.
Between the last two, you begin to see Oikawa separating into Mafuyu AND Hiiragi. Then, the memories and proposal in “Gunjo no Shashin” feel almost like Akihiko and Hiiragi, but Kizu’s depictions of “Oikawa” become softer and more Mafuyu like, once again, which is where as a writer; I imagine they realized they needed to pair up their already established Shizu character, with someone else and for whatever reason, picked a Kenma-esque presentation for what became Hiiragi. It worked once they flipped that character and made them loud and obnoxious; the opposite of Kenma. Yet like Kenma; Hiiragi has moments of naive fantasy and ridiculous emotional reactions. I also think it’s cute they stuck with the gamer kid, from Kenma, for Hiiragi. At this point, they must have realized they wanted to stick with a Shizu-sequence character, and a Mafuyu-esque character; but put them in different relationships, as they were starting to develope Akihiko, through writing, not just visual art. To do this; “Mafuyu” who was Oikawa, and they’d always shipped with Iwaizumi; would need an additional character to be THEIR partner.
Enter Kageyama. Ritsuka does visually resemble Kageyama, just as the Hiiragi we have now, more resembles Kenma; dying his hair yellow and giving him gold cat eyes. Who knows why they chose those two Haikyu characters’ looks, when their oc began to branch off from Iwaizumi and Oikawa, to Shizu and Mafuyu, Shizu and Hiiragi, or Ritsuka and Mafuyu, with the addition of Akihiko. Yet even the playground scenes of Iwaizumi and Oikawa are revised with Shizu and Hiiragi, and Yuki and Mafuyu.
“Kono Machi ni Sunderu Karera no Koto” cover is current Hiiragi and Shizusumi, but Oikawa has Mafuyu’s eyes instead of Kenma’s. The sleeping naked Oikawa feels more and more like what becomes Mafuyu, yet the reuniting of Iwaizumi and Oikawa in the hospital, feels like Akihiko and Haruki. But if you go back to where they began; Iwaizumi was initially Shizusumi and continued to be drawn the same. He’s the only character that didn’t have a drastic change, visually or the way theyve always written him. Kizu even gave Shizusumi, Iwaizumi’s name. They even make reference to their own headcanon as a fanfic mangaka; to Iwaizumi meaning something like a well, and Oikawa meaning spear, but the character that is used is more like “source”. Little fact: the shrine for the okami Kaishima (ie Hiiragi) is famous for its holly, which is where the character’s name comes from….but also…a well.
So my experience of Kizu’s works began with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, and their head canons of Haikyu. Since I knew them from before I knew Given; reading Given was like oh, ok so Shizu is Iwaizumi, Mafuyu is Oikawa, and this Ritsuka character is an oc combo of Kizu’s Iwaizumi and Haikyu’s Kageyama. (Also Kagami from Kuroko no Baskuke) Akihiko is a different version of Kizu’s Iwaizumi (and Hanamaki) (and Kuroko no Baskuke’s Hayama) Hiiragi is an oc combo of Kizu’s Oikawa and Haikyu’s Kenma. But Iwaizumi and Kenma’s personalities are kinda switched? Interesting fact; before I realized Given was a Kizu work, I saw clips on YouTube of Akihiko and Haruki from the anime. My first reaction and what made me hunt it down, was that Akihiko was that same version of Iwaizumi, I’d seen in Kizu’s doujins, but fair complected.
You don’t have to read this next part, but because I study Japanese literature; it’s worth exploring if you care to.
Every single one of Kizu’s characters’ names in Given is a play one words. Not just the seasons. It’s light and sound, and kami, aswell.
Aki is sunlight, and fall, and references Amaterasu and Genji.
Uestsu is moonlight, and rain, and references ghosts or the sound of sadness.
Haruki is light itself, and spring, and Amaterasu, and references spiritual energy.
Mafuyu is winter, and the cycles of the moon.
Ritsuka is summer, and fire, referencing spiritual energy.
Kashima Hiiragi when read together is literally the kami of thunder, and their associated holly that flowers in winter, and references Amaterasu AND Ka the same kami/spiritual energy reference with Ritsuka.
Hiiragi makes Tsukuyomi references to Shizu, which ties them all to the seasons, light, sound, and the moon. In Japanese creation stories; Tsukuyomi is Amaterasu’s twin and moonlight, as Amaterasu is sunlight, and “Akihiko” is the son of sunlight. But “Shizusumi” is a made up name. Aside from the headcanon they wrote of Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa’s names being a play on source and well, Hiiragi referencing the source of a well that would be Shizu…Shizusumi is literally “quiet” with zumi on the end. Which is just another way of saying “complete” or “whole”. I always took this as a cute ref to Iwaizumi, and Kizu’s original shipping, as Iwai and Zumi both are indicative of celebrating in happiness or satisfaction. But neither characters exactly, exude happiness; so Kizu put the cherry on it; combining their names to create “quiet” “satisfaction” or “celebration” or “happiness”. When they call Shizusumi’s name it’s more like a directive; “be quiet and content”. Or just Shizu -> “Quiet”.
So yeah, Ritsuka and Mafuyu are Iwaizumi and Oikawa, but Kizu’s Iwaizumi started out as what became Shizusumi and pretty much still is. They are actually Shizu and Hiiragi. Which is why I think the scene in ch41felt so abruptly different from the rest of Given, outside of the context of it, alone. Kizu went back for a moment and revisited their original versions of those characters. I read those panels and saw Iwaizumi coming home from his mountain exhibition and pouncing on Oikawa.
I can only add 10 pics; so I’ll do a separate post of just that, to show you some of these images ❤
