Now that I have the attention of the proseka fandom, go check out my music channel youtube.com/@Emyl_ if you want! I’m a beginner vocal synth producer B)
Mizuki is my favorite character in the whole game and even though their identity is a big part of it im just so happy because of their personality, mizuki is not only a character about "otherness" but also how even despite society's rejection, they still keep being kind and never falter. They're a really strong character, because even at their lowest they did their absolute best to keep helping others, like mafuyu on her breakdown, kanade on her search for a place of her childhood and ena on her art journey, its tiring, but they really like being themselves which is why we havent seen them falter about who they are at all Also about the dysphoria, mizuki's mirror is shown to be covered from the head area, and the anniversary mv's show a scene of mizuki sadly looking to themselves in a mirror (but it could be something else as self-loathing because they hate being seen as "something" and not someone) Their most recent event (avoiding spoilers) basically is what led mizuki to embrace their identity and propel themselves to pursue their dreams, personally mizuki is a character about moving past society's dumb restrictions, doing as you please, enjoying each day doing as you please, and the consequences that come with that, the hardships, the discrimination, the constant reminder of "not fitting in" that society loves enforcing onto people who aren't as expected
I feel it’s funny people get so heated about Mizuki’s gender, when the whole point of their story is that they’re afraid of what people expect of them, Mizuki feels that as soon as people realize who they really are they’re gonna leave them behind. I do headcanon Mizuki as a trans girl, as their experiences and their feelings really resonate with my life as an LGBT+ person, but if people are gonna get mad at them or the writers if it turned out they’re not trans they would be missing the whole point of their character, that friends should stay by your side just because they like you as a person, not because of how you may appear, present or express your identity. Would I be disappointed? Probably, but Mizuki would still be my favorite sekai character
But to be honest I feel they’re never gonna reveal Mizuki’s gender exactly, as Sekai tends to be very vague and usually tiptoes around “serious” topics, like Saki’s illness and how exactly Kanade’s dad got into a comma. If I had to guess Mizuki’s arch is probably gonna end with them realizing that N25 and their friends are gonna stay by their side just because they like them as a person, regardless of their identity. And the writers might leave it vague by saying that Mizuki’s still figuring themself out but now they’re not gonna be afraid of just expressing themself and exploring their identity freely because they have people to rely on and that support them no matter what
Same. I love mizuki as a whole and i honestly don't care much if they ended up being trans or not even if i am trans myself and identify with their struggles
I, as a trans person, very much agree that she is a trans girl (at least as I head cannon) and I really hope we get to see that they’re canonized as one. I think it would over all be wonderful representation for my community.
based on the newest Mizuki focus in jpsekai , their family actually supports them to be who they are but it’s just the society. People at school often sees them as weird because of the way they act and they’re not happy with school, which lead to them starting to skip school. They had a ribbon that their elder sister gave them when they were young and they recently received a pack of cute clothes that their sister made for them. Because of her encouragement, they decided to join 25ji nightcord de. and become a more positive person. I personally relate to mizuki so much. i’m a cis from an collectivist country (not japan) and i relate to the point that i had been considered weird during my primary/secondary school and suffered from severe bullying. However, my parents are not as supportive and they’re similar to mafuyu’s parents. i had no one to rely on except my only irl friend and some online friends. sorry my explanation are messy because i’m not good at english bye
i'm also from a collectivist country and uuuggh school really was the worst... and i too have parents like mafuyu's... and i'm trans on top of that all... also damn i absolutely need to read that last mizuki focus event, what u described sounds very interesting but i'm procrastinating 24/7 T_T
@@heymayday8761 the event is called “and then, i tied the ribbon” in english i think? i read it twice (once in japanese and once in english) and it made me cried, anyways the story described their life before they officially join niigo (ena’s past was partly mention, quite similar to “One day from the depth of despair” but mizuena version)
@@foursakenlight_ yes, i'd already known the name of the event BUUUUT i didn't know what it was about (well outside of kinda vague spoilers (???)) sooo your description intrigued me~ i... absolutely need to check it out then (as do i other niigo events-) but UGH I JUST CAN'T GET AROUND TO IT uwaah T_T
Personally from playing the game I got the idea that Mizuki was born male but had interest in fashion that was stereotypical in females, so Mizuki’s overall message of identity would be that people can wear whatever they want regardless of gender and be who they want to be without some type of boundary. There is barely anything to go from since the canon is very vague but it’s this vagueness that in a way makes Mizuki more relatable since you can envision their secret to be similar to your own struggles, though if they do end up revealing what Mizuki identifies with I hope the fandom doesn’t go insane if their headcanons are proven wrong
THIS but also in the story Mizuki was really bothered that the classmates brought up mizuki being a boy/used to be a boy so it feels kinda wrong calling Mizuki a he But is also feels wrong calling them a she it’s not really confirmed if Mizuki transitioned or just a cross dresser with no title So I shall wait till the story progresses to see I’ll just say Mizuki or they for now
I absolutely hate how the pjsekai fandom treats Mizuki. They always argue over using "correct" pronouns for them when there really aren't any wrong ones, and it's kind of just generally a headache to watch
I'm so glad that Mizuki's struggles and characterization isn't just based around their gender. I have the biggest pet peeve of people making their sexuality or their gender the only thing that matters about them. Hopefully that doesn't sound wrong, the way I typed it.
Note: I haven't fully watched the video, and I also am not trying to sound hostile or aggressive or anything, I only speak from a perspective of someone withing the trans community who hears a lot from others who have worse dysphoria than I do. People making their sexuality or gender the only thing that matters about them can often be because it's the only thing that people (on or offline) bring up as a "relevant" thing about them. Like how Twitter people will dismiss someone for having a trans flag or pronouns in their bios, or how people will focus on sexuality as a strawman as if that's the only thing that dictates character or personality, so a lot of people will respond as such, defensively. Alternatively, some people who have began to explore their identity will indeed make gender or sexuality the main thing they present about themselves because it's what they're currently learning or finding more about, or perhaps due to feeling free to express that side of themselves for once (like if they leave a home that they feel wouldn't accept it). The rush of that comes across as "the only thing that matters" because even from their perspective it's the new, big thing about themselves to talk about and show off, the same way people talk about and show off new (positive) events in their lives like moving, relationships or new jobs they're excited about. That's again, not to say everyone is like this, but enough people I know have been like this and so have I, so I try to keep it in mind when someone is actively showing that stuff off, because there's a ton of people in the world and inevitably a lot of them will be sharing the same mentality or sentiment and it might feel like it's a neverending thing when in reality, there's context and variety that gets lost in the sheer volume. Idk why I felt a need to go on this whole rant before even watching a SEKAI video lmao, sorry if I sounded judgmental or anything, I swear that wasn't the intention!
@@Gender_Ascender Oh, no. I totally understand! I'm not trans or anything, so I am not exactly knowledgeable in the topic. Though, I am all for people making their sexuality and gender important to them. I just don't like when they express it as their only defining characteristic or feature. I have some friends that are transgender, but I don't want to be friends with them BECAUSE they're trans. I want to be friends with them for more than that. I'm having trouble finding a good analogy to represent my thoughts, but I'm hoping this helped me get across them more clearly.
@bittersweetkitty3083 Ah, no, I understand that's definitely mostly what I wanted to get across. I encourage people voicing their identities. It just kinda rubs me the wrong way when people make their identities a personality. If that makes sense..?
I'm a trans girl who's been reading the story in Japanese (still catching up, no spoilers!) and I knew about the discourse around Mizuki beforehand but when I read Niigo's main story I felt like they made it """clear""" - Mizuki is Mizuki! And that's okay! I feel like in the west, we're always excited to get representation in the media, and even more excited when it's good, accurate representation, because it really doesn't happen that much. We want to see ourselves in the characters we see in media, and that's super-valid. But if Mizuki were confirmed to be NB, or trans, or anything, really, it'd mean that some people would feel like they couldn't see themselves in Mizuki anymore. So to me, the devs are handling it in pretty much the best way they can, because as many people as possible can see themselves in Mizuki and nobody's wrong for it! If you want to believe that Mizuki is X or Y, that's awesome, but if you tell someone else that Mizuki ISN'T X or Y, you're kind of saying that only certain people can REALLY relate to Mizuki, when it doesn't have to be that way. Everyone can win!
That's litteraly what I said on one tiktok and people kept saying that hc Mizuki as transfem is not assuming any gender I basicaly don't know but to me Mizuki is Mizuki and that should be accepted as it
People on the Internet just can’t stop themselves from slapping labels on characters because they care more about relating to the character than who the character really is
@@ren858 exactly?!?! I saw people on instagram outright saying that rui is a lesbian?!?! and that.. uh.. anyone who said he wasn’t was homophobic?!?! im.. speechless
honestly, i don't blame the fandom for trying to label mizuki with a gender, i feel like a lot of people relate to them and just hc mizuki as their own gender to feel more connected to them despite this is does still annoy me when people act like this is their only personality trait. project sekai has some of the most well written characters ive ever seen and they all feel so 3d, but many people fixate on one trait of the characters and make that singular trait their only one, and ive seen this isn't exclusive to only mizuki at the end of the day, mizuki is mizuki and i wouldn't want them any other way
@@dryelene agree. I really love the game, but half if not most of the appeal of mobile gacha rhythm game is the characters, and what gives them depth is the story. The main story is great, but the event story is slow and boring. It took them 8 chapters that took an hour or two to read if you put it on auto only to deliver story that I can summarize into 3 sentences. Sadly this what makes me stop playing Sekai for a while (same with bandori) but I would love to pick this game up again only for the music and gameplay. The maps/charts on this game are next level for a gacha rhythm game.
Boku is fairly unusual for girls irl but not uncommon in manga and Mizuki is canonically into manga/anime so it’s possible that it’s because of that or just habit (my boyfriend used washi for a long time because of a manga he read as a kid and now uses jibun, since he sounded like a grandpa and really dislikes boku/ore). The obsession with Mizuki’s gender is really strange because Mizuki’s character is all about being Mizuki before being a gender and not being judged about gender expression. I think Mizuki is relatable to many different people because many of us can relate to ostracisation because of our self-expression, especially trans women and non-binary people (which Mizuki likely is one of). I don’t particularly care what gender Mizuki ends up being because it will still be an important story for any non-cis person. Also it’s refreshing to see a queer character that isn’t just queer but a fully fledged person. On another note, pronouns barely exist in Japanese. They technically do but they/them is the localisation and a way of avoiding confirmation - not necessary Mizuki’s pronouns. This is because after you know someone’s name, it’s normal to call them by their name rather than he/her/their etc. I remember Mafuyu saying “kare” once about Akito before she knew him but I’d be willing to bet at least a quarter of the cast have never been called with a properly gendered pronoun in Japanese but idk.
What I hear about Mizuki's character being identity is wrong (that's Mafuyu's thing) imo. Mizuki is pretty aware of who they are but they keep it to themself. Imo I believe Mizuki's character isn't really about identity but trust and loving yourself. As Mizuki was a victim of bullying (which is even worse in places like Japan or Korea than the stereotypes in North America) and gossip behind their back they have made themself disconnect. However due to this it has developed a sort of trauma. The reason why Mizuki doesn't go to school is that they hate those comments about them as 1. Well it’s probably really annoying 2. It probably triggers a sort of PTSD. As Mafuyu puts on a facade of being perfect Mizuki puts on a facade of being happy. While it is true their life is definitely better than before as those flashbacks made them look miserable always, they had some sort of development in between those flashbacks and the start of the main story. Mizuki's healing process already started before the story even did. While we see Mafuyu at her lowest, we see Mizuki trying their absolute best to make their and everyone around them's life better. However as much as they're trying to do that they're doing it "alone". They're making themself distant from the other members because they're scared of losing the friends they just made and built up. The words they've been told about being weird and a freak really got to them as that's what they think of themself. They believe that one day their friends will leave Mizuki behind and that's what they fear the most. Being alone again. And bringing back those words that hurt Mizuki the most. Freak. Mizuki themself hadn't realized how much the other Nightcord members mean to them and they only really realized it during Secret Distance. However even if they mean a lot to Mizuki, Mizuki isn't sure what Mizuki means to the other members. They believe that if they completely open up like Mafuyu does their friends will leave them as that's what happened when Mizuki's secret got leaked. They don't trust nor think the other members care about Mizuki more than the other members clearly actually do, unintentionally distancing themself as although it seems Mizuki is the most socially active and always seems to be laughing and having fun that's truthfully all the other members know about Mizuki. Ena only realized something was strange during the ending of Secret Distance and Kanade and Mafuyu only caught on much later. The other members only knew Mizuki's smile for the longest time not suspecting that the pain the shared to them from the past had still lingered to the present. That's why Meiko during Secret Distance acts so cold. Meiko is built on Mizuki's personality like how Miku is based on Mafuyu's and Rin is based on Ena's. Meiko believes that watching everyone from the sidelines is the best way to watch them grow which is exactly what Mizuki thinks is best. ID Smile Mizuki's song is about them not wanting to lose what's been built up and being able to keep it forever when they know that it doesn't work like that. So they don't completely open up about themself keeping a small piece of them locked away so they don't have to feel as hurt when that day finally comes. However this lock is starting to rust away, like when Ena called Mizuki her friend. It's these little moments that bring Mizuki the most joy yet it's also what fuels their misttrust and self doubt the most. As much as they're really happy about words like "let's do this again next year" and "because you're my friend" make Mizuki really happy the opposite is also true. "Freak" and "Monster". These little words have so much impact onto Mizuki which torments them to the point of almost seppaku. Fortunately progress is being made and maybe one day that lock will fall off and they can completely open up about themself. Also I would like to elaborate about Mizuki's story not being about identity. Imo again this isn't the main point of Mizuki's story. Mizuki is very clearly aware of who they are and what they want. They're not confused on this like Mafuyu is. I think way people think that is that 1. Mizuki has been explicitly called being similar to Mafuyu (which I believe is to be the putting of a mask) 2. The whole gender thing going on. If it isn't already clear that's Mizuki's secret they're desperately trying to keep hidden. (This is my guess since there's no proof since it hasn't been revealed) Not because they think they're trans or something but because that's the source of pain they don't want others to know. Anyway if I missed or am just wrong about something let me know please
I agree with you actually! I may have poorly phrased my point in the video but I did mean to say that Mizuki knows who they are and has a very strong sense of identity but they aren’t accepted for it. I didn’t adress the bullying as much as I wanted but I was trying to hint at it when I was talking about Japan being a collectivist society. Thank you so much for sharing your interpretation of Mizuki!
And this is why I think they are so amazing and relate to them so much. While it can be interpreted that a lot of their trauma comes from their gender, it is framed in such a way that it goes beyond being trans-specific and can be related to and understood by people of various identities. I’m a cis girl, but my whole life I’ve felt othered for various reasons, including being ND. Mizuki is the character I relate the most to because of my being othered but still keeping true to myself, while in some ways not wanting others to see parts of me that I think will drive them away. Seeing Mizuki’s story makes me think of my own life, and makes me want to give them a hug so so so much
@@peanutbutterex i understand your point but i don't think thats why mizuki is bullied. It's less of them looking trans and made fun of for being trans but I feel it's more like making fun of an ugly person because they're ugly. Only in this case it's because nobody can tell if Mizuki is a boy or girl and that freaks them out. Before the start of the main story Mizuki was just trying to fit it and failed. But that being said it's good that many different types of people can relate to Mizuki! They're also my favorite character and I've spent quite a bit of time piecing together what makes Mizuki Mizuki
thank you for this video! I was very scared this would be "mizuki isnt trans just a crossdresser 😠" but like. it wasnt!! People in fandom really do boil them down to transgenderness which is of course awesome and all but come on... they are so so much more... Also i was inspired to research what style mizuki dresses in and im pretty sure they dress in girly kei! (Their outfit with the top hat and suspenders/shorts reminds me of ouji more though) (as another trans person (thogh transmasc) who loves cute jfashion mizuki is a huge inspiration to me)
I’m a trans person and mizuki has been a massive comfort character for me, I love cute things and wearing cute outfits and mizuki reminded me that gender isn’t everything and what matters is being yourself and I think that’s so important
In the newest event, Mizuki has something their hiding from Ena. Something that I’m assuming is similar to their gender, but is never explicitly stated. Ena keeps trying and trying to get them to open up, until she meets with MEIKO. MEIKO tells Ena that the best way for her to help is to wait for them to open up. In the end Ena listens to this advice. I honestly never related to a character so much before, and this story really sealed it. I’m transmasc and something that always frustrated me was how people always feel entitled to know your gender. They don’t understand that fear of losing someone you care about, or being treated differently. When I told the people I care about they usually always reject me, so I understand Mizuki’s struggle so much. Hearing Ena say she’ll wait made we want to cry, because those were the words I always wanted to hear. Someone waiting means that their not going to be upset when you tell them your trans. I say this because from my experience the first thing most people say is, “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner!” Ironically enough, this response usually leads to the rejection, and the usual transphobic comments. Also, hearing Mizuki talk about how they know there friends won’t last a year also hurt, because I knew that if I ever were to transition it would almost impossible to keep most of the friends I have today. Choosing between your sanity and your friends and family is something that I have to ask myself on the daily. That’s why seeing Mizuki not only choosing her sanity and mental well-being while still having her friends was really powerful for me. Telling my family not only lead to the most traumatizing day of my life, but also give me the inability to open up to anyone that I’m trans. In truth, if my parents even know about the one person that knows about my pronouns and name I fear they’ll kick me out. But Mizuki’s story has given me hope that I’m not alone and I’ll find cis people that actually don’t care about my gender. I hope someday I can go by he/they pronouns without the fear of rejection or a fate even worse.
Wowowow! This video is amazing. Mizuki is my favorite character, and their gender identity means a lot to me as a very confused person when it comes to that. Them using they/them pronouns never meant they were non-binary to me personally, anyone can use they/them really, so them having an unconfirmed gender is great! The second part about the japanese interpretation is so interesting as well! I never thought about it that way, but it makes a lot of sense! Really, that just makes them even greater. Mizuki is just a great character, and this video just proves it even more. You did SO well on this, I was hooked the whole time and your voice (and the little mistakes hehe) are super endearing and I'll keep an eye out for more content from you. :)
Gah I’m glad you liked my video! Unfortunately I’m not sure when I’m posting my next video, I’m more active on my Instagram lately (@emy_isontheinternet) so if you’re interested in keeping up with my content that is probably a better way to do it than UA-cam:’D
I feel like Mizuki was less of a gender issue character and more of a societal issue- bad wording, but I feel like they were created to show just how much Japan's societal culture of having to fit in properly in every aspect or face consequences such as bullying and being ostracized. Obviously their gender identity plays a part in it but is not the big idea. if you look into it they don't care much about their gender and rather dislike that being talked about- they want the other aspects of their personality and what they do to be focused on. mizuki just wants to be seen as mizuki, and they've made that clear. but what they want to be and do goes against societal norms, so they suffer in turn. In the western fandom nobody ever talks about their depth as a character and it makes me a little sad, since they themself would not appreciate people hyperfocusing on what they are instead of who they are.
Mizuki was made to be ambiguous, a character who questions and goes against societal norms and I like that for them. Mizuki as just "ano hito" or that person or just being Mizuki as Mizuki 🫶🏽 I will forever love them and Ena.
Have you heard of the term “josou”? It’s a general word for AMAB people dressing in feminine clothing in Japan, be they a gender non-conforming cis man, a trans woman, or otherwise genderqueer. I learned about it in a video discussing a certain slur used in anime circles, so it may be useful in discussing Mizuki’s gender in a Japanese context.
I wasn’t actually familiar with the term! But Japanese or not I think it could still fall in the “label” category and Mizuki not using any specific labels could apply to josou as well. It’s an interesting thing to look into nonetheless, thank you for mentioning it!
Still,their gender Their gender is unknown because Sega benefits from queerbaiting, so for Mizuki you can use your own headcanons (male, trans-girl, non binary or genderfluid):)❤
@@--9697queerbaiting is not really whats haopening here..?? Its more leaving it up to personal view as Mizuki and their personal expression is very girly.
@strawberriesstar I mean,Sega just gets hype from this situation and they will stretch this "secret" for another year and a half,but yes,I'm agree with you
This is a good video! Gender identity is such a sensitive topic so part of me was a little apprehensive clicking this, but you did a really good job. I’m a nonbinary person who uses they/them, so when I first started playing the game I was immediately interested in them once I noticed them using the same pronouns. I wasn’t sure how the game was going to handle their character, and honestly I’m really happy that the game chooses *not* to explore their gender identity heavily. Elements of them having some gender feelings are there and do make up an aspect of their character that can’t be ignored, but its just one small piece of a much more complicated person. Its sort of funny, I first got interested in Mizuki’s character because I was wonder “oh, am I going to relate to them?”, and ended up loving Mizuki *because* they’re so different from me, our personalities and the way we express ourselves and our identities are completely different, and it makes Mizuki such a fun and interesting character to me. Tbh the only thing we have in common are our pronouns (in English at least), and I love Mizuki for that.
One thing that really makes me uncomfortable about the western fandom is how aggressive some of them are about the whole gender situation around Mizuki. I saw some people being really disrespectful to translators who used the pronoun “she” when any niigo member (usually Ena) talked about Mizuki with other characters. To me, the translators are being coherent to the story, since Mizuki never shared their secret until now to anyone, except Rui and An. As you have said in the video, Mizuki is a character who, at the end of the day, don’t care about gender, but just the things they like and fans getting angry at others because of this is very unnecessary. Sorry I just wanted to get this off my shoulders and ended up ranting
@@kiyrox I don’t think they told, but An is in the disciplinary committee and is Mizuki’s classmate so she kinda knows (or have and idea) of Mizuki’s troubles based on the rumors. If you read the “What lies behind, what lies ahead” story, An tried to hide the fact that Mizuki gets bullied by their classmates bcs of their secret.
@kiyrox it isnt explicit but an acknowledges mizukis identity struggles and whatnot. in the kamikou festival she reassures mizuki that no one would be looking at them very much and even tells them that there should be an empty space for them to get changed in (this is HIGHLY likely due to mizukis possibility of being trans, and feeling uncomfortable changing in public spaces) the fact that an acknowledged this shows that she must know or at least have an idea about mizukis secret
It's very annoying that every time someone uses she/her for mizuki in a normal civil discussion or appreciation comment people WILL come to "correct" them, sometimes even aggressively, which brings away the topic away from Mizuki, the character. The only blatantly incorrect pronouns for her is just he/him. Anyways I agree mizuki really would not care lol even hope the people who argue would shut up a little. Things would be better if nothing turns into a pronoun war
@@anameig9332 yess, these people who starts a pronoun war when they talk about Mizuki totally throw away all the effort Sega put in Mizuki’s character. It’s not about Mizuki being a girl, a boy nor a trans, it’s about not being able to tell your deepest secret to your close friends because we are afraid of being alone
I feel like Mizuki's a representation of being othered for being different than other in a way you can't control, for example almost all of their classmates make fun of them, call them weird and only use he/him pronouns for them, which is something I (a nb person) have delt with at school and home a lot. I also like the fact that they haven't been labled with anything especially because, as an autistic person, labels have always been hard for me and I mostly use them so other know what I'm talking about, hence me identifying as pangender. Basically Mizuki is so gender and I love them a lot.
I just started playing and my read on mizuki is that she’s trans but just tired of everyone talking abt it and being like “wHy dOeS mIzUkI DrEsS lIkE tHaT”, and that she just wants to be herself instead of what others project onto her. That’s probably part of WHY she didn’t tell anyone in Niigo, because she didn’t want her first real friendships to be tarnished by the same speculation and constant discussion. This new event just feels more like she wanted to finally address the elephant in the room as this secret was bound to come out eventually anyways. The weirdos in her class took that from her though, and now she’s afraid her friends will just be like everyone else: constantly focused on her gender and how “weird” she is, and not who she is as a person.
I love Mizuki because I see a lot of myself in Mizuki. Being told that being 'girly' was weird and loving dresses but never get to wear them. I relate to their story since it also happens to me
Ironically speaking, I found out about this entire game from mizuena fanarts I saw on pinterest, and eventually played this game because of mizuki. They became my favorite character originally because I really liked their personality and dynamic with ena, but when I found out about all the lore and whatnot behind their gender, it was just an added bonus to them. It's sad for me to see how many people only really know or like mizuki because of their gender identity issues.
yesssss super agree on the point that mizuki embodies standing their own ground in the face of societal expectations and i'm so glad you've expressed it throughout the video!! i think 25ji as a unit is about expressing themselves through unorthodox means, which embodies the spirit of volcaloid culture imo (how the producers make songs through differing genres that prioritizes telling their message over it matching what defines a 'popular, good sounding song')!! if the game decides to dip into the gender commentary with mizuki? it'd be so cool if in the end, they just don't have an answer yet. mizuki's still a high-schooler after all, and they haven't had their life or label figured out yet. i myself personally am still confused with my own identity (gender or sexuality), so it'd be nice to have some representation in that camp too!! ofc any and all headcanons are just as valid :D
another point to niigo is that they use music for healing purposes/making a community. While L/N uses music to move people on a personal level, MMJ uses it to deliver hope, WxS to make people smile and VBS to instill a sense of awe, niigo is the only one who's using music to help people who explicitly need help. That theme goes for all niigo members since they all felt saved by the group at some point. The whole point is to emphasize the power of empathy that music can deliver on its own so having characters who are by a very general definition "always suffering" makes all the sense in the world. All other groups love music but niigo is the only group that needs music.
Mizukis whole character is about how your friends should always be with you no matter who you are or how you express yourself and to not be afraid to be who you really are. i don’t really understand why people make her all about gender lol
Honestly, as a person who is a Mizuki fan, iI'd say theyŕe implied to be an otokonoko. Before anyone attacks me, I'll say, I DON´T have any problems with trans people, and I don't hate the transfem mizuki headcanon. I'm just saying what I found myself. English speaking fandom always says, like "OMG READ THE STORIES, THEY'RE TFEM!!!", but all thhey read themselves is ensekai stories, while the translation is bad. As a person who had read japanese proseka stories I'd say they "censored" at least a few moments about their gender. But honestly, I don't care how people hc them. as long as they're not forcing it to others (like many tfem mizu truthers do.) Imho we should just wait the official information and suck it up if it goes against our headcanons. I really like your point about "mizuki is mizuki, and they have other things to wprry about besides gender".
I started playing Colorful Stage pretty recently (around 3 months ago), and I've been much more focused on the gameplay aspect (rhythm games aficionado), but the story, and especially characters, really made me emotionally involved. Their struggles and how they overcome it together (with free therapy and lessons from the Virtual Singers, of course) are very inspiring. From the beginning, Mizuki, and by extension N25, have become my personal favourites. Partly because Mizuki's design reminded me of Suisei (one of Hololive's VTubers, my favourite singer among them) at first (lol), partly because I love their voices and songs, but also because of their story and overall theme. So learning a bit more about Mizuki just makes me more fond of them. I personally didn't have to struggle with my gender as I've been born the sex I feel better in, but I understand and support LGBTQ+ (my brother is transitioning so I'm at least aware of the inner struggles with that). I know what it feels like to be alienated by society, even just a bit, so Mizuki not caring and living the life they want to live is very empowering. Enough rambling, I liked your video a lot, so thanks for ranting about that. I understand you were on a hiatus, so good luck with your activities ! Your voice sounded real good, I could have sworn I had heard it somewhere too
Aw thank you so much!! I hope your brother has a nice transition and thank you for being such a supportive sibling!! And omg you’re right Mizuki’s design is kinda reminiscent of Suisei’s :0
I don’t see the problem with calling Mizuki by she/her or they/them as long as they don’t get referred to as a male or he/him because a lot of their inner struggles are coming to terms with the fact that they were never accepted for who they were (someone that wants to dress more pink and cute) when they were younger up until now and meeting Nightcord. You can see Mizuki covering their upper half of their mirror with a towel which is another clear indicator of how much they truly hate themselves. In composing for the future their solo lyric is “why were we all born in such imperfect bodies?” All of this points to the fact they want to be seen as not a male but atleast themself or a female. Including the fact that their ingame virtual model is literally under the female section/body
I get your point but that's assuming they're trans when they could be crossdressing or non-binary female presenting,they struggle telling ppl Abt their secret meaning they're already aware of what they are. the point isn't what they are at the end of the day but who they are
Right, I agree with you. I go back and forth with both of she/her and they/them for them, but I mainly use they/them on them since it's obvious, yknow?
I hate it when people juste like to put genders/sexualities to EVERY CHARACTERS Like no, it’s not canon, you can have your own headcanon but don’t just say « HE IS GAY! » « THEY ARE NON BINARY! » Like no it doesn’t work like that.
Its ironic that Mizuki whole overarching story is about them refusing a label given by the society while the western fandom trying so hard to give them a label. Mizuki is Mizuki, nothing else, they want people see themselves as only themselves and not their gender. This is also what Mizuki fear the most, they fear N25 doesnt accept them since they are not "normal"
About them not having dysphoria!! I think they do because if you look at their old room, In the background their mirror is covered by a sheet while at present their mirror is uncovered which shows that they used to not like who they were but are now more accepting and happy with themselves since they removed the sheet covering their mirror
@@miyuki1694im not really sure tbh, i just know that their gender is unknown and therefore use they/them for mizuki. i dont really understand why people attack others for not using they/them though, their gender is unknown right now and theres no need to attack others for it just because they dont think the same as you lol😭 so in conclusion, i dont know yet but a mizuki focus event is coming to global servers soon and we might get to learn more!!! there are translations of it on youtube if you dont want to wait though
This video was much needed in the fandom, I think maybe people project their own gender experiences onto Mizuki too hard since Mizuki is kind of like a blank canvas, so they take it personal when other fans misgender Mizuki Until i got deeper in the fandom, I was fully under the belief that the English translators were using “they” for Mizuki for mystery purposes; to keep the players guessing or because its so unconfirmed even the translators dont know
Because I am trans myself, I do see a lot of myself in mizuki. While I personally headcanon them as enby, this video has made me think deeper about how important they are with that Japanese perspective. Thanks for making it, I’m gonna continue with my little head canon and stuff and see how they progress with canon.
Could you make a updated video with the all the information that has come out since then? like Mizukis 5th focus event in JP server too :3 I like how you talked about this subject and I would be curious to know your current opinion
@@kristen3747 the video may have not been made with transphobic purposes, but they still allowed a place for transphobic comments, just because they both agreed about Mizuki's gender. It's a terrible move
Even though seeing Mizuki in Project Sekai was my trans awakening, despite their gender being unconfirmed, the real reason why I love Mizuki is due to their fashion sense. It feels really refreshing to see a J-fashion rep that isn't hypersexualized or super depressed and they are just a person who loves fashion. Whenever I dress up, I feel like wearing the stuff I wear (mainly Gyaru and Jirai Kei) because it makes me feel cute. Mizuki likes to wear girly and modest styles like ryosangata and I think we need to see more J-fashion icons in video games and anime who aren't just stereotypes.
mizuki is mizuki! they don’t have a confirmed gender, and as of rn, i kinda feel like that *may* have been done on purpose. one of the main points of their character is the fact that they know who they are and trust that they are right. gender shouldn’t always be the main point of something. mizuki is so much more than just that.
Thank you! Mizuki is so much more than their gender, and whether their gender does get revealed or not, they will still be Mizuki. I think we should stop focusing on their gender so much and start focusing on their actual character. Yes, Mizuki does have something to do with gender, but them being non-binary or trans shouldn’t be the main thing about them.
To be honest, I didn't even realize Mizuki was a queer-coded character at first. I focused more on their mental struggles and character development. I didn't even realize till I saw an edit, which was when something clicked lol. I think I'll just keep calling Mizuki, Mizuki :)
in my personal opinion, i headcanon them as a she/her trans girl but i don't mind other ones, as long as the person is comfortable with it its fine. what i cant stand is the people that force me to think that "Mizuki is non binary/a boy (the second one is proved wrong thought)" but for the rest i dont have arguments most of the time Asides that, i really love mzuki's style and personality...people tend to just point out the gender of trans implied characters like if it was their whole being
Personally, I believe Mizuki was raised as male, but after middle school, Mizuki decided that it doesn't work out for Mizuki and just wishes to be cute regardless of what the body has on it. In my view, i see Mizuki as a non-binary character due to not wanting to be seen as either gender. I got this opinion mostly after reading fukuboku. "Boku" is often used by younger boys or tomboys but isn't unusual to be used by anyone, just like how many male characters use "Watashi" which is often a feminine or neutral "I".
Mizuki will always be Mizuki, it doesn’t matter if their gender gets revealed, or if their trans or non-binary, they will always be the amazing character we love. We should start seeing Mizuki as something more than their gender, because Mizuki is so much more than that!
i know this was ten months ago and theres a chance someone else already mentioned this, but on the topic of Mizuki from a Japanese perspective and how the Western fanbase views them in the understanding that their Gender is Not Stated or how some say they're Trans/Non-Binary, in Japan it's common for Gender Non Conformists to not have a Label. Mizuki is an "I'm me" character, a character with No Label because it's normal where they live. This Cultural Difference is another very important part of Mizuki, as important as Mizuki's entire existance I'd even say. I really hope that in the future cultural differences can be talked about from different places, always great to see Mizuki content too :D (because let's face it Mizuki is the best Project Sekai Character (/j))
Yeah, I do hope that *_some_* PJSK fans take into account the perspective of where the game originated from (which is Japan) and understand Mizuki's situation in this perspective before yelling that their headcanon is, well, canon! I really loved your comment!
in my opinion, people should just stop fighting over Mizuki's "confirmed gender", they are referred to in the game using they/them and that's that. Mizuki is Mizuki and that will never change because even if they are trans or not, they still represent a problem in society that is very real and doesn't only occur in the trans community or the LGBTQ+ community as a whole (I'm not saying it doesn't happen but LGBTQ+ people aren't the only people who know how shit it is to be told that they are weird for simply being themselves) but it also happens to cishet people who maybe want to wear a type of clothing that's typically seen as "not normal" (e.g. a boy wearing a dress or skirt) or they are doing an activity that is seen as "odd" (e.g. a girl being good at sports and not caring about makeup) which is not weird at all. What society needs to learn is to let everyone express themselves in the way they want and not force them into doing things that they don't enjoy. (can you tell I'm a Mizuki kin?)
Thank you for making such a well-thought out, reasonable, and genuinely well analyzed video about Project Sekai. I've been playing since the Japanese BETA test and have enjoyed the game almost solely alongside Japanese-speaking fans. I've heard complaints and statements from English-speaking fans of the English translation that don't completely make sense to me without surrounding context. But I think you've done a great job at describing several readings of the character and their contexts and uniting them in a positive way. Mizuki is Mizuki! Great work!
With me, Mizuki is just Mizuki, and I tried not to use the gender (even they/them) or used it as minimally as possible, like Mizuki could be a boy that likes feminine things, but could be a trans girl or could be a non-binary, idk, so I just said Mizuki. (Bad Grammar)
Mizukis story is about accepting yourself, struggling with societies expectations and the fear of rejection when the people you love the most are to discover a part of you which you despise/are sensitive about. In Mizukis case, they need to realize that their friends won’t leave them and stay by their side. All of this can be related to their gender identity but their story shouldn’t be boiled down to their gender only. In addition to being amazing character, they are queer and it makes them so relatable and just well written. The writers did an amazing job there. Thank you for your video! I never thought about the japanese’ cultures view on the story. Gotta look into that more. What i wanted to add: in scenes where you could see mizuki in middle school, the mirror in their room is covered, while now it’s not anymore. Just something interesting i wanted to point out
I feel sad when Mizuki said "I just to be myself", in one of the stories, as I understand that Mizuki's hard work and struggle it remains me of after coming out as a trans boy and genderfluid, I wear and makeup like changing look as I want, fluidly, but the public(both non-LGBT+ and LGBT+) keep using prejudges and discrimination against me, like saying Im werido and accusing me of lying and being fake transboy Edited: In pronouns topic, ppl can choose not to use any pronouns and labels to refer oneself, like ? this one, so I think using they/them might not appropriate to describe Mizuki's pronoun, I mean...English ver, since you see according to the original Japanese official it mark Mizuki's gender as ? Also I dont understand why ppl keep forcing all kinds with the gender labels, what if some of ppl dont want to be refered as a certain gender? That's very disrespectful Edited2: I accidentally deleted certain word and twisted my actual meaning, sorry about typos
i actually like mizukis gender not being the big thing (i see it as mostly of them fitting into society) unlike some types of media i see. example, a gay character's whole personality being gay.
Wow, what a well thought out essay! Your video editing skills are amazing, I had such a fun time listening to your voice and thoughts on the topic. I felt really happy to hear someone else think these things about their character that goes beyond what the Western Fandom wants to see, but exploring the intentions of the JP creators and their character as a whole. I personally love transfem Mizuki with every ounce of love in my heart, but the canon is hazy, and realizing the softness of their queercoding is pretty important when having a debate on the topic. I wish more people in the west were okay with personal interpretation and respectful of other people's headcanons. I personally hope mizuki never has a confirmed gender because of how many people she can represent in this way, but if she ever does, it will be a piece of her story, as the character I love with all my heart. Thank you for the experience, i really enjoyed this video!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m glad you enjoyed my video!! And yes there are many debates around Mizuki but I’m glad many people get to enjoy them as a character regardless
Never really understood all the stuff in the fandom about mizuki "being trans"... I mean If he will turn out being such, ok! Canon is canon! But maaaan.... Its not about it, as i can understand It was never really " I want to BE a girl, look like one and be seen like one, but people think its strange" , it was more like "I like cute stuff! I love cute clothes, even dresses, pink and all that stuff! But people think its strange for me, as a boy to be such, so i will PRETEND to be a girl and hope that people will not hate me anymore" It always thought about mizuki as a more "society doesnt accept what i like" problem then "society doesnt like me wanting to be other gender" Its so strange that people are screaming so much, that " mizuki is trans/uses she/her/ uses they/them!!!! " Bro, this isnt a point...? We dont even know, even now, what does he thinks of himself, its still up to headcanons But still, he was never about this exactly His fear is not about "im scared people will not understand, that im a boy, who wants to be a girl and will leave me" , it is about "im scared people will not accept me as a boy doing what i like and will leave me" Once again, if he will turn out to be a trans or something like that, ok! Canon is canon, yeah But right now, we dont know anything so People can say whatever they want and call him whatever they like, why the comunity is so angry about all of this.... Im so sick of all of those corrections and argues with hate about "what pronounces uses mizuki" We. Dont. Know! Stop being so angry and let people do what they want... Great video btw, good work, good voice!
I’d like to mention also that being transgender in Japan isn’t openly talked about as nearly as much as it is in western countries. That of course doesn’t mean you can’t be trans in Japan. It’s just more of the conforming to society norms and not wanting to be seen as different as everyone else.
Yeah, I do think this is the issue that this game tried to convey. I see people debating over how Mizuki's friends use their pronouns, especially in Global Version of Prsk. I do think global version use they/them to give us, as a reader, perception that their gender is still unknown. It is not like the characters actually use said pronouns for them. Not to mention, Japanese people rarely use pronouns either (usually call by names instead). From my understanding, their friends likely portray them as a girl (if they never hear the rumor/ignore the rumor). But, I think Rui maybe know about Mizuki True Identity. I just don't get how people can conclude that Niigo perceive them as nb/trans, yet their identity is what they hide from them esp Ena.
I love Mizuki, Mizuki my beloved, am working on saving up for Mizu5, and Mizuki is just an icon. I love them. She is so cool. They are my beloved. My custom profile is just Mizuki. Mizuki is my favourite character if you couldn’t tell
17:00 even though non-breath oblige wasnt a commissioned song, in the part where it says "complex" in the 3DMV, it looks like they are emphasizing their body, so, this could go more to the theory that mizuki is transgender.
Mizuki fans should not care whether she's trans or not and make it a big deal (as in arguing). It doesn't matter. I do not give 2 shits on if she was a boy or a girl, trans or not. I like Mizuki because her personality is fun, her voice is stunning and she's all about pink. Liking her PURELY because she is trans is effectively reducing mizuki, a complex character, to one aspect of her life. her gender. isn't that what people who are oppressed sick of? People assuming things about their personality and identity based on one aspect of it? Yes, it's cool that she's trans, but let's not make it the only defining character trait of Mizuki because she is so, so much more than that. She just so happens to be trans. The way to normalising trans people in our society is to, well, not make it a big deal. Be excited about the representation thats great, but don't look at mizuki as "that trans character" is what im saying
this video was written really well, thank you you really voiced my thoughts!! i relate to mizuki in oh so many ways with me being all over the damn place with gender and pronouns to the point i dont even know what those are anymore, plus me generally always sticking out in a crowd with my out of place fashion choices - i loooove mizuki for so many reasons im sure theyre a safe place for many of us ❣also i 100% agree with you i honestly hope they just keep it this way and leave them be gender non conforming, mizuki is mizuki nothing more nothing less id also like to add, i think another reason why mizuki is written this way and why i dont really think theyre really planning on making them come out/picking a label really depends on the way japan lives queerness. they definitely dont see gender the same way we do, not just cause of the pronouns; i feel like most dont feel a need to label themselves (which i honestly find really freeing) or know about that sort of stuff, its kind of a foreign concept! only recently ive seen some japanese celebrities come out as enby. hikaru utada and megumi ogata, shinji's voice actor! ogata-san made a really nice speech when accepting a best voice actress award - which i recommend everyone to look up its heartwarming seeing a japanese person spreading awareness, theyre truly the goat 😭
i think an annoying part about "western fandom" discourse is that people complaining about the "western fandom" are usually westerners themselves lol. there's nothing wrong with headcanoning mizuki as trans because while their gender is unknown, they Are canonically gender non-conforming. gnc doesn't exactly have to mean trans, it just means that a person doesn't conform to the expectations set on them because of their gender and that is exactly what mizuki does. the fact that their official bio lists them as "?" is evidence of that. it's frustrating that so many people who criticize western fandom for labelling mizuki because "it goes against the point of their story" when it's not like their story explicitly states that they have no gender either. i think that explicit affirmation of queer representation is important but i think it's also fine to have representation that isn't explicit either. i think it is more inaccurate to say that gender does not matter to mizuki because it clearly does. they stopped attending school because they were bullied for how they presented themself. they are scared of revealing a part of themselves to others because they fear they may not be accepted. even if tied to a greater idea of societal expectations, it does not divorce it from the context of gender expectations. gender is not just about labels!! gender is an idea, a role to fulfill, a societal construct. mizuki's story about identity and self acceptance is inherently about gender because that is how the story presents it to be. it isn't their only personality trait nor is it their only plot line but it is very much intrinsic to their character as a whole. please for the love of god i want people to stop complaining about western fandom interpretation and how "actually in japan it's not about gender it's about society" as if those things cannot coexist.
i really recommend alexander avila's video "the postmodern horror of tiktok's encanto discourse" because i feel it kinda applies to mizuki gender discourse. as an asian nonbinary person, i am just kinda tired of people forgetting about intersectionality
It's sad that most of Mizuki lovers are like "OMG! IT'S A GIRL!!!" "NO, IT'S A BOY!!! BESIDES, WE NEED MORE BOY!!!" MIZUKI IS MIZUKI. no one knows about the actual gender of this character
@@sakiskeyboard I've heard about this. I have never been so heartbroken over a rhythm game character. Fck you, student A! I hope Mafumom will adopt you
Mizuki is a sweetheart, they're the heart and the emotional anchor of 25ji, and that's why I love them. I want to see them happy and doing what they love.
I totally agree about how Mizuki's story is about identity, being outside of the "norm", the consequences of being socially rejected and how trusting people again after that. Because you can always find a helping hand on the darkest times. I was already a fan of Hinata Sato because of her previous work to Proseka, but her being Mizuki has made me love her even more as a voice actress. Also, on a more personal side, as someone on the Autistic spectrum, ID SMILE has become a really important song in my life, it was like the feelings that I always had being put in words. I cried after hearing the song in the game for the 1st time and I even haven't seen the translation yet, that song helped me change and try to be myself, even if it's painful to stop masking after so much time. Also, because it's important to talk about mental health and finding help on this context. I add that even helped me to take my therapy seriously again, because I was starting to given up on that. I know how it can be expensive and there's still parental figures who doesn't support something so essential, but the constant competition and comparison on our age is damaging, and we need the skills to face the world and have a better life. If that's the case, because most of Proseka fans are teens I would suggest on that case find another way, maybe your school, some NGO or talk with an adult of trust about how you can find help.
Now that I have the attention of the proseka fandom, go check out my music channel youtube.com/@Emyl_ if you want! I’m a beginner vocal synth producer B)
Shoutout to Mizuki, gotta be one of my favourite genders
So true
@@emyl_isontheinternet sorry dude, had to break up the super deep and thoughtful comments
@@241Cookies__ nah I appreciate it actually, you spitting facts Mizuki is indeed very gender
@@emyl_isontheinternet ikr? I aspire to be them (as well as Tsukasa, but uh, we don't tel ll about that)
Relatable
Nah to me a characters gender or identity doesn't matter
Mizuki continues to slay every day
truest statement ive seen
mizuki slays 24/7/365
@@zphyrr they were kinda a flop in 364 but thankfully they made a comeback ✨✨
a characters gender or identity doesn’t matter
>proceeds to like a character where their whole arc is their gender
@@wiimusic5671they might like mizuki for other reasons
@@idk_2335 ok
Mizuki is my favorite character in the whole game and even though their identity is a big part of it im just so happy because of their personality, mizuki is not only a character about "otherness" but also how even despite society's rejection, they still keep being kind and never falter.
They're a really strong character, because even at their lowest they did their absolute best to keep helping others, like mafuyu on her breakdown, kanade on her search for a place of her childhood and ena on her art journey, its tiring, but they really like being themselves which is why we havent seen them falter about who they are at all
Also about the dysphoria, mizuki's mirror is shown to be covered from the head area, and the anniversary mv's show a scene of mizuki sadly looking to themselves in a mirror (but it could be something else as self-loathing because they hate being seen as "something" and not someone)
Their most recent event (avoiding spoilers) basically is what led mizuki to embrace their identity and propel themselves to pursue their dreams, personally mizuki is a character about moving past society's dumb restrictions, doing as you please, enjoying each day doing as you please, and the consequences that come with that, the hardships, the discrimination, the constant reminder of "not fitting in" that society loves enforcing onto people who aren't as expected
This was an amazing video, you really did a good job with it :D
Thank you so much! I didn’t even think of the self loathing/dysforia aspects you mentioned, thank you for pointing them out!!
what is their most recent event called in english?
@@siorganism "And now, the ribbon is tied"
@@dumbpablo5755 thank you!
I feel it’s funny people get so heated about Mizuki’s gender, when the whole point of their story is that they’re afraid of what people expect of them, Mizuki feels that as soon as people realize who they really are they’re gonna leave them behind. I do headcanon Mizuki as a trans girl, as their experiences and their feelings really resonate with my life as an LGBT+ person, but if people are gonna get mad at them or the writers if it turned out they’re not trans they would be missing the whole point of their character, that friends should stay by your side just because they like you as a person, not because of how you may appear, present or express your identity. Would I be disappointed? Probably, but Mizuki would still be my favorite sekai character
But to be honest I feel they’re never gonna reveal Mizuki’s gender exactly, as Sekai tends to be very vague and usually tiptoes around “serious” topics, like Saki’s illness and how exactly Kanade’s dad got into a comma. If I had to guess Mizuki’s arch is probably gonna end with them realizing that N25 and their friends are gonna stay by their side just because they like them as a person, regardless of their identity. And the writers might leave it vague by saying that Mizuki’s still figuring themself out but now they’re not gonna be afraid of just expressing themself and exploring their identity freely because they have people to rely on and that support them no matter what
Same. I love mizuki as a whole and i honestly don't care much if they ended up being trans or not even if i am trans myself and identify with their struggles
I LOVE YOU FOR THIS
I, as a trans person, very much agree that she is a trans girl (at least as I head cannon) and I really hope we get to see that they’re canonized as one. I think it would over all be wonderful representation for my community.
agreed
based on the newest Mizuki focus in jpsekai , their family actually supports them to be who they are but it’s just the society. People at school often sees them as weird because of the way they act and they’re not happy with school, which lead to them starting to skip school. They had a ribbon that their elder sister gave them when they were young and they recently received a pack of cute clothes that their sister made for them. Because of her encouragement, they decided to join 25ji nightcord de. and become a more positive person.
I personally relate to mizuki so much. i’m a cis from an collectivist country (not japan) and i relate to the point that i had been considered weird during my primary/secondary school and suffered from severe bullying. However, my parents are not as supportive and they’re similar to mafuyu’s parents. i had no one to rely on except my only irl friend and some online friends.
sorry my explanation are messy because i’m not good at english bye
i'm also from a collectivist country and uuuggh school really was the worst... and i too have parents like mafuyu's... and i'm trans on top of that all...
also damn i absolutely need to read that last mizuki focus event, what u described sounds very interesting but i'm procrastinating 24/7 T_T
@@heymayday8761 the event is called “and then, i tied the ribbon” in english i think? i read it twice (once in japanese and once in english) and it made me cried, anyways the story described their life before they officially join niigo (ena’s past was partly mention, quite similar to “One day from the depth of despair” but mizuena version)
Oh, I hope you’re well now, wishing you the best
@@foursakenlight_ yes, i'd already known the name of the event BUUUUT i didn't know what it was about (well outside of kinda vague spoilers (???)) sooo your description intrigued me~
i... absolutely need to check it out then (as do i other niigo events-) but UGH I JUST CAN'T GET AROUND TO IT uwaah T_T
so about the recent event HELLO
Personally from playing the game I got the idea that Mizuki was born male but had interest in fashion that was stereotypical in females, so Mizuki’s overall message of identity would be that people can wear whatever they want regardless of gender and be who they want to be without some type of boundary. There is barely anything to go from since the canon is very vague but it’s this vagueness that in a way makes Mizuki more relatable since you can envision their secret to be similar to your own struggles, though if they do end up revealing what Mizuki identifies with I hope the fandom doesn’t go insane if their headcanons are proven wrong
THIS but also in the story Mizuki was really bothered that the classmates brought up mizuki being a boy/used to be a boy so it feels kinda wrong calling Mizuki a he
But is also feels wrong calling them a she it’s not really confirmed if Mizuki transitioned or just a cross dresser with no title
So I shall wait till the story progresses to see I’ll just say Mizuki or they for now
ok but imagine if there’s an event where mizuki tells 25ji their secret, but the actual secret is cut out so its still left ambiguous 💀
THAYS actuslly be amazing though cause we still see the reactions
i am so sure that's exactly what will happen
bro i feel like if that happened sega would actually get threats 😭😭
oh how this has aged 🙂
@@KinikoTheHallwayGhost 😭😭
I absolutely hate how the pjsekai fandom treats Mizuki. They always argue over using "correct" pronouns for them when there really aren't any wrong ones, and it's kind of just generally a headache to watch
frr
So… the event had some interesting stuff…
I'm so glad that Mizuki's struggles and characterization isn't just based around their gender. I have the biggest pet peeve of people making their sexuality or their gender the only thing that matters about them. Hopefully that doesn't sound wrong, the way I typed it.
@BittersweetKitty I definitely agree. I'm all for people voicing their identity though! I don't think people do that enough honestly.
Note: I haven't fully watched the video, and I also am not trying to sound hostile or aggressive or anything, I only speak from a perspective of someone withing the trans community who hears a lot from others who have worse dysphoria than I do.
People making their sexuality or gender the only thing that matters about them can often be because it's the only thing that people (on or offline) bring up as a "relevant" thing about them. Like how Twitter people will dismiss someone for having a trans flag or pronouns in their bios, or how people will focus on sexuality as a strawman as if that's the only thing that dictates character or personality, so a lot of people will respond as such, defensively.
Alternatively, some people who have began to explore their identity will indeed make gender or sexuality the main thing they present about themselves because it's what they're currently learning or finding more about, or perhaps due to feeling free to express that side of themselves for once (like if they leave a home that they feel wouldn't accept it). The rush of that comes across as "the only thing that matters" because even from their perspective it's the new, big thing about themselves to talk about and show off, the same way people talk about and show off new (positive) events in their lives like moving, relationships or new jobs they're excited about.
That's again, not to say everyone is like this, but enough people I know have been like this and so have I, so I try to keep it in mind when someone is actively showing that stuff off, because there's a ton of people in the world and inevitably a lot of them will be sharing the same mentality or sentiment and it might feel like it's a neverending thing when in reality, there's context and variety that gets lost in the sheer volume.
Idk why I felt a need to go on this whole rant before even watching a SEKAI video lmao, sorry if I sounded judgmental or anything, I swear that wasn't the intention!
@@Gender_Ascender Oh, no. I totally understand! I'm not trans or anything, so I am not exactly knowledgeable in the topic. Though, I am all for people making their sexuality and gender important to them. I just don't like when they express it as their only defining characteristic or feature. I have some friends that are transgender, but I don't want to be friends with them BECAUSE they're trans. I want to be friends with them for more than that.
I'm having trouble finding a good analogy to represent my thoughts, but I'm hoping this helped me get across them more clearly.
@bittersweetkitty3083 Ah, no, I understand that's definitely mostly what I wanted to get across. I encourage people voicing their identities. It just kinda rubs me the wrong way when people make their identities a personality. If that makes sense..?
@bittersweetkitty3083 yes, that's exactly the way I'd put it 🙏✨
I'm a trans girl who's been reading the story in Japanese (still catching up, no spoilers!) and I knew about the discourse around Mizuki beforehand but when I read Niigo's main story I felt like they made it """clear""" - Mizuki is Mizuki! And that's okay!
I feel like in the west, we're always excited to get representation in the media, and even more excited when it's good, accurate representation, because it really doesn't happen that much. We want to see ourselves in the characters we see in media, and that's super-valid. But if Mizuki were confirmed to be NB, or trans, or anything, really, it'd mean that some people would feel like they couldn't see themselves in Mizuki anymore. So to me, the devs are handling it in pretty much the best way they can, because as many people as possible can see themselves in Mizuki and nobody's wrong for it! If you want to believe that Mizuki is X or Y, that's awesome, but if you tell someone else that Mizuki ISN'T X or Y, you're kind of saying that only certain people can REALLY relate to Mizuki, when it doesn't have to be that way. Everyone can win!
mizuki is mizuki, not a gender. i don't get why that's so hard to accept for some people
(also, i find it ironic that SOME of the same people who complain about characters only being a gender treating mizuki as, well, a gender.)
That's litteraly what I said on one tiktok and people kept saying that hc Mizuki as transfem is not assuming any gender
I basicaly don't know but to me Mizuki is Mizuki and that should be accepted as it
People on the Internet just can’t stop themselves from slapping labels on characters because they care more about relating to the character than who the character really is
@@ren858 exactly?!?! I saw people on instagram outright saying that rui is a lesbian?!?! and that.. uh.. anyone who said he wasn’t was homophobic?!?! im.. speechless
@@salami7031 The homophobic part was probably a joke
honestly, i don't blame the fandom for trying to label mizuki with a gender, i feel like a lot of people relate to them and just hc mizuki as their own gender to feel more connected to them
despite this is does still annoy me when people act like this is their only personality trait. project sekai has some of the most well written characters ive ever seen and they all feel so 3d, but many people fixate on one trait of the characters and make that singular trait their only one, and ive seen this isn't exclusive to only mizuki
at the end of the day, mizuki is mizuki and i wouldn't want them any other way
ok
Probably just slightly more well-written in the mobile rhythm game space
@@dryelene agree. I really love the game, but half if not most of the appeal of mobile gacha rhythm game is the characters, and what gives them depth is the story. The main story is great, but the event story is slow and boring. It took them 8 chapters that took an hour or two to read if you put it on auto only to deliver story that I can summarize into 3 sentences.
Sadly this what makes me stop playing Sekai for a while (same with bandori) but I would love to pick this game up again only for the music and gameplay. The maps/charts on this game are next level for a gacha rhythm game.
Boku is fairly unusual for girls irl but not uncommon in manga and Mizuki is canonically into manga/anime so it’s possible that it’s because of that or just habit (my boyfriend used washi for a long time because of a manga he read as a kid and now uses jibun, since he sounded like a grandpa and really dislikes boku/ore).
The obsession with Mizuki’s gender is really strange because Mizuki’s character is all about being Mizuki before being a gender and not being judged about gender expression.
I think Mizuki is relatable to many different people because many of us can relate to ostracisation because of our self-expression, especially trans women and non-binary people (which Mizuki likely is one of). I don’t particularly care what gender Mizuki ends up being because it will still be an important story for any non-cis person. Also it’s refreshing to see a queer character that isn’t just queer but a fully fledged person.
On another note, pronouns barely exist in Japanese. They technically do but they/them is the localisation and a way of avoiding confirmation - not necessary Mizuki’s pronouns. This is because after you know someone’s name, it’s normal to call them by their name rather than he/her/their etc. I remember Mafuyu saying “kare” once about Akito before she knew him but I’d be willing to bet at least a quarter of the cast have never been called with a properly gendered pronoun in Japanese but idk.
Emy's been real quiet since mizu5 dropped
2 years later after the mizu5 mishap, this still stands well.
What I hear about Mizuki's character being identity is wrong (that's Mafuyu's thing) imo. Mizuki is pretty aware of who they are but they keep it to themself. Imo I believe Mizuki's character isn't really about identity but trust and loving yourself. As Mizuki was a victim of bullying (which is even worse in places like Japan or Korea than the stereotypes in North America) and gossip behind their back they have made themself disconnect. However due to this it has developed a sort of trauma. The reason why Mizuki doesn't go to school is that they hate those comments about them as 1. Well it’s probably really annoying 2. It probably triggers a sort of PTSD. As Mafuyu puts on a facade of being perfect Mizuki puts on a facade of being happy. While it is true their life is definitely better than before as those flashbacks made them look miserable always, they had some sort of development in between those flashbacks and the start of the main story. Mizuki's healing process already started before the story even did. While we see Mafuyu at her lowest, we see Mizuki trying their absolute best to make their and everyone around them's life better. However as much as they're trying to do that they're doing it "alone". They're making themself distant from the other members because they're scared of losing the friends they just made and built up. The words they've been told about being weird and a freak really got to them as that's what they think of themself. They believe that one day their friends will leave Mizuki behind and that's what they fear the most. Being alone again. And bringing back those words that hurt Mizuki the most. Freak. Mizuki themself hadn't realized how much the other Nightcord members mean to them and they only really realized it during Secret Distance. However even if they mean a lot to Mizuki, Mizuki isn't sure what Mizuki means to the other members. They believe that if they completely open up like Mafuyu does their friends will leave them as that's what happened when Mizuki's secret got leaked. They don't trust nor think the other members care about Mizuki more than the other members clearly actually do, unintentionally distancing themself as although it seems Mizuki is the most socially active and always seems to be laughing and having fun that's truthfully all the other members know about Mizuki. Ena only realized something was strange during the ending of Secret Distance and Kanade and Mafuyu only caught on much later. The other members only knew Mizuki's smile for the longest time not suspecting that the pain the shared to them from the past had still lingered to the present. That's why Meiko during Secret Distance acts so cold. Meiko is built on Mizuki's personality like how Miku is based on Mafuyu's and Rin is based on Ena's. Meiko believes that watching everyone from the sidelines is the best way to watch them grow which is exactly what Mizuki thinks is best. ID Smile Mizuki's song is about them not wanting to lose what's been built up and being able to keep it forever when they know that it doesn't work like that. So they don't completely open up about themself keeping a small piece of them locked away so they don't have to feel as hurt when that day finally comes. However this lock is starting to rust away, like when Ena called Mizuki her friend. It's these little moments that bring Mizuki the most joy yet it's also what fuels their misttrust and self doubt the most. As much as they're really happy about words like "let's do this again next year" and "because you're my friend" make Mizuki really happy the opposite is also true. "Freak" and "Monster". These little words have so much impact onto Mizuki which torments them to the point of almost seppaku. Fortunately progress is being made and maybe one day that lock will fall off and they can completely open up about themself. Also I would like to elaborate about Mizuki's story not being about identity. Imo again this isn't the main point of Mizuki's story. Mizuki is very clearly aware of who they are and what they want. They're not confused on this like Mafuyu is. I think way people think that is that 1. Mizuki has been explicitly called being similar to Mafuyu (which I believe is to be the putting of a mask) 2. The whole gender thing going on. If it isn't already clear that's Mizuki's secret they're desperately trying to keep hidden. (This is my guess since there's no proof since it hasn't been revealed) Not because they think they're trans or something but because that's the source of pain they don't want others to know. Anyway if I missed or am just wrong about something let me know please
I agree with you actually! I may have poorly phrased my point in the video but I did mean to say that Mizuki knows who they are and has a very strong sense of identity but they aren’t accepted for it. I didn’t adress the bullying as much as I wanted but I was trying to hint at it when I was talking about Japan being a collectivist society. Thank you so much for sharing your interpretation of Mizuki!
@@emyl_isontheinternet hehe thanks for agreeing
And this is why I think they are so amazing and relate to them so much. While it can be interpreted that a lot of their trauma comes from their gender, it is framed in such a way that it goes beyond being trans-specific and can be related to and understood by people of various identities. I’m a cis girl, but my whole life I’ve felt othered for various reasons, including being ND. Mizuki is the character I relate the most to because of my being othered but still keeping true to myself, while in some ways not wanting others to see parts of me that I think will drive them away. Seeing Mizuki’s story makes me think of my own life, and makes me want to give them a hug so so so much
@@peanutbutterex i understand your point but i don't think thats why mizuki is bullied. It's less of them looking trans and made fun of for being trans but I feel it's more like making fun of an ugly person because they're ugly. Only in this case it's because nobody can tell if Mizuki is a boy or girl and that freaks them out. Before the start of the main story Mizuki was just trying to fit it and failed.
But that being said it's good that many different types of people can relate to Mizuki! They're also my favorite character and I've spent quite a bit of time piecing together what makes Mizuki Mizuki
thank you for this video! I was very scared this would be "mizuki isnt trans just a crossdresser 😠" but like. it wasnt!! People in fandom really do boil them down to transgenderness which is of course awesome and all but come on... they are so so much more... Also i was inspired to research what style mizuki dresses in and im pretty sure they dress in girly kei! (Their outfit with the top hat and suspenders/shorts reminds me of ouji more though) (as another trans person (thogh transmasc) who loves cute jfashion mizuki is a huge inspiration to me)
Eeeey I’m also transmasc and into j-fashion B)
I’m a trans person and mizuki has been a massive comfort character for me, I love cute things and wearing cute outfits and mizuki reminded me that gender isn’t everything and what matters is being yourself and I think that’s so important
ok people are happy that a character is trans, so what
@wiimusic5671 they're not confirmed to be trans, that's what
In the newest event, Mizuki has something their hiding from Ena. Something that I’m assuming is similar to their gender, but is never explicitly stated. Ena keeps trying and trying to get them to open up, until she meets with MEIKO. MEIKO tells Ena that the best way for her to help is to wait for them to open up. In the end Ena listens to this advice.
I honestly never related to a character so much before, and this story really sealed it. I’m transmasc and something that always frustrated me was how people always feel entitled to know your gender. They don’t understand that fear of losing someone you care about, or being treated differently.
When I told the people I care about they usually always reject me, so I understand Mizuki’s struggle so much. Hearing Ena say she’ll wait made we want to cry, because those were the words I always wanted to hear.
Someone waiting means that their not going to be upset when you tell them your trans. I say this because from my experience the first thing most people say is, “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner!” Ironically enough, this response usually leads to the rejection, and the usual transphobic comments.
Also, hearing Mizuki talk about how they know there friends won’t last a year also hurt, because I knew that if I ever were to transition it would almost impossible to keep most of the friends I have today. Choosing between your sanity and your friends and family is something that I have to ask myself on the daily.
That’s why seeing Mizuki not only choosing her sanity and mental well-being while still having her friends was really powerful for me.
Telling my family not only lead to the most traumatizing day of my life, but also give me the inability to open up to anyone that I’m trans. In truth, if my parents even know about the one person that knows about my pronouns and name I fear they’ll kick me out.
But Mizuki’s story has given me hope that I’m not alone and I’ll find cis people that actually don’t care about my gender. I hope someday I can go by he/they pronouns without the fear of rejection or a fate even worse.
Wowowow! This video is amazing. Mizuki is my favorite character, and their gender identity means a lot to me as a very confused person when it comes to that. Them using they/them pronouns never meant they were non-binary to me personally, anyone can use they/them really, so them having an unconfirmed gender is great! The second part about the japanese interpretation is so interesting as well! I never thought about it that way, but it makes a lot of sense! Really, that just makes them even greater. Mizuki is just a great character, and this video just proves it even more. You did SO well on this, I was hooked the whole time and your voice (and the little mistakes hehe) are super endearing and I'll keep an eye out for more content from you. :)
Gah I’m glad you liked my video! Unfortunately I’m not sure when I’m posting my next video, I’m more active on my Instagram lately (@emy_isontheinternet) so if you’re interested in keeping up with my content that is probably a better way to do it than UA-cam:’D
OH MY GOD THE EVNT 😭🫡😭
I feel like Mizuki was less of a gender issue character and more of a societal issue- bad wording, but I feel like they were created to show just how much Japan's societal culture of having to fit in properly in every aspect or face consequences such as bullying and being ostracized. Obviously their gender identity plays a part in it but is not the big idea. if you look into it they don't care much about their gender and rather dislike that being talked about- they want the other aspects of their personality and what they do to be focused on. mizuki just wants to be seen as mizuki, and they've made that clear. but what they want to be and do goes against societal norms, so they suffer in turn. In the western fandom nobody ever talks about their depth as a character and it makes me a little sad, since they themself would not appreciate people hyperfocusing on what they are instead of who they are.
Mizuki was made to be ambiguous, a character who questions and goes against societal norms and I like that for them. Mizuki as just "ano hito" or that person or just being Mizuki as Mizuki 🫶🏽 I will forever love them and Ena.
TLDR: I love mizuki they have good writing please look further into them+IDSMILE forever one of Niigo's best bangers
Lmao you basically just summarised my entire video in a comment that’s exactly what I’m trying to say
Have you heard of the term “josou”? It’s a general word for AMAB people dressing in feminine clothing in Japan, be they a gender non-conforming cis man, a trans woman, or otherwise genderqueer. I learned about it in a video discussing a certain slur used in anime circles, so it may be useful in discussing Mizuki’s gender in a Japanese context.
I wasn’t actually familiar with the term! But Japanese or not I think it could still fall in the “label” category and Mizuki not using any specific labels could apply to josou as well. It’s an interesting thing to look into nonetheless, thank you for mentioning it!
What video did you watch? I’m curious and would like to watch it
@@ZiziwaiI’m pretty sure it’s “(Yknow) Don't Exist And Here's Why” by the pedantic romantic
@@はじめ-m7c the “Yknow” portion got me so confused but I found it, thank you
@@Ziziwai Np, I didn’t wanna say it incase if it makes anyone uncomfortable
You're not gonna believe me when I say this...
??
she's trans ?
Still,their gender Their gender is unknown because Sega benefits from queerbaiting, so for Mizuki you can use your own headcanons (male, trans-girl, non binary or genderfluid):)❤
@@--9697queerbaiting is not really whats haopening here..?? Its more leaving it up to personal view as Mizuki and their personal expression is very girly.
@strawberriesstar I mean,Sega just gets hype from this situation and they will stretch this "secret" for another year and a half,but yes,I'm agree with you
This is a good video! Gender identity is such a sensitive topic so part of me was a little apprehensive clicking this, but you did a really good job. I’m a nonbinary person who uses they/them, so when I first started playing the game I was immediately interested in them once I noticed them using the same pronouns. I wasn’t sure how the game was going to handle their character, and honestly I’m really happy that the game chooses *not* to explore their gender identity heavily. Elements of them having some gender feelings are there and do make up an aspect of their character that can’t be ignored, but its just one small piece of a much more complicated person. Its sort of funny, I first got interested in Mizuki’s character because I was wonder “oh, am I going to relate to them?”, and ended up loving Mizuki *because* they’re so different from me, our personalities and the way we express ourselves and our identities are completely different, and it makes Mizuki such a fun and interesting character to me. Tbh the only thing we have in common are our pronouns (in English at least), and I love Mizuki for that.
this was such a cute comment to read! i hope u have a good day
@@KitsukiFox Awww thank you, you too!
One thing that really makes me uncomfortable about the western fandom is how aggressive some of them are about the whole gender situation around Mizuki. I saw some people being really disrespectful to translators who used the pronoun “she” when any niigo member (usually Ena) talked about Mizuki with other characters. To me, the translators are being coherent to the story, since Mizuki never shared their secret until now to anyone, except Rui and An. As you have said in the video, Mizuki is a character who, at the end of the day, don’t care about gender, but just the things they like and fans getting angry at others because of this is very unnecessary.
Sorry I just wanted to get this off my shoulders and ended up ranting
When did they reveal to an? I think i missed something
@@kiyrox I don’t think they told, but An is in the disciplinary committee and is Mizuki’s classmate so she kinda knows (or have and idea) of Mizuki’s troubles based on the rumors. If you read the “What lies behind, what lies ahead” story, An tried to hide the fact that Mizuki gets bullied by their classmates bcs of their secret.
@kiyrox it isnt explicit but an acknowledges mizukis identity struggles and whatnot. in the kamikou festival she reassures mizuki that no one would be looking at them very much and even tells them that there should be an empty space for them to get changed in (this is HIGHLY likely due to mizukis possibility of being trans, and feeling uncomfortable changing in public spaces) the fact that an acknowledged this shows that she must know or at least have an idea about mizukis secret
It's very annoying that every time someone uses she/her for mizuki in a normal civil discussion or appreciation comment people WILL come to "correct" them, sometimes even aggressively, which brings away the topic away from Mizuki, the character. The only blatantly incorrect pronouns for her is just he/him. Anyways I agree mizuki really would not care lol even hope the people who argue would shut up a little. Things would be better if nothing turns into a pronoun war
@@anameig9332 yess, these people who starts a pronoun war when they talk about Mizuki totally throw away all the effort Sega put in Mizuki’s character. It’s not about Mizuki being a girl, a boy nor a trans, it’s about not being able to tell your deepest secret to your close friends because we are afraid of being alone
I feel like Mizuki's a representation of being othered for being different than other in a way you can't control, for example almost all of their classmates make fun of them, call them weird and only use he/him pronouns for them, which is something I (a nb person) have delt with at school and home a lot. I also like the fact that they haven't been labled with anything especially because, as an autistic person, labels have always been hard for me and I mostly use them so other know what I'm talking about, hence me identifying as pangender. Basically Mizuki is so gender and I love them a lot.
I totally agree and see what you mean! I’m trans and autistic so I can also relate to Mizuki about the things you mentioned
me when mizu5
I just started playing and my read on mizuki is that she’s trans but just tired of everyone talking abt it and being like “wHy dOeS mIzUkI DrEsS lIkE tHaT”, and that she just wants to be herself instead of what others project onto her. That’s probably part of WHY she didn’t tell anyone in Niigo, because she didn’t want her first real friendships to be tarnished by the same speculation and constant discussion. This new event just feels more like she wanted to finally address the elephant in the room as this secret was bound to come out eventually anyways. The weirdos in her class took that from her though, and now she’s afraid her friends will just be like everyone else: constantly focused on her gender and how “weird” she is, and not who she is as a person.
it might seem crazy what I’m about to say….
😭
ok but imagine mizuki's secret ends up being smthing like they can fly or something dumb like that
mizuki5 on national coming out day as they shortened the anni just for it... we all cheered
I love Mizuki because I see a lot of myself in Mizuki. Being told that being 'girly' was weird and loving dresses but never get to wear them. I relate to their story since it also happens to me
Ironically speaking, I found out about this entire game from mizuena fanarts I saw on pinterest, and eventually played this game because of mizuki. They became my favorite character originally because I really liked their personality and dynamic with ena, but when I found out about all the lore and whatnot behind their gender, it was just an added bonus to them. It's sad for me to see how many people only really know or like mizuki because of their gender identity issues.
My honest reaction was 'Oh my god. Finally someone understands..'
yesssss super agree on the point that mizuki embodies standing their own ground in the face of societal expectations and i'm so glad you've expressed it throughout the video!! i think 25ji as a unit is about expressing themselves through unorthodox means, which embodies the spirit of volcaloid culture imo (how the producers make songs through differing genres that prioritizes telling their message over it matching what defines a 'popular, good sounding song')!!
if the game decides to dip into the gender commentary with mizuki? it'd be so cool if in the end, they just don't have an answer yet. mizuki's still a high-schooler after all, and they haven't had their life or label figured out yet. i myself personally am still confused with my own identity (gender or sexuality), so it'd be nice to have some representation in that camp too!! ofc any and all headcanons are just as valid :D
another point to niigo is that they use music for healing purposes/making a community. While L/N uses music to move people on a personal level, MMJ uses it to deliver hope, WxS to make people smile and VBS to instill a sense of awe, niigo is the only one who's using music to help people who explicitly need help. That theme goes for all niigo members since they all felt saved by the group at some point. The whole point is to emphasize the power of empathy that music can deliver on its own so having characters who are by a very general definition "always suffering" makes all the sense in the world. All other groups love music but niigo is the only group that needs music.
Mizukis whole character is about how your friends should always be with you no matter who you are or how you express yourself and to not be afraid to be who you really are. i don’t really understand why people make her all about gender lol
Mizuki is mizuki, no gender matters, only *mizuki*
7:35 I felt that gameplay in my soul
Honestly, as a person who is a Mizuki fan, iI'd say theyŕe implied to be an otokonoko. Before anyone attacks me, I'll say, I DON´T have any problems with trans people, and I don't hate the transfem mizuki headcanon. I'm just saying what I found myself. English speaking fandom always says, like "OMG READ THE STORIES, THEY'RE TFEM!!!", but all thhey read themselves is ensekai stories, while the translation is bad. As a person who had read japanese proseka stories I'd say they "censored" at least a few moments about their gender. But honestly, I don't care how people hc them. as long as they're not forcing it to others (like many tfem mizu truthers do.) Imho we should just wait the official information and suck it up if it goes against our headcanons. I really like your point about "mizuki is mizuki, and they have other things to wprry about besides gender".
2:16 I ACTUALLY JUMPED SEEING RUI INSTEAD OF HONAMI /SRS
RUI PLAYING DRUMS WITH A TOP HAT IS SCAWEEE/J
I started playing Colorful Stage pretty recently (around 3 months ago), and I've been much more focused on the gameplay aspect (rhythm games aficionado), but the story, and especially characters, really made me emotionally involved.
Their struggles and how they overcome it together (with free therapy and lessons from the Virtual Singers, of course) are very inspiring.
From the beginning, Mizuki, and by extension N25, have become my personal favourites. Partly because Mizuki's design reminded me of Suisei (one of Hololive's VTubers, my favourite singer among them) at first (lol), partly because I love their voices and songs, but also because of their story and overall theme.
So learning a bit more about Mizuki just makes me more fond of them. I personally didn't have to struggle with my gender as I've been born the sex I feel better in, but I understand and support LGBTQ+ (my brother is transitioning so I'm at least aware of the inner struggles with that). I know what it feels like to be alienated by society, even just a bit, so Mizuki not caring and living the life they want to live is very empowering.
Enough rambling, I liked your video a lot, so thanks for ranting about that. I understand you were on a hiatus, so good luck with your activities ! Your voice sounded real good, I could have sworn I had heard it somewhere too
Aw thank you so much!! I hope your brother has a nice transition and thank you for being such a supportive sibling!! And omg you’re right Mizuki’s design is kinda reminiscent of Suisei’s :0
I don’t see the problem with calling Mizuki by she/her or they/them as long as they don’t get referred to as a male or he/him because a lot of their inner struggles are coming to terms with the fact that they were never accepted for who they were (someone that wants to dress more pink and cute) when they were younger up until now and meeting Nightcord. You can see Mizuki covering their upper half of their mirror with a towel which is another clear indicator of how much they truly hate themselves. In composing for the future their solo lyric is “why were we all born in such imperfect bodies?” All of this points to the fact they want to be seen as not a male but atleast themself or a female. Including the fact that their ingame virtual model is literally under the female section/body
I get your point but that's assuming they're trans when they could be crossdressing or non-binary female presenting,they struggle telling ppl Abt their secret meaning they're already aware of what they are. the point isn't what they are at the end of the day but who they are
Right, I agree with you. I go back and forth with both of she/her and they/them for them, but I mainly use they/them on them since it's obvious, yknow?
I hate it when people juste like to put genders/sexualities to EVERY CHARACTERS
Like no, it’s not canon, you can have your own headcanon but don’t just say « HE IS GAY! » « THEY ARE NON BINARY! »
Like no it doesn’t work like that.
Its ironic that Mizuki whole overarching story is about them refusing a label given by the society while the western fandom trying so hard to give them a label. Mizuki is Mizuki, nothing else, they want people see themselves as only themselves and not their gender. This is also what Mizuki fear the most, they fear N25 doesnt accept them since they are not "normal"
About them not having dysphoria!! I think they do because if you look at their old room, In the background their mirror is covered by a sheet while at present their mirror is uncovered which shows that they used to not like who they were but are now more accepting and happy with themselves since they removed the sheet covering their mirror
i think we all can agree that we'll all love them however they are
Sorry if this question is not like appropriate but is mizuki biological a boy or a girl?
@@miyuki1694im not really sure tbh, i just know that their gender is unknown and therefore use they/them for mizuki. i dont really understand why people attack others for not using they/them though, their gender is unknown right now and theres no need to attack others for it just because they dont think the same as you lol😭 so in conclusion, i dont know yet but a mizuki focus event is coming to global servers soon and we might get to learn more!!! there are translations of it on youtube if you dont want to wait though
Mizuki can be whatever mizuki is supposed to be and I will still like and support mizuki.
This video was much needed in the fandom, I think maybe people project their own gender experiences onto Mizuki too hard since Mizuki is kind of like a blank canvas, so they take it personal when other fans misgender Mizuki
Until i got deeper in the fandom, I was fully under the belief that the English translators were using “they” for Mizuki for mystery purposes; to keep the players guessing or because its so unconfirmed even the translators dont know
Because I am trans myself, I do see a lot of myself in mizuki. While I personally headcanon them as enby, this video has made me think deeper about how important they are with that Japanese perspective. Thanks for making it, I’m gonna continue with my little head canon and stuff and see how they progress with canon.
Same here.
this is so well made!! thank you!
So how has your personal canon for Mizuki changed (or not changed) since you made this video 2 years ago?
Mizuki is like Najimi from Komi Can't Communicate, they're a mysterious figure
Could you make a updated video with the all the information that has come out since then? like Mizukis 5th focus event in JP server too :3
I like how you talked about this subject and I would be curious to know your current opinion
Why would they? They know what they did, look at this comment section, it's full of blatant transphobia
@Karianysu Huh what do you mean?
@@kristen3747 the video may have not been made with transphobic purposes, but they still allowed a place for transphobic comments, just because they both agreed about Mizuki's gender.
It's a terrible move
@Karianysu Ohh i see , i was just confused because i don't actually see any transphobic comments hating or anything but thank you for telling me
Even though seeing Mizuki in Project Sekai was my trans awakening, despite their gender being unconfirmed, the real reason why I love Mizuki is due to their fashion sense. It feels really refreshing to see a J-fashion rep that isn't hypersexualized or super depressed and they are just a person who loves fashion. Whenever I dress up, I feel like wearing the stuff I wear (mainly Gyaru and Jirai Kei) because it makes me feel cute. Mizuki likes to wear girly and modest styles like ryosangata and I think we need to see more J-fashion icons in video games and anime who aren't just stereotypes.
mizuki is mizuki! they don’t have a confirmed gender, and as of rn, i kinda feel like that *may* have been done on purpose. one of the main points of their character is the fact that they know who they are and trust that they are right. gender shouldn’t always be the main point of something. mizuki is so much more than just that.
Thank you! Mizuki is so much more than their gender, and whether their gender does get revealed or not, they will still be Mizuki. I think we should stop focusing on their gender so much and start focusing on their actual character. Yes, Mizuki does have something to do with gender, but them being non-binary or trans shouldn’t be the main thing about them.
To be honest, I didn't even realize Mizuki was a queer-coded character at first. I focused more on their mental struggles and character development. I didn't even realize till I saw an edit, which was when something clicked lol.
I think I'll just keep calling Mizuki, Mizuki :)
in my personal opinion, i headcanon them as a she/her trans girl but i don't mind other ones, as long as the person is comfortable with it its fine. what i cant stand is the people that force me to think that "Mizuki is non binary/a boy (the second one is proved wrong thought)" but for the rest i dont have arguments most of the time
Asides that, i really love mzuki's style and personality...people tend to just point out the gender of trans implied characters like if it was their whole being
Personally, I believe Mizuki was raised as male, but after middle school, Mizuki decided that it doesn't work out for Mizuki and just wishes to be cute regardless of what the body has on it. In my view, i see Mizuki as a non-binary character due to not wanting to be seen as either gender.
I got this opinion mostly after reading fukuboku.
"Boku" is often used by younger boys or tomboys but isn't unusual to be used by anyone, just like how many male characters use "Watashi" which is often a feminine or neutral "I".
I’ve had this issue with a lot of peoples’ perception of Mizuki so I’m glad someone’s making a video about it :)
Mizuki is Mizuki, and i love Mizuki.
discovered this right after mizu5 and i find this still stands true
people call themselves a mizuki fan when the only thing they know about them is that they're most probably trans 😭
Mizuki will always be Mizuki, it doesn’t matter if their gender gets revealed, or if their trans or non-binary, they will always be the amazing character we love. We should start seeing Mizuki as something more than their gender, because Mizuki is so much more than that!
your voice is so satisfying omfg
i know this was ten months ago and theres a chance someone else already mentioned this, but on the topic of Mizuki from a Japanese perspective and how the Western fanbase views them in the understanding that their Gender is Not Stated or how some say they're Trans/Non-Binary, in Japan it's common for Gender Non Conformists to not have a Label. Mizuki is an "I'm me" character, a character with No Label because it's normal where they live. This Cultural Difference is another very important part of Mizuki, as important as Mizuki's entire existance I'd even say. I really hope that in the future cultural differences can be talked about from different places, always great to see Mizuki content too :D (because let's face it Mizuki is the best Project Sekai Character (/j))
Yeah, I do hope that *_some_* PJSK fans take into account the perspective of where the game originated from (which is Japan) and understand Mizuki's situation in this perspective before yelling that their headcanon is, well, canon!
I really loved your comment!
in my opinion, people should just stop fighting over Mizuki's "confirmed gender", they are referred to in the game using they/them and that's that. Mizuki is Mizuki and that will never change because even if they are trans or not, they still represent a problem in society that is very real and doesn't only occur in the trans community or the LGBTQ+ community as a whole (I'm not saying it doesn't happen but LGBTQ+ people aren't the only people who know how shit it is to be told that they are weird for simply being themselves) but it also happens to cishet people who maybe want to wear a type of clothing that's typically seen as "not normal" (e.g. a boy wearing a dress or skirt) or they are doing an activity that is seen as "odd" (e.g. a girl being good at sports and not caring about makeup) which is not weird at all. What society needs to learn is to let everyone express themselves in the way they want and not force them into doing things that they don't enjoy.
(can you tell I'm a Mizuki kin?)
Thank you for making such a well-thought out, reasonable, and genuinely well analyzed video about Project Sekai. I've been playing since the Japanese BETA test and have enjoyed the game almost solely alongside Japanese-speaking fans. I've heard complaints and statements from English-speaking fans of the English translation that don't completely make sense to me without surrounding context. But I think you've done a great job at describing several readings of the character and their contexts and uniting them in a positive way. Mizuki is Mizuki! Great work!
Thank you so much! I tried my best to use references from the original jp game and not rely on the en translation
With me, Mizuki is just Mizuki, and I tried not to use the gender (even they/them) or used it as minimally as possible, like Mizuki could be a boy that likes feminine things, but could be a trans girl or could be a non-binary, idk, so I just said Mizuki.
(Bad Grammar)
i love mizukis character because it makes me feel really understood (also the fact i named myself amia before i got into pjsk is kinda funny to me)
Mizukis story is about accepting yourself, struggling with societies expectations and the fear of rejection when the people you love the most are to discover a part of you which you despise/are sensitive about. In Mizukis case, they need to realize that their friends won’t leave them and stay by their side. All of this can be related to their gender identity but their story shouldn’t be boiled down to their gender only.
In addition to being amazing character, they are queer and it makes them so relatable and just well written. The writers did an amazing job there.
Thank you for your video! I never thought about the japanese’ cultures view on the story. Gotta look into that more.
What i wanted to add: in scenes where you could see mizuki in middle school, the mirror in their room is covered, while now it’s not anymore. Just something interesting i wanted to point out
am i the only one who just figured this out... ive been playing pjsk for 1 year😅
I feel sad when Mizuki said "I just to be myself", in one of the stories, as I understand that Mizuki's hard work and struggle
it remains me of after coming out as a trans boy and genderfluid, I wear and makeup like changing look as I want, fluidly, but the public(both non-LGBT+ and LGBT+) keep using prejudges and discrimination against me, like saying Im werido and accusing me of lying and being fake transboy
Edited: In pronouns topic, ppl can choose not to use any pronouns and labels to refer oneself, like ? this one, so I think using they/them might not appropriate to describe Mizuki's pronoun, I mean...English ver, since you see according to the original Japanese official it mark Mizuki's gender as ?
Also I dont understand why ppl keep forcing all kinds with the gender labels, what if some of ppl dont want to be refered as a certain gender? That's very disrespectful
Edited2: I accidentally deleted certain word and twisted my actual meaning, sorry about typos
Off Topic, your voice reminds me of thode Vintage Classy ladies that i would listen to everyday (In short your voice is beautiful)
i actually like mizukis gender not being the big thing (i see it as mostly of them fitting into society) unlike some types of media i see. example, a gay character's whole personality being gay.
Wow, what a well thought out essay! Your video editing skills are amazing, I had such a fun time listening to your voice and thoughts on the topic. I felt really happy to hear someone else think these things about their character that goes beyond what the Western Fandom wants to see, but exploring the intentions of the JP creators and their character as a whole. I personally love transfem Mizuki with every ounce of love in my heart, but the canon is hazy, and realizing the softness of their queercoding is pretty important when having a debate on the topic. I wish more people in the west were okay with personal interpretation and respectful of other people's headcanons. I personally hope mizuki never has a confirmed gender because of how many people she can represent in this way, but if she ever does, it will be a piece of her story, as the character I love with all my heart. Thank you for the experience, i really enjoyed this video!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m glad you enjoyed my video!! And yes there are many debates around Mizuki but I’m glad many people get to enjoy them as a character regardless
Never really understood all the stuff in the fandom about mizuki "being trans"...
I mean
If he will turn out being such, ok! Canon is canon!
But maaaan.... Its not about it, as i can understand
It was never really " I want to BE a girl, look like one and be seen like one, but people think its strange" , it was more like
"I like cute stuff! I love cute clothes, even dresses, pink and all that stuff! But people think its strange for me, as a boy to be such, so i will PRETEND to be a girl and hope that people will not hate me anymore"
It always thought about mizuki as a more "society doesnt accept what i like" problem then "society doesnt like me wanting to be other gender"
Its so strange that people are screaming so much, that " mizuki is trans/uses she/her/ uses they/them!!!! "
Bro, this isnt a point...?
We dont even know, even now, what does he thinks of himself, its still up to headcanons
But still, he was never about this exactly
His fear is not about "im scared people will not understand, that im a boy, who wants to be a girl and will leave me" , it is about "im scared people will not accept me as a boy doing what i like and will leave me"
Once again, if he will turn out to be a trans or something like that, ok! Canon is canon, yeah
But right now, we dont know anything so
People can say whatever they want and call him whatever they like, why the comunity is so angry about all of this....
Im so sick of all of those corrections and argues with hate about "what pronounces uses mizuki"
We. Dont. Know!
Stop being so angry and let people do what they want...
Great video btw, good work, good voice!
YOU SO REAL FOR THAT
i havent thought about it from that perspective before! that makes sense too honestly
why is every comment on this comment section a bible i swear😢i just wanted a quick read after watching the video
Lmao I wasn’t expecting that either as the one who made the video ngl. I’m glad people like it but woah that’s a lotta words
"relatable characters" rui
I’d like to mention also that being transgender in Japan isn’t openly talked about as nearly as much as it is in western countries. That of course doesn’t mean you can’t be trans in Japan. It’s just more of the conforming to society norms and not wanting to be seen as different as everyone else.
Yeah, I do think this is the issue that this game tried to convey. I see people debating over how Mizuki's friends use their pronouns, especially in Global Version of Prsk. I do think global version use they/them to give us, as a reader, perception that their gender is still unknown. It is not like the characters actually use said pronouns for them. Not to mention, Japanese people rarely use pronouns either (usually call by names instead).
From my understanding, their friends likely portray them as a girl (if they never hear the rumor/ignore the rumor). But, I think Rui maybe know about Mizuki True Identity. I just don't get how people can conclude that Niigo perceive them as nb/trans, yet their identity is what they hide from them esp Ena.
Live, laugh, love Mizuki.
Now when Mizu5 has happened-
Only the "MIZUKI IS A FEMBOY" people are wrong :(
I love Mizuki, Mizuki my beloved, am working on saving up for Mizu5, and Mizuki is just an icon. I love them. She is so cool. They are my beloved. My custom profile is just Mizuki. Mizuki is my favourite character if you couldn’t tell
I still call mizuki she her because she is sm like me and its a comfort thing 😭
mizuki uses they/she canonically
@@roguesriot147 and?
@@roguesriot147 How about you focus more on her character other than her pronouns?
17:00
even though non-breath oblige wasnt a commissioned song, in the part where it says "complex" in the 3DMV, it looks like they are emphasizing their body, so, this could go more to the theory that mizuki is transgender.
i will always love mizuki lmao
Mizuki fans should not care whether she's trans or not and make it a big deal (as in arguing). It doesn't matter. I do not give 2 shits on if she was a boy or a girl, trans or not. I like Mizuki because her personality is fun, her voice is stunning and she's all about pink. Liking her PURELY because she is trans is effectively reducing mizuki, a complex character, to one aspect of her life. her gender. isn't that what people who are oppressed sick of? People assuming things about their personality and identity based on one aspect of it? Yes, it's cool that she's trans, but let's not make it the only defining character trait of Mizuki because she is so, so much more than that. She just so happens to be trans. The way to normalising trans people in our society is to, well, not make it a big deal. Be excited about the representation thats great, but don't look at mizuki as "that trans character" is what im saying
i just realised i referred to them as she in the entire paragraph um just ignore that pls
this video was written really well, thank you you really voiced my thoughts!! i relate to mizuki in oh so many ways with me being all over the damn place with gender and pronouns to the point i dont even know what those are anymore, plus me generally always sticking out in a crowd with my out of place fashion choices - i loooove mizuki for so many reasons im sure theyre a safe place for many of us ❣also i 100% agree with you i honestly hope they just keep it this way and leave them be gender non conforming, mizuki is mizuki nothing more nothing less
id also like to add, i think another reason why mizuki is written this way and why i dont really think theyre really planning on making them come out/picking a label really depends on the way japan lives queerness. they definitely dont see gender the same way we do, not just cause of the pronouns; i feel like most dont feel a need to label themselves (which i honestly find really freeing) or know about that sort of stuff, its kind of a foreign concept! only recently ive seen some japanese celebrities come out as enby. hikaru utada and megumi ogata, shinji's voice actor! ogata-san made a really nice speech when accepting a best voice actress award - which i recommend everyone to look up its heartwarming seeing a japanese person spreading awareness, theyre truly the goat 😭
i think an annoying part about "western fandom" discourse is that people complaining about the "western fandom" are usually westerners themselves lol. there's nothing wrong with headcanoning mizuki as trans because while their gender is unknown, they Are canonically gender non-conforming. gnc doesn't exactly have to mean trans, it just means that a person doesn't conform to the expectations set on them because of their gender and that is exactly what mizuki does. the fact that their official bio lists them as "?" is evidence of that.
it's frustrating that so many people who criticize western fandom for labelling mizuki because "it goes against the point of their story" when it's not like their story explicitly states that they have no gender either. i think that explicit affirmation of queer representation is important but i think it's also fine to have representation that isn't explicit either. i think it is more inaccurate to say that gender does not matter to mizuki because it clearly does. they stopped attending school because they were bullied for how they presented themself. they are scared of revealing a part of themselves to others because they fear they may not be accepted. even if tied to a greater idea of societal expectations, it does not divorce it from the context of gender expectations.
gender is not just about labels!! gender is an idea, a role to fulfill, a societal construct. mizuki's story about identity and self acceptance is inherently about gender because that is how the story presents it to be. it isn't their only personality trait nor is it their only plot line but it is very much intrinsic to their character as a whole.
please for the love of god i want people to stop complaining about western fandom interpretation and how "actually in japan it's not about gender it's about society" as if those things cannot coexist.
i really recommend alexander avila's video "the postmodern horror of tiktok's encanto discourse" because i feel it kinda applies to mizuki gender discourse. as an asian nonbinary person, i am just kinda tired of people forgetting about intersectionality
It's sad that most of Mizuki lovers are like
"OMG! IT'S A GIRL!!!"
"NO, IT'S A BOY!!! BESIDES, WE NEED MORE BOY!!!"
MIZUKI IS MIZUKI. no one knows about the actual gender of this character
hey man i got some news
@@sakiskeyboard I've heard about this. I have never been so heartbroken over a rhythm game character.
Fck you, student A! I hope Mafumom will adopt you
@@HibikiChan-m6f Real
Mizuki is a sweetheart, they're the heart and the emotional anchor of 25ji, and that's why I love them. I want to see them happy and doing what they love.
Off topic, i really love your art!!! 💕💕💕
Aw thank you!!
Yep. I'm mizuki now.
Who wants to be my friend?
Edit: I ment this out of love brah!
I LOVE U TYSM
I totally agree about how Mizuki's story is about identity, being outside of the "norm", the consequences of being socially rejected and how trusting people again after that. Because you can always find a helping hand on the darkest times. I was already a fan of Hinata Sato because of her previous work to Proseka, but her being Mizuki has made me love her even more as a voice actress.
Also, on a more personal side, as someone on the Autistic spectrum, ID SMILE has become a really important song in my life, it was like the feelings that I always had being put in words. I cried after hearing the song in the game for the 1st time and I even haven't seen the translation yet, that song helped me change and try to be myself, even if it's painful to stop masking after so much time.
Also, because it's important to talk about mental health and finding help on this context. I add that even helped me to take my therapy seriously again, because I was starting to given up on that. I know how it can be expensive and there's still parental figures who doesn't support something so essential, but the constant competition and comparison on our age is damaging, and we need the skills to face the world and have a better life. If that's the case, because most of Proseka fans are teens I would suggest on that case find another way, maybe your school, some NGO or talk with an adult of trust about how you can find help.
Mizuki is mizuki mizukis gender is mizuki
Tbh, i thought mizuki was a girl. And was just a really balanced tomboy, girly aesthetic but makes you question it.
mizuki is one of the best chars on pjsk. she got the balance