Hello. Welcome to Amia's Mizuena Infodump Soon™ I will be talking about Mizuki And Ena's Individual Development and Shared Development. Also analyzing sets and stuff bc I love staring at these two for longer than I need to. I AM NOT OKAY ABOUT THESE TWO so i will talk about it Here. Will this ever get cutesy deco? Probably not. look at them in the image above bro. Awwwww. So stupid.

Main Story We are introduced to the mysterious group known as Nightcord at 25:00. For the sake of not having to write the full unit name every single time, I will be alternating between referring to them as Nightcord and N25. At first, the mysterious characters known as Amia, or rather Akiyama Mizuki, and Enanan, known as Shinonome Ena, seem to be pretty clear cut in their motives and ideas. Amia seems to be a cheerful girl, while Enanan seems to be easily riled up. Ena is a social media addict, resorting to posting selfies of herself whenever she is frustrated with her art. We quickly learn that she likes the attention she gets when she posts selfies of herself online, but also that she gets saddened by it, as her art never gets nearly that amount of attention. We then get to see a bit more about Mizuki. She loves cute things, but is a chronic school-skipper. She avoids going to school, and often has to go to supplementary classes, even getting calls from teachers about her amount of absences. In the main story, a new, mysterious channel pops up named OWN. Mizuki and Ena briefly talk about it for a bit with the rest of Nightcord. We see the different ways that Mizuki and Ena are perceptive about people, commenting on the emotion behind the music. Mizuki begins to think of what type of person would have to be behind the account to create a song so cold. Ena comments about the art, saying that she wishes her art could be as amazing as OWN's art as well. The rest of the chapter about OWN focuses on Kanade and Mafuyu, showing a bit of their own motivations, but I won't get into that much since this is a Mizuena-centric infodump. The next chapter is Mizumafu-centric, with Mizuki over-hearing what Mafuyu's mom is telling Mafuyu. Mizuki feels uneasy about what Mafuyu's mom is telling her, providing her perspective to Mafuyu that it feels as though Mafuyu's mom is telling Mafuyu to avoid kids who may be struggling a bit in school and to choose her friends better. She says that if it were her, she wouldn't like that advice at all, not wanting someone else to push their values onto her. She offers an open minded approach to this however, claiming that this is simply how she viewed it, and that it may not be the case at all. The part about values being pushed onto people becomes more important later on in Mizuki's own story. Mafuyu then disappears for a week, and N25 all seem to have access to a new "Untitled" folder. We learn that Mizuki is a stupid nerd. I mean who the hell decides to say that something is like an isekai when they get transported to a mysterious and empty world bro. NOT ONCE MIND YOU BUT TWICE. WHAT IS HER ISSUE??? Anyways, the group ends up seeing Mafuyu, and Mizuki immediately expresses all her concerns, bombarding Mafuyu with questions related to how Mafuyu's doing, if she's okay, and telling her that they've all been extremely worried about her. After a bit more conversation, with Mafuyu trying to push them all away, it is eventually revealed that Mafuyu is OWN. Ena immediately gets frustrated that Mafuyu hadn't said anything prior when Ena had been praising OWN. She immediately sees it as a personal attack, assuming Mafuyu had done so on purpose to get a laugh out of her. Mizuki tries to mediate the situation, and tried to get Mafuyu to talk things through, to not quit N25, to let them know what's wrong. Mafuyu then reveals that she has decided she wants to disappear. Ena is immediately appalled by this, asking what the hell is wrong with Mafuyu. Mizuki tells Mafuyu that she's acting weird. Mafuyu then reveals what brought their group together, the desire to disappear. After all, "K, Enanan, Amia... You all want to disappear more than anyone." Ena and Kanade are shocked by the fact that Mafuyu would say this, while Mizuki simply remains quiet for a while. She then speaks up again, claiming that she loves life, so why would she possibly want to disappear? Mafuyu immediately calls her out on this, saying that even though Mizuki acts like she's having fun, she knows deep down exactly what Mafuyu means. After all, it takes one to know one, doesn't it? Mizuki and Mafuyu are in the same boat, to some degree. They are both maskers. A lot of people don't consider Mizuki to be a masker, but she definitely is. Mafuyu's mask is a deliberate thing she has learnt to perfectly switch on and off when needed. Mizuki's mask is more of a subconscious thing, as though it has fused with her. She masks all her negative emotions for the sake of what she believes is her "having fun" and to not worry others. It's why it bites her later, and is what causes people to worry about her more than they normally would. In fact, Mizuki's attempt to shut down what Mafuyu was saying about her was her masking as well, because she knows it's true, but to admit it would force her to take off the cheerful and free-spirited mask, and allow people to worry about her. It is because of the fact that she knows exactly what Mafuyu means and that she knows Mafuyu is right that her response to Mafuyu calling her out is: "...Oh, really?" A mere acknowledgement, neither confirming nor denying it. The next chapter finds them all back in their rooms, save for Mafuyu. Ena is still upset about Mafuyu being OWN, still considering it to be a personal attack. Mizuki tells her to calm down, but mentions that she is surprised about how different Mafuyu is from what she was like on voice chat. Ena gets mad again when Mizuki says they can keep talking about Mafuyu, practically giving up on trying to bring Mafuyu back to the group. Mizuki tells her to take some time to cool off, and that they can all talk more later. Ena is left alone with her thoughts once Kanade leaves the call, believing that Mafuyu had deliberately been making fun of her, and becomes motivated by spite. However, when she starts drawing, she can't help but see all the flaws in her art. It doesn't help that her father walks in, and we learn a bit about their relationship. Ena asks him if he's upset as the genius artist to see his talentless daughter try to draw and fail, to which he replies no, and that anyone can do what they want with art even if they have no talent. Akito checks up on her, to which she explodes at him, telling him to get out and leave her alone. She keeps getting frustrated by her art, posts, and finally admits to herself that what Mafuyu said was true, she does want to disappear. We then get to see Mizuki at school. At first, everything seems fine, she seems to have friends in her class who she gets along with. Eventually, we see a pair of 2nd year students talking about her as if she were some mystery. One of them mentions the fact that "you really can't tell" and calls her cute, which is a subtle yet obvious jab to not being able to tell Mizuki is trans at first. Her classmates invite her to walk home with them after, to which she agrees. One of the previously mentioned students asks her why she dresses the way she does, to which she replies because she likes to, and leaves. Later on, she talks with the classmates she was talking to earlier, and her classmates talk about how rude people can be. Mizuki says she's used to it, which shows it's pretty common for people to be transphobic to her. Her and her classmates then part ways, and Mizuki decides to go shopping. When shopping, she overhears the girls from earlier, and before she goes to talk to them, she hears them talking about her. They reveal their true thoughts, asking each other why Mizuki dresses the way she does if she doesn't want people to make fun of her for it. They say that "some people just don't know how to fit in," because Mizuki isn't a conformist, she doesn't conform to what society wants from her and instead chooses to be herself. Mizuki is frustrated after overhearing this, after all, if they had thought that all along, why would they pretend like they understood and accepted her? She finally admits to herself that Mafuyu's words were true, despite everything she tried to do to deny and mask it. Yet, again, it takes one to know one, and she knows that Mafuyu has been lying, because having to pretend and being told what to do and what to be bothers Mafuyu as well, no matter how much Mafuyu had denied it. It is because Mizuki knows what it feels like that she can call Mafuyu's bluff, just as Mafuyu had done to her. We see Mizuki and Ena again properly in Chapter 14, where Ena is still holing a grudge against Mafuyu. Mizuki wonders how they'll proceed with lyrics without Mafuyu, sensing that doing Mafuyu's part on top of her own was affecting Kanade. Ena replies saying that they don't need Mafuyu, that if she can do so great by herself then she has no use returning to N25. Mizuki reflects on this, noticing that everyone has been affected in some sort of way, that none of them are feeling so great right now. She decides to try and change Ena's viewpoint, even if just a bit. She mentions Mafuyu's mother, saying that Mafuyu has likely been struggling for a while now too. She reflects on how controlling Mafuyu's mom seemed to be, speculating that Mafuyu likely had to give herself up to please the people around her, especially her mom. If Mafuyu had to pretend to be the perfect girl for so long, then Mizuki concludes that it's likely affecting her to a point that seems unbearable, which would explain why Mafuyu was acting the way she did. Mizuki says that she understands how that feels, how suffocating the pressure of conformity is. Ena is shocked by this, admitting that she had never thought Mizuki would feel that way as well. Mizuki sighs, before perking up, her reply being: "Hey, wait a minute! What do you mean by that?! Even I have stuff to deal with, you know!" Ena defends herself, saying that Mizuki just seemed extremely carefree, as though she was always having fun. Mizuki replies saying that she's just enjoying life while she can, after all, there's no fun in constant negativity. Even Ena can agree with this, after all, it's natural for people to want to enjoy themselves. Mizuki redirects this conversation to focus on Mafuyu, saying that Mafuyu likely wasn't able to, and it likely caused her to reach her breaking point. Ena's perspective seems to somewhat shift silently, as if she's starting to understand a bit more. Mizuki wants to talk to Mafuyu again, but Ena doubts Mafuyu will even want to talk. They then see that OWN has started uploading more and more songs rapidly, all of them sounding incredibly dark. Ena has an awful feeling about this, and finally begins to realize the situation for Mafuyu is more serious than she had initially thought it was. Kanade comes back from talking to Miku in the Sekai, and Mizuki and Ena learn that deep down, Mafuyu doesn't really want to disappear. Mizuki tells Kanade to take her with her the next time she goes, wanting to tell Mafuyu how she truly feels, how much she'd miss Mafuyu if she were gone. Kanade agrees, telling Mizuki she'll let her know when she goes back. Mizuki asks Ena if she wants to come too, and Ena says she's not going. She thinks Mizuki and Kanade are making a huge deal out of it, and that everyone has problems, so why is Mafuyu suddenly special? Mizuki understands that Ena is frustrated, so she doesn't push, and Kanade thanks Ena for listening. Kanade finishes the song she is making for Mafuyu, and Mizuki and Ena listen to it. Mizuki believes that this song will be able to reach Mafuyu, while Ena compliments Kanade's abilities, and wishes Kanade a safe trip. While Kanade is trying to get through to Mafuyu, Ena appears in the Sekai, after realizing that no matter how much she thinks she hates Mafuyu, she doesn't want Mafuyu to disappear. To her, the fact that Mafuyu wants to disappear seems infuriating because in Ena's eyes, Mafuyu has everything she could ever want. Mafuyu is talented, she gets attention not for her looks but for her talent, but Ena doesn't realize that she has the one thing Mafuyu lacks—passion. Mafuyu says that she doesn't care for any of that, what she really wants is to find the unknown in which she has been looking for to let her feel anything. Mizuki understands this, saying that no matter how great someone looks or how rich they are, people all go through difficult times. She acknowledges that while Mafuyu's music is great, it ultimately means nothing if Mafuyu can not find what it is she needs to find. That's why, in a seemingly foolish act, Mizuki says that Mafuyu should be allowed to disappear if it truly is what she wants most. Yet, perhaps this is exactly what all of Nightcord, in this moment, needed to hear—validation of their desire to disappear. After all, nobody except Mafuyu herself will ever truly fully understand what it is Mafuyu is going through, so all their words will end up falling on deaf ears. Yet, Mizuki isn't here to let Mafuyu simply go on and disappear, instead, she provides her own personal thoughts and comparisons. Mizuki, more than anyone else in Nightcord, understands what it's like to feel as though you have to change yourself to fit in with those around you, just for a bit of peace of mind. Yet, ultimately, it is that same conformity which drags you down—inevitably, you end up so tired from trying that it seems easier to simply not exist. Mizuki acknowledges that not many people understand what this is like, which is why, in the end, if Mafuyu were to disappear, she'd feel pretty upset. It is an ultimately selfish move, just as Kanade and Ena had been earlier, and Mafuyu calls them all out on it. Yet, sometimes, the selfishness of others ends up being so warm that you may as well try a bit. In fact, it seemingly almost allows for Mafuyu to stop and doubt for a second in the middle of her ranting, but she's been trying so hard to take any chances, only to find that they've all failed; that's why she refuses to keep trying. She refuses to believe she can be saved, no matter how hard she tries, she's never been able to find what she needs. In the end, though, Kanade is able to give the final push to convince her to keep holding on just a little longer, choosing to throw herself now into composing for however long it takes to save Mafuyu. Miku comes in, saying that a new song, one born of Mafuyu's feelings, has been made. Miku explains that the three girls helped Mafuyu find a spark of her true feelings. Ena says that she only came here to complain, to which Mizuki cheekily thanks Ena. Ena responds by saying she also came here to tell Mizuki that Mizuki irritates her. Mizuena early game is so funny bro all they do is beef for no reason. Ladies, ladies! Hold your horses! Calm down! Anyways, they all end up getting sent back to their rooms, the Untitled file being renamed to "Composing the Future." Ena admits that even though she was mad at Mafuyu, it felt nice seeing her again. Mizuki invites them all to a family diner, which starts the tradition of Nightcord and diners. Man, I love their little diner side-plot. Mizuki and Ena bicker, with Mizuki calling out Ena for using filters on her selfies—in short, just the basic early game Mizuena shenanigans. They all briefly introduce themselves properly to one another, and pick their orders, with Mizuki celebrating their first official offline meetup. Main story talk over, god was it something. Despite a lot of the main story chapters focusing on Mafuyu and Kanade, I think it sets a pretty nice foundation of what to expect from Mizuki and Ena's individual arcs going forward. Anyways, it's time to move onto the side stories. In Ena's initial 3 star, her first side story starts off with her trying to take the perfect selfie. Akito tells her that it's time for dinner, and Ena is reluctant at first, not wanting to see her father, but Akito replies saying he's probably still in his studio. We then see Ena ranting to Nightcord, frustrated about being compared to her dad at dinner, to which Mizuki quickly shuts the topic down before it gets too bad. Mizuki comments that Ena is behind, to which she says she'll get the work done on time. Kanade says that it's fine as long as she doesn't rush the work. At the end, we get to see more of Ena's praise towards Kanade, seemingly holding Kanade on a pedestal, while despising her father. Sometimes I forget just how idealized Kanade was in Ena's mind back at the start of the game, but it's an incredibly common occurence for mentally unstable people. In her second side story, it starts off pretty casual with Ena recording her lines. However, when everyone in N25 praises her, telling her that it seems like she's working really hard, she pauses, feeling more as though she's panicking through her work rather than working hard on it. She thinks about how great the rest of N25 is; she sees Mafuyu and Kanade as amazing, and although she views Mizuki as unserious and frivolous, she still thinks that Mizuki is pretty mature. When she thinks about how great everyone is, she ends up feeling helpless, viewing all of her work as lackluster. However, when Kanade starts putting in an equal amount of praise and critique in Ena's recorded lines, Ena feels motivated too do better, feeling as though she's finally being seen properly by someone. In her initial 3 star's untrained, she's trying to perfectly angle the camera. She's trying to perfect the image of herself she's showing to social media, showcasing a "beautiful girl" to the internet. However, in her trained card, we see the real her. We see a girl who's frustrated with her art, with herself. She has an upset expression on her face, holding a paintbrush in her hand, curling up on herself. Around her are torn canvases, in fact, she herself is framed by a torn canvas. Moving onto her MV partner, Mizuki, we see her attending school in her first side story for her initial 3 star. She's hyping herself up, calling herself cute. We soon learn that she doesn't attend school very often, with one of her classmates making a remark about how she finally decided to show up. Mizuki replies saying that she simply felt like it, to which the student replies that Mizuki is so random. When Mizuki learns that she has a mini-quiz for math the following period, she leaves, claiming she "needs a breath of fresh air" despite the fact she has just come to school. Mizuki goes to the rooftop, debating going home as she really does not want to do that quiz. Quiz can NOT be this bad bro I'm crying. Anyways, she hears An singing, and when An sees her she makes a quick comment about Mizuki deciding to come to school despite it being the afternoon. Mizuki again replies saying she felt like coming, and compliments An's singing, saying she didn't know An could sing so well. An says that she learned by listening to her dad, and that she's following her dad's footsteps and singing in live shows and doing street performances. Mizuki asks An to teach her some tips for singing, and An teaches her some basic tips, such as vocal warm-ups. However, her vocal warm-up isn't a usual vocal warm up, which amazes Mizuki, as she can see how passionate An is about music. When An is done, she immediately compliments her, and begs An to teach her how to do that vocal warm-up. Afterwards, An tells Mizuki that she seemed so seriously focused when listening to her advice, and asks Mizuki to sing for her next time. Mizuki agrees, and the bell rings, signalling Mizuki's Doom (her math quiz). Mizuki says she'll go down later, wanting to practice her singing, to which An immediately shuts her down, knowing she's just trying to skip, and drags Mizuki down to the class. Really funny ending to the side story honestly, I love my mizuan crumbs. In her second side story, she's with the rest of N25 at the diner for a watch party. Kanade comments that the chorus of the song seems to be gaining traction, and Mafuyu reveals its the part Mizuki sang. Mizuki says she used An's advice. When Ena is quiet about the song, Mizuki immediately notices that something is off. She instantly is able to figure out that Ena is trying to find comments about her artwork for the song, and Mizuki realizes that a lot of the comments are about the lyrics and melody, not about the art. She takes the initiative and praises Ena's art, to which Kanade and Mafuyu agree. Mizuki compliments the thumbnail, saying it captures the mood of the song. Ena is upset, asking Mizuki if this is supposed to be a foolish attempt at cheering her up. Mizuki replies by saying she means it, and Ena switches the topic, saying she's getting hungry. Mizuki immediately jumps to ordering fries, which we learn she always gets here. Mizuki and Ena bicker a bit, Ena claiming Mizuki's going to get acne from all the fries that she eats. While everyone else talks about ordering fries, Mizuki begins to reflect on the group. She thinks about how everyone, herself included, are all burdened with issues; Kanade is burdened by the guilt she feels about her father, Mafuyu can't find her true self, Ena struggles with feeling inferior when it comes to art, and Mizuki doesn't elaborate on her own issues, but the main story makes them apparent. She thinks about how tough it is to always feel like you're at a low, and after ordering large fries and bickering a bit with Ena again, she questions if she's allowed to enjoy life, at least for the moment. She wants to enjoy her life, with this group, with these girls, even if it's just for a fleeting moment. In her untrained, we can see her fixing herself up, putting a cute bow in her hair. It's overall an extremely cute and peaceful card, except for one aspect: her mirror. There is a piece of cloth on her mirror, which seemingly covers part of it. It may seem normal at first, but it will be important to take note of later on in the story. In her trained, we see her laying down on top of a reflective surface, smiling at the camera. However, her reflection shows a different side of her—the side of her that she tries to hide from the world. Her reflection shows herself with empty, dull eyes. The girl in the reflection looks tired, maybe even a bit miserable. It's a side of herself that she pretends doesn't exist with other people, it's the side of herself that holds the emotions she bottles up. In their first unit song, "Kuyamu to Kaite Mirai," otherwise known as "Composing the Future," the lyrics are honestly probably some of the best that anyone could make when commissioned for this unit. In the intro, Kanade sings the first two lines, and Ena sings the following two lines: "If you pierced right through me with a knife, / That would be nice, that would be nice. / If you stabbed me with your absurd, pretentious speech, / That would be nice, that would be nice." This is clearly showcasing a blunt and not at all sugar-coated train of thought of desiring to have someone put them out of their misery. In Ena's case, the "absurd, pretentious speech" is likely coming from her father, who downplays her art, and who she is shown to, at this point of the story, be continuously frustrated with. The following lines are: "Even though I've thrown it in the trash already, / I've been hiding my entire life in the cuffs of my sleeves. / And there it's remained, unable to be burned, not turning into ash." The first two lines are sung by Mizuki, Ena, and Miku, and the last line is sung by Mizuki. Mizuki and Ena are both people who, in one way or another, have previously given up. They hide parts of themselves, with Ena hiding the frustrated, angry version of herself from the internet, and Mizuki hiding the bitter and solemn side of herself from the world. The last line of that section being sung by only Mizuki honestly hits pretty hard, because no matter how much she tries to ignore and get rid of the negative feelings that impact her, they never truly go away. She can pretend as much as she wants, but that aspect of her life will always remain, never being able to be burned into pitiful ashes. The following section is sung only by Kanade and Miku, so I'll just paraphrase it. The following section is about wanting to disappear, feeling hopeless in life, living in a nightmareish world that was born from an awful past. In the next section, it is sung solely by Mizuki and Miku, the lyrics being: "I'm broken, I'm covered in invisible wounds, / They won't be able to scab over, / And I know that, / I'll write the future with this lament." First line honestly is a bit of a gut-punch. Tears in my Mizuki kami-oshi eyes. Mizuki is a broken individual, no matter how much she presents herself otherwise. She has been hurt time and time again by society, by those around her, by people who were supposed to be her friends. Despite how hurt she's been, she covers the hurt up, hence the "invisible wounds." A scab is meant to protect the body when a wound is formed from getting infected, as well as stop it from bleeding. However, this hurt she feels will never scab over, because she keeps getting hurt, and the hurt from those wounds seem to never end. Mizuki knows she'll get hurt over and over again. To write the future with lament means, in how I view it in her case at least, to go forward in life while mourning what you've lost and what you could've had. The following lines are: "Pretending to be alive while marching toward death, / That's life, isn't it? That's life. / So then why were we born into this world, / In such immature, imperfect bodies, / Each one with a heart still beating?" The first two lines are sung by Mafuyu, who pretends to be fine and is suffering from it. The next two lines are sung by Mizuki, who has been born into a body that she isn't content with. This line specifically honestly is probably the one that hurts the most, because Mizuki is a character who, despite being so confident in her own identity, suffers from being born in the wrong body. The unfortunate truth is that if she had been born a girl, the harassment she faces would have likely been barely anything compared to what it actually is. The last line in this section is sung by Mafuyu and Mizuki, two people who understand each other, who understand what it's like to have to go on with life and pretend nothing is wrong. The following section is sung by Ena, "That's right, I tried to get a flower to bloom / By watering it with this crumpled watering can, / But there wasn't even a single seed scattered in the dirt." She tried so hard to become good at art in the eyes of her art teacher and her father, yet no matter what she did, it was never enough. The idea of there not being "even a single seed scattered in the dirt" is likely a reference to how she feels talentless, and how without talent, nothing she draws or paints will ever be good. The next lines are sung by Kanade, Ena, and Miku, "That's why I slipped away, abandoned it, / The love that's like a plague on this world, / And the depths of a superficial friend's affection / Are thinner than a fingernail." Ena sings part of the first line, "That's why I slipped away," by herself, likely because she temporarily gave up on art for a while. She abandoned it due to the inferiority she felt compared to all the artists around her. Kanade and Ena sing the following lines alongside Miku, and I think it fits both of them well. Kanade's love for music as a child indirectly caused her fathers current state, as though it were a plague. Ena's love for art is what led to her breaking point, and the love for it that hurts her so bad stays like a plague. A "superficial friend's affection" honestly reminds me in Ena's case of Futaba. I know main story doesn't mention her, but she was always pretty supportive of Ena and her art, despite the fact that her art would always seemingly be praised more than Ena's. I honestly wish we had more Futaba and Ena moments. The next section again is sung solely by Kanade and Miku, I honestly don't have much commentary for this one, sorry. The section after that is sung only by Mizuki, and god does it hit me. The section is, "I only have enough wax on this candle to last me one way, / And I'm desperately trying to keep it aflame. / In the dimly lit inch I can see ahead, who do those tracks belong to, / Who's the one who's fallen into a hole?" Mizuki, who at this point in the story is at one of her most fragile states, barely being able to fathom the idea that things can last, is desperately trying to keep going, keep smiling, keep pretending that nothing is wrong. I think the second half of it is referring to seeing herself struggling, seeing herself fall into a low, and by seeing it "ahead," it's likely what she sees her future as.

Kamiyama High Festival

Insatiable Pale Color

Secret Distance

What's on Your Mind? Exciting Picnic!

The Sounds of a Summer Festival

My Footsteps, Your Destination This event. Ohhh I have SO Many thoughts for this event. This was THE mizuena event up until ena5. The first chapter starts off with Mizuki admirnig everyone, calling them amazing, and realizing she is the only one in Nightcord who isn't taking a hard look at her issues and changing. She has remained stagnant throughout it all, yet she can't help but want to become closer to them, even if she hasn't, and in her mind, can't make any progress. Later on, while at the diner that N25 frequents, she realizes that she feels most like herself when she is with them, not needing to be someone who she isn't. She doesn't need to endure the cruel comments of her classmates, the weird stares of people around her, or her own self-loathing. To her, it is a breath of fresh air. After leaving the diner with N25, she encounters An, as well as the rest of VBS (viviniigo crumbs...), and they have a quick conversation. VBS and the rest of N25 talk, and Ena asks An about what Mizuki's like in school, considering that An is Mizuki's classmate. An explains how Mizuki rarely attends, but is incredibly smart and can pull off good grades, as well as explain topics well to others. This simple conversation becomes a catalyst for Mizukis spiraling. She begins to think about school, worried about others finding out about her secret. She realizes its not just about others, but moreso N25, and begins to question what would happen if everyone in N25 were to find out. She debates telling them, knowing deep down that they would be kind and understanding, but she can't help but doubt. She is a coward who cannot handle change, be it for better or for worse. She skips the meeting that night, and is met with the very kindness from N25 she had just been thinking about. Guilt continues to claw at her, her thoughts mixed between feeling horrible for not telling them, and wondering why she can't just be herself without feeling pain. She ultimately decides to just keep having fun, even if her issues keep gnawing at her because she believes she is powerless anyways of future outcomes. The next day, she calls Nightcord as though nothing had happened. Later, N25 are all in the sekai listening to Kanade's new demo when Ena overhears Luka and MEIKO talking about Mizuki, but is interrupted when Mizuki realizes she isn't paying attention. On the next day's Nightcord call, Ena claims that something had came up that would keep her mom busy, and that she would be able to hang out with Mizuki that Sunday. In reality, this is a lie that Ena tells Mizuki because she is still extremely worried about Mizuki. On Sunday, they meet up, and one of the first things Ena asks is if Mizuki is alright. In typical Mizuki fashion, she laughs it off, making jokes about how Ena is suddenly so kind to her. The two bicker for a bit before entering the mall, and Mizuki is trying to pick between shirts. Ena goes to use the restroom, where she begins to believe that Mizuki may just be alright for the time being, and that she may actually be making progress. However, she comes back to see Mizuki with dull eyes, and she once again asks Mizuki if Mizuki is alright, saying she looked awful. Mizuki lies about being fine, but Ena yells that just because Mizuki is physically fine, but that she can tell something is going on, to which Mizuki tells her to calm down, and that she's scaring the clerk. Ena calms down a bit, and tries to tell Mizuki that she's there for her, and that Mizuki should talk to her if there's something bothering Mizuki. Mizuki's eyes go dull once again as she replies that there is nothing she could possibly tell Ena. Mizuki then realizes what she had just done, and runs away, saying she's not feeling as well as she did, and that she's just going to head home. When Mizuki gets home, she begins to feel sick, realziing that Ena is far sharper than she thought, and that she's made Ena worry again. She throws up, and wonders why this is happening. After all, she believed she was handling everything fine up until this point, because in her mind, if she didn't actually acknowledge it, then it wouldn't have hurt her, right? On the other hand, Ena gets frustrated, reflecting on the day's events. She wonders why Mizuki can't just tell her what's wrong. She decides to go to MEIKO for advice, believing that MEIKO may know something. She tells MEIKO she just doesn't know what to do because Mizuki's being so avoidant about her issues. She asks MEIKO to tell her something, anything, about what's going on with Mizuki. MEIKO tells her that she doesn't know what's wrong, and that even if she had, she wouldn't tell anyone anything. Ena, in disbelief, asks her why, and MEIKO responds that Mizuki, and the rest of N25, need to be able to handle their issues on their own. Ena provides a contrasting opinion, saying that there's no possible way for somebody to handle all of their issues on their own, using her own experiences as an example, claiming that she's still here because of the support everyone else in N25 had given her in her time of need. She believes that if Mizuki talks to her about her issue, that Mizuki will feel better by talking. MEIKO says that sometimes talking can only serve to make things worse, and that it's not a one size fits all solution. The simple act of kindness of wanting to help can only cause more suffering in someone like Mizuki. MEIKO then asks why Ena is so obssessed with wanting to help Mizuki, and Ena replies that it's because Mizuki is her friend. Meanwhile, Mizuki is on the rooftop after attending school for once. She starts thinking about earlier events, and wonders why she began to care about N25 so much, even despite telling herself she shouldn't get too close to anyone, especially after how people in the past have treated her. Every single time she had thought someone would understand, they would talk about her behind her back. Again, she knows deep down that N25 isn't like that, but she had been treated so harshly by others around her that she knows that she won't be able to bear the kindness they'd offer her. She wonders for a minute if everything would just be better if everyone disappeared from the world. If nobody else was in the world but her, would she not be safe from getting hurt ever again? Her thoughts are interrupted by Ena coming to the rooftop, who had been looking for her for a while now. Ena had even gone to Mizuki's class and asked An where Mizuki was out of desperation to be able to say anything to Mizuki. Mizuki apologizes to Ena for ditching her, trying to overexplain her actions; yet throughout this all she's still lying. Ena tells her that that's in the past now, saying that although it still bothered her,, that wasn't what she was here for. She acknowledges that something really big is weighing down on Mizuki, and Mizuki once again is trying to downplay it. Ena however won't take that this time, yet Mizuki keeps trying to make excuses for her odd behavior, even after Ena had said that Mizuki wasn't fooling her. Eventually, Mizuki says that it's none of Ena's concerns, which Ena immediately shuts down, saying that whatever Mizuki is going through is not only affecting Mizuki herself, but Ena as well. She talks about how Mizuki would want to help Mafuyu or Kanade whenever something was up, and Mizuki knows where this is going, trying to once again make her issues seem lesser compared to everyone else's. Ena however refutes what Mizuki is about to say, saying this is the same as that, and that friends naturally want to help one another out. This shocks Mizuki, to be considered someone's friend back is an intangible concept. Her thoughts begin to swirl between doubt and hope. Ena continues speaking, mentioning how she had spoken to MEIKO. Mizuki asks what MEIKO said, to which Ena replies with: "Sometimes, talking can make things worse." Ena tells Mizuki that if that's the case for Mizuki, she doesn't mind, saying that if Mizuki really can't at the moment, she doesn't need to tell Ena; this doesn't mean that Ena's giving up, however. She makes it clear that she wants to help Mizuki as much as she can, and that she doesn't like seeing that despairing look on Mizuki's face. She tells Mizuki that she will wait forever for her (honestly this part still makes me tear up especially when paired with Ena's untrained; she's so determined and passionate when it comes to this, making sure that Mizuki understands her words). Mizuki tries to get her to rethink this, saying it could end up being a really long time, to which Ena replies by saying she'll just stay by Mizuki's side until then. She's not letting Mizuki run away from her own issues nor from Ena herself. Mizuki tries to laugh it off until she realizes Ena is being fully serious. Mizuki begins to feel like she wants to, or rather, needs to tell her. Ena had been so dedicated to trying to help her, caring for her so much. It would only be fair to tell her now, wouldn't it? Ena would understand, wouldn't she? This however gets interrupted by a flashback to a negative reaction Mizuki had received from someone she had told in the past. After all, how does one simply gain the courage to come out after being pushed down time and time again by people who had seemed understanding? Mizuki thanks Ena, saying that she feels better now, but that she still can't tell Ena. She however says that when the day comes that she feels ready, she would want Ena to hear her out. Ena is glad to hear this, and admits that although she hates waiting, she's willing to make a special exception for Mizuki (again, this makes me tear up so much... Ena is so caring of Mizuki, willing to do things she normally wouldn't just for Mizuki's sake); all she wants in return is for Mizuki to promise to tell her one day. Mizuki agrees, and Ena suddenly hears the bell for her class. The two bicker for a bit as Ena runs off to class. Mizuki realizes while Ena is leaving that she is lying to Ena, that she realistically has no plans to tell Ena. She thinks that she'll be able to stay with Ena and the rest of N25 if they never know, yet she feels awful for it at the same time, wishing someone would just make it easy and tell Ena for her. The event story ends with Mizuki apologizing to the void after Ena has already left. The event story itself is enough to make me sob, but the card side stories are also incredibly bittersweet. In Mizuki's first side story, she reflects on the moment she ran away from Ena in the mall, overthinking everything. She believes that Ena is likely furious with her, and Mizuki is left wondering why she even acted like that in the first place; after all, Ena was just concerned and only wanted to help Mizuki. Mizuki goes to school the next day, and we get Mizuan Hype Moments and Aura. Ok though seriously this whole scene is so incredibly sweet. We have Mizuki and An bickering about Mizuki's attendance, while they also talk about the unintentional VBS and N25 meetup. Something mizuena related that grabbed my attention is when An was quoting Akito on how he described Ena: difficult, stubborn, not easy to deal with, and even though Mizuki believes this to be pretty accurate in a sense, she keeps her mouth shut for Ena's sake. I think it's pretty sweet how she avoids making Ena look bad, even if the things being said are accurate, just not in the sense Akito may have meant it. Ena is a difficult person in the sense that you cannot talk her out of the things she has set her mind to. If she has a goal in mind, it's hard, if not nearly impossible, to try and get her to change her mind. Going back to Mizuan, even if this is supposed to be a Mizuena-centric infodump, I'm extremely glad for An's importance in Mizuki's story. An is subtle in her ways of asking Mizuki if something is alright to say, with quick glances being enough for the two. It's especially nice in this point of Mizuki's arc where she is on constant edge about N25 noticing the major issues she has been keeping secret. In Mizuki's second side story, which takes place right after the rooftop conversation in the last chapter of the event story, she's thinking about the fact that Ena had called her a friend. She's incredibly glad that Ena considers her a friend, but this also only serves to add to the guilt she feels for "lying" to Ena. Her thoughts are stopped when Rui comes to the rooftop, which shocks Mizuki, considering how late it is. She asks what he was doing here, wondering why he isn't with his trope. Rui replies by saying he had told them he'd be late, and that he had noticed she came in for school for once. The two bicker for a bit (Mizuki and her constant bickering with her friends bro), and joke around about Rui's drone. They mention the school festival briefly, saying that was probably the last time the two had been able to talk like they are now, and Rui suddenly mentions middle school. Specifically, a play he had told Mizuki about; the plot surrounding a hero patiently waiting for someone (remind you of anyone?), but the hero never meets who they were waiting for. Rui mentions that his wait seems to finally have come to an end, saying that WxS were the people he had been subconsciously awaiting all this time. Mizuki in turn thinks about what Ena had said again, realizing that she is the one who in turn is making someone, a hero, wait for her. Rui soon has to leave, but before he does, he tells Mizuki he is glad that she's continuing to move forward. Although they are no longer just friends in solitude, he still cherished the times they spent together when they were, and he hopes that Mizuki will continue the journey of being herself, just as he is now. Mizuki is left alone now, her final three lines being about how despite the fact Rui had previously told her solitude can be great, he won't let her succumb to it. I don't think people appreciate Mizuki and Rui's friendship enough honestly, these two are great examples of people facing similar issues due to society, and overcoming it one step at a time, in their own ways. I could honestly talk about how dear their friendship is to me all day long, but then we'd be here all day, and I still have other card side stories to talk about for this event. Ena's first side story takes place at the time that Ena rearranges her plans with her mother in order to hang out with Mizuki. She knows she likely won't get an answer over Nightcord about her worries, so she jumps to trying in-person. She tells her mom that she would liek to postpone their plans, saying she's extremely worried about one of her friends. Akito immediately is able to tell who it is, and he can tell she's really bothered by whatever may be going on with Mizuki. The conversation then shifts to talking about Vivids. Ena comments on how An seems to be incredibly clingy, lacking a sense of personal space. Akito comments saying that Mizuki is like that too, to which Ena immediately jumps to Mizuki's defense. She says that Mizuki keeps an eye on everyone's moods, and is always considerate about space. Akito comments that this is the most she has cared about anyone other than Airi. This causes Ena to realize that Mizuki and Airi are both the only people she's cared about this much. This motivates her to keep trying, and to talk to Mizuki on Nightcord, asking her to hang out at the mall Mizuki had wanted to go to that Sunday. In Ena's second side story, Mizuki DMs Ena on Nightcord, asking Ena if she is free that weekend, wanting to make up for what she had done during their last hangout. Ena feels hopeful after this, believing her words were having an effect, and that Mizuki may genuinely be starting to feel a bit better. The two meet up, their hang out being as casual as usual. The rest of the side story is mainly fluff, but it's nice to seem them get a break after the emotional event story. Also, MEIKOs second side story has a bit of Ena development, where she realizes that just because opening up worked for her doesn't mean that it works for everyone. Anyways. Let's Take A Look at the cards. Surprising to absolutely Nobody, this set is based off the Major Arcana tarot cards. I could go into every single one, such as MEIKO being the upright Justice tarot, Kanade being the Hanged Man tarot card, Ena being the Upright Hermit tarot, and Mizuki being the Reversed Hermit (gasp) tarot. However, I'm just gonna focus on Mizuki and Ena's. Let's start with Ena. Her card name is "Hermit Searcher", with the Hermit she is searching for being Mizuki. Mizuki, who runs away from everyone and everything at this point of time, is being searched for by the girl who refuses to give up on anyone or anything. Her tarot card is the Upright Hermit. The Upright Hermit symbolizes the search for truth, inner guidance, and soul-searching. In the card, she is walking through the snow, lantern and staff in each hand. She seems to be deep in thought, her face showcasing concern. The flowers kind of remind me of African Violets, though I'm not entirely sure. If they are, then that only adds to the symbolism used for Ena's care and dedication to helping Mizuki. African Violets, in the English flower language, symbolize devotion, faithfulness, and undying love. In hanakotoba, violets in general symbolize sincerity, small love, and bliss. The other flower I had in mind are geraniums. Geraniums symbolize frienship, protection, comfort, stability, and good wishes. Ena is seen consistently wishing well for Mizuki, trying to be as good of a friend as she can be. In Mizuki's card, she is representing the Reversed Hermit tarot. When the Hermit tarot is reversed, it symbolizes loneliness, isolation, and losing your way. These are common themes in Mizuki's story. She has faced constant loneliness throughout her life for who she is, isolating herself from people in fear of getting hurt, and throughout middle school had lost her way in her sense of identity. There is a chain on the bottom left side of her card, which is something that Enas card does not have. I'm pretty sure the flower in her card are foxgloves, which symbolize both healing and harm, insincerity, and deceit. Also, the ribbon on Mizuki's card is tangled, while Ena's is not, which could mean nothing at all. The curtain could Very Well just be Blue. The lyrics for the comissioned, "Lower," also really tie in well with this entire event story. I'll be using Oktavia's english translation for this, because it fits. One of Mizuki's lines after the intro is, "I wouldn't dare obey my heart's desires—instead bottling them all up / And now it feels like my chest's been polluted with their rotten remains." She bottles up all her feelings and troubles, avoiding opening up even if she deep down wants to. In doing so, she is suffocated by her own feelings, misery consuming her whole, while pretending that everything is fine. Ena's line, which is only a bit after that is, "With a mangled voice, a throat both completely dry and choked up all at once / I never know the right thing to say." Ena, as much as she wants to help, never truly knows what to say to Mizuki. This line is also foreshadowing "Whither This Path of Thorns," where she is unable to say the right thing, as though her throat were too dry and choked up. The next lines Mizuki sings in are: "So I'd let my feelings out somewhere far, far away / Same as always, but somehow different, somehow wrong." The first line is sung by Mizuki, Mafuyu, and MEIKO. Mizuki and Mafuyu both parallel each other when it comes to identity, but also with the whole idea of bottling things up and acting as though nothing is wrong. Their only space to let feelings out is where no one can see, or rather, "somewhere far, far away." Mizuki's feelings are the same, in a way, fearing losing people who she holds close subconsciously once again---but it's different this time too, because she finally feels hope for something for once, and it feels so wrong to her. Ena's subsequent lines are: "How much longer until we go? How far are we even able to go? / If you "don't know yet", well, what's keeping you from knowing?" The first line is sung by Ena, Kanade, and MEIKO. Kanade and Ena also parallel, with Kanade and Ena both trying to reach people through creative endeavours. However, Kanade relies on her songs to try and save people, especially Mafuyu, while Ena is able to "save" people through her words and actions. These two lines together represent Ena's frustration and concerns. No matter how much Ena asks, no matter how much Ena tries, Mizuki is closed off, and it's frustrating to Ena. She only wants to help, so she asks more and more questions to herself, knowing she'll receive no answer. The next few lines all alternate between Mizuki singing with Mafuyu, Mizuki and Ena singing together, and Kanade and Ena singing together: "Should we be fated to part, should we be fated to lose one another, / I pray we may be reunited in the end each and every time / If you'd just do me the honor of staying, staying and never to part, / Then no one will know this feeling of salvation but me" Mizuki and Mafuyu sing the first line, and Mizuki and Ena sing the following line; it is pretty straightforward honestly. Ena wants to stay with Mizuki no matter what stands in their way, while Mizuki feels as though fate will one day separate them. Yet, despite this, both of them deep down share the desire to be together no matter how many times life may try to tear them apart. Kanade and Ena sing the line about staying and never parting, Kanade's reasoning for singing this is honestly best explained through a deep dive on Kanade and Mafuyu's codependency but alas this is a Mizuki and Ena rentry so that's not what I'm focused on. What I am focused on is why Ena is singing this. If Mizuki would do her the "honor of staying," then that would fulfill Ena in some way; Ena wants Mizuki to stay with her, because as far as she's concerned, her best friend is an enigma. A ghost that exists in the vast online space of Nightcord, one that disappears on a whim. To get that fleeting ghost to stay would be to truly succeed as a friend. She also sings the line about salvation with Mizuki. In the end, Mizuki and Ena, in some sense of the word, are each other's salvation. Mizuki validates Ena, in her art, or rather, in anything that Mizuki notices Ena is self-conscious about. In turn, Ena in time will become Mizuki's salvation. Saving Mizuki from the self-deprecation, isolation, and underlying cynicism left from middle school. Through all of it, the only people who will get to know that feeling of salvation will be them. Only they will know what it is like to be saved by each other, because it will not be a clear and heroic salvation. Rather, it is the salvation that comes from just being by each other's side, having someone to be there for you and in turn be there for them. The next line is Kanade singing, "The concept of peace has been replaced with attrition," with Ena's following line being, "But in truth, there's hardly a difference between them." The translator note on the attrition line mentions attritional warfare, which is a strategy where the enemy is worn down until collapse. The idea of peace being practically the same as being worn down until collapse, or rather, exhaustion. I honestly can't think of much of a connection to the event story for this line while relating it to Ena. It feels more like something Mizuki would think honestly. Actually, this entire verse I think is supposed to reflect Mizuki's thoughts, as the following lines are: "The concept of pleasure is founded upon sin / 'Why don't we get out of here before it all goes to hell?'" Mafuyu sings the first line, Mizuki sings the second. Assuming this verse is supposed to be Mizuki's thought process, then this could likely represent her internalized cynicism. Peace is exhausting, pleasure is something she has never been allowed, and it would be best for her to leave before it all comes crumbling down again. I think the next section is also representing Mizuki's thoughts: "This too-good-to-be-true wish, / As always, as always, I whisper it to myself / Where do I even start? What is it that I'll lose? / The uncertainty of it all freezes me in place." The "too-good-to-be-true wish" in question is likely her desire to stay with N25, and the fact that it could genuinely be possible. It cannot go above a mere whisper, lest she jinx herself and doom her already "doomed" fate. The uncertainty of what she could lose, who she could lose leaves her unable to think ahead, forcing herself to anchor her mind to the present rather than the future. The next chorus lines are, "Should we ever tire, should we ever feel as though we can't take anymore, / I pray we may be able to run away from it all each and every time / So we may protect our hearts, so they may never be stolen away, / Let's entrust them to one another—put your faith in me." Once again, Mizuki and Mafuyu, who are meant to parallel each other, sing the first line. The idea of something becoming so unbearable, so tiring, is common for the two. Kanamafu sing the line about running, though again, this is a Mizuki commissioned, and if there is one thing Mizuki is notorious for, it's running away. To cope with the unbearable issues she faces, her solution is always, at this time, to run away from it all. The next line about protecting their hearts is sung by Kanade and Ena. Ena wants nothing more than to be a reliable friend to Mizuki, someone who Mizuki can feel as though her heart is protected and safe around. Mizuki and Ena sing the first half of the last line, which I find interesting, because both of them are willing to trust their hearts with each other, with Mizuki subconsciously wanting to be able to entrust Ena with everything that's been plaguing her, but neither of them sing the line about faith. Rather, its Kanade and Mafuyu, who at this point in time, have a lot of faith in one another, who sing it. Mizuki wants to put all her faith in Ena, but her past traumas prevent her from doing so. Ena puts her faith in Mizuki, but there is only so much she can expect in the near future from the mystery that is Akiyama Mizuki---yet she still has faith that one day, eventually, Mizuki will be able to tell her. MIzuki, Ena, and MEIKO sing the line, "To cry with you... To laugh with you... To get angry with you..." which honestly fits Mizuki and Ena's dynamic. They've seen each other at highs and lows, experienced those highs and lows together, gotten angry at each other, but they're still here, together. The next line, "To sing with you... To dance with you... To talk with you..." is sung by Kanade, Mafuyu, and MEIKO, and it's pretty straightforward as well honestly. The following lines are: '"I wonder how much longer this will last' / As always, as always, I whisper it to myself / This unforgettable moment that feels so etched into my brain / I wonder how much I'll think back on it." These are sung by Ena, Kanade, Mafuyu, and Mizuki individually in that exact order. These are not only representative of Mizuki's thoughts, but can also be traced back to each individual character singing them. Ena has no clue how long she will have to wait, or if Mizuki will just run away again. This fragile, yet sacred dynamic of friendship they have, and Ena has no idea how long they'll be able to remain friends, even if she wants to stay friends with Mizuki forever. Mafuyu's line about whispering it likely can be interpreted as not being able to voice her thoughts and worries out loud, unless she were to disappoint those who have yet to know how utterly broken and depressed she is deep down. Kanade's unforgettable moment is her dad's collapse, something she continues to blame herself for. Mizuki thinks back on past conversations and events constantly, as though her mind is shackled to the chains of the painful past. Though it could also be thinking back on this promise, feeling the suffocating guilt of "lying" to Ena. Mizuki and Ena then sing the line, "Should we—and no one else—". In the end, it's just them. The two of them with nobody else, and yet they still get interrupted by fate, showcased by the emdash at the end, as well as how they get cut off in the song itself by the final chorus. The following lines which cut them off are: "Should we be fated to part, should we be fated to lose one another, / I pray we may be reunited in the end each and every time." Mizuki, Ena, and MEIKO sing the second line. No matter what fate has in store for them, they both share a deep bond that cuts through even their own self-loathing. What the two girls want the most is to simply be able to find each other every time, even if the world tells them that it's wrong. The following two lines are split up a lot, "If you'd just do me the honor of staying, staying and never to part, / Then, as no one knows this feeling of mine but me," the first line being sung by Kanade, Ena, and MEIKO. Again, to Ena, what she truly desires is for Mizuki to stay. To her, it would be an honor for Mizuki to stay, to let them just be friends without having to worry that the enigmatic Mizuki will one day disappear without a word or trace. The second line is split up between Kanade and Mafuyu respectively. The final line, the parting words are: "This very existence itself—look upon it, and tell me if it's right." The first half of the line, up until the emdash, is sung by Ena. The final words, the sacred curtain call to this song, is sung by Mizuki. Is what she has been praying and hoping for, what she has been feeling, what she has been thinking throughout this entire song truly right? If only someone would tell her, but she must be the one to figure that out by herself.

On This Blank Canvas, I Paint

And Now, The Ribbon is Tied

Paint What I Love, Rainbow Canvas

Hope Will Someday Go Beyond the Morning

We Escape to Survive

Searching for Sunken Shadows

Next to the Unchanging Warmth

Knowing the Unseen

A Light Drawn Closer

Whither This Path of Thorns

With Our Wounded Hands

Embraced by Ephemeral Bubbles

Reaching Out to a Tomorrow That Won't Come Unraveled

Colors of Pure Sense

Knock on Unwaking Dreams

Sing the Night Away in the Garden of Nightmares

Amid the Wavering Light