When you're researching a topic you don't know very much about, two best friends will always have your back: the citations section of a Wikipedia page and Google Scholar (I have this linked to "okinawa assimilation" so you can see how it works). We all get taught that you shouldn't cite Wikipedia, and this is true, but the resources they cite are fair game. These often have direct links to the PDFs they're sourcing from, so when you see a claim, you can go to the original source and double check it or even see more of what it has to say.

For my main ones: Early History of The Ryukyu Kingdom and its Relationship with China and Japan. The Okinawa Peace Network of Los Angeles (2005). - I wasn't sure where to start with outlining my book report, so a friend was helpful and sent me this. I started with this one as an outline.

“Shioki (Control)”, “Fuyu (Dependency)”, and Sovereignty, Yanagihara, M. (2015). Meyer, S. (2020, October 15). Between a Forgotten Colony and an Abandoned Prefecture: Okinawa’s Experience of Becoming Japanese in the Meiji and Taishō Eras - I couldn't find which Wikipedia pages I jumped off of, but I'm pretty sure these were from citations sections.

Haynes, M. G. (2021). Samurai Invasion: Japan’s 1609 Conquest of Ryukyu. - I looked this one up because I wanted more information about Satsuma and why it invaded Ryukyu. This is from a website, written by a U.S. Army veteran with a degree in Asian Studies, so I felt it was valid to include.

Meyer, S. (2007). The rhetoric of the assimilation ideology in the remote islands of Okinawa: becoming Japanese or Okinawan? - Google Scholar Tsai, S. S. H. (1996). The eunuchs in the Ming dynasty. Suny Press.(pp.144-145) - Google Scholar Hendrickx, K. (2007). The origins of Banana-fibre cloth in the Ryukyus, Japan. (pp. 38-41.) - Google Scholar Takeo, S. (1997). Culture in Struggle: Experience of Okinawa. - Google Scholar All of the Additional Readings I put at the bottom of the document were Google Scholar or just search results.

But some of the sources above are also in the Ryukyu Kingdom Wikipedia page. If the subject is niche, you're going to run into it sourced in different places (especially if it's keystone literature).

Limitations Section

• Because it was meant to be an entry-level book report, these sources felt like enough to plainly state the overall historical turn of events.
  • However, it's not adequate to capturing the FULL PICTURE, because (a) there's nowhere close enough resources in this paper to say that (b) I think it's a little lacking when it comes to any Ryukyu perspective or literature.
• Depending on who is writing it, there can be bias (i.e., Did historical accounts come from China? Japan? The US? Any other country outside of it? Each has their own potential bias).
• Additionally, these sources are the ones that were publicly available: a lot of the good ones I saw were not.

I appreciate his Ryukyuan identity being prominent. I think his existence alone, along with the discussion about him and AKATSUKI, brings awareness to Okinawa, its history, and the issues they encounter with mainland Japan. Culture awareness and education will never be a bad thing!

I definitely wouldn’t say I’m an expert on Okinawa itself or its indigenous peoples, nor will I ever claim to be, so I don’t think I should be seen as any kind of authority about how good or bad it is. I think it has the potential to be handled… very not well, and that does worry me a lot. A lot a lot, to be honest. But I want to have faith until the writing proves me wrong.

That being said, I would love to learn more about Ibuki’s culture through whatever he’s going to be doing with AKATSUKI. When Ibuki was first announced, I was like “omg, RYUSEITAI helped Konata and Hoshijima, maybe AKATSUKI can help Ibuki with something”, so I really hope he takes them back to Okinawa. Kuro clinging to the dock like a cat because he doesn’t want to get sick for weeks again, while Souma pulls at him trying to get him on the boat. Keito buying a load of guidebooks, and chattering facts at Ibuki that Ibuki literally knows already. AND THEY CAN MEET MIZUSABA. PLEASE. HAPPY ELEMENTS. CONFIRM IF MIZUSABA AND IBUKI ARE BROTHERS— (dragged away)

But yes, I feel like because I’m not an expert, that makes me really really hope we see and learn more about Ibuki and his culture.

To be completely honest, I lack the personal experience, expertise, and/or eloquence needed to give a satisfactory answer to this question (hence why I work within the bounds of what the lore tells us), so I’ll provide a summary, links to informative threads, and what we can surmise based off of AKATSUKI’s (scant) interactions in Okinawa.

Here's a summary from The Rising Powers Initiative

"Okinawans, formerly known as the Ryukyuans, existed as the Ryukyu Kingdom since the 13th century until Meiji Japan forcefully annexed the island nation. Under the Japanese colonial rule and assimilation policy, the Ryukyuans lost their own culture, language, land, and political institutions."

Here are a few threads that I think get at the very real political implications from people who know the subject more extensively than me: @mika_enstars - a summary about the relationship between japan and the ryukyuan kingdom, and how that applies to AKATSUKI and Ibuki's identities @gitsunegal - on potential implications of cultural assimilation, should the writing be mishandled

I personally agree with them in that, if the writing direction were to be mishandled and AKATSUKI were to "assimilate" Ibuki from his Okinawan heritage, it would be very disgraceful. That being said, speaking within the limited bounds of the lore (since AKATSUKI hasn't had much to do with Okinawa since Submarine), I think canon somewhat suggests that Keito and Kuro appreciate Okinawan culture.

|| When AKATSUKI steps foot in Okinawa (Submarine, Ruthless Battlefield 2):

Keito: The weather is so pleasant, it doesn't feel like it's winter. Seems we’ll make some good headway on our idol activities.

Souma: Heheh. You’re talking quite a lot more. It’s unusual to see you in such high spirits, Hasumi-dono.

Keito: Is that a bad thing? Temples are rooted where they stand, and I’ve rarely left my hometown. It makes my heart race just to set foot in a distant place like this. How fun.

|| When Kanata offers Keito a dish in Okinawa (Submarine, Ruthless Battlefield 4):

Kanata: alrighty, [make way] for all of the [food]. temple guy cannot eat [meat or fish], right~ so here’s a [salad] ♪

Keito: My family isn’t as strict as that. Still, these sea grapes are so Okinawa-esque, I’m a little delighted.

|| When AKATSUKI are performing on the live stage with their costumes (Submarine, Epilogue 2):

Kuro: The outfits we're wearin’ now were commissioned by ES and made by the local Okinawan people. It suits the local climate and it’s got an Okinawan feel. It’s sure to be a hit with the tourists too. I think it’s a real honor to get to wear ‘em.

Keito's thesis gets mentioned in VS AUDIENCE: taking the traditional performing arts and evolving them into something one of a kind. I want to have faith that “traditional” could mean highlighting Ibuki’s traditional customs. With how much Keito appreciates Ibuki and what he brings to the table, I would be severely disappointed if the writing were to turn in a way where Keito stifles a key aspect of what makes Ibuki Ibuki.

TL;DR If the writing around Ibuki joining Akatsuki is mishandled, there are very dire political implications to it, and they should certainly be called out. However, from a character-perspective, it's possible AKATSUKI could adopt Ibuki's customs if he were to join, given that AKATSUKI's thesis is "taking tradition and evolving it into something new".

But it's very much a question of "we have to wait and see when it comes out."

I would love to know, HAPPY ELEMENTS. We should probably start with Ibuki, and go from there.

The great part about Ibuki's Final Ceremony chapter is that we can see exactly where his head's at. In the story, Ibuki leaves the 4piece Final Ceremony early after he sees that he hasn't been selected for the dream unit. He feels a little left out to dry, because he came from America to participate in 4piece expressly because Nice invited him to. When Keito comes to make his offer, Ibuki is equally as interested in performing with him.

When it comes to future direction, we have three certain possibilities: A) Ibuki joins AKATSUKI. B) Ibuki joins another unit. C) Ibuki becomes a solo idol. I have theories and explanations for two of them.

A) Ibuki joins AKATSUKI: ★★★☆☆ I'm not sure at all if this is going to be permanent, but I guess it's not as out of the realm of possibility as I initially thought.

The difference between Ibuki and the members of Esupuri is that he's had set up long before the Audition Arc: Submarine (2021) puts AKATSUKI and RYUSEITAI in Okinawa for SS, which sets the stage for Supervillain (2023) and Stella Maris (2024), which have references to him/Okinawa Oni directly. Read more about that here. Ibuki says that he's heard AKATSUKI music because he's from Okinawa.. So while it might seem out of nowhere, I really don't think it's out of the blue.

However, if he joins AKATSUKI in the center event they'll have in December, it's probably going to have to rely on either Souma or Kuro's arc. Keito has had two center events, and VS Audience + Final Ceremony is enough (in my opinion) to cement their relationship. The event will likely be about how Ibuki meshes with Kuro and Souma (which will be fun!!) but I don't know enough about their arcs to really theorize how either would tie into "Ibuki joins AKATSUKI" thematically.

B) Ibuki joins another unit: ★☆☆☆☆ This one makes the least sense to me personally, given that Esupuri's dynamics and theme seem pretty set (the unrequited square, etc.). They might as well have written him in there to begin with. And him joining another unit makes even less sense because he has no existing relationships there -- so if he's joining one, AKATSUKI would make the most sense.

C) Ibuki becomes a solo idol: ★★★★★ I personally think Ibuki will temporarily perform with AKATSUKI, before branching off in his own direction as a solo idol. Ibuki was left with no clear direction (in his POV, since he skipped the ceremony), and I think Keito's offer provides him with time to get back on his feet, get used to the area, and see what he wants to do as an idol. Being a solo idol would provide him with the flexibility to carve out his own vision: performing with AKATSUKI is just a safe space for him to discover what that vision is.

I saw one thread (pre-livestream) that predicted Esupuri would be in RhyLin because they were the only agency that didn't get anything new in !!-era. Now that Esupuri is a NEWDI unit, I feel that it's completely within the realm of possibility that Ibuki could be a RhyLin solo idol. He could still work closely with Keito and AKATSUKI, and they could be good mentors he can rely on. Additionally, with the RhyLin veteran situation, I can see Keito wanting to keep Ibuki in RhyLin to completely shake things up.

I'll be posting a much longer, more detailed response on Twitter, because this topic deserves lots of care and space to breathe, but at the end of the day, Rin "There's a 0.0000005% chance" Citrinesea has no more expectations for what they're going to do with Ibuki and AKATSUKI so I'm along for the ride with you guys until December, hehe.

I haven't, actually! Thanks for asking! I'd say my first instinct is California, because A) a sizable amount of Japanese-Americans live in California, B) I feel that's a very easy place for NiceP to have scouted him after seeing him perform (show biz, baby). As a coastal enthusiast myself, C) since he's from Okinawa, I also felt like California's weather and climate might be more his speed (rather than, say, New York, where show biz would also be big)-- I could see him living along the west coast because he's tied with water and feeeeeesh. However, I also like the idea of him being from or going to Hawaii a lot. That state has both large Japanese AND Okinawan populations..

In the scene where he's hyping up Keito, he says "よっ、 あんたが大将!" with 大将 being "taishou" -- basically "Yo, you're the boss!", but I chose to make it "Yo! You're the big kahuna!" because of the reasons above, hehe.

TL;DR Ca. Li. For. Nia Boys. Are Unforgettable.

Here you go! https://citrinesea.github.io/translation/lets_have_some_sushi/

This is the best question I've ever been asked. I'm sorry to say I'm a ginormous cat person, so my views are very skewed. Obviously, they have their canon animals (Keito, snake. Chiaki's been a deer, Shinobun a squirrel, Midori dog, Kanata ram), but these are my associations based on my heart and what I would like to cuddle most. I'll toss in Madara and Ibuki for good measure.

Keito Panther || Kuro Tiger || Souma Horse || Tetora White Tiger || Midori Lop Rabbit (100% needs floppy ears) || Shinobu Netherland Dwarf Rabbit || Chiaki Eastern Cottontail Rabbit || Kanata (+ Konata) Sea Otter || Madara Fluffy Calico Cat || Ibuki (+ Mizusaba) Snow Leopard

And thus the scripture was written and all was well.

NEOSPRING IS BACK! YAY! AND WE LOOOOooooooooOOOOOOVE a toku Keito moment.

If you want an underrated akaryusei moment about toku. Chiaki's Management Story with Keito by 310mc is just... chef's kiss.

Here's a snippet (TL by 310mc):

Keito: Anyway, what were you doing?

Chiaki: Mm, do you know about the toku broadcasted on Sunday mornings? I was re-enacting the scene when the ally of justice arrives!

Keito: Toku…? Ahh, you mean the hero series, huh. Yeah, I've watched one before.

Chiaki: Eh—Really!? Are you interested in hero series by any chance!?

Keito: Sorry to burst your bubble, but I just happened to come across an episode one day when I turned the TV on.

Keito: Although, I do think it's pretty excellent for a children's show.

Please read the full thing it is very sincere and sweet, the most precious of Keito/Chiaki crumbs we get. I'm sure Keito and Chiaki would have so much to discuss about toku, HAPPY ELEMENTS PLEASE MAKE THEM SPEAK AT LENGTH ABOUT THEMES AND TROPES AND DREAMS AND MAYBE EVEN HAVE THEM DRAW TOGETHER, PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU- (dragged off-stage by a comically large hook)

hi! 🌴🦦 unfortunately, I don’t have the time to pick it up myself, so I don’t plan to 🙇

So there's a four-person group called Esupuri: https://x.com/esupuri_info . They have a debut song posted. It was pointed out that the 4 seiyuus sounded like Esu, Fuyume, Raika and Kanna, which means Ibuki was missing. Then, an AKATSUKI video was posted and deleted on the Esupuri Tiktok: https://x.com/5ozogi21s6f35r2/status/1844238337680474156 What brought it to the limelight today is that it was announced that the whole "we will reveal who's behind the group" is going to be on the same day as the audition results https://x.com/esupuri_info/status/1844211252467208308

That's where the rumors come from, I believe, and they spread like wildfire. From what I remember though, there were similar concerns back when VS AUDIENCE first dropped, mainly because of a cliffhanger about Keito, AKATSUKI and Ibuki.

Throughout the story, Ibuki and Keito are paired together for the tag-team competition. We learn that Ibuki's heard of AKATSUKI "because he's from Okinawa", he can play and rearrange Hyakkaryoran/A Thousand Blossoms, the Night of Crimson Moon for guitar and shamisen. In general, they have a really good team-chemistry, Keito looks forward to performing with him during the round, Ibuki hypes him up like mad.

And then at the end of the tour, Keito says this.

⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹ KEITO: Fufu. I had something to tell the both of you too.

KURO: Lemme guess. It was when the audience was a hundred elementary school kids ♪ The look on yer face when that happened was just too…—

KEITO: No, it’s not that.

SOUMA & KURO: ……?

KEITO: It’s something that concerns the both of you too. It’s about Taki Ibuki, the person I paired up with in the Twin Rooster Pagoda…… ⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹

Back then some people thought Ibuki might join AKATSUKI, but this recent leak poured gasoline on the fire.

As for "clearing things up", we're really not going to know what the truth is with 4piece and Ibuki until audition results. If you're asking what I think about it all, I truly don't believe the conclusion of VS Audience is "AKATSUKI wants to recruit Ibuki/Ibuki wants to join AKATSUKI", but is instead "Keito wants to tell AKATSUKI about their influence in Okinawa & Ibuki in general". I mentioned the song Hyakkaryoran before -- it's kinda the backbone of the Keito/Ibuki storyline. In the epilogue, Ibuki tells Keito a really sincere lie about what the song means to him.

⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹ KEITO: Haha, lay off the joke. That’s what made it a truly fun time pairing up with you. Maybe this is what I wanted to get out of 4piece. How about you, Taki?

IBUKI: Mnn~ All I wanted was to become an idol by following Yoshihide’s… Nassan’s footsteps, but~?

A song that makes you think of Japan, nostalgic— It was unforgettable, even across the ocean. I never dreamed I’d meet the bizarre idol who belongs to the AKATSUKI that sings that song here, in this place~♪ Nyahaha, I’m the one who should be thanking you! Hasumi-san~♪

KEITO: …… Yeah.

IBUKI: (Forgive me, Hasumi-san. I told a lie~?)

(At first, my objective was to follow in Yoshihide's footsteps through these matches and competitions!! But now, what I really want is…)

(... Nyahaha, Life is fun, ‘cuz you never know what’s going to happen~ Dontcha think~♪) ⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹

While WE know it's a lie, Keito does not. Then he goes to AKATSUKI and says "I have to tell you something." THIS IS SPECULATION-- but I think after seeing Ibuki's feelings around their songs, Keito might be wanting to talk to AKATSUKI about their potential impact in Okinawa from SS Submarine: if they touched the heart from someone across the ocean, maybe they should see more about this.

At any rate, we're not gonna know until they tell us. If you asked me to put a probability on Ibuki in AKATSUKI, I’d say 0.0000000000005% : I can LOGICALLY SEE why there MIGHT be a POSSIBILITY, but my instincts just don’t… feel it. He's definitely gonna become someone REALLY IMPORTANT to Akatsuki, but it doesn't mean he'll join it, y'know?

Bro, I’m saying, like… It’s the way pre-summer I was just like, ughhhfhhfhfh where’s Ryuseitai, where’s Akatsuki ughghhhghfhfhfhfhfhf.

Boom. Akatsuki have their cross-scouts already. Boom. Gourmet Chiaki. Boom. Audience Keito (+ Ibuki). Boom. Tetsu center RST Event. Boom. Heart Heat Beat and Yozora. Boom Ninja Association Ondo. Boom. Cross-scout Kanata.

AND WE’RE STILL WAITING FOR SHINOBU. SHINOBU. WHERE ARE YOU. WHY DID THEY BRING ANJU NITTA OUT JUST FOR IT TO BE TETORA CENTER. SHINOBU!! CAN YOU HEAR ME SHINOBU!!!