Laito

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Laito is a good character, but he scares me the most out of all the boys. He’s like a black hole when it comes to anything positive, just draining anything remotely healthy and destroying it. The combination of silly, happy-go-lucky facade and genuine darkness lurking just beneath the surface is pretty dark freaky, and while I do like Laito, he makes me more nervous than any of the rest of the boys. He needs some serious help, and probably whatever equivalent of therapy vampires have. And also a hug.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: That’s kind of hard to say. Laito doesn’t exactly open up to any kind of relationship, and I have a hard time envisioning him interacting in a genuinely positive way with much of anyone. If I had to pick, I’d say that his relationship with the other Sakamaki in general is my favorite, mostly because of how hard he tries to push everyone’s buttons and get on their nerves. He’s kind of a pest, will not stay out of trouble, and that’s pretty hilarious. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: This isn’t exactly “unpopular”, but I thin that Laito needs a whole ton of therapy before he’s ready to have any kind of romantic relationship with anyone. As he is, he’s a danger to himself and others, and needs to get his whole idea of love sorted out before he’s safe to involve anyone else in a relationship with him. I don’t think it’s impossible for him to have a healthy relationship, but he needs to slow down, get some help, and start to understand some other forms of love before it’s wise. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: I would have much rather seen Laito make a close platonic friend than gain a romantic partner, mostly for reasons stated above. Seeing him learn how to be comfortable and behave properly with someone that he has no sexual involvement with would be a very good thing, and I think it would do him a lot of good as well. Laito needs to come to understand that relationships aren’t just about sex, and a healthy friend, I think, would go a long ways towards that. 

On a lighter note, more of Laito being a wimp, please. His squeamishness and fear of bugs are both hilarious.

Kou

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Kou is good! He’s not a top favorite of mine, but he’s cute and interesting, and I can genuinely say that I’m fond of him. He’s also a favorite of one of my best friends, so I might like him a little better because of that… I feel for a him a lot, his backstory is heart wrenching, and honestly, there is just soooo much potential to write painful fics with him. I’ve never had anything against Kou, and while his personality is a little hard to get a grip on, he’s not that difficult to write, either. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: I’m gonna be obvious here, but his dynamic with Subaru is pretty good. It’s not like a top favorite of mine, but there’s definitely some quality potential for interaction, and I do like how they sort of wind up friends after, well everything. I also like Kou’s relationship with the other Mukami, especially because they’re the closest things to family he’s ever had, and he seems to really need that kind of healthy relationship. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: This isn’t an unpopular opinion, but it’s a headcanon that I don’t talk about very often. I think that his magic eye works like reverse synesthesia, and that he sees the “colors” of what other people are feeling. This could just be me projecting onto his character, but *shrug*. Also! I think that generally, Kou should be written as a lot nastier than he seems to be. He’s got a pretty terrible personality, and I like seeing him written in a way that stays true to that. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: I’m gonna be kind of mean here, but more relating to his trauma would have been nice! I would have liked to see him getting triggered by things that hit a little too close to what he’s been through, breaking down and having full on panic attacks, and being genuinely scared of people who come at him with seemingly positive intentions. Kou’s been through a lot, and it would be interesting to see him suffering from it all more than canon really lets on. This one kind of goes for all the boys, too. 

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Ayato is cute and good, and I feel a lot for him. Him and the other triplets are all pretty much frozen in childhood, mentally, and that’s really interesting. Ayato especially is an adorable little ego maniac, and his character, while not one of my top favorites, is decently appealing. He seems like the type who needs a good mom in his life, and of course, that’s like… the best way to attract me to a character. However, I do think he needs a bit of an attitude adjustment, and could stand to get his ego pulled down a few pegs. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: I think that Yui is good for him, even if not romantically. She’s a genuinely sweet person, and he, and the rest of the boys, need that in their lives. Yui has the potential to help him become a little more normal, and that’s something that I’d really like to see. His relationship with the other triplets, specifically Laito is quality as well. One of my favorite scenes from canon is when Laito gets his brothers to crossdress for Halloween, a scene which is equal parts adorable and hilarious. The sheer fact that Laito could get Ayato to do that says good things about their dynamic to me. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: I would not say that Ayato is exactly mature enough for a romantic relationship. He needs to fix some pretty serious issues before he’d be able to be healthy with anyone (honestly, pretty much all of the boys do), but I’d much rather see him in a platonic relationship before a romantic one. He needs time to figure himself out and grow up a little, and shoving him straight into a romantic relationship is not the way to do that. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: Little ego monster gets his pride taken down a few notches. Ayato needs a major attitude adjustment, and I would have loved to see him get taken apart a bit. The other thing I would have liked to see is him getting a good parental figure in his life, as in, someone who’s willing and patient enough to deal with the worst of his issues and help with the whole “mentally hasn’t exactly aged since Cordelia” thing. Ayato needs help, an attitude adjustment, and a hug, and I’d take any of the above happening. 

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: To be honest, he’s probably my least favorite of the boys. I’ve never connected with him or felt very close to his character, he’s not my type in the slightest, and overall, I just haven’t been able to muster up a whole lot of feelings for him. He has good traits, yes, and I’m not stopping anyone else from liking him, I’ve just never been too fond of the guy. He’s the hardest for me to write, too, and requests with him in it give me a long minute of “ehhhh”.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: I do really like his dynamic with Azusa. It’s sweet to see such a big, rough boy going out of his way to look after someone smaller and more fragile, and I’ll always have a bit of a fondness for how all the Mukami treat their youngest brother. I also think that his relationship with Ruki is pretty funny, as Ruki is pretty much the one person who can make him obey. I remember a Drama CD where Yuuma is forced to act completely out of character, or risk his precious vegetable garden being destroyed. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: I don’t actually find Yuuma’s relationship with Shuu to be all that interesting. Speaking from experience, when you’re separated from a friend for a long time (especially vampire time), it’s just not the same. People change, you grow apart, and it’s hard for me to picture the same connection being there as when they were kids. It probably doesn’t help things that both Shuu and Yuuma are low on my list of favs, but I just don’t care too much for the friendship/relationship that seems to have most people enamored. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: Hmmm, it’s kind of hard to think of anything for Yuuma… I don’t have much of an interest in him, so there’s not a whole lot that I really want to happen with him. I guess, like I want with all of the boys, I wish he’d get back some of what he does to Yui. Seeing the boys get their egos crushed is always nice, especially after they spend so much time thinking that they can get away with whatever they want. This is kind of a more general thing, but yeah, I’ll go with it. 

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Eh, honestly Ruki has never been one of my favorites. It’s not because he’s not a good character, but because I just never have connected with him strongly enough. I will say that he’s a lovely character who has plenty of reasons for being likable, but I’ve never been very fond of him. He’s on my lowest tier of favorites, and I’m not crazy about writing for him, either. In my opinion, his best trait is his semi-decent relationship with his brothers. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: As a mostly decent older brother, I honestly like his relationship with all three of the others. It’s just plain adorable that he goes out of his way to take care of them, especially after the… situation with the Sakamaki brothers. Ruki isn’t any nicer than any of the rest of them, but it’s still pretty sweet to know that he has some kind of genuine, sort of nice feelings down there, and that there are at least a few people that even a (admittedly not born) vampire will treat decently. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: I find Ruki to be pretty boring. He’s never interested me, and while I can’t say if that’s because I’m just not sympathetic enough towards him or because he’s just not my type, it still stands that Ruki is among my least favorites of the boys. I’ve never liked him, and while that one thing where an anon shipped me with him did make me see some potential, he’s still far from being a favorite of mine.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: Weeeeeelll, for pain’s sake, I could think of a few things… For one, I see Ruki as missing his birth family horribly, and the right situation that reminds him a little too much of his parents could potentially put some cracks in that cool, collected personality of his. If I’m being nice, I’d like to see him in a situation where he can feel genuinely loved again, but if I’m being mean… well, Ruki does have a lot of psychological trip wires that could be used for maximum angst potential. I think in general, I’d just like to see him break down a bit, preferably where he actually has to deal with the feelings instead of shoving them back down where they can’t hurt him.

(Look, we all know I’m here to make the boys suffer a little… in a fun way! :D)

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Reiji is good, honestly. He’s been one of my favorites for a long time, and I really like him. However, he’s also kind of terrible, and while all the boys are violent and manipulative in their own ways, Reiji is kind of a special level of cruel. I find his character to be very interesting, and the reflection of how his mother treated him versus how he treats other people is a fascinating concept. I also am fond of the idea that Reiji is pretty much one step away from some kind of breakdown and generally pretty unstable, despite how composed he seems to be. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: His dynamic with any of his brothers is very interesting to me! I find it fascinating how Reiji simultaneously detests being stuck with them, yet pretty much willing takes up the role of mother hen and makes sure that the household is functioning. It might just be pride, but Reiji really goes out of his way to take care of things for his family, even though they do pretty much nothing for him in return…. Also, I like the idea that Reiji needs to feel needed to function properly, and even taking care of his brothers fills this role. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: Reiji is a better character than a lot of people give him credit for. He’s not perfect, of course, but he’s very interesting, and has a very interesting psychology to him. I don’t know if this is exactly unpopular, but I remember there being a lot of hate towards him in the earlier days of the fandom. Hopefully, that’s died down since then, but it still sort of feels like an unpopular opinion. Oh and! Unlike a lot of people I’ve seen, I’m not overly fond of the idea of Shuu and Reiji making up. Personally, I think that way too much has happened for that relationship to really be repaired. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: Hmmm, well, a lot has happened over the course of DL, but I guess one thing that I haven’t seen enough of with Reiji (or really, any of the boys) is his weaker side. I mentioned earlier here that I see Reiji as pretty unstable, and seeing him fall apart a little more would be very entertaining, especially if he had to face some of his issues in the process. I’m all for torturing characters, and if I can make something painful, I probably will take the chance~~

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: Yui is a sweet, precious angel who deserves the best anyone can give her. She’s brave, adorable, kind, and just all around the heroine this series needs. Yui is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise painfully negative story, and her presence changes so many things for the better. I love her for being both the sweetest little darling to exist, and the strongest, bravest girl possible in her situation. The anime does not do her justice in the slightest, and I sincerely think that anyone who actively hates Yui should take a good, long look at exactly why they feel that way. The answer is rarely good.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: I’m fine with Yui and any of the boys as a platonic relationship. I have a special fondness for her doing something to fill the need for attention that the unfortunate way they’ve been parented has left behind, and it’s just plain cute to imagine the boys making a sort of decent friendship with someone as sweet as Yui. I’m okay with most romantic pairings for her too though! Yui is just one of those characters that works out nicely with everyone. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: Honestly, I don’t think any of the boys are really ready for a romantic relationship. They all have major issues of their own, and while Yui definitely does have the potential to be a positive force in their lives, I think that they should figure themselves out a lot more before becoming tied to someone else in such a way. Yui, in my opinion, would be better as a friend than a partner, and it would probably do the boys a lot of good to have a healthy, positive, non-romantic relationship for once in their lives. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: Yui’s whole character is kind of a walking power fantasy of being able to win over a damaged pretty boy by being nice to him, so why not make full use of that? I would love to see Yui winning against everything that tries to bring her down… and only using kindness to do it. She doesn’t have to be badass or cruel or sadistic; what I think would be most powerful would be for her to win with nothing but love for those she meets. Seeing her defeat the evils in front of her with ease, and without ever having to so much as raise her voice. That would be the kind of “strong” I think Yui is best at. 

How I feel about this character

Admin Mawile: BUNNY!!! Sweet lil bun who’s doing his best!!! Azusa is probably the nicest of the boys, and even though he definitely has his flaws, I’d trust him above any of the rest of them. He’s a good kid at heart, and while he’s more than a little turned around, that can probably be attributed to the brain damage… I feel for him a lot too. His backstory is downright painful, and I just wish I could give the poor little sweetie a hug. I could probably get away with that too, considering that he really only gets violent when he thinks that people want it. 

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Admin Mawile: His dynamic with Ruki is beyond precious! Ruki is one of those characters with an ego the size of the Siberian Tundra, but even he goes out of his way to try to help Azu-bun. The very idea of him being a loving big-brother who does whatever he can to make sure that the rather vulnerable Azusa is safe and well means the world to me, and it’s a relationship that I think the both of them need. Ruki really does get a lot of his self worth from his family, I think, and Azusa needs whatever attention he can get. 

My unpopular opinion about this character

Admin Mawile: I’m not coming up with much for him, so I’ll just go with the obvious here! Which is; I’d rather be a mother figure to him than have any kind of romantic involvement. That’s pretty much my feelings with all of the boys, but eh, it stands to be said. They all bring out much more motherly than romantic feelings in me honestly, and I really just want to take care of them all. Azusa especially, because he’s so fragile seeming and easy to sway. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Admin Mawile: I think that Azusa really deserves to be someone’s sub. I feel like the games kind of shove him into the Do-S role, and honestly, he’d probably be happier being loved and (safely, sanely, and consensually) hurt by someone who treats him like the treasure he is. That’s not to say I don’t love pushy, demanding, “hurt me or I’ll take it as you wanting the pain” Azusa, though, I just feel like he might enjoy being on the receiving end of that spectrum a little more. 

Admin Mawile: ∪*ゝω･)ﾉ” Yes, Yui/player getting back at the boys is amazing. I definitely agree that that’s a large part of the fun about the human Au! However, there is a lot more to my idea of a dominant Yui/player Au than that! Please consider this:

For the boys, giving up control to someone else sounds like a nightmare. They’re all so damaged and scarred from their childhoods that they’d probably sooner lose a limb than willingly submitting to another being. 

But, considering that Yui/player is supposed to be a positive force in the boys’ lives; the thing that helps them learn how to love and trust and be better people, imagine them slowly learning what it’s like to trust someone enough to let them take control. Imagine what it would be like for them to realize that, despite their egos and histories and everything else, they legitimately want to let this weak little human put them in their place and treat them like something precious. Imagine them allowing themselves to give up the power and control they’ve fought so hard for, and finally letting themselves feel safe. 

There’s so much more to an Au with a dominant Yui/player than just the vengeance.

(I have feelings about an Au like this)

Admin Mawile: On one hand, I am mildly horrified to be associated with Karl. On the other hand, this makes a weird amount of sense. 

I would love to be the boys’ adoptive mom. That’s the dream right there, and if I had to put up with Karl to do it… it might be worth it. I also love how you’re implying here that I have enough control over him to have some sway over his plans! If that’s the case, this might be a bearable situation. :3c 

Crimson – Carla

Admin Mawile: (✧∇✧) Good. But again, I’d love an explanation as to why!