MODERN KAIDAN ROMANCE - BLOG

love how Shigoro just tries to adapt his interactions with the person closest to him into some form of comedy duo. That's his survival strategy. Who the other person is and how they interact determines whether or not the jokes are at their expense (Takuto = no, Junna = yes)

Okay now for my last but most important task of the day, finding out each MKR cast member's favorite Sanrio character (or the one that their friends assign them). 1 like and I'll update with the definitive list
(It got one like)

• Junna: Kuromi (or Chococat)
• Nana: My Melody (but she likes all The Pink Ones)
• Shigoro: Hanamaru
• Hifumi: Gudetama (or Hanamaruobake)
• Takuto: Batz Maru
• Haruto: Peckle
• Tasuku: Pochacco
• Kei: Keroppi
• Doikawa: Yachiyo Charmer
• Ibuki (alive): Cinnamoroll
• Nuan: Big Challenges

Satou-san, famous 7-Eleven cashier from MKR chapter one, is only initially afraid of Junna and treats them as a regular customer after the visit a few times. Satou's manager, however, sees Junna on the CCTV and freaks out. He puts wards up on the doors just in case.
Junna comes in and gets a light zap--
"Satou-san, did you put these here?"
"N-no, it was the manager..."
"They're not gonna work on me, I'm a human, but I work with ghosts so it stings a bit. It also hurts my heart. Please tell him I just want onigiri."
"The customer is always right."
watching more of those "8 bajillion dollar apartments in Tokyo" videos and imaging Takuto & Shigoro looking for a new place. Takuto steps into the door, only sees one shoe closet and goes "nope, pathetic, next place." Shigoro says "sorry the place you picked sucks" to the real estate agent.
If it doesn't have space for every pair of shoes Shigoro owns to sit in the shoe closet without touching each other, they're not buying it! It had better be within a five minute walk from a train station on the Yamanote Line!! THERE HAD BETTER BE A DISHWASHER!!!
this one is has spoilers
I think building up to proposing, Takuto was keeping this mental checklist of every time Shigoro did something he liked or didn’t like and waited for it to hit a certain ratio (and then to find the perfect engagement ring & proposal scenario, that added a lot of time).
+ Shigoro says something mean and funny about someone Takuto doesn’t like, wears something that looks good with what Takuto’s wearing, uses fox magic to help earn extra $$$ on job
- Shigoro eats the pudding Takuto was saving in the fridge, takes too long in the bathroom in the morning
Karner: sims markers appearing on takuto’s head in real time
Me: Only Shigoro can see them.
Me later: trying to remember if pudding has dairy in it because the Hachikuji siblings are all lactose intolerant, those last two incidents could be related.
April 10th addition: another one, Shigoro does that thing where he holds out a fork/spoon with a bite of food for Takuto then eats it himself. This makes Takuto indescribably angry, like the face he makes is /so fucking mad/. Shigoro thinks it’s funny but also his danger sense is pinging so next bite is for real
Takara triplets were ABSOLUTELY getting different haircuts by first grade, even though their mom was like "no one on earth is going to confuse the three of you even if you look identical."
Unfortunately she was wrong and people are stupid, so they got the haircuts.
Life for their teachers must have been tough. Every grade in elementary school you got one teacher like "I wish Takara-kun would settle down in class," one like "Takara-kun is very quiet, but he's so polite and hardworking," and one like "how come I got stuck with the evil one?"
Slightly different problem from the teachers who had Shigoro after having taught Nana.
"Oh, Hachikuji-san was a little anxious, but she was a good student, her brother is probably similar." WRONG! He's the kitsune-faced class clown that every elementary school has at least one of!
thinking about Junna's anemia and how many times they must've passed out at school entrance ceremonies as a kid. I didn't see it a lot in Japan but I had a friend that worked at an HS and said one year like 12 girls passed out???
Junna @ every entrance ceremony: I'm gonna make it this time
(proceeds to pass out less than three minutes into the ceremony)
Beginning of every school year, Junna's mom stocks up on iron fish (just in case they lose one).
also spoilers here
rabbit hole of my own creation tonight, what WAS Takuto thinking when he started dating Uzuki? It might have taken him a few dates to figure it out, but like. What was his reasoning. I mean, I have this information stored in the Akashic Records of my brain, but more research. must. be done.
Probably the only reason Shigoro got away with that Whole Thing was because of their relationship, like when Tamamo pretended to be Uzuki, Takuto was already planning like 99 ways to kill her (without knowing she was Tamamo, just knowing she wasn't Shigoro lol).
Takuto: what is he doing. Does he want money? No, that's stupid. If he's using fox magic, is he for real a fox spirit and trying to steal my spirit energy/liver? No, that's REALLY stupid. Prank? Who the hell commits that hard to the bit? He's also usually funnier than that. What the hell????
while it is hilarious to me that Junna was wandering the wilderness/shrine-hopping through the pandemic and like three prime ministers, the pandemic probably greatly contributed to the slaughter of Ibuki’s family :’0 (My works are always “like reality unless noted”)
Usually more Isshiki family members would have been traveling for symposiums, ceremonies, celebrations, apprenticeships, etc, but they were all at home because travel restrictions :’( this is why only very distant relatives are left in MKR proper.
looked up some horror media references for Takara parents' names and realized I'd accidentally given Hachikuji-papa a horror series reference name on accident--Mamoru is Akasaka's given name in When They Cry lmao...
The ones that I remember off the top of my head
-Takara dad: Tatsuma, protag of Tokyo Majin game/anime
-Takara mom: Akasaka (from Higurashi) Ouka (more obscure Higurashi ref)
-Minami's "host" was Itou (borrowed from Siri's novel) Haruka (Fatal Frame V)
-Ryuuzaki's "host" was Sakaki (Fatal Frame 5) Keiichi (Higurashi)
-a victim Junna rescues is "Hinasaki" after Fatal Frame's Hinasaki Miku
-Hachikuji grandparents are Ren (Fatal Frame 5) & Botan (Yu Yu Hakusho)
-Hachikuji Hirona's parents, the Shio couple, are Kazuma (YYH) & Yuuri (FF5)
actually, Junna liking incense would make sense--it's supposed to be purifying, so since they're constantly covered with THE SCENT OF DEATH wallowing in incense probably makes them less stomach-churning to different kinds of living spirits!
...... Benihime seems bothered by Junna's scent & Otsu can smell it even though she's polite about Junna "being dead."
...... is this why Shigoro was in such a hurry to lend Junna the expensive shampoo and soap...... that little bastard......
Additional note: Junna's "natural scent" as a supernatural entity is kind of like saltwater marsh smell

I think it'd be neat if Junna slept in like, coffins and empty graves and stuff in their two year escape-the-ghost backpacking trip. (What if I gave them even MORE problems lol...) Junna would probably be 5th House in The Locked Tomb, but Being Dying Constantly is 7th House-coded.
"I want to amp up the horror, what if I just make Junna more alarming, as an individual"
The Rest of the Cast: please don't
Junna, hanging a mirror instead of a photo at the Buddhist altar in their apartment: you guys can't stop me, I'll be alarming enough for everyone, you guys are fine
Ziya & Asher carry A to Zero together, Jimmy & his (seven) friends carry Ink Black Honey, Junna carries Modern Kaidan Romance. Junna has to be the weirdest and strongest. Junna can have friends and cast members, but they MUST carry the narrative themselves.
Takuto in a relationship is so funny, like even Shigoro wasn’t expecting him to be /nice/ let alone affectionate. (Actually Shigoro wasn’t expecting anything, the yearning just made him stupid and he had to shoot his shot in the most convoluted way he could think up.)

Shigoro: okay I’ll die if I can’t make him like me, this has been going on TOO LONG
Shigoro when he gets Takuto to like-like him: whoa, phew, I thought I was gonna die (phew) … what do I do now……
(He asks Junna ofc… Junna is like “maybe you should have just died.”)
probably gonna have Junna interact with Haruto more when they can
Junna: when you prepare my body for my funeral, can you get all my friends to pat my head, hold my hand, or lovingly caress my face? I’m too embarrassed to ask while I’m alive. After that you can cremate me
Haruto: :0

MKR from any POV but Junna’s would make Junna’s behavior look so extremely troubling. Actually I think even from Junna’s POV it looks troubling lol… the reactions from their friends should say a lot.
Except Nuǎn. Nuǎn’s POV would only serve to show how effed up Nuǎn’s mental state is.
They have good synergy but they need therapy first. Junna & Nuǎn’s synergy could heal nations. Ironically Takuto & Shigoro have great synergy but they’re so awful about it no one benefits. They use their powers for evil (profit exclusively).
Found out that anemia makes it hard to be in the sun (makes sense) so Junna probably has a vitamin D deficiency as well, lemme look up their diet—(everyone reading this is like “oh, they’re fucked” but JUNNA EATS HEALTHY THINGS. SOMETIMES.)
Fish and egg yolk have a lot of vitamin D so Junna’s diet MIGHT be okay (too bad they don’t like milk much, even if they’re not lactose intolerant like the Hachikujis). BUT they probably have glass bones and extreme muscle aches. Oomph. … yeah that sounds right.
God they’re going to have so much osteoporosis. Junna, you’re going to have to start absorbing bones instead of souls. Ninth House Represent.
Despite Shigoro’s beliefs, Junna has not contracted tuberculosis at any point in their life… yet.
Who in MKR has meishi (business cards)
Yes: Takuto (of course), Shigoro (Takuto's got one!), Doikawa, Haruto, Kei, Minami & Ryuuzaki
Thinking about it: Junna
Might get one: Nana, Tasuku
Nope: Hifumi, Ibuki (alive, never had one), Benihime
Are you fucking kidding me: Nuǎn
Shigoro will make mean jokes about Junna to Takuto like “lol they use 我輩 how pretentious is that? Like do they think they’re a Taisho Era novelist? Like Dazai?”
Takuto is like “Yeah, I’m surprised they haven’t done the same thing as Dazai lol” & Shigoro laughs but immediately texts Junna
“Heyyyyy bestie how’s it going? Do you wanna hang out?”
“Not with you.”
“Awwww, c’mon, let’s get you some fresh air and go see al the beauty life has to offer, there are sooooo many things to live for!”
Yeah, you joked about that and then it made you nervous, huh Fox Boy?
Shigoro: lol I think Jun might perpetually have an old-timey disease like tuberculosis or maybe lupus, they look sick all the time… hey how much is treatment for tuberculosis or maybe lupus. You know. Just in case.
working on shifting events of early MKR chapters around for more emotional impact and thinking about how I could never combine MKR and IBH. Freyja would see one episode of Itsumademo MIDNIGHT SESSION and be like "omg, Five Nights at Freddy's Anime" and Minami & Ryuuzaki would die instantly.
just finished the first Hell is Dark with No Flowers (A++ I went out and got the next two books) so I’m thinking about Junna doing spirit detective shit…
Junna: so the murder culprit is this guy
Suspect: what?! Prove it!
Junna: I mean, the victim straight up says… (vaguely motions to ghost)

They would absolutely just let the ghost kill the culprit if it was a planned murder, although they’re kinder than most Horror Crime Anthology Arbiter types. They believe redemption is possible! Then again, they’re actually able to talk down some resentful ghosts so they can afford to be kinder.

There’s a consistent problem on jobs where Junna runs into Takuto & Shigoro where the culprit tries to pay Takuto & Shigoro to save them from the ghost and if that person throws out a high enough number, they’ll do it. And Junna gets mad like “great, now I have to eat this ghost, you guys suck.”
bullshit Shigoro used to pull in HS:
-Learn to cook with Nana
-Make nice bento box
-Break up with current girlfriend
-Go cry to Takuto about how his girlfriend broke up with him and Nana made all this dang bento box, btw do u want some?
-Be happy when Takuto says “your sister cooks good”
It’s a miracle he survived, frankly.
MKR as video games
Junna’s POV: Silent Hill
Kei’s POV: Fatal Frame
Hifumi’s POV: Yomawari
Takuto’s POV: Ku-on
Minami’s POV: Dress to Impress (the scary ARG one)
Shigoro’s POV: gay dating sim (he only plays one route)
Nuǎn’s POV: musou game IN Silent Hill
MKR edits, I like to imagine Inunaki wrote Junna’s name on his hand before picking them up on Izanami’s orders.
Inunaki, squinting at his own messy handwriting: Tea Fish?
Junna: that’s…not how that’s pronounced.

Doikawa unimpressed that Junna got lectured by Izanami before she could lecture them herself… she would have been nicer if Junna had come to see her earlier, Junna is too uncharitable towards her! you’d think we’d find out later that Junna is also uncharitable towards Shigoro & Takuto but if you read Fox Birthday you know Shigoro & Takuto are WORSE than Junna says.

actually now that I'm tweaking little things to incorporate feedback, I'm seeing other places where I can push ideas. Like Junna not going insane looking directly at Izanami isn't because Izanami isn't as powerful as other kami or Junna is strong, it's because Junna feels dead inside : )
Junna: actually I feel peaceful looking at you
Izanami: your heart rate has dropped to 30 beats per minute, are you even breathing?
Junna: no, Milady, because you leave me breathless ; )
Inunaki immediately tries to kill them For Real but Junna had to shoot their shot, you know?
saw the Junna post about them being Vitamin D deficient and now imagining them being unable to eat non-offering meals because of their weird ghost status.
Nana worriedly stabbing chopsticks into some rice and Junna suddenly sitting up like “oh boy, rice!” when they couldn’t see it before
actually the funniest thing that happened to me today was that my sibling called Otsu Inari a MILF when I was showing them the MKR cast. BOY DID I HAVE A STORY…
The ghosts in Late Night Horror Fight Labyrinth would be (morbid trigger warning) “Woman With Slit Wrists” (better than “bathtub ghost” or “naked woman” I guess…?) and “Crushed Woman,” who is a reference to the Fatal Frame V ghost “Crushed Man” (Kashima Hiromichi)(same cause of death) Both of them are absorbed by Junna.
The next official ghost that appears is Hinasaki’s mother? “Disturbed Woman” bothers me, so probably “Restless Mother.” In Best Dressed, we have the samurai guy… or maybe “Man with a Sword” in reference to Fatal Frame V’s “Man with a Blade,” Kururugi Kyozo. Also both absorbed by Junna!
Contestants on Ikinari Deadly Love are “Overworked Man” and “Woman Who Waited” and both of them are freed by Junna ✌️ The ghosts at Ui-sama’s shrine are “Rain Worshippers”—Junna didn’t absorb them but they DID absorb Ui-sama.
Putting on a short video about kitsune before bed: “they love to shapeshift into human form and seduce a man.”
… yeah, that’s Shigoro. Tamaki too, but Tamaki seduces a nonbinary werewolf instead (close enough).
“They’re like teenagers who suddenly gain superpowers and are just going around doing psycho shit.”
Yeah, that’s Shigoro and Tamaki. Even Benihime is not above it.
second fox spirit video, “if there’s a fox in a story, it’s probably trying to loosen some guys pants.” BUT ALSO, kitsune are about as likely to transform into humans long term to get married!
Interestingly, kitsune are most likely to be good vs huli jing or kumiho. Japan loves foxes?
China & Korea on huli jing & kumiho: energy vampires, scheming women, alleged organ eaters and grave robbers, succubi!
Japan on kitsune: they’re just silly little guys! But watch out lol!
Junna at a water park: awful & hilarious. Junna loves being in the water but their hair gets sooo heavy and hard to manage. Also they are weak against sun. They are wearing a rash guard & swim trunks minimum with SPF 100 sunscreen and a baseball cap. BUT THEY LOVE TH WATER SO MUCH!
Nana: tasteful swimsuit, also lots of sunscreen and a cute hat. Gets nervous on tall rides.
Hifumi: gets in an inner tube and makes Kei spin her for several laps around the lazy river.
Kei: finally, the Hawaiian shirt is appropriate! Stuck spinning Hifumi on the lazy river until Nana takes over.
Tasuku: havin’ a blast, goes on every ride, spins Hifumi after everyone gets tired, somehow saves someone from downing and is hero for a day. Everyone envies what an awesome time he’s having. He also carries the inner tubes for tube slides
Haruto: likes the pool & lazy river, prefers reading under umbrella. Let this man relax.
Takuto & Shigoro: expensive cool sun glasses, get sick of waiting in line so they take a 2 person inner tube on the lazy river & drink fancy alcoholic beverages. When a life guard asks them not to drink on the ride, Takuto steps out and shoves several 10k yen bills in her face to make her shut up.

Takara brother tan gradient: Haruto (no tan) then Takuto (got a little bit tan) then Tasuku (was already tan, got more)
Hachikuji siblings wear sun protection, Nana is worried about skin cancer, Shigoro is worried about wrinkles.
Every 30 minutes Junna asks Nana to fix their hair.

Doikawa: might be convinced to go, but probably sitting under umbrella with Haruto. She prefers regular theme parks.
I forgot to think about Summer Festival MKR headcanons (canons). Junna actually wears ladies yukata (they insist they have a good figure for it, which is correct, they have 0 curves and can get that straight line look easily)(Nana has trouble). Hifumi wears jinbei usually.

Junna, literally wilting in the heat: I love... summer festival...
Kei: do I need to get you a Pocari?
Junna, slowly melting onto the ground: hgng... fireworks...
Nana: I think you're scaring people...
It's okay, it's fine, just get them some shaved ice and takoyaki.

Goldfish scooping booth can be a good time for Junna to collect familiars. I think post-MKR, Hifumi specifically checks all the booths and starts pointing out the sickly ones to Junna so they can scoop them and put them in goldfish hospice.
Hifumi feasts on cotton candy the whole time.

maybe AMSA spoiler, but years in the future (not many) Inunaki is gonna come to Junna’s place like “hey King Enma wants to see you” and Junna’s gonna realize “… he found out I’m cultivating immortality so I won’t die and he wants me to do the Hell Labor I owe him doesn’t he”
Junna’s Hell Summer Internship
Junna: Hahaha, this is EXACTLY like Hozuki’s Cool-headedness, this rules.
Takuto comments on their social media post about it “only an idiot works for free.”
Man, Junna decided not to die, so let them live, Takuto!!!
[from Karner] "you need to pave the roads for king enma junna!! can’t get out of it!!"
“I’ve been paving this road my entire life! I always have good intentions!”
Junna likes Izanami but King Enma is a bureaucrat and they don’t respect him.
had a random thought and had to look up recent Japanese Prime Ministers.
Junna missed Suda Yoshihide’s entire time in office while wandering and Abe was assassinated the day after the “finale” of AMSA.
so they also missed the COVID lockdown…
They’re doing better than Nuǎn, who took a nap from 1964 to 1999. Just in time for Y2K panic and they’d never seen a computer before!
YouTube recs are now “ONE BILLION YEN APARTMENT IN DOWNTOWN TOKYO HAS A JACUZZI FOR YOUR CAR” and “this 4sq meter studio apartment in Fukuoka is 13 minutes from the nearest train station and costs $9.”
Window shopping for Takuto & Shigoro vs Junna
Takuto: wouldn’t think of buying a place without a jacuzzi, full kitchen, and view of the Tokyo Skyline
Junna: wants a roof and an electric socket so they can put their kettle on a hot plate to make tea
I want to make a strawpage or something so one day people can send me questions like “hey, where was Nuǎn during Fox Wedding?” And I can say “they got involved in a death game organized by rich people but all the contestants turned out to be immortals, so it was a pretty wild few seasons.”
was watching the Neuro-sama streams where Vedal lets Neuro & Evil shop on Amazon on stream. AMSA version where Shigoro is shopping & Takuto is buying but he keeps overruling Shigoro to buy higher quality, more expensive version.
man, looking at it now Junna is half “mysterious supernatural girl/woman that acts as an observer in horror anthologies” and half “tragic charismatic guy shunned by society trying to do the right thing without caring about his personal safety.”
First half influences: Furude Rika, Ichihara Yuuko, Enma Ai, Second half influences: Shinei Nouzen, Geto Suguru, Wei Wuxian
one thing about Nuǎn is they do NOT know Who Sõseki Natsume is so Junna can introduce them to the Hot New Works of Japanese Literature.
… it could be worse, Junna could be an avid light novel reader! They’re respecting the classics!
Junna, picking out the movie for movie night: today I got the 1972 adaptation of Botan Dōrō, “Seidan Botan Dōrō.”
Nuǎn: oh, one of the great ghost stories of Japan! : )
Junna: the greatest adaptation of all (the softcore porn version).
Nuǎn is 3000 years old, they won’t find it shocking.
MBTI mention, but HEAR ME OUT
Working on Fox Birthday and thinking how Shigoro is more extroverted /socially/ but thinks in an introverted manner (which is the MBTI meaning) while Takuto is more introverted socially but thinks in an extroverted manner.
Their synergy is disgusting.

SCROLL TEST: thinking about how Nuan loves artifacts so if one of their secret hibernating tombs was discovered, archaeologists would be so baffled because they have some Shang Dynasty oracle bones in there with Ming Dynasty porcelain. Not to mention the failed homunculi. 　
I am so sad that I can't go in-depth about Nuan's life in AMSA. They are... interesting. I don't even think it's their age, I think they were a gorgeous little freak from the start (I mean, who even decides to cultivate immortality and then actually does it). 　
　 the reason Junna isn’t MORE scared of Ibuki is because they have seen Ju-on and Ibuki is REALLY chill compared to Kayako. 　
Ironically, Ibuki is only stalking/haunting because Junna…… ghosted her… 　
(In the slang way AND the literal way, Junna turned her into a ghost lmaoooo… haha…… we stay silly…) 　
one thing I want to be noticeable is that Takuto isn’t that good at comebacks. He mostly just strikes back with the meanest, harshest shit he can think of. The clever stuff is Shigoro’s work. It’s like in JJBA Stardust Crusaders when Jotaro told Avdol to say something cool. 　
Takuto can say things like calling Junna a “Chuuni ghost-fucker” but notice how it’s low effort and he probably got it from Shigoro, who wouldn’t say it straight to Junna’s face lol 　
　 MKR characters as K.K. Slider songs

• Junna: Steep Hill
• Ibuki (alive): K.K. Rally vs Ibuki (dead): K.K. Dirge
• Nana: K.K. Stroll
• Benihime: Spring Blossoms
• Kei: Aloha K.K.
• Hifumi: Stale Cupcakes
• Doikawa: K.K. Jongara
• Shigoro: K.K. Folk
• Takuto: K.K. Cruisin’
• Haruto: K.K. Lovers
• Tasuku: Rockin’ K.K.
• Nuǎn: Imperial K.K. would probably be your best guess but for MKR, K.K. Bossa
• Minami: Bubblegum K.K.
• Ryuuzaki: Pondering

Nuǎn’s age presents some absolutely terrifying concepts. They were awake during WW2 but slept through the Mao’s Cultural Revolution and didn’t wake up again until 1999.
I bet they woke up like “I sure hope no more of those nuclear bombs were dropped while I was asleep.” GREAT NEWS…
Nuǎn hearing no more nukes have been dropped on populated areas while they were sleeping- : )
Nuǎn hearing about Chernobyl- : (
Very excited for them to learn about the moon landing. They got to see the start of the Space Race but it was lights out in 1964.
Nuǎn actually picks up new technology quickly, but they’re so weird about when and how they use it. They’ve never mailed anything with a stamp before. They have an email account and they’re over 2500 years old. They slept through cassette tapes and were just in time for Y2K.

So when Shigoro sends Junna the “ganbatte” and the selfie of him & Takuto having movie night, Junna is definitely zooming in like “what movies are these freaks watching.”
Exact same reaction Takuto & Shigoro would have if Junna send them something similar lol
“What movies is that freak watching?” And Shigoro goes “The entire Ju-on series.” “Ha. Well, what did we expect?” “Exactly that!”
Junna don’t show your current date movies where the lead actress looks like your ex gf, that’s so weird.
Nuǎn is a little spooked by Ju-on. It would be a lot of work to exorcise that house. Junna says it would be not problem.
Junna: I bet Takeo would leave a horrible aftertaste, yuck
Nuǎn: you would absorb Kayako as well? :’0
Junna: I would eat her gently, like the finest taiyaki u_u
damn, Junna making things Extremely Weird, they ARE the little freak in this one. Takuto and Shigoro are just watching like, the newest Marvel movie or some shit. Basic bitch stuff.
in my edits I realized I didn’t really think about how Junna & Izanami like. Met. I think Izanami just saw Junna walking around on the opposite side of the Sanzu River sometimes and said “who is that little creep that’s always hanging out in the toxic gas & dead bush garden?”
Junna: I don’t have 300 yen on me to pay for this train ticket so I’m just gonna take my shortcut on the Sanzu Riverbank and hope no oni try to come kill me for hopping the metaphorical turnstile.