[AllTakemichi] Control

Author's Q&A Corner

(This is the part where the author replied to some comments from Vietnamese readers. I'm just the translator, so please keep that in mind!)

So, I added this little section because I notice many of you have a lot of questions, but I can't possibly reply to every single comment one by one. That's why I'll answer some here instead. If I miss anything, feel free to ask below. Of course, I won't answer questions that would spoil too much of the plot - small hints are fine. But whether the ending is HE or SE? Well, you'll have to read and find out, won't you?

1. Some readers were a bit surprised that one of Takemichi's personalities - specifically Michi - "loves" Takemichi. Some of you asked, isn't that weird? Is this supposed to be 'love myself'?

First off, let me say this: I only researched this disorder online, so my knowledge isn't medically accurate or scientific, especially since this is still considered a rather mysterious psychological condition. But if you've ever watched movies or read stories about it, you'll know that although these personalities are born from the patient's own psyche, they're separate people with their own distinct thoughts and emotions. It's almost like two souls living inside one body.

So, Michi loving Takemichi isn't really that strange. In the end, he only wants to protect his own original self.

But is it really 'love myself'?

Yes, it is. As you can see from the manga - or even in my own story - Takemichi is ridiculously selfless, always carrying heavy burdens, always being the one responsible. It's always, "Touman and Mikey are counting on you," or "Take care of Mikey." But then comes the question: What about me? What about Takemichi?

And that's what I want to highlight. Who's there to tell Takemichi to take care of himself? Who's there to remind him that he matters too? I wanted him to realize that himself. Because "love myself" only has meaning when it comes from within, when the person himself becomes aware of it. That's why I created this other personality - so that he could finally come to that realization.

To illustrate, let me quote a passage from the book "Genius on the Left, Lunatic on the Right" in the story of "The Three Little Pigs." I didn't base my idea on this, but it fits quite well with what I mean.

He said: "He's lonely. His father died from drinking, which isn't exactly something honorable. People around him never showed any sympathy. Instead, they mocked him. And so, he created me. He swore that one day he'd treat his children well, but he didn't live long enough to see that day. That's why the naïve little girl appeared after me."

He said: "I know it sounds ridiculous - being friends with yourself, loving and spoiling yourself. But if you were me, you wouldn't think it's funny at all."

So yes, it is "love myself." But I admit, the way I wrote it is a little dark. When you really think about it, this version of "love myself" is heartbreaking.

2. Does AllTakemichi include a female character? Specifically Hinata

My story only ships male/male pairs. But as I mention in the introduction, I build on the original work and change some details - Takemichi and Hinata are the canon couple from the original author, and I can't just, like, suddenly erase their feelings for each other and have them break up overnight so Takemichi can quickly fall for the characters I ship. That would make Takemichi look awful. Everything needs a process and a reason. And honestly, it also creates more drama. Hinata won't appear very often, but she is a crucial hinge in certain plotlines.

(I ship AllTakemichi as male/male, but I also really like Taka×Hina - they're so cute in the original. Every time Takemichi collapses, Hinata is there for him; she's a good girl. I just hope Ken will tie the story up by having them marry happily. As for me, I'm over here shipping AllTakemichi so my child ends up with the guys. I'm obsessed.)