Headcanon : Edgeworth and Franziska protected each other from Von Karma’s abuse as children.
You know, like five-year-old Franziska couldn’t finish her assignment in time, but when Manfred asks about it and she gets terrified, twelve-year-old Edgeworth covers it up for her and puts blame on himself. Edgeworth would do that. Considering how he saved Phoenix as a kid, and how protective he was to Kay in Investigations, I think he is a kind of guy who just can’t turn away from children in need. Franziska was a child who couldn’t protect herself, so Edgeworth had to be there for her while nobody wasn’t.
And Franziska started doing the same for him after she grew up. Like “Miles Edgeworth is my LITTLE BROTHER so he is the one who should be protected and guided by me! How dare he always tries to help me as if I’m a weak child? How impertinent!” So Edgeworth protected her when she was so little, but since she became a teenager, I think she tried to protect and support him instead. Like that scene on AAI when she convinced her father to let them continue their investigation. Of course she would rather die then admit whom she learned that behavior from.
This is very important, because I think it would’ve been really hard for Franziska to accept the fact that Manfred was a terrible father. She worshiped and adored him for her whole life. So even after Franziska learned that the way her father treated her was unhealthy, I think she would still try to defend him. She would blame everything on herself, thinking that she deserved everything she’d been through. It’s a common symptom in domestic abuse. Edgeworth praised Manfred as a “God of prosecution” EVEN WHEN he was being prosecuted under a false accusation
by that man. Ugh.
But even when Franziska defending her father like “No, Papa wasn’t wrong! He only punished me because I asked for it!” she still couldn’t deny all those shitshe had done to Edgeworth. Manfred murdered the boy’s father, took the boy as his student, only to frame him as a murderer and joyfully watch him die. And Franziska was always there to see everything; she knew better than anyone that her father NEVER loved that boy.She remembered how Edgeworth always protected her, and how she protected him too. Even if she could try justifying everything her father has done to her, she couldn’t possibly do the same to the horrid crimes that man had done to Edgeworth.
I think this would let Franziska finally break out from her misguided belief that Manfred was a great father and she was a shameful daughter for him. The baby step. Just like that Edgeworth finally realized the true face of Manfred when his found out who murdered his father; he could forgive his mentor for everything, even for prosecuting him as a murderer, but he couldn’t forgive the murder of his own father. This would be really important experience for both Franziska and Edgeworth to finally move on.
Yes, what a piece of fanservice. But what interests me more is Ciel’s level of terror in this scene.
This is a Ciel whose trust in Sebastian was shaken when Sebastian nearly consumed his soul in Germany. He has already admitted that Sebastian is the one he can “trust the least.”His first thought when Sebastian’s eyes began to glow and his fangs began to grow must have been that he was about to be eaten. Ciel’s pupils shrank to pinpoints and he’s noticeably sweaty in this scene (though to be fair, he looked sweaty before Sebastian charged at him too).
Speaking of Sebastian’s eyes and fangs, I wonder what exactly caused him to demon-out? Was it his sudden intense concern for Ciel’s safety? Or is Sebastian unable to control his demon aspect in the presence of Ciel’s blood?
Today is the Positivity Day, so I’ve decided to dedicate a post to one of the most positive Kuroshitsuji characters – Elizabeth Midford. Many SebaCiel shippers dislike her, so today I’ll try to explain why I myself, as a SebaCiel shipper, love and respect Lizzy so much.
Lizzy is the only thing that keeps Ciel’s faint connection to “light”. Sure, Sebastian understands Ciel better than anyone else. Two years of being together made them become one. Sebastian undoubtedly saved Ciel from complete loneliness (not to mention that without Sebastian Ciel would’ve probably been dead by now). He protects the young master, makes him cookies and they are constantly mocking each other like old buddies. But do you really think this is enough for a 13-year old boy? He is still just a kid. He needs to communicate with his peers, but instead he is only going out to investigate mass murders.
And above all, Sebastian is the darkness.
Lizzy is the light. She is always trying to cheer Ciel up and bring some happiness and fun into his life.
And Ciel, though he doesn’t realize that himself, is reaching for this light. He doesn’t show that because he is a tsundere but he really feels good when spending time with Lizzy. She is the only reminder of his happy childhood.
Many people find her obsession with cute things annoying. But she became like this for him.
Even if Ciel doesn’t have any romantic feelings for her, he deeply cares about her as his dear cousin and friend.
Don’t forget, that she is still just a girl. It’s amazing how desperate and serious is her love for Ciel.
She is strong.
She went through a great loss when she was just a child.
Being the wife of the queen’s watchdog is not easy. But she bears this fate with dignity.
And lately, I feel like she is in danger. Seeing one of the most cheerful characters with this sad blank look in the eyes really breaks my heart. So let’s all cross our fingers for Lizzy.
Hello Anon and thanks for the question. I’ve always loved this scene, and it is intriguing. Grell has a bad temper and is more likely to kill first and ask questions lately. Yet, here’s Lizzy with her sword practically in Grell’s face, and Grell is simply standing there with a slightly puzzled look. Of course, Sebastian intervenes soon after, taking hold of Lizzy’s blade so it’s unsure if Grell would have done if not for this intervention, but the fact that she hadn’t reacted already is interesting.
I think Grell was more surprised than anything else. Being a Shinigami, there’s not many things that actually stand up and try to fight. This is a ship overrun by the Bizarre Dolls, and Grell’s having no real issues with them, but suddenly there’s this little girl with a sword who’s not afraid to fight. Grell wasn’t expecting it in the least. Lizzy’s not a real threat, so her attacking Grell just causes surprise and Grell’s delayed reaction.
Grell might have some knowledge about Lizzy and her position as well. After all, she did play Madam Red’s butler, and Madam Red apparently had a lot of interaction with Lizzy. If Grell truly understands that Lizzy cares for Ciel and views the whole thing as a tragic, doomed love because of the contract, there’s a good chance Grell would find that romantic. It’s unclear, however, how much Grell knows about the situation.
Finally, there does seem to be something special about Lizzy. Sebastian does appear to show her respect, and he did stop her blade here. There was no order to do so. While he might have had concern what would happen to Ciel if he saw Lizzy die in front of him, that’s actually odd for Sebastian since he usually only cares for what would affect the contract directly or an order. Instead, he stops her blade and apologizes. If he can sense there’s something about her, perhaps Grell can sense the same thing. There might be some reason Grell couldn’t or shouldn’t kill Lizzy, which explains the expression. Grell’s looking at Lizzy thinking, “You’ve got a sword in my face, but I’m not supposed to kill you.”
All in all, I think surprise is the most likely answer. Grell’s strong and basically fearless, but it was just shocking to find a very young teen girl who was willing to fight.
“The most important person in Kaneki’s life is obviously –”
His Mom.
No if’s and’s or but’s about it. His mom has had the biggest impact on his life. Her affect on him dwarfs everyone else’s.
“What? What about Hide?”
Hide has certainly had an effect on him, but it’s not very heavily emphasized in the narrative. There are also multiple people who have had a huge effect on him–Touka, Yoshimura, Rize, Eto–and their influence is underappreciated by the fandom. But however you look at it, one truth remains.
Kaneki’s mom, and his issues with her, are the crux of his character.
In the beginning, he tries to be self-sacrificing like she told him. In the end, he devolves into violence just like she showed him. Under extreme torture, his mind went back to his childhood with her, and the whole point of his flashback was how her neglect destroyed him.
And when he had lost his memories, what was the first thing he remembered?
Bingo. His mother.
Other people have changed him, affected him. But his mother’s treatment forms the basis of everything he is–his kindness, his self-sacrifice, his violence, his wish for death.
Everything Kaneki does is wrapped up in his memories of his mom. And so far, no matter how important Hide or Touka or anyone is to him–he has never told them.
He never told anyone his private revelation in Yamori’s torture chamber–that he wanted his mom to live for his sake, even at the cost of hurting someone else. AKA, the epiphany that sparked his transformation. He never told anyone about her abuse. It’s something that’s shapes him and warped him but he never talks about it. It’s too private, too painful.
Kaneki has walled off the source of 90% of his issues away from everyone else, hiding it behind masks. Everyone else he loves is someone he also keeps far away–and as long as he does that, they will always remain secondary. Beloved–but distant, kept at arm’s length. And his mother though long dead, will be the defining figure in his life forever.
Imagine Akira got surrounded by Aogiri ghouls and Takizawa jumped in front of her, shield her with his body from the attack – while bleeding, he just turn to her and laugh at her shocked face and went like, “Ha–ha – now you owe me, Mado-chan~”
He acts as if the idea of murder itself is a sin (and I’m not going into the whole ‘is murdering a criminal a bad thing’ right now, that’s not important to the issue) without thinking that sometimes self-defense or protecting someone can unintentional led to killing. It’s also clear that Ciel is pretty unfazed at killing people most of the time. 3/9
So my point with Edward is that he seems naive and innocent to how harsh the world can be, which isn’t all that surprising. He was raised in the light, with strict morals and codes, soon to be the next head of the British Knights (which seems kind of like the reverse roles of the Queen’s guard dog, that makes him Ciel’s mirror reflection? If Ciel is compared to the moon then I see Edward, and Lizzy to an extent, the sun.) Now, Lizzy compared to Edward is a lot more realistic in my opinion. 4/9
She knows that Ciel is going to be the Queen’s watchdog and he will do questionable things and will be put in danger time to time. She knows has to continue sword fighting training in order to get strong and protect who she loves, even if it means shedding off her cute girl act. On the ship in the Campania arc, she didn’t even flinch when she was severing the heads off of bizarre dolls and was about to do the same to Grell when Sebastian stopped her. 5/9
Now, of course Grell is a shinigami and probably would have dodged or retaliated the attack, but that’s not what’s important. What is important is that Lizzy had full intention of thrusting her sword into a living, breathing, person that, in her mind, would have probably died from such a wound. 6/9
She is, at least i think she is, justified in doing so, because just a few minutes before Grell was swinging his chainsaw at them like a homicidal manic he is and would have killed them if not for Sebastian picking them up and dodging Grell’s attacks. 7/9
Lizzy knows that Ciel has to do some sketchy things (he’s the Queen’s watchdog, what’s he going to do, attend charities and blood drives? Though, Ciel’s the type to get Sebastian to donate all of his blood just to piss him off) and once she marries him she is going to be pulled into whatever he’s in as well. She shown that she is fully understands this and that she is prepared to kill a living person while compared to Edward he is naive to the harsh world and thinks murder is a huge sin. 8/9
I’m not saying that Lizzy understands everything about the burden of the watchdog and that Edward is completely naive (he’s shown awareness in the Weston College arc during the cricket match when he figured out the orchestra trick). I just think in the bigger picture Lizzy is more “phantomhive” than Edward. 9/9
Hey there again, anon! Thanks for dropping by 😉
Now to answer your thoughts with mine- I hadn’t thought of it this way. I’m not sure if I’m completely swayed yet, but I think you make a very valid point and I’ll take it into consideration when reading Lizzie next time.
Outwardly, Lizzie and Edward act like Alexis and Frances respectively. But inwardly? You’re making me think here haha. Lizzie knows the Phantomhives are dark and Edward must too, but the difference is that Lizzie is going to become one. And yes, she does seem 100% ready to fight to protect Ciel.
Though I think Lizzie would prefer not to casually kill someone and unlike Ciel, would probably let a random mook go if he was subdued. On the Campania, Lizzie was fighting for her life (and for Ciel’s too) under adrenaline and stress so the morality probably didn’t register with her. Grell was totally acting like a serial killer here and if Lizzie had killed Grell, she may feel guilty about the first kill (and gradually feel less and less guilty as the deaths pile on under her hands? that’s dark lol). But she’d probably feel guiltier if Grell managed to hurt Ciel and/or Sebastian. If Edward was in the same situation, I think he would also fight to kill.
Interestingly, Lizzie doesn’t seem to care that she almost stabbed another person. While we did see Edward balk at murder in Weston. But we haven’t seen Edward have to fight for his life against another breathing person yet (not counting the non-sentient zombies). Ciel also had a bad reaction to the P4′s murder crime in Weston and he has plenty of blood on his hands. It’s a lot easier to condemn something when one is in a calm environment.
So basically, I’m sort of convinced- I think there might be more Phantomhive in Lizzie than I thought and more Midford in Edward, thanks to your argument. But I don’t think Lizzie having the Phantomhive “tendencies” negates her Midford-ness and vice versa for Edward. For the moment, I’d say they’re pretty evenly matched. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens!
I’m pretty sure CCG is a puppet of V. Seeing as how many of their top investigators come from “Garden.”
And how the CCG “came from a much older organization.”
And how Yoshimura looked at Yoshitoki Washuu in the Anteiku fight and Yoshitoki basically said, “don’t look at me like that it’s just business.” Suggesting he knew Yoshimura, and was possibly coming down on V’s promise to not save him because he wouldn’t give up his daughter.
Heck they program the RC scanners at the front of the CCG building to not recognize their ghoul members.
I’m 99% that while V may not share their intent with lower down levels of the CCG the upper investigators know. Eto all but pointed out the Washuu are in cahoots with V.
As for lower class investigator? They have to have fodder willing to fight a battle they believe is to exterminate all ghouls when really V want to control the balance. V uses angry people who have lost people to the ghoul/human cycle of grief to ultimately steer their force to control the ghoul population.
So I’m pretty sure it’s not so much “Arima tricking the CCG.” As it’s V using one of their powerful puppet garden child in the puppet Washuu’s CCG, to get a job done they want, that is also taking down a powerful ghoul on CCG watchlist as a Cochlea escapee publicly.
V needs to capture Shachi to get information to “Take care of the Rize problem.” as he was her adopted “father”
I just hope if Arima manages to capture Shachi they won’t be able to make him talk and tell them Rize was last with Yomo, that would be very bad…
One mystery in Kuroshitsuji is why Ciel hasn’t just ordered Sebastian to kill whoever it is that killed his parents or, at least, just to give him the names of the murderer(s). Instead, Ciel has just played Watchdog while waiting for the killers to come to him. It doesn’t seem very efficient.
I could jokingly say is that it’s because it would make for a very short story, but there’s actually a good argument for Ciel’s apparent procrastination. The moment that Ciel gets his revenge, it’s all over. He no longer has this anger that he’s been holding on to for all this time. He’ll have to deal with the deeper feelings of pain, hurt, humiliation, etc.
It would also mean the end of his life.
Ciel would probably argue that he ‘died’ the moment his parents were murdered, and he certainly isn’t the same person as before. At the same time, it’s human nature to struggle against death. That’s the reason the Shinigami have to be co careful when gathering souls because there is that fight. Despite his words, Ciel doesn’t really want to die.
I don’t think he’ll back out of his contract, but this plan of waiting allows him to stretch out the contract and continue to live. Oddly, I’d doubt Ciel has ever considered this. He would probably say that he just wants this revenge to be truly complete by finding the killers, on his own, and then making then suffer like he has. He’s said as much. However, if Sebastian just told him the name and address of the killer(s), Ciel could still make them suffer. He could have done this as soon as the contract became valid.
Despite his words, Ciel still wants to live. He wants to be able to be as cold as a demon, but he is still very human.
Francis knew of the family business, and she was even trained to take the role of Watchdog just in case Vincent couldn’t fulfill the role. She had no desire to take on the job despite her training. She held back her emotions, though, and did what was required of her. She learned to act like a lady when it was necessary, but she could hold her own in a fight.
As time went on, things looked brighter for Francis.
Vincent married and so did Francis. She had a happy marriage, which was unexpected in some respects. She had been expected to get married, but had never really thought she would find someone that cared. It was better than she hoped, and she had escaped the curse of her family. She would never have the title of Watchdog. She had a husband and a son…but then she had a daughter.
Francis cared deeply, although it wasn’t always easy for her to show her feelings. She was still moved when she looked down at her newborn daughter. She only wanted the best for her, but her pure happiness was short lived. Because of family connections, her daughter would be destined to marry Ciel, who was bound to the family name and would carry the accursed title. She hadn’t escaped the family curse after all.
In fact, it was worse that her daughter would be the one to married to the watchdog one day. Francis would gladly have put herself in danger’s way for Lizzy’s sake, but she can’t save her. All she can do is to train Lizzy to protect herself.
Looking at her daughter, seeing her anguish, Francis realized that she had never truly been free of the troubles that had haunted her family for generations.
midnight-in-town 