Freaking nuts, you clearly showed the characters of Shintarou and his Snake, and along with that, the crazy cycle that is the Heat-Haze Daze and Mary's resets and their triggers! Honestly, perhaps the series canon would've been more appealing with clearer presentations through their various media forms, but hey, it's not like I don't like the challenges that were set by canon and the marketing for it! Still, I like stuff like this, and I hope it helps confused yet still interested fans, yo!

Hey there stealthclaw! I know I'm a bit late but I'm glad you could join us! And KagePro...KagePro is my jam, so thanks for the piece!

Shintaro angst is a good place as any. You capture the ins and outs of his power and the consequences well. And that Kuroha scene...so good. Nice integration of song lyrics throughout, too!

On a note, I really liked the details describing the clock sounds and the idea of Shintaro toggling around with a clock, too.

Man, those KagePro feels...thanks for the read, and I'm looking forward to reading more from you this summer!

-Avi

I've gotta say, you drew me in immediately with how you wrote this. Starting off kind of quietly and then bringing in all that jarring onamonapia was really effective. I love the idea that this guy might actually be a side character in the main story between Mary and the antagonist. Side characters make a difference, and it's always satisyfying to see Soldier A fleshed out. Even if he is the main character, I like the set up that just shows that there's more going on that whatever is done by the central character.

I'm not a fan of time travel, but the Japanese do seem to handle better than a lot of storytellers. Maybe because a lot of people just use it as a device to achieve something where the Japanese stories tend to set about exploring what would happen if time travel/loops were actually possible. Anyway, your portrayal of everything in this is totally intriguing and I got super invested as I read. Props to you! Excellent writing!

I really need to explore this Project, now that I've been completely drawn into the story (not once, but TWICE) through amazing fanfiction writers. Let me know of a good place to start!
On a separate note, I really enjoyed the character depiction here. I don't even know much KagePro lore, but I was able to grasp the main storyline and the anguish of Shintaro very easily.
Well done!

Hey Stealthy! Glad to see you could make it. As per usual TSoS protocol, you now get to endure one of my reviews. Don't take it too seriously and you should be fine. Ready? Go!

Okay, so my point of reference for KagePro is mostly limited to what Avi explained to me with her "Twelve Shots of Shuuya" series. However, I do distinctly remember liking Shintaro when he showed up in that collection. Good to see him again!

I like how you balance your sense of inevitable fate with grim determination. The day approaches without relent, but Shintaro, at his foundation, is unwilling to give up. Even though he knows in his gut that he's probably going to lose, he keeps going. I like that, it gives us hope for the future.

I also like how the scene with the murderer is in italics, almost as if it's the most surreal part of the narrative because the same thing has played out so many times. Brings a very "Which is the dream and which is reality?" sense to the sequence.

"He tried to take a step forward, but stumbled forward into darkness."
Careful of the repetition there...

Also, nicely done on the slow reveal of the Snake of of Retaining Eyes. I like the little bits of thought process you give us to show Shintaro's character. The more you can tell us with how a character thinks, the less you have to say explicitly.

The ending scene seems very SoSaysL-esque. Are you familiar with her? Check her work out some time if you're looking for a good read with artful heartstring pounding. But seriously, kid, I only mention that because you've got a similar flair for the tragically foreboding. It's a well done conclusion, and it basically says a dozen things without you having to articulate it. We know that Shintaro has failed again, we know he's going to die, but we also know that he has the power to win the next round even if he dies this time. It's a really artful mix of resignation and hope. Well played.

That said, congratulations on finishing your first shot of summer! I look forward to your future posts.

Regards,
-CG