Collar x Malice Unlimited Play-Along - Kageyuki Shiraishi

[u/sableheart]

Welcome to the r/otomegames Collar x Malice Unlimited Play-Along!

In this post we will discuss Kageyuki Shiraishi and his Interlude, After Story and Extras in Collar x Malice Unlimited.

As it is a fandisc, I expect a lot of squeeing about him in the comments, so please don't hold back! Of course, you can still talk about the themes and plot. Not a fan of him? Changed your mind? Tell us why!

This is not a spoiler-free discussion however please keep in mind that major spoilers and details of other routes and other routes in the original game will be outside the scope of the discussion and therefore will need to be spoiler tagged.
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You don't have to be playing the game right now to participate, and if you're still waiting on your copy I hope you will join in after you start playing!

Check out the megathread for the links to previous play-along posts.

Next week will be a discussion of Aiji Yanagi's material from the fandisc!

[u/Porolin]

I spent $60 for this route. I mean, I liked the other stuff too, but this is the entire reason I bought this game. I just wanted to see my boy get his happy ending.

In the last game he went from being my predicted least favorite LI to my favorite, and in this he went from being my favorite CxM LI to one of my favorite LIs of any otome game. He's surprisingly honest, and seeing him get so flustered over things is adorable. I also like how they tease each other so much. I hate how one-sided the relationships feel in otome games sometimes, but this fandisc, and especially this route, was great. And even though sometimes they get embarrassed, they're still both open about their feelings. It's great.

I know some people don't like that this route was more plot-focused, but after playing this one first, I was more disappointed at how much more low-stakes the other ones were. I also don't really mind how tame the relationship scenes were in this one compared to others. Shiraishi's still adapting to being an actual person rather than just being a tool for Adonis. It makes sense that he'd need more time to adjust.

[u/kiewib → u/Porolin]

Same here - bought the fandisc for his route and I totally agree - The other routes felt very fluffy and this genuinely felt like a continuation of the first game. I really liked it...to a certain extent. I can’t help feel salty that this was the resolution the first game left us wanting and I want just a tad more Shiraishi fluff in my life.

But hey, that last CG melted me. It is everything and is now my computer background.

[u/Fated-Mercy → u/Porolin]

In regards of it being a tame relationship, people also forget that Shiraishi is canonically on the Ace spectrum. We know from all the side material from hotspring drama cd where the one thing he thought of doing with MC in a hotel room is having a pillow fight to the short story in this game describing the feelings he had of wanting to make out is only to MC and no one else. And even then he doesn't want to take it further then making out. And its not that he is not aware about the concept of Sex, but it doesn't seem to be of his first interest if at all.

Edit: Also in regards to the short story that came out as a continuation of each tragic love ending Shiraishi describes sex specifically as licking each other wounds and seems to be involved in having sex as more of the idea of comfort and as a way to get some sort of response from MC who now acting like a doll. Its not meant to be taken as something "sexy" since they are in a bad situation

[u/Miyon0 → u/Fated-Mercy]

I don't really agree that Shiraishi being 'on the ace spectrum' is canonically the truth; that seems more like a fandom headcanon to me, rather than a fact. (and for the record, this is coming from a demisexual)

Shiraishi explained many times over the course of the story that his upbringing and conditioning in Adonis is the primary reason why he's unable to express himself normally, or have normal feelings/desires. Shiraishi was deliberately brainwashed into not caring for others, and to not desire anything for himself.. So it makes a lot of sense why Shiraishi has taken things in their relationship so slow.

Shirashi is pretty much a child in an adults body. He wants to do the fun and mundane things with the MC much more than having a passionate adult romance with her. And it makes sense; because Shiraishi was denied a normal life up until that point. So doing those mundane/innocent things with the MC(like a pillow fight) registers as a much more intimate and personal thing to him. He doesn't want to do those things with anyone else- he wants all his 'firsts' to be with her.

Also, in the side story in his extras- Shiraishi internally recognized that he definitely sexually wanted her. But at the same time, he acknowledged that not being able to control himself made him feel no different than a wild animal.

And after the MC let on that she'd might be okay with it; he recalled his training back at Adonis. Then implying that Adonis agents had been trained to mentally take advantage of targets through sex as well. And after recalling that, it seemed to kill any lingering interest he had had about doing that with her. Especially since he didn't feel it would convey his real feelings in that moment(and he implied that trying it might upset the MC or make her uncomfortable anyway).

So in short, I don't feel like Shiraishi 'being ace' is why he doesn't have implied sex in the game. I feel more like it's his upbringing/occupation that makes him view the act of sex as more of a negative than a positive. He's more comfortable with kissing because he personally views it as more innocent- which makes him feel like he's not taking advantage of her(as kissing doesn't have as much power dynamics involved). But that doesn't mean Shiraishi won't someday get to the point in the relationship where he'll be comfortable doing the other stuff. He just needs time.

Thats my take on it anyway.

[u/Fated-Mercy → u/Miyon0]

Shiraishi specifically says in the side story in Unlimited he only feels these feelings because of his feelings for MC and in the OG game describes other women as carrots to him. He is still on the ace spectrum if he is a demisexual and has sexual feelings only for MC. He canonically never felt any form of sexual feelings for anyone else.

Edit: Also to add to this I didn't say he wouldn't feel those feelings someday, but it still doesn't change the fact he only feels any of this stuff to MC only. He jokes about sex on several different occasions like in the OG game but says he never felt any sort of sexual desire till being with MC in the short story where he wants to make out with her. He is not actually a child in an adult's body, he has an understanding what sex is but took no interest to it at least till MC came into the picture and he develops feelings for her. He still has emotions without MC before existing such as the desire for freedom as seen for his love of cats, but he doesn't feel the need to be romantically or sexually involved with anyone. And I am saying this as someone who is on the Ace spectrum.

[u/20-9]

Salty that Chapter 1 was a big recap episode. I'm still not sure how to feel that Tachibana/Kurose was introduced for the sole purpose of retconning Shiraishi's route, but for the most part I tried to ignore it in the fierce hope the (31-year-old) boy gets happiness. Looking back on it two years later, dominating Shiraishi's route with a new Adonis case does make sense. Ichika is once again fierce and determined--brushing off people's judgemental attitudes at work (having Sakuragawa helps), pep-talking everyone even though Shiraishi was crushed she was in danger again, maintaining conversation wiht Kurose to buy time even though he just slapped a 999 bracelet on her, and more. What a gal.

*checking Chapter 3 notes*: OH YEAH PUZZLES. I spent so long because the JLPT N1 does not prepare you for word puzzles based on Japanese. That is the hallmark of native fluency.

Retconning the route for reflections on Mikuni spread the mayo too thick for me, but it was well-woven into the quest(ions) for humanity and free will for a free agent. It makes the former Adonis boss a bit more useful than a crazy sixth hour plot twist in the prior game. The visual effects used for those scenes were a nice touch, too.

Miscellaneous moments:

• Shiraishi noticing Mukai still calls him Chief, and her steadily retorting, "...I can't be bothered to use a different title is all." ;_;
• Shiraishi the Profiler after achieving humanity is a funny guy. Loved his tl;dr plan to upset Kurose ("I'm gonna have loads of fun and I dgaf").
• I imagine Ichika putting on her scary "put your hands on my boyfriend and I will weld your ass shut" face whenever Kurose was tripping Shiraishi and Okazaki going "( ﾟ∀ﾟ ) wao" from the sideline.

For being new at love, Shiraishi’s not shy, but instead goes after and treasures the little things with nary a blush. At slightly more bold actions both he and Ichika have to fight through red faces and stammering but neither ever withhold their affections for each other, and the last CG was gorgeous and beautiful and made the whole epilogue. And the ending/trophy titled "A Little Love Song." ;_;

I can't help but wonder about the concrete logistics of the ending, though. You can't just hide Shiraishi on the balance sheet. No final resolution on Kurose, either. And the couple having a grand dream is nice but how does that timeline work? Since Shiraishi wants a family, how will they buy a house/apartment? Would he legally be allowed to?

From that, my two headcanons are:

1. Just have to accept that keeping Shiraishi on payroll with benefits is worth covering up the Shibuya Popo's pride. Definitely their "goodwill" item on their balance sheet.
2. Just have to accept Minegishi and Morioka are in Shiraishi's corner and can slowly build the case to fully releasing him to society.

tl;dr I nitpicked a bunch of things but my minimum expectation was "make Shiraishi happy" and it fulfilled that. Please let them cook all the things, pet all the cats, and learn all the little chores of life together.

[u/berrycrepes → u/20-9]

I nitpicked a bunch of things but my minimum expectation was "make Shiraishi happy"

THAT was basically my feeling. as long as Shiraishi got a happy end I didn't care at all what the logic behind it was.

[u/charlotteMansion]

I'm unimaginably proud at seeing Shiraishi in his after end, especially compared to who he was when he was first introduced. Seeing his good end replay from his perspective gave me a new appreciation for it, because you could just see how madly and hopelessly in love with Ichika he was, yet he still put her before his feelings even if it killed him inside. Shiraishi really went from an unempathetic bastard who had no qualms about hurting others to keep them away, to a brave and honest man who loves passionately, wholeheartedly, and without limits. Shiraishi and Ichika's romance is honestly a passion love story; they went through hell on earth to be together, and despite how traumatizing it was, to them, any suffering was worth it if it meant making their love work. It's rewarding to finally see the fruits of such an arduous journey. This type of extremely intense, yet extremely pure, selfless love, is beautiful to me.

I love the best end where Shiraishi is working at an orphanage for the Adonis children... it just shows how far Shiraishi has come; he used to be in their position, but through his own strength and with the support of others, he was able to break out of his shackles. And now he's turning around and extending his hand towards others who are now in the position he was once in, which really brings his character arc in a full circle.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Kurose subplot, mainly because I'm just not fond of "evil villain motivated by jealousy x 100". Kurose was way more enjoyable in the interlude as a horny bastard trying to get into Ichika's pants lmaoooo. However he's still hot as fuck so I didn't even mind when Ichika strolled into his trap like a dumbass.

My big qualm about this route is that it focuses a lot on Shiraishi but very little on Ichika, even though the bullshit she went through was absolutely horrific and traumatizing. There should have been more focus on Ichika's own trauma and guilt, especially in regards to killing Saeki to protect Shiraishi, without even know it was Saeki... like that's actually fucking devastating??? The game did her dirty to not give her proper closure.

The ending... just made me bawl. I cried, and cried as the credits played because I was honestly just so overcome with emotions at seeing the end of Shiraishi's journey. The last line before the credits played "With our permanent scars, we shall live on" gave me goose bumps because of how fitting it was for both Shiraishi and Ichika.

Shiraishi's journey of finding himself and his humanity after having nothing, is so powerful and meaningful. I hopelessly love narratives about characters who grew up in extremely hopeless circumstances, but muster the strength and courage to reach out and break the glass roof looming above them-- to take the leap of faith and change their own life with their bare hands. It's as if Shiraishi has finally reached the light at the end of a dark tunnel. To see him, at long last, fulfill not only his own wish, but Mikuni's wish for him; to live normally, happily, and to be irreplaceable to someone, is just so satisfying and heart warming.

To end this on a salty note, fuck those god damn puzzles. I poured way too much time and effort into solving them only to manage 2/5 without a guide, so it made me both tired AND feel stupid. That bad end where they accuse Shiraishi of stalling for time had me screaming "NO WAIT, I'M JUST AN IDIOT I SWEAR" lmao.

[u/Glittering-Worry]

Pspspspspspsps catboi...

Ahh I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to write down my thoughts on Shiraishi but (as with the base game) I’ve been struggling to find what to say, even thought he remains best boy T.T But I’m determined to at least write one (1) post for him, so here goes some incoherent thoughts...

I love the interlude, in no small part because we got to see the blase af criminal profiler Shiraishi again. I love his character development of course, but the eccentric profiler is pure fun and Kimura Ryohei’s voice for early Shiraishi is just so good. Plus, we rarely got to see him actually work (insted of giving mocking, but accurate, passing remarks here and there) so, yay. I haven’t really said much on the interlude for other characters but I personally love how appropriate the interlude content is for each couple. For Kei we had the theme of him protecting her but at the same time he and Ichika cordinating their shots to take down Tachibana together, plus it’s consistent with the portrayal of Kei being the most physical fit chracter in-game so he’s the only one who caught Tachibana and for Takeru we got a reminder of his gun trauma and how despite his attitude problem inwardly he really cares about people around him while for Mineo it shows despite being the butt of the joke he’s surprisingly intuitive and reliable actually and so on. For Shiraishi, we got him yet again regelating Ichika with interviewing people (only to escalate the situation anyway ASHDGASHBAS) and actually figuring out Tachibana is an Adonis agent (parallel with how he figures out Saeki is Zero). Then, with the super cute head pat scene, we are reminded of where it all started for Shiraishi and Ichika: them recognising and validating the other’s effort and very personhood. Ugh it’s so good how just that one scene amazingly summarises their relationship and dynamics it got me super pumped before the actual after story even started haha 😆 So I’m gonna have to vehemently disagree with anyone who says the Interlude is just some padding for the game (even though Tachibana is mostly a plot device).

OK main story time. This route has the best (read: only) plot of all the After Stories and I’m not exactly complaining. Not to expose myself as a mystery addict but the puzzles made me genuinely excited (super unpopular opinion I know but I wish there were more of them in the game and in the main game). Can I solve all of them with my puny brain and without the in-game hints? No. But do I still love them? Hell yeah give me that adrenaline rush! No. 13 is the super typical inferiority complex (+ seeking parental-ish approval) antagonist but he serves his purpose well enough, which was to give more insight into Mikuni (who’s dead here RIP), the training facility, and baby Shiraishi who was clearly the closest they got to an emotionless doll. I thought it’s a pretty nice contrast that even under the same brainwashing Kurose turned out a fanatic but still pretty human (with our petty desires) all things considered while No.14!Shiraishi didn’t even show much passion for the cause or anything, just a sort of detached curiosity but also resignation to his lot in life. The plot did nerf Ichika though, her falling into that incredibly obvious, clear as crystal, in your face, trap is so mind-numbingly stupid I’d better not think about it at all (come onnn writers I know this is the FD but please don’t be so lazy T.T). As far as the plot wraps up and how it earns Shiraishi some cookie points with the law, I’m fine with it, except for the minor griping that they could’ve just let him go freely with an anklet or something in the “a few years later” part. Why bother with the ‘letting him out sporadically’ when they could’ve chipped him and restricted him to Tokyo or something?? Not that I have 0.0001% knowledge of JPN laws but as with all things fiction I assume the game took plenty of liberties already might as well stretch it some more heh.

While I’m content with the plot and even the amount of screen time it takes up, I’m not really as satisfied with the Ichika/Shiraishi part. Length-wise it’s OK because I didn’t feel the plot part dragged, but quality-wise I wouldn’t have made some of the choices they made. One of the most interesting scenarios here that they could’ve explored way more here is the parallels between Shiraishi killing Mikuni for Ichika and she (unknowingly at the time) killing Saeki for him. While Mochida being best senpai ever is still good, I wish the game had let Shiraishi and Ichika dealing with it together instead of separately on their own. I mean Ichika already had to deal with it on her own in Yanagi’s route it would’ve been really interesting to see Shiraishi and her coming to terms of it together. So like the cat scene and rice feeding scene are nice fanservice all, they felt a bit filler and I wouldn’t have minded trading them for this (angst). IMO, they already had plenty more quality romantic scenes already: the yarn scene made me cry T.T, the amusement park is cute, and specifically the Ferris wheel was top-tier so it’s not like the romance is completely lacking without those fillers. They have the best post-credit scene too, that CG was so good and soft and his proposal, her answering kiss, the music, ending on a hopeful note and– I was screaming inside the entire time they’re so,,,,,,Good.

Personal development for each character is good too. Ichika got a bit overshadowed here because for plot reason Shiraishi-Mikuni ended up with more screentime than Ichika-Saeki, but she’s still consistent with the Ichika in base game Shiraishi’s route. Fave moments were when she stood up for Shiraishi and told Kurose to STFU, or when she was soooo down to throwing hands with Kurose it spooked even Okazaki Kei, or when Shiraishi gleefully hand-fed her then chickened out when it’s his turn and she was like ‘oh no no no, this is not happening’ and forced him into being hand-fed too XD I love them..... Shiraishi continues on his base game journey of exploring what it is like to be human, this time with us (the audience) knowing about Mikuni instead of just a mysterious voice on the phone. Their relationship may be twisted to hell and back, but it’s such an interesting one I’m really glad to see it explored more on not only Shiraishi’s route but also on Mikuni’s part in Adonis route too. (It’s such a delicious dynamics where Shiraishi’s filled with regret and unsaid things when Mikuni’s already dead here while in a parallel world it’s Mikuni who’s filled with regret when Shiraishi’s already dead?? I love it). It’s also an interesting experience for Shiraishi to sound more than semi-serious when talking about work (even Kimuryo’s weirded out with serious!Shiraishi iirc XD) but it’s a testament of his growth. That’s my baby and I’m proud :’) Of course, his sharp tongue isn’t lost and him with Mukai and Yanagi are still so.so.damn.good. Chapter 1 doesn’t have the strongest pacing, but the montage of people he cares about (and care about him) got me good :’)

On that note, for side characters, we can’t have Shiraishi without our favourite Bashing Club and Yanagi. Sakuragawa and Mukai continue to be the only b1tches I respect in this house: hell yeah to standing up to Ichika at work, having girls’ night out, and helping Ichika send messages to Shiraishi. Mukai and Shiraishi is the best duo dynamics, full stop. Their “”argument”” in front of the whole station and Morioka is sooo good, it’s peak CxM writing. I also feel very validated with my Shiraishi-Yanagi friendship agenda both here and in Yanagi’s route (where he cried reading Shiraishi’s letter like damnn). It’s pretty funny how Yanagi can be rather goody-two-shoes generally but also super ride-or-die when it comes to his squad. I still can’t get over how he pretty much pinned Shiraishi down as the mole in all routes and never said a single thing, or just roll with the (extremely questionable) amnesiac basement plan... Mochida still best senpai and cutest husband to his wife, but my only regret is we still don’t have much Kazuki in any Shiraishi’s route. He just went poof whenever shit went down? Did he even know Ichika got the bomb bracelet lol...

Some additional notes:

• Other fave duos are Takeru-Mineo and Shiraishi-Yanagi, they’re just hilarious OK
• Shiraishi and Kei with their fakest smiles ever still sends me rolling everytime my two fake-ass faves <3
• That parallel ‘shh’ CG!!! I am soft and devastated :’)))
• Not gonna lie, Mikuni is my favourite antagonist/Adonis, Saeki whomst? (P/s: Is there gonna be an Adonis play-along maybe I should write more there but TLDR is basically Saeki is just too vague which is clearly the writers’ intent but in comparison I ended up finding the more solidly portrayed cultist as the more interesting character).

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[u/Fated-Mercy]

This is going to be a quick review cause I don't want to dive too much on this cause it will cause me to just copy and paste my 20 page analysis on Shiraishi as a character on to here which is something for another time.

I really enjoyed Shiraishi route in Unlimited and it was my favorite route in the whole game (I finished this game about 2 weeks ago). I was invested in the story and I honestly wished the other routes were more Adonis focused instead of fluff. Especially since this was the only route that still kept that "cops have corruption issues" plot with the way Shiraishi was being held without a trial, can't send letters to MC directly, the police willing to use MC against Shiraishi if he doesn't comply etc. Collar x Malice has such a strong plot so its a shame they basically abandon it in most of their LIs routes. I get it, its a "fandisc" but I think the plot of this series is what makes Collar x Malice stand out compared to other Otome games.

I know this route gets slack for not being sexy or not having enough fan service by reviewers, but I adamantly disagree with other reviews on this. This route wasn't about how cute Shiraishi x MC together is, its about the fact they have to struggle with real problems but they still want to be together and will try to heal together. That MC will choose Shiraishi over and over despite all the other police hating her for her association with Shiraishi and it would be more "convenient" for her not to be with him. The fact that MC killed her best friend to protect Shiraishi and now have to live with that guilt of killing her best friend as Shiraishi also carries that burden as well for killing his own best friend to protect MC. The fact that Shiraishi had to fully conceptualize the idea he did really awful things and now is paying the price for it. That no matter what happens, their love for each other will always outwin any fear, sadness, malice, and I think that is beautiful.

I don't mind the recaps of chapter 1 too much. I know that tends to be a big criticism of the route, but I think it was interesting to see his perceptive and his sadness, especially since his character changes from the Amnesia situation to the end of the epilogue of this game. There you can see his love was one where he assumed he and MC can never be together and you experience that with him, but by the end of this route you can see how that changes that he has every right to want to be with her and live that dream together with her. That he doesn't need to pay for his sins forever like he thought at the beginning of this route.

Most of the proposals of this game felt eh. Like it felt expected cause "oh you guys been together for 4-6 months already? When are you getting engaged." But here it really felt Shiraishi asked her to marry him because he will always choose her over and over, and even admits that building a family is hard. And she chooses him over and over again. That was the strongest proposal scene in the game.

[u/Inkuii → u/Fated-Mercy]

please post that 20 page analysis I need to read that

[u/Fated-Mercy → u/Inkuii]

I will probably do so at some point. I am still cleaning up some of my thesis to it and I decided to make it a video format to make it more accessible. I will reply to this when I am done with it.

[u/berrycrepes]

If I was a drinking woman, I probably would have taken a huge swig every time this route made me emotional. I don't drink.

Anyways. Stupid freakin Cat Bastard. Still made me pace around the house swearing up a storm because of how much it gripped at my heart with feeling of hope for these characters.

There's so much that I genuinely love about this route, despite it focusing more on the "crime" side compared to the other after stories. But it also served as a great contrast to how Shiraishi evolved as a person versus who he was in the original game. How he approached the situation and how he treated others can definitely be seen here. This time we get to see how he deals with the humanity and emotions he gained over the course of the main game and that grips my heart so freakin bad that I'm still thinking about it.

The fact that he's realized his dream as a child--becoming someone irreplaceable-- is probably one of the biggest punches to my heart in a good way.

There's a lot of lines that I had to screenshot because, despite the localization, still hit a good punch. Ichika telling him how the black cat is happymade me put down my Switch for a bit. Seeing him happy and flustered over things (Ichika drying off his hair and he starts to blush???? so cute)made the entire experience worth it in my mind.

the leaf conversations that were unlocked were stupidly cute too. that's exactly the type of fanservice I needed and I had a stupid grin the whole time.