getoruma manifesto

Okay so hear me out. I can't write (creatively) for shit so I'm just going to... write About them... for a bit here. Hiromi Higuruma and Geto Suguru in particular have been rotting my brain for a few days so here is why they are important to me:

Higuruma and Geto actually have so much in common, especially in terms of their ideological arc (if that's the right way to put it?) from beginning to end¹. Their characters and their journeys mirror each other. Parallels.

1. mirror morality & catalysts

So they both start off with a very Strong sense of Justice and a clear and moral understanding of their role in society as people with this kind of power in their hands. Higuruma used his power to dedicate his life to protecting Chapter 72: Hidden Inventory, Part 8

people through the law. He's made himself responsible for helping those who can't help themselves by taking on impossible cases and fighting against the unjust legal system with a conviction rate of 99.9%. what a burden that man carries on his tired shoulders. That case he took up in defense of the falsely accused Oe Keita (159) and eventual failure of this case was the trigger for higuruma. he did everything he could and did everything right, but ultimately realized that Keita was doomed from the start by the legal system itself. 99.9% conviction rate... Before I get too far into that, I need to talk about how this basically pretty much directly mirrors Geto's beginnings.

In high school we see that geto believed his role as a jujutsu sorcerer is to "protect the weak and keep the strong in check" (65). They both just want to help people because they have the power to do so. Just like Higuruma, Geto is assigned a task from master Tengen to escort (protect) Riko and deliver her to Tengen in order to save humanity or whatever. He's really emotionally invested in this mission, and it also for the first time shows us how important found family is to him (67). so it's really sad to see that despite his dedication to this mission and how hard he tried to save her, he too failed her. with Riko's death, his outlook- his reality- on shamans and non-shamans is completely shattered. her death & the regret he has over deciding to protect that non-shaman Tengen worshipping cult is the (first) trigger for his shift in ideology.

These two struggled with what justice really means in a systematically unjust society and lost all hope. It's hard to un-see the ugliness of humanity when it just broke everything you've ever believed in. You might say I'm being dramatic but it's literally them. They are the dramatic ones.

2. their villain eras

Both started off with the same precious ideals of protecting humanity, only to watch as that very same “humanity” spit in their face and killed their hopes, dreams, and happiness. Now what? They fucking start killing people (sexily). Higuruma kills the judges and everyone responsible for sentencing that innocent Oe guy to life in prison (166). What's so human about a system that claims to be based off this idea of “the goddess of justice blinds her eyes for equality Chapter 166: Tokyo No. 1 Colony, Part 6

under the law,” (159) when the reality is that the weak are used up and disposed of by those with power and money. The system is flawed. The victim is flawed. The assailant is flawed. And he's sick of all the flaws (166). I think this scene as he fights Yuji gave us so much about the state of his hopelessness, and it really is so similar to what Geto experienced himself. Who else could understand Chapter 76: Premature Death

him the way Geto would? No one!

So. As Geto and Gojo are being sent on different missions, Geto drowns in his contempt and hatred for regular non-shaman folk- those he promised to protect. He rejects the obligation (76) that he held himself to his entire life and completely turns his back against (non-shaman) humanity. He couldn't live with himself knowing he chose to protect the people that killed Riko so brutally in front of his own eyes. The damage is done. Though at this point, he's still indecisive, we know that seeing Mimiko and Nanako in that village a little later on fully pushed him over the edge, from then on becoming fully invested in his new vision for a better world.

Both he and Higuruma have grown to hate the world they wanted to protect. I think it's really interesting how both of their... declines (for lack of better phrasing) are more motivated by pure heartbreak than anger or revenge. Which I really love, actually. They had so much love for the world and dedicated themselves fully to protecting it. Only to be betrayed by the very world they loved so much!!! It's so heartbreaking. My precious fallen protectors. Failed protectors... I'm tearing up.

3. yuji interlude

So I made that footnote earlier after mentioning the end of Higuruma's development (or at least the last we see of him as of now). I wanted to still mention how Higuruma was saved from his continued path to destruction after meeting and Understanding Yuji. Which I think is really special and it shows the goodness that is in his (and Geto's) heart. They are not as heartless as they may seem. In fact they are very heartFull. That's why they're doing all this in the first place. Higuruma “going back to his roots,” (166) having his faith in humanity restored by his interactions and new understanding of Yuji, saved him from going as deep into the villainy as Geto did. Which cost Geto his life, as we know.

On one hand, that battle helped Yuji grow immensely as he is faced with the Objective Truth of his own innocence, he can start to forgive himself and stop blaming himself for what Sukuna did-- Which I know realize is exactly what Megumi is doing to himself right now (as of 219) oh my god another parallel. Anyways. This is about getoruma-- But on the other hand, that fight also shows us how Higuruma kind of comes back full circle in the end. He was reminded of why he dedicated himself to helping those impossible cases in the first place. But he still carries his guilt with him. And leaves with it. I hope Gege gives us more on how he deals with this (he better not jail himself...) because I think it would be really powerful & it would still contribute to the more overarching themes of guilt and regret we see happening to our main boys Yuji and now Megumi. Gege please I swear it will further the plot!

I included this interlude because I wanted to acknowledge the beauty of Higuruma's growth and how precious Yuji is. But for the purposes of this ship/AU thing this fight never happened and Higuruma remains villainous, hateful, and heartbroken. Just want to make that clear. Since I think that fight with Yuji was really pivotal in Higuruma's life, I'm ignoring it for my AU where he doesn't go through that Realization and sinks further into despair! Yipee!

4. and then they kiss

I know this ended up being more of a character analysis than a ship thing but I'm not sorry about it. I mean they're basically the same thing. AllofThat is like... my justification... as to why they are real. And love each other. They would be perfect for each other because going through AllofThat alone is really sad. And what's the best, most efficient, 100% successful cure to sadness? A kiss. Some cuddles. I just really can see them meeting somehow and talking to each other for a bit and having that 'oh my god no one has ever understood me the way you do' moment. They are the only ones to really understand that kind of heartbreak and why it's up to them to build a new Better world (their definition of Better is... but hey who am I to argue with them). In the end, they'd be doing the same thing they originally set out to do: protecting the things they care about. Everything always comes back full circle. Life is all circles. An arc is a half-circle a story is a full circle... whoever said the answer to life is 42 is wrong. It's a circle.

i don't have a place for the little au headcanons i have for them yet but for now...

5. breakup era

Look at me already crafting their demise. I wouldn't be me if I didn't find a way to turn this into a tragic love story. I'm a simple guy with simple interests. I think a fun way for their story to play out would be in a world where Suguru doesn't die, they connect and delude each other with their ideals and love for each other, but the character development Higuruma gets from his fight with Yuji is inevitable- it's just pushed back later in time. So, as Higuruma's faith in society is restored, he finds himself extremely Conflicted again about what is right and what is wrong. That vision of justice he's always held onto is blurring again. And it hurts because Hiromi felt like he and Suguru were the only ones who understood this world, but he's doubting everything all over again. And to Geto it feels like another betrayal, isolating him even further.

I also feel like they were doomed from the start because the fact that Suguru went through his Villain Era (for lack of better phrasing) so young makes all the difference. I think going through all that trauma and failure at the age of seventeen changes you Permanently, since those are the years where Who You Are is being formed and shaped and molded and whatnot. Whereas Hiromi is experiencing the same struggles later in life (coupled with his Taurus sun) it's easier for him to "go back to his roots" as he puts it. Hiromi had more of a chance at redemption than Geto did. It's an interesting balance. Thus we are left with Suguru's breakup (#2) where they leave him because they just can't see what Needs To Be Done...

6. goodies

if you've made it all the way to the end. wow. ur nuts. i figured i'd give you a treat perhaps. i have taken it upon myself to personally financially fund any and all getoruma fanart and with permission will be uploading some of them here. enjoy!

'my favorite weapon, baby, is the look in your eyes'

god bless mizu @tojifxshiguros for this. hiromi's facial expression here brings me Joy. also his nose is so special to me. it's like mizu scooped my brain out to draw this. so incredible. ♡ ～('▽^人)

this lovely getoruma doodle by @srenxt made my day. i am obsessed with hiromi melting into suguru's touch. so cute.

☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆

comm by dicte !! i like the ghost of suguru's relationship with shoko (pestering about the smoking, yet enabling it as it's an excuse to spend more time together) living on through his relationship with higuruma.

I had a lot of fun making these shipping charts too idk they're just silly. Enjoy! Maybe...