Something that keeps coming back and forth in my mind is that, since the Advverse has this concept of the digimon representing their human partner's heart (or being their "other-self")... And this can also be applied to Rui and Ukkomon, in my honest opinion.

Especially when it comes to how the human psyche also affect the evolution of a digimon, which is why you get Taichi being reckless and (according to the novel) a prideful idiot resulting in SkullGreymon back in Adventure'99 (and also why Daisuke lacking any strong negative emotion during 02 never forced him to dark-evolve V-mon)

I'm not very good at meta-ing things like these, so please feel free to correct me if I'm missing something out!

I can't believe Ohwada Rui is the type to use "Actually," i'm so done.

he's a nerd. (affectionate)

last night convo about digi-crimes and whether Rui would go to jail or not for those crimes he and Ukkomon committed.

(my friend as they proceed listing the rest of the crimes committed by Ukkomon and Rui in Feb 2012)

when your friends and you start discussing if a certain character and their digi-partner will go to jail because of accidentally killing someone.

friend: they won't go to jail, but they will be fined to 500,000 yen so friend: we may need a fundraiser me: [crying out of laughter]

I love my boy being sassy with his new friends 😭👏

I think i know what exact day from March 2003 was the worst and most traumatic day in Rui's life.

It's associated with Diablomon's Revenge of course. But did you know that Diablomon's Revenge has a timestamp for its events?

[Spoilers ahead]

Can I write ONE MORE THING about Rui and that drama CD track? (I mean, this is not only my blog but also a blog dedicated to Rui-posting so...)

Rui is the kind of person who does not want to cause TROUBLE for others.

The reason he felt guilty and bad is probably because he was still under the mentality of not wanting to hurt anyone else. This may come from his own issues with his mother, who assumed that a FOUR-YEAR-OLD can act and behave like a mature child and process her vague instructions quite well, and then snapped at him for not doing it the way she wanted him to.

Since Rui may have been holding in a lot of frustration and faking smiles to avoid getting more bruises for refusing or disobeying her mother's orders, he had the vibe of someone who didn't want to cause trouble for anyone else -- no matter if it was his family or even random people he didn't know at all.

When Ukkomon explains to him that the digimon will fight to protect their human partners until the death, Rui's reaction is immediately full of regrets -- He didn't want that at all. He didn't want the digimon to fight and die for their partners, he didn't want Ukkomon to simply force them to be get this "terrible" fate.

This makes clear when he mistakes Miyako asking Hawkmon to stop him as Miyako ordering Hawkmon and Hawkmon blindly obeying such order with no hesitation. Rui just associated that digimon partnerships were bad because of how awful his connection to Ukkomon had been for years.

But hey, Ukkomon also wasn't that great at communicating either... Ukkomon himself admits his mistakes in the first convo he had with Rui after 9 years since their fight. And he was portrayed as just a normal and silly digimon -- he shows a more cheerful and friendly behavior/personality than what Rui depicted him to the 02 kids hours ago.

Still, Rui's reaction to Ukkomon's tricks was basically the same reaction his mother would have if he didn't do exactly what she asked him to do the way she wanted him to. And then he claimed that Ukkomon didn't understand him and didn't know what he wanted. The same claim is used against Rui later in the movie -- when Daisuke reverts the question as: "Do you know what Ukkomon wants? What Ukkomon likes?" and thanks to this trick (which may have come from Hikari's own comment about how pitiful Ukkomon was in doing all those pathetic things to help), Rui realizes the problem and decides to do what the 02 kids suggested to him, which was to go talk to Ukkomon and solve their 9-year fight.

So... why would he still feel guilty after those events?

Because he was still taking responsibility for the bad things happening in his birthday. Like, the giant Ukkomon DigiEgg and the "Eggcalypse" which later we learn it was just Ukkomon trying to call for Rui's attention and maybe he wasn't planning to force a mass partnership spree through the ENTIRE WORLD.

(Yeah, those two are really bad at communicating)

Anyway, I want to wrap Rui in a blanket and give him his favorite beverage, because I want this little boy to know that he's loved and that he can be himself, that he can like and dislike whatever he wants. And I want him and Ukkomon to have fun and enjoy life together in the healthiest way possible.

Still can't stop thinking about how the Drama CD track 3 depicted basically how some people (like moi) suffer with the depression + anxiety + denial combo.

Yes, I suppose all of those are what the Dark Ocean picked from Rui's brain.

Especially because he imagined Miyako, Iori, Takeru, Hikari and their mons condemning and judging him for making amends with Ukkomon. Something ALL OF THE 02 KIDS had suggested him to do.

So, do you see what was the contradiction there?

I suppose Rui spent years believing everyone secretly disliked him and those people only got to talk to him because of Ukkomon hijacking their minds with Liar Dream technique, so the moment the 02 kids were kind to him…

… he possibly was not expecting for that and then just had trust issues.

Because those people are not being controlled by Ukkomon, right?! Therefore they might be just being nice to him because they pity him, right?!

And he might have been thinking he only caused MORE trouble for everyone ALL AGAIN, so yeah… he was indeed feeling guilty for everything again.

Since Rui himself admits he had part in the bad things committed by Ukkomon, i do not agree with the idea of simply blaming on Ukkomon. Or claiming/joking that Rui hated him either.

Anyway, my point is if Rui had told the 02 group about this strange event he witnessed, they all would point out that "No, we definitely told you to go there and settle your nearly ten-year fight with Ukkomon, we wouldn't yell at you for making amends with him!"

Btw regarding this post, i think @surprisedrive summarized it pretty well:

I just remembered why the official subs/dubs might have messed up the final scenes pretty badly, because…

... Rui said he didn't want to change his past when Daisuke almost went to throw hands with his mom. And the reason he managed to talk with his mom in the end was because he knew that that world he was in was made by Ukkomon.

The reason that scene is there is in the most figurative form of the usual therapist "if this person was right in front of you, what would you tell them" reflexive exercise. It's there so Rui can move on, not to tell that he changed the past.

Also, the time-travel thing... is not real according to Taguchi, so...

In the end, assuming Rui changed the past would go against Rui's wishes to not change his story. So, what Rui wanted to do when he rushed to prevent his child-self finding the egg?

He wanted to ask Ukkomon to undo partnerships, and possibly the digi-eye as well. But not to change his entire story/life. Possibly in the present, and not in the past.

So Rui himself seemed to realize that this place was not real, and that's why he managed to do those risky things that, if it were a real time travel scenario, would lead to one of those time travel theories as result.

Also, it would go against Taguchi's wishes to not mess with the timeline. He didn't want to show what was the truth, he didn't want to invalidate any past material within the Advverse with this movie or Rui's story.

In other words, there was no changes in the timeline at all.

[RE:CONNECT - blog v.] Link 11- The hues of IMAGINATION

[AO3 version]

“Ok, this is has been buggin’ me since last year,”

Daisuke gathered all of the group for an URGENT mission. And yes, he included Rui and Ukkomon in it as well. The other five were confused and some of them a little concerned, since when Daisuke says something is IMPORTANT, then… It could mean many things.

"What is it, Daisuke?" Ken was one of those that was completely worried about the gravity of the problem.

Daisuke had managed to convince Koushiro to let him borrow one of those rooms where they usually make reunions at Izumi Corp. The young adult man was sitting in Koushiro’s seat, wearing he orange shades on, arms on the table and intertwined fingers in front of his face. Like… that iconic scene from Ev※ngelion.

Somehow that whole scene was making Rui get an ugly anxiety just by watching Daisuke’s cryptic and ominous pose.

“It’s not a problem, it’s… an important question.”

“Daisuke-kun, what is it…?” Hikari asked, she was frowning.

“Do you all remember when we first met Rui, right?”

“Yes, we do” Iori said, and his curiosity picked his next choice of words, “Is it something related to that encounter?”

“Yep.”

“Then… What is it?” Takeru asked this time.

“Uh… I think… I know what it is…” Rui commented awkwardly. The other five turned to him.

“Do you!?” they all exclaimed.

“As expected, heh” Daisuke adjusted his sunglasses and did that shining lens effect from countless anime series.

“If Rui-kun knows…” Miyako started, “Then it’s something about him , right?”

“As you always say, BINGO.”

“Then… what is it!?” she snapped.

[RE:CONNECT - blog v.] Link 10- Very Berry…?

[AO3 version]

It was just what Daisuke said: Ayame and Hiroomi were worried and thinking Rui was lying and hiding something from them. Maybe the lie was half-assed that made things obviously fake.

Rui did not seem to be good at lying at all, but he just tried to cover things up, like trying to fix a crack in a water tank by putting a sticker on it. Sooner or later, the crack will get bigger and the tank will break apart.

But besides that, he kept getting saved by those new friends he made thanks to Ukkomon’s ‘big birthday present surprise’ event.

“Ok, this is has been buggin’ me since last year,”

Daisuke gathered all of the group for an URGENT mission. And yes, he included Rui and Ukkomon in it as well. The other five were confused and some of them a little concerned, since when Daisuke says something is IMPORTANT, then… It could mean many things.

"What is it, Daisuke?" Ken was one of those that was completely worried about the gravity of the problem.

Daisuke had managed to convince Koushiro to let him borrow one of those rooms where they usually make reunions at Izumi Corp. The young adult man was sitting in Koushiro’s seat, wearing he orange shades on, arms on the table and intertwined fingers in front of his face. Like… that iconic scene from Ev※ngelion.

Somehow that whole scene was making Rui get an ugly anxiety just by watching Daisuke’s cryptic and ominous pose.

“It’s not a problem, it’s… an important question.”

“Daisuke-kun, what is it…?” Hikari asked, she was frowning.

“Do you all remember when we first met Rui, right?”

“Yes, we do” Iori said, and his curiosity picked his next choice of words, “Is it something related to that encounter?”

“Yep.”

“Then… What is it?” Takeru asked this time.

“Uh… I think… I know what it is…” Rui commented awkwardly. The other five turned to him.

“Do you!?” they all exclaimed.

“As expected, heh” Daisuke adjusted his sunglasses and did that shining lens effect from countless anime series.

“If Rui-kun knows…” Miyako started, “Then it’s something about him , right?”

“As you always say, BINGO.”

“Then… what is it!?” she snapped.

※ Chapter 11 is out!! ※

Some potential spoilerish discussion not for the movie or the drama CD track 3, but yes... that one Rui-Ukko sidestory i'm writing at the moment. But since the fic is a sequel for the movie & CD drama... yeah, we warned.

“You baked those for a special occasion?” Yuna asked, noticing that Rui had just taken something off the oven and she asked him about what those were.

“Yeah, I made them as a test,” Rui nodded with a smile, “I tried to not make them taste too sweet or too bitter.”

“How did you get the right amount if you… Don’t like sweets?” Yuna blinked. She asked that out of curiosity, but there was a bit of concern as well.

“Ukkomon helped me,” and he gently gestured to the digimon, who floated towards her and did a polite bow.

“Yup~ I like sweets so… I can be Rui’s beta tester!”

“That isn’t the correct term…” Yuna giggled, “You meant a ‘taster’, Ukkomon.”

“Ah… But I did think Daisuke called Rui like that…” Ukkomon scratched the top of his head.

“Oh, about that…” Rui said, “He didn’t mean the food. It’s a theory from Izumi-san I guess. Not everyone has a digimon and if everything started with us, maybe we were part of a ‘beta test’ program?”

“Ah I see, I see!” Ukkomon nodded, “Yeah! The big thing I’m part of said I was the first to be partnered with a human being! But they did say they wanted to… Make more humans get in touch with the digimon.”

“All this talk about the digimon and such and you’re still not explaining what kind of ‘special occasion’ those cupcakes were made for…” Yuna sighed, she was a little impatient due to her curious nature. That curiosity sometimes was kinda invasive…

“T-those are for my friends…!” Rui babbled quickly, yet afraid of making his cousin mad, “I… I think this is what the book said about keeping a healthy relationship with people.”

“Baking things…?”

[...]

“You should try one of these!” Ukkomon clasped his fins, “Right, Rui?”

“Yeah, you should…!”

“Oh, ok…!” and she took one of those fresh baked cupcakes, giving it a better look at them, “So, you made them all purple…?”

Rui and Ukkomon nodded.

“They’re blueberry flavored,” Ukkomon explained.

“Purple is a color of nobility and mystery…--” Rui added, trying to sound serious.

"And was the only food dye left after all the work from yesterday's batches!" Ukkomon added cheerfully.

“... and what he said,” he pouted embarrassedly.

Yuna chuckled, “Oh right… We have to buy new supplies…”

※ Chapter 10 is out!! ※

I hope i'm not the only person who realized that Rui's personality is not like gloomy and sad... He's very gentle, bubbly and snarky at the end of the movie and the drama CD track 3. The depression part was that he was living an unhappy life fueled with trauma and possibly grudges.

It might sound like i'm assuming things, but i'm not... The way Rui breaks the news to Ukkomon that he hated those things the mon listed (cake, baseball, burger steak) is a cute sassy tone. And then they just have this little "friendly fight" which both laughs in the end.

And the drama CD has him just doing a snarky remark on Daisuke, very playfully and teasing the other. So, in other words, Rui is pretty much different from the angsty sad potato he is when you meet him first in the movie.