The chapter title 'Lullaby for the Lost.' It's not apparent on the first read of chapter 2, but by the time you reach chapter 3, especially when Dr. William reveals that Brandon falls asleep not long after Mika comforts him, it clicks. Brandon, having been blaming himself for committing betrayal, feels lost. This causes a Dreaming the Truth sequence for Brandon and prevents him from sleeping soundly regardless of the environment's lighting. Only until Mika comforts him, which enables him to find the meaning behind his dreams and change his view of himself, is he finally able to sleep soundly.
The chapter title 'Sweet Remembrance.' Like 'Lullaby for the Lost,' it's not apparent on the first read of chapter 1, but as you read on, it starts to click. Mika's memory of Brandon being a good person/loving daddy/etc is what that ends up saving Brandon's life and easing his heartache. Similarly, Brandon's memory of protecting Mika causes a Dreaming the Truth sequence for him, which plays a role in changing his view of himself and comforting him emotionally.
The chapter title 'Rotten Not to the Core.' It has both literal and figurative meanings. In literal sense, it depicts Brandon, who is an undead who can rot, but is quite a decent man. In figurative sense, it depicts Biscoe and Norton, who are terrible outside, but quite decent inside.
The chapter title 'Good or Bad, Right or Wrong.' This highlights the issue of To Be Lawful or Good among the characters.
The chapter title 'Another Betrayal.' Brandon doesn't betray Mika and Millennion, but he ends up betraying Harry for them. On the surface at least.
Mika has always viewed Brandon as her daddy. Brandon isn't just capable of nurturing her, but he also teaches what Mika never knows about Millennion. Brandon essentially fills Big Daddy's role, whom Mika has never met.
Bonus points if you remember Lee's line to Brandon in the show. "You look like Big Daddy's ghost."
Brandon's dream of his childhood with Harry. When combined with the anime canon, the handshake is especially symbolic. In the dream, Brandon grabs Harry's hand as a sign that they are officially friends or a family. In reality however, Brandon's hand ends up in Mika's hand. Guess how close their bond is.
The gun metaphors in the second chapter. They emphasize on how bullets keep tearing Brandon's heart. Something familiar? Mika's way of digging up information from Brandon in the fourth chapter becomes more meaningful. She points at Brandon's heart and says, "They hurt you here, right?"
The lack of focus on Brandon's physical injuries highlight the fact that Brandon is an undead and immune to physical pain.
"I have a family to protect." Gungrave series tagline: "To protect is to never betray."
It makes Brandon's reason of rejecting Harry's goon's offer to join his side to continue Harry's dream more meaningful.
Bonus points if you remember Gary's and Widge's definition of family: a bond that exists between people as long as they don't betray each other.
Heck, the series' tagline becomes very meaningful, especially in chapter 5 (and the tagline is just well-placed: in the beginning of chapter 5). Brandon believes that fear ensures loyalty, and loyalty is required to keep Millennion safe and stable. In other words, loyalty is required to protect.
Let's just say that without Mika steadfastly believing in Brandon and trying to delight him all the time, Brandon may have ended up betraying Millennion again and dying. This is more of love than loyalty, but still, Mika protects Brandon that way.
Similarly, "To protect is to not think of yourself for the sake of the others." This is Brandon's line in episode 7. In the finale of the fanfic, it's revealed that Brandon lets Biscoe and Norton mistreat him just so that their underlings won't dare to betray them. It's to protect everybody in Millennion.
Combined with Genius Bonus, regarding the Handbook of Thanatology. The Irony of Brandon's inability to understand what it is all about parallels his tendency to neglect himself.
From the start, Mika has insisted that Brandon is a good person, and this is one of the reasons why Biscoe and Norton decide to spare Brandon. By the end, Brandon is proven to be incredibly good. He willingly lets Biscoe and Norton mistreat him to show their underlings that their boss has no qualms giving harsh punishments to traitor.
A heartwarming, yet tearjerking one. This fanfic actually emphasizes the fact that Brandon is the true winner throughout the story. Brandon does not confront Biscoe and Norton directly unlike Mika and William, but this is what that actually earns him Biscoe's and Norton's (implicit) utmost respect and apology. Brandon makes them feel lower than a convict. Emphasized by Biscoe's line right before he speaks some kind words to Brandon, in which he says that he's going to do what a man is supposed to do: apologizing to Brandon (implicitly).
Regarding Brandon's Undying Loyalty. It literally goes beyond the grave, especially when you consider his friendship with Harry in the anime and here. They start as Childhood Friends, grow up in streets, become mobsters, and later, fall out as Harry murders Brandon. Brandon is then resurrected as Grave, and by the end of the anime, they reconcile and attempt a Mutual Kill to 'go home' after Brandon admits that he can never shoot Harry. Going by this Continuation Fic, Brandon survives the Mutual Kill as Brandon's old gun, which Harry uses in the Mutual Kill attempt, actually has no bullets (this is actually canon, only that it's a very obscure detail in the last episode). And later, Brandon still finds troubles to betray the dead Harry by annihilating the remainders of Harry's Millennion, and after killing them, Brandon is still gloomy. Only when Mika says that Brandon's Undying Loyalty is sure to make Harry proud does Brandon finally smile a genuine smile. In other words, although both Brandon and Harry are dead with Brandon 'living' as a zombie, they are still friends because Brandon is still very faithful to him! Holy hell!
In short, Brandon and Harry are friends from the moment both of them are still alive until Brandon dies (and is resurrected as a zombie). Even after Harry dies (or both of them are dead), Brandon is still incredibly loyal to Harry. Such True Companions... Not even death can destroy their friendship.
What Measure Is a Non-Human? Or how low are Biscoe and Norton? After finally losing his cool due to Brandon's decaying residual leg, William finally snaps at Biscoe and Norton. He calls them inhuman. Ironically, Brandon is a Necrolyzer, an undead and a tool of destruction, while Biscoe and Norton are humans. See how low Biscoe and Norton have become just to punish a traitor.
"Can I say that a convict is better than you?" becomes an Ironic Echo to Biscoe. Apparently, he and Norton are both just as low.
But then, Biscoe decides to speak some kind words to Brandon and apologize to him. He says that he is doing this because he is a man, not only Millennion's boss. Biscoe tearing up as he talks makes him just as decent as Brandon, although nothing can be done to erase his crime. Just like Brandon himself as well, who may be selfless, loyal, and gentle, but nobody can forget that he has ever betrayed Millennion.
The stitching symbolism.
Mika asked Biscoe and Norton to help Brandon, and Biscoe and Norton had William stitch Brandon's wounds. In other words, Mika gets Brandon to return to her family, with of course, Biscoe's and Norton's help: hiring Dr. William and providing the equipment the doctor needs. Now, this rings true with Brandon saying that Mika has to respect Biscoe and Norton because without them, Mika can't save her family or get Brandon back.
Brandon willingly letting Biscoe and Norton put him through a Cold-Blooded Torture causes his stitches to snap. Symbolic of how Brandon almost sacrifices his family for Millennion, much to Mika's distress. When Mika suddenly grows worry at Brandon feeling uncomfortable and falling down, it makes much more sense with the symbolism. Mika knows that she may lose her family again.
Biscoe finally feels terrible for what he and Norton have done, so he implicitly apologizes to Brandon and gladly lets him rest until he fully recovers. This is symbolic of the Happy Ending for Mika's family. Brandon and Mika (and the whole Millennion) are a family now. In addition, the healing stitches hint that they will never betray each other again, like what Gary and Widge have said in the anime.
In Worth, the ending features Biscoe's and his guard's admiration of Brandon's greatness. Especially Biscoe, whose speech points out that no matter how powerful Millennion is, nobody in Millennion can measure up to the selfless, courageous Brandon Heat. Then, when you remember episode 21, in which Gary and Widge say that Brandon himself is Millennion...
Another one in Worth. William says that Mika won't be angry at Brandon for waking her up abruptly at night. Why can he say that? Because Brandon is unhealthy, while Mika loves him very much. Mika will definitely tolerate the troubles he causes. Then, Biscoe also uses the same reason to tell Brandon that he is never a troublemaker. Biscoe cares for him as much as Mika, although he can be very strict to him.
In The Beauty of Simplicity, Mika says that Brandon is like a teddy bear to her. This parallels the fact that Mika is a kid and her resolve to never leave Brandon.
Regarding Brandon's fondness towards cold weather in A Loan Shark's Tale, combined with Genius Bonus (namely about Ötzi), it makes sense. Such weather actually preserves Brandon's body, which consists of dead tissue. There, it's also mentioned that microbes won't attack his dead flesh.
The canon's Ambiguous Ending now makes more sense with Decisions, Consequences, and a Second Chance.
The OST that plays at the end of the show? Happy Ending. This work has a happy ending: Brandon survives. This delights Mika (obviously) because she is never alone again in her life, while Biscoe is also delighted because he manages to save Brandon. Along with the heartwarming (and literal) 'welcome back,' the OST just fits. See below.
"Welcome back." It's more fitting now, since Brandon is first presumed to be dead and then turns out to still be alive, as shown by him slowly regaining his consciousness. Mika is welcoming Brandon back to the world of living.
"Welcome home." is what Mika says in the dubbed version of the show. It actually also fits. Going by the Fan Verse, Dr. Tokioka's trailer serves as Brandon's and Mika's home, while the setting of this scene is inside the trailer.
Coupled with the handshake with Mika (in reality; Brandon is shaking hands with Harry in his dream at that moment), this quote becomes more meaningful. Welcome back, indeed.
In the canon, Harry is shaking hands with Brandon as he befriends Brandon and welcomes him to the orphanage. Brandon has just come there the day before they met each other. Mika shaking hands with Brandon parallels that and makes that quote just incredibly meaningful.
Gungrave series tagline: "To protect is to never betray." If it's not for Mika's incredible love and loyalty towards Brandon, which is amazingly portrayed through this thirteen-year-old little girl biting a Millennion guardsman (who is a grown-up man trained as a Professional Killer) so that she can leave the building to reach Brandon, Biscoe mustn't have changed his mind and thus, Brandon would have died.
Brandon breaking up with Maria in the anime is pretty stupid of Brandon, or is it? In the end (where the anime ends and the Fan Verse begins), he is only saved by Biscoe and Norton due to their respect towards Mika, who has Big Daddy's Royal Blood in her. If Brandon has married Maria instead of leaving her to Big Daddy, Mika couldn't have had that ability to save him in the finale. And worse, maybe she has to go down as well, because Brandon goes against Millennion and she having Brandon's blood in her may lead to the mob targeting her as well. In short, Brandon's act is not as stupid as it seems; he actually spawns a life form who saves him in the far future!
The D-Point is a large caliber pistol that is strong enough to hurt a Necrolyzer like Brandon and disarm him. In a fit of rage, Brandon unloads all its bullets at Harry's goon. Yeeesh...
Notice Brandon's deteriorating condition after annihilating Harry's goon? His good leg trembles, and then, he collapses. After that, in the beginning of the last chapter, Brandon limps, falls, and gets up very slowly. Then, his equilibrium falters again and he falls. When Mika reaches him, he is gasping for breath and sweating excessively. And then, when he is finally brought to William, the doctor reveals that the stitches on Brandon's leg have snapped and the reopened wound is left untreated for hours until the flesh goes black and reeks. Brandon is showing signs of sepsis. His unusually rapid breathing does not help. Mika, despite noticing it, doesn't know what is happening to him.
And Biscoe's men refuse to at least help Brandon get up. And who is responsible for all this jazz aside from the problem with the agents? Biscoe and Norton. In short, Millennion goes very far beyondMoral Event Horizon just to punish a traitor.
But this leads to a happy (at least for Brandon) Fridge Brilliance: Brandon manages to show how terrifying Millennion is towards traitors.
In the one-shot sequel Worth, after receiving a report from the surveillance room, Biscoe only emphasizes on the fact that Brandon almost hits Brian. And the mob boss ends up snapping at Brandon and slapping him. Those who work at the surveillance department probably don't tell Biscoe that Brian actually picks on Brandon, which is the real cause of Brandon's Unstoppable Rage. They really scorn Brandon as much as the agents who don't like Biscoe's act of pardoning Brandon for his betrayal.
The Hellhound of Billion has Ax-Crazy necrolyzed dogs capable of chewing metallic trash cans easily. Meaning that they won't have problems demolishing brick walls. And they're all over in the neighborhood...
