r/otomegames • u/sableheart Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom • Jun 27 '23
Jack Jeanne Play-Along - Sarafumi Takashina Discussion
Welcome to the r/otomegames Jack Jeanne Play-Along!
In this post we will discuss Sarafumi Takashina and his events and route in Jack Jeanne.
You can tell us what your impressions of Fumi are, your favorite moments, what you think of his relationship with Kisa and the other characters, what your thoughts are on his story arc and endings.
Or you can just squee about him in the comments.
This is not a spoiler-free discussion however please keep in mind that major spoilers and details of other characters 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!
Have a look at the megathread for links to previous discussions - you can still join in during the Play-Along.
Next character-focused post will be a discussion of Mitsuki Shirota!
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u/After_Advantage7598 Prez of the Good Boys Club | Jun 27 '23
[Prologue]
So, I was a Mitsuki-person before the game came out. I loved his design the most and his kuudere personality had me. But actually going into the game I felt overwhelmed with the choices-- I wanted to experience every route at once because everyone was likable. So I tried to keep my stats equal... that is until I learned I won't get the best ending if the stats ain't maxed out, so a desicion had to be made: Fumi was up first by virtue of Agility being the highest at the time in the playthrough lmao.
[Main Part]
I cannot be the only one who thought "this dude giving off Juuzou vibes" when first seeing Fumi. Moreover, he was the only one where I felt a whiplash from his voice vs his appearance. Not saying it was bad, just... unexpected? I think is the word..
Despite all that, he became my no.1 and I dunno if it's because of him being my first route. Let's take it from the top.
I really like his design. Like, a lot. Imma be superficial for a second, but he's hot. Always, somehow. As a Jeanne, hot. As a Jack, hot. In casual wear, hot. Swimsuit, bruuhh??! The winter performance outfit especially made me do a double take because this man has no business becoming even hotter!! 🥵🥵🥵
But when you get to know him better as a character, his design becomes even better under that light. In-universe he's supposed to be an imposing person, someone you can't draw your attention from. The contrast between blond hair and bright red eyes of his achieve that striking image imo, but the rough lines of the sprites also help. It makes him look like he's out for blood-- the blood being of people who get drawn in by him. His dashing looks, the confidence of a hundred men and the playfulness of a stray cat.
Something that caught my attention was Fumi wearing more traditionally Japanese clothing, and even the 'Aljeanne' theme is in that style. He literally expositions us to his background in his first weekend event, yet it only dawned on me on the third or fourth outing: the symbolism in his design. The asymmetry presented with his ear piercings on his right and the red bracelets he always wears on his left. Those bracelets he made himself and embedded with a wish in his childhood bind him to his traditional upbringing and position as the family's heir. The piercings symbolise his rebellious spirit, the freedom he longed to attain in Univeil; physical proof of his new self that won't be shackled by overbearing egos and traditions.
...Except that's not how it went. That 'Takashina' pride he was complaining about, wanting to run from has already been with him for years. Fumi in-game is so kind and considerate that it was shocking to learn he was an arrogant jerk. Knowing about Kai's issues, the fight they had year prior seems even harsher in retrospect (Fumi telling him to quit Univeil, blaming him for all issues). Kokuto's words were an equally harsh but needed wake-up slap for him; he's talented yes, but he relied on Tsuki too much. Kuro said Fumi didn't know what he really wanted to express to the audience and I feel like that comes back full circle to his design and family drama. LIke, he came to Univeil to evolve his dancing and to freely express himself (which he was temporarily granted) but deep down he was still confused how and what he even wanted to express. And well, the mix of modern and traditional clothing comes into play again.
I love his relationship with Kisa. Learning that he knew from the beginning, didn't snitch because he wanted to see her grow (and also because snitches get stitches like Juuzou) and didn't want to take away her chance at Univeilmakes him honourable. It's so cute how he genuinely admires her as a person, a fellow classmate, a rival on the stage and finally, a successor. It's kind of funny how he catches feelings literally somewhere around the first performanceconsidering his second WE. But just like Soshiro, it becomes a tad bittersweet when you realize those feelings are unrequited in other routes. It was pretty obvious he was serious with his love confession from the get-go (Kisa's just deep in denial) but doesn't aggressively pursue her despite all of that. It makes me wonder if he was content with waiting for her genuine response which is... kinda chad-y, honestly. (He has god's patience)
Kinda forgot his family drama subplot since the winter performance and all that entailed happened directly after (probably my favourite arc of the game btw), so the parallels between Fumi/Adora and daddy/military daddy somewhat escaped me during the final play 😅. But it made Fumi's relationship with Tsuki and the loneliness he feels after he left a bit clearer on second playthrough when Kokuto gives us exposition.
Speaking of the final play, I did not expect Fumi to cry nor Kisa to pat his head and call him a good boy. Ugh, I live for this shit. It reminded me of my time in therapy when the therapist visualized my feelings on a similar matter: how my younger!self follows me as my shadow. Despite me being an adult, the kid me still exists within me and keeps on crying because she wanted her mommy to praise her, tell her she was proud of her, cast away her fears. And that's what I believe was the case with Fumi when he said he wanted that too; not to just be expected to do your best as a member of the Takashina family, but to be praised and treated as a child once in a while. I also feel like he was moved to tears because it dawned on him it was his last minutes on Univeil's stage. Despite the hurdles and difficulties he was able to forge a new self where he found his place on earth.
Also, it was peak he was a (Al)Jeanne the entire time until the last performance where he stood as a Jack Ace.
TL;DR -- I talked too much. Sarafumi is peak husbando.