JackJeanne: Done with Sou

[alias_sqbr]

Masterlist

Onto the Sou route proper. Which I did not finish, and I am not sure I'll ever come back to it.

Sadly the game not only didn't convince me that Kisa has romantic feelings for Sou, the route very quickly turned into one of my absolute least favourite romance tropes: unhappy established relationship where the dude is possessive and controlling and makes the girl feel miserable, and then... presumably learns better? I did not get that far but I certainly hope so!

The writing's not actually all that gendered, asides from the connotations of the trope, and as Obsessive Yandere Otome Love Interests go he's incredibly mild. If she'd been into it I'd have enjoyed it fine. But alas, she was not.

I have moved onto Suzu and am having a great time so far, Kisa already seems more into him romantically/sexually than she ever did with Sou (she definitely loves Sou but it felt ambiguously platonic to me) But we'll see how I feel when I get onto that route proper.


Christmas day opens with a gift of holly from the Mysterious Mystical Weasel.

Game: Spend the day by myself, or with Sou?
Me: Lol. Come on.
Game: Are you SURE???
Me: ....yes? ...Probably? *checks walkthrough* YES. COME ON.

Aw he manages to get the courage to ask her out first. And they encounter a fan of BOTH of their characters.

He talks about how much he missed her after his family moved. When he found out Tsuki went to Univeil, he thought that if he could shine just as brightly on the stage, Kisa might find him. So he practised in secret knowing his parents wouldn't approve. When his dream came true unexpectedly with her joining his class, he realised his real dream was to be someone who can stand beside her.

Sou: What I mean is... I love you. Ever since we were kids, and even more every time I see you. [Character from first play] was so beautiful she hurt to look at. [Character from second play] was so cool I couldn't even get near him. [Character from third play] was so precious I couldn't stand the idea of anyone taking him away. And as my character I loved Chicchi for working so hard. But most of all I love you for your strength and sincerity in taking on those roles.

Choices: "I'm happy", "I want to stand next to you"

The right answer is the latter, and he's delighted.

Several days pass. Sou gives her a little quartz pendant for luck.

Sou: So. Uh. Are we... dating??????

She says yes but her feelings are still kind of opaque to me. Come on game, she had SO much introspection about acting, gimme at least a LITTLE romancey thought here. Like she definitely loves him PLATONICALLY, and enjoys being around him, but feels kinda passive about the romance part.

UGH I STILL HAVE CLASSES??? WHAT IS THE POINT???

Sou and Kisa don't go home to their families with everyone else, and it occurs to me we NEVER hear Kisa's feelings about her dad.

They do their new years shrine visit together.
Kisa: Oh hey it's a text from Suzu wishing me happy new year!
Sou: Oh :/ ...oh I got an identical text :)

I love how Suzu really does seem to like both of them exactly the same. I can see myself shipping Suzu/Sou when I'm off romancing the sempais. I don't want an unromanced Sou pining forever!

Sou says he accepts he probably won't get to be by Kisa's side for the next play, but is working towards it for future plays. But then a creepy Amber dude, Momonashi, notices how close he is to Kisa and needles Sou about not being able to compete with Suzu >:(

Me: Huh, we're hearing about Amber's final play before Quartz's, I wonder why.... NEJI USED TO BE CHUI'S JEANNE???

They definitely had Weird Exes energy. I wonder if Chui is the one who gave Neji those bad memories...

Amber is doing the same play they've done before, "I am Death", which I think Neji wrote.

The one chosen as Jeanne is Momonashi, who is this guy who always smiles creepily and insults people in delicately polite tones. The tone and music is like something out of a horror movie.

Sou frets over the possibility of the next 2 years being Suzu as Jack Ace and Kisa as Al Jeanne with no chance for him to stand beside her. Neji overhears and looks concerned.

Mitsuki describes the version of I Am Death he saw as a first year, as written by Neji for Chui: Neji as a princess who offers herself as consort to the demon Chui so that they can destroy her enemies together, until they are defeated and die. Neji, as Chui's vessel, drew the audience in to view Chui's demonic character through the princess's once human eyes. No other Jeanne has managed it.

The final Quartz play is a fantasy story about colonialism and xenophobia under a military dictatorship. The only rebels are a circus troupe who perform on the wall dividing the conquering nation from the conquered nation of slaves.

Neji: The story centres two childhood friends who vowed to perform together on the stage, then became separated. The Al Jeanne, Sissia, must hide that she is a refugee from the conquered nation, and the Jack Ace is her childhood friend, leader of the troupe of all male performers.
Kisa and Sou: Wait this seems oddly familiar...

Sou is shocked to be cast as the Jack Ace. But then the Al Jeanne... is Mitsuki. Sou's happiness turns to horror: this will mean Kisa failed the test, and will be expelled.

Kisa is slowly descending into despair as she is cast as a secondary Jack. She quietly asks the principal, later, if she will be able to at least play this role before she has to leave, and is told yes. She promises to hide the fact that the student of Univeil named Kisa Tachibana was a girl. The principal apologises for putting her in this position.

After she leaves, her teacher muses that Neji did this for Sou's sake, because Kisa is TOO good. I'd be more annoyed about a female character's ambition being denied for a male character, except Neji did similar things to Kai, Fumi etc and also this creates Kisa Woobie Angst.

Neji tells Kisa her role will involve supporting Sou and Suzu. She sadly thinks that at least she can do this one last thing for Quartz.

Suzu is visibly disappointed not to be the Jack Ace himself, but sucks it up and does his best to cheer Sou on.
Suzu: Until now, it's been me and Sou worrying about you while you've gone on ahead. But now it's you and me. This is first time Sou's had a lead role, he seems to be struggling. That's a lot of pressure. And soon we'll have to worry about being second year sempais haha!
Kisa: ...yeah...

Sou's obviously worried about Kisa leaving, but I wonder if he's figured out he's the reason for it.

Kisa looks at info about highschools and jobs she was given by her teacher. She has a lot more options now than she did in middle school, since the principal is going to help her out, including various jobs in the acting industry. Maybe she can still do something which involves Univeil...

She starts memorising her lines, and then Mitsuki's as well, so she can help Sou rehearse. She thinks about how he must have felt, doing the same for her.

When she tells Sou she's planning on avoiding theatre jobs to avoid exposing her secret, he's quietly distraught.

He keeps being overcome by sadness while playing out a version of his past, except with Mitsuki in the role of Kisa. I wonder if he's going to give up his role for Kisa. (EDIT: Lol nope)

Neji: To be honest, Kisa, I was going to make you the Al Jeanne, but you're too good, so I decided to push it to next year.
Kisa: Next... year...

Ahhh and now Momonashi from Amber smiles and says it's a pity Kisa didn't get to be Al Jeanne because Sou is too weak to stand beside her.

Kisa realises he's probably right, and unsuccessfully tries not to think about it.

Sou's character: As a child, I promised to be on the stage with you. But now my dream is to be on the stage FOR you. Because if you are seen on stage you will be killed.
Mitsuki's character: Still, I want to stand on the stage. With you.
Sou's character: Alright. I'll protect... protect you... ;_;
Neji: You're not looking well. Take a break.
Sou: No! I want to finish the scene. With... Kisa.

Kisa has a sense of foreboding. Sou plays out promising to protect Kisa, no matter what trouble it causes, saying "I'm a clown, I'm used to a little mischief."

But the moment he drops out of character he is miserable and pale and full of self reproach.

Fumi and Neji sadly mutter to each other that he's figured it out.

Kisa takes Sou back to his room, where he breaks down and says it's all his fault. The Al Jeanne role was obviously written for Kisa. She wasn't chosen to be a lead because the older students trusted her to be ready, but not him.

We flash back to Neji telling Fumi and Kai that he's been pondering how to fill their shoes once they graduate. Mitsuki needs to be leader, which leaves Kisa the only candidate for Al Jeanne. As for Jack Ace, right now Suzu has more star power, but Sou has untapped potential. It's too much of a burden on Kisa right now for her to have to support him in that growth, and Fumi would be too much for him. Hence, Mitsuki will be his Al Jeanne for this educational performance.

Sou: Because I dreamed of standing beside you, I took your dream away!
Kisa: I'm just happy your hard work to become Jack Ace has been recognised.
Sou: I only wanted to be Jack Ace so I could be the one closest to you! Univeil was everything to me, and you're everything to me. I love you. If you're leaving then so am I.

He pulls her into a tight hug.

Neji says he's been trying to think about other people's feelings after Sou scolded him for treating Kisa like an object, but it looks like he still hurts people by accident.

Mitsuki says he's noticed Kisa talking with the teachers a lot and asks if she's ok.
Kisa: I'm fine :)
Mistuki: I plan on being class leader next year. But I'll need your help.
Kisa: ;_;
Mitsuki: Why are you reacting like that? Is this related to why Sou is so unhappy? Or should I not pry...
Kisa: :(

The third years try and figure out why Sou is THIS upset about Kisa having to wait to be Al Jeanne until next play, and agree there's another Good Reason why he can't play against Kisa yet.

And then Mitsuki arrives, saying he understands what they're doing, but he has a request...

Neji: A minor announcement... Mitsuki is stepping down as Al Jeanne to prepare for his role as head of Quartz next year. We'll need a replacement... Kisa, you've memorised the lines, right?
Kisa: YES.

Kisa: So I'm just a replacement, but...
Principal: It still counts :D

Sou and Kisa are overjoyed.

Mitsuki: Unlike me, you should play Sissia like you, with hopes and dreams...

They swap roles, and Kisa's old Jack role is turned into a Jeanne, because Mitsuki really is more of a girl than her.

Mean boy classmate complains that Sou lacks oomph as the Jack Ace and they can't win like this. Sou tells Kisa he's playing the character as a vessel, not just for her but all of quartz. But he can't feel the blood in his veins like with previous characters.

Kasai, Onyx Jack who knew Sou in middle school: I want to watch Onyx perform, especially Sou.
Dante, Bisexual Onyx Jack: Oh, you developed feelings for Sou during your dance battle? He was pretty charming in the last play...
Kasai: No, I have a bad feeling about the lack of buzz around him.

Momonashi points out what everyone is noticing: Sou can only act well when he's paired with Kisa.
Momonashi: You're like me. You should come to Amber's rehearsal to understand your role.

In rehearsal, Momonashi's character is absolutely crazed with intense, violent desire for Chui's character. The voice actor really goes for it but is let down a little by the sprite literally only having that one creepy smile expression.

Ok I was getting bored of the "boy feels inferior to his girlfriend" plot but I am into weird gay shit.

Momonashi: When I was in middle school I had difficulty communicating. I thought about ending it all. And then I saw Chui perform... I sobbed like the newborn child I was, and followed him to Univeil like a chick following the mother who birthed him. I wanted...
Kisa: To join him on the stage?
Momonashi: TO CONSUME HIM AND BECOME HIM >:D

Bleccccch Momonashi convinces Sou that the only way to be Good Enough to stay beside Kisa is to lean into his obsession and draw all his acting from it. It does improve his performance but means he gets increasingly controlling and single minded about her off stage in ways that just make her really sad.

When he started being all "YOU SHOULD ALSO JUST LOOK AT ME" I decided to bail. Unhappy established relationship is the opposite of what I want in a romance, and while I'm sure they'd turn it around EVENTUALLY I am just going to put this route aside for now and play someone more fun. Maybe I'll come back to it later.