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alias_sqbr) wrote2024-09-24 08:07 pm
alias_sqbr) wrote2024-09-24 08:07 pm
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JackJeanne: Suzu Orimaki
Masterlist
So, the reason that I stopped writing JackJeanne posts wasn't that I stopped playing the game, but that I played it TOO MUCH and didn't feel like stopping to edit. And the reason I am editing now... is that the Neji path is really annoying me haha.
But this post is about the Suzu path, which was cute as hell. A very standard shoujo crossdressing romance, with an about standard amount of Unfortunate Cisheteronormativity, but sweet and romantic and funny. And there's some m/m subtext amongst the background characters that felt pretty deliberate. Also I kinda headcanon Suzu as a non-binary lesbian but that does require some reading against the text haha.
Content note: Unfortunate Cisheteronormativity
So much fast-forwarding to get through the common route. I only realised you can speed up the fast forward partway through like... route 3 so the Suzu route took FOREVER.
Anyway! Suzu is an absolute sweetie and definitely an antidote to how Sou was behaving when I gave up on his route.
I was wondering how long it would be before we had any overtly shippy scenes and it's like... week 2.
Suzu: So I asked Neji if he had any old scripts I could practice with to improve my acting, and he gave me... this D:
Kisa: Oh my, this is very... romantic... and intense.
Flashback:
Neji: here is a play our Al Jeanne Fumi used to give audiences goosebumps!
Suzu: It's... full... of kissing?!
Neji: Of course! You should probably find someone to practice with :)
Suzu: I'm not sure... I... can do that???
Neji: Hee, sorry, you're so innocent it's fun to tease you. There's ways around actually kissing on stage, or we'd get scolded. Though if I feel we absolutely have to, then we will, regardless if we get scolded or not. I am pretty eccentric after all.
And then Neji shows Suzu how to fake kiss, saying it's a necessary skill for a Jack Ace. I don't think he demonstrates on Suzu but it's sure something.
Suzu: Hey, Kisa, can you help me practice? Since we're a couple in the play, it'll probably be easier.
Kisa: UHHHHHH.... ok?
Haaaaa and then they stare at each other for a bit, her head in his hand, and he gets too embarrassed.
Suzu: Jeannes are amazing. Or maybe it's just you who's amazing... You look like a girl! A really cute girl!! Ahhhhh D:
Interesting, I'm getting random little scenes with other characters I haven't seen before, but they don't seem especially Suzu specific, just cute character moments like Kai and Kisa admiring a nest of birds.
Kisa is SO much more self conscious when Suzu touches her than she was with Sou, even though Suzu's intentions are (currently) way more pure.
Aww he's so cutely happy and grateful to have been partners with Kisa in their first play.
Onyx jack: Huh you're not naturally girly, guess you being such a good Jeanne must be acting skill!
Suzu: It's amazing that you can be so good at being a Jeanne and a Jack, just like Tsuki Tachibana. I wish I could be good at everything like that... oh, you can teach me to be a Jeanne! Tachibana-sensei :D
His attempt at a girly voice is like an over the top drag queen. It's played for laughs in a way I did not like.
Suzu: Urgh! The only way I could play a Jeanne was if she was big, loud and manly. Why are the things I can do so few? :(
"I can't compete with someone as cute as you. I'll just be a Jack!" is... sigh. Sweet but also I believe in you as a big loud butch trans lesbian, Suzu.
Me: Hmm, there's no Suzu option this weekend, who does the walkthrough say to talk to... THE PRINCIPAL?? NOPE. *hangs out with Kisa's bff Ao*
I tried looking up how to skip the practice songs and just found a bunch of people squeeing about Fumi/Kai. And I mean, fair, but...
AHA! PLUS BUTTON THEN "END"!
Kisa decides to learn more about being a Jack by watching Suzu, who leads Sou in a dance then defends Sou when the Mean Boy insults his dancing. Since I'm mostly just seeing Suzu-route specific scenes, I haven't seen any sign of Sou having such an obsessive a crush on Kisa, and am headcanoning that in this timeline it's less of a thing.
Aw. Suzu was into the Manly Jack/Cute Jeanne dynamic their characters had in the first play, but now he's all LET'S COMPETE AS FELLOW JACKS :D
I ship Fumi and Kai's characters in this play so hard. It's a pretty basic "subdued business man learns self confidence and love with the help of a dancing teacher who thinks her glory days are behind her" story but sometimes I like basic.
There's a bunch of scenes where whichever guy you have the most points with is the one to talk to Kisa after something big happens, which helps keep a semblance of narrative when I'm skipping 90% of the plot.
There hasn't been anything overtly shippy for a while, I think the game wanted to establish that Suzu is attracted to Kisa but he is NOT THINKING ABOUT IT and just treats her like a buddy. They have a lot of cute scenes eating and talking about acting.
haha oh nooo Suzu saw MC being close with her female BFF and had this look of confused misery and shock. Why does seeing my buddy... with a girl... feel so bad???
Suzu, softly: Was that... your girlfriend?
Kisa: No! Just a friend!
Suzu: Then... do you have feelings for her? I've never seen you look so relaxed and happy at school :(
Kisa: (Because we're both girls and she knows the truth so I don't have to worry...) Nothing like that!
Suzu: To be honest when I saw you it was like looking at two girls having fun... Sorry I acted so weird. It wouldn't be be weird for you to have a girlfriend, of course you'd be popular! I know that as your friend! I know that, but... what is this uncomfortable feeling in my chest...
Kisa: Uh?
Suzu: I feel like... I might not be able to be a good friend to you. That I... WAS MAKING YOU LISTEN TO ME TALK ABOUT MY WEIRD FEELINGS! ANYWAY THANKS FOR CLEARING UP THE MISUNDERSTANDING!! BYE!!
This is pretty classic heterosexual crossdressing romance but it's cute.
During summer camp they're given a play to practice in pairs, between a man and an ungendered magical creature. When Suzu expresses frustration at his lack of range, Kisa suggests they rehearse it with him as the genderless creature and her as the man, to shake things up, and he's really enthusiastic.
Haa they get a hot spring scene and he just smile at her happily until she asks him to look away and he's all "Oh, right, you're so cute I bet you get stared at all the time. I feel weird for some reason...gonna go..."
A creepy guy stalks Kisa in a way she and narrative treat as likely sexual, and Suzu scares him off. The dude turns out to just be an awkward fan haha gotta keep that gay as subtext! Suzu gives Kisa a comforting hug and it felt a bit het romance but I was into it.
Ahh so the initial setup of the third play is that Suzu and Kisa are a pair of male villains, with Sou part of the chorus. Suzu is delighted to be paired with Kisa but struggles with the complexity of the part, an old kendo injury he doesn't want to tell anyone is flaring up, and also how distant Sou has become due to his sense of inadequacy. In the Sou path, Sou replacing Suzu when the injury got too bad felt romantic but now I'm gonna feel really bad for Suzu!
Aww. He's being very supportive of Sou, considering. Kisa goes to visit him in his room while he's unsteady on his feet and insists he lean on her to walk, and she can feel him shaking when he considers having to give up acting like he did kendo.
Dudes from other houses are all being really supportive about the struggles Kisa/Suzu/Sou are going through it's cute!
Turns out the fat rhodonite I thought was going to steal Quartz'z songs really does just want to help Kisa train and revel in music. He's still written pretty fatphobically :/ But it gives you the chance to read the lyrics to the songs in English (which I could look up but haven't) Hee, this one is about 'making friends', but out of corpses, I wonder if that pun is the same in Japanese.
Ahh, ok, there's a few choices which make the 'roleplaying creepy brothers' scenes with Sou less shippy and more TEAMWORK.
Suzu: You and Sou are sneaking off to do secret rehearsals by yourself, right? I can't wait to see what you're cooking up :D
While everyone is quick to encourage Suzu to act in ways that won't exacerbate his condition (less dancing, taking breaks etc) there is ZERO suggestion that someone with a permanently bad leg could be accommodated at the school, or in acting as a career. Guess it's a good thing he got mostly better :/
He's not as obsessive about it as Sou but Suzu is definitely pretty fixated in his own way on acting with Kisa. I'm curious to see what everyone else is like.
Interesting, a new little scene with Sou. I don't remember what was there last time but I'm guessing it was shippier, while this one is again more TEAMWORK. Overall I feel like Sou is more mentally well this time, which on a doylist level is because he's not the focus but on a watsonian level makes me feel like he and Kisa are better off as just friends.
After the play, Suzu says it felt like he was watching his idol, Kisa's older brother Tsuki, but Kisa is also her own person. Also, seeing how Sou was able to support Kisa makes him realise she's been supporting him. Even though she's ahead of him now, he's going to catch up.
It's similar to the sort of thing Sou says but I like it more.
There's the occasional sign that Suzu is pining over Kisa and doesn't want to make things weird. Also he seems a little quietly jealous that she seems closer to Sou.
Ha, and for the next play, Suzu's character is a loser who pines over Kisa's character and is jealous of Sou's...
"People might start rumours about Mitsuki"? What kind of rumours??
I keep thinking I want to romance Fumi next because he CALLS TO ME, but also because it might be nice to date someone who doesn't angst about Kisa being superior to him, which Mitsuki and Kai also do sometimes.
Kisa comes across Suzu practicing lines from the Sleepless King, where the king pushes the maiden away and she says she loves him. Kisa replies with the maiden's lines and Suzu melts and smiles, very OOC for the king. He asks if she can help him practice kissing like they tried before, saying he needs to learn to be on stage with her and "hide it". He holds her chin and gets closer, and she feels very aware of him, but he can't do it. He says that his thoughts about acting vanish and all he can see is him and her.
Interesting, he never brings up or seems affected by his character in this play being in love with Kisa's!
On the Suzu route proper!
They go out for Christmas Day, and Suzu takes her aside to confess... that he's figured out that she's a girl. He kept seeing her as one despite himself and somehow He Just Knew. Now I wish she was a trans girl.
Some of the scenes I thought were him struggling to put aside his feelings were him trying to put aside his knowledge of her as a girl because it interfered with his ability to act with her?? Men and women can act together! Even in Japan!! THESE VOICE ACTORS ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
On the plus side, Mitsuki and Fumi clearly had no such problems.
Anyway, the gender message is DUMB AND ANNOYING but he's still being incredibly sweet: I still feel pretty sure he is also in love with her, but he doesn't even hint at that, he just wants to find out what's up with her and then support her as best he can. When he finds out she could get expelled if word gets out he is horrified and immediately calls for a meeting with Sou to Learn How To Hide Kisa's Gender.
Sou: So he found out... while you were together... on Christmas Day (a romantic holiday in Japan) I see :)
Suzu: Tell me how you hide knowing she's a girl! You're so good at it!
Sou: Sometimes I struggle... like when... she did the mugwort seller move... and other times...
Suzu: Ah. I see.
Suzu and Sou, silently: He is my friend and I will not make us being in love with the same girl weird.
Suzu goes on a long, charming rant about how amazing Kisa is as an actor and person and how he's going to support her.
Sou: Suzu. Can I hit you? :) To, uh. Cheer you on. And for myself.
Suzu: Ok.
Kisa: What???
And then Sou just ends up hurting his hand on Suzu's solid body haha.
Haha it takes him a day or two more to realise he was IN A HOT SPRING WITH HER
And then they practice dancing together so he can get over his self consciousness, it's very earnest and sweet if a bit much gender wise.
His family is apparently large and friendly. Haaa.... he's like the energetic impulsive red headed Ron to Sou's nerdy Hermione...
Interesting, the Weird Amber Freshman of note this route seems to be Kamiya, who dresses like an 80s female goth and openly hates everyone except Chui.
Uurgh the stuff about Amber is VERY similar to last time but just different enough that none of it is skippable. It was fine the first time but am I going to have to sit through this 5 times...
Oh godddd the Quartz play description is the same toooooooo and it's so loooooong
Oh but the plot is slightly different! Took me a while to notice, my eyes were glazing over. The characters are the same but the romance/central relationship isn't between childhood friends it's now between the girl and an earnest acrobat.
But the Al Jeanne is Kisa right off the bat! Good, I don't think I could deal with FIVE plots of her thinking she was about to be expelled. Suzu and Sou are the happiest for her, since they know what it means.
And the Jack Ace is Suzu! He played the acrobat last time, too, it was just a more minor role. I was wondering how that would work!
Suzu: Me?? Not Fumi or Kai? Or Sou? Why???
Sou: You CAN and you WILL >:(
Fumi: Kai and me want it too. Come take it from us with your own strength ;)
Kai: Show us why.
Mitsuki: Don't lose to yourself. Someone like you should be idiotically happy.
Aww.
Haha oh, of course, by keeping everyone in the same roles they get to re-use the art and songs and just tweak the story around it. Probably why everyone but Mitsuki is a Jack, makes them more shippable with Kisa's character (guess we're getting more yuri with Mitsuki :D)
Suzu: OUR CHARACTERS KISS??
Kisa: o.O
Sou: D:
Things are going so well I have a sense of foreboding...
Suzu freezes up when his character has to express interest in Kisa's, so Neji says to skip it... and go straight to the kiss. NEJI.
Suzu actually manages it, but comes across as way too reserved when his character, like him, is open and honest.
Neji: I wrote this character to be like you. How would you act kissing a girl you like?
Suzu: I... don't... know?
Neji: I feel like there's a filter stopping you from acting naturally. You need to go clear your head.
Kisa and Suzu: This is all my fault :(
Kisa: So, Sou, you got less awkward about the mugwort seller scene when we practiced it a lot. Maybe I just need to practice kissing with Suzu a lot?
Sou: NO?? I mean... what helped was more learning to face myself. Suzu needs to do that too. SO YOU SHOULDN'T RUSH INTO ANYTHING.
Weird Amberite Kamiya: HAHA YOU SUCK SUZU, dragging down Kisa and the rest of your class!
Suzu: :(
Kisa: BACK OFF HE'S MY PARTNER. Now and from here on out!!
Kamiya: What kind of Jack Ace needs to be defended by a Jeanne?
Like you wouldn't DESTROY anyone who insulted Chui, Kamiya.
Aww, since he's stuck on his acting, Suzu asks Fumi and Mitsuki to help with his dancing and singing respectively. Kai offers to play Suzu's character with Kisa in the meantime so she can keep rehearsing. He's very good at playing boyish energy for someone usually so solemn.
Fumi: Hey Suzu looks like someone stole your 'girl' ;)
Suzu: Kisa is... SO BEAUTIFUL with Kai!! Sou and I agreed that during the last performance too.
Sou: Shh D:
Suzu: Kai! How do you make your partner look so pretty?!
Kai: Perhaps by looking at my partner carefully. This character is in love with her, I imagine he's been following her every move.
So Suzu tries that and it works so well the two of them end up practising together until night.
Then he says he thought of quitting this role, but they're going to be cast-mates for another two years, he needs to get over this.
Every house (it's translated as "class" but "house" makes more sense to me) is having first year leads this time, and everyone's feeling the pressure, especially the work-shy femmes of Rhodonite, led by future Al Jeanne Mare, little brother of current Al Jeanne Tsukasa.
Minorikawa, Jack Ace of Rhodonite:Oh yeah I used to have trouble with love scenes. But I just observed what they look like. Here, let me demonstrate with Kisa. First you pull them close, and then...
Kisa: Huh. His face was actually pretty far from mine, did that really look like a kiss?
All: HE JUST KISSED KISA???
Minorikawa: I was DEMONSTRATING how to ACT.
Mare: But you just chose Kisa instead of Suzu cos he's cute! I've heard the way you talk about him!
Minorikawa: It's hard as a Jack to do a kiss scene with someone who's taller than you!
Tsukasa: Why don't we get back to singing practice :)
Mare: Nooooooo
Minorikawa: Anyway, I'm a pretty different type of person to Suzu, the top pairing in Univeil is in Onyx, you might benefit from watching them.
Lol this play seems to have a pretty shallow RACISM BAD ACTING GOOD message, but I guess it was written by a teenager from a fancy Japanese boy's school.
Kisa and Suzu are wowed by the current Onyx Al Jeanne/Jack Ace pair dancing together in sync, but then the previous pair and dance and it's even more inspiring, with no holding back.
Dante the bisexual: The Jack Ace brought out the Al Jeanne's talents with care and love. And the Al Jeanne gave everything to the Jack Ace he respects so dearly. The strength of the bond between their hearts is unlike anything else.
Suzu wants to watch Amber rehearse without her to avoid her experiencing any nastiness but she insists they're partners and should go together. Sure enough Kamiya projects INTENSE hatred at Kisa as he plays the vengeful princess.
Just when I was thinking we wouldn't see any m/m kisses onscreen, even in text, there's a great big Chui/Kamiya kiss CG that sure doesn't LOOK like anyone's thumb is getting in the way of those lips. Kisa is overcome by the intensity, and how beautiful Kamiya looks. How can she and Suzu compete with that?
Suzu: We should go. It feels like we're not meant to be here.
Suzu says some sweet earnest things about how he needs to think of improving at acting being something he and Kisa do together as partners, helping each other, and that instead of being fueled by hate everyone at the school should work together.
Suzu: The only way for me to fight is to be myself. This character is more like myself than I am... but there's one thing he can do I can't.
Me: Kiss?
Suzu: Uh. Can I ask for a weird favour?
Me: IS IT KISSING?
It's a hug awwwwwww
Kisa: Ok! We've already been close in rehearsal after all :)
Suzu: Never show anyone else how pure you are...
He pulls her into a hug and says "There's something I've been hiding. It's even harder to hide than the fact that you're a girl. It's going to show now, not just to Sissia but to you. Sorry. I hope you can accept it, if only as Sissia."
He's so SWEET omg
The next day Kisa is all "What is this FEELING I am having" omg I thought maybe she was just being understated in her internal narration but no
They get through all the romance scenes, with him staring at her with open, gentle eyes, and Kisa keeps thinking back on the moments with Suzu they remind her off. During the kiss scene, he has no sign of nervousness, but when he gets close he whispers her real name... and she moves and they bang their foreheads together haha.
Suzu: Sorry!
Neji: No that was TOTALLY in character as you.
Oh man my cat sat on me so I couldn't type but it's been SO CUTE
Kisa finally realises what Suzu is feeling for her, and is so overwhelmed and confused by her own response she loses all ability to act well in her part.
Weird Amberite Kamiya comes to watch the rehearsal and says he's realised now that Suzu's strength is the opposite of Amber's, and says some insightful and complimentary things about everyone else... before berating Kisa for dragging them down with her cardboard acting.
Kisa: I have trouble matching Suzu's energy.
Mitsuki: Don't match anyone else, you'll only ever be a pale shadow. Aim to surpass him, to overwhelm him with your feelings. He needs to be able to throw himself at you full force.
She spaces out on stage and nearly gets hit by a random falling piece of set but Suzu risks himself to save her, injuring his ankle again for a few days. He asks her to get him "something sweet and seasonal" and when she goes into the city she realises it's Valentines Day.
Mare: He put himself in danger for you. That's love. You should get him something to show how much you like him. Then tell him something like how you'll be together forever.
Kisa: o.O
Suzu's delighted by the handmade gift and says that if his character got something like this he'd just be thinking "I love her" over and over.
When she gets back to her room, Kisa finally admits to herself that she likes Suzu. And she is going to put it into her character.
Thinking about why a 16 year old cis girl would be SO slow to figure out she had a crush on her perfectly lovely, good looking male friend who clearly loves her, I've decided this Suzu and Kisa are both non-binary lesbians.
Suzu, in character: I love you.
Kisa, in character: (Suzu, I...) I love you. *gives heartfelt speech about all the reasons she loves him*
Suzu: o.O
Mean Boy: Heh, why'd you look so upset, Sou?
Sou, with dark intensity: Shut up >:(
Mean Boy: Sorry D:
Neji: SUZU! YOUR LINE!
The Mean Boy keeps noticing when Sou or Suzu or unhappy in a very tsundere "I DON'T CARE I AM JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON MY RIVALS" way, it's actually pretty cute.
All the other first years are INSPIRED by PARTNERSHIP and ACTING and EXPRESSING YOURSELF SINCERELY. Even Kamiya, who realises the self he has to express sincerely is... selfishly wanting to act with Chui regardless of Chui's opinions on the subject lol, but good for him. Chui is such a dick, when he saw Kamiya having trouble he just said "It's not my job to babysit", with a COMPETE DISREGARD FOR HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS A SEMPAI.
Aww so Suzu feels something wrong with the kiss scene, and eventually realises he doesn't like that it's kind of tsundere and dubcon when he'd want to kiss a girl he liked in a decent, sincere way.
Suzu: Sorry, guess I suck at acting.
Kisa: *bright red and charmed*
Even though Neji's own preferences seem rather more inclined towards dubcon and veiled remarks that hide his feelings (EDIT from me having played most of his path: HA), he cheerfully tells Suzu to Follow His Heart On The Night. Which is SO DUMB but in a way that feels perfect for this kind of story.
Neji: Don't rehearse. It'll be more fun :D
Sou: Won't it be hard on Kisa?
Suzu, consent king: Yeah!
Kisa: I'm in.
Sou: Right, you're the one out of the three of us with the toughest nerves... FINE. I'm behind it too. But make up your mind, Suzu, or I'll play your part instead.
Fumi: It's nice having friends in your own year.
Neji: Aren't we like that too?
Kai: And it won't change when we move to the Troupe.
Aww.
The game is being coy about which characters know Kisa is a girl, even ones like Fumi and Mitsuki who implied it earlier. But Neji definitely knows Kisa and Suzu are into each other, and gives a very thinly veiled "you guys are very cute and just going to get cuter" speech about 'their characters' that turns into a weird metaphor about fruit and inspiring other actors.
Man the Onyx Jack Ace/Al Jeanne pair are SO shippy, they're repeatedly compared to Suzu and Kisa in terms of devotion and how much they like working together. The third year Jack Ace is pushing the second year Al Jeanne to form a new partnership like a dying man telling his wife to marry his best friend who also loves her.
Meanwhile none of the Jack/Jeanne pairs in Rhodonite are shippy at all, it's all femme friendship and proud brothers and grudging coworkers. I guess it's that femme amab people as beautiful and friendly but sexless thing.
Haaa, Kamiya has decided the best way to play the vengeful princess is as a pathetic weirdo, and Chui is finally satisfied. Hooray for being true to yourself!
Aw oh no Suzu's injury is playing up and he's hiding it! Kamiya happens to see him and mocks him but Suzu says he will persevere for his TEAM and PARTNER. Game are you going to come down on the side of permanently injuring yourself for the team, because, look, depiction isn't endorsement but children could be playing this >:(
Man the creator of this game... really enjoys drawing creepy romantic CGs of Chui and his Al Jeanne as the demon and the princess. By comparison, Onyx and Rhodonite's plays have no CGs at all, we don't even get a hint of the plot.
I have not included any of the CGs of Suzu because they're cute but not very interesting. I don't think the creator thinks big jocks are very hot either lol, which is why he let his sister write this path.
The play starts out well but it becomes increasingly obvious that Suzu is distracted by pain. He promises that he takes his dream too seriously to risk permanent injury, and knows his limits.
Ok the walkthrough says to pick "Suzu can do it" but "I trust you" is so much more romantic...
Mean Boy: Enough! Suzu should just ruin his ankle permanently, then I can be Jack Ace!! But I am sure my expectations will be BETRAYED. You always stomp on my hopes! Now get back on stage, or I won't be able to appear!!
What a sweetie haha
This "antiracist circus performers encourage the population to rebel against their government and be kind to refugees with the power of SINGING AND DANCING" plot is SO anvilicious, and it's kinda surreal having 'ex-slave refugee escaping ethnic prejudice joins antiracist circus, falls in love with acrobat, gains everyone's respect' as a metaphor for 'girl crossdresses to go to boy's school, falls in love with one of the boys, gains everyone's respect'. But its heart is in the right place, and I wonder how much it's also on another layer of metaphor calling for tolerance of queer and gnc people.
Haa and the play within the play within the visual novel is a love story about an escaped refugee and the man who dies to save her. But the script is CENSORED!!
Kisa's character: You should see what our performances are like in practice, right everyone? *starts dancing and singing*
Haa and while they're distracted she steals back the script.
"Even if you came from a country far far away that just means you're a new flavour, right?"
Kisa catches Suzu when he's about to stumble, and they improv it as his character overdoing it. Shortly after that his character gets shot, and he croaks out his remaining lines in actual pain. She changes her lines to a clear acknowledgement that she knows he got injured saving her irl, but won't give up on their dream.
Suzu: You know already, don't you? That I love you.
Kisa: Yeah :)
Then she sings and the audience all realise that RACISM IS BAD and people on both sides work together to break down the WALL OF INTOLERANCE separating them!!
Kisa: You know already, don't you? That I love you.
Suzu, kissing her: Yeah.
And then... I think both characters die together on the wall? But there is peace! THE END
Quartz wins!!
Kamiya: CHUI I'M SO SORRY I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH D: D:
Chui: We gained something from this. Amber's Al Jeanne.
And then he walks off.
Kamiya: But why?? When I failed?
Mare: Dumbass. Because you're his partner.
Good for him... I guess?
Kisa and Suzu get JOINT GOLD in the individual performance awards.
Suzu: PARTY TIME!!
Kisa: Hospital time >:(
Mare: Wait. You guys ACTUALLY KISSED didn't you? :D
Suzu: It's called ACTING
Kasai: Sometimes you get too into a scene and it just happens.
Mare: True, but still!
SO MANY IMPLIED M/M KISSES
Suzu: So about that... last scene...
Kisa: I mean it was our characters, so... >.>
Suzu: Right...
Suzu is declared in need of rest but not permanently injured and they go to the after party where they get teased about kissing.
A week passes with no dialogue and NO CLASSES.
Cute epilogue scenes with everyone!
Mitsuki: Suzu is like a traditional protagonist. He pulls everyone else into his story. And it's the same with you. You'll be strong together.
Me: Hmm, the game wants me to click the principal. Guess I'll trust him not to make this weird.
BUT THAT ENDED THE EPILOGUE BEFORE I'D SEEN EVERYONE'S SCENES!! DAMN YOU, PRINCIPAL!!
Suzu takes Kisa up onto the roof, and starts telling her all the things he loves about her.
Kisa: Suzu...
Suzu: Let me finish. Then... I can hear about me, right?
He tells her he loves her and when he asks how she feels I chose "You already know" but since I'm REPLAYING THIS SECTION ANYWAY I'll pick "I love you" next time. Anyway, they kiss and promise to face the future together and it's very sweet.
Ooh, post credit scene!
Freshmen: OMG it's Kisa Tachibana, who was Al Jeanne and then a Jack and then Al Jeanne again! He can do anything!
Haha I know enough Japanese to know that when they say he's "beautiful" it's as "bishonen", beautiful boy.
Suzu helps them find their way and they mutter that he's super cool.
Suzu: Do you remember when we met?
Kisa: And you thought I was a girl.
Suzu: Actually... I just thought 'that person's cute'.
THE END
Neji: I knew from early on that you and Suzu would build a love between you. And it built to a kiss!
Kisa: Ahaha, well, you know...
Neji: Kisa. I know... you know?
Kisa: UH
Neji: That you TOTALLY GUIDED HIM TO KISS YOU. He's actually quite the gentleman, he only kissed you because you wanted to be kissed!
Kisa: >.>
Neji: Anyway, I'm sure you will make Quartz an interesting fun place to be. I leave Quartz's future to you.
Suzu says he's going to keep training to be the Jack Ace in his own way so he can stand on the stage with Kisa. I can see Suzu/Kisa/Sou eventually working things out though it would be Work getting Sou to deal with it.
Fumi says he's a little sad he never had a chance to be Jack Ace, since he'll likely be playing the equivalent of Jeanne roles from here on out. It feels less like a gender thing and more like a "Well I've already BEEN Al Jeanne I want to be the best at BOTH" thing. He's really glad Kisa has found a supportive partner like Suzu (who he calls 'Su')
Fumi: You always had a look like you were ready to be forced to leave at any moment. But now you look like you're ready to continue on here, whatever happens. Be as selfish as you need to be to keep dancing. Come talk to me even after you've graduated. But only after you talk to Su first ;)
Fumi is more ready than Sou for applications to open to join the Kisa and Suzu polycule I guess.
Ok Suzu's reaction to Kisa outright saying "I love you" is pretty cute.
And that's everything!
So, the reason that I stopped writing JackJeanne posts wasn't that I stopped playing the game, but that I played it TOO MUCH and didn't feel like stopping to edit. And the reason I am editing now... is that the Neji path is really annoying me haha.
But this post is about the Suzu path, which was cute as hell. A very standard shoujo crossdressing romance, with an about standard amount of Unfortunate Cisheteronormativity, but sweet and romantic and funny. And there's some m/m subtext amongst the background characters that felt pretty deliberate. Also I kinda headcanon Suzu as a non-binary lesbian but that does require some reading against the text haha.
Content note: Unfortunate Cisheteronormativity
So much fast-forwarding to get through the common route. I only realised you can speed up the fast forward partway through like... route 3 so the Suzu route took FOREVER.
Anyway! Suzu is an absolute sweetie and definitely an antidote to how Sou was behaving when I gave up on his route.
I was wondering how long it would be before we had any overtly shippy scenes and it's like... week 2.
Suzu: So I asked Neji if he had any old scripts I could practice with to improve my acting, and he gave me... this D:
Kisa: Oh my, this is very... romantic... and intense.
Flashback:
Neji: here is a play our Al Jeanne Fumi used to give audiences goosebumps!
Suzu: It's... full... of kissing?!
Neji: Of course! You should probably find someone to practice with :)
Suzu: I'm not sure... I... can do that???
Neji: Hee, sorry, you're so innocent it's fun to tease you. There's ways around actually kissing on stage, or we'd get scolded. Though if I feel we absolutely have to, then we will, regardless if we get scolded or not. I am pretty eccentric after all.
And then Neji shows Suzu how to fake kiss, saying it's a necessary skill for a Jack Ace. I don't think he demonstrates on Suzu but it's sure something.
Suzu: Hey, Kisa, can you help me practice? Since we're a couple in the play, it'll probably be easier.
Kisa: UHHHHHH.... ok?
Haaaaa and then they stare at each other for a bit, her head in his hand, and he gets too embarrassed.
Suzu: Jeannes are amazing. Or maybe it's just you who's amazing... You look like a girl! A really cute girl!! Ahhhhh D:
Interesting, I'm getting random little scenes with other characters I haven't seen before, but they don't seem especially Suzu specific, just cute character moments like Kai and Kisa admiring a nest of birds.
Kisa is SO much more self conscious when Suzu touches her than she was with Sou, even though Suzu's intentions are (currently) way more pure.
Aww he's so cutely happy and grateful to have been partners with Kisa in their first play.
Onyx jack: Huh you're not naturally girly, guess you being such a good Jeanne must be acting skill!
Suzu: It's amazing that you can be so good at being a Jeanne and a Jack, just like Tsuki Tachibana. I wish I could be good at everything like that... oh, you can teach me to be a Jeanne! Tachibana-sensei :D
His attempt at a girly voice is like an over the top drag queen. It's played for laughs in a way I did not like.
Suzu: Urgh! The only way I could play a Jeanne was if she was big, loud and manly. Why are the things I can do so few? :(
"I can't compete with someone as cute as you. I'll just be a Jack!" is... sigh. Sweet but also I believe in you as a big loud butch trans lesbian, Suzu.
Me: Hmm, there's no Suzu option this weekend, who does the walkthrough say to talk to... THE PRINCIPAL?? NOPE. *hangs out with Kisa's bff Ao*
I tried looking up how to skip the practice songs and just found a bunch of people squeeing about Fumi/Kai. And I mean, fair, but...
AHA! PLUS BUTTON THEN "END"!
Kisa decides to learn more about being a Jack by watching Suzu, who leads Sou in a dance then defends Sou when the Mean Boy insults his dancing. Since I'm mostly just seeing Suzu-route specific scenes, I haven't seen any sign of Sou having such an obsessive a crush on Kisa, and am headcanoning that in this timeline it's less of a thing.
Aw. Suzu was into the Manly Jack/Cute Jeanne dynamic their characters had in the first play, but now he's all LET'S COMPETE AS FELLOW JACKS :D
I ship Fumi and Kai's characters in this play so hard. It's a pretty basic "subdued business man learns self confidence and love with the help of a dancing teacher who thinks her glory days are behind her" story but sometimes I like basic.
There's a bunch of scenes where whichever guy you have the most points with is the one to talk to Kisa after something big happens, which helps keep a semblance of narrative when I'm skipping 90% of the plot.
There hasn't been anything overtly shippy for a while, I think the game wanted to establish that Suzu is attracted to Kisa but he is NOT THINKING ABOUT IT and just treats her like a buddy. They have a lot of cute scenes eating and talking about acting.
haha oh nooo Suzu saw MC being close with her female BFF and had this look of confused misery and shock. Why does seeing my buddy... with a girl... feel so bad???
Suzu, softly: Was that... your girlfriend?
Kisa: No! Just a friend!
Suzu: Then... do you have feelings for her? I've never seen you look so relaxed and happy at school :(
Kisa: (Because we're both girls and she knows the truth so I don't have to worry...) Nothing like that!
Suzu: To be honest when I saw you it was like looking at two girls having fun... Sorry I acted so weird. It wouldn't be be weird for you to have a girlfriend, of course you'd be popular! I know that as your friend! I know that, but... what is this uncomfortable feeling in my chest...
Kisa: Uh?
Suzu: I feel like... I might not be able to be a good friend to you. That I... WAS MAKING YOU LISTEN TO ME TALK ABOUT MY WEIRD FEELINGS! ANYWAY THANKS FOR CLEARING UP THE MISUNDERSTANDING!! BYE!!
This is pretty classic heterosexual crossdressing romance but it's cute.
During summer camp they're given a play to practice in pairs, between a man and an ungendered magical creature. When Suzu expresses frustration at his lack of range, Kisa suggests they rehearse it with him as the genderless creature and her as the man, to shake things up, and he's really enthusiastic.
Haa they get a hot spring scene and he just smile at her happily until she asks him to look away and he's all "Oh, right, you're so cute I bet you get stared at all the time. I feel weird for some reason...gonna go..."
A creepy guy stalks Kisa in a way she and narrative treat as likely sexual, and Suzu scares him off. The dude turns out to just be an awkward fan haha gotta keep that gay as subtext! Suzu gives Kisa a comforting hug and it felt a bit het romance but I was into it.
Ahh so the initial setup of the third play is that Suzu and Kisa are a pair of male villains, with Sou part of the chorus. Suzu is delighted to be paired with Kisa but struggles with the complexity of the part, an old kendo injury he doesn't want to tell anyone is flaring up, and also how distant Sou has become due to his sense of inadequacy. In the Sou path, Sou replacing Suzu when the injury got too bad felt romantic but now I'm gonna feel really bad for Suzu!
Aww. He's being very supportive of Sou, considering. Kisa goes to visit him in his room while he's unsteady on his feet and insists he lean on her to walk, and she can feel him shaking when he considers having to give up acting like he did kendo.
Dudes from other houses are all being really supportive about the struggles Kisa/Suzu/Sou are going through it's cute!
Turns out the fat rhodonite I thought was going to steal Quartz'z songs really does just want to help Kisa train and revel in music. He's still written pretty fatphobically :/ But it gives you the chance to read the lyrics to the songs in English (which I could look up but haven't) Hee, this one is about 'making friends', but out of corpses, I wonder if that pun is the same in Japanese.
Ahh, ok, there's a few choices which make the 'roleplaying creepy brothers' scenes with Sou less shippy and more TEAMWORK.
Suzu: You and Sou are sneaking off to do secret rehearsals by yourself, right? I can't wait to see what you're cooking up :D
While everyone is quick to encourage Suzu to act in ways that won't exacerbate his condition (less dancing, taking breaks etc) there is ZERO suggestion that someone with a permanently bad leg could be accommodated at the school, or in acting as a career. Guess it's a good thing he got mostly better :/
He's not as obsessive about it as Sou but Suzu is definitely pretty fixated in his own way on acting with Kisa. I'm curious to see what everyone else is like.
Interesting, a new little scene with Sou. I don't remember what was there last time but I'm guessing it was shippier, while this one is again more TEAMWORK. Overall I feel like Sou is more mentally well this time, which on a doylist level is because he's not the focus but on a watsonian level makes me feel like he and Kisa are better off as just friends.
After the play, Suzu says it felt like he was watching his idol, Kisa's older brother Tsuki, but Kisa is also her own person. Also, seeing how Sou was able to support Kisa makes him realise she's been supporting him. Even though she's ahead of him now, he's going to catch up.
It's similar to the sort of thing Sou says but I like it more.
There's the occasional sign that Suzu is pining over Kisa and doesn't want to make things weird. Also he seems a little quietly jealous that she seems closer to Sou.
Ha, and for the next play, Suzu's character is a loser who pines over Kisa's character and is jealous of Sou's...
"People might start rumours about Mitsuki"? What kind of rumours??
I keep thinking I want to romance Fumi next because he CALLS TO ME, but also because it might be nice to date someone who doesn't angst about Kisa being superior to him, which Mitsuki and Kai also do sometimes.
Kisa comes across Suzu practicing lines from the Sleepless King, where the king pushes the maiden away and she says she loves him. Kisa replies with the maiden's lines and Suzu melts and smiles, very OOC for the king. He asks if she can help him practice kissing like they tried before, saying he needs to learn to be on stage with her and "hide it". He holds her chin and gets closer, and she feels very aware of him, but he can't do it. He says that his thoughts about acting vanish and all he can see is him and her.
Interesting, he never brings up or seems affected by his character in this play being in love with Kisa's!
On the Suzu route proper!
They go out for Christmas Day, and Suzu takes her aside to confess... that he's figured out that she's a girl. He kept seeing her as one despite himself and somehow He Just Knew. Now I wish she was a trans girl.
Some of the scenes I thought were him struggling to put aside his feelings were him trying to put aside his knowledge of her as a girl because it interfered with his ability to act with her?? Men and women can act together! Even in Japan!! THESE VOICE ACTORS ARE DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
On the plus side, Mitsuki and Fumi clearly had no such problems.
Anyway, the gender message is DUMB AND ANNOYING but he's still being incredibly sweet: I still feel pretty sure he is also in love with her, but he doesn't even hint at that, he just wants to find out what's up with her and then support her as best he can. When he finds out she could get expelled if word gets out he is horrified and immediately calls for a meeting with Sou to Learn How To Hide Kisa's Gender.
Sou: So he found out... while you were together... on Christmas Day (a romantic holiday in Japan) I see :)
Suzu: Tell me how you hide knowing she's a girl! You're so good at it!
Sou: Sometimes I struggle... like when... she did the mugwort seller move... and other times...
Suzu: Ah. I see.
Suzu and Sou, silently: He is my friend and I will not make us being in love with the same girl weird.
Suzu goes on a long, charming rant about how amazing Kisa is as an actor and person and how he's going to support her.
Sou: Suzu. Can I hit you? :) To, uh. Cheer you on. And for myself.
Suzu: Ok.
Kisa: What???
And then Sou just ends up hurting his hand on Suzu's solid body haha.
Haha it takes him a day or two more to realise he was IN A HOT SPRING WITH HER
And then they practice dancing together so he can get over his self consciousness, it's very earnest and sweet if a bit much gender wise.
His family is apparently large and friendly. Haaa.... he's like the energetic impulsive red headed Ron to Sou's nerdy Hermione...
Interesting, the Weird Amber Freshman of note this route seems to be Kamiya, who dresses like an 80s female goth and openly hates everyone except Chui.
Uurgh the stuff about Amber is VERY similar to last time but just different enough that none of it is skippable. It was fine the first time but am I going to have to sit through this 5 times...
Oh godddd the Quartz play description is the same toooooooo and it's so loooooong
Oh but the plot is slightly different! Took me a while to notice, my eyes were glazing over. The characters are the same but the romance/central relationship isn't between childhood friends it's now between the girl and an earnest acrobat.
But the Al Jeanne is Kisa right off the bat! Good, I don't think I could deal with FIVE plots of her thinking she was about to be expelled. Suzu and Sou are the happiest for her, since they know what it means.
And the Jack Ace is Suzu! He played the acrobat last time, too, it was just a more minor role. I was wondering how that would work!
Suzu: Me?? Not Fumi or Kai? Or Sou? Why???
Sou: You CAN and you WILL >:(
Fumi: Kai and me want it too. Come take it from us with your own strength ;)
Kai: Show us why.
Mitsuki: Don't lose to yourself. Someone like you should be idiotically happy.
Aww.
Haha oh, of course, by keeping everyone in the same roles they get to re-use the art and songs and just tweak the story around it. Probably why everyone but Mitsuki is a Jack, makes them more shippable with Kisa's character (guess we're getting more yuri with Mitsuki :D)
Suzu: OUR CHARACTERS KISS??
Kisa: o.O
Sou: D:
Things are going so well I have a sense of foreboding...
Suzu freezes up when his character has to express interest in Kisa's, so Neji says to skip it... and go straight to the kiss. NEJI.
Suzu actually manages it, but comes across as way too reserved when his character, like him, is open and honest.
Neji: I wrote this character to be like you. How would you act kissing a girl you like?
Suzu: I... don't... know?
Neji: I feel like there's a filter stopping you from acting naturally. You need to go clear your head.
Kisa and Suzu: This is all my fault :(
Kisa: So, Sou, you got less awkward about the mugwort seller scene when we practiced it a lot. Maybe I just need to practice kissing with Suzu a lot?
Sou: NO?? I mean... what helped was more learning to face myself. Suzu needs to do that too. SO YOU SHOULDN'T RUSH INTO ANYTHING.
Weird Amberite Kamiya: HAHA YOU SUCK SUZU, dragging down Kisa and the rest of your class!
Suzu: :(
Kisa: BACK OFF HE'S MY PARTNER. Now and from here on out!!
Kamiya: What kind of Jack Ace needs to be defended by a Jeanne?
Like you wouldn't DESTROY anyone who insulted Chui, Kamiya.
Aww, since he's stuck on his acting, Suzu asks Fumi and Mitsuki to help with his dancing and singing respectively. Kai offers to play Suzu's character with Kisa in the meantime so she can keep rehearsing. He's very good at playing boyish energy for someone usually so solemn.
Fumi: Hey Suzu looks like someone stole your 'girl' ;)
Suzu: Kisa is... SO BEAUTIFUL with Kai!! Sou and I agreed that during the last performance too.
Sou: Shh D:
Suzu: Kai! How do you make your partner look so pretty?!
Kai: Perhaps by looking at my partner carefully. This character is in love with her, I imagine he's been following her every move.
So Suzu tries that and it works so well the two of them end up practising together until night.
Then he says he thought of quitting this role, but they're going to be cast-mates for another two years, he needs to get over this.
Every house (it's translated as "class" but "house" makes more sense to me) is having first year leads this time, and everyone's feeling the pressure, especially the work-shy femmes of Rhodonite, led by future Al Jeanne Mare, little brother of current Al Jeanne Tsukasa.
Minorikawa, Jack Ace of Rhodonite:Oh yeah I used to have trouble with love scenes. But I just observed what they look like. Here, let me demonstrate with Kisa. First you pull them close, and then...
Kisa: Huh. His face was actually pretty far from mine, did that really look like a kiss?
All: HE JUST KISSED KISA???
Minorikawa: I was DEMONSTRATING how to ACT.
Mare: But you just chose Kisa instead of Suzu cos he's cute! I've heard the way you talk about him!
Minorikawa: It's hard as a Jack to do a kiss scene with someone who's taller than you!
Tsukasa: Why don't we get back to singing practice :)
Mare: Nooooooo
Minorikawa: Anyway, I'm a pretty different type of person to Suzu, the top pairing in Univeil is in Onyx, you might benefit from watching them.
Lol this play seems to have a pretty shallow RACISM BAD ACTING GOOD message, but I guess it was written by a teenager from a fancy Japanese boy's school.
Kisa and Suzu are wowed by the current Onyx Al Jeanne/Jack Ace pair dancing together in sync, but then the previous pair and dance and it's even more inspiring, with no holding back.
Dante the bisexual: The Jack Ace brought out the Al Jeanne's talents with care and love. And the Al Jeanne gave everything to the Jack Ace he respects so dearly. The strength of the bond between their hearts is unlike anything else.
Suzu wants to watch Amber rehearse without her to avoid her experiencing any nastiness but she insists they're partners and should go together. Sure enough Kamiya projects INTENSE hatred at Kisa as he plays the vengeful princess.
Just when I was thinking we wouldn't see any m/m kisses onscreen, even in text, there's a great big Chui/Kamiya kiss CG that sure doesn't LOOK like anyone's thumb is getting in the way of those lips. Kisa is overcome by the intensity, and how beautiful Kamiya looks. How can she and Suzu compete with that?
Suzu: We should go. It feels like we're not meant to be here.
Suzu says some sweet earnest things about how he needs to think of improving at acting being something he and Kisa do together as partners, helping each other, and that instead of being fueled by hate everyone at the school should work together.
Suzu: The only way for me to fight is to be myself. This character is more like myself than I am... but there's one thing he can do I can't.
Me: Kiss?
Suzu: Uh. Can I ask for a weird favour?
Me: IS IT KISSING?
It's a hug awwwwwww
Kisa: Ok! We've already been close in rehearsal after all :)
Suzu: Never show anyone else how pure you are...
He pulls her into a hug and says "There's something I've been hiding. It's even harder to hide than the fact that you're a girl. It's going to show now, not just to Sissia but to you. Sorry. I hope you can accept it, if only as Sissia."
He's so SWEET omg
The next day Kisa is all "What is this FEELING I am having" omg I thought maybe she was just being understated in her internal narration but no
They get through all the romance scenes, with him staring at her with open, gentle eyes, and Kisa keeps thinking back on the moments with Suzu they remind her off. During the kiss scene, he has no sign of nervousness, but when he gets close he whispers her real name... and she moves and they bang their foreheads together haha.
Suzu: Sorry!
Neji: No that was TOTALLY in character as you.
Oh man my cat sat on me so I couldn't type but it's been SO CUTE
Kisa finally realises what Suzu is feeling for her, and is so overwhelmed and confused by her own response she loses all ability to act well in her part.
Weird Amberite Kamiya comes to watch the rehearsal and says he's realised now that Suzu's strength is the opposite of Amber's, and says some insightful and complimentary things about everyone else... before berating Kisa for dragging them down with her cardboard acting.
Kisa: I have trouble matching Suzu's energy.
Mitsuki: Don't match anyone else, you'll only ever be a pale shadow. Aim to surpass him, to overwhelm him with your feelings. He needs to be able to throw himself at you full force.
She spaces out on stage and nearly gets hit by a random falling piece of set but Suzu risks himself to save her, injuring his ankle again for a few days. He asks her to get him "something sweet and seasonal" and when she goes into the city she realises it's Valentines Day.
Mare: He put himself in danger for you. That's love. You should get him something to show how much you like him. Then tell him something like how you'll be together forever.
Kisa: o.O
Suzu's delighted by the handmade gift and says that if his character got something like this he'd just be thinking "I love her" over and over.
When she gets back to her room, Kisa finally admits to herself that she likes Suzu. And she is going to put it into her character.
Thinking about why a 16 year old cis girl would be SO slow to figure out she had a crush on her perfectly lovely, good looking male friend who clearly loves her, I've decided this Suzu and Kisa are both non-binary lesbians.
Suzu, in character: I love you.
Kisa, in character: (Suzu, I...) I love you. *gives heartfelt speech about all the reasons she loves him*
Suzu: o.O
Mean Boy: Heh, why'd you look so upset, Sou?
Sou, with dark intensity: Shut up >:(
Mean Boy: Sorry D:
Neji: SUZU! YOUR LINE!
The Mean Boy keeps noticing when Sou or Suzu or unhappy in a very tsundere "I DON'T CARE I AM JUST KEEPING AN EYE ON MY RIVALS" way, it's actually pretty cute.
All the other first years are INSPIRED by PARTNERSHIP and ACTING and EXPRESSING YOURSELF SINCERELY. Even Kamiya, who realises the self he has to express sincerely is... selfishly wanting to act with Chui regardless of Chui's opinions on the subject lol, but good for him. Chui is such a dick, when he saw Kamiya having trouble he just said "It's not my job to babysit", with a COMPETE DISREGARD FOR HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS A SEMPAI.
Aww so Suzu feels something wrong with the kiss scene, and eventually realises he doesn't like that it's kind of tsundere and dubcon when he'd want to kiss a girl he liked in a decent, sincere way.
Suzu: Sorry, guess I suck at acting.
Kisa: *bright red and charmed*
Even though Neji's own preferences seem rather more inclined towards dubcon and veiled remarks that hide his feelings (EDIT from me having played most of his path: HA), he cheerfully tells Suzu to Follow His Heart On The Night. Which is SO DUMB but in a way that feels perfect for this kind of story.
Neji: Don't rehearse. It'll be more fun :D
Sou: Won't it be hard on Kisa?
Suzu, consent king: Yeah!
Kisa: I'm in.
Sou: Right, you're the one out of the three of us with the toughest nerves... FINE. I'm behind it too. But make up your mind, Suzu, or I'll play your part instead.
Fumi: It's nice having friends in your own year.
Neji: Aren't we like that too?
Kai: And it won't change when we move to the Troupe.
Aww.
The game is being coy about which characters know Kisa is a girl, even ones like Fumi and Mitsuki who implied it earlier. But Neji definitely knows Kisa and Suzu are into each other, and gives a very thinly veiled "you guys are very cute and just going to get cuter" speech about 'their characters' that turns into a weird metaphor about fruit and inspiring other actors.
Man the Onyx Jack Ace/Al Jeanne pair are SO shippy, they're repeatedly compared to Suzu and Kisa in terms of devotion and how much they like working together. The third year Jack Ace is pushing the second year Al Jeanne to form a new partnership like a dying man telling his wife to marry his best friend who also loves her.
Meanwhile none of the Jack/Jeanne pairs in Rhodonite are shippy at all, it's all femme friendship and proud brothers and grudging coworkers. I guess it's that femme amab people as beautiful and friendly but sexless thing.
Haaa, Kamiya has decided the best way to play the vengeful princess is as a pathetic weirdo, and Chui is finally satisfied. Hooray for being true to yourself!
Aw oh no Suzu's injury is playing up and he's hiding it! Kamiya happens to see him and mocks him but Suzu says he will persevere for his TEAM and PARTNER. Game are you going to come down on the side of permanently injuring yourself for the team, because, look, depiction isn't endorsement but children could be playing this >:(
Man the creator of this game... really enjoys drawing creepy romantic CGs of Chui and his Al Jeanne as the demon and the princess. By comparison, Onyx and Rhodonite's plays have no CGs at all, we don't even get a hint of the plot.
I have not included any of the CGs of Suzu because they're cute but not very interesting. I don't think the creator thinks big jocks are very hot either lol, which is why he let his sister write this path.
The play starts out well but it becomes increasingly obvious that Suzu is distracted by pain. He promises that he takes his dream too seriously to risk permanent injury, and knows his limits.
Ok the walkthrough says to pick "Suzu can do it" but "I trust you" is so much more romantic...
Mean Boy: Enough! Suzu should just ruin his ankle permanently, then I can be Jack Ace!! But I am sure my expectations will be BETRAYED. You always stomp on my hopes! Now get back on stage, or I won't be able to appear!!
What a sweetie haha
This "antiracist circus performers encourage the population to rebel against their government and be kind to refugees with the power of SINGING AND DANCING" plot is SO anvilicious, and it's kinda surreal having 'ex-slave refugee escaping ethnic prejudice joins antiracist circus, falls in love with acrobat, gains everyone's respect' as a metaphor for 'girl crossdresses to go to boy's school, falls in love with one of the boys, gains everyone's respect'. But its heart is in the right place, and I wonder how much it's also on another layer of metaphor calling for tolerance of queer and gnc people.
Haa and the play within the play within the visual novel is a love story about an escaped refugee and the man who dies to save her. But the script is CENSORED!!
Kisa's character: You should see what our performances are like in practice, right everyone? *starts dancing and singing*
Haa and while they're distracted she steals back the script.
"Even if you came from a country far far away that just means you're a new flavour, right?"
Kisa catches Suzu when he's about to stumble, and they improv it as his character overdoing it. Shortly after that his character gets shot, and he croaks out his remaining lines in actual pain. She changes her lines to a clear acknowledgement that she knows he got injured saving her irl, but won't give up on their dream.
Suzu: You know already, don't you? That I love you.
Kisa: Yeah :)
Then she sings and the audience all realise that RACISM IS BAD and people on both sides work together to break down the WALL OF INTOLERANCE separating them!!
Kisa: You know already, don't you? That I love you.
Suzu, kissing her: Yeah.
And then... I think both characters die together on the wall? But there is peace! THE END
Quartz wins!!
Kamiya: CHUI I'M SO SORRY I WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH D: D:
Chui: We gained something from this. Amber's Al Jeanne.
And then he walks off.
Kamiya: But why?? When I failed?
Mare: Dumbass. Because you're his partner.
Good for him... I guess?
Kisa and Suzu get JOINT GOLD in the individual performance awards.
Suzu: PARTY TIME!!
Kisa: Hospital time >:(
Mare: Wait. You guys ACTUALLY KISSED didn't you? :D
Suzu: It's called ACTING
Kasai: Sometimes you get too into a scene and it just happens.
Mare: True, but still!
SO MANY IMPLIED M/M KISSES
Suzu: So about that... last scene...
Kisa: I mean it was our characters, so... >.>
Suzu: Right...
Suzu is declared in need of rest but not permanently injured and they go to the after party where they get teased about kissing.
A week passes with no dialogue and NO CLASSES.
Cute epilogue scenes with everyone!
Mitsuki: Suzu is like a traditional protagonist. He pulls everyone else into his story. And it's the same with you. You'll be strong together.
Me: Hmm, the game wants me to click the principal. Guess I'll trust him not to make this weird.
BUT THAT ENDED THE EPILOGUE BEFORE I'D SEEN EVERYONE'S SCENES!! DAMN YOU, PRINCIPAL!!
Suzu takes Kisa up onto the roof, and starts telling her all the things he loves about her.
Kisa: Suzu...
Suzu: Let me finish. Then... I can hear about me, right?
He tells her he loves her and when he asks how she feels I chose "You already know" but since I'm REPLAYING THIS SECTION ANYWAY I'll pick "I love you" next time. Anyway, they kiss and promise to face the future together and it's very sweet.
Ooh, post credit scene!
Freshmen: OMG it's Kisa Tachibana, who was Al Jeanne and then a Jack and then Al Jeanne again! He can do anything!
Haha I know enough Japanese to know that when they say he's "beautiful" it's as "bishonen", beautiful boy.
Suzu helps them find their way and they mutter that he's super cool.
Suzu: Do you remember when we met?
Kisa: And you thought I was a girl.
Suzu: Actually... I just thought 'that person's cute'.
THE END
Neji: I knew from early on that you and Suzu would build a love between you. And it built to a kiss!
Kisa: Ahaha, well, you know...
Neji: Kisa. I know... you know?
Kisa: UH
Neji: That you TOTALLY GUIDED HIM TO KISS YOU. He's actually quite the gentleman, he only kissed you because you wanted to be kissed!
Kisa: >.>
Neji: Anyway, I'm sure you will make Quartz an interesting fun place to be. I leave Quartz's future to you.
Suzu says he's going to keep training to be the Jack Ace in his own way so he can stand on the stage with Kisa. I can see Suzu/Kisa/Sou eventually working things out though it would be Work getting Sou to deal with it.
Fumi says he's a little sad he never had a chance to be Jack Ace, since he'll likely be playing the equivalent of Jeanne roles from here on out. It feels less like a gender thing and more like a "Well I've already BEEN Al Jeanne I want to be the best at BOTH" thing. He's really glad Kisa has found a supportive partner like Suzu (who he calls 'Su')
Fumi: You always had a look like you were ready to be forced to leave at any moment. But now you look like you're ready to continue on here, whatever happens. Be as selfish as you need to be to keep dancing. Come talk to me even after you've graduated. But only after you talk to Su first ;)
Fumi is more ready than Sou for applications to open to join the Kisa and Suzu polycule I guess.
Ok Suzu's reaction to Kisa outright saying "I love you" is pretty cute.
And that's everything!