Little Busters! - Haruka Saigusa Route & Character Discussion

Key Discussion
#101

This is what I was about to bring up as well, although not so bluntly.

This kinda reminds me of the (Akane)Earth Dragon argument back in the Akane topic. Just because a character says something doesnt make it automatically true! I personally see those lines as Haruka realizing that Kanata was not “truly evil”, justifying that Haruka should rekindle her relationship with her now, even though she hated her before.

@Naoki_Saten said something about "no one would read those lines and assume that the message was that nothing is truly evil. Haruka, too, was probably not actually thinking this literally. That was a very emotional moment for her. All she was thinking about was Kanata. Thinking of her family in this situation would have hampered her progress with Kanata. Or perhaps she was being optimistic in this moment of happiness, considering that it might be possible the rest of her family, like Kanata, wasnt all bad after all.

I will also point out that these lines are a way of showing how both Haruka and Kanata’s characters changed. Haruka believed that because Kanata had done bad things to her, Kanata must but “truly evil”. Kanata believed (dont remember the lines exactly, but it was more toward the middle of the route) that when someone was happy, someone else had to be sad. Both of them were proven wrong when they stopped hating each other.

Now, even if all that I said was true, do I think that writing it that way was really the best choice (seeing as it obviously caused this whole current argument)? Ehhhhhh:

There is another possibility that I wanted to bring up, though Im not sure how likely it actually is, so I put it at the bottom. (Refrain) The entire world was created so that the people in it, such as Haruka, could fulfill their regrets, yeah? Wellllllllll, the only thing we hear about Haruka’s family comes from Haruka. So I guess what Im thinking is, is it possible that we dont get the whole story, because the world doesnt always follow reality? It changes to be optimal for ridding them of their regrets, so maybe the optimal situation was that none of the characters we hear from know the reason why the Saigusas/Futakis acted the way they did? I dont know, seems kinda unlikely, and yet, I think its completely possible.

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#102

Does anyone know what this line is about?

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#103

It’s about alarm-clocks.

Riki want to give a alarm clock to Haruka because she has trouble waking up when she sleeps at her house.

#104

That whole “there are no evil ones in this world” could be explained with her trauma. She realized what Kanata did was to protect her, so she’s probably using that same logic to explain her family.

Not that it’s true. But she’s been abused for years, give the girl a break.

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#105

Yes, I can read. I mean, what does she have against bells? I don’t remember that being mentioned anywhere.

#106

I just kind of assumed it was a matter of personal preference and not necessarily symbolic of anything larger. A throwaway line that just tells you something small about her, I guess. It’s been a while since I read the route, but I don’t remember bells ever being a big deal. She’d probably have something against Rin otherwise…

#107

Sorry, short question, simple answer.
I recently played at her route and she doesn’t explain why. But at the time, I thought it reminded her of bad memories.
If there is a reason, I think it is one of many details that gives clues and made the ambience of game.

#108

Saigusa Shou was not a delinquent: he was a convicted criminal. There’s quite the difference in the severity of those expressions. You’re comparing tardiness to assault and attempted murder.

#109

I’ve been reading Saigusa Haruka’s route in LB! and wanted to highlight something. I don’t know if it has already been mentioned here…

I really like her VN route, the development and behaviour of the characters here really tugs at my heartstrings. However, it feels like some people doesn’t enjoy the drama inside, feeling like it’s too mild, absurd or pointless. The main reason of it may be the cultural distance? It feels like, if we forget about Air, Saigusa’s route, at least in terms of drama, is one of the most “japanese” in any Key works. The family issues, the inheritance… Maybe it’s the main reason why, storywise, some people don’t enjoy Haruka’s route.

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#110

When I reads the route of Haruka, I often wonder when Kanata begins her fake front and when she is honest.
Most of time, it’s easy to find because she is very sarcastic towards Haruka but I’m not sure for three moments:

  • When Haruka finds that Kanata pretends to be her for Riki.
  • When she requests her help the first time, to meet together their father.
  • Jus before that Kanata told her side of the story.

The three times, she isn’t really sarcastic but seems only angry against Haruka. I don’t think it is an act but she surrenders perhaps to her feeling to be forced in the bad role, rejecting a little the fault about Haruka. Who for Kanata, doesn’t understand her burden.

The only trial, I find Kanata too fast to calm herself before her confession. I think she is also used to that, it seems me weird that she reveals her true feelings when she is sad for her sister.

If someone has his opinion on the matter. I would be happy to have my lantern lit.

#112

Welp, this route definitely hit me very hard on a personal level.

I had a liking towards Haruka since the start, since I have a soft spot for energetic airheads. Going along with the route, I developed an extreme hatred towards Kanata, since she represents everything I dislike about certain people in society: with her condescending “holier than thou” attitude, being super judgemental, and being in charge of the disciplinary committee to top it off. When she told Haruka to “wallow in your uselessness” I got very riled up and wanted to slap her. The temper tantrum that Haruka had pretty much connected to the emotions I had during that scene. Every time she spoke, I would get this urge to tell her off and give her a taste of her own medicine, but too bad she’s a fictional character.

I sympathized really hard for Haruka’s past. As someone with an inferiority complex, it hit me really hard knowing that she grew up being compared to her sister all the time, held up to super high standards, and being a shame to her family just because she was inferior. I can’t imagine growing up with an evil family like that. Her thinking that there are a lot of evil people in the world is something I can relate to as well, and her family situation really emphasized it.

When Riki put a smile back in Haruka’s face, it just warmed my heart. Seeing her face Kanata and resolve everything just made me feel all warm and fuzzy. This arc was a huge emotional rollercoaster for me.

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#113

Ok now is time for this route. Let’s start with this when I saw Haruka the first time I wasn’t sure about what will happen and thought it will be nothing special, but yeah let’s describe this. Haruka is your typical troublemaker energetic character always causing riot, well her definition is ok , but it’s just the surface.

Riki starts spending more time with her helping with her club until Kanata, a kind of prefect in the school, stop their activities, stating that they were breaking rules. Then many conflict take place between Haruka and Kanata, until somebody starts referring to an incedent with Haruka’s family.

Haruka explain the incident to Riki and how the Saigusa and Futaki clans had been in dispute , and how their traditions were held ( specifically 2 husbands and 1 wife). Then Saigusa Shou (apparently Haruka’s father) decided it was enough and tried to run away, but was labeled as a murderer an put in prision. Is at this point that it gets more interesting since in this route they take something from reality which is highly improbably, Haruka and Kanata are twin sisters from different fathers, at this point you may be imagining something like that, but you had no idea how it was possible and the justification was shocking, but not just that, it was kind of necessary. The relationship between the clans and the incident with Shou, make problems for Haruka and Kanata, since the Futakis wanted one heir (not Saigusa’s daugther of course). It was Kanata who was considered the superior one, then Haruka was continually abused by the Futakis which led to Haruka’s current self. This give a lot meaning and not only it justify Haruka actions, it justifies Kanata as well. Haruka make a lot of troubles in order to embarass Kanata, and Kanata got her personality being raised by the Futakis, who wanted her to be perfect.

Haruka wanted to finish with the dispute so she need to find out who her real father is, together with Riki they start looking for information. Also, they spend time together as a couple, Haruka bake desserts for Riki, which Riki consider average. Some days past until Haruka’s cooking get better somehow. This and some other factors ( such as Haruka’s smell) were suspicious to Riki as he found out it was Kanata all along, then Haruka appears and a confrontation begins.

Riki and Haruka while looking for information met Saigusa Shou but he never said something. It was after the previous confrontation with Kanata that Riki and Haruka talked to her parents but they did not say something either, but they said that Shou will give them all the answers if Haruka and Kanata together ask him. Haruka refused at first, after Riki convinced her then both go to Kanata which started explaining how it was living with the Futakis. After a brief argument they both mend the past and go with Shou, to know who her daugther is, to finally decline and forget about everything leaving together with her mother and both parents.

Really long to describe, this by far could be together with Komari the best character Route, however my description for Komari’s route was very simple, this was way better with much more content and better development, however the resolution was a bit disappointing, it feels a little forced and rushed, how they go from hate to love, that’s the low point here.
But still a normal resolution from a kinda normal problem but much more complicated. Haruka’s character was by far one of the best, she has some depth actually, Kanata was mentioned too, but not as much as Haruka, maybe she got her development on her own route, but that still was Ok. So yeah probably the best single character and route , 2 bad ends that in fact have their own value too, you should check this route more carefully, and the first impression means a lot but it is not always right, also shocking value will never be good enough on its own, but here everything has a context, a reason and an explanation.

Ps: Just in case, she isn’t my favorite and there is no subjectivity here nor any discussion I respond.

Thank you, very much

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#114

Ah yes, Haruka’s route. The one I considered the best character route in LB last time I was asked the question. We’ll see if it holds up to that nowadays, but I think it probably will. It’s just such a damn enjoyable ride to be on all the way, and I absolutely love the spritework on Haruka as they use the same base sprite that we’ve come to associate so much with a carefree smile or teasing expression through the common route to have her express a variety of different emotions in this route, which just really sticks out with Haruka. That’s great directing right there. Really looking forward to being taken on this wild ride once more.

I also don’t think I’ve ever actually read this route while having Kanata as Kud’s roommate, so that’ll be new~

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#115

So I found this weird segment of Haruka’s route in EX. It’s a passage that’s technically connected to the sex scene, so it isn’t in the steam version. I was just thrown off by the dialogue. It’s been too long since I last read the whole route, so I’m not even sure how it fits in with the piece as a whole.

After you expose Kanata’s disguise, you have the conflict in the rain, and Riki escorts Haruka home. Originally, there was just kissing, some extremely cheesy dialogue and then Haruka falls asleep.

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In the 18+ version we have this sorta disturbing dialogue followed by a garbage sex scene. I don’t really have anything to say about it other than that I’ll be keeping it in mind while re-reading.

Haruka: “I…”
Haruka: “For you, Riki-kun, I don’t even need a heart.”
Haruka: “I don’t even mind if you stop loving me.”
Haruka: “As long as my heart is useful to you.”
Haruka: “I don’t mind losing everything.”
Haruka: “No matter how many people say I’m not needed.”
Haruka: “If you say ‘I need you’ then.”
Haruka: “Just that would be more than enough for me. ”
Haruka: “So if you say you don’t need me, I’ll go away.”
Haruka: “If you say you never want to see me again, I’ll never get close to you again.”
Haruka: “Because if not even you need me, it’d be better if I didn’t exist.”
Haruka: “…I know there’s someone better suited for you.”
Haruka: “There are so many people in the world…”
Haruka: “But I can’t measure up to any of them.”
Haruka: “I’ll probably say I’m sorry to all the people who don’t need me.”
Haruka: “Even if I don’t think they’ll forgive me…”
Haruka: “I’m sorry.”
Riki: “Haruka-san…that’s…”
Riki: “Why are you apologizing?”
Haruka: “You won’t say ‘I don’t need you,’ if I say it like this.”
Haruka: “I’m being unfair as an insurance.”
Haruka: “I’m sorry, but still.”
Haruka: “You wanting me made me really happy.”
Haruka: “So, this is how, I say, thank you…”
It was if she was trying to convince someone.

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#116

And right at the end is the Sha la la? This… is kinda interesting I guess…

#117

Putting all of that in context, that makes it extremely, extremely sad :sad:

Guess haruka’s a bigger woobie tham we all thought she was

#118

Something odd I noticed about Haruka’s interaction with Kyousuke upon her induction to the little busters…

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Why the insistence on keigo when speaking with Kyousuke? Or in the English translation, a formal way of speaking. And not just the fact that she uses keigo but that she says things first in a more casual way, but has to double back and then make her words more formal.

Especially coming from Haruka who has a knack for not really respecting authority all that much, it’s an interesting character quirk they put in. It’s these little things that I’ve noticed in my re-read that is making the experience all the more valuable.

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#119

She also does this with Kurugaya enough times to be noticeable. I get the idea that she respects authority, but to her, authority is something that every individual has to earn themselves.

#120

There’s another layer to Haruka’s keigo. Haruka’s speech is sometimes written in katakana to indicate her intonation, and the most prominent form of this is “ですヨ.” I feel they do this to show insincerety; she’s using polite words but in a joking manner. However, this is not the case during that scene with Kyousuke.

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#121

Oh man finally finished Haruka’s route for the second time, this run was more heartbreaking than I expected. I thought it would be a relatively simple read cuz y’know, second time. I guess life has been more complicated since the last playthrough.

I have no view or opinion towards the romance part of this route, mainly because I have no eye nor preference towards this element of the story.
The story presentation was pretty dang good (seiyu OP btw), I saw some comments about it being “forced drama” to me though, it might be a bit rushed at the end but definitely not forced.

There are some bits I would like to point out though.
First, the family heritage problem introduced is VERY SERIOUS. This kind of issue has resulted in countless bloodshed over the course of history, especially when dealing with big families. So even if Haruka and Kanata knew nothing as children, those around them would have imprinted in their minds that family takes priority (normally referred to as brainwashing). With this in mind, it was a bit surprising to me that Kanata was actually considerate towards her sister (tho she was pretty much a bitch at the beginning).
Second, the physical similarities between Kanata and Haruka is a bit… convenient? They are fraternal twins, but their differences end at eye colour, which is for the sake of the plot I guess.
Third, which is what I mentioned at the beginning, the end was a bit rushed imo. When Riki told Haruka why Kanata lied about being allergic to eggs, Haruka said something like she still can’t let go of it that easily even if she did feel a bit better. (didn’t take screen :sorry:) This kind of reaction towards her going back to her parents would seem more reasonable to me.

As for why the route never makes any attempt to justify the actions of her family but states “There’s no such thing as true evil in the world”, I think it’s a matter of culture and how you interpret that sentence. I don’t know much about western culture in this aspect, but in China (so I presume, in Japan) the family seeks to benefit as a whole, there are innumerable tales, fictional or not, that tells how a family sacrifices a particular person to ensure the family’s prosperity/safety (e.g political marriages). It might seem horrendous to the person (and outsiders like us) but can save many lives. (This isn’t trying to beautify what the family did, just an explanation of what they thought of the situation) And for interpreting “There’s no such thing as true evil in the world”, I personally believe that it’s trying to tell us to have empathy, standing in the perspective of others before landing the hammer of judgement. Which pretty much fits the overall theme of this route.
Talking too much about evil might spark unnecessary controversy so I’ll end it here. I still have like ∞ routes to read, so some stuff might change.
btw, I ADORE Haruka as a character, so there might be some bias (I ain’t seein’ nothin’ but I’m biased :deino:)

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