Little Busters! - Masato Inohara Character Discussion (Full Series Spoilers)

Key Discussion
#21

A certain thing came to my attention. Masato would often be around before important things happen and somehow, it looks like he won’t allow anyone to keep secrets (apart from the secret of the world, I guess). If Riki was with a girl, Masato will tell everyone. Kengo was alone with Koshiki? Same thing. Riki is hesitating to admit he launched the ball that hit Mio? Masato shows up and blurts it out. Riki is spying on Koshiki and Kengo, Masato appears and says he wants to go mess with them, which would expose Riki’s evesdropping.

Earlier in this topic, I have interpreted it as “giving a push” to people, but I’ll try to keep an eye out for these moments and look at it from the “not allowing secrets” angle.

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#22

A lot of people play it off as him just being goddamn dense but huh, interesting observation you have there

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#23

I think it’s less about not allowing secrets and more about making sure no one stands in place. Blurting out the reason behind Mio’s injury, for example, is a bit more of a forceful approach towards ensuring Riki socializes with her in an amicable manner more than if he’d kept a lie going (whether he’d still go to help her in the courtyard out of guilt or not) but never really forming a bond with her, so the “giving a push” aspect probably still applies here, even if it’s hidden under an idiotic-looking “dense” pretext.

Though if I’m going with the assumption that it is “not allowing secrets”, then that would also make sense because Masato is inherently someone whom his friends trust, who trusts his friends, and who likely wants to keep that trust flowing and avoid situations where conflicts could arise because of secrets (especially since his role is to ensure that everyone has fun until the world ends). I still think the first idea is the primary reason why he “accidentally” blows Riki’s cover (after so many loops at that), but that’s the fun thing about characters since they can always be interpreted in different ways on similar actions. :haha:

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#24

Ok, guys, my admiration of Masato is reaching new heights right now. While paying attention to Masato’s actions for the “keeping secrets” assumption, I noticed just how thoroughly Masato is supporting Riki.

I’ve re-read Rin1, Mio so far and I’m currently in the middle of Komari’s route, and these things happened:

In Mio’s route, after the beach scene, Riki forgets about Mio. While packing his bag for class, he can’t find a particular textbook, so he starts rummaging around his stuff to find it, stumbles upon Mio’s favorite book instead and regains his memories of Mio.
So, why was Riki’s textbook missing in the first place?

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As a little extra, a few days earlier, while Mio was still around but people started forgetting her - even Kud, who was her roommate on my playthrough. Next day, people are still forgetting Mio and Riki is visibly upset. Then Masato marches in and greets Mio like normal. Riki said that made his day.

In Komari’s route, when Riki is trying to figure out Komari’s dream about her brother with “white fluttery things” on a roof, Masato just so happened to break his expander so that it would hit his tea bottle and spill the tea over his sheets. He then asked RIki to go hang it out. And then Riki, seing the hung out white sheet flutter in the wind, realized what Komari meant by white fluttery things in her dream!

So turns out Masato’s support isn’t limited to blurting out secrets, just making Riki feel good, giving him (and his girl) some space when needed, or taking care of chores (like burying dead kittens) so Riki can focus on the challenges he’s facing. It seems to me that Masato is actually secretly following Riki around, actively keeping track of what the problem is so that he can secretly help him in making progress.

I imagine this to be an extremely difficult thing for him to do, and on top of that, he’s even stealthier than Kyousuke when he does it!

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#25

Well, this is an unexpected turn, I’m still reading through so I don’t know where it goes, but it’s very interesting to have the Masato POV in ‘Refrain’. After looking like the VNs appointed buttmonkey and then a total a-hole this is providing insights that make his character much deeper…more when I’ve finished ‘Refrain’…

This is like something out of ‘Being John Malkovich’

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#26

M-Masato? An Asshole? When? :shock:

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#27

OK, the Muscle Sensation route was a real hoot, as short as it was. I’m never going to see this product the same way again now…

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筋肉 yay yay!

#28

Probably around that time he backs the villain of Rin2.

#29

Oh I thought it was when Masato went mad and started beating people up.

#30

Guys i think masato’s route is the true salvation for humanity. A world where all our muscles are linked. Pretty, strong, slim muscles all around us. It’s the true ending for all key VN.

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#31

I think this comes at good timing because I just finished route: Masato only a few hours after reading this. And it comes at a big surprise because, all this time, I thought it was Kengo who couldn’t stand Haruka! Whereas Masato was just putting up with her shit. Guess it was the other way around, huh. It is Masato who forcefully kicks her out of his room, after all.

And I think this goes in to his story and how he forces himself to be stronger to escape the scorn of idiocy. After all, he is very much an idiot; i don’t think he denies that, and he is reminded of it every time Rin gives him a dropkick for being an idiot. But I think, more than Rin, the only thing that can shove his own idiocy in his face are pranks, which are exactly Haruka’s specialty. I don’t blame Haruka for that; her simple pranks would make anyone feel like an idiot, and most people would just laugh it off or get ticked off for a few minutes. But it brings back Masato’s in-grained insecurity for him in a way that I don’t think he finds acceptable.

And maybe that’s why he can’t stand Haruka. And it’s funny how we learned this from a route with a totally different writer from Masato’s own route.

Man, Little Busters’ writing sure is tight :umu:

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#32

Considering Maeda was specifically in charge of the original busters, it wouldn’t surprise me if he (or maybe even Kashida) had written a chart of relationships for the route writers to reference. Considering how small the team behind it was (and how commonly they were in contact) the consistency makes sense.

2 Likes
#33

Speaking of relationships. How do you guys think Riki and Masato became so close?. I know that he and Riki are very close to the other busters as well but the bond between them is something else, it seems even pure than love.

We read in episode Masato that he knows everyone thinks of him as an idiot and that irritates him. Does Masato cares about Riki because he’s the one who understands him, did something happen between them when they first met? Was Riki the first who connected to Masato and Masato was the one who Riki felt was strong?.

(A joke for laughs)

Or maybe something like this happened. In their childhood there was a festival and in the festival there was a muscle contest. It was hosted to test and bring out the ultimate muscle power in the world. It was divided in leagues for all ages, including Masato and Riki’s age (which was something like 12-13 i think). Masato heard about it and got all muscley brain for it. He wanted to participate in it so he ran to the registration booth.

But… there was a problem. You needed a partner to partake in this contest, you needed your ‘muscle bro’.

Now he couldn’t ask Kengo as he was his rival and didn’t wanted to admit that he needed his strength. He asked Kyousuke but he refused saying he was too busy reading manga. He also asked Rin but she kicked him in the face saying ‘Like i would participate in something idiotic like that’.

His only option was now Riki. Riki at first got scared as he thought that ‘He was too weak to be useful for Masato’. But Masato didn’t quit, he said - ‘You just become my muscle buddy Riki and that will be enough strength for me’.

Moved by his touching words Riki agreed and the took part in the muscle contest. Everything was as easy as an picking candy from a baby for them. No one could rival Masato’s power, Riki didn’t even needed to do much.

Until the last round when a strong opponent came. Masato tried his best but still he couldn’t defeat them. Riki was crying by the fallen Masato but Masato didn’t hold any regret. He proudly talked to Riki - ‘It was fun Riki. Thanks for participating with this foolish muscle, you gave me a good last memory. You are my true muscle buddy’.

These words gave Riki the strength he needed. The muscle bond between him and Masato gave him power. Then at that time Masato and the people present withstood the greatest transformation ever. Riki had realized the true essence of Muscle and now he was the ultimate muscle. His new power held no match other than his muscle buddy Masato’s. Riki held out his arm and helped Masato up. They overwhelmed their opponents and won the contest. They were the Best muscle duo on earth now.

But there was a bigger danger for the world. The duo’s power was so strong that it could start an revolution and conquer the earth. Kyousuke saw that danger.

Too prevent the muscle revolution Kyousuke hypnotised Riki and made him forget all about muscle. Riki forgot but the bond between him and Masato still lingered and they became the best buddies as we know them.

Masato still tries to help Riki remember the muscles power and purity so they could start their sensation and become the best muscle duo on earth again. And this is what happens to Riki in the muscle sensation.

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#34

I think overall it’s mostly a brother relationship from being around each other so much moreso than something that was brought on by a specific event.

Like, Kyousuke is the “leader” and Kengo the “rival”, so in all logic they can’t really have such a close relationship to Masato like that. Only Riki as a fellow Buster can have a sibling-like position towards Masato and it shows in their habits: Masato is like the older brother who looks out and takes cares of Riki when push comes to shove but still messes around with their little sibling more than half the time. It’s probably an acceptance of idiocy as well as intimacy you don’t really get until you’ve lived with someone extensively like Masato and Riki have.

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#35

I agree on most but not the brother part. They give me many vibes but not that one. Their relationship is like really close friends who even knows your creepiest secrets.

#36

That’s exactly what siblings are.

Source: I have siblings.

:yahaha:

#37

You’re relationship must be better than mine.

My brother and i just go hello, hi most of the time we see each other. :nonono:

#38

N-Not really? It’s just a run-the-mill sibling relationship where we’ve basically lived together for almost ever and have the same type of interactions as Masato and Riki do. :shock:

#39

It’s just now, half a year. We still had many fights and conversations and many sibling things when we were in schools. But since now i have graduated (that’s what it means passing highschool right?) and entered college and he passed college and is looking for job. We mostly focus on our lives now.

I think things got unfamiliar between us when he went away for college. I didn’t had a phone so i couldn’t contact him and he rarely came home. So those three years may have something to do with it.

PS: our nature is quite opposite to each other. He is the outgoing on where i am just keep to myself guy.

#40

Hello everyone, this is the bread boy here to serve up some hearty knowledge. Masato is a fantastic character within the contest of the narrate and is one that seems to be, in a number of small ways, misunderstood.

To be an active part of the conversation for once, allow me to touch upon the idea of Masato and Riki’s bond. Consider what young child Masato thought and desired from the world. Masato was bullied relentlessly and was misunderstood; he cultivated his muscle and body to stand against those who bullied him and that only further isolated him. What saved him was empathy, that hand of friendship that Kyousuke offered him. Now I pose the question, what is special about Riki? It is Riki’s outstanding empathy. Kud falls for him because Riki doesn’t treat her strangely, Kurugaya falls for him because he is the only person who treats her like a normal girl. The same could be said for Haruka and more or less every heroine. Riki is perhaps the most empathetic character, and empathy is what Masato needed more than anything. It only follows that in the acceptance that Riki offers Masato would have found a place, a lifelong friendship.

Moving on to Haruka. Masato does not in any way hate Haruka. Not at all. Not even a little. He cares about her as fiercely as all the other busters. I only need point to Haruka’s own arc, in which when things get rough for Haruka Riki needs to hold Masato back from going to beat up a bunch of people who are making fun of her. Masato loves his friends and Haruka is a friend. It’s just the same as how in Kurugaya when Riki is being picked on he also is willing to go fight the bullies because for Masato nothing is more sacred than friendship. Thinking about it on a logistical level you also can see how they suffer from similar problems, least we forget that Masato was also a victim of horrible bullying.

Much in the way that Kengo wants nothing more than more time with his friends, Masato–who after spending so much of his childhood longing for friendship–is fiercely loyal to the friendship that he managed to find. He only wants to be understood, and so Riki will always be his best friend.

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