Little Busters! - Yuiko Kurugaya Route & Character Discussion

[Odinbeard_McSparkles]

To what extent do you feel Yuiko changes throughout the route, and by what means?

I’ve mentioned a few times that I think the biggest changes are the bullying scene (anger), confession scenes (fear + happiness), and the final scene (sorrow/loss). So I initially thought I didn’t have much more to add without repeating myself and/or boring everyone in the process, and wasn’t going to comment.

However, I’m really glad you asked this question. Upon retrospect, I think a bigger, yet more subtle, change occurs a lot earlier (and oddly, haven’t seen much mention about it in “new” part of the bookclub quite yet. That being said, I did avoid many of the older posts since a lot of the seemed to have Refrain spoilers, so apologies if it actually has been dug into already): May 22th. The lunch they spend together in the broadcast room. To confirm this, I decided to go back and re-read it, and boy, from beginning to end, this scene is filled to the brim with subtext, details, and of course, loads of foreshadowing for what is to come. In fact, there’s more to break down here than I thought, so another long-winded post incoming, if you’ll humor me. As always, I tried to stick with the biggest bits and avoid too many tangents.

If my memory serves, this is the first time Riki is actively seeking Kurugaya out, and this time, it’s not because he’s trying to recruit her for the baseball team, get help with math, or just happens to run into her while getting juice. He actually wants to spend his lunch with her. She notices, and almost seems surprised, but plays it off really well.

As usual, some teasing happens. But Kurugaya’s response to Riki’s question was a rather vague/misdirective for someone established as so forward, blunt, and confident as she has been up to this point. It’s almost like we could skip right into the Love Hunters bit from here, but not enough time has been spent to build from this point. I also think this lack of time is what allow Kurugaya to so easily sidestep all the pitfalls here, as although we learn a lot in this scene, it still happens pretty early on in the route, so we don’t know entirely what to expect yet.

She talks “normal” on the broadcast because she knows no one is listening. When she is talking to someone directly (see first quote from the next screen shot), she puts her usual persona back on. Riki points out this disparity, but it is also subtly alluded to later, when she refers to the afternoon broadcasts and playing the piano both as hobbies. The afternoon broadcasts are treated like work and determined months in advance. The song is haunting, moody, and played on a whim. I don’t think its much of a stretch to say the only reason she is in the broadcast club is because it has a piano, which is the real hobby/point of her interest.

This is the most convincing bit for me. We all noticed how she runs when her feelings start surfacing up later on, but she does it twice here, and this is early days for the route. This is why I believe Riki triggers the genuine anger during the bullying scene; he purposefully begins spending time with her for the simply for the sake of it, and the seed of mutual care is planted between these two exclusively after this point. The anger is no longer motivated by obligation, but a real desire to protect, and from there, the snowball that gets made on May 22th starts rolling down the hill and causes an avalanche. No one else in the Busters is on that level to garner that kind of reaction from her.

I think the choice to simply tell her about the bullying shows this perfectly, and the fact that all the other Busters attempt to convince Riki to not shoulder it on his own multiple times or give up entirely. In fact, I’m wondering if anyone else here felt Kyousuke was not exactly himself in this route, as he’s not nearly as supportive overall as opposed to the others. He practically swaps places with Riki at points with his negativity.

Notice how they make her seem more… girly? The wistful look on her face and how she’s not wearing the jacket, even the tone of her voice. At first, I thought it was kind of a nice touch, something like a “maiden in love” image. But looking back, I’m not sure how to feel about it. This is pretty much the only part where what I said earlier doesn’t apply, the only part where she isn’t really the same Kurugaya we know. However, it actually feels like they’ve taken it too far. It feels like she’s lost a lot of what we loved about her, she gives a completely different impression from her usual cool, sexy demeanour.

I think she can still be

Zosonte:

a woman in love who puts her newfound feelings above the rest of herself, desperately clinging to her true, new self

without taking away everything that made her “anego”.

I actually had a similar impression initially, but I think that is intentional. For me, I think the line of believeability for it would be based on how much time has passed since the dream world ends and this scene. If it’s almost immediately after (and I think it is), then we are seeing the “new” Kurugaya still attempting to come to terms with her newfound feelings/emotions, which again she has had very little experience with. We are also under the assumption that her mind has forgotten, but her heart remembers. I can’t relate directly to an experience like that, but I can assume that it would cause a massive change in her perspective and demeanor, which is what we see in that scene. If not, then it is who she becomes, the opposite of what she was trying to be, and simply what she is, going forward. Someone who is driven by the wants and desires of their own heart, rather being driven by what they think they should be based on their appearance or talents. It’s possible she could regain some of that old self with time, but it makes more sense to me for her to be a seemingly smaller, unsure, less confident version of herself, since her confidence was tied to her fake persona in the first place, which has now been lost.

While I also miss her old self, the question I am asking myself is: Was Kurugaya actually right? Was her projected image from before actually what made her as likeable/interesting as she thought it would?

For my part, the reason I might be fine with the result is because I saw the progression unfold, the rise and fall, and can appreciate how far she has come and am ready to accept the transformation, whatever that may end up being.

[Takafumi]

So I initially thought I didn’t have much more to add without repeating myself and/or boring everyone in the process, and wasn’t going to comment.

I wouldn’t ask a question if the answer was just a recount of key events
There is, as you’ve well noticed, a lot of subtle and downplayed progression in both Riki and Yuiko during this route.

We are also under the assumption that her mind has forgotten, but her heart remembers.

This is the basic summary of how I’d explain it. The Yuiko at the end is different to the Yuiko from the route, whether that is from changes in memory or progression of time or some of the other possible factors. The Yuiko we all know still exists, but so does the Yuiko we never got to see.

it makes more sense to me for her to be a seemingly smaller, unsure, less confident version of herself, since her confidence was tied to her fake persona in the first place, which has now been lost.

I’d disagree that her “fake persona” has been lost for the very reasons stated in your own post previously - She is in the broadcasting room and she is alone.
Even ignoring that, I’d argue she was small, unsure and less confident whenever she was in that position, but no longer is by the end. For evidence, just look at your CG gallery. Every CG that features Yuiko next to a window stays true to two rules: Have a dark/brooding appearance, and appear from within the building. Even when a CG could have been shot from outside, it is specifically locked within the bulding, such as in this one:

The reflection exists to enforce this rule. To relate the idea of a girl lonely and enclosed.

The only pre-refrain exception to this - The only CG that features a bright Yuiko next to a window - is the final one in which the window is open, and the shot is framed from outside the building.
(Side note: The entire image sequence of the CG I posted is super interesting in regards to the reflection motif of the route, as well as with the “mask” idea.)
(Oh, second side note, there is another “bright Yuiko” CG, which is resulting of the various dreams Riki witnesses.)

[machelmore]

So I remembered just now that the scene at the end happens in summer, so of course Kurugaya isn’t wearing her jacket, but I think the fact that she’s wearing the pink ribbon is pushing it.

I have to say that I take issue with this idea that the way she acts for most of the game is a “fake persona.” I think it’s fair to say that what we saw at the beginning was her true self, and so was what we saw at the end.

Gotta use them guides man.

Needless to say, I learned my lesson.

[Pepe]

she says that it’s beautiful because of its simplicity

I remember this line, and I remember it even more because in Japanese she brings up the idea of Wabi-sabi (侘寂) and frankly… because of that specific wording, I thought she herself was being sarcastic about that because I don’t see her as the kind of person who would actually give a rat’s ass about Wabi-sabi, heh.

It’s ironic how, when the idea is brought up as something of her own invention, it seems plausible that she would believe it, but when she brings up a concept that is used (and abused) by others, it makes it feel like she brings it up in jest.

It feels like she’s lost a lot of what we loved about her, she gives a completely different impression from her usual cool, sexy demeanour.

And I think that was totally intended. There’s more to anego after her cool, sexy demeanour, after all But hey you yourself word it perfectly later on

she stopped being “anego” and awakened to her inner “Yuiko”.

But don’t worry:

without taking away everything that made her “anego”.

She is still and forever will be anego, but there will be times, when maybe nobody is watching, that she can find solace in being Yui-chan~

In fact, I’m wondering if anyone else here felt Kyousuke was not exactly himself in this route, as he’s not nearly as supportive overall as opposed to the others. He practically swaps places with Riki at points with his negativity.

Actually, that is a very good point there. I think I can put that as a key point, if you don’t mind: What exactly was Kyousuke’s intent in putting Riki down when he tried to stop him from pursuing Kurugaya further?

Was he genuinely worried for Riki’s well-being? Did he not want to see him hurt? Or was he testing Riki, trying to make sure that if he were to pursue Kurugaya, he would be ready for the consequences? Or was there something more?

[Zosonte]

Was he genuinely worried for Riki’s well-being? Did he not want to see him hurt? Or was he testing Riki, trying to make sure that if he were to pursue Kurugaya, he would be ready for the consequences? Or was there something more?

I want to argue that Kyousuke is testing Riki. This is the only route so far that the Busters really help Riki with his relationship with the heroine, and the only route where Riki is proactively going after someone. Kyousuke, being the omniscient god he is, should know how much Riki aspires and looks up to him; thus, when Riki finally heads into the wind by himself, Kyousuke throws a disparaging remark here and there to see if Riki will back down. After all, if Kyousuke thinks it’s a bad idea, it must be a bad idea, correct? Perhaps Kyousuke was waiting for a moment like this for a long time, and now that it’s finally arrived, he tests the waters of Riki’s resolve.

[Takafumi]

I take issue with this idea that the way she acts for most of the game is a “fake persona.”

I did put it in quotation marks for a reason. I was bouncing off the initial comment more than anything.

[Odinbeard_McSparkles]

The only pre-refrain exception to this - The only CG that features a bright Yuiko next to a window - is the final one in which the window is open, and the shot is framed from outside the building.

Even ignoring that, I’d argue she was small, unsure and less confident whenever she was in that position, but no longer is by the end.

The “I hope he comes soon scene” is the one I was referring to when I said unsure. (I also realize I’ve been referring to Riki and Kurugaya’s last scene in the dream world as the final scene, as the other one struck me more as an “epilogue” so apologies if that caused some confusion previously.) I did also mean to say “unsure yet hopefully” but… well, I got too long-winded again and neglected to so, so that’s my fault. (Not to say that would have changed the overall statement much, but felt it was worth addressing.) And upon thinking about it further, I actually agree with your counter-point to my small, unsure, and less confidence statement.

I’d disagree that her “fake persona” has been lost for the very reasons stated in your own post previously - She is in the broadcasting room and she is alone.

Now maybe I’m misreading/misinterpreting something, so correct me if this is the case. Her isolation wasn’t so much a part of her image (at least at first) as it was a byproduct of it. Also it really only explains her current situation in that moment. The “I hope he comes soon” scene doesn’t really tell us how much time has passed, or where her memory was cut off/is currently. As you agreed with, the feelings remain, but the memories don’t. But what about memories prior to the loop? Does she still even remember the Little Busters/is she still apart of it? Maybe this will be explained through Refrain/Post-Refrain, and the scene itself is super short, but I really hope I didn’t miss anything that like that.

I have to say that I take issue with this idea that the way she acts for most of the game is a “fake persona.” I think it’s fair to say that what we saw at the beginning was her true self, and so was what we saw at the end.

I have misused “fake persona” in this context. I was more referring to the more outlandish (again, the projected, calculated things she does) parts of her personality, which came of harsher than intended. I do agree that is her “true self”, in some much as it is who she is and what she has been. But even she herself admits plenty of her behavior is intentionally built of what she thinks is expected/desired by others. I also feel like I’m using the words “fake”, “real”, and “genuine” a lot, but they are the ones that come to mind, and why I’ve also been attempting to make a clear distinction between the “real” (what she wants to say/do, impulsively or emotionally) and the “fake” (the predetermined correct response, defined by what she thinks is appropriate given the situation at hand). Ultimately, I don’t think we are actually that far off from each other. But you guys are making me think twice about my thoughts, which I always appreciate.

Or was he testing Riki, trying to make sure that if he were to pursue Kurugaya, he would be ready for the consequences? Or was there something more?

As much as tried to cut down on the tangents, this one snuck through. Not sure where I was going with it, to be honest. But you did give me a good question to consider, and to answer it directly: there’s elements of everything you mentioned. Kyousuke always seems to have an angle and be at the heart of things. I didn’t interpret it as a test, however. I saw it more as him reading the situation better than Riki. I also noticed when I re-read the events of May 22th, both Riki and Kurugaya make comments as to not understanding each other, and I also think I remember Riki mentioning it again a few times later on. Based on that and other things he says, I felt it was a subtle way of Kyousuke hinting that they needed to make an effort to understand each other and their feelings, so that if it didn’t go well, at least they would know why. Love and pain are tied at the hip, I think Kyousuke gets that, so I don’t think he was doing it to help him avoid pain (although he obviously doesn’t want that either), as even the give up option would still carry that with it, plus potential regret. (Don’t know, didn’t actually choose that option, was planning on seeing the bad ends after Refrain, so I’ll keep it in mind.)
(Small edit: Actually, I think it was just me thinking, “Man, this route is kind of bummer, even Kyousuke too,” since he’s usually very optimistic. I feel like I (at least partially) understood what he was getting at though. As I said in the previous post, he was still supportive, but in a different way as in other parts of the VN. It’s still in line with the tone of the route.)

Kyousuke, being the omniscient god he is, should know how much Riki aspires and looks up to him; thus, when Riki finally heads into the wind by himself, Kyousuke throws a disparaging remark here and there to see if Riki will back down. After all, if Kyousuke thinks it’s a bad idea, it must be a bad idea, correct?

(Bolded the bit that really hit me, hope that’s ok.^^)
I like this angle a lot too: that’s a really great way of breaking it down.

[Takafumi]

The “I hope he comes soon scene” is the one I was referring to when I said unsure.

I know, that’s what I responded to. I’m arguing that said scene is a portrayal of security and confidence when compared to her previous state… Although I say so in a very practical light, whereas within the moment it could be said that her heart is uneasy. Basically, overall she appears to be a more stable and well-put-together person than before, but the Riki aspect of her life maintains unease.
I’ve avoided talking about the epilogue because it’s difficult-to-avoid spoiler territory.

Her isolation wasn’t so much a part of her image (at least at first) as it was a byproduct of it.

Both are contributing factors, neither creates the other. Whatever the catalyst was, it is long gone, and the Yuiko we know is stuck in a circle of isolation. She willingly remained a watcher, she willingly distanced herself from others, and others willingly distanced themselves from her.

The “I hope he comes soon” scene doesn’t really tell us how much time has passed, or where her memory was cut off/is currently.

It must be longer than the day of time that most of the route took place in
It takes place in summer (the beginning to be more specific) and she doesn’t remember Riki, so she must be missing a whole lot of memories in that scene. Remember, during the final moments the two were together, when they make the promise, Yuiko says “if I remember these feelings…” That’s a specific choice of words.
I just call that summer Yuiko a lingering spirit.

[Naoki_Saten]

You’ve touched upon it, but I’d like you guys to dig a bit deeper.

What’s the meaning behind Kurugaya’s broadcasts that supposedly nobody can hear?

[MagusVerborum]

Alright, I’m gonna make one of my infamous theory posts. I don’t think I have the energy to go through the route step-by-step like I did with the common route, but I will be talking about my thoughts and feelings for the future, and address a common complaint about this route from some of the newbies: how it feels incomplete, like one half of a story. I don’t disagree, but I think that out of the routes we have so far witnessed (maybe out of all the route pre-Rin2) Kurugaya’s contains the most pieces of the larger puzzle. With that, I’m going to put everything into a details box here, so that those of you who are not interested in being potentially spoiled can cruise on safely by, and I will also avoid a longer scroll for those of you searching for a specific post. I’m also going to be linking plot points and scenes from Rin1, Mio and Komari in my search for the Secret of the World. Are you ready for Refrain speculation? I’m ready.

Not everything found herein is 100% fact. A lot of what I speculate is simply what I would find most interesting based on the themes of the game. That said, there are some things that I am near 100% certain of. I am fairly certain I can pinpoint the origin point for Riki’s current circumstance, and some details about future tragic reveals (most likely in Rin2) Proceed at own risk of spoilers and/or madness!

---

The White (spoilers for Rin1, Mio and Komari)

Alright so, Kurugaya has a lot of problems with emotional expression, I’ve talked a little bit earlier about how she puts on a bit of a mask in order to protect herself, I still genuinely believe that she has felt emotions before but is afraid to now because it would make her vulnerable. Why am I obsessing over this? Why does it matter to the overarching story? because of this:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938715668198825984

Kurugaya tells us a story, and considering that the Tanka poems in Mio’s book and Komari’s picture book were both incredibly relevant to understanding and communicating with their related characters, I think that any story Kurugaya tells is also going to be incredibly relevant to communicating with her.

Let’s unpack this a little bit:

“One day, I picked up some flowers
They were beautiful flowers growing by the side of the road
And I took them back with me
…But before long they withered away.”

There is deep deep regret in Kurugaya’s words, and in the context of the route this sets up the tragic love story between Riki and Kurugaya, who, by the nature of a route Visual Novel, cannot stay together forever. As I’m sure we’re all aware by now there are elements of continuity to the routes, with different characters interacting and helping Riki depending on completion of other routes. I’m not going to spend lot of time outlining the differences it should be self-evident by this point. Riki also comments as such in the Bad End of Komari’s route:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/937141662110826497

He’s semi-aware of the structure of his own story. In the same way that he talked earlier in Rin1 about the Little Busters team being only as strong as the individuals making it up, Riki by the time we get to Refrain will be strengthened by the contributions of all of the Busters. Riki rejected the lesson of Rin1 (by not letting Rin go to the other school) learned about acknowledging others and how identities are sustained through interaction with others. In Komari’s route the spiral of happiness taught us how we should reinforce others and they in turn will support us. Kurugaya’s route teaches us about loss in the most direct way Obviously I’m reducing the route’s meaning a bit, but for Riki all of the routes so far have been teaching Riki (and by extension us, the players) how to value others, value friendships, and to value love.

Kurugaya’s route is a little different, something that even Kyousuke points out:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938717226072342529

In previous theories I had identified Kyousuke as a sort of subconscious part of Riki’s mind pushing him towards Refrain. Now, I still would be very excited if that were the case, but given a lot of the symbolism I am lead to believe that not only is Kyousuke responsible for the messages in Rin1 about the Secret World (we’ve basically had confirmation that Kengo isn’t super involved with that, he’s too busy taking care of sweet Koshiki like a gentlemen) but that he in some ways has influence over the space Riki is in, and he knows what’s going to happen in each of the routes as Riki advances down them. Once again, I could explain this as Riki’s subconscious, but there’s a large amount of symbolism pointing me towards a more ‘spiritual’ answer, which I will get into later. For now let’s focus on Kyousuke’s intent, which brings me to @Pepe’s key point:

What exactly was Kyousuke’s intent in putting Riki down when he tried to stop him from pursuing Kurugaya further?

I believe Kyousuke knows exactly what’s going on, as evidenced by his pushing of Riki in previous routes towards the heroines Riki shows interest in, and in particular ships Riki hard with Rin with his Lennon-based messages. Kyousuke wants Riki not just to find love with these girls, but also to learn a lesson from each of them in his buildup to become stronger and more open for Refrain. Kyousuke knows that the lesson Riki must learn in this chapter is a) to embrace relationships that may not last forever and b) to get a taste of what it’s like to lose that relationship. The second part is especially important to me because Kyousuke knows once we get to Refrain Riki won’t be able to just rely on his friends to make it through his hardship. He will have to be able to cope with loss on his own. Kyousuke is ‘putting Riki down’ partly because he doesn’t want to see him hurt, but more importantly because Riki has to understand the importance of ‘moving forward’ on his own. Kyousuke is effectively gaining informed consent before he puts Riki through the grinder.

So, obviously Riki becoming more independent is a big theme of the common route, but this is the first romantic relationship we’ve seen that Riki had to take initiative on because his prospective partner wasn’t able to work up the courage to pursue him herself. What possible application could this have for the future? Well…

This is the big theory I’m certain of. Read ahead at your own risk.

Alright, it’s time for the Maguharutrice conspiracy theory for Rin2 and possibly Refrain.

I believe that most if not all of the Busters we interact with in this novel have died before the events of the game.

deep breath Hooooooo boooooooiiiiii

I really wish this was a baseless accusation, but after reading through three routes and seeing as what I can only describe as a buttload of death foreshadowing (such as the white bird of Mio’s route, the abandoned desks and chairs in Komari’s, some of the Battle Ranking titles are things like ‘Black Reaper of Doom’ and the way that a lot of the Bad Ends seem to go… I have strong reason to believe that the setup of the novel occurs after a traumatic event involving a lot of death, and I think it’s the deaths of the Little Busters. We already know that there was a traffic accident with only two survivors, Rin and Riki are the only two characters with stats that actually carry from one save to the next (implying they can learn and change from their experiences in each route) and there are eight lights in the idle screen.

…

…Yes, that’s what I said. Or at least, there were eight lights. There are currently five remaining, having lost one after each route with a credits scene.

Screens:

Taken from the ‘Ripples’ Youtube video on the Kazamatsuri channel. We can clearly see eight lights dancing around and creating ripples, interacting with each other a bit before finally colliding together and splitting again.

And here we have a screenshot after completing Kurugaya. Five lights left.

I believe these lights represent the routes as we complete them, and more importantly represent the ‘wishes’ of each of the characters.

From Komari:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/936942953238470656

She’s not just talking about Refrain, she’s literally talking about all the other Busters. Komari’s ‘Spiral of Happiness’ is straight up referring to how Riki will be able to change and grow by helping the other girls to grant their own wishes. Kurugaya even talks about her own ‘wish’ being granted in her route. The entire point of this VN is that Riki is giving the girls their last wish before their souls are laid to rest.

Komari Kamikita plays a big role in this, and I think helps tie the story further towards a spiritual angle, based on her family name. ‘Kami’ are a concept of the Shinto religion and are essentially helpful spirits of humanity. I think Komari fits the bill as a ‘helpful spirit’ quite nicely, and the other characters I believe share her situation. I believe that the white bird, the lights, the death symbolism, everything ties into these characters having passed long ago, and Riki is being given a chance by ‘Kyousuke’ to see them on their way, and grant both them and himself peace. I should also mention the final change made by Komari to the Little Match Girl story, which Riki put together:

After burning the matches, the grandmother disappears, and the girl passes away after having many great memories. I believe this to be symbolic of Komari having been granted peace by Riki and finally being able to rest. I think that this is an incredibly poignant way to leave the route because well, Komari says it’s okay for people to pass on. The important thing is to remember them for what they were and remember the happy influence they left on your life. The most important detail for the theory of course, is that the ending was painted over by Riki first, to be a happy one. But then, after ‘many great memories’ Komari painted over his ending with a slightly more realistic ending. This is almost certainly what we’ll be getting with Refrain. This novel and the relationships we’re experiencing are Riki’s ‘happy ending’ but one that doesn’t feel realistic, and Komari leads him forwards, towards a place where he can ‘see a little better, if only a little’. Riki isn’t ready to deal with his grief yet, but Komari can help with what little Riki is willing to accept.

Okay, that was a detour, back to reality. What happened to the other Busters? I think there are enough clues so far that I can pinpoint the event that started all of this. A traffic accident. Specifically with one of those small school busses, the grey ones that you’d take on a school trip.

There are a number of scenes in this route that relate to this, let’s tackle another Key point from @Naoki_Saten

What’s the meaning behind Kurugaya’s broadcasts that supposedly nobody can hear?

The piano melody that plays is described by Riki as such:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938005132666478592

We get a number of scenes in which this melody plays over strange non-chronological scenes, as well as the regular scenes involving Kurugaya. In some of them there are large black words that appear over a white background like so:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938723829903323138

The colours are flipped during the credits, the colour scheme looking to me in the context of the route to look distinctly like piano keys

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938769594562486272

It almost seems to imply that Kurugaya is ‘speaking’ through the melody she’s playing, and when the melody plays Riki is conjured an image, that of a riverside in snow, and looking out of a glass window. I believe that he is remembering the moments before his life turned upside down, when his whole World was shattered by the reality of death and tragedy. The message that the route tells, of the tragedy of a relationship that must end one day, is calling to him and making him remember the event that started all of this off. This also ties in with the scene from Mio’s route where Riki and Mio discuss getting away from here, which they do by the riverside. It’s also the same location that the Busters take their picture at after Kengo joins up with them. I think that either they hit a snowdrift (the month before the game took place is towards the end of the snowy season, it lines up) or the bus took a wrong turn into the river, something like that. Somehow Rin and Riki survived on their own and now Riki is being given a chance to cope with it all.

So, we’re given a nice hint towards the end of the route about Kurugaya’s broadcasts. Something I couldn’t help but chuckle at:

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938766651952189442

The damn thing isn’t plugged in. As covered in Komari’s route ‘dreams’ (and this is all a dream, supernatural or coma) are based off of memories, and by Mio’s route, memory can be unreliable. It is not even a slight stretch of the laws of this World to say that the music is playing in Riki’s head without Kurugaya actually having to play it through the speaker system. The song is his connection to her, and a connection to the tragic day where everything went wrong.

https://twitter.com/MagusVerborum/status/938765517287862273

As has been covered by Riki himself, in his narcoleptic state there is no ‘light’ or dark’ HOWEVER there is blackness, representative of nothing. If we spin the proverbial chessboard then ‘White’ is everything. Riki himself is represented by the colour ‘White’ in the Batting Levelup Screen. We see Riki numerous times in this route sees rain as snow, and I also am very aware that rain is associated with many bad things happening (lots of that in Komari, starting with the death of the kitten in the gutter) and snow seems to share a similar purpose. Riki cannot venture out into the rain because it would overwhelm him, and he would remember the ‘whiteness’ (the accident in the snow).

So, to me… the tragedy of this route is compounded because the entire dialogue that Kurugaya and Riki have at the end of the route is about how they don’t want to be apart, but I believe that a) they already are apart and Riki doesn’t know it at this time, and b) he needs to understand the pain he’s feeling now for the ‘lesson’ of this arc to take effect. All of the hardship and pain that we’re watching Riki go through with his friends is nothing compared to the grief he will experience once his mind has gained enough strength to move out from his ‘sanctuary’ and confront the future. In order for Riki to complete this route he needs to move forward and accept the deaths of his friends. This ending really hurt to read after realizing that. The route teaches Riki that sadness is okay, and prepares him for the road ahead. A road that I can only hope the rest of the Busters are ready to support him on, whether or not they’re memories guiding him or spirits I don’t really mind at this point. The important thing is that Riki needs to change.

So, eight deaths, one traumatized Riki, a bunch of routes for him to try and piece things together… what am I missing?

Well, there’s this shot from the OP. Probably the only one that I have very little idea what it means. I’m having difficulty even identifying the characters and honestly I’m in a good place right now. I feel like I’m in a good place with the story and understanding the characters and themes is always my top priority. I’m not quite as interested in predicting events and story twists and such.

There is one more Key point I’d like to address before signing off, from @taka

To what extent do you feel Yuiko changes throughout the route, and by what means?

I think she gets better at expressing her emotions as Riki grows closer to her. They support each other and the final scene of the route is all about showing how they’ve helped each other to share their emotions and not be so walled-off. I think that Kurugaya’s statement that she’s never felt an emotion in her life is untrue, I think that this is just the first time she’s felt truly at ease, being able to put her own soul in the hands of the one she loves, hoping that he will give her a chance at happiness.

---

Sweet mother, that was a doozy to write up. I could probably go on and on about certain details but honestly I’d rather not go into into much further in this post. If there’s anything at all you’re curious of my perspective or interpretation on, either message me here or on Discord, or leave a reply. Send me a tweet, email me, throw me a letter via carrier pigeon, whatever you like really. I have had a wonderful time sorting through all of this and there’s so much more I could talk about with you guys.

NEXT UP: Best girl Haruchin route! Let’s see if I can do this again next week~

[HeliosAlpha]

Kurugaya laughing

16/5 - z0516_000849
https://puu.sh/yELEP.ogg

When Riki asks her out for tea - z5001_002376
https://puu.sh/yELEC.ogg

While she’s taking care of the sick Riki - z5003_000139
https://puu.sh/yELFk.ogg

---

While not perfectly linear, there’s definite progress there.

[MagusVerborum]

A slight addendum to the theory?

Riki's state

As much as I’m enjoying trying to find the most tragic outcome always, it’s entirely possible that we can make this a lot simpler by simply saying that Riki is the ‘Kami’ and this story is effectively his chance to go back to before he died and help the humans (the other Busters). Therefore rather than the lights being representative of Kami they are instead the souls that the Kami are helping. Which then leads me to believe that the 8 are everyone besides Riki and Kyousuke (because we all know he’s not human ) and then the ‘ripples’ that we see are actually Riki and/or Kyousuke and their influence on the other Busters. They are the ones who brought the Busters together, after all.

EDIT: Oh and, I just want to say right now. If Kud is a Shinto priest I will be so incredibly excited. If there is a straight-up "communicate with Kami’ scene in her route i will flip tables.

[Nav]

I just finished the route and it’s almost 2 in the morning, I really should do this tomorrow but I’m afraid I’ll forget.

Starting with my conclusion, Kurugaya is currently in 2nd place, close behind Haruka and in front of Mio.

This route really resonated with me on a personal level, if Haruka was my deepest and darkest inner-self, then Kurugaya would be everything that covers it up. She acts like she hasn’t a care in the world, spews suggestive jokes one after another and pretends to be dense on the subject of romantic feelings, but her shyness and reluctance to hurt others with her feelings eventually rise to the surface in front of Riki. I must admit I liked her 姉御 behavior better, but I would also say that this transformation of personality was one of the main points that made this character feel alive and relatable to myself.

I think she can still be

a woman in love who puts her newfound feelings above the rest of herself, desperately clinging to her true, new self

without taking away everything that made her “anego”.

I see the comments made about the “True end” to this route (I FELT like it was too short and incomplete pumps fist) but since I have yet to read it, I’ll answer based on what I can gather. I don’t feel like she dropped everything she was, but rather hid them in front of Riki, consciously or not. I’m not gonna go through the old “love changes a person” stuff, I just want to point out that we, as Riki, only observed her behavior in front of Riki, and not as a bystander.
(I can’t remember what I wanted to say exactly so I’ll give an example) I’m pretty sure most of you had a friend who had a gf/bf whom the friend acted gentlemanly/ladylike in front of, but as soon they separate, the friend would fuck the class over with you. No? Doesn’t ring any bells? Well I had a friend like that. Anyways back to the point, I’m just trying to say Kurugaya didn’t change drastically in front of others, only Riki.

This might feel strange but the music really added a lot into this route for me, not saying music dedicated nothing to the other routes, but on this particular occasion the BGM really shook my heart, when they watched fireworks in the classroom, when Kurugaya poured her heart out to Riki in the broadcasting room… all these scenes were elevated to a whole new level by the BGM. I don’t know if it’s because there were many hints towards music in this route or I simply didn’t pay enough attention to the BGM before (this is a possibility as the routes I read before this were all rather intense, whereas this one was relatively peaceful, so I might have been too immersed in the story for my ears to work properly). I’ll have to be sure to pay more attention to the music now.

Overall this was a fun little story to read, though with some, if not many, questions left unanswered. I’m really looking forward to reading Refrain, which should commence next Tuesday and then finishing Kurugaya’s true route.
I apologize for any errors that might have taken place, it’s 2:43 and I’m dead tired, g’night.

20 minutes after: I as a refined gentleman am resisting the urge to swear after pulling 3 Kurugayas from a booster pack right after finishing this post. Karma(?) hurts.

[Zosonte]

I’m pretty sure most of you had a friend who had a gf/bf whom the friend acted gentlemanly/ladylike in front of, but as soon they separate, the friend would fuck the class over with you. No? Doesn’t ring any bells? Well I had a friend like that.

I think a lot of people do this, just on a much more subtle level than Yuiko. Perhaps we all do it subconsciously; I know for sure I’m different on Kaza than I am in real life. I can’t really help it, but I try to merge these different pieces of me into the best version of myself. It may even be an integral part of human nature. Yuiko takes it to the extreme and shows it in a rather good way. It isn’t shown as a bad thing, really, instead it’s presented more as a coping mechanism for her insecurities that she has trouble dealing with. I think a lot of people can relate to this.

[machelmore]

I’m kind of over this point because I think Pepe addressed it really well

She is still and forever will be anego, but there will be times, when maybe nobody is watching, that she can find solace in being Yui-chan~

but I want to say to this

I don’t feel like she dropped everything she was, but rather hid them in front of Riki, consciously or not.

that she was already acting that way before she got the text from Riki. She was alone, and didn’t remember anything about Riki, so I don’t think this is a good angle to talk from.

[Takafumi]

I just want to point out that we, as Riki, only observed her behavior in front of Riki, and not as a bystander.

Yup. There are exceptions to this however, such as the moments where we hear Yuiko through the broadcast. She is far more open in those moments (though still reserved.)

I think a lot of people do this, just on a much more subtle level than Yuiko.

Self-plug.

I’m kind of over this point because I think Pepe addressed it really well

I disagree with the distinction between expression, but the overall idea is something I agree with. She’s just more open when she’s alone, and that is something shown throughout the route. However I don’t believe the “I hope he comes soon” scene is an example of this. I believe that version of Yuiko is someone noticeably different from the Yuiko we knew…

whether that is from changes in memory or progression of time or some of the other possible factors. The Yuiko we all know still exists, but so does the Yuiko we never got to see.

[Tidulimar]

Perhaps we all do it subconsciously; I know for sure I’m different on Kaza than I am in real life.

That’s pretty much what Persona means.
And it is a thing, yes.

[Echo]

So now that I’m done with Kurugaya’s route (finally) I’ll share my thoughts and views on the route.

I felt that out of the three full length routes I have read ( Mio, Komari, Kurugaya) this one centered around the element of romance the most.
Character development is certainly also there as Kurugaya slowly but surely begins to become more open about expressing her emotions.

From here, I’ll be talking about the end of the route since it was my favorite and most memorable part (along with my own summary of the route to explain why I like it) .

Through multiple common routes, Kurugaya simply appeared to me as a superior human being. Reading her route, I realized that she had one major flaw : inability to feel emotions.
She always thought of what it would be like to feel something but no matter how much she dreamt of it, she couldn’t find out how it would be.
Then, she came across the Little Busters ; they really looked like they were enjoying themselves. Kurugaya, using her superior analytical skills thought “If I join that group, maybe I can smile too”.
So she wished to be a part of the group and her dream came true. She was able to express all sorts of emotions ranging from happiness to frustration and finally learned to love somebody.
However, she soon realized that this was indeed a dream which would be forgotten when she wakes up so she wished once again for things to stay that way forever. She was scared that she wouldn’t be able to love Riki the way she did in her dream.
Then finally she realized that emotions are different from memories. Although memories disappear with time, emotions will not fade.
Thinking this, the Alice in Wonderland woke up from her long dream. She doesn’t remember who the “he” is but she still knows that she loves “him” and forever will.

So that’s my take on the story and taking just the ending into account, I could understand it as time reverting back to the point Kurugaya hadn’t joined the Little Busters.
I liked the ending because it implies that by returning to the point of time they (Riki and Kurugaya) are yet to meet each other, the end to their relationship isn’t an end but a new beginning (or that’s the feeling I got).
With that, this route made me re-think that an end to something can be a beautiful one. About a year or so back :

Something that happened to Echo

After breaking up with a girl, I was too scared to start any new relationships (let it be friendship or love) due to the fear of it ending.

However, this route made me realize that I won’t get anywhere with that thinking process and that even at the end of anything, there was a new journey ahead. It was nice and motivational seeing Riki face forward each time he was in a difficult situation .

CLANNAD reference (not really)

Bad Ends

So the first bad end of the route isn’t something I will comment on ( it’s just Masato) and the 2nd bad end also didn’t make sense to me.
It turns out that the 2nd bad end is actually the 3rd bad end and if only makes sense if the reader read all the way to the end.

How I interpreted the bad end was that if Riki chooses to forget about the confession and therefore his feelings for Kurugaya, he can no longer be a part of her dream as her dream ends there.
Why I think this way is because it’s revealed that although Kurugaya turned Riki down, she actually does hold feelings for him but is actually just worried. Since her dream is to be able to understand love, the moment that condition isn’t satisfied can be seen as when her dream ends.

Another way I could see this was the dream never stopping and Riki being stuck in 20th June forever as he also became a natural part of the time loop.

Please tell me what you think.

Baka trio

^interesting choices… What did you guys pick?

Personally, I felt that Masato Kengo and Kyosuke were really interesting and important in this route.
They helped Riki during the time he was being harassed. They also helped Riki realize that he is indeed in love with Kurugaya and also helped him to hook up and unintentionally ( well done though ) helped in Kurugaya’s journey to find emotions.

Maybe that is also the reason they were affected deeply by the timeloop; it was because their involvement was very great in helping Kurugaya achieve her dreams.

So with all that there, I really enjoyed the route. It didn’t hit as emotionally as Komari’s route but it certainly had a different kind of punch packed in it.

Also :

What’s the meaning behind Kurugaya’s broadcasts that supposedly nobody can hear?

I’m not sure about the meaning but if it were the reason nobody can hear it, I would say it is because both the broadcast and the “everybody” are both parts of Kurugaya’s dreams.
Now you might tell me that it should be easier to hear it for them then but this is my theory :
If we don’t view the dream as one whole video but as a collection of multiple film tapes, looped endlessly, then the broadcast can be considered as tape 1 and the “everybody” can be considered as “tape 2” They both are certainly playing but interaction between the two are impossible.
This would also be why Riki as an outsider is the only one capapble of listening to the broadcast (other than Kurugaya), it’s because as a third party not a part of either tapes, you can watch the two videos unfold simultaneously.

[Nav]

she had one major flaw : inability to feel emotions

The moment when Kurugaya told Riki this, connected with her superiority in (all) other fields, she gave me one of those generic robot girl vibes you would find in other fantasy/sci-fi material, those always played around with the idea of trying to feel emotions.
But I soon realised that is not the case here, as she has already found her emotions and the Little Busters were who helped to find them. The main conflict in this route would be their struggle against fate (I feel like “the predetermined outcome” is the phrase to use here, but ehh) , which in all honesty wasn’t that important or interesting because they basically had no way to change that outcome. So I’ll have to echo your line and say that the ending was my favorite and most memorable part too. It was the climax of the story, a real beautiful one at that, and it would also back the guys up there saying this route is incomplete, since there are few good stories that end in a climax, so I would expect a resolve of this conflict post-refrain.

the end to their relationship isn’t an end but a new beginning

Oh man this could be what the true end’s about, like if they remembered each other in this timeline. Cuz y’know, losing memories is the start of regaining them (in VNs, said by me).

If we don’t view the dream as one whole video but as a collection of multiple film tapes

I would say it’s more of a “Players versus NPCs” situation, sure the other students don’t give a fk about Riki, but Riki adjusts his behavior when he realised this.
Also the weather and the broadcasting room seem to be on a level of their own for whatever reason, the “snowing in June” part is most likely because they were trapped in this loop for a couple of months but since the weather kept going it started to snow (or purely coincidental freak weather). And the “pulling out wires but broadcast doesn’t stop” part would be a consequence of the disconnection between the room and the broadcast (the soundwaves) itself.

[machelmore]

Right, since we seem to be unable to come to a consensus, and even on an individual level I’m not sure what my stance is on this, let’s dump the question on the podcasters:

Is the Kurugaya in the final scene really the Kurugaya we know? How and why is she different?