Mutsumi Suginami Appreciation Topic

Key Discussion
#71

…that’s really not what I was going for, though.

I was getting at something different.

So let’s say that at some point, while Takamiya’s and Mutsumi’s merry bunch of friends was doing well, some good-for-nothings started bullying Mutsumi. Her friends stepped in, but…

[quote=“Naoki_Saten, post:61, topic:276”]
"Fine, broadcast whatever you want. But if you do, I’ll make your friends’ lives a living hell. You’re all such a merry bunch of friends, eh? You have NO idea how many ways there are to ruin that paradise."[/quote]

The bullys started targeting other members of that group… until said group fell apart and what remained were only Mutsumi, Takamiya and Katsusawa. Sound familiar? ^^

http://puu.sh/8w87m

Like this, you can reduce Takamiya’s antagonist level: by showing them it’s not her supposedly evil mind that came up with those ‘cheap tricks’, but instead, her own friends were once subjected to such treatment.
It’s a scenario that would explain Takamiya’s and Katsusawa’s bitterness, their delinquent-like behavior (school life became hateworthy) and their loathing of Kurugaya as well as the Little Busters in general, while making them easier to relate to.

(There’s also the option of shortening the whole thing and saying that Kurugaya rejecting Takamiya’s invitation was the cause of her group falling apart.
However, Kurugaya was referring to that group as a ‘Pack of monkeys’, indicating they were up to no good, so I wouldn’t recommend that)

#72

Pssh, why sympathize them.
Let bitches be whores.

#73

First, stop using such vulgar language
Second, stop using misleading terminology. They were bullying people, not selling their bodies
Third, the author who made them look evil was Key’s plothole master
Fourth, if those two would be pictured as pure evil in Suginami’s route, they would be much more troublesome and hard to use for the plot. You’d have to write a lot of text just for the sake of explaining how such malicious characters ended up in the position they’re currently at. Also, one-dimensional dumb villain characters are boring.

#74

First: But it’s le funny memay.
Second: See above, ‘bitches and whores’ is a thing.
Third: Too bad, it’s canon.
Fourth: And I think MUH TRAGIC BACKSTORY villains are boring.

2 Likes
#75

The tragic backstory is that Suginami caused her group to be bullied in the past, and now she is being bullied by her own friends. It explains a bit while giving a tragic backstory to Suginami.

#76

Theory 1:
http://puu.sh/8wsPo.jpg[]

Theory 2:
Riki is obviously very feminine and meek. He can effortlessly approach girls and talk to them completely naturally. Girls instantly drop their guard around him (heck, most of them don’t even think about putting it up in the first place) because he’s giving off that “absolutely harmless” aura. Their next thought is “He’s kinda cute”.
So then, when he pretty much starts off at a range where he can fire off point-blank shots, any little triviality will do.
Spending enough time with the girl to make his presence as natural as air, a cool line, a bright smile or even something as simple as picking up her eraser is enough to flip the romance switch. Remember how it was with Kud? She got a crush on him pretty much on the same day they met because he was the only one to not laugh at her name.
I bet it was something similarly simple in Mutsumi’s case.

The motherly feelings thing sounds plausible when the target is a ‘mature’ type.

1 Like
Little Busters! - Riki Naoe Character Discussion
#77

I felt like I mighta been alone on the whole ‘why do they have to have dramatic stories or good sides’ thing.

I think I feel better that they actually just end up being genuinely awful people. Those people do exist.
It’s more realistic to me.

1 Like
#78

AMAZING!!! I’d rally, REALLY play her route

So much love!

#79

I still think that her friends should have little to no bearing on her story. It could easily be made that they are whores and bitches as part of the setting, without having to explain anything. As bizkit said, [quote=“Bizkitdoh, post:77, topic:276”]
Those people do exist.It’s more realistic to me.
[/quote]

On the other hand, you could set up a tragic backstory as well, and give people more insight to their group for extra woobie factor.

But, at the end of the day, her route should be about one thing:
Her unrequited desire to be with Riki.

Everything else is just sidetracking from that

#80

There’s no reason the route can’t be multi-faceted. Suginami’s feelings for Riki are just one small element of the bigger picture in my plan.

Also, if you hate tragic backstories, why are you into Key? Haha. It certainly matches the style more.

Here’s my thought. The girls are presented as villains, or ‘bitches’ in Little Busters. I don’t intended to mess with that. They are pretty horrible people. Instead, what I want is to create a situation where its possible to sympathise with them despite that fact. A Suginami route presents the unique possibility in Little Busters of presenting a story outside of the happy supportive Little Busters, and from a more harsh and cold side.

Here’s a question for you guys. If this group was formed around some cocurricular club, what do you think it would be? I could almost imagine a band, but Suginami is so plain she doesn’t seem to fit into any club I can think of…

1 Like
#81
  1. They’re ‘villains’.
  2. It seems cliche to me. I didn’t say hate. Just seems so- ~Sasuga~. Not really complaining. Just a preference with this specific thing.

As long as there’s no sympathizing with their distaste in the Little Busters- I’m fine. But anything with that just won’t sit right with me.

#82

They don’t need to be pictured as wonderful people. It’s not like this is about bending the situation to make it seem like all their evildoings were just an unfortunate misunderstanding.

But I’d like to avoid having them remain one-dimensional villain characters who are evil just because that’s their role and sole purpose. People who are evil for the sake of being evil are kindergarten-level characters.
Believable characters have a background, a personality and reasons for doing what they’re doing and how they became the way they are.
Some kids get violent because of family issues.
Some kids start bullying others because they’re afraid they might get bullied, so they strike first.
Some kids rebel because they can’t keep up with their studies.
Some kids just want more attention.

A tragic backstory for Takamiya and Katsusawa is not the only way to go. My suggestion is merely making good use of the material at hand, incorporating Katsusawa’s threats directly into her backstory, thus creating a connection, as well as delivering some plausible explanations for their current situation.

1 Like
#83

I don’t think you understood me.

They can have a story that grows them into awful people due to weaknesses or poor choices- But ‘sympathizing’ with them other than feeling somewhat bad for whatever their past was that created their foul attitudes won’t work -for me-. It’s the sympathizing part that doesn’t cut it -for me-.

Could have just left it at this, dude.

#84

Generally when writers give a villain character a sad backstory, it’s not so that the reader sympathizes, it’s to add depth to the character.

2 Likes
#85

That was what I was saying. Adding to them is fine. I understand that.
I was replying to the idea of sympathy though, which has been brought up many times.
I know it’s not supposed to be for sympathy- That’s the point I was making.

#86

It’s not that I dislike tragic backstories but I feel that the backstory you guys are getting at are more to show what happened to Takamiya and Katsusawa and why they do those things.

What I mean is whether or not tragic backstory happens, Suginami’s personality and character depth would remain the same, IMO. Unless you fit in that the theoretical bullying is what caused her to be shy in the first place.
Otherwise, character depth for the other two, I feel, don’t really add benefit to the story.

1 Like
#87

That’s a valid point. If Mutsumi’s role in this backstory is too small, then the backstory is taking up more space than it’s worth. We can’t have Mutsumi standing in the background while some other characters are stepping into the spotlight in her own route, now can we? xD

1 Like
#88

But you are forgetting that Suginami is central to this backstory, and will probably be told from Suginami’s perspective as there is no other way of seamlessly fitting it into the story in a Key fashion.
I think you are focusing on the wrong part of the thread’s ideas.

Big happy group > Suginami is bullied > her friends start to get bullied as well > friends blame Suginami > group falls apart > Katsusawa, Takamiya and Yamazaki keep her around for some reason (most likely as a scapegoat) > Little Busters storyline.

The idea focuses on Suginami a lot. The only development of the others would be through things they utter behind Suginami’s back during the flashback.

#89

But that still doesn’t change anything about Mutsumi.

Even with Mutsumi at the center of the story, told from her perspective, nothing about her would change. If we say she used to be bullied, there’s nothing new to it. It’s obvious that she’s a victim-type. The way the reader perceives her would remain unchanged (Pitying Mutsumi is already a thing).

So this backstory has little use unless it introduces some changes to her character, directly or indirectly.
For example, what Pepe said, if Mutsumi’s current personality is the result of bullying. Or maybe if she has now decided to not make new friends because she’s afraid they would get targeted by whoever feels like bullying her. Or if Mutsumi is unable to make new friends because their shared experiences made Takamiya and Katsusawa distrustful and rotten to the point where they always start bullying anyone who comes near her (an issue which would need to be resolved during her route. It’s admittedly very indirect, though).

#90

Girl wants a group of friends - Has traumatic past and feels that anyone that gets close to her will be bullied and taken away from her. She starts a relationship with Riki, but then starts to get hesitant about it. Naturally, Riki wants to know why, and wants Suginami to trust him.
You say we don’t learn anything new about her… but that’s wrong. What is the obvious regret of a shy girl? Shyness, of course~ What is the backstory? It is a reason for her shy behavior. If you know the reason, you can help.

Why does the backstory have to directly influence Suginami’s current character? Why can’t it influence Riki, who then influences Suginami’s character?
Riki saying he wouldn’t leave her even if he was bullied could be the main idea, but he’d have to stand up and prove it.

Don’t forget that Litbus routes are about Riki growing stronger alongside the heroines.