Chisei about: High Patriarch + Chime
Some context on the Manhua: Chisei, after returning from the Mariana Trench mission and unable to find the Cassel team, he returns to Hydra. Masamune appoints him High Patriarch without prior notice.
You can read my translation (((here!))) Disclaimer, I don’t speak the language but I did my absolute best to translate it clearly!! :,)
I think that the game really hurts Chisei’s image in the eyes of the player, most people write him off quickly. Part of this is because we don’t get to see his perspective all too often, we view him from the trio’s eyes and Chime’s eyes. “That asshole who betrayed me!”. MC is often seen trailing Chisei just because certain scenes he did without the Cassel team. Execution of Akira Sakurai was a side job before meeting with the Cassel Team, elimination of Kogure Sakurai + two other devils was a whole operation post Mariana Trench. and if I recall correctly we don’t hear his inner thoughts until much later. But in the Manhua we’re always hearing his perspective because he’s a POV character.
Hydra: Why the hell did they betray us?
the game imo, fails to communicate this properly. Masamune says he wanted to get rid of us, but why? I literally could not tell you, only thing I could think of was he knows MC KNOWS things and wanted to bury his past. In the Manhua he explains to Chisei that the decision was influenced by the fear of Cassel catching wind of their heritage: All families in Hydra are descendants of the Light King, but according to the rules they buy all means are Devils. Hypocritical when you consider HYDRA’S treatment of Devils, but that’s another topic. This explanation is short and to the point. In game there’s mostly facts scattered around and if you don’t pay attention you could miss it. I recall Nono saying the Japan Division is secretive, Chisei’s panic trying to get the trio to not interact with Erii, in the mural hall where Caesar and Johann discover that young chief Chisei is the Emperor Hybrid. In game it’s just not made very clear what was going on, so understandably people were pretty confused.
Why did Chisei go back on his word? Ok so.. That’s a question for the Mariana Trench post. But you can see in these pages he’s very against the idea of killing the Cassel Team, he didn’t even know Hydra was going to turn against the college. In game he even says things like “I wish.. we could have been friends.”
“what do I say to them?”. basically a lot of things where he just desperately wants to have friends. So more on that in that post :^)
Chisei: about why he wants to get away from the Hydras
In game, Chisei’s Ally chats are what reveals many of these thoughts. I think a really significant one is his first journal entry, “Every little part of that palace reminds me of a reality I’d rather forget- “You’re a sovereign, Amateratsu-blessed young master, heir to the High Patriarch, but you’re not Chisei Gen himself.”
We know that he’d rather be selling sunscreen on a beach. In the Main Story we don’t directly hear about what he did to Chime. However in the ally chat: Meteor Shower he briefly talks about it.
While I like this use of ally chats it makes me sad because I totally wrote him off and refused to interact with him until I learnt more about Chisei. This conversation feels integral to understanding him and why he does what he does. The manhua makes it clear that he has a lot of leftover guilt from killing Chime, above all the worst thing he’s ever had to do.
Through out the Manhua Chisei either briefly thinks about or mentions Chime. Notably, in the chapter I’m talking about, once when he sees Kogure Sakurai and again at the hall of murals when he stabs himself to kill a Death servitor. I can see he thinks of Chime in game but it’s not as blatantly obvious. Subtle things like “Some one once told me that.” “I too, wanted to be on the side of justice…”
There’s not as much to say about this one since a “scene” doesn’t exist in game. But let me tell you, Mariana Trench and Hall of Murals fight were done SooooOOoo o dirty. I guess my final thoughts on this is that:
It was a scene I really wish remained in the game’s adaptation, it exists- but as fragments scattered across chats, moments and journal entries. It’s fun to learn, but also admittedly, a good tactic to keep players who like the characters interested. But as a side effect it makes people feel confused about the game’s story, and now that I’d pieced things together I… really like the story even if it absolutely breaks my heart. So it upsets me knowing that the game will probably be everyone’s first exposure to the story… Manhua is better but I like playing the game bc I get to interact with these characters.
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I’m going to do Mariana Trench next, I just think it’s a good read and will provide more context for Hall of Murals when I get to that. But it’s certainly going to take a great deal longer, but 100% worth it because I love Chisei more now lol.
