[Thinking While Gaming] Narciussu's Setsumi (Character Study)

After Himeko's character study few days ago, I decided to write one for the other heroine, to have a wholer picture of Narcissu. Thanks for the suggestion @theironfelix.

Setsumi the heroine of Narcissu 1 and the Protagonist/POV character of the Prequel. The ill girl who has lived her life waiting and took the role of passive observer in life.

Since she was admitted to the hospital years ago, her life outside it deceased gradually. She watched as her friends turned into acquaintances and then to strangers. Being around her was unpleasant, she knew. And every time she saw her parents the guilt consumed her.

Until they sent her to the 7th floor, a place where people wait for their death.

Setsumi learned from her experiences that its easier to not wish to be normal, if she didn't hope for life either way. Death won't be as painful.

If I called Himeko a strong woman in my previous post,
Setsumi will be the completely weak girl.

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Spoilers Below

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A Chance Meeting

When we see her in the prequel, she was still an outpatient. But she was already broken, pessimistic and passive. She looked at children playing in the park with jealousy and longing, knowing she won't ever be like them.

Her parents overwork to earn her treatment fees, she only sees her mother rarely don't see her father anymore. Setsumi was less pained by illness and much more pained by her parents love.

Setsumi met Himeko by chance and got attracted by how nonchalantly the woman treated her own near death.

Himeko forced Setsumi to become her "friend," she taught her that kindness isn't about considering the feeling of others, but considering the best for them even if it'll lead to conflict. She also told her about those leaving the world, and those who are left behind.

"The voices of those who have fallen to the hole, can't reach those waling the surface. But you're different. You're still falling... There's a chance that you'll climb back up."
-- Himeko

After Himeko's death, Setsumi became interested in flowers, cars, maps and other things she saw Himeko talk about or use.

The Final Journey

Next time we see Setsumi chronically is in Narcissu 1.

After seven years the girl was noticably weaker, shows less emotions and more detached from life. She was in her second time on the 7th floor and the third time will be the last... Setsumi the passive observer who lost her hope in life, hated how she can't control where to die.

She met the Protagonist there, who was as socially awkward and hopeless as her, but more active. She taught him the rules of the 7th floor and then kept her conversations with him at minimum, giving one word answers, mostly "Not really."

As I see it, she wanted to have as little effect on the world as possible, more so on a person who's leaving the world soon like her. The only conversation she took part in when he asked about the flowers on the window, Daffodils/Narcissi. The same flower Himeko planted but died before they bloom.

One day he asked her if she'd run away from the hospital with him. She didn't refuse, took her medicine with her and ran away.

She knew how to get out of the hospital unnoticed, Himeko taught her years ago. And she hated the 7th floor... I think she tried to run not once but many times before his offer. But she didn't have anywhere else to go.

So they both went on a journey, without a goal at first, but as the boy learned she memories the maps they decided to go to Awaji island, home of the Narcissi field they saw in the television.

Stealing is Serious Business

Through their journey it appears that Setsumi is Morally indifferent. The boy stole his father's car, clothes and money for them. Not only she didn't question him, She didn't tell him she had money until he couldn't run away with it once. And she justified it by "You didn't ask."

Unlike the protagonist who had shown immense guilt and hesitation as he stole things, doing so only because he believed he didn't have any choice. She didn't show any emotion on the matter.

I felt that scene implies how much she don't want to affect the world around her
not caring if it's for better or worse.

But since the money envelope was given to her by Himeko seven years ago, and it appears unused all these years. I believe she didn't intend to ever use that money, maybe she taught of giving the money to him each time, but as conflicted she was... She only did that when he was caught.

The Professor

While Setsumi don't appear to be smart, she does have a good memory and observation skills, she amazed the protagonist with how she knows the names and details of all the cars they pass in their journey, she identifed which subfamily each flower they encountered. And she have some knowledge of methodology.

Himeko once refereed Setsumi as professor croquette, because she can tell apart the difference in its flavor from the slight variations in color.

This girl is amazing...
I thought.

But she doesn't feel proud of it. It's not like she worked hard to gain that knowledge, Setsumi just had too much free time. Even if she have this knowledge of the trivia, she won't be able to use it for anything.

That isn't fair...
I thought.

Sometimes I wonder if Setsumi was born at a different time, or different place.
Someone like her could feel important in the age of the internet...
Instead of being locked in the hospital without hope for interacting with real people.

Echo to Life

Narcissus, the man who was loved by all.
Echo who loved him but she was cursed to not speak any words of her own, she can only finish what others says before her.
Echo loved Narcissus but couldn't tell him unless he says it first.
So, She cursed him like she herself was cursed, and she disappeared.
He fell in love with his image reflected in the river...
He looked at his reflection until he disappeared.
A white flower bloomed in his place.
The Flower of Narcissus.
-- Metamorphoses

Setsumi dies at the end of the story...
After the medicine they took ran out, she commits suicide.

In the story, the protagonist didn't do anything to prevent her, he only asked her if she wanted him to stop her. Narcissu as a game didn't tell us if that was the right or the wrong thing to do.

I believe she did wrong,
I believe the protagonist was terrible when he didn't prevent her from dying...

But as a story, I like Narcissu... As a character, I could relate to Setsumi and her inability to live or hope for anything. In her final day she let it all go, when she was sent to the 7th floor and she knew she was going to die. Setsumi didn't feel sad or anything, because she already gave up all hope in a normal life by then.

Setsumi said that she gave up hoping of recovery because it's painful to have her hopes crushed by reality... She knew she might get better if she tried, but she was too weak and afraid of failure to have hope...

I can relate...
There are people are like that in real life,
she's just a tragic, extreme case.

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Conclusion

Narcissu isn't about telling us what's the right way to live, it's about putting us in the shoes of those who hadn't had the chance of living their life the right way... What would we do if we were there? What it is like to have your life doors closed on you, with no chance to return.

I see Setsumi as a good example of someone who saw no future of themselves, and never met anyone that tried to change that. (I wonder what would have happened if Himeko wasn't on death's door when the two met.) Lived in a society that tells you to live but don't tell you to become a human.

She didn't meet the sort of person that lets her know she has a good side,
even the protagonist was as apathetic toward life as her...

It's really a tragedy...
A tragedy that might have happened thousands time in the real world,
and we all have the power to,
and should all prevent.

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What do you think?

~ Thanks for reading this post, and wish to see your comments ~

Makes me want to write more.

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All images are screenshots from Narcissu 10th Anniversary Project on steam.