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Name: Xander
Personal LJ: candybottle
Contact Info: ( aim ) seafoaming / ( plurk ) oneesan ( email ) / cornerbeauty@gmail.com
Character Name: Itsuki Koizumi
Character Series: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Background: Right here.
Point in Canon: Post-Where Did The Cat Go? A timeline of the series can be viewed here, as simply saying "Light Novel 6" really isn't sufficient since the series isn't... in chronological order, really. No, it really doesn't make much, if any, sense.
Personality: Explaining Itsuki Koizumi in a single word is a rather difficult task. It isn't because he's a difficult person himself, actually. You see, it's true that there are words that can describe him, and Kyon would very much describe him as "annoying", but they really aren't enough. Yes, annoying can apply. Itsuki talks way too much, opting to take the long route instead of the short-cut. He likes to ramble on, and on, and on, and on, and generally about some topic you wouldn't assume a teenager would care much about. He tries to be a philosopher -- he'll rant about some theories about how the world came to exist, question things in a roundabout way, and in general talk your ear off with confusing chatter. When something happens, he's eager to offer up his own explanation, and he even once said some pretty heavy stuff about Mikuru. He followed it up with what is practically his catchphrase: "Just kidding."
Not to mention, he is Haruhi's Yes Man. She says "Jump!" and he asks "How high, Miss Suzumiya?" This is because his job is keeping the world stable, as much as he can, and pleasing Haruhi generally keeps those damnable Closed Space from forming. There's a reason to it, sure, but considering Haruhi's... behavior, it's still not the best attribute to have. For example, he shrugs off Haruhi's constant abuse of Mikuru, saying that even though he feels bad, it keeps Haruhi happy. He encourages her ideas, even if they're not quite so great, and calls her charming -- even loveable. He is, in fact, very smart. He knows a lot about topics you wouldn't assume a teenager has any interest in, generally philosophy, but he can keep up with Nagato at times, too.
Yeah, "annoying" works pretty well.
But again, it's not enough. Perhaps you would be inclined to select "polite" as a one-word-descriptor. Again, not incorrect! Itsuki talks in Keigo, for example. Japanese, being -- y'know -- a language and all, is complex. There are different kinds of speeches in it, dialects, too. Keigo is incredibly polite, and Itsuki constantly speaks in it. He's incredibly polite, but, well, polite is polite. He doesn't really have that sort-of warmness about him that would make that politeness special; Itsuki's a good kid, for the most part (really!) and he says his 'please's and 'thank you's like a good kid. But, well, this leads us to our third word.
Plastic. Itsuki's smile is often described as plastic, and as a matter of fact, that can blatantly be seen in the movie adaption of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. The Alternate Koizumi is still very much a smiler, very much a polite guy-- but it's worth noting that his smiles are never quite so... phony. He tends to have more of a smirk going on, as opposed to a fake but friendly grin. This is due to the fact that Itsuki, in his own words, wears a mask. Itsuki is supposed to act as Haruhi expects a mysterious transfer student to. He's polite, quiet, constantly smiling, but he never quite opens up. He's not an anomaly, he's just... well, he's got a role to play, essentially. This is perhaps his greatest fault; he is very attractive and welcoming, but it isn't really himself. He believes his true character is much more unpleasant. There is a joke here, though, he later tells Kyon that he would betray the Organization for the SOS Brigade.
That's because Itsuki is also reliable. True, he wears a mask, but you can trust him to handle things... in his own way. Haruhi relies on him, twice, to set up co-ed visits for the Brigade, with the second trip being a sort of play he puts on. He orchestrates a murder mystery as entertainment, which is to say, Haruhi trusted him to come up with an interesting murder mystery. Immediately following the conclusion of the game, Haruhi insists he plan another one. He agonized over every detail, to the point that Kyon said he could have just given everyone a script, and it worked out. The guy is pretty loyal, even if he can be a right pain. He even vehemently defends Haruhi when Kyon calls her a trouble maker -- when she really, truly is. He would know that better than anyone, as an Esper. That doesn't stop him from insisting Haruhi isn't a problem, and that she's doing much, much better than she had been, and it was all thanks to Kyon!
Yeah, his job forces him to essentially shove Kyon and Haruhi together as much as he can, as his job is, basically, saving the world. Itsuki might as well be a magical girl, all he needs is a transformation sequence. (Shamisen is already a talking cat, after all. Or, well, was a talking cat.) Since Kyon stabilizes Haruhi, keeping her from creating Closed Space, it's in the world's best interest that Haruhi and Kyon stay together. Or so he says.
Regardless of how annoying he can be -- he's a chatterbox, he's prone to teasing, getting really, unnecessarily close, allowing Haruhi to (usually) do as she pleases, making ridiculous hand movements, -- he's the Vice Commander of the SOS Brigade. You wouldn't guess it, but he's incredibly dedicated to the Brigade. They're his friends. He explicitly says as much in The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya. He does admit he's not convinced of Mikuru Asahina's future self, though, but to be completely fair, even Kyon (Head Priest of the Church of Asahina) admits Future-Mikuru Asahina is.... dodgy at best.
Itsuki Koizumi is the Mysterious Transfer Student-- obeying Haruhi by daylight, fighting blue giants by moonlight.
Sample Entry: There is a specific part of the brain that stores memories. [ He doesn't even bother -- he just rolls right into it, hands in his lap, legs crossed, a smile on his face. ]
The limbic system is... about -- [ He taps the not-quite-top of his head with a grin. ] here. Well, around here. It's a set of brain structures including the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, septum, limbic cortex and fornix, which support a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, long term memory, and olfaction. By now, I'm sure most of us are familiar with amnesia. It's a condition in which one's memory is lost. [ He makes a gesture with his hand, flicking it, then joining his hands together again and placing his elbows on the table. ]
The causes of amnesia can be split up into different categories. Supposedly, they can be any condition that interferes with the functions of this particular system. [ He pauses, smile never faultering. ] For example, mental disorders, post-traumatic stress, and defense mechanisms. [ Another pause. Just to let that sink in. Then, he leans back, unlinking his hands. He holds up a hand -- two fingers out. ]
There are, in fact, two different kinds of amnesia. [ One finger goes down. ] Antereograde amnesia, and... [ The other raises once again. ] retrograde amnesia. [ He gestures with that same hand. The guy is practically talking with his hands. ] Retrograde amnesia is the loss of pre-existing memories to conscious recollection, beyond an ordinary degree of forgetfulness. Think of it like a full tea pot. The liquid can be poured into a cup, essentially removing the tea. However, the tea can be replaced. Though, it isn't generally seen as good manners to pour tea back into a tea pot. [ He chuckles. ]
Memories can be categorized as well... procedural memory can be automated skills, where as more personal memories like your name, or a specific episode that occured to you, those are classified as declarative memory. Only one is generally affected. Let's say a man forgets things like his name, address, family, who he is, where he's been in his life, and everything that's ever happened in his life that has made him into the person he presently is. However, he learned piano at some point in his life. The tim e at which he learned this skill isn't really important. He learned it, that's what matters. He doesn't forget how to play piano. In fact, he plays just as well as he had without his amnesia. Personal details are declarative memories. Something like being able to play an instrument is a learned skill, so it falls under procedural memories. The tea that was poured into the cup was his declarative memories, so to speak.
As I said, there are a lot of causes for amnesia. Stress, trauma, mental disorders... [ his words linger for a moment. ] Well, the possibilites are endless. I can't help but wonder... if I'm forgetting all these things in response to something else.
... Sorry, I was just kidding.