notes on the bad end -
This version of Souji opted in December to push Namatame into the TV.
There's both a simple reason and a complicated reason for his decision to do so. The simple reason was that Namatame was responsible for Nanako's death, and Souji snapped.
Anyone in his position could have gone this way. It's a very human response to want revenge for the death of someone you love.
The complicated reason, which deals with why Souji snapped, has to deal with his personality. Souji's generally seen as an extremely stable, level-headed kind of guy. He's compassionate, he's a good listener, he's a problem-solver, he deals with things efficiently and Gets the Job Done. It's why he's the leader, after all.
But everyone has limits.
The key point here that becomes relevant is that Souji has a history of being shuffled from town to town thanks to his parents' work. Moving with such frequency can teach someone like Souji how to make friends quickly but not deeply - it's a survival skill you pick up in order to fit in, adapt in a new environment, and when that mode of living is the norm, it becomes a very basic part of your personality. After all, what's the point in making a serious emotional investment when you know you're going to pick up and move soon?
Being a Good Kid is part of that survival. Souji knows the proper things to say, and he knows how to get along with people, but for the most part, it's kind of on a superficial level. Souji's manner is polite and friendly but not overly warm - a little distant. There are several times at the beginning of the game where he's called out on being "too formal," for example. But that's not to say Souji doesn't care about people - he does! Very much so - who would take up an amateur murder investigation if they didn't care about seeking justice for the victims? (Or truth, whichever the case may be.) He's shown throughout the game's events to be helpful and compassionate - it just takes a little effort to break past the distance he places between himself and other people.
Or at least that's how it was until his stay in Inaba. One of the main things Souji started to learn during that year was how to make lasting bonds with people (i.e., S.Links). He took a chance, see - he opened up and let people in to his heart and it was amazing. It was satisfying. It helped him grow as a person, discover parts of himself that had previously been hidden.
And when it all came crashing down - when Nanako died - it was worse than horrible.
Souji couldn't help feeling partially responsible for her death. If he hadn't gotten involved, if he'd only ignored the weird TV World and let the police do their job (ineffectively, yes, he knew that), if only he'd kept to himself and not cared so much about helping people, about unraveling the mystery and finding the truth, if only ... if only ... Nanako would still be alive.
So Souji circa the Bad Ending is Souji who's gone back in this shell of superficial relationships and formality. He's quit caring about the truth, and about making lasting bonds with other people, too. Why bother when it's only bound to lead to heartbreak?
Click to viewThere's both a simple reason and a complicated reason for his decision to do so. The simple reason was that Namatame was responsible for Nanako's death, and Souji snapped.
Anyone in his position could have gone this way. It's a very human response to want revenge for the death of someone you love.
The complicated reason, which deals with why Souji snapped, has to deal with his personality. Souji's generally seen as an extremely stable, level-headed kind of guy. He's compassionate, he's a good listener, he's a problem-solver, he deals with things efficiently and Gets the Job Done. It's why he's the leader, after all.
But everyone has limits.
The key point here that becomes relevant is that Souji has a history of being shuffled from town to town thanks to his parents' work. Moving with such frequency can teach someone like Souji how to make friends quickly but not deeply - it's a survival skill you pick up in order to fit in, adapt in a new environment, and when that mode of living is the norm, it becomes a very basic part of your personality. After all, what's the point in making a serious emotional investment when you know you're going to pick up and move soon?
Being a Good Kid is part of that survival. Souji knows the proper things to say, and he knows how to get along with people, but for the most part, it's kind of on a superficial level. Souji's manner is polite and friendly but not overly warm - a little distant. There are several times at the beginning of the game where he's called out on being "too formal," for example. But that's not to say Souji doesn't care about people - he does! Very much so - who would take up an amateur murder investigation if they didn't care about seeking justice for the victims? (Or truth, whichever the case may be.) He's shown throughout the game's events to be helpful and compassionate - it just takes a little effort to break past the distance he places between himself and other people.
Or at least that's how it was until his stay in Inaba. One of the main things Souji started to learn during that year was how to make lasting bonds with people (i.e., S.Links). He took a chance, see - he opened up and let people in to his heart and it was amazing. It was satisfying. It helped him grow as a person, discover parts of himself that had previously been hidden.
And when it all came crashing down - when Nanako died - it was worse than horrible.
Souji couldn't help feeling partially responsible for her death. If he hadn't gotten involved, if he'd only ignored the weird TV World and let the police do their job (ineffectively, yes, he knew that), if only he'd kept to himself and not cared so much about helping people, about unraveling the mystery and finding the truth, if only ... if only ... Nanako would still be alive.
So Souji circa the Bad Ending is Souji who's gone back in this shell of superficial relationships and formality. He's quit caring about the truth, and about making lasting bonds with other people, too. Why bother when it's only bound to lead to heartbreak?