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This article is about a character in Higurashi When They Cry. |
Tatsuyoshi Kasai (葛西 辰由 Kasai Tatsuyoshi) is a bodyguard who works for the Sonozaki Family and is frequently seen with Shion. He first appears in Meakashi.
Profile
An executive of the Sonozaki Corps.
He often works for Shion as a chaperone.
He looks mild-mannered, but rumor says he's got many heroic stories from his youth.
He has a sweet tooth and is a heavy drinker.
(Translated from 07th Expansion's website.)
It's too early to call him elderly, a man who looks good with sunglasses and a suit.
He often works as a chaperone for that mischievous Shion.
(Translated from Entergram's Higurashi Hou website.)Appearance
Kasai has brown hair, a goatee, and always wears a pair of sunglasses. He wears a black suit, white shirt and multicolored tie. In the PS2 and console artwork, Kasai has a red checkered tie while in the MangaGamer artwork there are white skulls on it.
Personality
Kasai has a very threatening aura and appearance, but he is actually very nice and soft-spoken. He likes to eat desserts and seems embarrassed to request them at times. Rarely, Kasai will show a frightening attitude when in action.
Background
Kasai is a high-ranking member of the Sonozaki family's yakuza group. He retired after getting badly injured in a fight, though he still works as a consultant for Mion and Shion's father. It's suggested that Kasai was in a love triangle with Akane and the twins' father in the past, and though he lost in the end, Kasai still stuck around as their dad's friend.[2] During the dam war Kasai went to get sniper training.[3]
In 1982, Kasai helped Shion escape from St. Lucia Academy and set up living arrangements for her in Okinomiya. Though Shion's escape and Kasai's involvement weren't unnoticed by the Sonozaki family, they allowed it so long as Shion kept a low-profile. Shion however revealed herself publicly as Mion's twin and Kasai was detained by the Sonozakis, being set free after Shion removed some of her fingernails as punishment.
At some point Kasai provided Shion with an illegally-modified stun gun.[4]
Relationships
Overview
- Shion Sonozaki (charge, friend)
- Akane Sonozaki (former love interest, employer)
- Rina Mamiya (subordinate)
Shion Sonozaki
Kasai has acted as a guardian for Shion sometimes ever since she was a child and serves her as a chauffeur and bodyguard. He provides her with a stun gun. Kasai's told her many horror stories about canned food having human flesh in them, leading to Shion developing a strong hatred for it.[5] When Shion escapes from St. Lucia, Kasai helps her hide out and gets food for her. Even after Shion's punishment, Kasai continues to act as her guardian and gives her advice at times.
Story
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Question Arcs
Watanagashi
Kasai drives Keiichi and Shion home from Okinomiya.
Tatarigoroshi
The credits show that months after the Great Hinamizawa Disaster, Kasai died at the victims' hospital in August.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Meakashi
Kasai is first properly introduced assisting in Shion's escape from St. Lucia. Kasai regularly gives Shion food and status updates on the Sonozaki family and of Satoshi Houjou's situation with his aunt and uncle.
Shion reveals she is Mion's twin sister and Kasai is detained for helping her. After Shion's punishment, Kasai informs her that the family is letting her transfer from St. Lucia to a school in Okinomiya. For the time being, Shion is not allowed to go out in public, go to Hinamizawa, or pretend to be Mion until things die down. Shion asks how Satoshi is doing, but Kasai gives a non-response and says the family wants her to forget about the Houjou boy.
A few weeks after Satoshi's disappearance, Kasai tells Shion that the police arrested the culprit behind the fourth year curse's murder, some lunatic who obviously wasn't Satoshi.
In 1983, the day after the Watanagashi Festival, Kasai calls the Sonozaki residence and asks how Shion will get back to Okinomiya after spending the night there. Shion asks Kasai for his opinion about the incident the previous night regarding the people who snuck into the ritual storehouse. Shion admits to joining them, and Kasai asks how she'll atone for it after the incident last year. He says he can't protect Shion from everything and she hangs up.
In the TIP "A Happy Diary", Kasai breaks into Shion's apartment after hearing arguing from there and finds that Shion fell off the balcony, seemingly killing herself.
The credits show that Kasai died of liver cancer in 2002.
Tsumihoroboshi
Kasai and Shion go to a coffee house just as Rina and Teppei leave, with Rina referring to Kasai as "General Manager" and looking very afraid. Kasai and Shion run into Rena there, who asks about Rina and Teppei. Kasai explains that the two of them like to put on badger games to extort money from people. Rumor has it that Rina's recently found a big catch (Rena's father).
The next day, Rena wants to get Kasai's help for her situation with Rina and lies to Mion that she found something Kasai dropped and wants to return it in person. Kasai goes to the Ryuugu residence to get it back but hears from Rena's father that Rena hasn't come home after dark. Kasai sends several Sonozaki Corps members to find Rena, unintentionally causing issues with the police since they think he needs Rena for something serious. Rena herself becomes paranoid that the Sonozakis are chasing after her because of her scrapbooks.
Kasai, Akane, and Mion have a lunch meeting with Ooishi and Kumagai to clear up the misunderstandings between the Sonozakis and the police. The police receive Takano's scrapbooks in exchange for the Sonozakis getting responsibility for catching Rena. Kasai later sends some people to the Irie Clinic when he hears that Rena is planning to launch an attack on it.
Minagoroshi
Kasai sits in during Keiichi's meeting with Oryou.
Matsuribayashi
Kasai and Shion run into Irie, whose car had just been run off the road by the Mountain Dogs and down a cliff. Irie asks to go to the Sonozaki main house and Kasai complies, noticing that Irie's car had bullet holes in them that couldn't have been made by ordinary handguns. Kasai drives and tries to lose their pursuers, and they eventually arrive at the main house.
Kasai, Shion, and Irie join the club inside the torture chamber, where Kasai and Shion arm themselves to fight off the Mountain Dogs as everyone else escapes through a secret tunnel. The Dogs invade and overwhelm the two, threatening to throw them into the well if Rika doesn't come with them. However, Kasai and Shion are soon freed and escape with everyone.
Kasai intimidates a Mountain Dog
Kasai, Shion, Irie, and Akasaka go to the Irie Clinic to rescue Tomitake. After sneaking past security and stealing some uniforms, the group tries to break into the security room where Tomitake is held. An alarm sounds and gas is released that threatens to incapacitate everyone, but Kasai busts down the door to the security room when he shoots a slug at it. He orders the Dogs inside to shut off the alarm, putting on an intimidating voice and presence. The alarm is turned off and Tomitake is rescued.
The group is now concerned with getting Tomitake outside the village so he can call the Bloodhounds. Akasaka and Tomitake drive towards the Mountain Dogs' barricade using Kasai's bulletproof car as Kasai and Shion spot from far away. Kasai uses a sniper rifle to shoot a Dog holding an RPG, giving Akasaka the opening he needs to drive through. The rest of the Dogs try to chase after them but Kasai and Shion provide cover fire.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou
Tataridamashi (manga)
Kasai sits in during Keiichi's meeting with Oryou. When Keiichi tries to attack her, Kasai stops him.
Nekodamashi
In one of Rika's loops, Kasai is presumed to be one of the victims of a deranged Akane.
in the manga, Kasai is shown killing Rika with a shotgun in one of her many loops.
Other Appearances
- Kasai briefly appears in the manga-exclusive arc Yoigoshi-hen to assist Mion.
