Zero Escape: Creating the World's Worst Heroine

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  • čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
  • "My intention was to create the world's worst heroine...". This quote from Zero Escape creator Kotaro Uchikoshi was the foundation for one of my favorite characters ever, Akane Kurashiki. Although seemingly simple, Akane is one of the most layered and interesting characters I've ever seen. Let's talk about why Akane Kurashiki is such a fantastically written character!
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    Timestamps:
    0:00 Introduction
    1:51 Who is Akane?
    8:01 999 - The Peacemaker
    16:56 VLR - The One Who Went Too Far
    23:55 ZTD - On the Fine Line of Fate
    28:13 Closing Thoughts
    29:52 Outro
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    Check out my Twitter for video updates and random posts!
    / kayjulers
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    Credits to:
    Zero Escape Wiki
    zeroescape.fandom.com/wiki/Ze...
    Joshua Dilan (Ocelot Training Soldiers)
    / @joshuadilan3832
    PsychoMantis_NL (MGSV Prologue)
    / @psychomantisnl
    Noob the Namitee (999 DS Let's Play Footage)
    / @brokenbananabud
    IzanagiGames Channel ('World's End Club' Uchikoshi Interview)
    / @izanagigameschannel
    Polygon (Kotaro Uchikoshi Plays Mario Maker)
    • Zero Escape Creator Ko...
    The Enneagram Institute
    www.enneagraminstitute.com/ty...
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    Zero Escape is developed and published by Spike Chunsoft, Aksys Games, Chime, and Rising Star Games. All rights are reserved under fair use!
    #ZeroEscape #Akane #analysis
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Komentáře • 260

  • @insertclevernamehere6607
    @insertclevernamehere6607 Před 11 měsíci +611

    Akane in 999 was willing to kill people to save herself, Selfish, but not SUPER evil, Akane in VLR and ZTD was trying to SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD.

    • @gorimbaud
      @gorimbaud Před 11 měsíci +128

      she wasn't willing to kill people to save herself, she was just willing to let people think she was willing to kill them to save herself. the people who actually died though, those weren't to save herself at all, that was just for revenge. and sure, while ace's was the hand on the trigger for each of them, akane (and, perhaps to some extent, aoi) was the one aiming the gun.

    • @insertclevernamehere6607
      @insertclevernamehere6607 Před 11 měsíci

      @@gorimbaud she was willing to kill bad people. You know this because she does kill bad people.

    • @Lemuel928
      @Lemuel928 Před 11 měsíci +5

      The missing Crypter.

    • @ThanhTran-gb4pw
      @ThanhTran-gb4pw Před 10 měsíci +20

      @@gorimbaud She manipulated Ace into killing them. She knew what he was like through seeing many possible timelines and what buttons she could push to make him do so.

    • @gorimbaud
      @gorimbaud Před 10 měsíci +3

      @@ThanhTran-gb4pw yes, that's what i said

  • @KantiDono
    @KantiDono Před 11 měsíci +342

    Akane wasn't kept alive through 999 by some 'Deus Ex Machina'. She was literally Schrödinger's cat. Simultaneously both alive and dead, until Junpei either succeeds or fails the incinerator puzzle 9 years in the future.
    Young Akane didn't have a 'cunning' side. She wasn't deliberately acting cute to make Junpei drop his guard. She was _remembering_ what she had seen her future self do when she was watching through Junpei's eyes, and trying to repeat it. She couldn't be sure what dialogue was relevant to inspiring Junpei to save her, so she had to reproduce everything exactly how she remembered seeing it. Similarly, Akane didn't _choose_ to kill the Ninth Man. She had _seen_ the Ninth's Man's death through Junpei's eyes. She knew he had to die, at that moment, or she would die in the incinerator. Everything we see in 999 was a casual loop: Akane was not the source of any of the puzzles on the ship, she was merely recreating what she had seen Junpei solve, to create that experience for him.

    • @yukitakaoni007
      @yukitakaoni007 Před 10 měsíci +57

      in which, in a way. I think I agree with Junpei in Last Reward did mentioned: She just....no longer the person he once knew.

    • @lenaalt2387
      @lenaalt2387 Před 10 měsíci +2

      what

    • @bigbadgammagnome
      @bigbadgammagnome Před 9 měsíci +21

      minor correction: causal loop, not casual.

    • @timon6427
      @timon6427 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Not the Cat but rather a Bootstrap Paradox.

    • @user-eu3xh6tl1h
      @user-eu3xh6tl1h Před měsícem +1

      I think the Shrödingers cat metaphor is also extremely intentional in the game. We don’t really know how she just phased out of the room until the final segment from her perspective, the one where her and Junpei save a cat from being killed by a group of children. Literally saving a cat from its death at the very last moment, like Junpei would do for her 9 years later.
      It’s also a big part of the philosophy and themes of VLR with its alternate timelines and game. So yeah, really beautiful writing from this series as always

  • @sol_ARG
    @sol_ARG Před 11 měsíci +119

    one of my favorite small things about akane is the fact that, given the circumstances in which it happens and what we know of her sense of humor, the Elevator Conversation in 999 was in retrospect _absolutely_ just her fucking with junpei for the hell of it

    • @gorimbaud
      @gorimbaud Před 11 měsíci +85

      the thing about akane is that she's actually really funny, and a lot of the jokes she makes are absolutely just to fuck with the people around her. one of my favorites is in the engine room when santa starts telling junpei about his dead sister, and akane _immediately_ starts making jokes about her. definitely a scene that's funnier the second time, but god, akane's funny in a kind of mean way.

    • @kai.raio.
      @kai.raio. Před 12 dny +2

      also her actively setting off a nuclear bomb in ZTD to have junpei’s response be “i forgot you were like that” is another great example of this

  • @smolmipha
    @smolmipha Před 11 měsíci +216

    I think what made me love Akane so much is how completely and utterly she caught me off guard. Going into 999 blind, I fully believed she was going to be the sweet but ultimately forgettable love interest for Junpei, and I could NOT have been more wrong. I love her so much for that

  • @Timbeon
    @Timbeon Před 11 měsíci +169

    Zero Time Dilemma is a huge mess, but the ending that leads into Virtue's Last Reward, where Akane realizes that she failed, and mid-breakdown she denies herself the time to grieve and immediately starts planning how to fix it, that ending broke me and single-handedly justified the game existing.

    • @MiutheMage
      @MiutheMage Před 10 měsíci +39

      Realizing after the credits roll that timeline still exists, where nothing got better and everyone in vlr was now fated to live the 45 years of tragedy that befell them fucking destroyed me. Despite the fact that the player characters succeeded, I somehow felt like we failed.

    • @anime4life209
      @anime4life209 Před 10 měsíci +9

      @@MiutheMage well, if it still comes to pass despite your succeeding, then it LITERALLY is a "Mission Failed Successfully" scenario. but look on the bright side, those next 45 years are going to be hell, but at least it confirms that there is an end to it.

    • @doobzsalam1847
      @doobzsalam1847 Před 9 měsíci +17

      @@MiutheMage I think something a lot of people forget is every timeline is real. He one were clover kills people with an axe, dio blows the place up sky high, the world is doomed, the world is saved. None are more real then the others. Which to me has always been one of the most important parts to zero/akane’s plan.

  • @sharkattack153
    @sharkattack153 Před 11 měsíci +523

    For all the people she had hand in killing, and for all the war crimes she has committed i still find myself rooting for her.

    • @RandomPerson28337
      @RandomPerson28337 Před 11 měsíci

      Your sick

    • @kingkilla777
      @kingkilla777 Před 11 měsíci +4

      @@RandomPerson28337 lol

    • @Donirexian
      @Donirexian Před 10 měsíci +25

      @@RandomPerson28337 I mean she does it all to save herself, get revenge on men who caused trauma/intended on murdering children, and intends to save the world in the future, I'd say that's pretty badass and rooting for her isn't that bad

    • @RandomPerson28337
      @RandomPerson28337 Před 10 měsíci

      @@Donirexian why would i root for a sociopath that has little regard for human life. Everything she did was out of selfish reasons and at the end of the day she doesnt care who she steps on to get what she wants. You really going support a person like that?

    • @glendisshiko8182
      @glendisshiko8182 Před 10 měsíci

      @@RandomPerson28337 Yes. 6 Billion Lives are a very potent moral argument

  • @krissjames7276
    @krissjames7276 Před 11 měsíci +415

    I actually really liked seeing Akane in a non-puppet master role, and I ultimately appreciated how Zero Time Dilemma handled both her and Junpei. Seeing Akane in a setting where she had much less control than usual meant we got see her in a more vulnerable state, get behind the façade she had carefully crafted to both serve her aims and protect herself. It both revealed new things about her (like her religiosity) and brought both her simultaneously pure and innocent side AND her manipulative, ultra-pragmatic side out in full view. Though I will agree that her exaggerated rabbit-obsession was something of a case of Flanderization (ZTD sometimes really suffered from a lack of restraint, also seen with the overuse of the Blue Bird Lamentation song). On the other hand, while I've long viewed Zero III as a Discount Monokuma, your video did give me somewhat more appreciation for him, by bringing up the importance of his rabbit design.

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +26

      That's fair and I can understand that opinion! I also feel the same where I've never been too keen on Zero III. Yet, once I learned about his ties to Akane and played through VLR again with my friend, he wasn't so bad, especially because he's not constantly in your face.

    • @heroinhero
      @heroinhero Před 11 měsíci +13

      ​@KayJulers Zero III isn't so bad since he basically disappears entirely after the second chromatic doors. His dialogue is very front heavy so he kinda fades to the background when the plot gets going.

    • @cosmiclikesminecraft
      @cosmiclikesminecraft Před 9 měsíci +2

      Honeslty the overuse of blue bird lamentation never hit me. Because the song got time every single time

  • @teganlov4638
    @teganlov4638 Před 11 měsíci +802

    Akane did nothing wrong.

    • @Dadan-dan
      @Dadan-dan Před 11 měsíci +78

      Yeah! She made sure to retcon the timelines enough to be mostly innocent! 😂

    • @jacqueline4689
      @jacqueline4689 Před 11 měsíci +89

      You can't blame her for what a single solitary snail did

    • @xeph8288
      @xeph8288 Před 11 měsíci +63

      Well she did a lot of things wrong, but those were in different timelines... So I guess they're "Schrodinger's Wrongs?"

    • @RaspbrylZ
      @RaspbrylZ Před 11 měsíci +4

      I was hoping I'd find someone with this take in the comments I haven't even watched the video yet XD

    • @KittyKatty999
      @KittyKatty999 Před 11 měsíci +52

      Akane did EVERYTHING wrong! Thankfully, Akane never did anything wrong!
      *Multiverse joke*

  • @Drekal684
    @Drekal684 Před 11 měsíci +125

    As I once put it to a friend of mine, who I was trying to encourage to play through 999, on the surface Junpei and Akane seem like a typical set of anime romantic partners.
    But then... by the end of the game, it becomes apparent that neither one is quite that.

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +25

      That's not a bad way to sell it! I've luckily been able to convince about 5 friends to play through 999 (and they've all really enjoyed it!), but I'm always thinking about the best way to get them interested. Normally, I just give the quick premise and say it's better going in knowing as little as possible, but I like your angle!

    • @polocatfan
      @polocatfan Před 7 měsíci +3

      yeah i'm still a bit annoyed that
      SPOILER:
      the third game had them end up together.

  • @michaelcarlton1484
    @michaelcarlton1484 Před 11 měsíci +42

    I sincerely hope that everyone gets therapy after they catch the mystery terrorist. Akane has been through so much that she began to blend into countless timelines. After the end of the world is FINALLY prevented, she needs to be able to just enjoy her one single timeline and just exist as a person for a bit.
    I just want her, Junpei, Aoi, and everyone else to have a great life after being forced by the omniverse to solve timeloop after timeloop.
    She deserves a comfortable life with Junpei where they can communicate through the morphogenetic field for casual conversation and wholesomeness, not defying death.

  • @EpicPaul64
    @EpicPaul64 Před 11 měsíci +104

    I think the Anthropic Principle chapter of Zero Time Dilemma perfectly showcases the tragedy of Akane's existence: She has to suffer through thousands of timelines (most of which probably from the dice game) just to get at one good ending at the end of ZTD. In the words of Delta: Life was simply unfair.

    • @michaelcarlton1484
      @michaelcarlton1484 Před 11 měsíci +15

      Thankfully, after they get rid of the mystery terrorist, she and Junpei can FINALLY enjoy themselves.
      Just imagine all the wholesome psychic stuff they can do like flirting via their mindlink and stuff. Or using some of the remaining Cradle Pharmaceutical investment money on their honeymoon.

    • @EpicPaul64
      @EpicPaul64 Před 11 měsíci +3

      I actually have a theory that the religious fanatic is actually one of the Myrmidons. It's a bit involved, but one piece of evidence I'll give for now is that Uchikoshi said, "Zero Time Dilemma will have you seeing Dio in a whole new light," and I don't think the reveal of the original Left being Phi's half-brother is quite what he had in mind...

    • @michaelcarlton1484
      @michaelcarlton1484 Před 11 měsíci +8

      @@EpicPaul64 They are full siblings since they share the same two parents. (Not to mention that they are twins.)

    • @EpicPaul64
      @EpicPaul64 Před 11 měsíci +10

      @@michaelcarlton1484, I think you're confusing Delta with Left, as Left was the son of Delta's foster parents. Delta and Phi are the twins.

    • @michaelcarlton1484
      @michaelcarlton1484 Před 11 měsíci +7

      @@EpicPaul64 Right, so Left isn't even related to Phi since she (and other versions of herself) were raised separately. One was raised by scientists and the current Phi was raised by that one.

  • @rachadlendar4918
    @rachadlendar4918 Před 11 měsíci +242

    What I love about akane is how complex she is, she ostracised the entirety of 999 and put a lot of people in danger yet she never intended to harm junpei and the others because she never put a bomb inside them except ace and 9, she even makes an entire facility in space in order to save human kind with her life on the line, a lot of people give her flack for behaviour in ZTD but honestly imo she acts pretty tame for the most part considering how much trauma she went through

    • @RetroNerdyGamer
      @RetroNerdyGamer Před 11 měsíci +2

      Wait wait wait when did it say that she never put a bomb in Junpei and the others?
      Like, in a what if scenario if they failed they wouldn't die just Ace and 9?

    • @rachadlendar4918
      @rachadlendar4918 Před 11 měsíci +36

      @@RetroNerdyGamer yup in the true ending junpei says that there never where chips in his bracelet indicating the same for everybody else

    • @RetroNerdyGamer
      @RetroNerdyGamer Před 11 měsíci +4

      @@rachadlendar4918 Ahhh I have to replay it! It's been a while and I forgot that lil detail.

    • @pichanao1069
      @pichanao1069 Před 11 měsíci +1

      I play it once got axed in the head by number4 girl then never play it again.

    • @sav3133
      @sav3133 Před 11 měsíci +6

      I'd like to believe she behaves that way in the third game because she's not in control anymore.

  • @SkineSky
    @SkineSky Před 11 měsíci +82

    I remember reading something like a fanfiction or maybe AU back in the day about 999.
    It took place in an alternate ending where Junpei needed to die for his memories to go to another timeline, but it ended up going wrong, really wrong, and Akane ended up holding a Knife to Junpei, her hands trembling and reluctance on her face.
    She wouldn't explain why, but she told Junpei that he needed to die.
    Of course there was a back and forth where Junpei tryed to talk her out of it.
    But then Akane goes silent for a bit before screaming out that she wished more than anything in the world that she didn't have to, that she would rather take her own life than ever have to take anyone elses.
    She wished that they both lived in a world where they could live together without any worries, just a peaceful and happy life.
    But that no matter how much they both wanted to live in a world like that together, it wasn't the one they were in.
    And it was because that they were in this world, that they both didn't get to have a happy ending.
    Junpei though, walked forward to her unflinchingly.
    He said he refused to accept that, no matter what world they were in, as long as they were both together anything would be possible.
    Junpei has a touching speech that makes you think she'll give up as tears stream down her face.
    But right in the middle of Junpei's speech, as he talks about them leaving the death game together, Akane stabs him in the chest.
    Junpei slowly dies in Akane's arms, dumb founded, as she cries her heart out, paralleling the timeline where Junpei holds the dieing Akane in his arms.
    She keeps apologizing again and again for everything she has done, will do, and could have done to him, him barely understanding any of it.
    Finally saying how much Junpei must hate her, before stating how she hates herself more than anyone else in the world, or any world.
    Hate for all of the horrible twisted things she knows she's willing and capable of doing. She's seen all of it, every single unforgivable act.
    She hates herself more than anyone else ever possibly could, and how much she wishes she were someone else, anyone else.
    But it's because of who she is, the person she knows she is, that she has to do all this, there is no alternative for her, that's why she hates herself more than anyone else.
    But Junpei, as the light starts to leave his eyes, puts his bloodied and to Akane's face and tells her that he could never hate her, or any version of her.
    No matter what she ever did to him he would always...
    And Junpei's hand falls to his side as both he and Akane vanish from the world.

    • @PangyaChan
      @PangyaChan Před 11 měsíci +9

      I'm surprised no one asked you what the fic was! Do you happen to still remember the name cause what you wrote was amazing! 🤩

    • @iwannaseehowlongyoucanmakethis
      @iwannaseehowlongyoucanmakethis Před 11 měsíci +6

      please, man, what's the title? is it on ao3?

    • @tiramisu7339
      @tiramisu7339 Před 10 měsíci +2

      I NEED TO KNOW PLEEEEEEASE

    • @cottonpop8834
      @cottonpop8834 Před 10 měsíci +4

      If you ever find the fic again, please share the name and the author so we can cry our eyes out :)

    • @anotherfake2084
      @anotherfake2084 Před 9 měsíci +2

      let's hug each other and cry all together :')

  • @shogus0046
    @shogus0046 Před 10 měsíci +21

    Say what you will about Zero Time Dilemma, but Akane using back to the future to explain time travel parallel dimension theories is burned into my brain

    • @SonnyFRST
      @SonnyFRST Před 2 měsíci +1

      Specifically her pointing out the stuff that movie does wrong, that bit will forever stay with me because it was the first time I heard my biggest gripe with the movie put into words.

  • @IanHsieh
    @IanHsieh Před 11 měsíci +69

    It's so rewarding to finally see Akane have a happy life in the end of ZTD. I played the other games right before ZTD released, so I get to see through the stories one after the other.

  • @Soleil.m
    @Soleil.m Před 11 měsíci +112

    Akane is easily one of the most interesting video game characters IMO! Always glad to see more Zero escape content!

  • @Ziizoe
    @Ziizoe Před 11 měsíci +24

    oooooh, the enneagram explains so much about character similarities, I've always looked at the characters and felt a lot of them fit the same archetypes as the other games, knowing that they actually did makes a lot of sense

  • @axineight2608
    @axineight2608 Před 11 měsíci +42

    i was just recently wanting to see more zero escape content and my wish was granted

    • @dunadan1995
      @dunadan1995 Před 11 měsíci +3

      Both Lucahjin and ProZD recently started walkthroughs of VLR, Joseph Anderson finished the series like half a year ago. It feels like a renaissance of ZE content for the first time since ZTD’s release.

  • @danielabay8872
    @danielabay8872 Před 11 měsíci +14

    Akane has been a rollercoaster character for me, but in the end I ended up loving her design and development

  • @hellohisunshine
    @hellohisunshine Před 11 měsíci +21

    Akane is definitely a favorite of mine as well, I just love how REAL she feels, if that makes sense. Absolutely incredible analysis!

  • @ElJosher
    @ElJosher Před 11 měsíci +7

    Man 999’s artstyle is so good. Makes the characters pop.

  • @All-Hail-Gayle
    @All-Hail-Gayle Před 11 měsíci +6

    She's not a heroine. She's closer to an antihero or maybe a villain. You can't judge her by heroine standards because (by the end) we know she isn't one.

    • @angelwing9
      @angelwing9 Před 11 měsíci +1

      The term is often used to refer to female leads, albeit loosely. I can see why that can create confusion though.

  • @prismaticseal2553
    @prismaticseal2553 Před 11 měsíci +15

    Akane, through trying to save a single life, many timelines were ruined, many people died and were manipulated, she knew what she was doing, she took eveything in consideration, atleast mostly...and yet it doesnt matter, because she lived in the singular good timeline, until the sequels

  • @MilkenGamer42
    @MilkenGamer42 Před 10 měsíci +4

    I clicked on this video expecting her to get grilled, only to find myself being pleasantly surprised it's a character analysis video. This series means a lot to me, and I'm happy I watched this. I even learned a few things that I didn't pick up on whilst I played it.

  • @jamesinnersky
    @jamesinnersky Před 11 měsíci +13

    I like how I just yesterday watched all your videos about ZE and now you releasing new video about it. What a timing. Great job on other videos, they were awesome!

    • @momentaryretrospect5967
      @momentaryretrospect5967 Před 11 měsíci +1

      I just got done watching them like a couple days ago. Strange

    • @caseyjones4018
      @caseyjones4018 Před 11 měsíci

      @@momentaryretrospect5967 same here xD

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci

      Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed them and I finally got back to the series after so long.

  • @matthewberger4741
    @matthewberger4741 Před 11 měsíci +8

    Thank you so much for this video!!! This is what I’ve been looking for since I marathoned all of zero escape earlier this year. She’s such a complex character

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Of course, glad you enjoyed! She's one of the best.

  • @xRawrC00kiex
    @xRawrC00kiex Před 11 měsíci +71

    I was genuinely convinced ZTD was some weird parallel universe and Akane looked and acted differently because it was a parallel universe timeline Akane along with Junpei. And all of this would be part of some big twist at the end. But then the game ended and color me surprised to learn that was not the case.

  • @bay2235
    @bay2235 Před 11 měsíci +9

    wonderful video!!! akane is my fav character ever, and this video just made me so happy, you really did her justice! also i LOVE the music choices you used, they set the mood for each section really well!!

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much! I try my best to pick a song that best fits the moment or tone, and I'm glad I was able to do her justice!

  • @QuackTeamJames
    @QuackTeamJames Před měsícem

    I know this is spesifically about Akane, but I just wanted to say having finished Zero Time Dilemma today just how wild these characters are to stop, often right in the middle of a life threatening situation to discuss philosophy or tangential theoretical dilemmas. I don't know if it happened more in Zero Time Dilemma or the presentation of that game caused it to stand out more than it did during the previous escape room exploration, but it's seriously wild that these characters are actually dying and yet need to give a lengthy explanation on all the different probability calculations going into what's happening.
    Okay, with that rant over, I've loved being able to binge your videos on the topic, some really amazing deep dives into this series who's narrative is really mindbending.

  • @Rayestan0
    @Rayestan0 Před 11 měsíci +2

    in tears, this was an amazing video. Please, Please! Keep this fandom alive, and make more videos

  • @galzoffline
    @galzoffline Před 11 měsíci +4

    Absolutely love this video! I thoroughly recommend looking up the ztd art book and finding the scan of the pre-decision game story. It not only explains more of other's in the cast but akane as well! Thank you for making this brilliant video from a fellow akane fan.

  • @Fuzzlekinz
    @Fuzzlekinz Před 11 měsíci +7

    It's kinda nuts how I was just recently recommended your ZE videos and literally just finished watching all of them today, and now you upload a brand new ZE video. I wasn't expecting this at all!

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +3

      Glad I could offer a pleasant surprise! It's funny because I had planned an Akane analysis back in 2019 after the original 999 video, but I knew I wanted to cover the three games first before diving into specific characters. 4 years later and here we are.

    • @MrCutlis
      @MrCutlis Před 11 měsíci +1

      I was just thinking the same thing for me! The algorithm is predicting creators next upload now.

    • @funnyusernameorsomething78192
      @funnyusernameorsomething78192 Před 11 měsíci

      This happens to me all the time lol

  • @Wlightning25
    @Wlightning25 Před 11 měsíci +1

    This video did a great job of summarizing Akane. I love all of your Zero Escape videos and hope to see more in the future.

  • @DJ-et9ew
    @DJ-et9ew Před 11 měsíci +3

    This video is fantastic! I hope to see more content like this from this series! Akane is my favorite character so thank you!

  • @christie6515
    @christie6515 Před 11 měsíci +2

    yes!!! i've been wanting more zero escape analysis from you, your past ze videos are SO good

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +1

      That's very kind of you! Thank you!

  • @kok2853
    @kok2853 Před 11 měsíci +3

    yessss love to see a new zero escape vid from you

  • @sammcclain9609
    @sammcclain9609 Před 10 měsíci +2

    This was a cool and interesting video with great insight into Akane's character. It also confirms a theory I have regarding Uchikoshi's other work, Nirvana Initiative. The character of Tokiko Shigure is a parallel to Akane. In fact I feel like Tokiko is what Akane would be if Akane didn't have stable relationships with her brother or Junpei. In NI Tokiko is a manipulative and mysterious, random fact spewing, crazy person who has insane almost convoluted plans. Tokiko is also detached from the world and besides her ideology has little care for the world.

  • @Ktap4321
    @Ktap4321 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I wasn’t expecting a zero escape video but I’m pleasantly surprised.

  • @carlb1874
    @carlb1874 Před 11 měsíci

    I just played the trilogy over the last 3 weeks after finding your video about 999. And then you upload this the weekend I finish. Great timing buddy

  • @voyan38
    @voyan38 Před 11 měsíci +2

    See what I love about KayJulers as a CZcamsr is that I can see a video title and so wildly disagree in my head right away, but after 30 minutes of well thought, articulated points- I think about things in a way I hadn't previously. Good job.

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci

      That's very kind of you and I appreciate you taking the time to watch the videos and hear me out. Thanks!

  • @mercuryunforgiven
    @mercuryunforgiven Před 11 měsíci

    fantastic video! i have so many thoughts on akane and this gave me even more to chew on. thanks for the vid!

  • @Calintares
    @Calintares Před 10 měsíci +2

    When I first played 999 ten years ago and understood the twist I decided to stop playing rather than complete the final puzzle. I didn't want to fulfill the time loop that would allow her to exist in the first place.

  • @Jzoldyck
    @Jzoldyck Před 11 měsíci +8

    I know this video isn't going to do well because Zero Escape isn't a well-known franchise and you probably knew that too. But I am very grateful that despite that you have created this gem about one of the most underrated games in history

  • @corpile
    @corpile Před 11 měsíci +31

    Everything bad that happened in 999 is because this girl couldn't solve a fucking sudoku

    • @mr.a-mess8574
      @mr.a-mess8574 Před 10 měsíci +9

      It was actually because of a snail

  • @kopfloserbeginn3879
    @kopfloserbeginn3879 Před 11 měsíci

    Just found your channel and I love the personality you give the videos already, Good Job!

  • @kosmosfan01
    @kosmosfan01 Před 11 měsíci +1

    I can't go past 999 for the sake of spoilers but man, that game was something else way back when I played it on the DS so being able to experience it again on the PS4 and play it was a great experience but to think about how deeply Akane's story runs is crazy to me. I gotta find the time to play the other two games.

  • @Glitterblossom
    @Glitterblossom Před 3 měsíci

    Thank you so much for this.

  • @Zero-fx8pc
    @Zero-fx8pc Před 2 měsíci +1

    She is one of my favorite female characters in video games

  • @Jakco808
    @Jakco808 Před 11 měsíci

    Great video essay honestly 👍

  • @lanayrugorge
    @lanayrugorge Před měsícem

    Amazing video, I’ve subbed ❤

  • @RaeSig
    @RaeSig Před 11 měsíci +12

    Fantastic video! It's been a long time since Zero Escape finished, but this video did a wonderful job at reminding me just how amazing a character Akane is.. when the series was active (as active as it could be) I regularly thought she was one of the best characters I'd ever seen and yeah, this video gave me memories of those moments in 999 and VLR that still hit so hard. I miss her :')
    sometimes I still wish we could get a ZTD remake which is just a little more fleshed out, with the solid presentation of the Somnium Files games... oh well

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +3

      I feel the same way. I would love to see someone take ZTD and somehow convert it into a game with the same presentation as the rest of the series, but I could get down with the Somnium Files route, too. A conversion wouldn't fix every issue, but I do think it would do wonders.

    • @RaeSig
      @RaeSig Před 11 měsíci +2

      yeah Somnium Files isnt the highest-budget game or anything, but thinking about how ZTD could have had animation and character models like that just a few years later.. it stings a little.
      It's also just ironic that the most recent ZE entry is the one I think would benefit most from a remake. maybe someday.

  • @justinlewis2819
    @justinlewis2819 Před 11 měsíci +3

    so glad to see another zero escape video from you! this was a great analysis. also, have you played the somnium files games and/or plan to make any videos on them? they're amazing and i wish more people would talk about them

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Not yet unfortunately, but those two games alongside Paranormasight are near the top of my backlog!

  • @therenegadegamer7422
    @therenegadegamer7422 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Wow I thought there wasn't gonna be another zero escape video from you but you knocked it out of the park maybe do one on Junpei next?

  • @dannyboi7877
    @dannyboi7877 Před 11 měsíci

    What a fantastic video. Thank you.

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci

      Hey, thanks for watching!

  • @MappyTheSquire
    @MappyTheSquire Před 11 měsíci +3

    Another banger.
    Another banger from KayJulers CZcams.

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Thank you, dude. Love ya!

  • @cloudy4lockharty
    @cloudy4lockharty Před 11 měsíci +38

    I didn't like how in the 3rd game they tried to waifu her and make her seem innocent. I adored how morally gray she was in the first game and how cruel she was in the second game. I don't think she is purely "evil" by the 2nd game and agree that she is complex. But is clearly in the wrong and needs to be stopped. I don't know, the 2nd game really felt like it was building up to going against her in some way, but the 3rd game really dropped the ball on it. I know it had to drop a lot of plot points due to development issues, but I just felt uneasy with how they handled her in the 3rd game while adoring her in the 1st and 2nd game.

    • @NguyenHuuTrung_
      @NguyenHuuTrung_ Před 10 měsíci

      absolutelly agree

    • @Heylanda-fb9xb
      @Heylanda-fb9xb Před 5 měsíci +1

      I mean psychopath will always be psycho no matter how things are.
      The whole point of us seeing Akane in ZTD is that this is the only time in her life since her life/death in the incinerator that she is not in control of the situation.
      Her morphogenetic field she gain after her time on the titanic grant her the ability to see the future and other timeline event.
      She can use those knowledge to manipulate things such as asking her brother to buy stocks from Cradle Pharmaceutical to earn big money when they became big company to enrich themselves and gain funds for their nonary game.
      But in ZTD, she can't control anything. The outcome, plan, action and even the life of her loved one. She can't do anything about them at all.
      It was here that her personality clash. On one side her June personality, which was her true self that Junpei came to love. And her Zero personality, manipulative, cold and pragmatic.

  • @Shadow1Yaz
    @Shadow1Yaz Před 11 měsíci +1

    I freaking love this series!!

  • @jollaffle
    @jollaffle Před 11 měsíci

    I seriously need to play these games again. I look back on them so fondly but I've forgotten a lot of the details

  • @RTheu2109
    @RTheu2109 Před 11 měsíci +8

    While Akane definetly can kill someone if she wants, i think that she uses killing just as a last resort kinda of situation.
    In 999 if think that the bombs was actually Santa's/Aoi's part of the plan, he feel's more "unhinged" and more likely to plan a murder for revenge.
    In VLR, while Akane had everybody infected, she also had the antidote available for everyone, and the killings came more from Dio anyway, so even if she knows that death is inevitable, she still tries to have a way out for everyone.
    And in ZTD, Akane killed Carlos with the chainsaw out of blind rage, considering her situation is easy to see that, she's not in control this time so she can't be fully herself, and she even deeply regrets right after she sees what she has done.
    It's evident in her character when in the mini AB game in ZTD, she immediately thinks of SHIFTING (again it's a last resort they have), Akane knows that in doing so she's actively throwing other versions to die.
    If she's was like Delta and couldn't SHIFT either and just have the ability to see the other timelines i would feel more bad for her, but i know she can, anyway the point is that she's still very conflicted because she's fine when it's her idea to sacrifice other versions of them (as a last resort), but right after that Junpei kinda has the same idea just executed differently, she gets all pissed off because she had to see him "die", and it just gets worse when they see it was pointless. So she's fine with death but only when it's a last option situation.
    The only bad part in all of this is that when SHIFTing, Akane doesn't mind much that she's essentially killing other versions of themselves, Imagine right before the room explodes the other Akane that was fine just arrives there, would she understand?
    I can totally see an "Akaneverse" all pissed at eachother if they could meet.

    • @user-tk7hg6ty5q
      @user-tk7hg6ty5q Před 9 měsíci +1

      i don't think it's the case that she doesn't care. she knows and understands the consequences of killing someone fully but places her own biases and thoughts aside for a more objective conclusion. even if it does bother her, it's not something that would be more important than fulfilling a goal or mission. you can feel guilty about killing someone (or yourself) and know you have to go through with it anyway.

    • @user-tk7hg6ty5q
      @user-tk7hg6ty5q Před 9 měsíci

      it's also the case that akane is right. there were multiple different ways of handling things better but junpei rushed right in. while his hand was forced, there definitely were other ways of doing what he needed and he chose the worst option. it's not his fault, inherently, but it makes sense she'd be upset.

    • @spiritofchaos58
      @spiritofchaos58 Před 25 dny

      I totally agree with the bombs being more of Aoi's plan. He's the more emotional of the two of them (his little speech about heat in Door 3 speaks to that; bro's not as good of an actor), so I could see him being more interested in revenge.
      Akane is much more focused on the end goal, with emotionalism being largely removed from her actions. If emotionalism wasn't removed, I doubt she could've brought her brother into a plot where he was bound to die in at least two timelines.
      (And just imagine that, really. Akane probably knew Clover was going to kill her and Aoi in the Axe ending, and yet she was able to keep up her act till the end. Imagine the guts it takes to look at your brother knowing he'll die, knowing you'll die, and keep playing the role of 'childhood friend')

  • @baptix-objectionlol592
    @baptix-objectionlol592 Před 10 měsíci

    Amazing video

  • @VeeVevo
    @VeeVevo Před 11 měsíci +3

    "Junpei.... did you know..... 9/11 was an inside job?"

  • @Ajay-tu3hk
    @Ajay-tu3hk Před 11 měsíci +1

    If you DO ever get that thesis published, I think it would be a fantastic read.

  • @kingofls97
    @kingofls97 Před 10 měsíci

    Love this video

  • @COZYTW
    @COZYTW Před 2 měsíci +1

    I kind-of want to read the paper you've written, honestly. Can I pay for & buy a copy in an official capacity?

  • @DevonCosmos
    @DevonCosmos Před 5 měsíci +1

    "Who the f--? Oh, it's Kay. All right, let's hear this." XD

  • @gamercore5216
    @gamercore5216 Před 11 měsíci

    One of my favorite characters of all time

  • @MBV97
    @MBV97 Před 6 měsíci

    0:59
    7:53 Peacemaker becomes the observer
    8:35 Guard down from a peacemaker
    9:35 Fever
    16:08 Mastermind pretend peacemaker
    20:20 Akane Life
    22:34 Fire
    24:43 America
    25:09 Puppetmaster

  • @dencheq
    @dencheq Před 7 měsíci

    In 999 June/Akane is a very good written heroine if you play on 3ds especially. Cause on PC they cut out scene June and Junpei on hill with doll and put this scene in the end. In 3ds I loved June character at the end and it was very sad ending. In PC version there wasn't any June story at all until the end.

  • @suntzu7673
    @suntzu7673 Před 11 měsíci +3

    Highly enjoyed the video even though I had zero previous knowledge 😅

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +3

      Hey, I appreciate it lol. Thanks for watching!

  • @angelwing9
    @angelwing9 Před 11 měsíci

    What are your thoughts on the 999 novelization? I know it's not quite Uchikoshi canon but it doee provide a new take on Akane and some other characters

  • @Rayestan0
    @Rayestan0 Před 11 měsíci

    another zero escape video, WE WIN!

  • @heavydonkeykong5190
    @heavydonkeykong5190 Před 11 měsíci +1

    I wish I could watch this, but I have to finish VLR (nowhere close) and ZTD.
    Nonetheless, 999 is fantastic and I really enjoyed Akane. Very compelling.

  • @BrettLane256
    @BrettLane256 Před 11 měsíci

    Hold on. That's the neighborhood song from Toy Story 2 for the PS1 at 8:58.
    I did not expect that lol

  • @seebling
    @seebling Před 11 měsíci

    Have you played the Somnium Files series yet? They're both written by Kotaro Uchikoshi and they seem like something you'd do a video one

  • @celsofidalgo874
    @celsofidalgo874 Před 11 měsíci +2

    Poor Man Rika Furude

  • @elpicanteone5754
    @elpicanteone5754 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I can change her

  • @alexanderdejesus4986
    @alexanderdejesus4986 Před 11 měsíci +2

    I see ZE and I have to click, very excited.

    • @alexanderdejesus4986
      @alexanderdejesus4986 Před 11 měsíci

      Loved the video, Akane being my favorite character coming out of the series.
      One point I love about Akane is putting her character in contrast to Zero 2nd where their characters and motives are very similar.

  • @jesusrodriguezcolon8315
    @jesusrodriguezcolon8315 Před 11 měsíci +1

    Shes willing to kill herself for own interest
    Gives me Yuno Gasai vibes❤

  • @Badwolfwho1
    @Badwolfwho1 Před 10 měsíci

    Gonna be honest I hadn't heard the quote the title is based on so when I first saw this pop up in my recommended I thought it was a hate video. but instead good vid

  • @Oliverph0enix
    @Oliverph0enix Před 11 měsíci +1

    Because she is the antagonist

  • @206Zelda
    @206Zelda Před 11 měsíci +3

    The writer for this series (and others like Somnium) has a tendency to write the plot twist and the conclusion first, then write backwards from there. On many points it is enjoyable to follow, but some of the twists seem a little too fantastical and farfetched when you attempt to line it all up. When I played 999 so many years ago, I think that particular game was the easiest to follow out of its series.
    And I still get a mental pretzel trying to rationalize "multi-verse" branching supposedly affecting a single-branch (since typically the single branch would just be another of many and there shouldn't be any mind-shuffling), but it's fiction and we can just watch the show.

  • @Ham_sanitizer
    @Ham_sanitizer Před 5 měsíci +2

    What is most heartbreaking to me is exactly what Tenmyoji says in his epilogue. That timeline exists and will never not exist. There will always be a timeline where radical-6 gets out & this is even more heartbreaking considering it’s future phi and sigma who cause the outbreak. Had she not sent them back, radical-6 might not have happened in that timeline. Essentially she wasted her life preventing a timeline that will always happen

  • @dropthebates
    @dropthebates Před 11 měsíci +2

    SHOOT. Wanna watch this video but I haven't played the Zero Escape games. Brb once I finish them

  • @jonoinvielleicht4803
    @jonoinvielleicht4803 Před 11 měsíci +1

    3:06 Can someone explain me why every character (except Akane) is not in the same number of the eneagram as they were assigned to in the first nonary game?
    Till I saw that graph I was actually sure that their watchnumber made totally sense to their character😂

    • @angelwing9
      @angelwing9 Před 11 měsíci +1

      It's loosely mentioned at some points that some characters were given specific numbers in order to manipulate the game (Junpei having 1 and Santa and Akane "having" 3 and 6). Therefore, I think the personality and game numbers are different for the sake of the narrative.

  • @manabuhorikita969
    @manabuhorikita969 Před 11 měsíci +1

    For some reason I thought this video would be about how bad akane is as a character when I saw it in my recommendations...
    I really didn't put enough attention to the wording of the title !

    • @KayJulers
      @KayJulers  Před 11 měsíci +2

      I was kind of afraid some people might get the wrong idea that I hate her as a character from the title, but after talking with some friends we figured with the context from the opening quote followed by my gushing that it would be fine haha

  • @Mockingdragon
    @Mockingdragon Před 11 měsíci +3

    I think at first I was annoyed that Akane kept coming back, but the whole story definitely won me over. I just had...issues with some of the plot points and twists in ZTD

  • @tobdan40
    @tobdan40 Před 9 měsíci

    I just finished my first entry in the series, virtues last reward, and was so hooked that I instantly wanted to know what goes on in the other titles, but since I only really use Nintendo platforms it’s very hard to play the other two, so I’m using you’re videos as a substitute until I find another way to experience them.

    • @GriffinHuntress
      @GriffinHuntress Před 7 měsíci

      999 was released on the original DS, so if you have a 3ds, I'd recommend it! It's a bit unusual, but not impossible to find online, and there's also the features that weren't included in the ports, so I think it's worth checking out.

  • @galaxy_minds1290
    @galaxy_minds1290 Před 10 měsíci

    Misread the title and got scared

  • @onemoregodrejected9369
    @onemoregodrejected9369 Před 11 měsíci +1

    Me, 999 firsts run: "Oh, look, the bland chick romantic interest of the MC who he has to rescue to have a happy ending"

  • @RedZ1900
    @RedZ1900 Před 11 měsíci +2

    Great character

  • @nathankeel6667
    @nathankeel6667 Před 11 měsíci

    After watching this video i need to go and bing threw the zero escape trillagy with how long between my play throughs of them worry and how long it took me to beat zdt I need to replay it to understand its full story maybe ill cone out with a better perseption of ztd wail i liked it i also after finishing it wrote a essay detailing my problems and dispointments with it

  • @Karifean
    @Karifean Před 11 měsíci +5

    I like to imagine her thoughts during the Payoff 2 of ZTD to be, "damn this old guy really just outdid me at everything I ever tried to do".

  • @andrewgendreau2207
    @andrewgendreau2207 Před 3 měsíci

    Kotaro: I wanted to create the worst heroine.
    Kratos: You succeeded

  • @solidv2
    @solidv2 Před 11 měsíci +1

    mmy braaiiinnnnn

  • @Paddy-if3nd
    @Paddy-if3nd Před 10 měsíci

    Holy shit I didn't even know that about her fevers. 😮

  • @WorthlessWinner
    @WorthlessWinner Před 4 měsíci

    I find it funny that fan's assessments of the characters ennegram types are COMPLETELY different to the ones Uchi intended. Personality database says Seven is a 9 and Akane is a 5 (which IMO fits a lot better)

  • @manuel-dolmo4974
    @manuel-dolmo4974 Před 11 měsíci

    Best Girl!

  • @ex1dia876
    @ex1dia876 Před 11 měsíci

    Akane is Subaru.

  • @bluefacestan1826
    @bluefacestan1826 Před 4 měsíci

    She is such a chad

  • @anime4life209
    @anime4life209 Před 10 měsíci +1

    she's like Lilith in D4 (from what i've gotten up to) she's clearly not on humanities side, but at the same time she is. she clearly wants humanity to survive, but at the same time, look at the horrible way she goes about it. it's literally a fanatical cult that follows her to achieve that dark yet also pur and noble goal. gray areas are definitely interesting topics.