Kanji Tatsumi |
 |
Also known as... | The Blood-curdling Beefcake Emperor |
Japanese Name | 巽 完二 |
Romaji | Tatsumi Kanji |
First Appearance | Persona 4 |
Date of Birth | January 19th, 1996 |
Age | 15/16 |
Zodiac | Capricorn |
Blood Type | A |
Height | 183 cm (6'0") |
Weight | 65 kg (143 lbs) |
Weapon | Blunt Objects |
Arcana | The Emperor |
Persona | Take-Mikazuchi, Rokuten Maoh, Takeji Zaiten (P4G) |
At first glance, Kanji looks like just another delinquent teen: a lanky but toned young man with bleached hair, too many piercings and a tattoo that he shouldn't have acquired at his age. And indeed, his history of skipping school and getting into fights do agree with that image...
However, it's not so simple. A lot of the fights he gets into are to try and protect or please those around him (such as beating up on bikers who were keeping his mother awake at night), or to attempt to prove himself. Not saying he doesn't enjoy the fights - he loves the challenge and the adrenalin rush - but still...
Since he was a little kid, growing up around his family's textile business, he's had an interest in knitting and sewing, things not considered the most manly of pursuits. Especially given that his father's last request to him was to be a 'real man', he's spent a lot of his life rather conflicted regarding who he is and who he should be, resulting in him growing into the tough personality seen today. He's gradually coming to terms with his true self, as time goes by and he develops connections to friends who understand him for who he is.
While he's learning to accept who he is, and that it doesn't mean he has to fight all the time, he's still a rather volatile and highly-charged personality, with rather a large berserk button over the issue of his sexuality. He's stated that his major issue isn't whether he's attracted to guys or girls, but whether he's likely to be rejected for it, but as ever with him it's complex. As a telltale example, he's developed a crush on Naoto Shirogane, a girl who previously masqueraded as a boy. As it hasn't gone away, with him falling for her personality and inner strength, this is not something that's helping him work out where he falls regarding his preferences...
In combat, Kanji himself's a brawler and grappler, preferring either his fists or to improvise with blunt objects: he's best known for swinging a folding chair around in battle... while late in his canon he starts using shields, he does not use them the right way, to say the least. However, Kanji's also a Persona user: able to call on a mythical guardian from his inner heart. His Persona, Take-Mikazuchi, takes the form of a large, somewhat robotic looking figure bearing a skeletal pattern and a lightning-bolt sword. Matching this, he's able to use electrical spells and devastating physical attacks.