ALTRUISTIC
The first thing to note about Shinogu is that he's the kindest person alive. Whether it's helping take out the trash or volunteering to work an extra shift, Shinogu
is the type of man that always thinks about the well-being of others and willingly sacrifices if he feels it is the right thing to do. It's very rare for him to deny
someone a request and he constantly puts forth his best effort to make sure all those he cares for are in good health and spirits. This notion is extended even to those
he isn't on good terms with, as demonstrated by his willingness to let
Azusa stay with him until he felt better.
Personable and polite, Shinogu's the model son - a fact that both his parents are extremely proud of. It takes a great deal for Shinogu to lose his composure, and he's
usually the one that keeps things calm. He brings with him a serene warmth and gentle understanding that make everyone around him extremely comfortable;
Hatsumi often
comments that simply seeing Shinogu makes her feel so much more relieved. For those in the series who are high-strung and overbearing, he provides a nice opposite in extremes;
a balanced level of cooperation and patience.
His selflessness is Arcadian - dignified, innocent and steadfast. It's rare to find a character who would so willingly give up his dream of medicine because he recognizes what
a burden it would be for his family. Moreover, he takes the initiative to pay for all his own expenses because his foresight shows him that there are still three more children
to go to college and schooling is expensive. He takes on three consecutive jobs (sometimes more, depending), still goes to all of his classes (with grades still high) and still
manages to visit home once a week, if not more. He literally pushes himself to the point of exhaustion, which brings up another point:
His work ethic is incredibly strong for someone still so young and his organization skills are top-notch as well. Shinogu seems to have a firm grasp on his time and how to manage it,
though, in all fairness, he can become a bit distracted when Hatsumi is involved.
And perhaps that's one of the most defining things about Shinogu's personality. His conviction is amazing. Let me take a step back.
His parents died when he was six, leaving him with a huge debt. The sense of abandonment that followed made him a sullen and withdrawn individual. He was unwilling to open up and only
through Hatsumi did he learn what it meant to love and be loved. It is because of this that he feels so strongly about her. But Shinogu's personality is one that constantly calls himself
on impractical beliefs and ideas. He realizes that it's wrong to love his sister - he knows that with all his heart - but no matter how hard he tries to conquer that feeling, he simply can't
deny the magnitude of the truth that rests within him. Shinogu is an incredibly honest person, but he knows how he feels isn't right. Thus, his heart is sent into conflict.
On the one hand, he should tell the woman he loves how he feels, but on the other hand, would that make her happy? Shinogu has this very conversation with Azusa, in which the following dialogue occurs:
Shinogu: If I told her…would it make her happy? If it made Hatsumi happy, sure, I'd tell her I love her. I'd do anything.
Shinogu: But happy's the last thing she'd be if I said something like that now. So…no way. I'd die before I'd tell her.
The most important thing here is the way Shinogu expresses this with a smile - one of emptiness and defeat, but a smile nonetheless. Azusa has tried and failed to bait him; Shinogu openly
states his rationalization. When it comes to the most important person in his life - someone he'd gladly die for - he can forgo his honesty to a certain extent.
That's why he makes his pact with God. He promises that he'll keep his love a secret, asks for forgiveness, and in exchange, God will keep Hatsumi by his side forever. In Volume 5, he breaks this
pact out of jealously and need - sending his already complicated psyche into an even more chaotic state.
While his personality - in all its complicated glory - stays relatively consistent throughout the series, his way of expressing himself and his demeanor shift and morph through his experiences.
Shinogu is very big on body language. A sigh, turn of the head, hand gesture - all of them mean something and it's all about interpreting that action in context of who Shinogu really is. He sighs
when he's vexed, runs his hand through his hair when he's irritated and shifts from foot to foot when he's uneasy. He's also no stranger to personal contact, often offering comfort in the form of a
pat on the head or a quick hug.
His eyes say a great deal about him - more often than naught, he looks people right in the eye when he talks to them. This shows a strong sense of character and also and underlying sense of respect.
Occasionally, when troubled or embarrassed, he will avert his gaze to the floor, but this is more out of his own weakness than anything else.
Underneath Shinogu's very glass-like appearance, there's a man who'd love to be an optimist, but has been hurt by his own expectations countless times before. He's come to know the pain of false-hope
and so, holds a drabber outlook when it comes to his own happiness. Behind the steadfast protection he provides others, Shinogu is incredibly vulnerable and fragile himself, marking the sign of a deeply
layered and relatable hero. While he grows as the series continues, it will take some time before he has finally healed all his wounds and can call himself a 'whole' person, but as admirable as Shinogu
already is, I think he's well on his way.
Shinogu, to me, has the strongest personality in the entire series. Hopefully this analysis has shown why.
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