Chronological Order Of You Huo And Qin Jiu Flashbacks Shown In The Manhua

On Jun Kurosu's Favorite Book

Essay time is here again! Let’s talk about Jun’s favorite book, The Little Prince, and why it’s relevant to him as a character and Persona 2 as a whole.

The Little Prince is a French children’s novel written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It tells the story of a pilot, a man unimpressed by adult society (note the year the book was written), forced to land his plane somewhere in the middle of the Sahara Desert due to engine failure. Just when things are beginning to look dire, a little boy appears who asks the pilot to draw him a sheep (yes, really). Once the pilot humors his request, the boy introduces himself as a prince from Asteroid B-612, then explains that the sheep’s grazing could hopefully prevent the growth of baobab trees that threaten his tiny home and the life of his only friend, a rose. The pilot is bemused by all this, but decides to keep listening as the little prince recounts the fantastical journey that brought him to Earth.

The Little Prince is a well-beloved story around the world and I can easily see why Jun would consider it his favorite. The most superficial reason, which I will mention first, is the use of celestial bodies, flowers, plants, aviation/flight, and water (as in Aquarius, the water bearer) as motifs. The second reason is that I think Jun must strongly relate to the pilot because they’re both unusual thinkers who question society around them and feel outside the norm. Also, if the broken engine is meant to represent the pilot’s spirit, and the Sahara Desert his alienation and loneliness, then the appearance of the little prince represents a child’s perspective–something that provides comfort in a time of crisis. The value of keeping in touch with your childhood self is a major idea of the book that Jun interprets in a twisted way in IS.

The third reason is that several themes of The Little Prince must speak to Jun’s Aquarian nature, such as the importance of being imaginative, expanding one’s horizons, seeking new knowledge, and keeping an open mind. Several of the adult characters the little prince meets along his journey through the galaxy are self-limiting and stuck in their ways, such as a geographer who has never gone out to actually see the world. There are also those who live their lives based on constructs, such as a king who rules over nothing or a businessman who claims to own the stars. Then there’s the adults who follow orders unthinkingly, fail to consider outside perspectives, or lack any self-awareness. These characters all represent the flaws in mankind that I think Jun wishes he could change.

The next planet was inhabited by a tippler [a drunk]. This was a very short visit, but it plunged the little prince into deep dejection.

“What are you doing there?” he said to the tippler, whom he found settled down in silence before a collection of empty bottles and also a collection of full bottles.

“I am drinking,” replied the tippler, with a lugubrious air.

“Why are you drinking?” demanded the little prince.

“So that I may forget,” replied the tippler.

“Forget what?” inquired the little prince, who already was sorry for him.

“Forget that I am ashamed,” the tippler confessed, hanging his head.

“Ashamed of what?” insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.

“Ashamed of drinking!” The tippler brought his speech to an end, and shut himself up in an impregnable silence.

And the little prince went away, puzzled.

“The grown-ups are certainly very, very odd,” he said to himself, as he continued on his journey.

The fourth reason I think The Little Prince is meaningful to Jun is that it offers a beautiful message about the value of human relationships and the mark they leave on us. Remember the engraving on Tatsuya’s lighter? The quote “what’s most important can’t be seen with one’s eyes” is a translation of probably the most famous line from The Little Prince. It comes from a chapter in which the prince is shocked to learn that there are many roses on Earth exactly like his, when previously he believed his rose to be one of a kind. This is when a fox approaches the prince, who suggests that they “tame” one another.

“What does that mean–‘tame’?”

“It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. “It means to establish ties.“

”'To establish ties’?“

"Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world …" 

So the prince and the fox begin to meet with each other every day, and though they may have started out as strangers, they both find it difficult to say goodbye when the time comes to move on. However, the fox insists that even despite their sadness, the time they spent together had added meaning to their lives that would never disappear. The fox then has this to say:

"Goodbye,” said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." 

"It is the time I have wasted for my rose–” said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.

“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose …”

“I am responsible for my rose,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

The way all this relates to Jun is obvious, because he too once made some special friends who he only knew for a tragically short time. But does that mean Jun’s friendships with Tatsuya, Lisa, Eikichi and Maya were a mistake? If human beings are so flawed and absurd, and we all must eventually leave each other one day, then is getting to know other people and growing attached to them ultimately just a source of heartache?

The Little Prince argues no, of course not, because human bonds are one of those all important, invisible things in life. The mere fact that you spent time with somebody makes that somebody important, because their impact on you never truly goes away. The reverse, of course, is also true.

Over all, The Little Prince being Jun’s favorite makes perfect sense to me and I appreciate how well Persona 2 weaves ideas from the book into its own narrative. If you’re at all interested in this book (and prepared to cry), I highly recommend giving it a read.

qin jiu

link click "lu guang, say something" collection

qqgk global examination unique narration detail

the style / personality of the narration changes based on the character its focusing on

yu wen- lists things and changes topics quick

1006- aggressive, short narration

qin jiu - very soft

you huo - sarcastic

first meeting

exam clean up arc changes sm after finishing the novel and knowing the two extra ppl are the real qin jiu and you huo from the past

- you huo getting so jealous of you huo, he tries to make himself more like you huo after waking up

-we never find out why qin jiu was tied up

154: be careful about falling into the sea

154: *falls into the sea*

wzxz fake slackers / qqgk global examination

excavators

need a visual of Qin Jiu menacingly dribbling a ball basketball

qqgk global examination

in celebration of December 7th (the day you huo and qin jiu woke up in real world)

you huo and some favorite moments