🔗The original text was published by A Xu on December 23, 2023.
Abstract#
This article compares and analyzes the main leaders of the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club during the years 15 to 17 of the Huangqian period. We adopt a focus on personality traits to construct a relatively simple analytical framework. Using this framework, we can gain a better understanding of significant events in the history of the Wind Instrument Club.
1. Introduction#
As Pericles said, "We do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no place here." The development of the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club is intertwined with a series of political struggles. These contests for power, debates over justice, and struggles for emotions not only permeate every major decision and turning point of the club but also affect the daily lives of every member. Among them, the minister, or leader, is always the key figure. Surrounding the minister's power are the games of the current leadership team, the competition of future candidates, and the daily life-and-death decisions. Regarding the many complex issues during the years 14 to 17 of the Huangqian period (i.e., Jiu Ling to Jiu San), such as Asuka Tanaka's power issues and Nozomi Umbrella's merits and faults, if we establish a stronger understanding of the minister themselves, we can achieve a better understanding of these issues. The organization of the Wind Instrument Club is essentially feudal. Members can voluntarily withdraw, which is the most basic limitation on the leadership's power. However, for most members who find it difficult to have another chance to start over, it is very challenging to limit power. The opinions of the guiding teachers can be seen as an independent adjudicative power, a check on the minister, but the teachers do not have the legitimacy to make decisions in the name of the Wind Instrument Club. Therefore, it can be said that the minister's power is substantial. When the minister exercises power, they act both as a leader and as an individual. From the perspective of the Wind Instrument Club, a solid camp requires continuous vitality; from the minister's perspective, life does not stop at the Wind Instrument Club. Faced with such not entirely consistent goals, how different ministers exercise power differently affects the club's various directions of progress. This article aims to discuss how the three generations of ministers during the years 15 to 17 of Huangqian exercised power differently through an analysis of their personal traits, including subjective personality abilities and objective opportunities.
2. Three Generations of Ministers#
First, the three ministers we will discuss are Asuka Tanaka, Yuko Yoshikawa, and Kumiko Huangqian. The reason for choosing Asuka Tanaka instead of Haruka Ogasawara as the minister for the years 15 of Huangqian is twofold. Firstly, although Asuka is not the minister, she is the vice minister. Due to the restructuring of power within the club by the chief meeting, the division of power within the club has room for discussion. Under the new system, if Asuka exercises some powers that were previously attributed to the minister but are now somewhat ambiguous in her capacity as vice minister, it is theoretically feasible. Therefore, Asuka's nominal power is comparable to that of the minister. Secondly, as pointed out by Yui Okura (2019), Minister Haruka Ogasawara initially could not control Mikako and grasp power, and then gradually lost her limited power, allowing Asuka's faction to grow. Moreover, after the Huangqian 15-year government competition, Asuka had already been established as the de facto core. Asuka not only held decision-making power over daily affairs but also had the nomination power for successors, even the power to nominate across generations. Therefore, we should also focus on discussing Asuka's political influence.
It is well known that these three ministers have varying levels of ability. However, the dimension of ability alone cannot explain all changes. For example, while Yuko's ability is far inferior to Asuka's, why is it that Yuko centralizes power while Asuka decentralizes it? Besides the obvious factor of ability, we believe that the different political ecosystems of the three ministers mainly stem from their distinct personal traits. These important differing traits are: Asuka has pursuits but no ideals, Yuko has pursuits and ideals, while Kumiko only has goals. Coupled with their abilities, Asuka is exceptionally capable, Yuko has moderate ability, and Kumiko has above-average ability, we can gain a better understanding of many matters.
The distinction between pursuits and ideals lies in the fact that pursuits are tangible and visible, while ideals are abstract and intangible. Goals are also tangible, but the difference between pursuits and goals is that the former is long-term, profound, and enduring, while the latter is short-sighted, muddled, and temporary. In other words, the difference between Kumiko and Asuka mainly lies in the fact that Asuka looks further, while Kumiko focuses more on the present. The difference between Asuka and Yuko mainly lies in the fact that Yuko's aspirations are higher. If this assertion holds, it is not difficult to understand why some people, such as SOS A Xu (2020), praise Yuko as "the greatest minister," as it is difficult to understand why a minister who stagnated in Kansai would be "the greatest" based solely on achievements.
3. Asuka's Pursuits#
Asuka's pursuits are most notably reflected in the "melody she wants to convey," as she has a clear and definite purpose. However, this can only be considered a pursuit at the goal level. Her more essential pursuit is her love for the euphonium, hoping to play joyfully and comfortably. Her pursuit of this love has been tested and is incredibly resilient. Coupled with her exceptional ability, she not only sees far but also recognizes accurately and walks straight. Focusing solely on this dimension of pursuit, her historical experience determines that once she holds the ministerial power, she will continue to advance toward her pursuits. Furthermore, we should see a more essential trait through this love. What Asuka truly pursues is a life path that she values, one that suits her own conditions, allows her to realize her worth, and grants her the social status she deserves. She recognizes her strengths, such as in playing the euphonium and in learning; she also understands what she needs, such as escaping her mother's emotional control and getting closer to her father, along with his talents, artistry, and reputation. She calmly accepts all of this, analyzes it objectively, and outlines a path where her personal talents and life goals can be unified. In summary, in Asuka's eyes, her life needs to "win," so to "win," she aims at the direction where she can most easily "win," placing her goals on everything that can help her "win," and perseveres. Why must we delve from the level of the euphonium into the realm of life? Because while she loves the euphonium, she loves herself even more. Only by recognizing what she truly needs can we understand her purpose in acquiring and using power, and thus interpret her actions.
With this dimension, we can also conduct a simple analysis of other important political figures outside the minister, as well as related events. When discussing Asuka, we easily notice two similar figures, namely Nozomi Umbrella and Reina Kousaka. We believe that the common trait among these three is that they all have pursuits, but Nozomi Umbrella is a version of Asuka lacking comprehensive ability, while Reina Kousaka is a version of Asuka lacking political acumen. First, let's discuss Reina Kousaka. Reina's lifelong goal is to pursue Takisuke, which is naturally different from Asuka. However, Reina understands the principle of "taking the best from the top," and she does not commit to this "goal," but rather to a "pursuit," which is to be a unique person. By being different, she naturally increases her chances of realizing her seemingly distant fantasies. Although Reina primarily focuses on the trumpet rather than her studies, she is still pursuing being "above others," which aligns her with Asuka. Reina's comprehensive abilities in instruments and intelligence can be said to be on par with Asuka. However, Reina only knows that she wants to be above others but lacks political acumen, not understanding the principle of "a good man needs three helpers," and is not adept at leveraging others to achieve her goals. Reina gradually grows and understands that "water can carry a boat," and to reach a larger stage, she must rely on partners, but she still believes that relying on oneself is better than relying on others. Reina does not understand what the appropriate way to strive for and exercise power is, and often needs encouragement and guidance from the practical master Kumiko Huangqian. She resembles Asuka, whose political points are all added to her musical talent. Now, regarding Nozomi Umbrella. Nozomi is a natural leader; she needs to realize her life value through the flute she loves and excels at, as well as through leadership, which she also enjoys. For this, she has a relatively clear plan. However, unlike Asuka, for Nozomi, this route is bright but fraught with difficulties. On one hand, it is due to bad luck, but on the other hand, her own lack of ability is also an unavoidable important factor. As a result, she may often need to adjust her plans, take some detours, and update her goals. This largely contributes to the poignant aspects of the love story between Liz and the Bluebird. In the chaos of the Southern Middle School, Nozomi struggles to choose a strategy similar to Asuka's of waiting and observing, precisely because she is not as confident in her abilities as she appears. She is even unable to place all her hopes on the old fox Asuka. Eager to prove her worth, coupled with the fear of being overly accommodating and still not fulfilling her own aspirations, leads her down the path of political speculation. However, Nozomi's charm lies in the fact that she possesses all the touching qualities of Asuka but is more tragic, including in love. Asuka is admirable but unattainable; the tragic version of Asuka naturally has its own unique allure.
4. Yuko's Ideals#
Now, let's talk about Yuko. First, we will discuss Yuko's "ideals," and then her "pursuits." Yuko's ideal, in short, is to achieve fairness and justice, bringing light to the world. This fairness and justice is not in the broad sense of equality for all, but in the narrow sense used within the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club. Based on satisfying the overall fairness and justice of the group, Yuko then reasonably places her personal goals. The reason for this assertion mainly falls into two categories. The first category is Yuko's significant contributions to the Wind Instrument Club, where we can see some of her foresight, including supporting Kaori Nakaseko during the selection in the 15th year of Huangqian, supporting Minister Haruka Ogasawara when Asuka claimed illness, stabilizing the situation before and after Nozomi's return, and working hard during her governance in the 16th year of Huangqian while nurturing Kumiko, among others. In these events, we also see Yuko's sensitivity to collective interests, noting that she often speaks of how others are doing rather than focusing on herself. She does these things not out of selfishness or political speculation. Otherwise, when the new policies of Takisuke shifted the atmosphere, she would have no reason to swim against the current to protect someone who is unlikely to have the power to decide the next minister. Or if she were caring for Mizuho Takizuka, it would be out of a desire to win people's hearts and expand her influence; when Nakagawa Natsuki finally comforted her, affirming her contributions in caring for Mizuho, she would not have turned away as if struck by a personal concern. The second category is Yuko's emotional world, which will be elaborated in her pursuit section. Yuko has ideals, and at the same time, she has the pursuit to implement those ideals. Her pursuits are subordinate to her ideals; she first establishes the standards of fairness and justice, and then decides whether to act based on whether a matter can meet the standards and promote the realization of her ideals. She first clearly recognizes her limitations in ability, both in terms of instruments and leadership; at the same time, she understands that ideals require her, and when it is her responsibility, she must step forward. Therefore, she must do two seemingly contradictory things: first, be assertive, stand tall, and be able to bear the rise and fall of the world; second, compromise, never let her stubbornness harm the Wind Instrument Club, and be good at listening and observing. Thus, we often find Yuko's actions perplexing. For example, during the training camp before the Kansai competition in the 15th year of Huangqian, when faced with Kumiko, she initially insisted that her support for Kaori Nakaseko during the selection was correct, but then affirmed that a club aiming for the national competition should prioritize talent. This is precisely because she recognizes that for the long-term fairness and justice of the Wind Instrument Club, she should bravely take on this responsibility. However, she also understands that some matters require extraordinary measures during extraordinary times; if a talented genius with exceptional ability seizes the opportunity, and she obstructs this genius in the name of justice, it would still be counterproductive for the Wind Instrument Club.
Further analyzing Yuko's pursuits, on one hand, she judges her actions according to the above criteria, striving for balance. On the other hand, perhaps more importantly, she relies on Nakagawa Natsuki. In this regard, Yuko is fortunate to achieve a unity of ideals and pursuits: even if her aspirations exceed her abilities, she ultimately manages to fulfill her role to a large extent. Speaking of Natsuki, we must first mention Kaori Nakaseko. Kaori is an essential part of Yuko's ideals. Kaori loves the trumpet and also appreciates Asuka's love for the euphonium, indicating her pure love for wind instruments. Kaori cares for club members and juniors, and her contributions during the tumultuous years 14 to 15 of Huangqian demonstrate her commitment to the collective interests of the Wind Instrument Club. Kaori is humble and does not vie for power, reflecting her efforts in moral construction within the club. Such a person certainly deserves to be treated well, favored, and remembered in the annals of the Wind Instrument Club. For Yuko, maintaining such a person is equivalent to maintaining fairness and justice within the club. One might wonder, however, that since the Wind Instrument Club needs to achieve results, shouldn't fairness and justice be based on merit and oppose seniority? Or that Kaori's contributions to the club could be rewarded in other ways without sacrificing formal competitions? But Yuko is very clear about three things. First, for most members who have sacrificed a lot of time in the Wind Instrument Club, their love for wind instruments cannot be shallow. For such individuals, a minute on stage requires ten years of effort offstage; aside from opportunities in formal competitions, any other rewards can be considered negligible. Otherwise, Kumiko would not have shed tears over losing a brief performance opportunity, contributing to a memorable scene. Second, the new policy reform is fierce; Kaori may not be the target because no one can guarantee that replacing a respected senior will have a greater impact on overall morale than bringing in a more capable newcomer. While the new policy certainly brings new vitality, targeting Kaori is not an urgent matter. If someone intends to target her, it is undoubtedly a decision to "kill the chicken to scare the monkey." Third, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. The benefit of targeting Kaori is that everyone becomes motivated, and the Wind Instrument Club is revitalized. However, the downside is that overly radical and indiscriminate targeting may lead to a breakdown of etiquette and music, causing everyone to feel insecure. While achieving results is good, who can guarantee the judges' fairness? If luck runs slightly amiss and they fail, it not only harms the club's morale but also causes more members with thoughts similar to Aoi Saito to become disillusioned. It is important to note that the number of national gold awards is very limited; even if they win a gold award, it does not mean they have jumped over the dragon gate, as the Wind Instrument Club's primary function is still to love wind instruments and enjoy the warmth of the collective, and it may even undermine the achievements of the new policy and the stability brought by the three fragrances, potentially causing members to lose their motivation to pursue victory and lead to regression. Therefore, Yuko's maintenance of Kaori is a clear recognition of her commitment to fairness and justice. At other times, the reasoning is similar. Yuko consistently views Kaori as a reflection of her ideals in reality.
However, as mentioned earlier, Yuko's abilities are limited. Her abilities cannot match her ideals, and she is well aware of this. Just like during the selection, she does not possess the ability to maintain peace without notable achievements; the best she can do is to be a tough nut to crack, not only standing firm but also openly resisting. In many other instances, she cannot achieve perfection either. Given this, if her original intention is for the benefit of the Wind Instrument Club, shouldn't she restrain her brilliance and avoid causing more trouble for the club? Why does she remain active and continue to shine? Because of Nakagawa Natsuki. Natsuki has two meanings for Yuko. First, Natsuki is also a reflection of her ideals in reality. Although Natsuki loves wind instruments, her passion is not as pure as Kaori's, but her love for her companions may surpass Kaori's because she does not have many musical concerns. Because she loves others more, she can better understand the members' love for wind instruments, which can be seen as an indirect love for wind instruments. As for maintaining collective interests and promoting fairness and justice, Natsuki is equally comparable to Kaori. Therefore, Yuko naturally becomes close to and accepts Natsuki. Second, Natsuki understands Yuko's ideals and supports them, but she herself has no ideals. Because she has no ideals, she can examine Yuko's specific actions from a blank-slate perspective. Thus, Natsuki's scrutiny corrects Yuko's actions. Yuko relies on Natsuki because Natsuki is good, understands and supports her, and more importantly, Natsuki provides critical and objective opinions. So, under the constraints of Natsuki, Yuko's overall optimization of her ideals naturally becomes the local optimization of the current reality. Just like during the selection, Natsuki clearly pointed out to Yuko that if they openly competed, it would ultimately be Kaori who would be left in a difficult position. Yuko knowingly acted this way, and Natsuki's counter-radicalism calmed down other supporters of Kaori, leaving only Yuko to charge forward. Ultimately, the atmosphere of prioritizing talent was established, and the breakdown of etiquette and music did not occur; morality remained respected throughout the Wind Instrument Club, as evidenced by Yuko's overwhelming support for Haruka Ogasawara after Asuka claimed illness. Yuko, as the ruling party, achieved the result of making her pursuits easier to realize by introducing an opposition party to limit her own power and overcome her original sin. This makes it easy to understand why Asuka wanted to leave a Yuko and Natsuki arrangement. It is also easy to understand why Yuko's perception improved significantly in the second season, where she interacted more with Natsuki compared to the first season, where their interactions were less. By the way, Yuko's need for Natsuki is itself a form of support for Natsuki. If Yuko did not need Natsuki, then Natsuki's hope of becoming vice minister would be slim. If Natsuki were not the vice minister, it would be hard to say whether she would repeat Kaori's fate in the selection of the 16th year of Huangqian. Both Kaori and Natsuki are too gentle and lack cunning regarding their pursuits and whether they need power, which, as Pericles said, may lead them to "have no place here." Natsuki also responds to Yuko's needs, making Yuko better and herself better.
In the previous discussion, we seemed to have conflated Natsuki and Kaori. However, we must clarify that, unlike the relationships between Nozomi, Reina, and Asuka, Natsuki is not a lower version of Kaori. In fact, Natsuki is Kaori + Haruka. The difference between Natsuki and Kaori lies in the fact that she cannot enjoy music like Kaori does, so what she enjoys is the love of the team and the team itself, much like playing basketball. Like Haruka Ogasawara, she does not care about power but is concerned about the negative consequences of power. Natsuki's desire to withdraw from the selection for the sake of Kōsuke Takizuka is akin to Haruka's desire to resign due to Aoi Saito. Haruka fears that someone will rewrite her contributions to the stability of the club, worried that it will lead to a compromise of achievements; while Natsuki fears being misunderstood as relying on Yuko for personal gain rather than for the long-term stability of the Wind Instrument Club. During the selection in the 15th year of Huangqian, Natsuki invited Kumiko for a drink to dispel her concerns, but we must also see that Natsuki clarified her own contributions through this action. Natsuki's additional gentleness compared to Haruka lies in her complete humility and grace, as she is unafraid of being barefoot. In summary, she is Kaori + Haruka. Of course, the relationships of the latter two with Asuka differ significantly from the relationship between Natsuki and Yuko. Although the degree of reliance on Asuka for them is similar to Natsuki's reliance on Yuko within the cabinet, Asuka is not Yuko.
Asuka has ability, has pursuits, but lacks ideals. The environment of the Wind Instrument Club affects her, and she will exhaust various clever methods to change it. If the environment of the Wind Instrument Club does not affect her, she can remain aloof and act as the supreme leader. Among these, Kumiko's successful ascension to the ministerial position will impact her. This is due to both her historical evaluation of achievements in the euphonium section and her historical evaluation of contributions to stability. If for any reason Kumiko cannot smoothly ascend, the more detours the Wind Instrument Club takes, the greater the possibility of negating the new policies of Takisuke. Therefore, ensuring Kumiko's ascension is crucial for both her and the club. She is very clear that if Yuko succeeds, then regardless of the relationship between Natsuki and Kumiko in the euphonium section or Yuko's public spirit, Kumiko will inevitably ascend. This is the first reason for her choice of Yuko. The second reason, and the most important one, is that she knows Yuko will be able to effectively carry out the task of bridging the past and the future. Yuko's abilities cannot overshadow the members, so after she takes office, she can only rely on two things: a banner and a legal system. She needs a banner to command the members and a legal system to refine her orders. The banner of Takisuke's new policies is acceptable to Yuko, and for the members, it represents the inheritance of the legacy, historically freeing them from shadows, so Yuko has no choice but to adopt this banner, allowing Asuka to rest easy. In fact, we can also see that Yuko, in order to consolidate her power and better implement her ideals of fairness and justice, ultimately follows a "left form, right substance" route, which aligns with Yuko's consistent style discussed above. In terms of the banner, Yuko demonstrates unprecedented radicalism, showcasing her undeniable correctness, facilitating the exercise of power; in terms of actions, she implements conservatism, maintaining stability through balance and coordination. The conservative policies include: reclaiming the power of the chief meeting for the cabinet, strengthening top-down legal systems; appointing Kumiko as the new guidance, reinforcing the hierarchical legal system among grades; contrasting with Kaori by allowing Natsuki to pass the selection smoothly, strengthening the legal system of obedience to the minister among members, and so on. Of course, as we mentioned earlier, Yuko's conservatism is not only driven by ideals but also by considerations of combining ideals with reality. In a situation where her strength is not as great as the previous term, maintaining stability, ensuring the direction of the Wind Instrument Club's progress is not shaken, ensuring a smooth power transition, and ensuring that the Wind Instrument Club retains its original attributes of bringing love and joy to members is what Yuko should do most, and she does it well.
5. Kumiko's Goals#
In the ministerial track, Kumiko is a genuinely gifted candidate. We can point out Kumiko's playing level, but we cannot criticize this great minister because her greatness is a product of timing, location, and personal harmony. Timing refers to her being born under a red flag, with good historical opportunities and environment; location refers to her being equipped with a complete team; and personal harmony relies on her personal traits that are highly adaptable to timing and location. Her personal trait is the absence of ideals and pursuits, only having goals. This may seem simple, but when she fills the point of goals, it becomes the only optimal solution under the historical tide. Kumiko's lack of ideals and pursuits is easy to discern. She may like wind instruments, but she does not understand whether she truly likes them, nor does she understand whether she likes the euphonium; she may hope to achieve the highest honors, but she does not comprehend why it is necessary or possible; she may wish for a good future, but when faced with these complex issues, she only avoids them; she may have a desire for power and wish to gain recognition from more people, but she is also filled with confusion. As Kōsuke Takizuka commented, she indeed likes to use some straightforward words to "intrude into others' inner worlds," but her purpose is not to manipulate others' hearts; rather, it is because she genuinely does not understand these profound issues, which may be lifelong concerns for many. What Kumiko has always focused on is merely the goals within her reach, and nothing more. This is not meant as a derogatory term, as it needs to be viewed in light of her abilities. Although she can only see three meters ahead, she not only can clearly acknowledge her short-sightedness and face her shortcomings but is also very adept at solving problems within three meters with appropriate measures. When she senses that there is a problem in her relationship with others, she does not get entangled in the essence of the ideological conflict but rather makes do and patches things up. When she realizes that she is affected by power struggles, she will focus on power, approach power, and influence power, just like her involvement in the Nozomi's return incident. The final result is that due to her exceptionally strong innate abilities, coupled with the absence of ideological burdens, she can always navigate through storms and maneuver left and right. Of course, this alone does not ensure her stability in power. Her potential to be a minister is predicated on having revolutionary comrades like Reina Kousaka and others forming a complete team. As mentioned earlier, Reina is a version of Asuka lacking political acumen. If Reina were a complete version of Asuka, Kumiko would inevitably be completely suppressed, as their abilities would be difficult to distinguish, but their perspectives would be worlds apart. Reina's strength lies in being a role like Han Xin; she must rely on someone with political acumen to exert political influence. Coincidentally, if she were to rely on a character like Nozomi Umbrella, who lacks comprehensive abilities, then forming a political alliance would certainly be mutually beneficial, but two tigers cannot coexist, and it is hard to guarantee that there won't be a day when "the sky wants to rain and the mother wants to marry." A character like Kumiko, who can engage in politics without ideological burdens, is a godsend for Reina. Kumiko also urgently needs Reina. She may not see the road ahead clearly, which is not a big deal, but this means she cannot lead more people. Therefore, Kumiko and Reina can be said to complement each other perfectly. Of course, if we compare, we find that the relationship between Kumiko and Reina differs from that between Yuko and Natsuki. Yuko's ideals are embodied in Natsuki, and Natsuki's recognition is Yuko; while Reina's pursuits are not Kumiko's, Kumiko is more like a Brownian motion. To put it further, Reina wants to be a better person, while Kumiko wants to be Takisuke. After being influenced by Asuka, the perfect version of Reina, in the later period of the 15th year of Huangqian, the scene after the graduation ceremony where she holds the score and hears Reina calling her name reflects Kumiko's short-sighted and wavering pursuits. Thus, Kumiko and Reina are mutually supportive yet cautious. Although they will not completely fall out, as there is no essential conflict, it is not so easy to expect them to always be inseparable. Although the third season has not yet been released, the historical script has already been pre-written with the potential conflicts they may face; let us wait and see.
With the right location, Kumiko also needs the right timing. The timing mainly involves three aspects: first, the overall environment of the new policy; second, the favor of the heavens. The overall environment of the new policy goes without saying; having someone like Reina to be promoted is an important stepping stone for Kumiko. Regarding the favor of the heavens, she must first go through Asuka and then through Yuko. Asuka needs someone to inherit the new policy, someone whose historical contributions will shine in the eyes of future generations. This person should ideally form the optimal solution with Yuko, so that Asuka does not have to make a choice. Can Kumiko inherit the new policy? With Reina present, it is basically not a problem. However, whether this achievement can ultimately be attributed to Asuka is a question mark for her. Kumiko's ability to cooperate with Reina is an advantage, but her short-sightedness and excessive reliance on Reina may turn it into a stage solely for Reina. However, Asuka hopes that Kumiko can become this optimal solution because she has long recognized that Kumiko's character is "very much like the euphonium." On one hand, Kumiko can solve short-term problems but cannot stand out, serving as a stable ballast that is hidden in plain sight, much like the euphonium; on the other hand, as long as there are excellent people who can help her broaden her perspective and follow louder and more outstanding instruments, she can adapt well to the rhythm of others, which is also like the euphonium. The first person Kumiko finds is Reina, who helps her see a broader world. Reina helps her understand that her love for wind instruments stems from her desire to become a person with pursuits like Reina; that the desire to achieve the highest honors comes from her inner dissatisfaction; and that the need for political power arises from her aspiration to become someone unique. Asuka is well aware that what she needs to do is to help Kumiko see that she is the complete version of Reina. She needs to point out to Kumiko that beneath the fog of war she cannot see, there are not only the paths Reina speaks of but also more beautiful scenery; she can navigate smoothly, express herself freely, and gracefully conclude her journey. This is precisely what Asuka does. After losing face in front of everyone, she becomes even more anxious about the diminishing influence of her historical contributions, so she calls Kumiko over under the pretext of achieving the aforementioned goal. At this moment, Kaori comes out to tie Asuka's shoelaces, and the reason for Asuka's fluctuating expression is due to two related reasons. First, Asuka pursues the realization of her value, which includes moral reputation. Asuka has always been a paragon of reputation; she avoids selfishness that would tarnish the organization's reputation. Kaori tying her shoelaces feels like binding her with shackles, and she fears she cannot maintain her integrity, hence her displeasure. Second, regarding Kumiko, her purpose in coming is to solidify her historical position, which is of great significance. She urgently needs to influence Kumiko, shifting her focus from the path pointed out by Reina to the path and scenery she indicates. Kaori's interruption raises the question of whether this will be attributed to Kaori's influence or Asuka's influence in the future. Whose guiding ideology will the contributions to stability ultimately be attributed to? Therefore, she is very concerned. Of course, the final outcome is positive. Just as Asuka anticipated, once she displays her complete version of Reina, Kumiko becomes enamored and unable to let go. Thus, Asuka's generational designation of Kumiko becomes a natural outcome. At the same time, we must see that Asuka also hopes Kumiko and Yuko can jointly form the optimal solution. If Kumiko cannot gain Yuko's recognition, then Asuka's problem will become more complicated. Coincidentally, with Yuko, Kumiko can also pass. Kumiko, influenced by Asuka and Reina, will undoubtedly raise the left banner, which is true. However, as we mentioned earlier, Kumiko is not only short-sighted but also aware of her short-sightedness. Therefore, she will find it difficult to fully implement the left route and will also seek to balance the yin and yang from a realistic standpoint. This is something that pleases Yuko. We note that Yuko cannot incorporate Kumiko into her influence like Asuka can because, while Yuko has ideals, Kumiko does not. Idealism, as a castle in the air, cannot achieve the leap from the metaphysical to the physical for someone who cannot escape the cave. An idealist can only persuade and influence someone without ideals through realistic pursuits and goals. As we have said, Yuko's realistic pursuits are entirely dependent on Natsuki, and relying on Yuko alone is not feasible. Nevertheless, Yuko seizes a treasure, a soft spot. The treasure is that Natsuki and Kumiko are both in the euphonium section. Yuko and Natsuki cannot persuade people with reason but can move them with emotion. With Natsuki's gentleness, Kumiko is influenced, making it difficult for her to part with conservatism emotionally, and she also finds it hard to part with the historical contributions of Yuko and Natsuki. The soft spot is Hidetaka Tsukamoto. Hidetaka is Kumiko's soft spot and also Reina's. Even in the 15th and 16th years of Huangqian, he remains a significant soft spot limiting Kumiko from fully pursuing Reina's path. Therefore, in terms of the favor of the heavens, Kumiko can pass through Asuka and Yuko, achieving a unity of timing, location, and personal harmony. Some may feel that the situation in the 17th year of Huangqian is also part of the timing that contributes to Kumiko's great achievements. However, we attribute this to Kumiko's innate abilities for the sake of discussion, as how the situation is utilized by the Wind Instrument Club is inherently tied to the characteristics of the minister. Kumiko's ability to solve problems within three meters gives the Wind Instrument Club the cohesion to overcome difficulties during special periods. Opportunities are only available to those who are prepared, so for convenience, we attribute the metaphysical achievements to the leader themselves. Kumiko's team, Yuko has left a design of Kumiko, Reina, and Hidetaka in a tripod formation. This is primarily because Yuko wants to consolidate the achievements of conservatism; having a vice minister who is the ex-boyfriend of the minister itself limits radicalism. Secondly, Kumiko alone cannot limit Reina. It is necessary to add the soft spot Hidetaka to make it comparable and to prevent Reina from harming the collective interests of the Wind Instrument Club. However, if we say that Natsuki bears the role of Kaori + Haruka, Kumiko's team lacks people like Natsuki and Kaori. Kumiko's pursuit of short-term goals determines that she cannot be completely selfless and cannot be considerate of the members. The remaining two are even less capable of doing so. Therefore, it is easy to understand why the Wind Instrument Club appointed Ririka Kenzaki as the new guidance at this time. This also provides another perspective to argue why history chose Ririka Kenzaki, as pointed out by JF123258 (2020).
6. Why We Need to Summarize Characters#
A fundamental question is why we categorize and discuss characters. From the above, we can indeed find that categorizing based on character traits allows for simple analysis and predictions of many matters. However, the downside is that it compresses the richly crafted characters into a few categories, neglecting many individual characteristics and the author's painstaking efforts in shaping them. In fact, if we approach the discussion and explanation of events with a more specific focus on individual characters, we can still discuss and explain events; it is merely a different approach. Why categorize and summarize? Here, we need to explain that we have two reasons for doing so. First, by summarizing the personalities of people in power struggles, we can avoid being limited by the current situation, making it easier to historically position and evaluate figures like the three ministers rather than being confined to the context of the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club. For example, Asuka, Yuko, Kumiko, and Reina can easily be linked to the four great generals of the Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Zhou Yu first established the rites of monarch and minister, stabilizing Jiangdong after Sun Ce's death, and allowed Sun Quan to refuse hostages, raising the banner of justice against Cao Cao, which is similar to Asuka's stabilization and new policies. Zhou Yu inherited Sun Ce's legacy, but despite his achievements being recorded in history, he ultimately only captured Jiangling, which parallels Asuka's pursuits and failures. Lu Su first proposed that the Han dynasty could not be revived, which was more radical than Zhou Yu's banner, but he practiced compromise conservatism for long-term strategy, ultimately leading to a loss of achievements, which is quite similar to Yuko. Lü Meng, coming from the military, had a short-sighted view but could coordinate up and down, achieving military successes, while Lu Xun's talents were outstanding, assisting Lü Meng in seizing Jingzhou, but like Han Xin, he ultimately exposed his political shortcomings, which resonates with Kumiko and Reina. Zhou Yu's choice of Lu Su, who had different policies, mirrors Asuka's choice of Yuko, and there are many such similarities worth pondering. Of course, blindly seeking hidden meanings is not advisable. We provide these examples merely to illustrate that by categorizing character traits, we can gain a broader perspective to understand and evaluate this segment of history in the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club. Pure indexing inevitably leads to many inconsistencies because these are two entirely different stories, and the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club has its own character images. This brings us to the second reason. From the perspective of examining a work, the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club, as a relatively realistic work, aims to present characters and storylines that are close to reality to the audience. Reality cannot be achieved through mere record-keeping. Reality means that the actions of characters must align with their own logical actions, and their behaviors must conform to their characterizations. To achieve this, the characterizations must be clear. Otherwise, if all characters can do this or that, their actions will lack logic, and the audience will not feel the intended sense of reality. To express the author's emotions and tell an interesting story, characters must be diverse enough to spark endless imagination and create sparks. Achieving clear personalities for many characters within a limited work, while ensuring that there are some differences among them, presents a challenge. If the story covers broader time, space, and layers, the differences in character traits become easier to portray, such as different social classes, families, professions, and levels of knowledge. However, the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club is merely a campus history. Even if people from different grades can be different, they will ultimately experience the same grade. Moreover, the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club cannot cover everything; it must retain the beautiful and hazy feeling of campus youth. Therefore, the author faces significant challenges in character development and storytelling. Sometimes, the characters painstakingly crafted may inevitably share some similarities with others. At this point, attempting to categorize characters based on similarities may indeed bring us closer to the emotions the author wishes to convey. For example, "Sunny as Dai Ying, and Xi as Chai Fu." Interestingly, these character images and traits not only depict the tumultuous political landscape we focus on but also contribute to the creation of a touching love epic like Liz and the Bluebird, which undoubtedly brings endless imagination and makes one linger.
References#
Yui Okura, 2019: An Investigation of Power Struggles in the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club ↩
SOS A Xu, 2020: Yuko Yoshikawa, the Greatest Minister of the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club ↩
JF123258, 2020: Why is Ririka Kenzaki the Next Minister of the Kitayuuji Wind Instrument Club? ↩