❀ application → discedo
OOC Information
Name: Dana
LJ: lovexamination
Contact: AIM: love examination PLURK: rihitenstein
Characters played at Discedo: n/a
IC Information
Name: Japan (Sakura Honda)
Canon: Axis Powers Hetalia: Nyotalia (Canon AU)
Timeline: July 2011
Canon Resource Link: @TvTropes (scroll down to Japan)
Personality: At first glance Japan doesn't make too much of an impression- she simply appears to be an extremely polite, proper young woman, but also a gentle, shy girl who tends to wear a subtly uncertain, worried expression on her face. She speaks softly, carefully, has a very mild personality and is polite to an extreme- never one to forget to bow, say please and thank you, and apologizing for every little thing, even when others are causing trouble, and constantly speaks as formally as possible, never using anything but polite and refined speech. Beyond this little quirk, Japan is described by the author as a Yamato Nadeshiko, and thus above all embodies the Japanese ideal of how a woman should act, and very appropriately so. Meek and timid, fragile and gentle, quiet and mild, humble and modest, ladylike, reserved, calm, mature, domestic and very appropriately traditional is the impression Sakura Honda gives at first glance; you'd think her picture belongs on the dictionary page for Nice And Proper Young Lady- or, more appropriately, for the concept of Yamato Nadeshiko, ignoring the fact that neither of these are likely to end up in a dictionary.
First impressions are deceiving, and while this is indeed what she is like- this is not really an act or anything of the sort- it also hides the fact that there is a lot more to her than that, and that this surface hides a very complex and multi-layered person. Compared to her other fellow nations, one might think that Japan is the only sane and normal one, the straight man who is surrounded by idiots; this is completley untrue, however, and while she's just good at hiding it, Japan is as much of a quirky weirdo and an idiot as all of them. However, a sense, Japan also knows that there are certain expectations set to how she, as a female personification of the country, should behave, and does her best to fulfill them- so if she does not, she does it incredibly subtly and sneakily. Her politeness can go to truly ridiculous extents, but it's also what makes her such an incredibly passive-aggressive sort of girl. Because she is s polite and always wants to avoid any direct offense- this often leads to the way she speaks being incredibly indirect, vague and roundabout. But eventually you begin you realize that "I'll consider it" actually means no, and so does "Maybe next time", and so do all these other roundabout answers that she constantly gives. She won't be rude directly, but she'll be rude in the most incredibly polite way possible if need be. She's a lady after all, but that doesn't mean she has to be a pushover! (Although she often is... but that depends on the situation.)
While compared to her male counterpart, she is a lot more comfortable with showing and expressing emotions, and she doesn't give an impression of a cold person- she is distant and solitary, a girl who has trouble opening up to others. Despite her different from her male counterpart she still does her best to be as reserved as possible and does her best to draw the line when it comes to expressing emotions, simply to be more proper; she's a bit stiff in that regard. As an island nation, she has been isolated from the rest of the world from the beginning, so truthfully, social interaction is still something that she has trouble with even after over two thousand years of experience. Frankly, Japan really is nothing less than socially awkward and shy, and she needs to be coaxed and made comfortable when interacting with others so that she could stop being so stiff around others- it's a process, but it's not impossible. Although due to her personality- no matter how close one gets, she still puts up a barrier and never lowers her defenses- she will make sure that there will always be a distance between her and the other people. Even for the people she truly cares for and even has affections for- though she will try not to express those feelings fully, not just to be proper but also because having them is something she's privately embarrassed by.
That doesn't say she's really good at it; not at all, as she can have sudden outbursts of emotion that make one wonder if this is really the same person you were talking to a moment ago; that quiet and proper girl and the one yelling really really loudly and talking about honestly ridiculous things in a rather comical fashion. Excitement, embarrassment, surprise, indignation, even anger- although after these sudden outburst she's likely to polite brush them off with an apology, pretend they never happened, and go back to her usual self again. And sometimes she's likely to act as though there's nothing particularly unusual about them. This reveals an incredibly childish side to Japan; similarly, she is often very naive and gullible to a nearly ridiculous degree, taking the strangest things at face value, easily believing things that are too good to be true, treating everything way too seriously, acting as though she's in a shonen manga or a dating sim, and so on.
The last one in particular boils down to the fact that Japan is a huge otaku in what is probably the most stereotypical way ever. There is no other way to put it. She has a love for pop culture, for anime, manga, light novels, games- you name it. She speaks throwing around references from her current favorite series and whenever she's being over-dramatic especially, and Christmas is never completley without an issue of Shonen Jump. During World Meetings she likes to secretly read manga and play Starry Sky instead of getting work done- not that they ever do, anyway- and loses sleep at night watching anime and playing through her favorite routes in visual novels so she can get all the endings and complete the game. It's very important, you know! She has never missed a single Comic Market and always returns with her shopping bags full with one copy nearly everything available in it inside of them. But don't misunderstand, she isn't buying anything inappropriate! Gosh, she's not a pervert or anything! She never had a single impure thought in her life! Oh, that R-18 America/England doujin costs a thousand yen, by the way. If you are interested in other pairings, she'd love to discuss them with you! Wow, it's not like there is something strange selling porn about your fellow nations! And don't call her a fujoshi, she's not a dirty girl! There is nothing inappropriate about that amazingly huge porn stash of doujins she has! Which is to say that yes indeed, she is a pervert and a fujoshi, though she is in fierce denial of this, and when she gets excited especially, she is pretty much both a teenage girl a dirty old man in the body of a young woman at the same time.
Although she does have a side to her, not just on the surface, that is genuinely very mature, and you discover it as you get to know her better; she is old, after all, though she would have much more difficulty admitting it than her male counterpart, and if ever called that would either insist that she's still young or theatrically declare herself young using flowery and dramatic language, sounding even more old in the process. This is partly because of her image, something she cares quite a bit about, and partly because that's simply the side of herself that she focuses on because that's how she is. Anyway- she is very emotionally and mentally mature in a sense that she has a lot of the experience, and as a result, wisdom of an old person, and has the ability to learn from her mistakes. She often likes to think about things ver deeply- sometimes a little too deeply- and it's from these things that she developed her philosophy. Despite her gullibility and naivete, she is at the same time very clever, logical, and practical in her thinking... and also strangely optimistic and realistic at the same time, depending on the situation.
Additionally, due to playing a variety of roles during the wars- both in combat, and both outside of it, as well as due to her domestic, traditional character, she can often act like a mother to those she cares about- often by fussing and worrying and essentially being a bit annoying, though with good intentions. She's more like that worrisome and annoying grandmother who never lets you go hungry and forces the plate of food in your face if she sees that you aren't eating properly, is always there to make you tea, overreacts over your minor injuries, lectures you a bit whenever something goes wrong, and generally treats you like a kid who can't take care of himself at the worst of times, sometimes even muttering things like "young people today!" with a huff- but ultimately, she takes are of you, so you can't help being a bit grateful. This little quirk of hers can be embarrassing and annoying, but treating people like this is also how she shows them that she cares- in fact, it's the most direct way for her to do so, and exists as a result of several things, including the fact that she's often too embarrassed to show people that she cares for them through a different way.
The features of a classic Yamato Nadeshiko also include strength and the ability to endure and struggle against pain and even skill in battle, in spite of a gentle and delicate appearance, and Japan has that in spades. Another thing her surface hides is an incredibly strong will that can overcome everything- when it comes down to it, she can be an incredibly tough opponent because she is so determined that even at the most of difficult at times, she never gives up, and always keeps struggling and enduring and continuing to fight and finding a way to improve things. She is very, very stubborn, determined and hard-working, and while this is a source of strength for her, it is not always a good thing because of her sheer stubbornness- but the State of Japan has learned from her past, so that she does have times when she can admit defeat without much difficulty and acknowledge indirectly that going on further wouldn't be for the best. On the other hand, it's the State of Japan, the Japan of the postwar period, from occupational to post-occupational, from late Showa to to Heisei period, that has learned to use this trait of hers in one of the most difficult times of her life; to pull herself back together and rebuild and regain her strength as a country, and very much so, after losing everything. She'll stand up if you kick her to the ground, even if you take away her dignity and force her to crawl on her hands and knees- her loyalty to the people, and even her stubbornness, truly runs this deep, and it says a lot that this is something she'd be willing to endure for them. She would compromise her pride and her honor for their sake- this is on one of the many things war had taught her.
That is because, simply put, while one wouldn't expect it, Japan is incredibly and deeply proud, and always has been; her seeming humility and modesty, while not an act, is often genuine and yet often quite an exaggeration, because she's a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, she can't be haughty, you know! More important, however, is the fact that this pride of hers is the motivation and reason for a great deal of her actions; she still retains the old-fashioned "honor before reason" mentality, places it and her dignity above anything else, and can really be arrogant at her very worst, though just as well she can see where the limits of her abilities lay; but there are situations where, when she wishes to prove herself, she can overestimate her abilities just as well. Additionally- this pride, combined with her own stubbornness, gets in the way more than once and prevents her from making logical, rational decisions, and it is purely her stubbornness and pride that makes Japan's behavior about her past seem the way it is. You might think she is dismissive of it; that she does not truly regret it, that she does want to apologize for it at first, but it doesn't take long to understand that it is not so at all. She understands the recklessness and, more than that, the cruelty of many of her past actions; she is aware that she did things that cannot be forgiven by most- and she acknowledges all this- but not openly. As deeply as she regrets everything she has done, and she her regrets run quite deeply indeed, while she does her best to express this indirectly, she cannot really apologize and risk losing face directly the way another nation would. As a nation, as Japan, however, she understands that she ultimately did everything for her people, because she wanted to do her best as a country, and while she does not justify her crimes, she also knows well that she is not a bad person at heart- she was young, foolish, misguided, and would rather be cruel than put aside her honor back then. So, she is a lot more at peace with her past than the human, Sakura Honda- who is still haunted by it at times, and still struggles to achieve inner peace with herself as a person, and who still fears that her more militaristic, nationalistic and ruthlessly ambitious side is still there without her awareness.
Essentially, Japan is complex and strange and often two-faced; she is made up of contradictions, contrasts, quirks and deceiving first impressions, of many, many aspects and facets, with a simply, mild and lukewarm surface that hides all this as well as thick layers of warmth that take time to expose, but not impossible. All the same, however, she really is, deep down, a silly and strange old lady who has lived for over two thousand years and still hasn't really lost her energy and still loves the world as it is today- even as it moves at a too fast pace and even as she recalls and misses the old days.
Powers & Abilities: Japan is a nation, and thus possesses a link to her people and the country itself- anything that happens to them affects her. Additionally, she is nearly impossible to kill, or at least it's much more difficult than most humans, and her healing rate is nearly supernaturally quick as she's willing to endure some very serious wounds without dying, as all countries. Beyond these "powers", she is very skilled in several aspects; technology, first-aid, art, housework and her domestic ability is high, as is her skill in batte with a variety of weapons; basically, she is an expert in everything Japanese, being the nation itself.
What items will they be bringing with them to Discedo? Her camera and a doujinshi.
Posting Samples
Third-Person Sample: Now, normally, Japan was a very serious and hard-working sort of woman. Not always, but normally. She wasn't exactly the type to slack off- in fact, the opposite. If anyone was known to overwork herself to a ridiculous degree to the point of getting stressed and fainting suddenly- not due to old age, of course! Just because of stress- it was usually Japan. Which was really a pretty ridiculous exaggeration- she was just fulfilling her role as the country of Japan! As a true Yamato Nadeshiko and flower of Japanese maidenhood, she had to do these things once in a while; not that she minded.
It isn't as though there was anything new about that in particular; that is how it always has been and she couldn't imagine living in a way that was any different, and didn't really want to. She was a nation, to the very core; it defined her as a person, too. Without the part of her that was a nation, only the human Honda Sakura was left- but without Japan, even she was an empty shell. It was Japan who shaped and made Sakura into what she was, in the end. The line between who she was as a nation, and as a person- was not an easy one to draw and it was very, very blurry.
Well, maybe this was not the time contemplate and think about things like that. Why was it that she always began with thinking about the most mundane little things, and ended up like this? Sometimes, she'd end up thinking so much that she would depress herself- maybe she really was a little masochistic, in this sense...
Ah, but that's no good! She should get back on track and stop being ridiculous, really. Today was a busy day! She had no time for contemplation! So what was she doing- ah, yes. Maybe it was ironic that she was slacking off to slacking off- no, she wasn't slacking off at all, of course! Today was her first date with her favorite character from this otome game! Oh, he let her call him by his first name, kyaaa... it was a very important, very important indeed! She had to make sure that all her hard work gaining the necessary points and playing the needed mini-games, as well as doing everything else the walkthrough said to so she can get the best ending possible, would pay off! (...She'll get the Bad Ending later. The depressing, violently bloody ones are only effective after you get a happy one! ...Wow, maybe she really was masochistic... no, she was just into that kind of thing.) She was going to succeed in this! It was a challenge she was not going to back down from! In her mind, she prayed to the gods, to her ancestors to give her the strength needed to overcome this boundary...! And to Kamina-sama, to believe in her because she has already believed in him! And she though to herself, go, fight, win! Uwoooooooohhh!!
....And so on, and so on. And then there was a knock on the door.
"Kyaaaaah!" ...Oh, goodness, she got distracted, how embarrassing! (Well, at least it wasn't like that time when she was caught reading porn in the middle of a world meeting. Not that it ever happened.) She quickly shut the lip of her laptop, muttered a quick apology to it as she did- "I will come back to you later, I swear it!" and rushed for the door at full speed. The door that was probably less then a meter away from where she was now, and even that was a bit tiring, but she was just so concentrated, you see, it's not like she was out of shape or anything... so, panting heavily, she opened the door to a very displeased looking person standing at it with their arms crossed. "G... good morning to you!" (Oh gosh, was it morning already? Did she really stay up all night playing this game?) "...What is it?"
Maybe if she plays dumb, she will make her way through this situation, too...
First-Person Sample: Ah... [ At first, there is just a youthful voice, some mumbling and an uncertain sort of sound, before the camera shows a young lady with a flower in her hair wearing a dark purple hakama over her pink kimono staring at the screen. She bows, and extremely politely, with her hands placed properly in her lap, before speaking up again. ]
Please do excuse me if I am bothering you. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself-- I am Japan, and it is a pleasure to meet you. [ with that out of the way--- ] And... I would appreciate some assistance, if possible. You see... this place, it's just like a movie set, and it really is quite exciting- ah, and it appears that it's very large for a movie set, as I can't seem to find my way out... it isn't that I was looking for it because I dislike it, of course! B-but really, it isn't good for me to be here at this time- it's a bit inconvenient, since I really am busy at the moment and should be somewhere else and was on my way there when I suddenly simply found himself in here...
I certainly wouldn't mind visiting at a different time, of course- ah, and if this is indeed a movie set, then surely you cannot go wrong with some proper background music and effects! I could give suggestions, if you like! In return for so helpfully and conveniently supplying me with this communication device- wah, it's like a Nintendo DS! Can I take it home with me? I would like to study it further! It's so fascinating... ah, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of applications there- no games? What a shame... but I could surely arrange something, if you allow me to, and we could also discuss this next time I am here-
...That is to say, um. Hypothetically and when I have time, of course. A... anyway, I should really get back, so if anyone can help me, I would be truly grateful. That is all. [ and with another polite bow, she can be seen reaching with her hand towards the communicator to turn off the video. ]
Links: A dear_mun post!
Name: Dana
LJ: lovexamination
Contact: AIM: love examination PLURK: rihitenstein
Characters played at Discedo: n/a
IC Information
Name: Japan (Sakura Honda)
Canon: Axis Powers Hetalia: Nyotalia (Canon AU)
Timeline: July 2011
Canon Resource Link: @TvTropes (scroll down to Japan)
Personality: At first glance Japan doesn't make too much of an impression- she simply appears to be an extremely polite, proper young woman, but also a gentle, shy girl who tends to wear a subtly uncertain, worried expression on her face. She speaks softly, carefully, has a very mild personality and is polite to an extreme- never one to forget to bow, say please and thank you, and apologizing for every little thing, even when others are causing trouble, and constantly speaks as formally as possible, never using anything but polite and refined speech. Beyond this little quirk, Japan is described by the author as a Yamato Nadeshiko, and thus above all embodies the Japanese ideal of how a woman should act, and very appropriately so. Meek and timid, fragile and gentle, quiet and mild, humble and modest, ladylike, reserved, calm, mature, domestic and very appropriately traditional is the impression Sakura Honda gives at first glance; you'd think her picture belongs on the dictionary page for Nice And Proper Young Lady- or, more appropriately, for the concept of Yamato Nadeshiko, ignoring the fact that neither of these are likely to end up in a dictionary.
First impressions are deceiving, and while this is indeed what she is like- this is not really an act or anything of the sort- it also hides the fact that there is a lot more to her than that, and that this surface hides a very complex and multi-layered person. Compared to her other fellow nations, one might think that Japan is the only sane and normal one, the straight man who is surrounded by idiots; this is completley untrue, however, and while she's just good at hiding it, Japan is as much of a quirky weirdo and an idiot as all of them. However, a sense, Japan also knows that there are certain expectations set to how she, as a female personification of the country, should behave, and does her best to fulfill them- so if she does not, she does it incredibly subtly and sneakily. Her politeness can go to truly ridiculous extents, but it's also what makes her such an incredibly passive-aggressive sort of girl. Because she is s polite and always wants to avoid any direct offense- this often leads to the way she speaks being incredibly indirect, vague and roundabout. But eventually you begin you realize that "I'll consider it" actually means no, and so does "Maybe next time", and so do all these other roundabout answers that she constantly gives. She won't be rude directly, but she'll be rude in the most incredibly polite way possible if need be. She's a lady after all, but that doesn't mean she has to be a pushover! (Although she often is... but that depends on the situation.)
While compared to her male counterpart, she is a lot more comfortable with showing and expressing emotions, and she doesn't give an impression of a cold person- she is distant and solitary, a girl who has trouble opening up to others. Despite her different from her male counterpart she still does her best to be as reserved as possible and does her best to draw the line when it comes to expressing emotions, simply to be more proper; she's a bit stiff in that regard. As an island nation, she has been isolated from the rest of the world from the beginning, so truthfully, social interaction is still something that she has trouble with even after over two thousand years of experience. Frankly, Japan really is nothing less than socially awkward and shy, and she needs to be coaxed and made comfortable when interacting with others so that she could stop being so stiff around others- it's a process, but it's not impossible. Although due to her personality- no matter how close one gets, she still puts up a barrier and never lowers her defenses- she will make sure that there will always be a distance between her and the other people. Even for the people she truly cares for and even has affections for- though she will try not to express those feelings fully, not just to be proper but also because having them is something she's privately embarrassed by.
That doesn't say she's really good at it; not at all, as she can have sudden outbursts of emotion that make one wonder if this is really the same person you were talking to a moment ago; that quiet and proper girl and the one yelling really really loudly and talking about honestly ridiculous things in a rather comical fashion. Excitement, embarrassment, surprise, indignation, even anger- although after these sudden outburst she's likely to polite brush them off with an apology, pretend they never happened, and go back to her usual self again. And sometimes she's likely to act as though there's nothing particularly unusual about them. This reveals an incredibly childish side to Japan; similarly, she is often very naive and gullible to a nearly ridiculous degree, taking the strangest things at face value, easily believing things that are too good to be true, treating everything way too seriously, acting as though she's in a shonen manga or a dating sim, and so on.
The last one in particular boils down to the fact that Japan is a huge otaku in what is probably the most stereotypical way ever. There is no other way to put it. She has a love for pop culture, for anime, manga, light novels, games- you name it. She speaks throwing around references from her current favorite series and whenever she's being over-dramatic especially, and Christmas is never completley without an issue of Shonen Jump. During World Meetings she likes to secretly read manga and play Starry Sky instead of getting work done- not that they ever do, anyway- and loses sleep at night watching anime and playing through her favorite routes in visual novels so she can get all the endings and complete the game. It's very important, you know! She has never missed a single Comic Market and always returns with her shopping bags full with one copy nearly everything available in it inside of them. But don't misunderstand, she isn't buying anything inappropriate! Gosh, she's not a pervert or anything! She never had a single impure thought in her life! Oh, that R-18 America/England doujin costs a thousand yen, by the way. If you are interested in other pairings, she'd love to discuss them with you! Wow, it's not like there is something strange selling porn about your fellow nations! And don't call her a fujoshi, she's not a dirty girl! There is nothing inappropriate about that amazingly huge porn stash of doujins she has! Which is to say that yes indeed, she is a pervert and a fujoshi, though she is in fierce denial of this, and when she gets excited especially, she is pretty much both a teenage girl a dirty old man in the body of a young woman at the same time.
Although she does have a side to her, not just on the surface, that is genuinely very mature, and you discover it as you get to know her better; she is old, after all, though she would have much more difficulty admitting it than her male counterpart, and if ever called that would either insist that she's still young or theatrically declare herself young using flowery and dramatic language, sounding even more old in the process. This is partly because of her image, something she cares quite a bit about, and partly because that's simply the side of herself that she focuses on because that's how she is. Anyway- she is very emotionally and mentally mature in a sense that she has a lot of the experience, and as a result, wisdom of an old person, and has the ability to learn from her mistakes. She often likes to think about things ver deeply- sometimes a little too deeply- and it's from these things that she developed her philosophy. Despite her gullibility and naivete, she is at the same time very clever, logical, and practical in her thinking... and also strangely optimistic and realistic at the same time, depending on the situation.
Additionally, due to playing a variety of roles during the wars- both in combat, and both outside of it, as well as due to her domestic, traditional character, she can often act like a mother to those she cares about- often by fussing and worrying and essentially being a bit annoying, though with good intentions. She's more like that worrisome and annoying grandmother who never lets you go hungry and forces the plate of food in your face if she sees that you aren't eating properly, is always there to make you tea, overreacts over your minor injuries, lectures you a bit whenever something goes wrong, and generally treats you like a kid who can't take care of himself at the worst of times, sometimes even muttering things like "young people today!" with a huff- but ultimately, she takes are of you, so you can't help being a bit grateful. This little quirk of hers can be embarrassing and annoying, but treating people like this is also how she shows them that she cares- in fact, it's the most direct way for her to do so, and exists as a result of several things, including the fact that she's often too embarrassed to show people that she cares for them through a different way.
The features of a classic Yamato Nadeshiko also include strength and the ability to endure and struggle against pain and even skill in battle, in spite of a gentle and delicate appearance, and Japan has that in spades. Another thing her surface hides is an incredibly strong will that can overcome everything- when it comes down to it, she can be an incredibly tough opponent because she is so determined that even at the most of difficult at times, she never gives up, and always keeps struggling and enduring and continuing to fight and finding a way to improve things. She is very, very stubborn, determined and hard-working, and while this is a source of strength for her, it is not always a good thing because of her sheer stubbornness- but the State of Japan has learned from her past, so that she does have times when she can admit defeat without much difficulty and acknowledge indirectly that going on further wouldn't be for the best. On the other hand, it's the State of Japan, the Japan of the postwar period, from occupational to post-occupational, from late Showa to to Heisei period, that has learned to use this trait of hers in one of the most difficult times of her life; to pull herself back together and rebuild and regain her strength as a country, and very much so, after losing everything. She'll stand up if you kick her to the ground, even if you take away her dignity and force her to crawl on her hands and knees- her loyalty to the people, and even her stubbornness, truly runs this deep, and it says a lot that this is something she'd be willing to endure for them. She would compromise her pride and her honor for their sake- this is on one of the many things war had taught her.
That is because, simply put, while one wouldn't expect it, Japan is incredibly and deeply proud, and always has been; her seeming humility and modesty, while not an act, is often genuine and yet often quite an exaggeration, because she's a perfect Yamato Nadeshiko, she can't be haughty, you know! More important, however, is the fact that this pride of hers is the motivation and reason for a great deal of her actions; she still retains the old-fashioned "honor before reason" mentality, places it and her dignity above anything else, and can really be arrogant at her very worst, though just as well she can see where the limits of her abilities lay; but there are situations where, when she wishes to prove herself, she can overestimate her abilities just as well. Additionally- this pride, combined with her own stubbornness, gets in the way more than once and prevents her from making logical, rational decisions, and it is purely her stubbornness and pride that makes Japan's behavior about her past seem the way it is. You might think she is dismissive of it; that she does not truly regret it, that she does want to apologize for it at first, but it doesn't take long to understand that it is not so at all. She understands the recklessness and, more than that, the cruelty of many of her past actions; she is aware that she did things that cannot be forgiven by most- and she acknowledges all this- but not openly. As deeply as she regrets everything she has done, and she her regrets run quite deeply indeed, while she does her best to express this indirectly, she cannot really apologize and risk losing face directly the way another nation would. As a nation, as Japan, however, she understands that she ultimately did everything for her people, because she wanted to do her best as a country, and while she does not justify her crimes, she also knows well that she is not a bad person at heart- she was young, foolish, misguided, and would rather be cruel than put aside her honor back then. So, she is a lot more at peace with her past than the human, Sakura Honda- who is still haunted by it at times, and still struggles to achieve inner peace with herself as a person, and who still fears that her more militaristic, nationalistic and ruthlessly ambitious side is still there without her awareness.
Essentially, Japan is complex and strange and often two-faced; she is made up of contradictions, contrasts, quirks and deceiving first impressions, of many, many aspects and facets, with a simply, mild and lukewarm surface that hides all this as well as thick layers of warmth that take time to expose, but not impossible. All the same, however, she really is, deep down, a silly and strange old lady who has lived for over two thousand years and still hasn't really lost her energy and still loves the world as it is today- even as it moves at a too fast pace and even as she recalls and misses the old days.
Powers & Abilities: Japan is a nation, and thus possesses a link to her people and the country itself- anything that happens to them affects her. Additionally, she is nearly impossible to kill, or at least it's much more difficult than most humans, and her healing rate is nearly supernaturally quick as she's willing to endure some very serious wounds without dying, as all countries. Beyond these "powers", she is very skilled in several aspects; technology, first-aid, art, housework and her domestic ability is high, as is her skill in batte with a variety of weapons; basically, she is an expert in everything Japanese, being the nation itself.
What items will they be bringing with them to Discedo? Her camera and a doujinshi.
Posting Samples
Third-Person Sample: Now, normally, Japan was a very serious and hard-working sort of woman. Not always, but normally. She wasn't exactly the type to slack off- in fact, the opposite. If anyone was known to overwork herself to a ridiculous degree to the point of getting stressed and fainting suddenly- not due to old age, of course! Just because of stress- it was usually Japan. Which was really a pretty ridiculous exaggeration- she was just fulfilling her role as the country of Japan! As a true Yamato Nadeshiko and flower of Japanese maidenhood, she had to do these things once in a while; not that she minded.
It isn't as though there was anything new about that in particular; that is how it always has been and she couldn't imagine living in a way that was any different, and didn't really want to. She was a nation, to the very core; it defined her as a person, too. Without the part of her that was a nation, only the human Honda Sakura was left- but without Japan, even she was an empty shell. It was Japan who shaped and made Sakura into what she was, in the end. The line between who she was as a nation, and as a person- was not an easy one to draw and it was very, very blurry.
Well, maybe this was not the time contemplate and think about things like that. Why was it that she always began with thinking about the most mundane little things, and ended up like this? Sometimes, she'd end up thinking so much that she would depress herself- maybe she really was a little masochistic, in this sense...
Ah, but that's no good! She should get back on track and stop being ridiculous, really. Today was a busy day! She had no time for contemplation! So what was she doing- ah, yes. Maybe it was ironic that she was slacking off to slacking off- no, she wasn't slacking off at all, of course! Today was her first date with her favorite character from this otome game! Oh, he let her call him by his first name, kyaaa... it was a very important, very important indeed! She had to make sure that all her hard work gaining the necessary points and playing the needed mini-games, as well as doing everything else the walkthrough said to so she can get the best ending possible, would pay off! (...She'll get the Bad Ending later. The depressing, violently bloody ones are only effective after you get a happy one! ...Wow, maybe she really was masochistic... no, she was just into that kind of thing.) She was going to succeed in this! It was a challenge she was not going to back down from! In her mind, she prayed to the gods, to her ancestors to give her the strength needed to overcome this boundary...! And to Kamina-sama, to believe in her because she has already believed in him! And she though to herself, go, fight, win! Uwoooooooohhh!!
....And so on, and so on. And then there was a knock on the door.
"Kyaaaaah!" ...Oh, goodness, she got distracted, how embarrassing! (Well, at least it wasn't like that time when she was caught reading porn in the middle of a world meeting. Not that it ever happened.) She quickly shut the lip of her laptop, muttered a quick apology to it as she did- "I will come back to you later, I swear it!" and rushed for the door at full speed. The door that was probably less then a meter away from where she was now, and even that was a bit tiring, but she was just so concentrated, you see, it's not like she was out of shape or anything... so, panting heavily, she opened the door to a very displeased looking person standing at it with their arms crossed. "G... good morning to you!" (Oh gosh, was it morning already? Did she really stay up all night playing this game?) "...What is it?"
Maybe if she plays dumb, she will make her way through this situation, too...
First-Person Sample: Ah... [ At first, there is just a youthful voice, some mumbling and an uncertain sort of sound, before the camera shows a young lady with a flower in her hair wearing a dark purple hakama over her pink kimono staring at the screen. She bows, and extremely politely, with her hands placed properly in her lap, before speaking up again. ]
Please do excuse me if I am bothering you. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself-- I am Japan, and it is a pleasure to meet you. [ with that out of the way--- ] And... I would appreciate some assistance, if possible. You see... this place, it's just like a movie set, and it really is quite exciting- ah, and it appears that it's very large for a movie set, as I can't seem to find my way out... it isn't that I was looking for it because I dislike it, of course! B-but really, it isn't good for me to be here at this time- it's a bit inconvenient, since I really am busy at the moment and should be somewhere else and was on my way there when I suddenly simply found himself in here...
I certainly wouldn't mind visiting at a different time, of course- ah, and if this is indeed a movie set, then surely you cannot go wrong with some proper background music and effects! I could give suggestions, if you like! In return for so helpfully and conveniently supplying me with this communication device- wah, it's like a Nintendo DS! Can I take it home with me? I would like to study it further! It's so fascinating... ah, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of applications there- no games? What a shame... but I could surely arrange something, if you allow me to, and we could also discuss this next time I am here-
...That is to say, um. Hypothetically and when I have time, of course. A... anyway, I should really get back, so if anyone can help me, I would be truly grateful. That is all. [ and with another polite bow, she can be seen reaching with her hand towards the communicator to turn off the video. ]
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