#Character: Takumi Matsushida

[shakespearesonas]

The Party

(Art by @nexttrickanvils)

Here is a post about our Protag and their eight party members!~

(Art by @servantprincess )

Name: Sora Natsuki

Arcana: Fool/Wildcard

Persona: Puck from A Midsummer’s Night Dream

Prop to summon persona: Flower

Element: Psychic

Birthday: TBD

Age at the start of the story: 16

School Year: Second year

Protagonist of the story. They and their little brother, Aijiro, had moved around a lot due to their mother serving in the Japanese military. Currently they and their family are staying in the seaside town of Shiatāhama and they are attending Gurōbu High School as a second year student.

Sora is a prankster though their jokes never veer into mean-spirited territory. That said, after a prank that was unintentionally played on Gurōbu's principal that he did not appreciate, Sora confessed to the prank to prevent a classmate from taking the blame. They were almost expelled until their homeroom teacher suggested they should join a club to learn responsibility. The Club chosen ends up being Gurōbu's Drama Club which has seen better days.

(For future reference, Sora will always be referred to with They/Them pronouns so the reader could imagine their personal choice of the character. Aside from designs and pronouns, there are no differences between the three versions of the character.)

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(Art by @NextTrickAnvils)

Name: Kanari Mae

Arcana: Magician

Persona: Horatio from Hamlet

Prop to summon Persona: Book

Age at the start of the story: 15

Element: Zio

Birthday: June 28th

Age at the start of the story: 15

School Year: First Year

Kanari is a first year at Gorobu High School and one of the newest members its Drama Club. She’s bit of a slacker and not really sure what to do with her life after graduation, having joined the Drama Club figuring that it would be the least work intensive. With that said, once one gets to know her, she is a fiercely loyal friend.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Takumi Matsushida

Arcana: Tower

Persona: Cleopatra from Cleopatra & Marc Antony

Prop to summon Persona: Snake

Element: Garu

Age at the start of the story: 17

Birthday: April 7th

School Year: Third Year

Bio: Takumi is not only a third year at Gorobu High School and President of the Drama Club, he is also the current scion of the Matsushida family; local celebrities known for their involvement in theater and the arts. It is because of this family dynasty that Takumi takes his role as Drama Club president very seriously. Perhaps a little too seriously if the club’s low numbers and the school gossip are anything to go by.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Kazuhiko Arakawa

Arcana: Lovers

Persona: Juliet from Romeo & Juliet

Prop to summon Persona: Dagger

Element: Bufu

Age at the start of the story: 16

Birthday: February 20th

School Year: Second Year

Bio: Rumors abound about this second year at Gorobu High School. Between his break-up with Chika Oshiro and his quiet reputation as bit of a loner, not much is really known about Kazuhiko. He almost took the fall for a prank played on the Principal on the first day of school but was saved when future Wildcard, Sora Natsuki confessed to their actions.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Chika Oshiro

Arcana: Emperor

Persona: Romeo from Romeo & Juliet

Prop to summon Persona: Vial

Element: Agi

Age at the start of the story: 16

Birthday: July 20th

School Year: Second Year

Bio: Second year at Gorobu High School, Vice President of the Drama Club, and only child of a local wealthy investor, Chika Oshiro is a bubbly and cheerful girl. She tries very hard to get along with those she meets and prefers to avoid conflict. With this in mind, gossip and rumors have spread over what could have been the breaking point between Chika and her ex-boyfriend, Kazuhiko Arakawa.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Aijiro Natsuki

Arcana: Strength

Persona: Ariel from The Tempest

Prop to summon Persona: Flute

Element: None, he serves as Navigator

Age at the start of the story: 13

Birthday: November 27th

School Year: 3rd year Middle School

Bio: Younger brother to Wildcard Sora Natsuki, Aijiro is quite smart and has a talent for tinkering. He also has a fondness for TV heroes like Featherman. Maybe this is why despite his younger age, he is determined to do all he can to help his older sibling and their amnesiac father.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Lowe

Arcana: Temperance

Persona: Balthazar from Various plays

Prop to summon Persona: Comedy and Tragedy Mask

Element: Nuclear

Age at the start of the story: ???

Birthday: ??? (The Drama Club decide to make April 26th his birthday)

School Year: N/A

Bio: A strange rat mascot creature that first meets our heroes in The Backstage. After initially mistaking them for a threat, he ends up befriending them and helps them explore the strange other world. Takes the form of a regular rat in the real world and stays with the Natsuki siblings. Has a fondness for theater and acting from watching performers through the Backstage entrances.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Hitomi Fujioka

Arcana: Hanged Man

Persona: Rosalind from As You Like It

Prop to summon Persona: Shepherd's crook

Age at the start of the story: 17

Birthday: March 3rd

School Year: 3rd Year

Bio: A third year and a star member of Gorobu High School’s swim team, Hitomi has bit of a mixed reputation despite her easy-going personality and athletic prowess. While some commend her dedication to her studies and sport, others simply cannot see past her half-American heritage.

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Art by @nexttrickanvils

Name: Rie Hiiragi

Arcana: Justice

Persona: Portia from The Merchant of Venice

Prop to summon Persona: Lead chest

Element: Curse

Age at the start of the story: 15

Birthday: May 16th

School Year: First Year

Bio: A first year at Gorobu High who is usually seen at the school library with her nose in a book. Although she is kind, she is incredibly withdrawn and fearful to the point where she is even afraid to make new friends or to fight back against a group of girls constantly bullying her.

[nexttrickanvils]

With that post/poll I just reblogged, here's some birthday funfacts with the Shakespearesona kids.

Kanari's birthday is June 28th, which was also the birthday of Polly Moran, an actress and comedian from the Golden Age of Hollywood. As a comedian, she was effective at slapstick and was known to be brash and loud-mouthed. I thought it'd be a good fit for our punchy Zio Girl.

Takumi's birthday is April 7th, the same birthday as Francis Ford Coppola. Chosen due to the Coppola family having multiple members in the film industry. Not quite the generations long legacy of the Matsushidas but close enough, right?

Kazuhiko's birthday is February 20th, sharing it with Richard Beymer who played Tony in the first movie adaptation of West Side Story (which is a Romeo & Juliet retelling.)

Chika's birthday is July 20th, sharing it with Natalie Wood who played Maria in the aforementioned West Side Story movie adaptation.

Aijiro's birthday is November 27th, the premiere date of the first Gamera movie. I thought it fit given Gamea's popularity with kids and Aijiro being the youngest member of the party who still has a fondness for heroes and monsters.

Lowe being a creature of the Backstage doesn't really have a birthday or at least one he remembers. Everyone decides to make April 26th, the date William Shakespeare was baptized.

Hitomi's birthday is March 3rd, same birthday as Jackie Joyner-Kercee, a retired track and field star who is considered one of the greatest female athletes of All Time. While Hitomi's a swimmer not a track and field runner, I thought it still fit.

And finally Rie's birthday is May 16th, sharing her birthday with Lynn Collins, the actress who portrayed Portia in the first sound film adaption of Merchant of Venice.

Our wildcard, Sora's birthday will be whenever me and Sakuradreamerz finally post the first chapter. And there's one more birthday but the character is kind of a spoiler so wait and see. ;)

[nexttrickanvils]

Working on color palettes for Shakespearsona characters.

So here’s Drama Club President Takumi Matsushida on the left and Drama Club Vice President Chika Oshiro on the right.