#he sounds like an american action hero lol. don't like him. john wick he is not

[gingus-doon]

Welcome to my crack theory which hinges on parallels, assumptions, and 'hey wouldn't it be crazy if ___'s. So, surely, it's a very sturdy theory.

When Keiji talks about his childhood, he mentions that he and his mother "weren't affluent," and Keiji has a tendency to understate things, so they might've been in a tighter financial situation then he let on. His mom having an errand bicycle could imply that they couldn't afford a car (though owning a car is less common in Japan as a whole) and him crying over wrecking the bike as well may also signify financial guilt beyond the general guilt of troubling your parents or worry of getting in trouble.

This is a long-winded way of saying that I think Keiji and his mom were low income, and I think a big reason they were was because Keiji's father wasn't in the picture. Keiji never mentions him, presumably to glide over the fact that he wasn't there and to avoid pity and any feelings he may have around it (and how it'd affect others' perception of him, since he is trying to be trustworthy. wouldn't want people making assumptions about his family and life as a whole). There's an ongoing theme of questionable fathers throughout the game with other characters, as well, so Keiji's father would fit in well with the rest of them if he was absent.

To extend this further… Keiji's whole angst is basically not living up to his moral ideals. The example we're given is him idolizing Mr. Policeman, then growing up to kill his idol and along with him, the ideals of protection he'd held for all these years as well.

But… okay, there's no not-ridiculous sounding way to say this, so I'll just say it.

What if Keiji was a deadbeat dad?

Okay, before you hurriedly click off this post in resounding disappointment, PLEASE listen to my argument.

So. Deadbeat dad Keiji would:

Match the theme of Keiji failing his moral ideals. If Keiji had an absent and potentially otherwise scummy father, he'd (presumably) want to grow away from his father and towards a man he could look up to, like Mr. Policeman. Keiji following in his father's footsteps would thoroughly cement his failure in becoming an upstanding adult, and specifically a failed "protector," as that's the roles fathers stereotypically take on in a family.

Yeah. That's kind of all I got.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! No, not more support for this… """theory,""" instead I have more wild speculations! Because I decided this wasn't ridiculous enough already.

So, you know how Mr. Chidouin isn't Sara's biological father?

Yeah. Yeah I'm implying what you think I'm implying

BUT LISTEN, LISTEN

okay i genuinely have no justification for this but WHAT IF

WHAT IF KEIJI WAS SARA'S BIOLOGICAL DAD

I'm not going to dwell on how nonsensical this may or may not be any further. You saw the preface, you knew what you were getting into

There's two possibilities–

Keiji doesn't know Sara's his daughter (either by Asunaro erasing his memories or by never having met her in the first place)

Keiji DOES know Sara's his daughter. Somehow.

The second seems less likely and is also my least favourite so let's start there.

The second would, at least, explain why Keiji latches onto Sara from the start– perhaps Asunaro told Keiji of the truth of his relationship to Sara after his first trial, rather than showing him the percentage papers? Or, along with showing him the percentage papers.

But, there's an obvious problem with this version of the "theory." And that is, HOLY FUCK THAT'D BE SO CREEPY. WHY WOULD HE ACT THAT WAY IF HE KNEW.

I'd like to pose a suggestion if only to soothe my own conscience.

Maybe to hide his relation to Sara? If he acted flirty and nonchalant, he'd seem a lot less like he was supposed to be anyone's father, much less hers. That would also explain how he went from serious to coming off as so aloof so fast? STILL NOT NICE TO THINK ABOUT, but maybe a little less harsh that way.

That ramble above is why I much prefer the idea that Keiji does not remember that Sara is his daughter.

There's two mini-possibilities under this large one. First, that Keiji had never met Sara for her whole life. Second, that they reconciled before the death game, but Asunaro wiped their memories. I wonder if the guilt weighing on his mind about leaving a mother like that could make him want to protect a young girl he could see as his daughter, only for her to turn out to actually be his daughter.

Now, you may be wondering– How exactly would this work when Keiji is canonically in his late twenties and Sara is 17?

WELL. Time travel. Anyway,

YOU KNOW WHAT THE LOGICAL INCONSISTENCIES IN THE TIMELINE DON'T MATTER ANYWAY BECAUSE THIS MAY ALL BE A SIMULATION AND WE DON'T KNOW THE CHARACTERS OUTSIDE OF THE CONTEXT OF THIS SIMULATION IF IT IS, IN FACT, A SIMULATION. SHIN COULD BE RIPPED OUTSIDE OF THE SIMULATION. GIN COULD BE A 6 FOOT COLLEGE FRAT BOY. WE JUST DON'T KNOW

BESIDES, I HAVE HARD PROOF THAT 100% WITHOUT A DOUBT PROVES THIS THEORY

IF YOU MIX MS CHIDOUIN'S AND KEIJI'S NATURAL HAIR COLOUR TOGETHER, YOU GET THIS:

and just look at how similar that is to sara's!!!

And if that didn't convince you!

SO ANYWAY. AS YOU CAN SEE. I'VE CONNECTED THE DOTS. I'VE CONNECTED THEM

THANKS FOR READING, BYE