CHARACTER INTERVIEW!
Interviewee: Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill La Kill)
Portrayed by: @KiryuinSatsuki_ (Twitter)
Bio: Prodigal daughter of the Kiryuin Conglomerate and the student body president of Honnouji Academy, Satsuki Kiryuin is a woman who demands the utmost respect. Abhorring the life fibers and the mission her mother had perpetuated for so long, she decided to live as a double-agent to her mother's whims, until she had the means to combat her mother directly. Honnouji Academy was the manifestation of those means. Today, we interview her following the aftermath of the Life Fiber Crusade.
Q: What is your name and what do you commonly do?
A: I am the President of Honnōji Academy's Student Council, Kiryuin Satsuki. Both the island and the school are under my total control.
Q: I want you to talk about an event which deeply impacted you emotionally. How did you feel as the event unfolded? What did you hope for as the end result, and how did you feel when things turned out the way they did?
A: I think the most important event that happened lately was when, after months if not years of preparation, I rebelled against Ragyo and her plan of turning the planet into Life Fiber's food. Everything I have endured since my dad left lead up to this moment, where my plan unfolded. Strangely enough, I felt... Nothing. It had to be done, that is all I had in mind. Ideally, I had hoped that Ragyo would die there, but that did not turn out that way. However, learning who Ryuko was changed everything I spent my life planning.
Q: Now that you have succeeded, what is the future of Honnouji Academy? And where will you go once you've finished all that you can do within the academy walls?
A: Right now, I am busy with damage control. Trying to keep REVOCS alive and the Academy at the same time is turning out to be a lot more work than I anticipated. The Academy will still enforce the same ideals and values than before the events, but as soon as I am done with Honnouji, I will be moving permanently to the Kiryuin residence to oversee the REVOCS operations.
Q: What direction do you hope to take REVOCS in, provided the company is relinquished to you?
A: With Ragyo gone and Rei Hōōmaru on my side, taking over the company's lead by force will be easy. I wish to shift the company's focus toward the ideals we fought for, now that humanity is free to wear whatever they want. No Life Fibers attached.
Q: I want you to talk about a great achievement. What motivated you to push forward in this endeavor?
A: So, you first have to understand that the plan I created never involved Ryuko or Senketsu and that when they first walked on the Academy's grounds, they were... awful. Matoi was a gamble, but I had my Elite 4 fight her, in hopes that they could potentially help us fight Ragyo. Little did I know that Senketsu and Matoi would turn out to be the only thing holding the resistance together.
Q: Knowing what you know about her now, where do you stand with her?
A: Considering she is the only family I have left... Well, I wish to build my life on that. Sisterhood is a weird thing.
Q: Speaking of family, I want to ask about the Four Devas. They have served you well, but eventually your paths may differ. How will you feel if the Four Devas go their separate ways? And how would you feel if they chose instead to join you at REVOCS?
A: The Devas were the only people that knew what was going on behind the scenes. They stood by my side all those years and now, they are free to do what their hearts dictates them to. I am well aware, and know, which ones will not be joining at REVOCS, but I still hope. I will do everything in my power to keep contact with them.
Q: What is a value that you hope to instill in other people? What is it you want people to learn from having met you?
A: "You are as good as your ambitions." Meaning that the only thing holding people back are themselves. Set some goals and work to reach them.
Q: Is there anything which you regret thus far?
A: This may sound dumb, but I wish I had a childhood... But cleaning up your parents mess takes priority. Especially when one wants to kill every human on the planet.
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Inspiration (3.5/4): Satsuki Kiryuin is the Chessmaster. She managed to perpetuate a lie for more than a decade, leeching off her mother's power and authority in a way which fit her needs perfectly. Additionally, her idea to turn a student body into a militia force on the grounds that they would be most resistant to life fibers was pretty ingenious. For someone so young, she makes an excellent teacher, instilling lifelong values in her subordinates and cultivating their passion. Finally, the most clever action she took was taking no action at all during the Fight Club incident, instead waiting for this rogue faction to collapse under its own weight. She is truly in the business of forging mmpires, much like her mother, though her ambitions are of course much more noble.
Aspiration (2.5/4): If there was anything I could criticize Satsuki Kiryuin for, it is the notion that she might have reached the peak of her potential prematurely. I noticed that while I was interviewing her, her tone had something of a rough edge to it. She gave me the impression that she was tired, that she was still very much recovering from all of the trauma in her life. I fear that the enthusiasm she may have once held is now gone, which is a shame since there is so much left for her in life, more ways that she could have evolved and developed.
Verdict (6/8): Satsuki Kiryuin is something of a one-hit wonder, metaphorically speaking. Her approach is to take a singular concept, build on it, take it to its logical extreme, and then after all that is said and done, fade out in dazzling glory. When I think of her archetype, individuals such as Walter White or Koko Hekmatyar come to mind. As much as I can respect that, there is no future in it, no continual evolution unless the torch is passed along.
I personally have my doubts about whether Honnouji Academy, having served its purpose, will have any means with which to expand. Nor do I feel REVOCS, even under the management of Satsuki Kiryuin, can ever reach new heights. That's the problem with the empire business: empires fall once they've exhausted their core foundation. Once the momentum propelling the idea is lost, gravity takes hold and sends the whole operation into freefall.
Thus, Lady Satsuki becomes a martyr. The values which she has instilled in others will live on, ensuring the business of empires continues to boom. But as for her, she's doomed to an early retirement, and that's the real tragedy. All that remains for her is to find inner peace within herself.
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