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Satoshi Mashiba

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Satoshi Mashiba (真柴 智, Mashiba Satoshi?) is a supporting character, he is featured as a deuteragonist in the Koe no Katachi series.

He is Shōya Ishida, Tomohiro Nagatsuka, and Miki Kawai's classmate who becomes interested in helping with Tomohiro's film for the contest, wanting to be the lead actor and become Shōya's friend.

Personality[]

Satoshi is a calm and friendly person throughout most of the story. He tends to be fair and easy going, though not afraid to stand up for others in need. However, beneath the surface is someone who can become very impulsive and violent in moments of anger. The contrast in these two sides of him has been described as rather frightening.

The source of Satoshi’s underlying anger can be traced back to his lonely childhood where was picked on by other students for various reasons, in particular his thick eyebrows. This bullying made him feel like an outsider compared to his peers and instilled Satoshi with a great amount of resentment towards bullies and even bystanders. Though not ill-intentioned, Satoshi’s ideals are very rigid and can be seen as self-righteous. The biggest challenge to Satoshi’s outlook was finding out the truth about his friend Shōya Ishida, and realizing that even people who were once bullies can grow to become better people.

Manga[]

Satoshi is a friendly and kind person. He becomes friends with Shōya during the period when he begins with Tomohiro to make a film. Satoshi is fair, open to others and does not hesitate to help those in need. He can, however, be violent when angered, reacting impulsively and throwing a punch without the slightest hesitation. He is also frightened of himself when he is in this state. He acts this way towards those who minimize bullying or who are bullies, Satoshi having also been bullied himself during his childhood. He defines himself as selfish, however, not being as open-minded as Shōko when it comes to forgiving.

Film[]

Satoshi becomes friends with Shōya as he finds him awesome, but he never dared to tell him, until Miki told Shōya about it. Satoshi is open to others, kind, calm and friendly. He is rather taciturn throughout the events. He tries to get to know Shōya better, which annoys Tomohiro quite a bit. He doesn't appreciate having his friend disturbed. He reveals that he can't stand bullies and that they should be punished. He is non-violent and encourages past mistakes to be righted.


Appearances in the manga[]

Volume 01[]

Volume 03[]

Volume 04[]

Volume 05[]

Volume 06[]

Volume 07[]

Story[]

When he was in elementary school, it is learned in the manga that his classmates and even his teacher always made fun of him because they said he had big eyebrows. From there began to be born a complex in Satoshi: he tried to do everything to hide them, but nothing worked: he continued to suffer negative remarks from his comrades. However, he saw them again years later, while in high school. Two of his former classmates are expecting a child, which challenges Satoshi who wants to be a teacher at this time to be able to watch over him. He is determined that their child will be raised well and be happy and fulfilled.

At the same time, Satoshi becomes interested in one of the students in his class, Shōya. He is surprised that the latter, yet so discreet in class, was seen on the Internet in a snapshot showing him jumping from the bridge and challenging others to do the same when it is forbidden. He admires his character, which seems so strange to him, and tells Miki, his best friend who is in love with him, of his desire to become his friend. He tries to get closer to Shōya and in the manga he tries to talk to him when he overhears Tomohiro and discuss a movie project with him, offering them to be the lead actor in the movie.

Miki reveals to Shōya that Satoshi wants to be his friend. From then on, they become friends, which makes Tomohiro jealous of him who doesn't like Satoshi's presence. Shōya thinks he's a good person. Also in the manga, when Satoshi and Shōya go to the Suimon's elementary school in order to apply for permission to film at the facility, Satoshi dislikes Shōya and Shōko's former schoolteacher, Mr. Takeuchi, and throws water in his face. Later, Satoshi reveals to Shōya that he hates those who disparage bullying or are stalkers, and in the manga he clarifies that as a child he was also bullied. Soon after, he learns that Shōya has been harassing Shōko.

In the manga, he punches Shōya on the bridge when he allows him to do so since he previously told him that if he finds the ringleader of Shōko's harassment, he will punch him. Afterwards, when he learns that Shōya sacrificed himself in order to save Shōko and that she wants to fix the mistakes of the past, he approves of her decision. In the manga, he chats with Miki and shares his doubts. He goes to Suimon Elementary School again and apologizes to Mr. Takeuchi. His apology allows the group to shoot the film on school grounds. Satoshi plays the main role of Tomohiro's film and following the broadcast of it, Shōya who insisted on it exclaims that the film is great. He gets noticed by the group and out of fear, he runs away. Satoshi approaches him and tells him that he can look him in the eye since he didn't do anything wrong to him. Later, during Tomohiro's film review, the judge gets upset that the actor has such big eyebrows that he can't concentrate on the film. At that time, Satoshi who is in the audience apologizes. He later declares to Tomohiro and Shōya that he loves Miki, and he is surprised that she wants to follow him to college, proof that she loves him more than anything. During the coming-of-age ceremony, Satoshi still wants to become a teacher but is still hesitating; he is afraid of remaining a simple actor in unsuccessful films for life.

Physical appearance[]

Satoshi is a tall, rather lanky boy with dark brown eyes, and light reddish-orange hair that he wears with several longer locks over his forehead and eyes.

He is usually seen wearing the school uniform, which is a white polo shirt without the black tie. Outside of school, he is seen to be dressed quite smartly.

Relationships[]

Love Interests[]

Miki Kawai: Satoshi and Miki are implied to have mutual crushes on each other, though the approach of the two varies. While Miki appears infatuated with Satoshi and tries to behave in ways that would appeal to him, he remains subtle about his feelings while clearly showing his care for and willingness to defend her.

After gaining some perspective on Shōya previously bullying Shōko, Satoshi seems to piece together Miki's involvement despite her claims that she didn't participate. He uses his own story of being bullied to try to get Miki to understand where she's at fault too, but she doesn't realize and gives him an agreeable answer, causing him to drop the topic.

When Satoshi decides to attend Kuise University, Miki says she'll go there as well and openly confirms her feelings for him when he asks if she likes him that much. Whether they become a couple is unknown, though they continue to be on good terms at coming-of-age ceremony.

Friends[]

Shōya Ishida: Satoshi becomes friends with Shōya after volunteering to help him and Tomohiro with the film contest. In truth, Satoshi already wanted to become Shōya’s friend after seeing the photo of him jumping into Suimon bridge’s river, believing Shōya to be somebody stranger than himself.

The two become good friends, although the group’s fallout on the bridge dampens that friendship for a while, with Satoshi even striking Shōya in the face after finding out he was Shōko’s bully.

After learning that Shōya risked his life to save Shōko, Satoshi recognizes that hitting Shōya was purely for his own selfish satisfaction and apologizes to him after Shōya recovers from his coma. Their friendship is restored to how it was previously and the two get along well after this.

Shōko Nishimiya: Satoshi interacts with Shōko on several occasions during the series, treating her very kindly despite the communication barrier. When he finds out that Shōko was bullied for her disability, he offers to beat up her bullies, though she declines.

Tomohiro Nagatsuka: Though Satoshi and Tomohiro become friends over the course of the series, Tomohiro’s possessive nature shows itself when he initially sees how easily Satoshi gets along with Shōya. The two get along because Satoshi never takes Tomohiro’s jealousy seriously, instead finding it amusing and continuing to treat him with friendliness. Towards the end of the series, Tomohiro’s jealousy towards Satoshi appears to have subsided, the final chapter indicating the two have become good friends with Tomohiro even giving Satoshi a nickname like he did for Shōya.

Etymology[]

  • The name Satoshi means "wisdom, intellect" (智).
  • Satoshi's surname Mashiba means "real, genuine" (真) (ma) and "brush, firewood" (柴) (shiba).
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