My thoughts on Tenma Parents!
I am the Tenma parents' number #1 defender in a way. I still think they fucked up Tsukasa, but not intentionally.
(fyi, Tsukasa is definitely a mama's boy and I don't accept criticism. Saki's on the contrary)
I think Tsukasa's parents loved both him and Saki equally, unlimitedly, and wholeheartedly. The sad reality is that life handed the entire family a shitty deck of cards. And while love is unlimited, time and attention isn't.
They try their best, they genuinely do, but it's difficult juggling their job AND an ill child AND another child.
Due to Saki's (uncontrollable!! Remember!!) condition, one of the parents has to be with her nearly at all times and the other one has to work for the additional hospital bills (since the government can't cover some surgeries or procedures. Idk how it works in Japan but)
They try to be there for Saki and Tsukasa a lot but they do notice growing concerns abt both of them.
Saki's getting quiet, nearly bursting into tears every time Tsukasa or any of them leaves the hospital room. She clings on to people a lot to the point of where it hurts.
Tsukasa's getting quiet too. He thinks they don't notice, since he's trying to act upbeat and cheery in front of Saki to cheer her up, but they can't ignore... that. Whatever is happening to him.
They both don't know what to do.
Despite their best efforts, Tsukasa was still left home alone most of his late childhood and early teens.
They don't have favourites, but after a while, they can't say they know their son anymore. They saw him grow up without them, and it's the most heartbreaking thing to not be there.
--
They had to miss his middle school graduation. They tried to take time off work, but neither of them got off fast enough to reach the ceremony. Both only saw him that day at the hospital.
But Tsukasa lied. Lied to Saki's face, because he didn't want to upset her.
Tsukasa's mom: "Sweetheart, we're so sorry-"
Tsukasa: "-that you had to leave the ceremony early? It's okay!"
Their parents look at him confused because the issue is that they weren't even there. But Tsukasa gave them eyes, begging them to play along.
Tsukasa's mom: "...yeah. y-yeah, work called in and we really couldn't avoid it much longer"
Tsukasa lets out a sigh of relief before nodding and smiling "really! It's okay!"
When leaving Saki's ward, his mom asked him why he lied, and he just looked at her and shook his head.
Tsukasa: "...Saki does this thing, where she blames herself for stuff she can't control. I-I don't know how I know it, but I'm sure she'll do the same if she found out you weren't there. I don't want to see her doing that."
Outside, his mom pulls him into a hug, whispering apology after apology as she holds him. He kept insisting, it's fine! Really! He's a future star, with loads of celebration to come! Who cares if they missed one?
His mom looks at him, with genuine sadness, and asks him to be honest with her. Is he upset?
She noticed him froze, before shaking his head.
Tsukasa: "Not at all, mom! I understand why you both couldn't make it"
Tsukasa's mom: "...You can understand and still be upset. You're allowed to be"
But despite her best efforts to make her son open up, he still shakes his head and tells her it's alright.
She thinks he doesn't know that she knows. She knows that he wants them to worry less about him, which made them worry more.
--
She learned from Saki that Tsukasa doesn't have a lot of friends. He never mentions it a lot to Saki, but every time Saki asks him if he'd be hanging out with people, he just looks at her confused.
Tsukasa: "Why would I hang out with other people when I have the most incredible sister in the world!"
When he started to open up to her again, later in the future, when everything had settled down and life was beginning to move steady, she'll learn that his classmates think he's overbearing.
He wasn't getting bullied, nor was he actually disliked. But in terms of friends? They think he's a bit too loud, too tiring to deal with. Some even think he's a bit too selfish.
She would argue about that final point with her life. Because if anything, she wishes Tsukasa thought of himself more.
--
They learned more about him when he was 17. They learned about his friends, his troupe, his work, and how close he's gotten towards achieving his dreams. They're so unbelievably proud of him. He's grown into such an incredible person.
They just wished they could've taken the credit.
--
They loved their children equally. Even when Toya was pulled into the frame and they unknowingly gained a third, they loved him all the same.
But there's a difference in loving and knowing, because their son felt far more distant to them than their daughter. And they're trying their absolute best to fix that rift before it's too late
--
Both Tsukasa and Saki suffered majorly in their life, both in vastly different ways. But in terms of parents, I think Tsukasa got the short end. But not intentionally, y'know? It's like. Accidental child neglect.
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Rare (and several days late) Project Sekai post, because shockingly I have multiple interests consuming my brain, but since the MIKUdemy stuff is in the ENG server now, does anyone else think Tsukasa's placement is really interesting? Because of all the groups he could've been placed in, he got the Cautious Heart group. Passion Heart seems like the obvious choice, but they placed him in Cautious Heart specifically. It seems so odd too, considering the other members are Haruka, Honami, Kohane, and Mafuyu, all fairly reserved and quiet characters. Tsukasa is very clearly not reserved or quiet in any capacity, so he contrasts pretty starkly to the rest in his group.
And then, in a conversation with MEIKO and Haruka, Honami said this:
And that's what it is. While I definitely wouldn't call Tsukasa's personality discreet by any means, careful and deliberate are both fairly accurate. He crafts this boisterous and loud persona, makes himself seem reliable and confident so people depend on him naturally. He is very purposeful in how he acts, and I think it's so fun that the game acknowledges this nuance.
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