Kanji Tatsumi

Overview

Kanji Tatsumi is a playable characters in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4. He is initially introduced as a delinquent who takes down a biker gang in the town of Inaba. Throughout the game, he proves that looks can be deceiving, showing that he has a softer side. Kanji's family owns a textile shop where Kanji learned to sew and make stuffed animal toys. In battle, Kanji uses shields and shield-shaped objects as weapons; his starting weapon is a steel chair.

Kanji's main issue is that of his masculinity, being embarrassed by his sewing hobby and his attraction to Naoto Shirogane, a cross-dressing female detective he initially believed was another man. This is often misinterpreted by players as indicating that Kanji is a closeted homosexual, while in reality his worries focus on being perceived as feminine by other people, given that Japanese culture puts an especially strong emphasis on young men appearing masculine to the world.

Midnight Channel

Kanji's dungeon in the Midnight Channel is the "Steamy Bathhouse". This represents his fears regarding what he perceives as his "un-manly" side, generally focusing around his sewing hobby, which he was mocked for by female classmates in the past, leading him to put on an aggressively masculine appearance to the world. One of Kanji's main problems in life is, "what it means to be a man," believing a man should be able to, "stand on his own two feet." When the top of the dungeon is reached, Kanji is arguing with his shadow, confused. The Shadow Kanji reveals Kanji's fear of women, stemming from the mockery he received when he was younger. When he comes to terms with his own insecurities after Shadow Kanji is defeated, Kanji receives the Persona Take-Mikazuchi. Later Kanji reveals "I guess I wasn't really afraid of girls. I was just scared of people in general."

Combat

In combat, Kanji is a powerful melee character, similar to Chie. At the start, he has a number of electrical skills. A mention should go to the confusion between Kanji's stats and his skill set. Kanji learns the full range of electric magic, further enhanced by, "Elec Amp," and, "Elec Boost," despite the fact he is primarily a melee character. Even though he is a melee character, he only has single target attacks, albeit powerful ones, notably, "Primal Force." Kanji also has a party-wide physical attack buff. Kanji's followup attack is one of the more useful ones, knocking down multiple enemies. At the rank 10 social link, Take-Mikazuchi evolves into Rokuten Maou, removing Kanji's weakness to wind.

Social Link

Once June rolls around in Persona 4, Souji Seta is able to start the Social Link with Kanji. In this Social Link, Souji and Kanji are together when they meet a boy who has recently lost a doll. In an attempt to cheer the boy up, Kanji offers to create a replacement doll for the one the boy lost. As a result of this endeavor, Kanji gets the idea of creating more and more dolls and eventually begins selling them at his family's shop. Throughout the Social Link, Souji learns of Kanji's insecurities regarding this matter since it conflicts with his "tough guy" facade. Kanji eventually learns the value of his skills, and he accepts them regardless of the fact that they are perceived to be feminine in nature. As a result, he shows the residents of Inaba that there is more to a person than their appearance. If you max Kanji's Social Link before the game finishes, on the day of your departure he tells you that he will start holding classes to teach others how to do various things with the shop's textile supplies.

After completing Kanji's Social Link, Souji receives a strap and the ability to create the persona Odin of the Emperor Arcana.

Persona 4 Arena

In Persona 4 Arena, Kanji sets to work on a special knitting project on the night before his senpai Yu's return to inaba for the Golden Week holiday. However, he falls asleep in the living room, and awakens just long enough to sleepily stumble through the TV and into the TV world. When he awakens and finds himself at what appears to be Yasogami High School and that he has become a competitor in the P-1 Grand Prix, he comes to the conclusion that he's dreaming and chooses to go along with it.

Move List

Furious Action

• What a Pain! (B + D) [P]: Kanji surrounds himself with electricity via his Persona, damaging opponents who are in proximity to Kanji.

Skills

• Cruel Attack (236A or B) [SB]: Kanji leaps and slams his chair vertically downwards towards the opponent.
• Added Cruel Attack (236A or B) [SB]: Kanji leaps out and slams into the opponent chair-first. Can be executed after certain attacks.
• This'll Hurt! (214C or D) [P]: A command grab where Kanji throws their opponent across the screen and his Persona then impales them with its weapon, electrocuting them.
• Gotcha! (236C or D) [SB / P]: Kanji's Persona moves into the air, grabs the opponent and shocks them, and then finally drops them into the ground with a body slam.
• Bet Ya Can't Take This! (j.214A or B) [SB]: Kanji pounces on the opponent and delivers 3 hits while the opponent lies on the ground.

SP Skills

• Ass-Whoopin', Tatsumi-Style (236236A or B): Kanji throws his folding chair at the opponent in a straight line, kicks and punches the opponent. After a delay, the thrown folding chair falls down on the opponent.

Awakened SP Skill

• Burn To A Crisp!! (214214C or D) [P]: A command grab that launches the opponent in the air and has Take-Mikazuchi punch the opponent into a wall.

Instant Kill

• The Man Series: Brofist (222C + D) [P]: A command grab where Kanji throws the opponent in the air, his Persona impales them with a lightning bolt and they both crush the opponent with their fists.

Voice Actor

Troy Baker voiced Kanji, and is known for doing the voices for Slimer ( Ghostbusters: The Video Game), Richard Blake ( Resistance 2), Yuri Lowell ( Tales of Vesperia), Alec Mason (the protagonist in Red Faction: Guerilla), Snow Villiers ( Final Fantasy XIII), Vincent (Catherine), and Male Voice 1 for The Boss (Saints Row the Third/Saints Row IV).