Mayu Amakura
| ||
| "Didn't we always promise each other... that we would always be together...?" | ||
| Japanese | 天倉 繭 あまくら まゆ | |
| Age | 15 (FF2) 17 (DCB) | |
| Family | Mio Amakura (twin sister) Shizu Amakura (mother) Misao Amakura (father) Kei Amakura (uncle) | |
| Residence | Minakami region (early childhood) Tokyo[1] | |
| Status | Dead | |
| Date of death | 1988 | |
| Games | Fatal Frame II Fatal Frame III Deep Crimson Butterfly | |
| Other Appearances | Zero4D | |
| Notes | Mayu's Note | |
| Spirit stone | Magatama | |
| Themed Menu Item | Mio and Mayu's strawberry soda and crimson jelly set[2] | |
| Japanese Voice Actor | Ayako Kawasumi | |
| English Voice Actor | Kim Mai Guest (FF2) Patricia Gannon (DCB) | |
Mayu is the older[3][4][5] twin sister of Mio. She has a very strong sixth sense, but she has a low resistance to ghosts. Thus, she is often used by spirits as a medium. She and her sister are directly descended from Dr. Kunihiko Asou through her father. (See family tree for details)
Past
When Mayu and Mio were little, they lived near the Minakami area. Their mother warned them against playing in the woods, where their father had disappeared when they were still very young, but Mio and Mayu frequently played in the forest in a secret spot. One day the girls were playing, running along the top of a ravine. Mio, who was quite a bit ahead of Mayu, teased her sister saying that if Mayu did not hurry she would leave her behind. Struggling to catch up, Mayu tripped and fell down the ravine. As a result, her right leg was severely injured. Mayu walks with a limp and keeps her knee bandaged at all times.
Soon after this incident, their mother, Shizu Amakura, moved the family away from the area.
In 1988, the Amakuras heard that their former home was about to be flooded by the construction of the new Minakami Dam. Shizu returned for one last visit to remember her husband,[6] While they were there, Mio and Mayu secretly went to their childhood play spot.[7]
Fatal Frame II / Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly
While Mio was lost in thought about Mayu's accident years ago, a Crimson Butterfly caught Mayu's attention and began to lure her away. When Mio noticed her sister was gone, she began to chase after her, calling her to come back. As they ventured deep into the woods, Mayu's form began to seem overlaid with that of a woman in a white kimono. When Mio reached out and grabbed Mayu's shoulder she was struck with a vision of her own hands around Mayu's neck.
When Mio finally found her sister, Mayu was standing atop Misono Hill. As she turned, a swarm of Crimson Butterflies floated up around her. Mayu whispered, "The Lost Village..." She then explained that she had heard about a village trapped in repeating a night of death and a secret ceremony. Seeing that the way they had come was now blocked off, the twins had no choice but to explore the village to find a way out.
Upon entering the Osaka House, Mayu gets a series of violent and disturbing visions. She grabs Mio's hand and shares the vision with her. Terrified and confused, the twins continue their exploration. They eventually find the Camera Obscura tucked away in one of the house's rooms. Mio becomes frightened and accidentally takes a picture of the ghost of Miyako Sudo, one of the women from Mayu's earlier vision. Thus, the true power of the camera is revealed.
After exorcising Miyako's ghost with the camera, Mio passes out, and Mayu leaves the house in pursuit of another crimson butterfly, leaving only her charm, a magatama, behind. In a trance, Mayu wanders into Kurosawa House, and in the bloodstained Great Hall, she encounters the ghost of Sae Kurosawa, a girl who was long ago abandoned by her twin sister. Sae possesses Mayu, and gradually the lines between the two begin to blur. It becomes clear that the village wishes to use Mio and Mayu as Twin Shrine Maidens in the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.
Mio finds Mayu in the Doll Stand Room, which was once Sae's. Together they explore Kurosawa House, looking for a way out. While they are examining the Cell, the heavy door slams shut and locks itself, trapping Mayu in the Cell. Mio goes to look for a key, but the idea of Mio leaving her, even for a short time, terrifies Mayu and increases Sae's influence over her. While Mio is searching the Osaka House, Mayu escapes the cell and goes to the Tachibana House. Mio continues to search for her, pursued aggressively by Sae, who sometimes speaks in Mayu's voice, reminding Mio of their promise, and sometimes calls her 'Yae' and accuses her of wanting to run away again.
Finally they are reunited, and Mio discovers a way out of the village through the Kureha Shrine. Just as they reach the top of the shrine staircase, however, Mayu is caught by a group of villagers and taken to the Kurosawa House again.
Mio finds Mayu waiting for her at the edge of the Hellish Abyss. Mayu lies back on the stone altar and tells Mio that she understands the two cannot be together forever, but by performing the ritual, they can become one. As the ghostly priests surrounding them strike their staffs against the floor, Mayu places Mio's hands around her neck. Upon her urging, Mio strangles her to death.
As Mio steps back, the Mourners come forward and throw Mayu's body into the Hellish Abyss. A single Crimson Butterfly emerges and whispers, "Thank you." Mio chases the butterfly out of the village, sobbing and apologizing. The Crimson Butterfly hesitates and flutters back to Mio's outstretched hand once more before leaving to join the others.
Fatal Frame III
Mayu plays a very minor role in Fatal Frame III. Though her spirit is never seen, it is known that Mio is pursuing her throughout the Manor of Sleep. When Kei takes a photo of Mio and some Crimson Butterflies with the Camera Obscura, Mayu's form appears in the developed photo. It is revealed in notes that she is considered missing (possibly spirited away), and Mio has never talked about what happened.
Translation Error
In the US version of Fatal Frame III, there is a serious translation error involving continuity. In an in-game article, it states that both Mayu and her mother Shizu have disappeared in the Minakami area. The Japanese reads "Mayu Amakura the daughter of Shizu Amakura" but was translated as "Mayu Amakura and Shizu Amakura" instead. Shizu is still very much alive, she's just severely ill. Her hospitalization was also mentioned in earlier pre-game articles in Famitsu gaming magazine.
Alternate Endings
Fatal Frame II
Lingering Scent Ending - In this ending, Mio leaves the village through the Kureha Shrine, right before the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual is about to start. As she escapes through the tunnels, Sae chases after her and grabs her. Mio screams and wakes up, finding herself all alone in the forest. (While getting this ending results in a Game Over, it is considered one of the official endings).
Hellish Abyss Ending: Mio fights the ghost of Sae Kurosawa with the Camera Obscura. As she takes the last picture, the spirit of Sae is broken apart from Mayu. Mio rushes forward, and grabs her sister's hand to keep her from falling into the Hellish Abyss. As Mio pulls Mayu up; however, she looks into the Abyss. She is overcome by the horrific images of trapped souls trying to escape. The twins are found passed out in the woods. Some time later, the two return to the area and are looking out over the lake the dam has made. Mayu tells Mio it is time to go. When Mio rises, her eyes are bandaged, and it becomes obvious that the Abyss blinded her. Mayu smiles, knowing that now Mio will always need her.
Promise Ending: As Mio passes through the last torii gate on the way to the Hellish Abyss, Yae's spirit leaves her body and reunites with Sae. Mio runs forward and grabs Mayu out of Sae before the Kurosawa twins plunge into the Abyss to complete their ritual. As the twins exit the village, guided by Crimson Butterflies, Mayu confesses that she was always overwhelmed by the idea that they would grow apart, but she recognises ever since her accident, Mio has kept her promise. Mio tells her that even if they can't become one, she will never let Mayu go again.
Fatal Frame II: Deep Crimson Butterfly
Frozen Butterfly Ending - Mio is able to save Mayu from the ritual, taking a final photo that seems to separate her sister from Sae. However, Mayu still wishes to go through with the ritual and attempts to have Mio strangle her. Mio refuses, pushing Mayu away. Mayu admits that she didn't think Mio would truly let them be one, and is okay with living in hell as long as they're together. She transforms into a laughing Sae, flashing to the night of the Repentance. Mio then realizes she has seen the laughing before, flashing back to when Mayu was injured, and laughing while crying at the same time. Mayu becomes herself again, telling Mio, "Let us be together... together forever." Mio is next seen with her eyes open, lying on Mayu's lap in the Kurosawa Hall amongst other bodies from the Repentance. Mayu tenderly strokes her sister's head. After the credits, Mayu sits in the Doll Stand Room with a lifeless Mio in her lap. Smiling, she paints Mio's lips with a brush, and licks away the tear that forms at the corner of Mio's eye.
Shadow Festival Ending - After Mio defeats the Kusabi, she makes her way to the Hellish Abyss. Running past her are Veiled Priests trying to flee The Repentance. Mayu, sitting in front of the Abyss, tells her sister that she is too late, and that The Repentance is near. She says that Mio should have saved herself. Mio however replies that she could never live with herself if she ran away alone, and that she wants to be with her sister, even if it's only for this short time. "This time, we fall together," she says, as the Darkness erupts from the Abyss. The scene then switches to that of a festival, which the twins, dressed in yukatas, are attending. Hundreds of lanterns are released into the night sky, and both Mio and Mayu wish that that day would last forever. The scene switches back to the twins being consumed by the Darkness. Itsuki is seen with a Crimson Butterfly on his hand, before it flies away, and the Darkness once again engulfs the village. In the end the twins covered in a crimson kimono are sitting hand in hand forever together in the Darkness.
Design & Costumes
- Main Article: Mio & Mayu's Character Design
Unlike Miku Hinasaki, Mayu's appearance was not changed or altered to reflect a regional change for the ps2 & xbox releases of Fatal Frame II. When wearing her gothic lolita outfit, Mio has a butterfly tattoo. .
An updated and more mature outfit version for both of the twins is seen in Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly. More emphasis has been placed on the back of the costumes to coincide with the new over-the-shoulder camera angles.
For Mayu's entire listing of unlockable costumes and accessories:
File Photos of Mayu
Gallery
Misc. Info
- 'Mayu' means 'cocoon' in Japanese, alluding to the game's butterfly theme.
- In the novelization of the game (found within the Fatal Frame Fanbook) Mayu admits to falling on purpose when they were little because she didn't want Mio to leave her.
- Mayu can die in Fatal Frame II if she is left to be attacked by ghosts for too long - her range of 'health' depends on the level at which the game is played. The result of her death is an instant game over for the player.
- Mayu's charm is a magatama, which, in addition to being a talisman in the Shinto religion, traditionally represents the visual manifestation of the human spirit (or hitodama).
- If you take a picture of Mayu in the Great Hall of the Kurosawa House in Fatal Frame II, an interesting photographic easter egg will appear.
- It is a popular fan theory that Mayu is the butterfly that guides and helps Kei Amakura in Fatal Frame III.
- In the Xbox version of Fatal Frame II, unlockable costumes for Mayu include Ayane's outfit from Dead Or Alive and Millennia's outfit from Kagero: Deception II.
- While wearing the Type D costume (Sae's kimono), Mayu has red marks around her neck, which appear to be the marks left after Sae was hanged and thrown into the Hellish Abyss. Her skin is also deathly pale white.
- Mayu and Mio are featured in Super Swing Golf gallery game concept art, but are not unlockable in the game.
- Mayu and Mio appear as ghosts in the Ghost Camera mode of Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir.
- Using the AR marker found on the Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly website, Mio and Mayu become available for photo ops in Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. (Unavailable in US version of the game)
- Mio and Mayu appear in their Deep Crimson Butterfly incarnations as a trophy in Super Smash Bros for Wii.[8] They will also appear as a "Spirit" in Super Smash Bros Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch.[9]
Appearances
- Fatal Frame II (first appearance)
- Super Swing Golf (gallery art only)
- Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (Ghost Camera mode)
- Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly
See Also
- For quotes by Mayu, see Quotes: Mayu Amakura.
- For other members of the Amakura family, see Amakura Family.
- For other members of the Asou family, see Asou Family.
- For other player characters in the Fatal Frame Series, see Player Characters.
- For information on other spirited aways, see Spirited Aways.
- For other rituals in Fatal Frame II, see Fatal Frame II Rituals.
- For other twin pairs, see Twins.
- For images related to Mayu, see Images of Mayu Amakura.
References
- ↑ Missing in Minakami, Fatal Frame III
- ↑ KOEI TECMO Cafe and Dining Zero Series Collaboration
- ↑ 零～紅い蝶～, dialogue throughout, Mio always addresses Mayu as oneechan
- ↑ Character Introductions: Mio Amakura, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly PS2 manual, p18.
- ↑ Character Introductions, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Director's Cut manual, p20.
- ↑ Glossary: Shizu Amakura, Zero Akai Chou Master Guide, p154-158. (English translation)
- ↑ Mio & Mayu, Zero Akai Chou Complete Official Capture Book, p4-5. (English translation)
- ↑ List of SSBWU trophies/Others: Mio & Mayu Amakura, Super Smash Bros Wiki, retrieved 8th April 2016.
- ↑ Another 'Fatal Frame' Alumni Joins 'Super Smash Bros Ultimate', Bloody Disgusting, retrieved 4th November 2018.