Misaki Asou

Misaki Asou
"It will be our turn next..."
Japanese	麻生 海咲 あそう みさき
Age	17
Family	Asou Family
Room	310
Status	Unknown
Games	Fatal Frame IV
Notes	Misaki's Diary Patient Interview: Misaki Asou Conversation with Young Misaki Letter from Misaki (unused)
Japanese Voice Actor	Miyuki Sawashiro

Misaki Asou is one of the four playable characters in Fatal Frame IV. She is a member of the Asou Family, and possesses a strong sixth sense. One of the surviving kidnapped girls, Misaki is a strong-willed girl who has to have her way. Led by the vision of a girl in black who appears in her memory, Misaki and her friend Madoka Tsukimori travel to Rogetsu Isle.

Past

As a child, Misaki was diagnosed with Moonlight Syndrome and, at the request of the Asou Family, was brought to Rogetsu Hall for treatment. It was there that she met and befriended Ruka Minazuki and Madoka Tsukimori. She also developed a close friendship with Sakuya Haibara, a patient whose illness was considerably more advanced than Misaki's, although the hospital staff tried to keep them apart. Sakuya told Misaki that they were both spirit mediums, and would become more and more alike as they spent time together, and the doctors did observe that the condition of one would be reflected in the other. Sakuya gave Misaki a doll to reflect her inner self, and the doll's name, Miya, was a combination of the first syllable of Misaki's name and the last of Sakuya's.

Shigeto Haibara had also noticed the similarity between Sakuya and Misaki, and while Misaki was a patient at the hospital, he subjected her to experimental treatments, hoping to find one that would be suitable for Sakuya. However, these treatments only made Misaki's condition worse, and so they were discontinued.

On the day of the Rogetsu Kagura, Misaki and her friends were kidnapped by Yo to perform in a secret ritual as Sakuya's Organs. Misaki was the Organ who played the flute. After the ritual failed, she and the other girls lost their memories. Misaki dropped Miya on the stage in the Temple of Tsukiyomi, and was not allowed to return for her. Afterwards, the girls were moved to the Moonglow Cavern beneath the hospital in an attempt to stabilise their condition. They were discovered there two weeks later by Choshiro Kirishima. None of the girls could remember anything of their ordeal.

After being found, Misaki moved away from the island, along with Ruka and Madoka. At some point, Madoka went to live with Misaki's family, for unknown reasons.

A Folie à Deux in August

A short story published in Rogetsu Isle Reminiscences. English translation available here.

Misaki appears in the final chapter of "A Folie à Deux in August", the story about Marie and Tomoe in Rogetsu Isle Reminiscences. The next lunar eclipse is approaching, and Marie and Tomoe have died mysteriously. Misaki seems strangely distracted, unaffected by their deaths. From Madoka's point of view, Misaki's personality is described as unpredictable and capricious: sometimes distant and cold, sometimes gentle and affectionate. Madoka fearfully wonders if this could be a sign of returning Moonlight Syndrome.

Misaki abruptly decides to return to the island in search of her lost memories. Having taken the family's Camera Obscura from behind its protective seals, she tells Madoka to come with her, and Madoka helplessly acquiesces.

Fatal Frame IV

Misaki and Madoka arrive at Rogetsu Hall and begin to explore the building, with Misaki sharply rejecting Madoka's tentative suggestion they return home. The girl in black appears again, leading Misaki up to the second floor. Misaki blacks out, and when she wakes, she finds herself alone in the Entrance Hall.

Misaki continues to investigate alone whilst searching for Madoka, recovering her childhood memories and progressing deeper into the abandoned sanatorium. She learns of Madoka's death when she encounters her as a ghost in the dining room, after watching a film reel showing the ritual she had participated in a decade before. The girl in black continues to guide her around the hospital, leading her to places that reawaken Misaki's lost memories of Sakuya.

Eventually, Misaki comes to the Temple of Tsukiyomi, where the Rite of Descent was performed. There she meets Sakuya, who takes the form of the girl in black whom Misaki now recognises as Miya, the doll that represented both Misaki and Sakuya. Misaki finds the doll still lying on the floor of the stage and starts crying, as Sakuya regains her normal form. Sakuya embraces Misaki as if to comfort her, smiling mysteriously, and then vanishes as Misaki falls to the ground, unconscious. The door to the cavern slams closed. Later, when Ruka arrives at the same spot, Miya is lying on the ground, but Misaki is nowhere to be seen.

Misaki's Fate

As it currently stands, Misaki's true fate is left undetermined. Since Fatal Frame IV is the only game in which she appears, it is unknown whether or not she survives.

First Ending

Misaki does not appear in this ending, so it is unknown what happened to her after she collapsed (though she is presumed to have been spirited away).

Second Ending

In this ending, it is made clear that Misaki survives. She awakens in the Temple of Tsukiyomi to see Madoka standing before her. Misaki rushes to her friend and takes her hand, leaving Miya on the ground. Madoka smiles, then dissolves into light, like other spirits crossing over. Misaki stands on the shore and watches them descending through the gate to the underworld.

Gallery

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  Misaki's remastered design

Note on Spelling

In English, the name 麻生 (あそう) may be written Asou, Asо̄ or Aso, according to the translator's preference. "Aso" is the most commonly used in official translations of the Fatal Frame Series; however, "Asou" is used in Fatal Frame III and in the fan translation of Fatal Frame IV, both of which also introduce important members of the Asou family. "Asou" is also the spelling used in native Fatal Frame IV environment textures. For the sake of consistency, Zero Wiki has chosen to use the spelling "Asou" whenever the name appears, even where it may differ from official translations.

Misc. Info

• Misaki is a descendant of Dr. Kunihiko Asou. It is not known how closely she is related to his other descendants, but several strange devices can be seen in her former room at Rogetsu Hall, along with a note that appears to be discussing several Asou inventions.
• Misaki's name contains the kanji 咲 (saki), which means 'bloom'.
• Misaki's camera is different from Ruka's camera.
• Misaki's room is #310 "Waning Moon". In Japanese, this is 神去月 (Kamisarizuki; "Month the Gods Leave", a rare name for the tenth lunar month).
• In an unused file, the young Misaki writes to Madoka to comfort her.

See Also

• For other members of the Asou family, see Asou Family.
• For other player characters in the Fatal Frame Series, see Player Characters.
• For more information on Misaki's affliction, see Moonlight Syndrome.
• For other shrine maidens, see Shrine Maiden.
• For other rituals in Fatal Frame IV, see Fatal Frame IV Rituals.
• For images related to Misaki, see Images of Misaki Asou.