Yuu Asou
| ||
| "As long as you go on living, a part of me will continue to live on." | ||
| Japanese | 麻生 優雨 あそう ゆう | |
| Age | 24 | |
| Family | Rei Kurosawa (fiancée) Asou Family | |
| Marital status | Engaged | |
| Residence | Rei Kurosawa's House | |
| Occupation | Editor | |
| Status | Dead | |
| Date of death | July 1988 | |
| Games | Fatal Frame III Fatal Frame V (mentioned) | |
| Notes | "The Sleeping Priestess" On the Urban Legend "The Manor of Sleep" Yuu's Notes | |
| Japanese Voice Actor | Takaya Kuroda | |
| English Voice Actor | JD Cullum | |
Yuu Asou is a character in Fatal Frame III. He was Rei Kurosawa's fiancé, who was killed in a car accident with Rei at the wheel. Yuu's death sets in motion the events that lead Rei into the Manor of Sleep two months later.
Past
Yuu met Rei while he was at college studying anthropology and folklore. Rei makes note in her notebook that Yuu had a kind and gentle disposition, "like gently falling rain". Yuu was good friends with both Mafuyu Hinasaki and Kei Amakura, and the three seemed to share research material and information as well. Mafuyu and Yuu were exceptionally close, and Mafuyu asked Yuu look after his younger sister Miku if anything should happen to him.
After Mafuyu's mysterious disappearance two years before, Yuu took Miku in to live with him. He introduced Miku to his fiancée, Rei Kurosawa, but didn't tell her anything about Miku's brother or her past. The three lived together in the house that Yuu and Rei had bought. Each had their own room, and Yuu's was at the end of the hallway. Yuu's room was also his study, where he kept his books on folklore and religious studies as well as a collection of old devices related to Mystical Science. Several items connected with Dr. Kunihiko Asou are stored in the two attic spaces and around the house, including the Spirit Stone Radio, an Echo Stone Earring and a film reel showing Kaname Ototsuki.
In the summer of 1988, Kei asked Yuu for help researching certain missing persons cases that he thought might have some connection to the death of one of his nieces.[1] When Kei's other niece, Mio, began to display strange symptoms, Kei learned about the "Manor of Sleep" urban legend, and wrote to Yuu asking for his help looking into it.[2] He continued to write to Yuu, and sent him an old camera he had found during his investigation.[3] However, while Yuu was still in the middle of compiling his research for Kei, he and Rei were involved in a car accident, and Yuu was killed.
Fatal Frame III
Two months after Yuu's death, Rei begins to dream of a huge mansion in the snow. She sees Yuu walking into the building and chases after him. Yuu appears several more times to Rei, leading her deeper and deeper into the mansion. As Rei attempts to solve the mystery behind the mansion, she looks through Yuu's notes and letters and discovers his correspondence with Kei Amakura. Kei and Yuu had been sharing information on urban legends, including one on a Manor of Sleep, where the living can supposedly meet the dead. Kei becomes concerned that he hasn't heard from Yuu in a while, and eventually calls his house, not knowing that he has passed away. Rei tells him of the accident and Kei visits the house to pay his respects, hoping that his research combined with that of his friend can help solve the mystery of the Kuze Shrine.
At the end of the game, Yuu appears to Rei one last time, among the spirits of the dead 'crossing over'. She begs to go with him, telling him that she can't bear to be left alone any more. Yuu tells her he understands how she feels, but that she needs to continue living and that as long as she's alive, he'll live on through her. As a final gesture, Yuu absorbs the tattoo that has almost fully covered Rei's body, and crosses over with the other spirits.
After the game, Kei collects and edits Yuu's research on the Manor of Sleep, combining it with the knowledge he gained through his own experiences, to produce Yuu's Notes.
Misc. Info
- In the Japanese ending of Fatal Frame III, Yuu simply absorbs Rei's tattoos. In the US version of the ending, the tattoos appear on his skin after he has absorbed them.
- Yuu is a direct descendant of Dr. Kunihiko Asou, and is therefore related to Misao Amakura, Kei's brother-in-law, and Misaki Asou.
- Many fans believe that the silver ring that Rei wears is her engagement ring from Yuu.
- Yuu's Notes on the Manor of Sleep, edited by Kei, are included in the Zero Shisei no Koe Complete Official Capture Book.
- Among his many books about folklore, Yuu possessed one by Ryozo Munakata about the Rope Shrine Maiden of Himuro Mansion. It is possible he also owned Tamashizume, since it is mentioned in the bibliography for Yuu's Notes.
- Yuu's name means "gentle rain", reflecting his personality.
- In his concept art and the opening cutscene, Yuu is wearing a necklace that looks similar to the one Rei wears with her default costume.
- Yuu is mentioned in Fatal Frame V as an acquaintance who takes Miku in after Mafuyu's disappearance. In the Japanese version, his name is erroneously given as "Yuu Kurosawa" (黒澤優雨).[4]
See Also
- For other members of the Asou family, see Asou Family.
- For other folklorists in the Fatal Frame Series, see Folklorist.
- For images related to Yuu, see Images of Yuu Asou.