Blossoming

Blossoming (咲く) is a curse described in Fatal Frame IV. It is the final stage of Moonlight Syndrome, an ailment unique to Rogetsu Isle. During this stage, the patient becomes completely unable to recognise their own face, and can see only a blurry distortion. Unlike Budding, the warping effect at this stage becomes visible to others. The sight of another person with advanced Moonlight Syndrome can trigger a similar state in the viewer, causing them to contract Moonlight Syndrome or blossom instantly themselves. This effect is called resonance, and was greatly feared by the islanders. The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was particularly dangerous, because it produced a resonance strong enough to induce blossoming even in those who didn't witness it in person.

The ultimate cause of blossoming is the resonance of the moon, and the only cure is to perform the Rite of Descent with the Moonsong.

The disaster associated with blossoming is the Day of Tranquility, during which the powerful resonance of a former Vessel causes blossoming to spread instantly to anyone within range of her. After the first Day of Tranquility, islanders began the custom of harvesting the faces of the dead and replacing them with masks, in order to prevent the face from changing after death and ward off blossoming. The warping of the face after death was known as (咲き触れ( さきぶれ) sakibure; "bloom-touch"), a homophone of (先触れ( さきぶれ) sakibure; "forewarning / portent"). The face could only be harvested when there was no breath left in the body.

In A Folie à Deux in August, the sensation of blossoming is described as a dissolution of all boundaries, as if becoming one with the world while losing one's own sense of identity. After blossoming herself, Sakuya seeks to make everyone blossom, perhaps from a desire to see everyone in harmony.

Stages of the curse

1. A sense of deep confusion; noises inside the head.
2. An intense fear, or a pleasurable sense of melting or dissolving, or both.
3. A blur on the victim's face.
4. Death of the victim.

Victims

Note: while it can be assumed that nearly everyone who was on the island on the Day of Tranquility blossomed, ghosts who wear masks will not blossom.

• Asagi Hizuki
• Ayako
• Fuyuko Shiratsuki
• Himiko Kiriya
• Iori Aiba
• Kageri Sendo
• Katsuhito Kariya
• Kazuto Amaki
• Kyoko Kitazume
• Madoka Tsukimori
• Natsuki Shiono
• Sakuya Haibara
• Sanae Houzuki
• Shie Sonosaki
• Shoji Katagiri
• Tadayuki Kaido
• Takashi Aiba
• Tomoko Hinuma
• Tsubaki Tono
• Yoriko Sonohara
• Yuko Magaki
• Yuzo Takemura

Survivors

• Ayako (initially survived the Day of Tranquility, but died of the effects six months later).

Note: As of current writing, it cannot be confirmed which ending of Fatal Frame IV is considered canon, affecting the number of survivors.

• Ruka Minazuki

survival confirmed in both endings

• Misaki Asou

1st ending - unknown fate

2nd ending - survival confirmed

Gameplay

During a ghost battle, spirits may visibly begin to blossom, causing them to become more powerful and aggressive. This is the only time during which a Rorschach Shot can be taken. This shot adds an entry to the Spirit List with " - 咲 - " ("Blossomed") beside the ghost's name, if the particular ghost has that entry. Masked ghosts will not blossom.

To maximise your chances of making a ghost blossom, use Shutter Chances when their health is below 75%. If the ghost is not in contact with any walls or obstacles, the chance of blossoming rises by 50%. Using lenses with a knockback effect, like Choshiro's Explode lens or Misaki's Push lens, are also helpful to trigger blossoming. Ghosts can only blossom during certain encounters; for a list of confirmed chapters and locations, see Fatal Frame IV Spirit List.

In early stages of development, the creators considered adding a feature where players would take damage if they locked on to a ghost who was Blooming, but this was scrapped.