History Characters / SlowDamageMainCharacters

* CrazyPrepared: Even though Rei [[spoiler: is a virgin and isn't up for the idea of having casual sex with just anyone]], he still keeps some lube and condoms in his drawer]], just in case. Towa even teases him for it.

* ImportantHaircut: In his good ending, he cuts his long hair and changes it into a manly short cut, which reflects his decision on how he's really a man]].

* KarmaHoudini: Zigzagged. In the final route, Madarame's appearance takes up no longer than five minutes maximum, but his actions in that short time leave [[spoiler: the other four main characters, especially Taku and Rei]], greatly inconvenienced and/or injured. He never really gets any comeuppance for it; but then again, the narrative shows that in return, he doesn't get what he wants either, whether it's [[spoiler: getting Towa to regress back into his younger self again or the opportunity to kill anyone in the Takasato-gumi]]. But even with both of his plans being thwarted, [[spoiler: he just decides to hightail it out of Shinkoumi and is none the worse for wear, being no more than an afterthought to everyone else afterwards]].

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Downplayed. In his route, Rei reveals that [[spoiler: he has had a crush on Towa ever since he first saw him in middle school]]. That being said, [[spoiler: his crush will only blossom into a genuine affection if his route is taken]]. Otherwise, nothing comes out of it and is implied to eventually fizzle out [[spoiler: as long as Rei isn't the chosen love interest. Case in point, Rei playfully suggests to Towa that Ikuina has a crush on him in the common route, and even openly acts as a ShipperOnDeck for Towa and Fujieda in the latter's route]].
* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Rei is introduced early on as an effeminate man, [[spoiler: though it later turns out to be more complicated than that. When he was younger, he was bullied for being "girly" due to his androgynous looks; but at the same time, his mother would ''dote'' on him for the exact same thing. Then when he came out as gay to his father, his father told him that a man who likes another man really isn't a man at all. All of this made Rei wonder if he was a woman born in a man's body, which caused him to take on feminine mannerisms to adapt to that idea. But in the climax of his route, he resolves that he's a man through and through, and his true desires]] do not necessarily define his gender identity.

* AppearanceAngst: Rei's inner conflict centers around [[spoiler: whether he's more of a man or a woman]]. This is also the reason he got into body modification: so that he can help others change their bodies to a form that they're most comfortable with. [[spoiler: Yet interestingly, he never does any modifications on himself, which reflects the conflict he has over his own body.]]

* BloodKnight: Rei becomes more fired up than ever during a Deathmatch, and he admits that he loves the feeling of his fist breaking his opponent's bones. [[spoiler:However, while Rei loves to fight, he draws the line at ''killing'' someone. This causes him to feel conflicted about himself whenever he participates in a Moneymatch, since he can't help but feel excited during the fight and yet would still feel horrible afterwards for the fate that awaits his defeated opponent.]]
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Kicking other people's asses is one of Rei's main hobbies. That aside, however, the aspects of his personality that stand out the most are his friendly nature, how he always expresses concern for his friends to the point of nagging them if he feels it to be necessary and his eagerness to help those in need whether he personally knows them or not.

* CrazyPrepared: Even though [[spoiler: Rei is a virgin and isn't up for the idea of having casual sex with just anyone, he still bothers to keep some lube and condoms in his drawer, just in case]]. Towa even teases him for it.

* DaddyIssues: Rei's father [[spoiler:gambled away most of his family's savings, causing Rei's mother to leave them both. On top of this, Rei was at odds with his father, who disapproved of his son's sexuality-- which led to Rei leaving his home in his high school years and keeping his distance from his father ever since. But then years later, Rei suddenly finds himself saddled with a large debt due to his father's gambling addiction]]. Their blood relation is the only reason Rei is even burdened with this issue, even though both father and son had been estranged for years.

* DramaQueen: Downplayed. Rei is the most expressive of the main cast, and he occasionally acts dramatic either for the fun of it or when he gets ''really'' upset or exasperated. That being said, he's fairly level-headed overall and the trope never comes into play whenever he's dead serious about something.

** Additionally, goldenrods are said to alleviate depression. In his route, Rei is heaped with several kinds of problems, both personal and external, which leaves him depressed for some time. This leads to Towa, Taku, and Rei's friends having to help Rei slowly get his bearings and pull him out of his slump.

* GroinAttack: A few years ago, [[spoiler: while struggling with his identity, Rei attempted to resolve the matter by cutting off his manhood, although he ultimately couldn't go through with it]]. The experience had left Rei with a noticeable scar ''down there''.

* ImportantHaircut: In his good ending, [[spoiler:he cuts his long hair and changes it into a manly short cut, which reflects his decision on how he's really a man]].
* InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Rei's most prominent trait is how almost everything about him is feminine in nature. [[spoiler:His route reveals that this is no simple quirk, and is a result of how he was verbally mocked in the past for either looking girly or for not being manly enough, which made him embody an effete persona because the disdainful treatment he got from others caused him to believe that he really was born with the wrong gender.]]
* LettingHerHairDown: A gender-inverted case. Rei normally ties his hair up in a high ponytail, but he does away with it in his route whenever [[spoiler: he fights in Moneymatches]]. This can symbolize he's going beyond all out since he's [[spoiler: literally fighting with his life on the line in contrast to when he would only let off some steam in a normal Deathmatch]].

* LikeParentUnlikeChild: Everyone who has met Rei's father at least once is in agreement that [[spoiler:Rei has absolutely nothing in common with such a selfish and spineless deadbeat]].

* MirrorCharacter: Rei's past, whilst not exactly the same as Taku's, is similar to the other man's in certain aspects. Both were abandoned by one of their parents when they were still teenagers, and their conflicts are a result of their relationship with the other parent. [[spoiler: However, Taku deeply cared for his mother and felt guilty that he failed to protect her and prevent her death, whereas Rei is completely at odds with his father, who disapproved of his sexuality, and the two kept their distance for years.]]

* PastExperienceNightmare: In his route, after [[spoiler:getting kidnapped and beaten up by the Assault Party]], Rei often starts to have restless nights where he would thrash and cry in his sleep. [[spoiler:This is because the experience reminds him of the time when he was bullied and he had no idea how to defend himself, which caused him to feel completely helpless.]]

* RelativeButton: Inverted. Rei becomes angry at the mere mention or sight of [[spoiler:his father and he makes it transparently clear that if he could have it his way, he'd never see the man again and wouldn't care less if the man suddenly dropped dead one day]].

* StalkerWithACrush: In his route, Rei confesses to Towa that [[spoiler:he's harbored a huge crush on Towa when he first saw him during middle school, and would often follow him around even when they ended up in different high schools. Part of the reason he and Towa got to actually know each other was because Rei reached out to Towa after the latter started making his name as an artist]].

* TheWorfEffect: Rei is established early on to be one of the better Deathmatch fighters, [[spoiler: and when he's forced to fight in Moneymatches]] -- he proves to be formidable enough to win fight after fight, and even get the upper hand against another undefeated contestant. In Fujieda's route, however, [[spoiler: when he's ordered by the Takasato-gumi to fight Madarame, both Towa and the player see that Rei isn't faring so well. In the scene, he appears all battered and bloody and has difficulty just getting on his feet, with Madarame not even having a single scratch. This doesn't paint Rei as weak, however, and only further proves that Madarame is an utter ''beast'' in the battlefield that not even someone of Rei's caliber has a chance against him]].

* KarmaHoudini: Zigzagged. In the final route, Madarame's appearance takes up no longer than five minutes maximum, but his actions in that short time leave [[spoiler: the other four main characters, especially Taku and Rei]], greatly inconvenienced and/or injured. He never really gets any comeuppance for it; but then again, the narrative shows that in return, he doesn't get what he wants either, whether it's [[spoiler: Towa acting like his younger self again or an opportunity to kill anyone in the Takasato-gumi]]. But even with both of his plans being thwarted, [[spoiler: he just decides to hightail it out of Shinkoumi, and is no more than an afterthought to the main cast afterwards]].

* MirrorCharacter: Madarame has some similarities with [[spoiler: Maya]], of all people. Both harbor genuine love (or in Maya's case, as genuine as can be) for Towa, even if that love is twisted and not of the orthodox kind, and express said love by subjecting Towa to violence, directly (in Madarame's case) or indirectly (in [[spoiler: Maya]]'s case). Both also [[spoiler: see him as the only one who can sate their loneliness and/or boredom out of the belief that he is the only one who is like them, but it is also because of this belief that they use their violent treatment to ensure that Towa fits the image that they are convinced is the best version of him and will not accept him as any other kind of person]]. As a result, they end up [[spoiler: being at odds with the people who try to help and heal Towa, with Madarame targeting Taku and Maya going after Mei]], respectively. One key difference, however, is that Madarame has enough restraint to [[spoiler: simply back off and leave if he thinks that Towa has changed too much for his liking, whereas Maya responded to a single act of defiance from Towa by immediately resorting to filicide]].
* MistakenForMurderer: Rumor has it that Madarame is the one who killed Kaga, another high-ranking member of the Takasato-gumi as well as Madarame's own senior. [[spoiler: In his route, Toono is revealed to be the true culprit.]]

* OutOfFocus: Among Towa's four potential love interests, Madarame has the least overall screen time, even less than Fujieda. This makes sense for his role in the narrative: Madarame's lone wolf nature makes it that his goal doesn't coincide with that of the others', and whether he and Towa will cross paths or not in the other routes depends on [[spoiler:whether Madarame is still interested in going after Towa by that point]]. As such, they never encounter each other in Taku and Rei's routes [[spoiler:because he decided to not tail Towa anymore, and he's only mentioned a few times at most in those routes. Likewise, in his brief appearance in Fujieda's route, Madarame decides that Towa is no longer worth his time and makes his leave]].
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Downplayed. Madarame is no heroic character, and his goals are borne mostly from his own whims, but it's hard not to side with the man when [[spoiler:he opts to have both Toono and Sakaki killed in the climax of his route]]. By then, the player already knows [[spoiler:how much of a piece of work Toono is]], but once they also learn [[spoiler:of what kind of man Sakaki really is in Fujieda's route]], it becomes completely apparent that ''both'' men [[spoiler:more than deserve to get shot dead]].

** While Madarame is not the kind of person who would casually say such a thing nor is there a situation in his route that would call for him to say it, it's still notable that he [[spoiler:never says the word "''daijobu''" even once in Towa's presence. Given that they've known each other for a long time, it's possible that Madarame may have noticed how Towa doesn't react well to that word]], since he's also managed to pick up on Towa's dislike of total silence.
* PsychicBlockDefense: Of a sort. Although Towa can see Madarame's aura, he has a hard time getting a good read on the man's thoughts and intentions, something that has always been the case since years ago. [[spoiler:The good ending reveals that this is because he's been trying too hard to look deep into Madarame when the latter wears his entire being on his sleeve; thus Towa has been perceiving Madarame through the wrong angle the entire time.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Averted, or at least as far as Madarame claims when he says that he's not after the Takasato-gumi out of a desire for vengeance. However, [[spoiler: there are small but discernible hints throughout his route that he is nevertheless affected to some degree by Kaga's death, as shown in how he targets mainly Toono (who killed Kaga) and Sakaki (who wanted Toono to prove his loyalty by killing Kaga).]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: In Fujieda's route, Madarame [[spoiler: still kidnaps Taku and holds him hostage as bait for Towa]]. But unlike in his own route, [[spoiler:he abandons the plan shortly after Towa arrives since it doesn't take long for him to see that Towa changed too much from how Madarame envisioned him to be]], causing him to quickly lose interest before leaving the scene.

* SoleSurvivor: [[spoiler:In both his and Fujieda's routes]], Madarame is the only one of [[spoiler:the five main members of the Takasato-gumi]] to keep his life intact. [[note]] While Madarame still survives in Taku and Rei's routes, neither Toono nor Sakaki were killed off there. [[/note]]
* StalkerWithACrush: In his route, Madarame tells Towa that he had been keeping an eye on him ever since he returned to Shinkoumi-- [[spoiler:which partly explains why he can determine if the way Towa is now is still to his tastes or not depending on whether what he observes after the outcome of Towa's "euphoric session" with either Ikuina or the unnamed "vampire"]].
* StaticCharacter: He's the only love interest to not get any CharacterDevelopment from the beginning to the end of his route. This ties in to the kind of man Madarame is: everything about him is on the surface since he has nothing to hide and has no burden that he needs to resolve. Even when his drama CD does provide more details about his past with Kaga, he remains the same maverick he always has been since Towa first knew him.

* VillainProtagonist: Downplayed. While he's not an outright villain and has a score to settle with people who are far worse than him, Madarame is still anything but a good guy and is the most morally dubious character among the main cast. He's also the only one who actively seeks to make trouble for the other main characters, and in the final route, there's one scene where Towa and the other three come into conflict with Madarame.

* {{Yandere}}: Zigzagged. On one hand, he appears to fit the trope to a tee by [[spoiler: using underhanded means to capture Towa and keeping him chained like a wild animal for him to beat into submission]], and he even warns Towa at one point that he'll hunt him down if he even manages to get away. There's also his fixation on Towa, or [[spoiler: at least what Towa used to be like in the past]]. But on the other, Madarame's mercurial nature makes him unable to fully qualify for the trope as he doesn't have enough drive to fully commit to his fixation, with one little change of circumstances being more than enough to make him lose interest and move on to other things-- as is the case with his actions in Fujieda's route. In said route, while he [[spoiler: initially takes the first steps to lure out Towa]], he's quick to cut and run when [[spoiler: he determines that the Towa at present is nothing like the Towa he once knew or wanted]].

* KarmaHoudini: Zigzagged. In the final route, Madarame appears only briefly, but his actions leave [[spoiler: the other four main characters, especially Taku and Rei]], greatly inconvenienced and/or injured. He never really gets any comeuppance for it; but then again, he doesn't get what he wants either, whether it's [[spoiler: Towa acting like his younger self again, or getting to kill anyone in the Takasato-gumi]]. But even with his latter plan being thwarted, [[spoiler: he just decides to hightail it out of Shinkoumi, and is no more than an afterthought at best in everyone's minds]].

* SecretKeeper: Madarame knows that [[spoiler:Taku has been concealing information from Towa]], which hints that Madarame also knows [[spoiler:just what Taku is hiding from Towa]]. In Fujieda's route, Madarame is the one who points Towa to [[spoiler:where Maya's establishment is]], further implying that he knows more about [[spoiler:Towa's childhood]] than he lets on. However, he never reveals anything to Towa in his own route, either because he's of the opinion that the past no longer matters or because [[spoiler:he intends to use his own secrecy to drive a wedge between Towa and Taku]].

* {{Yandere}}: Zigzagged. On one hand, he seemingly fits the trope to a tee by [[spoiler: using underhanded means to capture Towa and keeping him chained like a wild animal for him to beat into submission]], and he even warns Towa at one point that he'll hunt him down if he even manages to get away. There's also his fixation on Towa, or [[spoiler: at least what Towa used to be like in the past]]. On the other, Madarame's mercurial nature makes him unable to fully qualify for the trope as he doesn't have enough drive to fully commit to a plan, with one little change of circumstances being more than enough to make him lose interest and move on to other things-- as is the case with his actions in Fujieda's route. In said route, while he [[spoiler: initially takes the first steps to lure out Towa]], he's quick to cut and run when [[spoiler: he determines that the Towa at present is nothing like the Towa he once knew, or wanted]].

** In Japan, gentians are sometimes given in funerals as they can also express "sympathy for one's pain", but the meaning is ironic as Madarame himself actually ''encourages'' Towa's love for violence in contrast the other three, who help Towa heal to some degree, resulting in his proclivity for all things morbid and agonizing to slowly fizzle out. It's also in Madarame's route, and ''only'' in his route, where Towa decides to completely embrace his self-destructive tendencies, becoming a full-on CombatSadomasochist in the process.

* {{Yandere}}: Zigzagged. On one hand, he seemingly fits the trope to a tee by [[spoiler: using underhanded means to capture Towa and keeping him chained like a wild animal for him to beat into submission]], and he even warns Towa at one point that he'll hunt him down if he even manages to get away. There's also his fixation on Towa, or [[spoiler: at least what Towa used to be like in the past]]. On the other, Madarame's mercurial nature makes him unable to fully qualify for the trope as he doesn't have enough drive to fully commit to a plan, with one little change of circumstances being more than enough to make him lose interest and move on to other things-- as is the case with his actions in Fujieda's route. In said route, while he [[spoiler: initially takes the first steps to lure out Towa]], he's quick to cut and run when [[spoiler: he determines that Towa is now nothing like the Towa he once knew, or wanted]].

** Gentian flowers are also often associaited with passion, which is something that can be found in spades in his relationship with Towa, especially if it is rekindled. One of the reasons that Madarame seeks out Towa once more is the belief that they both can give each other the excitement and high the other wants, and their romance can be characterized by how everything is extreme and dynamic in nature, not just because of their preference to engage in violent sex, but also with how in the endgame, they [[spoiler: opt to spend their free time either working as hired guns or fighting in clubs]].
** In Japan, gentians are sometimes given in funerals

* {{Yandere}}: Zigzagged. On one hand, he seemingly fits the trope to a tee by [[spoiler: using underhanded means to capture Towa and keeping him chained like a wild animal for him to beat into submission]], and he even warns Towa at one point that he'll hunt him down if he even manages to get away. There's also his fixation on Towa, or [[spoiler: at least what Towa used to be like in the past]]. On the other, Madarame's mercurial nature makes him unable to fully qualify for the trope as he doesn't have enough drive to fully commit to a plan, with one little change of circumstances being more than enough to make him lose interest and move on to other things-- as is the case with his actions in Fujieda's route. In said route, while he [[spoiler: initially takes the first steps to lure out Towa]], he's quick to cut and run when [[spoiler: he reckons that Towa has now become too different for him to still want to go after]].

*** Leukine: Towa is aloof towards most things and only shows strong emotion towards violence.
*** Phlegmatic: Taku is a reliable and sensitive man who looks out for other people.
*** Sanguine: Rei is extroverted, friendly and expressive, as well as the most openly compassionate.
*** Choleric: Madarame is an unpredictable rebel who plays by his own rules and loves a good fight.
*** Melancholic: Fujieda is serious, professional and always focuses on the task at hand. Even people in-game have described him as having an uptight demeanor.

* FlowerMotif: One of the official illustrations in celebration of White Day 2022 shows Towa [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FNvQgCuaIAAsSJb?format=jpg&name=medium being showered with different flowers from his love interests]]. Rei, in particular, is shown holding solidago flowers, also more commonly known as goldenrods.
** Goldenrods are a sign of encouragement, positivity and support, which complements Rei's sunny disposition and how he's always willing to lend a helping hand to his friends, and double points for the flower matching Rei's ColorMotif.
** They also symbolize wealth, which is used in an ironic way in Rei's route as he's given a lot of grief from [[spoiler: having to shoulder his father's debt to the Takasato-gumi]].
** Additionally, goldenrods are said to alleviate depression, and Rei's character arc has him come face to face with his innermost conflicts, placing him in a state of depression for some time, with Towa, Taku, and Rei's friends having to help him slowly get his bearings and pull him out of his slump, which (potentiall) ends with Rei growing to completely accept who he is as a person, flaws and all.

* FlowerMotif: In one of the official illustrations drawn in celebration of White Day 2022, Towa is shown [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FNvQgCuaIAAsSJb?format=jpg&name=medium being showered with different flowers from his love interests]], with Madarame holding gentians.
** Besides the fact that said flowers are blue, which is his ColorMotif, gentians are sometimes called the "flower of victory" because of its upward and trumpet-like shape. Likewise, gentians are among the more reslient flowers, being able to bloom even in harsh conditions, and thus also represent endurance. All these can refer to how Madarame is so strong that it's impossible for him to lose in any fight.
** Gentian flowers are also often associaited with passion, something that can be found in spades in his relationship with Towa, especially if it is rekindled, as they seek constant excitement and highs with each other, be it through sex or violence, or even both.

* {{Yandere}:

!! General Tropes

* HighSchoolSweethearts: Played with. While Rei knew Towa since middle school, they never interacted at the time and Towa didn't even realize that he and Rei attended the same school when they were teenagers. Nevertheless, the topic comes up a few times in Rei's route and near the end, Rei admits that he had found Towa attractive since he first saw him.

* MommyIssues: Downplayed only due to the fact that while it's apparent that his mother mistreated him far more than his father ever did, Fujieda holds them ''both'' in contempt for how he and his sister and to suffer, and whenever he speaks about his childhood, he always refers to them both as a unit and never singles out his mother when talking about either how horrible they were or how much he despises them.

* MommyIssues: Downplayed only due to the fact that while it's apparent that his mother mistreated him far more than his father ever did, he holds them both in contempt for how he and his sister and to suffer, and whenever he speaks about his childhood, he always refers to them both as a unit and never singles out his mother when talking about either how horrible they were or how much he despises them.

* DomesticAbuser: His route is unarguably the most violent and tough-as-nails. Case in point, [[spoiler:he kidnaps Towa, beats him up if he fights back, and often pulls him into a ForcefulKiss; although he stops with the harsh treatment in his good ending]]. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, they still engage in some violence as foreplay, but by then, it's completely consensual.
* TheDreaded: Whether anyone thinks he's dead or alive, ''everyone'' who speaks of him does so with a measure of fear and caution in their voices, given what they've either heard about him or actually know about him. Even Towa knows Madarame isn't someone anyone should just mess with.

* TheGhost: Madarame is mentioned a few times in both Taku and Rei's routes; although he never actually shows up there. In-universe, many other characters refer to him as a ghost as well since as far as everyone knows, he's supposed to be dead. Madarame even wryly lampshades the trope when he and Towa meet face to face for the first time in years, commenting that Towa looks like he's just seen a ghost.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Even when confronting men armed with guns, Madarame fights with nothing but his bare hands and still manages to come out on top.
* HemoErotic: Downplayed. Madarame isn't opposed to drawing some blood during sex and even gets aroused by the smell and taste of it-- something that he outright tells Towa. After they properly rekindle their relationship, he and Towa [[CasualKink indulge in making each other bruise and bleed from time to time]].

* LightningBruiser: Madarame is strong enough to take on an entire group of thugs (armed or not) with nothing but his own two fists. And despite his stature, he's a lot swifter in his movements than anyone would first expect of him.

* ManipulativeBastard: In his route, Madarame subjects Towa to multiple beatings before abruptly letting Towa go, but not without telling him that [[spoiler: Taku is keeping secrets from him]]. With Towa [[spoiler: having already begun to subconsciously crave for more of the other man's violent treatment and already feeling alienated back at his old home, it only ends with him returning to Madarame and leaving Taku and Rei behind for good]]. Given Madarame's remark of "I knew you would come back eventually", it's strongly implied that he had predicted ''exactly'' what would happen after Towa left.

* NeverFoundTheBody: Although Madarame was declared to be dead by the Takasato-gumi, Sakaki admits to Towa that they never actually saw his corpse.
* NotSoStoic: A very subtle example. When Towa asks Madarame what he thought of Kaga, Kaga gives his answer in a completely calm manner. However, Towa notices that Madarame's aura slightly ''wavered'' (which almost never happens) while he talks about Kaga.

* OutOfFocus: Among Towa's four potential love interests, Madarame has the least overall screen time, even less than Fujieda. This makes sense for his role in the narrative: Madarame's lone wolf nature makes it that his goal doesn't coincide with that of the others', and whether he and Towa will cross paths or not in the other routes depends on [[spoiler:whether Madarame is still interested in going after Towa by that point]]. As such, they never encounter each other in Taku and Rei's routes [[spoiler:because he decided to not tail Towa anymore, and he's only mentioned a few times at most. Likewise, in his brief appearance in Fujieda's route, Madarame decides that Towa is no longer worth his time and makes his leave]].
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Downplayed. Madarame is no heroic character, and his goals are borne mostly from his own whims, but it's hard not to side with the man when [[spoiler:he opts to have both Toono and Sakaki killed in the climax of his route]]. By then, the player already knows [[spoiler:how much of a piece of work Toono is]], but once they also learn [[spoiler:of what kind of character Sakaki really is in Fujieda's route]], it becomes completely apparent that ''both'' men [[spoiler:more than deserve to get shot dead]].

** Madarame could care less about anyone, though Kaga was one such exception. For instance, he and Kaga shared an OddFriendship of mutual vitriol and respect, [[spoiler:and Madarame even says outright that Kaga's death didn't have to happen]].

** An implicit example: while Madarame is not the kind of person who would casually say such a thing nor is there a situation in his route that would call for him to say it, it's still notable that he [[spoiler:never says the word "''daijobu''" even once in Towa's presence. Given that they've known each other for a long time, it's possible that Madarame may have noticed how Towa doesn't react well to that word]], since he's also managed to pick up on Towa's dislike of complete silence.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Averted, or at least as far as Madarame claims when he says that he's not after the Takasato-gumi out of a desire for vengeance. However, [[spoiler: there are small but discernible hints throughout his route that he is nevertheless affected to some degree by Kaga's death, as shown in how he targets mainly Toono (who killed Kaga) and Sakaki (who wanted Toono to kill Kaga to prove his loyalty).]]

* SecretCharacter: His route can only be unlocked once the player has achieved Taku's Euphoria ending.

* StaticCharacter: He's the only love interest to not get any CharacterDevelopment from the beginning to the end of his route. This is ties in to the kind of man Madarame is: everything about him is on the surface since he has nothing to hide and has no burden that he needs to resolve. Even when his drama CD does provide more details about his past with Kaga, he remains the same maverick he always has been since Towa first knew him.

* TokenEvilTeammate: The other main characters aren't lacking when it comes to having a checkered past and deep-seated issues, but their troubled side still comes with reason. Madarame, on the other hand, is the way he is just because, with no other explanation behind it. The fact that he has no mental burdens also means he isn't tied down by morals or scruples.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: According to the artbook, Madarame loves both beer and spicy food.
* VillainProtagonist: Downplayed. While he's not an outright villain and has a score to settle with people who are far worse than him, Madarame is still anything but a good guy and is the most morally dubious character among the main cast. He's also the only one who actively seeks to make trouble for the other four main characters, and in the final route, there's one scene where they all directly come into conflict with Madarame.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Although Madarame's own route explains why he never [[spoiler: showed his face to Towa in both Taku and Rei's routes]], it's never confirmed what became of him in the end of the latter two routes, where [[spoiler: neither Toono nor Sakaki get assassinated and the Takasato-gumi ''doesn't'' end up collapsing]]. One safe guess is that [[spoiler:Madarame decided to just leave Shinkoumi afterwards]].

** It doesn't stop there; when Towa finally remembers everything about both his mother and Mei, Fujieda is so shocked that he walks away without another word, leaving Towa to deal with his trauma on his own, which soon culminates into Towa nearly killing himself. Fujieda does acknowledge offscreen that he also has to talk to Towa about everything that happened, though Towa had ignored all the notifications on his phone, which spurred Fujieda to pay him a visit, allowing him to avert Towa's suicide attempt in time.

* SugarAndIcePersonality: When he's first introduced, he comes across as unfeeling and the kind of person who cares only about his job and nothing else. Once his layers unravel, he starts to show a warmer and humane side to the people around him, ''especially'' Towa, who he also allows himself to be a bit more vulnerable towards.

* TheUnapologetic: Fujieda makes it clear to Towa that he doesn't plan to apologize for raping the latter, though this is isn't due to lack of regrets and is more of him knowing that he has no excuses for what he had done. However, he does give an apology later on by admitting that Towa was no more than a victim of Maya's abuse, and just because he's her son doesn't mean he should be held culpable for her crimes.

The protagonist of ''Slow Damage'', and is known in-game as the EccentricArtist ''euphoria''. For more information, refer to his [[Characters/SlowDamageTowa character page]].

The first love interest introduced in ''Slow Damage''. Also nicknamed "Taku", he's a doctor working in District E of Shinkoumi. For more information, refer to his [[Characters/SlowDamageTakumaMurase character page]].

The protagonist of ''Slow Damage''. For more information, refer to his [[Characters/SlowDamageTowa character page]].

The first love interest introduced in ''Slow Damage''. For more information, refer to his [[Characters/SlowDamageTakumaMurase character page]].

[- '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/SlowDamageTowa Towa]], [[Characters/SlowDamageTakumaMurase Takuma Murase]]) | [[Characters/SlowDamageSupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]] ([[Characters/SlowDamageTheTakasatoGumi The Takasato-gumi]])]]-]]]

[- '''Main Characters''' ([[Characters/SlowDamageTowa Towa]]) | [[Characters/SlowDamageSupportingCharacters Supporting Characters]] ([[Characters/SlowDamageTheTakasatoGumi The Takasato-gumi]])]]-]]]

!!!'''Voiced by''': Kanehira Yamamoto [[note]] Credited as Jin Munakata [[/note]]

[[quoteright:190:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_taku_7.png]]

->'''Age''': 46\\
'''Birthday''': September 22\\
'''Height''': 177 cm\\
'''Blood Type''': O

->''"I'm a doctor. I want to save as many lives as I can. But right now, dozens are dying out there while we're standing here. A human life can end so quickly... especially at the hands of another. Looking at it that way, it starts to feel like our deaths are predestined, and no amount of flailing can save us from it."''

Also known as Taku, for short. He is Towa's long-time physician and friend, as well as current boss and guardian (of sorts), and currently works as a doctor who owns the private clinic, Murase Clinic, located in District E in Shinkoumi.

* TheAlcoholic: Formerly, at least. When Taku [[spoiler: fell to his lowest point due to certain personal issues while still in university]], he often hit the bottle and it got to the point that [[spoiler: he attended classes whilst inebriated and out of sorts]].
* AmbiguouslyBi: It's implied that he fooled around on top of [[spoiler: indulging in cigarettes and alcohol when he had an emotional breakdown while still attending medical school]]. He also tells Towa that he has no experience with ''men'', specifically; though if he's the chosen love interest, he ends up having romantic feelings Towa.
* AngerBornOfWorry: While he's not as much of a nag as Rei, verbally speaking, Taku is highly overprotective of Towa, often showing worry for Towa's safety. He also becomes more outspoken about his concerns whenever the situation escalates to Towa getting badly hurt or nearly killed. Towa even recalls one time when Taku got ''infuriated'' upon seeing Towa halfway to death's door after a meeting with a potential art model went wrong.
* TheAtoner:
** It's all but explicitly stated that Taku is highly protective of Towa not just because of [[spoiler: the trauma of losing a loved one once]], but also out of guilt for [[spoiler: not realizing sooner why and how Towa would always get hurt as a child until it was too late]].
** At the end of both his and Fujieda's routes, Taku [[spoiler: turns himself in for manufacturing illegal drugs for the Takasato-gumi]].
* BackAlleyDoctor: Played with. Taku is a legitimate doctor with the credentials and skills expected of one, though he also provides medical services for the Takasato-gumi when requested. That being said, this doesn't affect his reputation as the public has already accepted that it's the norm for all hospitals and clinics in Shinkoumi to give aid to the Takasato-gumi if they need it.
* BadLiar: Zigzagged. He can keep a secret well as long as no one suspects him of anything. On the other hand, if the part about him being a SecretKeeper gets exposed, he's immediately backed into a corner and has trouble in either dodging the subject or talking his way out.
* BeneathNotice: In Fujieda's route, Taku unwittingly manages to stay out of [[spoiler:Sakaki's radar even though he's actively trying to keep Towa's past hidden-- something that directly goes against Sakaki's plans]]. Instead, it's [[spoiler:Fujieda who ends up attracting the man's attention and subsequent ire]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes:
** He's a trustworthy doctor who always looks out for the people he cares about. At the same time, [[spoiler:his fears and insecurities have made way for an inner darkness that comes to the surface when he's provoked and frightened enough]].
** As a doctor, Taku is supposed to save lives, not take them. However, [[spoiler:he implicitly makes it clear to Toono in the climax of his route that the only reason the other man doesn't have a bullet in his skull is because Taku is tired of playing his games. In any other situation, Taku wouldn't have had any second thoughts about shooting Toono dead]].
* BigEater: While not as pronounced as Rei's case, Towa observes that Taku has quite the appetite as he can still make room in his stomach for someone else's meal after finishing his own.
* BrainyBrunette: Taku's hair color is more accurately a combination of dark red and brown, but he still qualifies for the trope. The extras reveal that he got a high score on the university entrance examinations, and Toono confirms that Taku was always at the top of his class even back in high school. While Taku confesses to having repeated a year, [[spoiler:this is revealed to be a setback brought about by a personal tragedy affecting his behavior and consequently, his studies]]. This aside, Taku still managed to earn his degree and in time, his doctor's license as well. It's also noteworthy that most doctors specialize in one or two medical fields at most, but Taku specializes in ''four''. Not to mention, prior to completing medical school, Taku had managed to earn a master's degree in pharmaceutical science.
* ChickMagnet: Taku has quite the number of female admirers, and in his drama CD, one of his patients even attempts to set him up with another woman, unaware that Taku is already taken by then.
* ChildhoodFriends: [[IntergenerationalFriendship Putting aside their age gap]], he and Towa have known each other ever since the latter was still a child; hence the trope still counts.

** Orange is normally associated with warmth and calmness, both of which match Taku's character, since he's a reliable figure who helps watch over Towa and is someone the public looks up to due to his reputation as a compassionate and friendly doctor. The aspect of warmth takes on a deeper meaning in Taku's route, where Towa reflects on how Taku has always been a reassuring presence in his life even though he took it for granted for the longest time.
** Orange also symbolizes action and aggression-- the former of which is ironic, as one of Taku's greatest struggles is his inability to resolve himself to act when most needed. As for the latter aspect, Taku [[spoiler: harbors a dark side that makes him willing to resort to extreme measures when faced with the fear of losing a loved one yet again]].
** Last but not least, the color also represents doubt and deceit. If he could have it his way, he would take his own {{Dark Secret}}s to the grave-- an act which sows distrust between him and his friends. And even though [[spoiler: he means well with his actions and does what he does with Towa's best interests in mind, the fact remains that he lied to the other man for a long time-- all to protect Towa from the agonizing truth of his past]].
* CoolOldGuy: Zigzagged. His EstablishingCharacterMoment makes it obvious he's grounded, hard-working, practical, affable and also the kind of person who unconditionally looks out for his friends, workmates and patients. [[spoiler: Though his route eventually reveals that not everything is what it seems. While what the player knows about Taku's personality since his introduction ''is'' genuine, it also turns out that Taku isn't as stable as he seems, as both his past and his history with the Takasato-gumi has worn him out both mentally and emotionally.]]
* CoveredWithScars: In his Madness ending, [[spoiler:his back becomes marred with countless wounds from whenever Towa would claw and scratch at him during sex]].
* CowardlyLion: Played with. Taku is not necessarily someone who would be considered as easy to scare, but one of his worst flaws is his tendency to hesitate and vacillate, even when his own life is in danger. It also doesn't help that unlike Towa's other love interests, Taku never trained himself in self-defense. But if someone puts Towa in mortal danger, Taku won't think twice about standing up to them, even when knowing that he can't win. This trope is best exemplified in the final route, where [[spoiler: despite being badly beaten by Madarame, Taku is all too ready to lunge at the man and attack him when Madarame's actions send Towa into a state of mental distress]].
* CrazyJealousGuy: After falling in love with Towa in his route, Taku later admits with gritted teeth that he cannot stand the thought of Towa with anyone else, even expressing that [[IfICantHaveYou he's willing to kill Towa to make sure of that]]. Though he never really goes through with the threat, and the admission even amuses Towa, who comments that he would never expect someone like Taku to say such a thing.
* CreepyShadowedUndereyes: In his Madness ending, his eyes are described to have become hollow and sunken, which reflects the deterioration of his emotional and mental state after he chooses to give up on his morals.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:His mother became a drug addict after his father abandoned them. When they fell into poverty, Taku worked tirelessly to pay for his mother's hospitalization bills. Toono lent him a helping hand and paid his way through medical school, although his mother then got discharged and died in the streets when he wasn't paying attention, to which Taku became a delinquent for some time in his grief before getting his act together later on and becoming a doctor. However, as he had already incurred a huge debt to Toono by then, Taku is soon forced to manufacture illegal drugs for the other man, with his life on the line]].
* DeadlyDoctor: Taku becomes one in his Madness ending, as he decides to throw aside his goal of helping others and to [[spoiler:focus only on protecting Towa, albeit in a ''very'' twisted way. With this decision, he completes making the psychedelics that Toono requested; but even after that, it's implied that Taku is still making and distributing said drugs as he often administers it to Towa and mentions how the one he just gave him is more potent than the last]].
* DeadpanSnarker: Taku can make a quippy remark every once in a while, usually out of exasperation towards Towa's behavior and antics.
* DisappearedDad: Taku's parents divorced when he was still in high school. Based on what he tells Towa in his route, it can be easily inferred that Taku and his father never got in touch even once after that.
* DissonantSerenity: In Taku's more menacing moments, he becomes eerily calm and doesn't raise his voice even when he's saying unsettling things or [[spoiler: is outright attacking someone]]. In his Madness ending, [[spoiler: he never once loses his cool or show strong shifts of emotion, being completely at ease even as he discards his morality and embraces his inner demons]].
* DoctorsDisgracefulDemotion: After [[spoiler: Taku is tried and convicted for his association with Toono, both he and Towa expect that he may never be able to resume his job as a doctor again]]. However, the ''After Story'' drama CD subverts this; [[spoiler: in spite of what happened, the public is still looking forward to having him reopen his clinic. Taku is then left ruminating for a while on whether he really should go through with it given all the crimes he had committed, even though said crimes were done under duress. But in the end, he decides to officially reopen the clinic.]]
* DoesNotLikeSpam: Besides the fact that he's not a fan of most sweet stuff, Taku also doesn't like the taste of fresh cream.
* TheDutifulSon: Taku made sure to study hard all while working part-time jobs in between to both provide for him and his mother and to be able to get into medical school some day. But he does admit to Towa that he also uses his studies as a distraction to not have to deal with taking care of his mother all the time.
* EasilyForgiven:
** In Taku's route, Towa learns that Taku [[spoiler:implanted a webtag in him to keep better watch of him]], something that Taku later confesses to doing... and believes that he doesn't deserve to be forgiven for. But when Towa presses the older man for an honest answer, Taku relents and says that he does want to be forgiven, which Towa does after punching him in the face once.
** Averted with a vengeance in Fujieda's route when Towa finds out that Taku [[spoiler:is actively trying to keep Towa's past hidden from the latter to the point of burning the packages that contain clues about Towa's childhood]]. Towa lets Taku know how pissed he is about it, and after that, [[SilentTreatment Towa avoids talking to Taku whenever he can for a long while]]. [[spoiler:But once he finds out that Taku has some problems he can't just confide in anyone about and realizes why Taku was determined to not let Towa recover his childhood memories, he grows to understand Taku's actions and they eventually reconcile.]]
* {{Expy}}: One could notice some resemblances between Taku and [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi Motomi]] upon first glance.
** They're both the oldest of the main cast, they're men of science and medicine, and they easily come across as the most put-together love interest, what with being the reliable and friendly older figure. They're also [[spoiler: haunted by the death of at least one family member]], and they even have a CG where they are pointing a handgun at someone.
** However, that's where the similarities end. The CoolOldGuy archetype [[spoiler: really does apply for Motomi, even with his inner conflict regarding Nicole Premier. On the other hand, Taku's case is a lot more complicated, and he's more emotionally vulnerable than anyone would assume him to be]]. He's also the first mature-aged love interest who's [[spoiler: the resident {{Yandere}} of the main cast]]. By contrast, the role would always go to the youthful and naïve character in the previous games.
* FieryRedhead: Subverted. Taku is, for the most part, levelheaded and rational. While he does have his moments where he loses control of his emotions, he's not temperamental and outspoken by default.
* FirstGuyWins: Taku is the first love interest introduced in the story. Likewise, he's also the one who Towa has known since the latter's childhood. Therefore, this trope applies if he is the one Towa ends up with.
* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Towa has been Taku's patient/charge for the longest time since he's the one who would always patch up Towa's wounds and also prescribes his medicine. In his route, his concern and worry for Towa starts to make way for certain other feelings that he had not felt for Towa before.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Sakaki. Both personally knew Maya and both treat Towa as if he was their own son. Toono also hints early on that [[spoiler:both of them are keeping Towa's past a secret from the younger man]]. However, they have completely different reasons for doing so. Taku [[spoiler:keeps quiet about the truth as he wishes to protect Towa from suffering a complete breakdown and doesn't want him to be chained down by the horrors of his past]]. On the other hand, Sakaki's reasons [[spoiler:are more sinister: he ''wants'' Towa to recover his memories, but he will only do so under certain circumstances that would successfully groom Towa into becoming a second Maya]]. Their motives, in turn, show how [[spoiler:they truly regard Towa. Whether he's the chosen love interest or not, Taku always shows genuine concern for Towa's well-being, and while he does commit several questionable actions, they're done with good intentions. Meanwhile, Sakaki seems to have nothing but altruistic intentions in watching out for Towa; however, he only sees the younger man as a vessel of sorts for Maya and it's strongly implied that deep down, he resents Towa for killing her]].
** In contrast to Towa, Rei and Fujieda, Taku is the only member of the main cast who [[spoiler:had something close to a positive relationship with the parent he lived with, in spite of his mother's complicated history with her drug addiction]]. Most of Taku's issues even stem from what he feels are [[spoiler:his failures in doing more ''for'' her, in contrast to how the other three's respective problems originate from what their parents did ''to'' them]].
* ForcedIntoEvil: [[spoiler:Taku's status as a debtor has him commit plenty of shady deeds for the Takasato-gumi, and this is before Toono invokes the large debt that Taku owes him to browbeat him into making deadly hallucinogens.]]
* FormerTeenRebel: Asakura tells Towa that when Taku was still in medical school, he acted out and would often skip classes, drink, smoke, and possibly even do drugs, none of which one can imagine when looking at Taku now. [[spoiler:This is no lie, and is revealed to be the result of him struggling with his grief after his mother's untimely death]].
* FriendToAllChildren: He's mentioned to get along with patients of all ages, and in Asakura's story, Taku often expresses worry about Hayato, the child that Asakura is looking after.
* {{Gaslighting}}: A morally-conflicting example; in Madarame's route, [[spoiler:Taku confesses to Towa that he's been giving Towa false memories of his past in an attempt to shield him from any further trauma were he to remember what his childhood was really like]].
* GrewASpine: The core of Taku's CharacterDevelopment has him realizing that he's only causing more problems for both him and everyone around him by vacillating and remaining unsure of himself. In his good ending, Taku gets over this issue enough to [[spoiler: finally settle his conflict with Toono]], but it takes until the ''After Story'' drama CD for him to fully overcome his flaw after some further prodding from Towa.
* GutturalGrowler: Downplayed. Taku normally speaks in a rough and husky voice, though he starts to sound much lower and raspier when he gets ''furious'' or when his more sinister side manifests.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: Subverted. Taku doesn't know ''everything'' about [[spoiler: Maya and her business the same way Hasegawa did]]. But the simple fact that he knows about it and, by extension, Mei, [[spoiler: should have allowed Sakaki to use that as leverage against Taku (when putting aside the man's already-large debt to the Takasato-gumi)]]. However, it's implied that Taku managed to find out what he knew without [[spoiler: Sakaki ever catching wind of it, allowing Taku's problems with the organization to be restricted solely to his debt to Toono]].
* HiddenDepths: It's mentioned in the artbook that Taku plays billiards as a hobby.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: The ''After Story'' drama CD shows that even after [[spoiler:he had already atoned for his crimes by serving time in prison]], Taku still has yet to get over his insecurities and his indecisiveness. However, when he's forced by Towa to confront himself over what he truly wants, he makes his resolve, and for good this time.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Downplayed. While he's wary towards the Takasato-gumi as a whole and would prefer to not get involved with them as much as possible, the amount of mistrust Taku has towards Sakaki is nothing compared to that towards Toono. [[spoiler: While Sakaki ''doesn't'' bother either Taku or Towa in his route, what's revealed about him in Fujieda's route shows that Taku should have suspected the man at least a bit more; though this is mostly because while Taku knows the general details about what Towa had gone through thanks to his mother, he didn't know enough ''specific'' details to give him an inkling that Sakaki was also involved in Maya's business as well.]]
* HospitalHottie: He is a doctor and a good-looking one at that, even when he's already nearing his fifties. He's also well-regarded by patients of all ages and genders for his friendly personality.
* IfICantHaveYou: When Taku admits to Towa that he's fallen for him, he also confesses that he'd rather kill Towa than give him the chance to sleep with anyone else. Towa even lampshades the trope when he remarks that he didn't expect Taku to be the possessive type.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: Taku has no experience with men whatsoever, which he points out to Towa. Although if he's the chosen love interest, Towa is the only man he makes an exception for.
* ImportantHaircut: He cuts his hair into a buzzcut in his good ending. This gives him a more mature look, showing how he's grown as a person and how everything that happened until then weathered him for both the worse and the better.
* InsecureLoveInterest: One of Taku's biggest flaws is that he almost always has second thoughts. Even though he resolves to look after Towa and keep him safe, he always hesitates in how he should go about it and wavers whenever he wonders if he's doing the right thing or not. In the ''After Story'' drama CD, Taku proves that he hasn't yet completely overcome said weakness, as he's still left with doubts about whether [[spoiler:he should resume his job as a doctor and if he's still worthy of being Towa's partner after everything that had happened]].
* InSeriesNickname: Both Towa and Rei call him "Taku", which is a shortened version of his full name, Takuma. Even the narration makes use of his nickname instead of his full name.
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:He believes that his mother died because he wasn't there for her.]] This is also the reason for his overprotective tendencies towards Towa, as he always fears what could happen to Towa if he's not there to look after him.
* LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine: Taku ''is'' a doctor, after all, so it's only a given that he wears a lab coat most of the time; though he does away with the lab coat whenever he's off-duty.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Some dialogue from his route hints that while Taku has been assigned as Towa's doctor since the latter's childhood, he had no idea about [[spoiler: what was really going with his charge and why Towa would always get wounded or sick. One offhand remark hints that he did harbor some suspicions, but it didn't take until after the accident that resulted in Maya's death and Towa's subsequent amnesia for Taku to finally know (some of) the gory details]].
--> '''Taku''': [[spoiler:When you were a kid, you were always getting hurt. And your immune system wasn't great, so you had a fever half the time. [...] So back then, I had to wonder if you had some family problems.]] There was a lot that happened after that, and... Well, you don't seem to remember any of it, but...
--> '''Towa''': Was it really that terrible?
--> '''Taku''': ''(grimly)'' [[{{Understatement}} Well... it was.]]
* LovedByAll: Taku is well-liked by all of his patients. Even after [[spoiler: the events of his route, where he's imprisoned after his connection to the Takasato-gumi is revealed]], his reputation among his patients remains untarnished [[spoiler: and they still look forward to him reopening his clinic]], which is the opposite of what both Towa and Taku had expected.
* LoveFatherLoveSon: According to Toono, [[spoiler: Taku was in love with Maya, but decided to settle for Towa because he's all that's left of her. However, Taku]] [[SubvertedTrope denies this and says that he had no feelings for her whatsoever]].
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: In his Madness ending, Taku is overcome with despair over the fear that if he keeps worrying about how everyone around him will get hurt, then Towa will never be safe. Therefore, [[spoiler:he decides to give up on his goal on saving lives and focus on protecting ''only'' Towa and ensuring that no one else will ever be able to harm him. This means isolating Towa from the outside world, which he now allows to be turned into a den of drug addicts and even aids Toono in doing so.]]
* TheMedic: He works as a doctor and has his own clinic called Murase Clinic.
* MenCantKeepHouse: Towa, Rei and Arimura observe that Taku's desk is always a bit of a mess, and Rei lampshades that Taku can't seem to keep his own things organized despite diligently cleaning up Towa's studio on a set schedule. When Towa gets to visit Taku's apartment for the first time, he notices some cluttered books and messy dishes. [[spoiler: This serves as a reflection of Taku's state of mind: he's far better at fixing other's messes than he does his own.]]
* MirrorCharacter: Although their circumstances aren't exactly the same, Taku's backstory still shares a few similarities with Rei's. Both were abandoned by one of their parents when they were still in their teenage years, and their conflicts are a result of their relationship with the other parent. [[spoiler: However, Taku deeply cared for his mother and felt guilty that he failed to protect her and prevent her death, whereas Rei is completely at odds with his father, who disapproved of his sexuality, and the two kept their distance for years.]]
* MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Not by his choice, but [[spoiler: due to his debt with the Takasato-gumi, Taku is tasked not only with treating their injured, but also with falsifying medical documents and implanting webtags in other debtors. It gets worse when Toono starts forcing him to manufacture illegal drugs and have them tested on unfortunate victims.]]
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: In his route, [[spoiler: while patching up Towa's wounds from the latter's "session" with Asakura]], Taku is overcome with the fear of [[spoiler: not being able to save Towa the next time he gets into another life-threatening situation]], causing him to [[spoiler: impulsively place a webtag inside Towa while stitching up his wounds]]. He's immediately horrified with himself once it's done, however. When he tells Towa about it, he doesn't hesitate to admit that regardless of his fears, there's no excuses for what he did and that he shouldn't be forgiven for his actions.
* MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler: His mother's death]] has haunted him for a long time, as he believed that had he [[spoiler: looked after her more closely, she would have still been alive]].
* MysteriousPast: Downplayed. Unlike with Rei and Fujieda's parents, it's never really explained exactly ''why'' Taku's parents divorced. All the player knows is what happened ''after'' that.
* NonActionGuy: Taku is the only one among the main cast who's not much of a fighter. But even then, he won't hesitate to get physical if push comes to shove.
* OfficeRomance: Besides the fact that he's been Towa's physician as well as (unofficial) guardian for years, yet another personal boundary is broken should he become Towa's love interest, given that he's also Towa's superior during work hours at the clinic.
* OlderThanHeLooks: Taku is already in his late forties, though it would be easy for anyone who didn't know any better to assume that he's only in his thirties. This is even lampshaded during an Interrogation, where Towa comments that Taku doesn't look his age.
* OnlySaneMan: Taku is assigned this role in Rei's route, especially after the events with [[spoiler: Mizuno/Kirihara]]. He serves as the mediator in case a situation is about to blow up, gives Rei advice on the rare occasion that he can, and is the one who urges Towa to check on Rei and see how he's doing.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Rei starts to suspect that something is seriously wrong with Taku when he catches the latter snapping at a patient out of the blue, since Taku isn't known for having poor bedside manners.
** When Taku has to [[spoiler: help relieve Towa's drug-induced libido]], he's so frazzled by what just happened that he asks Towa for a cigarette afterwards, only to remember that he had already kicked the habit when Towa reminds him about it.
* PapaWolf: Even in the routes where Taku isn't the selected love interest, Taku never fails to express his concern for Towa. Besides the events of his own route, [[spoiler: another good example of his protective side is in Fujieda's route, where even though he's already horribly bruised and beaten, he still has the energy to show his fiercer side when Madarame threatens Towa]].
* ParentalSubstitute: While Taku never explicitly states that he sees Towa as a son or anything of the sort, their relationship is still quasi-familial in nature, especially since he knew Towa since he was a child and helped watch over him after Towa's mother died. But if Taku is the chosen love interest, their relationship goes beyond platonic, which leaves Taku conflicted for some time.
* PermaStubble: One of Taku's defining features is the stubble on his face. Instead of making him seem like a disheveled mess, however, it only adds to his "rugged but handsome" appeal that makes him popular with the ladies.
* PiningAfterProtagonistsParent: Toono claims that Taku [[spoiler: held a candle for Maya]]-- a claim that Taku fiercely denies, though he's unable to say any more on the matter. [[spoiler:While he's telling the truth ane really doesn't have feelings for Maya, he ''does'' have feelings for Towa.]] After they sort out their feelings, Towa asks Taku if he really had feelings for her, but Taku denies it again, only saying that he used to admire her ''at most'' and he couldn't deny that she was beautiful, but besides that, he harbored no affections for her.
* ProperlyParanoid:
** Even though he tends to get overprotective about it, Taku has good reason to warn Towa to not go out at night, especially with the Takasato-gumi tailing him all around town. [[spoiler: When Towa refuses to listen to him, he ends up getting restrained and drugged by Toono as a threat to Taku.]]
** Though both Towa and Eiji are surprised that [[spoiler:Taku would do something as extreme as put a webtag in Towa to keep track of his activities]], Eiji surmises that Taku did it so that [[spoiler:he'd know where to go in case Towa suddenly disappears or gets in danger]]-- which Taku also confirms later on, albeit he's not proud of what he did. Either way, it does help them both on one occasion where [[spoiler:Taku manages to arrive just in time to save Towa from a fatal gunshot from Toono, even though both of them ended up getting held hostage afterwards]].
** Taku believes that [[spoiler:Towa is better off not knowing the truth about his past because he fears that Towa will not be able to handle it well]], something that he knows is still putting it mildly. His worries do not come without reason, [[spoiler:since Towa indeed suffers a massive FreakOut and subsequently breaks down after he remembers everything and would have killed himself if it weren't for Fujieda]]. Although Taku later admits that regardless of his intentions, [[spoiler:it was wrong of him to keep Towa's past a secret]].
** Zigzagged in one case. When Fujieda finds another person, a nurse from Shinkoumi Hospital, who may [[spoiler:give them more information about Maya]], Taku is visibly reluctant to get in touch with said nurse, given what happened to [[spoiler: Hasegawa after she told the main cast everything she knew about Maya and Euphoria]]. Even Fujieda acknowledges that Taku's concern is understandable, but after a moment, Taku concedes and agrees to approaching the nurse anyway]]. Thankfully, [[spoiler: the nurse didn't know anything too damning that would get her in any sort of trouble with the Takasato-gumi]], but Taku still sternly advises Fujieda to keep quiet about the exchange so as to not risk her getting in danger.
* RealMenHateSugar: According to the character book, Taku dislikes candy and most other sweets, although he likes the honey toast served at Yanagawa Café, and isn't opposed to enjoying some traditional Japanese desserts such as ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazake amazake]]'' and mochi.
* RealMenWearPink: Downplayed. He's very good at housework as he's the one who takes care of Towa's laundry and even regularly cleans Towa's studio, and he can cook his own meals if need be. Those aside, however, there's nothing relatively feminine about the way he talks, dresses or acts, in contrast to Rei.
* RecoveredAddict: Taku used to smoke but had quit for some time, and is so accustomed to Towa smoking around him that he is no longer tempted to pick up the habit of taking a drag himself.
* RichesToRags: In his route, Taku mentions that he and his mother encountered several money troubles after his parents divorced, and Toono confirmed that prior to said divorce, Taku was fairly well-off. And while Taku seems to be more or less financially stable at present, [[spoiler: he actually owes a huge amount of money to the Takasato-gumi]].
* SecretKeeper: It's revealed in his, Madarame and Fujieda's routes that Taku knows a lot more about [[spoiler:the grimmer details of Towa's past]] than initially assumed, but he makes sure to never give even a hint to [[spoiler:Towa about anything involving what his childhood was really like]]. However, Taku has sympathetic reasons for keeping [[spoiler:Towa's past]] in the dark, given just [[spoiler:how much trauma Towa had suffered because of his mother]].
* ShipperOnDeck: Implied in Rei's route. [[spoiler: Some time after Rei's final Moneymatch, Taku leaves Towa and Rei alone in the medical ward, remarking in a playful tone that they have much to talk about-- hinting that Taku had taken notice of their RelationshipUpgrade and is implicitly showing his support.]]
* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Taku has dark reddish-brown hair and hazel green eyes, and is one of the main characters of ''Slow Damage''.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:By seeing to it that Towa doesn't remember what his past was really like]], Taku ended up impeding [[spoiler:Maya's plans for her son for ''years'', even though he never realizes it. And if Fujieda's route isn't taken, Taku's interference eventually culminates in her plans ultimately going nowhere]].
* StalkerWithACrush: Played with. [[spoiler: After Towa's "euphoric session" with Asakura, Taku puts a webtag in Towa to keep track of his whereabouts just in case he gets thrown into danger again.]] That being said, the act was done out of fear and paranoia, not of obsession.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: A realistic example. He's not physically frail by any means, but unlike Rei, Madarame or even Fujieda, Taku isn't inclined to combat. But near the climax of his route, in spite of [[spoiler:a bad gunshot injury on his chest]], Towa finds himself surprised at how much strength Taku shows when [[spoiler:the older man pins him down in an attempt to kill him]].
* SuperDoc: A realistic example; Taku has a doctor's license, specializes in four different medical fields (internal medicine, surgery, gastroenterology and dermatology), and also has a masters' degree in pharmaceutical science. All of these is what allows him to be more than qualified as Towa's sole physician in spite of the latter's many ailments, which would normally get him recommended to multiple doctors.
* TeamDad: He tries to keep Towa's behavior in check, helps in cleaning the latter's room as well as doing his laundry, is very overprotective and caring, and disapproves of Towa's more questionable hobbies.
* ThrowTheDogABone: In his good ending, he is [[spoiler: inevitably put on trial due to his involvement with Toono. However, he's let out on bail prior to his formal sentencing due to his full cooperation with the authorities, and when he is eventually imprisoned, he's only sentenced to two years and is even let out a year early due to good behavior]]. He gets a similar outcome in Fujieda's good ending.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: The artbook reveals that Taku likes horsemeat sushi and boiled food.
* TragicDropout: Almost. While Taku managed to graduate and earn his doctor's license, [[spoiler: his mother's death took a huge toll on his emotional well-being, causing him to act out in all kinds of ways when he was still studying in university. This resulted in him having to repeat one year in medical school]].
* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Gender-inverted. Among the main cast, Taku takes the cake when it comes to the trope. He's already protective of Towa by default, often worrying about the latter's health and telling the younger man to watch himself. But in certain circumstances and with specific provocations, said protectiveness can make Taku resort to unsettling extremes to ensure Towa's safety, [[spoiler: as shown best in his Madness ending]].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Taku is willing to cross a line or two to prevent [[spoiler: Towa from recovering his memories]], such as [[spoiler: burning any mail that contains relics of Towa's past]]. Towa is ''not'' happy when he finds out about this, but after [[spoiler:he unveils enough truths about his childhood and learns that Taku is struggling with secrets of his own]], Towa begins to understand that even if what Taku did wasn't right, he genuinely did what he thought was in Towa's best interests.
* {{Yandere}}:
** Between all of Towa's love interests, Taku is the only one who openly shows a jealous streak that sometimes manifests in disturbing ways if he gets distressed enough. In his route, there's an unnerving moment where he mutters to himself about keeping Towa somewhere where no one else can get to him, and later on, [[spoiler:he attacks Towa with a scalpel in a misguided attempt to spare Towa from any further torment Toono may inflict on him]]. In his Madness ending, [[spoiler:the trope is taken to its logical conclusion when Taku confines Towa in a basement and keeps him locked up out of the belief that it's the only way Towa will ever be safe]].
---> '''Taku''': I'll never let anyone kill you... I'll never let anyone take you away. I won't let them take you from me... Never...
** It's also notable is that Taku is the only Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] love interest so far to be this trope by default, since the love interests from the previous games who also qualify only become murderously possessive under very special circumstances: either [[spoiler: they're [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi under the influence of a]] PsychoSerum, they're highly [[VisualNovel/SweetPool sensitive to a supernatural pheromone that's clouding their rationale]], or they [[VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder had their minds either reprogrammed or corrupted by a virus]] in their bad endings]]. By contrast, Taku [[IfICantHaveYou makes a murderous confession to Towa]] ''after'' the player has netted his good ending.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rei Izumi]]
!!!'''Voiced by''': "Ichirou Tanaka"

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_rei_9.png]]
\\

->'''Age''': 25\\
'''Birthday''': April 27\\
'''Height''': 179 cm\\
'''Blood Type''': A
\\

->''"At the time, I figured it was no big deal. I thought I could accept that I just wasn't manly enough. But... apparently I was wrong about that, deep down inside. The sound of colliding bones, the sensation of punching into flesh... It was all so thrilling, I thought I was already going crazy, but I couldn't stop."''
\\

One of Towa's few friends, he works as a bartender at Roost and he mostly spends his nights in the bar with his friends. He is also a part-timer at Murase Clinic. Aside from those jobs, he also participates in Deathmatches and has gained a reputation as one of its stronger contestants.
----
* AgentPeacock: Rei is a RoseHairedSweetie and a youthful PrettyBoy who is InTouchWithHisFeminineSide. He also happens to be capable of completely trouncing someone's ass if he has to.
* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Downplayed. In his route, Rei reveals that [[spoiler: he has had a crush on Towa ever since he first saw him in middle school]]. That being said, [[spoiler: his crush will only blossom into a genuine affection if his route is taken]]. Otherwise, nothing comes out of it and is implied to eventually fizzle out [[spoiler: as long as Rei isn't the chosen love interest. Case in point, Rei playfully suggests to Towa that Ikuina has a crush on him in the common route, and even openly acts as a ShipperOnDeck for Towa and Fujieda in the latter's route]].
* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: Rei is introduced early on as an effeminate man, [[spoiler: though it later turns out to be more complicated than that. When he was younger, he was bullied for being "girly" due to his androgynous looks; but at the same time, his mother would ''dote'' on him for the exact same thing. Then when he came out as gay to his father, his father told him that a man who likes another man really isn't a man at all. All of this made Rei wonder if he was a woman born in a man's body, which caused him to take on feminine mannerisms to adapt to that idea. But in the climax of his route, he resolves that he's a man through and through, and his true desires]] do not necessarily define his gender identity.
* AngerBornOfWorry:
** He frets often about Towa due to the latter's neglect for either his own well-being and often badgers Towa about doing less of smoking and drinking and more of eating.
** In Taku's route, Rei often shows frustration about how Taku seems to be taking things too hard on himself. On one occasion, he even yells at Taku for uncharacteristically losing his cool towards a patient, and outright tells Towa that he's only mad at Taku because he's concerned for him.
* AppearanceAngst: Rei's inner conflict centers around [[spoiler: whether he's more of a man or a woman]]. This is also the reason he got into body modification: so that he can help others change their bodies to a form that they're most comfortable with. [[spoiler: Yet interestingly, he never does any modifications on himself, which reflects the conflict he has over his own body.]]
* BabyOfTheBunch: Downplayed, since everyone in the main cast is already a full-fledged adult. Nonetheless, Rei is the youngest, being 25 and thus one year younger than Towa.
* BerserkButton: The very topic of bullying quickly angers and upsets Rei, especially since [[spoiler: he personally experienced what it was like to be bullied when he was a child]].
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He's very tolerant and a NiceGuy to almost everyone he meets. He's also a regular participant in Deathmatches, where he's one of the top fighters.
* BigEater: Besides being a huge SweetTooth, Rei always feels a strong craving for red meat after fighting in Deathmatches.
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: [[spoiler: In spite of the fact that he's an UnexpectedVirgin]], the writers confirmed in a livestream that Rei is the most well-endowed of Towa's love interests, which is notable as the other three aren't lacking either where size is concerned.
* BloodKnight: Rei becomes more fired up than ever during a Deathmatch, and he admits that he loves the feeling of his fist breaking his opponent's bones. [[spoiler:However, while Rei loves to fight, he draws the line at ''killing'' someone. This causes him to feel conflicted about himself whenever he participates in a Moneymatch, since he can't help but feel excited during the fight and yet would still feel horrible afterwards for the fate that awaits his defeated opponent.]]
* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Kicking other people's asses is one of Rei's main hobbies. That aside, however, the aspects of his personality that stand out the most are his friendly nature, how he always expresses concern for his friends to the point of nagging them if he feels it to be necessary and his eagerness to help those in need whether he personally knows them or not.
* ButNotTooForeign: Rei is half-English (courtesy of his mother) and half-Japanese (courtesy of his father).
* CharacterTics: Rei has a bad habit of biting down on his nails whenever he gets stressed.
* ColorMotif:

[[folder:Takuma "Taku" Murase]]

Towa's long-time physician and friend, as well as current boss and guardian (of sorts), Taku currently works as a doctor who owns the private clinic, Murase Clinic, located in District E in Shinkoumi.

* CowardlyLion: Played with. Taku is not necessarily someone who would be considered as easy to scare, but one of his worst flaws is his tendency to hesitate and vacillate, even when his own life is in danger. It also doesn't help that unlike Towa's other love interests, Taku never trained himself in basic combat. But if someone puts Towa in mortal danger, Taku won't think twice about standing up to them, even when knowing that he's standing up to someone he can't win against. This trope is best exemplified in the final route, where [[spoiler: despite being badly beaten by Madarame, Taku is all too ready to lunge at the man when his actions send Towa into a state of mental distress]].

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Averted, or at least as far as Madarame claims when he says that he's not after the Takasato-gumi out of a desire for vengeance. However, [[spoiler: there are small but discernible hints throughout his route that he is nevertheless affected to some degree by Kaga's death, as shown in how he targets mainly Toono (who killed Kaga) and Sakaki (who wanted Toono to kill Kaga to prove his loyalty).]].

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Fujieda has occasionally shown to have a hard time reading the room. For example, even though he and Towa are well aware that Towa is unlikely to react well once he recovers his memories, it doesn't occur to him that Towa may need a moment to recollect himself every time he comes across yet another shocking revelation about his past, which Taku calls him out on.