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Only you can boss me around. I’ll do anything.


Masumi Usui (碓氷真澄, Usui Masumi) is a member of the Spring Troupe and the second actor to join the Mankai Company. He fell in love with Izumi Tachibana at first sight while watching her act in a street performance.[1] Although he is an amateur, he has a good sense of acting and great line memorization ability, but his initial sole motivation was to be praised by Izumi.

Appearance[]

Masumi is a teenage boy with black hair and a bleached under-layer. He has purple eyes and a mole on the left side of his mouth. Clothing-wise, Masumi wears a black leather jacket, a sweater with a camouflage pattern, and a white collared shirt underneath with a pair of black pants and purple high-tops. He is frequently seen with his white headphones hanging around his neck.

Personality[]

He is often described as cold, lazy and rude. He is not afraid to use his sharp tongue against strangers or his fellow actors. Due to his absent parents as well as the lack of discipline. His behavior changes a lot once he interacts with Izumi, the woman he claims to love. With her around, he turns into a lovesick puppy. He flirts and tries to gain her attention. Masumi's impolite remarks turn into compliments and he, in some way, seeks her nonstop approval, something his parents could not give him. Even with constant rejections from Izumi, Masumi remains persistent.

He cares deeply for his fellow actors at Mankai, despite rarely showing it, as they are the closest family he has after his grandmother.

History[]

Act 1[]

Masumi's parents work overseas, leaving him to live alone in Japan. Having no reason to return to an empty home, Masumi spent his time wandering around doing whatever he felt like. One time during his walk through the city, he witnessed a street performance by Izumi and Sakuya Sakuma with the goal to gather more members for the Mankai Company. Watching Izumi's acting caused him to instantly fall in love with her, and he decided to get close to his new crush by being the next addition to the acting troupe.[2]

As Izumi arranged the dorms, she attempted to contact Masumi's parents to get their permission, but was greeted by their voicemail. Masumi explained that his parents were always abroad and never home, and that it was better to send a message to his parents' secretaries instead. Although put off by contacting secretaries instead of Masumi's actual parents, Izumi does so anyway, and Masumi is approved to stay at the dormitory.[3]

During the Romeo and Julius rehearsals, he shined as the best actor among them. However, he was incredibly rude to his fellow troupe mates, and his only real motivation for acting was getting Izumi's praise. He ends up in many arguments due to his sharp tongue, especially with Tsuzuru Minagi.[4]

After Yuzo Kashima gave them a wake-up call during a rehearsal, Izumi gave him an assignment to find an actor he really loved, and try and improve his own acting based off their work.[5]

When the Spring Troupe decided to sleep on the stage, Misumi openly talks to and communes with his fellow troupe-mates, his criticism becomes less biting, and more constructive, building the other actors up instead of tearing them down. The other actors become more responsive to his critiques, too.[6]

While Sakuya was struggling with the sword fight scene, Masumi put in extra hours in the early morning to help him get it down. The two spend long mornings together, and Sakuya was able to perfect the scene come dress rehearsal.

After the Spring Troupe ran their advertisement of TV, Masumi went to Izumi to ask her what she thought of his performance. After Izumi told him that not only she was impressed, but so was Yuzo, he exclaimed that he only cared about what Izumi thought. Izumi told him that he shouldn't be acting for her but for himself. Distraught at her answer, and coming to the conclusion that he would never win Izumi's affection, Masumi ran off, and avoided her until the following evening. Seeing the tension between the two, Tsuzuru pushed Masumi and Izumi out to go buy eggs, in attempt to get the two to talk it out. On the road, they run into two of Masumi's female classmates, who insult Izumi and accuse her of being a cougar who only hired Masumi due to his looks. Masumi, out of sudden anger, attempts to hit her, but Izumi jumps in between and is hit instead. Izumi quickly defuses the situation before things get too out of hand while Masumi is ashamed of his actions. The girls are sent on their way, and Izumi and Masumi return to their dorms.

At the dorms, Izumi steps out to give a chance for the rest of Spring Troupe to talk to Masumi without her hindering the process. Masumi confesses that he feels like Izumi will never even like him, especially after he smacked her. The rest of the troupe tell him not to get too worried about it, and that the director doesn't hate him at all- Masumi simply just interpreted her words the wrong way the previous night. Masumi rushes up to Izumi's room to finally talk to her, Sakuya encouraging him as he enters. Masumi apologizes for hitting and ignoring her, and Izumi tells him she's not mad at all. Confused, Masumi lets Izumi keep talking, and she tells him that all she wants is for him to find his own motivation and love for acting outside of her. Izumi asks him about what actor he decided to study, and Masumi declares that it was her. Touched at this notion, Izumi thanks him for finally finding a performance he loves. Masumi nearly climbs on top of her in an attempt to kiss her, only stopped by Sakuya barging in and preventing anything from happening. Frustrated, Masumi finally calls Sakuya by his first name, much to the latter's content, and the former's pouting. He does genuinely care for Sakuya, and Izumi notes how he's finally opened up.

Year 1 Events[]

Alex In Wonderland[]

Sparkling Summer Memories[]

Masumi joins the other actors into entering the acting competition for the Summer Festival, in order to win the best area for viewing the fireworks, so that he may watch them romantically with Izumi. He practices for the competition with Tsumugi Tsukioka, declaring to him his resolve for winning those firework seats.

At the day of the festival, Masumi notes on how the atmosphere feels familiar, but doesn't elaborate when Tsumugi tries to press him on the subject. During the finals of the competition, when they realize that Haruto Asuka gave them the wrong prompt card on purpose, Masumi nearly loses all hope. Tsumugi helps him, telling him not to let his emotions get the best of him, and that they can still win this. The rest of the group gives him encouragement as well, and Masumi steels his resolve.

On stage, Masumi freezes up, but Tsumugi saves the preformance by saying that Masumi passed out while standing up. The group ends up winning the competition, and they make their way over to the fireworks watching spot.

Taichi Nanao wants to go get food, and the group splits themselves up via a game of rock-paper-scissors, forcing Masumi and Tsumugi to stay at the spot while Izumi and the rest of the guys go and get food.

Masumi is distraught, and Tsumugi tries to comfort him. Masumi exclaims that Tsumugi lost on purpose, which Tsumugi admits too. He thought that the younger actors should have the most fun, so he lost on purpose as to not cheat any of them out. Masumi states that Tsumugi reminds him of his own grandmother, as she was also very calm. He recalls a childhood memory where his grandmother took him to a summer festival just like this one, and Tsumugi says that he's honored that Masumi views him in such a light. Masumi thanks Tsumugi from saving him from his flub, but the fireworks goes off right as he says so. Tsumugi, deafened by the fireworks, asks Masumi what he said, but Masumi declines to further elaborate.

3 Cheers for Mankai![]

Masumi writes a letter to Izumi in the thank-you book. He reminisces on the first day they met, when he spotted her street act with Sakuya and Isuke Matsukawa on Veludo way. He states how he was captivating by her incredible drive, her determination sparking love in his heart. Izumi was the very first person he ever wanted to get to know better. He reflects on how he originally joined the troupe just for her, but realizes that the company and it's workers have become part of his life- not just Izumi. He's learned to enjoy himself, and he wishes to become a better actor in the future to win Izumi's heart.

Act 2[]

As Spring Troupe finishes up their latest tour, Masumi gets a call from someone, but lets it ring without answering it. The others ask him what it's about, and Masumi says that it's nothing important. His phone continues to ring throughout the following days, and it's not until Masumi's father's secretary shows up at Mankai dorms until it's revealed that the calls are from his father. His mother and father are getting a divorce, and his father, Misaki, has total custody of Masumi. Misaki wants Masumi to come move to him to America, and Misaki's secretary is here to inform him that he has a week to pack up his things before they leave. Masumi has no interest in leaving, however, and wishes to stay at Mankai. He doesn't have a choice in the matter though, as Misaki has full custody of him.

Distraught, Masumi sulks around the dorms as the days countdown, the company desperately trying to find a loophole in Misaki's claim of custody before Masumi is taken away from them forever. Not wanting to cause them anymore stress, Masumi leaves a day early, resigning himself to his fate.

At the airport, Masumi is about to leave with his father, until Mankai company comes barreling in with his grandmother. Masumi just wants to leave as to make the parting hurt less, but Izumi pleads with him. Masumi finally concedes, explaining his love for not just Izumi, but for all of Mankai Company, and how there his family. His father is still stalwart on his decision to bring Masumi with him to America, but Masumi's grandmother, Hatsune, arrives too, trying to convince Misaki to let Masumi stay. Misaki admits that he only wants to bring Masumi to America because he would be very lonely otherwise. Hatsune agrees to go in Masumi's stead, so that he could stay with Mankai, and Misaki wouldn't be lonely. Misaki and Masumi both agree, and Masumi has a tearful reunion with his troupe and the rest of Mankai Company, happy he gets to stay with his true family.

Relationships[]

Masumi can come off as cold since he only directly shows affection towards Izumi, and even rude sometimes, occasionally sparking fights, however, his relationship with the members has deepened as they got to know each other more.

  • Sakuya Sakuma: Masumi's senior at Hanasaki High School, his troupe leader, and his co-lead in Romeo and Julius. He thinks Sakuya is annoying, but he doesn't hate him. Masumi sees Sakuya as a nosy boy that is always around him, yet at the same time doesn't purposely tell him to go away when Sakuya hangs out with him. During reherasals for Romeo and Julius, Masumi helped Sakuya practice the sword fighting scene, even waking up early to make sure the fight was perfect. This implies that Masumi really does care for Sakuya, even if he does not outwardly show it. Sakuya himself says he just can't seem to leave Masumi alone, since he was like the younger brother that he never had.
  • Tsuzuru Minagi: Masumi's fellow troupe-mate and roommate in the Mankai dormitory. They didn't exactly mix well together when they first met, since Masumi was so demanding of others. They got into many fights during the course of The Show Must Go On, and it didn't help that they were roommates. In Episode 1 - The Show Must Go On!/Chapter 11, Tsuzuru didn't want to stay in their room because he didn't want to put up with Masumi's constant and harsh critiques whenever Tsuzuru attempted to practice alone. After Sakuya told him about Masumi's home life that night, Tsuzuru began to sympathize with Masumi, getting a deeper understanding of Masumi's behavior thanks to his own experience with his little brothers. Tsuzuru now thinks of Masumi as like a troublesome little brother in his rebellious phase. Like all the others, Masumi finds Tsuzuru to be annoying, and especially dislikes his complaining, but he has warmed up to him over the course of the story.
  • Itaru Chigasaki: Masumi's fellow troupe-mate, and co-lead during Alex in Wonderland. Masumi sees right through Itaru's charming facade, and thinks that he's fine on the outside in terms of appearances, but not worth anything much on the inside. Noting his gaming and other bad habits, Masumi says that he never wants to be an adult like Itaru. Itaru, on the other hand, faces Masumi's constant battering without putting up a fight. Despite all the mean comments directed towards him, Itaru still doesn't dislike Masumi, and even respects his honesty with feelings. Itaru tries to coach him on fan service, but Masumi doesn't want to smile for anyone but Izumi.
  • Citron: Masumi's fellow troupe-mate. Citron thinks Masumi's tsundere quality is extremely cute. He is affectionate of Masumi and likes to give him head pats, in which the other dislikes. Masumi thinks Citron is a random and weird foreigner that speaks weirdly. Surprisingly, he occasionally bothers to correct Citron's Japanese errors. Masumi is slightly afraid of Citron, as he always seems to be aware of his every move.
  • Chikage Utsuki Masumi doesn't quite understand why Chikage puts on two different images at work and home. However, his two faces are much better than Itaru's stark contrast in his opinion. Masumi is a bit freaked out by Chikage's overly-passionate love for spices. Masumi's emotional reunion with Mankai Company at the airport during Act 2 gave Chikage the idea to tear the theater apart to get back at Hisoka. Chikage has taken a liking to Masumi, and wishes to have a magic show with Masumi sometime.
  • Tenma Sumeragi: Masumi's fellow actor. Both bond over their lack of parental figures in their childhood.
  • Kazunari Miyoshi: Kazunari constantly tries to get Masumi to react to his DMs, but Masumi only texts the director.
  • Tsumugi Tsukioka: Masumi's fellow actor. Both boys bonded over their love of their grandmothers, as showcased in Sparkling Summer Memories. Masumi says that Tsumugi reminds him of his own grandmother. Tsumugi is very fond of Masumi too, and gave Izumi the idea of tracking down Masumi's grandmother to help convince Masumi's father to let him stay in Japan during Awakening Moon.
  • Misaki: Masumi's father. He's been mostly absent from Masumi's life due to his work as a businessman constantly taking him overseas. He divorces Masumi's mother during Awakening Moon, causing him to try and take Masumi with him overseas to America so he won't get lonely. After Masumi and Hatsune show him how Masumi has a family at Mankai Company, Misaki yields and takes Hatsune to accompany him instead.
  • Hatsune: Masumi's grandmother. Masumi is very fond of her, and they have a good relationship, as Hatsune was often the only family member around during Masumi's childhood. She's very happy that he's found a family in Mankai, and cares for him very much. She goes with her son, Misaki, overseas to America so that Masumi can stay in Japan with Mankai.

Etymology[]

Usui (碓氷): U (碓) means "pestle" and Sui (氷) means "ice".

Masumi (真澄): Ma (真) means "truth" and Sumi (澄) means "clear".

Roles[]

These are the roles Masumi has played:

  1. Julius in Romeo and Julius
  2. Alex in Alex in Wonderland
  3. Alf in A Clockwork Heart
  4. Wizard of the South in The Wonderful Charlatan of Oz
  5. Gareth in Knights of the Round IV

Trivia[]

  • He shares room 102 with Tsuzuru Minagi.[7]
  • Masumi is an underclassman to both Sakuya Sakuma and Banri Settsu at Hanasaki High School.
    • He sometimes eats lunch with Sakuya and the older boys always greets Masumi when they pass each other in the hallway.
    • Masumi has a lot of female fans in school and even a fan club, but he doesn't care for them.
  • Masumi is the only character that openly admits having strong romantic feelings for Izumi.
  • He considers Sakyo to be his rival, due to his potential interest in Izumi and the past they share. He respects the Director the most, as she was the one who changed his world.[8]
  • The little doodle he made in the training notebook is an "Ai Ai Gasa", an umbrella with both his and the director's name written under it. This symbols a romantic relationship, or a desire to have one, in Japanese culture.[9]
  • Masumi remembers that as a child, he was often asked to do as he was told, but now that no one commands him anymore, he just does what he wants.[10]
  • Like Hisoka, Masumi is very fond of sleeping, and often has a hard time getting up out of bed.
    • Sakuya acts as a personal alarm clock for this reason, getting him out of bed and ready for the day.
  • He gave Izumi an alarm clock who's alarm is his voice for Mankai's one year anniversary.[11]
  • He would love to play a role in the future that Izumi thinks is cool, but Tsuzuru refuses to write such a role for him.[12]
  • He's very passionate about music, going as far as to invest in high-quality headphones. He and Homare sometimes talk about the best equipment regarding music listening and music making. He also bonds with Azami over his love for music.
  • He's learning how to cook from Omi, so that he can be the perfect house-husband to Izumi.[citation needed]
  • Masumi is learning magic tricks from Chikage in order to impress the director.[citation needed]
  • He downloaded stickers for his text messages only because he thought Izumi would like them.
  • To him, the Mankai Company is "a place where he can be with the Director".[13]
  • His theme songs are:
    1. SICK SICK SICK (released May 24, 2017)
    2. Hatsukoi X (released March 30, 2021)
  • As a child, he used to take swimming lessons.[14]

References[]

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