Futoshi

Futoshi

"Whew... I just can't deal anymore. Wish I could curl up and forget all this."

Futoshi (フトシ, Futoshi), also known as theTech, is the backstage technician for777's band,Def Märch.

Personality[]

Essentially, Futoshi is a slacker, and is criticized often by 777 because of it. He appears to be somewhat of a scatterbrain as well, forgetting things easily and tuning out people if he is not interested in what they have to say. While his mellow personality allows him to take flak from others in stride, he is not completely carefree, as he seems to bear some repressed resentment against 777 for his hogging nature of the spotlight, which manifests when he is possessed by a Noise.

Story[]

He is first seen inShiki, Day 3 whereNeku andShiki learn how toimprint memes, and is integral to the mission for that day, being the one who reactivates the lighting inA-East in order to expose the boss. He is described by 777 as an individual wearing a black tee with a lanyard around his neck.

Futoshi is first encountered while under the influence of a negative YellowNoise, complaining bitterly about his behind-the-scenes role in the concert crew and expressing a desire to be in the limelight. He appears to be oblivious of the fact that the band members of Def Märch are actuallyReapers. Once he is freed of the Noise's possession with the help of Neku and his partner, he is able to recall having an errand to do. Futoshi's easygoing attitude, however, causes him to forget the specifics of his errand, requiring a reminder from a particular meme to buy a fuse.

He is later seen inShiki, Day 6 asMakoto Miki attempts to give him aRed Skull pin. Humorously, Futoshi ignores Makoto's presence until he evokes the "Come get some hot stuff!" one-liner twice, causing Futoshi to gradually sidle near him and accept one of the pins. He can be seen in Week 2, Day 3 during theDogenzaka Ramen Wars, where he recalls seeing thePrince mention the spicy tuna roll on his blog as an optional meme to imprint onKen Doi.

It is unknown what exactly became of him after777's erasure by theGame MasterKonishi, as the apparent loss of the leading rock star may have caused him to lose his job. Nevertheless, he reappears again in Week 3 where he has succumbed to the Red Skull pin's brainwashing like many others.

In "Another Day", Futoshi appears as aTin Pin opponent who relinquishes the uniqueLucky Panda pin upon defeat.

Non-Canon Appearances[]

The Animation[]

Futoshi in The Animation has the major distinction of being a Reaper. He first appears inepisode 1, Grim Reaper Game. Aside a brief cameo in the background of one of the first shots, he first appears in day 3 when he is possessed by aMosh Grizzly. He is then freed by Neku and Shiki and he accompanies them to O-East out of gratitude. He has to apologize to 777 for being late and after Neku and Shiki leave to finish their mission. He does not appear for the rest of the season.

Etymology[]

• The nameFutoshi is written in katakana (フトシ), which has no special meaning. However, when written in kanji (太, 大, 太志, 太士, 太四 or 大志), it could possibly mean:
  • 太 - "thick, big, great".
  • 大 - "big, great".
  • 太志 - "thick, big, great" (太) (futo) and "will, purpose" (志) (shi).
  • 太士 - "thick, big, great" (太) (futo) and "samurai, warrior, gentleman" (士) (shi).
  • 太四 - "thick, big, great" (太) (futo) and "four" (四) (shi).
  • 大志 - "big, great" (大) (futo) and "will, purpose" (志) (shi).

Trivia[]

• Curiously, his name is never outright stated in the main plot as he is always referred to as the tech. Futoshi's name is finally revealed as an aside in the Another Day chapter, should Neku and/or theKindred Spirits challenge him to a Tin Pin battle.
• It appears Futoshi is completely unaware of the fact that his colleagues are Reapers, while the anime portrays him as one alongside his band, in-game he is not a Reaper.
• The player can choose to imprint Futoshi with the optional 'cough drops' meme before the 'fuse' meme, which prompts him to purchase Aurora cough drops for 777's sore throat. As a reward, 777 will give Neku and Shiki theLucky Star pin for their troubles.
• The player can also imprint Futoshi with the optional 'ramen' meme before the fuse meme, which will remind him to finish off the ramen he ordered earlier. However, he will remember his errand and leave before he can eat his ramen. This is necessary to obtain the Secret Report for "Shiki Day 3".
• In the Another Day chapter, before Neku goes to Molco, if the player talks to Futoshi near the Cosmic Corner shop, he'll refuse Neku's offer to play Tin Pin at first, claiming that he has errands he needs to run, but then says "This is Japan. 'Yes' means 'No'" when Neku starts to walk off, then accepts Neku's offer. This is likely a joke about how in Japanese, things are often said indirectly.
• In The Animation, it is never confirmed if Futoshi is still just a tech forDef Märch.
• It is not clear what Futoshi's fate beyond the first game is. This is mostly due to uncertainty with the canonicity ofThe Animation in which, unlike the game, Futoshi was a Reaper. But he only makes an appearance in the first episode. It is not known if he was erased like the rest of Def Märch or was then revived like them at the end of the original story. He makes no appearance inNEO: The World Ends with You

  

• InNEO: The World Ends with You, a person can be scanned who makes an homage to Futoshi. The person was asked by their boss to pick up a fuse at the store but they are unsure what a fuse is.

Gallery[]

Concept artwork of Futoshi inThe Animation

The player imprinting on Futoshi