Rei Sakuma

A self-proclaimed vampire who possesses a wealth of knowledge, but is vulnerable in the morning. He has a strong connection with the comrades he considers family despite being so philosophically profound. 
Dotes on his younger brother Ritsu Sakuma. With a mellow voice that entices the audience, his performance is tender yet powerful. 
A member of Rhythm Link, as well as UNDEAD's leader.
==Appearance==
Rei is a tall young man with a good build. He has slightly long, wavy black hair that stops at his shoulders and curves inward, and red eyes. He wears a black-striped, loosely-fit mid-sleeved shirt with a cross chain around his neck, tucked under his shirt. He also wears dark-washed jeans with a long link chain clasped to the side and red stud earrings.
On stage, Rei wears UNDEAD's uniform, a black jacket with a small fur collar, silver accents and a dark purple lapel. The jacket has a black and gold epaulette with thin silver ropes flowing from it on the right side, as well as gray side strip on the sleeves outlined with silver, and a strap on the lapel tied and clipped to look like a small belt. Attached to the jacket is a long, black/purple layered tail coat with a silver outline. On Rei's left arm is a purple arm-band embroidered with a gold design, resembling a bat. Underneath the jacket is a gray v-neck shirt. He wears a black belt with a silver buckle and chain accessory hanging from the loop. Rei wears black jeans with small yellow buttons, and knee high lace-up black boots with silver lining and gold buttons, a flap in the front and a small zipper on the side. Rei wears a black choker with a gold belt buckle, as well as a black pointed cap with silver lines. He also wears black palm gloves with gold lining.
==Personality==
Rei, at first glance, appears to be distant yet wise, taking upon the persona of an immortal vampire with boundless knowledge. During his time in Yumenosaki, he spent most of the daylight hours sleeping in his coffin, and was very disconnected from the rest of the school. He still has a soft spot for his little brother, Ritsu. However, deep down, he is highly empathetic and loves humanity greatly, yet consistently struggles with isolation and loneliness. 
During The War, Rei was best described as a slave to humanity’s whims and his own empathy. During his last year at Yumenosaki Academy, he had become unnaturally distant and closed off as a means of self-preservation. Post-Repayment Festival, Rei finally becomes able to move forward, and consolidate these both extremes into one human, and enter society as himself; not as a god or a vampire high above society.
Most of Rei’s actions and feelings stem from a lengthy history of loneliness and isolation, ever since he was a child. Growing up, his disease prevented him from living a normal life outside and making friends; he instead developed an affinity with books and would read in excess. Even as just a child, he was considered more well-read and more intelligent than most adults.
He is a highly empathetic person, and loves humanity to the point that he cannot ignore a person who is suffering. However, this high emotional intelligence of his led him to his reputation as a “god”. His high intelligence and proficiency in giving advice resulted in him beginning to be exalted as a god-like figure, as adults would approach Rei to have their problems solved by him.Crossroad - Curse 8 Unable to refuse a person in need, Rei took on that emotional burden and began to attribute being a vessel for advice and guidance as a core part of his existence. Rei began to notice people his age fearing him and avoiding him, isolating him further.
By his first year in Yumenosaki Academy, he was disillusioned with the world, and by his second year, he was bored of the world and continually sought out excitement.Crossroad - Chaos 1 However, he never was able to distance himself from humanity, and continues to take on burden after burden of helping others. Hyper-aware of his place in the world, Rei felt he had to continually prove himself out of fear. If he couldn’t respond to the constant demands of people around him, he was scared he would be deemed a failure, and lose his place.Operetta - Birthday 8
And so, he disciplined himself and responded to every demand in order to “affirm his existence”. This need for affirmation ultimately led to his destruction and execution during The War. Every time Rei went abroad, he would make acquaintances, get deeply and emotionally involved in them, and then become loved and relied on by everyone. The emotional burden of catering to everyone’s needs, and then having it be weaponized against himBlack Tea - A Spoonful of Sweet Poison 6, finally took its physical toll on Rei; resulting in the Rei we see in the !-era. 
Rei from then on resolved to change himself, as a means to protect himself. He began to make efforts in distancing himself from humanity, no longer meddling in others’ personal matters—and if he did, he would take a backseat approach. He begins to take on the persona of an “old man”. When asked about it by Tsumugi, Rei tells him that it’s because he's physically weakened from The War.Devils - bright complex 1 In truth, this new persona of Rei’s grants him the image of feebleness, so people wouldn’t demand or expect things from him. Through this, Rei is able to alleviate himself of the unconscionable burden of his intelligence and prowess. In another attempt to detach him further from humanity as he heals, Rei also strengthens his vampire persona, taking on an inhuman identity and describing himself as more akin to a monster.
In the end, however, Rei cannot fully reject his core values, and remains to crave connection with others.Operetta - Birthday 4 He still continues to meddle with other’s affairs, often without permission, as seen in Setsubun Festival and Romantic Comedy.
However, when it comes to himself, he has become rather careless and forgetful. He's been shown to forget to eat and drink expired tomato juice without paying attention.In the Dark Once, Rei wanted somewhere cool to sleep and ended up sleeping on the cafeteria floor, despite Mao's concerns about how that may be unsanitary.Summer Live Both UNDEAD and the Aoi twins are shown to look after Rei, who teasingly plays up how helpless he is (being elderly) without assistance.Blood BanquetEnsemble stars! 4koma However, Rei often does make genuine blunders and requires physical assistance, but he acts as if he were merely playing up his old man persona so he is often not taken seriously.Setsubun FestivalPirates
As time passes, Rei’s able to rediscover his own humanity through both UNDEAD, and later RitsuOperetta - Brothers 8. By the time the Repayment Festival comes around, Rei’s persona as an “immortal vampire” has broken down, and he is able to accept himself as human. Using Keito’s words; time begins to move forward again for himRepayment Festival - Before The Setting Sun 4, and Rei’s growth is able to come to fruition.
==Etymology==
Rei's first name (零) means "zero". “Saku” (朔) in his last name refers to the first day of the lunar month, which begins with a new moon. “Ma” (間) refers to an “interval of time”. Together with his first name, this gives a meaning of a moonless night. The moon motif also complements the Tsukuyomi imagery that he represents in the Three Oddballs.Element - Even in Hell 2
==Family==
==Trivia==
*He shares the same birthday as Izumi Sena.
*He can play the violin, and, like Ritsu, he can play the piano. It is shown he can also play the drums.Ensemble stars! 4koma - Chapter 12
**He used to play the electric guitar, but has since stopped some time in his second year, as he is shown giving it away to Koga.
**Rei tells Mao later on that he can actually play 6 different instruments: the piano, the guitar, the bass, the drums, the flute and the violin.Isara Mao Idol Story - One-on-One Session
*He can't stand the taste of blood and takes iron tablets instead and prefers tomato juice.Rei Sakuma Sub Story 1
*Rei uses kaomojis in his texting habits, having sent one to Wataru when telling him he couldn't be at his party.Wataru Hibiki Birthday Course - Party at the Agency
*Rei is often so careless he'll forget to eat and drink expired tomato juice without paying attention.In the Dark
*Rei states that his coffin, built by Natsume1001 Arabian Nights - Surfer of the Desert Hills 5, also doubles as a living space, and by tricking it with excellent arranging skills, he's able to fit in items such as manga borrowed from one of the Aoi twins, gardening magazines, clothes and even a refrigerator full of dry-cured ham.
*Madara is Rei's successor.Aquarium
**Though it's unclear what exactly being Rei's "successor" entails, Madara has referenced he's learned a number of underhanded means of persuasion from Rei.Shinsengumi
**Ritsu states that Madara is often over at their home for that reason.Beasts
*Rei, despite his vampiric persona, is actually not adverse to garlic. Once with the light music club, he begins admiring garlic bulbs that Koga had grown before Adonis comments on it, reminding him that garlic and crosses are not something vampires should come into contact with.Return of the Demon King
*Rei used to be the student council president until Eichi took over.Element
**Rei states he only took over this position because Keito asked him to, as he considered Keito a friend from childhood.
**Rei implies his fondness for Keito initially from the fact that, whereas the people around him would be taken in by his charisma and grow dependent on him, Keito, as a child, would continue to try and defy Rei.
*Rei, Keito, and Koga were once a part of a unit called DEADMANS (also translated as "DEADMANZ" and "Deadman's").Crossroad This unit was later transformed into UNDEAD.Resurrection Sunday
*Leo states that Rei would often fall unconscious around school and Leo would often be the one to find and help him.Dark Night Halloween
*Ever since Rei was a child, he was considered beautiful and intelligent. He would wander around graveyards and adults would come to him for advice, and he accidentally developed a following of devotees who would live by his every word despite his young age. This continued even as he grew.
**Keito describes this as being reduced to "zero," like Rei's namesake, as Rei was so capable and intelligent that, in his opinion, it meant there was no point in existing so long as Rei did.
*Koga states that while during his second year Rei spoke and behaved in a free-wheeling, punk-like manner, after "breaking down," Rei began to speak like an old man.Repayment Festival
*Ritsu and Rei's vampiric condition is a genuine illness that makes them nocturnal, weak to sunlight, and thirst for blood as sustenance.
**This condition is hereditary, and Rei explains that much of his family, which worships vampire mythos, sees it as a mark of pride.
**Their family believes themselves to be vampires, and perform a "blood drinking" ritual on Easter, and have a yearly reunion in Transylvania.
**Because of this condition, he has a coffin which he sleeps in a lot. The only way to wake him up is the sound of a flute or when it’s night time.
==Voice Actor Comment==
"I felt that this is a character very worth portraying. He speaks like an old man; he has to repeat a grade; everyone treats him like a weirdo; and most of all, he's Dracula. I had a lot of fun acting out this character with so many quirky traits. Sakuma Rei... a great character, indeed." (Enstars!)
"Congratulations on the release of the new chapter of Ensemble Stars!! Basic and the new application Ensemble Stars!! Music. There's still so many doors waiting to be opened, and nothing could make me happier than performing as Rei as he continues to change. Thanks for all your continued support, so strong that it even rivals the way they always keep trying their best!"Commemorative Release Message (Enstars!!)
"" (Road to Show Comment)Ensemble Stars!! -Road to Show!!- Rei Cast Comment
===Voice Actor Interview===
*Ensemble Stars!! -Road to Show!!- Official Cast Comments (2/2/2022)
==Sources==
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Category:Light Music Club
Category:Scorpio
Category:Five Eccentrics
Category:Altered
Category:DEADMANS
Category:BB
Category:Mystery Researchers
Category:Fraternity (Unit)
Category:La Mort (Unit)
Category:M∀N∀ (Unit)
Category:Summit