Akinari Kamiki

Akinari Kamiki is a character from Persona 3.
==Appearances==
*Persona 3 / FES / Portable / Reload: Supporting Character; Sun Social Link
**Persona 3 The Movie: Cameo
**Persona 3 Character Drama CD Vol.1
==Design==
Akinari has slightly long, light gray hair, and matching color eyes. He has a very pale complexion, and wears a dark green and white striped collared shirt with black pants.
==Personality==
Akinari was a depressed, yet intelligent young man who doesn't have much time to live due to being afflicted with a terminal illness. He has realized the finality of his death, and doesn't bother with denial or hope. Though he never finishes them, he finds solace in his books, and decides to write his own story about finding the meaning of life. Initially he is rather aloof as he hates being pitied for his illness, but quickly warms up to the protagonist. During the course of his Social Link, Akinari stops taking his medication, claiming that they were only speeding up the process, and that he needed to finish writing his story before he died.
==Profile==
===Persona 3===
Also known as the Dying Young Man, Akinari is first seen at Naganaki Shrine, where he plays with Maiko Oohashi during her third level Social Link.
==== Social Link====
Akinari's Social Link requires Maiko's to be at least Rank 3.
The Social Link is initiated by the protagonist speaking to Akinari on a Sunday (the only day he is available) at Naganaki Shrine, speaking to Koromaru in the dorm after he has joined SEES, receiving Akinari's red fountain pen from him, then returning the pen to Akinari. However, the Social Link with him is only available if the protagonist's Academics have reached the Smart rank.
Akinari has been diagnosed with an life-threatening genetic lung disease, and isn't expected to live much longer. As such, his outlook on life is bleak. He finds it hard to identify with normal, healthy people, but eventually comes to enjoy the company of the protagonist, and looks forward to his visits every Sunday afternoon.
Akinari is physically detached from his happiness due to his overwhelming suffering, yet can only find happiness in escapism through books, but those books alone don't cure his pain, and is reluctant to finish reading them. Akinari assumes that it's because these stories weren't written for him, but he feels selfish thinking like that. Eventually, Akinari is encouraged to face reality and try and seek happiness thanks to the protagonist's company, though at first he describes him as a presence that spoils him.
As the Social Link progresses, Akinari begins to write a story that relates to his problems, starring a pink alligator that's ostracized due to his coloration. He introduces a bird that can't fly and they become friends, but he has trouble ending it on a happy note, at one point deciding to end it with the alligator accidentally swallowing the bird, and being sad about his unfortunate actions for the rest of his life. As Akinari wrote the story, he became determined in finishing it, deciding to disregard his health even if it costs him his life, as his medicine makes him drowsy and unable to write.
Later while wrapping up the story, Akinari decides that the pink alligator's life was worth it in the end, and finishes the story on a happy note, explaining that in the alligator's death, he was able to create a beautiful lake for others to relax by, even if they haven't realized it was the pink alligator that made it. Akinari would have found the same conclusion about his life, explaining that it's what one does for other people or what they've thought of their life that gives their life meaning.
At the end of the Social Link, Akinari gives his notebook with his story in it for the protagonist to keep, with his final wish granted, he smiles and bids the protagonist farewell, disappearing into the sunlight before the protagonist's eyes, implying he already died some time ago and this final meeting was his spirit.
If the protagonist visits the shrine on one of the final days of the game, they will meet Mrs. Kamiki, Akinari's mother. She reveals (on whichever day the protagonist visits her) that it would be Akinari's twentieth birthday if he were still alive. Akinari's mother laments that he couldn't live so long, but before his death, Akinari thanked his mother for birthing him and taking care of him, and said was glad to be born. These words by Akinari give his mother the resolve to push forward in life. Akinari's mother then mentions the story Akinari was writing, and wonders if he gave the protagonist the notebook. Upon finding that he did, Akinari's mother is relieved; she knows his dream was fulfilled, and he reached his goal before he died. She vows to experience new things to tell her son on the day they meet together in the afterlife before parting with the protagonist.
===Persona 4===
Even after his death, Akinari has left a legacy about his book. As during an Emperor Arcana Social Link scene, Kanji Tatsumi mentions a "pink alligator, like in that storybook", implying that the book was published. Later in Persona 4 Golden, it is alluded to again when Nanako Dojima reads a book about a pink alligator during the Jester Arcana Social Link.
==Gallery==
akinarikamiki.png|Artwork of Akinari Kamiki
Mrs. Kamiki.png|Akinari's mother
==Etymology ==
*The name Akinari means "autumn" (秋) (aki) and "become" (成) (nari).
*Akinari's surname Kamiki means "god, deity" (神) (kami) and "tree, wood" (木) (ki).
==Trivia ==
*Akinari dies at 19 years old, 19 (XIX) being the number of the Sun Arcana.
*In Persona 3 Reload, the Social Link epilogues take place on March 4th instead of March 3rd. Since Akinari's mother mentions that today is his birthday during his epilogue, this means Akinari's birthday is March 4th in Persona 3 Reload, but March 3rd in all other versions of the game.
Category:Persona 3 Characters
Category:Persona 3 FES Characters
Category:Persona 3 Portable Characters
Category:Persona 3 Allies
Category:Sun Arcana