All About Satsu

[sosa lola]

Here's an interesting meta on Satsu, supported with pics:

StephenT - (Meta) All About Satsu

 

[nerd4hire]

Great stuff. I'm almost jealous of the stuff she/he picked up I missed. This bit bears repeating.

So far, we only know Satsu's given name (although Scott Allie is aware that people are interested in her surname). 'Satsu' is a Japanese name, which I understand is normally written with the characters 佐津 meaning something like 'helpful harbour' - a place where a ship can rest and find shelter from the storm. However, her name is a pun, because it can also be written with the character 殺 (also pronounced 'satsu') which means "kill" or "slay". My personal fanon is that Satsu's official name, as recorded on birth certificates and so forth, is spelled 佐津; but since becoming a Slayer she's taken to signing her name as 殺 instead. ('Murder' in Japanese is satsujin: satsu meaning 'to kill' and jin meaning 'a person'.)

As for pronunciation, Joss apparently pronounces it 'SOUGHT-sue', most people on my flist pronounce it SAT-sue, and Satsu herself, assuming she's a native Japanese speaker, would pronounce it SAH TSU - with an equal weight on both syllables, the first rhyming with 'father' and the second starting with the same sound that the word 'cats' ends with, and having a fairly short vowel sound rather than an extended "oo". This link goes to a wav file on a Japanese dictionary website:

http://www.saiga-jp.com/dic/sound/common/satsu.wav

I really enjoyed that article, so of course I'm going to criticize it. 😉

She picked up a totally different vibe from one bit than I did. It's the one where Satsu is chosen by Buffy to aid in the rescue of a Willow. She goes to the dorm, or her room depending on how you look at it to prepare for the coming mission. A group of slayers gather round her as she prepares. She says to them "It should have been one of you."

Now me, what I got from that is there's a certain honor attached to Satsu being chosen. She's humble about it, and she's sensitive of her fellow slayers' feelings. I still think it's just that simple. Here's what the journal writer thought...

I assume Satsu is simply being modest or perhaps doesn't value her own ability as highly as Buffy does, thinking that she wasn't the best choice for this mission. (Unless she's nervous about being put in a one-on-one situation with Buffy, especially if she's only just realised the true nature of her feelings for her).

Leah comes across as self-confident: she cheerfully agrees with Satsu's assessment of their relative abilities, but she's also friendly and willing to joke about it. She has, however, noticed that Buffy pays attention to Satsu's appearance: perhaps making her a good candidate for "the friend who knew what was going on even before the two people involved did". She also says "don't embarrass us", implying that she, Rowena and Satsu are seen as a team and the actions of one reflect on the other two.

As for Rowena, it seems to me that she was sulking about not being the one chosen for the mission at first, then when Leah mentions the possibility that Satsu and Buffy might be killed she looks kind of stricken and upset... maybe she didn't think through the implications of what this means. Satsu's own gaze into the blade of her sword looks determined, and concerned not to embarrass herself in front of Buffy - perhaps in more ways than one. A moment of self-reflection. (ho ho)

Maybe we're both assuming too much from too little, but I'm going to choose to prefer my assumption.

Sometimes too much credence is given to an assumption, for example that assumption of a heart between Buffy and Satsu, I find that silly, and blame The Davinci Code for that kind of thing's sudden popularity. It always reminds me of this quote I heard one time attributed to some scientist. I forget exactly who it was, but he was talking about computer modeling. He said "Give me 4 parameters, and I'll show you an elephant. Give me 5 and I'll make him wiggle his trunk", meaning you can assume anything within an empty space, and greater detail to the borders doesn't necessarily give greater clarity to the truth.

There's another thing that's kind of a personal pet peeve of mine. I don't get this prejudice that suggests lesbian characters can't be killed off. I don't like the idea that art needs to be influenced by political correctness. Anyway I'm not sure the criticism of "lesbians are always killed off" is even applicable to the Buffyverse. Tara was around for 2 seasons. That's a decent life span for a background Buffy character. Willow and Kennedy still live.

 

[palabravampiress]

^ Also, I don't think the girl who was chosen in front of the lockers in "Chosen" is in any way related to Satsu. The only thing they have in common is being chosen while in front of a fairly normal looking locker bay.

I do, however, lend some credence to the heart theory. If I were an artist, I'd do stuff like that all the time. I imagine that little visual cues and blocking is just as important (if not moreso) in a traditional, static art panel as it is in a television sequence.

 

[Tranquillity]

Completely agree with N4H about the heart thing - i certainly don't read romance as a major factor in this relationship.

My assumption is that Willow, being telepathic and magical and goddessy, can sense Satsu's feelings for Buffy. In fact, when Willow says "they might not even have realised it" she could well be describing Satsu's exact reaction as it's happening... she is just now realising that she loves Buffy, not just has a crush on her. Certainly the other part of Willow's pronouncement - that the mystery lover doesn't want anyone to know - is true, as we see from Satsu's "stupid lip gloss" comment in 8.11

Is there any eveidence for Willow having these powers? While i don't agree with this assesment i do think that the fact that Willow knew beyond doubt that someone in that room was capable of breaking the spell with a kiss is hugely important and will come into play as more the story unfolds...

 

[Rowan Hawthorn]

Completely agree with N4H about the heart thing - i certainly don't read romance as a major factor in this relationship.



Is there any eveidence for Willow having these powers?

As of Season Five, she was exhibiting telepathic abilities (see "The Gift".)
In Season Six, she was guiding the others telepathically in "Bargaining," and it kicked into high gear after she drained Rack (Willow, to Dawn: "You don't have to talk. Just think real loud. I can hear you.")
In Season Seven, "Showtime," Buffy was able to call to her without speaking, and Willow did, indeed, hear her - and was able to carry on a "conference call" with Buffy and Xander. I've wondered since if the implication was that she was actually having to make an effort not to hear other people's thoughts (a la Buffy in "Earshot.") It would have made a perfect rationale for her looking so tired and depressed all the time (as if she didn't already have enough reason for that...)

 

[white avenger]

^ Also, I don't think the girl who was chosen in front of the lockers in "Chosen" is in any way related to Satsu. The only thing they have in common is being chosen while in front of a fairly normal looking locker bay.

I do, however, lend some credence to the heart theory. If I were an artist, I'd do stuff like that all the time. I imagine that little visual cues and blocking is just as important (if not moreso) in a traditional, static art panel as it is in a television sequence.

If I recall properly, the girl in front of the locker in "Chosen" was somewhat overweight and decidedly Caucasian. There was, however, a girl dressed in full traditional Japanese attire who was shown pushing away from a table where other people, whom I would assume were her family, were seated and standing up with a shocked expression. If Satsu was, indeed supposed to be one of the girls shown being activated in "Chosen,: I would assume that she would be the one.

Also, if that girl indeed WAS Satsu, I think that someone, Joss most likely, should be commended for using that scene as a tie in to the current season.

 

[alexa]

The heart thing is kinda ridiculous. I think it's been made clear by Joss that Buffy isn't suddenly gay now, and is experimenting. I don't see it going anywhere romantically anyway... almost everyone lays on their side that way.

 

[Rowan Hawthorn]

If I recall properly, the girl in front of the locker in "Chosen" was somewhat overweight and decidedly Caucasian.

No, that was the girl being thumped on by her (father/boyfriend/husband/???) There's a screencap of the girl in front of the lockers on the page that was posted. She doesn't look Caucasian to me, but, then, she doesn't look particularly Asian, either.

 

[Allycat]

No, that was the girl being thumped on by her (father/boyfriend/husband/???) There's a screencap of the girl in front of the lockers on the page that was posted. She doesn't look Caucasian to me, but, then, she doesn't look particularly Asian, either.

Also she's wearing different clothes. Also, it was somewhere in the morning/afternoon when all the Slayers were activated (in any case during school time) so there could easily have been dozens of Slayers in school, near lockers, at that time.

 

[nerd4hire]

I can't remember if they went into this in the article, or not, but this is interesting.

Japan Time Converter Calculator


When it's 8 AM in Japan, it's 4 PM in California, so Satsu can't be from Japan if Buffy slayerfied the world during California school hours. She was by her school locker.

 

[FaithyFivebyFive]

Sorry if I'm off-topic... But I have to say it now or never! I keep reading references on Joss saying things about Buffy's sexuality and Satsu, etc. Where is everyone reading this from?!
??

 

[alexa]

Sorry if I'm off-topic... But I have to say it now or never! I keep reading references on Joss saying things about Buffy's sexuality and Satsu, etc. Where is everyone reading this from?!
??

Most of it is from his original NYTimes interview here

But before fans start blogging frantically, they should know that Mr. Whedon is clear where this is headed. "We're not going to make her gay, nor are we going to take the next 50 issues explaining that she's not. She's young and experimenting, and did I mention open-minded?"

 

[white avenger]

Through this whole discussion, I keep thinking about something Willow told Kennedy in Season 7: "It wasn't women, it was A WOMAN. Tara." I never saw Willow as being either as much bi-sexual or gay as much as someone who fell in love with another very special person. I see no reason why Buffy couldn't do the very same thing, and once more, it wouldn't have a single thing to do with labels like "gay," or "bi-sexual." It would just b two people loving each other.

Also, as for Joss' statement about Buffy, "only experimenting," Thomas Edison "experimented" 5000 times before he ever got the light bulb to work properly.

 

[palabravampiress]

Okay, here's how I look at this. Buffy is basically at a women's college. She's young and surrounded by slayers -- her peers -- while undergoing some pretty major challenges individually and as a group. The only men with whom she has regular contact are Andrew, who is gay, and Xander, who is currently very much smitten with that Rona or Roweena girl (I get those two confused). Is anyone really surprised? I mean, really?

I went to a women's college. In that environment, it is SO common to experiment that no one even questions it. In fact, the actual lesbians get sort of offended. Also, there are acronyms for it: "bugs and lugs" are "bisexual-until-graduation" and "lesbian until graduation." Sexuality on a women's college campus is a very fluid sort of thing. I'm not surprised at all. I never woke up in bed with one of my new buddies... but I suspect that if I hadn't hopped from one back-home boyfriend to another pretty quickly, it probably would have happened. Cuz it's a women's college. And I didn't have a thing for any of the professors who normally had things for students. This is pretty much par for the course. In a single sex environment, sexual tension does develop. Circumstances just sort of determine how or if that sexual tension is resolved.

I think Buffy's a bug. lol.

 

[FaithyFivebyFive]

Okay, here's how I look at this. Buffy is basically at a women's college. She's young and surrounded by slayers -- her peers -- while undergoing some pretty major challenges individually and as a group. The only men with whom she has regular contact are Andrew, who is gay, and Xander, who is currently very much smitten with that Rona or Roweena girl (I get those two confused). Is anyone really surprised? I mean, really?

I went to a women's college. In that environment, it is SO common to experiment that no one even questions it. In fact, the actual lesbians get sort of offended. Also, there are acronyms for it: "bugs and lugs" are "bisexual-until-graduation" and "lesbian until graduation." Sexuality on a women's college campus is a very fluid sort of thing. I'm not surprised at all. I never woke up in bed with one of my new buddies... but I suspect that if I hadn't hopped from one back-home boyfriend to another pretty quickly, it probably would have happened. Cuz it's a women's college. And I didn't have a thing for any of the professors who normally had things for students. This is pretty much par for the course. In a single sex environment, sexual tension does develop. Circumstances just sort of determine how or if that sexual tension is resolved.

I think Buffy's a bug. lol.

Also Buffy knowing full well that Satsu was in-love with her, had to do with it. That happens sometimes with people. Would Buffy have slept with Spike if he wasn't in-love with her? (Possibly lol.)

 

[UlaGan]

Aw, Sosa Lola, thanx for the link and the opic.
After reading it I sort of happen to actually like Satsu. So far she's quite appealing.

 

[NightBird]

I hope that Satsu becomes a central member of the gang as I thought she was cool from the first time we meet her.

I also think that Satsu and Renee are the best two characters from the new squad and would make great additions to the scoobies.

 

[TabulaRasa]

I am glad to have this article because it helped my friend do satsu's sculpt with all the photos in one place.
I really enjoyed reading up on her too. Get a better grip on who she is or atleast could be. I want her to stick around.

 

[RogueHunter]

That would be me!!
I can post pics after 13 more posts.

 

[TabulaRasa]

That would be me!!
I can post pics after 13 more posts.

Yes and I posted photos of your beautiful work in the collectibles section. You are an awesome artist.