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Mio Amakura
From ZeroWiki
| Mio Amakura | |
| |
| "Mayu, where are you going?!" | |
| Real name: | Mio Amakura |
| Kanji: | 天倉 澪 (あまくら みお) |
| Alias: | N/A |
| Age: | 15 (FF2), 17 (DCB) |
| Family: | Shizu Amakura (mother) Misao Asou (father) Kei Amakura (uncle) Mayu Amakura (twin sister) |
| Occupation: | Twin Sister /Remaining/Lost Patient |
| Status: | Alive / Remaining |
| Cause of Death: | N/A |
| Birthdate: | 1971 |
| Died: | N/A |
| Birthplace: | Unknown (Minakami region) |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Games: | Fatal Frame II Fatal Frame III Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly |
| First Appearance: | Fatal Frame II |
| Notes: | Mio's Memo |
| Spirit Stone: | N/A |
| Voice Actor: | Kari Wahlgren (Fatal Frame II) Daphne Alexander (Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly) |
| Japanese Voice Actor: | Akemi Kanda |
| Fatal Frame II Character | |
- "I always thought...that day...if only I was there, holding your hand."
- ―Mio Amakura (to Mayu Amakura)src
Mio Amakura is the main heroine of Fatal Frame II and Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly.
She's an identical twin to her sister Mayu Amakura, and was born second. Mio has considerable spiritual power, although not as much as her sister. Through her father, Misao Asou, she and her sister are directly descended from Dr. Kunihiko Asou. (See the family tree for more details)
Mio is the niece of Kei Amakura; one of the characters from Fatal Frame III.
Contents |
Past
When Mio and Mayu were little (until around 5-6 years of age) they lived in the Minakami area. It was there that their father, Misao Asou, mysteriously disappeared. It was also while playing in the forest that Mayu was badly injured.[1] Mio felt responsible for this injury since she was taunting Mayu, saying that if she didn't hurry up she would leave her behind. As a result of Mayu trying to catch Mio she tripped and fell, permanently injuring her leg.
Soon after the disappearance of their father, their mother, Shizu Amakura, moved the family away from the area. She simply told the girls their father had died, although it is more than likely that Shizu knew very well what Misao's true fate had been.
Many years later (1988), Mio's mother fell ill and had to be hospitalized. Both of the girls were taken under the care of their uncle; Kei Amakura, Shizu's younger brother. Around the same time, the girls hear that their childhood playground is about to become buried underwater as a result of a dam being built in the Minakami area, so the twins decide to visit the area one more time. It is unknown whether Kei took Mio and Mayu to the Minakami area himself or they managed to get there by themselves.
Fatal Frame II / Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly
Back once more in the forest, Mio is reminded of her childhood memories and guilt about the accident. She begins to ask Mayu about what happened, but looks up to see her twin no longer there. Mio looks around, just spotting Mayu wandering off into the forest after a crimson butterfly. `
Mio finally catches up with her sister up at the top of a hill, overlooking a village covered in darkness and mist. Mayu is surrounded by crimson butterflies, that scatter on Mio's approach. Mio calls out ot her sister, to which she only replies: "The Lost Village...". Unable to return the way they came, Mio and Mayu explore the village, hoping to find help, shelter, or directions to get back to the forest. In the back of Mio's mind lingers the story of 'the lost village', a village that is trapped in endless darkness, and those who stumble upon it never return. As the twins explore a nearby house, Mayu is overcome with a horrible vision she shares with Mio, and both encounter the spirit of a woman, Miyako Sudo, who up until recently was searching for her boyfriend Masumi Makimura.
It is also at this time Mio discovers an antique camera tucked away in one of the rooms: 'The Camera Obscura'. Mio takes a picture of Miyako's ghost, and discovers the true potential of the camera. After fighting Miyako, Mio awakens to find herself alone in the room. Mayu has run off, leaving only her charm behind.
Mio begins her quest to find her sister, as well as to find a way out of the village. She runs into an imprisoned boy, who insists on calling her 'Yae'. He adamantly tells Mio she needs to find 'Sae' and both need to escape. He offers his help, and gives Mio vital clues to help find her sister.
As the night lingers on and on, Mio finds her sister Mayu, only to be separated from her again by ghosts, doors, or other strange forces at work. Each time, Mio is determined to reunite with her sister, keeping to her promise that she won't ever leave Mayu behind again. As the night wears on, it becomes more and more apparent that the ghosts are trying to use the twins as part of the village's Crimson Ceremony, and that Mayu is possessed by the malicious spirit of the last Twin Shrine Maiden, Sae. Mayu is captured by the ghosts of the villagers during the twins' final attempt to escape the village, and taken away to perform the Ceremony.
Mio follows her sister and finds the path to the Hellish Abyss where the Crimson Ceremony takes place. She fights the Kusabi, the former folklorist Seijiro Makabe, and exorcises him. She finds herself in the Abyss, where Mayu is waiting for her. Mayu lies down on the large altar stone, putting Mio's hands around her neck, telling Mio that they were born for this purpose and they must complete the ritual. Mayu tells Mio she wants to be one with her sister forever, and this is the only way. As the ghostly priests around them strike their staffs, Mio encloses her hands around her sister's neck, and strangles her to death.
Mio releases her grip on her sister's lifeless body, speechless at what has just occurred. The Mourners grab Mayu's lifeless body and throw it into the Abyss, and a crimson butterfly emerges from it. Mio desperately chases after the butterfly, crying. It leads her out of the village, and it flutters back to her for a second before joining the other thousands of crimson butterflies in the sky.
Many days later (actual time not determined, but within that same year), Mio is overlooking the new Minakami Dam where the forest once was. Now that she is a Remaining, she has a visible glowing mark of a crimson butterfly on her throat.
Fatal Frame III
- "I won't leave you... I'll go too..."
- ―Mio Amakura (to Mayu Amakurasrc
After the events of Minakami Village, Mio is discovered alone wandering in the forest, a week after she and Mayu were reported missing. Mayu's disappearance is immediately investigated, but Mio seems distant and unable to express her feelings or tell anyone what has happened. Due to the area's legend of the Lost Village, it is assumed Mayu has become another 'Spirited Away.'
Mio is introduced to Yuu Asou by her uncle Kei, and actually stays with him for a period of time while Kei goes to personally investigate Mayu's disappearance. Kei mentions the visit in one of his letters. He apologizes to Yuu for Mio causing him trouble when she stayed over. Upon investigating an abandoned house near a deserted village not on the map, Kei comes across the Camera Obscura. Upon seeing the camera, Mio becomes frightened and very upset. Her uncle decides it is better to send the camera to his friend Yuu instead of keeping it around.
Soon after the camera's discovery, however, Mio begins to suffer from an unusual set of symptoms. She begins to spend more and more time sleeping, and experiencing horrific nightmares. She tells Kei her dreams, which cause Kei to suspect that Mio may be experiencing symptoms similar to those mentioned in the 'House of Sleep' urban legends.
For Mio, the experience worsens. She feels guilty for escaping from the Lost Village when Mayu did not. She is tormented by the thought that she broke their promise to stay together forever. As Mio dreams, she finds herself once again trapped within the Lost Village, aimlessly following crimson butterflies. Searching for Mayu, Mio apologizes again and again for what happened. She is unaware that her afflictions have also trapped her uncle Kei in the House of Sleep. Kei follows after Mio, trying to get her attention in their dreams, but Mio never answers him and continues to be drawn in deeper by the curse. As her uncle desperately searches for a cure for both of them, Mio soon has to be hospitalized, only waking up for around three hours at a time before falling back asleep. Kei leaves her at the hospital and heads for Rei Kurosawa's home, in hopes that together they can find a solution to the curse.
After Rei, Miku, and Kei find a solution to the curse, Kei returns to pick up an awakened Mio. Mio, finally freed from the curse, resolves to live in memory of Mayu. Mio and Kei visit the Minakami Dam together and Kei introduces Mio to Rei Kurosawa and Miku Hinasaki. [2]
Translation Error
In the overseas versions of Fatal Frame III, there is a serious translation error involving continuity. In an in-game article, it states that both Mayu and her mother Shizu have disappeared in the Minakami area. The Japanese reads "Mayu Amakura, the daughter of Shizu Amakura" but was translated as "Mayu Amakura and Shizu Amakura" instead. According to current sources, Shizu is still alive, she's just severely hospitalized. Her hospitalization was also mentioned in earlier pre-game articles in Famitsu gaming magazine.
Alternative Endings
Fatal Frame II
Lingering Scent Ending - In this ending, Mio leaves the village upon Mayu's urging through the Kureha Shrine, right before the Crimson Sacrifice Ritual is about to start. As she escapes through the tunnels she realizes that she can't abandon her sister and turns around to head back for her. However Sae is right on her tail and grabs her. Mio screams and wakes up, finding herself all alone in the forest. She calls out for Mayu but doesn't get an answer. Both Mayu and Sae then say that they'll wait for their sisters forever.(While getting this ending results in a 'Game Over', it is considered one of the official endings).
Hellish Abyss Ending - In this ending, Mio fights Sae and grabs Mayu before she falls into the Abyss along with Sae. As Mio pulls her sister up, however, she is tempted to look down into the Hellish Abyss, against Itsuki's advice. Upon looking into it, Mio is overcome with the horrific images of the sacrificed spirits. Mio and Mayu make their way out of the village and are found later in the forest. Many days later, Mio and Mayu are together, overlooking the completed Minakami Dam. It is revealed that Mio is now permanently blinded by the Abyss, and Mayu while upset that Mio is in pain, smiles at the knowledge that this means that Mio will need Mayu from now on.
The Promise Ending - Only available in the Xbox version and Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly. Mio is able to save Mayu by Yae's spirit (who had binded itself to Mio's body when she first entered the village) separates and reunites with her sister Sae. She reaches for her sister, pulling her away from Sae's spirit before both she and Yae jump into the Hellish Abyss together to complete the ritual. Mio and Mayu walk out, hand-in-hand, guided by Sae and Yae's butterfly which joins the others. Mayu realizing that Mio has proven that she wants to be together forever just as much as she does, and upon realizing that Mio would go to the depths of the underworld for her states that while that what if thought of them growing apart is still there, she trusts Mio and believes her when she says that she'll always be there for her. Mio then says that even if they can't become one she will never let Mayu go again.
Fatal Frame II: Deep Crimson Butterfly
Frozen Butterfly Ending - Mio is able to save Mayu from the ritual, taking a final photo that seems to separate her sister from Sae. However, Mayu still wishes to go through with the ritual and attempts to have Mio strangle her. Mio refuses, pushing Mayu away. Mayu admits that she didn't think Mio would truly let them be one, and is okay with living in hell as long as they're together. It's shown that Sae wasn't fully exorcized and is still in control of Mayu, Sae is seen laughing in a flashback to the night of the Repentance. Mio then realizes she has seen the laughing before, flashing back to when Mayu was injured, and laughing while crying at the same time. Mayu tells Mio "let us be together", and then lowers her. Mio is next seen with her eyes open, lying on Mayu's lap in the Kurosawa Hall amongst other bodies from the Repentance. Mayu tenderly strokes her sister's head. After the credits, Mayu is giggling, and putting makeup on Mio's face, as a single tear falls from her eye. It's then revealed Mayu is carrying her sister's head.
Shadow Festival Ending - After Mio defeats the Kusabi, she makes her way to the Hellish Abyss. Running past her are Veiled Priests trying to flee The Repentance. Mayu, sitting in front of the Abyss, tells her sister that she is too late, and that The Repentance is near. She says that Mio should have saved herself. Mio however replies that running away would never allow her to live with herself, and that she wants to be with her sister, even if it's only for this short time. The twins fall together this time, as the Darkness erupts from the Abyss. The scene then switches to that of a festival, which the twins, dressed in yukatas, are attending. They look up and upon seeing the sky littered with flying lanterns, wish that that day would last forever. The scene switches back to the twins being consumed by the Darkness. Itsuki is seen with a Crimson Butterfly on his hand, before it flies away, and the Darkness once again engulfs the village. In the end the twins covered in a crimson kimono are sitting hand in hand forever together in the Darkness.
Fatal Frame III
In the normal (but not canon) ending of Fatal Frame III, Mio's fate is left unanswered. In the events of the game, Kei mentions leaving her at the hospital, still suffering from the Tattooed Curse symptoms and getting progressively worse. The ending shows no information on what happens to Mio after Kei's suggested demise.
Design & Costumes
- Main Article: Mio & Mayu's Character Design
Unlike Miku Hinasaki, Mio's appearance was not changed or altered to reflect a regional change for the ps2 & xbox releases of Fatal Frame II. When wearing her gothic lolita outfit, Mio has a butterfly tattoo. In the Xbox Director's Cut version of Fatal Frame II, unlockable costumes for Mio include Kasumi's outfit from Dead Or Alive and Layna's outfit from Deception 3: Dark Delusion.
An updated and more mature outfit version for both of the twins is seen in Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly. More emphasis has been placed on the back of the costumes to coincide with the new over-the-shoulder camera angles.
For Mio's entire listing of unlockable costumes and accessories:
Misc. Info
- Mio was the youngest protagonist of the Fatal Frame series until her age up to 17 in Deep Crimson Butterfly.
- Mio is the second-born twin. According to the twin law practised in Minakami Village, however, she is considered the 'older twin'.
- The kanji character for Mio's name, 澪, contains the Japanese title of the game, 零. Both characters have an on (Chinese) reading of "Rei".
- Mio was originally going to be the third character in Fatal Frame III, but during early production it was decided her uncle Kei would be a major character instead.
- In Fatal Frame III, while Mio is never seen to have tattoos, it is assumed she does have them, since she is under the Tattooed Curse.
- Mio and Mayu appear as ghosts in the Ghost Camera mode of Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir.
- Using the AR marker found on the Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly website, Mio and Mayu become available for photo ops in Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. (Not available in the US version)
- Mio and Mayu are featured in Super Swing Golf gallery game concept art, but are not unlockable in the game itself.
Appearances
- Fatal Frame II (first appearance)
- Fatal Frame III
- Fatal Frame: Deep Crimson Butterfly
- Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (Ghost Camera mode)
- Super Swing Golf (gallery art only)
- Zero Comic Anthology
See Also
- For quotes by Mio, see Quotes: Mio Amakura
- For other members of the Amakura family, see Amakura Family.
- For other members of the Asou family, see Asou Family.
- For other player characters in the Fatal Frame Series, see Player Characters.
- For information on other spirited aways, see Spirited Aways.
- For more information on the House of Sleep curse, see Tattoo Curse.
- For other rituals in Fatal Frame II, see Fatal Frame II Rituals.
- For other twin pairs, see Twins.
- For articles related to Mio, see Related Articles:Mio Amakura.
- For images related to Mio, see Images of Mio Amakura.
- For the article explaining Mio and Mayu's new ages see [[1]]
References
- ↑ "Opening Cutscene", Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
- ↑ It has been confirmed in interviews & on twitter by Makoto Shibata that this ending is the canon ending of the game.
