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The Spirit Hunter series is home to many meaningful, dynamic relationships and characters to connect to, in between all the horrific themes and imagery we love, but one relationship has always stood out among them. The popular pairing between Kazuo Yashiki and Satoru Mashita. The series has been ongoing for at least seven years now, with Death Mark 2 having been recently released internationally. The new game has brought in a flow of new players and fans of the series, and thus more have been drawn to their relationship in a romantic light. But what makes them so compelling? How do they have substance, and why do the majority agree something is going on? Hopefully this will serve as an explanation and compilation of their history.
First things first, this series is severely underrated. I wish it had more spotlight and can only hope it gets more love. It’s honestly a hidden gem in the horror genre. There’s going to be a lot of discussion about the first game’s main story and DLC, the sequel and some other details so if you want to check out the games yourself, warning that there will be SPOILERS below. In fact this entire study will contain SPOILERS for ALL LOCALISED GAMES and fan translated side content such as Voice Dramas and more.
Section 1: Death Mark & NG
Going in to Death Mark (死印) completely blind, I didn’t know what to expect. I certainly didn’t expect to fall for a ship. At first glance it’s not really the setting for it, but horror and romance are a combination that should be explored more. Where Yashiki and Mashita’s connection and chemistry is undeniable and just really shines in the game.
In the beginning Chapter, the protagonist is a clean slate because of the amnesia but appears tender-hearted, whereas when Mashita is first introduced, he’s cold and shady as hell. Despite the circumstances, he seems to be intrigued by Yashiki. Throughout the story it’s subtly shown that their bond is slightly different to the rest of the cast. They have more focus and development. While they may have their disagreements, they bounce off each other, have a deeper understanding and are even more relaxed around one another - although not initially. And Mashita’s disdainful, sardonic attitude, though caring more than he lets on, is a perfect contrast to Yashiki’s kinder, empathetic nature. A detail I also noticed is that even the placement of their Marks are opposites. With the protagonist’s Mark on the back of their right wrist, while Mashita’s is on the underside of his left wrist. They mirror each other. Interesting. Meanwhile Mashita states he sensed his own Mark as soon as he saw Yashiki’s? I mean… I’ve heard that sort of line used as a set up for a lot of romances.
Later on, the dialogue options for scenes with Mashita and his reactions to any sort of affection or appreciation from Yashiki such as telling him he’s grateful for his help or that he’ll miss him when he leaves speak for themselves. Point-blank rejecting those affections - a pattern we'll come to notice quickly - by calling them “creepy” and just as a means to “flatter him” because Yashiki broke a couple laws. Nor does he actually follow through with anything even after the events of the game where Yashiki survives, despite seemingly being very strict with lawfulness. Yashiki must get a pass.
Leading into Chapter 2, Mashita is the first Mark Bearer to stay behind and willingly, gathering information on Yashiki’s behalf - even though his Mark had been cleared, unlike other characters. Of course his reasons are motivated by what Mary said and later revealed when appeasing Shimi-O. But there may have been another reason hinted at. Mashita states before finally leaving that continuing to stick his neck out for Yashiki has grown too dangerous and apologises, with the small detail that he clenches a shaking fist. Interpreting that, I think a tiny part of Mashita wanted to try and help the man as much as he was able, considering he was up against something way beyond them. Perhaps he saw an echo of his old mentor in Yashiki considering he is several years his senior, or he was just a little soft on the idiotically kind guy who desperately wanted to prevent any more victims of the curse as well as his own demise. If you bring Mashita along in the first investigation in this Chapter, it gives a short but sweet moment of him catching Yashiki grinning next to him in the van while pondering how quickly he’s grown relaxed around the ex-detective. Alternatively, if you choose a different partner, Mashita has a “bad feeling” and rushes in to help with a gun in hand. Resulting in him almost dying alongside the others and getting marked for death a second time. Yashiki is then even entrusted with the same gun, heavily implied to belong to Mashita, thereby breaking another much more serious law that could have equally serious consequences for Mashita.
Other moments include Mashita crying out Yashiki’s first name in the Japanese version in a panic when they were attacked by bees and after another ghostly encounter along the path, Mashita comments that it never gets easier facing spirits, but also offers kind words to Yashiki by saying he is doing fine the way he is right now. At the end of it all, at least a drink was on him if Yashiki lived through this.
With Mashita’s involvement in this Chapter and the clear impact Yashiki made on him in such a short amount of time, it’s enough to make the player wonder if Mashita either thought back to Yashiki in his daily life or ever regretted leaving. The same could be said for Yashiki as he was very appreciative and used to his presence at that point. He even had a dialogue option that sounds like sulking, as he frames Mashita leaving as abandoning him.
A reason why Yashiki could’ve grown on Mashita so quickly is linked to his former occupation. Years on the force, Mashita would have a fair share of experience dealing with unpleasant people, and probably became jaded that way. For example, on his profile it states that he dislikes troublesome adults. When in danger, a person’s true colours appear. So when he encounters Yashiki, not only does he find that he is kind-hearted without some facade, he also doesn’t act in a way to save his own skin, never abandoning the Mark Bearers to their fate. After all, they’re all strangers to him. Yet when someone goes missing, he always goes to find them. Yashiki is trying to survive of course, since that is his motivation in the first place, but he’s not selfish. In fact, what Mashita finds is the opposite, Yashiki is concerned for other people’s safety above his own. I could see him holding that quality of Yashiki’s personality to himself closely.
After the events of the main story, it’s revealed that Mashita brings up the idea of Yashiki joining him as a partner as he becomes a private eye. It also won’t be the last time he brings it up. It’s interesting for someone like Mashita to try and persuade someone to work with him and to be a little persistent about it. The fact that it’s Yashiki specifically, someone whom he hasn’t known for long, means he obviously doesn’t mind his company.
The Red Riding Hood DLC holds one of their most memorable moments. Mashita barges into the Mansion without a care and demands Yashiki help him with a spirit related case, because it’s his fault it was given to him in the first place by Yasuoka. Because Yashiki told her about Mashita. As usual Mashita doesn’t act as brash and rude towards him like he does with the other Mark Bearers and the two have their back and forth interactions when they team up. Mashita protects Yashiki from a possessed Shou ambushing them and when Yashiki is forced to confront Red Riding Hood alone, about to plummet to his death... In Yashiki’s words, just as he gives up all hope.
We get the most dramatic CG we’ve seen yet. Yashiki’s point of view, looking up to see a worried but angry Mashita desperately grasping his wrist in the pouring rain. A tiny detail I noticed much, much later on that’s probably a coincidence, was the artwork’s lighting bearing a striking resemblance to the bisexual flag colours.
Mashita being the one to save Yashiki like this and being the knight in shining trench coat aside, it’s more emphasis on them. It’s the game once again showing that their relationship is something just a little more than the others. There’s also the reveal as Mashita drives the two of them back to the Mansion, that he was gathering information once again for Yashiki the entire time. Eventually the case comes to a close with the two returning to the Mansion, talking about Hyakki Yagyō (Monster’s Parade) - A big implication of them working together again, Mashita giving Yashiki some advice from understanding his mindset and once again saying he could do some good with solving such cases. By this point, it’s pretty transparent that Mashita has a soft spot for him and has his own concerns for his well-being. Even in an alternate universe Voice Drama CD “Blue End”, with a much darker, deranged version of Mashita, he still refuses to give up on Yashiki and leave when he becomes possessed. We will definitely come back to this in detail in another part.
The sequel, NG takes place two years following (that was officially corrected from what we originally thought was five years). Since it’s an all new cast and story, they are only briefly referenced. However it’s shown that they continue to work together, such as the two travelling with other members to Rabbit Island and another occasion where they took care of a spirit that killed Ban’s son. Also during the events of the game, Rose mentions that Yashiki is abroad on a business trip with a friend. It’s not confirmed whom he was travelling with but we know the high possibility of who it could be, considering.
Overall, despite the small fandom, a large amount of fans also caught onto their subtext. It’s a popular - if not the most popular - pairing and receives a lot of attention in the form of fanarts / doujins / fanfictions / animatics. I have a feeling the creators have at least seen how well received the duo are. I personally haven’t seen that many ship dynamics like this with older, maturer characters particularly in horror and this one works so well, which is mostly why I find it so appealing. These two paired together would certainly be refreshing to see.
All this bases a really special friendship, but it could also be something more underneath. Like any, it’s all up to the player’s interpretation but more than enough the focus is on what they easily could be. Even if the creators were to give Yashiki a completely different love interest - or Mashita, but that feels less likely given his bristling personality - their relationship, these two tired men, for me (and for many as they were excited for their return in the sequel) makes for one of the best things to enjoy about Spirit Hunter. The first game scratches the surface of their evidence and possibility for something more.