Love overcomes daunting obstacles in Period: Cube

People are, by nature, flawed. Nobody is perfect. We each have our problems. The question is, can we overcome and learn from our mistakes? Even though we may be facing illnesses that could make loving us difficult, bad habits that frustrate anyone who would interact with us and other inadequacies, that doesn’t mean we have to shut people out and spend the rest of our lives alone. In Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~, we have multiple bachelors that prove our problems don’t have to hold us back.

Editor’s Note: Period: Cube spoilers lie ahead.

Let’s start with Astrum. In Arcadia, Astrum seems like a character who has it all together. He’s the leader of the angels and wields the legendary Divine Blade of Light. He may come across as melodramatic, but it is mainly because he is a role player who hams it up while he’s playing the game. He doesn’t hesitate to put the moves on Kazuha. What could possibly be wrong with him?

Because in real life, Astrum is Toru Asou. He’s a student at the same university as Kazuha’s elder brother and studying to become a doctor. He’s absolutely brilliant, but socially awkward. His fellow students don’t care about him; he is bullied and disrespected on a daily basis. He basically decided to live his life alone, using the MMO as his outlet, until he meets Kazuha. Her kindness encourages him to open up and give people a second chance, even when they’re frustrating.

Libera is a lazy and mischievous woman Kazuha meets in Period: Cube. She knows how to get what she wants with as little effort as possible. This doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. Rather, she’s lazy. Her confidence in herself and her appearance grants her access to some rather nice treasures and means she gets to involve herself in Kazuha’s quest to find her brother and bring the unfortunate World V problem to an end. Is using people such a crime?

It’s all because Riku Yuuki feels like he has no other recourse in real life. His body is constantly betraying him. He’s often trapped in hospitals, due to his various medical conditions. Even though others can’t help the fact they are happy or healthy, just seeing and being reminded of the things he can’t do eats away at him. Since he is rarely ever happy or well, he thinks it is fine to use others and detach. Kazuha helps him realize health conditions aren’t the obstacle he thinks they are. Even if he is unwell and unhappy due to physical issues, he can be content with someone who loves him as he is.

Then there’s Radius. When we first meet him, he’s frantically trying to save Kazuha’s life. He then ignores her and treats her horribly. The early portions of his storyline consist of him being cold to her and eschewing relationships of all kind. He prefers to be alone, detaching and facing things on his own. He seems to be a strong loner. Why would he keep away from everyone?

It is because Rei Aijou, his real world counterpart, is suffering from troubles in his real and virtual lives. In Arcadia, he watched his friends die in front of him. This left him with what appears to be post traumatic stress disorder. He also repeatedly mentions dealing with and managing his anxiety. Even though he is a famous idol, his life never goes the way he wants or expects. He seems to be constantly on edge and in a flight-or-fight mode, frustrated by others and preferring to be alone and untriggered. By bonding with Kazuha, he learns to trust; Rei realizes he doesn’t have to face the conditions he appears to be dealing with alone.

Period: Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~’ characters are all dealing with serious issues in real life. Arcadia, the game’s MMO, is an escape for them. Some of these characters are pushing people away, consciously or unconsciously, because of their conditions. As Kazuha interacts with them, they grow, open up and learn how wonderful life can be when they completely trust another person.