Today I want to talk about Kai and her hair. Kai has black and white hair that, if left natural, would go down to her waist. Admittedly, this is based on chibi proportions, and may be inaccurate, but her sprite doesn't immediately reject this potential length. Kai, however, is a special case, since her hair splits in a way that makes it look "cracked", her twintails caught at the end of these said cracks. Could such a schism just be superficial, or is there something that happened as to cause this to be permanent? Naturally, this requires more thorough inspection... So today, I want to talk about Kai.
Shintani Kai has quite a striking appearance. But what color would describe her the best? First, there is black, or the yin side of things. Her qipao, thigh-highs, heels and gloves are this, as is her eyes, eyebrows and exterior of her halo. Yin is typically known as the negative half, the one in darkness. In terms of her hair, this would make sense for her dark side to be on the left. Back in Eri’s entry, I went into much greater detail, but to summarize, since most of the world is right-handed, the right hand became known as the “proper” hand to interact with the world, the left being known as the “sinister” hand with which shady actions would be done. In that, it could be claimed that Kai’s insides are in the darkness, and she does acknowledge that this may be the case. This side of her has its other half in another student: Saya. A certain momotalk notwithstanding, Saya would be the other side of this coin Kai is on. They’re both pursuing the same goal, but the extents to which they believe the ends justify the means is where they face different directions. Kai would readily stop at nothing to achieve this goal, not caring about what happens along the way, while Saya acknowledges that if she achieves her goal, but nobody is around to enjoy said goal, then it’s a prize with no value.
Naturally, where there is yin, there is yang, and this is would be the color white. Her labcoat, the right side of her hair, the tag on her left ear that’s similar to an earring and the rings in her eyes (her iris as well) is this. While it could be argued that this may not amount to as much as her other half, that would miss the point that the actions that define her were done wearing that same coat. It is her belief in her goal being worth it that makes her whole, and is a tragic end result of the phrase “the road to hell is paved with good intent”. Perhaps she found herself at a crossroads in experimentation, and she chose the path that would get her as close as possible as fast as possible, consequences be damned, Shanhaijing be damned., This side of her, this drive derived from others’ detriment, is her light side, and while it might be misguided, she just needs to know what the right direction is for her experiments. That direction would be for the people of Shanhaijing as a whole, which is where this side’s other half reveals itself in Kisaki. And, as all else is in balance, this is a more clear-cut example compared to the hazy example with Saya. Kai would put her goals before Shanhaijing, while Kisaki would put Shanhaijing before her health.
There’s one last interaction that Kai manages to find herself in, that being with the Plum Blossom Garden, though it’s arguably a third option compared to the Sunohara sisters. Shun thinks fondly on her past, and finds growing older an inconvenient truth, while Kokona thinks fondly of her superiors, and finds her not being taken seriously enough because of her tender age insulting. Kai simply wishes to stop the clock. A convenient answer that would go against the current truth, and let a concept like physical appearance mean nothing. It could be seen as a third answer to the issues the sisters face, but is similarly rebuked by both. Shun acknowledges this inconvenient truth means she can be there for the others when it’s needed, and Kokona, while she might not admit it, acknowledges that there is value gained in being so young.
Which brings me back to yin-yang. Or, more accurately, Taiji: the joining of these opposites, and acknowledging the dark with the light, the light with the dark. The goal of eternal life is, perhaps, the ultimate goal in wanting nobody to die, the idea that nobody has to die… And yet, people suffer for such a goal. Is a permanent life of suffering worth living? The counterbalance, then, is Kai creating an agent that causes students to be as old as Kokona. It was intended as an attack on Shanhaijing and was treated as such, yes… But it may be close to what Kai is looking for. This is how it all comes together. Perhaps her twintails are tied like that because they really are unable to touch one another from a previous experiment, but there’s still some white in the black/black in the white. And in that balance, and in Kai’s own acknowledgment that she may have gone too far, is the ability to walk it back, and try to build something that, while it may not be eternal life, will last a life time.
That is why I believe in Kai. Her halo may look thorny and black, but inside is a golden core, and as a whole, it can be seen as a sun. I’ll believe in her future.
When it comes to Kai, her hair is hard to evaluate in much the same manner as Saya’s. It might be ridiculous to claim, but I think Kai might have engineered something for her hair at least once. That might be why it’s so divided, looking young and old, chaotic and orderly, black and white. And yet, I can’t help but imagine her hair would feel softer than a cloud if I ran my fingers through it. Which is why the scent being a bit chemical is the strangest part, but perhaps fits. Maybe the opposite is true, and her hair has a heavenly scent like peaches, but is deceptively rough. Or perhaps both is true. It’s impossible to tell with Kai.
Link to previous entries (assuming I don’t forget):
https://rentry.org/hair_archive