Matsutaro Yoshimatsu (
Biography[]
Early life[]
Matsutaro was from Yokohama.[2] He attended the same school as Rika, who was president of their class. She constantly scolded Matsutaro. They began dating at some point.[3]
Young adulthood[]
After high school, Matsutaro had aspirations to become an artist and applied to an art college. However, he lost confidence after being rejected and began working odd-jobs.[2]
Fishing village[]
Rika gradually became frustrated with Matsutaro for essentially "running" from his problems. Her frustrations came to a head when they went for a trip to a small fishing village.[2] She yelled "I can't put up with you any longer" and left him there.[3] Matsutaro then decided to wait for her to return. He stayed at a boardinghouse and worked part-time at a grilled corn stand. The villagers called him a "no-account or good-for-nothing," though it did not seem to bother him.[2] Some months later, Matsutaro became intoxicated and went surfing. He met a girl, Tsukushi Makino, whom resembled Rika and grabbed her, though she managed to get away. The next day, his boss introduced him to Tsukushi, his new coworker. Matsutaro had no recollection of the previous night.[3]
At the grilled corn stand, Matsutaro often left most of the work to her. One morning, he was asking her questions about herself, including if she was the fiancée of a rich man. He then showed her an article about Domyoji Group and casually asked why she was not going back to him. Tsukushi snapped saying his girlfriend left him because he "did nothing all day." Matsutaro immediately left. Later that night, he was surfing when Tsukushi walked up and apologized.[4] The following day after work, Matsutaro invited Tsukushi to the boardinghouse he was staying at. He showed her an art piece he had finished. She did not have a particular opinion on it, but was "impressed" that he had something he liked to do. He then revealed that his dream was to study art in Rome and encouraged her to follow her own dream.[2]
The next day, Matsutaro greeted Tsukushi excitedly after hearing about Tsukasa Domyoji and Rui Hanazawa coming to the village. He introduced himself to both of the guys, before declaring "Let's have a farewell party for Tsukune!" They then all sat at the beach drinking and talking.[5] Matsutaro said that he would be lonely without Tsukushi there, but was glad she was getting her "happy ending" with Tsukasa. However, both parties revealed that their relationship was completely over. Matsutaro was in disbelief at first, which quickly turned to frustration. The other two guys left, before he yelled at Tsukushi "If you insist on being stubborn things are really going to end for you!" She remained firm in her decision. After saying goodbye to Tsukushi, Matsutaro was reunited with Rika who jumped into his arms.[6]
Pursuing his dream[]
- Interviewer: "I see. It's very unusual. Did you come to Italy to study this?"
- Matsutaro: "Well, they do say that Italy is synonymous with art, right? I won an award and I'm just stunned."
- — Matstuaro being interviewed for television[src]
Matsutaro and Rika went to Italy together in order for him to pursue his dreams. While studying art, he was discovered by a master artist, Michael Giorginio. Matsutaro continued working on his wirework and eventually won an award for one of his pieces. He was interviewed on television for his work, which was broadcast in Japan. During this time, Matsutaro and Rika became engaged.[1]
Physical appearance[]
Tsukushi described Matsutaro as "tall [and] sort-of good looking".[3] He had long, dark hair that reached his shoulders, a stereotypical feature of surfers. Matsutaro also had downturned eyes and thick, dark eyebrows. He was shown wearing mostly long-sleeved shirts, jackets, and pants due to the winter climate of the village at the time. Otherwise, Matsutaro wore his wetsuit while surfing.
Personality and traits[]
After meeting Matsutaro, Tsukushi described him as "like Rui Hanazawa with an extra screw loose."[3] He was a creative person, who had big dreams of becoming an artist and studying in Rome. Matsutaro usually daydreamed or enjoyed the weather, instead of working. Because of this habit, he was often scolded by people like Rika or Tsukushi whom were both able to keep him in line. He was a surprisingly insightful person, being able to bluntly point out what Tsukushi needed to do. His eccentric personality made it hard for certain people to like him. He was even considered an a "no account" by most of the residents of the fishing village. Matsutaro also enjoyed surfing.
Behind the scenes[]
Character notes
- Matsutaro first appears in chapter one hundred and forty-two of Boys Over Flowers.
Portrayals
- Wallace Chung portrays Matsutaro, renamed Ah Song, in two episodes of Meteor Garden (2001). Chung's portrayal is also Matsutaro's only appearance in any adaptation. Ah Song's personality is kept the same from the manga. He is an artist waiting for his girlfriend, Ah Xiang (Rika), to return to him. There are some small differences like his short hair and that he likes diving instead of surfing.
Appearances[]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 236, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Chapter 145, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chapter 143, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ Chapter 144, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ Chapter 147, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ Chapter 148, Boys Over Flowers
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Boys Over Flowers Color Edition, Hana Yori Dango (app)
See also[]