Shani

Shani (シャニ) is a secondary character in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 4. He joins the party in chapter 8 within the game's main story.

Role in Game
Shani is the youngest of Surya's sons. When he was eight years old he was named lord of Izumo. Since he has stayed primarily within Nakatsu Kuni, he is largely unaware of the political strife within his homeland. He vaguely knows there is a war between Tokoyo no Kuni and Nakatsu Kuni, but he doesn't concern himself with participating in it. Rather than hunt for the rebels against his empire, Shani prefers to rule a harmonious province. He frequently leaves his manor to interact with the locals and, as a result, he is the only prince who is accepted by Nakatsu Kuni residents.

Chihiro and company land in Izumo to search for the deity's sacred alter (later revealed to be Seiryu). They decide to hide their identity and pose as a traveling performance group before the lord of Izumo. They first encounter Shani giving flowers to the local ladies and he notices her. He spontaneously gives her a lotus. When he learns they are looking for the lord of the province, he returns to the manor to await their arrival. Chihiro and company are surprised to hear they have been expected, further surprised to learn Shani's profession.

Thanks to Tooya's song, the young lord is amused enough to escort them to the sacred alter. He explains that the path to the alter will be revealed during the village festival. They are missing the decorative coral for the village alter, however, so he asks Chihiro and company to retrieve it. When it is found, the once a year festival for the gods goes without a hitch. He happily presents Chihiro a reward for her trouble; she picks the Suzaku of Earth dragon gem.

After the festival, Surya and his army personally march into Izumo to capture Chihiro. Shani promises to stop the war before it begins, yet he fails to see his father before the conflict begins. As he hurries to his father's main camp, Shani sees the Black Dragon's spirit within his father's body. Though he is scared by the revelation, the young lord protests his father's conquest. Surya orders Nasatya to kill Shani for his impudence. Nasatya seemingly obeys the command and the Raja believes his youngest son has perished.

In reality, Nasatya placed Shani under a potent sleeping spell. He brings his younger brother with him to Kashihara. Shani awakes after the conflict in Kumano and asks for an explanation from Nasatya. His brother tells him of Mudgala's death, Asvin's defection, and Chihiro's true identity. Based on reports, Nasatya is aware that Chihiro is close to the capital and is manipulating a sacred deity to attack the rebels. Shocked by the knowledge, Shani decides to leave the castle to search for Chihiro. Originally, Shani thought to accept the princess as his enemy and attack her. When he sees her nearly fall into Nasatya's trap, he saves her instead. The boy admits he doesn't want to see her dead and disagrees with his father's behavior. Therefore, Shani joins Chihiro's army.

During the final and canon timeline, Shani is surprised to see Chihiro within Kashihara. Although he is skeptical of her claims to save everyone from the world's destruction, Shani decides to help her escort Tokoyo no Kuni ministers and the locals to the flying ship. He helps his brothers look through the ship's library to find a solution to the mortal world's end. Once the world is restored, Shani presumably returns to his homeland.

Personal Route
Tooya's song pleases Shani so much he declares his desire to record the event in his diary. Chihiro inquires about his habit, and he cheerfully answers he does it frequently. Shani happens to see Chihiro and Hiiragi chatting near the sacred alter with one of the Akasha in the strategist's hands. The young prince asks to see the scroll himself and is shocked when he reads it. His spirits suddenly lowered, he excuses himself.

Once Shani joins and rides within the flying ship, he investigates the library. As he suspected, the Akasha scrolls have the same exact contents as his diary. Everything he has written, in other words, becomes a reality. Revealing his mysterious power to Chihiro, the prince fears ever writing again. Rather than have him accept his fright, Chihiro encourages him to be optimistic. She inspires him to accept his power as a part of himself and to not blame himself for the bloodshed which has transpired. Believing in himself, Shani scribes a new future with the hope to make everyone happy. He wishes Chihiro luck in her battle as he stays behind at the flying ship.

His power unlocks the chance for Chihiro to save Surya's soul from the Black Dragon. With the dragon deity's departure, Tokoyo no Kuni is restored. Surya reunites with his children and Shani is glad to be thanked by his father. Overjoyed by his father's survival, Shani thanks Chihiro for everything she has done for them.

Development
During the early phases of the game's conception, Shani was originally a girl. The princess would be a sheltered contrast to Chihiro who was cherished by her older brothers. After some rewrites, the writers concluded that the female Shani shared too many parallels with Chihiro. Switching Shani's gender, they think, presents a new character dynamic for players to enjoy.

He was written to be a complete opposite of his real world namesake. The over exaggerated, ill-begotten rumors about Shani in the game are actually allusions to the mythological Shani. Ruby Party members thought it would be an amusing twist to defy the perceptions of him.

Personality
Bubbly and friendly Shani enjoys interacting with people. Shani is exceptionally popular with the young women in Izumo, as they find his antics adorable and charming. Ignorant of the bloodshed surrounding him, he is a humanistic daydreamer. He believes his older brothers can take care of every political responsibility fathomable since he is not an heir for the throne. Whenever possible, he believes in peaceful and entertaining solutions. He loves his family and idolizes his father. Both Asvin and Nasatya cherish their brother's innocence and wish to prevent his involvement in the war.

Once Shani learns the truth, he is horrified at the thought of his once noble family waging war with a peaceful country. Treasuring his time within Nakatsu Kuni, the young prince opposes his father. He is frightened by Surya's current cruelty, wondering if his father has gone mad with power. Bewildered by Nasatya's sudden coldness to him, Shani feels his home is no longer welcome to him.

The young prince took an instant fancy for Chihiro. He calls her "Sis" (お姉ちゃん, onee-chan) and favors her over her other companions. He may not like the quips he hears from Futsuhiko or Nagi, but he tolerates them if it means staying beside her. Admiring her gentle maturity, Shani honestly believes in her passionate desire to end the war.

Character Symbolism
Shani (शनि) is one of the feared devas in Hindu mythology. He rules the planet Saturn and is considered a slow moving force of destructive darkness. Saturn is often associated with ill fortune or unawareness, thus extending to Shani's reputation as a dark deity. Born as one of Surya's sons during an eclipse, he is the elder brother to Yama. Like Yama, Shani judges a soul. He performs his judgments during a person's life, severely punishing crimes and luxuriously rewarding good deeds.

His symbolic color is seiji-iro, which is literally translated as "blue porcelain". It is a color is named after tinted porcelain from China, a cultural value which started in either the Tang Dynasty or the Song Dynasty. Eventually, the porcelain was exported throughout East Asia and largely kept its namesake intact in every culture. The Court of Japan valued the pottery and decorative items created with the tint, and it became a cultural fad during the Edo period.

Amacha, a type of Japanese hydrangea, acts as his symbolic flower. Its young leaves are reportedly sweet and perfect to use in flowering teas; its sweetness argued to be its literal namesake. The flower is famous for being associated with the flower festival for Buddha's birthday (April 8th in the old lunar calendar). Buddha is said to have picked the amacha out of hundreds of blossoms, walked seven steps, and raised his right hand to bless the land. Amacha is often seen adorning Buddha status within shrines or temples when it's in bloom. To honor the story, the flower means celebration within the flower language.

Quotes

 * "Welcome to my Izumo! I'm the lord, Young Lightning Shani! Are you surprised?"
 * "Even the flowers are happy to be here with everyone."
 * "I really love seeing smiles on pretty people like you, Sis."
 * "Anything that moves my heart is written into my diary. Happy things or sad things, everything. I'll write about the Tsuchigumo's song too! It would be nice to have him sing for the festival."
 * "Father, stop! What are you doing to my country?"
 * "Sis, I don't want to see you hurt. I'll do my best by your side!"
 * "Oh, I get it. You're too nervous to sleep. (giggles) I was like that too when I first moved to Izumo. But everyone cheered me up a lot up so the trip wasn't hard. I'm talking about my brothers... and Father..."
 * "Ugh, it's him again. I'm not up to dealing with you right now. Listen, kid. Just go back to your home."
 * "... Sis, why are you traveling with someone like him? I wouldn't be able to stand him for a day."
 * "S-Sorry. Nagi doesn't mean to sound that way."
 * "Hmm, I don't like him one bit. But it's okay. If Sis says so, then I'll forgive you! ❤"
 * "This brat..."
 * Nagi, Shani, and Chihiro

Special Ability
When Chihiro summons him in battle, Shani can change an enemy's attack to be a normal attack. This skill is especially useful as it can even affect all the bosses in the game. It can negate their otherwise devastating group spells to be their comparatively weaker normal attack. A team of characters with the Counter ability can abuse this summon to their advantage.