Shackles of hell

Hello anon, I am here to deliver :D I've been thinking of this for so long it's actually ridiculous. I'll give you Theatre Kid!Karamatsu and then some!!

I'd like to think that Karamatsu's always been a huge westaboo, considering how much he says shit in English and French in official media. So within the context of a Japanese high school, he's a bit strange for having western musicals as his special interest.

I can see him as a huge poetry nerd, and although he enjoys the process of writing poetry and prose, he's not really all that into thematic analysis. He writes what sounds good to him based on the works he's consumed, but there's not a lot of thought put into it outside of trying to convey "a feeling" prettily or flashily, depending on what he's going for at the time.

This same logic applies to the media--and by extension, musicals--he likes. He's seen classics such as Les Miserábles, Miss Saigon, Singin' in the Rain, and Rent, but apart from picking out surface level themes and character dynamics, he struggles to understand more underlying conflicts and topics of exploration. It's something he's a bit insecure about but that doesn't stop him from gushing about them around his brothers.

He's always loved watching sappy romances and action adventures with huge, hunky actors, and poor 18!Karamatsu can't really tell if he wants them or want to be them. So when the option to join the drama club comes up, he takes it.

Considering my interpretation that he has self-esteem issues, I think he'd initially be onboard as a script writer or someone in prop/stage design. It's only when he watches his peers act that he realises he wants to do that too, no matter how embarrassing it may be.

So he takes the chance to audition for their next production. He doesn't have high hopes, but he memorises the script as best as he can, and steels his nerves before its his turn. He's surprised when a week later, he's been given a non-speaking role as Tree #2, which he's ecstatic about.

I really think that he's the type of theatre kid who's a bit meek, but always gives 110% for his part. He's definitely the type to go on vocal rest for an ensemble role, but he's very lovely to work with. The only downside is that he'd always get nervous about acting "too much like a diva" (he really isn't) whenever he's in the limelight (which never happens).

Still, I think he likely thrived with a friend group from his drama club, and exposure to likeminded people helped him become more confident in himself, even if part of it is just faking it 'til you make it. His friends are likely fellow geeks who accept his love for musicals, and hell, maybe they even managed to convince their facilitator to let them put on Hairspray for one of their semestral shows, and Karamatsu is torn between auditioning for Tracy or Link's role lol

As an adult, he would 100% hate on Hamilton and Epic: The Musical when it was new despite bingelistening the tracks, and will only turn around a few years later to say he's loved the emotion and passion in each of their songs since he first heard them. His new favourite is definitely Hadestown, and although he recognises that The Greatest Showman is a dumpsterfire, he's a huge sucker for romantic plotlines.

(I also think on a day when Ichimatsu was feeling particularly charitable, Karamatsu (who had never seen it at this point) forced him to watch Hadestown together, not knowing what it was about. He likely thought it would be edgy and fitting for Ichimatsu, so in wanting to repair their relationship, tried to get him to enjoy something in common. By the end of the show they're both sobbing. Neither of them mention it the next day.)