For the manga, please go to Yoshio Akamatsu (Manga). For the film, please go to Yoshio Akamatsu (Film).
Backstory[]
Yoshio Akamatsu (赤松 義生, Akamatsu Yoshio) was the biggest kid in the class, but was also very timid. Because of his nature, he was often the target of pranks and insults. He enjoyed playing video games. He wasn't good in sports as he couldn't catch a fly ball nor could he run a full lap around the track, he basically was bumbling through gym class.
Appearance[]
Yoshio was described as being 180 centimeters tall, and weighed 90 kilograms, so he was the biggest kid in the class.
Friends and Enemies[]
It is not known whom Yoshio was close to, although one of his enemies was Ryuhei Sasagawa who enjoyed picking on him. Yoshio mentioned that whenever this happened, everyone would look away.
In the Program[]
Yoshio was the first one to be called out to leave the school. As he got up, Yoshio held onto his overnight bag and staggered to his feet. He received his day pack from the soldiers and when he stood at the door, he looked back at his classmates with a terrified face and then vanished. As he ran, it is described that he could be heard falling once but quickly got up and dashed off.
As the first one out, Yoshio ran off to a small shack and opened his day pack to find that his weapon was a bow gun. He remembered how some of his classmates treated him and started to fear that they would kill him as he was used to being bullied back at school. Yoshio made his way back to the school and went up a ladder by the side of the building in order to reach the roof. As he was doing this, he lost his chance to attack both Takako Chigusa and Sho Tsukioka. The next one to come out was Mayumi Tendo. Yoshio aimed his bow gun and fired at her back, which killed her. Yoshio knew what he did was wrong, but he simply did not want to die and felt like he was surrounded by a swarm of assassins.
The next person to come out was Shuya Nanahara but because he stopped himself from taking one more step, Yoshio missed and the arrow only whizzed by Shuya's eyes. Shuya snatched up the arrow as Yoshio pointed his weapon at him. Shuya then threw the arrow at him, which caused Yoshio to groan, holding his face and falling off the roof. He laid face down and was unconscious.
When Yoshio awoke, he started to remember that he was in the program and searched for his weapon but then he felt a blow against his neck and fell forward. Yoshio was shot by Kazushi Niida who took Yoshio's weapon and fired an arrow at his neck.
Etymology[]
- The name Yoshio means "righteous" (義) (yoshi), and "hero, manly" (生) (o)
- Yoshio's surname Akamatsu means "red" (赤) (aka), and "pine tree, fir tree" (松) (matsu)
Trivia[]
- Yoshio was the first student to have played the game.
- Yoshio was the first student to die that killed someone.
- Yoshio was one of three males to kill a female in the program. The others are Kazuo Kiriyama and Toshinori Oda.
- Yoshio is one of the three students that died by their own assigned weapon. The other two are Tatsumichi Oki and Yoshimi Yahagi.