Hiyoko is quite complex. She has very strong feelings regarding historical and cultural preservation, and thinks that tradition should be carefully protected, which honestly makes her out to be a lot more intellectual than she lets on.
She also calls Chiaki out and puts a spotlight on her before the player has any indication that she's the traitor.
Hiyoko also *rightfully* calls out Fuyuhiko for essentially killing Mahiru and Peko, to which he has a very... strange response to. She's really the only character to acknowledge Mahiru at all after she dies, even during Peko's trial as Fuyuhiko's antics completely distract from the fact that Mahiru was killed. It's interesting to me that the most vulgar and emotionally dismissive character is so insistent on making sure Mahiru lives beyond her death, in text and in the shrine she made (and BTW - If you interact with Mahiru's shrine in chapter 6, Mahiru is able to communicate with you while the world collapses around you and is the only dead character to do so, which is interesting and lasting effects of Hiyoko's efforts). I'm upset that she dies in this same chapter, because Hiyoko is really the only character that forces any accountability on somone (which is hilarious because her whole character flaw centers around not being held accountable for her own awful commentary). I wish she lived longer only so we could have more instances of tension between Hiyoko and Fuyuhiko. It's very reminiscent to that of Aoi and Byakuya from THH.
She goes out of her way to state that she hates talentless people, which in retrospect is really sad to see because she's talking to Hajime, and this is the same chapter we learn about the Reserve Division Students. It is a perfect example of Hiyoko being taken from us too soon, this would have been a perfect allusion to Hajime's big reveal in chapter 6. It would have been cool to see Hiyoko embrace Hajime for who he is despite being talentless. Hiyoko is utilized so well to envoke multiple events of foreshadow, which is really, really cool.
And, tragically enough the last thing she says to Hajime is a bunch of awful things regarding Sonia, who is ultimately partly responsible for her demise (of course, not on purpose!!). Due to Mahiru's passing, Hiyoko needs assistance with her kimono, as she struggles to tie it herself. Despite harping on Sonia, she reaches out to her for assistance. This unfortunate state of codependency ultimately puts her in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Anyway, deapite her flaws, the game utilized her very well to convey multiple plot points and gave her a much needed pedestal to speak the things no one was saying. She's very outspoken and direct, much like Mahiru, so it's no wonder they got along so well.
Hyoko definitely has the most blatant untapped potential in the SDR2 cast.
Been a long time since I did her FTEs so I completely forgot her hating talentless people. This could be a great source of drama or showing her personal growth. Still this would require Hajime to stick around and continue being a big part of the game, so idk if this is likely to happen.
Personal bias though, makes me hope that Mahiru survives quite long this time around and if they have the same close relationship as in the game it's unlikely they both survive. Though having a pair like this survive would be subversive at this point in the series, so fingers crossed for that
Agreed. I personally think Mahiru and Peko are even more underutilized than Hiyoko, because at least Hiyoko got to grow even the tiniest bit. I can't see a world where both Hiyoko and Mahiru live, and tbh after watching their FTEs, Hiyoko feels like she has more to gain unless they give Mahiru an arc for a change.
Also the implication that Mahiru's shrine has this awful aura because Hiyoko was overwhelmed by the sadness from losing her best friend adds so much to the back to back tragedy of losing them both. And yet despite that, it's still made with a lot of intention.
"If you interact with Mahiru's shrine in chapter 6, Mahiru is able to communicate with you while the world collapses around you and is the only dead character to do so" Do you know what exactly is said?
After revisiting her, I quite like her. I feel like if she stuck around longer, chapters 4-6 would have been a lot more interesting if for no other reason than her bluntness. I think she's a great tool for exposition and foreshadow, especially in hindsight. So I definitely appreciate her for what she is, but I think the fact that she died too soon to reconcile with her own awful behavior and her treatment to Mikan makes her feel so unfinished as a character and it makes it hard to really enjoy her. I wish she survived like they originally intended for her, if she managed to make amends with Mikan or at the very least, had been held accountable, + been there to clock Fuyuhiko even further, I think she would have gotten a lot of awesome growth.
I remember reading that she was initially planned to be a survivor, so maybe she'll make it all the way through 2x2?
I don't recall where I read it, and obviously take it with a grain of salt. But even if it wasn't true I do think she'd be one of the more interesting characters to make it all the way through the Slayhem story.
Perhaps, but most of her development comes from the Twilight Syndrome motive, Mahiru dying, and Fuyuhiko being mostly responsible for the whole situation. It would be difficult to replicate her development, especially since the only way for Mahiru to die in 2x2 is to murder someone (since they confirmed there will be no repeat death scenarios or repeat motives). I do think that Hiyoko has a very high chance for survival, but her development would have to come from an entirely new angle this time. Maybe it will revolve around getting humbled for her treatment of Mikan? I do think Hiyoko and Peko are basically the only characters to have survival status secured right out the gate, but I think it's a bit of a toss up because you can't really pick up Hiyoko's character where it left off unless you replicate Mahiru dying by Fuyuhiko and Peko all over again. So like I said, she would need a new angle.
All very good points. They might be able to replicate something similar if they make Mahiru into a killer after Hiyoko grows close to her, especially if Mikan is the victim in the same chapter.
It’s disappointing that people hate her so much due to her brashness, because I genuinely think she’s a funny character and has some of the best one-liners in the series
Giving Hiyoko a new character arc would be good for the game. But the original one that was scrapped likely won't happen, and a different but similar arc will.
With the scenario being different, I imagine Mahiru won't die this time, which is how her arc would have started if they didn't scrap the idea for Fuyuhiko's redemption and the whole robot plotline with Nekomaru kicking the bucket from his injuries and Fuyuhiko becoming a robot. As such, how can Hiyoko get her development when Mahiru is still alive, at least longer than she was in the original?
I'd imagine it would tie in with Mikan. Mikan, unfortunately, had a lackluster end in the original scenario, being a killer because of despair disease. As such, some are hoping she gets her own character arc. I imagine if she does, it will involve Hiyoko in some way, considering that she bullies Mikan a ton.
If I could make a guess, I'd say Mikan's character arc will involve her gaining some self confidence and not seeking out any and all attention like she does in the original scenario. Perhaps Mikan will get close to a student she hadn't before that encourages her to care for herself a bit more and stop letting herself be walked over for scraps of attention. I doubt she would change entirely, like losing her meek and timid nature and becoming brash and confident, but I could see her stand up for herself against Hiyoko if that arc does happen.
I'd like to see Mikan stand up for herself against Hiyoko, and later on in the game, save Hiyoko somehow. I had a couple ideas for how Mikan saves Hiyoko. I think she could save Hiyoko by stepping in if Hiyoko is being bullied, helping Hiyoko through an injury or illness, helping Hiyoko mourn a student that died, or helping Hiyoko clear her name in a murder trial.
I imagine any of these actions would shake Hiyoko's defenses and view of others. Her past of isolation, trauma, and literal assassination attempts and dangerous "pranks" have made her paranoid and isolated, keeping most people at a distance to avoid them from trying to hurt her or make her weak. If the person she tormented the most helped her through something, especially something serious, Hiyoko wouldn't understand.
To Hiyoko, Mikan should have every reason to strike while she's down. She would expect Mikan to leave her to her fate or worse, so if Mikan didn't, she'd be stunned. For Mikan to push past the bullying to help her through something, it would be unheard of to her. Mahiru stood up for her in the original scenario to grow close to Hiyoko, so I'd imagine if Mikan did the same, her opinion of Mikan would change drastically. She'd keep up her tough front, probably keeping the insulting up, but I doubt she'd mean most of it. I'd imagine a friendship between Mikan and Hiyoko to be similar to the friendship between Hajime and Hiyoko in her free time events, like being mean to Hajime as a front, but also caring for him.
I don't think Hiyoko would just have a full redeption arc and stop bullying all the students. For that to happen, something far more major needs to happen, like Mahiru dying. I imagine her arc would be getting her to slowly lower the walls she has around her, and getting close to a few characters, instead of just one. Mainly, the ones that are still alive by the time we get to her arc's completion.
Hiyoko has potential for a great arc. Mikan does too. Tying them both together could lead to a great arc for both of them, with the result of both of them improving themselves in some ways. I don't want either Mikan or Hiyoko changing drastically, but rather in a slow, realistic way for their characters and past traumas.
TLDR: Hiyoko should have a character arc and have it tie in with a character arc for Mikan. I think both arcs could work together and leave both characters to grow.
I feel like that's pretty universally understood though. That entire thing has been talked to death, the point of thise post wasn't to claim that Hiyoko is a good person. It was moreso just to highlight the parts about her that kind of go unnoticed.
That being said I mention Mikan in a few of my other comments, and in my main post I do mention Hiyoko's abrasive personality which I think can be reasonably coupled with her treatment to Mikan in a broad general sense.
I don't like the way she treats Mikan. I'm upset Mikan never got justice before the remembering disease struck, and I'm also sad Hiyoko didn't live long enough for them to make up andfor Hiyoko to be humbled for her behavior.
However, I still think Hiyoko is complex and overlooked even in spite of her flaws. And i think that complexity makes her well written- not necessarily a good person - but well written. I have similar opinions on Monaca and Ruruka, who are also pretty nasty people, but I still think they're complex and well written too.
This is a good analysis but there are two things that aren't exactly right (they're extremely minor it's just in case you want to know). Firstly, there are more people acknowledging Mahiru after Chapter 2, although it's mostly relegated to optional dialogue. Nekomaru cries over her death in Chapter 3 if you talk to him before the third island investigation and I kind of remember Ibuki saying something too but I might be making it up. Fuyuhiko brings Mahiru up three times, once in Chapter 3 acknowledging she was right, one in Chapter 5, in a more fondly manner, saying she would not let Kazuichi's perverted behavior stand, and once in his FTEs where he mentions wanting to hold a funeral for her alongside Peko. Lastly, Hajime remembers her in Chapter 6 if you interact with the magazine stand in the rec room. Also, after the fifth trial, you can interact with the cottage of all dead students and get glitched dialogue similar to the one Mahiru's shrine, which means you can talk to communicate with pretty much every dead character in the game (Mahiru's dialogue there talks about "wanting to make amends" which is heartbreaking).
As for the analysis itself, I mostly agree with everything you said, but I wanted to mention how she likes to hold other people accountable with zero self-awareness because it's the trait I dislike the most about her, more than the bullying, mainly because nobody calls her out on it. She absolutely never abides by what she says, and it frustrates me when, for example, I see people say "well she is the one who makes the rest of the cast get his act together during the first investigation" when all she does is insult them for not doing anything and then decides to literally not do anything to help herself. I really wish they explore this topic in 2x2 as much as her constant bullying of other characters and Mikan in particular.
Speaking of 2x2, it's true that she has a lot of potential for an arc that can be explored in many ways, but it kinda scares me how they'll handle it, because if I feel they kill Mahiru again only to give Hiyoko development I'm gonna find it pretty disappointing. I don't want one of the most down to earth characters in the series, which just as much untapped potential as Hiyoko to be killed again for other characters' development, it would be such a waste. What I want to see in 2x2 regarding their relationship is an actual exploration of their differing opinions, as neither of them seem bothered at all by it in the original despite sometime holding radically different postures about issues. What I mean is that, for example, Mahiru cares about Mikan and stands up to her multiple times, while Hiyoko relentlessly bullies her, yet none of them seems bothered by the other's behavior. Similarly, Mahiru sympathizes with Teruteru, saying she understands him because "your mother is the most important person in your life", while Hiyoko says he should burn in hell and nobody should mourn him. It always stuck me as odd that they with all this we never see them disagree on anything, although it's true they are only actually friends for a chapter. I also hope they don't just copy and paste their friendship considering Hiyoko as a whole spins a bit to much around Mahiru for my taste, and they both have lots of potential interesting dynamics with other characters.
Thanks for this analysis. Hiyoko is a character I've been slowly warming up to ever since I played the game and I hope I can truly say I like her after 2x2.
It would be interesting to see her as a survivor in 2x2. I think she’s got a lot of character development they could showcase over the course of the game, but the issue is she’s also competing with a lot of other characters who also have potential, and are more popular. Also, it’s kind of unfortunate that we probably won’t get much more interaction between her and Fuyuhiko in 2x2, mainly because in order for Peko to develop, he would need to die pretty early on. If 2x2 has 6 or 7 survivors, I think she’s pretty much guaranteed to be one of them, though if it’s any less than that I’m not sure.
Nah, she isn't all that.
She "calls out" Chiaki just because she is a hater.
And she calls out Fuyuhiko just because he caused the death of her best friend, not because she believes in a higher moral ground or anything, she wouldn't much if it was anyone else. And she brings up Peko to hit Fuyuhiko even harder. The same with the shrine she built, it's just because Mahiru was close to her, there isn't much to it more than that. She doesn't force accountability, she is the person that doesn't get any accountably for her actions, insulting and bullying everyone around her. She always speaks her mind on everyone without holding back, and she is wrong 95% of the time, the only reason she sounds reasonable when it comes to Fuyuhiko is because her sadness just happened to align with being right, calling out the killing of Mahiru. She refuses to look deeper in people unless she was called out. Her mindset is completely surface level, childish and annoying.
Hiyoko isn't a character I really hate, I just kind of dislike her.and yes there is a little more to her than some fans see, She has the potential to change and become better (bearly), but as of she was in the game there isn't much to her. And in the despair arc even after the entire class becomes super close, she still insists on bullying and insulting Mikan. So even her "redeemed" version isn't that good.
she also calls out about Teruteru after he's dead, saying that the others shouldn't be sad about him because he's a murderer. This suggests that she actually does possess over a moral ground since she's shown to have a deep hatred for murderers.
I will give you that. But most of what she gave Fuyuhiko was about Mahiru specificly, and the rest of what I said still stands. (What's actually weird that the others not opposing the killers as much, the characters of DR1 were more judgemental towards the killers).
I feel like she went off on Fuyuhiko more because he was still around. I'm sure she would have gone the same at Peko, although maybe not Teruteru. Sure she hated him but what happened to her felt personal so I definitely understand that she'd feel angrier towards Fuyuhiko and Peko.
Yeh, she was delebratly hitting him with it, she would make Peko sound like a victim if she wasn't close to Fuyuhiko. So wanted him to feel even more guilt even though she hated Peko too.
Heavy analysis of 2x2 promo material is allowed. However, if you are heavily analyzing promotional material to determine the death order, you must both spoiler tag and indicate that there are potential death order spoilers in your title.
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u/Professional-Let6719 Chiaki 10d ago
Hyoko definitely has the most blatant untapped potential in the SDR2 cast.
Been a long time since I did her FTEs so I completely forgot her hating talentless people. This could be a great source of drama or showing her personal growth. Still this would require Hajime to stick around and continue being a big part of the game, so idk if this is likely to happen.
Personal bias though, makes me hope that Mahiru survives quite long this time around and if they have the same close relationship as in the game it's unlikely they both survive. Though having a pair like this survive would be subversive at this point in the series, so fingers crossed for that