Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni/Characters

The cast of Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni and associated tropes. Beware of spoilers from the first episode onward.

Marie Moriya / Mesomeso
Marie is a hopeless girl who is harassed by everyone in her class and abused by her homeroom teacher. While despairing over her troubles in the bathroom of the old school building where she regularly meets her teacher for "supplementary lessons", she accidentally starts the rumor of a youkai named Mesomeso who haunts the bathroom. Higanbana gives her the chance to actually become Mesomeso, which she does after being strangled to death by her teacher. Instead of seeking revenge, however, Marie uses her newfound status to help other bullied students in her school.


 * All of the Other Reindeer
 * Badass Adorable: After becoming a youkai.
 * Took a Level In Badass
 * Break the Cutie: Though she's already broken by the time the story begins.
 * Byronic Hero
 * Death By Origin Story: The first story involves her own death and rebirth as a youkai.
 * : After being abused by Kanamori for god knows how long,.
 * Hair Decorations: A bunny clip in the visual novel.
 * Kill the Cutie
 * Meaningful Name: Her youkai nickname is taken from the Japanese phrase meso meso, which is the sound one makes while weeping and sobbing.
 * Meganekko
 * The Glasses Come Off: Youkai!Marie. Manga-only.
 * My Death Is Just the Beginning: A Heroic variant that kicks the plot into overdrive.
 * The Red Baron: Mesomeso
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Blue to Higanbana's red.
 * She Knows Too Much: The reason why Kanamori kills her.
 * Secret Test of Character: She and Kanamori were teleported to the bathroom to see who was capable of becoming Mesomeso.
 * Sixth Ranger: Introducing Mesomeso, the eighth of the seven school youkai.
 * Youkai

Higanbana
Higanbana is ranked third among the seven major youkai who haunt the school, also known as the "Dancing Higanbana". She often takes the form of a doll that sits on one of the shelves in the school infirmary, and is rumored to dance around in the middle of the night. She forms an Odd Couple with Marie after she effortlessly starts the rumor of Mesomeso, opening a spot for an eighth youkai.


 * Anti-Hero: Type IV at her best, Type V at her worst.
 * Bad Samaritan: It's part of her nature as a youkai. She may seem to help people, but she really just wants to eat them in the end. The only real exception to this is Marie, especially after she becomes a youkai, though she openly states that she would've eaten Marie if she hadn't.
 * Break the Haughty: Played for Laughs in "Welcome to the Mirror World". Higanbana gets into a fight with Marie's Mirror Universe counterpart Geragera, who is ranked first among the youkai in the mirror world. By the end of their fight, the once-haughty Higanbana is turned into Geragera's sniveling errand-girl, and even continues to act this way when she meets the real Marie afterward.
 * Catch Phrase: "It's a pity."
 * Creepy Doll: Likes to take this form. Her true form resembles a doll as well.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * I'm a Humanitarian: Just like any other youkai.
 * Kick the Dog/Kick the Son of a Bitch: It doesn't matter who or how she kicks. She just likes to do it a lot.
 * Lack of Empathy: She curses and kills humans without a second thought, and she could really care less about her fellow youkai. The only person she even remotely cares for is Marie, if only because she's interested in her capabilities as a youkai.
 * Pet the Dog: Letting 's ghost go to Heaven in "One Girl's Day". She's even stated to have done it on a whim.
 * Psychotic Smirk
 * The Red Baron: The Dancing Higanbana
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to Marie's blue.
 * Smug Snake
 * Telepathy: One of her youkai powers.

Youkai
Youkai are ghost-like creatures who are responsible for mysterious phenomena that occur within the school. Whenever someone gets mysteriously injured or suddenly becomes misfortunate, a youkai is usually the one responsible. The youkai have their own hierarchy based around the school's mysteries, which are caused by the top seven youkai (well, eight counting Mesomeso). Besides these youkai, there are numerous other youkai who try to contend for spots in the hierarchy.


 * Bad Samaritan
 * I'm a Humanitarian: Most youkai love to eat humans and devour their souls. They particularly like to prey on children, especially those who lose their will to live.
 * The Red Baron: Every youkai has at least some sort of title relating to the mystery they represent. Some of their names are their titles.
 * The Seven Mysteries: Each of the school's youkai is responsible for one. The start of the story, though, features the creation of an eighth...
 * Telepathy: They tend to respond to questions and comments that other characters think to themselves.
 * Youkai: Duh.
 * Your Soul Is Mine: Type 2B.

The Headmaster
The highest ranked youkai in the school. He is said to emerge from one of the pictures in the school principal's office, and eats anyone he happens across.


 * Beware the Nice Ones: He's said to be a gentle guy most of the time, but he is absolutely terrifying the rest of the time.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 * Eyes Always Shut: But when he does open them, you know something scary is going to happen.
 * Prophet Eyes
 * High-Class Glass: The VN adds a creepy red eye insignia on his monocle. If it even is an insignia...
 * Nice Hat
 * The Patriarch
 * Pet the Dog:

Black Tea Gentleman
The Headmaster's right-hand man, also known as the Vice-Principal, unofficially ranked second among the school youkai. He is never seen without a fully-prepared tea set. He makes contracts with humans by offering them his power to in exchange for a small portion of their souls. He is currently contracted with Midori Kusunoki.


 * Above Good and Evil
 * The Dragon: To the Headmaster.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 * Eyes Always Shut
 * The Unfettered
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist:
 * Wicked Cultured
 * The Unfettered
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist:
 * Wicked Cultured

Izanami
The second ranked youkai, also known as the "Shinigami of the 13 Stairs". If a human steps on the 13th stair, he forces them into playing a game of tag each day, where if the human ever stops running, they are dumped straight into hell. Granted, if the human can last 49 days of this, they will be free but...

Azami
The fourth ranked youkai, also known as "Azami the Vengeful". Using her magical azamis, she can turn bullied kids into bullies themselves.

Kyou
The fifth ranked youkai, also known as "Kyou of the Mirror".

Renoir
The sixth ranked youkai, also known as "Renoir of the Art Room". He spends most of his time sleeping within portraits in the art room, but every once in a while awakens to eat. If a human breaks one of the rules regarding Renoir (borrowing a brush from Renoir, giving an incorrect answer as to the artist of one of the portraits in the room, or lying at all during a conversation with Renoir) they are sucked into a portrait where they are doomed to live forever.

-
 * Blinding Bangs: You never see his eyes.
 * Dude Looks Like a Lady: We don't blame you if you thought Renoir was a girl at first sight.

Sumire /
The seventh ranked youkai, also known as "Sumire of the Dusk". She is the main antagonist of "Utopia", where. Really looks up to Azami, who she refers to as an older sister.

-
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 * The Chessmaster: She stimulates the desires of Yukari's classmates to bully others so that when the time comes for them to change classes, they may spread bullying throughout the school and allow her to feast on the souls of bullied children..
 * Cute and Psycho
 * Kimono Is Traditional
 * Only One Name: At least, her real name is only one name.
 * The Red Baron: Sumire of the Dusk
 * Smug Snake
 * Wicked Cultured: She loves kimonos and tea ceremonies.
 * Wicked Cultured: She loves kimonos and tea ceremonies.

Sakunoshin
The leader of the animal spirits who inhabit the school. He lives in a Shinto shrine on the school grounds.


 * Cheerful Child
 * Expecting Someone Taller: Judging from Michiru's description of him, Marie expected him to be a terrifying and vengeful spirit, and doubted she'd be able to speak on even terms with him, even as one of the eight highest ranking youkai in the school.
 * Expy: He is identical in appearance and mannerisms to Sakutaro from Umineko no Naku Koro ni.
 * Insistent Terminology: The way he's described makes him appear to be a Kitsune but, being the "king of animals", he insists that he is a lion.
 * Verbal Tic: "Uryuu~!"
 * Verbal Tic: "Uryuu~!"

Hameln
A youkai who haunts the school's music room, also known as "Hameln of the Music Room". According to his legend, anyone who enters the music room at night when no one else is around will hear the sound of his castanets playing, and then will turn into an animal to be lured away to their doom. He is not one of the eight ranked youkai of the school.

-
 * Baleful Polymorph: His power allows him to turn students who hear his music to turn into small animals.
 * Cool Mask
 * Improbable Weapon User: Hameln uses a pair of castanets for his magic spells.
 * The Red Baron: Hameln of the Music Room
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning: He's never seen without his mask, but when he leans close to Hikaru, he is described as having "stunningly red" eyes like a rabbit.
 * Slasher Smile: Sports one of these.
 * Small Name, Big Ego: He aims to become one of the Eight School Mysteries.
 * Small Name, Big Ego: He aims to become one of the Eight School Mysteries.

Yoshihito Kanamori
Kanamori is Marie's homeroom teacher. He originally defended Marie against her tormentors, but has long since taken to molesting her in the bathroom of the old school building to relieve the daily stress of his job. He is the main antagonist of the first chapter, "Mesomeso-san".


 * A God Am I: Well, not necessarily a god, but he declares himself to be Mesomeso after strangling Marie to death and pretending to be a youkai to ward off potential witnesses who came because of a Scare Dare.
 * Beneath the Mask: He'd be a fairly likable guy if he weren't secretly a brutal, animalistic child molester.
 * Bishonen: Is said to be very popular with the girls. Well, except for Marie.
 * Blackmail: Kanamori always videotapes Marie while molesting her, and threatens to expose the tapes in order to keep her quiet.
 * Corrupt the Cutie: He actually started out as a Wide-Eyed Idealist before the unbearable stress of work and his unhealthy Lolicon fetish twisted him into what he is now.
 * Faux Affably Evil
 * Freak-Out: Does this a lot while trying to cover up his "supplementary lessons" with Marie.
 * Freudian Excuse
 * Hot Teacher: A Complete Monster of a teacher, but a Bishonen nonetheless.
 * Ignored Epiphany: There are numerous points in the story where he realizes what he's doing is immoral. But because he thinks a Complete Monster wouldn't realize that, he assures himself that he's far from being one himself.
 * Psychopathic Manchild
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He lays one on Marie during the poll to see which one of them would become Mesomeso, telling her that she could've solved all her problems ages ago if she'd just grow a backbone and call the police..
 * Sadist Teacher
 * Smug Snake
 * Villain Protagonist: The "Mesomeso-san" chapter is as much his chapter as it is Marie's, since it's told from both their perspectives.
 * Villain with Good Publicity
 * Villain Protagonist: The "Mesomeso-san" chapter is as much his chapter as it is Marie's, since it's told from both their perspectives.
 * Villain with Good Publicity

Nurse
Exactly What It Says on the Tin. She is a friendly and good-natured young woman who works at the school infirmary, and is Higanbana's owner. She is quite knowledgeable on the topic of The Seven Mysteries of the school, and may in fact seem to know more about them than she lets on...


 * Adult Child: Her manga incarnation, at least, really loves to play with that Higanbana doll of hers.
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"
 * Meganekko: In the manga. In the visual novel, she wears her glasses on her forehead.
 * School Nurse: Who apparently enjoys the scary stories of the school. Reminiscent of another nurse?
 * School Nurse: Who apparently enjoys the scary stories of the school. Reminiscent of another nurse?

Takeshi Nonomiya
Takeshi is a photographer and member of the school's journalism club. He was once falsely accused of breaking school equipment by Yoko Numata and her friends; unable to prove his innocence, he became obsessed with finding "the truth" in the pictures he takes. . He is the main protagonist of "The Spirit Camera".


 * Brainy Brunette: A male example.
 * Intrepid Reporter
 * Meganekko: Again, a male example.
 * Nice Guy
 * Meganekko: Again, a male example.
 * Nice Guy
 * Nice Guy

Yoko Numata
Yoko is a girl who accidentally broke some school equipment and blamed it on Takeshi to avoid getting in trouble.


 * Cheerful Child
 * Frame-Up: She accidentally knocked over a skeleton dummy and pinned the blame on Takeshi, who happened to be there at the time, to avoid getting in trouble.
 * Frame-Up: She accidentally knocked over a skeleton dummy and pinned the blame on Takeshi, who happened to be there at the time, to avoid getting in trouble.
 * Frame-Up: She accidentally knocked over a skeleton dummy and pinned the blame on Takeshi, who happened to be there at the time, to avoid getting in trouble.
 * Frame-Up: She accidentally knocked over a skeleton dummy and pinned the blame on Takeshi, who happened to be there at the time, to avoid getting in trouble.

Midori Kusunoki
Midori is a wealthy student and member of the school drama club who was bullied by other students for flaunting her wealth. Ever since making a contract with the Black Tea Gentleman to get a role in a play she wanted to be in, she has gained popularity and become the most beloved student in her class. . She is the main protagonist of "The Princess's Lie".


 * Break the Haughty: See Rich Bitch and below.
 * Deal with the Devil: Her contract with the Black Tea Gentleman in exchange for a bit of her soul.
 * Genre Blindness: When she begins experiencing sharp pains on her body, she initially assumes it's just caused by anxiety over an audition for the lead role in a play. Once these pains become more frequent, and dead bugs appear in her food during lunchtime, Midori reasons that her jealous classmate is using the Black Tea Gentleman's powers to curse her and get the lead role herself..
 * Meaningful Name:
 * Rich Bitch: By the start of "The Princess's Lie", though, she seems to have grown out of it thanks to the contract she made with the Black Tea Gentleman..
 * Ojou
 * Stepford Smiler
 * Took a Level In Kindness:.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko:.
 * Ojou
 * Stepford Smiler
 * Took a Level In Kindness:.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko:.

Michiru Sakurada
Michiru a girl with the ability to sense spirits. She is the main protagonist of "Shrine of the Guardian Deity" and "My Best Friend".


 * Elegant Gothic Lolita: Her parents make her dress like one as part of their hobby.
 * Eyepatch of Power: She's actually said to not need it anymore, but she keeps wearing it anyway.
 * I See Dead People
 * Loners Are Freaks
 * Shout-Out: Her profile states that she gets her clothes from "Anti-Rosa", the design company managed by Rosa from Umineko no Naku Koro ni.
 * Tears of Remorse:
 * Shout-Out: Her profile states that she gets her clothes from "Anti-Rosa", the design company managed by Rosa from Umineko no Naku Koro ni.
 * Tears of Remorse:

Hikaru Nihei
Hikaru is a very intelligent cram school student and member of the animal raising committee. He looks down on his more inept classmates, which ended up getting him bullied by them. He vents his frustrations by abusing the rabbits kept on the school grounds, which he is supposed to be caring for. He is the main protagonist of "Hameln's Castanets".


 * Anti-Hero: Type V.
 * Bully Hunter: A very dark variant once he teams up with Hameln.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * Freak-Out:
 * Freudian Excuse: He tortures rabbits out of frustration with being bullied and having little evidence backing it. When offered to take revenge, he targets bullies, the ones who know he's being bullied but don't speak up about it, and people who just plain piss him off.
 * Hit Me Dammit: He hates that the boys who pick on him never lay a finger on him, making it easy for them to deny ever bullying him in the first place.
 * Insufferable Genius
 * Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: One moment he's petting rabbits after news of them being tortured starts to spread. Then we find out just who's been torturing those rabbits..
 * Kick the Dog: He abuses rabbits on the school grounds to vent his frustrations with being bullied.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: After Hameln turns the kids who bully him into rabbits.
 * Loners Are Freaks
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: He knows it's wrong to torture innocent rabbits. But if Hameln turns bullies into rabbits, then he wouldn't be torturing "innocent rabbits", would he....
 * Villain Protagonist
 * Loners Are Freaks
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil: He knows it's wrong to torture innocent rabbits. But if Hameln turns bullies into rabbits, then he wouldn't be torturing "innocent rabbits", would he....
 * Villain Protagonist

Yukari Sakaki
Yukari is a girl who comes from a poor, dysfunctional family, for which she is quite cruelly bullied. She is the main protagonist of "Utopia".


 * Big Screwed-Up Family: She's had some major issues with her life at home, particularly after the death of her mother. It's one of the reasons why she's bullied all the time.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Hime Cut
 * Just Ignore It: She strongly believes this at first when it comes to dealing with bullies. After Sumire makes things worse for her, however, she takes on a far more assertive role against bullying.
 * Yamato Nadeshiko

Aya Souma
Aya is a girl who lost the will to live, but continued to do so because she didn't want anything other than a peaceful, sleep-like death. After hearing the rumors of the 13 steps, she tests it out and accidentally steps on the 13th step, forcing her to participate in Izanami's game. She is the main protagonist of "The Thirteenth Step's Shinigami".

Yuki Noda
Yuki is a young boy who enjoys art and loves his art teacher, Shintani-sensei.

Nafumi Shintani
An art teacher who considers herself the queen of the art room. She particularly enjoys having her favorite young male students model for her, although art isn't all she wants them for...



Tomoko Okada
Michiru's best friend. Like Michiru, she loves occult stuff, but compared to her best friend, she leans more towards sci-fi.