Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori

[Daz]

It’s been a few months since Wanos conclusion, but with the holiday season chapter drought is upon us why not discuss it more in depth?
That is to say: After more than four years and almost 150 chapters the Wano arc has finally concluded, as well as the larger “Big Mom/Kaidou” saga, spanning plotlines as far back as Fishman Island and Punk Hazard. And while we have “general Wano“ and “new world” discussions for Macro arc takes, I thought it’d be interesting to have threads dedicated wholly to evaluating particular plotthreads with the benefit of hindsight (finally).

This time, the subject is Kozuki Hiyori, the surprise sister of Momonosuke. Making her debut as “Komurasaki” in act 2 of Wano, she was one of many Wano characters to have adopted an alternate identity alongside her protector Denjiro, which culminated in dramatic scenes with Orochi near the end of the onagashima raid. Finally, she was allowed to close the curtains of the Wano arc itself. What do you make of this member to the Kozuki family and her presence in the arc? was she a worthwhile addition to the expansive cast? Were there any of her relationships, whether to Toki, Momo, Zoro, Kawamatsu or Denjiro that worked for you, or didn’t?

[electricmastro]

She def had some emotional material to work with when Yasuie died, in addition to her past. But after that, it felt wishy washy since she felt less present to me and even her scene with Orochi before his death as well since Denjiro was the one to end him instead of her. I am a interested though in where her Kurozumi burning line goes though, and what consequences that could possibly bring.

[zeltrax225]

She's the best example of how not to write a female character that I can think of in recent years. And there's been a lot of badly written female characters in Jump.

[Gizmo]

I’m not convinced she was the one to heal the samurai after their battle with Kaidou. I know she tended to Zoro’s wounds but I don’t think she’d have the expertise to help heal those wounds. It’s so weird Oda hasn’t confirmed anything via an SBS. Dunno why Oda left it open given he came up with something like the Zou healing technique, which the samurai might has well have been healed by at this point. I doubt this was an intentional open ended question like who fixed up the Sunny in Skypiea, but he sure hasn’t addressed it.

[desa]

Momo suffered from Hiyori existence. She was more motivated to oppose power, shared the hardship of her people and is more mature by virtue of age. On her own she would have been a good princess for the arc. On his own Momo could have been a nice story about needing to grow up. But combining both it was a constant reminder that ultimately to be a proper leader in wano (and maybe in Oda's mind) is having a dick.

To me she's a wasted character.

[Barkworm]

I hated her almost as much as Rebecca in Dressrosa. The fact that a whiny, poorly written character like her got to end the arc, felt like taking a dump on a pile of garbage.

[wolfwood]

Like a lot of Wano characters she was just sort of there. Not a lot of follow through on her.

[FelRes]

I'm still waiting for her point to be made.

[Zanze]

She was cool up until Kyoshiro "killed" her. Then she turned into a generic princess character and never recovered

[Barkworm]

@Zanze That's true, that arrogance she had before made for a way more interesting character than friendly princess no. 172.

[electricmastro]

@Barkworm said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

I hated her almost as much as Rebecca in Dressrosa. The fact that a whiny, poorly written character like her got to end the arc, felt like taking a dump on a pile of garbage.

Rebecca and Hiyori got involved quite a bit. I wonder how many people are looking forward to seeing Rebecca and Hiyori again.

[electricmastro]

@FelRes said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

I'm still waiting for her point to be made.

Maybe we'll hear it when we come back from break.

[Zanze]

@Barkworm Rebecca was a lot better before she left the coliseum too. It's like at one point he can't help himself

[FelRes]

@electricmastro said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

@FelRes said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

I'm still waiting for her point to be made.

Maybe we'll hear it when we come back from break.

"What did you get for Odenmas, Hiyori?"
"Matches! Btw have you seen Tama?"

[electricmastro]

@FelRes said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

@electricmastro said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

@FelRes said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

I'm still waiting for her point to be made.

Maybe we'll hear it when we come back from break.

"What did you get for Odenmas, Hiyori?"
"Matches! Btw have you seen Tama?"

Not what I meant, but Chapter 1057 did mention that a break was in order, so I figure Act 3's ending is more of a pause for now while more things develop on Wano's end, so awkward as it was, I look forward to see where Hiyori's character goes from there.

[Chams 0]

Hiyori was really interesting in mainland Wano. Her double role as Komurasaki was cool, but loosing her temper at the banquet with Orochi and risking everything a few days before the raid she waited for for 20 years was nonsense. Her character was all over the place.
There was absolutely no need for her not to meet Momo before the raid and still go in secret to Onigashima. There was no reason not to show us her healing the samurai. There was no reason for her to tell Zoro, at the time a stranger, who she really was.
As a meta character, that opened the Acts and told the story as a narrator, thst was fun.
But one of Wano's disappointments was the lack of long waited scenes: we didn't see the moment Kinemon met with Tsuru again, after 20 years passed for her. We also didn't see Momo and Hiyori meeting and talking about their parents and the country's fate.

[electricmastro]

@Chams-0 said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

Hiyori was really interesting in mainland Wano. Her double role as Komurasaki was cool, but loosing her temper at the banquet with Orochi and risking everything a few days before the raid she waited for for 20 years was nonsense. Her character was all over the place.
There was absolutely no need for her not to meet Momo before the raid and still go in secret to Onigashima. There was no reason not to show us her healing the samurai. There was no reason for her to tell Zoro, at the time a stranger, who she really was.
As a meta character, that opened the Acts and told the story as a narrator, thst was fun.
But one of Wano's disappointments was the lack of long waited scenes: we didn't see the moment Kinemon met with Tsuru again, after 20 years passed for her. We also didn't see Momo and Hiyori meeting and talking about their parents and the country's fate.

Oda at least had Hiyori and Momo meet with Sukiyaki again, so that was nice for as much time was spent on that.

I still wonder how much the flames of hatred will end up being flames after what she said though.

[Chams 0]

@electricmastro
Didn't the flames already happen? Orochi burned in front of her, from a fire he lit up with Kanjuro, born of old grievances and hatred. She witnessed the last Kurozomi burn.

[Daz]

Hiyori is maybe the character you could most easily lift out of the arc without much changing at all? In terms of plot function she ultimately contributes very little, and in terms of narrative/thematic function the plotlines she's involved in aren't that big, and she overlaps with other characters in terms of being a front for Wanos suffering/representative of the Kozukis/stealthily having ingratiated herself with Orochi. Beyond that her personality is nonexistent, the "pretty lady is actually mean is actually nice" bit has been done, and her bonds with Toki, Momo, even Denjiro and Kawamatsu don't amount to much.

Just let Denjiro off the guy and skip the whole "Kamazou" plotline. Her best moment is probably slapping Orochi in the face that one time, but you can honestly transplant that entire moment over on Robin which would make her much more involved, and would circumvent the later weirdness of Orochi just rolling with Komurasaki being inexplicably alive and lovey-dovey again.

[electricmastro]

@Chams-0 said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

@electricmastro
the last Kurozomi

Heheh, can you prove that?

[electricmastro]

@Daz said in Post-Wano plotline roundup: Kozuki Hiyori:

Hiyori is maybe the character you could most easily lift out of the arc without much changing at all? In terms of plot function she ultimately contributes very little, and in terms of narrative/thematic function the plotlines she's involved in aren't that big, and she overlaps with other characters in terms of being a front for Wanos suffering/representative of the Kozukis/stealthily having ingratiated herself with Orochi. Beyond that her personality is nonexistent, the "pretty lady is actually mean is actually nice" bit has been done, and her bonds with Toki, Momo, even Denjiro and Kawamatsu don't amount to much.

Just let Denjiro off the guy and skip the whole "Kamazou" plotline. Her best moment is probably slapping Orochi in the face that one time, but you can honestly transplant that entire moment over on Robin which would make her much more involved, and would circumvent the later weirdness of Orochi just rolling with Komurasaki being inexplicably alive and lovey-dovey again.

To mention again, I can just see Oda planting some more seeds with Hiyori that he couldn’t necessarily pull off before Chapter 1057 due to the focus with Momo, who pretty much ate up the spotlight from many other characters due to how important his role is treated. Oda could have ended Act 3 a 100 other different ways, but the fact he chose to emphasize it on Kurozumi being meant to burn can still speak volumes.

It definitely would make for an interesting development depending on what profound effect Hiyoro’s words had with the Wano people, whether she intends it or not. If people will say I’m jumping to conclusions, then they’d have to answer up to Oda after what he had Hiyori say, because she still said what she said, and thus I await to see the consequences of that action, whatever it may be.