User:Juhachi/grasshopper

Grasshopper
グラスホッパー (Gurasuhoppā)
Genre	Romantic comedy
Light novel
Written by	Michael C. Chaad
Published	January 9, 2006

Grasshopper (グラスホッパー, Gurasuhoppā) is a fictional light novel written by American author Michael C. Chaad (pen name) revolving around the lives of a group of Japanese high school students and other people around them after a new student moves into town. The Grasshopper novel contains thirteen chapters written in the style of a Japanese anime.

Plot

Grasshopper is a story involving several different types of characters and the lives they share as they interact with each other. The heroine of the tale is Hanitsu Hinokaze, a young female high school student in her second year at Ichiharu high school. One day, in mid-March, she decides to make herself more appealing to the eye using makeup and styling her hair in order to gain the attention of a boy she liked from another class - Inosuke Makensho. Upon arrival at school that day, she comes to discover that her preparation was in vain as Inosuke already has his eye set on a different girl, who just also happens to be Hanitsu's best friend - Haruka Waketsu. After a meeting between Inosuke and Haruka once school is out, Hanitsu is shocked that Haruka ended up accepting to go out on a date with Inosuke even though Haruka knew Hanitsu liked him. A fight ensues between Hanitsu and Haruka which ends with the two parting ways for the time being. Depressed and feeling betrayed, Hanitsu silently walks home alone.

Unable to take the grief much longer at home, Hanitsu leaves the house and goes into town to try to preoccupy herself so as not to be as melancholy. Her walk through town eventually takes her to an ice cream parlor where she meets a girl named Shiyume Arani. They begin talking with each other and soon Hanitsu doesn't feel as sad as she did before. Once done with their ice cream, they take a walk through the local park together only to be suddenly accosted by a robber. In the fight that ensues, Shiyume protects Hanitsu from the robber and manages to knock him out cold. However, once the fight is over, Hanitsu is shocked to find out that Shiyume is actually a guy. Confused about the situation, she runs off towards her home leaving Shiyume behind.

Characters

Main characters

Hanitsu Hinokaze (樋野風 塙連, Hinokaze Hanitsu)

The main heroine of the story, Hanitsu is a sixteen-year old attending Ichiharu high school with the rest of her friends. At first, she seems to be the kind of girl who believes herself to be in control of her own life and much of what happens around her. However, after she is shocked at the sudden change of heart of her best friend Haruka Waketsu, she finds out just how quickly life can change. Later, after meeting the mysterious Shiyume Arani, she comes to discover aspects of her life changing all around her.

A very down-to-earth type of girl, she rarely daydreams so as to keep both feet firmly planted on the ground in an attempt to try to stay in control of every situation. In effect, Hanitsu tends to be somewhat of a control-freak which can lead to her getting into fights when things don't go quite her way. Overtime, she gradually becomes less control-oriented which leads her to drop her guard and be able to get closer to those around her.

Another aspect of her personality is that on the surface she could best be described as a "girly-tomboy" where sometimes she can act more masculine than feminine or vice versa. This is due in part because of her upbringing and early life. With her father gone at the age of four, there was no father-figure there any more that anyone could rely on for support or comfort. After Sanabi was born, Hanitsu ended up taking it upon herself to provide that guidance and support for her little brother and also her mother who had trouble maintaining the family after that. In contrast, she can be very feminine and can get along with typical girls just fine. This is also due to her unique upbringing where she could act as a type of second mother to Sanabi when their mother was gone working or when Sanabi had to be picked up by Hanitsu from school.

Hanitsu usually has a uniquely independent personality though when she really needs help with something she can't do alone, she won't hesitate to ask. It is during these times where she can becomes very dependent, relying on others to help her solve her problems.

She can be a very good friend to the people who know her and doesn't hold back offering help to those who need it. This trait gives her a kind heart which she is able to express in earnest to others. However, she has also been known to have a firey temper whenever she gets really angry at someone.

Shiyume Arani (安楽丹 詩由姫, Arani Shiyume)

A seventeen year old also attending Ichiharu high school, he is in the same calss as Hanitsu and tends to be very popular among the other students in the school, whether they be female, male, or from different classes and years. At first glance, Shiyume may be hard to spot if you're looking for the typical Japanese male high school student. This is because he is almost always dressed like a girl and tries to keep it a secret as best he can. In effect, he could easily be described as an androgyne. When Hanitsu first meets him, she believes him to be a normal high school girl until the truth is revealed after a struggle with a robber when his wig was pulled off by accident.

This unique hobby of his is not just because he wants to do it but because it is in fact an aspect of his job. The story goes that after Shiyume graduated from high school, he got a job working for the government as a public servant to the Ibaraki Prefecture he resided in at the time. Soon after his joining, he was approached by members of another government agency, the Public Security Intelligence Agency, to see if he'd like to accept doing an undercover mission for them. He was told that all he'd have to do is become friends with a girl named Hanitsu Hinokaze from Tokyo and try to find out any information about her missing father and where to locate him. At this point, Shiyume asked why him? Why did they pick him to do this mission?

They start explaining that they needed to find a young person straight out of high school who had joined a government agency. This was so they could be able to impersonate a high school student since they'd have to enroll into Hanitsu's school and get into her class. Shiyume promptly accepts the job and tells them he'd be happy to do it, though something was still bugging him. That is, there must have been others straight out of high school to be eligible. They answer that there were, but there was one other condition that needed to met Shiyume hadn't been told about yet. They then proceed to tell Shiyume that at first they were looking for a girl instead of a boy because they thought girls can get close to other girls. Finally, they say that Shiyume was picked because: he looks a lot like a girl already and they need him to dress up like one. At first, Shiyume is very suprised about this extra condition, but he accepts the mission nonetheless.

Shiyume can be described as someone who doesn't let many things get him down as he always tries to smile during every situation. This is also because he doesn't like to worry anyway about any problems he may have. This in effect gives him a dominant personality and can be very assertive at times too.

As a cover for his real purpose of trying to find Hanitsu's father, Shiyume also works at an ice cream parlor as a female waitress. When Hanitsu needed a job, Shiyume was able to get her a job working at the ice cream parlor.

In addition to simply dressing up like a girl, amazingly Shiyume has a lot of qualities to himself that make him seem more like a girl sometimes than a boy. For instance, he also looks a lot like a girl as he has a slender build, a girlish face, and is a little short at 162cm (about 5'4"). However, he has hair that's a little long, but not enough to be a girls' hairstyle and it is due to this that he must wear a wig where the hair rests just at his shoulders. Shiyume is also very good at acting feminine when around others and can do this almost naturally. Sometimes, he has even been observed to be even more feminine than Hanitsu and Haruka which makes them wonder if he really is straight or if he might be homosexual or at the very least, bisexual.

While working as an undercover secret agent, he goes under the codename Grasshopper and often reports to a fellow agent codenamed Beetle. Shiyume is constantly trying to get closer with Hanitsu so as to be able to gain some more information about her missing father, but eventually he starts to develop feelings of attraction towards Hanitsu.

Something about his personality is that he doesn't take negative criticism or teasing very well. Often, his older sister Kitsune likes to tease him about his choice in clothing and if it lasts for too long at one time, Shiyume will end up getting very upset and has been known to cry because of it. Kitsune doesn't seem to be bothered by this very much, though she still loves her younger brother regardless. She just does it because it's fun for her and she finds enjoyment in it. Shiyume tends to be self-conscious about this aspect of this life but can hide any embarrassment or feelings of doubt rather well.

Some other things about Shiyume include the fact that he can be a very generous person and he has a caring heart as well, much like Hanitsu. Though this is where the similarites end because while Hanitsu has a pretty hot temper, Shiyume rarely gets mad and he's able to control his anger, making sure as to not get mad over nonessential things.

Later, it is discovered that one of the reasons he had no trouble accepting this job is because he already would 'dress up' at home, though this was only known to his immediate family living with him. He wanted to take the job mainly so that he could 'dress up' more often. Once, Hanitsu asked him why he likes dressing up as he does and he answered that it was because he enjoys the feeling of being feminine. He goes on to explain that he feels very happy in his heart and soul when he's feeling feminine. Hanitsu then suggested that maybe he was a girl in his past life, where Shiyume replied, "maybe so."

Haruka Waketsu (訳告 はるか, Waketsu Haruka)

Also a teenage girl who attends Ichiharu high school, Haruka is Hanitsu's best friend and her classmate as well. She could best be described as a girl who doesn't always have a firm grasp on things as she often goes confused about little things and in effect feels more left out because of it. In this respect, she's sometimes thought to be a bit scatterbrained and ditzy.

She could be described as a person who often jumps info things without thinking the whole situation out beforehand. One example of this is when she accepted to go out on a date with Inosuke Makensho, a fellow student from another class. After she agreed upon his request, Hanitsu got mad at her because Haruka knew she had a crush on him, though the next day they quickly resolve their fighting, which shows just how strong a bond they share. In the end, Haruka was able to discover that Inosuke was actually quite a jerk and after the first date, there were no more beyond that.

Haruka and Hanitsu first met as classmates on the first day of high school, quickly becoming friends and have been together since then. After Shiyume first appeared, Haruka thought he was a she, but not too long after their first meeting in the classroom, Haruka found out the truth. It was during a visit to Shiyume's house when Shiyume's older sister, Kitsune, started her usual teasing about Shiyume being a crossdresser.

Incidentally, Haruka doesn't have too much luck with getting and maintaining relationships. First of all, Haruka once commented that Hanitsu was the one who the boys would always look towards and Haruka silently harbored a jealousy against Hanitsu for this. Eventually, she even starts going out with her female cousin Tōru Yataino who looks much like a male.

Ever since she met Hanitsu, she felt that Hanitsu was overshadowing her in many ways, especially when boys were involved. However, Haruka and Hanitsu are more alike than Haruka would care to see due to her jealousy. With school work, they're both pretty average students who have a lot of trouble in many of the same areas. Stand alone, Haruka is quite an attractive looking girl though because of Hanitsu's looks and personality, Haruka often gets passed over for in favor of Hanitsu.

Another aspect about Haruka's personality is that she tends to act more dependant in a relationship which could have something to do with her being insecure in regard to her looks. In effect, she tends to be more femininly weak than assertive, so she's also relatively easy to be taken advantage of.

Inosuke Makensho (真筧祥 猪助, Makensho Inosuke)

He is a seventeen year old male student at Ichiharu high school, though is in a different class than Hanitsu, Haruka and Shiyume. He is often described by his female admirers at school that he's handsome, athletic, and has a nice personality too. However, it's only after one gets to know him that they find out that he can be very loud and annoying if he hangs around too much. Inosuke tends to be very conceited about his looks due to most of the female students all falling for him. Also, he tends to be hyperactive and full of energy.

In the beginning of the story, Hanitsu had a crush on him, much like several other girl students in the school. However, after finding out how much of a jerk he was from Haruka, she gave up on him in hope of finding someone better soon. After Shiyume appeared, Inosuke had a quick change of heart and he fell in love at first sight, though Inosuke thinks that Shiyume is actually a girl.

Due to his personality, he acts a lot like a stalker when he's interested in someone, much to the annoyance of Haruka and Shiyume.

Family members

Hanitsu's family

Koiru Hinokaze (樋野風 こいる, Hinokaze Koiru)

The mother of Hanitsu, she always tries to make sure her family is alright and cared for, but it's difficult for her. After Daijo left, she was left alone to care for Hanitsu while she was still pregnant with Sanabi, which was much too hard for her to handle. Koiru ended up having to move into a less expensive place and she also needed to ask for money from her parents in order to help her get by. Later, by the time Hanitsu was in high school, Koiru had gotten into financial trouble again which caused Hanitsu to surprise her mother with getting a job at a local ice cream parlor where Shiyume also works as a female waitress.

Koiru is a very loving mother and rarely has to worry about her kids' well-being because Hanitsu is so mature and in effect, she's able to look after Sanabi when her mother can't. She still of course tries as best she can to look after her kids, making sure they're safe, well cared for, and fed. Lastly, she is very thankful to have had a daughter such as Hanitsu because she's able to take some worry away from her mother.

Daijo Hinokaze (樋野風 室徐, Hinokaze Daijo)

He's Hanitsu's father that left his family for unknown reasons about 10 years previous when Hanitsu was six. The little that is revealed about him mainly comes from Koiru since Hanitsu was so young and doesn't remember much about him. However, the Public Security Intelligence Agency is now trying to track him down, but for what is not revealed until the latter part of the story.

Sanabi Hinokaze (樋野風 佐靡, Hinokaze Sanabi)

He is Hanitsu's younger brother by six years, which makes him a fourth year in grade school. He could be described as a typical young kid who's usually filled with energy, though this type of personality often annoys Hanitsu greatly, but she still loves him nonetheless.

Shiyume's family

Majine Arani (安楽丹 まじね, Arani Majine)

She is Shiyume's mother and tends to be rather supportive of her son's choices in life up to this point. She was always a free-thinker herself and believes that one needs to have a strong sense of individuality if your going to survive in the world. Also, she has commented that Shiyume's way of life suits him and she cannot truly see him any other way. In any case, she'll always love him and support his choices throughout his life.

Caring and compassionate, she was the one that first taught Shiyume that it was okay to be different and didn't discourage him from doing more feminine things, especially if it made him happier than he had been.

Tachi Arani (安楽丹 城, Arani Tachi)

He is Shiyume's father though unlike his wife isn't as comfortable with his only son dressing and living his life like the opposite sex. This is in part because he wants his family name to live on in the future and if Shiyume never got married or had kids then the Arani name wouldn't exist anymore. Also, he always wanted to have a son he was proud of and that he could share father-son moments with, though because how Shiyume acts, Tachi is usually very uncomfortable with such times and thus tends to avoid them most of the time. This in effect made Shiyume gravitate more towards the female influence in his life and also helped with his current development into the androgyne he is today.

Kitsune Arani (安楽丹 狐, Arani Kitsune)

She is Shiyume's older sister who loves to tease Shiyume about his choice in clothes, especially when around his friends. This is because she sees this as a form of entertainment for herself, enjoying to see Shiyume in uncomfortable situations where he's close to tears. However, she did not always act like this as this was only after most of Shiyume's transition into his current lifestyle. This new attitude she took with her brother may be because she is somewhat jealous that Shiyume can turn into a completely different person when acting feminine as he tends to be happier and get along with people better.

Despite her frequent and sometimes bitter treatment of Shiyume, Kitsune would never stop loving her younger brother. This has been shown when Shiyume gets truly hurt and he's all alone crying by himself, Kitsune will end up trying to comfort him, especially if she wasn't the one that made him cry in the first place.

Haruka's family

Tōru Yataino (谷田猪 徹, Yataino Tōru)

Haruka's older female cousin who looks very much like a male, making her an androgyne. She works as a teacher of Japanese literature at a high school in Yokohama. While at work, she is often admired by her students, though most of them tend to be female. Tōru can be a very helpful person when needed, but if some days she's not feeling up to it, then that spells bad luck for her students. She also tends to be very carefree, usually going with the flow in most instances.

Haruka and her appear to share a romantic relationship together.

Other characters

Kaito Migeru (三毛瑠 海人, Migeru Kaito)

Kaito is the only other co-worker at the ice cream parlor other than Hanitsu and Shiyume. He doesn't have the most strong willed personality and thus can be taken advantage of easily if dealt with correctly. Perhaps it is due to this type of personality that he has since developed a crush on Shiyume, who as a girl tends to be more strong willed, though not always. However, Katio is still under the impression that Shiyume is actually female.

Fuboro Ijani (伊者煮 父母呂, Ijani Fuboro)

Known as Ijani-san to his employees, he is the manager at the ice cream parlor where Hanitsu, Shiyume and Kaito work. He is a nice, understanding man who doesn't push his employees too hard, but is not afraid to ask a lot out of them if he needs to any given day.

Tomiko Osamichi (納見誅 富子, Osamichu Tomiko) & Mitsumi Yabine (病美音 光見, Yabine Mitsumi)

They are two female friends in Hanitsu's class who are almost always seen together, whether it be sitting next to each other in class, eating lunch together, etc. They both seem to be filled with energy most of the time and sometimes even act as twins despite their physical appearance being different.

Beetle (ビトル, Bitoru)

He is a secret agent, higher in rank than Shiyume, who periodically receives reports about the investigation into Hanitsu's father's whereabouts. He tends to be very terse, not wanting to talk a lot when engaged in conversation, though this may just be a tactic of being undercover. Beetle is his codename while his real name is left unknown.

Light novel

Grasshopper is a single light novel containing thirteen chapters in order to conform with the regular half-season anime schedule in Japan with anime that are thirteen episodes in length. Each chapter has about twelve to fourteen separate scenes in it, which also conforms to the standards of many anime. The original title of the novel was intended to be Ichiharu High after the high school that the characters attend. Eventually, it was changed to Grasshopper after the Spitz song of the same title since, as noted by the author, "It sounded like a song that should be the opening theme of an anime series." The main themes in the novel include people acting and looking as their opposite gender, or in other words, androgynous characters. Some minor themes include secrecy and forbidden love. Two theme songs were proposed if the novel was actually made into an anime series: "Grasshopper" by Spitz as the opening theme, and "Ai no Kotoba" by Spitz as the ending theme.