"Unfortunately, a psychotic virgin, starved for love and likely to fall for anyone who would be a little nice to her, has set eyes on you."
- — Hitagi Senjougahara
Hitagi Senjougahara (
Personality[]
For the longest time, while under the influence of the Weight Crab, Hitagi was a guarded person, appearing cold in order to hide away her oddity from the rest of the world, hiding herself beneath a shell of aggression and appearing unapproachable to the rest of her schoolmates[1]. During this time, she pushed away anyone who tried to help her or get close to her, most notably her former friend Suruga Kanbaru[4]. This distrust in other people was born out of her inability to shoulder any regret, lingering hatred or any other such burdens, due to her interaction with the Weight Crab[1]. However, as noted by Deishuu Kaiki, Hitagi is a person who refuses to let gods carry her burdens, instead wishing to shoulder that weight by herself, no matter how painful it may be[5], which leads to her eventual taking back of the weight that the Crab severed from her. Her refusal to let sleeping dogs lie and desire to face her own past instead of just letting it go also manifests in her restoring her relationship with Suruga[4]. In Kaiki's words, Hitagi is a person who always treats her current love as her first, showing her ability to move on and not be chained down by her past[5].
At first, during conversations, mostly with Araragi, she tends to have an acid tongue and dish out plenty of insults to him, dramatically showcasing how superior she is compared to him[1]. This is, however, just a front she uses to avoid embarrassment, rarely ever saying what she thinks directly, only doing so during their romantic moments, such as on their first date[6]. Over the course of the story, Hitagi's personality becomes more mild, this change being referred to as her "rehabilitation", as she slowly grows into a more stable and well adjusted person, starting from her first reunion and standoff with Kaiki[7]. While still retaining her ruthless facade, it's much more easily seen through, often showing bursts of her true emotions, most notably when she cries after finding Tsubasa Hanekawa sleeping in the abandoned Eikou Cram School[7]. Another point of growth for her is her final encounter with Kaiki, finally resolving their past once and for all and thereby overcoming all of her most pressing regrets[5]. After this, she is shown as much more lively, no longer afraid to express her true feelings to those she cares about[8].
Unlike Araragi's more moral and justice oriented mindset, Hitagi is more of a rational and calculated person, her realistic viewpoint combined with her high intelligence making her a highly successful businesswoman later on in life[3]. She does not reciprocate Kanbaru's feelings of love, but still considers her a great friend and junior[4]. Araragi also theorizes that Suruga's perversion stems from her senior's influence. Hitagi also has a complex relationship with Tsubasa Hanekawa, both having been in love with the same person. From Araragi's eyes, Hanekawa initially seems to hold control over Hitagi, with Hitagi even calling Tsubasa "master"[9]. However, as seen from Tsubasa's own perspective, their relationship is much more evenly stacked, with Hitagi having a lot of care for Tsubasa and wanting to make sure that the girl remains safe during the Hysteria Tiger incident, as well as trying to point out her faults in order for her to improve herself[7]. In regards to Kaiki, Hitagi appears to show an enormous amount of resentment, at times even threatening to kill the man. However, her true feelings are shown to be more complex when she asks for the swindler's help in saving her and Araragi's lives from Nadeko Sengoku. While she still doesn't forgive him for what he did to her family, she is grateful to him for saving her life and, while actively attempting not to, even shows some of her true feelings to him, crying when he assures her that he will definitely manage to do the job. Additionally, she also appears to understand the man well, sending him a threatening letter to pull out of the job with the knowledge that being told to do so would only increase his determination. She claims to have never loved him in the past, although this statement is quite possibly false[5].
Appearance[]
Hitagi is a young woman with long purple hair (brown in the original novel) and blue eyes. She is mostly shown wearing the Naoetsu female uniform, consisting of a pink shirt with a purple tie and purple skirt, alongside a pair of black stockings. She is also shown wearing a variety of casual clothes, such as: a white suit jacket over a white shirt and white skirt (for the ritual to exorcise the Weight Crab), a pair of white shorts underneath a black one piece dress, with black stockings and white high heels (with this outfit, she also styles her hair in a ponytail). She is also shown wearing her long hair tied in an updo hairstyle, with the sleeves of her uniform rolled up to her shoulders.
After her first reunion with Kaiki, she cuts her hair in a short bob haircut. During the events of Hitagi End, she is shown wearing the Naoetsu uniform under a light blue jacket and hat and a blue scarf. During Yotsugi Doll, she is shown tying her slightly longer hair in a small ponytail, and wearing a pink cardigan over a white shirt, with brown shorts and black stockings. During Hitagi Rendezvous, she is shown tying her now shoulder length hair in a single braid (which she jokingly refers to as copying Hanekawa's style), and wearing a white sweater dress with gray thigh high stockings and brown boots. At the end of Koyomi Reverse, she is shown boasting a totally different style, tying her now once again long hair into twintails and wearing white boots, a blue miniskirt and a pink midriff exposing long sleeved shirt, showing a white cartoony ghost-like design on it. She also wears a white scarf cardigan over this outfit.
Background[]
Hitagi was born into a fairly affluent family, her father having a fairly high position in a foreign corporation, allowing them to afford living in a mansion. As a child, she was sick with a life threatening illness, and had to go through a dangerous operation that almost killed her. During this time, seeking relief, her mother ended up joining a strange cult. Hitagi did end up surviving the operation, and recovered fully from her illness, but by that point, her mother had already become immersed in the cult, and the two slowly grew more and more distant as they relationship deteriorated[1]. During middle school, she was a highly athletic member of the track and field club. In this time, she met Suruga Kanbaru, who grew to love the girl, and together, they formed the Valhalla Combo (ヴァルハラコンビ, Varuhara Konbi)[4].
Later, the mother, now fully brainwashed by the cult, invited a high ranking member to their house, who, under the pretense of a ritual, attempted to rape Hitagi, who fought back by hitting the man with a spiked shoe. This retaliation made the cult penalize Hitagi's mother, who ended up giving over most of their property to the cult, leaving them in a much worse finanicial situation. Some time after this, Hitagi ended up witnessing the Weight Crab, a god who, at the unconscious request of the girl, took her emotional pain away, removing the regret and sadness she felt over how her relationship with her mother ended up. The crab, however, unable to distinguish between physical and emotional weight, also removed most of her physical weight, leaving her at only five kilograms[1].
Now saddled with this oddity, she began searching for ways to remove this affliction, and in doing so, ran into five conmen. The first, Deishuu Kaiki, after having learned of her situation, decided to go against his usual methods and actually attempted to help the girl, first by destroying the cult that the mother was brainwashed into. However, this did not work, as the mother simply moved on into a higher ranking cult. Having judged that the mother would never be a good influence on Hitagi, Kaiki decided to split her from the family, taking high amounts of money from them and thereby forcing them to divorce, with Hitagi being taken in by her father. Kaiki, however, did not account for Hitagi's own feelings, being unable to understand them, and so she went on to resent him for destroying her family[5].
Now in poverty from Kaiki's actions, as well as the four other swindlers she ran into, Hitagi and her father moved from their mansion to a very small apartment in Tamikura Apartments, and the girl enrolled into Naoetsu Private Academy. Following after Hitagi, Kanbaru entered Naoetsu, and tried to help Hitagi from her affliction, but she responded violently, similarly to her response to Koyomi. As a result, Kanbaru kept her distance from Hitagi ever since, thinking that it was the only way she could help her loved one[4].
Abilities and Equipment[]
- Stationery: Hitagi is known for wielding large amounts of stationery, particularly staplers, as weapons to threaten others with, such as Koyomi[1]. At first, she always wears these on her person as a self defense mechanism, but as her rehabilitation continues, she eventually stops carrying the stationery altogether[9]. Later, she even jokes that the character trait of attacking Araragi with stationery is reserved to her, even though she no longer uses it[10].
Quotes[]
- (Hitagi's words to Araragi, while attacking him) "Curiosity is like a cockroach. It likes to stumble upon secrets that are supposed to stay hidden."[1]
- (Hitagi professing her love to Araragi) "Unfortunately, a psychotic virgin, starved for love and likely to fall for anyone who would be a little nice to her, has set eyes on you."[2]
- (Hitagi to Araragi, after having been told about Mayoi Hachikuji by Meme) "Different conclusions are reached when one fact is viewed from two separate points of view. When that happens, there is no immediate way to judge which point of view is the correct one. There is no way to conclude one's own conclusion is the correct one. But for that exact reason, it is also premature to decide one's own conclusion is wrong."[2]
- (Hitagi talking about her insecurities to Araragi during their date) "Right now, I'm afraid of losing you. Although my life hasn't been very fortunate until now, I'm glad if I caught your eye because of that misfortune. Because of that, I was able to fall for you. So we'll definitely do something, but I want to wait just a bit. So, right now, the last thing I can offer you... Is this starry sky."[6].
- (Hitagi to Kaiki) "I'm no ally of justice. I'm just an enemy of evil."[9]
- (Hitagi's conclusion about Hanekawa) "To have something you detest is about as important as having something you love. Yet you accept everything that comes in your way. Because if you like anything and everything, they all end up being the same thing in the end."[7]
Trivia[]
- Hitagi's first name, while written in katakana, when instead written in kanji would be 肥田木, written with the characters for "fertilizer", "field" and "tree". According to Hanekawa, this is a public works term, and it symbolizes her to be a field where Araragi, the tree, can flourish, referencing the massive personal growth that his relationship with her brought him. Furthermore, when written in katakana, Hitagi is ヒタギ, the first two characters of which resemble the kanji spelling of the Japanese holiday Tanabata (七夕), a celebration of the meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi, which is also a motif of the ending song of the Bakemonogatari anime. The holiday is also on July 7th, Hitagi's birthday.
- Hitagi's last name, Senjougahara, can be translated as "battlefield", reflecting he initially ruthless personality and her inability to feel safe anywhere during her time afflicted by the Weight Crab. It is also the name of a place in the Tochigi Prefecture of Japan, where a mythical battle between the gods of Mt. Nantai and Mt. Akagi is said to have taken place.
- The name Valhalla Combo is a pun on the names of its two members, with the "varu" taken from Kanbaru and the "hara" taken from Senjougahara. Aditionally, the name references both the kanji in their names, as Valhalla is a mythological resting place for heroes who died in combat (echoing the "senjou" in Senjougahara, meaning battlefield), ruled over by the god Odin (echoing the "kan" in Kanbaru, meaning god). According to herself, Kanbaru is the one who came up with the name[4].
- In her phone call to Kaiki, in response to the false name he gives, she also uses a false name, Senshougahara (千沼ヶ原, Senshōgahara), which roughly translates to "thousand marsh field", and sounds highly similar to her real name[5].
- Hitagi's trademark stationery, the stapler, is meant to reflect her animal motif, a crab's claws.
- Hitagi has been compared to another Nisio Isin character, Soushiki Zerozaki, as both of them use stationery as weapons, Soushiki utilizing a pair of scissors named Mind Render.
- Hitagi's blood type is O.
- One of the voice actors who originally auditioned for the role of Hitagi was Marina Inoue, who would later voice another character in the series, Sodachi Oikura.
- During midterms in her first year, her overall placement was 1st. Her scores were[11]:
- Japanese: 92
- Math: 98
- Science: 96
- Society: 94
- English: 93
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Bakemonogatari (Part One), Episode One: Hitagi Crab
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bakemonogatari (Part One), Episode Two: Mayoi Snail
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Musubimonogatari, Episode One: Zenka Mermaid
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Bakemonogatari (Part One), Episode Three: Suruga Monkey
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Koimonogatari, Episode Love: Hitagi End
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bakemonogatari (Part Two), Episode Five: Tsubasa Cat
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Nekomonogatari (White), Episode Kindness: Tsubasa Tiger
- ↑ Zoku Owarimonogatari, Final Episode: Koyomi Reverse
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Nisemonogatari (Part One), Episode Six: Karen Bee
- ↑ Owarimonogatari (Part One), Episode Two: Sodachi Riddle
- ↑ Owarimonogatari (Part One), Episode One: Ougi Formula
[]
Monogatari Navigation
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Works
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First Season | 1. Bakemonogatari (Part One) • 2. Bakemonogatari (Part Two) • 3. Kizumonogatari • 4. Nisemonogatari (Part One) • 5. Nisemonogatari (Part Two) • 6. Nekomonogatari (Black) | |
Second Season | 7. Nekomonogatari (White) • 8. Kabukimonogatari • 9. Hanamonogatari • 10. Otorimonogatari • 11. Onimonogatari • 12. Koimonogatari | |
Final Season | 13. Tsukimonogatari • 14. Koyomimonogatari • 15. Owarimonogatari (Part One) • 16. Owarimonogatari (Part Two) • 17. Owarimonogatari (Part Three) • 18. Zoku Owarimonogatari | |
Off Season | 19. Orokamonogatari • 20. Wazamonogatari • 21. Nademonogatari • 22. Musubimonogatari | |
Monster Season | 23. Shinobumonogatari • 24. Yoimonogatari • 25. Amarimonogatari • 26. Ougimonogatari • 27. Shinomonogatari (Part One) • 28. Shinomonogatari (Part Two) | |
Manga | Volume 1: Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 Volume 2: Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 Volume 3: Chapter 13 • Chapter 14 • Chapter 15 • Chapter 16 • Chapter 17 • Chapter 18 • Chapter 19 • Chapter 20 • Chapter 21 Volume 4: Chapter 22 • Chapter 23 • Chapter 24 • Chapter 25 • Chapter 26 • Chapter 27 • Chapter 28 • Chapter 29 • Chapter 30 Volume 5: Chapter 31 • Chapter 32 • Chapter 33 • Chapter 34 • Chapter 35 • Chapter 36 • Chapter 37 • Chapter 38 • Chapter 39 • Chapter 40 Volume 6: Chapter 41 • Chapter 42 • Chapter 43 • Chapter 44 • Chapter 45 • Chapter 46 • Chapter 47 • Chapter 48 • Chapter 49 Volume 7: Chapter 50 • Chapter 51 • Chapter 52 • Chapter 53 • Chapter 54 • Chapter 55 • Chapter 56 • Chapter 57 • Chapter 58 Volume 8: Chapter 59 • Chapter 60 • Chapter 61 • Chapter 62 • Chapter 63 • Chapter 64 • Chapter 65 • Chapter 66 • Chapter 67 Volume 9: Chapter 68 • Chapter 69 • Chapter 70 • Chapter 71 • Chapter 72 • Chapter 73 • Chapter 74 • Chapter 74 • Chapter 75 • Chapter 76 Volume 10: Chapter 77 • Chapter 78 • Chapter 79 • Chapter 80 • Chapter 81 • Chapter 82 • Chapter 83 • Chapter 84 • Chapter 85 Volume 11: Chapter 86 • Chapter 87 • Chapter 88 • Chapter 89 • Chapter 90 • Chapter 91 • Chapter 92 • Chapter 93 • Chapter 94 Volume 12: Chapter 95 • Chapter 96 • Chapter 97 • Chapter 98 • Chapter 99 • Chapter 100 • Chapter 101 • Chapter 102 • Chapter 103 | |
Anime | Bakemonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 • Episode 13 • Episode 14 • Episode 15 Nisemonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 Nekomonogatari Black: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 Monogatari Series Second Season: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 • Episode 13 • Episode 14 • Episode 15 • Episode 16 • Episode 17 • Episode 18 • Episode 19 • Episode 20 • Episode 21 • Episode 22 • Episode 23 • Episode 24 • Episode 25 • Episode 26 Hanamonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 Tsukimonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 Owarimonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 Koyomimonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 • Episode 8 • Episode 9 • Episode 10 • Episode 11 • Episode 12 Kizumonogatari: Iron-Blooded Chapter • Hot-Blooded Chapter • Cold-Blooded Chapter Owarimonogatari Season Two: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 • Episode 7 Zoku Owarimonogatari: Episode 1 • Episode 2 • Episode 3 • Episode 4 • Episode 5 • Episode 6 | |
Other | Heroine Books: Heroine Book #1 • Heroine Book #2 • Heroine Book #3 • Heroine Book #4 • Heroine Book #5 • Heroine Book #6 • Heroine Book #7 • Heroine Book #8 Guidebooks: Bakemonogatari Anime Complete Guidebook • Nisemonogatari Anime Complete Guidebook Others: Mazemonogatari • Monogatari Series Puc Puc | |
Characters & World
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Araragi Family | Koyomi Araragi • Karen Araragi • Tsukihi Araragi • Mother Araragi | |
Naoetsu Private Academy | Faculty: Komichi Tetsujou • Yoshiki • Shima • Irinaka • Hoshina • Harukami Year One Seniors: Koyomi Araragi • Hitagi Senjougahara • Tsubasa Hanekawa • Sodachi Oikura Year One Juniors: Suruga Kanbaru • Seiu Higasa Year One Freshmen: Ougi Oshino Year Two Seniors: Suruga Kanbaru • Seiu Higasa Year Two Juniors: Ougi Oshino • Aburi Honnou • Misago Kanguu • Souwa Kiseki Year Two Freshmen: Kie Harimaze • Kyoumi Kuchimoto Year Two Alumni: Koyomi Araragi • Mitono Shounou • Reika Mayoko • Nikawa Umikawa • Sylvia Civia • Seika Ooki • Hibari Beniguchi Former Class 1-3 Students: 1. Keiri Ashine • 2. Koyomi Araragi • 3. Biwa Arikure • 4. Michisada Igami • 5. Kyuusu Ukitobi • 6. Sodachi Oikura • 7. Enji Kikigoe • 8. Hoka Kijikiri • 9. Aizu Kube • 10. Nageki Gekizaka • 11. Sousho Koudou • 12. Okitada Kouma • 13. Ayazute Shinaniwa • 14. Tsuuma Shuui • 15. Juudo Shuzawa • 16. Kokushi Suuchi • 17. Ruise Sunahama • 18. Hitagi Senjougahara • 19. Kiichigo Daino • 20. Jiku Toune • 21. Suisen Toishima • 22. Chouka Nagagutsu • 23. Roka Haga • 24. Seiko Hayamachi • 25. Sekirou Higuma • 26. Jouro Hishigata • 27. Shimono Fukadoo • 28. Tenko Fukuishi • 29. Shijima Fudou • 30. Sakaatsu Fuyunami • 31. Kabe Madomura • 32. Hyoui Marizumi • 33. Meibi Mizaki • 34. Miawa Mebe • 35. Shokunori Yuba • 36. Shoukei Yoki • 37. Shitsue Waritori | |
Nanahyakuichi Middle School | Faculty: Sasayabu Students: Nadeko Sengoku • Koyomi Araragi • Sodachi Oikura • Sunshi Sajou • Nakuna | |
Gaen Family | Suruga Gaen • Izuko Gaen • Tooe Gaen • Uroko Gaen | |
Specialists | Gaen Network Members: Izuko Gaen • Meme Oshino • Deishuu Kaiki • Yozuru Kagenui • Yotsugi Ononoki Other Specialists: Tadatsuru Teori • Seishirou Shishirui • Episode • Dramaturgy • Guillotinecutter | |
Hearsay Police Department | Koyomi Araragi • Zenka Suou • Nozomi Kizashima • Mitome Saizaki • Tsuzura Kouga Other Police Officers: Karen Araragi | |
Manase National University | Koyomi Araragi • Meniko Hamukai • Hitagi Senjougahara • Sodachi Oikura • Hagoromo Iezumi | |
Beniguchi Family | Kujaku Beniguchi • Hibari Beniguchi • Mikiyoshi Beniguchi • Toyoko Beniguchi | |
Abberations | Vampires: Kissshot Acerolaorion Heartunderblade • Deathtopia Virtuoso Suicidemaster • Tropicalesque Homeawave Dogstrings • Highwaist • Lowrise • Dramaturgy • Episode • Seishirou Shishirui • Kie Harimaze Shikigami: Yotsugi Ononoki • Noise Nadeko • Flirty Nadeko • Reverse Nadeko • God Nadeko Other Oddity Characters: Mayoi Hachikuji • Ougi Oshino • Black Hanekawa • Tsukihi Araragi • Tadatsuru Teori • Rouka Numachi • Zenka Suou • Nozomi Kizashima • Mitome Saizaki Other Oddities: Weight Crab • Lost Cow • Rainy Devil • Jagirinawa • Meddlecat • Cinderswarm Bee • Dying Bird • Hysteria Tiger • Jiangshi • Kuchinawa | |
Shishikurasaki High School | Sodachi Oikura • Amiko Yurugase • Lily Suzubayashi • Norika Kyakufuji • Yuuhei Hashimura • Ayakari Hatamoto • Eritari Kiriki • Bouto Odorima | |
Others | Father Senjougahara • Father Hachikuji • Hakobe Couple • Rouka Hanadori • The Old Witch • Corpse King • Dojo Master • Iie Iezumi • Ochiba Jouraku • Ran Hokkyokusei • Jouka • Sui | |
Locations | In Naoetsu Town: Naoetsu Private Academy • Nanahyakuichi Middle School • Eikou Cram School • Tsuganoki 2nd Middle School • Namishiro Park • North Shirahebi Shrine • Haruya Bookstore • Mister Donut • Araragi Residence • Tsunade Residence • Oikura Residence • Hanekawa Residence • Sengoku Residence • Hachikuji Residence • Tamikura Apartments Other Locations: Corpse Castle • Hell • Route X |