Hinoto: the childlike Dreamseer
The Dreamseers gallery
Hinoto the Dreamseer is probably one of the most important characters in X/1999, on a par with Fuma, Kamui, Kotori and her sister Kanoe. And she is also truly one of the most fascinating characters.
Blind, deaf and dumb, she is the one who all the rulers of Japan go to when they want to know what the best strategy to rule their country is. She lives in the basement of the Diet Building, and is considered to be one of Japan's best kept secrets. Of course, Sorata knows who she is, and although he doesn't know her exact age, knows she's quite old. She is protected by Hien and Sohi, the two girls who were raised in her service and always call her 'Princess'. She is also protected by Arashi Kishuu the schoolgirl Ten no Ryu member. Arashi is infinitely qualified to be Hinoto's protector, but Hinoto knows that the Ten no Ryu need Kamui. She has entered his dreams, but the first time he forced her away. The second time, she showed him the future, and told him he could avert the horror if he joined with the Ten no Ryu, but Kanoe entered the dream and told him there was another path. In anger, Kamui almost destroyed Hinoto, before Saiki - Hinoto's other protector - stepped in.
Hinoto in the anime was, in my opinion underrepresented. She was seen less as a major driving force and more as a plot device! I mean, I can't even remember how she died! In my opinion, they had a great opportunity with her and the other characters, and they wasted it in favour of trying to turn it into something like Ghost in the Shell or Akira. *growls*
In the manga, however, she is shown as almost naive. She knows the future and fears that Kanoe might succeed in destroying the world, but she seems to simply believe that Kamui will join with her side, even though she cannot see the future in that respect. But it is that naivete that makes her a cool character! ^_^ She seems to incite a need to protect her, even though she could probably do it herself quite well if she needed to. With her childlike proportions, despite the lipstick, long hair and ceremonial robes, she looks like she is as innocent as Kamui appears to be in the anime.
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