Is Hanekawa Tsubasa… Kyouko Okitegami?

This is a a theory that’s been going on for quite a while in certain circles, but its hard to know how wide-spread the knowledge of it is, so I thought I might make a post here just to be sure, maybe inform someone who is not yet aware of it and perhaps spark some reflection on it.

Many japanese readers have reported eerie similarities and hints between these two Nisio characters, and along with some interesting promotional materia and hints in the Okitegami novels themselves, have formed a theory around Hanekawa Tsubasa being, in-fact, Kyouko Okitegami, and how the new series might just be a secret Hanekawa spin-off.

I heard it from here, and I’ll be paraphrasing the hard evidence while adding some interpretation to it; https://otomegatari.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/papo-gatari-14-kyouko-okitegami-e-hanekawa-tsubasa/

“To what extent is Nisio just trolling, and to what extent he just… isn’t?”



Well first, who is Kyouko Okitegami?

She is the eponymous protagonist of Nisio’s new Light Novel series. She’s a detective, incredibly intelligent, yet with a simple flaw; she forgets things. Alot. And very quickly. This is why you’ll see various annotations on her body, they’re crucial pieces of information that she could not afford to forget.

Lets count the reasons that people have for thinking these two characters are one and the same.

1) The advertisement of the Okitegami series is being done through Monogatari

This related to the innumerable commercials done for the new series, some even animated by Studio SHAFT, with the same Watanabe character designs. It might seem like a simple idea at first, but most reason that the studio would not do that type of publicity if it did not have something to gain by doing it. One questions why that advertisement would happen. A Kyouko anime, perhaps, in the future?

But mostly; why with Monogatari?

Normally such 4th wall breaking happens between series of the same universe, such as a chapter of To aru Kagaku no Railgun announcing the new To aru Majutsu no Index movie. Two stories, both taking place in the same universe. Speculation that Monogatari and Okitegami could be such a case instantly arose when a commercial, done with entirely original animation, came to light. It almost seemed to interweave the two separate series together, joining them together through a single point:

…Hanekawa Tsubasa.

Dialogue is as follows;

Koyomi: If you’re looking for Hanekawa, she went to buy a reference book. Tsukihi: Hanekawa is at the park. Yotsugi: Tsubasa should be at the school. Shinobu: That former class rep is playing at the tsundere girl’s house. Kyōko: Now then… I wonder where she could be. Kyōko: The fastest detective, but a forgetful detective. Okitegami Kyōko no Bibōroku. If you could please buy it for enjoyment, the answer is… I forget.

The smug and mysterious tone with which Kyouko says that line, as if she knows exactly where Hanekawa is, is interesting, to say the least.

The generous publicity has since only grown and grown between Mono and Okitegami.

2) Yui Horie

Everyone must have noticed by now: Kyouko and Hanekawa share the same voice. That’s because they have the same voice actress, Yui Horie. The relevant question is why, specifically, was she chosen to voice Kyouko? There are tons and tons of talented VA’s in the business, despite Horie working with SHAFT regularly. Of course, one could just chalk this up to sheer coincidence, but there’s still a sneaking suspicion when you consider that she used the same tone of voice for both of them, and considering she’s an experienced VA who can easily flex her voice, the choice is alot more jarring. Especially considering everything else on this list.

She chose the only voice that could possibly work for this theory. And while it’s certainly no proof of anything, it does make one wonder.

3) The similarities between the characters

First and foremost; Kyouko’s a rather quick-witted gal: makes for a terrific detective. Wasn’t there a Monogatari character that was considered a genius and used glasses at one point? Someone who very recently had a battle of wits with another Monogatari detective? Yup, as we know, Hanekawa can be quite the brilliant detective, as she faces the challenges of another Sherlockian genius – Ougi Oshino – and in 10 seconds(sporting her prime KuroShiro hair), figures out the riddle of the disappearance of Sodachi’s mother.

Its interesting to note how Owari’s opening went far enough to characterize Ougi as a mystery solver like Kyouko, being that she is Hanekawa’s opponent for that arc, and competes with her in just that, as well as for dominance over Araragi. Not to mention their pairing in the Owari commentary. In other words, they were paired together for Owari as opponents.

Physically: age. Last time we saw Hanekawa in Monogatari, she was 18. Kyouko, in her novels, is 25 – but spent 3 years amnesiac up to a certain point. Its theorized by her that someone stole her ability to retain memory, which she now only posesses short-term. This could explain, of course, the change in name and other factors. Hanekawa might have encountered some traumatic event that began this, perhaps? Could something have happened to Hanekawa that would damage her to such an extent that she does not even remember who she is anymore, and thus, becomes Kyouko? A forgetful detective is a very unusual thing, and such themes dealing with trauma and memory and sense of self and identity are a common Nisio play; one has to wonder if it’s a set-up to reveal the fact that Kyouko is, indeed, a part of Hanekawa Tsubasa. An alternate personality, born from amnesia?

Continuing. They both have blue eyes. Alright, good. The white hair isn’t even that much of a problem; she has two oddities absorbed that already do shenanigans of all sorts with her hair – who knows what would happen when someone in control of two oddities goes amnesiac for 3 years? Hanekawa was more confident and intelligent when she let her hair’s real color show, as seen in Owari against Ougi; hair is an important plot-device for Nisio. The completely white hair could be an effect of her oddities that reflects something about her – assuming, of course, that she is Hanekawa. Its only expected for a Nisio character who is not being herself, to change physical factors of herself or those changing to reflect herself.

That’s just Nisio 101.

Her haircut is similar, but still noticeably different between short-hair Hanekawa and Kyouko. Kyouko seems to actually have bangs more common with long-haired Hanekawa – and of course, the all-important hairpins. Oh, right, about the boobs.

Seems close enough as far as VOFAN art is concerned. You can see that Kyouko’s not flat at all, but she does wear very unflattering clothing, usually.

4) That ultimate tease

At the end of Suisenbun, one of the Okitegami novels, a genius boy proclaims that he’ll draw something that represents the true personality of Kyouko Okitegami, and what he draws is… a monochrome drawing of a cat. A cat. Black and white.

Dear God. Nisio what the heck.

5) These things

Hey look its Ougi and her Owari buddy in the Owari title card…

Oh gee. Giant ghostly cats. Wonder where that came from

Okay SHAFT is practically giving it away

~~~

Well, in conclusion, there’s a steadily-forming theory that Nisio could be planning to expand Monogatari beyong the timeline which he had to constrain himself to in the main novels; and who better to do this than the main girl that has already been a narrator and has the most open storyline and character potential for an exciting life and drama; for something new? After all, a ghost story must be a story of the supernatural – but Okitegami is a detective story, something different and fresh. Monogatari and Tsubasa could have come back to us, now sporting a new face. A mask.

The story and life of Kyouko Okitegami may just be a fake. A lie. The result of Monogatari extirpating its own apparitions, much like Hanekawa herself once did to her feelings. Or the lie might be all these hints to us readers – lies that we told ourselves, lies we wanted to believe because that would’ve been oh so very cool.

As Nisio would do; lets try and find the truth from the lies of the monster inside.