| Youko Honda | |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 本田 陽子 (Real Name) 忍 (Title) |
| Translation | Youko Honda |
| Character information | |
| Other names | Shinobu (Title) |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 25 |
| Height | 176 ㎝ |
| Occupation | Police escort |
| Home country | Japan |
| Goal | Protect Marika Tachibana |
| Likes | Marika Tachibana, Migisuke Aiba |
| Background information | |
| Debut chapter | "Mayhem" |
| Japanese voice | You Taichi |
| Image gallery (0) | |
Youko Honda (本田 陽子, Honda Yōko), is a police escort and Marika Tachibana’s personal attendant. However, she was actually a "monitor" assigned by Chika Tachibana, a fact that was well-known to Marika herself.
Appearance[]
Close up view of Honda's face
Honda is a matured young woman with mid-back length black hair that rests on her right shoulder with bangs covering her left eye, copper-brown eyes and a curvaceous figure.
She always wears her black office uniform and she is almost always seen with a deadpan face.
Personality[]
Honda is very stoic and has a tight-lip personality. She maintains a calm and serious demeanor in the background, even in dire situations.
Despite her seemingly cold attitude and ruthless actions, in reality she really cares for Marika, so much as to forsake her family's pledge to Tachibana family (with Marika's mother as current head) in order to uphold her personal pledge to Marika.
Background[]
Honda is an experienced policewoman who is noted to have been caring for Marika Tachibana ever since she was young. Her work allows her to have a vast array of information in regards to criminals and civilians, and she leads Marika's own army of a specialized police force in times of trouble.
However her true identity is the head of ninja-like Hidden Guards of Tachibana Family, codenamed "Shinobu". Her family works for Tachibana family for generations, therefore she serves under Chika Tachibana, the current head. Her works include bodyguarding, gathering intelligence, monitoring enemy forces, manipulating information, subversion, and other dangerous underground activities. Currently she serves as "monitor" for Marika's health and progress in her approach to Raku Ichijō.
Abilities[]
- Master marksman and CQC combatant: As a highly trained police officer and bodyguard, Honda is proficient in many forms of combat. She is an excellent marksman with firearms and bows to even rival the hit-girl Seishirō Tsugumi.
Story[]
Honda initially does not play a major role in the plot, with her interactions limited to fellow police officers as well as Marika herself. Her first interaction outside of those characters is with Mikage Shinohara, Marika's former bully-turned-friend who had set Marika up on a date at the local amusement park. There, while Raku and Marika were in a ferris wheel, Mikage pleaded for Honda to look after Marika, although parts of the conversation were kept under wraps until Take Flight, when it was revealed that Honda was indeed looking out for Marika, even if it meant going against Chika.
Honda does not introduce herself to Raku until Vacation (Chapter 169), during Marika's retreat to Kiribati with Raku. There, she asks Raku how he feels about Marika, who "doesn't have long left". The event that Honda warned Raku about comes to pass during the coming Valentine's Day - Marika passes out, and Honda arrives to take her away, revealing to Raku that Marika has anemia. She also says that Marika will not see them again. Honda is next seen under Chika's command, preventing Marika from escaping once. She is revealed to have deleted all the contact details of Raku and his friends from Marika. Honda then leads a group of security guards to fight off Raku, Chitoge and Tsugumi. Raku and Chitoge run from the other guards while Tsugumi and Honda face off, neither breaking deadlock until Honda reveals the reason why Marika could not return to Bonyari High School even if her marriage was called off. This distracts Tsugumi enough for Honda to tie her up and lock her in a cell.
Through Chika's orders, Honda also takes Raku away, to a different cell, before watching over Marika prior to her wedding. After Raku, Chitoge and Tsugumi escape and crash the wedding anyway, Honda once again fights Tsugumi, and wonders why she tries to save Marika even though she can't return to school with them. Honda interrupts her clash with Tsugumi in order to thwart an initial attempt by Marika to escape with Raku. She then defects from Chika by calling on Tsugumi to fight the rest of Chika's guards with her. They break the wall of the palace to allow Marika to run to safety with the help of Chitoge.
After the marriage is called off, Honda is given permission to accompany Marika on her journey to the United States for her treatment. Honda also accompanies Marika after the latter is told of Chitoge's visit to the Tenku Plateau - she flies a helicopter for Marika to see Raku and Chitoge there, separately.
Relationships[]
Marika Tachibana[]
Honda is Marika's loyal and protective personal attendant who have a strong bonding connection with each other, to the point that she and Marika would bathe together, and Marika herself is comfortable enough to even tell her direst secrets to Honda. Honda cares for her so greatly that she is willing to forsake her generations-old family loyalty to Tachibana Family in order to uphold her own pledge to Marika.
Marika is the only one to whom Honda told her first name, Youko.
Raku Ichijō[]
Although she doesn't seem like it, Honda actually trusts Raku enough to take Marika Tachibana's hand in marriage. Even to the point that she even allowed the two to be alone on an island during New Year's Eve. It is during the island getaway that Honda introduces herself formally to Raku.
Migisuke Aiba[]
Both are fellow police officers who care deeply for Marika Tachibana. In Chapter 112, it was found out that Migisuke is actually in love with Honda, but since he has no experience about love or talking to women, he asked for help from Marika. In the same chapter, he also asked Honda to marry him, but owing to the somewhat eccentric approach he used to do so, all he received in return was a flying kick in the face.
Seishirō Tsugumi[]
Honda was aware of Tsugumi liking Raku Ichijō, something that startled the latter. For this, Honda saw Tsugumi as a threat to Marika Tachibana and impeded Tsugumi.
After defecting from Chika Tachibana's side, Honda joined forces with Tsugumi to aid the rescue of Marika away from her mother, and while doing so, taught Tsugumi a ninja chain technique that would help Tsugumi out later during her own face-off against Claude.
Etymology[]
- The name Youko means "light, sun, male" (陽) (you) and "child" (子) (ko).
- Youko is an alternate transcription of Yōko.
- Youko's surname Honda means "base, root, origin, source" (本) (hon) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta/da).
Title[]
- The name Shinobu means "endurance, patience" (忍).
Trivia[]
- Honda's signature weapon is a weighted chain.
- In Chapter 195, with the revelation of Honda's first name "Youko", Honda's name becomes similar to a voice actress's (though written with different kanji).
- According to Marika, "Shinobu" is "the title that you inherited by being the head of the hidden guards."
- During the ending credits starting from Episode 18, Honda made a cameo appearance in a form of a caricature, alongside Mikage Shinohara, Paula McCoy, Haru Onodera, Yui Kanakura, Suzu Ayakaji and Migisuke Aiba.