Character Profile: Hotaka
Hotaka is a follower, not a leader. He’s more likely to be found serving someone than off doing his own thing.
I’d love to share more about one of my favourite protagonists, Hotaka. He has certainly grown on me and I love writing about him. It’s been fun exploring his past and seeing how he ended up where we first meet him.
Name: Hotaka Wada
Kanji and kana: 秀高 ほたか - 和田 わだ [hoh-tah-kah—wah-dah]
Meaning: 秀 (ho) - excellence, beauty 高 (taka) - tall, high [amount], expensive 和 (wa) - harmony, peace 田 (da) - rice paddy
Inspirations: For his name I picked Hotaka because of an otome character I really liked that I played a few years ago, called Ninja Assassin. I really like the name and seeing as Beneath Tsukuyomi was inspired by another otome, I thought it fitting to name him after another otome character. At the beginning of my idea, I felt they were similar in some ways, however, as all my characters do, he’s certainly come a long way since then and evolved. His surname I picked from a Japanese actor who I adore, Takuma Wada.
First seen in: Beneath Tsukuyomi, however this is in the middle of his journey, and I am writing a story prequel to this.
What I like about him: Hotaka on the outside seems confident but it’s just a mask for the uncertainty behind. He’s still learning so much, and is constantly having his loyalties pushed and pulled around. He’s trying his best though, and it certainly doesn’t help when he keeps falling for pretty guys. Hotaka has a curiosity which never abates, and I don’t think I’ve had a character yet as curious as he.
What is fun or hard about writing him: Hotaka has a mind of his own, I'm just here to type out his words. I was just as surprised as everyone else was in Survival when he pulled some truths out of the bag. I don’t find him hard to navigate, I don’t have to prod him to talk to me, but sometimes I have to nudge him back on course cause he gets distracted.
Typical place to find him: Hotaka is a follower, not a leader. He’s more likely to be found serving someone than off doing his own thing. He needs guidance or he gets lost.
MBTI: ESFP-A, The Entertainer
People with this personality type are often the first to help someone talk out a challenging problem, happily providing emotional support and practical advice. However, if the problem is about them, Entertainers are more likely to avoid a conflict altogether than to address it head-on.
If you’d like to know more, ask away and I’ll try my best to answer!