??? regarding Hanako being an orphan

[momiji]

IIRC, the devs did say at one point that Hanako isn't poor. That has implications for this question, because it means that since she doesn't have a family, she must have some kind of income. Jobs don't sound likely: she's too young for full-time work, and mentally she's not in much condition to hold a job down anyway. I'm just going to head off the inevitable enjo-kousai jokes right now: that possibility is even less likely, not just for the obvious reasons but also because the town doesn't seem to actually provide much of a market for that sort of thing. The most likely possibility is her parents' estate, but then who is acting as executor, and why did they choose this route for her care? Distant relatives are another possibility: Mirrormn's story, while completely made-up, is a plausible situation.

It's likely Hanako would have some kind of estate/life insurance so cover for her. Maybe the Japanese state would offer some kind of base income as well.

I don't know how it works in Japan, but at least in Sweden you'd get something called a "God man" ("Good man" really), who has the power to represent you financially and so on, without removing your right to your own opinions. A God man can never go against the interest of hirs client. If she got enough money she'd probably hire someone.

I would think it very fit for that executor to find a school for her that can cater to her needs and such, boarding also solves the problem of her essentially being homeless.

[EclipsiumRasa]

It's likely Hanako would have some kind of estate/life insurance so cover for her. Maybe the Japanese state would offer some kind of base income as well.

I don't know how it works in Japan, but at least in Sweden you'd get something called a "God man" ("Good man" really), who has the power to represent you financially and so on, without removing your right to your own opinions. A God man can never go against the interest of hirs client. If she got enough money she'd probably hire someone.

I would think it very fit for that executor to find a school for her that can cater to her needs and such, boarding also solves the problem of her essentially being homeless.

My theory is that Hanako is secretly contacting Kenji (through Lilly of course) to help track down the feminist arsonists who attacked her as a little girl - the same feminist arsonist who were also responsible for Kenji getting attacked by a succubus infiltrator at Yamaku. Hanako had herself emancipated; during the lead up to her birthday she secretly disappeared for days down the hidden to her Fire Cave*.

Additionally Rin discovered this but agreed to be quiet providing Kenji and Hanako let her be their butler. Which has worked out totally fine since it allowed Akira more flexibility in her plans to overthrow the corrupt, feminist arsonist district attorney, and she still gets to wear a suit.

*She wanted to strike fear into the hearts of arsonists with what they were afraid of most. However, the surveys as to what arsonists were afraid of were inconclusive, so she just went with fire since it'd help with lowering heating bills during winter months. Also bats were already taken.

Supporting evidence:

• Kenji and Hanako are never seen associating - in public
• Kenji's assumption that when Hisao was helping Lilly & Hanako with festival preparations that Hisao was joining the infiltrators
• All Rin's art is clearly abstract allegorical work on the themes of revenge, intrigue, pillow forts with "No girls allowed", how to adapt as a butler when you have no arms, and ways to piss off an art teacher who's being a micro-managing pest.
• Hanako is one of the few Yamako students who can drive. Whoever owns the cave drives the car. Its like a rule.
• Hanako can come and go from class as necessary.
• Hanako is immediately suspicious of Hisao when he nearly stumbled upon on of the secret entrances to the Fire Cave in the library. Luckily he didn't try pulling the head off the stone bust of Godzilla, which would have revealed a big red button.
• Rin being clearly knowledgeable about what a gentleman (read: butler) would do, but only let slip this secret when totally off her face on flu medicine.
• Rin being hungry whenever she thinks of Hanako (because Hanako cooks! in the Fire Cave! Obviously!).

Its all makes sense! Hanako is the goddamn batman!

[Mirrormn]

[Oogy]

[Snow_Storm]

http://www.thewordisbond.com/wp-content ... iams-1.jpg

[Althamus]

I'm not even sure if that's a terrible fail, or an ultimate win.

[Ascended Flutist]

wat

[The O.H.L.]

I... Uh... I think you won. Just s-so... so confused.

[ThistlewickVII]

You have yet to cover the alternate (and correct theory)...

Kenji IS Hanako. In the only scene they were together
(which, I believe, is painting by numbers) He got someone else
(probably Akira) to dress up as him, like he does most classes.
It explains the frequent dissapearances for the both of them,
The fact they are both intelligent and pick up facts quickly,
They both have issues with people and crowds...

THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME!

Kenji has infiltrated the "feminists" by pretending to be Hanako!

[metalangel]

"Hanako!"
"L-Lilly..."
"There's somebody here who wants to meet you, okay?"
"I-I guess..."

"Hi Hanako, we're your great aunt and uncle. It's taken us years to trace our family tree back and we've only just found you! We heard what happened, it's terrible, we're so sorry. Would... would you like to come live with us, be a family?"
"I... I... IGOTTAGODOSOMETHING!!!!"

*the slap of Lilly's facepalm could reportedly be heard within 2km of Yamaku*

[EclipsiumRasa]

Additional evidence:

• Funding:
• Akira, holding down a full time job, handled most of the funding, and as a company's lawyer was most qualified to judge the safest ways to bankroll the operation without being discovered; any interest in how other companies illegally hid sums of money and how they were later caught, would be assumed to be part of her job.
• However, there's evidence Kenji in a few instances raised small amounts of emergency funding, using information passed on to him - from Rin. Rin informed him of Hisao's medical condition (she found out from overhearing the nurse in the run up to the festival), and between them they deduced that, for that kind of treatment and long term care there was a good chance Hisao's family were wealthy, or at least enough that Hisao could be counted on to value not being hassled by Kenji more than a few bucks.
• The result was Kenji was in a few instances a total pest and gave strange reasons for needing money, and ultimately Hisao provided the necessary funds.
• This was later changed, when changing conditions in Lilly's family situation (trying to appease Akira, who's relationship with them had considerably deteriorated) meant her parents were more forthcoming with funds. Hisao had proven rather blindly trusting and was instead used to move deliveries of more incriminating stuff to avoid the scrutiny of both Misha and Shizune (once they'd lost interest in to having him join the council later in the year).

• Other unusual details.
• Hanako reacts with alarm when Hisao unwittingly suggests she learns to drive, thinking he knows everything. But she composes herself rather quickly and her fears soon prove entirely unfounded.
• Despite being close friends with Lilly since Lilly moved to the dorm (the year before Hisao enters Yamaku), Hanako isn't helping out in the photo of Lilly, Shizune and brown haired Misha. Her cover, that she was an introvert and would rather be anywhere else than in the middle of a high pressure situation during a festival was in place of course; no one ever questioned it. Indeed, according to Lilly's account, she was intensely private from the start of their friendship.
• Hanako is unusually comfortable with Akira and her informality; far more comfortable that people she interacts with frequently. This is because of the arsonist feminist district attorney and of their mutual appreciation that they are getting closer to stopping her once and for all. This may also be because of assurances from Akira that with enough alcohol provided all interactions that are a bit odd can be later rationalised as "just the booze talking", and there's a good chance they'll be misremembered anyway. Its not the alcohol she enjoys, but the assurance that she doesn't need to be as vigilant as she at other times.

Obviously there is a great deal of secrecy involved in being Batman, so I doubt I will uncover enough facts to convince everyone that Hanako is really Batman.

• Suspected entrances.
• To my shame I can't even explain where the fire cave is. Its too closely guarded a secret.
• As I've already explained previously, the bust of Godzilla in the library opens one entrance
• It is likely there is a second entrance in, or very close to, Hanako's room in the girls' dorm; one specific possibility is that the obnoxious girl exiting the room up from Hanako's was responsible for guarding it and her bad manners were a strategy to prevent Hisao following up. That she is never identified (even though Hisao has been at the school for months) and only describe by how she behaved and not how she appears is also somewhat odd too, unless this was intentional tradecraft on her part.
• Additionally, its possible that Kenji has an enterance too in the guy's dorm: on moving in, Hisao remarks at the start of the year that the only room in the hall near him that is lived in is Kenji's. Kenji also reacts with horror when hearing that parents will be snooping around the dorms during the festival, and to the idea that he'd be observed from outside (though he had the good sense to make this more sound like consistent nonsense involving snipers and curtains).

[Xanatos]

[snip]

You've been hanging around Kenji too much.

[Eclipse]

Suddenly the devs drop by and say:


"Hisao is Hanako's brother/cousin."

WHAT A TWIST.
GET IN HERE DEVS.

[Pyramid Head]

Um... i'm honestly not seeing where your confusion is coming from. It's possible her grandparents were already dead and her parents were only children. Japan has a sharply lower percentage of baby boomers than America and it''s likely the Ikezawa family was small before Scorpion got his angsty zombie hands on them. Of course it's also possible her only relative for some reason wasn't qualified to legally adopt Hanako or refused to adopt her.

[CindehQ]

The real question is how does Hanako afford Yamaku? The school is clearly private and well-funded.