Netflix’s My Oni Girl is all about friendship, love, and the struggles introverts face when trying to open up about their feelings. But don’t worry—there’s a special place just for people like them: the hidden village where Onis live! They lived there peacefully for years until their local snow gods started eating them. Among these Onis is Tsumugi, who comes to the human world to find her mother, Shion, who abandoned her years ago. On her journey, she meets Hiiragi, who helps her search for her mother. Along the way, they come across many characters who influence them and help them grow. So, let’s find out who these characters are and how they impact the story!
Spoilers Ahead
Hiiragi Yatsuse
Hiiragi Yatsuse was a school-going teenage boy and the main character of our story. If you are an introvert yourself, you could really relate to him. He bottled up his emotions because he feared that showing too much wouldn’t lead to anything good. He wanted to make friends but always failed, even going to the extent of sacrificing his own wishes and happiness just to please others. He was afraid to voice his own needs, even when talking to his father, as he was unable to stand up to him. But Hiiragi was a true friend. When he saw that Tsumugi needed help to find her mother, he was there to protect her at all costs, even risking his own life. However, he was unable to share his true feelings with her. His deep desire to be with her and support her in her journey was so intense that he eventually turned into an Oni himself and was eaten by the Snow God without realizing it. Even after going to the hidden village, he found Tsumugi again. His confession was so powerful that it helped him in the journey to find Tsumugi’s mother, where the Onis helped him to go after his love. In the end, it was a win-win situation: Hiiragi turned back into a human by being true to his feelings, and he was ready to confess his love to Tsumugi after returning to the human world.
Tsumugi
Tsumugi was an Oni who lived in the hidden village with her father for all these years. She had always felt alone because of her mother’s absence from her life. Her mother abandoned her when she was only three years old, and she never got to know the reason. At first, Tsumugi wanted to meet her mother just to confront her and show her how angry and lonely she had been all these years. But later, she realized that there might be something far more important that her mother was doing, which she had no idea about. She found relief from her loneliness when she found a true friend in Hiiragi, who was always there for her, even when she thought she didn’t need it. Being alone for so long made Tsumugi feel like she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. She just wanted to rely on herself. Even when she went to Oni Island to destroy the spirit mask to free her mother, she thought it was only her mission. She didn’t want to hurt Hiiragi, thinking he was a human who had the chance to go back to the real world, so she went alone. But her feelings for Hiiragi were so strong that, following in his footsteps, she met him again. After all these years, she was excited to defeat the Snow God and reunite with her mother, but she was sad to lose Hiiragi. So, she went back to the human world to meet him and let him know her feelings before it was too late.
Shion
Shion was Tsumugi’s mother, the one who had abandoned her when Tsumugi was three years old. And do you know why? The hidden village was a place where people who bottled up their emotions and couldn’t express them lived. They worshipped the local snow gods, but the snow gods had never eaten an oni. And do you know why? In the old shrine on Oni Island, there was a peacekeeper wearing a spirit mask who kept peace between the snow gods and the Oni. This kept the hidden village hidden from human eyes. And do you know who sacrificed herself all these years by wearing that mask, leaving her family behind to keep this place hidden? Tsumugi’s mother, Shion, herself. But after all these years, she became frustrated and irritated, missing her family and desperately wanting to go back home. That’s why the snow gods started acting up. Thankfully, the spirit mask got destroyed, and with the help of her daughter, Shion returned to her family—to her daughter and her husband. She was happy that she was no longer misunderstood by her daughter, as her sacrifice was more than anyone could ever imagine.
Iziru
Iziru was Tsumugi’s father. He singlehandedly helped his daughter grow up with his love and care after his wife went to Oni Island for the betterment and peace of the Onis in the hidden village. Iziru’s character seemed very mysterious in the first half because he was unwilling to share this secret with his own daughter. But later, we realized it was for her own safety. He knew his daughter too well and knew she would do anything to protect her mother and the community of Onis in the hidden village from the snow gods. He even supported Hiiragi when he wanted to go with Tsumugi after confessing his true feelings for her. He even accompanied Hiiragi to go after her because he prioritized true love, as he too had loved Shion all these years. Finally, through the power of community, family, and love, he was reunited with his whole family again.
Mikio Yatsuse
Mikio Yatsuse was Hiiragi’s father. He portrayed the character of every strict father who tries to pressure their kids to be better and thinks they know what is best for their kids, sometimes pressuring them to follow paths their children don’t want. But Mikio’s intention was good; he wanted Hiiragi to excel, so he pushed for private tuition instead of a summer camp. He was somewhat controlling. At the same time, he was a paranoid and anxious father who couldn’t sit peacefully at home when he thought his kids might be in danger. That’s why, when Tsumugi and Hiiragi went on their journey to find Shion, he followed his son everywhere just to make sure he was okay. After all, that’s what a real father does. We hope he can understand his child’s inner thoughts so that Hiiragi doesn’t have to hide his feelings and can be transparent with his father. We hope he creates a safe space for his child.
Gozen
Gozen was the chief of the hidden village. She supervised everything when the snow gods started attacking the Onis. She was the one who called upon Shion and was grateful for her sacrifice in wearing the spirit mask, which kept the hidden place concealed from the human world. Gozen was like an encyclopedia, knowing all about the place and its people. But in the end, when the hidden place no longer remained hidden, she felt kind of sad. She had spent years protecting the place and its people in every way she could. Now that it was out in the open, there would be no safe place for people who keep their emotions hidden. Maybe it’s for the better or worse; she didn’t know, and neither did we. But she felt happy for the Onis’ lives being saved after the snow gods dissolved into the air and stopped tormenting the Onis.
Ryuji and Mio
Ryuji and Mio were the two siblings who helped Hiiragi and Tsumugi by giving them a lift. But in exchange, they had to work at their vintage clothes store. Even though they were brother and sister, Mio had feelings for her brother Ryuji. But he was unaware of that. Hiiragi and Tsumugi initially mistook them as a couple, but later, as they found out about their feelings towards each other, they were kind of shocked.
