The 90s arcade romantic comedy "High Score Girl" is a groundbreaking story of growth, suffering, and reconciliation that touches on a variety of issues, including love, family circumstances, and rights issues, through games. After all that, High Score Girl has finally been adapted into an anime! So, we would like to introduce another heroine of High Score Girl, Hidaka Koharu, who appears in the junior high school arc!
Another heroine, Hidaka Koharu, who appears in the junior high school arc
Source: High Score Girl
A classmate of Haruo's junior high school, she has blonde hair and a beautiful face, but she's not good at socializing and doesn't stand out much in class. She doesn't have anything she's passionate about or interested in, so she spends her days bored, but she begins to take an interest in Haruo, who keeps a calm face even when he breaks school rules and is obsessed with games.
When she first appears, she is an amateur with no knowledge or experience of games
Source: High Score Girl
When she first appears, she is an amateur who knows nothing about games, but she begins to become interested in games due to Haruo's influence. When MVS is introduced to her family's liquor store, she becomes a contact point with Haruo, and at the same time, she begins to have romantic feelings for him.
What kind of games does "Hidaka Koharu" like?
Koharu is especially into fighting games because of Haruo's influence, but originally she likes watching other people play games. She lists "Otogirisou", "Sweet Home", and "Septentrion" as games she would like to play. Unlike Ohno, she also likes horror and panic games, but these games are scary to play alone, so it might be better to say that she likes games she would like to play with Haruo.
Horror sound bell from Chunsoft "Otogirisou"
Source: High Score Girl
"Otogirisou" is the first sound novel from Chunsoft, which has become well-known through Kamaitachi no Yoru and 428. Chunsoft loves to parody their own products, and the name alone has also appeared in other works by the company. It may be more famous as a recovery item.
The masterpiece horror RPG "Sweet Home" that later influenced the Resident Evil series
Source: High Score Girl
The original is a horror movie directed by Juzo Itami, but the game itself may be more famous because this work is so well made. As a pioneer of horror games, it is particularly excellent in terms of production, and influenced the Resident Evil series that was released later. It incorporates unique elements such as limited recovery items and characters that die once are lost, and although it is a NES work, it is still scary enough to play today.
Septentrion, a panic adventure game from Human
Source: High Score Girl
This game was released by the former game company Human, and is about escaping from a luxury cruise ship that is sinking after a Titanic-like accident. There is a time limit, and if you don't escape within an hour in real time, the game will end with a tragic background music. The game is characterized by its production that stirs up anxiety and impatience, and the company's famous works are the Clock Tower series. A PS version? Oh, there's no such thing.
What characters does Koharu Hidaka have?
In Street Fighter Zero, she plays Sagat; in Art of Fighting, she plays Yuri Sakazaki; in KOF95, she plays the female fighter team; in Samurai Shodown, she plays Ukyo Tachibana and Neidhart Sieger; and in Vampire Hunter, she plays Phobos. She plays a variety of characters depending on the series, but sometimes she uses a character that she sympathizes with, such as the handsome Ukyo Tachibana from Samurai Shodown.
Hidaka Koharu, a heroine who has a natural sense for games despite being a beginner.
Source: High Score Girl
At first, Koharu had never played a game, but when she played a game under Haruo's influence, she was able to pull off a difficult move even though she was playing gacha, which made Haruo feel that she had a sense for games that he didn't have.
Introducing the synopsis of the junior high school version of "Hidaka Koharu"!
Source: High Score Girl
Koharu was waiting for Haruo in the classroom, who was on duty that day and had to write a letter of apology for breaking school rules, but due to that, she ended up going home in a snowstorm, and at that time Haruo showed her a candy store with a machine, and she played a game for the first time. Then, when Haruo found out that the candy store was about to close and that Koharu's house had also installed an MVS, he started visiting Koharu's house.
Her feelings for Haruo grow stronger after Christmas and Valentine's Day
Source: High Score Girl
Koharu decides to go to the Christmas party, hoping that Haruo will go too, but in the end, Haruo is drawn to the Neo Geo machine in front of Koharu's house, and the two exchange gifts alone. Koharu's feelings grow stronger day by day, and on Valentine's Day she visits Haruo, who has fallen ill with a cold, but she realizes that Haruo's mind is still on games and he doesn't pay her any attention.
Ono's transfer and the school trip make her even more confused
Source: High Score Girl
Koharu finds out that Ohno has moved overseas and that he has some kind of relationship with Haruo, but there's no way she can ask about it. On the school trip, Koharu is left behind on the Shinkansen platform with Haruo, and she panics, but Haruo is not at all upset, and the two of them head to Kyoto. Koharu thought it was like a date, but even at a time like this, all Haruo could think about was games.
In the high school version, Hidaka Koharu becomes a strong player!?
Source: High Score Girl
Koharu, who was forced to attend an all-girls high school by her parents' recommendation, honed her skills at an arcade in order to impress Haruo, and became so strong that Haruo, who had stayed away from arcades after failing his entrance exams, was helpless. Having been beaten to a pulp, Haruo trembled with frustration, but his pride as a gamer stirred him up and he vowed to become strong again.
She meets Ohno at the arcade and learns about the bond between her and Haruo
Source: High Score Girl
She meets Ohno at the arcade and is shown his captivating gaming techniques, which leads her to understand why gamer Haruo cares so much about her, and she learns that there is a strong bond between Haruo and Ohno.
Finally confesses to Haruo
Source: High Score Girl
Koharu knew that there was a big bond between Haruo and Ohno that she couldn't get into, but she still couldn't give up, so she finally confessed to Haruo and set the condition, "If I win, go out with me," and accepted the rematch with Haruo.
Training in fighting games with the best players at the arcade
Source: High Score Girl
Hidaka Koharu, who met Futakotamagawa Felicia, a strong female vampire hunter player at the arcade, was invited to join the "night games" where the best players gather because she felt her "extraordinary determination not to lose." She plays against strong players and learns about diagrams and frame numbers, honing her skills for the showdown with Haruo.
Finally, a direct showdown with Haruo!!
Source: High Score Girl
At the end of summer vacation, Koharu and Haruo receive a challenge from Haruo and the time for the showdown finally comes. The games are "True Samurai Shodown," "KOF95," and "Vampire Hunter," and the rules are two-to-one. The two continue to fight back and forth, and finally it's down to the final battle.
How will the match end?
In the final match, "Vampire Hunter," Haruo's character is Bishamon, while Koharu's is Phobos. Haruo attacks aggressively and breaks Phobos's guard, taking the first match, and Koharu quickly uses a Confuser combo to take the second match. The outcome of the fateful final match... Watch the anime or read the book to see for yourself!
High Score Girl Hidaka Koharu Summary
So far, I've introduced Hidaka Koharu. She has a different charm from the other heroine, Ohno Akira, and is a character that gives the work High Score Girl itself its charm. Although she is a somewhat unrewarded character, in works around the world, sub-heroines are more popular than main heroines. She's a character that I personally want to root for, and I can only look forward to her future success! Go Koharu!
