For the novel, please go to Kayoko Kotohiki (Novel). For the film, please go to Kayoko Kotohiki (Film).
Kayoko Kotohiki (琴弾 加代子, Kotohiki Kayoko) is a minor character in Battle Royale.
Backstory[]
Kayoko was a member of the tea ceremony club at her school, but was described as playful and energetic rather than elegant, which is what would be expected of someone performing in a tea ceremony. Hiroki Sugimura was in love with Kayoko, but she was unaware of this. He first notices Kayoko when he sees her taking a flower arranging class in the same building where he practices martial arts. Both Hiroki's sensei and Shinji Mimura notice that Hiroki watches Kayoko after class. Kayoko and Hiroki meet when she notices him helping a distraught kitten at school. She helps him relieve the cat, and explains that she has three kittens at home. It is revealed that Kayoko had been afraid of Hiroki due to his fighting in the dojo, but she now sees him as a caring and friendly individual. Kayoko mentions that her mother was actually her father's mistress. Her father funded her mother's bar, and Kayoko sometimes worked there as a waitress. Kayoko privately reciprocates Hiroki's feelings for her. Her personality is described as extroverted, bright, bubbly, courageous, but she doesn't seem to be able to tell when people are serious, which occasionally results in her making inappropriate comments or laughing at the wrong time.
Friends and Enemies[]
Due to her experiences with her mother and the bar, Kayoko didn't really fit in with her classmates as she felt that Yukie Utsumi and her friends wouldn't really understand and she wasn't bad so she didn't fit into Mitsuko Souma's group. She wasn't seen with any of the girls in the Dreamers group. It is possible that she could have been friends with Sakura Ogawa or Mayumi Tendo as both of these girls were not part of any group like Kayoko.
In the Program[]
When Kayoko and Hiroki finally meet, Kayoko who had gone a day and a half without seeing anybody else threatens to shoot him but to prove he is a friend Hiroki throws his bag and pole away and then tells her about the kitten incident and explains that he kept the kitten which he named after her flower arrangement, Kayoko goes along with him for a while. The two light the two fires so that the two can meet up with Shuya Nanahara's group. The two sit and talk about things before moving on. Kazuo Kiriyama, now unknown to Kayoko and Hiroki, is hot on their trail and soon catches up with them. Hiroki fights him while Kayoko looks on helplessly. Finally she realizes Hiroki needs her help; she then grabs his Colt M1911 and shoots at Kazuo who then attacks her. Hiroki then saves her. Kiriyama fakes his death, he really has a Kevlar vest on. Hiroki uses indirect words to admit he loves her. Kiriyama gets up and fatally shoots them both.
Etymology[]
- The name Kayoko means "add, increase" (加) (ka), "generation" (代) (yo) and "child" (子) (ko).
- Kayoko's surname Kotohiki means "Japanese harp" (琴) (koto) and "bullet, shot, shell" (弾) (hiki).
Appearances[]
- The Worst Game in History
- Best Friend
- Explosion
- The Well(Thoughts)
- Toshinori Oda (Flashback)
- Encounter
- The Tidings of Happiness
- Limits
- The Devil's Tactics
- Truth and Untruth
- Proposal
- Violent Fist
- Devil of Nothingness
- Despair
- Awakening
- Transcendental
- Copy
- Inversion
- Promise
- Incubation (Corpse)
- The Right Path (Corpse)
- Wishes (Thoughts)
- Destiny (Flashback and Thoughts)
- Determination (Thoughts)
- Hope (Thoughts)
Trivia[]
- The manga Kayoko is one of the biggest departures from the novel and film. She does not kill Hiroki out of fear but is instead murdered by Kazuo, and more of her personality is shown.
- Assuming that Kayoko truly has no confrontation with anyone prior to her meeting with Hiroki, then the only injury she ever suffered through the entire game was the one that also killed her: the gunshot to the temple by Kazuo.
- This version of Kayoko is the last character to be introduced to the viewers and the second to last girl to die (the last one being Mitsuko).
- This is the only version of Kayoko who didn't kill Hiroki.
- This is the only version of Kayoko who wasn't killed by Mitsuko.