Minako Kochorashi

Minako Kochorashi is the mother of Chifumi, Shigemi, Kana, Satoya, and Kastushi Kochorashi. She works non-stop, which means that Minako is often absent from the story, but she still does make a casual appearance at times.

Appearance
Minako is a woman of average height who looks very much like everyone in her family: blond with green eyes, a light complexion, she just looked very much like most others in the family. Even though the Kochorashi family is strict on hair-cutting, especially for girls, Minako has short hair. Minako has a long bang on the left side of her head that is usually tucked back. She has a very plain look on her face and is rarely seen smiling. Minako has almost forgotten how to smile given the fact that she has not been happy for a long time.

Minako often wears a grey vest with a pink button-up dress shirt and a grey tie. On hot days, Minako wears a plain white short sleeved shirt and either a white skirt or white jeans.

Personality
Minako is a very stoic and serious person. She is a perfectionist and wants nothing imperfect in her life. She used to be a very happy, upbeat person. But after having Shigemi, a deaf child, Minako believed that she lost all the spark in her life because Shigemi was an “imperfection.” Minako has always seen Shigemi as a constant reminder that there will always be an imperfection and nothing will “ever be the same again.”

After this, Minako is noticeably more on edge. While she usually maintains a regular life, she does not have much personality. But on the inside, Minako feels that anything will tip her over the edge and break her. However, Minako only makes herself have these feelings.

Story
Minako is told that her youngest daughter, Shigemi, is born deaf. Minako does not admit it, but she is very unimpressed and believes that since Shigemi is deaf, Shigemi is incapable of doing anything productive. So as a result, Minako works nonstop so she can be far away from her daughter. All of the personality that Minako once had is now gone and she does not wish to see Shigemi anymore. However, Minako could never muster up the courage to tell Shigemi to leave the house and never show her face again. Minako leaves her children in the care of her mother and father so they can take care of the kids for Minako while she’s working.

Eventually, Minako receives a letter in the mail stating that Keisuke Poporashi would like to send everyone to Phoebelandia Private Academy, a boarding school South of Vatica. Minako was excited because she really wanted Shigemi gone so that she could live in her old life again. During the time that her children were away at school, Minako often went out to parties and had enough money to quit her jobs, so that’s what she did.

When the Phoebelandian Genocide began, however, Chifumi, Shigemi, and Shigemi’s boyfriend Masaru Mashida came back to the Kochorashi residence. Minako was angry that she had to deal with a “pestilence” so she said that she didn’t want anything to do with Shigemi. When Chifumi defended Shigemi, Minako said that she was going to put Shigemi in a residential facility on the other side of the country. Masaru defended Shigemi and said that if Minako was going to put Shigemi in a residential facility, Masaru would take her away so she could never see her mother again. Minako then realized that Masaru’s feelings for her daughter were real and she accepted. Minako cut all contacts with Chifumi, Masaru, and Shigemi. After the group left, Minako felt like a horrible person but felt that it was the right thing to do because she wanted to forget Shigemi existed. Minako didn’t care if people lambasted her because she knew that she deserved it.

Minako’s relationship with her husband, Tsuyoshi, was beginning to falter after he found out that Minako had sent the children away simply because Shigemi is deaf. Minako said that she felt horrible for her actions and wished that she could love Shigemi. Tsuyoshi said that if Minako really thought that, then Minako loved Shigemi as her daughter and could have her back. Tsuyoshi said that he would bring Masaru and Chifumi back, even though Chifumi was stubborn.

Trivia

 * Minako (美奈子) means, “beautiful (美) (mi), apple tree (奈) (na), child (子) (ko)”.