Hanako

Hanako is ambitious and hopeful when she arrives in Edo. Her desire to become a dancer is strong enough that she leaves Osaka to pursue that future independently.

That ambition also makes her vulnerable to people who claim they can guarantee success. The Dream Catcher cult takes advantage of precisely the kind of uncertainty experienced by someone who has moved far from home to chase a difficult career.

Hanako is not depicted as unintelligent for being deceived. Her situation instead emphasizes how easily aspirations can be exploited when someone offers certainty, community and a seemingly direct route to a dream.

Hanako has no established supernatural powers or combat abilities.

Her professional work is as a hostess at Snack Smile, where she works in the same establishment as Tae Shimura.

Her principal personal ambition is dancing, although the story focuses more heavily on the circumstances surrounding that dream than on demonstrating advanced dance techniques.

Hanako arrives in Edo from Osaka intending to pursue a career as a dancer and begins working at Snack Smile.

She becomes involved with the Dream Catcher cult, an organization that promises followers the means to achieve their ambitions. Tae becomes concerned about her and draws the Yorozuya into investigating what has happened.

The resulting story exposes the group's manipulative methods and brings Sakata Gintoki, Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura into direct conflict with the cult.

Hanako's predicament provides the personal reason for the investigation, turning what might otherwise appear to be an eccentric religious group into a threat affecting someone close to Tae.

Tae Shimura is Hanako's senior coworker at Snack Smile and becomes concerned when Hanako is drawn into the Dream Catcher cult.

Sakata Gintoki, Shimura Shinpachi and Kagura become involved in helping Hanako through their connection to Tae.