Matsuri Hinata

Matsuri Hinata
Japanese Name	日向茉莉
Voiced by	Japanese: Rie Murakawa

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Matsuri Hinata (日向茉莉, Hinata Matsuri) is one of the main characters in Puella Magi Suzune Magica. She is the secondary protagonist of the first two thirds of the story and main protagonist of the final third.

General Info

Physical Features
Age	13
Eye colour	Green
Hair colour	Dark green
Height	147.6 cm
Weight	41.3 kg
Blood type	O
Magic
Soul Gem	Green oval (hair accessory)
Weapon	Gauntlets
Witch Form	Elise
Powers and Abilities	Detect (search for signs)
Wish	To be able to see, as she was blind in the past.
Other
Japanese pronoun	Matsuri (マツリ)
Known relatives	Genjiro Hinata (father), unnamed mother (deceased), Kagari Hinata (older twin sister), Tsubaki Mikoto (surrogate mother; deceased)
Origins	Hohzuki City
School	Akanegasaki Middle School, 7th grade

Personality

Matsuri is a very cheerful and optimistic girl, often thinking positively and trying to make friends with others; she also always attempts to talk things out with people rather than fight them, and often attempts to dissuade her friends from fighting with others; for example, stopping Arisa from beating up people and attempting to stop her from challenging Suzune to a duel to the death.

Matsuri is also very forgiving, as seen with Suzune — who killed many magical girls to prevent the births of witches — and Kagari — who crafted a revenge gambit to make Suzune's life miserable, and was indirectly responsible for the deaths of all the magical girls Suzune killed.

Story

Backstory

Not much is known of Matsuri's home-life. She had a sister, Kagari Hinata, an unnamed father, and a caretaker named Tsubaki Mikoto. Not much is given on how Matsuri relates to her family before the events of Suzune.

Matsuri used to be blind. It is unknown if she was born blind or how she handled her blindness.

Tsubaki often visited Matsuri's home, taking care of her and Kagari, and often told them stories. Tsubaki disappeared one day (due to becoming a witch), leaving the twins saddened, and Kagari also enraged. When approached by Kyubey after the disappearance of Tsubaki, Matsuri almost immediately wished to be able to see. The three began to search the town for Tsubaki, but failed to find her; however, they did find Suzune, after following the sound of the bell on the pendant that she was wearing - a pendant that originally belonged to Tsubaki. Kagari was confused by Suzune wearing Tsubaki's pendant, and apparently went home sometime after this discovery; Matsuri, however, followed Suzune to where she was hiding in despair near a house, and asked to become friends with her.

At some point after this, Kagari, now a magical girl, confronted Matsuri and erased her memories of Suzune as a part of her revenge gambit. Despite this, Suzune would later transfer into the same school and class that Matsuri attended.

As Matsuri makes no mentions nor allusions to Kagari during the story before volume 3, it can be inferred Kagari also erased herself from Matsuri's memory; the same can be said for memories of Tsubaki. It can also be inferred that Matsuri's father had his memories erased as well.

Matsuri during Suzune Magica

While on her way to school with Matsuri and Chisato, Arisa complains about how school is extremely boring. She'd much rather be outside doing something active than sit inside and be forced to study with Chisato lecturing her on the importance of school and how Arisa should be grateful that she's lucky enough to have this opportunity, and Matsuri excited to see her friends once again. They exchange brief greetings with Haruka Kanade, a senior on the school council performing a morning greeting exercise. Haruka explains that it's a way of making sure of everyone's attendance, and tells Arisa to be sure not to arrive late. The four then depart for classes, with Arisa and Chisato continuing onto maths class, and Matsuri to PE. On the way, however, the rabbit charm on Matsuri's bag breaks off and falls to the floor next to a girl's feet. The girl picks up the charm and gives it to Matsuri, who thanks her in return — revealing the girl's identity as Suzune. After school, the Hohzuki quartet meet up to discuss the Ripper rumors and the serial murders that started occurring in a neighboring city a month ago. While Arisa is dismissive of the rumors, they agree to be more careful as they patrol the city. After Chisato is murdered by Suzune in front of her, Arisa attempts to attack Suzune but is knocked out instead. Haruka distracts Suzune so Matsuri can rescue Arisa.

After Arisa's backstory is revealed, in which she wished for power due to always being bullied at school, Arisa attends Chisato's funeral where she argues with Haruka and Matsuri for having left Chisato behind despite her grievous injuries. Arisa yells at Haruka, which leaves Matsuri troubled. Suzune later goes home and finds Matsuri visiting her to pass along the homework that she missed. Suzune questions why Matsuri is still kind to her after killing Chisato; Matsuri then responds that she doesn't think Suzune enjoys killing people. Suzune tells Matsuri to go home, which Matsuri does, but not before saying that if Suzune tries to kill someone again, she will stop her with all her might. Suzune is then seen putting a paper with Chisato's name on it into her pouch, before taking it off and asking out loud to Tsubaki that "she's not wrong, right?" As they search for Haruka, they encounter Suzune instead. Arisa and Matsuri attack Suzune as Haruka is unbeknowest to them engaged in a battle with a witch. Suzune escapes from the fight with Arisa and Matsuri and tracks down Haruka before Arisa and Matsuri are able to find either of them. Matsuri uses her ability to track down Haruka but not before she falls into despair and transforms into a witch. Suzune defeats the witch and explains how magical girls are fated to become witches. Arisa and Matsuri are shown Suzune's past in a vision by Kyubey. Afterwards, Arisa crushes Kyubey's head and takes off.

Arisa skips school in order to hang out at an arcade runs into Chisato's father on her way home, Arisa sits in her room and heavily regrets wasting her wish on power. The next day, Arisa begins beating up on random people at school claiming they were annoying her. Matsuri begs her to stop and tells her she's lying to herself in acting this way. Matsuri explains how she was once blind and how she doesn't regret her wish the way Arisa does. Arisa leaves to find Suzune and kill her. Late at night, Arisa manages to find Suzune and picks a fight with her. Suzune initially has the upper hand until Arisa uses her boost magic to its absolute limit, causing her body great harm in the process. Before she can deliver the final blow to Suzune, she is stabbed through the soul gem on her back by Kagari.

Kagari laughs and snaps her fingers, showing Suzune her own past in a vision. After the truth of Kagari's memory-manipulation magic is revealed, Suzune yells at her to stop until she's in tears. Suzune then attacks at Kagari and a fight ensues. During the fight, Kagari messes with Suzune's mind, causing her to see Tsubaki being slashed rather than herself. Just as Kagari is about to kill Suzune, Matsuri appears and deflects the attack. The girls attack at Kagari but are unable to land any blows thanks to Kagari's manipulative magic. Kyubey appears and guides Matsuri into using her ability to track Kagari's true position and directs Suzune where to attack. Angered, Kagari turns her attacks on Matsuri but is blasted away by her energy beam. Together they are able to defeat Kagari, but not before Kagari manipulates her own memories and causes herself to become a witch instantly.

Kagari's witch form attacks, Suzune attempting to block the familiars but there are too many and some make it past her. They consume the crying Matsuri and Suzune is devasted. She attacks the familiars once more using Tsubaki's fire magic and slashes the witch in half. The witch regenerates and Suzune realizes her true form is the book the witch stands on. She leaps to attack the book but is consumed by the witch as well. Inside, Suzune meets the witch's true form and destroys it with what remains of her power. With both Matsuri and Suzune at their limits, and only one grief seed left, Suzune uses it to save Matsuri and goes off on her own. Matsuri awakens in her home and chases after Suzune. Suzune says to forget about her and threatens to use Kagari's magic to erase her memories of her, but Matsuri cries out she never wants to forget her friends or her. At her limit, Suzune thanks Matsuri for being her friend and crushes her own soul gem. Matsuri is seen some time later with a slightly different hairstyle. She is still troubled by the events that have passed, but has resolved to keep her promise with Suzune to continue to live on.

Magia Record

See Matsuri Hinata in Magia Record.

Powers and Abilities

Matsuri's magic is light-elemental and sight-themed, stemming from her wish to see.

Her gauntlets can shine or shoot bright lights at her opponents; she also possesses the ability to search for others, though she states that this ability is best used as support in battle. Matsuri can use this ability to detect invisible people or see through illusions, as used in the battle with Kagari.

Matsuri also appears to have healing powers; the strength of this ability is unknown.

Observations

Matsuri has a charm of a rabbit head named "Bunny-chan".
She calls Kyubey "Kyu-chan".

Etymology

Matsuri's first name is spelt with the kanji for "jasmine", a type of flower. "Matsuri" can also mean a festival or celebration.
- In the Japanese language of flowers, jasmine represents kindness and gracefulness.
Matsuri's last name, Hinata, means "sunny place".

Trivia

According to tweets from GAN:
- Matsuri has a telephone motif. Her hair buns are the handsets, her braids are the cord, and the round button on the stomach of her dress is the dial.^[1]
- She has gauntlets as weapons because GAN wanted to put in the "Shining Finger" move from Gundam, but having it performed against humans would leave a pretty nasty impression (as it's intended to crush the head of targets), so they dropped the idea.^[2]
- Matsuri is supposed to be the character the audience can either identify with or support/root for the most in volume 3.^[3] This likely refers to how Suzune is anti-heroic and Kagari is the antagonist, with Matsuri being the most traditionally heroic of the three.
Matsuri speaks in third person in the Japanese text, and is the only Suzune character to do so.

Gallery

Official art

Volume 3 bonus image of Matsuri.
From 「twitterまとめ」 by GAN.
A redesigned Matsuri; note Tsubaki's pendant. From GAN's twitter.
Art of the Hinata twins from GAN's twitter.
Solo Matsuri from this official art.
Art of Matsuri in a swimsuit from GAN's twitter.
Art of Matsuri in a summer outfit GAN's twitter.
Art from GAN's twitter.
Art from GAN's twitter.

Manga pages

Matsuri's character profile.
Matsuri in her magical girl form.
Matsuri in her school uniform.
Matsuri's outfit at Chisato's funeral.
Young Matsuri. Note the lack of light in her eyes, symbolizing her blindness at the time.
Young Matsuri in her bedclothes.
Matsuri's true first meeting with Suzune.
Kagari holding Matsuri after knocking her out with a spell.
Matsuri confronts Kagari.
Kagari charging Matsuri.
Matsuri using her search powers.
Matsuri's rabbit head charm, "Usa-chan".
Matsuri and Chisato clinging to one another.
Matsuri using her light magic to blind Suzune.
Matsuri cries while holding a collapsed Suzune.
Matsuri cradles Suzune's body after her suicide.
Matsuri with her braids down.
Matsuri wearing the bell-and-pouch pendant.