You Won’t Believe Who Is the Most Popular Character of Hypnosis Mic!

We already discussed who is the hottest division leader at Hypnosis Mic, but there are still several more bishounen to swoon over. Who is the most popular though, according to fans? Just by watching the anime, we do get the impression that Ichiro or Jagurai are the most recognizable and really popular in this universe, but what about in real life?

Doppo, a member of Matenro, is more of a grey mouse in the HypMic universe. He is just a salaryman working for a medical equipment company who has no following, in contrast to obsessed clients that follow around Shinjuku’s top host Hifumi, or the adoring onee-sans that swarm around Ramuda. What’s Doppo’s importance in the plot? Characters represent each area, so since in Shinjuku there are a lot of companies, the writing team came up with a salaryman. Or not? Is this though the only reason that Doppo was included in Matenrou? Actually, Doppo is the audience favorite according to polls! Are you surprised? We were, so we are going to explore why:

Relatable Bishounen

Doppo’s superpower is that he is an everyman. You probably know someone like Doppo in real life. Dark circles under their eyes, coming home late from work, always nervous around people, and with a deep need to change their lives but hesitating to do so. Doppo represents a familiar way of living in Japanese society. Let’s take a look at the idea of kyouza, overtime, in the Japanese workforce. Japanese office culture often dictates that kohais, the newer employees, stay back, even though they are done with their tasks for the day to wait for their senpais to leave first. This is why we see Doppo getting the last train to return home, or being forced to work overtime on piles of documents, left behind by heartless superiors. This unfortunate situation makes Doppo likable and relatable, having to deal with such a tough working life, where the meaning of the work/life balance is unknown.

Becoming Aggretsuko

Doppo’s only outlet for his repressed emotions is freestyling with Matenro. When cornered he goes on rage mode, and he is truly terrifying and powerful. Doppo turns all his negative, self-defeating thoughts into vitriolic attacks against his opponents. His transformation to, let’s say, Aggretsuko, happens when he is pushed too far or when his friends are under threat.

When he is done, he is quick to apologize, although he just saved the day. Doppo shares a strong bond with Hifumi and Jagurai, the latter being his doctor and confidante. Matenro is a team that accepts their weaknesses and never lie about them, so Doppo fits right into the heart of the team, not despite, but because of his honesty about his struggles. Even though he looks depressed and dejected, he still tries to find meaning through friendship.

Best Friends or More

Moving on to the last part of why Doppo is the audience’s favorite, we should discuss his relationship with Hifumi. He and Doppo are osananajimi, or childhood friends, a concept we come across in anime, mostly in romantic stories. Not only that, but they are also roommates, with Hifumi doing most of the cooking and cleaning, and being protective of Doppo. How convenient that Hifumi has a secret: even though he is a top host in Shinjuku, outside of work he gets really nervous around women. These details have laid the ground for fans to ship Doppo and Hifumi together, turning this into one of the most popular pairings of HypMic.


Final Thoughts

There’s something attractive about characters that need to be taken care of. Who says soft characters are reserved only for female MCs? Being tired and worrisome is part of Doppo’s appeal. He is a loyal friend, brave, and let’s just admit it, really hot, the dark circles under his eyes are part of the appeal. His rage mode is unbeatable and he looks sweet hanging out with Hifumi. We just wish he manages to get a good night’s sleep soon!

What do you think of Doppo? Does he deserve the hype? Once again, thank you for reading, and let’s take the conversation to the comments below ~

Until next time! <3

Hypnosis-Mic-Doppo-Kannonzaka-Wallpaper You Won’t Believe Who Is the Most Popular Character of Hypnosis Mic!

Writer

Author: Andromache Kokkinou

This is Andromache, nice to meet you! I am a writer, editor, and zinester. I have a knack for research and making connections between anime, so I love writing anime recommendations and top 10 lists! Yes, I do look like my avatar and yes, I base my style off Ami Mizuno aka Sailor Mercury. An Evangelion and Utena fanatic, talk to me about depressed teen heroes and handsome princesses. Avatar by @crazyspacecats

Previous Articles

Top 5 Anime by Andromache Kokkinou