| Information |
| “ | Happiness and unhappiness are linked. Whenever one attempts to gain good fortune with little effort, there is always a risk. ... You and your friends have become trapped in this school because you performed the Sachiko Ever After charm...and messed it up. | ” |
—Naho Saenoki, Corpse Party (PC) (CHAPTER 3) | ||
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Naho Saenoki (冴之木 七星 Saenoki Naho) is a major character introduced in Corpse Party (PC) and the main protagonist of Corpse Party Cemetery0 and Corpse Party CEMETERY0 ~Kaibyaku no Ars Moriendi~.
She is a student of Paulownia Academy High School's classroom 2-1, a schoolgirl paranormalist, and a victim of Heavenly Host.
Design
Naho is a teenage girl of somewhat above average height and below average weight. She has indigo eyes and black medium short hair, with two red hair rings and a red pentagram-shaped hair ornament on the top left part of her head.
She wears the standard Paulownia Academy High female uniform consisting of a maroon blazer, white shirt, red necktie, dark blue skirt, black thigh-high socks and brown loafers. She has a blue jacket tied around her waist.
Personality
Naho initially presented herself as a stoic, wise, and enigmatic character who seemed to harbor ethically vague sentiments. However, she gradually evinced her darker emotions when Ayumi Shinozaki confronted her about the underlying circumstances behind Kou Kibiki's demise and the Sachiko Ever After charm. Naho's obsession for Kou motivated her to sabotage the charm's instructions in hopes of giving her mentor more "samples" to study. Naho's love, selfishness, and callousness ultimately became her downfall when she realized what she has done when she was affected by darkening.
In spite of the aforementioned traits, Naho's personality had some endearing aspects, such as amiability and childish eccentricity; which were evidenced by her interactions with Sayaka Ooue. Sayaka regarded Naho as her best friend, and the sentiment seemed mutual.
Plot
Corpse Party
CHAPTER 2
Naho first appears to Ayumi Shinozaki and Yoshiki Kishinuma in the second chapter. Ayumi instantly recognizes her, releasing her love for her idol. Naho states that she only died a while ago, and is still searching for someone dear to her. She advises the duo to search for a specific item that possesses the murderer's repentance that should help in saving Mayu Suzumoto from the two female children spirits. She vanishes afterwards.
CHAPTER 3
Naho meets with Naomi Nakashima, stating that Seiko Shinohara had been possessed by the school and mocks Naomi before disappearing once more. She appears once more to Satoshi Mochida at the end of the third chapter in the staff room mocking him before knocking him out with a feeling of fire.
CHAPTER 5
Throughout the fifth chapter, Ayumi and Yoshiki will find a collections of notes from Naho's notebook. The first set of notes talks about the "Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 01 'Ghost Therapy - Heart Surgery Ward'" and the "Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 02 'K Prefecture - Heavenly Host Elementary School'" (although the investigations are still pending), methods on ingress and egress statuses; research regarding the Shinozaki residence (as well as her illnesses she received); and finally her concerns for Kou as he is still having a difficult time getting publishers. The second collection of notes recalls the events before Naho entered the Elementary, to rescue Kou and Shougo Taguchi. She even regrets bringing her friend, Sayaka, into the dilemma as well as her final update on her blog. The third collection of notes are the real methods of the Sachiko Ever After charm; the correct procedure and the method of reversing the charm. The fourth set of notes discusses her regrets, as she fails to fully understand of what she and the crew are up against (everything else is smeared with blood, making it difficult to read). She longs for Kou in this part of the notes. The final notes are initially blank. But the ink starts to fill in, apparently Naho's darkening speaking in ink, extending to eight pages about her obsession to be with him.
Ayumi and Yoshiki finally confront Naho in the reference room. Ayumi spills out all of the information she knows, although Naho remarks that only half of the mystery is solved and she will continue her search for Kou. Attempting to leave, Ayumi stops her, demanding more information, criticizing on the incorrect methods on her blog, leaving her into such disappointment. Naho starts to mock Ayumi about her crush on Satoshi, and even called to those interested in occult as fools (as she puts it: "Go Fish") and said that what she's doing is right for Kou. Ayumi asks her situation considering her death. Unfortunately she cannot remember. Ayumi pointed out that she suffered from the darkening, possessing her, and as result while searching for Kou, murdering him. After telling how Kou died, Naho is placed in a state of shock and levitates in the air as the darkening exits the host's body before vanishing, leaving behind her name tag and a baby statue.
Naho's body is found alongside Kou's corpse in the custodian's closet behind the storage compartment by Satoshi, Naomi and Yuka Mochida.
Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
Episode #2; 『Demise』
Naho makes a brief appearance in Yoshiki's flashback. After Ayumi is possessed, Naho appears and tells Yoshiki that Ayumi has a gift to listen to the spirits in Heavenly Host. Unfortunately, she is inexperienced and has no control when they take over. She tells him that her ability to regain control will be up to her and him. When Yoshiki asks her to come with him, she declines, saying that she is still looking for somebody very dear.
Episode #4; 『Purgatory』
Naho appears in the fourth episode, but she is not a playable character. You see her interacting with her friend Sayaka, Kou and Shougo; while they go through the events that led them to enter Heavenly Host.Significant plot details end here.
Etymology
- The name Naho means "seven stars" (七星).
- Naho's surname Saenoki means "be clear, serene, cold, skillful" (冴) (sae), "this" (之) (no) and "tree, wood" (木) (ki).
Trivia
- Naho currently lives with Kou and attends high school from his place.
- In the first set of Naho's Notes, she writes, "Examination of Sacred Spaces - File 01 'Ghost Therapy - Heart Surgery Ward'." This could potentially be referencing a ward in Amare Patriarcha Crucis Hospital, the main location of Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient.
- In the Corpse Party: Book of Shadows Character Contest, Naho ranked 6th place, tied with Sachiko Shinozaki.
- In Corpse Party: Blood Drive, it is hinted that the reason Naho's existence in the real world (along with Sayaka's and Kou's) was sustained for so long is due to her strong spiritual/supernatural ability, which means it takes longer for her to get erased from history.
- If one visits the official Corpse Party website, and clicks the paper doll about level with Ayumi's hand, a new tab will be opened, containing Naho's blog post.
- If you click "Prev." at the bottom of the page, a window will open, resembling an error saying "An unexpected error has occurred, because you are already dead."
- Naho was absent in the live action movie along with the sequel. Her role from the games are omitted in the film. Though, there's another camera person in the tape who came to Heavenly Host along with Kou and Shougo. Its unknown if that was Naho or Sayaka. And both her and Shougo were killed by Yoshikazu Yanagihori. Yoshikazu possibly killed her offscreen with the sledgehammer. If it were neither Naho or Sayaka, it could mean that no student from Paulownia Academy High School existed in the live action films.
Sample Voices
Corpse Party (PC)
