| Hakase (Shinonome) | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Japanese Name: | はかせ (literally in kanji :博士) |
| Romanized Name: | Hakase |
| English Name: | Professor |
| First Appearance: | Episode 0 |
| Age: | 8
Teenage (Timeskip Chapters) |
| Birthday: | June 6[1] |
| Occupation: | "Scientist"
Student (Timeskip Chapters) |
| Affiliated: | Nano Shinonome (created) Sakamoto (pet) Yuuko Aioi (friend) |
| Alignment: | Bratty child |
| Japanese VA: | Hiromi Konno |
| English VA: | Jad Saxton |
Hakase Shinonome is a young scientist who has outstanding intelligence, but still reflects her age in her childish behavior. Her true name is unknown, as the word "Hakase" simply means "Professor". She lives in the Shinonome Lab.
She loves sharks, snacks, and Nano Shinonome, whom was created by her. She modifies Nano to add strange and unusual functions such as a machine gun right hand and a swiss roll dispensing arm. Nano, most of the time, is unaware of these modifications until they are first used. However, Hakase always refuses to remove the obvious wind-up key from Nano's back because she thinks that it’s cute, despite Nano's discomfort and repeated requests.
She doesn’t go to school, apparently because she has already graduated, and instead spends her days playing around in the house. Hakase's family is never revealed, and it’s unknown if she doesn’t have a family or simply doesn't live with them. Her home, labeled "Shinonome Laboratories", is inhabited only by herself, Nano, Sakamoto and her other sentient inventions.
Etymology[]
Even official translations vary on calling her "Hakase" or "Professor". The Vertical Comics manga uses "Professor", while the Funimation dub uses "Hakase". Prompting the confusion is the fact that "Hakase" is the Japanese word for "Professor", but the Japanase manga doesn't use the kanji for "Hakase" (博士), but instead spells it in hiragana (はかせ), which presents "Hakase" as a proper name rather than a title. [2]
Appearance[]
Hakase has light-ginger (or strawberry blonde) hair down to her waist and sapphire-blue eyes; her hair’s unkempt and there's a cowlick near the backside of her head. She wears an oversized white lab-coat that has no openings on the front or back, and it runs all the way to the ground. It resembles PJ's or a very large t-shirt that has lab-coat styling with collars and a red tie.
Personality[]
Hakase is shown having a incredible intellect, but she behaves like a spoiled 8-year-old child. She has an incredibly short attention span, and often she’ll drop or change the subject of a situation at any time. She will argue like a child and throw a tantrum if she does not get her way. She likes to have fun and laughs at everything, though this often gets her into trouble. She loves snack foods, although her favorite food is omurice (omelette rice).
Despite her impressive intellect, her creations have very little, if any, practical application, typically being made for a laugh or for showing off. One of her inventions include "Super Glue", an enormous tube of super sticky glue she made to pull a prank on Nano and Sakamoto (which she wound up getting caught in as well), two Biscuit androids (which they’re shown to be less than effective at anything), and various tricks and dispensary-devices she installs in Nano against her creation's will.
She has a passion for sharks, and she’s often seen drawing them when not working on robots as well as enjoying "Shark Chocolate". She is also deeply afraid of dogs, because they might bite her.
While she's aware that Nano doesn't want other people to find out that she's a robot, Hakase often tends to forget about it, or simply doesn't share the sentiment. Hakase instead feels that Nano should be happy she's a robot, as she believes "robots are cute". This leads to a running gag where she promptly introduces herself as Nano's creator whenever she meets someone, much to the other person's surprise (and much to Nano's dismay).
Relationships[]
Nano[]
Hakase has a daughter-mother relationship with Nano.
Hakase built Nano and she constantly installs random (or mostly useless) functions into her without her knowing. Aside from the unknown modifications, they have a very close relationship which it led her to decide that Nano can go to high school in the second half of the anime. Hakase is usually well-behaved when Nano disciplines her, but then she acts with authority whenever she remembers she herself created Nano.
Sakamoto[]
Hakase gave Sakamoto a scarf that allows him to talk, simply because she thought it would be neat. But then she quickly discovered that the cat had a condescending personality much to her displeasure, though she allowed him to stay with her. Although Sakamoto demands respect that an elder should receive, Hakase usually doesn't comply. Often, she blames Sakamoto every time that she’s at fault for something she did, though Nano typically sees through these attempts. But Hakase typically treats Sakamoto as a normal child would regard a cat, which it often leads him to being harmed or put him in danger.
Yuuko[]
Hakase and Yuuko quickly becoming friends after meeting for less than an hour
Being similar in personality, Hakase and Yuuko have been good friends ever since they first met. She introduces herself to Yuuko as "Nano's creator", making all of Nano's efforts to hide her true nature useless. But Hakase's always very happy to be around Yuuko and she loves to play with her.
Mai[]
Due to her encounter with Mai's dogs, she didn't like her very much at first. However, when they met for the second time, Hakase was quick to open to her, because of a shark drawing she gave to her.
Mio[]
Despite Mio's attempts to become closer to Hakase, she does not show any attachment to Mio at all. When they first met, Hakase was impressed by Mio's drawing skills, but lost interest when she learned she only uses them to draw handsome men.
Trivia[]
- It is unknown if Hakase is related to Principal Shinonome, the current Principal of Tokisadame Highschool. Though they share a family name, they are never alluded to as being related.
- For unknown reasons, Hakase desires the Akutagawa Prize, a Japanese literary award.
- Hakase seems able to speak other languages; she said "Saranghaeyo" (Korean for I Love You) in Episode 6.
- All of Hakase's clothes resemble long pajamas.
- In chapter 187, she's appears to forgets to wear anything under her lab coat, this is offscreen according to Nano.
- It is unknown how Hakase financially supports herself or the Shinonome Lab, as there is nothing to suggest her inventions are profitable in any way. (Theory: She is probably rich as she might work for a company in the gaps between episode as a scientist between episodes, and they get paid really well.)
- In the time skip chapters she's attending to high school.
- For some reason, she thinks chickens should lay pudding instead of eggs.[3]
Favorite Foods and Drinks[]
Foods[]
- Roll Cake from Nano's left hand.
- Sweet Bun from Nano's forehead.
- Snack-Q (Snaq)
- Omelette rice.
- Castella Shark, (shark shaped sponge cake)
- Choco-shark.
Drinks[]
- Strawberry juice
- Soda.
Character songs[]
- "Hakase no Suki Nano Nano"
- "Hakase no Same to Inu" - Hakase's Shark and Dog
- "Shinonome Kenkyuusho no, Kyou mo Heiwa Desu" - Shinonome Laboratory's Today Is Another Peaceful Day
- "Kikyuu ni Notte Dokomade mo"
- "Sora ga Konnani Aoi to wa"
- "Tabidachi no Hi ni"