At first glance, Hanekoma’s just a laid-back café owner with a nice big dose of optimism and a talent for inspirational one-liners. He’s an easygoing sort of guy, casual and talkative even with total strangers; generally amiable and a good listener, something about him invites you to loosen up and speak freely. He lives by phrases like ‘enjoy the moment’ and ‘he who enjoys life, wins at life’, and if you’re willing to fork over a couple hundred yen for coffee, he’s happy to share these with the troubled teens of Shibuya.

He’s the kind of guy who could be found strolling around town with no destination in mind, just taking in the sights and sounds. He likes people-watching, and he likes feeling connected to the city – these are the things he takes inspiration from. If Hanekoma’s not out and about, he’s either occupied with business or enjoying his art; he likes his simple pleasures, such as artwork and coffee and his place in a lively city.

His values are based around creativity, simple enjoyment of life, and the human need to clash with others and interact to expand our views of the world. He values imagination in all its forms, and seeks to inspire others with his art; with his alias of CAT, Hanekoma has influences in every medium from fashion design to music to graffiti. He’s an artist, with a quiet respect for life, his place in the background, and the potential that he can see in everything.

After all, when it comes to his more questionable actions in the game, all Hanekoma’s motivation is based on his unwillingness to see Shibuya, in all her progress and potential, wiped out. He has a certain respect for human life and the impact that every individual can have on the world, but more than that, he’s able to watch the progression of humanity as a whole – he’s an Angel, playing a backstage role, acting as a subtle influence and guiding people in the right direction. He is not meant to interfere, or to take sides, or to get his hands dirty. He’s meant to work from the shadows and the sidelines, without a spotlight or a title. He can’t draw attention to himself and can’t achieve fame or recognition for his actions, but Hanekoma knows this and enjoys it. He’s subtle and humble. He likes his place.

But he’s a gambler, and that doesn’t always refer to card games and dice. Hanekoma enjoys playing with high stakes, and he’s willing to put a lot on the line for what he believes in. He’s the type to invite any stranger off the street to a cup of coffee and a casual dice game, but he’s also the sort to get a kick out of playing for stakes that no sane man would agree to. He betrayed the Higher Plane to preserve the potential he could see in Shibuya, and the way he went about it was riddled with risky moves that counted on his knack for analyzing peoples’ potential roles. Rarely does he directly interfere, when he can simply nudge people in the right direction with words or gifts; he’ll give a man a tool, but let him discover on his own how to use it. Hanekoma is never straightforward and never more than a subtle help and influence.

He is always acting on his own personal games and gambles, but in a way that allows his pawns to grow and change – if they survive, that is. He works toward the greater good, but that means playing by an unspoken motto of ‘the end justifies the means.’ Of course, Hanekoma’s willing to make his own sacrifices and risk his own safety; he knows that he plays a part just as much as the rest.

All in all, he is cheerful, helpful, and kind, but with a sharper and more manipulative edge to him that often can’t be seen. He works for the benefit of others or the benefit of the whole, even if it means taking the fall for the greater good. He strongly backs his beliefs, lives for the enjoyment of life, and revels in art and creativity above all else.

Though not often shown in-game, Hanekoma's powers supposedly surpass those of the Composer, who can raze cities and restore life to the dead. For one thing, he is able to rewrite the code that binds Soul matter into a certain form. He uses this to take on a Noise form, and to shape the fragments of a girl’s Soul into a similar creature – Noise are monsters built up of Soul, appearing as animals with bodies partially formed by tattoos. Angels and high-level Reapers are capable of turning themselves into such beings, and often use these forms for fighting.

He can move between worlds and planes of existence, though this won't be of any use in Mayfield; more on the regainable side, he can get a general sense of what a person’s Soul is like, see their potential and their level of power. He can 'Imprint' thoughts and feelings directly into the minds of others, and presumably use 'Scanning', a shallow method of mind reading.