Noah Hashimoto

## Season 4

**Noah Hashimoto** is a beautiful boy that mysteriously goes missing one day, prompting local cops to open a missing persons case that becomes a murder investigation after three days pass without word from him. Why would such a beautiful boy disappear? Every single clue points to his toxic, abusive friend Troy, as the likely killer. Case closed, just about.

Noah is the epitome of privilege: he’s stuck-up and elitist and completely out-of-touch. What is relatable about him is his emotional response to his friend and his relationship: the fairy-tale romance that quickly devolved into a toxic relationship via money troubles and family problems; the lying, cheating, emotionally distant friend who “took and took from [him] until there was nothing left.” Again, this is not a universal experience, but the way that it all made him feel is something that a lot of people can relate to -- that resentment and anger that festers in a dysfunctional friendship and that eventually, inevitably boils over.

Noah is a very calculating and cunning sociopath. However, coupled with his intelligence, it makes him extremely dangerous. He is able to lie, blackmail, manipulate, control, and murder without shame or remorse. In his goal to achieve what he wants, being “Amazing Noah”, he even gets himself physically assaulted just to keep Troy on a leash. Noah is a young man, trained throughout his life to appeal to people as “Amazing Noah” and as the movie concludes, that is exactly what we see he become. We first follow Noah and see the state of his friendship from his perspective. The viewer begins to trust Noah and sympathize with him and his struggle. But when we discover that his side of the story is fabricated in many aspects, we lose that trust and shift to Troy’s side. It’s not likely for the majority of the viewers to grasp Noah as an imperious puppet-master, the one who is capable of a calculated murder, frauding the law, and slandering from the very beginning of the story. Noah has used to exaggerated audience attention since his early childhood: the privilege once faded and shifted with a barren marriage and a withering life in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The better part of the scenes with Noah showcases his face fully illuminated and open, particularly regarding the retrospectives from the made notebook, which depict the actuality as he orchestrates. In the aftermath of Noah’s and Troy’s reunion, the light evades Noah Hashimoto as if to contextualize his crimes and essentiality.

Why don’t we start with the fact that he orchestrates an entire plan to fake his own death and get his friend, Troy, framed for the murder? Why? *Because he was talking to another boy!* That’s a bit much if you consider the fact that he could’ve just divorced him. And he’s able to manipulate the press from "beyond the grave" using his reputation as “Amazing Noah” to garner sympathy. He is incredibly self-centered as well. When people show sympathy for Brian, he gets infuriated because (in his mind) since he hates Brian, everyone should as well. And he’s also rather arrogant as well. Along with that is his "mask of sanity." Noah has the support of everyone around him and can easily pass for a generally nice boy. People who don’t know his true nature couldn’t really have anything bad to say about him. His Cool Boy act comes off as a rather likable person and wins Troy’s heart. Unfortunately for him, an act is all it is as he admits to Troy. Along with that, if he were Pinocchio, his nose would be a mile long. The boy will lie about anything to make sure that he gets his way or to manipulate someone. He has multiple times said that he was raped to gain sympathy. He accuses his ex-boyfriend, his father, and even writes that Troy does this often in his (fake) diary. He lied about his ex, Christian, attempting to commit suicide in his parent’s bed. Troy asks Christian about it and confirms otherwise.

Just about everything about him shows how thoroughly remorseless he is. Noah doesn’t show any sort of regret or shame about what he does to anyone.

## **Physical Appearance**

Looking at Noah, one could say he’s a bishōnen. With his height being considered somewhat shorter than the average man, what he lacks in the height department he more than makes up in the beauty department as his physical attractiveness is widely acknowledged. The first thing that captures his peers’ hearts and gazes was the alluring stare of his almond-shaped eyes. They’re a milk-chocolate color with speaks of a deeper, darker brown around the pupil. They’re framed by long black lashes, long enough to cause much jealousy from the fairer sex. Although, in terms of muscles, Noah has none, he is able to distract from this point with his facial features.

Throughout these three distinct periods of Noah’s life in the show, the way in which fashion and Noah’s personal construction of his image take place show how fashion works to assemble a person’s identity and the ways in which fashion can have great implications for an individual as well as for those around him. When we are first introduced to Noah, he uses his clothes and fashion to speak for him as well as to reflect how he wants to be seen by others. In complete contrast to this idealized image, while in hiding, Noah constructs his image as frumpy and undesirable. Tired of constantly being noticed and scrutinized by everyone in his life, Noah decides to gain weight, have pimples and acne, and wear loose and unflattering clothing so that he is no longer analyzed and examined as the masculine ideal. In the final portion of the season, Noah reconstructs his original image of desirability and attractiveness. Throughout Season 1, Noah uses fashion and individual style to construct distinct images and personas, which work as means for him to achieve his personal goals, including the seeking out of a romantic relationship and an attempt to go unnoticed. Moreover, Noah’s use of personal adornment and the deliberate construction of his image demonstrate that fashion can be used to achieve many different objectives, and that clothes are able to speak varying messages based upon the context in which they are placed.

## **Personality and Traits**

Soft-spoken, serene and polite, Noah’s usual demeanor suits his effeminate appearance perfectly. He carries himself with an air of amicable temperance, politely conversing with the people he encounters and freely giving his meager services to those who need a hand. Noah naturally can turn on the charm like a switch, and there are very few people who have not melted at least a little bit when he flashes a smile and praises someone -- especially since the praise is always about something sincere, even if very small.

Noah sees himself as a victim, deserving of whatever he wants. He is also a chameleon who tries on different personalities as some men try on different styles and match these personalities to the people he is interacting with at the time. Noah has the support of everyone around him and can easily pass for a generally nice boy. People who don’t know his true nature couldn’t really have anything bad to say about him. His sweet and innocent act comes off as a rather likable person and wins people’s hearts. Along with that, if Noah were Pinocchio, his nose would be a mile long. The boy will lie about anything to make sure that he gets his way or to manipulate someone. He has, multiple times, said that he was raped to gain sympathy. He accuses his ex-lover, his father, and even writes that Troy did this often in his (fake) diary. He lied about his ex-lover attempting to commit suicide in his parents’ bed.

Noah is *very* confident in himself, and for the most part has the skills to back it up, but he does overestimate himself at times -- and *underestimate* others. He’s an absolute perfectionist and insists on being seen as flawless at all times, freaking out if anyone sees him as any less, he plans things far in advance, he is obsessed with proving how smart he is at every opportunity, reacts to minor slights and inconveniences with extreme anger and wrath.

Noah’s fatal flaw is his ego. He can’t comprehend anyone being even as smart as him, and usually assumes everyone is much stupider. He is always eager to be the smartest, most accomplished, *best* person wherever he goes, and strives to make others jealous. Noah is absolutely convinced that he knows what’s best for people and sees no issue in forcing them to change their behavior to suit him. And god help you if you happen to disagree with him. He seems genuinely unable to understand the concept of unconditional love, being offended that such a thing was expected of him in a relationship. Noah is also unable to grasp empathy as he has none of it himself, though he’s capable of making people feel sorry for him whenever he wants.

A handsome and charming face, so innocent and loving that, Noah is constantly valued so highly for his good-looks that he’s sometimes only valued for his looks. He toys cleverly with the other characters’ expectations based on his outward appearance that he immediately has the upper-hand in all situations. Noah knows this is the best card he can play because his beauty is refined. No-one ever lets him forget that he’s attractive.

Comes with the territory of being a narcissistic psychopath; Noah is incapable of accepting blame, or even seeing himself as in the wrong. Most notably, he thinks all his actions in framing Troy are totally justified and any trouble his scheme leads to is on the stupidity of others, not his own actions. He also never even considers that he might possibly be even *partially* to blame for the friendship breaking down.

Downplayed in that Noah’s excuse for being the way he is, was already exhibiting some sociopathic traits in his early childhood. His parents *really* didn't do him mental well-being any favors growing up and their behavior undeniably played a huge part in why Noah is so messed-up now.