Sayori (DDLC Series)

Sayori is initially portrayed as the character archetype of a Genki Girl, expressing a bubbly and cheery disposition. She is very clumsy, noted for finding ways to accidentally hurt herself or to drop random things. Regardless, she is shown to be a jokingly cunning individual who can trick others to get food, shown after managing to eat Natsuki's cookie without her permission. Sayori has also been known by the protagonist to obsess over activities that she loses interest in later. She states that writing poetry and studying literature is different to her than those other interests because it helps her explore her feelings.

However, it is later revealed that she suffers from bad depression and works so hard to make the people around her happy to cope with her own lack of self-love amongst other things. She is also usually the only character, other than the protagonist, shown to break up arguments, Monika noting that her sentiments are necessary to keep a relaxing atmosphere in the Literature Club. This is proven by her absence in Act 2. Monika also notes that while she may look like a good leader, Sayori is usually better when it comes to dealing with people, notably at mediations. She tries her best to help everyone be happy and dislikes attention directed at her well-being because she feels unworthy of anything that others have to offer her.

Sayori is also introduced as the protagonist's childhood friend. The protagonist seems to view her as an airhead and slightly annoying at the beginning of the game, but he starts to sympathize with her after she confesses about her depression.

Sayori's depression makes her disorganized, and she often cannot find a reason to get out of bed in the morning when she tries to wake up, which is why she is usually late for school. Her room, which the protagonist regularly cleaned for her, is also noted to be untidy. The protagonist notes how there hasn't been much change in her, and the changes the protagonist notices in her later are due to Monika's interference, amplifying her depression and suicidal tendencies.

Her depression seems to make her believe that she does not deserve to be loved, but at the same time she wants to be loved, especially by the protagonist, whom she has a crush on. When the player chooses to pursue one of the other girls, Sayori seems to suffer because she secretly wants the protagonist to love her while at the same time experiencing guilt for feeling bad in the first place. Her depression is also gradually amplified by Monika at this point. However, if the player actively chooses to pursue Sayori, she will still experience guilt since she doesn't believe that she deserves to be loved. Regardless of the player's choice, Sayori will kill herself on the day of the festival in the early morning hours.[4] Her relationship with the protagonist and other people's happiness are her main coping mechanisms since she believes that if she makes everyone else happy, she will not have a reason whatsoever to be unhappy.

When Sayori confesses her love for the protagonist, she will either hug him or run away with a pained expression, depending on whether the player accepts her feelings, or rejects them. The next day, the protagonist will go to school without her, assuming she was still asleep. There, he will read a poem written by Sayori named "%", with the words "Get out of my head" repeated constantly. This will cause the protagonist to panic and go to Sayori's house, where she will be found dead, hangi