As Andy Hinomiya himself would put it (quite bluntly, at that), he's "incomplete", or "stuck halfway".
He somehow acts as the typical easy-going, protagonist – but also, at the same time, as the coolheaded and determined USEI spy intent on his mission, no matter the costs. Neither of these sides are ‘false’, as they are both just radically different parts of the true Andy Hinomiya.
The first ‘side’ we’re introduced to in the anime is Andy’s ‘protagonist’ guise. He’s shown to be easy-going and strong hearted, unable to turn away from someone in need of help, even if he’ll let out a few grumbles here and there about it being troublesome. Andy will do as he is asked by members, ridiculous requests and all, even if it leaves him stranded on an island with a bag full of melting ice cream, or mopping the deck of a cruise ship all while being taunted. This attitude is extended towards Yugiri as well, although Andy doesn't do as much grumbling, and actually cares for her in an openly brotherly way. He is fiercely protective of Yugiri, willing to endanger his own life to save hers, and shows surprising gentleness when handling her. In fact, Andy takes great pains to tell Yugiri that her unstable powers are not her fault, most likely because Andy sympathises with Yugiri's experiences of being feared and rejected because of something beyond her control. This relationship with Yugiri exposes a soft side of the otherwise no-nonsense military man that most people see, showing that despite his gruff yet helpful persona, he is an empathetic man who can't abide by seeing others suffer.
This empathy of Andy's is another strong trait of his, and is why he settles into PANDRA very quickly. Despite proclaiming to hate espers - very frankly and bluntly - Andy quickly sees the people behind the term 'esper', and finds himself being absorbed into their weird yet close knit 'family'. It's a place where those who don't belong do belong, a place that Andy has always yearned for deeply, and while he always keeps his mission in mind (and, in fact, carries it out to the very end), he does find it difficult to do after knowing and genuinely befriending PANDRA.
Which leads us onto the last protagonist-esque trait that Andy possesses: his hot-bloodedness. The reason why Andy is PANDRA’s – specifically, Hyobu’s – favourite chewtoy is because he’s so easily riled up and flustered. He’s got some bark to him, however, in that he’s quick to snap out semi-friendly banter to the teasing, and even builds up a good rapport with Hyobu (and Yoh) in this way, exchanging quips and barbs with him by the end of the anime. He’s stubborn to a fault as well, carrying something to the end, even if it isn’t the best decision. So, Andy’s ‘protagonist’ side can be summed up as thus; a stubborn yet soft-hearted man with the unfortunate job occupation of ‘chewtoy’.
Of course, Andy harbors some demons of his own, which manifests in the more serious side he's reluctant to show around anyone he feels he needs to (emotionally) stay arm's length away from. While he puts on a laid-back persona around the members of PANDRA, he’s shown to be quiet, intent and serious as well, as he can be very blunt with his words and frank about his thoughts and circumstances. He’s fiercely loyal to USEI and the mission given to him because they gave Andy acceptance and a purpose – things he never really had because of what he was: neither a normal nor an esper as other espers would define him. In fact, this ‘halfness’ is what largely drives Andy throughout life. He is constantly searching for a place to belong, for someone, or anything, to accept him as what he is, despite being ‘incomplete’, which leaves Andy rather vulnerable to manipulation. USEI took advantage of that vulnerability, and they succeeded, for a time, to have a very loyal lapdog at their beck and call. It probably helped as well that Andy was naturally harsh towards other espers anyway, if only because they lash out at him the most, mocking him for not having powers despite being classed as an esper. Meanwhile, Andy is notably more accepting towards normals, probably because they can’t detect he’s any different from them, due to the nature of his powers.
The cool headed, serious side of him rears his head during his infiltration of PANDRA, usually when he is alone and out of the prying eyes of the organisation’s members, to help him keep a cool head whenever he is pressed into a corner. Like this, he's very good at deflecting suspicion and scrutiny by thinking of plausible lies or explanations on his feet, and maintaining a calm attitude – which is decidedly at odds with the hot-blooded attitude he himself displays. This relates to his theme of duality, in that while he seems like the type of person to charge forwards in dire situations, Andy is actually more of the type to take a step back and consider all of his options first.
That’s why, despite possessing traits that would make him a horrible spy – Andy’s actually pretty good at his job. While Hyobu hadn’t been fooled at the beginning (he is, after all, a very observant man), Andy managed to fool the entirety of PANDRA, who accepted him after a period of hazing. In fact, Andy infiltrated PANDRA so effectively that he fell into the trap that many spies fall into – he began to become ‘the mask’, genuinely caring for the well-being of the members of PANDRA.
By the end of the anime, the two sides of Andy, the hot-blooded protagonist and the serious USEI Agent, start to blur together to form his true personality; an open-hearted man determined to do the right thing. Andy owns up to the mistakes he made whilst acting as USEI’s spy, seeking Hyobu’s forgiveness directly and frankly while also trying to fix said mistakes without asking for anything in return. Not many people have the strength of heart to do such a thing, yet it’s something that Andy does without hesitation. He states once more that he's stuck halfway – between his two sides – yet it is for the better, this time, as it leaves Andy feeling a lot more content with who and what he is, and instead of viewing his "half-ness" as a liability, sees it as a sign that there is only something he himself can do.
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As Andy Hinomiya himself would put it (quite bluntly, at that), he's "incomplete", or "stuck halfway".
He somehow acts as the typical easy-going, protagonist – but also, at the same time, as the coolheaded and determined USEI spy intent on his mission, no matter the costs. Neither of these sides are ‘false’, as they are both just radically different parts of the true Andy Hinomiya.
The first ‘side’ we’re introduced to in the anime is Andy’s ‘protagonist’ guise. He’s shown to be easy-going and strong hearted, unable to turn away from someone in need of help, even if he’ll let out a few grumbles here and there about it being troublesome. Andy will do as he is asked by members, ridiculous requests and all, even if it leaves him stranded on an island with a bag full of melting ice cream, or mopping the deck of a cruise ship all while being taunted. This attitude is extended towards Yugiri as well, although Andy doesn't do as much grumbling, and actually cares for her in an openly brotherly way. He is fiercely protective of Yugiri, willing to endanger his own life to save hers, and shows surprising gentleness when handling her. In fact, Andy takes great pains to tell Yugiri that her unstable powers are not her fault, most likely because Andy sympathises with Yugiri's experiences of being feared and rejected because of something beyond her control. This relationship with Yugiri exposes a soft side of the otherwise no-nonsense military man that most people see, showing that despite his gruff yet helpful persona, he is an empathetic man who can't abide by seeing others suffer.
This empathy of Andy's is another strong trait of his, and is why he settles into PANDRA very quickly. Despite proclaiming to hate espers - very frankly and bluntly - Andy quickly sees the people behind the term 'esper', and finds himself being absorbed into their weird yet close knit 'family'. It's a place where those who don't belong do belong, a place that Andy has always yearned for deeply, and while he always keeps his mission in mind (and, in fact, carries it out to the very end), he does find it difficult to do after knowing and genuinely befriending PANDRA.
Which leads us onto the last protagonist-esque trait that Andy possesses: his hot-bloodedness. The reason why Andy is PANDRA’s – specifically, Hyobu’s – favourite chewtoy is because he’s so easily riled up and flustered. He’s got some bark to him, however, in that he’s quick to snap out semi-friendly banter to the teasing, and even builds up a good rapport with Hyobu (and Yoh) in this way, exchanging quips and barbs with him by the end of the anime. He’s stubborn to a fault as well, carrying something to the end, even if it isn’t the best decision. So, Andy’s ‘protagonist’ side can be summed up as thus; a stubborn yet soft-hearted man with the unfortunate job occupation of ‘chewtoy’.
Of course, Andy harbors some demons of his own, which manifests in the more serious side he's reluctant to show around anyone he feels he needs to (emotionally) stay arm's length away from. While he puts on a laid-back persona around the members of PANDRA, he’s shown to be quiet, intent and serious as well, as he can be very blunt with his words and frank about his thoughts and circumstances. He’s fiercely loyal to USEI and the mission given to him because they gave Andy acceptance and a purpose – things he never really had because of what he was: neither a normal nor an esper as other espers would define him. In fact, this ‘halfness’ is what largely drives Andy throughout life. He is constantly searching for a place to belong, for someone, or anything, to accept him as what he is, despite being ‘incomplete’, which leaves Andy rather vulnerable to manipulation. USEI took advantage of that vulnerability, and they succeeded, for a time, to have a very loyal lapdog at their beck and call. It probably helped as well that Andy was naturally harsh towards other espers anyway, if only because they lash out at him the most, mocking him for not having powers despite being classed as an esper. Meanwhile, Andy is notably more accepting towards normals, probably because they can’t detect he’s any different from them, due to the nature of his powers.
The cool headed, serious side of him rears his head during his infiltration of PANDRA, usually when he is alone and out of the prying eyes of the organisation’s members, to help him keep a cool head whenever he is pressed into a corner. Like this, he's very good at deflecting suspicion and scrutiny by thinking of plausible lies or explanations on his feet, and maintaining a calm attitude – which is decidedly at odds with the hot-blooded attitude he himself displays. This relates to his theme of duality, in that while he seems like the type of person to charge forwards in dire situations, Andy is actually more of the type to take a step back and consider all of his options first.
That’s why, despite possessing traits that would make him a horrible spy – Andy’s actually pretty good at his job. While Hyobu hadn’t been fooled at the beginning (he is, after all, a very observant man), Andy managed to fool the entirety of PANDRA, who accepted him after a period of hazing. In fact, Andy infiltrated PANDRA so effectively that he fell into the trap that many spies fall into – he began to become ‘the mask’, genuinely caring for the well-being of the members of PANDRA.
By the end of the anime, the two sides of Andy, the hot-blooded protagonist and the serious USEI Agent, start to blur together to form his true personality; an open-hearted man determined to do the right thing. Andy owns up to the mistakes he made whilst acting as USEI’s spy, seeking Hyobu’s forgiveness directly and frankly while also trying to fix said mistakes without asking for anything in return. Not many people have the strength of heart to do such a thing, yet it’s something that Andy does without hesitation. He states once more that he's stuck halfway – between his two sides – yet it is for the better, this time, as it leaves Andy feeling a lot more content with who and what he is, and instead of viewing his "half-ness" as a liability, sees it as a sign that there is only something he himself can do.