Something that I've always thought about is how the symbolism of the praying mantis ties with many of the themes of Hanazawa's route and character. I would like to (re)introduce this idea in a written form, and my explanation into each aspect of both. Please be mindful of spoilers as we go along, since I will be discussing parts of Hanazawa's route and character in general. Also be mindful of trigger warnings such as violence, death, rape / non-con, and so on.
Before I begin though, I want to say that this is mostly speculative reading. You may not agree with my points, or you have different interpretations as me. Also; yes, I do like Hanazawa and the Hanatama (花玉) CP and ship them in general, but I will try to be unbiased in my writing.
First, it is important to explain the symbolism of the praying mantis. Other cultures may have different ideas, but in Japan it has dual symbolic meanings, which I feel are reflected very well in Hanazawa's character and story, and is the basis in which I am tying symbolism here.
The praying mantis is typically seen as a symbol of military strength, fearlessness, and honour — which soldiers are expected to exhibit. It's often compared to samurai, and it's reflected in art and armoury, one example is a suit of armour headed by Tokugawa Yorinobu (徳川頼宣).
The mantis has been fashioned into such armour and sword guards called tsuba (鍔) to brandish the warrior as a threat to adversaries and as a show of strength. I believe that this mentality and the insect's symbolic representation go hand-in-hand. One example of tsuba is below.
Additionally, it is worth mentioning that the praying mantis is called kamakiri (蟷螂生) in Japan, a term which also refers to the cutting action of a scythe / sickle. It makes sense, given their physique and hunting methods. This ties in well with their symbolism just as much.
However, there is a darker meaning as well: just as the praying mantis is a symbol of honour, it is also one of cruelty and ruthlessness — especially considering their status as natural predators. Furthermore, there is a superstition that seeing one can be a sign of death. The praying mantis silently grasp their prey with an assassin's grace, no matter what that prey might be, before killing and devouring them. While this is simply the cycle of life in motion, they are undeniable predators that do not adhere to the concepts of cruelty and morality.
Despite this though, it is also because of their predation that many individuals regard the insect well: they often appear in gardens or crop-lands and eat pests, thus protecting the crops. This is also why some refer to the praying mantis as the "samurai" of the insect world. With all of this in mind, it is easy to tie to Hanazawa's character: a soldier in the Taishō era, a symbol of the country's strength. Tamamori and Kawase especially look up to him, with the former even considering Hanazawa as his big brother and confiding in him for protection.
Hanazawa was always there to protect Tamamori as they grew up together, and even in the events of the BLG we can see that he clearly has a sense of duty to protect the nation of Japan — even to extreme measures (which is a bit understandable given his position as a military man). This is very in-line with the perception of the praying mantis as a "protector" of sorts. It is also a large part of why Tamamori looks up to him as a big brother, and also why he confides in him for protection at various points, such as when he was being chased by the Phantom.
But just like the praying mantis, Hanazawa too has a dark side to him. This side of him is especially apparent in his own route, where he snuffs out their childhood friends and rapes Tamamori in an attempt to gain the Hashihime's favour and abilities for use of the military. The praying mantis kills and eats its prey without hesitation or remorse, all in the name of instinct. In a similar vein, it is possible to attribute Hanazawa's actions in the BLG — and his route more-so — with him acting upon duty as a soldier. It's for the sake of the country.
Does that justify everything Hanazawa did? Especially considering his extremism and the way he treated Tamamori and his friends, not at all. However, in Hanazawa's mind, his actions were all for what he deemed a "greater good". He believed that those sacrifices needed to be made. When the praying mantis mercilessly kills its prey, it doesn't question the morality behind the action — the insect does not even possess the capacity to. It does so out of necessity and instinct, which is just in general nature. Hanazawa's mentality could reflect this also.
When considering the predator / prey dynamics, we can make some points about Tamamori in his relationship with Hanazawa in the position of the "prey." Hanazawa's H-scene could be likened to the act of a mantis devouring its prey — in this case, stripping Tamamori of his autonomy. The H-scene is undoubtedly a loss of purity for Tamamori, and this can be represented in the way that a prey item falls victim to the predator for its own benefits (survival). It is not to say that Tamamori is completely pure, but this is often what rape and SA is attributed to. When considering this dynamic, Tamamori can be paralleled to prey, and Hanazawa to the mantis. He henceforth desecrated Tamamori's dignity, driven by a twisted sense of duty and horrific desire which Tamamori and the others took the brunt of — hurting far worse than being eaten.
With this in mind, within the act of natural predation, we can derive the idea that the praying mantis is stripping its prey of its beauty, defiling it, by tearing the helpless animal apart and consuming it. This can parallel with Tamamori being defiled from being raped as well. Moreover, Tamamori attempts to escape from Hanazawa at several points during the H-Scene, much like an insect struggling against the praying mantis when it takes hold of it. However, much like prey caught by a predator, Tamamori is helpless and forced to accept his cruel fate. The loss of purity can also be derived from Tamamori's sense of betrayal at being completely destroyed in the hands of the man he considered his big brother, the man who had protected him up until now. And even still, Tamamori was crying out for Hanazawa to save him through it.
Despite all this though, I wouldn't fully demonize Hanazawa, nor do I consider him purely heartless — his Append epilogue gives weight to this. However, as mentioned before, Hanazawa believed that these sacrifices needed to be made in what he considered to be for a greater good.
I feel it's also worth mentioning Hanazawa's feelings; specifically, I think that his desires and feelings for Tamamori were so restrained that it came out in a brutal and hideous way, while also harming him in order to transfer his curse for the sake of the cause he believes in. Of course, in Hanazawa acting upon militaristic duty, he wound up brutally harming those he had cared about. In what he considered an act for "greater good," it is much like how a predator like the praying mantis must consume its prey for survival. It was simply cruel necessity.
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