no i'm not done talking about mouthwashing. another symbol that fascinates me in the game is the pink hibiscus. this is connected exclusively to daisuke, it's the pattern on his hawaiian shirt and setpieces connected to him often contain them.
the pink hibiscus is often used as a symbol of love of all kinds, including friendship. and this fits daisuke well! he is the friendliest of the five crewmates, lacking the tension of the dynamics between curly, jimmy, and anya, or the cynicism of swansea.
i think pink is also meant to symbolize daisuke's innocence and naivete - he's the newest crewmember, appears to be the youngest, and out of everyone, he holds out hope they will be rescued the longest, and he trusts jimmy when he orders him to go in the vent that ultimately dooms him. i think this innocence is why the pink hibiscus appears so much in the late chapters - being the direct cause of daisuke's death fills jimmy with a lot of guilt and is the beginning of the wake-up call he needs to start being accountable for what he's done.
missed it the first time since you only get to see his pre-crash model a few times, but i realized thanks to this shot that curly's shirt collar mirrors the pony express logo. re: the horse symbolism, the horseshoe is supposed to be a charm to draw in good luck when positioned this way. maybe just a coincidence but could have a deeper meaning too.