Is anyone else kinda surprised that the postgame sidequest has more character development than the actual story?
I mean, we see Emma grow from a shy homeless girl that doesn't like anyone but Mimi, but then she gradually grows to care about others, to the point where she is in tears when she finds out that Looker is leaving. The fact that she keeps a group picture of the player, Looker, Mimi, and Xerosic, IMO shows how much she developed as a character, as these are the people (& Mimi the Espurr) that she cares about most.
Meanwhile in the main story:
Trevor - does absolutely nothing throughout the game
Tierno - does absolutely nothing throughout the game
Shauna - does not understand the friend zone
Serena/Calem - the only character that actually has a personality and a goal that is eventually achieved, although not until postgame (Mega Absol)