I think Hitomi is a solid character to start with.
She's not entirely advantageous, she's got basic moves, and her mix-up game runs deep. She's generally safe, most of her GTFO me moves are mid punches, and a lot of her more powerful strings come from the mid punches.
What she'll teach you is when to be aggressive, and when to wait to bait whiffs and punish and she has GREAT whiff punishing moves. She can't rely on critical burst at all. Slow Escaping makes it obsolete, and even if she drops her sit down stun, it's not guaranteed in any combo.
Her wake up countering game is worth it. A low kick counter = put them into a back turned state, though I think they can turn around. An ADVANCED Mid kick counter = a generally good damage combo.
You've gotta really think to use her, and if you already are good at thinking, you'll pick her up easily as soon as you master her movelist.
