添え物

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 添え物(そえもの) is something added to accompany a main item.
• Basic usage: The examples concern an accompaniment to food and a character's secondary position in a work.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The evaluation when applied to a person
  • Unlike an accompaniment to food, calling a person 添え物 can diminish their independent role. The second example says the character was not portrayed as such an appendage.