History Characters / LoveMeForWhoIAm

* CatSmile: Ten often puts on a cat-like smile, fitting with his cat-themed VerbalTic.

* FashionDesigner: His dream for the future is to run a shop that designs and sells cute clothes for boys.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: She's in charge of the cafe and everyone there loves her (most especially her younger brother).

* AmbiguouslyBi: Tetsu starts to develop feelings for Mogumo, but is unsure how to label his attraction because Mogumo isn't a guy or a girl. He hadn't identified as gay before but hadn't shown any attraction to girls either. More than possibly he is demisexual, as he states explicitly he fell in love with Mogumu "regardless of gender", something that Kotone, as a lesbian, thinks is impossible for her.

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Enjoys dressing in feminine outfits at the maid cafe despite being a cis boy.

Mogumo's friend since childhood who frequently drops by his place to help him out. She appears to accept Mogumo for who they are at first.

* MulticoloredHair: Mogumo has white hair with red tips.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Suzu has dark blue hair in the official coloured art.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Tetsu starts to develop feelings for Mogumo, but is unsure how to label his attraction because Mogumo isn't a guy or a girl. He hadn't identified as gay before but hadn't shown any attraction to girls either. More than possibly he is demisexual, as he states explicitly he fell in love with Mogumu "regardless of gender", something that Kotone as a lesbian thinks is impossible for her.

* DudeLooksLikeALady: Due to his long hair, he looks feminine on default. This makes it easy for others to mistake him for a girl.

* {{Transgender}}: Mogumo was assigned male at birth but they are nonbinary.

* {{Transgender}}: She's a trans girl, though she doesn't realize it until Mogumo is hired. She comes to terms with it after encouragement from the other employees.

* {{Transgender}}: Satori is a trans woman. She hasn't started transitioning at the start of the manga, but she's been going out as a girl for years.

* MeaningfulRename: Her deadname is "Akira" but she goes by "Mei" at the cafe. She eventually begins using it full-time.

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Initially, Mogumo has trouble socializing with other people. At the start of the story, Kotone is Mogumo's only friend. Tetsu noticing Mogumo wishing for people to accept them for who they are kicks off the plot, with everyone at the cafe befriending them and supporting their nonbinary identity.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Suzu has dark blue hair in the official colored art.

* ItsAllMyFault: When Mogumo explains how much they suffered from gender dysphoria ever since they were little back at home, Sakura feels guilty that she never understood what they went through and apologizes for not being able to help them, even though Mogumo reassures her that none of it is her fault.

* GreenEyedMonster: Short-lived. Seeing Suzu hang out with Tetsu a lot leads to him misunderstanding their relationship and angrily confronting Tetsu. He's mortified and apologizes when he finds out the truth.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Tetsu starts to develop feelings for Mogumo, but is unsure how to label his attraction, because Mogumo isn't a a guy or a girl. He hadn't identified as gay before, but hadn't shown any attraction to girls either. More than possibly he is demisexual, as he states explicitly he fell in love with Mogumu "regardless of gender", something that Kotone as a lesbian thinks is impossible for her.

The other protagonist of the manga. Publicly known as a boy who dresses up like a girl, but is actually nonbinary. Goes by their last name with friends, even those who they use their first names with.

** Sakura would call them Ryuu-chan when the two were younger; despite her confusion over her "brother" being like a sister yet not quite a sister, she didn't think much of it at first and has always valued her beloved sibling. She uses Onii-chan (the affectionate term for older brother) in the present, but starts to slip back to Ryuu-chan the more she sees them. Her backstory narration and the way her father scolds her for not Onii-chan suggests she prefers using Ryuu-chan but is trying to break out of the habit thanks to family pressure.
* ClosetKey: Befriending Mogumo and developing a crush on them is how Tetsu realizes he might be queer, since he had always just considered himself an ally to his sister and the café's employees.

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Initially, Mogumo has trouble socialising with other people. At the start of the story, Kotone is Mogumo's only friend. Tetsu noticing Mogumo wishing for people to accept them for who they are kicks off the plot, with everyone at the cafe befriending them and supporting their nonbinary identity.
* LastNameBasis: Even their co-workers and close friends call them by their last name or variations of it since "Ryuunosuke" is a standard masculine name which doesn't quite fit them. In a flashback, Mogumo explained that this is why they prefer Kotone to call them Mogu-chan instead of Ryuu-chan (something only Sakura is allowed to use since she shares the same surname and so would naturally get confused).

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Suzu has dark blue hair in the official coloured art.

In charge of the maid cafe. She's a trans woman and also Tetsu's older sister.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: In charge of the cafe, and everyone there loves her (most especially her younger brother).
* AffectionateNickname: Called "Sacchan" by people at the cafe, who all adore her.

!! Mogumo's Family

* ChildhoodFriends: Befriended Kotone when they were kids and played with her a lot alongside Mogumo. They're still on friendly terms in the present.

* ItsAllMyFault: When Mogumo explains how much they suffered from gender dysphoria ever since they were little back at home, Sakura feels guilty that she never understood what they went through and apologises for not being able to help them, even though Mogumo reassures her that none of it is her fault.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:She holds a knife at her throat while at Mogumo's apartment, partly to mimick what they did years ago and partly out of despair (since she has to look after her depressed mother while putting up with her bigoted father). Their attempt to stop her results in their hand getting injured. Mogumo gets successfully treated at the hospital, but Sakura is mortified and tearfully hugs her sibling once they're discharged.]]
* PassionateSportsGirl: She loved soccer and even cut her hair so it would be easier to play. However her father's bigoted views on women playing sport leads to her quitting the team in the present timeline, which troubles her mother since she knows how much her daughter loved playing.

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: She's attached to her childhood friend Mogumo, despite being a lesbian, and isn't quite happy that they have a crush on Tetsu. It's later revealed that, due to pressure from society to marry a man and internalized homophobia, she feels possessive of Mogumo; not only are they the one legally male person she feels comfortable around, but she also sees them as a girl, and therefore can imagine marrying them. She gets over her possessive nature and accepts that Mogumo isn’t a guy nor girl as the series goes on.

* LipstickLesbian: Kotone dresses in a typical feminine style (including long styled hair and dresses) and is a closeted lesbian. She's known that she has wanted to marry a woman since she was five, but she has hidden it ever since her mother told her that it's strange for her to want a bride.

* GirlfriendInCanada: Tetsu assumes Haruto's fictional until their meeting, since Suzu never mentions his boyfriend's name up to that point. Suzu is not amused.
* GreenEyedMonster: Short-lived. Seeing Suzu hang out with Tetsu a lot leads to him misunderstanding their relationship and angrily confronting Tetsu. He's mortified and apologises when he finds out the truth.
* SecretRelationship: Hides his relationship with Suzu from their friends out of fear that Suzu may get hurt or uncomfortable.

The other protagonist of the manga. Publicly known as a boy who dresses up like a girl, but is actually non-binary.

* FriendlessBackground: Prior to the manga, Mogumo had a hard time making friends because they're non-binary and have difficulty trusting people. This is what makes them wish for more people to understand them in their introduction; realistically, it can be very difficult to find people who will understand nonbinary genders, and their classmates' behavior wasn't very indicative of them being open-minded.

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Initially, Mogumo has trouble socialising with other people. At the start of the story, Kotone is Mogumo's only friend. Tetsu noticing Mogumo wishing for people to accept them for who they are kicks off the plot, with everyone at the cafe befriending them and supporting their non-binary identity.

* {{Transgender}}: Mogumo was assigned male at birth but they are non-binary.

[[Mrs. Mogumo]]

!!Other Characters

[[folder:Kotone Mizunoe]]
Mogumo's friend since childhood who frequently drops by his place to help him out. She appears to accept Mogumo for who they are at first.

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: She's attached to her childhood friend Mogumo, despite being a lesbian, and isn't quite happy that they have a crush on Tetsu. It's later revealed that, due to pressure from society to marry a man and internalized homophobia, she feels possessive of Mogumo; not only are they the one legally male person she feels comfortable around, but she also sees them as a girl, and therefore can imagine marrying them. She gets over her possessive nature and accepts that Mogumo isn’t a guy nor girl as the series goes on.
* {{Gayngst}}: Kotone has struggled with her sexuality since she was little. She tried to blend in with her straight friends in elementary school. In middle school, she fell for a friend but the friend [[IncompatibleOrientation got a boyfriend]]. That only caused Kotone to go deeper into the closet.
* DoesNotLikeMen: She's had a distaste for men ever since childhood, and has trouble befriending the maid cafe workers at first, though she was okay with the trans girl Mei. Since Mogumo is nonbinary, she was able to be friends with them, but it's later revealed she's been trying to use Mogumo as a substitute for a girl.
* LipstickLesbian: Kotone dresses in a typical feminine style (including long styled hair and dresses) and is a closeted lesbian. She's known that she has wanted to marry a woman since she was five, but she has hidden it ever since her mother told her that it's strange for her to want a bride.
* OnlyFriend: Kotone starts off as Mogumo's only friend at the start of the manga. In turn, Mogumo was her only friend during middle school (even though they went to separate schools).

[[folder:Haruto]]
Suzu's secret boyfriend, who's mentioned several times to the maid cafe workers prior to his introduction.

* GirlfriendInCanada: Tetsu assumes Haruto's fictional until their meeting, since Suzu never mentions his boyfriend's name up to that point. Suzu is not amused.
* GreenEyedMonster: Short-lived. Seeing Suzu hang out with Tetsu a lot leads to him misunderstanding their relationship and angrily confronting Tetsu. He's mortified and apologises when he finds out the truth.
* SecretRelationship: Hides his relationship with Suzu from their friends out of fear that Suzu may get hurt or uncomfortable.

[[folder:Sakura Mogumo]]
Mogumo's younger sister.

* BoyishShortHair: Downplayed. A flashback shows she got her hair cut short since it's easier to play soccer, a sport she loves to play. This infuriated her father, who demanded that she start acting more feminine.
* ChildhoodFriends: Befriended Kotone when they were kids and played with her a lot alongside Mogumo. They're still on friendly terms in the present.
* GenkiGirl: Full of energy and has a sunny disposition [[StepfordSmiler at a glance]].
* ItsAllMyFault: When Mogumo explains how much they suffered from gender dysphoria ever since they were little back at home, Sakura feels guilty that she never understood what they went through and apologises for not being able to help them, even though Mogumo reassures her that none of it is her fault.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:She holds a knife at her throat while at Mogumo's apartment, partly to mimick what they did years ago and partly out of despair (since she has to look after her depressed mother while putting up with her bigoted father). Their attempt to stop her results in their hand getting injured. Mogumo gets successfully treated at the hospital, but Sakura is mortified and tearfully hugs her sibling once they're discharged.]]
* PassionateSportsGirl: She loved soccer and even cut her hair so it would be easier to play. However her father's bigoted views on women playing sport leads to her quitting the team in the present timeline, which troubles her mother since she knows how much her daughter loved playing.
* StepfordSmiler: She puts on a cheery facade for everyone, including her family members. However, being around her troubled parents at home takes a toll on her and she's incredibly stressed over how broken the family's become.

[[folder: Tenmaru "Ten" Inui]]

* AmbiguouslyBi: Tetsu starts to develop feelings for Mogumo, but is unsure how to label his attraction, because Mogumo isn't a a guy or a girl. He hadn't identified as gay before, but hadn't shown any attraction to girls either. More than possibly he is bisexual or pansexual as he states explicitly he fell in love with Mogumu "regardless of gender", something that Kotone as a lesbian thinks is impossible for her.

* {{Transgender}}: Mogumo's assigned gender at birth is male, but they are non-binary.

!!Tetsu Iwaoka

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Tetsu loves his sister and accepts that she "has the soul of a woman" but still refers to her as his brother... [[spoiler: up until a bit through Volume 2, to her delight.]]

[[folder:Mogumo]]
!!Ryuunosuke Mogumo

** Little sister Sakura would call them Ryuu-chan when the two were younger; despite her confusion over her "brother" being like a sister yet not quite a sister, she didn't think much of it at first and has always valued her beloved sibling. She uses Onii-chan (the affectionate term for older brother) in the present, but starts to slip back to Ryuu-chan the more she sees them. Her backstory narration and the way her father scolds her for not Onii-chan suggests she prefers using Ryuu-chan but is trying to break out of the habit thanks to family pressure.

* LastNameBasis: Even their co-workers and close friends call them by their last name or variations of it, since "Ryuunosuke" is a standard masculine name which doesn't quite fit them. In a flashback, Mogumo explained that this is why they prefer Kotone to call them Mogu-chan instead of Ryuu-chan (something only Sakura is allowed to use since she shares the same surname and so would naturally get confused).

!!Sou Suzumi

* {{Transplant}}: Suzu was the protagonist of a one-shot doujin by the author, which was created prior to this series. Here, he plays a supporting role.

[[folder: Tenmaru “Ten” Inui]]
!!Ten

* AnimalMotif: Ten's associated with cats and often sports a cat grin.

!!Mei Tatebayashi

One of the workers at the cafe. Initially introduced as a crossdressing boy, but is revealed to be a closeted trans girl. After some encouragement from her co-workers, she embraces her femininity in public.

* LGBTAwakening: Though she already internally identified as a girl, it was Mogumo's hiring that allowed Mei to realize she was allowed to consider herself a girl, and not just a girlyboy. Encouragement from the café's other employees also helped.

!!Satori Iwaoka

* MentorInQueerness: Satori's only sibling is Tetsu, but she often acts like a CoolBigSis to the whole staff of Café Question. In particular, when Mogumo's presence in the first volume leads to a rift between the staff over their standard "I'm a guy dressed as a girl" introduction, she encourages all of them to share their point of view on the issue to come to a compromise. This eventually resolves in Mogumo being able to stay in the cafe without compromising their identity [[spoiler: [[{{LGBTAwakening}} and helps Mei realize she was a closeted trans girl]].]]

!!Kotone Mizunoe

Mogumo's friend since childhood who frequently drops by his place to help him out. Appears to accept Mogumo for who they are... at first.

* {{Gayngst}}: Kotone has struggled with her sexuality since she was little. She tried to blend in with her straight friends in elementary school. In middle school, she fell for a friend but her friend [[IncompatibleOrientation got a boyfriend]]. That only caused Kotone to go deeper into the closet.

!!Haruto

!!Sakura Mogumo

* BoyishShortHair: Downplayed with Sakura. A flashback shows she got her hair cut short since it's easier to play soccer, a sport she loves to play. This infuriated her father, who demanded that she start acting more feminine.

* GenkiGirl: Full of energy and has a sunny disposition... [[StepfordSmiler at a glance]].

[[folder:Ten]]

* HeightAngst: Mogumo is 158 centimeters (5'2) but is scared of growing taller since they don't think they'll look as cute. They even cut down on their food intake in order to see if that could stop them from growing.

!!Other Characte

* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Initially, Mogumo is a Type B. At the start of the story, Kotone is Mogumo's only friend. Tetsu noticing Mogumo wishing for people to accept them for who they are kicks off the plot.
* LastNameBasis: Even their co-workers and close friends call them by their last name or variations of it, since "Ryuunosuke" is a standard masculine name which doesn't quite fit them.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Suzu was the protagonist of a one-shot doujin by the author. Here, he plays a supporting role.

* AffectionateNickname: Called "Sacchan" by people at the cafe.
* HundredPercentAdorationRating: In charge of the cafe, and everyone there her (most especially her younger brother).

* ChildhoodFriendRomance: She has feelings for Mogumo and isn't quite happy that they have a crush on Tetsu.
** Later subverted. [[spoiler: Kotone is a lesbian, but due to pressure from society to marry a man and internalized homophobia, she feels possessive of Mogumo, who is the only legally male person she feels comfortable around, and therefore can imagine marrying. She gets over her possessive nature and accepts that Mogumo isn’t a guy as the series goes on.]]

The character page for ''Manga/LoveMeForWhatIAm''.