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Suzu Naito/Belle
Suzu (left) and Belle (right)
Voiced by: Kaho Nakamura (Japanese), Kylie McNeill (English)
The heroine. She inherited a passion and talent for music from her mother, but was deeply traumatized after the latter drowned while saving a little girl's life. Now a wallflower in her final year of high school, Suzu is introduced to the world of U, where she can sing freely. She becomes the superstar known as Belle and captures the attention of a beastlike character called the Dragon.
- All-Loving Heroine: Her Character Development culminates in her becoming this in the real world and in U.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Regards herself as odd given how distraught she is, which probably stems from the townspeople’s opinions of her mother’s final actions.
- Animal Motifs: Whales, the powerful singers of the deep, feature prominently in Belle's performances. In the real world, whales are an emblem of Suzu's hometown.
- Beast and Beauty: The Beauty half of the equation to the Dragon.
- Beautiful Singing Voice: Suzu has a lovely voice in and out of U, and this is the main reason she garners attention from the online world so quickly.
- Big Sister Instinct: Once she realizes that Dragon is a teen boy named Kei protecting his younger brother, she outs her real persona on U in order to convince Kei she truly wanted to help him. She rushes over to Tokyo and protects the boys from their abusive father, even giving him a Death Glare after he injures her face. She successfully gets him to cower and flee.
- Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: With the Dragon. She's the All-Loving Heroine that helps him become a better man and the Dragon is (or was) a Byronic Hero with a bad temper, but also suffering from a Missing Mom and an Abusive Dad.
- Byronic Hero: When taking her backstory into account, she has enough emotional issues to fill a lake.
- Character Development: Greater than with the Dragon, but she does learn that there is more to the Dragon than what's on the surface, and once she starts treating him as a person and not as a monster, he starts to get much better.
- Character Narrator: The light novel is told from her POV.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Has a crush on her childhood friend Shinobu, but despite this, she is never able to confess to him and they stay friends until the end of the movie. It's unclear if Shinobu even reciprocates her feelings, despite it being obvious that he cares for her.
- Costume Porn: Her pink rose ball gown for her Dance of Romance with the Dragon, and a gown and headpiece that seems entirely made of crystals for a big concert.
- Dance of Romance: Dances with the Dragon in a Disneyesque ballroom scene and nearly kisses his snout before he shyly closes his eyes, to which she responds by cuddling him instead.
- Damsel in Distress: She willingly seeks an audience with the Dragon, who frightens her away. Although she does attempt to escape, she ends up needing to be rescued from the justices by the Dragon.
- Death Glare: Gives a massive fearless one to Kei and Tomo’s father who was trying to intimidate her in anger, which causes him to become intimidated with regret and fear of what he’s become, to the point of making him flee out of cowardice.
- Defiant Captive: When Justin demands that she tell him where the Dragon is, not only does Belle refuse, but she calls him out on his abuse of power and tells him that he only cares about controlling people.
- Determinator: She's willing to go the distance and beyond to help Kei when he initially believes she was just offering up empty promises by essentially doxxing herself on U.
- Dude Magnet: She's widely considered to be the most beautiful girl in U, so this is kind of a given.
- Establishing Character Moment: Gets two of these, one as herself and one as Belle.
- In her first scene, she goes about her daily activities very quietly and with minimal interaction with anyone else, then suffers an extreme panic attack when put on the spot to perform in front of others.
- As Belle, she bursts into song seconds into her existence in U, showing how important music and expression is to her.
- Exhausted Eyebags: She’s had them since she was a child.
- Facial Markings: She has a visible birthmark on the left side of her face. She also has markings across her face as Belle that resemble freckles.
- Famed In-Story: Despite an initially frosty reception, Belle quickly amasses a fanbase in the billions.
- Fearless Fool:
- Belle enters the Dragon’s castle even though she has explicitly been told that he is a monster.
- As herself, she goes to Tokyo to check on Kei and Tomo… without any assistance from her friends. Not even Kei and Tomo’s dad scarring her is enough to make her back down.
- Good Is Not Soft: She is pretty much a mild version of compassion and kindness personified, but she has no problem standing up against Kei and Tomo’s father's temper or pointing out to Justin that he only cares about turning U into a totalitarian reality devoid of free will.
- Go Through Me: When she finally reaches Kei and Tomo, their father comes out looking for them and seems set on delivering another beating. Suzu wraps her arms around both boys and positions herself between them and their father. When he gouges her face attempting to pull her away, she stands and faces him with her arms out, daring him to attack.
- Heroic Sacrifice: After Kei, or Dragon remains unconvinced of Suzu's willingness to hold up her promise to help him and his brother, she deliberately has Justin Unveil her in U. This destroys her anonymity as Belle, but is enough to show Kei she truly wants to help him. This leads him and Tomo attempting to give her the location of their home before their father storms in and cuts off their stream.
- Hidden Depths: Lampshaded by Hiro. Who would have guessed that the mousy high school student who panics at the thought of singing would become a tour-de-force one-person Spotlight-Stealing Squad of music in the virtual world?
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Gets this twice.
- Played with between Belle and the Dragon. In U he is several times her size, to the point where she can only get her arms around his snout. In the real world, however, she’s actually the same height as him, with him being a 9th grader, while she's in 12th grade.
- Played straight between Suzu and Shinobu, who stands at least a full foot taller than her.
- Humble Hero: She never lets Belle's success go to her head and in fact becomes sheepish whenever people gush about her.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Belle's wide blue eyes dominate her face, ringed by long lashes and freckles. Played With in that Belle may look like an innocent princess (and she does indeed have a pure soul) but Suzu's innocence is long gone.
- Interrupted Declaration of Love: Attempts to confess her feelings to Shinobu at two different points in the movie, but is interrupted both times; the first time it's by Kamishin who had just finished kayaking, and Suzu, assuming that Ruka wanted to confess to him instead, runs off and gives Ruka the go-ahead while crying. The second time, she and Shino are standing across the street from each other and both declare that they want to talk about something, when she attempts to confess her feelings, Shinobu exposes her as Bell, and she runs off. She is not shown attempting to confess to him again, but the end of the movie implies that her feelings for Shinobu have persisted.
- Meaningful Name: The name "Belle" pulls double duty, both referring to her beautiful voice and, thanks to other users applying the French meaning of the term, also refers to her beautiful appearance.
- Nervous Wreck: She's very withdrawn since her mother's death, and doesn't like being in the spotlight. When her classmates try to pressure her into singing, she's clearly experiencing something like a panic attack, and screams in terror. Later on, she even throws up just trying to sing by herself. In U, this constraining anxiety ebbs or vanishes.
- Nice Girl: It's initially not apparent since she's so self-contained, but she's genuinely friendly with her fellow students despite her shyness, and even Kei and Tomo’s father doesn't get more than a Death Glare.
- Non-Standard Character Design: As Belle, her design stands out for looking incredibly Disneyesque, more so than any other user on U. In fact, she was originally designed by Jin Kim, a veteran Disney animator and character designer.
- Not So Above It All: While she usually takes the villagers' opinions of her mother’s death in stride, she can't ignore them entirely. It's implied that she does feel lonely from time to time.
- Parental Abandonment: She spends a significant portion of the film believing that her mother's death is actually a case of this, due to the townsfolks' gossip and the implication that she was less valuable to her mother than a stranger's child. At the end of the film, she realizes that her mother didn't make a choice to leave her behind, but was simply being the only person willing to stand up and help someone in need.
- Pimped-Out Dress: As Belle, she has several detailed and beautiful gowns. She goes through many changes throughout the story, and each dress is more gorgeous than the last.
- Plucky Girl: Belle refuses repeatedly to submit to the Justices and only treats the Dragon better when he starts reforming.
- The Power of Love: Her love for Dragon is what breaks his depressed mood.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: She gives a brief one to Justin, telling him that all he cares about is controlling people.
- This Is My Name on Foreign: Suzu's U alias is initially "Bell", because it's what her name means in English. She is referred to as "Belle" after she becomes mega-famous.
- Rescue Romance: While she was only curious about him before, her relationship with Dragon begins to develop after he rescues her from the Justices. However, this is a Downplayed Trope, as it's unclear whether Belle's feelings for the Dragon at and beyond this point are even romantic.
- Rose-Haired Sweetie: Belle's hair is light pink, and her manner is gracious, mild, and sweet (she has Innocent Blue Eyes to round out the trope).
- Sexier Alter Ego: Belle is far more striking and conventionally attractive than Suzu. This is implied to be at least partly because Suzu used a whole class portrait for her image scan, which included Ruka (who's widely considered to be the prettiest girl in her school).
- Ship Tease: With Shinobu in the real world and "The Dragon" in U. By the end of the movie, it's made clear that she has romantic feelings for Shinobu, though the two don't end up in a relationship as far as the audience is shown.
- Stepford Smiler: Played with. While the happiness and self-confidence she experiences as Belle is real enough, her Establishing Character Moment in the beginning shows that in the real world, she's not nearly as confident or carefree without her U persona.
- Staring Down Cthulhu: Shoots an ice-cold glare at Kei and Tomo's father as a non-verbal way of saying to him "Go ahead, you son of a bitch, hit me, see how that goes."
- Strong Family Resemblance: Suzu appears to have inherited her mother’s looks.
- Sympathy for the Devil: Towards Dragon. Justified as "love for a monstrous beast" was the cure, but since this is a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this is pretty much downplayed.
- Unlimited Wardrobe: Justified since Belle exists in a virtual world where presumably anything can be made out of nothing.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: When she gets a panic attack after her classmates nearly pressure her into singing, she runs off. Later when she tries singing by herself, she visibly throws up into the river beneath the bridge. She then collapses afterwards, too tired to bother wiping off the vomit from her mouth and hand.
- Will They or Won't They?: Has a crush on Shinobu and comes close to confessing to him at two points in the movie, but is interrupted both times. By the end of the movie, it's clear that she still has a crush on him, though nothing comes of it before the credits roll.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Suzu/Belle is instrumental in pulling the Dragon/Kei out of his depression and self-loathing. She in turn gets encouragement from Shinobu to sing as herself during the climax, right after she's Unveiled in the middle of U and is too shocked to initially do anything.
- Youthful Freckles: She has freckles across her cheeks, which likely inspired some of her "Belle" avatar's looks.
The Dragon
Voiced by: Takeru Satoh (Japanese), Paul Castro Jr. (English)
A mysterious beastlike creature notorious throughout U for violence and destruction. After he interrupts Belle's concert pursued by Justices, she takes an interest in him.
- Action Survivor: As Kei, he’s about as physically competent as someone you'd expect to have lived a horrible life. He manages to escape his father’s house to meet Suzu, but whether or not he goes back is anyone’s guess.
- All of the Other Reindeer: He's widely despised in U, with many rumors of him being people theorizing over what kind of horrible and violent person he could in real life. When he crashes Belle's concert, many of the comments that get aired are people yelling at Dragon to leave and that no one wants him.
- Ambiguous Situation: At the end of the film it's unclear what becomes of Kei and Tomo. Whether they return home to stand up to their abusive father, are taken in by child services or go off to live with another family member is left uncertain after Suzu protects them.
- It's also unclear what his feelings toward Suzu/Belle are. Are they feelings of admiration because of the strength she showed or is he in love with her?
- Anti-Hero: Started off as a violent jerk with anger management issues, but is very brave and protective to a certain extent.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: When fighting the Justices, Dragon's fighting style mainly consists of him rapidly punching them until their data breaks, with some saying Dragon was a dirty fighter. One commenter snarkily remarks that Dragon's fighting style is him, "definitely working out some issues".
- Badass Cape: Wears a large swooshing cape with odd bruise-like markings that appear on its back.
- Badass in Distress: Near the end of the movie, Dragon leaves himself at the mercy of Justin and his father. Only Suzu’s arrival in the real world saves him.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: Justified. Because his legs are large and digitigrade, he cannot wear shoes. However, this is averted for his user.
- Beast and Beauty: The Beast half of the equation.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The Dragon starts to take an interest in Belle after witnessing her refusal to out him to the Justices. He grows more fond of her as they spend time together due to the fact that she is the first user besides his brother, the Angel to treat him as a person rather than a beast. When she attempts to kiss his face, he flinches, leading to Belle simply resting her head against his. The act touches him so much he initially seems unsure if he should hug her back, but he soon slowly raises his hands and holds her.
- Beneath the Mask: Despite his imposing figure, and infamy as someone who picks fights, The Dragon isn't as bad as he appears. He even goes to save Belle from the Justices after Angel reveals he lead her to their castle to begin with.
- Big Brother Instinct: The bruises on his back were gained by using his body to shield his brother every time their father attempts to beat him.
- Big Fancy House: He makes his home in the Castle, a remote location styled like something out of a classic fairy tale.
- Character Tics:
- Face Palm: Of the depressed type.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: He easily handles a swarm of Justice goons without breaking a sweat. He was also noted to be the top fighter in the martial arts area of U and has not suffered a loss so far.
- Dark and Troubled Past: He apparently lived in a happy home with his brother and his parents. Then, his mother died, his dad turned into a bitter asswipe and, in a metaphorical sense, he slowly lost his humanity by becoming the Dragon of U.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He dresses in dark clothing and is seen a villain in U. However, children love him and his real self wears dark clothes and he has been taking the abuse of his father to protect his little brother.
- Deuteragonist: The second main character after Belle, but gets less screentime and character development than her. We also aren't made privy to his fate at the end of the movie, only being assured that he's confident enough to fight back against his abusive father now.
- Defrosting Ice King: The Dragon’s Character Development is moving from gloomy jerkass to loving nice guy.
- Despair Event Horizon: Creeps closer to this the longer he lives with his father. He doesn't call his dad out because he thinks he’s Beyond Redemption and he does not believe that Suzu is Belle until he hears her
Swan Song. - Desperately Craves Affection: Underneath it all, he really does, having been denied contact for help.
- Emerging from the Shadows: Does this at one point.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Invoked. His voice is noticeably deeper as the Dragon.
- Family-Unfriendly Violence: The Dragon is on the receiving end of this several times. As Kei, he gets his back pounded on by his own father.
- Fangs Are Evil: His fangs are more clearly and individually drawn when he’s supposed to look threatening.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: After saving Belle from the Justices, she is genuinely touched by his act of kindness and wants to do things to make him happy. This is the catalyst for her Character Development and the improvement of their relationship.
- Friend to All Children: The children of U all adore him and do not hesitate to stand up to their older peers when the call goes out for him to be Unveiled. This is at least partly due to him wanting to be a hero to his pre-teen brother while just being a young teenager himself.
- Gentle Giant: In the film's second half, the tall and broad-horned Dragon is also a sweetheart thanks to Love Redeems.
- Get Out!: He dramatically roars this at Belle after she ventures into his castle.
- The Grotesque: He doesn’t consider himself to be this but everyone else does; if anything, they think he's closer to The Dreaded.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: The Dragon has this for at least half of the movie; him realizing it made Belle run away is the first step in him overcoming it. He also might have inherited it from his dad.
- He Cleans Up Nicely: Even as a dragon, he still cuts a dashing figure in his suit.
- Heel–Face Turn: An anti-villain in the first half but no more in the second half.
- The Hermit: He lives alone in his castle. As Kei, he feels cut off from the rest of the world as nobody else has given their father professional help, nor have they given him or his brother a healthy home.
- Hidden Depths: Yes, the Dragon is a jerk; however, he is also brave, cunning, and determined. Presumably, like his father, he’s just angry and very, very depressed because his mother died.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Kei, due to his withdrawn personality. It's only after Suzu rescues them that we see both of his eyes at once.
- Horned Humanoid: He walks upright, possess two arms and two legs, and he has horns.
- Horrifying Hero: Zigzagged. By the time he becomes a heroic character, he's not horrifying; other users are willing to help him. However, the people of U think he's scary because of obvious reasons.
- Hot-Blooded: His short temper is part of his general poor impulse control and boiling emotions over his conditions. Kei might have also inherited this from his dad.
- An Ice Person: One of his attacks seems to allow him to freeze whatever opponents he hits, which is what he does to some of the Justices who come into his path.
- I Am a Monster: Thanks to his father's abuse, he thinks of himself as wretched and unlovable. The Dragon avatar reflects this.
- Insecure Love Interest: Possibly a love interest to Belle, and he is certain that neither Belle, nor anyone else, truly gives a damn about him.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Like the Beast from the Beauty and the Beast story, he is introduced as a rude, selfish, bad-tempered, and inhospitable jerkass. However, his character development is all about him toning down his jerkassery and developing the heart of gold. This is hinted at when his main supporters on U are children. When Belle enters his castle he angrily tells her to leave. However, he's quickly shown to regret his actions as he soon chases after Belle and protects her from the Justices with his body.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Kei is very distrusting of Suzu actually holding to her word of wanting to help him and his brother. So many other people had promised to help and it amounted to nothing. Even earlier a few watchers appeared, only to mock him and his brother's situation before leaving just as quickly as they came. It's due to this that Suzu decides to out her true self in U to convince Kei she was willing to do anything to help him.
- Large and in Charge: He is a seven-foot-tall horned dragon and he owns a huge castle with some servants.
- Lightning Bruiser: Despite his size, he's agile, fast, and able to beat down numerous members of the Justices.
- Lima Syndrome: Towards Belle. She is a stranger to him initially, then they become friends and more, and then he realizes that he's in love with her. Maybe.
- Love Confession: He makes one of these to Suzu at the end of the film after she intervenes to protect him and his brother from the abuses of their father. It's left unclear whether he means it in the romantic or the platonic sense. Adding to the ambiguity, Kei doesn't tell Suzu he loves her in the dub. Instead, he says that she is his hero.
- Made of Iron: Dragon is able to take a mighty beating from the Justices pursuing him and Belle, merely shrugging off most of their punches. The only reason he doesn't fight back is because he's protecting Belle.
- Missing Mom: His mother died of unknown circumstances.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: As stated above, he’s a hybrid of a wide assortment of animals. This gives him the appearance of looking like something that could exist in real life, while also being unlike anything ever seen before.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Downplayed. After seeing Belle in his castle and yelling at her to get out, he does seem to regret how harsh he was. What cements him going after Belle is Angel going to Dragon to show he was the one who lead her to his castle.
- One-Man Army: He proves to be stronger than all of the Justices combined (despite its surpassing numbers) when he risks his life to rescue Belle from them and when they chase him into her concert.
- Promoted to Parent: Becomes this after his mother dies, and it’s also what his father wants him to become.
- Red Is Violent: Incidentally, before he begins to accustom to Belle's personality and show signs of kindness, all he wears on his upper body is a red cape.
- Security Cling: After managing to run away from home and meeting Suzu, he falters at seeing his father give chase and even hides behind Suzu. It's when he, Suzu, and his brother cling to each other does he realize she truly was Belle, remembering when they danced and she placed her head against his.
- Ship Tease: With Suzu as Belle, though it doesn't go anywhere and the movie primarily pushes for Suzu's interest to be in Shinobu.
- Shrouded in Myth: Most rumors about him end up sounding like this, since stories widely vary and are highly exaggerated by people on the internet, likely for clout. The only slightly consistent story about Dragon comes from children who call him a hero. It's then revealed that Dragon is just a young teen.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Where his little brother Tomo wears light clothing, is quiet and passive, he wears dark clothing and actively does everything he can to protect Tomo from the abuse of their father.
- Spell My Name with a "The": Sometimes he's called The Dragon, sometimes he's just called Beast or Dragon.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: Dragon has golden-like eyes that contrast his dark fur and clothes.
- Survival Mantra: He starts muttering how it was his fault or how he can take the pain as he protects his little brother from their father's abuse.
- Took a Level in Cheerfulness: Suzu/Belle's presence not only makes him nicer, but also happier.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Suzu/Belle's presence not only makes him happier, but also nicer.
- Tragic Monster: He never wanted to be a monster. But he became the Dragon of U to escape his father’s control.
- The Tragic Rose: He has a collection of roses and his life on both sides is pretty tragic.
- Tsundere: To Belle at first.
- Unscrupulous Hero: He starts as rude, violent, and annoyingly demanding towards Belle. His rudeness starts to vanish once he rescues Belle from the Justices, and from there on in he becomes more gentle.
- Walking Spoiler: It's hard to discuss the person behind Dragon given part of the story is the characters trying to unmask who he really is.
- What Happened to the Dragon?: Suzu has successfully restored his confidence, but no mention is given as to what happened to him afterward or if his father or situation improved for the better.
The Angel
Voiced by: Hana Hope (Japanese), Bentley Griffin (English)
Belle's first follower in U, and an admirer of the Dragon. His avatar is a tiny, spirit-like sea angel with a fondness for music.
- Ambiguous Situation: At the end of the film it's unclear what becomes of Tomo and his brother. Whether they return home to stand up to their father, are taken in by child services or go off to live with another family member is left uncertain after Suzu protects them.
- Big Brother Worship: He openly claims the Dragon is his hero. This is because Kei always intervenes when their father gets violent and shields Tomo with his own body.
- Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Almost every time he's seen in person, his eyes are staring blankly into space. This is possibly due to mental trauma resulting from his father's abuse.
- Expy: Possibly of Chip from the Disney adaptation.
- Light Is Good: His real self wears a white hoodie and white shorts, and he's clearly a good soul.
- Meaningful Echo: He is the first character in U to acknowledge Belle, calling her amazing and beautiful. When Suzu saves both him and his brother from their father's latest attack, he repeats the compliment verbatim.
- Missing Mom: His mother died of unknown circumstances.
- Morality Pet: To the Dragon. His mere presence is enough to calm the Dragon of his rage. Everytime Angel appears near Dragon, Dragon treats Angel with the utmost care and gentleness. It's because the two are brother's and Kei — or Dragon has been protecting Tomo from their father.
- Nice Guy: Loving, innocent, cute and charming. When Belle first appears in U and sings, he's the only one to compliment her looks and how beautiful her singing was. He was even one of Belle's first followers.
- Security Cling: After managing to run away from home and meeting Suzu, he recognizes Suzu from their call and goes over to hug her. When his father appears he is visibly clinging onto her.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Tomo wears light clothing, is quiet and passive, but his brother is more active in protecting him from their father's abuse.
- Thousand-Yard Stare: When Suzu and her friends find Tomo streaming on U and humming Belle's song, he has a look that can only be described as this.
- Troubled Fetal Position: When he hears his father come in, he quietly and slowly walks away from the camera and curls up on the floor.
- Walking Spoiler: Any discussion of Angel leads to the reveal of who Dragon really is.
- What Happened to the Angel?: Suzu has successfully restored his vitality, but no mention is given as to what happened to him afterwards or if his father or situation improved for the better.
Hiroka "Hiro-chan" Betsuyaku
Voiced by: Rira (Lilas) Ikuta (Japanese), Jessica DiCicco (English)
Suzu’s best friend and manager.- All There in the Manual: According to the novelization, her parents are bankers and her avatar is apparently a "cute bird with a round hat."
- Call to Adventure: Hiroka is the one who sends Suzu a link with an invitation to join U, kicking off the plot.
- Evil Laugh: She lets out some fantastic cackles while monologuing about how she is turning Belle into the next global sensation.
- Genki Girl: Is giddy and excited over a few things.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She can be pretty brash, but her heart is in the right place.
- Likes Older Men: She likes a teacher at their school and even has his image as her screen saver. The thing is.... the man is old enough to be her grandfather.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: While discussing her crush on a much older teacher, she claims that her mother would just die if she found out. She does quickly apologize when she sees Suzu's reaction and fears she may have triggered her friend.
- The Reliable One: Intelligent, level-headed, and self-righteous, Hiroka is perhaps the most reliant member of Belle’s allies.
- Secret-Keeper: Since she's the one who invites Suzu to join U, she's initially the only one who knows Belle's true identity as Suzu.
- The Smart Guy: She is the brains behind Belle's career success in U, and also helps her to navigate the world of social media in general. Is almost never seen away from her computer setup, which nearly qualifies as a mobile command post.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: She wears glasses and serves as the one to look for any information Suzu needs.
- The Social Expert: She takes on the role of being Belle's publicity manager in U, with stunning results. She's also able to help Suzu in quickly quelling the anger of the girls at their school when a rumor about Suzu asking out Shinobu spreads. She manages to help contain it in a short amount of time.
Shinobu Hisatake
Voiced by: Ryo Narita (Japanese), Manny Jacinto (English)
Suzu's popular and aloof childhood friend, who comforted her after her mother's death.
- Big Man on Campus: He is tall, handsome, skilled in sports, and a Nice Guy. Every girl in the school has at least a passing interest in him and they all freak out when they think he and Suzu are dating.
- Chick Magnet: A lot of girls at his school have their eyes on him. When a rumor about Suzu possibly asking Shinobu out spreads, it nearly causes an all out war.
- Childhood Friend Romance: With Suzu, possibly. He often seeks her out to ensure she remains in good spirits, though his overtures are not explicitly romantic.
- Declaration of Protection: Gives one of these to Suzu when they are both six years old. She mistakes it for a marriage proposal.
- The Stoic: He hardly shows much emotion on his face, leading him to come off as this.
- Not So Stoic: At the very end, once he's assured that Suzu is going to be all right, his personality flips completely into a more casual one who is looking forward to finally being able to have fun for a change.
- Oblivious to Love: Doesn't seem to realize Suzu has a crush on him, or at least, that's what his stoicism implies. As well, at one point in the movie he takes Suzu's attempt at confessing her love to him as her trying to tell him that she's actually Bell, something he already knew.
- Take My Hand!: Any time Suzu is in danger or distress, he takes her hand in order to calm or protect her.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Kamishin. Good friends who are very different and often butt heads.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Gives a speech like this to Suzu when she's hesitating on whether or not to reveal her real identity on U to help Kei.
Shinjiro "Kamishin" Chikami
Voiced by: Shota Sometani (Japanese), Brandon Engman (English)
An energetic friend of Shinobu's. He is an aspiring kayaker.
- All of the Other Reindeer: Regarded as odd by the other students for his love of boating and for being the goofball that he is; Shinjiro himself has a hard time finding someone other than Suzu to befriend.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Regarded by his fellow students as a bit of an oddball due to his one-track mind and enthusiasm.
- Hot-Blooded: The boy really, really loves kayaking, and he's sure you'd love it too if you just tried it.
- The Idiot from Osaka: He seems to have a rather goofy sense of humor, which is downplayed when he tries to get serious.
- "Just Joking" Justification: When Suzu tries to make conversation with him by asking about his training, he takes it as Suzu developing a crush on him. He immediately says it was a joke once he gets a glare from Shinobu. He does the same when Ruka wishes him luck on his next tournament, to which he immediately assumes she had a crush on him. As she blushes and drops her head in embarrassment, he immediately tells her he was joking. Suzu then quietly points out that Ruka did have a crush on him, causing him to pause for a long while as that sinks in.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Dashes away from Ruka twice after she confesses to liking him.
Ruka Watanabe
Voiced by: Tina Tamishiro (Japanese), Hunter Schafer (English)
Ruka is a pretty and popular girl at Suzu's school.
- Alleged Lookalikes: The movie pushes that she looks a lot like Suzu's Avatar Belle, as she was one of the faces scanned from the photo when creating her, but when put side by side, the only thing the two designs have in common is the hairstyle.
- Class Princess: Not only is she the prettiest and most popular girl at the school, be she is also quite nice to her peers, including Suzu.
- Fan of Underdog: She's implied to be quite the Dude Magnet at school, with several of Suzu's classmates suspecting that her and Shinobu are an item, but the only guy Ruka has eyes for is dorky Class Clown Kamoshin.
- Informed Attractiveness: She's widely considered to be the prettiest girl at Suzu's school, and she's the reason why Belle has such striking looks (since she was in a photo Suzu used when setting up her U account), but in terms of design she doesn't look any different from other female characters her age, including the supposedly plain Suzu.
- Licked by the Dog: Suzu's family dog takes to her immediately. Seeing this is the final straw that convinces Suzu that Ruka is not as bad as she thinks, and leads to the two becoming friends.
- Official Couple: Implied to have begun dating Shinjiro after confessing her feelings.
- Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: She's renowned and adored at school for her beauty and talent. After the girls of their class turn on Suzu because they thought she was dating Shinobu, Hiro suspects Ruka was behind it as a Stock Shoujo Bullying Tactic because she wants to ask Shinobu out. It turns out that she's not even interested in him, but in Kamishin, and is quick to befriend Suzu when given the chance..
- Signature Instrument: She's part of the high school band and is introduced while playing the saxophone as part of their performance. She's later seen carrying her saxophone around at various points, and even her U avatar carries one.
Jelinek
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese), Andrew Kishino (English)
A distraught artist who mourns for his late girlfriend. He is rumored to be the Beast.- Lying Creator: He says he got the bruiselike tattoos to remember his late girlfriend. She is still alive, and publically calls him out on this lie.
- Red Herring: His artwork bears a lot of similarities to the Dragon’s bruises, but he isn’t the Dragon.
Peggy Sue
Voiced by: ermhoras (Japanese), Cristina Valenzuela (English)
An established pop star in U who is quickly surpassed by Belle.- Attention Whore: Hates when the spotlight isn't on her, and when asked about Belle when she first appears, she snidely comments that Belle wouldn't amount to anything compared to her. But soon as Belle starts to rapidly grow in popularity in U, she tries to steer the attention back to herself, only for her old fans to turn on her and tell her to shut up.
- Foil: Is this for Belle. Her online persona is described as being a bit of an Attention Whore, and the one example we see of her work is a self-serving glam song, whereas Belle is a Humble Hero who sings purely because it is what she loves doing most.
- Meaningful Name: Her name is derived from the Buddy Holly song. She's a singer.
- Ms. Fanservice: Beautiful, fashionably dressed, and adoring, but not all the time.
- Out of Focus: Quickly falls out of relevance in the plot as Belle's rival once Belle rises to stardom and The Dragon plot truly kicks off. She's not relevant again until Belle's Swan Song scene.
- Shadow Archetype: She represents what Belle could have been had she gone down the path of arrogance like most singers.
- Secondary Color Nemesis: Unlike her "rival" Belle, who favors soft color palettes, the arrogant Peggy Sue wears bright, striking green eyeshadow and purple lipstick, as well as a purple jacket.
- Took a Level in Kindness: Joins in on Belle’s Swan Song after realizing Belle was a normal school girl like her.
Justin
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese), Chace Crawford (English)
A vain, arrogant hero who tries to unmask the Dragon and is determined to keep law and order throughout the land of U.
- Alpha Bastard: Complete with a guy posse and he is the virtual world equivalent of this trope.
- Arm Cannon: The jewel on his wrist transforms into an elaborate laser cannon that strips away the virtual mask of whoever it hits, leaving behind their real self.
- Attention Whore: He never outright confirms it, but it is heavily implied that he's only going after the Dragon because he can't stand some users in U worshipping the Dragon and not him.
- Badass Normal: While the Dragon is definitely stronger than he is, Justin still manages to match him pretty well during their battle.
- Beauty Is Bad: Considered one of the most attractive men in U, and he's a narcissistic asshole.
- Beneath the Mask: Justin is not as harmless as he seems to be.
- Big Bad Slippage: Like some of the other Studio Chizu villains, he doesn’t start off as a villain, but rather become a villain during the film. He starts out as a rude, blasé law enforcer, but seemingly heroic. It's when Belle gives him a short dressing down that Justin begins to do truly villainous things.
- Big Jerk on Campus: He’s basically a non-school version of this. He’s incredibly handsome, good at fighting villains, which is basically the virtual world equivalent of law enforcement, and everybody in U except Belle pretty much worships the ground he walks on. But underneath those muscles and that chiseled face, he’s a Manipulative and Entitled Bastard who is willing to murder to get what what he wants.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He may speak of justice, but he is cruel to the people of U.
- Break the Haughty: Justin is so concerned with projecting an image of himself as being "the best" and is so used to having everything go his way that, when Belle non-verbally refuses to out the Dragon and tells him what she thinks of him, Justin becomes absolutely livid, to the point where nothing can make him feel better. He only gets worse from there.
- Broken Ace: He's handsome, strong, a skilled law enforcer, has fans falling at his feet, and is adored by everyone... except our heroes. He just can't get over the fact that some people worship the Dragon, and due to his pride and obsession, he gradually becomes more psychopathic over the course of the movie.
- Can't Take Criticism: When Belle refuses to sell out the Dragon's location and tells him outright that he only cares about controlling people rather than enforcing peace, Justin immediately assaults her by grabbing her head and threatens to unveil her if she doesn't answer him, promising her that he will gladly ruin her life if that will get him what he wants.
- Character Development: Justin goes through a darker version; he starts out as a champion of justice, becomes kind of an ass, and then finally turns into an all-out, terrifying villain.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Justin deconstructs the typical anime male hero seen in most films up to that point. Justin is handsome, physically well-built, and very popular in U. All these traits would normally belong to a character serving as the hero. However, because Justin has all these traits, he has an ego larger than the virtual world and believes he deserves praise, even when some people like Belle don’t like him. Basically; Justin looks like he'd be the stereotypical shonen hero, but his personality is nothing like one.
- Egomaniac Hunter: The guy has a portable wall of sponsors as a monument to his ego.
- Evil Counterpart: To the Dragon. They start out very similar to each other. Both are indifferent to the pain they cause to others, aren't afraid to use violence to get what they want, and both want to use Belle for their own selfish reasons (the Dragon to find a friend and Justin to use her to find the Dragon’s castle).
- Evil Is Hammy: When he switches from hero to outright villain, he becomes louder and more sinister.
- Evil Plan: To dox the Dragon and presumably punish or exile him, as he has presumably done for the other criminals he has caught.
- Expy: Due to Mamoru Hosoda being influenced by the 1946 Jean Cocteau film and the 1991 Disney film, itself influenced by the Cocteau version, Justin is for all intents and purposes one for Avenant and his Disney expy Gaston.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: He's the hero of U because of his heroism and charisma, but he's really just a self-righteous Attention Whore who fancies himself the ruler of U.
- General Ripper: He believes the Dragon is responsible for practically everything bad in U, and uses his authority and troops to hunt him down as much as he can.
- Glamour Failure: His gem allows him to Unveil the denizens of U, removing their AS persona and leaving behind the actual user.
- Hate Sink: The audience can hate this guy based on his personality and actions alone. He disparages Belle and the Dragon’s relationship; he verbally and physically abuses others; he tries to have the Dragon unveiled or killed; is revealed to care more about himself than justice; and finally destroys the Dragon’s castle.
- The Horseshoe Effect: Justin pursues an insanely harsh and fundamentalist interpretation of justice. In the process, he commits numerous sins while trying to do his duty, including pride and wrath. By the end of the movie, he goes so far as to attack the very castle where the Dragon lives, becoming the villain he claimed to oppose.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Went from a hero of justice both respected and feared by everyone in U to a maniac who everyone in U turns against, and has thrown all his principles and influence away just to get rid of one superstar.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: He's a brash, conceited bastard who spirals into a villain once Belle sides with the Dragon, driving him to such lengths as murder.
- Icy Blue Eyes: They fit his ruthlessness.
- It's All About Me: From his perspective, the whole world of U is about him; he is a hero and the Dragon is evil because he stands against everything he believes in.
- Jerk Jock: Virtual world superhero version.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: He's a rude, controlling egomaniac, but he's not outright evil until Belle non-verbally refuses to tell him where the Dragon is.
- Knight of Cerebus: Once it's revealed how far he's willing to go to dox or kill the Dragon, you'll find out that he's not only an egotistical dickhead, but an outright evil monster.
- Knight Templar: Justin is a hypocritical, Holier Than Thou guy who believes himself to be a righteous man expunging evil from the world of U, even though in reality, it becomes increasingly clear that he really just fancies himself the ruler of U. This is pointed out several times by the other characters.
- Lack of Empathy: He's unable to take another's perspective. Belle, for instance, clearly tells him what kind of a person he is, but he can't imagine this because he's too full of himself and is more concerned with having the Dragon defeated to complete his image. He also has no problem trying to manipulate others.
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: Invoked, as he is viewed by the citizens of U as a hero... but he's actually a villain.
- Laser-Guided Karma: The karma gods are not mocked by Justin's injustice. In the aftermath of Suzu's swan song, he loses his sponsors, his dignity, his respect and presumably, his lackeys.
- Light Is Not Good: He is attractive and light themed, in contrast to the dark and beastly Dragon, but is more ugly and vile on the inside, in contrast to the Dragon's kind nature.
- Meaningful Name: "Justin" sounds similar to "justice". Ironically, he is anything but justice.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Once he finds out about the Dragon and Belle's feelings for him, he immediately rallies the Justices to storm the Dragon's castle and kill him, painting him as a threat who needs to be taken down. Of course, it's very clear that his true motive is to boost his own ego.
- Obliviously Evil: Similar to some or most Studio Chizu villains, Justin believes himself to be the most moral, righteous person in the world of U. This is quickly overridden when his true colors are shown and he is stripped of his dignity. All the same, he's oblivious because of his self-righteousness — he believes an action is evil only when it's committed by a presumed criminal, and never seriously considers the possibility that abuse, and even setting the Dragon's castle on fire and attacking Belle herself could be wrong if he's the one doing it, because he genuinely believes himself to be a good deed doer.
- Parody Sue: Almost everyone in U (exceptions being Belle and Hiroka) worships the ground he walks on and he's regarded as the local hero, but the story makes it clear since the beginning that he's nothing but an egomaniac.
- Proud Beauty: The most desired man in U, and an extreme narcissist.
- Primary-Color Champion: Invoked and inverted. He wears a white suit of armor with red lining and he is regarded as a hero by U even though he is the villain of the film.
- A Real Man Is a Killer: Implied. Justin is an avid hunter and it's clear he was painting a big bulls-eye on the Dragon.
- Riddle for the Ages: Who was he in reality? The world may never know. Some fans, however, believe he's Kei's dad.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Subverted. He has a very big ego and someone with his personality and characteristics would easily fall into this trope in most situations. However, in-universe, he's considered the hero of U, subverting the "small name" part.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He's a controlling and arrogant superhero, but he's so charismatic that the people love him enough that his vices are spun into virtues: They unhesitatingly rally behind him to storm the castle and kill the Dragon.
- Would Hit a Girl: When Belle defies him by refusing to sell out the Dragon's location and calling him out on his abuse of power, Justin grabs her by the head and throttles her, threatening to unveil her on U if she doesn't tell him and promises that he will gladly ruin her life and reputation if that will get him what he wants. He also deliberately endangers her life to draw the Dragon out.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: He seems to be under the impression that he's the hero in a Damsel in Distress scenario later on. He isn't completely wrong, since she was initially taken by the Dragon (in reality, he rescued her from them), but his underlying motivation is to serve his gargantuan ego.
The Justices
The law enforcement of U and Justin’s posse. Unlike the citizens, the Justices are aware of Justin’s schemes and are eager to assist him in any way.
- The Brute: All of them are a bunch of self-righteous assholes that eagerly do some physical work on behalf of Justin.
- Mooks: Justin’s interchangeable minions, specifically.
- Satellite Character: They mostly hang around with Justin, and agree with everything he says.
- Undying Loyalty: To Justin, even after they fail him, they are happy to do anything Justin wants.
- Vigilante Militia: They are effectively Justin's online army of vigilantes. Though they are backed by sponsors, it's never really elaborated on if any of them are actually part of U's staff.
Mr. Naito
- Voiced by: Kōji Yakusho (Japanese), Ben Lepley (English)
- Catchphrase: He usually asks Suzu if she wants dinner.
- Foil: To Kei and Tomo’s father, both in personality and how they deal with the deaths of their wives.
- Good Parents: While he is a bit distant with his daughter, he knows she's mourning for her mother and gives her the space she needs. He does check in on her when he can, asking if there's anything she wants to eat. When Suzu goes to Tokyo to help Kei she texts her father to let him know, and he encourages her.
- Nice Guy: Cheerful, kind, caring, loving, fatherly, and brave.
Kei and Tomo’s father
Voiced by: Ken Ishiguro (Japanese), Kiff VandenHuevel (English)
The abusive and domineering father of Kei and Tomo.
- Abusive Dad: Always yells and hits his sons, claiming it will make them more disciplined and responsible.
- Ambiguous Situation: Whether or not he reconciles with his sons, seeks professional help, gets arrested or all three is open for guessing. The film leans the most toward the last one, since Tokyo's "report child abuse after 48 hours have passed" law was established in a scene with many people who would gladly use it.
- Ax-Crazy: Even if he didn’t kill anyone, he’s still a deeply disturbed man who is driven to hurt others, in this case his own sons.
- Bastard Alert: His second scene is him yelling at Kei, solidifying him as an antagonistic man.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: He often tells his sons to disappear if they cannot respect his rules. If he was arrested in the end, this trope was definitely played in full force.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He lies to the public to keep the illusion of being a good man, and while it's possible he might have been one before his wife's death, he certainly isn't one now.
- Control Freak: He assaults his sons for being disobedient.
- The Corrupter: He’s the one who made Kei a Broken Bird.
- Dirty Coward: Crumples when Suzu shows no fear of him and runs away.
- Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: He is one of the most handsomest adults in the film. He's also the one who scarred Kei for life.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: While his wife's death might have turned him into a bitter person, that did not give him the right to be so abusive and harsh towards his own children. This is even stated point blank in the movie by Kamishin in reaction to his treatment of his sons.
- Greater-Scope Villain: He’s established as the biggest problem in the film.
- Heel Realization: His "defeat" at the mercy of Suzu’s death glare could be interpreted as one, along with his exposure as a Dirty Coward.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: The primary cause of his abuse. Every perceived instance of his sons being less than picture-perfect causes him to fly off the handle. He just does everything he can to bury it and ignore it and dodge all responsibility for them.
- Hypocrite: Blames Suzu for tearing his family apart when his own actions caused his sons to rebel.
- It's All About Me: One of the reasons he abuses Kei and Tomo is because he always complains about how they're interfering with his work life and he is so consumed by his own idea of how his household should conduct itself, that he reacts violently to deviations, tying into him being a Control Freak.
- Jerkass: All we know about him is that he’s a very angry businessman who pretends to be good in order to protect his reputation.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: True, he gets nothing from Suzu other than a "staring contest", but as far as we know, his abuse was exposed online. And, depending on your own interpretation, he will either spend the rest of his life in jail or try to reconcile with his sons which will be a tall order (for Kei in particular).
- Kick the Dog: His constant treatment towards Kei and Tomo ranges from berating him to constantly punching him in the back.
- Knight of Cerebus: The film (and it’s other versions like the novelization) establishes him as the darkest character.
- Lack of Empathy: He never once actually cared about his son's well-being, preferring them to be obidient and disiplined.
- The Lost Lenore: His wife.
- Mood-Swinger: A slower variation. He can be nice and endearing towards his son in public, to completely strict whenever in private.
- My Beloved Smother: Part of Kei and Tomo's backstory is that their father dominated them and forced them to become co-dependent after their mother died. Not to mention his bullying behavior during the film.
- My God, What Have I Done?: It can be assumed that he finally realized that his actions almost crossed a certain line after he gouges Suzu’s left cheek. Doesn't stop him from still trying to intimidate her into standing down, though. He does eventually give up, as he goes through a Heel Realization once again after Suzu stares him down fearlessly without a word, making him flee like a Dirty Coward.
- Never My Fault: He blames Kei and Tomo for most of the problems in his life, even when it couldn't have possibly been their fault or was pretty blatantly his own.
- No Sympathy: Based on your interpretation, it's very likely that he doesn't care about the lives of anyone, even his own sons.
- Paper Tiger: He yells at and manhandles his cowering sons, but when someone actually stands up to him, he's petrified.
- Parents as People: He ignores his son's emotional and mental health in favor of his own goals, but it's possibly a result of him improperly processing his own grief.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Delivers a very harsh reprimand to his own sons to remind them of the rules that go on in his house.
- Rich Bastard: Apparently, he comes from a family of means.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: He makes a quick break for it after Suzu stares him down without fear.
- Shadow Archetype: For both Kei and Mr. Naito. He all but exists to show the audience what would have happened if Suzu’s own father let himself be consumed by grief and if Kei directly followed his footsteps.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: He is cold, angry, dismissive and even violent towards Kei and Tomo, but is also still in mourning for his wife, which has destroyed his mental health.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: If he was previously the kind family man he pretended to be, the loss of his wife apparently seems to have destroyed most of his congeniality.
- What Happened to the Dad?: Suzu has successfully ordered him to back off (in her own non-verbal pacifistic way), but no mention is made as to what happened to him or if he finally saw the error of his ways.
- The Unapologetic: Even after Suzu defeats him without throwing a punch, the father refuses to apologize to Kei and Tomo for his actions and instead fearfully makes a quick retreat. However, depending on your interpretation to his ultimate fate, he still has a chance to do so.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Thanks to his abuse, he caused Kei to become a horribly monsterous beast.
- Walking Spoiler: He plays a very important part to Kei's character.
- Why Couldn't You Be Different?: He would rather see his sons be more disciplined, aware of the rules and respectful of his home’s inner workings. Sadly, he resorts to his fists very frequently.
- Would Hurt a Child: Is implied to slap Kei across the face in one scene, has inflicted physical bruises upon him, and strikes Suzu so hard she bleeds. At that last point he's shaken by his own violence, but still tries to throw a punch at her afterward anyway. He eventually does give in after Suzu fearlessly stares him down, lowering his fist and stumbling back realizing his actions on his sons, before finally running away in fear.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: A variation. He runs up the screen in his last scene.
