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Main characters
Akane Nishimura
- Voiced by: Konomi Kohara (Japanese), Molly Zhang (English)
- Appropriated Appellation: Nishimura initially does not appreciate being called "Shinigami" by her classmates, opting to ignore the nickname, but the nickname grows on her once Taiyou starts using it because he thinks it makes her sound super cool. Downplayed in that she remains at-best indifferent to other classmates using it, but actively grows to appreciate Taiyo calling her that, even asking him to keep using it when he offers to stop.
- Beady-Eyed Loser: Her visible iris is usually drawn as a small circle, emphasizing her shyness. The anime's opening, though, shows she has green eyes.
- Brainy Brunette: She has dark brown hair and is a huge reader.
- Character Tic: Covering her face with her hands, often while in midst of a Luminescent Blush. Also, talking through her hands with the palms joined, in similar but less intense contexts.
- Cute Bookworm: Aside from being a cute face, she likes reading.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Her classmates call her "Shinigami" due to her gloomy looks, although it turns out both Taiyou and Yukiko find it an absolutely badass nickname instead. She accepts it that way whenever he uses it.
- Everyone Can See It: As Akane makes more friends, it becomes increasingly obvious to everyone around her that she does not think of or treat Taiyo the same as her other friends. Much to her father's consternation.
- First-Name Basis: In episode 12, Takada meets with both Nishimura and her father. When addressing her, her father accidentally takes it as addressing him. Taiyo then casually decides to start calling her "Akane," and Akane likewise decides to call him "Taiyo," even though, as her father notices with consternation, there's presently no practical reason for her to do so.
- Hidden Depths: Chapter 74 reveals she likes stars and constellations
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: She occasionally changes her hair, but always keeps it covering her left eye, probably as an emotional shield.
- Iconic Outfit: A long black dress over a white shirt, possibly meant to be taken like the Grim Reaper's black robe and white bones. Later adds a similar dress in white during summer.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Becomes very excited to adopt an abandoned black cat which she calls Kuro.
- Luminescent Blush: Constantly gets bright red, often but not exclusively due to Takada's antics. Although as time goes on, Takada starts to draw a different kind of blush out of her.
- Meaningful Name: "Akane" means deep red, which can invoke blood (appropriate for her nickname) or, more literally, her frequent blushing.
- Nice Girl: She's very kind and considerate to her family and friends, and while she dislikes being bullied, she doesn't seem to hold ill will towards her bullies.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Not as much nor as visibly as Takada, but she enjoys the dark manga books he lends her. The anime's ending also shows her with a book that, if her dreams after falling asleep mid-read are indicative of it, seems to be a Dark Fantasy.
- Phrase Catcher: Much to her dismay, people outside her classroom keep finding her nickname awesome.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: At the end of a sickday visit from Taiyo, Umi, and Daichi, grabs Taiyo's sleeve and begs him not to leave because she will be lonely. Akane initially thinks she's feverishly dreaming during the encounter, and is mortified the next day when she realizes she actually said it.
- Romantic Spoonfeeding: Zigzagged. Nishimura feeds Takada out of necessity (he's broken his dominant arm protecting her from a fall) and the two aren't romantically-involved, but the way the feeding is done (down to Nishimura telling Takada to "say 'ahh'!") is clearly meant to invoke this trope. It's even lampshaded by Adachi, who, seeing this, remarks "What are they, married?"
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Not that she isn't cute in her natural state, as both Taiyo and Yukiko note and celebrate, but she looks even better when she gets to dress up.
- Shinigami: It's right in her nickname. It becomes "Grim Reaper" in the English subtitles and "Parca" in the Spanish ones.
- Shrinking Violet: Painfully shy and lacking self-confidence.
- Unknowingly in Love: She blushes furiously every time Takada's outgoing lines come across as romantic, and other characters like Adachi can see this is not casual, but Nishimura herself hasn't dedicated it much thought yet.
Taiyo Takada
- Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami (Japanese), Madeleine Morris (English)
- Achievements in Ignorance: Effortlessly disrupts bullying, boosts Akane's self-esteem, and fosters better relationships with their other classmates all while not really holding an ounce of comprehension that he's even doing it.
- Anchored Ship: Obviously; Nishimura and he are still in fifth grade. However, in Episode 10 they witness Kasumi kissing a boy during her Christmas date in Episode 10. This makes Taiyou realize that he similarly likes Akane, in a different way from how he likes his other friends. He's still not sure exactly how though, but asks Nishimura for a kiss in the next episode, believing it will let him understand. The two agree to put this thought on hold for now.
- Blithe Spirit: He completely shatters Nishimura's isolation and bullying by virtue of being gloriously and persistently unaware of it.
- Captain Oblivious: He constantly misses all the clues, and explicit statements, that Nishimura is considered the class weirdo rather than the opposite. At least part of it comes from the fact that he's unable to wrap his head around the notion that people might not find Nishimura as cool as he does.
- Chuunibyou: A variation in which the main focus of his fantasies is another person instead of himself, believing Nishimura to be a literal deity of death which their classmates guard themselves against. Otherwise, he is a strong traditional case anyways, being a believer in the occult and sometimes roleplaying with a broom which he calls Dark Dancer. His sister even namedrops the trope.
- Comically Missing the Point: He gives absolutely everything related to Akane a positive interpretation, improbable as it may be, much to the confusion and embarrassment of those involved. Becomes Dramatically Missing the Point, however, when he finds out Nishimura's mother died in childbirth, which makes him believe the nickname he has been extolling all the time is a very insensitive thing to call her.
- Everyone Can See It: Taiyo makes friends easily, but the more he does the more it becomes obvious to the others that he does not treat Nishimura the same as he does his other friends.
- First-Name Basis: In episode 12, he meets with both Nishimura and her father. When addressing her, her father accidentally takes it as him talking to himself. Taiyo then casually decides to start calling her "Akane," and Akane likewise decides to call him "Taiyo."
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Foolish to Yukiko's responsible.
- Iconic Outfit: His T-Shirt with a mustache logo on it. He not only wears the shirt, but uses the mustache logo as his social media avatar and gives out cardboard mustaches of the same design at the Christmas party.
- Love Epiphany: Downplayed when Akane and Taiyou catch Kasumi kissing a boy during her Christmas date in Episode 10. This makes Taiyou realize that he similarly likes Akane, in a different way from how he likes his other friends. He's still not sure exactly how, though. At the least, it gives him an embarrassing recontextualization of a memory when he casually asked Nishimura if they could kiss when they grow up.
- Luminescent Blush: Not as frequent as Nishimura, but typically occurs when she compliments him.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: A male example
- Meaningful Name: "Taiyo" means sun, fitting for such a sunny person.
- Mistaken for Flirting: He embarrasses Nishimura whenever his usual praise of her sounds absentmindedly romantic. Then again, it's only a mistake because he hasn't realized himself yet.
- My God, What Have I Done?: He breaks down when he realizes he has been unknowingly calling Nishimura an unfortunate allusion to her mother's death.
- Nice Guy: An optimistic, kind-hearted boy that feels like a breath of fresh air in Nishimura's world.
- Nightmare Fetishist: He loves all things occult, sinister and just plain dark, chief of them being Nishimura.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- In Episode 4, he outright cries when he finds out Nishimura's mother died in childbirth, which makes him believe the nickname he has been extolling all the time is a very insensitive thing to call her. Nishimura even notes this is the first time she's seen him cry.
- Downplayed in Episode 10, but when his sister deliberately says she was picking on Nishimura to playfully fluster them both, Taiyo raises his voice in anger for the first time.
- The Pollyanna: Male example. He's perennially optimistic and bright, sometimes to bizarre extents.
- Serious Business: During his class' fire drill training, Taiyo treated it so seriously that it seems he genuinely sees the fire during the drill.
- Simple-Minded Wisdom: Aside from being blithe and lucky, part of the reason he can disrupt bullying and give Nishimura kind encouragement is him just being completely honest, which gives him surprising emotional discernment.
- Unknowingly in Love: From the very start it's clear he is attracted to Nishimura, for instance stating to her usual embarrassment that he loves how it feels to hold her hand, and later wonders to himself why his heart races when he is with her.
Classmates
Daichi Hino
- Voiced by: Kengo Kawanishi (Japanese), Belsheber Rusape (English)
- Beady-Eyed Loser: His eyes are drawn similar to Nishimura's, in his case probably reflecting his silly, weird nature, but unlike her, not even the opening's closeups unveil them.
- Captain Oblivious: In a different manner from Takada; whereas Takada always reinterprets the "Grim Reaper" sentiments against Nishimura as positive and awesome, Hino doesn't seem to really get them either way.
- Cloudcuckoolander: His vacant expression, obsession with tank tops (and to a lesser extent, ramen) and detachment from the usual ruckus all make him very weird, even in ways that not even Taiyo can match.
- Iconic Outfit: A red tank top, in accordance with his likings.
- Nice Guy: He seems to be indifferent at worst to Akane's ill reputation and doesn't mind hanging out with her. He's technically the second friend she makes.
- Oblivious to Love: Adachi is in love with him from a long time, but he has no clue of it.
- Running Gag: He's utterly obsessed with tank tops, and appropriately always wears one.
- The Stoic: Usually has a serene, dorky expression, and it generally takes a lot to shake him.
Umi Adachi
- Voiced by: Reina Kondo (Japanese), Dani Chambers (English)
- Bespectacled Cutie: Wears glasses.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Played with. Adachi is crushing on Hino, and they've known each other since they were (even) younger, and Adachi's crush is directly-influenced by them having been close even in early elementary school. It's as-yet unclear if they'll develop into the more common version of this trope.
- Huge Schoolgirl: Downplayed, but still there. She's implied to he an early bloomer, being a bit taller and more mature than other people in her class.
- Meaningful Name: Her first name means "sea", and she accordingly has bright blue eyes.
- Nice Girl: She didn't participate in Nishimura's bullying and comes to repent not to have acted against it.
- Shipper on Deck: Of all the fifth graders, Umi seems to have most-accurately clocked what kind of relationship is developing between Akane & Taiyo, and she definitely approves.
Sumire Kasahara
- Voiced by: Wakana Maruoka (Japanese), Lindsay Sheppard (English)
- Alpha Bitch: She is the ringleader of her class's girls, a position she uses to torment Nishimura. She eventually mellows out and becomes friends with Nishimura.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Even as Kasahara otherwise mellows out towards Nishimura, she still gets visibly worked up, bordering on distraught, any time she witnesses evidence of Akane & Taiyo's closeness.
- Cute Little Fangs: Has a visible one to underline her energy.
- Drunk on Milk: Somehow manages this with Chanmery, a sparkling champagne.
- Evil vs. Evil: She becomes furious at Kitagawa when his bullying towards Nishimura spoils her opportunity to spend time with Takada.
- Green-Eyed Monster: While Kitagawa's bullying of Nishimura is motivated by amusement, Kasahara seems more motivated by jealousy of her friendship with Takada.
- Heel–Face Turn: Goes from being one of Nishimura's main bullies to becoming one of her close friends.
- Hidden Depths: Despite being one of Nishimura's bullies, she is desperately in love with Takada and is shown to be a much more awkward person than she lets people know.
- Hopeless Suitor: By the time the audience learns she's crushing on Takada, it's already clear he has eyes only for Nishimura, even if he hasn't realized it yet.
- Jerkass Realization: After Nishimura encourages her to run track and praises her athleticism (even though it would give Kasahara a chance to run alongside Takada) and calls her cool, Kasahara realizes that she was being a total jerk to a girl that was only nice to her, and even calls her "friends" losers for bullying as well.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Not initially-obvious, but one of the first hints to the audience that Kasahara is not simply a mean girl is the way she goes gaga over the prospect of pictures of classmates' cats.
- Pink Is Feminine: Wears a fashionable pink shirt and is the most feminine classmate.
- Tsundere: Very clearly infatuated with Takada, and very in denial about it.Kurokawa: Good thing Nishimura-san didn't beat you to the punch.
Kasahara: Hmph! It's not like I'm relieved or anything! - Unknown Rival: Starts out as this with Nishimura for Takada's affection. averted by the Summer camp arc where she makes it clear to Nishimura she's interested in Takada.
Kotaro Kitagawa
- Voiced by: Kōhei Amasaki (Japanese), Kyle Igneczi (English)
- Bald of Evil: Granted, fifth grade-level evil. He's the leader of the male bullies and has a buzzcut.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's one of Nishimura's bullies and unrepentant about it, although on the other hand, he is fond enough of Takada to try to befriend him repeatedly despite being often accidentally humiliated in the process. He also drops the bully act during the sports festival. And when a prank against a rival group results in them accidentally planting a trap in Nishimura's locker, he begs Takada to retrieve it without her noticing because he doesn't want to get civilians involved.
- Karmic Butt-Monkey: Kotaro's plans are constantly blowing up in his face. Whether it's Takada's obliviousness foiling his attempts to bully Nishimura, utterly failing to get one over against the Scorpion Gang's erstwhile rivals in the Lizard Gang, or drawing the ire of Kasahara by failing to read the room himself, his track record of failure seems to grow with every chapter.
- Not So Above It All: For all that Kitagawa tries to play himself as being too cool for school, he gets just as swept up in the spirit of the sports festival as anyone in the main cast.
Junko Kurokawa
- Voiced by: Mayuko Kazama (Japanese), Michelle Rojas (English)
- Beta Bitch: Plays this role to Kasahara, having the most characterization and lines in her posse.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Wears glasses and is one of Akane's bullies, as well as being more unsympathetic than Kasahara herself.
- Opaque Lenses: Her eyes are often not visible.
- Prim and Proper Bun: A negative version of this; she has her hair in a bun and is quite cold and uptight.
Megu Ryushi
Relatives
Yukiko Takada
- Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki (Japanese), Marisa Duran (English)
- Cool Big Sis: Seems to voluntarily take this role towards Nishimura. She is a bit tougher with her little brother.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Responsible to Taiyou's foolish.
- Nosebleed: Has one while contemplating how cute Nishimura looks in one of her own old dresses.
- Shipper on Deck: Quickly cottons to the fact that Akane likes Taiyo as more than a friend, and is quite supportive of it, playfully teasing the shy girl over it.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: She thinks grim reaper is a pretty cool nickname, much like her brother.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: She basically looks like a taller, pigtailed Taiyo.
Haruko Takada
- Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō (Japanese)
- Childhood Friend Romance: Chapter 74 Kousei mentions he and Haruko also met in elementary school.
- Good Parents: She's admirably coolheaded with Taiyo's broken arm and has plenty of cheer left to effectively console Akane, which greatly impresses the less confident Mr. Nishimura.
- Like Parent, Like Child: Akane's dad notes how Taiyo clearly got his perennial positivity and honest nature from her. Haruko herself humbly downplays it as her and Taiyo just both being "simple folks."
- Simple-Minded Wisdom: After she gives a long encouraging lecture to Akane, Mr. Nishimura notes her kind and honest nature passed down to Taiyo. Haruko just dismisses it as them being "simple folks."
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Again, she looks just like an older Yukiko, although personality-wise the similarities are stronger with Taiyo.
Mr. Nishimura
- Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese), Alex Horn (English)
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: He cries sloppily in joy when Akane sends him her first picture having fun with friends, although, in a subversion, they don't get to see him that way and thus she's spared the scene.
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Downplayed. Mr. Nishimura shows consternation whenever he starts to suspect Akane and Taiyo's friendship might be something other than platonic, either due to the boy's enthusiasm for Akane, Akane's frequent blushes, or teasing from others, but he still resists the urge to interfere in his daughter's friendships besides asking for confirmation that "[Taiyo]'s just a friend, right?".
- Bumbling Dad: Mostly averted, but a bit of visual comedy is still made of his overly emotional reactions.
- No Name Given: His name remains unknown.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Implied to be the case, as he gets momentarily riled up when he thinks Akane might be having her first boyfriend.
- Opaque Lenses: His glasses usually obscure his eyes, although in a variation, it makes him remote instead of sinister.
- Parents as People: It can be felt he isn't an inquisitive kind of person and doesn't get Akane completely. For one, he is unaware that his daughter is not just a quiet kid and in fact used to be bullied and have a very depressing life until the start of the series. However, he's otherwise an impeccably loving father, and has his own ways to help her with her shyness.
Fumie
- voiced by Miki ito (japanese)
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Mostly averted, its clear she and Mr. Nishimura have a pretty good relationship, though she will occassionally tease him about Akane's love life.
- Outliving One's Offspring: She's Akane's maternal grandmother.
Others
Mr. Kurashiki
- Voiced by: Yuji Kameyama (Japanese)
- Cool Teacher: It's subtle, as he looks more of an Apathetic Teacher at first sight, but he is quite patient with Takada's usual antics and doesn't like it whenever he hears Nishimura being called her nickname
- He gives Nishimura money to contact him while she stays behind with a sick Takada. When the two return to the group having spent the money on candy during their detour, he's shocked at first, but clarifies its fine, just don't tell anyone. He's also glad Takada is feeling better.
- Meaningful Name: His surname contains the Japanese form of the English word "class" (kurashu), which is often used in Japan as Gratuitous English.
- Opaque Lenses: Most of the time his eyes are not visible..
- Scary Shiny Glasses: Done briefly when Hino asks if Nishimura and Takada Took a detour.
