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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Kaoru Sugimura]]
!! Kaoru Sugimura
->Voiced by: Creator/JunjiMajima
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kaoru_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[InsecureLoveInterest "No matter what I do, I feel like I'll never become worthy of being by your side."]]'']]
A sullen, unattractive slacker who's a childhood friend, next-door neighbour and former rival of Nana, Kaoru has been nursing a crush on her for an unspecified time before the start of the story. He used to be on par with her without trying until middle school, when her hard work and dedication to a goal began to pay off, leaving him struggling to catch up. As a result, he stopped trying and resigned himself to watching and urging Nana on from afar. He discovered BDSM around the same time.
Most of the time, he can be found hanging with his [[ThoseTwoGuys buddies]] in 2-F. Usually discussing porn. Nicknamed "Creepy-mura" by the rest of the class.
----
* AscendedFanboy: Kaoru in ''Black Label''. At first he only pretended to be Sarashina's characters during his breathers with Nana. In this, he ends up one of the characters in Sarashina's books, role-playing alongside and learning directly from said author at that.
* BadassBoast: In chapter 96/74 (ItMakesSenseInContext):
-->'''Kaoru (to [[spoiler:Hiroshi]]):''' They may have thrown out your ''porn'', your ''pride'', but I'll get it back for you.
* BeadyEyedLoser: His irises are noticeably drawn smaller than the other characters, signifying his loser status.
* BrilliantButLazy: He has the ability, but little motivation after his rival left him so thoroughly behind. In addition, if you get him onto a subject he is interested in (BDSM), he's downright erudite about it.
* CharacterDevelopment: His grades begin improving, his health and stamina go through the roof and he shakily makes new friends and gains confidence throughout the course of the story.
* ChivalrousPervert: He'll push Nana to the edges of her boundaries... ''but no further.''
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: At the beginning of the story, Kaoru is a poor student, unathletic, has no real hobbies or interests beyond bondage, and doesn't expect much out of life. He's slowly revealed to be an ''extraordinarily'' passionate, hard-working, and courageous young man who longs for love and intimacy, and who has simply been saddened and demotivated for much of his life by a world which he felt had little to offer him.
* DisappearedDad: His dad died when he was very young and was raised by his mother.
%%* {{Fanboy}}
* {{Gonk}}: He's beady-eyed and has a wide mouth, making him look somewhat like a frog.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Committed to the belief that he's unworthy of Nana, and resigned to his fate as an underachieving loser that'll be left behind once Nana graduates. He very slowly begins to get better after risking his life to save Nana.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: He is absolutely, soul-crushingly terrified of losing Nana, to the point that [[spoiler: he completely misses out the increasingly obvious fact that Nana's in love with him.]]
* GenderBlenderName: "Kaoru" is mostly reserved as a name for Japanese girls.
%%* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy
* {{Jerkass}}: Unpleasant towards everyone, particularly towards his mother...
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: ...but he does have a huge soft spot for Nana.
* MrExposition: Particularly in matters of BDSM.
* NotSoHarmless: He appears as a beady eyed gonk loser... but everyone forgets that up until his massive self esteem failure, ''he was Nana's scholarly rival.'' Nana, who is the top of her class and aiming for Toudai.
** The Student council president's sister has to pull the pres. aside and point out just what Nana's coded messages meant -- he's ''not'' just a loser who is bothering Nana, he's ''Nana's boyfriend,'' although neither of them realize it.
* ObliviousToLove: Has no clue about [[spoiler: Nana's feelings ([[CharacterDevelopment Something that he does get better at, with time]]).]] To be fair, [[spoiler: neither does she - of his or her own.]]
* PlatonicLifePartners: Sort of has this dynamic with Ryoko.
%%* TheSlacker
* SmarterThanYouLook: A lot of people are surprised by his seemingly random bouts of intellect and drive. As mentioned in Webcomic/{{Sunstone}}, bondage is a smart person's game.
* SupremeChef: Quite adept at cooking, a talent he uses to pamper Nana whenever the opportunity arises.
* TookALevelInBadass: By the midpoint of the series, his daily jogging has put him in very good shape -- he is able to run several miles around town searching for Nana without breaking a sweat, while the all-round perfect {{Bishonen}} student council president is left out of breath and near collapse.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A (tsuntsun). [[spoiler: Kaoru doesn't really associate with anyone else outside of [[ThoseTwoGuys his personal friends in class 2-F]], Nana, Ryoko, and his mentors in Tachibana and Sarashina (eventually; the last four come over the course of the stories), isolates himself to some degree and is rather hostile for most of the day (even to his own mother). That said, Nana is the only subject/person that can pierce his apathy. He cares about her deeply, to the point that he is less and less of a Type A with each passing arc of the story.]]
** He can even act tsundere towards ''studying''.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Roped in to play the part of a short, ugly girl in the school play.
%%* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana Chigusa]]
!!Nana Chigusa
->Voiced by: Creator/KaoruMizuhara
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nana_85.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know Kaoru...you're being unfair. [[YouAreNotAlone Why do you think you need to become worthy all by yourself?"]]'']]
Gorgeous, top student, athlete, hardworking vice-president of the student council - Nana is near the top of the heap in school. She drifted apart from her childhood friend Kaoru once she dedicated herself to becoming a lawyer (ironically, his encouragement provided the impetus). She doesn't have much of a life outside of school and studying, though, which is why she finds it difficult to relax and take a break.
Her headstrong and imperious personality meant that Kaoru was likely her only friend until high school (and being assigned to the student council), as she tended to scare people off.
----
* AcademicAthlete: A top-of-her-class-student who is athletic enough to match track star Ryoko in a race.
* TheAce: She ''would'' be an ace, were it not for the fact that she excels in school only. Her studying doesn't leave much time for anything else. Later we see that she's closer to a BrokenAce, due to the pressure she feels from her mother and classmates.
** It could be argued that BDSM helps her stay sane by stepping out of all her expected roles.
* AttractivenessIsolation: She has a form of it, more or less due to be being something of an {{iron lady}} and having {{sacrificed basic skill for awesome training}} (details below)
* BeneathTheMask
* TheBGrade: The catalyst for the "breathers". At the start of the manga, Nana is so stressed by all of her responsibilities as StudentCouncilPresident and top member of the athletic team that she starts to fail short of scoring as high as she used to despite studying as much as she can. A teacher notices the problem and advices her to look for a method of relaxation to help her de-stress, but nothing seems to work for her. That is, until the night before a mock college entrance exam when [[IncitingIncident a series of]] {{Contrived Coincidence}}s lead her to basically pose as a sub in BDSM gear for Kaoru. Her [[TheImmodestOrgasm reaction]] to the experience leaves her too spent to touch the books before the test, yet a few days later she discovers that she got the top score without issue. Nana puts two and two together and the rest is history.
* BookSmart: Earns the second highest grades in a class of 94 students, bested only by student council president Hiroshi Yagami.
* BrainsAndBondage
* BreakTheHaughty: Many of the things Kaoru says during "breathers" go in this direction, especially [[spoiler: the spanking session which she agrees to for causing Kaoru to have make up classes during winter break.]]
%% * CovertPervert
%% * DaddyIssues
%% * FirstNameBasis: With Ryoko.
* GenerationXerox: Virtually identical to her mother, and she knows it [[spoiler:- when we finally meet her father, it reminds her unpleasantly of [[LikeParentLikeSpouse all the apparent similarities]] between her parents, and the tense relationship she has with Kaoru.]]
* GoGetterGirl: Which is why she needs her 'breathers' to relax.
* GreenEyedMonster: If one notices, any time that she, Ryoko and Kaoru are together... she'll tend to get a little clingy to Kaoru. Since she's been having the "breathers" along with Ryoko, she will get progressively more jealous about the whole session on a sub-conscious level. [[spoiler: It's partly because her feelings for Karou also make her selfishly protective of his attention and praise. Yeah, she is completely clueless about this.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Ryoko
* HeadTurningBeauty: Subverted. All the boys want her, but don't dare to approach because she's an IronLady.
* [[IAmNotMyFather I Am Not My Mother]]: The fact that she has [[TurnOutLikeHisFather been turning out like her mother]] doesn't please Nana when she discovers it.
* IronLady: She's really book smart and is part of the student council, though she commands authority regardless.
* LethalChef: She tries, but has no experience in cooking... anything. It leads to 'experimental' concoctions like egg sake with ginger, garlic, tomato and ''vinegar'':
-->'''Kaoru:''' Why is it red?
* ObliviousToLove: While Nana is fully aware that Kaoru loves their breathers together, she lives with constant anxiety that he will eventually replace her with a more enthusiastic partner -- anxiety that gradually worsens as Kaoru slowly gains experience and respect as a dom. Despite all of his affection, Nana doesn't realize that the primary reason Kaoru loves their breathers so much is because he's desperately in love with ''her.''
* ParentalAbandonment: Her father is divorced and never mentioned and her mother's almost never home, leading to one or two issues.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, she has this dynamic with Tachibana.]]
* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: What starts the plot, in a way, is this trope at play. She studies to such a degree that she doesn't really know how to relax, unwind, and not be in a position to study. [[spoiler: The cause of this is her aspirations in becoming a lawyer.]]
* SmokingIsNotCool: Hates the smell of cigarettes because it reminds her of the time when her parents -- both smokers -- lived together, and the accompanying frustration and anxiety from their strained relationship. Nana empties the ashtray and opens the windows the moment her father leaves after a visit.
* StepfordSmiler: [[BeneathTheMask Type A]] - Nana has two very specific smiles, [[BrokenAce one for keeping up appearances]] and [[WhenSheSmiles another that is genuine, which is rare]]. [[spoiler: The reason for this is more complex than one would expect, but it boils down to stress from keeping up her masquerade for her classmates and from acting as go-between for her divorced parents as their relationship continues to fragment. The latter is what eventually guides the plot, and uncovers issues she has with her parents that she has kept to herself since the age of ''six''.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Type B (deredere). At the start of the manga, this is Nana. A compassionate, devoted individual to almost everyone around her. Save for Kaoru, whose initial hostile manner seem to toss her for a loop and bucks against her own headstrong personality (causing a Type A streak as a reaction). [[spoiler: This changes over the course of the mangas - the more that Kaoru opens up to her through the "breathers", the more she (unknowingly, at first) gushes about him to others and grows concerned about his well being.]]
* WellDoneDaughterGirl: [[spoiler:Flashbacks reveal part of the reason she wants to be a lawyer; she wanted to emulate her father. Who later asks her which parent she loves more. Yeesh.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ryoko Tachi]]
!!Ryoko Tachi
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryoko.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It's like...someone's expecting something from you, and you fulfill their expectations.You expect something of someone, and they fulfill their promise. [[PowerOfTrust It feels so good."]]'']]
An energetic, adventurous and competitive student athlete who attends the nearby girls' school. Initially a friendly athletic rival to Nana, she becomes acquainted with Kaoru by chance when meeting him during their morning exercise. Shocked and slightly horrified by seeing Kaoru's bondage equipment and learning of Nana's participation in their breathers, Ryoko demands to participate in a breather to verify Nana is being treated safely. Upon experiencing catharsis in Kaoru's arms, she is overwhelmed with emotion and quickly becomes the duo's best friend and confidant in bondage.
Unlike Kaoru and Nana, who are mutually terrified of admitting to one another how important breathers are to them, Ryoko happily admits her love of bondage and is an eager and enthusiastic participant in any breather Kaoru suggests.
----
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Justified: She has a deep tan.
%%* {{Bokukko}}
* BoyishShortHair: Ryoko's hair is short enough that Kaoru initially mistakes her for a boy, although this is mostly due to her heavy winter running clothing obscuring her body.
* CuteLittleFangs: During the "Dog Girl" bondage session, she puts some on among other things.
* [[CatGirl Dog Girl]]: She's enthusiastic at playing one in chapter 70.
* FirstNameBasis: With Nana.
* GenkiGirl: Very impulsive and full of energy.
* GirlinessUpgrade: Ryoko begins to wear more feminine clothing after Kaoru praises her beauty during their first breather together. When she visits Kaoru in a flowy dress to entice him into praising her further, Kaoru quietly notices that her panties are visible as she sits on his bed, indicating she's likely unaccustomed to wearing dresses.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Seems to be becoming this with Nana.
* HiddenDepths: At part of the reason why she insists on doing the breathers with Nana and Kaoru is because [[IJustWantToHaveFriends she wants friends]], which she doesn't have many of at her school.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: More like I want my beloved friends to be happy. Notably, while she is Nana's ''athletic'' rival, she acknowledges that Kaoru's planet-sized feelings for Nana mean he won't even consider her as an option. [[spoiler:If given the choice, she will step aside for Nana. She has also been actively encouraging Nana and Karou towards each other.]]
* LonelyAtTheTop: Ryoko was able to join the Athletic Team as a freshman due to her skill, but was resented by a whole lot of the club as a result. Since she can't make friends there and spends a lot of time there, she lacks friends.
* MatchmakerCrush: On Kaoru, but she tries her best to get them together and genuinely means it.
* ObliviouslyBeautiful: When Kaoru ties her in a rope dress that presses tightly against and emphasizes her breasts, Ryoko is nearly brought to tears when she looks at a photograph Kaoru took and sees herself.
-->'''Ryoko:''' Kaoru, I...I'm s-se...I'm...sexy. I...I never knew.
* PassionateSportsGirl: Ryoko is a top track athlete who loves the feeling of pushing her body to its limit, the feeling of fighting to keep running against her exhaustion, and the feeling of finally being overwhelmed with relief, satisfaction, and pride as she crosses the finish line. She recognizes the same sensations in enduring the physical discomfort of being bound during a breather and basking in the cooldown that comes afterwards, except at the end of a breather she also receives praise and affection from Kaoru.
* PeekABangs: Sometimes.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Kaoru.
* TheRival
** UnknownRival: When she first talks about their rivalry, Nana is a bit lost about it. After a few "breathers" and some one-on-one time with Kaoru while he is doing maintenance, Ryoko seems to be vying for Kaoru's affections a bit... and knows that Nana doesn't have a clue about Kaoru's affections for her. Nor about Ryoko's own for him.
* [[SheCleansUpNicely She Ties Up Nicely]]
* ShesGotLegs: Seeing as Nana has both the [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]] and the backside, the focus is instead on her legs.
* SecretKeeper: For Kaoru; she is the one person that seems to truly understand how devoted he is to Nana. For both, she is also one of the few that ''knows'' that [[TwiceShy they care for each other and are oblivious to it]], and well as keeping the "breathers" hidden.
%%* TanLines
* TheTease[=/=]TheGadfly Yes, she is both. This is because Ryoko is more of a gadfly but every so often she comes off as ''heavily'' suggestive when teasing. All non-sexual and usually at Karou's expense.
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Ryoko is brash, athletic, lacks interest in feminine hobbies and keeps her hair fairly short, but also loves wearing dresses, being pampered with sweets, and most of all, being praised and commanded as a submissive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mitsuko Tachibana]]
!!Mitsuko Tachibana
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tachibana_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm sure you can understand it too, can't you Chigusa-sama? How in the middle of S&M, the pain and suffering bestowed upon you are more than just pain and suffering."'']]
Lustful and energetic owner of an erotic shop. Acts as a mentor and introduction into the deeper world of BDSM for Nana and Kaoru. [[spoiler:She's also the personal submissive to Kaoru's favourite BDSM author, Sarashina-sensei.]]
----
* BrainsAndBondage: She's a UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity graduate with a Masters degree in Liberal Arts who also happens to run a porn and fetish gear shop.
* CannotSpitItOut : [[spoiler: In Black label, the closer that we look at Tachibana and Sarashina relationship... the more you begin to notice that Tachibana is hesitant about her affections for Sarashina, as much as Sarashina is a InsecureLoveInterest. This is due to the fine line that they have as Slave and Master. It takes the presence of Nana to slowly chip away at this and blur that divide, which is ironic, as Tachibana did the same for Nana and Karou months ago.]]
%%* CoolBigSis
* ADayInTheLimelight: Tachibana is a reliable source of advice, encouragement, enthusiasm, and heavily discounted or outright free bondage equipment throughout most of the story, but little is revealed of her own experiences with bondage, past, or personal life and struggles until ''Black Label,'' an arc that focuses on Kaoru and Nana's four day summer visit to Tachibana and her master [[spoiler: Sarashina]] in the countryside.
%%* GenkiGirl
* MsExposition: If Karou is not giving a lecture on BDSM matters, he's likely getting one from her. [[spoiler:Which is a ChekhovsGunman that doesn't get solved until Black Label.]]
* MsFanservice: In ''Black Label'' she seems to spend every other chapter at least topless.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, with Nana]]
* RoseHairedSweetie: A kind, encouraging, nurturing, and cheerful woman with long pink hair.
* ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful: Subverted: her assistant at the sex shop asks her to do some work for a change, but when Kaoru comes by to ask about rope [[DistractedByTheSexy she gets sidetracked]], the assistant is seen thinking he doesn't mind because he has a crush on Mitsuko.
* SexyMentor: To ''Nana'', of all people.[[spoiler: She is also this to Karou.]]
* [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys Where Does She Get All Those Wonderful Toys?]]: We quickly learn that she gets them from her shop. This often serves as the means by which Nana and Kaoru have access to toys and clothing that would normally be too expensive for them: it's explained as being on loan from Tachibana.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shuutarou Sarashina]]
!!Shuutarou Sarashina
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sarashina_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"S&M is something that allows someone as despicably distrusting as me the possibility of connecting with a stranger whom otherwise I never would be able to come to an understanding with."'']]
Kaoru's favourite S&M author takes centre stage in the ''Black Label'' arc. It's his invitation to his summer home that kickstarts the story.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Or at least a pervert in his professional life. Sarashina is an accomplished erotic author and has participated as an actor in pornographic bondage films. In person he is kind, humble, a gracious host and mentor, and completely respectful of Nana.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Possibly on chapter 27 page 4, when Nana's freaking out before [[spoiler: Kaoru spanks her]] the image on the left looks very similar to him.
* ImportantHairCut: Enters the story with very 'sensei-ish' long hair that gives him a professional and even slightly stern appearance. After spending a few days with Kaoru and Nana, he requests [[IntimateHaircut and receives]] a much shorter and more boyish haircut, signifying an embrace of his more open-hearted and unreserved self.
* MirrorCharacter: Sarashina and Karou seem to be cut from the same cloth. They share many of the same insecurities with their partners, the same worries and have the same considerations. Sarashina is more intense than Karou, which can be summed up to his long relationship with Tachibana but outside of that both are {{Insecure Love Interest}}s for much of the same reasons. Tachibana [[LampshadeHanging refers]] to them as "Father and Son"...
* TheNightOwl: An erotic author who prefers to begin writing immediately after bondage sessions in the late evening, working through the night and sleeping until early midday.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He looks like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oniroku_Dan Oniroku Dan]], perhaps the most famous Japanese SM writer, well-known for his association with SM pink film star [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Tani Naomi Tani]].
* PursueTheDreamJob: Worked as an author of 'normal' novels until he was about 40 and [[spoiler: met Tachibana.]] Although it's never stated, it can be reasonably inferred that it was her encouragement which convinced him to make the leap to his passion of erotic literature.
* SecondLove: Married and subsequently divorced another woman earlier in his life. Nothing is revealed about her except that she was unable to understand or appreciate bondage.
* TearsOfJoy: Becomes teary-eyed during his first meeting with Kaoru, who adoringly and sincerely gushes over his books as having changed his life and giving him the [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife purpose he was desperately seeking.]] Naturally, Sarashina good-naturedly brushes off rubbing his eyes as just being warm.
* WriteWhoYouKnow: More or less.[[spoiler: The plots and characters to his books are based in part on role-plays between himself and Tachibana. The session that Nana and Karou are taking part in is part of a scene to a new book of his.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ai Uehara]]
!!Ai Uehara
[[quoteright:319:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ai_uehara.png]]
A former pornographic actress from Okinawa who specialized in hardcore bondage films. When her partner in a public bondage performance is suddenly unavailable, Kaoru is asked to be an emergency replacement.
----
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Enthusiastically and graciously accepts Kaoru as her dom, and does her best to reassure his anxiety at the prospect of preforming bondage on a beautiful pornstar in front of an audience.
* LoveMakesYouStupid: Discussed by her. She fell in love with a man because of the incredibly intense, exciting sex they had and followed him to Tokyo, leaving all of her family, friends, and prospects in Okinawa behind. Their relationship fell apart in six months. When Kaoru asks if she regrets her decision, she admits it was foolish and not what she would have done if she had known the outcome, but also says that she doesn't regret taking a risk to follow her passion.
* LoveableSexManiac: A former porn actress who thoroughly enjoyed her career. Even after retiring, getting married, and having a baby, Ai still participates in non-nude bondage performances.
* MeaningfulName: Her first name means 'Love' in Japanese.
* NightmareFetishist: Ai is excited by extreme and demanding breathers that would almost certainly be too frightening for the other subs. Some of her exploits as a sub include being locked naked into a wheeled luggage case and transported around, wearing full horse bondage gear and being whipped while pulling a cart, and being helplessly strapped to sex machines.
* TheTease: Oozes sexuality whenever she encounters Kaoru or Sarashina. Ryoko and Tachibana are notably cool towards her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Master Dan]]
!!Master Dan
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/master_dan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"A single collar can cause such trouble, can't it?"'']]
A master leather craftsman who supplies Tachibana's shop with high-end goods.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Shamelessly flirts with Tachibana and gropes her butt under the paper-thin pretense of measuring her, but completely refrains from making any such advances towards Nana or his young female apprentice. Since Tachibana is delighted by his teasing, it can be assumed that the two of them have an understanding.
* FriendlyShopkeeper: Gives Kaoru access to his shop's equipment and, with his apprentice's help, tutors him in creating a personalized collar for Nana from scratch, all free of charge.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He initially rebuffs Kaoru and Nana when they enter his shop, believing them to be two bored teenagers just looking for a toy. But once the two demonstrate they really do want a symbol of their love, he graciously helps Kaoru to create the highest quality collar possible.
* TrueCraftsman: A producer of top quality products who only sells his goods to customers who will treat them with respect and care.
* SecretShop: Owns a shop in a residential neighborhood with no sign or name. Even with an address, Kaoru is only able to identify the correct building by the smell of hemp and by recognizing leather being hung to dry outdoors.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Waka Sugimura]]
!!Waka Sugimura (Kaoru's Mother)
->Voiced by: Kimiko Saito
A nurse at a local hospital. While she disapproves of her son's interests and wants him to stop wasting money on porn and sex toys, she takes care of him like a mother would and pesters him to have better manners.
----
* GoodParents: A kind and hardworking woman who does her best to raise Kaoru as a single mother. She tolerates her son's poor academic performance while gently pushing him to do better.
* {{Gonk}}: Kaoru takes after his mother, although this was toned down as the manga progressed.
* ParentalAbandonment: Isn't nearly as bad as Nana's mother, but has to leave him alone a fair bit.
* ParentsAsPeople: She doesn't get her son's interests at all but she does take care of him and [[ShipperOnDeck she approves of his friendship with Nana.]]
* ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime: Walks in after Kaoru vomits out a [[ScrewballSerum drink Nana had made for him]] and staining her dress. His mother assumes it's blood and proceeds to slap the hell out of him for forcing himself onto Nana until Nana explains "she's at fault", then she just muses at the prospect that they had sex.
* UnnamedParent: Eventually averted. Kaoru naturally never calls his own mother by name, so it's quite some time before her first name is revealed to be "Waka" from conversations with Kaoru's extended family.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hiroshi Yagami]]
!!Hiroshi Yagami
->Voiced by: Ryuta Amazume
The student council president and rival for Nana's affections.
----
* TheAce: Tall, attractive, top student, popular, and student council president; Yagami is the boy everyone assumes is destined to be Nana's boyfriend.
* BookSmart: The number one student in his grade, an attribute he puts to very good use when he decides to become [[spoiler: Kaoru's personal academic mentor.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Happens to him after being top of his school in final exams, when his manipulative sister rats him out to his mother on a porn he was watching as a reward to himself, which ends up getting thrown away.
* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:He realizes how much of an ass he was to Kaoru when Kaoru sympathizes with him on his fetishes.]]
* HeroAntagonist: A hardworking, generous, and honorable young man who treats Kaoru with suspicion and disdain. Since he's completely unaware of the tremendous care and love Kaoru gives to Nana, he's quite justified in suspecting Kaoru is nothing but a slimy pervert with unsavory intentions.
* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:The sequel manga reveals he became friends with not only Kaoru, but Doumoto and Hoshino as well, bonding with them over their shared love for porn.]]
* SmugSnake
* UnmanlySecret: Ashamed and humiliated by his long-held secret sexual fantasy, which he believes to be totally unfitting to someone of his status: [[spoiler: Being roughly dominated by a woman with a penis.]] Kaoru and his friends are quick to scoff that this fetish is common and mundane enough to be an absolute ''staple'' of pornography. Yagami's admission - which he ironically was only willing to make to Kaoru out of a lack of concern of Kaoru's opinion of him - proves to be the start of genuine respect and friendship forming between the two.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Thinks Kaoru is [[TheSlacker a slacker]] {{fanboy}} who is just around Nana because he's her ChildhoodFriend. He is... but he's also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and in the middle of a ChildhoodFriendRomance [[RelationshipUpgrade Upgrade]] with her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kikuko Yagami]]
!!Kikuko Yagami
Sister of the student council president; she's quite perceptive and can tell almost instantly that Nana and Kaoru share a bond. She isn't above telling her brother what she knows either.
----
* GoldDigger: Of the familial variety; she uses her brother as a social climbing tool.
* TheManBehindTheMan
* ManipulativeBitch [=/=] BitchInSheepsClothing: Pushed her brother to become the top of the class and go to Tokyo U. in her stead, simply to use his connections to make friends with the upper class. On top of it all, she dug out his favorite porn video and 'accidentally' watched it with their mother.
%%* TheMatchmaker
%%* SempaiKohai
* SmugSnake: She's not as bad as her brother, but she still tries to help him win Nana over, despite recognizing almost instantly there's something going on between them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Doumoto and Hoshino]]
!!Doumoto and Hoshino
Kaoru's friends in Class F - and fellow porn appreciators.
----
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Two clowns who are rarely seen doing much but obnoxiously discussing porn or making lewd comments about their female classmates. But when Yagami and Kaoru come to them for help in tracking down an obscure VHS porn video from the 90s with only a few clues from Yagami's memory, they're able to use their vast knowledge of the industry and expertise at searching for niche pornography to help out.
* FatAndSkinny: Hoshino and Doumoto, respectively.
* [[NiceGuy Nice Guys]]: They're undoubtedly a couple of porn-obsessed idiots, but when Yagami comes to them for help they happily welcome him in and help him out without a trace of resentment or bitterness despite Yagami's previous smugness.
%%* TheSlacker
%%* ThoseTwoGuys
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Mother]]
!!Nana's Mother
A police chief, her job means that she is almost never home. Despite that, she played (and still plays) a large part in shaping Nana's life and psyche.
----
* MarriedToTheJob: Fully dedicated to her job as police chief to the point that Nana must fend for herself.
%%* OneNoteCook
* ParentalAbandonment: She very rarely comes to visit or take care of Nana on account of her job as police chief.
* SheWhoMustNotBeSeen: Only ever shown in silhouette in Nana's flashbacks. [[spoiler:Until she finally came home.]]
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: She locked herself out emotionally to deal with the chaos of her marriage going up in flames. She wasn't good at it in front of her husband, whom she lashed out at regularly, but it was impressed upon Nana so strongly that she had picked it up as a way of coping with her stress before the "breathers" took over.]]
* CallingTheOldManOut: It takes Kaoru screaming down the phone at her to finally get her to come home and visit her bedridden daughter.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Father]]
!!Nana's Father
Divorced from Nana's mother when she was six.
----
* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' a job.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kaoru Sugimura]]
!! Kaoru Sugimura
->Voiced by: Creator/JunjiMajima
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kaoru_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[InsecureLoveInterest "No matter what I do, I feel like I'll never become worthy of being by your side."]]'']]
A sullen, unattractive slacker who's a childhood friend, next-door neighbour and former rival of Nana, Kaoru has been nursing a crush on her for an unspecified time before the start of the story. He used to be on par with her without trying until middle school, when her hard work and dedication to a goal began to pay off, leaving him struggling to catch up. As a result, he stopped trying and resigned himself to watching and urging Nana on from afar. He discovered BDSM around the same time.
Most of the time, he can be found hanging with his [[ThoseTwoGuys buddies]] in 2-F. Usually discussing porn. Nicknamed "Creepy-mura" by the rest of the class.
----
* AscendedFanboy: Kaoru in ''Black Label''. At first he only pretended to be Sarashina's characters during his breathers with Nana. In this, he ends up one of the characters in Sarashina's books, role-playing alongside and learning directly from said author at that.
* BadassBoast: In chapter 96/74 (ItMakesSenseInContext):
-->'''Kaoru (to [[spoiler:Hiroshi]]):''' They may have thrown out your ''porn'', your ''pride'', but I'll get it back for you.
* BeadyEyedLoser: His irises are noticeably drawn smaller than the other characters, signifying his loser status.
* BrilliantButLazy: He has the ability, but little motivation after his rival left him so thoroughly behind. In addition, if you get him onto a subject he is interested in (BDSM), he's downright erudite about it.
* CharacterDevelopment: His grades begin improving, his health and stamina go through the roof and he shakily makes new friends and gains confidence throughout the course of the story.
* ChivalrousPervert: He'll push Nana to the edges of her boundaries... ''but no further.''
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: At the beginning of the story, Kaoru is a poor student, unathletic, has no real hobbies or interests beyond bondage, and doesn't expect much out of life. He's slowly revealed to be an ''extraordinarily'' passionate, hard-working, and courageous young man who longs for love and intimacy, and who has simply been saddened and demotivated for much of his life by a world which he felt had little to offer him.
* DisappearedDad: His dad died when he was very young and was raised by his mother.
%%* {{Fanboy}}
* {{Gonk}}: He's beady-eyed and has a wide mouth, making him look somewhat like a frog.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Committed to the belief that he's unworthy of Nana, and resigned to his fate as an underachieving loser that'll be left behind once Nana graduates. He very slowly begins to get better after risking his life to save Nana.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: He is absolutely, soul-crushingly terrified of losing Nana, to the point that [[spoiler: he completely misses out the increasingly obvious fact that Nana's in love with him.]]
* GenderBlenderName: "Kaoru" is mostly reserved as a name for Japanese girls.
%%* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy
* {{Jerkass}}: Unpleasant towards everyone, particularly towards his mother...
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: ...but he does have a huge soft spot for Nana.
* MrExposition: Particularly in matters of BDSM.
* NotSoHarmless: He appears as a beady eyed gonk loser... but everyone forgets that up until his massive self esteem failure, ''he was Nana's scholarly rival.'' Nana, who is the top of her class and aiming for Toudai.
** The Student council president's sister has to pull the pres. aside and point out just what Nana's coded messages meant -- he's ''not'' just a loser who is bothering Nana, he's ''Nana's boyfriend,'' although neither of them realize it.
* ObliviousToLove: Has no clue about [[spoiler: Nana's feelings ([[CharacterDevelopment Something that he does get better at, with time]]).]] To be fair, [[spoiler: neither does she - of his or her own.]]
* PlatonicLifePartners: Sort of has this dynamic with Ryoko.
%%* TheSlacker
* SmarterThanYouLook: A lot of people are surprised by his seemingly random bouts of intellect and drive. As mentioned in Webcomic/{{Sunstone}}, bondage is a smart person's game.
* SupremeChef: Quite adept at cooking, a talent he uses to pamper Nana whenever the opportunity arises.
* TookALevelInBadass: By the midpoint of the series, his daily jogging has put him in very good shape -- he is able to run several miles around town searching for Nana without breaking a sweat, while the all-round perfect {{Bishonen}} student council president is left out of breath and near collapse.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A (tsuntsun). [[spoiler: Kaoru doesn't really associate with anyone else outside of [[ThoseTwoGuys his personal friends in class 2-F]], Nana, Ryoko, and his mentors in Tachibana and Sarashina (eventually; the last four come over the course of the stories), isolates himself to some degree and is rather hostile for most of the day (even to his own mother). That said, Nana is the only subject/person that can pierce his apathy. He cares about her deeply, to the point that he is less and less of a Type A with each passing arc of the story.]]
** He can even act tsundere towards ''studying''.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Roped in to play the part of a short, ugly girl in the school play.
%%* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana Chigusa]]
!!Nana Chigusa
->Voiced by: Creator/KaoruMizuhara
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nana_85.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know Kaoru...you're being unfair. [[YouAreNotAlone Why do you think you need to become worthy all by yourself?"]]'']]
Gorgeous, top student, athlete, hardworking vice-president of the student council - Nana is near the top of the heap in school. She drifted apart from her childhood friend Kaoru once she dedicated herself to becoming a lawyer (ironically, his encouragement provided the impetus). She doesn't have much of a life outside of school and studying, though, which is why she finds it difficult to relax and take a break.
Her headstrong and imperious personality meant that Kaoru was likely her only friend until high school (and being assigned to the student council), as she tended to scare people off.
----
* AcademicAthlete: A top-of-her-class-student who is athletic enough to match track star Ryoko in a race.
* TheAce: She ''would'' be an ace, were it not for the fact that she excels in school only. Her studying doesn't leave much time for anything else. Later we see that she's closer to a BrokenAce, due to the pressure she feels from her mother and classmates.
** It could be argued that BDSM helps her stay sane by stepping out of all her expected roles.
* AttractivenessIsolation: She has a form of it, more or less due to be being something of an {{iron lady}} and having {{sacrificed basic skill for awesome training}} (details below)
* BeneathTheMask
* TheBGrade: The catalyst for the "breathers". At the start of the manga, Nana is so stressed by all of her responsibilities as StudentCouncilPresident and top member of the athletic team that she starts to fail short of scoring as high as she used to despite studying as much as she can. A teacher notices the problem and advices her to look for a method of relaxation to help her de-stress, but nothing seems to work for her. That is, until the night before a mock college entrance exam when [[IncitingIncident a series of]] {{Contrived Coincidence}}s lead her to basically pose as a sub in BDSM gear for Kaoru. Her [[TheImmodestOrgasm reaction]] to the experience leaves her too spent to touch the books before the test, yet a few days later she discovers that she got the top score without issue. Nana puts two and two together and the rest is history.
* BookSmart: Earns the second highest grades in a class of 94 students, bested only by student council president Hiroshi Yagami.
* BrainsAndBondage
* BreakTheHaughty: Many of the things Kaoru says during "breathers" go in this direction, especially [[spoiler: the spanking session which she agrees to for causing Kaoru to have make up classes during winter break.]]
%% * CovertPervert
%% * DaddyIssues
%% * FirstNameBasis: With Ryoko.
* GenerationXerox: Virtually identical to her mother, and she knows it [[spoiler:- when we finally meet her father, it reminds her unpleasantly of [[LikeParentLikeSpouse all the apparent similarities]] between her parents, and the tense relationship she has with Kaoru.]]
* GoGetterGirl: Which is why she needs her 'breathers' to relax.
* GreenEyedMonster: If one notices, any time that she, Ryoko and Kaoru are together... she'll tend to get a little clingy to Kaoru. Since she's been having the "breathers" along with Ryoko, she will get progressively more jealous about the whole session on a sub-conscious level. [[spoiler: It's partly because her feelings for Karou also make her selfishly protective of his attention and praise. Yeah, she is completely clueless about this.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Ryoko
* HeadTurningBeauty: Subverted. All the boys want her, but don't dare to approach because she's an IronLady.
* [[IAmNotMyFather I Am Not My Mother]]: The fact that she has [[TurnOutLikeHisFather been turning out like her mother]] doesn't please Nana when she discovers it.
* IronLady: She's really book smart and is part of the student council, though she commands authority regardless.
* LethalChef: She tries, but has no experience in cooking... anything. It leads to 'experimental' concoctions like egg sake with ginger, garlic, tomato and ''vinegar'':
-->'''Kaoru:''' Why is it red?
* ObliviousToLove: While Nana is fully aware that Kaoru loves their breathers together, she lives with constant anxiety that he will eventually replace her with a more enthusiastic partner -- anxiety that gradually worsens as Kaoru slowly gains experience and respect as a dom. Despite all of his affection, Nana doesn't realize that the primary reason Kaoru loves their breathers so much is because he's desperately in love with ''her.''
* ParentalAbandonment: Her father is divorced and never mentioned and her mother's almost never home, leading to one or two issues.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, she has this dynamic with Tachibana.]]
* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: What starts the plot, in a way, is this trope at play. She studies to such a degree that she doesn't really know how to relax, unwind, and not be in a position to study. [[spoiler: The cause of this is her aspirations in becoming a lawyer.]]
* SmokingIsNotCool: Hates the smell of cigarettes because it reminds her of the time when her parents -- both smokers -- lived together, and the accompanying frustration and anxiety from their strained relationship. Nana empties the ashtray and opens the windows the moment her father leaves after a visit.
* StepfordSmiler: [[BeneathTheMask Type A]] - Nana has two very specific smiles, [[BrokenAce one for keeping up appearances]] and [[WhenSheSmiles another that is genuine, which is rare]]. [[spoiler: The reason for this is more complex than one would expect, but it boils down to stress from keeping up her masquerade for her classmates and from acting as go-between for her divorced parents as their relationship continues to fragment. The latter is what eventually guides the plot, and uncovers issues she has with her parents that she has kept to herself since the age of ''six''.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Type B (deredere). At the start of the manga, this is Nana. A compassionate, devoted individual to almost everyone around her. Save for Kaoru, whose initial hostile manner seem to toss her for a loop and bucks against her own headstrong personality (causing a Type A streak as a reaction). [[spoiler: This changes over the course of the mangas - the more that Kaoru opens up to her through the "breathers", the more she (unknowingly, at first) gushes about him to others and grows concerned about his well being.]]
* WellDoneDaughterGirl: [[spoiler:Flashbacks reveal part of the reason she wants to be a lawyer; she wanted to emulate her father. Who later asks her which parent she loves more. Yeesh.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ryoko Tachi]]
!!Ryoko Tachi
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryoko.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It's like...someone's expecting something from you, and you fulfill their expectations.You expect something of someone, and they fulfill their promise. [[PowerOfTrust It feels so good."]]'']]
An energetic, adventurous and competitive student athlete who attends the nearby girls' school. Initially a friendly athletic rival to Nana, she becomes acquainted with Kaoru by chance when meeting him during their morning exercise. Shocked and slightly horrified by seeing Kaoru's bondage equipment and learning of Nana's participation in their breathers, Ryoko demands to participate in a breather to verify Nana is being treated safely. Upon experiencing catharsis in Kaoru's arms, she is overwhelmed with emotion and quickly becomes the duo's best friend and confidant in bondage.
Unlike Kaoru and Nana, who are mutually terrified of admitting to one another how important breathers are to them, Ryoko happily admits her love of bondage and is an eager and enthusiastic participant in any breather Kaoru suggests.
----
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Justified: She has a deep tan.
%%* {{Bokukko}}
* BoyishShortHair: Ryoko's hair is short enough that Kaoru initially mistakes her for a boy, although this is mostly due to her heavy winter running clothing obscuring her body.
* CuteLittleFangs: During the "Dog Girl" bondage session, she puts some on among other things.
* [[CatGirl Dog Girl]]: She's enthusiastic at playing one in chapter 70.
* FirstNameBasis: With Nana.
* GenkiGirl: Very impulsive and full of energy.
* GirlinessUpgrade: Ryoko begins to wear more feminine clothing after Kaoru praises her beauty during their first breather together. When she visits Kaoru in a flowy dress to entice him into praising her further, Kaoru quietly notices that her panties are visible as she sits on his bed, indicating she's likely unaccustomed to wearing dresses.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Seems to be becoming this with Nana.
* HiddenDepths: At part of the reason why she insists on doing the breathers with Nana and Kaoru is because [[IJustWantToHaveFriends she wants friends]], which she doesn't have many of at her school.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: More like I want my beloved friends to be happy. Notably, while she is Nana's ''athletic'' rival, she acknowledges that Kaoru's planet-sized feelings for Nana mean he won't even consider her as an option. [[spoiler:If given the choice, she will step aside for Nana. She has also been actively encouraging Nana and Karou towards each other.]]
* LonelyAtTheTop: Ryoko was able to join the Athletic Team as a freshman due to her skill, but was resented by a whole lot of the club as a result. Since she can't make friends there and spends a lot of time there, she lacks friends.
* MatchmakerCrush: On Kaoru, but she tries her best to get them together and genuinely means it.
* ObliviouslyBeautiful: When Kaoru ties her in a rope dress that presses tightly against and emphasizes her breasts, Ryoko is nearly brought to tears when she looks at a photograph Kaoru took and sees herself.
-->'''Ryoko:''' Kaoru, I...I'm s-se...I'm...sexy. I...I never knew.
* PassionateSportsGirl: Ryoko is a top track athlete who loves the feeling of pushing her body to its limit, the feeling of fighting to keep running against her exhaustion, and the feeling of finally being overwhelmed with relief, satisfaction, and pride as she crosses the finish line. She recognizes the same sensations in enduring the physical discomfort of being bound during a breather and basking in the cooldown that comes afterwards, except at the end of a breather she also receives praise and affection from Kaoru.
* PeekABangs: Sometimes.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Kaoru.
* TheRival
** UnknownRival: When she first talks about their rivalry, Nana is a bit lost about it. After a few "breathers" and some one-on-one time with Kaoru while he is doing maintenance, Ryoko seems to be vying for Kaoru's affections a bit... and knows that Nana doesn't have a clue about Kaoru's affections for her. Nor about Ryoko's own for him.
* [[SheCleansUpNicely She Ties Up Nicely]]
* ShesGotLegs: Seeing as Nana has both the [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]] and the backside, the focus is instead on her legs.
* SecretKeeper: For Kaoru; she is the one person that seems to truly understand how devoted he is to Nana. For both, she is also one of the few that ''knows'' that [[TwiceShy they care for each other and are oblivious to it]], and well as keeping the "breathers" hidden.
%%* TanLines
* TheTease[=/=]TheGadfly Yes, she is both. This is because Ryoko is more of a gadfly but every so often she comes off as ''heavily'' suggestive when teasing. All non-sexual and usually at Karou's expense.
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Ryoko is brash, athletic, lacks interest in feminine hobbies and keeps her hair fairly short, but also loves wearing dresses, being pampered with sweets, and most of all, being praised and commanded as a submissive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mitsuko Tachibana]]
!!Mitsuko Tachibana
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tachibana_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm sure you can understand it too, can't you Chigusa-sama? How in the middle of S&M, the pain and suffering bestowed upon you are more than just pain and suffering."'']]
Lustful and energetic owner of an erotic shop. Acts as a mentor and introduction into the deeper world of BDSM for Nana and Kaoru. [[spoiler:She's also the personal submissive to Kaoru's favourite BDSM author, Sarashina-sensei.]]
----
* BrainsAndBondage: She's a UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity graduate with a Masters degree in Liberal Arts who also happens to run a porn and fetish gear shop.
* CannotSpitItOut : [[spoiler: In Black label, the closer that we look at Tachibana and Sarashina relationship... the more you begin to notice that Tachibana is hesitant about her affections for Sarashina, as much as Sarashina is a InsecureLoveInterest. This is due to the fine line that they have as Slave and Master. It takes the presence of Nana to slowly chip away at this and blur that divide, which is ironic, as Tachibana did the same for Nana and Karou months ago.]]
%%* CoolBigSis
* ADayInTheLimelight: Tachibana is a reliable source of advice, encouragement, enthusiasm, and heavily discounted or outright free bondage equipment throughout most of the story, but little is revealed of her own experiences with bondage, past, or personal life and struggles until ''Black Label,'' an arc that focuses on Kaoru and Nana's four day summer visit to Tachibana and her master [[spoiler: Sarashina]] in the countryside.
%%* GenkiGirl
* MsExposition: If Karou is not giving a lecture on BDSM matters, he's likely getting one from her. [[spoiler:Which is a ChekhovsGunman that doesn't get solved until Black Label.]]
* MsFanservice: In ''Black Label'' she seems to spend every other chapter at least topless.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, with Nana]]
* RoseHairedSweetie: A kind, encouraging, nurturing, and cheerful woman with long pink hair.
* ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful: Subverted: her assistant at the sex shop asks her to do some work for a change, but when Kaoru comes by to ask about rope [[DistractedByTheSexy she gets sidetracked]], the assistant is seen thinking he doesn't mind because he has a crush on Mitsuko.
* SexyMentor: To ''Nana'', of all people.[[spoiler: She is also this to Karou.]]
* [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys Where Does She Get All Those Wonderful Toys?]]: We quickly learn that she gets them from her shop. This often serves as the means by which Nana and Kaoru have access to toys and clothing that would normally be too expensive for them: it's explained as being on loan from Tachibana.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shuutarou Sarashina]]
!!Shuutarou Sarashina
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sarashina_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"S&M is something that allows someone as despicably distrusting as me the possibility of connecting with a stranger whom otherwise I never would be able to come to an understanding with."'']]
Kaoru's favourite S&M author takes centre stage in the ''Black Label'' arc. It's his invitation to his summer home that kickstarts the story.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Or at least a pervert in his professional life. Sarashina is an accomplished erotic author and has participated as an actor in pornographic bondage films. In person he is kind, humble, a gracious host and mentor, and completely respectful of Nana.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Possibly on chapter 27 page 4, when Nana's freaking out before [[spoiler: Kaoru spanks her]] the image on the left looks very similar to him.
* ImportantHairCut: Enters the story with very 'sensei-ish' long hair that gives him a professional and even slightly stern appearance. After spending a few days with Kaoru and Nana, he requests [[IntimateHaircut and receives]] a much shorter and more boyish haircut, signifying an embrace of his more open-hearted and unreserved self.
* MirrorCharacter: Sarashina and Karou seem to be cut from the same cloth. They share many of the same insecurities with their partners, the same worries and have the same considerations. Sarashina is more intense than Karou, which can be summed up to his long relationship with Tachibana but outside of that both are {{Insecure Love Interest}}s for much of the same reasons. Tachibana [[LampshadeHanging refers]] to them as "Father and Son"...
* TheNightOwl: An erotic author who prefers to begin writing immediately after bondage sessions in the late evening, working through the night and sleeping until early midday.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He looks like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oniroku_Dan Oniroku Dan]], perhaps the most famous Japanese SM writer, well-known for his association with SM pink film star [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Tani Naomi Tani]].
* PursueTheDreamJob: Worked as an author of 'normal' novels until he was about 40 and [[spoiler: met Tachibana.]] Although it's never stated, it can be reasonably inferred that it was her encouragement which convinced him to make the leap to his passion of erotic literature.
* SecondLove: Married and subsequently divorced another woman earlier in his life. Nothing is revealed about her except that she was unable to understand or appreciate bondage.
* TearsOfJoy: Becomes teary-eyed during his first meeting with Kaoru, who adoringly and sincerely gushes over his books as having changed his life and giving him the [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife purpose he was desperately seeking.]] Naturally, Sarashina good-naturedly brushes off rubbing his eyes as just being warm.
* WriteWhoYouKnow: More or less.[[spoiler: The plots and characters to his books are based in part on role-plays between himself and Tachibana. The session that Nana and Karou are taking part in is part of a scene to a new book of his.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ai Uehara]]
!!Ai Uehara
[[quoteright:319:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ai_uehara.png]]
A former pornographic actress from Okinawa who specialized in hardcore bondage films. When her partner in a public bondage performance is suddenly unavailable, Kaoru is asked to be an emergency replacement.
----
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Enthusiastically and graciously accepts Kaoru as her dom, and does her best to reassure his anxiety at the prospect of preforming bondage on a beautiful pornstar in front of an audience.
* LoveMakesYouStupid: Discussed by her. She fell in love with a man because of the incredibly intense, exciting sex they had and followed him to Tokyo, leaving all of her family, friends, and prospects in Okinawa behind. Their relationship fell apart in six months. When Kaoru asks if she regrets her decision, she admits it was foolish and not what she would have done if she had known the outcome, but also says that she doesn't regret taking a risk to follow her passion.
* LoveableSexManiac: A former porn actress who thoroughly enjoyed her career. Even after retiring, getting married, and having a baby, Ai still participates in non-nude bondage performances.
* MeaningfulName: Her first name means 'Love' in Japanese.
* NightmareFetishist: Ai is excited by extreme and demanding breathers that would almost certainly be too frightening for the other subs. Some of her exploits as a sub include being locked naked into a wheeled luggage case and transported around, wearing full horse bondage gear and being whipped while pulling a cart, and being helplessly strapped to sex machines.
* TheTease: Oozes sexuality whenever she encounters Kaoru or Sarashina. Ryoko and Tachibana are notably cool towards her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Master Dan]]
!!Master Dan
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/master_dan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"A single collar can cause such trouble, can't it?"'']]
A master leather craftsman who supplies Tachibana's shop with high-end goods.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Shamelessly flirts with Tachibana and gropes her butt under the paper-thin pretense of measuring her, but completely refrains from making any such advances towards Nana or his young female apprentice. Since Tachibana is delighted by his teasing, it can be assumed that the two of them have an understanding.
* FriendlyShopkeeper: Gives Kaoru access to his shop's equipment and, with his apprentice's help, tutors him in creating a personalized collar for Nana from scratch, all free of charge.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He initially rebuffs Kaoru and Nana when they enter his shop, believing them to be two bored teenagers just looking for a toy. But once the two demonstrate they really do want a symbol of their love, he graciously helps Kaoru to create the highest quality collar possible.
* TrueCraftsman: A producer of top quality products who only sells his goods to customers who will treat them with respect and care.
* SecretShop: Owns a shop in a residential neighborhood with no sign or name. Even with an address, Kaoru is only able to identify the correct building by the smell of hemp and by recognizing leather being hung to dry outdoors.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Waka Sugimura]]
!!Waka Sugimura (Kaoru's Mother)
->Voiced by: Kimiko Saito
A nurse at a local hospital. While she disapproves of her son's interests and wants him to stop wasting money on porn and sex toys, she takes care of him like a mother would and pesters him to have better manners.
----
* GoodParents: A kind and hardworking woman who does her best to raise Kaoru as a single mother. She tolerates her son's poor academic performance while gently pushing him to do better.
* {{Gonk}}: Kaoru takes after his mother, although this was toned down as the manga progressed.
* ParentalAbandonment: Isn't nearly as bad as Nana's mother, but has to leave him alone a fair bit.
* ParentsAsPeople: She doesn't get her son's interests at all but she does take care of him and [[ShipperOnDeck she approves of his friendship with Nana.]]
* ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime: Walks in after Kaoru vomits out a [[ScrewballSerum drink Nana had made for him]] and staining her dress. His mother assumes it's blood and proceeds to slap the hell out of him for forcing himself onto Nana until Nana explains "she's at fault", then she just muses at the prospect that they had sex.
* UnnamedParent: Eventually averted. Kaoru naturally never calls his own mother by name, so it's quite some time before her first name is revealed to be "Waka" from conversations with Kaoru's extended family.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hiroshi Yagami]]
!!Hiroshi Yagami
->Voiced by: Ryuta Amazume
The student council president and rival for Nana's affections.
----
* TheAce: Tall, attractive, top student, popular, and student council president; Yagami is the boy everyone assumes is destined to be Nana's boyfriend.
* BookSmart: The number one student in his grade, an attribute he puts to very good use when he decides to become [[spoiler: Kaoru's personal academic mentor.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Happens to him after being top of his school in final exams, when his manipulative sister rats him out to his mother on a porn he was watching as a reward to himself, which ends up getting thrown away.
* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:He realizes how much of an ass he was to Kaoru when Kaoru sympathizes with him on his fetishes.]]
* HeroAntagonist: A hardworking, generous, and honorable young man who treats Kaoru with suspicion and disdain. Since he's completely unaware of the tremendous care and love Kaoru gives to Nana, he's quite justified in suspecting Kaoru is nothing but a slimy pervert with unsavory intentions.
* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:The sequel manga reveals he became friends with not only Kaoru, but Doumoto and Hoshino as well, bonding with them over their shared love for porn.]]
* SmugSnake
* UnmanlySecret: Ashamed and humiliated by his long-held secret sexual fantasy, which he believes to be totally unfitting to someone of his status: [[spoiler: Being roughly dominated by a woman with a penis.]] Kaoru and his friends are quick to scoff that this fetish is common and mundane enough to be an absolute ''staple'' of pornography. Yagami's admission - which he ironically was only willing to make to Kaoru out of a lack of concern of Kaoru's opinion of him - proves to be the start of genuine respect and friendship forming between the two.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Thinks Kaoru is [[TheSlacker a slacker]] {{fanboy}} who is just around Nana because he's her ChildhoodFriend. He is... but he's also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and in the middle of a ChildhoodFriendRomance [[RelationshipUpgrade Upgrade]] with her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kikuko Yagami]]
!!Kikuko Yagami
Sister of the student council president; she's quite perceptive and can tell almost instantly that Nana and Kaoru share a bond. She isn't above telling her brother what she knows either.
----
* GoldDigger: Of the familial variety; she uses her brother as a social climbing tool.
* TheManBehindTheMan
* ManipulativeBitch [=/=] BitchInSheepsClothing: Pushed her brother to become the top of the class and go to Tokyo U. in her stead, simply to use his connections to make friends with the upper class. On top of it all, she dug out his favorite porn video and 'accidentally' watched it with their mother.
%%* TheMatchmaker
%%* SempaiKohai
* SmugSnake: She's not as bad as her brother, but she still tries to help him win Nana over, despite recognizing almost instantly there's something going on between them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Doumoto and Hoshino]]
!!Doumoto and Hoshino
Kaoru's friends in Class F - and fellow porn appreciators.
----
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Two clowns who are rarely seen doing much but obnoxiously discussing porn or making lewd comments about their female classmates. But when Yagami and Kaoru come to them for help in tracking down an obscure VHS porn video from the 90s with only a few clues from Yagami's memory, they're able to use their vast knowledge of the industry and expertise at searching for niche pornography to help out.
* FatAndSkinny: Hoshino and Doumoto, respectively.
* [[NiceGuy Nice Guys]]: They're undoubtedly a couple of porn-obsessed idiots, but when Yagami comes to them for help they happily welcome him in and help him out without a trace of resentment or bitterness despite Yagami's previous smugness.
%%* TheSlacker
%%* ThoseTwoGuys
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Mother]]
!!Nana's Mother
A police chief, her job means that she is almost never home. Despite that, she played (and still plays) a large part in shaping Nana's life and psyche.
----
* MarriedToTheJob: Fully dedicated to her job as police chief to the point that Nana must fend for herself.
%%* OneNoteCook
* ParentalAbandonment: She very rarely comes to visit or take care of Nana on account of her job as police chief.
* SheWhoMustNotBeSeen: Only ever shown in silhouette in Nana's flashbacks. [[spoiler:Until she finally came home.]]
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: She locked herself out emotionally to deal with the chaos of her marriage going up in flames. She wasn't good at it in front of her husband, whom she lashed out at regularly, but it was impressed upon Nana so strongly that she had picked it up as a way of coping with her stress before the "breathers" took over.]]
* CallingTheOldManOut: It takes Kaoru screaming down the phone at her to finally get her to come home and visit her bedridden daughter.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Father]]
!!Nana's Father
Divorced from Nana's mother when she was six.
----
* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' a job.
[[/folder]]
to:
[[folder:Kaoru Sugimura]]
!! Kaoru Sugimura
->Voiced by: Creator/JunjiMajima
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kaoru_7.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[InsecureLoveInterest "No matter what I do, I feel like I'll never become worthy of being by your side."]]'']]
A sullen, unattractive slacker who's a childhood friend, next-door neighbour and former rival of Nana, Kaoru has been nursing a crush on her for an unspecified time before the start of the story. He used to be on par with her without trying until middle school, when her hard work and dedication to a goal began to pay off, leaving him struggling to catch up. As a result, he stopped trying and resigned himself to watching and urging Nana on from afar. He discovered BDSM around the same time.
Most of the time, he can be found hanging with his [[ThoseTwoGuys buddies]] in 2-F. Usually discussing porn. Nicknamed "Creepy-mura" by the rest of the class.
----
* AscendedFanboy: Kaoru in ''Black Label''. At first he only pretended to be Sarashina's characters during his breathers with Nana. In this, he ends up one of the characters in Sarashina's books, role-playing alongside and learning directly from said author at that.
* BadassBoast: In chapter 96/74 (ItMakesSenseInContext):
-->'''Kaoru (to [[spoiler:Hiroshi]]):''' They may have thrown out your ''porn'', your ''pride'', but I'll get it back for you.
* BeadyEyedLoser: His irises are noticeably drawn smaller than the other characters, signifying his loser status.
* BrilliantButLazy: He has the ability, but little motivation after his rival left him so thoroughly behind. In addition, if you get him onto a subject he is interested in (BDSM), he's downright erudite about it.
* CharacterDevelopment: His grades begin improving, his health and stamina go through the roof and he shakily makes new friends and gains confidence throughout the course of the story.
* ChivalrousPervert: He'll push Nana to the edges of her boundaries... ''but no further.''
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: At the beginning of the story, Kaoru is a poor student, unathletic, has no real hobbies or interests beyond bondage, and doesn't expect much out of life. He's slowly revealed to be an ''extraordinarily'' passionate, hard-working, and courageous young man who longs for love and intimacy, and who has simply been saddened and demotivated for much of his life by a world which he felt had little to offer him.
* DisappearedDad: His dad died when he was very young and was raised by his mother.
%%* {{Fanboy}}
* {{Gonk}}: He's beady-eyed and has a wide mouth, making him look somewhat like a frog.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Committed to the belief that he's unworthy of Nana, and resigned to his fate as an underachieving loser that'll be left behind once Nana graduates. He very slowly begins to get better after risking his life to save Nana.
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: He is absolutely, soul-crushingly terrified of losing Nana, to the point that [[spoiler: he completely misses out the increasingly obvious fact that Nana's in love with him.]]
* GenderBlenderName: "Kaoru" is mostly reserved as a name for Japanese girls.
%%* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy
* {{Jerkass}}: Unpleasant towards everyone, particularly towards his mother...
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: ...but he does have a huge soft spot for Nana.
* MrExposition: Particularly in matters of BDSM.
* NotSoHarmless: He appears as a beady eyed gonk loser... but everyone forgets that up until his massive self esteem failure, ''he was Nana's scholarly rival.'' Nana, who is the top of her class and aiming for Toudai.
** The Student council president's sister has to pull the pres. aside and point out just what Nana's coded messages meant -- he's ''not'' just a loser who is bothering Nana, he's ''Nana's boyfriend,'' although neither of them realize it.
* ObliviousToLove: Has no clue about [[spoiler: Nana's feelings ([[CharacterDevelopment Something that he does get better at, with time]]).]] To be fair, [[spoiler: neither does she - of his or her own.]]
* PlatonicLifePartners: Sort of has this dynamic with Ryoko.
%%* TheSlacker
* SmarterThanYouLook: A lot of people are surprised by his seemingly random bouts of intellect and drive. As mentioned in Webcomic/{{Sunstone}}, bondage is a smart person's game.
* SupremeChef: Quite adept at cooking, a talent he uses to pamper Nana whenever the opportunity arises.
* TookALevelInBadass: By the midpoint of the series, his daily jogging has put him in very good shape -- he is able to run several miles around town searching for Nana without breaking a sweat, while the all-round perfect {{Bishonen}} student council president is left out of breath and near collapse.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A (tsuntsun). [[spoiler: Kaoru doesn't really associate with anyone else outside of [[ThoseTwoGuys his personal friends in class 2-F]], Nana, Ryoko, and his mentors in Tachibana and Sarashina (eventually; the last four come over the course of the stories), isolates himself to some degree and is rather hostile for most of the day (even to his own mother). That said, Nana is the only subject/person that can pierce his apathy. He cares about her deeply, to the point that he is less and less of a Type A with each passing arc of the story.]]
** He can even act tsundere towards ''studying''.
* WholesomeCrossdresser: Roped in to play the part of a short, ugly girl in the school play.
%%* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana Chigusa]]
!!Nana Chigusa
->Voiced by: Creator/KaoruMizuhara
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nana_85.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"You know Kaoru...you're being unfair. [[YouAreNotAlone Why do you think you need to become worthy all by yourself?"]]'']]
Gorgeous, top student, athlete, hardworking vice-president of the student council - Nana is near the top of the heap in school. She drifted apart from her childhood friend Kaoru once she dedicated herself to becoming a lawyer (ironically, his encouragement provided the impetus). She doesn't have much of a life outside of school and studying, though, which is why she finds it difficult to relax and take a break.
Her headstrong and imperious personality meant that Kaoru was likely her only friend until high school (and being assigned to the student council), as she tended to scare people off.
----
* AcademicAthlete: A top-of-her-class-student who is athletic enough to match track star Ryoko in a race.
* TheAce: She ''would'' be an ace, were it not for the fact that she excels in school only. Her studying doesn't leave much time for anything else. Later we see that she's closer to a BrokenAce, due to the pressure she feels from her mother and classmates.
** It could be argued that BDSM helps her stay sane by stepping out of all her expected roles.
* AttractivenessIsolation: She has a form of it, more or less due to be being something of an {{iron lady}} and having {{sacrificed basic skill for awesome training}} (details below)
* BeneathTheMask
* TheBGrade: The catalyst for the "breathers". At the start of the manga, Nana is so stressed by all of her responsibilities as StudentCouncilPresident and top member of the athletic team that she starts to fail short of scoring as high as she used to despite studying as much as she can. A teacher notices the problem and advices her to look for a method of relaxation to help her de-stress, but nothing seems to work for her. That is, until the night before a mock college entrance exam when [[IncitingIncident a series of]] {{Contrived Coincidence}}s lead her to basically pose as a sub in BDSM gear for Kaoru. Her [[TheImmodestOrgasm reaction]] to the experience leaves her too spent to touch the books before the test, yet a few days later she discovers that she got the top score without issue. Nana puts two and two together and the rest is history.
* BookSmart: Earns the second highest grades in a class of 94 students, bested only by student council president Hiroshi Yagami.
* BrainsAndBondage
* BreakTheHaughty: Many of the things Kaoru says during "breathers" go in this direction, especially [[spoiler: the spanking session which she agrees to for causing Kaoru to have make up classes during winter break.]]
%% * CovertPervert
%% * DaddyIssues
%% * FirstNameBasis: With Ryoko.
* GenerationXerox: Virtually identical to her mother, and she knows it [[spoiler:- when we finally meet her father, it reminds her unpleasantly of [[LikeParentLikeSpouse all the apparent similarities]] between her parents, and the tense relationship she has with Kaoru.]]
* GoGetterGirl: Which is why she needs her 'breathers' to relax.
* GreenEyedMonster: If one notices, any time that she, Ryoko and Kaoru are together... she'll tend to get a little clingy to Kaoru. Since she's been having the "breathers" along with Ryoko, she will get progressively more jealous about the whole session on a sub-conscious level. [[spoiler: It's partly because her feelings for Karou also make her selfishly protective of his attention and praise. Yeah, she is completely clueless about this.]]
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Ryoko
* HeadTurningBeauty: Subverted. All the boys want her, but don't dare to approach because she's an IronLady.
* [[IAmNotMyFather I Am Not My Mother]]: The fact that she has [[TurnOutLikeHisFather been turning out like her mother]] doesn't please Nana when she discovers it.
* IronLady: She's really book smart and is part of the student council, though she commands authority regardless.
* LethalChef: She tries, but has no experience in cooking... anything. It leads to 'experimental' concoctions like egg sake with ginger, garlic, tomato and ''vinegar'':
-->'''Kaoru:''' Why is it red?
* ObliviousToLove: While Nana is fully aware that Kaoru loves their breathers together, she lives with constant anxiety that he will eventually replace her with a more enthusiastic partner -- anxiety that gradually worsens as Kaoru slowly gains experience and respect as a dom. Despite all of his affection, Nana doesn't realize that the primary reason Kaoru loves their breathers so much is because he's desperately in love with ''her.''
* ParentalAbandonment: Her father is divorced and never mentioned and her mother's almost never home, leading to one or two issues.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, she has this dynamic with Tachibana.]]
* SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining: What starts the plot, in a way, is this trope at play. She studies to such a degree that she doesn't really know how to relax, unwind, and not be in a position to study. [[spoiler: The cause of this is her aspirations in becoming a lawyer.]]
* SmokingIsNotCool: Hates the smell of cigarettes because it reminds her of the time when her parents -- both smokers -- lived together, and the accompanying frustration and anxiety from their strained relationship. Nana empties the ashtray and opens the windows the moment her father leaves after a visit.
* StepfordSmiler: [[BeneathTheMask Type A]] - Nana has two very specific smiles, [[BrokenAce one for keeping up appearances]] and [[WhenSheSmiles another that is genuine, which is rare]]. [[spoiler: The reason for this is more complex than one would expect, but it boils down to stress from keeping up her masquerade for her classmates and from acting as go-between for her divorced parents as their relationship continues to fragment. The latter is what eventually guides the plot, and uncovers issues she has with her parents that she has kept to herself since the age of ''six''.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Type B (deredere). At the start of the manga, this is Nana. A compassionate, devoted individual to almost everyone around her. Save for Kaoru, whose initial hostile manner seem to toss her for a loop and bucks against her own headstrong personality (causing a Type A streak as a reaction). [[spoiler: This changes over the course of the mangas - the more that Kaoru opens up to her through the "breathers", the more she (unknowingly, at first) gushes about him to others and grows concerned about his well being.]]
* WellDoneDaughterGirl: [[spoiler:Flashbacks reveal part of the reason she wants to be a lawyer; she wanted to emulate her father. Who later asks her which parent she loves more. Yeesh.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ryoko Tachi]]
!!Ryoko Tachi
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryoko.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It's like...someone's expecting something from you, and you fulfill their expectations.You expect something of someone, and they fulfill their promise. [[PowerOfTrust It feels so good."]]'']]
An energetic, adventurous and competitive student athlete who attends the nearby girls' school. Initially a friendly athletic rival to Nana, she becomes acquainted with Kaoru by chance when meeting him during their morning exercise. Shocked and slightly horrified by seeing Kaoru's bondage equipment and learning of Nana's participation in their breathers, Ryoko demands to participate in a breather to verify Nana is being treated safely. Upon experiencing catharsis in Kaoru's arms, she is overwhelmed with emotion and quickly becomes the duo's best friend and confidant in bondage.
Unlike Kaoru and Nana, who are mutually terrified of admitting to one another how important breathers are to them, Ryoko happily admits her love of bondage and is an eager and enthusiastic participant in any breather Kaoru suggests.
----
* AmbiguouslyBrown: Justified: She has a deep tan.
%%* {{Bokukko}}
* BoyishShortHair: Ryoko's hair is short enough that Kaoru initially mistakes her for a boy, although this is mostly due to her heavy winter running clothing obscuring her body.
* CuteLittleFangs: During the "Dog Girl" bondage session, she puts some on among other things.
* [[CatGirl Dog Girl]]: She's enthusiastic at playing one in chapter 70.
* FirstNameBasis: With Nana.
* GenkiGirl: Very impulsive and full of energy.
* GirlinessUpgrade: Ryoko begins to wear more feminine clothing after Kaoru praises her beauty during their first breather together. When she visits Kaoru in a flowy dress to entice him into praising her further, Kaoru quietly notices that her panties are visible as she sits on his bed, indicating she's likely unaccustomed to wearing dresses.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Seems to be becoming this with Nana.
* HiddenDepths: At part of the reason why she insists on doing the breathers with Nana and Kaoru is because [[IJustWantToHaveFriends she wants friends]], which she doesn't have many of at her school.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: More like I want my beloved friends to be happy. Notably, while she is Nana's ''athletic'' rival, she acknowledges that Kaoru's planet-sized feelings for Nana mean he won't even consider her as an option. [[spoiler:If given the choice, she will step aside for Nana. She has also been actively encouraging Nana and Karou towards each other.]]
* LonelyAtTheTop: Ryoko was able to join the Athletic Team as a freshman due to her skill, but was resented by a whole lot of the club as a result. Since she can't make friends there and spends a lot of time there, she lacks friends.
* MatchmakerCrush: On Kaoru, but she tries her best to get them together and genuinely means it.
* ObliviouslyBeautiful: When Kaoru ties her in a rope dress that presses tightly against and emphasizes her breasts, Ryoko is nearly brought to tears when she looks at a photograph Kaoru took and sees herself.
-->'''Ryoko:''' Kaoru, I...I'm s-se...I'm...sexy. I...I never knew.
* PassionateSportsGirl: Ryoko is a top track athlete who loves the feeling of pushing her body to its limit, the feeling of fighting to keep running against her exhaustion, and the feeling of finally being overwhelmed with relief, satisfaction, and pride as she crosses the finish line. She recognizes the same sensations in enduring the physical discomfort of being bound during a breather and basking in the cooldown that comes afterwards, except at the end of a breather she also receives praise and affection from Kaoru.
* PeekABangs: Sometimes.
* PlatonicLifePartners: With Kaoru.
* TheRival
** UnknownRival: When she first talks about their rivalry, Nana is a bit lost about it. After a few "breathers" and some one-on-one time with Kaoru while he is doing maintenance, Ryoko seems to be vying for Kaoru's affections a bit... and knows that Nana doesn't have a clue about Kaoru's affections for her. Nor about Ryoko's own for him.
* [[SheCleansUpNicely She Ties Up Nicely]]
* ShesGotLegs: Seeing as Nana has both the [[BuxomIsBetter breasts]] and the backside, the focus is instead on her legs.
* SecretKeeper: For Kaoru; she is the one person that seems to truly understand how devoted he is to Nana. For both, she is also one of the few that ''knows'' that [[TwiceShy they care for each other and are oblivious to it]], and well as keeping the "breathers" hidden.
%%* TanLines
* TheTease[=/=]TheGadfly Yes, she is both. This is because Ryoko is more of a gadfly but every so often she comes off as ''heavily'' suggestive when teasing. All non-sexual and usually at Karou's expense.
* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Ryoko is brash, athletic, lacks interest in feminine hobbies and keeps her hair fairly short, but also loves wearing dresses, being pampered with sweets, and most of all, being praised and commanded as a submissive.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Mitsuko Tachibana]]
!!Mitsuko Tachibana
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tachibana_5.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm sure you can understand it too, can't you Chigusa-sama? How in the middle of S&M, the pain and suffering bestowed upon you are more than just pain and suffering."'']]
Lustful and energetic owner of an erotic shop. Acts as a mentor and introduction into the deeper world of BDSM for Nana and Kaoru. [[spoiler:She's also the personal submissive to Kaoru's favourite BDSM author, Sarashina-sensei.]]
----
* BrainsAndBondage: She's a UsefulNotes/TokyoUniversity graduate with a Masters degree in Liberal Arts who also happens to run a porn and fetish gear shop.
* CannotSpitItOut : [[spoiler: In Black label, the closer that we look at Tachibana and Sarashina relationship... the more you begin to notice that Tachibana is hesitant about her affections for Sarashina, as much as Sarashina is a InsecureLoveInterest. This is due to the fine line that they have as Slave and Master. It takes the presence of Nana to slowly chip away at this and blur that divide, which is ironic, as Tachibana did the same for Nana and Karou months ago.]]
%%* CoolBigSis
* ADayInTheLimelight: Tachibana is a reliable source of advice, encouragement, enthusiasm, and heavily discounted or outright free bondage equipment throughout most of the story, but little is revealed of her own experiences with bondage, past, or personal life and struggles until ''Black Label,'' an arc that focuses on Kaoru and Nana's four day summer visit to Tachibana and her master [[spoiler: Sarashina]] in the countryside.
%%* GenkiGirl
* MsExposition: If Karou is not giving a lecture on BDSM matters, he's likely getting one from her. [[spoiler:Which is a ChekhovsGunman that doesn't get solved until Black Label.]]
* MsFanservice: In ''Black Label'' she seems to spend every other chapter at least topless.
* PlatonicLifePartners: [[spoiler: As of Black Label, with Nana]]
* RoseHairedSweetie: A kind, encouraging, nurturing, and cheerful woman with long pink hair.
* ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful: Subverted: her assistant at the sex shop asks her to do some work for a change, but when Kaoru comes by to ask about rope [[DistractedByTheSexy she gets sidetracked]], the assistant is seen thinking he doesn't mind because he has a crush on Mitsuko.
* SexyMentor: To ''Nana'', of all people.[[spoiler: She is also this to Karou.]]
* [[WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys Where Does She Get All Those Wonderful Toys?]]: We quickly learn that she gets them from her shop. This often serves as the means by which Nana and Kaoru have access to toys and clothing that would normally be too expensive for them: it's explained as being on loan from Tachibana.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Shuutarou Sarashina]]
!!Shuutarou Sarashina
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sarashina_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"S&M is something that allows someone as despicably distrusting as me the possibility of connecting with a stranger whom otherwise I never would be able to come to an understanding with."'']]
Kaoru's favourite S&M author takes centre stage in the ''Black Label'' arc. It's his invitation to his summer home that kickstarts the story.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Or at least a pervert in his professional life. Sarashina is an accomplished erotic author and has participated as an actor in pornographic bondage films. In person he is kind, humble, a gracious host and mentor, and completely respectful of Nana.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Possibly on chapter 27 page 4, when Nana's freaking out before [[spoiler: Kaoru spanks her]] the image on the left looks very similar to him.
* ImportantHairCut: Enters the story with very 'sensei-ish' long hair that gives him a professional and even slightly stern appearance. After spending a few days with Kaoru and Nana, he requests [[IntimateHaircut and receives]] a much shorter and more boyish haircut, signifying an embrace of his more open-hearted and unreserved self.
* MirrorCharacter: Sarashina and Karou seem to be cut from the same cloth. They share many of the same insecurities with their partners, the same worries and have the same considerations. Sarashina is more intense than Karou, which can be summed up to his long relationship with Tachibana but outside of that both are {{Insecure Love Interest}}s for much of the same reasons. Tachibana [[LampshadeHanging refers]] to them as "Father and Son"...
* TheNightOwl: An erotic author who prefers to begin writing immediately after bondage sessions in the late evening, working through the night and sleeping until early midday.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: He looks like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oniroku_Dan Oniroku Dan]], perhaps the most famous Japanese SM writer, well-known for his association with SM pink film star [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Tani Naomi Tani]].
* PursueTheDreamJob: Worked as an author of 'normal' novels until he was about 40 and [[spoiler: met Tachibana.]] Although it's never stated, it can be reasonably inferred that it was her encouragement which convinced him to make the leap to his passion of erotic literature.
* SecondLove: Married and subsequently divorced another woman earlier in his life. Nothing is revealed about her except that she was unable to understand or appreciate bondage.
* TearsOfJoy: Becomes teary-eyed during his first meeting with Kaoru, who adoringly and sincerely gushes over his books as having changed his life and giving him the [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife purpose he was desperately seeking.]] Naturally, Sarashina good-naturedly brushes off rubbing his eyes as just being warm.
* WriteWhoYouKnow: More or less.[[spoiler: The plots and characters to his books are based in part on role-plays between himself and Tachibana. The session that Nana and Karou are taking part in is part of a scene to a new book of his.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Ai Uehara]]
!!Ai Uehara
[[quoteright:319:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ai_uehara.png]]
A former pornographic actress from Okinawa who specialized in hardcore bondage films. When her partner in a public bondage performance is suddenly unavailable, Kaoru is asked to be an emergency replacement.
----
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Enthusiastically and graciously accepts Kaoru as her dom, and does her best to reassure his anxiety at the prospect of preforming bondage on a beautiful pornstar in front of an audience.
* LoveMakesYouStupid: Discussed by her. She fell in love with a man because of the incredibly intense, exciting sex they had and followed him to Tokyo, leaving all of her family, friends, and prospects in Okinawa behind. Their relationship fell apart in six months. When Kaoru asks if she regrets her decision, she admits it was foolish and not what she would have done if she had known the outcome, but also says that she doesn't regret taking a risk to follow her passion.
* LoveableSexManiac: A former porn actress who thoroughly enjoyed her career. Even after retiring, getting married, and having a baby, Ai still participates in non-nude bondage performances.
* MeaningfulName: Her first name means 'Love' in Japanese.
* NightmareFetishist: Ai is excited by extreme and demanding breathers that would almost certainly be too frightening for the other subs. Some of her exploits as a sub include being locked naked into a wheeled luggage case and transported around, wearing full horse bondage gear and being whipped while pulling a cart, and being helplessly strapped to sex machines.
* TheTease: Oozes sexuality whenever she encounters Kaoru or Sarashina. Ryoko and Tachibana are notably cool towards her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Master Dan]]
!!Master Dan
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/master_dan.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"A single collar can cause such trouble, can't it?"'']]
A master leather craftsman who supplies Tachibana's shop with high-end goods.
----
* ChivalrousPervert: Shamelessly flirts with Tachibana and gropes her butt under the paper-thin pretense of measuring her, but completely refrains from making any such advances towards Nana or his young female apprentice. Since Tachibana is delighted by his teasing, it can be assumed that the two of them have an understanding.
* FriendlyShopkeeper: Gives Kaoru access to his shop's equipment and, with his apprentice's help, tutors him in creating a personalized collar for Nana from scratch, all free of charge.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He initially rebuffs Kaoru and Nana when they enter his shop, believing them to be two bored teenagers just looking for a toy. But once the two demonstrate they really do want a symbol of their love, he graciously helps Kaoru to create the highest quality collar possible.
* TrueCraftsman: A producer of top quality products who only sells his goods to customers who will treat them with respect and care.
* SecretShop: Owns a shop in a residential neighborhood with no sign or name. Even with an address, Kaoru is only able to identify the correct building by the smell of hemp and by recognizing leather being hung to dry outdoors.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Waka Sugimura]]
!!Waka Sugimura (Kaoru's Mother)
->Voiced by: Kimiko Saito
A nurse at a local hospital. While she disapproves of her son's interests and wants him to stop wasting money on porn and sex toys, she takes care of him like a mother would and pesters him to have better manners.
----
* GoodParents: A kind and hardworking woman who does her best to raise Kaoru as a single mother. She tolerates her son's poor academic performance while gently pushing him to do better.
* {{Gonk}}: Kaoru takes after his mother, although this was toned down as the manga progressed.
* ParentalAbandonment: Isn't nearly as bad as Nana's mother, but has to leave him alone a fair bit.
* ParentsAsPeople: She doesn't get her son's interests at all but she does take care of him and [[ShipperOnDeck she approves of his friendship with Nana.]]
* ParentsWalkInAtTheWorstTime: Walks in after Kaoru vomits out a [[ScrewballSerum drink Nana had made for him]] and staining her dress. His mother assumes it's blood and proceeds to slap the hell out of him for forcing himself onto Nana until Nana explains "she's at fault", then she just muses at the prospect that they had sex.
* UnnamedParent: Eventually averted. Kaoru naturally never calls his own mother by name, so it's quite some time before her first name is revealed to be "Waka" from conversations with Kaoru's extended family.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Hiroshi Yagami]]
!!Hiroshi Yagami
->Voiced by: Ryuta Amazume
The student council president and rival for Nana's affections.
----
* TheAce: Tall, attractive, top student, popular, and student council president; Yagami is the boy everyone assumes is destined to be Nana's boyfriend.
* BookSmart: The number one student in his grade, an attribute he puts to very good use when he decides to become [[spoiler: Kaoru's personal academic mentor.]]
* BreakTheHaughty: Happens to him after being top of his school in final exams, when his manipulative sister rats him out to his mother on a porn he was watching as a reward to himself, which ends up getting thrown away.
* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:He realizes how much of an ass he was to Kaoru when Kaoru sympathizes with him on his fetishes.]]
* HeroAntagonist: A hardworking, generous, and honorable young man who treats Kaoru with suspicion and disdain. Since he's completely unaware of the tremendous care and love Kaoru gives to Nana, he's quite justified in suspecting Kaoru is nothing but a slimy pervert with unsavory intentions.
* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:The sequel manga reveals he became friends with not only Kaoru, but Doumoto and Hoshino as well, bonding with them over their shared love for porn.]]
* SmugSnake
* UnmanlySecret: Ashamed and humiliated by his long-held secret sexual fantasy, which he believes to be totally unfitting to someone of his status: [[spoiler: Being roughly dominated by a woman with a penis.]] Kaoru and his friends are quick to scoff that this fetish is common and mundane enough to be an absolute ''staple'' of pornography. Yagami's admission - which he ironically was only willing to make to Kaoru out of a lack of concern of Kaoru's opinion of him - proves to be the start of genuine respect and friendship forming between the two.
* WrongGenreSavvy: Thinks Kaoru is [[TheSlacker a slacker]] {{fanboy}} who is just around Nana because he's her ChildhoodFriend. He is... but he's also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and in the middle of a ChildhoodFriendRomance [[RelationshipUpgrade Upgrade]] with her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Kikuko Yagami]]
!!Kikuko Yagami
Sister of the student council president; she's quite perceptive and can tell almost instantly that Nana and Kaoru share a bond. She isn't above telling her brother what she knows either.
----
* GoldDigger: Of the familial variety; she uses her brother as a social climbing tool.
* TheManBehindTheMan
* ManipulativeBitch [=/=] BitchInSheepsClothing: Pushed her brother to become the top of the class and go to Tokyo U. in her stead, simply to use his connections to make friends with the upper class. On top of it all, she dug out his favorite porn video and 'accidentally' watched it with their mother.
%%* TheMatchmaker
%%* SempaiKohai
* SmugSnake: She's not as bad as her brother, but she still tries to help him win Nana over, despite recognizing almost instantly there's something going on between them.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Doumoto and Hoshino]]
!!Doumoto and Hoshino
Kaoru's friends in Class F - and fellow porn appreciators.
----
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Two clowns who are rarely seen doing much but obnoxiously discussing porn or making lewd comments about their female classmates. But when Yagami and Kaoru come to them for help in tracking down an obscure VHS porn video from the 90s with only a few clues from Yagami's memory, they're able to use their vast knowledge of the industry and expertise at searching for niche pornography to help out.
* FatAndSkinny: Hoshino and Doumoto, respectively.
* [[NiceGuy Nice Guys]]: They're undoubtedly a couple of porn-obsessed idiots, but when Yagami comes to them for help they happily welcome him in and help him out without a trace of resentment or bitterness despite Yagami's previous smugness.
%%* TheSlacker
%%* ThoseTwoGuys
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Mother]]
!!Nana's Mother
A police chief, her job means that she is almost never home. Despite that, she played (and still plays) a large part in shaping Nana's life and psyche.
----
* MarriedToTheJob: Fully dedicated to her job as police chief to the point that Nana must fend for herself.
%%* OneNoteCook
* ParentalAbandonment: She very rarely comes to visit or take care of Nana on account of her job as police chief.
* SheWhoMustNotBeSeen: Only ever shown in silhouette in Nana's flashbacks. [[spoiler:Until she finally came home.]]
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: She locked herself out emotionally to deal with the chaos of her marriage going up in flames. She wasn't good at it in front of her husband, whom she lashed out at regularly, but it was impressed upon Nana so strongly that she had picked it up as a way of coping with her stress before the "breathers" took over.]]
* CallingTheOldManOut: It takes Kaoru screaming down the phone at her to finally get her to come home and visit her bedridden daughter.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Nana's Father]]
!!Nana's Father
Divorced from Nana's mother when she was six.
----
* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' a job.
[[/folder]]
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* NightmareFetishist: Ai is excited by extreme and demanding breathers that would almost certainly be too frightening for the other subs. Some of her exploits as a sub include being locked naked into a wheeled luggage case and transported around, wearing full horse bondage gear and being whipped while pulling a cart, and being helplessly strapped to sex machines.
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Kaoru Sugimura]]
[[folder:Kaoru Sugimura]]
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* {{Fanboy}}
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[[folder:Nana Chigusa]]
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[[folder:Ryoko Tachi]]
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[[folder:Shuutarou Sarashina]]
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[[folder:Ai Uehara]]
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[[folder:Master Dan]]
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[[folder:Waka Sugimura]]
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[[folder:Doumoto and Hoshino]]
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[[folder:Nana's Mother]]
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* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' a job.
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* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' ajob.job.
[[/folder]]
* LazyBum[=/=]{{NEET}}: Doesn't have a job, and doesn't seem able to ''keep'' a
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* [[NiceGuy Nice Guys]]: They're undoubtedly a couple of porn-obsessed idiots, but when Yagami comes to them for help they happily welcome him in and help him out without a trace of resentment or bitterness despite Yagami's previous smugness.
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* PassionateSportsGirl: Ryoko is a top track athlete who loves the feeling of pushing her body to its limit, the feeling of fighting to keep running against her exhaustion, and the feeling of finally being overwhelmed with relief, satisfaction, and pride as she crosses the finish line. She recognizes the same sensations in enduring the physical discomfort of being bound during a breather and basking in the cooldown that comes afterwards, except at the end of a breather she also receives praise and affection from Kaoru.
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* BeadyEyedLoser
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* BeadyEyedLoserBeadyEyedLoser: His irises are noticeably drawn smaller than the other characters, signifying his loser status.
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* {{Gonk}}
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* {{Gonk}}{{Gonk}}: He's beady-eyed and has a wide mouth, making him look somewhat like a frog.
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* OddFriendship: [[spoiler:The sequel manga reveals he became friends with not only Kaoru, but Doumoto and Hoshino as well, bonding with them over their shared love for porn.]]
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%% * LittleBitBeastly: Dog-themed in chapter 70.
%% * MsFanservice
%% * MsFanservice
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%% * MsFanservice
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* GirlinessUpgrade: Ryoko begins to wear more feminine clothing after Kaoru praises her beauty during their first breather together. When she visits Kaoru in a flowy dress to entice him into praising her further, Kaoru quietly notices that her panties are visible as she sits on his bed, indicating she's likely unaccustomed to wearing dresses.
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* ObliviouslyBeautiful: When Kaoru ties her in a rope dress that presses tightly against and emphasizes her breasts, Ryoko is nearly brought to tears when she looks at a photograph Kaoru took and sees herself.
-->'''Ryoko:''' Kaoru, I...I'm s-se...I'm...sexy. I...I never knew.
-->'''Ryoko:''' Kaoru, I...I'm s-se...I'm...sexy. I...I never knew.
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* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: Ryoko is brash, athletic, lacks interest in feminine hobbies and keeps her hair fairly short, but also loves wearing dresses, being pampered with sweets, and most of all, being praised and commanded as a submissive.
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%% * {{Meganekko}}
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* {{Meganekko}}
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* UnnamedParent: Eventually averted. Kaoru naturally never calls his own mother by name, so it's quite some time before her first name is revealed to be "Waka" from conversations with Kaoru's extended family.
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* {{Bifauxnen}}: At least 2 people are convinced she's male when she's first introduced, one of them being Kaoru who she's been running with several times before TheReveal.
* BoyishShortHair: Ryoko's hair is short enough that Kaoru initially mistakes her for a boy, although this is mostly due to her heavy winter running clothing obscuring her body.
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* GoodParents: A kind and hardworking woman who does her best to raise Kaoru as a single mother.
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* GoodParents: A kind and hardworking woman who does her best to raise Kaoru as a single mother. She tolerates her son's poor academic performance while gently pushing him to do better.
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* GenderBlenderName: "Kaoru" is mostly reserved as a name for Japanese girls.
