open/close all folders
Main Characters
Ikuto Tsumura
Ikuto Tsumura
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese), Derick Snow (English)
- Bait-and-Switch: One of Ikuto's main barriers from becoming a professional fashion designer is that he doesn't have a fashion design degree, as he's too poor to pay for such specialized school. Then, he participates in the Geika Institute Fashion Festival, after which he is offered a scholarship by the headmaster. However, right after he submits his application, Ikuto finds an internship opportunity in Aphro I Dite, and after a few months of work, he is given a full-time position at the company, meaning that he never needs the degree.
- Character Development: Ikuto starts out as a meek pushover whose insecurities prevent him from pursuing his dreams, but gradually Grew a Spine to be more confident and determined to become a fashion designer.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: His fashion hobbies aside, Ikuto is gentle, polite, friendly and non-confrontational. As a child, his younger sister's friends thinks he's a sissy for indulging in feminine interests like sewing, and even those who recognize his talents frequently say that he lacks the drive and ambition to truly succeed.
- Instant Expert: He's a very talented patterner and could deduce the pattern of a dress based on a single look at the design.
- Nice Guy: He's unfailingly polite and helpful to those around him, which is one of the reasons why a lot of people dismiss him at first, believing that he's not assertive enough to make it big in the fashion industry.
- Rank Up: After applying for an intern job at "Aphro I dite", Ikuto quickly distinguishes himself, rapidly climbing the ranks of the company and is eventually promoted to chief designer of the "Aphro I dite novice" branch.
Chiyuki Fujito
Chiyuki Fujito
Voiced by: Yumiri Hanamori (Japanese), Macy Anne Johnson (English)
- Berserk Button: Bringing up her height is an easy way to hit a nerve with her.
- Betty and Veronica: She is the glamorous and confident contender (Veronica) for Ikuto's affections, contrasting Kokoro's more gentle and Nice Girl approach.
- Daddy's Girl: She is very close to her father, who owns the modeling agency she works in. Their shared dreams to make it big in the fashion industry is the foundation of their strong relationship.
- Decoy Protagonist: The first chapter placed a big emphasis on Chiyuki, with her struggles to be seen as a worthy model despite her height taking more precedence over Ikuto's desire to design clothes. The chapter ends with Chiyuki's father telling Ikuto (and the audience) that this will be his story instead, and makes good on that premise.
- Determinator: No matter how many times she's been rejected due to her height, Chiyuki never gives up becoming a model, and constantly travels to look for modeling opportunities to further her career.
- Friendly Rivalry: Despite not actually "competing" in the same field, Chiyuki declares herself as Ikuto's rival to spur him to improve himself so that they can stand as equals in the fashion world as the top model and designer, respectively.
- Height Angst: She's 5' 2" and many consider her too short to be a successful model. She doesn't like it when people bring that up.
- Meaningful Name: Chiyuki's name is spelled as 千雪 in kanji. The first character meaning "thousand" and the second one meaning "snow". Which is also what "Mille Neige" means in French, "thousand snow". Shows how highly her father thinks of her.
- To Be a Master: Chiyuki strives to be a fashion model that can take the stage of the Paris Fashion Week, which itself is considered the the apex of the industry.
Kokoro Hasegawa
Kokoro Hasegawa
Voiced by: Ai Kayano (Japanese), Dani Chambers (English)
- Betty and Veronica: She's the sweet and friendly suitor (Betty) towards Ikuto, and stands against the glamorous and confident Chiyuki.
- Height Angst: Kokoro's height makes her stand out, and being a Shrinking Violet who loathes excessive attention, she is extremely self-conscious about the fact.
- Shrinking Violet: She's meek, shy, submissive, and lacks confidence.
- Statuesque Stunner: She's a talented model who stands at 5'11". Her height is considered one of her best assets as a model.
Toh Ayano
Toh Ayano
Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (Japanese), Lee George (English)
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Toh is very perceptive, and can easily deduce someone's size by just a single touch, and the state of the clothes they are in (for example, he can immediately tell that the vest Ikuto is wearing was actually his sister's because it's been worn by a woman). Later, when he arrives to help out in Hazime's studio, he can immediately assess the possible pitfalls in the entire production schematics and how to mitigate them.
- Bishie Sparkle: Toh is almost always surrounded by sparkles to highlight both his good looks and prestige.
- Crack Defeat: Invoked by Toh in the Geika Fashion Festival. Despite being regarded as the best contestant by most of the judges and audiences, his last minute withdrawal from the event ensures that he's placed last instead of first. The official first place position was given to runner-up Kokoro, who was only considered as such because one of the judges voted for her, and only because said judge is a model who sees Kokoro as a rival and wants her to stick to fashion design so that Kokoro would never steal her spotlight. Most of the other judges think that Kokoro's work would otherwise only rank fourth or fifth at best, and the audience seem to agree—expressing confusion at Kokoro's apparent victory over Toh.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Toh's bangs covers his left eye. This gives him a rather mysterious air, which is fitting to his ambiguous motivations.
- Parental Abandonment: He was abandoned by his birth parents and lived in the slums of Paris until Mai Ayano adopted him.
- Pretty Boy: Toh has a lot of fangirls in his campus, likely due to his looks.
- The Rival: As one of the best students in Geika Institute, Ikuto considers him someone he must surpass.
- Self-Imposed Challenge: Toh wants to surpass his grandmother's record of getting the most business deals from the Geika Institute Fashion Show in order to win her approval to go independent. However, Mai reveals that she never gave him any conditions to go independent, and this is something Toh set up for himself.
Hazime Yanagida
Hazime Yanagida
Voiced by: Jun'ichi Suwabe (Japanese), John Burgmeier (English)
- Ambition Is Evil: Inverted. Hazime outright says that ambition is required for a fashion designer to thrive, because the challenges one must face in the industry (i.e. catering to customer demands, liaising with suppliers, managing the production lines, etc.) will wear down even the most passionate designers if they don't have a higher goal beyond their love of making clothes. In fact, part of Ikuto's character growth is marked when he develops a competitive streak and a desire to win against Toh, when previously he's content to merely appreciate the clothes that others made.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's arrogant, rude, abrasive, uncommunicative of his intentions, and extremely harsh and critical towards his subordinates when they fail to realize his vision. On the other hand, he cares for his customers, and tries his best to not only meet, but also exceed their demands and expectations. He also understands his colleagues' strengths and weaknesses well, and is willing to entrust them with difficult tasks if he knows they are capable of it.
- Nepotism: Discussed. He's an old friend of Mii Sakuma, who's the daughter of Aphro I Dite's main sponsor. However, as Hazime would say, one shouldn't be afraid to use their connections to open up opportunities for themselves, but they should then prove themselves worthy of the position by their hard work and results.
- Spell My Name With An S: Hazime/Hajime.
- Wham Line: Hazime declaring that he's closing down his studio to work as one of Aphro I Dite's lead designers, shortly after he hinted to Ikuto that he might hire him full time.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Hazime is afraid of needles, which is why he never sews his own designs, wears thick gloves when handling with marking pins, and gets particularly riled up when Kokoro accidentally leaves a marking pin in one of his dresses. Apparently he was traumatized from getting his finger sewed when he used a sewing machine for the first time.
The Tsumura Family
Yuriko Tsumura
Yuriko Tsumura
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese), Brianna Roberts (English)
- Good Parents: Yuriko wants the best for their children and is very supportive of their dreams. Even when she is in hospital, she would try to give up her savings for her childrens' education so that they would have better opportunities to do better for themselves.
- The Pollyanna: Yuriko is almost never seen crying, and always maintain a cheerful front before her children, even when she is sick in the hospital.
- Struggling Single Mother: She's the sole provider for her family since her husband died. With four kids, she is forced to work several jobs to make ends meet, but even then, it's not enough to help pay for all their expenses, so that Ikuto has to work part-time jobs to help out in that regard.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Despite the hardships she endures, Yuriko remains positive for her children's sake and maintains a playful sense of humor.
Honoka Tsumura
Honoka Tsumura
Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa (Japanese), Leah Clark (English)
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Of Ikuto's sisters, she's the brains. Very smart and is hoping to get into a prestigious university.
- Cute Bookworm: She's a cute, shy girl who spends most of her time studying. Her behaviour around her brother is reminiscent of a typical Tsundere.
- Hime Cut: Honoka has long black hair that reaches her back, level bangs and sidelocks, which highlights her quiet, studious and graceful nature.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: She's described as "the smart one" of Ikuto's sisters, and is the only one of them to wear glasses.
Aoi Tsumura
Aoi Tsumura
Voiced by: Hibiku Yamamura (Japanese), Trina Nishimura (English)
- The Ace: She's an elite volleyball player at her school.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Of Ikuto's sisters, she's the brawn. Being a star volleyball player.
- Color Motif: Aoi is the most masculine and tomboyish of the Tsumura sisters, Ikuto often makes blue-colored clothes for her, which is Aoi's favorite color and the meaning of her name.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Aoi sports her hair in an untidy ponitail, which is fitting to her tomboyish, sport-loving personality.
- Tomboyish Name: Aoi is a unisex name, and she is pretty much the most masculine member of the Tsumura family.
Ichika Tsumura
Ichika Tsumura
Voiced by: Hikaru Akao (Japanese), Jad Saxton (English)
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: Of Ikuto's sisters, she's the beauty. She's five, and is described as "cute" and is the most appreciative of the clothes and dresses that Ikuto makes.
- Big Brother Worship: Ichika deeply adores her older brother and the clothes he makes for her. Her favorite accessory is ribbons. She usually wears one in her hair, and the clothes Ikuto makes for her always have ribbons or ribbon patterns on them.
- The Cutie: Ichika is five years old and very innocent. Ikuto describes her as "cute".
- Girlish Pigtails: She's easily the most feminine among her family, with her love of ribbons and cute dresses, and her twin tails certainly emphasize her girly child-likeness.
Mille Neige
Kenji Fujito
Kenji Fujito
Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue (Japanese), Christopher Wehkamp (English)
- Anti-Nepotism: He has great faith in Chiyuki's talent as a model, but he never shows her any favoritism and even fired her once for throwing tantrums after she stopped growing taller.
- Doting Parent: Although Kenji doesn't give preferential treatment to his daughter while she works in his agency, it's clear that he thinks the world of her. He named his agency after Chiyuki after allnote , and he almost drove his company into bankruptcy when, during a Paris fashion event, he proudly claims that his daughter is a better model than the granddaughter of the CEO of the world's top fashion magazine and an influential figure in the fashion world. The flashback chapter that depicts the latter events is even titled "Doting Parent".
Shizuku Naruoka
Shizuku Naruoka
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Stephanie Young (English)
- Childhood Friend: She and Chiyuki have been friends ever since she started working in Mille Neige, which is when Chiyuki was about 10 years old.
- Cool Big Sis: Not literally, however having known Chiyuki since she was young, Shizuku is Chiyuki's role model, friend, and mentor, and she loves her like a little sister.
- Tough Love: Shizuku is very blunt and realistic about Chiyuki's chances to become a top model, but tries her best advise her as Chiyuki strives for her dreams.
Geika Institute of Fashion Design
Kaoru Kizaki
Kaoru Kizaki
Voiced by: Ayaka Fukuhara (Japanese), Elizabeth Maxwell (English)
- Alliterative Name: Kaoru Kizaki.
- Fangirl: She's a big fan of Hazime, and the reason why she is so antagonistic towards Ikuto was because she felt that he ruined Hazime's first fashion show when Ikuto modified one of Hazime's dresses to fit Chiyuki. Mai Ayano notes that the design collection she presented in the Geika Institute fashion show is strongly influenced by Hazime's style.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While Kaoru is openly antagonistic towards Ikuto, she is also the only one who didn't mock him for not having enough money to pay for the entrance fee. Later, when she gets to judge his preliminary round entry, she is the only one offers any positive to his submission.
Ryūnosuke Eda
Ryūnosuke Eda
Voiced by: Kōhei Amasaki (Japanese), Nazeeh Tarsha (English)
- Curtains Match the Window: Hair and eyes are the same color.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can switch from being friendly and approachable to downright rude and disparaging on a whim.
Yōko Takaoka
Yōko Takaoka
Voiced by: Keiko Han (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
- Big Fun: Headmaster Takaoka is a plump and carefree woman who is prone to making outlandish suggestions without realizing the weight of her words. She is very welcoming, informal and friendly with her students and colleagues, often referring to them with their first names.
Aphro I dite
Mai Ayano
Mai Ayano
Voiced by: Mayumi Asano (Japanese), Casey Casper (English)
- Honest Corporate Executive: Despite her fame and influence in the fashion industry, Mai is very friendly and accommodating to her subordinates, and is willing to acknowledge the merits and skills of other designers.
Mii Sakuma
Mii Sakuma
The head designer of Aphro I dite's novice branch that caters to youth. She is the daughter of the company's main sponsor and only has the job thanks to her father, who used to teach Hazime.- Hidden Depths: Despite appearing as a lazy Spoiled Brat who only has a job in the company thanks to her dad's connections, we later learn that Mii actually has a genuine interest in fashion, especially shoe-making. However, it is implied that her failures in her previous endeavors has destroyed her confidence, and this is why she passes most of her work to the ace designer of the company instead of doing anything for herself.
- Manchild: Mii is very laidback in her work, and prefers to hang out and have fun rather than manage her department properly. Her behaviour is more reminiscent to the 5-year-old Ichika's rather than any of the other adult characters, despite being older than most of the main cast.
- The Social Expert: While Mii's design capability is mediocore, to say the least, she's very good at building networks with others. She also has a good marketing sense when she comes up with a catchy product name and hashtags to get the bags Ikuto had designed to become a trending topic on social media.
- Stepford Smiler: Mii always acts carefree and cheerful in front of others, even when she's obviously crushed by her previous two failures (she attempted to start her own shoe brand at first, but drove her company to bankruptcy due to poor management. When she got a job in Aphro I dite, her first collection was a disaster that led to the worst financial loss the company ever had).
Others
Seira
Seira
Voiced by: Yui Makino (Japanese), Madeleine Morris (English)
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Seira is a popular model who appears sweet and down-to-earth in interviews. But when she becomes a judge in the Geika Academy's Fashion Festival, she voted for Kokoro to be the winner so that she would quit being a model, thus removing her as Seira's potential rival.
- Small Role, Big Impact: While she's a minor character with only a handful of appearances, she's responsible for driving the manga's plot when she re-tweeted a picture of Chiyuki wearing one of Ikuto's hand-made dresses, and causing his design to go viral.
- Spell My Name With An S: Seira/Sara.
Yu Igarashi
Yu Igarashi
Voiced by: Yuko Kaida (Japanese), Colleen Clinkenbeard (English)
- The Cynic: Her failure as a model causes Igarashi to become rather cynical and believe that natural talent triumphs over passion and hard work. She forces Kokoro to become a model despite her latter's dislike of being in the spotlight because she believes Kokoro's talent as a model far outweighs her ability to become a fashion designer.
- Stern Teacher: She can be rather strict with Kokoro to achieve her goal in making Kokoro successful.
Fumiyo Niinuma
Fumiyo Niinuma
Voiced by: Ayaka Suwa (Japanese), Emi Lo (English)
- Height Angst: She doesn't like the fact that she's short, because she can rarely look nice in fashionable clothes. She is very supportive of Chiyuki's endavour to become a model because she understands her struggles.
- Idiot Hair: Has one stray hair that points up.
- Shrinking Violet: She's very timid and shy.
