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* LoveMartyr: He still believes that he can win back his monster father's love by becoming strong enough to live on his own.



* ReplacementGoldfish: He's fully aware that Isamu is coddling him to cope with [[spoiler:him being legally separated from his own son]] and he refuses to take part in it.



* DrowningMySorrows: One of her early scenes showed her getting drunk near her apartment, no doubt to cope with [[spoiler:her abusive relationship]].



* ParentalSubstitute: Zigzagged. At first, Mizuki takes on the role of a mother figure to Kotaro by spending time with him, caring for his health and partaking in his interests. [[spoiler:But after her abusive situation worsens, she's forced to flee from her home along with forgoing her caregiver role]].



* NoIndoorVoice: As part of her jittery nature, Ayano has a habit of talking really loudly.



* SecretSecretKeeper: [[spoiler:She's fully informed about Kotaro's mother having died but keeps it a secret from him]].



* TookALevelInJerkass: Before becoming an abusive monster, Kotaro did have some decent memories of him where he acted like a decent father.

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* TookALevelInJerkass: Before becoming an abusive monster, Kotaro did have some remembers how he was a decent father and had pleasant memories of him where him.
* TheUnfought: Even though he's regarded as a significant danger to Kotaro's life, especially when the boy was in foster care,
he acted like a decent father.never actually confronts Kotaro's new guardians in the present.
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* TheFaceless: Her face is never really shown. Her face is shown when she lived at the Shimizu Apartments herself, though she wasn't immediately revealed to be Kotaro's mother yet. Shortly after, her face returns to being covered by her hair.

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* TheFaceless: Her face is never really rarely ever shown. Her face is It ''does'' get shown when for the time she lived at was living in the Shimizu Apartments herself, though but she wasn't immediately revealed known to be Kotaro's mother yet. Shortly after, her face returns to being covered by her hair.at the time.

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[[quoteright:189:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/why_1.jpg]]



* TookALevelInJerkass: Before becoming an abusive monster, Kotaro did have some decent memories of him where he acted like a decent father.



Kotaro's mother, who eventually left him in their old aparment. She told him that if he managed to continue to live well, she'd come back.

to:

Kotaro's mother, who eventually left him in their old aparment.apartment. She told him that if he managed to continue to live well, she'd come back.



* AbusiveParent: Of the emotionally neglectful type. She tried to take care of her son as well as she could, but with her own issues, Sayori often lied to him or left him alone a lot. And then she eventually abandoned him completely.

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* AbusiveParent: AbusiveParents: Of the emotionally neglectful type. She tried to take care of her son as well as she could, but with her own issues, Sayori often lied to him or left him alone a lot. And then she eventually abandoned him completely.
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[[folder:Sayori Wamiya '''Unmarked Spoilers''']]

!!Sayori Wamiya
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/HibikuYamamura (Japanese)

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kotaro_lives_alone_sayori_wamiya.png]]

Kotaro's mother, who eventually left him in their old aparment. She told him that if he managed to continue to live well, she'd come back.
----
* AbusiveParent: Of the emotionally neglectful type. She tried to take care of her son as well as she could, but with her own issues, Sayori often lied to him or left him alone a lot. And then she eventually abandoned him completely.
* TheFaceless: Her face is never really shown. Her face is shown when she lived at the Shimizu Apartments herself, though she wasn't immediately revealed to be Kotaro's mother yet. Shortly after, her face returns to being covered by her hair.
* ParentsAsPeople: What little is shown of her makes it clear that she was just as badly affected by her husband's abuse, having taken the beatings and doing her best to keep Kotaro protected. After the divorce, she's shown to be depressed and often couldn't handle going outside, suffering from severe self-deprecation.
* PostHumousCharacter: Turns out she died some time ago in a hospital, with the weekly money Kotaro is given being payments from her life insurance.

[[/folder]]

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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Kazumasa Nakamura (Japanese) Creator/KyleMcCarley (English)

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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Kazumasa Nakamura (Japanese) (Japanese), Creator/KyleMcCarley (English)


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* ItsAllAboutMe: He tried to get in contact with his son not because he wanted to reunite with him, but to get his inheritance.
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* DomesticAbuse: While he's a horrible father, it's also apparent he abused his wife just as much.


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* PsychopathicManchild: What does he do when he discovers his son's whereabouts? Cause a commotion at the orphanage Kotaro is in.
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[[folder:Mr. Sato]]
!!Mr. Sato
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Kazumasa Nakamura (Japanese) Creator/KyleMcCarley (English)

Kotaro's abusive father, who is looking for his whereabouts.
----
* AbusiveParents: He emotionally abused Kotaro, which caused a lot of the boy's issues.
* HateSink: He's a massive asshole who cares for no one but himself and makes it clear he will do ''anything'' to get what he wants.
* KnightOfCerebus: Anytime he shows up in a flashback, things will get darker.
[[/folder]]
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* BitchInSheepsClothing: He pretends to act super cheerful and friendly towards Kotaro, even offering to replace Karino when it comes to escorting the boy to school. It's all a lie as he wants information from Kotaro so he can report back to his father.

to:

* BitchInSheepsClothing: He pretends to act super cheerful and friendly towards Kotaro, even offering to replace Karino when it comes to escorting the boy to school. It's all a lie as he wants information from Kotaro so he can report back to his father. [[spoiler:Or so it seems. He grows to actually like the kid.]]
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* CoolBigBrother: An unofficial one to Kotaro who happily indulges in his love of Tonosaman and is eager to hear about his new life outside the foster care system.

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* CoolBigBrother: [[CoolBigSis Cool Big Bro]]: An unofficial one to Kotaro who happily indulges in his love of Tonosaman and is eager to hear about his new life outside the foster care system.
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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ (Japanese), Creator/BrentMukai (English)

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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ Creator/ChiharuSawashiro (Japanese), Creator/BrentMukai (English)

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[[folder:Ayano Kobayashi]]
!!Ayano Kobayashi
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori (Japanese), Creator/HeatherGonzalez (English)
[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ayano_7.png]]

An excitable but jittery lawyer who is assigned to grant Kotaro money from his mother's insurance company.

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[[folder:Ayano Kobayashi]]
!!Ayano Kobayashi
[[folder:Ippei Fukuno]]
!!Ippei Fukuno
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori Creator/ (Japanese), Creator/HeatherGonzalez Creator/BrentMukai (English)
[[quoteright:285:https://static.[[quoteright:479:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ayano_7.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ippei_0.png]]

An excitable but jittery lawyer Karino's dreary editor who is assigned to grant Kotaro money from keeps him on task with his mother's insurance company.manga and his relation with Kotaro.



* BenevolentBoss: Ippei's criticisms towards Karino are always constructive as he genuinely wants him to give his best work possible. He also takes the time to help him when it comes to his adopted son (Ex. helping take part in his school's festival, giving him a tour of his workplace).
* ExhaustedEyebags: He always carries these, which makes sense given his profession.
* FlatJoy: His moments of laughter contain the same dull energy he always emits.
* HappilyMarried: To everyone's surprise, he's a married man with ''kids''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ayano Kobayashi]]
!!Ayano Kobayashi
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori (Japanese), Creator/HeatherGonzalez (English)
[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ayano_7.png]]

An excitable but jittery lawyer who is assigned to grant Kotaro money from his mother's insurance company.
----



[[/folder]]

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[[/folder]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Ryota]]
!!Ryota
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KaitoIshikawa (Japanese), Creator/KyleMcCarley (English)
[[quoteright:367:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bigbro.png]]

A mellow 18-year old who grew up in the same foster facility as Kotaro. He acts as a sort of older brother to the boy because of how close they were during their time in foster care.
----
* CoolBigBrother: An unofficial one to Kotaro who happily indulges in his love of Tonosaman and is eager to hear about his new life outside the foster care system.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: It's never specified what type of life he lived before becoming an orphan. But he comes off as fairly well adjusted and is able to provide for himself thanks to his construction job.
* HiddenDepths: His special interest is stargazing.
[[/folder]]

----
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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori (Japanese), Heather Gonzales (English)

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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori (Japanese), Heather Gonzales Creator/HeatherGonzalez (English)
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* TroubledChild: Kotaro could count as the poster child of this trope given the suffering he endured in his young life.


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* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe: In the original, his manner of speaking is considered formal and traditional. This is in part to crafting his identity on ''Tonosaman'' cartoon which is based on feudal Japan.


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* DoggedNiceGuy: Downplayed with his crush on Mizuki. He never actively pursues her and only treats her as a friend. And while Mizuki does value his friendship, she's quick to criticize him if necessary.


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* SecretSecretKeeper: In the SeriesFinale, [[spoiler:he learns that Kotaro's mother is long dead and decides to keep it a secret from the boy out of fear of crushing his spirit]].


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* TheCameo: [[spoiler:She shows up in the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue living near a coastal city and with a bright demeanor]].


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* HostClub: Her prime occupation was working as a professional hostess.


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* HotBlooded: Is very quick to anger, mainly whenever Kotaro is involved, and is quick to threaten physical violence at anyone he deems deserves it.


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* AbusiveParents: [[spoiler:He confesses that he grew up with an abusive father who would burn his arms with his cigarettes. This is the reason why he doesn't go through with telling Kotaro's monster father his whereabouts]].


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* NervousWreck: Tends to act very nervous whenever around Kotaro and goes all out with showing she's totally composed.
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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RieKugimiya (Japanese), Creator/CheramiLeigh (English)


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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ToshikiMasuda (Japanese), Creator/MichaelSinterniklaas (English)


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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SaoriHayami (Japanese), Creator/StephanieSheh (English)


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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JunichiSuwabe (Japanese), Creator/KayleighMcKee (English)


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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SomaSaito (Japanese)


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!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/YumiriHanamori (Japanese), Heather Gonzales (English)
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* TheStoic: PlayedForDrama. Kotaro presents himself as a serious, diligent boy that can take care of himself. But as the adults learn, the reason for this is because he was forced to grow up so he can survive on his own without showing weakness.


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* OrphansOrdeal: [[spoiler:He admits to Kotaro's kindergarten teacher that he lost his parents when he was in middle school and tried to suppress his emotions as a coping mechanism. He brings this up stating that Kotaro is doing the same to deal with the disappearance of his parents]].


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* ClothingConcealedInjury: [[spoiler:Tries to wear a face mask after her abuser strikes her. Though she discards it after she confesses to her friends]].


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* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: While normally he's super pleasant and affectionate towards children (or Kotaro), he turns surprisingly serious towards [[spoiler:his son after learning that he went behind his mother's back to sneak a visit with him]].

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!Shizu Apartment Tenants

to:

!Shizu !Shimizu Apartment Tenants



A cheerful young woman who becomes a close friend to Kotaro. At night, she works as a hostess and harbors serious relationship issues that she doesn't want her friends to know about.

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A cheerful kind-hearted young woman who becomes a close friend to Kotaro. At night, she works as a hostess and harbors serious relationship issues that she doesn't want her friends to know about.


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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aota]]
!!Aota
[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aota.png]]

A cheerful young man who wishes to get close to Kotaro. In truth, he's a private detective hired by Kotaro's father to learn of his whereabouts.
----
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He pretends to act super cheerful and friendly towards Kotaro, even offering to replace Karino when it comes to escorting the boy to school. It's all a lie as he wants information from Kotaro so he can report back to his father.
* EveryoneHasStandards: [[spoiler:Despite being assigned to hunt down Kotaro on behalf of his abusive father, Aota is aware that giving his exact location would be heartless. So he gave the monster a fake address]].
[[/folder]]

!!Adults
[[folder:Ayano Kobayashi]]
!!Ayano Kobayashi
[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ayano_7.png]]

An excitable but jittery lawyer who is assigned to grant Kotaro money from his mother's insurance company.
----
* InVinoVeritas: At Kotaro's urging, she ends up drinking four cans of beers. This is enough for her to express her truths about what she really thinks about his singing and games. [[spoiler:Surprisingly, she's able to keep the truth about his mother's death a secret from him]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Zigzagged. On one hand, she's a lawyer who does care for Kotaro's case and is quick to show suspicion towards anyone who wants to exploit him for his money. On the other hand, she gives in to his offering of beer and loses it.

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* DarkAndTroubledPast: He suffered one as a victim of parental abuse. [[spoiler:His mother was openly neglectful and rarely made an effort to care for him, even wearing ''cleaning gloves'' when touching him. His father turned into a "bad guy" who physically assaulted his mother for reasons unclear and openly declared that he doesn't love Kotaro anymore. When he was taken away to live at an orphanage, his father decided to pursue him while being needlessly violent towards anyone who stood in his way]]. Suffice to say, this kid had it rough...



* IconicItem: His toy samurai sword.



* BrilliantButLazy: Before the story began, he once won a contest for his manga (his boss even mentions that his strength is story-telling). But in the present, he struggles to follow through with another best-selling story.



* SignificantWardrobeShift: He starts the show wearing mainly his pajamas and sandals to show how lazy he is. But after becoming one of Kotaro's guardians, he starts to dress more modestly whenever he goes out.



* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Because her abusive ex knows where she lives and how the police are unable to arrest him for his depravity, Mizuki is forced to move away for her own safety]].



* PerpetualSmiler: Is always shown in a happy or cheerful mood. Even after [[spoiler:she reveals her abusive situation and her inevitable move, Mizuki makes an effort to see off Kotaro and her adult friends with a smile]].



* AmbiguousSituation: The reasons for why he and his wife are divorced in the first place and why she forbids their son from seeing Isamu are unclear.



* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Despite resembling a yakuza, it's never confirmed that he's an official one or even what his exact job is.

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* MistakenForPedophile: Whenever he goes on an outing with Kotaro, most of the adults assume he's one (or a sketchy adult) given his yakuza image and how the little boy constantly rebukes his physical acts of affection.
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Despite resembling a yakuza, it's never confirmed that he's an official one or even nor is it established what his exact job is.

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to:

[[quoteright:252:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8671177439265256885_mq.jpg]]

A polite and self-sufficient boy who lives alone in an apartment suite. Behind his chivalrous and professional front lies a traumatized boy who's overcome various forms of abuse and wishes to be stronger.



* GoalInLife: He has two dreams.
** The first to become a strong and independent child so his father can love him again.
** The second is to [[spoiler:own a house where he and all his friends can live together]].



* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Deconstructed. Kotaro is very perceptive about how adults behave and his random acts have significant meaning. However, all of this is the result of his past as an abuse victim and his need to read the room in order to survive.




to:

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67712_1423039320.png]]

A dispassionate manga artist who's struggling to keep up with his work and personal life. But after a bizarre encounter with his young neighbor, Shin finds himself looking after the little boy to make sure he lives a good life.



* ThePigPen: Dresses like a slob and doesn't keep his apartment very clean. It was worse before Kotaro came into his life.

to:

* ParentalSubstitute: Slowly but surely, he accepts his destiny as Kotaro's new "father" by keeping up to date with his daily life and education.
* PerpetualFrowner: Is always shown with a frown on his face.
* ThePigPen: Dresses like a slob Cares little for his physical appearance and doesn't keep his apartment very clean. It was worse before Kotaro came into his life.



[[folder:Mizuki]]
!!Mizuki

to:

[[folder:Mizuki]]
!!Mizuki
[[folder:Mizuki Akitomo]]
!!Mizuki Akitomo
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67712_1255909404.png]]

A cheerful young woman who becomes a close friend to Kotaro. At night, she works as a hostess and harbors serious relationship issues that she doesn't want her friends to know about.



* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:An unfortunate victim. She admits that her ex only pursued her for her money and would turn violent on her when he didn't get his way]].



* RoseHairedSweetie: She has light pink hair and is a wonderful person to be around.



[[folder:Tamaru]]
!!Tamaru

to:

[[folder:Tamaru]]
!!Tamaru
[[folder:Isamu Tamaru]]
!!Isamu Tamaru
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/67712_2037363211.png]]

A gruff man who looks like he's part of the {{yakuza}}. Despite his brash tendencies, he holds a soft spot for Kotaro and showers him with unwanted affection whenever he can.



* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Despite resembling a yakuza, it's never confirmed what his exact job is.

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* FaceOfAThug: His face and one outfit bring to mind a gang member who can gut you like a fish if you look at him wrong.
* GreenEyedMonster: Acts comically jealous towards Karino for getting to spend so much time with Kotaro.
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Despite resembling a yakuza, it's never confirmed that he's an official one or even what his exact job is.
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[[foldercontrol]]

!Shizu Apartment Tenants
[[folder:Kotaro Sato]]
!!Kotaro Sato

----
* TheProtagonist: The show revolves around him and his slice of life adventures.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shin Karino]]
!!Shin Karino

----
* ThePigPen: Dresses like a slob and doesn't keep his apartment very clean. It was worse before Kotaro came into his life.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mizuki]]
!!Mizuki

----
* FriendToAllChildren: She instantly gets along with Kotaro and the boy is quite fond of her company.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tamaru]]
!!Tamaru

----
* WhatExactlyIsHisJob: Despite resembling a yakuza, it's never confirmed what his exact job is.
[[/folder]]

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