Tomoe Koga

Nodoka beams at Mai after being acknowledged as her little sister Nodoka was born after Mai Sakurajima's father remarried another woman[8]. As a child, she went to go meet Mai for the first time during one of Mai's auditions and beamed after Mai mentioned that she wanted a little sister.

After Mai's mother made Mai join a troupe out of spite for her ex-husband and Nodoka's mother, the latter made her own daughter join a troupe as a way to get back at her. Nodoka later developed an inferiority complex towards her half-sister after her mother kept comparing her own success to Mai's. Near the end of summer break during her second year in high school, she ran away to Mai's home after a fight with her parents.

Nodoka is quite confident and competitive, but has a strong inferiority complex towards her sister. Her tsundere tendencies are more pronounced than her sister's, being also more immature and short-tempered, and this is especially evident when interacting with Sakuta Azusagawa; that said, just like her sister and despite her somewhat whimsical nature, she's a genuinely kind person, and also becomes close friends with Kaede. She appears to be fond of beaches, since where she normally lives, Yokohama, doesn't have them despite being near the sea itself. Unlike Mai, Nodoka doesn't clean up after herself; Sakuta notices this when visiting Mai's apartment with her permission, in order to check on Nodoka. Later on it is revealed that Nodoka is just as competent as Mai academically, unlike Sakuta.

Nodoka has wavy blond hair tied back into a ponytail by a red scrunchie, and blue eyes. As a child, her hair is light brown. It may be possible that her hair is dyed or she uses contacts as part of her idol job, since her hair and eye colors changed compared to when she was younger. Her eyes as a child are a chocolate-brown color, which becomes blue like her sister's as a teen.

Her usual attire consists of a V-neck Tank-top. Her costume while performing with Sweet Bullet consists of a top with a tartan design, a jagged black skirt, grey tights with suspenders, black shoes and a small top hat. Her school uniform consists of a brown sailor-suit.

Nana is first seen at the beach near Enoshima looking for her phone strap she lost. Tomoe Koga and Sakuta Azusagawa see her there, the former recognizing her as a classmate, and offer to help her, despite her objections. They find the phone strap but Tomoe falls in the water and catches a cold. By the end of the story, Nana becomes a new friend of Tomoe's.

Two years later, in Rascal Does Not Dream of a Nightingale, Nana is mentioned when Sakuta and Tomoe discuss "#dreaming" during their shift at work together. Tomoe reveals that she and Nana had the same dream of being hit on by the same boy at the beach at the end of July, but it was Nana who ended up dating that boy in reality.

Nana has a medium-long brown hair and wears glasses. • Cheerful and energetic – Nana is upbeat, talkative, and expressive. She brings lightness into scenes that might otherwise feel heavy. • Emotionally attentive – Unlike Rena, Nana notices how Mai is feeling and responds with empathy rather than pressure. • Supportive over controlling – Even when discussing work or career decisions, she prioritizes Mai’s comfort and boundaries. • Big-sister / found-family energy – She fills an emotional role that Mai’s mother never really did: encouragement, reassurance, and genuine care. • More perceptive than she appears – Her bubbly demeanor hides a strong ability to read people and situations. She understands the industry and the emotional toll it takes. • Grounded kindness – Nana doesn’t push herself into the spotlight. Her care feels natural, not performative. Nana is sweet girl that is more silent and nervous around others. She tends to apologize for almost anything.

Rena with her friends went to where Sakuta Azusagawa and Tomoe Koga worked, and as Sakuta came to take their order, Rena asked him if he was serious about Tomoe. Then Tomoe came and they told her she looked cute in her uniform. Rena then told Sakuta that if he was playing with Tomoe, she won't forgive him, which made Tomoe a bit happy. Rena has a crush on Yosuke Maezawa, the basketball player she often watches play the sport in school. However, Maezawa takes an interest in Tomoe instead, which caused Tomoe's initial dilemma and time loops. Rena witnesses the altercation between Sakuta and Maezawa which ends in humiliation for Maezawa, and stops being interested in Maezawa after that.

Rena is a young girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. • Cold and reserved – Rena struggles to express warmth or affection, particularly toward Mai. Conversations with her often feel tense and guarded rather than nurturing. • Image-focused and pragmatic – As a former actress, she places heavy value on public perception, success, and professionalism. This leads her to prioritize career and appearances over emotional needs. • Controlling (but not cartoonishly evil) – She tends to make decisions for Mai rather than with her, believing she knows what’s best—even when it causes harm. • Emotionally damaged herself – One of the important nuances is that Rena isn’t cruel for cruelty’s sake. She’s someone who never learned how to be emotionally healthy, and that damage quietly spills into her parenting. • Avoidant rather than confrontational – Instead of openly addressing conflict or pain, she distances herself, which makes her feel even colder and more unreachable. She also seems to be very protective of Tomoe.

Nodoka Toyohama Kaede was first introduced to Nodoka during the month in which Nodoka and Mai were in each other's bodies; Kaede is never made aware of the bodyswap, thus assumed that Nodoka acted just like her older half-sister. In the eighth novel, Kaede watches Nodoka's idol group perform live, and becomes a fan of her music. Tomoe Koga In the tenth novel, Kaede is hired at the same family diner that her brother works at, replacing the departing Yuuma Kunimi, and becomes Tomoe's newest colleague. Prior to that, Tomoe had been aware of Sakuta having a younger sister, but served her just once.

Sakuta Azusagawa After experiencing injuries and memory loss from Adolescence Syndrome, Kaede saw her brother as the only who understood her once Sakuta decided to refer to her pre-amnesia self as a different Kaede. As a result, Kaede is extremely fond of Sakuta, often climbing on his bed while he was sleeping and occasionally making affectionate advances toward him. She trusted her brother enough to escort her outside, crying with joy after she made it out. Knowing that her brother would have regrets once she regained her old self, Kaede took it upon herself to complete her list of goals with her brother so that she could fill his mind with happy thoughts before that happened. Sakuta is shown to have also regretted the initial memory loss that Kaede suffered. Mai Sakurajima Being the first person she's interacted with outside of Sakuta since her loss of memories, Kaede first appears to Mai as a nervous wreck who cannot even introduce herself. After some time, however, and after Mai gives her some clothes, Kaede opens up a little to Mai to the point where she is able to act normally in her presence. After regaining her memories, Kaede is introduced once again to Mai. Rio Futaba When Sakuta brought Rio back to their apartment due to the duplicate Rio, Kaede was nervous in introducing herself, but fared better than when she had first met Mai. She later warmed up to her as Rio helped her and Shoko Makinohara with studying, as well as made her food. Kaede later starts calling her by her first name.

Sometime during Kaede's time in middle school, she was a victim of online bullying and death threats. As a result of Adolescence Syndrome, this caused her to suffer various physical injuries and she was only able to recover after she stopped using social media and going to school. Unfortunately, she had also developed amnesia as a way to separate herself from her experience with being harassed, which drove her mother (also forcing her father) to abandon her with Sakuta Azusagawa. After her brother received advice from Shoko Makinohara, she was gifted a pen and notebook and she was suggested to write her first name in hiragana (かえで) instead of kanji (花楓). Kaede was declared the current "Kaede" and her former self was dubbed "Kaede-san", which earned her tearful approval.

Personality Pre-amnesia Kaede originally had a kind, yet cheeky personality which granted her little difficulty with social interaction. She regains this personality after completing her list of goals. Post-amnesia As a result of being bullied online, Kaede lost her memories, gained a new personality and became a shut-in. Kaede's new personality considers her pre-amnesia self as an entirely different person that everyone was talking about, causing her to become fearful of strangers. She ironically shows a more outward, cheerful personality at home in front of her older brother, the first person to recognize Kaede's new personality as such. Kaede develops a liking for pandas after watching them on a DVD that Sakuta bought for her, and as a result, wears a panda onesie at home. Kaede also tends to refer to herself in third person, although she distinguishes between herself and the "other" Kaede, who she calls "Kaede-san".

Kaede has medium length, light brown hair tied to a loose ponytail at the front, and a strand of hair on both sides adorned with a tiny pink bow each. She also has square bangs and possesses large, pale brown eyes. She is normally shown wearing a panda onesie with a pink shirt underneath. This is primarily due to her insecurity and paranoia as a result of her Adolescence Syndrome. She stops wearing the onesie after regaining her memories.

Shoko Makinohara As Sakuta's first crush, Mai expresses some jealousy towards her and is uncomfortable with the two of them spending time alone. Part of this comes from Shoko openly admitting her affection for him. When Shoko arrives at Sakuta's apartment for a prolonged stay, Mai momentarily loses her composure while cooking. She then nearly greeted her with a kitchen knife in hand. With this though, Mai understands that Shoko was there for Sakuta when she was not, as she was busy with work. Upon learning of her circumstances, Mai becomes much more compassionate towards her and becomes much less hostile towards Shoko's feelings for Sakuta. She also tries to save her from her illness by sacrificing herself; however, the situation is resolved when Sakuta gets back in time to save Mai, and they decide together to change timeline where they risk sacrificing their memories of each other. Ryoko and Mai in movie Ryoko is Mai's manager in her work as an actress. They have a friendship and good working relationship.

Nodoka Toyohama Mai wakes up in Nodoka's body Nodoka is Mai's younger stepsister, who has looked up to Mai ever since watching her first role on TV. It is also revealed that Mai's parents had separated after giving birth to her, only for Mai's father to end up with Nodoka's mother, causing the two mothers to feud with each other through their daughters. Nodoka's jealousy towards Mai, who won the better roles when they were younger, eventually caused them to swap bodies. Mai keeps calm in spite of the event, contrasting with Nodoka's panic, and they agree to live in this predicament for a while. Nodoka's jealousy gets the better of her, and a day later, she launches a verbal tirade on Mai, making her refuse to see Nodoka again. Despite Mai's lack of singing and dancing experience, her professionalism ultimately prevails in the month that she has to rehearse for a live concert with Nodoka's idol group, while Nodoka struggles with a routine filming session while in Mai's body. Nodoka and Mai regain their original appearances. Hours after the concert and an attempted suicide by Nodoka, Mai and Nodoka are able to reconcile at the former's home and revert to their usual bodies, after it was made clear to Nodoka that Mai did indeed love her, since she appreciated receiving the letters of support from Nodoka that kept her going in her early acting career. Kaede Azusagawa Having heard about her past from Sakuta, Mai acts very gentle towards her. Kaede eventually opens up to her after Mai gives her some new clothes. She is very considerate towards Kaede, which can be seen when her phone rings. She leaves to a different room to answer the call. After Kaede gets her memories back, Mai later arranges for her to get a haircut before going back to school.

Mai thanks Sakuta for everything before he falls asleep On the day Mai reappears after Sakuta confesses to her in front of the entire school, Mai doesn't take it well. She slaps him in the face, stamps him on the foot and dares Sakuta to prove his love for a whole month. She also refuses to answer Sakuta's confession while the rest of the school is watching, but does denounce the hospitalization rumors regarding Sakuta. Ultimately, Mai does not reject Sakuta, since she chooses to go with him when the teachers call him over. From then on, Mai and Sakuta would meet every day for lunch. Mai kisses Sakuta on the cheek In the following month, Mai's relationship with Sakuta is threatened when she sees Tomoe Koga on top of Sakuta in the room they were supposed to be in for lunch. Though Mai tries to be understanding, even letting Sakuta go on the fake date with Tomoe, she would end up witnessing the scuffle in Shichirigahama station between Sakuta and Yosuke Maezawa that ended with Sakuta grabbing Tomoe by the hand and fleeing the station. Fortunately, Sakuta is able to get Tomoe to reset time so that none of the events above happened. Instead, on the reset June 27, Mai affirms her relationship with Sakuta by kissing him on the cheek. During summer break, Mai is told by her agency that she is not allowed to date; she relays the news to Sakuta, though she reassures him that they can still meet up in school. Though they meet several times afterwards, they are yet to kiss each other properly.

Sakuta Azusagawa Mai hugs Sakuta's arm Sakuta was the only person to see Mai in a bunny costume at the library. Though Mai warned against seeing her again, Sakuta became interested enough to talk to her again the next time he did see her, after school. It is from Sakuta that Mai hears of adolescence Syndrome and how she could be suffering from it. Mai vents her feelings over why she went on hiatus Although Mai isn't happy that Sakuta knew of her decision to quit acting, she takes action after finding out how Sakuta knew by calling the journalist in question that Sakuta found out from, and stopping her from publishing Sakuta's scars in exchange for an exclusive interview about her return to showbiz with another agency. From that point she would credit Sakuta for her decision to return, although she takes care not to publicly reveal his name. Mai signals Sakuta to leave the room Mai did not reveal her relationship status until a tabloid-related "scandal" forced her to do so publicly in front of cameras at a press conference. Before then, there were already signs that she had fallen for Sakuta. She displays "Type B tsundere" tendencies during her first night with Sakuta at a hotel, after they flee more than two hundred miles west to find people who still recognize her. Since then, she mostly tolerates Sakuta's lewd jokes and snarky remarks, sometimes teasing him back. Mai twice displays gratitude to how far Sakuta will go for her, first on their night at the hotel, then three nights afterwards, when Mai became fully aware that Sakuta was staying awake in order to not forget her.

Mai began acting at the age of six. After landing the lead role of a morning drama (a character known as "Maiko-chan"), Mai's profile increased from there, and she began appearing in more and more movies, television shows, and commercials. Mai enjoyed the limelight despite the stress it gave her, but it suddenly ended after her mother, who was also her agent, forced her to participate in a swimsuit photoshoot in 9th grade despite her objections. Mai thus took a hiatus and attended high school, though because of work commitments made before then, she only joined on the second term of her first year. By then, social circles had formed, making her the "odd one out," causing her to be isolated. As a result, the student body didn't know how to deal with her. While they had no reason to bully her, they also feared associating with her would cause themselves to be isolated as well. Unbeknownst to Mai, these events caused a severe emotional disturbance in her, and the effects of adolescence syndrome caused her existence to become unnoticed by other people. While she initially enjoyed a respite from the spotlight, Mai soon realized she was in peril of disappearing altogether. Due to her successful career pre-hiatus, Mai was able to go on the property ladder while still at high school. She lives in an apartment across the road from Sakuta's. Upon deciding to resume her career, she leaves her mother's agency for the agency of Ryoko Hanawa.

In the end, Mai is definitely a kind, sweet and nice girl at heart, and, just like Sakuta, she has a quick wit yet is immensely good-hearted. She's unwaveringly loyal and virtuous, and shows the full extent of her kindness and selflessness as she sacrifices herself to save Sakuta from being hit by a car and become Shoko's heart donor. However, she's revived as Sakuta manages to get back in time to save her. Despite her kindness, though, and although she has forgiven her, she's still shown to resent her mother, given that she pretty much used her as a tool for easy money. Adolescence Syndrome Main article: Adolescence Syndrome Mai's effect was that she turned invisible, along with the things she touched, and that others began to forget her. As a result of wanting to be unseen by the public, Mai's existence slowly began to fade away. Over time, even those who had talked to Mai before would suddenly forget about her. This effect was subdued once Sakuta Azusagawa, the last person to forget about her, publicly confessed his love for Mai in front of the school, effectively making her reappear, and forcing the students and staff to acknowledge her existence.

Mai is actually very polite, levelheaded, helpful, and altruistic. Examples of her kind and warm nature include when Mai denounced the hospitalization incident as false for Sakuta's sake and when she gave Kaede, Sakuta's younger sister, a dress both as a gift and to at least spark interest in returning to the outside world, showing that, underneath her reserved and composed exterior, she is very sweet and loving. Kaede herself is very fond of Mai, seeing her as a role model for her beauty and kindness, and wishes she could be just like her. Mai indeed is reliable, empathetic and emotionally mature, and is consistently shown helping others. Though at first Mai could be somewhat harsh and strict towards Sakuta at times due to his lewd remarks and call him a pervert or an idiot, she is genuinely affectionate and kind to him as well, and she often says that she loves him more than he thinks - which is proven to be true. Then, as her relationship with Sakuta goes on, she becomes less strict and more cheerful and openly affectionate.

Mai is a very kind yet serious individual, which is especially evident around Sakuta. She isn't cold, but given the bitterness she harbored at first, she comes across as somewhat aloof in her demeanor in the first episodes, with a tendency to want to be on her own despite wearing a bunny costume at the library for attention, she wasn't willing to attract more attention than necessary for herself. When noticed and recognized,she would be listening to music using earphones. Largely justified by her fame-laden childhood, which stopped her from being in school long enough to make friends, her somewhat bitter attitude changes, also thanks to meeting Sakuta. Upon resuming her acting career, Mai gradually starts opening up to people, and at that moment, it turns out she has all the kindness, maturity, and professionalism expected from an actress of her status - indeed, also in public appearances, she's shown to be composed and polite yet very approachable and friendly. She is also a high achiever at school,helping Sakuta at studying, and good at cooking.Despite her reserved nature,she is a warm-hearted person and doesn't deny her feelings; indeed, she has no problem telling Sakuta how much she loves him, even despite the teasing and seemingly nonchalant responses she gives him at times. Instead, when it comes to topics she uncomfortable with,Mai tends to ignore and stuff unpleasant feelings down rather than deal with them, as seen when,before her invisibility was subdued by Sakuta,she harbored deep anxiety over the possibility that she could be forgotten entirely and over the topic of her hiatus, as she still harbored bitter feelings over the circumstances that caused them; these feelings have now subsided since she started acting at another agency. While, just like Sakuta, she has a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor, she really is innocent at heart and can become shy and flustered when Sakuta teases her. She is a genuine and kind-hearted person who would never harm anyone

Mai like bunny girl Mai is an attractive individual—described as an inside-out beauty by Kaede—with waist-length black hair that has bangs hanging on the left side with a bunny-shaped barrette in the back, blue-purplish eyes and a slim and fit figure. She's fairly tall for a Japanese girl, standing at a height of 165 cm. In her bunny costume, she wears bright black high heels and wraps her long, slender legs in translucent black tights. Similar to a black leotard, the outfit highlighted the lines of her body, while the chest made a firm, modest valley. White cuffs accented her wrists and her neck was adorned by a white smart collar with a black bowtie. On the waist of the leotard, a white bunny tail is on her waist. Mai wears the bunny costume only twice throughout the series; she maintains the rabbit-themed motif by continuing to wear the aforementioned bunny-shaped barrette, while her phone is covered by a personalized phone case shaped like bunny ears. She is often seen in her school uniform, which consists of a white collared shirt, a red tie, a cream vest, brown shoes, and a blue skirt with a light brown blazer on top that she wears unbuttoned. She wears translucent black tights with her uniform as well. When not being at school, she usually wears her casual attire, which consists of a light blue button-up sleeveless shirt with a white jacket that is open up, dark blue long pants, and a pair of light black colored high heeled sandals. In the trailer for the second movie, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out, Mai is shown to wear glasses. In the second anime series, Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus, Mai no longer wears the bunny-shaped barrette, and also has a new phone without the bunny-ears case. Despite this, her association with the animal lives on in the form of a bunny necklace.

Nodoka Toyohama Most of Sakuta's interactions with Nodoka happen during the month Nodoka finds herself in Mai's body and vice versa due to her adolescent Syndrome. Sakuta gets to see a different side of "Mai" despite being the only other person aware of the bodyswap, due to Mai and Nodoka agreeing to live with the predicament they're in. After taking twelve takes to nail down a commercial, Nodoka admits to Sakuta that she'd prefer her body back and continue to be an idol. At the end of the month, Sakuta and Nodoka watch the concert of the idol group that Mai, in Nodoka's body, would be performing with. After returning from said concert, Sakuta agrees to take Nodoka to the familiar beach on her request, only to see her run out to sea and attempt to drown. Sakuta stops her and takes her to Mai's apartment, showing her the letters she had written to Mai when they were younger. Mai herself appears to Nodoka and Sakuta again, and Sakuta watches them finally revert to their usual bodies. Since then, Sakuta's interactions with Nodoka have largely been minimal, although they have been important on two occasions. The first is when Nodoka reminds him of Mai's birthday, which prompts him to chase after Mai at Kanazawa and wish her a happy birthday. The second is when Sakuta comes back from the future in the seventh novel and contacts Nodoka to set up a meeting with Mai through her agent. Yuuma Kunimi Yuuma is Sakuta's only male friend; he too did not buy into the hospitalization rumors. They are also in the same class at school and work the same shifts at the same diner together. Sakuta is aware of Rio's crush on Yuuma despite the fact that Yuuma is already dating Saki Kamisato.

Tomoe's experience with Adolescence Syndrome becomes important in the seventh novel, for it enabled her to be the first person to see Sakuta across different time planes. After seeing a Sakuta from four days into the future on Christmas Eve, she is directed to see the Sakuta of her present at Fujisawa hospital. Rio Futaba Watching the fireworks with Futaba and Yuuma Rio is one of the two friends Sakuta made at Minegahara High because they didn't buy into the rumors that Sakuta hospitalized three children. Rio also initially did not believe that adolescence syndrome exists, instead using long-discredited scientific propositions (Schrödinger's cat and Laplace's demon) to explain the situations of Mai and Tomoe respectively. Rio often comments that Sakuta is a "rascal" (ブタ野郎だね, buta yarō da ne), which becomes a catchphrase and forms part of the title of the series.

Rio only starts to be convinced of adolescence syndrome once it happens to her during summer break, causing her to literally split into two Rio Futaba's. Sakuta makes an effort to visit both Rios over the coming days. The Rio that continued to post suggestive pictures of her body on a social media feed is then doxxed, with the doxxer recognizing Rio's uniform and threatening to tell her school. On Rio's plea, Sakuta takes control of her feed before terminating it. That Rio later has Sakuta stay the night at her home, only for Sakuta to call Yuuma over to their nearest station to meet up. They spent the rest of the night awake, letting off fireworks at the beach. While this Rio feels better about herself, the other Rio, who had been staying over at Sakuta's home since, runs away and is found at Minegahara High contemplating suicide. Sakuta, who found her, collapses soon afterwards and is taken to the hospital. After being discharged, Sakuta convinces the runaway Rio to attend a fireworks festival later that week, letting the other Rio know via a phone call and thus unifying both Rios.

Sakuta is kicked by Tomoe Koga Sakuta first encounters Tomoe at the playground downhill from where he lives. Tomoe had kicked Sakuta in the back after mistaking him for a pedophile when all he did was comfort a little girl who couldn't find her mother. After clearing up the misunderstanding, Tomoe lets Sakuta get even by kicking her butt; this, however, is noticed by a police officer on patrol, so they are questioned at the police station for over an hour before being released; this makes Sakuta run late for his date with Mai that day. In the light novel, Sakuta lets Tomoe know him by a fake alias ("Ichiro Satou"), while in the anime, neither reveal their names yet. Tomoe and Sakuta would not encounter each other again until both realize they're living the same day (June 27) more than once, and ended up in the same room. The events that happen subsequently cause the loop to break, to Sakuta's dismay; the events had strained Mai's relationship with him. Tomoe then happens to join Sakuta as a colleague at the diner he works in; after their shift, she ropes Sakuta into pretend-dating her, partly due to her own insecurities which reminded Sakuta of his sister when she was being bullied. Sakuta learns of Tomoe's dilemma. On the last day of school before summer break (July 18), Tomoe and Sakuta agree to leave their fake relationship behind. However, Tomoe unknowingly causes that day to start again in the morning. On the fourth loop, Sakuta deviates from their planned journey to the beach and instead leads Tomoe up to the Enoshima Shrine. At the summit, Sakuta asks Tomoe to let go of her feelings for him because he's already committed himself to Mai. When she does so, time rewinds back to June 27, and Tomoe happily becomes just a friend and colleague to Sakuta. Their interactions from then on are limited to the place they work at, despite both still attending the same school.

Sakuta leaves a message for the older Shoko A year after that, Sakuta would encounter a younger girl who also went by the name of Shoko Makinohara. She would often visit Sakuta's home to look after a stray cat that she had found, but she could not take it home herself. By October of that year, the older Shoko writes to Sakuta for a meeting; Sakuta, by that point, had moved on to be with Mai, thus leaves the beach early with a message written in the sand. The older Shoko appears before Sakuta again after he bleeds from the chest once more on the day Kaede regained her memories. She helps Sakuta get back to his home, then reads Kaede's diary entries to him. She reminds Sakuta that the Kaede Sakuta had known for the past two years knew that she would be superseded when the actual Kaede regains her memories, and he would bear the same feelings of regret as he did two years ago. Although the older Shoko was initially thought to have been an imagination, due to nobody else seeing her other than Sakuta, she eventually does appear to Mai, explaining that she has a heart disease. Sakuta eventually figures out that the older Shoko is a time-traveller who comes from a future in which Sakuta had died from a car accident, and his heart was donated to the younger Shoko in order for her to live on, which explains the link between his scars and Shoko appearing before him. Because the older Shoko developed feelings for Sakuta, she would go back in time and save Sakuta's life. After Mai gets run over in Sakuta's place instead, another Shoko from the future, this time saved by a transplant of Mai's heart, offers to send Sakuta back to before Mai was run over. The prevention of the deaths of either Sakuta or Mai convinces the younger Shoko, in an intensive care unit by then and having known all that happened through her dreams, to spare Sakuta from his misery by resetting the past three years.

Sakuta comforts Kaede after she steps outside In the fifth novel, Kaede writes up a list of goals to be achieved before the new year. These include talking on the phone to people other than Sakuta, stepping out of home, and eventually going to school. Sakuta is moved by her sister's new-found determination. However, when Kaede doesn't recognize an old classmate from middle school, Sakuta ends up having to explain the situation to Mai and Nodoka. Kaede is rushed to the hospital later that day after collapsing, suggesting that her memories are likely to return. Despite this, Sakuta continues to help Kaede achieve the rest of her goals. Kaede's several attempts to go to school overwhelm her; as a result, Sakuta skips school for her sake, taking Kaede to a zoo to see pandas. On the way back, Sakuta takes a detour that leads Kaede to the school she would be attending, and they sneak in to explore the school corridors at night. Kaede returns home and goes to sleep, only to wake up with her pre-dissociation memories restored. On that morning's hospital visit, doctors confirmed that Kaede suffered from amnesia again, causing Sakuta to storm out of the hospital in a frenzy and bleed from the scars on his chest again. Nonetheless, "old" Kaede was able to read the notebook that her alternate self left behind, and upon being discharged from the hospital, thanks her brother, knowing that she's no longer alone. The Azusagawa siblings observe Kaede's old classroom Shoko Makinohara

Shoko, as a second-year Minegahara High student, first appeared to Sakuta at the beach after he fled there from the hospital a few days after the scars on his chest were discovered. She heard Sakuta's story and imparted the advice that Sakuta continues to keep close to his heart. Sakuta fell in love with her and chose to go to Minegahara High a year later because of her, but then found out that no student by the name of Shoko Makinohara ever attended Minegahara High.

Receiving a pinch instead of a kiss In the following volumes, Mai and Sakuta solidify their relationship, even as the former gets busy resuming her acting and modelling career, which reduces the opportunities for them to properly date each other. There are times when Mai's jealousy of other girls with an interest in Sakuta can be made abundantly clear; however, Sakuta never truly crosses into infidelity territory despite his tendency to make lewd remarks, even at girls he has no interest in pursuing romantically. Kaede Azusagawa Sakuta's sibling relationship with Kaede before her dissociation two years prior to the storyline remained largely unexplored until the eighth novel. After the dissociation, however, Kaede becomes overly attached to her older brother in a strange "brother complex.". This is justified by the fact that Sakuta attempted to reach out to Kaede's new personality while their parents refused to. As a result, Sakuta and Kaede moved into their own apartment shortly before the former began high school. Sakuta may at times be repulsed by his sister's brother-complex tendencies; nonetheless, Kaede respects Sakuta's relationship with Mai after they get together, although she suspects her brother to be a "gigolo" after inviting Rio, Shoko and Nodoka to their apartment on separate occasions afterwards.

Sakuta holds Mai's hand Sakuta and Mai go on a train all the way to Ōgaki, in Gifu Prefecture, hoping to find a place where people still recognize Mai. Their attempts are futile, so Sakuta books a night at a hotel. He calls his two friends and finds out that they still remember Mai. As a result, Sakuta and Mai return to where they came from and make it back to school by Monday lunchtime. Sakuta did not go to sleep during the hotel stay and was later given the suggestion that falling asleep would erase his memories of Mai. Sakuta attempts to stay awake for Mai's sake, but Mai becomes aware of this by Wednesday night. She offers to tutor him in his apartment, and while doing so, spikes his coffee with a sleeping pill in order to put Sakuta out of his misery. Sakuta wakes up on Thursday with no memory of Mai, as expected; her name had been erased from the diary entry Sakuta had written on Tuesday in a vain attempt to remember. When Sakuta sits for an exam later that day, he notices some questions on the exam being similar to questions he had been revising the night before, and eventually, all his memories of Mai return. He storms out of his classroom mid-exam and gets to the school's playing field, shouting his love for Mai such that other students are distracted from their own exams and look at him from the corridors. This eventually makes Mai appear to everyone again, within distance of Sakuta, although Mai gives him a slap for his troubles and refuses to answer his confession in front of the whole school.

Sakuta meets Mai for the first time. The series' first novel centers on Sakuta's interactions with Mai, the first case of adolescence syndrome since his sister's that Sakuta had identified. Sakuta became intrigued after seemingly being the only person to see Mai, who he recognized as a senior from his high school, walk around Fujisawa library in a bunny-girl outfit, while everyone else at the library took no notice of her. Mai was still visible in and around school the next day, though students willingly chose not to interact with Mai, knowing that she was a famous actress who went on hiatus. Sakuta permits Mai to touch his scar. Mai first hears of adolescence syndrome when Sakuta suggests it as a cause of her not being seen by others. Sakuta lets Mai into his apartment to prove he knows what he is talking about, but when he makes remarks about Mai's acting career, Mai doesn't take it too well and storms off. Mai soon ends up at the door of Sakuta's apartment again, relying on him more and more as her adolescent syndrome worsens, such that she becomes invisible to more and more people. Though she gets angry at Sakuta for knowing why she went on hiatus, she at least asks how Sakuta found out, and returns the favor by contacting the journalist that parted with this information, preventing her from publishing Sakuta's scars; in exchange, she would give an exclusive interview announcing her return to showbiz. However, the following days disrupt Mai's plans because, as Sakuta also finds out, the people she had contacted before suddenly stopped becoming aware of her existence, including Mai's very own mother.

Sakuta receives sudden injuries Sakuta was part of a normal Japanese family until two years prior to the time of the first novel. On that day, his sister Kaede went to his room after being bullied online, and self-harm cuts suddenly appeared on her face and body. Kaede woke up the following day with no memories of her past. After her family went to the hospital, doctors confirmed that Kaede suffered from dissociative identity disorder. Despite Sakuta's efforts to interact with his sister over the following days, scars continued to emerge around her face and neck. Also, their mother started having a mental breakdown over the event. The day after witnessing the breakdown, Sakuta woke up with three deep cuts to his chest and was hospitalized. Doctors refused to believe Sakuta's account of his experiences and even blamed him for his own injury. Once he was able to walk again, he snuck out of hospital and went to Shichirigahama Beach, where he met and told his story to a girl named Shoko Makinohara. Upon asking her why she chose to believe his story, Shoko simply replied that she wanted to spend her life being kinder than before. Moved, Sakuta asked if he could live like she did, which she approved. When he was released from the hospital, Sakuta gifted Kaede a pen and notebook, saying that they would write her name in hiragana, referring to her as the current Kaede. Later on, as a way to sympathize with Kaede and to prevent further injuries, Sakuta threw his phone in the ocean. His hospitalization would later start the false rumor that Sakuta had engaged in violent activities that sent people to the hospital, which was dubbed the "Hospitalization Incident."

Sakuta's most iconic trait is his consistent deadpan face and manner of speech, regardless of his emotional state. He's rather stoic and will often voice whatever he has on his mind with a calm demeanor. Sakuta is a socially isolated and calm individual as a result of his ordeal with adolescence syndrome. While he states that he is not bothered by what people think about him or care about trying to fit in and be accepted by his classmates, he does admit that rumors about him are sometimes quite painful to hear and that his indifference comes from a feeling that it is pointless to try and go against the "atmosphere"—the social order of school, and tries to hide from it. Nonetheless, he states that he doesn't care if the whole world would hate him, as long as one person would need him, and isn't hesitant about defying social norms. Despite his reserved nature and somewhat anti-social demeanor, he's a very kind person who does show care and compassion for those he cares about, especially those who suffer from bullying or adolescence syndrome, like his sister and himself. Even if he doesn't mind if all the others hate him, as long as he only has one person on his side. Sakuta is also not afraid to show his more playful and lecherous side and will often make blunt and straightforward lewd remarks to the girls he interacts with, especially his girlfriend Mai and his female friends Rio and Tomoe. However, these comments are mostly jokes he directs at others, and are by no means ill-intended. All in all, Sakuta's personality can be summarized as being incredibly selfless, kind, and helpful, but also very snarky. He's often blunt, honest and straightforward with Mai, and he enjoys making lewd jokes that leave her flustered. Ultimately, they both love to tease each other, and they have very similar personalities: both are quick-witted, with a sarcastic streak, yet very kind and helpful, with an immensely good heart, and always do what's right.

Sakuta is a young man of average height and lean build with brown hair and brown eyes, and he has three claw marks that go across his chest, which are a result of Adolescence Syndrome. At times, his scars open during moments of extreme emotion, such as when Kaede Azusagawa experienced her Adolescence Syndrome. His school uniform consists of a white dress shirt, which is covered up by the standard light-brown colored blazer; on top of that he wears it unbuttoned, wearing a red tie and outdoor brown shoes as well as blue pants.

Unlike the initial June 27, Tomoe was able to reject Maezawa, claiming that she had feelings for someone who didn't have a smartphone. After coming across Sakuta, she stated that Rena would hate her for rejecting him and that she wouldn't have a place in her class; Tomoe clarified that Sakuta had turned her into a better person. Sakuta promised that no matter what happened, he would always be her friend, to which she playfully responded that she was the one who allowed him to be a close friend. Tomoe was later found walking alone outside the school, but she came across some students who wanted to hang out with her and walked with them. Adolescence Syndrome Main article: Adolescence Syndrome Stemming from her desire to fit in, Tomoe was capable of evoking a simulated future in which she could rewind and restart the current day. After professing her love to Sakuta, while also acknowledging she could only be friends with him, time was reset to before the simulated future was elicited. Tomoe's experience with Adolescence Syndrome also enabled her to see Sakuta across different time-planes, as demonstrated in the seventh novel. This was key for Sakuta to prevent a future in which he or Mai died from a traffic accident.

The following day, Tomoe met up with Sakuta at the train station, where she noticed Sakuta lewdly observing her. At the beach, they spent their date splashing each other with water, having a sandcastle contest and drinking slushed ice drinks. As the sun began to set, while sitting on the beach shore with Sakuta, Tomoe thanked him for everything and proclaimed the end of their "relationship". Before they went home, Tomoe stated that she hoped he would go out with Mai someday. However, time was rewound back to the morning of July 18. Tomoe cries after admitting her feelings to Sakuta That morning, Tomoe was questioned by Sakuta if she had experienced a time loop. In response, she claimed that she did not experience a time loop before waving him off. Later on, the two repeated their date and goodbye as it occurred previously. Still, July 18 occurred a third time to repeat the same events; once again, after she ended their false relationship, she rewound July 18 a fourth time. Tomoe was mildly surprised when Sakuta announced they were heading to Enoshima, but went sightseeing with him there regardless. Once they were on a wooden bridge, Sakuta told her to stop lying, and that no matter how many times she rolled the dice, his feelings wouldn't change. Tomoe denounced Sakuta as a liar, responding that feelings do build up the more they are repeated; at least for her. She explained that she tried to forget their experiences, couldn't bring herself to. However, with some indirect encouragement from Sakuta that nothing would change, Tomoe was able to loudly declare that she loved him, before crying with profound sorrow. Now able to come to grips with reality, time rewound all the way to the morning of June 27, revealing that everything that had happened since June 27 was a simulated future.

Tomoe is flustered after Sakuta compares her butt to a peach Later on, Tomoe gave Sakuta a can of peaches as a gift of gratitude, but was flustered and provoked once Sakuta compared the peaches to her butt. Later at work, she was surprised that Mai had not rejected Sakuta yet. Upon hearing from Sakuta that he and Mai would have dated if it weren't for the time loop, Tomoe asked in disbelief if Mai had stated her love for him. The reply was a no, and Tomoe proclaimed he was just saying things. On July 7, Tomoe was found by Sakuta sitting by herself in the train station, feeling down as a result of a rumor that she was a promiscuous girl. However, once Maezawa made a derogatory remark at her, Sakuta swiftly beat him to the ground with a kick and stomped on his face; proclaiming that he stepped on feces beforehand, and mocked his way of life while declaring himself a virgin. She is subsequently ushered away from the station by Sakuta, where they laughed at the fact that Sakuta didn't care if he went too far. Tomoe sadly watches Mai's online advert Later at the beach, Tomoe stated that she had an idea of what he meant by having one person who needed him, adding that she felt like she was his girlfriend. Tomoe then disclosed that she was a virgin, earning a fit of laughter from Sakuta, who told that he wouldn't have believed the rumor at all. As the two walked along the shoreline, Tomoe asked how she would pay him back, to which he replied that she would be his friend once the lie that they were dating ended. In response, she announced she would be his best friend instead. At her home that night, Tomoe came across an online advertisement featuring Mai, and gazed at it sadly. On July 17, Tomoe went to buy a swimsuit along with Sakuta. Later that evening, Tomoe explained that as a believable way to break up the relationship, she thought of a scenario where Sakuta never got over Mai, and added that they would have the "argument" on their way back from the beach date.

Tomoe asks Sakuta to go on a date with her the next day Later that day, Tomoe was hired at Benny's and was surprised to see that Sakuta worked there as well. After closing time, Tomoe attempted to get Sakuta to keep up the implication that they were dating, but failed. However, upon revealing that she did not want to look like she was lonely, Sakuta agreed to keep up the lie. Tomoe then asked Sakuta to go on a date with her tomorrow after his shift at work is over, so that she could tell Rena that she went on one. The next day, Tomoe went with Sakuta to the aquarium, where she marveled at the various displays. While watching one particularly featuring penguins, she compared herself to a penguin who always followed the group. However, after comparing Sakuta to the penguin being laughed at, she became troubled. The pair then went outside, where Tomoe revealed that she used to be a socially awkward person. In response, Sakuta told her not to be bothered over who she was before, as she liked the person who she was now, which Tomoe happily agreed with. The two noticed one of Tomoe's classmates named Nana Yoneyama at a beach and learn she was looking for her phone strap. Tomoe managed to find it for her near the edge of the shore, but fell into the water, which caused her to get sick the next day. While resting in the nurse's office, Tomoe asked Sakuta why he went along with her requests, to which he replied that she was desperate when she asked. Tomoe stated that she was worried about the school's opinion of her, explaining that she doesn't want everyone to hate her. Sakuta responded by stating that he would be satisfied if he had only one person who liked him, which intrigued Tomoe.

A picture of Tomoe in middle school During her time in a middle school in Fukuoka, Tomoe was a bumpkin who hung out with an unnoticed group in her class. However, her father was relocated, which forced her to move to Tokyo. Fearing she would be considered uncool and get bullied, she began wearing makeup, styled her hair in a fancy salon, wore clothes that she saw in fashion magazines, and spoke in more standard Japanese. She became satisfied with the result. Tomoe encountered Sakuta Azusagawa at a playground and kicked him to defend a little girl, thinking he was a pedophile. After Sakuta cleared up the misunderstanding, she demanded he kick her in return so they would be even. Unfortunately for both of them, a nearby police officer witnessed the obscene act and they were subsequently given a lecture at the police station; Tomoe unknowingly made things more difficult by constantly checking her phone. Tomoe and Sakuta are discovered in an embarrassing position On June 27, Tomoe found herself being asked out by Maezawa, but felt too uneasy to give him a definite reply. Unbeknownst to her, Tomoe's Adolescence Syndrome rewound time so that the events of June 27 repeated itself. After the third time the day was rewound, she was found hiding in a classroom podium by Sakuta. Once they learned both of them had been living the same day three times, Tomoe revealed her dilemma to Sakuta. Unfortunately, a brief moment of panic makes them fall over into an unintentionally obscene position, disgusting a passing Yosuke Maezawa and subsequently Mai Sakurajima.

Tomoe has a strong desire to fit in and avoid being shunned, which is why she bears unease over her past and why she cares about her social life and status; the latter is why she is usually seen on her phone and why she was unable to respond to Yosuke Maezawa's advances. After her experience with Sakuta, she was able to learn not to focus so much on what others think of her and thanked him for helping her grow as a person. She seems to have a somewhat odd sense of ethics, as immediately after she realized her mistake for kicking Sakuta, she ordered him to kick her in return so that they would be even. Nevertheless, she is all in all a very positive, kind and cheerful girl, with a pleasant personality. However, her young age shows: she can be overly people-oriented, dependent and somewhat self-entitled, as seen when she creates the time loop as she fell in love with Sakuta. In the end, though, she agrees to be just friends with him. Tomoe's Fukuoka accent sometimes slips out when she's excited or embarrassed.

Face: Tomoe has a youthful, softly rounded face with a calm and pleasant expression. Her eyes are large and expressive, giving her a bright, attentive look. Her eyebrows are gently curved, complementing her eyes and adding to her approachable appearance. She has a small, neat nose and a subtle, confident smile. Her hair is short and light brown, styled in soft waves that frame her face naturally, creating a tidy yet relaxed look. Body: Tomoe has a slender, well-proportioned build with a light and graceful frame. Her posture is relaxed but confident, with her shoulders slightly back and her stance balanced. Her limbs are slim, and her legs are long and straight, contributing to an overall elegant silhouette. The way she stands gives off a composed, self-assured presence without appearing rigid. Tomoe is a short girl who has fluffy beige-blonde hair styled into a bob-cut along with blue eyes. The left side of her hair is adorned with a T-shaped hair barrette. Sakuta has remarked on multiple occasions that she has a large butt, which bothers her. Since Volume 10 (and Season 2 of the anime), when Sakuta is in college and Tomoe is a senior at high school, Tomoe's hair has grown out slightly. She is a 18 years woman with fair skin and her height is 152cm her Birthday is on May 23