Characters from manga and anime series Skip and Loafer.
open/close all folders
West Tsubame High School
Class 1-3
In general
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: In Mitsumi's group of girl friends at school, Murashige is the Blonde, she and Kurume are the Brunettes, and Egashira is the Redhead, although the last is only apparent in colored illustrations.
Mitsumi Iwakura
Voiced by: Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese)
An ambitious teenage girl hailing from a rural coastal town in Ishikawa Prefecture, she enrolled in West Tsubame High School in Tokyo with the lofty goal of becoming a prominent politician who can improve the conditions of Japanese rural communities. The plot revolves around her adjusting to urban life and forming new bonds along the way.
- Animal Motif:
- Pandas. They appear throughout the series as various things like accessories or snacks. Mitsumi and Shima even see actual pandas at the zoo during summer vacation.
- A duckling, in the sense that she is like a fish out of the water in the big city, so she is compared to a duckling getting her footing.
- Book Smart: She's intelligent, hardworking, and ambitious, eventually becoming one of the top students in her grade, but she is sometimes in over her head when it comes to big city etiquette.
- Class Representative: She immediately volunteers for the position of class representative when it's offered, though this is done to portray her as a good student who's determined to come out of high school with an impressive resume more than it portrays her as an authority figure for her classmates.
- Cool Big Sis: To her younger siblings back in her hometown, who both adore her in turn.
- Country Mouse: Mitsumi is from a small coastal town in Ishikawa prefecture and dreams of going to high school in Tokyo so she can go to a prestigious university and become a public servant to help her rural hometown. Despite her lofty goals, however, she quickly finds out that she's not prepared for the reality of living in the big city.
- Endearingly Dorky: More or less fits to a T; even her siblings and middle school best friend were able to guess she got lost on the way to school and had to run. Later on Tokiko calls her spacey and gets the shock of her life when Mitsumi is barely bothered by their getting off-schedule for the bus and instead playing with a cat.
- Go-Getter Girl: Mitsumi is an ambitious girl who has already planned out her life, seeking a long career in politics tackling socio-economic problems of rural Japan.
- Infectious Enthusiasm: An interesting case where Mitsumi comes off quite awkward and stresses about making friends in her mind, and where some people can't get a good read on her initially, yet in the long run she's very much enthusiastic around people she wants to befriend and this enthusiasm spreads. At first Makoto will only speak with her for example, and Tokiko is introduced actually enjoying experiencing life outside schedules with her.
- Plucky Girl: As she tells Shima during the school festival arc, she might get knocked down, but never lets it stop her from getting back up again. She tends to face her problems with grit and determination, even if it makes her look awkward.
SÅsuke Shima
Voiced by: Akinori Egoshi (Japanese)
The very first friend Mitsumi makes in Tokyo, who helped her get to school when she got lost on the first day.
- Abusive Parents: Shown in his flashbacks, his unseen biological father seemed to go out for drinking a lot and getting into vocal fights with his mother. Later, Sosuke says it was also because he had an affair. Not to mention, his mother forced him to be an actor and when he finally disobeyed her for once for not taking his feelings in account, she slapped him in response and called him a bad child. It's unknown in the present if she regretted what she did, with how she's taking better care for Sosuke's little brother and quickly excusing herself from the festival to see Sosuke's play when Ririka accuses her of using Sosuke again for acting.
- Animal Motif: Dogs. Shima is likened to a Big Friendly Dog that Mitsumi has in her home, and is unfailingly loyal and friendly.
- Chick Magnet: He's one of the most popular guys in their year and frequently has admirers coming up to him.
- Dysfunctional Family: Downplayed, but Sosuke doesn't seem so close with his family to the point he tends to sleep a lot at friend's houses and rarely has dinner with his family, but his little brother at least is shown to love him. It was unknown if Keiri's father was his biological father but in Sosuke's flashbacks, we see an unknown man arguing with his mother, which is hinted to be his biological father. Later, he says his father had an affair so it's implied Keiri's father is Sosuke's step-father.
- Extreme Doormat: Lampshaded by himself when he doesn't know how to refuse a part in the school's play. He's so constantly accepting what everyone around him wants to do that he fears refusing so hard on the play would make people start questioning why.
- Former Child Star: Kanechika recognizes him as a child actor in a TV drama. Shima is not fond of talking about his celebrity past and reveals to Mitsumi that he only got into acting because his mother told him to, and decided to quit showbiz in order to break free from her control.
- Head-Turning Beauty: Everyone he interacts with thinks he is handsome. His basketball playing and acting performances draw audiences. When he comes over to befriend Mitsumi early on, everyone in the vicinity thinks he's an ikemen (good-looking man).
- Perpetual Smiler: Hardly ever seen without a friendly smile on his face. This is the reason Mitsumi thinks he's hard to read.
- Practically Different Generations: He and his younger brother Keiri are 13 years apart.
- Pretty Boy: He's tall and slender, and his classmates are prone to commenting internally about his good looks.
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: When he buys Mitsumi a small Christmas present his friends instantly accuse them of going out, which he hastily denies. He turns over the implications of going out of his way to give her a gift, however.
- Stepford Smiler: His carefree and easygoing attitude is partially an act. He knows that people expect him to be kind, chill, and considerate, so he tries his best to be that, but he realizes in the school festival arc that this attitude is because he's not letting himself move forward.
- What Is This Feeling?: His feelings to Mitsumi is somewhat complex. Considering he's a guy who tries to be on the neutral and everybody's good side, it was hard for him to stand up to people badmouthing Mitsumi. When they decide to break up after seeing they are just friends, he gets somewhat jealous when he sees her with people and he ironically, finally stands up to two girls badmouthing Mitsumi. Later when he attempts to hang out with Mitsumi and doesn't get a chance, he gets silent and a hint of jealousy.
Mika Egashira
Voiced by: Yuka Terasaki (Japanese)
The first girl Mitsumi befriends in her class. She is interested in Shima and hence visibly troubled by Mitsumi's closeness to him.
- The Fashionista: Mika makes an active effort to stay in with the trends, in part due to insecurity. In an early chapter she internally disparages Mitsumi for her unfashionable outfit, only to get shown up by Yuzuki in a simple but effortlessly chic ensemble. Later, when they're all genuine friends, Mika and Yuzuki help Mitsumi and Makoto with makeup and fashion.
- Formerly Fat: Mika was bullied in elementary school due to being overweight which has affected how she views herself up to the present.
- Hopeless Suitor: It's clear from the beginning that her crush on Shima doesn't stand a chance, but she gives him a Valentine's confession knowing this and is implied to have come out a better person for it.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: Mika comes off as confident and self-assured with some people (notably Mukai) seeing her as a haughty bitch. In reality, she has incredibly low self-esteem, sees herself as a terrible person and can do nothing but compare herself unfavorably to other girls like Mitsumi and Yuzuki. In fact she claims to like Shima and other old crushes because they can see how supposedly toxic and awful she is underneath the surface.
- The Resenter: To the point of having a mental list with all the names of the people that had midly annoyed her. Also, while she truly cares about Mitsumi, Mika clearly resents her for being much more closer to Shima.
Yuzuki Murashige
Voiced by: Maaya Uchida (Japanese)
An exceptionally beautiful girl who tends to be the center of attention at school. However, beneath that exterior, she's an introvert who craves normal social interactions with her peers.
- Birds of a Feather: Bonds with Makoto due to both being introverts.
- Gyaru Girl: Her blonde hair and exceptional beauty make her schoolmates think she is one. However, she lacks the typical personality traits, being a gentle, soft-spoken girl who's a bit of an introvert and while she has good fashion sense, her casual outfits are rather modest.
- Head-Turning Beauty: Yuzuki is universally regarded by her classmates to be a stunner, and is one of the most popular girls in their grade looks-wise. However, she dislikes how everyone primarily perceives her as pretty and would rather be treated like a normal person.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Yuzuki calls herself "blessed to be smothered by everyone's attention" since her popularity means she gets dragged into drama she wants nothing to do with involving people downplaying her own feelings. She's much happier and more comfortable sticking with Mitsumi and their small group.
- Romantic Wingman: When the awkward Makoto goes on a book-shopping outing with a classmate she likes, Yuzuki helps her get ready for it by looking up places to eat, lending her clothes, and doing her hair.
- School Idol: Yuzuki's beauty makes her extremely popular among both guys and girls... unfortunately for her.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Due to Yuzuki's very good looks, the other students admire her but also keep a distance from her, as well as get her involved in unnecessary drama against her will. Meanwhile, she just wants to have somebody she can hang out and have casual conversations with.
Makoto Kurume
Voiced by: Megumi Han (Japanese)
A shy, bookish girl who's afraid of other people judging her. She gradually opens up thanks to Mitsumi's efforts.
- Big Eater: Any scene that involves snacking or a meal, she often comments about eating more servings.
- Birds of a Feather: Bonds with Yuzuki due to both being introverts.
- Nerd Glasses: Her eyes are often hidden behind her glasses, complementing her "bookish girl" look.
- Shrinking Violet: She is easily intimidated by her more outgoing classmates. Even the most friendly gesture can make her recoil. However, once she becomes more comfortable around her group of friends, she begins to show her snarky side.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: She's not bad-looking, but styles herself plainly. When she has a chance for a date with an upperclassman, she changes her braid to a Prim and Proper Bun and dons contacts, and is repeatedly noted by others to be "cute". The slim Yuzuki also lends her clothes, implying that they have similar body types.
Tsukasa Mukai
Voiced by: Hikaru Tanaka
A close friend of Shima's. Because he's Shima's friend, girls in the past tried to use him to get to Shima. As a result he ignores most attention from girls.
- Ascended Extra: Initially a prop character with the occasional line, he gets more prominence in the manga as the girls become closer to Shima (and Mukai by extension).
- Hidden Depths: Lampshaded. Mika is shocked to learn that the quiet guy in their friend group is actually knowledgeable in geology and astronomy. Offended, Mukai asks her what she initially thought of him.
- Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense: Downplayed. Mukai is quiet and otherwise humble, but his interactions with Shima during the beach arc gradually reveal that he is from a rich family and isn't quite aware of how talking about his vacation to Bali comes off. In an omake, he is revealed to be a cheapskate and unaware that the clothes he wears are expensive, because he doesn't need to buy his own stuff.
- Secret-Keeper: Ends up being one for Mika after she told him she would confess to Shima despite knowing he would turn her down. Only him and Nao-chan know this has happened.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tells off Mika about her cowardice when he believed she was haughty about someone confessing to her, though he regrets this once he rationalized she had self-esteem issues and didn't do so out of malice.
- The Quiet One: Tends to remain quiet in conversations unless pressed into speaking.
Other students
Narumi Kanechika
Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (Japanese)
The president of the drama club.
- Determinator: Once he discovers Shima's celebrity past, Kanechika refuses to give up on recruiting him since a high school student with such acting experience is a very rare catch.
- Innocently Insensitive: His attempts on trying to get Shima on his club are on good faith but he's unaware they are reminding him of a part of his past he wants to forget. Likewise his attempts to congratulate Tokiko make the poor girl leave in tears by reminding her she failed to get the position she wanted.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: He's a kindhearted and energetic theater kid who sometimes plays female roles in the drama club's productions.
Tokiko Takamine
Voiced by: Minami Tsuda (Japanese)
The student council treasurer.
- Crashing Dreams: While reflecting on the day before and her dream of cat-Mitsumi, Mitsumi calls out to her and she sees cat-Mitsumi.
- Dream Sequence: In her dream she meets a cat...it's cat-Mitsumi, and the dream becomes colorful soon after.
- Schedule Fanatic: Her defining trait. She tries to plan out each of her day to the smallest detail. Any small deviation from her schedule causes her stomach to act up. Hence, she considers missing a bus one of her worst nightmares. After spending a day with Mitsumi, who has a much more relaxed attitude despite being very studious (due to being a country girl), Tokiko decides to let herself be more flexible.
- Student Council President: She has a studious and diligent personality and is on the student council. She initially loses out on the position of president, but eventually gets the position of vice president. Mitsumi thinks it suits her.
Mitsumi's loved ones
Nao-chan
Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese)
Mitsumi's aunt, whose residence the girl is staying at while studying in Tokyo.
- Cool Aunt: She's Mitsumi's guardian in Tokyo and is always around for fashion advice and lifestyle tips when her niece needs it.
- The Fashionista: She works as a stylist and is thus always well-dressed and tuned into trends.
- Hated Hometown: She resents her and Mitsumi's rural hometown due to never fitting in, and rarely visits. The fact that she volunteers to take Mitsumi's friend group there for a visit is implied to be a big personal step on her part.
- Sobriquet Sex Switch: She used to be called "Naoki", a masculine name, which she shortens to the gender-neutral "Nao".
Fumino Toyoma
Voiced by: Sumire Morohoshi (Japanese)
Mitsumi's best friend in her hometown.
- Satellite Character: She exists to be Mitsumi's childhood best friend, and most of what we know about her is through her interactions with Mitsumi.
Others
Chris
Sosuke's closest male friend.
- The Confidant: To Sosuke. Whenever he wants to talk about something he normally can't talk at school, he goes to Chris for help and he is happy to help Sosuke.
