The cast of Stars Align.
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The Soft Tennis Club
In General
The boys' soft tennis club, which focuses solely on doubles. They are in danger of disbandment, due to their lacking results and the student council's decision to cut funds from clubs who they deem unworthy,
- First-Name Basis: Many members of the club are familiar with each other and so use first names. Notably, the team and Maki are initially on a Last-Name Basis but start using each other's first names when they warm up to one another.
- Lazy Bum: Nearly everyone in the club, except for Touma and Maki, dislike anything that has to do with working hard, resulting in their club being on the chopping block for budget cuts. They straighten themselves out when they start to get serious.
Maki Katsuragi
Maki Katsuragi
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese), Justin Briner (English)
Maki Katsuragi in his soft tennis uniform.
Maki Katsuragi is a New Transfer Student who is recruited into the failing soft tennis club by childhood acquaintance Touma Shinjou. With his help, they might just be able to win the upcoming tournament and save their club from disbandment.
- Abusive Parents: His father's a violent alcoholic. In his first appearance, he forces his way into the Katsuragi apartment, assaulting, bullying and burglarizing him.
- Accidental Athlete: Maki manages to catch a frightened stray cat with ease, despite not being an athlete. This is what leads Touma to try and recruit him. Lampshaded by the members of the soft tennis club in Episode 2, who are shocked that someone as talented as him has never played sports before. His athleticism is attributed to all the trips he does up and down the stairs at his apartment and all the times he went beetle-catching as a kid, apparently.
- The Ace: He's very good at everything he tries, from soft tennis to impromptu counseling.
- Affectionate Nickname: Itsuki calls him Makimaki.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Aside from his innate athletic talent, most of the series he's seen studying the skills, techniques, and play style of not only his opponents but his teammates (he rearranged the previous pairs). It comes in handy when he and Touma are outclassed in comparison to more experienced players and have to rely on strategic maneuvers based on their adversity's weaknesses, at least for them to hold out long enough. Touma in particular appears to depend on what Maki has discerned during their matches.
- Bash Brothers: Building it up with Touma, so much so that they were becoming a pair to watch out for. They certainly gave the twins trouble.
- Break the Cutie: Maki is a sweet boy who takes care of the household while his mother is away at work, doing all the chores for her and being an overall good son. He's also straight-up terrified by his father who physically and verbally abuses him, rapes his mother, and even breaks his new tennis racket in the fourth episode.
- Brutal Honesty: Maki never hesitates to say what's on his mind, even if it comes off as rude.
- Catchphrase: Frequently says "I see, I see"note when observing something (typically sports-related).
- Cruel to Be Kind: Maki demolishes the soft tennis' club's self-esteem by calling cowards and sore losers that don't even want to make an effort in improving their skills. At first, the other players are horrified by such comments, one of them is even driven to tears while another threatens to hit Maki, but instead, they just suck it up and decide to push themselves harder and improve their training.
- I'll Kill You!: He declares his murderous intent to his father after he threatens to kill Touma. In Episode 12 it looks like he plans to go through with his murderous intent, going to his father's apartment with a kitchen knife. Due to the cliffhanger ending, it's unknown what comes out of it.
- Instant Expert: Along with his natural endurance, Maki picks up on the fundamentals of tennis swings with relative ease after watching Touma's instructions.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: He's comfortable with wearing a visor as part of his tennis uniform even after being told that girls are usually the ones who use it and when he has to crossdress to spy on a rival team he doesn't complain.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Even if Maki is right whenever he points out the team's obvious flaws, he could be nicer about it.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Despite his Brutal Honesty, Maki has a good heart.
- Men Can't Keep House: Inverted with him and his mother. Maki takes care of all the cooking and cleaning while his mother is at work, and the mother is implied to be a bit of a scatterbrain. Touma thinks Maki doesn't want to join any clubs because he wouldn't have time to take care of the house.
- New Transfer Student: He transfers into the school in the first episode.
- Only in It for the Money: Maki only agrees to join the soft tennis club if Touma pays him. It's because his father constantly abuses him for money.
- Patricide: Implied to commit this in the last bit of episode 12, but considering who his father Kenji is, it maybe deserving.
- Shed the Family Name: His name was originally Maki Kyobate before his parents’ got divorced and he took on his mother’s last name.
- Unskilled, but Strong: He has natural aptitude when it comes to athletics, having quick reflexes, endurance, speed, and sharp focus enough that he at times can predict where the ball will go. Of course, being new to soft tennis, he has yet to fully tie his abilities to the sport. Everyone notices the potential however.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Dresses up as a girl with Asuka to spy on a rival team, since he apparently looks the most feminine (according to Mitsue). Maki is confused but complies anyway. The team is impressed by how good they both look, and an ex-teammate (who's never met them) even tries to hit on them.
Touma Shinjou
Touma Shinjou
Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka (Japanese), Josh Grelle (English)
Touma Shinjou in his soft tennis uniform.
Touma Shinjou is the captain of the soft tennis club. He is desperate to save his club.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Touma briefly skips club activities when he realizes how unskilled his team is and blames himself for not being a good captain. Maki convinces him to come back on the phone, complaining that he still wants his money.
- Abusive Parents: Touma confides in his brother that he feels worthless in Episode 3, and says that their mother tells him that he is. Coupled with her passive-aggressive behavior towards and at times outright disdain for her son, it would seem that she is verbally and emotionally abusive.
- Bash Brothers: With Maki. Their synergy strengthens the more they play together.
- Bully Hunter: The way he confronts Asuka's bullies implies he often helps fight them off.
- I'll Kill You!: He declares that he’ll kill Maki's father, although he threatens to kill Touma before he can.
- The Un-Favourite: Heavily implied that Touma's mother favours his brother Ryouma a lot more than himself (or is at least a lot less comfortable with Touma than with Ryouma). When telling Touma that she's divorcing in the final episode, she announces her plans to live with Ryouma while Touma lives with his father, and she flat-out tells him she's happy to be rid of him.
Itsuki Ameno
Itsuki Ameno
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese), Derick Snow (English)
Itsuki Ameno in his soft tennis uniform.
A somewhat scary member of the soft tennis club, prone to threats and violence. Has an older sister on the girls' soft tennis team.
- Abusive Parents: His mother poured boiling water on him as a baby, resulting in severe burns on most of his body.
- Dislikes the New Guy: Downplayed. He stops changing in the locker rooms when Maki joins because he doesn't want to be asked about his scars, whereas the rest of the team knows how he got them. While he doesn't dislike Maki, this does indicate he's not completely comfortable with him yet. His going back to change in the locker rooms shows that he's now warmed up to Maki.
- The Nicknamer: Likes to come up with nicknames for others, like "Makimaki" (Maki) and "Kananyan/ Kanacat" (Mitsue).
- Slasher Smile: Bears a rather unsettling smile after hitting a bully in the head with a racket.
Rintaro Futsu
Rintaro Futsu
Voiced by: Gen Satō (Japanese), Garret Storms (English)
Rintaro Futsu in his soft tennis uniform.
The soft tennis club's vice-captain.
- Academic Athlete: Part of the soft tennis club and is implied to be smart in Episode 5, as he easily solves the equation despite having been distracted planning the club's activities.
- Happily Adopted: Played with. Rintaro’s adoptive parents are good people who love him and are genuinely proud of him, but Rintaro thinks of himself as an unwanted burden to them. While expressing these feelings of inadequacy to Touma, he gets upset and retorts that Rintaro is actually happily adopted and should be grateful.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Despite being well-loved by his parents and friends, and being successful academically, Rintaro only sees himself as a burden and failure, and has since he was a child.
- Nice Guy: Is a genuinely kind guy to his teammates, if a bit of a pushover.
- Number Two: Is the vice-captain of the club, taking the second leader role after Touma.
- Stepford Smiler: The depressed variant. Rintaro is usually seen smiling and supporting his teammates, but deep down thinks of himself as a burden and a failure.
Tsubasa Soga
Tsubasa Soga
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Japanese), Ricco Fajardo (English)
Tsubasa Soga in his soft tennis uniform.
A sarcastic and lazy member of the soft tennis club.
- Abusive Parents: His father hates that he doesn't play soccer, and slaps him hard enough to fall down the stairs and break his wrist, just before the high school tournament.
- Deadpan Snarker: Prone to snarking at others with a flat (and maybe annoyed) look on his face.
- Dislikes the New Guy: Doesn't react as warmly to Maki as some of the other members of his team at first, even threatening to hit him with a racket.
- Screaming Warrior: His tactic for his practice match against a team from one of the best schools at soft tennis? Scream nonsense with all his might when the opponent is about to hit the ball.
Shingo Takenouchi
Shingo Takenouchi
Voiced by: Keisuke Sato (Japanese), Adam Gibbs (English)
Shingo Takenouchi in his soft tennis uniform.
A quick-tempered member of the soft tennis club, who often harasses Taiyo.
- Big Brother Worship: Shingo's little sister An adores him and goes as far as to watch the boys' practice match with the girl's team.
- Bully and Wimp Pairing: His dynamic with his first doubles pair, Taiyo, mainly consists of him picking on the latter in some way. Averted from Episode 4 when he is paired with Tsubasa, who better matches his fiery temper.
- Calling Your Attacks: Invokes this when calling out his "galactic magnum" and "super revolution cannon" serves (both are perfectly ordinary serves) in his practice match against Misaki Academy, specifically to catch his opponents off-guard.
- Dislikes the New Guy: Doesn't react as warmly to Maki as some of the other members of his team at first.
- Fiery Redhead: Has bright red hair and a quick temper to match.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: During the ending theme, he dances much like a typical female Idol Singer would.
Nao Tsukinose
Nao Tsukinose
Voiced by: Yūsuke Kobayashi (Japanese), Matt Shipman (English)
Nao Tsukinose in his soft tennis uniform.
A member of the soft tennis club prone to "making up fairy tales".
- Compulsive Liar: Has a running gag of making up absurd stories about himself and others. This comes to bite him when Shingo's sister goes missing and he pretends he hasn't seen her so that the practice matches will get canceled.
- Confusion Fu: A downplayed version. His and Taiyo's strategy when playing against Misaki members involves constant movement and not clearly defining their positions to mess up their opponent's more orthodox setup.
- My Beloved Smother: Nao's mother is overbearing, constantly interfering, and cares not a whit about what he wants to do. She fails to pick up that her ideas are depressing him. The team knows her for being a monster parent and aren't surprised when they figure out she's making complaints about the club.
- Nice Guy: He's still pretty friendly despite being a liar
Taiyo Ishigami
Taiyo Ishigami
Voiced by: Kōhei Amasaki (Japanese), Dallas Reid (English)
Taiyo Ishigami in his soft tennis uniform.
A shy, yet an optimistic member of the soft tennis club.
- Bully and Wimp Pairing: Is unable to defend himself whenever his first doubles pair, Shingo, picks on him (which is often). Averted from Episode 4 when he is paired with Nao.
- Confusion Fu: A downplayed version. His and Nao's strategy when playing against Misaki members involves constant movement and not clearly defining their positions to mess up their opponent's more orthodox setup.
- Good Parents: The only one aside from Rintaro who has two parents that genuinely care about him. A little embarrassing and slightly misguided about trying to comfort him but good all the same.
- The Klutz: Particularly uncoordinated on the court compared to the others.
- Nice Guy: He’s very friendly and kind with his teammates.
Yuta "Yuu" Asuka
Yuta Asuka
Voiced by: Yoshitaka Yamaya (Japanese), Brandon McInnis (English)
Yuta Asuka in their club manager uniform.
Touma's friend and the current manager of the boys' soft tennis club. Called Yuu by their older sisters.
- Abusive Parents: Yuu’s mother is unaccepting that they are gay, and verbally abuses them over it.
- Actual Pacifist: Doesn't like fighting back, even when bullied.
- Bully Magnet: Because of them being homosexual, they are often bullied. Luckily they have the soft tennis club to defend them.
- Coming-Out Story: In Episode 8, Yuu explains to Maki that they “think they’re nonbinary” but it doesn’t feel right to be categorized. To help them feel more comfortable, Maki talks about his mother’s friend and trans man Shou. Both their sisters, and later Maki and Mitsue, call them a more gender-neutral “Yuu(-kun)” as opposed to Yuta.
- Cute Sports Club Manager: They're a sweet person who takes up the role of the soft tennis club's manager in Episode 2 upon Maki's request. They help look after the team while training and gather information on opponents. They also have a crush on Touma, which Maki picks up on.
- Gender-Blender Name: "Yuu" is a gender-neutral name in Japan. This is why they prefer this name over "Yuta" — "Yuu" lacks the masculinity "Yuta" has, allowing them to be a girl or nonbinary if they wish.
- In Touch with His Feminine Side: Yuu was taught how to use makeup from their sisters' help. Maki points it out from their counter and despite Yuu’s fear, Maki doesn’t think it’s weird.
- Nice Guy: They are very friendly and considerate of others, making them suitable as the team manager. The team appreciates their kindness and doesn't hesitate to stand up for them when other students make them uncomfortable.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Dresses up as a girl with Maki to spy on a rival team, using makeup and borrowing their sisters' wigs and clothes. The team is impressed by how good they both look, and a ex-teammate (who hasn't met them) even tries to hit on them.
Takayuki Sakurai
Takayuki Sakurai
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese), Aaron Roberts (English)
Takayuki Sakurai in the teacher's office.
An art teacher and advisor to the soft tennis club.
- Affectionate Nickname: Is called "Taka-chin" ("Tacky" in the official Funimation translation) by a few of the guys, showing how (in)formal the team can be towards him.
- Sensei-chan: Downplayed. Although a reasonable authority figure, he's easy-going and allows the team to act casual with him.
- Sweet Tooth: Enjoys candy and has multiple jars on his desk.
Other Characters
Kanako Mitsue
Voiced by: Mayu Mineda (Japanese), Rachel Glass (English)
Maki's next door neighbor and classmate. A pessimistic and artistic girl who often watches the boys' soft tennis club practice.
- Affectionate Nickname: Itsuki calls her Kananyan (officially translated as "Kanacat").
- Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Her parents deny her artistic skill and try to get to to do something more "serious" — even though as an amateur she already has scores of online fans.
- Sour Supporter: Played with, Kanako frequently puts up a front of being disinterested in the Boys Tennis Club, and often mocks them for the effort they put into improving. But it becomes apparent that their enthusiasm is rubbing off on her.
- Tsundere: Always has a sour demeanor. While it's sometimes out of genuine annoyance, she also uses it to hide how much she actually cares about the club and roots for them (especially Maki).
- The Watson: Asuka explains a couple of soft tennis rules for her when she watches the team's practice matches against Misaki Academy.
- Yuri Fan: Draws LGBT art, which gets a lot of praise online.
Kinuyo Kasuga
Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese), Tia Ballard (English)
The Student Council President. Kinuyo threatens to pull the budget of the Boys' Soft Tennis Club due to their repeated failure to produce results in competitions.
- Acrofatic: She's the most heavyset character in the series, but she's also a very skilled dancer. The Dancing Theme has her show off her moves, and she easily outclasses everyone else.
- Jerkass Has a Point: By Touma's own admission, Kinuyo's desire to have the Boys' Tennis Club shutdown was fully justified as they, as they currently were, was taking their budget the school gave them for granted and not showing any effort.
- Student Council President: She serves as this at the characters' school, and her threatening to pull the Boys' Soft Tennis Club's budget is the first hurdle in the series' plot.
- Villainy-Free Villain: Villain is stretching it a bit, but Kinuyo is introduced as the first antagonist of the series, threatening to pull the budget and close down the Boys' Tennis Club. She ends up giving the Club an ultimatum stating that they would need to win at least one match in the Summer tournament if they want to stay active. Even though she would much rather just shut them down on the spot and give their budget to other clubs, she never actually impedes their efforts and is actually impressed when they do start improving.
Kenji Kyobate
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (Japanese), Brandon Potter (English)
Maki's villainous father and a criminal, who is the bane of his existence and the one constantly bullies him and tries to make his son's life miserable at all costs.
- 0% Approval Rating: Due to his behavior and murky personality, he is despised by every other character in the show.
- Abusive Parents: He is without a doubt, one of the worst anime parents in the history. Kenji did not wanted a son, and mockingly claims that Maki was the reason why he was divorced.
- Archnemesis Dad: Maki wants him dead. Because of his treatment towards him.
- Asshole Victim: Presumably at end of episode 12.
- Ax-Crazy: The most depraved character in the series and the most loathsome.
- Big Bad: He is Maki's biggest obstacle.
- The Bully: He calls his son a "pathetic loser", and steals his family's savings for black market. He is also this towards Touma, even manages to threaten his life and make him weep for his own amusement.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He is really aware that how a bastard he is, and loves to abuse his family.
- Expy: His character is inspired from Shou Tucker, and they are both abusive mainiacs who tormented their kids.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Wears a pair of glasses, and is a truly nasty piece of shit.
- Hate Sink: His main goal is to turn his son Maki's life a living hell for his own amusement. He also raped his former wife.
- Jerkass: Seriously, FUCK this guy for what he has done to Maki.
- Knight of Cerebus: Whenever he appears, things get darker and complicated.
- Ungrateful Bastard: By the time we see him, Kenji is a bully who wants to get anything for his own gain, and he is an all-around horrible asshole.
