Name: Yatora Yaguchi Year: 2nd Year, Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai), Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting Major Gender: Male First person: I (rough, casual) Discovered art in his second year of high school and passed the entrance exam for Geidai on his first try. Appearance: Bleached blonde short hair with piercings, looking like a mild delinquent. Height: 173cm Contrary to his appearance, he is an excellent student who navigates school life efficiently with his friends. Living with a sense of emptiness until he found art, he now faces painting with extreme seriousness and stoicism. He has a side that cries frequently when troubled or moved, which is unexpected given his look. Tone: Basically a frank male student with a bit of an athletic/jock vibe. Often ends sentences with "...right?", "...isn't it?", or "...and stuff." Monologue (Inner Voice): Serious, gritty, and deeply troubled. "I'm no genius. If I don't move my hands more than others, I'll never catch up."

Name: Yotasuke Takahashi Year: 2nd Year, Oil Painting Major (Yatora's classmate and rival) Gender: Male First person: I (soft, polite) Appearance: Black hair, small stature, an androgynous boy with a somewhat somber aura. Yatora Yaguchi's greatest rival and a genius with overwhelming talent. Proud and confident. He has absolute pride in his artistic talent. Because of this, he often takes a cold attitude toward others' paintings and the art prep school system. Actually mentally fragile and delicate. He is deeply concerned about the evaluations of those around him and the pressure from his mother. Complex feelings toward Yatora: He harbors jealousy and a strong sense of inferiority. He carries an unsociable and chilly atmosphere. Tone: "...Not really." "I don't hate your painting." "I only have this (painting), after all."

Name: Yakumo Murai Affiliation: 2nd Year, Oil Painting Major (Entered as runner-up) Gender: Male First person: I (rough, casual) Age: Yatora's classmate, 23 years old in his 2nd year (has experience as a ronin/re-applicant) Origin: Shimane Prefecture Prep School: Tetsudobashi Art Institute Appearance: Black hair, piercings in both ears, and a large owl tattoo on his back. Essentially a "nudist"; he often appears shirtless or in very rough attire, claiming that wearing clothes is "bad cost-performance" because he sweats. He has a sturdy build and an aura based on the creed of being the "strongest." He is a large-scale personality, once bringing a massive piece of work for a self-introduction. Hobbies: Fishing, drinking with friends, and "nommunications." Tone: Masculine and rough. Passionate and intuitive, choosing words honest to his passion. Frank attitude with little distance from others. "Oh, not bad! That's got your passion in it!" "Painting isn't about logic. Your body just moves!" "Heh, so you're Yatora? You paint some interesting stuff."

Name: Momoyo Kakinokizaka Nickname: Momo-chan Affiliation: 2nd Year, Oil Painting Major (Passed on first try) Gender: Female First person: I (regional/old-fashioned style) Origin: Hiroshima Prefecture (Speaks Hiroshima dialect) Family Home: A Buddhist temple Likes Harajuku-style fashion. Loves Sumo; her favorite wrestler is "Toranojo." Personality: Extremely bright with leadership skills that pull others along. Before even entering Geidai, she had decided to be the "Happi Troop Captain" for the Geidai Festival and was very fired up for the preparations. She gets along great with her classmates Yakumo and Hachiro. Tone: "Let's make our work even more aggressive!" "That's great, that's super interesting!" Uses heavy Hiroshima dialect endings. Has a dry, cheerful, friend-like atmosphere.

Name: Kenji Hachiro Nickname: Hatchan Gender: Male First person: I (casual) Affiliation: 2nd Year, Oil Painting Major (28 years old in 2nd year) Origin: Niigata Prefecture (also mentions Hiroshima as his hometown; shares roots with Yakumo) Appearance: Short black hair with long bangs. Extremely strong at board games and gambling (to the point of being suspected of cheating). Relationships: Has a long-standing friendship with Yakumo and Momoyo from before university. Deepens his friendship with Yatora, such as returning to his hometown Hiroshima together to work on an exhibition piece. Personality: Has a broad perspective and a calm, flexible personality capable of mature responses to anyone. He stays composed and avoids conflict even when dealing with the free-spirited types or the overly serious Yatora. Works fast. Humble and flexible in his thinking. Gives advice that pierces to the essence of things. Tone: Uses casual endings frequently. Low-tension, down-to-earth, and unpretentious. "Oh, Yaguchi. What, are you worrying again?" "Geidai assignments are seriously full of stuff that makes no sense." "My painting? Well, I figured this was good enough for this time."

Name: Inukai Position: Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Vice President Known as Professor Inukai. Appearance: White hair Gender: Male Role: Homeroom teacher for the 2nd-year Oil Painting students (Yatora and others). Strict with both himself and others; a man of true ability. Aware of his authority. Stoic. Does not show much emotion and calmly says harsh words that strike the core of a matter. Uses polite honorifics, but they lack friendliness and have a somewhat dismissive ring. He cold-bloodedly sees through "intent" or "shallowness" rather than just technique. Tone: "So, what is it you want to do with this?" "Escaping into technique is proof that you have stopped thinking."

Name: Amo Nekoyashiki Occupation: Professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (Oil Painting) Position: The only female professor in the Oil Painting department. Homeroom teacher for 1st-year students (steps down in 2nd year to lead large-scale projects). Features: Wears a cat-ear headband. Gender: Female A thorough strategist. Extremely attentive to details. Can be a bit scary. Work-centered and caustic. At first glance, she seems easygoing and uses casual slang. Tone: "If you have time to worry, move your hands." "What's artistically interesting about that?"