Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu/Characters

Main Characters

Yuuto Ayase

An otherwise ordinary boy who discovers Hakujou Academy sweetheart Haruka's secret life as an Otaku and becomes her Secret Keeper. A kind, caring and helpful boy, Yuuto grows to care for and love Haruka and becomes her close friend and protector. He has little knowledge of the otaku lifestyle, and tries to avoid being an Accidental Pervert at all costs.

Accidental Pervert: His first three encounters with Shiina lead to him becoming this trope.
Heroic BSOD: Has one in the finales of both seasons - once when Jerkass Shute challenges his ability to make Haruka happy, and again when he is considered a distraction for Haruka by Yayoi.
Imagine Spot: He has a lot of these.
In-Series Nickname: a few people call him ero-megane.
The Jeeves: Becomes recognized as a butler for his week-long service to Touka. It is for this reason that he was invited in Episode 5 of Purezza by Hazuki, Nanami and Alice to an annual maids and butlers convention currently hosted by the Nogizakas.
Kirk Summation/Rousing Speech: Really good at giving these to outright mean people.
Knight in Shining Armor: Specifically called so by Haruka when he found the music she needed for the London performance.
Nerd Glasses
Nice Guy
Official Couple: Yuuto and Haruka are definitely one by the end of the second season.
Ordinary High School Student
The Scapegoat: More than willing to become this to protect Haruka.
Secret Keeper
When It All Began: Yuuto realizes he started off Haruka's passion when he gave her the first volume of "Innocent Smile" when he found her crying in a park.
You Are Not Alone: Yuuto makes this clear to Haruka.

Haruka Nogizaka

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto

Athletic, smart, graceful, incredibly polite and cute, Haruka is probably the most beloved girl at Hakujou Academy -- except she lives a double life as an anime/manga fanatic. Yuuto accidentally discovers her secret and promises to become her confidant and help her pursue her hobby without being discovered and shunned.

The Ace: Good at everything except drawing.
Adorkable
Badass Adorable: It's very easy to forget that Haruka holds a Black-Belt in Aikido, a Martial Art infamous for its ability to effortlessly throw and cripple foes many-times its practitioner's size. Not to mention she has an army of maids as a backup. And then there's her parents!
Bunny Ears Lawyer: Considers herself this.
Closet Geek
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Cunning Linguist: Has demonstrated fluency in English and Russian, the latter of which came in very handy when she and Yuuto bumped into a pack of Hard Gay Russian tourists. Implied to be proficient in French as well, if not even more tongues.
Dojikko: Haruka's a bit of an airhead.
First Girl Wins
Heroic BSOD: What happened to her back in middle school after her anime/manga catalog was accidentally discovered, causing her to become ostracized. The same situation happens again come high school -- except this time she fears Yuuto will also suffer as she did because he claimed responsibility for said catalog. She eventually gets over it when Yuuto vows to stay by her side.
High-Pressure Emotion: This happens a lot.
The Ingenue: At times -- she's even innocent enough to ask what "3P (as in a threesome)" means.
Instant Fanclub
Luminescent Blush
Nice Girl: Perhaps one of the nicest, sweetest, cutest girls to emerge from an anime ever.
Official Couple: With Yuuto.
The Ojou
Otaku
Proud to Be a Geek: Though mostly covertly.
Purity Personified: At least to the rest of the school.
Sibling Yin-Yang: The wholesome counterpart to her perverted younger sister Mika.
Spoiled Sweet: Probably the sweetest rich kid in any anime.
Tender Tears
Terrible Artist
Uptown Girl

Schoolmates

Shiina Amamiya

Voiced by: Rina Sato

A pianist who placed second to Haruka at a contest in London. She then transfers to Hakujou due to rumors that a legendary pianist who was also an alumna of said school is teaching there. By coincidence she meets Haruka, and also develops feelings for Yuuto, with whom she had three coincidental encounters.

The Ace
The Chew Toy
Contrived Coincidence: Her three encounters with Yuuto, prior to transferring to Hakujou (each time having her accidentally flaunt her panties).
Early-Bird Cameo: In Episode 2 of the first season, three episodes before she becomes a regular character.
Hopeless Suitor: For both Yuuto and Haruka.
I Know Kung Fu: "Naginatajutsu", to be exact, which revolves around a long blade on a longer handle.
Love Triangle: In an interesting twist, she is in the "A" spot of a Type VI triangle, having to choose between Yuuto and Haruka, both of whom are obviously in love with each other.
New Transfer Student
Nice Girl
Not What It Looks Like: Often gets caught in an unfortunate position, some Played for Drama, but mostly Played for Laughs.
Panty Shot: Also gets a lot of these, including the opening of Purezza.
Red Headed Heroine
Reluctant Fanservice Girl: By way of getting a lot of Panty Shots and other perverted situations.
Slapstick Knows No Gender
Those Three Girls: In Purezza, she becomes the head of a trio of friends, along with Mai and Ryouko.
Yandere: Showed some shades of this towards the end of Purezza.

Nobunaga Asakura

Voiced by: Reiko Takagi

Yuuto's best friend and a proud Otaku.

Bromantic Foil: For Yuuto.
Chekhov's Gun: The first volume of "Innocent Smile" he gave to Yuuto from way back when they were kids. Yuuto in turn gave it to Haruka to cheer her up when he found her crying in a park -- this is what started her Otaku passion.
Famed in Story: Amongst the maid cafes of Akihabara, he is one of their most legendary customers. In fact, one such cafe (where Haruka worked part-time to earn money for a Christmas gift for Yuuta) has a gold-framed picture of him surrounded by maids and shaking hands with its manager, with a caption saying "Welcome home, our greatest master" hanging in the center of said cafe.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Beneath his seemingly airheaded exterior he knows a lot about Yuuto and Haruka's relationship.
Otaku
Proud to Be a Geek: To an even greater extent than Haruka.
What Could Have Been: Invoked -- his female classmates note that he's quite a looker and would've been a Chick Magnet were it not for his Otaku lifestyle.
You Gotta Have Green Hair

Touka Tennouji

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

A first-year and third-ranking heiress to the vast fortune of the Tennoujis, a family rivaling the Nogizakas in wealth and prestige.

Big Screwed-Up Family: With Tenzen, her grandfather and family patriarch, dying recently at the ripe age of 147, she gets caught in the middle of a (sometimes outright violent) inheritance crisis -- no thanks to inheriting the opulent family mansion. Yuuto wonders if this is the reason Touka is such a Rich Bitch.
A Day in the Limelight: Episode 3 of Purezza.
Defrosting Ice Queen/Took a Level In Kindness
Expy: There Can Be Only One successor in her family? Likes making her enemies walk over burning metal? Has a black-"pony" the size of an elephant? Yup, we have a young female Raoh here.
- In appearance, her blue twintails tied up with red bobbles is an obvious homage to Ruri Hoshino.
Girlish Pigtails
In-Series Nickname: "Princess Blizzard", due to her incredibly abrasive personality.
Innocent Fanservice Girl: By way of flaunting a lot of gratuitous Panty Shots; the "camera" rarely leaves her thighs.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
Lonely Rich Kid
Rich Bitch
Take Over the World: Her stated goal. Yuuto wonders if this is just her way to deal with the pressures of being an heiress.
Tsundere: A vicious Type A, as if she's specifically designed to be voiced by Rie Kugimiya.
White-Haired Pretty Girl: Sky-blue, to be exact.
Zettai Ryouiki

Mai Asahina

Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki

A member of Shiina's clique and vice-president of the Hakujou's Naginatajutsu Team.

Ascended Extra: Has made cameos in the first season, then becomes a regular character come Purezza.
Meganekko
The Quiet One
Shipper on Deck: For Yuuto/Shiina.
Shrinking Violet
Those Three Girls: With Shiina and Ryouko.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly girl to Ryouko's tomboy.

Ryouko Sawamura

Voiced by: Eri Kitamura

The third member of Shiina's clique.

Ascended Extra: Like Mai, she only makes more frequent appearances come Purezza.
Genki Girl
Girlish Pigtails
Lovable Sex Maniac
The Nicknamer: "Shiina-cchi" and "Ayase-cchi".
Shipper on Deck: For Yuuto/Shiina.
Skinship Grope
Those Three Girls: With Shiina and Mai.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: The tomboy to Mai's girly girl.
You Gotta Have Green Hair

Nagai, Takenami and Ogawa

Voiced by: Eiji Miyashita (Nagai), Hiroki Yasumoto (Takenami) and Jun Oosuka (Ogawa)

Three boys who can be frequently seen together with the main cast.

Butt Monkey: By way of always receiving "bad luck" fortune slips every New Year.
Recurring Extras
Those Three Guys

Nogizaka Family

Mika Nogizaka

Voiced by: Mai Goto

Haruka's younger sister and a second-year junior high student at another school.

Big Brother Attraction: Towards Yuuto, whom she calls "onii-san".
Covert Pervert
Dirty Kid
Girlish Pigtails
Little Miss Snarker
Sibling Yin-Yang: The perverted counterpart to her wholesome older sister Haruka.
Student Council President: Looked up to by her peers and well respected by her teachers, she is surprisingly mature and dependable at school; not only is she the first person to run for two years, she's the hot favourite for the third.
Those Two Girls: With Nanami.

Gento Nogizaka

Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki

Haruka and Mika's overprotective father.

Bumbling Dad: At his best.
Butt Monkey: His overprotective parenting earns him nothing but Amusing Injuries and other mishaps.
Cool Shades
Fiction 500: Private army of maids? Personal Island? Supersonic-jets? An entire TV Station? Pocket-change, dear chap.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a huge scar across his left eye.
Henpecked Husband: Courtesy of his own wife, Akiho.
Knight Templar Parent: At his worst, though Played for Laughs.
The Patriarch
Reasonable Authority Figure: Sort of. He really doesn't like Yuuto's presence in Haruka's life, yet he has to tolerate him due to his wife, younger daughter, and maids' approval of the relationship.
Screw the Rules, I Have Money: Bought an entire island with a castle just to celebrate Haruka's birthday in Episode 12 of the first season. And put to a more heroic use in Episode 11 of Purezza when he buys off Three Piece Productions to save Haruka from a life of an idol exploited for profit.

Akiho Nogizaka

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa

Haruka and Mika's mother.

Beware the Nice Ones: Generally a sweet, proper lady to everybody else (unless your name is Gento and you screwed up royally).
Dissonant Serenity: There's a reason even the mighty Gento fears her.
Education Mama
Hot Mom: She's even delighted at Yuuto mistaking her for Haruka and Mika's older sister.
Let Her Grow Up, Dear: She even cows Gento to submission whenever she perceives him to be trying again to keep Haruka and Yuuto apart.
Meido: Implied in the anime to have been the second-ranking maid of the family's cadre.
Reasonable Authority Figure: She has a strict habit of making sure Haruka studies, but she's also a sweet, understanding mother who approves (and is even protective) of her relationship with Yuuto.
Yamato Nadeshiko

Nogizaka Family Maids

Hazuki Sakurazaka

Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu

The first-ranking maid of the family and the Nogizaka sisters' attendant, though she is more frequently seen with Haruka.

Badass
Berserk Button: The easiest way to break her stoic facade is to harm Haruka in any way. That would involve her giving you a vicious Death Glare and whipping out her chainsaw.
Big Sister Instinct
Chainsaw Good
The Comically Serious
Cool Big Sis: For both Nogizaka sisters, though particularly to Haruka.
Emotionless Girl: How she usually appears to people...
- When She Smiles: Though she smiles every now and then.
Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Surprisingly enough, Hazuki's room is full of plushies. Yuuto is very surprised, and has a hard time believing it: when Hazuki buys a rabbit plushy and Haruka speculates that she'll cuddle it while sleeping, Yuuto instead envisions her holding the rabbit by its ears while waving a butcher knife. (Possibly NSFW because Hazuki's shown in her underwear)
Hyperspace Arsenal: Both her chainsaw and herself.
- Other things, too. In the light novels:

Hazuki-san immediately set up a simple foldable table that she seemed to have pulled out of nowhere, and placed a table cloth on it before pulling out four sets of chairs (again, out of nowhere), after which she started to set up the tea cups.... Wait a minute! Where did she get all the equipment from? Weren’t both her hands completely empty just a moment ago?
"Corporate secret."
The maid-san answered me nonchalantly after I asked her about it. What kind of corporate secret is this.... Could it be possible that the pockets of their maid uniform are linked to the fourth dimension?

Meganekko
Older Than They Look: Still looks as though she's only in her late teens despite having tended to Haruka ever since her infancy.
Rei Ayanami Expy
The Stoic: Most of the time.
- Not So Stoic: Some of the time.
Weapon of Choice: A chainsaw she pulls out of nowhere.
White-Haired Pretty Girl

Nanami Nanashiro

Voiced by: Kana Ueda

The third-ranking maid and the sisters' chauffeur, though she is seen more around Mika.

Alliterative Name
Cool Car: Her frequent ride is a 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom; at other times, a Lincoln Town Car.
Cool Shades: She even wears them at the hot springs.
Drives Like Crazy: Most of the time. Surprisingly enough, she can drive normally during important events.
Drop the Hammer
Hyperspace Arsenal: Her hammer and herself.
Perpetual Smiler
Those Two Girls: With Mika.
Weapon of Choice: A hammer whose blunt end looks like a meat tenderizer.
You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Alice Rein

Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

The eighth-ranking maid and the youngest member of the top ten group, as well as its main security and sabotage agent.

A-Cup Angst - In Purezza Episode 12. A ping-pong ball gets caught in Haruka's cleavage. When it's finally out, Alice picks up the ball and drops it onto what would be her cleavage if she weren't a grade-schooler (or at least has the body of one). Her sigh and expression of disappointment when the ball just falls to the floor....
Badass Adorable/Cute Bruiser
Batter Up: Wields a spiked metal baseball bat.
- A spiked club to be precise. To be even more precise, Excalibolg.
Because You Were Nice to Me: The roots of her affection for Yuuto.
Big Brother Attraction: Towards Yuuto.
Girls Love Stuffed Animals: In Episode 5 of Purezza, a "Gelorian X" frog plush. Yuuto wins it for her in a bingo lottery, even if it means sacrificing his chance to win a rice cooker.
Hair of Gold
The Quiet One: Justified -- she's a German who has yet to become proficient in Japanese.
Princess Curls
Shrinking Violet
Token Loli
Token Minority: A German in the middle of an apparently all-Japanese maid squad.

Minamo Kusumoto

Voiced by: Kaoru Mizuhara

Fourth-ranking maid and Hazuki's second-in-command, as well as finance, legal and public relations liaison.

The Lancer: To Hazuki.
Meganekko
Reasonable Authority Figure: When Yuuto first meets her, she seems detached and very business-like (in his own words, even more intimidating than Gento). However, once he wins her trust by being nice to Alice, she shows a nicer, smiling side.
You Gotta Have Aqua-Green Hair

Maria Yukinohara

Voiced by: Megumi Takamoto

Fifth-ranking maid and head medical officer.

Hello, Nurse!: She even wears the standard nurse cap over her maid uniform.
The Medic

Koayu Nagikawa

Voiced by: Hiromi Igarashi

Sixth-ranking maid and head chef.

Ayame, Sara and Juri Rokujou

Voiced by: Satomi Moriya (Ayame), Momoko Ishikawa (Sara) and Sayuri Yahagi (Juri)

Seventh-ranking maids and pilots of the Nogizaka family.

Cool Plane: All three are in charge of flying the Nogizakas' planes.
Same Sex Triplets
You Gotta Have Green Hair

Rio Munakata

Voiced by: Yuka Iguchi

Ninth-ranking maid and resident chemist.

Iwai Hinasaki

Voiced by: Youko Hikasa

Tenth-ranking maid and events organizer.

Miko
Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: Now with the voice actress to boot.

Other Characters

Ruko Ayase

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame

Yuuto's older sister and only visible family.

Adult Child
Big Sister Bully: A mild case, in which she frequently forces Yuuto to do chores for her. And always forces him to do the cooking; she never even tries to cook for herself.
- Cool Big Sis: Some of the time.
Bottle Fairy
Christmas Cake
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass
Heterosexual Life Partners: With Yukari.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold
The Ladette
Sexy Secretary
Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
Tomboyish Ponytail

Yukari Kamishiro

Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki

Ruko's best friend and music teacher as well as assistant homeroom teacher for Yuuto, Haruka and Shiina's class.

Adult Child
Bottle Fairy
Bunny Ears Lawyer: Implied to be none other than the "Performer of the Sunset", a legendary world-renowned pianist and herself an alumna of Hakujou, for whom Shiina transferred to said school.
Christmas Cake: She's 23, but still has nil love life.
Gag Boobs/Gainaxing
Godiva Hair
Heterosexual Life Partners: With Ruko.
Hot for Student: Pretty much willing to hit on her male students (especially Yuuto). It doesn't work.
In-Series Nickname: "Sexual Harassment Teacher", courtesy of Yuuto.
Meganekko
Ms. Fanservice
Sensei-chan

Shute Sutherland

Voiced by: Junji Majima

A British nobleman and part of a powerful family doing business with the Nogizakas.

Anime Accent Absence: Subverted -- he adds a foreign twang on some of his sentences.
Blond Guys Are Evil/Evil Brit: Not exactly evil, just incredibly arrogant.
Guy Posse: Has a group of four boys following him around.
Humiliation Conga/Laser-Guided Karma: Thanks to his debacle during Haruka's birthday, in which he belittled Yuuto's gift and then grappled an old man (who turns out to be Haruka's grandfather Ouki), his father forced him to become a butler to teach him a lesson in humility. He didn't get the message, and during an annual year-end maids and butlers party (currently hosted by the Nogizakas), he's at it again, belittling the guests, trampling on Alice's frog doll, spitting at her, and pouring wine over Yuuto's head. The latter then made a Rousing Speech about the value of maids and butlers, inspiring all the guests, including the Nogizaka maids (and with permission from Shute's father, who heard him over the phone), to give him a more-than-well-deserved beatdown.
Jerkass
Noblewoman's Laugh: A male version.
Oh Crap: His reaction at the end of Episode 12 of the first season, when he realizes he just hurt the Nogizaka family patriarch, and at Episode 5 of Purezza, once the guests at a party he crashed set forth to lay the beatdown on him.
Rich Bastard
Spoiled Brat

Milan Himemiya

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame

An idol singer whose promotions appear as early as the first season, then makes a more prominent role in Purezza.

Chekhov's Gunman
A Day in the Limelight: Episodes 9-11 of Purezza.
Early-Bird Cameo: Throughout first season in advertisements and song programs.
Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: Shows some shades of it. She ultimately confesses to Yuuto that it has something to do with how Yayoi ruined her past relationships in the name of profit.
Idol Singer
Rose-Haired Girl
Shipper on Deck: A mild case towards Yuuto/Haruka. In fact, when Yayoi goes after Haruka, she tips Yuuto off and encourages him to keep her from becoming what Milan herself has become -- an idol exploited by Yayoi for profit.

Yayoi Kakihara and Nozomi Kobayakawa

Voiced by: Youko Hikasa (Yayoi) and Kokoro Kikuchi (Nozomi)

Milan's managers from Three Piece Productions.

Bitches in Sheep's Clothings
Humiliation Conga: They end up getting fired from their own company thanks to Gento buying Three Piece Pro to save Haruka from a life of an idol exploited for profit, and were last seen degraded into mere participants in a bikini oil wrestling contest.
Laser-Guided Karma: For all their efforts subtly turning Haruka into an idol, they ended up getting booted out of their own company when Gento buys off the Three Piece Pro from beneath their feet.
Manipulative Bitch: Yayoi
Psycho Supporter: Nozomi
Those Two Girls