TV-Series
Description
Beniyutaka Shidare is the older brother of Hotaru Shidare and the manager of a convenience store called Town Mart, which opened directly across the street from the old-fashioned Shikada Dagashi shop. Physically, he is a tall young man, standing over 180 centimeters, with dark blue hair styled with bangs swept to the sides and dark purple eyes. His appearance is consistently sharp and formal, as he is almost always seen wearing a well-fitted gray striped suit, a black button-down shirt, and a white tie.
His personality is a study in contrasts. On the surface, Beniyutaka projects an air of professional pride and confidence, initially looking down on traditional candy shops as outdated symbols of a bygone era. He has a flair for the dramatic, reacting and gesturing in exaggerated ways that clearly mark him as a blood relative of the passionate and eccentric Hotaru. Despite his polished exterior, he harbors deep-seated insecurities. His business acumen is questionable, as his initial strategy for his store involves stocking expensive, high-end branded sweets that are ill-suited for the local clientele. Underneath this, he is surprisingly awkward and immature when it comes to personal matters, particularly romance and adolescent issues, often failing to provide the sage advice one might expect from an adult.
Beniyutaka's core motivation stems from a conflict of identity. As the eldest son of the Shidare family, he is the rightful heir to the Shidare Corporation, a company dedicated to the production and sale of traditional Japanese dagashi. However, his true passion lies not with dagashi but with modern novelties like the latest collectible card games and food toys. This internal struggle led him to distance himself from his family and reject his inheritance, choosing instead to forge his own path by opening a modern convenience store. To hide his identity and because he is embarrassed by his full name, he introduces himself simply by his given name, Beniyutaka, making it sound like a full name.
In the story, Beniyutaka serves as a friendly rival and eventual foil to the protagonist, Kokonotsu Shikada. Initially, he tries to demonstrate the superiority of his convenience store, but after Kokonotsu bluntly and selflessly points out the flaws in his business model, Beniyutaka is deeply moved and begins to see the young man as a virtuous and worthy rival. He develops a strong admiration for Kokonotsu and repeatedly attempts to recruit him as an employee, using various incentives like higher wages. His key relationships include his dynamic with his sister, Hotaru, who is aware of his location but from whom he seems estranged due to his rejection of the family business. Despite his eccentricities, he often steps into a role of maturity, offering pragmatic advice and warnings to the younger, more dreamy characters like Kokonotsu, his sister, and their friend To Endo, who all look up to him as a capable adult.
Beniyutaka does not possess any superhuman abilities, but his notable traits are his business-related flaws and his capacity for growth. While his initial management style is poor, focusing on luxury brands, he shows the humility to listen to a teenager's advice. By incorporating traditional dagashi into his convenience store inventory, he is able to recover his customer base and improve sales. His development throughout the series is subtle but significant; he begins as a man hiding from his legacy and ends as an established member of the community who, while still uncomfortable with his family's expectations, has found a degree of peace and purpose as a local shopkeeper. Even after reuniting with his sister, he shows no intention of reclaiming his role as heir, having chosen his own path.
His personality is a study in contrasts. On the surface, Beniyutaka projects an air of professional pride and confidence, initially looking down on traditional candy shops as outdated symbols of a bygone era. He has a flair for the dramatic, reacting and gesturing in exaggerated ways that clearly mark him as a blood relative of the passionate and eccentric Hotaru. Despite his polished exterior, he harbors deep-seated insecurities. His business acumen is questionable, as his initial strategy for his store involves stocking expensive, high-end branded sweets that are ill-suited for the local clientele. Underneath this, he is surprisingly awkward and immature when it comes to personal matters, particularly romance and adolescent issues, often failing to provide the sage advice one might expect from an adult.
Beniyutaka's core motivation stems from a conflict of identity. As the eldest son of the Shidare family, he is the rightful heir to the Shidare Corporation, a company dedicated to the production and sale of traditional Japanese dagashi. However, his true passion lies not with dagashi but with modern novelties like the latest collectible card games and food toys. This internal struggle led him to distance himself from his family and reject his inheritance, choosing instead to forge his own path by opening a modern convenience store. To hide his identity and because he is embarrassed by his full name, he introduces himself simply by his given name, Beniyutaka, making it sound like a full name.
In the story, Beniyutaka serves as a friendly rival and eventual foil to the protagonist, Kokonotsu Shikada. Initially, he tries to demonstrate the superiority of his convenience store, but after Kokonotsu bluntly and selflessly points out the flaws in his business model, Beniyutaka is deeply moved and begins to see the young man as a virtuous and worthy rival. He develops a strong admiration for Kokonotsu and repeatedly attempts to recruit him as an employee, using various incentives like higher wages. His key relationships include his dynamic with his sister, Hotaru, who is aware of his location but from whom he seems estranged due to his rejection of the family business. Despite his eccentricities, he often steps into a role of maturity, offering pragmatic advice and warnings to the younger, more dreamy characters like Kokonotsu, his sister, and their friend To Endo, who all look up to him as a capable adult.
Beniyutaka does not possess any superhuman abilities, but his notable traits are his business-related flaws and his capacity for growth. While his initial management style is poor, focusing on luxury brands, he shows the humility to listen to a teenager's advice. By incorporating traditional dagashi into his convenience store inventory, he is able to recover his customer base and improve sales. His development throughout the series is subtle but significant; he begins as a man hiding from his legacy and ends as an established member of the community who, while still uncomfortable with his family's expectations, has found a degree of peace and purpose as a local shopkeeper. Even after reuniting with his sister, he shows no intention of reclaiming his role as heir, having chosen his own path.