OVA
Description
Kanzashi Sarashiki is a first-year student at the IS Academy, attending Class Four, and serves as the IS Representative Candidate for Japan. She is the younger sister of Tatenashi Sarashiki, the powerful and popular student council president. Standing at 155 centimeters tall with a birthday on August 6th, Kanzashi has blue hair that curls inward at the ends and dark red eyes, often wearing glasses along with distinctive horn-like hair ornaments. In many ways, she is the polar opposite of her outgoing and confident older sister, possessing a much more reserved and introverted nature.
Kanzashi's personality is defined by her shy, quiet demeanor and a significant lack of self-confidence. She tends to keep others at a distance and often feels isolated within her own class, a situation exacerbated by years of unfavorable comparison to her talented sibling. This has led to a deep-seated inferiority complex. She is also an otaku with a strong fondness for anime, particularly loving heroes from those shows. Her personality traits include being a grumbler, competitive, and stoic, but she also reveals more assertive and bold sides when placed in competitive or emotionally charged situations.
A major source of Kanzashi's initial resentment stems from a lack of a personal IS. The development of her custom unit was delayed because priority and resources were given to construct Ichika Orimura's Byakushiki instead. This event directly fuels her initial role in the story, as it left her without a machine of her own. To compensate, she has to customize a mass-produced Uchigane unit provided by the academy, transforming it into her own personal unit known as the Uchigane Nishiki, or "打鉄二式改良型" (Datetsu Nishiki Kai), a close-combat and ranged hybrid unit equipped with a weapon called the "Jinmei Axe".
Despite her lack of confidence, Kanzashi is acknowledged by her genius sister as possessing considerable talent and skill in piloting an IS. She has above-average knowledge and combat abilities befitting a representative candidate, though she primarily excels in and is often assigned to support roles during missions and emergencies.
Her relationship with Ichika Orimura begins with animosity due to her grudge over the Byakushiki's construction. It changes when Ichika, at Tatenashi's request, asks Kanzashi to be his partner in a tag-team tournament at the academy. Initially suspecting his motives, she slaps him but soon begins to fall for him, viewing Ichika as a hero figure who accepts her where others do not. Her romantic feelings grow to the point where she confesses to him, though he famously misinterprets the confession as being about anime.
Kanzashi's relationship with her sister, Tatenashi, is the most pivotal in her development. Their vastly different personalities and Kanzashi's idealized view of her older sister create a significant communication barrier and contribute to her inferiority complex. However, their dynamic improves dramatically after they fight side-by-side against the Automated IS, a confrontation that helps Kanzashi become more accepting of her own accomplishments. While their relationship heals and they learn to cooperate, they also become friendly rivals for Ichika's affection, with Kanzashi recognizing Tatenashi's growing feelings for him. Despite her love for her sister, Tatenashi is not above teasing Kanzashi or putting her in awkward situations for her own amusement.
Kanzashi's character shows marked development from the World Purge scenario onward. She transforms from a reserved, isolated girl with low self-esteem into someone more assertive, particularly regarding her feelings for Ichika. Her love for him changes her on a deeper level, making her less shy and more willing to scheme, both with and against her sister, to limit the time Ichika spends with other girls. She also becomes part of the larger group of heroines, integrated by the kindly Charlotte Dunois, who is particularly considerate of her difficulties in pairing up with others.
Kanzashi's personality is defined by her shy, quiet demeanor and a significant lack of self-confidence. She tends to keep others at a distance and often feels isolated within her own class, a situation exacerbated by years of unfavorable comparison to her talented sibling. This has led to a deep-seated inferiority complex. She is also an otaku with a strong fondness for anime, particularly loving heroes from those shows. Her personality traits include being a grumbler, competitive, and stoic, but she also reveals more assertive and bold sides when placed in competitive or emotionally charged situations.
A major source of Kanzashi's initial resentment stems from a lack of a personal IS. The development of her custom unit was delayed because priority and resources were given to construct Ichika Orimura's Byakushiki instead. This event directly fuels her initial role in the story, as it left her without a machine of her own. To compensate, she has to customize a mass-produced Uchigane unit provided by the academy, transforming it into her own personal unit known as the Uchigane Nishiki, or "打鉄二式改良型" (Datetsu Nishiki Kai), a close-combat and ranged hybrid unit equipped with a weapon called the "Jinmei Axe".
Despite her lack of confidence, Kanzashi is acknowledged by her genius sister as possessing considerable talent and skill in piloting an IS. She has above-average knowledge and combat abilities befitting a representative candidate, though she primarily excels in and is often assigned to support roles during missions and emergencies.
Her relationship with Ichika Orimura begins with animosity due to her grudge over the Byakushiki's construction. It changes when Ichika, at Tatenashi's request, asks Kanzashi to be his partner in a tag-team tournament at the academy. Initially suspecting his motives, she slaps him but soon begins to fall for him, viewing Ichika as a hero figure who accepts her where others do not. Her romantic feelings grow to the point where she confesses to him, though he famously misinterprets the confession as being about anime.
Kanzashi's relationship with her sister, Tatenashi, is the most pivotal in her development. Their vastly different personalities and Kanzashi's idealized view of her older sister create a significant communication barrier and contribute to her inferiority complex. However, their dynamic improves dramatically after they fight side-by-side against the Automated IS, a confrontation that helps Kanzashi become more accepting of her own accomplishments. While their relationship heals and they learn to cooperate, they also become friendly rivals for Ichika's affection, with Kanzashi recognizing Tatenashi's growing feelings for him. Despite her love for her sister, Tatenashi is not above teasing Kanzashi or putting her in awkward situations for her own amusement.
Kanzashi's character shows marked development from the World Purge scenario onward. She transforms from a reserved, isolated girl with low self-esteem into someone more assertive, particularly regarding her feelings for Ichika. Her love for him changes her on a deeper level, making her less shy and more willing to scheme, both with and against her sister, to limit the time Ichika spends with other girls. She also becomes part of the larger group of heroines, integrated by the kindly Charlotte Dunois, who is particularly considerate of her difficulties in pairing up with others.