TV-Series
Description
Banri Tada is the central character of the narrative, a freshman law student at a private university in Tokyo. He stands approximately five feet and five inches tall, with green eyes and medium-length brown hair, and he is often described as having a cute or youthful appearance. Originally from Shizuoka Prefecture, he now lives alone in a small apartment in the city to attend university.
His most defining characteristic is his retrograde amnesia, which he acquired after falling from a bridge on the night of his high school graduation ceremony. As a result of this accident, he lost all memories of his life prior to that moment and spent the following year hospitalized and recuperating under observation. This lost period of his life is symbolically represented by a ghost, a supernatural manifestation of his past self, which possesses all of his former memories and, at times, attempts to influence or reclaim control of his body.
Banri is characterized by a kindhearted, outgoing, and compassionate nature. He is bold and positive, readily accepting new friends and going out of his way to help others, even at his own expense. He is also perceptive and sensitive, able to see past people's exteriors; for instance, he quickly recognizes the deep loneliness beneath the beautiful and obsessive facade of his classmate, Kouko Kaga. Despite his generally easygoing and patient demeanor, Banri grapples with a profound internal struggle regarding his identity. He often views his current self as a ghost or a blank slate inhabiting the body of someone who effectively died in the accident. He feels apprehensive about reconnecting with people from his past, fearing they will be disappointed that he is no longer the person they remember. Conversely, he develops a deep-seated fear of regaining his old memories, believing that the return of his past self would cause his current identity and the new bonds he has formed to cease to exist.
Banri's primary motivation throughout the story is to navigate his new life while wrestling with the unseen but ever-present weight of his forgotten past. He strives to build a normal, happy existence for himself, forming new relationships and finding love, but this is constantly threatened by the fragments of his former life and the actions of his ghostly past self. His role in the story is that of an unreliable protagonist whose journey is not just about romance or friendship, but about the very nature of identity, memory, and whether a person can truly start over when their history remains unwritten.
His key relationships define much of his journey. He becomes the boyfriend and eventual fiancé of Kouko Kaga, a relationship that begins as a friendship born from her obsession with another man and grows into a deep, supportive romance. He also shares a complex and emotionally charged bond with Linda, a second-year student and his senpai from high school. It is revealed that Linda was his best friend in high school and the person to whom he confessed his feelings on the night of his accident, which is why he was on the bridge. She carries guilt over the accident and struggles with how to interact with the new Banri, initially pretending not to know him to protect them both. Banri also forms a strong friendship with Mitsuo Yanagisawa, a fellow freshman he meets on his first day of university, who becomes one of his closest confidants.
Throughout the narrative, Banri undergoes significant development as he moves from a state of fearful avoidance of his past to a more active confrontation with it. He initially rejects his old life, but he is forced to reconcile the two halves of his identity as his past memories begin to resurface and his ghostly counterpart becomes more aggressive. He experiences moments of intense fear, trembling and hiding as he recalls high school events against his will, terrified that his current self will be erased. His journey is one of learning to accept that both the person he was and the person he has become are integral parts of a single, whole individual. Beyond his internal resilience, Banri possesses no supernatural or extraordinary abilities. His notable strengths lie in his social boldness, his willingness to make sacrifices for others, and his perceptive emotional intelligence, which allows him to connect with and support troubled individuals like Kouko.
His most defining characteristic is his retrograde amnesia, which he acquired after falling from a bridge on the night of his high school graduation ceremony. As a result of this accident, he lost all memories of his life prior to that moment and spent the following year hospitalized and recuperating under observation. This lost period of his life is symbolically represented by a ghost, a supernatural manifestation of his past self, which possesses all of his former memories and, at times, attempts to influence or reclaim control of his body.
Banri is characterized by a kindhearted, outgoing, and compassionate nature. He is bold and positive, readily accepting new friends and going out of his way to help others, even at his own expense. He is also perceptive and sensitive, able to see past people's exteriors; for instance, he quickly recognizes the deep loneliness beneath the beautiful and obsessive facade of his classmate, Kouko Kaga. Despite his generally easygoing and patient demeanor, Banri grapples with a profound internal struggle regarding his identity. He often views his current self as a ghost or a blank slate inhabiting the body of someone who effectively died in the accident. He feels apprehensive about reconnecting with people from his past, fearing they will be disappointed that he is no longer the person they remember. Conversely, he develops a deep-seated fear of regaining his old memories, believing that the return of his past self would cause his current identity and the new bonds he has formed to cease to exist.
Banri's primary motivation throughout the story is to navigate his new life while wrestling with the unseen but ever-present weight of his forgotten past. He strives to build a normal, happy existence for himself, forming new relationships and finding love, but this is constantly threatened by the fragments of his former life and the actions of his ghostly past self. His role in the story is that of an unreliable protagonist whose journey is not just about romance or friendship, but about the very nature of identity, memory, and whether a person can truly start over when their history remains unwritten.
His key relationships define much of his journey. He becomes the boyfriend and eventual fiancé of Kouko Kaga, a relationship that begins as a friendship born from her obsession with another man and grows into a deep, supportive romance. He also shares a complex and emotionally charged bond with Linda, a second-year student and his senpai from high school. It is revealed that Linda was his best friend in high school and the person to whom he confessed his feelings on the night of his accident, which is why he was on the bridge. She carries guilt over the accident and struggles with how to interact with the new Banri, initially pretending not to know him to protect them both. Banri also forms a strong friendship with Mitsuo Yanagisawa, a fellow freshman he meets on his first day of university, who becomes one of his closest confidants.
Throughout the narrative, Banri undergoes significant development as he moves from a state of fearful avoidance of his past to a more active confrontation with it. He initially rejects his old life, but he is forced to reconcile the two halves of his identity as his past memories begin to resurface and his ghostly counterpart becomes more aggressive. He experiences moments of intense fear, trembling and hiding as he recalls high school events against his will, terrified that his current self will be erased. His journey is one of learning to accept that both the person he was and the person he has become are integral parts of a single, whole individual. Beyond his internal resilience, Banri possesses no supernatural or extraordinary abilities. His notable strengths lie in his social boldness, his willingness to make sacrifices for others, and his perceptive emotional intelligence, which allows him to connect with and support troubled individuals like Kouko.