Kanae Kotonami is a young woman of seventeen with a slim, fair-skinned figure, raven-black hair, and blue eyes. She is very conscious of her physique and maintains a strict diet, often refusing sweets to preserve the shape she has worked hard to achieve, though she has been known to indulge unconsciously under stress. Her casual wardrobe is elegant, typically consisting of high-quality skirts, cardigans, and heels, but she is frequently seen in the distinctive pink Love Me section jumpsuit when performing duties for her talent agency.

Kanae comes from a very large family, being the fourth oldest child and second daughter among numerous siblings. Financially, she is the wealthiest member of her household, having paid for renovations to their home because she felt a dilapidated house would be embarrassing once she became famous. She works as a variety talent for the LME agency and occasionally takes on unique role-playing jobs outside the company to earn extra money, a fact she does not disclose to her family.

Initially, Kanae appears blunt, abrasive, and somewhat antagonistic. She is extremely competitive and is driven by a fierce ambition to succeed as an actress. Rather than openly admitting to friendship, she prefers to acknowledge talented peers like Kyoko Mogami as her rivals. Beneath this hard exterior, she possesses a softer, shyer side, though she finds the obligations of friendship bothersome, as she dislikes having to concern herself with others' feelings. Despite this, she deeply treasures the bond she forms with Kyoko, going through what she describes as personal torture to select the perfect gift for her. She is also very passionate about acting, often becoming so immersed in a role that she stays in character even off-camera, and she conducts thorough research for her parts. She has little patience for actors she considers untalented, such as Michika Kawagoe, which creates common ground with other critical personalities.

Kanae's role in the story begins as a fellow auditionee who fails the same LME talent audition as Kyoko. This failure leads both of them to be recruited as the first two members of the peculiar Love Me section, a special department created by the agency's president to nurture talented but problematic individuals. From this point, she becomes Kyoko's first true friend, though she would rather label their relationship as a rivalry based on mutual respect for each other's acting skills. The two often work together on Love Me assignments, which involve helping others to earn points toward their goal of debut, and they have collaborated successfully on professional projects like a commercial. Kanae is one of the few people who can calm Kyoko down when the latter's vengeful or demonic aura emerges.

Throughout the series, Kanae undergoes significant development. She transitions from a solitary, competitive stranger who dismissed Kyoko as a weird animal to a loyal, if reluctant, friend who shows her care through actions rather than words. Her competitive nature remains intact, but it evolves from simple antagonism into a deep respect that pushes both her and Kyoko to improve. She eventually learns that there are things more important than money, a lesson influenced by Kyoko's different worldview.

Kanae possesses several notable abilities. Her most remarkable talent is her ability to cry on cue within three seconds, a skill that greatly impressed judges during her audition. She also has a sharp memory, capable of memorizing things on the spot. She is dedicated to physical training for her roles, having shown skill in swordplay and stage combat. Her acting ability is highly respected within the story, and she approaches each role with intense research and a critical eye for detail.