TV-Series
Description
Kiriya Hayami is a character who appears in the third season of the anime, introduced as a transfer student at Kirari`s school. He has a distinct and somewhat unsettling presence, wearing strange glasses and carrying a dark, mysterious aura that causes other students to keep their distance from him. Only the protagonist, Kirari, treats him with genuine friendliness when he arrives. This initial isolation and his unusual demeanor hint at a more complex nature beneath the surface.
As a rising solo idol, Kiriya performs under the stage name Cloudy, a persona designed to be a mysterious and slightly darker presence in the entertainment industry compared to other idols. This stage name, meaning cloudy, suits his enigmatic and initially antagonistic role in the story. His career as Cloudy is central to his plans, as his growing popularity is used to create a sense of rivalry with Kirari and provoke jealousy among her peers. The character is driven by a deep-seated anxiety and insecurity, stemming from his own past experiences. He once visited Kirari`s hometown in Hokkaido and witnessed her natural charisma and rapid growth as an idol. Unable to cope with his feelings of being left behind by her success, he devises a scheme to isolate and sabotage her career. His actions are not born out of simple malice but out of a personal inability to match her pace, which fuels his manipulative behavior.
In the narrative, Kiriya plays a pivotal antagonistic role. After transferring to Kirari`s school, he uses her friendliness to get close to her while secretly working to turn public opinion and the school environment against her. He reveals himself as Cloudy and orchestrates a series of events to intensify bullying and create scandals. One key plot involves inviting Kirari to a birthday party specifically to manufacture a scandal by photographing them alone together. His manipulations go further when he uses a misunderstanding between Kirari and another character, Hiroto, as leverage, eventually forcing Kirari into a position where she announces her retirement to protect her agency from further damage. His ultimate goal throughout this arc is to break the bonds between Kirari and the people who support her.
Key relationships define his development. His primary connection is with Kirari, whom he outwardly befriends but secretly targets. However, Hiroto remains suspicious of Kiriyas motives from the beginning and does not trust him, acting as a protective figure for Kirari. The dynamic with SHIPS, the popular idol group, is also notable, as Kiriyas presence as Cloudy creates a professional rivalry that his fans exploit. Over time, Kiriya undergoes significant character development. After witnessing Kirari`s resilience, the encouragement she receives from her colleagues, and her successful recovery from the scandals he engineered, his resolve crumbles. He publicly confesses that he manipulated the situations, including the creation of false scandals. Admitting his responsibility for the harm he caused, Kiriya chooses to retire from the entertainment industry as a form of atonement, ultimately returning to being a simple fan of Kirari. This arc transforms him from a scheming antagonist into a regretful figure who finds a more positive way to appreciate the idol he once envied.
Regarding his abilities, Kiriya is highly skilled at manipulation and psychological tactics. He effectively uses his position as the idol Cloudy to influence public perception and school dynamics. His primary weapon is not physical but social, as he expertly fans the flames of jealousy and competition among Kirari`s peers and fans. He also demonstrates a talent for orchestrating media scandals, such as staging a birthday party specifically to capture compromising photographs. In the original comic source material, his background includes working with animals on a ranch in Hokkaido prior to his debut, a detail that differs from his anime counterpart. In this version, his antagonistic actions are also motivated by orders from another character, Kaoruko, to ensure Kirari cannot recover professionally. Regardless of the medium, Kiriya is notably the owner of a pet named Chichimaro, though the animal dislikes him and frequently attacks its owner, adding a small, ironic layer to his otherwise serious and brooding personality.
As a rising solo idol, Kiriya performs under the stage name Cloudy, a persona designed to be a mysterious and slightly darker presence in the entertainment industry compared to other idols. This stage name, meaning cloudy, suits his enigmatic and initially antagonistic role in the story. His career as Cloudy is central to his plans, as his growing popularity is used to create a sense of rivalry with Kirari and provoke jealousy among her peers. The character is driven by a deep-seated anxiety and insecurity, stemming from his own past experiences. He once visited Kirari`s hometown in Hokkaido and witnessed her natural charisma and rapid growth as an idol. Unable to cope with his feelings of being left behind by her success, he devises a scheme to isolate and sabotage her career. His actions are not born out of simple malice but out of a personal inability to match her pace, which fuels his manipulative behavior.
In the narrative, Kiriya plays a pivotal antagonistic role. After transferring to Kirari`s school, he uses her friendliness to get close to her while secretly working to turn public opinion and the school environment against her. He reveals himself as Cloudy and orchestrates a series of events to intensify bullying and create scandals. One key plot involves inviting Kirari to a birthday party specifically to manufacture a scandal by photographing them alone together. His manipulations go further when he uses a misunderstanding between Kirari and another character, Hiroto, as leverage, eventually forcing Kirari into a position where she announces her retirement to protect her agency from further damage. His ultimate goal throughout this arc is to break the bonds between Kirari and the people who support her.
Key relationships define his development. His primary connection is with Kirari, whom he outwardly befriends but secretly targets. However, Hiroto remains suspicious of Kiriyas motives from the beginning and does not trust him, acting as a protective figure for Kirari. The dynamic with SHIPS, the popular idol group, is also notable, as Kiriyas presence as Cloudy creates a professional rivalry that his fans exploit. Over time, Kiriya undergoes significant character development. After witnessing Kirari`s resilience, the encouragement she receives from her colleagues, and her successful recovery from the scandals he engineered, his resolve crumbles. He publicly confesses that he manipulated the situations, including the creation of false scandals. Admitting his responsibility for the harm he caused, Kiriya chooses to retire from the entertainment industry as a form of atonement, ultimately returning to being a simple fan of Kirari. This arc transforms him from a scheming antagonist into a regretful figure who finds a more positive way to appreciate the idol he once envied.
Regarding his abilities, Kiriya is highly skilled at manipulation and psychological tactics. He effectively uses his position as the idol Cloudy to influence public perception and school dynamics. His primary weapon is not physical but social, as he expertly fans the flames of jealousy and competition among Kirari`s peers and fans. He also demonstrates a talent for orchestrating media scandals, such as staging a birthday party specifically to capture compromising photographs. In the original comic source material, his background includes working with animals on a ranch in Hokkaido prior to his debut, a detail that differs from his anime counterpart. In this version, his antagonistic actions are also motivated by orders from another character, Kaoruko, to ensure Kirari cannot recover professionally. Regardless of the medium, Kiriya is notably the owner of a pet named Chichimaro, though the animal dislikes him and frequently attacks its owner, adding a small, ironic layer to his otherwise serious and brooding personality.