Harumi Ikuhara is a supporting character in the anime and manga series DearS. She is the stepmother of Takeya Ikuhara, the story's protagonist, and serves as a parental figure in his life. Beyond her family role, she is also one of the few people capable of controlling the wild behavior of Takeya's younger sister, Natsuki. It is suggested that she taught Natsuki all the techniques the girl uses to pummel her older brother, making Harumi a hidden source of Natsuki's formidable strength. She is known for her humorous personality and her own unique repertoire of comedic "personal attacks," such as the "Harumi-driver".

Harumi's background includes a hinted but unresolved romantic past with her stepson, Takeya. The narrative implies that before she became his stepmother, there was a possibility for romance between them. In a key moment, as Takeya attempted to confess his feelings, Harumi stopped him by placing a cherry tomato in his mouth and declaring that it no longer mattered because she was now his mother. This complicated history is referenced later when Takeya panics over the alien girl Ren potentially leaving Earth, and his friend Neneko remarks that Harumi had been the one to dump him, solidifying the idea that Takeya was the one who was rejected.

Within the story, Harumi's role is primarily a supporting and comedic one. She provides a grounding, if eccentric, presence in the otherwise chaotic Ikuhara household. She is portrayed as a strong-willed and practical woman who has firmly established her position as the matriarch, a role she embraces decisively. Her motivations are centered on maintaining order in her family, often through unorthodox and physical means. She is a figure who, despite the unusual tension of a past almost-romance, has committed fully to her identity as Takeya's mother and acts in what she believes is the best interest of the family.

In terms of development, Harumi is a largely static character who arrives as a fully formed and confident personality. Her backstory concerning Takeya adds depth to her character, revealing a past choice that defined her current life. Her key relationships are distinctly defined. With Natsuki, she acts as a mentor in discipline and combat. With Takeya, her relationship is warm but tinged with a one-sided, buried history that she has chosen to suppress for the sake of their family structure. She does not possess any supernatural or science-fiction abilities, but her notable talents include her physical prowess, her effective disciplinary techniques, and her ability to defuse or redirect emotionally charged situations with humor and decisive action.