Manabu embodies the official mascot "Manabu-kun," an animated rabbit-like guide within the Tomodachi Game's reality. This persona is physically performed by a human actor, Manabu-sensei, who wears the mascot costume during sessions, maintaining a clear distinction between performer and in-universe character. Functionally, Manabu administers the Tomodachi Game across its iterations. He explains rules, monitors player compliance, announces penalties for violations, and facilitates transitions between game stages. He labels the game's financial backers and live viewers as "Gods," acknowledging their funding role and real-time influence during specific challenges like "Backbiting Sugoroku," where audience votes directly impact outcomes. Manabu's interactions focus on psychologically manipulating participants, specifically targeting friendships. He engineers high-stakes scenarios to provoke betrayal, distrust, and moral compromise, framing these as tests of friendship's value against financial pressure. Key duties include distributing digital name plates tracking individual debts, enforcing the critical rule prohibiting debt disclosure (under penalty of doubled debt), and announcing collective debts or advancing groups based on results. The character appears consistently across official adaptations—original manga, 2017 live-action drama, 2022 anime series, and related films—always performing core game oversight and psychological provocation functions. Manabu operates solely within the context of facilitating the Tomodachi Game's challenges, revealing no personal backstory, motivations beyond the mascot role, character growth, or personal relationships with participants.