Naruko Anjō, widely known as Anaru, is a central figure whose story unfolds across multiple official installments. As a child, she sported chin-length brown hair, dark grey-framed glasses, a purple shirt with a yellow shooting star, a white skirt, blue running shoes, and a light blue handbag. She belonged to the close friend group, the Super Peace Busters, with Jinta Yadomi, Meiko Honma (Menma), Atsumu Matsuyuki, Chiriko Tsurumi, and Tetsudō Hisakawa. Anaru admired Menma yet simultaneously envied Menma's bond with Jinta. This jealousy fueled lasting guilt, stemming from her belief that a question she asked contributed to Menma's fatal accident. By high school, her appearance transformed: wavy orange hair styled in two pigtails secured by star-shaped accessories, featuring a single strand of bangs on the left. She wears a standard uniform: a white collared shirt with rolled sleeves, a red bow, a dark magenta skirt, a dark red belt with a gold buckle, dark blue mid-calf socks, and brown shoes. A light pink hair tie bracelet often circles her left wrist. She stands 164–165 cm tall with a slim build. Her personality reveals contradictions. Publicly, especially around school peers, she adopts a cold or dismissive attitude towards Jinta, driven by a desire to fit in with other girls – a trait Chiriko Tsurumi notes remains from childhood. Privately, she harbors deep concern for Jinta's well-being, particularly after he became reclusive and stopped attending school. She regularly brings him homework and voices disappointment in his lifestyle, yet carefully paints her nails before visiting him, hinting at lingering affection. Employed at a video game store, her extensive manga and video game collection later becomes a catalyst for reconnecting with Jinta and Tetsudō Hisakawa. Her emotional journey centers on processing Menma's death and confronting unresolved feelings. Initially skeptical of Jinta's claims about seeing Menma's ghost, she joins the reunited friend group in fulfilling Menma's final wish. Throughout this, she wrestles with renewed jealousy over Jinta's focus on Menma and persistent self-reproach about her role in the past tragedy. She confesses her feelings to Jinta during these events, though their relationship doesn't immediately change. In the subsequent anime film sequel, set one year later, she continues processing grief and guilt, struggling to articulate her emotions in a letter to Menma. Despite this, she acknowledges her affection for Jinta and awaits an opportunity to express it more openly. Jinta has reintegrated into school and part-time work. A stage reading for the 10th anniversary, set a decade later, shows developments in her relationship with Jinta. Pretending to sleep, she overhears him telling Chiriko of his intention to propose marriage. Startled, she reveals she was awake, leading to an awkward exchange where she admits desiring marriage but expected dating to precede it. Their friends interpret this as confirmation of their romantic commitment. Her interactions further define her. She shares a complex dynamic with Atsumu Matsuyuki, who views them as "kindred spirits" due to their mutual unrequited love – hers for Jinta, his for Menma. He intervenes to protect her during an assault and suggests they date, though she doesn't reciprocate. With Menma, even after death, she balances enduring admiration against residual envy, participating in fulfilling Menma's wish while acknowledging Menma's observation that she retains her childhood kindness.