OVA
Description
Ryo Yoake serves as a Support Division officer at the ReLIFE Laboratory, guiding adults rehabilitated through a program that temporarily reverts them to high school age. He began in the call center division, counseling individuals for one year before transferring to Support. After a year of training at Aoba High School, he received the assignment to support the Kantou branch's first test subject, Chizuru Hishiro (Subject 001).
Yoake approached Hishiro following a failed job interview, explaining the ReLIFE Project to assist her interpersonal skills. During her experiment, he entered her high school class. Despite his efforts, Hishiro struggled to connect with classmates, leading superiors to criticize Yoake for either insufficient or excessive intervention. A pivotal moment occurred when he encouraged Hishiro to help a bullied classmate; her social clumsiness inadvertently worsened the situation, causing the bullied student to reject contact. This deepened Hishiro's isolation, and after months of stagnation, her experiment was deemed unsuccessful. This failure burdened Yoake emotionally, contributing to significant mental strain and physical exhaustion.
He was next assigned to oversee Arata Kaizaki (Subject 002), a 27-year-old unemployed man. Yoake offered him the ReLIFE opportunity while Kaizaki was intoxicated. Kaizaki accepted, consumed the pill, and awoke as a 17-year-old. As Kaizaki's supporter, Yoake monitored his progress remotely while also enrolling as a fellow student for covert observation. Driven by guilt over Hishiro's failure, he took this role extremely seriously, frequently intervening in Kaizaki's life—even violating protocols—to steer him toward growth. Yoake facilitated confrontations with Kaizaki's past traumas, such as arranging an encounter with former colleagues to help him process unresolved guilt over a senior's suicide.
Witnessing Kaizaki's gradual rehabilitation and impact on others became a catalyst for Yoake's own emotional healing, allowing him to reconcile with past shortcomings. He maintained a professional yet contentious relationship with his junior colleague, An Onoya, who initially scouted Kaizaki. They frequently bickered over ethical boundaries, though Onoya provided steadfast support during Yoake's depressive episodes. Their rapport eventually evolved into a romantic relationship.
In the Final Arc, Yoake managed the conclusion of Kaizaki and Hishiro's experiments. He reminded Kaizaki of the program's impermanence, emphasizing that all memories of the subjects would be erased, while reassuring him his positive influence would endure subconsciously. Yoake discouraged any attempts by subjects to reveal their identities or maintain post-experiment connections, adhering strictly to protocols. His oversight ensured both transitioned successfully back to adulthood, with Kaizaki joining the Support Division and Hishiro the Research and Development Division.
Physically, Yoake appears average yet distinctive, with short dirty-blond hair and sharp pale-yellow eyes. His build shifted from robust and broad-shouldered during initial training to significantly slimmer in his late twenties, though his facial features remained consistent. His personality blends a cheerful, teasing exterior—often perceived as sadistic by Kaizaki—with profound introspection and empathy. He enjoys casual interactions, like recommending school cafeteria ramen, but remains haunted by professional failures, driving his commitment to his subjects' redemption.
Yoake approached Hishiro following a failed job interview, explaining the ReLIFE Project to assist her interpersonal skills. During her experiment, he entered her high school class. Despite his efforts, Hishiro struggled to connect with classmates, leading superiors to criticize Yoake for either insufficient or excessive intervention. A pivotal moment occurred when he encouraged Hishiro to help a bullied classmate; her social clumsiness inadvertently worsened the situation, causing the bullied student to reject contact. This deepened Hishiro's isolation, and after months of stagnation, her experiment was deemed unsuccessful. This failure burdened Yoake emotionally, contributing to significant mental strain and physical exhaustion.
He was next assigned to oversee Arata Kaizaki (Subject 002), a 27-year-old unemployed man. Yoake offered him the ReLIFE opportunity while Kaizaki was intoxicated. Kaizaki accepted, consumed the pill, and awoke as a 17-year-old. As Kaizaki's supporter, Yoake monitored his progress remotely while also enrolling as a fellow student for covert observation. Driven by guilt over Hishiro's failure, he took this role extremely seriously, frequently intervening in Kaizaki's life—even violating protocols—to steer him toward growth. Yoake facilitated confrontations with Kaizaki's past traumas, such as arranging an encounter with former colleagues to help him process unresolved guilt over a senior's suicide.
Witnessing Kaizaki's gradual rehabilitation and impact on others became a catalyst for Yoake's own emotional healing, allowing him to reconcile with past shortcomings. He maintained a professional yet contentious relationship with his junior colleague, An Onoya, who initially scouted Kaizaki. They frequently bickered over ethical boundaries, though Onoya provided steadfast support during Yoake's depressive episodes. Their rapport eventually evolved into a romantic relationship.
In the Final Arc, Yoake managed the conclusion of Kaizaki and Hishiro's experiments. He reminded Kaizaki of the program's impermanence, emphasizing that all memories of the subjects would be erased, while reassuring him his positive influence would endure subconsciously. Yoake discouraged any attempts by subjects to reveal their identities or maintain post-experiment connections, adhering strictly to protocols. His oversight ensured both transitioned successfully back to adulthood, with Kaizaki joining the Support Division and Hishiro the Research and Development Division.
Physically, Yoake appears average yet distinctive, with short dirty-blond hair and sharp pale-yellow eyes. His build shifted from robust and broad-shouldered during initial training to significantly slimmer in his late twenties, though his facial features remained consistent. His personality blends a cheerful, teasing exterior—often perceived as sadistic by Kaizaki—with profound introspection and empathy. He enjoys casual interactions, like recommending school cafeteria ramen, but remains haunted by professional failures, driving his commitment to his subjects' redemption.