Dan Gotanda is a young male with medium build, scarlet hair tied back by a dark bandanna, and brown eyes. He matches his close friend Ichika Orimura in height, sharing a friendship since middle school. Dan co-manages the Gotanda Eatery with his younger sister, Ran Gotanda. Their dynamic features frequent squabbles, particularly when Dan teases Ran about her romantic feelings for Ichika—provocations that often trigger her physical aggression or anger. Personally relaxed and straightforward, Dan voices his thoughts openly and enjoys leisure activities like gaming. He views Ichika’s enrollment at the female-dominated IS Academy as a paradise-like scenario, expressing envy over his friend’s unique position. Despite this, Dan recognizes Ichika’s obliviousness to the romantic affections surrounding him, occasionally sympathizing with unreciprocated feelings like Lingyin Huang’s. His narrative role includes inadvertently sparking comedic or awkward situations. During a shopping trip, he exposes Ran’s plan to model swimsuits for Ichika, provoking her violent reaction. He also demonstrates awareness of interpersonal tensions, questioning Ichika’s abrupt disappearance mid-outing. Beyond Ichika and Ran, Dan maintains a middle-school acquaintance with Kazuma Mitarai. His initial annoyance toward Lingyin Huang contrasts with later romantic developments: by Volume 7 of the light novels, he harbors a crush on Utsuho Nohotoke, struggling to obtain her address. This subplot advances in Volume 10, confirming their relationship and depicting Dan taking employment to fund a gift for her.