TV-Series
Description
Haruka Isumi is a high school student and a central figure in the third part of the story as the vocalist and double center of the idol group ZOOL. At seventeen years old, he is the youngest member of his unit and attends the same school as Iori Izumi and Tamaki Yotsuba.
Haruka has a sweet and youthful appearance that contrasts sharply with his often sharp and confrontational demeanor. His personality is initially defined by a strong sense of self-centeredness and a defensive attitude; he refuses to acknowledge anyone who does not first acknowledge him. This prickly exterior, however, masks a more vulnerable and immature core that surfaces as the story progresses. He loves sweet foods and playing video games but has a distinct aversion to powdered medicine.
The driving force behind Haruka's personality is a deep-seated sense of resentment and abandonment. His past reveals that he was once a more honest and hardworking child under the tutelage of the powerful producer Takamasa Kujo, who saw in him the potential to surpass a legendary idol named Zero. Haruka trained overseas alongside Aya, the younger sister of Tamaki Yotsuba, and was led to believe he would be adopted by Kujo. However, Kujo eventually deemed him a failed experiment and abandoned him to focus on the rise of another protégé, Tenn Kujo. This rejection instilled in Haruka a burning hatred for both Takamasa Kujo and Tenn, whom he views as the replacement who took his place. This bitterness was further compounded by the fact that his beloved grandmother, who raised him after his parents died, was hospitalized during his overseas training without his knowledge, as she did not want to hinder his dreams.
After being discarded, Haruka returned to Japan and was recruited by Ryo Tsukumo, who harnessed his anger and recruited him into Tsukumo Productions, leading to the formation of ZOOL. His early role in the story is that of an antagonist, openly declaring his intention to tear down Tenn and the group TRIGGER. He acts on these feelings with visible arrogance, disrupting a television show by attempting to expose family secrets and performing only half a song before storming off in a fit of pique. However, these displays of bravado often backfire, and he is frequently shown crying in frustration when his provocations fail to get the desired reaction from his rivals, revealing his emotional fragility.
Haruka's most significant relationships are strained and complex. He shares a classroom with Iori and Tamaki, the latter of whom calls him by the nickname Isumin, a familiarity Haruka does not openly reject. While he maintains a formal distance with most peers, addressing them by their last names, he has a unique and more comfortable dynamic with his ZOOL bandmates. Toma Inumaru calls him Haru, and Torao Mido refers to him simply as Haruka, indicating a growing bond within the group. Despite his initial reluctance to connect with his unit, seeing them as mere pawns for Ryo Tsukumo, he begins to show flashes of protectiveness and loyalty toward them as they share experiences and face challenges together.
Over the course of the narrative, Haruka begins a slow and difficult journey of development. He starts to question the cynical worldview instilled in him by Kujo, who taught him to view audiences as poison. Confrontations with Tenn, who refuses to be shaken by Haruka's insults and firmly states his own self-worth is not defined by others, force Haruka to confront his own insecurities. While still prone to childish outbursts, he also demonstrates a keen intuition, such as when he senses that Iori is trying to record a conversation to gather evidence, showing he is far from unintelligent. His natural talents include a strong singing voice and the ability to command attention on stage as a center. He is also shown to be surprisingly diligent, conducting thorough research for work projects, such as planning a perfect date simulation, and he resists suggestions from his older bandmates that he feels do not fit his youthful identity. As ZOOL begins to break free from the machinations of their producer and assert their own identity, Haruka starts to tentatively reach for a world beyond his past grievances, moving from a desire for revenge toward a genuine ambition to succeed on his own terms alongside his fellow members.
Haruka has a sweet and youthful appearance that contrasts sharply with his often sharp and confrontational demeanor. His personality is initially defined by a strong sense of self-centeredness and a defensive attitude; he refuses to acknowledge anyone who does not first acknowledge him. This prickly exterior, however, masks a more vulnerable and immature core that surfaces as the story progresses. He loves sweet foods and playing video games but has a distinct aversion to powdered medicine.
The driving force behind Haruka's personality is a deep-seated sense of resentment and abandonment. His past reveals that he was once a more honest and hardworking child under the tutelage of the powerful producer Takamasa Kujo, who saw in him the potential to surpass a legendary idol named Zero. Haruka trained overseas alongside Aya, the younger sister of Tamaki Yotsuba, and was led to believe he would be adopted by Kujo. However, Kujo eventually deemed him a failed experiment and abandoned him to focus on the rise of another protégé, Tenn Kujo. This rejection instilled in Haruka a burning hatred for both Takamasa Kujo and Tenn, whom he views as the replacement who took his place. This bitterness was further compounded by the fact that his beloved grandmother, who raised him after his parents died, was hospitalized during his overseas training without his knowledge, as she did not want to hinder his dreams.
After being discarded, Haruka returned to Japan and was recruited by Ryo Tsukumo, who harnessed his anger and recruited him into Tsukumo Productions, leading to the formation of ZOOL. His early role in the story is that of an antagonist, openly declaring his intention to tear down Tenn and the group TRIGGER. He acts on these feelings with visible arrogance, disrupting a television show by attempting to expose family secrets and performing only half a song before storming off in a fit of pique. However, these displays of bravado often backfire, and he is frequently shown crying in frustration when his provocations fail to get the desired reaction from his rivals, revealing his emotional fragility.
Haruka's most significant relationships are strained and complex. He shares a classroom with Iori and Tamaki, the latter of whom calls him by the nickname Isumin, a familiarity Haruka does not openly reject. While he maintains a formal distance with most peers, addressing them by their last names, he has a unique and more comfortable dynamic with his ZOOL bandmates. Toma Inumaru calls him Haru, and Torao Mido refers to him simply as Haruka, indicating a growing bond within the group. Despite his initial reluctance to connect with his unit, seeing them as mere pawns for Ryo Tsukumo, he begins to show flashes of protectiveness and loyalty toward them as they share experiences and face challenges together.
Over the course of the narrative, Haruka begins a slow and difficult journey of development. He starts to question the cynical worldview instilled in him by Kujo, who taught him to view audiences as poison. Confrontations with Tenn, who refuses to be shaken by Haruka's insults and firmly states his own self-worth is not defined by others, force Haruka to confront his own insecurities. While still prone to childish outbursts, he also demonstrates a keen intuition, such as when he senses that Iori is trying to record a conversation to gather evidence, showing he is far from unintelligent. His natural talents include a strong singing voice and the ability to command attention on stage as a center. He is also shown to be surprisingly diligent, conducting thorough research for work projects, such as planning a perfect date simulation, and he resists suggestions from his older bandmates that he feels do not fit his youthful identity. As ZOOL begins to break free from the machinations of their producer and assert their own identity, Haruka starts to tentatively reach for a world beyond his past grievances, moving from a desire for revenge toward a genuine ambition to succeed on his own terms alongside his fellow members.