Kaede Igarashi is a student at Ousai Academy, beginning as a second-year before progressing to the third year. She serves as head of the Disciplinary Committee and leads the Chorus Club. Her appearance features long, straight light brown hair, typically styled in two braids down her back, dark brown eyes, and a height consistently shown as a head shorter than Takatoshi Tsuda. This signature braided hairstyle once prompted a comparison to anal beads from Aria Shichijou, leading to a temporary swap between them. Kaede often wears a stern expression fitting her disciplinary duties, though it softens among familiar people.

Her personality is strictly principled, diligent, and well-suited to enforcing school rules rigorously on and off campus. She frequently scolds students for moral or rule violations, like the public displays of affection by Nao-chan and Yoshi-kun. A defining characteristic is her severe androphobia, an intense fear of men causing inability to converse with males, reflexive distancing, stuttering, shaking, and fainting upon physical contact. Rooted in a comedic trauma, this phobia motivates her pursuit of justice despite her condition. Symptoms only occur when she recognizes someone as male; interactions where gender is obscured, such as with cross-dressing individuals, do not trigger it. Over time, she develops a partial tolerance for Takatoshi Tsuda, becoming one of the few males she can interact with without losing consciousness.

Her relationships reflect her personality and phobia. She respects Shino Amakusa as Student Council president while remaining wary of Shino's perverted tendencies. She views Aria Shichijou as a role model despite Aria's frequent indecent remarks. Suzu Hagimura is considered the most reliable and approachable Student Council member due to Suzu's lack of perverse behavior and non-male identity. Kaede frequently clashes with Ranko Hata, head of the Newspaper Club, whose morally questionable tactics like spreading rumors or staging pranks provoke disciplinary interventions. Kaede occasionally retaliates, such as threatening a "long talk" after Ranko attempts to film girls in a bath. Her dynamic with Takatoshi Tsuda evolves significantly from initial extreme fear and accusations of perversion to gradual warming and a mild crush. This allows unique physical contact, like holding his hand to inspect glue residue or touching his stomach during karaoke to demonstrate breathing techniques without fainting.

Key events highlight her role and phobia. Her debut involves confronting the Student Council over beach trip photos, threatening Shino's dismissal over perceived improprieties, and panicking when Takatoshi answers the door. During a sports festival relay, she flees Takatoshi's approach, costing her team the race. Delivering documents to him results in nervousness misinterpreted as a love-letter exchange. At a New Year's shrine visit, she freezes and stutters after accidentally bumping into Takatoshi. Ranko exploits her phobia, suggesting her desk might be used by a male exam candidate to cause immediate distress. Later, during surprise inspection planning, she briefly speaks to Takatoshi before fleeing, showing persistent but manageable anxiety.

Character development shows gradual adaptation despite enduring androphobia. By the second season, she can occupy spaces with male students if Takatoshi is present, though direct avoidance remains her default. Manga-specific arcs depict increased comfort, like unconsciously placing a hand on Takatoshi's stomach during karaoke. Her disciplinary approach softens minimally, focusing more on repetitive offenders like Nao-chan and Yoshi-kun. Her core traits of strictness, diligence, and phobia remain consistent across all media.