OVA
Description
Rin Kokonoe is a primary student at Futatsubashi Elementary School, first in class 3-1 and later advancing to 4-1. She has ochre hair that falls to her knees, usually tied into twin pigtails fastened with pink beads. Her bangs frame her forehead, and additional shoulder-length strands frame her face. Her eyes are brown. She stands 142 centimeters tall, weighs 34 kilograms, and her bust-waist-hip measurements are 73-61-74. She bears a striking physical resemblance to her deceased mother.
Raised in a happy and affectionate early childhood by her mother, Aki Kokonoe, her life shifted when her first cousin once removed, Reiji Kokonoe, moved in after being orphaned. Rin quickly warmed to him and accepted the romantic relationship that developed between Reiji and Aki. This stability ended when Aki was diagnosed with lung cancer. Rin folded paper cranes, believing a thousand would save her mother, but Aki died just before Rin started elementary school. Witnessing her mother’s death left Rin silent and emotionally withdrawn for over a year.
At Futatsubashi Elementary, Rin was grouped with Kuro Kagami and Mimi Usa in physical education, forming a close friendship. Her catatonic state broke when Kuro tried to remove a dress made by her mother, provoking Rin’s first emotional outburst since the tragedy. Over the next two years, her personality transformed from silent and detached to rebellious and mischievously precocious. She became the de facto leader of her class, using her intelligence and status as a minor to outmaneuver adults she saw as threats, particularly to protect Mimi and Kuro. She harassed her first teacher, Nakamura, into a nervous breakdown and resignation after he bullied Mimi.
Rin developed an intense romantic fixation on her homeroom teacher, Daisuke Aoki, proclaiming herself his girlfriend upon their first meeting. Her initial pursuit involved mistrust and coercion, including threats to falsely accuse him of molestation if he revealed her role in Nakamura’s departure. Her attitude softened after witnessing his consistent kindness, such as persuading Mimi to return to school and caring for a stray cat. Her simple crush deepened into genuine love, expressed through flirtatious teasing, sexually suggestive behavior, vast carnal knowledge, and acts bordering on harassment. The emergence of a rival, teacher Kyōko Hōin, drove Rin to desperate measures, including a failed confession that caused a prolonged emotional rift with Aoki.
Following advice from Hōin, Rin changed her strategy to win Aoki’s love through kindness rather than force. She volunteered as class representative to support his teaching and represent her peers. Two deeper motivations drive her actions: a growing fear of her own dark nature, which manifested in tormenting Nakamura, blackmailing Aoki, and nearly injuring Hōin, and a need to manage the unhealthy obsession of her guardian, Reiji, who is implied to have designs on her once she comes of age and tries to mold her into a replacement for her mother. Rin loves Reiji as a father figure but is also afraid of him, creating tension between her platonic love for him, her romantic love for Aoki, and her desire to honor her mother.
Her familial ties are complex. Her biological father, Roku Kamihara, appeared and explained he left Aki over fears that childbirth would endanger her life. Rin rejected him and instructed him never to see her again. Her relationship with Reiji, her legal guardian and first cousin once removed, is profoundly impactful. After Aki’s death, Reiji adopted Rin. They share a bond resembling father and daughter or siblings, but Reiji’s implied inappropriate and obsessive feelings cause Rin significant distress.
The name Rin in hiragana (りん) carries no special meaning, but its kanji (凛) can signify "dignified," "severe," or "cold." Her surname, Kokonoe, means "ninefold," "imperial palace," or "court."
Raised in a happy and affectionate early childhood by her mother, Aki Kokonoe, her life shifted when her first cousin once removed, Reiji Kokonoe, moved in after being orphaned. Rin quickly warmed to him and accepted the romantic relationship that developed between Reiji and Aki. This stability ended when Aki was diagnosed with lung cancer. Rin folded paper cranes, believing a thousand would save her mother, but Aki died just before Rin started elementary school. Witnessing her mother’s death left Rin silent and emotionally withdrawn for over a year.
At Futatsubashi Elementary, Rin was grouped with Kuro Kagami and Mimi Usa in physical education, forming a close friendship. Her catatonic state broke when Kuro tried to remove a dress made by her mother, provoking Rin’s first emotional outburst since the tragedy. Over the next two years, her personality transformed from silent and detached to rebellious and mischievously precocious. She became the de facto leader of her class, using her intelligence and status as a minor to outmaneuver adults she saw as threats, particularly to protect Mimi and Kuro. She harassed her first teacher, Nakamura, into a nervous breakdown and resignation after he bullied Mimi.
Rin developed an intense romantic fixation on her homeroom teacher, Daisuke Aoki, proclaiming herself his girlfriend upon their first meeting. Her initial pursuit involved mistrust and coercion, including threats to falsely accuse him of molestation if he revealed her role in Nakamura’s departure. Her attitude softened after witnessing his consistent kindness, such as persuading Mimi to return to school and caring for a stray cat. Her simple crush deepened into genuine love, expressed through flirtatious teasing, sexually suggestive behavior, vast carnal knowledge, and acts bordering on harassment. The emergence of a rival, teacher Kyōko Hōin, drove Rin to desperate measures, including a failed confession that caused a prolonged emotional rift with Aoki.
Following advice from Hōin, Rin changed her strategy to win Aoki’s love through kindness rather than force. She volunteered as class representative to support his teaching and represent her peers. Two deeper motivations drive her actions: a growing fear of her own dark nature, which manifested in tormenting Nakamura, blackmailing Aoki, and nearly injuring Hōin, and a need to manage the unhealthy obsession of her guardian, Reiji, who is implied to have designs on her once she comes of age and tries to mold her into a replacement for her mother. Rin loves Reiji as a father figure but is also afraid of him, creating tension between her platonic love for him, her romantic love for Aoki, and her desire to honor her mother.
Her familial ties are complex. Her biological father, Roku Kamihara, appeared and explained he left Aki over fears that childbirth would endanger her life. Rin rejected him and instructed him never to see her again. Her relationship with Reiji, her legal guardian and first cousin once removed, is profoundly impactful. After Aki’s death, Reiji adopted Rin. They share a bond resembling father and daughter or siblings, but Reiji’s implied inappropriate and obsessive feelings cause Rin significant distress.
The name Rin in hiragana (りん) carries no special meaning, but its kanji (凛) can signify "dignified," "severe," or "cold." Her surname, Kokonoe, means "ninefold," "imperial palace," or "court."