TV-Series
Description
Kikuri Hiroi is a supporting character known as the bassist and vocalist for the band SICK HACK. She is a woman in her mid-twenties with a slim build, long dark pink hair often tied in a side braid with a ribbon, and magenta-purple eyes that are frequently depicted as spirals, reflecting her usual state of inebriation. Her fashion sense is distinct, typically wearing a camisole dress under a souvenir jacket and wooden geta sandals on her bare feet, paired with black nail polish on her fingers and toes. In the manga, she sometimes has a tattoo on the back of her right hand, but this detail is often absent in the anime, suggesting it may be a temporary design.
Kikuri's most defining characteristic is her constant drunkenness. On the surface, she is a cheerful, free-spirited, and chaotic individual who seems to live without worries, finding joy in drinking cheap sake. However, this extroverted and lively demeanor is a drastic transformation from her true nature. When sober, Kikuri becomes extremely shy, gloomy, and negative, a personality even more introverted than that of the protagonist, Hitori Gotoh. She refers to her cycle of drinking to escape her anxieties about the future as the "spiral of happiness," a coping mechanism that leads her to break equipment during performances, accumulate debt, and live in a run-down apartment without a bath. Her life is a series of chaotic events, such as losing her beloved bass in bars, borrowing money from high school students, and sleeping on the streets.
Despite her disastrous personal life, Kikuri is an immensely talented musician. She is a skilled bassist and vocalist with a powerful stage charisma that captivates audiences. Her playing style is unique, as she uses a pick shaped like a shamisen plectrum, and she has named her YAMAHA TRB1004J bass the "Super Ultra Shuten-douji EX". Her musical ability is so high that she can effortlessly match an unknown song during an impromptu street performance, as she does when she first meets Hitori Gotoh. Her talent and experience command respect from other musicians, including Ryo Yamada.
Her background reveals that she was not always so outgoing. During high school, Kikuri was a quiet introvert. Her interest in music was sparked by her admiration for Seika Ijichi, an upperclassman in university whose band she aspired to join. Though that band had already disbanded by the time she arrived, this admiration drove her to start her own group, SICK HACK, with her university friend Shima Iwashita. She began drinking as a way to calm her nerves before live performances, a habit that eventually became a permanent lifestyle.
In the story, Kikuri acts as a mentor and supporter for the Kessoku Band, particularly for Hitori. She sees her former shy self in Hitori and recognizes her immense potential, offering valuable advice from the perspective of a seasoned band member. Their relationship begins when a drunken Kikuri encounters Hitori struggling to sell concert tickets and insists on a spontaneous jam session. She then becomes a regular attendee at Kessoku Band's shows, acting as a big sister figure and one of Hitori's biggest fans. Her other key relationships include her deep respect for Seika Ijichi, whom she calls "senpai," and her bandmates in SICK HACK, who, despite their exasperation with her drinking, remain loyal to her. She is also the protagonist of a spin-off series, which explores her daily struggles with alcohol, money, and band life in greater detail.
Kikuri's most defining characteristic is her constant drunkenness. On the surface, she is a cheerful, free-spirited, and chaotic individual who seems to live without worries, finding joy in drinking cheap sake. However, this extroverted and lively demeanor is a drastic transformation from her true nature. When sober, Kikuri becomes extremely shy, gloomy, and negative, a personality even more introverted than that of the protagonist, Hitori Gotoh. She refers to her cycle of drinking to escape her anxieties about the future as the "spiral of happiness," a coping mechanism that leads her to break equipment during performances, accumulate debt, and live in a run-down apartment without a bath. Her life is a series of chaotic events, such as losing her beloved bass in bars, borrowing money from high school students, and sleeping on the streets.
Despite her disastrous personal life, Kikuri is an immensely talented musician. She is a skilled bassist and vocalist with a powerful stage charisma that captivates audiences. Her playing style is unique, as she uses a pick shaped like a shamisen plectrum, and she has named her YAMAHA TRB1004J bass the "Super Ultra Shuten-douji EX". Her musical ability is so high that she can effortlessly match an unknown song during an impromptu street performance, as she does when she first meets Hitori Gotoh. Her talent and experience command respect from other musicians, including Ryo Yamada.
Her background reveals that she was not always so outgoing. During high school, Kikuri was a quiet introvert. Her interest in music was sparked by her admiration for Seika Ijichi, an upperclassman in university whose band she aspired to join. Though that band had already disbanded by the time she arrived, this admiration drove her to start her own group, SICK HACK, with her university friend Shima Iwashita. She began drinking as a way to calm her nerves before live performances, a habit that eventually became a permanent lifestyle.
In the story, Kikuri acts as a mentor and supporter for the Kessoku Band, particularly for Hitori. She sees her former shy self in Hitori and recognizes her immense potential, offering valuable advice from the perspective of a seasoned band member. Their relationship begins when a drunken Kikuri encounters Hitori struggling to sell concert tickets and insists on a spontaneous jam session. She then becomes a regular attendee at Kessoku Band's shows, acting as a big sister figure and one of Hitori's biggest fans. Her other key relationships include her deep respect for Seika Ijichi, whom she calls "senpai," and her bandmates in SICK HACK, who, despite their exasperation with her drinking, remain loyal to her. She is also the protagonist of a spin-off series, which explores her daily struggles with alcohol, money, and band life in greater detail.