TV-Series
Description
Kirio Nekoyanagi is an 18-year-old idol affiliated with 315 Production, where he is a member of the three-unit group called "Sai," alongside his fellow idols Shoma Hanamura and Kuro Kiyosumi. Before entering the entertainment industry, Nekoyanagi worked as a rakugoka, a traditional Japanese storyteller. He brings this theatrical background into his new career as an idol.
Nekoyanagi presents himself with a highly distinctive and eccentric personality. He is friendly, enthusiastic, and notoriously carefree, often referring to himself with the grandiose and archaic pronoun "wagahai," which evokes a pompous, self-important character, fitting for his self-appointed title as the Great Purr-former Nekoyanagi. His most defining quirk is his obsession with cats, which permeates every aspect of his persona. He claims to be a cat alien from space and has altered his speech patterns to end many sentences with the unique verbal tic "denyansu" or "nyansu." This feline theme extends to his behavior; he is a notoriously big and messy eater who loves to take catnaps after a good meal. However, this leisurely demeanor is not indicative of laziness. Nekoyanagi possesses immense stamina and energy, capable of outworking his peers when inspiration strikes, and he holds himself to high professional standards.
Beneath his whimsical and often silly exterior, Nekoyanagi is remarkably intelligent and perceptive. His rakugo training has made him a keen observer of human behavior. He treats his performances with an analytical, almost scientific approach, often surveying an audience to read their expressions and body language. He uses this information to revise his stage act on the fly, ensuring the audience has the best possible experience. His love for making people laugh is the driving force behind his antics, and his silly cat persona is a deliberate, calculated choice to entertain others.
Nekoyanagi's motivations for becoming an idol are directly tied to his past as a storyteller. He first conceived the idea for a new rakugo story centered on idols while taking a nap and decided to seek inspiration from real-life performers. Attending a festival to research, he was so moved by the experience that he resolved to become an idol himself, rather than merely observe them. He first invited Shoma Hanamura to form a group with him, an offer that was initially refused. Undeterred, Nekoyanagi signed a contract with 315 Production on his own, and by coincidence, Hanamura, who had since changed his mind, was placed in the same unit, forming the group Sai.
The character's relationships are central to his personal development. Despite his outgoing and friendly nature, Nekoyanagi is surprisingly unfamiliar with the concept of friendship, admitting that he has never had any real friends. He treasures his bonds with his unit members, Shoma and Kuro, and considers them his first genuine friends. He often teases and tries to get a rise out of them, but these pranks are ultimately meant to bring them happiness. He holds a deep-seated insecurity about being a burden on his unit, though he generally hides these feelings to prioritize others. He feels more comfortable expressing his vulnerabilities to animals, having once confided his worries to a group of stray cats he befriended. In the anime The Idolm@ster SideM Wake Atte Mini!, Nekoyanagi takes on the role of a talk show host, where his perceptiveness shines through when he skillfully helps a hesitant Kuro Kiyosumi participate in an ad-libbing segment, revealing his considerate and encouraging nature as a leader.
Nekoyanagi has several notable abilities derived from his rakugo background. He is a skilled impersonator, capable of mimicking humans, animals, and fictional characters. He can also use his fan as a prop to convincingly pretend to eat. He enjoys observing rare animals as a hobby and is an avid reader, particularly of antique books. He possesses remarkable courage, having walked cheerfully through a haunted house that left his partner frightened. Standing 165 centimeters tall with AB blood type, his birthday is November 12th, and he hails from Gunma prefecture.
Nekoyanagi presents himself with a highly distinctive and eccentric personality. He is friendly, enthusiastic, and notoriously carefree, often referring to himself with the grandiose and archaic pronoun "wagahai," which evokes a pompous, self-important character, fitting for his self-appointed title as the Great Purr-former Nekoyanagi. His most defining quirk is his obsession with cats, which permeates every aspect of his persona. He claims to be a cat alien from space and has altered his speech patterns to end many sentences with the unique verbal tic "denyansu" or "nyansu." This feline theme extends to his behavior; he is a notoriously big and messy eater who loves to take catnaps after a good meal. However, this leisurely demeanor is not indicative of laziness. Nekoyanagi possesses immense stamina and energy, capable of outworking his peers when inspiration strikes, and he holds himself to high professional standards.
Beneath his whimsical and often silly exterior, Nekoyanagi is remarkably intelligent and perceptive. His rakugo training has made him a keen observer of human behavior. He treats his performances with an analytical, almost scientific approach, often surveying an audience to read their expressions and body language. He uses this information to revise his stage act on the fly, ensuring the audience has the best possible experience. His love for making people laugh is the driving force behind his antics, and his silly cat persona is a deliberate, calculated choice to entertain others.
Nekoyanagi's motivations for becoming an idol are directly tied to his past as a storyteller. He first conceived the idea for a new rakugo story centered on idols while taking a nap and decided to seek inspiration from real-life performers. Attending a festival to research, he was so moved by the experience that he resolved to become an idol himself, rather than merely observe them. He first invited Shoma Hanamura to form a group with him, an offer that was initially refused. Undeterred, Nekoyanagi signed a contract with 315 Production on his own, and by coincidence, Hanamura, who had since changed his mind, was placed in the same unit, forming the group Sai.
The character's relationships are central to his personal development. Despite his outgoing and friendly nature, Nekoyanagi is surprisingly unfamiliar with the concept of friendship, admitting that he has never had any real friends. He treasures his bonds with his unit members, Shoma and Kuro, and considers them his first genuine friends. He often teases and tries to get a rise out of them, but these pranks are ultimately meant to bring them happiness. He holds a deep-seated insecurity about being a burden on his unit, though he generally hides these feelings to prioritize others. He feels more comfortable expressing his vulnerabilities to animals, having once confided his worries to a group of stray cats he befriended. In the anime The Idolm@ster SideM Wake Atte Mini!, Nekoyanagi takes on the role of a talk show host, where his perceptiveness shines through when he skillfully helps a hesitant Kuro Kiyosumi participate in an ad-libbing segment, revealing his considerate and encouraging nature as a leader.
Nekoyanagi has several notable abilities derived from his rakugo background. He is a skilled impersonator, capable of mimicking humans, animals, and fictional characters. He can also use his fan as a prop to convincingly pretend to eat. He enjoys observing rare animals as a hobby and is an avid reader, particularly of antique books. He possesses remarkable courage, having walked cheerfully through a haunted house that left his partner frightened. Standing 165 centimeters tall with AB blood type, his birthday is November 12th, and he hails from Gunma prefecture.