Wataten!, originally written by Mukugi Nanatsu, is a four-panel comic that has been serialized in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime since 2017. It's a slightly yuri, slapstick comedy about the everyday lives of a reclusive female college student and elementary school girls. In January 2018, the long-awaited anime adaptation began production by Doga Kobo, the studio behind Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun and Himouto! Umaru-chan, and has become a hot topic! In this article, we'll introduce you to some of the main characters of Wataten!, Himesaka Noa.
Wataten! A Brief Synopsis
One day in May, almost two months into her college career, the protagonist, Miyako Hoshino, a reclusive and gloomy college student, was lazing around as usual when her fifth-grade sister, Hinata Hoshino, came home. Hinata had brought a friend with her, a beautiful young girl with straight black hair named Shirasaki Hana. The moment she saw the young girl, Miyako was overcome with a feeling she had never experienced before. It was at that very moment that she realized, "An angel had descended upon me." After meeting this girl, Miyako tries every trick in the book to become friends with Hana, but Hana is wary of her. This leads to a hectic daily life that involves her younger sister, Hinata, and her friends.
Himesaka Noa (CV: Akari Kito)
Himesaka Noa is one of the main characters in WataTen. She's a fifth-grade elementary school student with distinctive blonde hair, just like Hana and her friends, who moved in next door to the Hoshino family. She's very cute and likely half-Japanese, but her usual remarks and actions often make her seem like a punching bag. Or rather, she often plays a key role as a playful character. However, she also has some sensible qualities in the story, making her an important character who plays both the funny and the straight man roles!
Kitou Akari
Noa is played by the now-popular voice actress, Kitou Akari. Since her debut in 2014, she has appeared in numerous anime series, brilliantly portraying both lively and silent characters. Her popularity and talent have steadily grown, making her a well-established voice actress. Among her many notable works, she recently voiced Hinata Kaho in Blend S and Seiun Sky in Uma Musume.
Noa is a narcissistic and cute character!
Perhaps because she grew up doting on her mother, she's extremely confident in her own cuteness. Well, she's actually a rare blonde, and she's just plain cute. No matter what, she's a bit of a pain, always wanting to be number one (lol). Unfortunately, many of her friends prioritize others over Noa (Mya-nee is Hana, Hinata is Mya-nee), so she's always treated as second or third, which makes her a bit of an unfortunate character. She's cute, though! (lol) However, she hates being told she's cute when it's not true, so be careful, as she'll get angry if someone compliments her inappropriately.
Noa is girly and cute
Everyone in Wataten! has feelings for someone, and of course, Noa is one of them! Noa has feelings for Hinata. Mya-nee's love for Hana-chan is in the extreme, and Hinata's love for Mya-nee is also in the extreme, and there are a lot of people like that, not to mention Matsumoto-san, but Noa-chan is surprisingly excited about Hinata in a healthy way. She gets excited when he just feeds her, or when he carries her like a princess. Considering that everyone around her is acting all crazy, Noa-chan's excitement is completely healthy and adorable.
Noa-chan is comfortable with cosplay
While many characters in WataTen cosplay reluctantly or grudgingly do it for someone else, whether it's for sweets or Mya-nee, Noa is the only one who cosplays willingly. Of course, she dresses up in all sorts of outfits because she wants to be praised for her cuteness and to become even cuter herself. I'm grateful and it's wonderful, but it's sad that she doesn't get much praise from those around her (lol). Here are some of her cosplays!
Noa-chan is also a White Lily
Lyricure cosplay has become quite popular in WataTen!, and naturally, Noa-chan is showing it off, too. Starting with this cosplay, Noa's pride would be crushed by her sisters... (lol)
Nurse Noa
She's only treated as a secondary character to Hana (lol), but if it weren't for Hana's overwhelming presence, she's so cute she would surely have been the top!
Maid Noa
It's a classic cosplay, but when worn by a blonde, it has a certain charm, a real, authentic feel. It feels more like a real maid than a maid cafe, which I think is great!
Is Noa actually a sensible person?
Aside from her self-absorbed side and her awkwardness around Hinata, Noa is a relatively sensible character in the story and considerate of those around her. Well, since everyone around her is a siscon, a lolicon, or a candy-obsessed person (lol), she inevitably becomes the straight man. She also shows a gentle side, such as being considerate of Mya-nee and using her head to help things go smoothly. Her initial haughty image is gradually transformed into a positive one, which is what makes her so appealing.
Noa-chan Loves Her Mom
Noa-chan's overconfidence is caused by her mother, who is a doting mother (lol). As a result of constantly praising her as the cutest in the world, Noa-chan has come to think of herself as the cutest in the world. Well, it's understandable, since parents think their child is cute, and it's also very heartwarming to see such a close mother-daughter relationship. The Hoshino family isn't exactly on bad terms, but their mother is scary (lol).
Noa-chan Summary!
Noa loves herself and believes she's the cutest person in the world! At first, I thought she was a bit annoying, but she quickly developed many other charms and became an essential character in the series. She's a rare blonde, so let's hope she continues to make jokes, make comments, and show off her cute cosplay.
