NEW GAME! is a four-panel comic currently being serialized in Manga Time Kirara Carat. It is a manga set at the game production company Eagle Jump, depicting the everyday working life behind the scenes of game production. Due to the popularity of the original work, it was made into an anime in the summer of 2016. The anime was also so popular that a second season was broadcast the following year. This time we will introduce Takimoto Hifumi, a character who appears in NEW GAME!, a very interesting series that gives you a look behind the scenes of game production that is not often talked about, and conveys both the pain and joy.
Who is Takimoto Hifumi?
Source: NEW GAME! ©Tokuno Shotaro, Houbunsha / NEW GAME! Production Committee
Her age is unclear, but she is thought to be over adulthood, 162cm tall, has long hair, and always ties it up with a big ribbon. She is more than two years older than Aoba, the protagonist of this work, and works as a graphic designer on the same team as Aoba. Although she has the skills of a graphic designer, she has very poor communication skills and is very bad at talking to people face to face. However, his superiors recognize his graphic design skills and he is made the leader of the graphic design character team.
Hifumi Takimoto is extremely shy! !
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi Takimoto is extremely shy and has poor communication skills. Hifumi is not good at talking to people face to face, and when Aoba, who does not know this, tried to ask him about something on his first day at Eagle Jump, Hifumi was surprised that he was called out to, and answered Aoba timidly with a stiff expression. When he was made the leader of the character team, he was so desperate that he had to interact with people and bring them together more than ever before, that he froze up.
Super friendly in emails
Hifumi is not good at talking to people face to face, but when he talks on internal messages and SNS, he is a different person, and can communicate with a bright and light-hearted tone. He actively uses emojis and emoticons in his messages, which is unthinkable for the usual Hifumi. It seems that the employees are aware of this, and when they talk to Hifumi, they use internal messages.
Hifumi Takimoto is an excellent graphic designer
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi is shy and not good at interacting with people, but she is a very good graphic designer at work. She has been working longer than Aoba and the others, but she is more enthusiastic about 3DCG than anyone else. When auditions are held for the character designs of the next game, newcomer Aoba is very motivated, and when she asks Hifumi if she wants to participate, she answers, "Because I want to focus on 3D." Hifumi is shy, but when the topic of 3D comes up, we often see her expressing her opinion with a serious expression. She really loves working with 3D!
Hifumi Takimoto is actually a hard worker
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi always has a stiff expression and gives off an unreliable impression, but she is actually a very reliable senior. When Aoba is in trouble or feeling down, she is the first to notice and give advice. Even when she was promoted to character team leader, she actively spoke to the team staff, and when there was a delay, she didn't get angry, but instead thought carefully about why they were late and what to do. When new staff joined the team, she actively talked to them, even though she was shy, so that they could quickly get along with each other. Hifumi is actually a very hard worker.
Hifumi Takimoto's Boyfriend!? Who is Sojiro?
Source: NEW GAME! ©Tokuno Shotaro, Houbunsha / NEW GAME! Production Committee
When Aoba asked Hifumi why she was coming to work later than usual, she said, "Because I want to eat lunch with Soujiro." Aoba thought he was her boyfriend, but when Hifumi showed her a photo, she learned that Soujiro was a hedgehog. Hifumi keeps a pet hedgehog, which she lets out of its cage when she's at home and lets it roam free. For some reason, Sojiro is aware of Hifumi's airheadedness, and often sighs at her comments and behavior. In the photo of Hifumi with Sojiro, she has a lovely smile on her face.
Hifumi Takimoto is actually an otaku
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi has an otaku hobby. She seems to be particularly into anime for young girls, and she has managed to get tickets to a live concert with a high competition rate. She showed how serious she is by wearing a happi coat and a headband.
She also enjoys cosplay
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha / NEW GAME! Production Committee
Another hobby is cosplay. During the game show, Hifumi, who arrived at the venue before Aoba and the others, was dressed in a cosplay costume and a photo session was taking place. When Hifumi saw Aoba and the others at the venue, there was a scene where she turned her face away to avoid them, and although she likes cosplay, she seems embarrassed to be known or seen by her company employees. However, since she later revealed to the team staff that she was cosplaying, there may come a time when she will show it off in front of them.
Hifumi Takimoto loves alcohol and has a high alcohol tolerance
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi drinks alcohol deliciously at Aoba's welcome party. Although the adult women around her are moderately drunk, Hifumi is the only one who doesn't seem to be drunk at all. Moreover, the alcohol he drinks is always strong and bitter. There is a scene where he drinks alcohol while soaking in a hot spring during a company ski trip. It's great to see the difference between his usual self and Hifumi's love and tolerance for alcohol!!
Hifumi Takimoto is a good cook
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
Hifumi eats a meal with Sojiro at home. Since she cooks her own food, she is very good at it. She brings her homemade food to the office and tries to feed it to Aoba, but Yagami eats it first, which makes Hifumi angry. Still, Aoba ate it and everyone praised it for how delicious it was. Men who can cook and like alcohol are not going to keep quiet.
Voice actress: Ai Yamaguchi
Source: NEW GAME! ©Shotaro Tokuno, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
The voice actress who plays the voice of Hifumi Takimoto is Ai Yamaguchi. Her most well-known role is as Nanakura Koharu in Aikatsu Stars. She originally appeared in a number of dramas as a child actor. Although she is still new to voice acting, she is a promising voice actress. Let's look forward to her future success.
Summary of Takimoto Hifumi
Source: NEW GAME! ©Tokuno Shotaro, Houbunsha/NEW GAME! Production Committee
What did you think? Takimoto Hifumi is a character that is very popular with readers. Apparently the author had originally intended for her to be a senior sub-character who would show up when someone was in trouble, but when the author actually wrote the story, she became very close with the main character, Aoba, and began appearing more frequently, which made her popular. It's true that Hifumi can be unreliable in some ways, but she's also a cute and hardworking senior, so it's easy to see why she's so popular. That's all for today. Thank you for reading.
