"Paranghyou no Yohane - SUNSHINE in the MIRROR -" is a story featuring a protagonist modeled after Yoshiko Tsushima, a character from "Love Live! Sunshine!!." The story is set in a world reminiscent of reincarnation in another world, and was announced as an official spin-off of the Love Live series. While all members of Aquors appear, there is no concept of school idols, and the story is set in a different timeline from the original. How exactly are the members portrayed in this work? In this article, we will introduce the characters while exploring similarities and differences with the original!
Introduction: What kind of story is it?
The story is set in Numazu, a port town surrounded by sea and mountains. Ever since she was a child, Yohane has struggled to fit in with others and has avoided interacting with them. However, she has dreams and hopes. What does she want to do? Where does she belong? Unable to be honest, Yohane clumsily walks her own path.
Yohane
This is the protagonist of the story. In the story, she runs a fortune-telling shop. In the original work, she calls herself a fallen angel, calling herself Yohane and immediately correcting herself when called by her real name. She's a typical chuunibyou character, but perhaps this work shows a side of her that hints at that. This work's Yohane may be closer to the person Yoshiko in the original manga wanted to be. His attire and his role as a fortune teller are reminiscent of fallen angels. He's kind-hearted and unable to refuse a request. In the original manga, there were many scenes that showed this side of Yoshiko. He has a wolf-like companion called Laelaps. Laelaps is a dog that also appeared in the second season of the manga, and the episode featuring this dog showcases Yoshiko's gentler side.
Hanamaru
Yohane's childhood friend. He loves delicious food and makes a living selling sweets. In the original work, Tsushima Yoshiko and Kunikida Hanamaru are childhood friends and close. I think the fact that they both work in the food industry is a very Hanamaru-like quality. In the original work, she's also known for her love of food. On the official website, she's introduced next to the protagonist, so she could be considered the second most important character after Yohane. I wonder what kind of role she'll play?
Dia
She works at the Numazu Administrative Bureau and serves as the perfectionist chief of staff. Dia's dependable personality fits perfectly with the original work. When Dia first appears, she's a reliable character, but also has a rigid mindset, giving off an unapproachable impression. However, she also has a passion for school idols, and through her idol activities, she gradually opens up to those around her. In this work, she also displays a more uptight, more unexpected side, and this contrast may become even more appealing.
Ruby
Ruby is a shy fairy character. A human-like Ruby also appears, but her relationship to her is currently unknown. I feel like Ruby's fluffy, cute personality in the original manga is also utilized in this character. While she's Dia's younger sister in the manga, their relationship isn't explicitly stated in this work.
Chika
She's the poster girl for the long-established Tochiman Inn, and the youngest of three sisters. This is consistent with the original manga. Takami Chika's family also owns a long-established local inn, and she has two older sisters. While she played a key role as the protagonist in the manga, what role will she play in this work? She likely appears when the protagonist, Yohane, stays at the inn during his travels. She may not appear often, but she may provide important travel clues.
Yoh
She is the poster girl for the long-established Tochiman Inn, and the youngest of three sisters. This is consistent with the original story. In the original, Chika Takami's family also owns a long-established local inn, and she has two older sisters. She played a key role as the main character in the original, but what role will she play in this work? She likely appears when the main character, Yohane, stays at the inn during his journey. She may not appear very often, but she may provide important travel clues.
Canaan
Canaan is a mechanic who runs a workshop in the Uchira district. He works on repairing and crafting junk. His partner is a frog-modeled robot named "Tonosama." In the original work, he helps his family with their work in Uchiura, so working in the Uchiura district, which resembles Uchiura, is a commonality with the original work. What was surprising (or maybe I should call it that) was that he works as a mechanic, a science-based job. In the original work, he wasn't depicted as having an interest in machines, so this is an original element of this work. Perhaps he'll create something useful for the protagonists' adventure.
Riko
Riko is a zoologist with a strong sense of curiosity who moved to Numazu from outside the area. In the original work, she also moved to Numazu from another region, so this is a similarity to the original work. Many people probably have an image of Sakurauchi Riko as being intelligent. In this work, her occupation is that of a zoologist, and her character is set up in a way that reflects her intellectual image in the original work.
Mari
Mari is a witch who lives on a place called Warshimer Island, and her castle is located in Chateau O'Hara. She's a descendant of the Demon King's family, and she has a familiar named "Pelapi" at her side. In the original work, she was portrayed as a wealthy young lady, and this atmosphere continues in the world of this work. Although she's a witch, will she become an enemy of the main characters? There's still a lot of mystery surrounding her.
Character Summary
Each character reflects the qualities and charms of an Aquors member. Even without the concept of school idols, I think it will be a story in which the characters form various bonds with each other. I'm already looking forward to the anime airing! If you're interested, please also read the ongoing manga! That's all for today. Thank you for reading.
