Ritsuko Akine

Birthday: September 23

Residence: Matsudo City

Year: 1st Year High School

Instrument: 2nd Violin

Ritsuko is a girl with excellent grades and superb athletic skills.

She is kind-hearted with a strong sense of justice and a deep dislike for anything dishonest.

While she seems to be popular with boys, her appetite for food currently outweighs any interest in romance.

She possesses a strong heart that doesn't break even in the face of adversity, always moving straight toward her goals.

In middle school, her best friend, Haru Kozakura, was bullied and forced to transfer.

Ritsuko defended her friend by striking the students responsible, which led to her own isolation within the class.

As a result, she stopped attending regular classes and spent her days in the school nurse's office.

It was during this time that she began playing the violin and met Hajime Aono, eventually attending Umimaku High School with him.

Her biological mother has passed away, and her biological father is on a solo work assignment overseas.

She lives with her stepmother, Tsukasa, a newspaper employee, and the two share a very warm and loving relationship.

Ritsuko is a fast learner who quickly honed her violin skills in a short period.

This was thanks to Hajime's precise guidance, an incredible amount of practice, and an amazing ear for music that even surprised him.

Beyond music, she is also academically gifted, having ranked third in her grade level despite studying on her own in the nurse's office.

Hajime Aono

Ritsuko is a friend of the protagonist, Hajime Aono, from the same middle school.

Shortly after entering high school, she became the very first contact registered in Hajime's new phone, earning her the title of his "memorable first friend."

Her actions constantly have a significant impact on Hajime, inspiring him and pushing him forward.

Haru Kozakura

Haru is Ritsuko's best friend from middle school.

Ritsuko's strong sense of justice led her to defend Haru from bullies, a decision that had major consequences on her own school life.

Rekindling a Flame

Ritsuko's strong will and her joyful, uninhibited way of playing the violin gave Hajime a powerful push to start playing again.

Even as a beginner, her posture of enjoying what she loves without fear was a major source of inspiration for him.

Realization of Feelings

One evening, after she and Hajime prepared a birthday party for her stepmother, Ritsuko impulsively kissed him on the cheek as they were saying goodbye.

This spontaneous act made her finally realize the romantic feelings she had been harboring for him.

Since that day, she has tried to act calm and normal on the surface.

However, she now finds herself feeling jealous whenever she sees Hajime talking with other female students.

Ritsuko is voiced by Ai Kakuma.

She is a central character in the series *Ao no Orchestra*.