Umi Sonoda

Sonoda Umi is one of nine main characters in Love Live!. She is 16 years old and a second year. Umi was born on March 15th and is a Pisces. She has long blue hair and brown eyes. Her main color is indigo/dark purple. She is 159 centimeters tall, and her blood type is A. She is part of Lily White, a mini idol unit, and she also has a solo album called "Umiiro Shōjo ni Miserarete (海色少女に魅せられて)". Her original song CD is called "Anemone Heart". She is voiced by Suzuko Mimori.

Background
Umi is Kousaka Honoka and Minami Kotori's classmate and childhood friend, and is also a member of the school's archery club, which she is quite good at. She believes Honoka is bossy and pushy, but realizes the perks of having an adventurous friend. Among the μ's members, Umi takes a role as their physical trainer and a choreographer before Ayase Eri joins the group.

Personality
Umi is normally a shy girl, but she has a strong will and has some qualities of a leader. Despite of this, she is content to stay reserved and always thinks logically. Umi becomes the group's lyric writer, and wrote the song Start:Dash!! Umi is uncomfortable with wearing short skirts, but gets used to it after their first live. Apparently, if awaken while sleeping, Umi takes on a completely different and angry personality, and has the ability to throw "supersonic pillows," based on Episode 10.

Clubs and Hobbies
As the daughter of a traditional family, Umi experts in Kendo, Nagauta, calligraphy, and traditional dancing.

Chronology
In Episode 1, after discovering the closing of their school, student council president Eri and her friend Toujou Nozomi approach Honoka, Umi, and Kotori. Eri asks Kotori if she heard her mother tell her anything about the school shutting down. When Kotori says no, Eri and Nozomi both excuse themselves. Honoka, Umi, and Kotori begin trying to think of a way to attract students to prevent their school from shutting down. It wasn't until Honoka goes to a high school called UTX, and finds out they have a school idol group called A-Rise. Because of them, the school is getting a lot of students. Honoka then gets the idea to start an idol group to save the school. When Kotori shows Umi Honoka working hard on becoming a school idol, she finally decides to join Honoka as an idol, along with Kotori. Even though their idea of a school idol club was rejected by Eri because of not having enough members, they become set on becoming idols.

In Episode 2, Honoka manages to book the school's auditorium for a concert, yet Umi doubts they'd be ready to perform by then. They all try to come up with a name for their idol group, but have a difficult time in doing so, so they decide to hold a contest for the name. Honoka then realizes that don't have a song to even perform, so Umi takes the job of writing the lyrics reluctantly. Since Umi is in archery and has enough stamina, Umi has Kotori and Honoka exercise to get better stamina. Eri warns them that their plan could backfire and ruin the reputation of the school. However, the girls' class supports them, and they receive a name for their idol group: μ's. Honoka gets a girl named Nishikino Maki to compose a song using Umi's lyrics, and Maki sends a CD to Honoka's home.

In Episode 3, it is the day before μ's first concert. Umi starts to get more nervous about performing. So, in order to get Umi more self-confident, Honoka and Kotori hand out fliers. When Kotori reveals the costumes μ's would be performing in, Umi gets more worried because of how short it is. When it's finally time for the concert, nobody is there. However, before the girls gave up, a student named Koizumi Hanayo shows up to see the concert. Despite there barely being an audience, μ's performs their song Start:Dash!! which attracts a small crowd. After the song finishes, Eri appears, asking them what they plan on doing, to which Honoka replies that μ's will keep on performing until they can fill up the whole auditorium.

In Episode 4, the girl, Hanayo, from the previous episode debates with herself to join the idol club. Some time later, Hanayo comes across Honoka's sweet shop, where Umi and Kotori also are and where they notice a video of their performance of Start:Dash!! gaining views on the internet. The girls then ask Hanayo to join the club. Maki and Hanayo's best friend Hoshizora Rin know about Hanayo's shyness, so they both give Hanayo a push, which then  helps Hanayo agree to join μ's. Rin and Maki both decide to join, as well.

In Episode 7, Hanayo tells μ's about the Love Live, a concert where the top 20 school idol groups compete in. The girls then go over to the chairwoman to ask permission to be able to enter the Love Live! tournament. Despite Eri's objection, the chairwoman allows them to enter, but only if they all pass the upcoming exams. The members that need to study the most is Honoka, Rin, and Niko, who presumably have bad grades. Umi and Kotori help Honoka study, while Hanayo and Maki help Rin, and Nozomi with Niko. Once the exams are finished and everyone passed, they all go to the chairwoman's office where they overhear her telling Eri and Nozomi that the school will stop accepting new students next year and shut down.

In Episode 8, μ's barge into her office, demanding an explanation. She clarifies to them that if the school's upcoming open day doesn't go well, the school will be closed. While Eri tries to think of a way to attract students, Umi suggests to μ's that Eri should be their choreographer. Eri soon agrees and puts the group through intense training. Later on, Nozomi informs μ's that Eri wants to join, but believes she can't because of the way she used to treat them. The group then asks her to join μ's. Eri becomes honest with herself and feelings, and joins μ's with Nozomi. Nozomi then reveals to the group that she came up with the name; μ's meaning the nine goddesses of music. The now nine members of μ's performs at the open day and successfully pleases them.

In Episode 9, Eri assigned Kotori to write lyrics for a new song based on Akiba culture, because she works at a maid café there. Kotori, unfortunately, struggles to create the lyrics, which soon has an impact on her studies because of her stress. However, thanks to Honoka and Umi, she is able to create the song Wonder Zone by recalling her feelings when she works in Akihabara. After the performance, Honoka, Umi, and Kotori go pray at a shrine for μ's success. Then, as they were leaving, they look up at the stars and promise to each other they'll be together forever. The next morning, however, an air mail arrives in Kotori's mailbox with her name written on it.

In Episode 10, μ's decide to go to Maki's beach house after getting permission from her parents. Eri creates a rule that no one is allowed to use the honorifics "senpai" for the duration of the trip, so they can break down the barrier between upper and underclassmen. The girls spend the whole day at the beach playing, but Nozomi and Eri are quick to notice Maki not participating. At night, Nozomi initiates a pillow fight, and all of μ's except Umi play. However, a pillow hits Umi while she was sleeping, causing her to get cranky and throw "supersonic pillows" at everyone, hitting Niko, Honoka, and Eri. Just as she was about to hit Hanayo and Rin, Maki knocks Umi out with a pillow, causing her to fall back asleep. The episode ends with all the members of μ's breaking down the barrier between upper and underclassmen, and holding hands while watching the sunrise.

In Episode 11 Umi told Honoka that she shouldn't be working herself too hard, but Honoka said that it's all right. When Umi asked Kotori to tell Honoka to stop, Kotori didn't respond because she was thinking about the letter that she had received earlier. After Umi snapped Kotori out of her daze, Kotori said that Honoka should do whatever she want, disappointing Umi and making Honoka happy.

Later on, during a phone call, Umi asked Honoka if she ever noticed Kotori acting weird. When Honoka said that she didn't, Umi told her to go straight to bed instead of exercising, then calls Kotori. Kotori then explains her situation to Umi, but the audience do not get to hear the conversation.

While getting ready for the concert, Umi asks Kotori if she was fine with her decision, to which Kotori says yes and that she'd tell Honoka about it. They perform "No Brand Girls", but as the song finished, Honoka faints.

In Episode 13, following the events of the previous episode, Honoka and Umi still don't speak to each other. Eri decides to put μ's on a hiatus. Niko disagrees with Eri, saying that she wants to continue being a school idol. Umi visits Kotori and tells her if she really is going to study aboard. But Kotori tells her that there's nothing they can do about it at this point which really makes Umi sad.

At school the next day, Honoka is at the stage where she, Kotori, and Umi performed Start:Dash!! Umi comes in because she was invited by Honoka to come. Honoka apologizes to Umi, but Umi laughs and tells her that she has always been a nuisance. She then tells her that Honoka brought her and Kotori on a long ride, taking them to places they didn't have the courage to go to before. Umi and Honoka then sing Susume→Tomorrow together, and Kotori at the airport sings as well.

Afterwards, Honoka brings back Kotori from the airport and μ's performs Start:Dash!! in the auditorium, despite wearing their school uniforms, and this time with the auditorium filled with people. Honoka then tells the crowd to say "μ's Music Start!" and μ's are in the school idol ratings again.