Honoka Kosaka

Kousaka Honoka is one of the nine main characters in Love Live! She is 16 years old and a second year in high school. Honoka was born on August 3rd and is a Leo. Her main color is orange. She is 157 centimeters tall, and her blood type is O. She is the center of Printemps, a mini-idol unit under μ's. Her solo single is called "Honnori Honokairo! (ほんのり穂乃果色!)". Honoka is voiced by Emi Nitta.

Background
Honoka's family own a Japanese sweets shop. She lives at the back of the shop with her mother, father, and little sister. Since she was young Honoka has been friends with Minami Kotori and met and befriended Sonoda Umi after inviting her to a game of hide and seek.

Personality
Honoka is an optimist who is never afraid to take risks. She is always in a good mood and like to look at the bright sides of things. Honoka doesn't enjoy eating red bean paste despite working at her family's shop that sells Japanese sweets.

Clubs and Hobbies
Honoka enjoys swimming and sticker collecting. She is the leader of μ's.

Chronology
In Episode 1, Honoka finds out that her school is going to close from Chairwoman Minami's announcement. Devastated, Honoka tries to find ways to save the school with her friends, Umi and Kotori. The girls are unable to come up with any ideas and go home. At home, Honoka discovers her sister plans on attending the school UTX instead of Otonokizaka High School, because she believes there's no reason to attend if it's going to close. Curious to why, Honoka goes to UTX and finds many students attending. She then notices a group performing a song. Not knowing who they were, Honoka asks the girl next to her (Yazawa Niko) who they were. Blown away, the girl explains to her that they're the school idol group called A-Rise, and because of them, UTX is getting a lot of students. Honoka then found a way to save her school: form an idol group. Later that day, she asks Kotori and Umi if they wanted to join, but Umi declines. Later on, Honoka discovers a girl (Nishikino Maki) singing and playing Aishiteru Banzai! on the piano. Honoka asks Maki to compose a song for them, but she says no. Near the end of the episode, Kotori shows Umi Honoka practicing dance moves to convince her to join. Umi becomes convinced, and they both join Honoka's school idol group.

In Episode 2, Honoka get permission to use the auditorium for their concert. However, they quickly realize that they have don't have a group name, so Honoka opens up a contest for their idol group. They also realize that the group doesn't even have a song to work with, so Honoka and Kotori convince Umi to write the lyrics. But in return, Honoka and Kotori must exercise to increase their stamina. Later on, the girls get a name for their group: μ's. Honoka then returns to Maki to give her the lyrics Umi wrote. Maki again declines, but Honoka convinces her that they are serious about what they're doing. Maki later on sends μ's a CD with the song she compose using Umi's lyrics to Honoka's house. Honoka and the others notice there is someone voting for them on a school idol group ranking website.

In Episode 3, it's the day before the concert. Honoka and Kotori decide to have the nervous Umi hand out fliers for the concert to help build her confidence. When it's time for μ's to perform, however, no one comes to the concert. When they were just about to give up, a shy girl name Koizumi Hanayo appears at the concert along with her friend Hoshizora Rin. Despite the small audience, μ's decide to perform anyway, and sing Start:Dash!!. After the song is finished, student body president Ayase Eri asks the group what they're going to do next. Honoka replies by saying that μ's will keep on performing until they can fill up the whole auditorium.

In Episode 4, the group is troubled as they don't have sufficient members to form a club and can't properly conduct club activities. When they are at school's stable, Hanayo approach the group saying it is her job to take care of animal here. Honoka then ask her directly if she want to be school idol. Hanayo do not really reply but saying Maki would be better join them. Much later in the episode, Hanayo comes across Honoka's sweet shop. The girls find out that a recording of their concert in the previous episode has been uploaded to the web and gained quite a few views. μ's invite Hanayo to join the club and ask her to think over her decision. Honoka gladly accept Hanayo to join μ's along with Maki and Rin.

In Episode 5, a girl named Yazawa Niko threatens Honoka and Kotori to disband μ's. While in fast food joint, trying to think of a place to practice during the rainy season, Honoka suddenly realizes that there's enough members to form an official club. However, the girls learn that there's already another an Idol Research Club. Ends up that Niko is the only member of the club. The girls ask her if they can merge their groups together, Niko flatly rejects them, based on the fact that they don't have personas. Nozomi explains to μ's that Niko once tried to start a school idol group, however, the group's members quit one by one, because Niko set the bar too high for them, which eventually led the group to fall apart. After some thinking, Honoka comes up with the idea to join the Idol Research Club to have Niko teach them how to be proper idols. After asking, Niko accepts, happily.

In Episode 6, Nozomi was recording interviews of each member of μ's, until she came to Honoka and asked her why she was the leader when she did nothing. Niko then comes up with the idea to have a karaoke and dance contest, and the one with the highest score would be the leader. Unfortunately, all the girls get similar scores. Honoka then suggests that maybe μ's doesn't need a leader. Everyone agrees with her, although they believed that she was the most worthy.

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. 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 helps Honoka study, while Hanayo and Maki help Rin, and Nozomi with Niko. Once the exams finished and everyone passed the exams, Honoka excitingly goes to the chairwoman's office, but overhears her telling Eri that the school would be shutting down next year.

In Episode 8, Honoka and the others barge into the chairwoman's office telling her that she can't do that. The chairwoman then tells μ's 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 get permission to go to Maki's beach house to supposedly train. Eri, wanting to break the barrier between under and upperclassmen, makes a rule that no one is to call their upperclassmen with the honorifics 'senpai'. For most of the time there, the girls spend time on the beach, playing (although Umi was planning on making the beach trip a training session), and Eri and Nozomi are the only ones that notice Maki isn't participating. When the girls were going to sleep, Honoka says that she couldn't sleep and began eating food. Nozomi soon starts a pillow fight and the rest of μ's (excluding Umi) have a pillow fight with each other. Accidentally, a pillow hits Umi and, crankily, Umi began throwing "supersonic pillows". It wasn't until Maki knocks her out with a pillow, saving everyone from Umi's rage. The next morning, when the sun was rising, all the members of μ's go outside to the beach and hold hands with each other.

In Episode 11, μ's manages to make it to rank #19, making them eligible to apply for the Love Live! This puts pressure on μ's to work extra hard to keep their rank. However, things don't go their way when they are unable to secure a spot on the auditorium for the upcoming school festival, thanks to Niko failing a lottery spin.

Honoka suggests to the group that they could instead hold their performance on the school rooftop where they train. The other members are slightly hesitant to this idea, but agree. While warming up on the rooftop, 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 she received in episode 9. 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 asks 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 called Kotori. Regardless of her order, Honoka goes out to jog in the rain. Because of this decision, Honoka awakens feeling dizzy, but goes to school, anyway. After performing No Brand Girls, Honoka faints from overworking herself, and all of μ's are shown worried.

In Episode 12, μ's go to Honoka's house to check on her. They discover that she's still recovering and has a sprained leg. They sadly tell Honoka that they dropped out of the Love Live! tournament, meaning their ranking was removed. Honoka blames herself for the incident, but μ's tell her that it's everyone's fault, instead. Everyone gets depressed from this event, but Honoka the most. At the rooftop, Maki, Hanayo, and Rin all announce that the school has been saved, thus the group decides to have a celebration. At the party, however, Umi and Kotori are noticed to not be in jolly spirits. Umi then reveals to μ's that Kotori is moving to a fashion boarding school for the rest of her high school career. Everyone is surprised by the announcement, but Honoka gets angry at Kotori for not telling her earlier. Kotori explains to her that she wanted to tell them but couldn't, and runs away.

Later on, Kotori and Honoka text each other. While watching A-Rise perform Private Wars on her laptop, Honoka begins to give up and states that she can never reach their level. On the rooftop, μ's reveals that they're planning to do a final live with everybody before Kotori leaves. But Honoka tells them that it was her fault and that none of this would've happened if it wasn't for the accident. The members tell her to stop saying that, but Honoka then says that the school is saved, therefore there's no reason to keep on performing and that's it's impossible to go against a group like A-Rise. Honoka tells them that she quits, but before she leaves, Umi slaps her cheek, saying that she didn't think that she's that kind of person and that she's the worst there is.

In Episode 13, following the events of the previous episode, Honoka and Umi still don't speak to each other. Her friends believe that she's depressed that she quit being a school idol, and that Kotori hasn't been to school for the last few days. So they ask Honoka to walk with them, and end up going to an arcade. While there, Honoka and one of her friends decide to play a dance game. When the song began, Honoka blankly stared at the screen, remembering Umi coaching μ's. Her friends snap her out of her daze, and she begins to dance, getting an excellent score for each step. While her friend was exhausted, Honoka was still full of energy, thanks to her practice.

On the way home, Honoka sees Hanayo and Rin training with Niko, who are continuing idol practice, despite μ's being on a hiatus. Niko tells Honoka that she loves being an idol and also tells her that all that has happened is because Honoka quit from μ's. Hanayo and Rin tell Niko that she's being too harsh on her, but Honoka tells them that she's right.

Eri visits Honoka's home to tell her that μ's is going on an indefinite hiatus. Eri confesses that she's jealous of Honoka's personality and how she isn't afraid to show them. She tells her that everyone is shocked that Kotori is leaving, and that is was even more unbearable when they think about how Honoka and Umi are feeling about it. Eri tells Honoka that she taught her to have the courage to move forward without fearing change. Eri then shows Honoka her hand and tells her that she was saved by Honoka's hand. Later, Honoka checks the Love Live! ranking, and it shows that A-Rise won first place. Honoka then changes into her practice clothes.

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.

Before Kotori could go to her flight, Honoka runs in and hugs Kotori, telling her that she wants to continue being school idols with her and tells her not to go. Kotori begins to cry as well, and apologizes.

Back at school, μ's waits for Honoka and Kotori to return. Honoka runs in, but accidentally trips and ends up hurting her butt. Kotori runs in as well, and despite being in their school uniforms, μ's begin to perform Start:Dash!!, this time with the whole auditorium filled with people. After singing, Honoka tells the people to say "μ's Music Start!" and μ's are in the Love Live! tournament again.