Kanata Konoe

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Kanata Konoe is a main character in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. She is a third year student of Nijigasaki High School. She is a member of QU4RTZ, a unit under the reformed Nijigaku and was a co-founder of the original group. Her image color is violet.

Background

Kanata is known as the group's "sleeping beauty", Kanata has the uncanny ability to somehow relax anybody in her presence. She formerly attended Shinonome Academy and has a younger sister named Haruka. Along with Shizuku Osaka and Emma Verde, Kanata works with the Love Live! School idol festival app.

Kanata attends Nijigasaki on a scholarship, so she studies really hard at night everyday, thus her sleep deprivation.

Personality

Kanata is often seen as being very sleepy and often takes naps during the day. She is very easygoing and prone to napping in the laps of others, although in the Niji-Yon 4-koma series she seems to like Emma's lap the most. She also carries a pillow around with her at school.

At times, she will appear to be sleeping but is actually awake and listening to what's going on around her.

Despite seeming always tired, Kanata is motivated as a school idol by her younger sister and others' praise. She often mentions her dream of being able to take a nap with the audience during a performance. Kanata loves being doted on, but is also very sisterly and capable of looking after others. She loves being a big sister, and tends to look after the other idols in various, little ways. Kanata can be very diligent in matters that are important to her. Her grades are good despite her sleepiness.

Clubs and Hobbies

She is skilled at cooking, and the best cook in the club. She is a member of the Health Committee. It is revealed in Season 1 Episode 7 that Kanata works part-time as a grocery store clerk at a shopping center named SOROR.

Appearance

Kanata has a slim figure with long, messy, light brown hair and dark violet eyes.

Other Data

Official Introduction from Website^[1]
Good morning~ everyone...... I’m Kanata-chan~. Fufu, today’s Kanata-chan has more energy than usual....... I want to be the best school idol, and then my younger sister Haruka-chan will praise me...... And she’ll respect me....... So, I worked hard on my self-promotion message...... If she could just read it...... Without a doubt... Kanata-chan will win..................zzz ..............................ah. I-I’m not sleeping...... But, I guess I should change the topic....... From now on, I’ll show you my greatest charm...... Just for you, as much of my sleeping face as you want....... So, I’m looking forward to your support..................zzz

Official Introduction from Love Live! School idol festival Website^[2]
Ah, ouch— Why am I in a classroom...? Even though I was in the infirmary... Why are we shooting... my introduction video... in a classroom? Wouldn’t it normally be in the infirmary? ...Because, it has beds... and filming me while I sleep... would be the best... What, that’s no good? I’m not allowed to... sleep? How tough... aren’t you being a little too stubborn...? This place doesn’t have beds, or a soft Haruka-chan... if we start like this... I won’t have any motivation... So... I’ll caress you. [TL note: what I translated as “caress” could also be something like “pat”.] A reward... for taking me from the infirmary to the classroom. Come on, let me caress you. “Time to get serious”? I’m already at maximum seriousness here—. Imagine...? That on the other side of the camera... is Haruka-chan...!? Expecting... the heroic Kanata-chan? Ooh, this onee-chan can’t help but be encouraged by that—. perks up Sigh... that’s it. My enthusiasm has a time limit. I really did well, trying my best to the end. What...? I have to persevere for a little longer? You’re merciless—. Ahh, I guess it can’t be helped. Without me... you’re hopeless... Well, onee-chan will have to try her best—. Probably... definitely... maybe... well, uh, ready yourself...? Yawn... ugh, could we just start after I sleep for five more minutes~?

Question & Answer Corner^[3]
What has been good about becoming a school idol? Good things... I was able to start chatting with Haruka-chan about school idols~... Haruka-chan... praised me~, and asks me kindly whether I was tired from working as a school idol. When I say “I’m tired~”, Haruka-chan lets me rest my head on her lap, so recently falling asleep has been... a very good experience. What should school idols aim to do on a daily basis? Good school idol activities... depend on getting good sleep... So before anything else, once must aim to sleep well... To get high quality sleep, a good futon is indispensable... That’s why... I prepared a futon with down filling... in the school infirmary. I’m very efficient... amazing, isn’t it. What were your first impressions of the two you’re working with? I felt that Emma-chan has the same aura as me... Emma-chan is a big sister too~, so we chat a lot about the hardships of being a big sister... Being a big sister is tough. After all, little sisters are way too cute... it makes life harsh. Shizuku-chan was... shining brilliantly~... She’s direct, and very diligent... I always feel like her shoulders are stiff, so I think I’ll take her to a good napping spot soon... What do you do in your day-to-day life? I’m very diligent~, and I’m busy every day... As a school idol, day after day, I’m immersing myself in studying how to have a cute sleeping face... Even now... I want to get back to this research... What do you like to do? It’s surprising to be asked this~. I actually... like cooking, and I’m very good at it~. The other day... when I made omurice for everyone, they were very pleased... I really am skillful. Next time, I’m planning to make something Ai-chan said she likes, Nukazuke... If you mix it throughout the day, it’ll become more tasty even if you just sleep... it’s just too good... Is there anything you’ve been obsessed with lately? Sleeping... The sleeping world is very deep... Even though I sleep every night, I don’t remember anything after I wake up, so I always feel that I have to do it again... Aside from sleeping... expressing my love for Haruka-chan... yes, I suppose... What do you like about yourself? T-t-that’s... difficult... I’m just the way I am, so I don’t really like or dislike anything about myself... But, if I could accomplish something, I want to be an older sister that Haruka-chan is proud of... I think. If that happened... I would love myself a lot. Ooh, am I that diligent? What’s your dream? ...I want to stand on stage with everyone~. After that~, I’d like to try... performing by myself... An 8-hour viewing of my sleeping face... that’s like a dream... I’m happy when I’m dreaming too... so it really is a win-win situation, right~? Doesn’t bringing your own cushion break the school rules? I’m sad that they can’t understand... First off~, it’s not a cushion... it’s a pillow~. And when I don’t have my pillow... I can’t think straight... Because Haruka-chan’s softness... can’t come to my school..., I can barely function even with just the pillow. Really, everyone should be praising... this Kanata-chan, I think. What’s charming about your little sister? If I wrote it down, it’d take more than 6000 sheets... so is it really fine to talk about it...? I could end up unleashing an historically incredible amount of energy for me, though... would that be fine? ...in just one phrase? Ehh, you’re being unreasonable... Haruka-chan’s appeal is... being Haruka-chan. Yes... that’s it. A message for everyone cheering you on, please! This is Kanata-chan, everyone~. To be cheering me on... you must have very good taste, huh~. Fufu, to respond to your expectations... I’ll try my best in many ways~... So, together with me... let’s have a lovely dream... Now that I’ve said that, good night...

Monthly Rankings (November 2017)

Video

Character Introduction

Songs

The songs featuring Kanata are:

Solo

Nijigasaki High School Idol Club (Group)

QU4RTZ (Sub-unit)

Collaboration

LIVE with a smile! (Featuring Aqours and Liella!)

Chronology

NOTE: The Tapestry Manga's story took place in the ALL-STARS continuity rather than the Anime.

Ep.	Title	Air Date
01	"The First Thrill" (はじまりのトキメキ, "Hajimari no Tokimeki")	October 3, 2020

02	"Cutest♡Girl" (Cutest♡ガール, "Cutest♡Gāru")	October 10, 2020

03	"Shout Out Your Love" (大好きを叫ぶ, "Daisuki o Sakebu")	October 17, 2020

04	"The Uncharted Path" (未知なるミチ, "Michi Naru Michi")	October 24, 2020

05	"Something I Can Only Do Right Now" (今しかできないことを, "Ima Shika Dekinai Koto o")	October 31, 2020

06	"The Shape of Smiles (〃＞▽＜〃)‎‎" (笑顔のカタチ(〃＞▽＜〃), "Egao no Katachi (〃＞▽＜〃)")	November 7, 2020

07	"Haruka, Kanata, and Beyond" (ハルカカナタ, "Haruka Kanata")	November 14, 2020

08	"Shizuku, Monochrome" (しずく、モノクローム, "Shizuku, Monokurōmu")	November 21, 2020

09	"Friends but Rivals" (仲間でライバル, "Nakama de Raibaru")	November 28, 2020

10	"Summer Begins." (夏、はじまる。, "Natsu, Hajimaru.")	December 5, 2020

11	"Everyone's Dream, My Dream" (みんなの夢、私の夢, "Minna no Yume, Watashi no Yume")	December 12, 2020

12	"Blossoming Feelings" (花ひらく思い, "Hanahiraku Omoi")	December 19, 2020

13	"School Idol Festival (The Place Where Everyone's Dreams Come True)" (スクールアイドルフェスティバル（みんなの夢を叶える場所）, "Sukūru Aidoru Fesutibaru (Minna no Yume o Kanaeru Basho)")	December 26, 2020

Chapter	Title
07	"World of Dreams from the Selfish Princess"

Etymology

The name Kanata means "beyond, other side, yonder, there" (彼方).
Kanata's surname Konoe means "near, early, akin, tantamount" (近) (kono) and "bay, inlet" (江) (e).

Trivia

Kanata fulfills the smile attribute of the Nijigaku third years. According to her old N-Rarity cards in Love Live! School idol festival, she originally fulfilled the cool attribute.
Kanata was originally introduced to Love Live! School Idol Festival mobile game exclusively as a N rarity character in 2013.
Prior to any announced plans of a new Love Live! project, Bushiroad held multiple seemingly inconsequential popularity polls on the LLSIF app in which participants could vote for their favorite N rarity character. By the end of this campaign, Kanata Konoe finished in third place.
- Later in 2017, when the Perfect Dream Project (temporary name of Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS) was announced, Bushiroad revealed that the three N rarity characters with the most votes from the previous polls would be fleshed out and added as new school idols for the project. ^[4]
  - This included new artwork and designs that were more consistent with the style and quality typical for the main cast members in µ's and Aqours, as well as the promise of casting official voice actors.
To date, all of her songs musically make heavy reference to clocks, especially it's ticking, by way of their beat, metrics, and more explicitly, mechanical sounds and/or literal clock ticks.
Kanata and her younger sister Haruka share a bedroom with a bunk bed. Kanata sleeps on the bottom bunk while Haruka sleeps on the top bunk.
Shinonome Academy, Kanata's former school in the School Idol Festival Series games, is within the Shinonome district near Nijigasaki.
In the anime, it was never suggested that Kanata attended Shinonome Academy while her sister Haruka still attends the said school.

Gallery

Please refer to this character's Image Gallery.

References

[1] Member Profile Translation

[2] SIF Website Introduction Translation

[3] Kanata Konoe Q&A Translation

[4] ttps://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-04-17/love-live-school-idol-festival-smartphone-game-reveals-3-new-characters/.114925

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Love Live! Wiki