Kinako Sakurakoji is a main character in Love Live! Superstar!!. She is currently a second year student at Yuigaoka Girls' High School. She is both a second-generation member of Liella! and a member of the sub-unit 5yncri5e!. Her image color is maize yellow.
Background[]
Kinako transferred to Yuigaoka in Tokyo from the boonies of Hokkaido, as she has always dreamed of living in the big city.[1] Kinako lives on her own, and isn't used to the big city. She was recruited by Kanon to become a school idol after getting lost on campus. Kinako thinks school idols are really pretty but thought it would be impossible to become one herself. But she decided to give it a go after seeing how dazzling Liella! was on stage. She is the secretary of Yuigaoka's student council.
Kinako has a habit of referring to herself in the third person and ends her sentence with "~ssu" due to her rural upbringing. Before joining the group, she spent a lot of her time outdoors since her family owns a ranch estate, and as a result she is great with animals. Kinako refers to Harajuku as the Hills people (ใใซใบๆ).
Kinako has sisters, but how many she has is unknown, as confirmed in Season 2 Episode 6 of the anime.
Personality[]
Kinako isn't very athletic, and her grades are average. However, Kinako is a hard worker who does not back down easily from challenges. She is very good at understanding animals and how they're feeling. She's very kind, sweet and cheerful, and always happy to offer her support to the group. Despite being sociable, she's also a little shy and awkward at times. She has a tendency to be very loud, and can be easily startled.
Appearance[]
Kinako has a slim figure with long brown hair that she ties into twintails with white ribbons and has deep green eyes.
Songs[]
The songs featuring Kinako are:
WE WILL!!
Star Sengen
Oikakeru Yume no Saki de
Mizushibuki no Sign
Go!! Restart
Irozuite Toumei
Yuragu wa
Vitamin SUMMER!
Chance Day, Chance Way!
Utopia Magic
POP TALKING
Prime Adventure
Sing! Shine! Smile!
Mirai no Oto ga Kikoeru
TO BE CONTINUED
Namae Yobiau You ni
Time to go
Including you
Second Sparkle
Watashi no Symphony
MIRACLE NEW STORY
Kirakyunโ
UNIVERSE!!
Jump Into the New World
Shekiraโโโ
FANTASTiC
Aikotoba!
Chronology[]
| Ep. | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Welcome to Liella!" (ใใใใLiella!ใธ๏ผ "Youkoso Liella! e!") |
|
| Kinako arrives in Tokyo, but struggles to find her home, so she takes a break at a shrine. Kinako eventually walks past Yuigaoka, which she quickly recognizes as the high school she'll be attending. Kinako then notices Mei Yoneme gushing about Liella! from behind a tree. Kinako is yelled at by Mei, which prompts Kinako to apologize. After Mei storms off, Kinako overhears Liella! practicing on the roof. Kinako secretly watches the group, but the door gives way, and she falls out onto the roof. Kinako is quickly surrounded by the five members, who get their hopes up about her joining the club. Kinako explains that it's a misunderstanding, and that she got lost. However, when Kanon asks if it's her first time in Tokyo, Kinako attempts to come across like she knows everything about Tokyo, but Liella! doesn't believe her.
Kanon offers to walk Kinako to her home, where Kinako finally introduces herself. Kinako then proceeds to call Kanon her "senpai" over and over again, but thinks Kanon's over-the-top reactions are strange. At Kanon's house, Kinako asks Kanon about school idols, where she learns that school idols changed Kanon's life. Kinako is then told to stop by the club room if she's interested in joining. Later that night, Kinako is mesmerized as she watches Liella!'s performance of Starlight Prologue. She then looks at her elementary school photo, and ponders if she can even be an idol. On her first day at Yuigaoka, Kinako sees Natsumi Onitsuka filming herself, and assumes Natsumi is a celebrity L-Tuber. Natsumi then gives Kinako her business card. Later, Kinako joins Mei to look at the Liella! recruitment poster, admitting Kanon tried to recruit her, which surprises Mei. In class, Mei tells Kinako all about Liella!, and that many 1st years think they won't be able to keep up with the training regimen. Kinako then goes back home, feeling conflicted about whether she can keep up with the training. Kinako decides to go out and watch Liella! perform on TV, when Kanon approaches her. There, Kanon tries to recruit her again, and mentions they'll be rehearsing their next performance on the weekend. Sometime later, Kinako is staring at the recruitment poster again, when Natsumi notices that she looks down. Natsumi gives Kinako words of encouragement, before Shiki appears to drag Kinako up to the rooftop. There, Liella! performs Welcome to Bokura no Sekai for Kinako. Kinako is overwhelmed with emotion as Kanon warmly welcomes her as a member of Liella!. | ||
| 02 | "Second-years and First-years" (2ๅนด็ใจ1ๅนด็ "Ni Nensei to Ichi Nensei") |
|
| Kinako is told that she may stand on the Love Live stage one day, however once practice has started, Kinako struggles to keep up due to not being very athletic. Kinako is comforted by the 2nd years, with Kanon telling Kinako to stand in the center. There, Kinako remarks how nice it feels, and is told by Kanon that she'll have people cheering for her when she's on the Love Live stage. Kinako then promises Chisato that she'll do her best. After practice, Keke gives Kinako her secret training regimen to help Kinako improve her stamina. Kanon also tells Kinako not to push herself too hard.
Shiki is stopped by Kinako who asks her to invite Mei to join the idol club. The next morning, Kinako joins Kanon on her morning run, where Kanon tells Kinako not to work too hard. At school, Kinako thinks about Kanon wanting 1st years to join, so she glances over at Shiki. Kinako musters the courage to invite Mei to be a school idol, however, Mei takes her outside. Kinako is told not talk to Mei about school idols when other people are around. During P.E., Kinako struggles to finish her run, when she hears her classmates discussing that the idol club must be really hard. Kinako attempts to explain that her being out of energy has nothing to do with the club, but her classmates don't listen. Mei tries to comfort her. In the club room, Kinako explains that the training regimen looked difficult to the 1st years, and it's her fault for being terrible at sports. Chisato recommends making the regimen easier, but despite Kinako rejecting the offer, the whole club decides accept Chisato's idea. The next day, Kinako is still struggling despite the club using the new regimen. Kinako notices Mei, so she meets up with her so they can talk. Shiki joins them, prompting Mei to tell Kinako to ignore the voices and keep believing in what she wants to do. The next morning, Kinako meets up with the 2nd years where she asks to go back to the old training regimen. Kinako admits she wants to strive to win Love Live with the 2nd years, and that she admires how hard they work. Kanon comforts Kinako, and Kinako convinces the other 2nd years to change their minds. During the roll-call, the 2nd years leave a space for Kinako to join in. Kinako runs in with a smile, and happily says that they'll win Love Live. Sometime later, Kinako is encouraged by the 2nd years during their run. | ||
| 03 | "Next in Line to Win" (ๅชๅๅ่ฃ "Yลซshล Kลho") |
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| 04 | "The Two in the Science Room" (ๅๅญฆๅฎคใฎใตใใ "Kagaku-shitsu no Futari") |
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| 05 | "Money Makes the World Go Round" (ใใใผใฏๅคฉไธใฎๅใใใฎ "Manฤซ wa Tenka no Mawari Mono") |
|
| 06 | "DEKKAIDOW!" ("DEKKAIDOW!") |
File:Superstar!! S2 EP 6.jpeg |
| 07 | "UR Ren Hazuki" (UR ่ๆๆ "UR Hazuki Ren") |
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| 08 | "Chance Way" ("Chance Way") |
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| 09 | "For Victory" (ๅๅฉใฎใใใซ "Shลri no Tame ni") |
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| 10 | "The Song That Resonates Through Shibuya" (ๆธ่ฐทใซ้ฟใๆญ "Shibuya ni Hibiku Uta") |
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| 11 | "Dream" (ๅคข "Yume") |
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| 12 | "The Story That'll Make Me Come True" (็งใๅถใใ็ฉ่ช "Watashi wo Kanaeru Monogatari") |
|
Video[]
Etymology[]
- Kinako's surname Sakurakoji means "cherry blossom" (ๆก) (sakura) and "alley" (ๅฐ่ทฏ) (koji).
Trivia[]
- Along with Mei Yoneme, Kinako fulfills the pure attribute of the Liella! second years.
- Kinako is the third school idol, after Saint Snow, to come from Hokkaido.
- Of all the animals, Kinako seems to be fond of the long-tailed tit, as one of them is seen as a swing mascot on her bag, and one is printed on the circular storage box when she's watching her photobook.
Gallery[]
- Please refer to this character's Image Gallery.