[WRITER/EDITOR’S NOTE: Hey y’all, just some quick words before I get into this post. This post was originally written for my (now) bi-weekly series Rando Ramblings, where I talk about anime and manga related topics. Over the past few weeks, though, I’ve noticed steady views from search engines from people all over the world. If you’re one of those people, welcome!
Anyway, because of that, I decided to re-purpose this post to be more general and introductory. If any new information about the franchise/characters pops up, I’ll be adding it here, but for the most part I’ll just be doing minor edits to keep things accurate and clean! That’s it for the logistic stuff. I’ll stop talking and let the post start. Thanks!]
So I’m assuming you’re here because you heard about this hip new franchise called D4DJ. Maybe you watched the anime D4DJ First Mix or its spinoff chibi short D4DJ Petit Mix, or maybe you heard about the mobile rhythm game D4DJ Groovy Mix? Or maybe you’re one of those people who listened to some of the songs? Wherever you come from, you’re curious about D4DJ.
Well, today’s your lucky day! I’m here to teach you about the fledgling multimedia franchise — I’ll mostly be talking about the characters, but I’ll also go into what D4DJ is overall as a franchise. After all, this is a D4DJ introductory post. I’ll be going through each of its aspects in brief and then get into the characters later.
So let’s start with the most basic question: what is D4DJ?
An Introduction to D4DJ: A Story
Similar to Love Live and BanG Dream (Bandori), D4DJ is a multimedia franchise consisting of live performances, songs, manga, a mobile rhythm game, and an anime. While Love Live focuses on school idols and Bandori focuses on girl bands, D4DJ focuses on DJ groups (as you can probably guess from “DJ” being in the name).
You may be asking: what does D4DJ stand for? Don’t laugh… but D4DJ stands for “Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ.” Yes, I’m serious.
The name is a combination of two DJ terms — “Direct Drive” comes from direct-drive turntables, the item most people think of when they think of DJs.
“Dig Delight” most likely comes from the term “digging”, which refers to the practice of going through boxes for vinyl records.
Combine those together and you get the “D4” in “D4DJ” — pretty interesting info (thanks for the D4DJ Discord for explaining the name origin). It’s very reminiscient of BanG Dream = Girl’s Band Dream but replace the “d” in “Band” with the “G” in “Girl’s”.
Coincidentally, D4DJ is a Bushiroad creation. For those who don’t know, Bushiroad is the company responsible for the multimedia franchises Bandori and Revue Starlight as well as other franchises like Cardfight Vanguard.
D4DJ all started when Bushiroad’s president Takaaki Kidani was at the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore. He was at their live performance listening to bands like the Chainsmokers. Seeing how diverse yet enthusiastic the crowd was, he immediately thought “after girls’ bands, DJs are the next big thing!” And that’s how D4DJ was born (Source video here).
So that’s D4DJ’s origin. But what content does the franchise have? Well, a lot actually.
Live performances are a big part of D4DJ, and there have already been tons of lives, both in-person and online. For highlight clips, refer to the D4DJ Youtube channel.
One thing that’s interesting is how all six units are able to perform live, which I’m sure was a huge point of emphasis. Consider Bandori, Bushiroad’s other big multimedia franchise — it started off with just Poppin’ Party and expanded to include Roselia, the other three OG bands (Pastel*Palettes, Afterglow, Hello Happy World!), Raise a Suilen and Morfonica.
Of course, only four out of those seven bands actually perform live as the “other three OG bands” listed are mostly comprised of voice actors that can’t play their respective characters’ instruments. Therefore, they can’t perform live. Speaking as an Afterglow fan, the best thing I can hope for is a program where all five VAs come together, especially as most of them are busy A-list seiyuu with countless anime voice roles (like Ayane Sakura).
For that reason, I’m sure D4DJ was cast with live performances in mind. It helps that instrument knowledge isn’t really required unless you’re a DJ, but I’m sure they didn’t want to cast any A-list seiyuu who would be too busy to consistently perform at lives. Even so, there are plenty of great VAs in the D4DJ cast, which I’ll briefly highlight when I go through the characters.
Of course with a music-focused multimedia franchise, there are going to be songs. There are actually quite a few songs out on Spotify (and I’m sure Apple Music or whatever music platform you may use).
Even during the first few months of the franchise’s existence, there were a few albums containing some songs from each of the six unit. Right now, each unit is in the process of releasing their second single:
There’s also a cover album with two songs from each unit, but unfortunately it’s not available for streaming (at least from what I’ve found).
Each unit has their own style but all of them are some variation of electronic music because DJs (duh). Each unit also has their own music producer, so it’s not just one person in charge of making all the songs. That helps differentiate each unit beyond their styles/genres.
And personal opinion time: the songs are DOPE. I’m normally a fan of EDM and other brands of electronic music, so having a music franchise based around that type of music instantly got my attention. I’m listening the songs right now as I’m writing this post. They’re that good.
What else… I guess there are a few manga out, though I haven’t heard much about them since they release in Monthly Bushiroad (Bushiroad’s magazine). I won’t go too deep into them, but there’s three manga each focusing on the three high school units in the franchise. I’ve heard that the Photon Maiden manga in particular does a really good job of going deeper into the characters, but unforunately no translation exists (from what I’ve seen).
Also, there are also multiple anime series! The main series D4DJ First Mix is an entirely 3D CG anime animated by Sanzigen. If you aren’t familiar, Sanzigen also animated the second and third seasons of the Bandori anime.
I know what you’re probably thinking: “oh no, entirely in 3D CG?” And that’s valid, but honestly it’s fine, especially since it’s a Sanzigen work. They’ve shown their worth through the second and third seasons of the Bandori anime, and their animation work in the D4DJ music videos have been stunning.
I’m not a big fan of 3D CG either, but when I was watching the episodes, I forgot the animation was in CG (even when the 2D background characters show up in the same scenes as the 3D main characters). The reaction faces were also well done because of the seemless mix of 2D and 3D animation. Here’s a great example (which also happens to be my favorite scene):
Also it helps that the director of the anime is Seiji Mizushima, who also directed Shaman King, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
Unfortunately, the anime didn’t feature all the characters. It only focused on the ones who attend Yoba Academy (which means three of the six units). I actually liked the limited cast though — even as a fan of a unit that’s not in the anime, it was good to have less characters so that they could get more development.
Plus there were cameos (which my favorite unit did have!) and a possibility of future seasons with every unit. Here’s hoping.
And besides, there’s another anime! If you know about Bandori‘s chibi short anime Garupa Pico, this is basically the D4DJ version (it’s even directed by the same person). It’s called D4DJ Petit Mix.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a CM that shows off what the “chibi” characters are:
Here’s a key visual featuring everybody:
Also, here’s a short video of all of units chibi-fied for a special New Year’s promo (no subtitles unfortunately):
Unlike the main anime, these are shorts (3 minutes) with slice-of-life shenanigans between the D4DJ characters. If that sounds up your alley, then great — it’s currently airing right now! You can watch it on the D4DJ Global Youtube channel (with subs!).
Finally, if anime isn’t your jam, there’s always the mobile game! D4DJ Groovy Mix, abbreviated as GuruMiku, is a mobile rhythm game published by Bushiroad and Donuts (who also made Tokyo 7th Sisters).
The game has both a Japanese version and a recently released worldwide English version! A demo version D4DJ Groovy Mix 4U was out for a few months and featured a couple songs to play around with (though of course it’s gone now that the actual game is out).
Similar to Bushiroad’s other hit mobile game BanG Dream: Girls Band Party (Garupa), GuruMiku features both original songs and covers to tap notes to. It also has instrumentals and medleys from games like Megaman and Street Fighter, as well as tons of random songs from sources like wrestling, old video games, and even Touhou and Hololive!
I’ve been playing the game since it launched in Japan. Actually, longer, since I played the demo. How much? Well, I may or may not have full-comboed all the songs on Expert level (except for one which didn’t have its Expert level map available).
So you can trust me when I say this game is super fun. As someone who plays/has played a ton of rhythm games (Garupa, Project Sekai, Deemo, Cytus I/II, SIF), GuruMiku is up there with how interesting and fun its system is.
I think the best way to describe it is a combination of Garupa and Sound Vortex. Similar to Garupa, there are regular tap notes, slider notes that you hold and occasionally move, and flick notes that you swipe up to.
But there’s more! In addition to the slider notes, there is also a pink slider that you occasionally have to move around and flick sideways (hence the Sound Vortex comparison). Flick notes are also limited to the two outer lanes which act as DJ disks that you scratch (called scratch notes). These lanes also have hold notes that pause the chart while being held.
…I think it’s easier if you just watch a gameplay video:
I’ve seen a lot of comments about how difficult it looks, and I’ll admit it took some getting used to at first. But honestly, once you get used to how the pink slider works and the weird intricacies of the outer notes, it’s not that bad.
The game also does a good job of accommodating for new players by adding different modes that disable some of the different types of notes. There’s even an auto mode where you can let the game play itself. Super handy when you’re too busy to play a mobile rhythm game.
Gameplay aside, D4DJ Groovy Mix also has an original story as well as fun little things like area conversations and customizable stages. Standard rhythm game stuff.
I could go on about my opinions of the game so far, but I’ll restrain myself since this is just an introductory post. Just know it’s a really fun rhythm game. Try it out for yourself if you have the space on your phone!
One last thing: here’s the theme song for the game sung by all 24 characters:
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I watched this dozens of times — the video does a great job of showing off everybody and their personalities even through their few seconds of screentime.
Speaking of characters… let’s finally start talking about them!
D4DJ’s Characters: 6 Bands, 24 Girls
Welcome to the meat of this post: me going through each of the bands and characters. I’ll be doing basic introductions but will also try to go into more detail based on the information I’ve found/experienced.
This includes the unit and character introductions that were featured in the game demo as well as random other sources like the anime/game, audio dramas, Twitter image introductions, and a literal “Beginner’s Book” that describes each character in brief. All of these are available online and translations exist either officially or through fan translators.
Speaking of which, I want to give a shoutout to the peeps at Bushiroad for providing content for overseas fans. Even before the game and anime release, they set up a D4DJ Global Channel that would subtitle almost everything they put up on their main channel.
They also have an English Twitter account that translates content from their main Twitter page. That’s honestly super awesome and shows that they care about their global fans, unlike a certain idol franchise that goes out of their way to deter global enthusiasm (*cough* Idolm@ster *cough*).
Also, speaking of translations, I’d like to give credit to Twitter user Luna_SIF for translating all of the character/unit intros from the game demo as well as the “Beginner’s Book” — it really helped me get a better understanding of each character.
Now, before we get into it, some semantics. First, comparisons: I might compare the D4DJ characters/units to characters/bands from other franchises. That doesn’t mean they’re exactly a 1:1 match — the comparisons help me (and hopefully you) get a sense of what the character/unit is like.
I try to not make horrible comparisons, but you might still think “they’re not similar at all!”, which is fine. Just don’t look too deep into them — they’re all unique characters/units. I also won’t force them too much: I’ll only compare a character if they really remind me of someone.
I’ll also be listing the VAs of each character along with their major roles. Now I’m normally not a big seiyuu guy. The reason I’m doing it is that a lot of the VAs come from other Bushiroad franchises like Bandori and Revue Starlight, as well as other scatterings here and there (like former idols and even a cosplayer/gravure idol). I thought it would be interesting to mention them because of that, especially since I’m sure a lot of D4DJ fans are also fans of other Bushiroad franchises (like me).
Organization-wise, I’ll be putting my thoughts in a separate section that you can skip if you don’t give a hoot about what a rando thinks. I also probably won’t say my opinions on every character since I don’t have a strong opinion on a lot of them. If I don’t have any thoughts on a character, assume that I think they’re decent (B-tier).
Some other random things:
- Credit for the unit images below goes to Twitter user @sdfxtsu_p. I couldn’t for the life of me find good unit images that showed their entire costume for some reason, so unfortunately these are next best option. Thanks for making them, though — they’re really well done!
- The unit intros directly below the images in italics come from the official D4DJ site.
- I’ll be mentioning other characters occasionally in character intros, sometimes ones that I haven’t gone through yet. Just know that if I mention another name, you can assume it’s another character later down the list (unless they have parantheses with a franchise name next to them).
- Some of the characters just don’t have much about them. As a result, their intros are gonna be really short and I probably won’t have much to say about them opinion-wise (if anything). If that happens to your favorite character, just know it’s not my fault there isn’t much information about her yet. Trust me, I understand having a favorite character that gets shafted (*cough* Tsugumi *cough*).
Okay, I think that’s everything. Let’s get into it with the first unit:
Happy Around
A unit formed around Rinku Aimoto, a transfer student to Yoba Academy.
Performances full of energy and excitement are their speciality.
Happy Around is the main unit in D4DJ. They’re a newly formed group aiming to bring a smile to everybody. Their style of music is inspired by bubbly pop with hints of J-pop, dubstep, and happy hardcore. The producer of their songs is Shigeru Saito.
My Thoughts: Right away, I get Hello Happy World vibes from them. A group looking to bring excitement and smiles? Yes. Energetic hyper AF main vocalist? Yes. That’s enough for me. The comparison kinda falls flat, though, because there’s only one crazy compared to HHW’s sanbaka (three idiots). That already makes me like this unit more, though I’m not as high on them as the rest of the groups.
So, who are the members of Happy Around?
Rinku Aimoto
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: June 30th
Blood Type: O
Weight: 46 kg
Height: 156 cm
Hobbies: Retro anime, manga
Skills: Positive thinking
Favorite Foods: Onigiri, donuts
Weak Points: Acting carefully? (can’t sit still when thinking of something)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Grandmother
CV: Yuka Nishio
Notable Roles: Nanami Hiromachi (Bandori), Yuu Higashiyama (Rebirth for You)
As the leader of the main unit, Rinku is pretty much the poster girl of D4DJ similar to Kasumi in Bandori, Honoka/Chika in the Love Live series, and Ichika in Project Sekai. Like most of those characters, Rinku is the hyper, endlessly positive girl.
She’s cheerful, she’s optimistic, she runs around, and she does a thing where she spins around and screams “Happy Around” (which is where the unit got its name). She’s also a bit of an oddball, calling everyone (including nature) her friend.
Rinku originally lived in the area near Yoba Academy but moved to Africa for her parents’ work many years ago. This is apparently the source of her great sense of rhythm — you know, growing up with African music (drums)? Seems a bit stereotypical but whatever. She moved back to Japan alone to live with her grandmother and attends Yoba Academy as a first year student.
Rinku gained an interest in DJs when she ran into Maho. One thing led to another, and they ended up creating a DJ unit with Muni and Rei. The rest… is history. Or it will be, given the franchise just started, I guess.
Other Random Facts:
- Has an interest in Japanese anime from her time watching them abroad. Specifically loves old classics as those were the ones being shown where she lived. In Africa.
- Loves onigiri and donuts because of “how round they are and how happy they make her feel”. Could also be because Donuts is the company that makes the game, though that’s kind of a stretch
- Her name in katakana is pronounced the same as “link”. This is apparently because it’s based on the main theme of D4DJ: “to connect”
- Has a pet chameleon named Leon (wow how creative)
My Thoughts: As someone who doesn’t really like the whole “hyper AF main character” archetype, I’m not the biggest fan of Rinku. It doesn’t help that she really reminds me of Kokoro Tsurumaki (Bandori) with her hyperness and blonde hair.
Still, I understand why they made her this way, and it’s the same reason why so many CGDCT (cute girls do cute things) anime have their main characters be positive, hyper people who charge head-first into everything they do — it makes up for the inherent nothing-ness that exists in slice-of-life anime.
I will say that the anime really changed my opinion of her. She’s very energetic, but there’s something different to her compared to the other “genki” characters mentioned above. That something makes me like her a bit more — not bad.
Maho Akashi
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocals/DJ
Birthday: September 20th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 47 kg
Height: 159 cm
Hobbies: Attending concerts
Skills: Cooking, caring for others
Favorite Foods: Curry rice, mont blanc cakes
Weak Points: Slimy things
Family Members: Mother, Father, Younger Brother, Younger Sister
CV: Karin Kagami
Notable Roles: None (first role)
Maho is the DJ of Happy Around. A long time ago, she was deeply moved by a DJ performance she watched, which inspired her to start performing DJ activities. She wasn’t super serious about the hobby, though, only occasionally performing remixes during lunch breaks as DJ Mash (a play on a more common reading of her name, “Mashu”).
One day, Maho ran into Rinku, who coerced her to create a DJ unit. It was then that she started getting more serious about DJing, not just remixing but also creating original tracks.
Maho’s good concentration skills and steady work ethic have helped her get to where she is today as a DJ and will continue to guide her as the unit strives towards their goal of being like Peaky P-Key (another D4DJ unit).
Other Random Facts:
- Loves sweets, especially mont blanc cakes (chestnut cream cake). She has mentioned scouting the school area’s patisseries to find the best ones
- Despite her love for sweets, is still able to maintain a healthy figure
- Loves cooking, and is famous at home for her curry rice
- Used to practice karate in elementary school because her parents wanted her to learn self defense
- Not a character fact, but something interesting I wanted to mention: Maho’s VA, Karin Kagami, was actually born in California and is fluent in English. In fact, she voiced Maho in the English dub for the anime
Muni Ohnaruto
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocals/VJ
Birthday: March 3rd
Blood Type: B
Weight: 43 kg
Height: 151 cm
Hobbies: Marketing research (egosearching)
Skills: Illustration
Favorite Foods: Junk food
Weak Points: Meat/vegetables
Family Members: Mother
CV: Haruka Mimura
Notable Roles: Yo Hatsukano (Assault Lily), Yutaka Komagata (Rebirth for You)
When Muni was young, she was friends with Rinku. She remembers how Rinku praised her art skills, which inspired her to continue pursuing art seriously. Thanks to that, she is famous online as an illustrator.
Muni fits the Nico (Love Live)/Kasumi (Love Live Nijigasaki) archetype: the somewhat narcissistic person obsessed with being “cute”, sometimes to the point of being annoying (in some peoples’ eyes). In this case, Muni is obsessed with the idea of creating her own “cuteness” with her bunny ears and pink costumes. She even has a cat that is actually a MP3 player named Nyochio.
Going further, she mentions she is made of sugar, which is why she doesn’t like meat and vegetables. She is concerned she has the same “concept” as Esora from Peaky P-Key, so she has some self-awareness about the fact she is playing a character.
Otherwise, Muni is usually the straight man of Happy Around. In the anime, her quips with Maho are some of the highlights of episodes. She acts affectionate towards the people who acknowledge her, but doesn’t let her guard down with others.
Other Random Facts:
- Her name may come from the phrase 唯一無二 (yuitsu muni), which means “one and only”. This is further strengthened because she sometimes refers to herself as “the one and only Muni-chan”
- In her character intro, she says her hobby is egosurfing (searching your own name on the web) before quickly retracting to say it’s drawing
- Refers to Shinobu from Peaky P-Key with her full name in the game, always arguing with her in area conversations (Shinobu does the same, for what it’s worth)
My Thoughts: As I mentioned, she gives off strong Nico vibes. They even have similar twintails. On the one hand, I usually don’t like characters like this, but on the other hand, I actually like Nico the most out of the original Love Live cast and I’m liking Kasumi a lot in the Nijigasaki anime. What’s wrong with my tastes?
It’s funny because it’s the same here. I wasn’t a big fan of Muni at first, but the anime and the game have slowly made me like her. If you don’t like the Nico archetype, you probably won’t like Muni, but if you’re like me, you’ll find her endearing. In a sense.
Rei Togetsu
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocals/Keyboard
Birthday: October 30th
Blood Type: O
Weight: 47 kg
Height: 163 cm
Hobbies: Enjoying art
Skills: Piano, tea ceremonies
Favorite Foods: Japanese food with soy beans and roots
Weak Points: Shopping (she doesn’t go often)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister
CV: Kanon Shizaki
Notable Roles: Rinko Shirogane (Bandori)
Rei is the sheltered oujo-sama type character. She was born into a wealthy family and taught in many different subjects, eventually showing a talent in piano.
She has felt oppressed about the life her parents forced but didn’t have the courage to change until she met Rinku. Upon joining the unit, she’s slowly felt a change in her, experiencing the things she couldn’t before like trying bubble tea and going shopping.
Rei is the songwriter for Happy Around due to her background in classical piano. She also plays the keyboard for the group — well, specifically the keytar. See any of her other character images for an example.
Other Random Facts:
- Favorite food is as above, but is also slowly gaining a liking for cup noodles after trying them for the first time
- Reprimands Muni on her poor diet in exchange for learning more about snacks and junk food from her
- Favorite artist is Katsushika Hokusai
- Knows Marika from Merm4id because her older sister is also an actress and model
- Knows Haruka from Lyrical Lily through their tea ceremony classes
My Thoughts: A quick thing: I noticed a ton of comparisons between Rei and Bandori‘s Rinko Shirokane. But I don’t know, I think it’s a weak comparison. Sure, they both play piano and have long hair, and it’s funny they both share the same VA (Kanon Shizaki).
But I don’t see where people think Rinko is a rich girl — I see her more as the shy girl with crippling social anxiety and a love for video games. I don’t think of Rinko when I see Rei — the oujo-sama archetype is too strong in Rei for that.
Peaky P-Key
An extremely popular unit formed at Yoba Academy when its members were still in middle school.
Stoic and confident, they pursue a mastery of music through practice and refinement of their abilities.
Peaky P-Key is described as the most popular DJ unit in their school, Yoba Academy. Their style of music takes elements in rap and hip-hop with hints of techno and rave music. The producer of their songs is Agematsu Noriyasu.
My Thoughts: The more established group in the franchise? The Roselia to the new Poppin’ Party (Happy Around)? Not a great comparison, but I get the same vibes.
Otherwise, similar to Happy Around, I’m not as high on this group as the others, but I do like their music a bit more. There’s one character I really like in this group, one I’m… not a fan of, and the other two are all right.
So, who are the members of Peaky P-Key?
Kyoko Yamate
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocals/DJ
Birthday: April 27th
Blood Type: B
Weight: 46 kg
Height: 157 cm
Hobbies: Traveling alone
Skills: Inspiration and intuition
Favorite Foods: Hamburgers
Weak Points: None
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Aimi
Notable Roles: Kasumi Toyama (Bandori), Julia (The iDOLM@STER: Million Live)
Kyoko is the charismatic and popular leader of the unit Peaky P-Key. Despite this lofty position, she has never been arrogant about her status. She was raised in a family of musicians which gave her a natural talent in music. Along with this, she has the passion and drive to continue improving. Basically, she’s a great musician.
Kyoko is a cool and easy-going person despite her deep passion in DJ activities and music. For example, she’ll mess around with the other members during performances. She is strict with herself but open-minded with others.
She is the main vocalist for Peaky P-Key, but she can also DJ, write lyrics, and compose music (though she doesn’t do those for the group). Her long rivalry with Shinobu helps create their music, and despite their clashes, she alludes to being happy she is in the same group as her by complimenting her remix and track-making skills. We’ll see later the feeling is mutual.
The anime goes into a bit more detail about her relationship with Shinobu and how the unit formed, but I’ll leave that info for y’all to find out. Basically, go watch the anime if you haven’t!
Other Random Facts:
- Likes going on walks alone (wandering around aimlessly and experiencing new sights and feelings) which inspires her and helps her rejuvenate for performances
- Also likes going to power spots
Shinobu Inuyose
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: DJ
Birthday: February 4th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 40 kg
Height: 150 cm
Hobbies: Online games
Skills: Staying up late
Favorite Foods: Sandwiches
Weak Points: Vegetables (especially bitter ones like green peppers or bitter melon)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Older Brother, Grandmother, Grandfather
CV: Miyu Takagi
Notable Roles: Miyu Okamoto (Wake Up, Girls!)
Shinobu is the DJ of Peaky P-Key, excelling in track making and remixes. She is also known as DJ Kuniochi (ninja girl), which might be a pun since her name is so close to “shinobi”, another term for ninja. Her grandfather took her to clubs since she was young, which helped her gain an interest in DJs and eventually become one herself. Her long term goal is to be as good as him in DJing.
As mentioned above, Shinobu is rivals with Kyoko. They have known each other since middle school, so they have a deep mutual trust in each other (again, watch the anime for more detail on this). This is shown when Shinobu compliments and mentions Kyoko’s name a lot during her character intro.
Shinobu is arrogant, yet has the most common sense in the group. For that reason, she’s the brains and advisor of the unit. She is on the shier side (as shown in the audio drama) and is the only introverted member of the group, preferring playing video games indoors over other outdoor activities.
Other Random Facts:
- Very skilled in video games, especially FPS (first person shooters) — famous for this, saying nobody can beat her 1v1 in FPS games
- A very picky eater — has the diet of a young child (maybe that’s why she’s so short lol)
- Cousins with Nagisa from Rondo — they get along well (even calls her “Nagi”)
My Thoughts: Shinobu is the character I like in Peaky P-Key the most. I’ll say this — when I read her bio, I was worried about the line that said she was arrogant. Honestly, though, from her character intro and the audio drama, I don’t really think she’s that arrogant.
In fact, I would say arrogant is the wrong word — it’s too negative. I think “self-confident” might be better? Like she’s confident in her gaming skills, or confident about how good of a DJ she is. That kind of thing.
I like her character design too but man I wish she put her bangs down. Bangs Down Shinobu is like Bangs Down Ritsu from K-On — so much better. Still good, though.
Yuka Jennifer Sasago
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: VJ/Backup Vocalist
Birthday: December 5th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 49 kg
Height: 166 cm
Hobbies: Photography
Skills: Bodybuilding
Favorite Foods: Tempura (only wanted to say it AKA it’s a line she says in the game)
Weak Points: Steak and french fries (her dad likes American food but she’s tired of it)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Younger Sister
CV: Moeka Koizumi
Notable Roles: Nana Daiba (Revue Starlight), Shioriko Mifune (Love Live)
Yuka is cheerful, open-hearted, and kind to everyone she encounters. She acts as the mood maker of the group, cheering on the other members during performances.
Yuka joined Peaky P-Key while doing her hobby of photography, searching for the “greatest moment” to capture on camera. She lives to be active so she can be around for the best moments. After all, “just living idly won’t let you see those brightly shining moments.” Her words, not mine.
She was raised by gym trainers, so she does bodybuilding as a hobby and plans training menus and workouts everyday.
Other Random Facts:
- Despite her English name, she is not good at English. She tries during her character intro, but oof the Engrish. Another example — in one of her skill activation lines in the mobile game, she says “Shake Your Hands” in English, to which Shinobu basically responds “it’s ‘Clap Your Hands'”
- Her family runs the gym that Ibuki and Dalia go to. Who? You’ll meet them later.
- Works part-time as a photographic assistant (makes sense)
- Has a habit of taking pics of her abs and posting them online (#JennyYukaAbdate)
Esora Shimizu
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: Chorus/Performer
Birthday: September 9th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 52 kg
Height: 160 cm
Hobbies: Enjoying everything
Skills: Negotiation
Favorite Foods: Homemade Dishes
Weak Points: Eating alone
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Reo Kurachi
Notable Roles: Reona Nyubara/PAREO (Bandori), Fumi Yumeoji (Revue Starlight)
Esora is a natural-born entertainer who wants to have a fun time with everyone. For this reason, she loves to entertain, cooking with her friends and joining the group to achieve her goal of bringing entertainment to everyone. She is the self-proclaimed “lovely” member of Peaky P-Key.
If you wanna know what that means, don’t ask me, because I have no idea. She wouldn’t clarify what she meant when asked in her character intro, so I guess it’s a mystery. I’m assuming it’s similar to Muni’s cuteness act since she worries about Esora being so similar character-wise.
After seeing/watching a few of her conversations, she seems like a combination of Nozomi (Love Live) and Mari (Love Live Sunshine). Reason? Well…
Esora is born into a wealthy family and is willing to spend her fortune for the group. For example, when Kyoko complained about not being able to find the perfect venue for their life, Esora did the natural thing of BUILDING A WHOLE MUSIC HALL. When they were done, she sold the venue, claiming that “if we need another one, I can just build it again.” I mean I guess…
Other Random Facts:
- Skilled at getting people to let their guards down and speak their minds. In other words, a schemer who can get anyone to divulge their true intentions (negotiation!)
- Attended the same elementary school as Kurumi from Lyrical Lily, and therefore is familiar with her pranks and mischievous nature
- Owns a minature pig called Tiara (which is featured in her initial 3* card in the game)
My Thoughts: I’m not the biggest fan of the Nozomi/Mari archetype, and this is no different. Nothing else for me to really say, to be honest. Don’t hate her though — just not my type of character.
Photon Maiden
A unit centered around some of Japan’s most talented young women.
Chosen for their incredible talents at a nation-wide audition, they are the rising stars of the DJ world.
They have attracted great attention with their skillful and highly choreographed performances.
Photon Maiden is a unit formed by an entertainment agency through nationwide auditions. Once the group was formed, all the members transferred to Yoba Academy. Their style of music is inspired by synth-pop and electro-pop with hints of trance, techno, and dance music.
They focus especially on dancing and choreography in their performances. The producer of their songs is Seiji Mizushima (yes, the director of the anime).
My Thoughts: Unit formed by a professional agency? Pastel*Palettes. Funnily enough, Photon Maiden has one of the seiyuu from PasuPare, Ami Maeshima (Aya).
This is one of my favorite units solely for their music. In my opinion, Photon Maiden has the best original songs (and some killer covers as well). Their instrumentals are the kind I really love in electronic music — the synth tones that really make you bop your head.
There’s probably a better term to describe it, but I’m not the technical type when it comes to music. Still, great songs and almost best unit. Not the best unit though. Best unit comes later.
So, who are the members of Photon Maiden?
Saki Izumo
School: Yoba Academy (1st year)
Position: DJ/Lead Vocals
Birthday: May 10th
Blood Type: AB
Weight: 46 kg
Height: 159 cm
Hobbies: Stargazing
Skills: Synesthesia
Favorite Foods: Fruit (especially citrus)
Weak Points: Liver
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Risa Tsumugi
Notable Roles: Chiyu Tamade/CHU2 (Bandori), Rui Akikaze (Revue Starlight), Tazusa Ando (Assault Lily)
Saki is the DJ and lead singer of Photon Maiden. She was inspired to become a DJ after seeing a concert and becoming enamored by the colors she saw. Oh yeah, she has synesthesia — basically, she can see color in music (see this video for an example). This helps her during performances as she can pay attention to the colors she sees and use them accordingly.
Saki is a person of few words, but on stage, she performs very well. Like the other members of the group, she passed an audition for the group and transfered to Yoba Academy. She is a genius who excels in study and sports. As the youngest member of the group, the other members adore her.
Other Random Facts:
- Grew to love stargazing because her father works as a space exploration researcher
- Has a cat named Schrodinger (named because equal parts black and white)
My Thoughts: I’m a big fan of the kuudere type, so Saki is definitely a favorite. I also love how despite this, she plays such a big role in the group.
She’s not necessarily the leader (that’s the next girl), but she’s the lead singer/DJ of the group and for all intents and purposes, the face of Photon Maiden (similar to how Himari is technically the leader of Afterglow in Bandori, but Ran is the poster girl for the group as the main vocalist/guitarist).
Also, I want to mention how weird it is that Risa Tsumugi plays her, since I know her as CHU2 from Bandori. The character I like to call the little gremlin. The loud, immature, annoying small girl of Raise A Suilen who (controversial opinion time) single-handedly ruined RAS’s songs for me with her voice that (in my opinion) REALLY doesn’t fit the tone of their songs. Example: my favorite RAS songs are the ones where she has no role in singing (R・I・O・T and Takin’ My Heart).
So the fact that CHU2 is Saki… wow, seiyuu are talented people.
Ibuki Niijima
School: Yoba Academy (2nd year)
Position: Vocals/Performer
Birthday: April 10th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 48 kg
Height: 165 cm
Hobbies: Sports Science
Skills: Team management
Favorite Foods: Raw vegetables
Weak Points: None (but avoids high-calorie foods)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Younger Sister
CV: Ami Maeshima
Notable Roles: Aya Maruyama (Bandori)
Ibuki is the leader of Photon Maiden in both name and person. In other words, she is the official leader of the group, but she is also a leader type who always supports the group and cares for others. She entered a show production school in middle school after becoming interested in dancing and singing, and after passing the auditions, transferred to Yoba Academy and became a member of Photon Maiden.
Ibuki is a very active person who loves sports and moving her body around. She is devoted to taking care of her body and is well versed in bodybuilding (like Yuka and another girl we’ll meet later).
She avoids high calorie foods and loves vegetables and meats. She also serves as the manager for her school’s track and field team, which helps her improve her leadership skills through taking care of the members.
Other Random Facts:
- Goes to karaoke to refresh her mind, singing songs not related to work
- Her name can mean “breath” or “vigor”, which may or may not be intentional
My Thoughts: I’m neutral on her character, but can I mention how interesting it is that there are so many VAs from Bandori in this project? It’s totally understandable given they’re both Bushiroad creations, so why not use the talent you already have? Even with that, it’s still neat seeing and hearing the differences in their characters (like the aforementioned CHU2 vs Saki).
Here, it’s interesting hearing the deeper toned Ibuki versus the softer, cutesier Aya. We’ll get to a comparison where the characters pretty much sound the same, but for the most part, the differences in voices really shows how talented VAs can be. Which, yeah, I mentioned that already. Still interesting.
Towa Hanamaki
School: Yoba Academy (2nd year)
Position: Vocals/Performer
Birthday: January 30th
Blood Type: O
Weight: 45 kg
Height: 153 cm
Hobbies: Studying idols
Skills: Marine sports
Favorite Foods: Crepes
Weak Points: Bitter melon, powdered medicine, injections, doctors
Family Members: Mother, Father, Younger Brother
CV: Haruki Iwata
Notable Roles: Mahiru Tsuyuzaki (Revue Starlight), Yuki Sakuragi (Rebirth for You), Mai Thi Yoshimura (Assualt Lily)
I think the best way to start Towa’s intro is to mention that her VA describes her as an “idiot”.
With that said… Towa, like the other members of Photon Maiden, passed an audition to be able to join the group. Her story is a bit different, though. She was actually scouted by other companies after photos from her performance at a local festival went viral on social media.
Towa participated in her local festivals actively because of her family’s involvement in the local youth organization. She was hesitant on accepting an offer until she found out a famous producer was creating Photon Maiden and immediately auditioned.
You see, Towa is a huge idol enthusiast who goes to concerts actively. Even after joining Photon Maiden, she continues to go to them to try and learn from the performances. She loves their cuteness, which causes fights with Noa about what “cute” actually is. Inside, though, they’re both very close with each other.
Personality-wise, Towa is a bit immature for her age, retorting she’s not a baby in her character intro after talking about her dislikes of bitter melon, powdered medicine, and injections at the doctor’s.
She also gets nervous performing, although she is getting better at it slowly.
Other Random Facts:
- Friends with Dalia from Merm4id because of their phobias (ghosts for Dalia, the above mentioned for Towa)
My Thoughts: I didn’t want to put this comparison in the main section because it’s admittedly a stupid one, but man does Towa remind me of Hina (Bandori).
Same color hair, same somewhat immature attitude, same devotion toward something (Hina -> her sister, Towa -> idols). I know, I know: not a great comparison.
Noa Fukushima
School: Yoba Academy (2nd year)
Position: Vocals/Performer
Birthday: October 9th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 48 kg
Height: 161 cm
Hobbies: Reading, collecting cute things
Skills: Extensive knowledge and remarkable memory
Favorite Foods: Madeleine
Weak Points: Natto, okra
Family Members: Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather
CV: Hinata Sato
Notable Roles: Leah Kazuno (Love Live! Sunshine), Junna Hoshimi (Revue Starlight)
Noa is first and foremost an avid reader, having an extensive collection of books in her home (a collection so extensive she’s worried the floor will cave in one day from all of them). She is full of knowledge from her reading habits and overall curiosity — she reads any genre as long as it catches her attention.
She gained an interest in theater through her love of reading and decided to become a performer after being praised during a theater workshop. Eventually, she (like the other members) passed an audition to become a member of Photon Maiden, and the rest is history.
Noa LOVES cutes things: animals, clothes, sweets, Saki, etc.. She can talk extensively about the things she loves, whether that’s books or cute things. This is where she shows her… crazy side.
Examples? Just look at her relationship with Muni (hugs her out of nowhere and is willing to do anything she asks), Shinobu (dotes on her), and Kurumi from Lyrical Lily (willing to be pranked for the cuteness).
She’s even good friends with another person (Rika) because they both enjoy adoring Saki too much. One of her skill activation sounds is literally her screaming “KAWAIIII”. It’s… interesting.
Anyway, as mentioned above, Noa and Towa share a connection arguing about what “cute” is. Noa actually knew Towa before the group formation, but the connection isn’t explained in great detail. Maybe we’ll find out in a later story?
Other Random Facts:
- Her family owns a Japanese sweets store
- Is strongly obsessed with cats, among other cute things
Merm4id
A unit formed by a group of energetic and ambitious college girls, aiming to become rich, celebrity DJs.
Their positive thinking always leads them to new opportunities.
Merm4id, as mentioned above, is a unit of college girls who aim to become celebrities. Their style of music is inspired by house music and dance pop with hints of trance and rave. The producer of their songs is Kazushi Miyakoda.
My Thoughts: So right away… wow. When I first saw this group, I thought “oh my how lewd” — I mean, look at their stage costumes. There’s not a great comparison for them because they’re honestly one of the first groups I’ve seen to embrace the “sexy” theme this boldly. For example, watch the start of one of their live performances:
I don’t think anyone was expecting that — definitely not me.
Theme aside, Merm4id is one of my favorite units because they have one of my favorite characters and their music is BOPPIN’. As mentioned above, their music leans towards dance or house music. You know, the type of stuff you’d hear at a club. Just listen to any of their songs and you’ll know what I mean — it’s the type of music that makes you want to move your body.
Along with Photon Maiden, their style falls into the type of electronic music I enjoy the most (dubstep, future bass). All that said, they’re not my favorite unit. That comes next.
So, who are the members of Merm4id?
Rika Seto
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Vocals
Birthday: August 30th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 49 kg
Height: 160 cm
Hobbies: Watching sports
Skills: Various part-time job skills
Favorite Foods: Deluxe ribs
Weak Points: Mushrooms (can still eat them)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Brother
CV: Natsumi Hirajima
Notable Roles: Former AKB48 member
Rika is a positive person whose motto is “life is to be enjoyed!”. She goes anywhere that excites her, whether that’s a club, sports game, or festival. She is one of the most popular people in her college along with her friend and fellow unit member Marika due to her positivity and overall energy.
Rika is a talented person who overcomes everything with luck and charm. She dreams of becoming a celebrity DJ, which aligns with the group’s goal as a whole.
Other Random Facts:
- Proficient at volleyball (specialty is spikes)
- Was friends with Tsubaki from Rondo in elementary and middle school, loving her singing voice in music class
- One of the few characters in the game who doesn’t stay still in her idle animation, bopping back and forth
My Thoughts: I’m normally not a huge fan of the hyper positive character (as mentioned above with Rinku), but something really attracts me to Rika. Maybe it’s her voice, which is pretty unique. Maybe it’s her expressions, which are featured well in the LOVE!HUG!GROOVY!! video. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s something.
Marika Mizushima
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Chorus/Performer
Birthday: July 30th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 50 kg
Height: 162 cm
Hobbies: Visiting cafes
Skills: Nail art
Favorite Foods: Fluffy foods (i.e. pancakes)
Weak Points: Salted plums (but still wants to eat them sometimes)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Grandmother
CV: Mei Okada
Notable Roles: Former Tenkou Shoujo member
Marika is an easy-going girl with a comforting and calm personality. Despite this, she loves concerts and is dedicated to her DJ activities. She has been working as a professional model since high school, which helps with connections both personally and for the group. As a result, she was the center of attention at her college. She became friends with Rika after she was one of the only people to talk to Marika normally.
Marika follows the latest trends, but also has another side to her. For example, Rika mentions in her character intro how she goes to convenience stores with a mask/jersey and no makeup whenever she is in a relaxed mode.
Other Random Facts:
- Met Dalia before the group formation but wouldn’t share details. Says she knows a cuter side to her though
- Loves going to cafes to relax and not worry about anything, but has to set an alarm to not lose track of time
- Refers to herself in the third person
- Terrible at cleaning
- Knows Rei’s sister from shared connections (actress/model)
Saori Hidaka
School: College (sophomore)
Position: DJ
Birthday: November 27th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 49 kg
Height: 161 cm
Hobbies: Lying on the floor, reading manga, browsing the internet
Skills: Calligraphy
Favorite Foods: Delicacies, offal hot pot, ramen after a drink
Weak Points: Cilantro
Family Members: Mother, Father, Younger Sister, Younger Brother
CV: Himari Hazuki
Notable Roles: Saki Kotobuki (Rebirth for You)
Saori is the normal girl in a group of extraordinary people. In that sense, she’s the Tsugumi (Bandori) of D4DJ. They both have low self-esteem and they’re the mostly normal members in their groups, except in this case, Saori is way more pessimistic. Example: she doesn’t like cilantro because she’s jealous of how it stands out.
Saori is concerned about her normality in the group and talks down about herself a lot, especially early on. She mentions in her character intro that she’s an ordinary college student from an ordinary family. She also gets nervous stutters at important moments, like in the unit intro when she pronounces the group name as “Myam4id.”
Saori started DJ activities in high school, but her pessimistic nature held her back from pursuing it seriously. However, through her hard work, she was still able to build up technique, enough to get recognized by Rika as a great DJ. Forced to join Merm4id, Saori eventually vowed to change her mindset and achieve her goals.
Other Random Facts:
- Has seen Aoi from Rondo play DJ and talked with her in the past, but thinks she doesn’t remember her (she does)
- Was classmates with Nagisa from Rondo but they didn’t keep in touch
- When asked about her favorite foods during her character intro, starts quickly listing a whole bunch — “cheese, salted squid guts, shell mantle, nuts, cucumber with moromi-miso, seasoned octopus with wasabi, shark cartilage with plum, ramen after a drink”, but then quickly went “wait, forget about all that. For-get-a-bout-all-of-that!” In my opinion, it’s the best moment from all the character intros. Here’s the clip (at 1:00):
My Thoughts: Okay, she is absolutely one of my favorite characters in D4DJ, possibly even my favorite. As someone who loves Tsugumi, Saori is also great — granted, a more negative version, but I’m still all for it.
I mean, look at her hobbies: lying on the floor, reading manga, browsing the internet? I mean this seriously when I say: that is literally me. Literally. Her voice is great and her goal to become more self-confident? Yes please. Best girl contender.
Dalia Matsuyama
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Chorus/Performer
Birthday: June 1st
Blood Type: B
Weight: 53 kg
Height: 168 cm
Hobbies: Aromatherapy
Skills: Karate
Favorite Foods: Fruit and vegetable smoothies
Weak Points: Meat fat (avoids it)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Brother
CV: Ai Negishi
Notable Roles: Former PASSPO☆ member
Dalia is the mysterious, cool beauty type. She is a dancer versed in many different genres like ballet, traditional Japanese dance, and contemporary dance. Her ultimate goal is to dance on the Broadway stage, and so she has trained herself in many styles of dance.
Dalia joined the group because her sixth sense told her to do so. She apparently sees something she lacks in Rika’s positivity, which may be another reason why she joined. There’s not much else about her personality (part of her mysteriousness), but she mentions she had been living life with strong self-discipline before joining the group.
For example, she is trained in martial arts and has a black belt in karate. She also prepares special meals to build the ideal body as she’s serious about her health (like Yuka and Ibuki), even going to the gym on weekends to see a personal trainer. It’s after joining the group that she realized she can have more fun in her life. Also, according to Rika, Dalia has the strongest personality in the group. It’ll be interesting to see that as the story goes further along.
Other Random Facts:
- Works part-time at a bar as a bartender and bouncer, where she is told she sometimes scares customers with her gaze
- Acts as the group’s bodyguard due to her martial arts skills — in fact, she can break blocks with her hands, but doesn’t do so because it chafes her hands
- Loves collecting aromatic oils
- Is afraid of ghosts because she doesn’t know how to fight if she ever encounters one
- Random and not about her character, but Dalia’s VA Ai Negishi is an avid gamer and GuruMiku player, having ranked in the TOP 50 of several of the Merm4id-themed events:
燐舞曲 (Rondo)
A unit with a dramatic worldview and a focus on producing genuine music, who bears the legacy of a famous club on it’s back.
They attract followers through their beautiful, aesthetic performances.
Rondo is a unit of college girls that plays at a famous local club. Their style of music is heavily inspired by rock: they have a guitarist, the only unit to do so. There’s also a hint of trance and drum and bass. The producer of their songs is Masahiro Nakayama with eMPIRE SOUND SYSTeMS.
(BTW don’t ask me what the kanji means — the reading makes no sense and the only things I could find were that 燐 is phosphorus and 舞曲 is musical dance/music and dancing)
My Thoughts: So, here it is. My favorite unit. Not only do they have my favorite character, but they also have some of the best music in D4DJ.
They may not have my favorite songs, but all of their releases so far have been consistently great. They also aren’t really what I’d consider a DJ group — they’re more like a rock band with a DJ (Raise a Suilen?). No complaints though — I’m so down for that.
In terms of other comparisons, I’ve seen a lot of people saying they have Roselia’s aesthetics with Saint Snow (Love Live! Sunshine) sound. And I see it — they have that same gothic appearance and their music has the same rock + melodic metalcore elements featured in SS songs.
Can I gush for a moment, though? When the Youtube channel released a preview of their single prayer[s] (listen to it here), I literally stopped what I was doing and just listened the entire minute and a half. It was one of those rare times where I felt literal chills while listening to music (and I listen to a lot of music).
When the full version came out I played it on repeat like an insane person. To this day, I still have it on my “on repeat” playlist, many months after its release.
So, who are the members of Rondo?
Tsubaki Aoyagi
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Vocals
Birthday: January 7th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 46 kg
Height: 155 cm
Hobbies: Foreign films, foreign TV shows
Skills: Never forgets a song she’s heard once
Favorite Foods: Oxtail stew
Weak Points: Chili peppers (but nothing in particular)
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Rihona Kato
Notable Roles: Former Tokyo Yume Puyogumi member
Tsubaki is a natural vocalist who’s been humming melodies for as long as she can remember. She was asked by Aoi to join Rondo and has been gaining popularity soon after joining. She receives extensive vocal training and has been doing so for a long time, even before joining Rondo.
Tsubaki may seem cold at first, but she actually hates to be alone. Similarly, she may seem cool and project confidence, but she also sometimes shows an air of fragility about her. In that way, she’s a lot like Yukina, Ran, and Sayo (Bandori).
Yukina and Sayo because of their cold exterior and devotion to music, and Ran because of her cool look but soft interior (also because Tsubaki has streaks of dyed hair). Tsubaki even mentions how important singing is important to her, saying “singing is the only thing I’ve got” (hello pre-character development Sayo).
She also mentions how she was nervous about singing for Rondo, a DJ unit for a club with a long history of famous groups, but has been confident after the group said they needed her vocals.
For all that’s said about her, though, Tsubaki’s a nice girl overall. I think the audio drama does a great job of showing off her cute side (watch it here), along with her “special relationship” with Aoi. Heh.
Other Random Facts:
- Speaks few words on the stage — lets the music do the talking
- Has an appreciation for Western films and dramas (both subbed and dubbed) and has watched most of the movies she likes without subtitles
- Becomes embarrassed when past relationship with Rika is mentioned, but cherishes those memories deep inside
- Totally random but (IMO) her image above looks like she’s going to start angrily eating her microphone. Don’t do it, Tsubaki! It’s not edible.
My Thoughts: Yes, here she is. My favorite character of D4DJ. Why? That’s a good question. I think it’s the same reason why I like Ran so much — the cold exterior but the care she has for the people close to her.
It reminds me a bit of myself, someone who doesn’t show much emotion to strangers and people in general, but really cares about the relationships in life. Plus the dyed hair helps. I should dye my hair sometime.
Nagisa Tsukimiyama
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Guitar
Birthday: August 15th
Blood Type: AB
Weight: 44 kg
Height: 152 cm
Hobbies: Making accessories
Skills: Guitar
Favorite Foods: Food sold at festival stalls
Weak Points: Green bell peppers (still able to eat them)
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Older Brother, Younger Brother
CV: Sae Otsuka
Notable Roles: Tae Hanazono (Bandori), Juri Torigoe (Rebirth for You)
Nagisa is the bright personality and life of Rondo. She acts as the hypewoman during MCs because Tsubaki doesn’t speak during those times. Having said that, she is actually shy around strangers, but once she gets to know someone, she is described as genuine and someone who honors friendships more than anything else.
She’s also a bit immature — watch the unit’s audio drama if you haven’t for a prime example, but there’s also a love of festival stand food and total excitement over flans gifted by event staff as other examples.
Nagisa grew up in a rock-loving family. As a result, she has excellent guitar skills and musical knowledge. She was originally looking for a place to practice guitar when she ran into the club where Aoi played and eventually joined Rondo.
Other Random Facts:
- Frequently visits Hiiro’s house for her cooking
- Started handicrafting to improve her fingerwork and became so good at it that Tsubaki praises her for it
- Cousins with Shinobu, who she looks up to — in fact, they have the same dislike of bitter veggies (but Nagisa can still eat them) and same ending animation in the LOVE!HUG!GROOVY!! music video. Also calls her “Shino”
My Thoughts: Neutral overall, but I want to mention something interesting. Watch Nagisa’s character intro video here. Now watch Sae Otsuka’s other famous role, Tae Hanazono here. Notice how… similar the voices are?
Not ragging on her at all — voice acting isn’t all about being able to do a range of voices, it’s about how well you can be a character. Still, I thought it was funny when I immediately heard Tae when listening to Nagisa’s intro video.
Hiiro Yano
School: College (sophomore)
Position: Chorus/VJ
Birthday: March 23rd
Blood Type: B
Weight: 54 kg
Height: 168 cm
Hobbies: Cosplay
Skills: Counseling, dream divination, entertaining people over a meal
Favorite Foods: Herbs, seasonal vegetables
Weak Points: Snacks that are too sweet
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Haruna Momono
Notable Roles: Former Fuwafuwa Shisugite Wakarimasen member
Hiiro is the mature older sister archetype. She is benevolent but scolds anyone who becomes too selfish. She is a psychology major — because of this, she acts as a counselor for the group. Her knowledge in art and psychology help build her unique worldview, which also helps her job as the group’s VJ.
Hiiro used to go to the club Aoi performed in and therefore knows her the best of anyone in the group. She was even in a DJ group with her prior to Rondo’s formation.
Other Random Facts:
- Creates all of Rondo’s costumes
- Does cosplay as a hobby and cooks a lot (especially for the group)
- Also does fortune telling, consulting the members frequently
Aoi Miyake
School: College (sophomore)
Position: DJ/Track Maker
Birthday: July 7th
Blood Type: O
Weight: 55 kg
Height: 170 cm
Hobbies: Taking walks, making jam
Skills: Poker face
Favorite Foods: Sashimi, milk
Weak Points: Bugs
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Tsunko
Notable Roles: Cosplayer/gravure idol (first role)
Aoi is a DJ at a famous members-only club with a long history. She is a mysterious person who usually has a poker face and doesn’t show her true emotions.
Within the group, though, she opens up her heart. She was the catalyst of the group, bringing all the members together. The reason why she even formed the group is unknown, however, as are her goals for the unit. Maybe we’ll find out someday.
Aoi’s charm is in her androgynous looks, which attracts many members to the club. Even Tsubaki gets flustered by what she says to her, though that might be something else entirely… Also, Aoi used to have long hair. Wut.
Other Random Facts:
- Has a bad fear of bugs, so bad that she hesitates to kill a mosquito (not sure what that means but that’s what the book says)
- Loves making jam
- Also loves taking walks to get sunlight because she stays in the club for so long
My Thoughts: So when I first saw Aoi, I was interested. I’ve always liked the tomboy character, and I thought Aoi was that. Turns out that’s not really the case, but Aoi is still one of the few D4DJ characters who doesn’t have much described personality-wise. Makes for some great potential for later stories.
Lyrical Lily
A unit formed by first year students in Arisugawa Academy, a prestigious elite school for girls.
They started their DJ activities after they stumbled upon some analog DJ equipment.
Diving into an unknown world through their concerts, they continue to make new discoveries everyday.
Lyrical Lily, as stated above, is a newly formed DJ unit composed of high schoolers from Arisugawa Academy, an elite private school. Their style of music is inspired by idol and “kawaii” pop with hints of trance, house, and classical music. The producer of their songs is Kou Nakamura.
My Thoughts: It’s hard to really get a grasp on them since they were a late addition to the cast. From what I’ve seen, though, they’re what you expect from their description: sheltered girls who found a new way of life and are slowly changing from it.
Also I would like to point out that their unit name abbreviation is LyriLily, or RiRiRiRi (リリリリ) which is hilarious and gives off Pasta*Pals vibes.
So, who are the members of Lyrical Lily?
Miyu Sakurada
School: Arisugawa Academy (1st year)
Position: Vocals
Birthday: December 14th
Blood Type: A
Weight: 45 kg
Height: 155 cm
Hobbies: Tabletop games
Skills: Swimming, good manners
Favorite Foods: Cannele de Bordeaux
Weak Points: Horror movies and novels
Family Members: Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather
CV: Hazuki Tanda
Notable Roles: Former PALET and Nankin Pepper member
Miyu is the model student — kind-hearted and thoughtful with good morals. She is also a bit of a sheltered rich girl: she doesn’t know how to use a cell phone and is surprised during the unit intro that everybody doesn’t have a personal artist to paint family portraits every few years.
Miyu began DJ activities when she came across some analog equpiment with her friends. It helps that she loves singing and has been in a church choir since she was a kid. She is also well versed in Showa-era pop songs and other nostalgic music from her family’s influence.
Other Random Facts:
- Saori is her private tutor
- She loves watching musicals but hates horror (to her dismay, as we’ll find out later)
Haruna Kasuga
School: Arisugawa Academy (1st year)
Position: DJ/Chaperone (?)
Birthday: May 25th
Blood Type: O
Weight: 46kg
Height: 163 cm
Hobbies: Electronics, audio equipment
Skills: Hyakunin Isshu (100 poets, 1 poem)
Favorite Foods: Creamy caramel candy
Weak Points: Snakes
Family Members: Mother, Father, Younger Sister
CV: Amane Shindo
Notable Roles: Mashiro Kurata (Bandori), Akari Tamba (Assault Lily), Shuko Mino (Rebirth for You)
Haruna is your standard tsundere — she is a member of the Student Disciplinary Committee (hence her nickname of “chairwoman” from Kurumi) and is the “caretaker” of the group, scolding Kurumi and Miiko whenever they misbehave (read: often). However, deep down she does care for the members and is thankful for being a part of the unit.
Haruna also pretends not to have interest in DJ activities but deep down, she is a huge audiophile thanks to her father, who is an audio equipment enthusiast. As such, she is the DJ for the group.
Also she loves Miyu, stating in her character intro the group is “a unit of Miyu, for Miyu, by Miyu.” Oh, wait, this is when she isn’t tsundere — she constantly praises Miyu, stating she is an angel.
Other Random Facts:
- Out of the members, cares the most about “acting like a lady”
- Not character-related, but Haruna’s VA Amane Shindo is 17 years old. Way to make me feel old.
Kurumi Shiratori
School: Arisugawa Academy (1st year)
Position: Chorus/VJ
Birthday: November 12th
Blood Type: B
Weight: 43 kg
Height: 151 cm
Hobbies: Playing pranks
Skills: Playing well, sleeping well
Favorite Foods: Japanese sugar candy
Weak Points: Attending religious services
Family Members: Mother, Father, Older Sister, Grandfather
CV: Ruka Fukugawa
Notable Roles: None (first role)
Kurumi is the child of a distinguished family who find her rigid school life boring. Thus, she plays pranks and causes general mischief. In short, she’s the troublemaker of the group. The reason why she hasn’t been expelled yet? Miyu, who saves Kurumi from trouble.
Kurumi also hates studying and going to church, which is unfortunate considering she goes to a religious school. She does, however, love art and stage production and actively does both roles in the group. In fact, she has a great talent for art.
Other Random Facts:
- As mentioned before, she attended the same elementary school as Esora, which made me realize they’re the same year. HOW?
- Again not character-related, but Kurumi’s VA Ruka Fukugawa is 16 years old (~5 months younger than Amanesu). She’s the youngest VA in her agency (HiBiKi), and she got inspired to to voice work after watching Bandori actresses perform live. A franchise created in 2015. Again, way to make me feel old.
Miiko Takeshita
School: Arisugawa Academy (1st year)
Position: Chorus
Birthday: February 22nd
Blood Type: B
Weight: 39 kg
Height: 149 cm
Hobbies: Rollercoasters, horror movies
Skills: Horseback riding, memorization
Favorite Foods: Truffles
Weak Points: Mental arithmetic
Family Members: Mother, Father
CV: Yuzuki Watase
Notable Roles: None (first role)
Miiko is a cheerful and easy-going person who loves playing (usually joining Kurumi in her pranks). She has the skill to be friends with anyone (yes it’s a skill) and dreams of traveling the world and making friends with everyone. Even aliens.
It’s hard for people to perceive what Miiko’s thinking, but the answer is: nothing. Simple.
Other Random Facts:
- Loves scary things like haunted mansions and horror movies (to the dismay of Miyu, who gets Miiko’s recs for horror unknowingly)
- Also loves roller coasters for the thrill/heart-pounding feeling they give
- Also loves paranormal mysteries
- Used to ride her father’s horses a lot
- Refers to herself in the third person
And that’s all for this huge post on D4DJ! Whew, that was a LOT of words! If you made it this far, give yourself a pat on the back.
All in all, thanks for reading! Hopefully you learned a little about what D4DJ is and might give something a try, whether it be the anime, mobile game, or live performances. Thanks again, and maybe I’ll see you in a future post!
Fractals and Recursion 
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