Hanayo Koizumi
This article contains details about plotlines described in the anime. Do not proceed unless you want to be spoiled. |
| Hanayo Koizumi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kanji | 小泉花陽 |
| Romaji | Koizumi Hanayo |
| Debut | Season 1, Episode 1 |
| Statistics | |
| Gender | Female |
| Birthday | January 17 |
| Year | 1st |
| Height | 156cm |
| Blood Type | B |
| Three Sizes | B 82, W 60, H 83 |
| Other | |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Favorite Food | White Rice |
| Disliked Food | None |
| Charm Point | Her soft cheeks |
| Portrayals | |
| Seiyuu Kanji | 久保ユリカ |
| Seiyuu Romaji | Kubo Yurika |
| English Dub | Xanthe Huynh |
| Icon and Signature | |
| Icon |  |
| Signature |  |
Hanayo Koizumi is a main character in Love Live. She was a first-year at Otonokizaka High School before graduating at the end of Love Live! The School Idol Movie.
Background
Hanayo Koizumi is the youngest member of μ's, the school idol group formed to prevent the closure and merger of Otonokizaka. Her family consists of her parents and grandparents, making a household of five. In early versions of her character, she was said to have an older brother, but in Honoka’s and her own SID stories, she is depicted as an only child. She has been close friends with Rin Hoshizora since kindergarten and even helped Rin study when her chances of getting into Otonokizaka seemed hopeless.
Among fans, Hanayo is most commonly referred to as "Hanayo-chan" or "Kayo-chin," with "Kayo-chin" and "Kayo-chan" derived from an alternate reading of her name’s kanji. Dedicated fans sometimes affectionately call her the "White Rice Angel" due to her well-known love of rice.
Another popular nickname, "Pana," originates from a phonetic shift in Japanese called rendaku. When the names "Rin" and "Hanayo" are combined as "RinHana," the "h" sound in "Hana" changes to a "p," resulting in "RinPana." This transformation led to "Pana" becoming a widely used and endearing nickname for Hanayo among the fan community.
Hanayo loves to eat, especially white rice, which is her favorite food. In SID, it’s revealed that even after having several bowls of rice for breakfast, she gets hungry during the first class, borrows side dishes from μ's members at lunch, and is hungry again after school. After worrying about it, she started bringing two lunchboxes, one for an early meal and one for lunch. In SIF, her side stories are mostly about food. While she isn’t picky about food, her passion for white rice is particularly notable.
Personality
Hanayo is extremely shy and gentle, with a dreamy and somewhat mysterious aura. She is known for being timid and a bit of a crybaby, often depicted with worried, drooping eyebrows. She is very bad at handling unexpected situations, regardless of whether they are good or bad, and tends to panic, usually screaming, "Somebody help me!" 「誰か助けてー」 or sometimes, "God, help me!" 「神様たすけてー」This catchphrase is often imitated by the cast, and on radio and stage, when her voice actress Yurika Kubo says this line, the standard response is, "Wait just a second!" 「ちょっと待っててー」
She is good at playing with small children and believes she would make a good kindergarten or nursery school teacher, though she admits her weakness is that she screams if a little boy flips her skirt.
Hanayo is also known for her cute, slightly lisping voice, often described as "brain-meltingly" adorable.
Clubs and Hobbies
Her hobby is drawing, and her special skill is origami.
Appearance
In the early episodes of the TV anime, Hanayo wore glasses, but switched to contacts at the end of episode 4. She is sometimes shown wearing glasses on days off. It is a common misconception, but the glasses are only part of the anime version; in other media, she does not wear glasses from the start (though she is shown holding glasses in some SID illustrations).
Compared to other members, Hanayo is said to be chubbier, so she worries about her figure and weight. However, she doesn’t look much different from the others, and her waist is the same as third-year members Eli and Nozomi. She especially worries about her legs being thick (especially compared to her childhood friend Rin), so she started wearing black tights with her winter uniform.
Among the members of μ's, Hanayo Koizumi underwent some of the most significant changes from her initial design to her current appearance. In early concept art, Hanayo’s hairstyle was nearly identical to Rin’s, with a ribbon on the right side of her head. She also originally wore knee-high socks, rather than the black tights she is known for today.
Surprisingly, after Nozomi Tojo and Eli Ayase, Hanayo is noted to have the third largest bust among the μ's members. However, when it comes to hips, Hanayo is tied with Maki Nishikino for the second largest in the group (both at 83 cm), just behind Eli (84 cm). This aspect is sometimes emphasized in figures and merchandise, where Hanayo’s hip volume is noticeably accentuated, often making her mini-skirt unable to fully conceal her figure from the back.
Despite her comparatively glamorous figure, Hanayo is often portrayed as being self-conscious about her body, particularly her weight and the thickness of her legs, which is a recurring theme in both the anime and related media. This self-consciousness is sometimes contrasted with the real-life attributes of her voice actress, Yurika Kubo, who was a gravure idol and model before becoming a voice actress, and is sometimes referred to by fans as a "real-life Eli" due to her own figure.
Other Data
Audio
Songs
General election results and positions
| Rank | Song | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE (僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE) | ||
| 7 | Snow halation | |
| 7 | Natsuiro Egao de 1,2,Jump! (夏色えがおで1,2,Jump!) | |
| 9 | Mogyutto "love" de Sekkin Chuu! (もぎゅっと"love"で接近中!) | |
| 4 | Wonderful Rush | |
| 6 | Music S.T.A.R.T!! |
Chronology
SID
In the School Idol Diary (SID) stories, Hanayo’s family background is explored, confirming her as an only child. Her friendship with Rin is highlighted, showing their close bond since kindergarten. SID also delves into her eating habits and her tendency to bring multiple lunchboxes to school.
Anime
In the TV anime, Hanayo’s shy and gentle personality is emphasized. Her switch from glasses to contacts is depicted in episode 4. She is often portrayed as nervous and panicky in unexpected situations, with her signature cry for help being a recurring comedic element. Her love of rice and concerns about her body image are also referenced throughout the series.
In episode 3 of the first season of the TV anime, Hanayo is the only audience member who of her own will, properly watched the first live performance held by the second-year students. (Rin came looking for Hanayo, Nico was hiding and peeking, Maki and Nozomi were behind the door, and Eli was filming from another room.) When Honoka was shocked to see that there was no audience and considered canceling the performance, Hanayo’s arrival allowed the live to proceed as planned. In this sense, Hanayo (perhaps unintentionally) played a crucial role in the continuation of μ's.
Afterward, although Hanayo couldn’t give up her admiration for μ's, it was only with the strong encouragement of Rin and Maki that she pleaded with Honoka to let her join the group. Honoka welcomed her enthusiastically, and Hanayo officially became a member of μ's with Rin and Maki joining at the same time.
Among the members of μ's, Hanayo has the most knowledge and passion for school idols. When it comes to this topic, her usual worried eyebrows turn upward and she becomes surprisingly passionate, almost like a different person. While those around her are surprised by this change, her long-time friend Rin accepts it, saying, "I like this side of Kayo-chin too, nya~♪"
It was kept secret from Hanayo for a long time, but it turns out that Hanayo’s mother is also a fan of idols, and even auditioned to become one when she was young (as revealed in the SID version). Although she didn’t pass the audition, she worked as an idol trainee, during which time she met her future husband and eventually married him. It seems Hanayo inherited her love of idols from her mother.
The Koizumi parents originally intended for Hanayo to attend UTX for her future, but out of both guilt for her parents’ wishes and her strong attachment to Otonokizaka, Hanayo chose to attend Otonokizaka of her own will. This is in direct contrast to Maki, who originally wanted to go to UTX.