Nisekoi

Nisekoi follows high school students Raku Ichijo, the son of a leader in the Yakuza faction Shuei-gumi, and Chitoge Kirisaki, the daughter of a boss in a rival gang known as Beehive. They unexpectedly meet when Chitoge hops a wall and knees Raku in the face. After she runs off, Raku realizes he has lost his locket which was given to him by his childhood sweetheart with whom he made a secret promise. After discovering Chitoge is a new transfer student in his class, he forces her to help him look for the locket. During the search, they begin to dislike each other.[12]

Upon returning home, Raku learns that the Shuei-gumi and Beehive gangs have agreed to settle their feud by pairing their leaders' children. Raku learns that his girlfriend-to-be is none other than Chitoge. For the next three years, they must pretend to be in a relationship to maintain peace between the gangs. This turns out to be quite a challenging task, not only because of their hatred for one another but also because Raku has a crush on another schoolmate, Kosaki Onodera, whom he secretly wishes was the girl who bears the key to his locket. Various developments complicate the situation, including Chitoge's over-protective bodyguard, a female hitman, a girl who claims to be Raku's fiancée, and the existence of multiple keys. Yui Kanakura, the newly appointed head of the Char Siu Mafia and Raku's childhood friend, also joins in as a fiancée with yet another key to the locket.

After numerous adventures with the girls, Raku realizes he has fallen for both Chitoge and Kosaki. When Chitoge learns that Raku and Kosaki have liked each other since they were in middle school, she tries to support their relationship by leaving Japan. This prompts Raku and the others to look for her. They discover more about the book that tells the story of the keys which helps them recall more of what actually happened ten years ago.

Raku Ichijo (一条 楽, Ichijō Raku)

Voiced by: Koki Uchiyama (drama CD, anime)[13]

Raku is a high school student who aspires to pursue a normal career as a civil servant when he graduates, although he is the son of a Yakuza family leader. ^{Ch. 1} When he is placed in a fake relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki, he hides his feelings for the girl who he has a crush on, Kosaki Onodera.^{Ch. 4-5} He wears a locket that symbolizes a promise of love he made to a girl ten years ago while traveling with his father abroad and hopes he can reunite with the girl who bears the key to unlock it. He shows kindness and care to the girls but remains unsure as to which girl he likes the most.^{Ch. 63, 100, 171, 176-178} After Marika withdraws from pursuing him, she reveals to him that he loves both Kosaki and Chitoge, and should choose between them.^{Ch. 195} Raku realizes that he does like Chitoge beyond just friends,^{Ch. 199, 200} and despite learning that Kosaki was his promised girl, he ultimately chooses Chitoge. In the final chapter, it is revealed he has become a government worker in the city's public safety department and is the second boss of his family's Yakuza gang who helps him protect the city. He and Chitoge are married and have a son named Haku who inherited their respective traits.^{Ch. 229}

Chitoge Kirisaki (桐崎 千棘, Kirisaki Chitoge)

Voiced by: Nao Toyama (drama CD, anime)[13]

Chitoge is a half-Japanese transfer student from the United States, and the daughter of the leader of the Beehive Gangsters. She is annoyed by Raku, who calls her a gorilla woman, but pretends to be in a relationship with him in order to prevent their family gangs from going to war.^{Ch. 1} Ten years before, Chitoge makes a promise with a boy, but does not realize it could be Raku until she finds a key that could potentially unlock his locket.^{Ch. 21} She develops feelings towards Raku and becomes jealous when girls such as Marika show open affections towards him.^{Ch. 35} Eventually, she realizes that she truly loves him, and changes her internal attitude while keeping the external appearance of still finding him annoying.^{Ch. 49, 51} She is very smart and capable at almost anything,^{Ch. 56} except cooking.^{Ch. 67, 116} She and her mom had a "cold" relationship until Raku helps them reconcile with each other on Christmas.^{Ch. 59} Later, she accidentally found out that Raku and Kosaki had liked each other since middle-school. To help them get together she runs away from home, unaware that Raku also likes her. After being convinced by Marika to be honest with her feelings, Chitoge confessed her love for Raku at the place where Raku made the promise with the promised girl, and was happy when Raku accepted her feelings. In the final chapter, it is revealed that she is married to Raku and has become a fashion designer.^{Ch. 229}

Kosaki Onodera (小野寺 小咲, Onodera Kosaki)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (drama CD, anime)[13]

Kosaki Onodera is a kind and sweet classmate of Raku. She has shoulder-length dark brown hair and chestnut brown eyes. Although Raku likes her, she does not reveal that she also likes him. She bears a key that could unlock Raku's locket but denies it when Raku asks and becomes extremely shy and easily flustered whenever they have a potential romantic situation. ^{Ch. 4, 5} Her family owns a dessert shop where she fashions good-looking treats, but she makes terrible food when left to her own devices.^{Ch. 7, 19} She is not as academically strong as her friends, but studied hard to enter the same high school as Raku.^{Ch. 98} As time passes her love for Raku grows and her determination to get him notice her feelings becomes stronger, declaring she will fight for it.^{Ch. 126} She and Raku have similar personalities, showing care for others, but are shy when it comes to confessing their mutual feelings. It was revealed that Kosaki was the promised girl.^{Ch. 221} While looking for Chitoge after she ran away at the place where they made the promise, Kosaki realizes that Raku has fallen for Chitoge, and despite a final confession, is gently rejected. In the last chapter, she has become a pastry chef, and is making the wedding cake for Raku and Chitoge.^{Ch. 229}

Shu Maiko (舞子 集, Maiko Shū)

Voiced by: Yuki Kaji (drama CD, anime)[13]

Shū is Raku's best friend. He enjoys doing anything for a laugh and often makes perverted passes or comments without shame to his friends. He is perceptive of Raku's relationships, knowing immediately that Raku was not really dating Chitoge, that Raku and Kosaki have secret crushes on each other,^{Ch. 8} and that Tsugumi has developed romantic feelings for Raku.^{Ch. 20} Academically, he places next to "glasses buddy" Ruri, much to the latter's chagrin.^{Ch. 56, 58} He has not expressed romantic interest in Raku's friends, but in one storyline, he has a crush on their homeroom teacher Kyoko.^{Ch. 84} He has known that Chitoge has become more than just a friend to Raku before Raku even does.^{Ch. 195} In the final chapter, he had become a teacher and is living with Ruri; he organizes the wedding for Raku and Chitoge.^{Ch. 229}

Claude (クロード)

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (drama CD, anime)[13]

Claude, one of the leaders of the Beehive gangsters, is one of the few characters who suspects the relationship between Raku and Chitoge is fake.^{Ch. 2} He stalks Chitoge regularly to make sure Raku does not take advantage of her.^{Ch. 3, 5} Chitoge stated that when she was young, she was unable to make friends because of Claude's overprotectiveness and background checking. He raises Tsugumi as a hitman, gave her a boy's name, Seishirou, completely oblivious of her gender.^{Ch. 17} In the final chapter, he has become Beehive's new leader after Chitoge's father resigned in order to live his life with Hana, and is getting along better with Raku.^{Ch. 229}

Ruri Miyamoto (宮本 るり, Miyamoto Ruri)

Voiced by: Yumi Uchiyama (drama CD, anime)[13]

Ruri is Kosaki's best friend. She often speaks what is on her mind, and actively pushes Kosaki to get closer to Raku,^{Ch. 8} setting up many scenarios to help her. She regularly beats up Shu for his perverted comments,^{Ch. 10, 11} although sometimes she respects what he has to say.^{Ch. 58} In later chapters, she realizes she has fallen in love with Shu as she is drawn to his inner struggle.^{Ch. 209} She eventually confesses to him and states that she will wait for Shu to let go of his feelings for his first love Kyoko.^{Ch. 223} In the final chapter, she is working as a translator and lives with Shu.^{Ch. 229}

Seishiro Tsugumi (鶫 誠士郎, Tsugumi Seishirō, also: Seishirou Tsugumi)

Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu (drama CD, anime)[13]

"Black Tiger" Tsugumi is a hitwoman who was raised and trained by Claude of the Beehive Gangsters.^{Ch. 14-16} Originally introduced as a transfer student in Chitoge's class, she prefers to dress in shirt and pants of the boys uniform, and is mistaken for a boy by Raku and the others. Suspecting Chitoge was forced by Raku into the relationship, she tries to fight him.^{Ch. 15} She and Chitoge are childhood friends; she tries to keep a promise made ten years ago of becoming strong to protect Chitoge.^{Ch. 16} After Raku treats her nicely, she begins to develop feelings for him, even though she is too stubborn and embarrassed to admit it.^{Ch. 18, 20, 40} She shares a rivalry with "White Fang" Paula McCoy.^{Ch. 54} She does well academically, having ranked next to Chitoge on an early exam.^{Ch. 56} Raku has occasionally confided with her as a good friend and also for romance advice.^{Ch. 68, 79-83} She occasionally has vivid daydreams of being Raku's secret lover. She does not realize Raku and Chitoge's relationship is a fake one until much later in the series.^Ch.204-206 In the end chapter, she has become the exclusive fashion model for Chitoge and has grown out her hair.^{Ch. 229}

Marika Tachibana (橘 万里花, Tachibana Marika)

Voiced by: Kana Asumi (drama CD, anime)[14]

Marika transfers to Raku's class and is introduced as Raku-sama's fiancée; she bears a key that she thinks will unlock Raku's pendant, and is the most vocal about expressing her love to Raku. She is the daughter of the police commissioner, Gen and has been in love with Raku for the past ten years.^{Ch. 33} She does not get along with Chitoge; she states she hates girls with long hair despite the fact that she also has long hair.^{Ch. 34} Although she has a reputation of being a fighter, she has a frail constitution; ten years prior, she was frequently visited by a young Raku, who brought her gifts and sparked a friendship with her. Because Raku mentions he likes a girly girl with long hair, she grows her hair out and tries to speak politely and feminine, only reverting to her crude Kyushu accent when flustered.^{Ch. 35-36} Her worsening health condition has motivated her to spend as much time with Raku as she can while hiding the burden from him.^{Ch. 169} She has a story arc where her failing health prompts her mother to withdraw her from Bonyari and forced to marry her mother's cousin. Although Raku and friends rescue her, Marika tells Raku that she will have to get treatment for her illness in America for two years or it will become fatal. She expects Raku to choose Chitoge or Kosaki by then or she will take him for herself.^{Ch. 180-195} In the final chapter, she cut her hair short and has completely recovered from her disease, and has the difficult task of finding a man that was better than Raku.^{Ch. 229}

Paula McCoy (ポーラ・マッコイ, Pōra Makkoi)

Voiced by: Manami Numakura (drama CD, anime)[15]

Paula is an assassin for the Beehive gangsters who has trained in America; her alias is "White Fang."^{Ch. 54} She is a colleague of Tsugumi, whom she considers her rival as she has finished second to her in many missions. She is upset that Tsugumi has gotten soft after going to Japan.^{Ch. 54} When she challenges Tsugumi to a match where the goal is to steal a kiss from Raku,^{Ch. 54} she eventually loses and has to give up on Seishirou returning to America with her.^{Ch. 54, 55} She later returns to Japan as a student at Tsugumi's school.^{Ch. 75} After seeing that Tsugumi acts shy and embarrassed when near Raku, she sets up romantic situations where the two are together.^{Ch. 79, 80} She eventually opens up to the possibility of being friends with people after talking with Haru Onodera.^{Ch. 81, 82} In the final chapter, it is revealed that she went to graduate school and works in a lab as a scientist, something that was unexpected by everyone.^{Ch. 229}

Haru Onodera (小野寺 春, Onodera Haru)

Voiced by: Ayane Sakura (drama CD, anime)[16]

Kosaki's sister who is a school year younger than Raku Ichijo and the gang.^{Ch. 75, 76} On her way to school she is saved from some delinquents by a mysterious prince (actually Raku)^{Ch. 75} and ends up with his locket.^{Ch. 76} Her first impression of Raku is negative as she believes that he is a womanizer who is trying to trick her sister, a dangerous yakuza, and a pervert for looking at her panties.^{Ch. 75, 76} She also refuses to return his locket until Raku convinces her that he is helping the prince.^{Ch. 78} Unlike her sister, she is a good cook.^{Ch. 77} She later reveals that she was helped by a guy in a mascot costume (also Raku) who treats her with vanilla ice cream.^{Ch. 94} Later, Haru finally warms up to Raku and realizes she too has fallen in love with him, although she puts her feelings aside to support her sister.^{Ch. 109} However, her attempts to have her sister and Raku draw closer often backfire and result in her interacting more often with Raku (much to her dismay).^{Ch. 110} In the final chapter, she has taken over the family business which became more popular due to her dessert.^{Ch. 229}

Suzu Ayakaji (彩風 涼, Ayakaji Suzu)

Voiced by: Kotori Koiwai (drama CD, anime)[17]

Suzu Ayakaji, also known as Fuu (風), is the best friend and classmate of Haru Onodera and also one of the classmates of Paula McCoy.^{Ch. 75} Fuu has light fair skin with indigo eyes. She has thick, dark auburn hair that sports a braid with a pink ribbon on the left side of her hair. Fuu is very kind and understanding. She tries her best to make her friends happy and supports them.^{Ch. 107} She always looks for Haru and truly wishes for her to be happy.^{Ch. 171} Haru states she is a bit weird at times like when she asked Haru to model for her and getting a nosebleed in the process.^{Ch. 131, 132} When Haru starts to have feelings for Raku, Fuu is able to understand her feelings for him and tries to find situations where she and Raku could be together.^{Ch. 131} In the final chapter, it is revealed that she has become a journalist who wrote a feature article about Haru and her shop.^{Ch. 229}

Yui Kanakura (奏倉 羽, Kanakura Yui)

Voiced by: Yui Horie (drama CD)[18]

Yui is a childhood friend of Raku and the head of the Char Siu mafia from China.^{Ch. 118} Her family name is Japanese but given name is called by Chinese (羽 Yǔ). She comes back to Japan after spending several years overseas. She also knows Chitoge, Kosaki, and Marika, and like them, holds a key which could unlock Raku's locket.^{Ch. 119, 120} Although she is only two years older than Raku, she becomes Raku's homeroom and English teacher, having skipped many grades.^{Ch. 119} She also has romantic feelings for Raku, who views Yui just as his older sister.^{Ch. 126, 178} She has a story arc where she has one last bid for Raku's affection before her coming of age ceremony.^{Ch. 176} In the last chapter, it is revealed she is living in China and is pregnant.^{Ch. 229}

• ^ "Ch." is a shortened form for chapter and refers to a chapter number of the Nisekoi manga.

• Official anime website
• Nisekoi at Shueisha's Shōnen Jump
• Nisekoi at VIZ's Shonen Jump
• Nisekoi (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia