List of characters

Kotoko Aihara
The female lead. She has been in love with the handsome and intelligent Naoki Irie since their first year in high school after hearing his speech at the opening ceremony. After their new poorly constructed house was destroyed in a mild earthquake, she and her father moved into the Irie household, her father being a very close school friend of Naoki's father. It is eventually revealed that Naoki has also been in love with her. Kotoko is not very smart, having been in Class F all through high school (Class F is the lowest) and a low status department at her university. She is however very spirited. She usually ends up in trouble and Naoki always saves her. After coming back from her honeymoon with Naoki, Kotoko decides to become a nurse, so that she could work alongside him.


Naoki Irie
The male lead, and the eventual husband of Kotoko. He had no goal in his life. But later, because of Kotoko's encouragement and advice, he decides to become a doctor. He is considered very cold, having an IQ of 200 and always being number 1 in all exams. He is also a very good cook and an excellent tennis player. It was revealed that he has always been in love with Kotoko, showing it with a kiss to her.


Kotomi Irie
is Naoki and Kotoko's daughter. She was born in episode 24 of the anime, and does not appear in the manga. She inherits Naoki's intelligence, but Kotoko's looks and personality. She tends to compete with Kotoko for her father's attention (winning most of the time), and has a strong father complex. She, like her father, is also very smart.


Yuuki Irie
Naoki's younger brother. He didn't like Kotoko at first, but eventually learns to accept her for who she is. Although he hides his acceptance by continuing to bully her. Yuuki was the first person to figure out Naoki was in love with Kotoko, after seeing him kiss her while she was asleep. He starts to go out with Konomi, a girl with a similar personality to Kotoko, when he is in middle school. His goal is to inherit his father's company.


Machiko Irie
s Naoki's super-controlling and naïve mother. She often makes plans that only she thinks are good for her children, including finding love for them. She uses various disguises during the anime to spy on her children. She believed that she was a 'matchmaker' for Naoki and Kotoko.She has always taken pictures of Irie's and Kotoko's dates often ruining the mood between the two.


Shigeki Irie

is Naoki's father, he manages a toy company. He once had a heart attack after hearing that Naoki did not want to inherit his company, but in the end he accepted the fact Naoki wanted to become a doctor.


Kinnosuke Ikezawa

is the guy who has liked Kotoko ever since high school and didn't give up until Naoki confessed that he was emotionally involved with her as well. After a year, he meets Christine and marries her, thus ending his devotion to Kotoko. However, he and Kotoko retain their friendship.


Christine "Chris" Robbins
is a foreign exchange student from the United Kingdom who has gone to Japan to find a Japanese boyfriend. She falls for Kinnosuke, and after a long dedication finally wins his heart. In the anime adaptation, she is the daughter of the bank involved with Naoki's father's company. Sasuiko does not appear and Chris is the one Naoki casually dates.


Yuuko Matsumoto
is one of Naoki's many love trials. She has been interested in him since before college, but decides to give up after Kotoko and Naoki get married. After graduation, she starts to work for a computer company.


Shigeo Aihara
is Kotoko's father. He owns a restaurant and has been Kinnosuke's teacher and boss for years. He raised Kotoko alone since his wife died many years ago.


Jinko Komori
is one of Kotoko's best friends. She is a tomboy, and dates a musician


Satomi Ishikawa
is one of Kotoko's best friends. She gets married after she gets pregnant and has a daughter named Kiseki, who seems to be very attached to Yuuki.


Marina Shinagawa
is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. She went to study nursing to marry a doctor. Eventually, she becomes involved with Funetsu, although she keeps trying to get close to other guys.


Kikyou Motoki
is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. He is born a boy, but prefers to be a girl. Of all the guys that Kotoko knows, he is the most girly one. He is the president of Naoki's fan club.


Sudou


has liked Reiko since college, but hasn't been successful in winning her heart in the Manga.In the Anime he is shown to have married Matsumoto in Episode 24. Kotoko describes him as someone who has a dual personality. He is very kind when he's not holding the tennis racquet, but once he holds it, he becomes vicious and competitive (most especially to Naoki, but he always loses to him).


Tomoko Ogura
is Kotoko's classmate in nursing school. She is sweet and kind and gentle like an angel, but is also crazy about seeing blood, which makes her somewhat scary.


Nobuhiro Kimura
became Yuuki's friend when he went to the hospital. This boy has a kidney problem and was unable to live with his parents. Years later, his parents are divorced and he reappears as a young and famous singer known as Nobu, but has given up on life... until Kotoko and Naoki give him hope again. He is Yuuki's best friend while he is in the hospital. Kotoko offers him hope and he turns into a kinder person.


Keita Kamogari
is one of Kotoko's classmates in nursing school. He is very passionate about nursing and can therefore be very fierce if things don't go right. Naoki was jealous because of Keita's and Kotoko's relationship. Keita liked Kotoko once, but after he realized how much Kotoko and Naoki loved each other, he gave up. Finally, he met the handicapped Akiko during training and fell for her.