Akira Takano

Infobox animanga character
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name = Akira Takano
series = School Rumble


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creator = Jin Kobayashi
voiced by = Kaori Shimizu (Japanese)
Trina Nishimura (English)
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age = 16
born = January 29/Aquarius
class = 2-C (President of the Tea Club)
occupation = Bookstore attendant
Bodyguard
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relatives = Motoko Hiiragi, younger sisterNihongo|Akira Takano|高野 晶|Takano Akira is a fictional character from the School Rumble anime/manga series. Her surname refers to Mount Koya in Wakayama prefecture to the south of Osaka, as Koya (高野) can be also read as "Takano" in Japanese.

Fictional character biography

The president of the Tea Club and a close friend of Tenma Tsukamoto, Mikoto Suo and Eri Sawachika, Akira is very perceptive, resourceful, intelligent, and also very mysterious. She has the ability to see through the true intentions of people, and her enigmatic face always hides schemes she creates to help her friends or play pranks on her classmates. The only time when her pranks failed is once involving her dressing up in a penguin suit and trying to catch her tea club members in an embarrassing position (the prank backfired upon herself). Her favorite victim is Haruki Hanai who for some reason she dislikes, though in recent chapters she has given him a kiss indicating possible interest.

More about Takano's background is revealed later in the series. She is the daughter of a Journalist and has a younger half-sister, Motoko Hiragi, who tends to be sick frequently.

According to the last Japanese poll performed by the publishers of the manga, Akira is currently the ninth most popular character in the series.

As of the latest manga volumes, Akira now styles a much longer hairdo than she did before.

Personality

Akira has a tendency to incite others by prompting them with information she knows will produce an explosive reaction. Despite her stoic exterior, she is loyal to her friends and goes to extremes to protect them. For instance, when Yakumo Tsukamoto is being forced to kiss Kenji Harima during Class 2-Cs play, Akira kisses him instead in order to save her from embarrassment. On separate occasions, she asked for a kiss from Eri and Yakumo.

Akira is very ambitious, always putting a lot of effort into earning money. Her official job is in a bookstore, but in a side story during summer break she is seen as a bodyguard protecting a young mafia heir in Italy, and acting in a similar capacity later in Japan. There is also evidence in some episodes that she may really be a secret agent working for a yet unidentified government body.

Unlike most characters in School Rumble, Akira is not prone to misunderstanding situations. For instance, upon walking in on Eri being restrained by a naked Harima, she immediately understands the situation. Furthermore, Akira seems to be aware of exactly who in her class likes whom; she remains largely silent on this matter. She also has been known to have uncommon information, such as Harima's phone number.

Although many of her friends had experienced some affection towards another boy, Akira seems to hold no romantical interest. Recent chapters, though, suggest her hidden feelings towards Hanai Haruki, as she kisses his forehead when she commands him to lower his head so she could flick it and comments to have him "take care" of her.

Akira has some uncommon hobbies such as planning war games and seeming to enjoy wearing full body costumes.

It is interesting to note that whenever everybody else has changed appearances, (such as Harima imagining everyone else as aliens) Akira remains unchanged.