Ayano Kamachi

Overview

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Ayano Kamachi
Age	19 (apparent age) At least 23 (chronologically, NEO)
Birthday	May 18
Gender	Female
Height	Around 174cm (5'8")
Noise Form(s)	Iris Cantus Iris Cantus α (Another Day (NEO))
Affiliations	Shinjuku Reapers
Status	Deceased
Voice Actor(s)	Ayane Sakura (Japanese) Erin Yvette (English)

"Cease that childish behavior this instant. The mere thought of being unable to see you again... It brings me to tears, darling."

— Ayano to Shoka, Noisrevni (Week 2, Day 5)

Ayano Kamachi (蒲池 菖乃, Kamachi Ayano) is a Reaper in NEO: The World Ends with You, and is one of the elite Shinjuku Reapers with a sisterly fondness for Shoka Sakurane.

Appearance

Ayano is a tall woman with long black hair, teal eyes with magenta eyeshadow and thick lips with pink lipstick. She has notably large breasts and usually bears a serious expression.

She wears a gray teal-lined and floral-patterned blouse, opened to reveal cleavage. She seems to wear either a black miniskirt or short shorts. She accessorizes with a gold necklace with a black stone at the center, as well as bracelets and rings on her left arm. Her fingernails are also quite long and her toenails are painted teal. She wears beige open-toe high heels. She has a pet iguana who rides on her shoulders. She is described by Shoka Sakurane as having a "mean RBF" (resting bitch face).

Personality

Ayano is highly capable and trusted by her leader, Shiba Miyakaze. She is cold and ruthless towards almost all the Reapers below her except for Shoka Sakurane, whom she loves like a younger sister. Ayano also seems to like animals, particularly exotic pets, as she has her own pet iguana. Ayano named the iguana Shoka after her, a fact that no one but Ayano knows.

However, her love for Shoka is a weakness that Shiba takes advantage of by Dearly❤beloveD (Week 3, Day 2). Ayano was so distraught by Shoka choosing to save Shibuya and leave the Reapers for good, that per Shiba's suggestion, she chose to be infected and possessed by Plague Noise to make Shoka choose between Ayano or the Wicked Twisters.

Story

Background

Around four years before the events of NEO, Ayano was an elite Reaper working in Shinjuku. Shoka Sakurane mentions that Ayano was a Reaper for a much longer time than her. Shoka, a survivor of a Reapers' Game, chose to become a Reaper. At Shiba Miyakaze's request, Ayano taught Shoka her Reaperly duties. Over time, Shoka and Ayano became very close, with Ayano even secretly naming her iguana after Shoka.

When Shinjuku was Inverted, Ayano was deeply distressed, perhaps even traumatized, by all of her Reaper friends who did not survive, causing Ayano to latch onto Shoka even more. Unlike Shoka, who ultimately preferred Shibuya over Shinjuku, Ayano found it very hard to adjust, even once claiming she hated Shibuya.

NEO: The World Ends with You

Ayano first appears at the end of GeT✖TWISTeD (Week 1, Day 2), having a conversation with Shoka Sakurane, Shiba Miyakaze and Tanzo Kubo about the "new recruit", Nagi Usui. She finds Shoka at the end of HEAD2HEAD (Week 1, Day 5) after Minamimoto leaves, and listens to Shoka's predictions of how the Game will intensify. She again is a part of a meeting with Shiba at the end of Day 7, reporting that the Reapers' search for Neku Sakuraba (actually a disguised Beat) has run out of leads.

Throughout, Motoi Anazawa, aspiring to become a Reaper, has been spying on Shoka and sending Ayano intel such as Shoka secretly aiding the Wicked Twisters. At the end of Noisrevni (Week 2, Day 5) she confronts Shoka and interrogates her on her whereabouts. Shoka denies any wrongdoing. After Shoka leaves, Motoi appears to report more. When Motoi reveals Shoka's secrets to the Purehearts, Wicked Twisters, and the other Shinjuku Reapers on DesireDestination (Week 2, Day 6), Ayano approaches Shoka and asks her to be forgiven by Shiba, but Shoka refuses. At the climax of CHECKMATE! (Week 2, Day 7), Ayano begs Shoka to rejoin the Reapers, but Shoka refuses.

Shoka speaking to Ayano before her erasure.

During Week 3, Ayano continues to ask Shiba to reinstate Shoka as a Reaper and attempting to persuade Shoka to rejoin her. In Dearly❤beloveD (Week 3, Day 2), Ayano infects herself with Plague Noise and tells Shoka, hoping to entice her back. The Wicked Twisters search across Shibuya and find Ayano at Miyashita Park. Shoka believes Ayano can be saved, but it is already far too late as Nagi Usui's Dive cannot free Ayano from the Noise. Rindo Kanade decides that defeating Ayano is their only option, and uses his Replay ability to help Shoka realize that they must fight Ayano. Through multiple Replays and conversations, Rindo learns more about Shoka, Ayano, and Shinjuku Reapers. An encouraged Shoka confronts Ayano and criticizes her for endangering herself with Plague Noise simply to see Shoka again. Ayano transforms into her Noise form Iris Cantus but is defeated by the Wicked Twisters. After, Shoka talks to Ayano, free of Plague Noise and close to erasure, trying to comfort her and convince her Shibuya is a good city. Ayano tells Shoka it sounds lovely before she is erased.

Posthumously in VisioN (Week 3, Day 5), remnants and lingering memories of Ayano's soul in the UG take the form of a Noise created by Shiba. Nagi cannot Dive into it as it has no mind, and Neku uses his ability to scan Souls to find that it is an empty husk. The Wicked Twisters defeat it as part of their mission.

In the Another Day timeline of NEO, Shoka and Ayano are actual sisters, and Ayano is one of the people running the Reapers' Romp as she needs pay and is looking for the bonus for defeating players. In this timeline, Ayano's pet iguana (which is named Iggy instead) belongs to Shoka instead, but Ayano keeps taking Iggy for herself.

Relationships

Shoka Sakurane

"...Y'know, I don't care whether or not anyone likes me. I know I piss people off. They tell me as much to my face. So I'm used to it. But... Ayano never said anything like that to me. Even if I deserved it. I would snap and say horrible things to her. But she never left me. Not once. That's why...I can't leave her."

— Shoka talking about Ayano, Dearly❤beloveD (Week 3, Day 2)

Shoka describes her relationship with Ayano as "sisters". Ayano first met Shoka a year before the Inversion of Shinjuku when she was tasked to look after her as a new Reaper. Shoka struggled and asked Ayano to stay with her. Shoka recalls them working together, complimenting Shoka when she did well, and always finding a way to fix Shoka's problems. After moving to Shibuya, Ayano felt lost and struggled to adjust while Shoka developed her identity and tried to get Ayano to see the same way as her.

In the leadup to Shoka's defection from the Reapers, Ayano with the intel from Motoi starts getting more protective of Shoka and asking her to stay by the Reapers' side. Shoka feels intimidated and tense with Ayano and rejects her efforts to try and reconcile with Shiba. After Shoka publicly defects from the Reapers, Ayano further attempts to convince Shiba to allow her to rejoin and is distraught. This leads to Shiba convincing Ayano to infect herself with Plague Noise to see Shoka again - as a consequence of the Plague Noise warping her mind she becomes almost violent and controlling when talking to Shoka, such as threatening to tear Shoka from limb to limb.

After defeating Iris Cantus, Shoka and Ayano briefly reconcile. Shoka comforts her and tells her that in Shibuya, everyone can be who they want - Ayano says it sounds nice before she is erased.

Quotes

• "How is the new recruit?" - about Nagi Usui
• "Shoka? Are you all right, dear? I thought I heard someone." - to Shoka
• "Unfortunately, that trail's gone cold. He even eluded the Reapers running the Game. Their management skills seem mid-level at best." - about tracking Beat
• "Shoka, dear? Tell me. How did you pass the time today? I was merely concerned you might have been up to something...dangerous. Can you look me in the eye and say that?" - interrogating Shoka
• "...I see. Well, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
• "...What an unpleasant surprise. Come to ingratiate us again with your ill-gotten intel?" - to Motoi
• "Shoka, darling. Please, enough is enough. Don't play coy with me. You know exactly what you've done. Now you must promise to do as I say. Then Shiba will surely see fit to forgive you."
• "Cease that childish behavior this instant. The mere thought of being unable to see you again... It brings me to tears, darling. I trust you will do right by me, Shoka."
• "Shoka... Come back to us. You'll be erased, darling... Please."
• "Shoka darling, I need to see you. I've been infected."
• "Shoka, is that you? What took you so long, dear? You had me worried sick. I appreciate your concern, my darling."
• "I'm afraid so. I did it myself. I took the Noise into my own body. Because I knew you wouldn't be willing to meet with me otherwise."
• "Listen, my dear: we must return to Shiba at once. You'll be safe then. ...And so will I. Rejoin the Reapers. Forget about this forsaken city. You and I can start a new life together elsewhere. Come with me. Don't make me tie you up and drag you along." - to Shoka
• "Learn my name and know it well: Ayano Kamachi. I advise you to to stay out of our business."
• "That was a splendid performance, darling. Your best yet, even." - to Shoka
• "Shibuya...such a different city...from the one we know..."
• "One by one...they all fall down..."
• "Nothing you need worry about. I hear your concerns, dear, but do not fear. No matter what happens, you will always be safe with me. I promise." - to Shoka
• "That monster... He will pay...for what he's done..."
• "You asked me to stay, but yOu strayEd fRom mY side. NEver AgaiN... I woN't leT yoU oUt of mY siGht... EvEn iF i hAve tO teAr yOu liMb frOm limB... i'll tAke EveRy laSt piEce of yoU wiTh me..." - to Shoka as Ayano transforms into Iris Cantus
• "

Etymology

Ayano (菖乃) is from iris flower and the archaic possessive particle 乃 (written as の in modern Japanese).

Kamachi (蒲池) is made up of the kanji for bullrush and pond, giving the imagery of cattails at the edge of a pond.

The 菖 aya in Ayano and 蒲 kama in Kamachi combine to read as 菖蒲, the name for the iris hanafuda suit.

Trivia

• Ayano was originally going to have Kanon Tachibana's design. Tetsuya Nomura swapped them so Ayano would better look like an older, Shinjuku woman and Kanon would look like a young Shibuya woman.
  • Both Ayano and Kanon's original designs were by Gen Kobayashi - once he decided to swap their appearances, they were handled by Miki Yamashita for further adjustments.
• Ayano's outfit was displayed at the Square Enix Café, along with Nagi's and Shoka's. Professional cosplayer Enako dressed as her for photos displayed at the café.
• Ironically, despite Ayano never adjusting to Shibuya and preferring her native Shinjuku, her Noise form heavily resembles Iris ensata, Shibuya's symbolic flower. The symbolic flower of Shinjuku is the azalea.