Kanon Tachibana

Overview

Gallery

Kanon Tachibana
Nicknames	Kween Kanon
Age	23
Birthday	December 28
Gender	Female
Height	Around 170cm (5'7")
Race	Human
Affiliations	Variabeauties
Classification	Player Leader of the Variabeauties
Status	Deceased
Voice Actor(s)	Sumire Uesaka (Japanese) Xanthe Huynh (English)

"Fret, I think you're a really sweet kid. And you always say the nicest, most encouraging things. But they're almost too nice. So nice that they start to sound disingenuous. It feels like you don't mean a single word you say. Just work on being genuine—not with others, but with yourself."

— Kanon giving advice to Fret

Kanon Tachibana (立花 果遠, Tachibana Kanon) is a Player in NEO: The World Ends with You, and the leader of the Variabeauties. She manages the team with Maito Minami, whom she views as being reliable.

Appearance

Kanon is a slender young woman with pale skin, short ginger hair, and brown eyes with salmon eyeshadow. She wears a purple crop top with long sleeves and exposed shoulders with a white broken heart shedding a tear on the chest. She wears baggy denim jeans with patterns of hearts, lips, stars, and planets on the thigh, and purple heels with a grey tufts of fur on the arch of her foot. She wears a black beret with a purple band and red diamond. She accessorizes with gold earrings shaped into three hanging diamonds, a white necklace with diamond shapes, gold bracelets on her left wrist, and red nail polish.

Personality

Kanon is generally quite kind to other people, like when she taught Rindo Kanade from another team the rules of the Game. Her charisma hides her cunning wisdom. Kanon does not have impressive psychic powers, so she survives the Game by being a skilled negotiator, and is quite adept at sweet talking. Even so, she is not afraid to be blunt and direct when necessary.

She initially seems to prioritize point gain for her own team over fairness, such as when she takes the pin the Wicked Twisters earned in Week 1. However, she does also lend them advice, and eventually warms up to them prior to their allyship. She is strategic in her thinking and also highly perceptive, easily reading that Fret is not entirely genuine with others. Kanon is strong-willed, and has endured many weeks of playing the game, showing her mental fortitude. Even when facing death, Kanon remains kind and composed, and offers words of encouragement to Fret and the Wicked Twisters in a final act of compassion.

Story

Background

It is unclear how Kanon died. It is implied she, along with Motoi Anazawa and Fuya Kawahara, have been playing the Reapers' Game for at least seven months with at least 30 loops. At some point, Kanon became the leader of the Variabeauties.

NEO: The World Ends with You

Kanon taking the reward pin.

Kanon first appears at the end of the second day. After Rindo, Fret, and Minamimoto defeat the Go-Go Beringei, she finds and takes the reward pin it dropped, claiming the points for her team. She offers it back, but a flustered Fret lets her have it - she wishes the Wicked Twisters a fair fight and leaves.

Kanon does not have a major role in the story; throughout the days, she acts supportive of Rindo and his team, and although she knows their team must face off during events such as the Scramble Slams and some of her Variabeauties get erased, she realizes it's the reality of the Reapers' Game and does not blame him. During Week 2, she tries to team up with the Wicked Twisters to defeat the Ruinbringers. On Day 7, Kanon fights Tsugumi Matsunae on the roof, and although the team wins, Shiba Miyakaze forces the teams to play again.

Kanon speaks to Fret one last time.

On Week 3, Kanon cooperates with the Wicked Twisters as they are now on the same side against the Reapers. On Week 3, Day 3, Kanon gets possessed by a Plague Noise. Fret and Nagi try to rescue her using their powers, although it only releases her mind from her possession. She thanks the group for their efforts, especially Fret, before being erased.

On Week 3, Day 5, remnants and lingering memories of Kanon's soul in the UG take the form of a Noise created by Shiba, although as Nagi notes, it is an empty husk with no soul. The Wicked Twisters defeat it as part of their mission.

Relationships

Variabeauties

Kanon is the leader of the Variabeauties. The team seems to respect Kanon and refer to her as "Queen Kanon". She also cares about her team members and is constantly trying to find a way for all of them to win.

Wicked Twisters

The Wicked Twisters and the Variabeauties are initially competitors in the game, and as such are considered rivals. However, Kanon is still generally kind to them even though the two groups don't initially trust each other too much. As the game progresses, she eventually decides to ally with the Wicked Twisters, and the two groups team up to defeat the Ruinbringers.

Rindo Kanade

Kanon respects Rindo as the leader of the Wicked Twisters. Though Rindo does not seem to like Kanon much at first in the wake of her stealing a pin, they develop a cordial relationship. After much deliberation on Rindo's part, they eventually agree to work together along with their teams in order to bring down the Ruinbringers.

Fret

Fret seems to have a one-sided crush on Kanon and admires her deeply. He thinks she's admirable for her strength of character and kindness, and he sees her as a role model and something to aspire to. In earlier days, Fret blushes frequently around Kanon and constantly showers her with compliments. At first, Kanon takes these in stride, but gradually grows more annoyed with them, eventually telling Fret that if he keeps saying things like that, people will start to think he's being disingenuous. This causes Fret to self reflect, and begin to try and be more genuine.

Kanon happy to see Fret before her death.

After freeing Kanon from the influence of Plague Noise, Fret is devastated to see how bad of a state she's in. In what seems to be an effort to cheer Fret up and encourage him to keep being himself, Kanon tells him that she's "charmed" and thanks him. After Kanon's death, Fret reveals that she wasn't wrong about him not being entirely genuine; he puts up a facade of being happy and carefree so as not to get too deep into relationships or get hurt again after he couldn't save his best friend's life. He says that Kanon's death is like a repeat of this, and that he wanted to spend more time with her.

Nagi Usui

Nagi seems to respect Kanon's leadership and disposition, saying her speaking and hopes for a fair game is like a "samurai". Nagi also refers to her politely as "Lady Kanon". Kanon wishes she had been able to recruit Nagi as a Variabeauty due to her useful Dive ability. They are generally on good terms.

Etymology

Tachibana (立花) is made from the kanji for stand up and flower. Tachibana is also a wild Japanese evergreen tree of the Citrus genus, possibly explaining Kanon's orange hair - however, the mandarin-like orange fruit the tree grows are almost entirely inedible due to their extreme bitterness. They are the city tree of Toba in Japan's Mie Prefecture and feature on the reverse side of the 500 yen coin. Historically, Tachibana was the name of two separate clans of samurai and kuge, and is a popular family crest.

Kanon (果遠) is made from accomplishment and distant.

Quotes

• "My eyeliner put up a real struggle this morning... but it looks like my luck has turned up—just like my wing tips. Finders keepers, right?"
• "I've heard a lot about you "Wicked Twisters." I hadn't heard you were so precious, though ♥ ...Even if you are a bit slow on the uptake. Can't have it all, I suppose."
• "Oh, sorry—where are my manners? My name's Kanon Tachibana. I'm the leader of the Variabeauties."
• "Bless your heart. Did no one tell you? You won't earn any points without this pretty little baby."
• "Remember: to the pinner goes the spoils! After all, these babies are this season's must-have item ♥"
• "Pleased to meet you, Fret. You too, Rindo. We may be rivals, but here's to a fair fight! Oh, and thanks again for the pin. See you tomorrow! Ciao, boys~♥"
• "My, my! Fancy meeting you here, Fret, Rindo. How goes the letter hunt, boys? Made any progress?"
• "Awww. Sounds like you boys're down on your luck."
• "My, aren't you the charmer? Say, I know we're technically rivals... ...but if you ever need to talk about something, I'm always happy to listen."
• "Honestly... ...I can't say that we are. Not actively, anyway. But I'm keeping an eye out just in case. Oh? Sounds like you've heard more about this Player than me. But no, I'm just keeping an eye out because I'm curious."
• "Not really. The Variabeauties and I have been going strong together for a while now. Wouldn't want to jeopardize that balance by adding a new Player to the mix. It's one thing to welcome someone you know and trust into the fold. But bringing a total stranger on board is a much riskier endeavor. Well, not necessarily. I'm not sure how "safe" you boys are all by your lonesome. Reaching out to someone new might be a risk worth taking."
• "Well, speaking of your teammate-to-be, I'll share a bit of gossip with you boys: a little Reaper told me the new Player's got a pretty monstrous pin collection. Apparently so. Maybe they aren't so new to the Game after all? Sorry I can't be of more help, boys, but I think you can take it from here. Ciao! ♥"
• "Well, if it isn't Rindy and Fret ♥ Say, would you be a peach and move a sec? You're standing between me and my next clue."
• "What're you up to, anyway? Playing hooky again? Has that Ryoji roped you into one of his sleazy little schemes? 'Cause you're acting pretty suspiciously for a couple of newbies. You aren't trying to cheat, are you?"
• "You must be Rindy's latest recruit. Pleased to meet you, Nagi ♥ You've really been making a name for yourself with those crazy powers of yours! Of course! Diving into people's minds and invading their privacy is pretty scandalous. Hehe, too bad I didn't make you a Variabeauty while I had the chance. Well, sure. A powerful psych user like her is awful hard to come by."
• "My, my. Sounds like you've got an eye for talent ♥"
• "Anyway, it seems like you don't wanna tell me today's "secret plan," so I won't push it. But if anything happens to my team... ...I'll be coming for you ♥ To teach you boys a lesson. And here I thought you two were just a couple of innocent little cuties. Maybe I thought wrong."
• "Awww. Keep up that confidence. Ciao ♥"
• "Don't look too close: my blush isn't quite up to snuff today."
• "Aww, aren't you sweet? Maybe try saying it like you mean it next time ♥"
• "Anyway, how goes the turf war? Are you keeping up your wicked streak?"
• "Heh, so I've been told. Word on the street is you forced Motoi out of the running. Oh, you can't fool me. I heard how you sabotaged Fuya yesterday, too. So which one of you's the mastermind behind all these schemes? Is it you, Nagi? Anyway, keep your eyes peeled. I've got a feeling the Deep Rivers Society are pretty desperate. Not telling what they'll do to avoid coming in last.
• "Now, what did I tell you about looking too close?"
• "Well, aren't we just full of flattery today? ♥"
• "That may work on the other girls, but I'm a little sharper."
• "But it would be nice to work together. You three certainly are a special bunch. You can jog people's memories, and Nagi can dive inside people's minds, and Rindy here can... ...well, I'm sure you can do something."
• "I'd better not let my guard down. I know you won't let anyone stand in your way. Don't worry. I'll stay out of your hair. I'm going after the Turf Noise instead. But if you run into any of my 'Beauties out there...be gentle, okay? Ciao ♥"
• "Well, if it isn't Fret. You never get tired of dishing out compliments, do you?"
• "That was quite the show you Twisters put on yesterday. Too bad you didn't earn a few more points for it."
• "Well, you're bold—I'll give you that. You wouldn't be the first to try and pull that particular stunt. But it's never a pretty sight... Well, winning would net you a hefty sum of points, but if you lose... ...you can kiss all your points goodbye."
• "Well then, good luck out there. I'll be rooting for you from the sidelines. Mhm! Goooooo Fret! Show 'em what you're made of ♥"
• "Hey there, Fret. So, what sweet words have you got for me today? Don't tell me the well's run dry. Well, don't strain yourself. It's the thought that counts, after all. You might want to work on your follow-up, though."
• "That's very admirable. Well, I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines."
• "Say, Fret. I could use a few words of encouragement. Care to help?"
• "Awww. You almost sounded like you meant it that time."
• "What a bummer about last week, huh? You three came so close, only to lose on a technicality. Well, just be glad you didn't get erased. You've got another chance to win this week, right?"
• "Sounds like you caught a lucky break. I wonder who he was..."
• "Oh, no. Like I said before: it's not worth the risk. Wouldn't want to ruin a good thing, right? ♥"
• "So what do you three know about this "Neku"? Same here. All I've heard is that he's the one who saved Shibuya from total disaster. Wish I could say. I was still in the RG back then. Sounds like it was pretty awful, though."
• "Gone without a trace. Not a word. And as much as I'd like to believe he's the one who came to your rescue the other day... ...I get the feeling he wouldn't show up unless the entire city were in peril."
• "I wondered when I might run into Rindy and the Gang. Oh, and you must be the one everyone thought was Neku. I see you two have become fast friends. Reminds me of when Nagi first joined the team. You sure know how to pick 'em!"
• "Thank you, Fret. Ever the gentleman, I see."
• "Let me cut to the chase: why don't we work together? We all know this Game's rigged. I think it's high time we set things straight."
• "When didn't they? Remember what happened at the end of last week? There's no way to win if we keep playing by their rules. If we want a shot at the top, we've got to take them out—leader and all. Exactly. We'll wait until the final day, so as not to arouse any suspicion. The Ruinbringers'll be on top all week anyway. If we leave them be, we'll just watch them win over and over until it's our turn to face erasure. And I won't let that happen."
• "You've managed to come out on top against those thugs twice now. With the right kind of backup, I bet you could go one better. You'll find yourselves in first place, free to leave the Game."
• "A fair fight. I can take losing if it's on a level playing field."
• "Especially knowing my life is on the line. I like to have fun, but I know when it's time to get serious."
• "There's no way to win if we keep playing by their rules."
• "Ultimately, whether you believe me or not is up to you."
• "C'mon. This Game's been bugging out for long enough. I say it's time we hit the reset button."
• "Hey, now. I never signed up to be your commander-in-chief, y'know. In my mind, we're on equal footing here—leader to leader."
• "But if I'm gonna pick a fight with anyone, I think it oughta be today's special target."
• "All right—time for some teamwork. First, let's teach this little girl a lesson. That should make her leader come running."
• "My, my... We really did it. And since the Ruinbringers lost to the top team, that means they're sitting in last place now. But we're not out of the woods just yet."
• "Just give it up already! You can barely even move. And your bodyguard's not coming. If you want help, call your leader."
• "That's what happens when you lose to the top team: you fall into dead last."
• "Rindy... I hate to say it, but this week's a lost cause."
• "Until we can figure out how to blot out that Noise... Oh. Hi there, Twisters. Glad to see you've managed to survive Sudden Death so far. Say, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this new Noise, would you?"
• "And I'm worried it's only going to get tougher from here. Think about it: that Shiba is a downright sadist. He's not going to let this Game end any sooner than scheduled. He's going to extend our suffering for as long as he can. But that also means there must be a way to make sure we survive until the end. Me and the 'Beauties will look into it today. For now, you oughta just stay safe and leave the hard work to us grown-ups."
• "Fret, I think you're a really sweet kid. And you always say the nicest, most encouraging things. But they're almost too nice. So nice that they start to sound disingenuous. It feels like you don't mean a single word you say. Just work on being genuine—not with others, but with yourself. Once you get that down, the delivery will follow."
• "What did I say about being more genuine? You don't take anything seriously, Fret. What are you so afraid of? You should try saying what you really mean sometimes. Not everyone will want to hear what you have to say. But some people will. I know I do. Why, if you told me half of what you were really thinking, I might just swoon ♥"
• "Looks like things worked out for both of us. We may stand a chance after all. I'm still a bit worried, though... All those poor, infected folks back home in the RG. The Noise are up and leaving them for dead. Yep. With nothing but human husks in their wake. Before we know it, all of Shibuya will be consumed..."
• "Well, every Game's gotta have some way to win it. And I'd say the odds are in our favor. At the very least, we've got the Reapers outnumbered. If Shiba wants us to spice things up, I say we give him more than he can handle. "Catch me if you can"? Let's do it."
• "It sounded a lot more convincing before you asked. But good effort ♥"
• "Bad news, Twisters: there are some strange Noise showing up. Looks like the Reapers are getting serious about doing away with us... Just an FYI. You might be safer staying away from my 'Beauties for a while. I suggest splitting up your team, too. Put some distance between yourselves. I'll let you know when I find out more ♥"
• "Well, well, well. If it isn't Rindy and the Wicked Twisters. So kind of you to come all the way out here to see me. Although you oughta know it's rude to keep a lady waiting." (infected by Plague Noise)
• "Awww, there's no need to be nervous, sweeties! Not after everything we've been through together." (infected by Plague Noise)
• "Well, color me impressed. You always did have a way of destroying things." (infected by Plague Noise)
• "(...It's over, isn't it? Can't say I'm surprised. Never was a way to win this Game. The Game Master made sure of that... Oh, those Wicked Twisters... It's almost strange how strong they are. Not that it helped me any. Wish they could've just wiped out the Reapers altogether... No, I shouldn't think like that. They've done their best.)" (mental dialogue when Dived into)
• "I thought I'd never be myself again. That I'd stay like that...until the end. But you brought me back... Thanks, Fret. ...You always shined so bright. Too bright to see the real you. It took a while to see who you truly are, but now that I do, I'm charmed. I know. And I can tell you're being genuine. Your heart's in it this time. I can feel it."
• "It's a shame I won't get to see this Game through to the end. But do me a favor: Win. And Fret... I'll be rooting for you." (final words)

Another Day

• "Yoohoo! Over here! You looking for little old me?"
• "It sure is! Good job finding it ♥ Now, before I stamp your cards... There's just one teensy little thing I want to talk to you about. It won't be long. Promise."
• "Oh, my! What a charmer ♥ Well, you listen close. Because I have a simply unbelievable deal for you today. What I have here is a collection of all the information you could ever need about Shibuya. "Super Mega Ultimate Guide to Shibuya: Jumbo Ultra Reaper Edition." Armed with these 30 volumes, there'll be nothing stopping you from enjoying every nook and cranny of this city to the fullest! And you know, the ladies love a man who knows his way around ♥ I normally charge 3 million yen for all this. But I like you, so I'm willing to part with them for only 1 million. What a steal! No worries if you can't pay it all up front! The whole collection could be yours for just 240 easy payments of 10 thousand yen a month!"
• "Why, thank you! Be a dear and sign on this line for me, will you?"
• "Excuse me? No backing out now, buck-o. You already signed for it. Ugh, I can't stand entitled customers like you. Let me guess. You want to talk to the manager. Hey! Susukichi! You're needed up front! Why don't you tell our valued customers about our refund and return policy? ...With your fists!"
• "Stamp? Oh, right! Let's see... I just had it a minute ago... Aha! Here we are!"
• "You're all stamped and ready to go! Drop by again sometime, loves ♥"

Trivia

• In development, Kanon dressed more like Ayano Kamachi (and Ayano more like Kanon). Ayano and Kanon's roles in the story were initially swapped with one another, perhaps providing an explanation for this design overlap. Kanon was originally in her teens, but she was aged up to her twenties.
  • Both original designs were by Gen Kobayashi - after the appearances were swapped they were handled by Miki Yamashita for further adjustments.
• Concept art also depicts Kanon dressed in more alternative styles similar to emo and punk.