Honoka Kousaka

Honoka Kousaka is one of the nine main characters in Love Live!. She is 16 years old and a second year in high school. Honoka was born on August 3 and is a Leo. She has ginger hair, with some of it tied up in a side ponytail, and blue eyes. Her main color is orange. She is 157 centimeters tall, and her blood type is O. She is the center of Printemps, a mini idol unit. Her solo album is called "Honnori Honokairo!". Honoka is voiced by Emi Nitta.

Background
Honoka's family own a Japanese sweets shop. She lives at the back of the shop with her mother, father, and little sister. Since she was young, Honoka has been friends with Kotori Minami and befriended Umi Sonoda after inviting her to a game of hide and seek.

Personality
Honoka is an optimist who is never afraid to take risks. She is always in a good mood and likes to look at the bright sides of things. Honoka doesn't enjoy eating red bean paste despite working at her family's shop that sells Japanese sweets. Honoka is determined and once her mind is set on something, nothing can stop her.

Clubs and Hobbies
Honoka enjoys swimming and sticker collecting. She is the leader of the school idol group μ's.

Chronology
In Episode 1, Honoka finds out that her high school, Otonokizaka, is going to close from Principal Minami's announcement. Devastated, Honoka tries to find ways to save the school with her friends, Umi and Kotori. The girls are unable to come up with any ideas and go home. At home, Honoka discovers her sister plans on attending the school UTX instead of Otonokizaka, because she believes there's no reason to attend if it's going to close. Curious as to why her sister's going there, Honoka goes to UTX and finds many students attending. She then notices a group performing a song on a large screen. Not knowing who they are, Honoka asks the girl next to her (Niko Yazawa) who they were. Absolutely shocked, the girl explains to her that they're the school idol group called A-Rise, and because of them, UTX is getting a lot of students. At that moment, Honoka gets the idea to form a school idol group to save her school. Later that day, she asks Kotori and Umi if they wanted to join, but Umi declines. While on the rooftop, Honoka hears someone singing and playing the piano. Following the music, she then discovers a girl (Maki Nishikino) singing and playing "Aishiteru Banzai!" on the piano. Honoka asks her to compose a song for her school idol group, but she declines. Near the end of the episode, Kotori shows Umi Honoka trying to do some dance moves to convince her to join. Umi becomes convinced, and they both join Honoka's school idol group.

In Episode 2, Honoka gets permission to use the auditorium for their concert. However, they quickly realize that they don't have a group name, so Honoka holds a contest to come up with a name for their idol group. They also realize that they don't even have a song to work with, so Honoka and Kotori convince Umi to write the lyrics. In return, Honoka and Kotori must exercise to increase their stamina. Later on, the girls get a name for their group: μ's. Honoka then returns to Maki to give her the lyrics Umi wrote. Maki declines again but Honoka convinces her that they are serious about what they're doing. Later on, Honoka gets a CD composed by Maki to her house. μ's listen to the song, and also notice that someone voted for them on a school idol group ranking website.

In Episode 3, it's the day before the concert. Honoka and Kotori decide to have a nervous Umi hand out fliers for the concert to help build her confidence. When it's time for μ's to perform, however, no one comes to the concert. When they were just about to give up, a shy girl named Hanayo Koizumi appears at the concert along with her friend Rin Hoshizora. Despite the small audience, μ's perform and sing "Start:Dash!!". After the song is finished, student body president Eri Ayase asks the group what they're going to do next. Honoka replies by saying that μ's will keep on performing until they can fill up the whole auditorium someday.

In Episode 4, the group is troubled as they don't have the sufficient amount of members to form a club and can't properly conduct club activities. When they are at school's stable, Honoka asks Hanayo directly if she want to be school idol. Hanayo doesn't reply, but instead says that Maki would be a better person to join μ's. Much later in the episode, Hanayo comes across Honoka's sweet shop. The girls find out that a recording of their concert in the previous episode has been uploaded to the web and gained quite a few views. μ's invite Hanayo to join the club again and ask her to think over her decision. With a little push from Maki and Rin, Hanayo gets the courage to say yes, and the two also decide to join.

In Episode 5, while training, Honoka and Kotori come across Niko, who threatens them to disband μ's and runs away. While in a fast food joint, trying to think of a place to practice during the rainy season, Honoka suddenly realizes that there's enough members to form an official club. However, the girls learn from the student body president that there's already another Idol Research Club. When the girls go to the Idol Research Club's room, they learn that Niko is the sole member. The girls ask her if they can merge their groups together, but Niko flatly rejects them, based on the fact that they don't have personas. After learning from the student body vice-president Nozomi Toujou that Niko once tried, and failed, to become a school idol, Honoka comes up with the idea to join the Idol Research Club and have Niko teach them how to be proper idols. Niko happily accepts.

In Episode 6, Nozomi films interviews with each member of μ's. When Honoka was being interviewed, Nozomi asked her why she's the leader when she does nothing for the group. It then leads to a singing and dancing contest to determine the leader. The member with the most points becomes the leader. However, in the end, everyone gets similar scores. Honoka then suggests that maybe μ's doesn't need a leader, causing everyone to agree with her, but also making them believe that she is the most worthy of becoming the leader.

In Episode 7, Hanayo tells μ's about the Love Live! tournament, a concert where the top 20 school idol groups compete in. Needing permission to enter, the girls then go over to the chairwoman for permission. The chairwoman tells them that they can enter, but only if they all pass the upcoming exams. Together with Umi and Kotori, Honoka works hard to study. Once the exams are done and everyone passes, Honoka and everyone excitingly go to the chairwoman's office, but overhear her telling Eri that the school would be shutting down next year.

In Episode 8, following the events of the previous episode, the chairwoman clarifies to μ's that the school will shut down if the upcoming open day is received negatively. Umi suggests to the group to get Eri to teach them how to dance. Eri agrees to their offer and puts the group into intense training, but is surprised by their willingness to continue. Nozomi tells μ's that Eri wants to join, but believes she can't because of how she treated them in the past. μ's go to Eri and formally invite her to join. Eri becomes honest with her feelings and joins, along with Nozomi who reveals that she came up with the group's name: μ's, which refers to the nine goddesses of music. Coincidentally, there are nine members in μ's. The now complete group performs "Bokura no LIVE, Kimi to no LIFE" at the open day to a pleased crowd, making the open day a success.

In Episode 9, Honoka and Umi help Kotori to create the new song "Wonder Zone" by recalling her feelings when she works in Akihabara. After the performance, Honoka, Umi, and Kotori go pray at a shrine for μ's success. Then, as they were leaving, they look up at the stars and promise to each other they'll be together forever.

In Episode 10, as the weather is really hot, Honoka proposes that they should go on a trip. As Maki mentioned she has a family beach house, Honoka asks her to let them stay there. At night, when the girls were going to sleep, Honoka says that she couldn't sleep and begins eating food. After Nozomi throws a pillow, they all start having a pillow fight. The next morning, when the sun was rising, all the members of μ's go outside to the beach and hold hands with each other.

In Episode 11, after being unable to book the school auditorium for a performance, Honoka suggests to the group that they could instead hold it on the school rooftop where they train. The other members are slightly hesitant to this idea, but agree. While warming up on the rooftop, Umi tells Honoka that she shouldn't be working herself too hard, but Honoka says that it's all right. Kotori tells Honoka and Umi that Honoka should do whatever she wants.

Later on, during a phone call, Umi asks Honoka if she's ever noticed Kotori acting weird. When Honoka said that she didn't, Umi told her to go straight to bed instead of exercising, and then calls Kotori. Regardless of her order, Honoka goes out to jog in the rain. Because of this decision, Honoka awakens feeling dizzy and ill, but still goes to school. After performing "No Brand Girls" in the rain, Honoka faints from overworking herself, surprising μ's and the audience.

In Episode 12, μ's go to Honoka's house to check on her after the incident in the previous episode. They discover that she's still recovering and has a sprained leg. They sadly tell Honoka that they dropped out of the Love Live! tournament, meaning their ranking from the school idol group website was removed. Honoka blames herself for it, but they all tell her that it's everyone's fault, instead. Everyone gets depressed from this event, but Honoka is affected the most. On the rooftop, Maki, Hanayo, and Rin all announce that the school has been saved, thus the group decides to have a celebration. At the party, however, Umi and Kotori are noticed to not be in jolly spirits. Umi then reveals to μ's that Kotori is moving to a fashion boarding school for the rest of her high school career. Everyone is surprised by the announcement, but Honoka gets angry at Kotori for not telling her earlier. Kotori explains to her that she wanted to tell them but couldn't, and runs away.

Later on, Kotori and Honoka text each other. While watching A-Rise perform "Private Wars" on her laptop, Honoka asks herself why she even wanted to become a school idol and states that she can never reach their level. On the rooftop, μ's reveals that they're planning to do a final live with everybody before Kotori leaves. However, Honoka tells them that everything is her fault and that none of this would've happened if it wasn't for the accident. They all tell her to stop saying that, but Honoka retorts by saying that the school is saved, therefore there's no reason to keep on performing and that's it's impossible to go against a group like A-Rise. Honoka tells them that she quits, but before she leaves, Umi slaps her cheek, saying that she didn't think that she's that kind of person and that she's the worst there is.

In Episode 13, following the events of the previous episode, Honoka and Umi still don't speak to each other. Honoka's other friends believe that she's depressed that she quit being a school idol and that Kotori hasn't been to school for the last few days. So they ask Honoka to walk with them, and end up going to an arcade. While there, Honoka and one of her friends decide to play a dance game. When the song begins, Honoka blankly stared at the screen, remembering Umi coaching μ's. Her friends snap her out of her daze, and she begins to dance, getting an excellent score for each step. While her friend was exhausted, Honoka was still full of energy, thanks to her idol training.

On the way home, Honoka sees Hanayo and Rin training with Niko, who are continuing idol practice, despite μ's being on a hiatus. Niko tells Honoka that she loves being an idol and also tells her that all that has happened is because Honoka quit from μ's. Hanayo and Rin tell Niko that she's being too harsh on her, but Honoka tells them that she's right.

Eri visits Honoka's home to tell her that μ's is going on an indefinite hiatus, and apologizes for making that decision despite not being the leader. Eri confesses to her that she's jealous of Honoka's personality and how she isn't afraid to show it. She tells her that everyone is shocked that Kotori is leaving, and that is was even more unbearable when they thought about how Honoka and Umi are feeling about it. Eri tells Honoka that she taught her to have the courage to move forward without fearing change. Eri then shows Honoka her hand and tells her that she was saved by Honoka's hand. Later, Honoka checks the Love Live! ranking, and it shows that A-Rise won first place. Honoka then changes into her practice clothes.

At school the next day, Honoka is at the stage where she, Kotori, and Umi had their first performance when Umi comes in, because she was invited by Honoka to come. Honoka apologizes to Umi, but Umi laughs and tells her that she has always been a nuisance. She then tells her that Honoka brought her and Kotori on a long ride, taking them to places they didn't have the courage to go to before. Umi and Honoka then sing "Susume→Tomorrow" together, and Kotori at the airport sings as well.

Before Kotori could go to her flight, Honoka runs in and hugs Kotori, telling her that she wants to continue being a school idol with her and tells her not to go. Kotori begins to cry as well and apologizes.

Back at school, μ's waits for Honoka and Kotori to return. Honoka runs in, but accidentally trips and ends up hurting her butt. Kotori runs in as well, and despite being in their school uniforms, μ's begin to perform "Start:Dash!!", this time with the whole auditorium filled with people. After singing, Honoka tells the people to say "μ's Music Start!" and μ's are in the school idol rankings again.