Aoyama is the main protagonist of the novel and anime adaptation Penguin Highway. He is a ten-year old boy who takes great interest in science, he takes notes on his everyday life and enjoys investigating, such as one day when penguins arrive in his town. He also develops a crush on a woman named Onee-San, who teaches him chess.
He was voiced by Kana Kita in the Japanese version, and by Gideon Modisett in the English version.
Personality[]
Aoyama is generally very mature and intelligent for his age, taking great interest in scientific investigation. He is usually very stoic, speaks very directly and honestly and shows little to no emotion. He is also takes great interest in breasts, perhaps as he is starting puberty, especially those of the Onee-San. He is also quite arrogant, as he believes that many girls like him and he is able to achieve anything he sets his mind to. Beneath his stoic personality, he is shown to deeply care about his friends and loved ones, he is very protective of Onee-San when a team start investigating "The Ocean" and fears that they could use her for experimentation, he is also seen comforting her sister when she learns about death.
Biography[]
Aoyama lives in a small town in Japan, far from the sea. Every day he takes notes on everything he encounters and questions everything around him. He develops a crush on a woman named Onee-San who works at the local dentist's office he often visits, and teaches him chess at a local café. One day when penguins mysteriously arrive, being the curious bit he is, he investigates this great anomaly along with his friend Uchida. While investigating he is confronted by Suzuki, the school bully and his friends, as revenge for scaring him at the dentist, he ties Aoyama a vending machine. After a while Onee-San appears and frees him. She then pulls out his loose teeth and turns a soda can into a penguin. Intrigued by this, Aoyama and Onee-San conduct several experiments to discover how Onee-San is able to create penguins.
While investigating with Uchida, the boys are joined by Hamamato who discover a giant orb of water in the forest, which they call "The Ocean" which the kids investigate this anomaly. When Suzuki and his gang follow them into the forest, they tell everyone about the Ocean, in which a team including Hamamato's father, begin to investigate.
One day Onee-San decides to take Aoyama to the seaside but falls ill on the way. After finding out that she doesn't need to eat, Aoyama stops eating for three days but falls ill in the process. One day he is visited by Onee-San.
Eventually the Ocean gets bigger and causes storms and Jabberwocky starts appearing. The children are kept in the school while this is all going on. Aoyama escapes with the help of Uchida, Hamamato and Suzuki and finds Onee-San. Onee-San creates hoard of penguins to enter the Ocean and rescue the research team. When they arrive back, they return to the café where they play chess, Onee-San embraces Aoyama as she leaves the café and vanishes.