Azusawa Kohane: Fellow group member. Kohane tells her worries to Toya, saying she doesn't want to fail again like she did during their STAY GOLDEN performance, before asking how he practiced to get to his skill level. Toya mentions he improved by performing in public, and how the true difference between novices and professionals is how many times they've performed in front of an audience. He explains in detail how good technique and innate talent can just mask the hours put into practicing, but what will truly matter and help in the end is performing in front of others, and together with others as well. Kohane feels a bit insecure, before asserting herself that she wants to do it. Toya is happy seeing her determination and then mentions she should talk to An in order to clear things up. They are really good friends.
Shiraishi An: Fellow group member. They've known each other since middle school, however it’s vague what their relationship was like prior to the main story, and it’s implied that they weren’t close until after Vivids and BAD DOGS joined together. Toya recognizes her talent and her dream of surpassing RAD WEEKEND, stating that she is "like Akito" in that regard. An appears to mutually respect Toya.
Shinonome Akito: Fellow group member and best friend. They met in middle school and have been practically inseparable ever since. Akito helped him find where he belongs after he quit classical music and understands Toya's distant relationship with his father. They are partners in the unit BAD DOGS and trust each other a lot. Toya feels thankful to have Akito in his life. The two have a unique dynamic between them, as Akito is shown to be very protective of Toya, especially when Rui and Tsukasa are involved, likely due to his knowledge of Toya's gullibility and difficulty communicating. Toya is also the only character shown to have any sway over Akito's stubbornness, as on various occasions he's convinced Akito to participate in activities he didn't want to do, such as when Akito refused to help Rui as an extra dancer in An Ode for the Pure of Heart but changed his mind after Toya made his heartfelt plea to him. In THE POWER OF UNITY, KAITO claims that Akito and Toya are similar to Souma and Arata and goes on to point out that they love each other, which is then re-established in Toya's first chapter of Vivid BAD Squad's world link, BREAK DOWN THE WALL, when a poster of Arata and Souma's team, Gurney Flap, appeared in the new SEKAI. The poster was breaking away, which made Toya think that it could be reminiscent of how Arata left Vivid Street and Souma in Light Up The Fire, but he follows it up by saying that he believes in them, then goes on to mention his relationship with Akito by stating that they are indeed similar in the way that they both love their partners, and in the way that they wanted to surpass RAD WEEKEND together.
During episode 18 of Vivid BAD Squad's Main Story, Toya mentions that Akito is his first true friend and thought that ‘a person like himself’ would only weigh down Akito’s dream. He goes on to say that even An and Kohane are more suitable to carry his ambitions because they’re more similar to him in the way that they chose their path and wholeheartedly believe that they could keep going. But in episode 19, Akito goes on to confront Toya about this and says that he would never team up with anybody other than Toya. Akito then calls Toya the best partner he could ever ask for who just thought that he was halfhearted, despite that not being true.
As a testament to how close they are, he’s the only non-VIRTUAL SINGER character that Toya refers to by their first name without using any honorifics. In Walk on and on, Toya states that he trusts Akito more than anyone else, and wants to remain by his side as his partner “from now and forever”. Because Akito has done so much for him, Toya wants to help Akito in the same way Akito has helped him, and goes out of his way in many cases to take care of him.
Tenma Saki: Childhood friends. They used to play together when they were very young. Toya occasionally asks Saki how she's doing,[1] and sometimes has Tsukasa pass on the plushies he wins from claw machines to her. Saki is one of the few characters that Toya refers to by first name, likely relating back to their status as childhood friends. However, he still uses honorifics when referring to her, as he calls her "Saki-san".
Tenma Tsukasa: An upperclassman whom Toya looks up to. The two are childhood friends, as their parents knew each other through playing piano. In the KAMIYAMA HIGH FESTIVAL! event, Toya mentions that he considers Tsukasa his "savior", as it was Tsukasa who told him it was okay to do the things he wanted, even if others disapproved. This gave Toya the courage to quit classical music, and he says if it weren't for Tsukasa, he wouldn't be the person he is today.
Toya and Tsukasa both see each other as siblings. Tsukasa sees Toya as a younger brother to him, and his #2 fan after Saki. In Rui's card side story for Never Give Up Cooking!, Tsukasa states him and Toya are as close as brothers. When Kohane asks Toya about Tsukasa in Toya's Doll Festival at the Tenma's side story, Toya states that Tsukasa is like an older brother to him, and goes onto mention how much he respects him.
Toya occasionally gives Tsukasa the plushies he wins from crane games to pass onto Saki. However, Tsukasa himself sometimes keeps and takes care of the plushies gifted to them.[2]
After becoming aware of Akito's antics toward Tsukasa, he becomes passively protective of him, going as far as to warn Akito against pulling anything on Tsukasa in an Area Conversation.[3]
Otori Emu: Toya's acquaintance. While Emu was already aware of him through his friendship with Tsukasa, they were officially introduced to each other when she partnered up with Nene for the arcade game tournament where they played on opposing teams against each other with their respective partner.
Kusanagi Nene: Friends and schoolmates. In one of their first interactions, Toya saw Nene watching a musical at lunch break, before Nene got bothered and gave him the title of the musical so she could continue watching it on her own.[4] After this, it is shown the two actually get along well. By the end of the event story Close game/OFFLINE, the two have become closer due to their shared interest in gaming, and Nene describes him as a "game friend". The two were classmates in their first year of high school.
Kamishiro Rui: Toya's upperclassman. Toya is aware of Rui from all the rumors spread about him in school. After the event An Ode for the Pure of Heart, he regards Rui as an excellent director who can compromise for any difficult situation given. In the Never Give Up Cooking! event, Toya invited him to try out his cupcakes as he wanted to bake something for Saki and Tsukasa. Since they looked awful, Rui felt awkward, but ate them anyway so that Toya wouldn't feel bad. Rui then encouraged Toya not to give up.
Yoisaki Kanade: Toya meets Kanade during the Play That Beautiful Sound! event. While encouraging a boy to not give up on trying to produce a sound, Kanade and Toya talk about their past experiences of their struggles in music. The two exchange greetings again during the Whither This Path of Thorns event.
Shinonome Ena: Akito's older sister. Toya occasionally gives Akito the plushies he wins from claw machines to pass on to Ena, as he can't bring them home for fear that his father will be upset. Despite the pair not being particularly close, Ena is one of the few characters that Toya refers to by first name, as he calls her "Ena-san" when he's not referring to her as "Akito's sister". This is likely because she's the sister of someone he's known for a long time.
Akiyama Mizuki: Toya's classmate and friend. They met during the Kamiyama High Festival. Mizuki, Toya and Akito all went together to watch Tsukasa perform. Mizuki enjoyed Tsukasa's performance, which made Toya happy.
Hatsune Miku: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
Kagamine Rin: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
Kagamine Len: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
Megurine Luka: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
MEIKO: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
KAITO: VIRTUAL SINGER and friend.
Shiraishi Ken: An's father. He acts as a mentor figure to Toya, and has done so for him and Akito since Toya was in middle school. Toya looks up to Ken and respects him, with Ken acting almost as a parent figure to him in turn. In the Main Story, he went to Ken specifically to tell him of his plans to quit music, and asks Ken to take care of Akito.
Aoyagi Harumichi: Toya's father. Prior to Nocturne Interlude, it was explained that they have a very strained relationship due to Toya choosing to "run away" from classical music against his father's wishes. Despite this, Toya appears to hold his father and the music he plays in high regard, and only wanted to be understood by him, hence the animosity between them and their differing mindsets toward music. By the end of Nocturne Interlude, where it's implied that Harumichi watched Toya perform alongside Vivid BAD SQUAD, Harumichi has appeared to eased up on his son and his newfound dream. Toya explains in an area conversation that he feels more comfortable going home now that he and his father don't clash anymore.
Mita Kotaro: A solo street musician and acquaintance of BAD DOGS. Toya is generally nicer to Kotaro than Akito is to him and, thanks to his trusting personality, allows Kotaro to slack off on his obligations until Akito steps in.
Miyata Souma: Arata's former partner and Toya's acquaintance. In Walk on and on he begins to mentor Toya on sampling music while Toya helps him complete a track he's making for Arata. Through this, the two grow closer, and Toya is given insight into Souma's backstory before his accident, along with how Arata and Souma began working together. It is also Souma who helps Toya realize what feelings he needs to put into his first song to make it worthy of being performed onstage, as well as unintentionally helps him to understand that Akito is the one to who he wants to deliver his "sound."
Kizuna Rank[]
| Character | Rank 5 | Rank 26 | Rank 46 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Coffee Is Life (コーヒー一筋) | Cool & Collected (クールな安定感) | Express Yourself More (もっと想いをぶつけて) |
|
Drink Survey! (ドリンクアンケート！) | Somewhat Attached (なんだかんだ懐かれてる) | A Promise of Cotton Candy (約束のわたあめ) |
|
I Take My Coffee Black (ブラックで飲める) | Excited! (ワクワクしてきた) | Caring For My Partner (相棒は大事に) |
|
The Clueless And The Free Spirited (天然くんと自由人さん) | To The Forest I Go (そうだ、森に行こう) | You Can Do It Because You're You (あなただからできること) |
|
Barista (バリスタ) | Relaxing Coffee (憩いのコーヒー) | Reasons to Commit (こだわる理由) |
|
Someone Who Understands (違いがわかる人) | Soft Boys (ふわふわ男子) | Getting Better at What I Like (好きこそものの上手なれ) |
|
No Need For Polite Speech (敬語じゃなくていいのに) | Our Parents Are Good Friends (親も仲良し) | Foreston Bear The First (フォレスタンベアー１世) |
|
Diligent Students (勉強は得意) | Zero Work Experience (アルバイト未経験) | Hidden Intense Feels (秘めた熱い想い) |
|
Blue Hair (ブルーヘア) | Coffee & Tea Drinkers (コーヒー派と紅茶) | Dad is a Musician (パパは音楽家) |
|
BAD DOGS | Trustworthy Partners (信頼できる相棒) | Want to Stand Next to You (お前の隣に立ちたくて) |
|
Respect and Deep Affection (尊敬と親愛) | Fan No. 2 (ファン第２号) | Because You Smiled (お前が笑ってくれたから) |
|
Pretty Good at Games (意外とゲームできます) | 100% Pure (純粋100%) | Hidden Feelings Unleashed (秘めた想いを解き放って) |
|
Cotton Candy Stall! (わたあめ屋さん！) | Made A Gaming Friend (ゲーム友達ができました) | Close Game! (close game!!) |
|
Kamiyama High's Geniuses (神高秀才コンビ) | Pure And Mad Chemically React (ピュアとマッドな化学反応) | Aim Big (大いなる夢を目指して) |
|
Outstanding Musical Sense (抜群の音楽センス) | Not Good At Exercising (運動は苦手です) | The Joy of Making Beautiful Music (美しい音を奏でた喜び) |
|
Too Pure (ザ・ピュア) | Confidently Like The Things You Do (好きなことを堂々と) | The Person I Don't Want To Deceive (誤魔化したくない相手) |