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Nana to Haruka no Kamikushi
( PLAYER INFORMATION )
Name: Gee
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sakurapetal
Are you over 17?: Yes
Characters in Forest Covered: N/A
( CHARACTER INFORMATION )
Name/Work Name: Haruka Nanase/Nana
Canon: Free!
Canon Point: Season 2 episode 13 epilogue, where he trains in uni
AU/CRAU: N
Age: 18
History: Wiki link Plot (stopped updating mid-S1)
Quick profile Some points from Season 1 Character interview (from season 1)
There are two prequel books that don't exactly line up with the anime, but are referenced a lot in said anime and don't conflict too much as far as Haruka's experience goes.
The first book starts with Haruka in the swim club, only having joined at the behest of his best friend Makoto. He loves the water and wins many prizes for the club, but seems indifferent about it until he races Rin. Though Haruka wins their race, he feels strangely frustrated at how he believes Rin "feels the water" better than him, despite how Rin has no interest in that. Rin only has interest in getting Haru to join his swimming relay in a tournament, which Haruka refuses on the basis that he "only swims free". It's a pun on swimming freestyle and swimming without any connections to others. However, when Makoto and Nagisa (a sweet kid who looks up to Haruka, who Haruka has a soft spot for) really want him to join, he finally relents. But as they train together as a team and bond with each other, along with Rin's passionate speech about why he started the relay, Haruka finds himself deeply moved by these new feelings in him. There's the start of something like a competitive streak, as Haruka even starts to imitate Rin, running home after school instead of bicycling.
The second book starts with Haruka starting middle school. His loneliness and fear of others leaving him are a large focus of the book, as well as the continued development of a latent competitive streak. He's frustrated at Rin for leaving to Australia to train, worried that Makoto will quit swimming in favor of something else like basketball. One line even mentions him being lonely at home, suggesting that his parents might not be all that present either. Two other swim club members are introduced, Asahi and Ikuya. Both are affected deeply by his swimming skill, to the point where Asahi feels hopeless when trying to race Haruka. Asahi's reaction causes Haruka to look at himself like he only hurts others with his swimming, like his skill is a burden. An envious Ikuya resents Haruka almost as much as he's interested in him as a swimmer. He gets angrily confronted by Sousuke, Rin's best friend and jealous of Rin's interest in Haruka, who thinks he's not pushing himself hard enough if at least for Rin's sake. Fortunately amidst all this middle school pressure, Haruka has a mentor in Nao, an upperclassman, who helps them all sort everything out. In the end, Haruka joins a relay with Makoto, Asahi, and Ikuya. They all manage to become a team and even friends, despite all their differences. (There's an upcoming film adaptation of this book that may make changes, so I can canon update if needed.)
A flashback set between the books and anime show the first reunion between Haru and Rin since Rin went to Australia. Haru catches sight of Rin and hurries over to him, actually openly happy and excited to see him, a drastic change from the frown he usually greeted Rin with. However, he doesn't realize that Rin's smile is forced, and Rin challenges him to a race. Haruka is the victor just like before Rin went to Australia, which looks like the breaking point for Rin as he calls it quits for his Olympic dream while running away in tears. The thought that Haruka hurt his friend so deeply as to make him give up on his dream makes Haruka withdraw back into his shell and quit competitive swimming, leaving his friends at the swim club. This leads into the dull, jaded Haruka in his second year of high school seen at the start of season 1.
(the Wiki plot link fits in around here)
The middle of season 1 is about bonding with the rest of the Iwatobi swim team, with them training on the beach and sharing stories to get their minds off a frightening near-drowning experience. They all swim in the ocean together, look at the stars, fall asleep on the beach. When they go to the swimming tournament prefecturals, Haru has the race with Rin as the latter had wanted, ending with Rin's victory. Rin tells Haruka that he'll never swim with him again, which devastates Haruka and leaves him in confusion-- didn't he think that Rin winning would free him from his guilt? He doesn't even want to watch his friends in their individual races, but Nagisa drags him over. Haruka is moved by seeing how hard everyone is trying, but he still disappears afterwards as he's lost in thought. The support from his friends gives him the drive to join in the relay for the next day, but even after that he's still confused. Rei wants them all to go to a festival, and Haruka decides to join despite original plans to stay in.
When he finally sorts his feelings out, he admits to his friends that Rin cutting ties with him made his world go dark, but their relay made him just as happy as it did in elementary. It comes as a shock when the next day, he hears that Rin joined his own team relay. After some bonding time, and Haruka noticing Rei's odd reactions to mentions of Rin with Rei pressing for the truth, Haruka finally opens up about the past. As the day for their regionals relay race approaches, Haruka shows more of his thanks to everyone and the support they've given him. But when the day arrives and he sees Rin completely ruin his individual race, Haruka tries to run to him, stopping in his tracks when he hears Rin declare he's quitting swimming, making him remember the time he said that before. Haruka slumps against a wall, on the edge of tears as he thinks of how he can't swim with Rin again. However, Rei speaks up and tells Haruka about what he learned from talking to Rin on his own-- that Rin didn't really blame Haruka, and that he wanted to swim with Haruka too. Though Haruka asks if Rei is okay with giving up his spot first, he really wants Rin to swim with him. In the wildest show of emotion Haruka ever put on, he runs screaming after Rin. Though Rin is in a bad state at first and tries to rebuff him, Haruka doesn't give up on trying to get through to Rin. It results in Haruka's relationship with Rin being repaired, setting his heart at peace... for now.
Season 2 shows a lot more of Haruka's willingness to try harder for his team, even taking the lead and writing training schedules. He's more emotionally open, smiles more, and is generally more encouraging. However, he's also at a loss about his future, with only "free" written in the form to consider his future career in. Makoto acts strangely, but Haruka doesn't ask too many questions if because it would invite questions about himself. He meets with Sousuke, Rin's still-jealous best friend, who instantly shows aggression towards him again for "getting in Rin's way". Many people suggest competitive swimming to him as a future, but he's against it. He doesn't tell anyone why, but it turns out to be because he fears that he'll lose his freedom in doing it, and he just doesn't want things to change.
The pressure starts to pile up on him until he's distant and snappy with his friends. But when his usually steadfast best friend Makoto tells him that he's moving to Tokyo for university, Haruka finally realizes that things are changing whether he likes it or not, and he holes himself up in his house. Rin whisks him off to Australia, partly a way to help his friend relax and partly a way to show Haruka an Olympic-sized pool. When asked if he wants to swim in the Olympic pool or the public pool, Haruka ultimately chooses the Olympic pool. Being there makes Haruka realize that he wants to see more of the world, to swim in that world, and pursue competitive swimming after all. Upon returning to Japan, Haruka apologizes to his Iwatobi friends for how he acted and explains how he feels now. They all take part in their relay at nationals, and while they don't rank high, they all hug each other with the first time Haruka is ever shown crying. In the epilogue, Haruka is shown to have moved to Tokyo to the university he's been scouted to, and later at an international race.
Personality:
At first glance, Haruka is a cool, graceful boy who turns heads when he's in the pool-- and as he's getting out. He's stoic, sharp-eyed, and utterly distant from most around him. He acts and speaks decisively. When addressing others, he never uses any honorifics/suffixes. But how aloof he acts comes from his poor communication skills. Some people confuse his difficulty in reaching out to others as shyness-- he rationalizes it as finding communication with others too troublesome. He warms up far faster to animals and little children (provided that they aren't terribly misbehaved) perhaps because it feels less complicated with them. Yet sometimes he gets frustrated when he wants to talk to others, feeling out of his depth. Despite how much of a front he puts up, he does fear being alone...
Anyone who knows him for a little while will quickly realize that he's actually quite weird, jumping into any water that he can submerge himself in and fawning over bizarre character mascots. He seriously claimed that his first crush was a waterfall. His "logic" is inconsistent when it isn't completely nonsensical. Trying to explain to someone who thinks in facts and precise formulas won't turn out well, as he often uses vague explanations involving the heart and soul. Actively trying to persuade or sweet-talk anyone would only end in hilarity, if he ever felt the need to try-- his attempts at gathering new members for the swim club were not subtle. All in all, he's quite odd, and marches to the beat of his own drum.
However, when he does befriend someone, Haruka doesn't take it lightly. It'll start in small gestures, building up until he's ready to do anything to help them. He'll make heartfelt speeches about how this friend is important to him, and genuinely thank them. He'll go out of his way to make sure that they're happy, will show up for them, protect them, and give them advice. Underclassmen who admire him are especially his weak point-- he tends to dote on them and go along with what they say most easily. Only with his true friends can he really let down his walls and speak how he really feels. But any friends of his should expect a lot of good-natured teasing and bringing up embarrassing stories about them. While not a tactile person, he'll let friends get touchy-feely with him - hugging, arm around his shoulders - as long as he doesn't get too jostled. Strangers and people he doesn't like will have Haruka blatantly sidestep them or even have them pushed/slapped away. The kind of people that Haruka avoids the most are people who clearly want to involve him in some scheme, and generally pushy people, but with enough patience they can become friends too.
As a quiet guy, the anime shows a great deal of Haruka's personality in what he looks at (or avoids looking at) and the expression he wears as he does. The most obvious is how his eyes sparkle at the mention of a pool, but despite his indifferent mask, he takes notice of what's going on around him and reacts accordingly. He often quickly tries to force his face back into some neutral look, but someone perceptive can figure out that his poker face isn't as great as he thinks. When embarrassed or confused about his feelings, he tends to turn his head to the side, and he can't lie too well to someone without looking away. But sometimes there are things he gets happy about enough about that his eyes practically sparkle, and it doesn't even have to be water!
Haruka is partially self-conscious about some matters, not so much about others-- the deciding factor seems to be in how much embarrassment gets in the way of what he wants. His laugh - a very cute and funny-sounding one - is a rare event that has only been drawn out of him by tickling. He doesn't want to be called Haru-chan and definitely not Haruka, preferring his nickname Haru. So naturally, he'd end up saddled with the name Nana. However, at the same time, he had no problem wearing a girl's swimsuit to save a bullied friend from embarrassment and he sees no issue in jumping in store aquariums. When it comes to water, there is no embarrassment.
His physical beauty is also commented on in-universe and in supplementary material, but he doesn't really think much of it. He takes care of himself and uses nice shampoo to keep his hair from drying out from chlorine, but he doesn't think to flout his attractiveness or to court anyone. He also picks very simple, loose clothes that he can throw off at a moment's notice so he can go dive into some water. Romance is a complete blind spot to him, and he'll be completely oblivious to any crush. This isn't helped by how he can be gallant and princely, as well as cute-- both acknowledged in-universe! However, the director has said that as a boyfriend, his partner would have to really love swimming.
Another thing that Haruka's cool facade hides is just how sentimental he can be. His flashbacks and mementos show that he dwells on the past a lot, and can end up thinking about it a lot as he stews in the bath. All of the trophies he's won by himself are stuffed in a box, while his relay trophy and photo sits in plain view, clearly more cherished than the rest. He still uses a bath toy that he got when he first joined the swim club in elementary school. This has served him well when trying to get through to a friend who is just as sentimental, writing words that said friend used years ago.
Haruka is the kind who believes fortune telling, superstition, and looks for symbolism in the world around him. When told that according to a superstition that his estranged friend must be thinking of him, Haruka's shocked expression makes it clear he takes it seriously. He can be seen staring intensely at the fortunes he draws. As a child, when others suggested planting little flowers around a grand cherry blossom tree, Haruka strongly objected to the idea. He felt the little flowers took away from the beauty of the tree... a tree he later muses that he sympathizes with. After all, he wanted to be just left alone, away from the little flowers-- other kids.
Identifying with the tree surrounded by the smaller plants could be read as how he sees himself, but his ego isn't that big, waving off praise for his skills with "anyone can do that much" or not even giving a response at all. In any case, he doesn't have low self-esteem, and his self-doubts don't come from thinking he's not good enough. More of his woe comes from feeling like he's too good, that he breaks the hearts of people who worked far harder than him. While he usually claims that something will require too much effort, Haruka does have great admiration for people who do work hard, and they often end up inspiring him to work hard too.
This canon point sets him post-season 2, where he's tried to work on more of his flaws. He may still try to brush things off as too much trouble and come off as a little blunt, but it'll be easier for him to soften up. He still sees his friends every now and then, but he has to find his own way to grow in post-high school and post-small town life. Perhaps he can meet new friends without others to help, eat more than just mackerel, and find places to go on his own. He's been prepared for this new phase of his life thanks to the support of his friends and the swim club.
Miscellany: Haruka is a morning person, often first taking a dip in his swimsuit in the bath before making his breakfast.
In various bonus material, Haruka has been likened to a cat, even turned into one in a dream. At least, a cat that likes water.
In an ending with the theme "what were their childhood dreams aside from swimming", Haruka had both a merman and a chef. It's likely Haruka was told he couldn't be a merman when he grew up.
Debt:
Haruka doesn't want for much at this point in his life, and he has a goal to work towards that he doesn't need a wish for. He can only be taken in by a trick, like his parents were taken and turned into livestock. While he might not be close to them, he still would do whatever it takes to rescue them. Plus, he'd really believe that his weird, free-spirited parents would get tangled up with a witch.
Previous Game Info:
N/A
Inventory:
University team jersey
Swimsuit, black and purple jammer
Travel backpack
Cellphone
Water bottle
Iwatobi-chan key chain
Abilities:
Swimming
Swimming is Haruka's greatest passion in life. He's swift and graceful, and feels an intimate connection with the water. At this canon point, he's training in a university, presumably to make the national team.
General Athleticism
As he trains to be a professional athlete, Haruka is very fit and strong. One drawback is that he's not the fastest runner, and he doesn't lift as much as his friends yet, but he has been working on that and it still sets him above the average person.
Home Economics
His friends have all praised his cooking, and it's counted as one of his hobbies along with cleaning. Though he does seem to use mackerel most of the time.
Art
Whether it be through pencil sketches, paintings, or sculpture, Haruka can make aesthetically pleasing artwork. He nearly gets dragged off by the art club to join them instead of the swim club.
Dexterous fingers
Listed among his skills, it extends past art. He's shown to do well at shooting games at festivals, and he can catch water yo-yos with ease. He can definitely win prizes at festival games.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Cool
Level-headed and reserved; to most people, Haruka would look in control of himself at all times. And he is indeed very capable of handling himself (unless he's really shaken emotionally). His stoic demeanor gives him a sense of mental strength and makes him look reliable to others, a perception he'd like to keep.
Talented
Skilled in art, athletics, and being really handy, people admire and envy his abilities. He doesn't make a big deal of these skills, but with so many people telling him, he can't be unaware of just how good he is.
Dedicated friend
He'll set any sense of cool and even risk his life for his friends. Whether it's attending an event they really wanted to go to, jumping into a storming ocean to save them, or screaming at the top of his lungs in public to find them, Haruka will go any distance for the ones he loves. (Though let it be known that he will try save a stranger's life if he can, too.)
Perceptive with people
He may not look curious, but he's always trying to size up others to see if they're going to cause trouble for him. While initially suspicious of most people, he can warm up to them if he thinks they're generally good-- or not trying to mess with him. He can tell when his friends are troubled, and will try to cheer them up in small ways or even directly confront them about it if it's pressing enough. However, if he himself is in a bad state, this is not as likely.
Passionate
Haruka may take some time to come around to an idea, but when he does, he'll put his all into it. Nothing he does is half-assed-- it's either all or nothing.
---
Poor communication skills
This manifests in many different ways. Sometimes he can be unnecessarily blunt, though he doesn't try to be hurtful. "Group work" was one of his listed weaknesses, and he would prefer to do the work himself rather than talking with others. But he is working on that, little by little. Depending on the person, he might say something genuine, but make a bad choice of words and give them the wrong idea without bothering to correct them.
Bottling up
A side-effect of his coolness. When there's an uncomfortable yet unavoidable subject, Haruka will try to avoid it anyway. He hesitates telling even his best friend about what troubles him. He uses the water to escape his emotions, the stimulation providing distraction. But if it all comes to a head, he ends up breaking down, becoming listless and completely shutting others out.
Stubborn
If anyone wants to get him to do anything that looks like a lot of trouble, and it's not a life or death matter/involving someone he cares for, it better be water-related or involve mackerel. Otherwise, he'd prefer to not get involved. Exceptions are of course made for friends, but even then... It's just as hard to dissuade him if he's made up his mind about something.
Impulsive
As cool as he may be, he will throw his clothes off in public to jump in the water. It takes something serious happening to get him to ignore it, really focusing on something else, or else someone will have to grab him.
Weak to dryness
He doesn't react well to foods like crackers or dry bread if he doesn't have a drink, as he'll feel like he's losing moisture. The longer he stays away from water, the more his mood will decline. Gotta keep the aquatic theme going. However, he can be shaken up emotionally to the point he wants to avoid water.
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Name: Gee
Contact:
Are you over 17?: Yes
Characters in Forest Covered: N/A
( CHARACTER INFORMATION )
Name/Work Name: Haruka Nanase/Nana
Canon: Free!
Canon Point: Season 2 episode 13 epilogue, where he trains in uni
AU/CRAU: N
Age: 18
History: Wiki link Plot (stopped updating mid-S1)
Quick profile Some points from Season 1 Character interview (from season 1)
There are two prequel books that don't exactly line up with the anime, but are referenced a lot in said anime and don't conflict too much as far as Haruka's experience goes.
The first book starts with Haruka in the swim club, only having joined at the behest of his best friend Makoto. He loves the water and wins many prizes for the club, but seems indifferent about it until he races Rin. Though Haruka wins their race, he feels strangely frustrated at how he believes Rin "feels the water" better than him, despite how Rin has no interest in that. Rin only has interest in getting Haru to join his swimming relay in a tournament, which Haruka refuses on the basis that he "only swims free". It's a pun on swimming freestyle and swimming without any connections to others. However, when Makoto and Nagisa (a sweet kid who looks up to Haruka, who Haruka has a soft spot for) really want him to join, he finally relents. But as they train together as a team and bond with each other, along with Rin's passionate speech about why he started the relay, Haruka finds himself deeply moved by these new feelings in him. There's the start of something like a competitive streak, as Haruka even starts to imitate Rin, running home after school instead of bicycling.
The second book starts with Haruka starting middle school. His loneliness and fear of others leaving him are a large focus of the book, as well as the continued development of a latent competitive streak. He's frustrated at Rin for leaving to Australia to train, worried that Makoto will quit swimming in favor of something else like basketball. One line even mentions him being lonely at home, suggesting that his parents might not be all that present either. Two other swim club members are introduced, Asahi and Ikuya. Both are affected deeply by his swimming skill, to the point where Asahi feels hopeless when trying to race Haruka. Asahi's reaction causes Haruka to look at himself like he only hurts others with his swimming, like his skill is a burden. An envious Ikuya resents Haruka almost as much as he's interested in him as a swimmer. He gets angrily confronted by Sousuke, Rin's best friend and jealous of Rin's interest in Haruka, who thinks he's not pushing himself hard enough if at least for Rin's sake. Fortunately amidst all this middle school pressure, Haruka has a mentor in Nao, an upperclassman, who helps them all sort everything out. In the end, Haruka joins a relay with Makoto, Asahi, and Ikuya. They all manage to become a team and even friends, despite all their differences. (There's an upcoming film adaptation of this book that may make changes, so I can canon update if needed.)
A flashback set between the books and anime show the first reunion between Haru and Rin since Rin went to Australia. Haru catches sight of Rin and hurries over to him, actually openly happy and excited to see him, a drastic change from the frown he usually greeted Rin with. However, he doesn't realize that Rin's smile is forced, and Rin challenges him to a race. Haruka is the victor just like before Rin went to Australia, which looks like the breaking point for Rin as he calls it quits for his Olympic dream while running away in tears. The thought that Haruka hurt his friend so deeply as to make him give up on his dream makes Haruka withdraw back into his shell and quit competitive swimming, leaving his friends at the swim club. This leads into the dull, jaded Haruka in his second year of high school seen at the start of season 1.
(the Wiki plot link fits in around here)
The middle of season 1 is about bonding with the rest of the Iwatobi swim team, with them training on the beach and sharing stories to get their minds off a frightening near-drowning experience. They all swim in the ocean together, look at the stars, fall asleep on the beach. When they go to the swimming tournament prefecturals, Haru has the race with Rin as the latter had wanted, ending with Rin's victory. Rin tells Haruka that he'll never swim with him again, which devastates Haruka and leaves him in confusion-- didn't he think that Rin winning would free him from his guilt? He doesn't even want to watch his friends in their individual races, but Nagisa drags him over. Haruka is moved by seeing how hard everyone is trying, but he still disappears afterwards as he's lost in thought. The support from his friends gives him the drive to join in the relay for the next day, but even after that he's still confused. Rei wants them all to go to a festival, and Haruka decides to join despite original plans to stay in.
When he finally sorts his feelings out, he admits to his friends that Rin cutting ties with him made his world go dark, but their relay made him just as happy as it did in elementary. It comes as a shock when the next day, he hears that Rin joined his own team relay. After some bonding time, and Haruka noticing Rei's odd reactions to mentions of Rin with Rei pressing for the truth, Haruka finally opens up about the past. As the day for their regionals relay race approaches, Haruka shows more of his thanks to everyone and the support they've given him. But when the day arrives and he sees Rin completely ruin his individual race, Haruka tries to run to him, stopping in his tracks when he hears Rin declare he's quitting swimming, making him remember the time he said that before. Haruka slumps against a wall, on the edge of tears as he thinks of how he can't swim with Rin again. However, Rei speaks up and tells Haruka about what he learned from talking to Rin on his own-- that Rin didn't really blame Haruka, and that he wanted to swim with Haruka too. Though Haruka asks if Rei is okay with giving up his spot first, he really wants Rin to swim with him. In the wildest show of emotion Haruka ever put on, he runs screaming after Rin. Though Rin is in a bad state at first and tries to rebuff him, Haruka doesn't give up on trying to get through to Rin. It results in Haruka's relationship with Rin being repaired, setting his heart at peace... for now.
Season 2 shows a lot more of Haruka's willingness to try harder for his team, even taking the lead and writing training schedules. He's more emotionally open, smiles more, and is generally more encouraging. However, he's also at a loss about his future, with only "free" written in the form to consider his future career in. Makoto acts strangely, but Haruka doesn't ask too many questions if because it would invite questions about himself. He meets with Sousuke, Rin's still-jealous best friend, who instantly shows aggression towards him again for "getting in Rin's way". Many people suggest competitive swimming to him as a future, but he's against it. He doesn't tell anyone why, but it turns out to be because he fears that he'll lose his freedom in doing it, and he just doesn't want things to change.
The pressure starts to pile up on him until he's distant and snappy with his friends. But when his usually steadfast best friend Makoto tells him that he's moving to Tokyo for university, Haruka finally realizes that things are changing whether he likes it or not, and he holes himself up in his house. Rin whisks him off to Australia, partly a way to help his friend relax and partly a way to show Haruka an Olympic-sized pool. When asked if he wants to swim in the Olympic pool or the public pool, Haruka ultimately chooses the Olympic pool. Being there makes Haruka realize that he wants to see more of the world, to swim in that world, and pursue competitive swimming after all. Upon returning to Japan, Haruka apologizes to his Iwatobi friends for how he acted and explains how he feels now. They all take part in their relay at nationals, and while they don't rank high, they all hug each other with the first time Haruka is ever shown crying. In the epilogue, Haruka is shown to have moved to Tokyo to the university he's been scouted to, and later at an international race.
Personality:
At first glance, Haruka is a cool, graceful boy who turns heads when he's in the pool-- and as he's getting out. He's stoic, sharp-eyed, and utterly distant from most around him. He acts and speaks decisively. When addressing others, he never uses any honorifics/suffixes. But how aloof he acts comes from his poor communication skills. Some people confuse his difficulty in reaching out to others as shyness-- he rationalizes it as finding communication with others too troublesome. He warms up far faster to animals and little children (provided that they aren't terribly misbehaved) perhaps because it feels less complicated with them. Yet sometimes he gets frustrated when he wants to talk to others, feeling out of his depth. Despite how much of a front he puts up, he does fear being alone...
Anyone who knows him for a little while will quickly realize that he's actually quite weird, jumping into any water that he can submerge himself in and fawning over bizarre character mascots. He seriously claimed that his first crush was a waterfall. His "logic" is inconsistent when it isn't completely nonsensical. Trying to explain to someone who thinks in facts and precise formulas won't turn out well, as he often uses vague explanations involving the heart and soul. Actively trying to persuade or sweet-talk anyone would only end in hilarity, if he ever felt the need to try-- his attempts at gathering new members for the swim club were not subtle. All in all, he's quite odd, and marches to the beat of his own drum.
However, when he does befriend someone, Haruka doesn't take it lightly. It'll start in small gestures, building up until he's ready to do anything to help them. He'll make heartfelt speeches about how this friend is important to him, and genuinely thank them. He'll go out of his way to make sure that they're happy, will show up for them, protect them, and give them advice. Underclassmen who admire him are especially his weak point-- he tends to dote on them and go along with what they say most easily. Only with his true friends can he really let down his walls and speak how he really feels. But any friends of his should expect a lot of good-natured teasing and bringing up embarrassing stories about them. While not a tactile person, he'll let friends get touchy-feely with him - hugging, arm around his shoulders - as long as he doesn't get too jostled. Strangers and people he doesn't like will have Haruka blatantly sidestep them or even have them pushed/slapped away. The kind of people that Haruka avoids the most are people who clearly want to involve him in some scheme, and generally pushy people, but with enough patience they can become friends too.
As a quiet guy, the anime shows a great deal of Haruka's personality in what he looks at (or avoids looking at) and the expression he wears as he does. The most obvious is how his eyes sparkle at the mention of a pool, but despite his indifferent mask, he takes notice of what's going on around him and reacts accordingly. He often quickly tries to force his face back into some neutral look, but someone perceptive can figure out that his poker face isn't as great as he thinks. When embarrassed or confused about his feelings, he tends to turn his head to the side, and he can't lie too well to someone without looking away. But sometimes there are things he gets happy about enough about that his eyes practically sparkle, and it doesn't even have to be water!
Haruka is partially self-conscious about some matters, not so much about others-- the deciding factor seems to be in how much embarrassment gets in the way of what he wants. His laugh - a very cute and funny-sounding one - is a rare event that has only been drawn out of him by tickling. He doesn't want to be called Haru-chan and definitely not Haruka, preferring his nickname Haru. So naturally, he'd end up saddled with the name Nana. However, at the same time, he had no problem wearing a girl's swimsuit to save a bullied friend from embarrassment and he sees no issue in jumping in store aquariums. When it comes to water, there is no embarrassment.
His physical beauty is also commented on in-universe and in supplementary material, but he doesn't really think much of it. He takes care of himself and uses nice shampoo to keep his hair from drying out from chlorine, but he doesn't think to flout his attractiveness or to court anyone. He also picks very simple, loose clothes that he can throw off at a moment's notice so he can go dive into some water. Romance is a complete blind spot to him, and he'll be completely oblivious to any crush. This isn't helped by how he can be gallant and princely, as well as cute-- both acknowledged in-universe! However, the director has said that as a boyfriend, his partner would have to really love swimming.
Another thing that Haruka's cool facade hides is just how sentimental he can be. His flashbacks and mementos show that he dwells on the past a lot, and can end up thinking about it a lot as he stews in the bath. All of the trophies he's won by himself are stuffed in a box, while his relay trophy and photo sits in plain view, clearly more cherished than the rest. He still uses a bath toy that he got when he first joined the swim club in elementary school. This has served him well when trying to get through to a friend who is just as sentimental, writing words that said friend used years ago.
Haruka is the kind who believes fortune telling, superstition, and looks for symbolism in the world around him. When told that according to a superstition that his estranged friend must be thinking of him, Haruka's shocked expression makes it clear he takes it seriously. He can be seen staring intensely at the fortunes he draws. As a child, when others suggested planting little flowers around a grand cherry blossom tree, Haruka strongly objected to the idea. He felt the little flowers took away from the beauty of the tree... a tree he later muses that he sympathizes with. After all, he wanted to be just left alone, away from the little flowers-- other kids.
Identifying with the tree surrounded by the smaller plants could be read as how he sees himself, but his ego isn't that big, waving off praise for his skills with "anyone can do that much" or not even giving a response at all. In any case, he doesn't have low self-esteem, and his self-doubts don't come from thinking he's not good enough. More of his woe comes from feeling like he's too good, that he breaks the hearts of people who worked far harder than him. While he usually claims that something will require too much effort, Haruka does have great admiration for people who do work hard, and they often end up inspiring him to work hard too.
This canon point sets him post-season 2, where he's tried to work on more of his flaws. He may still try to brush things off as too much trouble and come off as a little blunt, but it'll be easier for him to soften up. He still sees his friends every now and then, but he has to find his own way to grow in post-high school and post-small town life. Perhaps he can meet new friends without others to help, eat more than just mackerel, and find places to go on his own. He's been prepared for this new phase of his life thanks to the support of his friends and the swim club.
Miscellany: Haruka is a morning person, often first taking a dip in his swimsuit in the bath before making his breakfast.
In various bonus material, Haruka has been likened to a cat, even turned into one in a dream. At least, a cat that likes water.
In an ending with the theme "what were their childhood dreams aside from swimming", Haruka had both a merman and a chef. It's likely Haruka was told he couldn't be a merman when he grew up.
Debt:
Haruka doesn't want for much at this point in his life, and he has a goal to work towards that he doesn't need a wish for. He can only be taken in by a trick, like his parents were taken and turned into livestock. While he might not be close to them, he still would do whatever it takes to rescue them. Plus, he'd really believe that his weird, free-spirited parents would get tangled up with a witch.
Previous Game Info:
N/A
Inventory:
University team jersey
Swimsuit, black and purple jammer
Travel backpack
Cellphone
Water bottle
Iwatobi-chan key chain
Abilities:
Swimming
Swimming is Haruka's greatest passion in life. He's swift and graceful, and feels an intimate connection with the water. At this canon point, he's training in a university, presumably to make the national team.
General Athleticism
As he trains to be a professional athlete, Haruka is very fit and strong. One drawback is that he's not the fastest runner, and he doesn't lift as much as his friends yet, but he has been working on that and it still sets him above the average person.
Home Economics
His friends have all praised his cooking, and it's counted as one of his hobbies along with cleaning. Though he does seem to use mackerel most of the time.
Art
Whether it be through pencil sketches, paintings, or sculpture, Haruka can make aesthetically pleasing artwork. He nearly gets dragged off by the art club to join them instead of the swim club.
Dexterous fingers
Listed among his skills, it extends past art. He's shown to do well at shooting games at festivals, and he can catch water yo-yos with ease. He can definitely win prizes at festival games.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Cool
Level-headed and reserved; to most people, Haruka would look in control of himself at all times. And he is indeed very capable of handling himself (unless he's really shaken emotionally). His stoic demeanor gives him a sense of mental strength and makes him look reliable to others, a perception he'd like to keep.
Talented
Skilled in art, athletics, and being really handy, people admire and envy his abilities. He doesn't make a big deal of these skills, but with so many people telling him, he can't be unaware of just how good he is.
Dedicated friend
He'll set any sense of cool and even risk his life for his friends. Whether it's attending an event they really wanted to go to, jumping into a storming ocean to save them, or screaming at the top of his lungs in public to find them, Haruka will go any distance for the ones he loves. (Though let it be known that he will try save a stranger's life if he can, too.)
Perceptive with people
He may not look curious, but he's always trying to size up others to see if they're going to cause trouble for him. While initially suspicious of most people, he can warm up to them if he thinks they're generally good-- or not trying to mess with him. He can tell when his friends are troubled, and will try to cheer them up in small ways or even directly confront them about it if it's pressing enough. However, if he himself is in a bad state, this is not as likely.
Passionate
Haruka may take some time to come around to an idea, but when he does, he'll put his all into it. Nothing he does is half-assed-- it's either all or nothing.
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Poor communication skills
This manifests in many different ways. Sometimes he can be unnecessarily blunt, though he doesn't try to be hurtful. "Group work" was one of his listed weaknesses, and he would prefer to do the work himself rather than talking with others. But he is working on that, little by little. Depending on the person, he might say something genuine, but make a bad choice of words and give them the wrong idea without bothering to correct them.
Bottling up
A side-effect of his coolness. When there's an uncomfortable yet unavoidable subject, Haruka will try to avoid it anyway. He hesitates telling even his best friend about what troubles him. He uses the water to escape his emotions, the stimulation providing distraction. But if it all comes to a head, he ends up breaking down, becoming listless and completely shutting others out.
Stubborn
If anyone wants to get him to do anything that looks like a lot of trouble, and it's not a life or death matter/involving someone he cares for, it better be water-related or involve mackerel. Otherwise, he'd prefer to not get involved. Exceptions are of course made for friends, but even then... It's just as hard to dissuade him if he's made up his mind about something.
Impulsive
As cool as he may be, he will throw his clothes off in public to jump in the water. It takes something serious happening to get him to ignore it, really focusing on something else, or else someone will have to grab him.
Weak to dryness
He doesn't react well to foods like crackers or dry bread if he doesn't have a drink, as he'll feel like he's losing moisture. The longer he stays away from water, the more his mood will decline. Gotta keep the aquatic theme going. However, he can be shaken up emotionally to the point he wants to avoid water.
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