Kaori Miyazono

Kaori is energetic, outspoken, impulsive, and determined to experience life intensely. She dislikes rigid expectations and applies the same attitude to music, preferring performances that communicate something personal even when judges penalize her interpretation.

She can be demanding and physically forceful with Kousei, particularly when he retreats behind claims that he cannot perform. Her pressure is not subtle, but it comes from a conviction that he still belongs at the piano.

Kaori is also capable of considerable emotional concealment. Her bright public demeanor allows her to encourage other people even when she is dealing with problems she does not readily discuss.

Kaori is a skilled classical violinist with strong technique and an intentionally individualistic performance style. Rather than reproducing a composition exactly according to conventional expectations, she alters phrasing and interpretation to communicate her own musical ideas.

This approach can cost her points with competition judges, but it makes her performances memorable to audiences. She prioritizes whether listeners remember the musician over whether judges consider the rendition technically obedient.

Kaori is also capable of adapting rapidly during ensemble performance. Her accompaniment with Kousei becomes a musical dialogue in which each performer reacts to the other instead of simply maintaining a fixed soloist-accompanist hierarchy.

Kaori first enters Kousei's life through a meeting arranged by Tsubaki. Kousei watches her perform in a violin competition and is struck by the contrast between her playing and the rigid approach that dominated his childhood.

She subsequently selects Kousei as her accompanist despite his insistence that he can no longer perform properly. Their first performances force him to return to a stage and confront the psychological barrier that has kept him away from competition.

Kaori continues pushing Kousei toward music even when his progress becomes painful. Her approach influences his understanding of performance, shifting his attention from perfect reproduction toward communicating something to the listener.

Kaori suffers from a serious progressive illness that increasingly limits her ability to walk and play violin. She undergoes surgery partly because Kousei's determination inspires her to take another chance at performing, but she dies during the operation while he is competing.

A letter delivered afterward reveals that Kaori had loved Kousei since childhood. She claimed to be interested in Watari because approaching him through Tsubaki was the only way she could think of to enter Kousei's social circle without directly admitting her feelings. This deception is the "lie in April" of the title.

Kousei Arima becomes Kaori's accompanist and the musician she repeatedly pushes back toward the stage. Her final letter reveals that she had admired and loved him since seeing his childhood performance and had entered his life specifically because she wanted to spend the time she had left with him.

Tsubaki Sawabe is Kaori's classmate and the person through whom she arranges her introduction to Kousei's group. Tsubaki Sawabe initially believes Kaori wants to date Watari.

Ryouta Watari is presented as Kaori's romantic interest when she first joins the group. Her letter ultimately reveals that this supposed crush was a pretext that allowed her to become close to Kousei.

Hiroko Seto understands the effect Kaori has on Kousei's musical development and observes the changes produced by their performances together.

Takeshi Aiza and Emi Igawa become part of Kaori's wider musical connection to Kousei as he returns to the competitive piano world.