Ryouta Watari

Watari is outgoing, confident, sociable, and openly interested in girls. He frequently dates or pursues different girls and accepts his reputation as a flirt without much embarrassment.

Beneath that carefree exterior, he takes competition seriously. Soccer matters greatly to him, and defeats affect him more deeply than his usual confidence initially suggests. His attitude toward sport also gives him an intuitive understanding of the commitment Kousei and Kaori bring to music.

Watari is a loyal friend. He rarely tries to solve Kousei's problems for him, instead encouraging him to recognize what he wants and act before opportunities disappear.

Watari has no supernatural abilities. He is a talented soccer player and serves as captain of his school's boys' team.

His position requires athletic ability, stamina, coordination, leadership, and tactical awareness. He takes responsibility for his team's results and is emotionally invested in their competitive success.

Watari is also socially confident. He communicates easily with classmates and is comfortable in romantic situations that leave Kousei far more hesitant.

Watari accompanies Kousei to the meeting Tsubaki arranges with Kaori. Because Kaori has supposedly asked Tsubaki to introduce them, Watari becomes the nominal romantic connection that brings her into the childhood friends' group.

As Kaori begins spending more time with Kousei through music, Watari remains outwardly relaxed about their growing closeness. He understands that the connection between two musicians operates in a space he cannot fully share.

Watari's own soccer experiences parallel the musicians' competitive lives. He understands the pressure of training, winning, losing, and confronting the possibility that effort will not produce the desired result.

Watari eventually recognizes that Kousei loves Kaori and encourages him rather than treating him as a romantic rival. Even after understanding Kousei's feelings, he maintains the casual demeanor that allows his friend to speak without feeling judged.

After Kaori's death, Watari privately keeps a photograph of her on his phone, indicating that his feelings for her were more sincere than his habitual flirtation suggested.

Kousei Arima is one of Watari's closest childhood friends. Ryouta Watari frequently encourages Kousei Arima to act on his feelings rather than retreat into hesitation.

Tsubaki Sawabe is another longtime friend. Ryouta Watari can recognize when Tsubaki Sawabe's emotions concerning Kousei are more complicated than she admits.

Kaori Miyazono is introduced to Watari as a girl interested in dating him, and he readily responds to her attention. Although he eventually understands that Kousei loves her, he never turns their friendship into an open rivalry and continues supporting both of them.