Kyōya Hashiba (橋場 恭也, Hashiba Kyōya) is the main protagonist of the series. He travels back ten years ago by an unknown event.
Appearance[]
Kyōya has short brown hair and blue eyes.
He wears an off-gray sweater over a green button up dress shirt over a charcoal gray shirt, black pants, and red/white sneakers.
Personality[]
Kyōya has a determined, never-give-up attitude that is evident throughout the series. Even after traveling back in time to his 18-year-old self, he retains the morals and perspective of his 28-year-old self. For instance, he often stays calm and composed, acting more mature than his peers, which earns their admiration.
Unlike the other members of the Platinum Generation, Kyōya doesn’t possess extraordinary artistic or creative talents. However, his problem-solving abilities stand out, as highlighted by Professor Kanou, especially when dealing with unexpected challenges. Kyōya also demonstrates strong leadership skills, motivating and managing strong-willed group members, assigning tasks, and naturally fitting into a director's role. His administrative and organizational skills also come in handy, as shown when he assisted Eiko in 2016.
Although Kyōya may seem ordinary, his charisma shines through in his ability to convince others, such as Ayaka Minori. This charm stems from his passion and sincerity. His excitement about working with the future Platinum Generation drives him to support them, wanting to be part of their journey to realizing their full potential.
After returning from the future in a second alternate timeline, Kyōya realizes that some of his actions may have unintentionally hindered those around him by being too protective. Recognizing this, he changes his approach, allowing others to become more independent while still offering support. For example, he encourages Nanako to open a video-sharing account and practice her skills and lets Aki join the Kuroda group so she can explore her art in a new environment.
Background[]
At the age of 28 in 2016, Kyōya Hashiba, who was born and raised in Nara Prefecture, had long dreamed of becoming a game developer. After graduating from a local private university, he jumped from one job to another. When he was 26, he finally pursued his dream and became the director of a game company. However, due to the company's poor management, he ended up physically and mentally exhausted, returning to his parents' home in despair. While cleaning his room there, he deeply regretted not pursuing higher education after passing an opportunity at the University of the Arts in Osaka. This regret led to him mysteriously traveling back in time to 2006.
In this new timeline, Kyōya enrolled in the Department of Film Science at Oonaka University of the Arts. He worked part-time at a nearby convenience store alongside Nanako and joined an art study group early on. During a video production assignment in his first year, despite facing major setbacks, he impressed those around him by successfully delivering a creative and witty project. Later, when his friend Tsurayuki faced financial troubles, Kyōya initiated a group game development project. However, to complete the project, they made too many compromises, which stifled the creativity of the team members, leading to Tsurayuki dropping out of university. This left Kyōya filled with regret, and he returned to the future, arriving in 2018.
In this 2018 timeline, Kyōya found himself in a different world, now as the director of the development department at Attraction Point Co., Ltd. He was married to Aki Shino, now Aki Hashiba, and they had a daughter named Maki. Despite this seemingly ideal life, Kyōya chose to return to the past once more, determined to restore the original timeline. This time, he focused on correcting his past mistakes, helping the Platinum Generation reach their full potential while also pursuing his own dreams.
Relationships[]
Aki Shino[]
Kyōya and Aki share a close friendship, with Aki often teasing him in ways that sometimes leave him flustered. Kyōya admires her as a talented painter and illustrator, though their interactions often lead to awkward and humorous misunderstandings due to Aki's playful behavior.
In the past, when Kyōya was working as a game developer, he found inspiration in the work of a famous female illustrator. Her paintings helped him cope with the struggles of his job. When Kyōya realizes that Aki is actually that famous illustrator, Shino Akishima, he becomes motivated to rise to the level of the talented people he lives with in Share House Kitayama. After he compliments her drawings, Aki starts to become more affectionate toward him, though Kyōya is initially unaware of her growing feelings. Eventually, Aki falls in love with him, and during the School Festival, she kisses him on the lips. She later downplays the moment by saying she got carried away by the festival atmosphere.
In an alternate timeline created by Kyōya's second time leap in episode 9, Kyōya is surprised to find that he is married to Aki, and they have a daughter named Maki Hashiba.
Aki is the only person in the series who has kissed Kyōya, and she has feelings for him even in their younger years. This suggests that they may eventually marry in the future, even after the second time travel. In Volume 9, Kyōya travels with Aki to Fukuoka, where he learns more about her background and her reasons for becoming an artist.
Shino Aki impresses Kyōya not only with her artistic talent but also with her dedication and perfectionism in her work. She is also open and honest with him, further deepening their connection.
Nanako Kogure[]
Nanako and Kyōya share a relationship that is more than just friendship but not quite romantic. Kyōya is inspired by Nanako, knowing that she will become a famous singer known as Nana in the future. Nanako often teases him, creating lighthearted moments between them. After Kyōya encourages her to pursue her singing talent and compliments her skills, Nanako becomes grateful to him and eventually falls in love with him. During the School Festival, when Kyōya gives her the confidence to perform on stage, she realizes her deeper feelings for him.
After witnessing Kyōya and Aki kissing, Nanako becomes more affectionate toward him and expresses her desire to be closer to him. She even tells Kyōya that she won’t give up easily. She accompanies him on a journey to Kawagoe to bring back Tsurayuki, during which she opens up further about her emotions. Upon their return, they continue to work together, and she spends time with him at the culture festival.
Of all the characters Kyōya has influenced, Nanako experiences the most significant change due to his guidance. His encouragement helps her find her future career path and boosts her confidence. To Nanako, Kyōya is an irreplaceable support system who has helped her grow. After returning to 2006, Kyōya continues to help Nanako develop her singing skills while also encouraging her to be more independent, ensuring she doesn’t rely on him too much, which could hinder her growth. Nanako also treats Kyōya differently from others, as shown by her interactions with Tsurayuki.
Eiko Kawasegawa[]
Kyōya meets Eiko both in his original present and after traveling back to 2006. In the 2006 timeline, Eiko becomes a good friend after Kyōya earns her respect by successfully leading his team's project to gain her approval. She eventually joins their group, transforming the team into "Team Kitayama Plus."
In the original present, Kyōya has an awkward first encounter with Eiko. He mistakenly tackles her after misinterpreting her intentions while she was looking upset near a walkway. After apologizing and hearing her explanation, they realize they work in the same field. Eiko then offers Kyōya an interview, leading to a job where he becomes a valuable asset to the company. They develop a strong camaraderie, but their project is eventually canceled, and layoffs are announced, prompting Kyōya to return to the past.
In the *Bokutachi no Remake Ver. B* spin-off novels, Eiko is the main female character and ultimately becomes Kyōya's wife. In this alternate version, Kyōya never travels back in time. Through their collaboration at work, they grow closer and develop a deep trust in each other. When they realize their company doesn't care about games, they both decide to quit and join a new game development company together.
Tsurayuki Rokuonji[]
Tsurayuki and Kyōya initially had a positive relationship, as evidenced by their teamwork and collaborations together. At the same time, the latter was able to help the former deal with his problems especially when it came to tuition. However, because Kyōya inadvertently stifled the creativity of Tsurayuki during a game project via multiple compromises, his impact as a member of the platinum generation disappeared and the Tsurayuki left the university. Given this regret, Kyōya goes as far as to go back to the past and do better at maximizing his potential: showing great care for Tsurayuki.
Keiko Tomioka[]
Initially met via Keiko eavesdropping, this connection has allowed Kyōya to be able to gain more experience in game development. Of particular note is the fact that Keiko is somehow present in Kyōya's time travels, suggesting a supernatural connection of sorts.
Etymology[]
- The name Kyōya means "respectful, polite" (恭) (kyō) and "to be, also" (也) (ya).
- Kyōya's surname Hashiba means "bridge" (橋) (hashi) and "field, place" (場) (ba).
Trivia[]
- At the age of 26, Kyōya became the director of an eroge game company.
- Has lived in Nara, Osaka and Kanagawa prefectures.
- Kyōya bears some similarities to Furude Rika from the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni series.
- Both characters have the ability to return to the past and want to get a happy ending.
- Their return to the past is supported by characters with supernatural abilities. Hanyuu is Rika's guardian god while in Kyōya's case it's Keiko.
- Kyōya's Japanese voice actor, Masahiro Ito, is the vocalist of Argonavis, who performed the ending theme of the series.
Gallery[]
Anime[]
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Light Novel[]
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Manga[]
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