Kotaro Kinoshita

**Kotaro Kinoshita** (木之下 光太郎, *Kinoshita Kōtarō*) is one of the characters in *Loving Yamada at Lv999!* series, written and illustrated by Mashiro. He is the son of Sumire Kinoshita and the younger brother of Kaede Kinoshita and Akane Kinoshita.

## Appearance

During his initial introduction, Kotaro was seen sporting a stylish varsity jacket, complemented by a simple shirt and jeans. He would often complete this ensemble with a dark cap, which he would wear every time he stepped out of the house.

Kotaro was known to be quite introverted and shy. This could be observed through his consistent use of face masks, which may have been an attempt to conceal his shyness or avoid engaging in conversations with others.

## Personality

Kotaro is a young man who exudes a shy and reserved demeanor. When his older sister Akane moved out to attend college, Kotaro's behavior towards her changed significantly. Upon seeing her again after quite some time, he became aloof and distant towards her, making it difficult for Akane to engage him in conversation.

Despite Akane's best efforts to connect with her younger brother, Kotaro remained hesitant and shy around her. This could be attributed to his introverted nature and discomfort in social situations. Nevertheless, Akane persisted in trying to break through the barriers that separated them and eventually succeeded in establishing a meaningful connection with Kotaro once again.

## Chronology

### Post-Time Skip Arc

 ***Main Article: Post-Time Skip Arc***
Akane arrived at Takasaki Station and was greeted by her younger brother Kotaro and older sister Kaede. While Kaede was excited to see her, Kotaro remained silent. They went home to their parents, had dinner, and Akane helped clean the house with her siblings. She tried to start a conversation with Kotaro while they were out buying soy sauce but he was reserved.

Akane asked him about the game he played called GOS:E which Kaede and her boyfriend also played. She suggested that Kotaro should call Kaede's boyfriend so they could play together since Yamada was also good at the game. They talked on the phone and Kotaro was excited about playing with Yamada. He also asked about his sister's stay with them and Akane replied that she planned to stay for a while.

## Relationships

### Familial

#### Sumire Kinoshita

Sumire is Kotaro, Kaede and Akane's mother.

#### Kaede Kinoshita

Kaede is a member of the Kinoshita family and holds the position of being the eldest child, and also happens to be Kotaro's older sister. When Akane comes to their hometown, Kotaro is seen spending time with Kaede outside the train station while waiting for her arrival.

#### Akane Kinoshita

Akane is the second eldest sister of Kotaro, and she had to leave for college, which meant that she was away from home for an extended period. When Akane returned home after completing her studies, she noticed that Kotaro was acting aloof towards her and avoiding any interaction with her. This behavior made Akane feel concerned and worried about their relationship as siblings.

To address this issue, Akane decided to take a proactive approach and find a way to reconnect with Kotaro. She thought long and hard about how to break the ice between them and eventually came up with an idea. She called her boyfriend Yamada, who shared similar interests with Kotaro in online games.

Akane asked Yamada to strike up a conversation with Kotaro about one of his favorite games, namely Gos:E, during their next phone call. This strategy worked wonders as it helped break down the communication barrier between Akane and Kotaro. The conversation about the game sparked interest in both, leading them to talk more freely again.

## Gallery

The Kinoshita FamilyKotaro during Elementary 3 with his older sistersKotaro going home with Akane holding handsKinoshita siblings bondingKaede and Kotaro welcome Akane
## Etymology

Kotaro's name is broken into three syllables *"KO-TA-RO"* which consists of three kanji characters as well - 光太郎 (こたろ) .
**KO (光):** means ray, light;
**TA (太):** means plump, thick, big around; and
**RO (郎):** means son, counter for sons.
While Kotaro's surname is broken into four syllables, *"KI-NO-SHI-TA,"* but only three kanji characters - 木之下 (きのした) .
 **木 (KI):** means tree, wood;
 **之 (NO):** means of, this;
 **下 (SHITA):** means below, down, descend, give, low, inferior.
## References

*My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999* Manga: Chapter 60 (Pages 3, 4 to).
*My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999* Manga: Chapter 60 (Pages 6-13).
*My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999* Manga: Chapter 60 (Pages 1-3).