Asahi Kōbe

* Anime
* Manga

**Asahi Kōbe** (神戸 あさひ *Kōbe Asahi*) is a main character in *Happy Sugar Life* and Shio's older brother.

He is dedicated to find Shio in order to reunite their family and he regularly prints out posters to put up around the city and he sleeps underneath the park bench at night.

## Appearance

Asahi has short, dark purple hair and dark purple eyes. Most of it obscured from his hooded jacket, which consists of a dark green hood that transitions to black with large white stripes running vertically across the jacket. His sleeves are rolled up just below his elbows, revealing red fabric. Along with his jacket, he wears a light blue scarf over it and a white shirt underneath with two black stripes. He also wears long, black pants and red sneakers. On his face, Asahi has three bandages: one large, square bandage on his right cheek, and two bandage strips on his left. Because he often sleeps in the park, he is terribly dirty.

People often describe his eyes as "having an evil look", whereas Shōko Hida described him as "rough/rugged" when she first met him, but his face was "cute" to her.

## Personality

Asahi is a kind and devoted boy who was quiet and well-behaved, listening to his mother at all times and he did his best to support her physically and emotionally as a child. When Shio Kōbe was born, Asahi encouraged his mother to work hard for Shio because she became a symbol of hope for the both of them. He cared so much about his mother and Shio to the point where he urged his mother to leave the house with her and that he would stay behind with their abusive father so that he wouldn't pursue his mother.

Due to his father's extreme abuse, Asahi grew resentful of adults and chose to never trust them. Further symptoms of this abuse include his gradual descent into a rage manifestation, especially whenever his actions relate to the search of his sister.

Ultimately, however, he wants nothing more than to live a happy life with his mother and Shio, and unlike Satō Matsuzaka, he doesn't favor hurting people to achieve that; only when his close ones are hurt—in Shōko Hida's case, mortally—does he ever resort to such measures, a trait which stays when he is pushed over the edge upon finding Satou with Shio.

## Background

Asahi was born as a result of Yūna Kōbe getting raped and he was raised by his mother on her own since his father was absent for most of his early life. He was obedient, polite and he never asked for much. His mother would often bring him out to the park to play, where he would typically play by himself. While his mother was concerned that she was not being a good mother for him, Asahi didn't mind at all because she raised him with care. Throughout his early life, his grandmother visited him atleast four times.

On Shichi-Go-San, Asahi's father returned home for the first time because his father forced him to attend. Later that day, Asahi's grandparents all died in a car accident and his father was thrilled when he heard the news and left again, taking all of the inheritance money from Asahi's grandparents' deaths with him. Four years later, he returned home after he used up all of the money and abused both Asahi and his mother because she couldn't get a job and earn money. Soon, Shio Kōbe was born and became a symbol of hope for Asahi and his mother to protect.

At some point, Asahi urged his mother to run away with Shio and he would stay behind so that their abusive father wouldn't try to pursue them. While his mother cried and apologized to Asahi, wishing that he didn't have to stay behind, Asahi didn't mind because she always protected him throughout his life and wanted her to protect Shio, their Moon. He promised to return to them and made a vow with his mother.

For five years, Asahi's father tortuously abused him in various ways, such as tearing off his fingernails, because unlike his mother, he was stronger and far more durable than her. He also sent Asahi out to fulfill menial tasks, such as getting alcohol and food for him. This went on for a while but one day He notices that his father died of alcohol poisoning and Asahi fled the house in joy. He returned to his mother but was then told that it was already too late and everything was gone. and at that moment that's when Asahi began to search for Shio to in order reunite their family again.

## Relationships

### Shio Kōbe

Shio is Asahi's little sister. After she was born, he and their mother promised to protect her but when Yunna abandons Shio, he immediately goes searching for her. He considers Shio's smile the "moon" because it is bright and full of home for the future. They made a promise to protect and help their mother when Shio was still little. When he confronts Shio and Satou, He pleads with Shio that their mother didn't mean that she "didn't need her" but that Shio did not need her and to come home so they can be a reunited as a family again, this causes Shio to remember all her memories before Satou but still declines. After the accident, Asahi pushes for Shio to come home only for Shio to believe she has been reincarnated as Satou.
### Shōko Hida

Shouko met Asahi one night in the park, finding him sleeping under a bench and after noticing how thin he was, offers him a snack. They slowly began to become friends as Asahi explains the missing girl is his sister Shio and that he is looking for her. Shouko offers a listening ear to Asahi as he tells her his family history and Shouko brings him snacks. Asahi comforts Shouko after she expresses how she hurt her friend's (Satou's) feelings to which Asahi replies that she is still a good person and that bad-hearted people would not feel bad about such a thing.

After Asahi gets a "lead" on Shio, he prepares to leave town, but Shouko, knowing that the person who gave him the lead was lying and tries to convince him stay and to take care of his own health and happiness first. However, Asahi cries, saying reuniting his family is the only happiness he knows. Shouko applauses his care for his sister and makes him promise that once he has his happiness he smiles with all his heart. Shouko kisses him goodbye and wonders out loud why she is envious of the one Asahi cares so much about, implying she has feelings for him. This is the last time Asahi sees Shouko alive.
He is deeply upset upon discovering her body, fueling his hatred for Satou for killing such a good person.
### Taiyō Mitsuboshi

Taiyou saves Asahi after he gets beaten by two thugs and brought him back to Cure á Cute to help him. Asahi keeps in contact with Taiyou when he founds out Shio is with Satou. However, their friendliness fades once Taiyou becomes obsessed with Shio and withholds information about Shio (because Satou manipulated him) for his own benefit. Asahi begins to resent Taiyou, liking him to adults who in he believed were untrustworthy. Taiyou lies to Asahi that Satou and Shio already left, showing him Shio's sock as proof, and to leave town to follow them. Asahi doesn't believe him and finds the girls at the apartment.
When the apartment is burning, Taiyou calls out to Asahi for help, but Asahi ignores him because of his lies.
### Satō Matsuzaka

Satou's first interaction with Asahi is when he is brought in off the streets by Taiyou after getting beaten up by thugs. She recognizes who he is immediately and almost bashes his head in with a crowbar. Asahi hates Satou once he realizes she took Shio and his hate grows once he learns she killed Shouko. When he confronts Satou, the two fight, both trying to get the other away from Shio. Shio protects Satou much to Asahi's utter shock. After Satou's death, he seemed hopeful that he would get his sister back, unaware of the effect Satou would have on Shio, even in death. It is also likely he holds hatred for Satou for messing up Shio's state of mind after their suicide attempt.
## Etymology

* The name **Asahi** is written in hiragana (あさひ), which has no special meaning. However, when written in kanji (旭, 朝, 朝日, 朝陽, 朝飛, 朝妃, 朝姫, 朝緋, 旭日, 旭陽, 旭飛, 旭妃, 旭姫, 旭緋, 麻日, 麻陽, 麻飛, 麻妃, 麻姫 or 麻緋), it could possibly mean:
	+ 旭 - "rising sun, morning sun".
	+ 朝 - "morning".
	+ 朝日 - "morning sun".
	+ 朝陽 - "morning" (朝) (**asa**) and "light, sun, male" (陽) (**hi**).
	+ 朝飛 - "morning" (朝) (**asa**) and "to fly" (飛) (**hi**).
	+ 朝妃 - "morning" (朝) (**asa**) and "princess" (妃) (**hi**).
	+ 朝姫 - "morning" (朝) (**asa**) and "princess, young lady of noble birth" (姫) (**hi**).
	+ 朝緋 - "morning" (朝) (**asa**) and "scarlet, dark red" (緋) (**hi**).
	+ 旭日 - "Rising sun".
	+ 旭陽 - "rising sun, morning sun" (旭) (**asa**) and "light, sun, male" (陽) (**hi**).
	+ 旭飛 - "rising sun, morning sun" (旭) (**asa**) and "to fly" (飛) (**hi**).
	+ 旭妃 - "rising sun, morning sun" (旭) (**asa**) and "princess" (妃) (**hi**).
	+ 旭姫 - "rising sun, morning sun" (旭) (**asa**) and "princess, young lady of noble birth" (姫) (**hi**).
	+ 旭緋 - "rising sun, morning sun" (旭) (**asa**) and "scarlet, dark red" (緋) (**hi**).
	+ 麻日 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "sun, day" (日) (**hi**).
	+ 麻陽 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "light, sun, male" (陽) (**hi**).
	+ 麻飛 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "to fly" (飛) (**hi**).
	+ 麻妃 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "princess" (妃) (**hi**).
	+ 麻姫 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "princess, young lady of noble birth" (姫) (**hi**).
	+ 麻緋 - "hemp, flax" (麻) (**asa**) and "scarlet, dark red" (緋) (**hi**).
* Asahi's surname **Kōbe** means "god, deity" (神) (**kō**) and "door" (戸) (**be**).

## Gallery

### Manga

Asahi reaction to hearing Shio scream in the park
### Anime

Asahi and a younger ShioAsahi upsetShouko offering **Asahi** a snackShouko and AsahiYounger Shio smiling at AsahiAsahi holding Shio's missing flyersAsahi looking at the photo of Satou and Shio, sent to him by Shouko