Kotori Shiratori

* Anime
* Manga

**Kotori Shiratori** (白鳥 ことり, *Shiratori Kotori*) is one of the supporting characters of *Taisho Otome Fairy Tale* series. She is a famous singer.

## Appearance

Kotori is a rather short and slender woman with pale, pink hair that is tied into two pigtails by two red ribbons on both sides of her head and purple eyes.

She wears a purple kimono overlapped by many flowers, tied neatly with a red bow. She also wears brown long boots.

## Personality

Kotori is a highly upbeat and eccentric young woman. She is completely devoted to music to the point she can't imagine life without it, and considers music to be her one true love. It is because of her obsession for music that she lacks experience with romance and it caused a bit of estrangement with her twin brother, who chose to not to become a musician with her.

However, she is shown to be a caring sister and friend to those close to her. She also has strong empathy towards people and strives to make them happy via her music.

## Background

Kotori and her older twin brother, Hakaru, were born into a wealthy family from Kyoto. As children, both had a knack as singing and playing the guitar, and they decided to become musicians. However, at some point, Hakaru fell ill with turberculosis and it took him three years to recover, which exhausted him to the point he chose to not pursue their dream in becoming musicians together. This deeply saddened Kotori. She continued with her dream and quickly became a famous singer in Japan.

## Plot

### *Taisho Otome Fairy Tale*

When Yuzuki and Tamako, who are fans of Kotori's, learn from Tamahiko via the newspaper that Kotori will be playing at the Chiba Station, they go to see her perform. The two girls are delighted and even Tamahiko takes a liking to her music.

Shortly after, Hakaru, who had befriended Tamahiko at their new school, brings Kotori with him to Tamahiko's villa. Kotori tells him and Yuzuki that she wants their advice on love. She explains she had agreed to be part of a Q/A for a magazine on the topic of personal matters but she lacks experience on love, which is a frequent question. To appease those asking the question, she wants to write a love song. Neither can give her advice so she tries observing the pair's interactions but still lacks any understanding. Yuzuki asks Kotori questions on her love for music which overly excites Kotori. Yuzuki says that love is real jo matter where it's directed at, and thus suggesting Kotori write a love song about her love for music. Kotori likes this and decides to do it.

She stays at the Shima villa for three days to come up with lyrics to no avail. Hakaru is ready to leave but she refuses. This leads to them having an argument. While talking with Yuzuki and plying a song she randomly came up with, Kotori tells her about her brother's previous illness and his failed dream. Encouraged by Yuzuki, Kotori talks with Hakaru who plays her guitar and they sing together, and reconcile. Later, Yuzuki reveals her hidden desire to be intimate with Tamahiko to Kotori, who suggests she simply tell him but Yuzuki is too embarrassed to do it.

Kotori and Hakaru are invited to Yuzuki's 16th birthday and both agree to come. After coming back from his brother's funeral, Tamahiko sees Kotori performing on the street. They walk together as she says she wants to help those still affected by the Great Kanto Earthquake by spreading her music. She is then harassed by two reporters who are eventually scared off by Tamahiko. She thanks him for defending her. He asks her about what Yuzuki would like for her birthday, as he doesn't know what to get her. Kotori replies Yuzuki wants him, much to his embarrassment. On the day of Yuzuki's birthday, Kotori and Hakaru end up going to Kyoto to visit their grandparents.

Two years later, Kotori attends Tamahiko and Yuzuki's wedding ceremony.

### *Shōwa Otome Otogi Banashi*

Kotori is still a famous singer and, by 1931, it is broadcasted on the radio that she is performing a world tour in Germany.

## Relationships

### Hakaru Shiratori

Kotori used to be very close with her twin brother until he gave up his dream of becoming a musician after becoming sick. Although he relishes in the attention he gets for being her brother, he thinks she is secretly unhappy due to their estrangement. Kotori also believes he is unhappy but chose not to say anything. The two siblings finally reconcile when they come together to sing and play together for the first time in years.

### Yuzuki Tachibana

Kotori admires Yuzuki and considers her to be a dear friend. She considers Yuzuki to be mature when it comes to loving someone.

### Tamahiko Shima

Kotori considers Tamahiko to be a close friend and appreciates him for being there for her.

## Etymology

* The name **Kotori** is written in hiragana (ことり), which has no special meaning. However, when written in kanji (小鳥, 琴梨, 琴莉 or 琴里), it could possibly mean:
	+ 小鳥 - "small" (小) (**ko**) and "bird, poultry, fowl" (鳥) (**tori**).
	+ 琴梨 - "Japanese harp" (琴) (**koto**) and "pear" (梨) (**ri**).
	+ 琴莉 - "Japanese harp" (琴) (**koto**) and "white jasmine" (莉) (**ri**).
	+ 琴里 - "Japanese harp" (琴) (**koto**) and "village" (里) (**ri**).
* Kotori's surname **Shiratori** means "swan" (白鳥).
	+ It can also mean "white" (白) (**shira**) and "bird, poultry, fowl" (鳥) (**tori**) separately.

## Trivia

* When in disguise, Kotori wears glasses and her hair is down.