Character Relationship Map: NEW GAME!

Characters

• Aoba Suzukaze (played by Yuuki Takada) — protagonist
• Kou Yagami (played by Yoko Hikasa) — protagonist
• Rin Tooyama (played by Ai Kayano) — supporting
• Hifumi Takimoto (played by Megumi Yamaguchi) — supporting
• Hajime Shinoda (played by Megumi Toda) — supporting
• Yun Iijima (played by Ayumi Takeo) — minor
• Nene Sakura (played by Madoka Asahina) — minor
• Umiko Ahagon (played by Chitose Morinaga) — minor
• Shizuku Hazuki (played by Eri Kitamura) — minor
• Hotaru Hoshikawa (played by Manaka Iwami) — cameo

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Aoba Suzukaze → Kou Yagami (Mentor) — Kou guides Aoba's design workflow and pace, while Aoba takes initiative in communicating technical details to the 3D team.

  "Aoba sees that her designs that won at the character design competition had already been made into 3D by Hifumi, and she tells Hifumi to ask her if s...

• Aoba Suzukaze → Umiko Ahagon (Senior-Junior Colleagues) — A professional dynamic marked by initial friction over technical errors, evolving into mutual respect and collaborative mentorship.

  "Umiko expresses frustration toward Aoba regarding model errors in S1E7, and later asks Aoba to observe a programmer interview in S2E7."

• Kou Yagami → Rin Tooyama (Colleague) — Kou and Rin communicate directly about career moves and company events, indicating a peer-level professional relationship.

  "At a promotional event for Peco, Ko tells Rin that she is going to France for a few years to develop a game at another company and build upon her exp...

• Hifumi Takimoto → Aoba Suzukaze (Team Leader-Designer) — A working relationship where Hifumi translates Aoba's concepts into 3D assets, occasionally facing pressure over production timelines.

  "Hifumi creates 3D models from Aoba's designs in S2E2-E3, and later struggles with deadline management in S2E5."

• Umiko Ahagon → Kou Yagami (Colleague) — They interact during company events and hiring processes, maintaining a peer-level professional relationship.

  "Umiko tells Aoba that the skills of the programmer had already been acknowledged. At a promotional event, Ko tells Rin she is going to France."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Hajime Shinoda (Colleague) — They interact regularly as department colleagues, coordinating on project visuals and team social events.

  "Yun and Hajime start talking about the key visuals for the game. Aoba, Hajime, and Yun struggle with picking out a restaurant for the new hires welco...

• Yun Iijima → Hifumi Takimoto (Model Deadline Coordinators) — Peers coordinating model progress under new leadership, facing shared deadline pressures.

  "Hifumi asks Yun about 3D model progress in S2E5, and Yun struggles with deadlines."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Hifumi Takimoto (Design-Model Alignment) — A technical partnership ensuring design concepts are accurately translated into 3D models.

  "Aoba finalizes designs with Ko in S2E3, and Hifumi asks about design questions in S2E3."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Yun Iijima (Project Collaborators) — Peers who regularly collaborate on technical and design aspects of game development projects.

  "They attend the Tokyo Game Exhibit together in S1E11, and coordinate on 3D models and key visuals in S2E5-E6."

• Shizuku Hazuki → Umiko Ahagon (Design Team Collaborators) — Colleagues coordinating on character concepts and competing in internal design challenges.

  "Umiko makes a proposal for Shizuku in S2E1, and they participate in the character design competition in S2E2."

• Umiko Ahagon → Nene Sakura (Department Peers) — Peers in the same department who build rapport through company social events and shared workload.

  "Both interact during the donut party in S1E10 and team integration events in S2E8."

• Hifumi Takimoto → Shizuku Hazuki (Colleague) — They operate within the same character development pipeline, coordinating proposals and model progress.

  "Umiko makes a proposal for Shizuku. Hifumi is now the character team leader and uses all of her courage to ask Aoba and Yun about their progress."

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Yun Iijima → Hajime Shinoda (Sibling-Like Friends) — Close friends who share personal histories and support each other through fandom and workplace challenges.

  "They attend a hero show together in S2E9, and Yun reveals her past geek identity to Hajime."

• Hajime Shinoda → Yun Iijima (Fellow Otaku Colleagues) — Close friends and coworkers who share fandom interests and support each other through workplace stress.

  "They navigate office life together in S1E10-E11, and collaborate on ticket hunting and hero show attendance in S2E4-E5."

• Aoba Suzukaze → Nene Sakura (Office Friends) — Colleagues who gradually become close friends, bonding over shared workplace experiences and personal backgrounds.

  "Nene assists with debugging in S1E8, and later shares personal motivation stories about Hotaru in S2E11."

Story Analysis

A two-season arc tracking professional growth, team dynamics, and creative development at Eagle Jump.

Plot Progression

1. Season 1: Onboarding & Crunch — Aoba navigates her first year at Eagle Jump, facing technical challenges, overtime, and team dynamics while preparing for the Fairies Story 3 release.
2. Season 1: Release & Celebration — The team pushes through final debugging and spec changes, culminating in the successful launch of Fairies Story 3 and a company-wide celebration.
3. Season 2: Growth & Competition — Aoba transitions into a designer role, competes in internal design challenges, and adapts to new leadership dynamics while managing increased responsibilities.
4. Season 2: Team Integration & Stress — New hires bond over programming tasks, leadership trials cause deadline friction, and personal backgrounds are revealed through shared workplace experiences.
5. Season 2: Transition & Recognition — Code bugs and design delays test team resilience, Ko announces her departure, and Aoba receives public acknowledgment for her design contributions.