Love Exposure - Characters & Cast

Initially, his motivation is to commit sins to have something to confess to his priest father, believing it's the only way to maintain a relationship with him. This evolves into an all-consuming, pure love for Yoko, whom he sees as his destined 'Maria,' and the desire to save her and his family from the Zero Church.

Yu begins as a devout, sinless teenager desperate for his father's affection. This desperation drives him to become a master 'pervert,' a path he undertakes with artistic dedication rather than lust. His quest is to find his 'Maria,' an idealized woman. Upon meeting Yoko, his journey shifts to winning her love, forcing him to confront the manipulative Zero Church, rescue his family, and ultimately transcend his roles as both 'sinner' and 'perfect son.' He loses his memory and identity before finally reconnecting with Yoko, his love for her being the only thing that remains.

Her primary motivation is to resist patriarchal control and abuse, which manifests as a generalized hatred of men. She seeks a form of love and protection she can trust, which she initially projects onto 'Miss Scorpion.' Later, her motivation becomes survival and escaping the psychological prison of the Zero Church.

Introduced as a rebellious, aggressive teenager who hates men due to her abusive father, Yoko only respects Jesus and Kurt Cobain. She is a skilled fighter. She falls for Yu's female disguise, 'Miss Scorpion,' revealing a vulnerability beneath her tough exterior. Her world is turned upside down when she is targeted and brainwashed by the Zero Church. Her journey is one of being broken down by the cult and then slowly finding her way back to reality through Yu's relentless efforts, eventually coming to accept and reciprocate his love.

Her motivation is to shatter the ideal of love and prove that all human connection is rooted in pain and perversion. She manipulates everyone around her to bring them into the Zero Church and destroy Yu's relationship with Yoko, thereby validating her own worldview and tragic past.

A victim of horrific sexual abuse by her father, Koike has developed a deeply nihilistic and manipulative personality. She joins the Zero Church and becomes a key recruiter. After a chance encounter, she becomes obsessed with Yu, not out of love, but out of a desire to prove that his 'pure' love is just another form of perversion born from trauma, like her own pain. Her arc is a descent into madness as her elaborate plans to control Yu and his family spiral, culminating in her self-destruction when she realizes she cannot break the genuine bond between Yu and Yoko.

His motivation fluctuates wildly. Initially, it is religious piety and a misguided attempt to guide his son. After his heartbreak, it becomes a desperate, almost sadistic need for control, channeled through the sacrament of confession. Ultimately, his motivation becomes the desire to reclaim his family and his own sense of self from the Zero Church.

Tetsu begins as a kind father, but after his wife's death, he becomes a devout, almost fanatical Catholic priest. His relationship with a woman named Kaori shakes his faith, and when she leaves, he becomes emotionally detached and cruel, demanding constant confessions from Yu. This action inadvertently pushes his son into a life of sin. Tetsu's journey sees him lose his faith, get drawn into the Zero Church, and ultimately find a form of redemption by reconnecting with his son and fighting against the cult that manipulated him.