ORESUKI Are you the only one who loves me? - Characters & Cast

Initially, Joro's motivation is purely selfish: to create a harem of cute girls. After this plan fails spectacularly, his motivation shifts to survival and revenge against those who wronged him. As the story progresses, his primary motivation becomes protecting Pansy and his other friends from external threats and their own self-destructive tendencies, even if he still frames it in his mind as part of his grander scheme.

Joro begins as a deeply cynical high schooler who fakes a "nice guy" persona to manipulate girls into liking him. His primary goal is to live out a real-life harem fantasy. When his initial plans collapse, he's forced into an alliance with Pansy, the only person who sees his true self. Throughout the series, Joro is repeatedly humbled and forced to confront the consequences of his and others' manipulations. While he never fully loses his cunning and foul-mouthed inner monologue, his arc sees him genuinely starting to care for his friends and value honesty. He evolves from a purely selfish schemer into someone who uses his strategic mind to protect his friends, ultimately accepting that being his true, flawed self is better than being a fake protagonist.

Pansy's motivation is simple and unwavering: she is genuinely in love with Joro's hidden personality, which she first witnessed during a baseball game the previous year where he showed selfless support for Sun-chan. All of her actions, from stalking him to forming alliances, are aimed at getting closer to him and having him accept her affections and, more importantly, accept himself.

Pansy is introduced as a quiet, bookish librarian with glasses and braids, but this is a disguise. Her true self is sharp-witted, perceptive, and beautiful. She is the catalyst for the entire story, as she is the only one who loves Joro's true, "scumbag" personality. Her arc involves slowly revealing her own vulnerabilities and the reasons for her disguise. She acts as Joro's confidante and moral compass, consistently pushing him to be true to himself. Her unwavering belief in the "real" Joro helps him grow, and she, in turn, learns to open up and trust others, culminating in her revealing her true appearance to everyone.

Sun-chan is motivated by a desperate need for approval and a fear of being hated or seen as less than perfect. He fell in love with Pansy at the same baseball game where she noticed Joro. His jealousy over Pansy's affection for Joro drives him to betray his best friend. After being forgiven, his motivation shifts to truly supporting Joro and atoning for his actions.

Sun-chan is presented as the perfect best friend: friendly, popular, and the star of the baseball team. However, this cheerful persona masks deep-seated insecurities and jealousy towards Joro's relationship with Pansy. His arc takes a dark turn when he manipulates Cosmos and Himawari to frame Joro and turn the school against him. After his betrayal is exposed, Sun-chan hits rock bottom and is forced to confront his flaws. His arc becomes one of redemption, as he works to mend his friendship with Joro, learning to be a more genuine and supportive friend rather than a competitor in the game of love.

Her initial motivation is to win Sun-chan's affection. She sees Joro as a convenient tool to achieve this goal. Later in the series, after Joro helps her despite her earlier manipulation, her motivation shifts towards understanding and supporting him, leading to her developing romantic feelings for him.

Cosmos initially appears as the stereotypical beautiful and intelligent student council president. She manipulates Joro, using their friendship to try and get closer to Sun-chan. After this plan backfires and Sun-chan's betrayal is revealed, she is forced to reflect on her own actions. Her arc involves realizing her feelings were more complicated than she thought, and she eventually develops genuine affection for Joro, not for his fake persona, but for the kindness he shows despite his cynicism. She grows from a one-dimensional archetype into a more rounded character who understands the complexity of her own emotions.

Initially driven by a crush on Sun-chan, Himawari's actions are straightforward and emotionally charged. She wants Joro's help because she believes their close bond makes him the perfect person to assist her. As the series progresses, her motivation becomes more about repairing her friendship with Joro and navigating her newfound, confusing feelings for him.

Himawari fits the energetic, bubbly childhood friend trope perfectly at the start. Like Cosmos, she uses her long-standing friendship with Joro to try and get with Sun-chan. She is shown to be less cunning than Cosmos but equally willing to manipulate Joro. Her development follows a similar path; she feels remorse for her actions after the truth is revealed. Her arc is about maturing and realizing the value of her friendship with Joro, which she took for granted. She also develops feelings for Joro, recognizing the genuine person underneath the facades.