About “Haganai” in a few words:

Haganai, short for “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai” in Japanese, is an anime and manga series that follows the story of a high school boy named Kodaka Hasegawa and his attempts to make friends. He eventually joins the “Neighbors Club,” a group of students who are all struggling with their own social anxieties and difficulties in making friends. Together, they try to improve their social skills and form bonds with one another. The series is known for its comedic moments and unique characters, each with their own distinct personalities and quirks.

Meet the Neighbors Club members from Haganai

Kodaka Hasegawa

Kodaka is the painfully ordinary-looking protagonist who somehow has this weird aura of gentle grumpiness — like he’s perpetually five seconds away from sighing but also rescuing small animals, which he totally does, all the time. Quiet, socially awkward, and deadpan, he’s the kind of guy who ends up in bizarre situations just because everyone misreads his face (blond-ish hair that fools people into thinking things he did not consent to!). He’s reluctantly the glue of the Neighbors Club, patient more than charismatic, and you can tell he’s secretly trying to be normal while also being low-key heroic. Also he probably has stockpiles of manga and snacks in his room, though he’ll deny that with the same poker face he uses if you call him cute.

Yozora Mikazuki

Yozora is that razor-tongued, extremely dramatic loner who insists on being the “serious” one but also owns a ridiculous number of plushies — contradictions are her aesthetic. Sharp, commanding, suspicious of everyone’s motives (especially that budding “idiot” of a club president, seriously), she’s basically the club’s abrasive brain; she’ll lecture you on rules and then vanish for three days. She has this weirdly soft side that slips out in tiny, unreliable flashes, and honestly you never quite know whether she masterminded something cruel or a touching surprise. Oh, and she has an imaginary friend backstory or something? I think she does, which explains many binocular-staring moments.

Sena Kashiwazaki

Sena is the shining, sparkly popular girl who is equal parts dazzling and baffling — like she was born to be admired but also is a hardcore gaming nerd, which is the best combo. Gorgeous, confidence-on-steroids, and alarmingly competitive, she’s the kind of person who will beat you at a game and then pout if you don’t notice her best side (which is of course flawless). She can be surprisingly clueless socially — generous but oddly naive — and throws tantrums with the ferocity of a queen having her dessert stolen. Also she apparently can’t cook to save her life, despite looking like she stepped out of a fashion magazine; somehow that makes her more lovable? Yes, absolutely.

Kobato Hasegawa

Kobato is the precocious, mischievous little sister who insists on being adorable and then stabs you with honesty like it’s a hobby — basically the tiny boss of everyone’s emotions. Too-cute voice, huge scheming energy, and a weirdly sharp intelligence stuffed into a pint-sized body; she adores Kodaka with a mix of feral attachment and strategic manipulation (it’s both wholesome and terrifying). She’ll suddenly switch from sugar-sweet to “did she just plan an economic coup?” mode, which keeps everyone on their toes and giggling nervously. Also she collects shiny things, or stamps, or possibly names of clouds — memory fuzzy, but definitely collects something dramatic.

Yukimura Kusunoki

Yukimura is the cinnamon-roll-but-stern character who is secretly a walking identity riddle — looks like a girl, dead earnest, and obsessed with chivalry in a way that’s both old-school and very modern. He’s super loyal, kind of fluffy on the surface, but can turn into a tactical commander of manners and tea service if the situation demands it (and it somehow always does). Serious about training and honor, yet also prone to ridiculous, embarrassing declarations of devotion that read like a tiny drama script — and yet you totally believe him. Oh, and he’s suspiciously good at origami? Or martial arts? Both, probably.

Rika Shiguma

Rika is the gloriously chaotic genius who combusts science and lewd jokes into one brilliant, cursed package — she’s basically the club’s mad professor with impeccable timing. Brilliant, perverse (in the most theatrical way), bubbly, and terrifyingly curious, she’ll explain the physics of a love potion and then casually demonstrate it on a stuffed animal; it’s both educational and morally questionable. She has this theatrical, flirtatious way of making every lecture feel like a late-night variety show and everyone is slightly more entertained than they should be. Also she hoards lab equipment and bad puns, and possibly has a secret stash of cookies in the centrifuge — I’m not making that up? Maybe.

Maria Takayama

Maria is the tiny, deadpan adorable maidish presence who serves as emotional support and moral compass depending on the week — she’s impossibly composed yet very youthful, which is kind of the cutest contradiction ever. Formal, polite, and unflappably serious about her duties (and also about knuckle-rolling ridiculousness), she brings this calm, almost saintly energy to the chaos of the club while quietly judging everyone’s life choices. She’s loyal and weirdly perceptive, which makes her small comments land like gentle reality checks — and she has this habit of appearing exactly when someone needs a sane voice. Also rumors say she sleeps on a throne of doilies; I may have been told that by someone unreliable.