About “Mirai Nikki” in a few words:

Mirai Nikki, also known as Future Diary, is a Japanese anime series that follows Yukiteru Amano, a lonely high school student who gains the ability to predict the future through his diary. Along with other “diary holders,” Yukiteru is thrust into a battle royale to become the next god of time and space. The series is known for its intense and twisted plot, complex characters, and exploration of themes such as mental illness, identity, and morality.

Meet the characters from Mirai Nikki

Yukiteru Amano

Okay, Yukiteru is that painfully relatable protagonist who starts off as the ultimate wallflower and somehow becomes… less of a wall. He’s awkward, indecisive, talks to his phone like it’s a living thing (well, it kind of is), and is always surprised when people expect him to be brave — which is fair. Deep down he’s stubbornly caring, very fond of weird snacks at 3 a.m., and somehow manages to make split-second survival choices despite stuttering his way through life. Also he keeps a lot of notes and sometimes forgets where he put them, which is both charming and the worst.

Yuno Gasai

Yuno is pure, unhinged devotion wrapped in pink hair and syrupy smiles — and yes, that sounds dramatic because she is. She obsessively, terrifyingly loves Yukiteru (like full-on stalker poetry level) but also is a tactical mastermind who will plan five steps ahead while humming a nursery rhyme. One minute she’s baking cookies and giggling; the next she’s inventing a plan to survive the apocalypse and it’s somehow adorable and horrifying at the same time. Also rumor has it she’s ambidextrous with knives? Maybe. I mean, probably.

Aru Akise

Aru is the sneaky genius best friend/detective type who reads everything like it’s a murder mystery (even his cereal box, probably). He’s calm, obsessive about logic, and has this irritatingly clever grin that screams “I already figured it out” — and he usually has. He’s loyal in a stubborn, slightly smug way and will chase truth down rabbit holes wearing a sweater vest or whatever hip thing he wears. Little weird fact: he collects conspiracy theories like baseball cards, which is adorable and a little dangerous.

Tsubaki Kasugano

Tsubaki is the stern, zealous leader with a soft spot buried under a lot of rituals and very serious outfits. She runs a cult-y crew and believes in destiny like it’s a recipe — follow the steps and you’ll get salvation, or chaos, depending on who’s reading her notes. Her devotion is neat and terrifying; she can be maternal one second and coldly merciless the next, which keeps everyone on their toes. She also insists on perfect tea ceremony posture and will scold you for slurping, even in a crisis.

Minene Uryu

Minene is the scarred, loud-as-hell escape artist who used to blow stuff up for a living and now blows people away with her blunt honesty instead. She’s tough, cynical, and secretly sentimental (hates admitting it), and she has this ridiculous pride about being a “survivor” that makes her equal parts badass and soft when it counts. She curses like a sailor, chainsmokes maybe, and will barbecue anyone who crosses the kids under her protection — with a terrifying smile. Also, she makes a surprisingly good pie? Don’t ask how that fits.

Keigo Kurusu

Keigo is the straight-laced cop/detective who tries to be the law but often gets tangled in the messiness of everyone else’s morality. He’s very by-the-book — until circumstances force him off the book and then he’s doing weird, earnest improv law enforcement. There’s a kind of desperate kindness to him; he wants order and will bend himself into moral origami to get it. He keeps a tiny, slightly dead office plant as a mascot for his failing optimism, I swear.

Kamado Ueshita

Kamado is like the mayoral mom of an entire neighborhood of kids — warm, regal, and ruthlessly practical when she has to be. She runs a group that feels like a cross between a daycare and a tiny empire, offering snacks and tough love in equal measure. Charming, strategic, and a little theatrical (there are probably banners), she makes hard choices while humming lullabies and making sure no one gets left behind. Also she has a leadership pose that is inexplicably inspirational, even when she’s just eating candy.

Reisuke Hojo

Reisuke gives off that cold, calculating vibe — like someone who plays chess with people and calls it conversation. He’s meticulous, maybe a tad sinister, and treats chaos like a hobby rather than a crisis, which is alarming but efficient. There’s an old-fashioned politeness to him that makes him way creepier when he smiles; also he has an unsettlingly calm laugh, the sort that shows up in bad movies. Tiny detail: he probably keeps a little figurine of a cat on his desk, for reasons.

Muru Muru

Muru Muru is the goofy, bureaucratic assistant to Deus who looks like they belong in a surreal office sitcom. Whiny and blunt and very fond of paperwork, they’ll tell you the rules and then roll their eyes when you break them — adorable, petty, and oddly protective of the whole killing-game contract. They have mood swings like weather and a pocketful of strange trinkets that may or may not be snacks. Also, talkative, very talkative; you will learn too much about the rules of reality from them at 2 a.m.

Deus Ex Machina

Deus is the literal god of the show who handed out diaries like party favors and then got bored watching the chaos, which is peak dramatic irony. He’s grand, theatrical, and kind of a diva about cosmic things — loves big speeches, loves big gestures, and probably collects clocks for fun. Beneath the pomp is boredom and loneliness, honestly; he created a game to feel anything and then regretted the paperwork. Also he sometimes speaks in overly poetic lines and then apologizes like a cranky old man, which is very on-brand.