Characters With the Light

1 characters

1.1 azuma family
1.2 teachers
1.3 others

characters
azuma family

sachiko azuma (née nishiyama)
the narrator of series/hikaru s mother. in beginning, finds herself battling difficulties of raising autistic child along indifference of husband , society blaming her son s condition. however, of many people, starts raise hikaru hope.
masato azuma
sachiko s husband/hikaru s father. on, masato seemed unsympathetic sachiko going through because high-level position in company took hours of hard work, leaving him little time talk her. masato embarrassed hikaru s behavior , upset diagnosis. , sachiko separated temporarily after fight masato s refusal face issue. without sachiko around make sure taking care of himself, collapsed overwork. prompted him rethink priorities , decided choose become father hikaru. masato demoted in third volume mean superior , sent factory far away no 1 before lasted long time. in new workplace, masato completes series of proposals products , ideas improve lives of disabled people , find them work within company. these proposals him promoted in volume 4 , sets setting mushroom factory staffed disabled people, , perhaps hikaru someday.
hikaru azuma
sachiko , masato s firstborn, , main character of series. autism showed few days after birth. hikaru hated picked , held baby , did not grow in step children age, leading sachiko seek doctor him. has been wearing diapers long time. hikaru dislikes loud , painful noises such crowds, buddhist chanting, , babies crying. likes trains , memorizes many of them, including ones no longer running. many autistic people, when changed in routine without warning, such show switching times or being canceled, upsets him. however, story continues, , parents figure out how handle situation. since elementary school, starts show unique talents, including cooking , mixing colors. sachiko named hikaru beautiful sunrise when born(the japanese word 光る, read hikaru , means shine ).
kanon azuma
sachiko , masato s second child. born in second volume of original version. not have autism brother, hikaru. despite this, sachiko hopes 2 children grow care , teach 1 another. named after type of music listened while giving birth her(canon). born during typhoon while masato away in sweden.

teachers

shigeru aoki
the special education teacher @ shichigatsu elementary; clever , optimistic instructor. after spending 4 years hikaru, transfers school because thought staying same teacher long time wouldn t benefit students in special education class. in years spends hikaru, helps him grow.
noriko wakabayashi
the teacher buddy system class @ shichigatsu elementary, works closely aoki benefit students. later, marries aoki; however, unlike him, continues stay in shichigatsu elementary.
gunji
described having once been passionate teacher , gunji becomes new special education teacher after aoki in hikaru s fifth grade year. in beginning, gunji struggles students because hadn t taught autistic children before , didn t know autism. through trial , error, regains passion teaching children. since had 1 year of teaching left retire, leaves school after teaching hikaru during fifth grade year.

others

miyu honda
miyu enters story in second volume of light (third of tankōbon). autistic, hikaru. however, when entered shichigatsu elementary, miyu s mother didn t know autistic. also, being pretty neglected before, facing lots of struggles. , support of aoki on years spends him, miyu grows , develops.
additionally, name on english version of manga series spelled wrong; should written miu , not miyu , since hiragana of name みう , read miu .
moe nakajima
hikaru s childhood friend cared him since preschool. moe children , hopes become preschool teacher someday.
daisuke ishida
daisuke, 2 years older hikaru, hikaru s partner in planting tomatoes in school vegetable garden. enjoyed time spent hikaru because child had wanted little brother.
takuya oki
takuya jealous of hikaru s loving family because abused alcoholic father , neglected. also, mother runs away house man, leaving takuya devastated. when 1 day sees hikaru wander onto bus himself, goes after him out of worry. later, takuya s father dies of liver damage. takuya sent orphanage, abused group of sixth graders. however, helped masato, , possibly got transferred orphanage.
kanata tanaka
a childhood friend of hikaru. kanata becomes teen idol fifth grade year. later, moves away because of father s job, own career celebrity.
hisako nakajima
moe s mother. when hikaru on top of high building, moe follows him, despite having fear of heights. since incident, hisako starts resent hikaru , sachiko, blaming them daughter s near-death experience. @ home, lives daughter , mother, whom takes care of after suffering stroke. after seeing how devoted daughter hikaru, begins accept him.
katakura
one of sachiko s former friends mothers group. begins resent hikaru because thinks weird, , sachiko because thinks sachiko isn t doing job @ raising son. cares lot how eri, daughter, academically. reason because if eri doesn t well, 1 gets blamed husband not doing job raising daughter.
tanaka
one of sachiko s friends mothers group. unlike eri s mother, stands defend hikaru , sachiko. sachiko comments despite fact dresses flashy, s devoted mother , loyal friend.
takako azuma
masato s mother. blames sachiko @ first hikaru s diagnosis, later finds out autism isn t parents fault. while not blame sachiko hikaru s autism anymore, doesn t accept hikaru. devoted kanon. in tankōbon three, berates sachiko putting kanon in daycare instead of kindergarten , letting act crude. presses sachiko , masato send kanon same school other granddaughter. goes far offer let kanon, kanon, live school. masato rejects offer. tends alternate between kimono , western clothing.
mr. & mrs. nishiyama
sachiko s parents. after sachiko gets out if house hikaru after argument masato, lives them while until masato collapses @ work , decides become better father hikaru. mrs. nishiyama has frail health, while mr. nishiyama close retirement. comes sachiko , masato s house , helps out.