__Unit:__ Knights
__Club:__ Tea Club
__Circles:__ FLAVOR, CRAFTMONSTER

In the daytime it's hard to get his engine going, so Ritsu is often found napping in all sorts of places. He goes at his own pace and is relaxed, but can say some cutting things when he thinks quickly. His singing voice is like a sweet whisper, and his performances flow languidly.
A member of NEW DIMENSION’s Knights.

Though he may seem cold and uninterested, Ritsu is a playful and intelligent person at his core. Energy isn't something that comes naturally to him, and he is instead quietly passionate, and likes to tease others, enjoying their reactions.

At the start of the year, Ritsu tended to distance himself from his classmates and idol activities, which he viewed as laborious and boring because of the previous fractured state of knights. He was reluctant to make friends due to this (Mao also insinuates he has social anxiety issues). But as the year goes on, Ritsu begins to open up and form important bonds with his friends and unitmates. He is very loyal and affectionate to the select few he is truly comfortable with.

Ritsu can be blunt and harsh to a fault, but is very intuitive and often picks up on others' emotions. He regards psychoanalysis as a 'bad habit' of his, yet is very adept at it. At times, he be very clingy, and loves it when others praise him. He can be violent, especially towards his older brother, and doesn't hold his tongue often. Despite this, he can get very protective of his loved ones, to the point of being possessive.

Ritsu has abandonment issues largely stemming from Rei's absence last year, which contributes to his tendency of clinging to those he truly loves, yet also his habit of distancing himself from others as a whole. He shares Rei's aversion of sunlight, and becomes more active and 'alive' at night. They also share a habit of jokingly regarding themselves as older and wiser than their juniors.

He loves music, and plays the piano. His songwriting reveals a much deeper and more wistful side of him, something that he almost never reveals to others, preferring his smug and sleepy persona. Somewhat surprisingly, though, he tends to keep things to himself to avoid burdening others. As it stands, Ritsu values his unit and friends very much, and is willing to put effort into his idol work (or at least that which interests him).

An anime adaptation of the idol raising game Ensemble Stars! 

The "idol-training game" takes place at a private boys' idol-training school with a history of turning out many great talents in show business. The protagonist is the school's lone female student who transfers to the school because of a special situation, and enters the school's producer department. 

(Source: Anime News Network)

[Profile (Arts Vision)](https://www.artsvision.co.jp/talent/518/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/DaiKing_boy) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/daiki_yamashita_boy/) | [Website](https://yamashitadaiki.com/)

He is affiliated with Arts Vision and was the winner of the Best Male Newcomer award at the 8th Seiyu Awards in 2014.

[Twitter](https://twitter.com/zachbolton6)

Also a line producer.

Ensemble Square - a brand new building in the middle of the city where countless people come and go. It’s home to four offices belonging to idols who spend their days singing and dancing. Films starring the Ensemble Square idols have been nominated for the Idol Film Festival (IFF), an annual festival held in New York City, and representative idols are selected to attend. The boys jet off to NYC to attend the festival and reception party, and afterward, head out on the town to see the sights and sounds. But a suspicious shadow is creeping up on them… 

(Source: Tokyo Otaku Mode)

New Ensemble Stars!! web animated series based on the game story "Checkmate".

An animation commemorating the 5th year anniversary of the Ensemble Stars!! mobile game. 
The theme song track is "Walk with your smile Acoustic Ver."

The main plot of the novel follows the game's main story, but in the novel readers are now given insight on Anzu's thoughts, as well as more in-depth characterization of some characters.


Ritsu Sakuma