Kazuo Takahashi

Appearance
A boy of slight frame and small stature. Kazuo has shaggy hair and rarely keeps his uniform tidy.

Personality
Kazuo is reasonably outgoing, though he doesn't handle rejection well. Due to his lack of hygiene, as well as his overly talkative personality, people often brush him aside. Kazuo is intensely insecure about peoples' tendencies around him, and a part of him recognizes that it's his own faults that make him this way. He remains blindly hopeful that he'll meet people willing to accept him for who he is.

Background
Kazuo's family owns a hotel chain in Inaba! He and his family have been a part of the town for a couple years, and it seems that even his family is a little embarrassed.

Story
Kazuo's first day at Yasogami High began poorly, as he was immediately the target of bullies. He later met a few students who became his friends. Kazuo seemed enthusiastic to make new connections with people, and despite his manic tendencies, things seemed to be looking up for him. In particular, he seemed to develop a slight crush on his classmate, Meigetsu Otori.

On April 13th, Kazuo was shown to be the first person to appear on the Midnight Channel. He disappeared the next day, only to return severely disoriented on the 16th. A few of his friends, including Daisuke Tanaka, questioned him about what happened, but he was unable to provide them with much information. Kazuo reappeared on the Midnight Channel on April 19th, where he appeared to die on-screen. His body was found in the Samegawa Floodplain the following day, making Kazuo the Midnight Channel's first victim.