Inoue Takina

Overview

Inoue Takina is one of the main protagonists of Lycoris Recoil. Formerly a Second Lycoris agent at the Direct Attack (DA) headquarters, she is reassigned to the suburban cafe LycoReco following an insubordination incident. Pragmatic and strictly results-driven, she initially focuses on earning a transfer back to headquarters. However, her partnership with Nishikigi Chisato and her experiences at the cafe gradually transform her rigid outlook on duty and life.

Appearance

Takina is a young girl with long straight black hair, straight-cut bangs, and purple eyes. When in her Lycoris uniform, her hair hangs straight down, but she styles it into twintails with assistance from Nishikigi Chisato when working at Cafe LycoReco. Her Second Lycoris combat attire consists of a navy blue and grey two-tone pleated dress over a white collared shirt, detailed with a green neck ribbon, a blue belt, black knee-high socks, and loafers. Her cafe uniform features a blue kimono-style outfit with a yellow waist bow and a white apron. Originally wearing black men's boxers, she later adopts standard female undergarments and black shorts under her dress. She carries a multifunctional weapon container disguised as a school bag.

Personality

Takina possesses a serious, cool, and deeply pragmatic temperament. She detests inefficiency and values concrete results above all else, often taking direct action without hesitation. She is largely out of touch with social trends, fashion, and conventional teenage hobbies. Initially cold and rigid in her adherence to duty, her daily life at Cafe LycoReco softens her demeanor, allowing her to become more expressive and fiercely protective of her companions. Despite her logical mindset, she displays a eccentric artistic sense, once creating an strangely shaped dessert that became an unexpected commercial hit.

Abilities

Takina is an extraordinarily accurate marksman specializing in handguns. She can repeatedly strike vital points in rapid succession and hit small moving targets, such as airborne drones, even while firing from a jumping vehicle. Her primary weapon is a 9mm Smith & Wesson M&P 9L pistol, which she fits with a suppressor as needed. During a crisis, she demonstrated high technical proficiency by operating a captured PKM general-purpose machine gun. Under Nishikigi Chisato's influence, she incorporates non-lethal tactics, using restraint firearms and targeting non-fatal areas like limbs to incapacitate enemies.

Background

After starting at the DA Kyoto branch, Takina transferred to the Tokyo headquarters to partner with Harukawa Fuki. During a raid on an arms ring, she disobeyed orders and fired an automatic weapon to rescue a captured teammate, killing all key targets in the process. As punishment, she was transferred to Cafe LycoReco. Although she initially strove to earn a return to headquarters, her time with Nishikigi Chisato led her to accept the cafe as her true home. When Chisato's life became threatened by the limited lifespan of her artificial heart, Takina temporarily returned to active DA service to find a way to save her partner.

Relationships

Takina forms a core partnership with Nishikigi Chisato at Cafe LycoReco; despite initial confusion over Chisato's non-lethal policy and laid-back nature, she develops an unshakeable bond of trust with her. She resolves past friction with her former partner, Harukawa Fuki, during a practice combat exercise. Upon learning that Kurumi's past hacking indirectly caused her transfer, Takina chooses not to hold a grudge. Her standing with DA Commander Kusunoki remains rigid due to her past insubordination, though Takina consistently proves her exceptional competence.

Trivia

Takina's given name comes from a regional Western Japanese term for the Hosta plant. Her design was established early in production to serve as a direct visual and thematic contrast to Nishikigi Chisato's short hair and vibrant demeanor. The memorable foot-kicking scene between Takina and Chisato in the anime opening sequence pays homage to the 1986 film Stand by Me.