Karen Tendō is an intelligent and diligent student who consistently earns top marks at Otobuki High School. Alongside her academic excellence, she is admired for her beauty, kindness, and composed nature traits that have earned her idol-like status among her peers. She is polite, always willing to help classmates and teachers, and is also physically gifted, having completed a 100-meter sprint in just 12.30 seconds thanks to her daily morning exercises. Despite receiving frequent romantic confessions, Karen does her best to reject others gently and respectfully to avoid hurting their feelings.

Beyond her graceful image, Karen is a passionate gamer. As president of the school’s Game Club, she takes gaming seriously and approaches every match with a competitive and focused mindset. Her love for video games plays a central role in her identity.

However, Karen struggles with rejection. When Keita Amano declined her invitation to join the Game Club twice she was deeply hurt and reduced to tears. She became determined to recruit him, often following him around to try again. After overhearing Keita defend her and the club against Tasuku Uehara’s criticisms, she was moved by his words and began to fall in love with him. Her feelings gradually disrupted her usual routine, making it difficult for her to focus on games as Keita constantly occupied her thoughts.

As a result, she began unintentionally acting coldly toward boys who confessed to her, often frightening them with her bluntness. Around Keita, her behavior shifted drastically she would blush easily, become nervous, and frequently imagine romantic scenarios involving him. This starkly contrasted with her usual calm and confident personality.

When she eventually became Keita’s girlfriend, Karen was thrilled to be in a relationship with him. Although she sometimes felt jealous of his close relationships with girls like Chiaki Hoshinomori and Aguri Sakurano, her affection for him remained sincere and strong. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with him, blushing when he held her hand at a festival and feeling touched when he told her he could think about her for hours.

Karen Tendō is a teenage girl of average height with striking green eyes and long blonde hair. While attending Otobuki High School, she wears the standard female school uniform, which she personalizes with a black ribbon tied at the back of her hair and a dark blue sweater vest. Outside of school, she is often seen in casual clothing that varies depending on the occasion.

Among her peers, Karen is widely regarded as the most beautiful girl at Otobuki High School, a distinction that draws admiration and attention from both male and female students alike.

Karen Tendō is the daughter of Kaori Tendō and renowned actor Satoshi Miyamoto. Her love for video games began in childhood, particularly during fifth grade when her eccentric older neighbor, Mafuyu Shiina a self-proclaimed “Masked Gamer” frequently visited to play games with her. Despite Mafuyu’s strange behavior, Karen grew fond of her, and this early connection significantly influenced Karen’s lifelong interest in gaming. Ironically, Karen chose to attend Otobuki High School instead of Hekiyō Academy, Mafuyu’s alma mater, because Otobuki had a Game Club she wished to join.

An early riser and physically active, Karen used to jog every morning before school. She’s also known to stay up all night playing video games, reflecting her deep dedication to gaming. After receiving approval to reform the Game Club, she recruited passionate gamers but rejected applicants whose main motivation was to date her. Under her leadership, the club became competitive, often winning gaming contests. Karen consistently declined romantic advances, including love letters, explaining she wasn’t interested in a relationship.

Karen’s life took a new turn when she encountered Keita Amano at a local game store. After some awkward exchanges and initial misunderstandings, she saw that Keita enjoyed gaming for the fun of it, much like herself, and invited him to join her club. The following day, she visited his classroom to formally take him to the club, surprising their classmates. She also introduced him to Eiichi Misumi, another gamer she had scouted. While both boys enjoyed the visit, Keita ultimately declined to join, preferring casual gaming over the club’s competitive atmosphere leaving Karen visibly shocked.

Undeterred, Karen returned to Keita’s classroom to invite him again, expressing her interest in his gaming skills. Though Keita was flattered, he once more declined. This second rejection hit Karen hard, causing her to run off in tears after uttering a few hurt words. Despite her heartbreak, she began secretly following Keita, hoping to find another chance to convince him. Her behavior was noticed by Aguri Sakurano and Tasuku Uehara, who were puzzled by her actions.

Karen eventually witnessed Keita standing up to Tasuku after he insulted her and the Game Club. Keita passionately defended her, listing her admirable traits and condemning Tasuku’s comments. Touched by his words, Karen realized she had fallen in love with him. When Tasuku confronted her afterward, she attempted to deny her feelings, but Tasuku encouraged her, saying he believed she and Keita would make a great couple leaving her embarrassed but hopeful.

The next day, Karen’s odd behavior continued, noticeable even to her classmates. Her joy turned to disappointment upon overhearing that Keita was speaking to another girl Chiaki Hoshinomori. Jealous and confused, Karen confronted Keita, only to collapse when he confirmed he wasn’t there for her. She stormed off, calling him two-faced, while Eiichi Misumi followed in concern.

Karen silently observed Keita and Chiaki’s growing friendship, hesitant to approach him despite encouragement from Eiichi. Later, Tasuku organized a meeting between himself, Keita, and Chiaki after a falling out between the two. Though Karen was still uneasy, Tasuku reassured her that Keita had reached out to Chiaki in hopes of better understanding how to talk to her, which comforted Karen.

Nonetheless, her feelings for Keita disrupted her usual routine. She struggled to focus, often embarrassing herself or causing minor accidents. While out on the weekend, she ran into Keita at the arcade. They played games together, and although she won most of them, Keita simply enjoyed the experience. This outing helped Karen clear her mind and reflect on her feelings for him.

Still caught up in her obsession, Karen’s performance in games continued to decline. After rejecting yet another suitor, Eiichi advised her to be more gentle, noting that her current approach seemed unnecessarily harsh.

Shortly after, Keita asked to meet with her. Fearing another rejection, Karen nervously prepared herself but to her surprise, he asked her out on a date. She accepted immediately, shocking Keita and the onlookers around them. Though Keita acted awkwardly afterward, Karen remained hopeful. When he later invited her to the rooftop, she braced herself for disappointment once more. Instead, he affirmed their new relationship, asking her on another date. They shared a humorous, awkward exchange before parting, both equally confused yet happy.

Their first date included a surprise interruption from Chiaki, who sought Keita’s help after being harassed. Karen, hiding her jealousy behind a strained smile, kindly greeted Chiaki but firmly asked the two not to act too familiar with each other. After learning Chiaki was looking for her younger sister, Karen offered to help find her and temporarily sent Keita away. Despite the third wheel, Karen enjoyed the date and later laughed with Keita on the bus ride home, solidifying their relationship as an official couple. It is later revealed that the two now frequently talk on the phone, showing the growth of their connection.

Eventually, Karen is invited by Chiaki to a board game gathering at her home, along with Keita, Tasuku, and Aguri, in an effort to resolve ongoing misunderstandings between them all.

The name Karen (花憐) is composed of the kanji ka (花), meaning “flower” or “blossom,” and ren (憐), which can mean “pity,” “sympathy,” or “compassion.” Her surname, Tendō (天道), combines ten (天), meaning “heaven” or “sky,” and dō (道), meaning “road” or “path.”

When written in Western order as Karen Tendō, her name serves as a subtle reference to the video game company Nintendo, reflecting her deep association with gaming within the series.