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Rio Ueda

Rio Ueda is a third-year high school student and a supporting character in the Orange series. Originally from Tokyo, she is most notably recognized as the ex-girlfriend of Kakeru Naruse. Her past relationship with Kakeru and lingering feelings toward him play a minor but notable role in the story’s exploration of emotional connections, regret, and interpersonal tension within the group of main characters.

Personality

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Appearance in Anime

To most of her classmates, Rio Ueda appears to be a charming and cheerful beauty, admired for her looks and upbeat personality. She carries herself with confidence and is well-liked on the surface, often regarded as a “school idol” by her peers. However, beneath this polished image lies a much harsher and manipulative personality, particularly when it comes to Naho Takamiya and her close group of friends.

Ueda is portrayed as jealous, possessive, and vindictive, especially toward Naho, whom she views as a rival for Kakeru Naruse’s attention even after she and Kakeru have already broken up. She makes multiple attempts to intimidate and humiliate Naho, including incidents where she shoves her to the ground and tries to steal a hair clip that Kakeru had gifted Naho. Her actions demonstrate a pattern of bullying and emotional manipulation, driven by her refusal to let go of her past relationship and her desire to maintain control.

Her possessiveness is further highlighted during confrontations with Kakeru, where she irrationally accuses him of being too close to Naho despite being in a relationship with her at the time. Ueda’s antagonistic behavior continues until Takako Chino intervenes, threatening to expose Ueda’s true nature to the entire school, which finally puts an end to her bullying.

Photo Section with Captions

Appearance

Rio Ueda is a beautiful teenage girl known for her polished and stylish appearance, which contributes to her popularity at school. She has fair skin, chin-length reddish-brown hair, and blunt bangs that cover her forehead. Her eyes are a light brown color, complementing her soft and refined features.

Ueda often enhances her looks with subtle makeup, typically wearing mascara and light-colored lip gloss, which gives her lips a fuller appearance and adds to her image as a well-groomed and confident individual. Her carefully maintained appearance plays a key role in shaping how others perceive her, especially in contrast to her more manipulative behavior behind the scenes.

Plot

After Rio Ueda confessed her feelings to Kakeru Naruse, a younger underclassman, the two entered a brief romantic relationship. During this time, Ueda became increasingly clingy and possessive, often seen hugging Kakeru’s arm in public and frequently inviting him to cafés, attempting to maintain control over their relationship. Her attachment escalated quickly, revealing a deeper insecurity and desire to dominate Kakeru’s attention.

However, Kakeru eventually realized that he had only accepted Ueda’s confession because of her outward appearance, rather than any genuine emotional connection. This led to their breakup, as Kakeru distanced himself from a relationship that he recognized lacked true substance.

Later in the series, during a confrontation with Takako Chino, Ueda bitterly claims that “Kakeru was only ever good for his looks.” Whether this statement reflected her genuine opinion during their relationship or was simply a defensive remark made in frustration remains ambiguous. The moment underscores Ueda’s inability to process rejection in a healthy way and further reveals her struggle with pride and emotional maturity.

Relationships

Kakeru Naruse
Ueda’s ex-boyfriend. Their relationship was superficial and short-lived, with Kakeru realizing he only dated her for her looks. Ueda’s attachment to Kakeru turns possessive and obsessive, even after their breakup.

Naho Takamiya
Ueda sees Naho as a threat to her relationship with Kakeru and frequently bullies her. Naho becomes the target of her jealousy and manipulative actions.

Takako Chino
One of Naho’s close friends. Takako ultimately puts a stop to Ueda’s harassment by threatening to expose her true nature to the school.

Trivia

    • The name Rio can have several meanings depending on the kanji used. Common interpretations include “white jasmine” (莉) or “village” (里) for ri, and “center” (央), “thread” (緒), or “cherry blossom” (桜) for o. These meanings can suggest delicacy or beauty, which contrasts with her more antagonistic behavior in the story.
    • Her surname Ueda (上田) is made up of “above, top, upper” (上) and “field, rice paddy” (田), which together can be interpreted as “upper field.” This surname is fairly common in Japan and does not carry any direct symbolic meaning within the story, though it may subtly reflect her elevated social status or popularity at school.