An average guy, for better or worse. Besides being an idol, he is also an aspiring actor. While Tomoya is serious and caring, he is easily swayed by his surroundings. With a mild, humble voice, he delivers energetic, vigorous performances.
The leader of Rhythm Link's Ra*bits.[1]
I'm Tomoya Mashiro from Rhythm Link and the unit Ra*bits, which has a theme of being "small and cute." I might be more "average" than everyone else... However, my willingness to put a smile on all our fans' faces is unmatched! I'm still a bit unreliable, but I'll definitely grow into a magnificent idol that you'll be proud of, so please give me your support! Thank you...♪[1]
MitsuruTomo-chan's kinda like a mom, since he's always naggin' me around. But he only tells me off when I do somethin' bad, so I'm super thankful for that~♪ It always feels like I'm gonna dash off and leave everyone behind, so Tomo-chan being there to hold me back is a really good thing! I wanna be friends with him forever and ever~![1]
Ensemble Stars! Introduction
A serious kid who tends to put things bluntly, Tomoya's a pessimist who gets dragged into situations around him fairly easily. While he hates being viewed as weird due to his unique surroundings, he's also not happy with being thought of as "average".
In the Theater Club he's at the mercy of the eccentric president Wataru Hibiki's whims. He has strong confidence in fellow club member Hokuto Hidaka's common sense.
A member of the unit Ra✽bits. He's been friends with fellow member Hajime Shino since middle school and acts as the energetic Mitsuru Tenma's impulse control at times.
Appearance
Tomoya is a slightly shorter than average boy with an average build. His hair is short and a dirty blonde color. He has dull-colored brown eyes and thick eyebrows. He wears the school uniform, a white shirt with an unbuttoned collar and red tie under a beige vest with black stripes. His blazer is left open. He wears orange colored sneakers with white and black accents, and white laces.
Ensemble Stars! Appearance
Tomoya is a slightly shorter than average boy with an average build. His hair is short and a dirty blonde color. He has dull-colored brown eyes and thick eyebrows. He wears the school uniform, a white shirt with an unbuttoned collar and red tie under a beige vest with black stripes. His blazer is left open. He wears orange colored sneakers with white and black accents, and white laces.
On stage, Tomoya wears the Ra✽bits uniform--a blue and white sailor outfit. The collar is blue with a gold stripe and decorated with a blue bow with a white stripe. The bow is accented with a small gold star. The sleeve cuffs are also blue. The shirt is white and has a blue pocket on it, with gold buttons on the front. He wears blue shorts that reach right above his knees, accessorized with a bell on the side with dangling light blue and white ribbons. He wears white high socks with a blue stripe, together with brown boots with yellow laces. The uniform also has a blue beret decorated with a musical note.
Personality
Serious and determined, Tomoya is someone who always tries his hardest in everything he does. Despite lacking any natural talent, he can be very stubborn once he sets his mind to something, and his resilience and ability to keep trying in the face of any hardship are what other characters find most admirable about him. Tomoya is straightforward with his intentions and honest to the point of being blunt, always saying exactly what is on his mind regardless of who he is talking to.
Having been an avid idol fan from a young age, Tomoya has always wished to become a popular idol so he can shine on stage just like his heroes. His tendency to hero-worship the people he admires extends to those he knows in person, the most notable example being Hokuto. He also greatly looks up to Nazuna and Wataru, seeing them both as huge influences on his life and trying his best to imitate them in certain respects. Tomoya is largely driven by chasing after and attempting to reach the people he finds inspiring, bettering himself so he may be able to call himself their equal someday.
Tomoya is extremely passionate about the things that are important to him, often getting emotional over trying to achieve his goals and frustrated when things are not going his way. He cares deeply for the people closest to him, his emotional outbursts extending to when he feels that his loved ones are being undervalued or treated unfairly (both by themselves and by others). He is a dedicated friend who does not hesitate to stand up for the people he cares about and will go to any lengths to help them when they are in need. Conversely, Tomoya himself is reluctant to ask for help from others when he's struggling; this is in part due to his desire to appear strong and reliable like Nazuna, his biggest role model.
Tomoya also has something of an inferiority complex, stemming from him seemingly being the only "average" person in an industry full of talented individuals. This, combined with his pessimistic nature, gives him an altogether negative view of himself as a person, and he often expresses concerns about feeling inadequate compared to his peers. Regardless, Tomoya never lets his low self-esteem get in the way of working hard and improving himself so that he might one day achieve his goals and become like the people he admires.
Other characters often comment on Tomoya's ability to quickly adapt to strange and distressing situations where the majority of other people would lose their focus. He is able to remain relatively level-headed and think rationally in a crisis, acting as an anchor for the people around him by keeping them grounded. His ability to learn, adapt, and change so rapidly also means that he can take on a variety of roles depending on the situation at hand. He is often compared to a "blank canvas" that can easily take on any color, reflecting his latent potential to become anything he wants to in the future.
Etymology
The "Tomo" (友) in Tomoya's first name means "friend," while his last name means "pure white" or "blank slate."
Trivia
- Tomoya's autograph consists of only his first name, rendered in hiragana. The style is exaggerated and carefree.
- In the Ensemble Stars! era, he was the youngest character in the cast. In the Ensemble Stars!! era, he is the third youngest.
- Prior to High Five!, he was listed as Ra*bits' temporary leader.
Voice Actor Comment
"When I first saw the character chart, my impression was that he's a very adorable character. He seems friendly and has great affection for his upperclassmen--basically, he's like a little puppy. I still remember feeling very perplexed when the director asked me to portray him as an average boy, with a capital A. I feel that it's the most difficult to portray an ordinary, 'average' protagonist. While acting Mashiro-kun's role, I kept wondering what kind of image the audience has of an average boy. I'm very excited to see how his relationships with his classmates, upperclassmen, and especially close friends will develop! I hope everyone will look forward to his stories as well. Please treat him kindly!" (Enstars!)
"" * (Enstars!!)
| Tomoya Mashiro | ||
|---|---|---|
 Story Index • Appears In (!!) • Appears In (!) Idol Story • Birthday Story • Appeal Talk • Minitalk Sub Story • Management Story • Mini Event • Intimate Event • Greeting Event • Produce Course | ||
| Ra✽bits | Nazuna Nito • Mitsuru Tenma • Tomoya Mashiro • Hajime Shino | |
