Mao Aihara (Japanese:
Appearance
Aihara has dirty-blonde hair that she wears pulled back in a ponytail. She also has side bangs. Her eyes appear to have a similar color to her hair. She is tall and slim, and appears to be the tallest girl on her team.
Aihara appears in her Karasuno volleyball uniform, which consists of a black sleeveless top with white details and the number 2, as well as black shorts with a white stripe down the side. She wears black kneepads and white shoes with red details. She is also seen wearing her volleyball jacket, which is dark blue with a white stripe down each sleeve. Her practice outfit includes a white t-shirt with the words "Karasuno High School" on the left side of the chest, black shorts and kneepads, and white-and-red volleyball shoes.
She is also seen in her Karasuno school uniform, consisting of a white button-up blouse, a cream-colored vest, a maroon bow, and a black jacket, which she often wears buttoned up. She also wears a short dark gray skirt and black socks.
Aihara's casual outfit consists of a white t-shirt and a green jacket with a fluffy hood.
Personality
Aihara seems to have a friendly, supportive, and occasionally sassy personality. She is friendly and supportive towards Yui Michimiya, and they appear to be good friends.
Aihara's sassy side is often seen around Michimiya as well, especially when they are around Daichi. Michimiya often struggles with wording when around him, and Aihara once remarked that her lack of vocabulary was amazing.
Background
Aihara currently attends Karasuno High, located in Miyagi Prefecture in the region of Tōhoku.
Plot
Interhigh Arc
Aihara is present when the Interhigh Tournament begins.
In the anime, she is with the team when Michimiya tries to help the others gain more confidence in themselves and is the first to join in her friend's desire to win their first match.
During the game against Shirato, Aihara shares in the struggle the team is facing that has most likely stemmed from their lack of practice. After Michimiya was able to get her own nerves under control, Aihara tried to play harder as well and managed to do well for a time until Shirato eventually claimed victory.
After the match, Michimiya is called to locate their coach. Kikuchi voices how she thought Michimiya would be the most upset about their match but seems to be handling herself rather well. Aihara states that Michimiya is actually rather upset but is doing her best to hide her emotions from the team and that she will shed her tears once she is alone.
Aihara later joined the team in going to observe the boys' team play against Date Tech.
Spring High Preliminary Arc
Aihara accompanies Michimiya and Sasaki to support the boys' team during the finals against Shiratorizawa Academy. They were able to locate the boys before entering the gym. Aihara watched as Michimiya nervously attempted to give Daichi a certain victory charm. After Daichi gratefully accepted the charm and hurried to catch up to the team, Michimiya nearly collapsed, and an amused Aihara states how she is impressed that Michimiya was able to give Daichi the charm.
Like Michimiya, Aihara was surprised at the pure power Ushijima possessed and how high his contact point is. Aihara supports the boys' throughout the match and is seen with tears of joy when they were able to win.
Relationships
Karasuno High Girls' Volleyball Team
- Yui Michimiya: Aihara appears to be close to Michimiya and knows her relatively well to the point where she is aware Michimiya has a crush on Daichi.
Quotes
- (To Aoki about Michimiya) "She tries really hard to be a proper captain when she's around all of us, but when she's finally alone, and there's nobody watching, she'll cry."[1][2]
Trivia
- Aihara shared her English voice actresses with other characters.
- She (season 1) shared her English voice actress with Manaka Ujiie and Daichi's mother.
- She (seasons 2–3) shared her English voice actress with Manami Aoki, Asuka Hirama, and Mai Nametsu.