Takeshi is a pianist of the same age as Kousei. His aim was always to catch up and surpass Kousei on the piano since watching him play at a young age. His resolve is so strong to the point that Takeshi would even abandon an invitation for a piano competition in Europe in order to compete with Kousei. To Takeshi, Kousei was like his "hero". Takeshi is brash, energetic, and sometimes throws unnecessarily insults, but he is fixated on and determined to bring Kousei back to the world of music.