Kanako displaying her unmatched skills at being baka.
Kanako Momota, commonly known as Leader [pronounced "Leada"], is the front figure and Leader of Momoiro Clover Z. Just like her band members she is a cosmic entity. Her colour is red. While all the other girls wanted to be pink when they were first assigned their colours, Kanako's first hand choice was red, for reasons unknown to all, especially to herself. Despite being the Leader of the group she's quite stupid, and some would even go as far as to say very stupid. Kanako herself denies this fact feverishly, thinking her friends are only messing with her when they call her "baka".
Family[]
Kanako has two brothers, one younger and one older than her. Being the only girl in this trio of siblings meant that she had to be tough in order to stand a chance against her brothers. This honed her into a finer Leader than many give her credit for.
Love life[]
Kanako has been together with Shiori for a long time. What started out as friendship, grew into a fling, which in turn grew into a mostly steady relationship. While the two are very affectionate towards each other Kanako sometimes has a hard time to admit that the two are together when in public. In September 2016, however, the two became officially married, during the Momotamai Wedding.
Political career and ambitions[]
- Main article: Leadership
Kanako has been Leader of Momoclo since Reni was forcibly removed from the position in the early days of the band. Her long rule has made her feel secure in her position as Leader, which, of course, opens up a vast array for opportunists such as Aarin and Momoka. However, as of late she's been craving more than the Leadership of Momoclo. After discovering exactly how many perks being Leader of the band entails (such as having veto rights while recording albums) she's been trying to branch out into the role of being a producer. She's gone so far as to try to cast for a film, but that didn't turn out so well.
Special abilities[]
Like all other cosmic entities, Kanako possesses an arsenal of special abilities to be unleashed at her will. In her case, not all are positive ones.
Traits[]
Athleticism[]
Kanako is the most athletic of all the girls in Momoclo. She's said herself that if she hadn't joined the band she would either play for the Japanese national team in basketball, or be a track runner. In all likelihood, she would've been both. She also excels at gymnastics and is very agile.
Stupidity[]
While this may sound harsh, it is indeed meant to be endearing. There is no denying the fact that Kanako isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. She often questions basic concepts and statements, simply because she doesn't comprehend them. Common phrases are "Ehh??!", of varying intensity, and "Nani?"
Emotional Resilience: 90%[]
For all her faults Kanako was still chosen as Leader for a reason. Not only is she a very hard worker, but she is also extremely resilient. It will take very much to bring her to tears, which makes her a pillar that the other group members can lean on. This is especially utilized by Momoka, who in times of distress will always turn to Kanako for strength and support.
Kanako after performing a shrimp jump. Sometimes this extremely dangerous leap can take its toll on even the most experienced jumper.
Cooldowns[]
Unlike traits, which are more permanent characteristics that have constant effects on a person, cooldowns are special abilities which, when unleashed, require a refractory period before they can be used again. The length of this period can vary from ability to ability, and is also affected by how powerful a being is.
- Shrimp jump: Known as "ebizori" in japanese. The shirmp jump is one of the most well known and anticipated climaxes of any Momoclo concert. At the end of the bridge prior to the last chorus of Ikuze! Kaitou Shoujo Kanako is given a wide berth so that she can leap into the air and majestically bend backwards at the same time, forming a C, or a shrimp like shape with her body. This is a very cool, yet potentially dangerous move. The other girls have tried it, and ended up getting hurt in the process. Even to an experienced shrimp jumper such as Kanako it is far from safe.
- Increased Leadership: when the a situation (most commonly a concert) is spiraling out of control Kanako may pop this cooldown and suddenly become more professional than usual. This usually results in the other band members following her orders to an infinitely more effective degree than what is otherwise the case. She is also to prone to use this right before a concert begins, giving her band members and the remaining crew a much needed morale boost.
- Filibuster: The fact that Kanako is somewhat stupid has resulted in her excelling in other things than purely intellectual tasks. A common cooldown of hers is the filibuster. When she's got nothing to say, or has to come up with something quickly on the spot she often resorts to this cooldown to "save face". Instead of actually making a decision or say something worthwhile she insteads starts to talk about something completely different. And she'll keep talking, and talking, and talking, until someone cuts her off and makes the decision for her.
- Hooping: For her special performance during Demonstration and Imagination during the Dome Trek Kanako was taught the art of hooping by world-renowned hoop master Kana.