Nono Morikubo is a character from The Idolmaster. She made her debut in Monokuma's Awakening.
Canon
Nono is one of the many idols in training that appear within the Idolmaster franchise, specifically appearing in Cinderella Girls.
A shy, young blossom said to be afraid of everything, she decided to spread her wings and try out becoming an idol.
Pre-Convergence
Before becoming wrapped up in the events of Monokuma's Awakening, it is believed that Nono was simply living her ordinary life as an idol in training, along with the likes of fellow idols such as Mirei Hayasaka and Syoko Hoshi.
Plot Involvement
Monokuma's Awakening
Nono started this journey off frightened and most afraid by the strange surroundings of the bus, home-deprived to the extent that she mistakes the chest of Kyoko Kirigiri to be that of her supposed post-puberty Producer. To her disappointment, it was indeed Kyoko Kirigiri. Much to the annoyance of others, she screams in fear at the sight of the otherworldly "students."
In Chapter 1, Nono and a little group met a young lass named Max while being assigned the task of investigating the late Mr. Jefferson. She was initially afraid of Max's flashy camera, but eventually, along with the others, she made a deal with Max - where Max would share information of the late Mr Jefferson should they meet her at the pool.
Later on, she was frightened by and saddened from the death of Max, who parted into the afterlife with any potential secrets she was holding.
In Chapter 2, Nono encountered Stephen Holder at the reception, a detective who claimed to be assigned the missing girl's case. She was wary of him at first, but followed him to investigate Anna's dorm room, revealing that Jefferson's possible victim posed for some shots and worked for a diner. Nono promised to investigate further with Holder at Three-Eyed Jack's Casino.
Nono's contributions are most noted in Chapter 4, where she assists the group while they are trapped in the barn bunker. While scared and confused at first, Nono eventually calmed down. By dialing the casino's number, she hooked up to Victoria and Diana's voices, where she and Victoria were required to interact in order to share information that would eventually lead to the solving of their respective room's puzzles.
House of M
After the events of Monokuma's Awakening, Nono had kept in contact with Wanda Maximoff while continuing her activities as an idol. It is during the event that she reunites with Kyoko Kirigiri, and learns of Genji Shimada's passing during the Coalition Civil War that had transpired just after the Daughter Incident. During the course of the event, she plays a standard active role, acting as one of the half of survivors who do not end up murdered as a result of Teth Adam's sacrifice.
Epilogue(s)
Monokuma's Awakening
After bidding farewell to Kyoko and her other friends, Nono returns to her home world to live to tell the story of the Murder Game, similar to what Syoko and Mirei had encountered previously. The full epilogue can be found here.
House of M
It is assumed that Nono safely returned to her home world after the end of the incident, but not before bidding Kyoko another farewell, and visiting Genji's grave.
Character Relationships
- Kyoko Kirigiri - A major character from Danganronpa who technically first appeared in Chillin' in Columbia, but officially debuted in Monokuma's Awakening. Throughout the events of Monokuma's Awakening, Nono finds a trusted friend in Kyoko and is saddened to part with her towards the end of the event, and Kyoko too appears to have found something within her that Nono has tapped into. They reunite in House of M where they continue to act as allies.
- Genji Shimada - A character from Overwatch who also debuted in Monokuma's Awakening. Genji was most akin to a father figure during the course of the rollercoaster ride of despair. He is very concerned about her wellbeing.
- Chikage Kushinada - A character from History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi who debuted in Monokuma's Awakening. She interacted with Nono during the course of the prologue and first chapter, and contrasted Nono's timid nature with her tougher personality.
- Mirei Hayasaka - A character from The Idolmaster who debuted in Restless in Rapture. Canonically, and even in the context of the Murder Series, they have been shown to be great friends.
- Syoko Hoshi - Another character from The Idolmaster who debuted in The War of the Universe. Canonically, and even in the context of the Murder Series, they have been shown to be great friends.
- Producer Kido - A depiction of the "Producer" character from The Idolmaster who debuted in The War of the Universe. They are implied to have a close trust with each other to the point that Nono hides under his working desk for protection. Despite this special trust being one of Nono's signature traits in the series, Kyoko Kirigiri has parred with the Producer in terms of the extent of Nono's faith, a level that not even her parents have reached.
Trivia
- Nono speaks in third person using her family name. Unless italicised, the usage of first person is used to avoid gramatically incorrect sentences, or they are translated from sentences that have no pronoun usage.
- Nono is sensitive about her diary and ensures that it is as well-hidden as possible. This trait was displayed in Monokuma's Awakening, where she was able to find hidden diaries with ease, due to self-proclaimed experience in doing so.
- Nono has skill in poetry.
- Nono is known for avoiding eye contact at all costs.
- Nono's favourite place is under desks, mainly due to how she can avoid eye contact while being there. Heavy emphasis on this trait is placed throughout her Convergence appearances.
- Nono is briefly mentioned in Right Hand of the Magic God as one of the countless deaths caused by the destruction of the Multiverse by the hands of Othinus. It’s presumed that she came back to life following the Multiverse’s restoration.