Kitashirakawa, Kotomi

Kotomi Kitashirakawa is the granddaughter of Project Blue commander Lord River-n-White. Her older sister, Komomo Kitashirakawa, is the frequently-kidnapped princess of Bunnyland, and Kotomi is considered to be the "second princess."^[1] Kotomi is devoted to her sister, although she gets impatient or frustrated by Komomo at times. After the events of Rabio Lepus, Kotomi joins the Bunnyland army in order to protect her sister.^[1] She later appears as a hidden character in some Sonic Wings games, piloting a plane shaped like Rabio known as the Aka Usagi (Red Rabbit).

Kotomi has short brown hair, brown eyes in Rabio Lepus, and blue eyes in the Sonic Wings series. In the original Rabio Lepus, Kotomi wears a Playboy-style bunny girl outfit, but in Rabio Lepus Special, she wears a more modest bunny hoodie. In the Sonic Wings games, Kotomi dresses more practically, wearing a tank top or a shirt and vest. She also wears caps with bunny ears on them. Her Sonic Wings attire is the uniform of the Bunnyland army.^[2]

The kanji for "Kotomi" (小兎美) mean "pretty little rabbit," while the kanji for "Kitashirakawa" (北白川) mean "north," "white," and "river" respectively, played upon with her grandfather's English name of "River-n-White."

Rabio Lepus[]

In Rabio Lepus, Kotomi Kitashirakawa is kidnapped by Yohmaoh's army, along with her older sister Komomo Kitashirakawa (princess of Bunnyland) and their grandfather Taro Kitashirakawa (king of Bunnyland). Kotomi is held captive on a spaceship. The family is rescued by the mechanical rabbits Rabio and Lepus.

Kotomi appears as a teenaged girl with short black hair and brown eyes. She wears a black strapless leotard with a bunny-ears headband, a collar with a bow tie, cuffs, and black high heels.

Rabio Lepus Special[]

Rlskotomi — Kotomi in Rabio Lepus Special.

Unlike the other two members of the royal family, Kotomi's appearance changes greatly for the remake of the original Rabio Lepus: she looks much younger and is shown wearing a white hoodie with bunny ears. Her hair is now brown instead of black.

In the game manual's artwork, Kotomi wears a carrot-shaped brooch that is not show in-game. On the cover, this brooch pins a blue bow to her hoodie, while in the interior artwork, it is the clasp of a white cape like those worn by the princess and king. The cover art reveals that she is wearing a hoodie instead of a full-body costume, with what appears to be a peach skirt, yellow socks, and brown shoes.

Metal Rabbit[]

Kotomi is shown on two advertisements for the unreleased game Metal Rabbit, which was to share the setting of Rabio Lepus. She is dressed very differently from her appearances in Rabio Lepus and Rabio Lepus Special, in the black tank top and bunny ears cap she will wear in Sonic Wings 3, although her eyes are brown instead of blue.

Kotomi is aiming a gun in a pose very similar to one later used in Sonic Wings 3 and Sonic Wings Special. Her gun and attire suggests that Metal Rabbit was to take place after she joined the Bunnyland army following the events of Rabio Lepus.

Ojanko High School[]

Ohs kotomi — Kotomi as Fuyumi in Ojanka High School.

Activity: Tennis Club

Class: First year, second class

Birthplace: Hokkaido

Blood Type: A

Kotomi appears as the mahjong challenger representing the tennis club, using the name Kitayama Fuyumi (北山冬美). This is a play on her original name, as 北山 means "northern mountains," 冬 means "winter," and 美 means "beauty." Upon defeating her, the player wins her tennis racket.

Sonic Wings[]

Mambucameosw1 — Kotomi and Komomo in Sonic Wings.

After the final boss battle in single-player mode, Lord River-n-White returns home to his two granddaughters, Kotomi and Komomo. They think he's only joking when he tells them about his adventures as a fighter pilot.

Sonic Wings 3[]

Kotomi's first appearance as a playable character comes in Sonic Wings 3, where she is a secret unlockable character. Komomo has been kidnapped once again, and Kotomi fights the enemy and searches the world to rescue her. After the final boss battle, Kotomi finally reaches Komomo... but the princess has already rescued herself with a very big gun.

In two-player mode, Kotomi is paired with "The Man," Gore, who is shown in a villainous pose on an advertisement for Metal Rabbit. Kotomi asks Gore for help in rescuing her kidnapped sister. Their relationship is mostly business-like, although Kotomi calls him "gramps" once. After the final boss battle, they find the base where Komomo is being held. Gore goes in the front while Kotomi comes in the back-- just in time to see Gore kidnapping her sister. Gore escapes with Komomo, leaving Kotomi behind.

Sonic Wings Special[]

Swskotomi — Kotomi in Sonic Wings Special.

Kotomi returns with a new outfit and longer ears, but she is still flying the Aka Usagi on a mission to rescue her sister, Princess Komomo. In two-player mode, Kotomi is again paired with "The Man," Gore.

As in Sonic Wings, Kotomi and Komomo are also shown as young girls if the player defeats Lar using Lord River-n-White in single-player mode.

One-Player Mode Endings:

Boss battle with Pandora: As in Sonic Wings 3, Kotomi reaches Komomo on an alien planet, only to find that the impatient princess has already rescued herself.
Boss battle with Lar or Do-ni Kai: Komomo is glad to see Kotomi flying the Aka Usagi, but she has already rescued herself. She advises Kotomi to use a ribbon power-up (like Rabio in Rabio Lepus). When Kotomi responds that she was using a ribbon, Komomo tells her to be more careful with her missiles and not fire them arbitrarily.
Boss battle with Balbi: Kotomi finally reaches her sister, only to have the king scold her for being late. As it turns out, she was only practicing the rescue mission, and the king makes her start over from the beginning. "Oh, again?" sighs the princess.

Two-Player Mode Endings:

Boss battle with Pandora: Kotomi and Gore rescue Komomo, but Gore flies away before the girls can thank him. This seems to be the only ending where Gore isn't a villain.
Boss battle with Lar or Do-ni Kai: As in Sonic Wings 3, Kotomi and Gore land at the base where the captured princess is being held. Gore tells Kotomi that he'll go in first, but when she enters, she finds that he has now kidnapped Komomo! The Aka Usagi chases after Gore's Diabloon with Kotomi yelling for Gore to wait up.
Boss battle with Balbi: Kotomi lands at the base, but her sister is not there. She tries to question a soldier about Komomo's whereabouts, but Gore shoots him with an arrow before he can answer, saying he told him not to talk about the princess.