Makoto Tashibana

"'Take your sass, put in your pocket.' -Makoto, episode 14"

Makoto Tachibana is one of the main characters of 50% Off as well as the protagonist's best friend. He has a crush on Haru and often makes a Freudian slip about being attracted to him. These slips are a running gag throughout the show.

Personality
"“Haru’s door is busted. Makoto must have been here.” - Rin, episode 16"The kindest person on the show, Makoto cares deeply about his friends. He's jokingly referred to as the "team mom" and doesn't mind putting himself in danger if it means "saving an idiot."

Makoto appears to be extremely naive although he is described as being quite astute by Rei after giving him a talk about how the members of the swim team are only there because there's no where else for them to go.

History
"'Don't worry about it, Rei, this is easy. I learned to swim the old fashioned way. When I was 5 my dad took me out to a lake and tossed me right in the water. Making it to shore was easy, making it out of the gunny sack was hard though.' - Makoto, episode 10"

Makoto, like his younger brother, was mistaken for a girl for the first couple years of his life. He has two siblings and the only one of the main characters who has both parents that appear on the show. His mother doesn't say anything but his father has no trouble remarking about how Makoto was a major disappointment. No one in his family noticed, or at least cared, when he and Haru went missing for five days after being left in the woods by Nagisa.

Makoto learned to swim when his father attempted to murder him (although he doesn't seem to understand that his life was in danger). He was also tormented by the tales his dad told and fears them even as a young adult. These include the "Ocean Goblin" that steals your bones if you don't brush your teeth and a spider that eats your video games if you wet the bed.

It is probably because of this that Makoto "mothers" the members of his team. He has also developed instincts that help him protect the "idiots" he looks after.

Trivia

 * Makoto takes ballroom dance lessons and Pilates.
 * He has broken into Haru's house a couple of times and practices breathing techniques to keep him from being detected by Haru.
 * Nagisa once tricked him into thinking oregano was weed.
 * Makoto can apparently drive as Haru complains that he won't drive him out of town to swim anymore.
 * Rin peed in the ball pit on Makoto's birthday