She struggles through the game with loneliness, the loss of her mother, and concern over her father Ryotaro Dojima, who is often absent due to his job as a detective.

She expresses anxiety over her mother's death and how much her father Ryotaro, a detective investigating the murders central to Persona 4's plot, works to Yu, worrying it means he does not love her.

If they capture the real killer, then Nanako will be miraculously resuscitated, claiming she heard the player characters' voices.

[5] Kimberley Wallace of Game Informer found her one of the best characters in the Persona series, praising her for her sweet disposition and the emotion she felt when she calls Yu "big bro."

[9] Jason Schreier of Kotaku found Nanako and her habit of singing the Junes jingle as qualities that made Persona 4 special.

[11] Donald Theriault of Nintendo World Report felt she was a rare example of a good child character and that her dancing in the game made his "heart melt.

"[13] Nate Ewert-Krocker of Paste Magazine found Nanako's dancing to be "genuine," and noted that it helped clear the "violent, misanthropic gunk" away from video games for a moment.