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Rereading the Rain Match, hoping it will prod the bunnies.

Fuji.

It isn't that he doesn't care about winning or losing. In fact, I'd say he probably hates to lose. It's just that he doesn't really have much reason to think in those terms. He doesn't lose; so there isn't any real reason for him to either be afraid of losing, or motivated by that fear, or to value winning particularly. Winning and losing are not his scale of value. So of course competition, and the determination the others show, isn't why he's doing this.

As for what his scale of value /is/... the thrill is clearly part of it. The thrill of the possibility of loss. Not the fear, which is, I'd say, why it never becomes a motivation to him. But the pressure of someone closing in and making him work for it. Given how rarely he says that comes, though, another part would seem to be... aesthetic. Drawing his opponents out and seeing them at their limits, as he says.

And, of course, that's why he doesn't consider himself 'serious'. Because it's all totally personal reasons, with no greater goal or will to exceed. The shape of future matches seems to indicate that he might not actually be aware, at this point, of the possibility of being serious--that he thinks Tezuka, and perhaps Echizen too, are like him, doing this for the personal thrill. To an extent, I think he's right about Echizen, this early on. Which may be why they clicked so well, in this match.

I think this story will have to be from Fuji's pov.

You know... it's possible I was destined to write cheesy samurai stories.

This is just really a lot of fun.

*pokes at the upcoming battle with Fudoumine* Yeah. I think what Tezuka needs to notice is that someone so confident can be so desperately determined. And also the total refusal to rely on anyone else in any way, since the issue of amai is going to be pivotal later.

*considers* Perhaps include the moment with Kaidou. Possibly even including that Inui instigates it to jar Kaidou out of his own no-reliance mode. And it has knock-on effects.

Incidentally, I love the tension in the use of amai in tenipuri. It's what makes good doubles, and good senpai-kouhai. But it's also the demi-insult you yell at an opponent who's just given you an opening to do something nasty to them. As if to remind them that you're an enemy--to re-establish proper in group and out group boundaries.

So, where was I when the storm hit?

Ah, yes, practicality and seppuku.

Because, while there was, over time, a lot of formality developed around the proper behavior of the buke class, all of the actual prescriptions you can find in the house codes and law codes are extremely practical.

Seppuku as execution was, itself, immensely practical. Allowing the executed man to 'clear his name' that way meant that his family and belongings then were not tainted. The lives (and labor) of the family were retained, and the belongings were 'clean' and could be either left or confiscated, whichever suited the lord in question better.

There's also the basic fact that, in a world ruled by force of arms, any lord wants to be absolutely, positively, sure that the retainers around him were loyal to him, trustworthy, and not going to go give aid to his neighbors. If either of the first two failed, the only real way to prevent the third was to kill the man.

On the battlefield, of course, there was another aspect to it. Torture, all through these periods and well into Meiji in practice, was a popular and accepted way to get confessions of crime or information from captives. Given that buke put such a premium on being all stoic, there's a double problem with being tortured: one, the basic fear of pain and of betraying your own side and two, the shame of being driven to speak by pain of the body which one is supposed to hold as illusory and negligible.

And, then, of course, there's the collective responsibility issue. By ending in seppuku, a warrior makes sure that his family won't be blamed or punished for his failure on the field.

Now, there were also one or two references that indicated it was more common to let a defeated lord live and keep his lands in return for an oath of allegiance, than it was to toss him out and put in someone else. I strongly suspect that this socio-psychological crux is actually where the trope we see over and over in sports anime comes from: that there's no shame in losing if one has done one's best to win (honorably). That is exactly the sort of mental out that would be required for the defeated not to fester in shame and resentment and rebel later.

During the Muromachi period, specifically, I suspect that this psychological trope was starting to gather momentum, and was jostling with the /other/ common trope that loss was no shame if you ended as your own man (with your belly slit open). One of my print sources is very clear on the individualism inherent in the samurai codes, and that seppuku, in particular, was a powerful expression of that--of keeping, to the very last, personal control over one's integrity and never giving it up into other hands.

The 'okay to lose if you tried' is actually a far more collectivist approach, one that retains all members of the community and allows them to take pride in /whatever/ their place ends up being. Even if that place is second or third or so on.

The 'okay to lose if you die before they take you' is, by contrast, intensely individualistic and even selfish. It removes the person from the pool of lives and hands available to keep the whole community (state, nation) together and safe and functioning. It's really no wonder the Tokugawa worked so damn hard to break the buke away from that ethos.

Okay. So what it's looking like is that, in the late Muromachi period, there were four basic punishments for a misbehaving member of the warrior class: execution, banishment, demotion and fines. I strongly suspect that a certain amount of rough-and-ready punishments that were applied internally among any given castle garrison group, by way of beating the crap out of someone "during training" but if so it was, of course, totally undocumented.

Execution seems to be the most talked about punishment. For buke, it either meant being ordered to commit seppuku or, significantly worse by their lights, being beheaded and possibly even displayed. The thing is, while there are a lot of accounts of lords ordering retainers to kill themselves, when you stack all the accounts up it comes out to this daimyo ordering two people, and that daimyo ordering one person and this other daimyo ordering four people... in other words, it doesn't look like that judgement was actually /handed down/ more than a handful of times in any given lord's tenure.

Later, banishment was about the same thing as execution, because a samurai who got fired had nowhere to go and no prospects but starvation on the roadside. During the Sengoku era, though, there was /always/ employment for rounin somewhere. So I suspect banishment was far less likely to result in seppuku than it was during Tokugawa.

Demotion is a bit likewise. Later, in the more regimented Tokugawa period, it would be a massive shame and a major life-problem. During Sengoku, possibly less so. I suspect that it was actually harshest if lands were not taken away. If lands were gone, the man and his family might simply move to another domain and seek fortune there. If the lands remained, there was a reason to return to them, and endure the shame.

A lot of infractions were probably handled with fines, but since that isn't the kind of thing that appears anywhere but court registers, and court registers were... spotty to say the least, during this period, I can't really say anything specific about that.

And then, of course, there's the issue of seppuku on the battlefield, in face of a loss. More to the point, I suspect, in order to avoid being captured and tortured.

... lightning storm in progress. To be continued.

You know, I'm starting to wonder whether Konomi really doesn't like heros. Or, at least, not shounen sports heros.

I mean, Our Hero started out as a villain, and seems to be going back to his origins, really.

And the Hero School, Seigaku, is getting no development whatsoever. It's like Konomi doesn't really know what to do with them, or how to do it.

Rikkai gets development. Fudoumine gets development. Kirihara and Tachibana have storylines that are far more like proper hero types. Or, more to the point, like proper samurai hero types, since that's the kind of story tenipuri really is. They grow out of their total bastard-ness and insecurities and psychological hangups and gain...

...okay, the only way to put this precisely is to say they gain true swords. I'm sorry, but this just /isn't/ a sports manga.

Tezuka, well, as best we can tell, he's already there. And Ryouma... for a while it looked like he was progressing in that direction, but Konomi seems to have lost track of that thread. Ryouma's struggle is with his pre-existing talent, and that's a totally different shape than /any/ kind of shounen hero.

And this would be so damn much more explicable if Konomi had just given the boys swords! I mean, all the tropes and character types and lines of struggle would match then! As it is the fact that they're in modern schools and fighting with tennis racquets runs severely against the grain of actual character action and development. It's so totally against its own grain that it actually fascinates me for that reason. Tenipuri is one of those brilliantly, utterly flawed stories that makes case studies for future generations to ponder.

And for the life of me I can't tell whether Konomi is at all aware of this. I'm inclined to doubt it, actually.

When you add the anime to the manga, and take into account the way the anime writers have made valiant attempts to turn the story into a shounen sports anime, it gets even more interesting. I do wonder a bit whether to descent into total crack, in the anime, is an expression of the anime team's growing madness and despair at how the story itself is resisting them for reasons which might not be immediately obvious. It would be so much fun to see one of the arcs done over in proper, matching, samurai-story style; that would be an appropriate 'revenge'.

*eyes the AU bunny sneaking around the underbrush with trepidation* Um... that wasn't quite what I had in mind...

*snaps fingers* That's it! *hearts Athena for making her think*

What I really don't like about so much fic-Yukimura characterization. It's that, in absence of hard information, the vast majority of fandom writes Yukimura like they write Fuji.

And that's totally off.

Fuji is one of the single most elusive characters in tenipuri. I'd put him and Tezuka in the top two slots, though for rather opposite reasons. Tezuka is elusive because he shows so little of himself. Fuji is elusive because he shows so much that's misleading. Fuji always keeps an ace in reserve, or tries to. Fuji stays out of arm's reach, perceptually speaking.

Yukimura never hides what he is.

And where part of Fuji's character development has been for him to become engaged, to learn how to feel involved and act on his own and his team's ambitions, Yukimura has never been un-engaged.

Disengaged, perhaps, but most certainly not by his own will or desire, and he takes a significant personal risk to return to tennis and his team as soon as humanly possible.

To write Yukimura as hidden, in the way that Fuji typically hides himself, really seems to miss a core aspect of his character.

*amused* This started with the thought that Yukimura uses ore, while Fuji uses boku, and why the difference exists.

Okay, having finished re-reading up to the end of Regionals I find myself torn.

On the one hand, I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that Sanada does in fact have a good deal of self-control. We see him break reserve exactly three times, off the court. Once when Yukimura is being taken into the hospital right after his collapse. Once when Kirihara loses to Echizen (which, it appears later, Sanada only thinks could be possible if Kirihara was blowing the game off and screwing around). And once, maybe, as he calls to Kirihara-in-Muga to go for it, to win the match and take the tournament.

On the court... you know, having read it all through, I think that his consistent yelling at his opponent about how worthless they are and how they should just give up now is a part of his play style. A calculated psychological attack to drive down his opponent's fighting spirit. Because he's never just wild; he's thinking all the time he plays. He only shows a flash of wildness, on the court, when he uses Ka.

Sanada watches all the time, with scary intensity. Compared to his watchful expression, his smirks/grins are very rare, and at least half of them are confined to that alarming grin he has when he hits Ka.

Now. The reason I'm torn is that he clearly failed to watch Atobe closely enough, when Atobe came to challenge him.

On the other hand, there is the other side of his personality that I also observed this time around. He's not very quick to react to quick changes in circumstances. When Ooishi snaps and says Seigaku came to win, and then runs back to the team in flusterment... When Kirihara gets in between Sanada and Yanagi... When Echizen mouths off at the start of their match and trots away... Each time, Sanada is left standing there for a frame (with his hand hanging in the air, for the first two).

So I think... he's stubborn.

He watches. He's a very good analyst. He has a good deal of self-control, which he seems to use to hold and focus that phenomenal intensity of his. But he also has a stumbling block, which is his own stubbornness, and I suspect that this sometimes trips him up and skews the speed/accuracy of his analysis. Not by much. But by just enough that another opponent who's very, very good can slip in through the crack.

He is, however, capable of adjusting quickly. After he loses he makes an immediate shift around to the stance of Rikkai as challengers, and rallies his team around that point.

So I think what his stubbornness and occasional slowness to respond are based on is the same thing his occasionally brusque manners are based on: his pride and confidence. He has been, for years and possibly barring Yukimura, the very best, and sees no reason to be humble about it. His pride is not, however, an all-encompassing blind-spot. He does not willingly allow himself to be moved by others. But when it happens, he deals with it.

I will be very interested to see how his character develops now. (Always supposing Konomi bothers with his development...)

Having given the matter sober and measured consideration, I have come to the following conclusion.

Konomi, you suck.

In the space of two pages you have totally slaughtered all the characterization you have previously built up.

For one, Ryouma is a brat, and has the Mouth that ate Manhattan, but he is not, or has not been to date, the kind of evil little fucker that would perpetrate indignities on an unconscious opponent.

For another, as Michelle points out, NO ONE STOPPED HIM. Not even Tezuka.

And that says some pretty nasty things about Tezuka himself, things that I had not thought to be true. That Tezuka does not, in fact, care for good gamesmanship and respect for the game and the opponents nearly as much as he makes out.

Getting back to Hal's observation about this not really being a typical sports-story, this is the kind of thing that the VILLAIN-TEAM does.

If I accept what those couple pages say about characters I love, I'm just going to have to cry. And I'd really rather not.

So Konomi? You suck. Get your shit back together, man.

Interesting that Yanagi's tactic for surprise revolves around showing difference from their past while Inui's revolves around sameness.

And, yet, the fact that Inui seeks to repeat the last match is precisely what allows him to then move on from it. We might say he's obssessed, not with the past, but with moving the past into the future.

Yanagi, on the other hand, may still be unable to imagine that past moving or changing. One interpretation for his repeated emphasis on how much things have changed is that the last match is, in fact, a primary concern for him. The parallel interpretation for his insistence that he will not show his ex-partner mercy is that he is overcompensating for a guilty conscience.

Not, it bears noting, that Inui is in any way less sneaky or underhanded or willing to use headgames.

Some musings on the relationship between Tezuka and Ryouma, because Lynn got me thinking.

See, one of the things I find rather obnoxious about the Pillar Pair frenzy is that way too many of those stories take it for granted that Tezuka and Ryouma are already together or, at least, in love.

And I think that's totally unrealistic.

Aside from the fact that Ryouma gives no indications whatsoever of being romatically cognizant of anyone at all, yet, his relationship to Tezuka is not inflected romantically. At all.

He's obsessed with Tezuka. Tezuka is his lifeline, his living example that there's another way to be strong than Nanjirou's. His avatar of possibility--both his own possibilities for real growth and the possibilities of meeting other strong and interesting players if he progresses in tennis.

As for Tezuka, I think Hal got it in one. Tezuka also sees Ryouma as an avatar--Tennis Incarnate. And Tezuka is suffuciently obsessed with the game itself that he will do anything it takes to let/make Ryouma advance and fulfill his potential. If there's love, it's an utterly aesthetic thing, not romantic at all.

Tezuka and Ryouma are not in love. It would be (and, in fact, was for me) extremely difficult to get them to be in love. Their absolute focus on each other is a wonderful thing to play with, but it IS NOT ROMANCE.

This page covers issues 216-300. Previous page issues 1-215.

Page numbers given in parentheses indicate tankoubon pages. Page numbers without parentheses are pages for that particular issue.

Regionals cont.

Finals cont.

Kirihara v Fuji

216.02-3: Kirihara noting that geniuses, once crushed, are unexpectedly fragile. Speculation: he knows from the experience of being crushed when he got to Rikkai.
--4: Seigaku annoyed at Kirihara's arrogance. Again, that last shot of Kirihara looking at Tachibana from the video. Shot of Echizen's pounded up knee, emphasizing Kirihara's past violent play.
--5: Kirihara smiling, lips parted, eyes wide; looks rather manic.
--7: Calling for Fuji to go faster, almost laughing.
--8: Shot of Kirihara focused, glaring a bit. Shot of Fuji, wary. Yagyuu suggesting that the key of the match will be how long Fuji's counters can hold out against Akaya's attack style.
--9: Niou watching, sober. Says no, to look more closely. Note: again, Niou's perception is emphasized.
--10: Says the one attacking is Fuji.
--11: Kirihara yelling that Fuji is annoying as he catches a return. Then startled, though eyes still sharp. Echizen startled too. Fuji focused. Yagyuu surprised, noting that Fuji is fast.
--14: Kirihara, having had a hard enough time to give Fuji a lob, thinks Fuji is aiming for his knees, as he rises. Eyes wide.
--15: Kirihara tense, but Fuji puts the shot past him to the side.
--16-7: Rikkai in background, Yagyuu and Jackal in postures of surprise or relief.
--18: Kirihara recovers and turns with a smile.
--19: Glares, eyes turning red, tells Fuji he'll destroy him.

217.03: Again the evil glare from Kirihara. Jackal saying the stands don't understand; they should be worrying about Fuji, not Akaya.
--4: Kirihara's eyes narrower and sharper, now, as he serves.
--6-7: Kirihara head lowered, thin smile as he catches the next ball. Fuji and Seigaku notice his speed and power have increased.
--8: Thoughs on a lined/static-y background, wondering what this guy is, thinking that he has no openings.
--9: Thoughs continue, "Interesting". Shot of Kirihara smiling in the next frame. Visual progression suggests that the thoughts are Kirihara's, and he's looking for an opening to strike Fuji. Speculation: that static background is a representation of Kirihara's lack of clarity of thought, in this state, for all that his physical acuity increases. Speculation: given that Kirihara is immediately looking for openings, this would seem to be an integral part of this state for him, and this state is his prompt response to being thwarted on the court; it may be that he does not actually believe that he can possibly win against a tough opponent by playing fairly. Suspect this is the result of being so unexpectedly crushed by the Three and not having found a way to beat them. See speculation in 220.
--10: Shot of Jackal's watch at 4min 37sec. Jackal? says Akaya's being pressured on the offensive. Sanada says he wouldn't say that. Expression: watching, thoughtful. Speculation: This suggests that he's seen what Kirihara's like when he's really being pressed.
--11: Kirihara, unsmiling, focused. Both players getting aura wisps around their feet.
--12: Kirihara feints, thinks he has Fuji now. Slight smile.
--13: Thinks "Bye-bye Mr. Genius". Sharp, predatory smile, behind the ball. Then still smiling but startled.
--14: Teeth bared in surprise as Hakugei heads up.
--15: Wide-eyed as it heads back forward over his shoulder.
--16: Both stunned and pissed off, wondering what the hell that was.
--17: Chases the ball and swats it back. Thinking it will take more than that level of genius to defeat him. Expression: eyes still wide, but smile beginning again.
--18-9: Fuji returns Higuma Otoshi. Kirihara stunned as it goes in.

218.01: Picking up again with Kirihara stunned.
--6: (After Rain flashback) Kirihara scowling, very angry. Note: when his eyes are red they are often drawn in shadow. Now his whole face is in shadow.
--7: Kicks the net in rage. Fuji comments on his bad manners.
--8: Kirihara now with dangerous glare and slightly alarming smile. Says he'll crush Fuji. Referee warns him if he kicks the net again he'll be disqualified. Gets a fraught OK from Kirihara.
--18-9: Kirihara, eager expression, eyes in black shadow, says he's found an opening. (Fuji being distracted by thinking about Tezuka and wondering if he, too, can be serious). Kirihara smashes and Fuji's racquet goes flying.

219.04: Kirihara, eyes in black shadow, smiling as he watches Fuji fall.
--8: Flashback for Fuji to moment of being struck, shot of Kirihara, eyes wide and tight focused, smiling as he goes for it.
--13: Present, match resumed. Kirihara returns Fuji's serve, still manic and laughing, asking what kind of serve that is. Strikes Fuji's shoulder.
--14: Kirihara, face in shadow. Says he's going to make Fuji pay for making the match go over 13 minutes. Note: it's unclear whether Kirihara refers more to his pride-goal or to the surgery start time.
--16: Kirihara takes the lead. Still wide eyes and grinning and shadowed. Says Fuji's doing pretty well given that he can't see.
--17-8: Fuji returns, Rikkai shocked. Marui says the serves are understandable but a blind return is impossible. Kirihara, glaring, smiling; says, yes, it's a fluke.
--21-22: As Fuji continues to return blind. Kirihara shocked.

220.06: Fuji having recovered and taken the lead again. Kirihara thinking he can't afford to lose again. Drawn in whites, only his eyes dark with the red. Expression: serious.
--7: Flashback. Kirihara comes to Rikkai, wanting to be the best. Thinks that his ambitions were easily crushed the "those three demons". Shot of him sprawled on the court, Sanada, Yukimura and Yanagi on the other side of the net.
--8: Kirihara pulling himself up and turning, eyes red, with tears starting. Yelling the he'll definitely beat those three and be number one. Yanagi silent and even. Sanada, calm, wondering if he's joking. Yukimura, tiny smile, noting that this is an interesting new member. Note: All three of them are sweating.
--9: Present. Kirihara thinking he'll defeat those three demons, because he's going to become number one. Again, last frame drawn in whites. Expression: focused. Note: Kirihara's mental focus seems to be on the three, not Fuji who he's actually playing. Speculation: He's only ever focused on them. Every other player and game is a stepping stone on his way to beating those three; he sees nothing else.
--10: Flashback to playing Echizen. Kirihara dismayed as Echizen goes Muga and starts winning.
--11: Present. Kirihara annoyed by the memory of Echizen. Expression a bit grim. Thinks that he will rise up. That the next time he challenges the three...
--12: Kirihara continues, there will be nothing for him except victory. Smiling again rather fiercely as he makes the next shot.
--14: Kirihara, determined, a little wild now, pulls even.
--15: Fuji ahead again, 6-5.
--16: Rikkai watching. Yanagi asks if Genichirou saw. Shot of Sanada, indeed attentive and perhaps startled. Thinks that Akaya's eyes have cleared and are no longer red. Shot of Kirihara, clear eyes wide, teeth clenched. No longer shadowed.
--17: Fuji thinking Nationals seem like a lot of fun. Kirihara thinking he doesn't want that kind of feeling again. Together, speaking, "That's why victory belongs to..."
--18-9: Both yelling "Me!". Note: Kirihara is the more animated, the easier to respond to/empathize with, visually. Speculation: Either Konomi is not aware of what he's doing and just likes Kirihara better, or he's deliberately messing with the readers' heads by giving most of the sympathy-cues in this issue to Kirihara.

221.01: Into tie-break. Kirihara looking worn. Jackal calls that he can still do it, he just has to hang in there. Stands commenting they've never seen Fuji/Akaya...
--2: ... play like this. Kirihara wide-eyed again, smiling again, though drawn less darkly than before.
--3: Fuji observes Kirihara's mental strength, that his focus actually seems to be increasing. Hits Tsubame Gaeshi to break it.
--5: Kirihara glaring. "So annoying". Thinks Yanagi-senpai told him about this ball not bouncing so goes forward to hit it.
--6: Fuji takes the resulting lob, though, and Kirihara decides TG was a feint. Eyes shadow. Remembers Echizen going up to smash the same way Fuji is.
--7: Thoughts on the static background again. Thinking it's the same result. Shot of Kirihara, eyes shadowed, drawn in whites. Thinks, wasn't he supposed to surpass his own limits. Shot drawn regularly, eyes clear and blank. Speculation: the stress starts to bring out his accustomed overdrive again, as signalled by the static, but thinking about surpassing his own limits derails that and produces Muga instead. It seems to me that his real goal comes into focus, here, after a two year detour into the nihilistic play-style of his red eye mode that rose from his own lack of self-confidence; not only his goal to defeat the three in particular, but his original overall goal to be the very best. If so, this is yet another example of the immediate goal only being achieved/served in the course of a greater goal (see Echizen, Yuuta). Speculation: given how often Sanada will repeat the phrase "surpassing one's own limits", in reference to Muga, I think it may have been Sanada who told Kirihara he was supposed to do this, and, given the way Kirihara phrases himself, that he could and would.
--8-9: Shot of Kirihara drawn in blacks. He returns the smash with Higuma Otoshi. Speculation: The reversal from whites to blacks, here, signals a reverse in Kirihara's technique and motivation.
--11: Next return is Yagyuu's Laser. Kirihara's expression still rather blank. Has lots of aura whisps now. Yagyuu amazed.
--12: Next is Marui's pole shot. Marui shocked.
--14-5: Next is Drive B.
--16: Echizen pretty shocked, too.
--17: Sanada standing. Expression amazed. Wonders if it can be that Akaya has finally arrived... Expression: focusing back down, though still with sweatdrop of startlement.
--18-9: Sanada finishes, ... at Muga no Kyouchi. Shot of Akaya with explosive aura. Expression not exactly blank--very focused, but doesn't seem to be focused on the here-and-now court. Note: Sanada's "finally" implies that they have been trying to bring Kirihara to this point, through his training. Speculation: I have to wonder whether Sanada failed to restrain Kirihara's violence because he thought Kirihara might reach Muga via his red-eye mode, which indicates a certain failure on Sanada's part to understand Muga; or whether Sanada knew Kirihara wouldn't get there that way but didn't know how to redirect him; or whether Sanada has been trying and it hasn't been taking; or whether Sanada let Kirihara move in a counterproductive direction because it won, and he, like Kirihara, didn't think anyone outside of Rikkai could push Kirihara far enough for the basic weakness of red-eye's assumption-of-loss to matter.

222.01: Kirihara now using Yanagi's Kamaitachi. Jackal thinks that Akaya has surpassed his own limits, and it's the same as what Echizen did.
--2: Kirihara very focused, little expression.
--3: Sanada still standing. Someone says they don't believe it. Niou says Akaya is using the special techniques of all the opponents he's played. Sanada says he's attained a perfect Muga no Kyouchi. Explains that this is a state of not-thinking, of pure reaction, only possible by surpassing one's own limits. Expression: serious, focused. Speculation: given the shape of this explanation, "surpassing one's own limits" might also be understood as not believing/accepting that there are any limits, or not letting one's own thoughts about possibility or impossibility get in the way. This would fit very well with the idea that Kirihara has, until now, been hampered by the conviction that fair-play strength will not be enough to let him win.
--4: Sanada thinks that even he's completely surprised by Kirihara. Calls out for Akaya to win this game, to take the championship for Rikkai with his own hands. Expression: focused, animated.
--5: Kirihara drops into the stance for Ka. Sanada recognizes it, a little amazed.
--10: Fuji having returned Ka, though it burst his racquet gut, Kirihara sets for another. Expression serious.
--11: Yagyuu notes the shot is Sanada's. Shot of Sanada's eyes, focused, maybe tense, maybe watchful. Yanagi and Inui chorus that the chance of a return is 2 percent. Note: The continuity of Yanagi's and Inui's thoughts continues to be emphasized.
--14: Fuji returns with the frame, and Kirihara is in place. Expression still focused and serious/calm/empty.
--15: Then taken aback as he loses his grip on his racquet. Shot of Kirihara looking at his hands, which have tremors. Sanada noting that it got away from him, and that Kirihara's grip isn't strong enough to handle that move yet. Expression still quiet, small frown.

223.01: Fuji and Kirihara come to the net to shake hands. Kirihara still rather blank and unseeing.
--2: Collapses into Fuji.
--3: Rikkai start forward, worried. Shot of Kirihara snoring. Fuji seeming rather amused as he says it's all right, Kirihara's just sleeping.
--8: Kirihara starting awake and up. A bit frantic, asking what happened with the match. Jackal shakes his head silently. Marui hands Kirihara a towel and Yanagi lays a hand on his shoulder. Sanada, preparing for his own match at the coach's bench, not turning around, "You lost, Akaya!"
--9: Sanada continues that the result was 5-7. Kirihara looking a little stunned. Eyes widen. Vaults onto the court. Yanagi is taken aback. Kirihara gets in front of Sanada and repeats Yanagi's request to be struck.
--10: Sanada silently steps past him. Shot of the coach's bench as he tells Kirihara to sit down. Speculation: Telling Kirihara to take the coach's bench is Sanada's version of 'mada mada da ne'; it tells Kirihara to observe and learn more, and at the same time is a mark of forgiveness/favor rather than merely a dismissal.
--11: Kirihara stands there for a minute, as Sanada walks onto the court. Speculation: It is possible that Kirihara does not consider his loss acceptable, and does not understand why Sanada might.
--12-3: Shot of Sanada, frowning, serious. Bubble/caption: the Emperor, Sanada Genichirou. Note: Koutei (Emperor) has connotations of an earthly ruler of an entire land.
--16: Fuji warns Echizen that Sanada is the current number one tennis player in Japanese Junior High tennis. Speculation: Since Tezuka does not seem to have played Yukimura or Sanada since entering Junior High, and Fuji knows Tezuka has beaten a Rikkai senpai, and still names Sanada as the current best, this suggests that "current" leaves out all the disabled players from the accounting.

Sanada v Echizen

224.04-5: Sanada and Echizen standing at net. Sanada looking down at Echizen with sharp interest.
--7: Inoue thinks it feels like something incredible is about to happen. Sanada still looking down sharp and focused; Echizen still with tiny smirk under his cap.
--8: Jackal notes time, that Yukimura's surgery has started. Shot of Kirihara looking sidelong. Apologizes, looking a bit flustered. Jackal and Marui chorus that they weren't blaming him. Niou points out that their strategist also [failed], to which Yanagi also apologizes. Yagyuu directs everyone's attention back to the match.
--9: Yagyuu continues that Sanada-kun is a "battle demon", and can shut out all distractions once he's on the court, and that the only thing in his mind right now is that he will mercilessly crush the opponent in front of him. Shot of Sanada's face with, indeed, a clear and focused expression that bears some resemblance to Kirihara's Muga expression.
--11: Echizen, of course, breaks the mood. Sanada does not change expression, but he is still standing at the net as Echizen trots off. Speculation: part of what makes Sanada so slow to respond to sudden changes of circumstance is his refusal to be moved by others.
--12: Sanada watching Echizen. Thinking he's still too childish. Note: Curious that Sanada seems to hold Echizen's flippancy against him, when he is not shown doing that with Kirihara. Speculation: Or perhaps he does think Kirihara is also too childish, still, but their being on the same team allows for a teaching relationship that Sanada can't have with an opponent.
--13: Echizen suggests removing the wrist weights, and Sanada assures him he already has. Says there's no need to hold back and to show him everything Echizen has. Drawn darkly, eyes sharp and narrow under his cap.
--16: Echizen gets explosive aura and the crowd exlaims about it being the same thing Kirihara showed. Jackal, Marui, Yagyuu seem surprised too. Kirihara startled, staring.
--17: Sanada, even look. Wonders if watching the last match jogged Echizen's memory. Echizen say's he's starting. Sanada says to come, that he'll crush Echizen. Eyes sharp and narrow under cap again. Note: Sanada is not at all polite to players he thinks aren't serious and/or skilled enough. Note: the remark about jogging one's memory is one Kirihara will repeat later, when Sanada asks him if he's remembered. Speculation: this is the moment Sanada decides to draw Echizen out a little, in Muga, not only to tire him but also to remind Kirihara.
--18-9: Sanada suddenly smiling with what looks like somewhat evil anticipation.

225.01: Kirihara half starting up from the bench as Echizen starts with the Knuckle Serve.
--2: Kirihara very taken aback.
--3: Sanada narrow-eyed, tiny smile. Seems both sharp and amused. Returns, noting that Echizen can consciously reach Muga.
--5: Sanada seems to be observing Echizen, as Echizen pulls out one special technique after another.
--8: Echizen has taken the first point. Sanada still observing, eyes sharp but not terribly surprised as Echizen uses Zero Shiki.
--9: Thinks that it seems he's playing a fairly strong opponent. Serious, if not greatly moved.
--10: Thinks that he's gone against the nation's strongest, though, been through tougher battles and won them all. Niou watching in background with a hand to his chin. Sanada has very faint smile. Thinks that there are no exceptions, not even Echizen. Eyes very intense now.
--11: Sanada waiting for next shot. Expression serious but calm.
--12: Eyes intense as he returns the ball, though.
--13: Says that Echizen's too slow. Eyes hidden under cap.
--16-7: After Sanada puts Fuu past Echizen. Yanagi notes Genichirou has decided to use it. Seems somewhat shaken. Sanada's expression: intense and even.

226.01: Sanada, very sharp eyes, faint smile looking down at Echizen.
--2: Turning away, loosens his grip on the racquet, letting it slide down in his hand. Speculation: This may be one of those trademark moves, like Kikumaru spinning the racquet over his hand.
--3: Rikkai definitely taken aback. Yagyuu notes this is the first time Sanada's used that move so early in a match. Jackal and Marui, impressed. Niou, cool, says it shows how dangerous Echizen is.
--4: Yanagi names it as Genichirou's greatest special technique, Fuu Rin Ka Zan. Quotes the lines from Sun Tzu.
--5: Inui observes this is a flexible style, and only workable because of Sanada's great strength. Yanagi finishes, it wipes out the opponenet's will to fight. Thinks that whenever he's winning against Genichirou, once Sanada uses Rin nothing else Yanagi tries works and the tide turns in Sanada's favor. Speculation: Forest is a method of concealment, similar to what Oshitari later uses on Momoshiro.
--6: Kirihara, glaring, disgruntled, says no matter how hard he attacks, Ka overwhlems him. Shishido recalls that Atobe couldn't do anything against Zan and lost. Note: We have already seen that Ka is a flat smash, a direct attack, and will later see that Zan is a defensive technique.
--7: Sanada's eyes, intense and focused. Again the tiny smile of confidence/anticipation as he prepares Fuu. Yanagi, watching, thinks that Genichirou intends to eliminate Echizen before Nationals. Speculation: Since, whoever wins or loses, both teams are going to Nationals, Yanagi is likely speaking in psychological terms, stating that Sanada intends to depress Echizen's ambition by defeating him decisively now.
--8: Yanagi shocked that Echizen returned the invisible swing. Sanada comes forward. Expression: intense, a shade grim, still perfectly confident.
--12-3: Sanada caught by Spot.
--14: Rikkai see what happened. (unclear who is speaking, though)
--15: Sanada observes that Echizen is continuing to evolve his techniques very rapidly. Focused, possibly concerned.
--16: Very startled when Echizen hits Fuu back at him, eyes wide.
--17: Sanada still watchful, intense. Wonders where Echizen's limits are.
--18-9: Thinks that Muga can reach such a level... Note: It is not clear in translation whether Sanada is impressed that Echizen's Muga is at such a high level already, or is meditating on the extent of it that Echizen has not yet reached but could.

227.02: Title page shows Yukimura. Caption: A gentle gaze that brings the champions together. Rikkai's Captain, Yukimura Seiichi. Speculation: Since the Yukimura we later see on the courts is not at all gentle, either Konomi had not, at this point, fully decided on Yukimura's character, or else Yukimura has two modes of interaction, one gentle and one demanding.
--3: As they change court, Sanada glances toward Rikkai. Smiles. Stops by Kirihara and says it looks like he's remembered.
--4: Shot of Kirihara, staring wide eyed at the court, still, Sanada standing behind him. Kirihara laughs a little. Says, so that's Muga no Kyouchi. Shot of him playing Fuji with past-shading.
--5: Kirihara starts up, staring at Sanada. Wonders out loud if Sanada did all that just to jog his memory. Sanada says he must be joking, not to flatter himself. Kirihara sits down with a thump. Sanada says the Muga no Kyouchi is truly amazing, but that the real show starts now. Speaking over his shoulder to Kirihara, who stares after him. Speculation: That look to check on Kirihara and the way Sanada stops to speak to him implies that, at the least, Sanada recognized that Echizen's playing in Muga should jog Kirihara's memory. It is possible that he did, indeed, draw Echizen out, in that mode, to do so, and Kirihara's repetition of Sanada's own thought implies that Kirihara has correctly perceived Sanada. In light of this, Sanada's casual denial of any such thing is one of the few moments we get of Sanada directly showing a sense of humor.
--6-7: Sanada's serve.
--9: Echizen hits Illusion to Sanada. Sanada still intense, serious.
--10: Stands say Echizen is pressing Sanada. Shot of Kirihara's eyes, wide and watching.
--12: Sanada watching as Echizen starts sweating heavily, trembling. Thinks that the side effects of Muga are starting. That bypassing the mind to act on body-memory surpasses limits and makes the impossible possible, but that the energy drain is huge.
--13: Finishes, and then it destroys your body all at once. Echizen collapses, illustratively.
--14: Sanada asks what's the matter, is it bed time already? Thinks that Echizen shouldn't think he's broken the Fuu, either. Note: Again we see Sanada actively taunting, and again it is set in context of his low opinion of Echizen's maturity/seriousness.
--15: Says that, compared to what Echizen's seen so far, the true Fuu is... Sanada's expression: level.
--16-7: Ball appears behind Echizen and Sanada finishes, three times faster. Eyes hidden under cap. Note: as in 225, Sanada's eyes are drawn hidden when he is just revealing something about his game that he's kept concealed.

228.01: Sanada leads 2-1. Sanada standing at the net. Very unamused look at the dripping Echizen.
--2-3: Turns away. Asks if that's all Echizen's got, and says it seems Sanada overestimated him.
--4: Sanada driving Echizen. Looks focused but calm.
--5: Seigaku wondering why Echizen let his energy peak so early; Inui says if he hadn't he'd have lost already. Again we see Sanada's gesture of letting the racquet slide down in his grip.
--7: Ball coming in. Shot of Sanada looking down from under his cap with some contempt. "What a waste of time".
--10: Inui sees Echizen going for the weakness of Fuu, the time needed to resume the stance. Sanada seems to see what Echizen is doing, too.
--11: Echizen driving himself past the exhaustion. Sanada wonders that he still has so much strength left.
--14-5: Sanada catches Drive B and returns with Ka. Expression: teeth bared in a grin, eyes intense.
--17: Sanada bursts out laughing, totally freaking the Ichinen.
--18-9: Echizen glaring. Sanada drawn in stark black and white, looking down at him. Eyes intense, small smile, as he says Echizen can just fall with despair. Speculation: Yanagi said earlier that Sanada's strength makes his opponents lose their fighting spirit. Part of Sanada's flamboyant arrogance once he's on the court, and after each decisive move, may be deliberately intended as a psychological attack to drive the opponent into despair. Sanada's words and manner emphasize his strength and complete confidence; it isn't a bluff, since he does have the strength, but it does seem like it could be a calculated head game. Especially in light of the earlier speculation that he intends to mentally break Echizen.

229.02: Sanada points he racquet at Echizen. Tells him to stand up. Glaring down at him.
--3: Sanada with a bit of a smirk as he turns away and Echizen stands. Yanagi wonders if Sanada's trying to completely destroy Echizen's future. Note: Yanagi is consistently calling Sanada by his given name, both in thoughts and out loud.
--4: Sanada with tiny smile as he hits the ball. Thinking at Echizen that he doesn't have any of what it takes to beat Sanada. Shot of expression: focused, almost angry?
--5: Thinks to Tezuka he's disappointed Sanada, that Echizen is a thousand years too early. Again the scary clenched-teeth smile as Sanada uses Ka.
--8: And Ka again. Marui impressed, saying he did it again, "pure dominance". Kirihara watching, staring, wondering what's with this, whether Echizen was really this strong. Speculation: Kirihara's wondering whether Echizen is really strong enough to demand such consistent use of Sanada's strongest moves.
--9: Yanagi, possibly a bit troubled. "Genichirou..."
--11: Sanada hitting Ka again, one of the watchers saying that to regain the pride of the champions Rikkai [from two losses] Sanada wants to dominate the match and destroy Echizen.
Incidentally, the second half of this issue puts a good deal of emphasis on Echizen driving himself in a way that draws respect from pretty much all the watchers except Sanada and the Rikkai stands.

230.04: Sanada yells that Echizen goes so far in refusing to admit his own defeat, it's unsightly. Speculation: this puts more weight behind the idea that Sanada is used to verbally driving his opponents into giving up, and that they usually would have by this point. Also behind the idea suggested by the stands, that what Sanada wants, here, is for Echizen to give up, to defeat him psychologically, to mentally crush him until he can no longer gather the spirit to challenge Sanada.
--5: Echizen comes to the front. Sanada seems amused, perhaps also a little manic. Wonders if that's the only thing Echizen can do, and thinks it won't work. That there's no way Echizen can counter Fuu Rin Ka Zan. Again the scary Ka grin.
--6-7: Keeps the scary grin, laughing through it, as Echizen tries using his body to back the racquet as he catches Ka.
--8-9: Sanada, stunned still as it actually works. Yanagi and Yagyuu also shocked.
--11: Going again. Sanada's eyes, very intent. He thinks it must be a joke, wonders how Ka can be sealed by someone like Echizen.
--14-5: Again the return gets by before Sanada recovers. Expression: incredulous frown.
--16: Sanada staring at Echizen thinking he selectively applied the reflected-body-memory of Muga to use Fuu to counter Ka. Note: Echizen's suggestion that Sanada hurry up and use his other two moves, presumably so he can see/reflect them, confirms Sanada's analysis.
--18: Echizen starts to say he'll defeat Sanada. Sanada still staring at him.

231.01: Ryouma revs up. Rikkai staring rather blankly at him, in the background.
--2-3: Sanada reaches for the Drive B but misses.
--7: Yagyuu recovering himself notes that, though Echizen has sealed the Fuu Rin Ka Zan, Sanada's victory is still assured. Note: Sanada is sweating, now.
--8: Sanada, eyes focused, glaring. Notes that Echizen shows no fear, is challenging him rather. Adds that it's too late, though, and when Echizen can't sustain this level of tension it will be the end of him. Rallies and starts returning shots. Expression: serious and focused. Speculation: Sanada seems to respect Echizen's spirit. This may be exactly the level of skill/endurance/spirit it takes to earn Sanada's respect. High standards, to say the least.
--10: Echizen puts another Drive B past. Sanada eyeing him from under his cap, serious. "Such perseverance".
--13: Sanada startled to notice the speed of Echizen's shots increasing as he returns them.
--15: Sanada observes that, in the second half of the game, Echizen's speed has increased, and that this kind of pacing is a pro-level talent. Expression: focused and starting to be thoughtful, considering. Thinks that Echizen is clearly different from all the other players he's faced.
--18: Having had the samurai-vision, Sanada wonders what that was. Now watching Echizen very closely.
--19: Very focused.

232.10: Post flashback of Tezuka v Echizen. Sanada still wondering what the samurai-vision was. Frowning a bit.
--11: Puts it out of his mind, thinks he should put an end to the game. Eyes sharp, tiny smile again. Flashback resumes.

233.02-3: Sanada yells that it's foolishness [to keep resisting].
--5: 4-5. Sanada wondering what's hidden deep inside Echizen. Sharp watching again. Breathing hard, now. Shot of his eye, sharp and focused and a little blank, on Echizen's next ball.
--6: Hits a lob, rather like Moon Volley, high over Echizen onto the baseline.
--7: Atobe notes the advantage of experience Sanada has. Sanada's expression: intense, confident.
--8: Hits it twice more, reaching match point. Unsmiling.
--9: Tells Echizen to give up, that Seigaku's victory never existed. Still unsmiling, focused.
--10: Jackal says that Echizen won't be able to go to the front anymore. Niou says, no, to watch closely. That Echizen is going to the front. Tiny smile at the corners of his mouth. Note: yet another instance of Niou telling others to watch more closely.
--15: Incidentally, this is where Inoue points out that Echizen's ability is not exactly natural talent, but the result of training from toddlerhood until things [analysis, taking apart moves and applying them himself, etc.] became ingrained.
--16-7: Sanada's shot goes out, and he wonders if he's actually being pressured by Echizen's intensity. Expression: perhaps puzzled, perhaps startled. Speculation: If this is what he's used to doing to other players, this must be a bit of a shock, to have it turned around on him.

234.02: Sanada frowning at the strength of Echizen's shot.
--4: 5-5. Rikkai watching, possibly disbelieving.
--8: Sanada wondering if Echizen thinks he can beat him with intensity alone. Eyes sharp. Yells as he returns the Twist Serve, "Too easy". (Amai, most likely)
Incidentally, the rest of this issue is Ryuuzaki's flashback to Tezuka asking her to let Echizen play Singles One and meet Sanada.

235.01: Match point. Sanada a little grim, watching Echizen pull out Muga again.
--2: Eyes sharp. Turns away, saying he knows of only three people who can use that move. Rikkai's captain, Yukimura, Kyuushuu's Chitose, and...
--3: Sanada speaking. "My heart has become empty; it is empty because there is nothing".
--4: Sanada from the back with explosive aura. Finishes his list with himself.
--5: Sanada's eye, sharp and hooded. Kirihara wide-eyed, wondering what this is. Shouting from stands? wondering why Sanada hasn't used this move until now, adding he's using it now to ensure his victory. Speculation: Sanada may actually have answered this, earlier, when he noted that Muga places a tremendous strain on the body. Even he may well have burned out if he used it earlier, and Echizen's ability to recover seems unique.
--6: Muga against Muga. Someone amazed Sanada cleanly returns Echizen's attack. Sanada thinks it was a splendid attack. Looks serious.
--7: Adds that there's a huge weakness hidden in Echizen's tennis.
--8: Thinking that Echizen's explosive energy makes him vulnerable to counterattacks. Bids Echizen farewell. Note: He uses Echizen's full name, at this moment. Note: Sanada appears to be able to keep thinking/planning, while in Muga.
--9: Sanada hits the lob again. Eyes hidden under cap. Speculation: This being the visual signal of a decisive move, as established earlier, Konomi is trying to keep us in suspense right down to the end.
--12-3: Echizen hits Cool Drive. Sanada prepares to return it, noting that it's not Drive B. Eyes sharp.
--14-5: Startled as the ball scuds past along the ground.
--16: Whips around to watch it.
--17: Jackal, Marui, Yagyuu, shocked.
--19: Sanada just standing as 7-5 is announced and Seigaku flocks to the collapsed Echizen.

236.06: Sanada standing, looking down at the burst strings on Echizen's racquet, on the ground. Seems a bit in suspension.
--7: Thinking about the mechanics of Cool Drive, and that it's an irregular shot that might only succeed one time in a hundred. Note: Sanada has spent most of the time in this match watching and thinking and analyzing like this. Speculation: He has the self-control to channel his intensity into that watching; this is doubly true if, as per previous speculation, his verbal 'outbursts' are a calculated tactic.
--8: Thinks that he'll give Echizen credit for having the courage and confidence to take such a chance at the critical moment.
--9: Rikkai crosses the side-fence and comes to Sanada. Shot of his back. He says the champions Rikkai are a thing of the past. Shot of the team, serious, gathering around him. Yanagi and Kirihara in the foreground. Niou in the background, running a hand through his hair. Note: Niou is consistently drawn a little apart from the others. Speculation: either he is a little more distant and less bound up with the team than any of the others, or he holds himself in silence and detachment simply to observe and analyze. Possibly both.
--10: Shots of Sanada's hands falling on Kirihara's shoulder and Niou's. Shot of the whole team in a circle/huddle. Sanada says they will enter Nationals as the challengers and, of course, reclaim their throne. Expression: serious, but a touch more relaxed around the eyes now. Note: this is a very fast mental recovery. Speculation: since Sanada is clearly capable of adjusting immediately and effectively to changing circumstances, his previous instances of not doing so may be due to a certain stubbornness on his part, as per previous speculation on his unwillingness to be moved by others.
--11: The team calls acknowledgment to him. Sanada looks up and around. Calls to Seigaku that Rikkai will defeat them at Nationals.
--12-3: Finishes, telling Seigaku to win until they face each other again. Eyes sharp again. Team behind him. Niou smirking. Kirihara serious. Yanagi calm expression. Yagyuu even expression. Marui winking and blowing a bubble, smiling. Jackal small smile.
--14: Teams at net, shaking hands. Jackal with Momoshiro; Marui with Kaidou; Yagyuu with Fuji, looking cordial; Niou with Kikumaru, except they seem to be chatting and waving hands instead. Also possible Kikumaru is wisely refusing to touch a rather amused Niou.
Incidentally, the rest of this issue is Chitose watching Tachibana play Saeki, and asking if he's become weak. Note: Again, this names Chitose as a Kyuushuu player. Speculation: Chitose is the other of "Kyuushuu's top two", as Kirihara put it when he played Tachibana.

237.04: Closing ceremonies. Rikkai called forward to take second place. Sanada refuses.
--5: Sanada states they strive only for championship; that everything else has no worth. Looking down at the announcer. Aloof.
--06-7: Kurobane says what a waste. Amane makes a pun. Yamabuki doubles gives him the thumbs up, but Kirihara is behind them giving Amane a bit of the evil eye, sidelong.

Between Regionals and Nationals

240.09: Murigaoka having been talking about Yukimura's illness, saying they hope he gets worse, Kaidou having taken violent exception and gotten into a fight with them. Yagyuu intervenes, says for them both to stop.
--10: Yaguu leaning against the wall with a book. Murigaoka recognizes him. Shot of Yagyuu adjusting his glasses, possibly with a tiny smile.
--11: Yagyuu recognizes Murigaoka as the champions from Tokai. Calmly asks if they want to be suspended from Nationals. Adds that Kaidou isn't Rikkai, but Seigaku, the Kantou champion team, and apologizes for the misunderstanding on both sides. Muri-blond suggests they settle it with a match. Yagyuu silent, faint frown. Speculation: knowing their reputation, as we see later he does, he suspects at once what they're trying to do. Speculation: unbecoming conduct like getting into fights is clearly frowned upon, and grounds for disqualification; this may be part of what Sanada and the rest of Rikkai were so worried about, when Kirihara played Echizen.
--12: Shot of Yagyuu and Kaidou in uniform, from behind. Muri-blond laughs over the uniforms. 'Kaidou' tells him to shut up, and get started.
--13: Muri-pair impressed with their strength. Shot of 'Kaidou', expression even, watching. Shot of 'Yagyuu', lips pursed almost to a hiss.
--14: 'Yagyuu' in after-Laser pose.
--15: 'Kaidou' hitting BSnake. Note: both their positions are a bit off, too stiff or too spread out.
--16: Both standing together, as win is called. Again, stances are a bit atypical.
--17: Both watching silently as Murigaoka packs up their video camera.
--18: Unassigned voice explaining that Murigaoka was gathering data, and they have a strong reputation; that this is why one musn't show one's special techniques in front of them. 'Yagyuu' says so that's why... here; removes glasses. Kaidou, taking off Rikkai jersey, saying that isn't how BSnake is supposed to be hit. Yagyuu, putting his glasses back on, saying his Laser isn't supposed to be that slow either. Speculation: As this is apparently the first explanation Kaidou's gotten about why they switched, he seems to have gone along with Yagyuu's suggestion purely on the strength of senpai-kouhai dynamics, despite Yagyuu not being his own senpai. This suggests Yagyuu has some talent for projecting senpai-authority and also didn't ruffle Kaidou's feathers.
--19: Turn their backs on each other with sniffs, as they change. Yagyuu speaks, smiling as he tells Kaidou Yukimura's surgery was successful and he's in intensive rehab. Adds thanks for what Kaidou did, and holds out his hand. Note: Yagyuu calls him Kaidou-kun. Note: the narrative text wonders if, after the Regionals match, The Gentleman has gotten into cosplay. Speculation: Konomi is indulging in a bit of silliness, but this could also be an indication that Yagyuu accepted what may have been his partner's tactic as a viable part of his standard arsenal. Note: 9 days before Nationals.

242.05: Atobe working out, remembering Sanada and Echizen playing.
--6: After shower, sees his? magazine open to article about that match "huge upset" "Rikkai suffers loss" etc. Tosses his towel on top of it with curled lip.
--7: See him out running in eagle-hoodie. In a later flashback we see him wearing that, as he comes to challenge Sanada. Speculation: As he does not yet know Hyoutei is back in Nationals, his choice of Sanada to test his advancement on may reflect his judgement that Sanada is actually the stronger player, or it may be due to wanting to get his own back from being defeated by Sanada, or it could be that he thinks Echizen isn't a stable enough talent to measure himself against. Note: this is seven days before Nationals.

Nationals

248.13: Nationals drawing hosted at Rikkai.
--14: Muri-pair laughing over Rikkai not being a threat this year. Sanada speaks from behind them. Suggests saying such things to his face. Arms folded, looking down. Muri-pair quail. Sanada snorts and keeps walking. Higa's Kai comments on such a serious middle-schooler. Shot of Sanada's eye, suddenly intense.
--15: Kite tells him to knock it off, or he'll make Kai eat gouya. Both looking away from Sanada, who is looking back at them over his shoulder. Sanada recognizes Kite Eishirou, thinks Okinawa dominated Kyuushuu this year. Expression: somewhat watching.
--17: Tezuka arrives. Sanada not looking over his shoulder, but eyes are glancing back toward Tezuka. Speculation: His body-language matches with the idea that Sanada is not willing to be moved by others, not even to looking behind him; he'll wait until Tezuka steps in front of him.

249.06: Saeki observes that, in the absence of Yukimura, Tezuka, along with Sanada, are the ones closest to pro level.
--7: Yanagi, looks over shoulder, nods. Says it looks like Tezuka will make it in time after all. Shot of Sanada, chin down, eyes closed, possibly a tiny smile. Looks up, sidelong, eyes intense, definitely something akin to a smile, presumably to watch Tezuka go up to draw. Says there's no time to relax.

251 (86): Opening ceremonies of Nationals, teams filing in. Niou, small smile, aparently saying something to Kirihara, who is also laughing. Possible encouraging hand on Kirihara's arm or similar.
--(87): As last year's champions, presumably, Sanada and Yanagi hand flag back? to official to be stood up in front.

Rikkai moments while Seigaku plays other teams

Seigaku v Higa

252 (106): Re Higa, Momo having asked on the previous page who they are. Someone in Rikkai mentions Okinawan martial arts. Yanagi says, yes, that Higa is this year's dark horse; expression: calm. Yagyuu notes they overthrew Shishigaku who were in last year's National best four; manner: casual. Marui says they'll probably be Seigaku's first opponenets; expression: calculating. Sanada, silent.
--(107): Kirihara, looking curious, wants to know how martial arts come into this. Yanagi, it looks, explains Higa employs it for their tennis, creating unpredictable attacks. Corrects himself that, rather than starting out with tennis, Kite recruited long-time martial artists who happen to be gifted in tennis. Shot of the team. Marui sitting, Niou lounging on either side of a light-pylon footing. Jackal leaning and Kirihara perched on the fence. Yanagi facing them, Sanada standing behind Yanagi facing out, Yagyuu on his far side facing them again. Yanagi continues, looking more serious, that's why those guys... Note: Yukimura does not appear to be with them here.
--(108): Voice over shot of Kai. ...can reach the net from baseline in one step.

269.11: Having totally waxed Murigaoka, Rikkai discusses Higa. Kirihara? surprised by Kite's nickname "the hitman". Yagyuu comments on what a dangerous nickname he has. Marui wants to know whether he's really a tennis player. Yanagi nods. All of them calm and not sweating. Dripping Muri-pair across from them in the lineup note that Rikkai has already put them totally out of their sight.
--12: Jackal says whoever meets Kite won't have it easy. Kirihara enjoying the fact this will be trouble for Seigaku. Sanada tells them all to pipe down. The shot of Kirihara, beside him, does indeed look like someone having a juicy gossip.
--13: Rikkai moving back to the bench. All quite casual in stance. Jackal, Sanada, Niou and Yagyuu in foreground.
--14: Yukimura, eyes closed. Saying, even though it was only the first match. Looks up, on coach's bench, leaning with his elbows on his knees, hands relaxed. Tells them their movements were terrible. Looks distinctly unimpressed. Note: The board shows five 6-0 games. Speculation: Yukimura has extremely demanding standards for his team.
--15: Shot of the team gathered in front of him. He calls Sanada. Sanada turns to the team and barks that, indeed, not a single loss is permissible at Nationals, that they will win their third title undefeated. Team calls acknowledgement. Shot of Sanada, expression even, thinking about Kite. Note: As Yukimura chides the team, Kirihara has a hand to the back of his head, possibly sheepish. Note: Interesting dynamic, that Yukimura states the reprimand in a somewhat lower key and then calls on Sanada who states it more far more sharply. Speculation: It may be that their different phrasing reflects different philosophies, that Yukimura is more concerned with the quality of play while Sanada is the one who is focused on not losing; or it could be that Sanada is stating Yukimura's agenda when he amplifies on the captain's reprimand. In the first case, the dynamic becomes one of Yukimura offering Sanada a chance to add his own agenda and interpretation to the team's orders; in the second case, the dynamic is more one of captain-lieutenant, in which Yukimura gives the general direction and then leaves the particulars of the bawling-out to his second.

271.16: Seigaku stunned by Hyakuren. Shot of Yukimura, Sanada, Yanagi standing behind them. One speaks, calling them fools, adding even though they go to the same school as Tezuka they don't know [his techniques/real strength]. Speculation: given the phrasing it's probably Sanada speaking.
--17: Sanada, saying this is Tezuka's true form. Yukimura, behind him, watching narrow-eyed. Speculation: If Tezuka's schoolmates don't know of this technique he must not have been using it since he entered middle school, possibly since he was injured by that senpai. The fact that Sanada, and, as we see later, Yukimura, do know about it suggests they have played Tezuka previous to middle-school, on the Elementary circut.

272.02-3: Sanada, eyes intense, saying this is Tezuka's true form. Shot of the three, Sanada, arms crossed, standing a little in front, Yanagi turned toward the other two, Yukimura standing back watching with interest. Note: An onlooker names them "the champions, Rikkai Dai Fuzoku". Apparently they still count as champions of Nationals, despite the Regional loss.
--4: Onlooker names Yukimura; says he saw Yukimura play last year and suggests he might even be at a higher level than Sanada.
--5: Yukimura, small smile, saying it's been a while since he saw Tezuka use that, the Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami.
--6: Sanada, eyes sharp, considering Hyakuren. Says, whether it was his injury or something else, Tezuka had sealed the move for the past three years. Note: These statements support the notion that Yukimura and Sanada know Tezuka's game from before middle-school.

Seigaku v Hyoutei

300.01: Flashback. Several different clubs calling to each other that Hyoutei Gakuen has stormed the tennis courts. Yukimura, in uniform but with two nurses in the background, notes that will be Hyoutei's Atobe. Expression: calm but eyes a bit sharp.
--2: Sanada playing Atobe. Atobe sweating hard, frowning, eyes intense. Note: Atobe in eagle-hoodie, apparently this is seven days before Nationals, same day as 242.
--3: Sanada, not sweating, taunting Atobe that it's the same no matter how many times he tries; expression: fairly contemptuous. Shot of Atobe's eye, sharp, possibly waiting. Shot of Sanada, shadowed. "Immovable as the mountain".
--4: Rikkai watching from the side. Yanagi nods. Kirihara, smirking, hands clasped behind his head, relaxed, saying it's pitiful. Jackal with a smile, agrees it's one-sided. Marui, blowing a bubble, says he [Sanada] has got it. Yagyuu says Atobe's choice of opponent was too skilled. Niou watching silently with a smile.
--5: Sanada, looking down at Atobe with a smile. Wants to know the meaning of this nonsense, of Atobe, who lost his chance at Nationals, coming storming in like this. Atobe, out of breath, drooping a bit.
--6: Crowd chanting. Sanada smirking a bit. Note: Sanada seems more casual and less watchful in this match than he was during his match with Echizen.
--7: Atobe, eyes blank. Sanada, serious again, asking if that's all Atobe has. Eyes intense. Tiny smile as he thinks Atobe can shatter into despair. Uses Zan again. Crowd saying he's a demon, using Zan, the unbreakable defense; that he wants to draw this into a long match and annihilate Atobe. Kirihara watching, fairly impassive.
--8-9: Ball goes past Sanada (who is now breathing hard). Shot of his eyes, still intense but wide. Looks where the ball landed, thinking it's his blind spot and he couldn't react. Atobe, eyes blank, or possibly dilated, small smile.
--10: Atobe, eyes wide, smiling, triumphant. Laughing. Says it's perfected.
--11: Shot of a hand loosening the net rope. Bystanders name Yukimura-buchou. Sanada looks around. Shot of Yukimura's back, in jersey, coat over his shoulders blowing in the wind; of the collapsing net; of Atobe looking around. Note: Sanada doesn't seem terribly surprised by Yukimura's appearance.
--12: Yukimura standing at the center of the downed net, between them, looking at Atobe. Says that's it. Atobe, looking more his usual self, asks if Yukimura is going to play him now. Yukimura looking at Atobe, evenly, measuringly. Kirihara, incensed, yelling hang on. Shot of Yukimura's foot squarely on the net. He says not today. Slight smile. Adds he's looking forward to playing Atobe in an official match, though; expression is indeed interested. Atobe wants to know what he means. Yukimura tells him he'll know eventually. Speculation: Given that Kirihara was nearly disqualified for kicking the net, Yukimura downing the net and then standing on it is about the strongest gesture of authority he could have made.
--13: Shot of the courts back to normal. Shot of Yukimura watching Atobe leave, sidelong, intent, and Sanada glancing back at Yukimura, possibly frowning. Sanada looking ahead again, possibly after Atobe; not looking happy but also not very angry or upset. Says it's foolish. Asks why Yukimura interfered. Shot of Atobe's back as he jogs off. Yukimura says if it had gone on, Sanada would have lost. Note: He uses Sanada's given name. Speculation: Again, two possibilities. One, that Yukimura stopped the match because he feels losing is unacceptable. Two, that he stopped the match because he knows Sanada feels losing is unacceptable. In either case, his use of Sanada's given name gentles the abruptness of his action a shade. Speculation: The fact that Yukimura stopped them also suggests that he does not think Sanada could have adapted to Atobe's new move within the course of the match.

Rikkai v Elvish team

321.07: Break from Fuji v Shiraishi game to see Rikkai lined up across from their semifinal opponents. Kirihara, nonplused, giving them the eye, wants to know what's going on. Yagyuu observes it's a changed lineup. Jackal wonders where they got so many [gaijin]. Niou looking rather sardonically amused, possibly considering, possibly jaded.
--9: Kirihara now distinctly annoyed, yelling how this is not on for the Japanese jhs competition. Yukimura standing from the bench, chuckling, saying to Sanada that this is interesting isn't it? Sanada, deadpan glower with perhaps a bit of sneer, states emphatically they will beat this team. Speculation: Yukimura has some showman's flair. He does not flaunt his and his team's confidence in such blunt or arrogant terms as most of the others do, and there is a statement in that--that he doesn't need to. Psychological tactics appear to be something he and Sanada share, albeit in different registers. His amused words, directed to Sanada not to their opponents, and the starkness of Sanada's response, has an air of good-cop-bad-cop double teaming, to them.

TBC

This page covers issues 1-215. Next page issues 216-300.

Page numbers given in parentheses indicate tankoubon pages. Page numbers without parentheses are pages for that particular issue.

Early hints

15 (vol 2 p152): First mention of Kirihara (the other middle schooler who can use the single-foot split step).

19: Kirihara the opportunist. Having wound up at Seigaku by accident he immediately sets out to find Tezuka. Introduces himself with cheery arrogance when discovered and asks Tezuka for a match as soon as he spots him.
--(v 2, p54): Notes that his senpai are very impressed with Tezuka and Tezuka was the only one who could defeat 'our senpai' in the last Prefectural. Note: it's unclear who Tezuka defeated. Speculation: If Tezuka was not using Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami it seems unlikely that he defeated Yukimura or Sanada; suspect it was one of last year's third-years.
--(p55-9): Upon being told to take a hike Kirihara cajols Tezuka and teases him about tiring his face by frowning all the time. Gets serious for a moment as he catches Arai's ball and tells him to butt out. Goes back promptly to wheedling Tezuka. Serious again as he says he'll defeat Tezuka. Cutesy again as he says he's just kidding. Commence showing off and ensuing chaos.
--(64): Kirihara's first encounter with Echizen; shows some interest in Echizen fielding the ball. Note: The way Echizen catches Kirihara's ball, and the way Kirihara caught Arai's are framed very similarly.
Incidentally, this is an interesting issue for watching Tezuka's responses, too. I see Tezuka as initially being mildly annoyed to be interrupted by this Random Outsider. And then I think he's completely nonplussed by being /teased/, of all things. Then, as Kirihara shows flickers of that dangerousness, Tezuka focuses on him (kind of the way Sanada focuses on interesting opponenets, actually). And, as chaos erupts and Kirihara beats a hasty retreat, I see him as ruefully philosophical about it. Not amused, but not really pissed off either. Almost like it's what he expects, either of Kirihara particularly (which would suggest Sanada has been telling tales about his star kouhai) or by the erratic behavior of tennis geniuses in general.

40 (v 5 p108-9): Kirihara shakes down Inoue for news of Seigaku and Tezuka in particular; finds out they are said to have had a hard time at Districts.
--(110): Sanada, joining in, translates this as Seigaku not using their full strength. Kirihara: rather impish smile as his senpai come up behind him.
--(111): Sanada asks Inoue to tell Tezuka what he said. Speculation: Sanada wants to make sure Tezuka plays with his full strength and no messing around when they meet; he doesn't seem to think much of the notion of restraint or holding back, which ties in well with his (hypothetical) encouraging Yukimura to go for the surgery. Yet another parallel with Kirihara, and a possible reason he never restrains Kirihara.

119.6-12: Inoue/Shiba visit Rikkai's practice. Sanada has just beaten a senpai from last year's Regulars (Expression: serious but matter-of-fact), and Kirihara is on his eighth HS-age opponent (Expression: smiling and engaged, but not manic). Sanada observes that Kirihara has an amazing natural talent for concentration and focus (Expression: relaxed, possibly pleased). Shiba asks whether Kirihara can beat him and is told of course not; then notices that all Kirihara's opponenets are lefthanded. Kirihara's expression on that last page: edging into the dangerous smile. Note: Sanada speaks bluntly to Nishiki and the journalists, but not exactly rudely. Speculation: Kirihara's being prepared to face Tezuka, as the most challenging opponent available outside his own team.

Regionals

Early Rounds

Seigaku v Hyoutei

143 (p59-60): Rikkai show up for Tezuka v Atobe. Sanada: focused; Yanagi: calm: Kirihara: grinning and bright-eyed.
--(61): Tezuka looks up and takes notice of Sanada, particularly.

144 (p71): Re Atobe's cheer-directing. Kirihara: a bit startled; Sanada: unmoved (not frowning, though).

145 (p100-1): Watching the Tezuka Zone. Sanada: unsurprised; Kirihara: smiling, just about grinning.

148 (p150): Yanagi noting the lack of Hametsue no Rondo, Sanada agreeing. Sanada: lighter, possibly a bit amused. Speculation: everyone knows and tolerates this quirk in Atobe, of playing ruthlessly and drawing it out, which indicates a certain amount of respect for the talent he can back it up with (this going nicely with that fist-tap between Atobe and Tezuka on the cheering page).
--(153): Flashback to them watching Atobe use that move. Sanada: focused.
--(156): Sanada present day again, silent and perhaps waiting.
--(158): Kirihara surprised and Sanada very interested by Atobe holding off from Hametsue. Speculation: Kirihara doesn't have a very strong analytical awareness yet and doesn't see right away what Atobe's doing; Sanada, however, does.

149 (p181): Everyone realizing that Tezuka won't back down just because he's straining his arm. Kirihara: taken aback/amazed/possibly even awed. Sanada; focused and serious.

151 (p31): Discussing the flare up of Tezuka's shoulder. Renji thinks he can't play Atobe evenly any more; Kirihara think's he's going to lose and is sighing, if smiling too, over not being the first to defeat Tezuka; Sanada says it isn't decided yet. It's pretty clear by this point that Sanada is familiar with Tezuka's strength and also his determination and depth of potential.

154 (p91-2): Tezuka's lost and Hiyoshi's up. Sanada says Tezuka was slacking off, once again demonstrating he's familiar with Tezuka's full strength and the moves he hasn't pulled out yet. Kirihara notes Sanada must have wanted to beat Tezuka himself (pot and kettle moment), implying that Sanada's in a snit because someone else got there first, and is hushed by Yanagi--implying Yanagi agrees. Kirihara cutely claims not to remember playing Hiyoshi at Newcomers, which Sanada doesn't believe for a moment.
--(104-5): Echizen pulls out the drop shot, and Kirihara looks fascinated and delighted. "There was another one in Seigaku." Speculation: another one worth defeating, another one of Tezuka's stature. I don't think Kirihara has a full appreciation of either Tezuka's or Echizen's strength yet.

155 (p109): Kirihara remembers Echizen from their encounter in 19. Expression: more focused and serious.

156 (p132): Sanada observing this is the competition of the next generation of powerful players. Expression: unusually open--surprised? appreciative? impressed? Yanagi notes it feels good to watch. Kirihara makes a smart remark about watching 'like that' (with closed eyes, presumably) and gets thwapped.

157 (p156): Yanagi thinks Seigaku and Hyoutei both played good games but... Speculation: But they aren't up to Rikkai's level.
--(157): Upon Yanagi mentioning Echizen to Kirihara, Kirihara suggests that he needs to be crushed right away. Expression: focused, tiny smile--dangerous. Sanada: looking on coolly.

165.17: People noting who's advancing to the final four. Frame for Rikkai shows Sanada (watchful) and Kirihara (grinning).

Rikkai v Fudoumine

181.17: End of the Fudoumine-Rikkai matches. Kirihara facing Tachibana over the net as it's announced. Expression: even and serious.
--18-9: Score of 6-1. Kirihara's expression: pleased and dangerous.

182.2-3: Rikkai walking away after match, hands in pockets. Yagyuu and Kirihara tapping fists. Sanada's expression: even.
--4: Closeup of Sanada and Kirihara's expressions: both even and unsmiling and rather scary around the eyes. Rikkai walks past Echizen; no acknowledgement on either side.
--5: Rikkai's backs, following Sanada. Echizen is shaking, hand clenched. Expression: possibly alarmed, possibly angry.

Pre-Finals

Echizen v Kirihara

184.01: Seigaku watches video of Fudoumine v Rikkai.
--2: Kamio-Ibu v Yanagi-Sanada; Yanagi calm and not sweating.
--3: Ishida-Sakurai v Jacka-Yagyuu; Yagyuu with drop shot and holding his racquet high in triumph. Expression: small smile.
--7-8: Kirihara v Tachibana; Kirihara smiling and focused, putting a shot past Tachibana.
--9: Kirihara hitting a return straight to Tachibana's head. Expression: focused and blank. Really, a little alarming.
--10: Again that last view of Kirihara's expression, pleased and taunting as the score is announced.

185.11: Fuji noting that Yanagi and Sanada played doubles as though they were playing singles. That Kirihara is the most dangerous one. Again the last view of Kirihara's expression on tape. Speculation: Either Sanada plays bad enough doubles that Yanagi can't compensate, or they play the way Fuji and Kikumaru do, or it was a psychological tactic to demoralize the opponents by winning without using/needing a tight combination.
--14: Kirihara and Jackal walking, Kirihara complaining that Tezuka is gone. Jackal smiling as he asks if it was a shock that someone else already defeated him. Kirihara looking jaundiced as he says the rest are small fry, and then focused as he says only Tezuka could play true tennis.
--17: Echizen, of course offers to show him true tennis, and Kirihara says it comes with a high price. Expression: fey and focused and smiling dangerously.

186.2: Kirihara remembers Echizen. Looks very interested, most likely in the opportunity to crush Echizen, as he said at the TvA match.
--7: Kirihara lets Echizen have the serve and Jackal chuckles. Speculation: Sanada, Yanagi and Kirihara did not mention Echizen specifically to the rest of the team, and Jackal doesn't know how good he is.
--11: Kirihara judges the speed of the Twist Serve has increased; he seems to have a good eye.
--12-4: He still loses his racquet to it and gets clocked one.
--18: Kirihara laughs at Echizen's "mada mada dane", and they exchange looks. Kirihara: eyes narrower and starting to be dangerous. Echizen: alarmingly focused and smiling.
--19: Kirihara says he'll destroy Echizen.

187.02: Kirihara smiling, engaged, excited.
--3-7: He and Echizen gauging each other correctly, still talking cheerfully.
--8-9: Echizen pulls mid-air drop shot. Jackal: concerned for the first time.
--12-13: Kirihara suggests Echizen take off his weights; Echizen returns the suggestion. Kirihara hearts at him as he agrees. Both remove weights.
18-19: Kirihara takes note of Echizen touching his return at all; Echizen snarks at him for being impressed by a failed shot ('yarou' I imagine). Expressions: still smiling but more focused for both. Jackal notes time and thinks Akaya is being too cautious. Definitely not reading Echizen's level.

188.05: Flashback to Fudoumine match. Kirihara being cute as he notes Tachibana was one of Kyuushuu's top two.
--6: Tells Tachibana he'll beat him in 13 min. Expression: dangerous, small smirk.
--7: Sanada watching Kirihara lose the first game. Expression: waiting? small frown?
--10: Tachibana return-taunt about the 13 min. A little startled as Kirihara turns with a smile.
--11: And red eyes. Expression: rather vicious smile.
--12: Kirihara's expression is blank as he goest to hit the ball.
--15: Rikkai's reactions to Kirihara going berserker on Tachibana. Sanada-no reaction; Yagyuu-no reaction; Jackal-appalled; Yanagi-slightly alarmed. Note: the match took 14 min and almost-2 sec.
--17-9: Present again. Jackal sees Kirihara's eyes turning red, at 8min 13sec. Speculation: this is a measure of the intensity of the game, and perhaps of Kirihara's temper.

189.04: After the knee shot. Echizen: serious glare. Kirihara: predatory and faintly crazed.
--5: Jackal thinks Echizen should refrain from doing anything "stupid, like provoking his pride".
--6: Kirihara casually acknowledges he was going for a disabling shot and compliments Echizen for avoiding the worst of it.
--8: Jackal is upset to see the Knuckle Serve. Says it's three days to the tournament, wonders if Kirihara truly means to destroy Echizen. Speculation: so far when Kirihara says he'll destroy someone, and beats on them with the ball, he hasn't caused any lasting damage.
--19: Jackal states Kirihara really is going to destroy Echizen's knee. Kirihara's expression: flat.

190.01-11: Kirihara systematically targets Echizen's knee, and Echizen refuses to back down even when the spectators attempt to intervene. Jackal does not attempt to intervene. Speculation: after watching Kirihara being let to do this in a tournament match, he doesn't think viciousness is considered an acceptable reason to end a match; especially since it looks like the paramount value, winning, will be fulfilled.
--16: When Echizen goes muga and returns the finishing shot, Kirihara is shocked.
--17: Incidentally, Echizen looks pretty blank, too, in muga.

191.05: Even in red-eye mode, we have a cute-style moment of Kirihara not understanding Echizen speaking English.
--06-8: Kirihara showing expression again. Serious, a little puzzled, startled by Echizen's speed. Back to the smirk but only for a moment before startled again by the speed. Jackal is pleased by the moment when Kirihara catches the first Drive B. Speculation: he's most comfortable with the proper challenge of a good game, and relieved that Kirihara isn't seeking to injure Echizen any more.
--12: Another moment of scowling irritation over the English. Speculation: our sympathy is being turned toward Kirihara.

192.01: Yukimura and Sanada on hospital roof, and mention of breaking a promise. Using family names. Sanada's expression: animated, smiling; Yukimura: solemn. Speculation: Given the context (discussing moving on to take Nationals) I suspect the promise was that Yukimura would be with them to win Nationals (three years in a row, Sanada says), and that they have been discussing the possibility of his surgery, which might allow him to play again that soon, and that Yukimura is hesitating about it.
--2: Yukimura tapping fists with, it looks like, Marui.
--3: Yukimura apologizing for being trouble. Family names. Yukimura's expression: smiling. Speculation: If they have been talking about the surgery and Yukimura's reluctance, even in face of his promise to take the third National title with them, then he is apologizing for burdening Sanada with his fears and reassuring him that Yukimura will pull himself together and make the right decision (to go for it).
--4-9: Kirihara still in red-eye mode, but his expressions are consistently shocked and increasingly desperate.
--12-3: Feels that the limit of his current mode of tennis has been reached and crossed. His eyes clear. Expression: not shocked exactly, but wide-eyed and introspective.
--17: Having heard Kirihara's eyes went red, Sanada stands at the gate. Expression: serious.

193.05: Regarding collapsed Echizen, Yagyuu suggests a hospital, apparently assuming Echizen is injured. Niou says to "look more closely", that he's only asleep. Note: that phrase will be repeated often; Niou's perception is consistently emphasized.
-- 6: Sanada coming into the aftermath of Kirihara's game with Echizen. Expression: pissed off. This even before he finds out that Kirihara lost. Shot of Kirihara's mouth, slightly quirked. Jackal, entering court, apologizes to Sanada. Expression: sober. Speculation: In the previous chapter (p16) they have been mentioning that it's right before finals, and what does Kirihara think he's doing. Outside matches before tournaments, with one's opponent-to-be, appear to be frowned upon.
--7: Sanada backhands Jackal very hard. Asks why he didn't intervene.
--8: Sanada crosses to Kirihara, who is totally unresponsive and has a rather odd smile.
--9: Even when shouted at. Sanada sees the scoreboard, 4-6. Stares, eyes wide. Kirihara, no longer smiling, says he lost.
--10: Sanada backhands Kirihara, also quite hard. No particular expression, but his eyes are suddenly extremely intense. Shot of Kirihara, on ground, and Sanada, still standing with his hand out in the air. First shot of Kirihara's eyes we see this issue, as he looks up. Note: this is the one occassion we see Sanada truly lose his temper, to the point of acting out.
--11: Team responses to Kirihara's loss. They are both scolding and matter-of-fact--not particularly angry (as Sanada was). Speculation: Punishment has already been dealt out; they don't want to yell at him, merely make him aware the the whole team agrees that the match was out of line and, having started the match, losing was totally unacceptable.
--12: Frame of Yukimura, in what looks like the hospital shirt, with a gentle expression, with Sanada's words 'you must not lose'; frame of Sanada stating that this is the 'law of rikkai'. Expression even again. Speculation: either they are fighting for Yukimura in his absence, over and above this natural law, or the dictum that Rikkai cannot lose is Yukimura's own. Since Yukimura is shown in terms of his current debilitation, rather than as the captain or with his on-the-court face, I suspect it is the former.
--15: Sanada at cutting practice. Note: gi stitched in diamond pattern, a child's kendo gi. Note: the first thing shown is a wall-scroll of a tiger, and, under it, a figurine of what looks like a bear and leaping fish. It closely resembles the bear-and-salmon that is a motif in Ainu art.
--16-7: Cuts; interesting that he's wearing his wrist weights. Eyes widened, intense, focused. "Tezuka, you've left behind something very interesting." Tiny smile. Note: Tezuka's absence is known to Sanada.

Regional Finals

Marui-Jackal v Momo-Kaidou

195.07-8: Introducing Rikkai with nicknames. Marui: focused; Jackal: serious; Niou: I-know-something-you-don't-know smile; Yagyuu: faint smile; Kirihara: slightly mischevious smile; Yanagi: even; Sanada: set and focused.
--9-10: Amusing moment of Rikkai all looking at Echizen and looking away in unison when he notices.
--14-5: Sanada distinctly nonplussed by Ooishi's declaration that Seigaku will win followed by flusterment, leaving Sanada with his hand hanging in the air.

196.04: Jackal asks how Echizen's doing. Before he can say why he knows of Echizen's injury, though, Marui interrupts with cheery comments about showing his genius. Speculation: Marui is unwilling to give away any moral or psychological advantage; possibly more ruthless than Jackal.
--6: Jackal and Marui surprised Momo spotted the wrist weights. Marui grins.
--7: Says to try and make them take the weights off. Expression: lazy smile, confident.
--11-2: Marui taken by surprise by the Jack Knife.
--13-9: He seems to see at once the feint Momo sets up, though, and doesn't return through to Kaidou. Speculation: Marui is a fast analyzer.

197.01-3: Marui is expressive and smiling and hearts even while he's giving Seigaku the thumbs down.
--5-6: When the Ichinen say the BSnake would have taken the initiative, Marui says he'll let Kaidou hit it, but it will be returned. Expression at last statement: serious. Speculation: Marui has a taste for flamboyant gestures and equally enjoys setting up a decisive psychological blow.
--7: Swings back to cute as Marui finishes "by Jackal" and Jackal wants to know why he's being volunteered for the return. Note: Rikkai gets a lot of cute moments. Speculation: the readers are supposed to like and sympathize with them, even when they're being tricky and/or scary.
--11: Momo's suspicion they already know about the BSnake is confirmed by Yanagi giving odds of it going in (92).
--13: Jackal confirms it was Yanagi who told Rikkai of that shot.
--15: Yanagi gives odds on Jackal's BSnake going in (100).
--16-7: Jackal hits it and smiles. Speculation: He does like putting one over on an opponent.
--19: Marui notes that Momo saw it all coming. Expression: observant smile. Adds they aren't close to taking off the weights yet. Expression: he and Jackal smiling at each other. Speculation: Marui is an observer.

198.01: Yukimura being called for (presumably) surgery, as noted on his calendar, along with Finals. He's looking at the calendar as scene opens. Expression: level, solemn.
--4: Score called 4-0. Jackal smiling. Marui little quirk to lips.
--5: Rikkai watching. Sanada on bench, legs crossed. Yagyuu, Yanagi and Kirihara standing behind him. Yagyuu and Kirihara: satisfied expressions. Sanada: level, watching. Calls Yanagi by given name. Note: Niou sitting off to one side.
--6: Yanagi silent, very little expression. Niou looking at him: little quirk of mouth, eyes half lidded. Speculation: Niou likes watching Yanagi work. Speculation: Niou and Yagyuu may be switched already, and this be Yagyuu's perception of Niou's interest. Suspect it's actually Niou, though, and this a demonstration of his taste for strategy.
--7: Either Inui or Ooishi states that Rikkai is "neither prideful nor careless", apropos of their current strategy.
--16: Jackal and Marui point out doubles is for two people, one half the statement each.

199.04: Jackal notes Kaidou's recovery. Marui is unimpressed.
--7: Marui wonders what they're up to. Expression: small smile. Seems interested.
--9: Taken a bit aback by the Short Snake, though Jackal picks it up well.
--10: Jackal startled by the SSnake again.
--11: Seems to understand at once what Kaidou's doing, though. Expression: alert, focused, determined.
--14: Sanada still even and focused. "Interesting".
--16-7: Jackal annoyed, breaks off Snake duel with lob.
--18-9: Jackal and Marui shocked as Momo puts in the resulting Dunk.

200.01: Marui and Jackal both serious.
--3: Marui, in response to Momo saying they should take the weights off, reiterates "Try and make us". Expression: focused, attentive. Also spinning his racquet on his fingers. Thinks again Momo is the sneaky one. Expression: unsmiling.
--5: Jackal very focused on Kaidou for their resuming Snake duel.
--6: Jackal slips, has to lob again. Quite irritated.
--7: Kirihara huffs a sigh, not frowning but unsmiling, wondering why Jackal and Marui are going at the opponents' pace. Yagyuu, serious, pointing out Jackal's pride is responding to a challenge to his endurance. Note: Kirihara seems able to be objective about other people's matches, but also appears oblivious to the recent times he's done exactly what Jackal is doing (Tachibana, Echizen). Speculation: Niou and Yaguu may be switched already, and this be either Niou's own analysis or Niou's perception of Yagyuu's sympathy/empathy/understanding for Jackal. Suspect it's Yagyuu, though, which indicates that he does empathize with Jackal's pride.
--9: Marui blowing bubbles and smiling as he waits for his chance, declining to fall into Momo's strategy.
--12: Kaidou slips. Marui faint smile as he grabs it. Declares his genius, much to the annoyance of Momo and Kaidou.
--18-9: Marui and Jackal shocked again by the Reverse Snake.

201.01: Jackal shocked. Marui notes the Reverse was set up deliberately by Kaidou. Speculation: Marui is the analyst.
--4: Jackal frustrated. "Don't you guys have a limit?" Returns the RSnake himself, though.
--7-8: Marui going to catch Momo's Smash. Expression: intensely focused.
--9: Even fierce. Team watching silently.
--11: Marui yelling at his ball to go in. A bit more unreserved and doubtful than we've seen so far.
--12: Yanagi perfectly calmly declares it's in. It goes in. Marui: gleeful. Note: the contrast heightens the rather cute humor of the moment.
--13: Marui and Jackal stunned that Momo and Kaidou both go to attempt a return.
--14: Marui heads to the front. He appears to believe it's possible the ball will be returned.
--17: Which it is. Sanada: still and watchful.
--18: Marui is in place, focused, and appears taken aback or jarred when the ball hits the net. He was drawn deep into the match.
--20: They take off the wrist weights. After they've won, but it's a gesture of respect none the less.

Niou-Yagyuu v Ooishi-Kikumaru

202.04: Sanada, still legs crossed and arms folded. Orders the weights off so everyone plays at full power. Speculation: D2 kept the weights as a calibration test, to measure whether Seigaku was strong enough to call for full power. Despite the fact that they couldn't make Marui and Jackal take the weights off during actual play, the answer was yes. Indeed, not stupidly prideful.
--5: Sanada prompts 'Niou' again to take them off. 'Niou' say's he'll decide when to do so. Expression: rather distant. Note: eyes do not look the same as in the frame of Niou looking at Yanagi. Speculation: somehow they switched just before the match. Note: 'Niou' holds his racquet in his left hand, as 'Yagyuu' held his in his right on the previous page; that is, both are using their off hands to match what the other normally does.
--8-9: Net meeting. 'Niou' standing rather hipshot, 'Yagyuu' straight.
--15: At the Moon Volley, 'Niou' says "Oh my", and 'Yagyuu' notes it really does land right on the line, as he catches it. Note: the phrase is more typical of Yagyuu's manners, while the analytical note is more typical of Niou's tennis.
--16: 'Niou' blocking Kikumaru's view. Expression: rather taunting smile.
--17: 'Niou' surprised by Kikumaru's doubling step, eyes wide, lips parted.

203.01: Note: it's the side-text that tells us it's Niou's trap Kikumaru has fallen into, taking Yagyuu's ball to the face. Speculation: this may be double-edged, encouraging us to think that 'Niou' is Niou, and at the same time suggesting that the real Niou, 'Yagyuu', was the one who dictated the trap.
--4: Players at Kikumaru's side. 'Yagyuu' kneeling and 'Niou' standing.
--5: As they lift Kikumaru, 'Niou' quotes his tagline "zannen, munen, mata raishuu". Expression: lips quirked, eyes scary.

204.01: Upon Kikumaru's revival, 'Yagyuu', smiling, says he's glad nothing serious resulted, and 'Niou', back turned, agrees, saying the true terror is just starting.
--3: Upon Kikumaru saying he won't be tricked again, 'Niou's' mouth quirks. He slips aside from the path of the ball, holding a hand to his ear and saying "eh?" Note: This scene makes is clearer that 'Niou' is setting Eiji in front of the ball.
--4: 'Niou' is startled when the ball passes through Kikumaru's afterimage.
--6: 'Niou' annoyed that Kikumaru escapes. Watches the feet and calls it to the right, smiling, eyes scary again.
--7: Ooishi gets the ball by him while he's concentrating on Kikumuru. 'Niou' distinctly pissed off.
--8: 'Yagyuu', hands on hips, tells 'Niou' he's playing around too much. 'Niou' makes an annoyed sound. Speculation: This is, in fact, Niou's opinion that Yagyuu is letting himself get too caught up in nailing Kikumaru; and also Yagyuu's own anger at having been had and, perhaps, not being able to return it as viciously as he'd like.
--10: 'Niou' comes to the front and takes a shot, looking very angry.
--11: Surprised that Kikumaru catches it, even with difficulty.
--14-5: Laser blows past Kikumaru and Ooishi. We see a bit of 'Yagyuu's' serious mouth.
--16: 'Niou' nods, eyes a bit narrower, expression satisfied. 'Yagyuu' says he wants 'Niou' to start playing seriously.
--17: Adds that playtime is over. Undoing collar. Note: side text says the "noble king's" shot ripped Seigaku apart--that is how one reads the kanji of Niou's name. Speculation: this is Niou calling for ending the switch and revealing the trick, possibly on his judgement that disrupting the Golden Pair mentally is key and neccessary.

205.03: 'Yagyuu', collar turned up, smiling faintly as he tells the GP they play good tennis.
--9: 'Yagyuu' notes that Ooishi kept trying to catch the Laser so Kikumaru could guage the speed, and that Ooishi is frightening. Expression: serious. Note: it's Niou, the analytical player, who is thinking this.
--10: 'Yagyuu' looks a touch annoyed at Seigaku's assumption they've got the Laser beat, and tells them to return the shot before they celebrate.
--11: Looks shocked/upset/angry when Kikumaru does catch it.
--14: 'Yagyuu' frowning as he returns the next serve.
--15: The stands note Ooishi has read Yagyuu and Niou's moves. Kirihara observes that some shots, even if readable, aren't returnable. We see one eye, a little narrowed or perhaps lazy. Kirihara adds "Right, Yagyuu-senpai", smiling. Note: At some point, Kirihara has caught on to the switch.
--16: 'Niou', having just hit the Laser. Expression: even and calm. Note: 'Niou' is now holding the racquet right handed.
--18-9: 'Yagyuu' mussing his hair as he calls 'Niou' Yagyuu. Removes glasses to show scary eyes and a taunting smile.

206.01: Niou with his hand on Yagyuu's shoulder. They look very much alike, indeed, except that Yagyuu's expression is a bit calmer and Niou's a bit quirkier around the mouth.
--2: Yagyuu grabs the glasses away saying "That's enough". Seems rather annoyed. They fix their appearances. Rikkai watching, Kirihara and Yanagi now flanked by Jackal and Marui. Kirihara observes that Niou is as scary as one might expect, but that Yagyuu is pretty scary too. And that he's understood all the GP's weaknesses. Shot of Niou with a rather vicious smile. Speculation: Either Yagyuu is annoyed at how revealing the switch revealed that he's capable of breaking his gentlemanly front and willing to do it, or he's annoyed that he has to come back from being scary, or he's annoyed because being scary was uncomfortable for him. Speculation: thought it's not clear in translation, the shot of Niou immediately following the statement that "he" has understood the GP's weaknesses suggests that this statement refers to Niou.
--3: Yagyuu, now the one with his collar up, sighs. Niou, sharp-eyed, says to check the looks on the GP's faces (stunned).
--4: Kirihara, calmly observing, says they won't be able to stop two Lasers. Note: brushing a finger under his nose, which seems to be a characteristic habit of Kirihara's.
--5: Niou still with the quirked smile.
--6: Incidentally, Momo seems a bit taken with Niou, and observes he's something special to be able to use someone else's special shot at such a high level.
--11: Yagyuu says they should end the game, and then starts (at the unshaken determination of the GP).
--14: Yagyuu notes that Niou has also seen it. Niou's aura is flaring up. Note: Yagyuu refers to him as Niou-kun, even in his thoughts.
--15: Yagyuu thinks it's fine that the GP are on the ball, that he'll serve with all he has, and they should answer likewise. Wonders what the answer will be.

207.01: Yagyuu startled as GP swap places in formation.
--6-7: Niou wide eyed as he notes something about the formation.
--8-9: voiceover tells us this formation lets the gamemaker up front to observe closely and maximises his opportunities. Speculation: this is what Niou saw.
--13: Yagyuu thinks Ooishi has sealed his Laser, but... Niou looks back and nods. Still the faint smile and scary eyes.
--14: Niou fixes Kikumaru with The Eyes, and Kikumaru lobs it to avoid him.
--15: Yagyuu says they haven't been able to touch his Laser, and Niou states that shot will change the flow of the match.
--16: So of course Yagyuu hits a drop shot. Note: that kind of head-game, agreed on and set up with just a nod, does indicate their combination is very tight.
--17: Niou shocked that Kikumaru catches the resulting Laser.

208.02: Return hits the net. Niou barely seems to notice, still focused on Kikumaru.
--4: Stands celebrate Rikkai's victory. Yagyuu and Niou are silent.
--5: Sanada observes that Seigaku is harder to beat than he expected, and that he's going to contact Yukimura.
--8: Sanada on the phone. Says they will, of course, win and advance. Expression: focused, though not tense.
--9: Yukimura in hospital. Saying he will have the surgery. Frame of silence. Says he is no longer hesitant. Speculation: This is as much to give Sanada reciprocal encouragement as to raise his own spirits; since being with his team for Nationals is the reason for risking the surgery, it is reasonable that these things are joined in both their minds. One of them says good luck. Sanada says they will present him with the championship before his surgery.
--12: Sanada tells Echizen the next match will give Rikkai the victory. Expression: calm. Has his back to Echizen (who spoke to him from behind).
--13: Serious as he asks Echizen if he really won against Akaya. Note: Sanada seems to seriously wonder whether Kirihara really lost. Speculation: He didn't believe Kirihara would lose to Echizen, even after seeing Echizen play. Perhaps, like Kirihara himself, Sanada doesn't believe Kirihara could lose to anyone outside of Rikkai, unless he was fooling around or being careless; this might explain how very angry he was about that match.
--14: Sanada's eyes sharpen as he understands Echizen was playing straight from his reflexes. Says it's a shame he'll have to humble Echizen (or possibly Seigaku). Note: off the court itself Sanada seems to have assurance rather than arrogance. Speculation: he doesn't actually have much social grace; he's just quiet when he's observing and confident, at this point, of victory.

Yanagi v Inui

209.01: Kirihara perched on the back of coach's bench saying they should hurry up and win. Smiling, not concerned.
--2: Jackal notes they're winning, but it's taking more time than expected. Akaya looks a little petulant and accuses his senpai of drawing the matches out for drama. Niou and Marui twitch, Yagyuu frowns. Everyone pummels Akaya for cheekiness. Note: Niou and Yagyuu are back to their normal hair colors.
--3: Yanagi, coming onto the courts, anticipates Inui's words. Expression: sober. Inui takes note, is possibly startled.
--6: Inui returns the favor re Yanagi fixing shoelaces.
--7: Yanagi takes note in return. Somewhat pummeled Kirihara is interested/impressed by this. Shift to cute-break as Sanada appears behind him looming a bit and yells at him for having his shoes on the bench.
--8: Yanagi warns Inui not to expect compassion just because they're old friends. Note: he uses Inui's given name.
--9: Ooishi explains they were a leading doubles pair in Elementary. Picture of Inui and Yanagi with medals, clasping hands and both smiling.
--11: Yanagi anticipates Inui's declaration of victory. Expression: low-key and serious.
--13: Shots of eyes, both hidden. Yanagi still calm despite just having hit a net ball.
--16: Yanagi appears a bit surprised that Inui predicts his shots so accurately. Speculation: he's faking this.
--18-9: Kaidou notes Inui is a singles player; this will be repeated by Yanagi later.

210.03: Flashback. Young Inui and Yanagi after practice, pleased with their training and combination. Call each other Kyouju and Hakase. Note: Where Inui laughs, Yanagi smiles. Speculation: either Yanagi is naturally more reserved, or this was the effect of knowing he would be leaving soon.
--4: Yanagi suggests they play each other, which they've never done. Expression: serious, focused.
--7: Yanagi mouth sad as he starts to say he can't promise to finish their match.
--8: Doesn't speak after all, says goodby with a smile.
--11: Present again. Inui having taken two games, Yanagi falls back to recieve. Expression: faint smile.
--13: Rikkai all in postures of exasperation (Yagyuu, Marui, Jackal standing behind Sanada, Niou and Kirihara sitting to the sides). Jackal says it's cruel, mouth quirked; Marui is laughing; Niou smiling as he says their strategist is a scary person.
--14-5: Yanagi truly focused expression, a bit dangerous. Returns with a new shot.
--16: Yanagi anticipates Inui's analysis of the shot. Expression now calm/aloof/inquiring. Takes Inui's silent reaction as confirmation.
--19: Anticipates the next one, too. Eyes open; manner amused; expression again that slightly taunting inquiry. Again takes the silence as confirmation, looking calm.

211.02: Inui puzzled. Yanagi calm, says he's seen through Inui's tennis. Inui frowns.
--3: Inui thinks there can't have been a mistake in his data. Speculation: he has confidence in his knowledge of Yanagi, particularly.
--5: Inui's ball having been unexpectedly returned, Yanagi suggests he's wondering why and asks "Am I wrong... Sadaharu?". Speculation: that 'am I wrong' questioning, increasing the pressure from inquiring looks to questions out loud, could be an indication that Yanagi does feel he was wrong in his perceptions of something.
--6: Fuji suggests Yanagi is trying to destroy Inui's data tennis.
--8: Shot of Yanagi, sober and focused, eyes open. Oshitari (yet another analytical player) notes that Yanagi, Sanada and Yukimura have been taking their team to Nationals since their first year.
--9: Yanagi turns away, seems exasperated, brows drawn down a little. Tells Inui he has grasped all Yanagi's data, but that's what's holding him back. Asks who taught Inui data tennis. Implication: it was Yanagi who first evolved this style. Speculation: Yanagi is implying there is a level of data tennis beyond statistical prediction, and that he has it while Inui doesn't.
--11: Dripping Inui laughs. Says Yanagi seems to have been telling the truth; calls him Kyouju. Yanagi's expression: very still.
--14-5: Inui abandons his data but Yanagi catches the ball anyway. Says no one who abandons his style can win. Inui: determined? teeth bared. Sanada thinks the match is decided.
--18-9: Inui's shot blows Yanagi's racquet out of his hands. Yanagi: faint frown but does not seem impressed. Inui proclaims he will transcend the past; eyes shown. Note: showing their eyes seems to function as a marker of intensity/sincerity/conviction in this match.

212.02: Fuji says that Inui is abandoning his data tennis.
--5: Jackal pleased with a good shot from Yanagi. Seems more involved in the game now Inui is playing so hard. Speculation: Jackal is a passionate player, himself.
--13: Inui takes the lead. Yanagi not troubled, but possibly a bit surprised. Sanada watching, arms folded.
--14: Sanada says Inui is playing on his animal-instincts, rather than his data, and that such absurd tennis will be defeated by Rikkai. Expression: mildly contemputuous, quite calm. Speculation: Sanada values self-aware play.
--15-17: Yanagi increases his speed and power, giving rising percentages on his own victory at each step. Asks if this is Inui's result after the time they've developed apart.
--18-9: Asks "Sadaharu" not to disappoint him. Note: The use of Inui's given name highlights a certain kind of intimacy, but Yanagi refuses to call him Hakase. Speculation: Yanagi is emphasizing his close knowledge of Inui, but refusing the playful and confiding intimacy of their friendship, even after Inui has offered it back by calling him Kyouju.

213.02: Yanagi thinks Inui's wild game is unsightly.
--4: Adds that the moment Inui abandoned his style he lost his chance at victory. Note: Pointing out the way Inui's data was holding him back, earlier, was not, apparently, a statement that Inui couldn't win with data tennis.
--5: Yanagi watches calmly as Inui's ball hits the net and turns away. Expression: relaxed?
--7: Crowd chanting Rikkai is invincible. Yagyuu in background striking fist into hand? Yanagi calm. Sanada states it's decided. Expression: focused. Yanagi nods agreement or acknowledgement.
--9: Rikkai watching. Kirihara, chin on hands, saying it seems he won't get to play. Jackal says he thought Seigaku would fight harder. Marui waves it off, says he's overestimating them. Niou watching rather sharply. Yagyuu silent. Sanada calm. Note: Jackal seems to be the most normally expressive of them; Yagyuu is physically expressive but verbally silent for the most part.
--11: Yanagi prepares for the last game, tells Inui to be prepared. Inui says he definitely won't lose.
--12: Yanagi's eyes flare open. Remembers that their last match was at just this point. Stares at the ball in his hand, expression suddenly softer and uncertain.
--13: Yanagi notes the game scores developed in the same order as that last game. States that Inui purposely...
--14-5: Inui says this was where they left off. Yanagi startled. Yagyuu has a hand to his mouth, thoughtful, the only one of Rikkai to have moved.
--16: Inui asks if Yanagi was thinking he abandoned his data. Manner a bit taunting now. Yanagi, voice raised, asks whether Inui allowed him to score to match the pattern of the last game. Inui doesn't answer directly but says all that comes to and end now. Yanagi's head comes down. Note: Earlier Inui's own thoughts are that he must forsake his data. Speculation: Either he only ignored the data pertaining to what he thought Yanagi's limits were, or else his current suggestion that it was all a set up is a ruse to unsettle Yanagi. If so, Inui thought very fast to take advantage of the coincidence of scores. Either way, it's a very effective move, and return to the way Yanagi held back earlier.
--17: Inui says there is no data beyond this point, and they should finish this. Yanagi says he'll make Inui eat those words. Both using given names. Both now fully engaged and revved up.

214.05: Yanagi wonders where Inui finds the strength to keep playing.
--7: Yanagi notes that Inui's tennis continues to develop, and wonders how far he'll evolve. Thinks he won't let the game end like this, though.
--9: 6-6 and neither player is looking at the other.
--13: Marui and Jackal both leaning forward, engaged by the tiebreak match. Yagyuu wonders if the match will ever end. Niou watching closely, silent. Kirihara tosses his head with a hmph. Sanada silent, watching, expressionless.
--14: Both players dripping with sweat, expressions intense.
--15: Flashback to last game. Yanagi says it's as he suspected, Hakase is a singles player. Inui wonders if Kyouju moved without telling him because...
--16: Yanagi? says he wants to play once against Inui until until his heart is content. Inui? agrees. Yanagi? wonders who, between them, is stronger. Inui? says he doesn't know. But this match... Note: These voiceovers are formatted as thoughts, but they are in dialogue with each other. They are set over a past-flashback, but the dialogue runs seamlessly into the present. Speculation: The implication, here, is that Yanagi and Inui are so close/familiar with each other that they do know what the other is thinking. Given that these are set as dialogue, Inui's thought about why Yanagi didn't tell him he was moving connects to Yanagi's thought that Inui is a singles player. The implication of that is that Yanagi pushed Inui away to break their doubles combination and push Inui toward his true play style, singles.
--17-8: Present day again, Inui continues, there's no way he's going to lose. Last point goes in.
--19: Yanagi seems slightly bewildered by his loss. Inui says it was chance, that the chances of either winning were 50-50. Next time it might be Yanagi.
--20: Yanagi says Inui has increased his data. Inui says the same goes for Yanagi. Yanagi has a tiny smile. They clasp hands. Note: they stand close enough to indicate intimacy, and the net is not drawn between them but behind them.

215.04: Rikkai preparing for next match. Kirihara pulling out his racquet. Yagyuu has a hand over his face, possibly exasperated or troubled by Yanagi's loss.
--5: Yagyuu notes the captain's surgery begins soon. Niou and Kirihara both silent. Marui wonders if they'll make it in time, and then adds, more importantly this loss... Jackal finishes, that yes, this loss can't be easily overlooked. Yanagi stands in front of the still-seated Sanada, hands clasped behind him.
--6: Moment of comic relief as the first-year trio loudly exclaims that "the cocky guy in the black cap" isn't Rikkai's captain and Sanada twitches. Shot of Sanada, Yanagi and Yukimura as Inui, presumably, explains they've been Regulars since their first year, forming the core of an undefeated team. But that Yukimura fell ill during the winter. Note: interesting positioning in the shot, with Yukimura standing square in the middle, Sanada turned a bit toward him a little in the front and Yanagi a step behind them both and turned nearly in profile toward them.
--7: Flashback. Rikkai at the hospital in winter uniforms, Yagyuu giving a rundown of Guillain-Barre. Shot of Yukimura, eyes closed.
--8: Marui, Kirihara, Yagyuu and Jackal, all shocked on hearing recovery could take a year. Yukimura wheeled quickly past them on a bed by masked ordierlies. Yanagi, looking very serious.
--9: Sanada, eyes a little wild, calling that they will wait for Yukimura's return undefeated. Receding bed. Sanada standing, head bowed, in the closing doors. Note: uses family name. Speculation: Sanada is not terribly comfortable expressing intimacy of any kind.
--10: Back to present. Inui or perhaps Ooishi states that the law of the champions of Rikkai is losing is not permitted.
--11: Sanada, eyes narrow, stating this was not a match Yanagi could not have won, and that he let his personal feelings get in the way. Yanagi apologizes for breaking their promise to Seiichi. Tells Sanada to strike him (Yatte kure!) to set an example to the rest of the club. Yanagi nods. Shot of Sanada's eyes, no longer as narrow. Note: Yanagi uses given names. Note: Sanada's expression is far more sober and less enraged than it was during the aftermath of the Kirihara-Echizen match. Speculation: His response is typically harsh, but more measured than it was then.
--12-3: Tableau-Yanagi with his head turned aside to take the blow, Sanada with the back of his hand stopped by a racquet, Kirihara between them holding the racquet. Shot of Yanagi looking at the racquet and hand, rather nonplussed. Shot of Sanada's eyes, rather sharp. Shot of club wondering what the hell Akaya is doing. Shot of Kirihara skipping out from between them, leaving Sanada with his hand still raised. Jackal startled, Marui has a hand to his head. Note: His yearmates seem to call Kirihara by given name the same way his senpai do. Note: leaving Sanada with his hand up echos the scene with Ooishi at the start of the matches. Speculation: while this is clearly for comic relief, it also implies that Sanada is not neccessarily quick to adapt to abrupt changes in circumstances.
--14: Kirihara trotting up to the net, saying it's no big deal. The result will be the same, they'll take their National title. Looking up from under his bangs with a small smile. He'll win his match in 13 minutes and they'll be to Yukimura-buchou's surgery on time. Note: That is the same time Kirihara set for his match with Tachibana, though he went over it. Speculation: Kirihara is setting himself training goals, always aiming for a lower time in matches that promise to be a challenge. Note: Kirihara does not seem at all supressed or frightened by the violence of Sanada's reprimand the previous day and carries on with what seems to be his typical combination of brass nerve and winsome cuteness. Speculation: Kirihara is confident of a fair degree of respect and leeway from his senpai, and especially Sanada, even though they pummel him over the small things; his acceptance of Sanada's reprimand does not mean he won't challenge Sanada over team issues, when he thinks it right. This indicates either a fair amount of intimacy and understanding between them or, possibly, that Kirihara is being deliberately groomed as the next captain.
--15: Fuji states he'll oblige a fast match. Kirihara focuses on him. Yells that he should quit talking, then, so they can hurry up and finish this.
--16-7: Fuji points out Kirihara might not be the winner. Kirihara, smiling, quite confident, says so that's how it is.

Next page issues 216-300.

Sanada is one of those characters whose anime and manga incarnations simply can't be reconciled with each other.

Manga Sanada has the richest background attached to him by far. What with the grandfather who teaches Kendo, and the very traditional nature of Sanada's pastimes, he strikes me as coming from a family that seriously believes it's a samurai bloodline. Not impossible, to be sure, with that name. And Sanada seems to me to fit very much into that framework of bushido (First Romantic Reconstruction). He has the dedication, the loyalty, the ruthlessness, and, we have hints, the mix of passion and reserve, each in its time, that would have brought a happy tear to the eye of Yamamoto Tsunetomo. As that is a rigid and unforgiving framework, so Sanada has formed his personality in a rigid and unforgiving pattern. One of the primary guidelines of that philosophy is that failure is utterly unforgivable except in death. The obligation to the clan, to the house, is absolute. And, given that his team is, effectively, his House, his tendency toward physical reprimands doesn't surprise me in the least, either. It is less an expression of brutality, I think, than an expression of Sanada being very old-fashioned and traditional in a very particular way.

It's understanding this, I think, that leads Yanagi to invite that reprimand after his loss to Inui. It is, as I've noted on In-group Violence , an expression of insider-ness. An affirmation rather than a rejection. (Damn this sounds twisted when I say it in English.) But that harshness is just as much a part of the framework I would guess Sanada was raised with as his poetry is. Elegance and violence, harshness and purity.

Anyway, having been careless enough to lose, I'm frankly amazed that Sanada doesn't collapse. The burden of shame, given his background, should be overwhelming. But he manages to think beyond it, not as a samurai but as a leader. The fact that, instead of metaphorical seppuku, he manages to rally his team and give them a new goal immediately, says to me that someone has been a counter-influence. Someone has given Sanada the idea that a) there is such a thing as a loss which is not shameful and b) a good leader thinks beyond his personal context. I have no doubt that Sanada is absolutely whithering with the shame of his loss, personally, especially since I don't think he did give his best to his match with Echizen, which means he isn't off the hook; it was a shameful loss. But as he stood in for Yukimura, he couldn't show that. He could not reside entirely within the framework of bushido. And he has succeeded in working outside it to be an effective leader. This says two more things to me. One is that he has the potential in the first place. The other is that someone brought it out. Possibly an old coach. Possibly Yukimura and Yanagi. The latter is the assumption I tend to write with, since it gives us the possibility of some interesting interactions when Yukimura returns and Sanada has the opportunity to backslide, which Yukimura might or might not accept.

Certainly one possible explanation for why Sanada didn't curb Kirihara's thugish tendencies is that he wasn't comfortable enough with the role of leader to do so. After all, within the traditional context there is a certain place for berserkers and for wanton cruelty provided it's directed at the enemy; and it doesn't seem to be something that a fellow warrior would feel called to interfere with. I get a definite non-interference vibe from the various narrative constructions of samurai-ness. As long as it's directed outward, Sanada's background might not see too much wrong with what Kirihara did to rivals.

Now, anime Sanada is a bit different. For one thing, he shows no signs of that traditional background, aside from the brief reference to his sword training. I find it a bit ironic that, at the same time, he is cast far more firmly as a secondary leader, someone who deferrs to another. He's like... Oishi Upgrade. Certainly not very proactive with his team, that we're shown. His sense of responsibility is emphasized, but not in the context of duty; rather in a more modern context of personal friendship and a more abstract institutional honor.

Sanada is warmer, in the anime. More accessible as a person. But it came at the expense of some of his most fascinating complexities. Which is unquestionably why I prefer to write the manga version.

I should, perhaps, note to start with that I ignore the existence of the anime Rikkai arc. Golf? What golf? There is no golf.

Sneaking Sensation

So, when meeting Niou and Yagyuu we have, to begin with, a snippet of their interaction and their 'titles' to work with. When Ryouma collapses after playing Kirihara we see Yagyuu as casual but not unsympathetic, being the one to suggest getting Echizen to a hospital. Niou appears as the more observant one who notices that Ryouma is asleep not knocked out. This matches up reasonably with their nicknames, Trickster and Gentleman.

Our next encounter with them, however, complicates even those simple conclusions. Watching them through the course of their Regionals match, it becomes more and more difficult to distinguish between them, despite the great surface differences. Or, possibly, because of them. For one thing, the fact that they can effectively switch the way they do suggests interesting things to me about their dichotomy. Yagyuu, for example, seems to combine lovely manners with intense aggression. He is potentially hostile and explosive, but apparently held in most of the time. Niou is the one with the tactical mind, the elusive one who watches in order to analyze, despite his fuck-you day to day attitude. It is Niou who sees that it's Fuji who's attacking right from the start, and who articulates what Kirihara does when he reaches no-self. For all the attitude, he's the one who watches silently. The fact that they are mirror images that way, and that they're both aware enough of it to switch poles, as it were, makes it hard to assign any function to only one of them.

I note that it's Yagyuu who immediately understands the stubborn pride that makes Jackal go head-to-head with Kaidou (200.7). Yet, they may already be switched at this point, so is that Niou's own aggression speaking, or is it his grasp of his partner's way of looking at the world? For "Niou" to use Kikumaru's tag-line after he's hit is downright vicious--but is it Niou's viciousness or Yagyuu's own? "Yagyuu's" words "good that nothing happened" could be either good manners or imply that it'll be fun to toy with the Golden Pair longer; "Niou's" taunting about it getting worse turns the words to imply the latter. They function seamlessly together, no matter how they're presenting, and what they present together is not a kind thing.

The Match

The volley that nails Kikumaru in the head seems to be largely the doing of "Yagyuu"--if Yanagi was keeping track of Seigaku's moves, they had to know about Kikumaru's doubling act, which means "Niou" was bait. It's excellent strategy; whether the ball went opposite the real Eiji or nailed him, either way it would work. And, as Kikumaru observes, even a non-crippling strike would have the bonus of getting someone as protective as Oishi wound up and not thinking. So Niou appears to have the largest part of the execution, while Yagyuu cooperates. The second try, however, "Niou" more clearly sets up (and seems to know exactly where the ball is coming from, behind him, which argues for extremely high awareness of each other within the pair); third likewise. Is Yagyuu acting out his partner's agression or his own? Whichever it is, he seem to have no qualms about making repeated attempts that could result in more serious injury. At that point, though, Kikumaru has wised up and "Yagyuu" calls for that strategy to be abandoned--Yagyuu's words, or Niou's? Niou is, in any case, being the gamemaker, whichever persona it's coming out of. It's his thoughts we see, dissecting what Oishi was doing to let Eiji take the measure of the speed balls.

What interests me most about these two is the middle phase of the game. After it becomes clear that Kikumaru won't fall for the look-over-here trick any more, "Yagyuu" says that "Niou" is playing around too much, and pulls out the copy-Laser shot. "Niou" looks rather surprised by that, and "Yagyuu" says, again, that he wants "Niou" to play seriously, that playtime is over. Now, it is likely quite in character for Yagyuu to be the one who restrains Niou's mischief. Yagyuu might be in the habit of admonishing Niou to quit playing around, and Niou could be teasing him by reflecting that back; which might explain Yagyuu's somewhat snippy "that's quite enough" when they switch back.

Two other things occurr to me, though. One is that "play seriously" may have been an arranged code saying that it's time to switch tactics and move down the strategy-branch that leads toward unmasking. This raises the question, for me, of whether Niou is always the game-maker of the pair, or whether he's playing out Yagyuu's decision making. Given that Yagyuu is a serve-and-volley player while Niou is an all-round player, it seems somewhat more likely that Niou is acting more as himself in being the voice of strategy. At the same time, it's also clear that Yagyuu exercises his own knack for observation to support his antics as "Niou". The second thing that occurred to me was that "play seriously" might be something approaching a safeword. That Niou is calling his partner back from the edge of indulged malice.

Because what Yagyuu's character seems to call on is the anime/manga trope that the polite ones are the ones who are the most dangerous. Anyone who's that polite in a fight-anime can be counted upon to be repressing a lot of anger. I would speculate that percieving this is what gave Niou the idea to switch in the first place, and what makes it possible for them to pull off. Niou, to become "Yagyuu", calls on the poker face of any good trickster. Yagyuu, to become "Niou", releases the aggression that he usually keeps locked up. There must, however, have been a reason to lock it up in the first place, so I presume that for one it will be very strong, and for another that Yagyuu really must trust his partner considerably--trust that Niou will call him back when it's neccessary. So his annoyance, as they resume their usual roles, could be that he's being teased. Or that such an upright person as himself was convinced to take part in something so baroque. Or it could be annoyance that he has to go back to being controlled and strightlaced. Or, best of all, it could be all of the above.

My personal take, I think, would be that the switch tactic is a recent one (or the rest of the club wouldn't have been so floored by it) but not a one-time thing. Kirihara certainly seems to twig to it well before the unmasking. So I take it as the latest in a series of efforts by Niou to unlock the shiny-sparkly anger in his partner. And, possibly, the latest example of Yagyuu allowing him to do so.

In many ways, I see Yagyuu and Niou along the same continuum as Ohtori and Shishido: intuitive to analytical. Going by the continuum of what they show on the surface and what they seem to hold underneath that, the following idea comes to me. They probably both like thunderstorms. But Niou likes to watch them from a bit of shelter, while Yagyuu likes to stand out in them.

I have listed two years worth of dates, here, since the Canon Year is irregular in places.

Sleuthing

Of course, pinning down the dates for Canon Year is problematic to say the least. The summer of Canon Year has lasted about four years so far, and Konomi seems to have simply taken the appropriate dates from the real-time months of the years during which various tournaments were published. When he mentioned dates at all, that is. I have used 2004, real-time, for demonstration purposes.

Confusing Parts

There are a number of points that threw me for a loop to start with. Most have to do with the issue of seeding. Many thanks are do to the dear Genie, for talking this out with me and not minding my hair-tearing frustration.

Competitors that are seeded usually get to skip certain early rounds and have fixed places in the schedule that keep them from facing each other too early. This is true for the district preliminaries, Prefecturals and Nationals. In Regionals, however, the places of seeded schools are fixed but there is no skipping of rounds.

Prefecturals appear to have two levels of seeding, which I designate as high seeded and low seeded. Note that Prefectural R1 and R2, appear to take place on the first day, R3, R4 and QF appear to take place the second day, while SF and Finals are the third. The highly seeded schools do not, to the best of our calculations, have to attend the first day of Prefecturals, because they skip ahead to R3. The low seeded schools would have to attend the afternoon of the first day and play R2.

Regionals in Canon Year are atypical. Since it is announced, in the manga, that QF will be pushed back to the second day, due to how long the Seigaku v Hyoutei match takes, in the First Round, we can assume that Regionals are supposed to only take two days: R1 and QF on the first day; SF and F on the second, with QF Consolation and SF Consolation taking place the morning and afternoon, respectively, of the second day, also. Due to the long R1, in Canon Year, the second day featured QF and SF with QF Consolation in the afternoon, and F was pushed on to a third day along with SF Consolation.

Crunching the Numbers

The theory I'm working with, here, is that there are ranges of dates within which tournaments are supposed to fall.

Month	Range	2004 (Theoretical Canon Year)	2005 (Theoretical Normal Year)
April	District - 4th week(end) (Sunday)?	25th	24th
May	Prefecturals - 3rd and 4th week(end)s (Sundays)	23rd and 30th	22nd and 29th
June	Prefecturals - 1st week(end) (Sunday)	6th	5th
July	Regionals - 2nd and 3rd week(end)s (middle two Sundays)	11th, 18th and 25th	17th and 24th
August	Nationals - 2rd or 3rd week (Sun-Wed)	8th - 11th	14th - 17th
September	Senbatsu - ?
October
November
December
January
February
March

Sanada's Sword

The fanbooks tell us that Sanada's grandfather is a Kendo instructor for the police. We might, then, assume that Sanada himself practices Kendo under his grandfather's instruction. What we see him doing, in the manga, however, is tameshigiri: cutting practice. This is a more common practice of Iaido than Kendo.

The sources I can find, however, note that it is not uncommon for Kendo dojo to also teach elements of Iaido, so learning under the grandfather is certainly not ruled out. Besides, the diamond pattern on Sanada's gi, in that scene, is the traditional pattern for a child's Kendo gi. (Best reference)

What does seem indicated by the mangaka's choice of scene is that Sanada is fairly advanced, and that he has a taste for the more extreme practices. Iaido is, for the most part, even more stylized than Kendo. Actual sparring is not included, since none of the safety measures Kendo adopted to keep from actually killing people exist in Iaido. Iaido does, however, allow practice with a live blade, and the moment Sanada is shown in is possibly the most immediate and practical application of a live edge available within the form.

In addition, is is possible that, in the manga-world, the traditional style from which Sanada's Iaido style developed is the Takeda Ryu. I can find no real-world references to Takeda Ryu surviving as an Iaido form, but Sanada's tennis moves, Fuu Rin Ka Zan, are a direct reference to the motto of the Takeda clan. The most famous Takeda, Takeda Shingen, in turn took the concept from a passage in Sun Tzu. (If my readers follow the first link, please remember that the production of grand lineage stories has been a cottage industry in Japan for centuries on end, and the lineage stories of the traditional schools, in particular, should be taken with a healthy dose of salt.)

Alternatively, that connection may be a historical joke on Konomi's part. Sanada Yukimura, the historical person whose name he used for the two leaders of the Rikkai team, was one of the storied retainers of Takeda Shingen, as well as a bright star of history and literature in his own right.

Comparative heights

I had to stop and look up comparative heights for Atobe and Yukimura at one point, and wound up mapping out all the heights that I could find. Which, in the event, was Rikkai, Hyoutei, Seigaku, Fudoumine, St. Rudolph, and the two who matter from Yamabuki.

I was highly entertained.

The range goes from 151cm (Echizen) to 190 (Kabaji). Clustered at the low end we have the shrimps Gakuto and Nomura at 158, Uchimura at 159 and Jirou at 160. At the high end we have Ishida at 188 and then Ohtori at 185, Inui at 184 and Akutsu at 183.

Yanagi is one centimeter taller than Sanada (181 and 180). Kawamura is the same height as Sanada. Tachibana is the same height as Tezuka, at 179.

178 is clearly the exotically sexy height to be, featuring Oshitari, Jackal and Akazawa. 175 is the most popular, with Yukimura, Atobe, Oishi and Niou (Yagyuu is two cm taller, at 177).

Shishido and Hiyoshi are both 172, which made me grin; that seems to be the determined height for Hyoutei.

Kikumaru is actually 171, one cm taller than Yuuta, Momo and Sengoku all. (Kaidou is 173.)

Fuji comes in at 167, two cm shorter than Yanagisawa, and one cm below both Kirihara and St Rudolph's Kisaraza.

Mizuki is 166.

Kamio and Ibu are both 165; there's always some link made for the doubles pairs (like Inui liking black while Yanagi likes white).

Marui is a shorty, too, at 164, as are Sakurai and Mori, but Kaneda is one cm shorter. Uke all the way, poor guy.

Having drawn all these up, it is quite clear that the artists of both teni media take significant liberties in emphasizing height disparities. Echizen should, for example, come up to Inui's chest, not his third rib. I'm really quite reconciled to that, though, it's common practice.

Language notes

The closer I listen to him, the more it looks like Echizen is designed to be a cute character. For one thing, despite his staunch lack of 'proper' bowing and scraping to the heirarchy, he does use the polite language forms with his team. Just in a cool and casual way. That is, the su hanging off the ends of his sentances is the cool-boy shortening of desu. He actually uses it about as frequently as Dan Taichi, only not in the full form. The only thing he regularly says in plain form is "mada mada da ne" (da rather than desu). Then there's the yada, which seems to be a fairly childish speech pattern... in fact, I generally catch it used by girls, not boys. So, little, cute, has an attitude but doesn't actually cross the lines beyond what's considered cute in a young boy (even with his own age group, or opponents he doesn't respect, he only goes as far as plain forms).

Yuuta talks that way, too.

Tezuka and Sanada seem to speak in very similar ways. Well, except for the no da thing, which just amuses me to no end when I listen to how Sanada uses it. If I understand correctly, that's one of the forms tacked on to a statement of the self-evident; Sanada tends to add it to things like "I'm going to win". They both use plain forms with their own teams/rivals, but shift to polite forms with older people.

Even Atobe does that, though, at least with his own coach, and with Inoue. He's a lot less polite to his opponents, from what I can pick out. He does seem to be just as fond of his emphatics as Sanada, though he favors yo to no da. Interesting that Tezuka is the only one of the really intense players we've met so far that doesn't do that, though it is consistent with his more understated playing style. Atobe and his ore-sama tag lines is anything but understated.

In his own way, Mizuki is just as flamboyant with his politeness all the time. Just polite, not extremely polite, but still. The principle of phrasing oneself to stand out is much the same.

And then there's Akutsu, who, I was interested to note, calls exactly two people omae instead of temee, not that he changes any other of his speech habits. Taichi and Echizen. He also calls Taichi by his given name.

Muga no Kyouchi

That overdrive, super-awareness state the Yukimura, Sanada, Chitose, Echizen and Kirihara all reach.

Sometimes rendered by tenipuri translators as "state of self-actualization". In its most common non-tenipuri use it is translated as "state of no-self". Muga is a classic Buddhist concept of detachment and enlightenment and it, along with mushin (no-mind or no-thought) has long been adopted into Japanese martial arts philosophies. Muga, mushin expresses an ideal state in which to employ those arts, one in which petty and egocentric concerns fade and one acts without having to think--all the thinking has, theoretically, already been done beforehand.

The phrase muga no kyouchi is not often used in the martial arts; nor does that particular phrasing of the concept seem much used in Buddhism, either. The word kyouchi appears in the Dictionary of East Asian Buddhist Terms as "Condition, state, situation, circumstance; stage, level." It is worth noting, however, that the terms given there for "no self" and "no thought" are mushou and musou, respectively. Muga is defined as a higher concept, "The lack of existence of an inherent self, soul, or ego, usually translated into English as 'no-self' .... This is one of the most important philosophical concepts in all of Buddhism, and is recorded as having been one of the primary realizations attained by `Saakyamuni in his enlightenment experience."

Muga, mushin seems to be the specifically Japanese rendering, associated with the martial arts and not with Buddhism per se, though that is clearly where it derived from. Definitions of these concepts found on the web are generally totally without citations, but anyone who has read the Hagakure or Go rin no sho will recognize the terms in which the ideas are couched immediately. The most compact online definition in English is probably in the Martial Arts Dictionary.

Based on the accounts given by the people around the players who practice muga, it seems to be the martial incarnation of the idea that Konomi is more referring to--the total focus and lack of need to think. None of the players known to employ this state appear particularly enlightened or detached, in the Buddhist sense, at any rate. Why Konomi chose the phrase muga no kyouchi, rather than muga, mushin, puzzled me a bit, until Cutter pointed out that that is the most common conversational form of the phrase, and one that would be most easily recognizible to all his readers.

What got me thinking about this was the mention, in correspondence with a friend, of Yanagi's apparent masochistic streak, manga-continuity, when he invites Sanada to strike him for having lost his match. Thinking about that, of course, leads right into Kirihara's intervention on Yanagi's behalf and then his subsequent repetition of the invitation after his own loss. And from there to the recollection that this is, in fact, a more widely repeating pattern.

Because it's something I've seen in a number of places. A subordinate who has, in some fashion, failed or disobeyed his superior, and invites punishment. Sometimes, as with Ed and Izumi in FMA, it's less invitation than simple acceptance, declining to fight back, but the invitation seems to be a form all its own--a very particular form, at that. The phrase of invitation, "Yatte kure" ¹ in Yanagi's case, and a gesture to go with it such as a bow or turning the head to accept what's often a blow across the face.

I had not, previously, given it much thought beyond the basic "hey, kinky" flippancy, which helped stave off my basic discomfort. But, in trying to actually explain Yanagi's motives, not to mention Sanada's, this theme clicked in connection with another and I wonder if they're part of the same thing.

Because there's another theme the shows up a lot: a friend striking a friend to smack some sense into them. And, in that case, all the connotations of the scenes are that this should be a valued service rather than a cause for resentment. In fact, it seems to operate as a gesture of... bonding, of belonging, of communicating that the recipient is not isolated. Yamato and Taichi in Digimon 02, when Agumon is kidnapped. Rei and Usagi at several different points of Sailor Moon. Natsuki and Mai in Mai-HiME ep 20. It's a very consistent pattern.

The idea I'm getting from these two things put together is that disciplinary violence, in particular, is something firmly associated with one's in-group. The family, the house, the team. And, because it is limited in that way, the exercise of disciplinary violence becomes a sign that the target of it is valued and accepted by that group, despite whatever failing might have provoked it; because the true sign of anger/hostility would be rejection, instead.

Hence, the invitation of punishment seems to be a request to confirm the inviter's continued acceptance as a member of the in-group. Also, a sign that the inviter still acknowledges the rules/standards of the group as valid. This is supported by Yanagi's next sentence, in his particular example, "Hoka no buin ni shimeshigatsu kanai", which Athena translated for me as "It doesn't leave a good example for the other teammates [unless you hit me]."

So, not kinky. Also, not a sign of ungovernable temper or random brutality on the part of the one handing out the violence. Just a very different paradigm of expression than Western readers are used to. Sanada's particular version is harsher than many, but less harsh than most examples that come from a school of the martial arts--which is, after all, his background.

(1) For the benefit of those, like myself, who only know uselessly disconnected snippets of Japanese: After a little poking around, I found that "yatte" is a form of the verb "yareru" (to do). "Yaru" has a wide range of idiomatic meanings which depend entirely on context, but sex and violence do feature significantly in the list. "Kure" is described on my favorite grammar site as the command form of "please", and its infinitive "kureru" is often used when speaking of things given to oneself. So one 'literal' way to translate this is "Do it to me, please!", which, in another context, could indeed be kinky; but in this one it isn't.

Konomi does a constant bait and switch with the question of who is the strongest player of all. When Fuji defeats Kirihara at Regionals, for example, Ryuuzaki thinks that he has moved beyond even Tezuka. Watching Tezuka's match with Kabaji at Nationals, however, Fuji thinks that he can see no end to Tezuka's strength. I think Konomi does it very deliberately to make a point about strength in this story.

The meaning of "strongest"

The way people in PoT talk about levels of strength and ability are a) very broad and b) very fluid.

For example, when Seigaku use terms like "at Tezuka's level" to describe another player, what they seem to mean is someone within the National skill bracket. That still covers a lot of space, and, after all, there's still only one winner. Only one very best.

But that gets us to the second point, which is that, from month to month and year to year, how the people in that highest bracket place will change. So, now it's Atobe, now it's Sanada, now it's Tezuka, next thing you know it'll definitely be Echizen. And elimination-tournaments are not a straightforward way to rank players. After all, Hyoutei was eliminated at the first level of Regionals, but there's no doubt that they were considerably better than most of that entire group of teams. Then, too, there's the question of time and motivation and... fit, for lack of a better term. Sanada, I understand, has, in the past, beaten Atobe. Atobe has, in the past, beaten Tezuka. Does this mean Sanada would automatically beat Tezuka? Of course not.

And then, too, presumably Atobe wants a rematch with Sanada with better, from his point of view, results, and has been training toward it, the same way he and Tezuka are both training toward a rematch of their own. It's a constant thing. Loss, in the Tenipuri universe, is not a final judgement (except, perhaps, at Hyoutei, but even there we have Shishido to demonstrate the value of determination); loss is an invitation to win next time. If you can.

And I note that it's never the players in the best bracket, themselves, who use terms like "the strongest of all". Presumably they know better. It's the cheering sections, and the lesser players, and the really somewhat clueless journalists who use words like that. To be the best is not a state; it's a process. This, I think, is one of the things that Tezuka opened Echizen's eyes to.

And that brings us to the question of how players move forward.

Coming up

I would say that Kirihara's match with Echizen has some things in common with Echizen's first match with Tezuka.

In Echizen's case, he knew he could be beaten, but the only one who had managed it so far was his target: his dad. He didn't really seem to believe, on a viceral level, that anyone else could do more than provide a good challenge. When Tezuka upsets that assumption, it opens up Echizen's tennis and leads to a personal breakthrough. Echizen still really, really wants to do in his dad, but his overall game is geared toward winning the game for its own sake, now, rather than focusing solely on a single opponent.

In Kirihara's case, he seems to have had a lot of the same assumptions. His flashbacks sound rather like no one but the Rikkai Triumvirate ever managed to beat him, with the result that he focused on them as the only goal, the only challenge, the way Echizen used to focus on his dad. Kirihara is blithely certain of defeating even Tezuka. With Kirihara there is also the addition of a certain wildness that Echizen never seemed prone to, leading Kirihara to do things like deliberately injure his opponents where Echizen merely snarks at them until they have apoplexy. When Echizen upsets Kirihara's assumptions, it does seem to have some of the same effect. (Erm, the opening of his game, not the apoplexy.) Losing so unexpectedly to Echizen sets Kirihara up for his breakthrough, when he plays Fuji and achieves muga no kyouchi. This is very much in line with the story's ethos of rehabilitating the talented but wild players (Akutsu, Atobe).

The main difference in their situations, of course, is that Tezuka is on Echizen's team, is his captain, and that allows Echizen to bond to him and lean on his support, and to set his defeat within a readily understandable (perhaps I would even say excusable) framework. Echizen, on the other hand, is on one of Kirihara's rival teams. There is, however, a strong parallel drawn between Echizen and Sanada both in terms of strength and even in some aspects of character design (consider the hat-as-camoflauge theme). Sanada is to Kirihara much as Tezuka is to Echizen--witness the suggestion that he deliberately draws out Echizen's muga at the start of their match so that Kirihara will be able to remember his own. So the overall pattern of rehabilitation and support is preserved.

Translation

I've been contemplating the various ways of translating hashira. The most direct translation is "pillar" or "post", but the connotations don't match in English and Japanese. Hashira seems to be used in the same way one uses "cornerstone" in English. The architectural idea invoked is that of a vital load-bearing member. Since hashira appears to be a colloquialism in the same fasion that "cornerstone" is, a direct translation is not neccessarily appropriate... or even possible.

Of course, that's the thing about colloquialisms. They're the single most impossible part of a language to translate, depending as they do on what is, by definition, an alien system of associations. With raised construction, of course the uprights would be the most significant parts when it comes to stability and the basics of the building itself.

Personally, I think the best translation is"load-bearing member", but that's unweildy and just begs for dirty jokes. Short of that, "axis mundi" seems closest to what Tezuka means when he says hashira.

Support and Leadership

And, at first glance, it seemed odd to me that Tezuka should chose Echizen as the next center of Seigaku. That said to me that the hashira is less a support than an example. The strongest, but not necessarily the leader, because Echizen just doesn't have, at that point in the story, any of the qualities needed in a leader. He's too wild, too unsocialized. He has no sense of duty to anyone, least of all his team.

(That changes some over time, as he gets used to having people around who are fellows as well as competitors. Which is one of the things that convinces me that the mangaka plans or planned to take this story quite a bit further, following that part of Echizen's evolution. But I digress.)

The more I saw, though, the more it seemed that Echizen is, in fact, in the same category as Tezuka. Because I see two major categories of unreasonably talented people, in this story. One holds Tezuka, Echizen, Tachibana, Yukimura. Another holds Atobe, Fuji, Akutsu, Kirihara. The first holds those who have the self-discipline or the gentleness or restraint to keep their strength focused, to refrain from harming their opponents while defeating them. The second holds those who do not have that steadiness, who will do something or not do it purely on a whim, those who are drunk enough with their own power to do harm because nothing is stopping them. Those who lack direction to focus and guide them.

Now, Fuji generally does refrain from physically harming his opponents. I rather think it's because Tezuka provides restraint for him. Similarly, I think Atobe would be a good deal less inclined to destroy whatever's in his way if Sakaki ever reined him back or indicated that such activity was unacceptable. And a gut feeling says to me that a major reason Kirihara is so out of control is that Yukimura isn't there to hold him to heel. (For thoughts on why Sanada does not do so, see Sanada's page.)

Which gets us to my thoughts about Rikkaidai. Watching Yukimura's firmness with his team, once he returns impressed the hell out of me. Previous to that, Sanada comes across as the strong, strict disciplinarian of the team. The one in charge. But watching them together there's no question that Yukimura is the captain, the one in command, the true drive and determination of the team, its control and its heart. Sanada acts in support of Yukimura, not on his own. Rather the same way Kamio is to Tachibana. To an extent, the way Ooishi is to Tezuka.

That steel, that hone and temper, is one of the defining characteristics of that first category I mentioned. Echizen certainly has it. It's the constance, the ability to bear down, that the second category doesn't have. The second category is fire, brilliant but unstable. They are not the kind who make good captains.

Atobe is somewhat of an exception to that. He does seem to have the ability to focus, the potential for constance, but he uses it only rarely for his team. The fact that his team does have respect for him says to me that he takes some care for the regulars, at least, while they're in his hands. But Hyoutei is certainly not set up to encourage the kind of bond that lets Tezuka or Tachibana or Yukimura command their teams so completely. I think this is the most likely reason Atobe more or less fixates on Tezuka as his rival; to have something stable that he can sharpen his focus on.

So, coming back around to the concept of hashira, I would say that it means to be the constant of the team. The unbreakable example that calls or drives all the rest after its own excellence, whether by admiration or shame. The pure will that the rest of the team can lean against when their own certainty fails. The core. That, Echizen could be, and that, I think, he would accept.

So, what's it all about?

Well, yes, besides tennis.

Not tennis

Actually, I'm of the opinion that Prince of Tennis isn't much about tennis per se. It's a fight anime. It's a samurai story, only the swords look like tennis racquets.

What it's about is pride and struggle and determination.

If it were really about tennis there would be none of this business with players seeming to have anti-grav devices in their shoes, or casting visible auras. And there certainly wouldn't be something like Kikumaru's one-person-doubles-pair in his first National match. The hang-time and the auras can be explained as visual metaphor; the doubling act has no possible explanation in nature.

The nail that sticks up

It strikes me that one of the major things PoT is also about is what great talent means in a culture like Japan. It puts you out of step, and most of the characters don't really cope well with that. All the really, extremely talented characters are really, extremely odd, with the exception of Echizen who just has Attitude.

Fuji is disconnected. In his own way, so is Tezuka, though he's managed to do it in a pattern more likely to let him slide through life with the strangeness unnoticed. Akutsu is a freaking psycho. Atobe has problems of his own, while we're discussing destructive tendencies, and so does Kirihara. Sanada seems to cope by clinging to the forms of tradition. And Yukimura appears to maintain two very different sides, a gentle and cheerful one for social purposes, and a steel-edged ruthless one for tennis purposes.

The contrast and similarities between Akutsu, who has never had limits of any kind, and Echizen, who has always had the limit of his dad, is... pointed. Echizen takes "always someone better" for granted; he's grown up with a living, breathing, fantstically annoying example. For him, it's simply one more thing to hone himself against. That seems to be what makes him stable. I took it as a measure of Akutsu's desperation that a single encounter with a limit is enough to let him relax against it.

And, you know, it really is clear (most especially in light of the contrast provided by the tradtionalist on the filler-ep staff) that Echizen, Our Hero, the view-point character in most ways, is set up as unsocialized. At least, un-Japanese-socialized. He's terminally blunt, and has no idea what gestures to return to, say, a social apology. He refuses the forms of self-denigration that are so much a mainstay of junior-senior interaction. And he invariably looks people dead in the eye, especially if he has any reason to think they might be competition. The first couple episodes really go out of their way to emphasize this--he even manages to rub Momo, who is far and away the easiest-going senpai he meets, a bit the wrong way. Momo, being a sweetie, doesn't make a big deal of it but does take note of it.

Which only increases my tendency to consider the filler eps of the anime, especially Senbatsu Etc., as a completely different continuity even than the anime main storyline.

Destinations

Hashira. Reflections on how the concept of a central support gets applied to a tennis player.

Strength. Thoughts on the idea of strength in Tenipuri, and how it is nurtured.

In-group Violence. This is my take on what lies behind Sanada's physical discipline of his teammates.

Tidbits. Little snippets of facts and figures to fill in the characters' backgrounds, many stumbled across while looking for something else entirely.

Tournament Dates. My best guess, graphed out, at how tournament dates are set, and when everything happens in relation to everything else.

Niou and Yagyuu. An attempt to untangle and perhaps explain these two chracters.

Sanada. Theories about Sanada's personality and history.

Rikkai Raw Material. Annotated list of all Rikkai's appearances in the manga.

Links

If, of course, you just want to move right along, have some links.

Tenipuri Wiki. Hoping to evolve into a centralized all-info-site. If you don't find what you were looking for, try adding something you know.

FET. For basic profiles, team names and other match info, go to FET.

Prince of Tennis Community. For fan interaction, fanworks, and occasional media posts, check the LJ comms. This one is a good place to start from.

Minus Zero. This site leads to sites for Hyoutei and Rikkai, and also All Stars, with decent translations of fanbook material.

Seigaku! Has profiles for Seigaku, Fudoumine, St. Rudolph and Yamabuki, as well as some media rotation.

Ryu's Seiyuu Info. Has Prince of Tennis seiyuu. Note that the names are in given-surname order, and not organized by team or alphabet.

Brand New Days. And excellent archive of fic focusing on Shishido, Ohtori and Hiyoshi.

Fleeting Fancies. Has a more widespread range of fic recced and linked.