Because I'm a shameless Manjoume fangirl.
This is where I feature a character from an anime and explain their name meanings. If you'd like to request a name meaning, let me know! ^_^
Name: Yukimura Seiichi
Anime: Prince of Tennis
Meaning:
Yukimura is a wonderful character that has lots of potential... His name is quite fitting to his character as well. "Yuki" is the kanji
for peace or happiness, and "mura" means village. I think this reflects the serenity of his nature very well.
The more interesting part about his name is the fact that it stems from the historic Japanese war hero, Sanada Yukimura. A
brilliant tactician and expert in the art of war, he almost led a successful campaign against the then-shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is
ultimately betrayed and meets a tragic end. I think it's interesting indeed, that the powerhouse tennis team Rikkaidai's Captain (Yukimura)
and Vice Captain (Sanada) are named after this true life hero.
"Sei" means soul or life force. This of course, speaks to Yukimura's passionate feelings toward tennis, and his incredible
will to overcome his suffering to become greater than he is. Ichi is a common ending for a boy's name.
[ previous name meanings ]
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
* Kirihara Akaya *
Kirihara Akaya
a Prince of Tennis character analysis by athena
...and some profile info from fanbook 20.5
 Name: Kirihara Akaya
School: Rikkaidai Fuzoku, 2nd yr
DOB: September 25 (Libra)
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 61 kg
Blood type: O
thoughts
Ok, so I did say that Atobe was my favorite character didn't I? Hehe...am I allowed to take that back? Hey, not to say that I still don't think he's an awesome character, but lately, I have completely fallen in love with the Rikkaidai ace, Kirihara Akaya! He's my baby! Lol. Well, you could literally say that he's my literary baby anyway, because I've been RP-ing him for a few weeks, and he is the most enjoyable little guy I've ever come across. Not only do I find him extremely intriguing as a character, I also think he's actually quite similar to me, in some ways. And of course, it also helps that he is absolutely adorable. What is it about Kirihara? He's definitely an angry young man, with violent / psychotic tendencies...lol... But the really troubled boys are always the ones that appeal to me the most, it seems. More on this later.
tennis stats
Dominant hand: Right
Playing style: Aggressive baseliner
Favorite brand:
- Shoes - DT Wilson (Dynosphere Technology)
- Racket - Pro Staff 5.5 Wilson Stretch
Best skill: Knuckle serve, Speed play
(anime only): Phantom ball
(manga only): State of Self Actualization
personal
 Hobbies: Fighting games
Favorite food: Grilled beef, Sushi
Family: Father, mother, older sister
Father's occupation: Businessman
Best subject: Japanese, PE
Worst subject: English
Favorite type: Someone who's cheerful!
quotes
- I will crush you.
- (to Tezuka) If you keep your face so stiff, it'll tire you out.
- (to Yanagi) Can you really see?
from his teammates
- Sanada: There is no denying his skill. However, he needs to learn how to control himself.
- Jackal: When I'm with him, I'm always getting in trouble. But I get this feeling that he can accomplish anything.
looks
 Aside from the times that he gets all blood shot and creepy looking, I think Kirihara is one sexy bitch (excuse the language XD). And the reason why I say this...is probably self-explanatory. I love his wild curly hair that never seems to settle. It matches his fiery personality, most certainly. Plus, he's got amazing green eyes, which is quite striking in anybody - but especially in a Japanese guy, lol. His best feature is his expression, which changes all the time. His game face ("come hither") look is my favorite, but he can also put on a joker face, like when he says a gag (which is actually quite often)...I think it's adorable.
personality
 His personality is really interesting to me, and of course, this is what makes him so much fun to RP. You could say he's got a dual personality, but I think deep inside, he is still the same person. The usual "good" personality that he shows is rather fun-loving and jokes around a lot. You see this in his first appearance in the series, when he inadvertantly stumbles upon Seigaku when he oversleeps his stop on the bus. He steps onto the court and not only challenges Tezuka to a match...but also tells him that he shouldn't look so serious all the time because it's tiring. Heh.
Then there's that classic moment, when his senpai Yanagi says something to the effect of: "It feels good, watching this game," whereupon Kirihara (with a really funny expression), replies: "Can you really see?" Hilarious! Such funny moments lead me to believe that his "true" self is really just a light hearted kid...
His most noticeable trait is his passionate and ambitious nature. Definitely a little pompous to boot, but like Atobe, he's got the undeniable skills to justify his attitude. He's got a lot of pride, and he can get quite scary when someone tips him off his high and mighty ass... Thus the red-eye mode, when he becomes this crazy destructive force to be reckoned with on the tennis court. But when he becomes psychotic like this, I don't think he really has true control over himself. I would surmise to say that he would rather avoid being this way, but can't help but unleash the demon inside when confronted by a powerful enemy.
In a way, he's quite vulnerable and probably has a lot of insecurities that he hides with his overpowering personality. I also think that being the youngest regular member of his team has contributed not only to his cocky attitude, but also to a kind of complex at having to become something greater than he is. His heartbreaking realization that he couldn't defeat the 3 top players at Rikkai may have been a catharsis in his red-eye style of playing.
anime vs. manga
 There are parts in the manga that were never animated, which I'm still disappointed about. Of course the main chapter would be the one where Echizen challenges Kirihara to a match days before the Kantou finals. I think this was an important match for Kirihara, because he came to realize that even his red-eye mode has its limitations, and that there were higher boundaries to be crossed before he could reach his true potential.
I thought it was really sad, but a necessary lesson for him. (And we also get to see the first Sanada bitch slap...which I think is also important, to show how much Rikkai means business. This was totally watered down in the anime...)
The Kirihara vs. Fuji match was also changed up quite a bit in the anime. I didn't like how they made Kirihara into this quivering scardy cat at the end, when Fuji comes into his (close to) full potential. I thought the manga version was much better, because Kirihara does not back down from Fuji, and in fact acquires the State of Self Actualization. So even though he does ultimately lose, he gains something more important, instead.
On the otherhand, the anime did have a wonderful filler, which I enjoyed a lot: the Junior Invitationals. Kirihara had a prominent role there, which pleases me greatly. I loved the little side story they had of Kirihara and Kamio (so...sweet!), and how they showed a "reformed" Kirihara. I also adored Coach Sakaki for sending Kirihara in for Singles 1. As he explained it, Kirihara had both the ambition and talent to clinch that position. I was disappointed that he wasn't able to finish his match...but nonetheless very happy that his skills as a top tennis player were recognized.
pairings
For some reason, I see him often paired with Yanagi...but I don't really see that at all.
If choosing from among the Rikkai players, I prefer him with Yukimura, his buchou. (I'll have to say that my fellow RP-er for Yukimura has convinced me of this). I think they're a really sweet pair, and I have the feeling that Yukimura is able to bring out the tenderness in Kirihara. And in my view, Kirihara would do anything for buchou...
My other favorite pairing for Kirihara (again, inspired by an excellent RP-er!) is Kamio. Ah...the classic love-hate relationship. Of course, this is quite different from the Yukimura pairing - first because they are more like equals in this case, being in the same year. I'm sure that changes the dynamic quite a bit. And also their rocky history together, which always makes for good drama. Lol... But I do think that they would get along quite well, if given the chance. Kamio's upbeat outlook on life and head-strong attitude is a good match for Kirihara's ambition and passion.
character single
 Kirihara's character single absolutely rocks!! This is by far my favorite character song out of all of them (at least, the ones I've heard), because it's got an awesome beat, his VA (Morikubo Shotaro) has an excellent voice, and the lyrics are perfect for this character. Listen to it if you get the chance!
Akaku Someru Tsuki
(The Crimson-Dyed Moon)
lyrics translated by athena
There is no future for dreams you place upon
The sharp curves of the white moon
Burning soul - come here beside me
And create a blade from which hot blood be shed
The greater the pain is inflicted,
The greater the joy that flows from it
This cleansed body of mine is the RULE
And I shall dye the whole moon crimson
Betrayal can never be forgiven
Destroy the enemy before you, that is all
I, with this cleansed body
Shall have the final laugh
The blood, so beautiful...that is the RULE
Nobody can stop me now
The crimson dyed moon shall be mine
And I shall rule over all the world
This cleansed body of mine is the RULE
And I shall dye the whole moon crimson
The blood, so beautiful...that is the RULE
And I shall rule over all the world
Posted by athena at |1:25 AM|
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