Rikkai Junior High School
Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku (私立立海大附属中学校), located in Kanagawa prefecture, also known as Rikkai Dai, is one of the rival schools in the manga/anime Prince of Tennis. They were considered to be the best team before they played Seigaku. Rikkai Dai has won the Japanese National Tournament for the last two years.
The Matchup
The matchup against Seishun Gakuen in the Kanto Regional Finals in the anime is as follows:
D2: Bunta Marui/Jackal Kuwahara vs. Takeshi Momoshiro/Kaoru Kaidoh- Rikkaidai Wins 7-5
D1: Masaharu Niou/Hiroshi Yagyuu vs. Shuichiro Oishi/Eiji Kikumaru - Rikkaidai Wins 6-4
S3: Renji Yanagi vs. Sadaharu Inui - Seigaku wins 6-7
S2: Akaya Kirihara vs. Shusuke Fuji - Seigaku wins 4-6
S1: Genichirou Sanada vs. Ryoma Echizen - Seigaku wins 5-7
While the matchup order does not change, the final scores of each match as well as the progression in the manga are significantly different, especially in Doubles 2, where the scores are complete opposites of each other (crushing 1-6 defeat vs. "close" 5-7).
In the Nationals:
S3- Genichirou Sanada vs.Kunimitsu Tezuka - Rikkaidai Wins 7-5
D2- Akaya Kirihara/Renji Yanagi vs. Sadaharu Inui/Kaoru Kaidoh - Rikkaidai Wins 5-1 (forfeit)
S2- Masaharu Niou vs. Shusuke Fuji - Seigaku Wins 5-7
D1- Jackal Kuwahara/Bunta Marui vs. Shuichiro Oishi/Eiji Kikumaru - Seigaku Wins 5-7
Training
Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku provides its tennis regulars with a lot of equipment for increasing their strength and skills, including a gym, ball machines, and many tennis courts. Rikkai Dai doesn't have a coach, which shows Yukimura and Sanada's skills in leadership. Rikkai Dai has a very strict training regimen, which has had spectacular results on the tennis courts. During the semifinal match of the National tournament, Rikkai Dai purposely loses the first two matches to Nagoya Seitoku on purpose for the sake of increasing Akaya Kirihara's strength as a tennis player. After Akaya reveals his progress, Rikkai Dai crushes Nagoya in the last two matches 6-1, 6-0.
Tennis team members
Seiichi Yukimura
Seiichi Yukimura (幸村 精市, Yukimura Seiichi) is a third year and the captain of Rikkai Dai. Yukimura, vice captain Genichirou Sanada, and regular Renji Yanagi are known as the Three Demons (Sannin Bakemono) of Rikkai Dai, since all three joined the regulars when they were first years. Sanada and Yukimura have been Captain and Vice-Captain of the tennis team since they were second years.
In the winter prior to the current school year, Yukimura collapsed and was hospitalized. In the hospital, he was diagnosed and treated for a disease similar to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disease. In the anime, Kippei Tachibana of Fudomine is hospitalized in the same hospital as Yukimura after damaging his ankle.
Supposedly Yukimura is the best player on the team, as well as the best junior tennis player in all of Japan-- as good as Seigaku captain Kunimitsu Tezuka, or even better. Members of the Rikkai team said once that, as Yukimura is not playing now, the best player is Tezuka, showing that they firmly believed in Yukimura's position as the best player. When the author Takeshi Konomi was asked in one interview who he thought was the best player in the whole story, he answered Yukimura. However, Yukimura has yet to be shown to be actually playing tennis and even flashback scenes at most only shows him holding a racket, not actually playing; his playstyle is completely unknown at the moment. However according to Shusuke Fuji and Genichirou Sanada, he has achieved Muga no Kyouchi.
Yukimura has a delicate and almost feminine appearance, which contrasts with his strong willpower and a rather stern, brutally honest attitude on court. Still, when not on the court, Yukimura is a very kind and friendly person, if still proud and dignified. Yukimura says that he is one of few people that can defeat Sanada.
After going through a successful surgery on the day Rikkai Dai lost the Kanto Finals to Seigaku, Yukimura has returned to lead his team in the National Tournament, where they have managed to make it to the Finals against Seigaku. Although Sanada usually plays in Singles 1, he played in Singles 3 this time, leaving Yukimura to play against Ryoma in Singles 1.
Just prior to facing Ryoma, Tooyama Kintarou challenged Yukimura to a match. Yukimura accepts, and promptly defeats Kintarou in a decimating fashion without taking his jacket off his shoulders.
Voiced by: Sachiko Nagai (Japanese)
Stats
- Birthdate: 5th March
- Zodiac: Pisces
- Height: 175cm
- Weight: 61kg
- Blood type: A
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 26.5cm
- Shoe Brand: N/A
- Racket Brand: N/A
- Play Style: N/A (Yet to be seen)
- Favorite Food: Roasted Fish
- Favorite Color: Light Blue
- Favorite Subject: Mathematics, Art, English
- Worst Subject: Chemistry (the chemical smell reminds him of the hospital)
- Committee: Fine Arts Committee Member
- Hobby: Gardening
- Family: Parents, Younger Sister, Grandmother
- Girl type: Healthy/wholesome people
Genichirou Sanada
Genichirou Sanada (真田 弦一郎, Sanada Gen'ichirō) is the team's third-year Vice-Captain, and served as the temporary captain while captain Seiichi Yukimura was on leave to treat his illness. Sanada, Yukimura, and Renji Yanagi are known as the Three Demons of Rikkai Dai, as all three joined the regulars when they were first years. He and Yukimura have been Captain and Vice-Captain since they were in second year.
Sanada comes from a very traditional family (his grandfather and father are the owners of a famous kendo dojo), is stern and noble, plays with honor, and expects the best from both himself and his teammates. In fact, he insists that people on his team are not supposed to lose, and there have been instances where he slapped his teammates for either losing or not obeying the Rikkai Dai rules off-court.
In the anime, he has the extraordinary ability to swing his racket at an incredibly high speed so that his swings and serves become "invisible". This renders the opponent unable to predict where the ball will land. He is characterized as unquestioningly loyal to Yukimura. In the anime, he plays a match with Ryoma Echizen before the actual match and crushes him 6-0. However, in the manga, Akaya Kirihara plays Echizen before the match, and Sanada slaps Kirihara when he finds out both because Kirihara didn't ask him for permission and, more importantly, because he lost.
Voiced by: Taiten Kusunoki (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Invisible Swing(anime)
- His Invisible Swing has a very simple concept behind it despite the very destructive power and speed it has. Basically, Sanada had mastered an incredibly fast swing, making it near invisible for normal naked eyes to see the exact swing, hit and spin of the ball he handles. His swing doesn't work for people like Ryoma Echizen or Eiji Kikumaru, though, because of their extraordinary ability to see moving things more clearly with their inborn enhanced eyesight.
- Invisible Serve(anime)
- The Invisible Serve is essentially the same thing, except this time, it's a serve swing, and not a return swing. It has the same concept and does the same thing. Despite the simple concept, it does a lot to hinder the opponent from a successful return, since there is no sure way of seeing the speed, direction and spin of the ball.
- Fuu Rin Ka Zan (Wind Forest Fire Mountain)
- This was the name given to Sanada's special moves in the manga. The first of these special moves was Fuu (wind), an extremely fast swing which is based on the quick sword drawing technique. This is the move where most likely his invisible swing was based on in the anime. The next of his moves that was shown in the manga is Ka (fire), an extremely powerful ground smash. His other moves are Rin (forest) and Zan (mountain), which have not been shown in the manga yet, although it has been hinted that both Renji and Atobe was defeated by these two moves. When performing the "Fuu Rin Ka Zan"; Sanada would usually say a phrase for each of his moves, e.g. "swift like the wind" for Fuu, "silent as the forest" for Rin, "Invade like fire" for Ka, and "immovable like a mountain" for Zan. It is also noted that each of his attacks elemental based: as such, the Fuu (wind) move can be used to counter the Ka (fire) move.
Stats
- Birthdate: 21st May
- Zodiac: Taurus
- Height: 180cm
- Weight: 68kg
- Blood type: A
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 27.5cm
- Shoe Brand: Yonex Power Cushion21
- Racket Brand: Babalot VS Drive
- Play Style: All Rounder
- Favorite Food: Miso Soup
- Favorite Color: Grey, Black
- Favorite Subject: History, PE
- Worst Subject: N/A
- Committee: Chairman of the Public Morals Committee
- Hobbies: Muscle Training, Shougi, Calligraphy
- Family: Parents, Older Brother, possibly Grandfather
- Girl type: N/A
Renji Yanagi
Third-year Renji Yanagi (柳 蓮二, Yanagi Renji) is also known as the Data Master, as he is a data specialist. Renji, captain Seiichi Yukimura, and vice captain Genichirou Sanada are known as the Three Demons of Rikkai Dai, as all three joined the regulars when they were first years. Yanagi usually plays Singles 3, but is still an excellent doubles player; he has played doubles with Sanada, and lately with Akaya Kirihara.
Before entering Rikkai Dai, Renji lived in Tokyo and was the friend and former doubles partner of Seigaku's Sadaharu Inui. Inui used to call him 'kyojyu' (Japanese for 'professor'), and in return, Yanagi called him 'hakase' ('doctor'). He keeps his eyes perpetually half-closed just as Inui hides his eyes behind his thick glasses.
Yanagi is quiet, mysterious, soft-spoken and has a somewhat acid sense of humor, though he is somewhat more approachable than the aloof and serious Sanada. Still, Yanagi can be as rough as the other Demons when required; in the manga, he once hit Kirihara for asking him a stupid question in public, and also asked Sanada to slap him after he lost against Inui.
Voiced by: Eiji Takemoto (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Kamaitachi
- A high speed slice with a very powerful cut.
- Utsusemi (Cicada)
- Used in the manga during the finals in double match with Kirihara against Inui-Kaidoh pair. This is a slice shot like Tezuka's Zero-Shiki Drop Shot in that the ball will not bounce, but instead it rolls forward and not backward.
Stats
- Birthdate: 4th June
- Zodiac: Gemini
- Height: 181cm
- Weight: 67kg
- Blood type: A
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 26cm
- Shoe Brand: Diadora Rebound Ace DA2
- Racket Brand: VoLKL Catapult V1 Mid Plus
- Play Style: Counter Puncher
- Favorite Food: Light flavored foods
- Favorite Color: White
- Favorite Subject: Japanese, World History, Classical Studies
- Worst Subject: N/A
- Committee: Student Council Member
- Hobby: Collecting Data, Reading
- Family: Grandparents, Parents, Older Sister
- Girl type: Calculating girls
Hiroshi Yagyuu
Third-year Hiroshi Yagyuu (柳生 比呂士, Yagyū Hiroshi) is known as "The Gentleman" for his seemingly polite demeanor, especially in comparison to his doubles partner Masaharu Niou. His special move in the anime, the Golf Swing, is an adaptation of a golf swing from his days in the golf club prior to his recruitment to the Rikkai Dai tennis team by his current doubles partner. In the manga, his special move is the Laser Beam, an extremely high speed technique that is difficult to return. Though usually calm, his latent aggressive side is apparent during tennis matches. In the manga, he and his partner Niou pull off a switch where each impersonates the other in appearance, persona, and play style for half the game. He also pulls off a switch with Kaoru Kaidoh in a later incident. It is most likely that he will not play in the National Finals.
Voiced by: Eisuke Tsuda (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Golf Swing
By assuming the position of a golfer, he can deliver a very fast return. This is exclusive to the anime.
- Laser Beam
This technique is similar to the golf swing, but it is a volley. This move is seen only in the manga and OVAs. Kaoru Kaidoh can also use this technique.
Stats
- Birthdate: 19th October
- Zodiac: Libra
- Height: 177cm
- Weight: 64kg
- Blood type: A
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 27cm
- Shoe Brand: Dunlop PRS-300GD
- Racket Brand: Dunlop AdForce M1 Tour
- Play Style: Serve and Volley
- Favorite Food: Ramen
- Favorite Color: Moss Green
- Favorite Subject: All
- Worst Subject: N/A
- Committee: Public Morals Committee Member
- Hobby: Reading Detective/Mystery Novels
- Family: Grandfather, Parents, Younger Sister
- Girl type: Pure-hearted/honest girls
Masaharu Niou
Third-year Masaharu Niou (仁王 雅治, Niō Masaharu) is thought to be one of the scariest people on the court because of his tennis style. An all rounder, he specializes in trick play, hence the nickname "The Trickster". He can guess an opponent's move about 10 moves ahead. Niou uses black wristbands that supposedly tap his potential and physical strength, and he refuses to take them off in any circumstances. In the manga, he pulls a switch with his doubles partner, Yagyuu, and the two impersonate each other's appearance, persona and play style for half the game. Against Fuji in Singles 2 at the Nationals finals, Niou completely simulates Tezuka. Niou's reflection completely reflects Tezuka, able to utilize all of his techniques except the Zero-Shiki Serve. Behind 6-5 to Fuji, Niou stops his simulation of Tezuka and instead simulates Shiraishi, the only player who has defeated Fuji thus far in the manga. However, Fuji decides to counter by unveiling his 6th Counter, Hoshi Hanabi, defeating Niou 7 games to 5.
Voiced by: Yūki Masuda (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Meteor Drive
By launching the ball that high in the air, it creates a super high lob shot which hard to return by the opponent. He never used the technique in reality but it is seen in Inui's nightmare (he dreamed about Fuji losing to Niou 0-5, then he used Meteor Drive).
- Copy/Illusion
Niou has the ability to copy the playstyle of any player he wants. Not only he copys the Moves of the players but their complete playstyle and appearance creating the Illusion his opponent is facing another person, it was stated by Fuji that this technique is unable to copy a certain move from the copyed player.
Stats
- Birthdate: 4th December
- Zodiac: Sagittarius
- Height: 175cm
- Weight: 62kg
- Blood type: AB
- Dominant hand: Left
- Foot size: 27cm
- Shoe Brand: Yonex Power Cushion Wide 271
- Racket Brand: Prince MorePower 1150
- Play Style: All Rounder
- Favorite Food: Yakiniku (grilled meat)
- Favorite Color: Blue
- Favorite Subject: Mathematics
- Worst Subject: Music
- Committee: N/A
- Hobby: Playing Darts
- Family: Parents, Older Sister, Younger Brother
- Girl type: Strategic or cunning people
Bunta Marui
Bunta Marui (丸井 ブン太, Marui Bunta) is a third year volley specialist and self-proclaimed genius, cocky and cheerful. He has stamina issues, so he overdoses on sugar (such as bubblegum and sweets, according to the anime). He is almost always seen blowing bubblegum, even when he plays tennis. He plays doubles with his friend Jackal Kuwahara. Jirou Akutagawa of Hyotei idolizes Marui and bases his style off of Marui's style, following a game they played in the Newcomers Tournament when they were both first years.
Voiced by: Naozumi Takahashi (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Tightrope Walking (Tsuna Watari)
A drop shot in which the ball rolls horizontally along the top of the net, much like a tightrope walker.
- Metal Bell Hit (Tecchu Ate)
A shot that hits the iron pole that supports the net.
- Temporal Difference Hell (Jikansa Jigoku)
Technique unknown; he seems to feint a smash, then catches it on his racket from behind his back instead and thus returns it differently at the last moment. Was used in the Finals match against Kikumaru and Oishi.
Stats
- Birthdate: 20th April
- Zodiac: Aries
- Height: 164cm
- Weight: 62kg
- Blood type: B
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 26cm
- Shoe Brand: Wilson CrossFire DST 02
- Racket Brand: Wilson Try-ADD3 115
- Play Style: Serve and Volley
- Favorite Food: All
- Favorite Color: Red
- Favorite Subject: Music, Japanese
- Worst Subject: Maths, Science
- Committee: N/A
- Hobby: Going to Hotel buffets
- Family: Grandmother, Parents, 2 Younger Brothers
- Girl type: Generous people (those who give him things, especially food)
Jackal Kuwahara
Jackal Kuwahara (ジャッカル 桑原, Jakkaru Kuwahara) is half-Brazilian. This third-year is known as Rikkai Dai's Iron Wall of Defense and plays doubles with his friend Marui. He shaves his head as a tribute to his old coach in Brazil who taught him tennis despite the fact he wasn't exactly the best then. He often takes care of Kirihara off-courts (in fact, he was once slapped by Sanada when he lost track of Kirihara). In the anime, he told Kirihara to stop making rude remarks to Tachibana, captain of Fudomine who was injured by him in the Kantou semi finals. In the fandom, Jackal is often sympathized with, as he isn't usually listed in a list of characters.He is the only Rikkai Dai regular without a special move, although it's possible that he used one recently in the match against Kikumaru and Oishi.
Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japanese)
Stats
- Birthdate: 3rd November
- Zodiac: Scorpio
- Height: 178cm
- Weight: 69kg
- Blood type: O
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 28cm
- Shoe Brand: New Balance T554
- Racket Brand: Head i.x5
- Play Style: Counter Puncher
- Favorite Food: Coffee, Roasted Meat
- Favorite Color: Red
- Favorite Subject: English
- Worst Subject: Japanese
- Committee: Biology Committee Member
- Hobby: Horse-Riding
- Family: Parents
- Girl type: Charming and fair-skinned girls
Akaya Kirihara
Second-year Akaya Kirihara (切原 赤也, Kirihara Akaya) is often depicted as a demon in the anime, because his very aggressive play is capable of hurting his opponents. His first appearance is very early in the manga's run, when he mistakenly falls asleep on the bus on his way to school. Instead of getting off at Rikkai Dai, he wakes up at the last stop, which incidentally is Seishun Gakuen. He decides to check out the tennis club, and he causes a lot of trouble at the tennis courts before he runs into Ryoma Echizen. After that, he decides to go home.
When he gets really excited about his matches and is able to fully concentrate, his eyes become bloodshot and his ability improves dramatically for a short span. This happens in the manga when Ryoma Echizen challenges him to an unofficial match before the matches between Seishun Gakuen and Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. Ultimately, Akaya is defeated by Ryoma's sudden awakened State of Self-Actualization. He is defeated for a second time by Shusuke Fuji during the Kanto tournament finals match with Seigaku, though it was a very close match and he even achieved some evolution of his own.
Akaya usually looks cheerful and happy-go-lucky, but this is not his only side. On-court, if his opponent is putting too much unwanted pressure on him, a more aggressive side shall be visible (i.e. his state of 'Bloodshot'). Along with Niou, he is one of few who have stood up against Sanada; in the manga, he blocks Sanada's hand with his racket to defend Yanagi after his loss to Inui.
Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo (Japanese)
Special Moves/Shots
- Phantom Ball [Anime Only]
- The Phantom Ball does not appear until after Kirihara's match with Seigaku's Shusuke Fuji. It was a new technique he had developed in order to prove to everyone that he was willing to change into a better person, and he didn't need shots that hurt his opponents in order to win. He first used this shot during his unfinished fight with the American Team's Kevin Smith.
- This shot uses inhuman speed and extraordinary amount of hit precision and force application in order to produce the necessary spin for the ball to seemingly land in one area, disappear, and then bounce off from another area. The spin and speed of the ball creates an illusion of temporary disappearance, and then reappears at another place, in order to unsettle the opponent and prevent a return.
- Knuckle Serve
- The Knuckle Serve is a more powerful version of the Kick Serve and the Twist Serve. Those three have essentially the same concepts behind them, but they differ in spin speed, acceleration and force. The Knuckle Serve is the most powerful and destructive of three, followed by Ryoma Echizen's Twist Serve, and Ibu Shinji's Kick Serve.
- Red Snake
- A technique copied from Kaoru Kaidoh. He uses it during the 2nd match of 1st doubles against Inui-Kaidoh vs Kirihara-Yanagi. However, this shot causes physical harm to the opponent as it flies by their face.
Stats
- Birthdate: 25th September
- Zodiac: Libra
- Height: 168cm
- Weight: 61kg
- Blood type: O
- Dominant hand: Right
- Foot size: 26.8cm
- Shoe Brand: DT Wilson Dynosphere Technology
- Racket Brand: Pro Staff 5.5
- Play Style: Aggressive Baseliner
- Favorite Food: Yakiniku, Sushi
- Favorite Color: Red, Yellow, Blue (Primary Colours)
- Favorite Subject: Japanese, PE
- Worst Subject: English
- Committee: N/A
- Hobby: Playing on video games (fighting)
- Family: Parents, Older Sister
- Girl type: Cheerful girls