Kunimitsu Tezuka
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| Kunimitsu Tezuka (手塚国光) |
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Kunimitsu Tezuka (手塚国光 Tezuka Kunimitsu) is a fictional character in the anime and manga for The Prince of Tennis.
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[edit] History
Tezuka is the captain of the tennis club and a third year student at Seishun Academy Middle School (Full name is Seishun Gakuen), or Seigaku. He is an incredibly talented player and he went to Nationals the year before the series takes place. Tezuka is serious about everything he does, and very strict - one of his trademark phrases is "Let's not get careless". His special moves include his famous "zero-shiki drop shot", his "Tezuka Zone", and his "Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami".
As a first-year student Tezuka was seen as overconfident and arrogant by the upperclassmen at Seigaku due to his talents and seriousness, especially when they discovered that he was left-handed though he played with his right. A jealous teammate then injured Tezuka's left arm, leading to chronic problems. By his third year, it has mostly healed, but the doctor still warns Tezuka against long matches and using his drop shot. Tezuka considers his health secondary to the team's success, and reinjures his arm in a grueling tie-break match against Keigo Atobe of Hyotei Gakuen. In the manga, he is sent to a health clinic in Kyūshū, but in the anime, he is sent to a health clinic in Germany, where he hopes to recuperate in order to play at Nationals.
Tezuka shows a strong interest in Echizen Ryoma, possibly because Echizen reminds him of himself as a first-year. He plays against Echizen full-strength, despite the risk of re-injuring his arm, in order to convince him that he needs to become more than a clone of his father. He hopes that Echizen will succeed him as Seigaku's pillar of support.
[edit] Special Tennis Moves
[edit] Zero-shiki Drop Shot
Along with his exceptional serve and Tezuka Zone, the zero-shiki (literally zero-degree) drop shot is one of the reasons Tezuka is acknowledged as a National level tennis player. The zero-shiki is truly a trump card, and as such, Tezuka only has to use the zero-shiki when he is facing an opponent that causes him to play in full seriousness. The few players that have actually caused Tezuka to reveal his trump card have been nationally ranked or players that have an extremely high level of talent. Among these have been: Fuji Syusuke (whom Tezuka went as far as calling his ultimate rival in the anime), Ryoma Echizen, other Seigaku tennis club members, Hyotei captain Atobe Keigo, Hyotei regular Munehiro Kabaji, and Higa Captain Kite Eishirou.
Tezuka can use this move from virtually anywhere on the court. However, it is most often utilized from the baseline so that when an opponent is expecting a powerful return and strays to the back of the court, Tezuka can optimize the success of the zero-shiki drop shot.
Whereas a normal drop shot catches the opponent off-guard and could potentially break their rhythm, the zero-shiki almost completely demoralizes the opponent. Because Tezuka has accomplished the zero-shiki to such a level that he only needs to drop his racket head 3.2 mm in order to pull it off, the opponent is deceived into thinking that it will be a normal return. Once hit, the ball then floats over to the other side and drops a foot away from the base of the net. As soon as the ball hits the ground, it rolls backwards, preventing the other player returning the drop shot. It is very similar to Fuji Syusuke's "Swallow Return".
Ryoma Echizen can also use this shot. He learns after watching Tezuka use it against Hyotei captain Atobe Keigo.
[edit] Tezuka Zone
While using this technique, Tezuka pivots around one foot without lifting it from the ground. He can do this because the technique does not require him to move from his original position (usually at the center of the baseline). With every shot, Tezuka puts a specific rotation on the ball, forcing nearly all returns to be "sucked" into his hit zone (hence, the vortex image that surrounds him when he's using it). The Tezuka Zone, while nonexistent in reality, is loosely based on the Magnus Effect. To counter Tezuka's extreme spin, his opponent must do more than aim his shot away from Tezuka; he must put a new rotation on the ball.
In the anime, before he leaves for Germany, Tezuka shows that he can use the Tezuka Zone with his right hand as well. Nanjiro Echizen (Ryoma Echizen's father) can also do this, but naturally he does not call it the Tezuka Zone. While playing with both eyes closed, Nanjiro first displays this skill in a match against Mamoru Inoue (the Tennis Reporter).
[edit] Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Hard Work)
The Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami is one of the Three Doors of the Muga no Kyouchi (State of Self Actualization). What makes the Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami possible is the Tezuka Zone. Tezuka enters the State of Self-Actualization, or the Muga no Kyouchi, then he focuses all that strength into his left arm. Combining the Hyaku with the Tezuka Zone allows Tezuka to prevent the immense loss of stamina caused by the Muga release, and it gives him the ability to return balls with twice the strength that they were hit with. The extent of the Hyaku's strength was shown briefly during Tezuka's match with Higa Chuu's Captain, Kite Eishirou. Eishirou was a powerful player, but his strength crumbled in the face of Tezuka's Hyaku. Later on, he used it again on Hyotei's Kabaji. Tezuka returned Kabaji's heavy hits with twice Kabaji's strength.
[edit] Stats
Class: Third year
Weight: 58kg
Height: 179 cm
DOB: October 7th
Favorite Color: Green and blue
Favorite Subject: World history
Hobbies: Mountain climbing, camping, fishing, hiking
Racket: Mizuno (Pro Light S90)
Clothing: N/A
Quotes: "Don't let your guard down" and "Run 20 laps. Now."
Shoes: Mizuno
Family: Grandfather (Kunikazu, judo teacher at a police academy), father (Kuniharu, businessman), mother (Ayana, stay-at-home mom). Birthday:October 7,1983
[edit] Trivia
- Tezuka is an only child and lives with his grandfather Kunikazu (72), father Kuniharu (48), and mother Ayana (45). His grandfather is remarkably alert for his old age (is able to catch a falling egg with chostpcks, just like Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid) and Tezuka seems to have picked up lots of his character traits from him, while his parents are more laid-back and sweet-tempered.
- In the manga, Tezuka develops a sibling-like friendship with the tomboyish Miyuki, sister of Senri Chitose from Shitenhouji, during his days at Kyushuu.
- Tezuka often says "Sa, yudan sezu ni ikou" ("Let's not get careless" or "Don't let your guard down") even when doing something as simple as eating or going to the hot springs. This especially happens in the chibi episodes, where much of the series' traits are parodied.
[edit] Actors
- In the anime series, Tezuka's seiyū (or voice actor) is Okiayu Ryoutarou.
- For the live action adaptation film of The Prince of Tennis, actor Yuu Shirota portrays Tezuka.
- In The Prince of Tennis Musicals, Tezuka is portrayed by actors Takigawa Eiji (2003-2004), Kengo Ookuchi (2004), Yuu Shirota (2005-2006) and Keisuke Minami (2006-current).
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| Tennis team members: | Ryoma Echizen | Kunimitsu Tezuka | Shuichiro Oishi | Shusuke Fuji | Eiji Kikumaru | Takashi Kawamura | Sadaharu Inui | Takeshi Momoshiro | Kaoru Kaidoh |
| Schools: | Seishun Academy Middle School | Fudomine Middle School | St. Rudolph Gakuen | Yamabuki | Hyotei Gakuen | Midoriyama | Jyosei Shonan | Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku |
| Supporting characters: | Sumire Ryuzaki | Nanjiro Echizen | Masashi Arai | Satoshi Horio | Kachiro Kato | Katsuo Mizuno | Sakuno Ryuzaki | Tomoka Osakada |
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| List of Prince of Tennis episodes | Tennis no Ojisama - Futari no Samurai | The Prince of Tennis (film) | The Prince of Tennis Musicals | Takeshi Konomi | |
