Shusuke Fuji
(不二 周助) |
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Shusuke Fuji
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Background
Shusuke Fuji is a third year student at Seishun Academy, and is approaching fifteen years of age at the beginning of the series. He is given the title "tensai", or genius, due to his tactical skill on the tennis court. He is in the same class as Eiji Kikumaru, and is Eiji's good friend. Fuji is a leap year baby (his birthday is on February 29), and thus he can only properly celebrate his birthday once every four years. Fuji is cheerful and easygoing, with a penchant for playfully teasing those around him.
He grew up in Chiba, where he became friends with Kojirō Saeki, the current vice-captain of the Rokkaku Chuu Tennis Club. Later on, he moved to Tokyo and entered Seigaku.
Fuji usually takes the position of S2 (Singles 2), although sometimes he is paired with Takashi Kawamura or Eiji Kikumaru in Doubles. He also temporarily takes the position of Singles 1 when Kunimitsu Tezuka is in rehabilitation.
Personality
Fuji is often seen with a calm and content expression on his face, with his eyes seemingly closed from lightly smiling. However, when he is excited or provoked, or when playing seriously, Fuji reveals his sharp eyes: they are blue in the anime and light brown in the manga.
Fuji differs from almost every other character in The Prince of Tennis in that he seems very relaxed and in control when his opponent is pushing himself to the limit, giving many the impression that Fuji is either a genius, who knows how to save his energy during plays, or that he does not really care about tennis itself. There are a few people that can "wake" the true player in Fuji and force him to play seriously, and these few are either nationally-ranked or extremely talented tennis players. Seigaku captain Kunimitsu Tezuka, Seigaku regular Ryoma Echizen, Shitenhouji captain Kuranosuke Shiraishi, and Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku regular Masaharu Niou have been acknowledged by Fuji to be actual challenges.
Fuji has an older sister, Yumiko, and a younger brother, Yuuta Fuji. Fuji is particularly protective of Yuuta (probably to make up for former disagreements that almost brought them apart), as displayed throughout the series; he actively tries to "destroy" and punish those who have defeated his younger brother or have made him go through something dangerous (as proved by how differently he treats Jirou Akutagawa from Hyotei and Hajime Mizuki from Saint Rudolph. Though he holds no personal grudge towards Jirou, who won fairly against Yuuta, he does resent Mizuki for a long time after seeing how he treated his brother as someone expendable to ensure his team's victory).
Yuuta is also not the only person he has been protective of in this sense; in the anime, he is very upset when Kippei Tachibana is injured in his match against Rikkai Dai regular Akaya Kirihara (in the manga, Ryoma is the one who is injured). He is also upset when Akaya Kirihara insults the two schools, Seigaku and Fudomine. When Seigaku is down 1-2 in the Kantō finals against Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku, he engages in a serious match with Akaya Kirihara, who plays a fairly violent form of tennis. Kirihara injures Fuji's knee and knocks over an already injured Tachibana, who arrives to encourage Fuji; thanks to this and the fact that Tezuka is also absent due to injury, Fuji becomes serious and goes on to win the match. According to what Fuji's sister, Yumiko, tells Hajime Mizuki and Yuuta, Fuji never gets angry about what happens to him, but when his family or friends are in danger, he does not hold back and attacks with full seriousness.
Fuji is fairly popular amongst his peers. In episode 134, he goes on a date with Kurumi, a grade schooler who falls in love with him at first sight, thinking of him as a prince of sorts. Despite his penchant for jokes and pranks off-tennis, Fuji can be insightful and even sweet when his friends need it; during his date with little Kurumi, when she reveals that she has low self-esteem since she feels overshadowed by her beautiful older sister Narumi, Fuji helps her to sort their problems out, seeing his own situation with Yuuta reflected in the sisters' quarrels.
Along with Tezuka, Fuji is possibly the only person on the entire Seigaku team who is immune to Inui Sadaharu's various concoctions. However, while Tezuka only appears unaffected and does not state what he thought of the concoctions, it has been a running gag in the story that Fuji actually "likes" those drinks and will recommend it to others too. While he may intentionally fault during practice occasionally in order to try the penal concoctions, he has also mentioned that he enjoys seeing others suffer from drinking the concoctions even more. He is, however, not immune to "Aozu", a horrific blue vinegar and cod liver oil concoction; this drink causes his only blackout, and since then, Inui has believed that Fuji has a grudge against him. His odd tastes in food do not stop at Inui's gruesome health drinks, and he takes delight in wasabi rolls, honey-mustard, and horseradishes.
At times, Fuji tends to act like Eiji Kikumaru, wanting to win and to be number one. In one episode, there is a mixed club day at his school, where the students are not allowed to play the sport that they are in. During this day, Fuji plays curling, which no one else plays, thus his words are, "No participants, the championship is mine."
Prior to the National Tournament, Fuji plays a practice match against Fudomine Chuu's Tachibana, who breaks each of Fuji's Triple Counter. Realizing that his counters are not enough for a national-level tournament, Fuji develops his Fourth Counter, Kagerō Zutsumi (Dragonfly Illusion). However, during Seigaku's National semifinal match against Shitenhouji's Kuranosuke Shiraishi, Fuji suffers his first loss in an official match, despite making a comeback from 0 games to 5 by using his evolved Triple Counter, he loses 6 games to 7 during a tiebreak. This is the first time that any of his teammates see Fuji so disappointed in the outcome of the match.
Special techniques
Counters
Sometimes called the "Three Counter Moves" (or more often called the Triple Counter). Game sealing returns, the Counters are techniques that could only be pulled off by a genius like Shusuke Fuji. Each Counter has a very low chance of being returned.
Later on in the series, during the Nationals, Fuji develops upgrades for his Triple Counter and reveals more Counters: Kagerō Zutsumi, Hecatoncheires no Monban and Hoshi Hanabi.
Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return)
（燕返し）
The first of Fuji's Counters to be shown. Fuji utilizes his opponent's topspin by returning the ball with an extreme slice that doubles the amount of spin. The slice combines with the topspin and causes the ball to dip toward the ground and continue rolling across the court without a bounce. This counter is legendary in that once it is hit, the game is sealed. However, Tsubame Gaeshi can be returned if it is hit before it touches the ground.
During his Doubles match with Eiji Kikumaru against Rokkaku regulars, Kojiro Saeki and Marehiko Itsuki, Fuji's Counters are sealed because Itsuki can hit "sinkers", which are balls without spin. Fuji attempts to create spin by rolling the ball against the face of the racket, but the Tsubame Gaeshi that results bounces and is fully returned. Fuji then utilizes the net and forces Itsuki to hit cord balls (balls that hit the net before going in), which forces the ball to spin; and with that on top of rolling the ball with his racket, he manages to pull off a perfect Tsubame Gaeshi. He again resorts to forcing the opponent to hit cord balls when he faces Arnold Ignashov during the Goodwill Games.
Higuma Otoshi (Bear Drop)
（羆落とし）
By quickly rotating his body, Fuji uses centripetal force to absorb the force of any overhead smash; he then returns the ball with a lob that almost always lands on the opponent's baseline. This technique is also used by Hyotei's Yuushi Oshitari and Keigo Atobe (excluding the fact that Kevin Smith, from the U.S. Team in the Anime can also use it).
This Counter is first broken by Ryoma Echizen, who hits cord balls to change the trajectory of his smash, therefore altering the position of Fuji's lob. During his matches with Akaya Kirihara, Kippei Tachibana, and Kuranosuke Shiraishi, their smashes overpower the centrifugal force used to nullify the force of a smash; Kirihara's and Shiraishi's smashes even knocks away Fuji rackets. In the first round of the National Tournament, the Shukuchi technique of Higa Chuu renders the Counter useless, as Higa players can move from the baseline to the net and vice versa in "one step".
Hakugei (White Whale)
（白鯨）
Fuji's Third Counter, Hakugei is a super slice lob with such extreme backspin that as soon as it passes over the net on to the opposite court, it curves upwards out of sight, than it falls straight down (usually on the baseline), and it flies back to Fuji's hand. However, Fuji needs wind to use the Hakugei.
It is first shown during Fuji's match against Hyotei's Jirou Akutagawa's, in order to counter the opponent's Magic Volley. Hakugei can be returned if the opponent is fast enough to hit the ball as it flies back to Fuji's hand, as shown by Akaya Kirihara and his one-footed split step. Fuji can also change the direction of the ball after it hits the opponent's court, either to go with the direction of the wind or to lessen the chance of a return.
In the anime, Fuji changes the direction in his match against Tezuka Kunimitsu, Tezuka waited at the net in front of the ball so to return it to Fuji's court, but Fuji adapts and the ball instead flies into the net away from Tezuka.
Hakugei is completely broken by Kuranosuke Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis when he changes the direction of how he returns the ball by 90 degrees, hitting it softly in a lateral way.
Kagerō Zutsumi (Dragonfly Illusion)
（蜉蝣ずつみ）
Fuji's Fourth Counter, Kagerō Zutsumi uses both hands as he brings his racket down in an overhead swing that both contains and nullifies all spin on the ball. The ball is then returned devoid of spin, and gives the other player the illusion that the ball is farther than it actually is.
This Counter is first revealed in Seigaku's first Doubles match with Kawamura against Higa Chuu in the National Tournament.
Kagerō Zutsumi is apparently useless against Kuranosuke Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis as the returning ball without spin comes to Shiraishi's court very slowly and he simply smashes the ball to win the point.
Houou Gaeshi (Phoenix Return)
（鳳凰返し）
The upgraded version of Tsubame Gaeshi (Swallow Return), Houou Gaeshi is one of the 3 upgraded techniques of the Triple Counter that Fuji creates in his match against Kuranosuke Shiraishi in the Nationals. Unlike Tsubame Gaeshi, Houou Gaeshi sinks at a higher rate and is closer to the net, thus making it much harder to return before it lands.
Houou Gaeshi is first defeated by Masaharu Niou; like the Tsubame Gaeshi, the ball can be returned by hitting the ball before it touches the ground.
Kirin Otoshi (Kirin/Qilin Drop)
（キリン落とし）
The upgraded version of Higuma Otoshi (Bear Drop), Kirin Otoshi is one of the 3 upgraded techniques of the Triple Counter. The only visible difference from this technique is that Fuji uses two hands to repel Shiraishi's smash rather than the one handed Higuma Otoshi. In the OVA, it reaches the opponent's baseline much faster than Higuma Otoshi.
Kirin Otoshi is first defeated by Masaharu Niou, who uses Tezuka's form to return the ball by using the Tezuka Zone to make the ball enter his side rather than letting it go to his baseline.
Hakuryu (White Dragon)
（白竜）
The upgraded version of Hakugei (White Whale), Hakuryu is one of the 3 upgraded techniques of the Triple Counter revealed in his match against Kuranosuke Shiraishi in the Nationals. Unlike Hakugei, Hakuryu rises much higher into the sky. Instead of spinning backwards to Fuji, the ball will bounce towards the sides.
Hakuryu is first defeated by Masaharu Niou, who uses Tezuka's form and returns the ball by smashing it before it bounces.
Hecatoncheires no Monban (Gate Keeper of Hecatoncheires)
（へカトンケイルの門番）
Fuji's Fifth Counter (first stated to be his "Final Counter"), Hecatoncheires no Monban, is actually translated to "The Hundred Armed Giant", but this is a title from Greek Mythology, and thus kept with the name "Gate Keeper of Hecatoncheires". Using the reverse side of the racket, Fuji uses the slide of the oncoming ball over the gut and forcing a super spin to the ball. Then by instantaneously reversing his wrist and using the other side of the racket, he doubles the spin yet again. The way this Counter works is from the extreme underspin Fuji creates, forcing the ball being returned back to him being a topspin, and topspins have a faster sink, making the ball sink before it passes the net.
Kuranosuke Shiraishi manages to overcome the tremendous spin of the ball and breaks this Counter by creating a counter-spin on the ball just strong enough for the ball to go beyond the net.
Hoshi Hanabi (Star Fireworks)
(星花火)
Hoshi Hanabi is Fuji's Sixth Counter. He reveals it for the first time in manga chapter 363, during the Singles 2 match against Rikkai Dai's Masaharu Niou in the National Finals.
When the opponent hits a cord ball, Fuji responds by smashing the ball straight into the sky, sending it up into the air, out of anyone's field of vision. Due to a certain wind, the ball will then crash land at a very high speed, and with an irregular spin, it will bounce to the side. When first used, the ball bounced to the stadium seating. According to Sadaharu Inui, Hoshi Hanabi can be performed by Fuji because he can read the wind.
Since Hoshi Hanabi was used after Masaharu Niou returns the Hecatoncheires no Monban with a cord ball, this move is most likely a cord ball counter.
This move is almost exactly like the move "Meteor Drive" that Niou used in Inui's dream.
Serves
Disappearing Serve
Otherwise known as a "cut-serve", but because Fuji spins the ball as he drops it, the ball also disappears. While not as fast or powerful as most serves, many players are caught off guard by the way the ball abruptly "cuts" to the left (the returner's right) and in a sense "disappears".
Fuji first uses this move when he faces Jirou Akutagawa from Hyotei Gakuen.
Fuji also uses the Disappearing Serve during the National Semifinals, but it is broken by Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis.
Knuckle Serve (anime only)
This move is shown when Fuji is playing Akaya Kirihara from Rikkai Dai. Due to the fact Fuji is angry, he uses the Knuckle Serve to take revenge. This serve is more like the Twist Serve, but before the user throws the ball in the air, the user squeezes the ball first. Its direction can only be seen by the one who served it.
