Munehiro Kabaji | |
---|---|
Kanji |
樺地崇弘 |
Rōmaji |
Kabaji Munehiro |
Gender |
Male |
Age |
13 |
Height |
190 cm |
Weight |
85 kg |
Birthday |
January 3 |
Horoscope |
Capricorn |
Family |
Grandmother |
Junior High |
Hyotei Academy (2nd Year) |
Class |
2-B |
Seat |
9 |
Club Position |
Assisstant Treasurer |
Elementary School |
King's Primary School (England) |
Japan U-17 Camp |
Court 2 (Former) |
Dominant Arm |
Right |
Play Style |
Aggressive Baseliner |
Doubles Partner(s) | |
Manga Debut |
Genius 45 |
Movies | |
Voice Actor |
Satoshi Tsuruoka (Japanese) |
Munehiro Kabaji (樺地 崇弘, Kabaji Munehiro) is a powerful hitter with a pure mind much like a baby.
Background[]
Kabaji Is the stamina house of Hyōtei Academy. He is known for his great speed and adaptability. He rarely speaks and answers Atobe's questions with only a "usu" ("yes" or "yup").
Appearance[]
Kabaji is the perhaps the tallest member of the Hyotei tennis club. He has slightly dark skin compared to his teammates. He has black hair with small spikes. He, like Tezuka, usually puts on a stoic expression on his face.
Personality[]
Kabaji is a very quiet person and rarely speaks, usually responds to Atobe’s questions with “usu” (“yes”). He’s shown to be intelligent, as he’s able to attend Hyotei without causing problems to Atobe and uses distinct grunts, each with different meanings depending on the type of the shot, in his tennis shots that Inui Sadaharu comments as reasonable during Kabaji's match against Kawamura Takashi during the Regional tournament. He isn't phased by a lot of things, as shown by his lack of reaction to Kawamura's "Burning" mode. However, he is affected by things that exceed his level of reason, such as being attacked by a copied attack that's greater than his power or ability.
Kabaji is very loyal to Atobe, and by extension, Hyotei, as one of his few lines early in the story is “The winner will be Hyotei.” His loyalty to Atobe and Hyotei makes him reveal his more impulsive side, as he shouted out loud the previous “The winner will be Hyotei” quote during his match against Tezuka when he was coming back from 0-5. His passion for Atobe and Hyotei are one of the few things that actually phase Kabaji.
Kabaji is almost always seen together with his captain Keigo Atobe. Kabaji is also usually tasked with waking up the sleepy Jiro Akutagawa. His loyalty to Atobe can transcend logic and reason when Atobe was being crushed one-sidedly against the Mori/Ochi pair, he stepped in to return a shot aimed at Atobe, despite not being part of the match and being warned by other players to remain calm. This costed him his place in the U-17 camp and Atobe’s trust.
Also according to Atobe, Kabaji is actually quite delicate despite his looks and can actually be quite touched emotionally by many events. In Atobe's Gift, the party was meant for Kabaji in order to cheer him up because he can't bear the fact that his sister is going to marry. It was also meant for Kabaji's birthday (but right at the very end of the huge event Kabaji told Atobe that he got the day wrong).
History[]
Prefecturals[]
He makes his first appearance when Atobe tries to forcefully convince An Tachibana to date him. He partners Atobe in a doubles match against the Akira Kamio/Takeshi Momoshiro team who butts in to save Ann. Kabaji plays a 2 vs 1 match with Atobe just sitting on the court commanding Kabaji to strike balls. The match soon ends with Atobe deciding to call it a quits impressed by Momoshiro's determination in returning Kabaji's power shot.
Regionals[]
Hyotei is drawn against Seigaku in the Regional Tournament. Kabaji is placed in Singles 3 against Takashi Kawamura. Kabaji reveals is power play and overwhelms Kawamura. Kawamura counters with his Two-Handed Hadoukyū, which Kabaji copies. They then go into a duel using the one-handed Hadoukyu. Kabaji eventually drops his racket and forfeits due to exhaustion. However, Kawamura is also unable to continue, resulting in a draw.
Despite his efforts, Hyotei goes on to lose against Seigaku.
Nationals[]
Despite being knocked out early in the Kanto Regional Tournament, Hyotei is selected for the National Tournament due Tokyo hosting the event and being an extra spot. Hyotei defeats all their opponents until they again face Seigaku.
Kabaji is matched against Kunimitsu Tezuka in Singles 2. Kabaji is able to copy all of Tezuka's abilities. However, Tezuka gains the upper hand when it begins to rain, showing superior mastery over his technique than Kabaji, resulting in Kabaji's defeat. Hyotei later loses against Seigaku and is eliminated from the tournament.
U-17 Camp[]
Kabaji and his other Hyoutei teammates participate in the U-17 camp. He is eliminated during the tie-breaker match and is sent to the mountains to train with the drunken coach along the other middle school losers.
Kabaji is instructed by Masaharu Niou, who creates an illusion of himself to be Atobe, to carry Momoshiro up the mountain they had to climb.
Later he returns to the main camp as a Revolutionary Brigade member with a black jersey. He shares a room with Niou, who named their space 'Niou Kingdom' (a pun on Atobe Kingdom).
Kabaji teams up with Kawamura to defeat the 1st stringers in a Foreign Expedition Group Challenge, where they won and received badges of the representatives.
Tennis Record[]
The following is of Kabaji's known official matches:
Tournament | Round | School | Position | Opponent(s) | Score |
2008 Tokyo Prefectual | Quarterfinals | St.Rudolph | Doubles 2 | Atsushi Kisarazu-Yanagisawa Shinya | Won (6-4) |
2008 Nationals | Quarterfinals | Seigaku | Singles 2 | Tezuka Kunimitsu | Lost (6-7) |
2008 Kantō Regionals | Round 1 | Seigaku | Singles 3 | Takashi Kawamura | No Game (2-2) |
Playing Style and Techniques[]
Kabaji is primarily an Aggressive Baseliner with power on par with Kawamura Takashi (even significantly surpassing him during the Kanto arc). His mental strength is also quite formidable, as he didn’t even flinch or react to Kawamura’s “Burning Mode” personality. Despite his huge body, he can cover the court quite well (as he was able to cover a whole Doubles baseline by himself against Kamio and Momo) and it’s shown that he has a delicate touch, being able to use drop shots and lobs effectively.
Yet despite all this, his greatest strength lies in his ability to copy an opponent’s technique that’s used against him. Due to his simple-mindedness, he can instantly and perfectly copy an opponent’s technique once seeing it, but by the time the match is over, he will forget the technique. As a result, during the match, any techniques the opponent is using will be used by Kabaji.
However, his own copying ability is also his biggest weakness, physically and mentally. The first time when a shot of the same type was returned to him with double the power, he was unable to believe it and was left paralyzed until Atobe shouted at him. He cannot copy the physique and experience of the person using the technique, which was shown to be a strength and weakness (as his Hadokyu was stronger than Kawamura’s but he was left unaware of its risks).
Due to Kabaji's simple-mindedness, he is able to copy an opponent's play style, form, and mannerism by observing it just once. Kabaji's eyes shift sideways when he understands an opponent's technique, and from that point on Kabaji starts using the opponent's technique. This state of mind has allowed Kabaji to copy even the most intricate of techniques including the Zero Shiki Drop and Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami. This technique, however, does not overlap into future matches Kabaji might have. Kabaji "forgets" the techniques he copied when the match is over. Kabaji's Super Copy is also limited to due to his physique, as demonstrated when his attempt to Super Copy Jirou's Magic Volley fell short, lacking Jirou's 'god-given flexible wrists'.
U-17 Camp Stats[]
- Speed: 1
- Technique: 3
- Mental: 4
- Stamina: 3
- Power: 5
Personal Information[1][]
- Commitee: student council
- Worst school subject: modern literature/art
- Most frequented spot in school: Atobe's class
- Spends his allowance on: nothing in particular
- Motto: 一寸の虫にも五分の魂・・・です (even a tiny insect has half a soul, meaning you should be considerate to the weak.)
- Favorite Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Favorite Book: 跡部からもらった絵本 (a picture book from Atobe)
- Favorite Music: 波の音 (the sound of waves)
- Favorite date spot: the sea (the harbor)
- Most desired/needed item: nothing in particular
- Daily routine: arranging all the shoes at the (place where you take off your shoes as you enter a Japanese house
- Dislikes:「面白い事を言え」と言われる事 (being told to say something interesting?)
- Special non-tennis skill: アイロンがけ (doing the ironing)、パッチワーク (the second one means "patchwork")
Tennis Bag Content[1][]
- Mobile phone
He has it because Atobe told him to. He gets contacted by Atobe with it, and doesn't use it otherwise, unless in an emergency. - Huge eraser
He bought this which was the size of his palm. He cuts and shares it with people who forgets their erasers, so it's become much smaller. - Simple sewing set
He has it with him because the club uniform might fray. He's the best at sewing in the club. - Letters to Atobe
He gets asked to take letters to Atobe, who is famous both in and outside of school. Usually he gets asked by girls from other schools. He gives them to Atobe after school. - Water in a bottle (see this)
Mineral water from Italy, recommended by Atobe. It's enriched with oxygen and said to improve sport performance. When he's finished drinking it, the bottle is used for bottle ships.
Etymology[]
- The name Munehiro means "esteem, honor, venerate" (崇) (mune) and "vast, broad, wide" (弘) (hiro).
- Munehiro's surname Kabaji means "birch" (樺) (kaba) and "earth, land" (地) (chi/ji).
Trivia[]
Character Trivia[]
- In the U-17 camp, Kabaji said himself that since he was separated from Atobe in the losers group, being with Niou was enjoyable.[2]
- While in England, Atobe and Kabaji were in the same grade level due to the UK's education birthday cut off being September 1.
Quotes[]
- "Yes." ("Usu.")
- "The winner will be Hyotei." ("Katsu no wa Hyotei desu.")
- (When using an approach shot) "Iii!"
- (When using Hadokyu) "Bau!"
- (When using a drop shot or Feint Drop Volley) "Fu!"
- (When using a lob) "Hou!"
- (When using a passing shot) "Ha!"