Recently I’ve been addicted to this Japanese anime “Eye shield 21”. I was not interested about American football once but after following episodes of this anime, my interest gained and now I’m dreaming to be an American football player my self. Weird!!! Well here’s a little something about this anime…
Eye shield 21 is an exciting story of a boy named Sena Kobayakawa, a weak and sensitive boy who has a remarkable speed and intense agility, who became the fastest running back of American Football in Japan. He gained those abilities as a result of his school life spent complying with the demands of bullies. Sena enters the world of American football with his helmet and green-tinted eye-shield and known as “Eye Shield 21”, a light-speed fast running back from Notre Dame High.
At the beginning of the series, the club has only three members, Yoichi Hiruma, Musashi Takekura and Ryokan Kurita, who are joined by Sena Kobayakawa, codename “Eyeshield 21”. Over the course of the series, the Devil Bats acquire new members and gradually improve as they move toward their goal of playing in the Christmas Bowl, the high school American football championship of Japan.
The Deimon Devil Bats (Character Info)
Sakaki Doburoku
He was a coach to Hiruma, Musashi, and Kurita, and taught them how to play American football. Doburoku loves drinking sake; he has many different gourds, all of which look the same, but each contains a different kind of alcoholic beverage.
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- Position: Quarterback
- Jersey: 1
- 3rd Year Student (Grade 12)
The twisted and tactician quarterback of the Devil Bats, who is more complex than his devilish face and personality may suggest. He carries multiple firearms at all times and often pulls them out at random in order to threaten others in a comical flurry of bullets. Despite this front of a violent and dangerous hoodlum, Hiruma is a genius in maverick trick plays and mind games, both on and off the field.
Special Moves
- Devil Laser Bullet – A high speed pass Hiruma throws that resembles a laser.
- Wishbone – A play conducted by Hiruma where the offense all run forward and block, or pass, for whoever has the ball.
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Sena Kobayakawa a.k.a Eyeshield 21
- Position: Running Back
- Jersey: 21
- 1st Year Student
Initially a bullied gopher, his speed was discovered by Hiruma as he was literally forced into joining the football team at Deimon. While insecure and clumsy at heart, Sena matures over the course of the series as he soon grows to love the game he plays and becomes an accomplished football player through his own strength and the guidance of his friends and rivals. He has the ability to run the Speed of Light Pace at will.
Special Moves
- Speed of Light Pace – The ability to run 40 yards in 4.2 seconds.
- Super Speed of Light Pace – The ability to run 40 yards in 4.1 seconds.
- Devil bat Ghost – The ability to disillusion the opponent into thinking that he is in front of them.
- Multiple Ghost – Creating 3-5 multiple ghosts to confused several players.
- Devil bat Dive – Jumping over the opponent and then spinning down like a rocket into the end zone.
- Devil bat Hurricane – Spinning around an opponent when using the ‘Devil bat Ghost’.
- Devil bat Stun-Gun – Even without much arm strength, using his speed as power Sena can strike the enemy hard with his arms. Combos with Ghost on offense.
- Fourth Dimension Run – Running straight at the opponent and taking a step back at the last second.
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- Position: Center / Defensive Tackle/ Long snapper
- Jersey: 77
- 3rd Year Student
The largest and strongest player in the Deimon Devil Bats, Ryokan Kurita is a kind-hearted individual, and the only thing bigger than his body is his heart.When playing, Kurita shouts his kiai “Funnuraba!”(Here I come!) when exerting extra effort. His biggest dream is to compete in the Christmas Bowl.
Special Moves
- Kuri-Hammer – When he dives for a fumble, he crushes other players under him, which sometimes include fellow teammates.
- Zone Blitz – Taking advantage of Kid’s quick but predictable pass, when one lineman tries to sack him, he will silently move to the place of the designated receiver, effectively interfering with the pass thanks to his build.
- Kurita-Push/ Blast – After snapping the ball, Kurita serves as a blocking wall for Sena by charging five yards ahead and pushing any opposing blocker out of Sena’s path. This is also used for breaking through the defensive line of the Alexanders for two-point conversions, since no one on the opposing team can match Kurita’s drive and overall raw power.
- Belly-Bounce (anime only) – Utilized his mass and fat to create a variation of the Hip-explosion, breaking down the line by thrusting their bellies forward, sending the linemen flying.
- The Lonely Center – A trick play which has only Kurita defending in front of Hiruma while the other members of the Devil Bats are positioned to the left. However, this is also a risky tactic since the only one standing between the quarterback and the sacker is just one man, therefore, if the center failed, the quarterback will be totally defenseless.
- Four-Point Stance – By standing on all fours, including his arms, Kurita can focus all his strength to tackle his enemy. However, he cannot be the one to hike the ball because of this stance.
- Boxing Guard – Also known as a cover up in boxing terms, Kurita holds up his arms in front of his chest like a boxer. This allows him to take on the full-strength push from defender while getting inside his reach. Once inside, Kurita is able to use his weight and lower-body strength to push upward and force defender down.
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- Position: Wide Receiver Split end / Cornerback
- Jersey: 80
- 1st Year student
The primary wide receiver of the Deimon Devil Bats. Although he is short in stature, he has remarkable skill in catching. Monta was originally a member of the baseball team, where he was an effective fielder due to his intense focus on catching. However, he was cursed with terrible throwing abilities (to almost impossible degrees, sometimes), making him fail to be on even the backup lineup for the club. He is best known for always going into a pose after a catch while yelling “CATCH MAX!” He also adds “Max” to nearly anything he describes while excited or determined.
Special Moves
- Devil Back-Fire– When he’s ready to catch, he doesn’t look at the ball and catches backward.
- Devil Back-Fire Neo– Catches the ball he quickly hide it between his legs.
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The Ha-Ha Brothers
- Jersey: 51
- Known for his Techniques
- Jersey: 52
- Known for his Power
Three bullies initially bossed around Sena on their first day at Deimon. They joined the team because of Hiruma’s blackmailing. When they try to get back at them, they are unexpectedly recruited to become linemen for the football team, eventually sticking with the team to prove their toughness both to their superiors as well as to their opponents. They are notably poor and inexperienced at the game when they start out, but their eagerness to prove themselves makes them train vigorously and prove to be very capable linemen. Their nickname is from their weird habit of expression, with each one of the trio saying “Ha!?”, progressively louder in sequence.
Special Moves
- Screen Pass – They intentionally let their opponents break through the line,
then shift over to make two-on-one blocks on the other side of the line of scrimmage.
- Delinquent Death Blow – Also known as the Juvenile Deliquent Murder Method,
the Scumbag Scuffle and Rascal Killing.
- Sweeper – A method in which linemen form a protective barrier in front of Eyeshield,
thereby clearing a path for him in a diagonal direction.
After the Death March, they are able to clear a very wide passage for him to go through.
- Hip Explosion – Pushing out with their entire bodies, rather than just their arms.
By thrusting out their hips, they can deliver more force against opposing linemen.
- Ha Ha Triple Attack – A three-on-one tackle with each Ha Ha brother using their own strengths
as a means of gradually nullifying quick and sturdy opponents.
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Yukimitsu Manabu a.k.a The Ambusher
- Position: Wide Receiver/Special Teams
- Jersey: 16
- 2nd Year Student
Yukimitsu is the bench player of the Deimon Devil Bats. He has a big forehead with a prominent widow’s peak, which appears consistent with the first signs of male pattern baldness. Yukimitsu has a talent for memorizing plays and pass routes. He is the third member of the “Deimon’s Smart Trio”, with Mamori and Hiruma. He trains just as hard, if not harder, than everyone else.
Special Moves
- Option Route – Yukimitsu’s main skill lies in the ability to calculate the positions of the opposing team members and where they are going to run, in relation to where Hiruma can throw the ball, allowing him to instantly choose the place to receive the pass. His many years of studying allow him to make snap judgements as to which option to take.
- In-motion – Before the actual play begins, a player behind scrimmage can move anywhere as long as it is behind scrimmage. This was useful for trick play and confusing enemies.
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- Position: Offensive Guard/Defensive Tackle
- Jersey: 55
- 1st Year Student
Komusubi is one of the linemen of the Deimon Devil Bats. His given name of Daikichi means ‘Good Fortune.’ Though Daikichi is not very fast nor tall, but he makes up for it with his indomitable will and power.
Special Moves
- Trap Block – Komusubi ignores the person in front of him at the line of scrimmage, then tackles from the side, anyone who tries to sack Hiruma. Opponents have very little force to counter a side attack.
- Fast Start – Being smaller gives him a lower center of gravity, allowing Komusubi to get a flying head start than his opponent once the ball is snapped. He learned how to accomplish this feat by taking part in a Sumo competition.
- Rip Tackle – To deal with taller opponents, (which is almost all the time), Komusubi pushes upwards during the tackle, utilizing the insane amounts of arm strength he inherited from his father. This allows him to flip over larger adversaries.
- Extremely Low Altitude Devil Bat Dive – Combining his combination of his size and power, Komusubi attacks head on against an opponent in combination with Sena, who dives over them.
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- Position: Fullback / Cornerback
- Jersey: 30
- 2nd Year Student
Ishimaru is the Devil Bats’ second running back. Ishimaru was recruited from the track team by Sena who took over half of his paper route for him Like Yukimitsu, Ishimaru also grows out his hair, but no one seems to notice. He is referred to as the Stealth Running Back, Shadowless God Of Death, or just “plain” Ishimaru. He is such a pushover that he’s willing to go with anything that happens around him. His catchphrase is, “It’s alright.”
Special Moves
- Insubstantial: Due to Ishimaru’s lack of “presence” he can often make long runs or catch passes out of the backfield without the opposing team noticing until it’s too late.
- Rodeo Drive: In preparation for the Christmas Bowl, Ishimaru trained with Riku Kaitani of Seibu, learning his running style to improve on his own track-honed speed.
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- Position: Lineman
- Jersey: 54
- 1st Year Student
Omosadake is a chubby person who keeps his eyes shut all the time; he’s very lazy, to the point where even opening his own eyes feels tiring. The only thing that isn’t too troublesome for him is eating. he is revealed to have a weakness for mango pudding, which causes him to exert 100% effort. Naturally, this quickly makes him use up what little stamina he possesses.
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- Position: Tight End/Safety/Outside Linebacker/H-Back/quarterback
- Jersey: 37
- 1st year student
A man with an odd and rather foolish attitude, and is apparently quite oblivious to the silliness of his actions.
Special Moves
- Flexibility – Taki’s body is incredibly flexible, which allows him to bend and contort at extreme angles to make catches or blocks. It also helps him to makeshift his gravity point quickly.
- Power Off Tackle/ Gentle Prince Tackle – Basically it’s a one-man Sweeper using just Natsuhiko to open a smaller path for Eyeshield to run through. He can also do this with helps with other player,though.
- Prince Gentle Hurricane – Taki’s own variation of Sena’s Devil Bat Hurricane, he lifts up one of his legs and spins around with the football down the field.
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Gen “Musashi” Takekura a.k.a The 60-yard Magnum
- Position: Kicker/Linebacker/Punter
- Jersey: 11
- 2nd year student
The place kicker for the Devil Bats and one of the original three members of the team, along with Hiruma and Kurita. Musashi has an incredibly strong right leg which helps the Devil Bats on kickoffs, often pinning their opponents deep or forcing them to down the ball deep in their own territory, or in their end zone for a touchback. The title of the 60-yard Magnum was actually a lie fabricated by Hiruma, in order to make Musashi seem invincible.
Special Moves
- Onside Kick – Basically, Musashi kicks the ball at an angle and a shorter distance than usual in order for his teammates to try to regain possession of the ball.
- High-Altitude Kickoff – Due to his kicking ability, Musashi is able to launch the ball into the air to an unbelievable altitude. This causes the opposing team to fall back deep into their own territory. The longer the ball stays in the air, the more time the Devil Bats have to surround the enemy and pin them down near their own goal line.
- Hyper High-Altitude Kickoff – The true strength of Musashi’s kick, when he kicked the biggest kick-off in the entire season, with the ball landing near the goal line. The ball stopped near the goal line, luckily, because of the snow.
- 60 Yard Magnum – The legendary 60 yard field goal only achieved on the final play at the Christmas Bowl. The kick only just has the legs to dink off the crossbar twice, going through on the second bounce, gaining the 3 points that awarded the Devilbats the Championship.