TV-Series
Description
Ayano Sadatō is a central supporting character in the story, primarily known as a member of the JS Research Institute, a shogi study group for young girls. She is a nine-year-old girl from Kyoto who wears glasses and carries herself with the demeanor of a proper young lady. Her birthday is December 3rd, and her blood type is O. Among her personal tastes, she enjoys watermelon and her special skills include calligraphy and playing the harp.
Personality wise, Ayano is noted for having the most straightforward and honest character among her peers. Despite her ladylike and refined exterior, she is unmistakably still a child at heart. This dichotomy is often revealed in small moments, such as when she tries to hide her delight after being praised or when she mentions that eating watermelon causes her to wet the bed at night. Her demeanor can be serious and focused, particularly when it comes to shogi, but she is also emotionally vulnerable, openly expressing frustration or sadness in moments of defeat.
Ayano's central motivation is her passion for shogi and her deep respect for those she admires within the professional shogi world. She is a member of the Training Institute, the official apprenticeship league for aspiring professional shogi players, where she holds the rank of F1 at the start of the series. While not on the same immediate prodigy level as some other characters, her talent is consistently praised. Yaichi Kuzuryū, the series protagonist, evaluates her as having considerable natural ability. Her capabilities are demonstrated when she visits Mitsuru Oishi's shogi dojo and defeats all the adult amateur players there, marking her as a promising candidate for a future women's professional title.
In the story's structure, Ayano serves as a key member of the JS Research Institute alongside Ai Hinatsuru, Mio Mizukoshi, and Charlotte Isoir. She often acts as the strategist or staff member for the group. Her role in the narrative is that of a close friend and rival to the other young prodigies. Early on, she was Ai Hinatsuru's first opponent when Ai joined the Training Institute, a match she lost decisively. This event cemented their dynamic as friends and shogi rivals.
Her key relationships are central to her development. She shares a very close friendship with Ai Hinatsuru and Mio Mizukoshi. She is also a dedicated student of the shogi master Taisei Kayaoku, which makes her a training sister or lion sister to other female shogi professionals like Machi Kugui and Sakura Akashina. Ayano holds immense respect and admiration for Machi Kugui, cheering for her desperately during important title matches. Her relationship with her teacher, Yaichi Kuzuryū, is also significant, as she respects his authority and seeks his approval, even turning to him for comfort by crying into his chest after a painful tournament loss.
Throughout the story, Ayano experiences notable development, primarily through competition and navigating her friendships. In volume ten, she participates in the Naniwa Kings Tournament, a major competition. She performs well, advancing through the preliminaries and reaching the semifinals of the main tournament. Her run ends with a loss to Maria Kannabe, the winner of that year's elementary school championship. This defeat is a bitter but formative experience, as she was aware that a win would have led to a match against her friend Mio. In later volumes, she continues to support her friends from the sidelines, such as when she travels to Hakone with Charlotte in volume sixteen to write a review of Ai Hinatsuru's Women's Meijin title match. On this occasion, she expresses frustration that their busy teacher, Yaichi, could not attend such an important event, showing her loyalty and her evolving understanding of the professional shogi world's demands.
In terms of notable abilities, beyond her shogi skill, Ayano's playing style is distinctly characterized as a pure Molehisha player, meaning she specializes in a specific static rook opening strategy, as opposed to friends who favor the ranging rook strategy. Her off-the-board abilities include her proficiency in calligraphy and the traditional Korean harp, the komungo, which align with her refined and disciplined personality. She has green eyes and black hair that falls to her chest.
Personality wise, Ayano is noted for having the most straightforward and honest character among her peers. Despite her ladylike and refined exterior, she is unmistakably still a child at heart. This dichotomy is often revealed in small moments, such as when she tries to hide her delight after being praised or when she mentions that eating watermelon causes her to wet the bed at night. Her demeanor can be serious and focused, particularly when it comes to shogi, but she is also emotionally vulnerable, openly expressing frustration or sadness in moments of defeat.
Ayano's central motivation is her passion for shogi and her deep respect for those she admires within the professional shogi world. She is a member of the Training Institute, the official apprenticeship league for aspiring professional shogi players, where she holds the rank of F1 at the start of the series. While not on the same immediate prodigy level as some other characters, her talent is consistently praised. Yaichi Kuzuryū, the series protagonist, evaluates her as having considerable natural ability. Her capabilities are demonstrated when she visits Mitsuru Oishi's shogi dojo and defeats all the adult amateur players there, marking her as a promising candidate for a future women's professional title.
In the story's structure, Ayano serves as a key member of the JS Research Institute alongside Ai Hinatsuru, Mio Mizukoshi, and Charlotte Isoir. She often acts as the strategist or staff member for the group. Her role in the narrative is that of a close friend and rival to the other young prodigies. Early on, she was Ai Hinatsuru's first opponent when Ai joined the Training Institute, a match she lost decisively. This event cemented their dynamic as friends and shogi rivals.
Her key relationships are central to her development. She shares a very close friendship with Ai Hinatsuru and Mio Mizukoshi. She is also a dedicated student of the shogi master Taisei Kayaoku, which makes her a training sister or lion sister to other female shogi professionals like Machi Kugui and Sakura Akashina. Ayano holds immense respect and admiration for Machi Kugui, cheering for her desperately during important title matches. Her relationship with her teacher, Yaichi Kuzuryū, is also significant, as she respects his authority and seeks his approval, even turning to him for comfort by crying into his chest after a painful tournament loss.
Throughout the story, Ayano experiences notable development, primarily through competition and navigating her friendships. In volume ten, she participates in the Naniwa Kings Tournament, a major competition. She performs well, advancing through the preliminaries and reaching the semifinals of the main tournament. Her run ends with a loss to Maria Kannabe, the winner of that year's elementary school championship. This defeat is a bitter but formative experience, as she was aware that a win would have led to a match against her friend Mio. In later volumes, she continues to support her friends from the sidelines, such as when she travels to Hakone with Charlotte in volume sixteen to write a review of Ai Hinatsuru's Women's Meijin title match. On this occasion, she expresses frustration that their busy teacher, Yaichi, could not attend such an important event, showing her loyalty and her evolving understanding of the professional shogi world's demands.
In terms of notable abilities, beyond her shogi skill, Ayano's playing style is distinctly characterized as a pure Molehisha player, meaning she specializes in a specific static rook opening strategy, as opposed to friends who favor the ranging rook strategy. Her off-the-board abilities include her proficiency in calligraphy and the traditional Korean harp, the komungo, which align with her refined and disciplined personality. She has green eyes and black hair that falls to her chest.