TV-Series
Description
Kanaze Aoba is an eighteen-year-old student who attends the Setouchi Keijo Training School, having originally come from Hiroshima Prefecture. She is of small stature, standing at 158 centimeters, and her most distinguishing physical feature is her long hair, which she keeps tied in a high ponytail. She is almost always seen wearing a striped scarf, regardless of the season.
In terms of personality, Kanaze is initially very quiet, shy, and diffident, finding it difficult to speak with others and often keeping to herself, frequently reading Keijo magazines alone. This reserved nature leads her to rely on her sister for advice when she encounters difficulties or uncertainty. Her emotional state is often reflected in the subtle movements of her ponytail, a trait that her friend Nozomi Kaminashi learns to read as a form of non-verbal communication. When she becomes upset or angered, her typically quiet tone changes and becomes rougher, sometimes slipping into the Hiroshima dialect.
Through her interactions and growing friendship with Nozomi Kaminashi, as well as her other roommates, Kanaze begins to gain confidence and slowly opens up, becoming more expressive and slightly more energetic in her reactions. The impetus for much of her personal development comes from her struggle to overcome her own shyness, with encouragement from friends and her coach helping her push past moments of self-doubt.
Kanaze plays a significant role as a strategic asset to her team. Her primary ability is called Scanning Hand, which gives her right hand a heightened sensitivity that allows her to sense things like wind, an opponent's constitution, and their unique abilities simply by touching them. More powerfully, she can copy, remember, and understand Keijo techniques from any rear she touches, a skill she refers to as Hip of Babylon. By using this ability, she is able to make other people's techniques her own regardless of their style, and she claims to have touched the entire Setouchi student body and even her teacher. Beyond her copying ability, Kanaze is a talented out-fighter known for her impressive speed and excellent spatial awareness, which makes her an adept strategist and team leader during competitions. She eventually develops her own original techniques, such as the Butt Spear, which she creates by studying the movements of animals.
She is first seen living in Room 309 alongside Non Toyoguchi, where she is later joined by Nozomi Kaminashi and Sayaka Miyata. Her relationship with Nozomi is central to her development, as Nozomi persistently attempts to draw her out and relies on her abilities, famously learning to read Kanaze's thoughts by watching her ponytail. She also forms strong bonds with her other teammates, including Mio Kusakai and Non Toyoguchi, who support her during moments of crisis.
Over the course of the story, Kanaze transitions from a quiet, insecure student in the general class to a member of the Elite Class. She faces powerful opponents like Mio Kusakai and Sanae Hououin, experiencing both defeat and growth through these challenges. After graduating from the training school, she becomes a professional Keijo player, starting at B-Rank and eventually advancing to A-Rank. Her growth culminates in a championship victory at the Butt Grand Festival, where she defeats Mio Kusakai in the finals, making her a top contender for the next Prize Queen and a sought-after mentor for younger students.
In terms of personality, Kanaze is initially very quiet, shy, and diffident, finding it difficult to speak with others and often keeping to herself, frequently reading Keijo magazines alone. This reserved nature leads her to rely on her sister for advice when she encounters difficulties or uncertainty. Her emotional state is often reflected in the subtle movements of her ponytail, a trait that her friend Nozomi Kaminashi learns to read as a form of non-verbal communication. When she becomes upset or angered, her typically quiet tone changes and becomes rougher, sometimes slipping into the Hiroshima dialect.
Through her interactions and growing friendship with Nozomi Kaminashi, as well as her other roommates, Kanaze begins to gain confidence and slowly opens up, becoming more expressive and slightly more energetic in her reactions. The impetus for much of her personal development comes from her struggle to overcome her own shyness, with encouragement from friends and her coach helping her push past moments of self-doubt.
Kanaze plays a significant role as a strategic asset to her team. Her primary ability is called Scanning Hand, which gives her right hand a heightened sensitivity that allows her to sense things like wind, an opponent's constitution, and their unique abilities simply by touching them. More powerfully, she can copy, remember, and understand Keijo techniques from any rear she touches, a skill she refers to as Hip of Babylon. By using this ability, she is able to make other people's techniques her own regardless of their style, and she claims to have touched the entire Setouchi student body and even her teacher. Beyond her copying ability, Kanaze is a talented out-fighter known for her impressive speed and excellent spatial awareness, which makes her an adept strategist and team leader during competitions. She eventually develops her own original techniques, such as the Butt Spear, which she creates by studying the movements of animals.
She is first seen living in Room 309 alongside Non Toyoguchi, where she is later joined by Nozomi Kaminashi and Sayaka Miyata. Her relationship with Nozomi is central to her development, as Nozomi persistently attempts to draw her out and relies on her abilities, famously learning to read Kanaze's thoughts by watching her ponytail. She also forms strong bonds with her other teammates, including Mio Kusakai and Non Toyoguchi, who support her during moments of crisis.
Over the course of the story, Kanaze transitions from a quiet, insecure student in the general class to a member of the Elite Class. She faces powerful opponents like Mio Kusakai and Sanae Hououin, experiencing both defeat and growth through these challenges. After graduating from the training school, she becomes a professional Keijo player, starting at B-Rank and eventually advancing to A-Rank. Her growth culminates in a championship victory at the Butt Grand Festival, where she defeats Mio Kusakai in the finals, making her a top contender for the next Prize Queen and a sought-after mentor for younger students.