TV-Series
Description
Tarou Raimon, better known by the nickname Monta, is a first-year student at Deimon High School and the primary wide receiver of the Deimon Devil Bats American football team. He is a relatively short teenager with short, spiky dark hair, thick eyebrows, prominent large ears, and a bandage across the bridge of his nose. His facial features and proportions, including long arms and large hands, give him a distinctly simian appearance that becomes a recurring joke throughout the series.
Before joining the football team, Raimon was a baseball player. He idolized Masaru Honjo, an outfielder for the Shuei Bears professional team, and dreamed of becoming a player like him. He spent years practicing catching almost exclusively, which gave him extraordinary hands and a sharp instinct for tracking balls, but his throwing was so inaccurate that he was relegated to the third team. After Sena Kobayakawa noticed his catching talent and tried to recruit him, Raimon initially refused. He only joined the Devil Bats after quarterback Yoichi Hiruma deceived him into believing the team needed someone to protect manager Mamori Anezaki from the selfish running back known as Eyeshield 21. Once he joined, he resolved to become a hero through American football.
The nickname Monta came from Sena misreading his name, but Raimon embraced it after Hiruma claimed it was derived from Joe Montana, a name he does not realize belongs to a quarterback. His personality is loud, passionate, and relentlessly optimistic. He believes in giving full effort in everything and expresses this by adding the word Max to countless phrases, such as shouting Catch Max after completing a spectacular reception, which he often follows with a signature posing routine. Despite his excitable and sometimes clumsy nature, he has a strong sense of pride in his catching ability and a stubborn will that refuses to surrender in difficult situations. He is also known for his poor throwing and kicking, which rarely go where he intends, and occasionally for his awkward way with words.
Within the team, Raimon fills the crucial role of the Devil Bats' receiver, giving the offense a dependable passing target for Hiruma's powerful throws. His catching ability, developed through years of baseball practice, allows him to make acrobatic catches in difficult positions and even secure Hiruma's bullet passes with one hand. As the story progresses, his instincts and technique sharpen considerably through training and competition. He refines his ability to predict where the ball will be, learns to battle defenders for contested catches, and eventually masters a technique that lets him catch passes without looking at the ball while running at full speed, a skill that becomes decisive in major matches. He also plays on defense as a cornerback, and his contributions give his team new strategic options in the passing game.
Raimon's strongest bond is with Sena Kobayakawa, who first recognized his talent and invited him to the team. The two become close friends and reliable partners, and Raimon was the first to identify Sena's secret identity as Eyeshield 21. He frequently delivers passionate motivational speeches that help Sena recover when the team faces overwhelming odds. His relationship with Hiruma is built on Hiruma's ruthless manipulation and high expectations; Hiruma tricked him into joining, yet relies on Raimon's receiving skills and trains him hard. Raimon also carries an unrequited crush on Mamori Anezaki, whose attention he constantly tries to win, usually without success. His growth as a receiver is repeatedly tested against rival wide receivers, including the prodigy Ikkyu Hosokawa of Shinryuji Naga and the tall, athletic Haruto Sakuraba of the Seijuu White Knights, and these matchups push him to reach higher levels of play.
Over the course of the series, Raimon develops from a frustrated baseball reject into a formidable receiver. He combines extraordinary catching hands, leaping ability, and a fearless attitude under pressure, and his refusal to give up often sparks the Devil Bats' comebacks. After the events of the story, he continues his football career alongside Sena at Enma University.
Before joining the football team, Raimon was a baseball player. He idolized Masaru Honjo, an outfielder for the Shuei Bears professional team, and dreamed of becoming a player like him. He spent years practicing catching almost exclusively, which gave him extraordinary hands and a sharp instinct for tracking balls, but his throwing was so inaccurate that he was relegated to the third team. After Sena Kobayakawa noticed his catching talent and tried to recruit him, Raimon initially refused. He only joined the Devil Bats after quarterback Yoichi Hiruma deceived him into believing the team needed someone to protect manager Mamori Anezaki from the selfish running back known as Eyeshield 21. Once he joined, he resolved to become a hero through American football.
The nickname Monta came from Sena misreading his name, but Raimon embraced it after Hiruma claimed it was derived from Joe Montana, a name he does not realize belongs to a quarterback. His personality is loud, passionate, and relentlessly optimistic. He believes in giving full effort in everything and expresses this by adding the word Max to countless phrases, such as shouting Catch Max after completing a spectacular reception, which he often follows with a signature posing routine. Despite his excitable and sometimes clumsy nature, he has a strong sense of pride in his catching ability and a stubborn will that refuses to surrender in difficult situations. He is also known for his poor throwing and kicking, which rarely go where he intends, and occasionally for his awkward way with words.
Within the team, Raimon fills the crucial role of the Devil Bats' receiver, giving the offense a dependable passing target for Hiruma's powerful throws. His catching ability, developed through years of baseball practice, allows him to make acrobatic catches in difficult positions and even secure Hiruma's bullet passes with one hand. As the story progresses, his instincts and technique sharpen considerably through training and competition. He refines his ability to predict where the ball will be, learns to battle defenders for contested catches, and eventually masters a technique that lets him catch passes without looking at the ball while running at full speed, a skill that becomes decisive in major matches. He also plays on defense as a cornerback, and his contributions give his team new strategic options in the passing game.
Raimon's strongest bond is with Sena Kobayakawa, who first recognized his talent and invited him to the team. The two become close friends and reliable partners, and Raimon was the first to identify Sena's secret identity as Eyeshield 21. He frequently delivers passionate motivational speeches that help Sena recover when the team faces overwhelming odds. His relationship with Hiruma is built on Hiruma's ruthless manipulation and high expectations; Hiruma tricked him into joining, yet relies on Raimon's receiving skills and trains him hard. Raimon also carries an unrequited crush on Mamori Anezaki, whose attention he constantly tries to win, usually without success. His growth as a receiver is repeatedly tested against rival wide receivers, including the prodigy Ikkyu Hosokawa of Shinryuji Naga and the tall, athletic Haruto Sakuraba of the Seijuu White Knights, and these matchups push him to reach higher levels of play.
Over the course of the series, Raimon develops from a frustrated baseball reject into a formidable receiver. He combines extraordinary catching hands, leaping ability, and a fearless attitude under pressure, and his refusal to give up often sparks the Devil Bats' comebacks. After the events of the story, he continues his football career alongside Sena at Enma University.