TV-Series
Description
Akihira Kanō is a sumo wrestler introduced during the high school competition arc, attending Tottori Hakurou High School as part of its sumo club. Standing 189 cm tall and weighing 114 kg, he possesses a muscular build, blonde straightened hair, and black eyes. During matches, he wears Tottori Hakurou's dark blue mawashi with a single light green stripe on the left side. He uses glasses outside the ring but switches to soft contact lenses for competition.
Outwardly dismissive of sumo, he harbors intense internal drive fueled by resentment. He avoids interviews and public discussions, stemming from witnessing promising wrestlers' careers end without top honors—including his father’s failure to reach yokozuna. His deep frustration arises from consistently being overshadowed by Shido Tennōji, never acknowledged as a "National Treasure" or tournament favorite, leading to dangerously reckless match behavior.
He employs a counter-attacking style, adopting a half-stance that allows him to grab opponents' mawashi with one hand while maintaining height for feinting charges and creating throwing opportunities. This stance exposes his chest to rapid strikes, a vulnerability exploited by flash-attack specialists like Chihiro Kunisaki and Tenma Hikage. His ring name and epithet is "Ookanehira" (大包平).
Post-high school, he joins Asahigawa Stable and reaches the top makuuchi division. Years later during the September tournament, he participates in a training camp organized by Japanese wrestlers aiming to defeat Mongolian yokozuna Jin'ou. After Jin'ou secures his 44th championship and hints at retirement, Kanō faces him in a playoff—prompted when a mono-ii (video review) initiated by Tennōji overturns Jin'ou’s initial bout result against Sōsuke Kuze. Kanō loses the playoff, and the tournament concludes with Hinomaru Ushio defeating Jin'ou.
Beyond sumo, he enjoys swimming and cooking. After losses, he often prepares large batches of double-fried chicken (karaage), experimenting with new flavors. He strongly dislikes anyone taking pieces before the second frying—a rule even Jin'ou ignores, provoking comical reactions.
Outwardly dismissive of sumo, he harbors intense internal drive fueled by resentment. He avoids interviews and public discussions, stemming from witnessing promising wrestlers' careers end without top honors—including his father’s failure to reach yokozuna. His deep frustration arises from consistently being overshadowed by Shido Tennōji, never acknowledged as a "National Treasure" or tournament favorite, leading to dangerously reckless match behavior.
He employs a counter-attacking style, adopting a half-stance that allows him to grab opponents' mawashi with one hand while maintaining height for feinting charges and creating throwing opportunities. This stance exposes his chest to rapid strikes, a vulnerability exploited by flash-attack specialists like Chihiro Kunisaki and Tenma Hikage. His ring name and epithet is "Ookanehira" (大包平).
Post-high school, he joins Asahigawa Stable and reaches the top makuuchi division. Years later during the September tournament, he participates in a training camp organized by Japanese wrestlers aiming to defeat Mongolian yokozuna Jin'ou. After Jin'ou secures his 44th championship and hints at retirement, Kanō faces him in a playoff—prompted when a mono-ii (video review) initiated by Tennōji overturns Jin'ou’s initial bout result against Sōsuke Kuze. Kanō loses the playoff, and the tournament concludes with Hinomaru Ushio defeating Jin'ou.
Beyond sumo, he enjoys swimming and cooking. After losses, he often prepares large batches of double-fried chicken (karaage), experimenting with new flavors. He strongly dislikes anyone taking pieces before the second frying—a rule even Jin'ou ignores, provoking comical reactions.