Tenipuri episodes 7-9

[prillalar]

A lot of Inui today, some Kaidoh, some Tezuka. And of course Ryoma. As well as the tenipuri episodes tag, I've added a Tenipuri Episodes category to my memories.

A question first: Why is "Ryoma" always written in katakana? Obviously it's a Japanese name (and meant to remind us of the samurai connection). Why no kanji? Did his parents just not pick any? This has long puzzled me.



7. Two Ryomas

In this episode, Kaidoh scares Tomoka. It's funny.

And it's on to Ryoma versus Inui.

So, as before with Kaidoh, why Inui? I think it's because Inui's data tennis will reveal a lot about Ryoma, just from how Inui plays. And to see how Ryoma will deal with it. I don't think Tezuka anticipated that one of Kaidoh and Inui would lose their regular spot.

Side note: If Tezuka asked Inui for Ryoma's data, would Inui hand it over? (And would the answer depend on whether or not Inui has a crush on Tezuka? *g*)

[ much fangirling over Inui deleted ]

Ryoma isn't quite as cheeky with Inui as with Kaidoh. He must know that it won't irk Inui. And Inui is a little, well, I don't want to say that Ryoma is intimidated, because clearly he's not, but Inui does have a tall and unnerving presence.

Tezuka doesn't make an appearance here, sadly. Fuji is watching, though, and he tells the first-year trio that Inui has beaten Kaidoh three times before.

And that's about it.



8. Split Step

Ryoma taunts Inui by telling him exactly where he's hitting the ball. For some strange reason, Inui stands there and lets the ball hit the frame of his racquet. Perhaps he has been hypnotized somehow. Kaidoh watches open-mouthed.

Ryoma says he had planned to save his split-step for Nationals. It's interesting that he thinks he'll make it all that way without having to go full-out. He soon learns differently. But not today.

This episode is really about the destruction of Inui's confidence. Necessary, but painful to watch. But it's good for Inui in the end.

I always thought that data tennis was weak. It depends so much on being able to observe your opponent outside your own game with him, so against an unknown opponent, you're very vulnerable, as we see later on. It wasn't until much, much later that I gained respect for Inui's tennis. (As opposed to Inui himself; I respected him all along.)



9. The Hard Day

Inui seems so shocked by Ryoma. He clearly wasn't expecting to have his data tennis broken like this. But Ryoma's snarkiness amuses him, which I like. I'm sad Inui lost, but as noted above, it's necessary for his future development.

Kaidoh is super glare-y at Ryoma whenever they meet. Clearly, he's mightily pissed off about his own loss and wants to smack Ryoma down. I can't blame him.

So sad we don't get to see the Inui-Kaidoh match in all its glory. Someone -- Inoue? -- reiterates the 3-0 match record for Inui. But it's Kaidoh who wins and I so love that last shot where Inui hits the ball into the net and then the focus shifts to Kaidoh who has his hand in his pocket. So easy, he seems to say.

The game is 7-5 so it's not actually easy for either of them. But Inui must have made assumptions about Kaidoh's play instead of actually observing him. (He should have got Kachiro's tape!) And Kaidoh is, of course, still very angry at losing to Ryoma. He's got to prove himself in a way that Inui doesn't seem to feel. Not to mention, if Kaidoh loses to Inui, he's losing to the guy that lost to Ryoma and that kicks Kaidoh really far down the ladder of losing.

Inui is less concerned with how others perceive him -- he has specific goals and that's what he's working towards. Public opinion doesn't seem to matter. Kaidoh, though, is very invested in how he's seen. (Which is why he gets tortured so much by all and sundry, including me. Sorry, sweetie!)

I don't subscribe to the theory that Inui lost to Kaidoh on purpose. He hates to lose, just like the rest of them, and he knows that real match experience will improve his skills better than just practice. And he's 15, or I think still 14 at this point. He's not going to be that altruistic.

But Inui is much more philosophical about his loss than Kaidoh was. Inui seems to gain more passion as the series goes on; he's rather phlegmatic at this point. And he's glad that Seigaku will be stronger for it.

All the first years chase Ryoma around everywhere, even though Ryoma ignores them. Ah, that charisma again! I bet he secretly enjoys the adulation.

I really like Coach Inui. Frankly, this is where his strength lies. He's a great player, at least later on, but he's an awesome coach from day one. Do you think he asked Ryuzaki-sensei to let him coach or did she ask him first? I'm inclined to think she asked him. She seems to know what each of them need to improve themselves.

This is the first appearance of one of my most-hated story elements: Inui Juice. It's not unreasonable that Inui would like to concoct various health-drinks, but it's all very inconsistent. Sometimes, it seems like he makes them just for health reasons and is all surprised when people dislike them.

Other times, it's deliberately for motivation and punishment. Not to mention the exaggerated effect they have on people. I just can't quite stretch my disbelief to everyone passing out from them all the time, even in crack episodes. And then he's allowed to continue giving them to the players!

I hate having to write about it too and sometimes I ignore it, but really, you can't write about Inui and not write about the juice. Bah.

Okay, said my piece there. Lovely shiny glasses Inui moment, though.

It seems like this is the first public appearance of the juice at Seigaku as well, though later episodes seem to indicate Inui has been making it all along. I suppose he's never been in a position to hand it out like this before.

I love how Inui teases Tezuka about needing to smile more. Not many people will tease Tezuka, but Inui never seems intimidated by him (except perhaps when they actually play).

Ryuzaki-sensei talks to Tezuka about his rehabilitation, suggesting he take it easy. No, he says, his only concern is the team and the tournaments. Our first hint that something is wrong with Tezuka and our first intimation of how dedicated he is to the team, over and above his own well-being.

Comments

[codyne]

I know nothing of Ryoma in particular, but some Japanese given names are written in katakana, some in hiragana, some in kanji -- just because that's the way the parents (or the writer, in the case of fictional characters) decided to write them. Lots of Japanese given names are completely made up -- there are some standard names, but many times people will just choose syllables they think sound good together, then write them whatever way they think looks nice. Katakana has a punchy, modern feel, so that may be what they're going for when they write names in katakana.

[prillalar]

Interesting! Thanks for the info.

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

Speaking of names, Konomi-sensei (like many mangaka) likes to play around by giving his characters cracktastic names. The "kiku" kanji in Kikumaru means "chrysanthemum"; "tachibana" is a citrus fruit native to Japan (http://www.quarryhillbg.org/Photos/PhotoGallery/Highlights/1989.362.htm); the "momo" in Momoshiro means "peach", which induces much hilarity when everyone calls him "Momo", let alone when he tells the first years to call him "Momo-chan-senpai".

As for Tezuka's first name "Kunimitsu"...who the hell gives their kid a name whose alternate reading means "the glory of the nation" and is also a type of apple? (I have this theory that Tezuka developed his stone-face in response to merciless teasing by his peers in early childhood.) At least the kanji in Fuji's name just mean "peerless" or "second to none" even if the pronunciation is shared by an apple.

Sensei seems to like them fruity.

[prillalar]

Oh, very interesting! I knew about Momo, but that's the only one. (He even has that peach keychain at one point.)

And I shall have to ponder your Tezuka theory.

[biggersandwich.livejournal.com]

Re Inui Juice: I'd be willing to believe that, while they're all technically healthy, some of them are actually only for that purpose whereas others are for looking disturbing and tasting awful. That would explain at least part of it. (Although I've always wondered if it was the first public appearance because, although it might just be a bad translation, when he makes Eiji drink the first time Eiji is suspicious and Inui says something like "Don't worry. I've adjusted the taste." and to me that implies that he's had it already as to say adjusted implies that there was a baseline to work from, they already know about the taste.)

And I think that, if asked for anyone's data, Inui would either simply give the really obvious stuff (ie: play style, height and all the stuff in the character bios) or a bunch of random statistics that won't really mean anything to anyone else.

[prillalar]

Hmm, good point about the taste thing. It's hard to tell, though, if that's what the line really implies, since it's the sub.

[mitethe.livejournal.com]

In that scene, Inui tells Kikumaru not worry because it's just food, and then he says: 味も調整してある ("I've also adjusted the flavour"). It reads neutral to me and doesn't really imply either way if he's tortured subjected anyone else to his odd concoctions (maybe he did and had to bury the bodies).

The A-O subs vary in accuracy depending on who's translating. Mistakes have been made on occasion (like Inui's line to Tezuka during their ranking match should be: "You always get that look in your eyes when a point gets taken from you". It was translated as: "You always have that look in your eyes when you want to get a point". Uh...)

[prillalar]

Thanks for this. I always try not to put too much weight on wording when I'm analyzing a translation because it's just so hard to know.

[akatonbo.livejournal.com]

Why is "Ryoma" always written in katakana?

I had wondered if it might simply be because he was born and raised in America and his parents would almost never have had a reason to write his name in kanji, so they may never have chosen any.

On Inui juice -- for a good portion of the series I have no reason to believe that anyone has suffered anything worse from the juice than needing to go drink a whole lot of water because that stuff is SPICY. (The fact that Fuji likes it is one indicator there, and I believe the subtitles in some early episode where it appeared also said something to that effect once.) Nobody runs off covering their mouth as if they're about to puke, nobody turns green, nobody passes out, etc. I'm more or less fine with the Inui juice up until the Aozu episode (he does say the one Momo gets into is experimental, so I'm even willing to live with that one, if I even think about the Jousei Shounan eps). After that... well, the real crack episodes are only selectively part of my personal canon anyway, but from then on every appearance of it is outside the realm of what I'm willing to believe.

[prillalar]

Re the juice, that may be so, but I still hate it, even in the beginning! It's just too, too silly for me.

[i-smile.livejournal.com]

Whether or not Inui has a crush on Tezuka? I don't think there's even a question! :D

I always assumed the juice was made so that he could watch the team suffer (without compromising their health); I'd completely forgotten that Inui was ever surprised that people reacted badly to it. It is as over the top and unrealistic as their tennis, though.

[prillalar]

Whether or not Inui has a crush on Tezuka? I don't think there's even a question! :D

Hee! That's one I've yet to tackle.

[i-smile.livejournal.com]

You did write 14 words!

[cellia.livejournal.com]

(And would the answer depend on whether or not Inui has a crush on Tezuka? *g*)

Inui clearly has a man-crush on Tezuka! (Man-crush: in which a guy feels affection/adoration for a man he feels to be more admirably alpha than himself, ie the large number of straight males with Braveheart posters on their dorm walls).

But as for a crush crush, that involves liking liking, well...
(They're early teens, so I feel no shame writing like like. well, very little.)

The juice... a physical manifestation (for-story-telling ease) of Inui's sadistic side and sense of humor.

[prillalar]

I think the most fun thing about writing in this fandom is how I get to write about all the teenage behaviour. *g* Now I'm picturing Inui pondering whether or not he likes likes Tezuka. Maybe there's even a pie chart.

[heart-of-butter.livejournal.com]

Actually, The Juice actually comes from Japanese cultural influence, I think. I've watched game/quiz shows where contestants who answer incorrectly are forced to drink foul-tasting GREEN juice.

One Japanese cultural anecdote I remember about "juice" (or other foul-tasting substances) is that it refers to medicines that taste horrible, but make you healthy. In Spirited Away for example, Haku gives Sen some medicine that keeps her from disappearing, but the taste is putrid. She later gives some to Kaonashi, who becomes purified, albeit after becoming violently sick (like Kaidoh did in the song JUICE) It's basically a "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" type of thing. At least, that's what I've always though, however debatable the health properties of Inui juice are.

The reason I get upset over Inui juice is the fact that if they're supposed to be for your health, why would they make you throw up (and thus are prone to becoming dehydrated?). My theory is Inui meant them moreover to be used as threats for better preformance.

[prillalar]

Ooh, thanks for this. That really helps put the whole juice thing in context. I still don't like it, but it's much more understandable now.

[mayoihumbert.livejournal.com]

I thought I'd venture an answer on the katakana spelling of Ryoma at least. A while back, Japanese became standardized by the government, I think because they needed a set lexicon that could be represented digitally, and they cut out a lot of kanji, including name kanji, which as you can imagine could be way out there, given that kanji is pictoral. So there's a basic set of "everyday kanji" that's the vocab kids have to learn in school, and also a smaller set of "name kanji," and parents weren't allowed use kanji outside of those to name their kids.

So for example, if wanted to name your kid Halrloprillalar in English, it'd be totally weird, but digitally doable. :) Now if you wanted to put together some weird equivalent in some strange kanji, it'd be digitally impossible. So lots of parents named their kids in katakana which is a syllabary alphabet, or were forced to standardize the existing pronounciation of the name of their kid into katakana.

I'd imagine the in some instances it became a bit of a fad to name in katakana, and certainly, katakana "loan words" are *the* hip thing now which spill over into names, though I hear there's demand for more name words to be designated. So basically, it's parental whim influenced by fashion bounded by a standardized alphabet.

Why Ryoma in particular has a katakana name? Authorial whim influenced by fashion bounded by a standardized alphabet? ^_~ I'll also say that katakana is routinely used to emphasize words, so that could have been a consideration, too.

[prillalar]

Thanks for this -- good information.