autumnleaf16

The 2008 prince of tennis calendar is out and quite a few community and forums have websites have been posting the pictures up and in general the calendar is quite good, although I just wish that they did 12 pictures, instead of 6 pictures.

Basically…
January & February: Inui; Yanagi; Niou; Kirihara; Chitose.
March & April: Shishido; Otori; Oshitari; Gakuto; Taki
May & June: Shiraishi; Yukimura; Tezuka; Atobe; Tachibana
July & August: Ooishi; Kikumara; Momoshiro; Fuji; Kawamura
September & October: Mizuki; Kaidou; Yagyuu: Maruai; Jirou
November & December: Echizen; Hiyoshi; Yuuta; Kintarou; Sanada

Now I really love the picture of May and June, where the five buchou of the five very important schools come out. I’m using the picture as my wall paper now. Well…I think the only fault I can find with it is that Tezuka’s expression is just too…stoic? Especially if you compare him to Shiraishi, Yukimura and Atobe, who are all smiling.

A few comments about their clothing…Yukimura is naturally not wearing his jacket, but draping it on him, although he isn’t actually wearing his head band or his bracers, and I don’t think Shiraishi has ever been drawn wearing pants instead of shorts. I always thought that Atobe would be more likely to drape his jacket instead of wear it, as he always have to start the game by throwing it into the air, Tachibana’s hair is blond again and it seem to grow at a rather fast rate…given that he is not Atobe such a growth is too unusual…

But any way, my sister and I were discussing why these five made it and we decided that it is because they are the buchou of schools that are either in the final (Tezuka and Yukimura) or the semi-final (Shiraishi) or the quarter final (Tachibana and Atobe). Of course, they are also popular buchou of popular schools, (otherwise the buchou of Higa should be in it too…) But somehow we ended up joking about why Minami (the buchou of Yamabuki) didn’t make it in this one and this inspired me to write a few more random scenes…(it’s not story as it is just conversation based.) I always seem to be making fun of Minami but it’s just that him not being a distinguishing buchou is a joke of the story. Kamio, before the lottery for the Kantou regional, actually asked who he is.

A meeting of the buchou of the schools participating in the nationals (inspired by the picture for May-June in the 2008 calender): why these five are in the ‘photo’
Atobe: “Talking to you can be so tiring, as it requires ore-sama to concentrate too much.”
Shiraishi: “I have met Kenya’s cousin before and his accent is pretty strong.”
Atobe: “But unlike you, he does not suddenly switch to a different language in the middle of a sentence.” (1)
Shiraishi: “Well…” (spots Minami and says something).
Minami: “Shiraishi-kun, I don’t understand what you just said.”
Minami: “Surely he didn’t just ask me who I am, it must be his accent that made me misunderstand…”
Shiraishi: “I said ‘Who are you?’”
Minami: “Who…am…I?”
Tachibana: “Shiraishi-kun, don’t you recognize him, he’s that buchou!”
Shiraishi: “I know he is a buchou, that’s why he is here!”
Minami: “Shiraishi is from Kansai so it is natural that he wouldn’t know every single school outside Kansai. Of course, that is why.”
Tachibana: “You know, that buchou from that school!”
Shiraishi: “Which school?”
Tachibana: “That school!”
Shiraishi: “You don’t really know it yourself, do you?”
Tachibana: “I just can’t remember right now.”
Minami: “It’s Yamabuki!”
Shiraishi: “Oh, Yamabuki! I see, I see, Yamabuki, Yamabuki…” (Walks away)
Yukimura: “So you do know the school? Eh…Shiraishi-kun, isn’t that the information book about all the schools that is participating in the nationals? Oh, you found Yamabuki!”
Minami: “So you haven’t even heard of Yamabuki. But this doesn’t matter, he is from Kansai so…”
Yukimura: “I want to have a look too! So, Yamabuki is…”
Minami: “This doesn’t matter either, after all, Yukimura is from Kanagawa, which is not in Tokyo…”
Atobe: “Ore-same might have heard of the name being spoken a few times but it is not dazzling enough to be remembered by ore-sama.”
Tachibana: “Well, Yamabuki did beat Fudomine so…” (2)
Tezuka: “Is Sengoku ill?”
Minami: “No, he is perfectly fine. Why are you asking?”
Tezuka: “I was wondering why you are representing him as buchou…”
Minami: “I – AM – THE – BUCHOU!”
Atobe: “Aah? When did this take place? Why did ore-sama not know the sudden change of the buchou in a school?”
Minami: “I was always the buchou!”
Yukimura: “Now, now, Minami-kun, don’t feel so discouraged. We actually do know that Yamabuki is a very powerful school. After all, I heard that the Jimmies’ elaborate moves are countered by few, while the left-hand killer is feared by all left handed players…” (3)
Tezuka: “Yukimura, the left-hand killer is Fuji Yuuta from St Ruldoph while the Jimmies are actually known for...”
Shiraishi: “I finally remembered where I heard the name Yamabuki from! There’s a guy in there who have this serve called ‘Kohou’, and this other guy who looks like a delinquent! That’s Yamabuki, right?!”
Minami: “I’ve had enough!” (runs out of the room)
Shiraishi: “Did I just say something wrong?”
Yukimura: “Well… Shiraishi-kun, I think you might have hurt his feelings a little bit.”
Tachibana: “Aren’t you so much worse then him?”
Photographer: “Alright, is everyone here? If everyone is here then I’m going to take the photo.”

(1) After hearing so many cases where the native Kansai dialect is described as almost sounding like a different language, I decided to poke fun at this. Although I actually really love Kansai-ben! It just sounds so nice!!!
(2) In my opinion this only happened because of the car accident…but Tachibana just seem the one who would be trying to be really nice all the time.
(3) Just in case anyone is confused about this, Yukimura is basically saying the opposite as the Jimmies are actually known for their simple but effective move, so this clearly shows that he is deliberately saying the wrong thing about Yamabuki or that he is pretending he does not know about Yamubuki. I think it goes both ways..

A reminder, this is a random humorous scene that I just feel like writing, so I made most people completely over the top, so Atobe fans please don’t kill me (I think I really exaggerated his behaviour). But the whole thing is meant to be over dramatic and over the top.

Or…second version of what might have happened…
Photographer: “Alright, kids, I need to take a picture of four buchou, so I want you guys to sort out who will be in the photo.”
Yukimura: “Since Rikkai is the school that has been the winner for the last two years, as well as being in the finals this year, I am sure that no one will object to me being in it.”
Tezuka: “Seigaku is in the final of the nationals this year.”
Shiraishi: “Shitenhouji has made into the semi-finals both this year and last year, so I think I should be in it too.”
Photographer: “Wow, that’s quite fast. We just need one more person.”
Shiraishi: “Why don’t we just let the buchou of Nagoya Seitoku be the forth person since they are the other school in the semi-final.”
Yukimura: “Shiraishi-kun, haven’t you heard the news? He’s still recovering from their game with us.”
Shiraishi: “Recovering? What…what has happened?”
Yukimura: “Oh it’s just that one of our players got a bit excited so there were some serves that were hit a bit hard, and so their buchou was bleeding a bit. But overall, it is nothing really serious.” (1)
Shiraishi: “Right…um…then I think Tachibana-kun should be the forth person in the photo since Shishigaku was one of the top four in last year’s national while Fudomine was among the top eight this year and their school really have great potential.”
Tezuka: (simply nods)
Tachibana: “I certainly don’t mind…”
Atobe: “Wait a second, what about ore-sama?”
Shiraishi: “Ore-sama?”
Atobe: “That’s right, ore-sama should be in the photo too.”
Shiraishi: “But I think it is better for Tachibana-kun…”
Atobe: “Shiraishi-kun, don’t you realise that the picture will not be dazzling at all if ore-sama is not in it?”
Shiraishi: “I must admit, that thought has certainly not occurred to me.”
Atobe: “WHAT?!”
Yukimura: “You must forgive Shiraishi-kun, Atobe-kun, since he probably only knows the top schools of Kantou as he is from Kansai.” (2)
Shiraishi: “I actually don’t really mean it that way…”
Tezuka: “Shiraishi-kun, these two are always like that.”
Atobe: “At any rate, ore-sama must be in the photo! Ore-sama is actually being very generous by offering to be in the same photo with all of you, as ore-sama is going to make you guys look good.”
Tachibana: “Well, if Atobe really want to then I don’t mind.”
Fudomine: “TACHIBANA-SAN!!!”
Shiraishi: “But I think Fudomine clearly want Tachibana-kun to be in the photo…”
Atobe: “But Hyotei wishes for ore-sama to be in the photo!” (clicks finger)
Hyotei cheerleaders: “Atobe! Atobe!”
Tezuka: “Shiraishi-kun, this is normal too.”
Tachibana: “I really don’t mind not being in the photo if Atobe-kun really wants to be in it. It really is ok for me…”
Fudomine: “Tachibana-san, we will fight with our own lives for you to be in the photo! You deserve to be in the photo so much more!!!” (3)
Yukimura: “Ah, I know! Why don’t we just somehow include Atobe-kun in it since he so want to be in the photo even though he is not one of the school that made it into the finals or quarter finals in both this year or last year.”
Photographer: “I can probably fit five people in the photo.”
Yukimura: (Smiles) “See, Atobe-kun, you can be in the photo too!”

The following bit is courtesy of Albatross-neesan (who dictated most of this to me).
This is what might have happened…
Yukimura: “Then what about this? I will step out since I didn’t play in the Kantou regional and I didn’t really contribute in the final this year because I was in the hospital. So I think it is justified that Atobe-kun should be in the photo since he did so much…” (sighs deeply as he prepares to stand up)
Rikkai: “Yukimura!!!”
Yukimura: “No, this really is alright. After all, I have been absent the whole year, and I couldn’t help you guys winning the Kantou regional…” (Staggers)
Kirihara: “Yukimura-buchou, it’s all my fault! It isn’t your fault at all, but mine! If I won against Fuji then we would have won!”
Marui: “No one is putting all the blame on you, Akaya, you are not the only one that lost.”
Yanagi: “I am sorry Seiichi, if I have been less emotional then I should have be able to fulfill my promise.”
Sanada: “No, this is all my fault! I was acting as the buchou in your absence and I promised that I will win the Kantou regional even if you aren’t there! This is all my fault, losing to that first year!”
Yukimura: “(Smiles) Don’t worry about this everyone, these things doesn’t matter at all. If I had been there then I would have been able to do something…anything…” (Staggers again)
Rikkai: “YUKIMURA!!!”
Tezuka: “Don’t worry, Shiraishi-kun, this is normal too.”
Shiraishi: “They weren’t this bad last year, I think…”
Tachibana: “Really, you guys losing the Kantou regional is not any of your fault.” (not heard by Rikkai…)
Sanada: “Yukimura, don’t strain your self for our sake.”
Yanagi: “Seiichi, why don’t you sit down first.”
Yukimura: “No, no, no, I am really alright…”
Sanada: “Yukimura, please take my seat! Don’t worry about what Atobe said, we will take care of this.” (Stares at Atobe) Atobe…
Shiraishi: “(whispers) Atobe-kun, given the current circumstance, don’t you think that you should let Yukimura-kun be in the photo?”
Atobe: “This little scene has nothing to do with ore-sama, ore-sama deserves to be in the photo in the first place.”
Tachibana: “You guys (to Rikkai), it’s ok, Yukimura will be in the photo.”
Atobe: “But ore-sama…”
Tachibana & Shiraishi: “ATOBE-KUN!!!”
Tachibana: “Considering Yukimura’s circumstances he deserves to be in it.”
Shiraishi: “And Rikkai HAS been the winner for the last two years, and they ARE in the final this year.”
Yukimura: “But without me doing anything…”
Atobe: “That’s it! I had enough! (throws off his jacket) Yukimura Seiichi, why don’t we go and have a match now and let the stronger one be in the photo. Ore-sama will…”
Sanada: (steps in front of Yukimura): “What – did – you – just – say? You are way out of your league, Atobe, see if you can win against me first before you even thinks about challenging Yukimura.”
Tezuka: “Ah, I think the photographer is a bit impatient.”
Photographer: “Kids, I think I can fit five people.”

(1) I am presuming that the buchou of Nagoya Seitoku is the guy who played against Kirihara, as he probably is one of the best in the team, since he did manage to score 5-0 with Kirihara, who, unlike the rest, was not losing on purpose.
(2) Not really true as Hyotei was the runner up of the Kansai regional last year so Shiraishi will probably know about them, but for the purpose of this scene…and for the purpose of making Yukimura evil…
(3) Just want to make Fudomine and every one else is acting in a very dramatic way since this is kind of making fun of the whole story…