Sanada Genichirou
Profile
Sanada Genichirou is the undisputed emperor of junior tennis, considered to be on the same level as Tezuka Kunimitsu by Inoue - and that's only because Tezuka is Konomi's Mary Sue #2. Like Atobe Keigo, Sanada commands attention on the tennis court, but unlike Atobe, he doesn't thrive on it; he doesn't encourage it. It's there simply because he is the best, something he has worked to be.
Sanada is fiery and proud, and the true samurai of the series is one with a mission: to keep his promise to carry Rikkai Dai Fuzoku to national victory for the third year in a row. He will not allow anyone to stand in the way of keeping that oath, because doing so would be contrary to who he is; Sanada Genichirou is a person who does not make promises easily, but he refuses to break the ones he does make. His determination is a major part of what makes him an excellent leader for Rikkai Dai, but in this case excellent does not equate calm. Sanada is a man barely contained passion, and there are times when his impulses get the better of him, such as his aforementioned promise, and when he handles insubordination with physical violence. This is not a cold, efficient personality; this is a boy who feels things passionately and fights his battles with everything he is.
This passionate nature not only makes Sanada a formidable opponent, but can also make him single-minded in relationships. He goes after what he wants, and he gets it, with little regard to any obstacles that may lie in his way. This can understandably cause the nonsexual kind of friction in a relationship.
Sanada is traditional Japanese in many ways, as is evidenced by his hobbies of shogi, kendo, and calligraphy. His grandfather is a kendo instructor for the police force; his father works in the government as well. His tennis playing style is All-Rounder, and his best subjects are history and physical education. Tennis is one of the things he is best at, and Sanada takes pride in the effort he makes to remain at the top. Always.
First appearance
Manga: Sanada's first appearance in the manga is Genius 40, Champion. A lot of people seem to forget that Rikkai have been a presence in the series for a long time. Kirihara makes his appearance even earlier. Inoue and Shiba are reporting on the Kanagawa prefectural preliminaries, watching Kirihara win what is recorded as the fastest match in the tournament ever. Kirihara is adorable and asks them for news of Tokyo and Tezuka, since he is so keen on beating him, and Inoue states that Tezuka did not play and Seigaku had a tough victory in the finals. Kirihara is about to comment when Sanada and Yanagi appear, and Sanada states that Seigaku did not use their full strength, and for Inoue to tell Tezuka that. Sanada then strides off with his team, and Inoue is shellshocked and forced to comment on how they already seem like champions.
Anime: Sanada's first appearance in the anime is in episode 54, where we see him and Kirihara training for the upcoming Kantou tournament. Inoue and Shiba are there, being their usual brainless selves. Sanada and Kirihara are both having an easy time beating the pants off their Rikkai high school sempais, and Sanada's usual gruff confidence is in full force as he basically tells Inoue and Shiba they're both wrong. It's quite amusing. Of note, this is back when Rikkai had the SEXY RED uniforms, instead of the butt ugly yellow. I have no why the anime changed its mind, or why Konomi decided to follow suit. The scene where Sanada first appears in the manga is cut entirely from the anime.
