Rintaro Futsu

* Tennis
* School
* Casual
* Original

**Rintaro Futsu** is the vice-president of the Shijo Minami Junior High boys’ soft tennis club.

## Appearance

Rintaro has medium length chocolate-colored hair parted down the middle and matching colored eyes. He usually wears a tennis cap while playing.

## Personality

Rintaro is generally an amicable and cordial individual, who tries to mediate tensive situations whenever he can. This could be seen when he calms the tension between Itsuki and Nao after a practice match. Also, after Itsuki hit the bully using his racket, Rintaro steps forward to reassure him and not let what the bully said bother him. He is a caring person. He keeps Itsuki company during his visit to the teacher due the ordeal before. Also, Rintaro wipes off Mitsue’s shoes when some girls harasses Mitsue and steps on her shoes, during their scout of the Hatanouka Middle School Tennis Club.

Rintaro is good at studies. This is shown during the series when Rintaro is occupied making notes for the soft tennis practice plans during Murou sensei’s math lesson. Noticing that he is not paying attention to her class, Murou sensei asked him to come up to the board and solve the question, which he managed to solve with ease, which causes Murou sensei to be speechless and his classmates quizzical. He then went back to his seat and continued with what he was doing.

In terms of analytical skill, Rintaro excels in analyzing the situation and being highly adaptive. He is able to adjust his playstyle to match his opponent's pace and turn the situation around. Maki has commented on how he might have the best game sense among the members of Boys’ soft tennis club. During the practice match against Misaki Academy, after losing a set, he and Itsuki managed to adapt to their opponent's serve strength and look for an opening, causing them to win a set with a perfect score.

He is also shown to have been suffering from low self-esteem. He has told Toma that he feel as if his position as the vice-president of the boys’ soft tennis club is in name only on account of how Maki is playing more active role in the club. While talking to Toma, Rintaro blames himself for being a failure and burden to his parents.

## Plot

### Childhood

Rintaro was given birth by an unmarried woman. Because his biological mother was still too young and inept to raise him, Rintaro was given up for adoption. Rintaro was raised in full of love and happiness, his adopted parents always supported him and bragged about how proud they are for his achievement. In 5th grade in Elementary School, because of Japanese law, Rintaro had to be informed that he was adopted. Getting to know that he is adopted, he started developing feelings of low self-worth and since then he has always tried to push himself in everything he does so that he can feel of worth.

### Shijo Minami Middle School

Rintaro joined the boys’ soft tennis club in first grade during Junior High School. Later, he was appointed as the vice-captain of the Boys soft tennis club. As the vice-captain, he always supports the other members of the team and assists Toma Shinjo in handling the club affairs.

During their second year in the club, the boys’ soft tennis team are having practice match against the girls’ soft tennis team. Rintaro plays as the front player with Tsubasa as his partner. The game is heavily one-sided with the boys’ being outperformed by the girls, unable to score a single point throughout the match. Due to their poor performance, Takuto angrily quits the soft tennis team, leaving only seven members in the team.
The next day, the club members are informed that if they don’t win a single match during the summer tournament, they will be disbanded. All the club members are pessimistic about achieving it due to their current performance, which angered Toma causing him to kick a trash bin.

As the team is desperately searching for a new recruit, Toma managed to persuade Maki to join the soft tennis team as his pair. Toma introduces Maki to the rest of the team, and Rintaro proposes that they welcome him by running a full 20-lap in the field. After completing the run, completely exhausted, they welcome Maki as the new member of the club.
The next day, Toma proposes all the pair to conduct a practice match against him and Maki in order to teach Maki the basics of soft tennis. Rintaro initially doubted this proposal since it is too early for Maki to play in a practice match. He is later assured by Yuuta who tells him that Maki is a natural. Rintaro paired with Tsubasa lost against the Toma-Maki pair without being able to score a single point. After the practice match, when Rintaro tries to congratulate Maki for his performance, Maki replies that they are plain awful and questions what they all have been doing during their time in the club. In frustration, Toma throws his racket to the ground and leaves.

Rintaro, Maki and Yuuta meet at the library to discuss the pairing in the team. When asked by Maki who decided the pairs, Rintaro tells him that the team decided on their own. To which Maki says that the pairs aren't an actual soft tennis pair, it's more like a pair of leaders and lackeys. During the practice session, Toma didn’t attend the club session while Maki watches the Girls’ soft tennis club practicing. The next practice session, the downcast boys are sitting at their practice spot discussing how they’re a club on the verge of disbanding and a captain who is fed up with them. While they are talking, two boys approach them and start to tease them. Itsuki tells them to leave. They proceed to tease Itsuki about his family condition. In rage, Itsuki carries his racket and hit one of the bullies in the head. As the other members run up to the bully to check on him, Rintaro and Maki reassure Itsuki not to let the bullies' words bothers him. Later, Rintaro accompanies Itsuki to Sakurai-sensei, calling that his act was reasonable, condemns the violence.
The next day, Toma attends the club session and apologize to the rest of the member for being selfish. Afterwards, Maki suggests they need to change the pair combination and try it on a practice match. Rintaro as the back player, paired with Itsuki in the front. With this new combination, Rintaro and Itsuki managed to win the practice match against Maki and Toma. Rintaro starts feeling that Maki plays a more active role than him to improve the team, he starts showing a glimpse of sadness every time he’s with Maki.
During a practice session, Sakurai sensei meets the team and tells them that he arranged a practice match with Misaki Academy. The next day, during math class, Rintaro is making notes about practice plan for the team. Noticing that Rintaro is not paying attention to the math lesson, Murou sensei asks Rintaro to come forward and solve the problem written in the board. He solves it with ease, leaving Murou sensei speechless and unable to reprimand him.

Rintaro meets with Toma during break time to discuss the team practice plan. Just when Rintaro is about to give him his practice plans, Toma tells him that Maki has already devised a plan for the team. Rintaro then looks away and tells Toma that he is of no use for the soft tennis team and start blaming himself as the reason of why the team never show any positive result.

Toma then learned that Rintaro’s parents are not his biological parent instead his adoptive one. His real mother got pregnant outside marriage and left him to be adopted. Rintaro says that he is a burden to his parents and he has always tried to push himself harder than anyone, but he is still a failure, Toma yells at him, saying that he envies him for being so much loved by his current parents and whoever gave birth to him doesn’t matter one bit. Rintaro realized this and apologized for being a selfish person. Just as Maki approached them, Toma asks Rintaro to keep quiet about what they were talking since it might put Maki on the spot because Rintaro’s inferiority about his role in the team stems from Maki. As the club begin practicing, Rintaro continues to practice hard to prepare for the upcoming match.

During the practice match against Misaki Academy, Rintaro and Itsuki are up against Yanagishita and Ikeda pair. They lose the first set but manage to accustom themselves to the strength and speed of the opponent’s serve. The pair are able to return the opponent serve, look for opening, and win the second set. Maki commends Rintaro for having the best game sense among the soft tennis member. However, the pair soon become exhausted and lost the 3rd and 4th set, giving victory to Yanagishita and Ikeda pair. All in all, they lost all the matches against Misaki Academy.
After the practice match against Misaki Academy the team are motivated to practice more. Sakurai sensei suggests the club shouldn’t overdo practice, instead he arranges a barbecue party for the team on Sunday. The team enjoys the party and do the victory dance to pray for their success during the summer tournament. However, due to a complaint from Nao’s mother, the club is halted and not allowed to do practice for the whole week.

Under these circumstances, the club decided to scout the Hatanouka Middle School Tennis Club, one of the popular schools participating on the National Soft Tennis Championship, to get a gist of their performance. With Maki and Yuuta cross-dressing as girls and doing the scouting, the rest of the team watches them from a distance. The team then analyzes the recording in the following days. At the end of the week, the team receives good news from Yuuta as they managed to secure a practice match with the Girls’ soft tennis club.
On the day of Practice match between the Boys’ and Girls’ soft tennis team, Shingo brings his little sister, An, to watch the match. He introduces her to the rest of the team in the locker room. During preparation of the match, Rintaro and Itsuki brush the court while Mitsue, Yuu, and Shingo buy some drinks. Realizing that An went missing, all the team panics and search for her around the whole school building. In the brink of cancellation, Maki manages to find An sleeping inside the infirmary. All the boys team members including Sakurai sensei take turn and apologize to the girls’ soft tennis club. The team then continue the practice match as scheduled.

Several days before the summer tournament, Rintaro’s parents inform him that his birth mother wants to meet him.
During the summer tournament, Rintaro and Itsuki played first against Ashitaka and Murai from Johoku Middle School. They managed to set the game pace and maintain a good performance, winning the first 2 sets. However, during the third set, Rintaro’s leg starts to cramp up, greatly affecting his performance and disable him to return the serve effectively. This causes the pair to lose the next 2 sets, bringing the match to a final game. As Rintaro’s cramp is not getting better, Itsuki tells him to stay in the center and avoid running too much. The pair loses the game with a score of 2-3. Rintaro walks to the bench assisted by Itsuki. He apologizes for holding him back due to his injury, but Itsuki reassures him that they’ll win the game next time. Both of them are congratulated by the rest of the team for their performance.

Before the match between Maki and Toma pair and Itsuse Brothers, Rintaro receives a message from his biological mother, telling him that she watched his match and even though he lost, she is still proud of him. Rintaro catches a glimpse of a woman in the audience he believes might be his mother, and chase after her outside the tennis court. As Itsuki catches up with him, Rintaro tells him that he was looking for his biological mother. Realizing that he is unable to find her, Rintaro then runs back to the tennis court to watch Maki and Toma’s match.
At the epilogue, set 2 years after the national soft tennis championship, Rintaro and Taiyo are attending the same high school. They are promoting soft tennis club and looking for new recruits to join the club.

## Playstyle and Ability

Rintaro used to play at the front when paired with Tsubasa. However, he is more suited for playing back due to his cautious playstyle. When he is paired with Itsuki and plays as the back player, he could adjust his position more freely and analyze the situation better.

## Relationships

### Itsuki Ameno

Rintaro’s partner, Itsuki who plays as the front player, they always support each other during the match and outside the match. When Itsuki hit the bully with his racket, Rintaro supports him through reassuring and accompanying him to Sakurai sensei. The other time when Rintaro is having a leg cramp during the summer tournament, Itsuki didn’t blame him instead he tells him that they will win the game next time.

## Quotes

* I'm the vice president of the soft tennis club in name only. - **Episode 4**
* I finally understood after Katsuragi joined. Our club was only that bad because I'm the vice president. If only I've had realized it sooner. I'm done with being vice president. - **Episode 4**
* I'm a failure in everything that I do. I can't live up to my parents' expectations. - **Episode 4**
* I wasn't born because they wanted me. I was just a burden. That's why I've tried to push myself harder than anyone, but... I'm still a failure. - **Episode 4**

## Trivia

* Rintaro has a pet cat named Otome. He likes to collect cat goods.
* As seen in the Special Episode, Rintaro’s constellation is Aquarius and his blood type is A.

### **Etymology**

* The name **Rintaro** means "cold" (凜) (**rin**), "thick, big" (太) (**ta**) and "melodious, clear, bright, serene, cheerful" (朗) (**ro**).
* Rintaro's surname **Futsu** means "linen, cloth" (布) (**fu**) and "haven, port, harbor, ferry" (津) (**tsu**).