Renji Yanagi

Birthday: June 4

Zodiac: Gemini

Gender: Male

Height: 181cm

Weight: 67kg

Blood Type: A

Japanese Name: 柳蓮二（やなぎれんじ）

Chinese Name: 柳莲二

Korean name: 야나기 렌지

I this character

Renji Yanagi is a third-year student at Rikkai and one of its formidable "Big Three," renowned for his tactical genius which has earned him the moniker "The Master." He serves as the team's trusted strategist and is a master of "Data Tennis."

His height is 181cm (later updated to 182cm) and his weight is 67kg.

His most distinct feature is his slit eyes, which he usually keeps closed. He can't keep them open for long periods but will occasionally open them during intense moments in a match.

He exclusively wears the long-sleeved version of his team uniform and is never seen in short sleeves.

Renji is the calm and collected strategist of the Rikkai team, earning him the absolute trust of his teammates. He is also a member of the Student Council, serving as its secretary.

He is known as the "Tamer of Wild Beasts" for his ability to skillfully manage the volatile Akaya Kirihara, often with just a simple knee-buckling trick.

He has a habit of addressing long-time acquaintances like Genichiro Sanada and Sadaharu Inui by their first names.

A subtle tell is that he covers his mouth with his hand when he's hiding a secret, though he sometimes does this on purpose. He dislikes people who are lax with money or time.

Renji is the childhood friend of Sadaharu Inui, having attended Midorikawa Third Elementary School in Tokyo before moving to Kanagawa and attending Kanagawa Second Elementary School.

During their elementary school days, they formed a dominant doubles team that led the junior circuit. They affectionately called each other "The Professor" (Yanagi) and "The Doctor" (Inui).

Renji was the one who originally taught Inui the principles of "Data Tennis," making him Inui's mentor in the craft.

Their partnership ended with unresolved feelings when Renji had to move in the 5th grade, unable to tell Inui beforehand. They reunited after 4 years, 2 months, and 15 days at the Kanto Tournament.

His playing style is a Counter Puncher, with stats of Speed-3, Power-3, Stamina-3, Mental-4, and a remarkable Technique-5.

His peerless skill on the court has earned him the nickname "The Master." He is highly regarded as a doubles player by Genichiro Sanada.

He is a master of "Data Tennis," a style he taught to Sadaharu Inui. He can also see through the course of advanced techniques like "Waterfall."

His special techniques include "Kamaitachi" and "Utsusemi."

Sadaharu Inui

Sadaharu is his childhood friend, former doubles partner, and enduring rival. Their matches are always charged with personal history, but they share a deep-seated respect for one another.

The Big Three

He forms Rikkai's core leadership, known as the "Big Three," alongside Seiichi Yukimura and Genichiro Sanada.

Akaya Kirihara

He acts as a mentor and handler for his junior, Akaya. He is concerned about the physical toll of Akaya's "Devil Mode," but in the past believed it was a necessary skill for the team's victory.

Akuto Mitsuya

Akuto is Renji's own master in the art of "Data Tennis." Facing him in the U-17 camp was a pivotal experience for Renji.

Jusaburō Mōri

His doubles partner during the U-17 World Cup. They overcame initial hostility after Renji learned of Mōri's hidden support for Seiichi Yukimura, eventually forming a powerful pair.

School: Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School, 3rd Year, Class F, No. 19
Birthday: June 4th
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Blood Type: A
Dominant Hand: Right
Family Composition: Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, older sister (later adds a cat).
Father's Profession: Accountant
Favorite Food: Likes everything but prefers lightly seasoned foods (like salted beef tongue).
Hobbies: Reading classic literature, art and museum appreciation.
Favorite Subjects: Japanese, Classics, World History
Disliked Subjects: None
Favorite Color: White
Favorite Movies: Works by director Yasujiro Ozu.
Favorite Books: Classic Japanese literature (formerly Soseki Natsume, recently Kyoka Izumi and Yasunari Kawabata).
Favorite Anniversary: July 27th
Favorite Music: Gagaku (traditional Japanese court music)
Motto: "A thousand days of practice is discipline, ten thousand days of practice is refinement." (From *The Book of Five Rings*)
Preferred Type: A calculating woman (later changed to a devoted person).
Ideal Date: A literature museum (later changed to browsing old bookstores).
Desired Travel Destination: To see the old town and lakes of Hanoi.
Gift for a Loved One: "I will invite them to a tea ceremony. I have already confirmed their favorite sweets."
Current Wish: A complete collection of Japanese literature (later changed to a complete collection of world classical literature).
Daily Routine: Reads the morning and evening newspapers.
Non-tennis Skills: Mental arithmetic, haiku, Go, shogi, tea ceremony, translation, first aid.
Annual Reading Volume: Approximately 600 books.
Spends Allowance on: Books.
Tournament Routine: Reads the electronic version of the newspaper.
Author's Note: If he had a part-time job, it would be as an assistant at a calligraphy club.

After Kanto Finals vs. Inui: "I prioritized my personal feelings with Sadaharu and broke my promise to Seiichi. I will accept any punishment, whenever it comes."
Before National Finals vs. Inui/Kaido: "To think the chance to settle things with Sadaharu would come again... I'm glad to see his injury has healed. Honestly, I'm relieved."
After forfeiting to Kirihara: "Akaya is the one who will lead the next generation of Rikkai. As his senior, I believe it was the natural choice."
After his match with Mitsuya: "The despair of seeing the future with data, and the exhilaration of abandoning data... I've gathered some good data."
After U-17 World Cup vs. France: "I'm glad I got to know the passionate side of Mōri-senpai. I never would have thought he was the one encouraging Seiichi..."

The Prince of Tennis

Kanto Tournament

In the Kanto Tournament Final against Seigaku, Renji faced his old friend Sadaharu Inui in the S3 match. The match was a battle of data and will, ultimately leading to a tie-break where Renji was narrowly defeated, 7-6.

National Tournament

At the National Tournament, Rikkai advanced to the finals to face Seigaku once more. Renji was paired with Akaya Kirihara in D2 against the duo of Sadaharu Inui and Kaoru Kaidō. Renji completely dismantled Inui's data by playing against his own established patterns, overwhelming the pair and securing a win by forfeit.

The New Prince of Tennis

U-17 Training Camp

During the dropout tie-break matches, Renji faced Akaya Kirihara. He dominated the match, bringing Akaya to match point, but then chose to forfeit. He told Akaya to "aim for even greater heights."

He later explained the life-threatening dangers of Akaya's "Devil Mode" to Kuranosuke Shiraishi, entrusting his junior's well-being to him.

After returning to the camp, Renji faced his Data Tennis master, Akuto Mitsuya. Pushed to his limits, Renji abandoned data and played on pure instinct until he could no longer continue, passing his final data and the torch to Inui. He was later seen wearing the No. 17 badge.

U-17 World Cup

Initially a supporter for Team Japan, Renji was selected as a replacement for the injured Gin Ishida during the final league.

In the quarter-final match against France, he played D1 with Jusaburō Mōri against Edgard Delacroix and Jonathan Saint Georges. Initially, there was friction as Renji resented Mōri for what he perceived as a flippant attitude towards tennis, despite knowing of Seiichi Yukimura's illness.

However, after learning that Mōri had been secretly supporting Yukimura, their relationship mended. With Mōri's support, Renji orchestrated a plan to feed their opponents false data for five games before turning the tables, ultimately securing victory.