Shunpei Chihaya

Shunpei Chihaya has an average height for his age, but he is considered short and thin compared to other baseball players.

He has big, slightly upturned eyes with dark irises.

His mouth always looks a bit like a cat's mouth, and his canine teeth are drawn to stand out, making him look like a cat in chibi drawings.

He wears red-framed glasses, but these are just for fashion—his eyesight is fine.

He started wearing glasses after deciding to quit baseball.

This choice hides the face he doesn't like and distances himself from his past self.

Shunpei wears his school blazer over a sweater with his necktie outside, and always rolls up his pants cuffs to show off his socks.

These unique fashion picks seem to be how he expresses himself now that baseball isn't his whole life.

His hair color is orange-brown in the manga, but bright red in the anime.

Physical Stats

• Height: 167 cm
• Weight: 55.8 kg (in his Senior League days, as shown in the anime)
• Blood Type: A
• Birthday: September 28
• Uniform number: 4
• Throws: Right
• Bats: Both
• Glove Brand: Kubota Slugger
• Image Color: Orange
• Family: Father and mother
• Only child
• Often eats alone

Shunpei Chihaya thinks logically and often keeps himself distant from others.

He used to focus on doing things by himself rather than relying on his teammates.

He can seem a bit sharp-tongued or sarcastic, but is honest and always tries to do his best.

After a turning point in a practice game against Hyoga High, Shunpei learned to trust his team and work together more.

He loves trends, cares about fashion, music and collects socks—he doesn't mind shopping in the ladies' section.

Shunpei enjoys being unique and cool, taking pride in his individual style.

He gets very serious about both baseball and academics, always studying and aiming for high grades (scores above 90 in all subjects).

Friends sometimes tease him for being a "high-minded" or "elitist" type. He often shows a bit of attitude, but is secretly sensitive.

Shunpei started playing baseball because he admired pro players he saw on TV as a child.

As he grew, he realized he would never have the big, strong body other players had.

Worried about his size, he ate a lot to try and gain weight, but it often led to stomach problems and actually losing weight.

Shunpei decided if he couldn't win with power, he would be better with technique, speed, and baseball theory.

He trained hard, read a lot, and became the most skilled player on his Senior club team. This made him believe "even small guys can do it."

But facing the Kiyomine-Kaname battery, he learned his hard work wasn't enough against players who had both talent and effort.

This broke his confidence.

He pushed himself even harder—at school, baseball, and with his body—until he hit his limit.

One day, he let slip, "I wish I had that," to a big, talented pitcher Makita.

He hated that phrase because it ignores other people's effort, but now he was the one saying it.

Losing hope, Shunpei quit baseball.

Without the sport, he tried lots of hobbies, but nothing felt right.

Time passed slowly, and he grew frustrated.

He picked Koteshiji High because it didn't have a baseball club, hoping to move on.

Unexpectedly, he met Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname again at his new school, and was drawn back into baseball.

Shunpei Chihaya is a master of making contact with the ball.

He almost never strikes out, always fights off pitches with foul balls, and is a sure-thing with bunts.

Long hits are rare, but he gets on base a lot and runs the bases with awesome speed and smarts.

Shunpei messes with pitchers and catchers by creating chaos with his running.

He is "S" type—he loves to see pitchers panic.

He is an expert base-stealer, often getting into scoring position all by himself.

Even if the team has no hits, Shunpei sometimes scores a run with his feet alone.

Recently, he's trying to learn to hit for power on his coach's advice, but his batting average has dropped, which worries him a bit.

His teammates, however, support his efforts and think his new style will help the team.

Haruka Kiyomine

A fellow second-year and Shunpei's teammate on Koteshiji High's baseball club.

Haruka was the pitcher who beat Shunpei's old Senior team and is seen as a "genius."

At first, Haruka didn't remember their previous game, but slowly saw Shunpei as a valuable teammate, especially after losing a close game to Teitoku High.

Haruka remembers encouraging words Shunpei gave him after that loss and appreciates Shunpei's support, telling him there's "no problem" with his new batting form.

Kei Kaname

Another teammate and classmate, Kei was the famous catcher from the old battery that beat Shunpei's Senior team.

Kei lost his memory and now doesn't know much about baseball, but still has impressive skill and instincts.

He's lazy and likes to goof around; Shunpei and Aoi Todo like to tease him.

Kei used to call Shunpei "Shun-chan" but now calls him "Shun-pee."

Aoi Todo

Their classmate and the team's shortstop.

Shunpei and Aoi form the team's double-play duo.

Aoi is the opposite of Shunpei: passionate, driven by feelings, and also has a history of quitting baseball before returning.

He and Shunpei argue often, but they work well together and enjoy teasing Kei.

Their rivalry for the leadoff spot ended when Shunpei became the set leadoff batter, with Aoi hitting fourth.

Taro Yamada

A sturdy, reliable teammate.

Started as the center fielder, later moved to first base.

Shunpei respects him, and in their second year, everyone agreed Taro should be team captain.

Kazuki Tsuchiya

A year above Shunpei, Kazuki plays center field and loves "anime" and "weird stories."

He quit middle school baseball because of strict team rules but was convinced to join again at Koteshiji High by Kei Kaname.

He is fast, and Shunpei says that only Kazuki doesn't slow him down when running the bases.

Coach (Sako Yusuke)

The team's manager, once passionate about baseball, but stopped playing after an injury and a cold shoulder from his college coach.

He bets on stocks and cryptocurrency—when Shunpei correctly predicted a coin, Coach started calling him "God boy, Chi-kun."

Coach encouraged Shunpei to try for more powerful hits.

Hironobu Makita

A pitcher on Hyoga High, who was on the same Senior team as Shunpei in middle school.

Makita liked Shunpei and wanted to be friends, always inviting him to hang out.

But Makita's strong, competitive style and habit of boasting upset Shunpei, who preferred to work alone.

Still, Shunpei doesn't actually dislike Makita.

Hard Work in Senior League

As a kid, Shunpei loved baseball and dreamed of going pro.

Realizing his body wouldn't grow big and strong, he worked extra hard on technique and swing control, studying baseball theory to cover his weak points.

He became the best player on his Senior team, feeling proud that he could succeed despite his size.

Shattered by Kiyomine-Kaname Battery

Shunpei's confidence broke after facing Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname—a pair who combined great physical power, hard work, and baseball smarts.

No matter how much effort Shunpei put in, he couldn't win.

He increased his training and schoolwork, but overloaded himself and grew more stressed.

One day, he jealously told Hironobu Makita, "I wish I had that," a phrase he hated.

Ashamed of what he'd become, he quit baseball.

Searching for Meaning without Baseball

Without baseball, Shunpei struggled to fill his days—trying music, tea, math, and fashion.

Nothing made time fly the way baseball did, and he couldn't escape the emptiness.

He thought going to a school with no baseball club, Koteshiji High, would help, but he soon met Haruka and Kei again.

Returning to Baseball at Koteshiji High

Deep inside, Shunpei never stopped loving baseball.

Encouraged by meeting old rivals again, he joined the new baseball club and started to learn how to play as part of a team, not just for himself.

He quickly became the club's leadoff hitter, using his brains and speed to help the team.

Trying to add power to his swing, he's now working on changing his batting style—even if it means failing and learning from mistakes.

Anime-Only Scenes

In the 2024 anime, some scenes were added:

• In Episode 5, Shunpei pitched to help Kei Kaname practice, impressing everyone with his control.
• In Episode 7, he helped Aoi Todo overcome his throwing fear by running as a base runner during practice.
• In Episode 11, a memory scene where Kei asks Shunpei to play baseball was changed a bit from the manga, showing how Shunpei's feelings have grown.

• In a collab with pro baseball's Pacific League, Shunpei was given skills like "Steal◎," "Batting Eye◎," "Hit Maker," "Stubborn Hitter◎," "Trickster," "Clean Freak," and "Electro Music Fan."
• He is into audio gear and has lots of headphones and records in his room. He prefers electronic music, especially a band called Autechre.
• In a joke about how some characters get better looking with their hair down, Shunpei mentions "Yusuke" and "Hisoka," showing he might be a fan of Togashi's works.

"You can't run from walls. So there's only one answer—face them and fight!"

• Shunpei is an only child from an upper-class family with both parents working.
• He always eats meals alone.
• He likes listening to music and collecting cool socks.
• Shunpei sometimes looks down on J-Pop and always comes back to his favorite, Autechre.