Hiroyuki Kurusu

Name: Hiroyuki Kurusu

Gender: Male

School Year: First-year high school student

Position: Forward / Midfielder

Jersey Number: 15

Date of Birth: February 23

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Blood Type: B

Height: 170 cm

Weight: 61 kg

Hometown: Oita Prefecture

Special Skill: Tongue twisters

Likes: Natto (fermented soybeans)

Dislikes: Computers

Favorite Phrase: “Boys, be ambitious.”

Soccer Experience: 13 years

Voice Actor (CV): Hiroyuki Yoshino

Kurusu is portrayed as an “everyday” high school boy: straightforward, a bit crude at times, and honest about what he thinks.

He can come off as harsh, especially when frustrated, but that roughness hides a strong sense of effort and pride.

In middle school, people saw him as a cool player who kept his composure.

He admired the smart and stylish play of Jin Kazama and tried to shape his own image in that direction.

Kurusu once believed he was a natural passer like Atsushi Kimishita.

However, reality proved different, and he had to confront the gap between who he wanted to be and what he was actually good at.

His sense of masculinity is also very teenage and unfiltered.

For instance, in his own personal “rating system,” he casually judges the bust size of first-year managers Chikako Ubukata and Sayuri Tachibana as “small,” a detail that reveals both his immaturity and his blunt honesty.

Although he initially aimed for a smooth, brainy style of play, Kurusu’s real strength lies in his gritty, stubborn ball retention.

This “dirty” but effective ability to keep the ball under pressure became his main weapon.

Through playing with Tsukushi Tsukamoto, Kurusu’s hidden potential was drawn out.

Their combination brought out a dogged persistence in him, turning him into a player who fights to keep possession rather than just attempting pretty passes.

The team’s coach recognizes and values this unpolished but powerful keep ability.

While Kurusu does not possess the elegant passing talent of players like Kimishita, he compensates with effort, contact play, and refusal to give up the ball.

He wears jersey number 15 and is positioned as a forward or midfielder.

His role is not only to connect play but also to maintain possession in tough situations, creating chances through hard work rather than flair.

Kurusu has been playing soccer for 13 years, and this long experience ties him closely to his teammates.

In particular, he has known Tetsuya Nitobe and Naoki Shiratori since middle school, where they were also teammates.

Together, Kurusu, Nitobe, and Shiratori form a notorious “idiot trio” among the first-years.

They are often portrayed as the “three fools,” highlighting their low academic focus but strong camaraderie.

At the beginning of high school, Kurusu is very hard on Tsukushi Tsukamoto.

He vents the frustration that all the first-years feel when Tsukushi drags down the team and forces them to run extra laps.

Over time, though, Kurusu starts to recognize Tsukushi’s sincerity and tireless effort.

Tsukushi’s rapid growth makes Kurusu feel both respect and a sting of inferiority, as he struggles with his own limitations.

His interactions with first-year managers Chikako Ubukata and Sayuri Tachibana also show his typical teenage-boy gaze.

He notices and casually comments on their appearance in a way that is crude but very realistic for his age.

Kurusu comes from a rural area in Oita Prefecture, where his grandfather lives.

His roots in the countryside contribute to his grounded, no-nonsense personality and straightforward outlook.

During one practice, Kurusu receives the news that his grandfather is in critical condition.

Soon after, his grandfather passes away, leaving Kurusu with a deep emotional blow.

At that time, he remembers his grandfather’s favorite phrase: “Are you living each day without regrets?”

This line becomes a guiding question for Kurusu, pushing him to think seriously about effort, regret, and how he wants to live as a player and as a person.

The idea of living without regret directly influences how he approaches soccer and daily life.

It ties strongly into his favorite phrase, “Boys, be ambitious,” reinforcing his drive to give everything he has.

Kurusu’s story is colored by tension between his ideals and reality.

He wants to be a stylish, clever passer like Kimishita or a cool, smart player like Jin Kazama, but his natural strengths lie elsewhere.

Through training and matches, he slowly accepts that his real value is in persistence and grit.

Rather than seeing “dirty” play as inferior, he learns to take pride in being the one who refuses to lose the ball and fights until the last second.

Tsukushi’s presence acts like a mirror for Kurusu.

Watching Tsukushi grind, improve, and catch up from far behind triggers both admiration and complex feelings of jealousy and self-doubt.

This conflict comes through clearly in his quote:

“Everyone wants to become a version of themselves they don’t have to be ashamed of. That’s why we work so hard, right?”

In that line, Kurusu lays bare his own insecurity and determination.

He understands that effort is the only path to becoming someone you can be proud of, and he commits himself to that path despite the pain it brings.

“Everyone wants to become a version of themselves they don’t have to be ashamed of. That’s why we work so hard, right? That’s us.”

This quote captures Kurusu’s core worldview: people struggle and suffer in order to become someone they can respect.

His grandfather’s words, “Are you living each day without regrets?” echo behind his actions.

Together, these ideas drive him to train harder, confront his weaknesses, and fight on the pitch as sincerely as he can.