Tora is a tattooist and an initial player for the Tigers' team. He sports a massive tiger tattoo on his back, a nod to his name, which also means "tiger." Tora plays a pivotal role in motivating Togawa to regain his confidence and fight in life following his amputation.
Tora is a jovial character brimming with strength. Similar to Togawa, he uses a prosthetic "rotation" for his amputated leg, but this doesn't seem to hinder him. He first encounters Togawa when the latter is undergoing a check-up before his operation, and already knowing Togawa's name, he barely introduces himself, telling Togawa to use a wheelchair before speeding off. When Yama takes Togawa to one of the Tigers' training sessions, Tora's strength and speed leave Togawa in awe, especially since Togawa thought he could no longer experience the thrill of competition after losing his ability to run.
Upon Togawa's return to see the Tigers after crying over Azumi, Tora remarks that it's "good, excellent," referring to Togawa's emotional outburst over a girl, much to Togawa's embarrassment as he tries to deny everything. Tora then makes Togawa drive a wheelchair, integrating him into the group by making him chase them, despite knowing Togawa isn't skilled at maneuvering a wheelchair, thus treating him as an equal.
Tora then invites him to his tattoo shop, where Togawa gets startled when Tora's apprentices mistake him for Tora and swarm around him. After getting Togawa slightly tipsy, Tora manages to make Togawa open up about all the pent-up emotions since his amputation, particularly his feelings towards his father, feeling like he is "just a burden." Once Togawa finishes speaking, Tora encourages him to fight for himself regardless of others' judgments and gifts him a basketball wheelchair, calling him "brother with the same leg." The next day, Togawa asks Tora for a star tattoo on his chest as a symbol of his new life, becoming Tora's last client before Tora embarks on a trip around the world.
Undoubtedly, Tora had the most significant influence on the direction of Togawa's life post-amputation, showing him that life continues beyond this challenge. In Tora's memory, Togawa refuses to let the Tigers disband or even leave them, despite being approached by the Dreams' manager, a national team, who wants him to join.
Characters
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Main
On the surface, Nomiya seems to be the proto-typical delinquenthe wears an afro, has dropped out of high school, and pauses to defecate on the school steps before leaving for good. It soon becomes clear, however, that Nomiya suffers from crushing g...
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Main
At the start of the manga, Takahashi is a typical high school alpha malecaptain of the basketball team, popular with girls, effortlessly smart, and a bully to other "inferior" students. In an effort to give his girlfriend a ride home after school, ...
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Main
Forced to spend all of his free time after school practicing the piano, Togawa was something of an outcast to the rest of his junior high classmates. During the last PE class of the first semester, Togawa agrees to race the 100M dash against the fastest b...
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Supporting
Azumi is Togawa's childhood friend.At the time, it seems they liked each other a lot, Togawa promising himself to tell her "when [he] beats 11 seconds". Unfortunately, this race was the last one he participated to as the sarcoma in his leg prevented him f...
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Supporting
Yama meets Togawa in the same time as Tora. He is also in the Tigers team and introduces Togawa to it. Yama has an illness that makes him lose little by little the use of his muscles. Yama was the manager of the Hanazawa Middle School track team before hi...
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