Chikara Katsumata
| Chikara Katsumata | |
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| |
| Japanese name: | 勝又 力 (Katsumata Chikara) |
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| Age: | |
| Gender: | Male |
| First appearance: | Manga: Chapter 899 Anime: Episode 785 |
| Appearances: | Chapters: 7 Episodes: 5 |
| Keyhole number: | Volume 85 |
| Japanese voice: | Minoru Inaba |
Chikara Katsumata (勝又 力 Katsumata Chikara) is a famous shogi player.
Contents
Background
Nothing is known about Chikara Katsumata's past prior to the current timeline. When first introduced, he was the holder of one of the seven most prestigious shogi titles, the Meijin,[1] which he lost to Shukichi Haneda. As of File 947, Chikara currently holds the Osho title, having usurped it from Shukichi in a title defense match.
Personality
Chikara Katsumata is a skilled shogi player with a cool, logical temperament. He is focused and speaks respectfully of Shukichi who is his rival. He is also fair, seen when he suggested an early adjournment for lunch after he noticed Shukichi was distracted.[2]
Appearance
Chikara is a bulky middle-aged-looking man with a clean-shaven strong jawline, short hair, and receding hairline. He wears glasses. In tournaments, he wears very traditional Japanese clothing: a wide-sleeved kimono covered by a dark colored haori with wide sleeves.
Appellations
Plot overview
Meijin Shogi Tournament (Manga: 899-902, Anime: 785-786)
Chikara is challenged by Shukichi Haneda who wishes to obtain the last of the seven Shogi titles he needs to becomes meijin. On the day of the final game, they are tied 3-3. Chikara is unaware that Shukichi's love, Yumi Miyamoto, has been kidnapped. Shukichi leaves the match and the building immediately, surprising Chikara, and spends almost all of his assigned thinking time looking for Yumi's whereabouts. Chikara waits patiently for Shukichi to return. Despite effectively having to play a one-sided speed match against Chikara, Shukichi wins and claims the seventh title.
Revenge Match (Manga: 946-947, Anime: 849-850)
Missing Envelope Case, Shukichi loses his title defense match for the Osho title against Chikara and subsequently only holds six titles at the moment.
Speculation
Rum
As a character who appeared in the Rum arc[3], Chikara is a potential candidate. As a male, he fits the liquors-for-men codename pattern, and he appears to be old enough that he could be involved in Kohji's murder 17 years ago. Traditional Japanese clothing for men is considered to be very old fashioned (versus the western suit) and would age him up in the eyes of those who do not know he wears a kimono because he plays shogi professionally.[4] Other shogi players such as Shukichi Haneda[5] and Koji Haneda[6] meticulously care for their appearance[7] because they are photographed often, and so they possess or carry beauty products more typically associated with women, like handmirrors and folding fans. Assuming Chikara possesses beauty items like his peers, someone who knew might assume he was feminine. It's unclear if Chikara has a fake eye due to his limited number of appearances. Chikara is conveniently linked to shogi which the dead Koji Haneda was interested in.
Name origin
The kanji in Chikara Katsumata's name (勝又 力) literally mean 'win-again strength'.
Trivia
- Chikara was not introduced with a suspect box, so his age and other pertinent details are still unknown. He spoke his own name in one panel.
- In James Bond series, there was also a strong chess player named Tov Kronsteen working for a terrorist group, so Katsumata's connection to Black Organization is not unprecedented in fiction.
See also
References
- ^ Manga Volume 85, File 7 (900), pg 5: "Check"
- ^ Manga Volume 89, File 9 (946), pg 5: "The True Married Couple"
- ^ Chapter 899 intro, Chapter 900 page 5 his name dropped.
- ^ Yumi mistook Shuukichi for a Rakugo performer because of his kimono
- ^ Glasses off, Attempted hair taming, Clean shaven, folding fan in 946
- ^ According to Ai, he likely carried the "Put on Mascara" handmirror
- ^ Ai said so. File 948, pg 5: "The clenched scissors"
