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This article is about the coach of Seirin High. For the sports trainer, see Kagetora Aida.

Seirin logo

Riko Aida (相田 リコ Aida Riko) is Seirin High's boys' basketball club's coach and the daughter of Kagetora Aida. She has the ability to clearly assess one's physical capabilities with just her eyes, viewing them as numbers.

Appearance[]

5688-1173073607

Riko's character sheet (with longer hair)

Riko has short to medium length caramel hair that has grown longer along the course of the series, deciding that she will let it grow out until and during the Winter Cup. Before the Winter Cup finals, Riko asked Junpei Hyūga to cut her hair again, reverting to her former short hairstyle.[1] Her hair is typically parted to the left and secured with two thin black barrettes. When needed, she has occasionally kept it in a ponytail with a black hairtie. Two years ago, her hair used to be longer.

While Riko is of average height and build, she is still the shortest character in the entire series (excluding children). She has been noted on multiple occasions to have a flat chest or otherwise boyish figure, with Satsuki Momoi accusing her of a "barely B" cup size and Daisuke Narumi complaining that she was not erotic enough.

Riko is most often seen wearing the Seirin High girl's uniform, consisting of a white shirt beneath a dark blue sweater and a green sailor's necktie. During the summer, she forgoes the sweater and instead wears a white t-shirt with the same tie. She also wears a short, pleated white skirt with knee-height black socks and white or brown shoes. When coaching, she wears a pink whistle around her neck.

Personality[]

Riko cares much for her team, but she doesn't hesitate to submit them to killer-training (Super Hard Training). Or to be exact, because Riko cares for them, she is not afraid to push the team to the very last and force themselves to exert their strength even when past their limit. In order to motivate them, Riko often threatens to double, triple or even quadruple their training menus.[2][3] All in all, she is very determined for her team to win and as her job as the coach, she actually enjoys raising them up and bringing out the best in them.

Riko attempts to act feminine at times, even trying to reward the team when they win by giving them a kiss at one point.[4] Her attempts often comically backfires though, much to her dismay. She is also shown to be a rather violent person, often comically beating up her team and father, and even locked in a submission hold on Tetsuya Kuroko for going AWOL. Despite the boyish side to her as the coach of a boy's basketball team, Riko likes cute things, proven by the multiple pictures of puppies on her phone and her affection towards Tetsuya #2. She can also get jealous easily, as she was irritated by Seirin High's attention towards Satsuki Momoi and even punished them for looking at her.[5] Riko is sensitive about her lacking curvaceous figure and erupts into a rage whenever someone insensitively points it out, such as Daisuke Narumi.

However, despite Riko's lack of lady-likeness or figure, she is undoubtedly devoted towards the Seirin basketball team, and is skilled as their coach, spurring them on even in hard times and rigorously pushing them to their best. She is also intelligent despite her interest in sports, taking second place in the whole cohort of Seirin's previous year exam. Her gender and age has often surprised the crowd when she is revealed as Seirin's coach in important matches, though this can be said to be a further evidence of her experience and skill. It is hinted that Junpei Hyūga holds romantic feelings for her, but Riko appears oblivious and their relationship exists as close childhood friends up to date.

History[]

When Riko was little, she often hung out at her father's sports gym. It was there that she learned her Scan ability by looking at muscles training and individual stats.[6] As Junpei Hyūga lived near her, they were childhood friends and Hyūga often trained at her sports gym.

Riko 1st year

Riko in her first year in high school

In Riko's first year of high school, she was approached by the early basketball team. They asked her if she wanted to be their manager, but she rudely refused. Teppei Kiyoshi didn't give up and asked her again, but she tells him that she doesn't like basketball and the overall atmosphere of giving up (referring to Hyūga), because of Teikō Junior High's domination. She continues by saying that she will only accept a team that seriously aims for the top.[7]

She later encountered Hyūga at a games hall. When seeing him again, she couldn't help laughing at his hair, irritating Hyūga. As they walked on the streets later, she tells him about the basketball club and says that Hyūga still just doesn't know what to do.

The next day, she got a note telling her to look at the basketball team's seriousness during the morning ceremony. During that morning ceremony, the basketball team yelled out their goal for that year: to become Japan's best. Riko was convinced and joins the basketball team as their coach.[8] She starts off Seirin High's first practice by giving them the training schedule, which is apparently extremely harsh and even brutal. Shortly after, Hyūga is unanimously made captain of the team. Riko notices Kiyoshi's ability to comfort people.[9]

Story[]

Introduction[]

Riko chpt 1 anime

Riko while recruiting new members

Riko is first seen after the opening ceremony of Seirin High School. She is recruiting new players for the basketball team and when Kagami appears, carrying Koganei by his collar, she is overwhelmed by his aura. Kagami fills in an application form and Riko sees he trained in America and thinks he is a very promising guy. She notices Kagami hasn't filled in any goals on the form and asks him about it, to which Kagami replies that Japanese basketball is weak. When Kagami has left, Koganei says to Riko that she forgot to pick up a form. Riko looks at the paper and sees it belongs to Kuroko, a former player of Teikō Junior High School, meaning he is one of the Generation of Miracles. Riko is frustrated why she didn't see such an amazing guy, not knowing Kuroko's true colors.[10]

Kuroko introduces himself anime

Kuroko scares Riko

She is later present at the Seirin High Basketball Club's try-outs. Some freshmen think that Riko is the manager and that she is pretty cute. They are shown to be wrong as Riko introduces herself as the coach. She also introduces Takeda-sensei as the club's advisor. She then surprises everyone by ordering them to take of their shirts. She gives advice to some members along the lines of more stretching or training their flexibility. It is revealed by Hyūga that she has the Scan ability and can see a body's capabilities and flaws just by looking at it. When she arrives at Kagami, Riko is stunned by his raw talent. After drooling over Kagami, she sees that it's the end of the line, but that she hasn't seen the Generation of Miracles member yet, Kuroko. She calls for him and he unexpectedly answers right in front of her. Riko, scared, yells and back off. Perplexed she sees that he's practically invisible. Under order, Kuroko takes his shirt back off and Riko sees that he is weak. Really weak. While walking home, Riko wonders how Kuroko can be so weak but still be a regular of the Generation of Miracles.[11]

Riko as referee

Riko as the referee during the mini-game

The next day, it is raining during the training. Since they can't go running and have free time, Riko decides to put up a match between the second-years and the freshmen. She does this in order to gauge the freshmen's strength. Naturally, she is impressed with Kagami's destructive power, but doesn't notice Kuroko until the middle of the game. She gets an unexplainable feeling and at that time, Kuroko reveals his talent and makes an invisible pass using his misdirection. That misdirection amazes and is analyzed by Riko.[12]

The next day at school, she is approached by both Kuroko and Kagami separately, who both ask her to become a legit member of the club. She tells them to come to the roof Monday morning. That Monday, she awaits the freshmen and announces that they only want members who seriously want to reach the Nationals. She tells them their assignment: to yells in front of all the students their name, class and more importantly, their goal in the basketball club. They have to prove their resolve to join the club. If they can't do that, Riko will have them confess to a girl naked. The freshmen are frightened, but Kagami takes the lead and shouts his goal. They are quickly busted by a teacher, before Kuroko can fulfill the task, but Riko accepts his registration anyway the next day.

Seirin vs Kaijō[]

Interhigh preliminaries[]

Semi-finals[]

Finals[]

Final league[]

Riko planning

Riko planning for the next match

Return of Kiyoshi[]

We can see that Kuroko gets a first peek at Kiyoshi and then the first years than meet him and the second years get to meet him again, and Hyuga saying that he is a weird guy and then he starts playing again because of Hyuga, Riko and the second years ( now third years )

Summer Training Camp[]

Winter Cup preliminaries[]

Riko leads Seirin to Winter Cup

Riko leads the Seirin team

The day before the Winter Cup preliminaries commence, Riko is called out by Hyūga. She meets him outside her house. Riko asks for the reason he called her out and asks if he's scared. Hyūga denies and notices that her hair got longer. Riko tells him that she made a promise to let it grow until they reach the Nationals. She tells Hyūga not to be scared but Hyūga says that he actually feels really calm. They agree to at least do their very best.

The next day, Riko gathers the whole Seirin team outside of the school and they set for the Winter Cup gym where they will play their first preliminaries match. At the building, Riko re-explains the structure of the WC and that they first have to play a qualification match to then move on to the final league. She announced that they have to play against the number 6 of the Interhigh, Josei High.[13]

Narumi insults Riko anime

Narumi insults Riko

They enter the court and line up in front of Josei High. Narumi suddenly freaks out and yells that he was told that Seirin's coach was a girl and that he was excited. He continues that he is disappointed and calls Riko flat chested. This makes Riko furious and signs to her team to completely destroy Josei.[14] She further leads her team through the match and gives instructions to Kiyoshi and Kagami.

After the match, when the group is leaving the gym, Riko tells them that the Winter Cup has actually began way back in summer, at the same time as the Interhigh. With this, she is amplifying Hyūga's statement, that they're finally here.[15]

Winter Cup[]

Semi-finals[]

Riko meets Mibuchi

Riko meets a Rakuzan player

While getting ready to leave for the Winter Cup gym, Riko gets a call from Kagami, telling her that his shoes are torn. Riko yells at him and orders him to join Kuroko, who also has broken shoes, shopping for new shoes. Riko later joins the other Seirin members on the metro and tells them about Kuroko and Kagamis' shoe problem. She reassures them by saying that their match is only in the afternoon anyway. She also informs them that she sent the other first-years to shop for supplies. They get off the metro, but Riko trips and is caught by a tall, good-looking teen . She thanks him, but she and the other players suddenly notice his jersey and see that he's a Rakuzan player.[16]

Skill[]

Training Capability
 
8/10 Riko chart
Analytical Skill
 
8/10
Leadership
 
7/10
Charisma
 
6/10
Cooking
 
1/10

For as far as it is known, Riko has little basketball experience, as she isn't seen playing basketball once, but very good in coaching. As a coach and the daughter of a sports trainer, she is very proficient in developing strategies and training schedules. She is also very good and fast at taping up joints, like she did with Kiyoshi's knee.[17] Riko is also an exceptional coach and her tactics have been recognized by other teams' coaches.

Scan[]

Scan anime

Riko's Scan ability

As a result of her trips to the fitness center with her father, looking at muscles and data, she learned to see every capability of a body just by looking at it.[6] She can determine the height, weight, strength, speed and flexibility, plus the faults and strengths of their separate body-parts, for example their legs or shoulders, an advanced kind of biometrics.
When she activates Scan, her view becomes darker and she sees lines from different parts from the muscle she is concentrating on, with numbers indicating its status on those lines. It is unknown what the numbers actually represent. Her eyes also show multiple circles, as in a camera lens. However, her abilities does not translate to animals, thus she is unable to scan Tetsuya #2.

Relationships[]

Junpei Hyūga[]

Hyuga and Riko

Hyūga notices Riko's hair has grown

Hyūga and Riko are hinted to have feelings for one another. He calls her by her first name and trusts her abilities as coach. In exchange Riko also completely trusts Hyūga's decisions as captain. In Junior High, Riko initially refused to coach Seirin because she was disappointed in Hyūga's attitude toward basketball when they entered high school. Riko was the first one to notice that Hyūga wasn't playing basketball. When Hyūga told her he was doing what he wanted because he has more time now, Riko noticed that something was wrong and told him that it looks like he was forcing himself.

Hyūga comforted Riko several times, like when she was crying the moment the team won their game against Seiho. Riko was about to burst into tears of great happiness but Hyūga sort of patted her head and said to let it go after they won their final game. Hyūga, despite knowing of Riko's poor cooking skills, ate her self-made curry after he saw how much effort she put into her cooking. Hyūga was also the one who cut Riko's hair before the Winter Cup finals.

Both of them spend a lot of time together not just because they are close friends but also because he is the captain and she is the coach. The team is always observing that Riko and Hyūga plan the training sessions in the manner of a couple. Riko also showed signs of jealousy - she didn't get mad at the guys for ogling Momoi until she noticed Hyūga doing it, too.

Hyuga also shows very high respect for Riko. Riko is one of the girls he fears most.

Teppei Kiyoshi[]

Riko and Kiyoshi share a close friendship. They first met when he asked her to train the basketball club. Their meeting wasn't a good one: Riko refused because she hates "half-assed teams". However, Kiyoshi was not discouraged and even relieved because they think alike.[18] When Hyūga was made captain thanks to Kiyoshi, she noticed that he is very good at convincing people even if he seemed to be joking. They are on a first name basis because of a past romantic relationship.

In their second years at Seirin, Riko frequently texts Kiyoshi and visits at the hospital to tell him news of the team.[19] After his return, they often talk to each other about Seirin's team and players and how they can progress. He has also eaten Riko's curry despite its taste.

Riko is worried for Kiyoshi

Riko is worried about Kiyoshi

Riko shows that she cares about him in Seirin's match against Kirisaki Daīchi. She looks constantly worried when Kiyoshi was the subject of Hanamiya's rough play. Unfortunately, Kiyoshi desires to protect his team-mates and decides to play alone on the inside against Riko's will. He adds that he would hate her for the rest of his life if she subs him. However, seeing him at his limit, she doesn't hesitate and replaces him. She explains, with tears in the eyes, that she would gladly take his hate rather than see him injured again.[20] Soon after he accepted, Kiyoshi apologizes to Riko, and she replies that she understands his feelings, and that it's thanks to him that the team is not hurt.

Riko is blushing

"Somehow, when I look at you, I feel better"

In Yōsen versus Seirin match, an exhausted Kiyoshi asks Riko a favor: put him back on the pitch at the end. Seeing his determination, she agrees to initiate a massage that will help him recover from fatigue, which helps relieve her own internal pain as well. After that, Kiyoshi interrupts Riko who was about to leave. He asks her to stay with him, as Riko furiously blushes. She initially refuses but Kiyoshi insists, saying that looking at her makes him feels better. This shows as a hint that Kiyoshi might still have feelings for her. [21]

During the finals against Rakuzan, Riko is seen wiping her tears because Kiyoshi is overexerting himself despite his injury.[22]

Etymology[]

  • Riko's surname Aida means "phase, aspect, countenance, mutually, fellow" (相) (ai) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta/da).

Trivia[]

  • On the first character poll, Riko ranked 9th, with 561 votes. She ranked 11th on the second poll, this time with 453 votes. She ranked 22nd on the third poll with 390 votes.
  • On last year's test results, Riko ranked 2nd out of 300.[23]
  • In the anime, Riko has been seen owning a yellow scooter. She rides it frequently in the first opening and wears a yellow helmet.
  • Since Riko hasn't really been seen out of a basketball context, a reader asked in the Q&A section on whether or not she had any female friends. Tadatoshi Fujimaki replied that she does, but not a lot.[24]
  • Riko has a father and a mother.
KnBCBibleARikoConceptArt

CHARACTERS BIBLE, early concept art

  • According to the CHARACTERS BIBLE:
    • Her motto is: "Carrying out one’s words."
    • Her favorite food is celery.
    • Her hobby is playing games (mainly training simulators and puzzle games).
    • Her specialty is knitting.
    • Her best subject is English.
    • She is the Student Council Vice President of the School Committee.
    • She dislikes behaving like a girl more than is necessary.
    • Her best basketball move is doubling the extent of practice without injuring the players despite it being based on a whim.
    • The type of guy she likes is someone who seriously puts their all into something.
    • She spends her free time shopping and helping out at the gym.
    • She started playing basketball when seeing the declarations that Hyūga and the others made on the roof.
    • The player she has her eyes on is Wakamatsu.
    • Her special move is the Analyzer’s Eye.
    • She can perform a 'Boston Crab', a submission move. She did it when Kuroko went AWOL to talk to Kise.
  • Riko inherited her poor cooking skills from her mother. This was revealed in the light novels. She was seen carrying a knife in the 8th blooper episode, where she tripped in the hallway, and the stray knife hit a cockroach (blurred out).
  • In Q&A,
    • A fan questioned about the name of Riko's eye, Fujimaki answered it was Analyzer's eye, in which Riko commented: "That's not cute at all!" .
    • Her favorite dish is rice mixed with supplements.
    • A fan questioned why she calls Kiyoshi by his first name but not the rest of the Seirin boys; she and Kiyoshi used to date.[25]
  • Riko is one of two female coaches in the series, the other being Masako Araki

References[]

  1. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 229, page 3
  2. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 53, page 5
  3. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 94, page 5
  4. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 19, page 11
  5. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 39, page 6
  6. 6.0 6.1 Kuroko no Basuke chapter 1, page 15
  7. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 96, page 3
  8. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 97, page 11
  9. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 97, page 14
  10. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 1, page 11
  11. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 1, page 22
  12. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 1, page 46
  13. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 81, page 18
  14. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 81, page 3
  15. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 84, page 5
  16. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 174, page 11
  17. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 100, page 18
  18. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 96, page 4
  19. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 52, page 18
  20. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 105, page 19
  21. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 163, page 9
  22. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 258, page 19
  23. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 37, page 11
  24. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 141, Q.A. page
  25. Kuroko no Basuke volume 30

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