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Shoichi Imayoshi (今吉 翔一 Imayoshi Shōichi) was Tōō Academy's third-year point guard and captain. After the Winter Cup, he retired with the rest of the third-years.

Appearance[]

Imayoshi has straight, messy black hair and gray eyes that are usually shown closed or squinted. He is most often seen with a calm or mildly amused expression and smiles often. He is somewhat tall and has an average build.

During games, he wears the Tōō Academy jersey with the number 4, which is reserved for the captain. Outside of uniforms, he wears simple clothing such as sweaters and plain shirts.

Personality[]

Speaking in a polite Kansai dialect, Imayoshi appears to be kind and somewhat unassuming at first glance, though this demeanor often unnerves those he speaks to rather than endearing them. Those who have spoken to him for any length of time, from opponents to teammates alike, are generally quick to see that he is not to be trusted and feel somewhat uneasy around him. Even Makoto Hanamiya, a player known for being deplorable in his own right, has remarked that he has "never met a nastier guy in [his] life" and that there is no one better at making people hate him.[1] When confronted about his dislikable self, Imayoshi will typically feign offense and comment on their rudeness despite not actually being bothered.

During matches, Imayoshi frequently taunts his opponents through sarcastic, roundabout remarks on their performance or through comments on his own team's strength. He rarely insults his opponents directly, however, and does not appear to hold a specific distaste for anyone in particular. He has been called a "demon when it comes to reading minds" and is able to discern one's demeanor at a glance[2] as well as read their thought process during a game. His use of this talent is not limited to games and he is fully capable of orchestrating full scenarios by predicting people's behavior and setting them up accordingly.[3]

Due in part to these talents, Imayoshi is able to maintain a rather easygoing demeanor, as he is not easily caught off guard and quick to find a solution when he is. He is not easily bothered and is often seen smiling or laughing, even when he has been directly insulted[3] or his team has been scored on.[4] He has rarely been shown expressing worse than mild exasperation and has only been genuinely unnerved in regards to basketball. After losing his last game at Tōō Academy, Imayoshi continued to assume his position of captain to issue his final orders, though was unable to hide traces of having cried even if he was able to behave as normal.[5]

As captain, he is the one responsible for keeping peace between his players. This involves easing the tension between Kōsuke Wakamatsu and Daiki Aomine as well as calming Ryō Sakurai down during his bouts of anxiety. When requesting something from a player, he will approach and talk them into it, typically by appealing to their pride or sense of responsibility rather than issuing an order. Despite not being a particularly strict captain, he is well respected and effective in keeping them in line. He does not seem to face much, if any real resistance on his decisions. He respects his team (as well as their manager, Satsuki Momoi) and lets them do as they like as long as they are still performing well in games. His care for his team is made most clear after his retirement, stating that he has faith that they will be fine and that he is not worried.[5]

Story[]

Interhigh preliminaries[]

Final league[]

Imayoshi is first seen at Tōō's training. He asks Sakurai why Aomine isn't present, because they are in the same class. Sakurai apologizes and says that he tried to stop him, but failed.[6] Sakurai apologizes again for being alive, to which Imayoshi reacts with shock. Sakurai continues apologizing and degrading himself, while Imayoshi continues saying that it's okay.

Winter Cup[]

Round 1[]

He enters the Winter Cup court together with the other players from Tōō Academy for their first match, against Seirin. As they start to warm up, the audience is talking about Aomine and Imayoshi, saying that his moves are unpredictable.[7]

Imayoshidefence

Imayoshi pressures Izuki

As the match is about to begin, he shakes hands with Hyūga, noticing that he has matured into a fine captain, judging from his appearance. He also sees that the other players have evolved as well. The match start and Seirin takes the ball. They drive it up court, but run into Tōō's pressure defense, led by Imayoshi. Imayoshi tells Izuki that they aren't underestimating them, because Momoi has imprinted the importance of stopping the first attack. Izuki eventually mispasses and the ball is stolen by Sakurai. He passes to Aomine, who does an alley-oop. As Seirin collects the ball, Imayoshi apologizes and tells them they got the first point.[8]

After Kuroko's successful pass that leads to Kagami scoring, he dribbles up the ball, saying that they just got started.[9] He gives a high pass to Susa, who makes the shot and scores. In the audience, Kagetora Aida analyzes his pass, thinking that giving a high pass to nullify Kuroko's invisible pass, plus the difference in height between Kuroko and Susa, was a very smart choice. Tōō's scoring continues and Kagami eventually has the ball and goes up against Aomine. Imayoshi warns Kagami, saying that he'll get the jackpot when he wins, but that he probably won't.

Finals[]

Before the finals of the Winter Cup commence, Imayoshi is seen arriving at the gym with his former teammates. He jokingly comments on the fact that even Daiki Aomine wanted to join in, receiving a jab at how he should be studying instead of watching basketball. They then run into the Yōsen High team and Imayoshi greets their captain, Kenichi Okamura.[10] When the players enter the court, he comments on how Shun Izuki will most probably be helpless in front of Seijūrō Akashi. When Yoshinori Susa asks him about the Uncrowned Kings, Imayoshi makes it clear that they've somewhat regained their lost glory and that they're a threat to look out for.[11]

Skill[]

Physical Ability
 
6/10 Imayoshi chart
Technique
 
9/10
Stamina
 
8/10
Mental Strength
 
9/10
Special Ability
 
6/10
Imayoshi double clutch

Imayoshi's double clutch

Imayoshi Buzz Beater

Imayoshi's buzzer beater

Imayoshi is an elite player from the Tōō Academy. His moves are unpredictable and he has the ability to set a scoring play in motion with just a few passes. He is very fast and he can sometimes execute difficult attacking moves out of nowhere; for example, his double clutch he performed in the first match against Seirin High.[12] He is also seen to perform a near excellent pressure defense in their second match against Seirin.[13] He is capable of scoring buzzer beaters from very far distance behind the three-point line as shown against Kaijō High[14] and Seirin [15]. He can also shoot regular three-pointers as well.[16]

According to Makoto Hanamiya, Imayoshi is a monster when it comes to reading minds. He can read his opponent's thoughts by observing their expressions and actions. In short, he is practically "psychic". Makoto then adds that when it comes to doing things that people hate, no one can beat him.

Etymology[]

  • The name Shoichi means "soar, glide, fly" (翔) (sho) and "one" (一) (ichi).
  • Shoichi's surname Imayoshi means "now" (今) (ima) and "lucky, good" (吉) (yoshi).

Trivia[]

  • On the first character poll, Imayoshi ranked 17th, with 288 votes. He ranked 21st on the second poll, with 172 votes.
  • Imayoshi speaks in a Kansai accent, hinting he may originate from Osaka.
  • His voice actor, Kazuya Nakai, was born in the Kansai region.
  • Imayoshi went to the same Junior High school as the Uncrowned King, Makoto Hanamiya.
  • In Episode 45 and NG Season 2 Episode 8, Imayoshi is seen drawing a picture of a samurai in his notebook, which looks familiar to the portrayal of the historical figure Date Masamune, quite possibly a reference to their shared voice actor, Kazuya Nakai via Masamune's Sengoku Basara portrayal.
  • According to the CHARACTERS BIBLE:
    • His motto is "Wisdom to realize one’s own ignorance".
    • His favorite food is grilled eel over rice.
    • His hobby is horse racing (without betting money).
    • His speciality is fishing.
  • According to the KUROFES
    • His best subject is Math.
    • He is in the Student Council Committee.
    • He has a father and a younger sister.
    • He dislikes spontaneous people.
    • His best basketball skill is behind the back pass.
    • His type of girl is a kikubari (attentive/considerate/respectful girl).
    • He spends his free time fishing.
    • The reason he plays basketball is that he's been recommended by his parent.
    • The player he has his eyes on is Hanamiya.
  • Imayoshi has a bad habit of being hasty.[17]

References[]

  1. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 126
  2. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 115 page 1
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kuroko no Basuke Replace PLUS Volume 5, chapter 21, page 13-14
  4. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 45, pages 6 and 9
  5. 5.0 5.1 Kuroko no Basuke chapter 139, page 17
  6. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 39, page 12
  7. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 114, page 11
  8. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 115, page 15
  9. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 116, page 13
  10. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 230, page 4
  11. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 231, page 15
  12. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 43, page 4
  13. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 115, page 9
  14. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 68, page 3
  15. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 130, page 2
  16. Kuroko no Basuke chapter 126, page 16
  17. Kuroko no Basuke Special CD Season 2 Vol. 4

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