Prince of Tennis - Kirihara Akaya
Kirihara Akaya - "I'll Crush You!"
Author: assyrian
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
E-mail: rainsong_eilyr at yahoo dot com
Wordcount: About 2400 words.
Spoilers: spoilers for a lot of storyline.
WARNING: Image-heavy.
Introduction:
Kirihara Akaya is the youngest (and the only second-year) regular on the tennis team of Rikkai, a major rival school for protagonists Seigaku in the Prince of Tennis series.
Kirihara has a number of traits that draw me to him. On the one hand he's one of the series' most extroverted, enthusiastic characters - and this was what caught my attention initially in Genius 19: the brash brat who oversleeps on the bus, dares to be cheeky with complete strangers, and yet has the gall to challenge Tezuka Kunimitsu, providing an impressive display of tennis skills along the way.
On the other hand, he's one of the most violent tennis players in the entire series - attacking Tachibana Kippei, Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Syuusuke in respective matches. Reconciling the violence and the apparently charming brat is one of the most intriguing things to speculate on in the series.
The bridge between the two seems to be yet a third defining characteristic of Kirihara - his complete, utter determination to win and become the best tennis player. The three elements, when put together, make Kirihara for me both one of the most sympathetic characters in the series, as well as one of the most fascinating to explore.
Early Appearances:
The first of Rikkai to appear in the series. First mentioned by the magazine editor Inoue-san in Genius 15 of the manga. We're told that he's the second-year ace of Rikkai, the strongest team in Kanto, and that he's the only other middle schooler who uses the single-footed split step.
In Genius 19 Kirihara shows up again, having fallen asleep on the bus on the way to practice matches with Kakinoki. He wakes up at the end of the bus route and calls his coach, who hangs up on him in disgust. Discovering that he's at Seigaku, Kirihara grabs the chance to hunt down the tennis captain Tezuka Kunimitsu, the only player to hand Rikkai a defeat in past tournaments.
Upon being spotted by Seigaku's vice-captain Oishi, Kirihara introduces himself as Rikkai's second-year ace, proceeds to ask Tezuka Kunimitsu for a match (unsuccessfully), and unintentionally hits Momoshiro Takeshi in the head, setting off a chain-reaction of wholescale chaos in the club.
Kirihara escapes the school amidst the confusion, running (literally) into Echizen Ryoma on the way.
Kirihara's next appearance is in Genius 40, where Inoue-san goes to cover the district preliminaries in Kanagawa. Kirihara wins his match 6-0, rewriting the record for the shortest match played in the tournament, and harasses Inoue-san for news of Tezuka. It's the first time we get to see Kirihara in context as a member of the Rikkai team, together with Yanagi Renji and Rikkai vice-captain Sanada Genichirou.
Kantou regionals, first round
Genius 119, when the draw for the Kantou regional is being decided at Rikkaidai, Inoue-san is watching as Kirihara plays and defeats something like eight left-handed high schoolers. (This was the point at which I decided that Kirihara's obsession with defeating Tezuka was rather serious.)
Kirihara shows up again with Yanagi and Sanada in the Hyoutei-Seigaku matches, to watch Tezuka and Atobe facing off. It is here that he shows the most resemblance to his chatty self in Genius 19, providing Sanada with a steady stream of commentary as they watch Tezuka play.
Some interesting interaction between Sanada, Yanagi and Kirihara is displayed in the match between Echizen Ryoma and Hiyoshi Wakashi. Yanagi asks Kirihara about Hiyoshi, whom he has played before: “He was the one in the Newcomer's Tournament who was doing fairly well against you, right?” To which Kirihara responds by being cute:
When Echizen pulls out a startling performance against Hiyoshi, Kirihara remembers meeting him in Genius 19:
After Echizen wins, Yanagi notes that Kirihara and Echizen have the same Split Step technique. Kirihara responds by saying that Echizen needs to be crushed right away.
Gratuitious picture proving that Yanagi was the first Rikkai sempai to physically abuse Kirihara
Kirihara vs Echizen
This begins with Echizen wandering off to watch the Kantou semi-finals, only to witness Kirihara defeating nationally-ranked Tachibana Kippei 6-1.
Echizen and the rest of Seigaku regulars redouble their efforts to defeat Rikkai. During a run to Kanagawa, Echizen encounters Kirihara and Jackal Kuwahara of Rikkai.
Echizen challenges Kirihara to a match, which Kirihara accepts. The results of the match and its aftermath form an entire volume of the manga. In it, it is revealed how Kirihara employed Red-Eye Mode against Tachibana, in which his eyes go bloodshot and his speed and power vastly increase. At the same time, he becomes an extremely violent player, aiming at his opponent's body parts.
Amidst this, we see some delightful Echizen-Kirihara snark:
Kirihara: Hey, Echizen, isn't it time you took off your power ankle weights?
Echizen: You're one to talk, why don't you take off your power wrist weights?
Kiri's hearts in speech bubbles - ♥!
Kirihara gradually gets more and more aggressive before finally breaking into Red Eye Mode, which finally unleashes his violence that results in his trying to destroy Echizen's knee. He is countered, however, by Ryoma discovering the Muga no Kyouchi (State of Self-Actualisation) which results in Kirihara losing the match 4-6. Sanada and the other Rikkai regulars arrive at this point. Sanada slaps Kirihara and Jackal, and the other regulars team up on Kirihara for breaking the law of Rikkai and losing a tennis match.
Kantou finals
In the Seigaku-Rikkai match we finally get to see Kirihara interact in his usual context, with his seven team mates (all of whom are older than he is), and watch his behaviour as spectator. This is quite a different Kirihara from the light-hearted brat who watches Echizen and Hiyoshi face off - there are stakes here, and every single one of Rikkai watches the matches with a single-minded intensity and seriousness. At the same time, we get a chance to see him being snarky with his other sempais, and like with Yanagi, getting smacked because of it.
Significant Kirihara scenes begin in Genius 215, when Yanagi Renji loses to Inui Sadaharu, breaking the Rikkai promise to remain undefeated. When vice-captain Sanada lifts his hand to slap Yanagi, however, Kirihara intervenes:
In the subsequent match, Kirihara employs Red Eye Mode against Fuji, blinding him temporarily with a blow to the head. Surprisingly, Fuji turns out to be able to play as well blind as he does seeing. Faced with the prospect of losing, Kirihara flashes back to his first year, where he entered Rikkai with the intention of being 'The no. 1 player at the no.1 school!' But being defeated by the Rikkai trio of Yanagi, Sanada and Yukimura dashed his hopes. Kirihara is determined to defeat the three of them, and become the best.
Amidst thinking about this he discovers the Muga no Kyouchi, much like Echizen did. In the end, however, he loses to Fuji 5-7.
Kirihara using the Muga no Kyouchi
Some general facts and comments:
Height: 178cm
Birthday: September 25th'
Play style: Aggressive Baseliner
Special Moves: Single Footed Split Step, Knuckle Serve. Eventually develops the Muga no - Kyouchi (State of Self-Actualisation). Noted for his remarkable focus/concentration when playing tennis - Sanada first comments on it in Genius 119, and Fuji later remarks on it while playing him.
In canon, known as Rikkai's second-year ace.
Noted for finishing off his opponents very quickly, holding the records for the shortest match played both at his local district preliminaries in Kanagawa, and the Kantou regional tournament.
In fandom, commonly nicknamed the demon or the Elf. Or demon elf.
His worst subject is English. His best subjects are Japanese and PE.
The kanji for his name are 切原赤也. 切 means to cut off; to be sharp; eager - it is the 'kiri' from 'hara-kiri'. 'aka' 赤 is from akai, red
His trademark gesture in the manga is to draw his finger across his upper lip when he's thinking, like this:
- In the anime, he's more often portrayed as licking his lips.
Violence and the The Red-Eyed Mode
Kirihara changes considerably from Genius 19/40 to Genius 150+ to Genius 189+. He becomes less and less of a kid and more of a violent adolescent as the series progresses, from being bratty but essentially kind in Genius 19 (witness his concern when he runs into Echizen) to the violent, completely out-of-control player who plays against Echizen.
There are some things that can account for this, for starters. Kirihara is always fiercer when tennis is involved. Even back in Genius 19, he goes from being the cute brat harassing Tezuka, to an impressive player when fielding Arai's serve. In Genius 40, you see the same contrast between when he finishes playing his match, and the fairly cheerful manner in which he talks to Inoue-san.
One point in this, is that tennis for him is very much a battle, something that brings out his fiercer side. And as seen in the match against Echizen, the slide into Red-Eye Mode isn't so much an automatic thing as it is gradual - fairly normal behaviour when off the court, to aggressive behaviour once he starts playing tennis, before activating the extremely violent Red-Eye.
As well as tennis bringing out his darker side, there's also a suggestion that Kirihara is getting more violent as the series progresses. I find Rikkai captain Yukimura's illness and the subsequent tension in Rikkai teamwork a sufficient explanation, for this. Jackal says that the match against Tachibana (which took place shortly after Yukimura's hospitalisation) resulted
On the other hand, Kirihara does display a flash of red in his eyes when he challenges the Rikkai trio, saying 'I'll defeat you!'
You can interpret this information a few ways, of course - one that the psychological pressure from everything else is making Kirihara crack and fall-back on old methods; two that Yukimura acted as a grounding force for Kirihara to keep himself in control, and his hospitalisation triggered that old mode of his; three that Kirihara has simply not played a rival opponent strong enough to trigger his Red-Eye Mode in a while.
okay, so he normally looks scarier in Red Eye Mode, but I like this one.
Determination
One of Kirihara's most defining characteristics is his determination to be the best. Defeating Yanagi, Yukimura and Sanada is an essential goal, en route to becoming the best tennis player.
An interesting question is as to why Kirihara seems so determined to defeat Tezuka. While this is a fairly common goal among Tenipuri players, Kirihara and possibly Sanada are the only rival school players who seem utterly focused on it. On Sanada's side, there's a clear rivalry between him and Tezuka, which Kirihara certainly seems aware of.
Which begs the question as to why Kirihara is aiming at Tezuka - out of a general desire to be the best, or to aim at the one player who seems to be as good as Rikkai's Trio? Either explanation seems likely.
In any event, he's no doubt one of the most determined and self-confident characters in the series - the only one to tell Tezuka to his face: 'I'll defeat you!” (although Echizen says something along the same lines later on) Worth noting is that Kirihara is the trigger for Echizen reaching the Muga no Kyouchi, and attains it himself while triggering Fuji's metamorphosis. Even Fuji is startled by Kirihara's pure will to win - the same thing that Fuji himself lacks.
In the end, it his sheer determination not to lose that actually pushes Kirihara beyond Red Eye Mode and into Muga no Kyouchi - the state where you transcend normal limits.
People and Relationships:
Despite aiming at the Rikkai trio in general, it seems to be vice-captain Sanada whom Kirihara has the most tangible relationship with - he constantly appeals to Sanada for acknowledgement and affirmation, while being both frustrated and impressed by Sanada's sheer level of tennis skill and personal strength. Sanada, on the other hand, certainly seems to show signs of looking out for Kirihara, even if he keeps it locked up behind a veneer of stoicism.
Kirihara is the closest thing protagonist Echizen Ryoma has to a rival - although it seems that Echizen transcends Kirihara on several levels. They are however the only non-third-years who employ the Muga no Kyouchi, and the first time Kirihara is introduced, he is noted for having the same Split Step as Echizen does.
As the youngest regular in Rikkai, Kirihara plays the role of team brat, harassing his sempai who in turn alternately gang up on him and smack him around. After Sanada, his closest connections appear to be with Jackal and Yanagi. There's also a thread of connection between him and Yagyuu, who between the two of them may be Rikkai's most inherently violent players.
Anime differences:
Much of the character development and discussion here does not apply to the anime version of Kirihara, who is initially extremely violent against both Tachibana and Fuji, but rather than reaching Muga no Kyouchi (which does not exist in the anime), Kirihara is eventually redeemed at the Junior Selection Camp, where he appears to battle his own inner demons and have made a decision not to use violent tactics anymore.
Sorry. I'm really not very familiar with anime canon. Any suggested additions to this essay would be welcome.
EDIT: additional info by darkeyedwolf: "Another note about anime!Kirhara is that he seriously has something wrong in his head, like a disorder that goes beyond his freaky red-eye mode -- I don't know if it's schizophrenia or paranoia or what, but he gets his own little disembodied demon head that floats on a black background and mocks him."
Kirihara plays the first half of Singles 1 against Kevin Smith in the Goodwill Games, roughly around Episode 156.
Fanworks, fanrecs
tongari is one of the best Kirihara writers around. See her LJ memories for a list.
_branch_'s Third Watch stories follow the story of Kirihara coping with the challenge of being Rikkai captain in third year. The full series can be found at branchfic.
lawnmower_elf's When, not If is a beautiful AU story about Kirihara and the Troika, and she also drew a beautiful picture of him here.
telegraph50free's Have September. Marui and Kirihara. Beautifully written with some great characterisation on both sides. Its only fault is being incomplete.
one_if_by_land. Kirihara, Marui and bubble gum. With a bonus drabble on concentration problems.
midorinomizu's Negotiation. Sweet, short ficlet about Kirihara's English woes and Sanada's sheer stubbornness.
There are a great many other well-written stories featuring the elf, both by these authors and others.
Some good information about Muga no Kyouchi.
With thanks to bucket_shot for the screencaps.
Author: assyrian
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
E-mail: rainsong_eilyr at yahoo dot com
Wordcount: About 2400 words.
Spoilers: spoilers for a lot of storyline.
WARNING: Image-heavy.
Introduction:
Kirihara Akaya is the youngest (and the only second-year) regular on the tennis team of Rikkai, a major rival school for protagonists Seigaku in the Prince of Tennis series.
Kirihara has a number of traits that draw me to him. On the one hand he's one of the series' most extroverted, enthusiastic characters - and this was what caught my attention initially in Genius 19: the brash brat who oversleeps on the bus, dares to be cheeky with complete strangers, and yet has the gall to challenge Tezuka Kunimitsu, providing an impressive display of tennis skills along the way.
On the other hand, he's one of the most violent tennis players in the entire series - attacking Tachibana Kippei, Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Syuusuke in respective matches. Reconciling the violence and the apparently charming brat is one of the most intriguing things to speculate on in the series.
The bridge between the two seems to be yet a third defining characteristic of Kirihara - his complete, utter determination to win and become the best tennis player. The three elements, when put together, make Kirihara for me both one of the most sympathetic characters in the series, as well as one of the most fascinating to explore.
Early Appearances:
The first of Rikkai to appear in the series. First mentioned by the magazine editor Inoue-san in Genius 15 of the manga. We're told that he's the second-year ace of Rikkai, the strongest team in Kanto, and that he's the only other middle schooler who uses the single-footed split step.
In Genius 19 Kirihara shows up again, having fallen asleep on the bus on the way to practice matches with Kakinoki. He wakes up at the end of the bus route and calls his coach, who hangs up on him in disgust. Discovering that he's at Seigaku, Kirihara grabs the chance to hunt down the tennis captain Tezuka Kunimitsu, the only player to hand Rikkai a defeat in past tournaments.
Upon being spotted by Seigaku's vice-captain Oishi, Kirihara introduces himself as Rikkai's second-year ace, proceeds to ask Tezuka Kunimitsu for a match (unsuccessfully), and unintentionally hits Momoshiro Takeshi in the head, setting off a chain-reaction of wholescale chaos in the club.
Kirihara escapes the school amidst the confusion, running (literally) into Echizen Ryoma on the way.
Kirihara's next appearance is in Genius 40, where Inoue-san goes to cover the district preliminaries in Kanagawa. Kirihara wins his match 6-0, rewriting the record for the shortest match played in the tournament, and harasses Inoue-san for news of Tezuka. It's the first time we get to see Kirihara in context as a member of the Rikkai team, together with Yanagi Renji and Rikkai vice-captain Sanada Genichirou.
Kantou regionals, first round
Genius 119, when the draw for the Kantou regional is being decided at Rikkaidai, Inoue-san is watching as Kirihara plays and defeats something like eight left-handed high schoolers. (This was the point at which I decided that Kirihara's obsession with defeating Tezuka was rather serious.)
Kirihara shows up again with Yanagi and Sanada in the Hyoutei-Seigaku matches, to watch Tezuka and Atobe facing off. It is here that he shows the most resemblance to his chatty self in Genius 19, providing Sanada with a steady stream of commentary as they watch Tezuka play.
Some interesting interaction between Sanada, Yanagi and Kirihara is displayed in the match between Echizen Ryoma and Hiyoshi Wakashi. Yanagi asks Kirihara about Hiyoshi, whom he has played before: “He was the one in the Newcomer's Tournament who was doing fairly well against you, right?” To which Kirihara responds by being cute:
When Echizen pulls out a startling performance against Hiyoshi, Kirihara remembers meeting him in Genius 19:
After Echizen wins, Yanagi notes that Kirihara and Echizen have the same Split Step technique. Kirihara responds by saying that Echizen needs to be crushed right away.
Gratuitious picture proving that Yanagi was the first Rikkai sempai to physically abuse Kirihara
Kirihara vs Echizen
This begins with Echizen wandering off to watch the Kantou semi-finals, only to witness Kirihara defeating nationally-ranked Tachibana Kippei 6-1.
Echizen and the rest of Seigaku regulars redouble their efforts to defeat Rikkai. During a run to Kanagawa, Echizen encounters Kirihara and Jackal Kuwahara of Rikkai.
Echizen challenges Kirihara to a match, which Kirihara accepts. The results of the match and its aftermath form an entire volume of the manga. In it, it is revealed how Kirihara employed Red-Eye Mode against Tachibana, in which his eyes go bloodshot and his speed and power vastly increase. At the same time, he becomes an extremely violent player, aiming at his opponent's body parts.
Amidst this, we see some delightful Echizen-Kirihara snark:
Kirihara: Hey, Echizen, isn't it time you took off your power ankle weights?
Echizen: You're one to talk, why don't you take off your power wrist weights?
Kiri's hearts in speech bubbles - ♥!
Kirihara gradually gets more and more aggressive before finally breaking into Red Eye Mode, which finally unleashes his violence that results in his trying to destroy Echizen's knee. He is countered, however, by Ryoma discovering the Muga no Kyouchi (State of Self-Actualisation) which results in Kirihara losing the match 4-6. Sanada and the other Rikkai regulars arrive at this point. Sanada slaps Kirihara and Jackal, and the other regulars team up on Kirihara for breaking the law of Rikkai and losing a tennis match.
Kantou finals
In the Seigaku-Rikkai match we finally get to see Kirihara interact in his usual context, with his seven team mates (all of whom are older than he is), and watch his behaviour as spectator. This is quite a different Kirihara from the light-hearted brat who watches Echizen and Hiyoshi face off - there are stakes here, and every single one of Rikkai watches the matches with a single-minded intensity and seriousness. At the same time, we get a chance to see him being snarky with his other sempais, and like with Yanagi, getting smacked because of it.
Significant Kirihara scenes begin in Genius 215, when Yanagi Renji loses to Inui Sadaharu, breaking the Rikkai promise to remain undefeated. When vice-captain Sanada lifts his hand to slap Yanagi, however, Kirihara intervenes:
In the subsequent match, Kirihara employs Red Eye Mode against Fuji, blinding him temporarily with a blow to the head. Surprisingly, Fuji turns out to be able to play as well blind as he does seeing. Faced with the prospect of losing, Kirihara flashes back to his first year, where he entered Rikkai with the intention of being 'The no. 1 player at the no.1 school!' But being defeated by the Rikkai trio of Yanagi, Sanada and Yukimura dashed his hopes. Kirihara is determined to defeat the three of them, and become the best.
Amidst thinking about this he discovers the Muga no Kyouchi, much like Echizen did. In the end, however, he loses to Fuji 5-7.
Kirihara using the Muga no Kyouchi
Some general facts and comments:
Height: 178cm
Birthday: September 25th'
Play style: Aggressive Baseliner
Special Moves: Single Footed Split Step, Knuckle Serve. Eventually develops the Muga no - Kyouchi (State of Self-Actualisation). Noted for his remarkable focus/concentration when playing tennis - Sanada first comments on it in Genius 119, and Fuji later remarks on it while playing him.
In canon, known as Rikkai's second-year ace.
Noted for finishing off his opponents very quickly, holding the records for the shortest match played both at his local district preliminaries in Kanagawa, and the Kantou regional tournament.
In fandom, commonly nicknamed the demon or the Elf. Or demon elf.
His worst subject is English. His best subjects are Japanese and PE.
The kanji for his name are 切原赤也. 切 means to cut off; to be sharp; eager - it is the 'kiri' from 'hara-kiri'. 'aka' 赤 is from akai, red
His trademark gesture in the manga is to draw his finger across his upper lip when he's thinking, like this:
- In the anime, he's more often portrayed as licking his lips.
Violence and the The Red-Eyed Mode
Kirihara changes considerably from Genius 19/40 to Genius 150+ to Genius 189+. He becomes less and less of a kid and more of a violent adolescent as the series progresses, from being bratty but essentially kind in Genius 19 (witness his concern when he runs into Echizen) to the violent, completely out-of-control player who plays against Echizen.
There are some things that can account for this, for starters. Kirihara is always fiercer when tennis is involved. Even back in Genius 19, he goes from being the cute brat harassing Tezuka, to an impressive player when fielding Arai's serve. In Genius 40, you see the same contrast between when he finishes playing his match, and the fairly cheerful manner in which he talks to Inoue-san.
One point in this, is that tennis for him is very much a battle, something that brings out his fiercer side. And as seen in the match against Echizen, the slide into Red-Eye Mode isn't so much an automatic thing as it is gradual - fairly normal behaviour when off the court, to aggressive behaviour once he starts playing tennis, before activating the extremely violent Red-Eye.
As well as tennis bringing out his darker side, there's also a suggestion that Kirihara is getting more violent as the series progresses. I find Rikkai captain Yukimura's illness and the subsequent tension in Rikkai teamwork a sufficient explanation, for this. Jackal says that the match against Tachibana (which took place shortly after Yukimura's hospitalisation) resulted
On the other hand, Kirihara does display a flash of red in his eyes when he challenges the Rikkai trio, saying 'I'll defeat you!'
You can interpret this information a few ways, of course - one that the psychological pressure from everything else is making Kirihara crack and fall-back on old methods; two that Yukimura acted as a grounding force for Kirihara to keep himself in control, and his hospitalisation triggered that old mode of his; three that Kirihara has simply not played a rival opponent strong enough to trigger his Red-Eye Mode in a while.
okay, so he normally looks scarier in Red Eye Mode, but I like this one.
Determination
One of Kirihara's most defining characteristics is his determination to be the best. Defeating Yanagi, Yukimura and Sanada is an essential goal, en route to becoming the best tennis player.
An interesting question is as to why Kirihara seems so determined to defeat Tezuka. While this is a fairly common goal among Tenipuri players, Kirihara and possibly Sanada are the only rival school players who seem utterly focused on it. On Sanada's side, there's a clear rivalry between him and Tezuka, which Kirihara certainly seems aware of.
Which begs the question as to why Kirihara is aiming at Tezuka - out of a general desire to be the best, or to aim at the one player who seems to be as good as Rikkai's Trio? Either explanation seems likely.
In any event, he's no doubt one of the most determined and self-confident characters in the series - the only one to tell Tezuka to his face: 'I'll defeat you!” (although Echizen says something along the same lines later on) Worth noting is that Kirihara is the trigger for Echizen reaching the Muga no Kyouchi, and attains it himself while triggering Fuji's metamorphosis. Even Fuji is startled by Kirihara's pure will to win - the same thing that Fuji himself lacks.
In the end, it his sheer determination not to lose that actually pushes Kirihara beyond Red Eye Mode and into Muga no Kyouchi - the state where you transcend normal limits.
People and Relationships:
Despite aiming at the Rikkai trio in general, it seems to be vice-captain Sanada whom Kirihara has the most tangible relationship with - he constantly appeals to Sanada for acknowledgement and affirmation, while being both frustrated and impressed by Sanada's sheer level of tennis skill and personal strength. Sanada, on the other hand, certainly seems to show signs of looking out for Kirihara, even if he keeps it locked up behind a veneer of stoicism.
Kirihara is the closest thing protagonist Echizen Ryoma has to a rival - although it seems that Echizen transcends Kirihara on several levels. They are however the only non-third-years who employ the Muga no Kyouchi, and the first time Kirihara is introduced, he is noted for having the same Split Step as Echizen does.
As the youngest regular in Rikkai, Kirihara plays the role of team brat, harassing his sempai who in turn alternately gang up on him and smack him around. After Sanada, his closest connections appear to be with Jackal and Yanagi. There's also a thread of connection between him and Yagyuu, who between the two of them may be Rikkai's most inherently violent players.
Anime differences:
Much of the character development and discussion here does not apply to the anime version of Kirihara, who is initially extremely violent against both Tachibana and Fuji, but rather than reaching Muga no Kyouchi (which does not exist in the anime), Kirihara is eventually redeemed at the Junior Selection Camp, where he appears to battle his own inner demons and have made a decision not to use violent tactics anymore.
Sorry. I'm really not very familiar with anime canon. Any suggested additions to this essay would be welcome.
EDIT: additional info by darkeyedwolf: "Another note about anime!Kirhara is that he seriously has something wrong in his head, like a disorder that goes beyond his freaky red-eye mode -- I don't know if it's schizophrenia or paranoia or what, but he gets his own little disembodied demon head that floats on a black background and mocks him."
Kirihara plays the first half of Singles 1 against Kevin Smith in the Goodwill Games, roughly around Episode 156.
Fanworks, fanrecs
tongari is one of the best Kirihara writers around. See her LJ memories for a list.
_branch_'s Third Watch stories follow the story of Kirihara coping with the challenge of being Rikkai captain in third year. The full series can be found at branchfic.
lawnmower_elf's When, not If is a beautiful AU story about Kirihara and the Troika, and she also drew a beautiful picture of him here.
telegraph50free's Have September. Marui and Kirihara. Beautifully written with some great characterisation on both sides. Its only fault is being incomplete.
one_if_by_land. Kirihara, Marui and bubble gum. With a bonus drabble on concentration problems.
midorinomizu's Negotiation. Sweet, short ficlet about Kirihara's English woes and Sanada's sheer stubbornness.
There are a great many other well-written stories featuring the elf, both by these authors and others.
Some good information about Muga no Kyouchi.
With thanks to bucket_shot for the screencaps.