Fuji Syuusuke

Special techniques

[edit] Counters

Sometimes called the "Three Counter Moves" (or more often called the Triple Counter). Game sealing returns, the counters are techniques that could only be pulled off by a genius like Shusuke Fuji. Each counter has a very low chance of being returned.

Later on in the series, during the Nationals, Fuji upgrades his Triple Counter and reveals more counters: Kagerou Zutsumi, Hecatoncheires no Monban and Hoshi Hanabi.

Although Fuji develops six counters, his set of counters is still called "Triple Counter".

Fuji's first four counters are based on animals: Tsubame Gaeshi: Swallow; Higuma Otoshi: Brown Bear; Hakugei: Whale; Kagerou Zutsumi: Dragonfly.

When Fuji "evolves" his Triple Counter, their new names are based on mythical creatures: Houou Gaeshi: Phoenix; Kirin Otoshi: Qilin; Hakuryu: Dragon.

Tsubame Gaeshi (つばめ返し ^?, trans. "Swallow Return")

The first of Fuji's counters to be shown and the one he is often most associated with. Fuji utilizes his opponent's topspin by returning the ball with an extreme slice that doubles the amount of spin. The slice combines with the topspin and causes the ball to dip toward the ground and continue rolling across the court without a bounce. This counter is legendary in that once it is hit, the game is sealed. However, Tsubame Gaeshi can still be returned if it is hit before it touches the ground, which only a handful of players have succeeded in doing.

Fuji's counters can be sealed when an opponent can hit "sinkers", which are balls without spin. However, Fuji can then utilize the net to force the opponent to hit cord balls (balls that hit the top of the net before going in), which forces the ball to spin, and along with rolling the ball with his racket, he can pull off a perfect Tsubame Gaeshi.

In his match against Tezuka, Fuji uses the Tsubame Gaeshi in a reverse manner, dubbed the Reverse Tsubame Gaeshi. Instead of adding backspin to an opponent's topspin shot, Fuji adds extreme topspin to a slice/backspin shot. This also causes the ball to simply roll along the ground, like the original Tsubame Gaeshi, making it almost impossible to return.

Higuma Otoshi (羆落とし ^?, trans. "Bear Drop")

By quickly rotating his body, Fuji uses centripetal force to absorb the force of any overhead smash; he then returns the ball with a lob that almost always lands on the opponent's baseline.

This counter is first broken by Ryoma Echizen, who hits cord balls to change the trajectory of his smash, therefore altering the position of Fuji's lob. Powerful smashes can also overpower the centrifugal force used to nullify the force of a smash. In the first round of the National Tournament, the Shukuchi technique of Higa Chuu renders the counter useless, as Higa players can move from the baseline to the net and vice versa in "one step".

Hakugei (白鯨 ^?, trans. "White Whale")

Fuji's third counter, Hakugei is a super slice lob with such extreme backspin that as soon as it passes over the net on to the opposite court, it curves upwards out of sight, than it falls straight down (usually on the baseline), and it flies back to Fuji's hand. However, Fuji needs wind to use the Hakugei.

It is first shown during Fuji's match against Hyotei's Jirou Akutagawa. Hakugei can be returned if the opponent is fast enough to hit the ball as it flies back to Fuji's hand. Fuji can also change the direction of the ball after it hits the opponent's court, either to go with the direction of the wind or to lessen the chance of a return.

In the anime, Fuji changes the direction in his match against Tezuka, where Tezuka approaches the net to wait for the technique, but Fuji adapts and the ball instead flies into the net away from Tezuka.

Hakugei is completely broken by Kuranosuke Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis when he changes the direction of how he returns the ball by 90 degrees, hitting it softly in a lateral way.

Kagerou Zutsumi (蜉蝣包み ^?, lit. Dragonfly Bind)

Fuji's fourth counter, Kagerou Zutsumi uses both hands as he brings his racket down in an overhead swing that both contains and nullifies all spin on the ball. The ball is then returned devoid of spin, and gives the other player the illusion that the ball is farther than it actually is.

This counter is first revealed in Seigaku's first Doubles match with Kawamura against Higa Chuu in the National Tournament.

Kagerou Zutsumi is apparently useless against Kuranosuke Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis as the returning ball without spin comes to Shiraishi's court very slowly and he simply smashes the ball to win the point.

Houou Gaeshi (鳳凰返し ^?, lit. Phoenix Return)

The upgraded version of Tsubame Gaeshi, Houou Gaeshi is one of the 3 upgraded techniques of the Triple Counter that Fuji creates in his match against Kuranosuke Shiraishi in the Nationals. Unlike Tsubame Gaeshi, Houou Gaeshi sinks at a higher rate and is closer to the net, thus making it much harder to return before it lands.

Houou Gaeshi is first defeated by Masaharu Niou in Tezuka's form; like the Tsubame Gaeshi, the ball can be returned by hitting the ball before it touches the ground.

Kirin Otoshi (麒麟落とし ^?, lit. Kirin/Qilin Drop)

The upgraded version of Higuma Otoshi. The only visible difference from this technique is that Fuji uses two hands to repel Shiraishi's smash rather than the one handed Higuma Otoshi. In the OVA, it reaches the opponent's baseline much faster than Higuma Otoshi.

Kirin Otoshi is first defeated by Masaharu Niou, who uses Tezuka's form to return the ball by using the Tezuka Zone to make the ball enter his side rather than letting it go to his baseline.

Hakuryu (白龍 ,Hakuryū^?, lit. White Dragon)

The upgraded version of Hakugei. Unlike Hakugei, Hakuryu rises much higher into the sky. Instead of spinning backwards to Fuji, the ball will bounce towards the sides.

Hakuryu is first defeated by Masaharu Niou, who uses Tezuka's form and returns the ball by smashing it before it bounces.

Hecatoncheires no Monban (百腕巨人（ヘカトンケイル）の門番 ,Hekatonkeiru no Monban^?, lit. Gate Keeper of Hecatoncheires)

Fuji's fifth counter (first stated to be his "final" counter), Hecatoncheires no Monban, is actually translated to "The Hundred Armed Giant", but this is a title from Greek Mythology, and thus kept with the name "Gate Keeper of Hecatoncheires". Using the reverse side of the racket, Fuji uses the slide of the oncoming ball over the gut and forcing a super spin to the ball. Then by instantaneously reversing his wrist and using the other side of the racket, he doubles the spin yet again. The way this counter works is from the extreme underspin Fuji creates, forcing the ball being returned back to him being a topspin, and topspins have a faster sink, making the ball sink before it passes the net.

Kuranosuke Shiraishi manages to overcome the tremendous spin of the ball and breaks this counter by creating a counter-spin on the ball just strong enough for the ball to go beyond the net as a cord ball.

Hoshi Hanabi (星花火 ^?, lit. Star Fireworks)

Hoshi Hanabi is Fuji's sixth counter. He reveals it during the Singles 2 match against Rikkai Dai's Masaharu Niou in the National Finals.

When the opponent hits a cord ball as a result of returning Hecatoncheires no Monban, Fuji responds by launching the ball straight into the sky, out of anyone's field of vision. Due to a certain wind, the ball will then crash land at a very high speed with an irregular spin and it will bounce to any side. He first used this technique in his match against Rikkai Dai's Masaharu Niou after Hecatoncheires no Monban was returned as a cord ball to win the match.

According to Sadaharu Inui, Hoshi Hanabi can be performed by Fuji because he can read the wind.

[edit] Serves

Kieru Serve (消えるサーブ ,kieru sa-bu^?, lit. Disappearing Serve)

Otherwise known as a "cut-serve", but because Fuji spins the ball as he drops it, the ball also disappears. While not as fast or powerful as most serves, many players are caught off guard by the way the ball abruptly "cuts" to the left (the returner's right), and in a sense "disappears". Fuji first uses this move when he faces Jirou Akutagawa from Hyotei Academy.

The Disappearing Serve is completely broken by Shiraishi's Perfect Tennis during the National Semifinals.

Knuckle Serve (anime only)

This move is shown when Fuji is playing Akaya Kirihara from Rikkai Dai in the anime. Due to the fact Fuji is angry, he uses the Knuckle Serve to take revenge. It is similar to the knuckle pitch in baseball; when the ball is tossed in the air, irregular spin is placed on it. When the ball is hit, more spin is added; because of the irregular spin, only the user can tell where it will go.

[edit] Others

Upper Body Split Step

This move was created out of need at the Kanto Tournament finals during his match with Kirihara who hurt Fuji's knee. The difference in speed allows Fuji to cover the court more effectively.

"Closed Eyes"

This is not exactly a technique but it's a state that sharpens Fuji's abilities greatly. In the manga, Fuji used it first at Kanto Finals during his match with Kirihara after he blinded him with a smash. But it's at the National Finals in his match against Masaharu Niou when Fuji refines his "closed eyes" mode, even being able to aim for a cord ball and break all of Tezuka's techniques, including Hyaku Ren Jitoku and Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami.