Midori Sakurazawa (桜沢 翠 Sakurazawa Midori) is the coach and advisor for the Fujisaki High School karuta club. As coach she is feared by the club members for her cold, impersonal approach. She maintains an intense stamina program for all the members.
She is a high-ranking karuta player, having played for the Queen title five times but always lost during the final match with the Queen. She has been called the "strongest vice queen".
Appearance
Coach Sakurazawa's wavy brown hair is cut in a bob. Her eyes are brown, and their outer corners slant upward. She has well-formed, full lips. She possesses a slim, graceful figure.
If Ryoga Emuro is to be believed, she has F-cup (DDD in US) size breasts.
Personality
Coach Sakurazawa is soft-spoken but deliberate. She has great observational skills, which she uses to size up a player's strengths and weaknesses. Her professional, analytical style of managing the Fujisaki karuta club has made her feared by the members, because she is willing to replace team members no matter how well they perform.
On the other hand, she has great confidence in her players to do well in individual matches. She is also concerned about the club's future, seeing that most of the good players are graduating and there are few first years with potential.
Where karuta tournaments are not of concern, she seems to be a warm and friendly person.
Relationships
Rion Yamashiro
Rion is a member of the Fujisaki karuta club, and as such Sakurazawa trains and coaches her in karuta. She is frustrated with Rion's lack of motivation and competitiveness.
Chihaya Ayase
Coach Sakurazawa met Chihaya during the Omi Jingu team tournaments. They became friendly; Coach gave Chihaya a DVD of the finals between Arata and Shinobu, and invited her to the Fujisaki training camp.
Taichi Mashima
Taichi went with Chihaya to the Fujisaki training camp. Coach Sakurazawa perceived that he can be a dangerously skilled karuta player if he has self confidence, so she pitted him against Chihaya for their last match.
Ryoga Emuro
Ryoga is a third-year karuta club player and the president of the Fujisaki karuta club. Coach Sakurazawa is aware of how he fantasizes about her, and she finds it creepy.
Manata and Kanata Suzuki
The twin players were part of the Fujisaki team during the team tournament finals. Coach Sakurazawa replaced Manata with Rion, which made Manata cry and Makoto angry at Rion.
Makoto Yamai
History
Synopsis
Karuta Style
Trivia
- Coach Sakurazawa has been Fujisaki High School's karuta advisor for 12 years, singlehandedly building up the karuta club into the powerhouse it now is.
- She has been playing karuta since she was six years old.
- She and Tamaru share the same first name, Midori (翠).
Quotes
- (about Taichi 's karuta-playing ability) - "When he has self-confidence, he turns into a monster. And I'm sure there's a level of self-confidence that only Ayase-san can give him."
- ( to herself) - "Generally, the children that choose to join a club to play karuta don't consider themselves geniuses. They sense instinctively that they lack something. That's why they also rely on an external force to drive them. It lies with others who they treasure. The others who are not them but are just like them."
- (to Rion) - "When players whose main asset is speed face decline, they start disliking playing and eventually quit. I myself was like that."