| Introduction |
| “ | I dig guys who refuse to give up, even when the odds are against them | ” |
—Chiaki Hanazono, to Sora Kurumatani | ||
Chiaki Hanazono (花園 千秋, Hanazono Chiaki) is the third-year point guard of Kuzuryū High. He is an all-round player. He can adapt quickly and play other positions. Chiaki also has an younger twin brother, named Momoharu.
Appearance[]
Chiaki is about 191 cm tall. He has an 'afro' hairstyle with robust, sharp features, facial hair, and a towering athletic physique. Because of his intimidating appearance, most people view him as a frightening individual. His jersey number is 7, and he wears 'Air Force 1 Mid' sneakers.
Personality[]
Chiaki is a carefree individual, engaging in several unusual things. He is a fan of eating snacks, and his favorite food items are curly cheese flavor puffs and pudding. If someone tries to eat his snacks without his permission, he would often get angry and throw a fit. A long time ago, Chiaki got himself in trouble and even caught the attention of the police. He broke six ribs of Momoharu, believing that his twin brother had eaten all his pudding. Meanwhile, due to his intimidating appearance, Hanazono would often make other people do his errands. In his junior high days, he would order Konishi to buy snacks for him.
Chiaki also has a terrible habit of peeping on girls. He and his delinquent colleagues have made a peeking hole in their teams' locker room to glance at the girls' of Kuzuryū High as they change their clothes. He is also on the lookout for his soul mate. However, due to his afro hairstyle appearance, girls his age tend to ignore him. Similarly, he is also in love with Nao, the team's manager. Chiaki has tried several times in the past to confess to Nanao but failed miserably. Nao hasn't shown any romantic affection to him and instead sees Chiaki as a friend or an older brother. Nonetheless, he is very protective and caring of Nao. Whenever someone tries to get close to her for romantic purposes, Chiaki gets angry and jealous. Meanwhile, academically, Hanazono is a smart individual who excels in his studies. He is considered a suitable candidate for the team's point guard position due to his genius intellectual skills.
Biography[]
Chiaki started playing basketball because of his younger twin brother, Momoharu, who began playing the sport before him. The two of them would stay late after school to hone and perfect their skills. Hanazono, who dislikes losing, stopped playing basketball when his junior high teammates were unable to keep up with his efficient passing skills. Hence, his team failed to advance in the next round of the district tournament. Chiaki also dislikes weaklings but finds an exception for Sora, saying he likes guys that don't give up easily. Kurumatani's constant zeal and enthusiasm for the sport brought him back to playing basketball.
Skills[]
Chiaki is an excellent point guard. He is a genius playmaker with incredible court vision, exceptional ballhandling skills, and immense strength. Because of his skills, he can easily adapt and play the 'Center' or 'Power Forward' position. Nonethless, he is the slowest player on the court due to his tall physique. To suppress his weakness in speed, he focuses on using his reflexes and instincts to create opportunities for his team to score. Like his brother, Momoharu, he is not good at shooting from the outside but can effectively make layups. Nanao, the club manager, firmly believes that his ideal position would be a 'Small Forward,' which suits his playmaking skills. He is a considerable threat in the offense because of his ballhandling skills. He keeps his adversaries at bay by guessing whether they will pass or shoot. His decisiveness and intellect benefits his team greatly. Nevertheless, Chiaki is weak when it comes to defending. He rarely joins in blockings and rebounds. Although he's not an expert at rebounding, Hanazono can still intercept/steal the ball from his opponents by utilizing his good eye coordination.
| Physical Ability | 10/10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | 8/10 | |
| Stamina | 8/10 | |
| Mental Strength | 10/10 | |
| Special Ability | 9/10 | |
Quotes[]
- "So you've told those guys that you want to play ball with them? I've said this already. Kuzu High's basketball team doesn't get together to play at all." - to Sora Kurumatani (Chapter 4)
- "Remember this certain things are always passed down to others." - to Sora Kurumatani (Chapter 4)
- "If you pass it out to someone else they will have to score. I find it fun to use people. That's why I became a point guard. But that was yesterday. Today, it's time to move on!! From here on out, I will get my points myself" - to himself (Chapter 119)
Etymology[]
- The name Chiaki means "thousand" (千) (chi) and "autumn" (秋) (aki).
- Chiaki's surname Hanazono means "flower, blossom" (花) (hana) and "garden, park, plantation" (園) (sono/zono).
Trivia[]
- The Hanazono twins' respective play styles are the exact opposite of one another.
- Chiaki excels in offense.
- Momoharu Hanazono shines in defense.
- Chiaki's design is possibly after Tomomi Nomiya, the protagonist from Takehiko Inoue's Real (manga) . Both characters have similar hairstyles while being an all-around player in basketball.