Shigeo Mizuki

Mizuki has an almost cartoonish look built around a very round face, a flat nose, and oversized eyes. He keeps his hair short and swept over to one side. The design deliberately nods to the classic character Kitaro, a tribute to the manga artist whose name he carries.

What surfaces of Mizuki paints him as plain-spoken and matter-of-fact. He explains that he picked Nagi as his partner simply because the striker had talent and looked like he had nerve, and he sums up his own worth bluntly as the ability to run. He also grasps the game well, laying out a clear plan to create a chance during the Bird Cage match, and he shows stubborn tenacity there, still battling to clear the ball while several opponents swarmed and grabbed at him. His read on others is honest too, brushing off Nagi's remark about people shining with a simple admission that he just saw it, capped with a thumbs up.

Mizuki plays as a forward, but his real asset is stamina. He rates his own strength as the sheer capacity to keep running, and he proves it in the Bird Cage game by chasing the ball without pause. Even with four players pressing him and two clutching at him, including his face, he refused to stop, forcing the ball loose and steering it into a spot where Nagi could take control.