Upcoming CD Releases - Ibu Shinji and Golden Pair!

Here are 2 new upcoming CD releases in the month of Dec from Ibu Shinji and the Golden Pair i.e. Oishi Shuuichirou and Kikumaru Eiji:

Title: EVE
Artiste: Ibu Shinji
Date of release: 6 Dec 2006
Catalog number: NECA-18001
Price: 1800 yen

Title: Type wa D!
Artistes: Oishi Shuuichirou & Kikumaru Eiji
Date of release: 20 Dec 2006
Catalog number: NECM-13002
Price: 1300 yen
Track List
1) Type wa D!
2) song for us - Oishi Shuuichirou
3) Kore ga Seishun da! - Kikumaru Eiji
4) Type wa D! - Instrumental -
*Note that track 2 and 3 are the ED and OP for Rajipuri in the month of Nov.

Oricon rankings for Ibu & Kuki singles

According to the Oricon singles Best 100 chart dated 27 March, Ibu Shinji's 2nd solo single "Start~Boku no Yukue" and Kuki Kiichi's first solo single "Kiichi no Hayaguchi Kotoba" have achieved the positions of No.63 and No.95 respectively. The results are also mentioned on the NEC Interchannel website.

Updates on Ibu Shinji & Kuki Kiichi's new singles

As per Interchannel's announcement, more details of Ibu Shinji (Fudoumine) and Kuki Kiichi's new singles are as follows:-

Title: Kiichi no Hayaguchi Kotoba
Artist: Kuki Kiichi
Release Date: 15 March 2006
Catalog Number: NECM-10036
Price: 777 yen

Title: Start~Boku no Yukue
Artist: Ibu Shinji
Release Date: 15 March 2006
Catalog Number: NECM-10037
Price: 777 yen

Otanjoubi Omedetou, Ibu-kun & Jackal!

Today's the birthday of Ibu Shinji from Fudoumine and Jackal Kuwahara from Rikkai and they are one of the few characters whose birthdays fall on the same day. Let me begin with Ibu-kun first who appeared earlier than Jackal in the anime.

Ibu is one of the two 2nd-year aces in Fudoumine along with Kamio. While the latter is more outspoken and rash, Ibu seems calmer and collected but he has a habit of rambling and grumbling to himself which gets on the nerves of others. In fact, during his first match with Echizen during the district finals, Ibu was reprimanded by Echizen for his rambling as he wanted to finish the match as soon as possible. Subsequently, he appeared in other matches too although not featured in full like those with Yamabuki and Rikkai where his doubles partner is usually Kamio. He has long hair which he never ties up during matches and I wonder why he doesn't feel hot after all that exercise. Anyway, the most interesting trait of Ibu should be his excessive rambling which provides comical relief and yet gets long-winded at times.

Now, for Jackal, he's only been featured in the Kantou final for Doubles 2 against Momo and Kaidou so far but I'm not sure whether he will be in the Nationals arc though unless Rikkai meets Seigaku in the final. Talking about Jackal, his partner Marui Bunta should also be mentioned since he seems to be the one covering Marui's faults or should I say blind points because there are certain shots whch Marui avoids but he knows there's always Jackal at the back to cover up for him. There is a strong trust relationship between the two of them who managed to get to where they are through hard work. Jackal used to live in Brazil and is of mixed heritage so his name is not in Japanese characters. He's the only skinhead in the series and he maintains this hairstyle to remind himself of a senior who helped him a lot in tennis when he was still in Brazil. He's nicknamed the steel wall because of the fact that no shots can get past him.