| “ | No matter how helpless they might be, I will never laugh at them | ” |
—Madoka Yabuchi, to Kuzuryū High | ||
Madoka Yabuchi (薮内 円, Yabuchi Madoka) is a second-year small forward of Kuzuryū High. Due to her attractive appearance, many boys' who are younger or at her age fall in affection with her. She's known as the 'Gem' of the girl's basketball team.
Appearance
Madoka is a slim, athletic, and attractive girl with long slender black hair that reaches her shoulders and has black colored eyes. Madoka's jersey number is 8, and she wears 'Mizuno Wave Hope' sneakers.
Personality
Madoka is a kind and friendly teenager who respects her peers and elders. Upon her introduction in the series, she warned Sora of the lurking dangers of joining the boys' basketball team. Madoka takes basketball very seriously, and being a passionate athlete of the sport growing up, Yuka Kurumatani was her idol. When she heard Sora is her son, Madoka quickly formed a strong rapport with her.
Biography
Madoka lives in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. She has an elder sister; her name is 'Sumi Yabuchi,' a nurse at the Kanagawa National Hospital. Coincidently, Madoka's sister was the primary nurse in charge of taking care of Yuka Kurumatani. Also, due to that reason, Madoka developed a friendly relationship with Sora's mom and would visit the health facility often. After Yuka's sudden passing, Madoka went into depression and a stage of 'Identity Crisis.' Later on in the series, she faced many problems in forming relationships with her family and peers.
Madoka is the woman of Sora's dreams, but she hasn't shown affection to him. As her senior, she considers Kurumatani as her friend and gives him advice regarding basketball or life in general. She is in love with Momoharu, the captain of Kuzuryū High boy's team, and was shocked when Momoharu pushed her away, which caused her heartbroken. Later on, at a local restaurant, Madoka met Tsukasa, who plays for Tamagawa Gaukin. The two went on a date; shortly afterward, Madoka ended her relationship with him and chose to focus on her high school basketball career. Soon, things gradually returned to normal for her.
Skills
Madoka is an excellent intellectual student and a good basketball player. She is the ace of her team and takes the sport very seriously. However, she is a terrible chef. She has no sense of taste, and due to her awful cooking skills sent Momoharu to the hospital during training camp.
| Physical Ability | 6/10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | 7/10 | |
| Stamina | 8/10 | |
| Mental Strength | 8/10 | |
| Special Ability | 7/10 | |
Etymology
- The name Madoka means "circle, yen" (円).
- Madoka's surname Yabuchi means "bush" (薮) (yab) and "inside, within" (内) (uchi).
Quotes
- "I'll place some hope on you. Do your best newbie team member!" - to Sora Kurumatani (Chapter 3)
- "1021 baskets... Ah, make that 1022. In total... He missed only four times... At first I thought I'd just go home. But I got curious." - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 4)
- "That kid, he does it to make up for the fact that height is not his strength. He's been waiting for you, you know. To be able to play basketball with you... He believes it's in you!" - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 4)