| Introduction |
| “ | If you make fun of me being small... You'll have to pay for it | ” |
—Sora Kurumatani, to Shinmaruko High | ||
Sora Kurumatani (車谷 空, Kurumatani Sora) is a first-year shooting guard who plays for Kuzuryū High. He is the main protagonist of the anime and manga series, Ahiru no Sora.
Appearance
Sora is short in height, about 150 cm. He has unruly medium length dark hair and corresponding eyes. His jersey number is 15. At the start of the series, he wore 'ASICS Japan Pro' sneakers that belonged to his mother. He later switched to 'Nike Air Zoom Flight 5' and then 'Nike Air Zoom Brave 3' sneakers.
Personality
Kurumatani is a friendly individual who always has a smile on his face. Due to his constant enthusiasm and determination in playing basketball, Sora was able to revive the boys’ basketball team of Kuzuryū High, which had been dormant for a while, and get the Hanazono brothers to join the club, who stopped playing the sport since their junior high.
In his middle school days, Sora was unable to play in any official games due to his small stature. His mother was his primary supporter growing up and would tell him never to give up and use his height to advantage. When his team Kuzuryū High, got a chance to play their first practice game against Shinmaruko High, Sora got excited and relished the opportunity to compete.
Biography
Sora is originally from Nagano Prefecture. His mother, Yuka, a former All-Japan basketball player, and his father, Tomohisa, runs a farm in Nagano. After graduating from junior high, Sora enrolled at Kuzuryū High to stay close to his mother. She, at that time, due to critical illness, was hospitalized in the Kanagawa National Hospital. He currently resides at his grandmother's residence; her name is Yone, who manages a barbershop in Kawasaki. Sora was not on speaking terms with his mother and, during his departure from Nagano, didn't tell her that he had moved. His grandmother, upon her visit to the hospital, accidentally informed Yuka about it.
During the series 1st Inter-High District Qualifiers, Yuka's condition worsened, and she passed away. To cope with his grief, Sora went back to Nagano for a brief period and then returned to Kawasaki to continue playing basketball at Kuzuryū High. Although being a great basketball player, Sora is an average student at school and his grades are barely above passing marks.
Skills
Sora is an excellent shooting guard. His specialty is one-handed three-point shot, but in the practice match against Shinmaruko High, he demonstrated 'female-style two-handed shot,' a technique he learned from his mother. He can shoot better from the right side of the three-point line. When Tokiwa successfully exploited his shooting from the left side, Sora, later on, worked hard to improve his shooting skills from that side. According to Chiaki, Kurumatani has exceptional deep court vision, a requirement for a great shooting guard. He has good handles, and these skills compensate for his lack of height. His usual position is shooting guard, but he can still play point guard when the team needs him. Sora is a great defender, as in the practice game with Kitasumi High, Kurumatani successfully defended against Tarou the entire game.
| Physical Ability | 8/10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | 10/10 | |
| Stamina | 8/10 | |
| Mental Strength | 7/10 | |
| Special Ability | 10/10 | |
Etymology
- The name Sora means "sky, azure, atmosphere."
- Sora's surname Kurumatani means "car" (車) (kuruma) and "valley" (谷) (tani).
Quotes
- "These are my wings." - to Chiaki Hanazono (Chapter 1)
- "It doesn't matter how many people I'm facing... I'll never run away." - to Chiaki Hanazono (Chapter 1)
- "Let's play basketball. Momoharu-kun... It's a promise! I will be waiting!" - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 2)
- "Once I get into the basketball team... From today on, I think I'll be able to practice as much as I want!!" - to himself (Chapter 3)
- "You gotta show me that move again!! How does it feel to Fly?" - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 4)
- "Every person has their own way of shooting. Depending on their personality. I think Momoharu-kun's form is good, not rough at all." - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 5)
- "I always shoot the ball in order for the ball to go in... For example, when you shoot is there anything to look out for?" - to Momoharu Hanazono (Chapter 5)
- "We want to become stronger than we were yesterday." - to Kaname Shigeyoshi (Chapter 114)
- "What I can do right now... Is pour my body and soul into this single one shot." - to himself (Chapter 119)
- "It's not over. Like hell it's over! Nothing... Nothing has even started yet. How could we let it end without doing a single thing about it!!" - to himself (Chapter 138)