Hump Day Husbandos: Atsushi Murasakibara (Kuroko’s Basketball)
For how much I have lived a life fixating on all things Kuroko’s Basketball I do not cover it nearly enough here at Rice Digital to reflect this. So while we have celebrated two of its star performers before with both Aomine and Taiga in this exact column there is always room for more – that’s especially so when we’re talking about Kuroko’s Basketball in the context of Hump Day Husbando. Right? Right.
Since Atsushi Murasakibara was my first crush of the series during my initial watch of its anime this Hump Day Husbando was a long time coming.
Who is Atsushi Murasakibara?
As our third pick in representing the many husbandos of the one and only Kuroko’s Basketball manga and anime series Atsushi was an easy choice. He was my favourite character during my initial watch of the anime because of one single and admittedly shallow reason: his lovely long hair. Regardless of the colour, it’s a character type I clearly could not get enough of at one point.
Atsushi was quite the guilty pleasure crush in fact because of that problematic attitude of his. But that’s the point of a character arc, right? But first, to answer our question here – Atsushi was the centre of the Generation of Miracles and now plays for Yosen High alongside Himuro Tatsuya, Taiga’s brother figure. This makes up the dynamic duo of this particular school and considering just how many significant pair-ups feature in the series is as much of a staple of the anime/manga as anything else. So with the two being seen together everywhere they go, what’s the appeal of the lazy, lavender head giant who has a sweet tooth?
Why we love him
That description of his character alone is surely a good enough pitch alone, but as always, going deeper into his character gives us far more substantial meaning and depth. Atsushi’s major talents when it comes to playing basketball are those naturally granted to him such as his unusual height and build. While this allows him to effectively tower over any opposition it’s also the exact reason he’s never been able to get fully into the sport since he has no worthy opponent. That makes for quite the effective mental block in him being unable to play the sport the way he wants to.
But for the most part, Atsushi’s a lot of fun as a supporting character in the series. He’s childish and even harmless unless you’re trying to separate food – particularly sweets – from him. He looks and behaves like a gentle giant, and when he’s so easy-going outside of playing basketball you wouldn’t expect just how intimidating he can be. When he does get serious, his drive to crush and break the spirits of those he looks down on is quick to commence. Having to mention this and possibly entertain the thought of ever covering Hanamiya Makoto would be a challenge and a half since Atsushi’s situation is both understandable and redeemable in comparison.
Why you will love him
Atsushi tends to stay put on the defence due his build. If he’s not holding himself back then he would be making himself not just a threat to his opponent’s score, but also to their physical wellbeing. Much like Aomine’s being unable to play against someone who matches his skills, Atsushi has also never met someone who could rival his physical abilities. This in itself makes the spin-off an absolute delight to experience, since this is the first and last time fans get to see Atsushi go all out. We have never seen him happier.
But never forget just how much of a man-child Atsushi is. He’d rather get told what to do and has quite the tendency to throw a tantrum when he’s not getting his way. Like winning. But the truth is that he cares about everything he puts his heart and mind to. He’s not only affected by the words of his team mates but he gets visibly emotional when he does ultimately lose to Kuroko. While this does crush him it also opens his eyes to how much passion he genuinely has for the sport. It’s a touching moment that grounds Atsushi, making him a character you want to see happy and content.
Head on over to Netflix to watch the anime now.
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