| Aichi Sendou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character Information
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Name
According to KeroKero Ace September 2011, Aichi's surname is written with the kanji for vanguard (先導), the forward element in a military formation (and, of course, a reference to the title of the franchise). His forename primarily refers to the Aichi prefecture of Chubu, Japan. This follows a general trend in Vanguard of using historical names for characters. "Aichi" as a name originates from the third volume of the Man'yōshū, Japan's oldest collection of poetry, where it was referred to as Ayuchi, the Ayuchi-gata tidal flats.
History
Not much information about Aichi's past has been revealed in the series so far, except that he met Toshiki Kai when he was younger and at that time he was always bullied by others. During the fateful encounter with Kai, who was still a friendly teenager, he gave him the card Blaster Blade, telling him to imagine himself big and strong, like the royal knight depicted on the card. Aichi couldn't picture himself any stronger at that moment, but the card gave him courage. He constructed a deck in the hopes of finding Kai and having a cardfight with him, but shortly after their encounter, Kai had apparently moved away. Aichi also lacks a father figure, for whatever reason, but lives with his mother and little sister, Emi. It is shown that Aichi isn't interested in school and his sister always woke him up, though this behavior disappears after he starts playing Cardfight!! Vanguard.
Personality
After the Training Summer Camp, Aichi gains PSY Qualia, which manifests as him having a vision of that fight's result while his eyes glow. Like Ren, using this power normally gives Aichi strong headaches, and occasional fainting. Kai became worried that Aichi might be consumed by this power like Ren did. Aichi's power soon overcomes him as Kai predicted, and he begins to act very much like Ren Suzugamori; arrogant and obsessed with growing stronger, yet staying eerily polite throughout. Ren also gave him a Shadow Paladin deck, which appears to fuel his PSY Qualia, and changed the color of the lights during his Rides and Calls from blue to dark blue combined with black. However, Kai restores Aichi to his old self, showing that it is his Psyqualia that has grown stronger, and not Aichi himself. After being freed from Psyqualia's control, Aichi starts to doubt himself, but quickly get's over it after seeing his friends having fun during a shop tournament at Card Capital.
At first, he is a shy, taciturn and timid boy who doesn't stand out. He is always kind and nice to everyone. Later in the series, he appears to be more confident in himself and it resulted a boost on his Cardfight skills.
During Season 2, he displays more of his calm and determined personality while he was fighting with other fighters, even when he was in the brink of losing against Christopher Lo after the latter got PSY Qualiapowers. He refuses to leave his friends in trouble if he can help them, even when the circumstances dictate that it is a waste of valuable time, as shown when he accepted Christopher's rematch to try and break him out of his Psyqualia-induced madness, even when Cray and Earth were in danger.
In Season 3, it is shown that Aichi, outside of any Cardfight!! Vanguard-related event, is still quite unsure and nervous, but this side of him completely vanishes whenever he plays. He also starts to act more like a leader in the Cardfight Club. Naoki, Rekka, and Kourin have all noted that during their fights with him, he seems like a different person, only looking forward and having his sights set on winning.
Season 1
Biography
Aichi is a student in Hitsue Middle School. He is introduced as a self-contained boy with low self-esteem, as seen when he is asked by his teacher to base an opinion, to which he gives an answer that makes him seem cowardly in appearance to the other students. When Kai introduced him to play Vanguard, he gained a lot of friends like Morikawa, Miwa and Izaki, and later his teammates that becomes his best friends - Kai Toshiki, Misaki Tokura and Kamui Katsuragi.
When Q4 begins to play in the Regionals, he becomes friend with members of teams like Handsome, and when they forward to Nationals, he become friend with members of Team Caesar. However, as the series progresses, Aichi discovers PSY Qualia, an unusual power that allows him to hear the voices of his cards. Placing his trust in these voices, Aichi begins to rely on his own skill less and less in favour of PSY Qualia. Kai leaves Aichi, partially out of guilt over what happened to Ren, but not without coldly telling Aichi he has only gotten weaker.
Confused over Kai's words, Aichi stumbles into Card Shop PSY, where he meets Ren again. Ren gives Aichi aShadow Paladin deck and tells him that it will give him the strength he needs. Aichi uses this deck to utterly defeatKourin.
Later in the series, after Team Q4 qualify through the Preliminaries of their second National Championship, Kai fights Aichi, in order to try and prevent PSY Qualia from totally consuming him as it did Ren. When the fight is almost over, Aichi has a vision of Blaster Blade that tells him that he has a big strength that he's always had, and he doesn't need a perfect constructed deck to win. After recognizing Blaster Blade as his true Avatar, Aichi stops using his PSY Qualia, although his cards answered his call during his fight with Kenji Mitsusada. However, Ren noted that Aichi won without Psy Qualia, as did Kai.
Later, Aichi goes to Foo Fighters' headquarters with Ultra-Rare to watch the fight between Kai and Ren, with the former losing. Ren noted that he received Phantom Blaster Overlord from Suiko in the process. After the battle, Aichi tries to comfort Kai, but Kai tells Aichi to get away from and storms off. Suiko then manifests two spheres of energy, one of darkness and the other of light, and says that Ren chose the path of darkness and now Aichi must choose his path, and presumably a new card.
After the battle between Kai and Ren, Aichi and Q4 (minus Kai) return to the stadium for the finals of the National Tournament to fight Team Foo Fighter AL4. Aichi remains on the sidelines while Kamui fights Tetsu and Misaki fights Asaka. After these battles Aichi takes the field to battle Ren in the final match of the tournament. Throughout the match Ren tempts Aichi to use his Psyqualia ability but Aichi constantly refuses while Ren constantly uses Psyqualia to cause Aichi to feel the pain of each of Ren's attacks. Aichi eventually succumbs to the temptation after he calls Blaster Dark to his Rear Guard.Using Psyqualia's power, he then begins to unleash his full power on Ren, causing Ren to feel the attack from Aichi's units just as Ren had done to Aichi previously. From the stands, Kai shouts to Aichi not to fall back into Psyqualia's grasp and brings Aichi back to his senses once more. After Ren Crossrides Phantom Blaster Overlord, Aichi is backed into a corner when his guard is broken and Phantom Blaster Overlord's attack hits. After checking a Heal Trigger, Aichi proceeds to ride Majesty Lord Blaster and defeat Ren using its skill as well as removing the power of Psyqualia from Ren. After the match, Aichi and Team Q4 are crowned the National Champions. A few days after the tournament, Aichi runs to Card Capital to see his friends while saying that he can no longer use Psyqualia. As he enters Card Capital, all his friends are there waiting for him, including Kai who has been waiting to battle him. Aichi then proceeds to start a battle with Kai.
Season 2
During season 2, he uses a Gold Paladin deck. Aichi is taking part in Asia Circuit and travels around Asia to fight different fighters, along with the rest of Team Q4.
In episode 66, he fought Takuto Tatsunagi, who has a Gold Paladin deck. After the fight, he realizes his deck consisted of Gold Paladin units instead of Royal Paladins. Aichi is told that Shadow Paladin, Royal Paladin, and Kagero have been sealed away. Eventually, Aichi finds Kai, and discovers that his deck has changed too, although Kai is unaware of the change, unlike Aichi. Kai and Aichi then start a battle, in order to try and determine what really has happened. However, Aichi is unsure without his old deck to play with and is swiftly defeated by Kai's new ace, Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion, who demonstrates the new Limit Break ability.
In episode 68, Aichi takes on Kamui, in order to try and convince him to come to the VF Circuit with him, and battles with his Gold Paladin deck, even using the Limit Break for the first time.
Once Aichi and Q4 land in Singapore, they meet up with Kenji Mitsusada and Team Caesar by chance and then meet with a boy named Chris Falo and his teammates: Lee Shenlon and Pajeel Ali. After parting ways with Team Caeser and the young boys Aichi sees Takuto in a car driving away and proceedes to give chase. After being denied an audience with Takuto, he walks through town until Kourin finds him and proceeds to give him his new trump card, Incandescent Lion, Blond Ezel.
Aichi's quest to see Takuto again, however, is brought to a halt, when Takuto appears in the middle of Aichi's fight with Christopher Lo. Takuto grants both players the power of Psyqualia, which Christopher uses to defeat Aichi before he can begin to re-understand his new power.
Although Q4 have also recieved invitations to participate in the circuit in other countries, Q4 are denied their finals victories by the newly re-formed Team AL4, now led by Kai, and Team Dreadnought, led by Leon Soryu, who entered the circuit in order to revive a legendary clan known as Aqua Force.
Later on, Aichi realises that his lack of progress is due to his own hesitation regarding the correct use of Psyqualia, but he learns to overcome them after a match with Ultra-Rare. His new resolve results in the acceptance of a new ace card, Blazing Lion, Platina Ezel. With this card, Q4 are finally able to win the Japan leg of the VF Circuit.
However, he and the other finalists are drawn to Cray via a portal connecting Cray to Earth, where he learns the VF Circuit's true purpose; Cray is in danger of a threat known as Void, and is responsible for the sealing of the clans who united the others. The whole tournament was held in order to find chosen cardfighters who could save Cray from Void.
Leon Soryu, however, reveals that he made a deal with Void in order to revive the Aqua Force in exchange for eliminated all threats to Void. With his wildly-evolved PSY Qualia and mastery of the powers that Void handed to him, Soryu betrays Tatsunagi, draining him of his own powers and leaving the boy for dead. He then seperates each team who made the finals, and Aichi is forced to look for Leon and stop him. While searching, he finds the spirit of his lost Avatar, Blaster Blade, and it manifests in the form of a beam of light, pointing towards Leon, and a Blaster Blade Spirit.
Leon Soryu, however, reveals that he made a deal with Void in order to revive the Aqua Force in exchange for eliminated all threats to Void. With his wildly-evolved PSY Qualia and mastery of the powers that Void handed to him, Soryu betrays Tatsunagi, draining him of his own powers and leaving the boy for dead. He then seperates each team who made the finals, and Aichi is forced to look for Leon and stop him. While searching, he finds the spirit of his lost Avatar, Blaster Blade, and it manifests in the form of a beam of light, pointing towards Leon, and a Blaster Blade Spirit.
Q4 then bump into Team S.I.T Genius, where Aichi discovers that Christopher Lo has been completely consumed by Psyqualia. Seeing himself in Christopher, Aichi decides to try and snap him out of it, as Kai did for him. Aichi succeeds in winning the fight, banishing Team S.I.T Genius from Cray, as only the winners can remain. However, this fight delays Aichi, and he is too late to stop Leon from defeating Kai and banishing Team new AL4 from the space as well. Aichi fights Leon to avenge Kai and stop Leon's plot. After a hard-fought fight, which results in the return of his Avatar and the Crossride of Platina Ezel, Aichi narrowly escapes defeat and succeeds in saving Cray.
Afterwards, when he re-discovers the Royal Paladins, Aichi realises that he has forged a bond with his Gold Paladin allies and cannot bear the thought of simply abandoning them. Understanding his feelings, Blaster Blade, as well as the other Royal Paladins he fought with, manifest in the form of new Gold Paladins.
Aichi then makes the true finals of the VF Circuit, where he officially defeats Christopher Lo, ending in Q4 becoming the champions of the tournament.
Season 3
Aichi re-enrolls in Miyaji Academy with Misaki. However, when he settles into his old school again, it becomes apparent that his hobby has little place in a school where the primary concern is college. At the end of school, he goes to Card Capital and a regular student, Naoki Ishida, follows him. Aichi teaches him how to play Vanguard, and introduces his new deck. Although Aichi wins, he notices that Naoki bought a Trial Deck, which means he is now interested in Vanguard. He then decides to keep an eye on him.
He tries to start a Cardfight Club at his school, but many people only wanted to join because Kourin was a member, so it resulted in there only being three Members so far, being Naoki Ishida, Kourin Tatsunagi, and Aichi. In addition, the student council, who disaproves the formation of such a club, frequently spred rumors and a bounty on the Cardfight Club to dismantle them. Eventually they add Shingo Komoi and Misaki Tokura competing the Cardfight Club but was not approved as they also do not have a teacher to advise them. As an alternative, The Student Council President challenges them to face Hisui High's Cardfight Club rewarding them with aproval and an advisor should they win. By the time Aichi fights, the results are tied up leaving it up to Aichi to save the Cardfight Club. He faces off against Morikawa whose deck was switched out in favor of Kai's Kagero deck which utilized Dragonic Overlord The End and the Kagero's new Break Ride as a way for Kai to test him. Aichi manages to break through impressing even Kai with how strong he has become. This victory establishes the Cardfight Club within Miyaji Academy as Aichi is named President and Captain of the club.
During the regionals for the High School VF Circuit, his team begins the tournament defeating Hisui High with Aichi coming out victorious against a strong willed Izaki. By the finals, Aichi faces off against Ren to decide the fate of both schools but in the end, Aichi fails to defeat Ren and knocks them out of the next stage of the Circuit.
He returns to his duties as club president only to find himself getting a strange premonition about his friends. Soon he faces against Naoki who is being controlled by Link Joker defeats him. He also starts getting strange feelings as Kourin has not attended school for a while and Kai has not shown up to Card Capital as well.
Later on, he is shown to lead his club on a hike trip around the camp site that the whole academy is taking as a relaxing trip. He and his team made it first out of everyone and the other students are rather impressed at that. At night, the whole club gathered around to watch the high school cardfight tournamet, they were joined by other students along with the Football club and the Paranormal Research Society though Kourin was a no show. He with Naoki and Shingo made a vow to win the next tournament. The next day, he and the others worked together to enjoy their time on the trip. At night, Kourin asked Aichi to walk with her to the legendary tree next to the lake. When they reached there, Kourin told Aichi to fight her in a cardfight. Not wanting to disappoint her, he agreed to it while Miskai calmly watched from a far. During the fight, she displayed a sign of being Reversed, however, at the last minute, she was able to break free of it. She, then, ran off without a word while Aichi and Misaki wondered what was happening. When on the bus back to school, he wondered and worried for what is happening to Kourin. When Aichi returned to Miyaji High School, he felt bad premonitions during the bus ride back and immediately ran out only to find Kamui who was just defeated by Kourin and in the process of getting Reversed and the Student Council Secretary showing a video of the Reversed Takuto who declared it to be the beginning of the destruction of the world.
Relationships
Toshiki Kai
His relationship with Kai, at first was rocky. They didn't get along too well though they learned to enjoy each other company. Kai is quite supportive of Aichi though only when Aichi learned how to do things by himself and become more confident. Aichi taught Kai how to have fun in Cardfight again when Kai forgotten how much fun he was having before his change in school and his parent's death. During Season Two, Kai was withdraw from him since Aichi needed to learn how to do things by himselves and to not count on others to help him. In Season Three, Kai noticed how much Aichi has changed. He was happy and sad at the same time though he was glad to see Aichi being himself now.
Misaki Tokura
She and Aichi have a close friendship. They shared one thing in common: they both don't know how to play Cardfight at first. After going through countless tournaments together, they formed a tight bond with each other. She appears to have a slight liking to Aichi though Aichi never noticed it.
Kamui Katsuragi
Their relationship is close and very supportive of each other. Although Kamui, at first, was treating Aichi kindness to see if Emi would like him, Kamui learned to enjoy Aichi's company. They went through thick and thin together.
Taishi Miwa
He and Aichi gets along quite well. They speak a lot to each other when not Cardfighting and Miwa is very supportive to Aichi. He cares a lot for everyone and Aichi is one of them. He likes to lighten the mood when Aichi is down in the dumps.
Kourin Tatsunagi
He and Kourin have a understanding relationship with each other. At first, she was annoyed at him though she learned to care about him after seeing what he was going through. Out of the three sisters, she cares for Aichi the most and seems to worry about him whenever he was in trouble. She helped him in many different situations and he was always glad for her help. It appears that her caring has turned into a slight crush on him. She, at times, show some feelings for Aichi though he would never notice them.
Ren Suzugamori
His relationship with Ren was very distance the first time they meant. He was a better player than Aichi by far and Aichi felt a difference in strength. When Aichi was upset for causing his team failures, Ren took a chance and told him that power can be his if he chose the path, he took back then. When they fought in the last battle, Aichi told him that he will not use PSY Qualia anymore and showed Ren what it meant to have true strength. When they met again after some months, their relationship became rather close. They now enjoy each other companies and likes to talk to each other even though Ren tends to switch subjects or sleeping on his feet.
Blaster Blade
His relationship to Blaster Blade is a special one. Although Blaster Blade was just a card to many people, Aichi have always counted on him to support his back and always call him his avatar. When Aichi was abusing PSY Qualia, he abandoned Blaster Blade for Blaster Dark though when they meet in Cray (an image of it), Blaster Blade told him that PSY Qualia was never his true strength. Aichi, once again, called him his avatar. When Blaster Blade was sealed away in Season Two, Aichi went through lots of trials to get him back. Blaster Blade told Aichi that he will always be with him.
Blaster Dark
His relationship with Blaster Dark is very loose. Although Aichi did use him instead of Blaster Blade, he in the end chose Blaster Blade over him. Blaster Dark told him that he will regret it later. When Aichi fought against Ren, he told Ren that both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark are his avatars.
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