After defeating Black Shaft's makeshift Team America, the Golden Japan Jr. team returns to training for the World Tournament that will be held in Tokyo. But during training the Shadow Clan, which uses boxing as an assasination technique, kidnaps Kiku in order to lure Ryuuji and the others into a fight to see who's truly the better representatives of Japan's junior boxers.
 
(Source: Anime News Network)

__Height:__ 177 cm (5'9.75")

On October 26, 2022, it was reported that Sakurai had been engaging in an extramarital affair with a writer of his *P.S. Genki Desu. Takahiro* radio program. A month prior, it was publicly disclosed that he had been married to a former voice actress for nearly 20 years, although the writer had allegedly not been aware of his marriage as they had been in a relationship for 10 years and intending to marry. His previously announced roles as [Haruaki Karuma](https://anilist.co/character/290233) in [AYAKA](https://anilist.co/anime/155982/AYAKA/) and [Kusuriuri](https://anilist.co/character/2865) in [Mononoke (Movie)](https://anilist.co/anime/151117/Mononoke-Movie/) had been recast as a result.

On March 31, 2023, it was jointly announced with his talent agency "Intention" that they are ending their contract, as Sakurai requested to leave as a way of taking sole responsibility of his actions and for self-reflection.

Non-Anime Roles:
-Passenger in "Arknights" (VG/Mobile) (Japanese)
-Su in "Honkai Impact 3rd" (VG) (Japanese)
-Cloud Strife in "FINAL FANTASY 7 REMAKE" (Japanese)
Crow Armbrust - The Legend of Heroes Series (VG)

Takane Kiku and Takane Ryuji are the children of a legendary world contender boxer. Kiku, the daughter seems to have inherited her father's boxing sense and tries to teach Ryuji to become a world contender. However, Ryuji hates boxing and gets picked on. After Kiku and Ryuji leave their hometown for Tokyo, Ryuji eventually learns to discover a passion for boxing after an encounter with a boxing prodigy, Kenzaki Jun. This will eventually lead him to learn crazy moves and out of this world opponents to become one of Japan's top junior boxers. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

At the end of Ring ni Kakero 1, Ryuuji Takane went up against Superstar Jun Kenzaki for the World Title. Now, 17 years later, Rindo Kenzaki, the son of Jun Kenzaki and nephew of Ryuuji Takane, lives with Ishimatsu Katori, the "Kenka Champion" from Ryuuji and Jun's time. Rindo will meet up with a new generation of boxers to create a new Golden Japan Jr. to take on the world. 
(Source: Anime News Network)

Special chapter first released in the Ring ni Kakero Real databook and then rereleased in the Oh! Super Jump magazine to conmemorate the release of the anime's second season.

Shadow Sousui