Fukuda is Ryonan's other star player alongside Sendoh. He's got serious offensive skills that can match up with the best in Kanagawa, and he and Sendoh run some slick alley-oop combinations. The catch is his defense—it's a real weak point, and smart opponents will target him there.
He's got this unspoken rivalry with Hanamichi that starts before they even meet. Sendoh had told him about the red-haired kid, and Fukuda wanted to test himself against him, but Hanamichi wasn't interested at the time. They finally face off in the Interhigh finals, where Fukuda dominates the first half and gets in Sakuragi's head with a taunt—"I won, Sakuragi." That lights a fire under Hanamichi, who locks down on defense in the second half and refuses to let it happen again.
The interesting thing about Fukuda is how Coach Taoka's management style backfired on him. When Fukuda and Sendoh joined Ryonan, the coach saw talent in both, but he'd constantly ride Fukuda while hyping up Sendoh. Fukuda looked rough around the edges, so Taoka figured criticism would toughen him up. Turns out Fukuda's way more sensitive than he appears. It all boiled over in an exhibition match where Fukuda took out his frustration on Taoka himself. The punishment was brutal—he got benched until the Interhigh, missing even the practice game against Shohoku.
That experience seems to have shaped him. Fukuda craves respect and recognition now. When the crowd cheers for him against Kainan, he actually breaks down in tears.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
