Takeshi's a straightforward guy who doesn't hide what he's thinking. He's famously vocal about his rivalry with Kousei Arima—though what started as genuine hatred eventually revealed itself as something more complicated: deep admiration. Takeshi actually looked up to Kousei as his hero, which is why he could be so critical of him. When Kousei failed to live up to Takeshi's expectations as a pianist, he didn't hesitate to call him out on it.
As one of the generation's most talented pianists, Takeshi's credentials speak for themselves. He's won nearly every major piano competition in Japan and has been invited to compete internationally in Europe. Before the main story even starts, there's a telling scene of Takeshi and Emi Igawa sitting together after losing to Kousei, both griping about how emotionless he was as a performer. The crowd's reaction? Pointing out that Takeshi and Emi are clearly in a tier above everyone else—which makes Kousei's victories even more ridiculous. That realization fueled Takeshi's drive. He spent years constantly practicing, pushing himself harder, all in hopes of finally surpassing his hero.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
