Juri Sawai

Juri is patient, perceptive and accustomed to dealing with strong personalities. Much of her time around Bando is spent watching Koutaro and Akaba argue despite sharing essentially the same level of obsession with football.

Her familiarity with Koutaro also makes her largely immune to his dramatic behavior. She does not react to his romantic declarations with the seriousness he might hope for, instead brushing them aside as another familiar part of their relationship.

Juri does not compete as a football player. Her role is organizational and interpersonal, supporting the Bando Spiders as their manager.

Her strongest established quality is her understanding of the team's personalities. She can recognize the common motivation behind Koutaro and Akaba's clashes and deal with both without being overwhelmed by their eccentricities.

Juri appears as part of the small core that remains around the Bando Spiders after the program loses many of its players. Her presence reinforces the sense that Bando survives through the commitment of a limited group rather than a deep roster.

She continues supporting the team as its remaining specialists build a strategy around Akaba's blocking and Koutaro's kicking.

Koutaro Sasaki is Juri's childhood friend, and the two are frequently seen together away from football. Koutaro Sasaki repeatedly asks her to date him; Juri dismisses the proposals as foolish without giving him a straightforward rejection.

Hayato Akaba is another player Juri deals with closely as Bando's manager. She recognizes that Hayato Akaba and Koutaro Sasaki are more alike in their football obsession than either likes to admit.