Zenkichi Hitoyoshi

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi is the main male protagonist from the Medaka Box anime and manga.

Zenkichi is a freshman and later junior of Class 1, and a childhood friend of Medaka Kurokami, who strong-arms him into joining the Student Council as the general affairs manager. He later becomes the 100th Student Council president. He is the son of Hitomi Hitoyoshi.

In the AWA fics, Zenkichi is a student at the AWA Academy and is part of Class 5 which he serves as the vice-class representative.

Appearance
Zenkichi is left handed. He is of average height and build for a fifteen-year-old, with strawberry-blond hair and blue eyes. He initially wore the standard men's uniform of Hakoniwa Academy, though after joining the Student Council, he changes to the Student Council uniform, black as opposed to the usual white. He sometimes wears his jersey underneath his jacket, though only rarely. The green armband signifying him as the general affairs manager is worn around his left arm. During the battle to decide the academy's new Student Council, Zenkichi wears the Student Council's Battle Attire Red Model. After becoming President, Zenkichi replaces his green armband with the Medaka's red one. He also begins wearing a pair of glasses. Zenkichi has an odd fashion sense, which he seems to have inherited from his mother. He claims black doesn't suit him, and that he came to Hakoniwa Academy because there was some white in the uniform. At Medaka's suggestion, he begins wearing his jersey under his uniform, a style he believes makes him look cool (in contrast, everyone else thinks it looks stupid). Ten years later, Zenkichi wears a black suit and tie similar in appearance to his academy uniform.

At age two, Zenkichi wore a yellow lined, orange hoodie with green shorts. When he was a middle school student, Zenkichi wore the uniform of Hakobune Middle School. For a time, he also had his hair dyed brown and slicked back, before Medaka convinced him to change it back.

Personality
Zenkichi is very observant, and his inner monologues provide much of the narration for the series. Zenkichi has been friends with Medaka since they were two, though they apparently grew apart during middle school. Zenkichi is deeply in love with Medaka, though the dynamics of their relationship is different between the pilot and the actual series. In the pilot, Zenkichi is unable to admit his feelings (though Medaka is aware of them), while in the main series he openly admits to his friends that he follows Medaka around because he's in love with her. Zenkichi is highly determined; despite being only a Normal, he can keep up with Specials and even Abnormals.

Abilities
Superhuman Physiology: Because Zenkichi has been together with Medaka since they were two, he has trained his body so that he can stay by her side, a course of action prompted by Maguro telling him he was too weak to remain by her side in middle school. Zenkichi is very strong, causing a small earthquake with only a stomp, and was able to survive being skewered by six blades at once.

Combat Expert: Zenkichi is a master of Savate, a French style which focuses mainly on footwork, having honed his skill to such an extent that he possesses an almost impenetrable defense. According to Zenkichi, he learned this style because he fears fighting and uses it to disarm opponents and take away their desire to fight. His mother claims to have taught him the basics of Savate. He is somewhat trained in judo, well enough that he doesn't cheat in matches even though his actual skills are less than those of Medaka and Akune. Zenkichi has also studied on how to disassemble guns (even rocket launchers), just in case something ever happened to Medaka. Maestro (Maesutoro): Zenkichi possesses the ability to harmonize with and guide others, drawing out 200% of their potential. Ajimu claims this is not a skill, but rather a part of Zenkichi's nature.
 * Devil Climb (Debiru Kuraimu): After the underground battle with the Flask Plan, Zenkichi learned the technique for walking on walls. Zenkichi uses this skill for escapes, and can run up the side of a building while holding someone in his arms.
 * Tactics of Naze Youka: Minus Nullify System (Naze Youka no Takutikusu: Mainasu Mukouka Shisutemu): Zenkichi has been trained by Youka Naze to fight with his eyes closed. She commented that Zenkichi, due to his training, can fight the Boxing Club and walk around Hakoniwa Academy blindfolded. This was done as a countermeasure due to his crippling fear of Kumagawa. Furthermore, Zenkichi was able to utilize his own terror to "feel Kumagawa's disgusting existence" through his skin, even if his opponent kept silent. Without his brain needing to process visual information, Zenkichi can become stronger and faster, which has been referred to as his "Artificial War God Mode." The final part of the Minus Nullify System can only be realized when Zenkichi is so afraid that he begins shaking. Instead of becoming paralyzed, he trembles even more in order to perform a powerful, ground quaking stomp.

Abnormalities
Parasite Seeing (Parasaito Shīingu): During his near death, Zenkichi's eyesight was restored (after Kumagawa blinded him with All Fiction) by Ajimu, who passed on her ability Parasite Seeing to him.[424] Zenkichi's now enhanced vision grants him the ability to see what others see through their own eyes. This also allows him to see how others view the world and understand how they think. When he activates Parasite Seeing, Zenkichi's eyes turn red, with glowing pupils. This skill was turned into Model Zenkichi by Shiranui with her Real Eater.

Devil Style (Debiru Sutairu): Zenkichi's personal skill, created by Hanten. Devil Style nullifies any coincidence; the skill prevents the whims of fate from interfering with a battle. Ajimu states that this ability is the opposite of a conventional main character; it degrades the hero, as they are usually just really lucky. Ajimu labels Devil Style as an ability that will render all the main characters that came before Zenkichi relics of the past. Because of Devil Style, Zenkichi is classed as neither a Plus nor a Minus, but rather as a Zero.

Altered God Mode, Model Zenkichi (Kaishin Mōdo, Zenkichi Moderu): Zenkichi's version of Medaka's Altered God Mode, born from his training with Ajimu; more specifically, his exposure to Shiranui's Real Eater. When entering this form, Zenkichi removes his glasses, and his hair turns black. This skill lets Zenkichi perceive his own limits; it was created when Shiranui altered Parasite Seeing with her Real Eater. Because Shiranui created the skill however, Model Zenkichi cannot be used against her.
 * Shutouryuu (Hand Sword Style): While in Altered God Mode, Zenkichi's hands somehow become as sharp as blades; Zenkichi refers to them as his "special swords", which he uses with a two sword style. Zenkichi has also implied that he can use his legs in the same manner, for a four sword style, though this has not been demonstrated.

Style
Contradictory Conjunction (Paradox) User (Gyakusetsu(setsu) Tsukai): Because styles are patterns, Nienami is able transfer her style temporarily to Zenkichi using vibrations. Because this transfer relies on vibrations however, the vibrations will weaken as time passes, and the style will ultimately disappear. After receiving Nienami's style, Zenkichi gains her tattoo on his tongue. This is the inverse connection style that specializes in the use of the word "therefore" (dakarakoso). This style makes the impossible possible; it paradoxically materializes the lowest possible outcome of a situation, such as winning against a strong opponent, or cutting a huge, resilient object. As Zenkichi is a normal who is quite adept at communication and understanding, along with his own powerful will and feelings, he's able to fully understand the nature of styles and how they're supposed to be used, making him better suited to Styles than arguably any other character. However, as the style is suited to contrarians, it clashes with Zenkichi's honest personality, who would never do something as utilize it to grant an automatic win in a fight, much like Nienami herself.

Trivia

 * When translated from kanji, Parasite Seeing means Greedy Sight.
 * When translated from kanji, Devil Style means The Right to do What is Wrong.
 * The mark on Zenkichi's tongue can mean "Reverse" or "Inverted".
 * Zenkichi was voted the third most popular character in the series in the third popularity poll with 885 votes.
 * Zenkichi was voted the eighth most popular character in the series in the second popularity poll with 672 votes.
 * Zenkichi was voted the second most popular character in the series in the first popularity poll with 554 votes.