Hotta, Norio
Seiyuu / Dub
Summary
Norio Hotta serves as the leader of a group of Third Year students who hold the title of reigning delinquents at Shohoku High. His gang catches Sakuragi’s eye on the very first day of school following a physical altercation between Sakuragi and two of Hotta’s cronies. In response, Hotta interrupts one of Sakuragi’s classes to issue a direct challenge. Prior to the arrival of Sakuragi and his group, Hotta and his friends encounter Rukawa on the school roof, where Rukawa single-handedly knocks out all four of them. Hotta shares a close friendship with Mitsui, having supported him when he challenged Miyagi to a fight a year earlier. When Miyagi returns, Hotta and his friends provide the muscle for Mitsui’s subsequent attack on the basketball team. However, after Kogure reveals Mitsui’s past history with basketball, Hotta realizes that Mitsui harbors a deep desire to play again. Persuaded by Sakuragi’s Gang, Hotta agrees to share the blame for the incident, which successfully gets the basketball team off the hook for the fight. Although Hotta and his cronies failed to defeat either Sakuragi’s Gang or Rukawa in combat, they are still portrayed as among the most formidable fighters at Shohoku. Later, during the National Championship Tournament, Hotta and his friends become supporters of the basketball team, largely due to their friendship with Mitsui, whom they refer to by the epithet Honoo no Otoko, or Flaming Man. Even they are intimidated by the aggressive behavior of the Toyotama crowd during the games.
