What do you mean by "use" Kijin? Oni's Kijin appeared twice and that was whenever he's breaking new boundaries. It appeared during the match with Kintarou to indicate that he returned to his former level of being the #1 rep of All Japan. This is the Oni QP faced from the very beginning. Then his Kijin appeared again in his match against QP to indicate that he's surpassing his own limit by still competing even with broken wrists. Even after this Oni didn't receive any major skill buff, he was still struggling but he was being carried on by his determination and spirit.
Use Ki Jin = get buffed by an aura. Like the Pirate, the Destruction God, the Samurai vs Knight duel...
Only 3 players got "???" Stats in 10.5. Ryoga, who they literally had no info of, and Oni and Byoudouin, who were the only ones to show they had dominated Spirits (Demon and Pirate, respectively). Later this is shown in stats as a 10 in Power for Oni and a 10 in Mental for Byoudouin.
But then how was QP outpowering him if Oni's POWER was a 10, going beyond's human limit and performing on an interdimensional level? 6 is a Pro's level, 7 is aboslutely elite, flawless. The only explanation is that his power wasn't a 10, which in turn means he wasn't "using" Kijin.
In chapter 279 (QP vs Oni) Kintarou says Oni hadn't been giving it his all, and yet the image used in his flashback is NOT TnK Oni. Hell, he hadn't even used the GJK yet.
Everyone was at a 60% limiter. Even Mach. Byoudin too it was already mentioned in his match against Volk. That's why Tohno going for 80% was explicitly mentioned because it was an aberration.
Holding on to two of-screen points from a chapter where QP hasn't even existed in Konomi's mind is just freaking crazy. Ain't no way. You're taking this waaaay too literally.
We don't know if everyone had a 60% limiter, no. Yes, I mentioned Mach and Byoudouin.
Tohno and Duke were mentioned, since they injure their opponents with their tennis. It's the reasoning Kimijima gives to Tohno the night before.
You can use the same "Konomi hadn't planned ahead" argument for the HSers holding back or not. He decided halfway through the G-10 matches what the hell to do with the team, to the point he had considered having a team of HSers and one of MSers. With 2 teams the position of the HSers is never in danger = they can limit themselves with little to no. With a single team they cannot. But imo it's really lame reasoning, it's much better to discuss what we actually got.
On the other hand, this goes against my argument but:
Player | Speed | Power | Stamina | Mental | Technique | Total |
Byoudouin | 5 | 7 | 5.5 | 10 | 7 | 34.5 |
Byoudouin 60% | 3 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 6 | 4.2 | 20.7 |
Rounded up | 3 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 6 | 4.5 | 21.5 |
Tokugawa | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 22.5 |
Rounding up the stats, even if Byoudouin was limiting himself Tokugawa was ahead in just Speed and Stamina, and the latter may not have been a factor since the points were short. The moment Byoudouin went all out with his moves and activated his Pirate he got a stat in Pro level (even on a limiter), and everything combined was too much for Tokugawa to handle.
If we consider, then, that Konomi respected this when he displayed Byoudouin's stats, perhaps he did the same with Oni. Making up numbers here since's half of Oni's stat sheet is covered but:
Player | Speed | Power | Stamina | Mental | Technique | Total |
Oni | 5 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
Oni 60% | 3 | 6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 20.4 |
Rounded up | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 21.5 |
Tooyama | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 22 |
Something like that makes more sense than Kintarou being as good as someone that was better in every single stat.
So perhaps Oni was playing at his full potential except for the 10 in Power against QP, whereas against Kin he did the same as Byoudouin.
The ranking is based on the camp results not Nationals. Why are you still questioning it when Konomi said so? Yukimura was selected above Ryoma in G20, although Ryoma was probably mucking about and not even using TnK (Ryoma not using TnK throughout most of NPOT is a sore sticking point btw). Then when Yukimura was referred to as #1 MSer before Greece, Ryoma was a rep for the US. Konomi could have said "He intimidates his opponents with Yips" or whatever in his card but Konomi went out of his way and called him #1 because he wanted Tezuka to convincingly beat the #1 JP MSer and vindicate him after his losses to Sanada and Atobe in the original series.
I'm not questioning that. "Then there's the fact that when the camp rolled around anyway Yukimura was still #1." to me reads "the moment the camp started".
Also, it needs to be said it's a 1-off line from before Kin improved as he played Dorgias, before Ryoma returned (he didn't even want him back, at the point), before Atobe showed Ice Emperor, before Fuji unlocked Light Wind against Australia (which is effectively as strong as ZST) and before Akutsu unlocked 8C. In the meantime Yukimura got nothing except making his ship with Sanada stronger.
I'm not sure Konomi wanted to vindicate anything (did he say that in an interview?). Anyone holding up to that is doing it for no reason. Tezuka's been in a whole different level ever since he played Yamato, and only grew even stronger thanks to training with Volk.
Compare that to Konomi giving Jirou a forced W against Kabaji just to validade his spot as the No.2 in Hyotei then throwing him into the garbage bin again. Now THAT was needed.
Where does it say that? Why isn't Niou ranked #2 or #3 when he took Mouri's badge? Why is Fuji who didn't even play against G10 or G20 ranked above Niou? There is no evidence of an explicit ranking. HSers are absolutely obsessed with it and it keeps getting brought up but for MSers not one of the players or the coaches referred to it. There is a ranking in Konomi's mind and he will give it to you if you put a gun against his head, but it played no part in the story. Atobe was selected as Captain because he is the one with the best leadership skills among the top players.
It's never stated. I said seemingly.
Niou was literally dead on the floor for 2/3s of the match against Ochi/Mouri, he got no badge there, and his match against the Mutsus wasn't official. Fuji probably performed better off-screen.
Is Atobe's leadership better than Yukimura's? How?
So you think Atobe, Kintarou and Fuji can take more games off Tezuka? You think Konomi didn't throw out the best MSer in the Tezuka match of the tournament? After Konomi explicitly called Yukimura #1?
Konomi was likely planning to have Atobe, Kintarou and Ryoma in the finals already (all 3 of them being "main characters" at one point), naturally neither of them could play Tezuka. He also cannot have Fuji play Tezuka because he needs to constantly tease their fans and Fuji "won't lose to the same opponent twice". Finally, he had sent Akutsu to Japan (while revealing in Best Advice that Akutsu wanted to go back to Australia and that he certainly had time to do it).
I'm not sure any of them would had done better, that is not the point.
He made Akaya play in D1 over someone like Sanada that got a massive buff the round before. He placed 4 MSers against France and split Mouri/Ochi to make the former play with someone that hates him. Tokugawa and Irie haven't played yet
at all. Yes, the lineups are questionable.
Lol ok. I don't know what to say anymore. Carry on I guess.
It's just a discussion because we like this series, we do not have to agree on everything.
No need to be passive aggressive either.