Atsushi Ootani (大谷敦士)

Atsushi Ootani is one of the main characters. He is very short for a boy, standing 156 centimetres (5 ft 1 in). The average height for a male in Japan is 171 cm (5 ft 7 in). Like Koizumi, Ootani's surname (roughly, "big valley") is a pun on his diminutive stature, and he can be thoughtless and rude; at heart, however, he is kind and a little silly. Ootani is also the star player of the school basketball team. Some say he wears padded shoes so he can reach 162 cm (5'3").