Shizuno Takakamo

Shizuno Takakamo (高鴨 穏乃) is a first year at Achiga Girls' Academy and the main protagonist of the side-A story. In sixth grade she befriends Nodoka Haramura and together they play mahjong in the school's childrens mahjong club. She was the club's third best player. When seeing Nodoka's success after she transfered, she makes going to the nationals and playing against Nodoka her goal.

Appearance
Shizuno wears her long brown hair in a ponytail. She usually wears her blue track jacket with nothing on her lower body, other than her shoes.

Personality
Shizuno is an energetic, athletic girl, and is excited about almost all things. She enjoys hanging out with her friends whenever possible and tries to have as much fun as she can. She become a worthy opponent due to her atittude of never giving up until the very end. When the team falls into despair or is not motivated, she will always step up and cheer them on.

Playing Style / Abilities
Shizuno seemed to be a typical player with an unwavering determination to win. Even in impossible situations, Shizuno doesn't give up, and is able to count points and account for the other player's habits to calculate her path to victory. This is showcased in the last hand of the National quarterfinal, where Shizu was some ways away from second place (to secure a spot in the semis), but never gave up and made several good shots at getting second, which eventually ended in her win. According to Harue Akado, Shizuno also plays instinctively sometimes, to others it may seem like the play was a mistake, but it actually largely helps Shizuno.

However, Shizuno also has the ability to weaken or negate other players' ability, which grows stronger the further the round goes into mountain - the Japanese name for the walls of mahjong tiles. For example, she was able to delay Himeko Tsuruta and Mairu Shirouzu's combination (to the point where Himeko noticed that it was taking a long time to win) and even completely nullify Awai Oohoshi's kan-ura-dora ability.

Shizuno also seems to have the ability to nullify player's abilities outside of how long the round has gone on, as towards the end of her match with Oohoshi, Oohoshi started being unable to declare double riichi, despite the fact that declaring double riichi specifically happens at the beginning of the round; in addition to nullifying Awai's double riichi, she also nullified Awai's 5-tiles-from-tenpai starting hands.

Introduction Arc
Shizuno first appears sitting atop a tree looking out for the oncoming bus. When she sees the bus she dashes toward her friend Ako Atarashi to announce when the bus will arrive. There she learns the name of a frilly transfer student, Nodoka, and asks her to be friends. We then see the girls racing and Shizuno winning. She then asks if there is anything Nodoka is good at and when she learns that she likes mahjong, they take her to Achiga's mahjong club to play with the others there. After introducing Nodoka to the instructor Harue Akado, they play and Nodoka wins. They then decide to call the club's number one player Kuro Matsumi. Shizuno is then seen winning off of Kuro to end the match thanks to Nodoka expressing her disbelief of Kuro's abilities. The girls play a few more matches and then walk home together. They then express their desires to keep being together and having fun. Later we see Nodoka and Shizuno playing in the club room. Nodoka then asks about Harue and Shizuno explains how Harue is the legend of Achiga and how she fell from grace. Afterwards, Nodoka suggests that Harue will one day leave which upsets Shizuno. The following day Shizuno and Nodoka express their desire to attend Achiga. However, Ako says that she will enter Ada Middle School but they promise to see each other often. As they enter the club room they learn that Harue has been scouted and is going to leave so they throw her a goodbye party.

During sometime in middle school, she meets up with Nodoka and talks about how they don't see Ako anymore, Shizuno says she feels that everyone is going their separate ways. Nodoka then informs her that because of her mother's work she will also have to leave. Shizuno then tells her that she's been thinking that for a while and to write her if anything comes up. In her last year at middle school, we see her lazily flipping through television channels and stops and watches Nodoka winning the middle school mahjong championship. Feeling ecstatic she calls Ako informing her of what she just saw and tells her that she wants to take Achiga to the nationals.

A little later, Shizuno rushes to school checking the mahjong room. She notices how clean it is, considering it hasn't been in use for almost 2 years, and then is surprised by Kuro appearing in the doorway. She then tells Kuro of her plans to go to the nationals and restart the club. Kuro immediately joins, then out of nowhere Ako shows up and joins as well.

Some time later she meets up with Kuro and Ako to be shown the new candidate for the club. They then arrive at Kuro's house and are introduced to Yuu Matsumi, Kuro's older sister. She recognizes Yuu as the girl who is covered from head to toe even during the summertime. After a brief conversation, she ask Yuu to join and she accepts.

A few days later everyone gathers to see about new members noting that it isn't going well. When Yuu suggests Arata Sagimori, Shizuno and Ako have no idea who she is but is impressed when they heard the story of her playing against adults as a kid. The next day after the new members are introduced Shizuno comments on how they are finally complete. During the winter, Harue shows up at the mahjong club and wonders what everyone is doing. Kuro and Shizuno say that its the new mahjong club and after a conversation with Harue she joins as the clubs coach. After another timeskip its spring.

Preparation Arc
With the start of the new semester, Shizuno and the others gather to offically start the mahjong club. For the next two months the club is trained by Harue in order to up their skill level. One night after training Shizuno and Ako run into Ako's friend who had gone to Bansei High and with a brief encounter Harue picks them up. It was later noted by one of Bansei's seniors that Shizuno had been training diligently and that she would be a good opponent. At the start of the Prefectural tournament Shizuno and the rest were a bit nervous thanks to there being so many people and in their first match having to face Bansei High. But thanks to their training, Bansei was no match. Achiga girls ended up winning the whole tournament.

A few days after the tournament, Shizuno came running in the club holding a newspaper. She then exictedly informed Ako (who already knew) and Kuro that Kiyosumi had won their prefectural tournament. When Harue returned, the club decided that in order to prepare for the nationals they would face some of the clubs that finished second in their prefectural tournament. Shizuno immedately suggested to play the Nagano runner up and the match was set up. Later when they arrived they were greeted by Ryuumonbuchi's butler Hagiyoshi and introduced to the mahjong team. She was later shown to be pitted against Koromo Amae and was decisively beaten each time they played. After the match, Shizuno asked if it was Nodoka that had defeated her and when Koromo explained that it wasn't, she asked for another match. After a few weeks Achiga had beaten all their opponents except for Ryuumonbuchi and together they held a training camp to further their skills. At the end of that they headed for the nationals. Stoping at a rest stop before Tokyo, Shizuno, Ako, and Kuro noticed a girl had fainted and rushed to help her along with her friend. After some conversation with the girls, it was revealed after they left that they were from Senriyama the fourth seeded school in the national tournament.

National Tournament Arc
The Achiga mahjong team later arrives in Tokyo for the national tournament. As the group made their way for the ticket-drawing, Saki Miyanaga unexpectedly walks past them, inadvertently causing Kuro and Harue to cringe in her presence. When Shizuno asked her teammates what's wrong, she too felt Saki's aura, immediately deducing that the girl from Kiyosumi was the one who defeated Koromo. The next day after Kuro awakens Shizuno and Ako, and the team gathers to discuss the bracket and watch video of their opponents matches. On the second day of the tournament Achiga's first round match begins. Shizuno's match wasn't shown but Achiga emerged victorious and moved on to the secound round of the tournament.

After Kuro's match, Shizuno wanted everyone to go and support her but was stopped by Yuu. She is then shown throughout the others matches cheering on her team. When the vice-captain match ended, she leaves for her match.

When we first see her match, Shizuno had just played into someone else's hand and is in third place with one round to go. Her starting hand turns out bad but doesn't give up. While she builds into tenpai with one type of yaku, she is forced to switch her game based on the discards, as her winning tiles were exhausted. Therefore, this forces Shizuno to redevelop her hand towards a different yaku. Those spectating presumed the end of the game. However, she rebuilds her hand and rons off of Kentani High with a chi toitsu dora dora good for 6400 points, and the clutch hand helps Achiga advance to the final eight.

Afterwards the team celebrated but was brought back to reality when Harue told them that even though they advanced they were beaten by 90,000 pts and that Shiraitodai is next for them as well. She then left for a meeting. Yuu went along with the others to get some ramen when they overheard Harue and Toshi Kumakura talking about Harue being a pro again. After arguing about what they heard they ran into Momoko Touyoko and Satomi Kanbara.

Final Eight Arc
Kanbara takes the team to the place where Tsuruga was staying and introduced them to Yumi Kajiki. After hearing their story, Yumi agrees to help them and gets Kanbara to pick up Mihoko Fukuji, Nagano's best individual player. When they are done playing Kanbara takes them to their hotel. The next day Shizuno and Achiga meet up with Kei Arakawa, who was the only person who agreed to play them. However Kei called some of her friends over and they all played against Achiga. While going home Shizuno wonders if Nodoka won her match, but Arata and Ako tell her its better to not know. Back in the hotel, she spots Toshi from afar and rushes to go meet her. She then asks if Toshi is going to take Harue away from them again, but Toshi said Harue declined her offer to go pro so that she can stay with her team. Shizuno then rushes back to the hotel and informs everyone of Harue's intention. She then tells everyone that even though their opponents are strong so are they and that its about time they go to the finals.

Before the matches begin, she is present to wish Kuro good luck. During half time, Shizuno and the rest go meet Kuro for encouragement. Later she is shown celebrating Kuro's winning hand to end her match. Shizuno, together with all of Achiga go to the entrance to see Toki Onjouji off to the hospital. On the way back, they run into Nodoka. She tells Nodoka that they will be waiting in the finals for her and walks off. In the waiting room, she wishes Yuu good luck. When Harue decides to help Kuro get back her powers, Shizuno was a bit surpised she was thinking of them making it to the finals. She along with Ako and Arata then explained to Kuro what exactly transpired during her match, causing her to cry.

She is later seen at the lieutenants intermission discussing with Ako her plan on how to deal with Takami Shibuya. Before Arata leaves for her match she wishes her good luck. She is shown later watching Arata's match when Harue tells her to warm up at the table. Harue says she will go at her at first speed, then Ako sits down and says she will go at her at second speed. Not really understanding them she tells them to go at her at 10 speed. After the vice-captain match, Shizuno says that her arms have had their warming up and its up to 100 speed. She then tells Ako to leave the game to her before trying to run out the door. However she is pulled in by Ako and she tells Shizuno that she should wear a uniform to the match. Ako and Shizuno switch clothes, then she leaves. In the hall she meets Arata and explains why she is wearing a uniform. They then give each other a high-five.

As the match begins she immediately notices that she starts off with six tiles away from tempai and a horrible hand. When she finally gets the hand going, she is won off of by Awai Oohoshi. For much of the first half, she remains quiet until Awai unleashes her true power and declares a double riichi. Shizuno then has a flashback about her and Harue. They talk about how Shiraitodai's teams are chosen then Harue shows Shizuno a video of Awai's offensive ability. She then remembers to play it safe after Awai declared a kan and avoided playing into her hand. When Awai goes into the bonus round, she notices something is off but it was too late as Shizuno ron'd her to end the first half of the match. At the half she is greeted by Ako. Ako gives her a drink and informs her that Harue said it was going well so far. After Ako tells her they only have one more game, she corrects her saying they really have eleven more. When play resumes, she notes that Awai will probably declare a double riichi and that someone has to call a pon or a chii on the first turn to stop it. She then tries to give a tile that could be called however this fails and Awai wins the hand. After some back and forth by Awai, Ryuuka Shimizudani, and Himeko Tsuruta, she thinks of how she has gotten stronger and then wins a cheap hand against Awai. After Awai declares another double riichi, Shizuno reminisces about her days alone in the mountains and says that she feels a unity between the deep mountains and herself. She then says that the tiles that make the mountains and the opponents felt the same to her as the mountains back then. Shizuno then stops Awai's ability and wins big off of her to take first place. She then wins a cheap hand to move the rounds along. After Himeko's yakuman, Shizuno plays it safe until Awai wins. When she declares her points, Shizuno interupts her and tells her to check the ura-dora. When she is too stunned for words Shizuno says that this isn't her territory any more and walks away as the winner of the match.

Back in the waiting room all of Achiga girls celebrate. When she puts back on her jersey she tells Ako that its still warm from her. Later the girls go to check out the final's special hall and meet Sukoya Kokaji. After some words they leave and Shizuno says in her head that they (Nodoka and her) should play there just like old times.

Shizuno appears with the rest of Achiga celebrating their recent victory before Harue tells them to go to sleep.

While playing mahjong with the other girls, Shizu gets a strong feeling that the captians match of side-B is over. She then gets a strong aura around her that is felt by several notable people and says that she is looking forward to it. Later, Shizu is by herself and Ako asks what is wrong. She tells Ako to look at a flipped bracket and says it looks like a mountain and on the top of the mountain they'll be able to play Nodoka's school.

National Championship Arc
She is seen rooting for Kuro throughout the match and helping her regain her Dragon god mode before the finals in a flashback.

Shizuno is seen cheering for Ako but confused when Hisa Takei was going for cheap wins.

Etymology

 * The name Shizuno means "calm" (穏) (shizu) and "from" (乃) (no).
 * Shizuno's surname Takakamo means "tall, high" (高) (taka) and "sea urchin" (鸭) (kamo).