Welcome to AkiraKaedeology - The True Blue Essential Guide to Sendoh and Rukawa

Most of you die-hard SenRu fans already know how they look, but since many writers and fans still get some details about their appearances wrong (thanks to inaccurate internet info), I thought it would be so much fun to write these descriptions. I also included some personal musings and trivia, on how different versions of their features appear in doujinshi. Of course the way they are drawn will always vary, but I've inspected as much of what artworks I know to exist in the fandom, and chosen the styles most commonly used based on the canon series and most loyal and beautiful doujinshi.

Sendoh's eyes are generally blue to midnight-blue, framed by delicate upper eyelids and dark lashes. When you look into them, if you're sensitive enough, you'll find a paradox of sorts. A conflicting aura that is both mild yet strong, light-hearted & carefree yet daring, calm and sometimes a bit shallow but also enigmatic and profound. Sometimes you'll find those lines under his eyes, they look like eye bags but aren't dark. They make him look tired, sad or bored. His brows are heavy, well-pronounced and kinda serious, delicately tracing the contours of his eyes, and do wonders in accentuating the irresistible boyish mischief in his lively blue orbs. Since it's fairly easy to read emotion from such expressive eyes, it's easy to tell when he's happy, when he's really happy - and when he's not. Most of the time, I get the impression that his carefree smile is really trying to make up for that quiet restlessness that seem to fog those gorgeous pools of endless blue…

Rukawa has very intense blue (sometimes dark brown) irises. His eyes are somewhat smaller and sharper than Sendoh's, outlined with rich, long eyelashes (almost like that of a woman's) and even though he's always sleeping, when he's wide awake those eyes immediately shift from lazy to keen and attentive like that of a fox, or to some, a cat. His brows are also well-pronounced, but start out heavier near the middle of his forehead and then subtly fades as it rises upward, a sharp angle right before his temples. This all the more intensifies the keen fox-like distinction of Rukawa's eyes, which is why he looks so divine and unreachable, that is- apart from his graceful ethereal beauty. These eyes are always aglow with unrelenting passion and coldness, the kind that normal people find so intimidating. It allows no room for softness and rarely or diminutively convey emotion. Ironically though, this is also your doorway to Rukawa's true nature. Like everything exciting and of rare beauty, there's much more than what you find on the surface. If you dare to venture beyond his icy blue depths, you'll be rewarded to find a lovely priceless treasure. And I reckon only a brave few have discovered the soul of a winsome little boy, full of unconditional trust and love, that was so carefully sheathed beneath the façade of an ice prince.

In the SD world, only three characters are meticulously drawn with bishounen eyelashes- those really flirtatious extra lashes you'll usually find under their eyes, often only drawn in beautiful bishounens! Those three are: Rukawa, Sendoh and Fujima! :)

In the manga Rukawa's eye-color has a lot of variations! Most of the time it's either blue, ruby-red, brown or deep-brown to black! While in SenRu doujinshi it gets even more confusing, as their eye color depends upon the artist. For instance, in P-Rhythm's doujinshi, Rukawa's eyes are often hazel brown, to gray to purplish-blue, while Sendoh's will be more often blue or brown. For Southern Cross Tokyo, Rukawa's eyes are consistently sapphire blue, while Sendoh's can be brown, or emerald green or blue-green or black. For Lips, Rukawa's is consistently blue, while for Ogiharako and Shinorowasapporo both their eyes are often emerald green.

Sendoh's hair color is pure black, and often the luster is highlighted in deep purple. For effect, Sendoh's hair is always gelled up to perfect gravity-defying spikes, which give him that charming and adventurous image. But when a few strands start to fall here and there, he becomes another person, revealing more of that cute gentlemanly boyish side of him, the kind whose cheeks you just can't resist pinching!

Rukawa's hair color is shiny jet-black and the luster is often highlighted in shades of dark green. Straight and slightly wavy -I say slightly wavy- cos those thick strands just never seem to fall down straight, but lash out in all directions! It wouldn't have that bouncy effect if it were otherwise, it would just fall down flat! Despite this, his ebony hair is always rendered soft and silky flowing. *sigh* Yes, Rukawa is so darn perfect… I don't think Rukawa is particular about styling it, he never seems to comb his hair! It's always naturally messy (kinda reminds me of Harry Potter), but I really wouldn't call it a bad-hair thing cos, his rugged hairstyle just seems to add to his cool-guy appeal and stunning good looks! If not for the hairspray commercial he endorsed in Japan, my opinion is his hair is naturally messy, that you set it to look messy… Confusing? Well, take it from me cos I have that kind of hair… the more you try to fix it the messier it gets, so to hell with the fixing, it just likes to be dried and left alone. The wind sets it naturally, since then, everyone (including myself) was able to appreciate my hair better haha! Anyway… I love the way those unruly bangs dip down his forehead, casting shadows and somewhat screening the intensity of his eyes… Rukawa just looks so winsome and mysterious that way. *sigh*

I found a sketch of Dr.T that showed Rukawa actually using hairspray to tame his unruly hair. It didn't really have much effect… but his expression afterwards was just sooo adorable! It's entitled something like 'Cool-Guy Hairspray'… Here it is:

In most doujinshi, their hair ranges from black to brown.

I thought this part deserved attention. From observation, I think this is the second most prominent feature that actually brings Sendoh's face to the border between feminine and masculine. The bridge of his nose is high and well-pronounced without being too pointed and too hard-set, and like his eyes, they exude a quiet gentlemanly aura about it -that is unique to Sendoh's nature. What's so distinct about his nose is that it's so cutely proportionate to his boyish features. Okay, on to his lips… Sendoh has fuller, well-rounded and wider lips. When he isn't smiling, you'd find that it's even a bit pouty. Anyway, you'll rarely see those pouty lips, cos Sendoh's always grinning silly.

Okay, this played a big part in Rukawa's prince-like appearance. The shape and arc of Rukawa's nose is more delicate and defined. You'd have to wonder why Rukawa looks like a girl, but is so stunningly handsome all the same, and that's because his nose isn't too big and bony like most older men, and isn't small and frail like most women either. It isn't dominantly of any gender, but is perfectly androgynous! (Is there such a thing? Yes! Ruru is living proof!) When you combine that with his tiny lips (yup, he really has very small pouty lips!) that are thin but full and always pursed… what have we got? The face of an irresistible pretty boy! The perfect bishounen adonis: Rukawa Kaede! Redundant, but true! :)

Want to know another thing that makes Rukawa look so feminine? It's the shape of his face! As opposed to other men in Slam Dunk, he has a small head with a gracefully oval and somewhat rounded face that can be likened to that of a woman! Sendoh's face on the other hand, is a mixture of being oval and slightly angular at the jaw line, which is why he looks dominantly "seme" when compared to Kaede, and yet still lovely compared to Sakuragi's gorilla-shaped face! Haha! Whee!

What I love about Sendoh is his broad shoulders! *sigh!* He's very tall and robust for a teenager, but with just the right kind of lean athletic built. In the manga, Sendoh has the same rugged physique but he's just a tad healthier -or rounder I should say… He has fair but slightly tanned skin which reminds me of delicious mocha ice-cream milk shake with lots and lots of milk… Ah! forgive me, I am hungry…

Rukawa is often drawn in the series (and in some doujinshi) too thinly. But if you look at the first stages of Takehiko Inoue's manga, he is portrayed as somewhat rounded or -if there is such a term- thin, lean and chubby (as opposed to thin, bony and angular, hehe…) This is because he is tall and has a slender bone structure but his body is very well filled-up! Now there are fans who rely only upon information on the net or crude doujinshi without having really watched or read the Slam Dunk manga, who say Rukawa is skinny. I read in one popular website that his legs are skinny. Obviously, any sensible Slam Dunk fan… meaning a "real fan" who's watched the series and read the manga, would know that is one big fat fanon lie. If you believe it, shame on you! You have no right to like Rukawa, because you don't know diddly-squat! Okay, on to the descriptions… Now in the manga, Kaede sometimes has a native Japanese tan (I don't know if this is just Dr.T's shading… since everyone is always too dark in his colored artworks!) but in the series his complexion is enough to throw Snow White into a fit of envy -his skin is overwhelmingly fair! Reminds me of my favorite cream caramel drink… Yummy!

I've observed that most doujinshi artists like to exaggerate Sendoh's tanned complexion, to show more contrast to Rukawa's unbelievably pale skin. The funny thing is (I think) Dr. T never intended Rukawa to be as pale, or Sendoh to be tanned at all… Do you think Toei Animation did it on purpose and really reversed their complexions to fit their seme x uke positions? Or maybe Takehiko Inoue consented to this idea? Hehe, welcome to the mind of a deranged yaoi-oriented fan!

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