Mamori Anezaki

Sena's overprotective and motherly childhood friend (actually, Mamori's name is meant to be a pun, as her name means protect). Mamori's mother met Sena's mother in a cooking class, and Mamori and Sena have been friends ever since. Her mother is half-Japanese, half-American which makes Mamori 25% American and 75% Japanese. Mamori has been protecting Sena from bullies since primary school, to the point that Sena has grown up never having to stand up for himself. Mamori joined the American Football club to watch over Sena and prevent any bullying by the other members (particularly Hiruma). Despite her joining the American Football club just to protect Sena, she eventually becomes an excellent manager who knows the rules inside and out and makes up strategies for the team (since she has trouble with computers, she does it all on paper—super-analog). Mamori does not recognize Eyeshield 21 until he reveals his identity during the match against the Bando Spiders team. Mamori, who excels in all her studies except art (which she is horrible at), is the one responsible for helping Sena pass his high school entrance exam. She is the second member of "Deimon's Smart Trio", as well as a member of the school's disciplinary committee. Though she is constantly butting heads with Hiruma, she eventually sees a softer side to the Devil Bats' quarterback.

In the anime, Mamori tries to discover Eyeshield 21's identity, mostly because when she is making the telephone contact list, she needs a number to get in touch with him. Hiruma gets around this by assigning himself the responsibility of relaying all messages to Eyeshield 21. In the end, even when Sena is forced to remove his helmet to save her from the Zokugaku Chameleons, his identity remains secret to her, thanks to her own disbelief and Hiruma's tricks. She eventually gives up trying to learn who he was. Mamori has been known to block bullets from the trigger-happy Hiruma at times (once when they are aimed at Sena for daydreaming, and again after the completion of the Death March when everyone falls asleep in their hotel room).

Mamori learns about Eyeshield's identity in chapters 154 and 155, when Sena removes his helmet in front of her. After Sena apologizes and takes to the field, Mamori says that she should be the one apologizing. Seeing him run out of the tunnel finally made her realize that he is no longer a child and that she has been babying him all this time. Mamori joins the Devil Bats on the field, introduced as the team's manager, signal-relay and "expert at high-speed snack eating" (much to her obvious annoyance).

Prior to the start of the Kanto Tournament, Mamori gets a haircut, saying that she wanted a change of pace.

Mamori's relationship with Hiruma changes over the course of the manga. At first she sees him as a bully and tries constantly to stop him from being mean to Sena, but then sees him in a softer light. Like she does with Sena and other members of the team, she wants to take care of him and is often worried about his injuries. As much as she argues with Hiruma, she gradually becomes the closest person to him, seeing as she understands him much more than most- she is also one of the few people who can tell when he's faking stamina and is actually very drained. In ch 97 of the manga, when Doburoku assume's she is Hiruma's girlfriend, Mamori unthinkingly agrees- but not a second later she realises what she has said and her pencil breaks, her face taking on a shocked-appalled-sweating-annoyed expression (this is also a running gag in the anime series). However there is no denying that she is extremely close to him, perhaps closer than Musashi and Kurita.

In chapter 202, during the game between the Taiyo Sphinx and Hakushu Dinosaurs, after Gao becomes enraged after hearing someone insult Banba from the Taiyo Sphinx, he threatens to break the bones of everyone in the audience. He enters the stands near Mamori and Suzuna and Mamori jumps in front of Suzuna to protect her from Gao, who was only a few feet away. Hiruma comes to her defense, standing in the between her and Gao as if ready for a fight and with tasers drawn. In chapter 205, she tries to talk to him about how hard he pushes himself. After telling him that he doesn't need to worry so much, she secretly smiles to herself- although in a reprint, this is changed to Hiruma smiling to himself. Hiruma certainly acknowledges her, as he usually ignores girls, including Suzuna.

Before the match with Hakushū Dinosaurs, Hiruma gives Mamori a letter which contains how the play should be continued if, by any chance, he gets injured. However, in tears, Mamori rips the letter, saying that she doesn't want to see him injured, and she believes the team will do everything they can do to protect him. However, when Hiruma does get injured and can't continue to play, she brins out the, now taped back together, letter which contains the decision to have Sena play in Hiruma's position. Interestingly, although the game is still going on, Mamori stays by Hiruma's side instead of going back out onto the field, only listening to the game through commentary.

Later, in ch 259 Hiruma asks Mamori to tape his arms, with the intention of going back into the game. She tries to coerce Hiruma to stop playing and avoid further injury, but Hiruma traps her with the pop-quiz bet they made in Chapter 9, in which she has to promise to do as she's told if she answers his last question incorrectly. Hiruma tricks her into answering incorrectly, and when she starts tearing up he reminds her that just as she must keep her promise, he has to keep his and go to the Christmas Bowl with the Devil Bats.

In Teikoku's match, Mamori is once again key to the match, as she is the one who decides the snap count before each play for Deimon's "No Huddle" offense.

In the final chapter, 333, when everyone goes their separate ways, Mamori stays with Hiruma at Saikyodai University. When they are up against Enma University -and consequently Sena- in a match, they arrive together in a scouting car and Hiruma teases her and asks if it's alright that 'Big sister Mamori' isn't running to protect Sena from bullies. Mamori is nostalgic for a moment before stating with a smile that of course, they have to defeat even Sena, as he is on a rival team now.

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