When you discover Mitani in the series, he doesn't appear to us to be a friendly guy. Luckily, after being put back on the right path by Hikaru and Tsutsui, he becomes a loyal teammate in the High School tournament.

The 3rd member.

Mitani has been playing GO for a long time now. He didn't learn how to play in books, or took lessons but by frequenting adults GO playrooms. His style, quite aggressive, is one of a self-taught person but Mitani isn't a bad player though (better than Tsutsui).

In GO lessons, he is at the same level as Hikaru and it is a good thing since he knew how to answer to the life and death problem Tsutsui had for the recruiting of the 3rd member.

However, it didn't please him to join the High School club at first. Fortunately, Hikaru knew how to convince him and Mitani, the strongest of the three will be the captain of Haze GO team. He will get hooked on the game at the High School Tournament and dreams of defeating Kaïo for a second time.

Little Cheater.

Sadly, Mitani have a bad habit, which is to cheat. He is a spoiled child and his older sister who works at a cyber coffee house, even gives him allowance money, which he spends on cds.

At the playroom he is frequenting; the adults, happy to have a kid playing with them got into the habit of giving him money every time he wins a game. But Mitani, getting greedier, starts to cheat to win more money.

He even uses a cheating strategic move to finish the game faster when he doesn't feel like playing with Tsutsui anymore.

It will need the intervention of Dake; a very bad man called by the owner on the GO playroom to give the kid a lesson for Mitani to stop cheating when playing GO.

But it didn't cure him completely because you can still catch him sneaking glances at Kaneko's answers when they have written exams.

Stubborn Boy.

When Mitani have something in his mind, it is really difficult to make him change it.

In spite of Hikaru's pleads, Mitani doesn't want to join his High School GO club (because you can't win money there). Hikaru had to use a lot of persuasions techniques (and 10 000 yens) for Mitani to finally accept to join the club.

When Hikaru becomes an Insei, Mitani who had advised him not to take the exams, doesn't forgive him because Hikaru have no choice of quitting the school GO club. From this moment, he doesn't talk to Hikaru anymore (unless if it is to pass mean comments) and he decides to not come back to the club. It will take the other players' entire ruse to make him come back (but reluctantly).

Mitani doesn't have a good temper. He is very proud and loves challenges (cf Kishimoto or Kaneko).

Hikaru:

Tsutsui:

Kishimoto:

Kaga: