[SPLIT LIP]

Kouta deffinitely feels like Eiji-teir to me as well. Shotaro is my favourite rider of all time, but he and Kouta are VERY different. Kouta is an open book, and not afraid of emotion. Shotaro is the exact opposite, and tries to hide his feelings and be "hard-boiled." Shotaro is also VERY influenced by his mentor, but Kouta is influenced by no-one. They're both full of a strong sense of justice, though. Kouta also admits he cannot make dicisions, but Shotaro (again, aspiring to match his perception of his mentor) wants to make every dicision by himself. Shotaro was also, for the longest time, filled with guilt and regret, something Kouta doesn't seem to have going on.

It's actually quite interesting. Makes me want to see the two interact. They have such polar opposite ways, but are ultimately bound to the same goals.

I like Shotaro because he's almost never statisfied with what he is, always aspiring to match that unmatchable mental image of his late boss. Kouta has no aspirations, and is completely confident in his abilities and himself. Both these aspects can be strengths and weaknesses the charatcers work around and learn from.