Biography
Name and Meaning
Sayo Minamoto. Her first name means "born at night" and her surname means "source", "origin", "root".
Age and Birthday
18, June 3rd
Appearance
She has heterochromia. Her right eye is gray. Her left eye is amber brown. Her bangs are split apart. She has black hair that goes down to her shoulders. On each side of her hair, there are two licks of hair curling upwards while the rest of her hair is wavy. She has a pale complexion and stands at 6'2.5".
Nationality
Japanese
Ethnicity
Japanese
Personality
Sayo is a serious girl with quick reflexes. She can be reserved and can be intimidatingly cold on the basketball court. Sayo is a reliable captain and center on her basketball team. She places emphasis on proper titles in specific circumstances and addressing others by honorifics. She is active as she plays basketball, does kendo, and enjoys running. She is independent and doesn't like relying on others.
Mottos
“Show your resolve.”
Sexual Preferences
Heteroromantic / heterosexual
Likes
Her favorite food is Ramen eggs. Her best subject is Physical Education.
Dislikes
People who address others improperly.
Hobbies
Aside from basketball, her hobbies are running and doing kendo. On her free time, she runs around the park.
Specialties
She is the center on Jūban High's girls' basketball team. Her best basketball skill is doing pick and roll. Her specialty is first aid.
Committees
N/A
Background
Her father, Jōji, is a management analyst while her mother, Mami, is a kendo instructor since her maternal relatives, the Yamamoto's ran a dojo. Sayo was born the night of June 3rd hence the name she was given. She was also born with heterochromia. Her right eye was gray like her maternal relatives while her left eye was amber brown which she inherited from her father. When she was 8 years old, her mother enrolled her and her maternal cousin, Saya Sakura, who was 6 years old at the time in kendo class. Sayo grew to like kendo and became skilled at it like her mother. The following year, her cousin was enrolled in Mini-Basketball since she wanted to try the sport, so her mother enrolled her as well. Sayo also came to like basketball.
She joined Jūban High school’s girls’ basketball team as a center. She got to play as a regular and her jersey number was #7. At some point in her second year, she was chosen to be the captain. She still resumed her position as center but as the captain, her jersey number is #4.
Relationships
Family
her parents — Joji and Mami Minamoto, Masato and Mana Sakura — (maternal uncle and aunt / deceased), Saya Sakura (maternal cousin)
Sayo inherited her father’s amber brown eye, his serious nature, and his no tolerance for people who address others improperly. Jōji is often away because of work but when he is home, he usually makes her favorite food, ramen eggs. Sayo inherited her gray eye from her maternal family and has wavy, black hair like her mother. Sayo’s mother taught her kendo, and she got as skilled as her mother. Her mother got the idea to enroll her in Mini-Basketball so that she could accompany her younger cousin but thanks to that, she ended up enjoying another sport in addition to kendo. Mami always packs her lunches with ramen eggs and Sayo thanks her and they both greet each other before she goes to school.
Since Mami and Saya’s late mother were close, they made a promise that their children would have similar sounding names. Her older cousin was born at night, so she was named Sayo which reflects that fact, so she was named Saya but since her mother likes colorful flowers, the kanji used to write her name reflects that meaning. When Mami came over to her home, she sometimes brought Sayo over, so she got to play with her cousin and be close to her. Being enrolled in kendo classes and Mini-Basketball with Sayo only made them closer. The two of them have a sisterly bond and since her cousin is slightly taller than her, there’s still one person she can still play basketball with for fun until Allette and the Princesses of Basketball came into her life. Even though she also has Allette to play one on one with, her cousin is still her primary person to go to for one on one’s. Sayo is also the reliable captain and center of their basketball team. Sayo reminds her that on the court, she’s not “Sayo-nee”, she’s, her captain.
Friends
Usagi Asagao
They have been friends and playing basketball together since junior high and went to the same high school together. Both are reserved girls who like doing physical activity whether individually or together. Because of their reserved nature, they can spend time together even when running together in silence. They run or play basketball together. The pair gets odd looks due to their height difference. Sayo is independent and doesn't like relying on others so she bears the team's losses alone but Usagi tells her that she should rely on her to help shoulder the burden of the team.
Rivals
Umiko Kaisei aka Sailor Thalassa
Both have a friendly, mutual rivalry as captains of their basketball teams and those who play the center position. In terms of height, Sayo towers over Umiko although both are taller than the average Japanese girl. However, Umiko has her explosive jump to aid her while Sayo has her quick reflexes. Neither of them is willing to lose to the other in a match. Sayo notes that Umiko is good at motivating her team while Umiko notes that Sayo is a reliable captain. When Team Kaijō loses to Team Jūban, Umiko asks Sayo to win the Winter Cup for Team Kaijō which Sayo affirms.
Chantelle Aomi aka Sailor Sao
When Chantelle submerged underwater and willed herself to turn into a mermaid to save Aishiro, Jūban’s girls’ basketball team was training on the beach. Chantelle pulled Aishiro close to shore but when she saw Team Jūban approach, she had to leave him on the sand. Sayo saw his unconscious form, quickly went to his side, and performed CPR on his unconscious form. Aishiro was kind to Sayo and the more they got to know one another, she started to like him. Sayo ended up becoming comfortable approaching Aishiro when they crossed paths. When Chantelle saw them interacting with one another, she felt painfully jealous.
Love Interests
Aishiro Mikan aka Cytherean Knight
When Jūban High’s basketball teams were training on the beach, Aishiro almost drowned and Sayo found his unconscious body and performed CPR on him. Because Sayo helped save his life, Aishiro was kind to her and the more they got to know one another, she started to like him. Aishiro was not only attractive, a talented basketball player, but also a good cook. Sayo’s type is capable guys like Aishiro and she appreciated him sharing his lunch with her since she was amazed by how good it looked. Sayo ended up becoming comfortable approaching Aishiro when they crossed paths. Although Aishiro ended up choosing Chantelle over her, they remained good friends.
Usami Asagao
When Usami first met Sayo, he was surprised by how tall she was but thought that she and her mismatched eyes were pretty. He thanked her for being friends with his twin sister, Usagi, since people usually judged them for their appearance due to their condition. Sayo said that she could related because of being picked on as a child for her heterochromia so she wouldn't have judged. Usami remarked that people could be judgmental and said that her eyes were pretty. Sayo blushed and shyly thanked him and remarked that he and his twin were attractive people, and he thanked her in return. She initially saw him as a friend but saw how capable he was over time and during the incident where the Retribuo manifested from his envy, she learned how much he liked her and sometime afterwards, he asked her out and she agreed.
Her type of guy is a capable one.
Player She Has Her Eyes On
Umiko Kaisei, Yukio Kasamatsu
Past Life
N/A
Stats
Stats
Physical ability: 7/10
Technique: 8/10
Stamina: 9/10
Mental strength: 7/10
Special ability: 5/10
Lei Motif
N/A
Miscellaneous
Inspirations
I wanted to create my own interpretation of a Blood franchise Saya but since I'm unsure if I can write my own take for the Blood franchise, I incorporated the character design and concept into Senshi no Basuke but the name Saya went to Sailor Dia while Sayo kept the original design of my take of a Blood franchise Saya excluding the hairclip which also went to her to her cousin aka Sailor Dia. To my regret, I wasn't able to have Sailor Senshi based on the Eastern Zodiac so I want to include 12 civilian characters in Senshi no Basuke that allude to those twelve animals. Sayo has traits of the horse person and thanks to Hindustan Times which equated Gemini with the horse. 3 and 7 are some of the lucky numbers for a horse person. I gave her the same stats as Umiko Kaisei to make their rivalry make sense in terms of ability. My coauthor cousin did mention that Sayo would've probably gotten picked on as a child for having heterochromia.