Aiko Date

Aiko Date (伊達愛子, Date Aiko) is the wife of Eiji Date, and mother to Yūji Date. She strongly supported Eiji's boxing career and even helped push him back into it after he temporarily retired.

Background[]

Aiko after wating Date's match — Aiko after watching Date's title match.

Aiko is a daughter of a wealthy family. She met Eiji Date after his first JBC featherweight title match, where she had only been dragged along and was not initially interested in watching Eiji. Eiji was excited to impress Aiko, and sought the world championship to prove his strength to her. During Eiji's WBA featherweight title match against Ricardo Martínez in Mexico, Aiko fell down a flight of stairs due to exhaustion from overworking. She was admitted to hospital and was treated into a stable condition. However, the fall killed their first son, who was still inside. After Eiji retired from boxing and started working with her brother's company, Aiko encouraged Eiji to come out of retirement in order to show their new son his true face.

History[]

Part I[]

Challenge for the Throne Arc[]

When Eiji Date had a match scheduled in two months against Ippo Makunouchi, Eiji was worried about leaving Aiko and Yūji Date at the house for the training camp. Aiko reassured him that it was fine, as Yūji was growing up fine and her body was also fine and when he comes back, nothing would be lost.

Revenge Arc[]

Aiko talking to Eiji before his rematch against Ricardo.

The night before Eiji was to fight the WBA featherweight champion Ricardo Martínez, he requested for Aiko to bring Yūji to the ring when he becomes champion to fulfil his dream of hold his son as the world champion. Aiko simply wished for Eiji to come home safely. When the match arrived, Aiko went with Eiji and Yūji to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, where she met Ippo, informing him that Eiji was waiting for him in his changing room. Aiko then watched with Yūji as Eiji fought Ricardo.

Aiko at the ringside to encourage Date — Aiko encouraging Eiji to continue.

After the ninth round, Aiko approached the ringside and returned Eiji's mouthpiece that was flung outside the ring during the ninth round to be washed. Aiko promised to watch the remaining three rounds to the end, encouraging him to continue on, originally going there to tell him that it was enough, but couldn't after seeing his eyes. The match then ended in the tenth round as Eiji lost by knockout and was sent to the hospital in a stretcher. When Aiko went to the hospital, Aiko cried as she believed she can finally say "welcome home" to Date as he was back to his former self. Ippo then entered and Eiji gave him a baton pass. Before Ippo left, Yūji asked if he could get revenge on Ricardo for his father. Dissatisfied with his answer, Yūji dismissed Ippo as a coward, however, Aiko reminded him that Ippo said he would not have a chance as he is now.

Appearance[]

Aiko has black eyes, long brown hair that was short in her youth and bangs that go over her forehead. When she first met Eiji after watching his first JBC featherweight title defence, she wore a purple blazer over a white shirt, along with a grey skirt. At her house before Eiji's match against Ippo while Eiji was watching a recording of Ippo's matches, she was wearing an apron and a dark coloured shirt with stripes on the collar. When she went to watch Eiji's rematch against Ricardo, she wore a purple blazer over a pink shirt with a dark purple bow, and purple pants. Her sleepwear consists of pink and purple checker designed pyjamas and yellow slippers.

Personality[]

Aiko is an overall caring person and supportive of others' dreams. When she first started watching boxing, it frightened her.^[1]

Relationships[]

Family[]

Eiji Date[]

Eiji is Aiko's husband. While she was not interested in seeing him at first, as she was dragged into watching boxing, Aiko was impressed by Eiji's boxing and got together with him, later marrying him despite her parents' disapproval.^[2] After Eiji retired from boxing after his first loss against Ricardo, Aiko was able to his her true feelings from Eiji, telling him that she was content about the situation. When Eiji tried to throw away his trophies, she revealed her true thoughts to him that the real confident and energetic Eiji has not come back from Mexico, and their son would not see the true Eiji, causing him to go back to boxing. After his win against Ippo, Aiko was proud and happy of him, as the scar on his nose stopped throbbing and he had his confidence back.

Before Eiji's rematch against Ricardo, Aiko was supportive of his decision to fight him, but was worried for his safety, only wanting him to come home safely. During Eiji's rematch against Ricardo, Aiko wanted the match to stop after the ninth round, however, when she went to the ring side and saw Eiji's eyes, she didn't want to stop him, as she knew that he would lose sight of himself again.

Etymology[]

The name Aiko means "love, affection" (愛) (ai) and "child" (子) (ko).
Aiko's surname Date means "show/showy, dandyism, foppery, gallantry, vainglory/vainglorious" (伊達).