It is no news that there are a lot of popular athletes who love anime, and similar was the case with Rachid Muratake, a Japanese athlete who struck some iconic poses. We have known about other iconic sportsmen who are big fans of anime.
Famous NBA players have cited several anime, such as Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer, as their favorites. Dragon Ball Z is a driving force in the football fandom as well.
The 21-year-old Japanese Athlete became a new figure in the sports world, showcasing how intertwined sports are with anime culture. Below, we take a look at some of the iconic poses that Rachid Muratake had struck.
Japanese Athlete Goes Viral For Anime Poses
Enrico Pucci (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean)
Even though the source material dates way back to the late 80s, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is very much loved by the youth today all over the world. This is largely thanks to the revitalization of the series in recent times as an anime by studio David Productions.
The young generation from all paths of life has tapped into the phenomenon, and it was no different for the Japanese Athlete Rachid Muratake. He just broke the national record for the 110-meter hurdle with an impressive time of 13.04 seconds.
But Muratake was not done yet; he immediately went viral during the moment of celebration by posing as a familiar character. The internet was quick to recognize that the pose he pulled off was of Erico Pucci, the antagonist of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure part 6.
Jonathan Joestar (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood)
This was not Rachid Muratake’s first time making Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure references in front of the camera. He had gone viral once back in 2024 during an opening ceremony as well.
He showcased his knowledge and love for Hirohiko Araki’s manga franchise by posing as the first-ever protagonist of the series, Jonathan Joestar. Muratake made the iconic phantom blood pose, which was immediately recognized by fans.
Waving one hand up to his face, while leaning to the side, and the other arm stretched out. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is known for its iconic poses, which are unique to the franchise. According to the series creator, these are heavily inspired by fashion photographs and culture.
Isaac Netero (Hunter x Hunter)
After the images went viral, it became pretty evident to the world that Rachid Muratake was a huge fan of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. But he wanted to show more, and this time he stunned everyone with his knowledge about other anime.
Cameras captured him performing a whole-minute-long pose skit, which referenced Isaac Netero from the Hunter x Hunter franchise. Netero is the Chairman of the Hunter Association in the anime that was created by the legendary Yoshihiro Togashi.
The pose at first glance resembles Chairman Netero doing a heart-shaped motion with his hands. But it is actually a combat stance that he adapted in the anime when facing off against the antagonist Meruem.
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo)
This one was the most surprising of all and really showed people how deep into the anime rabbit hole Rachid Muratake actually is. His least recognized pose was from a classic anime series that once serialized in the Shounen Jump magazine.
Most of the current generation of anime fans worldwide will not recognize Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, because it was not as popular as the other shows. But that did not stop Muratake, as he referenced the iconic pose that Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo makes on the cover of the manga.
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a comedy shounen series set in an alternate distant future. A tyrannical regime has suddenly decided to shave every hairy living being in existence. But standing on their way, rebelling against the regime is Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, who fights using nose hair.
