Lunar Month

NAME: Yoshiyuki Terada.
ENGLISH DUBBED NAME: Mr. Terada.
NATIONALITY: Japanese.
GENDER: Male.
OCCUPATION: Elementary teacher.
RESIDENCE: Tomoeda, Japan.

Terada-sensei, as he is addressed by all of his students, is a teacher at Tomoeda Elementary School. Through the fourth grade and part of the fifth-grade year, he is the homeroom teacher of Sakura Kinomoto and every other recurring elementary student character. Terada appears to teach a variety of subjects, including physical education, where he is seen in a gray sweat-suit and equipped with a whistle.

Terada is not directly involved in any Clow Card plot, although he is generally always nearby as a chaperon on school field trips and events (where Clow Cards frequently appear). Because he has no magical ability, Terada never realizes most of what is happening or instead just considers it peculiar (i.e. unusual weather conditions).

While he appears to be simply a filler character in the series (the obligatory teacher in a series centered around a schoolgirl), Terada is more well known for his relationship with student Rika Sasaki (Rita).

In the manga, Rika is Terada's fiance. They supposedly became engaged near the beginning of the series when Terada presents Rika with a ring, explaining that he hopes one day it will become a wedding ring. This suggests that they have been spending time with each other prior to the start of the manga, where Terada may have also been Rika's third grade teacher. Throughout the entire series, Terada and Rika have continued to exchange moments and soft, blushing glances whenever possible. Their relationship remains unannounced in canon, and their few interactions appear to go completely unnoticed except for two students, Sakura and Tomoyo Daidoji. Tomoyo is able to observe and respect the secret bond they share, but Sakura remains oblivious and confused whenever she notices Rika or Terada blushing.

In the anime, Terada and Rika's relationship is not as deep; rather it seems that they are not engaged, but Terada is still admired by Rika. He enjoys her company, always accepting the cakes she bakes for him. He also appears to return Rika's affection (though in a very subtle way) in episode 50 when Rika gives him the teddy bear that she made. He decides to name it after her, whom he considers his hardest working student. In the anime, Rika also states that Terada reminds her of her absent businessman father.

The student-teacher relationship that Terada and Rika share is not uncommon in Japanese fiction, as it can be interpreted as very romantic for a young girl to follow an older man as a student and mentee, only to fall in love with him in the end. Terada and Rika's relationship reflects this innocence and happiness, untainted by criticism and controversy.

In Cardcaptors, references to the relationship are eliminated entirely, as Rika's shyness and reactions toward Mr. Terada are presented in a way that would imply that she was afraid of him.