Summer Viewing: Last Weekend's Sports Anime

I might need to change my approach to these Summer Viewing posts. I'm only following three anime with any level of consistency:

Kuroko's Basketball 3 (Saturday)
Baby Steps 2 (Sunday)
Daiya no Ace 2 (Monday)

By the time Friday comes around, the excitement from those three shows has worn off. I need a refresher on each episode. And I can't switch my posting day, because I already have my column at Beneath the Tangles every Monday.

I could try catching up on Ore Monogatari or watch Free! Eternal Summer. But the first airs mid-week, an inconvenient time to watch anything I want to think about. And the second is a chore. I hope to approach it with a more open mind this time, so I can complain less and appreciate more. But that takes brainwork, and my brain is busy.

For now, I'll just sort through my screenshots and try to remember what I was so excited about this past weekend...

There will be spoilers. Consider yourself warned.

Kuroko's Basketball 3

At the end of ep 19 (59), Murasakibara said there was no way Seirin could win. I disagreed with him, of course. Sure, Kuroko was benched. But I still believe in him, Kagami, and the rest of the team. Now, in episode 20, Kuroko ends up back on the court.

Meanwhile, the supposed Kuroko 2.0 (Mayuzumi?) loses his affectiveness and is downgraded to just another body on the court. Akashi still manages to use him, but at this point, it's extremely obvious that Akashi views him as a mere tool.

Baby Steps 2

I have no screenshots from this one. I really, really like this show, but the visuals don't impress me. Still, even without screenshots' aid, I remember that Ei-chan played extremely well against his opponent. It's fun to watch him improve. He's methodical to a point that's unusual for a sports anime protagonist; usually guys like him are secondary characters, or at least share the spotlight with a more exuberant main character.

Daiya no Ace 2 (Ace of the Diamond)

Team Seido prevailed. Sawamura contributed. But best of all? The Coach showed his strength, and the guy who plans to replace him is getting nervous. If Coach leads this team to the championships and decides not to leave them at season's end, the replacement might not happen. A lot of people, both fictional and non-fictional, are hoping for that. The wannabe replacement, who's criticized Coach's team-oriented approach to high school baseball, begins to understand why we're still so loyal.

--

This post is a little later than I prefer, but oh well. I was enjoying my time with my family. In less than twelve hours, the next Kurobas will be up! I probably won't get a chance to watch it until tomorrow night, at the earliest. I have a full day planned. Summer vacation isn't as relaxing as it was in high school, so I can't watch much more anime than I do during the school year. I do, however, plan to follow another show when the summer season starts: Working!!! (that is, season three of Working!!). I can't wait. There weren't any fun comedies of my type this season, and I feel a bit deprived.

Summer Viewing: Kuroko vs. Akashi

When anime first absorbed my attention, I started to neglect reading. I see why. Balancing multiple hobbies is like balancing multiple classes. When you throw family and work into the mix (two elements I did not have to balance during the school year), it's even more difficult. The past week slipped by before I realized it... and no, I haven't watched the next episode of Free! Eternal Summer yet. Though my attitude has improved a bit, and I'm sheepish about my disdain. I promise to be nicer whenever I get around to watching it.

So what did I watch in the past week? Kuroko's Basketball 3, Baby Steps 2, and—because of all the fanart on Tumblr—the first episode of K (aka K Project).

I was several episodes behind on Kuroko's Basketball, so I caught up this past weekend. As much as I love this show, I often forget how excited it makes me. When I finally do a mini marathon to catch up, there's a lot of squealing and giggling involved. This time, I was inspired enough to take notes, so I'll focus on Kuroko's Basketball this week. There are spoilers, so consider yourself warned.

After Kuroko finishes telling the team about his experience playing under Akashi
at Teiko Middle School, they are eager to help him defeat his old captain (ep 16).

Episode 16 (66): Akashi speaks about the Generation of Miracles' drive to compete and rise to victory. He says this is why they all went to different high schools: "Someone must come out ahead, to prove that we're driven to eliminate all others. Not by reason, but by instinct."

In Akashi's twisted view, people are defined by power. It's only natural for the powerful to fight for the top position, crushing and ruling over the competition. He does not consider innate human dignity. Instead, he tends to his own dignity, basing it on athletic prowess and charisma (aka alpha dragon aura). And he expects other members of the Generation of Miracles to act similarly: fight ruthlessly, even against former friends, until someone comes to the top.

Also, in this episode, we found out why Kuroko always wears those wristbands. I can't remember his friend's name, so I won't go into it right now.

Episode 17 (67): This episode begins with Hyuuga cutting Riko's hair in his dad's barbershop. This whole scene makes me really, really happy—until the end. He comes really close to asking her out... and then she sneezes. Poor Hyuuga.

Anyway, the game against Rakuzan (Akashi's team) starts in this episode. I wrote down Akashi and Kuroko's brief conversation before the game.

"I am absolute. And Rakuzan always wins. Our basketball is absolute," says Akashi. Then he tells Kuroko, "Show me your basketball."

Kuroko responds, "No. I won't be showing you my basketball. It's our basketball."

Wow. First of all, Akashi's god complex is showing again. Sure, he trusts in his team. But he implies that their basketball is only "absolute" because he is absolute. Kuroko makes no such claims. He values, respects, and trusts his teammates. He knows their strengths and weaknesses, but he does not measure their worth by them. He lets neither glory not competition cloud his relationship with them. He doesn't put himself above any of them, even those who stay on the bench. When he says "it's our basketball," he means it it ways Akashi can't understand yet.

Episode 18 (68): Kuroko's gained too many new skills. When he couldn't do anything but pass, it was easy for him to slip under the radar and use his Misdirection. But now, people know and love him. They recognizes his impressive shooting and dribbling skills, etc.

Akashi scolds him: "By learning how to shine half-heartedly, you can no longer become the shadow." Ouch. After a bit, Riko has to pull him off the court.

Meanwhile, Akashi has another trick up his sleeve: Mayuzumi, aka Kuroko 2.0.

When Akashi started at Rakuzan, Mayuzumi wasn't even close to being a starter. In fact, he was in the equivalent of JV (junior varsity). And he was relatively content there. Akashi noticed his lack of presence, similar to Kuroko's. So he approached him, hoping to recruit him as a passing specialist. At first, Mayuzumi refused, saying, "I love myself. It would be boring to become a player specializing in passing the ball. I don't want to play in a game that badly. If I don't feel good, there's no meaning to playing basketball."

Akashi liked that answer. Why? Probably because it's the opposite of what Kuroko would say. Unlike Kuroko, Mayuzumi wouldn't have any pesky concerns about his teammates. Plus, Mayuzumi has skills Kuroko didn't when Akashi recruited him: he can even shoot like a normal player.

Izuiki (Serin's "Eagle Eye") versus Akashi (and his "Emperor Eye") in ep 19. Akashi
is actually shorter than him, but he's pretty scary.

Episode 19 (69): You can find much of my response to this episode in my post on Beneath the Tangles, "Annalyn's Corner: Chihuahuas Fighting a Lion."

I'm excited for tomorrow's (today's) new episode! I expect Seirin will starting turning the game around. I firmly believe they will win, even thought they're 25 points behind. It's only halfway through the game, after all.

Summer Viewing: Free! Eternal Summer (ep 1)

Confession: I completely forgot to watch Free! Eternal Summer this past week. I'm starting to remember why it's so hard to mix being a bookworm with being an anime fan. So now, just one and a half hours before my personal deadline, I begin watching Eternal Summer. I'm writing this while the first episode plays on my TV.

Okay... refresher on names (yes, the main boys have names usually associated with girls):

Iwatobi is the school most of the main characters go to.

Haruka (Haru) is the water-obsessed guy who swims freestyle. He's often found in the bathtub, with his swimsuit on, especially if he doesn't have access to a pool. He'll happily cook breakfast wearing just his swimsuit and his apron because, ya'know, fanservice. Also, he's the vice president of the club. His passion for swimming may be unmatched, but he's not exactly president material.

Makato is the motherly best friend. Backstroke. Team captain and club president.

Nagisa is the youthful face. Breaststroke. Treasury.

Rei is the newer swimmer who only knows butterfly. Secretary.

Matsuoka Rin is the shark toothed guy who spent time in Australia, and who I vaguely remember being a jerk last season... Ah, yes. I summarized the first season after I watched it. Here's an excerpt:

Free! was all about the drama. Basically, four guys used to be friends. One of them, Rin, aspired to be an Olympic swimmer. Back in grade school, he knew the importance of camradarie, and he convinced the other three kids to be in a medley relay with him. Then he went off to Australia for middle school, to study at some academy with a great swimming program. He finally came back during the second year of high school... but not to the same team, or even the same school, as the other three boys.

So, Rin was back in Japan, but he was kinda a callous jerk to his old buddies. He eventually joined one of their rival swimming teams, but he was still obsessed with being on the same team as his old friends. It was kinda like in TV shows where the girl is still totally in love with her ex, but gets a new boyfriend anyway, only to cheat on him with the ex... who also has a new significant other, so he's cheating, too.

For more about the first season, see my post Rewind: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. To see my reactions as Eternal Summer unfolds, stay tuned here. It looks like this season begins the year after the first one.

Back to ep 1 of ES:

The Iwatobi crew visits Rin's school and has an impromptu race—as usual, it pretty much starts with Haru taking off his clothes (he always wears his swimsuit underneath) and preparing to dive in. While they're there, we find out that Rin is future captain of his swim team. He doesn't look too thrilled about it. Remind me... why isn't he switching schools?

Oh, a character I forgot: Rin's little sister is the manager of the Iwatobi Swim club. I don't remember her first name, but I think it was boyish.

Hey, look. She's introducing the club members to the school at the beginning of the term. Aaaand there go their shirts, leaving them just in their swimsuits. They declare their name, specialty stroke, and their "charm point" muscles, then strike a pose.

I love the students' reactions when the boys pull off their jackets.

They're having trouble getting new members, of course. Might be partially because their pool is outside, and it's still too cold. The other reason? Dude, this is a club anime. We need the second years to worry about keeping the club next year, and we need Haru to feel sad about that lack of new swimmers (think Chihayafuru 2). Heighten the drama, folks.

Their coach is Sasabe... cool, he owns the indoor swimming pool where the gang first met.

There goes Haru's shirt again. And into the pool he dives... watched by a mysterious newbie whose face we don't get to see yet.

Wait... Sasabe's first name is Goro? That makes me think of another cheesy boy-filled anime... that Goro owns a bathhouse with water from a hot spring, but he spends all his time chopping wood... this Goro owns the pool... I prefer wood-chopping Goro (from Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!).

Anyway, it looks like they're already at a swim meet.

Okay, Rin and Haru race! ... Haru's teammates call encouragments while rather sweet-arcade-ish music plays and Rin looks pretty in the water... Aww, that's sweet. They tied, setting a new record together. Then they high five...

I'm sorry, after last season, I just can't take this seriously. I know, I know, I should try... but... but... the sappiness... the friendship... "oh"... cherry blossom pool... childhood dream... "you guys"...*emotional happy-tears*..."Rin-san, go ahead!"

Talking about future plans, dreams... and there's that faraway look in Haru's eyes.

Rin asks Haru and Makato what their plans are after graduation.
I know that look in Haru's eyes. I've seen it in countless anime characters
before. It means "I know my answer will disappoint you, so I'll
just keep quiet and look a little sad." We'll find out more later,
because drama.

We get a transfer-student and blast-from-Rin's-past, Sosuke. He joins Rin's class. There's no drama yet, but the look on their faces promises a backstory.

Yay! Ending theme! This was my favorite part last season. It's like a music video... thought not quite as fun this season.

I'm sorry, I just can't take this show seriously. I think TWWK wrote several posts about Eternal Summer over at Beneath the Tangles. Maybe I'll read those as I watch. It might help me stop scoffing during every dramatic part.

Summer Viewing: Daiya no Ace S2 Begins with Recaps and a New Challenge

This begins my Summer Viewing column. There are several anime I want to follow, catch up on, or finally start this summer. These casual Friday posts will (hopefully) ensure that I watch what I say I'm going to watch. 

Since I was swamped with homework throughout April, I waited to start watching Daiya no Ace Season 2 (Ace of the Diamond 2). Finally, yesterday, I got onto Crunchyroll... and found out that the first three episodes were recaps. I got through the first two last night, then saved the third for when I was washing dishes today.

To be completely honest, the first recap episode did fill in memory gaps for me. I don't remember every detail of every game Team Seido plays. And I understand that, since Daiya no Ace switched time slots, there may be new viewers. But if that's the case, why did they only show the games? What about Sawamura's yips? The emotional development? Shouldn't new viewers know about these things? This is anime, not ESPN.

But, like any seasoned anime fan, I know the proper response to recaps: build a bridge, and get over it (and maybe let a complaint slip on Twitter). Recaps and fillers happen. You either roll with them or become bitter and drop half of the long-running shows on your watching list.

Fillers aside, the fourth and fifth episodes were good.

Sawamura has regained a lot of his confidence, now that he's learned his outside pitch. He learns to relax, at least in practice, and uses just the right tension at just the right time. And he is adorable doing it... until that tense moment right as he pitches. Then he's fierce.

Sawamura relaxes and begins his windup (ep 4).

As long as we're talking about Sawamura's adorableness... when he's practicing pitching, he asks the new coach (the one who intends to make Furuya the ace) to be the umpire. He calls the coach "Sergeant," and he is childishly welcoming and sincere... I thought for sure he'd soften this unpleasant character's heart, at least a little. But nope. The Sergeant's heart is ice. I bet he hates puppies, too.

But the Sergeant isn't our only concern. The Fall tournament begins, and Seido's first opponent, Teito, is strong. In the past 27 (?) seasons, they've only failed to reach nationals twice. Their pitcher, Mukai, is an incredible freshman who already played in the summer nationals. And... Mukai is a narcissist. I mean, yeah, he's good, but he's a narcissist. And he does this weird thing with his tongue, which makes me suspect he's distantly related to Midousuji from Yowapeda. I don't think he's a sadist (yet), and I don't think he's a victim of human experimentation (as I suspect of Midousuji), but there's a definite resemblance. And I don't like him.

In the meantime, Furuya is pitching well in the first game of the season, despite the rain. I try to support him, and I am glad he's growing into a fine pitcher... but I want Sawamura to become the ace. Unless Furuya gets a terrible injury, I don't see that happening. The gap between them just keeps widening. I want both of these talented first years to succeed. Why did they have to come to the same high school? Why? (Because it brings more conflict to the plot, Annalyn. If you're emotionally torn, the writer succeeded.)

I look forward to the next episode. They had to pause the game due to the rain (by the way, the animators used the rainy weather to create great visuals). This could break Furuya's focus. For his sake and the team's sake, I hope not. But... I'm hoping to see Sawamura in action in the next episode. It's time for him to get back on the mound in a tournament game and prove his worth to the Sergeant.

---

There. I'm caught up with Daiya no Ace. I'll try to stay caught up with my sports anime this summer (Daiya no Ace 2, Kurobas, and Baby Steps 2). For next Friday... I think I'll try to get Free! Eternal Summer over with. Later this summer, I might catch up with Naruto and his comrades. Might. That's a bit ambitious.

Also: Last season, I enjoyed Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!, but I haven't found anything to fill my ridiculous comedy slot this season. Am I missing something? If you have any suggestions on a comedy to follow, I'd love to hear it. I prefer to avoid crudeness (I'm not a Gintama fan). Beyond that, I just need something carefree to watch once a week.

Post at Beneath the Tangles: Aiming for the Championships

I've begun my column at Beneath the Tangles! We're calling it "Annalyn's Corner." Yeah, I know—the name choice isn't a stellar example of creativity. But I like corners, both real and metaphorical. They're comfortable and make great thinking spots. And sometimes people join me in my corners, and that's nice, too.

My first post is called "Aiming for the Championships." I want to aim high in many things, especially how I approach my faith. I'm inspired by sports anime characters, but there's one problem: I don't have their kind of focus. As I wrote this post, I asked, “How the blazes am I supposed to be a faithful, disciplined anything when the only thing I manage to do consistently is be late?”

Between sports anime and the Bible, I think I found the beginning of an answer. At the very least, I've felt a bit encouraged.

Rewind: Ping Pong The Animation

I have to be honest: I'm dragging my feet about this blog post. Ping Pong evokes neither excitement nor annoyance. Its style is unusual, but that's about all it has going for it. I wrote the following about Ping Pong back in May, when I was less than halfway through it:

This is the oddball on my watching list. It's different in almost every way, starting with the visual style. Then there's the sport... who'd have thought you could make an interesting anime about ping pong? The characters are different, too. Tsukimoto (aka Smile), never smiles. He lacks aspiration, even though he's an amazing ping pong player. The supporting cast is a bit off-klter, too. This anime will never be my favorite, but I enjoy its uniqueness. 

Meet "Peco," Tsukimoto's friend. Also, meet Ping Pong's color
scheme. There are a few other colors, but they're all the same
faded tone. (Episode 1)

I repeat: the uniqueness is pretty much all I enjoyed. Sure, Tsukimoto's skill level was cool, and I appreciated the specifics about ping pong paddles and shoes—details like that add depth to an anime. Characters' fantasies and perspectives were shown in unique ways, too. 

I guess the plot should have moved me at least a tiny bit. They addressed the balance of values such as loyalty, admiration, and competitiveness. But the anime felt fractured, and not just because of the visuals. The way it jumped between characters, settings, and even times... I never felt attached to a single character, never felt more than passive curiosity about their fate. To me, this anime was just an artistic experience with a soul I didn't care enough to grasp. This sounds harsh, I know, but it's true.

I wanted to get a different screenshot for this post, but my computer is lagging again, and it's getting late (or early, or... yeah). If you want more information or would like to check out Ping Pong yourself, you can find its Anime-Planet entry here. 

Update and Rambling

On Friday, at the end of my Rewind post, I mentioned that I was writing a post for Beneath the Tangles. It went up yesterday. I just realized that I've linked to it on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr... but not here. So, allow me to remedy that:

Kuroko's Basketball and Imitating Christ

I still haven't begun my column, but that, too, will come earlier than I originally planned. 

I have a lot of ideas rolling around my head and journal relating Kurobas and to sports anime in general. I'll try to break from that theme before long. I want BtT readers to know I do have a more well-rounded taste in anime... it's just that my time is limited, and I'm excited about Kuroko's Basketball right now. If I think about something long enough, either I bring it into the depths of my mind and heart, to mingle with faith and studies, or I grow bored and abandon it. Obviously, Kurobas fits into the first class. 

But, for now, I must force my brain away from aniblogging and focus on studying. I have a lot of reading to catch up on, among other things. I've already spent some time today reading Jane Eyre, and I can hear Bronte's style echo in my mind. Her affect on my word choice may wear off soon, but I suspect it will affect the mood of my fictional writing for the duration of the semester, at the very least—and probably longer.

Kuroko's Basketball S3 Ep. 1: My Anticipation Bubbles

Sometimes, I let the fangirl in me run loose in a blog post. This is one of those times.

In case you weren't aware, I'm a big fan of Kuroko's Basketball (Kuroko no Basket). I talk about it so much, I've quit using its full name, and I mostly stick to Kurobas. When I heard that the next season of Kurobas would come out this winter, I was super excited. I tried not to let my hopes get too high, though, just in case Crunchyroll didn't get the right to stream the newest season.

Crunchyroll slowly unveiled their streaming list for this season, and Kurobas didn't show up. I grew worried. I gave up. I double-checked the release date—some sites said the season wouldn't air until March, so maybe I just had the air date wrong. Then I found out that the first episode was online. I hurried to Crunchyroll... no new Kurobas. My stomach dropped. My fears came true. If Crunchyroll didn't have the new season, then who would? Not Hulu, I was sure... though I checked just in case.

Then, I remembered the list of legal streaming sites Justin put together at Organization ASG back in July. Maybe, just maybe, one of the less popular sites would actually turn up something good... and yes, yes one did! Daisuki.net, we have just met, but I sincerely love you.

More than half of the episode was used to recap the last season. I didn't mind this at all—partially because I understand that it's been a year since season 2 aired... and partially because I love almost every minute of this series anyway, no matter how many times I've seen it.

Fangirling aside, there are two players I'd like to highlight in this post. One of them, I hate. The other, I fear. Both add to my already-bubbling anticipation.

First, meet the new enemy, Haizaki Shougo. Not opponent—enemy. I'm normally slow to judge characters, but this guy earned my hatred in less than a second. And yes, I use the word "hatred" very carefully. I've met plenty of athletic characters with bad attitudes, but I usually have to see them hurt my friends on the court before I add them to my "Hated Characters" list on Anime-Planet. Even then, I'm pretty forgiving toward the juvenilles.

Haizaki, however... ugh. I think this screenshot says it all:

Haizaki holds Alex by her neck after punching Himura (bottom left).
Kagami (right) has just caught up to them.

Himura Tatsuya, Kagami's childhood friend and rival, stood up for Alex when Haizaki hit on her. (Seriously, dude? Seriously? How disrespectful can you get? Not only is this sexual harrassment—she's an older woman! You disrespect women, you disrespect your elders, you disrespect humanity, you disrespect basketball... UGH.) I have a feeling Himura would do the same for any woman, but Alex is his and Kagami's mentor. This is personal. And if it's personal for these dear characters, then it's personal for me.

Remember, Haizaki behaves like this in uniform, right before his next game. If the authorities caught him, he'd probably be kicked out of the tournament. He doesn't care. He even states that he doesn't really like basketball. But he used to be on the same middle school team as the Generation of Miracles, and he'd like to take down at least one of his old teammates.

No one likes him. Aomine, Kuroko, and Kise all speak from experience when they say he is bad news. To make it worse, Kise's knee is apparently acting up. I have a sinking feeling that Haizaki is the type to take advantage of that.

Kise and Haisaki have a history. I completely agree with the sentiment
Kise expresses here, but I decided to censor the crudeness, since I'd
rather not worry about my readers' reactions.

Oh yeah, and Kuroko's old captain, the scary Akashi? He kicked Haisaki off the team back in middle school. That's a pretty significant testament to this guy's disposition.

Speaking of Akashi... I only caught brief glimpse of him in this episode. All he did was walk with his teammates, but that's enough to excite me. Over the past 50 episodes, I have learned to fear this small, pink-haired athlete. He's only had one significant scene, but his reputation precedes him. The entire Generation of Miracles clearly respects him. He has never lost a game—in one episode, someone said that winning is as natural to him as breathing. He doesn't slack of in practice, even though he's miles above most of his peers. And he became captain of his team even as a first-year. I have anticipated seeing him play for about 50 episodes, and I think I'll finally see him in action this season. Excuse me while I go squeal in excitement...

Akashi Seijuuro rises in the background of the ED sequence. Look
at those cat-like eyes... he scares me far more than Haisaki, and
in a very different way.

I really need to find a friend to watch this with. I love cheering, squealing, and jumping up and down on my own, but the real sports fans look like that have fun when they have friends to cheer with. Then again, I might not be quite as expressive if I had an audience. Maybe it's better this way.

My cheeks hurt from smiling. Goodness, I can be quite the fangirl at times. Time to calm down and go to sleep.

Rewind: Initial D Second Stage

I wrote about the first season of Initial D almost exactly a year ago. I didn't plan this post accordingly, but since I recently rewatched the "second stage," it's fresh in my mind. Last year, I mentioned that I received Initial D Second Stage as a Christmas gift, since I didn't realize it would eventually show up on Hulu. I'm thankful for my mistake; DVDs work a lot better than Hulu when the internet goes out.

Takumi usually has a very placid expression, even when racing,
but as he races a scornful opponent in the third episode, his
intensity shows on his face.

For those of you who don't know: Initial D centers around Fujiwara Takumi, a teenage street racer who specializes in downhill racing. His skill developed when he drove back and forth over the mountain pass to deliver tofu for his father's business. He didn't realize it at the time, but his father, a former street racer himself, was grooming him to be a racer. In the first season, the local racing team convinces him to start racing with them. They use the pass as their course, so Takumi is on familiar ground. He becomes well known by racers in the general area.

Just like with the first season, I enjoy Second Stage primarily for the races. Still, there are a few notable differences between seasons. I'll start with the positives: Takumi, the main character, meets challenges he can't overcome with the current state of his car, an old Toyota AE 86 Trueno. (The car is mostly referred to as an 86, not "eighty-six" but "Eight Six.") Takumi is forced to learn more about automechanics, whereas he relied primarily on experience and talent for victory before. His father continues to guide his growth as a racer, and he helps make changes to the car.

Other differences, I'm not so happy with. There is a big change in animation between the first and second seasons. Granted, the art wasn't exactly pretty before, and the new look is... shinier, I guess. It's probably supposed to be better. But there are a few characters who almost look like different people. One of the Takumi's most respectable opponents, Ryosuke, even has a different hair color, and I don't think it's because he picked up a package of hair dye. His whole appearance is off.

And then there's the romance piece... In the first season, Takumi grew close with Mogi Natsuki, a girl he knew from school. In Second Stage, they still have feelings for each other. However, an anonymous busybody tells Takumi a secret about Natsuki. He deals with the news like the clumsy teenager he is. This part is executed decently, I admit, but I don't enjoy it.

Despite all my negative comments, I've watched Initial D: Second Stage three times now, and I continue to enjoy it. I can't bear to give the season less than four stars out of five. Takumi's development as a racer is fun to watch, and I've grown fond of a few of the secondary characters as well.

Rewind: Area no Kishi

Ya'll know how I feel about sports anime. So when Area no Kishi (Knight in the Area), an anime involving soccer, started airing in Winter 2012, I quickly picked it up. It finished airing Fall 2012. I finally finished drudging through it this September.

This anime taught me something valuable: I am a stubborn fool who takes pride in the most inane things. Why did I finish all 37 episodes of this lackluster show? Pride, folks. Pride in my identity as a sports anime fan, pride in finishing what I started, pride in enduring... It was not worth it, but I still, to this day, feel some pride in the fact I finished it.

I'm ridiculous.

Area no Kishi started with drama and ended... oh. I already forgot how it ended. I think there was a game in the last episode. Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of drama. Usually, when I watch that genre, I watch with my Literature Student hat on, or I dust off my Film Class hat from the spring semester. I feel more appreciation than entertainment (with some notable exceptions). The soap-opera-type drama in Area no Kishi? Yeah. Didn't appreciate it.

The characters as little kids. From left to right: Nana, aka "Seven," the
love interests/childhoofriend; Kakeru; Kakeru's heart big brother Suguru;
and random teammates. This photo shows up in multiple episodes. As
you can see by the almost-translucent bar, I watched on Crunchyroll, so
no commercials to prolong the tribulation. Sorry, I'm being overdramatic.

So, what about the humor? Uh... no. Mostly annoying.

The sports aspect? I was excited during a couple of episodes, especially in the first half, before I got too cynical about the whole thing. But a lot of episodes were wasted on drama, hot springs, festivals, beaches, and musings about medical-ish phenomena. Of course, when I say "wasted," I say it from a sports anime fan's point of view.

Okay, you say, at least there were some cute boys, right? Nope. The animation was so-so at best, so even if I were still young enough to comfortably crush on these characters... heavens no. Not even their personalities got my attention. My care for Kakeru, the main character, mostly come from that loyalty that naturally forms between me and any half-decent protagonist.

The theme music for Area no Kishi is going through my head. Again. It's the same OP (and maybe ED? I forget) for all 37 episodes, and key parts of it play throughout each episode, so that adds up to... hearing the same several measures of music over and over and over again. I finally got it out of my head after I finished the show, but now, after writing this, it's come back. What have I done to myself?

So, do I recommend Area no Kishi? If you're not a picky, cynical, somewhat experienced fan who sometimes pretends to be a connoisseur... then sure! I'm really glad people like you are still around to enjoy these anime the way they were made to be enjoyed. I hope reading this post doesn't hold you back from that. I probably would have enjoyed Area no Kishi more in the earlier days of my fandom. And Anime-Planet users rate it, on average, just over 3.5/5 stars, which isn't entirely bad.

If you are picky, but you take pride in finishing mediocre shows, then no. Don't commit yourself to this. It's like committing yourself to SAO, but with less people to snobbily complain to, and without that nice, clear stopping point after two cour. And no pretty animation.

Rewind: Baby Steps

The sports anime genre is dominated by team sports. And, lately, it's been dominated by teams of cute boys, mostly bishounen. Only a couple exceptions have reached my watching list in the past few years. One of them is Baby Steps.

Baby Steps started airing in the spring, during one of the most exciting sports anime seasons I've seen. Baby Steps was never my favorite, but it was a refreshing addition to my Sports Anime Weekends. Unlike Daiya no Ace and Haikyuu!!, Baby Steps focused on a single, intelligent boy learning an individual sport for the first time.

Behold, my only screenshot from Baby Steps. I can't remember exactly
what the metaphor was here, but it was probably about his training
coming together. Of course, this is just form episode 14. At this point in
the 25-ep series, he's got quite the training regiment ahead of him.

I'll go into the story some more in a moment. First, I must mention the other big difference between Baby Steps and the other weekend sports anime: the animation. The visuals in Haikyuu!! and the recent Kuroko's Basketball are mesmerizing at times, particularly during games. Even the visuals in Daiya no Ace make me happy. Then there's Yowapeda, which isn't as pretty, but has fun colors, and Ping Pong, which is strange and thus fascinating in all aspects. In comparison, Baby Steps's animation is little more than serviceable.

Still, I enjoyed it and followed it closely through the Spring and Summer anime seasons. I can relate to Ei-chan (Maruo Eiichiro) and his obsessive note taking. I actually started learning Gregg Shorthand so I could keep up with one of my professors, and my journal goes everywhere with me. Granted, I'm not quite as thorough as Ei-chan, and if I take notes for non-educational purposes, it's because I like to have a record, or because I'm a writer... not because I'm a tennis player (though I really should be taking notes about my running distances and times). That aside, I appreciate his strategic and hardworking approach to whatever he pursues. Plus, he reminds me of the analytical Inui-senpai from Prince of Tennis, and you might remember how much that anime means to me.

I was going to say some deep stuff about Ei-chan's training and the Christian walk... but I was also really close to saying, "No. I'm too swamped for this." Homework is scrambling my brain. So deep posts can wait.

Anyway, I look forward to the sequel series coming next year. In the meantime, I have Daiya no Ace and the second season of Yowapeda... Anime-Planet users gave Yowapeda a higher average rating than Baby Steps, a fact I don't completely understand. But, oh well. It's fun enough.

Rewind: Yowapeda

When a decent sports anime begins airing, it quickly lands a spot on my "watching" list. But I follow some sports anime closer than others. Yowapeda, or Yowamushi Pedal, is classified among the "others." I started following it near its inception in Fall 2013, but I didn't watch it every week. Compared to Kuroko's Basketball or Ace of the Diamond, Yowapeda fell short. I'm still not sure why it has such a high average rating on Anime-Planet.

Onoda and one of his senpai singing his favorite anime OP as they
make their way from the back of the back to the front, to rejoin the rest
of the team in episode 36

It's not that I dislike Yowapeda. On the contrary, I really like Onoda. He's an otaku, which grabbed my attention, and I loved watching his otakudom merge with--and even enhance--his newfound athleticism. First, his bike rides to Akihabara strengthened him. Then, his "Love Hime" song gave him and his senpai strength to succeed in their race. I enjoyed all of this.

And yet, ultimately, the characters failed to capture my heart. They often entertained me, sparked at least some level of inspiration, and even creeped me out. But they didn't move me.

For more of my comments on Yowapeda, and my theory about why Midousuji is so creepy, browse the Yowapeda tag on my Tumblr.  Also, see my post from May about sports anime.

Rewind: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club was one of the most talked-about anime in Summer 2013. It sparked swooning, debates, and a lot of fan art. I participated in none of it. As far as I understood, Free! was just a shallow anime filled with girl-oriented fan service. Still, I'm a dedicated sports anime fan, so I tried half of the first episode. The story and characters failed to grab me, and I had no need to stare at barely dressed men for twenty minutes. I dropped the show.

Then, I got a Tumblr account. I was exposed to more Free! fan art than ever before, even when the show was actually airing. And when the new season started? My defenses against everyone's favorite swimming anime really took a hit.

Ain't that an inspiring phrase? It's from episode 12. I took more
screen shots in that episode than in others... but not because it
inspired me.

Eventually, I mused that "Skin and Speedos couldn't get this level of fangirl passion on their own... right?" A follower assured me that there really was more to the show. 

So, I decided to try Free! again. My optimism held through the fifth episode, as I recorded on Tumblr:

Congratulations, Tumblr. You got me to start Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. 

There is more to it than fanservice. It hasn’t awed me, but I am curious about some of the characters’ backstories. And it has some of the normal sports anime trappings: a team of unique guys, old-teammate-turned-rival, cute manager, training camp… enough to assure me that, as a sports anime fan, I’m in for a bit of fun. 

Of course, the fanservice still exists, catered toward girls… especially, it seems, yaoi fangirls. Some scenes practically write the yaoi fanfiction themselves. 

I’m more a fan of pure, deep, brotherly friendship. So I ignore the invitations to read into the characters’ relationships. Instead, I enjoy the friendship, just like I do in all my favorite sports anime...

Unfortunately, my opinion of the show quickly dropped from "this is somewhat enjoyable" to "this is too sappy." On the same night as I wrote that last Tumblr post, I wrote another one about the sixth episode, stating, "I can handle 12 eps of sappiness, methinks, for the sake of the sport and the story." 

My skepticism increased as the show went on. I hoped that the swimming, at least, would be fun for me. Sports anime usually give me plenty to enjoy in the competitions and everything leading up to it. The sport in Free! should have given it an extra edge--swimming is the one sport I pay attention to and enjoy during the Olympics. My Dad's a swimmer, and I was with him when Michael Phelps won that record-breaking gold medal in 2008. Dad's enthusiasm was contagious, and I caught it.

My experiences watching Olympic swimming with Dad did help Free! a little. I soon forgot about the skin-showing part of the fan service, since the characters' swim gear made me remember watching the pre- and post-race Olympic coverage. I also understood a little bit about each stroke, so I could imagine how the characters strategized breathing, stroke length, and muscle strengthening. That actually helped my interest in the show increase--Free! contained very few details on training or strategy. There weren't even any annoying journalists or ignorant spectators to help explain the sport, so I had to fill in the gaps myself.

Despite the training camp and the many pool scenes, it seemed that Free! Iwatobi Swim Club was not actually about swimming. Or competition. Or determination, or diligence, or respect.

Free! was all about the drama. Basically, four guys used to be friends. One of them, Rin, aspired to be an Olympic swimmer. Back in grade school, he knew the importance of camradarie, and he convinced the other three kids to be in a medley relay with him. Then he went off to Australia for middle school, to study at some academy with a great swimming program. He finally came back during the second year of high school... but not to the same team, or even the same school, as the other three boys.

So, Rin was back in Japan, but he was kinda a callous jerk to his old buddies. He eventually joined one of their rival swimming teams, but he was still obsessed with being on the same team as his old friends. It was kinda like in TV shows where the girl is still totally in love with her ex, but gets a new boyfriend anyway, only to cheat on him with the ex... who also has a new significant other, so he's cheating, too.

[big spoiler ahead]

No, really. That's basically what happens in the season finale. Rin says he's quitting swimming. Then he cries about how he actually wants to be on a team with Haruka, Makato, and Nagisa again. They already have a fourth teammate, named Rei, and they're planning to swim the medley relay together. But Rei, being an understanding, enabling kohai, backs out and says that Rin can take his place in the butterfly portion of the relay. Rei was really looking forward to this race, too.

Rin takes advantage of Rei's selfless gesture, and the original four compete in the relay and win... Of course, they're disqualified afterward, because Rin is from a different school, but that's okay because they all got to swim together, and it creates a warm fuzzy feeling for fans and friendship is magic and stuff.

Rei looks on as Rin, Makoto, Haruka, and Nagisa celebrate their
victorious race. Poor guy.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting there thinking that they have terrible sportsmanship.

I wrote out my thoughts when I first finished the 12th episode:

This is overdramatic, and I'm laughing. If I take these dudes seriously, I'll get annoyed at Rin for being a drama queen. I'll also scold the others for enabling him... and being mini drama queens themselves. Guys, get over yourselves! Rin, if you wanted to swim with your friends, you should have enrolled in Iwatobi to begin with. Duh. If you're going to be as emotional as a stereotypical, hormonal teenage girl, then at least be honest with your feelings. Don't pull selfish, irrational stunts like this as tournaments. Sheesh. Go watch some real sports anime. 

[end of big spoiler]

Obviously, I have little patience for drama queens. I prefer to save that patience for any drama I encounter in real life. I mean, I do want to love these characters. I'm pretty fond of Makoto and Nagisa. I sort of like Haruka and Rei. And, if I think of him as a child going through a dramatic phase, I can care about Rin.

It's not like I disliked the first season of Free!. But I didn't particularly like it either... Although I did enjoy the ending sequence. It was like a music video, with each character acting a part, the way members of a real band would.

I suppose I can understand why some people like Free! so much. I might watch the second season, Free! Eternal Summer. It's not exactly a priority for me, though. I have plenty of other anime to keep me busy during my precious free time.

Rewind: Cross Game

I planned to feature Giant Killing today, but it's not on Crunchyroll anymore, and I don't remember it well enough to write about it without a refresher. Instead, I started rewatching Cross Game, a baseball anime that's basically designed to give you the feels.

Ko and his dear friend/childhood sweetheart/birthday buddy.
These two makes me smile together (screenshot from ep 1).

When I watched this for the first time back in 2010, I was still pretty narrow-minded about what anime I watched. Sadness? Drama? Count me out!

Still, by this time, Prince of Tennis had already showed me the potential of sports anime, and I was hungry for more. So I tried Cross Game, and I liked it a lot. I wrote this recommendation on Anime-Planet:

I don't really like sports, and have never seen a live action movie/show about sports that I considered worth watching. But the Prince of Tennis and Cross Game are amazing! The Prince of Tennis is easily in my top ten anime, to the point that I've watched the first hundred or so episodes twice.

I admit, the two shows have their differences. The Prince of Tennis has a lot more humor and goes, I believe, three times as long. Cross Game includes some light romance and deals with the mourning process. Even I came very close to shedding tears. But Cross Game still has its humor.

Another thing: many slice of life, romance, drama, and so-called "comedy" anime bore me. These two most certainly don't.

Obviously, I've widened my horizons since I wrote that in November 2010. At the time, I was still surprised that I could like an anime like Cross Game. I mean, it involved realistic elements like tragedy and grief. There was even a little bit of romance!

Normally, I wouldn't have touched this kind of thing. But Cross Game had an advantage over other great anime dramas: it involved sports.

And so I tried it. It started a little slowly, and it was a lot more realistic than Prince of Tennis and most of the other anime I liked at the time. But it made me smile, laugh, and, at times, swallow the lump that grew in my throat. I enjoyed watching the main character, Ko, grow as a baseball player. I even enjoyed the relationship between him Aoba—she's one of a handful of girls in sports anime whom I actually like.

I'm not sure what else to say. I'm trying to avoid giving an outright spoiler about what happens in the first couple episodes.

I'll end with this: Cross Game really is a cross between the sports and drama anime I've come to enjoy. It includes wise young players with an eye for talent (including, of course, a catcher), talented pitchers (including Ko and Aoba), games and practice routines that are fun to watch, and an abundance of determination. But it's also thoughtful, realistic, and occasionally tear-worthy. Anime-Planet users have rightfully recommended it to fans of Anohana.

It's 50 episodes long. I probably finished it in about a week the first time I watched it, during my binging days. It will take me a a lot longer this time. I'll enjoy savoring it between episodes of Ace of the Diamond and Haikyuu!! over the next month or two.

Sports Anime: The Favorites, the Blahs, and What Defines Them

Time for a master post about my favorite anime genre! I already wrote about how sports anime first earned my favor, so I won't repeat myself. You can check out old posts on the topic if you want. This post will deal with current favorites, as well as those that are, well, blah, and how I tend to judge them. If you haven't tried any good sports anime, I hope you'll check out a few of the titles I mention in this post.

New Prince of Tennis fits under blah, but boy, it was good to see
Echizen and the rest again. And he looks good in more modern
visuals (from ep. 1).

Obviously, not all sports anime are created equal. After watching about 15 of them (including currently airing titles), I know what I look for in sports anime. Some, like Kuroko's Basketball, win my favor through decent character development, great suspense, and smooth animation. Others, like Area no Kishi, fall flat. Still, I've become just enough of a fan girl to welcome all new sports anime into my watching list, with only a few qualifications:

1. It must not be ecchi or otherwise distractingly offensive. Thus, Wanna be the Strongest in the World never made it near my watching list. I'm pretty sure the creators of that show were more concerned with anatomy than pro wrestling, anyway.

2. If it's a sequel series, and the earlier seasons aren't legally available online, I probably won't watch it. Sorry, Haijime no Ippo Rising.

3. It must be available on one of my preferred viewing sites. My entertainment budget is small: Crunchyroll subscription + the occasional book/movie/etc. And anime isn't the only thing on my birthday list.

4. If sports only take a small role in the anime, it must win my attention through other avenues. Suzuka, for example, got my attention a few years ago because of the track element, but lost my attention after a few episodes. I can't remember much about it, except that it was only available dubbed on Hulu.

5. I trust my fellow Anime-Planet users. If they only give an anime 1-2 stars on average, I probably won't try it--even if it's a sports anime.

Once a sports anime gets on my watching list, it won't easily get kicked off. For example, Area no Kishi, or Knight in the Area, continues to sit on the list, over two years after it started airing. I still have four more episodes to go. At an average rate of one episode a month, I should be done by the end of summer. The only character I care for at all in the show is the main one, Kakeru. It's not his fault that I've lost interest in his story or that some of his friends annoy me. Unfortunately, my affection for Kakeru comes mostly from my sense of duty.

When I don't care much about the characters in a sports anime, we have a serious problem. Even one very good character can save a show from hitting the bottom of my list. Dear Boys, for example, has Aikawa. For those of you who don't know, Aikawa is a little like Kuroko in size and personality, but with more presence on the court (and much less presence in my heart). Aikawa makes me smile as I remember his show, which otherwise bored me.

So, what makes a sports anime good? I've started a list of traits shared by anime I enjoy.

1. As already mentioned, good character development is vital. Usually, as in The Prince of Tennis and Kuroko's Basketball, many of the main character's teammates and opponents are as fully developed as he is. In fact, I almost know more about some of Kuroko's friends than I do about him. But, sometimes, as in Initial D, one character is enough to gain my love.

2. Similarly, the characters must play off each other well. Imagine Ace of the Diamond (Daiya no Ace) without the catchers, Miyuki and Kris, prodding the pitchers into shape. It wouldn't be nearly the show we've come to love.

3. Animation is key. Yes, I realize this applies to any animated production. But the way basketball players move in Kuroko's Basketball enchants me. I love watching how Kagami and the rest handle the ball with flowing agility and elegance. Same goes for the newer anime, Haikyuu!!, which comes from the same studio. Even if I didn't care about the characters, I'd enjoy watching them play.

As a side note, I've enjoyed Ping Pong: The Animation this season, even though it's rather ugly at first glance. The animation is very different than anything else I'm watching... but I like some of the angles and action sequences anyway.

4. I enjoy good pacing and edge-of-my-seat suspense. When shows get this part right, I'm worked up like a football fan during Superbowl. When shows get it wrong, I imagine it's like when your favorite football team is have a really lackluster, bad game. For example, New Prince of Tennis tried to capitalize on the character development from the first 170 or so episodes. But this new, 13 episode series fell completely flat in the pacing and suspense department. An important match was squished into a single episode. If I didn't already love the characters, I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed it at all.

These anime got it right:

From Kuroko's Basketball 2, episode 21. Kuroko continues to
prove that you shouldn't underestimate the scrawny kids, and
Production I.G. reminds me why it's the only studio on my A-P
<3 far.="" list="" so="" td="">

Kuroko's Basketball
- My Superbowl analogy applies five times over with this one. See my February post about it for an example. I can't wait for another season to air. I think we'll finally get to see Kuroko's old captain in action. He kinda scares me, more than a dude with pink hair should.

Ace of the Diamond
- Eijun, an earnest young pitcher, has contagious passion, and he's fun to watch with the pitchers. But I also like the honor paid to his sempai, both by him and by the creators. The upperclassmen on the team have admirable solidarity, and I'm glad we get to see that.

Giant Killing
- This one is about adults, and they definitely won't let the young'uns from other anime beat them with their passion... okay, yeah, it's time for me to re-watch this. It's been a very long time since I saw it. Looks like I haven't used this for a Rewind post yet, so I'll harvest screenshots when I start this up again.

Big Windup
- This one isn't fresh in my memory, but I'm still confident recommending it, and I wish the second season was online. Maybe I'll give in and buy it.

Prince of Tennis
- This introduced me to sports anime. It might be over-the-top for some people, but the characters and matches really are fun... and, again, it introduced me to the genre, which puts it just barely below Naruto in sentimental value.

Currently airing jewels (these haven't aired a full season yet, so are counted separately):

The volleyball captain informs Hinata and Kageyama that
they can't participate in the club until the can act like
teammates (ep. 2).

Haikyuu!!
- From Production I.G., the same studio that brought us Kuroko's Basketball, we have an anime about... volleyball. Hey, that's something different. And very fun. The animation is as wonderful to watch as that in KuroBas. The characters delight me, especially Hinata Shouyou. He's cute. He could compete with my dog for cuteness, and since I'm very biased toward my pup, that's saying something. But he's also an interesting young player -- singleminded, trusting, and usually confident, although his nerves can get in the way. I like his dynamics with Kageyama.

Baby Steps
- Not as lovely to look at as Haikyuu!!, but it's the first good tennis anime to cross my radar since The Prince of Tennis. The main character, Eijun, has an analytical approach to tennis, a lot like Inui from PoT. But, unlike Inui, Eijun is a newbie at the beginning of the show. Also, his eyes got all sparkly in episode 7, and Inui was never innocent enough for the sparkly-eye thing.

Tsukimoto's friend, "Peco," playing in the first ep. I don't like
him, but his character fits well with the anime's style and themes.

Ping Pong: The Animation
- This is the oddball on my watching list. It's different in almost every way, starting with the visual style. Then there's the sport... who'd have thought you could make an interesting anime about
ping pong? The characters are different, too. Tsukimoto (aka Smile), never smiles. He lacks aspiration, even though he's an amazing ping pong player. The supporting cast is a bit off-klter, too. This anime will never be my favorite, but I enjoy its uniqueness. 

I enjoyed these, but they're not high on my recommendation list:
Cross Game
- I don't remember this one well enough to recommend it too highly, but it was very good. I enjoyed it even before I made a habit of watching tear-jerkers. Guess that means I'd like it even more now.

Eyeshield 21
- Very fun, but too over the top to recommend to anyone who doesn't already love Prince of Tennis or other school sports anime.

Initial D
- Okay, so I loved this, although I still haven't seen Fifth Stage (come on, Crunchyroll! Funimation! Somebody, please make this available!) But the animation isn't exactly pretty, and I guess it's not super fresh in my memory.

Bamboo Blade
- I don't remember this one very well. But I liked it, and it's about girls. No other sports anime on my list can make that second claim, although I recall girls playing a fairly large role (without being exploited for ridiculous fan service) in Cross Game.

This one is gaining more favor:
Yowapeda
- I'm not a hug fan of Yowapeda (Yowamushi Pedal), but it's gaining on me. You'd think that I'd like it better, since it's a racing anime, and I loved Initial D. But it just hasn't clicked with me the same way. Still, it's earned its way out of the last list.

Meh and Blah:

Dear Boys 

- A bit boring, but decent. I enjoyed some of the episodes, especially near the end. But I felt that the negatives outweighed the positives, as I explained when I first finished it.

Area no Kishi
- Too much drama, too much annoying "comedy," and too much of that opening theme music stuck in my head. On the positive side, interesting moves and game play occasionally appear between beach episodes (I'm exaggerating, of course -- the majority of episodes aren't on the beach. They must make room for festival and hot springs episodes... okay, still a slight exaggeration). Yes, I plan to finish this. I'm too stubborn for my own good.

Conclusion

There are still some great sports anime I'd like to see, including the long-running baseball anime Major. Fifteen shows (and several hundred episodes) don't make me a genre expert... they just make me a bit of a fan.

Stay tuned for more in-depth posts about sports anime. I have a couple ideas that may appear throughout coming weeks. And comment if I didn't mention one of your favorite sports anime - especially if it's available somewhere like Crunchyroll or Hulu, so I can watch it. If it's not, maybe you can make a good enough case to move a DVD set to the top of my birthday list. Maybe.

Kuroko's Basketball 2: "I Believe"

I doubt that people will get more excited about the Super Bowl today than I got about Kuroko's Basketball last night. The title of the episode, "I Believe," turned out to be fitting as I struggled to believe my favorite basketball team would win. 

Most of the time, Twitter is sufficient for my reactions to singe episodes of anime. Last night, after I watched Kuroko's Basketball, Twitter wasn't enough for me. I had too much to say. I thought about posting my thoughts here, but chose Tumblr instead, since I thought an episodic post would be out of sync with recent posts. 

But since when am I worried about continuity in writing style? I've posted rambles, Naruto Shippuden fangirling, reviews, poems, and deeper editorials, all on this same blog. I like the mix, and I shouldn't restrain myself now.

So here. Here's what I wrote on Tumblr last night. I think it's proof of how good Kuroko's Basketball is. It's amazing - a basketball game can get me more worked up than a life-and-death battle.

Spoiler Warning for Kuroko's Basketball 2, episode 17.

I admit it: I lost hope during the second half of this week's Kuroko's Basketball. Aomine entered the Zone, and as much as I wanted to believe in Seirin, my heart was already dropping.

I tucked my knees up against my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Maybe by hanging onto my knees, I was telling the Seirin team to hang on, too. Maybe the suspense was simply making me tense. Maybe I was comforting myself in advance, preparing for the loss I didn't want to believe would come.

This is the kind of tension I had when Naruto fought Pain two years ago, or when a certain character's life hung by a thread in Clannad After Story.

It's just a game, though, isn't it? I mean, yeah, if Kuroko and the gang lose, they'll be disappointed, but they'll be okay, right?

But it's not just a game. It's Kiyoshi's last chance to play in a high school tournament. It's the first time Aomine has been truly challenged in... forever, probably. And I get the sense that if they can't beat Aomine and his team now, then maybe they never will. My heart is tangled with this game. I know their hearts are in it even more.

So I didn't want to give up.

When Kagami asked to go one-on-one with Aomine, I began to have a spark of hope. Maybe Kagami can break a wall within him in these last few minutes. Maybe.

I hugged my knees and watched.

Stop thinking so much! I thought. Just play. Just get into the game!

Could he do it?

Maybe he wasn't ready after all.

Then, something snapped into place. It wasn't an audible snap, but it was there. Kagami's thoughts accumulated, not to a distracting mess, but to a point of action that broke beyond the thoughts.

I felt it. Then he moved.

The lightning flashed in his eyes.

My breath caught. I didn't breath normally for at least a full minute, I'm sure. I let go of my knees, then hugged them close again.

He's joined Aomine in the Zone.

They might actually have a chance in these last few minutes.

They might.

The episode ended like that. Of course it did. The person in charge of episode pacing just cut it off there, leaving us hanging. I can imagine them as a dark figure laughing manically in some dimly lit studio.

Rewind: Initial D

I don't remember the first time I watched Initial D. I know that I saw it on Hulu before I understood how Funimation rotates the availability of its shows. I put the second season on my Christmas list that year, and I received it... though it ended up being available on Hulu anyway. Oh well. The second season is officially the only anime TV series I own - the three other anime on my shelf are movies. I don't mind the that the honor goes to Initial D: Second Stage. But I digress. That's the second season, and I'm writing primarily about the first.

Initial D is about street racing. People race cars, especially on hills. Okay, they call it a mountain, but Mt. Akina is a bit short to be considered a mountain in my book.

Is their racing legal? No. Does anyone in the anime care? No. So I choose ignore the little legality issue, too. The main character, Takumi, is a pretty normal teenager at first glance. He doesn't seem passionate about much. He goes to school, works partime at a gas station, tolerates his excitable friend, and makes deliveries for his dad's tofu shop. It's not exciting to drive over the pass in his dad's old car every night, so he gets it done quickly, with no regard for any speed limit signs. He's picked up some pretty amazing skills in the process, with a little guidance from his dad, a former street racer. Takumi is clueless about this, of course. Then he catches the right people's eyes, and one thing leads to another until he's on a street racing team. Let the fun begin.

The animation isn't pretty. It was made fifteen years ago, though, so what do expect? Initial D wouldn't promise to be super popular either, so it's not like they were going to be generous with the budget. The animation does its job. Figures and, more importantly, cars move across the screen. What more can you want? I love watching Takumi drive. The screen shows him shifting and his feet working the pedals - to me, it was like he was dancing, especially with the background music.

The races always had me on the edge of my seat. Takumi is bit of an underdog. Yes, he has skill, but he's new to the scene. Plus, his car is the same old Toyota 86 that his dad raced in. His opponents consistently underestimate him. Since he races downhill, his lack of horsepower and such doesn't get in his way at first. Actually, the simplicity of his car sometimes gives him an advantage over those who let their car do too much with its automatic features. It's still an old car.

Initial D comes to mind anytime I drive a winding downhill road or mountain pass. Unlike Takumi, I've always followed speed limits fairly well. During my first long drives, I generally paid attention to the suggested speeds for curves. Then I stopped taking those suggestions seriously. It wasn't because of Initial D's influence, of course - just plain overconfidence in my vehicle and myself. I can now tell you from personal experience that it's a really good idea to slow down around corners. We don't all have reflexes and control like Takumi, and his car is definitely more loyal to him than some of ours are. I bet his Trueno's steering system would never rebel against him.

It's been a while since I last watched Initial D, but I still do a double take every time I see a small, old black and white car. I couldn't identify a Lamborghini or any other fancy car for the life of me, but I know the basic look of an old Toyota Trueno.

Initial D is pretty bland in all ways that don't relate to driving. I just tolerate the bits of romance and drama. Thankfully, that stuff rarely distracts from the parts I like: the races and preparation for the races.

Rewind: Eyeshield 21

Eyeshield 21 taught me most of what I know about football. That's no surprise, since I can say the same thing about The Prince of Tennis and tennis or Chihayafuru and karuta. In the middle of each episode, framing the commercial break, there's a "football clinic," where a character gives the audience information about everything from how to score points to what a tight end is. It's very educational.

Sena races past an opponent that managed to get him
not just to be angry, but fierce. It was an impressive feat.

Like many shounen anime, Eyeshield 21 mixes suspense and character growth with utter silliness. I enjoyed all 145 episodes when I saw it a couple years ago, but only because I knew better than to take it too seriously. Every character's main traits are exaggerated. The main character, Sena, is a weakling who can run ridiculously fast, a result of years of running from bullies. His team's captain, Hiruma, is a delinquent who runs the high school through intimidation and blackmail. Hiruma has a locker full of guns and always has one on hand to use as convenient. Mamori, Sena's older childhood friend, is ridiculously over protective of him. I barely even know where to start with her, actually. Of all the "childhood friend" characters I've met over the past four years, she's probably the most annoying. Step back and let Sena be a man, for heaven's sake! Scratch that, just give him enough room to breathe. That alone would be an improvement!

The list goes on. Physical and personality traits alike are ridiculous in scope, and you have to accept that in order to enjoy the comedy. Same goes for setting and plot.

I laughed a lot as I watched, but that's not all that kept me interested. I wanted Sena and his team to succeed. I wanted them to grow, to exceed their limits, and to overcome their opponents. I wanted to watch Sena catch up to rival running backs and leave them in the dust. Episodes ended mid-game, leaving me in suspense, and I quickly clicked on the next one.

More came from Eyeshield 21 than humor and suspense. Even the silliest sports anime naturally lends itself to musings about diligence. I ended up using Eyeshield 21 as an example in the second half of this blog post, although I hadn't set out to write about anime. It spurred continued reflection and sports anime analogies, so I had to post the rest of my musings next day, in a post called "Perseverance and Sports Anime." These anime helped me to process something about myself that I already knew, but hadn't dealt with.

It's difficult for me to outright recommend Eyeshield 21. The animation isn't anything special. Nor is the story, for that matter. From what I remember, it's simply fun. If you loved The Prince of Tennis, you'll probably enjoy Eyeshield 21. It has a lot of similarities, which I outlined in my recommendation on Anime-Planet. Beyond that, there's little to say.