Ackowledging faults is the first step to growth.
What They Say:
What’s Lacking
The Review
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
It’s Golden Week on ALL OUT!!, and we all know what that means: training camp! It’s much needed, as we’ve seen from how ridiculously outclasses our home team was in last week’s game. Without a proper coach, though, captain Sekizan has to play the role, and his goal for the team is simple: get bigger, get stronger. It’s a fitting conclusion for Sekizan to draw, seeing as how Keijo was able to mow Jinko’s athletes down with ease. However, a surprise is lying in wait for Jinko in the form of a proper leader, former pro Komori Shingo.
Komori drops in during Keijo’s practice, immediately laying a sense of intimidation over the team. He’s an older man with a constant scowl, and he doesn’t hold back in his criticisms of Jinko, especially the way Sekizan has been faux-coaching his friends. Komori chides Sekizan for being too rough on the team without actually producing useful results, focusing too much on simply gaining muscle and not on things like fundamentals and smarts. He demonstrates this in the most Anime Coach way possible – a mock battle between two of the smaller members of Keijo (including Gion) and two of the largest – Sekizan and Iwashimizu. In the first match, Gion’s team scores on offense despite the huge physical difference between the teams thanks to teamwork. Then, when Gion is on defense, he manages to take down Iwashizumi by taking some advice about his tackle from Komori himself, advice Sekizan wasn’t able to properly convey to Gion before. Iwashimuzi still scores a try, but that doesn’t stop Komori from seeing it as an overall loss. Gion managed to almost stop him despite having close to zero experience, after all.
It’s a rough experience for the team, and some understandably want Komori to stop interfering. Sekizan isn’t so stubborn to ignore a good opportunity when he sees it, though, and tells his friends to back down. He honestly wants to improve, and part of that process is some honest self-reflection about your own weaknesses. He realizes that Komori is offering access to talent and skills he’s never had the chance to reach before, and makes the tough decision to give up control to him. That leads into the second half of the episode, where Komori really gets to start pushing Jinko forward. He set up a series of ropes and poles, having everyone crouch under the ropes while passing the ball and avoiding the poles. He also brings back the turtle walk from the second episode, with the intention to both increase their back strength and, more importantly, force them to adopt proper form.
“I’m twice as tired from using my brain so much,” one character says during this training, followed by another’s “this is fun.” By the end of the episode, the team is mostly on board with this new training setup, even enjoying themselves in ways they hadn’t before. Komori is helping them realize that rugby is a team sport, and part of the fun of team sports is gaining strength by finding trust and bonds with your teammates. This is the kind of kick in the butt ALL OUT!! needed, and Komori totally owns his role as the quirky anime coach while still managing to stay relatively grounded.
In Summary:
ALL OUT!! is steadily improving, both by embracing its slight camp factor and leaning in on character development when possible. Sekizan is turning out to be a mature leader, one I am growing to respect and understand as he himself learns and grows. I didn’t really mention it, but some of the incidental comedy is also actually hitting now, too – the entire setup of Gion contacting Komori and Komori stalking the team for two solid weeks amusingly undercuts Komori’s self-serious nature, giving some levity to an otherwise absurd situation. Have to give credit where credit is due, and this is a stand-up example of what ALL OUT!! is capable of.
Grade: A-
Streamed by: Crunchyroll
