One person’s feelings of concern and desire to protect can be a burden even when used with the best of intentions.
What They Say:
Episode 9: Running Next to Freedom
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Summer break has arrived and the girls are preparing to spend the beginning part of it taking a retreat together to Maho’s summer house. The plan isn’t working out perfectly for all their friends as Aoi has come down with a cold and will be unable to attend and Hina is also facing a stumbling block of her own. Hina is facing opposition from her younger sister Kagetsu who thinks Hina has been pushing herself too much lately and wants her to just take it easy instead. Even though her older sister isn’t going to listen to her Kagetsu isn’t going to take “no” for an answer and plans to try to bring Hina home for her own good.
Kagetsu talks to the school’s nurse Touko and convinces Touko to give her a ride to Maho’s house as she is concerned for Hina’s health and she also uses Subaru’s presence as an argument for them to go. Meanwhile as he relaxes on the beach waiting for the girls to arrive Subaru is talking with Mihoshi who has also come along for the trip as he is contemplating what his next move will be in coming up with a goal for the girls to aim for.
When the five girls from the team finally arrive from changing they all spend some time frolicking before Kagetsu and Touko arrive and Kagetsu tries to bring Hina home. Hina instead challenges her to a marathon race where if Hina wins she gets to continue her basketball activities without being pestered but if she losses she will have to stop pushing herself. Will the reason that Kagetsu is so protective of her sister be enough to motivate her to win or will Hina prove that the impression Kagetsu has of her is off base?
When in doubt, forget basketball and go back to the beach it seems. The center of the story is a touching tale of family and the conflicting feelings of protection that can arise from love, guilt or a mix thereof. This allows for the introduction of a new character that helps focus the story on Hina while also voicing what likely would be real familial concern about a daughter who seems as weak as Hina engages in this new activity. While it isn’t the most original episode ever, it gains points for its heart and the caring shown between characters.
On the other hand the episode takes the fan service up a notch which isn’t terribly necessary. Having another episode with the girls in swimsuits is pushing the envelope enough given they are a basketball team, not a swim team, but the episode throws in additional scenes of changing and top slippage which really isn’t needed as the show is strong enough to carry itself. Add in the whole sixth grade thing and the inappropriateness grows-to the point where a character no one would expect to react does and it almost feels like an extension of the audience, though it is done more as comedy than a statement about knocking this pandering off.
In Summary:
Episode nine brings some more heart to the table as the spotlight is set on Hina and her relationship with her younger sister. While the episode isn’t terribly unique it does a better than average job of going through some rather familiar paces as it establishes a connection and understanding between some characters that had been missing each other due to their own preconceived notions.
Grade: B-
Simulcast By: The Anime Network
Review Equipment:
Toshiba 15.4” Notebook