What They Say:
An up-and-coming power player, Taiga Kagami, is just back from America. When he comes to Seirin High School, he meets the super-ordinary boy, Tetsuya Kuroko. Kagami is shocked to find that Kuroko isn’t good at basketball, in fact, he’s bad! And he’s so plain that he’s impossible to see. But Kuroko’s plainness lets him pass the ball around without the other team noticing him, and he’s none other than the sixth member of the Miracle Generation.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the flow of the game having changed a bit in the last couple of episodes and the intensity up several notches as Seirin has pushed back, Murasakibara has basically taken the route of just not caring anymore. Or, more simply, with the way he’s gotten pushed around so hard, he just doesn’t enjoy what’s going on and is asking to be subbed out because he hates to lose and doesn’t want to be a part of it. But there’s enough interesting push back among some of those on his team, especially since they all envy him on some level with his skill and ability, that they basically shake him out of it. Murasakibara hasn’t exactly been a character you can like much from the start and this just cements it more that he’s a poor sportsman when you get down to it.
With the final quarter rolling down to the final minutes, we get more intense play and some slick animation as the two sides battle it out and as the score narrows, bringing us down to the final minute a lot quicker than I expected it to. But it works well as we see the way both sides are now totally getting into the game and enjoying every minute of it. But for the Seirin boys, it’s the return of Kiyoshi to the lineup that really helps to rally them since he’s been recovering all this time to be able to give his all. That’s a big rally for the boys, but it strikes into the Yosen players a bit as they thought he was down for the count and, in some ways, utterly destroyed based on what they did to him before. But it’s a welcome moment to see the way it all turns in this final minute and to give Kiyoshi the chance to really be a part of it, even if it is psychological for all involved.
Honestly, it’s no surprise how the game turns out since the boys are on their long journey and this is a big part of it. And while there may be something interesting in having them lose at this stage of the game, even down by a point in the last twenty seconds, it’s a lot more rewarding for the players and the viewers if they strive, work hard and achieve that goal. Seeing them go through this final minute, drawn out of course, really works well and it does manage to let a lot of the name players to have their moment and that simply hits beautifully. We do get a few of the usual kinds of post-game moments, especially the handshakes, where the characters get to emote in a way they can’t during the game, and it’s pretty nice with how it all comes together. Not everything is easy, but you get a good view of who these characters are by the way they act both off and on the court and this end piece certainly makes some of it clearer.
In Summary:
While I’m not exactly a fan of the whole piece they introduced in the later half of this season with “the zone,”, it’s certainly a valid piece that worked to show how the team can rally and move forward. This season has had some good matches overall and it hints easily at what’s to come so there’s no surprise there as the Seirin boys move forward to the semifinals, but looking back at what’s happened so far leaves you feeling pretty pleased with it. Some games naturally go longer than others, and the struggles more drawn out than I’d care for, it hits the right notes that you expect from a sports series of this nature and doesn’t disappoint. Especially since the majority of the series is given over to the actual game and not pointless character drama. Kuroko’s Basketball definitely had a good season here and hopefully has a few more left in it.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
