First Impressions / Ro-Kyu-Bu!

「Win, again?」

The foreshadowing was pretty obvious, but that didn’t stop the basketball from being fun. Aoi is a crafty one.

Subaru, Marrying Maho-Maho!?

This wasn’t as much of a laugh-out-loud funny episode as others, but the character that got most of my laughs was Maho’s otou-san. I mean, the guy calls his own daughter Maho-Maho and he tried to marry her off to Subaru! Points do go to Maho for saying that Subaru should marry everyone, though. Also, dressing his meido up as a bunny girl did not hurt.

Once again though, Subaru shows wisdom past his age. Rather than practice equipment or expensive trips, what the girls need are strong opponents to play against – they need real experience, and the experiences that come with it. A tournament is exactly what they need, so let a tournament be held!

Uncertain Giants

The foreshadowing here is pretty clear – the 6th graders will face the 5th graders in the semi-finals (which ended up happening this episode), beat them, and then go on to face Suzuritani in the finals. My proof? Miyakoouji Aya (Hara Yumi). Two thoughts on her.

First of all, I’m not surprised in the least that Airi didn’t get depressed when Aya called her tall. Let me tell you why. As you may know, I’m very tall myself (6’7″, or 200cm), and whenever people meet me they often ask me whether I played basketball. This gets to be pretty annoying since it happens roughly 15,532 times a month. However, if another tall person walks up and asks me if I played basketball, it will usually be with a big smile on their face, and I will always laugh. Where others ask because they’re curious, they ask because they understand what I have to deal with more than anyone else possibly could because they live it, and though it’s minor in the grand scheme of things, it’s a point of bonding. Same thing here. Airi and Aya are very similar, and Airi notices that in an instant.

Secondly, I love how Airi is so willing to help out an opponent. The sneaky, lizard brain bastard in all of us wants to say “No, don’t do that! Help her after you’ve won if you like, but take the advantage of her weakness for now!” I wholeheartedly think that’s the wrong tact to take. Be generous and help people unabashedly, and the benefits will come back to you a thousand-fold–and even if they don’t, at least you’ll have been kind. I agree Banri, how sweet!

Play To Your Strengths

I loved Aoi’s “Wild Boar” strategy for beating the 6th graders, because when faced with a skill-and-teamwork gap that they would have had serious trouble overcoming, she decides that they’re not going to compete on that. Rather than fight where they’re weak, they became strong where their opponents are weak – or more accurately, became super strong where the 6th graders were merely good. If you can’t beat them with skill, do it with pure athleticism! No watch those wild boars run.

If I have any complaint, it’s that the 6th graders weren’t hustling. After the first time the 5th graders blew past them down the court they should have been hustling every. single. basket. Of course they’re going to pull ahead if you’re letting them take so many unopposed shots! This strategy should only have gotten to them late in the game when attrition set in. This isn’t a lazy walk in the park girls, move move move!

Looking Ahead

Like I said, the foreshadowing is pretty clear, but then again it’s not like “the main protagonists win” is a huge leap to make. It’s the journey that matters, and I’m excited to see what plan Subaru comes up with to beat Aoi’s wild boars. Then there’s that game against Suzuritani to deal with. There’s more good basketball on the horizon, you can count on that!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – After a fun marriage-related misunderstanding, it’s tournament time! Beware Aoi’s wild boars #rokyubu 07

Random thoughts:

  • I loved Hina singing “shougakusei wa saikou daze” in the bath, HAH! Well, she would say that I suppose.
  • Seriously, a bunny girl at a girls mini-basketball tournament? Maho’s father is my kind of doushi–I mean, he’s an interesting fellow. (Psst–keep up the good work, aibou!)

For more from yours truly, check out my blog on writing, art, and the book I’m working on at stiltsoutloud.com.

Full-length images: 01, 07, 09.

 

Preview

17 Comments

    1. The only real problem I have with this show is that I don’t find the way it portrays its basketball matches very interesting. I don’t have a problem with the sport itself; it’s more like that, the show could easily make the matches a bit more interesting and “realistic” (as much realistic as the existing context of grade school girls playing like high schoolers can be ofc). Sometimes, I get the feeling that the majority of the match consists of running to the opposing field of the court and exchanging a few passes until someone decides to play her man-to-man opponent 1on1 and score. No double teams, few fouls and free throws and no positioning tactics.

      One other show that managed to do more than just that, without making the matches too serious was Ginga e Kickoff!, in my opinion. While not getting too serious and realistic, it managed to make the matches exciting by having them be more technical and tactical than just having 11 (and 8, later on) kinds running up and down until someone fires a shot and scores.

      Tassadar
      Reply

      1. You’re not wrong. Of course, I could note that this show focuses on more than just the sports aspect, but that doesn’t necessarily excuse any weakness in the basketball parts even if it makes it very understandable.

        Personally though, one reason I don’t much like to watch basketball is that it is very tactical. It’s a slow grinding down of the inferior team, rather than watching the big breaks and clever strategies of something like American football. What this show always does is give the basketball games a more strategic bent, which I appreciate.

        Stilts
        Reply

  5. I know the official lyrics to the ED is “Show You Guts Cool Say What 最高だぜと”, but it’s as though the composer WANTS us to mishear it as “小学生は最高だぜと” (Elementary School Kids Are The Best) – Subaru’s infamous incriminating quote when grossly quoted out of context.

    This is not helped by the preceding part of the chorus “Rolling, Rolling, Growing~”, which can easily be “Loli, Loli, Loli~”

    I need to go into rehab before I succumb to the producer’s devious intents to convert me into Subaru’s ranks. >.>

    echykr
    Reply

    1. Ah, to heck with the official lyrics. They’re probably that way because there’s no way that they could release a CD with the lyrics 小学生は最高だぜと without parents/regulatory bodies/the labels getting upset.

      North American labels do the same thing all the time; look at Britney Spears’ “If U Seek Amy”, which sounds like (spoiler for profanity) Show Spoiler ▼

      .

      cbhl
      Reply

  6. Awww maho is so cuuute,come with your onee-san!

    I love the OP and end,do you know where to download them ?

    Thanks Stilts! But you should use more screenshots!Please!Pleaseeeee!

    kiririn
    Reply

  10. The difference between this show and clamp school detectives is that yes there was a huge age difference between the elementary schoolers and the kindergarteners they liked but the grade school boys didn’t act on their feelings until the kindergarteners reached an appropriate adolescent age say 18ish

    kasina
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *