Kuroko no Basuke 2 – 26

OP Sequence

OP: 「The Other self」 by GRANRODEO

「こんな所で会うとはな」 (Kon’na Tokorode Au To Hana)
“I’ve Never Thought We’d Meet Here”

For me, Kuroko no Basuke is the one show that is almost impossible not to love – it manages to hit pretty much all of the right buttons, and this is a series that is extremely easy to enjoy, whether you’re a fan of the sports genre or not! I readily admit – I have a bit of a soft spot for pretty boys (or any eye-candies for that matter), and KuroBasu is nothing short of a real treat when it comes to the exquisiteness of its prized bishies. The series boasts some of the best-looking bishounen and best of all, they come in a great assortment – from darkly handsome and adorably cuddly to chiseled abs and well-ripped biceps, right down to a myriad of personalities that satisfy all of our deepest and darkest cravings! A story about high school boys and their fervent passion for basketball – the charm of this series evidently extends beyond its legion of studly charismata, and the grand display of sportsmanship, both on and off the court, has certainly brought forth a whole slew of action-packed thrills! Basketball has always held a special place in my esteem – I love the sport, I enjoy shooting hoops, and I do follow the goings-on of both NBA and NCAA very closely. Like many its shounen sports counterparts, Fujimaki Tadatoshi, the mastermind behind KuroBasu, has for sure taken some liberties to amp up the gripping sense of glitz and adventure on the court. You ought to check some of your common sense at the door – the prowess of its players is, at times, hyperbolized beyond logic, and their extensive list of special skills are quite a bombast to say the least! Some of us rejoice at its complete lack of restraint, while others are put off by its sheer farcicality – clearly, I stand by the former and I have enjoyed every single one of its blood, sweat and tears on the basketball court! The adrenaline-pumping games of playmaking, shooting, and slam dunks are the very impetus that drive the series forward, but let us not forget – there’s a human side to the equation as well, and KuroBasu is, no doubt, at its absolute best when their personal struggles, character drama and esprit de corps are brought to the forefront!

The first season of of KuroBasu ended on a high note – an intense inter-high match that pitted two of the “Generation of Miracles”, Kise Ryouta (Kimura Ryouhei) and Aomine Daiki (Suwabe Junichi), against each other! Its second season is definitely off to an excellent start – the premiere continued from where we left off, and it appears that the spotlight has been shifted back to Seirin’s main duo once again. Kuroko Tetsuya (Ono Kensho) and Kagami Taiga (Ono Yuuki) are at the heart of the story – their bromance, and the yin and yang relationship that ensued are the very quintessence of what makes this series so great! Kagami’s past and the time that he spent in the United States were  quite a revelation for sure – we have known right from the get-go that there’s so much more to his childhood than meets the eyes, and Himuro Tatsuya (Taniyama Kishou) was most certainly at the crux of both his felicity and befuddlement. Himuro was Kagami’s very first friend in the land of strangers and he was also the person who taught him how to shoot hoops – the beauty-marked bishie is Kagami’s mentor, his bosom pal and most importantly, his aniki and sworn brother! But as with most friendships and brotherhoods – there’s also an inevitable rivalry between those two, especially when it comes to their many accomplishments in the basketball court! Himuro appears to be a fascinating package of contrasts – he is calm and composed on the surface, but there’s also a cutthroat competitive side to his character that might make him seem like a sore loser. Kagami evidently cherishes their friendship a whole lot, so much so that he was willing to forgo a critical layup on purpose – just to keep their seeming amity intact! Himuro’s ruthless determination to win is quite a handful, but Kagami’s foolhardiness doesn’t at all make him a good sport, and as Kuroko aptly pointed out – nobody wants their opponent to go easy on them! There’s no clear-cut right-or-wrong answer in all of this, and we’re probably just scratching the surface of these intricate set of relationships – what we saw this week is the calm before the storm, as the secrets and their true colors slowly but surely come to light!

KuroBasu has always shown a penchant to astound us just when we least expect it to – the grand entrance of Murasakibara Atsushi (Suzumura Kenichi), a towering figure who plays center for the “Generation of Miracles”, was certainly a pleasant surprise! As it turns out, both Murasakibara and Himuro go to Yousen High – their basketball team was placed third in the inter-high championship, right after Aomine’s Touou Academy and Akashi’s Rakuzan High! Akashi Seijuurou (Kamiya Hiroshi), the captain and point guard of the Kiseki no Sedai, is the only one from the revered team who has yet to make a formal appearance – there has always been a mystical aura that surrounds the red-headed bishie and I’m sure he has an equally intriguing persona to match all of his seeming badasseries! Interestingly enough, all of the three members of the aforementioned Kiseki no Sedai were not present during finals and semi-finals of the inter-high games – nobody knows what the reason for such a coincidence was, but it sure as hell does point to a rather delicate relationship between those from the “Generation of Miracles”! Murasakibara is still pretty much a closed book, but there are bits and pieces of his character that are gradually raveling out – starting with the blatant jeer and mockeries that he candidly threw into Kuroko’s face! There also appears to be an intense rivalry between Murasakibara and Kiyoshi Teppei (Hamada Kenji)  – Teppei is the founder of Seirin’s basketball club and due to an unfortunate knee injury, he was pretty much absent throughout the entire first season. He is apparently a rather formidable center in his own right and needless to say, the incoming streetball tournament is going to be quite a marvel to behold. I’m infinitely impressed with the premiere of its second season – the contention and rivalries have been set ablaze, and what’s coming next can only be all the more dramatic and riveting. The bundle of mysteries and their ensuing personalities are quickly shaping up to be a very interesting combo, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Kuroko and his teammates in the coming weeks!

Random tidbits:

• Kuroko looks somewhat poignant in the End Card – That’s the face that he’s going to make if Kagami ditches his current boyfriend for his old pal. I’m shipping those two very hard – it’s the bromance of KagaKuro for the win!
• “The broccoli is so slippery” – Good catch Tetsuya Nigou! They just had to bring a Husky puppy on board – it’s almost as if Kuroko is not moe enough already. Well played, Fujimaki sensei and thank you for the overload of cuteness!
• Falcon punch or should I say husky punch! – Oh man, Kuroko and Kagami would make such a cute couple. Buzz off Himuro, you’ve missed your chance. Kagami has found a new BFF!
• “Sorry, and who might you be?” – Gotta know who your greatest rival is, Himuro! Kuroko’s the challenger who will steal Kagami’s heart away from you!
• Kagami should stop playing with his food and he shouldn’t talk while he’s eating – Kagami might be a big boy, but he’s still a child at heart!
• “Well, well, Taiga, what a surprise to find you here” – A glorious display of Engrish from Kagami and Himuro! I’m sure there are some out there who can find something to like in their unique accent.
• “You’re not standing out enough!” – That’s a pretty good advice to be honest. It’s a recipe for success – make sure you’re distinctive enough from the person next to you. It has gotten me a Princeton degree and a great job!
• Atsushi wants to visit the Tokyo Skytree – It is a pretty neat landmark! The Sky Restaurant, 634 Musashi, offers a great selection of Japanese-French cuisines.

tl;dr: @SeishunRC – #KuroBas 2 – 26: Beautiful boys and their fervent passion for basketball – I love everything that KuroBasu embodies. A beauty-marked bishie and yet another player from the “Generation of Miracles” make their appearances – bring on the bromance, drama and badasseries!#Anime
 
Full-length images: 06, 07, 17, 19, 20, 30, 33, OP03.
 
ED Sequence

ED: 「WALK」 by OLDCODEX
 
End Card and Extras (OP & ED):

 
Preview