「カン違いしてんじゃねーよ」 (Kanchigaishiten Janei yo)
“Don’t Get the Wong Idea”
Well, if last episode was “heart-pounding”, what would this one be? I thoroughly enjoy it when shows vault over the standards they’ve set, and it’s episodes like these that really make the time I invest in it worth something. Along with some exciting additions to the soundtrack (or maybe I just wasn’t paying attention in earlier episodes), there were some highlights in the course of the episode that required multiple watches on my part to understand – and I do love figuring out puzzles.
Objectively speaking, I never figured Kise was going to be a very complicated character. Judging by the pedigree of the rest of the cast, I knew he wasn’t flat, per se, but I didn’t think he would have the same kind of intricacies characters like Kuroko, Kiyoshi, Midorima, or even Kagami had. Boy did I have to eat my words after this episode: Kise is actually the hardest of them all to figure out. With other characters, I feel their trajectory was somewhat predictable; in my own way, I had a grasp on what their personalities were like and I was able to interpret their actions as such, which let me make those long-winded analyses. Kise, on the other hand, really makes me think. There were multiple moments in this episode, which I’ll go over below, where I had to rewind, rewatch, and then pause to make sure I caught every nuance of the scene. I still don’t think I understand the subtle implications of his character, but here’s to hoping I’m not completely off-kilter, because that would be kind of embarrassing.
WARNING: Massive tl;dr ahead!
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“憧れてしまえば、超えられない […] だから憧れるのは。。。もう止める”
“When you admire somebody, you can’t overtake them […] That’s why… I’ll stop admiring him.”
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Arguably the stand-out moment of the episode. Kise refutes his own declaration last week, and his words here set the tone for the key scenes in the rest of the episode. I really, really love the shot that accompanies this scene because it captures the emotions so perfectly. It’s telling Kise looks so melancholy when the idea of finally becoming better than his idol should inspire enthusiasm. The reaction speaks volumes of how he considers himself, and for someone who so fervently chased after someone’s afterimage, the uncertainty and defeat in Kise’s voice really does reinforce how decisive this moment is for him.
I’ve made several comments over the last two weeks on how I thought Kise lacks a sense of self. After seeing this particular frame and hearing those words, I think a little revision to that assessment is in order: it’s not that he doesn’t have it, it’s more that he doesn’t want it. Even from the way he idolizes Kuroko, it’s clear Kise thinks himself a level below his ex-teammates. His admiration for Aomine, however, is to a point where he willingly diminishes himself in favor of keeping his blind veneration intact. It’s not quite the same as low self-esteem, although at first glance that’s what it may seem like; Kise may like putting other people before him, but he doesn’t lack confidence. What then, is he so afraid of losing by overtaking Aomine?
The answer is both complicated and simple – a dichotomy that seems almost clichéd at this point. This is just a conjecture, but my guess is that Kise has just let himself be built around others because he was perfectly happy as long as he had those insurmountable hurdles that kept his life in color. Aomine, as his inspiration, represented the one thing he couldn’t overcome – except that somewhere over the course of his career in the Teikou team, that “couldn’t” became “shouldn’t”. And this is where his “lack of self” comes in; if Kise played basketball with the intent to become the best, there should have been no hesitation in overtaking Aomine. Instead, he chooses to forsake his growth to continue admiring him, because he wants to protect the feeling of being passionate about something – that is Kise’s most dominant instinct. A commenter actually mentioned how similar Kise and Aomine are, and I think that understanding is the key in comprehending the episode as a whole.
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“勝ちたいと願いずっす、心のそこでは負けてほしくないと思うから。”
“While I wanted to win, a part of me didn’t want him to lose.”
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Is that for Aomine’s sake? Or his own?
At first, I assumed it was out of his admiration that Kise was so hesitant, but after pondering it a bit, I think it’s more out of necessity for himself that he’s so torn. Kise isn’t without ambition and reason, so it’s natural he would want to win – it’s a reflexive thought. But he doesn’t approach anything with the intention of becoming the best at it, and this is what’s creating most of his internal conflict. Basketball – and in essence, Aomine – gave Kise back the fire he so desperately wanted in his life. Now, if he simply wanted to honor that, this episode wouldn’t exist. There’s a more selfish part of Kise that doesn’t want to let that admiration go because what happens after he beats Aomine, the one person he thought he couldn’t win against? What does he have left to work for? It would essentially become a gray world again, and he would no longer have that same passion and enthusiasm he so enjoyed. This is where their parallel becomes most evident; both are characters that rely on their emotions, who let their instinct guide their actions. They’re most alive when doing something they truly love – for something they felt so passionate about to become a mere repetitive motion is something frighteningly tragic.
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”勝てるかどうか分からない今のほうが気持ちいいっす。”
“It feels better now, not knowing whether I’ll win or not.”
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It was obvious from previous episodes the term “winning” meant different things to each Generation of Miracles member, and the same goes for Kise. Because Teikou always won, the outcome just became natural, but it’s not what he plays for. On a subconscious level, it’s likely it never mattered back then because of the team itself – they were all people he admired, people he convinced himself he could never catch up to. It’s equally likely then, just like Kuroko, what Kise has trouble doing is letting go of the past. Except unlike Kuroko, who wanted to escape the boundaries of the past, Kise wants to go back to it. It presents an interesting look at the dynamics in the Kaijou team; it’s clear Kise does enjoy playing with them, but in his mind, they’re no Teikou and hence he can’t accept them fully.
The exchange between Kise and Kuroko surprised me, but perhaps this is proof the idea of basketball is still stubbornly rooted around his individual at this point. For him, not knowing is better because it means he still has something to work for. I suppose this is where Kise and Aomine’s characters diverge a little – while Aomine has resigned himself to the monochromaticity, Kise hasn’t. It’s the primary difference in their personalities now, which is an interesting point because their situations were reversed back in middle school.
Now then. If Kise’s comment above is directed towards himself, where does Kaijou stand?
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”黒子っちが言ってた’チーム’。。。そのために何をすべきか。そして俺が今何をすべきか。”
“The ‘team’ Kurokocchi was talking about… what I should do for them. And what I need to do [for them] now.”
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This is perhaps, the other stand-out moment of the episode. Not only are the events that result from this realization a visual treat, but this is a significant shift in Kise’s character as a whole. This is the true moment he renounces his instinct in favor of reason, finally saying goodbye and graduating from his middle school days to accept Kaijou as his new teammates. His own resolve was never going to be enough to topple his admiration for Aomine; what Kise needed to fully overcome it was a maturity he couldn’t find in himself. There is no more hesitation, and the audience knows it – this is Kise growing up, and the moment is done with the same finesse and assured direction that marked so many of Kuroko no Basuke’s crowning scenes. This is pretty much the pinnacle of everything the show has to offer: the separate elements coming together to create something fantastic. Nothing about this scene feels wasted – the animation is a perfect accompaniment to the scene at hand; it might not be of movie-quality, but they work in sync with what the production team is trying to convey. The music is appropriate, underscoring the scene and bolstering it instead of overwhelming it. This was an undeniably key moment, and Production I.G hit all the right notes in bringing it to life.
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”まさかあんなつらされるとはよ。”
“To think he’d look so pained.”
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Finally, the face that launched a thousand fanfics. Or in this case, the face that stumped me. This was no doubt the most difficult scene to hack apart because there are so many things at play here, but I’m not sure which one of them is the “correct” one. There’s a magnitude of depth to Kise’s character that wasn’t apparent in the other scenes and while it frustrates me I can’t figure it out, I enjoy that certain elements are left in the dark.
A part of this scene is definitely an apology to Aomine, but for what isn’t entirely clear. It could be for copying his style, but I think a more likely – and suitable – explanation is that he’s apologizing about the circumstances of the match. In choosing his teammates, Kise created a situation that isn’t ideal for either of them; it’s definitely not the one-on-one match he hoped for, but there’s something Aomine is failing to take into account: basketball is played with a team. Kise realizes this, and as difficult as it is for him, it’s a fact he’s accepted and chosen to follow. At this point, it’s clear his goal in the match has changed from “beating Aominecchi” to “winning for his team”.
Another thing this highlights is Kise’s concern for Aomine’s ability to bounce back – it’s partly bromance, and partly a call-back to his desire to play a match where the victor isn’t decided. This ties into his apology quite well also, providing a solid link between the two events. I love the ambivalence KuroBasu presents in this episode, coloring an adrenaline-fueled match with strokes of bittersweet adolescence. The match can’t end happily for either character, but that’s the sort of grayness that seems more realistic, challenging both Kise and Aomine while also imploring the viewers to think about the outcome: sure we want Kise to win, but is it really the best trajectory for him? Conversely, isn’t losing something Aomine needs to recover his love for basketball? It’s not cut and dry as it was with some of the other matches – there’s no clear result that’s better than the other because no matter what happens, both characters are losing something. The idea of such an ambiguous situation really brings out the best in dramatic tension where the subtle implications create the conflict rather than histrionic plot devices.
Maybe I’m exaggerating when I say this, but I feel this was the apex of everything Kuroko no Basuke is, and how fitting – this is the penultimate episode, after all. It’s strange because it doesn’t feel like this is the end, even though next week’s episode is clearly the last one. As far as standalone episodes go, this was stellar. Some people may complain about the use of recycled scenes – and there were many – but the important portions were done well, and they had some sequences that particularly impressed me so I’m willing to pretend I didn’t see the lazy stills they reused. As the lead-in to the finale, however, I’m a little ambivalent on where I stand; it’s hard to make a judgment because this just doesn’t feel like the end. Half of it is my denial talking, but the other half is the objectivity I recovered after the initial shock as I remembered this was the penultimate episode. There are certain things those should accomplish, like bringing closure to the main characters. It was obvious Production I.G was never going to be able to adapt all of the current material, but it’s still strange they chose this arc to send the series off with, assuming there is no second season. While the Kise vs. Aomine match will remain my favorite part of the series, it isn’t the most appropriate closing act since it’s so firmly rooted around the side characters. They’re certainly killing it, but Kaijou and Touou are not the team the viewers started out with.
For me, KuroBasu is one of those shows where I’ll be happy with whatever end they choose. But I do have to question Production I.G’s decision to end the series here, with what looks to be only a handful of minutes to spare for Kuroko and Kagami, who were still the main characters the last time I checked.
Random Corner:
Note: Really, really sorry for the late post – this episode required a lot of thought and I didn’t want to do it injustice by rushing it (I still probably missed some stuff OTL)!
Full-length images: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20, 21, 22, 29, 32, 35, 38.
ED2.10 Sequence
ED2: 「カタルリズム」 (Kataru Rizumu) by OLDCODEX
Preview
End Card
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I finally marathoned it to this episode… it was a blast to watch… and thanks for the coverage, very nice post indeed… although I must admit, the BL are strong and the power are strange with this one… Eagerly waiting for a season 2 (even though there is one more episode to go…)
I heard they are going to have a OVA on their middle-school life, soon….
Yay you finally watched it! 😀
Fujoshi vibes…. that’s what everyone says T-T It’s bromance people, BROMANCE! XD
Kuroko with Tetsuya #2 on top of his head with so frickin adorable :D.
Mmmmm, Kise was extra yummy this episode ;).
Kuroko no Basuke needs a second season like there’s no tomorrow! 🙂
Several thousand words later, I now know the rationale and basis for the expression: “They say you should never meet your heroes.”
Great post, and drawing too!
“When you admire somebody, you can’t overtake them […] That’s why… I’ll stop admiring him.”
This is one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard, I should keep this in my mind.
I thought the 2nd half of the series dropped a little don’t get me wrong I like the show but I just wasn’t that into it compare to the first half. But this episode is clearly the best if anyone thinks otherwise I would like to know.
I didn’t think I would enjoy it that much since I wasn’t feeling the previous episode I think this is the best show this season well it’s the only new show I’m watching for some reason sports anime doesn’t piss me off just sit back and enjoy the game.
Yeah this is such a great show – I’m just sad more people aren’t watching it, haha. Glad you found this episode enjoyable! 😀
The best and most excited anime of the season. Maybe I am biased cos I love basketball but those moves, GG! So much better than any explosion or superpower
Basketball is such an inherently selfish sport, but this show illustrates one if its primary truths so poignantly: as players grow, learn, and gain experience, they rely more and more on their teammates to achieve victory. All the NBA greats went through it; Bird, Jordan, Magic, Russell, Kareem, Wilt, each one of them learned that working alone eventually stops working, and they instead fed off the strength of their teammates to achieve their goals. Kise exemplifies this, and Aomine contradicts it. Loved, loved, LOVED the in-depth analysis of Kise.
My only real hope is that Aomine isn’t vilified for his style and personality by the end of the next episode. He’s appealing in his own way, pitiable for his own power and what it brings him. There’s no one in the series with more need to smile again.
Thanks! I was worried I was overshooting it by a lot, but I’m happy to see someone appreciated it! 😀
Aomine needs to smile again, yeah XD I don’t think there’s any danger of him being villified for his style, since there isn’t technically anything wrong with it. All the characters have their own distinctive style, and the show has been pretty good at expanding on that and what it means for each characters :3
long long post Mochi. looks like you can’t stop raving about Kise. not that i can’t understand why. HA! =P
ED2.10: Takao looks surprisingly calm, being in the same group as Aomine and Bakagami. XD
I know! right? Imagine all 3 of them play together, for some reason I feel a little sorry for Takao. I mean can you even imagine the teamwork in that team?
@naixil: I tried! I really did! T-T But hey, I gotta earn my title of resident fangirl writer! LOL I gotta thank you though – what you said about their similarity was pretty much the basis for my post >__< @zleihsh: Teamwork? What teamwork? XD
LOL~ I wonder what’s last (sad, I know) ep’s pic about………the winner?!
@zleihsh: rather than the winner, how about a pic of the baka trio playing together. or even better, they should dedicate one of the BD/DVD extra episodes just for that. ohohohoho.
@Mochi: thanks for the mention Mochi. =)
@naixil
Nice idea~ They should have a omake/ova about it indeed! XDDD
I love the guy obsessed with getting the rebounds, lol
So, I am wrong in thinking that this arc is not befitting of being the final arc of this season. So, that is where they will end it, judging from the preview and the next chapters to be covered.
One thing that this episode further showed is that the other team members of Kaijou does not fully rely on its ace player, something that Seirin still lacks. They believe on Kise but they are doing the utmost of what they can do for the team. Put it like this, remove Kagami, Kise, and Aomine from their respective teams, who will win? Based from their current strengths, Seirin would have a harder time beating the two as their play is centered on who is the strongest in the team. In contrast to Kaijou, they can still defend and play catch up to Touou while they are waiting for Kise. That is one thing where Seirin must improve on and where Kaijou can beat Seirin.
Btw, that’s a massive post BakaMochi! I guess you have beaten Verdant (?, iirc) for the longest post.
Stilts is still the record holder for the tl;dr posts in Horizon. Mochi gets 2nd now with this 🙂
Hmm yeah… Seirin does rely too much on Kuroko and Kagami, but with Kiyoshi on board maybe that’ll change? Even Touou can probably hold their own without Aomine.
It’s the pictures that make it seem long! T-T I’m sorry… I’ll try to trim it down, haha.
And belatkuro, those beastly Horizon posts shouldn’t count since they’re not episodic! XDD
How can I forget those massive Horizon posts!? Maybe, the post wherein Verdant said that he is still the record holder for the longest post with 1000(?) words got stuck in my mind. Hahaha
With Teppei on board, yeah, maybe. (don’t wanna spew spoilers again, I might be banned because of that sooner or later XD)
It seem that I wasn’t clear enough *again*, so here’s my argument v1.0.0.1: Seirin heavily relies on its player. One year ago, their ace player was Teppei but when he wasn’t able to join the team for the Interhigh final league, Seirin lost by gaping margins. Granted, emotions were involved that time, but Seirin didn’t grow in that aspect. Case in point, when Kagami wasn’t able to play because of his injury, their game was greatly hampered. This would only change if all of the members, not just Kagami and Kuroko, would further develop what they are great in (improving stamina is not counted).
GRAT POST!! THANK YOU!!! I really love basquetball and I love this anime too!! THANK YOU BAKAMOCHI!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it! 😀
Thankyou production I.G., you guys didn’t disappoint. NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL STELLAR ANIMATION!
This might not seem like the best place to end the anime, but take it from someone who reads the manga: it really is and anything more would be a worse ending to the series.
I’m personally waiting for a second season, given how popular it is in Japan.
I feel like there will be a second season given how much they’ve spoiled in the OP/ED’s, but… who knows T-T I’d love a S2 though!
This series bases itself a lot upon how the characters are moving on from their rather corrupt past..but at the same time i wish there was a lot more background about their days in middle school. That’s what got me so hooked on the series in the first place, and what’s driving the plot. At least it seems like the manga is currently working up to it. Despite everything these boys were once teammates and spent a ton of time together, so moving on to get closer to other teammates is completely new. It was so nice to see Kise’s new interaction with his new teammates.
Anywayz great post and episode. Definitely a stand out of the series. I think the reason why i don’t mind the animation reuse is beautiful the directing is so good lol
Thanks! :3
The directing is really good – it renewed my faith in Production I.G LOL As for the middle school days, guess we’ll have to wait for that OVA… T-T
Haha, looks like I’m going to copy your idea of an incredibly long post! I just get too excited! And I appreciate that you take the time to get all your thoughts out as well 🙂
WOW. This episode exceeded my expectations and more. I wish I had the space to comment on every single minute of this episode, haha. I’ll start off by commenting about my overall favorite thesis that came from this episode. What really struck me here was the idea of mind over matter. I loved when Kise realized that he could only have a chance if he stopped looking up to Aomine. I think a lot of us have felt that way before. I know I have. Once you put somebody on a pedestal so to speak, you are mentally blocking yourself from surpassing them. It was like people were saying throughout this episode: Kise is relatively matched with Aomine in the physical sense. But what Kise couldn’t overcome was his mind holding onto the idea that Aomine was this unbeatable inspiration to him.
Another thing I need to comment on was how AWESOME it was when Kise finally perfected his copy of Aomine. But what really made it great, was all the buildup before hand. I’ve really come to respect Kaijou as a whole and I find the team really likable. I loved that it was a mixture of Kuroko’s words and his team’s actions that gave Kise the ability to finally master his technique. And Kuroko’s talk with Kise was just the mental break I needed during this episode (and #2 is just the cutest dog of all time) but it also offered a lot of insight. No time was wasted in this episode. Every minute counted.
Oh, and I’d like to make a special mention to the music in this episode. Amazing! It really set the mood for every single showdown that occurred. But my favorite part was when Kise “morphed” into Aomine so to speak. The music kept building and building and once it finally happened: silence. My heart nearly exploded! It was just one hell of a delivery. Plus, it didn’t hurt that Kise became TWICE as hot when he adopted Aomine’s stye of basketball, haha. I had to actually pause the episode and rewind it several times just to get a good look at each move he performed. I was also pausing it to give myself time to scream (and/or fangirl) over whatever was happening at the time.
I didn’t realize they were going to leave this epic battle for the season finale! This overall arc has demonstrated pretty much everything that makes this show great. I agree with Mochi though about it being an odd place to end the entire show. What about Kuroko and Kagami? I’d like some decent closure for them! So I would be very surprised (and even more disappointed) if this show didn’t get renewed for a second season. It will be quite the bittersweet ending next week.
Thanks so much! I’m really happy people are reading the whole thing – it really does mean a lot 😀
Don’t worry, I had to watch multiple times too LOL Kise looked extra pretty this week so I had to dedicate a viewing to fangirl… OTL. Kise banzai?!
I think my favorite track was the one that played when he finally completed his copy of Aomine. Definitely getting that OST when it releases next week!
@Kira526: Kurobasu OST is definitely one of the best this year. all those heart-pumping moments just wouldn’t do without a good BGM at the back.
@Mochi: in the meantime, while waiting for the OST next week, please listen to the Kurobasu Bonus CD 2 (http://animeost.info/16921/kuroko-no-basket-ost), with Kise as the main lead! =D Kimura Ryohei is always funny!
I am utterly shocked at how sweaty and aggressive the referees are with slapping their arms…
And yes, I am pretty sure there will be a 2nd season. There is no way they wont.
Good analysis of Kise in this massive post. I get the feeling that Kise will feel bittersweet about winning his match against Aomine no matter what. (But it didn’t bother Kise when he was up against Kuroko.) I really enjoy watching this anime, and further enjoying it through these kinds of opinionated review of every episode. It makes me think more about the characters and the story becomes a second priority for me then. I hope they make an OVA or something for those end sequences.
Thank you! I’ll try to trim it down for the finale XP But I’m really glad you’re enjoying the posts!
You be crazy. I just watch this show as popcorn entertainment 🙂
Really? Next episode is the last? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
I think it’s better to end seasons and then only animated the source material, versus a neverending continuum of actual material and filler. Fairy Tail may be an exception (I’m not sure), but in general even the producers know they’re making filler at it shows.
Theres that, but I rather see a sequel season every year or so rather than have OVA which condense alot of material or have tons of fillers (although I wouldnt mind seeing one or two out of curiosity).
Look at Chihayafuru. They ended with one season but they have an announcement for a 2nd. No confirmed date yet but I wouldnt mind waiting if they did the same with Kuroko no Basuke. I find this series very entertaining to watch than read, would be a shame if they didnt.At least the author will have time to make more chapeter without the rush. But I have a pretty good feeling we will get a 2nd season, KnB should be having good sales
The second season for Chihayafuru has already been confirmed for this winter.
It’s sales are really good! DVD + BD sales combined are over 20,000 and it’s more popular than Hyouka in terms of that.
I’d prefer that the anime do what Major did and do it by seasons or for them to wait a little bit, since the manga won’t take much longer to complete – I’d give it another 100 chapters max (~2 years) but they can obviously start animating before that.
I hate to be the one but will there be a second season lol?
I love this show I mean Slam Dunk is up there but this is like the Gundam 00 standard (it is new and just unable to place at the present time)