Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 41
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)
The game that has been the focus of the last several episodes has been a rollercoaster ride with what it wants to do and has definitely kept viewers on edge. With a strong start by Seirin and then getting pushed back, which in turn had Kuroko get knocked down mentally as his specialty pass was blocked regularly, it’s been an uphill battle to regain the flow of the game. But they just started to get it and the push was energizing them, though there was obviously still quite the challenge as they went into the third period. It’s a hard comeback to go through but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. But as we see from the opposing side, they’re fielding their own intense players and the revived challenge from Seirin just energizes them all the more.
Touou definitely has a lot going for them, and we see some good commentary from the players of other teams that are watching in the stands. Of particular note is how Kagami is changing before them, with his animal instinct in full mode here that he doesn’t quite understand how to use yet. It’s giving him an edge, but it’s one that he needs to really grasp in order to take it to the next level. But the first half is just showing us the growing gap between the two sides as it goes on as the Seirin players are unable to gain advantage and just sink further behind. And that becomes self reinforcing as it progresses. Even worse is that as Kuroko has been playing hard since coming back into the game, his use of his special misdirection play has become completely worn out and no longer works. It sets things up into pretty much the worst place possible for them while reinforcing that Kuroko isn’t of the same level as the other Generation of Miracles players, though there’s also the nod towards the general lack of skill with the team that he’s on.
Of course, that just means that when the comeback does happen, it’s all the more impressive. With it being a planned moment that isn’t one that can be used regularly, having him reach his limit was the point since it allowed everyone else to step up and push forward, which throws the Touou players off completely, psychologically breaking them at the worst possible time for them. Of course, it’s not going to be easy to close the gap considering how far apart it is, but basketball is like any other game in that a good portion of it is purely mental and mastering that is a big part of it. But some players thrive on that kind of rush, which is what we get from Imayoshi as he shows them that no matter what they’re bringing to the table here at the end of the third quarter, they’re still not capable of what Touou is.
In Summary:
It’s times like these that Kuroko’s Basketball gets the most frustrating as I really want to see the next episode right now. Right. Now. We get the start of the turn here and things are inching closer to the end as events get tighter and more difficult, but with a sense of hope still embedded in all of it because of their personalities and their absolute desire to win and to do right by the team and their captain. There’s that sense that these are titans walking the court, playing the game in a manner of epic proportions, but that’s just the kind of design it has rather than the truth. But for these kids, that is the truth and the battle they wage is beautifully paced and animated here, drawing you in and craving a result to see what will happen and how it will impact and change these players.
Grade: B
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.