Kuroko’s Basketball Episode 47
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)
While the game against Yosen has had its ups and downs already in terms of skill and power, the piece that has the most potential interest that can really humanize it is the matchup between Kagami and Tatsuya. While Kagami had big moments in the previous big game with Aomine, a lot of that was still focused on Kuroko and the whole Generation of Miracles aspect. Kagami thrust himself into it and had a beef with Aomine, but with Tatsuya it’s all about something far more personal and meaningful for both of them, especially since Tatsuya isn’t as aloof as Aomine s when it comes to dealing with others until things get real.
As the game plays out here, a lot of what’s going on is between the two of them and players like Kagami and the captain are having a hard time struggling against Yosen. They’ve got power players as we’ve seen and the shutout in their previous game definitely paints them as really strong in a way that we haven’t seen in other games. It’s one thing to fight again among two powerful teams, it’s another when a powerful team is utterly outclassed as the demoralizing nature of it can be hugely intense. We’re starting to see that really making an impact on the team here, particularly those on the bench that get a bit of a wider view of the game in motion, but it’s also getting to those on the court as well as they do their best to try and turn the tide of the game since that’s just as important as scoring in some ways.
The back and forth is naturally a huge part of the episode here as the two sides go at it with Seirin doing their best but always struggling and we get some interesting commentary, especially as Aomine manages to be bland pretty much the whole time even as others get intensely excited. Naturally, things do start to change in it and a lot of it just in attitude since that’s a big part of the game and seeing that slow but steady change come across a series of steady moves and intense plays, as well as a steal or two along the way, makes for a pretty exciting match that just builds and builds. Kagami has some great moments as well, as he should, since a big part of the push is him just reaching that next level and starting to learn how to live there instead of just striving for it.
In Summary:
While it’s not a surprise that the tide will turn and that the Seirin boys will start an upswing, I am a bit surprised it’s come as quickly as it has. A lot of that comes from the amount of time we spent on the Touou game, which I know we won’t here, but I kind of get used to that dynamic a bit and anything that move faster feels rushed. There’s some strong play going on throughout the episode here and it’s pretty engaging to watch, both for what’s happening on the court and the commentary that comes from others and through the players themselves on the court.
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.