pocket of roses
Welcome, you awesome people from the tenipuri friending meme :D I'm so glad there's still people fangirling over what now is already a 12-year-old series.
I've finally sat down and watch Shin because life has been so terribly boring lately. Late to the party - as always lolololol BUT EH.
The animation is better than the first series, no doubt. SO glad they decided to go with the OVA animators. The OP is... all right. It's less hyp-y than what suits a series like PoT but by itself, the song isn't bad. Just how many people can they cram into a one-and-a-half minute timeslot anyway? The ED was hilarious. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but I'm rather thankful it was silhouettes rather than actual faces because if it were actual faces I'm sure I'd flip. At least the dance didn't look too stiff? Like UtaPuri, in which boys dancing looked like boys wiggling.
Also, the OP clearly put emphasis on that Tokugawa guy. It's like there are billboards blinking and pointing "RIVAL RIVAL RIVAL".
I'm watching as I type, so be prepared for, um, length.
The first scene is in America. The CG cars freaked me out a little. CG in animation is always somewhat... off. Is that Manhattan station? No idea. I fail to see the purpose of knocking that whistle from that conductor - don't think that's gonna stop the train, somehow. But Ryoma is his charming self as ever :D Also, Gratuitous English! And I think Ryoma improved his English, slightly? Compared to the other guy on the train, supposedly American, his accent is better - still, it's just a "Thanks."
Also, since when do they have upper lips? Or maybe I've just never noticed.
Next. Foggy. Ominously mocking voiceover in the background. Shot of my OTP and they're sitting together in a bus that's supposedly bloody empty. Fuji, your smile makes my heart pound and it's not even directed at me and I can't even see your eyes but I'm glad you still have that hand on chin pose because that is so you. And then, GP. Also together. Argh my heart.
So they get down the bus and Eiji's horribly cute amazed voice is love. Fuji, did your voice get deeper? Finally hitting that puberty boundary, eh? I find it amusing that all the regulars are standing and cool and then Eiji's the only one with that pose and he climbed a security camera. That. Is so adorable I don't even -
And Oishi is pigeonholed as the mother again. Oh, boys. Momo and Kaidoh, don't ever change <3
Creepy!camera is creepy.
High schoolers. With these smug expressions that convinces me they're going to get humiliated really badly. Ugh, CG can.
Creepy!camera is even creepier. And the ominous glowing screens. The people in freaking lab coats. All for tennis, I understand. Here comes a blatant attempt at introduction; as if new viewers are going to remember all that. Golden Pair, please don't stop being adorable. Fuji, your smile, again, why do you do this to me? Also, Tezuka has no Adam's apple. Nobody has an Adam's apple. Yet? Maybe. But I appreciate that loving shot of his throat :D
A guy randomly doing push-ups in the surveillance room, with ominous!shadow shadowing his face ominously. I love this anime.
MOMO. S-so adorable. Don't worry, he'll come back soon :D
Dropping balls, because of course a tennis camp will have access to a private plane. Surely. And maybe I have a dirty mind but when they all start screaming "The balls, get the balls!" I snorted milk out my nose. Plus, the falling balls are so unrealistically slow. Around three whole sentences and they haven't even hit the ground? Ah, but this is pot!
Kin-chan! Hiyoshi! Kamio! Sengoku, looking goooood. YUKIMURA I MISSED YOU SO, and that jersey still hanging on your shoulders just so, yum. Shiraishi your smile omg your smile. Akaya, being a show off. Marui, you're winking at the camera you big bag of adorable you. SHISHIDO. YAGYUU. Yuuta, you and that adorable peace sign to your aniki - stop being so adorable, guys, it makes me wanna hug you all.
"Where are the balls? There's none left!" I daresay there are still many balls around. Nothing but balls, even. /shot.
Bwahahaha trolling!Data Pair. And I guess PoT is the only anime where a tennis ball is given such a spotlight.
Rock vs. Ball! The winner is Ryoma! Oh God, Shiraishi's smirk and it's like he totally wants to kiss that ball. I seriously think Ryoma's chest got broader? You grew up, good for you, Ochibi! Eiji and his chops are lovely; the way he makes these eee eee sound with every chop. 120%, PoT and it's ridiculous percentages. But this is a series where tennis involves ice shards and stealing your opponent's senses and I'm worried about percentages?
Momo being all denial makes be squee into itty-bitty pieces. Oh, boys
Did Yukimura's voice get deeper too? Or more huskier?
Shot of balls. Sanada and Atobe, competing to be more manri, perhaps? From what I can see, Sanada's got slightly more balls; too bad, Atobe, maybe some other time.
Creepy camera. Seriously, how'd they get that Kirihara shot, Atobe shot, Taka shot; Yukimura is staring straight at the camera, can't catch him unaware. I know they're just previous screencaps but still. And then, tennis is Serious Business.
Akaya's psycho laughter is so charming. Something's wrong with me. Jackal's uh, should I stop him face is the icing on the cake, oh yes. The high-schooler's comment about how catching balls have nothing to do with tennis, uh, let me remind you, battle auras? Ice shards? Dinosaurs?
Megane fanservice! Inui, stop being so self-destructive. Koharu's eyes are number 3's. Of course. And then Kenya's expression when Koharu was all blushing blushing is precious. Precious, I tell you.
Sigh, PoT opponents, when will you learn?
I'm sad that the match consists of still shots of the players in tennis poses. I wish for more, you know, movement. As in, tennis playing. But budget reasons, I understand.
"K-koitsu". Always. When will you ever learn? But don't learn, because Ryoma smugness is another brand of charming in itself. Sometimes I'm torn between wanting to punch him or congratulate him for it.
"Ah... Ecstasy." Dear Lord it looks wrong when I type it. It sounds wrong in the show itself, but still. God I missed this. I thought immediately of that song, Can't Touch This, when the camera was panning up Shiraishi's profile. Suitable, y/y?
There should be a meme for the guy playing against Marui. His face. Is like a squid's.
CHOUTAROU. Why so nice and sweet and adorable? Why why why awwwww. /wibbles. And Shishido, aw. "Choidasadaze." Just, aw. Makes me tumble back to Silver Pair, I swear.
And I don't understand the shot of Yagyuu fixing his glasses. Why is it there? Did I miss something?
Shards. Of ice. All pure tennis! I LOVE POT. I LOVE POT SO MUCH LIKE CRAZY. And then Sanada with his lightning. It's like I'm playing an RPG!
That guy with the long hairstyle reminds me of Neji, but he's too slippery. So maybe he's more like that Apostle guy in Black Cat, I can't remember his name. The one that uses the veil. His voice somehow sends shudders down my spine, I'm not sure why.
Finally. Finally, IRIE. WHO IS SO ADORABLE. Expy of Shouichi Irie, from KHR? They even have similar hairstyles, and the same name. Anyway, this Irie is the right amount of creepily nice and actually nice, there needs to be more characters like this. I'm not sure if his voice suits him, at first, but the more I listen to it I can just hear that danger lurking underneath and now I can't think of a better voice. Tokugawa Kazuya. I think I'll be fangirling this guy. Love those cold mysterious bishies, and in Houkago he's so dorky I can't stand it.
"Den of monsters or even hell." Still talking about tennis.
POT. POT I LOVE YOU POT. THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK INTO MY LIFE.