[Review] TeniPuri manga
Well, it took me two weeks to get through the entire manga, but I've done it \o/ And I'm so glad I did, you know, not only to refresh myself on characterization and plot, but to relive the entire experience again. And what an experience it was :'D Refueling old loves, not only the series as a whole, but characters I had forgotten how much I used to love--or dislike-- them.
For personal reference, I went ahead and took notes on things I had forgotten that happened but could be plot or characterization relevant, interesting tidbits, things to appreciate, etc. <-- and then we get to Hyoutei, and all of the sudden it's commentary instead of analysis (/A\) But. I mean.
2: The first teammate Echizen meets is Momoshiro, who gives him wrong directions to the tennis courts. (Why?)
"There's no use for the eye if you can't see the vision." <-- Momoshiro about Echizen: So what if you're famous? If you're not *good* then it's useless. Challenge match.
4: Arai picks a fight with Echizen; Tezuka walks in and assigns 10 laps. Talking back increases to 20 laps. <-- There is no argument both are at fault, so the reason for fighting in the first place is irrelevant.
6: Arai challenges Echizen, whose only available racket is an old wooden one; upon concluding the match, Tezuka sends everyone on laps because matches without permission are not allowed and even the regulars did not step in to stop them.
17: Kachiro's dad is a tennis coach who gave up being pro due to injury.
19: Rikkai *does* have a coach! Sunday mornings are difficult for Kirihara who oversleeps on the bus. Rikkai and Seigaku are on the same bus route, about an hour away.
"Get lost, Outsider." <-- Tezuka, upon seeing Kirihara. RudeStrict.
"At the moment, I only want to win this tournament with my teammates." <-- Tezuka, in response to Ryuzaki-sensei telling him not to push himself and to take care of his body first.
23: "Tezuka, did we choose the wrong pair?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Yes." (Tezuka) <-- Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka on Momoshirou-Echizen doubles. But this isn’t necessarily a question on faith; while they did win, it was clear that the two had no business playing doubles together.
25: Ibu is more violent than he lets on later in the series, ready to hit Kuki for saying "I can't believe we lost to a bunch of unseeded players!" which honestly isn't all that insulting. However, he retrains himself at the last moment only because Tachibana ordered him to.
27: Ibu is more a 'leader' than Kamio, as he is the one to stand up to the 2nd years first, with Kamio standing back with the rest of the 1st years and running forward only when Ibu gets shoved aside.
30: Tezuka is a shouter when he is serious. "Let go!" when Kuki grabs his elbow, "Kaido!" when his player does not apologize for his actions, etc.
36: "He's too lucky, making me a little frustrated. To hell with him..." <-- Ibu on Echizen, seeing that he has sempai (Oishi) that care for him. Jealousy, probably, towards the other's nurturing atmosphere.
"Shinji is getting irritated." (Kamio) "Showing his true colors." (Mori) <-- Kamio and Mori respectively, concerning Ibu's line above.
45: Atobe, congratulations on being introduced as a jerkass.
46: Inui Juice #1: "Inui Special Veggies Juice"
51: Fuji Yuuta has a bad temper, according to Mizuki.
69: "I've heard that he overwhelmed Saeki, the representative from Chiba in a practice match." <-- Inui on Yuuta. Similar to how Ryuzaki-sensei compares Shinji's genius to Fuji's, people often forget how strong some of these earlier players are.
76: Why Fuji was my favorite at the very beginning. Until his match with Mizuki, there was barely any emphasis on him besides standing with Inui and the freshmen confirming techniques. Against Mizuki though, we see his scarier side of not just defeating him, but in the worst way possible, letting him build up confidence until 5-0, and then completely destroying him without losing a single point. He doesn't fight his hardest win the match, but instead, to teach a lesson. He's not such a "scary" or "evil" person like he's made out to be sometimes /: Incidentally, I also ended up liking Mizuki very much, due to the same match, even though he actually is portrayed as being uncaring and manipulative… Huh.
77: "One of Kyuushuu's two best players, Tachibana Kippei. Why is he at the Tokyo Prefectures?" <-- Atobe on Tachibana. This guy is powerful, recognized by even Atobe, Sengoku, Akazawa, etc. for his National level strength. Remember all these earlier chapters, that weren't so Rikkai/Shitenhouji/Seigaku dominated? /: Fudoumine went far; they’re strong.
83: Inui Juice #2: "Penal Tea"
85: Fuji plays defensive tennis.
87: "For the next two, they're the type who have the most fatigue about 10 minutes after exercising." <-- Inui on Momoshiro and Tezuka. This may not be who has the worst stamina; e.g. one could be tired the entire match but endure it, as opposed to Kikumaru who has high energy until a certain point, and then crashes.
100: Unrelated to the chapter, but I just wanted to take the time to say just how much I appreciate the manga. Tennis boys playing *tennis*. Boys being *boys*. That the characters are so real, compared to how they're made fools of elsewhere; that the butt caps don't have letters imprinted on them because that was just ridiculous. Manga is so much more believable, especially in these early chapters. Shin Tenipuri, it just went downhill, I dunno. Or maybe it’s the anime that corrupted my impressions of the series /: I think everyone should take the time to reread the original once in a while, get a feel for and a reminder of how the series was supposed to be. It wasn't pretty boys (I sort of really resent parts of the fandom that focus on a series just because of ~*pretty boys*~ and completely ignore characterization and depth) and sparkly moves (especially in anime land, where it comes complete with sound effects and rainbow colors), it was a tennis competition and fighting for number one.
101: Little!Akutsu and his hair. Just sayin'.
104: Akutsu and Echizen have a laughing match. This ritual apparently happens sometimes when two players recognize each other's strength :x
106: Mocking tennis and then losing at it, Akutsu cannot let this scenario happen no matter what. This is the reason Banji believes he cannot lose.
111: Seigaku ranking before each tournament; 1st ranking April (Inui drops; beginning of series), 2nd ranking June (Momo drops; current month). September rankings freshmen allowed to participate.
113: WHOA, okay, point of interest. You know how Kaido does 3 times the usual training? Inui does 2.25 times *that*, so 6.75 time the usual training. Again, WHOA. Stopping here a moment just to talk about Inui, who is introduced to be Seigaku's top 3 singles players, but is usually forgotten in the shadows of Fuji and Tezuka. This leads me to make a point about players like this in general, who people usually forget how strong they are ): When asked for the strongest players in the series, for most people, who comes to mind are Echizen, Tezuka, Yukimura, Sanada, Atobe, Shiraishi, etc. Singles players. Inui, such a strong player that's able to keep up with Tezuka like this, isn't immediately thought of because later in the series he focuses mostly on his doubles play. Golden Pair, Silver, Platinum, they're good players, but one-on-one they might not be able to win against the aforementioned. But that's hardly fair, as single and doubles are not exactly the same game, and testing doubles players on the other turf does not allow them to show their true skills. Cooperation and strategy are especially important in doubles, not so much as strength and skill in singles. E.g. how Echizen was not compatible with doubles. Singles tennis gets the spotlight, but don't forget doubles exists too D:
115: Introduction of Tezuka Zone. Previous chapter has everyone going "WHOA D:" all simultaneously, meaning some sort of aura flared up, or is the team so synchronized that they realized all at once...? Just to say, this is one of the techniques I never really understood. Because he can "put a spin on the ball to make it come right back to him", but will that work if you just tap the ball, or purposely hit out...? It can't such *everything* in, that's just... /:
116: Oishi's stern when it comes to people (Eiji) insulting someone else (Momo), to the point of yelling and physically hitting. Fighting on the courts earns the two 20 laps from Tezuka.
Banji refers to Tezuka as having still untapped potential <-- do we see this later in the series? He sort of disappears and comes back as his truer/previous self from before he sealed off his techniques. Both he and Akutsu are recommended to study tennis abroad in California, alluding to Akutsu's strength as someone who also has much potential that he could possibly become pro if he takes the sport seriously.
117: "And like always, Kamio-kun is still saying how he will defeat Hyoutei Gakuen's Atobe-kun" <-- An on Kamio. He... really hates Atobe xD Possibly more for trying to pick up An, than for slighting him that time at the street courts. 'Like always' means he just doesn't let go-- It's unforgiveable!-- haha.
And then Atobe appears again, this time with the entire team in tow. I doubt he frequents street courts so often; he can't be stalking An (he calls her An-chan, wth), right? Or Momo. Go back to school, Atobe. Don't you guys have tennis practice too?
118: We are reminded Ootori and Taki are doubles partners at this point in the series.
For skipping practice 3 days, Tezuka punishes Momoshiro by putting him on ball duty instead of playing, and orders a record-setting 100 laps.
119: "This guy has amazing concentration power. At first, I could not believe my own eyes. A normal person is not able to keep his focus for such long periods of time." <-- Sanada on Kirihara, who is currently in his 8th match against the high schoolers. All of the OBs he played against are left handed, maybe because he's "training to defeat Tezuka" like Yuuta was, or maybe because left handers are supposedly more difficult to play against, alluding to Kirihara's strength when he is at a disadvantage.
120: "It would be great if we don't play with Hyoutei... I hate those guys." <-- Kikumaru on Hyoutei. It's not even "I don't want to play because they're hard," it's "I don't want to play because I hate them." The people xD; Whoo, great impression there, guys.
121: Shishido wins 6-1 against Taki, who is dropped as per Hyoutei's law. This brings to mind the point I was making before about singles vs. doubles players-- Shishido is originally and primarily a singles player, and Taki is in doubles, so singles matches deciding who stays is sort of a grey area when singles may not be one of their expertise. E.g. Hiyoshi is said to have defeated Ootori in singles before, but the latter was not dropped (presumably this is because it was a practice match, and not a challenge like Shishido vs. Taki was, or happened when they were both pre-regulars the year before, so neither had a spot on the team to lose). But say Ootori loses in a later challenge; will Silver pair be split up because one of them loses? Does the law still hold, if the result is losing doubles 1?
"Hiyoshi will be replacing him on the regular team!" <-- Sakaki (43) on Hiyoshi. First mention of my favorite guy (:
Ootori doesn't mind giving his regular spot to Shishido. Oh, dear boy ;____; He *knows* just how much the sport means to Shishido, that he would give up something like this for the other, who he doesn't owe anything to but is still willing to help to such an extent.
Shishido, cutting your hair off was impressive and all, but I have to admit that when I first read it, the first thing I thought was why you had scissors in the first place, presumably in your shorts pocket. Only later did I understand what the haircut really meant. As Ootori says, his hair is something he prides himself in; cutting it short meant "Look, I know pride was my problem. I'm stepping down now. My place on the team, my hair, I am kneeling before you, I've given it my all. I've got nothing left to lose."
"Once I enter high school, I will begin my training at the sushi shop." <-- Kawamura is a character that isn't very prominent even in the main school. Most of his development so far in the story has been due to knowing Akutsu early in his life, but his matches are not largely shown, playing doubles with Fuji. Even later, his singles matches are straightforward, and usually end with injury. His personality change with a racket is shown, but is not as memorable as in the anime, as voices portray this better than images and text how he becomes. It is sort of disappointing how he doesn't develop as much as some of the other characters, many of which have already been growing since the start of the series-- in particular, Inui, Kaido, Momoshiro, and Echizen.
122: We're finally at Hyoutei! This is where the magic happens \o/
Hyoutei's hit such a spot of bad luck this year though, losing to Fudoumine and having to place 5th in Tokyo Prefectural that they won last year; losing to Seigaku the first round of Kanto Regionals that they had placed 2nd after Rikkai last year; receiving an invitation back due to being in the host city, and losing again to Seigaku. They are a strong school, the one Sanada said to look out for; it just wasn't their year.
128: Ootori's serve is so fast even Kabaji couldn't return it; Hiyoshi must have won their singles match due to Ootori double-faulting a service game or double-faulting a tiebreak because there would be no other way he could win. Also, Ootori doesn't wear the uniform shirt, just the jersey, same with Momoshiro and Kaido. Is it not part of regulations?
129: 124.28 mph (200 km/h) Ootori's service. The fastest recorded tennis serve is held by Samuel Groth at 163.4 mph (263 km/h); Ootori is still growing and developing as a player, so this service isn't ridiculously fast compared to adult service, but is still very impressive for someone who is only 13 years old. He’s 13 <-- Don’t forget this :x
Everyone in Hyoutei has a uniform shirt, but the jerseys are restricted to the regulars.
132: "Hey Choutarou! What the heck are you doing? Can't keep hitting the net!!" "Just hit the ball to the opposite end of the court for scores!!" "Hey, Ootori! It's meaningless if you don't get it in!!" <-- Well, aren't you rude, Hyoutei? :x I guess it's their way of encouragement, by taunting even their own teammate. Or maybe because Ootori's a 2nd year, and doesn't command as much respect as the senpai.
135: JERKASS ATOBE ALERT. At this point in the series during my first readthrough, Atobe was The Jerk, arrogant and snooty and quite possibly my least favorite character at the time. It wasn't even that I didn't like him, it was actually *hating* him and wondering why in the world anyone *would* like him, for how he's been portrayed so far (key words are "so far", as he does get better later, unbeknownst to myself at the time). I thought he was so grossly exaggerated and that people only liked him because he was popular or strong or pretty or whatever, and I couldn't understand why that would be, if he had no apparent redeemable features. How he treated Tachibana An from before; and then there's Kabaji at the beginning of this chapter that was the last straw for me and I just wanted him to lose so badly and shame upon him and all that ):
138: "You'll never be able to play tennis again!!" <-- Ryuzaki-sensei on Kawamura's one-handed continuous hadoukyuu. What is tennis to these guys? To the point that he goes to such lengths, that Tezuka does, multiple times? At the moment, the score is tied 1-1 in sets; winning this match will give an edge, but is not necessarily critical. Even if he does not plan to continue tennis after entering high school, is the possibility of carrying the team to the Nationals worth not being able to play in them for sure no matter the outcome?
140: Here's the reason why I loved Jirou when I first saw him play (besides the fact that he needs a haircut): he loves tennis. Not winning the game, but *playing* it. When he sees a strong player or an amazing move, he isn't daunted but instead excited. Come on, just look at his excited face when he's playing a difficult game-- compare this to when we first see him, asleep at the tree when Yuuta bumps into him, it's like two different people (sleepy Jirou’s sort of grumpy-looking, haha). Compare this to his default setting of being so bored with the world that he sleeps it away, and then he steps onto the court, and if he finds an opponent worth waking up for, he can lose 1-6 (Fuji) and still be all *o*!!!!!!!! This is the enthusiasm these boys are supposed to have, that most had forgotten.
144: "This is the first time that I've played you." <-- Tezuka on Atobe. Not characterization relevant, but something to keep in mind for canon fics, RPs, etc.
145: "He's the closest thing to a perfect all-rounder. All of his skills can be said to be top-class." <-- Sengoku on Atobe. ("Even his bad attitude." "And his narcissism." Hah. Thanks for the supplement xD)
146: "Tezuka's elbow was actually broken until recently..." <-- Oishi on Tezuka's injury. Okay. Broken elbow's serious business. How his arm was positioned when hit, it was struck against the bend, the worst place. ...And then he quit the team. Or, he would have, if Yamato hadn't stepped in and assigned everyone collectively 100 laps for fighting on the courts.
Pay attention to the below dialogue.
"Tezuka-kun, if you quit, I'm going to quit too! If you give up because of something like this, what are you going to do?" <-- Oishi, after stopping Tezuka in the middle of laps.
"Because of you, your friend is about to quit." <-- Yamato to Tezuka. "There is not a whole lot that I can do as a captain. I even lost to you yesterday, hahaha. However... I have not once given up the dream of going to the Nationals." And then the pillar request.
The pain went away quickly (spring, 2 years ago) and everything was assumed to be all right; complications emerged later (fall, 1 year ago) with a heavy practice load and twice the normal muscle strain due to the zero-shiki to the point he couldn't play tennis; okayed by the doctor to play again two months prior (spring, current year, near start of series).
148: Second year Yanagi's bangs cover past his eyes. Thank goodness he decided later that closing his eyes was good enough, and got himself a haircut :x
"But because you are being careful about your elbow, you're putting more strain on your shoulder..." <-- Atobe's Insight at work on Tezuka. Everything's falling apart for you, isn't it, Tezuka? Elbow, and then the shoulder D: Atobe doesn't just want to win, that'd be boring. His aim is to draw out the match, destroy the shoulder, and Tezuka's tennis career along with it. Solidifies my "ATOBE'S A JERKFACE" beliefs I used to hold >__________>;
149: "More than his arm, as the captain, he has chosen the victory of Seigaku." <-- Sengoku on Tezuka. Remember this match, you guys. He might never be able to play tennis again, and yet he refuses to rush through the game and play carelessly. He takes on the battle of endurance.
150: The match has lasted over an hour and a half, with Atobe predicting Tezuka's shoulder to last only one hour. Tezuka continues to use the zero-shiki, even the Tezuka Zone. 6-5, Seigaku leads, Tezuka service. Deuce, ad Tezuka. One more point. This, you guys. I just couldn't.
151: The entire team runs onto the court and Tezuka shouts them off. "Go back! ...The match is not yet over." With the entire team advising him not to play, that he can forfeit and have the reserve (Echizen) play, that if he continues he won't be able to play tennis anymore... and then he stands.
"Don't lose when you've won against me." (Echizen) "I won't lose." (Tezuka) <-- Echizen then leaves to go warm up. Tezuka and Atobe enter tiebreak.
153: 35-34, Tezuka leads. 35-35. 26-25 to Atobe. 'I wonder how much time had passed, when one of the spectators whispered "I wish I could watch this match forever".'
'And then, Tezuka's racket head lowered 3.2 millimeters.' ...the ball bounces. Atobe reaches it. Tezuka nets. Game set, won by Hyoutei Gakuen, Atobe. Game count 7-6.
Well. So concludes one of my favorite matches. A.k.a. "Why I used to hate Atobe Keigo with all my very being, destroying my favorite character like that."
But then! Introducing Hiyoshi, with his poofy hair and shiny new Regulars jersey. To be honest, in my first read through I paid very little attention to him; it was the second that I really got to know and love his character. I guess the first time, I was just too emotionally distraught about Tezuka almost dying.
"Hiyoshi... don't let up just because it's a freshman." <-- Shishido's very big on the 'Don't underestimate your opponent!" thing now. He gave the same advice before, and it seems to root in his underestimating Tachibana and losing badly to him, an experience he's learned from and has been humbled from.
154: "That's Hyoutei's Hiyoshi. He was the one in the newcomer's battle who was doing fairly well against you right?" (Yanagi to Kirihara) "Next year, the one to lead the Hyoutei squad is most definitely him!" (Sanada) "The top candidate for future captain of Hyoutei who has even won against Ootori in singles!" (Hyoutei crowd) <-- Hiyoshi's skill is mostly backed up by words, I felt, and it's at this point that matches start to feel a bit rushed, though in this case it is because Tezuka and his match stand in the spotlight and not Echizen.
"Gekokujou is a good word! I entered Hyoutei because I liked the coach's philosophy of watching good players and cutting out losers. I really don't agree with Shishido-san's return to the Regulars, but... In the next match, as that Monster (Kabaji) is injured, and Akutagawa-san has lost, I will definitely be singles 2! But firstly, gekokujou!! I will eventually take singles 1 from Atobe-buchou." <-- Hiyoshi's internal monologue. Oh, dear boy. He doesn't talk much, and this is because he lives entirely too much inside his head. And 'gekokujou' twice in the same monologue; I can tell what Inui means by favorite phrase.
And then, you know, Echizen proceeds to make a fool out of him with his twist serve, being the main character that he is. Hiyoshi's skills are very put down, especially after having been bolstered so much by everyone's words.
"You hit a pretty annoying serve, shrimp. ...But, it's not a ball that can't be returned!!" <-- Hiyoshi, again, inside his head. He does this a lot, thinking instead of saying.
And then Seigaku does that annoying thing where they finish each other's sentences to say that Echizen's just playing around and Hiyoshi's just getting pummeled left and right here /:
155: "Hiyoshi. You're a bit slow in following through after you've hit the ball. Try hitting in the form that is the most comfortable for you." <-- Sakaki (43) to Hiyoshi, 6 months ago. I appreciate the coach's insight very much here, seeing Hiyoshi's stroke is awkward, but instead of telling him to practice and use 'proper form,' he encourages him to play how he feels is natural. And then, Hiyoshi's Enbu tennis style is born. (can I just say I love this page?) He looks ridiculous hitting like that, but then again, that might be one of the reasons I love him-- he refuses to follow orthodox. Quite possibly, *the* reason.
"Hiyoshi Wakashi, 2nd year. Aggressive baseliner. He has a cool and grounded character who is not easily swayed by the opposition. He has a bit of a strange side, but is always looking forward and little by little has been aiming for a spot on the Regulars. His birthday is December 5th, his blood type is AB, his favorite phrase is 'Gekokujou.'" <-- Hiyoshi's profile courtesy of Inui. Depending on the translation/version, I've also seen, paraphrased, "He is calm and collected. Will sway easily. He is slightly sensitive, but has a clear goal." which I believe is how the anime describes him. The slightly sensitive part is something I find to be endearing, a mark of how 'human' he is, as does "a bit of a strange side," which is even more so. The manga/anime contradiction of "not easily swayed" and "will sway easily" is something I tiptoe around, but then, I take the first to mean he holds steadfast to his beliefs and will stand by them, and the second to mean that he is adaptable to situations.
156: This is such an inspirational battle, that even the team (Hyoutei) is trembling from excitement. They're going all out, keeping up a ridiculous rate until Hiyoshi starts to pace himself so that he does not become careless and burn out the way doubles 2 did-- as Tachibana says, "Hiyoshi is starting to play an adult's game of tennis." This being, he understands the game and what he has to do to play it all the way through. Echizen, on the other hand, is playing at this reckless pace, attacking, attacking, just relentless, something he shouldn't have been able to do if he hadn't been so riled up from being reserve and seeing Tezuka's game.
The chapter closes with images of Hiyoshi's beautiful (also horrified/astounded, but that's beside the point) face as he realizes Echizen will not tire out. It's not as noticeable when he's running around, but here, Hiyoshi's standing still and when his bangs fall over his forehead, they reach all the way past his eyes. However 'cool' it looks, bangs are sort of… horrible when you're playing tennis, or any sport, really. They get soaked with sweat and stick to your face and are very annoying ):
157: Hiyoshi does this stupid thing where he doesn't step up to hit the ball on the rise, or step back and hit it as it descends, instead choosing to stay right in the middle and just let the ball bounce right over him. You've got feet! Move them!!
He loses, 4-6, not just the match, but Hyoutei's chance of moving forwards. Dear boy, he breaks down and cries, and the entire team is there surrounding him. You can see Shishido bending down trying to console him, Mukahi standing off to the side not really knowing what to do, Oshitari trying to talk while Hiyoshi hides his face and wipes away his tears.
At the lineup, Hiyoshi keeps his face bowed. Ootori freely cries. 'After that, the calls for Hyoutei went on for a while...'
158: Inui Juice #3: "Aozu" <-- blue vinegar = blue Hawaii syrup, soy milk, vinegar, lemon juice, dried plum, grated cheese, water.
"Using the center line to pinpoint the best angle of impact... I'll throw the ball at a controlled speed of 23 km/hr and get a strike! Yes, it's perfect! The probability of a strike is 100%!!" Pin 7 falls down. "That doesn't make any sense!!" <-- a.k.a. why Inui is one of the best characters.
159: "Str-strange... According to my calculations, I've been throwing the ball so that I wouldn't get any gutter balls. But up until now I've only gotten 8 points... knocking down 1 pin each time... At this rate, our team will be in last place! I can not let myself drink that huge mug of Blue Vinegar!" <-- Inui is the best.
165: Midoriyama gets like three chapters, Seigaku winning the first three matches and moving on easily. But even with such a brief appearance, the lesson's alluded to again-- Kiraku's father is a pro, who taught him to play tennis since he was 2 year old, and he may already be at pro level himself. However, his father worries his son has lost the passion for tennis after having been pushed into it, that he doesn't enjoy the game when all he wanted was to someday match a match evenly with his son. This mirrors Nanjirou and his son, how Echizen grows from playing to win, to playing to have fun, something most players lose the sight of and need to be reminded of.
166: "See? It's as I expected... If I were playing singles 2, it's wouldn't be like this... Why is Kamio singles 2 while I am singles 3? I don't get it... But it was Tachibana's decision so there's nothing I can do about it..." <-- Ibu on Kamio. Who he obviously believes he's a lot better than, haha.
168: Fudoumine defeated Yamabuki. They've won against Hyoutei (preregulars + Shishido). Rokkaku had a practice match against Hyoutei Gakuen, where one of their members defeated 100 Hyoutei players (all of them preregulars, confirmed by Ootori in 177, so how difficult it is to win may be called into question). <-- Just to get a feel for how good the schools are relative to each other.
169: "Those guys from Rokkaku have been getting their rackets hand made by that old man since they were kids. It seems like they learned tennis while playing around as kids." <-- Fuji on Rokkaku. Their tennis is rooted in having fun; they played tennis because they love it. This is the best foundation for a team. Their cheering squad includes grade schoolers. Losing 6-7 after being up 5-0, Kurobane and Amane are still amiable and happy to have played a good game. This is how tennis should be.
182: Rikkai defeats Fudoumine 6-0 D2 (Sanada, Yanagi vs Ibu, Kamio), 6-0 D1 (Jackal, Yagyuu vs Ishida, Sakurai), 6-1 S3 (Kirihara vs Tachibana). Yagyuu gives Kirihara a fistbump in congratulations for the win (:
Kaido headbutts the net pole in doing a boomerang snake D: That pole is freakin' dangerous, you know. First Echizen after he loses his grip on his racket and it breaks upon it, then here with Kaido when he runs into it chasing a ball, there's Kirihara in the anime during the American arc in which he smashes his shoulder into it and had to forfeit, and then Niou in the sequel series before we found out it was just one of his tricks. Granted, it was Niou apparently cutting his leg that spurred me to hating on the darn pole DD:
184: Kirihara trying to mask murder with tennis, smashing a ball at Tachibana's head. Arm. Shoulder. Everything. This is a perfectly legal way of playing, but of course is frowned upon because tennis is supposed to be a gentleman's game. How tennis is played, if the ball touches any part of your body or anything you are wearing that is not part of the racket, you automatically lose the point. This is how Atobe's Rondo Towards Destruction works when the balls strikes the opponent's hand, though in that case the second smash would merely be for closure. There is no rule prohibiting a player from hitting the ball at the opponent-- only if the player announces they are aiming to hit the other player and not the racket this may be called out as unsportsmanlike conduct and they may be fouled.
185: Inui Juice #4: unnamed <-- Inui asks Echizen to try the "latest version of [his] Inui Juice!" but Echizen declines/flees for his life.
187: One day, when you get the chance, you guys should all go back and read the manga and see how much detail Konomi puts into things, especially shoes. I love his shoes. To the finest details such as the Wilson logo on Kirihara's shoe soles. Such amazingly detailed shoes.
"The coach always yells at me when I take them off..." <-- Kirihara upon taking off his wrist weights. Second mention of Rikkai's coach, who never makes an appearance in the series, but apparently does still exist. And here I was, thinking Sanada was the disciplinary enforcer :x
188: The first time Kirihara goes into Bloodshot mode-- this isn't his usual style of playing, and only comes out when he's being pressured, as Tachibana does to him here by winning one game and taunting him, and Echizen does a few chapters later. Kirihara is a good player; he doesn't need violence to win, and Bloodshot may be half unconsciously done at this point in the series.
There's this panel of interest showing four of the other Rikkai members: Yanagi looks appropriately nervous, and both Yagyuu and Jackal look concerned with how violent Kirihara is playing. And then there's Sanada, silent and unmoving, accepting of this so long as Kirihara wins.
...Incidentally, blood in the eyes is a serious medical condition, isn't it? /: Should we be worried?
190: SELF-ACTUALIZATION \o/ Instead of his entire life flashing before his eyes, Echizen instead sees all the past tennis matches he's fought in this season, falls unconscious, and then he glows and his sweat evaporates and he reverts back to his native English.
193: Sanada Punishment Slap <-- slap first, ask questions later.
"Jackal... You were with him the whole time, why didn't you intervene?" The point being, he *didn't* intervene, and that's why he got punished. Sanada is similar to Tezuka in this aspect, who assigns laps instead of physical punishment, but does so because a rule was broken, regardless of the reason.
"You must not lose, even if it is not an official match: that is the law of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku!!"
197: I don't blame Jirou one bit; the moment Marui demonstrated his genius skills, I was smitten :x One, because of his genius. But two, because he *plays* tennis, instead of treating it like a battlefield like so many of the others do.
198: Kanai General Hospital, 27 July. Kanto Finals. Day of surgery. <-- Yukimura has this calendar framed and the date circled. That just kills me ):
202: 'Niou' blocks Kikumaru's line of sight so he cannot see the back player; when Kikumaru manages to shake him off, 'Yagyuu's ball hits him in the face and he sustains a concussion when his head hits the ground when he falls. Oishi flips his lid at 'Niou' for taunting, even though it's technically 'Yagyuu's ball that hit him, because it was a sneaky combination play on both their parts.
203: First year Oishi's the cutest, haha. Playing Kikumaru, he won 6-4 after being down 0-3, and has never lost to Kikumaru in a singles match.
"Until the day I defeat you, I'll play doubles with you!! During that time, I'll find out all your weaknesses!" <-- Kikumaru to Oishi, forming their doubles pair.
204: PURI IS THE JAPANESE SFX FOR ANGER. Ahhhhhhhhhh. It wasn't just a nonsensical noise, it actually meant something D:
205: The Switch! Oh my gosh, the sheer brilliancy that was the Switch!!
209: Sanada cares about the little things, such as Kirihara sitting improperly and having his feet up on the bench :'D
"He teamed up with me for doubles in order to let me perfect my boomerang snake. After playing together with him in doubles, there's something that I found out... There's no doubt about it. That person is a singles player!!" <-- Kaido on Inui's play style.
210: Yanagi with his eyes shown~
211: INUI WITH HIS EYES SHOWN.
Playing by instinct instead of thinking first, Inui is able to react quicker. He's also a very vocal player, haha, as others become when they also go all out.
213: Hyoutei's out of the tournament so they're wearing their school uniforms instead. Taki still hangs out with the team like he's a part of it, and Hiyoshi carries his tennis bag everywhere just to go all "Look at me, I'm a Regular!" without actually saying the words... or something :x He's still very much excited about the whole thing, apparently.
Niou says "Piyo" here, but I couldn't find out what else it means besides a little bird's chirping, so I think it might be just a nonsensical word.
"I believe this was where we left off." <-- Inui to Yanagi, continuing their match from four years ago. Matching point for point, shot for shot. Inui is the most terrifying.
215: 'At Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, Sanada, Yanagi, and Yukimura, these 3 prodigies have been Regular members ever since their 1st year. These 3 formed the core of the undefeated team that has won 2 straight National titles. With their foundation in place, they were aiming for a 3rd straight National title this year as well. However, it seems that during the winter of last year, the captain Yukimura suddenly collapsed.'
"It seems to be a disease of the immune system whose causes are unknown. It typically begins with weakness in the arms and legs, and eventually the body will lose its ability to move around freely. If the situation worsens, the respiratory system can become paralyzed and the patient will have trouble breathing, talking, and even eating. The disease reaches its peak 2 weeks after the initial outbreak..." <-- Yagyuu explaining the "Guillain-Barre syndrome," an autoimmune disease Yukimura's disease is based off of.
218: "It seems that I have no motivation for victory." <-- Fuji on why he never goes all out. This is the one line that really made me feel for him, because he's a genius player, but without motivation... He'll never be able to enjoy the sport unless he gets past that. And motivation is hard.
Angered, Kirihara kicks at the net, earning him a foul from the referee, who will disqualify him if that happens again.
"Enjoying the thrill of drawing out an opponent's potential to the limit, that was all I wanted. How about you? What is your motivation?" (Fuji) "Victory, no matter the cost! Right now, the only thing on my mind is winning the National title!" (Tezuka) "If I become a hindrance, remove me as a member of the team." (Fuji) <-- Fuji and Tezuka on why they play tennis. Fuji recognizes that he might never be able to play his best if this is going to be his mentality. Not playing his best, someone like that has no business being on a team who is aiming for nothing but victory, and he accepts this. Until the Tezuka-Atobe match, Fuji never realized why someone would go so far as to risk his own health for victory.
219: Tezuka really likes his lilac. Wisteria. Fuji-iro. Whatever it's called. The color of nobility.
Fuji gets hit in the side of the head and goes temporarily blind. It's a wonder all these kids haven't sustained permanent brain damage yet /:
220: "He can feel the presence of the ball and is able to accurately return it." <-- Fuji successfully plays tennis blind because... he's a genius, so he's allowed to do crazy stuff like that. Ryuzaki-sensei mentions that Fuji's skill level has surpassed Tezuka's at this point.
"I joined the tennis club of the Champions Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Jr. High, which I admired. And I had one single ambition: to become the no. 1 player of Japan's no. 1 school! However, my ambition was easily crushed by those 3 demons (Sanada, Yukimura, Yanagi)." <-- Kirihara on joining Rikkai.
222: "Win this game, Akaya! Win the Kanto championship for Rikkai with your own hands!!" <-- Sanada being supportive. Actually, more "You had better win!" than cheering him on...
Kirihara is able to copy Sanada's Ka in the self-actualization state once, but loses his grip on the racket in a subsequent attempt because he is not strong enough for the move.
223: Sanada does not hit Kirihara for losing the match.
"Your opponent is without a doubt the current number one tennis player in Japan's junior high tennis world." <-- Fuji to Echizen on Sanada.
224: Yukimura's surgery begins, but Rikkai still stands on the court as a team. There's no leaving Sanada behind to fight by himself or any of that nonsense /:
Echizen self-actualizes from the get-go.
227: Echizen fatigues after the first game.
229: "He still has a future ahead of him. There's no point in dragging this out any further! If he doesn't forfeit now, Seigaku may lose an incredible player." <-- Sengoku on Echizen giving up the match. Seigaku is silent, eyes closed-- PSYCHE!! "Mada mada dane!" (Seigaku in unison)
"Unfortunately, there is nobody on our team who will give up until the very last point has been decided." <-- Ryuzaki-sensei on her team, blatantly disregarding the times they were to pull out due to injury, unless it is 'just a flesh wound.'
230: Sanada's insane when he plays. Echizen... is Echizen, so even though the score is currently 1-5, we know he'll win consecutive games and make his comeback :x I sort of feel like the series would have a lot more meaning if Seigaku were to lose here, have Echizen grow and learn from the loss, and then come back as the challengers and defeat Rikkai in the second round. But maybe that's just me.
231: "This is that guy's best tension." <-- Hiyoshi on Echizen. He makes a one-panel appearance, yay, hair swept by the wind all pretty and everything :'D Referencing his own match against Echizen, in which the first year does nothing but attack relentlessly; if he lets up even for a moment the match can turn.
232: Samurai Ryouma.
234: "Will you let Echizen play singles 1 this time?" (Tezuka) "Hey, hey, are you serious about that? Tezuka." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Yes. You might laugh at me for saying something like this, but when I had that match with Echizen, I saw an image of a samurai forming from within him. There is something huge and immeasurable hiding within him! That is why I defeated him with my full strength. I completely defeated him. If I didn't do that, it felt as if his door would remain closed forever. It felt like the only reason he played tennis was to defeat a certain opponent. However, after he has defeated that person, what will be left of him? That is why I..." (Tezuka) "Samurai Nanjirou. That's Ryouma's father... and his target." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "So it's as I thought." (Tezuka) "Oh, you already knew?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "I wasn't completely certain... Furthermore, if he wants to win and advance in the Nationals, then he must face Sanada. Even if the results might be..." (Tezuka) "Tezuka, why do you go so far for Echizen..." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Because I am his captain." (Tezuka) <-- flashback conversation between Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei. Because as much as he strives for victory, Tezuka prioritizes Echizen's growth.
235: "There are only 3 people I know of who can use that move: from Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, our captain, Yukimura, Kyuushyuu's Chitose, and... My heart has become empty. It is empty because there is nothing. ME!" <-- Sanada, on who is able to use self-actualization. Except, then Echizen does his Cool Drive, collapses, and wins 7-6 /:
236: "Using a firm grip, he hits a powerful drive and created an incredible amount of spin. This causes the shape of the ball to change and sometimes results in an irregular bounce. However, this kind of shot might not even have been successful 1 out of 100 times... The ball didn't even bounce and just glided along the ground. I'll give him credit for having the courage and confidence to take a chance and put it all on the line!" <-- Sanada explaining the mechanism to the Cool Drive. There was only the very slightest possibility that the move would have worked, and if it hadn't, Echizen would have been unable to play any longer due to fatigue and Sanada, with his own state of self-actualization, would likely have won.
"The Champions Rikkai Dai... That is a thing of the past. This year, we shall enter the Nationals as 'challengers'! Naturally, in order to reclaim our throne!!" <-- Sanada style pep talks to the team. There is no moping or regretting, the only thing to do now is to look forwards and move on.
237: "He's had to coach us and carry out our practices without any other 3rd year members present. Our team lacks a strong rival and coach. Under these circumstances, it's no wonder Tachibana-san became weaker... That person does not deserve to be buried here. That's why we must become stronger!" <-- Kamio's inner thoughts on how much the team really owes Tachibana. 'That person does not deserve to be buried here,' just speaks so much ):
"We strive only for the championship. Everything else is worthless!" <-- Sanada refusing to accept the second place trophy.
Inui Juice #5: "Inui Special Iwashi Mizu" <-- sardine water
238: Manga version Hyoutei jackets don't have black cuffs. There's also a white circle on their left and seven stripes (I only ever have room for five when I draw, so I got into the habit of five, whoops. Because I don't draw their shoulders wide enough, I tend to give them actual middle school bodies, haha) on their right.
"The character of Echizen Ryouga had been in my mind since the early stages of serialization, which is why I am truly happy that he is able to appear before you! It was because of you, the fans, that the dream of a feature movie was realized. I thank you from the bottom of my heart." <-- note from Konomi. So Ryouga *was* his idea after all, not just a movie character made into an anime character. I wonder how the series would have been different if Konomi were to introduce him in the original series.
239: "So cheap! Blocking it with our face so you'll lose consciousness! You're just trying to escape the 'Silver Seat!" <-- Kisarazu on Inui taking a volleyball to the face. It's not giving up, it's called taking on the lesser evil, haha (bowling was gutterballing on purpose to drink a shot of Inui Juice instead of a pitcherful, and here is losing consciousness to avoid the humiliation of being made into the 'Silver Seat'). Inui is... the special sort of character :P And then we all know what happens after this, courtesy of the anime's decisive camera angles.
240: The Switch, version two: Yagyuu and Kaido.
241: "Your form for the backhand volley is a bit different from before." (Sakuno) "So you knew all along? It was because so many scouts came by today, right? Like from Hokkaido." (Echizen) "Yeah." (Sakuno) <-- Sakuno realizing Echizen's form is purposely off so that the scouts cannot collect accurate data. This is one of the reasons why I actually like manga!Sakuno especially compared to the anime version; she's actually serious about learning and playing tennis, her form having been praised by her sempai, and being able to recognize that Echizen's was different than usual.
242: Shishido watches over Hiyoshi's form during club activities. I love that :'D He takes care of all the kouhai~
244: Something I've noticed about Fuji is that his eyes aren't perpetually closed like they are in the anime :x He's a lot more normal in the manga, his character less exaggerated and mostly supported by other's words and expectations and not as much his own doing.
251: Just a note on how I really love Tezuka's and Oishi's friendship.
252: Hey, Kai. You could have actually killed Ojii. Did you know? /: All of Higa = RUDERUDERUDERUDERUDEYOUGUYSAREALLJERKSBTW.
260: HIGA COACH, YOU SUCK, YOUR TEAM SUCKS, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVEN'T GOTTEN DISQUALIFIED FROM THE TOURNAMENT YET.
268: You know, I can accept a lot of moves from this series so long as they're explained, but doppelganger!Kikumaru is something I'll never be able to swallow :x I mean, afterimages were comprehendible, but not two separate bodies so far apart doing their own thing and being able to act as, well, two separate bodies. And then! There was that thing with one of the 'images' falling, and the other magically appearing right where the ball is, and if that weren't enough, the ball hits the net WITH ENOUGH SPIN TO DEFY GRAVITY AND ROLL UP THE NET AND DROP TO THE OTHER SIDE |: I just.
275: Momoshiro should become a weather forecaster. Little by little, we're transcending the boundaries of absurdity...!
Also, Oshitari's poker face being something I haven't paid enough attention to. He doesn't even smirk or anything like that, it's always a complete |:
276: TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURY WITH BLOOD POURING OUT EVERYWHERE BUT IT'S OKAY BECAUSE TENNIS IS MORE IMPORTANT SO WHO CARES ABOUT HEALTH WHEN IT'S TENNIS!!? ...(/A\)
278: "Oshitari-san was surprisingly naive." (Hiyoshi) "Shut up. Don't say bad things about my friend." (Mukahi) "Well, I'm so sorry, Mukahi-san..." (Hiyoshi) "Tsk. That's why I didn't want to team up with this guy." (Mukahi) <-- In which Mukahi's the best of friends, and Hiyoshi's being the little jerk he is. Apologizing is one thing, meaning it is another, huh? :x Also, he uses honorifics, which I usually neglect/forget about, whoops.
279: Lots of pretty Hiyoshi shots and his ridiculous tennis moves~
Also a modified saying, "Gekokujoutou!" which I must remember to use some time, a combination of Gekokujou and Joutou (Bring it on!)
280: Mukahi (sometimes?) calls Hiyoshi as "Hiyoko."
I am always so ticked off when a side's at 5-2, 40-0 (like this match) or something similarly one-sided, and then the other side just pummels through consecutive games like it's nothing. And we all know how many times *that* happens, especially in this series, and main character matches to boot. It's sort of... cheap /:
283: 'Ever since that day, I trained under this little coach. (Much against my will...) Her name is Miyuki. It seems that she is only in the 4th grade.' (Tezuka) "Dude... You have like zero tennis sense, Bro... Listen, you need to raise your shoulders more, just like I told you!" (Miyuki) <-- Tezuka flashbacks to his rehabilitation to Kyuushuu. Initially, he cannot even raise his shoulder properly to hit the ball.
"The Yips. It's a phenomenon that occurs due to extreme anxiety, causing the muscles to contract and resulting in the inability to move your body." <-- Tezuka explaining to Miyuki why she freezes up during matches.
"Medically speaking, it should be all right for him to lift his shoulders... Right now, the only thing that is holding him back is the memory of the pain from that time and the fear that it may happen again." <-- Tezuka's doctor on his condition.
284: "But you're making him play when he's injured and can't raise his shoulders... Even his serves are all hit underhanded. There's no way for him to win! You guys should be ashamed of yourselves! You're all a bunch of cowards!!" <-- Miyuki to Shishigaku members (Daimaru, captain) who forced Tezuka into games just so they could say they've won against "Mr. Nationally Ranked" Tezuka Kunimitsu. JERKASS ALERT. Bunch of freakin' cowards. Listen to the gradeschooler!
289: Matches are suspended due to rain; as Hyoutei walks off the courts, you see frustrated faces abound... and then a happy, cheery Jirou :x
Echizen tries to taunt, and get his head tapped by a succession of Hyoutei rackets, haha. Of their eight member team, only six racket panels are shown. One can assume, most likely, that these are Atobe, Oshitari, Mukahi, Shishido, Jirou, and Hiyoshi's doings. Ootori and Kabaji are too nice/respectful for something like that :'D
291: Ootori's serves have sped up to around 215 km/hr now~ This surpasses Inui's 'Waterfall' serve that had been faster than Ootori's previous serves.
294: What is Synchro. I don't get. Flowy aura, dead eyes, and the ability to hover in midair D:
295: "Idiot. You're completely finished. ...But if it's doubles, then your hard work might still have a chance to pay off." <-- Atobe, some time way back when Shishido still had long hair and he played and lost a match against Atobe, whose Insight (capitalized or not) may have foreseen him as having the potential with doubles. Ootori stands overhead, watching, wearing his Regular's jersey, so it must still be in the current year but before their Fudoumine match. Atobe knew.
296: We have another laughter showdown! \o/ One of anime's redeeming moments; you need to hear the crazed laughter.
297: All throughout the previous 4 matches, Jirou's bouncy and awake with how amazing the two teams are playing. Atobe and Echizen step onto the court, and he's on the bench, asleep. Jirou. You've got it backwards. You're missing out. Come on.
300: In a flashback (likely the day Hyoutei was told they won a spot in the Nationals, as Atobe was wearing the same eagle hoodie he had on while running, and Sanada mentions Hyoutei not able to even make it to Nationals), Atobe comes to Rikkai to challenge Sanada, losing 0-4 before he completes his 'World of Ice' and Yukimura steps in to stop the game. According to him, if the match had continued, Sanada would have lost.
303: "His style of tennis uses a powerful defense to force his opponents into a war of attrition, and he uses their weaknesses to break them both physically and mentally to imbed the two characters of 'defeat' into them." (Oshitari) "Atobe's choice to wear down his opponent in order to force him to yield was merely a game for him. This is because he is a genius all-around tennis player with great skill. But, Atobe right now is different... He has thrown away his desires. This is his original tennis. Super attack style tennis!" (Sakaki (43)) <-- Oshitari and Sakaki (43) on Atobe's play style.
304: 89-89 tiebreak score, because large numbers are supposed to be impressive. Both players have collapsed on the court due to exhaustion. "If the next play doesn't start within 90 seconds, it's his opponent's point." (Sakaki (43))
305: "Even after losing consciousness, you still seek to gain control..." (Tezuka) '118-117, Echizen' tiebreak score. This... this was the turning point for Atobe, how I thought of Atobe. When I first read the manga, I stopped here. I went back and reread Hyoutei's first appearance. Here, this is when I started loving Atobe. This is what it took.
312: "Hyakuren Shitoku no Kiwami lets the player collect Muga's power and release that power as higher levels of technique, rotation, and types of balls. Opposite of that, Saiko Kanpatsu no Kiwami improves the functions of the brain. Because he is able to see instantly how to hit the ball, where to hit the ball, and what kind of ball to hit, he can predict in his head, whatever number of hits it takes to win the point." <-- Fuji explaining the Three Doors.
316: "Fuji... that's some fancy tennis you're playing. But it's all flash and no substance." <-- Shiraishi dissing Fuji's tennis :x
"Sorry Fuji... Until the very last point has been decided, I will keep on playing my 'perfect tennis.' To be honest, there is nothing more boring than 'perfect tennis.' But as the captain of this team, I have the responsibility to ensure that I carve out this one win for our team. It doesn't matter now many great matches are played. The moment a team is unable to capture 3 wins, it is eliminated. That's why it doesn't matter what kind of tennis is played. All that matters is that we win this thing! That is the slogan we live by. That's why I am called "The Bible." My tennis approaches perfection through continuous victories." <-- Shiraishi internal monologue explaining why he chose his playing style.
And then here we are again, 5-0, 40-0 in favor of Shiraishi, and there's no such thing as such a one-sided match, so get ready for the unreasonable comeback, you guys.
320: Level up all three Triple Counters, plus the Final Counter. Unreasonable comeback, yea... I don't understand the Final Counter though, the Gatekeeper. What's stopping Shiraishi from just volleying it so close to the net that it'll go over no matter what the spin's like? /:
321: And then Fuji loses due to an out ball. I really dislike these sort outcomes, the comeback and then loss, but specifically how they are lost. It brings to mind the Hyoutei match of Ootori and Shishido vs Oishi and Kikumaru, the former being up and the latter entering Synchro, all of the sudden dominating until the very very last point at which Kikumaru stops Oishi from hitting the ball because of his wrist injury. There's that sense that even though the rival team won, Seigaku's skills are still higher because hey, look at that amazing comeback, and really doesn't give the rivals as much credit as they deserve.
324: "Kaido, Momoshiro. What are you doing getting flung around by their pace? Stupid!" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Because we're awkward." (Momoshiro, Kaido, simultaneously) "Can't you go through the match with a poker face?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "We can't. Because we're awkward." (Momoshiro, Kaido, simultaneously) <-- Hah xD
329: "After all, isn't he just Seigaku's extra baggage? That Kawamura." <-- Zaizen being RUDE.
331: Ffffffffffffff. 5-0. 0-40, one more point. Kawamura walks down the stairs back onto the court... and the audience applauds. Here is me tearing up.
336: "He only broke 3 ribs, damaged his femur, injured his heel bone. Additionally, his neck has internal bruising and he sprained his right ankle..." <-- Oishi on Kawamura's injuries.
"Honestly, I think it would have been better had you retired from the team, senpai." <-- Zaizen on Chitose, because he lost both the set and the team's entry to finals /: I sort of don't like Zaizen... But at least both times, Kenya's there to scold him.
338: Here we go! 0-5, 0-40 for Kirihara! But at least this time, the comeback's a bit more reasonably so. Relatively. You know.
"They said, 'Are they really last year's champs? In our country, even elementary school kids are better than that seaweed-haired bastard...'" <-- Yagyuu being sassy :P
And then there's Devil Akaya, winning back 7 consecutive games. There's no realization or repentance like in the anime; moreover, Devil Mode is being encouraged and used.
341: Yakiniku! \o/ Salt side we have Echizen, Kaido, Tezuka. Sauce side we have Momoshiro, Fuji. Either is Kawamura, Inui. ...And then, Yakiniku Magistrate Oishi. Oishi is the best.
342: "You have to forgive his crappy puns, the David guy, Amane Hikaru!!" "The guy who will probably be the first to lose, Shudou Satoshi." <-- Kikumaru and Oshitari introducing the schools' 6 man lineups. (Prediction for Shudou was correct, haha)
"The last school is my own, Hyoutei! Is there any kind of meat that can satisfy his tongue, Atobe Keigo." "Mukahi Gakuto of the Moonsault! He isn't there to eat." "This guy will absolutely fall asleep even if he eats only a little, Akutagawa Jirou!!" "The Gekokujou guy, Hiyoshi Wakashi! The enemy is outside, outside!!" "One way or another, bring out your effort and tenacity for us, Shishido Ryou!!" "...Kabaji Munehiro! Somehow, I feel that he isn't going to be the one winning it for us." <-- ...Hyoutei. Why are you even here.
First juice: Inui Special Veggies Juice <-- According to Kite, gouya is a lot more bitter
343: Second juice: Penal Tea <-- "This drinks is red and spicy."
Third juice: Inui Special Iwashi Mizu <-- ...sardine water. Description enough, right? :x
344: Fourth juice: Coffee <-- "The caffeine in this coffee is 30 times more than regular coffee. Also, it has the same amount of vitamin 3 as 30 melons."
Fifth juice: Cola <-- According to Oshitari, "Koura... I think the drink is made from the fresh collagen-filled blood of a turtle complete with its shell." Inui. Stop it.
Despite what I said before, Hyoutei ends up winning, at 70 plates courtesy of Kabaji, alone
345: Atobe and his helicopter. (He does have a pilot though.)
349: Sanada is sort of really scary when he plays. Mean too, a little bit. Like, "I'm tired of looking at that face of yours!!" at Tezuka and all, "I'm going to crush this foolishness of yours right now," and "Will it be okay for me to crush you with your own despair, Tezuka!!"
350: Tezuka's throwing his arm away for his team again. Some call this willpower. Others, stupidity.
"I'm thinking on going to Germany for the sake of turning pro. Tomorrow might possibly be the last tournament I play in Japan... That's why I want to leave without having any regrets." <-- Tezuka, on why.
351: "Don't touch me! Leave me the hell alone!" <-- Sanada, when offered ice for his knees.
352: "What exactly is an emperor...? It's filthy... I've even stopped my head-on challenge. So what exactly is an emperor!!?" <-- Sanada is so ridiculously ticked off Yukimura has ordered him to forfeit his head-on challenge against Tezuka, just so they could win. He wins 7-5, but this sort of victory has no satisfaction in it.
358: Devil!Kaido makes a two panel appearance before Inui stops him. Don't follow Kirihara's footsteps, you guys. Aiming at the person instead of the open court. Injuring them on purpose. Putting Inui in a full-body cast. That last one especially is a big no-no ):
360: "Hey Niou, don't you think you're playing too much. Hey, you hear me?" (Sanada) "I'm in the middle of acquiring data, so be quiet for a bit, will you?" (Niou) <-- Niou the 'data player. ' And the only one that can tell Sanada to shut up, haha.
364: "Even though Seigaku will probably lose, you seem rather calm." <-- Kaido to Inui. Yea, there's faith in your teammates, whoo.
369: I love love love that all of Echizen's rivals came back to help him remember tennis. Atobe, and even Sanada. They don't want it to end like this.
372: Yukimura and his dead eyes. This, of course, doesn't allude to his health, but that tennis is too 'simple' and he is too good at it that it's boring, to evoke any emotional response.
"You have the power down, but the shot is still too simple." (Big Bang) "It didn't copy itself... There is always only one ball." (Entaku shot) "The ball never really disappears." (Kamikakshi) <-- Yukimura, unfazed. Realist, this one.
373: "You're just jealous... He's been battling so many strong opponents and leveling up. You're just jealous. That Etsuzen guy looks like he's having fun even when he's in a pinch!" <-- Urayama to Sanada; his name is a pun on being jealous. He's a bit brash, this first year, haha.
***374: "But if Yukimura-buchou isn't here, our 3rd consecutive win will have a blind spot!" (Kirihara) "It may not have been expected, but don't let this overwhelm you." (Yukimura) <-- this is completely turned around in the anime, which ruins everything /: In the anime, this becomes "Just rest easy! Even without you, Yukimura-buchou, Rikkai'll get its third straight win with no catches!" (Kirihara) "Saying something like that... I feel a bit snubbed." (Yukimura) The characterizations are a bit... asdfkljh ): Not necessarily *bad*, but different.
"This sure is a severe and incurable disease, isn't it? Tennis is probably impossible already for him..." <-- doctors, about Yukimura.
"Yukimura, I'm sorry. During the Kantou finals, Seigaku..." (Sanada) "Didn't I tell you not to talk to me about tennis!? Why don't you just go home already!!?" (Yukimura) <-- and he cries. With the entire team outside but he doesn't care, because tennis was everything to him and he's being told he will never stand on the court again ):
375: "Because no matter how you hit, that guy always returns it. Gradually, you start to have that memory cling to your mind and... it's as if you no longer want to even cross the net. Even your body gradually loses its ability to move." <-- Kintarou, explaining his experience against Yukimura's tennis.
376: 'I'm gonna lose... I don't want to lose! ...Why does this feel so painful... It's only tennis, so why does it hurt so much like this... No... Wait. It's because tennis is...' <-- Echizen, internal monologue, on what tennis means to him.
"Why...? Even though his senses have already been snatched away... Any other tennis player would have already quit in this state. But this boy..." <-- Yukimura, upon seeing Echizen continue even without sight, touch, and sound. For the first time, there's a spark of life in Yukimura's eyes. Just a spark. A one panel spark.
'I understand now. You know, I never really hated tennis... ...Instead, I actually...' "This tennis thing, is actually really fun." <-- Echizen, on realizing tennis is fun. Then the pulse thing, Tenimuhou no Kiwami, the Final Door, sparkles and revival and all.
377: "Just raise your concentration and keep calm, Seiichi. There's no way there's a ball you can't somehow return!!" <-- Yukimura, to himself. Even now.
378: "There was never a 'Tenimuhou no Kiwami' to begin with. ... It seems you guys don't get it." <-- Nanjirou, to Seigaku.
"Ryouma-kun... looks like he's having fun." <-- Sakuno gets it.
"That Tenimuhou thing is something everyone has. When the day you first started tennis came, you get lost in the ecstasy of it all. No matter how much you played, you didn't care because it was fun. During that time, everyone is already in Tenimuhou. However, when people start playing in clubs and school tournaments, they feel like they have to win and for the sake of winning they become afraid to miss their shots. Before you know it, just about everyone has entered the world where they've forgotten about that time. No one remembers the feelings they had when they first 'met' tennis... They can't remember the tennis that was... fun." <-- Nanjirou's explanation.
"'Is tennis fun?' Don't give me that shit!" <-- Yukimura disagrees.
379: Yukimura smiles as he offers the handshake.
Sanada accepts second place.
This is my favorite series. Also, Shin Tenipuri does not exist.
For personal reference, I went ahead and took notes on things I had forgotten that happened but could be plot or characterization relevant, interesting tidbits, things to appreciate, etc. <-- and then we get to Hyoutei, and all of the sudden it's commentary instead of analysis (/A\) But. I mean.
2: The first teammate Echizen meets is Momoshiro, who gives him wrong directions to the tennis courts. (Why?)
"There's no use for the eye if you can't see the vision." <-- Momoshiro about Echizen: So what if you're famous? If you're not *good* then it's useless. Challenge match.
4: Arai picks a fight with Echizen; Tezuka walks in and assigns 10 laps. Talking back increases to 20 laps. <-- There is no argument both are at fault, so the reason for fighting in the first place is irrelevant.
6: Arai challenges Echizen, whose only available racket is an old wooden one; upon concluding the match, Tezuka sends everyone on laps because matches without permission are not allowed and even the regulars did not step in to stop them.
17: Kachiro's dad is a tennis coach who gave up being pro due to injury.
19: Rikkai *does* have a coach! Sunday mornings are difficult for Kirihara who oversleeps on the bus. Rikkai and Seigaku are on the same bus route, about an hour away.
"Get lost, Outsider." <-- Tezuka, upon seeing Kirihara. RudeStrict.
"At the moment, I only want to win this tournament with my teammates." <-- Tezuka, in response to Ryuzaki-sensei telling him not to push himself and to take care of his body first.
23: "Tezuka, did we choose the wrong pair?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Yes." (Tezuka) <-- Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka on Momoshirou-Echizen doubles. But this isn’t necessarily a question on faith; while they did win, it was clear that the two had no business playing doubles together.
25: Ibu is more violent than he lets on later in the series, ready to hit Kuki for saying "I can't believe we lost to a bunch of unseeded players!" which honestly isn't all that insulting. However, he retrains himself at the last moment only because Tachibana ordered him to.
27: Ibu is more a 'leader' than Kamio, as he is the one to stand up to the 2nd years first, with Kamio standing back with the rest of the 1st years and running forward only when Ibu gets shoved aside.
30: Tezuka is a shouter when he is serious. "Let go!" when Kuki grabs his elbow, "Kaido!" when his player does not apologize for his actions, etc.
36: "He's too lucky, making me a little frustrated. To hell with him..." <-- Ibu on Echizen, seeing that he has sempai (Oishi) that care for him. Jealousy, probably, towards the other's nurturing atmosphere.
"Shinji is getting irritated." (Kamio) "Showing his true colors." (Mori) <-- Kamio and Mori respectively, concerning Ibu's line above.
45: Atobe, congratulations on being introduced as a jerkass.
46: Inui Juice #1: "Inui Special Veggies Juice"
51: Fuji Yuuta has a bad temper, according to Mizuki.
69: "I've heard that he overwhelmed Saeki, the representative from Chiba in a practice match." <-- Inui on Yuuta. Similar to how Ryuzaki-sensei compares Shinji's genius to Fuji's, people often forget how strong some of these earlier players are.
76: Why Fuji was my favorite at the very beginning. Until his match with Mizuki, there was barely any emphasis on him besides standing with Inui and the freshmen confirming techniques. Against Mizuki though, we see his scarier side of not just defeating him, but in the worst way possible, letting him build up confidence until 5-0, and then completely destroying him without losing a single point. He doesn't fight his hardest win the match, but instead, to teach a lesson. He's not such a "scary" or "evil" person like he's made out to be sometimes /: Incidentally, I also ended up liking Mizuki very much, due to the same match, even though he actually is portrayed as being uncaring and manipulative… Huh.
77: "One of Kyuushuu's two best players, Tachibana Kippei. Why is he at the Tokyo Prefectures?" <-- Atobe on Tachibana. This guy is powerful, recognized by even Atobe, Sengoku, Akazawa, etc. for his National level strength. Remember all these earlier chapters, that weren't so Rikkai/Shitenhouji/Seigaku dominated? /: Fudoumine went far; they’re strong.
83: Inui Juice #2: "Penal Tea"
85: Fuji plays defensive tennis.
87: "For the next two, they're the type who have the most fatigue about 10 minutes after exercising." <-- Inui on Momoshiro and Tezuka. This may not be who has the worst stamina; e.g. one could be tired the entire match but endure it, as opposed to Kikumaru who has high energy until a certain point, and then crashes.
100: Unrelated to the chapter, but I just wanted to take the time to say just how much I appreciate the manga. Tennis boys playing *tennis*. Boys being *boys*. That the characters are so real, compared to how they're made fools of elsewhere; that the butt caps don't have letters imprinted on them because that was just ridiculous. Manga is so much more believable, especially in these early chapters. Shin Tenipuri, it just went downhill, I dunno. Or maybe it’s the anime that corrupted my impressions of the series /: I think everyone should take the time to reread the original once in a while, get a feel for and a reminder of how the series was supposed to be. It wasn't pretty boys (I sort of really resent parts of the fandom that focus on a series just because of ~*pretty boys*~ and completely ignore characterization and depth) and sparkly moves (especially in anime land, where it comes complete with sound effects and rainbow colors), it was a tennis competition and fighting for number one.
101: Little!Akutsu and his hair. Just sayin'.
104: Akutsu and Echizen have a laughing match. This ritual apparently happens sometimes when two players recognize each other's strength :x
106: Mocking tennis and then losing at it, Akutsu cannot let this scenario happen no matter what. This is the reason Banji believes he cannot lose.
111: Seigaku ranking before each tournament; 1st ranking April (Inui drops; beginning of series), 2nd ranking June (Momo drops; current month). September rankings freshmen allowed to participate.
113: WHOA, okay, point of interest. You know how Kaido does 3 times the usual training? Inui does 2.25 times *that*, so 6.75 time the usual training. Again, WHOA. Stopping here a moment just to talk about Inui, who is introduced to be Seigaku's top 3 singles players, but is usually forgotten in the shadows of Fuji and Tezuka. This leads me to make a point about players like this in general, who people usually forget how strong they are ): When asked for the strongest players in the series, for most people, who comes to mind are Echizen, Tezuka, Yukimura, Sanada, Atobe, Shiraishi, etc. Singles players. Inui, such a strong player that's able to keep up with Tezuka like this, isn't immediately thought of because later in the series he focuses mostly on his doubles play. Golden Pair, Silver, Platinum, they're good players, but one-on-one they might not be able to win against the aforementioned. But that's hardly fair, as single and doubles are not exactly the same game, and testing doubles players on the other turf does not allow them to show their true skills. Cooperation and strategy are especially important in doubles, not so much as strength and skill in singles. E.g. how Echizen was not compatible with doubles. Singles tennis gets the spotlight, but don't forget doubles exists too D:
115: Introduction of Tezuka Zone. Previous chapter has everyone going "WHOA D:" all simultaneously, meaning some sort of aura flared up, or is the team so synchronized that they realized all at once...? Just to say, this is one of the techniques I never really understood. Because he can "put a spin on the ball to make it come right back to him", but will that work if you just tap the ball, or purposely hit out...? It can't such *everything* in, that's just... /:
116: Oishi's stern when it comes to people (Eiji) insulting someone else (Momo), to the point of yelling and physically hitting. Fighting on the courts earns the two 20 laps from Tezuka.
Banji refers to Tezuka as having still untapped potential <-- do we see this later in the series? He sort of disappears and comes back as his truer/previous self from before he sealed off his techniques. Both he and Akutsu are recommended to study tennis abroad in California, alluding to Akutsu's strength as someone who also has much potential that he could possibly become pro if he takes the sport seriously.
117: "And like always, Kamio-kun is still saying how he will defeat Hyoutei Gakuen's Atobe-kun" <-- An on Kamio. He... really hates Atobe xD Possibly more for trying to pick up An, than for slighting him that time at the street courts. 'Like always' means he just doesn't let go-- It's unforgiveable!-- haha.
And then Atobe appears again, this time with the entire team in tow. I doubt he frequents street courts so often; he can't be stalking An (he calls her An-chan, wth), right? Or Momo. Go back to school, Atobe. Don't you guys have tennis practice too?
118: We are reminded Ootori and Taki are doubles partners at this point in the series.
For skipping practice 3 days, Tezuka punishes Momoshiro by putting him on ball duty instead of playing, and orders a record-setting 100 laps.
119: "This guy has amazing concentration power. At first, I could not believe my own eyes. A normal person is not able to keep his focus for such long periods of time." <-- Sanada on Kirihara, who is currently in his 8th match against the high schoolers. All of the OBs he played against are left handed, maybe because he's "training to defeat Tezuka" like Yuuta was, or maybe because left handers are supposedly more difficult to play against, alluding to Kirihara's strength when he is at a disadvantage.
120: "It would be great if we don't play with Hyoutei... I hate those guys." <-- Kikumaru on Hyoutei. It's not even "I don't want to play because they're hard," it's "I don't want to play because I hate them." The people xD; Whoo, great impression there, guys.
121: Shishido wins 6-1 against Taki, who is dropped as per Hyoutei's law. This brings to mind the point I was making before about singles vs. doubles players-- Shishido is originally and primarily a singles player, and Taki is in doubles, so singles matches deciding who stays is sort of a grey area when singles may not be one of their expertise. E.g. Hiyoshi is said to have defeated Ootori in singles before, but the latter was not dropped (presumably this is because it was a practice match, and not a challenge like Shishido vs. Taki was, or happened when they were both pre-regulars the year before, so neither had a spot on the team to lose). But say Ootori loses in a later challenge; will Silver pair be split up because one of them loses? Does the law still hold, if the result is losing doubles 1?
"Hiyoshi will be replacing him on the regular team!" <-- Sakaki (43) on Hiyoshi. First mention of my favorite guy (:
Ootori doesn't mind giving his regular spot to Shishido. Oh, dear boy ;____; He *knows* just how much the sport means to Shishido, that he would give up something like this for the other, who he doesn't owe anything to but is still willing to help to such an extent.
Shishido, cutting your hair off was impressive and all, but I have to admit that when I first read it, the first thing I thought was why you had scissors in the first place, presumably in your shorts pocket. Only later did I understand what the haircut really meant. As Ootori says, his hair is something he prides himself in; cutting it short meant "Look, I know pride was my problem. I'm stepping down now. My place on the team, my hair, I am kneeling before you, I've given it my all. I've got nothing left to lose."
"Once I enter high school, I will begin my training at the sushi shop." <-- Kawamura is a character that isn't very prominent even in the main school. Most of his development so far in the story has been due to knowing Akutsu early in his life, but his matches are not largely shown, playing doubles with Fuji. Even later, his singles matches are straightforward, and usually end with injury. His personality change with a racket is shown, but is not as memorable as in the anime, as voices portray this better than images and text how he becomes. It is sort of disappointing how he doesn't develop as much as some of the other characters, many of which have already been growing since the start of the series-- in particular, Inui, Kaido, Momoshiro, and Echizen.
122: We're finally at Hyoutei! This is where the magic happens \o/
Hyoutei's hit such a spot of bad luck this year though, losing to Fudoumine and having to place 5th in Tokyo Prefectural that they won last year; losing to Seigaku the first round of Kanto Regionals that they had placed 2nd after Rikkai last year; receiving an invitation back due to being in the host city, and losing again to Seigaku. They are a strong school, the one Sanada said to look out for; it just wasn't their year.
128: Ootori's serve is so fast even Kabaji couldn't return it; Hiyoshi must have won their singles match due to Ootori double-faulting a service game or double-faulting a tiebreak because there would be no other way he could win. Also, Ootori doesn't wear the uniform shirt, just the jersey, same with Momoshiro and Kaido. Is it not part of regulations?
129: 124.28 mph (200 km/h) Ootori's service. The fastest recorded tennis serve is held by Samuel Groth at 163.4 mph (263 km/h); Ootori is still growing and developing as a player, so this service isn't ridiculously fast compared to adult service, but is still very impressive for someone who is only 13 years old. He’s 13 <-- Don’t forget this :x
Everyone in Hyoutei has a uniform shirt, but the jerseys are restricted to the regulars.
132: "Hey Choutarou! What the heck are you doing? Can't keep hitting the net!!" "Just hit the ball to the opposite end of the court for scores!!" "Hey, Ootori! It's meaningless if you don't get it in!!" <-- Well, aren't you rude, Hyoutei? :x I guess it's their way of encouragement, by taunting even their own teammate. Or maybe because Ootori's a 2nd year, and doesn't command as much respect as the senpai.
135: JERKASS ATOBE ALERT. At this point in the series during my first readthrough, Atobe was The Jerk, arrogant and snooty and quite possibly my least favorite character at the time. It wasn't even that I didn't like him, it was actually *hating* him and wondering why in the world anyone *would* like him, for how he's been portrayed so far (key words are "so far", as he does get better later, unbeknownst to myself at the time). I thought he was so grossly exaggerated and that people only liked him because he was popular or strong or pretty or whatever, and I couldn't understand why that would be, if he had no apparent redeemable features. How he treated Tachibana An from before; and then there's Kabaji at the beginning of this chapter that was the last straw for me and I just wanted him to lose so badly and shame upon him and all that ):
138: "You'll never be able to play tennis again!!" <-- Ryuzaki-sensei on Kawamura's one-handed continuous hadoukyuu. What is tennis to these guys? To the point that he goes to such lengths, that Tezuka does, multiple times? At the moment, the score is tied 1-1 in sets; winning this match will give an edge, but is not necessarily critical. Even if he does not plan to continue tennis after entering high school, is the possibility of carrying the team to the Nationals worth not being able to play in them for sure no matter the outcome?
140: Here's the reason why I loved Jirou when I first saw him play (besides the fact that he needs a haircut): he loves tennis. Not winning the game, but *playing* it. When he sees a strong player or an amazing move, he isn't daunted but instead excited. Come on, just look at his excited face when he's playing a difficult game-- compare this to when we first see him, asleep at the tree when Yuuta bumps into him, it's like two different people (sleepy Jirou’s sort of grumpy-looking, haha). Compare this to his default setting of being so bored with the world that he sleeps it away, and then he steps onto the court, and if he finds an opponent worth waking up for, he can lose 1-6 (Fuji) and still be all *o*!!!!!!!! This is the enthusiasm these boys are supposed to have, that most had forgotten.
144: "This is the first time that I've played you." <-- Tezuka on Atobe. Not characterization relevant, but something to keep in mind for canon fics, RPs, etc.
145: "He's the closest thing to a perfect all-rounder. All of his skills can be said to be top-class." <-- Sengoku on Atobe. ("Even his bad attitude." "And his narcissism." Hah. Thanks for the supplement xD)
146: "Tezuka's elbow was actually broken until recently..." <-- Oishi on Tezuka's injury. Okay. Broken elbow's serious business. How his arm was positioned when hit, it was struck against the bend, the worst place. ...And then he quit the team. Or, he would have, if Yamato hadn't stepped in and assigned everyone collectively 100 laps for fighting on the courts.
Pay attention to the below dialogue.
"Tezuka-kun, if you quit, I'm going to quit too! If you give up because of something like this, what are you going to do?" <-- Oishi, after stopping Tezuka in the middle of laps.
"Because of you, your friend is about to quit." <-- Yamato to Tezuka. "There is not a whole lot that I can do as a captain. I even lost to you yesterday, hahaha. However... I have not once given up the dream of going to the Nationals." And then the pillar request.
The pain went away quickly (spring, 2 years ago) and everything was assumed to be all right; complications emerged later (fall, 1 year ago) with a heavy practice load and twice the normal muscle strain due to the zero-shiki to the point he couldn't play tennis; okayed by the doctor to play again two months prior (spring, current year, near start of series).
148: Second year Yanagi's bangs cover past his eyes. Thank goodness he decided later that closing his eyes was good enough, and got himself a haircut :x
"But because you are being careful about your elbow, you're putting more strain on your shoulder..." <-- Atobe's Insight at work on Tezuka. Everything's falling apart for you, isn't it, Tezuka? Elbow, and then the shoulder D: Atobe doesn't just want to win, that'd be boring. His aim is to draw out the match, destroy the shoulder, and Tezuka's tennis career along with it. Solidifies my "ATOBE'S A JERKFACE" beliefs I used to hold >__________>;
149: "More than his arm, as the captain, he has chosen the victory of Seigaku." <-- Sengoku on Tezuka. Remember this match, you guys. He might never be able to play tennis again, and yet he refuses to rush through the game and play carelessly. He takes on the battle of endurance.
150: The match has lasted over an hour and a half, with Atobe predicting Tezuka's shoulder to last only one hour. Tezuka continues to use the zero-shiki, even the Tezuka Zone. 6-5, Seigaku leads, Tezuka service. Deuce, ad Tezuka. One more point. This, you guys. I just couldn't.
151: The entire team runs onto the court and Tezuka shouts them off. "Go back! ...The match is not yet over." With the entire team advising him not to play, that he can forfeit and have the reserve (Echizen) play, that if he continues he won't be able to play tennis anymore... and then he stands.
"Don't lose when you've won against me." (Echizen) "I won't lose." (Tezuka) <-- Echizen then leaves to go warm up. Tezuka and Atobe enter tiebreak.
153: 35-34, Tezuka leads. 35-35. 26-25 to Atobe. 'I wonder how much time had passed, when one of the spectators whispered "I wish I could watch this match forever".'
'And then, Tezuka's racket head lowered 3.2 millimeters.' ...the ball bounces. Atobe reaches it. Tezuka nets. Game set, won by Hyoutei Gakuen, Atobe. Game count 7-6.
Well. So concludes one of my favorite matches. A.k.a. "Why I used to hate Atobe Keigo with all my very being, destroying my favorite character like that."
But then! Introducing Hiyoshi, with his poofy hair and shiny new Regulars jersey. To be honest, in my first read through I paid very little attention to him; it was the second that I really got to know and love his character. I guess the first time, I was just too emotionally distraught about Tezuka almost dying.
"Hiyoshi... don't let up just because it's a freshman." <-- Shishido's very big on the 'Don't underestimate your opponent!" thing now. He gave the same advice before, and it seems to root in his underestimating Tachibana and losing badly to him, an experience he's learned from and has been humbled from.
154: "That's Hyoutei's Hiyoshi. He was the one in the newcomer's battle who was doing fairly well against you right?" (Yanagi to Kirihara) "Next year, the one to lead the Hyoutei squad is most definitely him!" (Sanada) "The top candidate for future captain of Hyoutei who has even won against Ootori in singles!" (Hyoutei crowd) <-- Hiyoshi's skill is mostly backed up by words, I felt, and it's at this point that matches start to feel a bit rushed, though in this case it is because Tezuka and his match stand in the spotlight and not Echizen.
"Gekokujou is a good word! I entered Hyoutei because I liked the coach's philosophy of watching good players and cutting out losers. I really don't agree with Shishido-san's return to the Regulars, but... In the next match, as that Monster (Kabaji) is injured, and Akutagawa-san has lost, I will definitely be singles 2! But firstly, gekokujou!! I will eventually take singles 1 from Atobe-buchou." <-- Hiyoshi's internal monologue. Oh, dear boy. He doesn't talk much, and this is because he lives entirely too much inside his head. And 'gekokujou' twice in the same monologue; I can tell what Inui means by favorite phrase.
And then, you know, Echizen proceeds to make a fool out of him with his twist serve, being the main character that he is. Hiyoshi's skills are very put down, especially after having been bolstered so much by everyone's words.
"You hit a pretty annoying serve, shrimp. ...But, it's not a ball that can't be returned!!" <-- Hiyoshi, again, inside his head. He does this a lot, thinking instead of saying.
And then Seigaku does that annoying thing where they finish each other's sentences to say that Echizen's just playing around and Hiyoshi's just getting pummeled left and right here /:
155: "Hiyoshi. You're a bit slow in following through after you've hit the ball. Try hitting in the form that is the most comfortable for you." <-- Sakaki (43) to Hiyoshi, 6 months ago. I appreciate the coach's insight very much here, seeing Hiyoshi's stroke is awkward, but instead of telling him to practice and use 'proper form,' he encourages him to play how he feels is natural. And then, Hiyoshi's Enbu tennis style is born. (can I just say I love this page?) He looks ridiculous hitting like that, but then again, that might be one of the reasons I love him-- he refuses to follow orthodox. Quite possibly, *the* reason.
"Hiyoshi Wakashi, 2nd year. Aggressive baseliner. He has a cool and grounded character who is not easily swayed by the opposition. He has a bit of a strange side, but is always looking forward and little by little has been aiming for a spot on the Regulars. His birthday is December 5th, his blood type is AB, his favorite phrase is 'Gekokujou.'" <-- Hiyoshi's profile courtesy of Inui. Depending on the translation/version, I've also seen, paraphrased, "He is calm and collected. Will sway easily. He is slightly sensitive, but has a clear goal." which I believe is how the anime describes him. The slightly sensitive part is something I find to be endearing, a mark of how 'human' he is, as does "a bit of a strange side," which is even more so. The manga/anime contradiction of "not easily swayed" and "will sway easily" is something I tiptoe around, but then, I take the first to mean he holds steadfast to his beliefs and will stand by them, and the second to mean that he is adaptable to situations.
156: This is such an inspirational battle, that even the team (Hyoutei) is trembling from excitement. They're going all out, keeping up a ridiculous rate until Hiyoshi starts to pace himself so that he does not become careless and burn out the way doubles 2 did-- as Tachibana says, "Hiyoshi is starting to play an adult's game of tennis." This being, he understands the game and what he has to do to play it all the way through. Echizen, on the other hand, is playing at this reckless pace, attacking, attacking, just relentless, something he shouldn't have been able to do if he hadn't been so riled up from being reserve and seeing Tezuka's game.
The chapter closes with images of Hiyoshi's beautiful (also horrified/astounded, but that's beside the point) face as he realizes Echizen will not tire out. It's not as noticeable when he's running around, but here, Hiyoshi's standing still and when his bangs fall over his forehead, they reach all the way past his eyes. However 'cool' it looks, bangs are sort of… horrible when you're playing tennis, or any sport, really. They get soaked with sweat and stick to your face and are very annoying ):
157: Hiyoshi does this stupid thing where he doesn't step up to hit the ball on the rise, or step back and hit it as it descends, instead choosing to stay right in the middle and just let the ball bounce right over him. You've got feet! Move them!!
He loses, 4-6, not just the match, but Hyoutei's chance of moving forwards. Dear boy, he breaks down and cries, and the entire team is there surrounding him. You can see Shishido bending down trying to console him, Mukahi standing off to the side not really knowing what to do, Oshitari trying to talk while Hiyoshi hides his face and wipes away his tears.
At the lineup, Hiyoshi keeps his face bowed. Ootori freely cries. 'After that, the calls for Hyoutei went on for a while...'
158: Inui Juice #3: "Aozu" <-- blue vinegar = blue Hawaii syrup, soy milk, vinegar, lemon juice, dried plum, grated cheese, water.
"Using the center line to pinpoint the best angle of impact... I'll throw the ball at a controlled speed of 23 km/hr and get a strike! Yes, it's perfect! The probability of a strike is 100%!!" Pin 7 falls down. "That doesn't make any sense!!" <-- a.k.a. why Inui is one of the best characters.
159: "Str-strange... According to my calculations, I've been throwing the ball so that I wouldn't get any gutter balls. But up until now I've only gotten 8 points... knocking down 1 pin each time... At this rate, our team will be in last place! I can not let myself drink that huge mug of Blue Vinegar!" <-- Inui is the best.
165: Midoriyama gets like three chapters, Seigaku winning the first three matches and moving on easily. But even with such a brief appearance, the lesson's alluded to again-- Kiraku's father is a pro, who taught him to play tennis since he was 2 year old, and he may already be at pro level himself. However, his father worries his son has lost the passion for tennis after having been pushed into it, that he doesn't enjoy the game when all he wanted was to someday match a match evenly with his son. This mirrors Nanjirou and his son, how Echizen grows from playing to win, to playing to have fun, something most players lose the sight of and need to be reminded of.
166: "See? It's as I expected... If I were playing singles 2, it's wouldn't be like this... Why is Kamio singles 2 while I am singles 3? I don't get it... But it was Tachibana's decision so there's nothing I can do about it..." <-- Ibu on Kamio. Who he obviously believes he's a lot better than, haha.
168: Fudoumine defeated Yamabuki. They've won against Hyoutei (preregulars + Shishido). Rokkaku had a practice match against Hyoutei Gakuen, where one of their members defeated 100 Hyoutei players (all of them preregulars, confirmed by Ootori in 177, so how difficult it is to win may be called into question). <-- Just to get a feel for how good the schools are relative to each other.
169: "Those guys from Rokkaku have been getting their rackets hand made by that old man since they were kids. It seems like they learned tennis while playing around as kids." <-- Fuji on Rokkaku. Their tennis is rooted in having fun; they played tennis because they love it. This is the best foundation for a team. Their cheering squad includes grade schoolers. Losing 6-7 after being up 5-0, Kurobane and Amane are still amiable and happy to have played a good game. This is how tennis should be.
182: Rikkai defeats Fudoumine 6-0 D2 (Sanada, Yanagi vs Ibu, Kamio), 6-0 D1 (Jackal, Yagyuu vs Ishida, Sakurai), 6-1 S3 (Kirihara vs Tachibana). Yagyuu gives Kirihara a fistbump in congratulations for the win (:
Kaido headbutts the net pole in doing a boomerang snake D: That pole is freakin' dangerous, you know. First Echizen after he loses his grip on his racket and it breaks upon it, then here with Kaido when he runs into it chasing a ball, there's Kirihara in the anime during the American arc in which he smashes his shoulder into it and had to forfeit, and then Niou in the sequel series before we found out it was just one of his tricks. Granted, it was Niou apparently cutting his leg that spurred me to hating on the darn pole DD:
184: Kirihara trying to mask murder with tennis, smashing a ball at Tachibana's head. Arm. Shoulder. Everything. This is a perfectly legal way of playing, but of course is frowned upon because tennis is supposed to be a gentleman's game. How tennis is played, if the ball touches any part of your body or anything you are wearing that is not part of the racket, you automatically lose the point. This is how Atobe's Rondo Towards Destruction works when the balls strikes the opponent's hand, though in that case the second smash would merely be for closure. There is no rule prohibiting a player from hitting the ball at the opponent-- only if the player announces they are aiming to hit the other player and not the racket this may be called out as unsportsmanlike conduct and they may be fouled.
185: Inui Juice #4: unnamed <-- Inui asks Echizen to try the "latest version of [his] Inui Juice!" but Echizen declines/flees for his life.
187: One day, when you get the chance, you guys should all go back and read the manga and see how much detail Konomi puts into things, especially shoes. I love his shoes. To the finest details such as the Wilson logo on Kirihara's shoe soles. Such amazingly detailed shoes.
"The coach always yells at me when I take them off..." <-- Kirihara upon taking off his wrist weights. Second mention of Rikkai's coach, who never makes an appearance in the series, but apparently does still exist. And here I was, thinking Sanada was the disciplinary enforcer :x
188: The first time Kirihara goes into Bloodshot mode-- this isn't his usual style of playing, and only comes out when he's being pressured, as Tachibana does to him here by winning one game and taunting him, and Echizen does a few chapters later. Kirihara is a good player; he doesn't need violence to win, and Bloodshot may be half unconsciously done at this point in the series.
There's this panel of interest showing four of the other Rikkai members: Yanagi looks appropriately nervous, and both Yagyuu and Jackal look concerned with how violent Kirihara is playing. And then there's Sanada, silent and unmoving, accepting of this so long as Kirihara wins.
...Incidentally, blood in the eyes is a serious medical condition, isn't it? /: Should we be worried?
190: SELF-ACTUALIZATION \o/ Instead of his entire life flashing before his eyes, Echizen instead sees all the past tennis matches he's fought in this season, falls unconscious, and then he glows and his sweat evaporates and he reverts back to his native English.
193: Sanada Punishment Slap <-- slap first, ask questions later.
"Jackal... You were with him the whole time, why didn't you intervene?" The point being, he *didn't* intervene, and that's why he got punished. Sanada is similar to Tezuka in this aspect, who assigns laps instead of physical punishment, but does so because a rule was broken, regardless of the reason.
"You must not lose, even if it is not an official match: that is the law of Rikkai Dai Fuzoku!!"
197: I don't blame Jirou one bit; the moment Marui demonstrated his genius skills, I was smitten :x One, because of his genius. But two, because he *plays* tennis, instead of treating it like a battlefield like so many of the others do.
198: Kanai General Hospital, 27 July. Kanto Finals. Day of surgery. <-- Yukimura has this calendar framed and the date circled. That just kills me ):
202: 'Niou' blocks Kikumaru's line of sight so he cannot see the back player; when Kikumaru manages to shake him off, 'Yagyuu's ball hits him in the face and he sustains a concussion when his head hits the ground when he falls. Oishi flips his lid at 'Niou' for taunting, even though it's technically 'Yagyuu's ball that hit him, because it was a sneaky combination play on both their parts.
203: First year Oishi's the cutest, haha. Playing Kikumaru, he won 6-4 after being down 0-3, and has never lost to Kikumaru in a singles match.
"Until the day I defeat you, I'll play doubles with you!! During that time, I'll find out all your weaknesses!" <-- Kikumaru to Oishi, forming their doubles pair.
204: PURI IS THE JAPANESE SFX FOR ANGER. Ahhhhhhhhhh. It wasn't just a nonsensical noise, it actually meant something D:
205: The Switch! Oh my gosh, the sheer brilliancy that was the Switch!!
209: Sanada cares about the little things, such as Kirihara sitting improperly and having his feet up on the bench :'D
"He teamed up with me for doubles in order to let me perfect my boomerang snake. After playing together with him in doubles, there's something that I found out... There's no doubt about it. That person is a singles player!!" <-- Kaido on Inui's play style.
210: Yanagi with his eyes shown~
211: INUI WITH HIS EYES SHOWN.
Playing by instinct instead of thinking first, Inui is able to react quicker. He's also a very vocal player, haha, as others become when they also go all out.
213: Hyoutei's out of the tournament so they're wearing their school uniforms instead. Taki still hangs out with the team like he's a part of it, and Hiyoshi carries his tennis bag everywhere just to go all "Look at me, I'm a Regular!" without actually saying the words... or something :x He's still very much excited about the whole thing, apparently.
Niou says "Piyo" here, but I couldn't find out what else it means besides a little bird's chirping, so I think it might be just a nonsensical word.
"I believe this was where we left off." <-- Inui to Yanagi, continuing their match from four years ago. Matching point for point, shot for shot. Inui is the most terrifying.
215: 'At Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, Sanada, Yanagi, and Yukimura, these 3 prodigies have been Regular members ever since their 1st year. These 3 formed the core of the undefeated team that has won 2 straight National titles. With their foundation in place, they were aiming for a 3rd straight National title this year as well. However, it seems that during the winter of last year, the captain Yukimura suddenly collapsed.'
"It seems to be a disease of the immune system whose causes are unknown. It typically begins with weakness in the arms and legs, and eventually the body will lose its ability to move around freely. If the situation worsens, the respiratory system can become paralyzed and the patient will have trouble breathing, talking, and even eating. The disease reaches its peak 2 weeks after the initial outbreak..." <-- Yagyuu explaining the "Guillain-Barre syndrome," an autoimmune disease Yukimura's disease is based off of.
218: "It seems that I have no motivation for victory." <-- Fuji on why he never goes all out. This is the one line that really made me feel for him, because he's a genius player, but without motivation... He'll never be able to enjoy the sport unless he gets past that. And motivation is hard.
Angered, Kirihara kicks at the net, earning him a foul from the referee, who will disqualify him if that happens again.
"Enjoying the thrill of drawing out an opponent's potential to the limit, that was all I wanted. How about you? What is your motivation?" (Fuji) "Victory, no matter the cost! Right now, the only thing on my mind is winning the National title!" (Tezuka) "If I become a hindrance, remove me as a member of the team." (Fuji) <-- Fuji and Tezuka on why they play tennis. Fuji recognizes that he might never be able to play his best if this is going to be his mentality. Not playing his best, someone like that has no business being on a team who is aiming for nothing but victory, and he accepts this. Until the Tezuka-Atobe match, Fuji never realized why someone would go so far as to risk his own health for victory.
219: Tezuka really likes his lilac. Wisteria. Fuji-iro. Whatever it's called. The color of nobility.
Fuji gets hit in the side of the head and goes temporarily blind. It's a wonder all these kids haven't sustained permanent brain damage yet /:
220: "He can feel the presence of the ball and is able to accurately return it." <-- Fuji successfully plays tennis blind because... he's a genius, so he's allowed to do crazy stuff like that. Ryuzaki-sensei mentions that Fuji's skill level has surpassed Tezuka's at this point.
"I joined the tennis club of the Champions Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Jr. High, which I admired. And I had one single ambition: to become the no. 1 player of Japan's no. 1 school! However, my ambition was easily crushed by those 3 demons (Sanada, Yukimura, Yanagi)." <-- Kirihara on joining Rikkai.
222: "Win this game, Akaya! Win the Kanto championship for Rikkai with your own hands!!" <-- Sanada being supportive. Actually, more "You had better win!" than cheering him on...
Kirihara is able to copy Sanada's Ka in the self-actualization state once, but loses his grip on the racket in a subsequent attempt because he is not strong enough for the move.
223: Sanada does not hit Kirihara for losing the match.
"Your opponent is without a doubt the current number one tennis player in Japan's junior high tennis world." <-- Fuji to Echizen on Sanada.
224: Yukimura's surgery begins, but Rikkai still stands on the court as a team. There's no leaving Sanada behind to fight by himself or any of that nonsense /:
Echizen self-actualizes from the get-go.
227: Echizen fatigues after the first game.
229: "He still has a future ahead of him. There's no point in dragging this out any further! If he doesn't forfeit now, Seigaku may lose an incredible player." <-- Sengoku on Echizen giving up the match. Seigaku is silent, eyes closed-- PSYCHE!! "Mada mada dane!" (Seigaku in unison)
"Unfortunately, there is nobody on our team who will give up until the very last point has been decided." <-- Ryuzaki-sensei on her team, blatantly disregarding the times they were to pull out due to injury, unless it is 'just a flesh wound.'
230: Sanada's insane when he plays. Echizen... is Echizen, so even though the score is currently 1-5, we know he'll win consecutive games and make his comeback :x I sort of feel like the series would have a lot more meaning if Seigaku were to lose here, have Echizen grow and learn from the loss, and then come back as the challengers and defeat Rikkai in the second round. But maybe that's just me.
231: "This is that guy's best tension." <-- Hiyoshi on Echizen. He makes a one-panel appearance, yay, hair swept by the wind all pretty and everything :'D Referencing his own match against Echizen, in which the first year does nothing but attack relentlessly; if he lets up even for a moment the match can turn.
232: Samurai Ryouma.
234: "Will you let Echizen play singles 1 this time?" (Tezuka) "Hey, hey, are you serious about that? Tezuka." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Yes. You might laugh at me for saying something like this, but when I had that match with Echizen, I saw an image of a samurai forming from within him. There is something huge and immeasurable hiding within him! That is why I defeated him with my full strength. I completely defeated him. If I didn't do that, it felt as if his door would remain closed forever. It felt like the only reason he played tennis was to defeat a certain opponent. However, after he has defeated that person, what will be left of him? That is why I..." (Tezuka) "Samurai Nanjirou. That's Ryouma's father... and his target." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "So it's as I thought." (Tezuka) "Oh, you already knew?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "I wasn't completely certain... Furthermore, if he wants to win and advance in the Nationals, then he must face Sanada. Even if the results might be..." (Tezuka) "Tezuka, why do you go so far for Echizen..." (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Because I am his captain." (Tezuka) <-- flashback conversation between Tezuka and Ryuzaki-sensei. Because as much as he strives for victory, Tezuka prioritizes Echizen's growth.
235: "There are only 3 people I know of who can use that move: from Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, our captain, Yukimura, Kyuushyuu's Chitose, and... My heart has become empty. It is empty because there is nothing. ME!" <-- Sanada, on who is able to use self-actualization. Except, then Echizen does his Cool Drive, collapses, and wins 7-6 /:
236: "Using a firm grip, he hits a powerful drive and created an incredible amount of spin. This causes the shape of the ball to change and sometimes results in an irregular bounce. However, this kind of shot might not even have been successful 1 out of 100 times... The ball didn't even bounce and just glided along the ground. I'll give him credit for having the courage and confidence to take a chance and put it all on the line!" <-- Sanada explaining the mechanism to the Cool Drive. There was only the very slightest possibility that the move would have worked, and if it hadn't, Echizen would have been unable to play any longer due to fatigue and Sanada, with his own state of self-actualization, would likely have won.
"The Champions Rikkai Dai... That is a thing of the past. This year, we shall enter the Nationals as 'challengers'! Naturally, in order to reclaim our throne!!" <-- Sanada style pep talks to the team. There is no moping or regretting, the only thing to do now is to look forwards and move on.
237: "He's had to coach us and carry out our practices without any other 3rd year members present. Our team lacks a strong rival and coach. Under these circumstances, it's no wonder Tachibana-san became weaker... That person does not deserve to be buried here. That's why we must become stronger!" <-- Kamio's inner thoughts on how much the team really owes Tachibana. 'That person does not deserve to be buried here,' just speaks so much ):
"We strive only for the championship. Everything else is worthless!" <-- Sanada refusing to accept the second place trophy.
Inui Juice #5: "Inui Special Iwashi Mizu" <-- sardine water
238: Manga version Hyoutei jackets don't have black cuffs. There's also a white circle on their left and seven stripes (I only ever have room for five when I draw, so I got into the habit of five, whoops. Because I don't draw their shoulders wide enough, I tend to give them actual middle school bodies, haha) on their right.
"The character of Echizen Ryouga had been in my mind since the early stages of serialization, which is why I am truly happy that he is able to appear before you! It was because of you, the fans, that the dream of a feature movie was realized. I thank you from the bottom of my heart." <-- note from Konomi. So Ryouga *was* his idea after all, not just a movie character made into an anime character. I wonder how the series would have been different if Konomi were to introduce him in the original series.
239: "So cheap! Blocking it with our face so you'll lose consciousness! You're just trying to escape the 'Silver Seat!" <-- Kisarazu on Inui taking a volleyball to the face. It's not giving up, it's called taking on the lesser evil, haha (bowling was gutterballing on purpose to drink a shot of Inui Juice instead of a pitcherful, and here is losing consciousness to avoid the humiliation of being made into the 'Silver Seat'). Inui is... the special sort of character :P And then we all know what happens after this, courtesy of the anime's decisive camera angles.
240: The Switch, version two: Yagyuu and Kaido.
241: "Your form for the backhand volley is a bit different from before." (Sakuno) "So you knew all along? It was because so many scouts came by today, right? Like from Hokkaido." (Echizen) "Yeah." (Sakuno) <-- Sakuno realizing Echizen's form is purposely off so that the scouts cannot collect accurate data. This is one of the reasons why I actually like manga!Sakuno especially compared to the anime version; she's actually serious about learning and playing tennis, her form having been praised by her sempai, and being able to recognize that Echizen's was different than usual.
242: Shishido watches over Hiyoshi's form during club activities. I love that :'D He takes care of all the kouhai~
244: Something I've noticed about Fuji is that his eyes aren't perpetually closed like they are in the anime :x He's a lot more normal in the manga, his character less exaggerated and mostly supported by other's words and expectations and not as much his own doing.
251: Just a note on how I really love Tezuka's and Oishi's friendship.
252: Hey, Kai. You could have actually killed Ojii. Did you know? /: All of Higa = RUDERUDERUDERUDERUDEYOUGUYSAREALLJERKSBTW.
260: HIGA COACH, YOU SUCK, YOUR TEAM SUCKS, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVEN'T GOTTEN DISQUALIFIED FROM THE TOURNAMENT YET.
268: You know, I can accept a lot of moves from this series so long as they're explained, but doppelganger!Kikumaru is something I'll never be able to swallow :x I mean, afterimages were comprehendible, but not two separate bodies so far apart doing their own thing and being able to act as, well, two separate bodies. And then! There was that thing with one of the 'images' falling, and the other magically appearing right where the ball is, and if that weren't enough, the ball hits the net WITH ENOUGH SPIN TO DEFY GRAVITY AND ROLL UP THE NET AND DROP TO THE OTHER SIDE |: I just.
275: Momoshiro should become a weather forecaster. Little by little, we're transcending the boundaries of absurdity...!
Also, Oshitari's poker face being something I haven't paid enough attention to. He doesn't even smirk or anything like that, it's always a complete |:
276: TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURY WITH BLOOD POURING OUT EVERYWHERE BUT IT'S OKAY BECAUSE TENNIS IS MORE IMPORTANT SO WHO CARES ABOUT HEALTH WHEN IT'S TENNIS!!? ...(/A\)
278: "Oshitari-san was surprisingly naive." (Hiyoshi) "Shut up. Don't say bad things about my friend." (Mukahi) "Well, I'm so sorry, Mukahi-san..." (Hiyoshi) "Tsk. That's why I didn't want to team up with this guy." (Mukahi) <-- In which Mukahi's the best of friends, and Hiyoshi's being the little jerk he is. Apologizing is one thing, meaning it is another, huh? :x Also, he uses honorifics, which I usually neglect/forget about, whoops.
279: Lots of pretty Hiyoshi shots and his ridiculous tennis moves~
Also a modified saying, "Gekokujoutou!" which I must remember to use some time, a combination of Gekokujou and Joutou (Bring it on!)
280: Mukahi (sometimes?) calls Hiyoshi as "Hiyoko."
I am always so ticked off when a side's at 5-2, 40-0 (like this match) or something similarly one-sided, and then the other side just pummels through consecutive games like it's nothing. And we all know how many times *that* happens, especially in this series, and main character matches to boot. It's sort of... cheap /:
283: 'Ever since that day, I trained under this little coach. (Much against my will...) Her name is Miyuki. It seems that she is only in the 4th grade.' (Tezuka) "Dude... You have like zero tennis sense, Bro... Listen, you need to raise your shoulders more, just like I told you!" (Miyuki) <-- Tezuka flashbacks to his rehabilitation to Kyuushuu. Initially, he cannot even raise his shoulder properly to hit the ball.
"The Yips. It's a phenomenon that occurs due to extreme anxiety, causing the muscles to contract and resulting in the inability to move your body." <-- Tezuka explaining to Miyuki why she freezes up during matches.
"Medically speaking, it should be all right for him to lift his shoulders... Right now, the only thing that is holding him back is the memory of the pain from that time and the fear that it may happen again." <-- Tezuka's doctor on his condition.
284: "But you're making him play when he's injured and can't raise his shoulders... Even his serves are all hit underhanded. There's no way for him to win! You guys should be ashamed of yourselves! You're all a bunch of cowards!!" <-- Miyuki to Shishigaku members (Daimaru, captain) who forced Tezuka into games just so they could say they've won against "Mr. Nationally Ranked" Tezuka Kunimitsu. JERKASS ALERT. Bunch of freakin' cowards. Listen to the gradeschooler!
289: Matches are suspended due to rain; as Hyoutei walks off the courts, you see frustrated faces abound... and then a happy, cheery Jirou :x
Echizen tries to taunt, and get his head tapped by a succession of Hyoutei rackets, haha. Of their eight member team, only six racket panels are shown. One can assume, most likely, that these are Atobe, Oshitari, Mukahi, Shishido, Jirou, and Hiyoshi's doings. Ootori and Kabaji are too nice/respectful for something like that :'D
291: Ootori's serves have sped up to around 215 km/hr now~ This surpasses Inui's 'Waterfall' serve that had been faster than Ootori's previous serves.
294: What is Synchro. I don't get. Flowy aura, dead eyes, and the ability to hover in midair D:
295: "Idiot. You're completely finished. ...But if it's doubles, then your hard work might still have a chance to pay off." <-- Atobe, some time way back when Shishido still had long hair and he played and lost a match against Atobe, whose Insight (capitalized or not) may have foreseen him as having the potential with doubles. Ootori stands overhead, watching, wearing his Regular's jersey, so it must still be in the current year but before their Fudoumine match. Atobe knew.
296: We have another laughter showdown! \o/ One of anime's redeeming moments; you need to hear the crazed laughter.
297: All throughout the previous 4 matches, Jirou's bouncy and awake with how amazing the two teams are playing. Atobe and Echizen step onto the court, and he's on the bench, asleep. Jirou. You've got it backwards. You're missing out. Come on.
300: In a flashback (likely the day Hyoutei was told they won a spot in the Nationals, as Atobe was wearing the same eagle hoodie he had on while running, and Sanada mentions Hyoutei not able to even make it to Nationals), Atobe comes to Rikkai to challenge Sanada, losing 0-4 before he completes his 'World of Ice' and Yukimura steps in to stop the game. According to him, if the match had continued, Sanada would have lost.
303: "His style of tennis uses a powerful defense to force his opponents into a war of attrition, and he uses their weaknesses to break them both physically and mentally to imbed the two characters of 'defeat' into them." (Oshitari) "Atobe's choice to wear down his opponent in order to force him to yield was merely a game for him. This is because he is a genius all-around tennis player with great skill. But, Atobe right now is different... He has thrown away his desires. This is his original tennis. Super attack style tennis!" (Sakaki (43)) <-- Oshitari and Sakaki (43) on Atobe's play style.
304: 89-89 tiebreak score, because large numbers are supposed to be impressive. Both players have collapsed on the court due to exhaustion. "If the next play doesn't start within 90 seconds, it's his opponent's point." (Sakaki (43))
305: "Even after losing consciousness, you still seek to gain control..." (Tezuka) '118-117, Echizen' tiebreak score. This... this was the turning point for Atobe, how I thought of Atobe. When I first read the manga, I stopped here. I went back and reread Hyoutei's first appearance. Here, this is when I started loving Atobe. This is what it took.
312: "Hyakuren Shitoku no Kiwami lets the player collect Muga's power and release that power as higher levels of technique, rotation, and types of balls. Opposite of that, Saiko Kanpatsu no Kiwami improves the functions of the brain. Because he is able to see instantly how to hit the ball, where to hit the ball, and what kind of ball to hit, he can predict in his head, whatever number of hits it takes to win the point." <-- Fuji explaining the Three Doors.
316: "Fuji... that's some fancy tennis you're playing. But it's all flash and no substance." <-- Shiraishi dissing Fuji's tennis :x
"Sorry Fuji... Until the very last point has been decided, I will keep on playing my 'perfect tennis.' To be honest, there is nothing more boring than 'perfect tennis.' But as the captain of this team, I have the responsibility to ensure that I carve out this one win for our team. It doesn't matter now many great matches are played. The moment a team is unable to capture 3 wins, it is eliminated. That's why it doesn't matter what kind of tennis is played. All that matters is that we win this thing! That is the slogan we live by. That's why I am called "The Bible." My tennis approaches perfection through continuous victories." <-- Shiraishi internal monologue explaining why he chose his playing style.
And then here we are again, 5-0, 40-0 in favor of Shiraishi, and there's no such thing as such a one-sided match, so get ready for the unreasonable comeback, you guys.
320: Level up all three Triple Counters, plus the Final Counter. Unreasonable comeback, yea... I don't understand the Final Counter though, the Gatekeeper. What's stopping Shiraishi from just volleying it so close to the net that it'll go over no matter what the spin's like? /:
321: And then Fuji loses due to an out ball. I really dislike these sort outcomes, the comeback and then loss, but specifically how they are lost. It brings to mind the Hyoutei match of Ootori and Shishido vs Oishi and Kikumaru, the former being up and the latter entering Synchro, all of the sudden dominating until the very very last point at which Kikumaru stops Oishi from hitting the ball because of his wrist injury. There's that sense that even though the rival team won, Seigaku's skills are still higher because hey, look at that amazing comeback, and really doesn't give the rivals as much credit as they deserve.
324: "Kaido, Momoshiro. What are you doing getting flung around by their pace? Stupid!" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "Because we're awkward." (Momoshiro, Kaido, simultaneously) "Can't you go through the match with a poker face?" (Ryuzaki-sensei) "We can't. Because we're awkward." (Momoshiro, Kaido, simultaneously) <-- Hah xD
329: "After all, isn't he just Seigaku's extra baggage? That Kawamura." <-- Zaizen being RUDE.
331: Ffffffffffffff. 5-0. 0-40, one more point. Kawamura walks down the stairs back onto the court... and the audience applauds. Here is me tearing up.
336: "He only broke 3 ribs, damaged his femur, injured his heel bone. Additionally, his neck has internal bruising and he sprained his right ankle..." <-- Oishi on Kawamura's injuries.
"Honestly, I think it would have been better had you retired from the team, senpai." <-- Zaizen on Chitose, because he lost both the set and the team's entry to finals /: I sort of don't like Zaizen... But at least both times, Kenya's there to scold him.
338: Here we go! 0-5, 0-40 for Kirihara! But at least this time, the comeback's a bit more reasonably so. Relatively. You know.
"They said, 'Are they really last year's champs? In our country, even elementary school kids are better than that seaweed-haired bastard...'" <-- Yagyuu being sassy :P
And then there's Devil Akaya, winning back 7 consecutive games. There's no realization or repentance like in the anime; moreover, Devil Mode is being encouraged and used.
341: Yakiniku! \o/ Salt side we have Echizen, Kaido, Tezuka. Sauce side we have Momoshiro, Fuji. Either is Kawamura, Inui. ...And then, Yakiniku Magistrate Oishi. Oishi is the best.
342: "You have to forgive his crappy puns, the David guy, Amane Hikaru!!" "The guy who will probably be the first to lose, Shudou Satoshi." <-- Kikumaru and Oshitari introducing the schools' 6 man lineups. (Prediction for Shudou was correct, haha)
"The last school is my own, Hyoutei! Is there any kind of meat that can satisfy his tongue, Atobe Keigo." "Mukahi Gakuto of the Moonsault! He isn't there to eat." "This guy will absolutely fall asleep even if he eats only a little, Akutagawa Jirou!!" "The Gekokujou guy, Hiyoshi Wakashi! The enemy is outside, outside!!" "One way or another, bring out your effort and tenacity for us, Shishido Ryou!!" "...Kabaji Munehiro! Somehow, I feel that he isn't going to be the one winning it for us." <-- ...Hyoutei. Why are you even here.
First juice: Inui Special Veggies Juice <-- According to Kite, gouya is a lot more bitter
343: Second juice: Penal Tea <-- "This drinks is red and spicy."
Third juice: Inui Special Iwashi Mizu <-- ...sardine water. Description enough, right? :x
344: Fourth juice: Coffee <-- "The caffeine in this coffee is 30 times more than regular coffee. Also, it has the same amount of vitamin 3 as 30 melons."
Fifth juice: Cola <-- According to Oshitari, "Koura... I think the drink is made from the fresh collagen-filled blood of a turtle complete with its shell." Inui. Stop it.
Despite what I said before, Hyoutei ends up winning, at 70 plates courtesy of Kabaji, alone
345: Atobe and his helicopter. (He does have a pilot though.)
349: Sanada is sort of really scary when he plays. Mean too, a little bit. Like, "I'm tired of looking at that face of yours!!" at Tezuka and all, "I'm going to crush this foolishness of yours right now," and "Will it be okay for me to crush you with your own despair, Tezuka!!"
350: Tezuka's throwing his arm away for his team again. Some call this willpower. Others, stupidity.
"I'm thinking on going to Germany for the sake of turning pro. Tomorrow might possibly be the last tournament I play in Japan... That's why I want to leave without having any regrets." <-- Tezuka, on why.
351: "Don't touch me! Leave me the hell alone!" <-- Sanada, when offered ice for his knees.
352: "What exactly is an emperor...? It's filthy... I've even stopped my head-on challenge. So what exactly is an emperor!!?" <-- Sanada is so ridiculously ticked off Yukimura has ordered him to forfeit his head-on challenge against Tezuka, just so they could win. He wins 7-5, but this sort of victory has no satisfaction in it.
358: Devil!Kaido makes a two panel appearance before Inui stops him. Don't follow Kirihara's footsteps, you guys. Aiming at the person instead of the open court. Injuring them on purpose. Putting Inui in a full-body cast. That last one especially is a big no-no ):
360: "Hey Niou, don't you think you're playing too much. Hey, you hear me?" (Sanada) "I'm in the middle of acquiring data, so be quiet for a bit, will you?" (Niou) <-- Niou the 'data player. ' And the only one that can tell Sanada to shut up, haha.
364: "Even though Seigaku will probably lose, you seem rather calm." <-- Kaido to Inui. Yea, there's faith in your teammates, whoo.
369: I love love love that all of Echizen's rivals came back to help him remember tennis. Atobe, and even Sanada. They don't want it to end like this.
372: Yukimura and his dead eyes. This, of course, doesn't allude to his health, but that tennis is too 'simple' and he is too good at it that it's boring, to evoke any emotional response.
"You have the power down, but the shot is still too simple." (Big Bang) "It didn't copy itself... There is always only one ball." (Entaku shot) "The ball never really disappears." (Kamikakshi) <-- Yukimura, unfazed. Realist, this one.
373: "You're just jealous... He's been battling so many strong opponents and leveling up. You're just jealous. That Etsuzen guy looks like he's having fun even when he's in a pinch!" <-- Urayama to Sanada; his name is a pun on being jealous. He's a bit brash, this first year, haha.
***374: "But if Yukimura-buchou isn't here, our 3rd consecutive win will have a blind spot!" (Kirihara) "It may not have been expected, but don't let this overwhelm you." (Yukimura) <-- this is completely turned around in the anime, which ruins everything /: In the anime, this becomes "Just rest easy! Even without you, Yukimura-buchou, Rikkai'll get its third straight win with no catches!" (Kirihara) "Saying something like that... I feel a bit snubbed." (Yukimura) The characterizations are a bit... asdfkljh ): Not necessarily *bad*, but different.
"This sure is a severe and incurable disease, isn't it? Tennis is probably impossible already for him..." <-- doctors, about Yukimura.
"Yukimura, I'm sorry. During the Kantou finals, Seigaku..." (Sanada) "Didn't I tell you not to talk to me about tennis!? Why don't you just go home already!!?" (Yukimura) <-- and he cries. With the entire team outside but he doesn't care, because tennis was everything to him and he's being told he will never stand on the court again ):
375: "Because no matter how you hit, that guy always returns it. Gradually, you start to have that memory cling to your mind and... it's as if you no longer want to even cross the net. Even your body gradually loses its ability to move." <-- Kintarou, explaining his experience against Yukimura's tennis.
376: 'I'm gonna lose... I don't want to lose! ...Why does this feel so painful... It's only tennis, so why does it hurt so much like this... No... Wait. It's because tennis is...' <-- Echizen, internal monologue, on what tennis means to him.
"Why...? Even though his senses have already been snatched away... Any other tennis player would have already quit in this state. But this boy..." <-- Yukimura, upon seeing Echizen continue even without sight, touch, and sound. For the first time, there's a spark of life in Yukimura's eyes. Just a spark. A one panel spark.
'I understand now. You know, I never really hated tennis... ...Instead, I actually...' "This tennis thing, is actually really fun." <-- Echizen, on realizing tennis is fun. Then the pulse thing, Tenimuhou no Kiwami, the Final Door, sparkles and revival and all.
377: "Just raise your concentration and keep calm, Seiichi. There's no way there's a ball you can't somehow return!!" <-- Yukimura, to himself. Even now.
378: "There was never a 'Tenimuhou no Kiwami' to begin with. ... It seems you guys don't get it." <-- Nanjirou, to Seigaku.
"Ryouma-kun... looks like he's having fun." <-- Sakuno gets it.
"That Tenimuhou thing is something everyone has. When the day you first started tennis came, you get lost in the ecstasy of it all. No matter how much you played, you didn't care because it was fun. During that time, everyone is already in Tenimuhou. However, when people start playing in clubs and school tournaments, they feel like they have to win and for the sake of winning they become afraid to miss their shots. Before you know it, just about everyone has entered the world where they've forgotten about that time. No one remembers the feelings they had when they first 'met' tennis... They can't remember the tennis that was... fun." <-- Nanjirou's explanation.
"'Is tennis fun?' Don't give me that shit!" <-- Yukimura disagrees.
379: Yukimura smiles as he offers the handshake.
Sanada accepts second place.
This is my favorite series. Also, Shin Tenipuri does not exist.