Tenipuri episodes 66-68

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Note: Unlike previous write-ups, there are significant spoilers for future episodes here. Previous: memories or tagged.

Tezuka, Ryoma, Atobe. The Match. No crack today, but a lot of analysis and questions.

Comments

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Of course, this is just what Tezuka needs from Ryoma right now: his presence at the match and nothing more.

I love how they're both so focused on the match at that point - their body language says that they're both hyper-aware of each other but Ryoma's staring at the court and Tezuka's drawing strength just from his additional focus. I also love how tensed and ready Ryoma looks as he starts watching Tezuka at the end of ep 63. It says so much about how completely he identifies Tezuka with Tennis (to go back to Branch's comment about Ryoma as Avatar - I'll say again that I think they each epitomize tennis to each other.)

did Tezuka lob on purpose because he'd heard about it and wanted to see it? <-- That's what I always think every time I see that match. He does want Atobe to come at him with everything he's got.

Fuji and Inui do their "I think..." "Oh, you too?" thing they use to mystify and intrigue everyone.

Yesss and this is where I remind the world that I want to see more Inui/Fuji! So much sadistic mystifying potential!

A proper sportsman would do his best in a good clean game and not try to deliberately injure someone. (Which makes Ryoma's Drive A at Akutsu quite interesting.)

But Ryoma will grow out of the tendency to use tennis as revenge, I think, as he grows more and more focused on the game itself. Ryoma would never deliberately try to injure another player for his own means; but it's interesting how that puts Mizuki and Atobe in the same category, with all the implied vanity between them. :))

Why doesn't Ryoma run out? Is it that he alone understands that Tezuka will continue to play? Is it that he's so shocked he can't move? That seeing Tezuka break has caused him to doubt and he's crushed in that moment? That he's comfortable on the bench?

I believe it's because he knows Tezuka doesn't want them to come. Tezuka's telling them "don't come" directly parallels Ryoma telling Sakuno not to come onto the court in ep 18 (19? you know, his match with Shinji). He's not the only one who knows Tezuka wouldn't want them to come, but he's the only one among them, I think, who innately understands that Tezuka's will is to go on at any cost. Because that's what he himself would do. And I think he is shocked to the core. There's a reason he keeps his cap down the whole time Tezuka is back on the bench.

Tezuka tests his arm. Ryoma is motionless beside him on the bench. He's not looking at Tezuka. What is he thinking? What a moment for Ryoma. I doubt he thought this could happen.

I think in that moment he's really overwhelmed, and that a number of interlinked things are dawning on him all at once: 1) that Tezuka isn't invincible; 2) that Tezuka didn't want him to watch this match because he wanted to show him about invincibility, but about courage; 3) that Tezuka risked his arm to play Ryoma all those weeks ago in order to show him what tennis was really about; 4) that Tezuka made him warm up with him because he knew this might happen, and still went onto the court and played the best game he could; and 5) that Tezuka has asked him in his own way not just to support the team, but to support him. It all hits him, and it all boils down to Ryoma realizing that Tezuka knew he might not be strong enough to do this on his own, and he wanted Ryoma on that bench with him for a reason that had nothing to do with teaching Ryoma how to do tennis moves.

:(( oh Hal, I love them so much.

Possibly I should hit post at this point because I already know I'm exceeding the comment limit.

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it's interesting how that puts Mizuki and Atobe in the same category, with all the implied vanity between them

What's most interesting to me is that Mizuki is never really redeemed from that. He's humiliated by Fuji; he's not taught to be a better person. And that really says a lot about Fuji too. His tennis, at that point, was not transformative. (I have to get into Fuji at some point too -- but another day.)

that Tezuka didn't want him to watch this match because he wanted to show him about invincibility, but about courage

That's a great insight. It really sums things up.

that Tezuka risked his arm to play Ryoma all those weeks ago in order to show him what tennis was really about

I can't believe I forgot about this aspect while I was going through this time. (There's just so MUCH in these episodes -- it's hard to keep it all straight.) You're so right. It's finally dawning on Ryoma what Tezuka really did for him.

oh Hal, I love them so much

Oh, I know. This is what the show is all about. *sigh*

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I can't believe I forgot about this aspect while I was going through this time. (There's just so MUCH in these episodes -- it's hard to keep it all straight.) You're so right. It's finally dawning on Ryoma what Tezuka really did for him.

You know, as a complete aside - the first time i watched that ep my heart almost broke when Tezuka is sitting back on the bench, because when he's looking down at his arm, i was completely convinced that he was looking at Ryoma directly. It wasn't until I watched it a third time that I recognized him as looking down at his arm in that moment. And the more I think about it the more I wonder if maybe I was supposed to think that he was looking at them both at once. The look on his face is so tense at that moment. I wonder if it's the kind of thing where he's looking directly at Ryoma without looking at him - his way of saying, 'Pay attention, Ryoma, because I'm doing this as much for you as for me.'