As this series is very fast-paced for a sports series (I mean, it’s been ten episodes and we’ve already seen what? Six matches?), I’m actually very surprised at how colourful the creators still made the enemy teams. This time with the Brazilians as well: it’s not like these guys are rounded characters, but their roles in their own team were really well explored in this match, in between the action of the football match.
I at first thought that this episode was entirely going to be about trying to stop that threesome, but that turned just to be one part of the story. A lot of focus also went in the original ace of that team, whose ego is suffering pretty badly now that he’s not in the spotlights anymore, even though the coach may still see him as a key to winning this thing. The playful portrayal contrasting with those grudges was just enough to make all of then dynamic and interesting to watch.
As for the main cast, as this was the longest match in this series so far, I love how it involved all of the major characters here, whether they did well (the defenders) or whether they just couldn’t get through (the attackers, note how Tsubaki just couldn’t get his attack right). Tatsumi may just keep bragging that this will be the match that will turn the tide, and the time indeed seems about right for them to start winning a bit, but the creators still portrayed this episode as a struggle to keep those Brazilians at bay.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
again this show really gets me going…it’s like it’s a real match…the ETU remembers my local team [Sport Club Recife – http://www.sportrecife.com.br ]. my team came from a series of 5 games without victory, 4 losses and 1 tie. but as soon as the coach repaired some problems on the team,, it came back to victorious way, 1×0 against the 2º place on the league, and now 5×0 on another team…and the colors of my team are Red and black as well
I would imagine that this is a tough sort of show to do. They can’t keep on winning, because that would sap the tension out of the show. They can’t keep on losing, because that would be demoralizing. As such the author has to pick the right time for losses as well as wins. I was surprised at first by the string of losses, but, by showing so many losses, this match really feels like it needs to be a win.
I’m hoping this game ends up covering two more episodes. It has the qualities to support that kind of drama, in terms of the team they are pitted against, as well as the fans’ insistence that Tatsumi be dumped if they lose again. If they do win there will be all sorts of rejoicing (the reporter will have time to gloat, for example).
It kind of almost backfires, though, with that string of losses and all the buildup to this single match. I’m 95% confident ETU will win this match simply because they HAVE to with all the buildup they had. When the season started, I wasn’t so sure, and that was pretty cool.
In reality, no one single regular season match would determine the coach’s job, especially against the top team in the league when your team has barely avoided relegation the previous seasons, but they’ve built it up like that, especially with that journalist woman staking her career on Tatsumi and therefore on this single match.