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Apr 6, 2014 12:07 PM
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It was not that bad, average start for an first episode. A honor student playing tennis.
Apr 6, 2014 12:11 PM

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34
Baby Steps is the absolute BEST sports manga out there (IMO of course). The reason the show (and the manga) start off so slow is in the title. Baby Steps. One of my favorite lines from the manga comes at the end of chapter 90 and epitomizes what the story and Ei-chan are all about. "Baby steps to giant strides." Ei-chan's meticulous OCD nature and his strategic way of playing tennis makes the series a joy to watch/read as he goes from a complete newbie to a tennis player who can contend on the international stage. His earnest and innocent romance with Nacchan is another high point of the series.

For those who were put off by the slow first episode, STICK WITH IT. Baby Steps is a different breed of sports anime/manga and Ei-chan is a MUCH MUCH more unique and interesting protagonist in a sports anime.

Baby steps to Giant strides.
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Apr 6, 2014 12:54 PM
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Jul 2012
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Kerozinn said:
UnbornMVs said:
Kerozinn said:
after watching an episode of Haikyuu!! this felt extremely underwhelming.

as much as i like sports anime..this is still tennis..very boring. unless its tennis + magic.

the art,the animation,the characters, the sport ..i dont really like any of it.

tennis just bores me to death. wont pick up.


I don't really like people who watches first episodes knowing that they will hate it and then come here and complain , but well , it's MAL. You shouldn't have watched it in the first place if you hate tennis.

I personally liked it and really got into it. Characters are pretty unique and animation seems okay too , so I will continue with it.

4/5 for the episode.


i know it must annoy you to no end but i try to give every show a chance cause it happened a few times that i found a liking to something like american football (eyeshield 21 ) even tho i thought its the lamest sport on earth and then i watched 145 episodes in 2 weeks cause it was soo much fun.

but this show being about tennis is just 1 aspect that i dont like.
animation is okay yes but we have seen sooo much better in recent sports anime. ofcourse budget plays a role but there is nothing i can change about that.

i have no problems with you liking this and you shouldnt have a problem with me disliking this unless you are intolerant.
Excuse me please don't start a series knowing you will dislike it and then dropping it and giving it a low rating because then it makes the anime look bad.
Apr 6, 2014 1:08 PM
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7279
Jakerams said:
Excuse me please don't start a series knowing you will dislike it and then dropping it and giving it a low rating because then it makes the anime look bad.

This is funnier than it should be.
At least the scores won't count for people who dropped and rated after one episode.
Apr 6, 2014 1:15 PM

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Jul 2012
48248
@copperwolf: Wow, that's a beautiful quote! Now I'm even more hyped for this show. It seems like it'll be great just from this episode alone. Sports animu never disappoint.
Apr 6, 2014 1:25 PM

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Jul 2013
2330
Funny anime.. characters are likable too. I think I will like this especially since there's no bullshit superpower like KnB or Prince of Tennis.

There's also Minako Kotobuki and it's been a while since I heard her in a main role so yeah that's definitely a plus.

I also won't judge this as worse than Hakyuu since the manga seems to be quite popular. A lot of sports anime started out with a lot of adrenaline only to fizzle out in the middle. This one seems to start slow and will pick up more momentum as it goes on, at least that's the feeling I get from it.
MoeGodApr 6, 2014 1:30 PM
Apr 6, 2014 1:28 PM

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Jan 2013
11047
Good sports anime. I did enjoy Prince of Tennis. This will probably be better.
Maybe some romance sprinkled in.
Apr 6, 2014 1:30 PM

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Jan 2011
1662
I liked it. I honestly didn't think I would of liked it based off the PV but it has some potential or at the very least made me want to continue with it for the time being.
Apr 6, 2014 2:14 PM

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Jan 2013
146
Loving this anime so far. Very spot on to the manga. Hopefully everything continues the way the manga did! Finally another Tennis anime that is on par to Prince of Tennis.
Apr 6, 2014 3:05 PM

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Jul 2013
421
I love the OP!

Nice first episode. Being someone who is reading the manga, I think they did a nice job to start. I hope it continues.

I also hope that the anime original content they are planning on adding doesn't damage the overall quality of the series.

8/10 for the first episode.
Apr 6, 2014 3:38 PM
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May 2011
454
copperwolf said:
Baby Steps is the absolute BEST sports manga out there (IMO of course). The reason the show (and the manga) start off so slow is in the title. Baby Steps. One of my favorite lines from the manga comes at the end of chapter 90 and epitomizes what the story and Ei-chan are all about. "Baby steps to giant strides." Ei-chan's meticulous OCD nature and his strategic way of playing tennis makes the series a joy to watch/read as he goes from a complete newbie to a tennis player who can contend on the international stage. His earnest and innocent romance with Nacchan is another high point of the series.

For those who were put off by the slow first episode, STICK WITH IT. Baby Steps is a different breed of sports anime/manga and Ei-chan is a MUCH MUCH more unique and interesting protagonist in a sports anime.

Baby steps to Giant strides.


i like that it was realistic too, but this is a manga\anime after all and tbh i got annoyed when he just started to lose important matches. (this is later on)
Apr 6, 2014 3:44 PM

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Apr 2008
2146
That frohawk looks so damn stupid :P
I wonder what the heck the mangaka or animators were thinking when they drew that.
Shave the kid dammit :P

Apr 6, 2014 3:55 PM

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Apr 2008
2146
That frohawk looks so damn stupid :P
I wonder what the heck the mangaka or animators were thinking when they drew that.
Shave the kid dammit

My predictions for who that guy is:
Probably just a friend. A guy who is in her class that also is in the tennis club. Nothing more.
But what the heck is up with the look she gave him. I was just waiting for her to smile :P

Apr 6, 2014 4:39 PM

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Jan 2009
168
Des said:
That frohawk looks so damn stupid :P
I wonder what the heck the mangaka or animators were thinking when they drew that.
Shave the kid dammit

My predictions for who that guy is:
Probably just a friend. A guy who is in her class that also is in the tennis club. Nothing more.
But what the heck is up with the look she gave him. I was just waiting for her to smile :P

It's from the manga so the animator has jack to do with it.

Decent first episode, but didn't care for the spoiler tennis match at the beginning. The manga started with the classroom scene which would have been a much better start.

Those expecting any ridiculous Princess of Tennis garbage, well you'll be disappointed. Most of what's going to come is pretty close to real life to an extent.
Apr 6, 2014 4:53 PM

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Dec 2013
34
Des said:
That frohawk looks so damn stupid :P
I wonder what the heck the mangaka or animators were thinking when they drew that.
Shave the kid dammit


The Rooster-hawk (as I've dubbed it) took me at least 100 chapters of the manga to get used to. But it grew on me.
A Wolf Runs Free.

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Apr 6, 2014 5:37 PM

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Apr 2013
26
It was ok.
Apr 6, 2014 5:38 PM

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Oct 2013
2364
Apr 6, 2014 5:42 PM

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Oct 2013
231
Kerozinn said:
after watching an episode of Haikyuu!! this felt extremely underwhelming.


yeah, I made the mistake of watching this after Haikyuu!! too. I'm still going to give it a try though. I watched Oofuri after KnB and at first it seemed kind of slow, but I ended up loving it just as much.
Apr 6, 2014 5:44 PM
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Jul 2013
1539
That was cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuteeeeeeeee


>:D

I want moarrrrrrrr SPORTS ANIME FGDKLHJKHKJLAFHJK
Apr 6, 2014 6:08 PM
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Aug 2012
8226
velcom said:
Good adaptation of the start. Really love the manga so it's great to see it animated. Bit bummed it's only 25 episodes though, it probably won't reach any of the best parts of the manga during this season.

Yeah it's unfortunate, the best parts starts a little later in the series.

The art style in the manga was already okay for me, but the anime looks slightly worse...well it's probably not a high budget anime, that's fine though since I still enjoyed the first episode :) I love tennis but I suck at it. When I watch Ei-chan though, I feel motivated. As I said, good first episode, but I can definitely see how this might be boring for some people.
Apr 6, 2014 6:32 PM

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Oct 2011
8878
The next Inui senpai !!!!!!! XDDD

Taking notes as the match progress and calculates the winning match
Apr 6, 2014 6:48 PM

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Apr 2011
1441
ownosourus said:
Not bad, not bad at all. I was wondering if we'll get a decent sports show this season.


Haikyuu! and Ping Pong say hello.
Apr 6, 2014 6:59 PM

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Apr 2011
2241
Always thought Natsu was a guys name, but know I know better. Natsu a total cutie, reminds me strongly of Nishino Tsukasa.

E-chan hair doo reminds me of a rooster head and his rival looks tough...

Glad there was no crazy Prince of Tennis stuff going on in the beginning. OP/ED was nice.
Apr 6, 2014 7:03 PM

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Nov 2007
9158
Stark700 said:
Natsu is a pro at it anyways.


You mean aim to become a pro, right? I know at this point there is no point pointing it out that you probably watch raw without knowing the slightest of Japanese language. But don't get me wrong. I actually got used to your first posts. And I think it's commendable that you go to such lengths just to create topics. Someone has to do it anyways!

As for the episode, it was okay I guess. My expectations aren't met, but not far off. Hope it improves. At this moment, it seems Haikyuu!! is the real deal, sports anime-wise in this season.
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Apr 6, 2014 7:18 PM

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1690
It's was good. but i'm hoping that it get's better.
Apr 6, 2014 7:21 PM

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Jul 2012
48248
IKKIsama said:
ownosourus said:
Not bad, not bad at all. I was wondering if we'll get a decent sports show this season.


Haikyuu! and Ping Pong say hello.

And also Abarenbou Kishi!! Matsutarou...not the first episode though.
Apr 6, 2014 7:30 PM

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Jun 2012
6491
Not even a single panty shot, what am I doing with my life?
Apr 6, 2014 7:35 PM
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Jul 2012
9405
Meh, iffy episode.

This episode doesn't interest me that much even I know the sport of Tennis. The characters are bleh from me liking them at all. Been seen the love type of characters in school anime before.

2/5
Will try three more episode or four if I end up dropping this show.
Apr 6, 2014 8:01 PM

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Apr 2013
376
This actually interests me as I find most tennis anime boring. The only thing that bothers me is that clueless airhead look the blond girl has most of the time.
Apr 6, 2014 8:21 PM

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Jul 2010
3028
copperwolf said:
Baby Steps is the absolute BEST sports manga out there (IMO of course). The reason the show (and the manga) start off so slow is in the title. Baby Steps. One of my favorite lines from the manga comes at the end of chapter 90 and epitomizes what the story and Ei-chan are all about. "Baby steps to giant strides." Ei-chan's meticulous OCD nature and his strategic way of playing tennis makes the series a joy to watch/read as he goes from a complete newbie to a tennis player who can contend on the international stage. His earnest and innocent romance with Nacchan is another high point of the series.

For those who were put off by the slow first episode, STICK WITH IT. Baby Steps is a different breed of sports anime/manga and Ei-chan is a MUCH MUCH more unique and interesting protagonist in a sports anime.

Baby steps to Giant strides.
Yeah I kinda get your point and I've noticed the potential of the show too, and you're confirming my expectations. Got my hype up, looking forward to next episodes.
Apr 6, 2014 9:23 PM

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Feb 2008
480
I actually thought the show was interesting. I'll keep watching this one.
Apr 6, 2014 9:43 PM

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Feb 2010
2776
japanda said:
Realistic sports anime? Sign me up!


Dying art these days.
Apr 7, 2014 2:23 AM

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Jul 2011
4355
It's weird when I can relate to the MC so much. =.="
Only difference between us seems to be his personality...

Not liking the girl. Getting the notes dirty was just... also her whole character.
And looks like she will be the girl he'll end up with. OTL

On another note, I love the realism! First warm-up is pretty dang painful for someone who doesn't exercise, I can vouch for that! But seeing that he will improve so tremendously is nice to see (during the beginning sequence). Baby Steps indeed! I picked up the series because I love strategy and realism in sports and Ei-chan totally fits the bill!
Apr 7, 2014 2:33 AM

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Oct 2010
134
That was pretty good. I'm a big POT fan (Prince of tennis). I'm surprised on how accurate they got club tennis and the actual movements. It was kinda nostalgic, because I took the city championship my first year of tennis. I remember studying and taking notes on tennis, when I started.

The character design and personalities are no where near as good as POT, but the overall tennis animation is a lot better (realistically speaking). Then again, this anime doesn't have players smashing holes in the ground and breaking the laws of physics.
Apr 7, 2014 3:47 AM

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Apr 2013
1174
tbh this isn't bad, decent start
some ambiences, scenes and characters were awks at times
Like the OP though!!
hope it becomes much better in time!
Apr 7, 2014 6:00 AM

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Sep 2010
165
I enjoyed it quite a lot. Maybe this will focus on the romance aspect more. Looking forward to next week
Apr 7, 2014 7:50 AM

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Feb 2011
10104
Huh, not bad at all, that was really fun. Gotta get used to the art though, it's quite different from what I usually see. The grade shcool kid was a bit annoying though.

Also, the opening is SO freaking good!
Apr 7, 2014 8:00 AM

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Oct 2010
470
That was a pretty slow start, this show is making me nostalgic of Chihayafuru.

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Apr 7, 2014 8:19 AM

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Mar 2014
17
This looks more interesting than Haikyuu!!
Apr 7, 2014 10:55 AM

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Jul 2010
1293
I enjoyed the episode, but it is a bit of a slow starter. (The manga was too.) I hope they move through some of the early stuff and get to the later part of the story pretty quickly.

Apr 7, 2014 12:53 PM

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Mar 2009
858
my very 1st tennis anime~ hope this series entertain me~
Apr 7, 2014 12:57 PM

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134
LiLSatan said:
my very 1st tennis anime~ hope this series entertain me~


Blasphemy! You must watch Prince of tennis.
Apr 7, 2014 1:23 PM

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Mar 2009
858
monokuma-k said:
LiLSatan said:
my very 1st tennis anime~ hope this series entertain me~


Blasphemy! You must watch Prince of tennis.


nah~ didn't like it, when i saw an episode of it with some kind of finishing moves. I kinda want it normal~
Apr 7, 2014 2:23 PM

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Apr 2012
63
Good first episode buy some pantie shots when the girl was playing tennis would've been appreciated hahaha, i didn't think that i'd like the main character but he seems all right, his school notes are the complete opposite of mine when i was in school lol.
Apr 7, 2014 3:58 PM

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Aug 2013
760
The end of that OP was just too corny..

It was ok. Not my type of comedy, but I like the lighthearted tone.

Is anyone else terrified by how weird their eyes and pupils are positioned? I would hide too...
Apr 7, 2014 7:03 PM

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Jan 2008
18116
This feels like a very poorly animated series with what we've had recently. I like how so many background things are just like, not doing anything. Like during the lunch scene the girls in the background weren't moving at all in the slightest bit nor even blinking the entire time. When it showed the surfers during the walk home, I cringed at how badly it was. The character designs for anyone who isn't the two MC's shown in this episode were like "shit, I don't care about these characters, I'll just draw something side character quality."

Also, the main characters hair is probably the first hairstyle that has bothered me in a very long time.

For a sport anime, the first episode was definitely not that motivational compared to other and recent titles.

Though you can definitely say this show won't be fujoshi or otaku pandering.
Apr 7, 2014 11:43 PM

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Sep 2012
381
Didn't like the first episode. Too slow for my taste.
Apr 8, 2014 5:23 AM

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Feb 2012
618
Great start, I like the characters and the setting.
Apr 8, 2014 5:35 AM

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Jan 2011
26345
MC is a big neeeeeeeeeeeeeerd, with a fohawk for some reason.

Anyway I quite liked this even though it didn't really have much tennis yet.
Apr 8, 2014 3:17 PM

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Apr 2013
1631
Other than the main character's hair, the episode was interesting enough for me to pick up. But if i compare it to Prince of Tennis, this series seemed inferior and boring as hell xD

Oh and I hate the female heroine already and the series feels REALLY slow.

I'll probably drop by episode 3-5 unless something really interesting happens (like the appearance of a rival)

Mhm... Actually the entire episode felt really slow and boring, I actually got sleepy once i finished watching this episode... May drop it after the 2nd episode at this rate
duderusApr 8, 2014 3:37 PM

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