For starters, the third season still takes place in the same setting with Seirin High as the main focus. Not only is Kuroko, one of the legendary Generation of Miracles, on the team but there’s also much we learn about the rest of his former teammates.
The third season already establishes the foundations of basketball, the most prominent players, and what’s at stake. As the previous seasons introduced most of the prominent rivals, there’s little need to bring new challengers. As such, expect this season to focus more on the existing players; characters such as the Generation of Miracles and Uncrowned Kings from Rakuzan. There’s also a good amount of history from behind the scenes for the main supporting players as well. And that’s really something to say about the show. Kuroko no Basket approaches its premise to characterize its players especially for the ones that the audience may care about the most. Other than Kuroko, we have the distinctive Generation of Miracles. We find out much more about them in ways that really makes us understand them beyond just on the court. It also gives the audience as a sense of appreciation for the reasons that Kuroko left behind his former team and is now part of Seirin High.
As with any competitive sport, basketball is no exception to rivalries. Early on the show, we can easily see rivalries that go head in head on the court. These include Kise Ryouta vs Shogo Haizaki, Seijuro Akashi vs. Shintaro Midorima, and later on Seirin vs. Rakuzen. A good portion of these matches are intimidating. And sticking with its shounen style, the show still pulls out its supernatural-like gimmicks with the players’ moves. Kise’s copycat and Akashi’s Emperor Eye are prime examples of this as we see how they can influence the outcome of a game. As much as this can be appealing, it really comes off as edgy and unrealistic. There’s little to relate with and most of the time, this season attempts to wow the audience with diehard efforts. By this time, it’s really repetitive and doesn’t bring much with these establishes gimmicks. The plus side of this might be the fact that the show still retains its electrifying energy. After all, basketball is a game that requires both the individual and collective effort of a team to succeed. And as one of the sports that requires constant movement on the court, the show creates its full throttle mood with delicacy.
I mentioned this before but Kuroko no Basket has a lot of story written into each game. Players facing off often had a history in some way or form with one another. This doesn’t just include rivalries but friendships as well. For instance, Shintaro’s decision to join Shutoku High is influenced by his teammate, Kazunari Takao. Some episodes reveals more about each of the prominent players through its in-game storytelling. At the same time, it spawns emotions to connect players’ dedications and their reasons to play in the first place. So in essence, you could say that the show’s characters are all like chapters of a story with each episode progressing that said story. However, some of these stories aren’t what can be really memorable. As Kagami already had plenty of development, there’s little more to improve his character. Instead, do expect a bit more focus on some of its other supporting characters with their own stories.
Kuroko no Basket is not a drama show. However, the drama it attempts to craft go in a lot of directions. I think the show at times is really trying to send a message of some sorts towards the audience. How does it try to get the message across? With a lot of intention to persuade the audience for what the players are trying to accomplish, the series really at time feels like it’s a sermon. Not that the speeches are anything malicious or in that particular way, but the series itself really should do more than just go with the usual cliché dialogues. However, I do give some praise to the characters’ performances throughout the majority of this season. On or off the court, it’s entrancing to see how they react and play with engaging momentum.
For the third time in a row, Production I.G. takes the task to produce a good quality show with its artwork style. Character designs and expression are well decorated on most terms to fit with their personalities. Each school that plays in this season also has its own distinctive uniforms that stands out in their own way. However, the most promising technical aspect is the shounen-style coordination of the gameplay. Kuroko no Basket is always known to pull out crazy moves that is beyond normal human comprehension. So what should you expect? The same intense elements of what you should be used to from the previous seasons. And that would be an excitement of powerful and compelling movements with clever camera angles, facial expressions, and emotional attachment. It communicates its message to the audience at how weak or strong a team is both individually, or in other cases, the players individually.
Soundtrack relies mostly on itself to adapt the gameplay when it needs to be. The most noticeable feature includes thrilling timings when significant moves are made where the soundtrack plays a key role. Character voice mannerisms also retains its expectations although nothing really home to write home about compared to its OST. And on a more decorative aspect, there are various OP and ED theme songs that reflect the momentum of the third season.
It’s been a long ride. With over 70 episodes, various OVAs, and a franchise that makes basketball looks like a battlefield, you could say that the destination has finally be reached with everything it had to offer. Unfortunately, the third season isn’t a much improvement from before and the final game has a lot of the usual generic themes written in like a textbook. But is it worth watching in the end? I’d still say yes especially for fans eager to see who will win the Winter Cup. Anyone who is interested at learning more about the Generation of Miracles will also be in for a treat; despite the bit of rush in content based on the manga. It’s still a sensational feeling to realize the destination has finally been reached though.
