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| THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE. ---------------------------------------- Decent episode with the match. I personally thought some of the more extensive focus on the camera angle shots were a nice touch. Was kinda nice to see more of Nabae's background story too. And the amount of game focus/mechanics added more interest to the match. Nabae looks really focused. |
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| Nabae is probably the best all-round player there is. He really reminds me of Federer in some way. Federer used to have a really short temper when he was playing in the juniors, and really developed his all-round game. MC still has ways to go before being able to top Nabae, but its great that he's able to be competitive to the No.1 player, and for a late-bloomer, thats immense. Really hope a 3rd season is in the works, esp since he qualified for the All-Japan junior tourney. |
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Final set left and Maruo is having a tough time. I don't think he can win this without getting into the zone. If he does lose, I still think it would be unwise of his parents to make him give up on his tennis career when he has accomplished so much in such a short time.  |
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| Love the tension during the match and next episode is the final one and it will be really good.I hope there will be a season 3 announce just like how it was for season 1. |
| Dem determined eyes at the end. Go Maruo! Every sports/action with something like a Zone or subconscious awakening has to have an ep like this where they try to forcefully awaken it so good to have that over with. Really gotta love Maruo's thought process. Definitely one of the best sports MCs I've seen. The way Nabae deals with his emotions is pretty damn unique. Gather his negative emotions in the ball and lose that point. Damn |
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| This episode was very good and I'm SOOO excited for the next episode! One week and then it's already over.. I hope that Maruo will win, and that they reveal a season 3. |
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| I know that feeling when you start off in "the zone" and it's like your whole body feels light and brimming with power. You're sort of half-aware of your shots but not thinking consciously and just relying on making the best possible choice with the best execution in your best state of mind and body. And then when you lose that state and try to force it back it's so frustrating cause you know you can't consciously enter a state of subconsciousness (at least not with a lot of practice at least). It's like if someone told you "don't think of a pink elephant". It's hard to not think about it and it's the same with trying to get into the zone. The best way is to not think about it but trying to not think about it inevitably leads to thinking about it and messing with your game. Hope Maruo can win using his conscious knowledge and experience. He needs to pull out every single trick in the (note) book. Can't wait for the final episode and they better announce S3. |
| I loved the part where Eiichiiro tried to get into the zone with the second set It's similar to KnB, but less flashy Next weeks final set is going to be exciting I hope |
| If the Kanto Junior is this amazing, I can't help but be anticipated for the All-Japan Junior. This match was quite awesome with Maruo managing to get this one set, and how the final set isn't unreachable. |
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| Wow, great match so far. i can't even begin to think about predicting who's gonna win this match. Also, Season 3 please, Season 3 please, Season 3 please! |
| Great match, great episode. I love how this is pretty unpredictable, will be fun to see who and how they win :) |
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| Next epIsode is the last so Marou will obviously lose, because if he wins then we'll need extra episodes for the finals. Well in sport anime they always lose in the end anyway. |
"I have been wielding a blade since before your were swimming around your father's scrotum." - Kurou |
walldotfm said: Nabae is probably the best all-round player there is. He really reminds me of Federer in some way. Federer used to have a really short temper when he was playing in the juniors, and really developed his all-round game. Oh I didn't know that, interesting. He's so calm that it's hard to believe he used to be that way, and I guess Nabae is just the same. I wouldn't be surprised if Nabae is somehow inspired by Federer. When everyone first learns of the zone, of course they want to be in that optimal condition. I'm glad Ei-chan learned quickly not to rely on it and not to force it either. He's right that it's more important that he uses everything he's learned to win the match, otherwise it's almost meaningless. After all, he wanted to prove that his way of tennis could theoretically beat any opponent. |
| Well sure there's something to say about dreaming big, but having to be the very best of Japan already with maruo's years of playing tennis ; isn't that a bit too much to ask before being allowed to go pro ^^'' He's set the bar very high for himself :) |
| Only one episode left. No! I want to see more Nat-chan and Maruo moments. Here's hoping for a 3rd season! |
| damn only one episode left |
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| Great episode as always. Maruo always trying something new. |
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| Well I guess this season will finish off with this match. Yeah the zone is usually considered difficult to enter consciously. Haha consciously subconscious. |
| I am ready for the last episode. And also for the next series. |
 Vengeance of everyone's grudge. "I didn't add it to my list so I forgot I was watching that." - lpf |
| Good to see him win that first set. There is no question that Nabae is tough, after all he is the number one ranked junior in Japan. Even if Maruo doesn't beat him here, he has raised his game to the point where a victory against Nabae is not a fluke but the result of hard work and perhaps a little luck. More importantly for someone who intends to go pro, he has begun to attract the attention of the press and the sponsors. |
Please don't feed the trolls! In my next life I want to collide at the corner with the cute transfer student carrying a piece of toast in her mouth...rodac |
| Sigh, it's gonna end next week. Man I hope S3 is announced. I need more Baby Steps! |
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| Nooo, this season is almost over. D: A third season better be in works already! >:O Anyway, solid episode for Maruo to understand that the zone isn't that simple and convenient. It all comes back to him actually applying the techniques and skills he's worked on these past three years. Final set, here we go! |
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| Final next time NOOO |
| I can't say I'm surprised with this outcome. No way they would let Ei-chan win both sets lol. That against the sports anime law. |
| Well it's all within expectation so far.. finally it's time for the last set. |
walldotfm said: Nabae is probably the best all-round player there is. He really reminds me of Federer in some way. Federer used to have a really short temper when he was playing in the juniors, and really developed his all-round game. Really an interesting comment, as a beginner that watched Roland Garros for the first time this year, I heard about talent of Federer, but I have never seen him play a match. Nabae is for sure a good opponent, Maruo will have an hard time. |
| It makes so much sense that Maruo would cling to the zone like he did which ultimately dragged him down. The only times he was winning last set was when he was in the zone and taking Nabae by surprise, or by playing absurdly recklessly. To put it as Nabae said, "Maruo's playing reckless not unpredictable". Only one of which can be maintained and still create a win, and clearly that's not playing reckless. Playing like that was fascinating but it hardly scraped Maruo by with that set win and without it he would've already lost here. But he's learned from throwing away the second set that getting back into the zone isn't an easy task, it's something you have to train your body to do. You can will yourself into it by getting into routines and letting your body take over, not by focusing really hard because if you're trying too hard you're getting the opposite result. From Maruo trying to force Nabae into a rally we got an incredibly interesting piece of information about him. We already understood his throw away shots were a way to reset the game into a neutral position, but now it holds so much more meaning. In fact, if Nabae was able to control his emotions we probably wouldn't have gotten to set 3. By visualizing all of his emotions into the ball and hitting it to the opponent to smash them away he sets himself free from all that extra baggage. I wonder how he would feel if they softly hit it back to him or did something bad mannered instead. In Nabae's flashback match with Ike we got another implied connection between Maruo and Ike. I imagine when Maruo is at Ike's level and they play a real pro match in front of an audience it will be the best match of the series. These two would go at it. Like Maruo realized at the end, this match is one that will be a deciding factor if he will go pro(better seeding for the big tourney), it isn't one he can throw away trying to rely on reckless play and praying for the zone. He must give it his all! |
| Pretty predictable episode where Maruo takes the first set 6-4, and Nabae takes the 2nd set 6-2, but still a good episode nonetheless. Nabae's all-round game is incredibly impressive and his adaptability to different styles and settings of matches is what makes him really impressive more than his actual strokes and serves. The only real stretch were Maruo convincingly pushed him against the wall was the beginning 4 games but ever since then, Nabae's been controlling the tempo of the game. And when Maruo tries to surprise him with something out of nowhere to throw his game off, he adapts really quickly to it and doesn't let Maruo's distractions mess with him, instead countering Maruo whenever he tries to crack Nabae. He did grade Maruo's decision making/strategies a D when they first met each other and that's where Maruo has struggled once he went out of his mental zone mode. It shows, since Maruo's never been able to convincingly bring him down since and his recklessness while being useful in getting a point here and there, doesn't win him multiple games in a row and shift momentum completely towards him. Both of them have 1 set, and the final set will be the final episode. Nabae's got the momentum fully whereas Maruo desperately needs to find a way to surprise Nabae while having him struggle to counter whatever Maruo throws at him, in order to have a chance at pulling off the ultimate upset against the first seed. Sad that the next episode is the final one for this anime. |
1lau said: I loved the part where Eiichiiro tried to get into the zone with the second set It's similar to KnB, but less flashy Next weeks final set is going to be exciting I hope ahh yeah i got that vibe too the match with Ike was a lot more enjoyable and better from what I've seen so far imo, I think that's been my overall fav match but this is going pretty tense too, enjoying it for sure! let's see what the final ep has to offer... |
If you don't like me, acquire some taste |
| Nabae is the finest all-around player in this episode. |
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