It starts of with a boy named Eiichiro Maruo, a smart and diligent student who doesn't really enjoy life. I mean, yes, he is a happy person, but he doesn't really have a hobby. I don't think writing notes is considered his hobby. It's just from his personality. One day, he wanted to exercise and wanted to try out a sport. That sport was (Obviously) tennis.
Baby Steps is one of those sports anime series done right... In terms of build up from a weak character gradually developing into one of the best tennis players in the world. From other sports anime I've watched, they mostly start of with a character that already has a skill that he is good at, but the problem is the usage of that skill so he has to improve. This anime is different and much more realistic.
What I truly like from this anime is how simple it is. It doesn't try to complicate itself. Sports anime like this are easily enjoyable. Not just that, this is probably one of the most well-paced sports anime I've ever seen. So there's not a moment where you'll feel bored (When it's slow-paced) and even if they skipped some parts in a tennis battle or skipping some tennis practice, I feel like they did the right decision to do so. They only show some parts where the thrill is at and/or where it's enjoyable to watch which I really like.
I know that MAL also classify this show as "Romance," but it's not heavily on romance. This show focuses heavily on sports, but there are indeed some romantic parts. Just don't expect a lot of its romance.
8/10 for the story is a very good score, so if that isn't "very good" to you, translate it to a score that you consider it as "very good." I didn't increase the score to 9 or 10 because it didn't conclude the series and this isn't really new. I just appreciate how well-paced this anime is.
The animation is good. Not bad. This anime doesn't really show smooth moments unlike other sports anime I've seen. It's usually rough. This anime also suffer from still frames, but they use this to visualize where the ball went, so it doesn't really bother me.
What bothers me the most has to be it's art style. Eiichiro Maruo is good looking, but his rooster-hair bothers me the most... at first. I got used to it after watching more episodes of this anime. Most of it's female characters are really drawn well, but for the male characters especially the ones who are just supporting, the art style is weird. It has to be on how the nose is drawn. Most of their noses look like Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants and there are some noses where it's wide.
For the soundtrack, most of it's OST just makes you get pumped up, but I don't think it's as thrilling as some OST I hear from other sports anime. It's hard to explain (I do admit that I suck at explaining OSTs). It's just that I feel like it's "lacking." For the opening theme and ending theme, I love it. They're catchy and it really makes you pump up for this show.
For the characters, they're enjoyable. The character development is really done right. You will see Maruo on how he develops with his friends and family and almost all of them aren't useless to him. I do admit that the characterization isn't perfect. Some of them end up being cliche like Takuma being one of your typical badass. Still, what really matters is how they change the story of Maruo and that's what made this show good.
Overall, if you hate sports anime that rigs matches (In terms of pacing and how long the match is) or hate sports anime that are unrealistic, stop right there and try watching this anime. This sports anime doesn't really bring nothing new to the table for some, but this is new to me because this is only my third sports anime. If you love tennis (Or played some tennis before), I HIGHLY recommend this show.
Score: 8/10
