watch tsurune before reading this really informal review!!!

overall i really enjoyed this show.

• at the beginning of the show there is this emphasis on the physical tension between the adult coach and the students. they play it for the attention for a few episodes and then it kind of dissipates. i feel like they could have gotten the story point of it, the idolization of the coach, across just fine or even better if he was played a bit more distant from the kids. they even play it for a gag at one point which is unacceptable.
• the second thing is a classic which is Girl Characters as Tools for Observing Boy MCs. i get that the show’s not about them but its tiring at this point. i feel like they could have involved the girls in a more meaningful way so it wasn't so blatantly obvious.

if it wasnt for this shit id have scored this show like a 95 lol

it starts out a bit slow, but once it sets in, the pacing sets it apart from other shows. they don’t waste any time in scenes; they often get out right when you ask yourself a question.

the show really hits its stride around the middle-end of the season when they start to explore the character relationships more deeply. i didn’t expect it to go there! cause at the beginning they’re playing everything slightly on the tropey side with the group dynamic. but it was thrilling to discover the relationship history between minato and the characters from his past!

seiya’s motivation (witnessing the accident, continuing to be close w his dad being the doctor) for being so caught up in minato’s state is believable. i feel like ive seen lot of shows where there are many characters just obsessed with the plain MC for no discernible reason… in this show, you learn that all the kids that are obsessed with minato knew him before his accident, when he was the sunshine archetype. minato was the kind of character who brought people around him joy in a really outwardly way. and i guess he kind of continues that in a subtle way with his coach at the beginning of the show, before he starts to show a bit more of his feelings when he needs to draw seiya out of his shell around episode 10.

many characters have great arcs. the coach has a compelling arc, though i think it manifested a bit inappropriately (oversharing w minato one on one), but i think it was in character for him to act that way i GUESS given all his creepiness from early season. and then i appreciated that minato immediately took it to his friends because he’s too young to really know what to do about that.

kaito’s arc of accepting minato, and minato’s arc w him of getting to know him was very sweet.

it's kinda great how the characters literally just... talk about how they feel.

i enjoyed a lot how they showcased this feeling of when you're a kid and maintaining friendships is kinda out of your control due to circumstance. moving schools, changing clubs, etc. they captured that fading warm feeling of it well i think. it was refreshing to see how minato had so many old connections w people that he regarded in a healthy way, 'ah we just grew apart but i really like this about this person'.

it has some stand out moments in editing. a lot of cutting in 3’s. and they let the characters act! it gives me a hair of flavor of Ao No Flag with cutting to a character just to see them observing an interaction, or looking off to the side and then down, little things that make you ask what’s going on with them.

it’s got melodrama (dead moms! car accidents… 2!!) but somehow it doesn’t feel corny.

and it’s a sports anime, so im always down for that.

i think if you liked Tsurune you should check out Stars Align, another sports anime that spends more time on its characters and team dynamic than the sport itself.