Kuroko's Basketball

The basketball team of Teikō Middle School became known as the "Generation of Miracles" as they were unbeatable on their way to the top of Japan. After graduating from middle school, these five stars went to different high schools with top basketball teams. However, there was another player of the "Generation of Miracles", the phantom sixth player. This mysterious player, a freshman at Seirin High and the sixth member of the "Generation of Miracles", Tetuya Kuroko, and Kagami, a naturally talented player who spent most of middle school in America, are aiming to bring Seirin to the top of Japan, taking on Kuroko's old teammates one by one.

I'm a die-hard basketball fan. I've watched a lot of basketball movies (Hoosiers, Glory Road, etc.) and the one thing they all have in common that absolutely bugs me is lack of defense in games. I lost hope and thought all basketball movies/TV shows were like that.

But, Kuroko's Basketball surprised me! Every character and team in the show displays tenacious, realistic defense in games! The characters and teams demonstrate strategic thinking, analytical observation, emotion, and heart within their games. I loved that! Basketball is mostly a mental game, like chess, and this show does that so beautifully! Every player, every team, every game has its own style and unique challenges! Every game is different, unique, and more entertaining than the last! Any game-winning play is never predictable--you're always in suspense and never know what'll happen until the game clock runs out! I loved the humor! Character interactions and awkward situations are hilarious! This show taps into a lot of your emotions. You'll laugh, you'll get angry, you'll be heart broken, and you'll be on the edge of your seat! When I say "super-powered basketball", I'm referring to how unique basketball skills and abilities are dramatized to look like superpowers. And it's awesome! Plus, characters get better and better throughout the series, and it's awesome to see them develop new exciting moves or new dominating abilities.

The music gets better and better every season! It sets the appropriate mood with precise timing.

You'll love this show!

Strong(er) opponents are necessary for growth.

Winning isn't everything.

How you play the game (life) is more important than the outcome (desire).

"Kuroko's Basketball" is an anime that can easily disappoint you if you approach it with the wrong expectation.

So here you have to be aware that this is not a normal sports anime, but much more a basketball anime where certain players have superhuman abilities.

They try to involve the whole team here, but actually they mainly focus on a group of players from different teams. That's why these are written much more profoundly and the others only so far that they fulfill their purpose.

Unfortunately, I didn't like the drawing style that much, but the animation is often impressive.

When it comes to a player learning a new ability, most of the time it only shows the result and not how they learned it, so viewers often don't understand how a move works either.

Also, there is a lot of chatter. It is often the situation that two players face each other or even both are in the air and then talk to each other in the middle of the game.

But the anime is actually quite good if you're looking for an action-packed but unrealistic sports anime.

I actually really enjoyed this anime. I often found myself taken in by the concept and storyline. The characters were interesting and had some great interactions both as teammates and rivals. Where the show lets itself down is with the basketball itself. It was very unrealistic. The characters, specifically the "Generation of Miracles", had "super powers" rather than skills. I found that I became disengaged from the story due to this. It pulled focus too much at times. This is why I'm giving a 7/10. It was too enjoyable for a 6 but not enough quality to get an 8