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Nov 28, 2016 9:00 AM
#1

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Nov 2011
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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
----------------------------------------
Whoa, this episode had more focus on Kururi than I had expected including her past. What as strange kid. She has such close chemistry with Zukuro though.

Pretty intense match. The score bounced back and forth although Agari's side struggled a bit more. Pretty sure this was Agari's toughest match to date yet. Too much blushing from Koyori this episode

About time Koyori faces Kururi.
Nov 28, 2016 10:13 AM
#2

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Apr 2010
9717
Another nice match and a close call.
Akari was having a hard time but the real match just started.
Judging from the cliffhanger it will be interesting.
Nov 28, 2016 11:45 AM
#3
*hug noises*

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May 2013
31627
I seriously can't stop cringing every time Koyori and Agari talk about feeling their hearts race. It's just so damn cheesy... ugh

Other than that, not a bad episode. Also Kururi still best girl of this anime by far
Nov 28, 2016 11:55 AM
#4
Former AMQ God

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The best part of the episode was clearly the flashback for Kururi and Zakuro. The symbolism with the tree was brilliant. I felt bad for Zakuro losing.

I feel like Mozuyama should win this.

Not much gameplay once again. Not even a sakuga shot this time unlike last episode.

Kururi's point was crazy as fuck. Good that it had ''Kuroko'' level of realism, it felt different from Kimishita's free kick goal from Days which was just stupid. I feel like this show can get a pass for that.
Nov 28, 2016 11:56 AM
#5

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Dec 2013
139
Amazing hard win to agari-chan she is really strong now with her fore and backhand smash and loop drive , let see if koyori can win too but I Doubt It, the flashback story between Kururi and zakuro was really touching and we know now why she love her to the "death" lol,but don't you think zakuro had less stamina then the players before her.
I can understand the complaining about animation, I don't think they have enough budget to do Appropriate animation, so the best choice for us is to forget all about it and enjoy the show to the "death" ;)
AlhakamNov 28, 2016 12:55 PM
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Nov 28, 2016 12:02 PM
#6

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Dec 2014
7045
It was a good episode but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that the match wasn't covered in detail and could've been presented much better.

Quite a bit of spotlight on Kururi, Her flashback was simple yet nice. Glad to see that Zakuro's simple appearance to practice lifted her spirits.
The tree imagery was nice. You could say that it applies to both of them in a way.

Moving onto Agari vs Zakuro, I felt there was so much potential to make the match much more exciting and tense. We didn't even get full animated coverage of a single point (Maybe 1 or 2 but that's not the point), Most of it was just still frames with some occasional hit sequences. So yeah, that was pretty much the only thing I felt could have been much better.
The rest of it was really nice, Agari switching between fore and backhand after realizing she wants to win was great.

I actually smiled when Agari won and asked Koyori if her heart raced, I guess I'm just a fan of the simple cheesy stuff XD

Damn, That's some insane spin and curve on the ball. Kururi OP.
Wonder how Koyori is gonna get Kururi's heart to race. xD
Hopefully we get some good animated coverage for Koyori's game.
Lelouch0202Nov 28, 2016 12:15 PM
Nov 28, 2016 12:10 PM
#7
Former AMQ God

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Lelouch0202 said:
It was a good episode but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that match was covered in detail and presented much better.

Yeah, it dropped to 7/10 for me now cause of that reason. Gameplay has been lacking lately. Also ''doki doki'' has been too much.
Nov 28, 2016 12:15 PM
#8

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Dec 2014
7045
Smudy said:
Lelouch0202 said:
It was a good episode but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that match was covered in detail and presented much better.

Yeah, it dropped to 7/10 for me now cause of that reason. Gameplay has been lacking lately. Also ''doki doki'' has been too much.

I'm gonna wait and see how Koyori vs Kururi plays out. Depending on how it goes, I'll decide whether to drop a point. I guess they kinda raised expectations after how well they presented the games in the initial 3 episodes.
Nov 28, 2016 12:31 PM
#9

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Sep 2015
607
Final match next episode !
Agari is a solid all around player, rip Zakuro the flashback was quite sad but it couldn't make you win
Nov 28, 2016 12:36 PM
🥊 CHAMPION 🥊

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Apr 2016
23025
Agari win her match, and now 2-2 in the total....next macht, the final!!!!
Nov 28, 2016 12:37 PM

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T-TEZUKA ZONE!?????
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Nov 28, 2016 1:30 PM
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I really loved this episode and i can't wait for the next one.
I mean, not "literally" loved. The "doki doki suru" thing makes everything so damn yuri , even if i liked when she said those things to Kuruki before the match, it was kind of... sweet.
About the backstory of Kuruki, i found that quite interesting, this show really needed some character development to her, in order to not make her appear some damn creepy weirdo with no reason of being. She's one of the most interesting, because you can feel how she was educated since she was young about how ping pong was only obsession and insane work, taking apart all the component of enjoyment.
The fact she plays for another person and not for the game itself only clarifies how distorted is her conception of the sport. I don't think she ever loved it, or at least this is my impression.
I predict that Kuruki will have some huge character development after this match somehow, which will lead her to some important decision - abandoning the sport, because it probably just made her feel unhappy, and cultivating her friendship with the captain and the others, or, at the opposite, continuing with a totally different spirit. We'll see!
For now, my mark remains 7/10, but i think that if this show plays well its cards, it could easily increase my vote.

Note a bit more technical: i don't think that the tactic Agari used to win with her opponent is properly realistic lol... Taking apart that the backhand smash doesn't properly exist, maybe that could be a backhand topspin. But anyways, moving on the side of backhand is not really a thing in the world of table tennis, because it's way more disadvantageous even under the point of view of coverage of both the sides of the table (forehand and the backhand)... I may have misunderstood, if someone could explain me better what actually was going on, it would be appreciated lol
CharlyPALNov 28, 2016 1:35 PM
Nov 28, 2016 2:47 PM

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Feb 2013
1340
Charly9889 said:
I really loved this episode and i can't wait for the next one.
I mean, not "literally" loved. The "doki doki suru" thing makes everything so damn yuri , even if i liked when she said those things to Kuruki before the match, it was kind of... sweet.
About the backstory of Kuruki, i found that quite interesting, this show really needed some character development to her, in order to not make her appear some damn creepy weirdo with no reason of being. She's one of the most interesting, because you can feel how she was educated since she was young about how ping pong was only obsession and insane work, taking apart all the component of enjoyment.
The fact she plays for another person and not for the game itself only clarifies how distorted is her conception of the sport. I don't think she ever loved it, or at least this is my impression.
I predict that Kuruki will have some huge character development after this match somehow, which will lead her to some important decision - abandoning the sport, because it probably just made her feel unhappy, and cultivating her friendship with the captain and the others, or, at the opposite, continuing with a totally different spirit. We'll see!
For now, my mark remains 7/10, but i think that if this show plays well its cards, it could easily increase my vote.

Note a bit more technical: i don't think that the tactic Agari used to win with her opponent is properly realistic lol... Taking apart that the backhand smash doesn't properly exist, maybe that could be a backhand topspin. But anyways, moving on the side of backhand is not really a thing in the world of table tennis, because it's way more disadvantageous even under the point of view of coverage of both the sides of the table (forehand and the backhand)... I may have misunderstood, if someone could explain me better what actually was going on, it would be appreciated lol


I think that she likes to play table tennis but Zakuro is the main force of her because she's the first person to accept the ability and personality of Kukuri.
Nov 28, 2016 2:58 PM

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Nov 2015
2364
Really good episode. Kururi is such an interesting character.

Nov 28, 2016 3:21 PM

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Jan 2016
1157
love the imagery, her team was a bunch of bums "we just wanted to go to nationals, thought it would be fun". the imagery of the tree getting de-leafed was kind of sad though...
damn, i find this match more heated, conflicting styles of play!

Nov 28, 2016 5:36 PM

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Dec 2014
1316
Pretty nice backstory.

Looking forward to next week's game. Shame this will end soon. I love watching it despite how bare-bones it is in terms of story/characters.
Nov 28, 2016 7:15 PM

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Nov 2015
37
Found this ep relateable af. Moving from one area to another and losing access to good local competition is rough. *I.e. investing time/effort into building up anyone that approaches with minimal interest, only to subtly 'lose contact' within a weeks. Sooo easy to just fall in love as a player when someone that's willing to keep up with a good pace finally comes along. Practice partners <3
ECHOnceNov 28, 2016 7:31 PM
Nov 28, 2016 8:42 PM
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Jan 2013
15984
So most of the girls quit on Kururi because her training was too hard for them. Well she has such a lively group now. For Kururi, her previous group just didn't put enough effort into improving.
They only wanted to go to nationals because they thought it would be fun. That mentality, not that having fun is bad but well they just weren't serious enough.

That heart beeping is getting pretty cheesy.

Nov 28, 2016 11:04 PM

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Jun 2013
731
No special skill for Zakuro. Agari started her loop drives in the last set and not from the start. And these loop drives along with the combination of backhand and forehand smashes saw her to victory. I was kinda expecting some special skill from Zakuro given she's the captain and the yandere looks up to her and all. They could have made her an all-rounder or something or at least someone able to counter all kinds of moves. Disappointed I guess.

I liked that flashback. Zakuro was the only one to come back after the torturous training got more intense and scared everyone away. Zakuro became Kururi's friend and accepted her killer play and everything. So Kururi wants to win the nationals for Zakuro.

And Koyori is up against some insane top spin. This is nothing like Agari's at all. That curve was impossible. But Koyori will probably win and make Kururi go doki-doki too. But Koyori losing would also be interesting. If she loses, will she still have a smile on her face? Will she be disappointed in herself and get depressed or will she remain unaffected?
Nov 29, 2016 6:24 AM
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Jul 2014
15
Yamada2 said:
No special skill for Zakuro. Agari started her loop drives in the last set and not from the start. And these loop drives along with the combination of backhand and forehand smashes saw her to victory. I was kinda expecting some special skill from Zakuro given she's the captain and the yandere looks up to her and all. They could have made her an all-rounder or something or at least someone able to counter all kinds of moves. Disappointed I guess.

I liked that flashback. Zakuro was the only one to come back after the torturous training got more intense and scared everyone away. Zakuro became Kururi's friend and accepted her killer play and everything. So Kururi wants to win the nationals for Zakuro.

And Koyori is up against some insane top spin. This is nothing like Agari's at all. That curve was impossible. But Koyori will probably win and make Kururi go doki-doki too. But Koyori losing would also be interesting. If she loses, will she still have a smile on her face? Will she be disappointed in herself and get depressed or will she remain unaffected?

loool Kururi going doki doki is such a creepy image :'D
And yess, i agree with those who said that old kururi's teammates would have had no possibility with their superficial attitude.
Still, i hope she will get to live the sport with a more.. light and passionate attitude :D without the need to become like Koyori lol. Maybe half way would be ideal...
Nov 29, 2016 7:06 AM

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Nov 2011
7621
Episode, the thing that I was not convinced at all, it is the script: while the OST could well represent the contexts from time to time shown, the scenes did not give way to understand the true evolution of the situation; it was not for speech, it seemed to me all the same. Quality of the drawings down, to the lowest level animations. Kururi, is scary.
Nov 29, 2016 10:38 AM

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Aug 2013
5408
Can't wait for next week and their final match.
Dub = fake crap. Always.
Nov 29, 2016 2:06 PM

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I don't know what it is about Kururi...but I find her simply adorable. I mean her crying helped out but man I've liked her ever since she came into the show.

It would make more sense if she beats Koyori, but I'm looking for an upset!!!!
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Nov 29, 2016 8:22 PM

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I'm a bit late than normal since Final Fantasy 15 came out...
But for damn sure I'm not going to miss Agari play and my weekly watch to see if the inevitable will happen...not like anyone cares or responds anyways!

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Nov 29, 2016 9:54 PM

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901
people expect too much from a moe anime made by a small production. at least the animation is 100 times better than quality code
Nov 30, 2016 12:34 AM

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427
Zakuro not having an ability is a nice contrast, and maybe in the future she'll have gained her own ability

the manga cuts straight to Kururi vs Koyori, with a little moment of Zakuro losing to Agari. It's pleasing to see that every match actually gets animated instead of just getting cut (all matches happen simultaneously). I'm curious to see where the studio gets these ideas...
Nov 30, 2016 7:21 AM

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Great ep, of course it was gonna be a 2-2 tie so that we'd have a final set decider.

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Nov 30, 2016 3:49 PM

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I dunno about you, but i'm hyped for the next episode... I can't wait to see Koyori figure out how to shatter Kururi's composure.

By that i mean Koyori to figure out Kururi's techniques, counter them, and obliterate Kururi's emotional defences with blinding goodness.
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Dec 1, 2016 9:18 AM

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Great game, good job Agari.
Can't wait to see that green haired girl's face when she will lose against Koyori :D
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Dec 1, 2016 10:37 PM

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6123
That was intense!
The backstory was sweet as well!
Dec 2, 2016 10:11 AM

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8099
Eh... The writing felt sloppy throughout this episode.
Dec 3, 2016 6:36 AM

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Jun 2015
8997
Koyori will break that ice, no doubt.
It would be kinda cool if she still lost though.
Dec 4, 2016 6:27 PM

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13713
OMG! this gets exciting! next episode fight between Koyori vs Futamaru will gonna be so cool for sure!
Agari beats Captain Zakuro because she made utilize her backhand smash effectively!
Futamaru turning back after she shot it looks like badass because she knew that her opponent wound never be able repel it back!
5/5.


Dec 5, 2016 9:01 PM

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Apr 2013
247
I'm super late to this, but ever since I saw her turning back after her shot in the OP, I have been dying to see it in the show; and episode 9 did not disappoint.
Dec 6, 2016 12:50 AM

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4150
Well Agari's game was pretty normal.. her opponent ain't nothing special either.
Switching between fore and back hand is a generic method. She practiced hard for both after all.
I'm more interested in how Koyori is going to beat curve ball yandere.
Dec 8, 2016 3:07 AM

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4805
Great match! I am glad Agari was able to win.
Dec 16, 2016 9:20 AM

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97
Well, it was an enjoyable episode. That match between Agari and Zakuro was really intense and I was worried how would she able to compete with someone who knows how to do those forward smashes. I did enjoy Kururi's backstory and how she came to be obsessed with table tennis and getting prepared for the Nationals. She really did train those seniors hard but it came at a cost and she ended up losing those people. I kind of felt sorry for her after all that she tried to do though it was sad to see. Zakuro was the only one who could understand her feelings so it came across that the two would be able to practice with each other.

Anyway, I never thought using the tree imagery would be useful in that symbolic sense as Kururi was the one that began this whole thing in the first place. Back to the match, Agari really struggled back there and I was surprised to see she ended up changing tactics from forward to backward smashes which it was amazing to see though I wish the match would have been longer. I was happy that Agari won cause that was tough but I was also happy for Zakuro cause she really meant to do her best as the captain for Mozuyama.

The next match with Koyori and Kururi is what I'm looking forward to seeing very much cause it's going to be a big showdown. I'm glad that Koyori found her reason why she loved table tennis and that's basically what she needed that drive to keep her going. Unfortunately, Kururi's tactics with that curved ball spin attack has got me very worried because she knew exactly what it would take to win the Nationals. It's going to be very interesting to watch and I look forward to the next episode! :)
Dec 24, 2016 11:47 PM

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3373
Really glad to see that they are giving some background to the characters. Makes me care more about what is going on.

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Nov 28, 2017 12:18 PM

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25829
Oh boy that ending! Damn, really looking forwards to see what's next.
Apr 25, 2020 3:43 PM

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Really nice on how Zakuro and Kururi friendship began. Agari had a hard time against the skilled team captain.

next match is Koyori vs the yandere. Looking forward to watching it! :)
Dec 16, 2020 6:44 PM
Shalltear

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Apr 2018
34241
Really good job for Agari but well now the match is very tense, it's going to be hard to win against the best girl of the show haha
Jun 28, 2021 2:48 AM

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Feb 2020
94802
Very nice backstory of Kururi and Zakuro. Those two are so cute together.

Congratulations, Agari! And now, the rest is in Kyoyri's hands.

SerafosDec 3, 2023 10:50 AM

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