Check out my episode eight review here!
Oh man. I was so engrossed in this episode that when the ending theme began to play, I realized the show was over this week. I was literally glued to the screen. Wow.
I want to see more. I need to know what happens. I don’t want to wait until next week. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way about a tv show.
Okay so, let’s talk about Nao first. Obviously, the stress is really getting to him. His mental is all amounts of jumbled right now, and he needs to relax. But like I mentioned last review, that is easier said than done. I do feel sorry for the kid, but taking the easy way out and blaming others for your misfortune is not the way. It’s just not. I know he’s young, and hopefully he’ll find his own voice to express his eternal displeasure and suffering to his mom but for now…there has to be another route.
Am I the only one who thought he was going to take a chopstick to her eye or something? Just by the way he was holding them while eating. And the fact that neither of his parents seemed to notice or care that he wasn’t eating. Shinjo mentioned that Nao’s dad doesn’t care about home life, inferring that he only takes his work seriously. And Nao’s mom, of course, doesn’t mind. As long as her child does whatever she wants, she could care less that he is walking around with dead anime eyes.
That the stress is taking a toll on his body. That he sat the practice match out under the tree with his partner. Sigh. I don’t know what can be done about that at this point. Nao just has to stick up for himself, or find a way to make his situation happier if he is unable to remove himself from it.
I didn’t think our grasshoppers would beat the girl’s soft team, and it seems they didn’t – the girls are crazy strong anyway. I am happy that the entire team is moving as a unit now. No one blamed one another for losing An. Everyone bowed and apologized, even Sakurai-sensei.
In their unusually rough home lives, no matter what happens they know the team is there. That they can rely on their comrades. I just really hope that positive outlet in their lives doesn’t go away. Especially now with Tsubasa quite literally knocked out of commission.
Are his brothers afraid of their father? His mother her husband? Are you really telling me two teenage boys and a grown woman couldn’t at least say –
“hey dad, hey dear, could you leave him alone for a bit?”
Like…nobody could do that? Nobody could do anything to actively help Tsubasa and his clearly swollen wrist? It took this boy wandering through the streets at night and his friend Shingo coming out of his home and noticing Tsubasa to get help at the hospital?
What would have happened if Shingo didn’t see Tsubasa?
Was he planning on staying out there all night in the dark in his pajamas crying and holding his wrist? Would he have went to bed like that, without anyone checking on him and seeing if he needed help? Is everyone in the Soga household afraid of the father?
That honestly amazed me. That Tsubasa’s older brothers clearly have a good relationship amongst one another, and then dear old dad walks in and completely shatters the atmosphere. Then, father of the year second only to Maki’s thus far, slaps his son down the stairs, fractures his wrist, and just stands there like a statue while his son writhes in pain and leaves the house barely dressed in tears.
All because he wouldn’t play SOCCER? A middle school SPORT?
I mean c’mon, what is going on here? Am I missing something important?
Priorities. Priorities. Was Soga not interested in his son’s happiness instead?
I don’t know if this show has the prerogative to show the parent’s interaction with their children as a whole stifled, or if this is a sort of social commentary on Japan. The whole “the nail that sticks out gets hammered” philosophy I’ve heard many people reference before.
Tsubasa is the only son who didn’t play soccer competitively, he is targeted by his angry father for not upholding the “family legacy”.
Nao’s mother doesn’t think soft tennis is worth anything, and makes his life miserable until he really does quit – or at least distance himself from what he truly loves the most right now.
Maki’s dad is a miserable cusp, and wants his son to be a hopeless bum as well. (But his mom is great and really supportive!)
Mitsue’s parents think drawing manga is lame, and want her to study and stifle her clear artistic abilities and talent.
Shinjou’s mom just hates him for whatever reason.
Sakurai-sensei seems timid and refuses to take charge of his life. This is evidenced by his classroom – it’s so cluttered Mitsue could barely get close to him through all of the mess!
And Shingo is…adopted? But living with his relatives? I am getting strong Catelyn Stark vibes from his…adopted mother? Aunt through marriage? I don’t know. But brAN adores Jon Snow. Hopefully Catelyn doesn’t make Shingo go off to the wall at the tender age of sixteen just for him to realize he had been lied to his entire life. And can no longer do anything about it.
Man, I made myself sad now. The GoT show ending was crap, and George RR. Martin is never going to finish those books.
Sigh.
Anyway…
What do you think the soft grasshopper team will do now that our favorite bully Tsubasa is out for the pairs Summer Tournament? How badly do you think the team lost to the Girls? What do you think will happen if the team does end up disbanding? Will the boy’s (and Mitsue) still be okay?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, I’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Stars Align episode reviews.
次のエピソード: The True Underdogs
☆ In Asian Spaces
Twitter Instagram Pinterest Bloglovin
In Asian Spaces 