Check out my episode nine review here!
Note: I watched this episode last night. I wrote the review last night. I thought it sounded a bit harsh, so I slept on it and re-read it this morning. Still feeling the same, this is what I am going to post for this week’s review. I still love the show, but at this point things are getting a bit ridiculous…
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Okay forgive me if this is harsh, but what the hell happened to the grasshoppers? Why did they get squashed?
Tsubasa had valid reason to sit out. He literally got slapped down the stairs by his father. Shingo? I can also understand. Tsubasa is his partner, and bullies stick together. That is fine with me. Nao and Taiyou having absolutely no confidence? Again, fine. They began this story that way, and although they have evolved significantly a certain mentality is hard to shake.
I won’t fault the boys for that, they did their best.
But Rintarou? What happened?
Did he forget to stretch? Don’t they stretch each time before practice? I forgot who, but two boys are always doing a stretching exercise. Was Rintarou not adequately hydrated? Did he overexert himself in practice before the prelim match?
I do not understand this.
I said I wouldn’t fault Nao and Taiyou, and I truly don’t…but c’mon fellas. I understand it’s barely been three months that the team has been serious. They have improved tremendously during this time. It would be silly to expect a miracle, but how do you throw away a 2 – 0 lead?
Did they subconsciously decide they didn’t deserve to win and let the match slip on by? Their pair absolutely couldn’t endure just a few more minutes to win a game for the team?
Really? I don’t believe it. Their mentality held them back. The pairs each have their strengths, and together they are incredibly strong – even without Takenouchi/Soga.
There is absolutely no reason why that match should have been lost.
I can completely understand Shinjo’s resentment at the end. That the entire team’s fate rests on he and Maki. It’s unfair, but hopefully they can pull it off. I mean honestly, what terrible luck this team has. Especially since they are up against hotshot Joy.
I am going to hope that judging by Riku and Sora’s introduction, Maki and Shinjo will actually pull it off. Why else would we be introduced to other characters with only two episodes left in the series if they didn’t actually matter in some way?
Speaking of which, did we get anything related to astrology in this show? Wasn’t the show supposed to be about the stars, emotional trauma and a bit of soft tennis? We definitely have the emotional trauma and occasional tennis. But other than one or two throw away lines, not much concerning the stars.
Hmph.
I’m not angry, if this is how I am coming across. I merely just don’t understand what happened. It feels contrived. Like the story wants the boy’s to lose this crucial game for a steered outcome. An outcome that is not forming organically, based on the info dump of emotional woes last week.
Maybe I’m wrong. Hopefully I am.
Also, maybe Shinjo isn’t his mom’s son? And Ryouma knows something about it?
I wish we would have gotten something like this three or four episodes ago, not now with two episodes left. Unless the series gets renewed for a second season. But for some reason, shows of this nature never do.
I don’t mind the cliffhangers so much as the inclination that the loose ends will eventually be tied up and never are.
What did Shinjo and Sakurai-sensei speak about? Why was Shinjo jealous of Ryouma’s praise of Maki? Are we heading towards a poorly executed and rushed ending?
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: Will This Victory Even Matter?
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