Director Shunsuke Tada and writer Noburo Takagi adapted Tadoshi's Fugimaki 30 volume sport manga (firstly serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump) into a three season anime series that aired from 2012 to 2015 and they did it wholeheartedly. “Kuroko's Basketball” is the latest, not to mention the most exceptional addition to the sport anime genre that makes up a “Slam Dunk” (1993) for the 2010's.
Tetsuya Kuroko is doe-eyed. A boy of not great physic. He is a phantom. A shadow in search of a light. At a first glance, Kuroko seems to be the good samaritan of high school basketball teams, either it is the great Teiko Junior High School team, also known as the Generation of Miracles, either the talented but struggling team of Seirin High. Although his motives aren't vicious at all, Kuroko is a parasite looking for a host in order his exceptional and mysterious qualification in basketball to shine.
After finishing junior high school, Kuroko attends Seirin High and enrolls to the basketball team of the school. Small in structure, Kuroko has the unappreciated ability of hiding behind the other bulky basketball players and magically appearing in the most crucial moment of every round, tossing the ball to the player who is about to score. But not just any player. Kuroko, after leaving the Teiko team, is in a constant search of a brother in arms. Luckily, Taiga Kagami attends Serin High, as well. An athlete of great physical strength that Kuroko is more than pleased to devote himself in the basketball court. Under the coaching of Riko, Aida Seirin High team aims for the national tournament and achieving this requires a few coups. They don't have to face just the other high school teams. They have to compete with the teams each previous member of the Teiko High is now playing and just like Kuroko, everyone from the Generations of Miracles has got a brilliant, special trait that makes them unbeatable in the basketball court. Unbeatable as Daiki Aomine, the once Kuroko's light, a freestyler unable to enjoy basketball anymore due to the incompetence of others. The great mime Ryota Kise, a pretty boy that copies every interesting move he sees played by the rival teams. The absolutely accurate in shots Shintaro Midori -yes, he has green hair- ma. Τhe leader Seijuro Akashi and his strategic approach of the game and the huge Atsushi Murasakibara, a boy totally indifferent to basketball who can't help but playing only because of his massive body structure that makes him a unique player.
“Kuroko's Basketball” is one of the most pleasant anime series of the recent years. The first thing someone would notice is the unusual hair color of every major character that is always matched with the color of their eyes. This means that the Generations of Miracles including Kuroko and the american trained “Miracle who did not become one of the Miracles”, Taiga Kagami, have got hairstyles painted in every color of the rainbow. But is the whimsical light blue color of Kuroko's hair that sets straight the notion that there's an elaborate character among the brown or black-haired players of Seirin High.
These dull hair-colored players are a delight, though. Always accompanied by the tiny in size female coach Riko, the rest of Seirin High team is developed by the writers for recreational purposes only, since they keep the comical rhythm of the series steady and overall appealing in the filler moments of the show. Teppei Kiyoshi for a example, the previous captain of the team, is now returning in action after some months of absence due to an injury, but he is so laid back and cool, that in a few episodes he practices with his slippers on and not with his Air Jordan -whatever- shoes.
“Kuroko's Basket” is a boy anime so don't expect any romance. Only the really observant (I really mean women) viewers will notice the little, gentle, love hints between the now captain of Seirin High Junpei Hyuga and coach Rico. Actually in the anime the most sharp-eyed characters are the women since they are depicted as great in analytics ,while the boys are more practical and workmanlike. Watching the anime for the first time with my husband -it was his second- made me ask him every now and again whether he had noticed the romantic gestures of Hyuga towards Riko before and guess what, he had notice none. Even the threatening presence of the members of the Generations of Miracles is loosen at times, especially when the otherwise conservative and down to earth Midorima reads his daily horoscope (he is a Cancer), matches his blood type (he is a B) with other players and carries a different lucky item (a ceramic racoon?) in each game.
You have to watch “Kuroko's Basketball”. It's true that every game can take up to three episodes to finish since the thoughts of our heroεs during the rounds get a bit of melodramatic and sappy, but you have three seasons to meet the Generation of Miracles and their sixth phantom player and witness the way a big light casts an even bigger shadow.
