"Ippon" Again!

Episode 9

Loss in an inevitable part of sports narratives. Sure, there are certainly non-competitive sports out there, but they don't get national broadcasts or TV shows made about them. So until some brave soul gives us a kick-ass anime about Chinlone, any sports narrative is going to involve somebody's dreams getting crushed. In order for our heroines to avoid having their hopes of a rematch dashed, they'll have to snuff out the hopes of their new friends from Hakata South.

Though, if somebody has to shatter your dreams like a chicken egg inside a high-speed press, at least Michi will do it with a smile that makes it seem a little less depressing. After seeing Michi eke out minor wins or last-minute losses for so long, it's incredibly satisfying to see her finally land a decisive victory in a real match... and then another... and another for good measure. It's not a total steamroll, despite what the scorecard looks like at by the end of the episode, but it's a landmark performance for somebody who's been stuck on a particular wall for so long. It took a lot of work, along with the help of both friends and rivals, but our girl got to make a statement with her first appearance, and is the exact kind of big moment that I come to these types of anime for.

Of course, Michi's fortune means Hakata South gets swept harder than the '95 Orlando Magic. That's surely a disappointment, but as a consolation prize their team gets a pretty endearing arc across this episode. I was absolutely tickled when their school's old judo team showed up, just for the image of these 20-something, stone-faced dudes pulling cheer duty for this trio of clearly intimidated girls. What I didn't expect was that said dudes would factor into a super charming narrative as they slowly transitioned from cheering on the school to cheering for the team's individual members. Like many of of this show's stories, it's a simple and heartwarming affair, but seeing Natsu spin the pressure of their school's legacy into motivation was a perfect fist-pumping moment. I almost wish she could have won, if only so this crew could have stuck around a little longer.

Aside from that, the end of this episode is an assortment of miscellaneous cute hijinks. It absolutely rules that Sanae of all people gets a fire in her belly watching Michi's winning streak, and I can't wait to see her in action next episode, especially with them facing a full-strength team. The detail of Nagumo staying up to do research on the other teams is really sweet, and continues to make her the most adorable little tsun-tsun. It's the small character stuff that gives this cast its charm and texture, and the perfect way to cool off before we get back to the fray next week.

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"Ippon" Again! is currently streaming on HIDIVE.