DAYS

Episode 14

It's that time again! With the second cour of DAYS comes a return to the same training camp Seiseki attended back in episode three, but don't be fooled into thinking we're just retreading old ground. Everything about this episode's tone expresses that this training camp is going to be far more of a struggle than the last one. This is made even more apparent in this episode's double focus on two characters going through growing pains. Both Tsukushi and Ooshiba have issues with their game, and admitting their problems is the hardest part.

Captain Mizuki doesn't want to see anybody slacking at training camp. “Come and steal our spots as starters,” he urges his team, encouraging even the weakest players to aim for the top. For Tsukushi, that means shooting for Ooshiba's position on the team. (I'm not entirely sure why; maybe Ooshiba and Tsukushi play the same position?) Of course. the stubborn and spirited Ooshiba isn't going to take it lying down, even if the player vying for his spot is as submissive and non-confrontational as Tsukushi. He goes into their first training camp scrimmage (against a team that isn't even named, so I guess this is Seiseki's win) all fired up. We don't see the first half, the better to speed up the storytelling, but onlookers tell us that it went so well, Coach feels fine putting his second-stringers on the field to run out the final half. Except when Coach tries to sub in Tsukushi for Ooshiba, the upperclassman has a toddler-style tantrum.

“Do you want the team to win or do you want recognition for yourself?” That's what Kimishita crisply asks Ooshiba in a flashback, and you can practically hear his words echo in the night air. Ooshiba knows he's got problems—despite all his natural talent, he never seems to get the ball. It turns out that other soccer players can smell Ooshiba's impatience and greed. It makes them suspicious, so they spend a lot of time marking him—freeing up players like Kazama and Mizuki to gain control of the ball. Kimishita delivers some harsh truths to Ooshiba, but it doesn't appear that the upperclassman is ready to face them yet. While he does enjoy some success in this game, he has to be literally dragged off the field before he'll obey the coach's order. As flawed as Ooshiba is, I can't help but like him after this episode because it so powerfully conveys his personality and motivations. All the times I've seen him previously (like when he slammed his forehead into Tsukushi's) are now consistent with the character I've now gotten to know.

Ooshiba's inability to learn his lesson comes into focus when it's Tsukushi's turn on the field. Our hero realizes that, just like Mizuki warned, their old tricks aren't going to work at this training camp. It takes Tsukushi less than 20 minutes of play to realize that just being a really determined runner isn't enough to make him a well-rounded soccer player. Of course we all knew this, but what's special about Tsukushi is that once he has that realization, he immediately starts thinking about what he can do to change. At first that's counterproductive, as his nerves send him into despair, but a question from Kurusu reminds him that he's not the only self-conscious first-year on the field. They're all trying to get better, and rather than looking inward and agonizing, they need to support each other to succeed.

Though it was a return to DAYS' usual flat character design that's barely more detailed than its backgrounds, this was a particularly successful episode. It included real lessons about personal development and not the overly obvious kind. It focused on showing characters' personalities through their motivations. They faced their weaknesses this time, and it looks like that will set the stage for some big changes at this training camp.

Rating: A

DAYS is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist