Together, he and Kagami form a exciting duo to watch reminiscent of real-world duos such as Stockton and Malone.
He's terrible at almost every aspect of basketball except passing and stealing. Kuroko is the protagonist here, and he's an unconventional lead for a sports anime. However, if you were expecting some athletic, hot-headed knucklehead who excels in the sport.well, that's the deuteragonist Kagami. The story is your classic sports anime, with the Seiren basketball team aiming for the top. Kuroko's sudden appearances that startle every character out there is a running gag, opponents with names like "Papa" and Kagami's Engrish "THIS IS JAPANESE LUNCH TIME RUSH!" keeps things interesting. This is especially true in Japan, where basketball is nowhere near as popular as sports such as baseball or football (soccer).Īs for the anime itself, it captures your attention with epic scenes, likeable characters, and funny comedy. This is great because it's garnering interest in basketball in people that would have never noticed the sport were it not for this anime. Look around and you'll see that many viewers are not basketball fans, but love this anime. I have yet to be disappointed by any of the episodes, as they have all left me with a big, goofy grin on my face from the thrilling games or cliffhangers at the end of each episode. What Kuroko no Basket excels at doing is showing how exciting basketball can be to a mainstream audience. If you really wanted realistic basketball, you'd watch an actual game.
It's the same reason why many people label the Spurs in the NBA as "boring" despite their well-oiled offense. Watching Kagami slam the ball down or Kuruko go ninja and make an amazing pass is far more exciting than watching a player hit an open jumpshot from good ball movement. Kuroko no Basket is great to watch BECAUSE of these elements. This is first and foremost entertainment. Plus, trying to explain this and other technical terms would eat up screen time and bore a lot of viewers.
As a basketball fan, it'd be great to see the teams run plays like the triangle or pick and roll, but you can't expect the average viewer to understand what's going on. That being said, I am completely ok with this. There's also the shounen elements with the special powers of Generation of Miracles members and other things such as the "martial arts" Seiho employs. I can understand the criticism as this anime has a lot of spectacular dunks, blocks and flashy passes, the stuff you usually only see in highlight reels, but occurs regularly throughout the games in here. I myself am an avid basketball fan who plays regularly and watches NBA games. The most common criticism I've seen so far of Kuroko no Basket has been how unrealistic it is. To reach their goal, they have to cross pathways with several powerful teams, some of which have one of the five players with godlike abilities, whom Kuroko and Taiga make a pact to defeat. Kuroko no Basket follows the journey of Seirin's players as they attempt to become the best Japanese high school team by winning the Interhigh Championship. Although Kuroko is neither athletic nor able to score any points, he was a member of Teikou's basketball team, where he played as the "Phantom Sixth Man," who easily passed the ball and assisted his teammates. However, after graduating, these teammates, known as "The Generation of Miracles", go their separate ways and now consider each other as rivals.Īt Seirin High School, two newly recruited freshmen prove that they are not ordinary basketball players: Taiga Kagami, a promising player returning from the US, and Tetsuya Kuroko, a seemingly ordinary student whose lack of presence allows him to move around unnoticed. Teikou Junior High School's basketball team is crowned champion three years in a row thanks to five outstanding players who, with their breathtaking and unique skills, leave opponents in despair and fans in admiration.