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| Without Ryuzaki-sensei, the group has broken up. While Oishi is insistent on basic training, the rest who are not from Seigaku just want to play matches and go do so. But Tezuka is invited back to become their coach. The Seigaku members, of course, are happy, but the others doubt his strength as a coach and challenge him to short matches. None of them were able to win against Tezuka. That night, there is a welcome back party for Tezuka and a few of them go up to sing, do tricks, etc. Sanada leaves in the middle of the party. Atobe notices this and follows him out. Atobe challenges Sanada to a match, knowing that they both have their eyes on Tezuka and that they should settle who can challenge Tezuka. Sanada agrees to this and the next day, the two play their match. At first Hanamura-sensei was against the match but Sakaki-sensei said it would be a great opportunity and allowed them to play. Dan tells Tezuka's group about the match and the group goes to watch as well, along with Sakaki's group. While Hanamura is watching Wakato and Kabaji's match, the others have sneaked off secretly to watch Atobe and Sanada. Both Sanada and Atobe are very skillful. At first Atobe seems to have the upper hand, winning 2 games in a row from the beginning. But, when Sanada returns his Hametsu e no Rondo with his Invisible swing, the game started turning to Sanada's favour. Sakaki stops the match just after Atobe shows off his new serve, and tells them both that they have been selected for the team. |
Episode 142: The Boy Who Came From America
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| Tezuka teams up Oishi and Shishido against Kikumaru and Otori. The Golden Pair seem to enjoy it while Otori doesn't like the idea at all. And this affects his play greatly. Across the court, Shishido is giving him an intense gaze that Otori doesn't understand. When Otori asks how Kikumaru can be so happy playing against his own doubles partner, Kikumaru replies that he likes to play against Oishi. And Otori understands Shishido's gaze. Shishido really wants to play against him too. Realizing this, Otori begins to loosen up and his play improves a lot. Meanwhile, an American boy by the name of Kevin is going around the schools looking for Echizen Ryoma and challenges the strongest player from every school. The American boy wins all his matches and uses all of Echizen's moves. |
Episode 143: Tezuka's Choice
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| It is almost time for the coaches to come up with selections for team members. Tezuka takes a walk early in the morning. Echizen wakes up from his dream and sees Tezuka and goes to talk to him. Echizen tells Tezuka that unless they have a re-match, he can't move forward. Tezuka doesn't reply. This leaves Echizen unmotivated for the entire day. News has spread to the camp that an American boy called Kevin is looking for Ryoma. Inoue also drops by to tell the members about this. This American boy is also part of American's Senbatsu team. Kevin is actually Smith's son, the very same man that Nanjiroh defeated back in USA years ago. And now Kevin is looking for Echizen and wants to challenge him. Even hearing this, Echizen doesn't really care and just wants to ignore Kevin. Tezuka observes his behaviour quietly from behind and goes back to his room to make the decision of the team members. Later, the coaches sit down and go over their choices. Hanamura has also selected Oshitari. Kikumaru was also chosen. Tezuka hands Sakaki his sheet and Sakaki frowns momentarily and asks if his choice is final. Hanamura is surprised that Tezuka "forgotten" to circle Echizen but Tezuka says that it is no mistake. The two he chose were Sengoku and Kirihara. Tezuka also replies that a person who isn't serious about a match will lose (which is exactly what he sees in Echizen at the moment). |
Episode 144: The Dream Team is Formed!
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| More matches are being observed as one more member is needed for the team. Kajimoto is playing against Kamio. Kajimoto wins the match and recommends Kamio to take jazz dancing to improve his rhythm [note: LOL]. In Hanamura's group, The Kisarazu twins are playing against each other. We also get to see how Atsushi ended up at St. Rudolph. Mizuki went to observe Rokkaku's tennis team and becomes interested in Ryoh. He tries to recruit him, but the person that showed up at St. Rudolph was his twin, Atsushi, instead. At the end of the match, Ryoh wins against Atsushi. And now, they all gather to listen to the results of the chosen team members. The list includes Atobe, Sanada, Oshitari, Kikumaru, Sengoku, Kirihara, and the final position is taken by Fuji. Everyone was a bit surprised that Echizen wasn't chosen. When they return from the camp, Dan tells Echizen that Akutsu has found Kevin and is playing a match against him at the moment, Echizen follows to watch. Tezuka and Kawamura also follow. Echizen is surprised as he watches Kevin play against Akutsu. It was as if he was watching a replay of his own match with Akutsu, since Kevin was using all of Echizen's moves. Seeing that Akutsu got beaten, Echizen walks up to the court and accepts Kevin's challenge to a match. |
Episode 145: Ryoma and Kevin
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| Tezuka repeatedly tells Echizen to stop playing but Echizen refuses. He figures that since he wasn't selected for the team, he should settle the match now instead. Tezuka is not happy with this and slaps Echizen across the face. With that, Tezuka leaves, Kawamura and Echizen follow. The next day, Echizen goes around all the tennis courts trying to look for Kevin. Echizen runs into Atobe. Atobe tells him to stop looking. He will only lose in his current state. Kevin is with his friend Billy at the basketball courts. He explains why he wants to challenge Echizen. When his father, coach Smith, lost ot Nanjiroh, he became very depressed and became an alcoholic. Watching his father is such a sorry state made him cry. His father also trained him in tennis, but without passion. Even when Kevin fell or couldn't hit the ball, he didn't care and just kept feeding him balls to hit. Because of that, he developped a disliking for his father. Kevin wasn't serious about tennis until he saw Echizen in a tournament once. After that, he trained seriously, hoping to play Echizen one day and beat him. But in the next year, Echizen had not entered the tournament. Later on that night, Echizen visits Tezuka's house and begs Tezuka to let him on the team. Echizen tells Tezuka he's different from when he was at the training camp. Now he really wants to play Kevin. Tezuka can see the desire in his eyes, but tells him that the team has already been decided. However, Echizen was selected as a backup member. But that doesn't guarantee him a chance to play, since the order of the players will be decided by Sakaki-sensei. But when Echizen hears that he made it on the team, he's happy. |