Based on my opinion formed by the fact that I've watched all 25 current episodes, I'd give this series a 3.5-4 stars. Now, I'm not a huge sports fan, but here's what I've gathered from watching this show.
Summary:
The Generation of Miracles was a middle school basketball team that comprised of 5 once-in-a-generation members that produced 3 perfect seasons in a row. Each of these 5 ...
Based on my opinion formed by the fact that I've watched all 25 current episodes, I'd give this series a 3.5-4 stars. Now, I'm not a huge sports fan, but here's what I've gathered from watching this show.
Summary:
The Generation of Miracles was a middle school basketball team that comprised of 5 once-in-a-generation members that produced 3 perfect seasons in a row. Each of these 5 members have joined a high school with respectable team. However, there was another, unknown 6th member, that all of which respected. It's now freshman year for each of these players, this unknown 6th player has joined Seirin High, a high school with a basketball team that no one knows.
Katsumi, a naturally talented power player from America joins Seirin High looking for a challenge. He meets Tetsuya Kuroko, an extremely ordinary and, in fact, below average basketball player. Kagami, along with the rest of the team, soon find out that Kuroko is in fact, the mysterious 6th member of the Miracle Generation. Kuroko and Kagami make a pact to work together and combine forces to bring Seirin to the top.
Characters:
Overall for characters: Characters definitely developed, changed, and progressed over the first season. I loved seeing mainly Kuroko and Kagami change their views on basketball and rethink their values. It's always interesting to see characters change for the better, and come out stronger.
Kuroko: It's really hard not to fall in love with a character like Kuroko. It's once in a blue moon where you find the main character to be so
plain that he becomes invisible! It's fun that Kuroko's so umpredictable and indifferent about everything that makes him and his basketball style the way it is. In the beginning, you'll see the anime make a bunch of cracks that he's "invisible," but they gradually die down. Kuroko is a down to earth, no-nonsense guy that wants the best for his school, his team, and for his friends.
Kagami: This guy is a living representation of anger, and frustration. His attitude is fiery, angry, and aggressive. He's also the guy that gets uncomfortable when it comes to conveying his emotions (other than anger). Kagami's "get-the-heck-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-crush-you" attitude perfectly balances out Kuroko's calmness.
Other Players in Seirin High (Kurko's/Kagami's) Basketball Team:
Definitely can't forget about these guys. Although they seem quite insignificant compared to the Gen. of Miracles, they're still important players to the team. It is enjoyable to see that the story doesn't solely focus on the "special" players. The uppperclassmen on Seirin's team really help the team morale going, and you can't help but enjoy watching the tiny female high school junior coach Riko Aida whip whole basketball team into shape!
Other Players in Miracle Generation:
Okay, so it's no big surprise that Kagami and Kuroko work together and play games against the members of the Miracle Generation. Of course, with great talent and athletic ability, there comes a great ego. "Egotistical" is a great word to sum up each of these guys. Currently, in the 25 episodes that have come out, we only meet, or come in depth with 3 of the 5 unknown members of the Miracle Generation, and this is assuming that there will be a 2nd series of Kuroko's Basketball. Each member has his own deep back story, which explains why the each generation of miracles acts the way he does. While it may seem that many of the Generation of Miracles are antagonists in this series, they really open up.
Art Style:
The art style and animation is really great and fits the story perfectly. What I like about the style is that while it's normally 2-D, it'll switch into a 3D mode when focusing on the basketball. The perspectives vary, and the art is sketchy - there are usually only 2 or 3 tones of color on a character, so there isn't much of a flashy quality to it. The art, tone, and feel of the aesthetics of the show walks hand in hand with the plot.
Story line: As for how the story goes, I like it much better than Slam Dunk because it doesn't focus on romance at all. It's more focused on the actual sport, the players' non-romantic relationships evolve, and their attitudes towards basketball. It's lots of basketball and backstories. No romance here. So if you're lookin' for some KagamixKuroko relationships, go away. It's not gonna happen.
Something random:One of the things that I find funny in these animes is that all the dynamic, important, talented characters have some wacky/bright hair color. So in the anime, when someone has a freakishly, unhuman hairstyle/color, you know they're gonna be important in the future. Maybe that's why Kagami's hair is red (he's a hot-head) and Kuroko's hair is blue (he's usually pretty level headed/calm)???
Music: The music, performed by GRANRODEO, in this anime served its purpose. It's pretty good. It's definitely an op for a shonen show; there's no frilly pink lace or fluffy flowers.
Here's a link if you're interested in listening/watching to the opening. Maybe you'll get a sense of the animation art style. I thought they were both pretty good!
First opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHq_tlxxnEk&feature=related
Second opening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUXMuKSZUo&feature=related
Annoyances
All this talk of Kuroko and Kagami beating the Miracle of Generations seemed to lead on and on and on.... for nothing. Although Kuroko and Kagami DO have their awesome moments, let's be honest here. So far, throughout the first season, there has been much talk of Kuroko and Kagami developing a basketball style SO AWESOME that it'll beat everyone else.
Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
Well, it's the 25th episode....and nothing has happened since! WAKE UP KUROKO & KAGAMI AND DO SOMETHING. I don't need you to mope for 5 episodes straight about how you weren't able to beat some freakish hulk of a basketball player-dude, you're invisible, you can't shoot, and your only weapon is to be "invisible" in the game. OBVIOUSLY a guy who can do everything on the court (not just specialize in passing the dang ball to someone *cough*KUROKO*cough*) can beat you.
Don't get me wrong, I love Kuroko, but it's annoying how they haven't developed SOME solid sort of technique yet. Sometimes, it just gets plain boring. And repetitive. Sometimes it'd take 2-3 episodes just to get through ONE basketball game.
Overall: If you're interested in any type of sporty-shonen anime, and like watching characters develop, then you'll definitely LOVE this Kuroko's Basketball.
Kuroko's Basketball, originally created by Tadatoshi Fujimaki and anime-adapted by Noburo Takagi, is such an irrisistable world you can't help but fall in love with.
However, DON'T WATCH THIS if you
a) HATE sports
b) HATE shonen anime
c) HATE slow plots/progression
d) HATE waiting for a possible, undeclared next season, that might leave this series to be a let-down from the way the first series let off
e) HATE angry characters (there're a LOT of pent-up agressive high-school males in this anime. Just warning you. If you hadn't noticed from Kagami's angry face on the title cover)
f) HATE mostly boys as main characters in an anime
g) HATE characters so extremely obsessed about sports
h) HATE arrogant people
i) WANT a romance anime; go away, this is definitely not a romance show.
