This year, the basketball-themed Kuroko No Basket could be the manga and anime that I am excited
about the most. Compared to Slam Dunk – which is more realistic – Kuroko No Basket is more ludicrous and
fantastic. It is not yet as insanely
over-the-top as Eyeshield 21, but it’s
still as unbelievable and absurd as Prince
of Tennis. It’s awesome.
The recent Chapter 236 of the
manga could be the most pivotal point of the series. The potential for awesomeness is
near-bursting that it compels me to write about it. It made me really excited on what would come next
after this development.
So the titular character, Tetsuya
Kuroko, is not really a very skillful player.
In fact, he’s so unexceptional that people always fail to notice him. But he uses his lack of
presence to his advantage – the skill of misdirection. Once opponents fail to take notice of his
presence on the court, Kuroko is free to properly position himself to set imperceptible
passes to his teammates or make steals.
Hence, he changes or dictates the flow of the game to the advantage of
his team. He’s a very interesting character
(I even used him as
a metaphor for a worship leader).
Therefore, the key for Kuroko’s success
is for him to be ignored and be invisible.
However, as the story progressed, Kuroko has evolved his game to be a
better player. Before, he would merely
deflect the ball towards teammates, since touching the ball for a long time
would negate his misdirection techniques (for players pay the most attention
towards the ball). But then, he
developed a Vanishing Drive, allowing him to maintain his misdirection even
with the ball on his hands. Before, he
never does any scoring. But then, he
developed a Phantom Shot, allowing him to shoot a shot that is as “invisible”
(hence, unblockable) as his passes.
Because of his successes and his
fancy techniques, he had eventually drawn the attention of people – players and
audience alike – on him, making him lose what makes him special – his skill of
misdirection. Without it, lacking other
basketball skills, he would be incapable of helping his team. This was unbeknownst to him until it was too
late.
What is the next step for Kuroko? What will he do now?
I like to think that it is now
impossible for him to regain his “misdirection” technique. It defeats the purpose of the events of
chapter 236 if he still does eventually.
He is now a celebrity. Everybody
knows he has significantly helped his team to reach the finals.
I think the better outcome is
this: this stressful development will force Kuroko to access an untapped
basketball brilliance in his subconscious.
Having the Generation of Miracles as teammates for years could have had an
unconscious effect on him. He could have
unconsciously developed a Generation of Miracles-level of basketball
genius. He enters the “zone”. That would be great.
Everything about the story is
leading to this. This championship match
they are having has been declared as the “final battle”, so this could be the
last story arc. Hence, this should be
where Kuroko as a basketball player culminates.
Up to this point, Kuroko’s basketball position has been undefined. This game can finally dictate and determine
his true position. He can emerge as a
brilliant playmaking point guard or point forward, staying true to his “pass-first”
personality.
Or he can have a “reverse Rukawa”
moment. In the “final battle” in Slam Dunk, Rukawa – who has always been focused
on scoring – realizing he can’t beat the Sawakita (the opposing team’s ace)
with his usual one-on-one game, decided to do passes instead of scoring. The opposite think can happen to Kuroko, who
has always been making passes; he will evolve into an unstoppable scorer
instead.
Either way (or any other way), I
expect whatever the result of Kuroko’s ultimate transformation (which is sure
to happen) be is going to be epic!
