I have to say, it was nice to get through an episode of Hoshiai no Sora without a horrifying post-credits scene.  After last week it was much needed – I don’t think the storyline with hell dad is anywhere near resolved (in fact I expect things to get worse before they get better) but this show is about a lot more than that.  Kids have an amazing ability to compartmentalize their lives, which allows them to cling on to a semblance of normalcy amidst traumatic situations up to and including wars, and I think that’s very much a part of the vibe Akane Kazuki is going for here.

In fact, this episode was pretty much all boys being boys, with all the goofy sense of fun that implies.  It was a competition ep too, and Hoshiai didn’t disappoint – it’s doing a wonderful job depicting the sport of soft tennis both visually and narratively.  I love the way Takahashi Yuuichi is drawing and animating the boys during the matches, as they coil and uncoil with the preternatural flexibility of the very young and athletic, and one gets a real sense for the strategy of the sport (which is both like and unlike “normal” tennis in myriad ways).

The truth of the matter is that on paper, Shijo Minami should have absolutely no chance against a power school like Misaki.  Hell, even the first-years who’re reduced to the role of cheer squad should probably be enough to handle Shijo.  So really, this match is about what attitude the underdogs bring into it, and walk away from it with.  And in that context I think the results are quite encouraging, both on and off the court.  And in terms of attitude, Misaki pretty much has this penciled in as a walk in the park.  To be fair there’s no reason why they shouldn’t, though there’s no call for anyone to be as obnoxious about it as their mouthpiece Ouji-kun (who’s just a second-year himself).

Shijo Minami starts off in style with a pre-match baka grasshopper dance, one of my favorite moments of the season so far.  First up on-court it’s the shrinking violets Tauyou and Nao, and – like their teammates to follow – they have the benefit of Yuuta’s scouting reports to help them prepare.  They get off to a strong start, winning the first game (this will be a theme) with their “both men back” style throwing the overconfident opponent for a loop at first.  Their defense-first approach fits their personalities and it’s pretty effective, and you can see the pair of them growing in confidence as they realize they don’t suck.  The Misaki pair regroups and sweeps the remaining games for a 3-1 win (these are best of 5 matches, no 2-game margin needed) but the shy boys leave the court feeling better about themselves than when they walked onto it.

Next it’s Rintarou and Itsuki, who likewise win the first game before being swept out 3-1.  Their opponent features a tricksy slice first serve and is clearly a better pair that Misaki’s leadoff duo, but they have to work hard for their chit.  Almost as hard as the pair who take on the idiot power-duo of Tsubasa and Shingo, who again manage to take the first game before being pipped 3-1 by their hard-serving opponents.  Frankly their “strategy” comfortably crosses the line into bad sportsmanship in my view – hell, Ouji liking it so much is a bad sign – but their brash confidence and raw power give this pairing a pretty high upside down the line.

Finally, of course it has to be Maki and Touma going last, and naturally Ouji is the lead dog for their opposing pair.  That pair is Misaki’s ace team, and Ouji has what seems to be a nearly unreturnable first serve.  For a change Shijo doesn’t even get a sniff in the first game, and Toumaki seem pretty overmatched – but Maki isn’t remotely fazed.  And this makes me think that as terrible as what he has to endure with his father is, there is an upside of sorts – he’s certainly not afraid of anybody else.  What’s a brash-talking popinjay like Ouji who still smells of mother’s milk compared to Maki’s demon of an old man?  That doesn’t make any of it remotely worth it, but it does help explain why Maki is so unperturbed by what the rest of the world throws at him.