You can skip the well drinks – that was top-shelf stuff right there, the good stuff. This episode of Baby Steps was awesome every day and twice on Sundays, and since it’s Sunday that means it was even more awesome.  As I said last week, it was very obvious that […] Read more

Variety is indeed the spice of life. Sports anime are like snowflakes – no two alike.  So are sports manga leads and tennis players, and thank goodness for that.  I suppose such a series would be boring if the main character wasn’t exceptional, but the thing is that there are […] Read more

I know I’ve said it before, but this is one series where the title is absolutely truth in advertising. I feel like a parent sometimes when I’m dealing with adaptations of manga that I especially love.  When my kid goes out into the world I want everybody to love them, […] Read more

In case it wasn’t obvious enough, this was a very important episode of Baby Steps. It’s a pretty great time to be a fan of sports anime.  Yowamushi Pedal was just confirmed for a second season, Ping Pong is establishing itself as a unique and brilliant take on the genre, […] Read more

Baby Steps is still Baby Steps, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Before we begin, this seems like the right post to pass along congratulations to Nishikori Kei, who this week achieved a major milestone – he became the first Japanese man to break into the Top 10 in the […] Read more

Watching Baby Steps, I really understand how Hanashima-san felt at this moment. I want to play… If there’s anything I can say against Baby Steps, it’s that watching or reading Ei-chan experience the game of tennis fills me with the overwhelming desire to go out and play it myself right […] Read more

Baby Steps really is a series of paradoxes, and I’m not sure that will serve it well (no pun intended) in  reaching its audience. There’s definitely a Yin and Yang quality to the two Sunday supper sports anime this season, and it’s one reason that I worry about Baby Steps.  […] Read more

Sometimes, trying not to get your hopes up too much is the hardest thing of all. I’m not going to say that I wish Pierrot (Sundays are a very good day for them this season) and Murata-sensei’s Baby Steps wasn’t any good, or that it was already selling out the […] Read more

Pardon me as I just breathe a little sigh of relief, even as I don’t allow myself to relax yet. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: to paraphrase Roger Ebert, I love Baby Steps.  Love, love. love, love, love Baby Steps. Clear enough, I hope.  I make no pretense […] Read more