Kuroko no Basket 3rd Season

Finally... I got to finish this anime. Even few hours after I finished watching, adrenaline still overflowing inside of me. I really enjoy this season. Okay, before reviewing, I have read all the manga chapters before the anime even started the third season. Even though I did enjoy reading it, I was not that hyped up for the ending... but the anime did the reverse. With solid story as the base, characters we have grown to love, animated in such an astounding way, this is one of the rare case when I feel more enjoyment with the anime. Story: 8/10 After the winning the match againstYosen, Seirin team proceeds to semifinal facing Kaijou. In the same time, Shutoku vs Rakuzan. Both have fought hard, but in the end Seirin got to meet Rakuzan in the final. Before the final showdown, we are shown a flashback of the days of Kuroko with the Generation of Miracles back in Teikou middle school. Then.. yeah, the showdown. The storyline of the anime faithfully follows the manga, which makes me utterly happy. Art: 9/10 Production I.G outdone itself once again. While the previous seasons are good, this season is particularly so much better. With more flashy opening sequence, better and smoother animated movements... Knowing a bit about 2D animation, I am in awe thinking how much frame they used to make those pose, passes, throws, shoots very smoothly. Dribbles and drives are especially better here. They may use a bit of CG but it is used very efficiently and can blend rather well with the other animation. Effects like the Zone, Kuroko's magic passes are done very well too. Colors are very bright and brilliant. I really love the flashback arc in particular. The colors of the sakura trees, sunset, inside of the stadium... everything is really pleasing to the eye. The only thing keeping the art from getting 10/10 is.. sometimes the animation quality drops a bit and slight distortion in the character design at times. Nevertheless, it is really great. Sound: 9/10 This is one of the major factor that keeps the experience of watching anime better compared to reading the manga. Upbeat opening and ending songs, then background music that is pumping your energy during matches.. mellow music during sadder or reflective scenes... They make everything so much more exciting, grande and emotional when the time calls for it. Seiyuus / voice actors are doing their roles very well. ^^ Character: 10/10 If you follow Kuroko no Basket since the very beginning, you will see a lot of development, both in the characters personally and how they interact with the others. After meeting Seirin, Generation of Miracles gets more humble and they got reminded of how fun playing basketball is. Well, they kinda lost the excitement of playing since they consecutively won with ease during Teikou days.. Then we got to see more of the first years in Seirin.. Furihata, Fukuda, Kawahara.. finally they got to enter the court at least. Also more screentime for Koganei, Tsuchida and Mitobe. The starters in Seirin has developed to the better too.. they have better teamwork and trust to support each other. Kagami is powered up some more.. Kuroko is no longer as stoic and expressionless compared to the very start. Kiyoshi, Hyuuga and Izuki also has their glorious moments. The other characters like the guys from Touou, Shutoku, Kaijou, Yosen, other schools that went against Seirin before are also shown. Basically everyone who have made their appearance in this series from season 1 appeared again, in the match or among the audience, contributing either by encouraging the cast or giving their observation about the match. This really highlights that the season 3 is really the final. Enjoyment: 9/10 Although the direction of the series may seem very clear and Shutoku vs Rakuzan is very one-sided, the matches are so hard for Seirin vs Kaijou making me brimming with excitement. I'm kinda sad the flashback (which is my most favorite part) is not that highlighted and only have 4 episodes. However, although short, they managed to cover the most important parts and tug in your heart, especially after Ogiwara's team went against Teikou. I really feel heartbroken along with Kuroko and Ogiwara. And when the final match is over, I also feel triumphant. Overall: 9/10 A really good way to wrap up the story of Kuroko Tetsuya and his basketball journey. Highly recommended for sports lovers and of course, the fans of Kuroko no Basket manga. You won't be disappointed :)

At this point, Kuroko no Basket (Kuroko’s Basketball) is a series that needs no introduction. After two seasons of competitive gameplay, we have the third and final season to conclude the entire story based off the manga written by Tadatoshi Fujimaki. If you’re really anxious to see how the Winter Cup will be decided and who will earn the ultimate glory, then this is a must-see for KnB fans. Otherwise, I confess to myself that the third season is a bit of a hit or miss. For starters, the third season still takes place in the same setting with Seirin High as the main focus. Notonly is Kuroko, one of the legendary Generation of Miracles, on the team but there’s also much we learn about the rest of his former teammates. The third season already establishes the foundations of basketball, the most prominent players, and what’s at stake. As the previous seasons introduced most of the prominent rivals, there’s little need to bring new challengers. As such, expect this season to focus more on the existing players; characters such as the Generation of Miracles and Uncrowned Kings from Rakuzan. There’s also a good amount of history from behind the scenes for the main supporting players as well. And that’s really something to say about the show. Kuroko no Basket approaches its premise to characterize its players especially for the ones that the audience may care about the most. Other than Kuroko, we have the distinctive Generation of Miracles. We find out much more about them in ways that really makes us understand them beyond just on the court. It also gives the audience as a sense of appreciation for the reasons that Kuroko left behind his former team and is now part of Seirin High. As with any competitive sport, basketball is no exception to rivalries. Early on the show, we can easily see rivalries that go head in head on the court. These include Kise Ryouta vs Shogo Haizaki, Seijuro Akashi vs. Shintaro Midorima, and later on Seirin vs. Rakuzen. A good portion of these matches are intimidating. And sticking with its shounen style, the show still pulls out its supernatural-like gimmicks with the players’ moves. Kise’s copycat and Akashi’s Emperor Eye are prime examples of this as we see how they can influence the outcome of a game. As much as this can be appealing, it really comes off as edgy and unrealistic. There’s little to relate with and most of the time, this season attempts to wow the audience with diehard efforts. By this time, it’s really repetitive and doesn’t bring much with these establishes gimmicks. The plus side of this might be the fact that the show still retains its electrifying energy. After all, basketball is a game that requires both the individual and collective effort of a team to succeed. And as one of the sports that requires constant movement on the court, the show creates its full throttle mood with delicacy. I mentioned this before but Kuroko no Basket has a lot of story written into each game. Players facing off often had a history in some way or form with one another. This doesn’t just include rivalries but friendships as well. For instance, Shintaro’s decision to join Shutoku High is influenced by his teammate, Kazunari Takao. Some episodes reveals more about each of the prominent players through its in-game storytelling. At the same time, it spawns emotions to connect players’ dedications and their reasons to play in the first place. So in essence, you could say that the show’s characters are all like chapters of a story with each episode progressing that said story. However, some of these stories aren’t what can be really memorable. As Kagami already had plenty of development, there’s little more to improve his character. Instead, do expect a bit more focus on some of its other supporting characters with their own stories. Kuroko no Basket is not a drama show. However, the drama it attempts to craft go in a lot of directions. I think the show at times is really trying to send a message of some sorts towards the audience. How does it try to get the message across? With a lot of intention to persuade the audience for what the players are trying to accomplish, the series really at time feels like it’s a sermon. Not that the speeches are anything malicious or in that particular way, but the series itself really should do more than just go with the usual cliché dialogues. However, I do give some praise to the characters’ performances throughout the majority of this season. On or off the court, it’s entrancing to see how they react and play with engaging momentum. For the third time in a row, Production I.G. takes the task to produce a good quality show with its artwork style. Character designs and expression are well decorated on most terms to fit with their personalities. Each school that plays in this season also has its own distinctive uniforms that stands out in their own way. However, the most promising technical aspect is the shounen-style coordination of the gameplay. Kuroko no Basket is always known to pull out crazy moves that is beyond normal human comprehension. So what should you expect? The same intense elements of what you should be used to from the previous seasons. And that would be an excitement of powerful and compelling movements with clever camera angles, facial expressions, and emotional attachment. It communicates its message to the audience at how weak or strong a team is both individually, or in other cases, the players individually. Soundtrack relies mostly on itself to adapt the gameplay when it needs to be. The most noticeable feature includes thrilling timings when significant moves are made where the soundtrack plays a key role. Character voice mannerisms also retains its expectations although nothing really home to write home about compared to its OST. And on a more decorative aspect, there are various OP and ED theme songs that reflect the momentum of the third season. It’s been a long ride. With over 70 episodes, various OVAs, and a franchise that makes basketball looks like a battlefield, you could say that the destination has finally be reached with everything it had to offer. Unfortunately, the third season isn’t a much improvement from before and the final game has a lot of the usual generic themes written in like a textbook. But is it worth watching in the end? I’d still say yes especially for fans eager to see who will win the Winter Cup. Anyone who is interested at learning more about the Generation of Miracles will also be in for a treat; despite the bit of rush in content based on the manga. It’s still a sensational feeling to realize the destination has finally been reached though.

First of all, I will clear things out by saying, that I am a big fan of season 1 & 2 of this anime series. I liked almost everthing about those two anime. Eventhough with such a great prequels the third season felt a bit too repetitive. While watching this anime I felt like I have watched the same things in season one & two. The thing that I loved about the first two seasons was character development which was somewhat missing in season 3. The story is good and it give the whole in depth backstory of all the players. This backstory helps viewerunderstand why kuroko is so passionate about basketball. Plot of the story is also good which helps the anime to get viewer interested and watch it untill the end. Overall I would say the anime doesn't live upto the expectation that the viewers or I would say I personally had for this anime. In the end, I would say if you are fan of this anime series you should watch it but don't keep your expectations too high.

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