Kuroko no Basket: Tip Off (OVA)

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Based on the amount of people who have seen and commented on the second season announcement of Kuroko no Basket, I'm guessing some of you need this OVA in the mean time.

Let me start by answering a question I'm likely to be asked; yes this is material taken from the manga.  A chapter in between the Seirin training camp and the Kaijou-Toou match that brought an end to season one.  Of course a single chapter of Kuroko no Basket wouldn't be enough for an entire episode, so the staff decided to give us a little extra.  The extra was either really silly like the robber scene or it was just an opportunity to showcase the Teiko cast.

More than anything, this was just a slice-of-life episode from Kise's point of view.  There was little basketball involved, but plenty of comedy and some teasers for the two members we don't know about. Unlike the usual episodes of Kuroko no Basket's first season, there was some depth and insight into the characters.  Not to say the series is shallow, but it did prioritize cool basketball moves over character focus.

In many ways, Kise's importance to the story is under-sold.  He's the first opponent (but he loses) and he's also shown great potential against Aomine (still lost).  His losses come from being the runt of a beastly litter, and that's what also makes him the perfect character for the purpose of this OVA.  As with all series adapted from manga, there's still a lot to his character and involvement in Kuroko no Basket, and we have yet to see it.  This was just a start.  Not only do we look back at Kise's rise as a player, we also see the others in action.

For those who don't read the manga, I'm sure the highlights included were the first time introductions of Akashi and Murasakibara.  These two remaining members have some mystery surrounding them after season one's conclusion, with Akashi taking up most of said mystery.  Whether you read the manga or not, it doesn't take much to guess Murasakibara's position or playing style - he's no PG - but we're teased with Akashi.  The man who confidently stands there and plays without lifting a finger, leaves us with a lot of questions to be answered.

Whatever you make of this OVA, I can't deny my enjoyment.  Whilst I may not have blogged the first season of the anime I was more than pleased with what Production I.G did with the adaptation.  This was just a friendly reminder that they did stand up job with Kuroko no Basket, and that there's more to come.