I’ve “cosplayed” Kuroko no Basket, and by that I mean I have the basketball uniform which I sometimes wear to the gym. So not really cosplaying, but this manga/anime stands out for me because I’m not someone that normally reads or watches sports related stuff. It’s weird, I don’t actually know anything about basketball but it’s really fun!
It follows Seirin Boy’s Basketball team, the main character being Kuroko who the title is named after. Kuroko was on the “Generation of Miracles” in middle school, but was referred to as the phantom player. The story basically revolves around that. The Generation of Miracles was a team that dominated every other team in middle school, finishing unbeaten. However because each of their members were so strong, they split up in high school, all aiming to become the “strongest” player ever. Then there’s Kuroko. His specialty is having no presence, both in real life and on the court. People are constantly overlooking him, often for comedic effect when he speaks up and surprises them by being there all along. This works in basketball because he uses his lack of presence as well as interesting passes to get past the other teams!
I’m not sure if anyone really plays basketball like that, I don’t think it works in real life. Sure people do funny passes, but hmm, manga has this thing where it’s not so realistic. I like it a lot though, firstly it got me in because the main character is so unassuming and that makes him interesting. Then there’s the chemistry between him and his teammates, the character development and building of friendships. You really end up cheering for his team! So you watch the team come together, play matches together and it’s all fun and games.
The story further develops as they go into competitions and championships or whatever it is that sports people do, and we slowly meet members from The Generation of Miracles. They all seem like ridiculously skilled douche-bags, and you want Seirin Team to beat them! Obviously they don’t win all the games, but it’s amazing when there’s so much back-story that seeps in, with occasional chapters of flashbacks. This really keeps you interested.
The art is typical shounen style, but I like it and I think it’s done well. There’s more attention to detail than a lot of other sports manga, but you read it for the plot. Overall it just has a lot of characters you can come to really like, and it brings out the message of kinship between team players. There’s hardly, if any, romance and very few other things besides the game. I wonder how Japanese basketball compares to American basketball? Kuroko really is an interesting character, not being strong or really good at anything other than passes. Watching his development is really great though.
If you like anime, or read manga (which is what I do) I really suggest taking a look at this. Even if you’re not into sports!