Very good episode, and it was great to simply see more Saki again.
The episode was a bit fast-paced, but I found this made for a good contrast after the Teru finale of this past Summer.
The episode being fast-paced also meant that, in true Saki fashion, they were able to cram in an impressive amount of character and world building here. I don't know if any anime takes as much care in developing every last named character as Saki does. This usually makes me care about each character (at least a little bit), and it always makes the Ski-verse seem more full and rich and immersive.
There are two specific notes I want to make, though - One positive and one a bit critical. Let's do the "bad news" first.
What I found a bit weird here was Harue jumping
right into Kuro training the moment Kuro gets back to Team Achiga's room... even while this match is still ongoing! I mean,
wow, shouldn't the team be focusing on Yuu's competition now? And then on Ako's competition? Wouldn't you want to save specialized training until the full match is over?
I mean, if I was one of the other members of Team Achiga, I'd probably feel like Harue was giving Kuro preferential treatment compared to the rest of the team, arguably to the point that Harue was neglecting the rest of the team. I could maybe understand this if Kuro was to this team what Gretzky was to the Oilers or what Jordan was to the Bulls, but I didn't think Kuro was
that much better than the rest of her team.
Now, as for the positive note, I continue to be very impressed with Teru. What a consummate professional. No bragging, no high-fives, no basking in the afterglow of having totally dominated a match, just pure professionalism. Even giving her opponents extra credit, and continuing to feel concern for Toki. Wow, what a classy professional! And we know it's authentic too, because it's just Teru and her teammates here. It's not like Teru has to be a good sport because she's in front of the cameras, this is presumably the
real Teru.
And then Teru gets right into studying the next match, and rapidly figures out the danger that Sumire has caught herself in. Teru is not only her team's top player, she's also a real leader that pays close attention to her teammates.
My only concern with Teru is that she's almost too cool, too smooth. It's honestly hard to believe. Not even a slight smirk over a massive victory. I can't help but feel that the girl could use a bit more pizazz in her life. But still, amazing professionalism.
All in all, a very good episode, and it's great to see more Saki!
