Kuroko’s Basketball (aka Kuroko no Basket) is a sports anime featuring high school basketball players. It centers on Kuroko, a member of an elite middle school basketball team whose best players split up when they move to high school. Kuroko meets up with Kagami, who had just moved from the USA, and they come together to defeat his former teammates and the best basketball players in the country, the Generation of Miracles.

Kuroko’s Basketball is an amazing showcase of the genre that is constantly overshadowed by its peers and here are a few reasons why you should watch (or re-watch) this anime.

ART STYLE AND ACTION

Kuroko’s Basketball features some of the best anime art in the industry. Each character, location, and set-piece is beautifully realized in the anime. Simple scenes like characters just hanging out or complex action pieces like basketball games come to life with dazzling images.

Other sports anime, like Haikyuu, may opt for a more realistic style but Kuroko’s Basketball uses its genre norms to create amazing showcases of basketball skill, tactics, and ingenuity. From amazing dribble moves that break ankles, jaw-dropping long-range shots that hit nothing but net and even spectacular dunks that shatter backboards, Kuroko’s Basketball brings it all to kinetic, frenetic life.

It also manages to use the ‘anime time’ mechanic to create amazing moments of tension and clutch performances when the basketball games enter their final seconds. It’s incredibly unrealistic but it’s incredibly fun.

CHARACTERS

Kuroko’s Basketball features some of the most unique characters in anime. Every member of the Generation of Miracles is unique and interesting in some way. Be it the expressively fun and adaptable Kise, the childish juggernaut that is Murasakibara, the arrogant wild card Aomine, the stoic sharpshooting Midorima, the analytic exuberance of Satsuki or the conflicted but ambitious Akashi, they are all undeniably captivating.

Then you add in the fiercely competitive Kagami, the other fun characters of the Seirin Basketball Club, and the myriad of other characters in opposing basketball teams and this anime has interesting characters for every single episode you watch.

KUROKO

Kuroko, our main character, deserves a section all on his own as he is atypical when compared to the standard anime main character. A gentle soul who loves to play basketball with his friends, Kuroko is completely inept at the game. No matter how much he trains or how hard he tries, typical basketball is almost impossible for him.

He is also very easy to miss, as his presence or personality doesn’t immediately stand out. Unlike most main characters, Kuroko does not seek out or desire the spotlight.

But his intense determination drives him to discover how to use his shortcomings to become an absolute terror for opposing teams. Using his unassuming nature and impressive skills of misdirection, Kuroko manages to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Generation of Miracles, each of whom recognizes and respects his unique talents.

Through the trying moments that broke apart the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko never lost his way and stayed true to himself. His love for basketball and his desire to play with his friends again pushes him forwards through his bleakest moments.

MOTIVATIONAL MOMENTS

Kuroko’s Basketball also manages to be incredibly motivational with its plot and characters, especially with regards to Kuroko and the Generation of Miracles. After this close-knit group of friends splits up, they start treating each other more like rivals and antagonists and develop very arrogant personalities in the process. Kuroko seeks a return to their former camaraderie and his persistence is absolutely remarkable.

Kuroko’s struggles as a basketball player are also a main focus of the anime. Despite his lackluster skills at typical basketball, Kuroko is easily the most crucial part of the Seirin team’s game. He doesn’t develop amazing dribbling or shooting skills but his ability to enhance offense and defense with his illusionary passes and misdirection are second to none. By finding his path, Kuroko is able to find great success.

Kuroko’s Basketball also illuminates the struggles of the Seirin team, the Generation of Miracles and how they manage to overcome them. By illustrating their character flaws that each one saw as a strength, the anime shows how their flaws hold them back and allows them to demonstrate significant growth as players and as people.

CONCLUSION

Kuroko’s Basketball may be overshadowed by other juggernauts like Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Tower of God, but it provides some of the best anime fun the genre has to provide.