More importantly, Nodoka and Yuuki are both keep to see in Hanada in action - a desire which sees Haramura also spotting some old friends in the form of the girls from Achiga's tea. In light of this, Nodoka decides to forgo watching the match on television in favour of a trip to the auditorium, with both Yuuki and Saki in tow, although the latter quickly drops out as some uneasy memories rush into her mind on account of those currently playing.
Once inside, Nodoka gets to meet her old Achiga friends (matching up with the end of Episode of Side-A, of course), provides some goodies for Hanada, and both hets to watch some of the match while finding herself quizzed on her links to Achiga by the journalist who helpfully offers up the press room for her to view the game. With one semi-final now completed, it's time for Kiyosumi to take to the stage once again to fight for a place in the final, while we have to sit on our hands until the inevitable continuation of The Nationals is announced.
Saki - The Nationals certainly had its moments, but for my money they were far, far too sparsely sprinkled throughout this series, which rarely managed to produce much of the show's traditional magic as it got bogged down in its vast character roster and pointless journeys into the back stories of that huge cast. It's a real shame, as I still like the show and what it does even at its most ludicrous, but I'm here for the "sport" and the dramatic tension inherent within it rather than the decidedly samey tales of friendship which run through the series. Perhaps the prospect of a national semi-final for Kiyosumi can bring those important elements back to the fore, but we'll have to wait and see on that one - for now though, I have to mark The Nationals down as something of a disappointment overall.
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