Basquash! - Episode 2

The first episode of Basquash! quite simply blew my mind, seemingly snatching the best bits of various series from Eureka Seven through to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, and doing it all in a beautifully polished and compelling fashion. Making an impressive opener is the easy part though, so can the series continue to hold my attention?

After destroying the local stadium, and pretty much putting an end to the bankability of Big Foot Basketball as a whole, "Dunk Mask" has served his year of jail time and is a free man at last. What a difference a year makes though, as Dan finds himself walking into a much-changed world. For starters, he's become a legend thanks to his shenanigans, swamped by adoring fans looking for an autograph while Big Foot Street Basketball has become the sport of the moment. Even the girls are after him... Well, one girl in particular, serving him up with a bunch of flowers upon his release.


However, being a legend won't pay the bills, and boy does Dan have a hefty bill to pay, with the total damage he caused to the stadium and corporate interests adding up to more zeros than you can throw a giant basketball at. There's only one thing for it - Dan is going to have to suck up his legendary status and get a job. The work comes easily enough for him though courtesy of Miyuki, who sets up a home delivery Bigfoot service that becomes hugely popular after some initial teething troubles that adds to Dan's debt. However, like all good ideas others quickly catch on to it, and Dan soon has some serious rivalry in terms of both home delivery and his own street cred - Competition from a surprising quarter to boot...

It would be unfair to expect episode two of Basquash! to live up to the first, but once again the first thing that becomes apparent about the series is that it oozes polish, from the excellent use of CG through to the fantastic backdrops and artwork (with a passing nod to Fallout 3 at one point I thought). Plot-wise, things carry on moving at an excellent pace, keeping things interesting by delving into the injury which has crippled Coco and why Dan is so desperate to reach the Moon as well as giving us a tiny glimpse of Miyuki's past. Even without these flashbacks to fill in the blanks, the story remains compelling, blending humour, action and half-decent dialogue to keep this series is running as one with both savvy and attitude in equal measure. How this will pan out over twenty-six episodes I have no idea, but I continue to have a very good feeling about this series as a potential big hit - If you haven't check it out already, it really is well worth watching.