Basquash! - Episode 10

After the relative success of their game against the idols of Eclipse, Dan finds himself to be reported as a man in decline, suffering a slump in form on account of his personal issues. I'm sure it goes without saying that all of those issues spring forth from Coco's accident, no matter how long gone and in the past that may be...

These issues are thrust well and truly into the spotlight on two counts during the course of this, in part due to actions taken by Slash (the mysterious white-haired person who has been hanging around for a fair few episodes now, and whose purpose is now starting to be revealed) but mostly due to Rouge, one of the idols of the aforementioned group Eclipse who seems to have taken rather a personal interest to Dan. This interest culminates in a one-on-one match between herself and Dan, in an attempt both to show him the root of his problems and to lift that particular "curse" from his play.


While this wasn't a bad episode, perhaps too much introspection and inner turmoil don't really suit Basquash! so well - Shorn of some of its "in your face" attitude even the basketball segments seemed to struggle a little to really hold anything special for the viewer. Still, that aside this was a part of the story that needed to be told I suppose, and with that out of the way (and OCB enjoying a resurgence despite Haruka and her merry band's mutiny) there's still plenty of promise here, and I fully expect this series to be back to its best again next time around.