I'll start by saying I have no interest in basketball, so I never expected to like this series/movie so much.
For the last instalment of the story, Japan is faced against a choice select of American street ball players that take disrespect to a new level. The dream team of high schoolers are assembled to combat the Americans for the right to play basketball.
It was a great storyline, and I loved the progression of the game; however, I will say it did feel a bit rushed overall. For instance, I must have missed the third break before the last quarter because next thing I knew they were talking about the final few minutes of the game. I expected to feel rushed, however, due to the format being a movie instead of a 26-episode season/multi-movie storyline. Though, it definitely would have benefitted from more than 130 minutes of screen time.
I'd say my last gripe preventing the perfect star rating would be some of the side stories or elements outside the game felt unfinished. Early in the movie, Kagami is sitting alone and students say he's alone because he had a fight with the basketball team; no friends in sight. However, next scene is pretty much him with the team and Kuroko following behind him without issue. This aside, the time constraint didn't allow for them to delve into the character relationships. This includes the sudden departure at the end and limited time saying goodbyes, as well as getting the gang together one week before the game and having a solid 30 seconds before the game started. We never got to see much interaction after a long time no see.
However, the game itself, mindful of the time constraint, was animated beautifully. Slightly different method for fast-paced scenes than the series.
For the last instalment of the story, Japan is faced against a choice select of American street ball players that take disrespect to a new level. The dream team of high schoolers are assembled to combat the Americans for the right to play basketball.
It was a great storyline, and I loved the progression of the game; however, I will say it did feel a bit rushed overall. For instance, I must have missed the third break before the last quarter because next thing I knew they were talking about the final few minutes of the game. I expected to feel rushed, however, due to the format being a movie instead of a 26-episode season/multi-movie storyline. Though, it definitely would have benefitted from more than 130 minutes of screen time.
I'd say my last gripe preventing the perfect star rating would be some of the side stories or elements outside the game felt unfinished. Early in the movie, Kagami is sitting alone and students say he's alone because he had a fight with the basketball team; no friends in sight. However, next scene is pretty much him with the team and Kuroko following behind him without issue. This aside, the time constraint didn't allow for them to delve into the character relationships. This includes the sudden departure at the end and limited time saying goodbyes, as well as getting the gang together one week before the game and having a solid 30 seconds before the game started. We never got to see much interaction after a long time no see.
However, the game itself, mindful of the time constraint, was animated beautifully. Slightly different method for fast-paced scenes than the series.
