English Dub Review: Stars Align, “Episode 7” & “Episode 8”

 

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)

The final match against Misaki heads towards its conclusion. Then, the tennis club begins investigating their first opponent in an upcoming tournament. The subsequent events provide several opportunities for self-discovery. 

Our Take

Episode 7 picks up from the show left off, in the middle of the final tennis match against Misaki’s team. 

It starts strong, with the tennis animation going up a notch once again. This time, the camera finally follows the ball in the middle of a volley. Not only does it follow behind the ball as it travels, but there is also a shot from the perspective of the ball itself. Accompanying these shots is a liberal amount of motion blur, just enough that it sells the speed, but not too much that it becomes disorienting. The pace of the match also speeds up quite a bit, condensing the volleys and keeping the tension fresh. The execution overall is well done and the impact feels real.  

Maki’s great comeback plan against Arashi proves very effective; taking advantage of the fact that Arashi is self-absorbed and doesn’t employ teamwork. Not only does this lead to a thrilling comeback, but it also provides Arashi as a good foil for the Shijo Minami tennis team. Their newfound teamwork winning against a more skilled but self-centered opponent is a good contrast. 

Their ultimate loss is unfortunate, but not soul-crushing in the least. Seeing them capitalize on this as an opportunity to improve rather than interpreting it as a setback creates a positive atmosphere. This is very welcome given the rather somber tone this show often adopts. Also, seeing Toma’s potential rage at losing being won over by Maki’s enthusiasm for having fun in the game is very pleasant.

The subsequent barbecue celebration further extends this positive atmosphere. Them conciliating and getting along with their former opponent when he crashes the party shows great sportsmanship. While all of this is great, we also get another small glimpse into Toma’s mind. Though he does take the loss as well as the rest of the team, he also seems unable to share in their explicit joy. His dismay at his inability to express happiness and take pride in his improvements is something I find very relatable. He considers himself “broken,” but this makes his character decidedly more human.

Episode 8 takes the show in an incredibly different direction altogether. 

For starters, now it’s Nao’s turn to sit in the abusive parent hot seat. His mother’s summary disapproval of his tennis club activities creates a lot of unrest, even resulting in the tennis club being put on a brief suspension due to her complaints. While overprotective parents and helicopter parents are a real thing worth investigating, I feel it the way it’s addressed here isn’t very productive. All it does is manufacture more drama for no real reason. There isn’t even a hint of progression or resolution for Nao’s arc here. 

Meanwhile, the suspension allows for the team to go off and investigate their first opponent in the summer tournament. Due to a variety of reasons, Yuta and Maki are made to disguise themselves as girls to spy on their opponent. 

This launches the big message of this episode, which is a long conversation that Yuta and Maki have about LGBTQ+ and identity issues. I won’t address these topics because I don’t feel well-equipped enough to discuss them, but I think the show does a decent enough job. There isn’t anything particularly revelatory, it all seems like a very standard summary of these issues. Honestly, the only problem I would have with this is that it completely disrupts and overtakes the pace of the show, serving only as a big information dump. It comes off more like a PSA than it does as a conversation. But what elements of a conversation that do exist are fine and Yuta is developed much more as a character. Also, the stinger after the credits guarantees these issues will be brought up again.

The last character who receives a lot of focus is Kanako. Throughout the tennis arcs of this show, she mostly sat on the sidelines making funny, sarcastic comments at the boys’ expense. However, her snarky remarks are also often contrasted by genuine enthusiasm for their successes showing through her body. This reluctance to be honest with herself has been kind of adorable, but clearly, it’s been eating her all this time. And in this episode, with how she gets treated by some other girls, it finally reaches its boiling point.

The conversation she has with the tennis club’s adviser comes out of seemingly nowhere. But much like Yuta’s conversation with Maki, the frank discussion about an adolescent trying to be honest and discover herself is compelling. The pressure created from trying to conform to your parents’ opinions or desires while also trying to stay true to your passions is something quite a few people could relate to. Though these inner turmoils are being utilized as batteries for human drama, there’s still quite a lot of honesty in them. 

These two episodes encapsulate Stars Align quite well. One part exciting tennis, one part the perils of puberty. Both are done quite competently. And it seems there’s still quite a bit more to be had.