English Dub Review: Salaryman’s Club “Conflict”

Overview

Traumatized by injuring Azuma at the Interhigh, Mikoto is powerless against Tonozaki Shiryu and Tachibana Azuma’s doubles team. Azuma, however, confronts Mikoto head-on. With Tatsuru’s help, Mikoto and Tatsuru’s team gradually regains its form. Their match grows increasingly fierce. Can Mikoto reclaim what he lost…?

Our Take

This time around, we’re shown a brief tragic backstory of a so far unmemorable character that I don’t know enough to be invested in named Koki. Were shown he doesn’t like cheering because of a really bad experience in his youth. And because of this, he underperforms in his doubles match. As for Sato, the coach was right to question him if he even likes playing the sport at all. Sato defeated his opponent with ease, but you can see how committed his opponent was and how he never gave up, despite the skill disadvantage.

We also get some focus shifted onto Mikoto, who is playing against his old doubles partner, Azuma. From what we the audience can gather, he tried to make the effort of seeing him after that nasty accident, but he failed to muster up the courage needed to do so. It’s clear that the coach is spot on once again, saying that Mikoto needs to get over this mental trauma sooner or later before it becomes even worse for Mikoto and by extension those around him…

Overall, I dig that this anime’s attempt to balance both their lives with badminton and working class people. Mikoto having a crisis on mid-game is troublesome, and part of me feels bad for Takeda, but hopefully, they’ll turn this around and give the other team a proper match…