Episode 54: Kaoru's Special Training



This is the beginning of Hyotei Arc! (yes!) This episode started with a brand new opening "Make You Free" sung by the ever-so-sexy Kimeru. Right. So anyway, the start of the episode per se show the different teams of Seigaku, Fudoumine and Yamabuki meeting at the place where the draw for the team's match-ups for the Kantou Tournament will take place.

Then we will experience a scene skip towards Inoue and Shiba doing some research on the 3 consecutive times Kantou Champion, Rikkaidai Fuzoku Chuu. Inoue and Shiba were watching the Vice-Captain of Rikkai, Sanada Genichirou play an OB (or those Jr. High Tennis Club graduate). They were awed because Sanada defeated the OB who belonged to the former winning National Champion team. Then, their attention focused on Kirihara who was playing on the other side and was already quite tired. Sanada explained to Inou and Shiba that it's because Kirihara's already playing the 8th OB. When Inoue asked Sanada about Seigaku, he just told them that Hyotei's much more of a threat than Seigaku. Shiba then asked him if Kirihara could defeat him, Sanada answered that Kirihara's 10 years earlier to defeat him (in other words, NO, Kirihara couldn't).

Back to Tezuka and Oishi. The draw for the match-ups started. Seigaku was number 16 and their opponent number 15, is still anonymous. Poor Ginka Chuu, they were so happy that they didn't drew #15 that they've overlooked the fact that they were matched up with Rikkai. So, anyway, when Hyotei Gakuen was called, Atobe stood up and drew a number: it was 15! Everyone was shocked that the former runner up from last year's Kantou Taikai and one of the 4 seeded teams would be matching up for the 1st elimination! Because of that, Coach Ryuzaki was stern starting from that day's practice.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a commotion happening on the Hyotei Gakuen Tennis Club. It seems that the former regular, Shishido Ryou (the one who lost to Tachibana) defeated Taki, another regular player of Hyotei. Just in time, their coach, Sakaki Taro appeared and asked what's happened. When he learned that Taki was defeated by Shishido, he immediately removed Taki from the regulars and to the shock of Shishido, Taki was replaced by Hiyoshi, and not himself. Shishido asked their Coach the reason why he replaced Taki with Hiyoshi when he's the one who defeated Taki. Their Coach didn't pay him any heed, he just continued walking away. Atobe confronted Shishido to stop his behavious before he embarrass himself any further. Ohtori walked towards Atobe and told him to help the coach to reconsider since Shishido's improved from before, and he should know it since he's been Shishido's partner the whole time he's been training. Suddenly Shishido ran towards their coach and begged him on his knees to take him back to the regulars. Ohtori came beside Shishido and begged with him. When their coach saw Ohtori he asked him if he's willing to give up his regular position just because of Shishido, Ohtori just said "Yes, I wouldn't mind". Suddenly, Atobe joined their cause and requested to bring Shishido back to the regulars. Coach Sakaki just told Atobe to, "Do whatever you want". So, yay! Shishido's a regular once again.

So anyway, the Seigaku's practice just ended and Momoshiro's walking Echizen home (as always. XD). Suddenly Momoshiro just popped a notebook from his bag and asked Ryoma if he knows anything about Kabaji Munehiro. Ryoma just answered, "Isn't he a Hyotei member?", Momoshiro agreed and proceeded to tell Ryoma lots of information about the Hyotei regulars. The informations were somewhat useless since they ranged only from "blood types" to "favorite food".

Another Seigaku regular member went to the river under the bridge to practice. It was Kaidoh who was still swinging his racket endlessly in an attempt to perfect his boomerang snake. It wasn't working. Until Inui showed up and gave him a towel and told him to swing the towel with the tip of it drenched on the river.

The next few days, Coach Ryuzaki was concentrating on Seigaku's weakpoint. Their doubles. Even if thy have the Golden Pair, it wasn't enough. So predictably, Coach Ryuzaki called the Golden Pair after their practice game with some club members and asked them if they would like to learn a new doubles formation. :) (the formation itself wasn't mentioned). The first years who heard Coach Ryuzaki asked Ryoma what that formation could be. Ryoma just told them that he doesn't know when Momoshiro appeared doned with an Inui-glass. The first years laughed at Momoshiro's appearance but they were silenced when they saw the real Inui looking at them.

Anyway, sometime during the week, Tezuka let Fuji borrow his dictionary. Suddenly, their conversation took turn towards the upcoming Hyotei match. Fuji requested Tezuka to be put against the person who defeated his brother in 15 minutes, it was Akutagawa Jirou. Tezuka just commented that his brother's always on his mind, he was about to leave when Fuji asked Tezuka that if he's planning on playing against Atobe with that injured elbow, his chances in winning is zero. Tezuka just walked away, not saying a thing.

Anyway, after a week, Kaido's still swinging that towel Inui gave him. It was really hard work since the water adds weight on the towel, and it takes not only arm's strength but the snap of wrists to do it right. Inui was quite impressed with Kaido's tenacity and determination to perfect his Boomerang Snake. As Coach Ryuzaki was really having hard time in figuring out the perfect line-up for Hyotei match-up, Inui asked Kaido if he would marry him and have his babies be his doubles partner for the Hyotei match-up. Kaido just stared at him, unmoving. Then the brand new ending credits rolled in!