anime episode summaries

Festival

Koyuki performing alone.At Greatful Sound, just before Beck’s live, Chiba and Ryusuke get into a fight. Ryusuke tells Chiba that since he didn’t see the dream, maybe he wasn’t meant to be in the band. With that, Chiba runs off. Ryusuke disappears, too, with Leon Sykes. Things are starting to look bleak for Beck. The rain starts pouring and with Yoshito in Belle Ame on the first stage and Malcolm (a famous US rock star) on the second stage, it seems pretty impossible to gather the most number of people out of the three stages. Taira, Saku, and Koyuki look for Chiba but to no avail. The three start feeling depressed. The time comes for Beck to perform but there are still no signs of either Ryuusuke or Chiba. Taira says it’s possible that Beck may back out. When Koyuki learns that there are about 500 people waiting for them at the third stage (still a far cry from the audience at stages 1 and 2 though), he borrows Jewel’s guitar (yes, that Jewel), goes up on stage alone, and starts singing The Beatle’s “I’ve Got A Feeling.” Saku joins him shortly. Taira prepares to go on stage, too. Two more episodes before this series ends!

The Camp comes to an end. Sakaki announces the members of the National Team. They are: Atobe Keigo (Hyotei), Sanada Genichirou (Rikkaidai), Oshitari Yuushi (Hyotei), Kikumaru Eiji (Seigaku), Sengoku Kiyosumi (Yamabuki), Kirihara Akaya (Rikkaidai), and Fuji Syuusuke (Seigaku).

Akutsu challenges Kevin to a match. Yamabuki’s Dan rushes towards Akutsu but runs into Seigaku, who are on the way home from camp. Echizen goes to where Akutsu and Kevin are, with Kawamura and Tezuka behind him. Kevin reproduces Echizen’s match with Akustu, move by move. Kevin is able to do Echizen’s twist serve, drive A, drive B, split step, etc. Akutsu loses, and Echizen and Kevin face each other.

Still at the Tennis Camp. Everybody tries hard to get selected although Tezuka feels that Echizen is not taking things seriously. Since Echizen is hell-bent on playing a match against Tezuka, he doesn’t seem to be too interested in what’s happening right now. After Seigaku and Hyotei, Kevin causes trouble at Yamabuki, Fudomine, Rokkaku, St. Rudolph, and the other schools as well. The truth about Kevin Smith is known. Apparently, he’s the captain of the American team they will be facing next. Kevin Smith’s dad was somebody Nanjirou defeated a long time ago and Kevin is in Japan to seek revenge. Echizen doesn’t seem to care about Kevin though. The coaches submit their recommendations. Tezuka recommends just Kirihara and Sengoku from his team, to the surprise of the two other coaches because he didn’t submit Echizen’s name.

Effortlessly, Kankuro defeats Sakon and Ukon with his puppets, and Temari defeats Tayuya with her wind-producing fan. The Sand, now Konoha’s ally, sure has gotten stronger, hasn’t it? Next episode: Gaara’s fight.

Kevin, a brat from America, goes around the different schools, challenging them to a match. First he goes to Seigaku looking for Echizen but since Echizen is at the camp, Kevin fights Arai instead (who incidentally was bossing the remaining members around, pretending to be Tezuka). The cocky gaijin defeats Arai and goes to Hyotei next where he beats whoever was there, too.

Meanwhile, Tezuka makes Kikumari and Ootori play against Oishi and Shishido in a doubles match (Tezuka intentionally split up the famous pairs to gauge each player’s ability). Because of Kikumaru’s mood-setting skills (whatever that is), Tezuka recommends him to be part of the national team. Kikumari and Ootori win by the way.

Jin, Mugen, and Fuu play baseball against the Americans who were threatening the town they were on. When the Americans start cheating, Mugen takes them all down with his killer (literally!) pitch.

Continuation of the 3 battles: Naruto vs. Kimimaro, Shikamaru vs. Tayuya, Kiba and Akamaru vs. Sakon and Ukon. Our Konoha ninjas seem to be having trouble though.

Lee shows up. Sasuke wakes up and Naruto runs after him. Lee covers for Naruto and fights Kimimaro. Lee mistakes his medicine for sake and gets drunk but he turns out to be a natural drunken master. He is still no match for Kimimaro though.

Just as Kimimaro, Tayuya, and Sakon are about to land the final blow, the Sand ninjas arrive to help the Konoha ninjas. Now it’s Gaara vs. Kimimaro, Temari vs. Tayuya, and Kankuro vs. Sakon.

Notes: Is it just me or is Lee’s fighting more exciting to watch than Naruto’s? Kage Bunshin… pfft! How boring. Lee’s taijutsu moves are way cooler