Entrance Ceremony
Yokohama Minato
Good morning.
It's great to see you again!
High School
That thing's still up?
No way.
Doesn't that look like her?
Entrance Ceremony
Yokohama Minato
High School
Okay, let's take a photo.
Ryo, look sharp.
You're standing at the gateway to the dream you've worked so hard to achieve.
The gateway... to my dream?
Hold your head up high.
Okay.
Say cheese.
Episode 3
Entering School
Matsuda!
Oh, hey, Mizushima. Guess we're in the same class.
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Mizushima Ryo
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Matsuda Koki
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
Oh, that's good. I don't know anyone else.
Looking forward to it.
I don't see many girls.
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Isshiki Haruto
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Ando Rintaro
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
I heard this was an all-boys school up until a few years ago.
Oh, wow! That guy looks like a model.
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Kamishiro Ayumi
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Fujiwara Saori
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
He's so hot! What middle school's he from?
Who the hell is that guy?
He's just sitting there and they're all staring...
ENTRANCE CEREMONY
Track and Field
Karuta Club
Volleyball Club
Art Club
Baseball Club
Soccer Club
Badminton Club
What club should we join? Soccer, maybe? I bet they get chicks.
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Soccer Club
Recruiting New Members
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Beginners welcome!
Experience excitement with us!
Come check us out!
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Also recruiting managers!
Even if you somehow turn girls' heads, you won't have time to go on dates.
What do you mean, "even if"?
Hey, Mizushima. What club are you...
Oh, tennis?
It's badminton.
What? Bat-min-ton?
Oh, you mean that thing you do during lunch?
No, not "bat." Bad-minton.
Have you ever watched a match? It's amazing.
Amazing how?
How, you ask? Well, uh...
It really makes you think, and winning makes you unbelievably happy.
Let's go.
Huh? You play bat-min-ton, too?
Matsuda's surprisingly cute.
A smash by a top badminton player has an initial velocity of over 400 kmph.
Faster than a bullet train.
What?
Wanna try it during lunch?
Also...
It's bad-minton.
Well, later.
He's so cool!
Like, whoa.
Ando. I've made a decision.
Huh?
Please come to the gym in your gym clothes
if you're interested in joining the team
Hey, Mizushima! Matsuda!
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Sakaki Shohei
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Higashiyama Taichi
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Higashiyama Yoji
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
Long time no see! Or wait, I guess it hasn't been that long.
You look terrible in those uniforms.
What? No way.
Don't sweat it. So do I.
Uh, excuse us.
Could we trial with the team?
Yup, okay. We're actually first-years, too.
Uh, we've never played before.
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Nonomura Satoru
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
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Uchida Akira
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
Ah, don't worry about that.
The two of us have played before.
We're fans of Yusa-san.
Oh, you are? What middle school you from?
Yo, I'd like to trial with the team.
Isshiki-kun!
I've taken an interest in it.
It's startin' to get lively around here.
All right!
Let's go!
Including the guys with no experience, we have ten new members this year.
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Ebihara Jin
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Yokohama Minato Badminton Team Coach
Hongo-kun, the floor's yours.
Yes, sir.
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Hongo Kazuki
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Yokohama Minato Badminton Team Captain
I'm the team's captain, Hongo. Welcome to the badminton team, first-years.
Since Yusa and the others joined last year,
our goal has shifted from participating in the Inter-High to winning it.
To the Inter-High!!
Champions
We'd like you to practice with that in mind.
Our aim is to become the best in the country, so give it all you've got!
Yes, sir!
Drop your hips more.
We're going to win the Inter-High!
"Win"? Nobody told me about that.
If this is your first time, watch the older students closely and copy them.
Make sure you're always thinking as you move.
Trial members, you can do half the workouts today.
Stop acting like you're guests here.
Yes, sir.
If you finish first, you can stop. The rest of you, get back in line.
Keep finishing last, and you'll never be done.
Push Forward
Yokohama Minato High School
Parents Association
All right!
And I was going for first this time!
We've gotta run again.
Right. Single-arm, single-leg planks.
Y-You're kidding, right? What is this?
This is rough, even for me.
Five more seconds.
Yusa-san really is amazing.
Two.
One.
And relax.
We... haven't even... picked up... a racket yet.
Maybe we'll play a little after this.
Why aren't there any girls on this team?!
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Yusa Kento
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
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Yokokawa Yusuke
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
Some energetic guys have joined the team.
We don't have a girls badminton team. Should've done your research.
Seriously?
What is this?
That was a pretty tough day.
But we have to be able to keep up.
Basic training's so boring, though.
We never even got to swing a racket.
Later.
Good night.
See you tomorrow.
Those are Horii-kun's and Imamura-kun's cubbyholes, right?
Guys are dropping out already!
It's too soon to quit like that!
They probably wanted something more casual.
What do you think of Matsuda?
Textbook as ever, I guess.
And the twins are more lackluster than I expected.
We're not interested in singles.
We're gonna become doubles champions, you hear?
Uh, right...
Try resting your thumb on the racket like this.
Like this?
Yup, that's it. That'll make it easier to hit it wherever you want.
Yeah! All right!
Keep your elbow in.
Make sure the racket face isn't pointing upwards.
Here we go.
Hey, that felt kinda good.
Don't worry about it. Again.
Your swing's too late.
Beginners usually have a problem with swinging too early.
Sorry. I'm so clumsy...
It's all right.
Get pumped!
Okay.
Mizushima-kun.
Yes?
Would you like to play against Yusa-kun?
What?
Who, me?
Oh, no! I wouldn't dare!
You don't want to play him?
Oh, no! Wait! I mean, yes, uh...
Yes, please!
Yes, sir.
I have to sear into my memory everything I can steal from how this guy plays.
I have no idea what he just did.
This doesn't even make for decent practice.
Let's go again. Please, let's go again.
Focus.
Ow, ow, ow...
He read it?
That's enough for now, Mizushima. You didn't live up to your name.
Mizushima, Mizushima, Mizushima...
My name?
Hey, what'd you think of that last play?
I'm sure it was a coincidence.
I wasted my chance!
You know, it's good to help the first-years train, but don't go too hard on them.
You'll break them.
What? You think that's enough to break them?
Weaklings.
This year's first-years are so weak.
Damn that rotten prince!
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Mizushima Asako
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Ryo's Mom
You're eating a lot again today.
I can't keep up with practice unless I do.
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Mizushima Kazuma
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Ryo's Dad
I'm glad you're practicing hard, but are you doing okay in your studies?
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Mizushima Rika
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Ryo's Sister
Apparently, he's not allowed to play if he gets lower than the class average.
Oh?
Will you be all right?
Who knows?
What's gotten into you all?
It's not like I'm on the advanced academics course. It'll be a cinch.
Name: Mizushima Ryo
Name: Matsuda Koki
Faculty Office
Are you sleeping during class?
Normally, you'd be suspended from club activities, but we'll overlook it this once.
Yes, sir.
Think carefully about what you're doing right now and what the purpose of it is.
Yes, sir.
Aw, man! How many was that?
We're already like this. Summer is hell, huh?
Why is it cooler outside?
Why do we keep all the windows closed? Are they masochists?
Badminton games are easily affected by the wind.
First-years! Break time's over!
I'm gonna go do karaoke with some girls tomorrow. Wanna come?
Seriously? I'll be there!
Actually, I probably have practice.
I see.
So you're already one of those guys, huh?
Well, maybe another time.
Hey, wait!
Nonomura this time, huh?
But he was trying so hard.
He said it'd be hard for him to keep up with practices and his studies.
He put a lot of thought into his decision.
I see.
Wait, how do you know that?
We're both on the advanced academics placement course.
What?
Advanced academics?
No way. Uchida-kun, you're on the advanced academics course?
That must mean you're super smart.
Super smart.
By the way, Mizushima, didn't you get in on an academic advancement rec?
Oh, did I?
Huh?
I need to work harder.
Final half-lap!
Let's sprint!
Uchida! It's okay to be slow.
Don't stop moving your feet.
Yes, sir.
I'm impressed he hasn't quit.
Studying for the advanced academics course must be hard enough.
Yeah.
You guys are lucky you're here on sports recs. You've got it easy.
Now, listen here, you!
Every single day, we have to battle the pressure of losing it all if we get injured.
You jerk!
Cut it out!
You little...
I said cut it out!
Good work.
Here.
Ah, thank you... very much.
You've got guts.
You think so?
This is the only thing we've ever been good at.
We're not the same.
Uchida, you're a beginner.
Studying for entrance exams must've left you out of shape, huh?
I'm fine. Besides, they say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
You're still swinging late.
Sorry!
He's like an electric fan.
If you gave him a paper fan, he'd cool you down good.
Uchida-kun, did you do any sort of exercise before?
Oh, uh, yes. I played ping pong in middle school.
I see. Then, when you swing your racket, try saying that.
Push Forward
Yokohama Minato High School
Parents Association
Say "push forward" as you're swinging.
Push forward?
No, not "push for-ward."
"Push for-ward."
That's the timing.
Let's give a shot.
Yes. Please.
Push...
for-ward.
Whoa! Hey, you did it, Uchida!
I hit it!
Sir, thank you.
Keep it up.
What's going on here?
The reach of a badminton racket is pretty different from that of a ping pong paddle.
He must've been subconsciously timing it to a ping pong paddle's reach.
In a way, he was very precise in how he was missing it.
Push
For
The coach advised him to speed up his swing a little.
Ward
Push
For
Ward
I see.
For
Ward
Huh? Wait, you knew, didn't you?
You should've told me!
Push for-ward. Push for-ward. Push for-ward.
Here you go.
Thanks.
Sorry about this. You wanted to go home with the other guys, didn't you?
No, it's fine. What did you want to talk about?
Honestly, I don't think I can keep up.
And in my case, I had not-so-innocent motives to begin with.
It doesn't matter how you get started.
Either way, you guys are weird.
Huh?
How can you keep doing it when it's so tough?
Do you really believe you can become national champs?
Things don't always go your way just because you work hard.
That's how the world works.
Just today, Uchida was delighted because he managed to hit the shuttle.
You guys are already at a level where you can play,
but he'll never become a regular on the team.
He'll figure it out right away since he's smart.
When he does, he'll stop coming.
Isshiki-kun...
I don't want to look back on my high school experience
and realize I spent all three years on nothing but practice.
I wanna goof off and go on dates with girls.
I've got a lot of things I want to do right now.
I understand, but...
Oh, no, I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong...
I just don't understand it.
Later.
Let us come to badminton practice sometime.
Seriously? Okay, sure.
Really? You'd better.
I'll make sure you can.
Why couldn't I proudly state that I really am trying to become a national champ?
I expected Isshiki to quit, but Uchida, too, huh?
But he seemed so happy yesterday.
They're all gone now.
Don't go after the ones who leave you.
Man, you're cold.
I hit it!
He'll stop coming.
Uchida!
Hello, everyone.
Uchida-kun, what are you doing?
My sixth period class got canceled, so I thought I'd come here early.
I see.
So that's what happened!
We're sorry. We assumed you'd quit.
What? Why?
Huh?
I wouldn't quit.
After all, I want to get better at badminton.
And besides...
I'm having a lot of fun right now.
Yeah. Yeah! Badminton's fun, ain't it?
We'll teach you anything you don't know.
We'll share our special protein powder with you.
Th-Thank you.
Jeez, bro, don't confuse us like that.
What?
Did I do something wrong?
Your shoes weren't in the club room.
Yeah.
Oh, I put them in an empty cubbyhole. It's easier than using the lower ones.
Seriously?
You're standing at the gateway to the dream you've worked so hard to achieve.
That's right.
She's right.
Nonomura?
Hey. It's Isshiki-kun, right?
Did you quit the badminton team, too?
Yeah.
I joined the photography club.
This way, I'll be able to keep up with my studies, too.
You can do it!
Just a little more!
You're almost there!
Just a little further!
You're almost there!
You can do it!
All right!
Hey, let me see that.
Huh. These guys are just obsessed with badminton.
They must really like it.
They're obsessed, I tell you.
Well, anyway, I gotta go meet some girls for karaoke.
Seems like you're getting used to it.
Yes, somehow.
I was great from the start.
The Inter-High prefectural qualifiers will be taking place after Golden Week.
Like we do every year,
we'll be playing ranking matches to determine our lineup.
Ranking matches?
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Next Time
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Apparently, the whole team plays in a round robin
to determine our lineup for the Inter-High prefectural qualifiers.
That means I'll be playing Yusa-san, too.
I'm really nervous. But this could be a good opportunity for me.
If I can make some kind of mark, it should improve his opinion of the first-years.
Good luck, you guys.
Next time on LOVE ALL PLAY Episode 4: "Ranking Match."
Episode 4
Ranking Match
There's a wind blowing inside me. Push forward!