Congratulations
Soccer Team for making the Inter-High Nationals
Badminton Team for making the Inter-High Nationals for the
3rd Consecutive Year
Baseball Team for making the National High School Baseball Tournament
Wow.
They're up there with the soccer and baseball teams.
My Matsuda-kun keeps getting farther and farther out of reach.
Hey, what if Mizushima-kun and the rest of them actually win the nationals?
Episode 19
Light Breeze
What's wrong?
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Mizushima Ryo
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
Broke a string.
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Higashiyama Taichi
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
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Higashiyama Yoji
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
Then let's take a break.
Yeah, we've been at this forever.
No, wait. I'll grab a replacement racket right away. Could we go one more time?
What? Gimme a break.
Yeah, man. Let us go already.
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Shiba Rintaro
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
I don't have time for this.
Shiba!
I haven't gotten the chance to do any of my own practice today.
Listen—
Okay, okay. I'll take your spot.
Go take a break.
Thanks, Sakaki.
But right now, I need these guys' shots, too.
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Sakaki Shohei
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
What? You wanna play four against one?
Yeah.
D-Don't you think that's a bit crazy?
Yeah, you're pushing yourself too hard.
Not at all. This isn't even close to "too hard."
If anything, I should be pushing myself even harder.
Because I can't withstand that energy...
Sorry, Akira. I'm borrowing this for a sec.
Huh?
Wait, Mizushima-kun...
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Uchida Akira
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
Oh, come on. This isn't helping us practice.
Those guys sure are on edge.
If I want to beat that energy and determination to win,
I need to push myself even harder.
Um, Mizushima-kun.
Mizushima-kun, about what happened earlier...
I think you need to be a bit more considerate of others.
And not go taking Uchida-kun's racket without his permission.
What?
I know Uchida-kun does some manager-type stuff, but he's a player, too.
Uchida-kun is a player on this team.
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Sakurai Hana
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Yokohama Minato Badminton Team Manager
Sorry. I'll keep that in mind.
Listen, it may not seem like a big deal, but I think it's important.
You're bringing down the mood of the entire team.
I know!
Sorry. There's not much time left before the tournament.
Mizushima-kun.
Mizushima-kun, why don't you cool your head?
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Ebihara Jin
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Yokohama Minato Badminton Team Coach
Ebihara-sensei.
At this rate, you'll lose sight of things you'd be able to see otherwise.
Wh-What does that mean?
I don't feel like I can win unless I push myself harder.
Not against Yusa-san or Okazaki-san or anyone else.
The Inter-High's only a month away. This is the most important time for me!
That's why.
What?
That's why I'm saying this to you: take some time off from practice.
Later.
See ya.
Bye.
Good work today.
Take some time off from practice.
Apparently, Mizushima's suspended from practice.
Whew! We're finally free!
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Matsuda Koki
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Yokohama Minato High School 2nd Year
What's got that guy so anxious?
It's fine. He'll be back before you know it.
Now, let's get practicing.
Right.
[Inter-High] Badminton Boys Singles Qualifier [Yokohama Minato vs Hojo]
[Badminton] Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament Boys Singles Qualifier [Inter-High]
[Inter-High] Badminton Boys Singles Qualifier [Yokohama Minato vs Hojo]
[Badminton] Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament Boys Singles Qualifier [Inter-High]
[Inter-High] Badminton Boys Singles Qualifier [Yokohama Minato vs Hojo]
[Badminton] Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament Boys Singles Qualifier [Inter-High]
Has Yusa-san always been this strong?
Are there any old videos of him?
Found one.
Wow. He's been like this since middle school?
I shouldn't have watched this.
Push forward!
Nice shot, Uchida-kun. Get back to the center quickly.
Got it.
Excuse the intrusion.
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Yusa Kento
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Yokohama Minato High School 3rd Year
R-Rika-hyan!
"Hyan"?
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Mizushima Rika
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Ryo's Sister
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Ichinose Shunsuke
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Yokohama Minato High School 1st Year
Who is she?
She's pretty.
That's Mizushima-kun's sister.
What?
Sorry for interrupting your practice.
What are you doing here? What about your college classes?
I only had classes this morning.
I brought this.
Seriously, who forgets their precious tools of the trade?
Maybe he thought he didn't deserve to hold onto them.
What?
I see.
Don't worry. Once he's back, I'll whip him into shape.
I wish you could've done that before this happened.
Let's take a break.
Okay!
Nice to meet you. Are you Hana-chan?
M-Mizushima-kun's sister, it's nice to meet you.
I hear you're a great manager. Yusa's told me all about you.
Oh, no, I wouldn't say that...
Look after him for me.
It sounds like he's having a rough time right now.
I think Mizushima-kun will be fine.
What?
I'm sure he'll get back up on his own.
At least, I think he will.
He's different here from how he is now. But in what way?
That piercing aura. His menacing energy.
I now know he's different from how he was in middle school.
I now know he's improved a lot under Ebihara-sensei's guidance.
But when did he develop that intensity?
His other matches...
This guy?
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Hishikawa Shinichi
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Yokohama Minato Alumnus & Sokyo Uni 1st Year
Got 'im.
Look, he's still here.
He's been over there forever.
He's kinda cute, though.
Cute?
Aw, man. A dude?
Wait, M-Mizushima? Is that you, Mizushima?
What are you doing here?
When'd you even get here?
Sorry for dropping by out of the blue. I was watching tourney videos and saw you.
Huh? Why were you watching these?
You know what Yusa-san used to be like, don't you?
Why is Yusa-san so strong?
What?
I know he's always been strong.
But he's totally different now.
He became a totally different person after entering high school.
Different how?
His bloodlust.
His vibe. His menacing aura.
They're totally different from how he used to be.
Why is that?
Did something happen to him after entering high school?
Why are you asking me this?
You should be asking Yokokawa instead, or Yusa himself.
I... can't right now.
Hishikawa!
Sorry, but I'm in the middle of practice. Later.
Wow, that's so good!
Wanna check out the store?
Yeah, let's go.
Supremacy
Push Forward
Yokohama Minato High School Badminton Team
Team Journal
I knew it.
The Kanto Tournament, the Inter-High Qualifier, the actual tournament.
Yusa-san hasn't lost once since starting high school.
This can't be real. Undefeated? Is that even possible?
What are you doing here? You're suspended from practice.
Are you practicing during lunch?
I want to ask him why he's so strong.
How does he keep winning so much?
Um, Yusa-sa...
I don't want to waste a single second.
Okay, that's all for today.
Again, Mizushima?
Come on, man.
What about practice?
Do you have a crush on a girl who goes here? Well?
I can't focus.
What?
I keep thinking no matter how hard I try, I'll never win,
or I'll be emotionally overpowered again.
I can't focus at all.
So please tell me.
How is Yusa-san always so strong?
Why doesn't he ever break? Why doesn't he ever falter?
I want to have his strength and drive.
I want his determination to win!
It's raining.
I'm sorry. I can't afford to catch a cold this year.
I really want to go to the Inter-High.
In his third year of middle school, Yusa ignored all the scouts
sent by Saitama Futaba Academy and other strong schools around the country,
and chose Yokohama Minato.
Because my sister was there, right?
There was that, too.
But that aside, when he entered high school, he made a promise.
What?
To Ebihara-sensei.
I'm really grateful you chose to come to our school.
No need to be. I wanted to be coached by you.
Thanks to you, we'll be able to take a big step towards our next goal.
I'm sure you understand you'll be alone here.
Even Hishikawa-kun, your only equal, will be gone six months from now.
Yes, sir.
Give me one year.
I promise I'll bring you teammates with whom you can strive to become number one.
And in exchange...
Starting tomorrow, you aren't allowed to lose a single game.
What?
Whether it's an official match or a practice game, you must keep winning,
because you need to be an icon.
Do that, and Yokohama Minato's name will be heard all around the country,
and good players will naturally gather here.
They will form the foundation of Yokohama Minato.
He did an impressive job fulfilling that promise.
No, he's still fulfilling it.
If he did change, then it was when he made that promise.
Overwhelming, right? It's amazing he kept his promise.
Most people couldn't do it.
But listen to me. Don't let it get you down.
Never think you don't stand a chance against him.
At the very least, you're one of the players who "gathered" at Yokohama Minato.
Be confident in yourself.
Mizushima?
Oh, uh, thank you!
Huh? Hey, Mizushima. Mizushima!
I've been thinking about what I need to do so I don't get mentally overpowered,
but it's not that simple.
That drive and determination to win
are the products of all kinds of different feelings, experiences, and promises.
That's true for Okazaki-san and the twins, too.
It's something you acquire by falling to your hands and knees and getting muddy.
I can't believe I was trying to acquire it so easily.
I'm sorry!
Looks like you've cooled down some.
Yes, sir. I caused a lot of trouble for the others, too.
I'm... going to do what I can.
It's the only thing I can do.
But I think it's really important.
I believe the accumulation of every little thing will someday make me unshakable.
Like those guys.
Good. Sounds like you're fine now.
Your sister brought this here for you.
What?
Sis...
Um...
Mizushima-kun! Great, you're back.
Yeah.
I-I'm sorry about the other day.
I was only thinking about myself.
What I did to you guys was terrible.
You said it.
We can't have you acting like that.
I'll be careful from now on. I'll do anything to make up for it.
In that case, buy me some ice cream.
Me, too.
Got it.
Barbecue for me.
Don't get cocky, kid.
Please don't do that.
Then, maybe I'll have you help me practice.
Huh?
Yeah, sure.
Mizushima-kun, Uchida-kun. Over here.
Ah, Sakurai-san, about the other day...
It's fine. Just get going already.
I haven't heard this sound in a while.
He's fast.
What?
Oh?
What?
Uchida-kun's got all his data stored up here.
Mizushima-kun's habits, the shot trajectories he prefers, and everything else.
The two of us have been training hard together!
Push forward!
All right!
When did Akira get this good?
I mean, he's mostly been supporting us.
No, that's not right.
Akira's always had so much passion for badminton.
I wouldn't quit.
After all, I want to get better at badminton.
And besides...
I'm having a lot of fun right now.
More passionately than any of us.
Mizushima-kun's smiling.
A straight shot.
All right! You didn't see that coming, did you?
I haven't seen you smile in a while.
Huh?
Right, Sakurai-san?
Yeah. Did you know, Mizushima-kun?
Huh?
Your true strength is your ability to enjoy badminton more than anyone else.
That's your true strength.
My... true strength?
For now, I'll focus on doing what I can.
Congrats!
On Advancing to the Inter-High
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Next Time
You Can Do It!
Matsuda-kun
We're finally heading to the Inter-High.
Congrats!
You Can Do It!
Matsuda-kun
is
the best in Japan
Let's depart for Okinawa.
S-Sakaki-kun, you don't like flying, do you?
Look. Yusa-san and the others seem to be having fun.
I wonder what they're talking about.
Episode 20
Departure
Next time on LOVE ALL PLAY Episode 20: "Departure."
Let's spend today relaxing under blue skies.