This match got pushed out a little longer than I thought it would, but I have no complaints whatsoever because I thought this was a great episode. Actually, if anything it’s refreshing to see a match get more than two episodes again, it’s proof that things are heating up. I wouldn’t say they’ve made the Tachibanas seem like massive threats, exactly, but they’re certainly more serious challengers than they were the last time we saw them, and it’s nice to see their gimmick well-utilised. Plus there were lots of hammy injury scenes which are of course the beating heart of this franchise (insert Misugi Jun pun here).

Oh my god though I honestly cannot believe how sexually suggestive the start of that flashback scene with the Tachibanas practising Skylab Hurricane was. I was going to ignore it because I thought I was just imagining things but then one of them said “This time I’ll be the bottom” and I’m sorry but there’s no way that was unintentional. And this isn’t the only weirdly sexual moment in the show, if you recall the several uncomfortable foot shots we’ve been subjected to (in the ‘80s anime there were also a couple of very odd Tsubasa/Roberto bathing scenes that were probably best left out here). I’m finding it very confusing. It doesn’t seem like shipping bait but I can’t think of any other reason why these things would be here. Please tell me there’s no market for Captain Tsubasa porn wait never mind why did I search that.

After seeing the twins near ruin themselves practising their signature move, it’s sort of even more shitty than usual how easily Tsubasa was able to match their acrobatics. His logic for doing so is also absolutely priceless, too. “Wait a minute, my name means wings! That means I can jump high!”. And he is not wrong. He can jump high. He and the Tachibanas can additionally hover in mid-air, apparently, which is very impressive as well.

Also not that it didn’t seem silly at the start, but Skylab Hurricane gets more and more preposterous-looking the more I see it (I think the fact that they reuse the exact same setup shots every time doesn’t help). Everything about it is hilarious to me, from the bottom Tachibana sliding down the pitch like a little turtle boy to the top Tachibana getting catapulted into the air at a hundred miles per hour. This match is way more fun than the twins’ previous nationals outing.

And guys if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times, how fucking shady are the doctors in this show? Tsubasa just dislocated his frigging shoulder and the doctor’s like “lol ok let’s pop this back in and then you get right back out there and do some winning kiddo, oh and uh try not to dislocate it again I guess”. For the kid the Japanese Football Association are seemingly pinning all their hopes on, they’re pretty chill about Tsubasa risking permanent injury for short-term gain. By the way, is there an actual logic to when the ref stops play when someone is injured and when he doesn’t? Because he did this time, but it seems to me like it’s more or less completely determined by what’s most convenient for the plot. But surely Captain Tsubasa wouldn’t be so lazy.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing how this wraps up, safe in the knowledge that there will be at least one Skylab Hurricane and one Drive Shot awaiting me in episode 39.