Conclusion: Ro-Kyu-Bu!

Sometimes it's not very wise to judge a book by its cover. A prime example of this hidden diamond in the rough is the series I'm about to present to you right now - Ro-Kyu-Bu!. Doomed for failure on face, but in the end surprisingly decent. Here's my take on it.

Last time I saw a trap this severe it was on the last level of Jurassic Park: the arcade game

At first glance, this seems like a terrible idea. Lolis playing basketball while being taught by a high school boy? Gee, if I wanted my share of senseless perverted scenes I'd freaking go watch Kanokon. But then reviews started to roll in. "This series has surprisingly good character development," they said, "It has surprisingly accurate sports references." And so I gritted my teeth and downloaded (DDL, for those of you who will be confused in the future by my use of it) the episodes one by one, week by week. After it finished, I simply waited. It couldn't be really that good...could it? I tore myself from the computer after barely managing to open the folder. The label of "lolicon" was about to be firmly slapped down from the Heavens and I did not want to be on the other end. But then MorningLescue intervened:

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MorningLescue: yeahhhhhhhhhhhh

makes everything better

them lolis

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So I cracked it open.

The graphics are good - nothing more, nothing less. The girls look cute, they blush well, and the style is reminiscent of a more refined Hayate no Gotoku. Certainly it's suitable enough for eyecandy, but it's not a masterpiece. So if you're expecting some good fanservice, this will not disappoint. However, if you're rooting around for superb detail or whatnot, please stop watching.

The sounds are also pretty good. MorningLescue really likes the ED (Party Love ~Okkiku Naritai~) and I have to say it's grown on me also. The OP (SHOOT!) is also good, especially at the beginning - but the dramatic phrases seem to exaggerate the level of seriousness in this series. The background music is nondescript (which is pretty much what I say for all but the best series), so for you music collectors, I would recommend just downloading the OP/ED combo and perhaps the character songs.

Now for the plot. *takes a deep breath*


It's not that bad.

One of the only SFW pics I could find. By the way, this chat system is pretty cool. I want one that's not embedded in Club Penguin or whatever. GOOGLE GET TO WORK. NOW.

What? You exclaim. How can this not be horrifically bad?

Well...it's just not. Each of the characters do have a relatively unique background that's developed more and more throughout the series (each of the girls have their own episode in which they go through flashbacks, overcome challenges, the whole Playskool obstacle course I guess...) The characters come together in a fashion that makes sense and weave their stories to create new conflicts and relationships. The sports references are short and don't suck, and what's more, the sports scenes don't suck. Each of the characters are likable and memorable by themselves, and there doesn't seem to be TOO much senseless crap going on.

The two major problems in the series are that 1) there isn't a lot of stuff that goes on in the 12 episodes, and 2) the conclusion lacks that certainty, that panache. The first problem is reasonable, as you can't really expect to fit in more than perhaps 3 games + development + transition/training/beach episodes in a 12-episode season. The 2nd problem, however, is rather disappointing. This series was clearly meant to shock viewers - I mean, the coach has a background that is an obvious prelude to what's about to happen to him. But in the end, nothing really happens and the 'harem' end triggers. 

Quite honestly, I think they should have at least tried to resolve the obvious lolicon ending, as taboo as it is in public. Not doing this and instead going solely for the safe "I'm the teacher, you're the nice little kids who have matured a lot" end is a clear dodge and takes the edge off this series. Fortunately, this is nicely outweighed by the unpredictable turns the series makes mid-plot, creating an interesting watch all throughout the episodes. Again, disappointing ending, but it doesn't necessarily make this series bad.

Oh nice fadeaw-WHAT THE HELL A FADEAWAY?!

What you do given the paragraphs above is up to your own discretion. However, I must warn you...I had to stop after 6 episodes because of the sheer overdose of lolis. This series isn't all about lolis, which is its saving grace - but it's mostly about them anyways (or at least, lolis doing mildly impressive things). Watch if you think you can handle it; it's not TOO bad.