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DAYS
Episode 5

by Lauren Orsini,

How would you rate episode 5 of
DAYS ?
Community score: 3.7

Can you believe it's the fifth episode of DAYS, and we're just now getting to an actual soccer match? And even this time, we barely see any of it! And yet, I can't say that I'm dissatisfied with this show's progress. Whether the CG is good or bad for the kick of a ball or the curve of a pass isn't the draw of this show. The show's real appeal is written all over the characters' faces, and that's where DAYS' strength truly lies.

Tsukushi Tsukamoto's relentless positive energy could be grating in some situations, but not when the camera rests tirelessly on his myriad changing facial expressions. This relentless gaze shows us that there's nothing insincere about Tsukushi's approach to soccer—he genuinely feels every new development with his whole being. His empathy is expressed in frequent tense closeups; when his revered Kasahara-senpai's name isn't called to be one of the 17 interhigh players, Tsukushi doesn't even realize that his own name has been called instead. With the show's camera fixed squarely on Tsukushi, there's no suspicion that he's secretly happy he was picked instead—he's flat out miserable. Close shots keep him honest and endear us to Tsukushi more than we might be otherwise.

Tsukushi cheers so wholeheartedly on the sidelines that the coach decides to put him in just to liven up the mood. So now it's time for some real soccer, right? Not really. The focus is still on how Tsukushi's energy (certainly not his skill) makes him a game changer. Only now this effect is shown through other people's expressions as well. DAYS uses the time-honored sports anime tradition of having onlookers loudly narrate the significance of new developments in the game while suggesting audience-insert reactions to them. We see plenty of close shots of teammates' faces, the coach's face, and manager Chikako's face in reaction to Tsukushi simply refusing to give up. This is already a worrisome game with the soccer team captain conveniently unable to play, so rather than show us that tension through intense plays (or any plays really), we glean it from players' and onlookers' reactions. At the center of it all is Tsukushi, of course. He's so quick to smiles and tears that we never have to guess at his mood.

Usually by this point in a sports anime, I have an opinion about whether the sport is animated anywhere close to reality, but we've seen so little actual soccer, I can't really tell you. After Tsukushi makes one play (catching that nearly out-of-bounds ball), the rest of the game is shown in scant clips. It's a different approach from other sports shows, which gradually introduce you into a sport with explanations of the different positions and roles. I've learned nothing about soccer—but I've learned a ton about Tsukushi and what makes him tick. This is the story of one super likable person, and it just happens to tangentially be about soccer. I'm hoping that the show gets the message that yes, we totally relate to Tsukushi and how gosh darn nice he is and how he's respected by all of his teammates in spite of his flaws. Now, let's see him shine on the field.

Rating: B

DAYS is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about geek careers at Otaku Journalist


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