Days - Episode 6 (Review)

By: AlanVMiss my review of episode 5? Check it out here![yasr_multiset setid=11] Episode six of Days has two events that change Tsukushi as a player, and will put him one small step closer to becoming an integral cog of Seiseki machine. The first event is a run-in with a captain of another squad who invites Tsukushi to play some pick-up futsal games. The results go as expected, with Tsukushi’s team getting soundly trounced.The result of the game itself isn’t all that important, though. During the game it is pointed out to Tsukushi that he isn’t really taking the game seriously enough. He has allowed the casual atmosphere of the environment and his teammates to lower his level of play. Once he becomes aware of this he finally realizes that he needs to have an edge to his game, he’s going to have to tap into the competitor locked within if he’s going to reach his full potential.The angle taken here is brilliant, and reminiscent of the conversations surrounding US soccer. A lot of the best players on the national team are returning from Europe to play in MLS because it’s a lucrative move, but MLS still isn’t on par with leagues in Europe. The argument is that these players will now be in a more relaxing environment, which means their level of play will drop accordingly.The other significant event is an interaction with one of the upperclassmen on the team. He states flat out that he refuses to pass the ball to Tsukushi because of his poor skill, and sees him as a hindrance to the ultimate goal of winning. Although the lack of skill is only one piece of the puzzle.If Tsukushi let his competitive juices flow he would be making better runs and be more precise about his positioning, something he is capable of. This would force the upperclassmen to pass it to him because at the end of the day winning is what is most important. This point is hammered home during practice when Tsukushi is finally able to make himself a viable passing option.It looks as if Days is starting to hint at the type of player Tsukushi will become. There are a lot of players who have great work rate, but lack that certain something. It seems as if he will be pairing his work rate with a smart runs that can break down defenses. Now if only Days didn’t phone it in with the animation in the second half of the episode…Days can be viewed on Crunchyroll, new episodes debut Saturday at 3:30PM EDT.