Days - Episode 7 (Review)

By: AlanVMiss my review of episode 6? Check it out here![yasr_multiset setid=11] Episode seven of Days presents the themes we’ve seen plenty of, while pushing the plot ahead slightly with another Seiseki victory. It also gives viewers a sneak peek at a new rival that will surely give Tsukushi and co. a run for their money at the tournament final.Before the semifinal game the players are given a day off and instructed to rest, but of course Tsukushi is going to Tsukushi and ends up running for the entirety of the day. The entire reason for this scene is to demonstrate to Jin how much he cherishes the time with the team, and how he doesn’t want to let a moment go by where he isn’t giving 100%. This will ultimately galvanize Jin.This part of the episode seems like a wasted opportunity. Viewers who are keeping up to this point already know the passion and love Tsukushi has for the sport and his teammates. It’s also been made obvious that Jin is also aware of this, and notices it during practices and games. So it didn’t make any sense to beat this over the head of viewers yet again. It would’ve been nice to get some backstory on some of the other characters instead.The game itself played out in typical fashion. The team is stymied by their opponents and their playing style, and the game turns around once Tsukushi is inserted into the lineup. The only difference this time around is that Tsukushi is injured during the game, prompting the captain to come off the bench to salvage the victory.The most interesting occurrence was the introduction of another formidable player. A player the team will most likely be facing off against in the tournament final. This player is short in stature, even shorter than Tsukushi, but still manages to be the top scorer for his squad. This is probably a nod to the fact that size isn’t the most important factor when it comes to soccer.The episode was a big step down from episode six. Hopefully things get more interesting once they make it to the final, and here’s hoping they find a new manner of presenting the game-playing portions other than having them struggle only to turn it around once Tsukushi comes in.Days can be viewed on Crunchyroll, new episodes debut Saturday at 3:30PM EDT.