Tsurune: The Linking Shot

Episode 10

Kyudo may be a team sport, but its athletes spend a lot of time in their own heads. Perhaps that's why we repeatedly discover that each archer's worst enemy is actually himself. Such is the case yet again with Eisuke Nikaido, the series' most compelling antagonist yet. Even though his primary goal is crushing our good boy Minato, Eisuke's survivor spirit and tenacity in the face of adversity (paired with Jun Fukuyama's sonorous vocals) make him an underdog to root for.

This week, Eisuke's simmering anger has boiled over with explosive implications, and for the first time, change seems possible. Despite a lot of reused footage in flashbacks and an apparent absence of the sport at the center of the show, this week's subtle storytelling treats the delicate conflict at the core of Eisuke's trauma with the care it deserves.

For most of the cast of Tsurune: The Linking Shot, it's another idyllic day of training camp. They're bonding, and some of them are even falling in love. (Big oof for Kenyuu, as Seo clearly had that rejection ready to go.) Not so for Eisuke. Even clueless Minato has noticed something is up with his already moody former senpai. The drama of Eisuke's bad mood is so intense, it eclipses the mock practice match, which I originally thought would be a critical element of the episode's conflict. We are simply informed after the fact that Tsujimine won the match. Instead, the real takeaway is that Eisuke was prepared to do anything to win it—even cheat. If Masa hadn't come over and noticed that Higuchi had unwittingly broken the rules by marking his bow, Eisuke wasn't going to say anything, and he wasn't going to let Fuwa say anything either.

For all of Eisuke's false friendliness, and eventually his outright aggressive snapping, this is the only time we've seen him resort to underhanded tactics. It's telling that the storyline places Eisuke's worst deed this late in the narrative, after we've already heard his backstory and developed sympathy for him. By now, Eisuke is too complex to hate.

As the episode progresses, Eisuke's mood darkens further, but it's hard to see his increasingly hostile interactions as anything but the empty words of a troubled teen. It's obvious that he's baiting his teammates, the Kazamai members, and especially Coach Masa, into giving him a big reaction. His childish behavior is especially on display when he preemptively confronts Masa in the bath about his attempt at cheating. Masa doesn't rise to Eisuke's immature provocations but remains levelheaded—the obvious adult in this situation, for all of Eisuke's self-reliance. This is Eisuke's second one-on-one encounter with Masa, and since he's the second person to enter the baths, it may not be a coincidence. Though he insists that he hates coaches and everything Masa stands for, he needs an adult's guidance this episode—both during this brief discussion about morality, and later, when he needs somebody to drive him to the hospital.

As if Eisuke wasn't already in a bad enough mood, his second solo encounter of the day is with his other least favorite person, Minato. Elevator scenes already scream awkwardness, in no small part because of the famous precedent set by Evangelion. This one is even worse, when the boys get stuck between the first and second floors. When the light flickered off and Minato fell backward, injuring his wrist, I was terrified that it was going to lead to an injury affecting his kyudo—because history has shown us that no detail is too small in Tsurune's story. Thankfully, the purpose of the near-injury seemed to be to prompt Eisuke into action to catch his falling rival. He may be this season's antagonist, but he's not a monster.

Here, in the liminal space of the elevator, Minato and Eisuke are nearly able to find common ground. Like with Masa in the baths, Eisuke attempts increasingly antagonistic means of baiting Minato to anger. And like Masa, Minato sidesteps this aggression with a flashback to season 1. They each put this earlier footage to good use by explaining their own traumas to Eisuke, who seemingly believes that he's the only person in the kyudo world who has ever experienced hardship. It does him some good to see how the very people who he thought led the most charmed lives have been through similar trials.

At the climax of the episode, Eisuke is at his most vulnerable. With his beloved uncle, who seems more like a father to him than his own father, suddenly hospitalized, he has to call on the two people he dislikes the most at this training camp for aid. From aggression to anguish to relief, his character arc has given Jun Fukuyama a lot of material to work with. (I almost can't believe that guy is going to be a vending machine next.) The next day, Eisuke is back at camp and even with his eyes red from crying, he refuses to look at either Masa or Minato. His anger feels more than ever like that of a child, and I just want to give the poor kid a hug. It's a testament to the way Tsurune can create complex characters outside of the binary.

I can't end this review without alluding to Fuwa's imaginative stylings of the Heike Monogatari, if only to recommend the anime of the same name. The gorgeous texture and jewel tones of this flashback lend it the richness of a traditional screen painting and feel right at home in this show about an ancient traditional sport. Seeing inside Fuwa's mind like this lends another layer of depth to Tsurune's characterization, suggesting that the show could provide personalized backstories for every one of its cast members, if only it had the time.

Rating:

Tsurune: The Linking Shot is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

Lauren writes about model kits at Gunpla 101. She spends her days teaching her two small Newtypes to bring peace to the space colonies.