8.2·2014·1 Season
Enter the hero! Enter the hero! Enter the hero!
Makoto 'Smile' Tsukimoto and his friend Yutaka 'Peco' Hoshino have been playing table tennis together since they were kids, but as they enter high school, they find that the game, and how they see it, has changed. Peco, brimming with confidence and energy, wants to be the best in the world, but the reserved Smile has little fighting spirit and doesn't want to sacrifice others' happiness just to win, despite his innate talent. As the two grow, and experience the ups and downs of the sport – and life – they try to figure out exactly who they really are and what drives them to play.
Episodes
1. The Wind Makes It Too Hard to Hear
23mTwo old friends go to spy on a new table tennis champ at a rival high school, but meanwhile their own team is falling apart.
2. Smile Is a Robot
23mCoach Koizumi has started working Smile hard, and he definitely doesn't appreciate the extra attention.
3. Staking Your Life on Table Tennis Is Revolting
23mAll the teams gather at the prefectural qualifiers, and China gets to play Smile at last.
4. The Only Way to Be Sure You Won't Lose Is to Not Fight
23mPeco learns a hard lesson from someone he never took seriously enough, and then we finally see how Dragon earned his name.
5. Where Did I Go Wrong?
23mDragon's obsession with Smile prompts Akuma to do something rash.
6. You Love This Sport More Than Anyone!!
23mFive athletes have five very different Christmas Eves, and Peco gets a wake-up call.
7. Yes, My Coach
23mPlayers, coaches, captains, and their families.
8. The Hero Appears
23mSmile, Peco, Dragon, and China begin another prefectural qualifier. Will the results be different this year?
9. Gonna Cry a Bit
23mIn the third round, Dragon has an unexpected visitor, Sanada questions himself, and Peco scares lots of people in lots of ways.
10. I Thought You Were the Hero!!
23mPeco and Dragon tackle the question of whether only birds can fly.
11. Blood Tastes Like Iron
23mThe final match is on.
Cast
Koki Uchiyama
Makoto 'Smile' Tsukimoto (voice)
Fukujuro Katayama
Yutaka 'Peco' Hoshino (voice)
Yousei Bun
Wenge 'China' Kong (voice)
Shunsuke Sakuya
Ryuuichi 'Dragon' Kazama (voice)
Subaru Kimura
Manabu 'Demon' Sakuma (voice)
Yusaku Yara
Jou Koizumi (voice)
