Review of Baby Steps

The shounen sports genre is often known for focusing primarily on the 'badassery' of the protagonist. Whether it'd take borderline supernatural powers, world-class talent, or the glorification of matches complete with equally badass rivals and an audience that's shocked out of their seat every 5 seconds, the series will always pull through with demonstrating that there is something special about what's going on. Protagonists are idols, absolutely extraordinary characters whom you watch from the side lines with awe. It's about the thrill. It's about the fantasy. Baby Steps is different. As indicated by the title, Maruo's tennis career is built steadily from the ground up,and we're there to see every crucial step that's taken for him to rise from an unathletic straight-A high school student to an aspiring tennis professional. From mild interest to inspiration, from inspiration to resolve, and finally from resolve to brutal matches and even more brutal training regimens, it's both a test of body and soul, and a journey to discover who he truly wants to be. That may sound dramatic for 'just a high school sports series', but Baby Steps actually takes the effort to make the progression natural and believable. After all, Maruo will have to throw away his academic studies and the 'safe route' of college to workforce in order to take tennis seriously. He doesn't even know if he's cut out for international competition, and he actually has to convince his parents that these are sound, rational decisions on his part. Yes, in case you haven't gotten the vibe yet, this is a series about becoming a professional. It's not just about winning matches and being badass. It's about falling in love with the sport and gaining the willingness to throw away everything in a gamble for a dream.

What makes this plotline work so well is the nature of the main character. Outside of having good reaction time and excellent eyesight, he's quite an everyday guy. His fitness is pretty average. He has no killer moves. Every victory is won through precise strategy, astute observation, and consistent execution that comes from practiced repetition. While this approach may sound boring on paper, it brings about the show's primary strength: because we learn virtually every aspect of tennis from the ground up with the protagonist, and because we get to see him apply practice to matches with calculated success, every match brings to fruition the satisfaction of having achieved success through hard work. There's a real sense of growth, and when he crushes opponents whom he previously would have been crushed by, it's a well-deserved outcome. Believe it or not, earned successes feel way more satisfying than god given talent. At least I think so.

So what about the actual matches? None of them last more than two episodes, and as I indicated earlier, Baby Steps is less about showcasing the thrilling wins of a match and more about what can be learned from each experience. But don't get the wrong idea; the matches are exciting! Every moment showcased throughout the matches is accompanied with tons of thought as Maruo adapts to each situation, and Baby Steps effectively shows that tennis is a dynamic sport with tons of mind games and research involved. Maruo collects data on his opponents' tendencies throughout the match, recognizes their forms, predicts what kinds of shots they're making fractions of a second beforehand, strategizes for quick turns in momentum, makes YOLO plays at crucial moments, and abuses every single technical and mental weakness he can observe to the fullest. More often than not, he's faced with opponents who have been playing tennis since they were five, and he has to fight tooth-and-nail with every trick in the book for every single point he gets. He takes on seemingly insurmountable challenges, and he actually loses a lot; it's awe-inspiring how well Maruo can collect himself and turn what would've been a morally crushing defeat into an invaluable experience to grow as a sports player. He never gives up, he rarely chokes, and he's eager to learn. He even takes extremely detailed notes (courtesy of his academic diligence) on everything possible to reflect upon during his free time. Again, it's success through a butt ton of hard work.

Now let's take a few steps back and look at the overall picture. MyAnimeList has Baby Steps listed as a romance, but take that with a grain of salt, as the first season chooses to focus primarily on Maruo's growth as an athlete. Similarly, the character focus is on Maruo, with all the other characters playing a support role in his life story, including the female lead Natsu. They're good characters for sure, and Natsu in particular is a breath of fresh air with her charming personality and optimistic attitude, but you have to like the main character to even have a chance of liking this show. Thankfully, Maruo isn't too hard to like. He's pleasant, easily relatable, and makes a good impression despite his generic looks. Key word is relatable: this shounen protagonist isn't meant to be idolized. He's a guy that you may know in real life. Heck, he might even be just like you. Either way, it's through this sense of an everyday relatability that makes it feel like we're on this journey with him, and with every success comes an equally rewarding sense of accomplishment for both Maruo and the audience.

As usual, don't limit yourself too much in your choice of media. Not a fan of sports anime? Never watched tennis before? Me neither, and guess what, I really like this show! Don't hesitate to give Baby Steps an episode or two; it might just surprise you with its pleasant atmosphere and endearing characters. It's a good show.