Review | Salaryman's Club (Episode 10: Tradeoff)

“Salaryman’s Club continues to impress as this week’s episode is highly entertaining.”

It’s Sunday so it’s time for the new episode of Salaryman’s Club. After last week‘s ending, just like for the previous, I think fans were eagerly waiting for this one.

CRISIS AT SUNLIGHT

Indeed, episode 9 ended with Oshitari sending an email about Miyazumi’s firing. This happened just when everything went back to normal in the team and also right during the S/J league. It was clear from the beginning of the series that Oshitari hated the badminton team and wanted to find a way to get rid of it. So, this does not come as a surprise that him wanting to fire Miyazumi is just another excuse to try to disband the badminton team. But this is surely an extreme way to do it. This episode shows us just how far Oshitari is willing to go to fulfill his goal. He is a character as despicable as it comes. However, this does not mean Miyazumi and Shiratori are ready to give up. Indeed, they cleverly face Oshitari’s commitee. After all, they are an unstoppable team.

Moreover, this episode addresses harassment at work. The scene is short but it is linked to the ongoing crisis. They do not explore the issue in-depth but addressing it is already something important. I don’t often see anime or series that talk about harassment at work. And Miyazumi has definitely the right reaction to the situation.

THE GAME-CHANGING MATCH

Furthermore, this episode also features the semi-finals at the S/J league. The episode is divided between the crisis at Sunlight Beverage and the Saeki brothers’ match against Unisics. And I have to say this is one of the most entertaining matches since the beginning. This one is so intense. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! It is a crucial match for the team as they absolutely need to win it to continue the league. But it is also an important match for the Saeki brothers themselves. Indeed, it is the first time their doubles team play a match in a competition.

This whole match showcases how hard the two brothers have trained to get to this point. There is a real development in how they play. In fact, it is the first time we see Sota going all out. The cohesion between the brothers make them a powerful team. And it is even more impressive when you know that they are facing the number two champion of badminton. At the beginning of the series, they would have never been able to face him. Their journey has been quite empowering. Even though, Miyazumi and Shiratori are the focus of the series, each character has had their own journey and development. And I love this!