TV Review | Tsurune Season 2 (Episode 7: Unwavering Spirit)

“This week’s episode of Tsurune focuses on Ryohei. It is a beautiful story about finding confidence in oneself.”

It is Wednesday so this means it is time for a new episode of Tsurune. However, without realizing it we are already more than halfway through the second season. It is a little bit sad as it has been an incredible season so far. I always look forward to Wednesday so I can watch the new episode. Nevertheless, there are still a few episodes left. Plus, Tsurune is a popular franchise so there is room for more after season 2 ends.

FINDING THEIR IKIAI

After seeing what the girl’s team could do, the boy’s team is trying to find their ikiai. They try to match their actions like eating udon or moving at the same time during Kyudo. However, ikiai is not about trying to match each other, it is about acting as one. As Masa sees it to achieve their goal, they have to go through trials and errors. Finding one’s ikiai is a quest and it does not come easily. So Masa’s job as a teacher is to let them find their own way to achieve this goal.

But that does not mean he can’t help them along the way. And he does, he tells them about breathing in kyudo. Undoubtedly, it is a great scene but also quite funny as he can be a bit clumsy in how he first mentions it. I have said it before but kyudo is more than a sport, it is an art. It is both technical and mental work. Kyoto Animation does an incredible job at showing the audience all the different aspects of kyudo. It is a visual work and a sound work. Just like when characters shoot arrows, the breathing is really important. There is an actual focus on the sound work. It is soothing.

RYOHEI AND SHU

Moreover, this episode is about Ryohei. He has to face his own struggles. In fact, he lacks confidence. He is always bringing himself down because he is not as good as the others. Obviously, this is a problem. Indeed, if he only sees himself like this, he cannot make any progress. As he tries to return the borrowed arrows to Shu, he is going to find some advices that will help him move forward.

Shu and Ryohei’s bond is actually heartfelt and they both help each other. Shu’s encouraging words help Ryohei finds more confidence. And Ryohei’s presence helps Shu seeing outside of his bubble. As we have seen in a previous episode, Shu comes from a very rich family which gave him a different experience in life than the other characters. So being around normal people makes him see things differently. Shu is such an interesting character.

Finally, Nikaido and one of his teammates also make an appearance in this episode. Little by little, we start to see the different layers of this character. This is always exciting to learn more about him. He is a complex character and he has a lot to show to the audience.