九鬼洋平

It’s interesting how even before Inajitsu vs Teito match started, Miyuki was already looking for Sawamura in the bleachers at the corner of his eye.

We have got to understand that this was unusual behavior coming from Sawamura. I looked back at the previous episodes and noticed that Sawamura was always in the center of the main roster flock, and usually on Miyuki’s side.

example1, when the first years were introduced

example2, in the canteen (he’s sitting directly across Miyuki here)

example3, in the bleachers after Seido vs Kasuga-ichi match, while they were watching Ichidai vs Niogakusha

Therefore Sawamura sitting far from the core of the team after Seido vs Ichidai was downright WEIRD by Sawamura and Seido standards.

I know that Kuramochi kept implying that Sawamura was angry at the team for not being able to back him up with more runs.

However I think Sawamura wasn’t really angry at the team but he just wanted time for himself to reflect on what he learned about the Seido vs. Sankou match. Maybe he wanted to reflect on his frustration about the difference of the team and Kataoka’s treatment of him and Furuya as reliever and ace respectively.

This is why he let Haruichi and the rest of the main team go on ahead without him. It wouldn’t be too far off to say he wanted to avoid them for a bit.

I think though one of Sawamura’s  reasons for sitting far away was to be able to watch the match without Miyuki’s input.

If you recall, Miyuki had started explaining in-game strategy to Sawamura and Furuya while watching Ichidai vs Niogakusha match.

Sawamura was impressed by how Miyuki could predict gameplay by watching a game. He wanted to try doing it on his own like how he got sanada’s cutter & shuuto, shunshin’s precision and narumiya’s changeup for himself.

Because this is what Sawamura is really about. He never wallows in defeat for too long but he looks for concrete and practical ways to improve himself. While the rest of the team were still regretful, Sawamura was already one, two, ten steps ahead.

He’s an inspiration to them all.

What we spent several months waiting for.

Bonus (spoiler) under cut.

I keep forgetting to post here….but I’m back on my sports anime bullshit as u can see

Keyframes of Carlos and Shirasu by Tasaki Satoshi, chief animation director for Daiya no A.

Miyuki by Tasaki Satoshi, chief animation director for Daiya no A, who drew it after Daiya S1 ended.

Sketches from Terajima-sensei thanking everyone for their chocolates for Valentine’s, as well as birthday art for Okumura.

Sawamura: Thanks!! Sash on Okumura: Congratulations, Wolf Boy Okumura: Takuma… Don’t laugh.