Kuroko's Basketball, Vol. 1

In this sports manga, Fujimaki introduces the fictional "Miracle Generation," a middle school basketball team of six players, each of whom was an exceptional sports talent. Now scattered to different high schools, they're trying to take their respective teams to the national championships. The unsung hero was Kuroko, master of passing and deflection. His strategy now is to be a shadow that supports others, but each old friend he meets in battle requires him to step up to his own challenges on the court and off it. The story, which strongly recalls the hit volleyball series Haikyu, does have its own charms, including the sentiment that winning isn't everything. The story, unlike most sports manga, feels very personal. However, the ball movement language is hard to read, and there are a lot of blank spaces to save on drawing time. It's an ambitious, successful piece for a first-time author, but that newness shows here and there. (Aug.)