"I've never seen anything like this before."
FanGeGe was genuinely intrigued. Such a novel strategy from a streaming platform was bound to capture his attention.
Streaming live first and only allowing playback afterward—it was certainly unique.
Even FanGeGe, whose resistance to bad anime had reached max level after years of experience, couldn't help but chuckle, "This is truly innovative!"
"Alright, let's check out this Kuroko's Basketball: Generation of Miracles. The title is quite long, so it probably has something interesting to offer."
"When I made my seasonal anime preview, I must've missed this one—I don't recall it at all."
The opening of the anime revolved around Kuroko Tetsuya.
The comments instantly rolled in:
『Oh, blue-haired guy!』
『Looks expressionless, kinda cute!』
『Settle down, I can smell your thirst even from the toilet!』
『Is this guy really the protagonist? Isn't he too short for a basketball anime?』
『Maybe it's a classic hot-blooded underdog story?』
Kuroko's debut didn't stir much excitement initially.
The audience had watched enough anime on this platform to predict many storylines from mere hints.
As expected, the story quickly shifted to why Kuroko loved basketball in the first place.
"Not very surprising," FanGeGe commented.
He'd seen far too many similar intros over his long career as an anime reviewer.
"So, next he'll probably train hard, leading his team to national victory, right?"
But he soon realized he'd spoken too soon.
Once Kuroko entered Teiko and wandered around a campus buzzing with recruitment activity, strange things started happening.
He walked around like a ghost, unnoticed by anyone around him—as if isolated from the rest of the world.
Even when standing directly before seniors recruiting for the basketball club, Kuroko remained entirely unseen.
"What kind of non-existent presence is this?" FanGeGe's expression shifted, murmuring, "This is ridiculous."
The narrator quickly chimed in to explain Kuroko's ridiculously weak presence:
Since birth, aside from his parents, even his closest friends had trouble noticing him.
FanGeGe dramatically mimicked Bucciarati from JoJo Part 5, inhaling sharply.
"There's something very wrong here!"
"Guys, trust me—this anime isn't a conventional sports series. At least, it's nothing like Slam Dunk's traditional hot-blooded style."
The comments exploded in response:
『Obviously! No one's presence is THAT weak!』
『Invisible basketball?』
『Imagine the protagonist casually dribbling all the way to the basket without anyone reacting!』
『But the referee doesn't notice him either, so the points don't count?』
『LOL! Now I'm imagining it!』
『Why is that suddenly hilarious?』
Even FanGeGe, reading the comments, visualized an absurd scenario:
Kuroko slowly dribbles unopposed past half-court, calmly scores beneath the basket—and then the points get nullified because even the referee can't see him.
"No way it'd be that ridiculous."
"If that scene really happens, I'll instantly give this anime a 10/10 rating!"
Such absurdity would elevate it to legendary levels of terrible genius.
Surely, no anime producer could be that insane?
However, Kuroko's unusual debut already hinted to FanGeGe that this series wasn't quite like other basketball anime he'd seen.
At the very least, Kuroko's bizarrely low presence was enough to keep viewers interested.
Character design!
FanGeGe realized he'd pinpointed one of the anime's strengths—unique character designs would likely be a major selling point.
Soon enough, the anime shifted to club activities as Kuroko made his way directly to Teiko's famous basketball club.
Having already been informed of Teiko's reputation as a basketball powerhouse, viewers weren't surprised to see a bustling, crowded basketball gymnasium.
Then came the scene where Tendou Kageyoshi made his first appearance.
In the viewers' perspective, Tendou casually wandered around after entering, unknowingly blocking Kuroko's way.
Kuroko hesitated briefly before speaking up in his usual bland tone, "Excuse me, could you please move aside?"
"What do you mean 'move'?" Tendou turned his head, finally noticing Kuroko's presence behind him—and jumped backward in exaggerated shock.
"You scared the hell out of me! Why the heck are you silently standing behind me?"
"I've been here all along," Kuroko replied calmly. "You just didn't notice me."
"You were here first?"
Tendou's face filled with exaggerated horror, smoothly transitioning into a sarcastic remark:
"What kind of manga setting is this? I've heard of weak presences, but yours is ridiculous—are you sure you didn't escape from a Marvel comic?"
"Pffft—!" FanGeGe burst into laughter immediately.
The chat exploded as viewers laughed along, flooding the comments with strings of "HAHAHA!"
『Epic reaction!』
『This guy definitely read the script beforehand!』
『He's breaking the fourth wall perfectly!』
『Dude, you figured it out!』
After the laughter subsided, viewers finally paid closer attention to Tendou Kageyoshi himself.
He sported irresistible white hair—a universally beloved aesthetic in anime.
Tall, slender, and wearing stylish sunglasses, everything about him screamed individuality.
Though viewers couldn't yet see his eyes clearly, his appearance alone implied outstanding visuals.
Then, in a subtle move, Tendou briefly slid down his sunglasses, revealing piercing blue eyes as he examined Kuroko more closely.
That brief glimpse instantly enchanted countless female viewers.
The chat overflowed again:
『So handsome!』
『White hair and blue eyes—I'm already in love!』
『Husband~!』
『Wow, even among all these handsome characters, this guy is uniquely captivating!』
『Damn, my own beauty feels threatened.』
This highlighted the second great characteristic of Kuroko no Basket:
Like Prince of Tennis, every character was visually appealing.
Observing viewers' reactions, FanGeGe immediately sensed that this anime had strong potential for popularity—though whether it would become a breakout hit depended on how the plot unfolded later.
As viewers gained experience watching anime, they'd realized a crucial fact:
Nearly every successful anime depended heavily on engaging character designs.
So far, Generation of Miracles introduced two main characters, both featuring outstanding, distinctive personalities.
Plus, the anime's title itself carried an undeniable sense of grandeur.
Then came their introductions:
"Hello, my name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm a first-year. Nice to meet you."
"Tendou Kageyoshi. Likewise."
Immediately, another flood of comments arrived:
『Wait, your surname is Tendou?』
『We have our resident arrogant king!』
『Quick, what's your relation to Tendou Souji?』
『Are you going to fight using trading cards too?』
Among Japan's famous franchises was the Kamen Rider series.
One of its protagonists, Tendou Souji, had become infamous for his arrogance, known affectionately as the "King of Arrogance" among fans.
Each episode featured him proclaiming "My grandmother said…" before uttering various absurd yet memorable lines.
Every single episode without fail—and never repeating himself!