MARCH MADNESS – TOURNAMENT ARC TIME PART 1
I heard you like tournaments, so I made a tournament of memorable tournament arcs in anime. A tournament of tournaments, if you will.
Tournament arcs are a staple in shonen anime. As a plot device, they serve many purposes. They can act as a break from the main storyline or they can be the build-up to something much bigger in a series. We often see main characters get stronger and/or side characters get fleshed out that otherwise wouldn’t get much time in the limelight. It’s a good opportunity to introduce new characters or provide compelling matchups between unlikely opponents. Sports anime for example, use the tournament trope to determine who is the best at their respective sport – as real-life sports do. With so many anime having their own unique iterations of a tournament arc it’s easy to see why they’re so beloved among shonen fans. From cook-offs to martial arts fighting and everything in-between, the tournament arc is where creators can show off their ingenuity by spinning a familiar trope with intense and thrilling spectacle.
Outside of the anime world, people love tournaments too, especially during March Madness. There’s something special about printing that NCAA tournament bracket – nowadays it’s on the ESPN app – and picking schools you know nothing about, having Duke lose in the first round (well, not this year since they didn’t even make it in), or having your favorite team go all the way.
In the spirit of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, I’ve decided to have a tournament arc for this newsletter. I’ve compiled tournament arcs I’ve watched and found memorable into an 8-team tournament. The rules are simple. It’s single elimination where I pick the best (a subjective measurable) tournament out of the matchup until there’s one left standing. I found it really difficult to seed/rank these arcs. There are no real metrics to determine one’s standing; I just went off of how I felt about them at the time of seeding these arcs. As I go through the matchups I’ll point out notable matches and highlights of each and make my case for who advances.
I’ll note that I initially wanted to have a 16-team tournament, but I found myself to be way over my head being responsible for so much content in a post. Apologies in advance for omitting any of the Dragon Ball/DBZ/DB Super tournaments. I’ve not watched any of the Dragon Ball series, and I can’t include what I haven’t watched despite how popular the omissions may be. Without further ado, let’s get this tournament of tournaments started!
Quarter Finals
#1 Dark Tournament, Yu Yu Hakusho
Highlights: Yusuke vs. Chu in a knife-edge death match, Yusuke vs. Toguro for all the Tostitos, Kurama’s true form being revealed, the first time Hiei yelled “DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME”
Making the case: The Dark Tournament is a near masterpiece. It’s highly acclaimed and easily the main draw of Yu Yu Hakusho. The Dark Tournament follows smart-mouthed Spirit Detective, Yusuke Urameshi, and his friends as they participate in a martial-arts tournament run by greedy crime lords and face some of the most dangerous demons of Spirit World in an effort to protect the fate of the world. This tournament has everything that people would want out of a tournament arc: exciting fights with dope powers, an excellent cast of characters, an emotional back story, comedic relief... The list goes on as this perfectly paced, special arc has stood the test of time and become one of the greatest arcs in anime.
Vs.
#8 God of High School Tournament, God of High School
Highlights: Gang Manseok vs. Go Gamdo, Jin Mori vs. Han Daewi, anytime Mori, Daewi, and Yoo Mira bonded as friends
Making the case: Adapted from the South Korean manhwa (comic) of the same name, this is an instance where the tournament is the premise of the show for better or for worse. The protagonist, Jin Mori, gets invited to a martial arts tournament in South Korea ran by a shady organization (shady organizations love hosting tournaments apparently). High school kids from all over the country participate with the winner getting any wish granted by the shady organization. The first few episodes initially indicated the show would be solid entertainment as we saw different fighting styles wonderfully animated by MAPPA studio. However, the show turned into a rushed, inconsistent mess as it deviated further and further from the fun of the tournament (turns out a lot of the plot from the comic was skipped so the inconsistencies check out). The tournament even gets called off because the shady organization gets involved with another shady organization, and world threatening, non-sensical chaos ensues. I was supposed to make the case for the GoH tournament, but there isn’t one to be made. It looked nice, I guess.
Winner: The Dark Tournament wins without breaking a sweat. The GoH Tournament is happy it got the chance to even participate in this tournament. Next!
#4 Spring Interhigh Qualifiers, Haikyuu!!
Highlights: Karasuno vs. Aoba Johsai, Karasuno vs. Shiratorizawa, Tsukishima stepping up
Making the case: The Spring Interhigh Qualifiers has anime’s favorite volleyball team, Karasuno High, in a regional tournament in order to qualify for Japan’s national high school tournament. The underdogs go through some of the toughest teams like powerhouses Aoba Johsai High and Shiratorizawa Academy. I’ve stated this in a previous post, but I really enjoy that we get to focus on the rival teams as well with Oikawa and Ushijima being the most compelling rivals of Haikyuu!!. It’s also wonderful to see teamwork making the dream work throughout the qualifiers; everyone on the team gets their time to shine, and it’s quality content to watch. The stakes are high in this qualifier because it’s win or go home, and it’s rewarding seeing Karasuno embodying the spirit of teamwork while having fun in this tournament.
Vs.
#5 Winter Cup Tournament, Kuroko no Basuke
Highlights: Seirin High’s improbable run vs. the Generation of Miracles, Kagami and Aomine entering “The Zone”, Kise’s heroic efforts despite his injury
Making the case: What’s the most impressive playoff run you’ve ever witnessed in sports? When I say impressive I mean the team won it all while facing the best teams. Although obviously not a real team, I’d put the run that Seirin High’s basketball team had in the Winter Cup up there as one of the most impressive. Led by Tetsuya Kuroko and Taiga Kagami, Seirin face and beat the most powerful teams in Japan, some of which feature members of the revered “Generation of Miracles” – five players with godlike abilities. You get ridiculous dunks, flashy passes, and unrealistic moves in an action-packed, nail-biting tournament. One of my favorite wrinkles to the game is when certain players who are worthy enter “The Zone” – a state of play where the player reaches their maximum potential visually represented as colorful currents of electricity coming out of their eyes. This isn’t basketball as it’s portrayed in real life, but that never mattered to me as it was pretty damn entertaining.
Winner: This matchup between sports anime was the toughest one of the round, but I have Haikyuu!!’s Interhigh Qualifiers slightly edging out the Winter Cup. Karasuno’s growth is what does it for me. So rewarding. So good.
#2 Chunin Exams, Naruto
Highlights: Rock Lee vs. Gara, Naruto vs. Neji, Naruto being shook in the first exam
Making the case: The Chunin Exams are seen by many as the highlight of the original Naruto series. The young shinobi of the Naruto world are put through three tests (a written test, a team battle royale, and a one-on-one tournament) to prove they are worthy of moving up in ranking and become a chunin. There’s plenty to love here: new characters and abilities, thrilling fights, world-building, and events that would lead to other major developments in the overall story. The Chunin Exams make the world of Naruto more alive, more intense, and infinitely more interesting. Of course, I can’t forget my guy Naruto finally getting some recognition and respect from his peers.
Vs.
#7 Battle for the Flame-Flame Fruit, One Piece
Highlights: The chaos of the battle royales, Luffy winning Block C, Sabo’s return
Making the case: One Piece’s tournament arc occurs deep into its run as Luffy (disguised and going by Lucy) participates in a tournament where the grand prize is the Flame-Flame devil fruit that had once given his now deceased foster brother, Ace, fire powers – devil fruits grant a person powers once eaten, and they pop back up again when they die. The tournament takes place in a colosseum and consists of 4 separate battle royales. It’s a chaotic arc that introduces a plethora of characters – including fan favorite and Straw Hat Crew super fan, Bartolomeo. It’s great to see Luffy kicking ass, but the best part of the tournament is the revelation that Luffy’s other foster brother, Sabo (presumed dead when they were kids), was alive all along. It’s an unexpected and heartfelt reunion, and I love that Sabo ends up taking Luffy’s place in the tournament wanting to inherit Ace’s will by winning the Flame-Flame fruit.
Winner: Naruto’s Chunin Exams wins this battle between two of the “Big Three of Shonen”. The Chunin Exams just matter more to the Naruto series, and I think One Piece’s tournament having way too many side characters to focus on hinders it as some part felt dragged out.
#3 U.A. Sports Festival, My Hero Academia
Highlights: The conclusion of the obstacle race and cavalry battle, Uraraka vs. Bakugo, Isuku “Deku” Midoriya vs. Shoto Todoroki
Making the case: The U.A. Sports festival has U.A. High’s heroes-in-training showcase their abilities in different competitions (an obstacle race, a cavalry battle, and a one-on-one tournament) in order to be scouted by Pro Heroes and support agencies. This is the arc that made My Hero Academia one of my favorite anime. I thought the first two events were a fresh and creative approach to the tournament arc, and they absolutely delivered there with surprising, yet thrilling conclusions. The one-on-one tournament was also wonderful with some of the series’ most intense and emotionally charged fights scenes occurring in this tournament. The U.A. Sports Festival is an absolutely top-tier tournament.
Vs.
#6 43rd Annual Totsuki Autumn Election, Food Wars
Highlights: Ryo vs. Akira in the semis, Soma vs. Ryo vs. Akira in the finals, all the wonderful food that was cooked in this tournament
Making the case: Food Wars! takes us to the world of cuisine as it channels the spirit of competition and personal growth through its shokugekis, or cooking competitions. The 43rd Annual Totsuki Autumn Election has Yukihira Soma and 7 other elite chefs of the 92nd Totsuki Academy class in a tournament-style cookoff competition with the winner getting bragging rights at the prestigious academy.The cook-offs are just as exciting as a martial arts fight, and it’s incredible to see the level of detail that goes into the dishes the characters make. The twists, the foodgasms, the action, the drama, the wonderful food, and the characters are also (pun intended) **chef’s kiss**.
Winner: The U.A. Sports Festival wins here because off of the strength and creativity of its events and because of how it elevates My Hero Academia to one of my favorites.
**I’ve decided to split this tournament into two posts. Check out Part 2 for results of the semis and finals!**