Why Don’t You Give Up? (諦めませんか Akiramemasen ka) is the seventy-third episode and the twenty-third episode of Kuroko no Basuke anime.
Synopsis[]
Kuroko and Kagami are ready to face Akashi
Faced by Akashi's huge zone of defence, Kagami despairs, having reached the bottom of the zone, but seeing no way to open the "door". Kuroko suggests they give up relying solely on Kagami for now, and offers to take some of the burden. By watching and predicting Kagami's movement, Kuroko becomes Kagami's "eye" and is able to intercept Akashi. Although stunned, Akashi catches up and attempts to stop Kagami, but is intercepted again by Kuroko.
One last time, Akashi attempts to intercept Kagami's dunk, but Kagami, with his teammates supporting him, manages to open the "door" within the zone and scores. Akashi misses a goal, and has fallen out of the Zone. A voice inside Akashi starts telling him to give-up. Rakuzan calls a time out with 5 minutes left in the game, and the score 92-90. Just as Rakuzan's coach is about to sub Akashi out, Mayuzumi chastises Akashi, asking rhetorically "Who are you?", which triggers an internal dialogue with his other self.
Akashi's real self surfaces
Akashi strove for victory in order to keep his team together and in his weakness he created his other self. But then he started playing for victory itself, forgetting why. Now, his two selves appear to merge, or perhaps switch places, and, echoing his words to Kuroko in middle school, aloud he declares himself "Akashi Seijuro".
Characters in order of appearance[]
Manga and Anime Difference[]
- In the mind of Akashi, he met his other self.
- In a flashback, Kuroko was watching a match on a television set while in the anime it was omitted.