“Tribe Nine” Ep.03: Is Kamiya Dead?! | #EpisodeReview

The last scene was Kamiya saying goodbye to his friends and then dropping like this.

Undoubtedly, Tribe Nine is one of my favorite shows this season, but after season 3 aired, I feel like it no longer is. It’s a sports anime (of some sort) about “extreme baseball,” which is true in every sense of the word. Instead of a traditional diamond field, the court for this game spans over a whole region. What’s more is that players are allowed to go all out when tagging their opponents, so there’s always blood and brute and brawl whenever there’s a game.

The first two episodes were quite chill, a stark contrast from the premise of the anime, but the third one really went “extreme” in the truest sense of the word. Kamiya’s team, which was considered the strongest, was challenged by the Royalties. For whatever reason, Ojiro, the main player of the new team, is much stronger than Kamiya (who, by the way, is already leaps and bounds stronger than any normal person). Kamiya maintained his composure throughout the game until he was pummeled to a pulp by Ojiro; he was sent to the hospital and got discharged. He was having a lot of fun with his now-disbanded team until he excused himself out and then died (or passed out or whatever) because of his injuries, perhaps.

I don’t want to think Kamiya is really dead – so far, he is the best character for me, and I think a lot of people who watch the show will agree with me. I don’t want to believe he’s dead, but every hint points toward that direction.

“Tribe Nine,” the title of the show, seems to refer to the nine remaining members: Haru, Saorin, Taiga, Micchan, Manami, and the quadruplets. Also, looking at the poster of the show, it seems like Kamiya is just a “backdrop.” He doesn’t stand in front along with the rest of the team; he seems to be facing the back and is fading.

Poster for Tribe Nine anime.

And the strongest point?! This anime is created by Kodaka Kazutaka. When it’s an anime written by the same guy who made Danganronpa, I expect nothing but death! I’m looking forward to the next episodes because I’m a fan of the Kodaka-sensei. I wonder what surprises he has in store. #