Heartwarming / Kuroko's Basketball

aka: Kuroko No Basuke

• Despite the way Aomine acted towards Kuroko in their first match, when Aomine overhears a teammate insult Kuroko, he immediately pins the guy against the locker and tells him that he didn't even play and therefore he should shut up. It's obvious that he still cares for Kuroko that he would be angry at anyone who would make fun of him.
• Quarter 57... just Quarter 57. If Kuroko and Kagami making up and vowing to get stronger together wasn't enough for you, then there's Kuroko's little speech.
  Kuroko: I'm glad I came to Seirin. All the seniors are nice. My classmates are who try hard together are also nice. You believed in me. I'm no longer the Kuroko Tetsuya of Teikou. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya of Seirin High School.
• The end of the Touou vs. Kaijou match. Kasamatsu helps an ailing Kise to the player lineup and comforts him by vowing to make all the opponents pay during the Winter Cup. The fact the Kise is sobbing his heart out after his loss makes the moment even sweeter.
  • In a weird flip, Kaijou ends up becoming the Hero Antagonist of the match, winning the crowd support due to ending up being the scrappy underdogs who hang on through Kise's injury. Kise not wanting to let his team down a rallying a comeback is what gets the crowd pumped and on their side.
• Kasamatsu's Rousing Speech to his team in the aftermath of Touou vs. Kaijou game.
  Kasamatsu: Buck up everybody! You've tried your best! We're among the best eight teams in the entire nation! Go back with pride!
• Quarter 102: Teppei covering the inside in the game against Kirisaki Daiichi so the other team focus their attacks on him and no one else gets hurt. Not to mention his speech after getting a really bad elbow hit to the head.
  Teppei: (in a flashback) I've been thinking what can I do for Seirin when I get back. If they continue fighting this way, their hearts might get fragile from overwhelming powers like Teikou. They might get threatened by dangerous opponents like Hanamiya.
  Teppei: That's why I decided. If their hearts get fragile, I'll become their support. If they're threatened, I'll become their shield. I'll sacrifice myself any day to protect everyone. That's why I came back!
• Quarter 120. Kuroko has hit rock bottom and is crying tears of despair when suddenly...
  Kagami: It's not useless, idiot.
• During the Yousen match Kagami asks Kuroko to throw away the ring Himuro gave him, because the current relationship he has with the team is much more important than clinging onto a past relationship with him. Awwwww...
  • The follow-up after the match is just as sweet, when Kuroko reveals that he's actually kept the ring because he cares about Kagami and believes he can still mend his past relationship with Himuro. Double awwwwww.
    • This becomes Heartwarming in Hindsight after we learn of his friendship with Ogiwara.
• Anytime Aomine interacts with Tetsuya #2.
• Quarter 160: What protects you is your team.
• Quarter 177: Things aren't looking good for Shutoku in their match against Rakuzan, Miyaji is unable to stop Hayama from scoring, and Mibuchi tells Midorima that aside from him, every other Shutoku player is a hindrance. Midorima then proceeds to block Hayama from scoring when he gets past Miyaji again, bypasses a double-team attempt with the help of a surprise screen from Kimura, and prepares to take a shot. Nebuya tries to screen him, only for Midorima to instead pass the ball to Miyaji, who scores immediately.
  Midorima: There's not a single player on this team who's a hindrance.
• Quarter 205: The way Aomine took to Kuroko and decided to befriend and train with him. Then later in the same chapter, telling Kuroko that there's "no such thing as a useless player on a team" when Kuroko wanted to quit after being told by the coach that the basketball club was not for him. You can see why, despite Aomine becoming a Jerkass later, Kuroko still wants to help Aomine enjoy playing basketball again.
• In the beginning of the series, everyone assumed that Kuroko joined Seirin for no reason. Then the Teiko arc reveals that he does have a reason: when he saw them in a match once, he was touched and inspired by how they played with all their strength because they are passionate about the sport, reminding him of the Generation of Miracles in their earlier days.
• It's small, but after Kuroko tells the story of how the Generation of Miracles came to be and how they drifted apart, Kagami assures him that what happened with them isn't his fault. The entire team even tries to cheer Kuroko up in their own way, knowing that it wasn't easy for Kuroko to tell them everything. Seirin for best team ever!
• When Ogiwara, the rest of the Generation of Miracles, and the entire audience cheer Seirin on in their match against Rakuzan. In the anime, you can also see the other teams that Seirin defeated joining in on the cheering... basically everything about this scene is so touching it may even be tear-jerking.
• Pretty much any time Seirin wins. Especially towards the end. And especially when they beat Rakuzan.
• Saikou no Present Desu is made of this. Everyone is friends again. All of Seirin, the Generation of Miracles, Takao, and Himuro come to Kuroko's birthday party.
• There's just something touching when the Generation of Miracles (plus Kagami) gets so angry on Kuroko's behalf when the latter gets beaten by Team Jabberwock, that the match between them is now personal. Aomine and Kagami in particular look furious to the point that they're ready to beat the crap out of them, and even when Akashi talks them out of it, it's clear that he's also pissed as hell when he gives Team Jabberwock a warning not a minute later.
  • Even earlier, when they realized that Kuroko actually left to confront Team Jabberwock, they immediately followed suit out of worry for him.
• In the second half of Vorpal Swords vs Jabberwock, Aomine smiles after receiving one of Kuroko's pass. Considering the last official game he received a pass from Kuroko was when they were in Teiko and it ended with Aomine not returning Kuroko's fistbump, the smile can be interpreted as "This pass, finally!"
• Even though it's a bittersweet moment for them, Kuroko and Kagami's farewell in Last Game before the latter heads off to America is full of this. It's pretty damn clear that these two very much care for each other, Ho Yay notwithstanding.

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