Subaru Hasegawa's dream of playing with the Nashiba High School Basketball Club came to a screeching halt one day, when the captain of the basketball team ran off with the coach's daughter, who was in grade school. After it was announced that the team is disbanded for a year, Subaru was asked by his aunt Mihoshi Takamura, a teacher at Keishin Elementary School, to coach her school's girls' basketball team. Reluctant at first, he was dragged by his aunt to meet the team one day and was soon captivated by the potential of the team's only experienced player, Tomoka Minato. Convinced that the five-girl team — Tomoka, rich kid Maho Misawa, unusually tall Airi Kashii, the likewise unusually tiny Hinata Hakamada, and cool-headed Saki Nagatsuka — has potential, Subaru soon settles into his new career.Originally a Light Novel series, it also has a manga adaptation and an anime that aired in summer 2011. The anime has been licensed for a North American release by Sentai Filmworks.
Blackmail: See, if Subaru refuses to coach the basketball team, his aunt Mihoshi will humiliate him before the entire Internet community about his childhood "I love you, Mommy!" letter.
Brick Joke: Episode 7 shows us that Subaru is not good with footwork when he's waist-deep in water, causing him to get into an accident with Tomoka. Later in Episode 9, Mihoshi points this as one of Subaru's weaknesses, which the girls exploit in order to catch him in a game of tag...which only leads to another accident with Tomoka.
Saki and her issue with making okonomiyaki continues on even after the episode ends, completely removing the On The Next segment.
Broken Pedestal: In the manga, Subaru idolized Nashiba's basketball captain, making the latter's lolicon scandal all the more heartbreaking for him. The anime remains ambiguous concerning this.
Butt Monkey: He's not a Harem protagonist (as far as we know) but Subaru seems to start suffering like one would in the later episodes.
Subaru himself, who looked quite excited while watching a video of the girls at the pool, or when Maho innocently offered him a popsicle that she herself was eating.
Crazy-Prepared: Mihoshi, who has data on the boys' basketball team just in time for Subaru to ask for them (it's implied that she even hacked into the school files just to get them), and having Subaru bring a game console during the training camp as a way of reconciling Maho and Takenaka, both sharing the same passion for video games.
Cute Sports Club Manager: Aoi actually planned to become this for Nashiba's boys' basketball team (where Subaru was also playing), that is, until the scandal that kicked off the series happens.
Determinator: Tomoka, while trying to get Subaru to continue coaching the team, makes a gamble where he will stay should she make 50 free throws in a row.
Airi, you're very important to me. *followed by* She's an irreplaceable existence for me!
Maho and her idea to give Subaru a "girl's most important treasure". Saki tried putting her in line as usual, until Maho revealed that her most important treasure is her stuffed toy.
Do It Yourself Theme Tune: The opening is sung by the seiyuu of the five girls who actually formed a Idol group called Ro-Kyu-Bu.
Dynamic Entry: In Episode 9, Mihoshi appeared to Subaru fist-first after the latter accidentally caused Tomoka's top to slip. At the end of the Episode, she does it again, delivering a more traditional version (flying kick) when Subaru gets into the bath right when Hinata absentmindedly wandered in.
Hot Mom: Subaru's cute-and-cuddly young mother, Nayu.
Huge Schoolgirl: Airi, in height (about the same height as Subaru, a high-school boy) and other areas. She's so worried about it Subaru has to stand on his toes to create the illusion of being far taller than her, to help her overcome her height complex.
Hypocritical Humor: Aoi defends Subaru from their friends' accusations that he's a lolicon, then starts accusing him herself as one, although this is because of the kindof situations she keeps finding Subaru in.
In Medias Res: The first anime episode starts with the climax of the showdown between the girls and boys' basketball team, then switches to the girls meeting Subaru for the first time after the opening credits.
Also, the captain of Nashiba High School's boys' basketball team, whose affair with a grade-schooler caused a major scandal that earned his entire team a year-long suspension and broke Subaru's heart and will to play basketball.
Male Gaze: Subaru first meets Touko by focusing on her legs first before looking up.
Marshmallow Hell: Airi does this to Subaru after he rescues her from the pool.
Megaton Punch: Well, Megaton Axe Kick to be exact, courtesy of Aoi with bonus Panty Shot. Twice, it actually sent Subaru flying; the first time he was lucky enough to land in the pool, the second time...not so much.
Meido: It's the very first impression that the little basketball girls gave to Subaru. The boy, still reeling from the news of his own team earning a year-long suspension for its captain's affair with a grade-schooler, is none too amused.
And again in Episode 3 and 12.
Hijiri Kuina, Maho's family's maid.
Momma's Boy: The basis of Mihoshi's blackmail of Subaru.
Ms. Fanservice: Poor Airi, being the tallest and most well-developed of the girls, she bears the brunt of this trope.
Natural Spotlight: Right when Tomoka pulls off her fiftieth consecutive free throw. It's the very inspiration for the nickname for her, "Shiny Gift", although Mihoshi interprets a second, really thought-out meaning from it.
Never Live It Down: In-Universe, Nashiba's basketball captain's scandalous affair with a grade-school kid seemingly earned the rest of his team the unwarranted, undeserved stigma of being just like him. This is best exemplified by Subaru, since Mihoshi (and a schoolmate of his, Kazunari Uehara) start accusing him of being a lolicon as well.
The Nicknamer: Touko the school nurse, who has come up with various English nicknames for the basketball girls except Tomoka.
Maho also qualifies. She has "Mokkan" for Tomoka, "Airin" for Airi, "Subarun" for Subaru, "Nayu-chi" for Nayu, "Mi-tan" for Mihoshi, "Yanbaru" for Hijiri, "Gettan" for Kagetsu, and "Aoicchi" for Aoi.
In Episode 5, when Saki finds Subaru comforting Tomoka, she misunderstands and overreacts, believing they are having a romantic moment.
In Episode 7, she joins the other girls in dogpiling Subaru after a little bit of hesitation.
In episode 9, her reaction to Airi mentioning that her most recent swimsuit doesn't fit anymore.
"Eh? Already?"
Not What It Looks Like: Subaru's Catch Phrase might as well be "It's all a misunderstanding!" Not that it spares him Aoi's wrath whenever she sees him in yet another unfortunate situation involving his charges.
An Odd Place To Sleep: Airi sleeps in a footlocker that was fashioned into a bed. It's as funny as it sounds.
Offscreen Teleportation: Mihoshi manages to beat Subaru to his bedroom, although it was shown a second later that she actually snuck in through the room's window. Subaru still thinks that was quite a feat.
"You're not human..."
Oh Crap: When Subaru found out that Aoi followed him to Maho's mansion, catching him with the girls at the pool.
Rose-Haired Girl: Tomoka's is pink, and Hinata's hair is a lighter shade of pink.
Running Gag: in the On The Next segments, the girls discussing anything but what's going to happen in the following episode, and then getting flustered when time runs out.
Secret Test of Character: Aoi's challenge to Subaru's girls, which is actually intended to help Airi overcome her height complex so that she can play her best-suited role.
Sensei-chan: Mihoshi, Subaru's aunt and the basketball team's advisor.
Serious Business: Saki sees making okonomiyaki and yakisoba as this, since her father owns an okonomiyaki shop.
Returning girls' panties is a life-or-death situation.
When asked by Subaru to help stop Maho and Takenaka's constant squabbling, Tomoka really gets into it.
Through His Stomach: About that "I love you, Mommy!" letter Subaru wrote? Yeah, the read-out-loud part says that it's because she cooks delicious food.
Token Mini-Moe: Hinata, despite being the same age as her teammates.
What the Hell, Hero?: Maho running out because she didn't like how Subaru (and Tomoka) hid the fact that in order to compete in tournaments, a basketball team needs more than five players.
for a North American release by Sentai Filmworks.
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