The WORST episodes of Baby Steps
Every episode of Baby Steps ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Baby Steps!
Maruo eiichiro (E-Chan), a first year honor student, one day decides he's unhappy with the way things are and lacks exercise. He finds a flyer for the Tennis Club and decides to check it out. He's instantly captivated by it. With no prior experience and poor physical conditioning, join E-Chan as he embarks on a tennis journey using his smarts, dedication, and work ethic.
#1 - Art and Technique
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/29/2014
The match between Hiromi and Eiichirō begins. Everytime Eiichirō tries to go on the attack, Hiromi hits a shot Eiichirō can't reach. Hiromi goes up 1-0, but then Eiichirō realizes if he lets Hiromi complete his masterpiece and then returns the final shot, he will win the point. Eiichirō manages to go up 5-2 when Hiromi begins to increase his speed. Hiromi cuts it back down to 5-4. Eiichirō envisions his best match, the match against Terashima, and with that vision he comes up with a plan he believes will allow him to move on to the semi-finals.
#2 - Recklessness and Surprise
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 9/13/2015
The match between Eiichirou and Nabae finally reaches its thrilling climax, and the former risks losing to envision his victory.
#3 - Choices and Explosive Power
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/14/2015
Eiichirō throws out a couple of unexpected dropshots in set 2 and begins to alter the speed of his game. After trailing 30-love to begin match 2 of set 2 Eiichirō is able to rally with this new strategy and pull off a break. The break begins to build up Araya's frustrations, but instead of getting angry Araya yells at the sky and is able to calm down. Eiichirō stuns the crowd and wins set 2 6-3 to set up a third and final set. Araya acknowledges that Eiichirō's strategy is allowing him to address his weaknesses and actually get stronger as the game goes on. Over on the women's side Natsu easily wins the women's title 6-2, 6-0.
#4 - Diligence is My Style
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/1/2014
Eiichirō returns to the Kanagawa Junior Circuit. His first match is up against fellow high school student Koshimizu Nariyuki, a man whom is always trying to compete with Eiichirō for the top scores. Eiichirō is a little too tense and quickly falls behind 3-0 when he finds a note from Natsu at the back of his notebook talking about what to do if he feels too tense. With this help Eiichirō rebounds and wins 6-3, beginning a process that would take him into a third round match with 5-seed Miyagawa. However Miyagawa is confident and proclaims he has learned Eiichirō's weakness after watching one match. Match 2 begins as Eiichirō takes on the 52-seed Noborikawa. With no tension Eiichirō easily advances with a 6-1 win. After the match Eiichirō watches Miyagawa's match to see what his tennis style is truly like to get him ready for the 3rd round.
#5 - Aggressive is Ideal
Season 2 - Episode 23 - Aired 9/6/2015
The match has just begun and Eiichiro is already close to being in the zone. His excellent condition is reminiscent of his match against Ide; Eiichiro doesn't give Nabae a chance to fight back and soon takes the lead. Nabae is surprised at Eiichiro's aggressive play but remains calm and collects data by carefully analyzing Eiichiro's moves and attack patterns. However, Eiichiro's momentum is relentless. It seemed like he would take the first set when... l
#6 - Eiichiro and Natsu
Season 1 - Episode 25 - Aired 9/21/2014
Eiichirō and Natsu go out on their first date. When Eiichirō asks Natsu what she thinks about him, she tells him he is cheating. Afterwards Eiichirō is allowed to resume practice. He learns how important it is for your ego and your subconscious to match up evenly. Coach Ryuhei decides the only way Eiichirō can meet his goals is to go to Florida during the winter break.
#7 - Face of Conviction
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/27/2014
Eiichiro finds himself in a contest with Takuma. Eiichiro has fifty tries to return Takuma's serve. One successful return and Eiichiro wins. However, despite Eiichiro's best attempts to follow his notes and stick to the basics, he can do nothing against one of the strongest serves in the country.
#8 - Good, Evil, and Rules
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 8/23/2015
Even if it seems to lack etiquette, Takagi's play style continues to work in his favor by disupting his opponent's pace. Eiichiro struggles to deal with Takagi's tactics. He tries to use his anger to his advantage, but he isn't successful. Eiichiro tries to remain calm and rational but this leads to a time-warning issued by the referee...
#9 - Revenge at the Critical Moment
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/17/2015
The Kanagawa Prefectural begins as Eiichirō faces off against Araya's new underclassman Nishimura. Araya has told Nishimura all of Eiichirō's weaknesses from the year before, making Nishimura very confident in his chances of winning. To counter this knowledge Eiichirō debuts his new serve and wins easily 6-0. Eiichirō then goes to scout Miyagawa, knowing he will be his second round opponent, but he arrives just in time to see the final point as Miyagawa wins 6-1, giving neither the knowledge of each other's growth in the past year.
#10 - Tennis and Notes
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/6/2014
Maruo Eiichiro is an honor student in his first year of high school. He's a very methodical person who keeps two sets of notes for class and focuses entirely on his studies. One day, Eiichiro decides to participate in a free trial at South Tennis Club (STC) because he needs some exercise. There, he meets school idol and sweetheart Takasaki Natsu. Eiichiro has taken his first step into the world of tennis
#11 - A Rude First Meeting
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 8/9/2015
Eitaro, upon winning spectacularly in his fight against Ide, decides to go to the National Junior's. Coach Aoi explains that towards the end of the match, Eitaro was completely in the zone.
#12 - Duty and Desire
Season 1 - Episode 24 - Aired 9/14/2014
Eiichirō runs to watch Natsu's match when he learns she is in danger of losing. Afterwards they return to STC where he Ryuhei Aoi, a man who will become his new coach. At first he doesn't trust Ryuhei's words, but he is even more shocked when Coach Miura says all of his training is being turned over to Ryuhei, and Ryuhei won't let him do any practice the next two days.
#13 - Methodical and Unorganized
Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/13/2014
Eiichiro is unable to answer Natsu when she asks him what he enjoys doing most. He becomes interested in tennis and returns to STC for another free trial. This time, he meets Egawa Takuma, an upperclassman who's friendly with Natsu. For some reason, he acts hostile towards Eiichiro, which is very intimidating. As Takuma watches, Natsu teaches Eiichiro how to hit the ball.
#14 - First Encounter by Scouting
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/10/2015
Coach Aoi explains to Eiichirō that he stopped the match against Takuma because his body wasn't developed to serve like Takuma yet. If he had continued to serve that way, he would have injured himself and forced himself to give up his tennis career. In order to use his new weapon of serving Eiichirō is given strict training that will develop his arm muscles and increase his speed. At school the career counselors call for all seniors to determine their future careers, and Eiichirō lists his desire to go Pro, noting that he will turn to college if he doesn't win the All-Japan Junior.
#15 - Start With a Roar
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/7/2015
Araya and Eiichirō begin their match in the Kanagawa Prefectural Final. At first both are holding serve and the score is at 3-3. However Coach Aoi realizes Eiichirō doesn't have the knowledge on how to deal with left handers since he's only played Araya once. Araya starts to target Eiichirō's backhand. To counter Eiichirō is forced to continually adjust his speed, making his center shots an easy target for Araya. Araya gets the first break and goes on to win set 1 6-3. However Eiichirō begins to return Araya's shots as the first set ends, making Araya realize Eiichirō is growing as fast as Ike previously did. Both realize they have to find a way to get massive breaks if they are to have any chance of winning.
#16 - A Hero and Loud Cheers
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 7/12/2015
The Kanto Junior Tennis Tournament begins at last, and Eiichiro is facing Yakabe Tadanori in his first match. Although he had watched videos of Yakabe's matches from a year ago, Eiichiro is bewildered by his opponent's much taller stature and completely different play style, and all the unexpected factors lead him to consider blanking all his mental data and starting from scratch.
#17 - Beast and Initiative
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/20/2014
After going up Love-15, Araya uses a number of service aces to go up 3-1 in set 2. Eiichirō holds serve, and as he gains a 30-40 advantage in Game 6 of Set 2, Araya punches himself in his face to eliminate his emotions from the game. Both players manage to hold serve, giving Araya a 5-4 advantage in what could be the final game. Eiichirō decides to gamble and begins to predict where Araya will hit his shots. With the two even at 30-30, Araya serves knowing that whichever player wins the point will hold the advantage for the rest of the match.
#18 - The World and the Wall
Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/5/2015
Eiichirō arrives in Florida, and Coach Mike introduces him to Marcia, an upcoming junior whose older brother just made the Pro's. Marcia and Eiichirō play a match, and Marcia decides Eiichirō must be training for the French Open because of his slow play style. Eiichirō is introduced to his new dorm mates, among which are Alex O'Brien, the older brother of Marcia. The next morning at breakfast Eiichirō is welcomed by Ike Souji, and his dorm mates begin to see him as a rival since Ike acknowledged him. Eiichirō's dorm mates are introduced to his 39 notebooks of tennis. Eiichirō and Alex are announced as a match for day one, but Alex refuses since Eiichirō isn't a Pro. Ike arrives and promises Eiichirō's dorm mates that anyone that can beat Eiichirō will be able to play him in the next two weeks. Eiichirō plays Alex in his first official match at the Florida Tennis Academy. During the day he learns about the video cameras showing his technique and the resources of the many coaches available.
#19 - Whish, Then Fwoom
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/19/2015
Eiichiro is stunned by all the cheering Ide receives as their match begins. He struggles with the unpredictable plays of the intuitive Ide, but he recalls what he learned in his match with Natsu and concentrates on watching his opponent. Meanwhile, Ide also struggles to keep up with Eiichiro's constant changes in tempo and starts to tune out the world as he tries to focus.
#20 - Diamond in the Rough
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/11/2014
It is down to the final match of the set. Eiichirō trails 5 games to 1, but with a determination to stay on the court as long as possible Eiichirō begins to push Oobayashi. Coach Miwa notices that Eiichirō has sharp eyes and is able to predict his opponents next move when he is focused. The final match lasts close to an hour, and in the end Eiichirō is unable to score a single point in the final match. Oobayashi learns this was Eiichirō's first match and begins to fear what Eiichirō will become if he is diligent with practice while gaining control and more muscles. The next day Eiichirō returns to the Kanagawa Junior Circuit, despite having been eliminated, to study various tennis playing styles. Coach Miura notices him there and tells him if he really wants to improve, he should come to STC the next morning at 7 AM. This episode covers manga chapters 11, 12, and 13.
#21 - A Vicious Circle is Lucky
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/12/2015
Eiichirō begins closing the gap on the others at the Florida Academy, but during everyone of his matches he has one moment where he presses too hard, costing him a set and eventually costing him the match. Coach Mike takes Eiichirō to the video room and points out this pattern. He suggests Eiichirō find a way to remain calm during the match. If he can do so, he'll be able to reverse this tide. During one match Eiichirō accidentally trips, but while error costs him a point it awakens him to the world of repetitive patterns in tennis. By using a pattern he finds in the match, Eiichirō is finally able to win his first set in America.
#22 - Risk and Possibility
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/15/2014
After managing to hold serve Eiichirō starts looking for an opportunity to break Miyagawa. Both hold serve and force a tiebreaker. With the score 6-5 Maruo in the tiebreaker Eiichirō decides to try and gamble to use his full stroke and steal a point. The gamble backfires and Miyagawa evens the score 6-6. However Eiichirō's gamble makes Miyagawa think too much during his serve. He falls victim to a double fault, giving Eiichirō the match point opportunity on his serve. Seeing no other choice, Miyagawa makes a move to the net to catch Eiichirō by surprise. However Eiichirō's racket happens to be in the right spot for a return from short distance. Eiichirō's miracle return gives him the tiebreaker 8-6 and the match 7-6. The crowd is shocked as the 5-seed has been knocked out.
#23 - Nine-Square and Reality
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 5/18/2014
In order to improve Eiichirō's playing, Coach Miura has him learn control on a 9-square court. After getting the basics done, Eiichirō is forced into a match against Takuma. Takuma realizes that Eiichirō has gained control but proceeds to show Eiichirō that control and good eye site is nothing compared to experience. Coach Miura then instructs Eiichirō and Takuma to continue playing each other as often as possible. 3 months after the Kanagawa Junior Circuit, Coach Miura asks Eiichirō to sign up for the Championship Match Tournament to see how much he has improved.
#24 - The Contest Is a Fight
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/20/2014
Eiichiro is unable to forget how good it felt when he successfully returned Takuma's serve, and he spends all of his time practicing against the wall. After seeing Eiichiro practice against the wall non-stop for six hours on a Sunday, Natsu predicts that he will quickly improve.
#25 - Putting the Pieces Together
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/6/2014
It is match 10 of a 1-set match, and Eiichirō leads 5 games to 4. Eiichirō begins to up his speed against Hiromi, and with it he stays even at 30-30. Just then Hiromi's legs cramp up, allowing Eiichirō to get two easy aces and win the match 6-4. After the match Hiromi announces he is going to focus less on tennis and start drawing more on the canvas. However he tells Eiichirō that he appears to have the same desires to go Pro that a lot of the other top 4 do, even though he is currently only playing for the fun of it. Eiichirō scouts Araya only for Araya to win 6-0 and then tell Eiichirō he will crush him in the next match. The semifinals are set to occur in 2 days time, so Eiichirō uses that evening and the next day to practice. Coach Miura tells Eiichirō he needs to focus on his tennis style instead of trying to play to Araya's game and makes him take practice easy. The day of the semifinal comes, and Miyagawa comes to cheer for Eiichirō. Miyagawa helps Eiichirō realize that looking for an opponents weakness actually helps that opponent improve, so Eiichirō decides to ask Takuma what Araya's weakness is. When he finally finds them, he sees Araya whispering something to Takuma that could change the entire outcome of the future.