
Baby Steps
S01E04: Face of Conviction
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.
Overview
EiichirÅ Maruo (nicknamed "Ei-chan" for his grades being straight "A") is an honor student, bookworm, and is not interested in anything other than studying. In order to solve his problem of lacking physical strength, he enrolled a tennis school and soon found the fascinating side of tennis. Being a tennis newbie lacking physical strength, he supplement his shortcomings with his excellent observing and analyzing skills.
Episodes

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...

S01E02 Methodical and Unorganized
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.

S01E03 The Contest Is a Fight
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...

S01E04 Face of Conviction
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...

S01E05 A First Match Full of Surprises
EiichirÅ is about to play his first match. He receives advice from the other STC members, but it only makes him more nervous. He doesn't get a chance to calm himself down as he's soon...

S01E06 Diamond in the Rough
It is down to the final match of the set. EiichirÅ trails 5 games to 1, but with a determination to stay on the court as long as possible EiichirÅ begins to push Oobayashi.

S01E07 Nine-Square and Reality
In order to improve EiichirÅ's playing, Coach Miura has him learn control on a 9-square court. After getting the basics done, EiichirÅ is forced into a match against Takuma.

S01E08 One Year and Twenty Notebooks
Maruo EiichirÅ continues his training at STC as he tries to master every shot. At smaller tournaments he begins advancing to the third round but is unable to go further. His mother worries that EiichirÅ...

S01E09 Diligence is My Style
EiichirÅ 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 EiichirÅ for the top scores.

S01E10 Unease on the Edge
The match between EiichirÅ and Miyagawa begins with each holding serve. However EiichirÅ feels that something is off. After studying his notes, EiichirÅ realizes that Miyagawa has been studying his shots, and with a 4-3...

S01E11 Risk and Possibility
After managing to hold serve EiichirÅ starts looking for an opportunity to break Miyagawa. Both hold serve and force a tiebreaker. With the score 6-5 Maruo in the tiebreaker EiichirÅ decides to try and gamble...

S01E12 Improvement by Memory
After defeating Miyagawa, EiichirÅ returns to STC for some training that will make him better in 1 day. EiichirÅ is teamed up with a Coach Mike from Florida who specializes in pyschological training.

S01E13 Art and Technique
The match between Hiromi and EiichirÅ begins. Everytime EiichirÅ tries to go on the attack, Hiromi hits a shot EiichirÅ can't reach.

S01E14 Putting the Pieces Together
It is match 10 of a 1-set match, and EiichirÅ leads 5 games to 4. EiichirÅ begins to up his speed against Hiromi, and with it he stays even at 30-30. Just then Hiromi's legs...

S01E15 Plan to be Forceful
EiichirÅ overhears Araya telling Takuma that if he loses to him this tournament, he will retire from tennis. His plan is to defeat Takuma and then announce he is going pro. Takuma agrees to tell...

S01E16 Beast and Initiative
After going up Love-15, Araya uses a number of service aces to go up 3-1 in set 2. EiichirÅ holds serve, and as he gains a 30-40 advantage in Game 6 of Set 2, Araya...

S01E17 Pro At My Age
Araya and EiichirÅ end up at deuce after neither player can gain an advantage. An ace end up being huge for Araya give him the match point advantage, and despite his best efforts a lucky...

S01E18 Determination and Presentation
EiichirÅ investigates going Pro, but his reaction from his parents is less than he expected. EiichirÅ joins Natsu at the first round of the All Japan Pro to watch the debut match of Ike Souji.

S01E19 Resolve and Hell
EiichirÅ manages to steal 1-point in the 10-minute match with Ike before his coaches reappear and make him stop playing a match. Afterwards EiichirÅ is sent home to rest. The next day EiichirÅ begins a...

S01E20 Meat Buns and Yakisoba
EiichirÅ participates in a tournament after 3 months of hellish training. He learns about active rest while participating in the tournament and makes it to the final. Terashima is his opponent.

S01E21 Consistency and Change
EiichirÅ continues his practice and gets his next tournament schedule. As the last player to qualify he is placed up against the 1-seed, Yu Nabae. EiichirÅ begins to look for weaknesses from Yu on tape,...

S01E22 Fundamentals are the Weakness
Yu Nabae matches up with EiichirÅ and realizes they really are two players that are virtually the same. He realizes that what EiichirÅ lacks is experience with the fundamentals, as he has never played anyone...

S01E23 Reckless 100-Square
In an effort to try and reverse the tide, EiichirÅ decides to go back to his idea of having 100-squares to aim for instead of 9.

S01E24 Duty and Desire
EiichirÅ 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.

S01E25 Eiichiro and Natsu
EiichirÅ and Natsu go out on their first date. When EiichirÅ asks Natsu what she thinks about him, she tells him he is cheating. Afterwards EiichirÅ is allowed to resume practice.
Cast

Taishi Murata
Eiichiro Maruo (voice)

Minako Kotobuki
Natsu Takasaki (voice)

Daisuke Namikawa
Takuma Egawa (voice)

Asami Seto
Himeko Sasami (voice)

Hiro Shimono
Yukichi Fukasawa (voice)

Taiten Kusunoki
Coach Yusaku Miura (voice)

Takuma Terashima
Kojirou Kageyama (voice)

Tetsuya Kakihara
Takuya Miyagawa (voice)

Chisa Yuuki
Yuuki Tajima (voice)

Kohsuke Toriumi
Coach Ryuuhei Aoi (voice)

KENN
Yoshiaki Ide (voice)

Yoshimasa Hosoya
Souji Ike (voice)