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The Best Episodes of Baby Steps Season 1

Every episode of Baby Steps Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Baby Steps Season 1!

Binge this in 10h 25m•Peaking at 8.4/10

Eiichirō 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

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NHK Educational TV
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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 6 - Diamond in the Rough
    8.4/10(9 votes)

    S1:E6

    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.

    Director:Heo Pyoung-kang
    Writer:Junki Takegami

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  2. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 20 - Meat Buns and Yakisoba
    8.4/10(6 votes)

    S1:E20

    Eiichirō 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.

    Director:Maki Kodaira
    Writer:Natsuko Takahashi

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  3. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 4 - Face of Conviction
    8.3/10(11 votes)

    S1:E4

    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.

    Director:Yoshihiro Yanagiya
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  4. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 5 - A First Match Full of Surprises
    8.3/10(11 votes)

    S1:E5

    Eiichirō 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 called to the tennis court.

    Director:Koichiro Kuroda
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  5. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 25 - Eiichiro and Natsu
    8.3/10(7 votes)

    S1:E25

    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.

    Director:Masahiko Murata
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  6. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 3 - The Contest Is a Fight
    8.2/10(12 votes)

    S1:E3

    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.

    Director:Kiyoshi Murayama
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  7. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 22 - Fundamentals are the Weakness
    8.2/10(6 votes)

    S1:E22

    Yu Nabae matches up with Eiichirō and realizes they really are two players that are virtually the same. He realizes that what Eiichirō lacks is experience with the fundamentals, as he has never played anyone like himself, and after losing the first set Nabae begins to pull away and goes up 5-2.

    Director:Yoshihiro Yanagiya
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  8. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 23 - Reckless 100-Square
    8.2/10(6 votes)

    S1:E23

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

    Director:Kiyoshi Murayama
    Writer:Junki Takegami

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  9. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 15 - Plan to be Forceful
    8.0/10(6 votes)

    S1:E15

    Eiichirō 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 Eiichirō Araya's weaknesses.

    Director:Kiyoshi Murayama
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  10. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 17 - Pro At My Age
    8.0/10(6 votes)

    S1:E17

    Araya and Eiichirō 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 bounce proves to be the end for Eiichirō as he loses 6-1, 6-4. The finals are held between Araya and Takuma.

    Director:Kazunori Mizuno
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  11. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 24 - Duty and Desire
    8.0/10(6 votes)

    S1:E24

    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.

    Director:Yoshinori Odaka
    Writer:Natsuko Takahashi

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  12. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 2 - Methodical and Unorganized
    7.9/10(15 votes)

    S1:E2

    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.

    Director:Maki Kodaira
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  13. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 7 - Nine-Square and Reality
    7.9/10(10 votes)

    S1:E7

    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.

    Director:Shin'ichi Masaki
    Writer:Junki Takegami

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  14. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 10 - Unease on the Edge
    7.9/10(9 votes)

    S1:E10

    The match between Eiichirō and Miyagawa begins with each holding serve. However Eiichirō feels that something is off. After studying his notes, Eiichirō realizes that Miyagawa has been studying his shots, and with a 4-3 lead he plans on making his move in the eighth game.

    Director:Masahiko Murata
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  15. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 11 - Risk and Possibility
    7.9/10(9 votes)

    S1:E11

    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.

    Director:Kiyoshi Murayama
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  16. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 8 - One Year and Twenty Notebooks
    7.8/10(10 votes)

    S1:E8

    Maruo Eiichirō 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 Eiichirō is spending too much time on tennis when he drops out of cram school to practice more.

    Director:Kazunori Mizuno
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  17. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 12 - Improvement by Memory
    7.8/10(9 votes)

    S1:E12

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

    Director:Maki Kodaira
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  18. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 14 - Putting the Pieces Together
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    S1:E14

    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.

    Director:Yoshihiro Yanagiya
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  19. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 18 - Determination and Presentation
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    S1:E18

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

    Director:Heo Pyoung-kang
    Writer:Junki Takegami

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  20. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 19 - Resolve and Hell
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    S1:E19

    Eiichirō manages to steal 1-point in the 10-minute match with Ike before his coaches reappear and make him stop playing a match. Afterwards Eiichirō is sent home to rest. The next day Eiichirō begins a brutal practice regimen that will recondition his body into that of a pro's.

    Director:Kiyoshi Murayama
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  21. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 21 - Consistency and Change
    7.8/10(6 votes)

    S1:E21

    Eiichirō 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. Eiichirō begins to look for weaknesses from Yu on tape, but what he finds is a highly adaptive style that could easily beat him if he doesn't come up with a few tricks.

    Director:Sumito Sasaki
    Writer:Junki Takegami

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  22. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 1 - Tennis and Notes
    7.7/10(23 votes)

    S1:E1

    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

    Director:Masahiko Murata
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  23. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 16 - Beast and Initiative
    7.7/10(7 votes)

    S1:E16

    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.

    Director:Hiromichi Matano
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  24. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 13 - Art and Technique
    7.5/10(7 votes)

    S1:E13

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

    Director:Noriyuki Nomata
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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  25. Baby Steps Season 1 Episode 9 - Diligence is My Style
    7.3/10(10 votes)

    S1:E9

    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.

    Director:Hiromichi Matano
    Writer:Katsuhiko Chiba

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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Diamond in the Rough" is the best rated episode of "Baby Steps" season 1. It scored 8.4/10 based on 9 votes. Directed by Heo Pyoung-kang and written by Junki Takegami, it aired on 5/11/2014. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Meat Buns and Yakisoba".