Skate-Leading Stars
Synopsis
Child figure skating prodigy Kensei Maeshima abruptly quits the sport after his one-sided rival, Reo Shinozaki, refuses to acknowledge his skill. Now, as a student at Inodai High School, Kensei uses his athletic skills to assist the other sports teams, but he never officially joins one. One day, Reo announces his switch from singles figure skating into team-based skate-leading and joins St. Clavis Gakuin High School—last year's Grand Prix champions. Hayato Sasugai, a classmate with a mysterious connection to Reo, convinces Kensei to switch to skate-leading in order to finally defeat his rival in a competition. Kensei's sudden entry into the Inodai Skate-Leading Club is met with backlash from the current members. Although he is a very strong singles skater, Kensei lacks the teamwork skills required to perform well in skate-leading. Factoring in his hot-headed, impatient attitude, inconsistent skating performances, and a complicated history with some of the members, Kensei's teammates do not believe he is a good fit to be their "Lead." The team must work together to resolve these issues, however, if they wish to qualify for the Grand Prix Finals and even stand a chance at defeating St. Clavis Gakuin. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience sentiment is largely negative due to the rushed plot, underdeveloped characters, and lack of focus on the skating performances. Many feel the anime failed to live up to its potential, especially compared to similar anime such as 'Yuri on Ice'. While the art style and character designs are appreciated, the poor execution overshadowed any initial excitement.
Strengths
- Good animation and character design, particularly the character art.
- Potential for an interesting team-based sports theme.
- Exciting moments during final performances.
Weaknesses
- Rushed plot and poor execution with underdeveloped characters and lack of character development.
- Insufficient focus on the sport itself, with skating performances often cut short or skipped entirely.
- Weak character motivations, forced rivalries, and unlikable characters.
- Generic and predictable storyline with a lack of depth.