Burning Kabaddi
Synopsis
Tatsuya Yoigoshi, a once nationally recognized soccer player, is now a first-year student at Noukin High School. Due to his developed hatred for sports, he has abandoned his previous aspirations to become a famous livestreamer on the internet. One day, Souma Azemichi, a first-year on the kabaddi team, seeks to recruit Yoigoshi and spontaneously interrupts his livestream. Without any expectations, Yoigoshi follows Souma to the school gym, where he witnesses second-years Kyouhei Misumi and Shinji Date engaged in the primal contact sport of kabaddi. Despite ridiculing the rules of play, Yoigoshi is stunned by the intensity of the round. Because of an enticing deal and slight coercion, he agrees to settle the prospect of his recruitment through the most invigorating way: a battle of kabbadi, a team sport played empty-handed. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Shakunetsu Kabaddi is a surprisingly enjoyable sports anime that effectively introduces the relatively obscure sport of Kabaddi to a wider audience. While the animation quality and pacing may be lacking, the well-developed characters, engaging story, and informative explanation of the sport make it a worthwhile watch, especially for fans of sports anime. The series is generally underrated, with many hoping for a second season to further explore the characters and the sport.
Strengths
- Engaging introduction to Kabaddi rules and tactics.
- Well-developed characters with distinct strengths.
- Good balance of school life and sports elements.
- Phenomenal music and hype-inducing opening and ending themes.
Weaknesses
- Mediocre animation, often relying on slow-motion and still frames.
- Slow pacing and forgotten plot points.
- Underdeveloped side characters.
- Overuse of the 'struggle' effect may be repetitive for some viewers.