number24

Initially i did not think i would like this show however there is something so refreshing and lovely to me about the characters and how their bonds develop even within such a short period of time. I wont give it a 9 or 10 because it isnt complete but i truly believe it is worthy of a solid 8 based on what we have seen so far. I of course know the show isnt perfect, there are inconsistencies with the animation and other aspects which do affect the overall show however the best way i can describe the show is lustre. There is something aboutit (in my opinion the characters and their bonds) that make up for those other things. I felt emotionally invested, all the highs and lows really had my heart racing and it was very far from boring, the mal ratings surprise me to be honest because i believe this was super enjoyable. I really cannot wait for season 2! the art was a solid 7, i love how the characters look and the obscure hairstyles for certain characters but the brightness (?) or colour scheme (yall im ngl i cant explain this part well idk the correct terms) was a tad bit off putting at first, it just seemed a little too bright. That aside it was quite nice and i liked it. sound: Very good and fitting, never felt out of place. 8/10 character: easily a 9, Hands down one of my favourite main characters is now natsusa. He reminds me of a combo of saiki and tsukkishima but also has aspects that are so different and unique from any character i have seen. Aside from the main character, i was shocked by how well certain side characters were developed in such a short period of time. Of course some side characters felt like the classic background character with no purpose other than to shine light on the mains however considering the amount of characters and the length of the series this was a given. The characters have a very special place in my heart already. Enjoyment: 8/10, it at times was annoying for me to understand what was going on during actual games, sometimes it was difficult to see the scores to be honest but aside from that it was extremely enjoyable. overall: 8/10. I cannot in good faith give it a 9 or a 10, the flaws the show has whilst far from deal breaking are there nonetheless, however the lustre and appeal this show has is quite unique if despite certain imminent flaws the enjoyment across the board is still so high. I hope these flaws can be corrected a little in season 2 and this same character complex is continued.

If you're looking for a sports anime with a lot of focus on rugby and intense rugby matches that will have you at the edge of your seat, then I suggest you look somewhere else. But if you want a fun, uncomplicated anime about attractive college guys who occasionally play rugby, then you came to the right place. Number24 is not an innovative anime, not deviating much from the tropes included in many similar anime from the past decade. It follows the members of an university rubgy club, showing the personal motivations and insecurities of the characters, as well and the interactions and conflict between them.Like many similar anime, it suffers from a weak plot (some episodes are completely all over the place in this regard) and the pacing is a bit of a mess. Also like many similar anime, it has waaay too many characters for a one cour anime, wasting time on trying to tell everyone's story instead of focusing more on the main characters and their stories. However, Number24 is one of the most enjoyable "pretty boys anime" I've watched. The main characters are well fleshed out, with distinct personalities and motivations, and undergo positive development and growth. Natsusa is a really fun protagonist and his character arc of getting into terms with the fact that he can't play rugby anymore (not a spoiler, we're told this on the first 10 minutes) and trying to make the best out of his new circumstances was pretty touching and inspiring. It's also nice that the anime focuses a lot on the managers and showcases how much they help the team. The other four main characters (Yuu, Sei, Ibuki and Yasunari) all are very endearing, having their own character arcs, and all the secondaries are pretty fun. The dynamics between the characters are really fun, and if you enjoy having lots of ship teasing, you'll like this. Imo the humor was also pretty fun, with some moments that legit had me laughing out loud, so even if the plot goes nowhere and the pacing was quite slow, this anime never bored me. The rugby scenes, while scarce, were in general exciting enough, especially in the last two episodes, and you don't need to have the slightest clue about rugby to enjoy them. The music is nice enough too, with three different EDS that alternate. The acting was also pretty good overall, with some really well known names such as Saitou Souma (who plays a really fun character and does a great job) or Ishikawa Kaito. In summary, if you're looking for some sports anime in the same fashion as haikyuu, you're going to be severely disappointed. But if you're looking for an anime more in the style of prince of stride or cheer danshi (but better than those imo) with likeable male characters and plenty of shippy fanservice and shirtless guys, then you'll probably have a good time with this.

hello, I am a rugby player myself and I am writing this review because I feel that other reviews overrated this anime. I will try to keep this short and sweet so you can read it quickly to decide if you are going to watch this anime. story: (no spoilers) the main character (Natsuya) got into a car accident and became not able to play rugby. He decided to join as the manager in a collage rugby club. And the anime talks about a senior of Natsuya, a junior of Natsuya, the kicker of the team and a the rest of the team. I really loverugby so I decided to watch this show. At first, the show was funny and cool but then, the events got random and messy. However, it was cool to see that Natsuya was a manager instead of a player so we can see the players play in a way the manager sees it. I also feel that the matches were way too short. Rugby matches are 80 minutes long, and there is no way they could cover the match in half an episode (10 minutes). The matches seemed like match high-lights, and not an actual rugby match. So 4/10 for the story, disappointing. Art: Not much to say about it, I don't really love it but it is not bad. But my problem with the art are 1. the hair styles are way too weird. (Even for anime) 2. The colour scheme is way too pastel and bright, it bothered me a little. The animation has no problem, I am OK with it. 6/10, OK Sound: Openings and Endings are pretty awesome, soundeffects and BGMs fit to the parts. 7/10, Nice Characters: Except Natsuya who had an unique and fun personality and Ibuki who is the relatable dude, other characters had minimal to no real personality and character development. I feel that almost all the characters are way to "childish" for being collage student. I don't think Collage students are this easy to get that triggered and angry. For the designs, some characters looked way too young. Yuu looked like he could pass for a Grade 6 or 7 when he is in collage, I really though so at first. 5/10, so so. Enjoyment: I really enjoyed the first episodes, they are funny and somewhat interesting. I would be looking forward to Wednesdays when new episodes come out. But for the last few episodes, I don't think I really enjoyed it or not, I only watched the last few episodes because I would like to know how the story ends or does the ending improve. I won't spoil for you. 6/10, fair. Overall: 5, it is average

Sports anime? More like a Boys Life anime. I learned nothing about rugby but wholeheartedly enjoyed the character interactions and Natsusa being a snarky, lovable gremlin. For only 12 episodes, there was a lot of potential for the plot to be fleshed out more and for the character stories to be explored fully. Instead of a focus on the sport anime genre, this show falls into more of a slice-of-life category, so if you're down to relax and watch some chaos ensue from Natsusa's shenanigans, here you go. STORY (8/10): For an original TV series, it COULD be better, but maybe if we get a season2, then perhaps the pacing may see some improvement. There's some plot around the team assembling, internal conflict and friction between main and side characters. It wasn't necessarily tiring, but you could understand the frustrations and motivation of the people involved. There were several moving parts and many characters, so I feel like a bit more screen time could have been dedicated towards the main trio to fully tell their story. Understanding that the rugby team is big and the fact that we need to gain some perspective on each character involved to feel some empathy, for a 12 episode story, I think it may have been easier to just either make this 24 episodes so we can connect better or just skimp out on the non-main characters. I like the premise of where the story is going, however the animation team could have gone deeper so they can pour salt over our wounds. There's definitely more left to be desired. ART (9/10): I like the art. It's aesthetically pleasing. It's the whole reason I started watching it. Natsusa is pretty. Yuu is cute. Yasunari looks badass. Seiichirou exudes ikemen energy. Ibuki.... is Ibuki. Plus I need to pinch all the junior's faces please. Also the ending credits theme has the softest art. Hnnnnng. SOUND (7/10): Nothing too remarkable about it. I like the music box BGMs since it adds a touch of sweetness. Best song out of the 3 ED themes has got to be "Kimi to Iru Nara". It grabs your heart and puts it on chokehold. Whoever the heck directed Episode 8 knew what they were doing because the storyboard/music/art direction for that episode got me still thinkin about it. CHARACTER (8/10): I started watching this show because I saw a clip of Natsusa being an obnoxious, snarky brat and I wholeheartedly love him for it. He is a refreshing change to the typical short / cute boy. He's got bite. He's got an attitude. And he doesn't want your patronizing sympathy. And he is 10000% a bully. He's hilarious. Plus, his interactions with Ibuki are the best. Short man has zero chill and is savage. Although Sei is a guy with little words, he is a sweetheart who deeply cares about Natsusa. I don't think there was enough air time to build on all of the other characters though, like Ibuki and Sei. They have solid premises and an interesting backstory that isn't discussed in detail because of the limited episodes. ENJOYMENT (9/10): The show literally went ham within the first 20 seconds of the first episode. Our main boy gets into a car wreck and you get to see the moment that completely messes up his neck for life. That can actually happen to people in reality who end up suffering with chronic pain or relapses, and I think that was what drew me to the show at first. Every time he suffers, I physically wince from the pain on his behalf since I also personally injured my neck in the past and it is not fun. It's tragic. It's devastating. It's life-changing but admirable how Natsusa still tries to remain in the world of rugby as a manager even he can no longer be on the field. It's frustrating and can be a harsh reality for athletes or even regular people in our day to day lives. We're all one accident away from a potentially life-altering event that could impact our mobility. I don't recall watching any anime that focuses on these types of impacts about a character suffering from some disability/chronic pain, and that's what I appreciated about Number24. It's not like the typical sports anime with crazy superpowers (except for Ibuki and Sei's incredible skill I suppose-- but I don't follow rugby in real life to comment on how realistic their talent is). It's just a bunch of college dudes doing a sport they truly love. It's about basking in the sweet camaraderie of teamwork. It's about collectively working towards the same goal. It's about learning to let things go. Even if the show is rushed and we didn't get to see a lot of plot in detail, I feel that it was in the right direction. With more budget and HOPEFULLY a season 2, we can probably expect a jump in quality. Overall (8/10): If you enjoy slice of life/character interactions and not an in-depth explanation of the sport, give this a try. Natsusa carries the cast with his humor and evil tendencies. The main trio are my favourite. There is untapped potential for how good Number24 could have been with all of the ideas introduced in the show, but I'll give them some credit for an original production. Also, the ship fuel has been fantastic. Much wholesome. Very comedic. I don't even care if they are platonic or baiting. This was so fun to watch and I hope we get a season 2. Their story is not finished!

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