When I looked up that Bakuten would be a rhythmic gymnastics anime, I confess I was suspicious. Actually, I was afraid. Last year we had Taisou Zamurai, a show that even with a budget and problems in getting made because of the work of the Mappa studio, was an anime that exceeded most general expectations, even though it was quite limited. But why would this cause me to be surprised to have a new anime that follows the same kind of sport? Well, it is the goal orientation that differentiates the two anime. Unlike Taisou Zamurai, Bakuten focuses on several characters actively connected to the show'ssport. This group interaction is a demanding quality of the very construction of each of the characters, since it is Rhythmic Gymnastics, a sport where athletes perform in groups, usually with 6 members. Not only is this formatting fully utilized in the show, but the anime also creates, verbalizes, and positions itself in other groups, from a rival school, to even with the College Club coach himself. Futaba, the protagonist, is an inexperienced kid who, like everyone else, creates a bond out of appreciation for the unfamiliar sport. It is not unusual to think about this. Often, out of prejudice, we imagine that a type of sport has a remarkable quality only in one of the sexes. For example, it is constantly noticeable that we see people saying that Soccer is a sport only for men, or that Volleyball and Handball is focused on women, but Bakuten acts in the opposite way to these social restrictions and creates a new atmosphere within the anime. The show subtly dispels these erroneous ways of thinking and produces a breakdown of expectation in the audience. Futaba, along with us, experiences this sense of integration within the anime without being expository or overdone.
If on one hand Bakuten presents a highlight in its accurate setting, the show creates a great process of immersion and interaction between the characters. In fact, much of what happens in the anime comes from the dormitory. Onagawa, Shichigahama, Tsukidate and Watari are the ones who live daily with Futaba within the locality, which at the same time is a process that creates a greater trust inside and outside of the tatami. Misato is the sixth character on the team and enters after the first regional championship, precisely because he feels blocked in the sport, as he has too much personal responsibility. And one cannot only talk about the current athletes. Kurikoma is the cutest character in the show, being the club assistant. Finally, Shida is the club manager and coach of the team. He was similar to Misato in many ways. In fact, the resemblance was so great that it was frightening. Shida was a brilliant gymnast. Maybe the best at that time. However, his self-centeredness did not allow him to trust and believe in the evolution of younger and unprepared people. Futaba is the essential channel for Shida's overcoming.
However, an anime like Bakuten needs movement and impact, doesn't it? That's right! The biggest problem in expecting quality from a show like Bakuten is the form and effect the anime causes during the climax of its actions and gestures. Zexcs studio is not really a safety when it comes to offering a quality in their shows. In fact, opening their anime page and coming across things like Diabolik Lovers is not a positive for Bakuten. Even with that, it was a studio that evolved dramatically and displayed incredible competence and skill in the overall ornaments and choreography of the characters. The use of computer graphics (CG) is great within the show and attention is also focused on the more superficial details. Within a gymnastics show, mistakes and penalties happen all the time. The anime bravely ensured this and made a great production in the very rich moments. The show brought with it an aspect of realism, which also allows it to show that even if the club has a great evolution with time, it is necessary to train more and more, to reach the National tournament, for example.
Going back to the characters, I have to applaud the author of this show. The formation of the main group was different at first sight, but a friendship formed over time. As the show expands the future of the characters, the past is recounted impressively. For example, Onagawa is one of the founding students of the club at the high school. He suited up to be the club's famous "number one" and put together a primitive team with Shichigahama and Tsukidate. However, his quality as an athlete is evidently not easy to achieve. His own process of transformation within the show is visible in the second half of the show. Since the entrance of Misato, the boy wonder, Onagawa has felt charged to evolve in order not to be "outdone." Even though he could try and train much harder, he reserved himself mentally and gave his activities a rest (with a fake injury), to rehabilitate himself and help the whole group. Misato, along with everyone else, was inspired by the sport through Shida, but at the same time that gymnastics has taken him to great places and awards, he has an internal frustration. Without his parents, he has lived with his aunt ever since, which has given him a sense of importance with people. However, the same responsibility he carries does not help him emotionally inside the tatami, because of an accident in the sport two years ago. This internal block did not lead to Misato's evolution. Even if he was a brilliant athlete, being second in the National tournament, being too resilient and thoughtful, and charging himself too much are aspects that formed his mind and created a self-defense. This hard and rigid shell was only really broken down from the moment Futaba encourages him and provides emotional support during the episodes. Even though this only materialized in episode 9, from the very beginning the two helped each other. The union of this duo with the rest of the team is not only a great choice, but it allowed for different themes and views on what the sport really means to each one.
I should also point out the comedy of the anime. Bakuten is not entirely focused on training and competitions. Many striking moments come from a joke, an entertainment or a joke. Even during intensive training with the Shiro High School team, our beloved group keeps its jovial essence and creates a gentle and liberating atmosphere. The hide-and-seek episode for example was one of the funniest in the show for me. All the pressure level created because of the championships is softened and ironized in a single episode dedicated especially for this moment. (I still want to know who is the scary character that appeared to the boys, it gave me a fright, Lol).
Finally, many moments make for a great show like Bakuten. The staff's work is a great proof of artistic evolution and allows us to broaden our attention and our gaze on animes with different themes than the common ones. Remember Mashiro no Oto? Then, Bakuten is another show that knew what to do from the very first episode, created sublime moments, and surprised in numerous aspects, from the formation of the characters, to even the apexes, which demanded of the studios. Shin-Ei was a studio that improved its own reputation with Mashiro no Oto. For Bakuten, Zexcs was most responsible for this great technical execution of an original anime. It's really a pleasure to have followed 12 episodes with quality. I look forward to the movie of the show, which can offer us much more! And long live sports!
BeBest_of_the_3
June 24, 2021
Recommended
Bakuten!! is a solid 7/10. A good watch covering a niche sport. It's not very deep and follows a lot of common tropes and stereotypes, but it follows them well and overall this anime is enjoyable to watch. For more detail, please keep reading and see my recommendations at the end. When starting Bakuten I was expecting very little but ended up pleasantly surprised. The overall level of this anime ranges from average to good with very little in the way of any major negative points. At most a few personal nitpicks which I will cover. For me the biggest draw is the overall enjoyment.Call me a bit of a sucker, but I do like the stereotypical sports anime. MC is your average (usually teen) Joe Blogs, he sees or encounters a sport that he has never seen before and is blown away by the experience, and the anime follows his journey in learning about and developing his skills for said sport. The story itself is interspersed with supporting characters, a rival character / team and some small personal side stories for said side characters. Bakutenn!! doesn't deviate far if at all from this. Again, I am a bit of a sucker for this formula. The MC being brand new means you get to learn alongside them as they do, so you do not feel completely left out when they start talking about sports terminologies. As a badminton player I can relate as I've had similar experiences and met people with similar experiences within the sport. Some people may not enjoy it as much due to how generic the formula can be, but that is completely understandable.
The characters themselves are enjoyable but generic. The MC being a blank slate, so you get to insert yourself into their situation. On the team there's the muscle jock, the calm and quiet guy, the nerdy happy-go-lucky guy, the brooding guy, the aloof guy etc. It doesn't push the boat out and if you've watched other sports anime you'll see the similarities (and also recognize the voice actors), but as mentioned earlier while it does not push the boat out in both story or characters it uses them well, and they are enjoyable to watch. It's because the story is a bit generic that I feel safe in writing an early review, as I don't think it will hinge on the story.
A major plus for me was just how positive this anime was. The overall level of positivity was refreshing. Maybe it's been other recent anime I've seen, or maybe lockdown is finally getting to me, but the positivity in this anime was infectious. I liked seeing the characters help each other through their situations, and their enjoyment rubbed off on me as I was watching them. There's no major dramatics or dark twists. It kept things nice, simple and upbeat. A good change of pace for myself.
The only negatives I could mention, and I'd say they are more personal, would be the sound and art. The sound in terms of the OP and ED and BGM is good, if a bit forgettable. I won't remember it down the line, but I didn't mind hearing it. I will say the sounds of the gymnastics floors and crash mats is rather well done in this anime. The art is the only thing I have a gripe and it comes down to the use of 3D. I don't hate 3D but I like consistency. For the big gymnastic performances it will switch to 3D to show them off. It makes the movement more fluid with longer, continuous scenes, which makes a lot of sense, but I found the change from 2D to 3D a little off-putting myself. Not a major negative and one I was happy to overlook, but just something to keep in mind.
In summary; I gave Bakutenn!! A solid 7/10. It's not genre defining, but I think it fits within the genre of niche sports anime very well. An overall enjoying watch and time sink.
For a further recommendation if you liked Bakutenn!! I have to point you in the direction of Ballroom e Youkoso. Another niche sports anime following ballroom dancing. Following a similar formula as the one I mentioned above but with 24 episodes allowing the characters and story to be a bit more fleshed out. Personally one I prefer more to Bakuten!! in terms of overall quality.
For a slightly different second recommendation, I will go with Kono Oto Tomare! While this anime is a music focused anime, I find sports anime and music anime hit a lot of the same notes (hah) with their formula. With Kono having 2 seasons, and a similar number of episodes to Ballroom, it's a bit more fleshed out. Similar to Bakutenn I enjoyed its positive approach and it was also very fun to watch.
Thanks for reading my review.
Mixed Feelings
Having heard the show was about rhythmic gymnastics, I was a bit sceptical on how it would go. I didn't have any expectations entering the show and was left feeling pretty light hearted. I hate to admit it, but Bakuten is just a ball of sport anime tropes and stereotypes. It has everything you can imagine, from the situations right down to the typical characters. That's not to say it's not enjoyable, just that it's not anything new. The only difference is that it tackles a totally different sport. A "fruity" one as some would say. The animation is really nice, solid 8, maybe even9. I didn't notice anything weird about the movements when they're performing, but maybe that's just because I'm not good at spotting things like that. The soundtrack is also an 8, I love the OP and ED. The story itself is pretty generic, but still heart-warming. Filled with inspiring moments, competition that have mirror-like personalities to the main cast, injuries etc. it's what you'd expect of a sports anime.
The MC is also quite generic compared to most MC's of sports animes. He's really nothing special, and pretty average, actually. Then you have the genius best friend, who's obviously been doing this his whole life. An aggressive/scary teammate, one who's calm and keeps the captain in check, a competitive captain and another member obsessed with a particular idol(?). No one really sticks out. (Though pretty interesting that some of these personality types were interested in gymnastics, I never would've guessed. They're what you'd expect of other sports teams though)
But I still enjoyed it. It's nothing special, hence the 6. I wouldn't watch it again, but if you're a fan of the sports genre, I'd recommend this after listing off other sports animes. It's a change of pace from other sports, that's for sure. The animation is insane sometimes, and I love the theme of "soaring" and "flying" that they associate with gymnastics. Bakuten definitely has its moments, and for a rhythmic gymnastics anime, it's not too bad. Overall, I didn't find this a waste of time and I found myself thoroughly enjoying some parts :)
Mixed Feelings
Overall: 6 I really enjoyed this show, but it's nothing special. If you're looking for a nice 'lie down and mindlessly watch' kinda anime, I'd really recommend this one. It's visually appealing and not hard to follow. The reason for my average score is because that's what it is, average. Let me explain. Story: 4 The story is exactly what the synopsis says, and the same overused trope in anime. Student stumbles upon a club, becomes fascinated in it, and joins the club to try to do what they do. They don't really add much to that basic plot, which makes it repetitive. It's not inherently bad, butit does nothing special, nor tries to. At least not in the story.
Art: 8
The art style itself is also very average. However, it is nicely animated, bringing life into the movement. Typically, the shots show the main group talking to each other, but they're not animated with one movement. They're all animated separately with their own seperate actions, which I find nice. The animation really shines when they're performing. 3D programs are used for the wider shots, but it's split with 2D animation when character expressions are important. When animated, It's very fluid for the budget it was probably given as a seasonal anime.
Sound: 8
I am a huge fan of the op and ed of this show. The op was made by the same band who made much of Given's music, and I love all of their music. This is no exception. The music perfectly shows the audience how the characters feel when they're performing. The ed is also very calm and reminds you that this is just a simple, relaxing show.
Character: 3
They introduce too many characters. The main 6 characters are necessary, even though some of them have little personality. the coach and manager are nice background characters with enough individuality to make you like them. The characters in their rival team are mostly completely unnecessary, with the exception of Mashiro, who has a connection with another character. The entire rival team is just reflections of the main cast, and it's hard to keep track of everyone. The only characters who are really expanded upon are Futaba and Misato, who have a sweet relationship. The four others in the main team all have one thing (object or activity) that is their personality. It's extremely flat and unoriginal.
Enjoyment: 7
Regardless of the criticism, I enjoyed watching this anime every week. It was a nice way to just lie down and mindlessly watch.
Overall: 6
This anime, as I have stated before, is very average and unoriginal. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and I am excited to see how the newly announced movie turns out.
