Reviews for Backflip!!

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!

The first thing you will notice about this anime is how high-quality the production is. The storyboarding and animation is extremely fluid and seamless, making this an absolute visual delight. The soundtrack is beautiful and I feel like both the OP and ED are no-skips (the OP is performed by Centimillimental who also sang the iconic Given OP, which is one of my personal favorite anime openings of all time). The story and characters seem to be standard sports anime fare so far, but it still feels quite refreshing to watch. The characters' interactions with each other are hilarious and guaranteed to make you smile morethan once in every single episode. The all-star VA cast is brilliant and brings so much life to the show.

I'm honestly very impressed by Bakuten so far, not only does it look really good but it's also really wholesome. I hope the direction and production quality stays the same throughout (*cough* Haikyuu S4 part 2 outsourced episodes *cough*), and I'm really looking forward for the rest of the episodes to air!

[placeholder review; will be updated when the anime finishes airing]

It's been a while since I've stumbled upon an anime that really got me hooked within just the first few episodes. As I lead a few dance clubs at school myself, I thought this show about boys' rhythmic gymnastics would be cool. And I was right. It is. In the first episode, we get to watch a performance held by the boys of Ao High. The animation in this anime switches consistently from 3D back to 2D, since there's a lot of formations and movement during the performance. This switch doesn't affect the art style too bad, so it works out. I don't really mind theinput of CGI during the performances. I'm sure it makes the animation process much easier since there's a lot of vertical movement. Then again, I appreciate dance, animated or not. The animation is well-done too; one scene that made me realize how much I liked the animation was when Futaba was carrying his duffel bags. His little waddle was cute and realistic.

The camera work/angles are amazing on top of the soundtrack. Sport anime soundtracks hit different. The story itself is so wholesome. Shoutarou Futaba is an incoming high schooler who is inspired by a performance put on by the boys at Ao High School.

All of the characters are cute. My current favorite is Watari, the green hair dude. He's always yelling aggressively for seemingly no reason. The VAs for this anime are all amazing as well. AOT Connie's, Erwin's and Levi's VA's are all in this show, as well as Demon Slayer Zenitsu's VA. They all contribute to the main cast of the show. Crazy.

I'm excited for episodes to air :-) I'll update this review from time to time to see if my general view on this show changes.

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.

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 :)

Ok listen the ONLY good thing about this anime is the music, because it's written by Yuki Hayashi, who is an absolute god. And you can just tell that he absolutely loves Rhythm Gymnastics but they really did not deserve such a good OST. The characters have no personality and are literally just cardboard cutouts. The main character is like literally any other sports anime protagonist, in that he saw the sport and admired the team and decided that he wanted to do the sport. There is literally no flavor to the characters and the story is very standard. Except for episode five, whatever the heck thatwas.

The shift into the CGI is jarring and pretty terrible. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the 3D CGI in general, but it's just..... bad. Their faces look very flat and it's just not good. The 2D and scenery is pretty, but other than that it's not great.

The character designs are also very similar and they all kind of have the same face.

Honestly I'm very sad because I was very hyped for the anime before it came out, but it just didn't deliver. The characters fall flat and I don't feel any connection to them and the story isn't interesting. Like sure, the characters are pretty and cute but they have no depth and it's disappointing.

Good characters can carry a bad plot, but bad characters can't carry a good plot. And this show has neither good characters nor a good plot. It's all just very meh and not worth my time. It's also very disappointing because the cast is AMAZING and I really wanted to like it because there are so many of my favorite seiyuus. But even though they have a great cast, they can't carry terrible writing.

THIS ANIME IS SOOOOO GOOD 10/10 recommend. To the storyline and to the friendships this anime is amazing. the storyline of the anime is amazing and its also enjoyable and wholesome. It kinda gives my haikyuu vibes. At first I wasn't a big fan of the 3d animation, but honesty has grown on me. The soundtrack is good aswell.One thing that I really liked about Bakuten was the character development and just the characters in general. Each character has their own unique personality. And its funny how they all have conflicting personalities yet their bond is so strong. Overall I would give this anime a1000000000000000000/10

(review to be updated when it finishes airing) Honestly, I was so surprised by this anime. I'm really not a fan of sports anime, except for Yuri!! On Ice I've dropped every single sports anime I started watching. But Bakuten!! really got me! (I actually feel like people who liked YOI for the story/sport might actually really like this anime as well!) Though the story isn't really anything special or different from other sports anime (random guy picks interest in a sport after seeing someone doing it very well), you can't help but enjoy the whole series. The characters are endearing, each with their different personalities andquirkiness, but their interactions are so cute and hilarious most of the time, you just can't help but like every one of them, even if they're from the opposite team. The animation is top tier, I got interested in it when they dropped a video of their routine on the first episode and I got so shocked with how good they used the CGI for presentation parts, the fluidity of movements, the whole fact that they switch from 2D to 3D and back so nicely and in a way it complements the story and doesn't bother the viewing at all. Even the 2D scenes are extremely well made and so far I don't have any complaints about flaws in animation or continuity.

The soundtrack is also something to be talked about, all the songs are really nice and complement the story extremely well, the OP and ED are also no-skips, the opening actually being sung by Centimilimental, the same ones who sang Given opening.

So far this has been a top tier anime and an extremely pleasant surprise in my sports anime history, the episodes are very well-paced (I especially like the filler episode kinda horror-themed, felt like a nice breather and was so hilarious), you can feel the emotions and conflicts with the characters very closely and, honestly, I had never felt goosebumps while watching a "match/presentation" scene as I did with Bakuten!!, I was super into it and on the edge of my toes thinking about how well they would do in their routine.

So far, 9 out of 10, but if the other episodes are as well made quality and story-wise as the ones thus far, I might actually change my score to 10!

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.

More of the same, that's how i would classifie this anime. The premisse is the same for almost every sports anime out there, a guy found about some sport he never saw, and become obsessed with the thing. I didn't hate the anime, but the only thing good about it were the characters, they're carismatic, and have a decent amount of development. The senpais have distinct personalaties, but the two kouhais are just the same story, genius aloof guy, and entusiastic guy. If you're a fan of gymnastics take a look, but don't go in think will be another yuri on ice.

I had my problems about beggins bakuten!! and I regret it. I'm happy about how this anime wasn't popular enough to have a fanbase as annoying as SK8 that took down my experience every time I got on twitter. With this theme, I was prepared for something full of queerbaiting and shallow sport (which is no demerit to me), however only the second part happened. Of course, no one wanted a anime video lecture about male gymnastics, but it was always a subject that I was interested and followed. That's why disappointed me how easy it was for the protagonist, who was not a genius and hadnever practiced the sport before, dominated everything so fast to the point that 12 episodes have already been competing with the boys who have been doing it for years. My thinking is that a baby steps mode would be best for this case, after all it's not as simple a thing as "tag you're It". The short number of episodes ordered gives the need for urgency, but i didn't buy so well.

The generic dramas they are inserted are sometimes nebulous and shallow, but they are quick to explain why they are that way. For me the most interesting thing was the teacher who was a talented star thay after an injury finds himself lost in a world where he must live as a normal and almost hopeless person. Just the kind of person he disliked so much, brutal.

It implies to me how much the boys who make up the team are not even close to having that impact. The bespectacled boy who just nods and talks well about the hot red-haired captain (Free! Mood) is completely forgettable even though he's been there from the beginning. The green haired boy is a total waste, his mob personality is very funny and I hope he will be exploited in the future. Shotaro is what we call a dreamy protagonist who doesn't have that much talent, but tries very hard to be excellent, so he can inspire new kids to get into the sport. He's satisfying. Unlike the team star, he is shallow and predictable like a transparent door. The direction can't even explain how he is so above average as they say, the only trick used is that horrid white-haired character who appears to be annoying and talented, as we've seen in other animes of the genre.

I don't like to judge with so few episodes, I know that in the future new characters will be developed, but I hope they will be treated in a more intelligent way. I also doesn't like the animation style they used at the time of the presentations, but it's very acceptable. The final performance is one of the most beautiful things of the year, with the brawny, sweaty boys glowing in the gym lights after so much battle. Here was managed to convey the feeling of reward for having seen all the episodes, cheering for them fly.

Keep flying boys, and bringing artistic gymnastics to more boys who might be interested in something so beautiful.

Hard work beats talent! Oh, mmmm... Wait a minute. Hard work beats talent that doesn't' work? Something feels a bit off... Ugh. "Talent" is a complex of traits, of which being able work hard and obsess over something is one of said traits. Ahhhhh much better. (Well not really xD) This show is standard animu sports fare, of which the dichotomy of "natural talent" vs "work ethic/passion" is played out once again in the form of our two cute MCs. Cute they are at that. As are the rest of our candy coloured bishounen with coloured coded personalities. A lot of life is expressed in theearly episodes though both animation and writing. While I was never impressed per say, it did at least feel on the level of other well enjoyed sport anime with beloved casts. The CG was noticeable, but the presentation of their floor work was certainly not ugly. At times even veering it to enjoyable to watch.

HOWEVER,

This “sports” anime really lacks the elements that I find most compelling. There is lack of tangible “combat” in tournaments because readable variation in competence is just not possible with the sport in question. In Haikyuu ball hit hard and score goal ooh aah aah!! Sometime block!! Lanky boy ooh ooh! Then oOUT OOOUTTT Ahhh AhOooHh!! Haikyuu, Kuroke No Basket, Baby Steps and other such ilk just have far more understandable systems of scoring, owed to them by their more directly combative sports.

I think this is the main problem of this anime for me. It doesn’t make a great “sports anime”, and it’s only a somewhat decent slice of life anime with a sports tint. It lacks the most compelling elements of both genres. Though it does get close in the presentation at times. I also don’t want to be overly harsh because narratively and pacing wise, this was no misery to watch. There are some genuinely great episodes here, even if certain tropes are utilised way to frequently for a 13 episode run. But then again, how big of a pot do they have to draw from. Make the pot bigger then dammit!! Or sooooooooar over it. But while you’re soaring, I’m cringing l o l.

Honestly, this show never caught my eye because it involves a sport I wasn't interested in. I only watched it because I was recommended it. Turns out it wasn't a bad experience at all. Like most sports anime stories the goal for the team is to make it to nationals. Pretty standard story formula. However, this anime focuses more on the characters rather than the plot itself. It explores the reasons why each character is doing artistic gymnastics and their motivations for working so hard. It focuses more on Shoutarou and the ace prodigy, Misato than the rest of the team. The scope of the plot isrelatively small considering Shoutarou is literally a beginner in rhythmic gymnastics. I had concerns about how the anime was going to pace itself when the main character was a complete beginner but to my surprise, the show manages to do a lot with 12 episodes. Part of the reason why it was able to work with the concept of having a beginner was because it focuses on the characters. The rival team that was introduced definitely was able to flesh out the dynamic of the characters and add different interactions for the characters. Unfortunately, most of the characters on the other team are only slightly developed and don’t add too much to the story. The important ones being the captain of the other team and more importantly the ace, Mashiro serving stronger roles.

The atmosphere of the story can be described as lighthearted yet perfectly captures important moments where characters can really feel the weight that they carry.

Characters

This is where the story really shines, it manages to explore and flesh out each character from the team. We learn about their goals and motivation for doing rhythmic gymnastics. We find out that most characters were inspired by other people doing rhythmic gymnastics, making them want to start the sport. While the characters are likable, they don’t differ too much from characters we have already seen before like a dense simple-minded captain, a quiet nerd that is good at studying, a guy that just goes with the flow, and a loud guy. Not to mention that they also have their own individual interests to flesh them out as well. I really liked the dynamic of the character interactions between Shoutarou, Misato, and Mashiro. With Shoutarou and Mashiro being total opposites in terms of experience and Shoutarou and Misato being the opposite in terms of personality.

I also want to say that food definitely played a big part in this story. The idea of food bringing people together isn’t adding anything new, but it just adds to the sense of bonding as a team and spending time together. Not only can we see them spending time together in practice, but they also spend time outside of practice getting to know each other. This is able to bring them closer as a team and be more realistic.

The art and animation are nothing special and at times the art can be a bit subpar especially if the characters are further back in a scene. CGI is used for rhythmic gymnastic dance routines because otherwise, that would be too costly to draw by hand. Honestly, I don’t dislike it when the routines were done with CGI. I had to admit that I was drawn in when there was a dance routine on the screen. The CGI does stand out slightly meaning that you can definitely tell that it’s CGI that breaks the immersion of watching the anime.

The sound doesn’t really stand out in any way and I’m also not the type of person to pay too much attention to soundtracks or opening and endings. The opening was average and nothing too memorable and the same thing could be said about the ending. One thing about the sound that I did notice was when they were doing a dance routine, each time that they landed or tumbled it did add to the experience of watching them dance.

I also appreciated that the show didn’t rush the story to be a stand-alone series because that would have been a mess. Glad that they're creating a movie to wrap up the ending of the story.

A big part of enjoying sports anime is having an interest in the sport that it focuses on. I personally wasn’t going to watch this and I was going to drop it after 3 episodes, but I’m glad I gave it a chance and finished it. It turned out to be a very enjoyable watch that didn't try to achieve too much. Solid 7/10.

Bakuten!! What a ride, a pleasant one. For something so simplistic as its plot focused on rhythmic gymnastics, this show truly conveys a lot of emotions and experiences that are hella enjoyable, and that makes it one of the greatest shows of the season imo. The story, as I said, it's very simplistic yet effective: the rhythmic gymnastics club and their journey to the junior tournament. For the introduction of the club members to their coach and manager- hell, even their rivals; each of our main characters had their own little backstory that added a spark to the story. Certainly, the show focused a loton those details, like the interactions between characters, their growth, and how to relate to each dynamic. The friendship between the team members and their struggles seemed pretty real, it made me feel the lightness the show's aesthetic and storytelling had conveyed. I really appreciate how the show was more focused on their character's development rather than solely just the sport. Also, the show's sense of humor is very amusing haha I just love the way they carried the whole Mysterious Coach's Wife and the hide and seek episode.

There are still some unanswered questions like Misato's parents or details for the Shiro Highschool Team members but I'm pretty sure that they will eventually have their own lil arc once the movie comes out or even future seasons.

The art is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed it so much! When I found out that Zexcs was the studio in charge, I couldn't help but hesitate. They are known for Diabolik Lovers, and I'm pretty sure that is something very overwhelming if you know about the show lol. However, there is undoubtedly a major improvement from DL saga and Bakuten: the character designs, the artstyle, the aesthetic, in general, was a total upgrade and how they decided to implement CGI was pretty satisfying. I guess everyone worries a lot about CGI but in this show is well used.

I'm still amazed about the panoramics and visual effects for certain moments. From Shotaro's first impression of his current team to his sensations while doing the handstand with Mashiro, the visuals were almost magical and made me feel chills every time Shotaro discovered something. That also applies to the show's more sad moments! The setting created for those moments was so well done... I'm still thinking about his conversation with Misato, Misato's struggle with a certain part of the choreo or Shichigahama's determination scenes.

I would like to also give major props to the choreography team! The show couldn't have been possible without the amazing choreos shown here. Each choreo seemed to fit perfectly with the vibes of each team and that's a fantastic aspect to remark along with the music. Surely Shiro HS Team had a very spicy performance, one of my favorite routines in my very vast one of anime performances.

Now, bringing back the characters, I felt really engaged with every single one of them, and it may be due to how each character had a special characteristic in their personalities. Surely, our MC, Shotaro, is an emotional little bean, discovering a whole new world in the field or getting to know his teammates and rivals. How he acted in certain situations and interacted with the cast was so charming... Same for Misato! I'm used to your typical character with a stoic personality or resting bitch face but, somehow, with how cold-minded was Misato, seeing him flustered or nervous about something was very amusing~ I may be biased but the whole show made me appreciate the way characters behaved.

I would talk about the rest of the characters- For real! Each one of them is special- for a long time but I want to mention two things regarding characters: Mashiro was such a good character, his range from being this cute fluffy boy to a serious and passionate athlete amused me. And lastly... The confrontation in the tournament between both captains... That was so damn attractive and that says a lot. It's the way each character embraces the positiveness of competition, how their rivalry is healthy, and share the same goals that make these tense moments so good. Not gonna lie, the confrontation made me a big Takase fan, since my boy Shichigahama was already best boy lol

So, in the end, Bakuten was amazing. I'm pretty sure this show can be considered a comfort one, with how fluffy, funny and relatable it was. I would totally do a rewatch of this show on a very bad day just because of those facts. And you, people, should watch it too! That's an overall 9 out of 10 and I will probably rate it a perfect 10 if I rewatch this show enough times to convince me that it's a masterpiece lol

I don't know if anyone else got the vibe that Bakuten!! was a mix of Haikyuu!! and Prince of Stride, but that's certainly how I felt. It felt like that tone of Prince of Stride and the character relationships and major plot points of a kind of knock-off Haikyuu!! Even so, there was, for me, a lot of originality in this series. I'm gonna start off with the demerits this anime gets because I very much liked this anime despite those, so it seems fitting to start with the few things I didn't like. For one, the characters were absolutely not as developed as I wouldhave liked them to have been, but given that this anime has a 12 episode run, that's not surprising. Actually, I felt like the major points of these characters' personalities more or less filled the gaps. Still, I would have liked to see more done with the character relationships. That's equally the case because Bakuten!! isn't quite the same as other sports anime. There aren't tournaments for this team to participate in where they're doing performance after performance, and the performances are simply improvements on what's already been shown. But that's the nature of rhythmic gymnastics--it's not like baseball or volleyball. That being said, with all the extra space in this anime between performances, taking a more concentrated look at the characters would have helped it when it felt slow.

I'd like to say that I disliked the super CGI animation of the performances, but actually, the very first performance shown in this anime is what convinced me to watch the whole thing. It blew me away because of the choreography, and so I didn't really mind the style of animation.

My gripe with this anime is actually the reason I love it so much: the characters. Even though their relationships didn't get highlighted as much as they might have with a longer run, I still felt drawn in. I think that's because this isn't really a main character kind of anime. Certainly there are parts where Misato or Shoutarou take center stage, but for the most part, it's an ensemble cast. That makes it easy to want to come back to these characters and see how their struggle to make it to InterHigh is going. I also felt like the high-stakes emotional aspects of this anime were done fairly well for it being such a simple plot. There are a couple places it falls flat, but there are a few moments that actually made me quite emotional or nervous or happy, and I didn't expect that from an anime like this.

Everything else around Bakuten!! is your typical sports anime. The goals are the same, the team development is the same, and I don't think anyone will be surprised by the ending. However, Bakuten!! still draws on emotion well and creates a set of characters that are worth the time to follow and love. I look forward to the movie because getting to see this group again excites me.

First of all, I'd like to give my thanks to the creators and staff of this show because I have enjoyed every second of it! What really stood out for me is the direction or how they (staff) handled it. They carefully thought out what's best for every scene. When it calls for a dramatic scene, the atmosphere changes, and they do it well showcasing that. The music (sound) was perfect! I fell in love with the overall soundtrack, including the OP and ED. It captured the atmosphere really well! Especially the opponent's performance. (I forgot the name of the school tho lmao) Itwas fiery and I got goosebumps watching it. The art is also great here. I know some people think that CGI is a minus for an anime show. But this show handled it really well! The way they blend CGI with 2D animation during the performances wasn't that bad at all! It was fluid. I caught myself mesmerized and dizzy because of the angle shots BUT I STILL LOVED IT! HAHA

To be honest, I didn't expect much of this show. I saw Skate-Leading Stars and that show kind of sucked for me especially when it comes to the performances. But I decided to give it a shot because of the sport; Gymnastics. The other gymnastics anime that I loved was Taisou Samurai. The obvious difference is that Taisou Samurai showcases a solo routine while Bakuten!! required a group or a team. I loved Taisou Samurai and I thought it was one of the hidden gems last Fall 2020. So is Bakuten!!

Overall, I love it. Give it a try.

Bakuten! Bakuten! Bakuten! This really is an example of a piece of work in which a simple story well presented and executed translates to a warming, and wholesome series where one can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the charade of fun and happiness. Bakuten!! is set in the ever growing sport anime genre. Unlike the frequently used sports like basketball, tennis, soccer, Bakuten!! takes a detour to a sport rarely discussed (well, not on mainstream level) with gymnastics; rhythmic gymnastics. The setting and plot subtly blows away the fog of societal norms where a sport is tagged by gender, without explicitly focusing its whole attentionon it. Gymnasts tend to often have female athletes being discussed in all of its topics and men always associated with track and field events. But when introduced to the first episode and first performance of the series, it simply shows that sports is for everyone; and this thoughts leads us to the general and overarching theme of the series: desire.

"What do I want to do?" "Who do I want to be?" The show makes it clear from the beginning that no matter how small or grand it is, everyone definitely has a form of desire within them. These are some of the very first dialogues thrust to us into the series, which kicks off with the main protagonist of the show: Shoutarou Futaba. Futaba, throughout his junior high days, was a fan of sports but never really made it big for himself in whatever sport he took up. He was a benchwarmer at best. He comes across a few gymnasts on his way in school going somewhere and got word that a rhythmic gymnastics high school tournament was ongoing. He decides to attend on a whim since he's an enthusiast of sports. Of course when he got there, his mind was blown away. With the amazing CGI animation that perfectly captures the movement of such athletes in the anime, it was without a doubt amazing not to Shoutarou alone, but some anime viewers as well. In his final year of junior high, he decides and opts to join the school in which their performance made goosebumps run into his veins.

Shoutarou is now used as a mechanic to explore the other characters and themes throughout the series. The setting lays a foundation of the same ambitions from people both from two different sides. Those that are new or have been a rhythmic gymnast for a couple of years (the high schoolers), and the ones who have vast experience in the field and as adults, may have one regret or the other (though Bakuten!! really focused on one adult specifically). Shoutarou is introduced to the small male gymnastics club with very few but eccentric members. This also basically shows how the sport isn't a global spectacle compared to the likes of soccer, basketball, etc. From the ever loving Yakuza movie fanatic, to an idol lover, to the stoic and somewhat unsociable one, the club was few in members (literally to the point of not having the standard number for a team) but they all had their stories which where briefly discussed and this leads up to the abovementioned main theme of the series: desire.

The club maybe as I mentioned had lovable characters that just made you love the series as you progressed. Sometimes it may be seen as comedic relief but who has done and said dumb things when they were high school lol. And these students form one side of the flip coin; the newbies of the sport. To balance this, an adult with prior experience in the game is fixed into the story. This is where I feel the story excels even more. Giving such an experienced individual into the series gives it a somewhat mature tone that balances the generic madness of high school teenagers. The club members grow to take the advice and wordings of the coach as they see him as someone they respect and has a better knowledge in the field than them irrespective of their determination. And the coach (adult) sees himself as a younger version in the young talents and foresees what may have gone wrong during his time and makes amends to better himself for him and the people around him.

The animation of the series and the OSTs go hand in hand. The casual animation from start to finish maintained its quality alongside the suiting CGI movements incorporated in their routine and stage performances. The soundtracks during routines and performances are harmony and perfect synchronisation with their movements. Just the thud from the mat they bounce off gives a suiting feeling. Oh, and the opening and ending sequences? Yeah, that was gorgeous. The OP sets the jovial tone for the episode you are about to hop onto, and no matter how the episodes ends, whether on a high note for the characters or not, the ED will always be pleasurable entering into the next episode (I binged it, so that's how I felt really).

Not everything or story out there has to be a masterpiece to be enjoyed. Simple stories tend to give the warmest of feelings within some viewers. It's not a very high stake anime compared to its counterparts, but it's a wholesome show one can watch if you have nothing to do.

Thanks to those who read from start to end. If you haven't watched it, why not give it a go. You may have a different say to it or not after reading this. But hey, what are reviews for anyway if we can get different responses.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this I’d rate it a 6.7. While the matches themselves are exciting, I didn’t quite get the sports anime vibe since the story only focuses on two rival schools. The lack of broader competition made the training arcs and team progress feel somewhat pointless why put so much effort into development if we barely see other challengers? That said, the potential is there. The dynamic between the two schools kept me hooked at times, even if the scope felt too narrow. I’m hopeful for Season 2 though! If the story expands to include more schools, deeper rivalries, and high stakes tournaments,it could turn those ‘meh’ moments into something thrilling.

Make the training matter. Make the matches unpredictable. Most importantly, make the world feel alive give us those heart-pounding moments that hook the audience and don’t let go. Fingers crossed!

Key Improvements:

Stronger Flow – Structured for clarity (critique → praise → hopes for S2 ).

More Vivid Language – Phrases like "high-stakes tournaments" and "heart-pounding moments" add energy.

Conciseness – Trimmed repetitive points while keeping your original sentiment.

Engaging Hook – Ends on an optimistic note to invite discussion.

(Spanish review below) I was reluctant to watch it at first, as I always do when I start a spokon, because many of them are the same anime with a different sport. In this case, even though the structure is similar to other anime and the characters are stereotypical, I don't feel like Bakuten is like others. I can't exactly explain why. First of all, the animation is really beautiful, as are the character designs. My only problem is the 3D in the rhythmic gymnastics performances. I don't have a problem with 3D animation, if the whole anime is in 3D, like 'Beastars' (for example). But ina 2D anime, it stands out a lot (in a bad way) if there are parts in 3D. I understand why they used it, because the performances seem difficult to animate in 2D, but, at the same time, I wish they did. I think it could have made the anime more beautiful and memorable.

What I like most about Bakuten is the relationships between the characters and their relationship with gymnastics. I like how they inspire each other to do it and how a chain of inspiration is created from that. I think that's how sport, art, and life in general works. We all inspire others to do, like, try something, or be a certain way.

Bakuten focus a lot on this aspect, even more than on the sport part. I like it, because one thing I don't usually like about some spokons is the fact that the characters seem to have nothing else in their lives other than the sport they practice. In the case of Bakuten, we get to know their interests, their families, how they end up practicing gymnastics; and we get to know the boys, we learn about them and their personalities.

However, there is a lot to delve into in the anime. For example, all the time the characters comment that male rhythmic gymnastics is not something common and doesn’t even have a professional future. I would like to know how the boys feel about doing something that is not “masculine” according to society. I would like to know how they see themselves, if they experience any kind of discrimination in their daily life because of it. It could make the anime a bit more complex.

I always say that I don’t mind seeing stereotypical characters in an anime because I like to see what they do with them, beyond the stereotype. BUT at this point I would like to see something more. We even have a Kageyama, with the same character design (there is one in each spokon) and even the same voice actor. The only difference between Kageyama and Misato is that Misato is a bit softer. The rest of the characters are the same characters you will find in any other spokon.

The only character I couldn't stand is the manager. I feel like she didn't contribute anything to the story and I don't like this type of character at all (not managers, but this type of female character).

I recommend watching it because it is entertaining and all the scenes comparing gymnastics to birds are beautiful.

...

¡Me gustó mucho Bakuten!

Al principio me resistía a verlo como siempre que empiezo un spokon, porque hay muchos que son el mismo anime con un deporte diferente. En este caso, aunque la estructura es similar a otros animes y los personajes son estereotípicos, no siento que Bakuten sea como otros. No puedo explicar exactamente por qué.

En primer lugar, la animación es realmente hermosa, al igual que los diseños de los personajes. Mi único problema es el 3D en las actuaciones de gimnasia rítmica. No tengo ningún problema con la animación 3D, si todo el anime es en 3D, como 'Beastars' (por ejemplo). Pero en un anime 2D, destaca mucho (para mal) si hay partes en 3D. Entiendo por qué lo usaron, porque las actuaciones parecen difíciles de animar en 2D, pero, al mismo tiempo, me hubiese gustado que lo hicieran. Creo que podría haber hecho que el anime sea más hermoso y memorable.

Lo que más me gusta de Bakuten son las relaciones entre los personajes y su relación con la gimnasia. Me gusta cómo se inspiran entre ellos para practicarla y cómo se crea una cadena de inspiración a partir de ello. Creo que así es como funciona el deporte, el arte y la vida en general. Todos inspiramos a otros a hacer, gustar, intentar algo o ser de una determinada manera.

Bakuten pone mucha atención en este aspecto, incluso más que en la parte deportiva. Me gusta, porque una cosa que no me suele gustar de algunos spokons es el hecho de que los personajes parecen no tener nada más en sus vidas que el deporte que practican. En el caso de Bakuten, conocemos sus intereses, sus familias, cómo acaban practicando gimnasia; y conocemos a los chicos, aprendemos sobre ellos y sus personalidades.

Sin embargo, hay mucho en lo que profundizar en el anime. Por ejemplo, todo el tiempo los personajes comentan que la gimnasia rítmica masculina no es algo común y ni siquiera tiene un futuro profesional. Me gustaría saber cómo se sienten los chicos al hacer algo que no es “masculino” según la sociedad y suele ser un deporte “femenino”. Me gustaría saber cómo se sienten al respecto, cómo se ven ellos mismos, si experimentan algún tipo de discriminación en su vida diaria por ello. Podría hacer el anime un poco más complejo.

Siempre digo que no me molesta ver personajes estereotipicos en un anime porque me gusta ver lo que hacen con ellos, más allá del estereotipo. PERO en este punto me gustaría ver algo más. Incluso tenemos un Kageyama, con el mismo diseño de personaje (hay uno en cada spokon) e incluso el mismo actor de voz. La única diferencia entre Kageyama y Misato es que Misato es un poco más suave. El resto de los personajes son los mismos personajes que encontrarás en cualquier otro spokon.

El único personaje al que no pude soportar es a la manager. Siento que no aportó nada en la historia y además este tipo de personaje no me gusta para nada (no las managers, sino este tipo de personaje femenino).

Recomiendo verlo porque es entretenido y todas las escenas comparando la gimnasia con pájaros son hermosas.

Story-wise this anime is nothing you wouldn't know yet. It's yet another sports club anime with a newbie at it's center, a way strong rival school and ensuing shenanigans whenever it's not about the sport. Oh and of course there's the obligatory 'But this is the last year we can do this with our Senpais!!!' Nothing new really but its execution is solid and you easily get dragged along on the journey. That is in part thanks to the characters. All with their very distinctive personalities which make them easy to understand without seeming superficial. People argue and are confronted with personal issues and theylearn from those things and our main team grows together quite a bit.

The rival team has great personalities as well though. While we don't have enough time with them to get to know them as well as the main team, they do each have similar personality types to one of our main team with at most 2 exceptions. Misato's counterpart is vague at best while Futaba's counterpart is straight up oposite to him in nearly every way.

Anyway, characters aren't the only thing that makes this anime work.

The art and sound design are fairly nice and the animation as well is quite good. I'm not a big fan of the CG used to animate the routines but it isn't bad or anything.

My only big issue with the animation is the camera-handling during performances. Personally, I think the camera moves way too much to be able to keep up with what's going on. I had trouble appreciating the routines that were thought up because I could barely keep up with what was happening which lead to me feeling underwhelmed. I appreciate the close-ups of the members faces at some points and I understand that during the tumbling parts you want to put the focus on those that are doing the tubling but with too many changing angles and sometimes swithing camera lenses and all the moving around I feel it was just too much. To me it felt like it was taking away from the amazement and beauty mens rhythmic gymnastics can have.

Take that complaint with a grain of salt though as I am used to seeing those performances from a very much unmoving camery angle thanks to watching a bunch of videos online.

At the end of the day I still enjoyed the ride and would certainly call it an anime worth watching.