Ranked #2478

Ro-Kyu-Bu!

I'm a big sucker for Lolis and when I found out about this anime I was pumped!

And after finishing it I can say I wasn't disappointed, rather very pleased.

If you are a Loli-lover this is a must watch and one of the best shows in that genre out there.

But lets get to the heart of the review and look on what this show did right and what it lacked in.

Animation
Ro-Kyu-Bu, made by Studio Blanc, which did nothing that I know of before did a generic job animating the show. To be honest, an anime in the SoL pseudo-sports genre will most likely look not that exciting, so it's not a shame for the studio.
Everything fits and looks clean, but nothing is memorable or unique.
The quality is so-so sometimes bad, sometimes okay. Sad for a sports anime, but as I said it's more about the lolis than about the sport.
The character designs were decent and cute loli as you might expect. They looked distinct and fit their rolls.

5/10 Mediocre

Sound
I personally didn't like either the opening or the ending. But its electronic jpop tracks fit the show well.
The ost is forgettable, bland and not mentionable. It still worked fine with the show. Nothing stood out.
The only redeeming factor was the Voice Acting cast for the show, with Yuki Kaji voicing the Maincharacter Subaru, and Kana Hanazawa voicing the female lead Tomoka. Everyone else did also a great job being cute lolis.

5/10 Mediocre

Story
A loli bascetball team gets a teenage coach who kinda falls in love with one of the girls who is fairly talented in what she does. He helps them to play in a real professional match.
The premise sounds generic and bad, unless you are into lolis, like me.
It's rather slow and doesn't make too much sense, especially from a sports point of view. But to be honest I have no clue about sports and thus won't judge it on that basis.
Don't take it to seriously.
It does offer fanservice, small bits of romance and here and there funny moments though.

5/10 Mediocre

Characters
When it comes to SoL shows the characters are mostly the driving force behind it. Ro-Kyu bu does a decent job in regard to characters.
They are all likable, show almost normal human traits, make sense though fall into their sterotype archs. They even show character development!

But there is on mentionable character from them all. Subaru for the most likable pervert/lolicon in anime history (at least for me). He is a true rollmodel when it comes to lolis. ... damn I wish I was him...

7/10 Good

Value
I certainly will rewatch it and am excited for the second season. Though no episode stood out in particular to be re watched again. There is basically also no good reason to watch it again besides for the cuteness.
On a sentimental basis it's on a high list, I will certainly remember it for being the basket-lolis anime, and it also was the first anime that made it right when it comes to the lolis.
On a historical basis, well its Studio Blancs first anime as far as I know, besides that. Nobody will remember this show. Way too generic.

4/10 Decent

Enjoyment
My enjoyment was on a constant high, all dem lolis were just too damn cute, and that maincharacter cracked me up. It even had some thrilling moments though were too generic too be regarded highly.
Overall it was a very enjoyable show.

8/10

Overall it scores a 6/10 (though for me it will always be a masterpiece!)

Fair

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When lolis and basketball are combined, the result isn't as bad as one might expect. Although it's far from great Ro-Kyu-Bu is a charming series.

If you are looking an anime that is heavily focused on basketball then you are looking in the wrong place. Basketball is simply the activity which brings everyone together. However the series does lack a solid plot because the focus is on the characters themselves making it feel like a slice of life some of the time. The series is character driven and the majority of this anime is spent developing the characters, which is okay but it makes it hard to comment on a plot that's hardly there. Nevertheless how each character develops combined with the "practice" and games are fun to watch.

The art is good but it isn't anything spectacular, the characters designs, the backgrounds and animations are all decent. But there is nothing really special.

The sound is solid. The opening and ending are really catchy and they really fit the anime. The voice actors did a great job too, they all fit the personality of the character they were playing.

The characters is where the series excelled. The variety of personalities work well together and you can feel the bond that the characters have and develop with each other. Each character undergoes a significant amount of development and by the end each character has overcome something that has been holding them down. The series is driven by these characters if you took out any character the series just wouldn't be the same.

Ro-Kyu-Bu is very lighthearted which could make for a very fun watch. It is not a bad way to pass the time but it's not something everyone can enjoy. Some people aren't just into this kind of thing and sometimes the series does get a bit corny.

Ro-Kyu-Bu is a pretty entertaining series (if you are into this kind of anime). It's not a must watch but if you are bored, watching this isn't a bad way to pass the time. Also this series just shows how lolis+basketball does not equal disaster. read more