Shakunetsu Kabaddi

i liked it, it was ok the first half it got better i find as time moves on the bad part is the animation its bad they didnt do much animation wise. the story i find is ok paceing is slow very slow doesnt make much progress makes some butt not a lot. the best part is the characters theres funny moments and it saves the show for me, the sport this shown in the show is not popular is barely known in most parts of the world which i think makes the show better. if theres a season 2 id say make sure ... theres better animation. and a bit more epiodes for me this show needs 24. the bad part about this show is a season 2 is unlikely, (if not very unlikely) im qiute sad about this fact my rating will stay 8/10, if theres a 2nd season i will update this review. for now we have to end on a sad note.

This anime has a really low rating compared to other crap I've seen this season. C'mon guys It's not that bad. It's actually quite satisfying, the characters are of a somewhat "raw" design that reminded me for a very quick minute of JoJo.

The character arcs wouldn't be incredibly complex with 12 episodes (it makes me question why they put in those 3 new students who are a total offensive caricature), but they're satisfying. However, the protagonist himself is a bit faded in the middle, only having his own moment at the end. I like the concept of his biggest enemy actually being his own captain, ... and how the entire team is shaped by him that was only inserted in episode 3, but it seems so indispensable.

The direction is good, the animation too, I thought it was weird those frames with "struggle" appearing in a aggressive way as if we were in a Gatorade commercial, but in the last episode I was already vibrating with it.

I've had my contact with Kabaddi before, and I didn't know the historical weight and how it was erased here. I thought it was really good to have been highlighted above, a gigantic blunder by the mangaka. Hope it gets fixed in the future.

In the end, it is like a sport anime of the season, even though it follows an already defined style, it draws attention for approaching such a different sport and an above-average technical production. I'll be here for the next season as it was so much fun.

*REPUBLICATION*

So, another sports anime, this time about a sport I have never even heard about, a sport which I thought was made up before I did some more research into it, but as it turns out, it's pretty interesting....

Story - 5
Storywise I think the anime has been lacking. We’ve only been introduced to the sport and characters in not the most interesting way, and all they have done is train and do some practice matches. If this somehow gets another season I really hope they finally go on the tournament they have been talking about (but obviously not yet participated in.)

Art/Animation - 4
The animation is ... definitely not the selling point of this anime, the style is pretty good for both the characters and their surroundings. But movements do often look choppy and unnatural, that's if there even is any movement at all… Yet they have pretty good looking animations of things like gears, chains or fire which represent different elements and tactical moves in the sport. Now I’m not an animator so I don’t know if it's as simple as just focussing on the characters movements instead of these tactical visualisations, but I think it would have done the show great justice. Does it impact my viewing experience, yes it does, you still experience a rush of sensation while watching, but the extreme hype that beautiful animation brings with it, being able to actually see exactly what the players are doing is not what you’ll get from this show.

Sound - 7
Let’s just get the OP out of the way quickly, it's decent and I won’t skip it, but it is not really that good either. The Indian-inspired OST on the other hand is quite surprising, and fits this originally indian sport amazingly well. It's able to hype you up even with practice and explanation. Other sound design is just what you would expect from a sports anime, and does just a good job in conveying a bit of extra emotion in action packed moments. The ED is definitely better than the OP I would say, it's catchy and very fitting.

Character - 7
Shakunetsu Kabaddi revolves around Tatsuya Yoigoshi, a once nationally recognized soccer player who is now a first-year student at Noukin High School. Though through time he developed a hatred for sports, he has abandoned his previous aspirations in sports to become a famous livestreamer on the internet. One day, Souma Azemichi, a first-year on the kabaddi team, seeks to recruit Yoigoshi and spontaneously interrupts his livestream. His obsession with live streaming fits his character and other character traits such as his loneliness perfectly. Most other characters are likeable, but also feel a bit cliché, recognizing a lot of characters plus their traits almost straight up from Haikyuu.

Enjoyment - 6
For my own enjoyment I feel like there is not much to say… There just isn't any interesting story to really hold on too, and the lack of story and animation is killing it for me. Though the sport is quite interesting, I would watch another season purley because they hinted at a tournament coming up.

Overall - 6
Countering a story which has not been really interesting thus far and a lack of animation, sound design and the characters save this series from being ultra mid tier. So I would only recommend you watching this if you have either a high interest in sport anime or an interest in kabaddi.

If you are interested in watching this anime I would recommend getting some sort of introduction to the sport first, seeing how it can be a bit difficult to understand immediately. The YouTube video “It's Time You Knew About Kabaddi: The Ancient Game That's Gone Pro” really helped me understand a lot more about Kabaddi, it's a great introduction to the sport and if that got you interested I would recommend you give this show a chance.

Its pretty alright, It's just average on everything.

I don't personally play the sport but if you do, this might be enjoyable to you. Though I find the anime somewhat enjoyable,

The characters are your standard sports anime characters, the gifted one, the underestimated yet strong, the smart one, the hard worker.

This anime isn't revolutionary and definitely not something everyone would enjoy. But if you did watch it you will surely make you want to play the game and be curious about it.



... Do I recommend it to everyone?



No,
but to those who like wrestling type of sports.

Those who want to know what it's like to play a non popular sport unlike basketball, football, tennis, and others.
Those who are ok with cliche plots and just want to pass time.

Then yes, this Anime can be good for you. Sure the plot can be done better but it's a matter of enjoyment and that's something only when you've watched it can be judged

Kabaddi and hockey is the National Sport in India. So its based on kabaddi. Its a very good sport and the animation and rule are the same. I am from India so...


Enjoyment 9/10
If you like sports anime and want to see an intense sport in a form of an anime. Burning Kabaddi will not disappoint you. The comedy scenes are great and the character interactions are fun to watch. Definitely, you should try.

overall 8/10

Art/Animation 8/10
The art style is great, characters are drawn beautifully and are nice to the eye .
...
Character 9/10
Characters in this anime are a major plus point. each character has a very fun personality and is really interesting to see these characters interact with each other. They are also very funny at times( remember the eavesdropping principal? XD )

I'm happy to say, this anime brought back my faith in good sports anime!

As an Indian, it felt so good to see kabaddi getting some spotlight. It felt even better learning new things about it from the anime, since it means that they paid attention to detail. Yay!!!

All in all it was great. The characters all are unique, and they each have a niche they get into. It was nice to see Yoigoshi, (in some ways at least) act like an experienced sportsperson. I mean, being in sports for a long time, especially if you're highly skilled and in a team sport, brings a maturity ... from taking on complicated feelings with wins, losses, camaraderie, and everything that goes with it. He was quite the dolt in some places, but quite mature in others, which I felt was more realistic for an athlete of his level and calibre.

The animations during the match, and that 'struggle' voice was highly entertaining and the double meaning and misunderstandings were hilarious. Special mention to the vice captain's split personality!

All in all, if you're a sports anime fan, this is one which is done right! I know it got a lot of hype, but trust me it's worth watching, I promise.

Burning kabadi is an obscure spring anime for this obscure south asian sport called kabadi which is a mix between tag and jujutsu , i started it with low expectations but i was blown away .
Story 6/10
It's a standard high school sport shounen but what made it stand out is the kabadi ,this sport is so unique and fun i would pay money to try it but there is no clubs for it in my country .
Art 7/10
Its not excellemt but i like the way they draw facial expressiosn its epic
Animation 5/10
The worst part about this show , and they use still ... frames a lot too , but i cant blame them since this sport demands a lot of movement from the players so animating even with above average animation would be a nightmare for the studio
Sound design 7/10
Op is a banger , ending is cool but i didnt listen to it enough time to judge it fairly , the soundtracks were fine expect one of them that stood out and i m waiting for it to be post on youtube so i can spam the shit out of it
Characters 7/10
Mc was solid , there have been some couple interesting players , but Oujo the captain stole the show for me , everytime he entered the court i was jumping with excitement.
Enjoyement 8/10
It wasnt an excellent sport anime by any means but it was highly enjoyable , one of my fav this season , mainly becuz of the usage of symbolism and metaphores which is something i am a big fan of in this medium
Overall 8/10
This is definetly in my top 3 sport shows , although the chances for a s2 are slime since this anime didnt do well , i will most likely check the manga if is translated that is

Kabaddi, Kabaddi… Kabaddi, Kabaddi… Kabaddi, Kabaddi…

I somehow thought this was a soccer anime. I thought Kabaddi is just a name, but apparently it’s a pretty interesting sport. Still, this series is still a textbook sport anime, like Haikyuu. A main character with certain talent, many side characters each with certain quirks, a famous captain or ace, voiceover that explains the rules, and of course, an upcoming tournament.

Even though there’s not a lot of surprises in its progression, the show was still entertaining and exciting. The animation looked solid with good focus on the physique and limb movements of the athletes. For a seemingly simple ... and even silly sport, kabaddi was actually more fun than expected. The characters had insane reactions and dodge touches like germaphobes. However, since there was only 12 episodes, the first season was only a buildup that gave me a taste of what the anime would bring in the future.

For the side characters, the captain was certainly the most intriguing. His style was for sure entertaining to watch. He wasn’t as big or mighty as other captains, but he’s still a menace. Among the stereotypical characters, I still fell into a trap, which was quite funny.

As for motivation and backstory, I honestly wasn’t too impressed because they were done similarly in other shows. Our MC, from his story and personality, is basically Kageyama from Haikyuu. Some characters were introduced, had a basic backstory, and then didn’t become relevant later. I’m sure this is because of the first season, and more will be expanded later.

I also enjoyed the humors in this show. I’m simple when it comes to laughing at jokes, and I particularly liked funny character moments in sport anime. Because of this, I pretty much chuckled or laugh at any of the jokes in this show.

Overall, a straightforward but well-done sport anime that set up for later seasons, where the real exciting stuff will be. 7/10

When I got to know, there is going to be a anime based on Kabaddi, I was over the sky as it has been my favourite game since childhood. Among Indian outdoor games, it is popular one and recently most east Asian countries do participate in the Kabaddi tournament, that must be the inspiration behind creation of the manga and anime.

Overall story was well written for a shonen-sport genre, and characters are likable like Masato and Tatsuya. The animation quality could have been improved, but I am fine with with it even though most parts are slow-mo PowerPoint works.

First few episodes were hard to ... catch as the Kabaddi team was not formed at that time and Tatsuya was convinced to join the team if he lose against Kei's team. After the formation of 5 men team addition to Masato's recovery from hospital, episodes got better and better. We got 2 competitions for Noukins under 12 episodes.

Great part is, Kabaddi rules and tactics are perfectly described by the narrator in the animation. Hope it will be the gate for westerner to play Kabaddi.

ଓଡ଼ିଆ :
ଯେତେବେଳେ ମୁଁ ଜାଣିବାକୁ ପାଇଲି, କବାଡି ଉପରେ ଆଧାରିତ ଏକ ଆନିମ ହେବାକୁ ଯାଉଛି, ଉତ୍ସାହ ରେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ ହେଲି କାରଣ ଏହି କ୍ରୀଡା ଟି ମୋ ବାଲ୍ୟ ସମୟରୁ ପ୍ରିୟ | ଭାରତୀୟ ବାହ୍ୟ ଖେଳଗୁଡିକ ମଧ୍ୟରେ କବାଡି ଲୋକପ୍ରିୟ ଏବଂ କିଛି ବର୍ଷ ହେଲା ଅଧିକାଂଶ ପୂର୍ବ-ଏସୀୟ ଦେଶ କବାଡି ଟୁର୍ନାମେଣ୍ଟରେ ଅଂଶଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବାରେ ଆରମ୍ଭ କଲେଣି, ଯାହା ମାଙ୍ଗା ଏବଂ ଆନିମ ସୃଷ୍ଟି ପଛରେ ପ୍ରେରଣା ହେଇ ଥାଇପାରେ |

ସାମଗ୍ରିକ କାହାଣୀ ଏକ ଶୋନେନ୍-କ୍ରୀଡା ଧାରା ପାଇଁ ଭଲ ଭାବରେ ଲେଖାଯାଇଥିଲା ଏବଂ ଚରିତ୍ରଗୁଡ଼ିକ ମାସାତୋ ଏବଂ ତାତ୍ଶୂୟା ପସନ୍ଦଯୋଗ୍ୟ | ଆନିମେସନ୍ ଗୁଣବତ୍ତା ରେ ଉନ୍ନତ ହୋଇପାରିଥାନ୍ତା, କିନ୍ତୁ ମୋର ଏହା ପ୍ରତି କିଛି ଅଭିଯୋଗ ନାହିଁ , ଯଦିଓ ଅଧିକାଂଶ ଅଂଶ ଧୀର-ଗତି ରେ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ଏବଂ ପାୱାରପଏଣ୍ଟ ର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟକାରିତା ପରି ଦେଖାଯାଏ |

ପ୍ରଥମ କିଛି ପ୍ରକରଣ (ଏପିସଡ) ଦେଖିବାରେ କଷ୍ଟକର ହୋଇପଡିଥିଲା ବା ଏତେ ପ୍ରଶଂସାନିୟ ନୋ ଥିଲା ​​କାରଣ ସେହି ସମୟରେ କବାଡି ଦଳ ଗଠନ ହୋଇନଥିଲା ଏବଂ ସେତେବେଳେ ଯଦି ତାତ୍ଶୂୟା, କେ ଇଉରା ର ଦଳ ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ କବାଡି ରେ ହାରିଯାଏ ତେବେ ତାତ୍ଶୂୟା ଦଳରେ ଯୋଗଦେବାକୁ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ। ଚିକିତ୍ସାଳୟରୁ ମାସାତୋ ର ପୁନରୁଦ୍ଧାର ସହିତ ପୁରୁଷ ଦଳ ଗଠନ ହେବା ପରେ, ପ୍ରକରଣ ରେ ଭଲ ଉନ୍ନତି ଆସିଲା | ଆମେ ଏଥିରେ ୧୨ ଟି ପ୍ରକରଣ ଅନ୍ତର୍ଗତ ରେ ନଉକିନ୍ ଦଳ କୁ ୨ ଟି ପ୍ରତିଯୋଗିତାରେ ଦେଖିବାକୁ ପାଇଲୁ |

ପ୍ରଶଂସନୀୟ ହେଉଛି, କବାଡି ନିୟମ ଏବଂ କୌଶଳ ଗୁଡିକ ଆନିମେସନ୍ ରେ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନାକାରୀ ଦ୍ୱାରା ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ସଠିକ ଭାବରେ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା କରାଯାଇଛି | ଆଶା କରୁଛି ଏହା ପାଶ୍ଚାତ୍ୟର ଲୋକଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ କବାଡି ଖେଳିବା ପାଇଁ ଫାଟକ ହେବ |

This was a super light classic sports-anime watch, for various reasons it is only fair to give it an average score, but I still had a good time.

It is overwhelmingly average and tropey, and didn't live up to its potential in any respect: The characters can be quite static because it seems the show goes out of their way to not show their depth, or poorly unveils it. The plot of this season is super simple and feels rather slow or like a prologue, with all the "main players" coming together. The actual matches are animated in... not a dynamic way, which is the thing ... I have the biggest problem with.

But I don't regret watching it at all somehow? In fact it was enjoyable and brought me energy. I had a really great time with the characters outside the matches in the slice of life moments, great vibes and internal character struggles that made me feel seen. Enjoyed the opening and ending a lot as well, enough to save them to my playlists.
If you like sports anime, check it out for the rush! Otherwise it might not be worth the time for everyone.

Kabaddi is an action sport. I mean, unlike many sports, there are physical expressions in every action, which can greatly enhance the art in anime and manga.

While the art in the manga is very impressive, the animation in the anime falls flat. In terms of action, it could have been the next Haikyuu, but the lack of funds forced this to be collection of images. At the very least, more drawings could have been added during key movements.

It's a pretty good story.
It is daunting task for the writer to introduce a sport that is unfamiliar to himself and the audience.
(unlike baseball manga very everyone ... knows the rules)

If you can overcome the animation and put in some effort to learn the Kabaddi rules, I'm sure you'll enjoy this anime because it has loveable characters (no annoying ones), decent music, and good comedy.

I'm not the type to write every review of every anime I watched but sometimes I just need to review a few that deserves a bit of attention. This sports anime isn't entirely bad but it's the kind of sport you don't see every day. I bet some, if not all, have heard of it before one time in our life but never paid any attention to it because of obvious reasons, like it's a very old sport and not very popular.

The story is simple. The MC gets dragged into joining a sport called kabaddi and helps them play on national. The characters are ... great as well. We get to learn each of the character's past and goals on the team, except the last two characters who join in later. Not much about them. The animation is good and the sounds are also good. There isn't much to explain about this anime, but I hope it gets a second season. I can only recommend this anime to anyone curious about kabaddi or who likes sports in general. Some of you will like it, and some of you will not.

Basically, I played this sport lot. I Born in India so, I am out of my curiosity watched this.Till now its look Great. I can relate this story very much to other sports anime. But MC don't have interest in the Sport Generally,He uttermost hate to play any sport.But Kabaddi give the fun and bond from his teammate.So the anime is quite enjoyable.I didnt got bored.so quite fun to watch.

If you want to know about kabaddi. This is the anime you go for.Basically people dont get this or dunno about it.it still quite enjoyable for you. I am sure about it.The plot , the ... Backgroud and art style all looks
good and enjoyable.Again the story similar to haikyuu! and kuroko no basket.From without team to with friends!. Don't Miss it!

The reason I, and I assume a lot of other people, watch sports anime is to first get introduced to the sport itself. We usually have an idea of what the sport is about but the rules, positioning and strategies within them requires delving into deeper research. Or you could just watch the anime.

Kabaddi is a niche sport so I was surprised it got an adaption. You learn how the game is played through the protagonist, Yoigoshi.
He's never even heard of the sport just like a lot of us so you can relate in that way where you're putting yourself in his shoes and finding ... out about Kabaddi for the first time. But that stops when you realise he's got talent for sports in general meaning he becomes one of the strongest players in the game almost immediately.

However, that's not because he's born with insane genetics or really high intelligence. Its because he's the type to never want to lose in anything. He'll take on almost any challenge and he will suck at it at first. But over time you see him improve at a relatively fast rate just by sheer will of not wanting to lose and quickly learning from his mistakes.

I've personally never been in a position where I wouldn't give up on being better than everyone who's playing a certain sport as I've never had the patience to, so I can't really tell you how realistic Yoigoshi's situation is. Though I can say, that just like most sports anime I've watched and enjoyed, its always inspiring to see people try their hardest. It makes me want to try in becoming better in whatever it is that interests me in the present moment.

As I mentioned in my opening statement I watch sports anime to first get introduced to the sport itself, which usually takes around the first couple of episodes. Second, is to watch the characters grow and to me this is the make or break of whether I should keep watching. This is the reason why I stopped watching Hanebado. It had weird, crappy and unrealistic character development and story that I just stopped watching before I started hating the show.

Thankfully, I'm enjoying the characters' progression throughout this show. They're learning how to play at a high level, step-by-step, and at the same time teaching me about game mechanics as well as creating suspenseful clutch situations that plays out in a logical manner. I would say this is the basis of creating a good sports anime/manga. Not only did this lead to my enjoyment of the show but it also made me appreciate Kabaddi itself.

I started watching real-life Kabaddi videos for a while and even though its not as suspenseful as the show makes it out to be, it still got me interested in watching more games. There were times where I would watch the real games and get confused as to how a team got a point, only for this to be explained at a later episode of the show.

Finding out about it in this way was kind of comforting. It showed that there were more rules and strategies to explore and exploit, mistakes and losses to overcome. And this would lead to the further building of relationships between characters and their own personal growth, that I feel like Shakunetsu Kabaddi could run for a long while.

The entire series is worth the watch. Period! Never felt my interest was sliping away while watching the show, like any other sports anime it gives the same vibe. It has amazing senpais, great comedy timings, and training sessions with fellow members, as they become good friends over time. Where everyone trying and working their best to become number top, moreover the sport kabaddi itself is unique due to it's rough nature. As I have played myself this sport with my friends, so it is really a struggling game because you not only have to chant kabaddi while keeping your breath steady but also require ... focus on escaping and touching as many opponents as you can as a raider. However, I only felt dissatisfied due to it's lacking in bonding scenes among members, they sure do trainings together but still it somehow felt lacking in that department along with yoigishi attitide sure he still has many ways to go. Similarly, I also wish to see in it's next season about other supporting characters involvement too.

It was a good series, the characters were interesting, especially the captain of the Noukin team. The fights are also good. You can enjoy it like other sports anime, it also feels somewhat rushed. The animation, art style, and Osts are also pretty decent.
The way they built story around Kabbadi was really nice, this was really an interesting take.
The season was mainly focused on practice matches rather than regular tournaments, it was a nice way to get to the character development and the whole season didn't feel any boring.
I specifically like the characters and the kabaddi matches.

I give this series 7/10.

The first thing I look for any sports anime or rather anime is of course the animation and this anime delivers.

I love the animation and the characters. Some of them are literally lowkey Jojo built. The motions of the characters while in match and practice are clean cut and eye-catching. Both opening and ending songs are beautifully chosen and animated. I love the patterns used and I find myself hooked for the songs and not skipping them for several episodes.

Aside that the beginning of this anime is quite different from other sports anime I've watched. This makes the anime unique. What surprised me is the ... sport Kabbadi itself being in an anime because as far as I know it's a sport popular in South Asia. I share the same skeptical with MC for the sport which makes watching him untangling and breaking that skepticism in the series makes it more interesting.

Lowkey besides being a sport anime, I think this series also portrayed good use of scenes for comedic effect while being truthful. I multitask when I watch this so I had to replay some comedic scenes to make sure I'm hearing correct and getting the joke the second time. I laughed several times replaying the same scenes.

I have two complaints. First, this series only have 12 episodes. Which I think not enough for this anime because the progressing of the episodes during the matches are slow. Although some scenes are necessary, the prolongation of the scenes I deemed to be unimportant.

The second complaint is about the side characters. Some side characters only flourish through out the first quarter of the anime, or like for 2 episodes, then they just exist and have some dialogues here and there. Other side characters are also like forgettable and barely do anything in the matches. They just exist for the sake of the plot and like that's it. I know they are side characters for a reason but it's frustrating to watch them like that.

But that's just me. I still would recommend this anime because I enjoyed it and it was informative to watch.

Kabaddi is a popular sport in India and its subcontinent and we fellow Indians are happy about it. But it's a minor sport in Japan and they also have their own national team. If you could google it you would know more about it. You can watch videos on YouTube as well if you never saw Kabaddi being played.
About the anime I would say it was good, decent animation and storytelling and I enjoyed it overall. AND I WANT S2!! And I also saw some comments who said they should've mentioned India, which I don't find the reason why? What do you want them ... to show? That it's a popular sport in India, while it's minor in Japan? There's no evidence about Kabaddi's origin and it's just speculation that it was originated during prehistoric times. Speculation or perspective, say it whatever you want, but there's no evidence so don't blame the author for it. And if they don't say that Kabaddi is a minor sport, then how will it be interesting to see that they have few players and they borrow players from other sports teams. You saw Iura and Ojou scouting members for their team so that they can at least play the sport let alone going to nationals. The author wants to show that how they struggle playing a minor sport and shows their development throughout the series.
And regarding Ojou Masato being the strongest player why not? How many years have been since he's playing Kabaddi? almost a decade! And I'm sure he also has his origin and backstory, which we don't know, maybe it's in the manga I don't know I haven't read it.
And if you want to know more about why the author Musashino Hajime created this manga -
here's his interview you can read it here
https://mipon.org/burning-kabaddi-interview/

It is a sports anime, and as such comes with the usual clichés. It admittedly is generic at parts too, like the animation and music. But every part of it is executed spectacularly well. And considering that clichés aren't inherently bad, it is a damn good show if I say so myself.

The consistently funny comedy relies on the well-developed characters, and never on ridiculous stuff which happens in many Japanese stories that is not for everyone, to say the least. In some comedic scenes the art style literally turns into JBA; now that is what you call comedic gold, am I right? …Anyways, the cool ... protagonist was a national-level talent, so he knows that he's a genius, and always remains calm. Despite having the most potential, he doesn't outshine his reliable teammates, who are monsters themselves. They never have an easy time despite this, obviously. The protagonist is new to the world of Kabaddi but rapidly growing, whilst most others already have well-developed backstories, working hard for the one thing remaining: their goal. Not to say that there is no character development, either. The protagonist and the second years get most of it, and there are "resolutions of the past". It does this without getting much nostalgic at all, which is good for my weak-to-nostalgia mental state.

I only realized by the end just how emotionally attached I had gotten to the team, and at that moment couldn't help but fall in love with a show I had only very much liked previously.

Shakunetsu Kabaddi is such an odd anime to score because, when it comes to the most important thing--the matches--it's incredibly fun to watch. It's all the surrounding material that makes it simply decent instead of amazing. I'll be honest, I don't know how much that surrounding detail mattered to me while watching this. If you look at my individual scores for this anime, you'll see that I enjoyed it almost as much as I could have. It's only in retrospect that I can find problems with it. So, I'm telling anyone who is interested right at the top of this review: just watch it. Let ... yourself have a good time because it really is super fun to watch.

Why is it not better than good? Well, for starters, it's shallow. Sports anime often are--they only focus on the game itself and the progression to nationals. But the best sports anime at least are able to incorporate strong emotional bonds either between the characters or between the viewer and the characters. Shakunetsu Kabaddi didn't do that. The main character does have some emotional development toward his teammates, but it wasn't really about those specific characters having a bond; it was just about bringing the MC from an isolationist's personality to someone who saw the value of teamwork.

This is also a sports anime, like most of the bigger sports anime, that doesn't develop the characters beyond the sport itself. Now, in Haikyuu!!, for instance, that worked really well because the only development the characters went through was emotional and had to do with getting better at volleyball. This anime tried to do that, but it didn't work at all because all the characters were very flat (besides the main character). Instead, focusing on the supporting characters' feelings about kabaddi and themselves felt like wasted space. In fact, I'd say too many of the scenes--even practice scenes--outside of the matches felt like wasted space. That's down to the practices not feeling like they were making forward progress either. Most sports anime will show breakthroughs in practices, but Shakunetsu Kabaddi doesn't have that element to pique interest in between matches. Because of that lack of foreshadowing from practices, the breakthroughs in matches lose their weight.

All that negativity being said, I still got super excited while watching these characters play kabaddi. And not because the sport itself is exciting (though it is), but because of the characters and how the matches were written. The pacing of them, the struggles and successes of the characters, and the sheer lack of predictability made them feel special, even among other sports anime. Granted, those elements had their downsides, too (like the lack of predictability could sometimes throw my immersion off), but for the most part, the matches felt very fun to watch. Genuinely, I would want a season 2 just to see the matches as this team tries to be the best in Japan. The animation is, yes, lacking, but I've seen my fair share of slideshow sports anime, and the excitement can be and is still present in these kabaddi matches. I'd still recommend this to someone who isn't looking for every sports anime to be Haikyuu!! because it was great fun.