Bakuten!!

Shoutarou Futaba has always loved sports, but he never became more than a benchwarmer on his middle school baseball team. After noticing a group of gymnasts practicing in the park, he decides to watch a rhythmic gymnastics tournament on a whim. Although displaying an exhilarating performance at the competition, the Shoushukan High School's Rhythmic Gymnastics Club places second-to-last due to penalties acquired from not fielding a full six-man roster.

The demonstration of skill captivates Shoutarou, and he decides to enroll at Shoushukan in hopes of joining the team despite having no background in the sport. The club recruits him alongside Ryouya Misato, a prodigal gymnast who was the runner-up in a junior tournament.

Now with a full six-man roster, the team sets out to compete in the upcoming Inter-High tournament. As he strives to accomplish this ambitious endeavor, Shoutarou must learn and master the basics of rhythmic gymnastics all while working in tandem with his new teammates if Shoushukan wants to stand a chance at claiming the title.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Edit

Background

No background information has been added to this title. Help improve our database by adding background information here.

Episode Videos

Edit

Related Anime

Adaptation:	Bakuten!!
Sequel:	Bakuten!! Movie

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Misato, Ryouya

Main

Ishikawa, Kaito
Japanese

Futaba, Shoutarou

Main

Tsuchiya, Shinba
Japanese

Tsukiyuki, Mashiro

Supporting

Murase, Ayumu
Japanese

Watari, Koutarou

Supporting

Kamiya, Hiroshi
Japanese

Onagawa, Nagayoshi

Supporting

Shimono, Hiro
Japanese

Tsukidate, Keisuke

Supporting

Kondou, Takashi
Japanese

Shichigahama, Masamune

Supporting

Ono, Daisuke
Japanese

Shida, Shuusaku

Supporting

Sakurai, Takahiro
Japanese

Kurikoma, Asao

Supporting

Sakura, Ayane
Japanese

Azuma, Shunsuke

Supporting

Yamashita, Daiki
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Mori, Akitoshi

Producer

Iwasaki, Noriko

Producer

Kuroyanagi, Toshimasa

Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Kouta, Fumiaki

Director

Edit

Opening Theme

"Seishun no Enbu (青春の演舞)" by Centimillimental

Edit

Ending Theme

"Anata ga Iru (あなたがいる)" by wacci

More reviews

Reviews

Jun 24, 2021

Luubie

Recommended

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's ... sport. 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!

Open

Gift

Jun 24, 2021

Best_of_the_3

Recommended

Bakuten!! is a solid 7/10. A good watch covering a niche sport. It's not very deep and follows a lot of common tropes and stereotypes, but it follows them well and overall this anime is enjoyable to watch. For more detail, please keep reading and see my recommendations at the end.

When starting Bakuten I was expecting very little but ended up pleasantly surprised. The overall level of this anime ranges from average to good with very little in the way of any major negative points. At most a few personal nitpicks which I will cover. For me the biggest draw is the overall enjoyment. ... Call me a bit of a sucker, but I do like the stereotypical sports anime. MC is your average (usually teen) Joe Blogs, he sees or encounters a sport that he has never seen before and is blown away by the experience, and the anime follows his journey in learning about and developing his skills for said sport. The story itself is interspersed with supporting characters, a rival character / team and some small personal side stories for said side characters. Bakutenn!! doesn't deviate far if at all from this. Again, I am a bit of a sucker for this formula. The MC being brand new means you get to learn alongside them as they do, so you do not feel completely left out when they start talking about sports terminologies. As a badminton player I can relate as I've had similar experiences and met people with similar experiences within the sport. Some people may not enjoy it as much due to how generic the formula can be, but that is completely understandable.

The characters themselves are enjoyable but generic. The MC being a blank slate, so you get to insert yourself into their situation. On the team there's the muscle jock, the calm and quiet guy, the nerdy happy-go-lucky guy, the brooding guy, the aloof guy etc. It doesn't push the boat out and if you've watched other sports anime you'll see the similarities (and also recognize the voice actors), but as mentioned earlier while it does not push the boat out in both story or characters it uses them well, and they are enjoyable to watch. It's because the story is a bit generic that I feel safe in writing an early review, as I don't think it will hinge on the story.

A major plus for me was just how positive this anime was. The overall level of positivity was refreshing. Maybe it's been other recent anime I've seen, or maybe lockdown is finally getting to me, but the positivity in this anime was infectious. I liked seeing the characters help each other through their situations, and their enjoyment rubbed off on me as I was watching them. There's no major dramatics or dark twists. It kept things nice, simple and upbeat. A good change of pace for myself.

The only negatives I could mention, and I'd say they are more personal, would be the sound and art. The sound in terms of the OP and ED and BGM is good, if a bit forgettable. I won't remember it down the line, but I didn't mind hearing it. I will say the sounds of the gymnastics floors and crash mats is rather well done in this anime. The art is the only thing I have a gripe and it comes down to the use of 3D. I don't hate 3D but I like consistency. For the big gymnastic performances it will switch to 3D to show them off. It makes the movement more fluid with longer, continuous scenes, which makes a lot of sense, but I found the change from 2D to 3D a little off-putting myself. Not a major negative and one I was happy to overlook, but just something to keep in mind.

In summary; I gave Bakutenn!! A solid 7/10. It's not genre defining, but I think it fits within the genre of niche sports anime very well. An overall enjoying watch and time sink.

For a further recommendation if you liked Bakutenn!! I have to point you in the direction of Ballroom e Youkoso. Another niche sports anime following ballroom dancing. Following a similar formula as the one I mentioned above but with 24 episodes allowing the characters and story to be a bit more fleshed out. Personally one I prefer more to Bakuten!! in terms of overall quality.

For a slightly different second recommendation, I will go with Kono Oto Tomare! While this anime is a music focused anime, I find sports anime and music anime hit a lot of the same notes (hah) with their formula. With Kono having 2 seasons, and a similar number of episodes to Ballroom, it's a bit more fleshed out. Similar to Bakutenn I enjoyed its positive approach and it was also very fun to watch.

Thanks for reading my review.

Open

Gift

Jun 24, 2021

weebish_uvu

Recommended

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 a ...

Open

Gift

More stacks

Interest Stacks

Sports Anime Worth Watching

by BiologicalStorm

22 Entries · 13 Restacks

Show and Art

by GonXalo

50 Entries · 119 Restacks

Underrated

by hamidboazar75

27 Entries · 12 Restacks

More recommendations

Recommendations

More news

Recent News

'Bakuten!!' Gets Anime Movie

A teaser site was opened and an announcement video revealed for a follow-up anime film for Bakuten!! (Backflip!!) after the conclusion of the series' 12th and ...read more

Jun 24, 2021 1:52 PM by DatRandomDude | Discuss (24 comments)

Spring 2021 Simulcast List [Update 4/19]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of anime acquired for simulcast release during the Spring 2021 season. Anime series licensed for home video rel...read more

Mar 29, 2021 11:26 AM by Snow | Discuss (54 comments)

More discussions

Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Bakuten!! Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Apr 8, 2021	91 replies	by OberonFelsach »» Apr 18, 9:55 AM
Poll: Bakuten!! Episode 12 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 24, 2021	38 replies	by Akiraroyt »» Apr 6, 8:30 AM
Poll: Bakuten!! Episode 5 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - May 6, 2021	56 replies	by Akiraroyt »» Apr 6, 5:25 AM
Poll: Bakuten!! Episode 11 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 17, 2021	30 replies	by tsardixon »» Sep 11, 2022 2:37 PM
Poll: Bakuten!! Episode 10 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 10, 2021	33 replies	by tsardixon »» Sep 11, 2022 1:38 PM

Bakuten!!

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Streaming Platforms

Synopsis

Background

Episode Videos

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Misato, Ryouya

Futaba, Shoutarou

Tsukiyuki, Mashiro

Watari, Koutarou

Onagawa, Nagayoshi

Tsukidate, Keisuke

Shichigahama, Masamune

Shida, Shuusaku

Kurikoma, Asao

Azuma, Shunsuke

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Bakuten!!

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Streaming Platforms

Synopsis

Background

Episode Videos

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-