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I have been looking forward to All Out!! for months and so far it doesn't disappoint. First of all, if you are not a fan of sports anime then you will probably not enjoy it, so be warned. I am, however, and All Out!! is ticking all the right boxes for me. In the first episode a short, feisty character, Gion, meets a tall, shy, character, Iwashimizu, and gets introduced to the world of rugby. As the story progresses Gion meets the rest of the team, amongst them the captain, Sekizan, who seems to take rugby very seriously and looks a little scary.

The story is ... not really original, as it seems to be a typical-newcomer-finds-out-about-a-sport-and-joins-a-team plot, but that's not why fans love sports anime: Fans love sports anime because there are awesome characters, great action and lots of humour. Judging by the first few episodes, All Out!! delivers on all three counts.

If you don't know anything about rugby, don't worry. Like many other sports animes, in All Out!! you are introduced to rugby through the eyes of a newcomer (Gion) who has to learn all the rules, allowing the viewer to learn about rugby as well.

I gave Characters and Enjoyment 9 for Great and Art got 8 for Very Good (especially if you like muscles). Story I rated 7 (not really original and a little predictable, especially if you have seen a lot of sports anime) but I enjoyed the Sound, especially all the heavy rock tracks so I rated it 8 for Very Good. Overall I rated All Out!! an 8, but I might change it to a 9 later, especially if the story gets any better once the big championship starts.

Basically, so far All Out!! is everything you want a sports anime to be. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I am!