Traditionally in sports anime, the sport in question is the centrepiece of the characters' lives. Even in Run with the Wind, it is not long before running becomes the most important thing in the character's lives. Sports anime in general are no different than shounen anime in that they act as fantasy escapism for viewers to vicariously live beautiful, youth-energetic, rose-coloured high school lives with action, adventure, and camaraderie. In many sports anime, we never even see the parents of these children let alone be involved in their children's lives.
Hoshiai no Sora is unique in that it portrays a group of young middle-schoolers whose life situations are what is being explored and the relationship between these characters in the sport are a consequence of this. This is a mature show that seeks to show what real friendship and camaraderie is and how school and sports can be the refuge from the domestic situations at home. What is most impressive about the show is the dialogue - it is not cheesy, it is not contrived, it is not overly-laden with shounen tropes of eyerolling-inducing cheers of "With the power of friendship, we can literally do anything", it is an accurate portrayal of how children may react and respond to tough situations and how friends can truly help each other.
The themes explored in this show are wide and also mature - not seen in most anime in this genre. It would be a spoiler to discuss any of these further but it is worth noting that a sequel is in the works and that this show was made to be 24 episodes long (and indeed they had already produced an ep 13)! Some may find the lack of conclusion to be unsatisfying but personally for me, the pacing of this show was perfect and any attempt to rush a conclusion would be ill-fated.
The animation is brimming with attention to detail. The way each character is animated shows their own unique quirks and personality traits and right from the beginning, we can see differences in the way characters play soft tennis. Even, the ED oozes more passion and animation than some entire anime. But it is the cinematography and camera work that makes this show stand out. This show does not rely on stills and Powerpoint-esque presentations to show its action. We see action, impact, and reaction and the camera angles are readily used to amply the excitement and dynamism of the action in a way that regular TV cannot. Hoshiai no Sora takes advantage of the anime medium and takes no shortcuts.
The soundtrack by jizue is one of the best OSTs of 2019 not least because it captures and amplifies the emotions in the scenes, in the way drama and sports OSTs should, but also because the sound is different enough such that it is attributable to Hoshiai no Sora. To design and tailor a soundtrack to as show means the audience should be able to associate it with the specific scenes in this specific show where it is played and jizue nails it.
When Fall 2019 started airing, I surely did not believe that I would be blessed with another character-driven realistic sports drama so soon after Run with the Wind. However, I was blessed with something greater. An anime original that is brimming with confidence in its approach, its production values, and its willingness to explore adolescence in a genre that is oversaturated with what are nothing more than battle shounen wearing the disguise of a sports jersey. And for that I am grateful, and I truly recommend this to any fans of authentic character dramas, and hope the stars align once more to provide us with the sequel we deserve.
