I will be doing something new with the Weekly Ramblings, where I will be talking about a random subject related to anime and related media. Various news will be included at the end of these posts.
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Last season introduced two new sports anime series, both of which have continued into this season. Both are very good shows that I am enjoying quite a lot, and are easily recommended for sports anime fans as well as anime fans interested in trying a sports show. What is interesting, though, is how these two shows excel in two very different ways due to the nature of the sports involved.
These two shows are Haikyuu!! and Baby Steps.
Haikyuu!! is about volleyball, and chronicles one team's journey into the tournaments. Volleyball is very much a team sport, something the show makes very clear as it highlights each different player's role. As such, one of the show's greatest strength is in the development of the relationships between the players, as they learn to work with each other to defeat their opponents.
On the other hand, Baby Steps is about tennis--singles tennis, specifically--which means matches are one-on-one. Correspondingly, instead of teamwork, the show focuses on one player as he grows in his tennis skill. This show, then, excels in the individual development of that one player through each match.
A team sport about teamwork, or an individual sport about individual growth? Both are great at what they do, and really, a lot of it comes down to simply whether you like team interactions or individual development better (or, more simply, whether you like team sports or individual sports better). I personally like team sports more, so Haikyuu is the one I'm liking more at the moment, though I'm really enjoying both shows, so I'm quite happy either way.
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News Briefs
Here's a show I was not expecting to get a sequel, but am quite glad it is getting one: Kamisama Hajimemashita, known as Kamisama Kiss in the US. It's a show that I enjoyed quite a bit and I am definitely looking forward to more of it.
In more unfortunate news, Studio Ghibli have announced that they are considering dismantling their production branch, meaning we might not see much of any new works from the studio.
I greatly enjoy both Haikyuu!! and Baby Steps. Haikyuu!! is my favorite of the two, but not because of the team elements (though I love the interactions in this show). Rather, it's the animation--the smooth movements on the court, the lighting, the eye-catching characters--and the way this show always cheers me up. On the other hand, I've enjoyed watching Ei-chan improve. The focus and mental exercise has been a nice change of pace from all the team sports anime I've watched lately.
ReplyDeleteStill need to finish Kamisama Kiss. I watched a couple episodes back in May, but then I let it slide. I was still in the middle of Noragami at the time, and that was plenty of kami-related anime for one time--especially since both felt rather... mellow to me.