“Shouta, inspired by mute prodigy Yuhi, transforms from casual player to competitive badminton seeker.”
Smash!
スマッシュ!
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Shouta, inspired by mute prodigy Yuhi, transforms from casual player to competitive badminton seeker.
Unaware of her feelings for him, Shouta Azuma is persuaded by his childhood friend, Miwa Okamato, to enter the same high school as her, where they can pursue badminton at a higher level and continue to spend time together. Much to her disappointment, the carefree and easygoing Shouta rejects the idea, insisting that he only plays badminton for fun. One day, after a fateful encounter with Yuhi Kitou, a talented badminton player who lost the ability to speak, Shouta becomes captivated by her graceful presence on the court. However, as Yuhi disappears before he gets to know her name, he continues to search for her and cannot get her off his mind. His search for Yuhi leads him to Anan Hashiba, whose strength in badminton helps him to understand the thrill of playing against formidable opponents. As Shouta discovers his passion for excelling in what he loves and realizes that becoming stronger will eventually lead him to Yuhi, he steps into the world of competitive badminton.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 3 sampled reviews
What 3 readers settled on.
Strong agreement
σ 0.82 · scores cluster tight
—
Not enough recommend signal yet
↓ 1.00
Running avg · Jan 2011 → Jan 2016
- 8 “Romantic subplot, is a term you some may be familiar with. The manga, to me appear to have the sports themes as the sub plot. It seemed like the mangaka was trying to write a romance story line and...”
- 7 “TL;DR If you like sports or romances skip it. If you like sports and romances, read it. Romantic sports mangas are hard to find. Generally it is either a sports manga with a very mild romantic...”
- 9 “Saki Kaori's Smash! is one of my favorite manga series because it meshes the sport of badminton, one that is near and dear to my heart, with a realistic and charming romance story. While I enjoyed...”
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A Manga Publication
- Format 170 × 18 ch × vol
- Total read 22h 40m approx
- Published Jul 2006 – Apr 2010
- Source Manga media type
- Ref. BS-M2878 catalog