Review of Stars Align

At first, Stars Align seems to be a particularly well-told version of a pretty standard sports story. The underdog team of kids who just want to have fun playing tennis together! The one kid who could be the savior of the team and make them actually competitive! Camaraderie! Friendship! It works out especially well because of the lovely character design, animation, and musical score all coming together. It’s fairly slow and gentle, but the animation absolutely brims with life. The characters speak and move with their whole bodies, not just their mouths or limbs as needed. Their body language communicates their comfort with each other, givingthe impression that the team is a cozy way for them to spend time together, even if they’re not particularly fussed about competing. And that’s fine!

Stars Align already looks to be the best series of the season.