Review of Hanebado!
I've often watched shows like Haikyuu! and wondered why it's so focused just on volleyball, and not on developing some of the characters away from the court. After watching Hanebado!, I'm re-thinking that position. The best way that I could describe the story in Hanebado! is that the scenes focused on badminton (the matches, the training/coaching, etc.) are actually quite excellent. And everything that happens away from the court is just an absolute mess. Maybe some writers are just better at telling a simple sports drama and shouldn't try to extend too far beyond that (although, I recently watched Cross Game, which handled the balancequite beautifully).
Without spoiling too much, Hanebado!'s major plot is driven by Ayano's psychological state, which is in turn driven by her mother's abandonment. Badminton focused heavily in their mother-daughter relationship, and her mother's disappearance from her life causes Ayano some serious mental anguish. I'm no shrink, but she has some really wild mood swings, going from sweet, adorable character to total bitch. It makes her very hard to like, which is a problem in a show like this. Some shows might benefit from anti-heros, but I don't think this one does. On a side note - Ayano's mom seems so cool and loving and caring in every scene she's shown in, and there's just a real disconnect over how she could just up and leave. I kept waiting for an unexplained reason that would make sense, but that doesn't come. Her reason is dumb, and it just doesn't jive with how her character is portrayed at all.
On the flip side, despite initially being kind of bossy towards her teammates, Nagisa is a much more likeable character. We understand her and her motivations - her passion and drive to better herself in the sport that she loves. And her own mental battles (having lost so thoroughly, despite all the work she's put in) are much more relatable.
If the story had focused more on the matches and less on making Ayano some sort of mental case, I think it would have made for a much more enjoyable experience. I still enjoyed the badminton scenes quite a bit, so the show gets a pass from me. I'd even watch a second season if they ever made one. But mostly I just feel like this was a missed opportunity, given the obvious production value put into the effort - this is the nicest-looking show I've watched in a while. The animation is amazing, and the character designs are all top notch. They clearly put a lot of effort into the aesthetic of the show, it's just a shame they couldn't salvage a decent story.