Review of Hanebado!

“this badminton anime has had like 6 or 7 different characters break down crying in the first episode. badminton must be absolutely miserable” -@shaun_jen The protagonist of a sports anime will typically have some talent that makes them eligible to be the protagonist – Kuroko lacks presence, Hinata jumps high, Sawamura has flexible wrists, and the list goes on. This is an ability that they have, that no one else will be able to develop, no matter how hard they try, and it’s what gives them the edge over their competition. Hanasaki Ayano has every talent there could be when it comes to badminton – handedness,reflexes, etc – though it’s never quite that simple.

Ayano isn’t just talented; she’s also worked hard to hone her skills through a childhood of practicing against her mother Uchika, a champion at the sport. However, said mother’s love was conditional on whether she was able to beat her peers, which forced Ayano into a mindset of viewing the game only in terms of winning and losing, and destroyed her ability to simply enjoy the sport or have any respect for her opponents. Ayano plays not for a love of the game, but for her mother’s approval, and the only joy she seems to find in it is the sadistic glee of destroying those who dare believe that hard work will get them anywhere.

So, what about hard work? Luckily, Ayano isn’t really the protagonist of Hanebado – that honor goes to Ayano’s senior and rival, Aragaki Nagisa. Aragaki is definitely talented (though not on the same level as Ayano), but her true strengths lie in the effort that she puts into every match she plays and her love of the sport. That said, this effort often crosses the line into self-destruction, so her behavior isn’t to be emulated either, even if it is a step above Ayano’s. Still, she embodies the ideals that hard work and perseverance are able to overcome talent, and that winning isn't all that matters, and for that, the show roots for her.

In the end, Hanebado is a messy show. It challenges the quixotic foundation of the sports anime, and while it ultimately affirms it, it only is able to do so by being willfully ignorant of its own flaws. It can be repetitive in its ideas, and often borders on melodrama. But for all of its missteps, Hanebado also gets a lot right. The animation for the badminton matches is stunning, and it nails the catharsis factor that’s essential for any successful sports series. If you're looking for a sports series with more focus of the drama outside of the game, and you're willing to deal with tonal whiplash and other issues, then Hanebado might be the show for you.