HANEBADO! distinguished itself by showing us the darker side of competition and, as we face the end with the fated rematch between Nagisa and Hanesaki, maybe it has the opportunity to show us something else truly unique. As the climax approaches, it's clearer than ever than Hanesaki's relationship with her sport hasn't been a good one. Perhaps the best thing to do, win or lose, is to walk away from badminton? Hit the jump for more!
HANEBADO! has had a shift in tone in recent weeks, espeically with Ayano. A new, dangerous, and overpowering "final boss" version of Ayano has emerged and is ready to cut through anyone in her path. Who and what pushed her to this exteme and why is she out for revenge? Hit the jump to find out!
Light or dark. Good or evil. Happy or sad. Each anime this season is showing its true colors so, if you're not still with it, you might never be. Hit the jump for the best clips from last week's episodes!
The thrill of competition, the joy of victory, and the satisfaction of steady improvement. There are many things to love about sports both as an athele and an audience, but not everyone can always walk away from a game happy. Difficult practice, extreme stress, and overcompetitiveness can give players diminishing returns and poistion their passion for their sport. Hit the jump to see the dark side of compition in HANEBADO!
The mid-season stretch means many anime are starting to set up their final conflict. Important matches, big fights, and plot reveals are commonplace among the episode 6-7 mark. No matter the type of series, many are hitting their big turning point! Hit the jump for the best clips from last week's episodes!
Following the OP theme "Futari no Hane" by YURiKA, Toho Animation's official YouTube channel has also posted a four-minute full music video for singer-songwriter Yuiko Ohara's 6th single song "High Stepper," which has been used as the ED theme for the TV anime adaptation of Kosuke Hamada's badminton-themed manga HANEBADO!. Check out her performance with her band after the jump!
Toho Animation's official YouTube channel has started streaming a four-minute full music video for 22-year-old anison singer YURiKA's upcoming 4th single song "Futari no Hane" (The Two's Shuttlecock) to be released on August 15. The pop tune composed by Yoshiki Mizuno (Ikimono-gakari leader/guitarist) is now featured as the OP theme for the TV anime HANEBADO! Check out her singing voice after the jump!
Interested in a net sport, but can't tell any of them apart? Anime's always got the answer! Hit the jump below to take the quiz and find out which net sport is right for YOU.
HANEBADO! is badminton's time to be seen as a sports anime, but outside of that, what does the country think of the sport? Is Japan performing well in international competition such as the Olympics? What are the various competitions that the Japanese National Team performs in? Does Japan enjoy the sport recreationally as well? Hit the jump to find out!
There are many sports anime out there – but only a small chunk of that focuses on women's sports. Even smaller in number are the anime that take the girls seriously and make their struggles legitimate. Find out our picks after the jump!