Thankfully, unlike many other recent final chapters in Weekly Shōnen Jump, the general reaction to the conclusion seems quite positive, with readers praising the sense of closure and the series as a whole.
“When you’re enjoying life, you never realise when it’s the last time you might be doing something,” a user on Reddit wrote. “Miura, thank you so much for capturing the burning passion of a fleeting youth.” Another said, “What a run! But it is not the end yet. See you guys in October!”
The anime adaptation of Miura’s manga is set to continue its run on Oct. 4. The first season streamed on Netflix from Oct. 3, 2024, to March 27, 2025. In short, it was great. Telecom Animation Films’ consistent animation sold the show’s central romance and its sports rivalries, making this unlikely genre mishmash work. The show grew stronger over its 25-episode season as it developed its central cast of characters and a thorny love triangle. Also, the opening theme is a jam.
The series follows high school freshman Taiki Inomata as he strives to become the best badminton player he can be while he gets to know his crush, Chinatsu Kano, the star of his school’s basketball team. So far, the anime has adapted the first 81 chapters of the manga across 25 episodes, meaning it will likely take over 50 more episodes to complete the adaptation.
One thing to keep an eye out for with the anime is that a new studio is handling the second season. TMS recently shut down and absorbed Telecom Animation Film, which handled season one. Blue Box’s second season will instead be animated by the newly founded Electric Circus, founded by former animators at Telecom Animation Film.
As for staff returning for the second season, Yuuko Kakihara will once again handle series composition and the script; Miho Tanino is still the chief animation director and character designer; Yuuki Kawashita returns as director of photography; Takashi Oomama is the music director; Jin Aketagawa is the sound director; and Narumi Konno is the color designer.
The main replacements are Daisuke Sakou (Lupin Zero) taking over as director from Yuuichirou Yano, Yumika Okazaki (Tougen Anki) as editor, and Anri Ishida as the new art director (Weathering with You, Drifting Home). It seems that even with a new studio animating the series, there is still a lot of continuity. We’ll see if the series’ production quality meets its own standards later this year.
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Image: TMS
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