Subaru Hasegawa has the ambition to become one of the best basketball superstars of all time. However, this comes to an apparent halt when his school's basketball team ceases activities for a year. Shocked by the news, he decides not to involve himself in basketball anymore.
One day, his aunt Mihoshi Takamura invites him to coach the Keishin Academy girls’ basketball team on how to play the sport, and he reluctantly agrees. He meets sixth-graders Tomoka Minato, Maho Misawa, Airi Kashii, Hinata Hakamada and Saki Nagatsuki, and begins training them in the sport with one goal: to defeat all strong opponents along the way.
Ro-Kyu-Bu! follows the effort of five elementary girls and their coach as they improve their cute style of playing basketball.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
blaZofgold
I'm somewhat perplexed by the number of 6's and 7's this anime is receiving. I was initially reluctant to watch this anime because of the score, but I'm glad I committed in the end. Ro-kyu-bu is a loli/sports anime with a barebones plot and relatively static characters. While some might consider this points to criticize the anime on, I would like to point to the genre of the piece and remind everyone why we are watching this anime. To learn more about basketball? I should hope not. Sports anime is almost always a terrible representation of the actual sport itself. I will smack anyone who daresto say that Prince of Tennis accurately portrays realistic tennis matches and strategies with my Wilson K-Blade Team. Ro-kyu-bu is all about the girls. Loli anime is meant to be plain and simple, focusing more on cute art and high-pitched voice acting to attract fans rather than any depth of content.
For a loli anime, Ro-kyu-bu sets a pretty high standard.
Story (7/10)
Art (8/10)
Sound (9/10)
Character (6/10)
Enjoyment (8/10)
The story revolves around Hasegawa Subaru, a 1st year (sophomore equivalent) high schooler who's also a basketball star. However, the high school basketball team/club gets disbanded because the team captain gets caught in a scandal with some elementary schoolgirls. So, what's the most obvious thing that Subaru can do?
I'm sure the author was aware of what irony is.
The driving force behind the initial plot is the Subaru's refusal of playing basketball once the team was disbanded. Which is stupid. What kind of basketball player gives up basketball just because a school team is disbanded? Out of all the possible motivations that the author could have used, this was quite a poor choice, one that ultimately makes the message of the anime (Don't give up on what you love) weak and frivolous.
The actual plotline with regards to the basketball team is, surprisingly, not bad. The girls don't win every single game they play, and success is compounded with failures. While some episodes introduce filler characters, each episode contributes to the plot or characters substantially.
Regardless, plot is merely secondary to art in a loli anime. Ro-kyu-bu has a unique art style that fits quite nicely with the overall feel of the anime. This art style focuses a lot on the eyes and hair - even Subaru's hair is done quite detailed. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about their faces. Some of the angled scenes in the anime result in awkwardly derpy faces, especially for the protagonist. Besides those rare moments, however, the art remains top-notch and well done.
How in the world did they get such an all-star voice crew? Hanazawa, Ogura, Itou, Iguchi, Hikasa - a seiyuu dream team. Needless to say, the girls sound amazing: Maho with fiery zest, Saki with icy tone, and Hinata with breezy pitch.
The OP and ED are nicely done. Usually, songs that are sung by all the main seiyuus of the anime end up with better quality. The OST of the anime is not particularly amazing, which hinders the perfect 10.
I mentioned static characters in the introduction. Besides Subaru, every character in the anime is static and fits quite neatly into stereotypical and preassigned roles. Maho is the loud prankster, Airi is the clumsy well-endowed, Saki is the glasses girl, etc. Natsuhi is the boy rival of Tomoka (meaning they will inevitably be paired together in some way shape or form), Aoi will be tsundere until S2E13, and Miho-sensei joins the ranks of multitudes of teachers who act and look just like students.
Character molds are not a completely negative thing. After all, dynamic characters take more time and effort to prepare, and are likely to be misinterpreted or distracting. However, it would be a nice touch to make at least one of the girls a dynamic character.
On a whole, this anime is freaking cute. And genius. That "small forward" segment has got to be one of the greatest scenes in all of loli anime. I honestly enjoyed watching the characters interact with each other in their various ways, their various personalities and characters complementing each other.
Overall (8/10)
Ro-kyu-bu is not supposed to be some great action story like SAO or have deep philosophical insight like Ergo Proxy or be filled with heartwrenching scenes like After Story or all of the above (Angel Beats). In fact, none of the anime I just mentioned comes even close to Ro-kyu-bu in terms of pure loli goodness. Whether you are a full-blown lolicon or just an average anime watcher, Ro-kyu-bu will satisfy your cute needs for quite a long time. At least until season 2 comes out.
AquaHaze
When lolis and basketball are combined, the result isn't as bad as one might expect. Although it's far from great Ro-Kyu-Bu is a charming series. If you are looking an anime that is heavily focused on basketball then you are looking in the wrong place. Basketball is simply the activity which brings everyone together. However the series does lack a solid plot because the focus is on the characters themselves making it feel like a slice of life some of the time. The series is character driven and the majority of this anime is spent developing the characters, which is okay but it makes it hardto comment on a plot that's hardly there. Nevertheless how each character develops combined with the "practice" and games are fun to watch.
The art is good but it isn't anything spectacular, the characters designs, the backgrounds and animations are all decent. But there is nothing really special.
The sound is solid. The opening and ending are really catchy and they really fit the anime. The voice actors did a great job too, they all fit the personality of the character they were playing.
The characters is where the series excelled. The variety of personalities work well together and you can feel the bond that the characters have and develop with each other. Each character undergoes a significant amount of development and by the end each character has overcome something that has been holding them down. The series is driven by these characters if you took out any character the series just wouldn't be the same.
Ro-Kyu-Bu is very lighthearted which could make for a very fun watch. It is not a bad way to pass the time but it's not something everyone can enjoy. Some people aren't just into this kind of thing and sometimes the series does get a bit corny.
Ro-Kyu-Bu is a pretty entertaining series (if you are into this kind of anime). It's not a must watch but if you are bored, watching this isn't a bad way to pass the time. Also this series just shows how lolis+basketball does not equal disaster.
Orsonius
I'm a big sucker for Lolis and when I found out about this anime I was pumped! And after finishing it I can say I wasn't disappointed, rather very pleased. If you are a Loli-lover this is a must watch and one of the best shows in that genre out there. But lets get to the heart of the review and look on what this show did right and what it lacked in. Animation Ro-Kyu-Bu, made by Studio Blanc, which did nothing that I know of before did a generic job animating the show. To be honest, an anime in the SoL pseudo-sports genre will most likely look not thatexciting, so it's not a shame for the studio.
Everything fits and looks clean, but nothing is memorable or unique.
The quality is so-so sometimes bad, sometimes okay. Sad for a sports anime, but as I said it's more about the lolis than about the sport.
The character designs were decent and cute loli as you might expect. They looked distinct and fit their rolls.
5/10 Mediocre
Sound
I personally didn't like either the opening or the ending. But its electronic jpop tracks fit the show well.
The ost is forgettable, bland and not mentionable. It still worked fine with the show. Nothing stood out.
The only redeeming factor was the Voice Acting cast for the show, with Yuki Kaji voicing the Maincharacter Subaru, and Kana Hanazawa voicing the female lead Tomoka. Everyone else did also a great job being cute lolis.
5/10 Mediocre
Story
A loli bascetball team gets a teenage coach who kinda falls in love with one of the girls who is fairly talented in what she does. He helps them to play in a real professional match.
The premise sounds generic and bad, unless you are into lolis, like me.
It's rather slow and doesn't make too much sense, especially from a sports point of view. But to be honest I have no clue about sports and thus won't judge it on that basis.
Don't take it to seriously.
It does offer fanservice, small bits of romance and here and there funny moments though.
5/10 Mediocre
Characters
When it comes to SoL shows the characters are mostly the driving force behind it. Ro-Kyu bu does a decent job in regard to characters.
They are all likable, show almost normal human traits, make sense though fall into their sterotype archs. They even show character development!
But there is on mentionable character from them all. Subaru for the most likable pervert/lolicon in anime history (at least for me). He is a true rollmodel when it comes to lolis. ... damn I wish I was him...
7/10 Good
Value
I certainly will rewatch it and am excited for the second season. Though no episode stood out in particular to be re watched again. There is basically also no good reason to watch it again besides for the cuteness.
On a sentimental basis it's on a high list, I will certainly remember it for being the basket-lolis anime, and it also was the first anime that made it right when it comes to the lolis.
On a historical basis, well its Studio Blancs first anime as far as I know, besides that. Nobody will remember this show. Way too generic.
4/10 Decent
Enjoyment
My enjoyment was on a constant high, all dem lolis were just too damn cute, and that maincharacter cracked me up. It even had some thrilling moments though were too generic too be regarded highly.
Overall it was a very enjoyable show.
8/10
Overall it scores a 6/10 (though for me it will always be a masterpiece!)
Fair
gamejok3r
Ro-Kyu-Bu was an entertaining enough series though the plot was lack luster, and the humor was a bit hit or miss. The artwork was typical of a slice of life anime and lacked originality, though the quality was good. The plot was straight forward enough and lacked depth, though the direction was good and made for a heart warming story at times. However, as the series progressed it became apparent that the linear direction of the series will cause viewers to lose interest, and I doubt I could sit through more than a few episodes at a time before becoming bored with lack lusterplot. It seemed to me the ecchi aspect, panty shots, and awkward situations the characters are caught in is what the writers seem to think that those aspects would bridge the gaps where boredom arrives.
The art as mentioned above was of good quality, including the lighting, scenary, and fast motion animation. All seemed clean, crisp and fluid, however the originality was lacking. From my point of view there are a handful of slice of life animes which can compare or exceed this series graphically, and because of the lack of originality in this series it just seems to fall short of masterful in this area.
The characters are key in any slice of life anime and Ro-Kyu-Bu did not disappoint to capture the spirit of a harem. Though the harem was heavy on the younger sister type, that was completely due to circumstances laid out in the plot. The characters seemed to work well together, and you were able to see a little bit of Suburu’s personality in each of the other chacters making the relationships realistic.
All in all Ro-Kyu-Bu was an average series, I could recommend it to a few select people which are into loli, harem, and ecchi but aside from that it is a very selective fit.
Rating 5/10
POSTED BY @GameJok3r
AznBaka
The entertainment of basketball for all ages. The girls basketball team show dominance on the court and will accept any challenge ahead of them with the help of there coach on the sideline.
AnimeEnjoyer420
Recommendation: Skippable unless you like the specific combination of basketball and lolis. Positives: + Doesn't do much that's new, but effectively harnesses the uplifting sports movie vibe. It's sweet and heartwarming and you'll be rooting for the girls. Unlike many shows of this type, Subaru (the main character) isn't a loser or weirdo, he's a cool and nice guy, so it doesn't have to indulge in the usual harem shenanigans (though it sometimes does anyway, much to my chagrin). + Characters have varied personalities and all get individual focus at different times to develop their characters. When they actually play basketball games, it's thematically tied intothe challenges that different characters face in practice and their personal lives, allowing them to overcome them in a satisfying way.
+ Nice use of background music and the OPs and EDs are all pretty catchy. Hanazawa Kana does her usual good work as Tomoka's VA.
+ Despite the weirdly romantic vibe that it often takes, Subaru and Tomoka's relationship is nice and more wholesome than you'd expect. While it's clear in the subtext that Tomoka has a huge crush on Subaru, the series is never tasteless enough to have Subaru openly reciprocate those feelings, and instead he simply respects her as a basketball prodigy and as a person.
Negatives:
- Creepy amount of loli fanservice. Many completely unnecessary scenes of the girls, who are 6th graders, in the bath, grabbing each other's breasts, etc...
- Cringeworthy and unoriginal ecchi bullshit. They even recycle the same "joke" multiple times, where Subaru discovers the panties of one of the girls on the floor while they're bathing and goes to drastic lengths to try to return them without being seen. I would've rolled my eyes at this in normal circumstances, but the fact that the girls are in elementary school makes everything worse and more uncomfortable.
- Aoi is an underutilized character. A few times she gets moments to do something, like when she coaches up a timid Airi on how to get over her fears, but she gets forgotten for long stretches and her crush on Subaru goes nowhere. Mihoshi, the basketball club advisor, feels similarly wasted and rarely even gets fun moments as a side character.
- The humor in general isn't funny and is overly reliant on Aoi or Mihoshi seeing a sexual misunderstanding involving Subaru and the girls and assaulting him like violent tsunderes.
- Basketball action is occasionally well animated, but is often reduced to being a literal slideshow. It's not like it looks terrible, and it actually looks nice when they put work into a particular scene, but they clearly didn't have the budget to animate this series properly. The overly cutesy "every female character, even the adults, is a loli with a fang" art style is also not ideal.
- The subtitles translate "scoop shot" as "floater", which, first of all, are not the same thing, and more importantly, neither would correctly describe the actual shot, which is in fact a finger roll. As a basketball fan, this bothers me greatly.
HadenaZubon
***This is a Spoiler-Free Review*** You probably have your pre-conceptions of what kind of show Ro-Kyu-Bu is. Even from just looking at a splash image, you may know whether or not this show is for you. This review will not convince anyone that is disturbed or offended (lol) by an anime about grade school girls playing basketball and the occasional ecchi rom-com harem antics that come with such a setup. For those of you still reading, there's a little more beneath that stereotypical exterior...(but only a little) Story [6/10] - After watching the first episode it's pretty hard to get a feel for whatthis show is going to be like. Do they shirk off the premise in favor of the cute cast of characters (K-On) or do they include in technical detail the action of sports while building the plot towards an ultimate goal (Bamboo Blade)? Do they find the right balance of sports, and moe?
The answer is obvious. Ro-Kyu-Bu, for better or worse, is not a sports anime, and this is evident from the start. It is, at its core, part of the MoE wAvE everyone loves or hates. As such, it's difficult to review the plot because what makes the wheels turn is fanservice (a little too much at times) or scenes that build the charm of the characters. However there is also a focus on the gradual maturing of the characters. Subaru, in trying to find an outlet for his basketball discovers more about himself and his love for the game, while the girls discover more about why they play basketball, and their relationships with each other and their coach. Don't let that fool you though. Ro-Kyu-Bu doesn't take its plot too seriously.
Art [7/10] - Good but nothing to write home about. Backgrounds, background animation is great, following the trend of many slice of life anime and modeled off of real-life locations in Japan. Sports animation is where the budget was blown, as the basketball scenes feature excellent artwork and animation. There is definitely visual appeal in here, so what I'm about to say may be a little harsh.
What pulls this score down is some of the character animation. And not really the artwork...I got used to the style quickly and found a lot of them to be cute for their strange, old-school style. However, due to this nature, there are so many instances where when a character turns their head or is drawn in the background (even in the BD versions) their expression, pose etc. just end up being awkward...reminiscent of poor churned-out romance anime like Suzuka.
Sound (OST, OP/ED, Voice Acting) [9/10] -
When an anime cast records a full-length studio album titled after the show they were in, you know they are aware that this is a major selling point. Whether or not you watch this show, if you like Anisong you should check out Ro-Kyu-Bu! the self-titled album featuring the main cast of characters.
The soundtrack is good, but not exceptionally memorable. You have your melancholy, sports action, comedy, and daily-life style tracks among others. It fits well, but not particularly "listenable" outside of the anime.
The OP, "SHOOT!" is great. Composed by KOTOKO, featuring the guitarist from fripSide (source: KOTOKO herself at Animezement 2012) and vocals provided by the 5 females leads, it is a mashup of dream proportions. The ED is also great...also included on their album. It blatantly panders to fans of Anisong, as if you've ever been to or seen a Japanese idol or anisong concert, you'll know a major part of them is the "cheering". The ED basically scripts the cheer for the fans, so that even a total newb can cheer along at concerts...yep that's the kind of song it is, but it's still catchy.
Lastly, the voice acting. Once again, it's clear this is where the money was spent. With an all-star cast of Hanazawa Kana (who doesn't love her?), Hikasa Youko [Mio], Iguchi Yuka [Index], Ogura Yui, and somewhat less-known Hidaka Rina [Last Order]...and a side cast that includes [deep breath] Ise Mariya, Noto Mamiko, Satou Rina, Satou Satomi, Kawasumi Ayako, Itou Kanae, Itou Shizuka, Kotobuki Minako... yeah basically, your ears are in for a treat. I'd be bold enough to say that if none of these names or previous roles have done anything for you in the past, you won't appreciate Ro-Kyu-Bu as much.
Character [9/10] - This is what will sell Character CDs, doujin, dakimakura, phone straps, figures, you name it. On one side that is to say that when it comes to moe appeal, the show does its job well. However it still does a good job of building the characters so they are not cardboard cutouts. As with most slice-of-life shows, it takes the time to delve into each character's motivations, fears and weaknesses, and take the time to treat them. Again with a pinch of salt considering its premise, but if you stick with it by the end you may feel satisfied to see the girls (and Subaru in a sense) grow up.
In small ways, each character overcomes their stereotypical role by bonding with the other characters and improving their game, which leads to some unexpected developments and surprises. Using the premise of basketball as well, you can see their passion and dedication grow and the results of their developed team work and honed skill are evident. They also are filled with immaturity and childhood problems, which makes you want to protect them (the true sort of definition of moe). Combine this with superb performances by the voice actors and you have a delightful recipe, but like anything sweet, one consumed in moderation.
Enjoyment [8/10] - It's an abused adage but do you enjoy "cute girls doing cute things"? If so, you can do far worse than Ro-Kyu-Bu, and considering the likable personalities of the characters, even if you can't imagine watching an anime with basketball as the premise (I certainly couldn't) you won't waste your time. The characters WILL worm their way into your heart.
Overall (not an average) [7/10] - By the end, I was left with gaps in my memory as to what the plot actually was, but definitely had burned-in images of the characters and their personalities. In short, it's a slice-of-life that says "who needs plot when you have a cute and dynamic cast of characters?" but doesn't rewrite the genre or usurp other titles that ask the same question with a more definitive answer.
slyffer
Ro-Kyu-Bu! If you expect a series full of originality, different, you probably will not like ro kyu and above are not like characters with characteristics of a child. If you liked K-on will likely identify with the characters that show the characteristics are similar. I think the major difference of this series for of basketball are other children their characters strong bond that develops between them and how the author and producers managed to create a story that can be developed in a way not so focused on the sport, when you watch two episodes of the series you will immediately realize the intention of the producersin which they tried to create a story where you not only see the development of players in basketball as in their personalities and characteristics too, you will find yourself in a work where you will be seeing children teaching as an adult can learn from them and how you can be born a strong bond between coach and players, the passion of the girls basketball and the focus of that if it is a thing to be noted you in some moments if you will pick up rooting for them in matches and it is one thing to praise the show, who shows that can involve watched.
The story of the show does not have an end goal, each episode has a different progress unless the first 3 episodes that form arch type. The introduction is well done and explains the dramas and fears of the protagonist, explores each character well and his problems but not so deep, but it is still the focus of the anime making it sometimes a slice of life, basketball is just a more ingredient in this work, would be joining the characters.
The show is fun, it's interesting to see how it forms an inseparable union between the protagonists, as each one helps as each overcomes his fears, becomes pleasant to see the protagonist helping each child to develop both in sport and in their personalities.
The matches of basketball has a good pace and are interesting to watch who probably likes basketball will feel good seeing.
Kyu has beautiful strokes but not perfect, their sound is not the strongest point.
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History: 8
The show has a fun and engaging story, but it has a purpose, every episode is a different arc, but has a good development and not become dull but as no mystery or suspense that has no impact other series do you want know what will happen in the next episode and really think this is one of the biggest sins in this series.
Art: 8
The art is nice, nothing spectacular and in some angles is a bit bad but nothing to let the show boring, scenarios are well done, the movements of basketball too, the expressions are also well worked, the sense of movement and fidelity with Sport is something to mention.
Characters: 7
Many people will wonder why I gave 7 for the characters being who can say that they are the center of the work and they are what make her story goes.
There is no problem on the issue of character development in the book, it's really fun to see the bond that is born between the protagonist and girls, including in several episodes are focused on just one character and resolution of his drama that honestly are well thought out, but they have no natural charisma, but until you can do cheer for them at times, entretando missing something in certain parts girls look very children they are okay in school but in some really exaggerated and appealing, but if repeated you liked K-On will probably love this show.
Sound: 6
It really is the weakest point of the show, but how about elementary school children think it fits well with the atmosphere cheerful.
Enjoyment: 7
There is a show that you go have fun through jokes, they are forced through and not make you laugh, I did not laugh at any moment of the show, but you'll have fun through history and basketball games!
_Arcadia0
Ro-Kyu-Bu OH my gao, this is so unbelievably cute, so ridiculous lovable, so fantastically amazing and full of so much greatness. I typically try to avoid using this word, because of how people react to it, but…. It’s the only way to even explain what Ro-Kyu-Bu is…. …… Welcome to Loli’s playing basketball!!! That’s right, that’s what Ro-Kyu-Bu is, but fret not, aside from a few bathing scenes, it’s not all that bad, I promise (I’m totally lying, don’t listen to me, beware, ecchi)! The story of Ro-Kyu-Bu is about a high school student who is forced to be a sensei to 5 school girls in abasketball club. The student, Hasegawa Subaru is forced by his aunt who is a teacher at the elementary school, who is an “L” as well to train 5 girls for three days; it’s a sort of plot to get Subaru back into basketball and it works incredibly well too, because once he witnesses the girls playing, he devotes all of his free time into helping train them.
So the story is pretty simple and the only issue I have from it is there seemed to have been some problem when Subaru played basketball, I know MAL gives the synopsis for it, but without reading it, you’d never really “know” that, it’s never expanded on or even talked about, though I guess there are vague hints… maybe? (I really don’t think so). If you haven’t figured it out yet, Ro-Kyu-Bu is without a doubt, slice of life with some comedy involved, there are ecchi scenes as well, so take that into consideration before watching something like this. The main reason to watch this though, aside from the amazing cast of characters is the way all the girls get better and grow.
The stars of the anime, the absolutely adorable and ridiculously cute girls; we have Tomoka, the ace of the team, the most experienced basketball player and she has an excellent jump shot, which is what draws Subaru to want to coach the girls. There is also Hinata; she is the epitome of what moe could ever hope to be, innocent, adorable, super cute and a seiyuu performance that will knock you out from squeeing and being so darn gleeful, Hinata is an unbelievable girl and her growth is tremendous. Maho, our rambunctious, loud and hot headed member of the group, her ability to learn is astounding, surpassing everyone and anyone in the same age group (though being new to basketball, she still has a lot to learn). Can’t forget about Airi, she’s the super tall girl who doesn’t really look like she belongs in elementary school, she’s been through some tough things growing up and as such, is afraid of a lot, her being tall is also difficult for her too, since she believes being tall is bad; her developments throughout the anime are quite amazing. Lastly we have Saki, the intelligent girl who can stay cool even under pressure, the game changer as I would call her; she’s capable of a lot and her skills are used often to stay competitive in games.
The girls are cute; the story is just as cute. The spirit to play basketball, the yearning to win and go on to do something more with basketball; it’s really just incredible. I can’t even believe it, but this amazing anime had me tear up for just being so darn cute, I had all these emotions and feels when the girls wouldn’t back down and wanted to continue playing, to continue learning and growing, things like that always get me to tear up and in Ro-Kyu-Bu, it’s no different. The actual growth of the girls is well shown too, aside from Tomoka, everyone else essentially starts off as newbies, they have no idea what to do and how to do it, so Subaru starts with the absolute basics, learning to pass, how to shoot, learning coordination and being aware of your surroundings. Now because it’s a 1-cour anime, the girls pick up on the lessons incredibly quick and get “good” quickly too. I have no problem with the escalated pace of storytelling, since the last two episodes are amazing because of it. I will say though, don’t expect a lot of actual basketball matches or anything even close to that, the entire bulk of Ro-Kyu-Bu is quite literally about the girls learning basketball and getting close with their coach.
Art. !!! Wooooohoooooo; I think it’s unbelievably superb. It’s cute on top of cute on top of more cute. The girls are all adorably drawn, they have huge eyes (HUGE!!), large heads compared to the rest of their bodies and all (The basketball is as big as their heads, it’s soooo cute). There are some examples of gorgeous and great background art, though I will say that most of the other scenes, especially repeated ones, aren’t as detailed or astounding. The focus, I feel like, was the girls, the basketball and things related to them. The animation is pretty good, I have no issues with it, hair sways beautifully, clothes move in ways you’d expect. The lines are really well drawn, everything is rather smooth and free of hard edges and dark lines, it’s a light show, with light colors and light everything. Though seeing as how this is an ecchi based show…. ahem… well the lines, yeah. I personally loved the art, especially the eyes and the way their rendered/shown to us, it’s unique.
Music. Ahhh, it’s actually incredible. What an amazing sound track. The OP and ED are 100 % perfect, “Party Love! Party Love! Party Love!”. The BGM is phenomenal and well executed; capable of bringing hype to scenes that need it and cuteness when everything else requires it. It’s cheerful, it’s poppy, it makes you want to cheer for the on screen dilemma and then giggle and laugh and squee at how adorable everything in this anime is, it’s just amazing.
Aside from all that, the supports in Ro-Kyu-Bu are really good, especially the aunt Mihoshi, but there is also Subaru’s childhood friend Aoi. The two of them alone bring in many laughs and Aoi is so darn cute with her own crush for Subaru, though her dilemma is pretty funny.
Personally, Ro-Kyu-Bu is exactly what I’ve been looking for ever since I’ve seen Softenni (Think Ro-Kyu-Bu, but about Soft Tennis, more fan service and a ton of comedy). Something extra cute with cute girls playing a sport. I have actually found a few other girl sport animes to watch and I look forward to them, but Ro-Kyu-Bu is a huge hit for me, I loved every second of it and am so happy there is a 2nd season available to watch. 10/10, the cuteness overload is amazing and the girls are soooo cuuuute!
DustPotato
What can i say other than this anime is very Moe, and it has its hints that its not an anime for children. I'm always confused as to what grade these kids are in. Is the guy in High School, or Middle School. I understand that the girls are elementary school kids, but seriously, They most definitely do not seem like elementary. they seem like late middle school kids. It was a very good anime, and I enjoyed it very much. The anime had its funny moments, its sincere moments, and its serious moments. It also taught that sports should notonly be played to win, but played to have fun. Thats what its all about.
The shots that some of these kids where pulling off were way too pro for them to be shots made by kids. But their all very awesome and fun to watch.
The story is easy to follow, and very entertaining. The art had its hiccups, But it was fun to point it out, and laugh.
Characters were interesting, because they all had their own individual personality. Nobody was the same, and they all complimented each other.
Ro-Kyu-Bu! is a great anime if your looking for Moe, Sport, Story, and just Fun.
Doubleagent
Highschooler Subaru Hasegawa has lost his passion for basketball. His aunt sets him up as a coach for a young schoolgirls team in an attempt to get him out of his funk. Are you are looking for a hilarious, overly cutesy, slightly risqué show with an actual story? Congratz, you can stop as this is the absolute pinnacle of that. The main characters are really endearing and while the story is not exactly complicated, it does a really good job of somehow getting you invested in small girls playing basketball. The voice cast in this show is simply amazing. Highlight has to be everyone's favourites Yuki Kajiand Kana Hanazawa who provide the voices for MC Subaru and main girl Tomoka Minato respectively. The music is superb, Kaigan is a great "shit is going down" theme and the incidental music is all very nice.
I don't think you have to be a Lolicon to enjoy this show but it does pander so this is your forewarning.
Micsupreeme
When i dug into this show, not long ago, i was cautious due to the hate it got, as a Loli anime of course - this is to be expected. Thus forth, if you're completely against the genre, don't watch it just to rant! Anyway, moving onto the show, contrary to popular opinion and the beginning in particular, this anime encompasses a nice medium between the Moe, and the sport at hand: basketball of course! It is to be expected then that since there is a division between genres, it's a laid back show, in fact it throws a degree of intimacy into the mix withits ability to convey the thoughts and feelings of the characters, and even their typical Moe/SoL procrastination.
The plot is not extensive, i will admit, since the show edges towards a casual approach, it prioritizes the character development a little higher, though that's not to say the setup isn't interesting - the concept of having a guy similar to my age using a lot of his time for (in an academic light) nonconstructive activity (excluding being a lazy git) is somewhat relatable for me, though i'm a little disappointed that this setup they made didn't cause as much of a juicy friction (between exams and the girls whom he loves to coach) and pressure on him, hopefully his own character development might be expanded on in the second series.
Come to think of it, none of the characters' back stories are elaborated on too far, there's more of a "spur of the moment" theme, and so there's always something relevant going on (great for those who resist long term commitment) - what's going on you ask?
Well, as a whole, Ro-Kyu-Bu has a unique cinematic feel, and it effectively utilities a classic shounen / movie / inspirational structure. Despite what the Loli genre implies by stereotype, it always shines through with good morals, and touches on the cohesion between a group of friends. More than anything, if i were to summarize what goes on in the show, it's about the (emotional) growth of the girls, well physical too if you mean training in basketball - and how it's thanks to Subaru's dedication. Aiming to take them to victory, and improve their cooperation.
AWWWWWW - you say.
Yes, ultimately it's a cute show not to be taken deadly seriously, the characters are interesting, and the obvious conflicts between Subaru and being a lolicon fill in a comedy aspect too. An enjoyable, seemingly mixed Sport, Moe, SoL hybrid show.
If you've made it this far with a content look on your face, i would highly reccomend it. It's not too much of a commitment anyway :)
DreamyGhost
A really nice way to be introduced to a totally new genre! I've never watched an anime about basketball, as well as any other sport, but this... This was awesome! Maybe all the lolicon references dropped this anime's rating a lot, but it still was an worthy one! {STORY - 9/10} An inspiring story about five young girls, with the dream of playing on a big tournament. Subaru is the one chosen to lead this team to glory, as he'll also regain interest on basketball after a long time not playing it... A lot of training and effort will turn those girls into an admirable team, based oncooperation and enjoyment, as all of them focus on victory, without forgetting the true meaning of playing: having fun!
{ART - 8/10}
Animation is an essential part in here, since matches have to be the most exciting! Fluid and variated movements, combined with an overally good design, make this possible and add both speed and action into essential scenes.
{SOUND - 8/10}
The classic sound of tennis shoes sliding through the wooden playing-field is just so nostalgic and nice... Realistic effects and a matching backgrounding improve its quality futher more! OP song was made to be as motivating, just like its theme and the anime itself, by being strongly related to the sport.
{CHARACTERS - 9/10}
A good share of distinct characters is featured on Ro-Kyu-Bu!. Subaru was a great player back at his club on Junior High. After an incident, that forced its closure, he has lost all his passion for the sport... However, training the girls helps him seeing beauty on basketball once again. Tomoka is the team's ace, a true player. Shy, she's unable to show her real feelings for Subaru, but believes on everyone and tries her best to show what she's capable of.
The other four girls joined the club without knowing a thing about basketball. Hinata, always calm, with a deeply sweet voice, shows an incredible development, despite being so slow. Airi is the fortress, since she's so tall (despite hating that). An incredible potential is hidden inside her. Maho, quick and good at casting the ball, keeps an energetic and cheering personality and Saki, expert on strategies and observation, is the one that maintains everyone united.
{ENJOYMENT- 10/10}
It was different from anything I saw before and that added also a new genre to my list. It was tons of fun and I also had the chance to know a little more about basketball... Approved!
{OVERALL - 9/10}
Fighting for glory, with a smile on your face, Ro-Kyu-Bu! motivates and also teaches a lot about team work. The young team, formed by five determined friends, in search of something big, now counts on Subaru to help they rise and reach the sky! Never giving up and believing on your partners are the key on becoming a top-notch basketball team and these girls know it best!
cuteisanarchy
When I finished ro-kyu-bu!, I was left with one question: where were the dunks?! I realize everyone but Airi is pretty short, but man, I was pretty excited for some dunks. In any case, ro-kyu-bu! is a serviceable ecchi-loli-harem-sports show. The novelty of that combination, combined with a really catchy opening and ending theme, was what hooked me, and I wasn't disappointed. It's cute enough, the characters are endearing if typical, and though I haven't watched any other sports animes (although you could call this a harem show that uses sports as a motif, I guess) the show makes watching basketball interesting enough. Watching the girlsand their initially-reluctant coach bond though the medium of sport was touching, and woven though all the shower and beach scenes there's a sort of nice story about friends overcoming trials together and fighting for each other.
The characters were very cute, which is a big selling point. This is harem on easy-mode, so there's no real tension between the characters (besides the tsundere, of course) and everyone gets at least an episode or two of 'me' time. My favorite was probably Hinata, as the loli-est loli she's pretty weird, and Maho's pretty great as the genki girl. Tomoko as the lead girl and sweet basketball prodigy is very cute, and really, there's enough here for everyone who likes basketball playing loli harems.
What dragged this down to a six for me was the sense that, even with the novelty, there was a lot here making this show an uphill battle. The art is pretty rough on the eyes and the animators sometimes have trouble understanding proportions beyond the general huge-eyes-small-mouth character design. Some of the humor was pretty good, but a lot of the ecchi jokes were pretty tired - by the end we've been treated to enough 'you pervert!' high-kick-panty-shots that it felt like they were just phoning it in. Except with basketballs.
Big ups for all the basketball-related innuendo, though? There's also a bit of self-awareness of all this when a character asks, before an intense game of poolside bikini basketball, 'why are we all in swimsuits?'. Why indeed.
The dramatic elements, too, were pretty thin - I didn't mind the breakneck cycle of crisis-resolution-crisis-resolution-beach episode-etc. - trying to juggle five sort of main characters plus one in a twelve-episode harem show is, I'm sure, difficult. But what this results in is a sort of stubbornly shallow show without too much room to explore the space.
Anyway fingers crossed for the second season!
JuneNephthys
Ro-Kyu-Bu! is a cute, eh, sports anime? That features a colorful cast of elementary girls who can unrealistically Michael Jordan a basketball. It’s like Kuroko’s Basketball, if the cast often played the sport in maid outfits and swimsuits. It’s an earnest fanservice series that doesn’t go too far and is family friendly; the seductive subtext is usually implied AT MOSTーif you need an added to connotation to that sentiment, this series is done by the same team AND mangaka that worked on Tenshi 3P. • The characters, from the first season, are pretty memorable. There’s the lead heroineーTomokaーwho has alacritous desire to become the best basketball playerthat she can be and develops a crush on her coach; this becomes a somewhat detrimental draw-back in the OVA and second season, seeing as she goes from being a sweet, forthright girl to someone who’s so thirsty that her entire motivation is making moves on the coachーan example of this is when suddenly showing up to his house to spend the night in season two, though goaded by her friendsーit’s pretty forward for a girl in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!
•There’s another character, out of the main cast, that’s incredibly lovableーHinata. She’s another sweet, hard-working girl and, unlike Tomoka, she seems entirely aware of her feelings for the coachーoften teasing him coyly or making one-off remarks. She’s the smallest girl on the team and because of that she works very hard to compensate for it and is able to do really neat trick moves.
•Other characters include Maho, the rich, ojou-sama, tsundere, blonde twin-tailーgod, too many stereotypes put into one character! Airi, who has an extreme phobia of people acknowledging her tall statureーbeing a crybaby who just wants to fit in with her friends. Saki, the intuitive one, who doesn’t get as much screen time as the others, but tends to be the voice of reason. And, Aoi, the main character’s high school, childhood friend who managed his basketball team before they disbandedーshe’s feisty, cute, and also serves as an anchor of common sense, among all of the erratic lolis.
•This series is very good-lookingーthough, the second season slacks in budget. There’s an all-star cast of voice actors: Tomoka is voiced by Kana Hanazawa, Hinata is voiced by Yui Ogura, Saki is voiced by Yoko Hikasa, etc. The first season did an excellent job of having cute girls doing cute things in a way that kept you invested in the storyline and the struggles of Subaru’s (protagonist) complex with losing his team, despite dedicating so much time to the sport and learning how to love basketball non-competitively again.
•I watched the OVA after the first season, even though according to the official chronology, it aired mid-way through the second season. While the characters were still adorable, the OVA had too much fanservice. I felt like I was watching Kodomo no Jikan again. Milk splatters suggestively onto a girl’s face, there are ample panty shots, sexual innuendoes, Tomoka’s mother even implies that she improves of their relationshipーdespite Tomoka being a elementary school attendee! It was certainly a disappointment after watching the first season.
•UnfortunatelyーI was further letdown by the second season, Ro-Kyu-Bu SS; the first episode was particularly strange. The pacing was shot-gunned, there’s a dramatic insert songーwithin five minutes of hurriedly resolved drama, Tomoka’s father is built up to be this really big hard-ass that’s going to keep Tomoka from playing basketball with her friends, but all of that is resolved in two minutes because the Subaru helps him find his glasses when he drops them at a fireworks festival… so much for that! I haven’t read much of the manga yet, so I don’t know if that was supposed be a longer conflict in the original source materialーbut it sure felt like it would be!
•The new characters that were introduced in the second season were really underwhelming and were beaten quickly by the main girlsーI don’t even see the point of them being characters. There’s a cute, bratty girl with purple hair and a side-tail; but that pastiche was already taken by a snobby girl with blonde hair, red ribbon, and a ponytailーthat was introduced as a rival at the end of the first season…
•The only thing that second season does right is, in episode six, there’sーhand’s downーthe best onsen episode that I’ve ever seen in anime! It has Monogatari levels of absurdist humor and great development with Aoi and Subaru’s budding relationship, but after that brilliant trip to the hot springsーAoi’s development is completely shafted and never gets focused on again! There are really wonderful Hina moments in season two, but compared to the lack of cohesive plot and the degradation of Tomoka’s personalityーthese moments feel very fleeting.
•Overall, if you’re into light-hearted, moe showsーthis series is a must! The girls are distinctive and likable, it’s motivational, and has nice comical moments intermingled into the loli-ocalpse! The second season should be watched with discretion, but episode six is a must-watch for people who love the first season! I give this sugary crème brûlée of a series a 7/10 for the first season, the OVA is a 4/10ーit’s practically just fanservice with a couple of cute moments, and the second season is a 5/10.
AnimeLuv1998
WOW I AM FINALLY WRITING A REVIEW!! First off before I rant about this anime I wanna just point out how I came across this series.. It was while I was playing Degenki Bunko Fighting Climax Tomoka was in the game it was two years ago I came across it so now I finally finished ahd watched it now onto the review! WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS Story (5): first three episodes Subaru and the girls go through training everyday but after a certain time he wanted to stop but thanks to his aunt he really couldn't cause she knew Subaru loves Basketball and there was someone onthe team that keeps him the most on there.. Later on the story kinda got better he was shown there are more people on the team then just Tomoka to think about.. Couple things that irritated and made the downfall for me that kept on repeating was.. 1): Just like in a mediocre harem (sadly it isn't classified or tagged as harem should be) the girl will get jealous mad and yada yada.. 2): Oh boy.. Just like number 1 but you have loli in a harem and you put fan service when they go in the tub at least they censored it many times but it got irritating.. Enough of that I'll get to it later.. The rest they really didn't put much effort into the anime for the rest of storyline after the boy vs girl match it felt eother rushed or not much was explained as in yes its a SPORTS ANIME but show how much you practice and the whole game not skip one frame to another..
Art (6):
Well its not bad I seen worse but its quite decent I wanted to pay attention to the faces a couple times to see if there were any derp faces xD
Sound (7):
Loved the ending song then the opening though I skipped as well but listened fully through on two episodes
Character (5):
As I stated before it got handfully annoying when it started becoming a harem.. First off.. Subaru is dense and not dense he isn't aware of the situation and he is now let me move onto the harem.
Aoi - She is a term of tsundere with jealousy
Maho - Annoying
Hina- freaking adorable
Saki - smart but yet doesnt know what to do sometimes
Airi/Tomoka- they both improved quite a bit but they focused too much on Tomoka character at least Maho and Saki had a bit of development.
Finally the enjoyment (5.5)
There were a couple laughing points but now what I wanna mention from the beginning was the downfalls again.. So you censor it off and add bathtub scenes like 2-3 episode there are.. Quite understandable but you also have them thinking dirty minded and the lolis have a thing for Subaru?! We get it but this could've been a bit different best part of the show was when ( can't remember his name) young boy called Subaru out as a lolicon Anyone else who said it wasn't funny... Then you have his aunt who pushed Subaru back into coaching /basketball but he felt like he wanted to for her yada yada but the plus side there always gotta be a loss so they remember it.. Now I think my rant is over I think you understand whoever reads this and understands how I feel about my little rant..
Final..... !!!5!!!
