In beach volleyball, there is no room for aces. To achieve victory, each player must find their one, irreplaceable partner that they can rely on in the court of sand. At least, that is what Haruka Oozora learns on her first day in Okinawa after moving in with her grandmother and her cousin Kanata Higa. While touring a nearby beach, Haruka stumbles upon some girls practicing beach volleyball and is quickly invited to join. This friendly practice game suddenly turns into a match when one of the girls, Narumi Tooi, notices Kanata approaching the court.
Although the two suffer a devastating defeat, Haruka finally realizes the reason for her cousin’s quiet and distant behavior. Kanata and Narumi used to be an exceptionally talented beach volleyball duo, until Kanata quit due to her short height causing problems for Narumi. Now, with the Junior Tournament just weeks away, Haruka must learn the intricacies of competitive beach volleyball and help Kanata overcome her crippling anxiety towards the sport that she once used to love.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Stark700
It’s easy to dismiss a show like Harukana Receive at first glance. Look at the key visual, read the premise, and check out those preview promotional material. What do you see? If the answer involves girls in bikinis playing beach volleyball, then you would be 100% correct. As a competitive sport, Harukana Receive takes the idea of beach volleyball and transforms it into a meaningful competitive story to tell. Since its serialization in 2015, the manga has received only moderate attention but had enough value to be licensed in North America. I rarely ever heard of people talking about the manga though so I assume mostpeople coming into this show to be fresh. I’ve only read parts of the manga but it shouldn’t be hard to realize what the show will be about. The obvious is the show will be composed entirely of beach episodes. However, if we take a deeper dive into this anime, then it should also be recognized that Harukana Receive is a very character driven story. Every episode pushes the characters to new heights and this series isn’t shy to bring out their best.
The title “Harukana” is a portmanteau of two of the main characters in this series – Haruka Oozora and Kanata Higa. It makes sense too considering the significance of this character pair and their journey to become volleyball superstars. In the beginning, Haruka is fascinated by the beaches of Okinawa. It doesn’t take long for her to embrace the love of volleyball as she decides to team up with her cousin, Kanata. The first few episodes easily establishes the story’s premise and is easy to understand from the characters’ perspectives. We learn about both characters and their motivations. Haruka is presented as a very open minded girl and easy to make friends with. This is in contrast with Kanata, who shows a more reserved personality and keeps much to herself. Through flashback details, we learn that Kanata used to be an experienced volleyball player until a traumatic event caused her to resign. It is not until present day that Haruka is able to convince her to return to the sport again. The two makes an interesting pair because the way they supplement each other – Haruka’s height and Kanata’s experience. To say the least, his character pair will no doubt spark curiosity on how far they can make it in the big leagues.
Throughout their journey, Haruka and Kanata also meets formidable rivals. The most prominent of these include the pair – Claire and Emily Thomas. In many ways, I see a parallel similarity between them to Haruka and Kanata. For instance, Haruka and Claire both possesses a playful personality with a very open mind. It didn’t surprise me that they quickly became friends either. Kanata is also similar to Emily as they have a more quiet nature and tends to be more reserved. Nonetheless, the show portrays the relationship of these four characters with friendship, rivalry, and respect. Deeper down into the story, we also meet other character pairs such as Narumi/Ayasa and Akari/Mai. The show makes it clear that some of these competitors are extremely talented such as the case with Narumi. Their accomplishments inspires Haruka to improve while also bringing back Kanata’s motivation to succeed. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t fully develop them enough and only gives us a glimpse of their potential. In other words, it’s not easy to get attached to the supporting cast compared to the main pair of Haruka and Kanata. Luckily, the Thomas siblings makes up for the void as they get a decent amount of screen time. The character chemistry they bring into the show is infectiously entertaining. Even their mother makes an appearance and through flashbacks, viewers will understand how they became the characters they are today.
As a 1-cour show of only 12 episodes, it became a bit obvious that the anime had to make room to reserve for the plot. It’s unfortunate to say this but 12 episodes really isn’t enough to explore the show at its fullest. The tournament arc featuring Haruka and Kanata only shows their improvement as players but doesn’t fully capitalize on their potential. While the series does a decent job at making us care about the characters, not all of them really get their time to shine either. This issue could have been resolved if the anime had been 2-cour but alas, it was not meant to be. I also have to mention that the show can be a bit niche if you’re watching this for the wrong reasons. It’s very lighthearted with plenty of comedy and gags but also moments with emotional drama. In other words, Harukana Receive may appear to be a walking fan service but there’s much more to just the hot girls in swimsuits.
If I told you Okinawa is one of the most beautiful places on Earth today, you’d probably point fingers and name something else better. However, I will say that Okinawa is extremely well crafted with the vibrant colorful sunny atmosphere and realistic sandy landscape. The aquatic ocean also feels real that injects more of the Summer feeling. As this show aired during Summer 2018, it’s a perfect place to be. To get the more obvious out of the way, every character in the show will be in swimsuits for a good majority of the time. There are some episodes that characters spend in casual wear but most of it will be on the sandy beaches of Okinawa. What does this mean? It basically means that you’d better get used to seeing ass, boobs, and curvy bodies on your screen. It doesn’t help that the camera seems to always focus on the character’s bodies too so get used to that. There are even comedic gags where some characters slap another’s ass as a way of expressing their personalities. Still, it’s definitely also a good idea to keep an eye on the body movements of the show during the volleyball matches. Every movement in the show feels important whether it’s a dive, block, or close save. It emphasizes character teamwork that’s as real as it gets. In fact, I would say the character pairs in the show are portrayed much more than just partners. They feel like are destined to be together whether it’s Haru-Kana or the Thomas siblings.
As colorful as the show is on the surface, also be prepared to be dazzled by the energetic soundtrack. It creates the sensation of being in the sunny fields of Okinawa. Every match in the show also gets an enhanced experience with the OST matching its intense momentum. The theme songs are also catchy that emphasizes on character pairings. Last and certainly not least are the character voice mannerisms. Characters like Kanata and Emily really bring themselves to life and it’s easy to accept them who they are.
Harukana Receive seems like a deceptive show that glorifies fan service and makes it look like an eyecandy for the male audience. However, if you look beyond the skin and swimsuits, it’s easy to see how well this show works with its ideas. Do be aware that as a show with just 12 episodes, it will feel incomplete. And also, some characters will feel less likable than others. However, I would definitely recommend adding this show to the watchlist. It’s not easy to make a show as a walking fan service but Harukana Receive does more than just being sexy.
Agent_Redacted
"Anything can be better if there are hot anime girls in it." - Cultured gentleman, Agent_Redacted There are countless anime with fanservice. As an edgy individual, I for the most part find them idiotic and inarticulately retarded as they do nothing more but satisfy one's lecherous desires. In any case, does that really suggest that all types of fanservice are bad? That’s what I always thought until I watched Harukana Receive. A hidden gem, and in all likelihood one of the best sports anime I’ve ever watched. Harukana Receive has a straightforward and simple story. Girls playing beach volleyball competitively. In spite of the factthat the story is simple I find the concept of it quite captivating as an exceptionally cultured individual. Harukana Receive has a fanservice which is unique in contrast to a large portion of anime with fanservice out there. This sort of fanservice Harukana Receive has is rarely used however it very well could potentially be very viable on the off chance that it could to be used quite effectively. I call this the "natural fanservice". Allow me to clarify the differences between a typical and a natural fanservice.
Typically an ordinary fanservice comprises of perverted shots and abundance of one's perversion acts. For example, grabbing a girl’s boobs and zooming in to see the hands diving and digging profoundly into her Schwerer Gustav-typed cannon as she makes an irregular, abnormal sound that stimulates ( arouses ) the majority of the hormone-uncontrollable men who are or were watching the scene. However, for a natural fanservice :
Rather than causing it to feel like an "excess" it feels more "natural" henceforth "natural fanservice". Well sure, now and then the camera angles and zooming can be equivalent to a normal fanservice but a natural fanservice’s fanservice feels more natural. It doesn't stand out as much as a normal fanservice, making it natural. This may sound bad already, but I can assure you that it is excellent and well done. It doesn't really drive individuals into arousal states but instead allows oneself to choose if we ought to get stimulated or not. There's a decision and you can choose whether to think about one or another. Thus it is good.
Another beneficial thing about Harukana Receive is the fact that it has Yuri baits. A considerable amount and enough for an anime that is not categorized as Yuri. The amount is right and I can detect it unmistakably. This anime has some great Yuri baits, I tell you.
The other good thing about Harukana Receive is it's really not that awful as a Slice of life. No doubt, the main character’s development feels somewhat like it's too rushed but generally speaking it's actually acceptable as a CGDCT SoL. Furthermore, despite the fact that Harukana Receive is a sports anime it's just girls. Girls everywhere. And we all cultured men know that if there are hot anime girls anything can become better.
The art and quality is also excellent. That is fine. Nothing to say. The sound is additionally acceptable. That is also fine. Nothing to say. What about the characters?
Well obviously, with sports anime there'll certainly be drama. And yes this anime does not escape from the sports drama. But bruh, c'mon. A part of the joy from watching a sports anime is from the drama. If you can't even take that then why even watch a sports anime in the first place. Okay, I'm going off a little bit now. So I'm saying that there is drama between characters. That's about it. Other than that, the character designs are good, the character developments are slightly cliche because of the 12-episode-rush-cliche but I think that it wasn't that bad for a 12 episode SoL sports anime. All in all there's not really anything wrong with the characters.
I made some incredible memories watching this show. Tragically it ended quite fast. You don't have a clue how many times I screamed during the last episode. Haha, it was marvelous.
Recommended to the individuals who desire a touch of fanservice ( not over the top ) as well as individuals who are looking for a CGDCT ( technically ) and sports drama ( a little ).
Target_Finder
Harukana Receive does something really special within its 12 episodes. A show with outstanding characters as well as terrific matches. But most importantly it portrays the true elegance and beauty of beach volleyball. Although less about the "Xs and Os" of the sport, it does something that makes you relate and resonate with the passion and intensity the sport can be. Starting off, the story is pretty straightforward. Nothing to write home about. But it works. It allows each character regardless of their screen time to shine. It is definitely a character driven show. The characters are an absolutely gem. Every single one you meet is anabsolute delight to watch. They are all add something to the cast (although some more quickly than others) It is a debate on who the "MC" really is, but for the most part, it follows Haruka and how she grew both as a volleyball player and as a person throughout the show. She was a typical scrub when things started out, but the way she and many others matured was amazing.
OP and ED are solid. OST really shines in the middle of matches though. Art style is pretty good. Excellent use of closeups and pan outs in matches. As for the ecchi element, it is prevalent, but never takes away from the moment.
Can't recommend this show enough. Never a dull moment as every scene feels like it is building towards the finale (which was absolutely excellent) A ton of comedy in here as well. This show is just about having a good time. Don't expect convoluted drama or anything similar. It is the bonds of the characters as well as terrific beach volleyball that make this show a must watch of the 2018 Summer season.
Drakestalker
Harukana Receive is a sports anime produced by C2C studio that aired in the summer of 2018. The subject matter? Beach volleyball! C2C are the makers of literally nothing else important and certainly nothing you've ever heard about. Much like New Game! and other cute girl shows, Harukana features a grand total of 0 male characters. The premise is that Haruka Oozora, a very tall athletic girl, moves to Okinawa to live with her grandmother and cousin, Kanata Higa. It was chance, or perhaps fate, that had her witness a game of beach volleyball one morning and immediately fall in love with the sport. Simultaneously, she also learnsthat Kanata used to be a very talented player, but she quit because of an inferiority complex regarding her height. With the Junior Tournament just weeks away, will she succeed in learning the intricacies of competitive beach volleyball in time? Will she be able to help Kanata shake off the crippling anxiety she feels towards the sport she used to love?
Harukana Receive made for a strange viewing experience because it constantly tried to be something it’s not. Let me be frank. This is a fanservice show. To pretend otherwise is to be delusional. One MAL reviewer writes: “I went into this show expecting it to be a full-on fanservice machine, until I was quickly proven wrong in that it has a well-grounded story behind it.” Oh, shut up. A well-oiled fanservice machine is exactly what it is. There's enough cameltoe, ass, tits, jigging, bouncing, and yuri bait (oh, so much yuri bait) in here to make Tatsuya Egawa proud. Am I upset about that? Not at all! The drawings are a cut above the average ecchi show in terms of polish, and the sex appeal in and of itself is an order of magnitude more tasteful and natural-feeling. It looked extremely sexy and I must confess I very much enjoyed it.
What I did not enjoy was how seriously the show took itself and how seriously it expected you, the viewer, to take it as well. No, I’m not going to take your drama seriously while you constantly throw girls with giant heads and enormously colorful eyes in my face, incessantly exclaiming things like “Kya!” and “Teehee!” while frolicking around on the beach in amazingly tight swimsuits. The constant somber tone, the emotional flashbacks, the melodramatic backstories, it just got to be too much after a while and I simply tuned out. If you want to make a show about hot girls wearing bikinis 2 sizes too small and swinging around tits too big for their age, by all means, go forth and do the Lord’s work, my fellow man of culture – but then don't try and turn around and pretend you've made Captain Tsubasa.
I am reminded of Bill Burr’s wisdom in regards to plastic surgery. There's nothing wrong with being 52 and looking 52, but there is something unnerving about being 52 and looking like a 28-year-old lizard. Stop it. Just be who and/or what you are.
Just like Showgirls will never be Citizen Kane and Caitlyn Jenner will never be a woman, so, too, will Harukana Receive never be Slam Dunk.
Besides, it's fucking beach volleyball, yo. As an individual who is personally not at all interested in sports, I have found sports anime to have the amazing ability to make all manner of sports interesting to me in the context of the given show. My middle name is Raul, but it’s supposed to be pronounced Raúl. My father named me after Raúl González, the famous Spanish football player. My old man hoped that I would grow up to be a football fan like him. Suffice it to say that it did not go his way. However, while I would not be caught dead watching an actual football match, I've gone an entire day without food because I was too busy binging Galactick Football (yes, I know it's a French cartoon, not anime, shut the fuck up). Same goes for basketball. I've never had an interest in it, but Kuroko no Basket has become one of my favorite anime of all time.
But fucking beach volleyball, yo? Like, I understand that I'm somewhat of an exception in that I do not care about any sports, not even the popular ones, but honestly, who in the world actually gives a shit about beach volleyball? Don't get me wrong, I’m sure there are people who care about it and take it seriously, but enough to center an entire TV show around it??? Would anyone have watched this show had it not been for the half-naked girls posing suggestively every 30 seconds? Don't answer that. It's a rhetorical question.
This kind of felt like the 2007 film, Pride. “They were Philadelphia’s first all-African American swim team! Pride, determination, and resilience!” Really? It’s all the way down to swimming, is it? Yeah, you know what, I don't think I really give a shit anymore. I'm all out of white guilt.
The very first line in Harukana is some esoteric speech about how there are only two kinds of sports, solo sports and team sports, and among team sports, beach volley is unique in that teams consist only of 2 players, which is why it is of paramount importance to find that one special irreplaceable partner whom you can trust with your life, not unlike a marriage – I told you there’s is a lot of yuri bait in here. Setting aside the overly dramatic musings of the author, that's not even factually correct. Beach volley is not the only sport played in doubles. There’s doubles badminton, curling, tennis, pickleball, footvolley, squash, table tennis, and then a variety of other competitive sports that do not have a direct adversarial format, such as pair figure skating, synchronized diving, motorcycle sidecar racing, bobsleigh, kayaking, and so on, and so forth. Granted, none of these sports are widely known mainstream iconic activities, but then again, neither is beach volley.
All the talk about dreams, goals, rivalries, becoming better, stronger, faster, evolving, the trauma of defeat, trust & betrayal, putting everything on the line, dedicating one’s self to the craft, and lifelong ambitions left me completely cold. What lifelong ambitions, bro? You've literally not been alive long enough to have any of those. Why are you crying after losing a match in some random inconsequential local tournament like you just watched Old Yeller get shot? When Haruka once ignorantly states in jest that maybe she’ll become an ace, an out-of-proportion edgy character gives her a smoldering death stare and declares in the most hard-boiled way possible that there is no such thing as an ace in beach volley – somehow making another esoteric point about the selfless nature of the sport. Yeah, ok, relax, Hot Topic. You’re not storming Normandy here. It's just fucking beach volleyball, yo. It does not matter. Does this make me a hypocrite given how invested I get in video games and how emotional I get when others tell me “It’s just a game!”? Perhaps, but it doesn't change how I feel. The simple fact of the matter is that I wasn’t sold.
Speaking of hypocrisy, there is another very similar show towards which I have been much more positive. Free! is a Kyoto Animation production about a bunch of ridiculously attractive young guys swimming. While I don't want to belabor the point of Free! too much here, for I will write a proper essay about it in the future, there are 4 key differences between the two shows to consider.
First, swimming is just straight up a significantly more mainstream and relatable sport than beach volley. I'm not saying that swimming is some kind of international phenomenon like football or golf, but compared to beach volley, it may as well be. Second, male sexuality and female sexuality are not equivalent and I have neither the time, nor the patience to pretend they are. Third, with very few exceptions – 2 or 3 if memory serves – what I have seen of Free! (the first 2 seasons) does not feature any creepy close-up shots of the guys’ abs or pecs. You get to see them shirtless a lot, but given the subject matter, it never feels unnatural. Put another way, Free! features precious little shots or camera angles that would get a real-life cameraman fired at, say, the Olympics. Take the key visuals of this show as an indication that Harukana Receive, well… does. Fourth and last, the difference in animation between Harukana and Free! cannot be overstated. I often make this point, but the value of presentation mustn’t be overlooked. As DigiBro famously said, aesthetic is narrative. Kyoto Animation could make a show about watching grass grow and there isn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind that it would still be intensely compelling and interesting purely on the merit of how beautiful the animation and artwork would be.
Still, as long as you're fine ignoring the pretentious themes and tone of the show, it's a surprisingly competent production considering its relative obscurity.
If you like cute girl shows and especially sexual fanservice, you'll have a good time with this one! If all you're looking for is something to scratch an itch for thicc anime bitches, I would argue there are other ecchi shows that are more… direct in their approach, but Harukana’s artwork is difficult to beat. Additionally, if you're passionate about beach volleyball, you'll love it. Keep in mind, though, that it does not have much of anything to offer aside from that.
Fircoal
I love a good CGDCT. If you were to look through all of my favorites and the shows I rank highly you would find a lot of CDCGT that I gave a high score to. I also like sports shows and find them as a good way to get hype and experience the highs and lows of competition without the negative ramifications of death or other dark results like with some shounen. A pairing between the two seems odd and when combined with the echii tag there are a lot of distinct parts that are mixed together. And while I think it can be donewell sadly Harukana Reviece missed the mark.
The show starts off with drama and while I did like the drama it had and the exploration of the characters it provided it did pose a problem. Part of the joy of a CGDCT is the cute meaningless antics that the characters get into and while there were some, there wasnt enough for the genre it was in. Furthermore because the start was drama and the end consisted of 3 episodes worth of one match this led the show to be strapped on time. In fact it pretty much did a time skip askewing a lot the more SOL moments to get to the volleyball.
While the volleyball was good, it made the show feel incomplete. While it talks a lot about the strength of the characters bonds and relies a lot on attachment to the characters, it's hard to get the true feeling of attachment when many of those attachment gaining moments were breezed over. The problem is sports anime tend to be long and focus a lot on moments of high tension. While this can work with CGDCT if they alternate, they both need time in order to shine. And for this combo one cour isnt enough. Not if both peaks are to be fit in well. And while the matches were nicely animated and fun to watch, the tournament structure was boring and really only one match had all of the tension. Not to mention the way that, that match came about was lackluster imo. While the idea behind it was good I felt like it was forced to happen sooner due to time and increased drama more than anything else.
The characters did have some good motivations and the starting idea was great. I liked the development of Kanata, and how she was able to overcome her previous shortcomings and get out of her funk, but the rest of the characters really could have used some more time to focus on them. Their initial characterization was promising but for the show to do what it wanted to do well I feel like more would have been helpful.
Overall there's a lot of good ideas in Harukana Reviece and the fanservice and visuals are nice, but in the end the pacing let's it down and I'm left wishing it had two cours to properly explore its ideas. It's still a good show but ultimately leaves with promise it couldn't capitalize on.
E-M-T
I watch these sorts of fan service sports anime when I am bored, tired, eating, or simply need something to fill the time and don't want to watch something that is driven by a meaningful story with interesting characters and plot. Fan service does not bother me when done correctly, and let's be honest if you're interested in watching this anime you're primarily interested in the girls in bikinis playing sports. **Review may contain spoilers** The problem with Harukana Receive is that the main characters are very unlikeable. Haruka is annoyingly good at everything. She improves at such an unreasonable rate that it feels sad watchingher begin to outshine and dominate girls who have given their lives to this sport. Kanata on the other hand is a girl who ran away from the sport, abandoning the 'friend' Narumi who she made a promise with to become national champions. Then, she easily returns to the sport with Haruka, and what's her way of apologizing to Narumi? "I'll keep my promise, but this time with Haruka." This apology genuinely made me want to vomit and this is when this show went from an okay sports anime with decently attractive girls and fanservice to a show I struggled to finish. I then had to watch them somehow overcome Emily and Claire, who were kind enough to train them, in order to finish season 1. Watching Emily and Claire get defeated felt awful. It would have been better to have the main characters lose and for once be humbled.
The best part of this anime is the side characters. Narumi, Ayasa, Emily, and Claire. They're likable characters who work hard to earn their talent over years of practice and dedication. Narumi is especially the best girl and is the only one who actually looks the part. Unfortunately, The main characters ruin this anime.
Story 2/10
Art 5/10
Sound 5/10
Character 2/10
Enjoyment 3/10
Overall 3/10
fish21
My reason for my review score is that the intense showdowns in the matches were honestly very well done. Slowdowns were a bit overused but that adds to the dramatic effect. It gives me the Haikyuu vibes honestly. Of course there are a lot of "ecchi" scenes but that comes with a show based off of beach volleyball. There are a lot of things I wish could've been changed of course but a very well made sports anime and highly recommend it. ~sidenote~ There were a lot of people commenting about the beginners luck of Harukana, but keep in mind that she was a transfer whowas pretty athletic as well as she was given tons of training before the tournament. Realistically of course she shouldn't be pwning everyone but that's anime for ya! ;)
sixfourone
Don't let the fan service discourage you from giving this show a try. Harukana Receive is more than just that. What makes Harukana Receive different from other sports anime this season is that it's light and fun to watch. This is one of those shows that I'd like to watch after a tiring day or when I just want to watch something and relax. The story isn't complicated but it's definitely not shallow. The characters are lovable. While we often see them just enjoying beach volleyball, we also get to see the competitive side of it and see how different characters react to the frustrations of losing.Definitely, one of the good points of this anime in my opinion.
I'll have to give credit to C2C and other involved studios for the art. The way they portrayed Okinawa, it's very vibrant. It makes you want to visit the place. The atmosphere definitely feels like Summer.
On the informative side, you get to learn a number of jargon in beach volleyball. People who don't know anything about volleyball are being introduced to different terms like 'cut shot' and 'pokey'.
The soundtrack also fits very well with the show. Kadokawa just released the soundtrack preview for the show and it was great.
Now, some people might get discouraged because of the fan service of the show. But these called "fan service" aren't even presented in a perverted way. It's sexy and cute, but it doesn't present the characters as something that exists just for fan service.
If you just want to watch a light and easy to watch anime without some over complicated plot or some cringe-worthy characters, then go ahead and give this show a try.
elledriverxc
I know it sounds weird for me to be [kinda] plugging an anime that I just scored 5/10 -- but hear me out. To be honest, I have a hard time imaging anyone NOT enjoying Harukana Receive. There's not much to dislike. The art is bright and cheerful, it has an amazing, summer-y soundtrack, and there's a good mix of decent volleyball matches interspersed with butt/boob/implied yuri shots. What's not to love? The biggest issue with the series is just that...it's kinda dumb. There's nothing special about it whatsoever. The characters all have one of two personalities: aggressive, go-get-em genki, or a quiet intenseness that eventuallygives way to a good-natured kindness. Beach volleyball actually only takes up a small portion of the series, and the more slice-of-lifey bits are ho-hum. But beyond all that, my biggest gripe for the series is that you pretty much know after episode 1 how the season would end. I guess I kinda hoped things might play out in a more dramatic or tantalizing fashion, as they do in other gems of the sports genre -- Haikyuu!!, Chihayafuru, Prince of Tennis, etc. -- but no dice here.
Oh well. Even with some 'meh' characters and a completely predictable outcome that passes for a plot, you will probably enjoy yourself when you watch this. Like summertime at the beach, it's light, fun, a chock full o' bikini buttslaps.
LegendAqua
There are NO aces in beach volleyball... Harukana Receive is in comparison to the other "main female protagonist sports anime", Hanebado! from the Summer of 2018 is the lighter of the two and all the more better for it. Harukana Receive focuses on Haruka Oozora voiced by Kana Yuuki a rather tall individual who is of the genki variant but is rather shy about her height, when she comes across beach volleyball and the fact of her cousin Kanata Higa voiced by Saki Miyashita used to be a pro-beach volleyball player, gets Haruka's blood rushing to playing beach volleyball. Harukana Receive gives us for themost part, character development or more precisely relational development between several of the cast members, the most prominently is of course Haruka and Kanata as they grow their teamwork and cover each others weakness in matches. Haruka being as tall as she is has her advantages, however being a beginner has her downsides in not knowing the tricks of beach volleyball at the start. On the other side, due to Kanata's experience in beach volleyball she knows the "court" much better even with her short stature, thus the pair help each other cover their weakness and even learn something about their weakness in the process of their matches they face. Because of this the statement at the start of this review of "there are no aces in beach volleyball" rings true.
Thing is even if the anime is mostly focused on Haruka and Kanata growing as a pair in order for Kanata's goal of wanting to face off with her ex-partner Narumi Tooi voiced by Miyuri Shimabukuro and be champions, character development isn't merely isolated towards Haruka and Kanata as even some of the pairs opponents are given some glimpses as to why they want to win as well as Haruka and Kanata's similar theming of having each others back with covering their weakness as well, so not only does the opponents make for "rivals" but good contrast to Haruka and Kanata. On speaking of the entire Narumi situation, besides character development there is a bit of backstory towards the entire ordeal between Kanata and Narumi which is a BIG focal point of the anime and what the anime and the main cast are striving to get to and though the anime never really gives us the "proper" match up between Haruka and Kana vs. Narumi, ultimately, it's not what Harukana Receive is about, yes plot-wise but for characters, it's more about their growing friendship and teamwork that's the center focus.
Opponents and rivals aside, the support members do their fair shake, most prominently Akari Ooshiro voiced by Chisa Kimura, an "idol" wanting to play beach volleyball but through happenstance becomes a sorta manager to both Karuka and Kana pair as well as the Thomas pair, really her reaonsing to be in this anime and not be a typical supporting character is that she's the glue that sticks the Haruka and Thomas pair together which comes into effect latter down the anime and Akari is integral to the theming of friendship in this anime. Of course with supporting characters in a sports anime comes in the typical family support mainly in the form of Kana's grandmother.=, the supporting characters do what they do best in Harukana Receive and really it's the best they do, considering the anime is focused on it's main characters and rivals, so this is to be expected.
Character-wise, most of the cast have their funny personality quirks, but in terms of LA's favourite character it'll have to easily be...
Claire Thomas voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, mainly her personality and shameless fanservice girl status but LA loves her for that for breaking the tension and being the best comedic relief in the anime. LA's second favourite would be Ayasa Tachibana voiced by Kanae Ito for being the sound of mind personality wanting to help mend Kanata and Narumi's relationship on the background. Now as LA did say that most of the cast have quirky personalities, for the most part none of the cast members were annoying or the rivals were annoying or intentionally evil, as LA said this is the lighter sports anime and it sticks to it and even the lighter sports anime can be like this and still succeed in being a good sports anime and that is all through the characters and their developments which Harukana Receive generally excels at.
Beach volleyball = fanservice well no shit, but with the general moe aesthetic C2C used for animation in this anime, it's actually works in favour of the lighter sports anime genre which LA is completely fine with. Character designs have the spark of moe and exotic character designs so they are distinct even in different wears. The action which is mostly consisting of the volleyball matches are for the most still but fluid in all respects like C2C uses moving stills in some of the more intense moments but then ratchet things up when animating the volleyball matches. All in all, with the good character designs and good action beats of the volleyball matches, the animation done by C2C is pretty decent.
Voice work has the fairly typical moe cadence from the entire cast though with their archetypes along with them. Kana Yuuki as Haruka is fairly genki and was LA's favorite seiyuu in the cast though Kanae Ito and Atsumi Tanezaki was pretty close too. Really there wasn't much on the voice work. Expected moe even for a sports anime.
"Beach volleyball = fanservice" and really the fanservice only gets as deep as a 24/7 bikini anime and lots of yuri undertones...*ahem* yuri tones all over the place, but nonetheless Harukana Receive doesn't push the fanservice in your face considering the outfit is kinda a default for this kind of anime and they keep the shots tame really, with some intentional ass shots (no really).
Harukana Receive may be the laxxed sports anime compared to Hanebado! but nonetheless Harukana Receive is still pretty strong with it's own elements, from the theming of partners, decent animation and voice work, interesting characters (including rivals) within a typical underdog sports plot line but more focused on it's characters. Harukana Receive is a good slice of life, sports anime that doesn't need to be all intense and dramatic and instead has the...interesting characters, relationships, plot and the FANSERVICE and yuri undertones to back it up. LA doesn't think this isn't in LA's guilty pleasure animes either, it's actually good enough not for LA to feel guilty about it, Harukana Receive is pretty focused on it's characters and plot and little on it's fanservice thus it's a fairly competent sports anime featuring beach volleyball.
Nightscape00
I thought the show started off strong, but by the end I really thought it was subpar. I like the voice acting, graphics, and the music was fine. There was a coloration of some of the anime characters' eyes that I had not seen before. Can’t say if it was good or bad, just personal preference on how you like the eyes of anime characters drawn, but do give them points for at least trying to be original. I thought it was an interesting concept to not have any males aside from small children in the show, but dude to block out the face ofKanata’s deceased father while showing the mother is just messed up. I actually thought the show up to the end of the first tournament was quite good. Then the show just starts going downhill. Overall, I have three major complaints with the anime.
The first is that it is very long-winded and can be very slow - it was downright boring at times. There is very little character development in the show and it relies too heavily on flashbacks. They should have just spent the first three or four episodes using flashbacks but then left them alone for the rest of the show. They also pull that stunt where they will replay the last few minutes of the previous episode, like we didn’t just watch it. You can tell the writers and director were having a difficult time filling twelve episodes worth of story.
The second is the lack of character behavior diversity in the show. I noticed that pretty much every volleyball team had players that acted nearly the same. Each team has an outspoken hothead and a subdued coolheaded individual. Every team ends up feeling pretty much the same; characters feel just way too similar at times. Haruka, Claire, and Ayasa almost feel like the exact same character.
My third complaint is actually the development of Haruka, and Kanata to a lesser extent, in regards to volleyball ability. Basically, they are too good. You are telling me a rookie with one year under her belt and someone who had not been active in years, who only won one match in last year's tournament ends up defeating the defending champions and the second best team in Japan?! A team that has never stopped training and has a pro volleyball coach as a mother?! GET OUT OF HERE! I would be fine if it was a close match due to them training together, but Haruka and Kanata winning the tournament? That is too hard to swallow and breaks the immersion.
I really enjoy volleyball myself and had high hopes for this show as I really enjoy Japanese sports anime. However, with slow plot development, characters with little diversity in the way they behave, and Mary-Sue like characters that are somehow able to beat top athletes with a fraction of the time and training everyone else had put in, this is unfortunately one anime I cannot recommend.
JiangHaoyi1979
When they titled this "Harukana Receive" original creator Nyoi, Jizai knows exactly whats he is making, and yes it's about a city slicker Haruka Oozora and a former beach volleyball aficionado who already hanged up her mantle , Kanata Higa, who found themselves competing in a beach volleyball tournament with the latter finding himself going back to the very sport that she used to play before with her former partner, Tooi Narumi, Though "receive" maybe a volleyball term, here (be it in the manga or anime) it also means that they receive the mantle of being Japan's best in the sport of BeachVolleyball. However , let us not forget , that this was aired in the summer, when the beaches were in and the bikinis were hot, and them characters being in their hot 2 piece swimsuit was basically a sight for sore eyes for them fans who has a thing for 2D characters in such outfit and as much as it disgust me Claire Thomas gets high marks followed by Haruka whom was in her plaint bikini. So basically, this has little to do with beach volleyball, since there were scene here that seemly in violation of the laws of physics and one move in particularly of kicking the ball would penalize the player, so whatever knowledge that original creator Nyoi, Jizai has about the sport of beach volleyball were probably just as usual as anyone would know based on what they watch, so let's just stop pretending since this was just all about the bikinis, boobies, asses and the bodies , nothing else. Now. c'mon that's what everyone enjoys , so regardless, of what other reviews says , it just all about them beach bodies , cu'z real life beach volleyball players don't have hot bodies like we see here, it's either them real life beach volleyball players bodies were skinny or a bit muscular or a times a bit chubby, so without further adieu, here's how I see it:
Story-Good 7: since it combines two things, a city girl who enters the world of beach volleyball in order to make it big and her partner forced to come back to the sports that she already quit, and the two buxom American girls whose serves as the wall that the two have to overcome.
Art-Outstanding 10 : based on ny bikini ratings:
Clare Thomas, Ayasa Tachibana,Thomases Mom and Haruka Oozora: Outstanding 10
Emily Thomas: Great 9, if it weren't for the glasses.
Kanata Higa: Good 7, for her ass.
Narumi Tooi: fair 6, she has the ass, but up there is flat as a pancake.
Akari Oshiro: Poor 3, wtf, her bikini was a disaster, cu'z she looks more like a 70's whore.
Mai Sunagawa and Ai Tanahara and others, well they ain't bad.
Sound-fair 6: No Comment here, thought it was nice to hear from seiyuu Itou Kanade again, I wonder what she's been up to lately????
Character Good 7: Well, to see Haruka being this bubbly cheerful character was nice, but she can be annoying sometimes, when she becomes a pitbull when she finds something interesting and drags someone else with her in the process. Kanata Higa on the other hand, we know that she quits playing beach volleyball, but it seems that studio C2C didn't mention as to why did she quit playing.....The Thomas sisters on the other hand were something else but I kinda hate that they have faced off with their former protege only to loose to them, I would have prefered that they've faced off with Narumi and Ayase and the loose to them, where Haruka and Kanata avenges them and won, that would have been a good ending....Now , Akari Ooshiro, to me I find her more as an excess baggage whom was put as a mere errand girl than a manger, in fact, I would have preferred that she be one of the players who was partnered with either Mai Sunagawa or Ai Tanahara.
Enjoyment-fair 6: It's just all about the beach bodies and nothing else.
Overall- fair 6: To those bikini fanservices fans out there, ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
Flexstyle
Harukana Recieve is one of those relaxing, fun, lighthearted sports anime that captures what beach volleyball should be about! A group of cute girls in their swimsuits playing the game they love at the beach. No execces drama, bad sportsmanship or bitchy rivalry (coughs Hanebado). Plot: 7 The plot is simple and the characters may not be the most complex, however I feel this show does a lot of things well. The story is about a transfer student Haruka and her ex pro cousin Kanata, who used to play volleyball after some circumstances. It’s not long till Haruka embraces her newfound love for beach volleyball andconvinces Kanata to step back on the sand again and team up with her to form the beach volleyball pair, Harukana.
Characters: 7
The characters are all distinctive, memorable and receive a decent amount of character development. The show especially deals well with Kanata’s past, her relationship with Narumi and the reason she stopped playing volleyball.
Animation: 8
The animation was great. Theres some great close ups of volleyball shots. I appreciate the use of slow mo’s, but I think they’re should have been a lot less as it slowed the pace of the match at times.
Sounds: 8
The opening and osts are fun, energetic and lively which work perfectly for a sports anime about beach volleyball.
Overall: 7
I’ve always said Harukana receive is like the spirit sister of Haikyuu! I enjoyed this show a lot. The matches were a lot more intense than I thought they would be. I have no idea how the writer is going to be able to top Harukana Vs Eclair because it had the perfect balance of everything that makes a great match.
The fanservice didn’t really bother me. Call me perv, but I love all the tits and ass shots xD. It never distracted me from the match.
PS: Claire is best girl xD
tomoro__
Harukana Receive is a girls sports anime that is totally enjoyable, especially in a rather unfortunately lackluster genre. I honestly don't know why so many people think this anime is an ecchi or consider it extremely fanservicey; the sport is played in swimsuits, and as a result the girls are in swimsuits a majority of the show, which in my opinion isn't fanservice at all. If talk of fanservice is turning you off I'd suggest it anyways, especially as there is little to no "traditional" fanservice in the realm of unnecessary shots and unbelievable physics. I've tried so hard to find good sports anime with girlprotagonists that don't reduce the girls to just horny (Keijo!!!!!!), cute (Uma Musume: Pretty Derby), or disappointing (Hanebado!). While I do enjoy those shows, its super frustrating as a girl athlete to only see high quality men's sports anime, which is where Harukana Receive comes into play.
While the premise may seem a bit straightforward, the way it plays out is super enjoyable, and it's really fun to see the girls grow better as well as their love for the sport growing. The story all in all isn't the driving factor of the show, but it definitely serves its purpose and makes for an exciting climax. The dramatic elements are realistic and played out well, and at no point did I feel that it was melodramatic in any way. The style is super pleasing and really fun, and really serves to push the setting of Okinawa by making everything seem even brighter than you might think it could be. One of the standout components was the composition, with music fitting the feel and setting fantastically thanks to the work of Machida Touko. Overall, the most shining part has to be the characters, all of which are fantastic to see grow and change through the show as they carry it with their own developments. My only complaint is the pacing, which can feel a bit strange at times, skipping months between episodes at times, but it's about what can be expected from a single cour show.
All in all, I highly recommend Harukana Receive to anyone who enjoys either sports anime or the slice of life genre. I hope for more like it in the future, and would honestly love a second season! Until then I'll be waiting for the Spring 2020 season with Tamayomi, directed by Fukushima Toshinori, the director of Major S3-6 and featuring the same composer as Harukana.
sofabulous
Thicc girls playing beach volleyball. Lot of butts, stomachs and thighs. Appealing color and character designs. Decent animation, somewhat shallow story but fun enough to watch. The characters spend most of the time in bikinis. I'm sure there's some merit to the friendship and story element, but I don't care. The character really likeable enough. They will last in my, and probably yours, memory almost solely because of decent design. If you look at one of the girls and think 'she's cute' you should watch it, it'll probably be worth it. I think I completed it solely because of this one scene in the first episode, wherethe main girls with big tits is in a really cute sundress, and strips down to a bikini, and I found it really attractive. Shallowness will bring everyone joy.
8mann
EN: We reached the end of this beautiful story about scissors and the power of friendship on the beach. I will even miss the pegadiso "sore waku waku waku shikwasa". The result of the game against the twins of the pits' n tits in the final with an auspicious result, was only a detail. It makes you want an S2, however it is very difficult to make it happen. Being more rigorous is a 6/10, basically because the text is very basic, especially in the development of concepts that bring something new, like almost all spocon. I felt it almost like a sports Love Live, where many thingsdid not come together at all.
ES:
Llegamos al final de esta bonita historia sobre tijeras y el poder de la amistad en la playa. Incluso extrañaré el pegadizo "sore waku waku waku shikwasa". El resultado del partido contra las gemelas del pits 'n tits en la final con un resultado auspicioso, fue solo un detalle.
Dan ganas de una S2, sin embargo es muy poco probable que suceda.
Siendo más rigurosos va un 6/10, básicamente porque en el texto está muy básico, sobre todo en el desarrollo de conceptos que aporten algo nuevo, como casi todos los spocon. Lo sentí casi como un Love Live deportivo, donde muchas cosas no cuajaron del todo.
danihadi
I have to be honest with you guys: I only watched this show because I heard Rasmus Faber would do the OST. I really dislike moe/CGDCT shows, I absolutely despise fan-service, and I have no interest in sport shows. That's why I dismissed Harukana Receive as another one of those shitty otaku pandering shows that come out every season when I first heard about it. When I found out about Faber's involvement, I was really afraid that his musical talent would get wasted again on some otaku trash (like with Asterisk War). However, to my pleasant surprise, this show was actually pretty good. The story wasn'tanything special but it was interesting enough to keep me engaged. What you see is what you get: a girl transferring to the oceanside and discovering her passion for beach volleyball.
One thing that I really appreciate is the nuanced drama. While other sport shows tend to have over the top melodrama as context for the sport matches to keep the viewer engaged, Harukana Receive manages to do the same thing without relying on any batshit crazy twists/misunderstandings/any other drama causing scenarios. While there is drama it mostly doesn't create any unnecessary problems and when it does, they resolve quickly.
Another thing I liked about this show is how the art encapsulates the feeling of summer really well. The brightly colored backdrops and character designs do add a lot to the aesthetic. While there are some awkward CGI moments they don't detract from the show much.
Now to the main point: the music. And holy shit is it amazing. Rasmus Faber is really one of my favorite artists and he has proven himself once again with this OST. The tropical percussion, piano and guitar really lends well to the acoustic summer house vibes he creates. The main theme (the one that is used in the trailer) has an amazing vocalist to top it off. Faber's usage of certain jazz/bossa nova chord progressions just works so well to instill auditory extasy. I had moments where I just zoned out when the OST came in just so I could take it all in without any distractions. A few of the OST highlights include the airport goodbye scene and the drum and bass rendition of the main theme during the first few minutes of the last episode. I can't wait to get my hands on the soundtrack when it releases on September the 26th.
So, to summarize: decent story, good art, 10/10 music. If I don't take the OST into account I would probably give Harukana Receive somewhere between a 6.5 and a 7. But with Rasmus Faber's godly talent I give it a 9/10.
Tonalpaca
Harukana Receive fits into a really weird storytelling narrative and manages to simultaneously tow two dichotomous lines. Is this a story about beach volleyball that features girls in bikinis and all the obvious fanservice tropes and camera angles that come with it? Yes. Is this a story about people overcoming obstacles, both past, present and from within and external forces? Also yes. Outside of this the story is visually gorgeous, I particularly found myself falling in love with the over embellishment on the eyes and hair. About the only major elements where this story falls flat is sound and character. The beach volleyball sounds usedare solid, but definitely sound synthetic compared to the rest of the animes more organic sounding elements. The characters, while also solid do somewhat fall flat into typically overused tropes of "tragic back story." It's not too tropey as to prevent enjoyment or make you roll your eyes, but it's there.
The fact that Harukana Receive provides both a level of fanservice one would expect and on top of it having an very touching story is nothing short of a miracle, but it leads to one of the most refreshingly unique anime I have found myself watching in a long time. Especially given I ALMOST wrote it off because of the fan-service shots. I'm glad I didn't, and I hope you won't either.
Alessandro_99
It's summer and you absolutely crave the sea, the beach and beautiful girls doing sports. But then you remember that you live 100 km from any body of water. Or you live in a remote village with 80 inhabitants, where the prettiest girl is your cousin and has a moustache. Here comes Harukana receive! We are on the fabulous beaches of Okinawa, the protagonists are Haruka, who has just moved to the island and her cousin Kanata. The two girls are completely opposite, both temperamentally and physically, but they will come together and pair up to play beach volleyball. Harukana Receive isn't your typical fanservice-focused anime, but there'sa recognizable cast of characters and a series of captivating matches to follow.
The psychological aspect of the work is also interesting, since it is a sport centered on the couple (it is played 2 vs 2), the partners necessarily have to find each other's character and match in several aspects.
