The appeal and reviews of Try Knights: Entering a new world of adventure

Try Knights - A passionate story of youth and rugby

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

August 1, 2019 - October 17, 2019
1:29～

■Broadcasting station

Nippon Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

TRY KNIGHTS UNION

■ Production

・Production: GONZO

■Works

©Souran High School Rugby Club

■ Story

Haruma Riku entered high school with no vision for his future, but was captivated by the wild, animal-like movements he happened to see on the field. He jumped higher than anyone else, ran faster, and scored a try. Kariya Hikaru plays rugby, a sport Riku had once given up on. Seeing Riku's rough running, Riku instinctively offers him some advice. His words made Hikaru sense Riku's passion for rugby. With the meeting of the two, a mind (tactics) and a body (physical), a new light begins to shine on Riku's future... my hunch is right. You are definitely the man I need. I'll put a collar on you. Kariya Hikaru!

■Explanation

"Try Knights" is a Japanese TV anime produced by GONZO. It was broadcast on Nippon Television's "AnichU" slot and elsewhere from July to October 2019. It is an original anime themed on high school rugby, depicting an ensemble drama centered on two contrasting high school students, one intellectual and the other physical. The Japan Rugby Football Union and former Japan national rugby team member Ohata Daisuke were involved in the production, and Ohata also appears as a character in the mini-corner "Try Knights Rugby LESSON!"

■Cast

・Riku Haruma/Shogo Sakamoto ・Riku Haruma (childhood)/Takako Tanaka ・Hikari Kariya/KENN
・Tomomi Takadate/Seiji Maeda/Shoya/Piers Valentine/Shuta Morishima/Seiichiro Nada/Yoshiki Nakajima/Akari Fuyuhara/Takuma Terashima/Yasuya Rando/Kohei Amazaki/Keita Oguma/Hidenori Takahashi

■ Main staff

Original work: TRY KNIGHTS UNION
Original character design / Masato Takarai Original scenario design / Shunsaku Yano Director / Teika Sasaki Series composition / Makoto Takada Character design / Kan Soramoto Prop design / Miho Shimizu Color design / Naoto Kondo Art director / Hideto Nakahara Director of photography / Editing - Kazuto Horikawa Sound director / Ryosuke Naya Sound effects / Hiroki Nozaki Sound production / Studio Mouse Music / R.O.N
Supervisor: Daisuke Ohata

■ Main Characters

・Haruma Riku A first-year student at Soran High School. He meets Kariya Hikaru when he enrolls at Soran High School. Seeing Hikaru's wild and strong physique awakens his passion for rugby, and while Hikaru complements his physical physique, he chooses to fight with his brains. He may look cool, but deep down he hates to lose more than anyone else.

・Kariya Hikaru, a first-year student at Soran High School. He is like a wild beast, with a strong fighting spirit and blessed with a great physique and quick reflexes. He forcibly draws the bewildered Riku back into the world of rugby. He is a sensory type who enjoys fighting itself, so he often clashes with the theoretical Riku, but they become good buddies.

・Tomoyuki Takatate is a first-year student at Soran High School. She played volleyball until junior high school, and joined the rugby club for the first time in high school. She respects Haruma Riku, who has a deep knowledge of rugby, and is an honest and serious person who treats him with care despite being in the same grade. Her understanding of team play, which she developed through volleyball, becomes indispensable to Riku's tactics.

Shoya Piers Valentine is a first-year student at Soran High School. He is a first-year student who shows up at various clubs as a "sports club helper." With his high physical ability and reflexes, he can do any sport above average. He is very interested in Kariya Hikaru, who has better physical strength than him. He is the type who likes to get everyone excited, and his catchphrase is "enjoy & excite!"

Seiichiro Nada is a third-year student at Soran High School. He is the vice president of the student council and the former captain of the rugby club. He is physically and academically excellent, and naturally admired by many people. He taught the joy of rugby to Hikaru Kariya in middle school. He is currently away from the club due to certain circumstances.

A second-year student at Soran High School. He is the current captain of the rugby club, passionate about rugby. He is small among the members, but powerful in his words and actions. After Nada left, he volunteered for captaincy, and is a good leader who works hard to lead the club together with Rando and Oguma.

・Rando Yariya, a second-year student at Soran High School. He is a second-year student who supports the rugby club together with Akari. He is very calm and a hard worker who understands his role well and performs the necessary movements with high precision both in games and in the club. He is agile during games, but usually has a listless demeanor and speaks in Kansai dialect.

・Keita Oguma A second-year student at Soran High School. He is always smiling and maintains a relaxed atmosphere, but is also the unsung hero who supports Akari when necessary. In terms of simple power, he is the best in the club, but his kindness and caring nature sometimes prevents him from fully demonstrating his abilities.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Moon and the Sun Episode 2: Physicality and Tactics Episode 3: Past and Future Episode 4: Setbacks and Overcoming Episode 5: Rebellion and Promises Episode 6: Refreshment and Conflict Episode 7: Violence and Hidden Invaders Episode 8: Rugby and Chess Episode 9: Pieces and Friends Episode 10: Blue Storm and Red Beauty Episode 11: Trust and Reliance Episode 12: Younger Brother and Older Brother

■ Related works

Try Knights

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period: 1-12
・Infinite Try・Lyrics/Shougo Sakamoto・Music/Shougo Sakamoto・Singer/Shougo Sakamoto・Arrangement/Masayoshi Oishi, Yuki Nara

・ED1
・Period: 1-12
・Pattern/Lyrics/Nobuaki Teraguchi/Composition/Nobuaki Teraguchi/Arrangement/Toomiyo/Song/Ivy to Fraudulent Game

Try Knights - A passionate story of youth and rugby

"Try Knights" is an original anime produced by GONZO, and was broadcast on Nippon Television's "AnichU" slot from July to October 2019. Set in the world of high school rugby, this work is a youth ensemble drama that centers on two contrasting high school students, Haruma Riku and Kariya Hikaru, one of whom is a smart and the other a physical type, and depicts their growth, friendship, and passion for rugby. The Japan Rugby Football Union and former Japan national rugby player Ohata Daisuke were involved in the production, and the work is a wonderful blend of realistic depictions of rugby and youth drama.

Story and Characters

The protagonist, Haruma Riku, enters high school with no idea what the future holds, and meets Kariya Hikaru at Soran High School. Fascinated by Hikaru's wild and strong physique, Riku's passion for rugby, which he had once given up, is rekindled. Riku begins to take up rugby using his intellectual tactics to complement Hikaru's physical strength. The story unfolds as the two meet, shedding new light on Riku's future.

The relationship between Riku and Hikaru is a highlight of the story, as they grow together despite their contrasting personalities and styles. Riku's cool exterior and competitive nature, and Hikaru's fighting spirit and wild playing style draw viewers in. The friendship and rivalry between the two is at the heart of the story.

Other than that, the story is colored by the unique characters of the rugby club members. Takadate Tomomi switched from volleyball to rugby and is an important presence supporting Riku's tactics. Shoya Piers Valentine is an athletic helper who takes an interest in Hikaru. Nada Seiichiro is the previous captain and the person who taught Hikaru the joy of rugby. Fuyuhara Akari is the current captain and a passionate leader who pulls the club forward. Rando Yariya and Oguma Keita are second-year students who support Akari, and they each play their own roles to support the team.

The appeal of anime

The appeal of "Try Knights" is undoubtedly its fusion of realistic depictions of rugby and a coming-of-age drama. Thanks to GONZO's production skills and the supervision of Ohata Daisuke, the rugby match scenes are full of impact and draw the viewer in. In particular, do not miss the scenes where Riku and Hikaru's plays intersect. In addition, in the mini corner "Try Knights Rugby LESSON!", Ohata Daisuke appears as a character and explains the basics and tactics of rugby. This makes it possible for viewers who are not familiar with rugby to enjoy the show.

It also has great appeal as a coming-of-age drama. The friendship and rivalry between Riku and Hikaru, the growth and bonds of the rugby club members, and the stories of setbacks and overcoming obstacles touch the hearts of viewers. The subtitles of each episode also symbolize the theme of the story, deeply moving viewers. In particular, the flow from episode 1, "The Moon and the Sun," to episode 12, "The Younger Brother and the Older Brother," depicts the growth and friendship between Riku and Hikaru, culminating in a moving finale.

Music and voice acting

The opening theme "Mugen no Try" was written, composed and sung by Shogo Sakamoto, and is a song that evokes passion for rugby and the energy of youth. The ending theme "Moyou" is a beautiful melody sung by Ivy to Fraudulent Game, and enhances the moving story. The music is by R.O.N, and the effective background music that livens up the rugby game scenes and dramatic scenes is impressive.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Shogo Sakamoto playing Haruma Riku and KENN playing Kariya Hikaru. Shogo Sakamoto's cool voice and KENN's powerful voice bring out the best in the two characters. In addition, talented voice actors such as Seiji Maeda, Shuta Morishima, Yoshiki Nakajima, Takuma Terashima, Kohei Amasaki, and Hidenori Takahashi play the unique members of the rugby club.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Try Knights" has been highly praised as a youth anime themed around rugby. The fusion of realistic depictions of rugby and youth drama, the unique characters and the moving storyline deeply touch the viewers. This is a work that I would especially recommend to those who are interested in rugby and those who like youth dramas. It is also designed so that even those who are not familiar with rugby can enjoy it, so it will be enjoyed by a wide range of people.

This work is a piece that allows viewers to fully experience the passion of youth and the charm of rugby, and will give viewers a lot of inspiration and courage. It is a work that I would like many people to see.