The appeal and reviews of the movie "Bakuten!!": Entering a new world of gymnastics

The appeal and impressions of the movie "Bakuten!!"

The movie "Bakuten!!" is a touching youth story produced as an original anime work that was released on July 2, 2022. The original work was written by Yotsuki Enpitsu, directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, animated by ZEXCS, and distributed by Aniplex. The 90-minute one-episode movie tells the story of a boys' rhythmic gymnastics club that puts all their youth on the line to compete in the Inter-High School Championships.

story

The boys' rhythmic gymnastics club at the private Soshukan High School (commonly known as Ao High) is made up of members with a wide variety of personalities who come together with their own aspirations. They are fascinated by "boys' rhythmic gymnastics" and before they know it, they have come together as a "team." They put all of their youth on the line as they take on the next stage, the Inter-High. This is the story of the final challenge of the Ao High boys' rhythmic gymnastics club, with six members jumping.

cast

The movie "Bakuten!!" features a star-studded cast of voice actors. The main character Futaba Shotaro is played by Tsuchiya Shinba, Misato Ryoya is played by Ishikawa Kaito, Shichigahama Masamune is played by Ono Daisuke, Tsukidate Keisuke is played by Kondo Takashi, Onagawa Nagayoshi is played by Shimono Hiroshi, Watari Kotaro is played by Kamiya Hiroshi, Tsukiyuki Mashiro is played by Murase Ayumu, Takase Toru is played by Konishi Katsuyuki, Mutsu Yojiro is played by Suzumura Kenichi, Ominato Hideo is played by Sugita Tomokazu, Ryugamori Kyoichi is played by Saito Soma, Azuma Shunsuke is played by Yamashita Daiki, Kurikoma Asao is played by Sakura Ayane, Shida Shusaku is played by Sakurai Takahiro, Futaba Ayumi is played by Ueda Reina, and Mabuchi Shuji is played by Matsuda Kenichiro. These voice actors bring out the youth and passion of the characters in a realistic way.

Main Staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of the movie "Bakuten!!". The original story is by Yotsuki Enpitsu, the director is Kuroyanagi Toshimasa, the rhythmic gymnastics trial director is Mitsuda Fumiaki, the script is by Nemoto Toshizo, the character design is by Robico, the character design and chief animation director is Shibata Yuka, the prop design and chief animation director is Nakanishi Aya, the color design is Chiba Emi, the art setting is Ogawa Mamio, the art directors are Hirama Yuka and Ogura Hiromasa, the 3DCG is by Takeemon, the CGI director is Shinoda Shuji, the cinematographers are Motodai Takahiro and Ito Ryo, the editor is Hiraki Daisuke, the sound director is Nagasaki Yukio, the music is Hayashi Yuki, the rhythmic gymnastics uniform design is by Sasaki Sports Co., Ltd., the supervision is by Aomori Yamada High School boys' rhythmic gymnastics, the animation production is ZEXCS, the chief producer is Takase Toko, and the producers are Mori Akitoshi, Iwasaki Noriko, and Shintaku Kiyoshi. All these staff members worked together to complete the film "Bakuten!!"

Main Characters

The main characters of the movie "Bakuten!!" are as follows.

• Shotaro Futaba : A new member of the Ao High Boys Gymnastics Club. He is a first-year high school student from Miyagi. After accidentally seeing the Ao High Boys Gymnastics Club's performance, he becomes fascinated with rhythmic gymnastics, enrolls in Ao High, and dives into the world of rhythmic gymnastics. Although he is an amateur, he makes rapid progress thanks to his naturally honest personality.
• Misato Ryoya : A new member of the Ao High School boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. A first-year high school student from Miyagi. With a cool personality and a calm demeanor, he is expected to be the young ace of the Ao High School boys' rhythmic gymnastics club, having come second in the junior boys' rhythmic gymnastics tournament.
• Shichigahama Masamune : Captain of the Ao High Boys Gymnastics Club. A third-year high school student from Miyagi. He is a passionate man with unmatched passion for rhythmic gymnastics and his feelings for the club, and is childhood friends with Tsukidate and Onagawa. His family owns a long-established bamboo fish cake shop.
• Keisuke Tsukidate : Vice-captain of the Ao High Boys Gymnastics Club. A third-year high school student from Miyagi. He is a sensible person who kindly supports the free-spirited gymnastics club members, and is an all-rounder with few weaknesses as an athlete. His hobby is moss bonsai, and his family home is a shrine.
• Onagawa Nagayoshi : A third-year student in the Ao High boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. Originally from Miyagi, he is a mood maker who brightens up the club's atmosphere with his cheerful personality. He loves cute girls and idols, and has a habit of giving them strange nicknames on the spur of the moment. His family owns a fish shop.
• Kotaro Watari : A second-year student in the Ao High boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. He hails from Miyagi and is often intimidated by strangers due to his sharp eyes and piercings, but he has a kind personality and takes good care of his juniors. His family owns a ramen shop.
• Tsukiyuki Mashiro : A new member of the Shiro High boys' rhythmic gymnastics team. A high school freshman, he has moved all over Japan with his father, a video cameraman. He finally settles down in Miyagi, where he attends the same junior high school as Misato and begins rhythmic gymnastics. Although he has a cheerful and mercurial personality, he has a natural talent for rhythmic gymnastics and has won a junior championship.
• Toru Takase : Captain of the Shiro High Boys Gymnastics Club. A third-year high school student from Aomori. He has a very large and intimidating presence, but is surprisingly meticulous. He is caught between his father, a tuna fisherman, and his maternal grandfather, who has been an apple farmer for generations. His rival, Shichigahama, calls him Gorilla.
• Mutsu Yojiro : Vice-captain of the Shiro High School boys' rhythmic gymnastics team. A third-year high school student from Tokyo. When he was a child, he moved to his mother's hometown of Aomori, and since then, he has played with Takase. He is polite to everyone and seems kind at first glance, but he is actually scary when he gets angry.
• Hideo Ominato : A second-year student in the Shiro High boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. He is from Aomori, and his father runs a chiropractic clinic in his hometown, where all the members of Shiro High are looked after. He has a very meticulous personality, and is not satisfied unless everything is done precisely.
• Ryugamori Kyoichi : A second-year student in the Shiro High boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. He is originally from Nagano and is the heir to a long-established inn that was founded 300 years ago. From an early age, he was thoroughly trained in flower arranging, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and more. He did gymnastics until middle school, and excels at rhythmic gymnastics in performances that make use of his flexibility. He was scouted and enrolled in Shiro High, but surprisingly, he was not a regular in his first year.
• Shunsuke Azuma : A new member of the Shiro High School boys' rhythmic gymnastics club. He is a first-year high school student from Chiba. His parents own a surf shop and he lives in Hamachaya in the summer. He swam and surfed when he was young, but he was inspired by the acrobatic movements of heroes in movies and on TV, and started taking up rhythmic gymnastics in junior high school.
• Futaba Ayumi : Shotaro's younger sister. She is from Miyagi and is in her second year of junior high school, but she is still a bit of a spoiled brat and has a good relationship with Shotaro. She likes the gyoza made by her mother.
• Shuji Mabuchi : Coach of the Shiro High boys' rhythmic gymnastics team. Originally from Aomori, he trains the members of Shiro High with enthusiastic and strict instruction. He is an old friend of Ao High's coach, Shida.

Related Titles

The movie "Bakuten!!" was produced as a related work to the anime "Bakuten!!". The anime "Bakuten!!" is also a youth story themed on men's rhythmic gymnastics, and the movie version is a sequel that depicts the story of aiming for the Inter-High School Championships.

Theme songs and music

The theme song for the movie "Bakuten!!" is "Bokura no Ippo" by wacci. The lyrics and music were written by Yohei Hashiguchi, the arrangement by Keiji Muranaka, and the recording and mixing by Takayuki Saito. The inserted song is "Hikari no Nakara Tsutaetai Koto" by Centimillimental, with lyrics, music, and arrangement by Atsushi. These songs liven up the movie's moving scenes.

Impressions and reviews

The movie "Bakuten!!" touched many viewers with its story of a boys' rhythmic gymnastics club that puts all of their youth on the line to compete in the Inter-High School Championships. The sight of the unique characters coming together as one to take on the challenge, each with their own aspirations in mind, gives viewers courage and hope. The visuals are also stunning, realistically depicting the beauty and rigor of the sport of men's rhythmic gymnastics, and have the power to draw in the audience.

In particular, the story of the protagonist Shotaro Futaba's growth must have touched the hearts of many viewers. His rapid growth from an amateur to his natural honesty is portrayed as a symbol of youth. Also, the cool character of Ryoya Misato and the scene where he demonstrates his abilities as the young ace of the Ao High Gymnastics Club are also memorable.

Furthermore, each character's personality stands out, such as Shichigahama Masamune's fiery passion and leadership, Tsuchidate Keisuke's kindness and role as a sensible person, Onagawa Nagayoshi's presence as a mood maker, and Watari Kotaro's good nature and caring attitude towards his juniors. Seeing these characters come together and aim for the Inter-High makes you feel the brilliance of youth.

The characters of Shiro High are also attractive, with Takase Toru's intimidating presence and detailed personality, Mutsu Yojiro's politeness but scary side when angry, Ominato Hideo's detailed personality and precise attitude in everything he does, Ryugamori Kyoichi's flexible acting and sense of responsibility as the heir to a long-established inn, Azuma Shunsuke's switch from surfing and swimming to rhythmic gymnastics, and other backgrounds and growth are depicted. The scenes where these characters confront Ao High are also one of the highlights.

The music in the movie "Bakuten!!" was also wonderful, with wacci's "Bokura no Ippo" as a symbol of youth and Centimillimental's "Hikari no kara natteshitai koto" as an insert song that livened up the moving scenes, resonating with the viewers. These songs play a role in further deepening the emotion of the movie.

Overall, the movie "Bakuten!!" is a moving story that will inspire many viewers as it tells the story of a boys' rhythmic gymnastics club that puts all of their youth on the line to compete in the Inter-High School Championships. The growth and challenges of the unique characters, the beautiful images and music, and the story that evokes the brilliance of youth will give viewers courage and hope. Be sure to experience this moving story at the cinema.