Forum - View topicFanfare of Adolescence (TV).
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Fanfare of Adolescence (TV) Genres: drama Themes: horse racing, sports Plot Summary: [quote]There's a competitive, three-year a horse racing academy that trains boys to become jockeys. Those who wish to enter must not only pass an academic test but a physical and fitness test as well. Yū Arimura is a former popular idol who becomes enamored with horse racing after seeing it for the first time, and wants to join the academy. Shun Kazanami was raised on an island, and only experienced horse races through radio broadcasts growing up. Amane comes from a high-class family in England, and his father is a former jockey. The show follows these three 15-year-old boys and others at the academy. Apr. 2, 2022 (Saturdays; Crunchyroll) |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11595 |
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Episodes 1-5
Huh, I looked for this a couple of times, even in the directory list and managed to overlook it, until third time's the charm as I was about to make a new thread. Anyway, I'm kinda liking this so far. At first I thought the J-pop OP by JO1 was odd for a sports anime, but not only has the song grown on me, but now I realize that the presentation of the whole ensemble cast is like a boy-band, and not just the lead ex-idol Arimura. In that sense, this is more like an idol anime than a sports anime. I also enjoy listening to the ED, which is a Hiroyuki Sawano joint with a couple of the guys from JO1 (and a couple others from that group play Arimura's old group members). There doesn't seem to be much of a plot yet, aside from training and some interpersonal squabbles that were quickly mostly resolved. The main issue so far appears to be Arimura's old manager plotting to force his return to Mr. Doctor, his old idol group. She's cut from the same "fat women are evil" cloth as LIttle Mermaid's Ursula. The other big issue is one that really is a serious one for jockeys, and that is making weight. It strikes me that this is a sort of inescapable catch in the profession - like most sports, you need to start training young, but in this one you can literally outgrow the profession before you get a chance to participate. And that's really hard to predict, especially since kids in Japan have been seriously outpacing their elders height-wise since WWII. Six-foot tall Japanese guys aren't so rare anymore. So I really feel for Hayato's dilemma. He's growing and can't make weight even if he starves himself, at a time of his development when that's the last thing he should be doing. I've read some horror stories about the things jockeys will do to make weight, and let's just say the industry is no more kind to the riders than it is to the horses. So I'm interested to see where they go with Hayato's story, especially in light of Episode 5's ending, which at the moment looks like they might be going for an easy way out of the issue. But since the problem is growth rather than over-eating, I honestly don't see a happy resolution for Hayato. On the bright side, I already adore horse whisperer Shun, who is a laid-back bundle of island sunshine, and the token girl Eri, who I wish got more screen time. I also laughed my ass off when Amane kept correcting instructor Asahi's Engrish during his lecture. Speaking of Asahi, I'm still not sure if he's got a twin brother or not. 
The horse racing animation...well, sometimes it's really nice, and sometimes it's clunky as hell. Too often the horses look more like mules than Thoroughbreds. But overall, I like the sense of style that runs through most of the series, and if nothing else, everyone is easy on the eyes. So give it a shot, if this is your sort of gig. |
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