Expected at the start of the year, here are two productions that should appeal to fans of badminton, golf and sports in general.
Mikoto Shiratori, a former badminton prodigy, gave up hope of a career in the sport due to a major loss when he was still in high school. Today, he works in the sales department of the Sunlight Beverage company and plays badminton occasionally with some of his colleagues. This new life is an opportunity to witness the birth of a new kind of businessman, somewhere between the “salaryman” and the athlete.
The world of badminton in the spotlight
This is what awaits the most curious in this original project led by Team RMC, which will be released on January 22 in Japan. In France, its distribution is planned on Crunchyroll (which is full of new features in January). Centered on the themes of badminton and salarymen, the anime will be directed by Aimi Yamauchi within the animation studio LIDEN FILMS. Teruko Utsumi and Aimi Yamauchi are penning the script, and Maziro is credited for character design, based on original designs by Suzuhito Yasuda. Finally, the Felix Film studio is at work behind the 3D and the music is signed by the Japanese group Fox capture plan. A few days ago, the official website of the series unveiled a new trailer for the anime Salaryman’s Club. A new montage which allows in particular to discover the ending of the series. Title 1/25 millions, the song is performed by Japanese singer Mafumafu. For its part, it is the Japanese group Novelbright that we find behind the opening The Warrior.
A first animated film on women’s golf
It’s a fact known to fans, sport is a popular theme in the world of manga and anime, and it’s not a work like Slam Dunk who will say otherwise. In 2022, the trend is not likely to weaken, as this anime proves Salaryman’s Club or the long-awaited sequel to The Prince of Tennis. To this list, one can also add another name, Birdie Wing : Golf Girls’ Story. Expected in Japan next April, the anime is directed by Takayuki Inagaki and scripted by Kuroda Yosuke, all for animation studios Bandai Namco Pictures. Not content with being the first anime released on the HTC-owned virtual reality platform Viveport, it’s also the first anime film based on women’s golf.
The result of a collaboration between HTC and Bandai Namco Pictures, Birdie Wing : Golf Girls’ Story tells the story of Eve and Aoi, two golf enthusiasts. The first is a true genius of the sport, regularly betting on the sport to try to make a living, and the second is the daughter of a great elite golfer and powerful business leader. Although coming from two different worlds, the two young women are instantly attracted to each other and a rivalry will emerge between two talented players with very different assets.
