Spring 2009 Anime Roundup - Basquash!
Giant Robots meet Basketball in Satelight's newest Offering.
Apr 27, 2009
Continuing the Spring 2009 Anime Roundup, this article looks at Basquash!, an original series co-created by Thomas Romain (director of Oban Star Racers) and anime legend Shoji Kawamori. Comments here are made based on viewing episodes one and two.
Story of Basquash
On a future planet known as Earth Dash, the population are separated into two classes: the upper class who live in a dazzling on the moon and everybody else on the planet itself. On said planet, a boy named Dan JD is a media terrorist, destroying televisions broadcasting Big Foot Basketball (think basketball with robots) after a Big Foot robot crippled his basketball playing sister Coco. When an actual BFB game is played in his city, Dan goes with the intent to sabotage, but instead brings rebirth the game, as its dirty secret is an utterly boring method of play sold through hyperactive broadcasting tricks.
At the end of the first episode, Dan is caught and imprisoned for a year, only to be hailed as the legend responsible for making the game fun. Stuck with the bill for the damage he caused and turned out by his sister, Dan is forced to take odd jobs before ultimately playing the game he loathes.
Sound
Fans of Macross Frontier's music will likely find much to appreciate in Basquatch's score. Full of upbeat idol pop, the music permeates the series and enlivens the procedings at all points. The theme tunes are pleasant, though Yu Yamada's ending song feels like it's trying too hard to be urban.
Vision
Similar to Satelite's prior efforts (Aquarion, Macross Frontier), Basquash! is chock full of beautifully animated sequences and visualy exciting fight sequences. The character designs (an effort from Kazuhiro Soeta, SUEZEN, and Takahiro Yoshimatsu) are unique and cartoony, causing a mixed bag of an effect as the chara designs often lack detail and shading. The female characters are also targeted towards those who like their fanservice on the blatantly sexual side.
Alternatively, the backgrounds are hyper-detailed and justify the HD broadcast. Featuring countless lines to represent cityscapes, the glowing moon city, and the endless sky, the settings are lushly rendered. Likewise the mechanical designs (Stanislas Brunet) and the CG are equally well detailed and a joy to watch. Though not entirely in your face like the advertising in Freedom Project, a worthy point to note is that all of the shoe and feet designs in Basquash! were designed by staff at Nike.
Summary
Basquash is a fun series for fans of both robot shows and sports anime, and despite dedicating the first episode to exposition manages to start things off with a bang. Whether or not the series can hold up in the long run is yet to be seen.
