'Hanebado!' Latest News: Official Site Launched for Upcoming Anime Adaptation of Kousuke Hamada's Badminton Manga Series
An upcoming anime adaptation has been greenlit for the Japanese manga series "Hanebado!" which was written and illustrated by Kousuke Hamada.
The announcement was made via a newly launched website, which has also revealed the first key visual art and a 40-second teaser video for the series. The Japanese animation studio LIDEN FILMS will be handling the animation with Shinpei Ezaki taking on the role of director. Taku Kishimoto is handling the series scripts, Satoshi Kimura is in charge of the character designs, Kazuhiro Wakabayashi is doing sound direction, and Tatsuya Katou is taking care of music composition.
Hitomi Owada has been announced as the voice of the series protagonist Ayano Hanesaki, while Miyuri Shimabukuro will be taking on the role of Nagisa Aragaki.
The source manga, which is also known as "The Badminton Play of Ayano Hanesaki!" debuted on Kodansha's "good! Afternoon" magazine in 2013 and has since been published in 11 collected volumes.
It tells the story of the Kitakomachi High School's badminton team and how its coach, Kentarou Tachibana, takes all possible efforts to recruit enough members to the unpopular club in order to be able to enter competitions. He particularly sets his eyes on a student named Ayano, who is climbing a large tree on the school grounds when he spots her. The feat allows Ayano to demonstrate some excellent motor skills that an efficient badminton player should have.
However, Kentarou will have a rather tough time convincing Ayano to join the badminton team because, for some reason, the girl has come to hate the sport itself.
A side story novel written by Yuuichi Mochizuki and illustrated by the original manga creator Hamada has been scheduled for release on June 29. It will reportedly be set at the Fredericia Girls' School a year before the main manga series' timeline.
The "Hanebado" anime series is scheduled to premiere sometime in the summer. Information on the official broadcast date and online resources will be available on the series' official site at a later date.
