To say that MAPPA is staying busy in 2020 is an understatement of the year.
MAPPA animation studio has been ruling 2020 with tons of successful releases including the God of High School, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dorohedoro, and the rumored Attack on Titan Season 4.
MAPPA now has revealed to be releasing yet another original anime about gymnastics, Taiso Samurai. It will be the studio’s eighth series this year.
The animation studio is known for creating amazing original anime like Yuri on Ice and Zankyou no Terror.
With these tidbits, let’s move ahead to discuss its release date.
1. Release Date
MAPPA announced that Taiso Samurai would premiere at 1:30 a.m. on October 10th, 2020 in TV Asahi’s NUMAnimation block.
The original TV animation ‘Taiso Samurai’ will start airing from October 10, 2020 on TV Asahi. Check the official website for more details!
English Translation, Twitter Translate
TV Asahi also announced that NUMAnimation would expand to station affiliates throughout Japan starting in October.
The makers of the studio dropped the bombshell of the anime on the audience quite recently. It’s visuals and PV have gotten a lot of attention from the fans.
Let’s take a look!
2. Visuals & Trailers
The official website released a key visual. The same visual was used to announce the broadcast of Taiso Samurai on the anime’s official Twitter account.
Another visual of the main characters in a gymnasium stadium was also released.
MAPPA released the official PV for the new sports anime on its newly opened Twitter account.
The PV for the TV animation Taiso Samurai, which will start broadcasting from October 10th 2020, has been released! Please take a look!
The video starts with gymnastics equipment to set the world of the new sports anime. It gives an intricate detailing on the apparatuses, lightning, and gorgeous soundtrack in the background.
We can pinpoint Shoutarou, the MC, and the other supporting cast.
Now that we have seen everything, what exactly is the anime about?
3. Expected Plot
Set in 2002, Taiso Samurai tells the story of a former Japan representative, Shoutarou Aragaki.
Aragaki, now 29-years old, was once in the powerful gymnastics team; however, despite his strenuous training, he could no longer compete to his expectations.
Noriyaki Amakusa, his coach, keeps suggesting retirement as Aragaki continues to fail.
But a certain encounter alters Aragaki’s fate. His love, devotion, and hard work towards the sport, support from his daughter, Rei, push him in another direction.
The enthralling video has attracted the attention of anime fans around the world. But do they like it?
4. Fan Reactions and Expectations
Avid sports fans have fulfilled their wishes in forms of basketball, football, and even tennis anime. This time it’s the time for gymnastics geeks.
This anime is MAPPA’s second try at an original sports anime, after Yuri on Ice. It seems to have the same base elements.
MC, in his 20s, close to giving up on a sport he loves, has the support of family and relations, and the biggest factor is that ‘something’ changed his life.
The PV also reminds people of rehabilitation sports anime like Tsurune. But the main contrast seems to be with Haikyuu.
Haikyuu was created to increase the interest in the volleyball sport, and it worked! Taiso Samurai is leaning on the same effect but in gymnastics. Even Uchimura Kohei, an Olympian, spoke about this new anime.
From the trailer, MAPPA seems to have done a great job capturing the incense of the sport.
The animation is amazing and it captures the determination in the protagonist’s eyes, the silent observing coach, and the competition in other gymnasts.
The PV looks promising with all technical details, and it will give this underrated sport the attention it deserves.
Interestingly, the director and the series composer seem to have worked on MAPPA’s Zombie Land Saga together. Let’s see who are the other staff behind this anime.
5. Music & Animation
Animation Quality
MAPPA has always been great in adapting animation styles for different anime. The animators are flexible enough to adjust the style for their source material.
The sports enthusiasts noted the horizontal bar moments looked very realistic, and the routines are nicely choreographed (remember the Yuri on Ice choreographies??).
The animation for Taiso Samurai looks very solid. For a sports anime with a lot of movements, it used a mix of CGI and 2D scenes.
MAPPA can use CGI well in their anime and they proved themselves before in Inuyashiki and Dorohedoro. Let’s see how this one turns out.
Theme Songs
Masaru Yokoyama is the one who created the music for Arakawa Under the Bridge, Nobunaga Concerto, Your Lie in April, Sirius, and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches.
He will also be taking charge of Taiso Samurai’s music composition.
6. Cast & Staff
The following are the cast and staff members for Taiso Samurai:
Staff
| Studio | MAPPA |
| Director | Shimizu Hisatoshi |
| Series Composition | Murakoshi Shigeru |
| Character Design | Kasumi Fukagawa |
Cast
| Character | Voice Actor | Famous Works |
| Shoutarou | Namikawa Daisuke | Oikawa Tooru (Haikyuu), Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter 2011) |
| Noriyuki | Horiuchi Kenyuu | Pain (Naruto Shippuden), Kinemon (One Piece) |
| Tetsuo | Kaji Yuki | Todoroki Shouto (My Hero Academia), Eren (Attack on Titans) |
| Rei | Honizumi Rina | Rinne (Kyoukai no Rinne), Sicily (Kenjo no Mago) |
| Leonardo | Ono Kensho | Akutagawa Ryunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kuroko Tetsuya (Kuroko no Basuke) |
7. About Taiso Samurai
Unable to perform well in the 2002 World Gymnastics, former Japan representative, Shoutarou Aragaki is recommended to retire.
The 29-year old, who devoted his life to gymnastics, even after training daily, has to give up. But his fate seems to change due to a certain encounter.
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