Kabaddi, Kabaddi... Kabaddi, Kabaddi... Kabaddi, Kabaddi...
I somehow thought this was a soccer anime. I thought Kabaddi is just a name, but apparently it's a pretty interesting sport. Still, this series is still a textbook sport anime, like Haikyuu. A main character with certain talent, many side characters each with certain quirks, a famous captain or ace, voiceover that explains the rules, and of course, an upcoming tournament.
Even though there's not a lot of surprises in its progression, the show was still entertaining and exciting. The animation looked solid with good focus on the physique and limb movements of the athletes. For a seemingly simple and even silly sport, kabaddi was actually more fun than expected. The characters had insane reactions and dodge touches like germaphobes. However, since there was only 12 episodes, the first season was only a buildup that gave me a taste of what the anime would bring in the future.
For the side characters, the captain was certainly the most intriguing. His style was for sure entertaining to watch. He wasn't as big or mighty as other captains, but he's still a menace. Among the stereotypical characters, I still fell into a trap, which was quite funny.
As for motivation and backstory, I honestly wasn't too impressed because they were done similarly in other shows. Our MC, from his story and personality, is basically Kageyama from Haikyuu. Some characters were introduced, had a basic backstory, and then didn't become relevant later. I'm sure this is because of the first season, and more will be expanded later.
I also enjoyed the humors in this show. I'm simple when it comes to laughing at jokes, and I particularly liked funny character moments in sport anime. Because of this, I pretty much chuckled or laugh at any of the jokes in this show.
Overall, a straightforward but well-done sport anime that set up for later seasons, where the real exciting stuff will be. 7/10.
