is a Japanese
light novel
A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging.
The abbr ...
series written by Kotoko Ayano, with illustrations by Chinatsu Morimoto. The first novel won a Special Judge Award in the
Kyoto Animation
, often abbreviated , is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. It was founded in 1985 by husband and wife Hideaki and Yoko Hatta, who remain its president and vice-president respectively.
Kyoto ...
Award competition in 2016, and was published by the studio in December of that year.
An
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series adaptation, produced by Kyoto Animation, aired from October 2018 to January 2019. A
compilation film
A compilation film, or compilation movie is a film composed of scenes and shots taken from two or more prior films or television programs and edited together so as to make a new film, whether on the same or a different subject. The most common e ...
premiered in August 2022. A second season aired from January 2023 to March 2023.
Plot
Minato Narumiya used to be in his middle school's
kyūdō
''Kyūdō'' () is the Japanese martial art of archery. Kyūdō is based on ''kyūjutsu'' ("art of archery"), which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan. In 1919, the name of kyūjutsu was officially changed to kyūdō, and following ...
club until a certain incident in his last tournament caused him to resolve to quit archery for good. When he attends high school, his childhood friends Seiya Takehaya and Ryōhei Yamanouchi try to rope him into joining the high school's kyūdō club again, but he refuses. However, an encounter with a mysterious man at an archery range at a shinto temple in a forest inspires Minato to take up archery once more. Minato joins the Kazemai High School Kyūdō Club and along with his old friends and new teammates, Nanao Kisaragi and Kaito Onogi, they aim for winning the prefectural tournament.
Characters
Kazemai High School Archery Club
;
:
:Minato is a first-year student. He is childhood friends with Seiya and Ryohei. A teammate of Shu and Seiya in Middle School. He's in the boys team of kyūdō. He and Shu had the same archery teacher before going to the same middle school. His mother died in an accident that also injured him, and he now performs many domestic chores at his home, such as cooking meals. He lives across the street from Seiya. He begins the series with
target panic, which in his case manifests as a tendency to loose his arrow too quickly and miss the target.
;
:
:Seiya is a first-year student. He is childhood friends with Minato and Ryohei. A teammate of Shu and Minato in middle school. He's also the club head and captain of the boys' team. Seiya is intelligent, first in his class at Kazemai, and while he doesn't like to talk about himself he obviously highly values his relationship with Minato even to the extent of leaving the more prestigious Kirisaki school system to follow him to Kazemai, wanting to convince him to restart Kyudo.
;
:
:Ryohei is a first-year student. He is Minato and Seiya's childhood friend. He went to a different middle school as his friends, but met back up in high school. He's in the boys team of kyūdō. He is a relative novice, having begun kyūdō late in middle school after seeing Minato in a match.
;
:
:Nanao is a first-year student. He is also Kaito's cousin. He's in the boys team of kyūdō. He is cheerful and seemingly superficial and has many female admirers.
;
:
:Kaito is a first-year student. He is also Nanao's cousin. He's in the boys team of kyūdō. He takes kyūdō very seriously and is highly critical of those that he thinks do not. Many first year beginners in the club cited their fear of him as a reason they quit the club.
;
:
:Rika is a first-year student. She is the captain of the girls' team. The other girls greatly admire her.
;
:
:Noa is a first-year student. She's in the girls team of kyūdō.
;
:
:Yuna is a first-year student. She's in the girls team of kyūdō.
;
:
:Tomio, also called Tommy-sensei or the Oni Archer, is the teacher who acts as the Kyūdō Club advisor. He holds a 6-dan rank in kyūdō but his back often goes out soon after he shoots.
;
:
:Masaki is a Senior Shrine Priest at Yuta Shrine, later becomes the coach for the Kyūdō Club. He holds a 5-dan rank in kyūdō. At one point he, like Minato, had target panic and temporarily lost his ability to shoot properly.
Kirisaki High School Archery Club
;
:
:Shu is a first-year Student, also the former teammate of Minato and Seiya in middle school. He and Minato had the same archery teacher before going to the same middle school. Stoic and solitary, he values his rivalry with Minato but considers motivations unlike his own to be unworthy.
;
:
:Daigo is a third-year student. He's also the vice-captain of the Kyūdō Club.
;
:
:Senichi is a first-year student. He is the identical twin to Manji, who is in the same club. Seemingly interchangeable with his brother, they viciously mock competitors and look down on those they don't see as talented. They both use an unusually quick release style but remain highly accurate archers.
;
:
:Manji is a first-year student. He is the identical twin to Senichi, who is in the same club. Seemingly interchangeable with his brother, they viciously mock competitors and look down on those they don't see as talented. They both use an unusually quick release style but remain highly accurate archers.
;
:
:Hiroki is a third-year student who is the captain of the Kyūdō Club.
Tsujimine High School Archery Club
;
:
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:
;
:
;
:
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:
Media
Light novels
Anime
An
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series adaptation was originally scheduled to premiere on October 15, but due to organizational issues, the series aired from October 22, 2018, to January 21, 2019, on
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
. The series was produced by
Kyoto Animation
, often abbreviated , is a Japanese animation studio and light novel publisher located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. It was founded in 1985 by husband and wife Hideaki and Yoko Hatta, who remain its president and vice-president respectively.
Kyoto ...
and was directed by Takuya Yamamura, with
Michiko Yokote
is a Japanese screenwriter.
Screenwriting
• Head writer/series composition denoted in bold
Anime television series
*'' Patlabor: The TV Series'' (1990)
*'' Ranma ½'' (1990–1992)
*''Rurouni Kenshin'' (1996)
*'' Magical Project S '' (1996– ...
handling the series' scripts, and Miku Kadowaki designing the characters. Harumi Fūki composed the series' music.
The opening theme song is "Naru" by Luck Life, and the ending theme is by
ChouCho
is a Japanese singer from Osaka Prefecture and is signed to Lantis.
Career
ChouCho initially formed the band ''Lotus Lotus'' in 2007 when still in high school and performed covers of songs from anime. Starting in June 2008, ChouCho began subm ...
. The series was simulcast by
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
.
Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC (or simply Sentai) is an American entertainment company. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is Sentai Studios.
The ...
has acquired the series for distribution in North America, Australasia, South America, and other territories. An unaired 14th episode was screened at an event on March 3, 2019 and released with the first Blu-ray/DVD on May 1, 2019, with
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...
later releasing it in English.
On October 22, 2020, it was revealed that the series would be receiving a new anime film project. The film, titled , premiered in Japan on August 19, 2022. It serves as a compilation of the first season with new scenes.
On the day of the film's premiere, it was announced that the series would be receiving a second season, subtitled , with Yamamura returning as director. It premiered on January 5, 2023, and ended on March 30, 2023.
The opening theme song is "°C" by Luck Life, and the ending theme song is by Tei.
Season 1
Season 2
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Kyoto Animation
2016 Japanese novels
Anime and manga based on light novels
Crunchyroll anime
KA Esuma Bunko
Kyoto Animation
Light novels
NHK original programming
Sentai Filmworks
Sports anime and manga
Television series about archery
Television shows based on light novels
Tokyo MX original programming