The new sportsanime series Backflip!! has been earning praise from both fans and professional critics alike for its stellar and fluid animation and slowly unraveling story about an underdog team coming together and learning to function as a unit before the seniors in the club have to graduate at the end of the academic year.
Premiering on April 9th, 2021, this series is animated by studio Zexcs and directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi, the series is airing in the famous noitaminA time slot (which makes this the second men's gymnastics series to air during this time slot within the last year). The series is scheduled to air for 12 episodes.
Is Backflip Anime Based on a Manga or Light Novel and Is It Complete, Finished, or Ongoing?
Backflip!! is special because it's one of the growing numbers of series that have appeared lately to not be based on any kind of source material. This is an entirely original story penned by Toshizo Nemoto so no one has any idea what is going to happen later on down the line besides the creative staff and I don't know about you but I find that all kinds of exciting! The series did have a manga series start back in January 2021, however, which is still ongoing.
I've honestly written about Backflip!! so many times now that I'm running out of good things to say about it, particularly because it's only 3 episodes old so far. I can say with certainty that I am excited about watching more of this series though I do wish that the series were a bit more focused on one or two characters rather than the six that we're currently trying to get to know (not including the newest characters we just recently met from a rival high school). That said, however, I'm still very much enjoying the interplay between the characters that we have met so far and am looking forward to learning about Shotaro and see him develop as a gymnast under the careful tutelage of his senpais.
Backflip!! continues to be a stellar way to spend part of my Thursdays!