Rising Impact - Season 1

Rising Impact is an average sports shōnen from the author of Nanatsu no Taizai. Nakaba Suzuki's signature style is evident in the character designs and his fondness for Arthurian legends (yes, we have Camelot, Lancelot, Gawain, and Merlin here — though they feel a bit out of place in a golf setting). His humor, penchant for risqué jokes, and odd pairings are also present. The anime focuses on golf, but since it's targeted at young boys, it’s presented in an exciting way. Think along the lines of Kuroko's Basketball—adding unique (superhuman) abilities that look cool. Playing on standard golf courses with a few ponds, bunkers, and trees wouldn't cut it for the young audience, so we get the most bizarre and challenging courses imaginable (spirals, cliffs, cascades, etc.). Besides innate talent, reaching a godly level of skill requires incredible effort — swinging the club a thousand times a day, running ten kilometers daily, and eventually becoming the next Tiger Woods. The characters are somewhat lackluster. The protagonist feels like a mix of Meliodas and Hawk, so he can be endearing but also incredibly annoying. Most other characters are one-dimensional, each with a unique golf skill. However, if you turn off your brain, the series can be entertaining. The story moves at a decent pace, and the fantastical "golf" can be fun to watch, even if I prefer more traditional takes like this season's Hey! Tonbo. Admittedly, I’m not the target audience for Rising Impact at my age. So after Gawain’s final shot of the season, I’m landing at a 4.9/10 and will consider watching the announced second season only if I have too much time on my hands this summer. (06/22/2024)