Anime Reviews: Sk8 the Infinity

Dont worry. Its spoiler free.

Sk8 the Infinity. Skateboards and friendship and…BL undetones? Oh my!

I started watching Sk8 The Infinity when I saw how many awards it was nominated for in the Crunchyroll awards list, including Best Antagonist, Best Character Design, Best VA Performance, and Best Ending Sequence.

I never thought I would even remotely enjoy an anime about skateboarding- but I was hooked from the first episode. It’s  only 12 episodes long and is very bingable. I loved it!

It’s a comedy, a sports anime, and a slice-of-life about friendship about growing up. The characters are all unique and fun, and just overall, it’s fun to watch.

As for the notation about the BL undertones…some say the BL is canon, other people say not at all. On the “Might be BL” scale- with K project as 1 and Yuri on Ice as a 5, I would give it a solid three. So decide for yourself!

Plot Rating: 5/5. As I always say about sports anime, the plot isn’t super convoluted and complicated. The story opens focused on Langa, who has just moved from his home in Canada to Okinawa. He befriends one of his school mates, Reki, who is obsessed with skateboarding. Although he has never skateboarded in his life, it turns out he has a real knack for it, his unique style coming from his years of snowboarding training. The two friends enter ‘S’ the most challenging of all skating competitions as they hone their skills and work towards becoming the best skater at ‘S’. Along their journey they make new friends and learn and grow in simple, yet charming character development.

The pacing was perfect. There can often be times in anime where the plot drags or “filler episodes” are thrown in. Sk8 was great episode after episode, with great pacing and balanced storyline.

Character Rating: 5/5. Every character in this show is interesting and fun. There are two stories that run parallel, the story about Joe and Cherry and their friendship with Adam, and Reki and Langa’s story. They are intertwined but also separate, which makes for a great show that doesn’t get boring. Adam is an excellent antagonist, while seeming evil through and through, his tragic backstory makes him a much more sympathetic character.

Intro/outro: 5/5. I was sure the intro was going to be nominated for best intro. It was so much fun to watch! The outro was good as well (and nominated for the Crunchyroll award.)

Genre: 4/5. Sports, comedy, slice of life, drama, it really has it all. It wouldn’t adhere to one single genre and was very well rounded.

Overall score? 5/5. I usually have something bad to say about every show I rate, show since I do like to nit-pick. However, Sk8 the infinity was a great show. It was funny, well written, and BL undertones or not, it’s something everyone will enjoy, regardless of how you feel about skateboarding.

What do you think? Did you watch Sk8?