Love All Play (novel series)

Love All Play (Japanese: ラブオールプレー, Hepburn: Rabu Ōru Purē) is a Japanese badminton-themed novel series written by Asami Koseki. Poplar Publishing have published four volumes between May 2011 and March 2014 under their Poplar Bunko Pureful imprint. An anime television series adaptation by Nippon Animation and OLM aired from April to September 2022. A manga adaptation with art by Dam Miyata was serialized online via Shueisha's Tonari no Young Jump manga website from April to October of the same year.

Love All Play
First novel volume cover
ラブオールプレー
(Rabu Ōru Purē)
GenreSports
Novel series
Written byAsami Koseki
Published byPoplar Publishing
ImprintPoplar Bunko Pureful
Original runMay 7, 2011March 5, 2014
Volumes4 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byHiroshi Takeuchi
Written byTomoko Konparu
Music byYuki Hayashi
Studio
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkytv, NTV
Original run April 2, 2022 September 24, 2022
Episodes24 (List of episodes)
Manga
Illustrated byDam Miyata
Published byShueisha
MagazineTonari no Young Jump
DemographicSeinen
Original runApril 8, 2022October 28, 2022
Volumes3 (List of volumes)

Characters edit

Ryō Mizushima (水嶋 亮, Mizushima Ryō)
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae[1]
Kento Yusa (遊佐 賢人, Yusa Kento)
Voiced by: Kishō Taniyama[2]
Shōhei Sakaki (榊 翔平, Sakaki Shōhei)
Voiced by: Yōhei Azakami[3]
Kōki Matsuda (松田 航輝, Matsuda Kōki)
Voiced by: Makoto Furukawa[3]
Taichi Higashiyama (東山 太一, Higashiyama Taichi)
Voiced by: Kensho Ono[3]
Yōji Higashiyama (東山 陽次, Higashiyama Yōji)
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara[3]
Akira Uchida (内田 輝, Uchida Akira)
Voiced by: Yuki Kaji[3]
Rika Mizushima (水嶋 里佳, Mizushima Rika)
Voiced by: Minako Kotobuki[3]
Jin Ebihara (海老原 仁, Ebihara Jin)
Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai[3]
Yūta Watanabe (水嶋 亮, Watanabe Yūta)
Voiced by: Yuta Watanabe[4]
Arisa Higashino (東野 有紗, Higashino Arisa)
Voiced by: Arisa Higashino[4]
Shizuo Nakano (中野 静雄, Nakano Shizuo)
Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze[5]
Hiroto Kadota (門田 博人, Kadota Hiroto)
Voiced by: Shimba Tsuchiya[5]
Yūsuke Yokokawa (横川 祐介, Yokokawa Yūsuke)
Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi[2]
Shōji Okazaki (岡崎 章二, Okazaki Shōji)
Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino[6]
Tetsuya Arimura (有村 哲也, Arimura Tetsuya)
Voiced by: Masamu Ono[6]
Haruomi Date (伊達 晴臣, Date Haruomi)
Voiced by: Kohsuke Toriumi[7]
Ren Miyagi (宮城 蓮, Miyagi Ren)
Voiced by: Yūki Tai[7]
Hana Sakurai (櫻井 花, Sakurai Hana)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu[8]
Shōgo Misaki (岬 省吾, Misaki Shōgo)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga[9]

Media edit

Novels edit

No. Release date ISBN
1 May 7, 2011[10]978-4591122686
2 March 6, 2012[11]978-4591128886
3 May 1, 2013[12]978-4591134641
4 March 5, 2014[13]978-4591139356

Anime edit

An anime television series adaptation was announced on August 7, 2021. The series is animated by Nippon Animation and OLM and directed by Hiroshi Takeuchi, with Tomoko Konparu handling series' composition, Riko Kaneda designing the characters, and Yuki Hayashi composing the series' music. It aired from April 2 to September 24, 2022, on ytv, NTV, and other channels.[14][3] The first opening theme song is "Haru Tsubame" (春玄鳥, "Spring Swallow") by Hey! Say! JUMP, while the ending theme song is "Lyra" (ライラ, Raira) by Longman.[15][16] The second opening theme song is "Sandersonia" (サンダーソニア, Sandāsonia) by Hey! Say! JUMP, while the second ending theme song is "Kaze no Naka" (風の中, "In the Wind") by Rei Yasuda.[17][18] Crunchyroll has licensed the series outside of Asia.[19] Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania minus Australia and New Zealand.[20]

Episode list edit

No.Title [21][22]Directed by [a]Written by [a]Storyboarded by [a]Original air date [23]
1"A Fair Wind"
Transliteration: "Junpū" (Japanese: 順風)
Hiroshi Takeuchi, Kanako Watanabe,
Kunpei Maeda
Tomoko KonparuHiroshi TakeuchiApril 2, 2022 (2022-04-02)
2"The Journey Begins"
Transliteration: "Tabidachi" (Japanese: 旅立ち)
Kunpei MaedaTomoko KonparuTebineri-gumi, Jun Kamiya,
Kunpei Maeda
April 9, 2022 (2022-04-09)
3"Entering School"
Transliteration: "Nyūgaku" (Japanese: 入学)
Ken'ichi NishidaShingo IrieTomoko AkiyamaApril 16, 2022 (2022-04-16)
4"Ranking Match"
Transliteration: "Rankingu-sen" (Japanese: ランキング戦)
Takahiro HirataMiharu HiramiJōji ShimuraApril 23, 2022 (2022-04-23)
5"Two"
Transliteration: "Futari" (Japanese: ふたり)
Masanori MiyataMiharu HiramiKunihisa SugishimaApril 30, 2022 (2022-04-30)
6"Twins"
Transliteration: "Tsuinzu" (Japanese: ツインズ)
Mayu NumayamaMasayuki TanakaNorio NittaMay 7, 2022 (2022-05-07)
7"Willpower"
Transliteration: "Iji" (Japanese: 意地)
Jinya IchimuraShingo IrieTebineri-gumi, Jun Kamiya,
Kunpei Maeda, Jinya Ichimura
May 14, 2022 (2022-05-14)
8"Summer Breeze"
Transliteration: "Natsukaze" (Japanese: 夏風)
Yūki MoritaYūichi OrikasaKen'ichi NishidaMay 21, 2022 (2022-05-21)
9"Training Camp"
Transliteration: "Gasshuku" (Japanese: 合宿)
Kanako WatanabeMotoko TakahashiJun KamiyaMay 28, 2022 (2022-05-28)
10"1+1"Sayaka YamaiArata KanohSayaka YamaiJune 4, 2022 (2022-06-04)
11"Fireworks"
Transliteration: "Hanabi" (Japanese: 花火)
Shigeki AwaiArata KanohYō★NakanoJune 11, 2022 (2022-06-11)
12"Gale"
Transliteration: "Hayate" (Japanese: 疾風)
Ken'ichi NishidaArata KanohJōji Shimura,
Sayaka Yamai
June 18, 2022 (2022-06-18)
13"Promise"
Transliteration: "Yasoku" (Japanese: 約束)
Jinya IchimuraYūichi OrikasaHideki TonokatsuJune 25, 2022 (2022-06-25)
14"Discord"
Transliteration: "Namikaze" (Japanese: 波風)
Hideaki ŌbaMotoko TakahashiHideaki ŌbaJuly 9, 2022 (2022-07-09)
15"Seniors"
Transliteration: "Senpai" (Japanese: 先輩)
Kōki Uchinomiya, Yūki Kusakabe,
Keizō Shimizu
Motoko TakahashiTakashi IidaJuly 16, 2022 (2022-07-16)
16"Hamburg Steak Revolution"
Transliteration: "Hanbāgu Kakumei" (Japanese: ハンバーグ革命)
Hiroshi KimuraMasako ImaiKen'ichi NishidaJuly 23, 2022 (2022-07-23)
17"Lull"
Transliteration: "Nagi" (Japanese: )
Yasuhiro NodaArata KanohMasayoshi NishidaJuly 30, 2022 (2022-07-30)
18"How the Wind Blows"
Transliteration: "Kumoyuki" (Japanese: 雲行)
Sayaka YamaiAyako KatōJōji ShimuraAugust 6, 2022 (2022-08-06)
19"Light Breeze"
Transliteration: "Kunpū" (Japanese: 薫風)
Shigeki AwaiMotoko TakahashiYoshiaki OkumuraAugust 13, 2022 (2022-08-13)
20"Departure"
Transliteration: "Shuttatsu" (Japanese: 出立)
Ken'ichi NishidaYūichi OrikasaKen'ichi NishidaAugust 20, 2022 (2022-08-20)
21"Whirlwind"
Transliteration: "Senpū" (Japanese: 旋風)
Jinya IchimuraArata KanohSatoshi NishimuraSeptember 3, 2022 (2022-09-03)
22"Push Forward"
Transliteration: "Yūō Maishin" (Japanese: 勇往邁進)
Sayaka YamaiAyako KatōJōji ShimuraSeptember 10, 2022 (2022-09-10)
23"Favorable Wind"
Transliteration: "Tokitsukaze" (Japanese: 時つ風)
Hiroshi KimuraArata KanohKen'ichi NishidaSeptember 17, 2022 (2022-09-17)
24"Love All Play"
Transliteration: "Rabu Ōru Purē" (Japanese: ラブオールプレー)
Kanako WatanabeMotoko TakahashiMasayoshi Nishida,
Hiroshi Takeuchi
September 24, 2022 (2022-09-24)

Manga edit

A manga adaptation with art by Dam Miyata was serialized online via Shueisha's Tonari no Young Jump website from April 8, 2022,[24] to October 28, 2022.[25] It was collected in three tankōbon volumes.

No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1 June 17, 2022[26]978-4-08-892323-9
2 September 16, 2022[27]978-4-08-892437-3
3 January 19, 2023[28]978-4-08-892541-7

Reception edit

Previews edit

Anime News Network had five editors review the first episode of the anime:[29] Caitlin Moore was positive towards the "smooth and glossy" animation having lifelike detail but was critical of the grounded storytelling that utilized a slow pace and less badminton scenes; Richard Eisenbeis praised the "solid human drama" surrounding Ryo's young adult life but felt the "bog-standard" ending with the cliché teammates lowered his excitement; James Beckett critiqued that the episode had nothing for casual viewers outside of its given sport, criticizing Ryo's introductory arc for being boring and utilizing a "chintzy soundtrack" to emphasize forced dramatics throughout the story; Nicholas Dupree observed that it followed the "average high-school sports show" formula but came across as "an uncomfortably stiff and empty start" to the show with dull character interactions and badminton scenes, concluding that he would "rather watch a match than sit through another episode of Love All Play going through the motions." The fifth reviewer, Rebecca Silverman, praised the episode for highlighting Ryo's interactions with his friends and family about his sport recommendation but noted that the "introductory nature" will require viewers to watch another episode or two to see how much they will enjoy it, concluding that "there's nothing overtly wrong with this episode even if there's nothing overtly right either, and if you're hankering for some boys playing sports in shorts, this very well might fit the bill."[29]

Series reception edit

Silverman reviewed the first half of the series and gave it a B− grade.[30] She praised the cast's "facial expressions" for making them distinct from each other (singling out identical twins Taichi and Youji), their interactions in and out of the sport and Ebihara being an "attentive coach", but found the overall plot "fairly cookie-cutter" with "rushed and choppy" pacing during its tournaments and a lack of focus on badminton, concluding that: "While it may not be the hot-blooded sports action some viewers are looking for, it is a perfectly decent series, and certainly one that's good enough to hang on to for a second cour."[30] Silverman chose Love All Play as her pick for the Worst Anime of 2022, writing: "It seemed oddly reluctant for a sports show to actually show, you know, sports. It had its moments, but not enough of them, and it's one of the few times I have thought I would really like to get back the hours I invested."[31]

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References edit

  1. ^ Loo, Egan (November 25, 2021). "'Love All Play' Badminton TV Anime's 2nd Teaser Unveils Lead Voice Actor Natsuki Hanae". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Loo, Egan (April 2, 2022). "Love All Play Badminton Anime Casts Kishō Taniyama, Hiroki Takahashi". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Mateo, Alex (February 8, 2022). "'Love All Play' Badminton TV Anime Reveals Cast, Visual, April 2 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 15, 2022). "Love All Play Badminton Anime Casts Real-Life Badminton Players". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 19, 2022). "Love All Play Anime Casts Masaya Matsukaze, Shimba Tsuchiya". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 1, 2022). "Love All Play Anime Casts Hiroyuki Yoshino, Masamu Ono". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 7, 2022). "Love All Play Anime Casts Kousuke Toriumi, Yuuki Tai". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  8. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 22, 2022). "Love All Play Anime Casts Mikako Komatsu as Hana Sakurai". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  9. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 25, 2022). "Love All Play Anime Casts Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Reveals New Summer-Themed Visual". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  10. ^ ラブオールプレー (in Japanese). Poplar Publishing. ASIN 4591122689.
  11. ^ 風の生まれる場所 ラブオールプレー (in Japanese). Poplar Publishing. ASIN 4591128881.
  12. ^ 夢をつなぐ風になれ ラブオールプレー (in Japanese). Poplar Publishing. ASIN 4591134644.
  13. ^ ラブオールプレー 君は輝く! (in Japanese). Poplar Publishing. ASIN 4591139352.
  14. ^ Loo, Egan (August 7, 2021). "'Love All Play' Badminton Novel Gets TV Anime Next Spring". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 24, 2022). "Hey! Say! JUMP Performs Love All Play Badminton Anime's Opening Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  16. ^ LONGMANがアニメ「ラブオールプレー」ED曲担当、5月リリースの新作に収録. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 27, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  17. ^ Mateo, Alex (June 14, 2022). "Hey! Say! JUMP Perform Love All Play Anime's 2nd Opening Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Mateo, Alex (June 20, 2022). "Rei Yasuda Performs Love All Play Anime's 2nd Ending Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  19. ^ Mateo, Alex (March 22, 2022). "Crunchyroll Announces Release Schedule for Spring 2022 Anime Season". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  20. ^ "✨Medialink April Line-Up Simulcast on Ani-One✨ 🏸《Love All Play》is arriving on Ani-One!". Facebook. March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  21. ^ "Sutōrī|Rabu Ōru Purē "Terebi Anime"" ストーリー|ラブオールプレー【TVアニメ】 [Story|Love All Play "TV Anime"]. love-all-play.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  22. ^ "Love All Play - Watch on Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  23. ^ "Dēta Hōsō|Rabu Ōru Purē "Terebi Anime"" データ放送|ラブオールプレー【TVアニメ】 [Data Broadcasting|Love All Play "TV Anime"]. love-all-play.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  24. ^ ラブオールプレー:テレビアニメ4月2日スタート バドミントン部キャストに阿座上洋平、古川慎、小野賢章、柿原徹也、梶裕貴. Mantan Web (in Japanese). February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  25. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (October 23, 2022). "Love All Play Manga Ends in Next Chapter". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
  26. ^ ラブオールプレー 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  27. ^ ラブオールプレー 2 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  28. ^ ラブオールプレー 3 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  29. ^ a b "Love All Play – The Spring 2022 Preview Guide". Anime News Network. April 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Silverman, Rebecca (June 28, 2022). "Love All Play Episodes 1-13 – Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  31. ^ "The Worst Anime of 2022 + The Mega Poll Results". Anime News Network. January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2023.

External links edit