Hanebado!

Hanebado! (はねバド!), also known as The Badminton Play of Ayano Hanesaki!, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōsuke Hamada. It centers around high school girls playing badminton. The manga was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine good! Afternoon from June 2013 to October 2019, and has been compiled into 16 tankōbon volumes. The story revolves around two contrasting characters: Ayano Hanesaki, a girl with exceptional athletic ability who dislikes badminton, and Nagisa Aragaki, the passionate captain of the badminton club who struggles after a crushing defeat. Under the guidance of their coach, Kentaro Tachibana, they meet in the Kitakomachi High School badminton club, gradually overcoming their personal obstacles to pursue the true meaning of badminton. The series not only showcases intense matches but also delves into the complex relationships of characters, and the growth they experience through effort, talent and failure. An anime adaptation aired from July to October 2018, consisting of 13 episodes, and was accompanied by novels and other spin-offs. The animation introduced innovations in visual style, which provoked considerable discussion. The manga's art style also changed over the course of the story, transitioning from a more cute style in early volumes to a dynamic sports-oriented style, making it distinct among sports manga.