SK∞

Gay people are soooo dramatic. It feels like the centre of gravity of the skateboarders was way too much foreward. However someone else would need to tell me if that's right or not. The first time i'll say this, but this should've taken place over two seasons, or the serie should've had more episodes. It did not get enough time to fully develop and flesh out the characters. It had a lot of potential and it showed that, but the time constraint made for a rushed timeline. Wherein things like training arcs, background storys, and risks of being a skateboarder were lightly touched upon without havung the chance to further develop. If you have the time to make this a quick watch, i would recommend it.

It’s scary not knowing your happiness, the passion that drives your heart. Langa a half-Canadian and half-Japanese boy with no skateboarding experience, has become empty after snowboarding coldly left him empty. After coming to Japan he learns of skateboarding and soon enough nothing gets his heart racing more than enjoying the moment with friends while skating. It’s petrifying when you love something so much yet those around you are infinitely more skilled. Reki, someone who grew up skateboarding, teaches Langa what he’s most passionate about: skateboarding. Despite the soul crushing reality of never being able to reach the same heights as Langa, none of that is something Reki can control. SK8 is learning how to have fun— to do what one loves wholeheartedly with friends. Langa has more potential as a skater than Reki, nevertheless the world of skating isn’t confined to who’s the better skater. There is infinite possibilities, your imagination is the limit! One can skate at anytime and anywhere, the only rules are to have fun! SK8 resonates deeply for me and others of the same opinions because the message of having fun while doing the things your passionate is often forgotten. Humanity struggles grasping the concept of happiness and how to live their lives. Langa once was in the same position as many of us are in currently! Langa had lost his passion, vacant on the snowy mountains. Once he reached Japan and learned skateboarding from the most passionate Reki, Langa’s heart opened again. Find your passion, enjoy it with friends, and ultimately have fun.

I really wanted to love this show. Well, that's not quite right. I guess I just wanted a skating anime to be good. Instead, SK8 somehow misses the spirit of skating right from the premise. None of the characters feel like skaters, perhaps tragically no one working on this project has met a skater. The only appeal to be found is pretty boys (and even so, save three characters, most are quite hard to like). The plot of this show consists of characters racing down an illegal track, no rules. Reki, the shounen MC without talent meets natural ace Langa, who soon overshadows Reki and captures the interest of the big bad, and so on. These "beefs" the characters engage in represent the problem I have with this show: it is completely divorced from the real world activity of skating. They frame skating as an interactive competitive sport, when most skaters instead focus on just like nailing one trick, over and over. It is quintessentially about self improvement and pushing yourself, not competition. Friends might play a round of 'skate' or something, but like nobody really cares about racing each other. It mashes two completely separate scenes, trick skating and downhill racing, which truly don't have much in common. I could go on. All the characters in both the foreground and background are generally unpleasant. It's going for like a bad boy/delinquent appeal thing, but generally these people would not be skating, or care about skating. Of course, everything to do with Adam was a waste of time. The C plot about investigating him went literally nowhere while taking far too much time, his backstory was boring to the extreme. How did anyone think he was worth that much time? Why does a skate anime even have a villain? Ranga and Reki's relationship and casual skating in the early episodes was the highlight of the show. There it felt most grounded, even with very bombastic bishounen characters. Give us a show of this: slice of life skating, it just works. I don't mean to bash it for not being realistic, as obviously that's not the point, but I feel its inspirations lie apart from reality. This is not a show about skating, simply a skate skinned sports bishounen cashgrab (again, with a concerning roster of boys. Honestly, who cares about anyone other than Reki, Langa, and maybe Miya??). Overall: 3/10 Watch if you love the main characters or just stay away.

If I had to describe SK8 the Infinity in two words it would be “ridiculous” and “fun”. This may be the most unabashedly over-the-top anime that I have ever seen. A secret skating community full of people with alter-egos that race down a mountain. Skaters that can defy the laws of physics. A skater that can break rock walls with the force of his quads. A computer skateboard that can transform into different boards and calculate the best routes on a course. Oh, how could I also forget the guy that dresses like a masquerade bullfighter and acts like Hisoka’s impressionable younger brother? If you are looking for a realistic skateboarding anime, you won’t find it here. What you will find here, however is a really good time. Bones is the studio behind this anime so you know you are in for some good animation. The races are the highlights of the series and they look fantastic. The animation is so smooth and you can always tell what is going on despite the skaters racing on a rocky, mountain course at night. The art is very clean as well. Even though the art style is nothing special, it’s still high quality and characters are never off-model. The characters themselves are pretty straightforward, but they have distinct personalities and are brought to life by some great voice acting. The sound design is top-notch as well and the OST fit the style of the show to a “T”. You may be wondering why my score for this anime is only 7/10 despite praising it so much these first few paragraphs. The reason for that lies within the writing of this anime. While I find that the plot is pretty standard (it mainly revolves around races and one of the main characters teaching a new kid how to skateboard) there was so much unneccesary things added in to force drama and to appeal to a certain fanbase. I don’t believe that some down-to-Earth aspects like realistic drama are a bad thing for an over-the-top anime. If it is all fun and games all the time then it can get a little repetitive. But, forcing drama between characters for no other reason aside from adding meaningless tension is not the way to go about it. Especially when it is at the cost of betraying everything about a character to do so. I won’t spoil anything, but one of the main characters starts being a complete ass for no real reason. The reason the anime gives is not something that this character cared about at all before the conflict occurred. Now all-of-a-sudden it is so important to him that he deals with it for 4 TOTAL EPISODES! If you are going to force some conflict, at least make it quick. Don’t stretch out a meaningless conflict that betrays how one of the main characters has been written for 1/3rd of your entire series. That is just bad writing. But what annoyed me the most about this anime is how much yaoi-bait is present throughout this series. DISCLAIMER: I have no problem with gay relationships being portrayed in anime or in any medium. What I do have a problem with is when gay relationships are being heavily suggested by an anime, yet nothing ever comes from it. There is a lot of gay relationships that are suggested in this anime and none of it has any significance by the end. All that time and deliberate effort spent suggesting these relationships is left with an ambiguous at best conclusion. Don’t get me wrong, I know why the creators did this. The yaoi fanbase is a passionate one that is known for creating fan art, fanfiction, etc. Having passionate fans is a great way to spread awareness of an anime and it isn’t like the sports genre is unfamiliar with fans shipping male characters. It irritates me when I see an anime intentionally trying to tap into this market, yet not having the resolution to go through with it and make the characters actually gay. It’s like I’m watching the anime making desparate attempts to convince watchers to make content about it, as if it doesn’t have confidence that it is good enough to grab people’s attention. But it also feels like it is trying to “have its cake and eat it too” by suggesting these relationships for the yaoi fanbase but not going through as to not scare off people that do not like that content. This indecision puts it in no man’s land where it feels cheap and insincere, by far the worst option between leaving it out or making the characters gay. Aside from the shameless yaoi-bait and the contrived conflict, I do not have much else to really criticize this anime for. There was a meaningless canon filler/recap episode that also served as fanservice in the middle of the season which didn’t help my rating. But that is about it for my gripes. Looking back, I think this anime could have been slimmed down into a good movie if all the bad stuff I talked about was cut out of it. There is a lot to like about this anime. It is a blast to watch when the characters are racing and was a pretty good time overall. I would recommend giving it a shot because it is an easy watch. Although if you drop it for the reasons I mentioned, I wouldn’t hold it against you. It is closer to a 6/10 than an 8/10.

This is the most homo-erotic sports anime of all time. Witness the story of two skateboarders falling in love, not with the sport, but each other. It has everything you could want from a sports anime: competition, a love triangle, and of course, soft moaning. The story and action is obviously unrealistic, but it's still enjoyable. The characters are fine. There's an awful lot of blushing, close whispering, and sultry looks between fellow athletes. Exactly how I remember the skate park from when I was a kid. The art is above average and the opening song is pretty good. The story revolves around Langa and Reki. Reki is the normal character and the one he has a crush on is Langa, the Goku of this saga. You'll follow along as they both discover their reason for skateboarding. The story isn't incredible but it's enjoyable enough. If you have nothing better to do, you may as well watch this anime. It's pretty good. I'd rate it a 7/10 overall.

so, i loved the saturdays when i watched sk8 until the episode they have started to apeal too much. you know what? sport animes have a bad reputation because of that nonsense plotlines and i need to say that these last 3 episodes just was "ok" because of reki understanding how the real world of beaing good on something works. and, of course, this anime has A TON of queerbaiting, and i dont think thats a good thing to do. just do the characters lgbt already, gosh thats so lame. and the adam's plot? im so disapointed. the music was ok, i loved the opening and the ending but in my point of view some things have made me realize that the anime have lost the central message and they have TRIED to put it back in the last episode, and... well, was not that good. i really LOVE the characters and see a lot of myself in reki but an story is not only about characters right? they have lost the line with adam, cherry, shadow and even langa (?). SPOILER AFTER THAT!! . . . . . . . . . . adam is a sick growup men who have treated a TEENAGER like a PSYCHO STALKER and in the end everyone was cheering for him because he was enjoying the ride??? GUYS??? G U Y S???? its the part that i have hated the most, that was so ridiculous.

Sk∞ is the skateboarding anime that people have been waiting decades for. A show which had only not been made eariler due to limits in technology. But does it live up to the hype fans give it. To begin with, it was a dark horse. A show that a lot of people didnt even realize existed until the internet exploded. Then it still went widely ignored. Being that it is my favorite show of the winter season i have bias but, to be honest. It got the attention it deserved. The show follows two main characters and a very dynamic cast of sides. Reki and Langa. Langa being a Canadian, after his father passed his mother decided to return to her homeland of japan. Being thrust into this new land with very little preparation Langa is lost. There are not any mountains or snow where he is. so he would need to find a new hobby. He would also have to used to a new language. More specifically how to read and write with it. But he finds quickly finds a new friend to help. Reki is skateboarder and when he meets Langa he takes him under his wing. Being obsessed with the sport his whole life, he reads magazines, works in a skate shop, and designs his own boards. His whole life is skate and he finally has someone to truely share it with. Someone who can see it the way he does rather than someone that does it to look cool. Reki is also a part of an underground club called S. A place where all the best skaters gather to race downhill with no rules. After some plot, Reki and Langa get roped into a race. Rather, Langa gets roped in despite being new to the sport. And as you can guess he performs surprisingly well. Why? Because he was a snowboarder. And the gap is not that far. The show now follows the two friends and their adventures with S. If you know the team that made this show, you can guess the tone of the story as it is very similar to Bananafish. It also shares the wonderful art. If you are not familiar, the show is very friendly to people that like shipping men together. So that may turn you off like it did with Bananafish viewers. Then if you couldn't care less, the story keeps you strapped in but im not spoiling quite yet. Now back to me mentioning the show getting the attention it deserved. It doesn't do anything to separate itself from other shounen in it's subgenre let alone the genre in general. The underdog main character isnt an underdog for long. Now he is comparable to the best if not better. Now we watch as he looks to snatch the crown for himself weather he wants to or not. We've seen this a thousand times in anime, so it comes down to execution. Even the obligatory beach episode hits all the notes. Thing is, the show executed more than perfectly. Hey, if you are new to anime it will feel like one of the best shows youve ever watched with little competition. But, if you happen to be bored with shounen sequence, the art and skating will keep you engaged. Everyone is happy. Now for heavy spoiling. Like i mentioned. Langa is talented. He immediately becomes a god at the sport. This of course grabs the attention of the number one skater Adam. The man that started S. The man who started it only to find someone who can grab his attention. Someone different from the others, special. Be it how unpredictable Langa is or how he uses snowboarding tricks for skating or whatever else. Langa is everything he has been looking for all these years. And Adam will have him. Not that our side characters wont get the way. Than handsome and musclebound Joe. The beautiful and graceful perfectionist that is Cherry. (These two approach skating in opposite ways so the rub each other the wrong way. Joe is a brute that relies on muscle and instinct. Cherry uses a computer and only wants the perfect way down the mountain.) There is also rookie hunter that likes to play dirty in Shadow. And much much more. The important one here being, Reki. One of the weaker skaters in S. Who of course becomes jealous of Langa. Sad that he feels like Langa is skating way from him. And mad that Langa cant keep a promise. So eventually the two break up until Reki finds his love for skating again. I've been rambling. Its an amazing show. If you want to watch it. Just do it.

I decided to try this anime because it's about skateboarding and skateboarding is pretty awesome to watch in real life so I thought I would enjoy this. I was right! Visuals: I like the art style a lot. Sound: I loved the voice acting and the skating sound effects were very realistic. Story: 1) I'm not an expert at either snowboarding and skateboarding but I did notice a few inaccuracies in the info given by the characters about these sports. I would appreciate a little bit more attention to detail to avoid situations like these in these type of animes. 2) It would have been really interesting to see them overcome skate-related injuries and see them both wear protective gear. 3) A little bit of realism wouldn't hurt in my opinion 4) I think Reki offers way more to the show than Langa does and it shows in the 1st half of the story 5) The bond and relationship that grows between Langa and Reki is so natural and adorable that I found myself shipping them by the 5th episode. Regardless of your views on gay relationships on "straight" anime, their bond only adds to the show and it's the best thing the story has to offer. The episodes that focused on this were easily the best ones in my opinion. The characters fit so well and have so much chemistry that it's like they exist. 6) The ending felt a bit underwhelming particulary when it feels that some people didn't quite get what was coming to them and chances are that we're not going to get a sequel to this, which is truly unfortunate. All things considered, it's a 7/10.

This was a simple yet very enjoyable comedy sports anime. Wonderful animation, colors, and funny characters. The development of Reiki and Langa's relationship was especially beautiful and wholesome, and especially realistic, to watch. How their bond grew stronger, and the whole dilemma of jealously, of feeling like a loser. There were a lot of great topics in this anime. The only downside is that the ending felt a bit rushed, and that Adam guy was a total wacko who?? Punched people in the face with his board and hospitalized them for what reason?? This anime was very fun and easy to watch, and I also loved watching how Langa dealt with the loss of his father, and following him as he worked through the grief; finding joy in skating (snow boarding) again. Reiki and Langa really brought out the best in each other, they have something beautiful that border on something more, perhaps romance, perhaps not. Anyhow, it was wholesome to watch and left a big smile on my face. I hope there will be more animes like this in the future! I need to try skateboarding now. But it will probably take 2 years until I could pull off an olli! xD

This is my first time ever writing a review on mal + english is not my native language so go easy on me. First of all Id like to say that i started sk8 as a joke , mostly because it seemed to only have 12 episodes and i had too much free time on my hands but I didnt actually expect it to be this good. Story (7/10) Its plot is very generic , anyone would say that it's the basic sports anime where its main protagonists have a very strong bond w eachother and work very hard to achieve their goals . To be honest I dont mind cliche anime like this hence why i enjoyed this anime so much. What irritated me tho and keeps me from rating its story higher is the amount of queerbaiting that fills up the entire series. Whoever wrote this either was afraid of the possible backlash or couldnt decide whether to make them gay or not lol. Eitherway , I'll make up my own headcanons cause i personally believe that there was definitely something going on between Reki and Langa. Art (10/10) Amazing art , beautiful colours and the beefs were animated perfectly. I dont really have anything to add here. Sound (10/10) The voice actors are talented as heck , especially Reki's and as for the op/end i love them both. Infinity ( the ending song ) basically sums up Langa's and Reki's "relationship". Character (8/10) All characters have pretty much something unique but no one competes with Reki's imo. This may sound cringey but as someone being diagnosed with adhd , I've never related to a 2d character so much in my entire life , its like seeing myself on screen. All his characteristics are so much add-like( not paying attention to class, being hooked up on something , experiencing extreme jealousy, frustration from constant failure and mood swings) and it warms up my heart seeing him slowly getting over his hardships. Anyway apart from that the others are good too. The only thing that's missing is good female characters but sadly Im used to anime not paying attention to the female cast. Enjoyment (8/10) I'll keep this short because I've pretty much analysed everything in the previews ratings. Sk8 the infinity is really fun and soothing to watch and it doesnt have a single bad episode. If something made u sad I definitely recommend lighting up some candles and watch it in one night. Overall (8/10) It deserves a rewatch and I reeeeeeeeeally hope they'll make a movie in the near future because I'll really miss the show and especially hearing Reki's laugh :((

Skate the Infinity was kind of a dark horse series for me coming into this season. If you had told me when all the series started airing a couple of months back that this show would be my favorite in the same season that had the long-awaited adaptation to Horimiya, as well as sequels to shows like Dr. Stone and World Trigger I would have called you crazy. That being said it's a show that nonetheless exceeded my expectations in almost every way. Now what's important to know about this series going into it, is that skating and the competition that comes with it is not the main focus of this anime. Much like other sports anime, it thrives because of the cast and the connection you feel with them along the way. In particular with our two main characters Langa and Reki. Now while the dynamic between a hardworking underdog with a passion for what he's doing and a genius in his field that seems to master everything on the spot is nothing new, I think where it thrives is in how they tie in the fact that you have to be having fun with what you are doing, and that's why I believe Sk8 truly wasn't a series about skating. Throughout the series, we see time and time again that no matter how much a character is succeeding or failing the moments where they felt most fulfilled are when they were both working together and enjoying the hobby for what it was, pure fun. Now in Langa's case, he needed to find something to fill the void left by his father's passing as well as the trauma that caused to a hobby he once loved. Over the course of the series we see him feel fulfilled once again by finding something new to share with people once more as he grows to become attached to skating and the joy that comes with it. However, where I think the series really shines is in Reki's character arc. No matter who you are or what you are passionate about, everyone has a hobby they probably care about more than anything and something they wish they could thrive within. However, just like Reki sometimes we're forced to accept no matter how much time you put into it and no matter how much you wish you could succeed in the same way as those prodigies, we all have our limits, and most of us will never reach those heights. Seeing Reki come to terms with the fact that Langa, someone who has been skating nowhere near as long as he is already way better than he probably ever will be and learning to accept that and still have fun with the hobby is a message I think we've all needed at one point or another. In the end, I think where Sk8 succeeded, and why it's an anime I imagine will stick with me for a long time, isn't because of the great animation or the enthralling moments of drama, but because of the themes that feel distinctly human and the look into how a hobby can and will affect someone, and how we all need to find a way to come to terms with who we are.

This will be a completely spoiler-free review. If you like fun and captivating series then this is perfect for you. This series shows how fun skating can be and the emotions of friends are connected by skating. Story: : "why do you skate? : "Because it is fun."-I really liked the dialogue. sometimes people always ask why I always do this and that and I think the answer is simple cause I enjoy it. the story shows how fun skating can be and how people are connected by skating. It has no motive like to become the best or anything like that what you can find in haikyuu, kuroko no basket, and other sports anime. Animation: The animation was excellent and everything was well detailed. The character, world-building was animated perfectly as expected from Bones. Sound: The opening theme "paradise" by "Rude-α" was one of my favorite this season and the soundtrack gives a cool vibe" Character: The characters are perfectly detailed there's good chemistry among fellow skaters. Someone skates for fun and where some other skates to win and crush others. The skating easily can demonstrate a skater's personality that I saw in these series. Enjoyment: As I told you before this series's sole purpose is to enjoy. If you want a light and binge-watching series then it's perfect for you. I don't think there will any second season. The anime is adapted perfectly in one season. And also I just pointed out why I like this series if you can't agree with me it's okay.

Subjectively, I would give this show a 10. It has a special place in my heart, and it's just great. However, it does a few issues which I will discuss here. There are a lot of characters in its main cast, and after their own special dedicated episodes, they just get left behind. Characters like Miya or Shadow get tidbits of screen time here and there but they mostly revolve our two main characters, Reki and Langa. For a mostly character heavy show, it feels a bit lacking in the development department. Not only that, there aren't a lot of important female characters, which is a little upsetting if nothing else. This also may be a nitpick but strange undertones can be found in some of the dialogue. Aside from the clearly sexual language that ADAM uses, there's something a little strange about calling the darkest character in the main cast a gorilla. It's something that may be upsetting if you experience colourism or etc. yourself. While the art is nice to look at, the CGI in some scenes isn't very well blended with the rest of the 2d animation. It isn't too bad but it will take you out of the experience. You can see this especially in the landscapes and especially in the main course. A lot of bad things occur in this anime that is swept under the rug, or pushed aside for a possible second season. There's some weird stuff that is brought up like stalking that arguably ends up nowhere but an offhanded comment. There's also some weird queer undertones the show never decides to fully commit to. This has made it a very "will they, won't they" kind of situation. To many younger audiences, lgbt it may seem like a ploy to gain more traffic, especially since the success of shipping in other similar works such as YOI or Free! Overall, Sk8 is a really good show. I do recommend it but if any of things above bother you, maybe check out something else.

SK8 the Infinity bursts with vibrant energy, stylish visuals, and likable characters. The series builds its story around adrenaline, youth rebellion, and the magnetic pull of competition. The narrative transforms the skateboard sport into a high-stakes underground culture where identity, pride, and personal freedom collide on dangerous downhill tracks. The story takes place in Okinawa, where a secret night race known as “S” operates outside official sports institutions. Hidden within abandoned industrial roads and steep mountain slopes, "S" functions as an underground arena for skateboarders seeking thrill and recognition. Participants race one-on-one along narrow downhill courses filled with sharp turns, improvised obstacles, and unpredictable hazards. Victory depends not only on speed but also creativity, technical skill, and the ability to improvise under pressure. At the center of the narrative stands Reki Kyan, a passionate skateboarder whose life revolves around the culture surrounding the sport. Reki’s enthusiasm extends beyond riding alone. Time spent repairing boards, designing custom decks, and studying new techniques reflects genuine devotion to the craft. Despite his dedication, Reki’s skill level remains modest compared to the elite racers dominating “S,” leaving passion often overshadowed by frustration. The story shifts when Reki meets Langa Hasegawa, a quiet transfer student who recently moved from Canada. Langa initially appears unfamiliar with skateboarding, yet years of snowboarding experience make a surprising advantage once introduced to the mechanics of downhill riding. Balance, instinctive body control, and fearless momentum allow Langa to adapt quickly by transforming early practice sessions into unexpectedly competitive performances. Reki introduces Langa to the underground race scene that unknowingly opening the door to a world where reputation forms overnight and rivalries escalate rapidly. Langa’s natural ability soon attracts attention within the community and placing him in direct competition with the most notorious racers in the circuit. Several prominent figures define the culture surrounding these races. Kaoru Sakurayashiki, known as Cherry Blossom, approaches skateboarding with technological precision by using custom artificial intelligence (AI) systems to analyze racing strategies. Kojiro Nanjo, called Joe, relies on raw physical strength and aggressive riding style that mirrors a professional athlete’s discipline. Together, these veteran racers provide glimpses into how dedication to the sport evolves with age and experience. Another central presence emerges through Adam, the enigmatic organizer and dominant competitor within “S.” Adam approaches skateboarding not simply as sport but as theatrical stage. Flamboyant personality, unpredictable tactics, and ruthless competitiveness transform every race into a dramatic performance. Adam’s obsession with intense rivalry drives several of the story’s most dangerous confrontations, which pushing competitors toward psychological and physical limits. As Langa rises through the ranks of the underground scene, the narrative begins exploring deeper emotional tensions. Rapid improvement generates admiration, but also turns on the distance between Langa and Reki. What began as friendship built on shared enthusiasm gradually transforms into an imbalance where natural talent overtakes years of hard work. Reki’s internal conflict becomes one of the most compelling elements of the narrative. His passion for skateboarding remains unwavering, but constant comparison with Langa triggers his self-doubt. The realization that "dedication doesn't always guarantee excellence" forces Reki to confront personal identity within a sport that once defined self-worth. Despite its exciting premise, the narrative reveals several structural weaknesses. One noticeable issue appears in the portrayal of the underground racing system itself. The concept of “S” introduces an intriguing setting filled with secrecy and danger, however the organization behind these races remains only lightly explored. Questions about how the events operate, who maintains the tracks, and why authorities remain absent rarely receive detailed explanation. Another limitation emerges in the handling of certain antagonistic elements, particularly surrounding Adam’s character arc. Adam’s exaggerated personality initially adds chaotic energy to the story, but later attempts to explore emotional vulnerability feel abrupt compared to earlier portrayals. The transition between villainous spectacle and sympathetic complexity occurs quickly, leading to some aspects of motivation underdeveloped. Pacing also fluctuates throughout the series. Early episodes establish the excitement of downhill races with strong momentum, but then several later episodes compress emotional developments and rivalries into limited screen time. This occasionally reduces the impact of conflicts that might have benefited from slower buildup. From a production perspective, animation by Bones stands as one of the most striking strengths of the series. Racing sequences feature dynamic camera movement, fluid character motion, and creative visual staging that capture the speed and unpredictability of downhill skateboarding. Sharp turns, airborne tricks, and collisions with obstacles unfold with cinematic intensity. Color design and lighting contribute to the energetic atmosphere of nighttime races. Neon highlights, glowing streetlights, and dark mountain roads create a vibrant visual contrast that reinforces the underground nature of the competition. Music also plays a significant role in shaping the tone of the series. Electronic beats and high-energy rock tracks accompany race sequences, which amplifying the sense of velocity and risk. The soundtrack often mirrors the rebellious spirit of the characters while reinforcing the idea that skateboarding represents both escape and self-expression. Overall, SK8 the Infinity delivers an action driven narrative that celebrates passion, rivalry, and the unpredictable friendships that emerge through competition. Beneath the spectacle of high speed races lies a quieter story about confronting personal limits and redefining self worth when talent and effort collide. Although worldbuilding gaps and uneven character development occasionally weaken narrative consistency, the series remains memorable for its portrayal of skateboarding as both sport and emotional battleground. Anyway, keep in mind that no opinion is ever purely objective, and every perspective remains open to discussion. Even so, each viewpoint still holds its own value. If you happen to see things differently, simple mutual respect is more than enough. That same respect is the spirit behind this reflection as well. Wishing everyone a peaceful day ahead, and thank you for taking the time to read.

*Short spoiler free review* This anime went straight into my Top 10, and I finished it in one sitting. It was amazing; I didn't feel bored even once. The pacing was great, the character interactions and developments were well written. I have a tendency to always prefer a supporting character over the main character, but in this anime Reki (the MC) became my favourite. He is so adorable and pure, and his love for skateboarding is infectious. The way the friendship between Reki and Langa develops and changes over the series is very interesting. The anime also highlights important questions, such as how to handle talent when it starts getting to your head, and what is the most important thing; to be the best, or to simply have fun and enjoy yourself? The animation was beautiful and smooth. The opening is addictive and fun, I tend to skip the openings but with this anime I even went to rewatch it on YouTube, it's so catchy =) You don't need to like skateboarding in order to enjoy this anime by the way.

I just finished watching this show, it took me three days because, well, as a certified senior citizen of 21 years old, I can't pull a marathon the way I used to when I was in high school >.< but I think that taking my time with this show was the right thing to do, after all. First, story wise, I think the show was okay. There isn't really any big or life changing plot, it's exactly as how it's advertised: a story about skating, and skaters, and about friendship, too. I think what really bothered me was how unrealistic it felt, since many of the stunts they pulled should've landed them in the hospital. And yes, I know, many animes are unrealistic in terms of injuries, but that won't stop me from pointing it out!! As for the characters, many of them were one-dimensional, and there wasn't a single important female character. Adam and Reki were the most interesting ones, because their character arcs were more fleshed out than the others, and personally, I would like to see more of the others. I think that Adam in particular is a very interesting character, and I would have loved to see more about his dynamics with Joe, Cherry, and Tadashi. Moving on to the fanservice, this show was full of it, and I'm not complaining. As a queer person myself, there were many instances where I had to pause and ask myself, "Is this fruity??" only for them to flake out. Seriously, there were so many moments between Reki and Langa that were just... very homo, in my humble opinion. To sum it up, I thought this show was enjoyable. It was fun, and it kept me entertained, and I think that a second season would be nice but only if they were to expand on the characters and send Adam to prison. That would be fun to watch.

Skate Stay Night: Unlimited Board Works isn’t a terrible series, and if anything it’s an enjoyable sports up until the 7th episode where it delves into painful, trite melodrama and loses the focus and energy that made the first half of the show so popular in the first place. What started as a fun skating-based show with a passionate, vigorous production ended up being derailed by agonizingly forced queerbaiting, melodrama and nonsensical character motivations, where the main leads devolve into obnoxiously unlikeable, overdramatic manchildren. This tragic descent into mediocrity propelled SK8 off the path to greatness and directly into the ever-overflowing pit of mediocre seasonals. It’s telling when a series that developed such a rabid fanbase within a day of the first episode’s premiere fell almost entirely back into obscurity mere months after it finished its run. In any case it’s a genuine shame that such a promising show declined so badly when it was just beginning to play to its strengths. The story and characters of SK8 are archetypal, but what makes them stand out is a combination of their striking, vibrant designs and the chemistry they have with each other. Each skateboard death-match is energetic and Bones put the work in to make the animation as flashy and spectacular as possible. During pivotal moments you could easily confuse it with an Ufotable production. The series distinguishes itself by utilizing color; from the characters designs to the races, they all have pronounced and attractive visual styles. The characters are hardly ever off-model either which is rare for Bones in this day & age, and they deserve commendation for this. Hiroko Utsumi is a wonderful director and her talent extends beyond the racing scenes, where even the average scenes of down time between the next race never look bland. It’s easy to see why so many people were drawn to this series, excluding the unsubtle gay undertones. The best part of this show are the catchy the opening and ending themes. The soundtrack is competent, and composer Ryou Takahashi put together some great songs for the racing scenes. MC Reki is energetic and upbeat and he contrasts with Langa’s reserved personality: this makes the scenes where Langa loses that façade and gets caught off guard way funnier. Reki and Langa are good main characters up until that certain point where the series quality takes a nosedive; their friendship is endearing and cute until they’re forced apart by terrible writing that holds the emotional weight of the average TV soap opera shitfest. Reki’s obnoxious angst at not being good enough the very first time he gets knocked down a peg is an arc that put me in a position of me doing everything in my power not to skip through all his scenes. He inescapably comes off as whiny and irritating, a sudden contrast to the personality I was starting to enjoy in previous episodes. It was like watching the life drain from a friend you only just became acquainted with. The resolution to this character arc is even more boring and uninstructive and turns the endeavor of watching all of into an unfulfilling timesink after the fact. There’s scarcely a payoff for this couple of episodes and I would consider it a waste of time if not for the other far more interesting plot elements involving Langa. Ichiro Okouchi usually excels as a writer and seeing him put together something like this makes me feel like he either wasn’t given enough creative reign or was borrowing too many notes from the Code Geass playbook. The side characters (Shadow, Miya, Joe, Cherry, etc.) aren’t well-written enough to be more than surface-level; all of their motivations revolve around the main antagonist, but their interactions are at the very least funny as fuck at their peak, although Miya’s gamer shtick gets tiring within his introductory episode. The relationships are poor attempts at gay representation; replace one character in an implied couple with a woman and nothing would significantly change. The main issue is that they lack build-up. Nothing about the main duo really demonstrates that they belong together. Reki spends a good four or five episodes resenting Langa over stupid shit and he barely even gets over it. And why is Adam a thing? Why the fuck does Adam exist? His entire motivation is being romantically attracted to underage boys and wanting to fuck them/beat them in skateboard duels. They had the perfect villain for this kind of series; a rich, corrupt and insanely stylish politician who spends his free time hosting violent illegal skateboarding competitions where he can humiliate his rivals and dress like a Type-Moon character. His rich family is a bunch of pretentious jackasses hanging over his head and constantly projecting their expectations onto him. He jumps out of helicopters and bashes people’s faces in with his sick skateboard. He’s the Aizen of skateboarding. By the 12th episode he’s a complete joke, a deranged groomer who fails miserably to seduce a literal teenager and laughable attempt at writing a nuanced antagonist who loses to a bunch of kids and gets redeemed by the power of having fun while still coming off as a gay predator stereotype. He’s stuck in this utterly worthless arc about government corruption that gets tacked on to make the decomposing remains of his character feel like they have a place in this failed narrative. The detective character who tails him literally gets written off in a joke scene at the end of the final episode, because the writers realized how completely fucking pointless this entire plot point was at the last second since they neglected to make any use of it., or that the audience didn't actually care. The subplot about Adam's family produces nothing to drive the plot forwards aside from Adam’s weirdly sexual relationship with his manservant, who shows up at random points in the story to keep the wheels turning. An elementary schooler could write with more depth. On the topic of “fun”, this series beats you over the head with “skateboarding is fun!” at the most unearned moments, especially during the climax. The show makes skateboarding look like a physical and emotional deathmatch. Maybe the theme would be more applicable if more time was spent showing the characters training and bonding instead of teenage whining and background characters pointing out every single important thing that happens onscreen five to ten times per race in the most annoying way possible. Sk8 is a true tragedy, cherished by many and immediately forgotten by the time it was over. It isn’t atrocious but it underutilizes the concepts that helped it capture an audience in the beginning. The story gets more disjointed as it progresses in order to create tension when there doesn’t need to be any and the characters barely grow or deal with the consequences of their actions. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table aside from being a mainstream big-budget skateboarding anime. The underground deathmatch setting is underutilized because the show overexerts itself spending too much time on pointless histrionics and yaoi tropes. I would recommend you go read Air Gear instead because it’s also technically about skateboarding but I barely remember anything about the series.

I wished I would've watch this show a lot sooner then I did, but I'm glad that I got to watch it. The story was very good, each episode seem to get better and better. From beginning to end it was amazing, and the plot was well executed. After watching the first two episodes I knew that this was going to be one of the best sports shows for me. I enjoy watching skateboarding so, seeing in an anime made it even better for me. The art was done well and the soundtrack is very catchy, definitely will be adding these songs to my anime playlist. The characters and their development, not to mention stories on some of them were all very thought out well and improved the story in my opinion. I really enjoyed the show, I would say for me its up there with a lot of the well known sports anime. Give the show a try you'll never know until you see for yourself.

Okay, so, not gonna lie here. Some bits seem very far-fetched and unrealistic. But so does every sports anime ever. This one's about adrenaline, and oh boy, did I feel that adrenaline while watching it. Let me tell you, this is a very enjoyable anime for someone that's looking for a fun, light-hearted and action-packed show. The characters aren't really that deep, but they're super likeable. Some of them felt a little too cliché, but honestly? I'm looking for the thrill of skateboarding, and I found it here. I loved watching it (actually, I binge-watched it in 2 days). So, honestly? not the best anime out there, but its adrenaline feel and his light approach transformed it into one of my comfort animes. So, props to that.

I enjoyed the show a lot, it primarily exists to have fun. it did make me laugh out loud and entertained me throughout. just don‘t expect a masterpiece, this show has 12 episodes for god's sake. what it does offer is great art and animation, a very fun dynamic between the main cast and a sensible portrayal of a main aspect of friendship: envy. with a side of getting over teenage angst. another topic that many reviewers seem to neglect is the antagonist fighting against societal pressure to give up his "silly" hobby, something that every older anime fan can easily relate with... I get that the "Dio on a skateboard" character might be a dealbreaker for some, but to me it was a hilarious hommage. and since I don‘t get why you’d watch sports anime for the scripted competition part, deciding to make the races -so- over the top felt like a much appreciated breeze of fresh air. other moments, like the ones with "the loyal dog", were clearly intended to comment on the tropes that the anime makes great use of and if you vibe with that dry meta humor (looking at you, fans of saiki k.), they were hilarious, too. this anime is not supposed to be a drama or sports epic, it's a made-to-be-taken-as-light-entertainment piece. but it covers enough to keep you interested and again, it looks fantastic. if you take it lightly and enjoy fan service you will have a good time.