Left to right: Shichigahama, Onagawa, Misato (in the air), Futaba (in the centre), Watari, and Tsukidate
Backflip!! (or Bakuten!! in Japan) is a sports anime animated by ZEXCS. It originally aired as part of the Spring 2021 anime season.
The show follows a men's rhythmic gymnastics team at Shoushukan High School (also known as Ao High School) and begins when Shotarou Futaba, a middle schooler in his final year who has tried swimming, soccer, and baseball in the past, but never quite found his niche, sees the Shoushukan High School team perform at a tournament. The team places second-to-last due to penalties acquired from not fielding a full six-man roster, but Futaba is inspired nontheless and enrolls at the school and joins the team.
Backflip!! contains examples of:
- The Benchwarmer: Futaba is introduced to us leaving his last middle school baseball game, having never made it off the bench.
- Childhood Friends: The third years - Shichigahama, Tsukidate, and Onagawa - have been a trio since elementary school.
- Exclusive Clique Clubhouse: The Ao High team all live together in a dorm, as do all other sports teams, although the rhythmic gymnastics team dorm is its own building out on its own.
- Friendly Rivalry: Two episodes are spent establishing this dynamic between the teams from Ao High and Shiro High.
- The Nicknamer: Onagawa likes to gives nicknames to Misato and, to a lesser extent, Futaba.
