All Out!!

Tiny firecracker recruits gentle giant for high school rugby glory.

Rugby's chaotic beauty takes center stage in this Madhouse/TMS production that understands the sport's central paradox: it's a game where every body type has a purpose, yet the violence is indiscriminate. Kenji Gion, a firecracker of a freshman barely clearing five feet, discovers this truth watching Kanagawa High's match — the towering locks, the squat props, the elusive backs. He sees his place instantly. His reluctant classmate Sumiaki Iwashimizu, a gentle giant haunted by middle-school trauma, needs more convincing. Gion's recruitment methods border on harassment, but his conviction is infectious. What follows is a masterclass in sports anime fundamentals: technical rigor in depicting rucks, mauls, and set pieces; a sprawling ensemble where even third-stringers get character beats; training arcs that feel earned rather than montage-rushed. The Hanazono national tournament looms as the ultimate crucible, but the series cares more about the daily grind — the bruised shoulders, the tactical whiteboard sessions, the quiet moments where boys learn to trust the man beside them. Madhouse's direction captures rugby's unique rhythm: bursts of explosive collision punctuated by tense, tactical stillness. It's not reinventing the genre, but it executes with such sincerity and attention to detail that even viewers who don't know a scrum from a lineout will find themselves invested in Kanagawa's march toward the championship.

A high school rugby anime following a short, determined freshman who discovers his place in the sport alongside a reluctant tall teammate. Expect intense but non-gratuitous sports contact, team camaraderie, and character growth through competition.