Rock climbing was not included as an Olympic sport — nor was there a sports anime centered around it — until the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. However, months before the competition actually took place due to the one-year delay, a new anime known as Iwa-kakeru! Sport Climbing Girls made its debut on Crunchyroll. Although some past anime have focused on other forms of climbing, such as mountain climbing, Iwa-kakeru so far remains the only series to specifically revolve around rock climbing.
The story stars Konomi Kasahara, who is looking for a club to join when she enters her first year of high school. She finds a large rock climbing wall within the school and decides to take a shot at it. Thanks to the puzzle-solving techniques she picked up from playing video games, Konomi manages to climb her way to the top. Following this small victory, she joins the school’s rock climbing team, comprised of three other girls who will learn whatever it takes to become Japan’s best sports climbers. While some were excited to finally see an anime about rock climbing, Iwa-kakeru did fall short on several aspects, making many wonder if they should give it a chance.
Iwa-kakeru’s Protagonist Was Too Good at Rock Climbing for a Novice
Although Konomi is happy with her decision to join her school’s rock climbing team, many felt Iwa-kakeru followed too close to the common formula of how an anime protagonist joins a club in the first place — in which they make an impulse decision despite having no prior interest in the activity. Before arriving at her new school, Konomi preferred to spend her time playing video games, and the tournaments she takes part in find her excelling at puzzle-based games. Although she is a novice at rock climbing and the world of athletic activity in general, Konomi ends up being a natural at the sport which prompts her to join the team.
Unlike a few other sports anime — where the protagonist must actually practice a lot in order to grow and become an expert at the sport — Konomi’s immediate success leaves little room for her to improve her craft. She quickly manages to reach the skill level of her teammates and rivals, making her a static protagonist and somewhat insufferable for many fans. As rock climbing is heavily based on endurance and strength, it is not an easy activity to master.
Iwa-kakeru’s Animations Did Not Do Justice to Rock Climbing
Successfully climbing a rock wall requires some puzzle-solving skills, but it also takes proper coordination and balance. Adding on, the climber must utilize their muscles efficiently when reaching and grabbing onto a rock before pulling themselves up. Iwa-kakeru’s animation mostly fails to capture this, however, and instead has simple shots of the girls ascending the walls.
Rather than showcasing the team’s efforts to climb the rock walls, the animation often relied on several fan service moments, making it feel as if rock climbing wasn’t Iwa-kakeru’s primary focus. While the beginning did an exceptional job explaining the rules and strategies rock climbing has to offer, the anime quickly lost tract and instead focused more on the characters themselves.
Sports Anime Fans Can Safely Skip Iwa-kakeru
Sadly, there are barely any positive factors that can make Iwa-kakeru worth a watch. Combined with an immense lack of character development and widespread pacing, many felt the writers could not establish a solid plot for the anime. On top of that, Iwa-kakeru’s missing sense of realism to the sport, from safety measures to acquisition of talent, made it feel as if it existed just for the sake of having a rock climbing anime.
While Konomi was found to be overpowered for her experience level, she is at least shown to be constantly motivated and determined to win any competition. Despite this, Iwa-kakeru! Sport Climbing Girls can be safely passed on while waiting for a better anime about rock climbing in the future.