Stars Align is an original anime series created by Kazuki Akane. The series is about the members of a soft tennis club, mainly Maki Katsuragi and Toma Shinjo, who have hopes in pursuing competitive tennis.
The series is similar to other sports anime series like Haikyuu!!, incorporating the importance of teamwork and the progression of friendships through sports. Protagonists undergo serious training to become elite athletes, developing mental toughness and team spirit in the most dramatic ways. However, Stars Align takes drama and character development to another level, making the anime engaging for all the wrong reasons.
Stars Align Characters Have Tragic Backstories
Aside from balancing sports and school life, each character has a dark backstory that they must learn to deal with effectively and overcome. From the very first episode, audiences are introduced to Maki Katsuragi, who is physically abused by his father, and Toma Shinjo, who lives under the shadow of his brother Ryoma. Throughout the series, Maki and Toma use soft tennis as an escape from their depressing home lives.
In traditional sports anime series, the main protagonists’ challenges are within their control, and they can resolve them with the support of others. However, in Stars Align, this isn’t the case. Characters, such as Maki and Toma, are experiencing traumatic events that are beyond their control and inhibit their growth as young adults. As a result, soft tennis is a coping mechanism to deal with or escape trauma, and they find solace and support from their team members, even if they are unaware of their mental issues or the incidents at home. By creating a melodramatic setting, Stars Align situates itself into a dramatic coming-of-age story told through a sports narrative that is unlike other series.
The unique and complex backstories did provide depth and potential for character development; however, the characters’ backstories appear unrealistic, making it difficult for fans to relate to them. Fans can relate to Shoyo Hinata’s work ethic and self-confidence from Haikyuu!!. Yet, it’s difficult for fans to connect with the characters of Stars Align since they have traumatic experiences. Audiences may feel overwhelmed witnessing these events every episode.
Furthermore, the problem with providing backstories to all its characters is that there is an expectation that each character will have closure by the end of the series. Unfortunately, none of the characters receive an acceptable ending in the finale. Maki heads over to his father’s apartment to kill his dad, after learning that his father searched for money in his apartment. The series ended on a cliffhanger, and fans are left wondering what happened to Maki and his father.
Production Woes Resulted In a Cliffhanger Ending
The poor execution of the storyline isn’t Kazuki Akane nor the production studio Eight Bit’s fault. Stars Align was originally supposed to be a 24-episode series, but due to last-minute spring scheduling issues, the series was cut short, airing only 12 episodes. The animation production was already heavily invested in the series, so the animators couldn’t make changes to the storyline. The cliffhanger ending of Stars Align is not the “true ending” of the series. There was hope that a continuation of Maki and his friends’ stories would happen.
There was little success in finding a company that will fund and produce the second half of Stars Align. Yet, Kazuki Akane still hopes for a sequel so that Maki and the other characters get their appropriate endings. A special fan movie was released that takes place two years after the events of the series, which did spark hope for fans of Stars Align.
Even though the series suffered from an unexpected production change, it doesn’t excuse it for having a flaw in character development. This sports anime sets itself apart from other sports series by showcasing dark issues teenagers experiences, such as parental divorce and child abuse. However, including a dark backstory for every character can leave potential fans uncomfortable. In addition, the rushed pacing and cliffhanger left viewers with several unanswered questions and no closure. If Stars Align, gets a sequel, here’s hoping its conclusion will be a happy ending for all its characters.
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