Whereas easier dramas might portray Reki as jealous, SK8 the Infinity depicts the skater and Langa’s shared passion having naturally changed and deepened alongside their friendship. The biggest risk to Reki’s sports livelihood is losing sight of recognizing his own talents - no matter how much Langa and their friends try to convince him otherwise. No matter how much Reki loves skating, the show makes clear that being surrounded by so many great talents has given him impostor syndrome. Though the show’s early episodes didn’t make a big deal out of this distinction in levels of skill, episode 7 and onwards began changing gears and started emphasizing Reki’s feelings about being left out, perhaps inevitably due to the competitive nature of sports. Haikyuu!! helped me understand why people care about sports But what makes SK8 the Infinity special is how early it makes it clear that Reki will never be on the same level as the other superstars of “S.” After all, what would have become of Ashita no Joe if Joe Yabuki had never won a fight? Even if the Karasuno High school volleyball team from Haikyuu!! were to have lost a big game, part of the fun is knowing that they’ll pick themselves back up, train harder, and come back stronger than before for round two.
#Langa sk8 the infinity tv
Image: Studio BonesĪs with most other sports films and TV shows, sports anime are predominantly about following an underdog with the ability to become the very best ( like no one ever was). But the bond the two share over skating takes precedence over any sort of rivalry. In a move that would make Johnny Tsunami proud, Langa proves himself quite the skating prodigy, effortlessly translating his snowboarding skills to asphalt and concrete to become the hottest new sensation of “S.” Reki and Langa become friends, though it becomes clear early on that Langa’s skills quickly grow beyond anything that Reki can teach him.
#Langa sk8 the infinity how to
Langa is a half-Japanese kid returning from Canada, where his dad taught him how to snowboard. Things change however when a new kid arrives in town and joins his class. The next thing we see him do is participate in the high-thrill, highly illegal, and highly dangerous skateboard racing track called “S.” Though Reki doesn’t have remarkable skills or a signature trick or fantastic persona going for him, he finds happiness through the thrill and challenge that comes with skating. Though he doesn’t offer an answer for what he believes happiness is, his actions speak for themselves. When studio Bones and creator Hiroko Utsumi first introduce Reki, he’s narrating to the audience how some people define happiness as being rich, famous, or respected. The show has a sports prodigy, but Reki, the protagonist of SK8 the Infinity, isn’t the prodigy himself - and it makes all the difference Which makes SK8 the Infinity so refreshing. But many shows fall into a tired trope: having a protagonist who is really good at their respective sport from the very beginning.
Sports anime can be exciting, endearing, optimistic, emotional, and in some respects, way better than actual sports.