News

Hanebad! Anime's 11th Episode Delayed Due to Hokkaido Earthquake

The official website for the television anime of Kosuke Hamada's Hanebad! (The Badminton play of Ayano Hanesaki!) manga revealed on Friday that the anime's 11th episode is delayed due to the major earthquake that hit Hokkaido on Thursday. The episode was originally slated to air and stream on Sunday.

The website explained that the anime's photography studio is located in Sapporo City in Hokkaido, and the studio is currently without power so it is physically impossible for the staff there, who are also victims of the disaster, to continue working on the episode. Even though power is slowly being restored, energy companies are also urging energy conservation in restored areas. The anime's production committee and production staff consulted on the issue and decided to delay the episode as a result.

The website will reveal the new broadcast date for the episode once it has been decided.

Hanebad! premiered on July 1, and Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs. Funimation is streaming an English dub. Shinpei Ezaki (Monster Strike The Movie) is directing the anime at LIDEN FILMS, and Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, ERASED) is in charge of the series scripts.

The manga's story begins with Kentarō Tachibana, the coach of Kitakomachi High School's badminton team. He is worried because the team has so few members that it cannot even enter competitions, but then he spots a student named Ayano Hanesaki easily climbing a large tree on the school grounds, expertly demonstrating excellent motor skills. Tachibana tries to get Ayano to join the badminton team, but finds out that Ayano hates badminton.

Source: Hanebad! anime's website and Twitter account via Yaraon!