English Dub Season Review: Rising Impact Season One

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Third-grader Nanaumi Gawain (Debi Derryberry) meets pro golfer Kiria Noshino (Abby Trott) and becomes enchanted by golf.  Kiria helps Nanaumi enroll at Camelot Academy, where his innate talent for golf blooms as he competes against gifted rivals from around the world.

Our Take:

Rising Impact is an anime adaptation of a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nakaba Suzuki.  It is directed by Hitoshi Nanba, with Michihiro Tsuchiya writing the script.  It is produced by Lay-duce, known for producing shows like Heroines Run the Show and Tomo-chan Is a Girl!.  Kiyotaka Oshiyama handled the character designs, and Masaru Yokoyama composed the music for the series.   

I’m not usually into golf as much as others.  I used to play it back in high school, but due to some circumstances, I decided to forego the sport for good in favor of miniature golf.  At least that type of golf is less stressful than the professional one, at least in my eyes.  But when it comes to the sport in movies and television shows, including Happy Gilmore and the latest Netflix anime, I preferred watching the action rather than being a part of it, regardless of how boring it looks. This newest anime adaptation finally brings the late 90s manga series to the screen following its conclusion in the early 2000s.  After watching it myself, I can easily say that the twenty-plus-year wait might’ve been worth it for both manga fans and golf followers.

Consisting of 12 episodes, the first season of Rising Impact is a tried and true underdog story centering on Nanaumi Gawain, a young boy living in rural mountains.  Gawain has an incredible love for baseball, mainly for making his ball soar through the skies.  That is until he encounters a pro golfer named Kiria Noshino, who introduces Gawain to the world of golf.  Despite his inexperience, Gawain makes a solid first impression with his unique swing.  Now setting his sights on becoming the best in golf, Gawain travels to Japan, where he enrolls in Camelot Academy and encounters multiple obstacles in his quest to become the top golfer in the world.  The season’s first half covers the “Junior Tournament” arc, where Gawain competes against putt master Lancelot Norman (Kieran Regan) and Yumiko Koizumi (Julie Nathanson).  The second half covers the “Camelot Academy” arc, with Gawain attending the prestigious school and competing for a spot in the Camelot Cup held in the United Kingdom.

Watching Rising Impact reminded me of my experience with the recent Prince of Tennis series, U-17 World Cup, a couple of years ago.  I wasn’t into tennis before watching U-17 World Cup, but its animation style showcased the seemingly tedious sport from an exhilarating and visually serene perspective.  Of course, it wasn’t without its intriguing characters to make the action more exciting.  Rising Impact has provided a similar direction for the world of golf by showcasing its characters and their unique skills. The most notable one is Gawain’s “Rising Impact”, allowing him to hit the ball farther through the twinkle of his sweet spot. Another noteworthy skill is Lancelot’s “Shining Road”, which lets him see the accurate path of his putt, similar to Kuromire’s ability in the “Camelot Academy“ arc.  

We’ve seen the result in other underdog sports content, with Gawain defying the odds and inspiring the other golfers around him despite his adorable appearance and inexperience with golf.  However, that doesn’t make the series less exciting.  This easy-to-spot flaw hardly matters if the series has enough heart, visual humor, and charm to overcome its familiarity.  Unsurprisingly, Rising Impact manages to have all three of them by combining the educational fundamentals of the sport with its entertaining anime-influenced OP elements.  

Another reason is its likable characters, mainly Gawain.  Gawain is a playful and energetic young boy whose balance and lower body strength make him an expert at performing tee shots.  However, it also makes him inexperienced with the other techniques, adding to his growth.  I also noticed a familiar voice coming from Gawain’s mouth, leading me to realize that it was Debi Derryberry, the voice of Jimmy Neutron and Zatch Bell.  Considering that she usually brings a balance of energy and likability, it’s no wonder Gawain is another kid protagonist who’s easy to root for.  Then, there’s Kiria Noshino, a short-tempered yet supportive professional golfer who finds herself taking Gawain under her wing.  She doesn’t appear as much in the series’ later episodes, and her tolerability toward Gawain is a bit rushed.  However, she has enough moments to warrant her presence, including Abby Trott’s vocal performance.

The two characters with the most interesting backgrounds are Lancelot and Liebel Ringvald (Chris Hackney).  Throughout the season, Lancelot deals with his sister having eye surgery and his desire to have better competition to remain on top, hence joining the Camelot Cup near the end.  Liebel Ringvald is seen as one of the best golfers, but he hasn’t won a single tournament due to his guilt over his past actions.  These characters and their backgrounds drive the show’s emotion past the 200-mile mark.

Finally, we have the animation produced by Lay-duce.  I’ve only seen two anime shows from the animation company before this series, Heroines Run the Show and Tomo-chan Is a Girl.  So far, I’ve been impressed with the presentation’s comical and vibrant style, especially with its mixture of 2D and CGI.  Rising Impact continues Lay-duce’s winning streak with a style that emphasizes the late 90s design for its characters with a modern coat of paint to sweeten the deal.  With its display of color, anime influences, and 3D effects that didn’t hinder the experience, the series is another testament to anime reinvigorating how people see sports.

Overall, the first season of Rising Impact hits a near-perfect shot in adapting the manga to the screen.  Like my experience with Prince of Tennis II: U-17 World Cup, I was surprised to see an anime involving golf that’s more exciting than the one I usually see on television.  Rising Impact has cleared the front nine through its charming characters, comedy, and animation without any bogies slowing it down.  With the upcoming second season centering on the Camelot Cup, let’s see if it can maintain its momentum to get a hole-in-one.