After hearing a lot of buzz about Ayane's High Kick, I finally checked it out a few months ago. I'm so glad I did. Whereas the closest we come in Britain to writing decent sports stories seems to be the Dream Team, the Japanese approach shines through in Ayane's High Kick, making it a warm, funny and emotional show.
For one reason or another, Ayane is only 2 episodes long. This is really my only gripe, but I wish it had run a little longer, as the ending of the second episode is both abrupt and maybe a little TOO clean, coming on like a second stage Rocky sequel.
Still, a short runtime and a somewhat sudden ending are very little to complain about when you have a show that deftly combines human drama with laugh out loud comedy and bruising action. In these two short episodes, everything that's thrown in is coped with in a subtle and expert manner. Fight scenes are crunchy and dramatic without becoming overtly violent, comedy is broad and OTT without becoming bawdy, and the whole thing is dramatic and emotional without any of the overwrought drippiness that typifies many of it's peers.
Add to this the fact that the dub is pretty good and the overall package has been well transfered and seems to have hit these shores unedited, and you can see why I liked this so much. If you have an interest in either anime or sports/boxing movies, or indeed both, check this little gem out, you won't be disappointed.
