Stars Align


Stars Align is a Japanese original anime television series written and directed by Kazuki Akane and animated by Eight Bit. The series aired from October 10 to December 26, 2019.
On January 31, 2020, it was announced that there would be a Special Collaboration Movie and a Special Fan Movie. On May 18, 2020, it was announced that the Special Fan Movie had been completed. The Special Fan Movie was released on May 20, 2020, and takes place two years after the end of the series.

Characters

;Maki Katsuragi
;Toma Shinjo
;Itsuki Ameno
;Rintaro Futsu
;Tsubasa Soga
;Shingo Takenouchi
;Nao Tsukinose
;Taiyo Ishigami
;Yū Asuka
;Kanako Mitsue
;Kei Takada
;Namie Ameno
;Kinuyo Kasuga
;Takuto Murakami
;Takayuki Sakurai
;Sakura Muroi
;Aya Katsuragi
;Kenji Kyobate
;Ryoma Shinjo
;Toma's mother
;Takeru Tanaka

Production and release

On April 5, 2018, studio Eight Bit announced via Twitter that it was collaborating with Kazuki Akane to produce a new original anime. Akane is writing and directing the series, and Itsuka is providing the original character designs. Yūichi Takahashi is serving as the series' chief animation director, character designer, and series animation director. Additionally, Miki Takeshita is in charge of scene setting, Shiori Shiwa is serving as art director, and Jin Aketagawa is serving as sound director at Magic Capsule. FlyingDog is producing the series' music. Instrumental band Jizue is composing the series' music. The series is listed for 12 episodes. Megumi Nakajima performed the series' opening theme song "Suisō", while AIKI from bless4 performed the series' ending theme song "Kago no Naka no Bokura wa".
The series aired from October 10 to December 26, 2019, and was broadcast on TBS, BS-TBS, and other channels. Funimation has licensed the series for a simuldub. From May 31, 2022, the series was moved to Crunchyroll, a streaming service that Funimation's parent company Sony Pictures Television acquired in 2021.
In October 2019, two dancers accused the show of plagiarizing their choreography for the ending sequence, and their posts went viral on Twitter. In response, TBS Entertainment issued an apology to the dancers.
After the final episode, Kazuki Akane revealed that the anime was originally planned to be 24 episodes, but the production committee had decided to cut down the length of the series last minute. Akane promised that he would find another way to wrap up his original story through a sequel.
In April 2021, Kazuki Akane said he has been unable to find a company that will fund more episodes of Stars Align.
No.TitleOriginal air date

Reception

This series was received positively. In the fall 2019 preview guide, by Anime News Network, of the anime's first episode, Rebecca Silverman was concerned that the series may not be able to weave together a sports drama and a "story about dysfunctional families" and the character's designs, but wanted to continue watching it. Theron Martin said he couldn't see himself continuing to watch this series, and seemed to be a "pretty typical sports show title" at first, but has a possibility of "deeper meaning." Nick Creamer was more positive, praising the visual effects, method of conveying drama and information through animation, and its lightly illustrated but "truly biting family drama." Michele Liu, of the same site, said that although the series touches on "various kinds of trauma and abuse without much subtlety," She argued that the series excelled at showing that the struggles of Yū Asuka were not different from struggles by their peers from parental pressure, and called Yū a "wonderful character" and an "absolute angel." ANN reviewers would also praise the series for its "stellar character writing" and having one of the most "heartfelt and sincere representations of LGBTQ+ youth in a long time."
The series would also be listed by ANN reviewers as among the best anime of 2019. For instance, Jacki Jing and Lynzee Loveridge listed the series as the best anime of the fall 2019 season, and said that the series is "bound to be a tear-jerker." In another post, Loveridge praised the series, saying its "real heart is the players and their personal struggles" when authority figures box in the team, and noted that the emotional core of the series resonated with her, and said the series "humanity is its greatest strength." Creamer would also list it as one of the best anime of 2019, saying that the series' director, Kazuki Akane, turned his "consistent passion for messy character stories to a fairly grounded premise," and praised it for mixing character and sports drama effortlessly, becoming "one of the best sports anime of recent years." S.M. Balding for Anime Feminist also praised the series for going beyond usual sports anime to examine the "personal lives, identities, and relationships with the adults" that each of the characters has. They cited Yuu as an example of how anime can meaningfully and respectfully incorporate "LGBTQ+ characters and the challenges they face into their stories," including subverting typical narrative for queer characters in anime, does not victimize them, and lets Yuu be more than their identity, while identifying themselves in the way they see fit.