Alternative titles: Cheer Danshi!!
Novel Adaptation by Brains Base
Streaming on Funimation

Premise

A shoulder injury has sidelined Haruki from competitive judo, leaving him feeling a bit lost. When his buddy suggests starting up a male cheerleading team he’s reluctant to join, but this show is called CHEER BOYS!! so this is totally happening.

Jel’s verdict: Give me an F! Give me an I! Give me an N! Give me an E!

This was fine. I was pleasantly surprised at the more realistic, mature direction of the show, both in art style and general tone. The characters have personality but they don’t get too high or low about things, much like real people. Imagine that! It’s a nice change of pace from the usual over the top, in your face style we see in anime but as a side effect I felt like the show was lacking in energy, especially for a show called CHEER BOYS. The pace did pick up toward the end once they picked up their weirdo third member, and that hot blooded bench warmer dude on the pro team they were watching is TOTALLY going to join them, so maybe things will pick up in the future. At the very least the likable cast and generally pleasant nature of the show make it worth keeping an eye on for another episode or two.

Artemis’ verdict: Surprisingly Decent

I was expecting Cheer Boys to be mildly entertaining. I wasn’t actually expecting it to be good. For a school-centered sports anime, this show feels far more mature than I think anyone was anticipating – in part because it’s in fact set in college rather than high school, and in part because it’s a great deal more down-to-earth and reflective than any sports anime I’ve seen before. And you know what, I think that’s pretty cool. Just because something fits into the sports genre doesn’t mean it has to be continuously upbeat and high-energy, and I appreciate that Cheer Boys is going for a slightly less colourful and more realistic vibe. I’m not saying the series is toned down to the point of being depressing or that it’s lacking in a sense of humour, but it does seem to be more interested in the serious and yes, sometimes even physically/emotionally painful side of sports, which I can really appreciate. Also, mad props for not depicting any of the cheerleaders (either men or women) as the least bit sleazy or degrading. This show doesn’t look to be pandering to anyone, and that’s a rare and beautiful thing. I’m in.