Burning Kabaddi

Yoigoshi Tatsuya was a star soccer player known as "Yoigoshi the Unstoppable," but when he entered high school, he severed all involvement with sports. Now, he has been invited to a certain sports team. In these matches, victory is achieved through teammates working together to catch and defeat the opponents invading their territory... You could call it a sort of running combat sport. And the name of this game is... Kabaddi.

Burning Kabaddi (2021) is a Japanese animated sports comedy series created for TV Tokyo, produced by TMS Entertainment and based on a manga, with a single 12-episode season of 24-minute episodes. It follows Tatsuya Hoigoshi, a former soccer prodigy once nicknamed the Unstoppable, who walked away from competitive sports when he entered high school. Invited onto a school kabaddi team, he must relearn how to trust teammates in a game where a raider runs into the opponents' territory, tags defenders, and tries to return safely before being caught. Voice performances by Yuma Uchida as Tatsuya, Shuichi Uchida as Yū Eikura, and Nobuhiko Okamoto as Masato Ohjyo anchor the ensemble. The show follows a standard bukatsu structure, with each episode built around a match, practice drills, and the friction of a team learning to work together. Its tone is brisk, playful, and energetic, with a slice of life warmth beneath the athletic action. Set in a contemporary Japanese high school, it will appeal to viewers who enjoy Haikyu!! and other team sports anime built around underdog growth and camaraderie.

Audience reception is mixed, with a single season rated low by viewers despite a solid overall audience score.

• Haikyu!!shared youth sports team dynamics and anime bukatsu tone
• Ahiru no Sorashared underdog sports competition and teammate teamwork focus in a school setting
• Ping Pong the Animationshared sports-club coming-of-age energy with comedic team rivalries

Release Date

2021-04-03

Episode runtime

24 min

Rating

7.0 / 10 (72)

What is Burning Kabaddi about?

A former star athlete who quit sports in high school is drawn into the fast, physical team game of kabaddi.

What is Burning Kabaddi like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Burning Kabaddi as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Burning Kabaddi violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Burning Kabaddi.

What did critics think of Burning Kabaddi?

Audience reception is mixed, with a single season rated low by viewers despite a solid overall audience score.

Which shows are like Burning Kabaddi?

Shows with a similar feel include Haikyu!!, Ahiru no Sora, and Ping Pong the Animation.

How long is Burning Kabaddi?

Burning Kabaddi: 1 season, 12 episodes.

Is Burning Kabaddi still running?

No, Burning Kabaddi has ended.

Where can I watch Burning Kabaddi?

In United States, Burning Kabaddi streams on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.