"Hanebado!" is a badminton-themed anime that began airing in July 2018. The series is based on the manga of the same name by Hamada Kosuke, and is a youthful badminton story that centers around the badminton club of Kitakomachi High School, who are aiming to compete in the Inter-High School Championships, depicting the fierce battles and friendships of high school students. This time, we've created our own ranking based on badminton strength, so we'll start with number 10!
10th Place: Nozomi Ishizawa
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
She is a third-year student and ace at Zushi Sogo High School, one of the most powerful high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture. Her playing style emphasizes racket control and she is known for her flexible wrists. Although she was under strict supervision from her coach, after a match against Aragaki Nagisa of Kitakomachi High School, she began to change in order to play badminton in her own style. Her trademark is her hairpin.
9th Place: Riko Izumi
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A third-year student at Kitakomachi High School and vice-captain. Looking at his abilities alone, it's hard to call him a top-class player, but he excels at analysis, and with advice from Kitakomachi High School coach Tachibana Kentaro, he develops a playing style that exploits his opponents' weaknesses. He's calm and has good judgment, and he's gradually gaining strength by playing in a way that emphasizes control.
8th Place: Emi Hashizume
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
The ace of Yokohama Shoei High School. She's so skilled that she was accepted as a scholarship student in badminton. While her physical and technical abilities are impeccable, she's mentally unstable. After witnessing a smash by Aragaki Nagisa of Kitakomachi High School, she becomes intimidated by other skilled players. Because of this, she is no longer able to take practice seriously and enters the prefectural tournament in an unstable state. Eimi also has a habit of slacking off and is just as devious as the main character of this work, Uesaki Ayano.
7th Place: Serigaya Kaoruko
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A first-year student at Konan High School. She is a player with a very high level of pride, a competitive spirit, and a strong mentality. Her playstyle emphasizes control, allowing her to outwit and attack her opponents. She is so determined to win that when she catches a cold while competing in the prefectural tournament, she forcefully passes it on to her opponent, Uesaki Ayano, in order to ensure that they are competing on equal terms. As a result, Kaoruko wins, but Ayano's defeat leaves her separated from her mother. Ayano begins to feel uncomfortable around Kaoruko, but later they develop a close relationship that earns her gratitude. She has a very flashy appearance, with pink twintails, a large ribbon on her head, polite speech, and frilly clothing, which makes her stand out.
6th Place: Tsubata Michi
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A third-year student at Kagayuki High School, the ace. He placed second in the Spring Invitational Tournament. His offensive style earned him the nickname "Tsubata of Power." Ever since she was a child, she has never been able to beat Utsunomiya Gakuin's Mashiko Rei, and views her as a fierce rival. When she wins a match, she greets her with great joy, but when she loses, she bursts into tears, demonstrating her honest personality.
5th Place: Nagisa Aragaki
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A third-year student and captain at Kitakomachi High School, she has an offensive-oriented playing style and relies on her jumping smash as her weapon. On the other hand, she's not very strong mentally, and when she hits a slump, she takes it out on the other members. However, she's stoic and hardworking, and above all else, she has a strong love for badminton, and with advice from Kitakomachi High School coach Tachibana Kentaro, she's able to get out of her slump. She's tall and has a great figure, and is sometimes teased as the sexy one.
4th Place: Shiwahime Yuika
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A third-year student at Fredericia Women's Junior College High School, she is the ace and captain of the team. She dominated the spring tournament and, despite an injury, made it to the top eight in the Inter-High singles. He is so strong that he is said to be the ultimate control-focused player, and he uses his technical and mental strength to attack his opponents' weaknesses. What he lacks in physical prowess, he makes up for with his analytical ability and tenacity.
3rd Place: Mashiko Rui
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A third-year student at Utsunomiya Academy. She is the All-Japan Junior Champion and has also competed in international tournaments. Mashiko Rei has never lost except on days when she herself wanted to lose, and is described as a genius who has never hit a wall, and is a player who has no apparent weaknesses.
2nd Place: Ayano Hanesaki
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A first-year student at Kitakomachi High School, she is the protagonist of this work. Her mother is Uchinaka Hanesaki, who won the All-Japan Championship 10 times in a row. She has a defensive playing style and fights by exploiting her opponents' weaknesses. She is also skilled at mentally attacking her opponents and is somewhat devious. During middle school, her mother left home immediately after she was defeated by Serigaya Kaoruko, which led to her taking a break from badminton for a while. However, after entering high school, she took up badminton again and aims to compete in the Inter-High School Championships with the members of Kita Komachi High School.
1st Place: Connie Christensen
Source: Hanebado © Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
A student studying abroad at Fredericia Women's College High School. A professional player in Denmark. An orphan with no relatives, she was raised by Uchinaka Hanesaki, mother of Ayano Hanesaki. Her natural talent and exceptional physical abilities have allowed her to defeat many formidable opponents. Her strength has earned her the nickname "Sharapova of the badminton world."
Hanebado! Strength Rankings - Summary
Source: Hanebado ©Kosuke Hamada, Kodansha / "Hanebado!" Production Committee
What did you think? This time we introduced the badminton strength rankings. The manga and anime are still ongoing, so even stronger opponents may appear in the future. Furthermore, the characters that have already appeared will likely continue to grow. You won't want to miss this. Thank you for reading to the end.
