It's not just another ecchi show.
We talked about sports anime recently, how diverse it is, and how it embraces a lot of topics, allowing the characters to evolve without the threat of death looming over them like in an average action-adventure series. Sports anime, especially targeted toward shounen demographics, has a lot of cliches, and the most interesting ones are those that use the tried and true tropes in an interesting way. That's when Keijo!!!!!!!! enters the scene (yes, the original name has eight exclamation marks).
If you read a synopsis, you'd think that it's another fanservice-filled show, because it's based on a new gambling sport that gained popularity in the 21st century — keijo, in which women play a game of king of the hill on a battlefield created from various structures on top of a pool. The goal is to throw the opponent into the water, but you can't use your limbs; the only protrusions that you are allowed to use are breasts and butts.
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Sounds a bit too ecchi, right? But wrong! This series fully embraces its absurdity, relishes in the insanity, quirks up the seriousness of something that is inherently filled with fanservice and makes it good. And at the same time despite the laughable premise it stays true to the general canvas of sports anime: there are training arcs with friendly rivalry, motivational monologues, the power of friendship, and everything like that.
Characters also have their signature moves with special names. As the show goes on, keijo battles become more and more absurd and ridiculous, and the creativity of how the participants use their assets is impressive.
But despite all that, the series ends up feeling surprisingly feminist. It feels like a positive celebration of female sexuality, one that shows how the athletes use whatever nature gave them, creating unique techniques that fit their stature, embracing their bodies.
The secondary sex characteristics are just tools and nothing more. And the variety in body shapes is astonishing.
You will still get a heap of booty shots, but as the story progresses they change from being just regularly sexy to something ridiculously powerful. The animation is nice, the atmosphere is surprisingly wholesome and heartwarming, which is a staple for any good sports anime but is not something you'd expect from a show centered around showing girls in skin-tight swimsuits.
It's a satire on a shounen sports show in an ecchi wrapper. This show is stupid, but it embraces its stupidity and enjoys it. And that's what makes it special.