Honestly, sports anime usually follows a template so rigid you could set your watch by it. There is the genius protagonist with a hidden trauma, the massive rival who looks thirty-five despite being a sophomore, and the inevitable "power of friendship" speech that wins the national championship. All Out!! (or Oru Outo!! if you're a purist) basically took that template and threw it into a scrum. It’s gritty. It’s sweaty. It’s surprisingly obsessed with the mechanics of human muscle.
If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on a show that treats rugby not just as a game, but as a weirdly democratic form of violence where every body type actually matters.
Most people found the series back in 2016 through Madhouse and TMS Entertainment's collaboration. It was a big deal. Why? Because rugby isn't baseball or basketball—it's hard to animate. You have thirty people on a pitch constantly grabbing, lifting, and shoving each other. It’s a nightmare for a production budget. Yet, the All Out rugby anime managed to carve out a niche that still feels relevant today, especially for fans who are tired of the "superpower" tropes found in shows like Kuroko’s Basketball or Prince of Tennis.
The Short Guy Problem and Why Gion Matters
Kenji Gion is tiny. He’s aggressive. He has a chip on his shoulder the size of a regulation Gilbert ball. When he joins the Kanagawa High School Rugby Club, he doesn't have a "secret weapon" other than a complete lack of self-preservation. That’s the hook. In a sport dominated by giants like the gentle but massive Iwashimizu, Gion has to figure out how to exist in a space that wasn't built for him.
Rugby is unique. Unlike almost any other team sport, it literally has a place for the "short and angry" guy (the scrum-half) and the "huge and immovable" guy (the prop).
I remember watching the first few episodes and thinking Gion was going to be annoying. He yells. A lot. But the show does something clever: it humbles him immediately. He doesn't just walk on the field and score. He gets tackled. Hard. He spends half the first season learning how to tackle properly because, in rugby, if you don't know what you're doing, you don't just lose the game—you end up in the hospital. This groundedness is what separates the All Out rugby anime from its peers. It’s less about the glory and more about the "sub-academy" level of grit required just to stay on your feet.
The Art of the Scrum
Shiori Amase, the original manga creator, has a very specific art style. It’s... muscular. Like, really muscular. Every character looks like they’ve been carved out of granite. While some viewers found the character designs in the anime adaptation a bit polarizing—especially the focus on thighs and calves—it serves a functional purpose.
Rugby is a physical collision. If the characters looked like the waifish boys in Free!, the impact of a tackle wouldn't feel real. When Sekizan (the captain with the incredible red hair) hits someone, you see the weight. You see the legs driving into the turf.
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Coaches, Pain, and the Reality of the Grind
Let's talk about Shingo Komori. He’s the coach that shows up later in the series and basically tells the team they suck. Not in a "you guys have potential" way, but in a "you are fundamentally untrained and will get hurt" way.
It’s refreshing.
Most sports anime treat the coach as a cheerleader or a mystical sensei. Komori is a realist. He focuses on the boring stuff. Fitness. Form. The repetitive drills that make actual athletes want to quit. This is where the All Out rugby anime earns its stripes with real-world players. It acknowledges that sports are 90% boredom and 10% adrenaline. You want to win? Run until you puke. Then run again.
The series also avoids the "World Tournament" trap. It stays local. It stays focused on Kanagawa. By keeping the stakes personal rather than global, the emotional payoffs feel earned. You care if they beat Sagami High because you've seen the bruises they earned just trying to qualify. It’s a slow burn, but the heat is real.
Why People Compare it to Haikyuu (And Why They're Wrong)
You’ll see it in every comment section. "It’s just rugby Haikyuu!"
Not really.
Haikyuu!! is a masterpiece of flow and kinetic energy. It feels like flying. All Out!! feels like being stuck in a mud pit. The pacing is different. While Haikyuu!! uses volleyball as a metaphor for self-actualization, All Out!! uses rugby as a metaphor for finding a place where your specific flaws are actually assets.
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- Gion’s height: An asset for low-center-of-gravity tackling.
- Iwashimizu’s height: An asset for line-outs, even if he's scared of his own strength.
- Sekizan’s intensity: A focal point for a team that lacks direction.
The show isn't about being the best in Japan; it’s about a bunch of misfits realizing they can be a cohesive unit of destruction. It’s much more cynical than Haikyuu!!, and honestly, a bit more "seinen" in its DNA despite being a shonen title. It doesn't shy away from the fact that these kids are often terrified.
The Animation Bottleneck
We have to be honest here. Madhouse is legendary (think One Punch Man season one or Hunter x Hunter), but All Out!! didn't get the "unlimited budget" treatment. There are moments where the animation relies on stills or repeated frames during the heavy action.
Does it ruin the experience? No.
But it’s a limitation. If you’re coming into this expecting the fluid, high-octane production of Blue Lock, you might be disappointed. The strength of the All Out rugby anime lies in its character writing and the tactical breakdowns. It explains the rules of rugby—the offsides, the rucks, the mauls—without feeling like a boring textbook. It makes you want to go outside and tackle a bag.
Cultural Impact and the 2019 World Cup
The timing of this anime was fascinating. It aired a few years before Japan hosted the Rugby World Cup in 2019. For a long time, rugby was a distant third or fourth in Japanese sports popularity, trailing way behind baseball and soccer.
All Out!! played a genuine role in demystifying the sport for a younger generation. It moved the needle. It showed that you didn't need to be a "salaryman" to enjoy the sport. The series captured the "One for all, all for one" ethos (which is the actual motto of rugby) right as the Japanese national team, the Brave Blossoms, were becoming world-beaters.
Is the All Out Rugby Anime Finished?
This is the big question. The anime covers roughly the first half of the manga. It ends on a note that feels like a "go read the manga" cliffhanger. This is frustrating for fans who want a definitive conclusion to Gion’s journey.
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As of 2026, there hasn't been a second season. The manga, written by Shiori Amase, concluded in 2020 with 17 volumes. If you finish the 25 episodes of the anime and feel that void in your chest, you have to hit the books. The later arcs of the manga delve much deeper into the national-level competition and the backstories of the rival teams, particularly the powerhouse schools that make Kanagawa look like a playground.
Actionable Steps for New Fans
If you're ready to dive into the scrum, here is how to consume All Out!! the right way:
Watch the Dub (Seriously)
Usually, the "sub vs dub" debate is a war zone. However, the English dub for All Out!! is surprisingly excellent. The voice actors capture the rough-and-tumble vibe of a locker room perfectly. It feels less like an "anime" and more like a sports drama.
Pay Attention to the Positions
Rugby is confusing if you don't know the roles. Instead of just watching the ball, watch what the "Bigs" (the forwards) are doing in the background. The anime does a great job of highlighting the work that happens away from the scoreboard—the blocking, the pushing, and the sacrificial plays.
Bridge the Gap with the Manga
Since the anime ends at a pivotal moment, start the manga from Volume 8 or 9 to pick up where the show leaves off. The art style in the manga is even more detailed and "raw" than the show, which adds to the intensity of the matches.
Check out "Try Knights" or "Number24" if you're desperate
If you finish All Out!! and need more rugby, there are other options. Try Knights is more about strategy (and has... questionable animation), while Number24 focuses more on the university level and character relationships. Neither quite captures the raw, physical grit of Gion and his crew, but they help fill the void.
The All Out rugby anime remains a standout because it refuses to make the sport look easy. It treats every yard gained as a minor miracle. It’s a show about the beauty of the struggle, the necessity of pain, and the fact that even the smallest person on the field can be the most dangerous if they just refuse to quit.
Go watch it. Bring a mouthguard.