Tonbo! Explained

Ja Kanji:オーイ! とんぼ
Ja Romaji:Ōi! Tonbo
Genre:Sports
Type:manga
Author:Ken Kawasaki
Publisher:Golf Digest
First:August 4, 2014
Volumes:53
Type:tv series
Director:Jin-Koo Oh
Licensee:Remow
Network:TXN (TV Tokyo), BS TV Tokyo
First:April 6, 2024
Episodes:22
Portal:yes

is a Japanese manga series written by Ken Kawasaki and illustrated by . It has been serialized in Golf Digest's golfing magazine since August 2014. An anime television series adaptation produced by OLM aired from April to June 2024. A second season premiered in October of the same year.

By November 2024, Tonbo! had over 2.2 million copies in circulation.

Plot

The series is set in the fictional Hinoshima Island in the Tokara Islands (based on Nakanoshima),[1] where Kazuyoshi Igarashi heads to for unknown reasons. He meets with Tonbo Ōi, a girl with a talent for golf.[2]

Characters

[3]
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    • Media

    Manga

    Written by Ken Kawasaki and illustrated by, Tonbo! started in Golf Digest's golfing magazine on August 4, 2014.[5] [6] Golf Digest has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first two volumes were released on May 30, 2016.[7] As of November 1, 2024, 53 volumes have been released.[8]

    Anime

    In May 2023, an anime television series adaptation was announced.[9] It is animated by OLM (with CG provided by SMDE) and directed by Oh Jin-koo, with Mitsutaka Hirota writing series scripts, Akira Takeuchi designing the characters, Keita Hattori directing the 3DCG, and composing the music.[3] The series aired from April 6 to June 29, 2024, on TV Tokyo.[10] [11] [12] The opening theme song is, performed by Sacra e sole, while the ending theme song is "Let's Swing", performed by Tokyo Groove Jyoshi.[3]

    After the airing of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that the series would receive a second season, which premiered on October 4 of the same year.[13] [14] For the second season, the opening theme song is "Seven Pieces", performed by Sacra e sole, while the ending theme song is, performed by Tokyo Groove Jyoshi.[14]

    Remow licensed the series for streaming on its It's Anime YouTube channel.[15] The company also streamed the first season of the series on Amazon Prime Video with an English dub, releasing it simultaneously as it aired in Japan.[16] The second season was added to the platform as well.[17]

    Episodes

    Season 2

    Other media

    In 2023, Miki City, known as the "City of Golf" due to its large number of golf courses, in collaboration with the manga, offered golf balls with Tonbo design printed on them as tax return gifts, to promote the sport in the city and to contribute to its financial reconstruction.[18]

    Reception

    By June 2023, the manga had over 1.55 million copies in circulation (including digital copies);[18] by November 2024, it had over 2.2 million copies in circulation (including digital copies).[19] The manga placed third in Rakuten Kobo's second E-book Award in the "Long Seller Comic" category in 2024.[20]

    Anime News Network (ANN) had four editors review the first episode of the anime:[21] Richard Eisenbeis wrote: "Do I think this series will be some kind of breakout hit? No, but I was entertained enough to come back for another episode next week." Rebecca Silverman felt it did "an excellent job of establishing its setting" and using the island's "casual golf culture" to display Igarashi's "presumptive past golf-related trauma", but was critical of Tonbo being portrayed more as a "non-character than a person" during her debut. She felt the series needed another episode for its plot and characters to get going, concluding that: "Don't go into this expecting Birdie Wing, but I think it might fit the bill if you're looking for a low-key sports series this spring." Nicholas Dupree was critical of the leads not being either "engaging or interesting" to entice viewers and felt the overall production had the "hallmarks of a long-running show with modest resources and modest-er vision", giving note of the "inconsistent, flat character art and a good amount of reused footage" throughout the runtime. He concluded that "nothing here is bad or doomed from the outset. This could be a slow starter that gets more engaging as we develop the characters or let the cast gel cohesively. If you're looking for a family-friendly sports show, this fits the bill just fine, even if it doesn't excel at anything." The fourth reviewer, James Beckett, criticized the "stale characters" and the overall visuals coming across like "three people animated it on a budget of loose change and broken dreams", saying "the end product is so stiff and lifeless that I felt like I may as well have just been looking at the manga anyway, except with more color and an annoying soundtrack that I didn't ask for."[21] Fellow ANN editor Jairus Taylor reviewed the complete anime series and gave it a D+ grade, criticizing the slow start to the overall plot, the "overly technical" and "more realistic approach" to displaying golf, the lack of a supporting cast and OLM's "acceptable, if largely unimpressive" production failing to elevate the golfing scenes, concluding that: "[T]here's no real reason I can think of to go out of the way to watch this one, and with how little it has to offer as a sports drama, you're probably better off watching an actual golf match instead."[22]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Ohkawa. Takashi. ja:「オーイ！ とんぼ」の聖地巡礼。"トカラ列島"はこんなとこ！. http://tug.golf/_ct/16970576. Thumbs Up Golf. Golf Digest. April 30, 2024. ja. June 17, 2016. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609054816/http://tug.golf/_ct/16970576. live.
    2. Web site: Luster. Joseph. Oi! Tonbo Golf Anime Takes a Swing in New Teaser Trailer. Otaku USA. April 30, 2024. October 4, 2023. January 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240117183438/https://otakuusamagazine.com/oi-tonbo-golf-anime-takes-a-swing-in-new-teaser-trailer/. live.
    3. Web site: Pineda. Rafael. Oi! Tonbo Anime Reveals Cast, Staff, Theme Song Artists, April Debut. Anime News Network. January 16, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240116102957/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-01-15/oi-tonbo-anime-reveals-cast-staff-theme-song-artists-april-debut/.206519. January 16, 2024. January 15, 2024.
    4. Web site: Mateo. Alex. Oi! Tonbo Golf Anime Unveils More Cast. Anime News Network. March 21, 2024. March 21, 2024. September 4, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240904211933/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-03-21/oi-tonbo-golf-anime-unveils-more-cast/.209016. live.
    5. Web site: ja:週刊ゴルフダイジェスト 2014/8/19・26号. https://gd.golfdigest.co.jp/wgd/article/51935/. Golf Digest. April 30, 2023. ja. June 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160604191807/http://gd.golfdigest.co.jp/wgd/article/51935/. live.
    6. Web site: ja:ゴルフ誌の大作「千里の道も」完、新連載始動. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/122848. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. April 30, 2023. ja. August 5, 2014. March 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220321204844/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/122848. live.
    7. Web site: ja:スネに傷持つゴルファーが秘境で運命の出会いを果たす、「オーイ！とんぼ」. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/189066. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. April 30, 2023. ja. May 30, 2016. March 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220321231843/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/189066. live.
    8. Web site: ja:【11月1日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/597218. Comic Natalie. Natasha, Inc.. November 1, 2024. ja. November 1, 2024.
    9. Web site: Loo. Egan. Oi! Tonbo Golf Manga's 2024 Anime Confirmed. Anime News Network. April 30, 2023. April 30, 2023. May 2, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230502183542/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-04-30/oi-tonbo-golf-manga-2024-anime-confirmed/.197655. live.
    10. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Oi! Tonbo Anime's Teaser Unveils Production Studios, TV Debut Next Spring. Anime News Network. October 3, 2023. October 2, 2023. October 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231003060215/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-10-02/oi-tonbo-anime-teaser-unveils-production-studios-tv-debut-next-spring/.203079. live.
    11. Web site: Pineda. Rafael. Oi! Tonbo Golf Anime's 2nd Promo Video Reveals April 6 Premiere. Anime News Network. February 20, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240220034449/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-19/oi-tonbo-golf-anime-2nd-promo-video-reveals-april-6-premiere/.207779. February 20, 2024. February 19, 2024. live.
    12. Web site: ja:オーイ！とんぼ. https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/broad_tvtokyo/program/detail/202406/27985_202406291000.html. TV Tokyo. June 29, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240629045756/https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/broad_tvtokyo/program/detail/202406/27985_202406291000.html. June 29, 2024. ja. live.
    13. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Tonbo! Anime Gets 2nd Season This Fall. Anime News Network. June 29, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240629045608/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-06-28/tonbo-anime-gets-2nd-season-this-fall/.212614. June 29, 2024. June 29, 2024. live.
    14. Web site: Pineda. Rafael Antonio. Tonbo! Season 2 Reveals More Cast, Theme Song Artists, October 5 Debut. Anime News Network. September 2, 2024. September 1, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240903134551/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-09-01/tonbo-season-2-reveals-more-cast-theme-song-artists-october-5-debut/.215021. September 3, 2024. live.
    15. Web site: Locksley. Ross. Behind the scenes of golfing sensation Tonbo!. UK Anime Network. April 23, 2024. https://archive.today/20240423032027/https://www.uk-anime.net/articles/Behind_the_scenes_of_golfing_sensation_Tonbo!_. April 23, 2024. April 17, 2024. live.
    16. Web site: Tai. Anita. Oi! Tonbo Golf Anime Streams on Amazon Prime. Anime News Network. April 7, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240407024856/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-04-06/oi-tonbo-golf-anime-streams-on-amazon-prime/.209615. April 7, 2024. April 7, 2024. live.
    17. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. Amazon Prime Video Streams Tonbo! Anime's 2nd Season. Anime News Network. October 5, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241005050744/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-10-05/amazon-prime-video-streams-tonbo-anime-2nd-season/.216372. October 5, 2024. October 5, 2024. live.
    18. Web site: ja:ゴルフのまちの返礼品、「オーイ！とんぼ」とコラボで寄付額が大幅アップ. https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/20230624-OYT1T50078/. Yomiuri Shimbun. April 30, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240430035239/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/20230624-OYT1T50078/. April 30, 2024. ja. June 24, 2023. live.
    19. Web site: ja:【累計220万部突破】「オーイ! とんぼ」最新刊53巻 11月1日発売!　プロテストの激闘がついに決着!. My Golf Digest. https://my-golfdigest.jp/book/p168454/. ja. November 1, 2024. November 1, 2024.
    20. Web site: Pineda. Rafael. Berserk of Gluttony, Dungeon People, Oblivion Battery Manga Win 2nd Rakuten Kobo e-Book Awards 2024. Anime News Network. June 3, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240603072510/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-06-03/berserk-of-gluttony-dungeon-people-oblivion-battery-manga-win-2nd-rakuten-kobo-e-book-awards-2024/.211464. June 3, 2024. June 3, 2024. live.
    21. Web site: Tonbo! - The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide. Anime News Network. April 6, 2024. October 6, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240612180355/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/preview-guide/2024/spring/tonbo/.208489. June 12, 2024. live.
    22. Web site: Tonbo! Season 1 Anime Series Review. Taylor. Jairus. Anime News Network. October 5, 2024. October 6, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20241006033520/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/tonbo/season-1/.215976. October 6, 2024. live.

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