Kazuyoshi Igarashi accepts a job on the remote Hinoshima island, where he meets the island’s only middle schooler, Tonbo. The girl is energetic and rambunctious, but more curiously, she seems to have a rare 3-iron golf club in her possession. Having some history with professional golf, Kazuyoshi, now known as Igaiga, wonders why such a remote island would have a golf club, but then Tonbo brings him to the island’s “secret”: a fully-developed links golf course! As Igaiga plays a quick hole with Tonbo, he notices that the girl not only uses the 3-iron as her only club, but that she is surprisingly adept with it, able to shape shots that professionals dream of and make even the most impossible of pot bunker shots. Could this girl actually be a golf prodigy? And what does this mean for Igaiga’s own golf story?
Hidden away in the recesses of Prime Video (yes, Amazon still does anime, apparently), Tonbo! is the latest to join in on what seems to be a rising wave of golf anime. This one is about as straightforward of a sports anime as you can get: you have the plucky protagonist with secret mad golf skillz, the coach with an obvious troubled history with the sport, and a whole lot of detailed explanations about the girl’s swing that appeal to those who want to know more about the technical side of the sport. Tonbo is a fun enough character, and the animation is decent enough, so at least the episode itself was pleasant enough. That said, there isn’t enough at the moment to say how it will turn out. My guess is that the show will lead Tonbo deeper into the world of competitive golf, all while helping Igaiga overcome his own traumas, which is all standard for the genre; like with many sports anime, the execution will determine whether this show makes a hole-in-one or finds itself in the water hazard. Overall, if you’re in the mood for a “typical” sports anime (as opposed to the more maniacal world of Birdie Wing), I’d say this one is worth a shot.
Tonbo! is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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Hmm, I’m not a big fan of golf as a sport, so maybe I’ll skip this one.