The characters celebrating Langa's win
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The Weekend Fireworks Were Over the New SK8 the Infinity Animation Project, Right?

I want to skate infinitely with you.
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Briana Lawrence
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Published: Jul 6, 2021 10:45 am

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While my neighbors spent the fourth of July lighting a lifetime supply of fireworks, I spent the holiday scrolling through Twitter and sobbing over SK8 the Infinity. The “SK8 Masquerade of Love” event brought the Japanese seiyuu (voice actors) together, and during the event, we got three big announcements:

  1. The next drama CD will be Host Club themed, a fine companion CD to Cindereki – the first drama CD where Reki, I kid you not, falls asleep after reading his sisters Cinderella and dreams of being a rags to skateboard princess who wins the heart of Prince Langa.
  2. There will be a two-part stage play.
  3. This. Right. Here:

Our prayer circles worked! We’re getting a new SK8 animation project!

via GIPHY

Needless to say, the entire fandom—voice actors included—was thrilled.

SK8 the Infinity is the sports anime that completely took me off guard. While it does hit a lot of the beats I expect out of a sports anime (i.e. the underdog story, determination, friendship, etc.), there was so much heart in the series. From its message of doing something just because it’s fun, to the found family vibes and, of course, the variety of shipping dynamics, SK8 the Infinity is truly something special.

I’m still attached to the characters months after the finale, and apparently, we’re going to get more content with them. What that content is… we’re not sure yet.

What this new animation project is and when it’ll be released is currently up in the air, but I have some thoughts on what we could be seeing from series director Hiroko Utsumi (Banana Fish, Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club/Eternal Summer) along with writer Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress), character designer Michinori Chiba (Basilisk, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans), and music composer Ryō Takahaski  (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., Argonavis from BanG Dream!)

We Were Special: A Joe, Cherry, and Adam prequel

Adam, Cherry, and Joe before everything went wrong

I feel like this is one of the biggest things the fandom is asking for. We got a couple of short flashbacks that showed the connection between Joe and Cherry, leading to them meeting Adam and becoming a throuple—I mean, um, trio of friends (where Cherry and Adam started dating and later became exes, no, I will not be taking questions at this time). 

Cherry and Adam

We know that Adam slowly descended into Matador of Loveness and began hurting skaters, driving a wedge between his friendships until he left to go to America. Cherry’s been holding a grudge for years, and while we get glimpses of why, we could easily get an OVA, or even an entire series, that expands on that why.

What got Joe and Cherry into skateboarding? What was their past friendship like? How did the three of them even come to start S? Who was that injured skateboarder we saw in that flashback? When did Joe and Cherry transition from skater punks to “respectable” adults … who were skater punks at night? Were Joe and Cherry always old husbands or did that happen when they got older?

My only fangirl concern is Hiroko Utsumi giving us a whole season and introducing us to new characters from Joe and Cherry’s past, mostly because I’m already attached to the entire SK8 family. I don’t know if I can handle more fantastic characters. 

Oka’s backstory

Oka

This could potentially tie into the prequel idea. Oka spent most of his time in SK8 giving Reki a lot of great advice, particularly when Reki’s down on himself for not being as good as everyone else. Oka also isn’t on an unbelievable prodigy level the way the rest of the cast seems to be, so he’s the perfect person to instill in Reki that you don’t have to be a skateboard deity in order to enjoy it. 

But what led to Oka thinking like that? Did he have a moment where he realized he wasn’t as good as everyone else he was skateboarding with? 

Full disclosure: My wife has a theory that Oka is the skateboarder we see being injured by Adam in that flashback. I dig this theory a lot. Even if I don’t want Oka to be hurt (he deserves the world), I like the idea that he took a step back from skateboarding, only to find his way back by being the manager at Dope Sketch.

More Reki backstory

Reki and his old group

I’m not sure if it’s enough to make an entire season out of, but there’s something that came up in the anime that I’ve been thinking about. In episode 10, Reki runs into a couple of jerks who beat him up in an alley. Apparently, he used to be part of a skateboard group with them? Who are these guys? What was this skateboard group that was so bad that he left it after a couple of days? More importantly, did this group have something to do with Reki’s friend (the one who taught him how to skateboard) being seriously injured? 

The Snowboarding Trip to Canada That We All Want

Langa family

This is just wishful fangirl thinking, but I really want Langa to introduce Reki to snowboarding. I think it would be a cute full-circle moment. It’d also further cement Langa coming to terms with his father passing away if he took a moment to embrace snowboarding again—not that he needs to, as the series ends with him visiting his father’s grave with his mother, but it’d be an extra bit of “I’m having fun again, so much so that I’m showing someone I care about (Reki) how to snowboard.”

Also, the hijinks would be entertaining. I imagine this would probably be a moment where Langa invites Reki, but the two need a chaperone so Shadow gets pulled in, but Cherry just so happens to have business in Canada, and Joe is walking around with two girls for the sole purpose of flirt-fighting with Cherry, and Miya’s there because someone’s gotta be the adult in the group. 

Like. Imagine these blockheads on an airplane together, and Adam showing up dramatically via helicopter or a bedazzled cannon that shoots him into the air from Japan and Canada. 

Perfection.

Also, it can easily combine with a potential prequel, says past me.

Miscellaneous Ideas

Shadow cheering

While there’s not a whole lot to do with Shadow and Miya anymore, I would hope that if we get a season 2, we get more of them. Did Miya patch things up with his former skateboard friend? Can Shadow PLEASE find someone who loves him? Also, since skateboarding is becoming part of the Olympics for the first time ever this year, a new season or OVA could touch on that, and even point to Miya since he was a candidate for Japan’s national team.

Also, I’d adore seeing more of Reki’s sister, Koyomi, skateboarding.

—

Those are my running theories! What do you think this new SK8 animation project will be, more importantly, are we getting a cool new opening?

(Image: Studio Bones/Hiroko Utsumi)

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Author
Image of Briana Lawrence
Briana Lawrence
Briana (she/her - bisexual) is trying her best to cosplay as a responsible adult. Her writing tends to focus on the importance of representation, whether it’s through her multiple book series or the pieces she writes. After de-transforming from her magical girl state, she indulges in an ever-growing pile of manga, marathons too much anime, and dedicates an embarrassing amount of time to her Animal Crossing pumpkin patch (it's Halloween forever, deal with it Nook)
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